'I heard the sound of my heart breaking and pretended I didn’t.'
I'm 19 and on the cusp of maturing into an adult alpha, when I make a friend I know is going to mean something special in my life.
Although we only see each other at Christmas, with every passing year our bond gets stronger. Before long, I can see where this is leading.
Have I found my fated mate? If fated mates are real, then I think so, but regardless, I want this omega to be mine - if he'll have me.
The only problem is my Pack Alpha's son has his sights set on my future mate, and the two sets of parents might be organizing an arranged mating.
With all the obstacles placed in our way, will I be able to protect my omega and claim him for myself? Or will I lose the one that fate has chosen for me?
Content explicit sex scenes between two men, expletives, threat of sexual assault.
What better present could anyone get than their fated mate under the Christmas Tree. Tal wanted one more Christmas with all the trimmings before he reached maturity as an alpha, he didn't expect that Santa would leave the omega he was fated to under the tree. Irian arrived with his family on Christmas eve and has been drawn to the house where Tal lives and in his wolf form curled up under the tree. Since neither of these two are old enough to fully understand what has drawn them together they form a friendship. Irian is only with Tal's pack over Christmas. Political machinations try to force them apart, but they've matured now and know they're meant to be. An interesting meet me at Christmas romance.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
This is a well written fated mates story with strong characters in Tal and Irian. The author does a great job developing their story as they meet in their youth an Christmas Eva and form a close relationship which in time they realize they are mates. They go through many obstacles on the way to their HEA. The story moves fluidly and is a cute and steamy read.
I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book. All opinions in this review are my own and are freely given.
The Feisty Omega by R. Gaen is part of the Longatha Pack Origins series. It is the story of alpha and omega wolf shifters who meet when they are young and have to go through many trials to discover they are fated mates and find their happily ever after. Alpha Talius Braden and Omega Irian Mensen meet when they are 19 and 16 when Irian’s parents bring him to celebrate Christmas with Talius’s pack. They come from very different backgrounds as Irian’s mother is on the council and his father is in the diplomatic corps while Talius lives with his parents and siblings in a pack and does things that pack do. Irian doesn’t know anyone when he arrives but somehow gets into Talius’s house, changes into his wolf, and sleeps under the Christmas tree hoping to see what a Christmas celebration is all about as he has never experienced one in a pack. Talius hears him and comes downstairs. When he discovers him, he likes to think that Santa Wolf brought him just for him. Thus begins their relationship with Talius taking Irian to his bedroom where they talk and get to know one another and realize they may have something special as they feel the pull to each other like they belong together. Talius introduces him to his alpha friends and they hang out and go to the lunch for the whole pack. That is where they get the first inkling that something might be wrong as Irian’s mother compels him to sit by Marius, the Alpha’s son who everyone thinks is an entitled bully, but Irian finds a way to avoid him after that. He and Talius stay together for the rest of the vacation and wonder if they might be fated mates. But they are both too young to do anything about it but look to the future. Irian’s family returns to the pack’s Christmas the second year but Talius has been sent by his Alpha on an errand and they begin to wonder if maybe his and Irian’s family are going to try to force a mating with Marius but they are still too young to do anything about it. The 3rd year that they go back Talius isn’t there at all because of what his Alpha asked him to do and Irian is miserable and even gets scared at a pack run but luckily Talius’s friends protect him. When Talius returns they realize that something really is going on and he goes to Irian’s parents to say he wants to claim Irian and he is almost laughed out of the house. When Irian turns the legal age to be mated his mother does something dastardly but luckily Marius unbelievably helps him and he and Talius are able to claim each other in some hot love scenes as the fated mates that they are and go on to start a new life together. I really enjoyed this story. Irian isn’t your normal docile omega and is feisty and wants things his own way. Talius is strong and kind and really thinks Irian is his mate from the time they meet and is willing to do whatever it takes to protect him and make him his. Marius seems like a bad guy but is surprising at the end of the story and Talius’s friends are very helpful to them. You really do despise Irian’s parents, especially his mother, as they see him as just a political pawn to use in any way they want, especially if it brings them better alliances. I highly recommend this book, especially if you like wolf shifter stories between two young men who realize their connection from the beginning of their relationship and have to go through much adversity to get their happy ending filled with love.
