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thebiglittlelibrary's Reviews (622)
3 ⭐️ A fluffy novella about a maiden and a half-orc
WHAT TO EXPECT:
✨ arranged marriage
✨ simping, orc hero
✨ innocent, 30-year-old, a tall, heroine
✨ loss of virginity
✨ “you can take it”
✨ primal play scene
✨ breeding kink
This is mostly a character-driven story where 90% is the romance, and 10% is plot. It’s the perfect book to read if you just want to relax and enjoy something fun.
I am absolutely obsessed with the hero, Agakor, who is a total simp for the heroine, Iolanthe. He is so damn sweet and is 100% the ideal husband! I also really appreciated how he handled Iolanthe being a virgin and so innocent. He was so patient and gentle. The king of consent! If only every girl's first time was with someone like home.
WHAT TO EXPECT:
✨ arranged marriage
✨ simping, orc hero
✨ innocent, 30-year-old, a tall, heroine
✨ loss of virginity
✨ “you can take it”
✨ primal play scene
✨ breeding kink
This is mostly a character-driven story where 90% is the romance, and 10% is plot. It’s the perfect book to read if you just want to relax and enjoy something fun.
I am absolutely obsessed with the hero, Agakor, who is a total simp for the heroine, Iolanthe. He is so damn sweet and is 100% the ideal husband! I also really appreciated how he handled Iolanthe being a virgin and so innocent. He was so patient and gentle. The king of consent! If only every girl's first time was with someone like home.
3 ⭐️ A sweet story but my least favorite in the series
Maggie and Beau embark on a journey of exploration to bring out their inner dom and sub. I loved their dynamic and thought they were super sweet together. I especially loved the emotional connections they made and the healing that went on during ‘scenes’. Specifically, the scene when Beau submits to the crop.
However, I now realize female doms and male subs are not really my thing, so I didn’t love this like the other books. But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t read it. If you love the series, don’t miss out on this story.
There were a couple of things, though, that I didn’t like or didn’t really seem to fit.
There weren’t really any high stakes, which meant there was hardly any tension or real conflict. Everything gets resolved pretty easily, and I found that a little boring.
Sometimes, the writing didn’t really flow easily. There were a few times I had to go back and reread sentences because the way they were put together just threw me off, which literally never happened in the previous books. So I don't know, maybe this book was a little rushed and could have gone through one more round of edits.
Making it a big deal that Maggie bought a house and was going to fix it up didn’t really add to the plot. It seemed like it was supposed to be important to the story with how it was set up, but nothing came of it.
Having Beau be Maggie’s handyman also was hardly utilized and didn’t seem to matter. I thought there would be more buildup or more importance to him helping her with the house, but it wasn’t. He was really only there to be Maggie's sub, and occasionally, he painted a few rooms.
At one point, Beau mentions how he’s cheated on every girlfriend he ever has had, and it really worries Maggie. She brings it up a couple of times, and it’s one thing that initially holds her back from 100% committing to Beau. But then they do end up committing, but his past cheating isn’t really discussed in much depth. Beau just says he would never do it, and that’s that. It felt brushed over when I think it should have confronted it more.
Beau’s mom is suddenly okay with him going to the sex club, and even running one after she has been bashing Emerson and his business for years seemed far-fetched. This woman was so hateful towards that club and people who go there, but she’s instantly okay with Beau’s involvement as long as he’s happy? Didn’t really make much sense to me.
I truly enjoy this series and am sad to see it come to an end. What a ride! Thank you, Sara Cate, for writing these entertaining, amazing stories that embrace sex and kinks in a positive and healthy way.
Maggie and Beau embark on a journey of exploration to bring out their inner dom and sub. I loved their dynamic and thought they were super sweet together. I especially loved the emotional connections they made and the healing that went on during ‘scenes’. Specifically, the scene when Beau submits to the crop.
However, I now realize female doms and male subs are not really my thing, so I didn’t love this like the other books. But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t read it. If you love the series, don’t miss out on this story.
There were a couple of things, though, that I didn’t like or didn’t really seem to fit.
