Kiss of Fate by Deborah Cooke

Haunted by dreams of a lover who takes the form of a mythical dragon, Eileen Grosvenor searches for the truth. She never expects to find a real dragon shape shifter, let alone one who who awakens her passion and ignites memories of her own forgotten past.

Erik Sorensson is focused on leading the Pyr to triumph against the Slayers at all costs, even the sacrifice of his own life. When an ancient relic that can turn the tide of the battle reveals itself again, Erik knows he has to retrieve it from Eileen's possession. But he’s shocked by an incredible firestorm when he tries to claim the relic — a firestorm that forces him to confront the truth about Eileen’s identity. Her presence touches him in unexpected ways, reminding him of mistakes he's determined to not make again, and Erik is forced to make a choice…duty or love.

Only by unlocking the secrets of the past can Erik and Eileen fulfill the final prophecy of the Pyr - but can they face their deepest fears and claim their destined love in time to defeat the Slayers?


First of all, I usually don't put the covers up books up on my blog, but I have to make an exception for Ms. Cooke's books. Her covers, at least for this series, are stunning. Yum!

I really wasn't too sure what to expect with this book. I didn't really care for Erik at all in book 1 or 2, but when I found out he was getting his own, I had to buy his book. And I'm glad I did.

I think the thing that helps this book is that Ms. Cooke really delves into their history. I'm not giving anything away (since it basically says so in the back text) that there's a bit more going on with Eileen than the standard fire storm. There's a bunch of shared history, remembered and not. So, it makes this story a bit more bittersweet than the others.

Knowing more about Erik's past, I'm able to understand now why he was the way he was in Books 1 & 2. His life has not been easy and it's especially difficult for him, because he's the leader of the Pyr. He has so many responsibilities, that when his fire storm rears its ugly head, it's almost more than he can handle.

One thing I liked about this book is that Eileen doesn't come across as TSTL, one of my least favorite clichés in romance novels. There are a couple of times when she gets this close, but she never fully steps over that line. She's also intelligent, spunky and doesn't back down when Erik tries to pull his nonsense. She stands up for herself and watching the sparks fly between them is a blast.

Of course, the rest of the Pyr and most of the Slayers make an appearance. What I really enjoyed about Kiss of Fate is how she has added even more history and ups the stakes. Things turn out in a way that is very surprising, especially for someone like me who has been with this crazy adventure since Book 1. I do think this is a series that should be read sequentially, because the history of the Pyr and the way they change their destiny is something that should be read from the beginning.

As always the sex is hot, the firestorm is intense and the drama is quite fun to read. I'm amazed to say this but I think this one is my favorite so far. So many things happened and changed in this book. Things will never be the same for these characters and I can't wait to read what happens next.


My Rating: B+

Kiss of Fury by Deborah Cooke

Scientist Alexandra Madison was on the verge of unveiling an invention that would change the world—then her partner was murdered, their lab burned and their prototype destroyed. When recurring dragon-haunted nightmares threaten to land her in a psychiatric hospital, Alex knows she has to escape to rebuild her prototype in time. But first she must return to her ruined lab…

Handsome, daring, and impulsive, Donovan Shea is more than willing to do his part in the Pyr/Slayer war and save The Madison Project. Assigned to kidnap Alex, Donovan is shocked when her presence ignites the firestorm. He has no desire for a destined mate, but when Alex is attacked by a Slayer, Donovan finds himself meeting fire with fire in her defense. Won over by Alex's intelligence and determination, Donovan fights to rebuild her invention in a race against time. By the time the Slayers close in on their prey, Donovan knows he'll surrender his life to protect Alex, --but will have to lose his heart to possess her...

First of all, let me just say that Ms. Cooke is certainly blessed in the cover department. Yummy!

I reviewed Kiss of Fire back in February. I really enjoyed it and was looking forward to reading Donovan's story.

Kiss of Fury starts out with Donovan going to save Alex's life after the Wyvern & the Dragon Egg show what happens to her. Erik, the head of the Pyr, sends Donovan after her to get her out of harms way. What Donovan doesn't expect and what throws him for a loop is that Alex is his mate. Their firestorm is immediate and it is hot.

Alex isn't sure what is going on when she awakens in a hospital to find out that she's being kidnapped (or so she assumes). She knows something is weird because the man who is guiding her gurney is hot and not just in the looks department.

Misunderstandings, A Slayer attack and other crazy nonsense transpire, before she begins to believe that maybe this man who makes her hornier than anything she's ever been before might just be a good guy.

I'm going to do a good list/bad list, because there are a couple of both.

What I Liked:

Donovan-Sexy Alpha hero with a major Achilles heel

Alex-Strong, smart and doesn't take crap from anyone

The Continuation of the Story-Sara & Quinn are back. So are the rest of the Pyr and more of the Slayers.

