Knot their Burden

Havenverse #1

by Melissa Huxley

Pack Omega? More like Pack Burden.

Sage was perfectly content in her little bubble, working and living as a Beta at a large company. Keeping in her own lane and not making any waves.

Until the universe decided to give her an abrupt status change.

When a far from ideal development occurs and throws everything in her life into utter chaos,

Sage is forced into an unforgiving world of Alphas, brutality, and pack politics.

She is nothing like the Omega they imagined, and they are far from the Alphas she pictured.

Can four alluring Alphas give her back some semblance of her life and give her

the freedom she fears is slipping through her hands?

Or will she be stuck in a world where she is destined to be owned and destroyed?

Genres: Omegaverse, Romance, Why Choose, Fantasy, Contemporary, Paranormal, Menage

370 pages, ebook

First published June 14, 2023

About the author

I'm a pure chaos demon living in Midlands England with my cinnamon roll of a fiancee and a small mountain of squishmallow cows.

You'll often find me writing or reading smut, doing some sort of DIY craft or chasing the neighborhood cats down for snuggles.

Reviews

[Elizabeth · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's trite and repetitive and there were a number of things that annoyed me that I could write about if I cared.

I read it. That's all.

[Niki {Still a Widow but reading more} · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF @ 42%

Lots of issues. Switching tense, terrible continuity problems, and spastically jumping from one topic to another. Also it was so stupid that Alphas and the beta triggered into an omega didn't know what really happens with omegas, heats, and claimings.....gimme a break. There were just so many annoying instances like this including most of the characters were just exaggerated caricatures of certain personality types.

[BookishKB · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 Stars

✨ Bookish Thoughts
This started off slow and I wasn’t sure if I was going to like it. But the MMCs were so freaking sweet and absolutely devoted to Sage. I’m a sucker for late presenting omegas and I absolutely loved this one. She fought hard to keep her independence and her autonomy, which made me love her even more. Overall, I really liked this one.

🖤 What to Expect
• Omegaverse
• Late presenting omega
• Found family
• Protective Alphas
_ _ _

⭐ Final Score: 4 stars
🎧 Audio Score: 3.75 stars
🎙️ Narration Style: Dual (Ash Beverly & Louise Brenner)
📅 Pub Date: October 21, 2025
📝 Thank you to RBmedia and NetGalley for the advanced listening copy. All thoughts are my own.

[Ky Chan · Rating 2 out of 5]

Made it to 80%

I wanted to like and finish this book. I liked the pack and I loved the plot. I really tried to like the main FMC but honestly she was annoying and not understanding. The switch had to be traumatic rightfully so but the way she treated Callan even after knowing and having it explained why he acted the way he did in a stressful situation was juvenile. Then the author deciding to have her call him ‘dumb dumb’ for half the book was insulting and ridiculous. This is the same person telling someone to use their words but they are name calling and being an idiot. Not to mention if anyone was acting ridiculous it was her and not them. Sorry but unless some better developed character leads are in the second book in this universe I won’t be reading anything else from this author.

[The_Book_Brat · Rating 5 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
🌶️🌶️🌶️.5
Sweet smutty story!
*reverse harem
*omegaverse
*multi-PoV
*beta-omega FMC
*kidnapping
*dodgy dealings
*established harem (4)
*mid burn
*standalone
*shared world
Ooo so I’m not a HUGE omegaverse fan (I’ll read the odd few) I’m a DARK contemp girl by heart! But I fancied a lighter read and took this on….honestly I’m glad I did!
Yes it’s a million miles away from my usual read but I enjoyed its light snuggly fluffiness..I’m shocked 😂
It’s got everything you expect from an Omegaverse - omega in some kind of need, growly alphas, emerging heat, knots, biting and scents! 😄 it’s well written with good world building, clear characterisation (and the men in the harem are all different - we have stoic growly, chilled leader, energetic puppy and sweet homemaker!) our FMC Sage is a good mix of sweet and snarky, and believable in the situations she finds herself in 👍🏻
There’s subtle hints throughout as to what’s going on with an interesting twist to the who dunnit aspect 😃
You can definitely read this as a standalone, although you do get a way into the next book, enticing you to read that one!
A brand new baby author with a great debut here, will pick up the next one for sure 😃

[Andrea ☾ [is inconsistently consistant] · Rating 1 out of 5]

1.5 ⭐️ This book is just straight-up bad.

