3.25 ⭐️

I’m not sure if it’s just because this genre is very saturated right now but this one just didn’t hit with me. It felt like a bit of an imitation of Throne of Glass.

One of my favourite things about fantasy is the world building and the descriptive nature but this book didn’t meet those expectations either.

The FMC is so grating and immature unfortunately, she does get a little better throughout but I think overall sadly I just didn’t enjoy the writing.

The romance also felt a little flat, there was no building of the relationship they just went from hating one another to being together?

honestly, this book just completely missed the intrigue point for me.

i was super into the first 25% of the book, and then i started to realize that the first two chapters of the book basically told me everything that was going to happen.

the character and relationship development just didn’t live up to the potential that it could have.

the magic aspect wasn’t introduced fully, and so it made it weird to follow.

Much love to Netgalley and Harper Collins UK/One More Chapter for the advanced copy of this book—all thoughts & opinions are honest and my own.

This is a wildly impressive debut novel! Not only is it a romantasy with dragons, but the FMC is a badass assassin who takes shit from no one, not even the king.

Arla Reinhart and Hark Stappen are wonderfully crafted characters with depth and realistic personality. They both had flaws, desires, beliefs, and passions that made them stand out and shine perfectly in the story.

The lore behind the old ways was brilliant. I love the use of magic here, too—it wasn’t overwhelming or in your face. It wasn’t a strong focus of the entire book like most fantasy novels tend to be and I loved the approach!

The world-building was phenomenal. It was easy to imagine myself in the world and get immersed in the travels from kingdom to kingdom. The castles sound absolutely beautiful and I loved that they were crafted to almost balance each other in a way? One full of color and riches, one dull and gray.

The ending was perfectly executed. I definitely didn’t see it coming, and that’s all a girl can ask for in a novel, truly.

Overall, this was an outstanding debut novel from Abbie Eaton. I highly recommend it to fans of strong and stabby fmc’s, enemies to lovers, forced proximity, and of course dragons ✨

I think this is a great intro into fantasy romance! It's very easy to get into and the characters are vibrant and entertaining. Although this wasn't the best fit for me, it's one I would recommend. Especially to those who enemies to lovers and a very stabby FMC (she low key reminded me of a SJM and I think readers will LOVE that!)

Thank you so much to HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter for my ARC!
3.75/5

Really enjoyed this book - absolutely love a forced proximity trope! I felt some areas were a bit slow/confusing, but overall enjoyed the story!

It has been such a long time that I have been able to get back into romantasy and not overanalyze every thing about them. This yeah may just be my comeback yar.

I am so excited to get book two and see more of Arla and Hark!

I usually cringe at banter but I was enjoying it in this book.

Arla is an assassin, and Hark is the man she believes is responsible for the death of her parents. They are forced together during a mission to figure out why shipments are going missing and parts of the kingdoms are starting to crumble.


I think people who loved those fairy books - they will love this one. I think people who loved When the Moon Hatched and the famous dragon rider books will be frothing at the mouth for this one!!!

I really enjoyed this fantasy romance debut. The world-building felt familiar to other romantasy books I've enjoyed but definitely had some fresh elements in there as well. Arla and Hark had a nice enemies-to-lovers dynamic that kept me engaged, and I thought their banter and slow shift toward trust were done well.

The pacing felt uneven at times, and there were moments when I wanted to feel a deeper connection to the characters, but it was like I was missing a few pieces that would have made their emotions hit harder. Still, by the second half, I was fully invested in their journey and rooting for them both individually and together.

Overall, this was a strong start to a new fantasy series, and I’m definitely looking forward to seeing where the story goes next.

Thank you NetGalley and HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter for the eARC!

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. 📚⚔️✨