Have you ever dreamed of a love story between a woman and a flamingo? Is this even possible?
A Sweet Escape with a Twist
The Flamingo’s Fated Mate is the first in a series about lawn ornament shifters. The book tells the tale of an unlikely romance between a baker named Anita and a billionaire who also happens to be a flamingo shifter.
Anita, a new resident of the town, is trying to get her bakery “Donut Worry, Be Happy” off the ground. She was commissioned for two thousand cupcakes to deliver for the Wild and Wet Charity Gala. It was an ambitious undertaking that left Anita baking all night long. But fate had other plans.
Imagine her dismay when she braves a storm to deliver the cupcakes only to find out the event has been canceled, thanks to a terrible storm. This is just the start of a series of unfortunate events for Anita – the person she thought was a janitor turns out to be none other than the rich host of the party.
Frank is an artist who creates one-of-a-kind moving sculptures, which he sells to high-end collectors and to mainstream stores. As a result, he’s become a gazillionaire; he’s practically overflowing with wealth.
Unbeknownst to Anita, Frank is also a flamingo shifter. The moment their eyes met, he knew Anita was his Fated Mate, and they quickly established that Frank’s world is indeed wealthy and filled with possibilities.
Then comes the storm, plunging them into darkness.
With no power in a big…IDK, charity venue? Is it a hotel? A club? The storm raged on, but they were left stranded together, all through the night. They have a lot of time to get to know each other.
The book’s author was inspired by an April Fool’s joke and doesn’t take itself too seriously. There isn’t a lot of plot here. It’s silly in a way that is meant to be funny, but then it becomes something else entirely as the characters navigate their world.
The banter between Anita and Frank is charming, at least in the first half of the book. Even though the story has been described by some as “corny,” the humor never fails to leave you chuckling. Frank writes a terrible poem that charmed me all to bits, but then there’s a game of Simon Says that just goes on forever, and I went from liking this couple to wanting them to be swept away in the storm.
There is one scene that gets stuck with you and it’s hard to ignore.
“They were stupendous breasts. They were round in all the right places… What? What does that even mean? Is there a wrong place for breasts to be round?
The description is so awkward, it’s almost unbelievable! I’ve never read anything like it. It felt as if someone had taken the worst parts of every bad romance novel and mashed them together in one terrible scene.
Frank offers to use a condom and Anita tells him he doesn’t have to because she’s on the pill. But what about STDs? You’ve only been hanging out for less than 24 hours, guys!
Despite all of that, the book is a sweet, heartwarming story about nice people with an emphasis on consent and emotional safety. At least 50% of it is funny and cute. There are no stakes here; it’s as cozy as can be, with characters who literally build a blanket fort.
Are you curious to find out more? Check out the book!