Sworn to the Orc: Hidden Hollow, Book 1

Hidden Hollow #1

by Evangeline Anderson

Sarah has been bound all her life—a spell cast on her during childhood keeps her from talking to strangers or having romantic relationships. But when she’s drawn to Hidden Hollow, a gruff and growly Orc helps her unlock the mystery behind her strange dilemma. Can the two of them free Sarah from her enchantment? Or will the family curse hovering over her head get them both killed? Find out in this Spicy Monster Romance!

Hi, I’m Sarah and my life is a mess. I lost my online job and my rent just doubled...
Luckily, just when I was at my lowest point, a strange messenger came to my apartment. He had an envelope that contained my Grandmother’s last will and testament. Only…I had forgotten all about her. How was that possible?

I was about to find out. When a mysterious door appeared in my living room, I walked through it…and found myself in the world of Hidden Hollow—a snug New England town where it’s inexplicably always Autumn. A magic bubble surrounds the town, making sure that no one without magic talent can come in. But where does that leave me? I don’t have any magic…do I?

Surprise—it turns out I’m descended from a long line of witches. At least, that’s what the scary Orc who chased me through the backyard of my new house told me after he calmed down. Also there’s a curse on my family and apparently I’m the one who’s supposed to break it—but how?

Who knows what Hidden Hollow holds for me? And should I be getting so close to the Orc next door? Are humans and Orcs compatible that way? I’d better find out quick because trouble is brewing and I’m going to need a man—or an Orc—to stand by my side when the storm breaks.
Because in Hidden Hollow…anything is possible.

*Tropes—Enemies to Lovers, Opposites Attract, Big Size Difference, He Falls First, Hero has two Peens, Br33ding.

What you'll get in this Spicy Small Town Monster
Slow burn with an actual plot that leads to extremely hot and spicy scenes
Growly Orc who turns into a total protective Cinnamon Roll
A town full of secrets including a Grocery Story that stocks some very unusual items
All kinds of Creatures including Centaurs, Satyrs, Krakens, Gargoyles, Fairies, Witches and more

Genres: Fantasy, Romance, Paranormal, Audiobook, Fantasy Romance, Magic, Monster Romance

Audible Audio

First published February 19, 2024

About the author

Evangeline Anderson is a registered MRI tech who would rather be writing. And yes, she is nerdy enough to have a bumper sticker that says “I’d rather be writing.” Honk if you see her! She is thirty-something and lives in Florida with a husband, a son, and two cats. She had been writing erotic fiction for her own gratification for a number of years before it occurred to her to try and get paid for it. To her delight, she found that it was actually possible to get money for having a dirty mind and she has been writing paranormal and Sci-fi erotica steadily ever since.

Reviews

[Jen]

That's 5h24m I'll never get back

[Madison Warner Fairbanks · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sworn to the Orc by Evangeline Anderson
Hidden Hollow series #1. Paranormal Witch and Orc romance with erotica elements.
Sarah is trying to figure out what to do since she lost her job and her rent has doubled when a strange man at her door tells her about an inheritance from her grandmother. A mysterious door appears in her living room and without many options, she walks through the door to the world of Hidden Hollow. It’s a small New England town that’s filled with magic, witches, orcs and more. Turns out she was bound from her own powers and Rath, the orc caretaker of her grandmother’s property is ready and willing to help Sarah with any issues or concerns she may have. Any issue. Even if it’s assuring Sarah that her curves are a serious turn-on.

Spicy, fun, and full of positivity. And spicy!

[Elizabeth · Rating 3 out of 5]

The melodrama. The cringe.

But. It was good enough to fill my ears for a time and there were some cute bits.

[Rachael · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 ⭐️!

[Christine · Rating 3 out of 5]

Halloweentown... after hours.

[Raven · Rating 2 out of 5]

I picked up this book on a whim because I just needed something to listen to while I did adult things. And although it was entertaining enough, it was definitely ridiculous.

