I struggled a bit to connect with this story but may need to return to it another time! Thank you NetGalley for the advanced reader copy.

Neutral DNF... too juvenile and no progress even though I made it 41% in. Kind of sad I didn't get to the dragons/magic but there were only so many pages I could read about how the FMC hates the other country before I couldn't do it anymore.

A huge thank you to NetGalley, HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter, and Abbie Eaton for providing me with an ARC of Dragonhart in exchange for my honest review.

Dragonhart is a romantasy set in a world where both the Gods and Dragons have long since abandoned the kingdoms. Our fierce and skilled FMC, Arla Reinhart, serves as the King of Hadalyn’s personal assassin. She’s tasked with a mission alongside Hark Stappen—an arrogant yet undeniably charming ambassador from Hadalyn’s rival kingdom.

This story delivered several of my favorite tropes: enemies to lovers, forced proximity, magic, and dragons. Naturally, I dove in with high expectations—and I’m happy to say those expectations were absolutely met. The romance is a satisfying slow burn, which felt authentic given how much mistrust there is between Arla and Hark. Arla’s arrogance stood out, but it felt earned. Considering her backstory and all she’s endured to rise to her position, her confidence made sense and added depth to her character.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading Dragonhart and am already eagerly awaiting the next installment. If you’re a fan of Throne of Glass, Fourth Wing, or When the Moon Hatched, I’d highly recommend giving this one a try.

I really enjoyed this book.

I haven’t read a book like it before in all honesty, it gripped my attention from the first chapter and had me hooked all the way through. This author is a first for me and i would definitely read more from them in the future!

I actually ended up loving this book. I thought it lived up to the premise, the characters were great and I liked the ending. Honestly, my only complaint is that the first 30% are a bit slow, but there’s still plenty of banter in there that kept me entertained, so I got over it.

I really liked how the author developed the relationship between Hark and Arla—they really were enemies at the start, and it was great to see the banter, fights (verbal and physical), and how they finally gave in to that something more. I’m excited to see how the author develops their relationship, as well as the plot in the next book in the series. There was so much about this world I found interesting, and although the ending wasn’t an awful cliffhanger, it still left me wanting more from the next book.

Thank you to HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter, and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Who doesn't love a book about dragons, love and political vibes. This was a great read, a perfect filler for those waiting for book 4 in the Fourth Wing Series.

I love a dragon book. I love them so much. However, the fmc Arla is really irritating. She did become less irritating as the book progressed and Hark got under her skin and in her heart.

‘You’re mistaken, Stappen. I don’t work with you. I work for myself and for the King of Hadalyn. Don’t mistake my willingness to aid in rescuing these people as a surrendering of my freedoms to you.’

I did like that she didn't let people walk all over her.

The book overall was enjoyable on the surface level. But it was predictable.

Dragonhart features many of the elements that readers are currently big fans of: a snarky young assassin FMC who engages in political intrigue alongside a slowburn romance with a man concealing significant secrets. Plus, dragons. While readers are perhaps becoming overly familiar with some of these elements in the romantasy space, I found that Abbie Eaton's approach to world-building was a cut above others I've read. And Arla is a convincing lead, if occasionally coming across as significantly older than her 18 years. Despite sometimes uneven pacing, there's a lot to like here.

Recently, I have been on a bit of a Romantasy kick. While Dragonhart sounded interesting, I was afraid that it would resort to the same old tropes as other romantasies and that I would have to force my way through it. I just wasn't in the mood. But I was wrong!

I LOVED this book. The characters were great, the banter was tons of fun, and the plot had some twists and turns that had me gasping. While there are aspects that have been done before, there was a refreshing tone to it, and I could not put it down.

However, there is no way that Arla read like an 18-year-old, even considering the amount of trauma that she had experienced. Especially because of her prowess and physical abilities. She would have made a lot more sense as a 25-year-old or something like that. I also found myself very confused, as I couldn't understand why her close friend, whose family was close with her parents, wouldn't have taken her in. I needed an explanation about how there wasn't enough money or something to help me believe that.

Overall, I highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a slightly different romantasy.

Thank you to Net Galley, Harper Collins UK, and One More Chapter for the DRC. All opinions are my own.

