I got to listen to this as an audio. The narrators did a fantastic job. This is a cute cozy kind of second chance romance/he was her bully in high school/he isn Orc
This is a he has a problem that needs to be solved and she is a solution, but she also has a problem that needs to be solved and he is the solution.

Just finished listening to the Audiobook of The Orc and The Innkeeper by Cora Crane fell in love! Elderberry Falls will be on my list of fantasy towns to travel too 🧳

The story starts out as a rollercoaster of emotions with the turbulence background of Mariah and Thorak.

If enemies to lovers, interspecies relationship conflicts, miscommunication, and plenty of grovelling is your go to definitely pick up this book.

The several spice scenes are also an added bonus🥵


Comment below if you think that exterminator bill seems a tad bit too high!

#monsterromancebooks #cozyreads #coracraneauthor #elderberryfalls

This book was fun, but flawed. I don't usually read bully romances, but ,admittedly, I selected this book based solely on the cover and title. So I have no one to blame but myself lol Fortunately all the bullying was in the past so I was able to get to know the characters as who they had become after high school

Speaking of the characters. I found them both to be underdeveloped and lacking in depth. The same goes for the romance. I have no idea why these characters love each other beyond their physical attraction. The physical aspects were hammered into my head far too often.

I did enjoy the female narrator of the audiobook, but the male narrator read with an inflection that made him sound constantly surprised.

I would categorize this as something light and fun. It was quick and enjoyable despite its flaws. Not a bad summer read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Tantor for the audio copy. All opinions expressed are my own.

This paranormal romance has a fantastic plot with delicious spice to really get your blood pumping! While it isn't a traditional bully romance, I would put it in an enemies-to-lovers sort of. He was her high school bully, so past tense bullying and some very present distrust rightly holds today. Definitely the fake dating/engagement trope with him catching feelings first and lots of opportunities for insecurities, miscommunication and other maladies affect the very present relationship. I love how the author works in prejudice and racism issues that plague our very real world into her mystical world of monsters, pixies, humans and more in a realistic manner while letting us vicariously live in a very mystical town. Can this couple overcome the prejudices they face in their world? Can they overcome the mistrust left over from his bullying in the past? Can they overcome the meddling of others in their relationship? Well, you have to read to find out! Although, I highly, highly recommend grabbing the audiobook. Dual narration makes the characters so much more alive! Rose Dioro really brings Mariah to life while Jack Calihan's deliciously sexy voice brings Thorak so fabulously to life. Definitely new favorite narrators for me to go with a new favorite paranormal romance author! I hope the author turns this into a series as there are so many other characters that she could weave a fantastic plot for that we met in this book! I would love if the creative world that she has stitched together in words was actually a place to visit! I'd definitely sign up for a vacation at this Inn!!! FYI: If you like happily ever after romances, this is a good one to grab!

I felt confused with how he fell in love so fast considering they just ran into each other again. There needs to be more of a build up even though it’s a short book. I wanted more history and angst between them. I did enjoy myself as it was an easy read but the plot was missing at times.

Mariah is a human; Thorak an orc brewmaster. When magical pests overrun her inn, Mariah is looking at tens of thousands of dollars in extermination fees. Thorak is dealing with a prejudiced businessman, who wants to deal with a human even though Thorak's business doesn't employ one. When Mariah suggests that they help each other, a fake-engagement commences. But real feelings start quickly showing, complicating things.

The whole high school bully turned romantic interest was a little.. meh. We saw a little of the bullying, and nothing of the work to better himself from that, even in his own pov/memories. And the internal realization of love was a bit too early and I didn't see how we got there. Overall the characters were fine, if bland. 
It was a very mediocre cozy fantasy romance with some spice.

I liked that it had two narrators, but wished it was Duet narration instead of Dual narration- but that's just a personal preference. The pacing was good, and both voices seemed to fit the characters well.

I rated it 2.5/5 rounded up to 3.
Thank you NetGalley and RBmedia for the ARC!

A human innkeeper and a grumpy orc pretending to be engaged? Yes please!

I really enjoyed listening to this audiobook. It’s a cozy, spicy monster romance and the first book in the Elderberry Falls series, where humans and magical folk live side by side in a small town.

The dynamic and banter between Mariah and Thorak was so fun to listen to. The twist of him being her former high school bully turned brooding orc brewmaster actually worked really well.

And the narrators? Amazing! They totally brought the story to life, and their voices matched the characters perfectly.

If you’re in the mood for something cute, a little steamy, and a quick pick-me-up, this one’s for you!

Have you ever picked up a book that’s completely outside your usual genre and ended up falling head over heels? That was me with The Orc and the Innkeeper. I’m normally a dark romance kind of girl—give me bikers, mafia bosses, and morally gray men any day—but this story had me kicking my feet and giggling from start to finish.

This book is pure fun. The world is charming and whimsical. Think small-town Hallmark movie, but with sirens, witches, pixie dust mites, and yes… Orcs. It takes place in a little town on the border of human and magical lands, where the two worlds mostly live in harmony. Mariah and Thorak are just adorable, and it’s obvious the author has more magic to share from this world.

Is it kitschy? Yep. A little surface level in terms of depth? Sure. But honestly, I loved every minute of it. I don’t always read to have my life changed. I’m not always looking for deep meaning or emotionally devastating conflict. Sometimes I just want sweet, cozy, feel-good mind candy. And this totally scratched that itch.

As for the narration: I loved the male narrator. I’ve heard him on other books, and he nails it every time. The female narrator was a great fit for Mariah too—her voice really suited the character. I’ll always be a fan of duet-style narration and think it should be the industry standard, but until then, I deeply appreciate narrators who voice opposite-gender characters without making it awkward. These two pulled it off beautifully.

Fun and cute book. I liked the little scruffy pet mentioned hehe! I think the 3rd act breakup was sad, but it helped the story flow with Thorak getting the deal on his own merit instead of just having a human in his business. I enjoyed it.

3.75⭐️

This book was like wrapping myself in a warm blanket of whimsy, sweetness, and just the right touch of drama. I genuinely had so much fun reading it—it felt like a soft hug with a sprinkle of tension to keep things interesting

The narration of the audiobook very wholesome and cute.

The setting was ure magic. Elderberry Falls (can I move there, please and thank you?) was bursting with charm, and the writing made it all feel so real. Atmospheric, whimsical, and cozy in the best possible way.

Now let’s talk about Thorak and Mariah. Their backstory? Deliciously messy in a slow-burn, emotional kind of way. I did find myself craving a tiny bit more groveling from Thorak (sir, you had me rThis book?? It was like wrapping myself in a warm blanket of whimsy, sweetness, and just the right touch of drama. I genuinely had so much fun reading it—it felt like a soft hug with a sprinkle of tension to keep things interesting

All in all, this was such a delight—cozy, comforting, and just emotionally juicy enough to keep me flipping pages with a soft smile. I’m definitely grabbing book two the second I can. My cozy heart is ready.

Rating: 3/5

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing the audiobook!

The Orc and the Innkeeper was a quick, entertaining listen - exactly what I needed at this time. The story blends fantasy, romance, and a touch of whimsy with its unusual pairing: a determined orc brewmaster and a human innkeeper desperate to save her business.

I especially liked Thorak, his dedication to his craft and his goal of expanding his ale empire into the human realm gave his character solid motivation, and his soft spot for the FMC was endearing.

That said, the story felt rushed overall. There were hints of deeper character development, but it wasn’t fully explored. The shift from enemies (or at least distant acquaintances with a negative history) to lovers happened a bit too quickly. Even with the time jump, it felt like we skipped over key emotional beats that could’ve made the romance more believable, especially from the FMC’s perspective. One minute, he’s her childhood tormentor, the next she’s declaring love. A bit more time, and more scenes showing their growing connection, would’ve helped sell that transformation.

