Brides of Driegon by Ava Ross [Series Review]

Brides of Driegon by Ava Ross
Format: ebook
Source: borrowed through Kindle Unlimited
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Brides of Driegon
1. Malac - Paperback | Kindle
2. Drace - Paperback | Kindle
3. Rashe - Paperback | Kindle
4. Teran - Paperback | Kindle
5. Kruze - Kindle

Ava Ross
| Website | Amazon |

Malac (Brides of Driegon #1)
Date read: August 20, 2021
Synopsis (Goodreads):

An alien dragon king meets his fated mate in a woman from Earth. With conflict brewing in the kingdom, will he be forced to make a heart-breaking choice?

Bella
When I came to the subterranean kingdom of Driegon as a mail-order bride, I didn’t expect the dragon king to sweep me off my feet, take flight, and claim me as his mate. He says a mythical mating ritual called the Torrent proves we’re fated. Yeah, sure. Then I find out he’s almost engaged. He insists he’ll find a way for us to be together, but I’ve fallen for pretty lies before, and I won’t give my heart again easily.

Malac
To end a war among the factions of my Driegon people, I must marry the daughter of a rival warlord. I’ve accepted my fate. Until I meet Bella, one of three Earthlings brought to my kingdom as mail-order brides. One touch, and my blood roars through me—the first sign of the Torrent. We’re fated and I ache to claim her, yet I cannot betray my people. But the heart of a dragon will not be denied.

Thoughts on Malac: Okay. We're hanging with the Driegon now and...well, things aren't exactly more complicated than with the Crakair, but there is a little more intrigue and political maneuvering. By that, I mean Malac has to weigh a potential alliance against getting frisky with the alluring Earth lady looking for a mate.

Does it need to be pointed out that potential alliances got NOTHING on fated mates? Yeah. Malac and Bella feel the call and THINGS HAPPEN. As you might imagine. But with Bella's safety at risk (because not everyone's thrilled about the Earthling ladies in their midst), Malac has his hands full.

I mean, it's not easy finding time to woo your mate and sex her up properly when you've got a kingdom on the brink to run. *thumbs up*

Drace (Brides of Driegon #2)
Date read: August 20, 2021
Synopsis (Goodreads):

Can a fierce alien dragon warrior claim his mate before she’s stolen from him forever?

Aria: Determined to overcome my scaredy-cat status, I make a dare-me checklist. First on the list? Sign up for the Driegon mail-order bride selection. I didn’t expect to be accepted or to fall for one of the Driegons—a seven-foot-tall, scaled alien with wings, claws, a tail, and a gruff voice that makes my knees go weak. But when one of my challenges results in Drace and I being captured by a rival alien clan, it’s going to take a big dash of bravery on my part to save us.

Drace: The moment I met Aria; I knew she was my fated mate. With heartspire blood roaring through my veins, I’m eager to join with her in the Torrent. But we’re captured and taken to a secret encampment far from the subterranean Driegon kingdom. There, I’m forced to battle for my life in a combat ritual older than time. If I win, we are free to leave. And if I lose? Death for me and another warrior will claim Aria as his bride.

Thoughts on Drace: It's Drace's turn to hit that Torrent and his special lady friend is...a little timid. Aria has her reasons for being this way, mind you, but it does present a teeny-tiny stumbling block when the lady one is interested in doesn't like touching or being touched. But Drace is patient and sweet and Aria's well worth the wait.

That said, Aria's solution to her touch-aversion is to step out of her comfort zone. Which is not a bad idea, exactly, but it does put the two of them in an unexpectedly dangerous situation. As in, they end up prisoners of one of the outlying clans. Aria has to dig deep to find her strength and work with Drace as he tries to get them to safety. (Their sojourn to the wilds, however, does answer a few questions Drace has and that's definitely a good thing!)

Daring, danger, and dragons. Oh, yeah!

Rashe (Brides of Driegon #3)
Date read: August 21, 2021
Synopsis (Goodreads):

She's looking for happily-ever-after. He can’t touch her. But with her life at stake, he'll sacrifice everything to protect her.

Kristy: Chosen for the Driegon bride selection, I’m confident I’ll meet the alien of my dreams. I don’t expect to find true love, but it would be nice to find someone special. Three weeks into the program, I’m falling hard for Rashe, a guy who sadly doesn’t notice I exist. Forget happily-ever-after. At this point, I’d settle for friends with benefits. But when someone tries to kill me, Rashe becomes my knight in shining…scales. Can we discover who the villain is before I wind up dead?

Rashe: Kristy is everything I could ever hope for in a mate but touching her will trigger the Torrent—an ancient Driegon mating ritual—and will result in my death. Instead of claiming her, I’ll long for her from afar and ensure she’s matched with someone who can give her the love she deserves. But with someone out to kill her, I’ll risk even my own life to protect her.

Thoughts on Rashe: Okay. Rashe and Kristy. She has a hankering for the sweet guardsman, he tries to pretend she doesn't exist. FOR REASONS. Good reasons, as it turns out, but even the best reasons can't compete against the Torrent and all it takes is one touch and these two have the hots for one another. (Honestly, they had the hots before, but they worked on avoiding and pretending and all that stuff. Until, you know, they couldn't avoid or pretend any longer.

