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3.55 AVERAGE
3.55 AVERAGE
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This book was so cozy and fun. Despite it having a trope I don’t necessarily gravitate towards, this book never failed to deliver. What do you mean this man saved her broken heirloom necklace and fixed it for her?
The narrators did such an amazing job on this audiobook. They brought this book to life and really heightened my reading experience.
A huge thank you to NetGalley, Tantor Audio, and author Cora Crane for this Advanced Listener Copy in exchange for my honest review
The narrators did such an amazing job on this audiobook. They brought this book to life and really heightened my reading experience.
A huge thank you to NetGalley, Tantor Audio, and author Cora Crane for this Advanced Listener Copy in exchange for my honest review
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Thank you to NetGalley and Tantor Audio for the ALC!
I’m absolutely loving cozy fantasies right now, and listening to them as audiobooks is such a fun experience. There’s something so soothing and calm about listening to a low-stakes fantasy story about a human innkeeper and an orc brewmaster fake dating to accomplish their own goals and accidentally falling in love in the process.
I’m absolutely loving cozy fantasies right now, and listening to them as audiobooks is such a fun experience. There’s something so soothing and calm about listening to a low-stakes fantasy story about a human innkeeper and an orc brewmaster fake dating to accomplish their own goals and accidentally falling in love in the process.
It’s a bully romance without having to experience a lot of the bullying, which I prefer because they aren’t my favourite. He bullied her as teens, but now they’re adults and turns out he REALLY likes her. There’s a lot of romantic tension between the two, and the narrators of this audiobook do a fantastic job of bringing it to life. They really embody the characters, and I always love having two narrators, especially when the book is in both perspectives.
The story was sweet if predictable, but that’s one of the nice things about cozy fantasy. You’re not there for a twisty plot. This was my first cozy fantasy with spice, and I think I’ve decided I don’t hate having spice in my cozy fantasy, but I probably don’t want it on audio in the future. It’s funny, because I don’t necessarily mind it in other books, but something about it being in cozy fantasy weirded me out and messed with my vibes a bit. I can eyeball read it just fine. 😂
If you’re looking for a spicy cozy fantasy, I definitely recommend this one. It’s a story of overcoming prejudices, set in a magical town in a world that is still learning to combine the magical with the human world. It has its funny moments, sweet moments, and spice to pull it all together. Add it to your cozy fantasy TBR today!
I was charmed by this cute love story between an Orc and a Human.
Thorak is an orc who owns a brewery and is trying to expand into the human world. Mariah is an innkeeper whose place is in need of some serious repairs. Thorak and Mariah went to school together and he is actually her childhood bully - what Mariah doesn’t know is that Thorak has been secretly in love with her for years.
When an important investor questions Thorak’s qualifications to expand to the human world, Thorak panics and blurts out that he has a human fiancée.
Does he really though?!?!
Spoiler: he does not.
Don't worry though, this is a fake dating/engagement trope. Mariah overhears the meeting, and the two strike a deal—she’ll pretend to be his fiancée and help him impress the investor, and he’ll pay for her inn’s repairs.
There are smalltown shenanigans, miscommunications and some cringey-but-fun moments (as expected with a cozy, Hallmark-esque romance), but I had a good time. It is an adorable love story with a sweet Happily-Ever-After.
Tropes/Themes:
*former bully romance
*fake engagement/dating
*miscommunication
*monster/human prejudism
*spicy
*small town romance
*HEA
4/5 stars - Would fake date an orc again.
***Thank you to Cora Crane and Tantor Audio for the ARC copy of the audiobook***
Thorak is an orc who owns a brewery and is trying to expand into the human world. Mariah is an innkeeper whose place is in need of some serious repairs. Thorak and Mariah went to school together and he is actually her childhood bully - what Mariah doesn’t know is that Thorak has been secretly in love with her for years.
When an important investor questions Thorak’s qualifications to expand to the human world, Thorak panics and blurts out that he has a human fiancée.
Does he really though?!?!
Spoiler: he does not.
Don't worry though, this is a fake dating/engagement trope. Mariah overhears the meeting, and the two strike a deal—she’ll pretend to be his fiancée and help him impress the investor, and he’ll pay for her inn’s repairs.
