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Unicorn Shifter Academy #1
Unicorn Shifter Academy
There are three rules at Unicorn Shifter Academy.
1. Keep unicorns a secret.
2. Never compare horn sizes.
3. No girls allowed.
Whoopsie. I broke all three.
You’d think that unicorn shifters would be chicks, right? Yeah, me too, but turns out unicorns are always males.
Until me, that is.
I’ve never shown a drop of magic in my life, even though I’m from a family of powerful witches. Well, my parents had the grand idea of performing an awakening ceremony courtesy of Fortune Academy’s best and brightest… and I think it worked a bit too well. Imagine their surprise when I sprouted a horn. A FREAKING HORN.
Not. Cool.
Turns out there was some serious rainbow hanky-panky in my family history and now the unicorn shifters are pissed off I’m in on their secret community.
Seriously, spilling the magic beans is the least of my worries.
Being a unicorn means bonding with seven other shifters for life—a life I never asked for. And since I’m the first girl in a male-only tradition, I expect this could cause some serious problems, especially because these guys are obsessed with me right off the bat. Like overly protective to the extreme. A girl can take care of herself, you know?
Thing is, we better get our act together because this Academy isn’t just for show. Unicorns are the only creatures who stand between good and evil on a cosmic scale. A monster lurks in a terrifying pit in the center of the Enchanted Forest.
And it looks like somebody let it out.
The clock starts now to trap the beast before it eats my home realm as a snack. I’ve got my big girl panties on—even if they are rainbow-colored.
Unicorn Shifter Academy is a Paranormal Shifter Romance novel with mature scenes and all the rainbow glitter unicorn shifter, uh… horns… a girl could possibly want—no choosing required. Since this is a series, book one ends in a cliffhanger.
1. Keep unicorns a secret.
2. Never compare horn sizes.
3. No girls allowed.
Whoopsie. I broke all three.
You’d think that unicorn shifters would be chicks, right? Yeah, me too, but turns out unicorns are always males.
Until me, that is.
I’ve never shown a drop of magic in my life, even though I’m from a family of powerful witches. Well, my parents had the grand idea of performing an awakening ceremony courtesy of Fortune Academy’s best and brightest… and I think it worked a bit too well. Imagine their surprise when I sprouted a horn. A FREAKING HORN.
Not. Cool.
Turns out there was some serious rainbow hanky-panky in my family history and now the unicorn shifters are pissed off I’m in on their secret community.
Seriously, spilling the magic beans is the least of my worries.
Being a unicorn means bonding with seven other shifters for life—a life I never asked for. And since I’m the first girl in a male-only tradition, I expect this could cause some serious problems, especially because these guys are obsessed with me right off the bat. Like overly protective to the extreme. A girl can take care of herself, you know?
Thing is, we better get our act together because this Academy isn’t just for show. Unicorns are the only creatures who stand between good and evil on a cosmic scale. A monster lurks in a terrifying pit in the center of the Enchanted Forest.
And it looks like somebody let it out.
The clock starts now to trap the beast before it eats my home realm as a snack. I’ve got my big girl panties on—even if they are rainbow-colored.
Unicorn Shifter Academy is a Paranormal Shifter Romance novel with mature scenes and all the rainbow glitter unicorn shifter, uh… horns… a girl could possibly want—no choosing required. Since this is a series, book one ends in a cliffhanger.
165 pages, Kindle Edition
Published July 30, 2022
779 people are currently reading
1295 people want to read
About the author
J.R. Thorn
83 books1,620 followersUSA Today Bestselling Author J.R. Thorn is a Reverse Harem Romance author. All her books are written in the same world except for co-write books, so be sure to check out the recommended reading order listed above or on the website! (She'll also admit to having an unhealthy obsession with magical tattoos and alpha males.)
Be sure to stop by J.R. Thorn's Website: www.AuthorJRThorn.com
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Be sure to stop by J.R. Thorn's Website: www.AuthorJRThorn.com
Get a free book when you join the Newsletter! https://www.subscribepage.com/AuthorJ...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 159 reviews
July 30, 2022
Serial, not a novel
This reads like a serial, not a novel. A large percentage of the pages are promotions for other books (excerpt chapters, reading lists, pictures) so the book is effectively shorter than advertised.
The plot is really limited, there's a briefly described battle scene that wasn't fully fleshed out despite the multiple perspectives and there is no conclusion. Maybe the author was aiming for a cliff hanger, but you have to be invested for that. This book just.... stopped.
