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Unicorn Bait #1
Unicorn Bait
There is an alternate cover edition for this ASIN here.
She wants to go home and all she needs is a unicorn.
When Naomi discovers a unicorn horn in her late grandfather's belongings, she doesn’t actually believe it’s real, but her grandfather had meant for her to have it, so she takes it home. While cleaning it, she accidentally pricks herself on the horn's point and is magically transported to another planet that is filled with strange and dangerous creatures. The most dangerous being her brand new husband—Lord Tavik. Naomi doesn't know much about her brand new husband, not even what he looks like, and he assures her that if she tries to sneak a peek at his face, he'll kill her.
Needless to say, Naomi desperately wants to go home, but that poses a problem because the only way she knows how is by unicorn horn, and the one she had, stayed on Earth. Her best hope is a crazy witch named Agatha, but Agatha is the one who tricked her into marrying Tavik. And then RAN OFF. Naomi must find a way to ditch her husband, find the witch, and get a unicorn to send her back home. It shouldn't be that hard to find a virgin, right?
She wants to go home and all she needs is a unicorn.
When Naomi discovers a unicorn horn in her late grandfather's belongings, she doesn’t actually believe it’s real, but her grandfather had meant for her to have it, so she takes it home. While cleaning it, she accidentally pricks herself on the horn's point and is magically transported to another planet that is filled with strange and dangerous creatures. The most dangerous being her brand new husband—Lord Tavik. Naomi doesn't know much about her brand new husband, not even what he looks like, and he assures her that if she tries to sneak a peek at his face, he'll kill her.
Needless to say, Naomi desperately wants to go home, but that poses a problem because the only way she knows how is by unicorn horn, and the one she had, stayed on Earth. Her best hope is a crazy witch named Agatha, but Agatha is the one who tricked her into marrying Tavik. And then RAN OFF. Naomi must find a way to ditch her husband, find the witch, and get a unicorn to send her back home. It shouldn't be that hard to find a virgin, right?
286 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 24, 2011
52 people are currently reading
918 people want to read
About the author
S.A. Hunter
26 books240 followersS.A. Hunter lives in Virginia and works in a library. She is the author of the YA series Scary Mary as well as other fantasy novels. Visit her online at www.sahunter.net or email her sahunter@sahunter.net
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 129 reviews
June 20, 2011
Aw. Seriously. Aw. This was such a cute book I could just cuddle it.
The lead male is a feared warlord who reminded me of Darth Vader (that is how I pictured him in my head, full face mask, billowing cape, and all). Grumpy and mean, his name is Tavik, and he decides Lady Naomi is to be his wife. So he brands her with his symbol declaring her well and truly conquered. Naturally, he falls for her and as you learn more about him you see he’s really just a big old softie inside who needs his face to be fixed.
Naomi is a spritely protagonist. She's gusty, and fun, and takes dramatic events in her stride, got to admire that in a female. She deals with her new husband in spectacular fashion and manages to deflower him and steal his loyalty away from a dreadful war-god he bound himself to when he was young.
What I liked most about this book is that Naomi and Tavik have to learn to love each other despite the fact they drive each other crazy, and, they don’t trust each other (to be honest, I wouldn't be too fond of the guy who burnt his face into my skin either). I like that she didn't lose her marbles the second she found The One, and continued to want to return home to her family. She sticks to her guns, and when she realizes her family will be just fine without her she wastes no time in getting back to her man.
I have to say though, some parts of the story were too ... convenient. It was effortless for Naomi to do some of the things she pulls off when it shouldn’t have been. And her family reaction to her leaving was ridiculous. If I told my mother I was leaving and never coming back she would chain my ass to radiator and demand I explain myself.
In closing, I grabbed this on a whim because of the title (unique, quirky), and was happy it was better than I expected. If you've got a free day, give it a try.
3 skulls.
http://indiebookreview.blogspot.com/
The lead male is a feared warlord who reminded me of Darth Vader (that is how I pictured him in my head, full face mask, billowing cape, and all). Grumpy and mean, his name is Tavik, and he decides Lady Naomi is to be his wife. So he brands her with his symbol declaring her well and truly conquered. Naturally, he falls for her and as you learn more about him you see he’s really just a big old softie inside who needs his face to be fixed.