I know that may sound harsh, but as an omegaverse lover, this book is such a huge disservice to the genre. From start to finish, the plot was all over the place - to the point where it was clear the author had decided to rearrange some chapters and did not bother to reread and delete objects or situations that hadn’t happened yet. Details like that completely fly out the window in this book. I ended up skimming a lot of pages because I couldn't take the inconsistencies and I just wanted this book to end.

All the characters - all four MMCs and the FMC - feel one dimensional and shallow. Most conversations sound like NPCs talking to each other. I don’t know how else to describe it, but yeah.

This isn’t the first book I’ve read from this author. Something that has bothered me across multiple books is the heteronormativity and the absolute abuse that women suffer, which seems to be treated as a given. Like that’s just how omegaverses work… but that’s total nonsense and couldn’t be further from the truth! Originally, omegaverse stories were created to make mpreg canon! So, really, how authors like this twist things until it becomes entirely patriarchal and hetero-based where: male alphas reign supreme over female omegas, male omegas are basically non-existent, and female omegas (or all women, really) are supposed to be thankful when alphas don’t treat them like slaves - is just insane.

So, yeah. I cannot recommend this book.

[Izzy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think this one was interesting. It had a fun set up overall with a later omega awakening, but the beginning had a lot of repetition of sentences. Overall I think this lacked depth for each character but was still fun.

Audio narration was great and enjoyable.

Audio Arc provided by publisher via netgalley

[Stacey Reads It All · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a wonderful read in the Omegaverse genre. I thought the late-presenting angle was really interesting. The story drew me in with its emotional depth and well-paced tension. The multiple POVs added so much richness, letting readers experience the world and relationships from several perspectives, which made the story even more immersive.

Ash Beverly and Louise Brenner both delivered excellent performances in the audiobook — their narration really brought the characters’ emotions and personalities to life. The production quality was smooth and professional, making it an easy listen.

Overall, this was a solid 4-star listen — unique, emotional, and well-performed.
Thank you to Tantor Media and NetGalley for the ARC.

[Crazydutchbooklady · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5⭐️
Poor Sage. I felt so bad for this girl.
Luckily the alphas made up for it.

Not everything made sense, but it was an entertaining read. I really liked the mfc. And even tho I didn’t like where the story was heading towards the end it turned out to be an asset to the story.

[Sarah Stubbs · Rating 5 out of 5]

This first book from Melissa Huxley pulls you in from the start. The action starts right away with the female lead's life thrown in an uproar. The steam is a bit of a slow burn but when it begins, there's no stopping it. There are twists, turns, action, and romance: everything a good book should have. Omegaverse is quickly becoming one of my favorite tropes and this book adds fuel to that fire! 10/10 would recommend!

[Tabatha Reed · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’m always drawn to stories about betas who end up late presenting as omegas. I don’t know what it is about them but I’m a sucker. This one was pretty good.

Sage is a twenty something beta who is the head of forensic accounting at her job when she unexpectedly presents as a beta causing a bit of chaos. She’s rushed off to a Haven for her safety and comfort but something isn’t quite right. Sage isn’t exactly getting the five star treatment and her Keeper keeps pushing a pack on her that she doesn’t like while hiding interest from another pack she does like.

Eventually it comes to a head and Sage leaves with the nice pack to solo court them for a bit. From this point the book drags a bit. Everything is almost too perfect between them. There’s only one incident where they accidentally make the omega mad when they are trying to protect her. The bad pack is still after her so she has to stay protected.

This wasn’t a terribly exciting read but it was nice enough. It’s a slower burn. There’s no OW drama, some OM drama with the bad pack trying to get to her. Small separation when she’s kidnapped. No 3rd act breakups.

Safety - relatively safe, imo.

[whatinthehea · Rating 5 out of 5]

Holy Late Presenting Omega!

Check me out everywhere: what.in.the.hea

Genre: “Dark” Omegaverse
Storyline Rating: 5/5 ⭐️
Spice Rating: 5/5🌶️
Micro/Tropes:
Late Presenting Omega
Established Pack
MMFMM
Trafficking
Abuse (not my our MCs)
Heats & Knots
Bites & Bonds

Listen, I know some people don’t like late presenting omegas. But I do! The fact that they have to relearn how to live in society is always fun for me to read.