This book is incredible. It took some time before I could review it because I got it so close to the release date, but I really enjoyed the story, especially for a debut book! Arla is a character I fell for, she's witty and strong, and I enjoyed reading her story—this banter between her and Hark, and the moments that they share. I didn't know how much I needed another book with dragons until I read this and I'm so happy I did, this was a great book!

i mean... dragons? i’m always in. the story pulled me in once it got going, and the world was cool but still felt familiar in some ways to other fantasy books.

arla- she seemed very much inspired by a very very popular fantasy series...😅

i loved the side characters + dragons, but honestly wish there had been more of them. and the romance? kind of underwhelming. the ending tied up a little too neatly for how many threads were left hanging, and some of the “plot twists” didn't hit me as i wanted it to.

writing-wise, it was solid! easy to read, not too cringe, and didn’t yank me out of the story every five seconds 👏

overall: it didn’t blow me away, but i still enjoyed the ride. would totally be curious to read more from this author in the future

I had to stop about 40% of the way through. The FMC is so insufferable and is way too similar to Celaena from Throne Of Glass. To the point where the backstory and her as a character is almost exactly the same. It was noticeable.

A few other things that made me not finish the book are her swearing to the gods and us being told she’s an assassin every 3-5 pages. That really should have been reduced during editing. Also, if she’s supposed to be the best assassin ever why does she get got so many times? It doesn’t make sense.

The hate she has for Hark seems incredibly unbalanced. Hating the king is one thing but hating Hark as aggressively as she does made it very clear that they were supposed to be enemies but it wasn’t fully flushed out. That might be because (and this is another critique) we are just told things but we don’t actually get much in way of showing us. We are told she hates him but we don’t see it. We don’t feel it. It’s just assigned.

I was really trying to stick it out for the dragon lore but I cannot. I dread picking up this book to read it.

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 (5/5 stars)

Dragonhart is a fierce, fiery fantasy that grips you from page one and refuses to let go. Think dragons, vengeance, and a slow-burn romance that smolders with every chapter. 🐉🔥💔

Arla Reinhart is a royal assassin with a vendetta and zero patience for the gods—or the charming ambassador from the kingdom that destroyed her life. But when war looms and magic stirs, Arla is forced into an uneasy alliance with Hark Stappen. Cue enemies-to-lovers tension, epic battles, political intrigue, and yes—dragons. 🗡️👑💥

Their journey across fractured kingdoms is packed with action and angst, but it’s the emotional stakes and Arla’s inner struggle that give this story real depth. The chemistry? Off the charts. The twists? Jaw-dropping. The world-building? Absolutely immersive. 🪄❤️‍🔥

Perfect for fans of Fourth Wing and A Court of Thorns and Roses, Dragonhart delivers everything a romantasy reader could want—danger, desire, and dragons you’ll wish were real. Add it to your TBR right. Now. 📚⚔️✨

Dragon Hart book review ⭐️⭐️⭐️

‘𝐆𝐨𝐝𝐬, 𝐈’𝐝 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐛 𝐲𝐨𝐮,’ 𝐬𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐢𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐝, 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐢𝐥𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐚𝐠𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐮𝐥𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐯𝐞𝐢𝐧 𝐢𝐧 𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐧𝐞𝐜𝐤. ‘𝐈’𝐝 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐞𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐭𝐫𝐲, 𝐬𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭.’

I sped through the first 40% of this book, had a slower time reading the remainder and then got back on track at 85% through. Although slightly drawn out at times, the writing in this book did create vivid images in my mind especially during fighting scenes and when describing the main characters.
I enjoyed the dialogue between the MMC and FMC it was violent, passionate and heartfelt perfection.

This story at times read similar to other well known books. Did that stop me enjoying it, no but it did make it predictable at times.
That said this book left me wide eyed, heart wrenched and also made me pull all kinds of smug, ‘yes you kick ass girl’ grins when the stabby FMC was being, well stabby! As for the FMC Arla Reinhart was quite simply 𝙙𝙚𝙖𝙩𝙝 𝙞𝙣𝙘𝙖𝙧𝙣𝙖𝙩𝙚. Stab first, ask questions later and I’m here for it!

I would have liked the dragons to play a bigger part in this story. They only came through at 80% into it and the part they do play reads fairly similar to Fourth Wing. I liked the dialogue between the dragons and the FMC and the personality was portrayed well of the dragon.

LARGE SPOILER 🚨
Another similarity to Fourth Wing is a 𝙝𝙞𝙙𝙙𝙚𝙣 𝙝𝙚𝙞𝙧 to a 𝙝𝙞𝙙𝙙𝙚𝙣 𝙠𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙙𝙤𝙢 unknown to the other main city’s within this story and I guessed this would be the case before it even happened, so again some predictability.
SPOILER OVER🚨

Another knock to the overall rating of this book was the use of the term ‘vulgar gesture’. I’m sorry but we read enough of that phrase in ACOTAR to last a lifetime 😂

I gave it 3 stars because whist I thoroughly enjoyed aspects of this book I didn’t LOVE it and found the middle a bit bland and I don’t feel the need to do a reread of it but it definitely contained tropes I very much enjoy!

Thank you @netgalley and @onemorechapterhc @harpercollinsuk for gifting me this book in exchange for an honest review.

