Rating: ⭐️⭐️

I can see where Abbie Eaton was going with this debut romantasy novel.

Arla is a tough as nails King’s Assassin.
Hark is a seemingly competent ambassador with a big secret.

I loved where this story was going and I can see the vision.
However I felt like the chemistry between Hark and Arla left much to be desired. And I would’ve liked to have seen more depths to Arla.

Saying that; I definitely think there’s an audience for this book. Fans of Romantasy may want to dip their toe in this one.

I would definitely love to see where Abbie Eaton goes with her writing career in the future.

The bones of a good story are there. I think this author shows a lot of promise with this debut novel.

I just couldn't connect with the FMC no matter how I tried and unfortunately as a result I didn't connect with the story.

Arla is supposedly an undefeated assassin to the King. But within 25% of the book she's bested or surprised 4-5 times. I tried to reason that her arrogance comes with the age, but that's not true. She's just an arrogant character that loses her temper constantly. Also she blames Hark for what his kingdom did. Guilt by association. But then turns around and befriends the prince...she can blame Hark, but not Reuben?

And she blames Hark for everything. Even when she discovers something positive she still finds a way to blame him for its occurrence or that he wasn't able to stop it immediately. As an Ambassador. Sorry to Arla that he shares her air.

This story has potential, but Arla is almost as unlikeable as the King of Kastonia. Not even the dragons could bring this back for me. But maybe there's a reader out there that is looking for an unhinged FMC constantly in a rage.

Thank you to the author and publishers for allowing me an ARC via NetGalley!

This book is incredible. Initially I was hesitant, worried that the book would be complex and hard to understand with all the lore etc. but boy was it a ride. We have some of the best tropes: strong FMC who doesn’t *need* saving, enemies to lovers, forced proximity, and DRAGONS. The influences from various other fantasy books are obvious - ACOTAR, Fourth Wing, TOG for some examples. Despite this, the book was unique in its own sense. TOG is my favourite fantasy series right now so I absolutely loved this book and every part of it. I loved the world building, the characters, the redemption arcs. I only wish I’d read this book sooner because I know I’m now going to try and be as stubborn and strong as Arla is! Overall, a fantastic read with lots of popular tropes, dedications to other fantasy series, and a book that I’m sad to finish. Books like this makes me so happy I found NetGalley!

Rating: 5/5 stars (⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️)

3.25⭐️
🌶.5
Publication date: April 18th, 2025.

I'm not sure how I feel about this book. I did enjoy some parts of it, but other parts I struggled to push through.

✨️Overview✨️
Arla Reinhart, the king's assassin, is done with gods and dragons after being abandoned by them. But when crucial shipments vanish and kingdoms teeter on the brink of collapse, she may have to trust those powers again.
Enter Hark Stappen, the charming ambassador from the kingdom that wronged her family. Despite her resentment, Arla must team up with him to uncover the truth behind the chaos. Their journey reveals shocking truths that challenge everything Arla believes about herself, the world, and their growing connection

✨️My thoughts✨️
I really enjoyed the lore, the unique magic system, and some of the characters, especially Jack, Sebastian, and Kase, and loved the dragons!
This book is action-packed, and there's a lot crammed into this short 400-page book, so as you can imagine, it's incredibly fast-paced. I love fast-paced fantasy books, but I felt this was a bit too fast-paced at times. Whenever I was immersed in a scene, I was really enjoying, I felt like the scene was over too quickly, and the story had moved onto something else. It was really frustrating! But I did thoroughly enjoy the action-packed scenes, I just wish they were longer.
The pacing also had a negative effect on romance. There just wasn't enough tension between Arla and Hark for me. It made it difficult to become invested in their relationship.
I think it's definitely worth the read, and I'll probably read book 2.

Thank you to Netgalley and One More Chapter for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This was an amazing story. I love the characters so much. Arla is amazing, she reminds me of the Sarah J Maas character Celaena Sardothien. Arla is a strong female while also being a king's assassin. Hark is also a very entertaining character. I really enjoyed the relationship between the two characters. I can't wait to see if there will be another book. I loved the world and characters so much.

What a debut! Welcome to the Realm of Romantasy, Abbie Eaton! Dragonhart is perfect for fans of ACOTAR and Fourth Wing, and for those who needed more Celaena and Sam in Throne of Glass! The banter between the spunky assassin Arla and the charming ambassador Hark will have you laughing, while the plot will have you on the edge of your seat. I cannot wait to see what happens next!
Thank you, NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of Dragonhart!

Dragonhart was exactly what I needed to recover from my Onyx Storm hangover. This fantasy romance is an absolute gem, delivering an engaging mix of adventure, emotion, and undeniable chemistry between its characters. The writing is not only polished but also immersive, drawing me into a vivid world with great character development and intriguing backstories.


