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Satyr: A Cozy Romantic Fantasy

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"I just thought my life would be different." At 34, Elaine spends each day going through the motions---alone. When she learns of her father's passing, she puts her home up for sale, hoping it will give her the strength to abandon the city, its memories, and the ghosts of her dashed hopes. Like her mother "There’s no longer a reason to stay." But soon, Elaine wonders if reason may have agreed to split spices at the market. Tall, handsome, green, with a bone shaking laugh, and a glorious smile, the orc innkeeper seems set on wooing her, but he doesn’t know the depth of her heartache. Or the truth that could very well push him away.

"This one can still be good."

Innkeeper by day, smuggler by night, Satyr dreams of a future where he can keep the Aspen Inn afloat without skimming Arnell’s precious pearls—but too many rely on him for it to be a choice. When the pressure doubles and his separate lives bleed together, it’s all he can do to stop it from affecting the inn’s newest resident—the castle’s head chef, whose ribboned hair and solemn eyes betray more than she knows. With found family, life after loss, and a bit of hot chocolate, Satyr is a sweet, heart-achy, cozy romantasy about a chef that carries a mountain of grief, and the orc innkeeper who’s determined to carry her in turn.

268 pages, Paperback

Published December 15, 2024

43 people are currently reading
149 people want to read

About the author

Megan G. Mossgrove

3 books33 followers

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5 stars
31 (36%)
4 stars
28 (32%)
3 stars
22 (25%)
2 stars
3 (3%)
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2 (2%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews
Profile Image for Lyssa Tejero.
49 reviews4 followers
March 3, 2025
This book was cute enough, but my GOD the amount of mistakes in the ebook sometimes made me want to put it down and not finish it. This is the second low stakes cozy fantasy I’ve read, and I don’t think the genre is for me, but I think I’ll continue giving it a chance. To be completly honest, I’m kind of glad I got Satyr for free in a stuff-your-kindle day…
Profile Image for Sarina McKee.
88 reviews
March 8, 2025
A cute cozy fantasy read that gives your found family, touches on loss and grief, and has a touching moral to the story that even though the life you have may not have been what you planned for yourself but at the end of the day, it is still a good life.
Profile Image for JC Maxwell.
42 reviews
December 23, 2024
Charming companion piece to The Wingbreaker, or sweet introduction to the fantasy world of Arnell

Whether you come to the book Satyr: A Cozy Fantasy Romance after reading Megan G. Mossgrove’s first book, The Wingbreaker, or you dive in because it promises a short “cozy romantasy,” the book will not disappoint in either circumstance. It is a captivating and well-constructed jump into the fantasy world of Mossgrove’s Sundered Stone Series. At 220-ish pages, it’s a quick read and satisfying bite of that larger world.

(There are cooking scenes and lots of food talk. Before you start the book, here’s your grocery list: fish, lemons, paprika and cinnamon rolls.)

Satyr is a novella told from both main characters’ points of view—readers learn about Elaine, a divorced, childless woman in her mid-30s who works as head chef at the castle; and Satyr, an olive-green orc fellow who runs an inn and somehow keeps it afloat despite sluggish sales. (HINT no spoiler: he’s a smuggler.) They meet one day when both try to purchase the last jar of paprika in the marketplace. I mean, if you live in this world and you are working-class, this is high romance (as are some of the cooking scenes).

Arnell is the pastel city by the sea that houses a shimmery palace for the Royal Family, but the setting for this book is indeed the streets, kitchens and back alleys. The Aspen Inn is Satyr’s and much of the action takes place far from the royals. (There’s even a jailbreak! Fun!)

Though orcs aren’t usually innkeepers, Satyr is one of those folks who seems to attract interesting souls—some are unlucky in life, some have game, and others are just lost in an aimless haze. Elaine is one of the lost, as she has a secret that isolates her. She goes from the castle kitchen to her barely furnished house and back again. But at the marketplace spice stall, Satyr suggests they split the paprika in half, and whoosh, the breeze comes through and the fog lifts.

Mossgrove does a superb job of showing the tiny glimmers between these two as their romance emerges from a seed buried to young leaves to some spicy moments (ahem—about 2 chile peppers for a few pages). But by the time it gets hot, we know them well. We witness the orc’s humor, smarts and strength, and the danger of his smuggling side hustle. Elaine is no wispy woman who turns her ankle and needs to stay out of the sun. She is smart; she has a great job, and she is so pretty that Satyr … gets very distracted by her. But from her side of things, she cannot afford to make a wrong decision again. Readers will want to hug Elaine and help her change her life.