There are smalltown shenanigans, miscommunications and some cringey-but-fun moments (as expected with a cozy, Hallmark-esque romance), but I had a good time. It is an adorable love story with a sweet Happily-Ever-After.
Tropes/Themes:
*former bully romance
*fake engagement/dating
*miscommunication
*monster/human prejudism
*spicy
*small town romance
*HEA
4/5 stars - Would fake date an orc again.
***Thank you to Cora Crane and Tantor Audio for the ARC copy of the audiobook***
This book is a cozy, spicy absolute delight. It is a book that fights prejudice shows us that people (or orcs) can change and fight back from how they were raised.
This story is a fake dating/ enemies(ish) to lovers romance with a lot of fun spice. It is a short story and quick read. It had a third act break up that has an unfortunate miscommunication trope i wish we couldve skipped but i enjoyed the rest of the story enough that it was not a deal breaker for me.
Thank you to netgalley for the audiobook of this book. I loved the narrators. It was done very well and brought the story to life and was a very enjoyable read.
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Loveable characters:
Yes
Mariah finds herself tangled up with her high school bully, an orc named Thorak. It has been years since they’ve been in each other’s company. Despite their past, sparks fly. Will they be able to explore their connection, or will old wounds haunt their future?
This book was a delightful cozy fantasy. There was angst and miscommunication, but it wasn’t enough to stress me out. I felt that the conflict was resolved well. I want to know more about all of the characters mentioned! I hope Ecco has a book where she finds her happily ever after. I also hope the lore expands in future books. There are separate human lands and this town where species mix. Does that mean there’s also creature only lands?
The audiobook was a great way to experience this story. There was high production quality and the narrators were easy to understand. This book was a good intro to this world. It was light and easy to read. I recommend it, especially if you’re headed for a reading slump!
The world-building is minimal, but it’s a feel good short and easy monster romance, so I don’t think it’s really necessary. I love the fake engagement trope, but I would have loved more tension, especially if the FMC previously supposedly hated him.
I don’t like the “he was mean to her because he liked her” excuse, I would much rather our MMC have just been mean because he had been influenced by his parents beliefs and/or the war from the past, and then had his own growth over the years and realized he was wrong in his prejudices and now is sorry.
There is a lack of character development, we don’t really know who Mariah is besides a human who works at an inn, and Thorak is a rich orc who runs a brewery.
There wasn’t enough relationship building to emotionally invest in them or feel chemistry, they were both immediately in love with each other without any reason why. I wish Mariah wasn’t so quick to want him, some resolve would have been great to build up tension, the idea of Thorak winning her over would have been preferable.
I don’t like the “he was mean to her because he liked her” excuse, I would much rather our MMC have just been mean because he had been influenced by his parents beliefs and/or the war from the past, and then had his own growth over the years and realized he was wrong in his prejudices and now is sorry.
There is a lack of character development, we don’t really know who Mariah is besides a human who works at an inn, and Thorak is a rich orc who runs a brewery.
There wasn’t enough relationship building to emotionally invest in them or feel chemistry, they were both immediately in love with each other without any reason why. I wish Mariah wasn’t so quick to want him, some resolve would have been great to build up tension, the idea of Thorak winning her over would have been preferable.
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The Orc and The Innkeeper is a cozy and enjoyable read or listen, but it treads a familiar path. I think as soon as the story started, I knew exactly where it was going, especially with the return of the MMC's ex to town. So it's a familiar yet comfortable and easy book to read.
I listened to the audiobook and I enjoyed both narrators. It was dual narration and both narrators did a good job with the voices of the opposite gender - they didn't annoy me like narrators sometimes can when the voices are forced or stereotypically high pitched and whiny or gruff and low to represent female and male voices. It was easy to listen to and I consumed it in one go.
So, it was a comforting, easy-read/listen but I wished that it had strayed from the Hallmark script a bit and offered something a little different plot-wise other than the addition of the orcs and other fantasy creatures.
Disclaimer: I received an Advance Reader Copy from Tantor Audio and NetGalley but this is my voluntary and honest review.
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes