Knotty or Nice: A Monster Romance

Monster Holidays #2

by Taylor Fox

Blurb coming soon!

Genres: Fantasy, Monsters, Monster Romance, Paranormal, Spicy, Fantasy Romance, Romance

298 pages, Paperback

Published June 26, 2024

Reviews

[Simone · Rating 3 out of 5]

eh

It was cool. I wouldn’t read it again, but I enjoyed. Both MC were annoying in their own way, and the baby was cute.

[Jen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Settling on 3.5, because the beginning was a little slow but the second half picked up, and the spice was nice. And I just generally liked Violet and Thorne.

Violet and Thorne each spend the first half of the book confused about their feelings for the other. I love mutual pining. They each feel attraction with equal parts "nope can't like them." Violet wants to go home (for reasons unclear, aside from its where she's from) and Throne has responsibilities as King to keep his people safe and how can he fall for or trust this unknown human???

There are some Christmas things thrown in here and there, but it definitely not a Christmas themed story.

I trusted that it's a standalone, so I have not read the first book, unclear if some of my questions would be better understood if I had.

Things I didn't like so much:
I think the lead up to her going through the portal was a touch too long, for me. It seemed weirdly out of character (despite just meeting her) for Violet to go into the forest, that she does not trust, because she's never heard of the monsters mimicking a baby before, so that clearly meant there was an actual baby. Which didn't make sense to me. Like yes, there was a baby, but why was she so sure of it?? Like it works out and that's part of what Thorn loves about her, but it was still confusing at the start.

Violet being black felt like a side note, rather than part of her character. Like race doesn't have to be this huge part of who a character is, but it felt minimally touched on. There's one comment at the beginning about liking her small town-- except for the racists. And then it's not elaborated on or discussed again for a while. Later, she mentions the people in town treated her like an outsider because she's black. And then she references what I assume happened in the first book. (Oh and she's twerking at one point? I'm not sure if that was an attempt to make her seem more black? Idk felt weird.) We need more POC in monster romances, and I think that's what the author was going for, it just fell a little flat in my opinion.

Also, personally, don't like when windy boys are mentioned by name.

TL/DR:
Violet and Thorn are very cute together. Some elements fell flat and could be better developed. Slightly confusing if read as a standalone.

[Nina Diab · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book. Good world building and I liked the characters. It was a bit of slow burn, definitely no instalove here. I couldn't help but be a little annoyed over Violet's choice to go into a dark and dangerous forest at night, especially without the group of people she's stranded with who want no part of it and warn her not to go in but to wait and get help instead.

'Now, I’m not the only one shooting hesitant glances toward the tree line. Unnatural darkness seeps from the forest like a warning.'

She just had to be a hero- because of course there's nothing in the world- natural or supernatural- that could also sound like a baby's cry.

'And I’m well aware that this is exactly how horror movies start.'

It got her stuck in another world, but she was brave, I'll give her that and she did grow on me. She did find an orc baby and was determined to protect him even if she couldn't do much against large orcs. I liked that there was a language barrier- even if it didn't last long. I liked the relationship that developed between her and king Thorn. He doesn't trust easily- she'd have to show her trustworthiness. But portal or not, Violet was determined to find her way back home. I loved the banter between the two of them, and as a whole, I liked the other orcs.

This is the first book I've read by this author and I would read more. 4 stars.

As a side note, though there is some talk of Christmas in here- this is not a Christmas-themed story.

[CLorraine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Knotty or Nice by Taylor Fox is book two in her series, Holiday Monsters. Readers first met Violet in the prior story, and I was excited to see that she was featured in this cute, fun yet intense monster romance. After the troubling events from book one (if you haven’t read it, you are missing a treat) Violet has elected to leave town and start her life anew in another location. Unfortunately, her bus breaks down near Devil’s Mountain and when she hears a baby crying kind-hearted Violet goes to investigate. Her night goes even more downhill from there as she enters a portal and stumbles onto a scene of mayhem and violence. The baby is in a precarious situation, and she is the only person around to render aid! Thorn is frantically looking for his heir when he finds him being protected by a human woman! Against his better instincts, Thorn takes Violet with him into the holdings of his clan. Violet was looking for a new start but finds herself as the unexpected and unwilling guest of the amazingly attractive orc King, Thorn. Ms. Fox has created a wonderful world filled with engaging characters and heart stopping action. Thorn is grumpy but with cinnamon roll center, Violet complements him with her kind nature tempered with a steel core of resolve. I look forward to the next story in this series.
https://theretiredreader.com/f/knotty...

[Rainey · Rating 4 out of 5]

So happy that Violet got her happy ending! It’s hard to read about racism and sexism but the author did a good job with this book. Only because it’s such a touchy subject for so many people.

