Dangerously Charming

Our Review

Mikhail Day is a former Rider. Riders are an immortal brother-trio entrusted with assisting the witchy Baba Yagas. He is generally known as the happy-go-lucky White Rider. Mikhail vows to never help another damsel-in-distress, a particular weakness of his, until a bedraggled female shows up unexpectedly at his home. He has no intention of aiding the woman until the faerie responsible for her distress appears. To his dismay, Mikhail learns he is beneficial in assisting Jenna decipher the riddle that will break her family’s curse. Can Mikhail overcome his mental demons to protect Jenna on her desperate quest?

Jenna Quinlin suffers from a devastating family curse. Newly unemployed and pregnant, she has no other recourse but to seek a way to save her unborn child. When her car breaks down in the middle of a bad storm, Jenna hopes for aid at the closest cabin. Mikhail behaves as if he wants nothing to do with Jenna or her problems. He comes to her rescue, stands up to the faerie Zilya but reluctantly accompanies Jenna on her quest. As the pair travel across the mortal realm and then the Otherworld, Jenna starts to grow attached to the guilt-ridden former immortal. Can Jenna decipher the riddle in time before Zilya comes to claim her baby?

I have been curious about the three Riders since finishing WICKEDLY POWERFUL, the third book in the BABA YAGA series, so I could not wait to start Mikhail’s story. Mikhail is slowly learning to adjust to his new mortality. The ordeal he and his two brothers suffered from a former ally has left all three emotionally broken and adrift. I like that Mikhail suffers from the same emotional problems and uncertainty as regular human beings do. Jenna’s presence gives him the kick in the butt he desperately needs to cease wallowing in self-pity. She also encourages him to finally face his brothers for the first time since their shared nightmares, despite his fears of their rejection. The journey, and Jenna’s influence, slowly help Mikhail heal and come to terms with his traumatic experience, plus the emergence of his dormant half.

Jenna is not your common variety damsel-in-distress. She is smart and strong enough to handle her own in sticky situations. I like how Jenna refuses to give in to the curse without a fight. Throughout the story, she insists on being an active participant in the quest of finding a way to beat the curse and keep her baby. I adore her plucky bravery for not only facing a vengeful faerie but traipsing through a foreign, magical land. But what I like most about Jenna is that she encourages Mikhail to reconnect with his brothers, assuring him that they bear no ill will towards him.

DANGEROUSLY CHARMING is book one in Deborah Blake’s new paranormal series, BROKEN RIDERS, a spin off from her BABA YAGA series. I love how the author delves into each Rider’s background, finally revealing how they came into creation and why. It is better to read the three books and two novellas of the BABA YAGA series before DANGEROUSLY CHARMING to better understand the source of Mikhail’s guilt and torment.

DANGEROUSLY CHARMING is a sweet and engaging story that fulfilled my love of fantasy and romance. I am ecstatic the author is continuing in this unique and fascinating world of hers, allowing the enigmatic Riders their own books. I eagerly anticipate the next installment of this series, especially which brother will be next.

A RECOMMENDED READ