Candy for My Orc Boss is book 1 in a paranormal romance standalone series, Monsterville, USA, by Ava Ross. This sweet and slightly spicy novella follows Chastity, who, after one hot and wild one-night stand with a delicious orc, Max, finds out he just so happens to be her new boss. And if that was not awkward enough, it turns out that they are now married due to Orc tradition and fate being truly devilish. Does this count as the best or worst first day at work?
Chastity came into this book with humour and flirtation, but when the alcohol cleared up, she revealed the baggage she carried. I felt so sorry for how she felt about herself and the circumstances she found herself in—a new job, a new town, a new life—all because of some loser. But I was so happy she was taking charge of a new outlook, to be less thoughtful of her actions to find more joy and happiness and aim for experiencing more. It’s an exciting outlook for someone who has always had to care for herself and fight to live in a world that tries to make her feel so unworthy. So unworthy in fact that the idea that fate and true love existed was as shocking as it was incredibly tempting if it were to be true. I think this is why she tried to find an answer to the proposal made in Max’s office, why it scrabbled all of her thoughts about what she had been hoping for when BB started to get into her head. I am so happy Max made her realise that love exists, that Ulgritte (his mother) showed only love and happiness at her arrival in their lives, that BB realised his mistakes, and that Chastity finally took what fate was offering her with both hands.
Max is an ever-so-sweet, protective, humorous, family-oriented, hopeless romantic, hard-working, delicious orc. I could go on; seriously, I could gush endlessly about Max. Max was drawn to Chastity from the very moment he noticed her on that fateful night and has been craving her ever since, with no end in sight for his desire to have her, hold her, and love her for eternity if she gives him the chance. There is not a single thing wrong with Max; his father is traditional and by all accounts hard to work with when growing up and even now, but his mother is everything sweet and light, from which thankfully Max gets his abundance of love. That’s not to say he’s all things sweet; boy, does he have that protective and fierce trait from his father and the spice? Well, that’s all Max. Like most orcs, the occurrence of fate mates is a rare occurrence, and Max was not going to lose his due to Chastity’s evident worry over it, but that did not mean he would trap her; he’s a gentleman after all, but that did mean he was willing to play dirty to keep her. Thank the gods. One of the things I liked the most about Max (excluding everything I loved) is how he has adapted to the human world around him and is striving to include more monsters in Monsterville by building places that, like his own, marry between the two worlds of human and monster translation. So that they can have a place that feels as though they have a place that meets their needs in this changing new world of theirs.
I fell in love with the book from the very first line! I would have finished this novella in one sitting had life not gotten in the way. I am a big sucker for anything fated, but when you throw in a cinnamon roll male main character and a marriage of convenience, I’m gone. I loved how Max was completely lost in Chastity from the very beginning; watching him fall more in love with her was so sweet. And seeing Chastity finally realise she is more than she believed herself to be and become this strong and sexy woman was delightful. There was only one thing that occurred that I spotted coming at least a chapter ahead, but honestly, it could not affect my rating of Candy for My Orc Boss; therefore, I am rating this novella Five out of Five Stars.
If you followed along with my Instagram stories, you know I had a running commentary on a lot of my highlighted lines. I seriously highlighted so many humorous, beautiful, delicious, and swoon-worthy lines that it was hard to pick a favourite. I cannot wait to read more of the Monsterville, USA series by Ava Ross in the future. I would recommend it if you love a quick, ever-sweet, slightly spicy read that ends in the happiest of ever-afters. I want to thank @violetandherbooks for this recommendation! What a dreamy little read, and never have I desired an Orc until Max. Welcome to the book boyfriend list, you absolute dreamboat.
Favourite Quotes
“It was clear his mom had not named him Yes!, More!, or Harder!—the only things I’d been capable of screaming last night.”
page 3
“No. I’d crave her for eternity, but I was not going to tell her that.”
page 21
“I wanted to kiss them. Lick them. When they appeared in my office, fire roared through me. The primal part of my soul I kept on a tight leash went feral. Mine.”
page 73
““You,” I breathed. “You.” His lips twitched up in one corner. “Good choice, sweetheart.””
page 91
““Get your hands off my wife,” Max bellowed.”
page 102
“He’d be my everything forever, and I couldn’t imagine a better way to fall apart than with him.”
page 135
Buy at Amazon UK
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Finer Details
Title: Candy for My Orc Boss
Author: Ava Ross
Pages: 194
Publisher: Ava Ross
Publication: 2023
Language: English
Rating: 5/5