Toghat the Vile by Cara Wylde [Review]

Toghat the Vile (Orc Mates) by Cara Wylde
Format: ebook
Source: borrowed through Kindle Unlimited
Disclaimer: As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Date read: January 3, 2023

Orc Mates
Vorgak the Cruel
Rogan the Gray
Kaius the Fierce
Baruk the Cursed
Grimor the Joyless
Torgor the Molten
Uthar the Hunter
Toghat the Vile - Kindle

Cara Wylde
| Website | Amazon |

Synopsis (Goodreads):

Isabella Jensen is in over her head. She should've never gone hiking with her friends in the snowy mountains of Utah. With no training for this kind of physical effort, she fell behind, and then a snowstorm hit out of the blue. Now she's lost, and with every passing minute, her chances of survival are quickly dropping to zero. She doubts her friends will come back for her, and when she sees a massive creature heading her way, she panics. She thinks it's a bear and runs in the opposite direction. The creature has no trouble catching her, and that's when she realizes... It's not a bear. It's an orc on one of those huge beasts they ride into battle.

Toghat the Vile is on his way to one of those institutes for orc tributes. After years of loneliness, he thinks it's time to take a bride. Since orc females are scarce, a human one will have to do. A snowstorm derails him, and when he hears someone cry for help, he decides to investigate. He stumbles onto a human female who's lost, cold, and terrified of him. Now that he's found her, he can't leave her. He takes her with him, kicking and screaming, and finds shelter. Until the snowstorm passes, he will show her that all he wants is to take care of her.

Thoughts on Toghat the Vile: This is my first introduction to these orcs in this world and...you know what? Toghat wasn't vile in the slightest. In fact, he was pretty gentlemanly, all things considered. A sweetheart, even. In other words, I liked him. Quite a bit.

Isabella's "friends" on the other hand? Meh. Not cool. While I get that mayyyybe they didn't realize she'd fallen behind, I'm super not on board with their laid back response to her disappearance.

But this isn't about Isabella and her questionable choice in friends. This is about a human lost in the snow and the orc who saves her. She's having a bad day (plus some) and he's starting to think about taking a bride. She doesn't think she qualifies as a tribute and so has earned basically nothing about the orcs who have come to her world. He's kinda liking the woman he's rescued.

A snowstorm, a woman beaten down by life, an orc warrior who likes what he sees, and a little magic. *thumbs up*