I’ve never been a fan of Orcs but this book did a good job of making them a more desirable type of mythic creature to read about.

Violet stumbles across a child in need, not caring that she could be putting herself in danger as she falls into an unknown world. All she cares about is protecting an innocent. This set her on the path to saving a little orcling and becoming his nanny. As a human she isn’t good for much else.

But as the king watches he protect his young and help protect his clan by doing so… he starts to fall in love with the beautiful human. Despite their differences and his clan not trusting outsiders he can’t help himself.

The spice as they fall together is wonderful and I enjoyed that the relationship stretched out a bit more in this book before the romance started. It was a great short read with a surprising twist at the end.

HEA!

[Karen Nastasio · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a quick and fantastic read and I loved the main characters and the way they danced around each other as there bond grew stronger and there desires for each other took over. Violet is a human female that has just broken down on the side of the road the the forest that everyone said is dangerous but when she hears a baby crying she racing in to save it but she goes though some weird portal and saves the baby but is confronted by a huge Orc and is taken back to his Village where she learns she save Eirik the Prince of the Orc Clan. Thorne is the Orc King and has learn that a human female save the Prince and so he protects the female and makes her the Nanny for Eirik and a bond soon forms between them and she earns the trust of the clan for her bravery and the Heart of the King but Violet only wanted to go home at first but now she isn’t sure she can leave Thorne and Eirik who she has grown to love. Fabulous book.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[kymagirl · Rating 5 out of 5]

When Violet's (h) bus breaks down near a mysterious forest, she hears a child's cries and ventures into the woods, ignoring warnings to stay behind. In the forest, she encounters strange phenomena and a monstrous orc who captures her, taking her to an orc village, where Violet learns the child she saved is Eirik, the prince of the orc clan. In this new world, Violet must navigate complex social dynamics and face constant danger. She forms an unexpected bond with Thorn (H), the imposing orc king, and things heat up between the two, even as she earns the respect of the clan with her bravery. As treachery and external threats loom, Violet's quick thinking and determination become crucial to her survival and the safety of the orc village. Torn between finding a way home and her growing sense of belonging, Violet must decide where she truly belongs. Hot and steamy orc romance with plenty of action and danger, exploring love, courage, loyalty, and finding family in unexpected places.

[Brooke Jankowsky · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think a lot of my favorite scenes were made into TikTok's, which is what drew me to this book in the first place. I think the plot and some of the scenes within it felt a little bit redundant at times. Also, we didn't get very much background to her being sacrificed to Krampus, Thistle (or Thorn's family in general), and small plot points that that might have added to the book's overall suspense. However, it wasn't a hard read and if you're looking for something easy, this might be a good option for you.

3.5/5 ⭐️
Edit: I did look and see book one had to do with the Krampus storyline, so I must give credit there. I just think the way it's discussed here by our FMC leads me to want some more background, especially because I read this as a standalone.

[Shayla · Rating 3 out of 5]

Easy one night read

Started reading this around 11pm, finished just shy of 6am (my sleep schedule is messed up, dw about it).

Overall a very cute story. The flow is well done but the pace is slow to start. Having five chapters dedicated to getting the FMC to the world the story takes place in kind of distracted from the feel of the story.

I also found that 50+ chapters for a 300 page book (give or take a few pages), is a lot as well. Multiple chapters could have been combined.

I think there could have been a bit more angsts between MMC and FMC.

Loved the ending and the plot twist tho which is why I gave this 3 stars. Predictable, but nice overall.

[Brooke King · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF at 33%. Whiny,whiny,WHINY heroine. If I heard about how her hometown disliked her ONE.MORE.TIME I was going to pull my own hair out!! This book HEAVILY references the previous book,so if you hadn't read the previous book (like me) you didn't understand any of the past events the heroine CONSTANTLY kept speaking of. Just overall a bland book that introduced characters and didn't specify who they were (who IS ursha? I feel like she's probably Thorn's sister,but 33% in and her role still wasn't stated)just an annoying book with irritatingly mercurial characters. I just can't. My thoughts only. Feel free to read and form your own. But don't say you weren't warned.

[Katie Madden · Rating 5 out of 5]

So so so good... but

Great story and characters and everything that makes a book fun and engaging but my dear lord the grammatical and spelling errors really got to me. There were far too many and it really began to frustrate ne as I would be getting into the story but then I'd have to read a sentence three or four times before I realised the author had the wrong word in the wrong place or had completely misspelled it and it would take me out of the flow. Other than that, a great holiday read!

[April Nicole · Rating 3 out of 5]

Slow Burn to Slow

The story was good but it didn't even really start getting spicy til the middle of the book. Than there's also no baby in this one which is weird. In the first one the FMC is able to give birth to Krampus's Children. Like how can she handle a knot but not an orcling. I'm still going to read the next book because the story was good. It was just full of holes for me. Fingers crossed for the the next one.

