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Monster Mate Hunt #1
Orc's Craving
Can an orc commander protect a lonely woman from the dangers in his world?
Rhoslyn
When my sister is chosen for the Monster Mate Hunt—an annual event where two women must sacrifice themselves to the orcs for the good of us all—I volunteer in her place. The orcs hunt me as I bolt through the forest. I’m captured by the gruff, growly Commander Jaus, who expects me to cook and clean, plus sleep in his quarters with him at night, despite insisting he doesn’t want a mate.
Then something changes, and his dark, brooding gaze turns my way . . .
Jaus
Rhoslyn’s beautiful, spitting mad, and determined never to be my bride. I take her to my home in the orc city, and in no time, I long for what I don’t deserve—a mate and a life full of joy. When the city’s attacked, and her life is in danger, I’ll destroy everything just to protect her. I’m going to defeat our enemy, and then I’m going to make Rhoslyn mine.
Orc’s Craving is Book 1 in the Monster Mate Hunt Series. Expect fated mates, found families, a distinctive size difference, and a “touch her and die” hero. Each book is standalone, but the series is best if read in order.
Orc’s Mate
(a prequel)
Orc’s Craving
Orc’s Fate
Orc’s Maiden
Orc’s Captive
Orc’s Taming
Rhoslyn
When my sister is chosen for the Monster Mate Hunt—an annual event where two women must sacrifice themselves to the orcs for the good of us all—I volunteer in her place. The orcs hunt me as I bolt through the forest. I’m captured by the gruff, growly Commander Jaus, who expects me to cook and clean, plus sleep in his quarters with him at night, despite insisting he doesn’t want a mate.
Then something changes, and his dark, brooding gaze turns my way . . .
Jaus
Rhoslyn’s beautiful, spitting mad, and determined never to be my bride. I take her to my home in the orc city, and in no time, I long for what I don’t deserve—a mate and a life full of joy. When the city’s attacked, and her life is in danger, I’ll destroy everything just to protect her. I’m going to defeat our enemy, and then I’m going to make Rhoslyn mine.
Orc’s Craving is Book 1 in the Monster Mate Hunt Series. Expect fated mates, found families, a distinctive size difference, and a “touch her and die” hero. Each book is standalone, but the series is best if read in order.
Orc’s Mate
(a prequel)
Orc’s Craving
Orc’s Fate
Orc’s Maiden
Orc’s Captive
Orc’s Taming
304 pages, Kindle Edition
Published January 1, 2024
592 people are currently reading
613 people want to read
About the author
Ava Ross
173 books774 followersAVA ROSS fell for men with unusual features when she first watched Star Wars, where alien creatures have gone mainstream. She lives in New England with her husband (who is sadly not an alien, though he is still cute in his own way), her kids, and assorted pets, including a yorkie pup and three cats.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 101 reviews
December 15, 2023
Spoilers, etc.
This is my personal review in real time as I'm reading the book. There will be spoilers.
I very much dislike a man who brags about his prowess, demands the woman that he's with will beg for him, all the while does the bare minimum, and worse treats her like garbage. It's an overdone trope, and, quite frankly, gross at this point. He treats her as a servant. It's so typical, and yuck, tbh.
He bragged about "women" and that they liked him for his "prowess" and not who he was as a person. Proudly. And it turns out that it wasn't "women," but a woman.
And FMC is jealous over a person who disdains her and treats her like she's nothing. 😒 Are women still doing this these days? Y'all haven't grown past that already? Really, she had to hold back a "fretting" and "fluttering" over a guy that treats her like a piece of @$s that should worship at his shrine? And then he LAUGHS at her? But oF cOuRsE, all that mockery and disdain makes her "thr0b" for him? Is this for real?
Nobs on the SIDES of his package? In whose world is that appealing? And then, THEN, he justifies his taunting and absolute disdain as his "role" to show her that she should not only "trust" him, but also that that behavior would prove that she could find "joy" in him?! In what world?! Whatever world that is, I would never want a part in it. It is incomprehensible to me that ANY woman would want to be a part of that world.
Oh, his abhorrent treatment of her is now suddenly a reminder of how his mother loved his father? And, of course, he was too tired to analyze his own ill treatment of her.
And then all of a sudden, after professing "bitterness" early on that "women" (a woman) had cared more for his prowess than who he was, we learn that the woman, Avella, had been his childhood friend and sweetheart and had been heartbroken when his pendant didn't light for her. That doesn't sound like a woman who only wanted him for his prowess. He even says, "She was a good female, kind and caring." In actuality, his previous "prowess" bs sounds like boy math.
He deliberately makes his "mate," Rhoslyn, thinks that she's alone in the "mate" feelings.
It's heinous. I'm at 29% in the book. It better get real better, real quick. Immediately after I typed this, he's saying to himself that he hasn't had enough time to convince her she wants to be with him as he ORDERS her to WASH his LEG next (after everything else I mentioned). He had previously demanded that she wash his wounds more aggressively, but when he demands that she dry him... he gaslights her and tells her to be more gentle! 🤬🤬 Is the author kidding?!? WHY would she want to be with him based on HIS OWN ACTIONS??? Oh, but of course, then he tells himself that his "heart is not getting involved." How typical. A "man" finds an alternate mommy, treats her like absolute rubbish, and now he's "in love." Then, after more horrific behavior towards her, he exclaims, "I just might keep you." And on that note, at 31% completion, I'm done.
