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PoisonVerse
Pack of Lies
An omega test subject. A secret facility that needs her back. The scent-matched pack with secrets.
I’ve been at the Centre for years; enough time that freedom wasn’t something I considered anymore. So when a pack of alphas break me out and swear to keep me safe, it should be a dream come true.
Especially when they claim I’m their scent matched omega.
But years of tests and experiments have ruined my sense of smell, and I’m forced to take their word for it. They’re handsome enough to be a dream pack, but I know better than most if something seems too good to be true, it is.
After so long surviving alone, I don’t know how to trust anymore, and I can’t shake the feeling that they’re keeping secrets from me. Secrets with the potential to tear us apart.
I have two
Trust that a misfit omega like me can have the life I was too scared to hope for, or go back to protecting myself alone.
Even if I go with them, could I ever fall for this pack? Or have years of experimentation left me a broken omega?
Pack of Lies is a standalone why choose omegaverse set in the PoisonVerse featuring spicy MMMMFM loving (including a male omega in the pack). The story has dark themes of alpha/omega experimentation, so please check the content warnings before reading.
[For Forget Me Knot readers: this is Hannah's story]
I’ve been at the Centre for years; enough time that freedom wasn’t something I considered anymore. So when a pack of alphas break me out and swear to keep me safe, it should be a dream come true.
Especially when they claim I’m their scent matched omega.
But years of tests and experiments have ruined my sense of smell, and I’m forced to take their word for it. They’re handsome enough to be a dream pack, but I know better than most if something seems too good to be true, it is.
After so long surviving alone, I don’t know how to trust anymore, and I can’t shake the feeling that they’re keeping secrets from me. Secrets with the potential to tear us apart.
I have two
Trust that a misfit omega like me can have the life I was too scared to hope for, or go back to protecting myself alone.
Even if I go with them, could I ever fall for this pack? Or have years of experimentation left me a broken omega?
Pack of Lies is a standalone why choose omegaverse set in the PoisonVerse featuring spicy MMMMFM loving (including a male omega in the pack). The story has dark themes of alpha/omega experimentation, so please check the content warnings before reading.
[For Forget Me Knot readers: this is Hannah's story]
556 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 3, 2023
503 people are currently reading
736 people want to read
About the author
Olivia Lewin
16 books132 followersOlivia Lewin loves all things sex, love, and magic. That's what drew her to reading and writing why choose/polyam romance and PNR in general. She wanted to write all the books that she couldn't find already created.
In her novels you'll find all manner of heroes from all walks of life, and a strong encouragement for everyone to love everyone. M/M love between harem members is a staple of her writing.
In her novels you'll find all manner of heroes from all walks of life, and a strong encouragement for everyone to love everyone. M/M love between harem members is a staple of her writing.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 191 reviews
May 8, 2023
I literally just read a different omegaverse RH where I had the same main issue that I had with this one, so you’ll have to excuse me for copying and pasting directly from my other review…
Let’s talk about the elephant in the room: the weird sexist undercurrent.
When the one and only woman in the pack (omega or not) is somehow treated as a conduit to help other m/m relationships. When there’s m/m in the pack that gets way more page time, meaning we get significantly more intimate scenes with the men/men, excluding the woman.
In the case of this book, our FMC, Thorn, brings together the male omega (Marlowe) and one of the alphas (Reese). These two men have been together in the pack for YEARS and have only had a platonic relationship. The book does show that they’ve felt more for each other and never mentioned it. But that doesn’t change the fact that their relationship only becomes intimate and romantic once Thorn is in the picture.
Can you guys understand why this would make someone uncomfortable to read? The way it seems like Thorn’s purpose was to bring two men together?
In the end, it ends up feeling like the woman is somehow lesser than the men in the pack and her relationship means less. It ends up feeling like her sole purpose is to bring the men closer together and probably give ‘em a kid, bc fuck it, she’s the only one who biologically can.
One of my favorite aspects of omegaverse books is seeing the poly dynamic, and feeling the love between multiple characters. But it doesn’t work when you have a single woman (usually the main character) who feels a bit like an afterthought.
By the end of the book, Thorn feels like the catalyst for some big pack dynamic changes, but she still doesn’t feel like she has a solid position in the pack. Her relationships with the pack members significantly lack depth to me, and that was a major issue. Despite Thorn being the main character of the book, and much of the physical conflict and drama surrounding her and her circumstances, she ends up feeling like a bit of a side thing in the pack. Like, she’s just… there. And sure they care for her and like to sleep with her, but it feels like it’s only because she’s their scent match and not because they actually love her.
It’s interesting because this was a major insecurity for Thorn in the book, and I really feel like it was the case in the story.
Other than this main complaint, I think the book itself wasn’t very great and the plot was lacking. A few notes…
1. These books are standalones in an interconnected universe. This book does NOT properly explain the universe or do any world building, so unless you’ve read the previous books, it’s difficult to follow some of the world. Why are gold pack omegas so awful may be your main question when starting. This should really be redefined in each book, something that feels very obvious to me.
This is also a problem I had in the first book: lack of world building. I think there’s a lot we’re missing.
2. The doctors want Thorn to experiment on her. The experiments are never gone into in much detail and the entire set up here is lacking depth and development.
3. The exposition of the doctors wanting her and her running and hiding just… falls so flat to me while we read.
4. Dash & his pack were a major issue for me. This plot point was not well developed and just acted as a buffer to make other things happen in order to aide in some of the conflicts but did nothing to add to the actual stork and characters.
Overall, the only thing I’ll remember from this book in the future is my anger towards the way the only female character is written in and treated. I would not recommend.
Let’s talk about the elephant in the room: the weird sexist undercurrent.
When the one and only woman in the pack (omega or not) is somehow treated as a conduit to help other m/m relationships. When there’s m/m in the pack that gets way more page time, meaning we get significantly more intimate scenes with the men/men, excluding the woman.
In the case of this book, our FMC, Thorn, brings together the male omega (Marlowe) and one of the alphas (Reese). These two men have been together in the pack for YEARS and have only had a platonic relationship. The book does show that they’ve felt more for each other and never mentioned it. But that doesn’t change the fact that their relationship only becomes intimate and romantic once Thorn is in the picture.
Can you guys understand why this would make someone uncomfortable to read? The way it seems like Thorn’s purpose was to bring two men together?
In the end, it ends up feeling like the woman is somehow lesser than the men in the pack and her relationship means less. It ends up feeling like her sole purpose is to bring the men closer together and probably give ‘em a kid, bc fuck it, she’s the only one who biologically can.
One of my favorite aspects of omegaverse books is seeing the poly dynamic, and feeling the love between multiple characters. But it doesn’t work when you have a single woman (usually the main character) who feels a bit like an afterthought.
By the end of the book, Thorn feels like the catalyst for some big pack dynamic changes, but she still doesn’t feel like she has a solid position in the pack. Her relationships with the pack members significantly lack depth to me, and that was a major issue. Despite Thorn being the main character of the book, and much of the physical conflict and drama surrounding her and her circumstances, she ends up feeling like a bit of a side thing in the pack. Like, she’s just… there. And sure they care for her and like to sleep with her, but it feels like it’s only because she’s their scent match and not because they actually love her.
It’s interesting because this was a major insecurity for Thorn in the book, and I really feel like it was the case in the story.
