This was a cute and cozy fantasy romance. If you’re just in the mood for a low stakes d&d type story with tavern vibes, magical creatures, and a fake dating setup between a human innkeeper and an orc brewmaster, this is it. It’s not a book you want to go into with a critical lens, just enjoy it for what it is..fun, light, and a little spicy.

This was my first cozy fantasy with spice, and I didn’t hate it. I don’t know if I want a ton of spice in my cozy reads going forward, but it didn’t ruin it for me.

The narration was really well done. Jack Calihan and Rose Dioro brought both characters to life. Calihan especially stood out to me because he just used a regular voice for narration. So many male narrators overdo it with the husky bedroom voice for literally everything and it gets annoying, but he didn’t fall into that trap. It made the audio much more enjoyable.

Is it predictable? For sure, but that’s part of the charm. It’s D&D meets Hallmark and I enjoyed it. Quick read, good vibes. I’m inclined to read future books in this series.

Thank you NetGalley and Tantor Audio for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

This book was absolutely adorable. If you are looking for a fun romantic read, this one is for you!

This book wasn't super hard to get into and didn't have a ton of challenging world building at all, while the magic and fantasy vibes are there it is super easy to just jump into. I will say I am not too much for a bully romance, giving this a try I liked it but I also didn't like some parts of it. While that is my personal opinion, I feel the ease in which the bullying was forgotten about was overlooked. Something to me just felt off about it.
Now the spice was spicy and definitely left nothing to the imagination. I really did enjoy those moments in the story.

I did get the chance to listen to the Audiobook of this story and would like to say the narration was done so well! Loved both the narrators on this story.

Thank you to NetGalley and Cora Crane for an advanced listener copy of this book!

Story: 2.5 ⭐️
Steam: 3 🔥
Audio: 5 🎧

This but was cute but left a lot to be desired. It had amazing potential. The romance felt rushed and underdeveloped. Same with the world building. I think with some longing and tension this could have been amazing but sadly it fell short. There were parts I liked but unfortunately the execution just didn’t work for me.


Both audio narrators did a great job!

I have to be honest, I'm not a huge fan of the "I bullied her in school because I secretly loved her" part of this one, but in general I did enjoy The Orc and the Innkeeper. The setting was fun and whimsical and the story was generally low stakes.

Most importantly, I thought the audiobook narration was so cute! I would be thrilled for this narrator to read all the cozy fantasy books I read!

So! This book is about a human innkeeper and an orc brewer in a town called Elderberry Falls, which straddles the human realm and a fantasy realm. Think: small-town charm meets D&D crossover episode. Sounds fun, right? And it is, kind of, if you don’t stop to think too hard.

The orc brewer (our MMC) used to bully the human innkeeper (our FMC) back in high school he’s done a lot of growing since then. Entirely off-page. He’s decided racism is bad now (great!) and proves this by giving FMC deeply apologetic gazes and, eventually, deeply apologetic extremely detailed sex. And listen… I like a grovel. But having him whisper “I’m sooo sorry” mid-thrust? That’s a level of cringe I was not spiritually prepared for. And I listened to this as an audiobook AT WORK.

The setup here is classic romance bullshit: she agrees to pretend to be his fiancée in exchange for money (gross, but okay), and they proceed to spend two full weeks hanging out to see if his potential investor will approve of their “love.” I may not be a CEO, but I don’t think shadowing your potential business partner to a bunch of fairs and parties is standard due diligence. Also, Kingsley — the client — is described as “inquisitive” so many times I started to assume it was a medical condition.

On a character level, I wanted to root for Mr MMC. He’s likeable, introspective, kind of hot… but his arc lacks depth. He feels bad about the bullying, sure, but doesn’t think to mention it to her until his friend goes “Bro. Apologize.” Also wild coincidence that he’s just been holding onto her magical family heirloom this whole time. The bullying she “hates him for” evaporates basically overnight once she sees his muscles. Girl, be for real.

