After reading/listening to several contemporary MM romances in a row, I was ready to dive headlong into a light, sweet, other-worldly story and “The Guppy Prince” fit that bill. The story took off pretty quickly with royal merman Dover answering the mating call by finding his human fated mate Ben, as did their relationship (it is an insta-love story, after all!). The cast of characters was quite large and somewhat difficult to follow initially, but author C.W. Gray gave them all distinct voices and roles to play.
A bit more world-building would’ve added some welcome depth without dragging down the overall light and playful tone, especially since the setup for doing so was there and the sea witch’s generations-long curse affecting both merman kingdoms is so central to the story. But what a unique paranormal world, where shifters of all kinds, vampires, witches, and humans roam amongst and in full knowledge of each other, not to mention being fated mates. It was all intriguing enough to pique my curiosity about where the series will go in the next book(s). A prequel about Dover’s parents could also be quite interesting, as their backstory was an important element in this story.
Connor Brown was a new narrator to me, and he proved a capable one with this solid performance.
I received this audiobook for free by request and provided this honest review voluntarily.