What do you think?
Rate this book
Honeythorn #1
Miel y Espina: Honeythorn
Omega Milan Pryor conoce su deber en este matrimonio concertado. Su destino se encuentra en el Norte, hacia los blancos dominios de la nieve y el frío, junto a su prometido. Se dice que el Lord Alfa Raphael Ledford, su futuro esposo, es tan gélido como el clima que impera en sus tierras. No obstante, Milan siempre ha mantenido una visión optimista. Quién sabe si hallará una amistad verdadera en esta unión, o incluso el amor.
Milan no tarda en constatar que todos los rumores acerca de Lord Raphael son veírdicos es solitario, distante, tan helado como el viento del invierno boreal. Además, tampoco acoge a Milan con los brazos abiertos en lo que ahora debe considerar su hogar. Y Milan siempre ha sido un luchador, pero ¿podrá resistir ante la crueldad de un esposo como Lord Raphael?
«Miel y Espina» es una novela que te transportará a una historia épica de amor y fantasía, con una trama hipnótica que fusiona elementos históricos, una narrativa LGBTQ+ vibrante y un toque de steampunk y lo paranormal que te dejará sin aliento.
Milan no tarda en constatar que todos los rumores acerca de Lord Raphael son veírdicos es solitario, distante, tan helado como el viento del invierno boreal. Además, tampoco acoge a Milan con los brazos abiertos en lo que ahora debe considerar su hogar. Y Milan siempre ha sido un luchador, pero ¿podrá resistir ante la crueldad de un esposo como Lord Raphael?
«Miel y Espina» es una novela que te transportará a una historia épica de amor y fantasía, con una trama hipnótica que fusiona elementos históricos, una narrativa LGBTQ+ vibrante y un toque de steampunk y lo paranormal que te dejará sin aliento.
238 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 31, 2019
254 people are currently reading
2048 people want to read
About the author
Marina Vivancos
28 books919 followersWhen Marina was a child she couldn’t sleep. Night after dissolving night she just couldn’t sleep. Nothing much worked – until she started making up stories in her head. Suddenly, the transition into unconsciousness was a smooth dive into calm waters.
Marina is currently in a period of sleepless upheaval, and she hopes writing down the stories in her head will cast the same spell it did years ago.
You can find her being malhumorada on Twitter.
Marina is currently in a period of sleepless upheaval, and she hopes writing down the stories in her head will cast the same spell it did years ago.
You can find her being malhumorada on Twitter.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 539 reviews
February 25, 2025
Re-read!!
2/24/2025
Still five stars all the way!! I like my old review so I’m gonna keep it. I also realized I finished this book around the same time I did last year. 😂
2/20/2024
The beginning of this book is absolutely heart shattering! Milan wanted to make the best of this arranged marriage he got put into and you just have to witness the spark inside him flicker, dimming with each attempt he made trying to craft a home for himself. I really did not know if this book would have a happy ending, I wondered what I got myself into 😅. But there is a change (thank god). Raphael is pretty Infuriating at first, however he has his own past and it makes up for it plus he tries to be better. The writing in my opinion was really good and the steampunk vibe this world gave off was awesome. All the omegaverse stuff was standard, nothing new or added. I eventually did get my happy ending and that’s all I could ask for!!! (4.5)
2/24/2025
Still five stars all the way!! I like my old review so I’m gonna keep it. I also realized I finished this book around the same time I did last year. 😂
2/20/2024
The beginning of this book is absolutely heart shattering! Milan wanted to make the best of this arranged marriage he got put into and you just have to witness the spark inside him flicker, dimming with each attempt he made trying to craft a home for himself. I really did not know if this book would have a happy ending, I wondered what I got myself into 😅. But there is a change (thank god). Raphael is pretty Infuriating at first, however he has his own past and it makes up for it plus he tries to be better. The writing in my opinion was really good and the steampunk vibe this world gave off was awesome. All the omegaverse stuff was standard, nothing new or added. I eventually did get my happy ending and that’s all I could ask for!!! (4.5)
April 18, 2019
4 Stars
For ending the war and keeping the peace, the monarchy of each country had agreed to a series of marriages between the nobles or ranked officials of each place. Milan was a good candidate; he couldn’t let his family suffer so he agreed to get married to Lord Alpha Raphael. When he arrived at Raphael’s manor what he saw of his husband-to-be wasn’t what he expected. So he made a plan to show his stubbornness and that he could bite back but…
Well, I’m not really into Alpha/omega stories but this was good, what I needed at the moment, and it has been a while since I’d read an arranged marriage. The first half was angsty (something like enemies-to-lovers) but the second half was heart-warming (and yes, I enjoyed the first half more). Told in single POV, 3rd person. It’s a standalone novel with nine years age-gap between MCs. My first read by this author and it was really enjoyable. I liked both characters. Well, you may hate Raphael at first but then not in the second half though(considering his reason) and I liked Millan’s feistiness. Overall, I had a good time reading this and hope you enjoy it as well!
For ending the war and keeping the peace, the monarchy of each country had agreed to a series of marriages between the nobles or ranked officials of each place. Milan was a good candidate; he couldn’t let his family suffer so he agreed to get married to Lord Alpha Raphael. When he arrived at Raphael’s manor what he saw of his husband-to-be wasn’t what he expected. So he made a plan to show his stubbornness and that he could bite back but…
Well, I’m not really into Alpha/omega stories but this was good, what I needed at the moment, and it has been a while since I’d read an arranged marriage. The first half was angsty (something like enemies-to-lovers) but the second half was heart-warming (and yes, I enjoyed the first half more). Told in single POV, 3rd person. It’s a standalone novel with nine years age-gap between MCs. My first read by this author and it was really enjoyable. I liked both characters. Well, you may hate Raphael at first but then not in the second half though(considering his reason) and I liked Millan’s feistiness. Overall, I had a good time reading this and hope you enjoy it as well!
August 16, 2021
3.75 stars ⭐
“No poem I have ever read could accurately describe the feeling of my heart interwoven with yours.”
📌 Arranged marriage
📌 Age gap
📌 Hate to love (on one side)
📌 Alpha/Omega setting
📌 Historical romance vibes
Milan was an absolute sweetheart! As for Raphael, I hated him in the first half. But my man here turned out to be a hurt little soul, and tried so hard to redeem himself sooooo *shrugs* guess he kinda grew on me, and I adored this quote by him ↓
“I know that we are already bonded, but I ask of you now—if you are willing, I would like to be yours until my last breath.”
Proposing someone you're already married to? Hell yeah!! 😌
“No poem I have ever read could accurately describe the feeling of my heart interwoven with yours.”
📌 Arranged marriage
📌 Age gap
📌 Hate to love (on one side)
📌 Alpha/Omega setting
📌 Historical romance vibes
Milan was an absolute sweetheart! As for Raphael, I hated him in the first half. But my man here turned out to be a hurt little soul, and tried so hard to redeem himself sooooo *shrugs* guess he kinda grew on me, and I adored this quote by him ↓
“I know that we are already bonded, but I ask of you now—if you are willing, I would like to be yours until my last breath.”
Proposing someone you're already married to? Hell yeah!! 😌
April 3, 2019
~3.5~
In Honeythorn, the author created a fascinating world filled with steam engines, manors, one great continent, Alphas, and omegas. The setting has both a steampunk and Regency feel. The Alpha/omega dichotomy presented is equivalent to the male/female one in our world, with omegas treated not quite as equals.
Milan is from the South, where the climate is warmer and the customs more casual than in the North. As an omega, Milan carries out familial duty and agrees to marry Lord Raphael to strengthen the peace treaty between the different sections of the continent. He travels two weeks in a “crawler” only to find that his future husband and mate is a cold, withdrawn man who doesn’t want anything to do with Milan.
Lord Raphael is initially very (and I mean, VERY) difficult to like. He is absolutely horrible to Milan and takes to wearing leather gloves, depriving his omega of even the smallest touch. A bonded omega whose bond isn’t nurtured could die, but Raphael doesn’t seem to care.
Milan’s POV is the only one that filters the story, and Raphael doesn’t make a good impression, not on Milan and not on the reader. I think this story would have been stronger had Raphael’s POV been included. There is a reason he behaves as he does, and I don’t think revealing Raphael’s painful past earlier would have stripped the story of any tension. I suspected the truth anyway.
The secondary characters are well-drawn, even if the villain is somewhat one-dimensional. The resolution toward the end of the story is too easy, but I liked how the MCs came together and how protective Milan was of Raphael.
The first half of the book has an enemies-to-lovers feel as Milan comes to fear and despise his husband. But the second half is quite romantic as Raphael finally relents following a near tragedy and begins to spend time with Milan. The two take long walks together and hold hands.
Milan is feisty. I liked that about him. And once Raphael opened his heart, he became a sympathetic character.