This was a nightmare read for as long as I lasted. I can't imagine him being redeemed at any point after that typical nightmarish bs. DNF.
This is my personal review in real time as I'm reading the book. There will be spoilers.
I very much dislike a man who brags about his prowess, demands the woman that he's with will beg for him, all the while does the bare minimum, and worse treats her like garbage. It's an overdone trope, and, quite frankly, gross at this point. He treats her as a servant. It's so typical, and yuck, tbh.
He bragged about "women" and that they liked him for his "prowess" and not who he was as a person. Proudly. And it turns out that it wasn't "women," but a woman.
And FMC is jealous over a person who disdains her and treats her like she's nothing. 😒 Are women still doing this these days? Y'all haven't grown past that already? Really, she had to hold back a "fretting" and "fluttering" over a guy that treats her like a piece of @$s that should worship at his shrine? And then he LAUGHS at her? But oF cOuRsE, all that mockery and disdain makes her "thr0b" for him? Is this for real?
Nobs on the SIDES of his package? In whose world is that appealing? And then, THEN, he justifies his taunting and absolute disdain as his "role" to show her that she should not only "trust" him, but also that that behavior would prove that she could find "joy" in him?! In what world?! Whatever world that is, I would never want a part in it. It is incomprehensible to me that ANY woman would want to be a part of that world.
Oh, his abhorrent treatment of her is now suddenly a reminder of how his mother loved his father? And, of course, he was too tired to analyze his own ill treatment of her.
And then all of a sudden, after professing "bitterness" early on that "women" (a woman) had cared more for his prowess than who he was, we learn that the woman, Avella, had been his childhood friend and sweetheart and had been heartbroken when his pendant didn't light for her. That doesn't sound like a woman who only wanted him for his prowess. He even says, "She was a good female, kind and caring." In actuality, his previous "prowess" bs sounds like boy math.
He deliberately makes his "mate," Rhoslyn, thinks that she's alone in the "mate" feelings.
It's heinous. I'm at 29% in the book. It better get real better, real quick. Immediately after I typed this, he's saying to himself that he hasn't had enough time to convince her she wants to be with him as he ORDERS her to WASH his LEG next (after everything else I mentioned). He had previously demanded that she wash his wounds more aggressively, but when he demands that she dry him... he gaslights her and tells her to be more gentle! 🤬🤬 Is the author kidding?!? WHY would she want to be with him based on HIS OWN ACTIONS??? Oh, but of course, then he tells himself that his "heart is not getting involved." How typical. A "man" finds an alternate mommy, treats her like absolute rubbish, and now he's "in love." Then, after more horrific behavior towards her, he exclaims, "I just might keep you." And on that note, at 31% completion, I'm done.
This was a nightmare read for as long as I lasted. I can't imagine him being redeemed at any point after that typical nightmarish bs. DNF.
March 18, 2025
I volunteer as tribute!
The following ratings are out of 5:
Romance: 🩵🖤❤️
Heat/Steam: 🔥🔥🔥
Story/Plot: 📕📗📙
World building: 🌏🌍🌎🌏
Character development: ☹️☺️😍😄
Narrator(s): 🎙🎙🎙🎙
Narration type: Dual Narration
The heroine: Rhoslyn - she is twenty-five years old and basically considers herself an old maid. At one time she had been pursued by many of the men in her village, but she turned them all down. Her parents were killed by a shade (red eyed lizard creature). Rhoslyn had been afraid that any man she married would not be willing to take care of her little sister Lyneth, so she turned them away until they stopped asking her. Though Eamon, the slimy mayor of the village, has been pursuing her relentlessly recently and even cornered her in an ally until she kicked him where it hurts most.
The Hero: Jaus - he is an Orc and the son of the town leader. Though his brother is the heir. So Jaus has made a name for himself as the commander of the forces. He takes his job very seriously and is too busy to worry about getting a mate. More than 20 years ago, his town was overrun by their enemies and most of the females were killed. Since then, they have created a pact with the nearby village of humans. The humans offer two females per year for them to chase in a mate hunt in exchange for their protection of the human village against the shades and other creatures.
The Story: The mayor chooses Rhoslyn’s sister as one of the females sacrificed to the Orc’s mate hunt this year, in an effort to get back at her and force her to marry him. Rhoslyn does something that has never been done before and offers to be sacrificed in her sisters' place. Her sister is in love with a man in the village and plans to marry in a few months, and there is no way Rhosyln would let her be sent to the Orc’s. So that very night, she is sent outside the gates for the Orc mate hunt.
Jaus, who was not planning to participate in the hunt, sees Rhoslyn and knows immediately when his pendant glowed, that she is his true mate. He still doesn’t want to participate, but when a shade starts stalking her and another Orc says he will capture her, Jaus feels jealousy and decides that he has to be the one to catch her and save her from the shade. This book is nothing original, and obviously takes some things from the hunger games, and other books with mate hunts. Also, the conversation between the two main characters often sounded too simplistic and not realistic. This surprised me since the book was published this year and I have really liked Ava Ross books before.
