The Orc and the Manny by Chloe Archer was a last-minute addition to my orc-stravaganza reading spree, as it was released in late September, but I’m so glad I rearranged my reading plans to grab this one. I couldn’t keep the smile off my face while reading. There’s an abundance of excellent characters, fun world-building, and inherent magic in a sanctuary town for monsters. I could get lost in this world forever.
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The Orc and the Manny (Monsters Hollow Book 1)
🥭🥭🥭🥭🥭
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
(you can find my rating and spice system here)
POV & Tense: Dual POV, first person, present tense
Genre: MM Monster Romance
Tropes/Themes: Single Dad, Age Gap, Small Town, Found Family, Kids, Hilarious Pets, Monster Town, Grief, Danger (Criminal After Kids), Whiskey Appreciation and Cooking as love languages, Forced Proximity, Body Positivity
Synopsis:
Reclusive orc author Targan Wildethorne’s life is turned upside-down when he unexpectedly becomes the guardian of his late best friend’s twin orclings. Vastly underqualified for his new parental role, life is chaos and Targen can’t breathe. Until Max, the manny, comes onto the scene. Max is kind, vibrant, and knows exactly what the household needs—and Targen can’t keep his eyes off him.
My Review:
I loved The Orc and the Manny so much. It’s a charming story filled with emotion and steam. It brings lots of humor, and deals with heavy topics such as grief in a gentle way. I love books that include excerpts of letters, diaries, books etc, and this does all of that. Targan’s chapters begin with an excerpt from his nonfiction book on orcs, Green But Not Inherently Mean, and Max’s chapters start with an excerpt from the A.S.S.E.S. handbook (yep, I chuckled at that one).
I stop breathing when I lay eyes on the man beside him. This orc is not old and he’s hot like fire. He’s rocking full-on Hulk meets stern professor vibes and I am so here for it. Unfortunately, I also suspect he’s my new boss.
Excellent Characters
The Orc and the Manny is filled with excellent characters, from the orclings, Yara and Harn, to Targan and Max’s friends, and the small characters that make bring the town to life.
Dr. Targan Wildethorne is an adorable introvert. As a scholar, he’s more comfortable with books than people. He’s kind and passionate, but never thought he’d lead anything other than a solitary life. He’s way out of his depth when he’s named the guardian of his best friend’s twin orclings, as evidenced by the hilarious opening scene (I’m not spoiling it just read it!).
Max McLeod, or Maxy Poppins, as he calls himself, is amazing. As a professional manny, he considers looking after children to be his life’s calling and he’s excellent at what he does. You can’t help but feel deeply impressed when he’s in full-on manny mode, able to diffuse and redirect tantrums with a few simple words and easily handling difficult emotions. He makes the children feel loved and useful by letting them help in the kitchen while never batting an eye at the resulting mess.
Max is exactly what the Wildethorne household needs. He quickly gets everything under control and teaches Targan how to parent. The UST between Targan and Max is immediately noticeable, although they take a little while to act on it (which makes everything even more delicious).
Hot damn, but I think my sexy silver fox orc professor just flirted with me! If feeding him good food makes him frisky, then I’ve got this in the bag.
Cute Pets
I love it when stories include cute and unique pets. The three-headed hellhound, Waffles, and rescue chihuahua, Princess Peaches, stole the show many times. From the opening scene, Waffles is an agent of chaos and it’s inspiring to see Max leap into action, and Princess Peach dominate the overgrown mutt. I loved Princess Peach’s little outfits (often color-coordinated with Max’s outfits) and the warmth and love the two provide for Yara and Harn.
Tough Themes Handled Well
While there is much humor and many laugh-out-loud moments, there are also heavy feelings surrounding the grief for the twins’ mother, fear surrounding her abusive ex (and their father), and more grief for Max’s upbringing in the foster care system and the death of the one mother figure in his life. The author handled this exceptionally well through heartfelt moments that bring healing and unity within the family.
Small Town Infused with Magic
I love the small town of Mystic Hollow. Max is such an outgoing individual that we get to experience a good cross-section of the town and meet many of the townspeople as he befriends them. Some characters are crossovers from the prequel novellas (which makes me want to read those), and some will likely be included in future stories (I certainly hope the merman is!). I love that there is a magic barrier surrounding the town that can read people’s intentions to keep out those who mean harm.
I nod, feeling strangely shy all of a sudden. “I wanted to get you a little gift to show my admiration and appreciation for you.” And I particularly liked the idea of wrapping you in something green, as if marking you as mine.
Final Thoughts:
The Orc and the Manny was such a fun and charming read, and I devoured it in no time at all. It’s one of those books I can see myself turning to when I want a cozy feel-good read that will make me laugh.
I can’t wait for book two, The Gargoyle and the Romance Writer, which will follow Targan’s best friend Vash, and Max’s friend Ryder. These two have such an interesting dynamic. There’s attraction, but they also rub each other the wrong way and fight, so there’s likely going to be some sort of not-quite-enemies-to-lovers situation happening and I am here for it.
The Orc and the Manny by Chloe Archer (Monsters Hollow Book 1)
Author Stalking (but not in a creepy way):
Chloe Archer is the author of MM alien and monster romance novels and novellas. Her tagline is “Bringing Funny-Sexy Back” which is perfect.
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~~If you like spicy books with orcs, check out my Orc Rec List ~~
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