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Heart of Steel: A Second Chance Orc Romance
286 pages, Kindle Edition
Published February 11, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
February 15, 2026
Brennan and Vivienne . . .
Seven years, three months, and eleven days ago, Vivienne Ashford left Beastvale, leaving behind the Orc blacksmith, Brennan Ironhand, who loved her. Her note to him told him not to wait or follow her... and he treasured even that part of her. Then she unexpectedly walks into his life again, covered in snow and bringing him the silver brooch he had made for her that now needs to be repaired. Snowed in for the winter with the mountain pass closed, will they take the time to talk about what happened to them? Is she back to be with him? Or will she be moving on?
Seven years, three months, and eleven days ago, Vivienne Ashford left Beastvale, leaving behind the Orc blacksmith, Brennan Ironhand, who loved her. Her note to him told him not to wait or follow her... and he treasured even that part of her. Then she unexpectedly walks into his life again, covered in snow and bringing him the silver brooch he had made for her that now needs to be repaired. Snowed in for the winter with the mountain pass closed, will they take the time to talk about what happened to them? Is she back to be with him? Or will she be moving on?
February 16, 2026
The brooch broke. The love never did.
Seven years ago, Vivienne chooses duty over desire and walks away from the only man who ever sees past her perfection. She tells him not to wait. He does anyway. Now she’s back in Beastvale with a broken silver brooch in her trembling hands, asking the orc blacksmith she left behind to repair more than metal, and facing the version of herself she tried to bury.
Brennan is scarred muscle and steady restraint, a gentle orc giant who pretends he doesn’t still reach for her in his sleep. When winter closes the mountain pass and forces them under the same roof, distance disappears. Old letters resurface, old hurt rises, and the truth about her departure threatens to undo them both, especially now that walking away would hurt even more.
As pride and fear start to crack, Vivienne faces the ambition she buried to survive and the cost of always being the composed one. Brennan faces the risk of loving her without trying to shield her from her own dreams. In the heat of the forge and the quiet of shared nights, they learn that strength isn’t control, and devotion doesn’t demand surrender.
Vivienne softens from rigid self control into a woman who wants both love and purpose, no longer willing to trade herself for approval. Brennan shifts from silent endurance to open hope, trusting he can be chosen without begging for it. Together, they move from restrained longing to an emotionally honest partnership built on gentleness, choice, and staying because they want to.
A second chance romance grounded in forced proximity and mutual pining, this story is about reclaiming identity without self erasure and rebuilding what was broken into something steadier. It’s about love as refuge, not confinement, and choosing each other freely, even when it would be easier to retreat.
The Elevator Pitch: After walking away from the only man who ever saw past her perfection, a guarded woman returns to the small mountain town she once fled, carrying a broken silver brooch and years of silence. Trapped by winter under the same roof as the gentle giant orc blacksmith who never stopped loving her, she must confront the truth about why she left and who she wants to be now. As old wounds surface and ambition calls her forward, they discover that real strength lies not in control, but in choosing each other without surrendering themselves.
Heat Level: 🌶️ Closed Door
Seven years ago, Vivienne chooses duty over desire and walks away from the only man who ever sees past her perfection. She tells him not to wait. He does anyway. Now she’s back in Beastvale with a broken silver brooch in her trembling hands, asking the orc blacksmith she left behind to repair more than metal, and facing the version of herself she tried to bury.
Brennan is scarred muscle and steady restraint, a gentle orc giant who pretends he doesn’t still reach for her in his sleep. When winter closes the mountain pass and forces them under the same roof, distance disappears. Old letters resurface, old hurt rises, and the truth about her departure threatens to undo them both, especially now that walking away would hurt even more.
As pride and fear start to crack, Vivienne faces the ambition she buried to survive and the cost of always being the composed one. Brennan faces the risk of loving her without trying to shield her from her own dreams. In the heat of the forge and the quiet of shared nights, they learn that strength isn’t control, and devotion doesn’t demand surrender.
Vivienne softens from rigid self control into a woman who wants both love and purpose, no longer willing to trade herself for approval. Brennan shifts from silent endurance to open hope, trusting he can be chosen without begging for it. Together, they move from restrained longing to an emotionally honest partnership built on gentleness, choice, and staying because they want to.
A second chance romance grounded in forced proximity and mutual pining, this story is about reclaiming identity without self erasure and rebuilding what was broken into something steadier. It’s about love as refuge, not confinement, and choosing each other freely, even when it would be easier to retreat.
The Elevator Pitch: After walking away from the only man who ever saw past her perfection, a guarded woman returns to the small mountain town she once fled, carrying a broken silver brooch and years of silence. Trapped by winter under the same roof as the gentle giant orc blacksmith who never stopped loving her, she must confront the truth about why she left and who she wants to be now. As old wounds surface and ambition calls her forward, they discover that real strength lies not in control, but in choosing each other without surrendering themselves.