This audiobook was told in dual points of view via dual narration and was narrated by Stephan Borne and Scarlett Dorian. Both of these narrators were new to me. Scarlett has a clear and expressive voice and did a terrific job. Stephen had a deep, soft, growly voice that worked well for Jaus and I quite liked his voice and how natural he sounded. The one thing I didn’t like was both of their voices for the opposite sex. I wish more books were done in duet narration.
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The following ratings are out of 5:
Romance: 🩵🖤❤️
Heat/Steam: 🔥🔥🔥
Story/Plot: 📕📗📙
World building: 🌏🌍🌎🌏
Character development: ☹️☺️😍😄
Narrator(s): 🎙🎙🎙🎙
Narration type: Dual Narration
The heroine: Rhoslyn - she is twenty-five years old and basically considers herself an old maid. At one time she had been pursued by many of the men in her village, but she turned them all down. Her parents were killed by a shade (red eyed lizard creature). Rhoslyn had been afraid that any man she married would not be willing to take care of her little sister Lyneth, so she turned them away until they stopped asking her. Though Eamon, the slimy mayor of the village, has been pursuing her relentlessly recently and even cornered her in an ally until she kicked him where it hurts most.
The Hero: Jaus - he is an Orc and the son of the town leader. Though his brother is the heir. So Jaus has made a name for himself as the commander of the forces. He takes his job very seriously and is too busy to worry about getting a mate. More than 20 years ago, his town was overrun by their enemies and most of the females were killed. Since then, they have created a pact with the nearby village of humans. The humans offer two females per year for them to chase in a mate hunt in exchange for their protection of the human village against the shades and other creatures.
The Story: The mayor chooses Rhoslyn’s sister as one of the females sacrificed to the Orc’s mate hunt this year, in an effort to get back at her and force her to marry him. Rhoslyn does something that has never been done before and offers to be sacrificed in her sisters' place. Her sister is in love with a man in the village and plans to marry in a few months, and there is no way Rhosyln would let her be sent to the Orc’s. So that very night, she is sent outside the gates for the Orc mate hunt.
Jaus, who was not planning to participate in the hunt, sees Rhoslyn and knows immediately when his pendant glowed, that she is his true mate. He still doesn’t want to participate, but when a shade starts stalking her and another Orc says he will capture her, Jaus feels jealousy and decides that he has to be the one to catch her and save her from the shade. This book is nothing original, and obviously takes some things from the hunger games, and other books with mate hunts. Also, the conversation between the two main characters often sounded too simplistic and not realistic. This surprised me since the book was published this year and I have really liked Ava Ross books before.
This audiobook was told in dual points of view via dual narration and was narrated by Stephan Borne and Scarlett Dorian. Both of these narrators were new to me. Scarlett has a clear and expressive voice and did a terrific job. Stephen had a deep, soft, growly voice that worked well for Jaus and I quite liked his voice and how natural he sounded. The one thing I didn’t like was both of their voices for the opposite sex. I wish more books were done in duet narration.
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January 15, 2024
DNFd at 33%. I liked how it began but it’s ventured into dull territory. The constant “I don’t want you but my body says otherwise” is trite.
January 22, 2024
good
Rhoslyn and Jaus
NOTE: there is an introductory story called Orc’s Mate, which is set about five years before this one, and features a couple that is mentioned in this book.
Rhoslyn takes her sister’s place in the mate hunt, and is claimed by Jaus, the Orc commander of the armies for his city.
Claiming he doesn’t need a mate, Jaus decides that Rhoslyn can keep house for him; it’s not long however, before they find themselves drawn to each other.
Set in an interesting new world, this book features a monster-human romance, with a cinnamon roll (on the inside) hero, and a strong, sassy heroine.
Rhoslyn is more than a pretty face, and her skills as a healer hold her in good stead- I enjoyed reading about her.
An engrossing tale, this is a fun read for monster-romance lovers.
Rhoslyn and Jaus
NOTE: there is an introductory story called Orc’s Mate, which is set about five years before this one, and features a couple that is mentioned in this book.
Rhoslyn takes her sister’s place in the mate hunt, and is claimed by Jaus, the Orc commander of the armies for his city.
Claiming he doesn’t need a mate, Jaus decides that Rhoslyn can keep house for him; it’s not long however, before they find themselves drawn to each other.
Set in an interesting new world, this book features a monster-human romance, with a cinnamon roll (on the inside) hero, and a strong, sassy heroine.
Rhoslyn is more than a pretty face, and her skills as a healer hold her in good stead- I enjoyed reading about her.
An engrossing tale, this is a fun read for monster-romance lovers.
April 23, 2025
gross and off putting beginning. absolutely terrible audiobook narration.
October 19, 2024
1.75/5.
While I appreciate that the book isn't 90% orc cum, holy shit is there no tension. This is less than 300 pages it should not be this much of a slog. Stuff happens, I guess. But it's written like there is a checklist of plot points to get through. This can be done well if the writing is thoughtful and used to develop characters. That is not what's happening here.
