Betrothed to the Dragon: Lick of Fire

By: Kara Lockharte

Narrated by: Victoria Mei

Length: 3 hrs and 46 mins

Publisher's Summary

I’m engaged to a stranger, a man - dragon. If I don’t marry him, I’m as good as dead.

I’ve been hiding all my life.

Unlike the rest of my once powerful family, I have no magic.

The immortal monster that ate them all, still hunts me.

And my grandmother thinks that the only way to save me from the monster is to marry me to another monster: a dragon.

Only this monster is perfection in human form: all rippling golden muscle and more gorgeous than anyone who shifts into a scaled monstrous beast has a right to be. His magic calls me, his heat enthralls me and my mind melts at the touch of his inhumanely hot hands on my skin.

There is no way I can marry him.

I know what he truly wants: access to my family’s power.

But I have no magic, no power of my own.

He thinks he knows what he’s getting with me.

I don’t play those games.

It’s better to run from a monster, than to marry one.

I’m no dragon’s treasure.

Even if my heart wishes otherwise.

©2018 Smartia Publishing (P)2019 Smartia Publishing

Outstanding Narration

Having read this book, I was delighted to hear it brought to life. Victoria Mei does an absolutely outstanding job narrating this book filling it with all the animation and emotion that are found in the pages. Her telling will sweep you away and draw you into this story. I can't wait to hear the rest of the series!

First book in a new mini-series set in a fascinating world. You've got the Shen, a magical race with a great variety of gifts, dragons from an alien planet, and of course the big bad enemy in the Devourer. Sophie is a Shen who never manifested a gift of her own despite a powerful lineage and has adapted to living as a human. Her life has been shaped by the deaths of her parents at the hands of the Devourer and all the running she has done since then. When her Grandmother tells her she's been betrothed to a dragon since she was an infant, she doesn't know what to think. When she meets a drop dead gorgeous man at her work, then literally runs into him again, she never expects that he is her betrothed. But the Devourer is making moves again and when Sophie runs, this time she has some unexpected help. Fast-paced and filled with action, this short story will have you glued to the pages to see how things turn out.

3 of 3 people found this review helpful

Loved it

Sofia was born from a long line of gifted people but was not fortunate to have magic herself. To be able to flee their enemy her grandma betrothed her to a dragon so she would have their protection. When Sofia meets her dragon there’s an immediate connection. Will Sofia go forward with the arrangements her grandma made for her and be safe? Loved the story and the narrator. Victoria Mei did a brilliant job bringing the characters to life.

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

Intriguing to think about and steamy

Shin the beginning of all magic users what an interesting thought. TO see her emerge with her powers she thought she did not have and see her agree to the dragon and then find out she is pregnant on top of it. AMAZING love the shin and dragon mating to make an ultimate to fight the evil that plagues them all. #AudioBookObsession

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

Interesting

l really enjoyed this story, it was original and had no trouble keeping my attention. l remember reading the book form quite a while ago and it made a memorable impression then. Being narrated really bought the details out and the narrator did a great job.

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

Betrothed to the Dragon

An entertaining and enjoyable paranormal romance. Sophie found out that she had been betrothed to a stranger, a dragon, since before she was born. Was it all to gain control of her magical powers, that never seemed to manifest?

Kara Lockharte did a nice job of presenting the background information and setting the stage for a continuation to the story.

Victoria Mei’s narration was very entertaining. She brought the story to life and kept me drawn into the story from the very beginning.

I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and I have voluntarily left this review.

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

Sophie and Hunter’s Paranormal story

I liked the overall performance of this story. The writing wasn’t to bad. I kinda got lost during the ending battle scene. Anyways, I think Victoria’s voice is perfect for this book. And the story was interesting. I would recommend.

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

Loved Spitfire Sophie

I loved how this started out and it kept up the pace until the end. Sophie is a spitfire from the start. She is full of energy and isn’t about to let her grandmother’s promise slow her down. Hunter is her salvation and undoing. He was perfect to complete them. Victoria Mei did a wonderful job with Sophie expressing her snark as well as Hunter.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Loved this!

This is a intriguing shorter story. It really makes me wanting to read more in this series. I enjoyed Sophie. She knows what she wants or doesn’t want. Hunter is just...well sexy as all get out...then he’s a freaking DRAGON! His words to her right before they bond? So HOT! And that fire thing he does...WOW!