This book doesn’t skimp on the steam; there are several hot, hotter, HOTTEST scenes featuring biting, mating, and orgasmic bliss. And of course it wouldn’t be an Alpha/omega story without self-lubricating arseholes; they’re so convenient.
The ending, while a HEA, isn’t as strong a HEA as I prefer. I wanted an epilogue to get a sense of Milan and Raphael in the future, with their dogs and maybe a couple little omegas running around.
Overall, I enjoyed Marina Vivancos’ writing style and would eagerly read more books set in this world.
In Honeythorn, the author created a fascinating world filled with steam engines, manors, one great continent, Alphas, and omegas. The setting has both a steampunk and Regency feel. The Alpha/omega dichotomy presented is equivalent to the male/female one in our world, with omegas treated not quite as equals.
Milan is from the South, where the climate is warmer and the customs more casual than in the North. As an omega, Milan carries out familial duty and agrees to marry Lord Raphael to strengthen the peace treaty between the different sections of the continent. He travels two weeks in a “crawler” only to find that his future husband and mate is a cold, withdrawn man who doesn’t want anything to do with Milan.
Lord Raphael is initially very (and I mean, VERY) difficult to like. He is absolutely horrible to Milan and takes to wearing leather gloves, depriving his omega of even the smallest touch. A bonded omega whose bond isn’t nurtured could die, but Raphael doesn’t seem to care.
Milan’s POV is the only one that filters the story, and Raphael doesn’t make a good impression, not on Milan and not on the reader. I think this story would have been stronger had Raphael’s POV been included. There is a reason he behaves as he does, and I don’t think revealing Raphael’s painful past earlier would have stripped the story of any tension. I suspected the truth anyway.
The secondary characters are well-drawn, even if the villain is somewhat one-dimensional. The resolution toward the end of the story is too easy, but I liked how the MCs came together and how protective Milan was of Raphael.
The first half of the book has an enemies-to-lovers feel as Milan comes to fear and despise his husband. But the second half is quite romantic as Raphael finally relents following a near tragedy and begins to spend time with Milan. The two take long walks together and hold hands.
Milan is feisty. I liked that about him. And once Raphael opened his heart, he became a sympathetic character.
This book doesn’t skimp on the steam; there are several hot, hotter, HOTTEST scenes featuring biting, mating, and orgasmic bliss. And of course it wouldn’t be an Alpha/omega story without self-lubricating arseholes; they’re so convenient.
The ending, while a HEA, isn’t as strong a HEA as I prefer. I wanted an epilogue to get a sense of Milan and Raphael in the future, with their dogs and maybe a couple little omegas running around.
Overall, I enjoyed Marina Vivancos’ writing style and would eagerly read more books set in this world.
March 18, 2023
milan has the ability to forgive people and go on, which is a characteristic i actually envy.
however i’m a vengeful bitch and i lack the skill to forgive and forget, so for what i’m concerned, raphael can die a terrible death.
it’s a good book, i just don’t fuck with it😅
however i’m a vengeful bitch and i lack the skill to forgive and forget, so for what i’m concerned, raphael can die a terrible death.
it’s a good book, i just don’t fuck with it😅
June 24, 2023
✰ 4 stars ✰
the first half: 💔😭🤕🤧😓
the second half: 🥰❤️😍❤️🩹🥹
if you are looking for a quick read that will rip your heart out but put it back together perfectly by the end. look no further. the first half was pure torture, it hurt me so bad. i honestly had a hard time seeing how this was all going to turn out to be a HEA. the way raphael was acting towards milan and the things he did to him....it broke my heart and i was wondering how the hell am i supposed to forgive him? but once things come to light and you see that things aren't what they seem...it somehow turned my feeling towards raphael into a full 180. i went from loathing him to sympathizing with him. it honestly shocked me how my thoughts changed so quickly about him.
the change between raphael happened pretty instantly once he realized things (which i won't say bc of spoilers) and it might seem too quick and give you some whiplash, but it made sense for the story and for them to me. i personally think that raphael made up for it and he won me over. 🥺 although, milan is such an amazing and fierce character, he is too good for this world, and just because of that raphael should be groveling for the rest of his life anyway. and i have no doubt in my mind raphael will cherish him and then some for forever. 😌
because of raphael's past, he thought it was never possible to have someone like milan and to feel the way he does. and just the way milan was exactly what he needed to the point where raphael had a hard time believing he was even real. he honestly never in a millions years could have imagined this for himself. it broke my heart fr. 🥺💔
also, get you a man who reads countless love poems and says this to you >>>>
raphael might be this powerful alpha, but he became so so soft for milan. i never knew i needed to see an alpha be a blushing mess for his omega until i read this book. there were so many precious moments between them that it filled all the cracks in my heart from the first half. it was totally worth all the angst.
what to expect:
❤️🩹 omegaverse
❤️🩹 arranged marriage
❤️🩹 hurt/comfort
❤️🩹 ANGST
❤️🩹 virgin mc
❤️🩹 will break your heart and put it back together
❤️🩹 medium spice but still very 🔥
❝I feel as if my soul has woken from a great, pained slumber,❞ Raphael went on, squeezing Milan’s hand tightly. ❝Not the flowers or the trees or the mountains can inspire within me the feeling that you do. I know that we are already bonded, but I ask of you now—if you are willing, I would like to be yours until my last breath.❞
the first half: 💔😭🤕🤧😓
the second half: 🥰❤️😍❤️🩹🥹
if you are looking for a quick read that will rip your heart out but put it back together perfectly by the end. look no further. the first half was pure torture, it hurt me so bad. i honestly had a hard time seeing how this was all going to turn out to be a HEA. the way raphael was acting towards milan and the things he did to him....it broke my heart and i was wondering how the hell am i supposed to forgive him? but once things come to light and you see that things aren't what they seem...it somehow turned my feeling towards raphael into a full 180. i went from loathing him to sympathizing with him. it honestly shocked me how my thoughts changed so quickly about him.
the change between raphael happened pretty instantly once he realized things (which i won't say bc of spoilers) and it might seem too quick and give you some whiplash, but it made sense for the story and for them to me. i personally think that raphael made up for it and he won me over. 🥺 although, milan is such an amazing and fierce character, he is too good for this world, and just because of that raphael should be groveling for the rest of his life anyway. and i have no doubt in my mind raphael will cherish him and then some for forever. 😌
Eventually, Raphael closed his eyes, letting his forehead lay gently against Milan’s. ❝Sometimes, I think you are not real,❞ he whispered.
Milan framed Raphael’s face with his hands, holding him close. ❝I am quite real.❞
Raphael grabbed one of Milan’s hands, turning his head to press a kiss against his palm. ❝Thank you.❞
because of raphael's past, he thought it was never possible to have someone like milan and to feel the way he does. and just the way milan was exactly what he needed to the point where raphael had a hard time believing he was even real. he honestly never in a millions years could have imagined this for himself. it broke my heart fr. 🥺💔
❝No poem I have ever read could accurately describe the feeling of my heart interwoven with yours.❞
also, get you a man who reads countless love poems and says this to you >>>>
raphael might be this powerful alpha, but he became so so soft for milan. i never knew i needed to see an alpha be a blushing mess for his omega until i read this book. there were so many precious moments between them that it filled all the cracks in my heart from the first half. it was totally worth all the angst.
what to expect:
❤️🩹 omegaverse
❤️🩹 arranged marriage
❤️🩹 hurt/comfort
❤️🩹 ANGST
❤️🩹 virgin mc
❤️🩹 will break your heart and put it back together
❤️🩹 medium spice but still very 🔥
July 6, 2021
3 stars! i literally never read anything to do with omegaverse, so this was quite new to me. had to check this out though, because i totally love marina vivanco’s writing.♥️
the mc milan, who’s an omega, left his home, his family, basically his whole life and moved to the north for an arranged marriage to lord raphael. to put it mildly, lord raphael was an absolute cunt… at least for the first half of the book. i truly hated the man at the beginning.
however, later we found out that he had his reasons for acting the way he did… and OF COURSE, the man slowly grew on me…🙄 the whole asshole act was more like a defence mechanism because of his past trauma. raphael turned out to be a very soft, gentle man, who has a secret love of romance poems and who’s very deeply hurt by his past.
raphael got his shit together after he realised just how much his treatment of milan was hurting their bond. apparently a neglected bond can legit kill an omega. 🤭 slowly raphael started trusting milan more and they finally got to know each other. the romance between them was very sweet. almost too sweet for my demented ass.
