Jump to ratings and reviews
Rate this book

Second Sets Omnibus

Rate this book
This box set contains both books of the original "Second Sets" Bitter Notes and Sweet Strings. It also contains one brand new bonus scene!

********Long before the world bowed down to the band Whispered Words, they bowed down to me.

I was a simple girl in a small town, working two jobs and juggling college full-time—all in the name of a better future.

Until them...Kieran. Cal. Ash. Rad.

They marched into my world like a hurricane, infiltrating every aspect of my life and taking control until they owned every inch of me.

I became their obsession.
Their toy to use.
And I ate up every second of it.

Looking back, I should have run in the opposite direction the moment they mentioned my family name. West. I should have known they were only chasing me for my father, Corbin West's multi-million-dollar music legacy.

But I didn't. I stayed. I loved. And then I was wrecked.

Every fortified wall I erected, they beat down until I was left in shambles, and then they shattered me to pieces.

Music. Lies. Love. Betrayal. S*x. Money. Rock and roll. It all amounted to a whirlwind romance full of deceptive destruction and betrayal.

My name is River West, and this is the story of how Whispered Words loved me, used me, and tore my heart in two, leaving me when I needed them most.*Second Sets Omnibus is a full-length mature, contemporary, new adult romance. Full of love, spice, rock and roll, and betrayal. This book is meant for a mature audience and is recommended for 18+.

*Second Sets Omnibus is a whychoose novel, meaning the FMC has more than one love interest. FMMMM

818 pages, Paperback

Published August 31, 2024

1663 people are currently reading
1461 people want to read

About the author

Aly Beck

21 books1,062 followers

Ratings & Reviews

What do you think?
Rate this book

Friends & Following

Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!

Community Reviews

5 stars
634 (47%)
4 stars
417 (31%)
3 stars
209 (15%)
2 stars
49 (3%)
1 star
29 (2%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 83 reviews
Profile Image for Mia S..
523 reviews34 followers
April 30, 2025
Rockstars

I didn’t think I’d like the rockstar genre but got immediately drawn in, devastated, and could not put down! Loved it!
Profile Image for Irene.
491 reviews58 followers
Read
July 31, 2025
girl be so for real..... this is one of the few situations you can have a secret child, have you had no love your daughter ? They told you take care of it and gave a check, and you still told you kid about them ?????????????
Profile Image for Chelsea Pracko.
15 reviews
November 28, 2024
Lots of potential...

Overall, I just felt it was lacking a lot of necessary refinement. Book 1 was juvenile enough to make literally every character unlikeable. Most of the issues who incredibly contrived and could have been solved with either some adult conversations or the spoiles little rich boys accepting that they needed to put in some hard work. Book 2 felt as though the plot was adrift and just landing random places. Without spoiling, the major plot point was simultaneously incredibly obvious and also felt like it was coming completely out of the blue. Also, why would you trust the company that repeatedly failed to protect you?
The lack of editing throughout was actually painful. Grammar and syntax took more of a backseat than River did with strangers. Dialogue between characters did not match up, usually because a character would go off on a thought tangent in the middle, and the author didn't seem to keep track of what was actually being said. The author requested at the beginning to send screenshots of any mistakes in the book to an email. Had I done so, it genuinely would have been an undertaking worthy of hourly pay.
Profile Image for Gia Marie.
163 reviews3 followers
December 24, 2024
Cancerous is too kind an adjective when describing this set and its plot —eugh.
Profile Image for Valerie Andula.
8 reviews
March 22, 2025
must read

These books were hard to put down loved every minute of it. Couldn’t wait to read what was going to happen next.these books made me laugh cry and sexually aroused. Keep writing more like this I will definitely read them thank you
Profile Image for nat.
256 reviews
April 8, 2025
absolutely the hell not (respectfully. to each their own but what the fffffffffffffffffrench)
Profile Image for Megan White.
19 reviews1 follower
April 26, 2025
I read these books on a whim!
I did enjoy their stories but I was also ready to read something different by the end of it.
Profile Image for readunderthestars.
79 reviews1 follower
April 12, 2025
Juvenile

While there’s absolutely nothing wrong with Wattpad or fanfiction, that’s exactly what this reads like—something written by a young mind. The writing is very amateurish, and the dialogue is cringeworthy. These supposed adults speak in a way that feels more appropriate for high schoolers, and the “comebacks” are small and lack impact. They don’t slap.