Heat Level: 🌶️ Closed Door
February 15, 2026
This small-town second chance orc–human romance starts with a genuinely intriguing premise. The blurb promises emotional tension, history, and a long-awaited reunion—and on paper, that setup has so much potential.
Unfortunately, the execution doesn’t quite live up to the idea. The story appears to take place in a kind of dark-age-inspired setting, but the worldbuilding is so minimal that it’s hard to fully grasp the environment. When a romance isn’t set in our regular modern world, strong worldbuilding becomes essential, and here it feels barely sketched out. As a result, the setting never truly comes alive.
The characters also remain fairly flat. The male lead is the classic grumpy-orc-with-a-heart-of-gold who has waited seven years for her, but beyond that defining trait, he doesn’t gain much additional depth. The emotional complexity that could have made this second chance story powerful simply isn’t explored enough.
On top of that, the writing style feels very uniform. The sentence structures repeat in a noticeable way, with little variation, which makes the prose feel mechanical rather than immersive. It lacks the natural flow and care that would have elevated the story.
Overall, it’s not a terrible read, but it’s not particularly memorable either. With stronger worldbuilding, deeper characterization, and more polished writing, it could have been something truly special.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Unfortunately, the execution doesn’t quite live up to the idea. The story appears to take place in a kind of dark-age-inspired setting, but the worldbuilding is so minimal that it’s hard to fully grasp the environment. When a romance isn’t set in our regular modern world, strong worldbuilding becomes essential, and here it feels barely sketched out. As a result, the setting never truly comes alive.
The characters also remain fairly flat. The male lead is the classic grumpy-orc-with-a-heart-of-gold who has waited seven years for her, but beyond that defining trait, he doesn’t gain much additional depth. The emotional complexity that could have made this second chance story powerful simply isn’t explored enough.
On top of that, the writing style feels very uniform. The sentence structures repeat in a noticeable way, with little variation, which makes the prose feel mechanical rather than immersive. It lacks the natural flow and care that would have elevated the story.
Overall, it’s not a terrible read, but it’s not particularly memorable either. With stronger worldbuilding, deeper characterization, and more polished writing, it could have been something truly special.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
March 11, 2026
This was such a cozy read.
I loved this gentle giant monster hero a lot, and it was emotional to me that he waited for her even after she left him, with no explanation.
These two characters have unfinished business that needs to be adressed and fate would be in agreement when they are snowed in together when Vivienne comes back to him for help after she left him without so much as a reason why.
I liked the cozy wintery atmosphere that this brings with a lovely second chance read that really gets you in your feelings and makes a perfect read that you can curl up in front of the fire and enjoy while drinking a piping hot drink.
I really enjoyed this read, and I suggest checking it out. It is a closed-door book, so if you're looking for a new romance, I'd say this one would be on my TBR.
4/5.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I loved this gentle giant monster hero a lot, and it was emotional to me that he waited for her even after she left him, with no explanation.
These two characters have unfinished business that needs to be adressed and fate would be in agreement when they are snowed in together when Vivienne comes back to him for help after she left him without so much as a reason why.
I liked the cozy wintery atmosphere that this brings with a lovely second chance read that really gets you in your feelings and makes a perfect read that you can curl up in front of the fire and enjoy while drinking a piping hot drink.
I really enjoyed this read, and I suggest checking it out. It is a closed-door book, so if you're looking for a new romance, I'd say this one would be on my TBR.
4/5.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
February 16, 2026
Book 2 of the Beastvale Tales series. Can be read as a standalone.
'Heart of Steel is a cozy monster romance featuring a gentle giant orc hero who fell first and waited forever, a heroine learning that strength isn't the same as control, forced proximity with only one bed, and a guaranteed happily ever after.'
The characters drove the storyline and they were so very appealing and complex and complicated and absolutely perfect together. Plot was intriguing and intense and well paced. World building continues to excel and impress. All in all a great addition to the series. Enjoyed immensely and highly recommend.
Grab a copy, kick back and enjoy!.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
'Heart of Steel is a cozy monster romance featuring a gentle giant orc hero who fell first and waited forever, a heroine learning that strength isn't the same as control, forced proximity with only one bed, and a guaranteed happily ever after.'
The characters drove the storyline and they were so very appealing and complex and complicated and absolutely perfect together. Plot was intriguing and intense and well paced. World building continues to excel and impress. All in all a great addition to the series. Enjoyed immensely and highly recommend.
Grab a copy, kick back and enjoy!.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
February 17, 2026
DNF.
