Knot Made to Break: Part One

Runaway Omega #3

by Harper Wylde

When I was little, I used to be afraid of the monsters under the bed. No one ever told me that real monsters walk in the daylight.

For eight unbearable months, I’ve been their prisoner—broken, bruised, and forced to endure horrors no one should ever face.

But survival is in my blood.

When four dangerous Alphas from a rival family storm into my life, their rescue shatters the cage that’s held me captive. They’re everything I should powerful, lethal, and unapologetically dominant. Yet, when they call me mate and vow to protect me, something fragile stirs inside me—something that hasn’t existed in far too hope.

They promise safety, love, and a future I can’t bring myself to believe in. Yet, the more time we spend together, the harder I fall. Their touch sets me on fire, their scents call to me in ways I can’t resist, and their unwavering devotion dares me to dream again.

But trusting them means risking everything. Because my past isn’t done with me yet. The monsters will come for me.

Only this time, I refuse to be the prey.

To claim the future we all crave, I’ll have to confront my deepest fears and trust these men to stand by my side. Together, we’ll fight for the life I was never supposed to have—because in a world that tried to break me, I’m learning not just how to survive, but how to live.

Knot Made to Part One is the first book in a contemporary reverse harem Omegaverse duet that features four sexy brothers, mafia vibes with dark romance themes that come from outside the harem, hurt/comfort, touch her and d!e, emotional healing, nesting, knotting, and plenty of romance and steam with a dash of suspense. This book promises no choosing, no cheating, no m/m (all the focus is on her!), and a guaranteed HEA at the end of the duology! Please read the content warning at the start of the book for possible triggers.

Genres: Omegaverse, Romance, Why Choose, Fantasy, Dark, Dark Romance, Contemporary

454 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 13, 2024

About the author

Harper Wylde is a bestselling paranormal romance and urban fantasy author who lives in the countryside of Pennsylvania. As a wife and mother of three young children, she spends her days chasing after little ones and making notes all around her house about magical worlds, strong heroines, and the men who would do anything to protect them. When she’s not writing, she can often be found curled up with a good book, binge watching reruns of The Vampire Diaries, or gaming with her boys.

Reviews

[Kelly (AndKellyReads) · Rating 5 out of 5]

okay cliffhanger

excuse me???????? where is part 2?!!!!!

I am normally tardy to the party I hate that I have to wait?!!?!? These characters were gooey and sweet and stupid and wonderful and charming and over the top and precious and I love them and now I have to wait months????

this is some bull 💩

also I knew what was coming but it still made me yell “UGHHHHH” when the book ended so like …..Harper put me out of my misery I am begging

[Jocelyn]

DNF at 51%. I enjoyed Demi’s books, but this isn’t clicking for me. I think it’s because the MMCs are all brothers. I could maybe see two brothers sharing a woman, but four? It just doesn’t compute. I’m also halfway through and I remember any defining qualities to tell the brothers apart.

There is also quite a bit of repetition and pieces that don’t make sense. At three different points, at least one of the MMCs muses about how they would steal the moon from the skies if the FMC wanted. OThe MMCs take the FMC shopping and a beta woman (who knows that the MMCs are mafia) is super catty and mean to the FMC. I’m supposed to believe a retail worker decides to shoot her shot for the guys that are super dangerous by insulting their Omega?

Overall, I’m not into this and it’s a bummer. I was looking for was looking forward to this.

[Jenn · Rating 2 out of 5]

The writing, I felt, needed some editing. I never liked the trope of a FMC enduring SA and then rolling right into an intimate relationship with a character that’s grabby ans rougher. Suggesting spanking within a week of meeting someone who was held captive for almost a year? No thanks.

The pacing was slow, characters were all sounding the same and using the same turns of phrase. I do think it’s difficult to transition severe trauma into spicy romance and a HEA. Unfortunately this one didn’t keep me engaged enough to want to continue.

