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Fang & Fae #1
Pining for the Prince
Sometimes being a vampire sucks, and not in the good way. Gwil had long accepted his vampire after-life didn’t come with rubbing shoulders with the elite and endless wealth, despite what his sire might have alluded to, but working as a private detective wasn’t all bad. Being dragged into Vampire Council business wasn’t his favourite thing but he’d dealt with worse. The worst being years of pining after his best friend, business partner, and fae prince, Hyax.
Spending so much time with Hyax is getting harder, and now Hyax has told his parents that Gwil is his betrothed to stop them from trying to marry him off, everything gets even more complicated. Add in meddling family members on both sides to fake dating a prince, a missing crown jewel, and rogue flower fairies, Gwil thinks things can’t get any worse until they do…
Pining for the Prince is the first of Fang & Fae, a MM Paranormal Romance series, where a vampire and a fae prince go from best friends to lovers while solving mysteries along the way.
Spending so much time with Hyax is getting harder, and now Hyax has told his parents that Gwil is his betrothed to stop them from trying to marry him off, everything gets even more complicated. Add in meddling family members on both sides to fake dating a prince, a missing crown jewel, and rogue flower fairies, Gwil thinks things can’t get any worse until they do…
Pining for the Prince is the first of Fang & Fae, a MM Paranormal Romance series, where a vampire and a fae prince go from best friends to lovers while solving mysteries along the way.
270 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 25, 2024
119 people are currently reading
366 people want to read
About the author
Rebecca Cohen
52 books227 followersREBECCA COHEN spends her days dreaming of living in a Tudor manor house, or a Georgian mansion. Alas, the closest she comes to this is through her characters in her historical romance novels. She also dreams of intergalactic adventures and fantasy realms, but because she’s not yet got her space or dimensional travel plans finalised, she lives happily in leafy Hertfordshire, England, with her husband and young son. She can often be found with a pen in one hand and sloe gin with lemon tonic in the other.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 58 reviews
November 27, 2025
This is not meant as a bad review.
I like the story, the plot, the turning points, especially the main characters Gwyl and Hyax, and even some of the minor characters.
Apart from a few typos, it is also well written.
This is the first book I have read by this author, but I fear it will be my last. And that is entirely on me. I cannot bring myself to give it a better rating, as I found it mostly boring, even though there was no reason for it. I simply think that the author is not suited to my brainwaves.
Either that, or there was something in my coffee today.
The idea behind this story is really great and would be perfect for me.
Maybe it's a little too much of everything.
Hyax, whose magic is so great that he can do almost anything.
The many parties that are all involved in the case at once and how everything fits together so well.
The many negative and angry vibes that are thrown at Gwyl.
And how the two of them find each other in the end.
Actually, all things that should fit together, but just weren't for me here.
Being in love with his best friend sucked pixie scrotums. 🧚
„Send him my regards.”
That sounded like a threat. “Leave him alone.”
“I’ll behave as long as he does. But if he breaks your heart, I’ll drain him dry myself, and we’ll see if he makes a pretty, sparkly corpse.” 😳
I like the story, the plot, the turning points, especially the main characters Gwyl and Hyax, and even some of the minor characters.
Apart from a few typos, it is also well written.
This is the first book I have read by this author, but I fear it will be my last. And that is entirely on me. I cannot bring myself to give it a better rating, as I found it mostly boring, even though there was no reason for it. I simply think that the author is not suited to my brainwaves.
Either that, or there was something in my coffee today.
The idea behind this story is really great and would be perfect for me.
Maybe it's a little too much of everything.
Hyax, whose magic is so great that he can do almost anything.
The many parties that are all involved in the case at once and how everything fits together so well.
The many negative and angry vibes that are thrown at Gwyl.
And how the two of them find each other in the end.
Actually, all things that should fit together, but just weren't for me here.
Being in love with his best friend sucked pixie scrotums. 🧚
„Send him my regards.”
That sounded like a threat. “Leave him alone.”
“I’ll behave as long as he does. But if he breaks your heart, I’ll drain him dry myself, and we’ll see if he makes a pretty, sparkly corpse.” 😳
July 26, 2024
⭐️ 3.5 stars ⭐️
Gwil’s been pining for his best friend Hyax for years. It only gets worse when he has to be his fake fiancé.
The world Rebecca Cohen created here is very complex and intricate. Which means I, of course, got a bit lost in it.
I enjoyed the Fae politics, the mystery, them working together to resolve the case.
There was just a information overload, and I couldn’t really keep up with everything.
The rest of the plot felt detached from the romance, like I was reading two different books at times. The romance was more of an added element, not the focal point of the plot.
I didn’t really feel the pining I was promised in the title, I didn’t feel the great connection between the characters. I didn’t feel the love?
They definitely felt like friends, and I loved the banter between them, but there wasn’t much passion or feelings that really connected with me.
It’s also one of those quick slow burns — super slow and absolutely nothing happening between them, and then they go from 0 to 100 real quick. Not much of a fan of those.
Overall, this fantastical world filled with all kinds of beings is really promising and despite my own lackluster experience with the romance side, I look forward to exploring more of it.
I received a copy of this book from Gay Romance Reviews, and this is my honest review.
CW and tropes (spoilers):
- Paranormal/urban fantasy
- Fae prince and vampire detective
- Mutual pining
- Coworkers and friends to lovers
- Slow burn
- Fake dating
- Strict top/bottom
“I can’t keep pretending you’re mine when you’re not.”
Gwil’s been pining for his best friend Hyax for years. It only gets worse when he has to be his fake fiancé.
The world Rebecca Cohen created here is very complex and intricate. Which means I, of course, got a bit lost in it.
I enjoyed the Fae politics, the mystery, them working together to resolve the case.
There was just a information overload, and I couldn’t really keep up with everything.
The rest of the plot felt detached from the romance, like I was reading two different books at times. The romance was more of an added element, not the focal point of the plot.
I didn’t really feel the pining I was promised in the title, I didn’t feel the great connection between the characters. I didn’t feel the love?
They definitely felt like friends, and I loved the banter between them, but there wasn’t much passion or feelings that really connected with me.
It’s also one of those quick slow burns — super slow and absolutely nothing happening between them, and then they go from 0 to 100 real quick. Not much of a fan of those.
Overall, this fantastical world filled with all kinds of beings is really promising and despite my own lackluster experience with the romance side, I look forward to exploring more of it.
« If he wasn’t already dead, Hyax would be the death of him. »
I received a copy of this book from Gay Romance Reviews, and this is my honest review.
CW and tropes (spoilers):
- Paranormal/urban fantasy
- Fae prince and vampire detective
- Mutual pining
- Coworkers and friends to lovers
- Slow burn
- Fake dating
- Strict top/bottom
September 6, 2024
3.5 stars
I did enjoy mutual pining - and I was happy that Gwyl and Hyax did not got together that fast. It took a fake boyfriend trope and a case of being high for their first kiss. I liked the first but not the second. I mean, yes it was fun seeing Hyax being rebellious to his snooty fae family by having a vampire boyfriend, but the whole "inhibitions gets lower because of drugs" thing is a bit forced. I prefer Hyax and Gwyl acknowledging their feelings to come naturally.
The whole universe was interesting - and I always welcome paranormal romance with mystery in it. In this one Gwyl and Hyax are roped in to find out a missing fae jewel that brings havoc in human realm. Because of the focus in their romance, the mystery part is a bit neglected. I hope if there's a follow-up book, the mystery part can be better.
I did enjoy mutual pining - and I was happy that Gwyl and Hyax did not got together that fast. It took a fake boyfriend trope and a case of being high for their first kiss. I liked the first but not the second. I mean, yes it was fun seeing Hyax being rebellious to his snooty fae family by having a vampire boyfriend, but the whole "inhibitions gets lower because of drugs" thing is a bit forced. I prefer Hyax and Gwyl acknowledging their feelings to come naturally.
The whole universe was interesting - and I always welcome paranormal romance with mystery in it. In this one Gwyl and Hyax are roped in to find out a missing fae jewel that brings havoc in human realm. Because of the focus in their romance, the mystery part is a bit neglected. I hope if there's a follow-up book, the mystery part can be better.
August 29, 2024
A Joyfully Jay review.
4.25 stars
This is the first book in the Fang and Fae series and was a delightful romp into a contemporary, alternate reality, paranormal version of London. Here, all the paranormal beings exist side-by-side with humanity, and they do try to govern their own with species-specific councils and a paranormal division of the police. The mysteries dovetailed nicely, and the tension surrounding the fake relationship growing into a real relationship was matched by the anti-vampire prejudice coming from the Fae court. I loved both Gwil and Hyax, because they are good beings with interesting and complicated backstories. Their friendship has grown into more, without them acknowledging the love they each feel for the other.