There’s a lot of “this could’ve been cool” in this book. Elderberry Falls is supposed to be this magical modern human-fantasy crossover hub, but we barely get more than a few throwaway lines about it. The inn is… an inn, not a BnB or boutique hotel or something that would actually mesh with the modern world it seems to exist in. So when she whips out fantasy tinder on her phone or hops in her car like twice ever in the whole book, I got worldbuilding whiplash.

Oh, and the book deals with race. Which is fine — fantasy racism as a metaphor for real-world racism is basically a genre tradition. But here it’s handled with a kind of “he just learned racism is bad last Tuesday” energy that makes it feel weirdly simplistic for a story trying to say something important. It doesn’t help that the resolution is basically “he’s sorry and hot now.”

That said… it’s kind of cute. The vibes are sweet in moments, the banter is decent, and despite everything, I kept reading. The inevitable romance misunderstanding didn’t make me want to throw the my headphones across the room, which is rare, so that’s a bonus. The resolution felt earned-ish.

In the end, it’s a low 3 for me. I enjoyed it in the moment, but the longer I sit with it, the more annoyed I get. Would I recommend it? Depends on what percentage of your brain you want to use whilst reading it.

Cute and goofy romance. I enjoyed it. Audio was fantastic and really enjoyed the narrator! Definitely recommend for a quick and easy good time.

I thoroughly enjoyed Thorak & Mariah's story in the sweet, cozy, monster romance. Prior to this book I had not ever read an Orc romance. This will definitely NOT be my last. I will be diving straight into the Elderberry Falls world and reading the next books already out in this series.

I was offered an ARC of this audiobook by the author, RBmedia, & Netgalley for an honest review.

In a magical world and even more magical creatures there's a little town called Elderberry Falls. Mariah, a human girl, has made her home there since she was in school. Throughout her school years she was the center focus for her classmates bullying. Leading the pack was an Orc known as Thorak. He grew up with the teaching that monsters were superior to humans in everyway and made sure Mariah was aware of his feelings on the matter.
Years later Mariah is the proud owner of an Inn and Thorak the proud owner of a brewery. Both are facing their own hardships and in a twist of fate become the answer to each other's problems.
~Forced Proximity
~fake dating/engagement
~banter/groveling
~he falls 1st
~Spicey time
~cute teacup boar named Snuffles
~magical coffee shop where your coffee automatically refills

Need I say more? I could go on...
If any of this is enticing to you go to your nearest bookstore or ebook/audiobook supplier and get yourself a copy of the book. Thank me later;)

amazon & barnes & noble reviews submitted but not showing up immediately.

This book transports you into Elberberry Falls with a magical flourish! The story is so good as to make you feel like you’ve been transported directly into Elderberry Falls with human Mariah and orc monster Thorak Ironfist as they navigate the tricky path of keeping their fake engagement a secret for their mutual benefit. The audiobook is fantastic at helping you immerse into the story. I especially loved that it was a dual POV narration, and the gruffness of the male narrator helped make Thorak feel like a real monster. Full of redemption, love, and intrigue, this is definitely a book to put on your radar.

This book was so cute and fun to read. I truly enjoyed it and knocked it out in a weekend. Can't wait to read more in the series.

Something I didn't know I needed? A Hallmark-esque romance but with spice and orcs.

What you'll find in this read:
- brewmaster x innkeeper
- forced proximity
- he falls first
- ex-high school bully
- fake engagement
- lower angst

This was such a sweet, cozy paranormal/fantasy read. The setting is immaculate. I want to revisit Elderberry Falls asap. The world and characters are whimsical, though the world itself isn't super built up in terms of in depth explaining the magic, creatures, etc, but that fits the coziness of this story.

Sometimes I don't particularly care for "other woman" drama, but it honestly made sense for this story and fit the Hallmark vibes, in my opinion. I also enjoyed the past of our MCs, with him being her high school bully. It ended a bit of depth to their romance and overall story.

I did the audiobook for this, and I thoroughly enjoyed the narration. I loved the female narrator so much (my first time listening to her) and found her voice and narration style to really compliment the story setting and FMCs personality.

