So I’ve been reading a lot of Katee Robert reads lately. I was talking with a friend and we were talking about Wicked Beauty and Court of the Vampire Queen and then I was thinking, “why not read more of the backlist books?” And so here’s today’s post of my latest reads from Roberts.
The Dragon’s Bride
These will be mostly just mini reviews because of the volume, there’s four reviews. To begin with, let’s just begin with one that I’d seen a lot on Tiktok, The Dragon’s Bride. Look, with the romance storyline and ‘monster’ on the cover, I was intrigued.
Briar Rose might have a name out of a storybook, but she learned at a very young age that no prince was coming to save her. She’ll have to save herself. Unfortunately, even that is an impossible task in her current situation—trapped in a terrifying marriage to a dangerous man.
Desperate times call for desperate measures, which is how she finds herself making a deal with a demon. Freedom from her husband…in return for seven years of service.
She expects the service to be backbreaking and harsh. She doesn’t expect to be put on an auction block in a room full of literal monsters and sold to the highest bidder.
To Sol.
A dragon.
He might seem kinder than his fearsome looks imply, but she knows better than to trust the way he wants to take care of her, or how invested he is in her pleasure. In her experience, if something seems too good to be true, it certainly is.
Falling for Sol is out of the question. She’s suffered enough, and she has no intention of staying in this realm…even if she leaves her heart behind when she returns to her normal life.
This one was spicy, but in terms of the Katee Robert’s books I had been reading before not as spicy as for example Court of the Vampire Queen. That being said, the spice is definitely different because this is a dragon not a human. But I enjoyed the character development here especially as Briar Rose (which does certainly give off Beauty and the Beast vibes) has to process her trauma and PTSD from a past abusive relationship. So The Dragon’s Bride is about her trying to re-think her own place in relation to another being.
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Watching her bloom as a character and become a more confident person warmed my heart. It’s like that movie where the MC doesn’t know how she likes her eggs, she’s too used to eating it however her partner liked. (Editing Lili has come to tell you it’s Runaway Bride and Julia Roberts). For other tropes in this one, there’s an arranged marriage, she’s sort of kidnapped to the dragon realm (although she does agree to this deal), and there’s a dragon so there’s that.
Find The Dragon’s Bride on Goodreads, Amazon, Indiebound, Bookshop.org & The Book Depository.
Desperate Measures
My Savior… Or My Ruin?
One night, and my entire life went up in flames. All because of him. Jafar. As my world burned down around me, he offered me a choice. Walk away with nothing but my freedom… Or rise to his challenge and win my fortune back.
I bargained.
I lost.
Now Jafar owns me, and even as my mind rails against his rules, my body loves the punishments he deals out when I break them.
But a gilded cage is still a prison, I’ll do anything to obtain my freedom.
Even betray the man I’m falling for.
So I embarked on the Wicked Villain’s series which I had also seen everywhere on TikTok. It just seems I get romance recs from TikTok I guess? As someone who has read the Dark Olympus series first, this brought a few things into perspective – like not only who the other players were, but also like that these two series all seem to be interconnected. That made me a lot happier because I felt like the world was always a bit weaker in the books, and knowing that I can apply what I learned to the other books made it easier for me to sink into the books.
Desperate Measures has a very much “Aladdin” vibe to it, mostly because how else am I going to read about Jafar and Jasmine without thinking of that? Maybe it’s not at all related and that’s just my own mind. But I did enjoy the premise and set up between them, how there was this relationship, this push and pull, set up on a foundation of their past. For those who like consent play and also arranged relationships – of a sort – this is a good one to read.
Find Desperate Measures on Goodreads, Amazon, Indiebound, Bookshop.org & The Book Depository.
Learn My Lesson
A single night with Meg and I’m willing to do anything to save her from Hades, the man holding her captive, victim to his every whim.
A bargain with the devil himself seems a small price to pay in order for Meg to go free… Until I learn that she’s exactly where she wants to be.
She’s Queen to Hades’s King.
And I’m the fool that walked right into their trap.
The same fool who desires them both as much as I hate them. I can’t resist Meg’s touch—or stop from being drawn to Hades’s dark desires. By the time I realize just how deep a game he’s playing, it may be too late…
For all of us.
Okay, so having read Neon Gods, I was like, “BUT HADES”. I do know that this predates that book, I just had to wrack my brain to remember if these characters were in that book. Ignoring my own loyalty, I did enjoy the interactions between Meg, Hades, and Hercules. I liked the idea of imagining them all together instead of what I knew, basically just the Disney version. If you also like characters who are introduced to the world of scenes and kink, then this is for you. I also appreciated the discussions of polyamory and the Greek god touches here.
Find Learn My Lesson on Goodreads, Amazon, Indiebound, Bookshop.org & The Book Depository.
A Worthy Opponent
Once upon a time I was a girl who believed in love and happily ever afters.
Now the only thing I believe in is revenge.
Unfortunately for me, there’s only one man willing to help me. Hook. I should have known it wouldn’t be out of the goodness of his heart. He doesn’t have one. No, Hook wants his ring on my finger and me on my knees before him—and he won’t take no for an answer.
I’m willing to pay any price in order to bring Pan down…even if it means I lose my soul in the bargain.
This Peter Pan reimagining definitely threw me for a loop, but what I loved the most was how Peter is the villain. I’ve always been very terrified and uncomfortable with Peter Pan. And so I love re-imaginings that look a bit more at what he was doing, his sway on kids, and the whole kidnapping thing. I also really enjoyed Tink’s character having met her and been with her in the other two books. Seeing side characters chat and slide into these books has really made me appreciate the interconnected-ness of the series.
Find A Worthy Opponent on Goodreads, Amazon, Indiebound, Bookshop.org & The Book Depository.