Other than this main complaint, I think the book itself wasn’t very great and the plot was lacking. A few notes…
1. These books are standalones in an interconnected universe. This book does NOT properly explain the universe or do any world building, so unless you’ve read the previous books, it’s difficult to follow some of the world. Why are gold pack omegas so awful may be your main question when starting. This should really be redefined in each book, something that feels very obvious to me.
This is also a problem I had in the first book: lack of world building. I think there’s a lot we’re missing.
2. The doctors want Thorn to experiment on her. The experiments are never gone into in much detail and the entire set up here is lacking depth and development.
3. The exposition of the doctors wanting her and her running and hiding just… falls so flat to me while we read.
4. Dash & his pack were a major issue for me. This plot point was not well developed and just acted as a buffer to make other things happen in order to aide in some of the conflicts but did nothing to add to the actual stork and characters.
Overall, the only thing I’ll remember from this book in the future is my anger towards the way the only female character is written in and treated. I would not recommend.
June 30, 2023
Had some issues with this one.
1. If you want to write MM OV, just do that. This book is way worse than the previous book with a male omega already in the pack, with the MM to MF action seemingly like 85/15 percent. Not everyone is into MM and this one made the female heroine Thorn seem like an afterthought.
2. For the length of this book the relationship building was so thin. Quentin the beta and Jubilee one of the alphas were left out in the cold as almost peripheral characters. Also so many questions were left unanswered. What happens between Reese and his dad? Why the fuck didn't we get to see Ice and Thorn have a reunion??? What was the final say about Thorn's side effects and any lasting effects (not some offhand comment from the doc while dealing with other omegas)? Not a single heat to be had...even with TWO omegas? Also leaving poor Denzel hanging, not even bonded in to Thorn by the end. I only hung on until the end because I was waiting for some of these answers and never got them.
3. The over the top nicknames, one for everybody (puddin, sugar, pumpkin, cupcake as just a few) was ridiculous. The male omega had one for everybody and they all had ones for him and then they all started getting new ones for the female omega when she got introduced. AND that's coming from a deep southerner who has a tendency to call everyone honey and whose mother calls her sugar. It was just soooooo out of place from these guys and came across as forced and fake.
4. Also why would you halfway through tell us Marlowe had a previous scent mate match that he rejected. This is supposed to be the most special bond. The lame excuse of 'oh, you'd still be under your mother's thumb' was terrible. If this pack actually cared about their omega and his happiness just like ALL these other packs then they would have taken steps to protect him from his mother too. It created this weird unbelievable plot point where Marlowe rejected his scent mates but wanted his own pack to have their scent mate more than anything because he knew how special it was. And, oh how lucky for Marlowe to get a second chance at a scent mate because he was in another pack.
Like I previously said, the relationship building was pretty thin. Most of it just thrown up to instincts. So in the end I didn't believe she was "in love" except maybe for Reese and perhaps Marlowe. My least favorite of the series right now and actually makes me rethink even moving forward with the series if it's gonna be more of this 'packs that already have an omega' trope, because I'm finding it's very hit or miss for me.
1. If you want to write MM OV, just do that. This book is way worse than the previous book with a male omega already in the pack, with the MM to MF action seemingly like 85/15 percent. Not everyone is into MM and this one made the female heroine Thorn seem like an afterthought.
2. For the length of this book the relationship building was so thin. Quentin the beta and Jubilee one of the alphas were left out in the cold as almost peripheral characters. Also so many questions were left unanswered. What happens between Reese and his dad? Why the fuck didn't we get to see Ice and Thorn have a reunion??? What was the final say about Thorn's side effects and any lasting effects (not some offhand comment from the doc while dealing with other omegas)? Not a single heat to be had...even with TWO omegas? Also leaving poor Denzel hanging, not even bonded in to Thorn by the end. I only hung on until the end because I was waiting for some of these answers and never got them.
3. The over the top nicknames, one for everybody (puddin, sugar, pumpkin, cupcake as just a few) was ridiculous. The male omega had one for everybody and they all had ones for him and then they all started getting new ones for the female omega when she got introduced. AND that's coming from a deep southerner who has a tendency to call everyone honey and whose mother calls her sugar. It was just soooooo out of place from these guys and came across as forced and fake.
4. Also why would you halfway through tell us Marlowe had a previous scent mate match that he rejected. This is supposed to be the most special bond. The lame excuse of 'oh, you'd still be under your mother's thumb' was terrible. If this pack actually cared about their omega and his happiness just like ALL these other packs then they would have taken steps to protect him from his mother too. It created this weird unbelievable plot point where Marlowe rejected his scent mates but wanted his own pack to have their scent mate more than anything because he knew how special it was. And, oh how lucky for Marlowe to get a second chance at a scent mate because he was in another pack.
Like I previously said, the relationship building was pretty thin. Most of it just thrown up to instincts. So in the end I didn't believe she was "in love" except maybe for Reese and perhaps Marlowe. My least favorite of the series right now and actually makes me rethink even moving forward with the series if it's gonna be more of this 'packs that already have an omega' trope, because I'm finding it's very hit or miss for me.
May 13, 2023
This series does something really weird.. The books (all 3) are ridiculously long. The amount of pages makes you believe you're about to get great world building, dive deep into the psyches and personalities of the characters, get some great familial or platonic relationships outside the main romance... but you get absolutely none of that.
- Thorn spends years being "experimented" on, but we have no idea what that actually means. Obviously it was worse, but the book gives you zero proof that it wasn't more than just some shots while being held in a hospital. It glosses over the entire thing which is so confusing? The first two books have something like this as well, 400+ pages and for what? They don't even talk about what happened when her and Ice are being held prisoner together.. like it's just not mentioned for whatever reason
- Speaking of Ice, if you were waiting for Thorn and him to reconnect and see a nice lil friendship rekindle like I was, well get ready to put on your clown makeup because it doesn’t happen. (Just like I waited for Viper and his pack to meet Havok and her pack in book 2 and nada)
- This series is marketed as a series of standalones but only the first book goes in detail regarding the worldbuilding (though badly). If a new reader picks up this book they would be 100% confused because I was like 50% confused and I read the first two books two days ago lol
- We don't even get HEAs in the traditional sense (and no I don't mean babies and/or marriage) The stories basically end in what feels like mid scene. The plot is resolved, then you get a lil HFN (kind of) and then you get asked to subscribe to a newsletter to read the HEA. If that isn't annoying enough the HEA isn't even done yet lmao. It's a weekly installment that gets sent to your email over 5 or 6 weeks... I promise you, I will not care about these characters in 5 weeks. I don’t think I’ve ever seen that before and I pray I don’t see it again. It’s the absolute worst and it kind of makes me want to not read this series anymore.
All 3 books in the series so far have these issues but I could pretty much forgive them because the plots were angsty and unique. This one not so much. For this book in particular...
- The Denzel drama was so dragged out it made me want to roll my eyes
- I didn't care too much about this but I know most readers will so I'll just mention it. Neither of the omegas go into heat so you never get your heat steamy scene
- Thorn ends up bonded to everyone except 1 alpha and I feel like she kept punishing for his mistakes. But like to me personally punishing someone after you've decided to forgive them and they're taking steps to be held accountable is weird behavior idk
- Thorn (our main girlie) is not the center of the harem. It didn't even feel like 50/50 between her and Marlowe, which I would have been fine with because I love my poly romances. It was more like 30/70 and that did bother me.
