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Darling Omegas #2

Runaway Bond

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When life gives you lemons… freeze them . They hit harder and leave bruises.

For one brief, beautiful moment, I had it all—my degree, a wealthy Alpha, and a bright future. The next, I was sabotaging our bonding ceremony to teach my cheating ex a lesson he wouldn’t soon forget. Throwing up the middle finger, I ran as far and fast as my pitiful broken heart could carry me.

That was six years ago. Now, the charming small town of Darling is once again home, and the Slick & Saddle Saloon is going to be mine. Except rumors are spreading through the emergency phone tree faster than a flame down a tightrope doused in gasoline—all thanks to my friendship with Ridge, a homegrown Darling Beta. They say our friendship has to be more than we’re letting on—that a man and a woman can’t spend time together without spending time together.

I refuse to step foot across that imaginary line, though. Ridge comes with a pack, and that pack has Alphas—a no-go zone for me—and a strong, silent Beta packmate that watches me with a little too much intensity.

But time has a way of making you forget all the reasons you shouldn’t, especially when sexy grins and enticing scents lure you into a false sense of security. Because now they’re keeping something from me, and my instincts are rioting.

Can I put away my runnin’ shoes for good, or will I need them to get me far away from the only place that’s ever truly felt like home?

326 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 15, 2025

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About the author

Sinclair Kelly

29 books1,619 followers

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677 (43%)
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 199 reviews
Profile Image for Elizabeth.
3,895 reviews350 followers
Did Not Finish
January 24, 2026
DNF at 38%.

This went from "I'm an independent woman and won't accept help from anyone (even if that means I wreck my house from being incompetent)" to "let's have sex all the time".

I'm so not a fan of "independent" heroines who are also incompetent. Nor am I a fan of no relationship development outside of sex.
October 18, 2025
4.5 ⭐️

“𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐭𝐰𝐨 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐢𝐠𝐠𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐦𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐟𝐮𝐜𝐤𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐈 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰, 𝐲𝐞𝐭 𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐚𝐫𝐞, 𝐜𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐩𝐫𝐞-𝐭𝐞𝐞𝐧𝐬 𝐭𝐫𝐲𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐨 𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐜𝐡 𝐬𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭 𝐜𝐫𝐮𝐬𝐡. 𝐆𝐫𝐨𝐰 𝐚 𝐩𝐚𝐢𝐫 𝐨𝐟 𝐛𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐚𝐤 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐨𝐦𝐚𝐧.”

another great omegaverse book by Sinclair Kelly.

if you haven’t already, read the prequel to 𝑹𝒖𝒏𝒂𝒘𝒂𝒚 𝑩𝒐𝒏𝒅 before diving into this book. it’s not necessary to understand the book or characters, but it’s HILARIOUS and you get the beginning of Shay remembering who she is. it definitely is that quote of “you can take the girl out of the country but you can’t take the country out of the girl”.

ever since running out of her bond ceremony six years ago and returning to Darling, Arizona, Shay has kept her walls up, especially around alphas. but somehow Ridge, one of the betas of Pack Young, has weaseled his way into a friendship with Shay. and Shay is DETERMINED to keep him strictly in the friend zone. but after a storm that leaves her without a place to stay, Ridge and Pack Young use the opportunity to have her stay with them on their ranch and prove to her that her ex-alpha isn’t the blueprint of all alphas. but can Shay let her walls down enough to take a chance on them? or will her nickname of Runaway Shay become prevalent once again?

this book was funny and had me LOLing at so many different parts, especially because of the different animal personalities on the ranch. you also have a secret smut book club coordinated by the older women of the town that Shay, Jules, and Iris are just finding out about, that is disguised as Bible Study 🤣 so you can imagine the funny moments that come from the secret meetings and the books the women discuss 😉😏

and any OV that has TWO betas in a pack automatically makes me want to read. esp when the largest mmc in the group is the beta and not the alpha and gives off BAE, big alpha energy 🥵

i also always love a good nickname by an mmc, but i love it even more when the fmc gives each mmc a unique nickname. esp when they’re hilarious 🤣: big man, nips, ass man, and lover boy

i can’t wait to read Iris’s book next and just who she is finally letting into her and her child’s life.

