A review by rougesreads
On the Care and Keeping of Orcs by Kass O'Shire

adventurous emotional funny lighthearted reflective sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

To start, I want to discuss Orcs in Monster Romance. I have read way too many books where an Orc is an allegory for a negative stereotype of a black man or indigenous person , or an insensitive hodge podge of the two. This book is NOT like that. Orcs in this world have a culture that is distinct from real life allegories, and their physiology is unique from humans in our world AND in the fantasy world Kass O'Shire has crafted. I cannot express how refreshing it is to read about Orcs being fantasy Orcs instead of having to navigate whether or not what I am reading is being intentionally or unintentionally racist.

Now then, On the Care and Keeping of Orcs by Kass O'Shire is amazing, angsty, and incredibly sweet. Both the angst and the sweetness had me kicking my feet like a teenager while I was reading, the struggles are believable given how fleshed out Catrine and Torsten both are, and I was never confused about where the angsty situations came from. The spice is also top tier, Torsten knows how to dirty talk and Kass O'Shire knows how to use intimacy as character development moments. This book was an emotional ride to Happily Ever After that I wanted to be on because I cared about the characters dearly. 
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