[Calamity Bliss · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm only partway in so far. This book is very much written to appeal to a person looking for certain tropes. Unfortunately it hammers at those tropes so hard it makes it difficult to enjoy for those of us who aren't as into them.

The FMC is described by the MMCs over and over as delicate, ethereal, with porcelain skin (I think I've used up my quota for the word 'porcelain' for the next two years after two chapers). The MMCs spend multiple pages on how precious she is, how everything they are now revolves around her, how they'd kill or die to make her happy. This is all before she's said more than a dozen words. For all they know she likes collecting her own hair and constantly refers to herself in the third person.

Additionally so far the FMC doesn't actually seem to have a personality except for trauma. By this point I'd expect to know something more about her than that she's a foster kid with amazing (and white! very very white! the most white, apparently, so white even the macho gangster dudes all feel the need to constantly compare her with dishware) skin. Does she like pop music? Does she have trouble making friends? Does she enjoy cooking? Are squirrels her least favorite animal?

The world, and probably the MMCs, will never know.

(Edited to add I was about to swallow my pride and admit that we did, in fact, learn FMC likes cooking... but that was followed up by her asking (3 weeks after being rescued, and 8 MONTHS after being bought by rivals in the same business) if they were in some sort of... mafia... or something.. this, of course, is followed by one of the MMCs exclaiming over how very very intelligent she is to guess that the ultra rich italian guys who everyone is scared of and have threatened and even killed multiple people in her presence are part of the mafia. Truly, her intelligence is wasted here and really she should be part of some kind of... smart person club... or something.)

I guess she did stop them from brutally torturing and killing that one chick who was mean to her, and only had the chick fired and exiled instead, so that makes FMC the absolute pinnacle of compassion, according to the MMCs.

I'm actually quite a fan of instalove in novels (hence my omegaverse obsession) but I like it to turn into something more meaty than "you smell nice, therefore we worship you." Plus growly 'you belong to meee' hits different when the poor girl just escaped from literal slavery.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I set myself up for failure by not realizing the second half of this duet isn’t set to release until later this year 🫠🫠🫠☠️ I mean, I knew from the first duet that there would be a cliffhanger so I was partially prepared for that—and what a cliffhanger it was!!—but then turning the final page and clicking into the store hoping I could just continue the story and finding out it’s not yet available??? Gutted.

So if you couldn’t tell, obviously very much enjoyed this story. The blending of omegaverse with darker themes like the mafia lifestyle of the Alphas leading this story and the past sweet Kit has gone through was ✨chef’s kiss✨ I mean, it’s all about balance: sunshine and darkness, sweetness with sadness. The guys are absolute GONERS for Kit and I’m obsessed with it. Each one has their own relationship developing with the small survivor of an Omega and watching as they shower her with the love she’d never had and was beginning to think she didn’t deserve just fed a part of my soul.

There’s action, there’s romance, there’s trauma healing, there’s family. Don’t let the bright jewel-toned cover fool you: this book brings the heavy, but it balances it out nicely with the sweetness of the Alphas showing their devotion to their newfound scent-matched Omega. If you’re okay with a bit of darkness in your omegaverse, totally check this one out! (Though if you’re smarter than me, you’ll wait until after the second half of the duet releases to avoid the agony of that cliffhanger 🫠☠️)

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 (4.5)

[Colleen · Rating 1 out of 5]

At 29%

“If you say you’re fine, I’m going to spank you when we get home,” Dimitri grumbled as he slid smoothly into his usual spot. “S-Spank me?” Kitania’s eyes widened, her fingers flexing where she gripped my shirt. “I don’t like to be hurt.” D softened instantly. “Trust me Kitten, I’d never harm you. It might be a punishment, but I’d only do it in a way you enjoyed.”

Mind you this is days after they rescued her from where she had been kept as a sex slave for really abusive alphas for the best part of a year.

