Yeah, sometimes I’ll just rip a review straight off of what I wrote over at Goodreads. It happens.

This is the first dragon-shifter paranormal romance I’ve ever read, and to be honest I picked it up as a lark. A freebie PA with hints of classic fairytales? Sign me up, right? Exactly. Because this is a fun read.

Author Kidd is a compelling storyteller, and the story of Leigh and Jasper is sweet. The mythology surrounding their “world” is believable, and there are plenty of interesting characters/situations for spinoffs in future books.

I only have two problems; one, that Kidd throws a whole lot of characters at readers from the get-go, and that can be confusing. (I found myself “flipping” back and forth in the first chapter when Leigh and her family are introduced, and again when Jasper and his clan make the scene.) Two, between chapters 20 and 21 there’s a HUGE time jump. Not an issue with many books, but this one felt like it had left a lot out between the two chapters. A whole subplot had been resolved in-between chapters, and I’d have liked to have seen how that played out. The rest of the book – the last 3 chapters – feel a bit rushed, but as Kidd has promised a sequel, I’m guessing more will be revealed. I just wish this particular happily-ever-after didn’t feel so crammed in. Leigh and Jasper definitely had issues to overcome, and while love does conquer all, in this instance Love Ex Machina felt like a bit of a cheat. Still, Kidd can spin a fun yarn, and I’ll be back for the next installment.