Read Veronica’s review in its entirety here.
4.25 stars
This is the first book in the Fang and Fae series and was a delightful romp into a contemporary, alternate reality, paranormal version of London. Here, all the paranormal beings exist side-by-side with humanity, and they do try to govern their own with species-specific councils and a paranormal division of the police. The mysteries dovetailed nicely, and the tension surrounding the fake relationship growing into a real relationship was matched by the anti-vampire prejudice coming from the Fae court. I loved both Gwil and Hyax, because they are good beings with interesting and complicated backstories. Their friendship has grown into more, without them acknowledging the love they each feel for the other.
Read Veronica’s review in its entirety here.
July 26, 2024
3.75/5 This was a super interesting world filled with paranormal creatures. Gwill and Hyax are definitely idiots in love, and it’s entertaining to watch them dance round one another and then end up in a fake-dating scheme where they’re both jealous and pining but still can’t quite tell one another the truth. There’s lots of politics at play here, but I like how they both just want one another, and are fierce and unapologetic about it. It’s clear that there will continue to be shenanigans and lots of manoeuvring in future books, but equally clear they’re not going to give up.
The mystery was convoluted and entertaining and helped the reader start to understand the power structure of the world. (It’s clearly complicated, and we’re definitely not experts by the end). I enjoyed the mixture of real world with paranormal, the little touches like Gwill’s beloved cat along with buying magical candy from a naiad who serves you with her feet in a bucket of water. There’s a huge cast of creatures and characters here that will make a rich world to pull from in the future.
I liked how much Gwill and Hyax were a team, with the clear exception of how poorly they communicated about romance and intimacy—which made one scene at the end really upsetting and out of left field for me. (And came close to making me feel I should remove a star in the rating. It’s frustrating because it’s such a small moment right near the end, but it had a big impact on me.) It put one of the MCs in super danger for absolutely no reason (what was the urgency, why wasn’t there a discussion, if that’s how you treat your partner, I will show you the door), and there was no remorse afterwards. That definitely soured some of my feelings for one of the MCs, and heightened the power imbalance in a way that made me uncomfortable. The MC seems to have been annoyed but got right over it. I am now very wary.
I read an ARC of this novel, and I must say, I hope there is another editing pass before it is published. There were many grammatical errors, mostly comma splices but also some typos, missing words, etc. I still enjoyed the text, but it could definitely benefit from a solid copy edit.
I received an ARC from GRR. This is my honest review.
The mystery was convoluted and entertaining and helped the reader start to understand the power structure of the world. (It’s clearly complicated, and we’re definitely not experts by the end). I enjoyed the mixture of real world with paranormal, the little touches like Gwill’s beloved cat along with buying magical candy from a naiad who serves you with her feet in a bucket of water. There’s a huge cast of creatures and characters here that will make a rich world to pull from in the future.
I liked how much Gwill and Hyax were a team, with the clear exception of how poorly they communicated about romance and intimacy—which made one scene at the end really upsetting and out of left field for me. (And came close to making me feel I should remove a star in the rating. It’s frustrating because it’s such a small moment right near the end, but it had a big impact on me.) It put one of the MCs in super danger for absolutely no reason (what was the urgency, why wasn’t there a discussion, if that’s how you treat your partner, I will show you the door), and there was no remorse afterwards. That definitely soured some of my feelings for one of the MCs, and heightened the power imbalance in a way that made me uncomfortable. The MC seems to have been annoyed but got right over it. I am now very wary.
I read an ARC of this novel, and I must say, I hope there is another editing pass before it is published. There were many grammatical errors, mostly comma splices but also some typos, missing words, etc. I still enjoyed the text, but it could definitely benefit from a solid copy edit.
I received an ARC from GRR. This is my honest review.
May 26, 2025
I really enjoyed this! I have read another book set in this world - Subterfuge - and that definitely meant I was already up to speed on the complicated supernatural politics in this book, but don’t feel like you need to read any of the author’s other books to understand this one.
This book revolves around Gwilym Hilt, a vampire private detective and his business partner and best friend, Prince Hyax, who is fae royalty. The pair of them are madly in love with each other, but both think the other has friendzoned them and don’t want to upset the balance! Honestly, as much as I dislike miscommunication, I LIVE for idiots-to-lovers of the best-friends variety.
It’s set in modern day London; I often find urban fantasy a little hard to read, but I absolutely felt completely immersed in this one. The supernatural world runs alongside the human one; humans are aware of supernaturals but there doesn’t seem to be a huge crossover, at least in this book.
The plot is complex, with a lot of different seemingly unconnected threads that get pulled together over the course of the story. It centres around a missing powerful fae gemstone that a mysterious faction of the supernatural community are using for nefarious purposes. In order to hunt for it, Hyax enlists Gwil’s detective skills… and ends up becoming his fake fiancé in order get the fae royals to let him into the case.
Of course, a fake relationship only causes the pining for both of them to increase… despite their devotion to each other, this is a slowwwww burn as these idiots figure out that no, the other doesn’t just want a best friend 🙄 Hyax’s family are also complete assholes about it as well, doing everything in their power to get Hyax to pick a different spouse.
Read Pining for the Prince for:
✨ Best friends to lovers
✨ Idiots to lovers
✨ PNR set in modern day London
✨ Rich paranormal political worldbuilding
✨ Vampire detective x Fae Prince
✨ Sexy magic 😏
✨ Mystery and thrills
✨ Family politics, vamp & fae
✨ Ongoing series with same MCs
The reason this looses a star from me is simply because it so desperately needed an editor. There were errors throughout and some really clumsy sentence structure that really threw me out of the action… I know that’s maybe a little petty, but I regularly found myself re-reading lines to try and make sense of the meaning. Otherwise, it was perfect!
This book revolves around Gwilym Hilt, a vampire private detective and his business partner and best friend, Prince Hyax, who is fae royalty. The pair of them are madly in love with each other, but both think the other has friendzoned them and don’t want to upset the balance! Honestly, as much as I dislike miscommunication, I LIVE for idiots-to-lovers of the best-friends variety.
It’s set in modern day London; I often find urban fantasy a little hard to read, but I absolutely felt completely immersed in this one. The supernatural world runs alongside the human one; humans are aware of supernaturals but there doesn’t seem to be a huge crossover, at least in this book.
The plot is complex, with a lot of different seemingly unconnected threads that get pulled together over the course of the story. It centres around a missing powerful fae gemstone that a mysterious faction of the supernatural community are using for nefarious purposes. In order to hunt for it, Hyax enlists Gwil’s detective skills… and ends up becoming his fake fiancé in order get the fae royals to let him into the case.
Of course, a fake relationship only causes the pining for both of them to increase… despite their devotion to each other, this is a slowwwww burn as these idiots figure out that no, the other doesn’t just want a best friend 🙄 Hyax’s family are also complete assholes about it as well, doing everything in their power to get Hyax to pick a different spouse.
Read Pining for the Prince for:
✨ Best friends to lovers
✨ Idiots to lovers
✨ PNR set in modern day London
✨ Rich paranormal political worldbuilding
✨ Vampire detective x Fae Prince
✨ Sexy magic 😏
✨ Mystery and thrills
✨ Family politics, vamp & fae
✨ Ongoing series with same MCs
The reason this looses a star from me is simply because it so desperately needed an editor. There were errors throughout and some really clumsy sentence structure that really threw me out of the action… I know that’s maybe a little petty, but I regularly found myself re-reading lines to try and make sense of the meaning. Otherwise, it was perfect!
August 7, 2024
I absolutely can’t resist urban fantasy, especially when it’s paired with paranormal elements, so when I saw this series about vampires and fae, there was no question I’d read it. It’s also written by Rebecca Cohen whose mm historicals I adore, so that sealed the deal. I went in with high expectations, and she totally delivered.
This first installment introduces us to Cohen’s uniquely paranormal London, a place that’s home to a menagerie of paranormal creatures. There’s a fair bit of world building as Cohen introduces each species, their abilities, and social hierarchies, but I enjoyed how it’s woven into the fabric of the story rather than tediously conveyed upfront. This world is intricate and complex, but the details never seem boring or overwhelming.
This story focuses on paranormal investigator Gwil, a vampire working alongside his fae best friend, Hyax. Their investigative agency provides the perfect premise for an entertaining mystery, one which Cohen expertly intertwines with the sweetest best friends to lovers, forbidden romance.
The romance is my favorite kind, because it’s heavy on the pining. (It’s right there in the name!) It’s the kind of story where secret crushes could ruin a true friendship if they’re found out, and each MC harbors strong feelings for the other but stays quiet out of fear they’re unrequited. To find their HEA, they must overcome not only the fear of ruining their friendship but also the rules, obligations, social expectations, and even family standing in their way.