I read onto 70% but it’s shit and I don’t care to finish these characters story so I’m gonna DNF

[˚•—S—•˚ · Rating 3 out of 5]

its so terribly predictable.
every event/plotpoint that happened was known a long time ahead and as a reader the characters just felt like they became dummer and dummer for not realizing what was right in front of them the whole time...

also calling their scent "their signature" doesn't work for me.

[Zen · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 stars

I don't think this FMC is weak, but the is uncertain which can translate to meekness in some instances. She was coming into her own towards the end of this novel, so I am expecting to like the second more as she asserts herself in the family.

[Kristina Staudt · Rating 2 out of 5]

It’s like the author wanted to write a mafia romance with a bad ass FMC and failed at writing that? Maybe it’s because I read too much dark romance and kept waiting for them to kill the bad guys when they only killed one bad guy at the beginning of story. Oh a guy in our OWN family is talking shit about our mate? And continues to do so after the first warning? ITS A MAFIA BOOK-KILL HIM OFF…. But then he’s the bad guys’ spy so I guess that would ruin the plot line. Just very annoying all around. I kept waiting for things to happen that never did.

[Boo · Rating 4 out of 5]

enjoyed

This was such a good read. I liked the characters. I liked how she was started healing with her men. I can’t wait for the next book because of that cliffy!!

[Petulee · Rating 2 out of 5]

I’m 50/50 on this, most bad things I can somehow overlook cause it happens in a lot of books in this trope but honestly the one thing I couldn’t stand was when the FMC had to be center of attention in sad / grieving situations of others. I understand she has trauma and stuff but making every situation about her was so annoying. For example with Nicks funeral. Here was Enzo mourning his friends death and the FMC whoops is saying it’s her fault and blah blah making Enzo be there for her and her grief , instead letting Enzo have the moment for himself. And it was like that in every situation that wasn’t hers like girl I get it, trauma, but u dont need to be the center of every situation … sooo annoying.

Update:
Next issue I had was the repeating phrases like broken record. In all situations but mostly it annoyed me in the intimate situations with FMC and the brothers, like no one has personality or what? Saying the same thing again and again is pain, every one is stealing moon etc.. when I heard it for third or fourth time (lost count on too many situations) I really wanted to throw the book and DNF it but my stubborn self didn’t cause I hate not reading the books till the end. I get it that its hard developing characters and with many at the same time but id you cant do it just do less MC, would do better having less more builder up then having more empty characters. The situations I write about are at the end if the book but I honestly couldn’t hold the annoyance in anymore. But there where way too many situations throughout the book I would write about too but I forgot about them for the sake of it. Normally this type of book I have read in a day max two in the evenings. This is my fourth day and I still can’t finish it and I’m laying in bed sick with enough time to read .

Did anyone else feel like that too or was it only me?

[Nicole (literary_nics) · Rating 2 out of 5]

Okay look, I wanted to love this. Coming off the emotional chaos of the last two Runaway Omega books, I was ready for another dose of angst, trauma, and overprotective Alphas. But Knot Made to Break: Part One? Felt more like one long fever dream of pain and confusion, with zero emotional payoff to ground it.

The FMC has been through eight months of absolute hell, and now she’s dumped into the hands of four new Alphas who immediately start growling “mine” before she can even blink. And while I get that this is the Omegaverse, and trauma bonds are a thing, I needed more actual connection, less chaotic claiming energy. It was hard to root for the romance when I didn’t even know who these guys really were. One was grumpy, one was mean, one was probably sweet (??), and the other... no clue. They all kind of blended into one big Alpha-shaped wall of dominance.

Also? The pacing was all over the place. It’s dark, it’s traumatic, it’s constantly intense—but there’s no emotional balance or moments of softness to give you a break. I was just... tired. And while I appreciate a slow burn and a trauma-informed storyline, this felt like trauma for the sake of trauma, with zero trust-building or safe space in sight.