There weren’t really any high stakes, which meant there was hardly any tension or real conflict. Everything gets resolved pretty easily, and I found that a little boring.
Sometimes, the writing didn’t really flow easily. There were a few times I had to go back and reread sentences because the way they were put together just threw me off, which literally never happened in the previous books. So I don't know, maybe this book was a little rushed and could have gone through one more round of edits.
Making it a big deal that Maggie bought a house and was going to fix it up didn’t really add to the plot. It seemed like it was supposed to be important to the story with how it was set up, but nothing came of it.
Having Beau be Maggie’s handyman also was hardly utilized and didn’t seem to matter. I thought there would be more buildup or more importance to him helping her with the house, but it wasn’t. He was really only there to be Maggie's sub, and occasionally, he painted a few rooms.
At one point, Beau mentions how he’s cheated on every girlfriend he ever has had, and it really worries Maggie. She brings it up a couple of times, and it’s one thing that initially holds her back from 100% committing to Beau. But then they do end up committing, but his past cheating isn’t really discussed in much depth. Beau just says he would never do it, and that’s that. It felt brushed over when I think it should have confronted it more.
Beau’s mom is suddenly okay with him going to the sex club, and even running one after she has been bashing Emerson and his business for years seemed far-fetched. This woman was so hateful towards that club and people who go there, but she’s instantly okay with Beau’s involvement as long as he’s happy? Didn’t really make much sense to me.
I truly enjoy this series and am sad to see it come to an end. What a ride! Thank you, Sara Cate, for writing these entertaining, amazing stories that embrace sex and kinks in a positive and healthy way.
2 ⭐ Started strong with the friends-to-lovers romance, but I just can't with the betrayals and 'past lovers' drama.
Just like the first book, I'm finding this hard to rate. There are things I like about the story and things I strongly dislike.
What I liked:
The friends-to-lovers/second-chance romance was sweet. It was adorable that Ella and Natt were childhood friends. But it made the betrayal so much worse (to be discussed in the section below).
The writing was solid. The story did drag a bit in the middle, but it wasn't too bad.
I really LOVED the continued world-building and the politics! This book dived deeper into orc history, the differences between the five orc clans, orc morals, and life under Orc Mountain.
The sex scenes were definitely something. There was a lot more exhibitionism/voyeurism in this book - we see orc orgies as well as human/orc intercourse in public. I definitely wouldn't want to get railed by an orc, but I'll admit, these scenes are pretty hot.
What I didn’t like:
When it's mentioned during sexual encounters how the slit on the head of his dick 'kisses' her mouth or the inside of her vagina. I honestly don't know if I understood it accurately because there were a few times I thought Ella was like, making out with the slit, and it was kissing her back. lol
Past lover drama kills me. I genuinely hate this in every book, so if this doesn't bother you, just ignore this. I get that orcs screw each other because there's a lack of females, but I just find it f*cking weird that their lovers are their friends. I get this is a totally different world, but it's hard for me to wrap my brain around how this would ever work - detaching emotions from screwing friends.
The way Natt's childhood sexual assault was discussed. I'm uncomfortable with this topic in general, but I don't feel like the author went deep enough into his trauma. The SA is mentioned, and Natt talks a little about his feelings, but that's it. It just seemed brushed over. If something this traumatic is going to be brought up, I would have liked for Natt and Ella to have a deeper conversation about it.
Natt totally gaslit Ella, and that pissed me off. Natt makes Ella feel like a terrible person for how she continued to live her life after Natt disappeared the first time. Ella didn't know what had happened to him, and when he shows back up, he still isn't forthcoming about anything. So naturally, she carries on with her own assumptions, which are typically wrong, but how is she supposed to know that when Natt won't tell her a damn thing???? And then, she APOLOGIZES to Natt for being engaged to Alfred because she wanted safety and security as a woman in a man's world and for hurting Natt's feelings. And then, she puts him on a pedal stool and says how he's perfect, and brilliant, and deserves everything he's ever wanted. All while he's still lying to her, making her fall in love with him, only to betray her. Nah, bro, f*ck that.