“no poem i have ever read could accurately describe the feeling of my heart interwoven with yours.” isn’t that just so fucking sweet? who would have thought the man i hated in the beginning of this book could say something so profound and beautiful? if my future partner doesn’t say shit like that to me, i don’t want them. 🤣
milan was definitely my favourite character. he was such a sunshine!! i loved how he managed to stay positive even when times were rough. he’s just such a friendly, joyous, kind person. i also related to him a lot in regards to how he found comfort and solace in reading books.♥️
overall, this was a very cute book, didn’t have that much of a deep plot overall, except for the little plot twist around the ~85% mark. it was quite predictable, but it didn’t diminish my overall enjoyment of the book.
the mc milan, who’s an omega, left his home, his family, basically his whole life and moved to the north for an arranged marriage to lord raphael. to put it mildly, lord raphael was an absolute cunt… at least for the first half of the book. i truly hated the man at the beginning.
however, later we found out that he had his reasons for acting the way he did… and OF COURSE, the man slowly grew on me…🙄 the whole asshole act was more like a defence mechanism because of his past trauma. raphael turned out to be a very soft, gentle man, who has a secret love of romance poems and who’s very deeply hurt by his past.
raphael got his shit together after he realised just how much his treatment of milan was hurting their bond. apparently a neglected bond can legit kill an omega. 🤭 slowly raphael started trusting milan more and they finally got to know each other. the romance between them was very sweet. almost too sweet for my demented ass.
“no poem i have ever read could accurately describe the feeling of my heart interwoven with yours.” isn’t that just so fucking sweet? who would have thought the man i hated in the beginning of this book could say something so profound and beautiful? if my future partner doesn’t say shit like that to me, i don’t want them. 🤣
milan was definitely my favourite character. he was such a sunshine!! i loved how he managed to stay positive even when times were rough. he’s just such a friendly, joyous, kind person. i also related to him a lot in regards to how he found comfort and solace in reading books.♥️
overall, this was a very cute book, didn’t have that much of a deep plot overall, except for the little plot twist around the ~85% mark. it was quite predictable, but it didn’t diminish my overall enjoyment of the book.
March 25, 2019
Another book that wasn't consistent for me from start to finish. I seem to be reading a lot of those lately...
"Honeythorn" started out great. It was relationship drama at its best. Set in an alternate universe with Alphas and Omegas but no shifters, Milan travels to the other side of the continent to marry Raphael, not because he loves him but because it was arranged that way.
They don't know each other and they don't even come from the same world. Milo is from the South where there's sun all year and the temperatures are always high. The people there are more open in some ways, more friendly and outgoing. Raphael is from the North where snow is the default setting of the weather over winter and cold is the norm all the time. People there are more reserved, more closed off.
But the peolpe and the weather aren't the only differences between the South and the North. There are different customs, different machines and different plants. Milan is suddenly thrown in an environment completely foreign and on top of that he knows no one there. His future husband is distant and acts like he hates him but Milan is optimistic and still hopes for the best.
The first 50-60% of the story was amazing and is worthy of 5 stars. Some people are going to say it has too much drama but for me it worked. It was heartbreaking to see what was happening to Milan and how everything came down to a misunderstanding and stubbornness. It was emotional and very well written. I liked getting to know this new world and seeing how different the two edges of its continent were. I found weird their tastes in clothes though as they used vivid colors, weird patterns and unusual color matches.
After that wonderful part of the story though came sugary sweet cuteness between then MCs and OTT drama with the re-appearance of an evil ex with a masterplan. That whole side-plot was undelievable and stretched very thin. I would have prefered for the book to be shorter if it meant we got to avoid all that thing at the end.
I find it difficult to rate this book. I loved most of it but I can't ignore the end, so I'm going to go with 3.5 stars and round it up to 4 since the majority of the story was good.
I've come to really like Marina Vivancos's writing style - In This Iron Ground was sooooo good! - and I'll continue to keep an eye out for her books in the future. What I've read of her work so far didn't have OTT drama so I hope her next books won't have it either and this one was just a fluke.
*An ARC of this book was kindly provided to me in exchange for an honest review. *
"Honeythorn" started out great. It was relationship drama at its best. Set in an alternate universe with Alphas and Omegas but no shifters, Milan travels to the other side of the continent to marry Raphael, not because he loves him but because it was arranged that way.
They don't know each other and they don't even come from the same world. Milo is from the South where there's sun all year and the temperatures are always high. The people there are more open in some ways, more friendly and outgoing. Raphael is from the North where snow is the default setting of the weather over winter and cold is the norm all the time. People there are more reserved, more closed off.
But the peolpe and the weather aren't the only differences between the South and the North. There are different customs, different machines and different plants. Milan is suddenly thrown in an environment completely foreign and on top of that he knows no one there. His future husband is distant and acts like he hates him but Milan is optimistic and still hopes for the best.
The first 50-60% of the story was amazing and is worthy of 5 stars. Some people are going to say it has too much drama but for me it worked. It was heartbreaking to see what was happening to Milan and how everything came down to a misunderstanding and stubbornness. It was emotional and very well written. I liked getting to know this new world and seeing how different the two edges of its continent were. I found weird their tastes in clothes though as they used vivid colors, weird patterns and unusual color matches.
After that wonderful part of the story though came sugary sweet cuteness between then MCs and OTT drama with the re-appearance of an evil ex with a masterplan. That whole side-plot was undelievable and stretched very thin. I would have prefered for the book to be shorter if it meant we got to avoid all that thing at the end.
I find it difficult to rate this book. I loved most of it but I can't ignore the end, so I'm going to go with 3.5 stars and round it up to 4 since the majority of the story was good.
I've come to really like Marina Vivancos's writing style - In This Iron Ground was sooooo good! - and I'll continue to keep an eye out for her books in the future. What I've read of her work so far didn't have OTT drama so I hope her next books won't have it either and this one was just a fluke.
*An ARC of this book was kindly provided to me in exchange for an honest review. *
Read
March 30, 2021DNF @ 35%
This one is painfully boring. I can feel myself drifting off. I don’t like it.
This one is painfully boring. I can feel myself drifting off. I don’t like it.
October 24, 2023
Ooooh I had forgotten how delicious and angsty this book is ♥️ I loved re-reading it.
Also, that is how you do groveling properly!!!!!!
___________
This was such a satisfactory read. Adorable, with the right amount of angst and sweet, intimate moments that made my toes curl.
It had all the things I love in a romance, but above all, delicious enemies-to-lovers vibes and arranged marriages.
The first half of the book was really good, with lots of angst and heartache and typical relationship misunderstandings. I actually disliked Raphael a lot at the beginning: he treated Milan in such a horrible way. However, his reasons, the scars he carried from his previous relationship and past heartache, made me feel for him and I ended up absolutely adoring both MCs.
Milan deserves a special mention though. He goes through so much, he abandons his home and family for duty and a man he doesn't know but still manages to keep his fiery spirit, his independence, his willfulness. I loved him, so much, and I loved seeing his more playful side but also his surprisingly protective one too: he's an Omega, so I wasn't expecting the way he protected and defended Raphael, being so strong and resilient all the time. There were lots of sweet and sexy moments and lots of profound and difficult ones too, that offered some very wise and interesting insights into trauma and abuse that I wasn't expecting but I really really appreciated.
The writing was phenomenal, the world-building simple but effective, the side characters adorable and the ending? So lovely.
An immensely enjoyable read, and although it's supposed to be part of the Omegaverse, the Alpha/Omega dynamics are surprisingly tame and the Mpreg hardly there. I loved it.
Also, that is how you do groveling properly!!!!!!
___________
This was such a satisfactory read. Adorable, with the right amount of angst and sweet, intimate moments that made my toes curl.
It had all the things I love in a romance, but above all, delicious enemies-to-lovers vibes and arranged marriages.
The first half of the book was really good, with lots of angst and heartache and typical relationship misunderstandings. I actually disliked Raphael a lot at the beginning: he treated Milan in such a horrible way. However, his reasons, the scars he carried from his previous relationship and past heartache, made me feel for him and I ended up absolutely adoring both MCs.
Milan deserves a special mention though. He goes through so much, he abandons his home and family for duty and a man he doesn't know but still manages to keep his fiery spirit, his independence, his willfulness. I loved him, so much, and I loved seeing his more playful side but also his surprisingly protective one too: he's an Omega, so I wasn't expecting the way he protected and defended Raphael, being so strong and resilient all the time. There were lots of sweet and sexy moments and lots of profound and difficult ones too, that offered some very wise and interesting insights into trauma and abuse that I wasn't expecting but I really really appreciated.
The writing was phenomenal, the world-building simple but effective, the side characters adorable and the ending? So lovely.
An immensely enjoyable read, and although it's supposed to be part of the Omegaverse, the Alpha/Omega dynamics are surprisingly tame and the Mpreg hardly there. I loved it.
August 21, 2019
It's been hundreds of books ago since I cried at one, but if anyone was going to break my tearless spell, it's Marina Vivancos.
