Overall: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Readability: 📖📖📖📖
Feels: 🦋🦋🦋
Emotional Depth: 💔💔💔 (I find myself wanting more background on the hero and the orc history??)
Sexual Tension: ⚡⚡⚡⚡
Romance: 💞💞💞💞
Sensuality: 💋💋💋💋
Sex Scene Length: 🍑🍑🍑
Steam Scale (Number of Sex Scenes): 🔥🔥🔥
Humor: Yes
Perspective: First person from both the hero and heroine
More character focused or plot focused? character
How did the speed of the story feel? medium
When mains are first on page together: immediately
Cliffhanger: No, this ends with a happily ever after
Epilogue: Yes (maybe a few months later?)
Format: voluntarily read an advanced reader copy in e-book form from the author

Should I read in order?
This is fine alone, but there is a prequel novella called My Orc Bodyguard that you can get as a newsletter sign up!

Basic plot:
Jess is determined to save Eastshore Isle and works together with Karnak to make it happen

Give this a try if you want:
- fantasy contemporary-ish romance – this is a contemporary world with Orcs
- small town romance – Eastshore Isle setting
- mutual pining
- neighbors!
- fated mates
- size difference
- heroine works on the Eastshore Town Council (Community Development Coordinator)
- virgin hero
- higher steam – 3-4 scenes (I didn’t count one as ‘full’ because it was on the short side so might feel hotter to you.)

Ages:
- didn’t see them mentioned

First line:
Okay, you know when you’re watching a movie and the main character is about to do something really embarassing, so maybe you put your hand over your eyes – as if it’ll help – but you still kinda peek through your fingers?

My thoughts:
This book is soooo freaking adorable and fun and everything I want right now!

Karnak and Jess live next door to each other but haven’t had much interaction but the longing – THE LONGING. Sigh. So swoony. I adore that unrequited adoration just eating them up inside. Peeking at each other through windows. Masturbating in hot tubs while thinking of the other showering…see? So swoony

The humor is fun. Muffin the cat is a lovely side character and lead in for plenty of euphemisms. I love the small town and all the side characters. Definitely looking forward to more from this series!

Cock/Hero Stats:

- hero is an orc – he’s green and has tusks, retractable claws
- there’s a bit more orc background in this one than the prior novella – it’s mentioned about ‘their world’ and the human world and there is a veil that keeps the orc world hidden from humans.
- 7 ½ feet tall
- hero has exceptional hearing and scent and can tell when the heroine (or others) are aroused
- lips are rough and tongue is ridged
- cock is darker green and ridged, very well-endowed
- orcs have something that cause their partner to orgasm upon entering them to help ease the way

Quotes/thoughts: (Any mistakes are my own)

The part that took one look at him – standing there all green and gorgeous and slick, wearing only a tiny towel around his waist – and could only think words like lick and taste and yes please.
---
Until I’d returned home from an exhausting day at work to find that not only had Karnak cut up the tree and hauled it away...he’d done the same to the fence which had separated our properties.
Now nothing stood between our yards.
Nothing hid my back porch – my hot tub – from him.
Nothing hid his outdoor shower from me.
---
Karnak had folded his arms now, and while part of me was glad that he’d covered up at least a part of that glorious chest, a rather more significant part of me was yelling forearms! Forearms! Forearms!
“How long has your Muffin been out there? Unpetted. Lonely.”
Oh God, so long.
---
“I’m not your pet,” I managed to snarl, and immediately hated myself when surprise, then hurt, flickered across her expression.
“Of course you’re not. You’re my – you’re my friend.”
Friend?
Pet?
I’m a fucking orc. I’d be her pet monster. Humans don’t want to be friends with orcs.
As my claws pierced my skin I winced, thankful for the distraction of the pain. I needed to get away from here, away from her.
But her scent made it impossible. Thanks to my stupid Kteer I knew I’d stand here and claw out my own chest at the chance to hear her call me ‘friend’ again.
“Karnak…”
A chance ot hear her say my name again.
Stupid biology. Stupid instincts. Stupid Kteer.

Personally am not fond of breaking the 4th wall…

I was in love with Karnak, but I wasn’t going to figure that out for a few more chapters.
 

Content warnings: (This should be taken as a minimum because I could have missed some!)

- mention of workplace harassment (heroine works with someone that said he’d back her proposal if she dated him)
- parental death (cancer)
- racism
- hero is physically assaulted
Author given content warnings: (view spoiler)

Locations of kisses/intimate scenes:

Safe sex: 

  Heroine is on birth control, no condoms used 

Hows the consent? 

  It’s good 

40% - kisses
42% - 🔥 mutual masturbation – heroine in the hot tub, hero against the wall listening
55% - kiss
58% - 🔥 kisses, oral for her, sex on the counter

My confession was cut off by his sudden growl and the way he lost control and wrapped both arms around my torso, lifting me closer so his lips could slam down atop mine.
Yes.
Yes.
//
“So wet,” he murmured, his gaze going to mine, his eyes still blazing and a sort of satisfied smirk on his lips. “What a good girl. For me?”

66% - 🔥 oral for her, her on top (fairly short)

I put her down alright. On the couch, covering her body with mine. Kneeling between her legs, I put my mouth on her pussy, right on top of her yoga pants, and inhaled deeply.
Mine.

94% - oral for her – you kind of walk into a scene started but there’s also a bit of wrap up during the scene (reflection) and it’s a bit short so I decided not to count as a full flame.