- Jubilee and Quentin were the best pack members but since everyone was so obsessed with Denzel and Marlowe we barely got any of them
- Marlowe (the male omega) has a scent match with another pack which completely threw me because I thought scent matches were like soulmates and it's so weird that he found his scent match, rejected them, and hooked up with another pack. And it makes me sad for that other pack because you only get 1 scent match so they'll never have one until Marlowe dies :( They try to play it off as just cause you're scent matches doesn't mean your lifestyles are compatible but idk wouldn't you do anything to make sure you and your soulmates are happy, together, and thriving? I guess this goes back to the worldbuilding issue because it seems weird that you can just ignore a scent match ya know?
- Thorn spends years being "experimented" on, but we have no idea what that actually means. Obviously it was worse, but the book gives you zero proof that it wasn't more than just some shots while being held in a hospital. It glosses over the entire thing which is so confusing? The first two books have something like this as well, 400+ pages and for what? They don't even talk about what happened when her and Ice are being held prisoner together.. like it's just not mentioned for whatever reason
- Speaking of Ice, if you were waiting for Thorn and him to reconnect and see a nice lil friendship rekindle like I was, well get ready to put on your clown makeup because it doesn’t happen. (Just like I waited for Viper and his pack to meet Havok and her pack in book 2 and nada)
- This series is marketed as a series of standalones but only the first book goes in detail regarding the worldbuilding (though badly). If a new reader picks up this book they would be 100% confused because I was like 50% confused and I read the first two books two days ago lol
- We don't even get HEAs in the traditional sense (and no I don't mean babies and/or marriage) The stories basically end in what feels like mid scene. The plot is resolved, then you get a lil HFN (kind of) and then you get asked to subscribe to a newsletter to read the HEA. If that isn't annoying enough the HEA isn't even done yet lmao. It's a weekly installment that gets sent to your email over 5 or 6 weeks... I promise you, I will not care about these characters in 5 weeks. I don’t think I’ve ever seen that before and I pray I don’t see it again. It’s the absolute worst and it kind of makes me want to not read this series anymore.
All 3 books in the series so far have these issues but I could pretty much forgive them because the plots were angsty and unique. This one not so much. For this book in particular...
- The Denzel drama was so dragged out it made me want to roll my eyes
- I didn't care too much about this but I know most readers will so I'll just mention it. Neither of the omegas go into heat so you never get your heat steamy scene
- Thorn ends up bonded to everyone except 1 alpha and I feel like she kept punishing for his mistakes. But like to me personally punishing someone after you've decided to forgive them and they're taking steps to be held accountable is weird behavior idk
- Thorn (our main girlie) is not the center of the harem. It didn't even feel like 50/50 between her and Marlowe, which I would have been fine with because I love my poly romances. It was more like 30/70 and that did bother me.
- Jubilee and Quentin were the best pack members but since everyone was so obsessed with Denzel and Marlowe we barely got any of them
- Marlowe (the male omega) has a scent match with another pack which completely threw me because I thought scent matches were like soulmates and it's so weird that he found his scent match, rejected them, and hooked up with another pack. And it makes me sad for that other pack because you only get 1 scent match so they'll never have one until Marlowe dies :( They try to play it off as just cause you're scent matches doesn't mean your lifestyles are compatible but idk wouldn't you do anything to make sure you and your soulmates are happy, together, and thriving? I guess this goes back to the worldbuilding issue because it seems weird that you can just ignore a scent match ya know?
June 12, 2023
Writer blew a good chance to change the verse 🌋
Well . Just A brief review because I feel I have wasted enough of my time on this writers verse.
Again we have 2 omega ,one male ,one female Hannah from second book. We have the once again golden omega that has no rights and a lab that uses them as test subjects and the only way to leave is if the institution finds out and then you go to basically jail for rest off life or be used as they see fit ,sex slaves basically.
No details on the lab..nothing. She's rescued by three of the alphas ..nothing grand
Again we have the male omega that has all these alphas for a while ,he has formed a bond with all of them and they him ,so we get a already formed pack and add another omega ...it does not work .Its crap.It totally ruined the story .Pack is centered by their omega and not two .So its just icky to me .Not the kind of RH I want to read when they are divided between two main focal points . There is no way to give equal anything. A RH works because all these men are focused one person . Not so here .I gritted my teeth and was just not happy.
This was my last try for this verse the first going for the most stars ( only one omega in that one) to losing down to one in this one . Sorry ,I thought writer was gonna actually do something fabulous but no ..😒
Well . Just A brief review because I feel I have wasted enough of my time on this writers verse.
Again we have 2 omega ,one male ,one female Hannah from second book. We have the once again golden omega that has no rights and a lab that uses them as test subjects and the only way to leave is if the institution finds out and then you go to basically jail for rest off life or be used as they see fit ,sex slaves basically.
No details on the lab..nothing. She's rescued by three of the alphas ..nothing grand
Again we have the male omega that has all these alphas for a while ,he has formed a bond with all of them and they him ,so we get a already formed pack and add another omega ...it does not work .Its crap.It totally ruined the story .Pack is centered by their omega and not two .So its just icky to me .Not the kind of RH I want to read when they are divided between two main focal points . There is no way to give equal anything. A RH works because all these men are focused one person . Not so here .I gritted my teeth and was just not happy.
This was my last try for this verse the first going for the most stars ( only one omega in that one) to losing down to one in this one . Sorry ,I thought writer was gonna actually do something fabulous but no ..😒
May 13, 2023
I don’t have the energy to go trough everything that was wrong with this book.
I can’t find anything good with it so take that as you want.
The Fmc was not it, and wasn’t very included in the harem, it was more the male omegas harem than hers, her biggest insecurity with them already having an omega was that the didn’t need her when he was perfect in her eyes and that she would just be there in the background. Which spoiler she was!
3 alphas and one beta aswell, and no there weren’t any depth or anything striking about them.
The male omega was the center of the harem, with one platonic relationship with one of the alphas, but when Thorn the female omega got involved with the pack they suddenly wanted to get together. YEARS later they wanted to fuck and shit? When the alpha had gone years being celibate and not interested?! Why?
The plot lacked, and the world building wasn’t that good, the whole deal with Dash and Mercurys pack as well, felt off more like a way in to get the right connections.
Also the male omega couldn’t stand him.
I can’t find anything good with it so take that as you want.
The Fmc was not it, and wasn’t very included in the harem, it was more the male omegas harem than hers, her biggest insecurity with them already having an omega was that the didn’t need her when he was perfect in her eyes and that she would just be there in the background. Which spoiler she was!
3 alphas and one beta aswell, and no there weren’t any depth or anything striking about them.
The male omega was the center of the harem, with one platonic relationship with one of the alphas, but when Thorn the female omega got involved with the pack they suddenly wanted to get together. YEARS later they wanted to fuck and shit? When the alpha had gone years being celibate and not interested?! Why?
The plot lacked, and the world building wasn’t that good, the whole deal with Dash and Mercurys pack as well, felt off more like a way in to get the right connections.
Also the male omega couldn’t stand him.
May 13, 2023
If you love angst, you will enjoy this book. If I were rating it solely on that feeling in my gut that I get when I read high-angst stories, this would easily be a 5/5. And it is the long-lasting type that goes on for chapters (I would have to go back, but the first half of the book was pretty angsty). That’s what you get when your scent-matched pack doesn’t immediately accept you but instead hides you away from their other omega.
I would have liked a greater fallout for the pack’s actions. It did seem that they were forgiven a little too quickly/easily. That the FMC fell into the pitfall of most scent matches in OVs, giving in because their nature keeps them from causing their mates any pain, even when their mates were the ones who hurt them in the first place and must earn their forgiveness.