“𝐓𝐚𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚 𝐬𝐢𝐩 𝐨𝐟 𝐦𝐲 𝐰𝐡𝐢𝐬𝐤𝐞𝐲, 𝐈 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐤 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐛𝐞 𝐜𝐥𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐟𝐢𝐞𝐝 𝐚𝐬 𝐁𝐞𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐒𝐡𝐚𝐲 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐀𝐟𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐒𝐡𝐚𝐲. 𝐎𝐮𝐫 𝐩𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐬 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐬𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐲 𝐛𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐛𝐚𝐜𝐤𝐠𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝 𝐧𝐨𝐢𝐬𝐞. 𝐎𝐮𝐫 𝐟𝐨𝐜𝐮𝐬 𝐢𝐬 𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐟𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐮𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐰𝐞 𝐬𝐞𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐡𝐞𝐫.”

thank you Sinclair Kelly for the e-ARC of 𝑹𝒖𝒏𝒂𝒘𝒂𝒚 𝑩𝒐𝒏𝒅

𝑹𝒖𝒏𝒂𝒘𝒂𝒚 𝑩𝒐𝒏𝒅 releases October 15th 🤠



✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦
MFMMM, AOABB
1st person multi-pov, 28 fmc
strong fmc, silent beta mmc, cattle rancher mmcs, virgin mmc, fmc & mmc who ride motorcycles, forced proximity, secret smut book club, cousins in pack, miscommunication, courting, secret identity, stalker (not mmc or fmc), bonding/bite marks, knotting, heat scene, group scene, DP, DVP, HEA, epilogue, interconnected standalone
Profile Image for Stephanie.
190 reviews14 followers
October 19, 2025
Omg this book was so goood!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

This book was so relatable (not that 4 men) but the banter was stuff I say on the daily! Anyways this book had be giggling the entire time. I love Shay, she was independent, strong and the quip of her tongue was so good and so funny!

Then men omg I’m obsessed with this pack, Memphis (Alpha) August (Alpha) Ridge (Beta) and Lyon (Beta) I loved how they were all so difffeent but they were so connected and perfect match for Shay

Lyon is my favorite, I love me a quiet observant man, I mean she calls him big man… and has a very deep voice! Need I say more?

The spice, let me tell you, the spice was SPICY! 🌶️
Towel required hehehe 🤭

The only thing I wanted was a little bit more drama but over all an amazing read and I highly recommend it 🖤
219 reviews15 followers
October 12, 2025
“Nowadays, it takes an alphahole who calls her his good girl, a tattooed daddy with his hand wrapped around her throat, and the golden retriever to get her through the day.” - Runaway Bond by Sinclair Kelly, Darling Omegas book 2

There is a prequel available direct from Sinclair Kelly! Go read that first!!!!

🥃Our FMC here has built some HIGH walls around herself here (due to some trauma in her past). I LOVE when a pack (or any love interest really) has to quietly work their way through those shields. These men do a terrific job of showing our darling quiet acts of romance. Romantic gestures do not need to be large to be meaningful. Sometimes all it takes is your favorite donut set out for you in the morning. I love that.

🥃This book also brings with it a really fun cast of secondary characters. This really helps sell the small town feel. I love the ‘club’ that our FMCs join! That created so many fun moments of character building and side character development. Plus, SO many funny moments!

🥃Let me gush just for a moment about the 2 betas in this book. OH MY GOODNESS. I will swoon all day every day over Lyon! The quiet mountain of a man who is IN CHARGE is my weakness! And the emotional intelligence of both of these men is ENCHANTING! Is there anything more romantic than a man who seems to know what you need before even you do? Answer, no there is not.


What’s Inside
🥃Omegaverse
🥃MFMM
🥃Bartender FMC
🥃Prickly & Fiercely independent omega
🥃Secret identity???
🥃The most adorable farm animals
🥃They have been secretly pining for YEARS
🥃Sweet Vibes

I was gifted a copy of this book by the author. My opinions are my own. Thank you!
Profile Image for Brittany.
224 reviews49 followers
December 3, 2025
Men using female pen names to access women’s spaces is gross. Once I discovered that was what one of the alphas in this book was doing, I struggled to enjoy it, and eventually DNF’d.

Romance is the *one genre* that is primarily written by women for women. That doesn’t mean that men can’t also enjoy reading and writing romance, but pretending to be a woman to trick women into reading what they otherwise might not is just as gross as pretending to be black to trick black readers into reading your work.

You don’t, as a member of the majority group which benefits from a great number of privileges, get to cosplay as a member of a minority group so that you can financially benefit from them. That’s exploitive at best.