That said, the core idea isn’t bad at all. In fact, it has a lot of potential and could make for a decent read—just not in the hands of this author as they are right now. With more writing experience, maturity, and a willingness to hire thorough editors who can help identify and correct these issues, I think they could absolutely grow into the story’s promise.

I truly hope the writer continues to develop, but I would strongly advise them to take a break from publishing and instead spend a significant amount of time reading. Learn the craft. Study storytelling techniques. Pay close attention to dialogue, character interactions, and pacing.

For example, dropping several pages of exposition right in the middle of a conversation is jarring and disrupts flow. Additionally, using flashbacks in every chapter—sometimes multiple times—is frustrating and lazy. If the backstory is that important, it should have been written as a separate book first, followed by this one as the “after.”

Between the excessive flashbacks, immature dialogue, strange pacing, and overall middle-school-level writing, I found myself skimming for answers. Ultimately, this ended up being a DNF for me—I gave up at around 70%.
Profile Image for Steph.
133 reviews
April 15, 2025
The storyline has some decent potential but it was completely lost in the second book. I don’t want to give too much away but it felt rushed to resolve all of the issues but then dragged on and on at the same time.

Some of the characters didn’t mesh super well for me and the second book seemed to go on FOREVER with a lot of repetition (like we get it, they are SUPER SORRY).

I think the overall storyline would have been best if it was just kept with River, Asher, and Kieran.

Character Reviews:

River: Loved her, she was a headstrong independent woman who forgave but didn’t forget. She was unapologetically herself throughout the story which I appreciated.

Kieran: I liked him much more in book 1. He turned into a whiny brat as the story went on.

Asher: Pissed me off with what he did, other than him apologizing profusely, there was really no other redeeming qualities considering the magnitude of his actions.

Rad: He was just annoying. For the sake of the band, ok, I get it. There is always that one off the wall funny guy but he ended up being very off putting for me.

Cal: the sweet, quiet and shy character. I understand the idea of him but he felt very much like an after thought.
Profile Image for Brenna.
610 reviews2 followers
November 29, 2024
DNF @22%

I just couldn’t do it. I think the final straw was all the “assface” and ClockTok.

This was forced, and cliche, and awkward.

I liked Kieran. I had a hard time reconciling Rad the protector with Rad the goofy clown. Asher was intriguing. Callum was obnoxious. The forced stuttering. The virginal boy man. Eh. Not for me.

Beyond that, I get that this included 2 books, but over 1200 pages for two smut books is WAYYYY too long. Needed some editing for sure.
Profile Image for Ashley.
150 reviews1 follower
March 19, 2025
Anguish with second chances

2 books

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Spice: 🌶🌶🌶🌶🌶

Book 1: Bitter Notes

This book keeps bringing up memories from the past between River and Kieran since they used to be bffs when kids, til him mom married rich. Ash, Kieran's step-brother, wants to use River to make big due to her last name. The plan is to woo her (all 4 od them)and have her call daddy (whom ignores her since he kicked her and her mom out) with their other 2 band mates, Rad and Callium. But she had a conditon to help (outside of calling anyone since her dad doesnt care about her), to tske her with them. They agreed.

Kieran is the childhoos best friend until he moved and forgot about her but with good reason.

Rad also has a past with her since he got her help after she was taken against her will at a party trying to reconnect with Kieran. Also, the funny and golden retriever guy.

Callum is so shy it's cute. He has a photographic memory which he sees as a curse, considering he saw his family die.

Ash is a jerk, but he loves his friends and little sister. He will do anything for them. He is kind of the leader.

River, our female lead, has such a good head on her shoulders despite her circumstances. She has humor.

She is determined to have her fun with them and if they leave her behind, so be it. But everyone develops feelings for her and she for them. But by the end, she is pregnant.

My Thoughts with hints at spoliers:
This book fills you up with so much hope, desire, and anguish. These guys have been through so much, and watching how they connect with each other and her just grabbed my heart. I knew there was a second book, so I was curious about what went down in the first one. But when I got to the end... Ash did something seriously messed up, and don't even get me started on his stepmom (Kieran's mom) and dragging her ex into the drama after he dumped her and kept stalking her...no. I found myself laughing one minute, then feeling crushed the next. My heart was just breaking by the end. Can't wait to dive into book two!