The Betrayal. I can't. Even writing this now, I feel so much anger at Natt, and Grimmarr. That mother f*cker Grimmarr did this same sh*t to Jule, and now he is forcing Natt to do this to Ella???? All for a job??? And Natt agrees??? What the actual f*ck??? He literally used her while making her believe their relationship was real. And yeah, yeah, he says it is real, and he loves her, but how can you love someone knowing you're going to hurt them like that? Especially when you had been friends - best friends??? But then, of course, Ella understands why Natt did this, forgives him, and almost dies for him!! As if her life doesn't matter. F*ck this.
After the betrayal, we discover why Natt couldn't return to Ella for the last 10 years, which made me forgive him a little bit. But seriously, Finely Fenn needed to reveal this sh*t sooner, so I don't hate Natt throughout the entire book.
Natt and Ella end up watching Dammarr and Thrak f*ck as some sort of proof that maybe Dammarr has finally moved on from Natt. It was hot, but f*cking weird because the scene was introduced with talk of how Natt and Dammarr were lovers and how Dammarr was mean to Ella because he was jealous of her relationship with Natt. And again, Dammarr and Thrak are Natt's friends/bodyguards, so it was just weird.
During the epilogue, Ella is throwing a party at her estate and celebrating her pregnancy. However, none of the humans know she's married, and the baby is an orc-son. So somehow the humans are fine with her being pregnant (allegedly) out of wedlock, but she was supposed to be a virgin before marriage? I don't quite understand the morals or what’s socially acceptable in this society.
Honestly, I want to keep reading because I really do like the world, orc/human political plot, and sex scenes, but I don't know if I can read another story about an orc betraying a woman. My heart breaks for them every time.
Just like the first book, I'm finding this hard to rate. There are things I like about the story and things I strongly dislike.
What I liked:
The friends-to-lovers/second-chance romance was sweet. It was adorable that Ella and Natt were childhood friends. But it made the betrayal so much worse (to be discussed in the section below).
The writing was solid. The story did drag a bit in the middle, but it wasn't too bad.
I really LOVED the continued world-building and the politics! This book dived deeper into orc history, the differences between the five orc clans, orc morals, and life under Orc Mountain.
The sex scenes were definitely something. There was a lot more exhibitionism/voyeurism in this book - we see orc orgies as well as human/orc intercourse in public. I definitely wouldn't want to get railed by an orc, but I'll admit, these scenes are pretty hot.
What I didn’t like:
When it's mentioned during sexual encounters how the slit on the head of his dick 'kisses' her mouth or the inside of her vagina. I honestly don't know if I understood it accurately because there were a few times I thought Ella was like, making out with the slit, and it was kissing her back. lol
Past lover drama kills me. I genuinely hate this in every book, so if this doesn't bother you, just ignore this. I get that orcs screw each other because there's a lack of females, but I just find it f*cking weird that their lovers are their friends. I get this is a totally different world, but it's hard for me to wrap my brain around how this would ever work - detaching emotions from screwing friends.
The way Natt's childhood sexual assault was discussed. I'm uncomfortable with this topic in general, but I don't feel like the author went deep enough into his trauma. The SA is mentioned, and Natt talks a little about his feelings, but that's it. It just seemed brushed over. If something this traumatic is going to be brought up, I would have liked for Natt and Ella to have a deeper conversation about it.
Natt totally gaslit Ella, and that pissed me off. Natt makes Ella feel like a terrible person for how she continued to live her life after Natt disappeared the first time. Ella didn't know what had happened to him, and when he shows back up, he still isn't forthcoming about anything. So naturally, she carries on with her own assumptions, which are typically wrong, but how is she supposed to know that when Natt won't tell her a damn thing???? And then, she APOLOGIZES to Natt for being engaged to Alfred because she wanted safety and security as a woman in a man's world and for hurting Natt's feelings. And then, she puts him on a pedal stool and says how he's perfect, and brilliant, and deserves everything he's ever wanted. All while he's still lying to her, making her fall in love with him, only to betray her. Nah, bro, f*ck that.