If you want a quick, easy, cozy read - this is definitely the one to pick up!

Thank you Tantor Audio and NetGalley for this early listening copy!

First off, this book is so stinking cute, I was swooning and laughing from start to finish! I’ve never read an orc story, but I absolutely adored this one and will be seeking out the author’s other stories.
This story is about a human who lives in a magical realm full of supernatural creatures. Our heroine was bullied by the hero in high school., so she LOATHES him. And now as adults they have to navigate a fake engagement relationship.for the sake of his business. Will they sink or swim? Well..you gotta read to find out.
I loved the hero. He was charmingly sweet and broody. It goes to show that people can change from high school and forgiveness is key.
This story is a second chance, enemies to lovers romance that focuses on differences (as they are two different species), prejudice, forgiveness, communication, and second chances.
If you like a good cozy story that is so sweet it will make your teeth hurt, this one is for you.

Perfect narratives for this story. Production and narration style fit the story

Thank you to Tantor Audio for the ALC.

This was a short read, so it was pretty cute based on what we had time for.

Thorak was a bully to Mariah in high school and they’ve not interacted much since, until Mariah overhears him needing a human fiancé for a business deal. The fake dating is a fun aspect, although Mariah forgives his past transgressions much quicker than I would have preferred.

The feel of this listen (also shout out to some great narrators!) is very cozy and light, which feels kind of ironic as there’s such a big element of bullying and interspecies racism.

Overall, this was a satisfying listen and I enjoyed the magical world created.

Fake dating AND monster kissing?
Say less!
This was right up my street and I hit that request button sooo fast.
It ended up being even cuter than I could have hoped for.
I mean, there's a cutie teacup boar named Snuffles.
Really what more could you ask for?
Much love to NetGalley & Tantor Audio for my ALC.

The Orc and the Innkeeper is the first book in the Elderberry Falls series. It is a cute, cozy fantasy romance about a former bully who meets his high school crush again. He needs her help and she needs his help. Win/win-right? Listen to this fantastic audiobook for their story.
The narration by Rose Dioro and Jack Calihan was fabulous. Rose Dioro was perfect as Mariah. You could feel all of Mariah’s conflicting emotions through her voice. She brought out Mariah’s sass and spunkiness wonderfully.
Jack Calihan was brilliant as Thorak. He had a very strong, commanding alpha tone that suited Thorak to a tee. His rich, seductive voice was divine for the spicy scenes. I highly recommend listening.

Rating 4⭐
Spice 🌶️🌶️.5

ALC REVIEW

Okay, SO, I thought this was going to be a comfy cozy book you know like how the Cambric Creek Universe is (not the spin-off ones, the main ones)..... I WAS WRONG. It had A LOT more angst than I would have thought it would.

This is a fake dating scenario where the FMC needs money to save her inn and the MMC wants to get a deal going for his brewing company. But the catch? The MMC and FMC have history. They knew each other back in high school and low and behold (is that the right phrasing?) MMC has bullied FMC throughout their school years.


And you know, I actually like fake dating situations. The storyr was really good, and was getting better, UNTIL there was a record scratch. MISCOMMUNICATION TROPE. OH I'M NOT SORRY, ITS NOT MISCOMMUNICATION, BUT AN ASSUMPTION. I won't get spoiler what, BUT I ABSOLUTELY COULD NOT STAND IT. I almost DNFed it to be honest.

I really really, REALLY hate assumption tropes, especially when the MCs dont even bother to try to get to the source for confirmation. Like oh, you'll believe other people they have to say but you won't go to the person it's about?! ESPECIALLY IF YOU KNOW PEOPLE AROUND TOWN LIKE TO GOSSIP AND TALK CRAP?! I'm sorry, hell the fawk no.

Because of the scenario, MMC should have made FMC grovel and apoligze like she did to him in the beginning. Soooo yea. I overall liked it. It had very interesting bits about the orc's....body parts hehehehe.