Naomi is a spritely protagonist. She's gusty, and fun, and takes dramatic events in her stride, got to admire that in a female. She deals with her new husband in spectacular fashion and manages to deflower him and steal his loyalty away from a dreadful war-god he bound himself to when he was young.
What I liked most about this book is that Naomi and Tavik have to learn to love each other despite the fact they drive each other crazy, and, they don’t trust each other (to be honest, I wouldn't be too fond of the guy who burnt his face into my skin either). I like that she didn't lose her marbles the second she found The One, and continued to want to return home to her family. She sticks to her guns, and when she realizes her family will be just fine without her she wastes no time in getting back to her man.
I have to say though, some parts of the story were too ... convenient. It was effortless for Naomi to do some of the things she pulls off when it shouldn’t have been. And her family reaction to her leaving was ridiculous. If I told my mother I was leaving and never coming back she would chain my ass to radiator and demand I explain myself.
In closing, I grabbed this on a whim because of the title (unique, quirky), and was happy it was better than I expected. If you've got a free day, give it a try.
3 skulls.
http://indiebookreview.blogspot.com/
August 8, 2011
I stumbled onto this book while browsing for a free read on Kindle. The premise is simple. Naomi pricks her finger on what she thinks is a fake unicorn horn. Of course its not, & she gets transported to a different world.
Things get interesting after that. She's forced to get married after being bamboozled by a witch. Her new husband is no prince charming. Naomi of course, begins to scheme to get home.
I really enjoyed this one. It was well written. The heroine is cute but not TSTL. The hero is not very nice, and you do get an explanation for this but it's not a white wash.
All said this fish out water story is an easy read, and I look forward to reading something else by this author.
Things get interesting after that. She's forced to get married after being bamboozled by a witch. Her new husband is no prince charming. Naomi of course, begins to scheme to get home.
I really enjoyed this one. It was well written. The heroine is cute but not TSTL. The hero is not very nice, and you do get an explanation for this but it's not a white wash.
All said this fish out water story is an easy read, and I look forward to reading something else by this author.
January 8, 2014
This story was defiantly on the scale of different, original, creative & entertaining. Noami is the main character & is teleported to another planet. There she is taken against her will & made to marry Tavik. Tavik is a Lord amongst his people but is greatly feared with good reason. Noami is terrified by him & the demon mask he wears 24/7. She makes friends with a mouse (yes a mouse, haha) that can talk & leads her to someone who can help, a witch named Agatha. Agatha is Tavik's least favorite person on the planet. Noami needs Agatha's help desperately to find her way back home. She also needs to find a unicorn which can be a bit tricky. There are some twists & turns along the way but all in all it was a nice read. I could not put in down, I had to find out what happened next, secretly not knowing which way I really wanted the story to end. Noami going home to her parents & brother or staying on this planet with Tavik which whom she could love even after he forced a marriage upon her.
March 16, 2013
This wonderful, wonderful book is a must read for all fantasy lovers. It will become a classic.
The work's presentation is slightly blemished by a number of the kind of errors normally made only by illiterates; "you're" instead of "your" and things of that kind. However there is nothing even remotely illiterate about the writing, which flows beautifully, redolent with high drama, delicate humour and everything in between. There is romance without pornography, talking animals without Disney vomitiness, combat without unnecessary grue, and all in all the book is an almost unqualified delight to read. I suspect Ms Hunter may work by dictating and having her work typed by a secretary which would explain the errors. Hopefully this will be corrected in future editions, because work this fine deserves the very best.
The work's presentation is slightly blemished by a number of the kind of errors normally made only by illiterates; "you're" instead of "your" and things of that kind. However there is nothing even remotely illiterate about the writing, which flows beautifully, redolent with high drama, delicate humour and everything in between. There is romance without pornography, talking animals without Disney vomitiness, combat without unnecessary grue, and all in all the book is an almost unqualified delight to read. I suspect Ms Hunter may work by dictating and having her work typed by a secretary which would explain the errors. Hopefully this will be corrected in future editions, because work this fine deserves the very best.
February 17, 2013
Unicorn Bait is one of the surprisingly good gems occasionally found on Amazon and free too. Fun, original fantasy and not as fluffy as you would expect - it is an adult book and deals with adult content.
