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Scent Valley University #1
Bonds and Blooms
She’s wary of alphas. They’re determined to be her safe place.
Faye Nightingale doesn’t want to be pouring tea in a sleepy, small town forever. From day one at Scent Valley University, she knows she made the right choice to leave behind her comfort zone. She’s got a cozy apartment, friends who feel like sisters, and a new sense of freedom.
All that’s holding her back is her underlying apprehension of alphas.
Something she’s forced to face when she stumbles across the most eligible pack on campus, a pack who believe they’re her scent match.
Ren… The sweet bookworm who helps her learn how to trust.
Laz… Her new best friend's lovable, golden retriever brother.
Cole… Their protective leader, whose strong arms feel like home.
Damon… The grumpy biker hiding secrets and a softer side.
After an unexpected heat spike causes Faye’s world to unravel, her body and heart start to betray her. The Silverwood Pack will do anything to prove they’re worthy of their omega, but even fated love isn’t perfect.
Can they find a way to heal a lifetime of hurt to claim the happily-ever-after they all deserve?
***
Bonds and Blooms is a sweet, standalone, omegaverse romance set in the quirky world of Scent Valley University. Get ready to swoon at four hot alphas, meet your new fictional BFFs, gasp at spicy knotty heats, and giggle along with their banter. This low-angst, why choose romance will hit you in the feels like a warm hug and comes with a guaranteed HEA.
Faye Nightingale doesn’t want to be pouring tea in a sleepy, small town forever. From day one at Scent Valley University, she knows she made the right choice to leave behind her comfort zone. She’s got a cozy apartment, friends who feel like sisters, and a new sense of freedom.
All that’s holding her back is her underlying apprehension of alphas.
Something she’s forced to face when she stumbles across the most eligible pack on campus, a pack who believe they’re her scent match.
Ren… The sweet bookworm who helps her learn how to trust.
Laz… Her new best friend's lovable, golden retriever brother.
Cole… Their protective leader, whose strong arms feel like home.
Damon… The grumpy biker hiding secrets and a softer side.
After an unexpected heat spike causes Faye’s world to unravel, her body and heart start to betray her. The Silverwood Pack will do anything to prove they’re worthy of their omega, but even fated love isn’t perfect.
Can they find a way to heal a lifetime of hurt to claim the happily-ever-after they all deserve?
***
Bonds and Blooms is a sweet, standalone, omegaverse romance set in the quirky world of Scent Valley University. Get ready to swoon at four hot alphas, meet your new fictional BFFs, gasp at spicy knotty heats, and giggle along with their banter. This low-angst, why choose romance will hit you in the feels like a warm hug and comes with a guaranteed HEA.
452 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 7, 2025
1020 people are currently reading
1048 people want to read
About the author
Polly Maple
3 books61 followersPolly Maple writes sweet omegaverse romance filled with all the fuzzy feels. Her fated mate love stories feature swoon-worthy alphas, characters you'll want to befriend, and a side of fun banter, all wrapped up in knotty heats that feel like coming home.
When Polly isn't dreaming up love stories, she's chasing her feral toddler, pestering her husband to make her chai lattes, and snuggling up under blankets watching reruns of her favorite comfort shows.
When Polly isn't dreaming up love stories, she's chasing her feral toddler, pestering her husband to make her chai lattes, and snuggling up under blankets watching reruns of her favorite comfort shows.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 304 reviews
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November 7, 2025DNF @ 77%.
i tried to get through the whole thing, because i really did like parts of it. overall, i liked the writing. and i would be willing to pick up a book by this author in the future.
unfortunately, one of the heroes (damon) ruined this book for me.
at 60% the heroine apologized to damon, even though she literally hadn't even done anything wrong, she'd only acted on the lie HE had told her.
he'd also been an asshole to her from the very start. and yet SHE apologized to HIM?? please tell me why this woman apologized to this huge jerk... makes no sense.
and then, immediately thereafter, the heroine said yes to a courtship with the pack, even knowing that one of the heroes didn't want to be with her.
and the rest of the pack didn't even care how damon treated her, and never even considered throwing him out of the pack or intervening in any real way.
the fact that none of them took responsibility for their pack mate's behaviour was a major red flag.
the heroine thought to herself that SHE needed to CONVINCE damon to get over his issues and be with her. im so tired of this type of heroine.
the first time damon talked to her in a non-abrasive manner? at 73%!!!! that's so late. and 1% later they kissed for the first time, and then immediately had sex.