So, the banter. The banter is comprised of the same two convos:
1. Both of them constantly tell each other how much they don't want a mate.
2. Him telling her that he won't fuck her until she begs and her replying how uninterested she is in fucking him while thinking about how she wants to fuck him.
Once we're done with that banter, we get into near constant saccharine love declarations because to be endearing or sweet, the relationship would lead to be developed outside of "my glowy necklace says I love you and that you need to fall in love with me".
I understand why people vibe with this one, but it's just not for me.
While I appreciate that the book isn't 90% orc cum, holy shit is there no tension. This is less than 300 pages it should not be this much of a slog. Stuff happens, I guess. But it's written like there is a checklist of plot points to get through. This can be done well if the writing is thoughtful and used to develop characters. That is not what's happening here.
So, the banter. The banter is comprised of the same two convos:
1. Both of them constantly tell each other how much they don't want a mate.
2. Him telling her that he won't fuck her until she begs and her replying how uninterested she is in fucking him while thinking about how she wants to fuck him.
Once we're done with that banter, we get into near constant saccharine love declarations because to be endearing or sweet, the relationship would lead to be developed outside of "my glowy necklace says I love you and that you need to fall in love with me".
I understand why people vibe with this one, but it's just not for me.
April 16, 2024
Felt like it was written by a 13 year old on Wattpad. No tension, pacing, editing or continuity.
If I read the phrase 'tiny mate' one more time, I'm going to vomit...
If I read the phrase 'tiny mate' one more time, I'm going to vomit...
September 24, 2025
Orc's Craving is the first book in the Monster Mate Hunt series. It is a forced proximity monster romance. I really didn't care for this book. It was pretty bad. If it weren't for all of the sex scenes, I would have thought that this book was written by a 10 year old. It was disjointed had very basic sentence structure, and poor continuity. She is supposed to be 25 but was 18 ten years ago. Or something similar to that, I finished the book a few days ago and am just now getting around to reviewing it. I also had some unanswered questions. A big one being, why if the hunt has been taking place for a decade, did none of the human women ever return to the town to let their families know they are okay and that the Orc's are a thing of nightmares like they were raised to believe. I liked the setting and the world, but that is pretty much the extent of it. The narration was good. I bought books 1 and 2 in an audible sale so I guess I will give book 2 a chance to see if it is any better. 1.5 stars overall.
January 5, 2024
This was the first book I've read by Ava Ross and I was very pleasantly surprised by how much I loved it! I loved the whole concept of the hunt, the humor woven in the book and just how sweet the romance was overall!
December 10, 2024
Yes I read this entire story and loved it😂
January 26, 2024
nice easy read did get a bit bored at like 75% tho
October 14, 2023
Rhoslyn has taken the place of her sister in the mate hunt. She can either save her sister who is to marry her childhood sweetheart or stay and get consistently harassed by a town man. So out she goes and is matched to Jaus. Jaus is the son of the town leader. His brother being the heir. Being given a mate while being the commander sets some challenges but they are willing to try. Well that is after Rhoslyn meets another human from a previous mate hunt.
Jaus is even willing to accommodate Rhoslyn’s given talents in herbs and medicine. Which just so happens to lead to a major discovery for the orcs.
Jaus is even willing to accommodate Rhoslyn’s given talents in herbs and medicine. Which just so happens to lead to a major discovery for the orcs.
December 7, 2023
🌟 “I feel as if the stars have conspired to paint your image into existence - a masterpiece of ethereal beauty that captivated me from the moment I met you.”
~~~
Rhoslyn is an incredible woman! She’s а brilliant, caring, resourceful and compassionate healer. And I loved her strength and courage to face any hardships thrown her way. Even more, I adored her fiery spirit and that she never backed down from challenges and always stood up for herself. Rhoslyn is absolutely awesome and I loved her so, so much!
And then, we have griff and growly Commander Jaus! The leader of the orc forces is one huge, dangerous and grumpy male. But there is more to the fearsome warrior than meets the eye. Because underneath his stern and commanding exterior hides a caring male with a huge heart who will do everything to please his mate. Yup, Jaus is a cinnamon roll in a grumpy disguise. And I couldn’t help but adore everything about him!
I absolutely loved everything that happened between Rhoslyn and Jaus! It’s time for the Monster Mate Hunt and Rhoslyn volunteers to take part in it to protect her little sister. Meanwhile, Jaus is there to protect his younger half-brother when his pedant flares, showing that the Rhoslyn is chosen for him by fate. I adored those two together! In the beginning neither of them wanted a mate. And I quite enjoyed their constant bickering, teasing and banters. Even more, I loved every moment they spent together trying to resist the undeniable attraction and, yet, slowly succumbing to it. And the more they got to know each other, the more both realized how well they fit together. And when they couldn’t resist the growing need for one another, the passionate moments they shared were off-the-charts hot! Rhoslyn and Jaus were absolutely amazing and more than deserved to find happiness and love together!
In addition, the storyline was fantastic! I loved that we got to see in more detail how life in the orc city is. But there is also danger lurking in the waters nearby. Even more, I was quite fond of Madr and really hope he finds himself a worthy mate soon. With everything happening and all the unexpected turns of events, I was glued to the pages till the very end.
Overall, Orc’s Craving is a spectacular, action-packed, suspenseful, fun and naughty story and I absolutely loved every page of it!