Firstly, thank you so much to Netgalley, HarperCollins and One More Chapter for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I gave Dragonhart 2 stars because while the premise was great, the delivery fell short for me.

What I did like about this book was the dragons and their snarkiness, even though that felt a touch familiar. I also liked the found family aspect of Hark and his crew, and Hark as a character was fine. Not a stand out, but I like an MMC with strong beliefs who is arrogant and a little bit flirty. I think this story has potential to grow and find its own feet if it is continued.

I think it let me down a bit as it just didn't feel like a fresh story. I really enjoy romantasy books, but I think that having a fresh story to tell is critical. Dragonhart had so many similarities to the Throne of Glass series, down to the plot itself and the similarities in the FMC (blonde, vain, young woman with dead parents, who has been taken in by a powerful man and trained as an assassin, with a very similar nickname). I found this really distracting and hard to look past.

I also found that the curse of 'Gods!' was overused. It completely lost any meaning for me the more it was used, and it just made the characters seem totally insufferable to me, as this was their response to almost every minor inconvenience. There were two chapters in a row where this curse was used on almost every page, sometimes up to three times a page. Once I noticed it I couldn't unnotice it, and it really pulled me out of the story. The same can be said for how often the characters spoke about how they hated each other. Arla and Hark are constantly talking about how much they hate one other, but there didn't seem to be any real, deep seated tension and hatred between them that was fully explored.

There are many more things I could say about this book, but in the end I think it just wasn't the right book for me.

When Arla Reinhart, The King's Assassin is paired with a Rival Kingdom and their Ambassador Hark Stappen to find missing supplies, many dark secrets are unravelled between the two kingdoms, not only is Kastonia responsible for Arla's parents death but it seems that both kingdoms are hiding things that neither want discovered.
Arla and Hark absolutely despise each other, but can they put their differences aside for the sake of a greater cause and will they hate each other by the end of it.

what to expect. Enemies to Lovers done exceptionally well.

Dragons. I'm low-key obsessed with Thara!

Forced proximity.

bad ass fmc!

Who hurt you?

the first part of the book was good, but I was slightly irritated by Alara. There was an over emphasis I felt on her being an assassin and I'm not sure how believable it was, but the enemies to lovers plot in this is done fantastically and I loved her character development where we got to see both her bad ass side and for her to be a little bit more vulnerable.
The second half of the book had me completely hooked, and I loved watching the relationship bloom between the two main protagonists. The plot was actioned packed, and I loved the magic system.

Full of political intrigue, warring kingdoms and magic. Dragonhart is addictive, entertaining, and a solid romantasy. I would definitely recommend this one to those looking to read more from this genre.

I think this story has a lot of promise and would be enjoyed by someone who is new to fantasy or doesn’t read a lot of the genre. For me personally, it felt very similar to Throne of Glass and I was looking forward to a more unique story. The FMC was insufferable for majority of the time and I quickly grew tired of her stabby attitude. I think there is definitely potential, but I found it hard to pick up and overall it wasn’t for me.

Romantasy has been big lately and this one just felt like something was missing for me to really feel it but regardless of that i did enjoy the slow burn romance and the beginning also peeked my interest, setting the tone for what was to come. I liked the dragon of it all too.

A Captivating Fantasy Romance

Dragonhart by Abbie Eaton is a compelling debut that seamlessly blends political intrigue, magical lore, and a slow-burn enemies-to-lovers romance. The story follows Arla Reinhart, the King's assassin, who is forced to collaborate with Hark Stappen, an ambassador from the kingdom responsible for her parents' deaths. As they embark on a perilous journey, their animosity transforms into a complex and evolving relationship.

Eaton's world-building is rich and immersive, drawing readers into a realm where dragons have vanished, and the gods' influence wanes. The narrative is filled with action-packed sequences, from tavern brawls to royal intrigues, all while exploring themes of trust, vengeance, and self-discovery.

The character development is particularly noteworthy. Arla's internal struggle between her duty and her growing feelings for Hark adds depth to the story, making her journey both emotional and engaging. Hark, with his own secrets and vulnerabilities, complements Arla's character, creating a dynamic partnership that drives the plot forward.

Dragonhart is a must-read for fans of romantasy, offering a perfect blend of adventure, romance, and fantasy elements.

I gave this book 3 stars because, while it had a lot of potential, it didn’t quite hit the mark for me. The worldbuilding was really engaging, creating an interesting setting that drew me in, but the pacing felt uneven some parts were slow and others rushed through key moments. The main character showed some depth, but I struggled to connect with them at times, as their motivations weren’t always clear. The secondary characters were ok i think , which made the relationships feel a bit off. The plot started strong but became a bit predictable, and some parts felt repetitive. Overall, it’s a decent read if you're looking for a quick escape, or read.