From the main character’s name to the Insta love romance it was a bit of a struggle to get into. I think if the two main characters had a little more growth and banter between them instead of just having one scene of hating each other and then all of a sudden wanting to be in each other’s pants. Some of the smutty scenes were somewhat enjoyable, but it’s hard to enjoy them when you’re not a huge fan of the romance.

However, I’m not gonna lie. The ending really intrigued me to check out the second book whatever it’s released. But we will see if I actually do pick it up.

Thank you to Libro.fm for an audio ARC of this book.

[Greyson · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75⭐️ The tensing of this was not my favorite. Some bizarre second person pov with A LOT of foreshadowing which was mildly cringe to me. Again, not my favorite but it was engaging enough to forgive.
Several points in this book I was weak as hell. It was funny and I laughed out loud a lot and cringed almost as much. This was a super fresh and modern take on the whole dimension hopping from human world to other world. This world has wifi, cell service, and a FAIRY TALE ACCURATE BABA YAGA?!
This didn’t blow my mind or anything but it was good vibes!

[Lizz Martensen · Rating 2 out of 5]

Star Rating: 1.75

Format: audio, libro.fm

Summary: Sarah J Maasy (yes, that's her name) has lives a quiet life away from people because she is super shy and has intense social anxiety, but her life turns upside down when she inherits her grandmother's house and discovers she is actually a witch. Oh, and is intensely attracted to her Orc neighbor.


Thoughts: My friends are all reading spicy monster romance books and I thought I wanted to also. This wasn't it. I'm going to boil it down to two issues.
1. The infantalization of the main character is so uncomfortable (she's a virgin which is a trope I don't like in spicy books, he calls her baby, and literally carries her "like a toddler" at one point)
2. This tried to be a cozy fantasy novel and spicy monster romance and it didn't work. There are these detailed scenes of the village and baking that are fun. Once you finally get into the cozy aspect there are these flashes of spice that don't blend in the story. When we FINALLY get to spicy bits for the main characters the book is mostly over and I wanted to just go back to the cozy parts.

Recommendations: This isn't even available for the store to order, so I won't be recommending this to anyone.

[Janell Loveland · Rating 5 out of 5]

As always E.A has such an amazing imagination. It was pretty awesome to go on the adventure with Sarah, and it really did feel like you were learning this world with her. And what an amazing new world! I probably say at least half a dozen times a year I want to move somewhere where it’s fall all the time. 😍

In the beginning I felt like it was a lot of information all shoved in at once and got kind of overwhelming for me. But that could just be me. I particularly loved Sarah’s closeness with her grandma, I have almost an identical sorry that involves vegetable beef soup so this made me super nostalgic.

A couple awesome things I need to point out:

-Listed tropes. “Hero has two peens” 😆
-The name of his weapon. I mean come on. How awesome is Orgrim Doomhammer that’s been forged from elemental lava. Good grief that’s cleaver.

A couple things that were irritating:
-the constant need to point out that she’s plus-size AND curvy in the same breath, and her constant inner monologue where she tells herself she’s going to push out an important thought for later.
-The Breeding Bump. Cuz eew. 🤢


I’m very interested see where things go in the town of Hidden Hallow.

[Jenni · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had way too much fun listening to this audiobook. You can definitely tell that this was written more recently, however, this was the funniest/campiest romance I've had so far and I ate up every second of it. I love me a good witch story and I love me some monsters. I can't wait to see more.

(The story about the zipper had me howling with laughter) XD

[Cailin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Audiobook 🎧

Trashy road trip read #1. What can I say about this lol. Kind of weird how the wifi transcends realms but since the main character is an orc we will roll with it.
Cuter than I expected.

[Tiffany · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading about a plus sized main character. I just wanted to rearrange the way that the story was written. I need the end to be the middle. Lol

[✨ riri 🪽 · Rating 5 out of 5]

loooooooove as always!!!

love all this queen’s books and this was no different, fun, sexy and enchanting. it’s perfect for autumn and gives perfect cozy vibes.

[Jacquelyn G · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sweet

This story was very sweet.
I do wish that the adventure would've been longer, or more exciting. Also more magic would've been awesome.
All in all it was a sweet and easy read.

[cat ♡ · Rating 4 out of 5]

all I can say abt this is I had way too much fun.

[♡ zuly ♡ · Rating 3 out of 5]

There were parts I really enjoyed and others that were just ok!

[Shannon K G · Rating 3 out of 5]

Part of this was cutesy monster romance. Then part of this story was so cringey it made my insides want to shrivel up to dust and blow away with the next mild breeze.

[Corey Chu · Rating 3 out of 5]

I-

[Mandy funk · Rating 4 out of 5]

This started out as a cute little (kinda cheesy) orc/witch romance and then….. cue spice 🌶️🌶️🌶️

[Malina Cassidy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Listened to audiobook 🎧
Road trip choice for book 1.
I enjoyed it more than I thought I would, but lost me a little with some of the terms used and ending plot.

[Lucy Rosa · Rating 2 out of 5]

I actually thought the concept of the book was good, but for me, there were too many cringey moments and things that made it a very difficult read for me. Normally, I finish books like these in a day, but this one took me four days because I just couldn’t get into the story. The FMC’s name is Sarah J. Massey, which was just a hint of how cringey it was going to get and I thought maybe the author is just a big fan of Sarah J. Maas and it was like a nod to her. Unfortunately, I do have a limit for awkward moments and cringey things.

The story starts with Sarah struggling to figure out her living arrangements since she was recently laid off. Thankfully, her grandmother’s will left Sarah her house even though Sarah doesn’t remember her grandmother. By accepting the will’s terms and conditions in their entirety, a magic door appears and takes Sarah to Hidden Hollow and her grandmother’s house. While exploring the house and the property, Sarah is chased by Rath, an orc, who is tending to Sarah’s grandmother’s land since she passed. Sarah proves to Rath that she owns the house now and it’s hers.

Sarah runs into Rath again in town and they go for a coffee and she finds that she is drawn to him. Obviously, they are the focus of the romance in the story. The main plot of this book though revolves around Sarah and her ancestors. Sarah discovers that a curse has been placed on the women in her family, all of whom are witches. They were cursed by Miles James, and all of the women’s heartmates (I will come back to this) die from the curse. Sarah confirms that all of the men in the family die young. Sarah’s mother bound Sarah’s magic when she was young in order to shield her from the curse, while Sarah’s grandmother believed she was the witch who would break it. Sarah and Rath go on a day journey to meet with the Baba Yaga (another thing I will come back to) to unbind Sarah. The binding has affected Sarah both with her magic and physically, but now she is able to function fully as a witch.

Sarah goes to work trying to break the curse, but Rath is already possessed by Miles and through possession, Rath tries to kill her. Sarah runs from Miles/Rath and manages to knock them unconscious through magic rope and then with a magic hand, she dislodges Miles from Rath’s body and kills him. This breaks the curse and the two can live happily ever after.

Overall, as I mentioned, the concept of the book wasn’t bad, but the execution made it so difficult for me to read.

Sarah is a self-described introvert whose words get stuck in her throat making it impossible for her to talk to anyone, but she is able to talk to Rath. The binding of Sarah’s magic affected her physically. Apparently the binding literally prevented her from being able to talk to anyone. For the first half of the book, you don’t know this. So you just hear over and over that her words are stuck and, I’ll be honest, I thought it was dramatics. Because she kept describing it as a social anxiety issue, but physically feeling the words get stuck and I just couldn’t understand the description. Knowing about the binding makes more sense, but also how do you grow up and get through school without being able to talk to anyone? How do you get a job and go through an interview? And for some reason, she’s able to talk to Rath perfectly.