And no, for those who will wonder, that is not the same as a member of a minority group adopting a pen name that implies they’re a member of the majority. When you are oppressed by a system designed to keep you that way, resistance comes in many forms, and that is one of them.
Profile Image for Snow.
1,420 reviews14 followers
Read
October 18, 2025
DNF @ 42%.

i thought the heroes were gonna woo the heroine and gain her trust... instead they just jump into bed with her immediately. where did the heroine's trust issues go?? she went from not having sex in 6 years to having sex with the heroes before even having any conversations with them?? ok... boring.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for The_Book_Brat.
998 reviews175 followers
October 14, 2025
*Reverse Harem
*Contemporary
*Omegaverse
*Multi-1st-PoV
*Smalltown Romance
*Reverse Grumpy/Sunshine
*Reluctant FMC
*Friends to Lovers
*Obsessed MMCs
*Slower Burn
*Established Harem (4)
*Standalone
*Interconnected Series
Awww you get her boys 🤠
The sheer love and determination of these men to crack the walls Shay put up just melts your heart 🥰 it’s not required to read the prequel but I would highly recommend as it gives you insight into Shays story and why she’s the prickly little cactus she is 😅 this is definitely a story of personal growth for our FMC as she learns not all alphas are complete a£!hats and she can have happiness when she gives in! Ridge is the beta friend whose set the groundwork to open up her heart and becomes her rock; Lyon is the quiet beta with a surprising dominant core that lights up our girl; Memphis the sunshine and light to her grump bringing supporting her anyway she can; and August newer to the pack but the kinky bad boy who challenges her and brings out than reckless fun 😍 the heat between these and spice when they finally come together is 🥵 the focus is largely on the harem itself but there is some drama created outside of the harem too which honestly will make you cackle 🤣 and there are bits of this book which do make you laugh! A satisfying small town read 😃
Profile Image for Casey Velasquez.
460 reviews34 followers
October 15, 2025
5 ⭐️
4 🔥
Omegaverse
Small Town
Why Choose Romance
Rancher MMCs
They Fall First
Black Cat FMC
Runaway Omega
Forced Proximity
Smut Club (Dirty Darlings)
Smutty Romance Author
Friends to Lovers
Golden Retriever Alpha
Strong But Silent Type
Reverse Grumpy & Sunshine
Omegaverse 🤝 Small Town/Ranchers romance?! Sign me the heck up!! I knew this was going to be so good and so fun, and I was not wrong. I didn’t think it could compare to book one, that I LOVED, but I LOVED this one just as much!! We also get to see everyone from book one, with highlights of our girl Charlotte! This is book two of the Darling Omegas series, but can be read as a complete standalone. In this book, we follow Shay, our Omega that definitely gives off black cat energy. Six years ago, she was done dirty by her wealthy Alpha fiancée, in which she ran back home to the small town of Darling. She is now a bartender, looking to be the new owner of Slick & Saddle Saloon. She is reluctantly friends with the Beta Ridge, that has a pack of two Alphas and another Beta. He swears he doesn’t want anything more than friendship, but when she falls on hard times and the pack offers her sanctuary, she finds it hard to keep those impenetrable walls up. This pack may or may not have been biding their time to snag this prickly Omega. Can Pack Young get Runaway Shay to stay? Absolutely adored this one! I can’t wait for Iris’s book!!

Thank you Sinclair Kelly & Peachy Keen for the ARC!
Profile Image for Crystal Jackson.
219 reviews3 followers
October 17, 2025
♾️🌟♾️🌟
💚 Why Choose
💚 OmegaVerse
💚 Reverse Grumpy/Sunshine
💚 The MOST AMAZING BETAS
💚 The MOST AMAZING ALPHAS
💚 An Alpha that writes spicy romance 🫠
💚 Omega that has sworn off men/Alphas
💚 A Smut Club
💚 Friends to lovers
💚 Size difference 🥵🥵🥵

I love every single Sinclair Kelly book I read. This one was 10/10 from the prequel novella (please read for the BEST experience). The characters were perfect. There wasn’t a ton of drama, which I can appreciate. And these men (alphas and betas) were EXACTLY what our Omega needed in the most amazing way. And talk about sexy. I LLLOOOVVVEEEEE size difference and boy does Sinclair write that trope well. 🥵🥵🥵🥵

Our poor Omega has been hurt so bad. Life has beat her up a bit. She escapes to Darling and makes a new life for herself. These Alphas and their Betas (all best friends, no MM) fall for her immediately but keep their distance due to her prickly 🌵nature. One of the Betas works his way into her heart and they become “just friends”. Life continues to happen and these men come to her rescue in the sweetest and swooniest ways. Like perfection. These men are just so good! So sweet. SO SEXY!!! And Lyon…omg. That strong but silent Beta….I re-read so many their moments. Ridge. August. Memphis. Just perfect.