The Betrayal. I can't. Even writing this now, I feel so much anger at Natt, and Grimmarr. That mother f*cker Grimmarr did this same sh*t to Jule, and now he is forcing Natt to do this to Ella???? All for a job??? And Natt agrees??? What the actual f*ck??? He literally used her while making her believe their relationship was real. And yeah, yeah, he says it is real, and he loves her, but how can you love someone knowing you're going to hurt them like that? Especially when you had been friends - best friends??? But then, of course, Ella understands why Natt did this, forgives him, and almost dies for him!! As if her life doesn't matter. F*ck this.
After the betrayal, we discover why Natt couldn't return to Ella for the last 10 years, which made me forgive him a little bit. But seriously, Finely Fenn needed to reveal this sh*t sooner, so I don't hate Natt throughout the entire book.
Natt and Ella end up watching Dammarr and Thrak f*ck as some sort of proof that maybe Dammarr has finally moved on from Natt. It was hot, but f*cking weird because the scene was introduced with talk of how Natt and Dammarr were lovers and how Dammarr was mean to Ella because he was jealous of her relationship with Natt. And again, Dammarr and Thrak are Natt's friends/bodyguards, so it was just weird.
During the epilogue, Ella is throwing a party at her estate and celebrating her pregnancy. However, none of the humans know she's married, and the baby is an orc-son. So somehow the humans are fine with her being pregnant (allegedly) out of wedlock, but she was supposed to be a virgin before marriage? I don't quite understand the morals or what’s socially acceptable in this society.
Honestly, I want to keep reading because I really do like the world, orc/human political plot, and sex scenes, but I don't know if I can read another story about an orc betraying a woman. My heart breaks for them every time.
3 ⭐️ Interesting, but I'm not sure if Orcs are my thing
It’s hard for me to rate this because I liked certain parts of this book but also strongly disliked other parts.
What I liked:
• The writing was solid.
• The sex scenes. Even though some of it was shocking, why did these sex scenes turn me on? Did I just develop a breeding kink? Lol
• I really LOVED the world-building and politics! A great combo of romance and an interesting plot!
What I didn’t like:
• So much use of the word prick and seed. But also, this is just how it is in this world of Orcs, so best get used to it.
• Grimarr (the MMC) was a lying ass-hole and mean for way too long. He just wasn’t likable. I felt like he was constantly gaslighting Jule, who was already used to being controlled and manipulated by her narcissistic human husband.
It’s hard for me to rate this because I liked certain parts of this book but also strongly disliked other parts.
What I liked:
• The writing was solid.
• The sex scenes. Even though some of it was shocking, why did these sex scenes turn me on? Did I just develop a breeding kink? Lol
• I really LOVED the world-building and politics! A great combo of romance and an interesting plot!
What I didn’t like:
• So much use of the word prick and seed. But also, this is just how it is in this world of Orcs, so best get used to it.
• Grimarr (the MMC) was a lying ass-hole and mean for way too long. He just wasn’t likable. I felt like he was constantly gaslighting Jule, who was already used to being controlled and manipulated by her narcissistic human husband.
3.5 ⭐️ I had a pretty good time
I devoured this book in 4 hours, so from that alone, you know it’s easy to read and enjoyable. However, I didn’t connect with the characters, and I found both Aida (20-something) and Callum (early 30s) to be immature and emotionally unintelligent. I did like their chemistry, and the sex scenes were pretty good. For a mafia book, this wasn’t very dark either, which I expected, but I’m not mad about it.
I liked the overall romance and plot, but I’m really just looking forward to the rest of the series because of all the high praise of TikTok.
I devoured this book in 4 hours, so from that alone, you know it’s easy to read and enjoyable. However, I didn’t connect with the characters, and I found both Aida (20-something) and Callum (early 30s) to be immature and emotionally unintelligent. I did like their chemistry, and the sex scenes were pretty good. For a mafia book, this wasn’t very dark either, which I expected, but I’m not mad about it.
I liked the overall romance and plot, but I’m really just looking forward to the rest of the series because of all the high praise of TikTok.