I'm not sure if I'll bother reading the rest of the books as they come out. The main characters are described more physically than as people with the only personalities being the FL's two friends who get minimal text time. I'm not invested in any of the characters, the plot isn't holding my interest and the questions that are raised are not especially crucial to have answered (I'm not sure they would be answered anyway - the lack lustre world building, character descriptions and complete lack of plot make it obvious that completeness is not a priority)
Would not recommend.
This reads like a serial, not a novel. A large percentage of the pages are promotions for other books (excerpt chapters, reading lists, pictures) so the book is effectively shorter than advertised.
The plot is really limited, there's a briefly described battle scene that wasn't fully fleshed out despite the multiple perspectives and there is no conclusion. Maybe the author was aiming for a cliff hanger, but you have to be invested for that. This book just.... stopped.
I'm not sure if I'll bother reading the rest of the books as they come out. The main characters are described more physically than as people with the only personalities being the FL's two friends who get minimal text time. I'm not invested in any of the characters, the plot isn't holding my interest and the questions that are raised are not especially crucial to have answered (I'm not sure they would be answered anyway - the lack lustre world building, character descriptions and complete lack of plot make it obvious that completeness is not a priority)
Would not recommend.
January 19, 2023
I loved this book! What an interesting concept and a fun read. The main character Bonny was strong and sassy and an overall delight to follow on her journey to discovering she is a unicorn shifter. Upon arriving at the Unicorn Academy she learns a lot quickly as chaos ensues. I enjoyed following the different points of view and getting to know the different characters.
It was a short read, so I flew through it and I can’t wait to read book two! If you like paranormal fantasy with a little bit of steamy romance this might be one you want to check out!
It was a short read, so I flew through it and I can’t wait to read book two! If you like paranormal fantasy with a little bit of steamy romance this might be one you want to check out!
August 1, 2022
Interesting But Too Short
I enjoyed the set up to the story but it was too short to really grab my interest. It feels like I just read the sample of a book where it just ends mid-chapter. I am interested in seeing where the story goes, however so I will most likely read subsequent books.
I enjoyed the set up to the story but it was too short to really grab my interest. It feels like I just read the sample of a book where it just ends mid-chapter. I am interested in seeing where the story goes, however so I will most likely read subsequent books.
October 3, 2022
This book was exactly what i needed. A unicorn RH romance with some drama....heck yeah. The book is short, it left me wanting to read more. I can't wait for whatever comes next.
September 1, 2022
I've read other books by J.R. Thorn, and although none of them are life-altering incredible, they definitely were NOT THIS AWFUL.
This book literally feels like a unicorn took a shit. The characters are SO FLAT that they're 1D, there's no real backstory given to even our FMC, and there's so much happening that is not properly explained it gives you a headache.
Plot-wise? BITCH. There's no exposition here. We get through this entire book and yikes... No plot.
1. There's no conflict properly set up. I was guessing what it could be throughout the book, but it's not supposed to be a guessing game. First you think it has to do with the FMC not knowing what she is and that's where the conflict is. Wrong. Then you think it could have something to do with her being the only female unicorn. Then you think that it could have something to do with the council being dirty. Unfortunately, it doesn't matter what you think because the conflict doesn't get set up properly.
2. Even if the conflict WAS properly set up, there's no climax/resolution. There are high-pressure moments, sure... But they're not the climax.
This book ends and you find yourself confused, annoyed, and with a headache.
I would recommend you stay away. That's how much I hated this.
1/5 stars.
This book literally feels like a unicorn took a shit. The characters are SO FLAT that they're 1D, there's no real backstory given to even our FMC, and there's so much happening that is not properly explained it gives you a headache.
Plot-wise? BITCH. There's no exposition here. We get through this entire book and yikes... No plot.
1. There's no conflict properly set up. I was guessing what it could be throughout the book, but it's not supposed to be a guessing game. First you think it has to do with the FMC not knowing what she is and that's where the conflict is. Wrong. Then you think it could have something to do with her being the only female unicorn. Then you think that it could have something to do with the council being dirty. Unfortunately, it doesn't matter what you think because the conflict doesn't get set up properly.
2. Even if the conflict WAS properly set up, there's no climax/resolution. There are high-pressure moments, sure... But they're not the climax.
This book ends and you find yourself confused, annoyed, and with a headache.
I would recommend you stay away. That's how much I hated this.
1/5 stars.
April 7, 2023
2 ⭐️
???????????? Wtf did I just read.
There was so much confusion jammed into literally 140 pages.
I know this is a stand alone and at the start it specifically said the other books don’t need to be read for this. But either that’s a lie or you just don’t get to understand 90% of what you’re reading no matter what lol
???????????? Wtf did I just read.
There was so much confusion jammed into literally 140 pages.
