Quick Synopsis – When a halfling, Pansy, and a goblin, Ren, each think they’ve inherited the same cottage, they make a bargain: they’ll live in the house together and whoever is driven out first forfeits their ownership.

But when the cottage – and their communities – are threatened by a common enemy, the duo must learn to trust each other and convince goblins and halflings to band together to oust the tall intruder.

Song This Reminds Me Of – Heart Beat Here by Dashboard Confessional

Publication Date – Jan. 20, 2026

Bookshop Link – How to Lose a Goblin in Ten Days by Jessie Sylva (I receive a small commission if you purchase using my link)

Content Notes – This is some bullying, xenophobia, racism, violence, and blood.

Rating – ⭐⭐⭐⭐ out of 5

Review – This is a cute, closed-door romance that switches between the POV’s of the two main characters. Pansy is a halfling (think hobbit) and Ren is a goblin. Both have long held prejudices against the other. Pansy thinks that Ren is a shifty little thief, and Ren thinks pansy is a lazy indulgent jerk. They both think they’ve inherited a cottage in the woods and are forced to cohabitate. Throughout the story they are finding they have more in common than previously thought and start to fall for each other.

The author perfectly built in the backstory of the world while also building the characters. There was enough relevant background info to flesh out why the characters were so prejudice. Goblins have long been used by dark lord’s as henchmen and halflings have been used as support for sorcerers and adventurers. Both groups have been used as little more than cannon fodder for various battles and wars. I really liked how the story showed how prejudices could be broken down and a lot of the understanding that each group had was built on misinformation.

The only thing I didn’t love about the book was the actual romance between Ren and Pansy was so fast. Like yes they were cohabitating for a few months and had built a strong friendship, but there was no like dating or anything. I just felt like maybe once feelings were admitted there would be more exploration. I would have liked more open flirting and smooching. I did love that the main character Ren seemed to be nonbinary and the world was queer normative. Whenever I read a fantasy novel it always makes sense to me that there isn’t a gender binary, like why would orcs adhere to a binary or heteronormative ways?

If you like a cute romance where the main characters have to overcome their prejudices, this a good read.

Thanks to NetGalley and Orbit Books for the advanced copy, all opinions are my own.