I... honestly don't know what I can say about this absolute, unadultrated masterpiece that will do it justice. Vivancos' writing is just as exquisite as in Sicken of the Calm, and the characters were - god, they were just superlative. Fucking superlative, and that's the only word that can describe them.
A teeny weeny part of me regrets reading this because alpha/omega books are ruined forever. Because I really do not see how fucking anything can top this. There's such delicate manoeuvering of the whole alpha/omega thing, not just "omegas can get pregnant lol whatever", this was a masterpiece of worldbuilding. (Yes, okay, the continent is literally called The Continent and the countries are called North, South, East and West but the development of alpha/omega bonds was delicious.) I know I've used the word masterpiece twice, but the English language does not have many synonyms for "the best fucking thing in existence".
I want to read more of Vivancos' books, obviously, but I'm going to have to do it very slowly and spaced out, like slowly sipping an aged whiskey. Reading too many of her books in a short space of time may, quite frankly, kill me. I have a delicate constitution and my heartrate was genuinely accelerated for pretty much this entire thing.
I... honestly don't know what I can say about this absolute, unadultrated masterpiece that will do it justice. Vivancos' writing is just as exquisite as in Sicken of the Calm, and the characters were - god, they were just superlative. Fucking superlative, and that's the only word that can describe them.
A teeny weeny part of me regrets reading this because alpha/omega books are ruined forever. Because I really do not see how fucking anything can top this. There's such delicate manoeuvering of the whole alpha/omega thing, not just "omegas can get pregnant lol whatever", this was a masterpiece of worldbuilding. (Yes, okay, the continent is literally called The Continent and the countries are called North, South, East and West but the development of alpha/omega bonds was delicious.) I know I've used the word masterpiece twice, but the English language does not have many synonyms for "the best fucking thing in existence".
I want to read more of Vivancos' books, obviously, but I'm going to have to do it very slowly and spaced out, like slowly sipping an aged whiskey. Reading too many of her books in a short space of time may, quite frankly, kill me. I have a delicate constitution and my heartrate was genuinely accelerated for pretty much this entire thing.
November 1, 2020
Not quite what I expected.
This has several interesting ingredients (arranged marriage, alphas and omegas, bond magic, brooding and cold alpha, self-assured omega), but unfortunately the mixture of it all didn't quite work for me.
I really liked Milan, his optimistic outlook in a very depressing situation and his proactive attitude, and aloof Raphael is a classic case of a great 'dark' hero.
However, I had real trouble buying the one fact that excuses his behaviour, namely
And this leads me straight to the two points that I wasn't keen on:
- there isn't enough world building and enough explaining how alpha and omega relationships work in this universe. Tbh, apart from the bond between the two men, there is nothing that Raphael and Milan do that felt particularly 'alpha/omega'.
- the plot is highly implausible, but ok this is an AU, so anything can happen, I guess. I just felt that, plotwise, the writing is a bit on the naive side (maybe with a touch of fairy-tale?), with the last 15% making my eyebrows shoot right up to under my hairline.
This book has no doubt an appealing side to it, but all in all it wasn't really my cup of tea.
This has several interesting ingredients (arranged marriage, alphas and omegas, bond magic, brooding and cold alpha, self-assured omega), but unfortunately the mixture of it all didn't quite work for me.
I really liked Milan, his optimistic outlook in a very depressing situation and his proactive attitude, and aloof Raphael is a classic case of a great 'dark' hero.
However, I had real trouble buying the one fact that excuses his behaviour, namely
And this leads me straight to the two points that I wasn't keen on:
- there isn't enough world building and enough explaining how alpha and omega relationships work in this universe. Tbh, apart from the bond between the two men, there is nothing that Raphael and Milan do that felt particularly 'alpha/omega'.
- the plot is highly implausible, but ok this is an AU, so anything can happen, I guess. I just felt that, plotwise, the writing is a bit on the naive side (maybe with a touch of fairy-tale?), with the last 15% making my eyebrows shoot right up to under my hairline.
This book has no doubt an appealing side to it, but all in all it wasn't really my cup of tea.
September 20, 2025
The first half of this book was exactly like those nightmares you have where you try to scream and no sound comes out. A silent scream. A hopeless maddening thing. I felt like I was suffocating on fear, pain, loneliness and desperation right alongside poor baby Milan. It was harrowing and written with perfection.
The effusions to domestic violence sufferers being dismissed and not believed had me riotous.
I was terrified of Raphael and I wish I could say that by the end of the book I was completely turned like Milan was, especially since Raphael had suffered too but my PTSD was just too real. Still I was happy for the HEA because it is what Milan wanted and deserved. And, maybe a bit for Raphael too, but only a tiny little bit.
Despite everything I loved this book. It will haunt me.
*Side notes:
-The cover is so beautiful.
-The drama at the end was unnecessary/awkward and not as satisfying as it should have been.
-I am still so mad at Raphael.
The effusions to domestic violence sufferers being dismissed and not believed had me riotous.
I was terrified of Raphael and I wish I could say that by the end of the book I was completely turned like Milan was, especially since Raphael had suffered too but my PTSD was just too real. Still I was happy for the HEA because it is what Milan wanted and deserved. And, maybe a bit for Raphael too, but only a tiny little bit.
Despite everything I loved this book. It will haunt me.
*Side notes:
-The cover is so beautiful.
-The drama at the end was unnecessary/awkward and not as satisfying as it should have been.
-I am still so mad at Raphael.
May 27, 2024
4.5
The part where Raphael yells at Milan during dinner and Milan is terrified, and cries??
The part where Raphael yells at Milan during dinner and Milan is terrified, and cries??
May 30, 2024
3.5 Stars
RTC
RTC
June 20, 2025
For half the book I truly wanted to wrap Milan in a blanket and hug him, and then kick his husband's ass and punch him in the nuts. But then... You know how hurt people hurt people? Well, that's what we learn. And it's a wonder how the healing and love slowly make an appearance. It was amazing. Loved it. The ending felt a bit rushed but so satisfying that I didn't really give a shit it felt too fast and easily solved. I had suffer enough the for the first 40%.
Totally recommend.
Totally recommend.
August 22, 2024
edit 8/21/24: me when marina vivancos emotionally tortures me: 😍😍😍😍🤩🤩🤩🤩
ahaha i absolutely LOVE the way mv makes you vividly despise raphael for 50% of the book (those fucking gloves😤) and then immediately turns around like GOTCHA BITCH…..like nooooo, pls, i wasn’t ready to stop hating raphael, curse u for changing my mind so quickly😭😭 like how you got me bawling my eyes out for milan and then bawling my eyes out for raphael IN THE SAME CHAPTER???? that’s talent, babey💯
i’m just obsessed with the perspective change fr, how wildly different they were experiencing the same events….i love how the author forces you to course correct while you’re still pissed af, it’s so infuriating and so well done bc it actually fucking works and now i feel for raphael when i didn’t want to, damn it!!!🤣🤣
ugh i just really like seeing that side of trauma, how it can make you act in strange and hurtful ways in a fearful, desperate attempt to protect yourself….that doesn’t make those actions okay, but it does make it understandable. i like the way it was handled too, how it’s shown that raphael’s actions are not who he is, but rather a symptom of a bigger hurt that needs to be healed. again, that doesn’t absolve him of the hurt that he’s caused. what matters the most is how raphael’s actions changed moving forward, and how raphael was able to make those changes bc he had a safe environment to do so. like ugh, love transforms!!!!!
milan is probably a bit more magnanimous than is realistic tho bc i’m not sure i would’ve come around so quick💀 but i love how steadfast milan is, how he stands up for himself, stays true to himself, how fierce and loyal and compassionate and caring he is. raphael really lucked out and he better be counting his blessings every day fr🤨 like i hollered when milan brought that gun out💀💀💀 he’s not fucking around when it comes to his man okay!!!!!🤣🤣
anyway, marina really knocked it out of the park here, per usual. like duh. omfgggg tho, really kicking myself for not giving this 5 stars the first time around, like not very demure, not very mindful😔
original 6/25/23: oh i really really loved both milan and raphael…….milan bc he was a freaking force of nature, and raphael……whewwww it was a rocky start!!! you could see little glimpses of the true raphael in the first half of the book in his tiny moments of vulnerability or shock or grimaces and his interactions with the townspeople…..but omfg those damn leather gloves……i actually start to dislike him to the point that i was afraid the author couldn’t redeem him😅 but she did and it was glorious and also so fucking sad but milan!!!!!! i loved that he didn’t let raphael off the hook for his behavior like he was like u made me the most unhappy i’ve been in my life but milan was like listen we’re going to move forward but you will never get the chance to treat me like a piece of shit again😂 like hello yes he put his fucking foot down but was also there for raphael as well and was gentle and kind to him…..ugh!!!!!😩 raphael was just written so well ugh i love him and want only good things for him and that’s what milan is🫶 4 stars⭐️
ahaha i absolutely LOVE the way mv makes you vividly despise raphael for 50% of the book (those fucking gloves😤) and then immediately turns around like GOTCHA BITCH…..like nooooo, pls, i wasn’t ready to stop hating raphael, curse u for changing my mind so quickly😭😭 like how you got me bawling my eyes out for milan and then bawling my eyes out for raphael IN THE SAME CHAPTER???? that’s talent, babey💯
i’m just obsessed with the perspective change fr, how wildly different they were experiencing the same events….i love how the author forces you to course correct while you’re still pissed af, it’s so infuriating and so well done bc it actually fucking works and now i feel for raphael when i didn’t want to, damn it!!!🤣🤣
ugh i just really like seeing that side of trauma, how it can make you act in strange and hurtful ways in a fearful, desperate attempt to protect yourself….that doesn’t make those actions okay, but it does make it understandable. i like the way it was handled too, how it’s shown that raphael’s actions are not who he is, but rather a symptom of a bigger hurt that needs to be healed. again, that doesn’t absolve him of the hurt that he’s caused. what matters the most is how raphael’s actions changed moving forward, and how raphael was able to make those changes bc he had a safe environment to do so. like ugh, love transforms!!!!!