Trigger Warning:
Our new omega is taken advantage of by a crooked system: including struggling & trafficking
But other than some physical harm she is saved.

[rebecca brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

One independent (undercover) omega
Four hot as sin alpha 🥵🥵🥵🥵
A fucked up Haven and a lot of drama


Ok I was on a roller coaster with this book. I get wanting to be independent you know growing up as a beta but girl you got how many caring alphas that want you. I take your place.

Great book good flow just all around amazing read for me and will be looking out for the next.

[Tracy Langcake · Rating 5 out of 5]

An exhilarating, sexy ride

A wonderful, adventurous and spicy romance. I loved joining Sage in discovering her omega nature and falling for her amazing alphas. I can’t wait to read Lavender’s story!!

[A.R. Lines · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing OV!

Absolutely WOW. That’s how this book made me feel. Just WOW. This book had some real highs and some very hard lows. But oh man I was with it the whole time. I absolutely adore her pack and I love how they treated her immediately. Especially compared to some of the weirdo packs that tried to court her. The trauma and terror she endured but I am just loving how she saved herself. That made me so darn happy.
I really loved this book I seriously can’t wait for the next book!

[Audrionna Mack · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read it

This book has an amazing story line. Come meet Sage and her pack. If you like growly, overprotective alphas then you will absolutely LOVE this book.

[Bent Letters · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 Stars

[Elo]

amazing to listen on the way to work

[BabybookWyvern ✨🐉✨ · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was such a true delight and a lovely find. Seriously. I was genuinely surprised by how solid of a read this was.

For the most part, these characters had true and honest thought put into them. As we interact with all of the POV’s each one distinctly has their own flavor and style to contribute that wasn’t totally overbearing.

Our FL wasn’t quick to jump to conclusions, tragically stupid, or hair-ripping-ly naive. Instead, she felt reflective, world wise and wonderfully modern. After becoming an omega she didn’t immediately stumble face first into trouble or drama- aka, obliviously taking advantage of her newly revealed designation to be used as a plot-armor shield for the remainder of the books in a frustrating and foolish sort of way. No, this FL was a person.

Like genuinely she was a person. She was appalled her world had shrunk so dramatically after her designation reveal. She was aghast at not keeping herself busy doing what she loved and made her career out of. She was surprised at the typical and well known behaviors exhibited by her new designation but didn’t shame them for it or make it an “Not Like other girls”/ “I’m built different” moment. Instead, she just stayed true to herself and what made her comfortable. This girl was no wilting daisy the moment she changed, she was still very much herself but now with the addition of quirky new features she had to explore.

And that’s what made her so human to me. How she literally went at her own pace as she explored and settled into what she had become. The pace set in this read as she does just that was gorgeous. I wasn’t expecting it (this book) to not try to rush me into one finish line after another as quickly as possible (mates, heats, grandmas house). I didn’t expect it to take its time and really explore, accept and work with the FL’s clear boundaries she had set and then didn’t budge from.

Have I mentioned this FL was just so solid for me? 🩷

But look, compliments aside, this wasn’t all sugar.

Edit: this stupid d*cking app force quit when I tried to update my review with all my cons. It lost all of my points I was making and I’m p*ssed. So, instead of trying to re-write it all, I’ll give you the spark notes version.

⚠️ There were some very clear moments of over-the-top dumb arsery afoot. Like, when the FL presented and her b*tchy co-worker thought to herself “I’m going to lock her in her office!”. However, riddle me this, in what universe, inside of what skyscraper office in a huge sprawling city are there door locks to peoples personal offices on the OUTSIDE?!?

⚠️The cliff hanger was the worst thing I’ve ever seen since Justin Timberlake’s horrendously awkward first TikTok post.

[Sophia Cristello · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the idea of the story but I found that there were definitely a handful of shortcomings. The first being that it definitely needs to be edited because I found in quite a few spots throughout there was sentencing that randomly switched from first person pov to second person pov. Another issue is that the story felt very incomplete, since a full resolution didn't take place so it felt very unfulfilling as a conceptualized story.