The steam is on the milder side for an omniverse. The established pack is MMMM+M before the female omega is introduced with various MM couplings within the group. There are MF, MM, and variations of MFM scenes.
It lost me on the lack of heat. Quite literally, there was no heat scene. I cannot remember the last OV I read without a heat scene. And especially with two omegas in the pack, there should have been at least one single, if not a synced heat. Throw it in as an epilogue, but it needs to be there. (And I am not talking about the extra email epilogues the authors have released for this series – the original book should have included at least one scene.)
It is still an enjoyable read that kept me up way too late to finish. I really like the Poisonverse world and its unique omega-claiming hierarchy.
Genre: Contemporary (non-shifter) Omegaverse
Tropes/Features: Enemies to lovers, scent-matched mates, established pack with male omega, female omega, medical experimentation, brothers (alpha and beta)
Narrator: Multi 1st Person POV
Relationship Type: Why choose w/MM – MMMMFM, Slow/medium burn, mild steam
Book Type/Ending: Standalone with HEA, Interconnected universe “Poisonverse”
TW/CW: Extensive CW in book and may be found on author’s website www.olivialewin.com/contentwarnings
I would have liked a greater fallout for the pack’s actions. It did seem that they were forgiven a little too quickly/easily. That the FMC fell into the pitfall of most scent matches in OVs, giving in because their nature keeps them from causing their mates any pain, even when their mates were the ones who hurt them in the first place and must earn their forgiveness.
The steam is on the milder side for an omniverse. The established pack is MMMM+M before the female omega is introduced with various MM couplings within the group. There are MF, MM, and variations of MFM scenes.
It lost me on the lack of heat. Quite literally, there was no heat scene. I cannot remember the last OV I read without a heat scene. And especially with two omegas in the pack, there should have been at least one single, if not a synced heat. Throw it in as an epilogue, but it needs to be there. (And I am not talking about the extra email epilogues the authors have released for this series – the original book should have included at least one scene.)
It is still an enjoyable read that kept me up way too late to finish. I really like the Poisonverse world and its unique omega-claiming hierarchy.
Genre: Contemporary (non-shifter) Omegaverse
Tropes/Features: Enemies to lovers, scent-matched mates, established pack with male omega, female omega, medical experimentation, brothers (alpha and beta)
Narrator: Multi 1st Person POV
Relationship Type: Why choose w/MM – MMMMFM, Slow/medium burn, mild steam
Book Type/Ending: Standalone with HEA, Interconnected universe “Poisonverse”
TW/CW: Extensive CW in book and may be found on author’s website www.olivialewin.com/contentwarnings
June 11, 2023
Paused at 21%. So far no talk whatsoever of pregnancy, pretty bold MM almost right out the gate, I might even go so far as to call it tastelessly vulgar MM, and the main complaint I have is the poor writing.
I’ve loved the Poisonverse so far but this one is not comparable to the first two. Obviously it’s a different author but the quality of writing and the story pacing are just awful.
The idea of an omega with PTSD isn’t new, unfortunately this author is a little clumsy with her portrayal of the character’s triggers and reactions. It smacks of “I researched this and don’t know how to present it subtly.”
Worst of all, at this point (again 21% in) the male omega, Marlowe, is an absolute trope. Before his physical appearance was even described the way he interacted with the beta and alphas was a caricature of cute-chibi-bratty-over sexed-femme. His physical appearance just highlights the author’s mental image of a chibi-sexpot.
Speaking of sex, the only sex scene so far feels rushed. As if the character whose POV it’s told from is trying to brush past the details while also using vulgar language? Like a teenager lying about their first sexual experience.
I’m not afraid of sex scenes or opposed to cutesy characters but this is just impossible to relate to and continues to break my immersion. Don’t even get me started on the stupidity of the pack lead and how he handles a second omega introduced to the pack.
On the other hand, I’ve loved the Posionverse so much and I can almost see an excuse for the pack lead’s behavior being explained as the plot progresses so I may come back to this and finish it eventually. I just can’t scowl at a book I’m actively reading for more than a few seconds before I have to step away.
I’ve loved the Poisonverse so far but this one is not comparable to the first two. Obviously it’s a different author but the quality of writing and the story pacing are just awful.
The idea of an omega with PTSD isn’t new, unfortunately this author is a little clumsy with her portrayal of the character’s triggers and reactions. It smacks of “I researched this and don’t know how to present it subtly.”
Worst of all, at this point (again 21% in) the male omega, Marlowe, is an absolute trope. Before his physical appearance was even described the way he interacted with the beta and alphas was a caricature of cute-chibi-bratty-over sexed-femme. His physical appearance just highlights the author’s mental image of a chibi-sexpot.
Speaking of sex, the only sex scene so far feels rushed. As if the character whose POV it’s told from is trying to brush past the details while also using vulgar language? Like a teenager lying about their first sexual experience.
I’m not afraid of sex scenes or opposed to cutesy characters but this is just impossible to relate to and continues to break my immersion. Don’t even get me started on the stupidity of the pack lead and how he handles a second omega introduced to the pack.
On the other hand, I’ve loved the Posionverse so much and I can almost see an excuse for the pack lead’s behavior being explained as the plot progresses so I may come back to this and finish it eventually. I just can’t scowl at a book I’m actively reading for more than a few seconds before I have to step away.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 4, 2023
dnf at 82%
FMC wasn’t even the MC of her own book, completely overshadowed by the other mm relationships and her connection is constantly used as a catalyst for the other characters
FMC wasn’t even the MC of her own book, completely overshadowed by the other mm relationships and her connection is constantly used as a catalyst for the other characters
April 22, 2023
*Pack of Lies by Olivia Lewin*
3.5/5 ⭐
2/5 🌶️
**Tropes**
- Scent matched pack
- touch her and die
- two omegas
- Broken fmc
📖 **My Thoughts**
This book is the third book in the poison verse shared World Series! This book was marginally better than book 2 I must say. I enjoyed this authors writing a lot and the story was very immersive! However, honestly I would rate this book a solid 4 if there weren’t glaringly obvious plot points left open. It doesn’t seem this book is getting a sequel to its story so I’m confused as to what the certain favour would be and if our fmc ever learns one of her love interest’s romantic background as that is made a key part of the story.
Those two points were made key to the story yet we didn’t get any true explanation on them and the story carries on and the next book is mentioned. If it was made clear that there would be a book two, then I’d probably rate this higher but it seems that there won’t be. Not to mention, the story does seem to end on a cliffhanger. It does open the door for the next novel, but overall, it kind of cliffhangers this packs story.
⚠️ **Triggers**
Suicide, death, violence, gun violence, torture, experimentation, attempted sexual assault, assault, child abuse
🏳️🌈**Representation**
MM/Bisexuality
🌶️ **Spice**
I give the spice a solid 2. I wasn’t particularly into some of the male POV scenes but overall there was a decent ABOJT of good spice.
📝 **Special Notes**
I received this as an arc but all opinions are my own. If there is a book 2 coming out that focuses on this pack, please let me know so I can adjust my review accordingly!
**Link to Book**
Pack of Lies: A Why Choose Omegaverse (Poisonverse) https://a.co/d/2VXvE0y
3.5/5 ⭐
2/5 🌶️
**Tropes**
- Scent matched pack
- touch her and die
- two omegas
- Broken fmc
📖 **My Thoughts**
This book is the third book in the poison verse shared World Series! This book was marginally better than book 2 I must say. I enjoyed this authors writing a lot and the story was very immersive! However, honestly I would rate this book a solid 4 if there weren’t glaringly obvious plot points left open. It doesn’t seem this book is getting a sequel to its story so I’m confused as to what the certain favour would be and if our fmc ever learns one of her love interest’s romantic background as that is made a key part of the story.