One of my favourite aspects of the book is the bickering and banter between the enemies—it’s sharp, witty, and feels so natural. The dynamic between them is electric, and watching their relationship evolve was incredibly satisfying. The forced proximity trope is masterfully executed here, adding layers of tension and depth to the classic enemies-to-lovers arc. It’s a trope I always enjoy.


The adventure element is equally strong—exciting and unpredictable enough to keep me on the edge of my seat. Yet, the heart of the story lies in the characters themselves. It’s so easy to connect with them; their struggles, growth, and moments of vulnerability are written in such a way that they feel entirely human and relatable.


I’d highly recommend Dragonhart to fans of Fire in the Sky or Fear the Flames. If you enjoy stories filled with adventure, complex relationships, and a touch of magic, this book is an absolute must-read. It left me eager for more.

Dragonhart by Abbie Eaton is a book that had so much potential but ultimately left me feeling a little frustrated. The world-building is strong, and the idea of dragons and a heroine destined for greatness is captivating, but the story suffers from one glaring issue: the main character, Elara.

Elara, the protagonist, is meant to be strong and independent, but she constantly feels more like a teenager who’s stuck in a cycle of the same emotional immaturity. Her decisions are impulsive, and it seems like every few pages, she’s making the same mistakes or facing the same internal struggles that she should have overcome by this point in the story. It’s a little tiring to watch her go in circles, especially when her stubbornness leads to the same conflicts cropping up over and over again.

I found it hard to stay invested in Elara’s journey when she kept making decisions that didn’t feel like they led anywhere new. The secondary characters were far more interesting, and I often found myself wishing the focus shifted more to them.

Ultimately, Dragonhart is a solid read with an intriguing premise, but it’s marred by a lead character who just doesn’t grow in the way I hoped. If you can overlook her repetitive struggles, it’s still an enjoyable story, but don’t expect Elara’s character arc to provide the emotional payoff you might be looking for.

I LOVED THIS SO MUCH!!! I knew with "dragon" in the title, it was going to be a good one and it did not disappoint!!

I really wanted to love this book and overall I enjoyed it, however that was mostly due to the last 100 pages or so.
The world building was great and I enjoyed the rediscovery of magic and the exploration of the kingdoms. There was a lot of political intrigue in the build up to the novel, which I think was why I felt it was hard to get into, especially as it’s described as a romantasy and I don’t necessarily think that was always prevalent.
There was enemies to lovers romance, forced proximity, “Who hurt you” and (eventually) dragons.
Thank you for the opportunity to review this e-ARC.

The novel had a slow start and it took me more than half of the book to get into it. I love a strong female protagonist, but Arla did not do it for me as I felt she did not make a lot of growth as a character over time. The lore with the dragons and magic as well as world building was interesting. I would love to see it be expanded in the future because I do love my dragons and complicated political issues.

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

If I had to pick three words to describe this book, they would be powerful, magical, and dark. This isn't a read for those who prefer to avoid graphic violence; Arla, the main character, is a trained assassin, and her skills are on display on more than one occasion across the course of this story. There were times when her character felt a bit contradictory--one moment, she's incredibly skilled, the other, she's repeatedly making the same mistakes that she herself (and others) consider stupid errors in judgment. It felt odd to me while reading the story, though looking back, I think it was the author's attempt at showing her as overconfident as well as not valuing her life much at the time.

Overall, I did find the story enjoyable, with a well-woven plot and compelling characters. The snarky wit of Arla and Hark carried a lot of their scenes, and although the main villain felt a bit flat (he had no redeeming qualities whatsoever), the stakes were high enough to keep me riveted to the page to the end. Eaton doesn't pull her punches; her characters go through the wringer as the story progresses, and I loved watching Arla's character develop and grow along the way. I will note that there is an intimate scene that does not fade to black, but I was able to skip over it without missing any important plot points, and that's as spicy as the story gets in that regard.

If you enjoy fantasies stories on the darker side, especially with strong female character, you'll likely enjoy this novel.

Dragons are hot right now (literally lol) and this was a great fantasy however I would say this felt more YA than adult in parts, I appreciated the complex and fiesty FMC, the political intrugue and magic system was super interesting, and how religion played into all was unique, overall I think this will be a hit with enemies to lovers/romantasy fans, it reminded me of TOG (FMC gives Aelin vibes) and When The Moon Hatched

This had an interesting premise and the age of dragons in romantasy is definitely burning hot at the moment, so this is definitely coming in at the right time!
That being said, I found the writing style to be quite stilted and a lot of telling rather than showing. I also feel like this felt more like a YA novel/characters rather than the adult fiction it's being marketed as?
Overall I imagine this will be a hit with new readers.

