Dragons and Dumplings by Laura Greenwood

I was on a journey the last few days, and I managed to finish the novel Dragons and Dumplings by Laura Greenwood during that time. I found it for free on Google Play Books, and was a perfect read for the time I spend travelling.

D&D is a prequel to the Falhaven Castle Series (which I haven’t read yet tbh). It talks about the life of Princess Evie of Falhaven, a member of the Royal family, and her relationship with the people around her, mostly her friend Nate Matthews, a kitchenhand and son of a famous royal kitchen baker. Evie and Nate spend a lot of time in the kitchen together, baking breads and pastries and trying new recipes.

During a visit from a foreign diplomatic delegation, Evie is gifted a rare dragon egg by the ambassador, and decides to help it hatch with Nate’s support.

The book is rather cozy, and reminiscent of other titles like Travis Baldree’s works. The majority of the story is spend examining the relationship between Evie and Nate, as well as talking in great detail about the recipes, pastries and techniques they use together. It has very low stakes, and, since it is a prequel to a longer series, it doesn’t have much more than the basic exposition to the characters.

I certainly recommend it If you enjoy slow-burn romance, and especially If you like stories revolving around baking, making pastries, being in a kitchen etc. It basically has all of that. As I said, I haven’t read the rest of the books in the series, but I assume they expand upon the world and the characters more. This one is mostly just an introduction, and maybe after reading it, you’ll decide to check the rest of the series out.