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    SERIES REVIEW: Paranormal Princes Books 2 & 3 by Charlie Cochet

    Paranormal Princes is one the most enjoyable shifter series I have ever read.

    When I started on the series, I wasn’t that familiar yet with Charlie Cochet‘s writing. My first experience with her early shifter stories was a miss. This was soon put to rights by the hilarious and adorable The Prince and His Bedeviled Bodyguard. This is the first novella about an ocelot shifter prince who had to go on a quest accompanied by a grim wolf shifter acting as his bodyguard. It had all the humor and charm I have come to associate with the author.

    Paranormal Princes is set in an alt-universe where all kinds of shifters exist, everything from hummingbirds to whales. Not just shifters but fae, ancients gods and mythical creatures too.

    The father and King of All Shifters is Alarick. With the help of his advisor and long-time friend, Jean, he designs a quest for each shifter prince or princess. They are accompanied by a companion, chosen for them by the king. Many of his children were not happy with it. That is, until they realized it was for the best.


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    Paranormal Princes: The Prince and His Captivating Carpenter – Charlie Cochet

    PRINCE BERND

    As Prince of the Bear Shifters, I knew the time would come for me to prove myself worthy of my crown. I expected my quest to be perilous. What I didn’t expect was for it to take me up into Espen Mountain, a place that’s brought me nothing but grief and terrible nightmares. Not only must I find the five magical ingredients, but I have to do so alongside Saer, a mysterious and charming shifter coyote summoned by the king to be my guide. But who is Saer, and why do I feel as if we’ve met before?

    SAER

    Crushing on Prince Bernd from afar was one thing. Being given the responsibility of saving the prince and his kingdom was a whole other story. Banished from my kingdom by my own prince years ago, I never imagined I would be summoned to help Bernd. What could I possibly offer a prince? How was I supposed to save him? I was no one. A shifter with no place to call home. What I did know was that I would do everything in my power to help Bernd succeed on his quest. All I had to do was stop crushing on the guy, find the magical ingredients hidden up a dangerous mountain, and save his heart. What could go wrong?


    Prince Bernd is the Prince of Bear Shifters. He inherited the throne after his father died a tragic death in Espen Mountain. Bernd is still mourning his death years after. He closed himself off, spending more and more time in the library amidst the beautiful furniture lovingly made for him. The Prince is hot-tempered but he is devoted to his mom and his siblings. He takes his responsibilities to them and his kingdom seriously.

    Then the fateful day arrived when the king assigned him his quest to the very same mountain his father died. He was to be accompanied by Saer who will act as his guide. Attractive though he was, Bernd couldn’t understand why the king chose him. Saer was a complete stranger.

    The Prince and His Captivating Carpenter is a story of grief and healing. It’s not as funny as the first book but it had plenty of cute moments too. Saer was all adorably shy and awkward during their first meeting. He had been crushing on the prince for a very long time. The prince, unfortunately, didn’t even know he existed.

    I was neutral about Bernd for much of the story. For their quest, it was really Saer who did most of the work. However, their adventure opened the prince’s eyes to the realities of his kingdom as well as the beautiful things he missed because of his grief.

    Like all the books in the series, the romance was wonderfully done. It was interwoven seamlessly with the overarching thread. The chemistry between Bernd and Saer was so palpable, even they couldn’t deny there was something between them. Bernd might be the biggest, most powerful bear but he was also a teddy bear.

    The ending played out as expected. There were not many surprises here. It did, however, provide a nice jumping off point for the final book.

    Rating:
    3.5 Stars – that place between like and love

    Soundtrack: The Healing
    Artist: Carfax Abbey
    Album: Second Skin


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    Paranormal Princes: The King and His Vigilant Valet – Charlie Cochet

    JEAN

    The past has a way of catching up with you, even if you are immortal. I’ve spent thousands of years as the valet and companion to the powerful King of All Shifters. It has been my honor and duty to protect, serve, and advise him. I never intended to fall in love with him. My past is filled with death and bloodshed, but I never once regretted keeping Alarick safe. Now an evil I thought long gone has resurfaced, determined to kill Alarick and plunge the world into chaos. Saving Alarick means revealing the truth about myself. I don’t know what’s worse, failing to protect the king I love, or watching him turn away from me in disgust when he discovers what I really am.

    KING ALARICK

    As King of All Shifters, my powers are connected to the cosmos, and I have been around since the dawn of time. There are few things that can kill me. Unfortunately, one of those things has escaped its prison and is set to destroy me. The only weapon that can defeat this creature is the Scythe of Kronos, which has been missing for nearly as long as I have lived. When Jean and I set out on a quest to find the scythe, questions I had long ignored must now be answered. What is Jean’s connection to this evil? Why will he trust me with his life but not his secrets? As my most trusted valet, and my greatest friend, surely nothing that happens along this perilous journey can change what I feel in my heart for him. Or can it?


    Now here is a love story thousands of years in the making. Talk about slow burn!

    As many reader might notice from the start, King Alarick is a doofus. He is spectacularly oblivious to his best friend’s more than friendly feelings towards him.

    Jean has been with the king for a very, very long time. He was actually the one who designed the quests. Jean is very loyal to Alarick. Despite being blind, he is the king’s fiercest, most formidable warrior. He developed quite an intimidating reputation. He is also very mysterious. Not even Alarick knew what kind of creature he is.

    Alarick and Jean’s story picks up directly after the second book. A threat to the king’s life was revealed. This was connected to Jean’s past, something he had long since buried. The monster can only be killed by the Scythe of Kronos.

