I have read various Omegaverse books that follow a similar theme before. Nowadays, it's become common to feature betas as main characters. I welcome this change because love and attention should not only be reserved for alphas and omegas, while betas are relegated to the sidelines. This addition makes the story more realistic.
Usually, I'm not a big fan of FF content, and I prefer MM instead. However, if FF is well-executed, I don't mind it. In my opinion, love is love, and it can be shared however you want with whoever you want. That's it.
What I really appreciate about this story is how inclusive it is, with an emphasis on caring, consent, and the sharing of love in any way possible. This aspect of the story is a huge positive for me. I was also happy to see that the characters are not young adults but in their thirties with life experience. Although I don't mind young people, being 33 years old myself, I can relate better to characters with more life experience.
I can completely relate to Nicky because she is similar to me in many ways. She's a bit shy, insecure, lacks self-confidence, and has had some bad experiences in the past. Her love of books and desire to work in a library at night is something I could see myself doing, although I never pursued a librarian education. However, I'm a night owl through and through, and that's when I'm at my best. One difference between us is that she struggles with not knowing what she wants and not communicating her issues with the pack enough.
For example, she knew she was in love with them early on, but she was too afraid to talk about it. I understand the anxiety part because I also struggle with anxiety, but I hate staying in that state. The only way to overcome something like that is to confront the issue head-on and talk about it. I get that it's not easy for Nicky, but I prefer to know where I stand and in which direction things are moving.
Some things were pretty clear to me, but Nicky was still insecure about them. For instance, when the pack surprised her with her own room, it was an action that spoke volumes and said, "We want you to stay." However, she didn't see it as a sign that they wanted her to be part of the pack. She needs them to spell it out for her. Again, I understand insecurity because I also need to know that I'm important to people, and it's soothing to hear them say it. But I always communicate my needs from the beginning and also make sure to listen to others' needs, even if it's just with friends. They are significant to me, too. It wasn't a major issue for me because, as I said, I can understand her reasoning, but it can be annoying sometimes.
Overall, it was a great start to the story, and I was pleasantly surprised. I had previously read Allie's and Sidney's story from this author, and I wasn't impressed by it. Therefore, I was unsure if I wanted to read Nicky's story. But I'm glad I did.
I loved all the characters because they were unique and had their own struggles. Billie was refreshing and bubbly, and I liked them immediately. They were a force of nature to others. Tony was caring and very invested in well-being, both physically and emotionally. The same goes for Gabe, who was sweet with all of them and had a special bond with Hana. She was also special in the story, being more cautious than the others, which is often used in RH Omegaverse. But it fits well and was well-explained for me. And then there's Jasper, the lovable omega with a passion for baking that I adored.
As usual, there were some parts that I could predict easily, but I also had some surprises along the way. Overall, the story hit all the right points for me. The chemistry was on point, the emotions and feelings were big, the plot line was solid, and the characters were unique.
I appreciated that the author didn't end the story with a cliffhanger, and gave readers the option to stop at that point. Although there was a bonus chapter at the end that served as a cliffhanger for part two, there was a warning beforehand. Fortunately, the second part is already out, so I can continue reading after finishing this review.