Then the journey to the Baba Yaga. First of all, isn’t the Baba Yaga John Wick? Is that not the name that John Wick is called? And it’s another name for the Boogeyman? Regardless, the “journey” that Sarah and Rath go on is pretty much a day trip with three trials. The first trial is a blizzard, but they just push through. The second trial is a creature that works to persuade them to turn around. Instead, Sarah throws a lust potion at it, and it turns into two people who start going at it. Third is a Hydra, with an unlimited number of heads. Rath tries to fight it, but he can’t. Sarah, who is still bound, is somehow able to use her magic, with ZERO training or research or anything, and choke the hydra unconscious so Rath can finish it. At the end Sarah is unbound.

Please explain to me how someone who didn’t know she is a witch and has only known for like a week, who is still bound, can access and use magic with no training. She can’t talk to people while she’s bound, but she’s able to figure out her magic to stop a Hydra. Maybe I’m just a hater.

Focusing now on Sarah and Rath’s relationship, what is a heartmate? This is not the only term that has been changed in the book, but it is the most prevalent. Everyone understands the concept of mates, so I really don’t understand why this author decided to change the concept and the name of the term. And I don’t understand the physicality of an Orc. I think the author took a lot of creative liberty with this and honestly, made it unbearable for me. The descriptions, the anatomy, pretty much everything was just so difficult for me to read. Maybe the book was too fast paced, but everything happened so fast and it was so opposite of what Sarah was described to be.

There were odd things in the book everywhere, but the one that really demonstrated how this book was going to be written happened in the beginning. At the beginning, Sarah had to sign something for the will and the dwarf (I think) handed her something to write with. The creature “handed me a pen – a very strange looking pen. In fact, it wasn’t a pen at all, I discovered after closer examination. It was a quill – a long plumy quill that looked like it might be made from an ostrich feather. It waved a good two feet above my head as I held it in my hand”. OBVIOUSLY, this is not a pen. But this should give you an idea of how things are described in the book. It was just writing choices like this that turned me off of this book.

I just really couldn’t get into it and because I couldn’t get into it, I can’t rate it highly. I was not enraptured by any part of the book. Not the romance, nor the plot, nor were any of the characters particularly endearing to me. That’s why I can’t give it higher than 2 stars. I’m trying to find books that will pull me out of my reading slump and make me want to keep reading, but this just wasn’t able to do it.

[Tania · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ok story, but the dialogue was very cringey.

[Sydney M Neblett · Rating 5 out of 5]

When you’re down on your luck…..

Don’t give up. That’s the motto of this particular main character. Although maybe it should be your cat knows best instead. Oh well, regardless the cat took us on a wild adventure to a fantastic new world full of interesting people and creatures. Everything was extremely well written and I could practically see, hear, and smell everything as I read. The amazing imagery really drew me into the story and made it where I just couldn’t put the story down until the very end. Even then I was reluctant to relinquish my hold in case I missed the statue making a move or giving me a clue on what’s happening next. This book was absolutely fantastic, so good I’ve already read it twice, and I can’t wait to see what the next book will bring.

[ThatDarnUnicorn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fun and fast read with interesting characters set in modern day USA. There's a good dose of romance development, a sprinkling of plot here and there, imaginative world building, and a feel-good HEA that might convince you of picking up the other (standalone) books in this series.

Sarah is our plus-sized twenty-something FMC living in Florida diagnosed with having social anxiety disorder, selective mutism, and vaginismus. Due to this, she makes a living working remotely as a web developer.

Azerath is a half-orc half-human 7ft tall MMC living in Hidden Hallow and works basically as an IT consultant around town. He lives next door to Sarah's grandma and thus had a great friendship with her.

Hidden Hallow is home to many magical beings such as witches, orcs, centaurs, and sprites. But beyond the town, many disguise themselves in order to fit in. I got a good laugh when Rath mentions "lots of accountants are gnomes...plenty of movie stars and celebrities are fairies...most of the billionaires and CEOs of big corporations are dragons" to which Sarah follows with "are you saying Elon Musk is a creature?" and for good measure, Rath finishes with "and Jeff Bezos and Mark Zuckerberg".