Another point that was quite irksome was the fact that the main Pack Alphas weren't actually described. It says that Alphas are big like brick houses so they fit the bill, that Callan has shaggy longer blonde hair, and later on it says that Everett has curly blonde hair. Nothing is said about Bellamy of Alaric's looks. We learn right off the bat that Alaric smells like smokey cherry, then about halfthrough the book we learn that Bellamy smells like chocolate, and then about 70% through the book we learn that Everett smells like vanilla and Callan smells like the woods/earthy. But that's all the description there is for the Alphas, and that's just very strange to me when it's regarding the MMCs. Also, regarding the Pack I found that Sage played favourites quite a bit to the point that certain Alphas had less interaction with her than others... just made for a very divided and incohesive relationship dynamic.

Also I find it really strange that so many characters in this book happen to be blonde, like out of all the characters that were actually described in appearance in this book the majority of them were described as being blonde. Beta secretary lady from the office, beta guy from the Office, Sage, Callan, Everett. Only like 2 other people where physically described in this book and one was a red head while the other was a brunette. Just find it very strange how the only characters that seemed to warrent a physical description, no matter how insignificant they were, were blonde.

[Kira · Rating 2 out of 5]

Smart FMC turned dumb

I understand the fmc being overwhelmed from all the information she's missing since presenting as an omega, however, I feel like somewhere around the apartment break-in, it's like she lost that same brain that she got her masters in accountancy when she learned that Lex broke into her apartment. I feel like even as an emotional omega, she'd still have come to the deduction that the keeper who was working with the Bove pack would have given Lex the key to her apartment. ESPECIALLY after hearing that Lex broke in and trashed the place. It's absolutely wild to me that she suddenly goes from finding evidence of embezzlement while basically being paraded like a zoo animal all hours of the day & night, but couldn't conclude that the keeper gave Lex the key bc she's trying to sell a newly presented omega to a human trafficker. Idk, maybe it's me, but I'd have figured that out rather quickly. I really liked the fmc before this, but I can't do it with the oblivious bimbo act for no reason.

[Altairjones · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good but a couple of rough spots.

I’m not a fan of shame or manipulation, unless I’m reading a book specifically written for it. For 90 % of this book the relationships are respectful and healthy. As a result the 10% that it wasn’t came across as awkward and poorly timed. The FMC starts calling one of the alphas Dumb Dumb which was so childish. She did so because she was mad at a lack of conversation and respect for her own autonomy. Then she gets tired of the lack of intimacy and decides to force her heat. So no conversation regarding their autonomy?

So for me either the book is wholesome and respectful or it’s toxic and OTT. Trying to mix the two just was awkward and made me want to stop reading it. I did finish it, but it is definitely not my favorite.

[Cas ✨ · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was really excited to see an audiobook ARC for an omegaverse story on NetGalley, there haven’t been very many non-human romances that pop up on there and I do enjoy OV a good bit, so of course I requested a copy. Thank you, NetGalley and Tantor Audio for accepting my request! All thoughts in this review are my own and are in no way influenced by the fact that its an ARC copy.

As I always strive to be, I have to be honest, this book was a mixed bag for me. There are some really high points but there are also more than a few really low points, but I am going to try to not be too critical here. I’m also going to try to be as vague as possible to not include too many spoilers as that is what is required of me.

The story is engaging — there aren’t very many lulls in the story as there is a lot going on and a lot of emotional baggage to sort through, for the FMC especially — and the characters are fairly well-fleshed out and likeable. The world-building is pretty standard fair for contemporary mainstream omegaverse, there’s of course, corruption and safety risks for omegas that are easily taken advantage of, and the usual alpha x omega population imbalance. One of the low points comes in here, because this follows a fairly stereotypical OV world we also get fairly typical OV pitfalls — the “every beta woman is a bad person out to get the omega or an omega-hater” stereotype is strong and off-putting. Its one of those gross women-pitted-against-other-women things that I can’t stand. The author thankfully doesn’t go full “all other women are awful” and there are actually great omega/omega connections, which a lot of OV books don’t do and I really liked. I wanted more of the omega connections, especially after how the first half of of the book goes.

The strongest high point for me personally is the way that the Rivers pack, the MMCs, all treat the FMC. Even when they are putting their foots in their mouths they are respectful, caring, and treat her like a human being, not just an omega to use. They respect that she was a beta with a really good career before, they respect that she’s intelligent and honor that she needs her mind challenged just as much as she needs her omega instincts catered to, and they all respect that she needs space and time to recover from the trauma she suffers before she comes to them. The Rivers pack let her set the pace and dote on her immensely and that is what I’m looking for when I pick up a RH omegaverse story. I enjoy that they’re all a little different in how they shower the FMC with affection and I really enjoyed that their personalities were allowed to shine through.