The narration was a highlight, though. Both voice actors did a great job bringing the characters to life, with distinct voices and emotional nuance that elevated the story.

Overall, this was a fun, light listen with an engaging premise and great narration, but it could’ve benefitted from a little more depth and a slower burn in the romance.

I had little to no expectations going into this book. I dive into romance without expecting much most of the time. This was actually my first monster romance in a while. At first, I was giggling. The dynamic between the characters was fun, and I loved that. But unfortunately, the story fell short in too many areas, therefore the one star…

We have a romance between an ex-bully and the person he used to bully. The problem is, it was never used as a real point. When they cross paths again years later, it takes until around 50–60% of the book for him to apologize and explain why he did that—a vampire in high school wanted to use her for her blood therefore, if he bullied her and claimed her as his no one would approach her (yeah I know he was a high schooler so… possible).

The first time she sees him again, despite having been bullied by him, her reaction is basically: “Oh my God, he’s hot… but he’s my ex-bully… but he’s hot.” It felt odd. She holds a slight grudge, but her past doesn’t influence her actions or decisions toward the male main character at all. The bullying aspect ends up being just a throwaway line, without any real emotional impact or follow-up. That part of the backstory deserved more attention.

Yes, the book made me giggle a few times but the characters themselves feel flat. They’re interchangeable. You could swap the orc for another orc or the human for another human and it wouldn’t change the story. The whole point seems to be just: make them fake-date, make them cute. But there’s no depth, no thoughts, no real substance. Even in a romance, especially one that brings up themes like bullying, there needs to be actual character work.

Another thing that bothered me: we are constantly reminded that she’s human. She’s in a magical world, and the story keeps saying things like "my human ears," "my human eyes"… We get it. She’s human. There's no need to remind us so many times.

Then there’s the deal they make: he helps her save her inn, and she helps him with his brew deal. But this entire subplot disappears for a big chunk of the book. It’s brought up occasionally just to remind us it exists, but we don’t actually get updates on how her inn is doing, or how his brewing project is developing. It’s dropped until the very end, right before the third-act breakup.

As for the romance itself, it didn’t make much sense to me. It felt like it was driven more by tropes than by any real storytelling. Her self-doubt popped up out of nowhere, and I could basically sum up the relationship as: ex-bully meet bullied, fake-dating, he falls first and harder, third-act breakup, happy ending. That’s it. No complexity, no growth, no emotional journey. Just tropes.

That said, thanks NetGalley for sending me this audiobook. The narration was great. I really enjoyed that part! But the story just wasn’t for me.

I enjoyed listening to this book. The duel narration was perfect. Would definitely recommend.
I received a free copy of this audiobook via Netgalley and am voluntarily leaving a review.

I wanted to love this one, but honestly, it felt like the book was just missing a beat.
The pacing was rushed, the romance had zero build-up, and a few plot points really irked me, especially how characters behaved without much logical motivation.

🔻 Spoiler-ish thoughts ahead:
He bullied her to protect her from a vampire? That explanation felt weak and lazy. The book had already established that he was raised with certain prejudices — if that had been the reason, I could’ve understood his confusion. I could have understood the hurt and anguish of being interested in someone who you are raised to believe is the enemy and have committed wrongs against you. But overhearing some gossip and then deciding to "claim her" through bullying? No thanks.

His ex breaks into his house and steals his pet, and his response is basically, “Cool, see you at our special spot”? Be serious. Most people would lose it if someone took their pet, never mind their ex showing up casually after a year and breaking into your house to take him too.

And somehow this same ex knows all about the fake engagement plot before literally anyone else does? Her conclusion (“he gave you my old promise ring for a fake engagement to get investment”) was way too specific to be believable - and no one had confirmed anything to her! His parents didn't know, robert didn't know so how on earth did she?!

I know this was meant to be cosy and magical, but these kinds of shortcuts made the story feel thin. I really struggled to enjoy it.

