Oh my God, I just brained a unicorn with a frying pan.
Single mom Cathy always secretly dreamed of stepping through a magic portal into a mysterious, mythical realm.
So far, it's not going great.
In her defense, she didn't mean to hit the winged unicorn. She just wasn't expecting him to drop out of the sky behind her. Or turn into a ridiculously handsome man with a literal magic wand (and a headache). And she really didn't expect him to take one look at her, heave an exasperated sigh, and inform her that wherever she's going, he's coming along too.
All unicorn shifter Aodhan ever wanted was to be left alone with his books. But fate, curse it, has other ideas. One minute he's peacefully reading in his library, pet house-griffin curled up in his lap, and the next his damn soulmate is summoning him halfway across the realm and assaulting him with a cooking pot.
There's only one good thing about this situation, which is that this alarmingly alluring human woman clearly has no idea about the magic bond between them. If he can help her achieve her quest, she'll go back to her own world, and his life will return to normal. All Aodhan has to do is somehow disguise Cathy's human nature, escort her deep into enemy territory, help her infiltrate a dangerous fae court....
...and never, ever succumb to the temptation to touch her.
Shifter romance with a twist! Blending fated mates and portal fantasy, Bound to the Unicorn is a heartwarming, slow-burn romance between a grumpy shifter mage and a middle-aged mom discovering her own hidden power.
Set in the same universe as Zoe Chant's popular Fire & Rescue Shifters, Mythic Mates has the same blend of thrilling action, laugh-out-loud humor, and a guaranteed happy-ever-after. Each book is a standalone romance featuring a new couple, but the series should be read in order as there is an overarching plot.
Note: This book was previously published as Bound to the Fae (Fae Mates book 2). The first chapter has been lightly edited in response to reader feedback, but it is the same story.
While there are some action scenes where the hero and heroine are in physical danger, there are no dark themes.
Zoe Chant loves writing paranormal romance. Over a cup of tea (or something stronger) she whips up sexy tales of hunky heroes and adventurous heroines to tantalize and satisfy her readers. Sizzling hot romance, no cliffhangers!
While series should ideally be read in order, all of Zoe’s books are standalones and can be read in any order. This includes books within series.
Where to begin. I've been getting more and more into shifter books lately, and this was my first unicorn shifter book I believe. I love that instead of "fated mates," it's called fated rider. lol. In Bound to the Unicorn, we meet unicorn shifter Aodhan who has no interest in meeting his "fated rider," unlike all the others. He much prefers books over these nonsense. I don't blame him. Same bud. We also meet FMC Cathy whom is a "40-something" year old single mom to a pre-teen boy. When the "fated" calls to Aodhan, he finds himself near the human Cathy... whose response is to literally hit him with a frying pan. And yes, she's human.. not a fae like Aodhan expected. She gets throw into a whole new world with Aodhan.. and it's there she realizes some odd stuff about herelf and life... like that her son was swapped with a fairy changeling. whoops. And naturally, she has to save him right? Aodhan is along for the ride to help. He figures out that if they can save her son, Cathy will go back home and out of his life... and he can then go back to his books...... or can he? He's so convinced he WON'T. fall in love.. silly man.
overall, a cute read with some drama and action. I do think it could have been a little shorter s some of the chapters / paragraphs weren't really necessary and didn't add to the story much. BUT overall, a solid book. I'll definitey check out others in the series. OH and it IS nice to see older single moms reprsented too. <3
This book could have been so epic!! The characters don't really interact except at the beginning... Come on... Another world, child to save, fated mate and splat...
The extra mom energy we had at the start disappears.
I was excited about this new world yet they all could have been walking in a park. Don't we all know faerie is dangerous right down to the plants??? The world build sunk like Atlantis. As for the characters, you know where I'm going with this...