The end is satisfying yet Mossgrove doesn’t tie Dagadan silk ribbons and bows on everything. As a writer should do in short fiction, she writes just enough, her word selection packing a punch and conveying nuances, so that readers come through the action of the story to glimpse the “new normal” at the end. And like Baby Bear’s bed for Goldilocks, it fits “just right.”

I read romance and fantasy among many other types of books. Yes, I read Throne of Glass and ACOTAR, etc. and enjoyed them a lot. But I appreciate Mossgrove’s approach more—the action in fantasy doesn’t have to have a high body count, the baddie doesn’t have to perform actual torture, and the passion doesn’t have to be super-explicit. I know there is a violence and spice level for everyone, but if your levels are more suited to The Shire than Mordor, you will enjoy this book (as well as The Wingbreaker).

If you have read the first book, you know that poetry figures prominently. There’s a song that runs through this book rather poignantly. So all readers who are secret poets will get that vibe.

This is the perfect holiday (or weekend) read: it took me three hours across several sessions (one while waiting at the dentist, which made me think of orc dentists and tusks), and it also took me out of the living room and away from the chore list. Perfect for a plane flight, a car ride (not if you’re driving!), or an early night while the cousins slay on the new gamebox.

Save a place for me near the fire at the Aspen Inn and don’t forget to order double cinnamon rolls.

(I received an ARC of this book, but I also have Kindle Unlimited and would have read it anyway!)
Profile Image for eclecticbychoicereads.
574 reviews58 followers
December 8, 2024
"A princess and a forest wouldn't mix well at all. To be fair, many would think the same of an orc and an inn".

Be still, my orc-loving heart, be still. But how can it be still when it's constantly being swooned by Satyr, the inn-keeper/smuggler whose sweet and loving demeanour, need to help those he deems family and friends, and easy-going personality are the reasons I keep smiling and shedding tears of joy?

How can it be still when seeing Elaine, our sweet cook FMC, finally breaking out of her shell, spilling her innermost secrets and hurts, and finding love and understanding after a long, long time of self-impending solitude?

How can it be still when seeing Satyr and Elaine coming together, finding a home in each other, and healing each other's inner wounds?

Satyr, a sweet, cosy, lower-stakes romantasy by Megan Mossgrove, is just what you need in your life. It is being released on December 15th, so keep an eye on it.

Satyr is set in Megan's Sundered Stone world, and I highly recommend you read The Wingbreaker, Book 1 of the series. You will fall in love with Megan's lyrical writing style; you will fall in love with the characters and plot. You will love everything, and Satyr will satisfy all your cravings, especially if you are a fan of cinnamon buns.

Satyr will swoon you over and over; you will cry tears of sadness and joy; you will love Satyr, Elain, and their found family. You will love everything about it, and you will never want to leave this world.
Profile Image for Lumie.
600 reviews3 followers
December 17, 2024
Thank you to Megan G. Mossgrove for the ARC.

Plot 3.5/5
Characters 3.5/5
Ending 3/5
Interest 3/5

Overall 3/5

-Unfortunately this book wasn’t it for me. There were some redeeming qualities but as a whole, I didn’t feel very gripped or interested in the plot and story off this book. I definitely felt the cozy atmosphere which was the goal of this short standalone book with people working at inns, the cooking and whatnot. But that’s about all I truly cared about. The plot was very romance based and I felt like nothing much else happened except babies from side characters.

-The characters were aright. As a very romance and character based story, it’s important for the characters to be good. And they definitely and their qualities and were overall likeable. But since I wasn’t really intrigued with the plot line, I ended up not really connecting with any of the characters. The romance didn’t really make me swoon and I felt like for such a short book, it was still not slow burn enough for me. They got together probably halfway through the book which was too fast for me so I lost interest even more.