~~~
Rhoslyn is an incredible woman! She’s а brilliant, caring, resourceful and compassionate healer. And I loved her strength and courage to face any hardships thrown her way. Even more, I adored her fiery spirit and that she never backed down from challenges and always stood up for herself. Rhoslyn is absolutely awesome and I loved her so, so much!
And then, we have griff and growly Commander Jaus! The leader of the orc forces is one huge, dangerous and grumpy male. But there is more to the fearsome warrior than meets the eye. Because underneath his stern and commanding exterior hides a caring male with a huge heart who will do everything to please his mate. Yup, Jaus is a cinnamon roll in a grumpy disguise. And I couldn’t help but adore everything about him!
I absolutely loved everything that happened between Rhoslyn and Jaus! It’s time for the Monster Mate Hunt and Rhoslyn volunteers to take part in it to protect her little sister. Meanwhile, Jaus is there to protect his younger half-brother when his pedant flares, showing that the Rhoslyn is chosen for him by fate. I adored those two together! In the beginning neither of them wanted a mate. And I quite enjoyed their constant bickering, teasing and banters. Even more, I loved every moment they spent together trying to resist the undeniable attraction and, yet, slowly succumbing to it. And the more they got to know each other, the more both realized how well they fit together. And when they couldn’t resist the growing need for one another, the passionate moments they shared were off-the-charts hot! Rhoslyn and Jaus were absolutely amazing and more than deserved to find happiness and love together!
In addition, the storyline was fantastic! I loved that we got to see in more detail how life in the orc city is. But there is also danger lurking in the waters nearby. Even more, I was quite fond of Madr and really hope he finds himself a worthy mate soon. With everything happening and all the unexpected turns of events, I was glued to the pages till the very end.
Overall, Orc’s Craving is a spectacular, action-packed, suspenseful, fun and naughty story and I absolutely loved every page of it!
February 15, 2024
Opening their hearts to love
I loved Jaus and Rhoslyn’s opposites attract, monster-human, cinnamon roll hero, fated mates romance. The story had a wonderful balance of humor, heartwarming love, real life issues, danger, and spice. Rhoslyn is a human healer. After her parent’s death, she has cared for her younger sister and as a result, has given up on a romantic relationship. The humans in the settlement have an agreement with the orcs that in return for their protection, the humans will give them two brides a year. When her sister is chosen as one of the brides, Rhoslyn takes her place. She hopes to escape and return to the settlement. Jaus is an orc and the general of his clan. He is at the hunt only to protect the prince. When Jaus’ pendant glows for Rhoslyn, he knows she’s his fated mate but he is not interested in a mate or risking his heart. Despite Rhoslyn being “given” to Jaus as a bride, to “hunt,” this is not a dubcon or noncon situation. Rhoslyn and Jaus’ relationship develops organically without forced intimacy as they travel to the orc city, settle into his home, and spend time together. Not all is wonderful and safe in the orc city though. The book was well written, with witty dialogue, good world building, three dimensional characters who grow, and an engaging storyline as shown in sweet moments, spicy scenes, exciting action, danger, culture differences, painful pasts, imperfect characters, and love. I am looking forward to reading the next book in the series. 4.5 stars.
I loved Jaus and Rhoslyn’s opposites attract, monster-human, cinnamon roll hero, fated mates romance. The story had a wonderful balance of humor, heartwarming love, real life issues, danger, and spice. Rhoslyn is a human healer. After her parent’s death, she has cared for her younger sister and as a result, has given up on a romantic relationship. The humans in the settlement have an agreement with the orcs that in return for their protection, the humans will give them two brides a year. When her sister is chosen as one of the brides, Rhoslyn takes her place. She hopes to escape and return to the settlement. Jaus is an orc and the general of his clan. He is at the hunt only to protect the prince. When Jaus’ pendant glows for Rhoslyn, he knows she’s his fated mate but he is not interested in a mate or risking his heart. Despite Rhoslyn being “given” to Jaus as a bride, to “hunt,” this is not a dubcon or noncon situation. Rhoslyn and Jaus’ relationship develops organically without forced intimacy as they travel to the orc city, settle into his home, and spend time together. Not all is wonderful and safe in the orc city though. The book was well written, with witty dialogue, good world building, three dimensional characters who grow, and an engaging storyline as shown in sweet moments, spicy scenes, exciting action, danger, culture differences, painful pasts, imperfect characters, and love. I am looking forward to reading the next book in the series. 4.5 stars.
December 13, 2023
4 ⭐⭐⭐⭐the same as for the priquel of this series entitled 'Orc's Mate' available through the Author's Newsletter, I recommend taking advantage of it, because it is a great introduction to this fantastic series 😉👍
Now I'm waiting for the next parts.
[...]
The sun will soon set and the two women will leave the village and enter the forest. Eighteen men - three from each of our six orc clans - held their breath, waiting to see who would be gifted a mate.
Seventeen men, actually, because I came here to protect Madra, not to chase a woman.
A shiny clan pendant meant that your fate was chosen. No one denied the call.
[...]
-'So many houses,' I said -'How many orcs live here?'
