Reviewed by Taylin
TITLE: Repairing Destiny
SERIES: Standalone
AUTHOR: Geneva Vand
PUBLISHER: Self-Published
LENGTH: 201 pages
RELEASE DATE: September 25, 2023
BLURB:
The magic that was gifted to Prince Avery’s family has always been a part of his life. When he was fifteen, that magic marked him as the heir to the throne. Ever since, he’s known that someday that same magic will lead him to his one true love and a magical bond that will tie them together.
Avery knows that even magically destined love will still take work and love is always complicated, especially for a royal. He’s prepared for some complications, like his destined bonded being politically challenging or a gender he’s not romantically attracted to. He’s not prepared for poachers, broken magic, and a surly but intriguing cat shifter that threatens to break his heart.
Avery is convinced that the two of them can find their happily ever after, but Kael is hurting and resistant. How can Avery convince Kael to believe in the magic when Kael’s own magic is so broken?
you’d think this would by angsty but no, Kael doesn’t want to like Avery but Avery is just too sweet to resist, Avery doesn’t realize he’s adorable, the siblings all think that’s hilarious, mages trying to fix magic with cuddles, Avery’s love language might be snacks
REVIEW:
Avery sets out to find his ‘future bonded’ with many ‘what ifs?’. He doesn’t expect Kael to have similar questions. It is also a shock when he discovers that Kael’s magic is broken and can’t immediately feel the connection between them. In Avery’s head, he knows the logic of the situation, but his heart is on a different wavelength.
Repairing Destiny is a sweet tale that I’d ideally read on Sunday afternoon lazing in a hammock. The story didn’t set my world alight, but if you are after a low angst, light-hearted excursion into a different world – this fits the bill.
The story is told in the first person from Avery’s viewpoint. Worldbuilding provides extensive visuals on the city of Aurwick, its lands, and its people, and for the most part, Avery doesn’t take himself or his family too seriously, which was nice to read.
When Avery describes his parents and siblings, they are clearly a close-knit unit, with a mixture of shifters and magic within the ranks. They also get on with, and admire their guards, who are scarily efficient and hold their royal charges in high esteem. I liked the scenes involving the guards.
As for Kael – he is discovered after a traumatic event that screwed up his magic. To this end, he is plunged into a situation where the fated mates’ gig stings of lack of choice, and without his magic, he doesn’t trust his instincts either. So, Kael is fighting his emotions on several levels. Helping him along the way, Kael’s twin sister bridges the gap between her brother and Avery. She was sweet enough, and her presence had a purpose, but after a while, she kinda got in the way. I’m all for family-orientated stories, but at the end of the day, when I’m reading a m/m romance, I don’t particularly want a female third wheel dominating the scene.
For the characters, Repairing Destiny was an emotional journey as opposed to physically dramatic, and even then, it was more on the doubts and what-ifs side of things. With that in mind, I felt I was told the story rather than experienced it. Nevertheless, there was plenty to like and a lovely read between cups of Sunday afternoon teas and biscuits.
RATING: 
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