The Revealed Secrets-And there are some doozies.

What I Didn't Like:

Weird typos and switch in tenses. This book was not edited well.

Alex-Though for the most part I really liked her, at the beginning of the story she makes some seriously asinine choices. Argh!

Inconsistencies in plot. Things kept changing and/or not being consistent w/ what was told in Kiss of Fire. Irritating switches or changes in history that were more convenient than anything.

The fact that the firestorm was fought against so hard throughout 99% of the book, but by the end it was "Oh, okay, let's do it." Totally against character from the rest of the book. *headdesk*

However, I did really enjoy the story. I can't wait to read Erik's story. I'm still not sure what I think of him. He had even less page time in this book than he did in the other. The one I'm really looking forward to is Rafferty's story. Yum!

All in all a fun read. Action and romance with hot attempted sex thrown in. Yum!

My Rating: C+

Kiss of Fire by Deborah Cooke

Back Blurb for Kiss of Fire-

When ace accountant Sara Keegan decides to settle down and run her quirky aunt's New Age bookstore, she’s not looking for adventure. She doesn’t believe in fate or the magic of the tarot—but when she’s saved from a vicious attack by a man who has the ability to turn into a fire-breathing dragon, she questions whether she’s losing her mind—or about to lose her heart…

Quinn Tyrrell has long been distrustful of his fellow Pyr and a self-reliant loner. When he feels the firestorm that signals his destined mate, he's determined to protect and possess Sara, regardless of the cost to himself. Then Sara’s true destiny is revealed—and Quinn realizes he must risk everything—even Sara’s love—to fulfill their entwined destinies...


I'm not 100% sure how I came across Ms. Cooke. I think I was browsing on amazon or something. Anyway, I came across this book and after reading the back blurb, plus her info on her site, I thought I'd buy it. I'm really, really glad I did.

Kiss of Fire is different. Yes, it's about shapeshifters, which is an extremely popular topic in paranormal romances, but these are DRAGONS (can you tell I love dragons? LOL)!

Quinn is the Smith. He alone is immune to dragon fire. Where it would kill his fellow Pyr, dragon fire gives him strength. His past haunts him (of course), so he has cut himself off from his fellow Pyr and stays secluded with his forge and his metal.

Sara is a former accountant who gave up a lucrative career to move to a smaller town, take over her aunt's mystic bookstore and take life at a slower pace. From the very start of the book, her life is in danger.

What did I like about this book? Quinn. Quinn is HAWT and the cover is hawt too. Though he tends to be a dominant man, he's not inclined to rule over Sara with an iron fist. He's an Alpha, but he's not an idiot. He's strong and caring and a good Alpha-type male.

Sara is a good heroine as well. She's smart, intuitive and isn't afraid to stand up to him when she thinks he's being an ass. She's the one who figures things out and she's strong, maybe not physically, but emotionally and spiritually. She's not afraid to stand up for what she believes in.

The other thing that's nice the way Ms. Cooke figures out their mating. She explains that the heat between the H & H is called a firestorm. The H & H are destined mates, but it's only while the firestorm lasts. The firestorm will end when the heroine becomes pregnant. Once that's happened, if the two of them have formed a deeper emotional connection, then they become lovers in all sense of the word. That's much better than the mates who are stuck together for life because of their mating bond. The firestorm is there specifically for breeding purposes. :)

I also liked the villains. There's a good reason behind them. They're basically rogue dragons who are trying to get rid of the Pyr so that they have free rein on humans (yum, dinner!). There's no evil consortium or loony humans trying to kill them...at least not yet.

She creates a world that makes sense & I appreciate that. You can tell she really thought it over long & hard.


What did I not like? After Quinn & Sara's firestorm ends, Ms. Cooke hints at something, but never 100% clarifies it. Is he or isn't he? You'll know what I mean when you read it.

Sara's inability to believe, though things are proven quite quickly. She waffles & that's really, really annoying, considering how often her intelligence is brought up. If she's so smart, why is it that something that is proven without a reasonable doubt still causes her to doubt? That didn't make sense.

I don't like destinies. Fate, prophesies, etc. To me, this is lazy writing. It's a cheap way of creating a reason for your H & H to get together. Did it make sense to the story? Yes, but it's a very, very old plot twist that just gets old after awhile.

Erik. He was growing on me a bit by the end of the book, but he's not my favorite. I know a book is planned for him, but I'm not sure how I feel about him getting his own story. I'm hoping his love is a tough chick who literally brings him to his knees.

And how do you pronounce Pyr? Is it PYRE (long i sound) or something else? I hate words that aren't easily pronounced. Grr. :(

My rating: B- I look forward to reading the next in the series (Donovan's Story!).


You can visit Ms. Cooke here