It started out so good! The emotions were there the tension the melodrama, but the third time of something being repeated I couldn’t do it. She found the box of her letters hidden behind almanacs, he showed her the letters, then when she moves into his home (could have sworn she was sleeping in his bed in the first part of the book) she finds a box with her letters, touched he kept them. You…. Already found them? The aunts confused me. First Ida’s aunt, then Viv’s aunt, then they’re the same person? But not. But yes? And the same scene of The Aunt writing a letter at the end of two different chapters… yeah. Either the author wrote this piecemeal and cobbled it together without any editing or like someone else said - ChatGPT. You’re still supposed to edit it.
It started out so good! The emotions were there the tension the melodrama, but the third time of something being repeated I couldn’t do it. She found the box of her letters hidden behind almanacs, he showed her the letters, then when she moves into his home (could have sworn she was sleeping in his bed in the first part of the book) she finds a box with her letters, touched he kept them. You…. Already found them? The aunts confused me. First Ida’s aunt, then Viv’s aunt, then they’re the same person? But not. But yes? And the same scene of The Aunt writing a letter at the end of two different chapters… yeah. Either the author wrote this piecemeal and cobbled it together without any editing or like someone else said - ChatGPT. You’re still supposed to edit it.
March 15, 2026
The plot of the story was so sweet. She left him to save him. But came back to see if he could save her. This is a very wordy book. No love scenes. I was very disappointed in all the errors. Maybe since I had an ARC copy they were fixed. But timelines were off. Sometimes where she was sleeping was wrong. Who's aunt came to vist that section was very strange and needed to be fixed !again the plot was good but the errors made it hard to read.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
February 17, 2026
I enjoyed this story. I understood the emphasis on some terms to really reflect the longing, passion and wait ... but it felt a bit repetitive at times (especially the first chapters, before chapter 11). It felt almost like reading the same chapter over and over again.
But it also made it feel like we were waiting with them to reunite, even so close yet so far, and the pacing was nice, not dragging.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
But it also made it feel like we were waiting with them to reunite, even so close yet so far, and the pacing was nice, not dragging.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
February 13, 2026
Well
I was hoping for good things from this book but I couldn't finish it. It gave me a headache within the first 3 chapters. It's literally like reading something from chatGPT. It's obviously written using ai. There's no flow to it which is such a shame as the story and characters would be really good if the author had gone through and edited it properly.
I was hoping for good things from this book but I couldn't finish it. It gave me a headache within the first 3 chapters. It's literally like reading something from chatGPT. It's obviously written using ai. There's no flow to it which is such a shame as the story and characters would be really good if the author had gone through and edited it properly.
February 17, 2026
Vivienne is finally free to find where her heart leads after years on miserable propriety doing what she should. Taking a long walk of faith that Brennan would still be at his forge and still have room for her. A cozy slow burn with fragile hearts and piles of history.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
March 2, 2026
loved it !! love this series !! love Brennan !! and Vivienne ? this is their second chance love story.... a fast paced heart breaking love story... it happened seven long years ago... she left him... he's not over it and probably never will be... and now, she's back.. it was good !!!.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
January 31, 2026
Vivenne and Brennan.
I enjoyed this story very much. It was well written. It was great to read about Beastvale and all of the people who live there.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I enjoyed this story very much. It was well written. It was great to read about Beastvale and all of the people who live there.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
February 12, 2026
This is a sweet story about second chances. A gentle giant hero who never stopped waiting. Heartwarming to read and great world building.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
February 13, 2026
Part of the Beastvale Tales series. Brennan, an orc and Vivienne, a human are the fantastic couple. The plot follows their journey to a HEA. Can't wait for the next book.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
February 26, 2026
She left him seven years ago with only a note that said don’t follow me. Now she’s back . He never forgot, never stopped loving her. Now he wants answers and to claim her once more.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
March 29, 2026
This is book 2 in the Beastvale Tales and is the story of Brennan and Vivienne and their second chance at love. A little emotion, a lot of love, and a HEA make this a sweet story of love.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
May 18, 2026
Heart of Steel by Emberly Wynter is a 3/5.
The second entry into her Beastvale Tales series, Wynter’s story centres a second chance romance between a human, aristocrat woman, and an orc, blacksmith man. Seven years after Vivianne breaks Brennan’s heart and leaves town, she returns on the guise of having her silver broach repaired. The one he gifted her. With no space for visitors left, Brennan open his home to her. So begins the quiet, painful reunion of two people who never forgot their feelings for one another.
I picked this up since I’ve never read a monster romance before. Read comics, played RPGs and watched movies with it, yes, but never a novel. I hadn’t expected much going in and glad I didn’t because the novel blew me away. The writing style is so focused that the proximity trope overflows in a way that embeds the reader into the characters’ anxious world.