milan is probably a bit more magnanimous than is realistic tho bc i’m not sure i would’ve come around so quick💀 but i love how steadfast milan is, how he stands up for himself, stays true to himself, how fierce and loyal and compassionate and caring he is. raphael really lucked out and he better be counting his blessings every day fr🤨 like i hollered when milan brought that gun out💀💀💀 he’s not fucking around when it comes to his man okay!!!!!🤣🤣
anyway, marina really knocked it out of the park here, per usual. like duh. omfgggg tho, really kicking myself for not giving this 5 stars the first time around, like not very demure, not very mindful😔
original 6/25/23: oh i really really loved both milan and raphael…….milan bc he was a freaking force of nature, and raphael……whewwww it was a rocky start!!! you could see little glimpses of the true raphael in the first half of the book in his tiny moments of vulnerability or shock or grimaces and his interactions with the townspeople…..but omfg those damn leather gloves……i actually start to dislike him to the point that i was afraid the author couldn’t redeem him😅 but she did and it was glorious and also so fucking sad but milan!!!!!! i loved that he didn’t let raphael off the hook for his behavior like he was like u made me the most unhappy i’ve been in my life but milan was like listen we’re going to move forward but you will never get the chance to treat me like a piece of shit again😂 like hello yes he put his fucking foot down but was also there for raphael as well and was gentle and kind to him…..ugh!!!!!😩 raphael was just written so well ugh i love him and want only good things for him and that’s what milan is🫶 4 stars⭐️
May 9, 2019
So. This book. I don't even know.
To get things out of the way, I'm incredibly particular about the alpha-beta-omega books that I read. Most alpha-beta-omega books that I can find involve both shifters of some kind and mpreg. I don't mind shifters in the slightest, but mpreg is very much not my thing. I took a chance on this one because a review said it isn't mpreg, and I'm willing to count that as true. No actual male pregnancy occurs during the story, although it's fairly clear from what goes on in the book that mpreg occurs in the universe. I wasn't enthused by this, but it wasn't really a big thing for me.
However, what was a big thing for me is that Raphael is abusive to Milan in a really serious way. Like, potentially deathly serious. The book manages to wiggle itself into a situation where I don't really wildly comfortable chucking Raphael into a lake, but the whole thing left a sour taste in my mouth.
So, I didn't really enjoy this book. It just made me frustrated and sad.
edit: ack, my spoiler tags failed initially, sorry.
To get things out of the way, I'm incredibly particular about the alpha-beta-omega books that I read. Most alpha-beta-omega books that I can find involve both shifters of some kind and mpreg. I don't mind shifters in the slightest, but mpreg is very much not my thing. I took a chance on this one because a review said it isn't mpreg, and I'm willing to count that as true. No actual male pregnancy occurs during the story, although it's fairly clear from what goes on in the book that mpreg occurs in the universe. I wasn't enthused by this, but it wasn't really a big thing for me.
However, what was a big thing for me is that Raphael is abusive to Milan in a really serious way. Like, potentially deathly serious. The book manages to wiggle itself into a situation where I don't really wildly comfortable chucking Raphael into a lake, but the whole thing left a sour taste in my mouth.
So, I didn't really enjoy this book. It just made me frustrated and sad.
edit: ack, my spoiler tags failed initially, sorry.
July 8, 2021
I liked the world building and how the relationship arc managed to feel new and fresh while relying on familiar and sometimes overused tropes. The explanation for is technically a misunderstanding, even if that word feels inadequate for the potentially disastrous effects, and it could’ve easily seemed a weak and convenient plot device. Instead, it was on character and consistent with the world building. It was interesting to see how
I liked Milan’s character, Raphael’s characterization was a little bit of a disappointment after a rather intense and somewhat dramatic first part of the story. I expected…not really something more, but maybe something slightly different. When the character got revealed properly, he didn’t quite fit with the feeling I had had of him until then and the execution was a bit weak. Maybe it was me, maybe the book.
I didn’t love the last part of the story, there was a twist that didn’t feel cohesive or even necessary, but at least it avoided a much-dreaded dramatic development, so it could’ve been worse.
All in all, I enjoyed reading this, as proved by the fact that I read it almost in one sitting without realizing until I’d finished that it’s 300-pages long.
I liked Milan’s character, Raphael’s characterization was a little bit of a disappointment after a rather intense and somewhat dramatic first part of the story. I expected…not really something more, but maybe something slightly different. When the character got revealed properly, he didn’t quite fit with the feeling I had had of him until then and the execution was a bit weak. Maybe it was me, maybe the book.
I didn’t love the last part of the story, there was a twist that didn’t feel cohesive or even necessary, but at least it avoided a much-dreaded dramatic development, so it could’ve been worse.
All in all, I enjoyed reading this, as proved by the fact that I read it almost in one sitting without realizing until I’d finished that it’s 300-pages long.
September 29, 2024
Book safety, content warnings, and tropes down below.
“It’s all right. It’s in the past.” Milan shook his head against Raphael’s chest. “The past can still hurt. It’s all right to still hurt,” Milan whispered.
I adored this book and the world the author created. It felt totally different to anything else I’ve read. It’s an omegaverse story but not tons of focus on the alpha/omega designations. We got steampunk, lords and manors, horses, fancy balls with even fancier clothes, etc. It really felt like I was transported someplace else, and the alternate universe was built so well.
“Why are you doing this to me?” Milan whispered.
The romance story itself was very rough and mega sad in the beginning, and I genuinely loved it. It made me cry lots (yay). It heavily touches on themes of (unintentionally) hurting others when you’re hurting too, and the process of forgiveness and understanding. I thought it was super well done.
I finished it super quickly and enjoyed every single page. Highly recommend.
Even then he had known the horror of being diminished. Of being made to die from the inside out. There could be much more to dying than death.
⬇️ Blanket spoiler warning ⬇️
⚠️ Tropes & content tags ⚠️
Mental illness rep
Arranged marriage
Steampunk
Alternate universe
Omegaverse
Alpha/omega
Abuse
Tearjerker
Size difference
Age gap
Mpreg universe (no pregnancy)
Virgin MC
Scenting, knotting, bonding
⚠️ Content warning ⚠️
Alcohol consumption
Explicit sexual content
Neglect (between MCs)
Unintentional abuse/physical harm (by MC)
Slick
Mention of MC being cheated on by ex (past)
Intimidation and implied threat of violence (between MCs - no physical abuse occurs)
Severely ill MC
Medical emergency - MC near death
Mentions of past love-bombing of MC (by ex)
Mentions of past manipulation of MC (by ex)
Vague mentions of MC being emotionally, physically and sexually abused (past, by ex)
MC threatened with knife
PTSD symptoms
Death of parent (past)
Mpreg universe (no pregnancy)
⚠️Book safety ⚠️
Cheating: No
Other person drama: An ex tries to make problems, but there’s no romantic interest
Breakup: No
POV: 3rd person, single
Genre: Omegaverse romance
Pairing: M/M
Strict roles or versatile: Strict roles
Main characters’ age: 22 and 31
Series: Interconnected standalone
Kindle Unlimited: Yes
Pages: 221
Happy ending: Yes
All he knew was the cold ball of his body as he curled in on himself, shivering in the shadow that had been cast over his future.
“It has become quite clear to me that it is not love, or friendship, or even companionship that you sought in this marriage. I hope you can forgive me for hoping otherwise in the beginning. I assure you, I have been thoroughly disabused of those notions.”
It was an otherworldly horror, to see someone who was making him suffer so completely handle the bud of a plant with such care.
