The Orc and the Innkeeper by Cora Crane
Release Date: July 12, 2024
Content Notes
Enemies to Lovers
Ribbed for her pleasure
Magical Lube
Small Town
Sexy Groveling
High School Bullying
Cora Crane has to be channeling those cheesy Hallmark romance movies for The Orc and the Innkeeper and the Elderberry Falls series. I would recommend this book for soft monster lovers. The drama is low-stakes, and the adorableness is high. Also, there’s a teacup boar. As a relevant side note, I love the idea of more teacup boars showing up as orc pets. They are like savage little dogs with delicate hooves. I wish we got more boar time.
With their heavy fantasy reading backgrounds, I suspect the typical monster romance reader would benefit from deeper world lore and character motivations. That being said, the monster romance world and its reader diversity are expanding. Many of those readers want exactly what Crane is serving.
The Orc’s Stolen Bride by Honey Phillips
Release Date: September 5, 2024
Content Notes
Orcs Dying Out
Language Barrier
Nerdy FMC
Traveling Across Dimensions
Viking Orcs
Knotting
Breeding
How did Honey Phillips end The Orc’s Stolen Bride so that it felt like a cliffhanger? And, yet! It wasn’t a cliffhanger. This story was tight and teased a lot more fun and lore in the background. I finished it in a couple of hours, but now I want more, please.
I see a lot of promise in The Five Kingdoms series. This book feels like a small window into that world. I need more on the boatload of brides that arrived. I need more about these gods and the magic of this world. Some of this story gave me vibes similar to Ruby Dixon’s Aspect and Anchor series without being anything like a copy of it. So, those who like that series may want to give Philips a try over here.
Housekeeping
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