*I voluntarily read a complimentary copy of this book*
This first installment introduces us to Cohen’s uniquely paranormal London, a place that’s home to a menagerie of paranormal creatures. There’s a fair bit of world building as Cohen introduces each species, their abilities, and social hierarchies, but I enjoyed how it’s woven into the fabric of the story rather than tediously conveyed upfront. This world is intricate and complex, but the details never seem boring or overwhelming.
This story focuses on paranormal investigator Gwil, a vampire working alongside his fae best friend, Hyax. Their investigative agency provides the perfect premise for an entertaining mystery, one which Cohen expertly intertwines with the sweetest best friends to lovers, forbidden romance.
The romance is my favorite kind, because it’s heavy on the pining. (It’s right there in the name!) It’s the kind of story where secret crushes could ruin a true friendship if they’re found out, and each MC harbors strong feelings for the other but stays quiet out of fear they’re unrequited. To find their HEA, they must overcome not only the fear of ruining their friendship but also the rules, obligations, social expectations, and even family standing in their way.
*I voluntarily read a complimentary copy of this book*
July 24, 2024
Being in love with his best friend sucked pixie scrotums.
❥ Dual POV
❥ MM Romance
❥ Best Friends to Lovers
❥ Fake Dating
❥ Business Partners
❥ Vampire x Fae
❥ Paranormal
❥ Magic
❥ Mysteries
Pining for the Prince is the first book I’ve read by Rebecca Cohen, and I’m so happy that I did. I’m already looking forward to the next book.
This is book one, but we get our HEA for the couple, and only the mysteries are ended on a cliffhanger, but not a “I’ll just sit and stare at the wall for hours now” kind of cliffhanger. It was a pleasant cliffhanger, if you know what I mean. I’m curious about a lot of things that happened during the book.
It was a really sweet and quirky read about Gwil and Hyax, who are best friends and business partners. They’re also madly in love with each other, but they’re both very oblivious and have been pining for each other for years.
Their path to love is only one part of the book, another part is the work they’re doing as detectives, but it all clashes together as Hyax is a Fae prince, and there is a crown jewel suddenly missing from the Fae realm, and Gwil and Hyax are on the case, while also pretending to be dating, because… Royal Fae politics and stuff.
I really enjoyed this book, and it had me laughing out loud. I wanted to punch Gwil and Hyax in their faces for being so oblivious, but not in a way where it lessened my enjoyment of the book, it was quite funny. I’m always a fan of British English banter and bickering, which Gwil and Hyax were very skilled in. It wasn’t super romantic or anything, but it was sweet and funny, and the mysteries kept things interesting. The side characters were quirky and interesting as well.
I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving an honest review.
Read the full review on my blog here with edits and quotes.
July 27, 2024
This story is about a snooty British vampire and his snooty fae best friend. Gwil (vampire) is in love with Hyax (fae) and everyone knows it (even the lady at the sweets shop) but Hyax. Gwil is a PI who takes care of supernatural type issues, such as retrieving another vampire's watch from the British museum. Hyax is a prince, though there are many people ahead of him for the crown, but he still has to keep up appearances and acts as a liaison to other important type people.
The writing is fantastic, very descriptive and immersive, with lots of snarky and quirky dialogue. The chemistry between the mcs is enjoyable, though I don't know that I would describe it as pining. Gwil is definitely in love with Hyax, but he didn't come off as pining to me. They're sort of like an old married couple, even from the beginning.
There's a great deal of well done plot, with very expansive worldbuilding. This is definitely not a light and simple beach read with pages of mindless smut, but if you like lots of political intrigue and mystery, fake dating, best friends to lovers, especially when it revolves around 2 supernatural hotties, you will probably love this.
The writing is fantastic, very descriptive and immersive, with lots of snarky and quirky dialogue. The chemistry between the mcs is enjoyable, though I don't know that I would describe it as pining. Gwil is definitely in love with Hyax, but he didn't come off as pining to me. They're sort of like an old married couple, even from the beginning.
There's a great deal of well done plot, with very expansive worldbuilding. This is definitely not a light and simple beach read with pages of mindless smut, but if you like lots of political intrigue and mystery, fake dating, best friends to lovers, especially when it revolves around 2 supernatural hotties, you will probably love this.
October 17, 2025
This was a very pleasant surprise! Having picked this up based solely on a spoiler question someone had, I wasn't sure what to expect. This is a new to me author, and 3rd person can be problematic for me...now I'm knee deep into the next one and disappointed that there's only 2 out in the series.
Gwil and Hyax make a great team. The pining on both of their ends wasn't too drawn out, but we got the gist.
I like how the "fake fiance" was presented, it didn't feel like every other book and Hyax's family helped make that happen.
There isn't a ton of world building, but more society building, so it doesn't feel like a loss. I will definitely be diving into the author's back stock.
dual pov
3rd P
Strict
no 3rd act b/u but future marriage issues
no cheating
fae and vampire
Gwil and Hyax make a great team. The pining on both of their ends wasn't too drawn out, but we got the gist.
I like how the "fake fiance" was presented, it didn't feel like every other book and Hyax's family helped make that happen.
There isn't a ton of world building, but more society building, so it doesn't feel like a loss. I will definitely be diving into the author's back stock.
dual pov
3rd P
Strict
no 3rd act b/u but future marriage issues
no cheating
fae and vampire
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 25, 2024
Gwilym Hilt is a vampire. He was turned in 1843 by Solivatus a very revered vampire. Because of bureaucracy it took decades for Gwil to be officially claimed by his sire or he would not have gotten his business permit. Gwil was once a human police inspector but a drug habit was a strike against him. He now holds a grudge against Detective Chief Inspector Goya. As a vampire he tried to get hired with the Metropolitan Paranormal Division and was denied many times. He found that human or vampire things just didn’t go well, but he eventually started his own Private Detective business. The business is lucrative as he gets cases from the elite and they pay well. The cases can take him to both the different realms: human, fae and other species. Gwil’s not alone in the business he has a best friend/business partner, that has been driving him crazy for fifteen years.
Hyak is one of the Princes of the seven Fae tribes. As Fae’s go, Hyak is very attractive in fact perfectly beautiful. He doesn’t need a job or money. He’s tired of all the bad dating in the traditional search of marriage. He’s had a few affairs, one that really hurt when he was cheated on. At times Hyak would really rather be couch sitting with Gwil, watching TV and eating lavender bon-bons. Being at home in the Fae realm, he was waited on, felt bored and his life becoming stagnant and passing him by. He loved the excitement and the freeness in the human realm. Gwil and Hyak work really well together even though they occasionally butt heads about cases. They also butt heads over personal feelings, as both haven’t realized they want the same thing.
When Gwil tells Hyak of a case he accepted from Tobias Flume, Hyak gets disgruntled, but Gwil couldn’t turn down what Flume was offering as payment. Plus, he felt he had to accept the case from Flume, or he stood the chance of loosing the business. All Flume would have to do is tell the Vampire Counsel and word would travel to the elite undead and all would be lost. Flume want’s Gwil to steal his father’s watch from the British Museum. Flume bought the watch for his father in 1624. Gwil would have to ask Hyak to aid him on this case, with his fae abilities. The case of the watch doesn’t go so well as Hyak felt something not quite right with his fae magic. He had to make a quick escape from the museum using a portal. For Gwil this was not good and he became very ill, but Hyak stayed by his side until he was better. But it all seemed worth it when the payment was the deed to a townhouse in Spitalfields on the Heliman Ley Line.
But things are about to get chaotic with Gwil’s night out at the Dock Club, somewhere he really didn’t want to be. Meeting with Nella and a few friends he hears of the raid at the Testament by DCI Goya and Metro Paranormal Police and it seems that’s not the only club. He also runs into the Dark Countess, his sister Penelope, she is concerned about a new drug “Stardust”. On the way home Gwil saves a Fae from being attacked by Orcs. Little does he know, flower fae Chase, is a whole lot of trouble.
In the mean time, Hyak is at his fae home and finds that DCI Goya has been to see his Mother, Queen Talia. His mother, blows him off and doesn’t tell him what’s going on. Not until he returns to Gwil’s, assumes he slept with the flower fae Chase, does Hyak see red when he hears what Gwil has to say. Hyak is fuming and has had enough of his mother and ready to confront her. When he hears that the “Stone of Ljin” is missing from the “Coronet of Alphal” it angers him more that his mother would bring in Goya instead of having he and Gwil look into it. When the Queen tries to turn the tables on him, he makes an announcement that will rock the realms.
