This is the first book I’ve ever read by Rhea Fox, but I feel like it’s a good introduction to the author. Flighty Hearts & Broken Parts is a quick read that’s easy to jump into and sweet as can be. All the best moments of falling in love and building a life together are offered in convenient novel form and shared between a breezy Slyph and a solid orc.

How it all starts

Beryl is an airy flighty Sylph, which is a pun because Sylphs are air spirits. (I’d heard of Syphs before but definitely didn’t know what they were, so I learned something.) Beryl works in a cafe and isn’t expecting a serious relationship but there’s something about the quiet orc that captivates him.

Kjartan is an orc who’s seen his share of battle in the past and is now trying to enjoy a normal life. He’s got some scars and baggage, but a new relationship with the right Slyph is apparently just what he needs to open up his heart.

While it starts as mutual attraction and an attempted hook up, things get domestic fast.

My Thoughts – It’s All About the Relationship

The novel is sweeter than a chocolate latte with extra caramel drizzle. Low stakes and no angst or greater plot isn’t really my cup of tea, but it’s a nice little change of pace to just read a book all about a romance blossoming. Beryl and Kjartan grow closer and build a relationship together and it’s fun to see them fall for each other.

Adorable as the couple here is, they have no trouble heating things up. There’s a lot of steam and not from cappuccinos. Not really what I expected from such a cute read but the scenes were welcome and very well done.

I also liked the Slyph and orc pairing, two rarer paranormal species that you don’t see every day.

Here’s a passage from the novel:

Reading Order and Hetero Warning

Reading out of order makes me twitchy and not only is this the second book in this series, it’s part of a whole larger universe that takes place in the Scottish city of Kirkmuir, which is not a real place since it’s heavily populated with supernatural folk.

This a cozy little novel, and there’s no huge plot details to learn before diving in so it’s probably okay to read in any order. But if you like low angst cozy romances and really want to get absorbed in the little world, probably best to read ‘em all. I mean, you don’t have to, but I can’t encourage you to be a rebel and go out of order like I did.

Keep in mind the first book and some of the novels in the series are M/F in case that’s not your thing.

Official Book Description

One is all wind and whimsy. The other all scars and silence. Together, they’re building something that just might last.

BERYL
Relationships? Not my thing. I like flirting, pretty things, and keeping things breezy—just like a good Sylph should. I’ve got a job I love, coworkers I adore, and enough sparkly highlighters to wallpaper a house. So why does Kjartan, the hulking orc carpenter with a quiet voice and a missing finger, make my heart flutter like it’s been caught in a windstorm?

One failed hookup and a surprising proposal later—dating, not that other D-word—and suddenly we’re buying furniture together like a couple of nesting lovebirds. But is good sex and shared home decor taste enough to bridge the gap between his countryside roots and my city life? Or am I doomed to fly solo again?

KJARTAN
After everything I’ve been through, I know better than to believe in second chances. But Beryl—bright, bold, unpredictable Beryl—sees through the walls I’ve spent years building. And somehow, he likes what he finds.

A single night with him turns into something more: weekend visits, cozy nights, and building a life one bookshelf at a time. But can I risk my heart again for someone who’s made of wind, here today, gone tomorrow? Or is this the moment I finally let myself believe in love?

Flighty Hearts & Broken Parts is a cozy MM monster romance featuring a silent orc with a broken heart, a flirty Sylph who talks a mile a minute, chore play, shared home improvement projects, and a low-stakes love story filled with warmth, healing, and a guaranteed HEA.

Book 2 in the Scales & Steam series – can be read as a standalone.