You can find most of my reviews on Instagram as well: https://www.instagram.com/booksafety?...
“It’s all right. It’s in the past.” Milan shook his head against Raphael’s chest. “The past can still hurt. It’s all right to still hurt,” Milan whispered.
I adored this book and the world the author created. It felt totally different to anything else I’ve read. It’s an omegaverse story but not tons of focus on the alpha/omega designations. We got steampunk, lords and manors, horses, fancy balls with even fancier clothes, etc. It really felt like I was transported someplace else, and the alternate universe was built so well.
“Why are you doing this to me?” Milan whispered.
The romance story itself was very rough and mega sad in the beginning, and I genuinely loved it. It made me cry lots (yay). It heavily touches on themes of (unintentionally) hurting others when you’re hurting too, and the process of forgiveness and understanding. I thought it was super well done.
I finished it super quickly and enjoyed every single page. Highly recommend.
Even then he had known the horror of being diminished. Of being made to die from the inside out. There could be much more to dying than death.
⬇️ Blanket spoiler warning ⬇️
⚠️ Tropes & content tags ⚠️
Mental illness rep
Arranged marriage
Steampunk
Alternate universe
Omegaverse
Alpha/omega
Abuse
Tearjerker
Size difference
Age gap
Mpreg universe (no pregnancy)
Virgin MC
Scenting, knotting, bonding
⚠️ Content warning ⚠️
Alcohol consumption
Explicit sexual content
Neglect (between MCs)
Unintentional abuse/physical harm (by MC)
Slick
Mention of MC being cheated on by ex (past)
Intimidation and implied threat of violence (between MCs - no physical abuse occurs)
Severely ill MC
Medical emergency - MC near death
Mentions of past love-bombing of MC (by ex)
Mentions of past manipulation of MC (by ex)
Vague mentions of MC being emotionally, physically and sexually abused (past, by ex)
MC threatened with knife
PTSD symptoms
Death of parent (past)
Mpreg universe (no pregnancy)
⚠️Book safety ⚠️
Cheating: No
Other person drama: An ex tries to make problems, but there’s no romantic interest
Breakup: No
POV: 3rd person, single
Genre: Omegaverse romance
Pairing: M/M
Strict roles or versatile: Strict roles
Main characters’ age: 22 and 31
Series: Interconnected standalone
Kindle Unlimited: Yes
Pages: 221
Happy ending: Yes
All he knew was the cold ball of his body as he curled in on himself, shivering in the shadow that had been cast over his future.
“It has become quite clear to me that it is not love, or friendship, or even companionship that you sought in this marriage. I hope you can forgive me for hoping otherwise in the beginning. I assure you, I have been thoroughly disabused of those notions.”
It was an otherworldly horror, to see someone who was making him suffer so completely handle the bud of a plant with such care.
You can find most of my reviews on Instagram as well: https://www.instagram.com/booksafety?...
April 1, 2019
I love the way Marina Vivancos writes. It's difficult to describe but there is very much an otherworldly nature to it, as if you're peeking through a veil into another land.
With this Omegaverse romance she takes the Alpha/Omega trope and gives it a fantasy setting which an interesting mix of a feudal type of society but with advanced steampunk machinery and an element of bonded mates to tie it together.
There's no mPreg in this one, but there are heats and in the North - the land where Milan goes to wed his Alpha Raphael in an arranged political alliance - those heats can be dangerous when past hurts are allowed to influence the present.
For a while I wasn't sure where this narrative was going, were we going to get a Jekyll and Hyde scenario? Was Raphael under some kind of curse?
I won't spoil what the outcome is but I will say I loved Milan, his heart was as open as his nature was kind and there's a great set of secondary characters in this world where the Alphas aren't always the top of the chain and omegas are valued for their skills and abilities.
#ARC kindly received from the author in return for an honest and unbiased review
With this Omegaverse romance she takes the Alpha/Omega trope and gives it a fantasy setting which an interesting mix of a feudal type of society but with advanced steampunk machinery and an element of bonded mates to tie it together.
There's no mPreg in this one, but there are heats and in the North - the land where Milan goes to wed his Alpha Raphael in an arranged political alliance - those heats can be dangerous when past hurts are allowed to influence the present.
For a while I wasn't sure where this narrative was going, were we going to get a Jekyll and Hyde scenario? Was Raphael under some kind of curse?
I won't spoil what the outcome is but I will say I loved Milan, his heart was as open as his nature was kind and there's a great set of secondary characters in this world where the Alphas aren't always the top of the chain and omegas are valued for their skills and abilities.
#ARC kindly received from the author in return for an honest and unbiased review
April 5, 2022
Well that was one sobfest I'm kinda glad to be done with. If I were Milan I'd never have forgiven Raphael in a million years. That was a whole lot of damage for the sake of ignorance and the explanation just wasn't enough. The sugary sweet words afterwards just made me angrier, to be honest.
April 7, 2019
I found this book completely by accident and I’m so glad I did. I enjoyed it much more than I expected.
The story takes place in some regency-ish universe populated by Alphas and Omegas and where male pregnancy is possible. I don’t think I’ve read a story like this. And I truly appreciate the extend of the world creation making this book even more unique. Despite the fact that some aspects of these Alphas and Omegas things are not really clear to me, I still enjoyed it a lot.
The characters are even better than the world creation. Milan, the Omega, makes such an outstanding and remarkable hero. Following him though the story is truly delightful. Raphael is the more complex one, starting as one of those cold and heartless heroes to turn out to be a really sweet and sensitive man. I like the way the dynamic in this relationship changes through the story. Raphael as a tortured hero makes a good job. I only wish I know him more. The story is from Milan’s POV and we don’t really get an insight into Raphael’s feelings or thoughts. But it’s not a big problem after all.
Another thing I want to point out is the lack of some unnecessary drama in the story. And that is really surprising because there are some pretty dramatic events in the story, one of the heroes is close to death. Still there are no major bursts of hysteria or serious quarrels and all this emotional turmoil. I really appreciate that. It doesn’t make the story unexciting, just more mature.
I’m really glad I spend this time with Milan and Raphael.
The story takes place in some regency-ish universe populated by Alphas and Omegas and where male pregnancy is possible. I don’t think I’ve read a story like this. And I truly appreciate the extend of the world creation making this book even more unique. Despite the fact that some aspects of these Alphas and Omegas things are not really clear to me, I still enjoyed it a lot.
The characters are even better than the world creation. Milan, the Omega, makes such an outstanding and remarkable hero. Following him though the story is truly delightful. Raphael is the more complex one, starting as one of those cold and heartless heroes to turn out to be a really sweet and sensitive man. I like the way the dynamic in this relationship changes through the story. Raphael as a tortured hero makes a good job. I only wish I know him more. The story is from Milan’s POV and we don’t really get an insight into Raphael’s feelings or thoughts. But it’s not a big problem after all.
Another thing I want to point out is the lack of some unnecessary drama in the story. And that is really surprising because there are some pretty dramatic events in the story, one of the heroes is close to death. Still there are no major bursts of hysteria or serious quarrels and all this emotional turmoil. I really appreciate that. It doesn’t make the story unexciting, just more mature.
I’m really glad I spend this time with Milan and Raphael.
November 27, 2023
4.5 - You know what’s crazy? Had I not already been familiar with this author’s work, I would have dnfed this one.
I can’t stand cold and dismissive love interests and Raphael, the alpha of this book, is a particularly cruel one. However, because I trust in Marina Vivancos ability to deliver in her writing, I was able to keep on reading and I’m so glad I did!!
This was an angsty, sexy, emotional, and hard-earned happily ever after between the arranged marriage of an optimistic omega, Milan, and his distrusting alpha husband.
I loved Milan! He was another reason that a story like this was able to work for me. He pushed back and fought for himself and his happiness despite the cruelty he was subjected to. He was honest, had a strong sense of self, open-hearted, and clever. I found myself going from, he deserves a better alpha than Raphael, to, thank god he was the omega sent to Raphael. I thought he was the perfect main character for a story like this.
And Raphael ❤️💔 I don’t want to spoil anything, but I will say I really did a 180 on my feelings about him around the same time that Milan did. I love and appreciate stories that show the “ugly” sides of someone who has been traumatized and the lengths they will go to to protect themselves. Especially when it’s in a romance where they are opened up to receive real love for the first time. I don’t want to give too much away, so all I'll say is that he surprised me in a good way. 🤭
I also love when touch is important in romances and it's one reason why I love omegaverse books so much. I loved the way touch was centered in this story and it pulled at my heart-strings repeatedly, while also delivering heat and tension to the scenes. Again, I don't want to spoil anything, but if touch is something you like in romances then you should give this one a try.
Honeythorn was a well-rounded read that surprised me with the depth and care it gave to it's characters and their journey together. I'm glad I gave it a chance and can't wait to read book 2!