By the end, I honestly felt like I needed a nap and a hug. I might pick up Part Two just to see if it delivers some redemption, but this one didn’t hit like I hoped. If you’re into full-blown emotional chaos with minimal connection so far, it might still work for you—but I needed more than just pain on pain.

[Estee Carson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cliffhanger no mm

Ends in a cliffhanger. Spice 2/5 no mm they're all brothers
4 alphas who rescue an omega and she's their scent match (mate). She's been brutalized by bad alphas they take their time courting her.
They want to claim her during her first heat but the bad alphas are trying to get her back.
This is mafia omegaverse, territory wars bleeding into the bonding of Katania with her mates.
Slow burn but she's had some form of intimacy with each individually (no spoilers). She's broken, shy and frail yet she didn't let the bad guys break her spirit, she's a fighter Tommas is teaching her to handle a gun. Each guy gives her something different, their personalities are strong and well thought out.
Our fmc hasn't quite made it to a transformation yet, I'm guessing book two she will.
The says yes developed independent connections wit each guy is perfect, but they will all be with her together once they claim her.
Trigger warnings...kidnapping, bondage and rape are mentioned but we don't get the "scene" played out. Physical abuse mention of knives as torture etc and an intimate sex act with an object (no spoiler).
This had me reading straight through, I loved the author taking time to build their connections and letting Kit lead.
Onto book two immediately!

[Mei · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kitania has spent 8 months being tortured by a pack that bought her through an illegal auction.
Pack Cristenello rescues her from the harrowing situation and immediately discovers that she is their mate. During the course of this book, the men attempt to keep her safe and away from the remaining alphas had tortured her.

The pack is all in on their new omega and fully committed to making her life better. And in a rare occurrence the Pack's father, the mafia head is all in as well. He's also committed to keeping Kitania safe. It happens so often in books where the parents are the evil ones and glad to see this does not happen.

Kitania finds herself in the middle of a mafia war with Pack Valentino, who believe Pack Cristenello stole. This begin to escalate as people start going missing or killed.

There are four alphas in this pack.

Dimitri - lead alpha, black hair brown eyes
Giovanni - tattoos, green eyes
Tommas - younger brother
Marco- scarred

Mafia Omegaverse
Damsel in distress
Hurt\Comfort
Sweet, loyal, and possessive mates
Instalove
Found family
Multi POVs

Another page turning by Harper Wylde. Looking forward to the next

[Ash - chasingwistoragic · Rating 4 out of 5]

“You sure you want to start a war, Angel? You’re outnumbered.” “No, I’m not.” I hooked my arm through Gio’s. “The big guy is on my team.” Gio arched a brow at me. “That so?” I blinked up at him prettily and put on the charm. “Are you going to tell me no?” A slow, devastating smile split his face. “This is dangerous.” I cocked my head. “What is?” “How you’ve realized so early on that I can’t deny you anything.” I grinned up at him with a small shrug. “I’m just embracing my super powers.” Gio reached out and ran his thumb along the bottom line of my lip. “Good girl.”


Mafia. 4 alphas. Broken but strong omega. A terrible cliffy. What more could you want? 😂 I KNEW it was gonna be a cliffy and I read this book anyways, I don’t regret it but I’m also a little stressed now 😂 thankfully the author is saying part two is planned for a March release so I don’t have too long to wait! All the guys were wonderful and so sweet with their omega and I just need to know that everyone’s ok and that the bad guys are unalived.

[Kayley · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF'd at 82%

So sad because I loved the previous books in this series, and in theory it had everything that I loved in it. However, it read surface level. The FMC, which is always the maker or breaker for OV books, felt not fully flushed out. The MMCs didn't have all that much variety to them, which is unfortunate and a big reason for my low rating. When you make the characters the "big bads" of the world, you are setting it up for a morally gray hero. However, they constantly allow things to happen which the average MMC, or even another Alpha, wouldn't have let slide.

