Her Orc Guardian by Zoe Ashwood - Book Review

Book Description

At my father’s dying wish, I crossed the realm, looking for his best friend…and ended up in an orc camp.

It turns out the man I’d heard so much about is actually an orc, a warrior with more scars than I can count and a surly disposition.

And after reading the letter my father sent him, he declares himself my guardian - and me his ward.

Which wouldn’t be a problem if he wasn’t intent on marrying me off to some human stranger, even though the tension between us grows with every touch and every heated, forbidden look.

Sometimes, though, a woman has to take her fate and pleasure in her own hands, and after being told what to do my entire life, I’m not taking any more chances. I want to learn more about myself. And I think my orc guardian might be the right male for the job.

My Review

This is the second book in the Black Bear Clan, and I loved it almost as much as the first one.

It follows the same pattern of a stoic, brooding male character who finds out the human girl he's supposed to look after is his mate. In true orc fashion, Steagor hides the truth from his mate because he doesn't burden her with it and wants to give her something she wasn't allowed until that point: choice. But is her choice valid if she doesn't know all the facts? Honestly, if this happened in real life, it would raise so many red flags, but for the purpose of creating drama in a story, I'll turn a blind eye. I find that if you eliminate miscommunication from books, so many of them would end after only a few chapters.

Tropes to look forward to

fated mates, grumpy/sunshine, reluctant hero, age gap, knotting.

If you love the grumpy/sunshine trope, this perfectly illustrates it. So far, orcs know how to do grumpy well. Despite that, they are tender and caring with their loved ones, especially their mates.

“And if you found your mate, how would you treat her?” I ask. His dark gaze bores into me, and when he speaks, his voice is raw, his expression earnest. “I would worship her every day,” he says. “Make sure she was safe and healthy, and if she gave me children, I’d be the best father to them. I’d spend my life making sure she knew how special she is, and I would always, always do what’s best for her.”

Of course, the story ends with a HEA, but I can't say more and avoid spoilers.

Since this is the second book in the series, if you haven't read Her Orc King (Black Bear Clan, Book 1), I recommend you start with that first, but it's totally up to you. Since these books are standalones in a series, you don't need to read them in order to understand the story. However, some characters overlap, and it's nice to see them evolve.

The writing is fluid,  easy to read, and keeps you engaged, but I think that about all of Zoe Ashwood's books.

I recommend this series if you love monster romance or have a soft spot for green skinned orcs.