Those two points were made key to the story yet we didn’t get any true explanation on them and the story carries on and the next book is mentioned. If it was made clear that there would be a book two, then I’d probably rate this higher but it seems that there won’t be. Not to mention, the story does seem to end on a cliffhanger. It does open the door for the next novel, but overall, it kind of cliffhangers this packs story.
⚠️ **Triggers**
Suicide, death, violence, gun violence, torture, experimentation, attempted sexual assault, assault, child abuse
🏳️🌈**Representation**
MM/Bisexuality
🌶️ **Spice**
I give the spice a solid 2. I wasn’t particularly into some of the male POV scenes but overall there was a decent ABOJT of good spice.
📝 **Special Notes**
I received this as an arc but all opinions are my own. If there is a book 2 coming out that focuses on this pack, please let me know so I can adjust my review accordingly!
**Link to Book**
Pack of Lies: A Why Choose Omegaverse (Poisonverse) https://a.co/d/2VXvE0y
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 5, 2023
After years of being an omega test subject at a secret facility, Thorn never expected to see freedom, much less find her scent matches. The Peirce pack raid the Centre for Omega Enhancement, and they won't leave without her. They say she's their scent match, but because of the experiments done on her Thorn, I can't be sure if she can trust them. They're also keeping secrets. Now she must decide if she wants to stay despite the lies or try to find her own place away from the Centre.
This is the third book in the PoisonVerse series. It can be read as a standalone, but I recommend reading the previous books in the series. It is a multi-author series of standalones in a shared world. Thorn is mentioned in Forget Me Knot, which is the second book in the series. Check content warnings.
Tropes:
Why choose
Test subject omega
Emotionally wounded characters
Enemies to lovers
MM and a male omega in the pack
This was a great addition to the PoisonVerse series. Thorn is my favorite FMC so far in the series. I do wish to see Thorn reunited with Ice (Forget Me Knot). The series keeps getting better with each book. I can't wait to read the next book(s) in the series.
I received an ARC of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.
This is the third book in the PoisonVerse series. It can be read as a standalone, but I recommend reading the previous books in the series. It is a multi-author series of standalones in a shared world. Thorn is mentioned in Forget Me Knot, which is the second book in the series. Check content warnings.
Tropes:
Why choose
Test subject omega
Emotionally wounded characters
Enemies to lovers
MM and a male omega in the pack
This was a great addition to the PoisonVerse series. Thorn is my favorite FMC so far in the series. I do wish to see Thorn reunited with Ice (Forget Me Knot). The series keeps getting better with each book. I can't wait to read the next book(s) in the series.
I received an ARC of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.
May 27, 2023
I have a handful of issues with this book. I read out of order, so maybe my judgment is misplaced until I read the other 2 books? Doubtful, though.
My main issues can all boil down to this one point: Marlowe is the main character here, not Thorn. Every decision made from the beginning has Marlowe at the center of it. Denzel's behavior towards Thorn was disgusting on multiple occasions. He outright said more than once that if it wasn't for the scent-match, he wouldn't want her. I'm glad she didn't bond him right away. The poor traumatized woman was being told she wasn't wanted AGAIN. And there was another Omega who came first even though they were scent matched. He was off to a good start at the end, but I'm glad the apology wasn't enough to fix his mistakes.
Reese was my favorite. But I hate when our "main character" is used as a tool to bring another couple together. Which comes right back to Marlowe being our real main character here.
Wish we had more of Jubilee and Quentin. They didn't get enough attention, which makes sense why they gravitate toward each other so much.
A lot was left unfinished. What will Sorens favor be? I need more information about Dash's pack and Marlowe. The Winston's really should not get off on their bullshit either. I wish the earring footage had showed the world Marlowe's mother for who she is. How is everyone's therapy going? When will Denzel and Thorn bond? It's really shitty that I have to sign up for an email subscription and wait for weekly episodes until I get the end of the story. Had I known that, I may not have picked the book up. Are the other books like this, too?
My main issues can all boil down to this one point: Marlowe is the main character here, not Thorn. Every decision made from the beginning has Marlowe at the center of it. Denzel's behavior towards Thorn was disgusting on multiple occasions. He outright said more than once that if it wasn't for the scent-match, he wouldn't want her. I'm glad she didn't bond him right away. The poor traumatized woman was being told she wasn't wanted AGAIN. And there was another Omega who came first even though they were scent matched. He was off to a good start at the end, but I'm glad the apology wasn't enough to fix his mistakes.
Reese was my favorite. But I hate when our "main character" is used as a tool to bring another couple together. Which comes right back to Marlowe being our real main character here.
Wish we had more of Jubilee and Quentin. They didn't get enough attention, which makes sense why they gravitate toward each other so much.
A lot was left unfinished. What will Sorens favor be? I need more information about Dash's pack and Marlowe. The Winston's really should not get off on their bullshit either. I wish the earring footage had showed the world Marlowe's mother for who she is. How is everyone's therapy going? When will Denzel and Thorn bond? It's really shitty that I have to sign up for an email subscription and wait for weekly episodes until I get the end of the story. Had I known that, I may not have picked the book up. Are the other books like this, too?
May 2, 2023
I Give this Book a 3.5/5 Star Rating, Listing as 3.
This is Omegaverse, if you don’t know what it is, please take the time to look it up before you judge this book. It may not be everyone’s cup of tea but it’s DEFINITELY Mine.
*Grins*
Omegaverse:
Darkverse(?): Definite No.
Lite(Sweet)verse(?): Yes?
If your a Darkverse Reader (Like Me), and you’re wanting to read Lite(Sweet)verse: Just a Heads up Dynamics in Relationships or Overall ‘Natural’ Behavior can or tend to be much different from Darkverse.
The book is more Plot focused rather than Spice, I did enjoy that cause I wanted to keep reading.
HEA(?): Yes.
Relationship Type: RH>Reverse Harem: MMMMFM, while this what is written in the book. I actually had more of a MMMFMM vibe.
In the end I still didn’t really get the dynamic of the pack, it’s Extremely Unbalanced.
There should’ve been more POVs as well.
M/M(?): Yes
Heat: 3.5/5, Scenes you WANT to read so bad are mainly talked about, is a thought or past-tensed.
Overall not as much heat as your expecting, and it’s actually disappointing in a weird way because your amped up so much and then when the pack is at its best the books over. A few scenes you hoped for to get don’t happen, don’t happen the way you’re hoping they’d go and they come off as fillers or it just wasn’t handled right.
Romance: 2.5-3/5, if we’re just talking about Thorn and -Not- the Already Established Pack. The development just didn’t seem right, it has a weird insta-ish vibe in a way. It kinda seemed forced.
Pacing: Slow Mid then Mid Fast
Drama: 4-4.5/5
Suspense: 3.5/5
Dark(?): No.
Going into Heat(?): Does Occur in Universe, but Not in Book. And I wish it had either Thorn or Her and Marlowe at the same time. Cause something was mentioned in the beginning that made you THINK this was going to end up happening and sadly it didn’t.
Slick(?): Does Occur
Knotting: Does Occur
Nesting: Does Occur in Universe and is talked about, But No Obsessive Behavioral Signs in Book.
