Amethyst Bound by L. Shannon
* I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*
Toni Giovanni is a thief…although she prefers to call it the high-risk recovery business. Her current job feels suspiciously easy—until a mysterious artifact draws her into an ancient prophecy and binds her soul to a spirited dragon named Amethyst.
But Toni isn’t quite ready to be taken over by a dragon, even if Amethyst’s appetite for sexy archaeologist Dr. Ben Davis mirrors Toni’s own. And she’s got a big problem on her hands: turns out the prophecy predicts that dragons will end the world…and there are many more dragons out there.
Toni’s going to need all the help she can get.
Would you risk your life for 2 million dollars? That is what Toni did when she accepted the job to find the priceless artifact. She is a master at blending in so she is not worried about retrieving the object from the dig site without being seen. Things go as planned until Toni somehow opens the mysterious box and is drawn to the amethyst pendent inside. Little did she know that the dragon inside the pendent was calling to her, wanting her to put it on.
Dr. Ben Davis is a sexy archaeologist that has devoted many years to the exploration of dragons that has led him to this dig specifically because of the ancient box. Not only does he find himself face to face with a sexy thief that needs his help but a group of assassins out to kill them.
Together Toni and Ben team up to find a way to find the other jeweled necklaces and stop the dragons from taking over the world. They have to fight off assassins and another dragon along the way. Toni comes to terms with the fact that she is bound to Amethyst and only death will set her free.
The characters are complex, especially Toni. I love for my female leads to be strong and able to take care of themselves but ask for help when they need it. Toni definitely fits the bill. She has been taking care of herself since she was a young girl. To protect herself, she developed a method of blending in to her surroundings so she would not be noticed. She develops a bond with Amethyst because she is tired of being along. She wants Ben to stay to help her but she is afraid he will leave and struggles with trusting him throughout the story. Amethyst was a fun character too.
This story has action and adventure to right along with the love scenes. From the start this novella draws you in and keeps you hooked. The characters are well developed and the story flows smoothly and the ending leaves you wanting more.
I loved this story and hope there is more to come. I give Amethyst Bound 4 Flaming Hearts. 
Filed under: 4 Hearts, Book Reviews, Heather Brewer