The broach is such an illusion but a much-needed plot device. Brennan, being the receiver of a broken heart, tries to bury his attraction to her by busying himself with fixing it. At first, a few days to fix, then a few weeks, and so on. Vivienne, on the other hand, does come across as an assertive ice queen. She melts at the right times, building empathy of her circumstances that though she did a cruel thing, she believed she protected the gentle giant Brennan.
For fans of slow burn romance, I believe this is the book for you. The narrative digs deep with introspection, doesn’t make redemption easy for Vivenne, and when I mentioned a focus writing style, this is where it shines. We see the slow opening of hope in Brennan; we see the slow release of guilt from Vivenne. Proximity means a lot of things, and in this case, it’s the focus on the main characters in two distinct POVs, adding another character or mention of when needed. Those who do make an appearance though, are charming. I especially like the special appearance of the 400+ year old, married trolls. They speak to the kind of society Beastvale is, plus the assertion and approval of Vivienne for Brennan just cuts away at layers of melodrama.
This isn’t an epic fantasy in which romance thrives, it’s a small town doubling as a safe space for beasts. The world isn’t kind to them. So, if you’re looking for complex relationships outside of the protagonists, you won’t find it. Albeit going in with minimal expectations, my brain went ‘oh orc, maybe warfare’. Nope. There’s mention of it, but not a primary point of the novel. Sometimes it felt that there was a first draft plot didn't get edited out of the final draft, such as Vivianne staying at the inn, then not, then does.Another aspect to be mindful of is the repetition. It mostly works for introspection, a few times it slowed pacing. There are some scenes that repeat from different perspectives, which is why I dropped a star in rating.
Overall, an enjoyable read for the winter season.
[Edit note]: Initially, I had this review at 5/5 and missing this line: "There are some scenes that repeat from different perspectives, which is why I dropped a star in rating.". Unfortunately, I noticed my mistake post-publishing the ARC. My apologies for any and all inconveniences my mistake may have caused.
The second entry into her Beastvale Tales series, Wynter’s story centres a second chance romance between a human, aristocrat woman, and an orc, blacksmith man. Seven years after Vivianne breaks Brennan’s heart and leaves town, she returns on the guise of having her silver broach repaired. The one he gifted her. With no space for visitors left, Brennan open his home to her. So begins the quiet, painful reunion of two people who never forgot their feelings for one another.
I picked this up since I’ve never read a monster romance before. Read comics, played RPGs and watched movies with it, yes, but never a novel. I hadn’t expected much going in and glad I didn’t because the novel blew me away. The writing style is so focused that the proximity trope overflows in a way that embeds the reader into the characters’ anxious world.
The broach is such an illusion but a much-needed plot device. Brennan, being the receiver of a broken heart, tries to bury his attraction to her by busying himself with fixing it. At first, a few days to fix, then a few weeks, and so on. Vivienne, on the other hand, does come across as an assertive ice queen. She melts at the right times, building empathy of her circumstances that though she did a cruel thing, she believed she protected the gentle giant Brennan.
For fans of slow burn romance, I believe this is the book for you. The narrative digs deep with introspection, doesn’t make redemption easy for Vivenne, and when I mentioned a focus writing style, this is where it shines. We see the slow opening of hope in Brennan; we see the slow release of guilt from Vivenne. Proximity means a lot of things, and in this case, it’s the focus on the main characters in two distinct POVs, adding another character or mention of when needed. Those who do make an appearance though, are charming. I especially like the special appearance of the 400+ year old, married trolls. They speak to the kind of society Beastvale is, plus the assertion and approval of Vivienne for Brennan just cuts away at layers of melodrama.
This isn’t an epic fantasy in which romance thrives, it’s a small town doubling as a safe space for beasts. The world isn’t kind to them. So, if you’re looking for complex relationships outside of the protagonists, you won’t find it. Albeit going in with minimal expectations, my brain went ‘oh orc, maybe warfare’. Nope. There’s mention of it, but not a primary point of the novel. Sometimes it felt that there was a first draft plot didn't get edited out of the final draft, such as Vivianne staying at the inn, then not, then does.Another aspect to be mindful of is the repetition. It mostly works for introspection, a few times it slowed pacing. There are some scenes that repeat from different perspectives, which is why I dropped a star in rating.
Overall, an enjoyable read for the winter season.
[Edit note]: Initially, I had this review at 5/5 and missing this line: "There are some scenes that repeat from different perspectives, which is why I dropped a star in rating.". Unfortunately, I noticed my mistake post-publishing the ARC. My apologies for any and all inconveniences my mistake may have caused.
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