There also seems to be a slight disconnect in the writing style of this book. I have read other books by this author and this has not been a complaint or something I have witnessed previously. This particular book felt choppy. For instance, the transaction between action and dialogue just didn't flow smoothly. This took me out of the story since everything felt staccato rather than fluid.

Would recommend the first two books in this series instead, but this one I would pass on.

[Ashley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved the first set of books in this universe, and Harper did not disappoint with the release of Knot Made to Break. The angst, romance, development, and story were so good that I had trouble putting the book down! I had to know what was going to happen next, and couldn't wait to see how Kit and the pack work through things and figure out what their future is like.

There is a decent amount of spice, the plot is there, we get introduced to side characters, and really see relationships start to form as the story progresses.

This one is a 4.5 star book for me! I think there are just a few missing pieces that needed to happen to make it a 5 star book in my eyes, but it's still really good, and I enjoyed reading it!

I definitely have plans to devour part 2 as soon as it's released! I would definitely recommend this to anyone who likes a dark omegaverse story!

This is on the darker side so make sure you check the trigger warnings before reading.

[Anastacia Newton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Slow

This book was okay, there's nothing fundamentally wrong with it, but it wasn't for me. Other than at the beginning and the end, nothing is really happening, and you get more time with Gio than any other mate. Kitania is also a very weak, insecure character. Several times, she struggles in ways that do actually make it seem like she would be ill advised for the Mafia life. I could blame her trauma for that, but I cannot believe that she is like that while also suspending my belief to believe she would almost immediately, after months of trauma, jump into intimacy with these men. You run the risk when you write a character with these characteristics of her coming off as whiny. Since most of the book was anticlimactic, it was really hard to stay engaged and finish it. I probably will not read book 2 because as much as I loved Believe it or Knot, this storyline just isn't engaging.

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received this book as an ARC.

I have read many of Harper’s books and thoroughly enjoyed the previous duet in this series. I was very much looking forward to reading this next one. I was not disappointed.

This first part of Kit’s story was well written and her development into a stronger woman was wonderful to read (although admittedly getting past her trauma in a relatively short period of time did give me pause, but we don’t usually read these kinds of books for the realism).

The Alphas were great characters with enough depth to keep me interested in all of them. The hotter scenes were 🔥 but not crazy over the top - except for maybe one (you’ll know what I mean when you read it).

I have to admit that after the cliffhanger ending, I’m really upset that I have to wait 11 months until the next book comes out.

Definitely recommend reading this book.

[Charlotte Roberts · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received this book as an ARC

Omg what can I say Harper you’ve done it again.

- 4 morally grey possessive alphas
- Found family
- Touch her and d!e
- Knotting/nesting
- Forced proximity
- Mafia vibes
- Adhd representation

Kit and her pack had my heart from the very first sentence.
The way the trauma and pain was put into words, you could feel everything that Kit was feeling. I loved that even though she was feeling all of these emotions she was more worried about her alphas than herself.
Those men absolutely adore her and you could clearly see that! (I need to find me a man that will buy me a whole new wardrobe 🤣)
But omg that ending, now the wait for part two. You had me on the edge of my seat!!
I can’t wait for part 2! Well done again! This was so good!

[Brianna B · Rating 5 out of 5]

Harper Wylde does not miss! This series is amazing, but I absolutely am in love with this book and am dying for part two, especially after that intense cliffhanger. This book introduces us to the newest omega in this series, Kitania, and her 4 alphas. This omegaverse will not be your hallmark cinnamon roll story, but it is still a definite read as it brings you into the mafia, possessive, protective, scent match world that will have you tripping over your feet while watching the mmcs and fmc learn and grow together as individuals and a pack. This series and book are a must-read! (Make sure to pre read trigger warnings as there are some sensitive topics discussed)

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was intense. Really well written with well developed characters, but definitely check your triggers before reading.