-I can’t sya much about the ending because I had sort of stopped paying much attention at that point. I understood a few pieces and it wasn’t the type of ending which made me full on switch my opinion on the book, I hadn’t expected anything too extraordinary so it’s fine.
Profile Image for Emily.
97 reviews
December 22, 2024
Wow! I cannot say enough good things about this book. I read it so quickly. I absolutely loved both Elaine and Satyr. Their relationship was so beautiful.
This book has very cozy vibes, and it's definitely cozy fantasy, but I love that there were somewhat higher stakes than other cozy fantasies, but not too high. The perfect amount in my opinion.
I absolutely loved the exploration of infertility, and the way it was contrasted against Sybil's pregnancy and childbirth. The author did such a good job of showing how Elaine reawakened to her life and found a home at the inn, and how Satyr was able to really realize his dream of helping people and having a special inn to serve others. All the cooking they did together made me frickin hungry.
I also loved the diabetes representation (even though it's not called that because it's fantasy, of course!).
Overall, this book pulled me in and wouldn't let go. I highly recommend it. I hope the author writes more books in this world!
Profile Image for Noelle.
209 reviews13 followers
October 12, 2025
Absolutely loved this cozy story with the sweetest characters and moments. I loved getting little updates on the story we heard in The Wingbreaker but loved that the more intense and serious situation occurring in the realm with politics and such weren’t the focus of this book. You feel the connection and chemistry between Elaine and Satyr the moment they meet… they just clicked and I loved seeing their relationship grow and blossom. It’s so funny… you’d expect Satyr to be the one to stand up and be more defensive about situations - exactly something he talks about in the book due to his size and being an orc - but I LOVED that Elaine came in multiple times and was the one to do that. The found family aspect seriously was just everything and so incredible.
Profile Image for labibliofille.
350 reviews9 followers
December 8, 2024
Megan G. Mossgrove has done it again! Satyr follows two side characters from The Wingbreaker, Elaine and Satyr, as they slowly fall in love. Not simply a love story, you'll find action, a jail break, off-page treason, and so much more. Elaine and Satyr's story is so sweet. I love their dynamic and I'm so glad I was able to know the behind-the-scenes into their relationship growth outside of The Wingbreaker.

Slow burn, friends to lovers, hurt x comfort, found family and more can all be found in the pages of their love story.

As always, check the trigger warnings. You know your limits best. 💜
Profile Image for Rachel Hanks.
41 reviews11 followers
March 9, 2025
I finished reading this one on Christmas Eve, which in my opinion was perfect timing for this cozy novella.

With the vibes of Legends & Lattes, and the magic of the Wingbreaker, I found this to be a charming addition to the sundered stone collection. I loved trying on Elaine’s shoes, and stepping into she and Satyr’s little corner of Arnell. Loved getting to know their little challenges and struggles. If ever there were ever two beings less likely to meet and more likely to fit perfectly, I can’t find them. Elaine and Satyr were made for each other! Such a heartwarming story.

Spice level: Paprika;)
Profile Image for Shermin Arif.
Author 1 book3 followers
March 20, 2025
CN child loss

An enchanting book. In her foreword the author states, that the female main character Elaine has a background of misscarriag(es) and loss to make her motvation clear. I was lost in tears when I read the dedication of the book. It was okay and after this a beautiful, heart warming, cozy story (with a bit of spicyness) enfolded about new beginnings, a lot of cooking and finding an adopted family. Yes, some little things need to be a bit more rounded, but the story in whole? I loved it, read it in one night and want to read more about these people and this universum.
Why has this book not more readers & reviews? Absolutely underrated. Give it a chance.
Profile Image for Em Fyre.
48 reviews7 followers
December 13, 2024
Megan Mossgrove does it again. If you're wondering what to read during the holidays, while your surrounded by people but you still want to be immersed in fantasy and cute romance (you're not embarrassed to read out loud to your grandmother) Satyr is the book for you.

It's a cozy romance involving orcs, humans, fae mentions, and magic smuggling. Satyr has tension and intrigue, and it's super flipping cute all at the same time.

Satyr releases December 15, 2024. Get your copy!

#cozyromance #fantasy #magic #secondchances #foundfamily #sweetromance
Profile Image for Kitty.
169 reviews2 followers
December 15, 2024
This book! Oh gosh, this book.
Elaine and Satyr make such a sweet pair. They complement each other incredibly well. Both have their own secrets and worries, but they work together so completely.
This story was so cozy! A nice slow burn, a good simmer on a low flame. I really enjoyed it. The tension was tension-ing. In both the sexual and general thrills sense. I was so invested in everything Satyr did.
This book has some of the cutest supporting characters. I love all of them so much.
I enjoyed every moment of Satyr (the book and the Orc).
Profile Image for nic.
127 reviews3 followers
July 1, 2025
An absolutely cosy read tied up with a happy ending. Ugh what a breath of fresh air.

It’s very light fantasy in the way that their are fantasy species, but that’s where it ends. It’s more about the cosy!

Really loved the characters and everyone’s dynamics in the group.

I feel like the princess’ kidnap did get sidelined a bit. Would have loved to know more about the friendship with the princess and Elaine, as well as Satyr and his part in the kidnap. Seemed to all be skirted over when she returned despite it being foreshadowed as a main plot line!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Siren Bard.
92 reviews11 followers
December 16, 2024
Satyr is a cozy fantasy romance for the season!