Anywho. Rashe really does have his reasons for keeping Kristy at arm's length. But with someone gunning for her, he can't force himself to leave her safety in the hands of another. And thus, they Torrent. And then they have to figure out how to make things work after.

*thumbs up*

Teran (Brides of Driegon #4)
Date read: August 22, 2021
Synopsis (Goodreads):

The alien she's hot for seems to hate her. But when they touch, sparks fly. Will their growing love survive a dangerous quest?

Emma: I’m pretty sure Teran hates me. Why else would this scarred dragon warrior avoid touching me, talking to me, or being around me? Yet when we’re sent on a quest to find a long-lost cache of precious stones that could save the kingdom, I’ll be flying for weeks in his arms. I have to guard my heart. Otherwise, he’ll break it.

Teran: I am crazy about Emma, and I long to touch her, to bring about the Torrent—the ancient Driegon mating ritual. Our quest will throw us together, and it will be torture to hold myself back, but if I give in, I could endanger her life. But when rival factions attack, determined to keep us from finding the stones, I'll do whatever it takes to protect her.

Thoughts on Teran: Teran, the scarred, brooding brother of Rashe, is up next and he doesn't make things easy for poor Emma. He's a little surly, a lot standoffish, and he practically runs whenever Emma looks in his direction. So when an Elder tasks Teran to go after a sacred stone to break his brother's curse AND take Emma with him,well, the guy isn't thrilled.

He does it, mind you, because he's a stand-up guy under his scowl and he would do anything for his brother, but it takes a lot for Emma to pry answers out of him. Once he unburdens himself, however, he doesn't look back.

With these two treasure hunting in a far-off cavern, we get a lot of thrilling heroics, more than a few close calls, and a whole lot of steam and sparks between these two. Because you can't deny that Torrent, amirite?!?!

Kruze (Brides of Driegon #5)
Date read: August 22, 2021
Synopsis (Goodreads):

2 Companion Novellas in the Brides of Driegon Series, KRUZE and ALLOR

FOR KRUZE:

An alien dragon warrior claims she’s his fated mate, but she plans to return to Earth. Will he convince her to stay?

Clara
A hot alien dragonish dude seems to think I’m his mate. No way! Sure, I came to the Driegon Kingdom with the matched brides, but I was hired to take pictures. I didn’t expect to get lured into a secret matebonding ceremony called the Torrent. When my skin ignites like a sparkler during the reception—seriously need to see a doctor about that—Kruze takes flight with me as his intended bride. He says he’ll release me if he can’t prove we’re fated, but… If only his touch didn’t set my veins on fire.

Kruze
As a member of the king’s elite guard, I’m used to others obeying my commands, until I meet Clara. When her skin responds to the Torrent, and my horns flare, it’s clear she’s my fated mate. Following tradition laid out eons ago, I take her deep within the subterranean passages of Driegon, where I’ll initiate our pairing. Clara insists she’ll return to her home planet, but she agrees to give me three days to change her mind. With my heart at risk, there’s nothing I won’t do to show her she’s mine.

For ALLOR (never before released!)

Darcy: When an alien duke touches my hand, flames erupt up my arm. Allor says this means I’m his fated mate, but I’m here in the Driegon kingdom to work as a hair stylist. I’m not a mail-order bride. I’m returning to my thirteen-year-old son back on Earth, no matter what this supposed matebond says. But before I can tell him hell to the no, I’m abducted by a different alien and taken into the caverns deep below the kingdom. Allor gives chase, and we’re soon on the run with the bad guy hot on our tail.

Allor: One touch, and I know Darcy’s my fated mate. Convincing her she’s mine may take some time. When we’re trapped together far from the kingdom, we must work together to survive. One touch leads to another, and things heat up between us. Darcy insists she’ll return to Earth and there’s nothing I can do to persuade her to stay. Challenge issued and accepted.

Thoughts on Kruze: We were kind of teased about what happened between Kruze and Clara through the other stories and...here they are! In all their technicolor Torrenting glory! As the group photographer, Clara absolutely DOES NOT expect to match with any of the aliens, but Kruze knows she's his Torrent mate at their first meeting. And since the whole Torrent thing is a bit of a mystery to the human ladies, she's caught off guard when they touch and spark and do all the fun stuff Torrent mates do.

Then they jaunt off for a few days to get to know one another and, well, THINGS HAPPEN. Not just sexy things (although those DEFINITELY happen also), but also not so fun things. Like being ambushed. Not fun. (No worries, though, they get through all their troubles and do what happily mated couples do. Yesssssss.)

As for Darcy and Allor, like Clara, Darcy isn't one of the potential brides, but the hairstylist brought along to keep the ladies looking good. The downside to her matching with Allor? She has a son back on Earth and she's determined to get back to him. Even though Allor is sexy and fights for her and pretty much does everything Driegonally possibly to keep her safe.

Just *thumbs up* all around.