I loved Katania and how strong she was. She what gone through some serious trauma prior to meeting her pack, and it was a hard read at times. But she is healing with the help of her alphas, and it’s heart-warming to watch her heal and grow.

I love her alphas. They are all in the mafia, but with her, they are soft and caring. It’s an interesting dynamic to watch, and I love their story.

This book ends on one heck of a cliffhanger though. I’m rooting for Katania and her men!

[Keke · Rating 5 out of 5]

Definitely pulls you in!!

Kit is a very different omega although she went through a horrible ordeal with her captures, when she met her sent matches she clung to them right away, it seem like it came easy to her. But I’m loving the brothers patience they have with her and the love that developed between all of them, Now that they have there omega they are doing everything in there power and power they definitely have with being apart of the mob but now the enemies have invaded there home and there omega is in trouble ,omg I can not wait for part 2 to drop the cliffhanger is killing me

[Tiffany · Rating 3 out of 5]

could have been 1 book

What you need to know: this should have been 1 book. We have action in the first few chapters and then we hit snoozeville. Absolutely nothing moves the plot along until 70% in. Of course this book ends on a cliffhanger so the author can make more money. The fmc is likable but weak. She needs to be coddled and is skittish. I know things happened to her- but come on! She’s too gentle for a plot like this. Other than them being scent matches, I don’t see their compatibility 🤷🏽‍♀️ I’ll read the next book, but I’ll probably skip large chunks of fluff just like I did with this one.

[Marilyn Burgess · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just finished this amazing book and please note that it has an amazingly enormous cliffhanger that will have you screaming. That being said, while I have read other books by Harper, I have not read any other in this world she has created. I was immediately drawn in and invested in the fmc and her alphas. It has a mafia feel with the world of alphas and omegas thrown in. There are definitely some trigger warnings to be aware of, but if you like a little darkness with your spice, I highly recommend this book. I absolutely cannot wait for part two!

[Louise Harrison · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good Read

What an epic cliffhanger! This book was absolutely brilliantly written and I found it to be a totally addictive read. I’m totally looking forward to the release of the next book and finding out what happens in the conclusion of the story. I loved the characters, I really love a good alpha who is soft with his omega but hard with everyone else and that’s exactly what this book was. The story was good and I found myself addicted to finding out what happens next. I would honestly recommend giving this book a read.

[ANDREA · Rating 2 out of 5]

One book would’ve been better

This was so BORING! I love omegaverse books as a palette cleanser between long, involved series. This one was stretched into more than one book. I knew that going in but by 36% of the way thru, I was bored. I never give up on a book but I found myself skipping thru to get to the end. By the end of the book I did not feel like I knew any of the men and the main character was just wrong. I will not be getting book 2 because I didn’t feel like any of the characters were worth my time.

[Arcadia Porter · Rating 2 out of 5]

She could have killed him 3 times before that ending.

I'll read the next one to see how this pans out. Not as well flushed out as the first books in this series. Like with the Poker card games. It almost doesn't seem like the author has played before. Idk.


Tbh FMC is stupid. I was on her side until the last few chapters. She literally, had the upper hand. It doesn't have to be a story about her 'morals' if I thought someone was in my home and was willing to kill it's not a hard choice. Definitely if they had performed egregious acts to my person for months prior.

[Christine · Rating 5 out of 5]

So we'll written. I loved the first duet in this series and have been obsessively checking in to see when this book would be out. It did not disappoint! There are some characters from the first duet that make an appearance, but it's necessary to read that first (though I do recommend it, because it's just that good!). This does end on a cliffhanger, and I cannot wait to see what's happened with Kitania and her boys.

[Sue Harbers · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kit is such a strong and sweet Omega! It’s going to take a lot time and patience for her to trust and open up once she’s rescued. The pack that had her were absolute filth. I really like the Cristenello family and how protective they are. The guys are certainly dedicated and it’s not easy to both protect Kit from her former pack and also win her over. The cliffhanger is awful but I can’t wait for more!