Red-Haired Ash Reads

It’s been years since I last read this series and it was one of the OG paranormal romances that I read as a young adult, along with Singh, Briggs, Andres, and Frost, and I just remember loving it. It is one that I always find myself thinking about occasionally but don’t see a lot of people talking about it anymore when popular paranormal series are discussed. So I figured it was time to revisit and actually review these books. Also there have been new books released in this world since I last read the series so I think it’s a great time to jump back in. 

Pia has the unique ability to get through any lock. Unfortunately, it has caused her ex to blackmail her into stealing from the most dangerous wyr in New York. Dragos is the most feared and respected of wyrkind and having someone steal from him is a first. He sets out to initially capture and probably kill Pia but that quickly changes once he meets her and talks to her. She changes everything for him and he doesn’t always handle it well. 

Pia is a woman who made a bad choice in trusting someone and it came back to get her. She is a strong and independent woman, but also extremely lonely because she has to hide her true self from the world. Pia was a great heroine who overcame a lot of drastic and dangerous changes in a short amount of time. I liked that she wasn’t always in control during everything that happens in this book. She breaks down and gets upset at times and it just made her a more relatable character. 

Dragos is a powerful and long lived dragon. He has basically been around since this world was created and has never met someone who really defies him. Pia does though and isn’t afraid to tell him how she feels. He finds himself captivated by her and extremely protective of her within a very short amount of time. Dragos is a dangerous man who isn’t afraid to destroy everything to get what he wants so seeing him bend under Pia’s wishes was great. I loved how hard he fell and how protective he was, even if he did get overbearing at times, he still listened to Pia when she told him to tone it down. 

Dragos and Pia have a very intense relationship. For a while it is unclear if Pia is a prisoner or guest but Dragos still always respects her and her wishes. I really enjoyed how their relationship played out and how they actually have to work at it and talk about their feelings and wants. This is one of the few paranormal romances I remember reading in my late teens/early 20s that actually showed how hard a real relationship can be. 

The world of the Elder Races is fascinating with all the different kinds of wyrs (shifters), witches, fae, and who knows what else. While this is the first book and there is more world building in future books, this one does a great job at introducing us to the characters, the different factions, and the dangers that they face. Also I really liked that all of the side characters were interesting and unique as well. 

Overall, this was just as good as I remembered and I highly recommend it if you like shifter romances. I can’t wait to read the rest of the series and see what else I have forgotten. 

TW: kidnapping; physical abuse; pregnancy; death and life threatening injuries.

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