I can’t stand cold and dismissive love interests and Raphael, the alpha of this book, is a particularly cruel one. However, because I trust in Marina Vivancos ability to deliver in her writing, I was able to keep on reading and I’m so glad I did!!
This was an angsty, sexy, emotional, and hard-earned happily ever after between the arranged marriage of an optimistic omega, Milan, and his distrusting alpha husband.
I loved Milan! He was another reason that a story like this was able to work for me. He pushed back and fought for himself and his happiness despite the cruelty he was subjected to. He was honest, had a strong sense of self, open-hearted, and clever. I found myself going from, he deserves a better alpha than Raphael, to, thank god he was the omega sent to Raphael. I thought he was the perfect main character for a story like this.
And Raphael ❤️💔 I don’t want to spoil anything, but I will say I really did a 180 on my feelings about him around the same time that Milan did. I love and appreciate stories that show the “ugly” sides of someone who has been traumatized and the lengths they will go to to protect themselves. Especially when it’s in a romance where they are opened up to receive real love for the first time. I don’t want to give too much away, so all I'll say is that he surprised me in a good way. 🤭
I also love when touch is important in romances and it's one reason why I love omegaverse books so much. I loved the way touch was centered in this story and it pulled at my heart-strings repeatedly, while also delivering heat and tension to the scenes. Again, I don't want to spoil anything, but if touch is something you like in romances then you should give this one a try.
Honeythorn was a well-rounded read that surprised me with the depth and care it gave to it's characters and their journey together. I'm glad I gave it a chance and can't wait to read book 2!
November 1, 2023
⭐️ 4.5 stars ⭐️
Arranged marriage, non-shifter omegaverse.
The first half of the book was so painful and heart-breaking, in that good angsty way.
Thankfully, the groveling was also top notch.
Kudos to Marina Vivancos, because I had my doubts for a while there, but the way she managed to redeem Raphael and make me fall in love with him along Milan was absolutely delightful.
I love the historical steampunk-ish vibe she set this series in, it really gives a whole different feel to the romance.
CW and tropes(spoilers):
- No mpreg
- Ice prince MC
- Arranged marriage
- Abusive ex
- Bond neglect and involuntary abuse
- Strict top/bottom
“I did not know I was alone until I met you,” he said softly.
“And you won’t ever be again,”
Arranged marriage, non-shifter omegaverse.
The first half of the book was so painful and heart-breaking, in that good angsty way.
Thankfully, the groveling was also top notch.
Kudos to Marina Vivancos, because I had my doubts for a while there, but the way she managed to redeem Raphael and make me fall in love with him along Milan was absolutely delightful.
I love the historical steampunk-ish vibe she set this series in, it really gives a whole different feel to the romance.
CW and tropes(spoilers):
- No mpreg
- Ice prince MC
- Arranged marriage
- Abusive ex
- Bond neglect and involuntary abuse
- Strict top/bottom
May 11, 2020
This review is also posted on my blog.
I have thoughts about this book. Least importantly, the blurb says this book is a novella. But I can't remember the last time a 300 pages book was a novella. This is a full-length novel with only the last 4% or so of content filled with an author's note and a look into the author's other books.
Some spoilers ahead.
And aside from that, I don't even want to go into the last 20% of this book because there's more important issues at hand I want to talk about. The last 20% is ridiculous and absurd, and there could've just been another sex scene and an epilogue with the puppies or meeting the MC's family and the story would have been fine without the added drama of an abusive ex coming back with a scheme to take the love interest's entire estate. It was very unnecessary.
Trigger warnings for abuse, mentions of rape, mentions of emotional manipulation, and PTSD. This book does not contain any mpreg, but is heavily implied that mpreg exists in this world.
This story is about an Omega, Milan, who has gotten himself into an arranged marriage with an Alpha he's never met. There is very little world building outside of a few things thrown into the story. The actual reasons and setup for the arranged marriage is not explained well. But what we do know about Milan, is that he's outgoing and used to be from a big family that is full of love and warmth. He travels for weeks alone from his home in the South into the colder estates up north to meet and marry his husband. He is taken aback by the chilly response of his future husband and even if he comes to believe that he and Lord Raphael will not necessarily fall in love, Milan still hopes that they can be friends.
However, this turns out not to be the case when Lord Raphael turns him away at every opportunity and then denies him even a touch of their hands.
I admit that I am not familiar with A/B/O books and the dynamics in those stories. I've only read two before this one, and it was only from me not reading the blurb in full that I stumbled upon them in the first place. I'm familiar with bonds and knotting, but this book plays up the neglected bonds as part of the storyline and I'm not sure if that's a standard in A/B/O books? What this means in the context of this story is that Raphael has an ice cold demeanor and even after their initial bonding, starts refusing Milan's touch and this slowly kills Milan from the inside out since Omegas need skin-on-skin contact regularly with their bonded to survive.
And I'll circle back to this to tie all my issues with this book back together.
So, other than the cover to know that our MC, Milan, isn't white, is the one of two references to his skin color - the first happens 17% of the way into the story. As this is a first-person story, it wouldn't make sense of Milan to refer to the color of his skin all the time. That would be weird. But it does seem like Milan is a POC character by name only. And what I mean by that is that there's really nothing to say this book is a diverse book outside of it being a m/m romance and it's implied that both MCs are gay, because every other character in this book is white and Milan has been separated from everyone and everything he's ever known.
And that's what makes this story give me a twitch in my eye to read. There are different implications to a story if the two MCs were white. Instead, the one with the power in this dynamic is the Alpha Raphael, who very much a white man living in the North, and the Omega is a Black man from the south of the Great Continent (this is an assumption because of the cover, because the book only describes Milan as having brown skin. He could also make the assumption that Milan is Southeast Asian but we're going to assume he's Black based on the cover).
Milan is ripped away from everyone he's ever known and even Raphael's servants look at Milan with scandal and pitying looks for not knowing their "customs" and yet, never once offers to teach him their ways but expecting him to fit in with them with no help.
I mean, I hate to say it, and I know so many people smarter than I am could say this much more eloquently and could critique this book much better than I can, but this book gives off a setting that is very akin to slavery in the United States even if the story takes place in a Regency-era steampunk setting hiding within A/B/O dynamics. It's very uncomfortable to read.
It also gets worse.
So, circling back to the neglected bonds storyline...Milan knows that he's dying and that trying to tell Raphael what's happening in case he didn't realize, or anyone what's happening, isn't possible. At every turn, people would believe the rich Alpha instead of the Omega and everyone keeps telling Milan to HIS FACE that Raphael is a good man. Milan is literally dying. He's never felt more alone. This is abuse. The fact that this story tries to excuse it all away with a sad backstory for Raphael so that the reader will feel sad for Raphael because it was all a misunderstanding and ignorance on Raphael's part, and his abuse towards Milan is only because of previous trauma he suffered previously at the hands of another Omega, is really gross.
To try to turn the focus away from the pain and suffering of a Black character and focus on the pain a white character has gone through, and expecting the Black character to have to be the one to forgive or excuse all actions he's suffered the past 50% of the book is A BAD LOOK.
In addition to all that...Milan's best friend when he arrives North is a white woman Alpha named Katerina. Which, you know. We know she's very white because the first time we're introduced to her, Milan remarks in his thoughts that she has "porcelain" skin. When Milan was dying and incapable of moving much and put her off, she didn't even come to check to see if he was okay. Instead, she just gets angry at him the first time she sees him again for not answering her letters. After she hears Milan's story, she does get mad on his behalf and is suspicious of Raphael's motives for a time, but is easily won over by him offering her some of her favorite sandwiches? I don't know. She seems like an awful best friend, and comes across as a typical white woman who won't care about anything outside her own little sphere. So I don't know what what more we could've expected when she suddenly decided Milan was going to be her new best friend out of the blue. It's implied that she's a lesbian and is attracted to an Omega named Gianna, but if this is the best f/f rep we can get in this book, that's pretty sad.
This book is just not good. I'm not saying for authors to not put Black characters into their books, but maybe evaluate the implications of the story when you put a Black character into the book because it will absolutely be different than if the character was white.
I have thoughts about this book. Least importantly, the blurb says this book is a novella. But I can't remember the last time a 300 pages book was a novella. This is a full-length novel with only the last 4% or so of content filled with an author's note and a look into the author's other books.
Some spoilers ahead.
And aside from that, I don't even want to go into the last 20% of this book because there's more important issues at hand I want to talk about. The last 20% is ridiculous and absurd, and there could've just been another sex scene and an epilogue with the puppies or meeting the MC's family and the story would have been fine without the added drama of an abusive ex coming back with a scheme to take the love interest's entire estate. It was very unnecessary.