Highly recommend reading Rodeo & Juliette (book 1 in this series) and then the prequel novella for Runaway Bond. We see the fantastic characters from Rodeo & Juliette all through the book (which I LOVE).

10/10 a hundred times over.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Mai.
86 reviews2 followers
March 21, 2026
SUCH A FUN AND QUICK READING

It’s a very character-driven story, centered around the alpha/beta/omega dynamic—which I loved. The characters??? GOOD GODS—where do I get my own Ridges??

That said, the pacing felt a little too fast at times. I would have loved more yearning and a stronger sense of friendship before she agrees to be courted by the pack—especially since it’s repeatedly mentioned that she doesn’t trust alphas because of her past. Slowing that down a bit might have helped me connect more with the characters and their relationships.

Still, this is a really fun read if you’re looking for a cheesy omegaverse romcom with humor, lovable characters, and don’t mind a quicker romantic development.
Profile Image for Vanessa.
448 reviews32 followers
March 20, 2026
4.5 ⭐️

i loved shay so bad!!!! i love a grumpy FMC so much, and when her men don’t try to change that of her but when we see her soften towards them 🙂‍↕️

i liked all the MMCs soooo much, but i fear i am DOWN SO BAD for my man lyon 😮‍💨 that man is everything i NEEEEED in a book boyfriend!!

i loved seeing jules in this since the series started with her pack and story, and seeing her growth 😭

the only thing is i wish this book was a TAD longer, i wish we could’ve seen them explore their relationships just a bit more like dates more scenes of them all together as a pack. while i enjoyed the spice i definitely wanted to see more of their dynamic together!
Profile Image for Alva Schwung.
513 reviews4 followers
April 6, 2026
I think i’m ovulating? is that why? i found this? incredibly heartwarming? or i’m an lost omega in heat wtf do I know. it was horny, it was cute, it involved a lot of knotting (☝🏼🙏🏼). now im feeling generous and fun so LETS RANK THEM!!!!

1. Lyon, sweet baby jesus
2. August, Mr. if you snooze you lose
3. Menphis, because???? he was such a simp
4. Ridge, I do think you deserved more on page time

truly a blessing, a why-choose, omegaverse, COWBOY romance? tell me that’s not the absolute dream.
Profile Image for Naomi Ortiz.
280 reviews55 followers
October 12, 2025
I loved this so much ! if you love a reverse grumpy sunshine and found family then you've got it here.

Shay has ran from her life 6 years ago after the worst time in her life making her put her alpha away. From that moment on she does not trust any alpha , no matter how lonely she is. Until one beta gets under her skin and becomes a friend she doesn't want to live without but he also has pack that comes with him.

ohh and its very spicy!!
Profile Image for Jessica Fowler.
443 reviews2 followers
October 17, 2025
So many oddities *spoilers included*

Let's start with Shay's scent and keep in mind this translates to flavor - peanut butter and whiskey??? That sounds particularly vile. Add in the way it somehow includes spices and vanilla and I'm all sorts of confused on how this is supposed to be a good thing. This struck me early and threw me every time it was mentioned and was only the tip of my confusion iceberg.

Shay herself baffles me. I want to like her. The initial impression of an independent slightly grumpy/standoffish woman works until I start wondering why she's so aggressive about it. Her past as she describes does not support the level of trauma she claims. She was willingly with a guy who was barely tolerable to her and barely tolerating of her. In one week she recognizes his plans for their future, decides she doesn't accept his plan and somehow suddenly finds evidence of his crimes for the police? Either she is a bad person who accepted his criminal behavior until it was good revenge or she's magic. Unfortunately I lean toward her ignoring his criminality until it served her. Nothing about her past suggests any true abuse or trauma, just one decision they didn't agree on.

I like how this author puts the Omega side as the reluctant part of Shay in this book. It's not common for authors in this genre to make the Omega side be the cautious part. It makes sense for that instinct to be driven by the most instinctive core of her though. Some of the talk of her brain not being the decision maker was baffling though. It was a really interesting take until the author muddled it up (with peanut butter and alcohol and illogical nonsense).

The guys are all decent. If you overlook Shay's past and supposed trauma, the core storyline is decent. The humor is decent. Nothing really stands out as amazing or awful except the incongruous response to her past.
Profile Image for Jordan Bailey.
976 reviews2 followers
October 25, 2025
Such a good story.