Book 2: Sweet Strings

Welcome a rollercoaster of emotions, where forgiveness comes with a side of sass and character development. Our heroine didn't just hand out pardons like free samples; she made them earn her forgiveness. Watching these characters navigate adulthood while dealing with how disconnected they all are and being famous, complete with the adorable chaos of new fatherhood was amazing to read. But wait, there's more drama brewing with Gloria, there are layers of manipulation that goes deeper than expected. Van's (the ex) past actions? Let's just say they're more twisted than we orignally though - and honestly, we're here for every deliciously complicated moment.


Secondsetsominibus #bitternotes #sweetstrings #whychoose #alybeck #anguishromance #twobooks #hope #secondchance #secondchanceromance
29 reviews
February 25, 2025
An amazing read

This set had everything! A kick-A** main female character, 4 Men who had it all and the most heartwrenching story line!

Possible spoilers:


River is seriously an amazing lead, she is down to earth, hardworking, loving and really really fun. The whole first book had me on the edge of my seat with her, I was waiting for the break. Bidding my time, my heart was pounding, I was laughing and anxious and happy all alongside Riber as she navigated this relationship she was convinced would be her downfall. I really wanted to hate the circumstances at the end, but I couldn't. I wanted to wrap River in the biggest hug and really hoped someone gave those boys the kick they needed.

When book 2 came around I thought we'd be seeing the same River and the same boys just all grown up. I was so wrong about that, She grew to be such an amazing and self aware person. Lyric was an absolute sweetheart (and I laughed so hard at her calling him a Ho 🤣🤣🤣). I didn't expect the boys to take the turn they did, Kieran and Callum really did the unexpected and Asher as well. Kinda expected how Rad handled things but was also very pleasantly surprised by how fast he picked up on what happened.

Thank you for such an amazing read!!

Profile Image for Ashley Streator.
44 reviews
July 16, 2025
Second Sets Omnibus by Aly Beck
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice:🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

I’ve never given a 6 star rating and if any book I have read to this point deserves one. It is this thicccckk Bertha. The omnibus ♥️

This Omnibus broke me in the best ways possible and then healed my broken pieces. It sucks your soul in from the word go. The ending left me happy and satisfied. The character development *chef’s kiss*, the plot twists. The pain!! The SMUT 🥵 I felt every. single. emotion.. I literally LOLd and cried throughout this book. I was addicted wanting to find out more. Heed your trigger warnings. There is mention of a rape, there is SA, there is alcohol, FM, FMM, FMMMM. The betrayal, the heartbreak, the love. Gosh I could really go on. Although this omnibus is thiccc I have zero regrets and devoured it.

River West our FMC is strong, independent, stubborn, & a force to be reckoned with.
If i could meet Van in real life we won���t mention the unmentionables I’d do to be rid this earth of him.
Asher, Rad, Cal, & Knight our MMCs are a rock band known as whispered words.

This book takes place in Central City Illinois. Well it starts there… it’s an adventure. One I deeply encourage you to go in. You will not be disappointed.
Profile Image for Angie Reads.
117 reviews
June 3, 2025
I went into this with very low expectations and then I couldn’t put it down. Incredibly fast paced rockstar romance, RH, with a good plot and interesting characters.
The things that I liked the most:
- The FMC and the other female characters. No meek women were spotted in this book. River was exceptional, strong willed, smart and driven, despite having a not so great start in life.
- The 5 year long jump that made perfect sense and was explained while it was happening. Usually in romance books when a breakup happens because someone does something shady it is usually kept secret until the big reveal at the end. In this book the person doing the shady things actually takes you through his planning and thought process and I think that made it even better. I also think it was a blessing in disguise. That time jump was necessary to make a strong relationship in the end
- The focus the characters had on real life events, besides the romance. After the big break up everybody is affected of course but life goes on and the characters focus on their ambitions and careers. This is also a point that is sometimes lost in romance books.

Highly recommend this book especially if you love RH
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Ingrid.
439 reviews
November 27, 2024
4,95⭐

Based on the rating on this book I had some expectations. And this story did not disappoint.

On the first book, dispite the boys' intentions it felt like the story was too good to be true. It's true that there are a few things happening to River and her boys but it's not until later when the big problems appear.