The main plot revolves around Sarah and Rath discovering truths about herself and her family. It was a decent storyline except when the cause and cure of Sarah's disorders were revealed. While I don't enjoy seeing anyone dealing with anxiety, the "cause" negatively lessened the actual impact of having anxiety. It felt like anxiety could easily be explained and resolved instantly and that didn't sit right with me. I would've rather seen Sarah deal with her disorders in a more realistic way even if it meant that she still lives with them by the end of the story.

I listened to the audiobook version of this story, which had a runtime of 8 hours. It was narrated by Ada Sinclair who did an excellent job voicing Sarah's anxiety speech and bedroom sounds, Rath's emotion-laden dialogue, and Sebastian's meows.

[Auj · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a good fantasy romance featuring a human who crosses over to a magical world where she meets an Orc and discovers a family curse threatening her new love. This was a comfort romance read to me with an original plot. Lowkey Evangeline's books have become comfort reads to me since I've read so many I know what to expect for the sex scenes at the very least.

I loved the small magical town and how it's always fall there. Sarah's grandmother's house seemed so cozy. Besides that mysterious door with the X, I'd love to live there. I wish it had been clearer that Sarah got a job working at the Lost Lamb and not put in the epilogue. Is she a cook there? Baker? It felt like a forgotten plot point.

Sarah being bound but rumored to be the most powerful witch in generations reminded me of Evangeline Anderson's book The Sacrifice, and the notion of a breeding bump reminded me of her omega series. However, the plot was still original.

I LOVED Sarah's cat, Sebastian. He was adorable. I would love a cat like him.

I loved how Sarah and Rath, the orc, talked at the beginning of the book. I wish they had more scenes talking together. I guess I wish the book was longer, more than 270 pages.

The setup in the epilogue sounds great. I can't wait to read Guarded by the Gargoyle whenever that comes out.

When I started reading this book, I wanted to read another Kindred book. This book only took me from Monday to Saturday (now) to read because I was busy finishing watching The Crown at night and tutoring and going to the gym.

[Zephorah Dove · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thanks to Libro.fm for the ALC! Solid 3.25 read for me.

Um, the last 10% of this title had me cackling. The slight rising intonation of the narrator's voice mixed with me listening to it on 1.7x speed made it all sound like one big sentence during the breeding scene . Which....was hilarious. As a intentional childless person, I had the slight cringe when they mentioned the breeding bump but to each its own.

Wouldn't it be cool to live somewhere where autumn is the dominant season? I was entranced by that tidbit and dove into the story without looking at reviews. Overall, it was a cute cozy fantasy with some spice mixed in that didn't take itself too seriously. I did want more from the story though by the end.

I kind of wished the travel portion was dragged out a bit further in the story and that we got to see more of the t0wn and the inhabitants. Since this is book one in the town, hopefully the next story will delve into the details more. I do wonder who it'll focus on since we weren't introduced to too many people.

While the defeating the curse sequence was a little anticlimactic because of the quickness, I did enjoy the depiction of her getting her man back. That part felt believable since we saw her use this type of magic already and it's kind of all she knows at this point?

I enjoyed my first ever Orc x Human romance and am looking forward to the next installation!