Rebecca Cohen, does it again, with her creative, wild and humorous imagination and delivers “Pining for the Prince” the first book of the new series “Fang and Fae”. The author always knows how to bring the snark and banter to her stories and I think this is one of the best so far.
The author gives us a look into Vampire bigotry among the species especially the Fae. Gwil and Hyak are a sparkly match but they have to stay strong. Gwil is harassed and treated rudely and there are those that will do anything to get Gwil to walk away from Hyak. As a human and then Vampire Gwil’s never done anything really horrible. In fact, he has to clear up some beliefs that Hyak has about vampires. Just on the basis of being best friends and business partners they will have to work hard to keep trust between them. They have their moments of jealousy too, they just haven’t figured out they want the same thing. Hyak doesn’t believe in the old traditions of harems and concubines and selection of marriage. He just wants one special someone to be his own.
There are subjects that keep me curious and I hope there’s more to come about: Gwil’s sire Solivatus; The Dark Earl of MacLove, King James and Queen Hylei a powerful fae; Calanti Fae tribe that don’t connect with other Fae tribes and socialize with House of Cartwright; and Jyndarin society, elite group in vampire society. There are some interesting characters too: The moggy, Midnight, Gwil’s companion; Fitzrovia Confectionary with Nella and the Lavender bon-bons; Copperpipe aka dirt devils, potato looking, sub-species of goblin, Tobias Flume and maybe Chase.
“Pining for the Prince” also ties in with “Subterfuge” the first book of “Dark Earls” as it mentions: Warlock Rules Committee, Invigilators, Vampire Council, House of Cartwright and Fae Alex, and the Dark Earl of MacLove.
I couldn’t put this book down, absolutely a page-turner! I highly recommend “Pining for the Prince” it’s a fantastic read. It has danger, suspense, magic, spells, potions, realms, elves, goblins, a spicy romance, and great humor. I think this is one of the best books from Rebecca Cohen as she has a way of bringing banter and snark to a paranormal, suspenseful mystery and romance. Ready for the next “Fang and Fae” book!
Hyak is one of the Princes of the seven Fae tribes. As Fae’s go, Hyak is very attractive in fact perfectly beautiful. He doesn’t need a job or money. He’s tired of all the bad dating in the traditional search of marriage. He’s had a few affairs, one that really hurt when he was cheated on. At times Hyak would really rather be couch sitting with Gwil, watching TV and eating lavender bon-bons. Being at home in the Fae realm, he was waited on, felt bored and his life becoming stagnant and passing him by. He loved the excitement and the freeness in the human realm. Gwil and Hyak work really well together even though they occasionally butt heads about cases. They also butt heads over personal feelings, as both haven’t realized they want the same thing.
When Gwil tells Hyak of a case he accepted from Tobias Flume, Hyak gets disgruntled, but Gwil couldn’t turn down what Flume was offering as payment. Plus, he felt he had to accept the case from Flume, or he stood the chance of loosing the business. All Flume would have to do is tell the Vampire Counsel and word would travel to the elite undead and all would be lost. Flume want’s Gwil to steal his father’s watch from the British Museum. Flume bought the watch for his father in 1624. Gwil would have to ask Hyak to aid him on this case, with his fae abilities. The case of the watch doesn’t go so well as Hyak felt something not quite right with his fae magic. He had to make a quick escape from the museum using a portal. For Gwil this was not good and he became very ill, but Hyak stayed by his side until he was better. But it all seemed worth it when the payment was the deed to a townhouse in Spitalfields on the Heliman Ley Line.
But things are about to get chaotic with Gwil’s night out at the Dock Club, somewhere he really didn’t want to be. Meeting with Nella and a few friends he hears of the raid at the Testament by DCI Goya and Metro Paranormal Police and it seems that’s not the only club. He also runs into the Dark Countess, his sister Penelope, she is concerned about a new drug “Stardust”. On the way home Gwil saves a Fae from being attacked by Orcs. Little does he know, flower fae Chase, is a whole lot of trouble.
In the mean time, Hyak is at his fae home and finds that DCI Goya has been to see his Mother, Queen Talia. His mother, blows him off and doesn’t tell him what’s going on. Not until he returns to Gwil’s, assumes he slept with the flower fae Chase, does Hyak see red when he hears what Gwil has to say. Hyak is fuming and has had enough of his mother and ready to confront her. When he hears that the “Stone of Ljin” is missing from the “Coronet of Alphal” it angers him more that his mother would bring in Goya instead of having he and Gwil look into it. When the Queen tries to turn the tables on him, he makes an announcement that will rock the realms.
Rebecca Cohen, does it again, with her creative, wild and humorous imagination and delivers “Pining for the Prince” the first book of the new series “Fang and Fae”. The author always knows how to bring the snark and banter to her stories and I think this is one of the best so far.
The author gives us a look into Vampire bigotry among the species especially the Fae. Gwil and Hyak are a sparkly match but they have to stay strong. Gwil is harassed and treated rudely and there are those that will do anything to get Gwil to walk away from Hyak. As a human and then Vampire Gwil’s never done anything really horrible. In fact, he has to clear up some beliefs that Hyak has about vampires. Just on the basis of being best friends and business partners they will have to work hard to keep trust between them. They have their moments of jealousy too, they just haven’t figured out they want the same thing. Hyak doesn’t believe in the old traditions of harems and concubines and selection of marriage. He just wants one special someone to be his own.
There are subjects that keep me curious and I hope there’s more to come about: Gwil’s sire Solivatus; The Dark Earl of MacLove, King James and Queen Hylei a powerful fae; Calanti Fae tribe that don’t connect with other Fae tribes and socialize with House of Cartwright; and Jyndarin society, elite group in vampire society. There are some interesting characters too: The moggy, Midnight, Gwil’s companion; Fitzrovia Confectionary with Nella and the Lavender bon-bons; Copperpipe aka dirt devils, potato looking, sub-species of goblin, Tobias Flume and maybe Chase.
“Pining for the Prince” also ties in with “Subterfuge” the first book of “Dark Earls” as it mentions: Warlock Rules Committee, Invigilators, Vampire Council, House of Cartwright and Fae Alex, and the Dark Earl of MacLove.
I couldn’t put this book down, absolutely a page-turner! I highly recommend “Pining for the Prince” it’s a fantastic read. It has danger, suspense, magic, spells, potions, realms, elves, goblins, a spicy romance, and great humor. I think this is one of the best books from Rebecca Cohen as she has a way of bringing banter and snark to a paranormal, suspenseful mystery and romance. Ready for the next “Fang and Fae” book!
July 31, 2024
˗ˏˋ ꒰ 𝟒.𝟓/𝟓 ★ ꒱ ˎˊ˗
👑🧝🏻♂️🦋 fae prince and vampire private detectives solving mysteries together while falling in love 🧛🏻♂️🩸🍷
⌕ investigation : i loved the premise of supernatural private detective partners who were also besties harbouring secret crushes! this book delivered with an interesting world building with fae/vampire/supernatural politics which got me hooked! there was a lot going on, the mystery was intriguing & it was thrilling to get to know more about this world & its supernatural beings as the story progressed. i must admit tho by the end it felt a bit overwhelming, a tad bit too much, making the mystery part a bit messy with little resolution.. yet i'm hopeful the upcoming books in this series will be promising & pick up some loose ends.
♡ relationship : Hyax & Gwill were entertaining characters, i liked their dynamic & their friendship - they felt like real friends (tho not the overly touchy-feely-besties kind) with great banter. both MCs were a bit oblivious about the other's feelings which resulted in some fun, nice situations - among a little fake dating/engagement with only-one-bed situation.. tbh i expected more pining (as the title is suggesting too) with a lot more achy, bittersweet yearning, instead it felt like the MCs were just having a crush on each other.. despite that i still loved Hyax & Gwill, and was rooting for them very much so!
i also feel like adding that this book felt less romance focused, the world building & mystery solving plot took the front seat but since this series will follow the same couple, there's possibility for more relationship development in store for the future, which i'm really looking forward to!