I would be remiss in not mentioning the lowest point to explain why this was a mixed review. The book is extremely unbalanced, in my opinion, between how much horrible stuff the FMC goes through versus the actual pack connections, pampering, falling in love, and intimacy that I expect from a RH omegaverse romance story. It felt like we spend hours enduring the mistreatment the FMC goes through, then we get a little good stuff but she’s traumatized throughout it all, then there’s more emotional trauma and danger, then a little more good stuff with hints of intimacy and filthy promises, then there’s more phyiscal danger and torment, then things are wrapped up very messily and quickly and we get the very last chapter where we finally get one pack intimacy scene and nearly none of the promises are fulfulled because it’s a 30 minute chapter. And then we are left on a cliffhanger for the next book, with, you guessed it, more danger.

I also think that this book could use a decent set of content warnings somewhere easy to access because there are quite a few triggers in this one that need mentioning (I’ll include a list at the bottom so you can skip them if you don’t want spoilers).

Normally I would wrap things up by complimenting the narration but unfortunately the male narrator missed the mark for me. I think he was trying to make the guys distinct by changing his pacing and speech pattern, but it ended up being really hard to listen to at times (Callan and Alaric weren’t great, Everett and Bellamy were okay). Sage’s narrator was good though! And I feel like they both got stronger as the book went on, or at the very least I grew used to listening to them. The audio quality was decent for a review quality, a few minor hiccups where there were weird volume changes but those will likely get fixed in a final edit. Tantor usually does a good job with that kind of thing.

Overall, I don’t know that I would read this author again and nor do I think I would recommend this book unless someone was looking for a darker world and was okay with committing to multiple books to get the full story (without all of the audiobooks being out yet). A lot of my hang ups could be just personal preference though, the writing itself wasn’t bad and other people might not mind that its heavier on the darker plot points vs the relationship growth and intimacy.


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Content Notes/Trigger Warnings:
Imprisonment/confinement with inhumane living conditions (lack of privacy, sleep deprivation, starvation), drugging, kidnapping, human trafficking, corrupt authority figures (security & omega services), attempted SA of the FMC, physical violence by a man against a woman, attempted non-con via alpha influence/bark, attempted forced mate-bonding, verbal sexual threats (graphic, detailed, including threats of prostitution and SA), off-page but bragged about rape torture and murder of a minor character, violence with a weapon in self-defense
*none of these things are done by the MMCs to the FMCs, its all outside parties*

[Kristy aka Brooksie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Knot Their Burden: Havenverse, Book 1
Duel narration by Ash Beverly, and Louise Brenner

Sage is young Beta wolf, but is a successful accountant working at a large firm owned and run by local Alphas and is doing very well in her career, until one day mother nature decided to rock her world and tilt her on her head. When she suddenly runs into an Alpha who does business with her firm is on site and that encounter turns something in her that was previously dormant. 

Now presenting strongly as a rare Omega in a forced unexpected heat and has every male within smelling distance going crazy over her undeniable scent, Sage is forced to leave her comfortable life and into an isolated world of hot headed Alphas, brutal treatment, and pack politics. Due to presently late, which is very rare, she was not trained like other female Omegas at a young age and knows nothing in regards to the protocol of being courted by Alpha packs. When she is sent to be isolated "for her safety" and to allow her to choose which pack she wants to join, the Beta handler takes advantage of her ignorance and treats her horribly. One pack in particular that is adamant in having her is rude, and disgusting and she wants nothing to do with them. Then the other pack who is sweet and and seems to care about her wants has that alpha she originally ran into at work. She is scared, and confused and doesn't know what to do. The only thing she is sure of is she wants nothing to do with the rude Alpha pack that seem they want her to use and hurt her, not be a treasured part of the pack as they are meant to be. 