[Catherine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sworn to the Orc, Evangeline Anderson’s latest novel, took me by surprise. To my delight, this Orc is not the Tolkien Orc, evil and dangerous. Yes, he is green and has tiny tusks, not the huge tusks of Middle Earth. Our Orc is very tall, muscular, and handsome. Conveniently he lives next door to the heroine, Sarah.
Sarah’s Grandmother has left her a house in Hidden Hollow, a magical realm. The first time she meets Rath, the Orc, he believes she is an intruder and chases after her. Because of Rath’s size, she is at first afraid and runs from him. Later, when Rath comes to apologize to Sarah, she discovers something altogether different. She can see him for his gentleness and helpfulness. Since her grandmother had asked him to be the caretaker of her home until Sarah finally came, Rath told her about the house and why it was named Moris.
From that beginning, Sarah and Rath become great friends which leads to all kinds of adventures. They have the steam and tension Ms. Anderson is well known for.
I loved Sworn to the Orc, even the threat of evil, and read it straight through to the end. I loved meeting all the magical creatures that live in Hidden Hollow. I loved the very end which hinted at the next book to be written in Hidden Hollow. We may even have a series of stories from Hidden Hollow! I can’t wait.

[Lilith · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 honestly.

I wanted to give it a four-star review because there was a lot that I thought was really cute about this. I like the fact that it was cozy, I love orc romance and I thought the introduced aspect of her curse and how it manifested itself within her was really interesting. But I was really annoyed that she accepted the concept of magic and apparently having had her memories wiped way too easily and was way too calm about it. There was no real moment of surprise, hesitation or fear at all. I understand the concept that there was supposed to be some innate instinct within her that everything was familiar but It was still really weird that there was 0% hesitation or confusion at all and she just let it all happen to her. But that still would've landed at four stars but it really fell when the sex scenes kept getting a little bit cringe. The first spicy scene wasn't bad, it was pretty decent. But then the second and third were a little bit cringe because the word cream was used way too much and it made the sex seem kind of creepy and then the sex itself, dialogue wise, was just kind of cringe and not sexy. The book itself was cute and I didn't mind it but I just felt a little creeped out during the sex and found her easy acceptance of the world of magic to be a little bit too easy.

[Annelies · Rating 5 out of 5]

The following ratings are out of 5:
Romance: ❤️❤️❤️❤️
Heat/Steam:🌶🌶🌶.5
Story/Plot: 📕📕📕📕
Narrator(s): 🎙🎙🎙🎙
Narration Type: Solo Narration
Listened to it on Everand/Scribed

I’ve been on a bit of a reading kick lately and kept hearing about this book, so I decided to give it a try—and I’m glad I did! It was definitely a wild ride, and I didn’t expect a lot of the twists and turns, which kept things fun and interesting.

That said, I want to talk about the tropes. The book is tagged with Enemies to Lovers, Opposites Attract, Big Size Difference, He Falls First, Hero Has Two Peens, and Br33ding. Some of those really came through—but others, not so much.

Enemies to Lovers felt like a bit of a stretch. They were “enemies” for maybe half a chapter, and even then, it was more confusion than actual dislike. So if you’re expecting strong enemies-to-lovers tension, this might not hit that mark.

As for Opposites Attract, I didn’t personally feel like that was a big part of the story either. You could probably argue it was there if you really wanted to, but it wasn’t a major focus or standout dynamic in my opinion.

Overall, it was a solid, entertaining read with some fun and unexpected moments. Just go in knowing that not all of the tropes are super prominent.

[Lory · Rating 5 out of 5]

Evangeline Anderson has done it again with Hidden Hollow, the first installment in her new series. As a long-time fan of her Kindred Tales, I was excited to dive into this fresh world—and I wasn’t disappointed. Hidden Hollow promises to be just as fun and captivating as her previous works.

The story follows Sarah, a young woman struggling with social anxiety, the recent loss of her mother, and the looming threat of eviction. Just when it seems like her life can't get worse, Sarah receives an unexpected invitation that changes everything. This twist of fate propels her into a world filled with new possibilities—and challenges—that I can't wait to explore further in the coming books.

What I loved most about Hidden Hollow was the blend of heartfelt emotional struggles with the allure of new beginnings. Anderson's ability to create relatable, empathetic characters really shines through here. Sarah's journey from desperation to hope feels real and raw, making her both a sympathetic and strong protagonist.

As always, my book reviews are completely voluntary, and no monetary compensation was received. The opinions I have expressed are entirely my own.