*sigh* Oh, Gabe... I've been waiting and waiting and waiting for this book-- and thankfully, I was one of the lucky people to receive an ARC. Let me tell you--I figuratively ate this book up in rabid fashion! That said, it took me a little longer than usual to write this review. I have mixed feelings about Gabe and Asher's story, and I wanted to sit with it for a bit before articulating my thoughts. So here it goes:
Raiven Matthews writes multi-dimensional characters and throws them together in real and found family situations full of love, comedy, challenges, small amounts of angst, and ooey, gooey goodness. We have seen this in different forms throughout the Sweet Alps Mates series--and His Daddy Omega follows this pattern. From premise alone, Gabe and Asher are not the typical Alpha/Omega pair; they have the biological responses that are typical for their designations, but their personalities and preferences go against the grain, so to speak. This idea is fantastic, but I think it turned out to be a little more difficult to cultivate / manage than expected. How do you create a character that is big, growly, and in-charge, but fundamentally doesn't want to be--and furthermore, has legitimate, trauma-based reasons for being gun-shy? It's a tough balance, especially when Gabe's preferences/kinks don't necessarily stay in a bedroom setting when Asher is around. I think Gabe and Asher's characters were set up well, but the execution became convoluted and somewhat choppy along the way to their HEA.
Gabe turned out to be a little more insecure and/or unsteady than I expected--and Asher ended up being a little less of a stabilizing/calming presence than Gabe needed (although in fairness--Asher does address his lack of Daddy protocol several times). I wanted to love this pairing, but I think I ended up loving the idea of them more than their actuality. I give huge credit to Raiven, though, as I imagine it is incredibly difficult to produce a book based on hyped up and beloved characters. Like me, most of Raiven's readers already had expectations for this pairing, and that pressure would be tough to manage while also staying true to what the characters and her creative mind were communicating.
So, what's my rating for His Daddy Omega? I would give this book 3.5/4 stars, so it's getting 4--both because there are no 1/2 star ratings, and because I really do love this author and think she deserves 4 stars for her efforts. And bottom line: I did enjoy reading about Gabe and Asher. I just think I needed more nuance, details and/or balance in their story.