What to expect:

Contemporary Romance
Reverse Harem
Why Choose
Paranormal Fantasy
Wolf Pack Politics
Alpha Mate Protocol
Touch her and Die
Late Bloomer
Spicy
Lots of Knotting
Kidnapping
Corruption
Betrayal
Grumpy/Silly/Sweet/Serious Alphas
Different Alpha Structure

I haven't read tons of books that include werewolves, but I've never read anything where there are multiple alpha's all living in one pack with one main Alpha of the group. In this story, there is typically multiple all living under one roof and they all share one Omega in a reverse harem. The Omega is treated like a Queen, gets anything she wants, and is to be treated with the highest regard in and outside the pack. Except some nasty Alpha's who do not respect any female's and look at Omega's as a prize to use and sell to be abused to the highest bidder.

It's a spicy story, and some abuse happens, so keep that in mind if you are curious in reading this book. My only complaint about the audiobook, is when the Alpha's are speaking in the main pack that Sage interacts with, it's sometimes hard to distinguish who is speaking based on tone unless they use the nickname each of them give, so you really need to pay attention to the names used vs tone to know who is talking. There isn't any shapeshifting in this story. The references to the paranormal are, strong scents, reactions to Alpha's voice tones, males reaction to intercourse (knotting) and bond connections.

This book ends with an HEA for this story and there's a cliffhanger, but it doesn't directly involve the main characters in this book, but one that Sage interacts with towards the end. It was a howling good time. Correct rating 3.75
 
Thank you to NetGalley and Tantor Audio for the ALC of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review. The book is available NOW

[Ilaria · Rating 2 out of 5]

5.5 /10
This is an omegaverse where the protagonist, Sage, presents has an omega in her late 20s and has to find a pack after living all her life as a beta in an unusual situation. The pack here, is formed by four alphas, who are immediately taken by her even if they wouldn’t be the ideal pack on paper. This one is a stand alone but finishes with a sort of cliffhanger for the second book of the series ( protagonized by other characters).
So I listened to the ALC, which is narrated in dual POV.
I was really in the mood for some omegaverse but unfortunately this one didn’t hit the mark for me: I enjoyed some parts of it but the execution has way too many problems to make it a truly engaging experience.
Things I liked:
the starting idea: I am actually a sucker for omegaverse with the “later bloomer” plot because, if done right, it usually helps me empathize with the protagonist while also making it easier to understand that particular universe's lore. This book wasn't an exception: Sage was a likable FMC and the way she reacted to most things made sense to me.
Sage characterization: she was practical but sweet, pretty rational and quick witted which made her POV the most interesting thing on the book.
the dynamics between her and the pack was pretty mature and I didn’t had to suffer useless drama between them. Yes, at the beginning everyone was acting a bit dumb but I can justify it because of the context of the courting. I also particularly liked their first interactions, I think the way they took interest in her while trying to lighten the situation was sweet. They also actively supported her career so that was a bonus.
things I didn’t liked:
the MMCs weren’t characterized enough. We know very little of each of them and they are still pretty surface level when we get to know something. This paired with the single narrator for all of the four MCs made it very difficult for me to understand who’s POV I was listening to at times. Because of that they were pretty forgettable to me and I quickly lost interest in the romance.
The plot is really messy, so many things are left unfinished/not very clear and the interesting parts of it (like the collusion of the system or the spread misinformation on omegas, Sage helping them with possible collusion in their business) were barely touched and forgotten. Even the suspense plot lines weren’t evenly distributed in the narration: introduced in the first half, forgotten and then kinda dropped at the end in a way that brings zero tension with a totally flat resolution that made very little sense and lasted 10 minutes lol
on the same line, the chosen “villains” were really bland and everything was predictable since the first interaction
The book felt too long and was very repetitive: in the first part I think the confinement part lasted way too much while the second half was spent mainly on her having sex with them.

In conclusion I really wanted to like this but unfortunately, even if nothing was too bad, there were some major issues that made the book fall completely flat on me.
I recommend it for someone who wants an easy, steamy listen, with very low stakes, thoughtful alphas and a smart and determined heroine.
Thank you so much NetGally and Tantor Media for the ALC in place of this review. All thoughts and opinion are completely mine.

[Amanda · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was decent. Not overwhelming good but not terrible either.

There were some inconsistencies throughout that were annoying…

Claire mentions to her that omegas outnumber alphas 50:1… but it’s actually the opposite.

Chapter 19 is labeled as Callan but it’s Ric… that was confusing.

The epilogue says 6 months later but clearly it’s more like 6 weeks at best. I highly doubt they would wait months to touch her after getting her back.

Plus a bunch of other random things here and there. A few too many not to be annoyed.