    The two friends embarked on a quest to look for the weapon. Along the way, they met several of the king’s shifter children who wanted to help. They met some of his past flames too. Jealous Jean is cute Jean.

    I love how the king doesn’t mind that people were pissed at him, most of the characters here were. But when somebody tries to talk smack about Jean, he puts the bitch in place. He does it firmly in the nicest way possible because the king is a genial, easygoing sort of guy. I have never seen him lose his temper, ever. Not even when whacked half-way across the ocean by an irate siren.

    The King and His Vigilant Valet is the best kind of shmoopy, squeetastic fluff! When I first met them, it seemed Alarick and Jean’s dynamics was that of the bumbling superior and the wise assistant. But here we see a new side to the always composed Jean, a flustered blushy side that’s freakin’ adorable! Alarick was a lot smarter than people give him credit for. And he was just so infinitely kind. It was that very goodness that made Jean fall in love with him all those years ago dancing together at the Parthenon.

    And damn, the twists were so clever! All the things that were built up since book one came together beautifully. The scene where all the shifter princes rally to defend their king was as epic as that scene where all the Avengers and their friends popped out of portals to fight Thanos. The revelations were very unexpected. I would never have guessed the real purpose of the quests and Jean’s true identity. And why he is blind.

    All in all, a grand and very sweet finale fit for the immortal king who started it all.

    Rating:
    5 Stars – absolutely perfect

    Soundtrack: Never Tear Us Apart
    Artist: INXS
    Album: Never Tear Us Apart

    P.S.

    Paranormal Princes should be read in order. Start by meeting the adorable diva prince Owin and the valiant warrior Grimm in The Prince and His Bedeviled Bodyguard. And oh, don’t call Owin adorable (at least not to his face). He prefers fierce.


    If you like my content, please consider using my Amazon affiliate links below to get your copy of Paranormal Princes. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying Amazon purchases at no additional cost to you.

    You can also use my Bookshop affiliate links to buy paperback copies and help support independent bookstores.

    THE PRINCE AND HIS BEDEVILED BODYGUARD
    THE PRINCE AND HIS CAPTIVATING CARPENTER
    THE KING AND HIS VIGILANT VALET

  • book,  Uncategorized

    REVIEW: The Prince and His Bedeviled Bodyguard by Charlie Cochet

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    Paranormal Princes: The Prince and His Bedeviled Bodyguard – Charlie Cochet

    Prince Owin

    Being a fierce predator—not at all adorable, despite my graceful stature—the last thing I needed was a bodyguard. Especially a wolf shifter, whose presence alone was an insult to my princely principles. As Prince of the Ocelot Shifters, I prided myself on my infallible feline instincts, uncompromisable dignity, and flawless fashion sense. If having a canine follow me around at all times wasn’t bad enough, I now faced the most important moment of my entire life. The time had come to prove I was worthy of my crown. If only I could find a way to get rid of the pesky bodyguard.

    Grimmwolf

    When the King of All Shifters asked me to guard Prince Owin, I admit I had no idea what to expect. Cat shifters tend to be a little intense, not to mention kinda cranky. Owin was no exception, though he seemed crankier than most. Being his bodyguard was proving to be one of the greatest challenges of my life—but not nearly as great as convincing him there was something special between us. When Owin is faced with a perilous quest to prove his worth, I was determined to keep him safe, even if the same couldn’t be said of my heart.


    Charlie Cochet is a hit or miss author for me. While her charming historical series, The Auspicious Troubles of Love, hit all the right spots, her shifter books, Soldati Hearts, missed by a mile.

    I’m happy to say that the first book of Paranomal Princes, The Prince and His Bedeviled Bodyguard is adorbs! And soooo much FUN!

    Prince Owin of the Ocelots is not adorable. No, no, not adorable at all (he will scratch me if I say adorable one more time). He is a spoiled brat and a hot mess but you’ll love him anyway.

    Grimm is the bodyguard. He’s an alpha wolf and successor to the Grimmwolf clan. He’s loyal, brave and strong, everything you’ll ever want from a bodyguard and more. You’ll love him immediately.

    Together they embarked on a quest that took them to many far flung corners of the kingdom. They meet other magical creatures who all tried to kill Owin (because he’s a prince who’s being very princely with them). It was all Grimm could do to keep him alive.

    As to the travel part, don’t worry, no long drawn-out journeys here (gad I hate those). They have handy dandy portals.

    This is a fairy tale about the things one hold dear and what one willing to sacrifice for power. This is also a delicious, low-angst, opposites-attract, (kinda) enemies-to-lovers romance with the kind of seme you wish you could take home.

    I love the dynamics between Grimm’s dog-like seme and Owin’s bratty uke. Their interactions made the simple story come alive.

    Cochet also teased us with King Alarick and his friend/confidant Jean, who has an unrequited love for the clueless monarch. Their story better come soon!

    I highly recommend The Prince and His Bedeviled Bodyguard. The plot followed the tried and tested route of the quest trope. Still, the author was able to pull off a highly entertaining story with endearing characters, hilarious antics, fantastic chemistry and engaging writing.

    Do read if you like light-hearted stories with sneaky cave snuggles, outdoor displays of princely privates, and a whole lot of hissy fits and dogged determination.

    P.S.

    Charlie Cochet books here.

    Rating:
    4.5 Stars – perfection is only half a step away

    Soundtrack: I Choose You
    Artist: Tears for Fears
    Album: Raoul and the Kings of Spain