I wasn't sure about this originally. I wasn't as obsessed as quickly as I was with Jules' story. But in the end it was so good. Maybe even better! I was worried about how everything would be revealed but it was so good!
Profile Image for Sofia Anna.
101 reviews1 follower
November 3, 2025
sometimes a girl deserves four boyfriends and I love that for her
Profile Image for Maia.
127 reviews1 follower
December 25, 2025
Just was not vibing with this one, unfortunately! I needed a bit more to happen and struggled to keep engaged 🥲
Profile Image for prettybookcritic.
121 reviews4 followers
October 20, 2025
I got smutted out. If you’re ovulating this is definitely for you. The smut was never ending. And it took me out of the story a bit. Too much fuckin. I had to skim the last 30% but the first half was very entertaining.
Profile Image for Toni.
1,606 reviews5 followers
April 8, 2026
This series is fire! I thought the prequel added a nice touch to this story, told from all POV. Lyon was a favorite character for me. All the characters were interesting and deep. I read this book in less than a day, that’s how engaging it is. I hope the author continues with this series.
Profile Image for alexandra.
1,073 reviews188 followers
April 29, 2026
2 stars ★ ★ ☆ ☆ ☆

☆⋆。𖦹°‧★ Runaway Bond☆⋆。𖦹°‧★

⁺₊★·.´🎧✩°。 0:56 ──♡───── 3:32 ⁺₊🎧★·.·´

🎶 “'It turns out freedom ain't nothin' but missin' you. Wishin' I'd realized what I had when you were mine” 🎶

Six years after sabotaging her own bonding ceremony, Shay (h) returns to the small town of Darling determined to build a new life and claim ownership of the Slick and Saddle Saloon. But her close friendship with Ridge sparks rumors she refuses to entertain, especially given his connection to a pack she wants no part of.

❤️.¸✿¸.•💌•.❀•THOUGHTS •❀.•💌•.¸✿¸.❤️

“An Omega doesn’t have to have a pack to be complete, Ridge. It works for some people, but not for others. I’ve chosen to be packless because in my experience, Alphas can be trusted about as much as one of those popping biscuit cans, but I don’t begrudge anyone who’s happy with one. Hell, I don’t sit here and complain about yours. Weird bite marks and all.”

I couldn’t even enjoy this because I wanted to DNF every chapter, and I’m disappointed because it started off strong. Around 50 pages in, I liked the direction it was going, especially with Shay being a strong, independent woman who does not want a pack and prefers to figure things out on her own. I love an FMC who is independent but can still find love while keeping her identity and strength. However, once she went to stay with them, that completely disappeared. There should have been a slow burn, but there was not.

“At this point, we may need a fuckin’ miracle if we ever hope to tame that Omega. She’s more skittish than the wild horses that run free out at the river, and we all saw what happened that one time I tried to pet one. Damn near lost a finger.”


TAME *side eye*. Memphis was already down bad and obsessed with Shay. He had been watching her from his window, just staring at her constantly. August was not it for me at all. He genuinely made me cringe. His dialogue was terrible, and for a grown man, the way he acted and spoke was just an ick. Lyon was a man of few words, and I think that is why I liked him the most because there was less opportunity for him to ruin it. That is just the type of character I tend to enjoy. Ridge was probably my favorite because he started off as someone who stuck around as her friend, but at the same time, it felt like he had ulterior motives, so I do not even know if that friendship was genuine, which made it a bit of a red flag.

I did not really care about them becoming a pack. I got bored, which is disappointing because once it leaned heavily into the smut, I lost interest. It just became too much, and I was left wondering what the actual plot was supposed to be. There was no real world building, and it made it hard to stay invested.

❤️.¸✿¸.•💌•.❀•OVERALL •❀.•💌•.¸✿¸.❤️

Honestly, it is a quick read, and I can see how it might work for someone who regularly reads why choose romance, but for me, the dialogue was just too cringe to get past. August especially dragged it down. If he was not in the story, I honestly think it would have been better. This book was the definition of “girl, give me nothing” because I genuinely cannot tell you what happened beyond them sleeping together and Shay trying to get the saloon.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Emmi (bookish_redpanda).
908 reviews46 followers
October 15, 2025
Format: 📱 eBook 📱 (ARC)

If work didn't exist, this would have been DEVOURED in one sitting.

Kelly has done it again with another amazing OV story, set in the small town of Darling. I definitely recommend reading the short prequel before diving into this, as it gives some great backstory - and fantastic laugh out loud moments - to Shay and what brought her to Darling; but it's not a must as Kelly recaps those events throughout the narrative.

There is one quote I'm sure will 1000% hook you and convince you to read this - “Nowadays, it takes an alphahole who calls her his good girl, a tattooed daddy with his hand wrapped around her throat, and the golden retriever to get her through the day.”