【 જ⁀➴ 𝓲 𝓪𝓹𝓹𝓻𝓮𝓬𝓲𝓪𝓽𝓮 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓪𝓻𝓬 𝓲 𝓻𝓮𝓬𝓮𝓲𝓿𝓮𝓭 𝓯𝓻𝓸𝓶 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓪𝓾𝓽𝓱𝓸𝓻 𝓿𝓲𝓪 𝓖𝓪𝔂 𝓡𝓸𝓶𝓪𝓷𝓬𝓮 𝓡𝓮𝓿𝓲𝓮𝔀𝓼.ᐟ 𝓽𝓱𝓮𝓼𝓮 𝓪𝓻𝓮 𝓶𝔂 𝓸𝔀𝓷, 𝓰𝓮𝓷𝓾𝓲𝓷𝓮 (𝓪𝓷𝓭 𝓬𝓱𝓪𝓸𝓽𝓲𝓬) 𝓽𝓱𝓸𝓾𝓰𝓱𝓽𝓼 ⊹˙✧ 】
➥ ᴍᴍ
➥ ᴛʜɪʀᴅ-ᴘᴇʀsᴏɴ, ᴅᴜᴀʟ ᴘᴏᴠ
🜲 ᴜʀʙᴀɴ ғᴀɴᴛᴀsʏ/ᴘɴʀ ᴡɪᴛʜ ʙʀɪᴛɪsʜ sᴇᴛᴛɪɴɢ
🜲 ғᴀᴇ ᴘʀɪɴᴄᴇ × ᴠᴀᴍᴘɪʀᴇ ᴄᴏᴍᴍᴏɴᴇʀ
🜲 ʙᴇsᴛɪᴇs ᴛᴏ ʟᴏᴠᴇʀs
🜲 ᴍᴜᴛᴜᴀʟ sᴇᴄʀᴇᴛ ᴘɪɴɪɴɢ
🜲 ʙᴜsɪɴᴇss ᴘᴀʀᴛɴᴇʀs
🜲 ᴘʀɪᴠᴀᴛᴇ ᴅᴇᴛᴇᴄᴛɪᴠᴇs
🜲 ɪɴᴠᴇsᴛɪɢᴀᴛɪᴏɴ/ᴍʏsᴛᴇʀʏ
🜲 ғᴀᴋᴇ ʀᴇʟᴀᴛɪᴏɴsʜɪᴘ
🜲 "ғᴏʀʙɪᴅᴅᴇɴ"/ғʀᴏᴡɴᴇᴅ ᴜᴘᴏɴ ʀᴇʟᴀᴛɪᴏɴsʜɪᴘ
🜲 ᴏɴʟʏ ᴏɴᴇ ʙᴇᴅ
🜲 sᴇɴsɪᴛɪᴠᴇ ᴡɪɴɢs
🜲 sʟᴏᴡ(ɪsʜ) ʙᴜʀɴ
🜲 ʜғɴ (sᴇʀɪᴇs ғᴏʟʟᴏᴡs ᴛʜᴇ sᴀᴍᴇ ᴄᴏᴜᴘʟᴇ)
➽ ᴄᴡ: ᴅʀᴜɢ ᴜsᴇ/ᴘᴀsᴛ ᴀᴅᴅɪᴄᴛɪᴏɴ, ʙʟᴏᴏᴅ ᴄᴏɴsᴜᴍᴘᴛɪᴏɴ (ʙʏ ᴠᴀᴍᴘɪʀᴇs)
👑🧝🏻♂️🦋 fae prince and vampire private detectives solving mysteries together while falling in love 🧛🏻♂️🩸🍷
⌕ investigation : i loved the premise of supernatural private detective partners who were also besties harbouring secret crushes! this book delivered with an interesting world building with fae/vampire/supernatural politics which got me hooked! there was a lot going on, the mystery was intriguing & it was thrilling to get to know more about this world & its supernatural beings as the story progressed. i must admit tho by the end it felt a bit overwhelming, a tad bit too much, making the mystery part a bit messy with little resolution.. yet i'm hopeful the upcoming books in this series will be promising & pick up some loose ends.
❝ 𝑯𝒆 𝒈𝒂𝒗𝒆 𝑯𝒚𝒂𝒙 𝒂 𝒔𝒉𝒐𝒗𝒆, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝑯𝒚𝒂𝒙’𝒔 𝒂𝒏𝒔𝒘𝒆𝒓𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒔𝒎𝒊𝒍𝒆 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒂𝒍𝒎𝒐𝒔𝒕 𝒆𝒏𝒐𝒖𝒈𝒉 𝒕𝒐 𝒎𝒂𝒌𝒆 𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒉𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒕 𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒓𝒕 𝒃𝒆𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒂𝒈𝒂𝒊𝒏. ❞
⋆˖⁺‧₊🪦🫀₊‧⁺˖⋆
♡ relationship : Hyax & Gwill were entertaining characters, i liked their dynamic & their friendship - they felt like real friends (tho not the overly touchy-feely-besties kind) with great banter. both MCs were a bit oblivious about the other's feelings which resulted in some fun, nice situations - among a little fake dating/engagement with only-one-bed situation.. tbh i expected more pining (as the title is suggesting too) with a lot more achy, bittersweet yearning, instead it felt like the MCs were just having a crush on each other.. despite that i still loved Hyax & Gwill, and was rooting for them very much so!
i also feel like adding that this book felt less romance focused, the world building & mystery solving plot took the front seat but since this series will follow the same couple, there's possibility for more relationship development in store for the future, which i'm really looking forward to!
❝ “𝒀𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒎𝒂𝒈𝒊𝒄 𝒘𝒂𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒅 𝒕𝒐 𝒈𝒆𝒕 𝒅𝒐𝒘𝒏 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒅𝒊𝒓𝒕𝒚 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒎𝒆… 𝒀𝒐𝒖 𝒔𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅 𝒉𝒂𝒗𝒆 𝒍𝒊𝒔𝒕𝒆𝒏𝒆𝒅 𝒕𝒐 𝒊𝒕 𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒍𝒊𝒆𝒓.” ❞
.⋅˚₊‧ 🜲 ‧₊˚ ⋅
【 જ⁀➴ 𝓲 𝓪𝓹𝓹𝓻𝓮𝓬𝓲𝓪𝓽𝓮 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓪𝓻𝓬 𝓲 𝓻𝓮𝓬𝓮𝓲𝓿𝓮𝓭 𝓯𝓻𝓸𝓶 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓪𝓾𝓽𝓱𝓸𝓻 𝓿𝓲𝓪 𝓖𝓪𝔂 𝓡𝓸𝓶𝓪𝓷𝓬𝓮 𝓡𝓮𝓿𝓲𝓮𝔀𝓼.ᐟ 𝓽𝓱𝓮𝓼𝓮 𝓪𝓻𝓮 𝓶𝔂 𝓸𝔀𝓷, 𝓰𝓮𝓷𝓾𝓲𝓷𝓮 (𝓪𝓷𝓭 𝓬𝓱𝓪𝓸𝓽𝓲𝓬) 𝓽𝓱𝓸𝓾𝓰𝓱𝓽𝓼 ⊹˙✧ 】
➥ ᴍᴍ
➥ ᴛʜɪʀᴅ-ᴘᴇʀsᴏɴ, ᴅᴜᴀʟ ᴘᴏᴠ
🜲 ᴜʀʙᴀɴ ғᴀɴᴛᴀsʏ/ᴘɴʀ ᴡɪᴛʜ ʙʀɪᴛɪsʜ sᴇᴛᴛɪɴɢ
🜲 ғᴀᴇ ᴘʀɪɴᴄᴇ × ᴠᴀᴍᴘɪʀᴇ ᴄᴏᴍᴍᴏɴᴇʀ
🜲 ʙᴇsᴛɪᴇs ᴛᴏ ʟᴏᴠᴇʀs
🜲 ᴍᴜᴛᴜᴀʟ sᴇᴄʀᴇᴛ ᴘɪɴɪɴɢ
🜲 ʙᴜsɪɴᴇss ᴘᴀʀᴛɴᴇʀs
🜲 ᴘʀɪᴠᴀᴛᴇ ᴅᴇᴛᴇᴄᴛɪᴠᴇs
🜲 ɪɴᴠᴇsᴛɪɢᴀᴛɪᴏɴ/ᴍʏsᴛᴇʀʏ
🜲 ғᴀᴋᴇ ʀᴇʟᴀᴛɪᴏɴsʜɪᴘ
🜲 "ғᴏʀʙɪᴅᴅᴇɴ"/ғʀᴏᴡɴᴇᴅ ᴜᴘᴏɴ ʀᴇʟᴀᴛɪᴏɴsʜɪᴘ
🜲 ᴏɴʟʏ ᴏɴᴇ ʙᴇᴅ
🜲 sᴇɴsɪᴛɪᴠᴇ ᴡɪɴɢs
🜲 sʟᴏᴡ(ɪsʜ) ʙᴜʀɴ
🜲 ʜғɴ (sᴇʀɪᴇs ғᴏʟʟᴏᴡs ᴛʜᴇ sᴀᴍᴇ ᴄᴏᴜᴘʟᴇ)
➽ ᴄᴡ: ᴅʀᴜɢ ᴜsᴇ/ᴘᴀsᴛ ᴀᴅᴅɪᴄᴛɪᴏɴ, ʙʟᴏᴏᴅ ᴄᴏɴsᴜᴍᴘᴛɪᴏɴ (ʙʏ ᴠᴀᴍᴘɪʀᴇs)
September 30, 2024
Pining for the Prince (Fang & Fae 1)
By Rebecca Cohen
Published by the author
Five stars
The first of what promises to be an entertaining series, we are welcomed to a modern London mostly familiar, but for the fact that magical creatures not only exist, but are to some degree integrated into the human world.