The overall story was interesting. I liked the guys immensely. I wish we got to see more of their individual personalities come through more. I wish we got to see them actually in their jobs. Only ever seeing them at home on omega duty doesn’t really give enough. Made the book quite boring since it was basically the same scenario over and over with just a flipping around of the alphas.

We really don’t get to see much of anything. The Keepers were supposed to be coming by every few days but we never see that. Claudia was supposedly coming by frequently too but after the meeting with the keepers we don’t much see her. We don’t see anything the guys do when they aren’t at home. We didn’t get to see anything that happened with them for those six days she was gone. Or how they handled the security guys. We stopped getting to see the group texts which at least gave us insight to the group dynamic. I’m not even really sure how long she was even at the house before it all went down. The timeline is all sorts of confusing.

Sage seemed extremely isolated after she left the Haven. I don’t think staying with them was actually remotely healthy for her. She had no idea what being an omega even meant. She didn’t understand the changes to her body or her mental state. She never even got to meet and bond with other omegas besides Claudia. Once you see her at the Haven with Lavender it really hits home that she should have gone there after being attacked by Lex the first time. They should have continued with the solo courting and had one of them with her always while still letting her get educated properly on her new life.

I didn’t like Sage at all. I liked her for those first few chapters. Thought she was going to be pretty great. But once she presented she became insecure which didn’t fit the personality we saw of her to start with. I don’t see where her worry of being a burden so much came from. It just happens. And that goes back to her needing to of gone to a proper haven for a time.

I don’t think everything with the plot was fully thought out. It feels like the kidnapping and such was just thrown in last minute for drama. Same with her apartment being trashed. Did they ever find her wallet?! Did Bove pack steal her money?! We never see these things.

[Chelsea · Rating 3 out of 5]

🌶️ Spice: 2/5 (first actual scene at 72%)
⭐️ Rating: 3/5 almost a 2.5 due to the ending with questions unanswered.

This book was very much a slow burn so if that’s something you’re into, this is it for you. I’m used to OVs having scent matches and while this might seem like it’s the case, it also leaves you confused by the lack of want on the FMCs end. While she’s new to being an omega and having the lack of knowledge of being one, she’s still so naive and doesn’t even know the most of basics that you would assume all of society would at least know. She eventually gets closer to the guys but it’s more towards the 70% mark of the book so most of this is book is her going back and forth on emotions and choices. The keepers, especially Claire, really were creepy people. I only liked Ethel. I really really liked the MMCs in this book but I felt like they put 110% in throughout the book while she gave them crumbs. Which realistically nobody would want to stick around for. I think what got me the most is when the two keepers and guard? came to talk to them when she first arrived at Pack Rivers home and she was ready to leave but was upset about the 90 day timeframe “since there really isn’t a choice.” Like we understand you want to be independent but this is also where it’s like are there no scent matches? She clearly loves their scents but didn’t want to stick around. Idk but that bothered me. It’s also odd that throughout the book it’s mentioned that it’s rude to ask about scent and add on the fact that omegas are territorial but Sage happily gave a lengthy description to Lavender about what her alphas smelled like without any hesitation.
I think one of my pet peeves with OVs is when the heat is at the very end of the book. Give more, let their bonded pack flourish on page for a while longer. 😩 plus I didn’t like that it skipped over her biting Bellamy and Everett. The ending was rushed and we didn’t even get any news about Lex or his pack. 🙄 the book basically ends on a cliffhanger but the next book is Lavender’s story, annoying.

Also I’m extremely sad Max wasn’t part of combining packs for our FMC or in any of the books in this standalone series. He was sweet and deserved love too. Why add his character if he isn’t mentioned anymore.

[Missy · Rating 3 out of 5]

A Good, Unique Story; Needs More Editing

This is an interesting a/b/o why-choose romance with rich lore and a great blend of sweet and darker elements. The story is full of intricate world-building that pulls readers in to its unique world, and in my opinion, is the best and most intriguing part of this book. Unfortunately, while I did enjoy the story, this book is in desperate need of a good few rounds of editing to fix up its many mistakes. For those that need them, a list of trigger warnings is listed at the end of my review.