This is a story of growth; of allowing yourself to fall in love and understanding that love and men (and Alpha's) aren't the end of the world. It's about overcoming your past whilst staying true to yourself and taking chance on love. Shay's growth is amazing, and I love that she keeps her tough-as-nails attitude throughout the book. There are moments of conflict, and I love that she stays true to herself with them, not just goes with the flow as a lot of omegas falling for a pack might.

Pack Young - Memphis, August, Ridge and Lyon - are all fantastic MMCs. They're unique in their own ways - Memphis, the golden retriever Alpha; August, the kinky, secretive (but his secret is so worth it!) Alpha; Ridge, the pining best friend beta; and Lyon, the strong, silent beta - and complement each other, and Shay, perfectly. I love the banter between the four of them, and when you throw other characters into the mix, the banter improves ten-fold.

The people of Darling had me in hysterics multiple times - from "Bible Study" (aka, smut club) and the women who attend; to Shay's pseudo Dad, Old Man Morris; Shay's best friend, Jules (the FMC from book one in the series); to Memphis' and August's mothers; and let's not forget the small menagerie of animals at Pack Young's ranch - there's so many true, laugh out loud moments in this.

But there's also such sweetness to the romance, and a slow burn that pays off with the most delicious spice and heartfelt moments. There is angst, but it resolves smoothly, and in a genuinely funny way (that shouldn't make sense, but trust me on this one!), and just overall such an amazing OV read that I could come back to time and time again.

Looking forward to more stories in Darling!

Thank you to the author and @peachykeenas for the eARC opportunity. These are my honest thoughts that I have provided voluntarily.
Profile Image for Melissa.
298 reviews3 followers
October 13, 2025
Shay is determined to live her life on her own terms. Her past taught her the only person she can fully rely on is herself. She doesn't want to let anyone in. She doesn't want to give them the opportunity to hurt her, or disappoint her. Of course, the universe has a way of shaking things up when we least expect it, or want it to.

Shay is currently attempting to buy the bar she currently works at. In order to do this, she needs the approval from the town council. This shouldn't be a problem, BUT Omega's still face a lot of push back in society. The older generation thinks they should be at home, taking care of the house and the kids. They shouldn't have dreams or careers of their own, but their job is to ultimately just take care of their pack. Luckily, Shay is surrounded by people who believe in her. She has the added stigma that the council thinks she could be a "flight risk" because of her past.

All the guys have different personalities, and offset Shay in different ways. Ridge is like the guy next door, the best friend. Lyon is the quiet, thoughtful one. Memphis is the golden retriever, who is the hopeless romantic. August is the bad boy, who drives a motorcycle and has tattoos.

We get to revisit some of the characters from the first book since Jules is Shay's best friend. Of course, seeing the adorable and precocious Charlotte is always a highlight of any part of the story.

Shay finds out that they are keeping something from her, and instead of running like she wants to, she does the adult thing and confronts them. Secrets unfold, and she has to decide what she wants to do.

I love this small town, I love this world, and I love these characters. The story was the perfect blend of plot and spice. I can't wait to see where we go from there. I have a feeling Iris might be next up :)
141 reviews2 followers
November 1, 2025
💚ARC Review🩷
𝓡𝓾𝓷𝓪𝔀𝓪𝔂 𝓑𝓸𝓷𝓭 by Sinclair Kelly
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This is a why choose omegaverse romance done so well. Each of the four MMCs Ridge, Lyon, Memphis, and August brings something unique to the table, and I adored not just their relationships with Shay, but also the deep friendship, respect, and loyalty between the men themselves. The pack dynamic was perfection.

After being betrayed by a former alpha, Shay has spent years hiding behind her sass and sarcasm but beneath that fiery exterior is a heart that just wants to be loved and accepted. As she slowly lets the Young pack in, we see her vulnerability and softness shine through, and I loved watching her growth throughout this story.

After running back to her hometown of Darling, Shay’s sworn off ever being bonded again. Working at the Slick and Saddle Saloon, she’s built a reputation as the feisty omega who doesn’t need anyone. But when a storm destroys her home, she ends up staying at the Young pack house, and resisting these men becomes impossible. They’re patient, kind, and determined to take things at her pace and let me tell you, the slow burn and steam were absolute fire.