[Sheena · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such a great quick and easy read. The plot was giving as much as the smut was giving. The plot was easy to follow which was great (and was sometimes predictable) and the characters were great to read about. As this is the second book in the series there are characters from the first book mentioned but you don't really need to read the first to undertand the second in the series. Definitely thinking about reading the rest of the series now.

[Alexandra · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sooooo I’m conflicted. This is a slow burn but also they both seemed to have fallen in love quickly? And I wasn’t sure why they suddenly fell in love with each other when prior to those proclamations it seemed they were still either unsure about each other or starting to have fuzzy feelings. Overall I did enjoy this but some things were a bit weird and while I love a slow burn this one started very slow and then bam they’re in love 🤷🏻‍♀️

[Emmy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Knotty or Nice

An adorable story all about found family. It's probably better to read as the second in the series, I did this as a stand alone and, while explained nicely, Violet's (our FMC) story really starts in book one. I still really loved her whole, 'wanting to stay, fight for her home' arc. I will say, Christmas is more of a background theme, as the orcs don't know what it is, so Violet has to explain it and start some of the traditions.

[Jess Spain · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such a good book

Loved it. The story flowed really well I loved every character I met along the way and the small world building was nice and not hard to understand. Loved the slow development of the two MCs relationship and the spice was chefs kiss. Looking forward to more from this series.

[Tiffany · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved all of this book because the characters fit together perfectly even though it took them awhile to figure it out themselves. If you love books that has action and magic and orcs then this is definitely your type!.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Sydnee Walsh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Violet crawls through a tree in the haunted forest to a different world. Orcs are there and she saves the baby prince. The king Thorn is there to rescue her from the enemy clan before she and the baby are killed.
They have a great dance to find each other and give in. Orcs aren’t big on change. But the bond is strong.

[Vanessa · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was so amazing! Omgggg, I got giddy over it.
The couple fit so well once they got to know each other, there were passages that made me laugh and the suspense was killing me for a bit.
The fighting plot was a bit obvious, but had a surprise at the end and the happy end was just so perfect and swoon worthy.
I am definitely reading the first book now and then will wait for the third one.

[Cj · Rating 3 out of 5]

I actually really enjoyed this!

I went into this blind, looking for something a little different from my usual reads...
While Violet kinda annoyed me for a minute at the start, she grew on me. Thorn was great, and their relationship was fun and fairly low angst, actually.
Good for a low angst read with a little bit of knotting.

[Elizabeth Stokes · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good plot but more?

The plot and theme were well written, but wish the main love interest while great green flags flying, but had the emotions of a rock and was not the A typical Orc which was a let down. I felt that things could have had more depth with rival clan and Thorn didn't do enough and was too soft.

[Cheyenne Bailey · Rating 5 out of 5]

I genuinely loved this book!! It’s rare I read books with such a strong female character like violet and the challenge they faced and overcame just made the book so much better!! It was an ending they both deserved ❤️

[ajscenic · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. The writing flowed and the dialogue was fresh. I enjoyed reading how Violet and Thorn’s relationship developed. The steamy scenes were super hot and sizzled.
This was an enjoyable read from start to finish.

[Rose · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved It

I read this in a day and a half (only because I fell asleep in the middle of the night) and loved every second of it! I almost wish that it didn't end or that it had another epilogue.

[Adriana McCullough · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a cute little read about love in unsuspecting places all while touching on tough topics of racism, mental health, purpose in society, and female independence. That being said, this is a light read, and doesn’t feel like a book that could put you in a book slump.

[Tony · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the world building and both the main and secondary characters very much. The traitor was recognizable from the moment they are introduced. Many of the scene transitions were awkward, however overall the story made for an enjoyable read.

[Chriss · Rating 4 out of 5]

Much better

As before, the story line is good. This time Taylor does a much better job with cohesion and continuity in the plot points. I totally connected with the FMC and the MMC was just the right measure of alphahole.

[Bella Meuleman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Stubborn and Sassy Human versus Orc Chief.

Right up my alley! The final reveal of the traitor had me bowled over, well done on who comes to her rescue at the end too! I'm all for a stubborn human who's up for sassing big monsters, it's fun and cheeky with some sweetness too.

[Christina Gough · Rating 3 out of 5]

Book was mediocre. I liked the mystery and the tension between the FMC and the other female orc. Kinda wish they ended together instead of the MMC. It didn’t feel like there was any chemistry between the two other than a sudden lust

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

Aww super cute loved how fmc went through so much but still fought for herself and the ones she loved.