the heroine had no pride... like, how about at least he buy you a cup of coffee first and have a goddamn conversation that's not him being an asshole to you???
and then later he said he'd make up for lost time irt her, and apparently that just meant more sex. 🙄 im so glad my standards are higher than the heroine's when it comes to relationships.
also, as a side note, the heroine was raised by her grandmother who played a big part in an international omega rights organization. and yet, when the heroine was harassed by a professor because of her designation, she didn't act on it and needed to be saved by her alpha. seriously? ok...
i tried to get through the whole thing, because i really did like parts of it. overall, i liked the writing. and i would be willing to pick up a book by this author in the future.
unfortunately, one of the heroes (damon) ruined this book for me.
at 60% the heroine apologized to damon, even though she literally hadn't even done anything wrong, she'd only acted on the lie HE had told her.
he'd also been an asshole to her from the very start. and yet SHE apologized to HIM?? please tell me why this woman apologized to this huge jerk... makes no sense.
and then, immediately thereafter, the heroine said yes to a courtship with the pack, even knowing that one of the heroes didn't want to be with her.
and the rest of the pack didn't even care how damon treated her, and never even considered throwing him out of the pack or intervening in any real way.
the fact that none of them took responsibility for their pack mate's behaviour was a major red flag.
the heroine thought to herself that SHE needed to CONVINCE damon to get over his issues and be with her. im so tired of this type of heroine.
the first time damon talked to her in a non-abrasive manner? at 73%!!!! that's so late. and 1% later they kissed for the first time, and then immediately had sex.
the heroine had no pride... like, how about at least he buy you a cup of coffee first and have a goddamn conversation that's not him being an asshole to you???
and then later he said he'd make up for lost time irt her, and apparently that just meant more sex. 🙄 im so glad my standards are higher than the heroine's when it comes to relationships.
also, as a side note, the heroine was raised by her grandmother who played a big part in an international omega rights organization. and yet, when the heroine was harassed by a professor because of her designation, she didn't act on it and needed to be saved by her alpha. seriously? ok...
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 17, 2025
This is good and enjoyable and I would never discourage anyone from reading this, but it fell on the side of a little too cutesy for what I was wanting. This was also a touch melodramatic for a low angst book. I would absolutely read more from this author and interested to see what's in store for the other Omegas.
MFMMM
MFMMM
January 4, 2026
Well, this did lean more towards the sweet, cozy vibe for sure. It was a nice palette cleanser so to speak, low in angst, tender alphas and of course, a fairly innocent omega.
I did find some of the scenes and dialogues a tad juvenile, but apart from that it was a sweet story. One of the alphas came around a bit too late and I despite his questionable attitude the FMC accepted him with open arms.
Overall a nice story, nothing exceptional, but from time to time, this is exactly what I want to read.
I did find some of the scenes and dialogues a tad juvenile, but apart from that it was a sweet story. One of the alphas came around a bit too late and I despite his questionable attitude the FMC accepted him with open arms.
Overall a nice story, nothing exceptional, but from time to time, this is exactly what I want to read.
November 11, 2025
4 stars
A gooey-sweet college omegaverse where I really liked the FMC, her 4 alphas (they all felt distinct and had different relationships with the FMC), and a lot of side characters who will surely have their own books. I was in the mood for something low-angst and cozy, and this easily delivered.
A gooey-sweet college omegaverse where I really liked the FMC, her 4 alphas (they all felt distinct and had different relationships with the FMC), and a lot of side characters who will surely have their own books. I was in the mood for something low-angst and cozy, and this easily delivered.
November 9, 2025
⭐⭐ 2 stars
🌶️🌶️🌶️3 Spice
From the start, the sweet and cozy vibe of this book really stood out. It felt warm, light, and had that comforting charm I normally adore in a cozy romance. But as much as I wanted to love it, I found myself zoning out, brushing over sections, and struggling to stay invested.
I usually love stories where friendship and gentle support shine, and this book absolutely had that. The pack’s love and kindness were heartfelt and sincere. Unfortunately, it wasn't enough to carry the rest of the book.
My biggest issue was the consistency of the main character, Faye. She was introduced as someone deeply focused on her lifelong goals and studies, especially given her history and motivations. But that thread completely vanished as soon as the romantic storyline kicked in. Her goals became a background detail, barely mentioned again, and it felt like her core purpose was lost.
There were moments I liked, and I appreciated the respectful nature of the relationships, but too many story elements felt rushed or underdeveloped. Plot points were introduced and then quickly dropped. The spice was graphic and open-door, but without emotional connection or investment, even that fell flat for me.
✅ What I liked
The friendships and emotional support
Positive consent and care in romantic interactions
The cozy, comforting vibes
❌ What didn’t work for me
I didn’t connect emotionally with the story or characters
Inconsistent portrayal of Faye’s personality and motivations
Her university goals were abandoned halfway through
Major plot events felt rushed or unresolved
Overuse of a specific word to the point of distraction
Would I recommend this book?
No
Would I reread it?
No
How would I sum it up?
A story full of sweetness and warmth, but ultimately left me feeling confused, disconnected, and underwhelmed.
https://bestbooks89.blogspot.com/2025...
🌶️🌶️🌶️3 Spice
From the start, the sweet and cozy vibe of this book really stood out. It felt warm, light, and had that comforting charm I normally adore in a cozy romance. But as much as I wanted to love it, I found myself zoning out, brushing over sections, and struggling to stay invested.
I usually love stories where friendship and gentle support shine, and this book absolutely had that. The pack’s love and kindness were heartfelt and sincere. Unfortunately, it wasn't enough to carry the rest of the book.
My biggest issue was the consistency of the main character, Faye. She was introduced as someone deeply focused on her lifelong goals and studies, especially given her history and motivations. But that thread completely vanished as soon as the romantic storyline kicked in. Her goals became a background detail, barely mentioned again, and it felt like her core purpose was lost.
There were moments I liked, and I appreciated the respectful nature of the relationships, but too many story elements felt rushed or underdeveloped. Plot points were introduced and then quickly dropped. The spice was graphic and open-door, but without emotional connection or investment, even that fell flat for me.
✅ What I liked
The friendships and emotional support
Positive consent and care in romantic interactions
The cozy, comforting vibes
❌ What didn’t work for me
I didn’t connect emotionally with the story or characters
Inconsistent portrayal of Faye’s personality and motivations
Her university goals were abandoned halfway through
Major plot events felt rushed or unresolved
Overuse of a specific word to the point of distraction
Would I recommend this book?
No
Would I reread it?
No
How would I sum it up?
A story full of sweetness and warmth, but ultimately left me feeling confused, disconnected, and underwhelmed.
https://bestbooks89.blogspot.com/2025...
November 20, 2025
Super duper cute and cozy omega themed book with a HEA-more so a HFN. Breeding and preg kink free.
3.75 stars.
There were a few plot holes for me. Nothing huge. Or maybe I should say i overlooked them for the most part.
So the fmc comes from a very small town, raised by her gramma bc alphas killed her folks, and so she is told all alphas are bad.
Ok. I can vibe with that-her gramma is basically raising her to fear alphas so much that she runs from alphas and absolutely freaks out. It’s actually pretty shitty of her wonderful amazing grams to do to her. But again, I get it. It’s trauma from losing her parents. Even tho she has no memory of the event bc she was a baby and so anything she is being told is by her grams. 🫠 But then further on you learn her grams didn’t do that? So this whole backstory is basically in this fmc’s head? And her grams who she is super close to doesn’t even know? Or help??
Her grandma starts some omega united movement but then raises her without any true omega education despite the fact they have access to the internet? 🙄 sis straight up comes to college and knows jack shit about being an omega.
I feel like writing a truly sheltered 21 yo is wild. But ok.
I can get being sheltered from alphas and being pretty much lied to by her grams but being sheltered from knowledge about her own designation WHILE HER GRAMMA IS THE PERSON IN CHARGE OF AN OMEGA RIGHTS GROUP didn’t work for me.
Even in a fiction story it has to make sense. 🤷🏻♀️
Also the author had a small side character who was a beloved driver-and left his mysterious whereabouts of why he was taking a vacation, dangling as if anyone cared. 🤣🙄 Sis we all know he was hooking up w grams. Don’t even😆.
I also feel like the story sort of ended abruptly. Like they bond and then-boom-the end. Hence why I rated this 3 stars vs 4 when overall it was a 3.75 story for me. It needed more. And not giving your readers an epilouge and more without having to give our email to you is wrong.
RH no MM
Medium spice🍆🍆🍆
KU
No OW or OM drama🐽
No preg or breeding kinks.
HFN-while it is a HEA in that she found her mates and bonded you get nothing about their future. So more a HFN.
3.75 stars.
There were a few plot holes for me. Nothing huge. Or maybe I should say i overlooked them for the most part.
So the fmc comes from a very small town, raised by her gramma bc alphas killed her folks, and so she is told all alphas are bad.
Ok. I can vibe with that-her gramma is basically raising her to fear alphas so much that she runs from alphas and absolutely freaks out. It’s actually pretty shitty of her wonderful amazing grams to do to her. But again, I get it. It’s trauma from losing her parents. Even tho she has no memory of the event bc she was a baby and so anything she is being told is by her grams. 🫠 But then further on you learn her grams didn’t do that? So this whole backstory is basically in this fmc’s head? And her grams who she is super close to doesn’t even know? Or help??
Her grandma starts some omega united movement but then raises her without any true omega education despite the fact they have access to the internet? 🙄 sis straight up comes to college and knows jack shit about being an omega.
I feel like writing a truly sheltered 21 yo is wild. But ok.
I can get being sheltered from alphas and being pretty much lied to by her grams but being sheltered from knowledge about her own designation WHILE HER GRAMMA IS THE PERSON IN CHARGE OF AN OMEGA RIGHTS GROUP didn’t work for me.
Even in a fiction story it has to make sense. 🤷🏻♀️
Also the author had a small side character who was a beloved driver-and left his mysterious whereabouts of why he was taking a vacation, dangling as if anyone cared. 🤣🙄 Sis we all know he was hooking up w grams. Don’t even😆.
I also feel like the story sort of ended abruptly. Like they bond and then-boom-the end. Hence why I rated this 3 stars vs 4 when overall it was a 3.75 story for me. It needed more. And not giving your readers an epilouge and more without having to give our email to you is wrong.
RH no MM
Medium spice🍆🍆🍆
KU
No OW or OM drama🐽
No preg or breeding kinks.
HFN-while it is a HEA in that she found her mates and bonded you get nothing about their future. So more a HFN.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Read
November 3, 2025RTC
November 15, 2025
This was a really cute story but it could have been at least 100 pages less. I skimmed a lot of it in certain parts. I thought the writing was good and I would read another book by this author because the storyline was sweet.
Damon did piss me off, he was pathetic tbh. Faye apologised constantly in his presence for doing absolutely nothing wrong and he just sat back and accepted it. I get that he’s supposed to be this misunderstood alpha but no I’m sorry she did not deserve to be treated like that. And she bonded with him first like WTF, that should have been Ren 🥺
Overall it was still cute and low angst, not much really happened for such a long book but 🤷♀️
Damon did piss me off, he was pathetic tbh. Faye apologised constantly in his presence for doing absolutely nothing wrong and he just sat back and accepted it. I get that he’s supposed to be this misunderstood alpha but no I’m sorry she did not deserve to be treated like that. And she bonded with him first like WTF, that should have been Ren 🥺
Overall it was still cute and low angst, not much really happened for such a long book but 🤷♀️
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 5, 2025
3.5⭐️ this was cutesy, a bit corny at times, but i expect nothing less from a contemporary omegaverse!
December 15, 2025
I wouldn’t waste your time on this one 😅😬 it wasn’t terrible but definitely not great…didn’t connect with the characters. The spice was plentiful but not varied enough with 4 alphas. No mention of shifting or anything! It’s basically just humans with wolf hierarchy and anatomy. Felt very cringey and juvenile.
January 3, 2026
this was fine
November 24, 2025
3 stars ★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆
☆⋆｡𖦹°‧★ Bonds and Blooms☆⋆｡𖦹°‧★
⁺₊★·.´🎧✩°｡ 0:56 ──♡───── 3:32 ⁺₊🎧★·.·´
🎶 “There was nowhere for me to stay. But I stayed anyway” 🎶
Faye Nightingale (h) wants more than a quiet life in her small hometown, and Scent Valley University feels like the fresh start she has been searching for. She has new friends, a cozy apartment, and a taste of freedom, but her lingering fear of alphas keeps her guarded. Everything changes when she meets the Silverwood Pack, Ren, Laz, Cole, and Damon (H), four men who believe she is their scent match.
—*•.¸♡ ★·.·☾ ﾟ｡´THOUGHTS ﾟ☁︎｡`·.·★ ♡¸.•*⋆—
[Ren]
Ren is my soft caretaker bookworm who instantly goes into protector mode around her 💌💗😭🤍. He is gentle and sweet, completely down bad from the moment he sees her. Faye was the first person to treat Ren as an Alpha despite his interests and how soft he is, because when it mattered, he was protective of her and willing to do whatever was necessary to make sure she was safe. He is so loved by me. He carried deep insecurities that she helped erase through her constant praise and reassurance. She made him feel good, made him feel seen, and reminded him that he was enough.💗💖🤍💌💘
[Laz]
Laz is always saying the wrong thing without meaning to. He has golden retriever energy, and I love him for it. Yes, he constantly puts his foot in his mouth, but he never means any harm. As long as she understands that, his character works. I think the book did a good job of showing that he is the type to act before he thinks, and because he is Laz, everyone lets it slide.