I loved this book and couldn’t put it down until the last page. Time flew by and the words just flowed together as the story unfolded like a movie in my brain. The characters drew me in as Irian and Talius met when Irian was only 16 and Tal 19, feeling something special was connecting them together but not really sure what it was. Meeting only over Christmas holidays for the first two years, Irian is constantly trying to thwart her parent’s plans to force her closer to the Pack Alpha’s son, instead hanging out with the older Tal and his friends, enjoying his connection and the increasing bond with him. When Tal is gone for the third Christmas holidays, it is becoming obvious that the parents are pulling strings in the background to keep them apart. But these two are fated and will find a way to be together, just as the Goddess planned.
What I especially liked about this book is getting the backstory on how Irian and Tal met and eventually were mated, since they are major characters in the two previous books in the series, The Sad Omega and The Alpha’s Commitment. In those books, Tal and Irian have been mated for years and have their own pack, and they are instrumental in rescuing an abused omega, one who becomes very important to them and to the pack. It is so satisfying to see how they came together and the obstacles they faced in order to gain and keep their fated mate.
One of the characters sort of portrayed as a villain turns out not to be, and I hope there may a book in the works for that character in the future.
As I said at the start, I couldn’t put this book down until I found out how Tal and Irian got to be together, the story just pulling me in and not letting go until the end. All of the main and supporting characters were vivid personalities (some good, some not), keeping me engaged. There were a couple of crises which gave me an increased heartbeat for a few pages, and a sigh of relief once the crisis passed, and a good feeling of satisfaction and all being right with their world, at least for now. I look forward to the next book planned inthe series. Can’t wait to see if is with a returning character , or totally new ones to join the pack created by Tal and Irian in their new life.
I received an advance review copy of the book and this is my voluntary review.
Independent reviewer for BookSirens, Iwas gifted my copy of this book.
This is an Origins book, it comes before The Sad Omega. I am reading this book after that one. I said in my review for that book, that I didn't much like Talius. NOW I understand why he was the way he was in that book! SO, I think you really should read this book BEFORE The Sad Omega. It might give you a better view of Talius when you first meet him.
Omegas and Alphas cannot mate in this world until they are 22, or 19 with a special license. Talius meets Irian first just before his 17th birthday, he was still 16. But both are drawn to each other in a way they never were to anyone before. They get to known each other over several Christmases, until Irian's mother does something unthinkable: she gets that special license and Irian will have no choice but to mate the alpha chosen by her. And that is NOT Talius.
I really did like young Talius, and how he steps slowly around the young Irian, and how they get to know each other over time. That getting to know you bit was what I missed somewhat in The Sad Omega, I think. We don't get it, as they are already mated and bonded and happy in their pack.
I did not like Irian's mother but that also explains why she is absent from his life in future books.
Both men get a say and I loved getting into their heads as they come across each other for the first time, and at the end, when it all goes down! I did not see that going down as it did, but now I feel for Marius, the alpha that Irian was supposed to mate with, and I want to know if HE gets his HEA too.
I thoroughly enjoyed getting to know Talius and Irian better, but more so Talius. I can see him differently now.
I hope to be able to read more of this pack, in the future.
Talius Braden, one of the Alphas in his pack, and Irian Mensen, an Omega whose parents are in the Council and diplomatic corps, meet each other when his family is invited by the Pack Alpha to enjoy the Christmas celebration. Both are still young, yet they feel the draw to each other. But Irian’s mother intends to use her son for political gain when he becomes old enough to have a mate. That becomes obvious when, at a lunch with the pack, Irian’s mother forces him to sit by Marius, the Alpha’s son known to be a bully. For the next two years, the process will continue with the annual Christmas visit, and Talius and Irian can feel their bond getting stronger.
Talius has already been thinking he may have met his fated mate. He is concerned, however, that Irian’s parents are already negotiating with the Pack Alpha to offer their son to Marius. Through help from Talius’ friends, each time the Pack Alpha sends Talius away to give Marius exclusive access, they keep Irian safe. The last time, Talius was sent to attend an accelerated course that would finish in 2 weeks, giving him time to be with Irian; but Talius was informed that was not true, it never ended sooner than the 4 weeks it was always scheduled for, which would give Marius alone-time to pressure Irian and win him over or maybe the parents may have made an arrangement for a union between Irian and Marius. His only hope was that the administrator would let him return home for Christmas, but that would break the contract with the Camp Administration which was not allowed. He wasn’t even allowed to make a phone call to explain to Irian. Will Talius get a chance to claim his fated Mate? Or will Irian be stolen away from him before he can make him his own?