2.5 ⭐️ Meh. A mafia Beauty and the Beast retelling that was extremely on the nose
The premise of the story is Beauty and the Beast. The sweet, wholesome, virginal Nessa gets kidnapped by “the Beast” (yes, she actually refers to him as this), aka Miko, who is the new Polish mafia boss, where she is used as a pawn in his plot for revenge. Nessa is kept as a prisoner in his old gothic mansion until she ends up softening the stone-cold heart of Miko. She’s also not allowed to go anywhere in the West Wing, she often finds herself in the library, and she becomes best friends with the help. Nessa is Belle 2.0.
I also truly don’t understand where Miko goes from hating Nessa to wanting to f*ck her to loving her. I guess it makes sense someone who closed themselves off emotionally could have a sudden realization like this, but it would have been more believable to see a more obvious progression of this change. He does slowly start to show her some kindness but even then I was confused as to why he did so in the first place. What about her is so special that she makes him want to be kind?
While I understood Nessa and Miko, I didn’t connect with them. Again, I was baffled how Nessa could change Miko so much. And I just do not see how someone like Nessa (so pure and wholesome) would ever be comfortable with Miko. Maybe I’m reading too much into this.
The premise of the story is Beauty and the Beast. The sweet, wholesome, virginal Nessa gets kidnapped by “the Beast” (yes, she actually refers to him as this), aka Miko, who is the new Polish mafia boss, where she is used as a pawn in his plot for revenge. Nessa is kept as a prisoner in his old gothic mansion until she ends up softening the stone-cold heart of Miko. She’s also not allowed to go anywhere in the West Wing, she often finds herself in the library, and she becomes best friends with the help. Nessa is Belle 2.0.
I also truly don’t understand where Miko goes from hating Nessa to wanting to f*ck her to loving her. I guess it makes sense someone who closed themselves off emotionally could have a sudden realization like this, but it would have been more believable to see a more obvious progression of this change. He does slowly start to show her some kindness but even then I was confused as to why he did so in the first place. What about her is so special that she makes him want to be kind?
While I understood Nessa and Miko, I didn’t connect with them. Again, I was baffled how Nessa could change Miko so much. And I just do not see how someone like Nessa (so pure and wholesome) would ever be comfortable with Miko. Maybe I’m reading too much into this.
3.5 ⭐️ A sweet and sexy fake dating story
I really liked Giana and Clay and the sex-ploration aspect of the story. And as someone who was a 19-year-old/sophomore virgin in college who had ZERO experience prior besides kissing, I can tell you that Clay’s approach would have been the dream.
I really liked Giana and Clay and the sex-ploration aspect of the story. And as someone who was a 19-year-old/sophomore virgin in college who had ZERO experience prior besides kissing, I can tell you that Clay’s approach would have been the dream.
2.5⭐️ meh not for me
The spice is the best part. From the get go there’s tension buildup and then BAM, it hits ya! And honestly, the spice didn't totally make me cringe so that's good. But other than that, I didn’t really like the story.
I’m not a huge fan on friends to lovers or office romances (because I haven’t read any good one) and this story definitely didn’t change my mind. It’s all lust and hardly any emotional development. I guess there are technically emotions get uncovered once they're intimate. But I didn't feel like the author really explored the emotional side very much but instead expected the reader just to understand that since they've worked well together throughout the last 4 years and have some sort of friendship that an emotional connection is already established.
Adam and AJ start saying 'I love you' by the 50% mark, and after that, the story gets kind of boring. So I started skimming.
I hate when the MMC is focused on one physical aspect of the FMCs body, and all Adam seemed to think about was AJ’s ‘perfect tits’. Every time he saw or thought about her, he ALWAYS had something to say about her ‘perfect tits’. I was so done.
The number of times Adam said he was so turned on by AJ that he has to jerk it multiple times throughout the day or night to make it through….WHAT THE FUCK? Ew, are you 15 years old? I get this is supposed to make the guy seem soooo obsessed and out of control over the girl but first off, it’s not remotely realistic, and second, it’s fucking weird.
Overall, it just really wasn’t for me.