I know this is a stand alone and at the start it specifically said the other books don’t need to be read for this. But either that’s a lie or you just don’t get to understand 90% of what you’re reading no matter what lol
July 30, 2022
Why this book isn't more popular than it is, is the actual question to be answered.
Unicorn Shifter Academy was amazing even though short in my opinion. I need more. I need the sequel right now.
If you like paranormal fantasy, reverse harem, steamy scenes, a light, funny and romantic story, just read it and have a good time!
Unicorn Shifter Academy was amazing even though short in my opinion. I need more. I need the sequel right now.
If you like paranormal fantasy, reverse harem, steamy scenes, a light, funny and romantic story, just read it and have a good time!
September 21, 2022
Too short
I ended up buying this book without a kindle unlimited membership, and I was seriously disappointed with the length at the price point.
The story had an interesting premise, but when I expected there to be more world building and explanation of what was happening with the main characters, it ended. With more than 10% of the book being an intro to another book.
If you have a KU membership it would be worth it, but if not, I wouldn't recommend it.
I ended up buying this book without a kindle unlimited membership, and I was seriously disappointed with the length at the price point.
The story had an interesting premise, but when I expected there to be more world building and explanation of what was happening with the main characters, it ended. With more than 10% of the book being an intro to another book.
If you have a KU membership it would be worth it, but if not, I wouldn't recommend it.
Want to read
January 24, 2022NEVER in my life have I seen urban fantasy novels about friking UNICORN 🦄 SHIFTERS. I totally want to add this to my TBR which already has fairies and dragon shifters in it to make like some special supernatural trinity. That cover looks awesome, but why is the release date so far away?! I hate it when authors make good stuff and then choose to torture the readers by making them wait! 😭😭😭
February 24, 2023
I started reading this, digitally and it’s got to be the prettiest book I’ve ever seen!
Next, I finished it with the audiobook and it was so fun that I literally just hit ‘play’ and listened all over again.
The female lead, Bonnie, is fiercely strong and I absolutely love her. She’s also used to depict the damage an overbearing / demanding / one-track-minded parent with unrealistic expectations for their children can have and I’m loving every minute of this aspect as well. This author’s books can seriously help heal trauma.
The world-building is epic, bringing stunning visuals, pulse-pounding action scenes, delicious sexual tension and spicy scenes, characters you’ll likely both root for, and enjoy rooting against. I cannot wait to read more into this world and I recommend this book to everyone. Absolutely epic.
This one’s a very quick read, but it sets the tone and world well and has left me with very high expectations for what’s to come. I cannot wait to see the rest of it.
5 stars.
⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
Audio:
5 stars on this front as well, Moyen is amazing—both her voice and delivery are seamless.
Next, I finished it with the audiobook and it was so fun that I literally just hit ‘play’ and listened all over again.
The female lead, Bonnie, is fiercely strong and I absolutely love her. She’s also used to depict the damage an overbearing / demanding / one-track-minded parent with unrealistic expectations for their children can have and I’m loving every minute of this aspect as well. This author’s books can seriously help heal trauma.
The world-building is epic, bringing stunning visuals, pulse-pounding action scenes, delicious sexual tension and spicy scenes, characters you’ll likely both root for, and enjoy rooting against. I cannot wait to read more into this world and I recommend this book to everyone. Absolutely epic.
This one’s a very quick read, but it sets the tone and world well and has left me with very high expectations for what’s to come. I cannot wait to see the rest of it.
5 stars.
⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
Audio:
5 stars on this front as well, Moyen is amazing—both her voice and delivery are seamless.
August 12, 2022
Short and immature
Loved the first 2 chapters, they really caught my attention and was excited to read more. Then it promptly fell flat. Immature 19 year old V. Surrounded by old Vs. Seems like the entire series is going to be about how many men (unicorns) she can have sex with in order to save the world. So far, there is zero story in this entire book. And every chapter jumps around to a different character. Not to mention, the main character is have sex and eating a feast while all around her (literally in the next room), people are dying or being corrupted. Please don't waste your time with this one unless that is what you are looking for. I was hoping for an actually story. Not just a description on how big everyone's junk is.
Loved the first 2 chapters, they really caught my attention and was excited to read more. Then it promptly fell flat. Immature 19 year old V. Surrounded by old Vs. Seems like the entire series is going to be about how many men (unicorns) she can have sex with in order to save the world. So far, there is zero story in this entire book. And every chapter jumps around to a different character. Not to mention, the main character is have sex and eating a feast while all around her (literally in the next room), people are dying or being corrupted. Please don't waste your time with this one unless that is what you are looking for. I was hoping for an actually story. Not just a description on how big everyone's junk is.