I loved loved reading Aodhan, Cathy and Kevin’s story. It has a bit of excitement and danger mixed in with all the swoony love. I definitely felt connected to Aodhan and Cathy’s struggles with self-worth. Cathy is a human single mom who has devoted her life to being the best mother. When she learns that her son, Kevin, has been taken to the fae realm as a changeling, she agrees to travel there In order to rescue him. Aodhan is a alicorn mage who has learned to shape shift into a human. He has no desire to be “called” by a warrior and be bonded as a noble steed. He is therefore surprised that he is called to Cathy by fate rather than a ritual. His intention is to help her rescue Kevin and send her back to the human realm so he will never risk having to be a noble steed again. But rescuing Kevin is not as easy as it first appears and the more time Aodhan and Cathy spend together the more their feelings deepen. The book is fairly low angst and has a little bit of everything - sweet moments, steamy encounters, dangerous action, strong friendships, paranormal beings, mystery, suspense, painful pasts, political intrigue, mystical coincidences, healing, and laughs. Experiencing the journey of Aodhan and Cathy’s HEA gave me all the feels - you will definitely laugh, tear up, swoon, grit your teeth, and happy sigh. The book was well written and included characters with depth who grow and an engaging story line. I am looking forward to reading more in the series. I willingly reviewed an early copy of this book.
Cover Blurb: He swore to bow his head to no fae. But one human woman has the power to bring him to his knees…
Every winged unicorn dreams of being Called by their fated rider — except Aodhan. For him, books hold far more appeal than prancing around as some knight’s soulbound war-steed. He’s mastered magic, learned to shapeshift and surrounded himself with powerful protective wards… and it’s all for nothing. When he feels the Call, his damn animal instincts still yank him out of his peaceful library and to his would-be rider’s side. Only for his fated soulmate to whirl round, scream, and hit him over the horn with a cast iron frying pan. Up until that morning, Cathy was just an overworked forty-something single mom struggling to deal with a surly pre-teen son. Now she’s wildly out of place in a dark, dangerous realm, armed with nothing but desperation and a skillet. Turns out puberty wasn’t to blame for her kid’s sudden attitude problem. Dark elves replaced him with a fairy changeling, whisking her real son away to their glittering, decadent court — and as his mother, Cathy is the only one who can get him back. Cathy has no idea why this aloof, powerful fae shapeshifter insists on joining her quest, and Aodhan has no intention of letting her uncover the true nature of the bond between them. If they can rescue her son, she’ll return to her own world. He’ll be free once more… as long as he doesn’t succumb to a force even stronger than fate.
It was a different story buy I enjoyed it. I found him to be quite different mostly because he tried not avoid his mate through most of the story and was doing things in out of the ordinary way in order to accomplish things. Also for being a master mage he didn't seem to know a lot about magic per se and even had problems finding spells he needed to use. I like that she became her whole magical person. Cat crow was funny especially how he was starving always. I liked noodle showing up to help out on the quest to find Kevin. The oak not wanting to make the bed bigger was funny. There is a lot of humor in the story. A lot of quirky people who have different mentalities to understand because of their world. Its a good story but so sad to take someone's child.
It feels like I waited forever for this book. It was well worth it. I have not read a 'Zoe' book I haven't loved. I suggest reading book 1 first. The relationship between Aodhan and Cathy wasn't the insta-love that most PNR has. It progressed at a more realistic pace. Full of action, suspense and magic. So many great new characters were introduced. That has to be a guarantee there will be more great stories to come. My only complaint is having to wait to see what comes next.
This delightful mostly stand-alone sequel is everything I enjoy about Zoe Chant’s stories. The bed guys are bad, but not necessarily evil. The good guys are good, but flawed in interesting ways. There is magic, a complex society, and wonderfully described people, places, and things.
This was my third time reading this story and I know I will read it again, soon.
I love the grumpy male lead character. It was a lot of fun to read, had some nice twists and turns along the way. Motley is my favorite side character in this series. I so hope to see Motley as a min character someday in his own book!!!!! If you love the fire and rescue series then you will love this one too. Okay Zoe Chant bring us some more Motley!
