Day’s YA: WHEN DEALING WITH DRAGONS

WHEN DEALING WITH DRAGONS by Dana Swift
9781250402431
6/30/2026
Wednesday Books
Ages 13-18

E-galley available on Edelweiss and NetGalley

Copper crafter Farren Walsh was born to be a healer. She’s preparing to follow in her father’s footsteps, hoping to become a dragon veterinarian, and helping him run their family’s dragon sanctuary in the meantime. In a world where humans can bond with dragons to then exploit them for the precious metals they carry, Farren hates those who take advantage of them. That includes James Murphy, an arrogant silver-crafter and dragon racer, and his family, who are notorious for pushing dragons to their limits to get the metals they desire. She’s despised James for as long as she can remember, and now he’s even up for a college scholarship that she wants as well. The rift between them only grows stronger when Farren finds out that James is going to be their new (and only) intern at their sanctuary. Plus, they both have secrets to protect: Farren’s secret could change society, and James’ secret is that he’s been hiding a years-long crush on her. Hating him might turn out to be harder than she thought, but the fate of an endangered species is at stake.

Let me just start by saying that this is one of the sweetest, coziest, most enchanting YA fantasies I’ve read recently. As a former (and current) self-proclaimed horse girl, this fed that part of me that grew up loving horse-centered young adult books—but this time, with dragons! The world was so vivid that it felt like I was watching a movie, the class system was unique and something I had never read before, and the story also showed animal cruelty in ways that we too often see. As for the romance, the yearning is so incredibly perfect, and the dual POV made it all the better. I loved getting to be in both Farren and James’ heads, especially when the chapters transitioned perfectly to show the change in thoughts swirling in each of their minds. There’s also nothing I love more than a “he falls first” romance, and James most certainly delivered on that (plus, he’s simply the most adorable MMC to ever exist).

Seriously, every single trope you could ever want is in this book: rivals to lovers, forbidden romance, fake hating, forced proximity, found family, and a heartwarming, emotional slow burn. It’s cozy, it will make you want to kick your feet and smile, you’ll probably shed a few tears (I most certainly did), and you will feel like you are so immersed in the world that you might actually be there with them all. If you grew up as a fan of HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON, you love All Creatures Great and Small, or you’re trying to fill that dragon void in your heart after FOURTH WING, this will be a must read.

Happy reading!
<3 Margo

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