The spice is the best part. From the get go there’s tension buildup and then BAM, it hits ya! And honestly, the spice didn't totally make me cringe so that's good. But other than that, I didn’t really like the story.
I’m not a huge fan on friends to lovers or office romances (because I haven’t read any good one) and this story definitely didn’t change my mind. It’s all lust and hardly any emotional development. I guess there are technically emotions get uncovered once they're intimate. But I didn't feel like the author really explored the emotional side very much but instead expected the reader just to understand that since they've worked well together throughout the last 4 years and have some sort of friendship that an emotional connection is already established.
Adam and AJ start saying 'I love you' by the 50% mark, and after that, the story gets kind of boring. So I started skimming.
I hate when the MMC is focused on one physical aspect of the FMCs body, and all Adam seemed to think about was AJ’s ‘perfect tits’. Every time he saw or thought about her, he ALWAYS had something to say about her ‘perfect tits’. I was so done.
The number of times Adam said he was so turned on by AJ that he has to jerk it multiple times throughout the day or night to make it through….WHAT THE FUCK? Ew, are you 15 years old? I get this is supposed to make the guy seem soooo obsessed and out of control over the girl but first off, it’s not remotely realistic, and second, it’s fucking weird.
Overall, it just really wasn’t for me.
2 ⭐️ Eh, the story was boring, the heroine gave me whiplash, and the conflict at the end was bizarre
I just didn’t connect and fall in love with Travis and Haven like I did Archer and Bree. It’s friends to friends with benefits and the stakes weren’t that high. So again, it really was just boring.
Haven goes back and forth from wanting Travis to not wanting him, and that just pissed me off. I (sort of) get her reasoning, but it wasn't logical at all. She kept thinking she was a rebound fling after Travis caught his serious girlfriend fucking some other guy (who just so happens to be Haven's brother). It was clear after Travis and Haven hung out a couple of times that he was already falling, but she just 'couldn't believe it' for some weird reason. Oh, and her obsession with Gage also annoyed the hell out of me.
The conflict at the end. . . completely unbelievable, weird, and cheesy. The young officer who printed flyers with all the horrible things Haven's brother did in the past is something I could expect from a small-town Lifetime movie. That guy would be fired immediately. So unprofessional. Then, Travis exposes himself to the town by sharing everything immoral or illegal in a manifesto because . . . why? To prove no one is perfect? To prove to Haven he wants her to stay? It was so overly dramatic, ridiculous, and cringe.
Also, I’m not a huge fan of the authors writing style. It’s overwritten when it could be condensed/sentences should have been cut. So I skimmed most of the story in order to get through it.
I just didn’t connect and fall in love with Travis and Haven like I did Archer and Bree. It’s friends to friends with benefits and the stakes weren’t that high. So again, it really was just boring.
Haven goes back and forth from wanting Travis to not wanting him, and that just pissed me off. I (sort of) get her reasoning, but it wasn't logical at all. She kept thinking she was a rebound fling after Travis caught his serious girlfriend fucking some other guy (who just so happens to be Haven's brother). It was clear after Travis and Haven hung out a couple of times that he was already falling, but she just 'couldn't believe it' for some weird reason. Oh, and her obsession with Gage also annoyed the hell out of me.
The conflict at the end. . . completely unbelievable, weird, and cheesy. The young officer who printed flyers with all the horrible things Haven's brother did in the past is something I could expect from a small-town Lifetime movie. That guy would be fired immediately. So unprofessional. Then, Travis exposes himself to the town by sharing everything immoral or illegal in a manifesto because . . . why? To prove no one is perfect? To prove to Haven he wants her to stay? It was so overly dramatic, ridiculous, and cringe.
Also, I’m not a huge fan of the authors writing style. It’s overwritten when it could be condensed/sentences should have been cut. So I skimmed most of the story in order to get through it.
4⭐️ One of the most intense fake-dating stories ever!
I absolutely adore Christian. Sure, he's a little crazy and obsessed, but I think I like them like that.
I absolutely adore Christian. Sure, he's a little crazy and obsessed, but I think I like them like that.