-Thousands plus a few tiny women like you.-
I snorted. Most people thought I was tall and very stocky.
-'I'm not tiny.'
-You are for me.
-'Strength doesn't just come from muscles, in case you didn't know.'
-I wouldn't be a good military leader if I didn't already realize this.
[...]
-I feel as if the stars conspired to paint your image - a masterpiece of ethereal beauty that has captivated me from the moment I met you.
-'Jaus'. Her fingers tightened on my arms and tears glistened in her eyes. 'It is beautiful.'
Now I'm waiting for the next parts.
[...]
The sun will soon set and the two women will leave the village and enter the forest. Eighteen men - three from each of our six orc clans - held their breath, waiting to see who would be gifted a mate.
Seventeen men, actually, because I came here to protect Madra, not to chase a woman.
A shiny clan pendant meant that your fate was chosen. No one denied the call.
[...]
-'So many houses,' I said -'How many orcs live here?'
-Thousands plus a few tiny women like you.-
I snorted. Most people thought I was tall and very stocky.
-'I'm not tiny.'
-You are for me.
-'Strength doesn't just come from muscles, in case you didn't know.'
-I wouldn't be a good military leader if I didn't already realize this.
[...]
-I feel as if the stars conspired to paint your image - a masterpiece of ethereal beauty that has captivated me from the moment I met you.
-'Jaus'. Her fingers tightened on my arms and tears glistened in her eyes. 'It is beautiful.'
September 22, 2024
I actually really enjoyed this
Rhoslyn volunteers to go through The Mate Hunt in place of her sister, who is engaged to be married.
Jaus is only out during The Mate Hunt to protect his brother Madr, the Prince, as he’s the commander of the army. He doesn’t expect to find a mate, but his necklace lights up when he sets eyes on Rhoslyn.
Rhoslyn was her villages healer and knows all about plants and herbs.
As they travel back to the orc city, they get to know each other and fall in love. They are so cute together and are great for each other.
They eventually make it back to the city and Jaus shows her off as he shows her the city. Rhoslyn encounters the crazy big crab creatures that are terrorizing the city. She accidentally learns that one of the herbs she uses for tea is deadly to the crabs and comes up with a plan to defeat them.
Jaus’ dad, the king, denies him his true place as the rightful Prince but despite that, he and his brother Madr are still very close. So when the king is awful to a pregnant Rhoslyn and Jaus, Madr renounces the thrown.
January 28, 2025
The story line often felt choppy and disjointed. An info dump would occur during a situation that had nothing to do with what was happening. It’s like another reviewer mentioned, the author was checking things off a list. We spend the first 65% of the book dealing with I love him/her but I can’t tell them because they don’t love me. Ugh, why did we have to beat this into the ground just to suddenly do a complete 180 and be all tooth achingly lovie dovie can’t live without out you. Also the way the MMC talked to the FMC in the first half of the book almost had me DNFing. He was all I bang all the beaches, you will want a ride on this soon enough, you are my womb and I will be using it, until then you can cook, clean, and wash my back. Don’t even get me started on how the FMC magically healed from a through and through stab wound to the thigh in week using only medieval level medical practices of herbs and spices 🤔 Heads up the poorly written final 20% does not redeem it. You can just jam in huge plot points and give them half a page, fail la la.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 4, 2023
Orc’s Craving by Ava Ross is the first in her Monster Mate Hunt series. It’s a wonderfully fun, romantic HEA with hints of suspense and tons of steam. Once a year, 2 women from a human village are “sacrificed” to the mate hunt & in exchange the Orcs offer that village protection from creatures who live in the forest. The Orcs, having lost many of their females, need the humans’ help if they want their race to continue.
In this story, Rhoslyn volunteers to take the place of her younger sister, thinking to protect her from the Orcs. She soon learns that things are not quite as they were led to believe and maybe being “sacrificed” is the best thing that has ever happened to her.
Ava’s world building is second to none; you can easily picture the villages, forests, and Orc cities. There is a prequel to this story, Orc’s Mate which is a wonderful read as well. I highly recommend this or any of Ava’s stories.
In this story, Rhoslyn volunteers to take the place of her younger sister, thinking to protect her from the Orcs. She soon learns that things are not quite as they were led to believe and maybe being “sacrificed” is the best thing that has ever happened to her.
Ava’s world building is second to none; you can easily picture the villages, forests, and Orc cities. There is a prequel to this story, Orc’s Mate which is a wonderful read as well. I highly recommend this or any of Ava’s stories.