August 2, 2022
This is a fantastic, quick read and a great start to this shifter academy story. Bonny is a great character, strong, sassy and more then a little snarky and she thinks she’s human but it turns out she’s not and so off to unicorn academy we go along with her best friends. It’s a whole new world where females do not normally go plus a female unicorn is absolutely unheard of and then there’s calamity and that’s not good! It’s an exciting first instalment, gripping, entertaining and a little steamy and I cannot wait for the next instalment.
September 6, 2022
Some serious mixed feelings here
While I’m not new to JR Thorn’s books, I have to admit this one didn’t meet my expectations.
I was really excited by this new take on unicorn shifters because… unicorns ! Right ?! But right now, I’m not completely sure what happened or what this was about. It felt like a whole lot of info was given to us without actually telling us anything. I actually felt like I had missed a chapter (or a book) here and there. Everything happens so quickly and it felt rushed. And don’t get me started on that ending : that was a level of brutality and abruptness I was not ready for.
On the positive, the series has a lot of potential, what with Bonny and her mysterious powers and all the mystery surrounding unicorns shifters. I do believe it could be great. This first book just didn’t deliver for me. I’ll still keep an eye out for the next book just in case it levels up this one.
While I’m not new to JR Thorn’s books, I have to admit this one didn’t meet my expectations.
I was really excited by this new take on unicorn shifters because… unicorns ! Right ?! But right now, I’m not completely sure what happened or what this was about. It felt like a whole lot of info was given to us without actually telling us anything. I actually felt like I had missed a chapter (or a book) here and there. Everything happens so quickly and it felt rushed. And don’t get me started on that ending : that was a level of brutality and abruptness I was not ready for.
On the positive, the series has a lot of potential, what with Bonny and her mysterious powers and all the mystery surrounding unicorns shifters. I do believe it could be great. This first book just didn’t deliver for me. I’ll still keep an eye out for the next book just in case it levels up this one.
May 14, 2023
Unicorn Shifter Academy
J.R. Thorn did a good job with this story. It was full of suspense and surprises. Love the fact that it is called Unicorn Academy. What a way to find it what the children are suppose be, with the Awakening Ceremony. Can't wait to read more of this series.
J.R. Thorn did a good job with this story. It was full of suspense and surprises. Love the fact that it is called Unicorn Academy. What a way to find it what the children are suppose be, with the Awakening Ceremony. Can't wait to read more of this series.
October 15, 2022
I might need to start checking reviews before I pick up books on a whim.
Note to anyone who missed it: this is a serial. Not a novel.
I feel like I just read a character and world introduction, a third of a book maybe. The FMC has no idea what's going on, the guys have no idea what's going on, half of them haven't even met her yet but the reader's been in their head. Zero character development because well, there wasn't room on the page for it.
And to make it worse, the second one isn't up for preorder but locked to Kindle Vella which isn't available outside the US. And the author note has a bonus scene at the back which is, yet again, only available in Kindle Vella. I understand the author is releasing there as the book is written but at least get a preorder up so the rest of us excluded by Amazon's rules know when to expect the rest of the book.
Until I hit the end, I enjoyed it and I was intrigued by the world, but the serial cliffhanger ending when nothing more than an introduction has been given has put a very bad taste in my mouth. Feeling rather spicy about this one.
Update and I just caught sight of the retail price for this book. £4.99 for 165 pages when at least 15% of those pages is intro to previous books or another series is laughable.
Note to anyone who missed it: this is a serial. Not a novel.
I feel like I just read a character and world introduction, a third of a book maybe. The FMC has no idea what's going on, the guys have no idea what's going on, half of them haven't even met her yet but the reader's been in their head. Zero character development because well, there wasn't room on the page for it.
And to make it worse, the second one isn't up for preorder but locked to Kindle Vella which isn't available outside the US. And the author note has a bonus scene at the back which is, yet again, only available in Kindle Vella. I understand the author is releasing there as the book is written but at least get a preorder up so the rest of us excluded by Amazon's rules know when to expect the rest of the book.
Until I hit the end, I enjoyed it and I was intrigued by the world, but the serial cliffhanger ending when nothing more than an introduction has been given has put a very bad taste in my mouth. Feeling rather spicy about this one.
Update and I just caught sight of the retail price for this book. £4.99 for 165 pages when at least 15% of those pages is intro to previous books or another series is laughable.
December 20, 2024
Torn between 3.5 & 4. It reads a bit immature but the mcs is 19. It’s not what I expected. Very much an adult shifter romance in case you’re like me expecting some YA magic academy. The premise is cool, a bit heavy handed on the fated mates thing but I like the corruption and the house magic and am curious about the other wildlife and other magic creatures and species. It does end on a cliffhanger with no idea when or if we will get book 2. There does appear to be a backlog of other work in the same universe to check out though so I may do that.
