Henchgirl Review

4 full stars!!! I really did not know what to expect from this book when I first started reading it. The blurb sounded interesting and I saw that many other readers gave this one a high rating. So, I thought I'd give it a shot. But can I be honest here, the cover isn't all that great. I would have liked to see something that played along the lines of the fantasy genre. Anyway, the story is an urban fantasy with a twist which I liked. We meet a sixteen year old girl named Dakota who comes from a powerful dracon family (human - dragon hybrid). She works for her grandfather, who owns various hotels across a fictional island called Mabi, as his "henchgirl". Using her powers, she handles reconnaissance work and finds key information to help him maintain his empire while at the same time providing money for her family. In the morning, however, she pretends to be a human girl and has a crush on a guy named Keanu. Unfortunately, a run in with a half-dragon named Vern ends up in her missions going awry and when his sister goes missing, her life seems to take a turn for the worse. I have to say the beginning this book was very confusing. It's like you are just thrown into the middle of an on going story. The worldbuilding was written in between and I really felt like abandoning this book at the time. Along with this, there are huge grammatical errors that didn't help and made the reading experience challenging. But, I'm glad I kept at it because by the end, I loved the story and here's why. The MC Dakota is a really interesting character. Finally, we get a girl who can fend for herself. She doesn't need a guy to always look out for her. I also liked the fact that she wasn't described as this beautiful girl with a great body and perfect everything. The focus was more on her personality. Yes, she has above average looks but it wasn't shoved in your face all the time. I really liked how she interacted with her family. She tries so hard to look after them even though no one acknowledges it. I also loved her relationship with a grandfather. Her seems to really understand that she has a rebellious side to her. The only times when I did find her irritating was when she was with Vern. I mean many times she would get angry with him, forgive him in her mind but stay annoyed regardless outwardly. I thought that was petty and childish of her. She also has a very stubborn streak and likes things her way. Hopefully, she matures in these aspects in book two. Vern, on the other hand, was a true alpha. He was so swoonworthy. I loved how he kept pressing Dakota's buttons. I loved his interactions with her. I know some people have said he was very rough with her and was bossy. But that's what alpha guys do in these fantasy books. But he was also so sweet to her and very protective especially when she got into dangerous situations. I would love to see these two get together in the end. I am shipping for them so badly. So, you can see why I could care less about her feeling for Keanu. He was just too cliche. In terms of the other characters, they were all easily likeable. I loved getting to know each of the Dakota's sisters. I especially liked her Uncle Bobby. He's a wonderful character. I liked how Rita creates this wonderful world with the characters. Usually in books, minor characters play a role and then just disappear. But here they are a part of Dakota's life and without them, the story would have been pretty dull. The worldbuilding had a very Hawaiian vibe to it. It was a little hard to get into. The magic system and hierarchy in place was a bit over the place and I guess it needed a bit more of an explanation. I also would have liked a bit more of information on how the dracon "aspects" (powers) work and the war between them and the humans. I felt, at some point, the romance took over the story and this part of the plot got sidelined. Maybe this will be explained more in the second book. There also was plenty of action in the story which was refreshing. I wasn't bored at any point. Unfortunately, the reveal was as exciting as I hoped it would be. But, it did tie up the loose ends. All in all, the story was a great start to the series. The story has loads of potential. For those who love dragons, romance and urban fantasy this one should definitely be on your TBR list. I look forward to reading "Rex" next. :)

#youngadult #dragons #urbanfantasy #romance #RitaStradling #shapeshifters