Dragon Rose by Christine Pope is what you would get if you took the Beauty and the Beast story, threw in some Dorian Grey, and then turned it all on its pretty little head.

What Is It About?

Rhianne Menyon wants nothing more than to be a painter, but in a society that has ideas of what a “women’s place” is, she might as well want to be penguin. Unfortunately, Rhianne wasn’t only born in a village that disapproves of women painters, she was also born in a village with a curse. Every so many years, a young woman must be sacrificed as the next bride to the fearsome and mysterious Dragon Lord.

When Rhianne’s best friend is selected as the next bride to be, she steps up and accepts the fate to save her friend from what has been rumored to be a one way trip up to Black’s Keep.

It’s Not Your Average Beauty Meets The Beast

The story is a winding whirlwind of mystery and suspense with Rhianne becoming the heroine she didn’t realize she could be while longing to be the wife that her husband doesn’t seem to want.

Just like the beast in Beauty and the Beast, Theran, the Dragon Lord, has his own backstory that is tragic and heartbreaking. That doesn’t mean his future has to be as bleak as his past if he could stop being stubborn for more than 5-minutes.

This is obviously a romance but the romance is just a part of the overall story. The core part of the story is a mystery. What is the curse on Theran? What does it have to do with the village of Lirinsholme? And how will the two of them get their own happily ever after?

My Favorite Part!

I’d love to tell you about my favorite part in the book but that would spoil a major plot point so my second favorite part of the book is when Rhianne…wait…I can’t tell you that either. Darn it! What can I tell you…read, read, read and don’t put it down until your done.

I enjoyed this book so much that this review took me a bit longer than others because I was so enthralled in freshening up my memory I almost forgot I was supposed to be writing it up, not re-reading the entire thing.

Final Thoughts

Dragon Rose: Tales of the Latter Kingdoms is the first book in the Tales of the Latter Kingdoms series. All books in the series can be read as standalone tales, they just happen to take place in the same world.

At just over 250 pages, this book is what I consider to be an average read for an afternoon/evening at home. Get your favorite blanket, curl up and get comfortable because once you pick this one up it will be hard to put down.

Currently, Dragon Rose: Tales of the Latter Kingdoms along with books two and three in the Latter Kingdoms series are free on the Kindle and Nook. Make sure you check them out for a fun dip in the fantasy world.