Naomi is transported to another world by a unicorn horn, to a world where magic abounds. Soon after arriving she is tricked into marrying by a witch and her new husband is not only arrogant, but a feared warlord.
Naomi is determined to find the witch who tricked her and her way back home, by hook or crook.
Naomi is transported to another world by a unicorn horn, to a world where magic abounds. Soon after arriving she is tricked into marrying by a witch and her new husband is not only arrogant, but a feared warlord.
Naomi is determined to find the witch who tricked her and her way back home, by hook or crook.
September 16, 2021
This was a great, short read. I am that quintessential little girl who loved unicorns and has brought that love into my grown-up life. So I love an adult romance fantasy that is feeding that interest.
Spiciness: 🌶🌶🌶/5
- there is some great slow-burn flirtation throughout
- A couple explicit steamy scenes, but no payoff
Naomi accidentally pricks herself on what she assumes is a fake unicorn horn relic she inherited from her late grandfather and is whisked away to another “planet.” A note with the horn mentions it was supposed to be a gift for Naomi’s 25th birthday, but it’s never confirmed if that was a writer tool to give her age without blatantly saying it and that her grandfather died before her 25th, or if she’s older than that and her grandfather forgot to give it to her…I got the sense it was the latter. Now, I put “planet” in quotations because I found it so weird the author used that word. Maybe it’s just me, but I get a distinct science fiction vibe from that designation - "world" or "land" would have felt more comfortable in the pseudo-medieval setting.
I’m normally not a fan of time/world travel novels unless it’s done in a way that makes sense or adds to the story. Unicorns/unicorn horns having the ability to apparate made sense to me, being familiar with unicorn lore and having read unicorn books my entire life. The only part I had a problem with was the time when Naomi comes back to her own world (which she had desperately been trying to do for the first 75% of the book) to realize she loves the man she was forced to marry as a war prize (and some mistaken identity) and now desperately wants to return to him. Naomi having to say goodbye to her family was SO awkward! I get the whole lesson of "you don’t know what you have until it’s lost" thing, but it stopped the flow of the story a bit for me.
There was an intriguing back-story, but it was never really fleshed out. Such as why Tavik pledged himself to a war god. We’re made to think of him as a barbaric conqueror, but it’s mentioned he did it for noble reasons to save the land but it’s never explained. I just started the 2nd book and the author’s note at the beginning has me hoping this is resolved.
But overall, a simple easy read with some romance and unicorns!
Spiciness: 🌶🌶🌶/5
- there is some great slow-burn flirtation throughout
- A couple explicit steamy scenes, but no payoff
Naomi accidentally pricks herself on what she assumes is a fake unicorn horn relic she inherited from her late grandfather and is whisked away to another “planet.” A note with the horn mentions it was supposed to be a gift for Naomi’s 25th birthday, but it’s never confirmed if that was a writer tool to give her age without blatantly saying it and that her grandfather died before her 25th, or if she’s older than that and her grandfather forgot to give it to her…I got the sense it was the latter. Now, I put “planet” in quotations because I found it so weird the author used that word. Maybe it’s just me, but I get a distinct science fiction vibe from that designation - "world" or "land" would have felt more comfortable in the pseudo-medieval setting.
I’m normally not a fan of time/world travel novels unless it’s done in a way that makes sense or adds to the story. Unicorns/unicorn horns having the ability to apparate made sense to me, being familiar with unicorn lore and having read unicorn books my entire life. The only part I had a problem with was the time when Naomi comes back to her own world (which she had desperately been trying to do for the first 75% of the book) to realize she loves the man she was forced to marry as a war prize (and some mistaken identity) and now desperately wants to return to him. Naomi having to say goodbye to her family was SO awkward! I get the whole lesson of "you don’t know what you have until it’s lost" thing, but it stopped the flow of the story a bit for me.
There was an intriguing back-story, but it was never really fleshed out. Such as why Tavik pledged himself to a war god. We’re made to think of him as a barbaric conqueror, but it’s mentioned he did it for noble reasons to save the land but it’s never explained. I just started the 2nd book and the author’s note at the beginning has me hoping this is resolved.