The human world, however, is not of much concern, because the protagonists in this comic drama/mystery are Gwillam Hilt, a 200-year old vampire, and his business partner Hyax, who is a Fae prince and even older than Gwil.
The opening salvo in the plot is Gwil being asked by a rich and powerful vampire—Mr. Flume—to retrieve a long-lost family heirloom from the British Museum. By stealing it. This introduces the reader to the irritations and complexities of dealing with the vampire social hierarchy in Gwil’s world, where his only status comes from a fairly important sire, and the fact that his sister, also a vampire, married up into the vampire aristocracy.
The next major complication appears when Gwil has to break the news to Hyax, his Fae partner. The obvious problem is that the Fae have a keen dislike of vampires in general. The less obvious problem is that Gwil has a profound crush on Hyax, who has been his best friend for years. The fact that Hyax has a similar crush on Gwil, but fears acting on it for more or less the same reasons as Gwill, adds another frisson of romantic nonsense that should be catnip to people like me who love books like this.
I won’t spoil the fun by telling you anything more about the various little plot twists that ratchet up both the fun and the anxiety in the action. We get to see the skill of Gwil and Hyax as a detective team, but also their vulnerability when dealing with the prejudices and byzantine politics of the world of magical creatures. We see a world that can’t help but evoke that of Hogwarts and Muggles, but one which is entirely fresh and different. For all the humor generously salted through the plot, there’s more than enough emotional insecurity and danger to keep things on edge without making it too stressful.
Hyax and Gwil are great characters, and I expect some of the secondary roles will make welcome reappearances in future books in this series. Fingers crossed.
By Rebecca Cohen
Published by the author
Five stars
The first of what promises to be an entertaining series, we are welcomed to a modern London mostly familiar, but for the fact that magical creatures not only exist, but are to some degree integrated into the human world.
The human world, however, is not of much concern, because the protagonists in this comic drama/mystery are Gwillam Hilt, a 200-year old vampire, and his business partner Hyax, who is a Fae prince and even older than Gwil.
The opening salvo in the plot is Gwil being asked by a rich and powerful vampire—Mr. Flume—to retrieve a long-lost family heirloom from the British Museum. By stealing it. This introduces the reader to the irritations and complexities of dealing with the vampire social hierarchy in Gwil’s world, where his only status comes from a fairly important sire, and the fact that his sister, also a vampire, married up into the vampire aristocracy.
The next major complication appears when Gwil has to break the news to Hyax, his Fae partner. The obvious problem is that the Fae have a keen dislike of vampires in general. The less obvious problem is that Gwil has a profound crush on Hyax, who has been his best friend for years. The fact that Hyax has a similar crush on Gwil, but fears acting on it for more or less the same reasons as Gwill, adds another frisson of romantic nonsense that should be catnip to people like me who love books like this.
I won’t spoil the fun by telling you anything more about the various little plot twists that ratchet up both the fun and the anxiety in the action. We get to see the skill of Gwil and Hyax as a detective team, but also their vulnerability when dealing with the prejudices and byzantine politics of the world of magical creatures. We see a world that can’t help but evoke that of Hogwarts and Muggles, but one which is entirely fresh and different. For all the humor generously salted through the plot, there’s more than enough emotional insecurity and danger to keep things on edge without making it too stressful.
Hyax and Gwil are great characters, and I expect some of the secondary roles will make welcome reappearances in future books in this series. Fingers crossed.
July 22, 2024
- Series
- Paranormal
- Fake relationship
- Best friends to lovers
This is the first in the Fang and Fae series, I understand it's set in the same world as another series, but I read and enjoyed this as a standalone. Gwil is a vampire and Hyax is a fae prince, best friends who have been working together for years in a detective agency, and both have also been pining for the other. I didn't really understand at first what time this was set in, whether it was victorian or present time - I think that was more me not paying enough attention though, as Gwil was turned during that time. I also didn't really understand the vampire social hierarchy, and why it was that Gwil was sort of looked down on. Maybe if I'd read the connected series it would be clearer to me.
I liked both Gwil and Hyax though, even though I really just wanted them to talk to each other, already. Hyax's parents I wasn't so keen on, forcing him into an arranged marriage just because they wanted the political connections, and then the way they treated Gwil even though they were told he was Hyax's betrothed - fake at first (although they didn't know that) and then not so fake when they finally woke up and got together. I didn't really feel the chemistry between the two, it was kind of glossed over but they have the long best friend bond to build on. I liked the detective aspect of the story, and Gwil finally realising he's where he's supposed to be in the end.
I liked this although there are a few loose ends that I hope we get to tie up, and spend more time in Gwil and Hyax's world.
I received an ARC and this is my honest review.
- Paranormal
- Fake relationship
- Best friends to lovers
This is the first in the Fang and Fae series, I understand it's set in the same world as another series, but I read and enjoyed this as a standalone. Gwil is a vampire and Hyax is a fae prince, best friends who have been working together for years in a detective agency, and both have also been pining for the other. I didn't really understand at first what time this was set in, whether it was victorian or present time - I think that was more me not paying enough attention though, as Gwil was turned during that time. I also didn't really understand the vampire social hierarchy, and why it was that Gwil was sort of looked down on. Maybe if I'd read the connected series it would be clearer to me.
I liked both Gwil and Hyax though, even though I really just wanted them to talk to each other, already. Hyax's parents I wasn't so keen on, forcing him into an arranged marriage just because they wanted the political connections, and then the way they treated Gwil even though they were told he was Hyax's betrothed - fake at first (although they didn't know that) and then not so fake when they finally woke up and got together. I didn't really feel the chemistry between the two, it was kind of glossed over but they have the long best friend bond to build on. I liked the detective aspect of the story, and Gwil finally realising he's where he's supposed to be in the end.
I liked this although there are a few loose ends that I hope we get to tie up, and spend more time in Gwil and Hyax's world.
I received an ARC and this is my honest review.
July 30, 2024
Pining for the Prince is the first book in Rebecca Cohen’s Fang & Fae series, and it was a story that instantly grabbed my attention. It promised tropes I love and a new world to dive into, which meant I went in with high hopes.
Unfortunately, Pining for the Prince did not work for me in the way I expected. While I adored the intricate world building, the romance – the detail the title leans heavily on – felt like it was tacked on after the fact and did not work for me. It did not feel much like pining as I never felt any emotion between the characters. It was one of those instances where neither was willing to address their feelings (something that is usually great), yet it happened in such a way that there was nothing for much of the book. I wanted more almost-moments, more instances of them questioning what the other meant, more angst about their hidden feelings, and the book felt lacking without these elements. It meant when things changed, it felt forced and as though it happened in the blink of an eye. Due to this, the enjoyment I felt with the intriguing world was overshadowed by what I expected to be the main point of the story failing to deliver what I had expected.
While I can see Pining for the Prince working for many, it did not work for me. I am blaming this on the fact that it did not deliver the trope in the way I enjoyed, making this a case of ‘it is me, not the book’.
Unfortunately, Pining for the Prince did not work for me in the way I expected. While I adored the intricate world building, the romance – the detail the title leans heavily on – felt like it was tacked on after the fact and did not work for me. It did not feel much like pining as I never felt any emotion between the characters. It was one of those instances where neither was willing to address their feelings (something that is usually great), yet it happened in such a way that there was nothing for much of the book. I wanted more almost-moments, more instances of them questioning what the other meant, more angst about their hidden feelings, and the book felt lacking without these elements. It meant when things changed, it felt forced and as though it happened in the blink of an eye. Due to this, the enjoyment I felt with the intriguing world was overshadowed by what I expected to be the main point of the story failing to deliver what I had expected.
While I can see Pining for the Prince working for many, it did not work for me. I am blaming this on the fact that it did not deliver the trope in the way I enjoyed, making this a case of ‘it is me, not the book’.
July 29, 2024
This is a new series in the Dark Earls of Crofton universe. And anyone who has read Rebecca Cohen knows she can juggle series(s), i.e. the Modern and Historical Croftons. It's also very nice that Fang & Fae will share incidental characters with the Dark Earls.
Gwil and Hyax are best friends and business partners in a private detective agency. They're in love with each other, but won't confront the situation. What if they lose their friendship if the other doesn't reciprocate? Hence the pining from the title.