December 17, 2023
4 stars for Orc's Craving🌟💖
Jaus and Rhoslyn meet the night of the Mate hunt. Jaus wasn't looking for a mate he's a commander of the Orc forces and wants to be left a line to do his job. He doesn't want to love or mate because he saw what heartache did to his mother. Rhoslyn lost her parents years ago and raise her sister. Her sister is just about to marry the love of her life when the creepy head of the village threatens her. Rhoslyn chooses the mate hunt over him and runs for the forest. When these two spark fate and meet they cant help the powerful attraction between them. They both fight it but the more they fight it the stronger it becomes. Witty banter that turns will make you smile and laugh fill the paged of this lovely stone story. When friendship grows so does trust and then the heart follows. With a dash of danger and a whole lot of passion you'll love this book. Highly recommend!💖🌟🔥🌟🔥💖🌟🌟🌟🔥🌟🔥🌟
Jaus and Rhoslyn meet the night of the Mate hunt. Jaus wasn't looking for a mate he's a commander of the Orc forces and wants to be left a line to do his job. He doesn't want to love or mate because he saw what heartache did to his mother. Rhoslyn lost her parents years ago and raise her sister. Her sister is just about to marry the love of her life when the creepy head of the village threatens her. Rhoslyn chooses the mate hunt over him and runs for the forest. When these two spark fate and meet they cant help the powerful attraction between them. They both fight it but the more they fight it the stronger it becomes. Witty banter that turns will make you smile and laugh fill the paged of this lovely stone story. When friendship grows so does trust and then the heart follows. With a dash of danger and a whole lot of passion you'll love this book. Highly recommend!💖🌟🔥🌟🔥💖🌟🌟🌟🔥🌟🔥🌟
August 28, 2024
"Do you mean you’ve been with males?” He twisted a few levers mounted along the side of the stone tub, sending steaming water gushing into the center, filling it quickly. “I don’t scorn such a thing,” he said. “Though it isn’t something I’m drawn to.”
"Molten globules cascaded toward sodden floors—their incandescent glow illuminating taut muscles flexing under orcs' firm grips on burning rods. As they worked, sparks danced around them. Sweat glistened on their brawny torsos covered only with sturdy leather aprons."
That is the MMCs POV.
My friend I'm gonna hold your hand when I say this....
Anyways.
I could have used more orc type smexy times, they were pretty tame.
And the heroine get a poisoned barb the size of her fist through and through her thigh and the basic poultice and prayer treatment and 6 days she's riding him like a cowboy.
So there's that 😂
It's a fun little book and the world concept is neat. I'll continue the series.
"Molten globules cascaded toward sodden floors—their incandescent glow illuminating taut muscles flexing under orcs' firm grips on burning rods. As they worked, sparks danced around them. Sweat glistened on their brawny torsos covered only with sturdy leather aprons."
That is the MMCs POV.
My friend I'm gonna hold your hand when I say this....
Anyways.
I could have used more orc type smexy times, they were pretty tame.
And the heroine get a poisoned barb the size of her fist through and through her thigh and the basic poultice and prayer treatment and 6 days she's riding him like a cowboy.
So there's that 😂
It's a fun little book and the world concept is neat. I'll continue the series.
April 4, 2025
As always Ava give you something to think about - sometimes differences are just that and they are truly the things that bind us together.
I have to say that the narrators (Stephen Borne and Scarlett Dorian) that she have are perfect in capturing the emotions and trials of the main characters. I especially loved Scarlett because you can shear her emotions that correlate perfectly with the scene.
I think the the fact that Jaus is the "illegitimate" son of the King gives the relation between him and his father the right amount of discourse where he is closer to his brother more out of sheer love than duty. Rhoslyn took her sister' place cause she wanted her to have what she dreamed of...marrying her longtime love. The pairing was perfect.
My only drawback is that I think the the relationship between the King and Jaus should have been explored a little more with Rhoslyn being more of a protector in the midst (just my wacky opinion).
I am looking forward to Madr run!!!!
I have to say that the narrators (Stephen Borne and Scarlett Dorian) that she have are perfect in capturing the emotions and trials of the main characters. I especially loved Scarlett because you can shear her emotions that correlate perfectly with the scene.
I think the the fact that Jaus is the "illegitimate" son of the King gives the relation between him and his father the right amount of discourse where he is closer to his brother more out of sheer love than duty. Rhoslyn took her sister' place cause she wanted her to have what she dreamed of...marrying her longtime love. The pairing was perfect.
My only drawback is that I think the the relationship between the King and Jaus should have been explored a little more with Rhoslyn being more of a protector in the midst (just my wacky opinion).
I am looking forward to Madr run!!!!
December 11, 2023
The orcs wait every year for the two women required by the treaty. Most of the orcs' women were killed by sea monsters so women are in very short supply.
The orcs have "clan pendants" that light up if you see your fated mate. So the mate hunt is really just orcs waiting around for their clan pendant to light up. The hero's pendant lights up and he chases the heroine down and tells her she belongs to him but he won't force her to do anything.
She goes to live in his house and he constantly brags and says he won't touch her until she begs him. It was kinda annoying.
He woos her. He cooks her food. He takes her shopping and buys anything she looks at and puts down again.
I expected them to have intercourse earlier in the book. Mostly they fool around.
The orcs have "clan pendants" that light up if you see your fated mate. So the mate hunt is really just orcs waiting around for their clan pendant to light up. The hero's pendant lights up and he chases the heroine down and tells her she belongs to him but he won't force her to do anything.
She goes to live in his house and he constantly brags and says he won't touch her until she begs him. It was kinda annoying.
He woos her. He cooks her food. He takes her shopping and buys anything she looks at and puts down again.
I expected them to have intercourse earlier in the book. Mostly they fool around.