But overall, a simple easy read with some romance and unicorns!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 12, 2025
so fun and adventurous and the hero is a bald virgin. delightful characters and while the romance got to the I love you's a little quicker than i'd like the adventure totally made up for it.
August 11, 2015
Naomi is accidentally transported to another world via unicorn's horn. She lands in the middle of a raid and the old woman she meets convinces Naomi that the only way to save her own life is to pretend to be the lady of the castle, also named Naomi, who has disappeared. Little does Naomi know that the mark of a successful raid is for the invading leader to marry the lady of the castle. Now Naomi is stuck in a crazy world with a mysterious, scary husband who never allows anyone to see his face. Her only hope is to place her faith in the old woman who tricked her in the first place and who also happens to be a witch. The witch has promised that she'll help Naomi escape so that they can catch a unicorn to send Naomi back to her world. But the longer Naomi waits, the more intriguing she begins to find her new husband.
What I like best about this book is Naomi. She is thrown into a whole lot of crazy with no hope of immediate escape and she handles it so well. She goes with the flow and takes things in stride. Magic? no problem. Talking animals? now she finally has a friend. Crazy scary husband who will kill anyone who see his face? well, he might turn out to be kinda sexy. Naomi takes on challenges and doesn't depend on anyone to rescue her while she sits around looking beautiful while crying.
The world is weird, no doubt about that, but it's all coherent and well put together. All the weird stuff makes sense in relation to all the other weird stuff. The story unfolds nicely and turns out to be a lot more than Naomi simply falling in love with her husband but still yearning to return to her own world. Of course, that's a driving plot point but that's not the only thing happening which kept me interested until the very end.
What I like best about this book is Naomi. She is thrown into a whole lot of crazy with no hope of immediate escape and she handles it so well. She goes with the flow and takes things in stride. Magic? no problem. Talking animals? now she finally has a friend. Crazy scary husband who will kill anyone who see his face? well, he might turn out to be kinda sexy. Naomi takes on challenges and doesn't depend on anyone to rescue her while she sits around looking beautiful while crying.
The world is weird, no doubt about that, but it's all coherent and well put together. All the weird stuff makes sense in relation to all the other weird stuff. The story unfolds nicely and turns out to be a lot more than Naomi simply falling in love with her husband but still yearning to return to her own world. Of course, that's a driving plot point but that's not the only thing happening which kept me interested until the very end.
December 4, 2011
I HAD to download this one since it had a unicorn on the cover. Yes, I was one of those totally lost little girls who had unicorns on her bedspread (it was a canopy) and every cheap unicorn figurine I could get my hands on. My love of fantasy and paranormal started early and not with the best of sensibilities (giggle.)
So when I started this book I really thought it was going to be a cutesy wootsey little unicorn story. BOY WAS I WRONG! This is a great fantasy book cover wrapped around a very adult story line. The first chapters exposes you to a story entrance that is harsh and crude, but I beg of you to keep reading (even if offended.) The author definitely had the sense to know that if it was going to draw in an adult audience that it would have to prove from the beginning that this was not a land of gumdrops and stuffed animals.
This book has everything the little girl inside me wants: witches, talking animals, castles, a prince, unicorns, magic…
But it also has all the things the grown women in me wants from a great book: tense situations, realistic humorous responses, a strong female character, sexual tension and scenes that ignite you but never seem invasive to the story, a story line that is worth following…
I suggest this read to anyone that always wanted to be magically swept away to a world where a prince would desire your hand and your heart … and your body too.
All in all a total surprise read for me. Not what I expected and so happy for that. I love to be pleasantly pampered by a good story.
So when I started this book I really thought it was going to be a cutesy wootsey little unicorn story. BOY WAS I WRONG! This is a great fantasy book cover wrapped around a very adult story line. The first chapters exposes you to a story entrance that is harsh and crude, but I beg of you to keep reading (even if offended.) The author definitely had the sense to know that if it was going to draw in an adult audience that it would have to prove from the beginning that this was not a land of gumdrops and stuffed animals.