This is a story about an Orc running an in and the human woman who happens to love food as much as he does. Elaine and Satyr's slow burn romance is one that you can get lost in easily and not be disappointed. Side characters turned main characters are a jam in this delightfully soft but fun found family cozy tale.

Please read the trigger warnings before proceeding a few heavy subjects are inside. Bring tissues.
Profile Image for Alfred Muller.
Author 16 books35 followers
May 24, 2025
Fall in love with this tale

I learned to enjoy Mossgrove's writing in Wingbreaker but I fell in love with it during this story. Her prose is precise and deep in its intention. Her characters are unique and feel real. Her humor comes through in her writing making me laugh out loud multiple times. The spicy in the story is perfect in level and tone for this tale. Master class. Highly recommend.
Profile Image for Arizona Harvey.
268 reviews
June 11, 2025
Cute story but I think that cozy romances are...just not my thing at all. The plot was very bland - the only interesting part of the plot with the runaway princess was seriously glossed over and wasn't very clear until like 70% into the story. I also spotted several spelling mistakes, one of them being a character's NAME! Not my cup of tea...but I do think that people enjoy simple stories that don't have seriously heavy or action-packed plots would enjoy this.
Profile Image for Sophy.
609 reviews6 followers
December 17, 2024
This is such a cute story with two characters who are struggling in their ways and with their secrets. Their lives get tangled up when they meet in the market, and things just go from there. This story has food, family who are not blood, and much more. It's just an overall really great story, and I had a blast reading it. It's a very fast-paced read!
Profile Image for Danielle.
502 reviews2 followers
April 9, 2025
This book was a solid cozy romance. I liked both the main characters and it was cool to see some infertility representation in a story with a HEA that didn’t end in a magical surprised pregnancy. There were a few scenes that were confusing and choppy (the scene with Leo is pretty all over the place) but the ending was really nice!
Profile Image for Anne.
39 reviews
June 30, 2025
This had a lot of potential - generally a cute cozy read and it had it's moments, but overall it wasn't for me. I found myself rolling my eyes a lot and there were a number of editing errors in the ebook that I found distracting.

If you like cozy fantasy, insta-love, and don't mind some grammatical errors this may be more your speed than mine.
Profile Image for Ingrid Spera.
1,106 reviews27 followers
November 29, 2024
Soft and sweet and everything you would want to read in a cozy fantasy just enough angst and drama to keep the story going, but definitely not enough to worry about. Absolutely love this one and I can't wait to read the next. This is definitely a beautiful and soft found family story
Profile Image for Sarah C Davies.
Author 5 books35 followers
January 3, 2025
I adore anything Megan writes. Her writing style is so unique and beautiful. Satyr is one of my favourite cosy reads filled with loveable characters and an immersive world she has built for them. Satyr is the perfect book for a rainy day or a sunny afternoon with your favourite snacks.
Profile Image for Kitty Bit.
245 reviews
March 5, 2025
3 🌟
It was exactly what is promised to be, no risk chill time. There were quite a few grammatical errors, they don't usually bother me but it was bordering on too many. The end felt like half the story was missing, there were a lot of storylines left open.
Profile Image for ⟡ red ⟡.
36 reviews
June 23, 2025
DNF’d this book 100 or so pages in. i just couldn’t get into it and i really wanted to like it😫i was hoping it would have been an easy read, seeing as it’s only 226 pages and it’s a low stakes cozy fantasy, but i just found it so hard to concentrate on and get into🥴
Profile Image for Monique Vala.
81 reviews6 followers
January 22, 2025
Home is not a place, it's the people. It's one of the sweetest love story I've ever read.

Thank you for letting me ARC read again.

Profile Image for Karen Balint.
457 reviews
February 25, 2025
3 stars ⭐️

this was a cute lil cozy fantasy read. i loved the characters in this and thought the story flowed very well. i am a little confused about the whole orc with tusks things and a human but that’s none of my business
Profile Image for Brandi.
4 reviews
March 19, 2025
A sweet and cozy fantasy with just the right amount of adventure and a touch of spice!
Profile Image for Niki.
34 reviews1 follower
April 3, 2025
This was cute! I wish there was more to it. I felt like there should've been more after the epilogue. it was a sweet, short read.
Profile Image for Shan.
348 reviews3 followers
July 11, 2025
3.75 stars!

this was super cute, i loved satyr especially <3
Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews

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