How to Lose a Goblin in Ten Days by Jessie Sylva: ARC Book Review

Thank you to NetGalley and Orbit Books for providing me with an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!

What if cottagecore and goblincore fell in love?

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.

Amidst forced proximity and cultural misunderstandings, the two begin to fall in love.

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.

My Review

How to Lose a Goblin in Ten Days is a cozy fantasy romance that wears its inspirations proudly, blending cottagecore comforts with goblincore charm and a rom-com premise that’s as cute as it is comforting and familiar. With lush food descriptions, gentle humor, and a strong thematic focus on the importance of storytelling, community, and prejudice, this book delivers a warm, whimsical reading experience…even if some of its conflicts and character motivations feel a little underdeveloped.

While the romance occasionally moves faster than the emotional groundwork can support, the heart of How to Lose a Goblin in Ten Days shines through in its found family vibes, inclusive worldbuilding, and moments of genuine tenderness. I came away feeling cozy, a little hungry, and very fond of this wolrd, even if I wanted a bit more depth in places.

THE GOOD:

• The food descriptions are incredible!! Perfectly cozy, mouthwatering, and deeply immersive (seriously, I wanted to try every food that was mentioned – why weren’t recipes included??!).
• The chapter openers (poems, overheard conversations, letters, snippets of lore) are a delight, and reinforce the book’s love of storytelling.
• Fun, cheeky nods to How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, including repeated references to Pansy’s favorite dress being yellow.
• Strong themes around prejudice and misunderstanding, especially between halflings and goblins, and how stories shape those biases.
• I loved watching Pansy reexamine her assumptions about goblins, particularly around food, theft, and care for animals.
• Ren’s devotion to their clan adds emotional weight, especially after their motivations become clearer.
• Mushroom the kitten and Pig the pig. No notes. 🥹
• Inclusive worldbuilding with nonbinary goblins and halflings.
• Genuinely sweet moments, especially the storytelling scene between Pansy and Ren, and the line, “Because she’s special to me.”
• The Wolf Banefoot reveal and the emphasis on oral vs. written storytelling as power and legacy.

THE NOT-AS-GOOD:

• The romance moves very fast, going from hostility to obsession in under ten days, without enough flirting or emotional buildup to fully sell it.
• Early on, Pansy feels overly annoying and pushy, making the central conflict feel uneven at first. I felt like Ren was half-heartedly involved in the conflict, while Pansy was much meaner.
• Some worldbuilding details are vague, especially how other non-halfling and non-goblin species (like human and dwarf) are involved in this world.
• The initial conflict is resolved too quickly, which makes the title of the book not super relevant to the plot.
• Certain intriguing elements – like the runes in the halfling burrow and the creepy human wizard – feel underexplored until like the last 10% of the book. I would’ve liked this plot point threaded into the story more to make the ending feel more earned.

THE NEUTRAL:

• The “ten days” premise stretches beyond its initial setup; the overall plot structure still worked for me and I enjoyed the story, but I think the title promise feels a little loose.

OVERALL RATING: ⭐⭐⭐.5

How to Lose a Goblin in Ten Days is a charming, cozy fantasy romance with great vibes, thoughtful themes, and memorable details! P.S. You WILL fall in love with Mushroom the kitten!

PERFECT FOR:

• Readers who love cozy fantasy with romance
• Fans of cottagecore + goblin aesthetics
• Anyone who enjoys forced proximity and “there’s only one bed” tropes
• Readers looking for gentle, inclusive fantasy with queer and nonbinary characters
• Fans of whimsical, food-filled fantasy worlds