January 4, 2023
What a mess
June 18, 2023
Wow
Um okay that was a rather abrupt ending and I need more.
Also.I wish these books were longer
I love Bonny and her guys so far
10/5
Um okay that was a rather abrupt ending and I need more.
Also.I wish these books were longer
I love Bonny and her guys so far
10/5
September 19, 2023
HONEST REVIEW -1 star don’t get butt hurt 🫡
i like the funny’s in it but i hate the insane amount of mentions of peoples boners like no one cares that much we just started the book - not to mention the writing was not all that great - there was no story building just a bunch of shit ideas thrown together - i hate it i actually hate it so much but hey if someone else enjoyed this book then that’s great - it reads like a fan fic in my opinion
i like the funny’s in it but i hate the insane amount of mentions of peoples boners like no one cares that much we just started the book - not to mention the writing was not all that great - there was no story building just a bunch of shit ideas thrown together - i hate it i actually hate it so much but hey if someone else enjoyed this book then that’s great - it reads like a fan fic in my opinion
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 20, 2022
It’s ok. A quick cute read. A little confusing at times
September 20, 2022
It was a bit busy and nothing much really happened due to the shortness. It's, however, intriguing enough to be interested in the next one. One gripe I had is this little gem of a statement:
"I weighed over two boulders, or over six hundred pounds in earth units—the United States, specifically. After my time during Lucifer’s uprise, I’d been around humans long enough to learn their overly complicated metrics."
Even if you specify the States, the author then refers to this "metric" system as that of humans. The US makes up about 0.5% of the worlds population and is, to my knowledge, the only country using this system, so it's a gross misstatement. I don't really like the "America first" vibe of this when you are writing a fantasy novel that is supposed to be referring to earth. Just don't call them earth units. It's, again, 0.5,% of the earth's population. Let's calm down people.
"I weighed over two boulders, or over six hundred pounds in earth units—the United States, specifically. After my time during Lucifer’s uprise, I’d been around humans long enough to learn their overly complicated metrics."
Even if you specify the States, the author then refers to this "metric" system as that of humans. The US makes up about 0.5% of the worlds population and is, to my knowledge, the only country using this system, so it's a gross misstatement. I don't really like the "America first" vibe of this when you are writing a fantasy novel that is supposed to be referring to earth. Just don't call them earth units. It's, again, 0.5,% of the earth's population. Let's calm down people.
August 9, 2022
This wasn't bad but it also wasn't a full story. The synopsis mentions a cliffhanger but it's not really one. The book just ends in the middle of a scene. Even the end of a chapter usually wraps things up more than this ending did.
By the end I still barely knew anything, I didn't care about anyone (because It's like I barely knew them) and I wasn't invested enough in the plot. It's like I was given 1/4 of a book and just when the plot might actually start to build it ends.
The writing wasn't bad but it also wasn't great. I had to re read a few passages to make sense of them and some typos were big enough to pull you out of the story. Like "i" instead of "it" or missing words in a sentence.
This book has/had potential but I think it lacked in the execution unfortunately.
I like to always list some pros to a book so here is some things I liked about this book:
- Unicorn man eating bears. Awesome!
- The concept is super cool
- The MCs two friends have a lot of potential (I almost wanted to read their story more).
- The use of the words "cuddly floofs"
- Some of the humor used was on point and made me smile.
Overall I am not sure I will continue with this series. I think it still has potential, but my TBR is so long and this book didn't pull me in enough to make me want to continue. I'm also a bit frustrated by how this book was executed and other minor things some of which are listed above. Knowing myself It's likely I won't really ever read book 2.
By the end I still barely knew anything, I didn't care about anyone (because It's like I barely knew them) and I wasn't invested enough in the plot. It's like I was given 1/4 of a book and just when the plot might actually start to build it ends.
The writing wasn't bad but it also wasn't great. I had to re read a few passages to make sense of them and some typos were big enough to pull you out of the story. Like "i" instead of "it" or missing words in a sentence.
This book has/had potential but I think it lacked in the execution unfortunately.
I like to always list some pros to a book so here is some things I liked about this book:
- Unicorn man eating bears. Awesome!
- The concept is super cool
- The MCs two friends have a lot of potential (I almost wanted to read their story more).
- The use of the words "cuddly floofs"
- Some of the humor used was on point and made me smile.