Finding out she’s a late-presenting omega, a very unprepared Sage is carted off to one of the many high-security facilities that specialize in taking care of unmated omegas. Faced with cruel Keepers and a lack of knowledge about omegas in general, Sage struggles with her new position—especially the expectation to choose a suitable pack of alphas from the many she’s forced to meet with. When one of those packs pushes too far and puts her life in danger, Sage has a decision to make: does she trust her gut and leave the facility with the only pack she feels remotely safe with, or does she put her trust back into a system that’s failed her in every way so far?

While the story did keep me hooked from the very beginning, this book lacks enough editing for it to be truly enjoyable. It’s a shame since the potential is definitely there for it to be great. With a little more time put into polishing up the book as a whole, I have no doubt this will become a 5-star read.

Having said that, if you’re able to overlook the spotty pacing, the lack of depth to some of the characters, and the many formatting mistakes of this book, it actually contains a great story that was fun to read.


TRIGGER WARNINGS:
Spoilers ahead.

This book contains caste systems that put some higher in society than others (on page), some violence (on page), kidnapping (on page), mentions of sexual assault and rape (off page), multiple cases of attempted sexual assault (on page), mentions of human trafficking (on and off page), and a character being drugged (on page).

[Cassandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

I actually liked this one way more than I expected to. I saw the rating for this one, and expected something really terrible. As it is, I really enjoyed it, for the most part. As always, there are parts that didn't really work, but overall I am happy.

Editing-wise... well, let me tell you. It's a mess. I don't know if I just either didn't notice or blacked it all out until the end of the book, but there were definite issues here. I didn't see them until the end, though! There were POV issues where the person whose POV we are in refers to themself in the third person. There was a sentence in there that (very basically, and not word for word since I don't remember exactly) said: I glanced in the mirror at herself. Really? How did any proofreader or editor let this slip past? I think I may have seen some extra quotation marks in there where they shouldn't have been, too.

It was also at the end where there seemed to be some skipping around, and not clarifying who is doing what and what all they are doing, so there was a lot of disjointedness (especially during her heat).

Now, all that being said, the story was mostly OK. I did like that they all got to know each other first, and were just thrown together in a heat like so many other OV books out there. She was able to take things at her own pace and eventually move forward on her own with each of them. There was no heat situation until the very end.

I did not really understand how nobody knows how alpha and omega things work, with even a basic understanding. It seems to me that some stuff like that would be taught in school. I don't see how they are just completely clueless. That part made no sense. I would understand some confusion, but not obliviousness.

Last, Everett. He just acts and speaks and behaves like a teenager. I get being young in your personality, but he doesn't read like that. It was really annoying. Honestly, he was my least favorite, simply because he came across as a child more often than not.

This was a good OV, and I definitely look forward to continuing the series. I think this is one that I would recommend to others.

[Tabitha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sweet and spicy

Omegaverse isn’t generally my thing, nor is why choose, so take my word for it that these 4 stars were hard-won. The chemistry between the characters and the charming, down-to-earth dialogue was a highlight. I loved the sensory details, especially the focus on scent and texture throughout the story, giving each location a distinct sense of place. The alphas were refreshingly kind, emotionally available and grounded (compared to my expectations).

The FMC thinks she is a beta until she runs into one of the MMCs and experiences a late-blooming omega presentation. (Presumably triggered by his scent, but that’s never outright stated to be the case. I assume because it’s a why-choose, we didn’t want her to be specifically scent-bonded to only one of the four MMCs.) Her life immediately changes quite drastically and she is brought to an omega shelter, but it turns out everything is not what it seems. Fortunately our MMCs come to the rescue, and they have everything she needs to make the transition—black card, big mansion, and millions of dollars, naturally—even an experienced and kind omega matriarch to help explain things and ease the anxiety.

Okay, the way I’m describing it makes it sound kinda cheesy, but it’s honestly really satisfying to read about people getting the help they need when they’re having a hard time. I dunno, I’m just happy for them. I’m grinning!

That’s not to say that there isn’t conflict. FMC is not your typical personality-free omega pushover outside of the bedroom. But since her alphas aren’t annoyingly pushy either, it’s hard to stay mad at them for very long, because they’re capable of listening and learning from their mistakes.

I will say, this book could use a proofreader. I caught a few missing punctuation marks, and several instances where pronouns were switched around; e.g. “her” instead of “my”, “them” instead of “us”. It was almost like the book (or parts of it) used to be written in third person but was changed to first person later, and a few pronouns were missed in the rewrite.