Tal sees a wolf under his tree and tells everyone that Irian was his Christmas present but when Tall was going to hit Luke for saying things about Irian who touched him and calmed him. Irian lived in the city during the feast he had to sit next to Mur because he wanted Irian for his as their parents had decided. Wouldn’t let Mur get his food for him because that meant he was accepting the mating. The next Christmas he was to stay with Mur but went and stayed in the dormitory didn’t see Tal had been sent on a mission until they were ready to leave. The next year Tal was sent to an alpha training he was told it was only 2 weeks but was 4 weeks so the head understood and helped Tal get passed to get back home. The next Christmas he was taken to the country home to force him to mate with Mur since they got permission for him to mate earlier than supposed to but Mur had found his mate so he helped Irian get mated to Tal then they went to the property Tal owned.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
R. Gaen does it again! This book swept me off my feet and straight into the heart of the Leongatha Pack's world. The mix of tender romance, shifter dynamics, and holiday warmth made it impossible to put down. The characters are so vividly real. I could feel every moment of longing, heartbreak, and joy right along with them. The connection between the alpha and omega is electric yet heartfelt, and their struggles feel authentic and deeply emotional. The tension with the Pack Alpha's son and the looming threat of an arranged mating kept me on edge, rooting for their love to triumph. R. Gaen has a gift for creating stories that make you feel every emotion. The love, determination, and pack dynamics shine through on every page, and the Christmas setting adds an extra layer of magic. This series is pure perfection, and The Feisty Omega is a standout addition. If you’re a fan of MM shifter romances or just want a story that will make your heart soar, this is a must-read!.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
An ext. of the Leongatha Pack Tales – Get comfortable it will be a minute before you stop turning pages. Our two met when they were teenagers with different backgrounds alpha Tailus and Omega Irian meet when Irian’s parents bring him to celebrate Christmas with Tailus pack. Irian parent’s mother is on the council and father diplomatic corps so pack life isn’t lost on him but at the same time it is. So, seeking to watch the celebrations he and Alpha become fast friends but he notices his mother keeps making him sit next to another alpha Marius his parents are trying to force a mating between them he hangs in there but by the time he is older the third year his friend isn’t there and Irian is miserable a little scared as they get older Talius makes it know but his parents do not want that so his mother tries to force a mating but with help of true friends and an enemy who becomes friends will they get to with each other as mates, will he see that he means nothing to his parents except as a pawn to further their careers and will they find their own HEA?
The year he turned 19 Alpha Talius Braden finds the best gift under his Christmas tree. Santa Wolf brought him Omega Irian Mensen. Irian is only sixteen, too young to mate, but the pair are drawn together. Pack politics keep the pair apart for a few Christmases. And Irian's parents, particularly his mother, also does her part. She wants her son to mate with Talius' pack's Alpha heir.
It's fiction. They're shifters. That said, nineteen is waaaayyyy too young to be mated. Fated or arranged. Talius has a few supportive friends who run interference for Irian, when Talius is sent on 'special mission' for his Alpha. The older Mensens are excellent villains.
This is a sweet love story… because they're underage. When they reach consent age, things get spicier. The book is also the precursor to Gaen's The Sad Omega, and I'd recommend reading Feisty first for Talius and Irian's backstory.
A quick read. An enjoyable Christmas story. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
This will pull at your heartstrings and have you gasping in fear and delight. The feeling of angst is high in this book. You are taken over a span of 3 years and bare witness to the evils of corrupt parents, conniving pack members, and constant obstacles! Imagine only being able to see your close friend or lover for 2 weeks out of the year. And throw into that people actively separating you both to have as little time to grow together as possible. Our sweet omega Irian and fierce alpha Tulius sure have their work cut out for them. And when you think we all can take a collective breather and bask in what we assume to be a sure thing… another incident happens that quite literally pulls them apart. I love this cute but steamy book. Irian and Tal's story was an adventure that will leave you hopefully satisfied in the end.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Talius believes Santa Wolf leaves him his own Christmas present under the tree in the form of his own wolf. Irian has never really celebrated Christmas and wanted to see a Christmas tree. Both Talius and Irian are feeling the "mating" pull but aren't sure what to do with the unusual feelings. For 3 years their relationship/friendship continues to grow...but..Irian's parents as well as Mar's parents are planning on a mating behind the boys backs. With obstacles in their way and life happening the fiesty Omega and his Alpha has alot to over come...and Talius's friends comes to their aid and a surprise you least expect...
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
The world R. Gaen set in the Feisty Omega is great. Everything you want for a Wolf-shifter Christmas Romance. Fated mates, mystery, betrayal, knotting, and lots of romance its a win win!!!