As someone who, from a very young age, has always found libraries a place of comfort and wonder, the primary setting of this book was a dream come true. A well crafted tale of magic and the power of love written with a keen sense of humor and whimsy. Can’t wait for the next book in the series!
Awesome storyline, great adventure daring mother faces dangers in Fairy world to find her son whom has been taken by the Fea! She faces dangers, but soon find a companion to find her son. Drama, action, laughs, witty Mage, and a don't messs with Mommy! I hope the author has started writing the series again.
This was a very enjoyable book. The characters were well defined and three dimensional. The take on elves and fairies and other fae things was interesting and not the least bit predictable (at least to me). The magic was clever and seemed fresh to me. I could happily read many more books about these characters.
This is a super fun story that i couldn't put down. I loved Cathy and Aodhan and seeing how their love developed. This the the second book in the Mythic Mates series and while It can be read as a standalone I would recommend reading book one first. I can't wait for the next one.
A fabulous addition to the Chant library of stories! Tamsin’s friend, Cathy, finds her son has been taken by the fae. She goes to rescue her son. Aodhan is an alicorn shapeshifter and mage.
Great story with a HEA ending. I cannot wait for the next story in this series!
When your sweet young son turns into a pre-teen with hormones raging, a smart mouth, lack of respect, and utter disregard for anyone else ... what can you do? And to top it off ... Nopie, sorry, gotta read the book!
Cathy and Aodhan's story I was pleasantly surprised. The first few pages led me to believe I wouldn't like this book. But then the action started. Well written. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys fantasy and/or shifter novels.
Amazing story I swear she gets better and better every time. I can’t wait for the next book. It had everything adventure, romance, witty bantering. I am going to read it over and over again.
Still with the fated mates theme, Cathy has to find her son. He was stolen by Maeve the Unseelie queen. But what a puzzle to get him back! And the fae can't live, but oh, they can deceive! Only a true mate can help! Good read!
Loved the story line, the development of the characters and the detail in the setting. I couldn't put it down, and can't wait for the next book in the series! Great work, Zoe Chant.
It’s got everything love story, magic, bad guy and doofuses for aristocracy. The dialogue is witty, the main characters magical but also very caring. This second in the series is well written, perfect summer relaxation reading.
An enchanting tale about a kidnapped child, who can’t remember, a reclusive librarian who wants to be left alone, a mother who wants her child back, fae magic, danger and true love in this incredible story
Loved the characters and the storyline and couldn't put it down so it's a well deserved five stars and I would recommend this book to everyone and can't wait to read more in this series
This was a superb book. I really enjoyed that Cathy was more than she appeared to be and Kevin was a real 12 year old with all the cheek. I do recommend reading this book. Loved it.
I'm definitely intrigued with the storyline and the Fae. I liked this book more then the first. Love Cathy and how she found her son and power. A sweet slow burn love story. Can't wait for the next one
A mothers love. A noble quest. A reluctant steed. This is a fairytale in the truest sense. It is chock full of magic and adventure and humor, as well as spice. An excellent treat of a weekend read to whisk you away!
Another good book by MS Chant. I love a good paranormal romance. You know they will get together in the end, but how hard will the journey to forever be. When will they realize it. Can't wait for the third one.
I was not feeling the beginning and left this book for awhile. Had to get in the right mindset. Glad I came back. It is one of my favorite by the author. Well planned out, logical with awesome imagination. Can not wait to read the next one.
I loved this one even more than the first. Aodan and Cathy are just.. absolute goals. They teach you a lot about always having a choice, about love awaited love and always having the opportunity to learn something new.
Oh I’m loving this magical world! So many wonderful descriptions of the fae realm! Aodhan is such a loveable grump! He’s so resistant to what Cathy represents but also can’t not help her as she quests to find her son.