Overall I am not sure I will continue with this series. I think it still has potential, but my TBR is so long and this book didn't pull me in enough to make me want to continue. I'm also a bit frustrated by how this book was executed and other minor things some of which are listed above. Knowing myself It's likely I won't really ever read book 2.
January 15, 2023
should not have been published.
This isn’t a book, not even a novella, it’s got some great groundwork but legit has no progression of storyline, it’s actually really disappointing. The book is told from multiple POV which I love, but it cancels out that this again, isn’t a book and calling it a novella is kind. This feels more like an excerpt/essay, there’s so much potential but it’s literally like reading a teaser and something unfinished. This in my opinion shouldn’t have been published. The characters are interesting, what could be a story is interesting, but given how quick this ended all of the extra stuff written just feels like extraneous fluff that has no purpose: like her friends- maybe more information and background on their friendship, what life was like before the powers, what got her to this point in life. Again there’s a ton of potential but this felt like a rough draft that stopped part way- even the way it ended was just odd. I would love to read or alpha read for this book because it has potential but the way it’s been left is just, disgraceful?
This isn’t a book, not even a novella, it’s got some great groundwork but legit has no progression of storyline, it’s actually really disappointing. The book is told from multiple POV which I love, but it cancels out that this again, isn’t a book and calling it a novella is kind. This feels more like an excerpt/essay, there’s so much potential but it’s literally like reading a teaser and something unfinished. This in my opinion shouldn’t have been published. The characters are interesting, what could be a story is interesting, but given how quick this ended all of the extra stuff written just feels like extraneous fluff that has no purpose: like her friends- maybe more information and background on their friendship, what life was like before the powers, what got her to this point in life. Again there’s a ton of potential but this felt like a rough draft that stopped part way- even the way it ended was just odd. I would love to read or alpha read for this book because it has potential but the way it’s been left is just, disgraceful?
July 12, 2025
Bonny's mother has spared no expense to prove that her daughter has magic. After all, she comes from a powerful witch. However, despite several awakening ceremonies, it appears Bonny is human. All she managed were some colorful bubbles. Except that's not everything. During her "Awakening Party," she sprouted a horn. She's a unicorn. She's a female unicorn, even though there's no such thing. Male unicorns are supposed to give up their magic if they decide to lose their purity, so she could create a problem at the Unicorn Academy, especially since several are immediately attracted to her. Is she their downfall, or have they been told lies? Is she what will save them all from the darkness?
This novella is a quick entertaining read. It sets up the series neatly with nice worldbuilding, history, and character introduction. However, it falls short from there. There is no story other than the introduction of lust and the spread of darkness. I don't expect much with the shortness of the story, but there has to be an inkling of depth for the future story. Bonny shows little emotion despite the near deaths of the two unicorns she's met, being separated from her besties, and not knowing their fate. And why would you give all the guys rainbow hair and jewel-toned eyes? Yes, I know they are unicorns, but you also want sexy men for the female, right? These are rainbow boys with boners. Nope. Since this is an appetizer, I did think I would check to see if the next book was out, hoping it was longer and had a more detailed story. I don't see anything, but I do see other readers commenting about having to pay for more on another platform. That won't be happening. If the author adds further books to KU, and they pop up on my feed, I will try again; otherwise, this is it for me and the RBWBs.
This novella is a quick entertaining read. It sets up the series neatly with nice worldbuilding, history, and character introduction. However, it falls short from there. There is no story other than the introduction of lust and the spread of darkness. I don't expect much with the shortness of the story, but there has to be an inkling of depth for the future story. Bonny shows little emotion despite the near deaths of the two unicorns she's met, being separated from her besties, and not knowing their fate. And why would you give all the guys rainbow hair and jewel-toned eyes? Yes, I know they are unicorns, but you also want sexy men for the female, right? These are rainbow boys with boners. Nope. Since this is an appetizer, I did think I would check to see if the next book was out, hoping it was longer and had a more detailed story. I don't see anything, but I do see other readers commenting about having to pay for more on another platform. That won't be happening. If the author adds further books to KU, and they pop up on my feed, I will try again; otherwise, this is it for me and the RBWBs.
January 13, 2023
3 stars: A quick but empty read to add another book to your Goodreads Challenge.
My Biggest Gripe with this series: There are so many POV changes within this short little book that I gave up attempting to figure out who's POV I was following. Sure there's the main character Bonny and this book was clearly featuring Raze but after that there were like 4-5 other POV character views that it just felt like what's the point of keeping them all straight?
I was disappointed that the back 20% of the book was chapter(s) for a completely OTHER book so I felt like I was cheated a little bit out of the length. Advertising for other series is fine but maybe not in a short read like this one.