This book has it all heart, heat, humor, and a touch of suspense. The banter had me giggling, the steam had me blushing, and the found family vibes melted my heart. And can we talk about the girl gang The Smut Club (aka “Bible Study”) had me laughing out loud I seriously want to join! Seeing cameos from Rodeo and Juliette made it even better, and now I’m desperate for Iris’s story next.
Tropes I Loved:
🩷Omegaverse
💚 Small Town
🩷 Reverse Grumpy x Sunshine
💚 Rancher MMCs
🩷Runaway Omega
💚 They Fall First
🩷Black Cat FMC
💚Forced Proximity
🩷 Found Family
💚 Smut Club- book club
🩷Friends to Lovers
If you love your romances with heart, humor, heat, and a strong dose of found family, Runaway Bond is an absolute must-read!
Profile Image for SnowyReads.
59 reviews12 followers
November 8, 2025
“𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐢𝐟 𝐈 𝐭𝐨𝐥𝐝 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞’𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐚 𝐦𝐚𝐧 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐢𝐬𝐧’𝐭 𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐲𝐨𝐮? 𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲’𝐝 𝐦𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐯𝐞𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐄𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐡 𝐢𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐨𝐧𝐥𝐲 𝐚𝐬𝐤𝐞𝐝? 𝐁𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐢𝐬 𝐬𝐨 𝐠𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭, 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲’𝐝 𝐧𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐬𝐨 𝐦𝐮𝐜𝐡 𝐚𝐬 𝐬𝐥𝐢𝐝𝐞 𝐚 𝐭𝐨𝐞 𝐚𝐜𝐫𝐨𝐬𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐜𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐥𝐲 𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐝, 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐤 𝐨𝐟 𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧 𝐚𝐬 𝐬𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐚𝐬 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐟𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩?”
𝚁𝚞𝚗𝚊𝚠𝚊𝚢 𝙱𝚘𝚗𝚍 𝚋𝚢 𝚂𝚒𝚗𝚌𝚕𝚊𝚒𝚛 𝙺𝚎𝚕𝚕𝚢
★★★★⯪ | 🌶️🌶️🌶️
💚 Small Town Country Romance
🩷 Omegaverse Reverse Harem - MFMMM/AOABB
💚 They Fall First
🩷 Runaway Omega
💚 Ranchers with Cute Farm Animals
🩷 Forced Proximity
💚 Friends to Lovers
🩷 Reverse Grumpy/Sunshine

📢A Prequel available direct from Sinclair Kelly! Go read that first!!!! 📢 It's really hilarious and gives us Shay's background story more depth if read before.

⤷The Darling Omegas series has me hooked. Sinclair Kelly knows how to balance the right amount of humor, heart and heat in her books. I loved Shay's sassy, independent, and prickly personality, and I'm a sucker for a jaded omega romance. I loved how Ridge, Lyon, Memphis, and August were understanding, respectful, supportive, and patient with Shay, while loving her for who she is and helping her open up and heal from the past.
"𝐖𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐢𝐭 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐒𝐡𝐚𝐲 𝐁𝐞𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐭𝐭, 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐬𝐞𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐠𝐞𝐭. 𝐒𝐡𝐞’𝐬 𝐚𝐬 𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐤𝐥𝐲 𝐚𝐬 𝐚 𝐜𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐮𝐬, 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭’𝐬 𝐰𝐡𝐲 𝐈 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐡𝐞𝐫."

⤷This story had alot of hilarious moments between the "Bible Study" club, the farm animals, Shay's nicknames for her guys (🤣), and the cameo of Juliette (Charlotte & Pack) from the previous book.
Also, Shay and Juliette had a friend named Iris, who was mentioned a few times, which makes me curious about her, and I hope we will learn her story in the future!
Profile Image for Nikki Donaldson.
111 reviews10 followers
October 23, 2025
Darling Omegas Series Book Two

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

What To Expect:

💕 Why Choose Omegaverse
💕 Small Town
💕 Runaway Omega
💕 Found Family
💕 Forced Proximity
💕 Ranchers
💕 They Fall First
💕 Reverse Grumpy x Sunshine

This one was so good y'all!

The characters in this one stole the show! The FMC and omega, Shay, is closed off and determined to do life on her own after an awful experience with an alpha in the past. She's grumpy and standoffish but Ridge, a beta who is determined to be her friend (or hopefully more), breaks through her walls a little bit at a time. The problem? He comes with a pack which includes alphas and she just doesn't know if she can ever trust one again. I fell hard and fast for Lyon, the other beta in the pack! He's quiet and steady but loves fiercely. The alphas, Memphis and August, are total opposites but I love the way they will do anything for their pack and try to show Shay that not all alphas are a**holes.

The side characters were amazing too and I loved seeing my favorites from the first book, Rodeo & Juliette, show up frequently in this one!