Biting: Not in Book, But has been Mentioned in Past Tense.
Mate Marking(?): Does Occur, I weirdly found the whole Mare Marking confusing in this, needed more explanation.
Group Heat Scenes(?, if RH): Yes (1 technically is a group), it’s 5 of 6 members, and shockingly I didn’t enjoy it as much as I was expecting too, the dynamics were really off for me, it felt like filler, and Quentin (Beta) having so much say, it made the other Alpha’s more submissive. I was expecting Alpha Dominance during it and got more submission.
-There is also an MFM scene, again Technically cause it is female focused despite the actual dynamic being MMF in this relationship.
Alpha Dominance and/or Aggression(?):
The Alphas are Mostly Soft Natured Overall and some have submissive behaviors, even towards Omegas.
-They do Establish Dominance & Aggression but it’s with flares of ‘Aura’ mainly.
The Dominance & Aggression to me just wasn’t what it should’ve been.
What Denzel did, should’ve been fixed immediately knowing his decision was a bad idea but the other two Alphas didn’t do a thing. That made it hard to enjoy all 3 Alphas because two of them KNEW it was wrong and furthered unnecessary suffering.
Omega Submissive Behavior(?): To me, neither are actually submissive in the truest sense, and you don’t get to see it. And the spicy time submission IS NOT True Omega Submissive Behavior, it was more in human sub with human Dom type. That is 2 different things, plain and simple.
Male Omega(?): Yes
Male Omega Heat(?): Does Occur in Universe but Not Within Book.
MPreg(?): Does Not Exist in this Universe.
Is there a Beta in the Pack(?): Yes (1) and he seems more Dominant than the Alphas.
Cause I didn’t read previous books about this universe or have a in-depth backstory to this universe in the beginning, it’s confusing to understand the Gold Packs and how this universe really works.
There’s too much in this book and a lot of it wasn’t focused on properly or just seemed glossed over or disappeared.
Also I feel like there’s a huge part of the story is missing, the guys should have a book and then Thorn introduced in ‘Book 2’, there so much that needs more in-depth explanation but you have to act like you understand why certain decisions were made and how their relationship started.
Thorn (to me) just didn’t seem to fit this pack as much as I had hoped.
Her persona to me changed Mid way, she went from negative view to positive view of her pack after Mid Way, and it just didn’t flow right, overall you just don’t get a full taste of her character.
I know more about Marlowe (Which Mind you, I Loved SOOOO Much) than anything about Thorn.
Hence as to why the guys should’ve had a full book onto themselves and then when you get to Book 2 you don’t need to fill it so much with their path and actually focus on Thorn a bit more cause she has a past two that should’ve gotten a proper focus rather than it being glossed over even after her capture.
I feel like all the characters were deprived of Proper Attention. This Book would’ve been so freaking good if there had been a Book 1 & Book 2.
This is Omegaverse, if you don’t know what it is, please take the time to look it up before you judge this book. It may not be everyone’s cup of tea but it’s DEFINITELY Mine.
*Grins*
Omegaverse:
Darkverse(?): Definite No.
Lite(Sweet)verse(?): Yes?
If your a Darkverse Reader (Like Me), and you’re wanting to read Lite(Sweet)verse: Just a Heads up Dynamics in Relationships or Overall ‘Natural’ Behavior can or tend to be much different from Darkverse.
The book is more Plot focused rather than Spice, I did enjoy that cause I wanted to keep reading.
HEA(?): Yes.
Relationship Type: RH>Reverse Harem: MMMMFM, while this what is written in the book. I actually had more of a MMMFMM vibe.
In the end I still didn’t really get the dynamic of the pack, it’s Extremely Unbalanced.
There should’ve been more POVs as well.
M/M(?): Yes
Heat: 3.5/5, Scenes you WANT to read so bad are mainly talked about, is a thought or past-tensed.
Overall not as much heat as your expecting, and it’s actually disappointing in a weird way because your amped up so much and then when the pack is at its best the books over. A few scenes you hoped for to get don’t happen, don’t happen the way you’re hoping they’d go and they come off as fillers or it just wasn’t handled right.
Romance: 2.5-3/5, if we’re just talking about Thorn and -Not- the Already Established Pack. The development just didn’t seem right, it has a weird insta-ish vibe in a way. It kinda seemed forced.
Pacing: Slow Mid then Mid Fast
Drama: 4-4.5/5
Suspense: 3.5/5
Dark(?): No.
Going into Heat(?): Does Occur in Universe, but Not in Book. And I wish it had either Thorn or Her and Marlowe at the same time. Cause something was mentioned in the beginning that made you THINK this was going to end up happening and sadly it didn’t.
Slick(?): Does Occur
Knotting: Does Occur
Nesting: Does Occur in Universe and is talked about, But No Obsessive Behavioral Signs in Book.
Biting: Not in Book, But has been Mentioned in Past Tense.
Mate Marking(?): Does Occur, I weirdly found the whole Mare Marking confusing in this, needed more explanation.
Group Heat Scenes(?, if RH): Yes (1 technically is a group), it’s 5 of 6 members, and shockingly I didn’t enjoy it as much as I was expecting too, the dynamics were really off for me, it felt like filler, and Quentin (Beta) having so much say, it made the other Alpha’s more submissive. I was expecting Alpha Dominance during it and got more submission.
-There is also an MFM scene, again Technically cause it is female focused despite the actual dynamic being MMF in this relationship.
Alpha Dominance and/or Aggression(?):
The Alphas are Mostly Soft Natured Overall and some have submissive behaviors, even towards Omegas.
-They do Establish Dominance & Aggression but it’s with flares of ‘Aura’ mainly.
The Dominance & Aggression to me just wasn’t what it should’ve been.
What Denzel did, should’ve been fixed immediately knowing his decision was a bad idea but the other two Alphas didn’t do a thing. That made it hard to enjoy all 3 Alphas because two of them KNEW it was wrong and furthered unnecessary suffering.
Omega Submissive Behavior(?): To me, neither are actually submissive in the truest sense, and you don’t get to see it. And the spicy time submission IS NOT True Omega Submissive Behavior, it was more in human sub with human Dom type. That is 2 different things, plain and simple.
Male Omega(?): Yes
Male Omega Heat(?): Does Occur in Universe but Not Within Book.
MPreg(?): Does Not Exist in this Universe.
Is there a Beta in the Pack(?): Yes (1) and he seems more Dominant than the Alphas.
Cause I didn’t read previous books about this universe or have a in-depth backstory to this universe in the beginning, it’s confusing to understand the Gold Packs and how this universe really works.
There’s too much in this book and a lot of it wasn’t focused on properly or just seemed glossed over or disappeared.
Also I feel like there’s a huge part of the story is missing, the guys should have a book and then Thorn introduced in ‘Book 2’, there so much that needs more in-depth explanation but you have to act like you understand why certain decisions were made and how their relationship started.
Thorn (to me) just didn’t seem to fit this pack as much as I had hoped.
Her persona to me changed Mid way, she went from negative view to positive view of her pack after Mid Way, and it just didn’t flow right, overall you just don’t get a full taste of her character.
I know more about Marlowe (Which Mind you, I Loved SOOOO Much) than anything about Thorn.
Hence as to why the guys should’ve had a full book onto themselves and then when you get to Book 2 you don’t need to fill it so much with their path and actually focus on Thorn a bit more cause she has a past two that should’ve gotten a proper focus rather than it being glossed over even after her capture.
