Eva Brandt: Cardio With The Easter Orc

 https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/249507814-cardio-with-the-easter-orc

Book Blurb:

I’m an Orc personal trainer with one mission: get the Easter Bunny shredded before the holiday rush. The problem? A curvy chocolatier who keeps tempting him, and me, with her dangerously good truffles.

My name is Brok. I’m seven feet of green muscle, tusks, and discipline. I’ve trained Minotaurs for maze runs and the Headless Horseman for his midnight ride. I don’t fail my clients.

But Barnaby the Easter Bunny is testing me.

He’s soft, sluggish, and sneaking carbs.

The culprit of this corruption? A tiny bakery called The Cocoa Bean.

My plan is simple: confront the owner, cut the sugar supply, and get Barnaby back on track.

Then I meet Hazel.

She doesn’t flinch at my size. She argues with my scowl. She wields a rolling pin like a weapon and guards her pastries with the fierce devotion of someone who truly loves butter. And she has no idea I’m an Orc in disguise or that her sweetest “customer” is a magical being on a deadline.

I came here to stop Barnaby from cheating.

I’m supposed to stay focused.

But around Hazel?

Focus is the first thing to melt.

*Monster romance *Orc MMC x human FMC  *plus size representation  *Boss FMC  *cozy romance 

*some spice  *competition  *strangers --> More  *magical world  *hidden identities  *rom-com 

*opposites attract

Thoughts:

Brok is up for challenges he's trained some of the toughest out there and if he can handle a Minotaur for maze runs he can get the Easter bunny in shape in time for the season, his fitness plans are flawless if Barnaby sticks to his work out routines he will be in top shape with plenty of time to spare... so why is he not losing the weight or getting faster as planned?  And what is this foil wrapper from?

Barnaby is thankful for Brok's help... but his diet and exercise plan is impossible... he needs chocolate... and more chocolate and he's found the perfect source at Hazel's bakery in the human world... she of course doesn't know who he is with his glamour spell but her delicious treats make the day worth waking up for and he's been getting away with it... until now Brok knows and he's after the source of his joy.

Hazel is surprised when Brok shows up with muscles on muscles trying to talk her out of giving Barnaby sweets... but this is her job and while she understands the importance of diet and exercise it can be nutritious and taste good too... and she's about to show this Beef cake that Barnaby can get fit and she's going to help him reach his goals!

I was pulled into this fun world where magic and fairy tale beings are real but they keep themselves hidden from the human world, Brok goes to the bakery to give Hazel a piece of his mind but finds himself entranced.  This is a cozy sweet read and I loved watching these two opposites fall for each other... but would she like the real him if she knew he was an Orc?  

What initially started out as a race to get Barnaby ready for Easter turns into a race to even keep that title when his nemesis comes to challenge him to get this title back... but will Brok and Hazel be able to work together to help Barnaby in time for the competition?  

I truly enjoyed this story it was cute and cozy and had me laughing in parts.  I plan to check out other books by this author!  

Have you read anything by this author?  Have you read this book?  what did you think, tell me in the comments!  

Cassandra Medcalf: Milking with the Minotaur

 https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/243685343-milking-with-the-minotaur

Book Blurb: 

Can a human woman and a hunky minotaur meet the demands of a hungry demigod? Or will they cow under the pressure?

A Single Mother in Crisis

Betsy should have known better than to fall for the King of the Gods. But hey, we've all made stupid decisions in our twenties.

But in her case, there were consequences. Demigod-sized consequences.

You'd think Zeus would be interested in getting to know his minotaur son. But sadly, Betsy is abandoned to figure out single motherhood on her own... which is a problem when her baby needs more nourishment than she can provide.

When a mysterious goddess offers her a solution, she hastily agrees-not realizing it will deliver her straight into the arms of a monster.

A Lonely Minotaur

If Felix has said it once, he's said it a hundred times: Never trust the gods.

They're the reason he was exiled to the corn fields of rural Minnesota all those years ago. He fell in love with the wrong goddess, and BAM. Sentenced to eternal solitude.

That is, until they issued him a new punishment: shack up with Zeus's ex-girlfriend, and help her raise their son.

She's nothing like he expected—and that's exactly why he can't let himself get too close. Except, her baby needs milk. And there's only one way to increase her supply...

This minotaur x hucow romance is chock-full of forced proximity, single mom realness, existential angst, and "milking" both ways!

*Monster Romance  *MMC Minotaur *Single Mom *Broody MMC  *Farmer MMC  *Small Town

*cinnamon roll MMC  *close proximity  *angst  *Netgalley ALC  *Spicy *room mates --> more

 *Mythological elements *Rom- Com  *State Challenge Minnesota  *Indie Author

Thoughts: 

I wasn't sure what to think of this story going in but I've been giving a lot of new to me reads a try this year and the plot sounded cute.  

The Plot: set in the 90's in Minnesota Betsy is a hard worker and has been since forever she had a hard life growing up in the foster care system and has been taking care of herself for a long time finally deciding it's time for her first ever vacation she heads to Lalapalooza and ends up getting intimate with Zeus (yes... that one)... Unfortunately after a whirlwind relationship Zeus leaves her to go on to greener pastures with a parting gift, she is now pregnant.  Having only her best friend since childhood Petra to lean on she doesn't know what to do.

In comes help from the gods (thankfully) since this is no ordinary pregnancy and she is about to be the mother to a very cute but very hungry Minotaur baby (demi-god) having very few options she accepts the goddesses help which involves moving to the middle of nowhere Minnesota with her fussy baby.

This is where our MMC comes in Felix is a Minotaur centuries ago he was charged and sentenced by the gods and has been paying for his crimes ever since although lately it hasn't been so bad he has been by himself running a farm and growing crops for the gods... he doesn't trust them but he is fine serving out his sentence alone and that's how it's going to be he doesn't need anyone else.

Betsy and her baby Apollo land on Felix's front step and disrupt all of his well laid plans... but in all the best ways Betsy and her baby need Felix's "essence" because her body can't produce enough milk without it... I think you get where this is going.  

Now we have Felix who has been on his own for so long and hasn't been with a woman in several thousands of years... and Betsy who... is she starting to fall for her room mate?... why yes she is.  Lets just say that Felix is a gentlemen, until he isn't --> if you know you know.

This book was unexpected for me this had a lot of truly emotional moments between our characters where both of them had been wronged by many in their past but coming together they truly saw each other and took care of each others needs... all of them.

Felix was truly respectful of Betsy her boundaries and her body he never did anything that she was uncomfortable with and he helped her see her own beauty along the way.  Felix was a true sweetheart.

The ending threw me off a bit for how the story had been going but maybe more will come from that in the future with this world.  

This book had some laugh out loud moments for me, I listened to it and the narrators did a great job with these characters.  

I would definitely check your trigger warnings... but the MMC is a Minotaur so if you are reading this you probably are going into it knowing that there might be some things that are pushing the boundaries.