Hyax's mother, Queen Talia decides it's time for Hyax to pony up and take an approved fae mate. He panics and blurts out that he's engaged to Gwil. To save his friend from an arranged marriage, Gwil agrees to play the part of fiancé. "Being in love with his best friend sucked pixie scrotums." (p124). The fae don't believe a vampire is a proper consort and Gwil's sister is only slightly more accepting.
Their relationship meshes very nicely with the cases. Angst can be sexy and when they finally get together, there's lots of steam. The secondaries are interesting. Goya despises Gwil. And Flume thinks they're both idiots.
It's a lovely romp of a story. A quick (too quick) read. Can't wait for more.
I received an advanced copy and this is my review.
Gwil and Hyax are best friends and business partners in a private detective agency. They're in love with each other, but won't confront the situation. What if they lose their friendship if the other doesn't reciprocate? Hence the pining from the title.
Hyax's mother, Queen Talia decides it's time for Hyax to pony up and take an approved fae mate. He panics and blurts out that he's engaged to Gwil. To save his friend from an arranged marriage, Gwil agrees to play the part of fiancé. "Being in love with his best friend sucked pixie scrotums." (p124). The fae don't believe a vampire is a proper consort and Gwil's sister is only slightly more accepting.
Their relationship meshes very nicely with the cases. Angst can be sexy and when they finally get together, there's lots of steam. The secondaries are interesting. Goya despises Gwil. And Flume thinks they're both idiots.
It's a lovely romp of a story. A quick (too quick) read. Can't wait for more.
I received an advanced copy and this is my review.
July 26, 2024
Pining for the Prince is a modern-day fake dating/friends-to-lovers story between a vampire (Gwil)and a Fae prince (Hyax), who have been business partners and friends for many years. Each has developed romantic feelings towards the other, but is too blind to see that the other feels the same way...until Hyax is told he needs to marry. In a split-second decision, he decides to announce that he's already engaged to Gwil, who of course agrees to play along.
This upsets the fae court, but there's also another upset: a very powerful stone has been stolen from the fae, and Gwil and Hyax use their detective work to solve the mystery. In the process, they come to realize that their feelings are not one-sided afterall.
I really enjoyed the story, and while it was pretty simple and lacked certain details, the mystery and the characters were great.
I feel like there were a lot of things that were rushed and not explained well, and/or not concluded, such as certain suspicions and small mysteries that were never spoken of again.
The spicy scenes were relatively tame and brief, so if that's important to you, be aware.
Overall: 3.5/5
Spice level: 3/5
This upsets the fae court, but there's also another upset: a very powerful stone has been stolen from the fae, and Gwil and Hyax use their detective work to solve the mystery. In the process, they come to realize that their feelings are not one-sided afterall.
I really enjoyed the story, and while it was pretty simple and lacked certain details, the mystery and the characters were great.
I feel like there were a lot of things that were rushed and not explained well, and/or not concluded, such as certain suspicions and small mysteries that were never spoken of again.
The spicy scenes were relatively tame and brief, so if that's important to you, be aware.
Overall: 3.5/5
Spice level: 3/5
July 26, 2024
This was an enjoyable read. The story was interesting and mysterious and was a case that the main characters had to unfold as their relationship developed and changed as they run a PI firm together.
It was humorous how utterly oblivious they were to the fact they were in love with each other for years (like 15!?!) and I found the book a little angsty in this regard but it wasn’t too bad.
I did enjoy that Gwil and Hyax were a bit of a taboo couple being a vampire and fae of differing class structures which caused issues with Hyax’s family as he’s fae royalty. I loved that Gwil held his own in Fae court and didn’t let the Fae’s snottyness get to him.
They of course were able to solve the case and there was some good suspense at the end and some revelations.
This was a bit of a departure from what I’m used to as the story line was pretty intricate with lots of different paranormal characters and species.
Overall I think readers of fantasy and paranormal romance would enjoy this book. For readers who like a lot of spice in their books, however, this read is low spice.
It was humorous how utterly oblivious they were to the fact they were in love with each other for years (like 15!?!) and I found the book a little angsty in this regard but it wasn’t too bad.
I did enjoy that Gwil and Hyax were a bit of a taboo couple being a vampire and fae of differing class structures which caused issues with Hyax’s family as he’s fae royalty. I loved that Gwil held his own in Fae court and didn’t let the Fae’s snottyness get to him.
They of course were able to solve the case and there was some good suspense at the end and some revelations.
This was a bit of a departure from what I’m used to as the story line was pretty intricate with lots of different paranormal characters and species.
Overall I think readers of fantasy and paranormal romance would enjoy this book. For readers who like a lot of spice in their books, however, this read is low spice.
August 7, 2024
Review:
This author’s been on my need to read list for a while, and now I’m wondering why I haven’t read her books sooner! I loved this first book in a new series, with its fabulous and fun world building, and wonderful characters.
I loved Hyax and Gwil, both together, and as individuals. They’re very much opposites attract in personality and species. I liked their friendship, and banter, and I loved how the best-friends-to-lovers, and fake relationship tropes were used in the story.
The world building as well as the characters pulled me into the book. I loved the details and the politics. Hyax and Gwil have their work cut out of them convincing the royal court that a vampire makes a great spouse for a Fae prince.
The twists in the plot are nicely done. I liked Flume, and his role in the story, and Goya makes a good foil. I enjoyed the mystery detective part of the story, and I’m looking forward to reading about their next case.
I loved the references to the Dark Earls of Crofton, which is another series I need to read.
This author’s been on my need to read list for a while, and now I’m wondering why I haven’t read her books sooner! I loved this first book in a new series, with its fabulous and fun world building, and wonderful characters.
I loved Hyax and Gwil, both together, and as individuals. They’re very much opposites attract in personality and species. I liked their friendship, and banter, and I loved how the best-friends-to-lovers, and fake relationship tropes were used in the story.
The world building as well as the characters pulled me into the book. I loved the details and the politics. Hyax and Gwil have their work cut out of them convincing the royal court that a vampire makes a great spouse for a Fae prince.
The twists in the plot are nicely done. I liked Flume, and his role in the story, and Goya makes a good foil. I enjoyed the mystery detective part of the story, and I’m looking forward to reading about their next case.
I loved the references to the Dark Earls of Crofton, which is another series I need to read.
February 1, 2025
* best friends to lovers
* fake betrothed to avoid an arranged marriage
* private investigators
* vampire/fae pairing
A fun mystery involving supernatural party drugs and a stolen fae jewel.
I liked the paring of Gwil and Hyax although how they'd been oblivious to the mutual pining for 15 years is beyond me, bloody idiots.
I disliked Hyax parents. They were rude and acted like complete arseholes to Gwil. I also hated his ex and was hoping he'd get his comeuppance. Unfortunately he doesn't.
This was heading to a 4 star read for me until Hyax rufied Gwil 'to keep him safe'. That's was a hard no for me and I think it needed dealing with in a much stronger way with more chapters devoted to it rather than a 'don't ever do that again' and then it's swept to one side. I didn't feel that Hyax was in any way repentant for his actions, which is why it needed more page time. The fact that it was totally unnecessary and possibly there to avoid writing the final showdown on page infuriated me even more.
A good story and great couple but for that last minute glitch.
* fake betrothed to avoid an arranged marriage
* private investigators
* vampire/fae pairing
A fun mystery involving supernatural party drugs and a stolen fae jewel.
I liked the paring of Gwil and Hyax although how they'd been oblivious to the mutual pining for 15 years is beyond me, bloody idiots.
I disliked Hyax parents. They were rude and acted like complete arseholes to Gwil. I also hated his ex and was hoping he'd get his comeuppance. Unfortunately he doesn't.
This was heading to a 4 star read for me until Hyax rufied Gwil 'to keep him safe'. That's was a hard no for me and I think it needed dealing with in a much stronger way with more chapters devoted to it rather than a 'don't ever do that again' and then it's swept to one side. I didn't feel that Hyax was in any way repentant for his actions, which is why it needed more page time. The fact that it was totally unnecessary and possibly there to avoid writing the final showdown on page infuriated me even more.
A good story and great couple but for that last minute glitch.
July 25, 2024
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A wonderfully intricate world of Fae, Vampires, and all other manner of paranormal beings.
It’s a slow burn - taking a long time for these two idiots to finally confess their mutual crushes. All the while we get to experience the world and its characters through a case involving a stolen artifact and some dangerous drugs. Oh, and some fake dating! Because nothing is more fun than two pining people torturing themselves while pretending to date.
The case they are working really helps to highlight the structure of the society and the different worlds they inhabit. It’s full of hierarchy, judgment, and plenty of magic, including some very creative spells!
A great escape into a unique world.
A wonderfully intricate world of Fae, Vampires, and all other manner of paranormal beings.
