Reviewed by Liz Konkel for Readers' Favorite

Dragon Her Heels by R.J. Blain is the twenty-third book in the series. Crystal Culling thought moving to Lake Hancock would be a fresh start. But now she wonders if she should have listened to her realtor, who tried to tell her the property was cursed. Supposedly, if the Dragon of Crystal Lakes were to wake, he would immediately devour her. To make matters worse, her new neighbors keep bringing her condolence pies, except for one elderly woman who thinks the dragon wouldn’t be interested in someone like Crystal. But could the legend actually be true? Just when she’s convinced it’s not, a castle appears one day from the lake, showing her that the stories are real and she’s directly in the middle of them. In a surprising twist, everyone was wrong about the dragon wanting to eat her. Now he expects her to be his executive secretary, and she’s tasked with handling his love life.

This series never fails to be surprising, with each new installment bringing completely original plot twists. R.J. Blain continues to win for most creative series thanks to the elaborately funny premises that find these characters in ridiculous situations. Each book can be read as a standalone, but the world is interconnected through supernatural components and characters. The humor of the property being ‘haunted’ sets up a red herring for the story that Crystal’s life could be in danger, but then Blain takes the story in a whole different direction. The lighthearted tone is part of the story’s charm, derived from the clever dialogue and situational comedy. The label ‘romantic comedy’ is accurate, as the romance unfolds organically in the story, but in a way that feels a little silly, heartfelt, and chaotic. Every element blends perfectly into the world Blain has created, making each installment more fun than the last. The world continues to be something unique, with you never knowing what supernatural elements to expect. This makes everything feel genuinely magical, while also making even the most chaotic things, such as a castle in a lake, feel plausible. The author has a gift for twisting the story in a quirky way, which has become a lovely staple of the series and what you look for in each new addition. Another winning adventure from Blain, Dragon Her Heels is a hilarious good time that has dragons, horses, romance, and situations that will keep you laughing and invested from beginning to end.