On the second book we see all of them trying to navigate the things that happened to them on the first book. Honestly, I liked this one better than the first.

We see all of their characters' development and how much they have mature. I see that specially on River, maybe it was motherhood or everything that happened to her but she has become more confident and strong.

All the characters have very different personalities and that makes the book much more interesting and deep. However, the one character that made me very curious is Callum. He is cute and shy but also is a protector and a fighter, and somehow to me made him a very interesting person.

I loved these books!
Profile Image for Sam Goodin.
126 reviews6 followers
January 19, 2025
Okay, this was good. It did drag on for a while, but what else did I expect when I decided to grab an over 1000-page book. Our FMC is strong and bada$$ and a survivor to the bone. River works hard and plays harder. So when she catches the attention of 4(yes, 4 dear friend) wanna be Rockstars, they all "rock" each other's world. Throw in some betrayal and heartbreak and some second chances, and that's petty much this book. Man, writing a review without spoilers is hard. This book does have an eventual HEA, and the spice had me blushing. The mouth on these men. Ashers dirty talk really hit home for me 🥵. Some troups would be virgin MMC, golden retriever MMC, dominant MMC, double banging, stalking- not by MMCs, groveling, and group scenes. I would say a solid 3.5 chili peppers and a heavier plot.
Profile Image for Ashley Burnett.
176 reviews1 follower
June 16, 2025
Here for the vibes!

Not gonna lie, it’s too long. Like, this duet is very heavy on the repetitive inner monologue paragraphs. HOWEVER, if you’re willing to do a little skimming, these books were a fun time! The FMC River is truly likable. I actually related to her in so many ways. The MMCs were delicious. The banter was top tier. I actually thoroughly enjoyed that the spicy scenes were not the main focus of the book. Don’t get me wrong the spice was hot, but the story was better and there was just the right amount of spice IMO. The ending of book 1 crushed my soul. Gah. I wanted to die right along with poor River. But I enjoyed the groveling immensely. A good grovel just gets me every time. Even with the skimming, this took a while to read so be prepared for a commitment.
Profile Image for Christina.
74 reviews
February 1, 2025
Randomly found this book and wow what a fun read!!! My first why choose (1F 4M) and I fell in love with each man like the FMC did lol River the FMC is tough because life made her that way, but she never gives up and gets the life she deserves. She’s a spitfire! The spice is great but I was also glad there was a plot that carried through both books and evolved with the characters. Between both books there’s a time jump and I LOVE a time jump. Some parts made me tear up, some made me mad but I love all the parts that made me swoon. Still not over Whispered Words, I want to be their groupie haha Each man had his unique personality and role he provided not only for their found family but for River. I could clearly see the love.
Profile Image for Amanda  Lowery.
73 reviews19 followers
April 13, 2025
Whew, where to even begin? This book has me feeling all the emotions. I swear I was about to throw my Kindle at a few points. If you love Rockstar Romances that are Polyamorious this novel is for you. It is also a Second Chance Romance!!! I swear this novel is perfect in every way. Male sure to look over the trigger warnings as there are brief mentions of A*sault, demostic violence, and more... I also love how each of the men grovel for River's forgiveness and how they stepped right up in the father rolls for Lyric. Not to mention the thriller part of this novel that including stalking by an ex!!! This is 2 books in 1 and over 1,200 pages long. Definitely worth it!!!
Profile Image for Katie Armstrong.
33 reviews1 follower
July 18, 2025
I talk a lot about this book on my Instagram and Tik-Tok! it's so far my favourite read of the year, it has so many ups and downs and twists and turns, you're literally never bored and sitting in the edge of your seat the ENTIRE time!! River is such a wonderful fmc that you can just root for, Kieran is the 'alpha' of the group that by the first half of the second half of the book you want to really punch but you can't help but love him, Asher is the one you want to punch in the first half of the book bit fall so hard for in the second half, Rad the funny, goofy, total Cinnamon Roll and Callum, sweet, shy, beautiful callum. they make such a gorgeous partnership, this book is EVERYTHING🫶
177 reviews2 followers
August 12, 2025
Fast paced rockstar romance, Reverse Harem with good plot & interesting characters. These books were hard to put down, loved every moment of them, these books fill you up with so much hope, desire, & anguish. These guys have been through so much & watching how they connect with each other and our FMC River.