I feel like all the characters were deprived of Proper Attention. This Book would’ve been so freaking good if there had been a Book 1 & Book 2.
April 28, 2023
I was a little skeptical when Marie McKay said that a different author unknown to me was putting out the next Poisionverse book. But I’m really glad I gave it a chance. The story grabbed me and wouldn’t let me go.
This is Hannah’s story. She was briefly introduced in Forget Me Knot by Marie McKay. She was briefly imprisoned with Ice in the trafficking ring prison.
Hannah, or Two as she starts out as, is a Gold Pack Omega who lives in a research and testing center as one of the test subjects. The Center purchased her when she was younger, forcing her into going Gold Pack and proceeded to experiment on her for the last 5 years. She is working in the kitchen as usual when the distant sounds of gunshots ring out. Getting herself and her fellow omega out of danger is her first priority. She gets the younger girl to safety but before she can get there herself, she’s grabbed.
The Alpha who grabbed her and his pack members are claiming to be her scent matched mates, but because of her side effects, Two can’t tell whether they are lying or telling the truth. Her sense of smell is severely damaged from the experiments that have been performed on her.
Once they get her out, she chooses a new name, Thorn. She doesn’t want to go by Hannah because she’s not that girl anymore. And she doesn’t want to be labeled Two like she has been the last several years.
I really loved Thorn and her pack. I’m looking forward to more from this author.
This is Hannah’s story. She was briefly introduced in Forget Me Knot by Marie McKay. She was briefly imprisoned with Ice in the trafficking ring prison.
Hannah, or Two as she starts out as, is a Gold Pack Omega who lives in a research and testing center as one of the test subjects. The Center purchased her when she was younger, forcing her into going Gold Pack and proceeded to experiment on her for the last 5 years. She is working in the kitchen as usual when the distant sounds of gunshots ring out. Getting herself and her fellow omega out of danger is her first priority. She gets the younger girl to safety but before she can get there herself, she’s grabbed.
The Alpha who grabbed her and his pack members are claiming to be her scent matched mates, but because of her side effects, Two can’t tell whether they are lying or telling the truth. Her sense of smell is severely damaged from the experiments that have been performed on her.
Once they get her out, she chooses a new name, Thorn. She doesn’t want to go by Hannah because she’s not that girl anymore. And she doesn’t want to be labeled Two like she has been the last several years.
I really loved Thorn and her pack. I’m looking forward to more from this author.
April 24, 2023
***I received an ARC for this book and am voluntarily leaving a review***
This was a solid book I think. I’m really enjoying the Poisonverse world so far and I like that this series will be written by different authors.
This book had a bit of a different writing style than the previous two, as it was written by a different author, which I enjoyed. Well edited too, which is always a plus!
The story itself was well thought out and executed, although there were some things that I would have liked to have seen in more detail (e.g. therapy sessions). A few loose ends are left hanging at the end, BUT in the afterword the author explicitly states that they will be tied up either in the bonus content or in one of the other books in this series, so it didn’t bother me that much.
My only complaints are that it was maybe a little too much slow burn for my tastes and that we didn’t get into the alpha-omega dynamics as much as we did in the past books. Oh and also, that we didn’t get to see Ice at all! But maybe that will be another bonus content scene…
This book can be read as a standalone, but I would definitely recommend reading the other 2 books first as they set up a lot of the world building.
This was a solid book I think. I’m really enjoying the Poisonverse world so far and I like that this series will be written by different authors.
This book had a bit of a different writing style than the previous two, as it was written by a different author, which I enjoyed. Well edited too, which is always a plus!
The story itself was well thought out and executed, although there were some things that I would have liked to have seen in more detail (e.g. therapy sessions). A few loose ends are left hanging at the end, BUT in the afterword the author explicitly states that they will be tied up either in the bonus content or in one of the other books in this series, so it didn’t bother me that much.
My only complaints are that it was maybe a little too much slow burn for my tastes and that we didn’t get into the alpha-omega dynamics as much as we did in the past books. Oh and also, that we didn’t get to see Ice at all! But maybe that will be another bonus content scene…
This book can be read as a standalone, but I would definitely recommend reading the other 2 books first as they set up a lot of the world building.
May 1, 2023
I adore this PoisonVerse series...It has a proper amount of action, trauma and steam that a reader loves...
And I'm obsessed with Thorn's silver hairs...I can only imagine how beautiful she must look. And the level of understanding of this packs' omega is so touching. I adore Marlowe...The diversity of this pack is so uncanny yet has a perfect chemistry...
Admittedly, I was hoping that Thorn would meet Ice at the end of this book...It could have been shown in epilogue...I think that would have given some excitement for the next books...coz everyone knows that all these packs are gonna connect with each other in the end...and I just can't wait for all of them to meet...it's gonna be epic!
Though the base storyline is somewhat similar for all the books in this series...yet it is enjoyable...
And I'm obsessed with Thorn's silver hairs...I can only imagine how beautiful she must look. And the level of understanding of this packs' omega is so touching. I adore Marlowe...The diversity of this pack is so uncanny yet has a perfect chemistry...
Admittedly, I was hoping that Thorn would meet Ice at the end of this book...It could have been shown in epilogue...I think that would have given some excitement for the next books...coz everyone knows that all these packs are gonna connect with each other in the end...and I just can't wait for all of them to meet...it's gonna be epic!
Though the base storyline is somewhat similar for all the books in this series...yet it is enjoyable...
April 23, 2023
I very much enjoyed this book, the story was addicting and very easy to follow. The story follows Thorn is an omega being experimented on, the pack who finds her happens to be her scent-match mates, unfortunately due to the experimentation side effect she can’t tell all to well. That combine with lies from the pack and danger around every corner make it mark for Thorn to trust her new pack. I really enjoyed the grovel from the pack when Thorn find out about their lies. The one thing I found missing that would have made me enjoy the book even more was that I felt like there wasn’t a strong genuine connection between Thorn and all her mates, the connections just felt a little lopsided. Great book otherwise.
April 29, 2023
I really liked the writing style, I finished the book in a couple days because it’s the kind of writing I get sucked into and don’t want to put down. The characters were very well developed with distinct personalities and multiple POV which I love. The FMC was great and thought things through before making decisions the same way I was while reading and it made her super likable.
The one thing that knocked a star off was the plot point of her sense of smell, which was a unique part of the blurb that drew me the most. I was interested to see the pack win her based on their behavior since she’d have none of the normal omega draw toward how they smell. Her sense of smell was weak, but not zero, and she could smell them better than anything else. She loved their scent, took comfort in it, had trouble sleeping without it, was drawn to it etc in the way you’d expect an omega to feel about her fated mates. It honestly eventually felt meaningless like that whole plot point could’ve been left out of the story and just stuck with her other side effects from testing.
*I received an ARC copy of this book, the views expressed here are my own*
The one thing that knocked a star off was the plot point of her sense of smell, which was a unique part of the blurb that drew me the most. I was interested to see the pack win her based on their behavior since she’d have none of the normal omega draw toward how they smell. Her sense of smell was weak, but not zero, and she could smell them better than anything else. She loved their scent, took comfort in it, had trouble sleeping without it, was drawn to it etc in the way you’d expect an omega to feel about her fated mates. It honestly eventually felt meaningless like that whole plot point could’ve been left out of the story and just stuck with her other side effects from testing.
*I received an ARC copy of this book, the views expressed here are my own*
April 24, 2023
Found this book to be really engaging. I liked the take on alphas and omegas in this story, with mention of forced experimentation changing omega designations.