[Damon]
Damon pushed her until he made her afraid of him. It makes sense that he was the first to bond with her because he spent so long trying to push her away. In the end, though, he wanted her deeply. He wanted to protect her from himself, believing he could hurt her, even though she had nothing to fear. He had been coerced by another omega in the past and blamed himself for unintentionally harming her, even though it was not his fault. She forced herself on him, and he only protected himself.
[Colt]
Colt feels a constant responsibility to make sure she is safe. He makes sure she has a comfortable pack house, sends out the guys to gather things for her nest, and just wants her happy. She did not bond with him first, but because he does not care about pack hierarchy, it did not matter. He officially integrated her into the pack as soon as she bonded with Damon, proving that he just wanted her to feel secure. He knew she was theirs the moment he saw her, so the decision came easily to him.
My only issue was that after she bonded with Damon, it felt rushed with the others. That one took time, and it felt intentional, but the rest happened too fast. Especially with Laz, who went into rut right after she bonded with Colt, and it all came out of nowhere. He did not really get that one-on-one bonding moment with her. Then, when it was time for her to bond with Ren, it happened differently. She did not take his knot because their connection was more emotional than physical, so she just bit him, and that is how the book ended.
—*•.¸♡ ★·.·☾ ﾟ｡´OVERALLﾟ☁︎｡`·.·★ ♡¸.•*⋆—
Do not get me wrong, though. The book was really sweet. It focused on omega rights and her determination to pursue an education, putting herself first. She refused to let being part of a pack define her or limit her independence. She still wanted her own office, her own space, and her own goals. The emphasis on sisterhood stood out the most for me. I loved that the book showed she could have independence, love, and support all at once.
☆⋆｡𖦹°‧★ Bonds and Blooms☆⋆｡𖦹°‧★
⁺₊★·.´🎧✩°｡ 0:56 ──♡───── 3:32 ⁺₊🎧★·.·´
🎶 “There was nowhere for me to stay. But I stayed anyway” 🎶
Faye Nightingale (h) wants more than a quiet life in her small hometown, and Scent Valley University feels like the fresh start she has been searching for. She has new friends, a cozy apartment, and a taste of freedom, but her lingering fear of alphas keeps her guarded. Everything changes when she meets the Silverwood Pack, Ren, Laz, Cole, and Damon (H), four men who believe she is their scent match.
—*•.¸♡ ★·.·☾ ﾟ｡´THOUGHTS ﾟ☁︎｡`·.·★ ♡¸.•*⋆—
[Ren]
“Ren,” I whimper in pain. An overwhelming urge for release and connection comes over me. “I need you. Please.”
Her perfume has a comforting edge, bringing out my caretaker side, making me want to tuck her into bed and curl up beside her to keep her warm.
Ren is my soft caretaker bookworm who instantly goes into protector mode around her 💌💗😭🤍. He is gentle and sweet, completely down bad from the moment he sees her. Faye was the first person to treat Ren as an Alpha despite his interests and how soft he is, because when it mattered, he was protective of her and willing to do whatever was necessary to make sure she was safe. He is so loved by me. He carried deep insecurities that she helped erase through her constant praise and reassurance. She made him feel good, made him feel seen, and reminded him that he was enough.💗💖🤍💌💘
[Laz]
“I… I only—”
“Go!”
Did the most mesmerizing girl I’ve ever seen just slam the door to Stella House in my face?
Laz is always saying the wrong thing without meaning to. He has golden retriever energy, and I love him for it. Yes, he constantly puts his foot in his mouth, but he never means any harm. As long as she understands that, his character works. I think the book did a good job of showing that he is the type to act before he thinks, and because he is Laz, everyone lets it slide.
[Damon]
“What do you think you’re doing out here alone?” He glares down at me. “It’s not safe for an omega to be outside the village alone at night! Don’t you know anything?”
“I-I-I didn’t—”
“Didn’t think?” He rakes his hands through his wavy hair and sighs, dispersing more of his scent. “Clearly.”