And the animals 🤣 Houdini and the other animals were always getting into mischief and it added so much humor and fun to it!

I wish I had a secret spicy book club (aka Bible Study) to go to and chat about all my favorite smut books! Sounds like a good time and this was such a funny part of the book 😂

And the spice was HOT 🔥 I can always count on omegaverse romance to bring the heat with all the knotting, nesting, heats, ruts, and group fun 🥵

I highly recommend this book and series to my fellow omegaverse lovers out there 💕
Profile Image for Moe Martin.
162 reviews3 followers
April 10, 2026
4.5 ⭐

I went into Runaway Bond expecting a solid read, but this completely pulled me in. I didn’t want to put it down and found myself coming back to it every chance I got.

Shay is such a strong FMC, but not in an over-the-top way. Her independence and guarded nature make complete sense given her past, and I really appreciated that her trust wasn’t easily given. It made the relationships feel more genuine, because everything had to be earned rather than rushed.

The dynamic with the men is where this really shines.
Ridge absolutely stood out to me—the level of patience he shows, being willing to stay in Shay’s life as just a friend while she works through everything, was something I didn’t expect to hit as hard as it did.
Memphis brings that classic playboy alpha energy at first, but there’s a softness to him that comes through more and more, which I loved.
Lyon was probably the most surprising for me—quiet and reserved, but with a more intense side that added a really interesting layer to the group dynamic.
And August… he definitely leans into that confident, tattooed alpha energy, and it works.

What I liked most was that the story didn’t just rely on the romance and spice (which, yes, is very well done), but actually focused on Shay’s healing and the development of trust between all of them. The pacing of that felt right for her character.

I also really enjoyed seeing Jules and her pack again—it added a nice sense of continuity. That said, I’m now very ready for Iris’s story because I feel like there’s so much more to explore there.

Overall, this was an easy, engaging read with strong character dynamics and a relationship build that felt earned.
Profile Image for Trish.
1,280 reviews37 followers
October 12, 2025
🥃Omegaverse
🥃Why Choose
🥃Black Cat/ Golden Retriever
🥃Friends to Lovers

Sinclair Kelly has nailed it again with Runaway Bond! If you’re into omegaverse romances, buckle up, because this one is a wild ride and hands down my favorite of hers so far. Seriously, I can’t get enough of her world, and the characters? Chef’s kiss.

Let’s talk about Shay. She’s got walls built so high you’d think she’s planning to start her own fortress. But when her loyal friend and his entire pack set their sights on her, they’re determined to break through those walls, one (totally swoon worthy) step at a time. The slow burn? It’s delicious.

But what really made me fall head over heels for this book? The characters. Each one of the four MMCs is so unique that I never had to worry about mixing them up. It’s clear Sinclair Kelly put so much thought into every personality, and it paid off big time. There’s something for everyone!

And can we talk about the girl gang? These women are fierce, fabulous, and they have the most amazing “club” that I wish I could join. Honestly, the friendship dynamics here are everything, and don’t even get me started on how much I need Iris’s story.

In the end, Runaway Bond is a perfect blend of fun, heart, and a whole lot of intensity. The romance will have you swooning, the friendships will have you laughing, and the whole thing will leave you feeling all the feels. It’s an absolute blast from start to finish.
Profile Image for Booktrovert_reads_romance.
302 reviews1 follower
October 15, 2025
Shay deserves all the love! She was emotionally ab*sed by her jerk of an alpha he deserved absolutely everything that he got! 🙏🏼

After everything she went through having a pack or any alphas for that matter was a big fat no. That doesn’t mean there isn’t a pack of two alphas and two betas that have been harboring feelings for her for years! The question is does she keep Ridge in the friendzone while avoiding his pack at all costs or does she give in?

Honestly this one had me laughing so much and I was not ready for that. I knew we’d get some funny because this is Sinclair Kelly after all, but I just felt like this one would be more emotional for some reason. How did we get through a whole book without Jules, Shay, & Iris finding out about THAT book club? I hope we get more from it in the future.

I have a hard time picking a favorite of Shay’s guys. Ridge being willing to be just her friend forever if that’s all she ever wanted…Memphis being the coldest of golden retrievers…Lyon silently watching and knowing all her favorite things…August was newer to the pack but equally head over heels for Shay & was not afraid to make that known.

I love that in her friends and her new guys she gets what she was missing before…a large family that she could count on. This series is giving me everything I love from Sinclair Kelly, an amazing group of characters, omegaverse, and now….cowboys! 😍
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