It’s a slow burn - taking a long time for these two idiots to finally confess their mutual crushes. All the while we get to experience the world and its characters through a case involving a stolen artifact and some dangerous drugs. Oh, and some fake dating! Because nothing is more fun than two pining people torturing themselves while pretending to date.
The case they are working really helps to highlight the structure of the society and the different worlds they inhabit. It’s full of hierarchy, judgment, and plenty of magic, including some very creative spells!
A great escape into a unique world.
July 29, 2024
I would like to thank GRR for the opportunity to read and review this ARC.
Oooooh I really really enjoyed this a lot!! It's quippy, and the supernaturals are all very interesting and intriguing! I also loved the full immersive sink or swim fantasy world already in progress, the whip sharp dialogue, the fast pace and the magical intensity the world of Fang and Fae comprises! Rebecca Cohen is an author i've come to highly regard, because she fashions her stories in a way that dares the reader to journey through the narrative with her characters and not need to have everything explained. It's refreshing to trust in the narrative like this, and i think it helps that this was my second Cohen, the first being Book 1 in the Dark Earls series, and i just really dig her vibe! Excited to see where the rest of this series goes because i thought it was brilliant and a whole lot of fun!
Oooooh I really really enjoyed this a lot!! It's quippy, and the supernaturals are all very interesting and intriguing! I also loved the full immersive sink or swim fantasy world already in progress, the whip sharp dialogue, the fast pace and the magical intensity the world of Fang and Fae comprises! Rebecca Cohen is an author i've come to highly regard, because she fashions her stories in a way that dares the reader to journey through the narrative with her characters and not need to have everything explained. It's refreshing to trust in the narrative like this, and i think it helps that this was my second Cohen, the first being Book 1 in the Dark Earls series, and i just really dig her vibe! Excited to see where the rest of this series goes because i thought it was brilliant and a whole lot of fun!
August 1, 2024
This was my first experience with this author, and it was a good one.
I really liked the world building and the ideas for vampires, fae, and a lot of other creatures and how they co-exist .
The mystery was well done, and I liked how different coincidences regarding jobs, friends, and love interests found their way together into one story.
My only complaint is the romance part. In the beginning, I was not convinced the two MCs were really friends due to their way of communicating.
The banter was more a series of insults, which did not sit right with me.
But that changed during the book, and I could believe their love for each other.
Unfortunately, the ending felt rushed ... especially considering that the next book has a different couple, which does not fit at all
There are a lot of open questions left, and I would read the next book if it is a continuation of Hyax and Gwil. Not so sure otherwise
Nevertheless, it was a nice story
I really liked the world building and the ideas for vampires, fae, and a lot of other creatures and how they co-exist .
The mystery was well done, and I liked how different coincidences regarding jobs, friends, and love interests found their way together into one story.
My only complaint is the romance part. In the beginning, I was not convinced the two MCs were really friends due to their way of communicating.
The banter was more a series of insults, which did not sit right with me.
But that changed during the book, and I could believe their love for each other.
Unfortunately, the ending felt rushed ... especially considering that the next book has a different couple, which does not fit at all
There are a lot of open questions left, and I would read the next book if it is a continuation of Hyax and Gwil. Not so sure otherwise
Nevertheless, it was a nice story
July 31, 2024
Vampire Gwilym Hilt makes his living as a private investigator. His partner, Prince Hyax, is amazing and Gwil has spent a long time pining for him. When Hyax is pressured by his family, he decides that saying he and Gwil are betrothed is the solution. Hard to say if it is or not, but it complicates things. It could assist with their investigations.
These two were great together. Both wanted more but neither was willing to take a chance until forced. Their skill set compliments each other and it was fun to watch them dance around each other and even more fun to see the result. The plot was intriguing and captivating, keeping you glued to the pages. It is the first in the series Fang & fae. So we can look forward to more.
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book and this is my very own opinion.
These two were great together. Both wanted more but neither was willing to take a chance until forced. Their skill set compliments each other and it was fun to watch them dance around each other and even more fun to see the result. The plot was intriguing and captivating, keeping you glued to the pages. It is the first in the series Fang & fae. So we can look forward to more.
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book and this is my very own opinion.
July 31, 2024
I enjoyed this friends-to-lovers story, but I would have liked a little more heat. (YMMV). I liked the unique pairing between a Fae prince and a vampire, which wasn't something I had read before. Add in family pressure to marry, a knee-jerk fake engagement, and two friends realizing their feelings for the other are not so unrequited, plus a mystery/theft, and you get an engaging and enjoyable story. There is strong world-building and an intriguing cast of paranormal creatures, along with political intrigue and shenanigans (what else would you expect from the Fae?) I wasn't for sure if it was a HFN or HEA ending, what with the Fae court and all, and I will be interested to see if future books in the series follow these two or move on to other couples. Either way, I look forward to more.
I received an ARC and am voluntarily leaving this honest review.
I received an ARC and am voluntarily leaving this honest review.
August 1, 2024
The two main tropes in this book are friends to lovers and fake dating, so it was right up my alley. The book has Rebecca Cohen's typical marvelous and intricate world building, including complicated political intrigue, a variety of paranormal creatures, and a bevy of characters that the reader has to work hard to keep track of. Gwil and Hyax are business partners in paranormal investigation. They are also good friends who have crushes on each other, a fact that everyone knows but them. I like both of these fascinating complex characters. Their romance is slow burn but heats up quickly once it starts. I really enjoyed the mystery they threw themselves into and look forward to reading more about their world.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
July 21, 2024
A great start to the series.
It is my second book by the author , it is full of imagination , mystery and a little bit of drama. It is in the Dark Earls universe.
This book introduces us to Gwil , a vampire and Hyax a fae , who are private detectives , they have been in love with each other for several years but dare not confess their feelings to each other , thinking they are not reciprocated.
I really liked the references to the Dark Earls universe, the use of magic and mystery. The secondary characters are very well developed. The fae world is very well developed, with intrigues, quarrels between characters.
I hope the author keeps writing more about Gwil and Hyax, because they are great characters.
It is my second book by the author , it is full of imagination , mystery and a little bit of drama. It is in the Dark Earls universe.
This book introduces us to Gwil , a vampire and Hyax a fae , who are private detectives , they have been in love with each other for several years but dare not confess their feelings to each other , thinking they are not reciprocated.
I really liked the references to the Dark Earls universe, the use of magic and mystery. The secondary characters are very well developed. The fae world is very well developed, with intrigues, quarrels between characters.
I hope the author keeps writing more about Gwil and Hyax, because they are great characters.
August 2, 2024
More like mutual pining really
This book should probably have been called Pining for each other because they both have been pining for a long while. I enjoyed reading this book and I absolutely adore how Rebecca Cohen has been linking all of her series together even though she has been exploring very different tropes. Hyax and Gwil are both interesting characters and the back story fits in well with the world building that Ms Cohen has been exploring in her other novels. Their jobs as private detectives allows Ms Cohen to spice up the story and we get taken along on some interesting adventures. Another great MM book from a great author and hopefully the start of another great (long) series.
This book should probably have been called Pining for each other because they both have been pining for a long while. I enjoyed reading this book and I absolutely adore how Rebecca Cohen has been linking all of her series together even though she has been exploring very different tropes. Hyax and Gwil are both interesting characters and the back story fits in well with the world building that Ms Cohen has been exploring in her other novels. Their jobs as private detectives allows Ms Cohen to spice up the story and we get taken along on some interesting adventures. Another great MM book from a great author and hopefully the start of another great (long) series.
July 27, 2024
What a fantastical alternate reality the author has conjured up! I adore it! It was a blast seeing things from Gwil and Hyax's perspective. But the yearning! These two are complete dimwits who ought to express their emotions! 🤎 Because they are both blinded by love, they fail to notice what is plainly before them. A "fake" romance and a massive double case are required to expose everything. Oh, my! There was absolutely no pretense, and reading it was a blast. I thought it was great, and I'd love to see more stories involving these two.I received a copy of this book from Gay Romance Reviews, and this is my honest review.
July 31, 2024
This has a vampire detective and a fae prince who are best friends secretly in love with each other that decide to fake date while they solve mysteries. If that's not an epic book premise, I don't know what is. My favorite part was probably the mystery which unfortunately doesn't seem to be solved completely. So I'm wondering if there would be plans to revisit it in a follow-up.
I also want to see if Gwil and Hyax can find a way to convince the fae rulers to let them be together. There was still some turbulence on that front. I'll definitely have to check out the next book and would recommend this to fantasy or mystery fans.
I also want to see if Gwil and Hyax can find a way to convince the fae rulers to let them be together. There was still some turbulence on that front. I'll definitely have to check out the next book and would recommend this to fantasy or mystery fans.
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