And I get it. This is a Reverse Harem Shifter Romance Why Choose kinda book: but Bonny babe... you've known Raze for like 2 hours at most before the end spice. That just felt really rushed and unbelievable to me personally. I would have liked there to be more plot and interactions between the characters and arguably a bit slower of a plot to actually make me care about the characters. I get that that's probably what Book 2 is for which I'm probably going to get just to see if any of that actually happens.
I hope it does because I actually really liked the Unicorn Shifting and the magic that was described/hinted at along with it. The added effect of this being a spicy romance with the added dangers of losing their shifting powers should they give into such temptations is also a nice subversion and I definitely liked how that aspect was presented too.
My Biggest Gripe with this series: There are so many POV changes within this short little book that I gave up attempting to figure out who's POV I was following. Sure there's the main character Bonny and this book was clearly featuring Raze but after that there were like 4-5 other POV character views that it just felt like what's the point of keeping them all straight?
I was disappointed that the back 20% of the book was chapter(s) for a completely OTHER book so I felt like I was cheated a little bit out of the length. Advertising for other series is fine but maybe not in a short read like this one.
And I get it. This is a Reverse Harem Shifter Romance Why Choose kinda book: but Bonny babe... you've known Raze for like 2 hours at most before the end spice. That just felt really rushed and unbelievable to me personally. I would have liked there to be more plot and interactions between the characters and arguably a bit slower of a plot to actually make me care about the characters. I get that that's probably what Book 2 is for which I'm probably going to get just to see if any of that actually happens.
I hope it does because I actually really liked the Unicorn Shifting and the magic that was described/hinted at along with it. The added effect of this being a spicy romance with the added dangers of losing their shifting powers should they give into such temptations is also a nice subversion and I definitely liked how that aspect was presented too.
August 30, 2023
Imma be honest.. I did NOT see myself enjoying this. This was a "hmm, unicorns? this seems silly but it's a quick read so it will be a good break from the darker stuff I've read..."
WHY DID I FINISH IT IN 2 HOURS, THOUGH??
Okay, so it DOES read easy - our FMC is hilarious. And sure, there are a few times where I found myself wondering if that character seemed in character for how they just handled that scenario based off the brief several instances I'd read about them.. but y'all, when I say I'm looking forward to the next book I am 1,000% serious.
One of my favorite things: flipping the stereotype of unicorns being girly right on its head because in this universe? Unicorn shifters are super rare and only guys.. until Bonnie. And my goodness does she really throw everyone a curve ball - and not just her emergence as a unicorn shifter, but her whole delightfully snarky personality.
My biggest criticism? THAT ENDING, JR THORN - MY FRIEND - WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO US??
Seriously consider picking this up if you like:
- Why Choose written from all POVs (we love seeing how a unicorn bro has never felt attraction in his life before and experiencing that with him for the first time lol)
- world building - but keep it easy to follow along with and expand as the MCs experience their story developments
- going against the stereotypical grain of fantasy retelling (like, you know, the only accepted gender assigned to unicorn shifting is males)
WHY DID I FINISH IT IN 2 HOURS, THOUGH??
Okay, so it DOES read easy - our FMC is hilarious. And sure, there are a few times where I found myself wondering if that character seemed in character for how they just handled that scenario based off the brief several instances I'd read about them.. but y'all, when I say I'm looking forward to the next book I am 1,000% serious.
One of my favorite things: flipping the stereotype of unicorns being girly right on its head because in this universe? Unicorn shifters are super rare and only guys.. until Bonnie. And my goodness does she really throw everyone a curve ball - and not just her emergence as a unicorn shifter, but her whole delightfully snarky personality.
My biggest criticism? THAT ENDING, JR THORN - MY FRIEND - WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO US??
Seriously consider picking this up if you like:
- Why Choose written from all POVs (we love seeing how a unicorn bro has never felt attraction in his life before and experiencing that with him for the first time lol)
- world building - but keep it easy to follow along with and expand as the MCs experience their story developments
- going against the stereotypical grain of fantasy retelling (like, you know, the only accepted gender assigned to unicorn shifting is males)
August 29, 2022
Completely ridiculous, but in a fun way
Like many other reviewers pointed out: this book is very short and seems more like a sample of what book 1 should have been rather than a complete book.
The cliffhanger felt more like an abrupt stop to the story rather than a typical cliffhanger. I was surprised to see my Kindle indicating I was only 86% through when the book just - ends.
We were just getting to know the main characters and absolutely nothing academy-related happened save for the fact that the location they are in is also an academy.