This book has everything the little girl inside me wants: witches, talking animals, castles, a prince, unicorns, magic…
But it also has all the things the grown women in me wants from a great book: tense situations, realistic humorous responses, a strong female character, sexual tension and scenes that ignite you but never seem invasive to the story, a story line that is worth following…
I suggest this read to anyone that always wanted to be magically swept away to a world where a prince would desire your hand and your heart … and your body too.
All in all a total surprise read for me. Not what I expected and so happy for that. I love to be pleasantly pampered by a good story.
February 4, 2012
I feel lousy. Yeah, I gave the novel five stars. But at two o'clock I was only 80% finished and I couldn't leave the characters in such precarious positions. Usually, 20% from the end means less than a half an hour. But this was a fuller novel than those I have been reading lately.
There will be no spoiler alert as I don't want to give anything away. My tags tell too much: fantasy, kindle, magick, read, sci-fi, unicorns, young-adult. I can say that hard-core sci-fi fans may be disappointed. Not a lot of deeply researched science, sorry.
One thing that stands out is that this isn't a story about a high school teen. This is an adult, twenty-something dealing with adult life. Yet strange fantasy pull her into quite a different life than she was quite happy in. What kind of story starts with a female who is satisfied with her life? Sure it isn't as happy as she would like, but it is a life full of love and independence. But how refreshing to follow this person I admire and see how she handles a far different life.
Who should read this? I can't think of anyone who wouldn't find something here, if you read for pleasure and not realism. Enjoy!
There will be no spoiler alert as I don't want to give anything away. My tags tell too much: fantasy, kindle, magick, read, sci-fi, unicorns, young-adult. I can say that hard-core sci-fi fans may be disappointed. Not a lot of deeply researched science, sorry.
One thing that stands out is that this isn't a story about a high school teen. This is an adult, twenty-something dealing with adult life. Yet strange fantasy pull her into quite a different life than she was quite happy in. What kind of story starts with a female who is satisfied with her life? Sure it isn't as happy as she would like, but it is a life full of love and independence. But how refreshing to follow this person I admire and see how she handles a far different life.
Who should read this? I can't think of anyone who wouldn't find something here, if you read for pleasure and not realism. Enjoy!
June 30, 2011
If I could, I'd rate this 3 & 1/2 stars. Maybe even 3 & 3/4.
I'm not going to lie, Naomi Tailor (is it Taylor? Tailor? Tailer? There was at least two different spellings of her last name in there - so, anyone's guess, really) got on my nerves a bit. I'm not sure why. Sometimes a character just rubs you wrong and Naomi was that girl for me.
On the other hand? The rest of the cast of characters? BRAVO. Mr. Squibbles, a talking mouse who's a hoot, deserves 5 stars & a standing ovation. Seriously. The mouse rocked. Hunter, a book just about Mr. Squibbles, please? I'll fangirl the hell out of it.
The love story between Naomi & Tavik, a seemingly brutal warlord, was... sweet. Yeah. I said it. It was sweet and I kinda wanted to pet his bald head. And Agatha? His witchy mother? She's a keeper. In fact, let's forget all about Naomi & Tavik & unicorns & let's just follow Agatha & Mr. Squibbles around for a couple of weeks. I'd read it! Every night!
I'm not going to lie, Naomi Tailor (is it Taylor? Tailor? Tailer? There was at least two different spellings of her last name in there - so, anyone's guess, really) got on my nerves a bit. I'm not sure why. Sometimes a character just rubs you wrong and Naomi was that girl for me.
On the other hand? The rest of the cast of characters? BRAVO. Mr. Squibbles, a talking mouse who's a hoot, deserves 5 stars & a standing ovation. Seriously. The mouse rocked. Hunter, a book just about Mr. Squibbles, please? I'll fangirl the hell out of it.
The love story between Naomi & Tavik, a seemingly brutal warlord, was... sweet. Yeah. I said it. It was sweet and I kinda wanted to pet his bald head. And Agatha? His witchy mother? She's a keeper. In fact, let's forget all about Naomi & Tavik & unicorns & let's just follow Agatha & Mr. Squibbles around for a couple of weeks. I'd read it! Every night!
June 21, 2011
The plot was original and interesting, with a few little twists. The creatures the author created for this world made me laugh. Very clever. I also didn't have a hard time with her bring branded like some other reviewers, or falling in love with a man you might assume to be "evil." Yes, it was weird that she disappeared and no one really cared, but you've suspended your belief in unicorn horns, so why not family relationships?
