Having bought LUCK OF THE DRAGON on a whim, I wasn't sure what to expect from Susannah Scott's debut novel. I loved the idea behind the novel so I was pretty excited to give it a try. Overall, I found LUCK OF THE DRAGON to be an enjoyable story, though there were some aspects of the novel that didn't work for me.
On the positive side, I love the idea that there are dragons hiding in plain sight in Las Vegas. It's such a cool idea and it makes a lot of sense. There's so much showmanship and performance in Vegas -- where better to hide your shapeshifting ways? Although I've never been to Las Vegas, I think it's a great setting for stories with supernatural characters/events and Scott does a great job of incorporating elements of the city into LUCK OF THE DRAGON.
I also really liked Lucy and Alec. Alec is that hyper alpha male but he avoids being a total alpha-hole, to use a phrase I've seen floating around the blogosphere a fair bit this year. He's definitely a charismatic leader but he does acknowledge the differences between himself and Lucy, and tries to give her time to get used to him, even when he knows that she's his destined mate. I love characters with strong personalities, and I love it even more when these same characters are capable of more tender emotions and thoughtfulness.Alec is a good character but, hands down, Lucy was my favourite person in the whole book. As a grad student, I'm a sucker for heroines who have their PhDs, plus I love a good had-a-hard-childhood-but-turned-things-around character arc, which is Lucy's background in a nutshell. I get really invested in characters who have beaten the odds (haha, the first -- and hopefully only -- unintentional gambling reference!) and Lucy has overcome a rough youth to become a strong, smart businesswoman. Unfortunately, Lucy comes with a really dumb brother, who I couldn't stand. Joey was TSTL on so many levels. And as much as I understand the lure of the thrill and of gambling, and as much as I believe that this type of addiction is a real problem, Joey didn't seem real to me. It felt like he was there as a plot device to get Lucy stuck in this mess with Alec and his rivals and so he was very one-dimensional. Thankfully, most of the other characters are nicely developed and well fleshed out, so it's a minor problem. For the most part, Lucy and Alec are surrounded by an interesting cast and I'm glad to know that this is the start of a series.
In terms of plot, LUCK OF THE DRAGON is pretty straightforward. Lucy has to help Gino rob Alec because Joey owes him. What could be a straightforward caper because a bit more complicated by the destined mate business, and also by the fact that Lucy really doesn't want to be a criminal. On the more dragon-y front, Alec is trying to unite all of the dragons under his rule, and has to constantly combat a major thorn in his side. Midway through the book, there's something that I think is supposed to be a big reveal this reveal seemed pretty obvious early on LUCK OF THE DRAGON. Although this didn't lessen my enjoyment of the novel too much, I do wish that there had been a bit more complexity to the non-romantic storylines.
Overall, LUCK OF THE DRAGON is a fun paranormal romance. It's not a perfect book but I really enjoyed getting to know Lucy and Alec and the world they live in. If you're looking for a steamy book with dragons, then this might be for you. Be sure to check out the excerpt to get a taste of the novel.
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