January 1, 2024
2.65 Stars - The story has a lot of potential because of the interesting world building, however it needs a lot of tightening. There are problems with redundancy at the start as if the author struggled with the main characters beginning interactions and then there are a few consistency and timeline issues something a good reread would have found and corrected. The characters of Rhoslyn and Jaus are interesting enough that instead of the repetitive nature of their inner monologue and dialogue that time would have been better spent in conversation establishing the relationship as well as expounding on things that were hinted at but never expounded on. All in all not a bad read to pass the time.
May 19, 2024
The modern colloquialisms and writing style was jarring and off putting given the more fantasy setting.
At one point the FMC says something along the lines of “you’re no cinnamon roll hero that’s for sure” and it completely threw me out of the immersion. I feel like there are better ways of describing characters than falling back on common phrases used in the Bookish community to sell books.
I’m a gal who is down bad for an Orc story and lemme tell you I truly suffered by forcing myself to read this one. Honestly the MMC was a twat and they were both fairly bland and uninteresting.
Apparently I *do* want more from an Orc story aside from big green appendages. Huh. How’s that for character growth? My mother would be so proud.
At one point the FMC says something along the lines of “you’re no cinnamon roll hero that’s for sure” and it completely threw me out of the immersion. I feel like there are better ways of describing characters than falling back on common phrases used in the Bookish community to sell books.
I’m a gal who is down bad for an Orc story and lemme tell you I truly suffered by forcing myself to read this one. Honestly the MMC was a twat and they were both fairly bland and uninteresting.
Apparently I *do* want more from an Orc story aside from big green appendages. Huh. How’s that for character growth? My mother would be so proud.
December 3, 2023
Orc cravings is the first book in the Monster Mare Hunt Series by Ava Ross. Roslyn, a human healer, volunteers to take the place of her younger sister in being sacrificed to the Orcs as payment for protection of their village. Jaus, an Orc commander, hunts her down and takes her as his bride. However, he doesn't want a mate. This book was a fast paced, engaging read. I couldn't put the book down. It had everything; a strong grumpy cinnamon roll, fated mates, size difference, one bed, moderate spice, “touch her and die”, action, suspense, and a smart feisty heroine. I absolutely loved this book and I highly recommend it. I can't wait to read the next book in the series.
December 9, 2023
Ava's first book in this series and what a wonderful story. The town has made a deal with the orcs- the town provides two brides each year in exchange for the orc's protection. Rhoslyn's younger sister was chosen but Rhoslyn volunteers to take her place. Immediately she is thrust outside the gates and she runs. The orcs wait and watch from the trees to see who fate chooses to claim the female. Jaus' pendant flares indicating he's been chosen. He doesn't want a mate and hesitates until he hears a shayde tracking Rhoslyn and he starts after her. You will need to read this one to find out what happens.
December 9, 2023
This is a well written, well paced and richly detailed series opener. We get to follow feisty Rhoslyn and the growly Commander Jaus as they find themselves as fated mates. Things didn't start out that way, though. First there was personal sacrifice, then the mate hunt, then boundaries getting tested with sizzling chemistry and finally, yep, they realized they were fated ;D I love that the author includes humour in her stories and always has a plot that keeps me fully engaged. This one is no different and I loved how the romance unfolded for Rhoslyn and Jaus. I'm really looking forward to the next book :D
December 15, 2023
I loved that there was a fun twist to this monster romance. Normally I see stories where there are no female orcs and they have to bring in human women to procreate which always seemed a little off. Ava Ross has created a world where there are/were orc women but unfortunately they have been killed in an attack. To make us their numbers the Orc King makes a deal with the humans to provide 2 women every year as payment for protection from the big baddies that live in the area. I loved the set up and the complicated nature of the world they live in. I'm looking forward to the series and the many cinnamon roll heroes it promises.
January 8, 2024
A somewhat different approach to the usual Orc offering and I loved it. There was such a wonderful dynamic between Jaus and Rhoslyn, for all their bluster about not wanting a mate. Their humour, banter and supposed clashes made it such fun to read. They both have their responsibilities which they both take very seriously, Jaus with this job and Rhoslyn with her sister. They can be so alike at times and yet each cannot deny that whilst it is not necessarily logical or practical that their loves would be better if they had each other in them. Quite the dilemma and then as ever the push to find out which way it will all go!
December 4, 2025
2.5
Rhoslyn & Jaus
Interesting concept: for payment to protect a human town, every year 2 women must participate in the mating hunt. They are pushed out of the town walls and hunted (not hurt) down by Orcs. They become their mates. Since the women taken are never seen again, rumors are plentiful on their fate.
Also this seems great. The storylines, the characters....all basically fine. But the conversations were off putting. I am not sure of another way to put it. I am curious on what happens with Jaus's brother which I am fairly certain is the next book, but I am not sure how quickly I will jump back into this world.
Rhoslyn & Jaus
Interesting concept: for payment to protect a human town, every year 2 women must participate in the mating hunt. They are pushed out of the town walls and hunted (not hurt) down by Orcs. They become their mates. Since the women taken are never seen again, rumors are plentiful on their fate.
Also this seems great. The storylines, the characters....all basically fine. But the conversations were off putting. I am not sure of another way to put it. I am curious on what happens with Jaus's brother which I am fairly certain is the next book, but I am not sure how quickly I will jump back into this world.
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