The character development, the plot twists, the pain, the smut you feel every single emotion, these books were addicting to find out more and what happened. The betrayal, the heartbreak, the love. Read the trigger warnings there is mention of rape, there is SA, there is FM, FMM, FMMMM.

Profile Image for Chayla Nepote.
240 reviews
December 8, 2024
Holy Christ on a Cracker!

I jumped into this one blind and boy am I glad I did! What a beautiful duet! Seriously, I loved reading this from the very beginning! River has so much sass and character that it makes you laugh and laugh until you cry! And the boys! Oh man! Rad is the best I swear but I swoon heavily for Callum! And Kieran and Asher! I will say this makes me incredibly interested in the other situationships from the rest of the characters you encountered in this novel!
Profile Image for Baxygirl.
836 reviews3 followers
February 11, 2025
such an experience!

I was ALL IN with this!
So much action, so much drama, such brilliant characters and plot!

They were so perfectly written I could almost sketch them in detail…then all the sad, bad, ugly and snot producing moments happened and I broke.

Book 2, I noticed a lot over recovering details, even a few retelling chapters from different views, but it didn’t feel like it was added at correct spot.
The re hashing certain parts was a bit unnecessary, in my opinion, but once it got passed it, it was a joy to read.
Profile Image for Antoinetta Ciesla.
11 reviews
April 11, 2025
Suspense

Oh holy I love the suspense that both books had. Would definitely recommend it. The only reason why I read this one was because of a small tidbit on tick tock and I am so grateful for that because I could not put this book down for the life of me. The first few chapters in book 1 were a little slow, in my opinion, but it detailed every single person, every single character and their importance. And that really helped for book number two and it was amazing blending. The author did a fantastic job and I cannot wait to read more of her books.
306 reviews2 followers
June 18, 2025
it’s a fun read

It was a fun ride. I like the characters. I like there friendship and relationship that they had with each other. I will say some of the funny parts were a little cringey. Also they didn’t gravel that much for me. I get that they were manipulated and all that but they really didn’t put 2 +2 together and actually asked her. I get that the book would have ended early if they did. But come on I want to throw the book when that happened cause really guys. That part drove me nuts. Okay overall it was fun but little cringy. To me it wasn’t so bad.
Profile Image for Kari.
568 reviews6 followers
April 13, 2025
I really enjoyed this duet

This was a reread for me and I really liked it. However the books are soooo looong. I ended up skipping the last few chapters because I knew the end. I think that's what I struggled with. There was an ending or what could have been an ending but the author wanted a twist so the book kept going for another 10 chapters. Overall I really did love the characters. Lyric was my favorite she was so cute.
3 reviews
April 16, 2025
what on God's green earth is this.
before you read, you should know it is over A THOUSAND PAGES LONG. The clip I saw that made me interested in the books is over halfway in and you have to wade through pages of not great writing, extremely smutty and not all necessary sex scenes that seem to make up 80% of this book. I read the whole thing because the plot could have been interesting but ended up skipping multiple chapters just to get to the end
Profile Image for Megan.
448 reviews56 followers
June 8, 2025
Needs a serious editor

So much wrong with these two books, grammar, spelling, wrong words, half the sentences are not even sentences, waaaaay too many "pretty girls" and "little stars" and "little brats". Ugh with the nicknames.

Gloria's motivations for tricking the boys into leaving River made zero sense. Even after her confessions, there was still absolutely no reason behind her demanding they leave River behind.
1 review
June 14, 2025
I tried but it was a DNF

I try not to DNF a book, but this one I just couldn’t push through. It was so poorly written. Immature characters, and so much internal monologue that I had no idea what was thought and what was actually happening. Then when you’d actually want additional information there was absolutely no transition. I’ve read my fair share of terrible books, but this just isn’t it for me.
Profile Image for Debra.
771 reviews14 followers
January 27, 2025
River, a strong and independent young woman, finds herself in a tumultuous romance with Kieran, a singer. Asher, the bassist, and Rad, the drummer, complete the band. Their chemistry is undeniable, but their journey is fraught with challenges. Secrets, a stalker, and poor communication threaten to tear them apart. How will they overcome these obstacles and save their love?
Displaying 1 - 30 of 83 reviews

Can't find what you're looking for?

Get help and learn more about the design.