Sophie comes from a magical family... she just doesn’t have any. She is a dud. Something is after her and she can only get protection from one guy or should I say dragon.

This is my first book by this author. The story is easy to understand and to follow along with. The characters are fun with the element of danger. I did listen to this on audio. Victoria Mei does a wonderful job with this story and these characters.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Great Start to the series

Sophie and Hunter were such great characters. Sophie had a lot to learn and adjust to with what she had always thought and what she now had to learn. The devourer was such a calculating character and yet has so much to learn. Sophie and Hunter were hot hot hot. I liked the story the pacing was a little fast but it was still good. I want to know what will happen next and why. Also how things will work with some of the side characters. This world and the magic was really interesting. I hope to learn more about the characters and world they live in.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Better than I thought

Sweet and passion filled story. It is faced pace but that doesn’t hinder the story. This author is new to me and I will be get more of her books. Love how she builds the world and scenes.
The narration was good and engaging


#AudiobookObsessionReview

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Nice quick listen

I enjoyed listening to this book. This is a quick listen but with an overall nicely paced storyline. Some short stories feel rushed with a bunch of plot holes but this one is packed with action, danger, suspense, and hot romance. I received this audiobook for free and I’m leaving this honest review.

Fantastic storyline

What an action packed book! It’s non stop action from start to finish. Victoria is perfect for these characters and brings them to life so very well.

A steamy (and scaly!) adventure

I haven't read much paranormal romance (PNR) in years, and even then very little of it contained dragons. But I love Genevieve Cogman's Invisible Library series, and though that is more steampunky fantasy than PNR, it certainly helped endear me to the notion of dragon-shifters.

I still found that I was unprepared for quite how much suspension of disbelief this audiobook required, though. Once I settled into it and stopped expecting things to make sense (or to obey the laws of physics), I came to quite like the characters and was invested in their race to defeat The Devourer and save the day.

Sophie is as ordinary as Hunter is extraordinary, and though she cannot match his power or confidence, she's no pushover. Hunter was more reserved, and we learnt less about his background, but that implacable, predatory countenance suited his character. Though they had very little time to become acquainted, their magical bond strengthened throughout their quest.

Much of the story felt like YA fiction, especially the epilogue, but the raunchy bits are more adult than that, so I struggled to place it at times. New Adult, perhaps?

The narrator, Victoria Mei, gave Sophie a voice that suited the character well, and remained enthusiastic and lively in her performance.

Though somewhat lightweight, this audiobook was well paced and a quick listen, full of lust, magic, and ancient battles between good and evil that held enough of my attention to be enjoyable.

I'd recommend Betrothed to the Dragon to lovers of paranormal romance who are looking for a fun taster to a new series, and those like myself who need an easy way back into the genre.

*I received this audiobook free of charge in the hope of an honest, unbiased review.

It was good

The book was good, but not really amazing. I think something is missing, there was a connection between the main characters but there's no real development on their relation it was too fast.
Also there were times when I got lost and had to go back to re-listen to that part because things where just happening to fast.

A really good short story

I wasnt sure I was going to like this because it's a short story but I actually really enjoyed it. I really like this narrator she is very versatile and reads really well. I would recommend this book it was enjoyable and a short story actually was quite refreshing. audiobook obsessions reviewer.

Excellent narration

Betrothed to the Dragon is a fast-paced paranormal romance, loaded with passion, action, and excitement. Despite the length of the audiobook, Kara Lockhart's writing is well-paced and has done a fantastic job with the world-building. I really liked the main characters, they are well developed and have great chemistry. Victoria Mei does an outstanding job with the narration. She literally brought the book to life.

I was given a free copy of this audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.
🎧 AudiobookObsessionReviewer

New auto buy

I can count on my fingers the number of auto buy authors I have, Kara Lockharte made the list with one book.
I love everything about her world, it’s so original and I’m British we tend to be a bit protective of our dragons.
There is so much I want to say about this amazing couple, but don’t want to add spoilers.
So set aside a few hours for yourself, relax and let a dragon take your imagination for a ride.

Interesting

I would have liked to know more about each of their pasts but the length of the story was good as is. I liked the immediate chemistry between them. Lots of action and some steam. One of my favorite narrators!

Perfect

I love stories where the main characters fight their attraction it makes it so much better when they finally give in and accept.
This one did that just perfectly