Thorn is a strong FMC and I liked her immediately. The pack members all had different personalities and worked well with each other. Denzel definitely had a hard time in the book, he went about things completely wrong, but you could see where that all came from. I think Reese was my favourite of the pack, if I had to choose! But I liked all the guys for their individuality. All in all a good book.
Thorn is a strong FMC and I liked her immediately. The pack members all had different personalities and worked well with each other. Denzel definitely had a hard time in the book, he went about things completely wrong, but you could see where that all came from. I think Reese was my favourite of the pack, if I had to choose! But I liked all the guys for their individuality. All in all a good book.
April 24, 2023
Pack of lies.
Poisonverse has got me hook line and sinker. Every book has so many mysteries to solve. The plot is expertly put together and they have a unique perspective on omegavese. This installment is about Hannah and her maybe pack, because of experiments done to her she cant really tell. So the pack must convenes her the old fashioned way that they are the pack for her, but how can they do that with so many lies and omissions between them.
Poisonverse has got me hook line and sinker. Every book has so many mysteries to solve. The plot is expertly put together and they have a unique perspective on omegavese. This installment is about Hannah and her maybe pack, because of experiments done to her she cant really tell. So the pack must convenes her the old fashioned way that they are the pack for her, but how can they do that with so many lies and omissions between them.
April 24, 2023
This was a quick read that wraps you in right from the beginning. It's a PNR that follows Thorn, an omega who was being experimented on, and her scent match pack as they try and keep Thorn safe and save others from being experimented on. The world building and character development was done wonderfully and reels you into the story quickly. You become invested in these characters and the outcome quickly.
This was another fun read by Olivia Lewin
This was another fun read by Olivia Lewin
May 2, 2023
ARC Review
It’s definitely interesting to get another author in the series and I think it worked out pretty well.
The previous books established a world where omegas aren’t given much agency, especially when they turn “gold pack” after not being able to get a shot at the time their designation is revealed. And this world also has some shady organizations that this book gets into a lot more since the guys find the FMC at one of these facilities.
Thorn has been through experiments that have left her with debilitating migraines and almost a total loss of her sense of smell. Which make it hard for her to suddenly be surrounded by a pack that tells her she is their scent match while she’s also thrust into a world she doesn’t recognize, all while trying to determine if she can even trust these guys.
I liked the pack dynamics a lot and how they didn’t play into stereotypes for the designations. Like an alpha that is submissive and a beta who is more dominant. But also did like seeing an omega that IS a “homemaker” but isn’t meek.
Sometimes the secrets they were keeping from both omegas got frustrating but it wasn’t too bad since it’s kinda a big point from the beginning. But what makes it more interesting is what it does to the pack dynamics.
I also thought we’d get some sort of reunion between Thorn/Hannah and Ice but maybe that will be in bonus content?
It’s definitely interesting to get another author in the series and I think it worked out pretty well.
The previous books established a world where omegas aren’t given much agency, especially when they turn “gold pack” after not being able to get a shot at the time their designation is revealed. And this world also has some shady organizations that this book gets into a lot more since the guys find the FMC at one of these facilities.
Thorn has been through experiments that have left her with debilitating migraines and almost a total loss of her sense of smell. Which make it hard for her to suddenly be surrounded by a pack that tells her she is their scent match while she’s also thrust into a world she doesn’t recognize, all while trying to determine if she can even trust these guys.
I liked the pack dynamics a lot and how they didn’t play into stereotypes for the designations. Like an alpha that is submissive and a beta who is more dominant. But also did like seeing an omega that IS a “homemaker” but isn’t meek.
Sometimes the secrets they were keeping from both omegas got frustrating but it wasn’t too bad since it’s kinda a big point from the beginning. But what makes it more interesting is what it does to the pack dynamics.
I also thought we’d get some sort of reunion between Thorn/Hannah and Ice but maybe that will be in bonus content?
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 9, 2023
This claims to be a standalone,but I would say its not.
Because, sure the people here are different from the other books, but the ABO-world here is so different from other omegaverse books, and that system is not AT ALL explained in this book.
What is aura, what is gold pack, what is dark bond, who knows because no one explains it. Sure, you can guess and clue together a bunch, but it would have been a lot better explained…..
Because, sure the people here are different from the other books, but the ABO-world here is so different from other omegaverse books, and that system is not AT ALL explained in this book.
What is aura, what is gold pack, what is dark bond, who knows because no one explains it. Sure, you can guess and clue together a bunch, but it would have been a lot better explained…..
April 24, 2023
This is a great addition to the Poisonverse shared world! I loved this dark Omegaverse. Thorn has had such a rough life and finds her scent matches in the most unexpected way. Will that be enough for her to trust this pack? The spice was hot to go along with the drama and darkness. Be sure to check the he trigger warnings.
April 25, 2023
This was another great book in the Poisonverse world. Thorn’s scent pack were so sweet. I loved Reese, Jubilee, Marlowe and Quentin right from the start. It took a little longer to love Denzel, but by the end he was my favorite! This is a great story of a pack learning how to trust each other and become a strong family. It took me on a rollercoaster of emotions and had me stressed until the very end.
May 28, 2023
This is a unique omegaverse RH romance. It is a very angsty, and emotional read. Thorn is a strong, resident and stubborn omega and has been through a lot. Which resulted in some unique problems in the world of an omegaverse. I would have loved more of the omegaverse dynamics but overall this is a great read with with some complex elements.
April 23, 2023
This book was so good I took the whole day off to read and enjoy it! The Poisonverse is amazing, bringing Omega and Alpha/Beta stories rich with imagination. They re also gritty and interesting. Pack dynamics, politics, medical ethics and some seriously messed up families are at the forefront! Can’t wait to read more!
April 24, 2023
Yusss. The previous PoisonVerse book teased this one and I’ve been excited for “Hannah”’s book. This certainly didn’t disappoint. Loved meeting her pack and Marlowe is amazing. Excited for the next book in both the the poisonverse and Olivia’s instalment
April 26, 2023
I received an ARC of this book and these views are all my own
I read one other book in this world and I didn’t enjoy it much either. It feels like a YA novel and it’s not advertised as one.
There was plot holes left open that the author says will be addressed in a future book in this world or in bonus content and the book kind of ended on a cliffhanger which is weird because it’s a stand-alone. It was kind of disappointing.
The alphas are all very different which I appreciate but the story left a lot to be desired.
The spice was ok but was, like I said, kind of YA level. For an omegaverse, I expect the spice to be spicy so it didn’t live up to that.
Overall it wasn’t bad but it definitely left a lot to be desired.
I read one other book in this world and I didn’t enjoy it much either. It feels like a YA novel and it’s not advertised as one.
There was plot holes left open that the author says will be addressed in a future book in this world or in bonus content and the book kind of ended on a cliffhanger which is weird because it’s a stand-alone. It was kind of disappointing.
The alphas are all very different which I appreciate but the story left a lot to be desired.
The spice was ok but was, like I said, kind of YA level. For an omegaverse, I expect the spice to be spicy so it didn’t live up to that.
Overall it wasn’t bad but it definitely left a lot to be desired.
March 10, 2025
Ehhhhh. It’s a weird universe. I had trouble understanding it. Alphas, Betas, Omegas? Sent matches ? Dark bonds and alpha bonds and omega bonds. So much spicy times and everything seemed excessive. “Slick” running down the thighs, knotting! The storyline was strong. The world confused me. I read 2 in this poisonverse and was confused both times.
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