Red-Haired Ash Reads

When Dawn is sold at an auction to orcs she expects the worst. Instead she finds herself mated to the king and being pampered. She may have been leery of Gorvor at first, but Dawn quickly finds herself falling for him. But is it all too good to be true? 

This was a solid orc romance. It featured culture shock, a feisty human, clear consent, and high heat. Dawn and Gorvor had instant chemistry but Gorvor is very clear on consent being important. I love that consent was so important to this orc culture and that we see the king taking his time to woo his mate. 

Dawn was a brave and determined woman. When she sees things not adding up she pushes back and demands answers. She also doesn’t back down when her relationship gets rocky because she knows she is in the right. I liked that she stood up for herself and pushed back. 

Gorvor was a sweet yet protective orc. I loved how he pampered Dawn, especially during her period. He respects Dawn and it comes through in his actions.  He was also extremely loyal to his people and determined to make their lives better. He was a great MMC and a great king. 

The worldbuilding was just the right amount to paint this world and culture. We learned about the orcs and their culture at the same pace as Dawn and there is still a lot left to learn, but that’s what the rest of the series is for. I enjoyed the orcs culture and all the orcs we got to know in this book, so I probably will end up reading more of this series. 

TW: kidnapping; slavery; toxic family mentioned; sex work mentioned; violence and injuries; 

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