Short and sweet, perfect to listen to in one afternoon! A second chance romance with a cozy atmosphere and lovely message of acceptance, forgiveness, inclusivity and... the importance of having a well-guarded teacup boar in your house!

✨ Plot
Human inn keeper meets her high school orc bully and they are forced to strike a deal. Mariah needs money to keep up with repairs on her inn and Thorak needs a human partner in order to expand his brew business. They agree to fake an engagement and the hijinks start to happen!

✨ Characters
The FMC is a lovely, sweet person with a few lingering self esteem issues after being bullied in high school. Nonetheless she agrees to help Thorak believing that he deserves a second chance and champions inclusivity in everything she does.

The MMC was awful to Mariah in their youth but has had a journey of transformation. The scene where he recounts his past and his turning point deciding to do better was lovely. He's somewhat shy (as he struggled with self esteem issues as well) and has some important arc moments where he speaks up for what he believes in. He fights prejudice from his family and society in general and chooses to do the right thing even if it doesn't benefit him, which make for redeeming qualities that encourage me to root for him.

✨ The romance / Tropes and vibes
A unique thing about this book is that it does a bully romance without the bulling scenes (as they happened in the past) and it gives the story a fantastic opportunity - to do the best spicy grovelling scenes I think I've ever read.

✨ Unique moments that made me smile
- pixie dust mites - the magical terror!
- themed rooms in the inn the FMC manages
- TEACUP BOAR - do I need to say more?

✨ What I wish would have been done different
In my opinion, the third act breakup did not fit with Mariah's optimistic personality. Thorak did get to her in time to let her know she had the wrong impression yet she was mad anyway.

✨ The audiobook
Narrators were lovely and did a good job to capture the whimsical atmosphere.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the pleasure of listening to this book. Opinions are my own.

A perfectly cute and comforting read.
This book felt like a warm hug from start to finish. I loved the dual perspectives, the developing relationship instead of insta love and the fantasy setting of Elderberry Falls.
Funny and charming this was a great pallet cleanser and a lovely relaxing read.
The narrators did a wonderful job

At school Thorak Ironfist bullied her but now they need each other’s help. He needs her to pretend to be his fiancée and she needs him to pay her exterminator fees. Thorak wants to sell his ale to humans but can he get a partner to work with an Orc? Things can only get complicated.

Well written and well narrated novel (I listened to the audiobook). Good characters in this well paced novel. Can the past be forgiven and forgotten for them to work together in the future? Plenty of twists and complicated situations. Strong feelings and memories could lurch them backwards and forwards.

What cute and cozy audiobook. It’s about learning to trust again and over coming old hurts. With a sprinkling of spice. Elderberry falls is perfect backdrop to this story which begins with a fake engagement and plan to help both the MMC and FMC get out of some sticky situations. Loved seeing racism in its many forms addressed and the characters seeing their errors and making the steps to over come it. The Narrators jack and rose did a brilliant job giving voices to the characters. Looking forward to returning to elderberry falls again.

Thank you to Tantor Audio and NetGalley for the gifted audio arc.

This was a pretty sweet and ultimately easy monster romance read. I’m a sucker for an orc/human romance, so I knew this would be right up my alley. While I’m not generally a fan of a bullying trope, this was more of a “he used to be your high school bully,” but he was actually secretly in love with you. And he GROVELED. That was honestly pretty damn great! 😅

I LOVED the narration by the female narrator, Rose Dioro. Her voice was so easy to listen to and just a bit sultry. The male narrator, Jack Calihan, had a rather pleasant voice, as well.

Overall, this was a 3.75⭐️ read for me!

A cute, cozy romance. A very quick read. I liked some of the real-world elements. Like lube and birth control. Because realistically, it's needed!

It's not a super deep plot. It touches on bullying, prejudice, parental pressure, ect.

I received an audio copy. Narrators were great. Super easy to understand at an increased speed. They conveyed the emotions well.