Rating: 3.25🌈
When I was skimming through various titles, looking for a new author and quick story to read, I came across My Dragon Mate by Stella Rainbow, listed as a standalone Bi-awakening Fated Mates Romance. No reference to a series. Not in the title I was looking at.
New author, fantasy romance with a found family. I’m in.
What I noticed immediately is the author’s note , inside, that says this story is part of a connected series and should be read in order and as part of that universe.
Hmmm, ok. That needs to mentioned in the description. Because it’s absolutely true. For several reasons.
The child, Cam, is one of the three POV narrations here, and recovering from cancer. Her storyline is a major element we don’t completely understand as it’s part of the last series. Here she’s done, apparently recovered. All good except for a dad who isn’t recovered from that.
We aren’t given her history of her illness, her recovery, or what happened to her mother. All in the other series and necessary reading. It’s assumed we know it. Pop up characters? No idea who they are. What they are. What their relationships are.
It is obvious that this story alone can’t be enough to form a idea of what Stella Rainbow is as a author in terms of writing, although a reader gets a definite understanding of her preference for low angst and very happy, sunny romances.
There’s absolutely nothing as far as real emotional drama. Anything that starts to swerve into that territory is then quickly taken back into the comfort, sweet zone. A slight argument between the adults is remedied by the adorable daughter and dragon and father are back , happily, on the path to HEA.
Sweet, low angst romances with a found family element, such as a Interfering child, make for endearing stories. My Dragon Mate is that short Bon Bon of a tale, with several things that will make you seek out its previous stories.
Honestly, though, that description needs revising. Not a standalone by any standards.
If you’re a reader who wants a quick tale of love and family with a fantasy take? Try this. If you’re looking for lots of depth or storylines with complexity, this probably isn’t for you.
You know which reader you are.
Note: There is one element at the end with regard to Cam. I won’t go into it here as it’s a spoiler. But I’m still trying to decide if the way it’s handled (very much in keeping with the happy, poof, anything that’s realistic or anguish causing is eliminated manner) is disrespectful to those who make that life changing decision or something they would wish they had the ability to do themselves. I really don’t know.
Probably tells me stories like this are too sunny for me and even my fantasy books needs a darker element.
Synopsis:
A human single father. A 2000-year-old storm dragon. A nine-year-old who wants them as fathers.
William
When I stopped the gray-eyed investor from leaving my home in the middle of a storm, I had no idea I was playing right into Fate’s hands.
Raiden
When I stepped into William Hawthorne’s house for a meeting, I did not know I was stepping into the home of my fated one.
Camille
When my dad rejected his fated mate—a man who didn’t just seem like the sweetest person I’d ever met, but was also a dragon—I knew I needed to take matters into my own hands.
Tags:
William is a single-dad, Raiden is way too old for first love flutters, we’re talking like 2000 years too old, Raph calls William an idiot (He’s a DRAGON, Will!), Cam is a little matchmaker, Raiden can be anything you want baby,_ Bi-Awakening, dragons are SO COOL, age gap for days, fated mates, Raiden makes the sky go boom, low angst, lots of fluff.
My Dragon Mate is a 24k words novella starring a slightly confused human; a sweet, 2000-year-old dragon; and a nine-year-old girl who’s determined to make sure they get their happily ever after. It’s a spin-off to Stella Rainbow’s Mages of Ravenshire series, and can be read as a standalone.
Note: Revised in Dec 2021. No new content was added.
Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words 