“𝙎𝙝𝙚 𝙬𝙖𝙨 𝙬𝙧𝙖𝙩𝙝, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙛𝙪𝙧𝙮, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙫𝙚𝙣𝙜𝙚𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙚. 𝙎𝙝𝙚 𝙬𝙖𝙨 𝙗𝙡𝙤𝙤𝙙, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙛𝙞𝙧𝙚, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙩𝙧𝙪𝙩𝙝, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙨𝙝𝙚 𝙬𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙 𝙣𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝙖𝙜𝙖𝙞𝙣 𝙗𝙚 𝙪𝙨𝙚𝙡𝙚𝙨𝙨.”

Ok so I think this one has a lot of potential and while I really wanted to love it, it just didn’t quite get there for me.

The world building is easy, but there’s also a lot of holes for me. That being said, I do think as a debut it was a really good starting place! I think with some refinement it could definitely be a better book overall, and while I did like the story, I honestly struggled with the FMC. She just wasn't very likable for me? Which makes it hard to cheer for her. I get that maybe this was just supposed to be her character & her personality, but I just wasn't really a fan.

There wasn't anything particularly new or shocking about this one, but I can see some people loving it!

𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗶𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲:
*Fantasy
*Enemies to lovers
*Forced proximity
*Assassin FMC
*Hidden identity
*Found family

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC! All opinions are my own.

My biggest issue with this book was Arla, she was unlikeable from the first chapter all the way until the last. It was very hard to relate to her because she had no humility, somehow everything she did was always perfect and so badass. But the problem with that was that we are constantly told rather than shown how “badass” Arla is, we are told so often that it actually made it more unrealistic every time it was brought up. She ended up coming off as juvenile and one dimensional. As the chapters progressed she did get a little less grating but not once did I find her relatable or even loveable. She felt like a knockoff Aelin except we didn't see Arla work hard or sacrifice to be told how insanely special she is, which is why it was so unbelievable to me that she was somehow so special in this book. I think this author forgot that woman can be works in progress and flawed and still be badass and strong.
When Hark was first introduced I did not like him either because Arla talks about how handsome Hark is every time she says how much she hates him which really defeated the whole idea that they are supposed to be enemies. But thankfully as the book progressed and we got to see his point of view he became more dimensional and interesting. I really liked the way we got to see Arla through his POV, it actually made her more likeable.
The story was very slow and stagnant until the 70% mark where it started to pick up. There are things that play out that are obvious, but it doesn’t take away from the story being interesting. I would have rated this a 2 in the first 70% of this book but the last 30% moved it up to a 3.5. I will consider reading the next book hoping that the author makes Arla more realistic because the idea of this book is good.

I seriously love, love, love this book.

The slow burn, enemies to lover romance is EVERYTHING. I'm obsessed with the storyline and just not knowing who to trust!

The writing flows to easily and you cannot help but get caught up in the immersive world. I read this in two sittings - I couldn't put it down.

There are no words to describe how much I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It is absolutely phenomenal and is definitely my favourite read of the year so far. As soon as I read the word 'assassin', I was hooked and I could not put the book down so much that it kept me reading well into the night. Arla is everything and I adored her character and how she grew (I also loved the dragon). The humour throughout the book made me laugh out loud multiple times and the relationship between Hark and Arla - even when they had knives at each others throats made me smile so much taht my cheeks hurt! I would definitely recommend this book to romantasy lovers and anyone who loves enemies to lovers or fantasy because this book is too phenomenal to not read.

Thank you to Net Galley, One More Chapter publishing and most definitely thank you to Abbie Eaton for writing this phenomenal book - words cannot explain how absolutely remarkable it is.

I received this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I love a good fantasy with dragons and I'm all about an enemies to lovers trope. The chemistry was good. It had some rough spots for me.

Who doesn’t love a good enemies-to-lovers romance? Dragon Heart delivers just that, wrapped in a gripping fantasy world filled with court intrigue, dark secrets, and a heroine driven by vengeance.

Arla’s journey is one of strength and survival. After witnessing the brutal murder of her family as a child, she dedicates her life to revenge, ultimately becoming the king’s assassin. But navigating the treacherous royal court isn’t easy—especially when it brings her face-to-face with Hark, our enigmatic male lead. Hark is full of secrets, and as the story unfolds, we see both his and Arla’s carefully constructed facades begin to crack.

One of the novel’s greatest strengths is its character development. Arla isn’t just a hardened warrior; beneath her tough exterior, she’s vulnerable in ways that make her all the more compelling. And as she and Hark uncover a dangerous secret, their relationship is put to the test, leading to some truly heart-pounding moments.

If you’re a fan of fantasy romance, Dragon Heart is a must-read. Abbie Eaton’s debut is packed with action, intrigue, and a slow-burn romance that keeps you hooked until the very end. Highly recommended for anyone who loves strong heroines, courtly deception, and sizzling chemistry.