Once Upon a Shift

By Sophie Stern

Three nights. Two dragons. One incredible romance.

Joanna is as nerdy as they come. She's obsessed with books, she loves comics, and she wears her hair in a ponytail.

Draco is everything she's not: cool, composed, charismatic.

Despite the fact that the two of them have been friends and colleagues for years, they've never shared the fact that they're dragon shifters with the other.

When Joanna is tasked with finding a date to her parents' annual Christmas party, Draco is the obvious choice, but what will he do when he learns her secret?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Sophie Stern
• Release date: Dec 5, 2022
• ISBN: 9798201597085

Book preview

Once Upon a Shift

Sophie Stern

Published by Sophie Stern, 2022.

This is a work of fiction. Similarities to real people, places, or events are entirely coincidental.

ONCE UPON A SHIFT

First edition. December 5, 2022.

Copyright © 2022 Sophie Stern.

ISBN: 979-8201597085

Written by Sophie Stern.

Also by Sophie Stern

Alien Chaos

Destroyed

Guarded

Saved

Christmas on Chaos

Alien Chaos: A Sci-Fi Alien Romance Bundle

Aliens of Malum

Deceived: An Alien Brides Romance

Betrayed: An Alien Brides Romance

Fallen: An Alien Brides Romance

Captured: An Alien Brides Romance

Regret

Crazed

For Keeps

Rotten: An Alien Brides Romance

Anchored

Starboard

Battleship

All Aboard

Abandon Ship

Below Deck

Crossing the Line

Anchored: Books 1-3

Anchored: Books 4-6

Ashton Sweets

Christmas Sugar Rush

Valentine's Sugar Rush

St. Patty's Sugar Rush

Halloween Sugar Rush

Bullies of Crescent Academy

You Suck

Troublemaker

Jaded

Club Kitten Dancers

Move

Pose

Climb

Dragon Enchanted

Hidden Mage

Hidden Captive

Hidden Curse

Fate High School

You Wish: A High School Reverse Harem Romance

Freak: A Reverse Harem High School Romance

Get Lost: A Reverse Harem Romance

Good Boys and Millionaires

Good Boys and Millionaires 1

Good Boys and Millionaires 2

Grimalkin Beasts

Alien Indulgence

Grimalkin Needs Brides

Ekpen (Intergalactic Dating Agency)

Torao (Intergalactic Dating Agency)

Leo (Intergalactic Dating Agency)

