The Sea-Ogre's Eager Bride by Ruby Dixon [Review]

The Sea-Ogre's Eager Bride (Aspect and Anchor #4.5) by Ruby Dixon
Format: paperback
Source: purchased
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Date read: March 12, 2025

Aspect and Anchor
0.5. The King's Spinster Bride
1. Bound to the Battle God
2. Sworn to the Shadow God
3. Wed to the Wild God
3.5. The Half-Orc's Maiden Bride
4. Servant to the Spidae
4.5. The Sea-Ogre's Eager Bride - Paperback | Kindle

Synopsis (Goodreads):

Valessa is in danger. Her town has been captured by Aventinian raiders, the women taken, and now she's on a ship destined for nowhere good. But when a terrifying, four-armed sea-ogre pirate boards the ships and demands compensation, Valessa's luck changes.

The sea-ogre demands a bride. It's the perfect opportunity for her to escape.

Valessa volunteers. She tells everyone she's very experienced with sea-ogres and knows just how to please them. She's very descriptive about it, too.

Thing is...Valessa's a liar.

She's never met a sea-ogre in her life. But it can't be that hard to keep one man-slash-monster happy, can it?

Thoughts on The Sea-Ogre's Eager Bride: Valessa's in a sort of bad place when we first meet her. Both literally and figuratively. She was a slave before she was captured by raiders and things don't really seem to be looking up in any way, shape, or form. Until a broody, not-much-of-a-talker sea-ogre blocks the ship carrying her and demands a bride.

Except Ranan didn't actually want a bride. You remember that "not much of a talker" thing from above? Yeah, the big guy doesn't talk much because his words sometimes get tangled and he misspeaks. He really wanted a bribe, but Vali jumped at the chance to get off the ship and quickly volunteered to be his bride when he uttered the word. Now he's stuck with a human he doesn't know what to do with who can't swim and is hardly suited to life floating on the back of a giant sea-turtle.

On Vali's end, Ranan confuses her. He's surly and broody and barely speaks to her for all he requested a bride. Yet under all the grump is a male with a surprisingly sweet side. He may be terrible at expressing it, but it's there. Wrapped under grunts and scowls.

A little pirating, swimming lessons, more treasure than you can shake a stick at, a surly male who doesn't know what he needs until it falls into his lap, and a lady who is far stronger than she gives herself credit for. GOOD STUFF!