Trigger warnings for abuse, mentions of rape, mentions of emotional manipulation, and PTSD. This book does not contain any mpreg, but is heavily implied that mpreg exists in this world.
This story is about an Omega, Milan, who has gotten himself into an arranged marriage with an Alpha he's never met. There is very little world building outside of a few things thrown into the story. The actual reasons and setup for the arranged marriage is not explained well. But what we do know about Milan, is that he's outgoing and used to be from a big family that is full of love and warmth. He travels for weeks alone from his home in the South into the colder estates up north to meet and marry his husband. He is taken aback by the chilly response of his future husband and even if he comes to believe that he and Lord Raphael will not necessarily fall in love, Milan still hopes that they can be friends.
However, this turns out not to be the case when Lord Raphael turns him away at every opportunity and then denies him even a touch of their hands.
I admit that I am not familiar with A/B/O books and the dynamics in those stories. I've only read two before this one, and it was only from me not reading the blurb in full that I stumbled upon them in the first place. I'm familiar with bonds and knotting, but this book plays up the neglected bonds as part of the storyline and I'm not sure if that's a standard in A/B/O books? What this means in the context of this story is that Raphael has an ice cold demeanor and even after their initial bonding, starts refusing Milan's touch and this slowly kills Milan from the inside out since Omegas need skin-on-skin contact regularly with their bonded to survive.
And I'll circle back to this to tie all my issues with this book back together.
So, other than the cover to know that our MC, Milan, isn't white, is the one of two references to his skin color - the first happens 17% of the way into the story. As this is a first-person story, it wouldn't make sense of Milan to refer to the color of his skin all the time. That would be weird. But it does seem like Milan is a POC character by name only. And what I mean by that is that there's really nothing to say this book is a diverse book outside of it being a m/m romance and it's implied that both MCs are gay, because every other character in this book is white and Milan has been separated from everyone and everything he's ever known.
And that's what makes this story give me a twitch in my eye to read. There are different implications to a story if the two MCs were white. Instead, the one with the power in this dynamic is the Alpha Raphael, who very much a white man living in the North, and the Omega is a Black man from the south of the Great Continent (this is an assumption because of the cover, because the book only describes Milan as having brown skin. He could also make the assumption that Milan is Southeast Asian but we're going to assume he's Black based on the cover).
Milan is ripped away from everyone he's ever known and even Raphael's servants look at Milan with scandal and pitying looks for not knowing their "customs" and yet, never once offers to teach him their ways but expecting him to fit in with them with no help.
I mean, I hate to say it, and I know so many people smarter than I am could say this much more eloquently and could critique this book much better than I can, but this book gives off a setting that is very akin to slavery in the United States even if the story takes place in a Regency-era steampunk setting hiding within A/B/O dynamics. It's very uncomfortable to read.
It also gets worse.
So, circling back to the neglected bonds storyline...Milan knows that he's dying and that trying to tell Raphael what's happening in case he didn't realize, or anyone what's happening, isn't possible. At every turn, people would believe the rich Alpha instead of the Omega and everyone keeps telling Milan to HIS FACE that Raphael is a good man. Milan is literally dying. He's never felt more alone. This is abuse. The fact that this story tries to excuse it all away with a sad backstory for Raphael so that the reader will feel sad for Raphael because it was all a misunderstanding and ignorance on Raphael's part, and his abuse towards Milan is only because of previous trauma he suffered previously at the hands of another Omega, is really gross.
To try to turn the focus away from the pain and suffering of a Black character and focus on the pain a white character has gone through, and expecting the Black character to have to be the one to forgive or excuse all actions he's suffered the past 50% of the book is A BAD LOOK.
In addition to all that...Milan's best friend when he arrives North is a white woman Alpha named Katerina. Which, you know. We know she's very white because the first time we're introduced to her, Milan remarks in his thoughts that she has "porcelain" skin. When Milan was dying and incapable of moving much and put her off, she didn't even come to check to see if he was okay. Instead, she just gets angry at him the first time she sees him again for not answering her letters. After she hears Milan's story, she does get mad on his behalf and is suspicious of Raphael's motives for a time, but is easily won over by him offering her some of her favorite sandwiches? I don't know. She seems like an awful best friend, and comes across as a typical white woman who won't care about anything outside her own little sphere. So I don't know what what more we could've expected when she suddenly decided Milan was going to be her new best friend out of the blue. It's implied that she's a lesbian and is attracted to an Omega named Gianna, but if this is the best f/f rep we can get in this book, that's pretty sad.
This book is just not good. I'm not saying for authors to not put Black characters into their books, but maybe evaluate the implications of the story when you put a Black character into the book because it will absolutely be different than if the character was white.
October 23, 2020
It's been a long time since I read a book this fast! Despite a well used plot of an arranged marriage and a predictable villain this book worked so well for me. It was steadily paced story with wonderful set of characters and so much angst! Ms Vivancos has such a wonderful way with words. The descriptions of nature, people and their ways were so vivid and detailed that I could easily picture them in my mind which made the story that more rich and entertaining. And why has no one mentioned steampunk, what?! I love that!
While reading the first part of the book, I cried my eyes out. It was so emotional, so tragic and so pain filled. I loved it! I was so amped up! Both MCs, Milan and Raphael, are so different in the beginning - there is so much antagonism between them by the time the most poignant moment in the book comes. I swear I was wiping my eyes constantly. Oh, so good! I needed this type of book so much.
The second part of the book is rebirth of their bond and relationship. And I enjoyed the slow build, the sweet moments and tenderness both men showed each other every day. They were well suited with each other after all. Albeit the villain was obvious even before the situation was presented, I so enjoyed them getting their comeuppance. It was absolutely delicious! All in all, this was such a wonderfully angsty read with two MCs who were well suited, nice set of secondary characters and a new world of Alpha and Omegas, steam machines and unconventional. I enjoyed it thoroughly. Copy received for my honest and unbiased review.
While reading the first part of the book, I cried my eyes out. It was so emotional, so tragic and so pain filled. I loved it! I was so amped up! Both MCs, Milan and Raphael, are so different in the beginning - there is so much antagonism between them by the time the most poignant moment in the book comes. I swear I was wiping my eyes constantly. Oh, so good! I needed this type of book so much.
The second part of the book is rebirth of their bond and relationship. And I enjoyed the slow build, the sweet moments and tenderness both men showed each other every day. They were well suited with each other after all. Albeit the villain was obvious even before the situation was presented, I so enjoyed them getting their comeuppance. It was absolutely delicious! All in all, this was such a wonderfully angsty read with two MCs who were well suited, nice set of secondary characters and a new world of Alpha and Omegas, steam machines and unconventional. I enjoyed it thoroughly. Copy received for my honest and unbiased review.
October 21, 2023
| 4 stars |
It was a good read. Sometimes I felt so overwhelmed but it was worth it. The characters were beyond the usual alpha-omega dynamic. Reading the development of the characters' relationships felt like a beautiful journey. Everything between the MC’s felt so real and nothing was rushed. I loved the MC’s. Both of them were so sweet. The writing was also beautiful.
If you can stay patient during the first phase of the book, I'm sure you'll love it.
It was a good read. Sometimes I felt so overwhelmed but it was worth it. The characters were beyond the usual alpha-omega dynamic. Reading the development of the characters' relationships felt like a beautiful journey. Everything between the MC’s felt so real and nothing was rushed. I loved the MC’s. Both of them were so sweet. The writing was also beautiful.
If you can stay patient during the first phase of the book, I'm sure you'll love it.
May 30, 2022
The first half of this was delicious. I loved the mean Alpha breaking the Omega’s heart. Cold, evil, horrible asshole.
Except he wasn’t an asshole. And once that was solved, I got bored. It was sweet and sappy and meh.
Things that made no sense (spoilers!)
- They had sex on their wedding night and then not for months. I understand they are strangers, but then why the wedding night? And why go through with the bonding?
- Raphael didn’t know a neglected bond could kill an Omega? Even I know that and I barely read this genre.
- the whole bad guy plot twist
- probably more things but I don’t care enough to go back and check. 🤷♀️
2.5 ⭐️ rounded up. I may come back
And round down. I don’t know.
Except he wasn’t an asshole. And once that was solved, I got bored. It was sweet and sappy and meh.
Things that made no sense (spoilers!)
- They had sex on their wedding night and then not for months. I understand they are strangers, but then why the wedding night? And why go through with the bonding?
- Raphael didn’t know a neglected bond could kill an Omega? Even I know that and I barely read this genre.
- the whole bad guy plot twist
- probably more things but I don’t care enough to go back and check. 🤷♀️
2.5 ⭐️ rounded up. I may come back
And round down. I don’t know.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 12, 2022
If not for the dramatical climax, which I felt was unnecessary to the story and quite unbelievable, this would've been 4.5 stars. Really well done with emotions and romance.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 539 reviews