As I mentioned - this book is a bit ridiculous. But what else would you expect from unicorn shifters? There's bursts of glitter, rainbow hair, our FMC has a gold horn. It was absolutely silly but I couldn't help but kind of love that about it. I kept picturing our characters in a Lisa Frank-esque way.
I am going to continue with the series and I hope the next installments feel more like full books rather than teaser-novellas.
Like many other reviewers pointed out: this book is very short and seems more like a sample of what book 1 should have been rather than a complete book.
The cliffhanger felt more like an abrupt stop to the story rather than a typical cliffhanger. I was surprised to see my Kindle indicating I was only 86% through when the book just - ends.
We were just getting to know the main characters and absolutely nothing academy-related happened save for the fact that the location they are in is also an academy.
As I mentioned - this book is a bit ridiculous. But what else would you expect from unicorn shifters? There's bursts of glitter, rainbow hair, our FMC has a gold horn. It was absolutely silly but I couldn't help but kind of love that about it. I kept picturing our characters in a Lisa Frank-esque way.
I am going to continue with the series and I hope the next installments feel more like full books rather than teaser-novellas.
December 6, 2022
Short and Felt Rushed
Firstly, I would like to say that I love the concept of this book. It gave a new (to me) take on unicorn/shifter fiction. I found myself really liking the FMC from the beginning. This book sorta gave me prequel or novella vibes. There wasn’t much in the way of world-building or character development. Everything felt incredibly rushed and I would find myself forgetting which character was which because they were all introduced very rapidly. There were topics mentioned (such as familiars, guardians of the houses, different species of unicorns, the corruption, etc) with little to no explanation on any of it. The readers were just expected to know these things. The really disappointing part was how the book ended. I had to flip back and forth through the pages to confirm whether that was really the end. It gave me whiplash with how abrupt it was. All in all, I’ll give the book a generous 3 stars
Firstly, I would like to say that I love the concept of this book. It gave a new (to me) take on unicorn/shifter fiction. I found myself really liking the FMC from the beginning. This book sorta gave me prequel or novella vibes. There wasn’t much in the way of world-building or character development. Everything felt incredibly rushed and I would find myself forgetting which character was which because they were all introduced very rapidly. There were topics mentioned (such as familiars, guardians of the houses, different species of unicorns, the corruption, etc) with little to no explanation on any of it. The readers were just expected to know these things. The really disappointing part was how the book ended. I had to flip back and forth through the pages to confirm whether that was really the end. It gave me whiplash with how abrupt it was. All in all, I’ll give the book a generous 3 stars
December 29, 2022
This is a teaser novella, not a book
I had high hopes for this book because I'm a mythical creature fan, but this isn't even a full sized book. It's along the lines of a prequel novella that just dead stops at about 1/4 of the way through what you'd expect to be a normal plotline length. Not only is there no plotline resolution, but there's also barely an intro to the world. I expect this kind of thing from brand new authors, especially new romance authors (because, let's be honest, a lot of people don't read romance for the depth of plotlines) but I thought I'd be safe picking somebody who'd written dozens of well reviewed books. Not only that, but the second book is on Kindle vella and only has a few chapters worth of content. IMO don't bother reading until the series is complete. The entire series will probably end up being the length of one decent book, but I wouldn't bother with this barely bitesized intro.
I had high hopes for this book because I'm a mythical creature fan, but this isn't even a full sized book. It's along the lines of a prequel novella that just dead stops at about 1/4 of the way through what you'd expect to be a normal plotline length. Not only is there no plotline resolution, but there's also barely an intro to the world. I expect this kind of thing from brand new authors, especially new romance authors (because, let's be honest, a lot of people don't read romance for the depth of plotlines) but I thought I'd be safe picking somebody who'd written dozens of well reviewed books. Not only that, but the second book is on Kindle vella and only has a few chapters worth of content. IMO don't bother reading until the series is complete. The entire series will probably end up being the length of one decent book, but I wouldn't bother with this barely bitesized intro.
October 29, 2023
I don’t know how the author had the audacity to sell her “special edition” of this book at a whopping $120 at LoveNVegas when it wasn’t even a novels worth of pages to this “first book.” How in the WORLD is that even okay?? The story itself is about 200ish pages, and then the rest of the almost 280 pages in the book itself is just a bonus chapter (that wasn’t really a bonus since it was already in the story), previews of the next book, and ads to her other series! This had so much potential. I was hooked and I was excited to see some spicy scenes between Bonny and some hot unicorn men, but I came out disappointed. I’d love to read the next book, but I’m afraid to be even more disappointed. There is so much potential in this series, but unless these next two books are over 200 pages, I think it’ll be lacking. Author is super sweet, and the book it self was beautiful and caught my eye, but $120? Seriously?
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