Irian isn't the typical omega. Talius is a strong independent alpha. They meet each other before reaching the age of being able to bond and mate but because Irians parents tried to force into a bonding before it was supposed to happen they had to trust that their bond was strong enough to face he challenges they were given. I liked how sweet they were. I enjoyed the spicy scenes and read them a few times. You don't want to miss out on this lovely story!!!!
I received this as an advanced readers copy for free. I am leaving this review voluntarily.
R. Gaen writes her characters with such delicacy and love that it is easy to forget that they are wolf-shifters living side by side with regular folks. Tal and Irian meet in this prequel to the prior books in this series. Tal is at that great age of boys of all kinds when there is just enough of that dreamer child left in him. When he finds a little wolf under the tree very early on Christmas, he knows this means something. They become great friends but only meet at Christmas when their two families get together. Angst and politics ensue; both must stand up to scheming parents to claim their fated mate. The maturing love is depicted with care, and Irian shows that not all omegas are submissive!
I received an ARC of this book for free and left this review voluntarily.
'I didn’t know what this was, or what it might become. But I did know the Goddess wouldn’t have placed him directly in my path if he wasn’t meant to be there.'
I loved this book. Great world building and wonderful characters. I loved both Irian and Tal. Their journey to get their happy ending was a hard won battle of tension and suspense and I was completely hooked. I loved the connection between them and the growing bond that even time could not dull. I was furious at Irian's parents- especially his mother- and what he was being forced into. I look forward to reading more in this series. 4 stars.
What a beautiful shifter MM romance, a story of fated mates, too young by law to act on their bond but who build a friendship.
Two people from different worlds who know when they meet that they've connected with someone who will be special to them but when pack members act to keep them apart can they find a way to be together? Will fate win?
I loved every moment of these two being together, their bond was so special, even when they were just friends and what a sassy omega who knows what they want and won't stand for anything less.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Talus is a young alpha. He is not of age yet. Irian is an omega and not of age yet. They meet when Irian is 16 years old and he is pulled to Tal. Tal is also pulled towards Irian and feels really protective of him. They meet every Christmas. when Tal was sneaking downstairs to see the Christmas tree and see if Santa Wolf had come, Tal saw his own Christmas wolf asleep under the tree. Tal change and slept next to Irian all night. This would be a habit for years to come. They grow up but parental forces are against them. How do they maneuver the parents?
I really enjoyed getting to watch the relationship build and mature between Talius and Irian. And since I had already met them in the previous book the sad Omega it was really nice to see how they started out. I was also pleasantly surprised to find out that Marius wasn't the bad person that he could have been perceived as. Outside of the pack run incident I felt sorry for him.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I loved this book. A well written storyline that had plenty of angsty moments, drama and steam! A well paced relationship development really helps you bond to the MC's and route for them to overcome all the obstacles in their way to a hea!.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
If you've read the earlier books in this series, this is a prequel with Irian and Talius' story. There's angst, tender moments and a few surprises as they fight for each other and their relationship. I really enjoyed this story.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
In this book we get the origin story of how Talius and Irian meet. At 19 years old Tal is still at home & not yet a full alpha. It's Christmas Eve & sneaks down to the tree & finds a sleeping wolf pup. He feels an immediate urge to go to the pup. Pup shifts & it's Irian. We learn what they went through to get their happily ever after. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I don't remember the names of the MCs because Kindle had a problem when I wrote the review and it didn't post. The story is a heart-warming one as the two guys knew that they were meant for each other but family circumstances were standing in their way true to themselves, they were able to remain together.
I wasn’t sure what to expect with this story but I enjoyed it. Talia’s and Irian came very close to losing their dream through the machinations of ambitious others but they persevere. Their bond was too strong to let it be denied. I am going to need to look up the rest of this series!
I enjoyed this book about Irian and Talius. Once upon a time it was different to read about omegas. I really laughed and hoped that they would find each other, even though the family wanted something different. Nice book, definitely worth reading. Refreshing look at the existence of the omegas.
Overall I liked this book I really wish it would stop at this book with this couple and move on to the friends of Tals books but it doesn't since this is a continuous book series based off this one couple.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
loved this book and highly recommend it to anyone who loves shifter books. There are many things that happen to Tal and Irian, but I won’t reveal them.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Talius and Irian are wolf shifters. They are too young to mate but know they belong together. Irian's parents and Talius's alpha want to stop them for their own selfish reasons. I really enjoyed this book.
Have read this author before. Characters are always individuals. Enjoyed the story. Will continue reading this author. (I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.)