I received and ALC through Netgallery. All my thoughts and opinions are true and honest.

This was cute! A small-town, monster romance that’s been on my TBR is coming to audio! The dual narration added so much to this story. I loved everyone in elderberry falls and can’t wait for the next one!

This was fun as a quick audiobook but I felt like a lot was missing as a story. This either needed to be a novella and edited down or been more fleshed out to be something to invest in.

Again, entertaining but not a lot of depth to the characters/plot.

Thank you yo Netgalley for the opportunity to review this title. I attest that I am leaving my review voluntarily and honestly.

The Orc & The Innkeeper
Cora Crane
Audiobook edition
4⭐️
4🌶️

The perfect mix of sweet & spicy

A cute cozy romance 🥰

➽─────────❥

Mariah & Thorak - what amazing characters! Mariah is a head strong no nonsense kinda girl with a soft, tender & extremely reserved side.

Thorak this big green Orc brute, who is reintroduced to Mariah while he is busy making his own way in his life trying so hard to break it into the human brewery industry.

Both have a troubled history together, one deeply wounded while the other is dying for forgiveness. Do they get their HAE? 👀

I found this audiobook so easy to listen to, the whole vibes were bubbly, cozy and cheerful. I loved the monster element with different monster characters popping up throughout. I want to live in Elderberry Falls 😭🥰

The Narrators were spot on! Every scene I felt immersed within Cora Crane’s world, their tones, demeanours and even the spicy scene made me feel like I was a fly on the wall - right there in the action!

I’m glad I’ve found Cora Crane’s books, I cannot wait to get stuck back into Elderberry falls. I never wanna leave!

❤️

The Orc and the Innkeeper is a stellar cozy fantasy romance; it's a short, spicy, and heart-warming read. The MC's are thrown into a fake engagement agreement that will benefit both of them. While Thorak, the MMC, bullied Mariah, the FMC, throughout high school, he did it from a place of protection (the only thing he could think of). The budding feelings that they both have towards each other grow until neither can ignore them, but that's when the real problems begin to pop up.

The world-building of Elderberry Falls is so magnificent that I could picture the whole town and the different species that live there, the characters (both main and side) are fleshed out, and it was fun to watch the interactions between everyone. The romance between our MC's was sweet and spicy, which is just the icing on top, in my opinion. But I feel like the prejudice they face is what really makes this book shine. Even with being fake-engaged, some people just don't like the fact of mixed-species relationships, and the way the author handled it was perfect.

I absolutely adored this book and will definitely be checking out the author's other books!

This was promised to be a super sweet monster romance and definitely delivered. Mariah, an innkeeper, and Thorak, an orc brewery owner, are former classmates from high school. The problem with this? Thorak is Mariah’s former childhood bully.

Now a changed man, Thorak is attempting to widen his brewery footprint and win over a big beverage distributor to bring his orc-made beer to the human communities. The only problem is that this distributor has some prejudice and bias against magical creatures and insists on there being a human involved in Thorak’s operation to help ease the potential business relationship. At the same time, Mariah is faced with a pixie problem at her inn that she can’t afford to fix… Thorak needs a human and Mariah needs funds to keep her inn running - so they propose a mutually beneficial fake engagement to solve both of their problems. I’m sure you can guess where the story heads next!

This was honestly a super cute story and delivered what was promised. While predictable and cheesy at times, I still enjoyed their story, their respective growth as characters, and the message about acceptance of all people.

I listened to this book on audio (shoutout to NetGalley + Tantor Audio for the free ALC!!) and really enjoyed the performance by the female narrator, Rose Dioro. Her voices were great and she did a wonderful job bringing this story to life. I was less impressed with the male narrator, Jack Calihan, and felt his performance of Thorak was almost goofy at times. I do appreciate the effort to do a dual narration, though, as this is preferred by many readers when duet is not a feasible option. The chapters flowed seamlessly, breaks made sense, and overall the narration was smooth and enjoyable.

Super cute read and worth checking out if you love simple, cozy, monster romances! 💕