Honeypot Babies

The Polar Bear's Baby

The Jaguar's Baby

The Tiger's Baby

Honeypot Darlings

The Bear's Virgin Darling

The Bear's Virgin Mate

The Bear's Virgin Bride

Office Gentlemen

Ben From Accounting

Owls of Rawr County

Bound to the Owl

Polar Bears of the Air Force

Staff Sergeant Polar Bear

Master Sergeant Polar Bear

Airman Polar Bear

Senior Airman Polar Bear

Return to Dragon Isle

Dragons Are Forever

Dragon Crushed: An Enemies-to-Lovers Paranormal Romance

Dragon's Hex

Dragon's Gain

Dragon's Rush

Rose Valley Vampires

Vampire Librarian

Vampire Doctor

Shifters at Law

Wolf Case

Bearly Legal

Tiger Clause

Sergeant Bear

Dragon Law

Shifters of Rawr County

The Polar Bear's Fake Mate

The Lion's Fake Wife

The Tiger's Fake Date

The Wolf's Pretend Mate

The Tiger's Pretend Husband

The Dragon's Fake Fiancée

The Red Panda's Fake Mate

Stormy Mountain Bears

The Lumberjack's Baby Bear

The Writer's Baby Bear

The Mountain Man's Baby Bears

Sweet Nightmares

Sweet Nightmares: The Vampire's Melody

Sweet Nightmares 2: The Sound of Roses

Sweet Nightmares 3: Bittersweet Vampires

Sweet Nightmares 4: The Vampire King

Team Shifter

Bears VS Wolves

No Fox Given

The Fablestone Clan

Dragon's Oath

Dragon's Breath

Dragon's Darling

Dragon's Whisper

Dragon's Magic

The Feisty Dragons

Untamed Dragon

Naughty Dragon

Monster Dragon

The Hidden Planet

Vanquished

Outlaw

Conquered

The Wolfe City Pack

The Wolf's Darling

The Wolf's Mate

The Wolf's Bride

Standalone

Saucy Devil

Billionaire on Top

Jurassic Submissive

The Editor

Alien Beast

Snow White and the Wolves

Kissing the Billionaire

Wild

Alien Dragon

The Royal Her

Be My Tiger

Alien Monster

The Luck of the Wolves

Honeypot Babies Omnibus Edition

Honeypot Darlings: Omnibus Edition

The Swan's Mate

The Feisty Librarian

Polar Bears of the Air Force

Wild Goose Chase

Star Princess

The Virgin and the Lumberjacks

Resting Bear Face

By Hook or by Wolf

I Dare You, King

Shifters at Law

Pretty Little Fairies

Seized by the Dragon

The Fablestone Clan: A Paranormal Dragon-Shifter Romance Collection

Star Kissed

Big Bad Academy

Club Kitten Omnibus

Stormy Mountain Bears: The Complete Collection

Bitten by the Vampires

Beautiful Villain

Dark Favors

Savored

Vampire Kiss

Chaotic Wild: A Vampire Romance

Bitten

Heartless

The Dragon's Christmas Treasure

Out of the Woods

Bullies of Crescent Academy

Craving You: A Contemporary Romance Collection

Chasing Whiskey

The Hidden Planet Trilogy

The Bratty Dom

Tokyo Wolf

The Single Dad Who Stole My Heart

Free For Him

The Feline Gaze

Fate High School

Dragon Beast: A Beauty and the Beast Retelling

Boulder Bear

Megan Slays Vampires

Vampire Professor

Once Upon a Shift

The Feisty Dragons

The Vampire Who Saved Christmas

Dragon Enchanted (Books 1-3)

Grimalkin Needs Brides (Intergalactic Dating Agency): Books 1-3

Nerd Alert

Red: Into the Dark

Alien Darlings

Shifters of Rawr County: Books 1-3

Shifters of Rawr County: Books 4-7

Sugar Rush

Return to Dragon Isle: Omnibus Edition

Never Kiss an Alien

Scallywag

Table of Contents

Title Page

Copyright Page

Also By Sophie Stern

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

11.

12.

13.

14.

15.

16.

17.

18.

19.

20.

Epilogue

Author

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Further Reading: Dragon Law

Also By Sophie Stern

1.

Joanna

M y mother’s Christmas party is in a week, I tell my roommate, Raya.

Are you all packed? Raya asks, shoving a forkful of spaghetti in her mouth. She reaches for the glass of wine in front of her and sips as I shake my head.

Not even a little bit.

Do you need to do any shopping? Because I can take you shopping.

If there was anyone in the world that I’d ask to take me shopping, it would be Raya. She’s smart, sassy, and hot as hell. She also knows every boutique owner with a fifty-mile radius of Kansas City. Yeah, I think it’s safe to say that Raya is the person I’d let dress me if I needed dressing.

But what I need is so much worse.

I actually need a date, I tell her.

Even as I say the words, I feel my stomach twist. A date. I need a date like this is some sort of holiday rom-com.

You need a date? Raya raises both of her eyebrows at the same time. They go so high that they practically disappear beneath her bangs. She grins, smirking at me. I know that Raya would honestly make an incredible date, but the two of us are just friends – nothing more. Although neither one of us places limits on love, we’ve come to the understanding that our friendship comes first.

Always.

I appreciate the generous offer, I smile at her. I think we both know what I need though.

She sighs. Dick. That’s it, right? You want some dick.

I don’t necessarily need dick, I tell her, twirling my own pasta around my fork. What I need is something – someone - to sate my moms.

Explain, Raya said. She’s never been one to mince words, and she’s also never been one to speak more than is actually necessary. This is one of the things I both love and hate about my roomie. She tells it like it is, but that’s it.

My moms think I have a partner, I finally tell her. It was honestly a stupid thing for me to lie about. My parents have always been so very accepting of me and they’ve never really cared whether I was dating or single, but I also know that they worry about me.

So, a few months ago, I told them a lie.

Why yes, I actually do have a boyfriend, and he will totally be coming home