Although it description states that they agree not to have sex, the book still manages to contain some adult content.
Although it description states that they agree not to have sex, the book still manages to contain some adult content.
July 11, 2011
I'm usually more than a bit wary of free downloads so imagine my surprise by how much I enjoyed this book! It starts off a bit abruptly. There's very little lead up before Naomi is thrust into this parallel world and running for her life. Though I felt she could have done it a bit less abruptly, in the grand scheme of things, I didn't mind. I like a book that gets right to the action without a whole lot of unnecessary build up. There was humor, adventure, romance, some silliness but all in all I liked it and I would read something by this author again.
July 20, 2011
For some reason, I really enjoyed this book. I stayed up until four in the morning to finish it, and read it all in one go. Add in the fact that I got this for free on my Kindle, and it's really a no-brainer. In the first chapter when nearly every sentence started with "she" I thought reading it would be like pulling teeth, but the story soon sucked me in. Definitely recommend it!
October 27, 2012
The book is hard to define. Fantasy, romance, sci-fi, comedy... I loved the idea of this story, and the writing was fantastic. The only downfalls were that I wish there were more happening between the two primary characters to make them fall in love. And I obviously wish they had gone a little farther with the kinky scenes. It was quite the tease. Overall it was a fun read.
January 8, 2012
The plot was ok, but not spectacular. But two things really bothered me about this book:
1. Content - there was too much explicit content - language, etc - for my liking.
2. All of the grammatical errors and typos left me wondering - was this book ever proofread?
1. Content - there was too much explicit content - language, etc - for my liking.
2. All of the grammatical errors and typos left me wondering - was this book ever proofread?
June 10, 2012
This was fairly well written and entertaining, given its free book status, but there was a rather adult scene towards the beginning that threw me off, as well as some language. There are better books out there.
July 18, 2012
I thought the book was ok. It was a page turner, however the characters were not developed enough for me. I couldn't relate that well because it didn't feel real enough. I loved the authors sense of humor and it was definitely a fantasy story...
September 21, 2014
It's a nice enough book overall. I honestly thought I'd enjoy it more, but it's too longwinded in the beginning, I couldn't really warm up to the protagonist and I absolutely hated the fact that the word 'Feminazi' was used.
March 26, 2012
I absolutely loved this story. And it was free! I found the plot to be fresh and interesting, the characters original, and I find myself longing to read it again.
July 13, 2011
After the first rather awkward scene, this book was really good.
July 1, 2021
While this book could have used a tad bit more editing, but I gave it 5 stars nonetheless. Other than a couple of parts of the story that were a bit hard for me to suspend belief, , I really enjoyed the overall story & characters. It was a fun, frolicking & super quick read.
January 4, 2022
I see this as a stand-alone. I loved this book when I read it the first time. Then I read it for the second time to prepare for the sequel and still loved it! I absolutely hated the sequel! I've not been able to reread this book because I am afraid that my hate for the sequel will cloud my love of this one. I will read it again someday and hope I still love it when I do.
July 15, 2017
A bit young for me... Silly cute
I would recommend this book to lovers of fantasy, mythical beings, questing, smiles and a bit of romance. I prefer a bit of angst, tribulation, and personal character growth.... In other words, I'm old.
I would recommend this book to lovers of fantasy, mythical beings, questing, smiles and a bit of romance. I prefer a bit of angst, tribulation, and personal character growth.... In other words, I'm old.
October 24, 2018
Fun and quick read
I like the premise of enemies to lovers for this novel though the story is a quick read. I believe it is well written and I enjoyed Naomi's personality and character.
I like the premise of enemies to lovers for this novel though the story is a quick read. I believe it is well written and I enjoyed Naomi's personality and character.
March 12, 2020
3.5 Stars
I was pleasantly surprised over how much I enjoyed this.
I was pleasantly surprised over how much I enjoyed this.
July 5, 2022
Badly written, too predictable, cannot finish.
September 13, 2024
10/10 I actually have read it like 5 times over and it gets better every time
September 24, 2024
Very interesting and a lot of fun. S. A. Hunter is a very engaging writer.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 129 reviews