I don’t know why the Unicorn Thing is doing it for me…but okay

This was without a doubt the best Zoe Chant book I’ve read.

First of all, the guy changes into a sparkly gorgeous unicorn.

So nobody ask me to explain why that did it for me. Because I don’t think I ever could. It just turned me to mush. He’s a dude, but also like half the time he’s a breathtaking, magnificent magical creature and it’s a unicorn.

Y’all, I started out thinking Unicorn shifter romance was stupid, but like I really get it now. I mean, it is stupid, yeah. But also I love it and want to read about a thousand more Unicorn shifter stories.

All of the magical animals in this book made it so entertaining. This needs to be a Hallmark movie, because those magical animals give the story an actually exciting plot outside of the romance. This means that the writer didn’t have to rely on manufactured misunderstandings to create conflict. I always like when the conflict is external to the relationship. None of that Anna Todd fight-fuck-fight-fuck cycle. Blech. We actually have a healthy relationship in this story. The characters enjoy each other’s company and respect each other and communicate. Heck, they even team up to capture a basilisk before it can turn everyone to stone. A basilisk! There’s a basilisk in this book!

There are also winged kittens, a teleporting chicken that they can’t keep in its coop, a hawk that can break the sound barrier, a merhorse, gem toads, and the best magical animal, the dragonette Rock. Rock was so incredibly adorable. Not only was she a great plot device, because her appearing created the meet-cute between Everly and Angel, but she was also just so cute and sweet. Like a scaly winged little cat. I loved her as a character.

Another fun character was Raelynn. Her Toad Mahal joke had me laughing. This girl calls the terrarium for the gem toads the Toad Mahal XD She was silly and quirky and brought a really fun energy to the book.

I definitely related to Everly’s struggle to disconnect from work. Back when I worked as a manager for a big box store I would get texts and phone calls all the time and it stressed me out so much that I couldn’t ever just NOT think about work. I was glad she grew a pair in the end and told them to stop texting her on vacation. The ending where she takes over the restaurant space that kept changing owners was definitely obvious from the first time the place was mentioned, but it was still emotionally satisfying.

The one aspect of the book that sort of annoyed me was all the “horny” jokes about Angel’s unicorn horn. Criminey, Chant, we get it. You really think you did some shit with that joke. This is sort of par for the course with Zoe Chant books though. Jokes are not good. But the writers so clearly think they’re good, because they repeat their own cringey joke approximately a zillion times in every book. Damn lady, make your cringe jokes. God knows I do, so I can’t judge. But could you just make your bad joke once, so I can cringe and forget it ever happened?

Aside from the awful repeated “horny” joke, I did really like this book.

The main characters had a sweet chemistry. They both loved animals and it was so nice to see them get their HEA. Angel and Everly both have solid character arcs. Angel learns to accept himself and feel good about who he is, despite being a unicorn who does not have healing powers. Everly teaches him to see the value in who he is and what he CAN do with his unicorn powers. As for Everly, she learns how to make time for herself and how to set boundaries between work and her personal life.

This book had everything I loved in a Zoe Chant book: it doesn’t take itself too seriously, fun and magic, and a healthy relationship with a sweet and considerate male lead.

Highly recommend for those who like short Shifter romance.