Release Day Review & GIVEAWAY!: My Dragon, My Knight by John Inman

Danny Sims is in over his head, torn between his abusive lover, Joshua, and Jay Holtsclaw, the bartender up the street, who offers Danny the one thing he never gets at home: understanding.

When Joshua threatens to get rid of Danny’s terrier, Danny knows he has to act fast. Afraid of what Joshua will do to the dog, and afraid of what Joshua will do to him if he tries to leave, Danny does the only thing he can do.

He runs.

But Danny isn’t a complete fool. He has enough sense to run into the arms of the man who actually cares for him—the man he’s beginning to trust.

Just as their lives together are starting to fall into place, Danny and Jay learn how vengeful Joshua can be.

And how dangerous.

Hey all! So, Mr. John Inman is one seriously good guy, as anyone who has ever had the privilege to converse with him knows, but did you also know, he's very generous?? And he's very generous to YOU! We'll pick a commenter at random to win an ebook from John's backlist on April 7th, courtesy of John himself, so drop a comment with your email address below and good luck!

On to the reviewing  . . . . 

You know what would be super cool and make me super happy? If there was a channel that actually made movies I wanted to watch. It would have to be cable because there would definitely be tingly bits on screen and I’m hoping the language would be of a questionable nature. Every once in a while I’m reminded why I really want this to be a thing and it usually happens after reading a book like My Dragon, My Knight. This book would make a perfect addition to the scheduling on my fantasy network. I’d curl up on my couch in my onesie with an adult beverage in one hand and a bowl of something I shouldn’t be shoveling in my face in the other and I’d binge watch the hell out of this flick.

My Dragon, My Knight has all manner of elements that I love in a story. There were really likable characters, one that I could loathe unconditionally, second chance love and pets. I love when an author can work pets into the family organically and John Inman is a master of it. Danny is in an abusive relationship with the loathsome Josh and all the scenes with Danny and Josh together were pretty stressful. I could feel how torn Danny was, it wasn’t like Josh changed from the loving, care taking boyfriend at the beginning of their relationship to the tyrannical control freak he became overnight. I felt Danny’s hopelessness and fear grow as the story progressed. Danny’s one safe space is the bar down the street from the condo he and Josh live in. The bar in owned and tended by Jay Holtsclaw, he’s a bit older than Danny but something about Danny brings out the protective side of Jay.

Jay has heartbreak in his background and my heart hurt as his history was revealed. The two didn’t open up to one another right away, but they did build a tentative friendship and looked forward to the bit of time they did get to spend together.

As one would expect, shit got seriously real for Danny with Joshua and he had to make a break for it to save himself and his beloved pooch when Joshua went on a rampage of a proportion that even Danny hadn’t seen to that point. Danny goes to the only person he believes he can count on, Jay. Initially Danny only wants Jay to dog-sit, Danny has no way to support himself on his own suddenly and has only the clothes on his back. Jay is having none of that nonsense and the two become roomies at Jay’s secluded mountain cabin in the hills outside of San Diego.

I’m a native San Diegan, so I knew exactly where Jay’s cabin was and there couldn’t have been a better haven for these two to get to know one another, blend their furry families and heal. The environment became another character in the story for me. Jay and Danny’s time on the mountain is a story in itself and I ate up their moments together. This is way more than just one man making an escape and starting a new life. All the characters introduced had depth to them that made them integral to the plot and development of the story. Jay wasn’t just a savior to Danny at the right time, I had no doubt he truly cared for Danny and vice versa. The respect Danny showed for Jay’s past was very touching and spoke volumes about Danny’s character.

Of course, Josh couldn’t just take a big fucking hint and leave things be, crazy people don’t do that and just as things were getting cozy and happy, shit got real yet again. The pace all worked out for the best though, I mean, the second coming of Josh was inevitable but before then there was plenty of the author’s brand of romance and “bonding” that I absolutely love. The characters actually talk about their feelings and fears and it always makes me believe in the HEA between the MC’s.

When Josh does show up, it’s in a truly epic way that makes for great drama in the book and in my fantasy movie. It’s at about this time I really need to make sure my beverage is topped off. The ending is dramatic, emotional and over the top. For an ending that is going to make or break some lives, I’m not gonna lie, it was entertaining as hell to read and again, brings me back to the cable movie feeling that I love to indulge in. Josh’s destiny in My Dragon, My Knight is . . . not pretty and not realistic, but at this point I’m over reality, I want Inman’s brand of comeuppance, that’s what will satisfy my comfy couch self who at this point is sporting a good buzz and needs revenge! And, that’s what I got.

My Dragon, My Knight runs the gamut of emotions, but it’s balanced throughout and I really liked how Danny was more than just his relationships. I wouldn’t have enjoyed the whole story nearly as much if he was just that one note. While the impact Josh had on him was undeniable, it didn’t define him and I think that’s what made me able to believe in a relationship between he and Jay, I never got the impression that Jay was a convenient hero for Danny. Jay had his own history and it was given the right amount of page time so that Danny could be there for Jay too. So, get comfy, pour a cocktail and settle in, because My Dragon, My Knight is quite an emotional ride that is worth every comfort calorie you’re going to ingest along the way.


Head over to Dreamspinner Press for more information and to pick up a copy of My Dragon, My Knight.

**a copy of this story was provided for an honest review**