Damon pushed her until he made her afraid of him. It makes sense that he was the first to bond with her because he spent so long trying to push her away. In the end, though, he wanted her deeply. He wanted to protect her from himself, believing he could hurt her, even though she had nothing to fear. He had been coerced by another omega in the past and blamed himself for unintentionally harming her, even though it was not his fault. She forced herself on him, and he only protected himself.
[Colt]
“Stay calm, Ren.” Cole returns to his usual level-headed self. “Laz will meet you. Just keep her safe, okay? Leave everything else to us. It’ll be okay.”
Colt feels a constant responsibility to make sure she is safe. He makes sure she has a comfortable pack house, sends out the guys to gather things for her nest, and just wants her happy. She did not bond with him first, but because he does not care about pack hierarchy, it did not matter. He officially integrated her into the pack as soon as she bonded with Damon, proving that he just wanted her to feel secure. He knew she was theirs the moment he saw her, so the decision came easily to him.
My only issue was that after she bonded with Damon, it felt rushed with the others. That one took time, and it felt intentional, but the rest happened too fast. Especially with Laz, who went into rut right after she bonded with Colt, and it all came out of nowhere. He did not really get that one-on-one bonding moment with her. Then, when it was time for her to bond with Ren, it happened differently. She did not take his knot because their connection was more emotional than physical, so she just bit him, and that is how the book ended.
—*•.¸♡ ★·.·☾ ﾟ｡´OVERALLﾟ☁︎｡`·.·★ ♡¸.•*⋆—
Do not get me wrong, though. The book was really sweet. It focused on omega rights and her determination to pursue an education, putting herself first. She refused to let being part of a pack define her or limit her independence. She still wanted her own office, her own space, and her own goals. The emphasis on sisterhood stood out the most for me. I loved that the book showed she could have independence, love, and support all at once.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 30, 2025
Genre: NA/Adult Omegaverse Romance
Spice: 2.5/5🌶️
*spice ratings are relative to similar books in the same genre*
The Catalog: MFMMM college omegaverse, touch starved omega, scent-matches, surprise heat, female friendship sisterhood, omega with past alpha trauma, reluctant alpha, inexperienced FMC, found family, protective alphas, heat/rut & knotting
Silverwood Pack Dynamics:
α Ω α α α
Cole (α): Pack Leader
Ren (α): Bookish
Laz (α): Golden Retriever
Damon (α): Tortured Hero
Synopsis: Although Faye loves her enchanting life making herbal medicine with her Grams, she’s excited to start her new adventure at Scent Valley University. Her only concern is being around alphas, who she fears and mistrusts. However, her best intentions to stay the course and avoid alphas are sidelined when the impossible happens: she meets her scent matches.
Thoughts:
It is always such a pleasure to read omegaverse romances from debut authors! I am always so excited to see a new take and delve into all the ways their Omegaverse is unique. Polly Maple’s debut is cozy and familiar, with all of the best parts of Omegaverse, but I found myself utterly charmed by the different little idiosyncrasies unique to this world! Bonds and Bloom is on the cozy side of Omegaverse, perfect for low-stress, snuggly reading.
Faye is such a sweet omega that has some (well placed) mistrust for alphas, but is brave enough to leave her home to attend college. I really loved her tenacity and strength during difficult parts of her story. As for her matches, there’s the organized leader, Cole, the goofball artist, Laz, the brooding tortured hero, Damon, and the bookish hottie, Ren. It was impossible not to root for them from the start, and while I always try not to have a favorite, Ren really stole my heart.
Their romance is more of an insta-lust/insta-love situation, which seems to be the norm for scent matches in this universe.
Aside from the romance, there’s also a really emotional found family of sisterhood with Faye and the omegas in her sorority. I really loved this part of the book/Universe. I also really liked Scent Valley University as a whole and am excited to see more in the world.
I do wish there had been more emotional development with all the characters, and less insta-love, but I can’t deny that it fits with the overall tone of the book! It’s just a personal tase thing. Some alphas seemed to get to that deeper level, while others didn’t.
This is a great choice for cozy omegaverse readers, or for those looking for a light story full of hope and knots!
Spice: 2.5/5🌶️
*spice ratings are relative to similar books in the same genre*
The Catalog: MFMMM college omegaverse, touch starved omega, scent-matches, surprise heat, female friendship sisterhood, omega with past alpha trauma, reluctant alpha, inexperienced FMC, found family, protective alphas, heat/rut & knotting
Silverwood Pack Dynamics:
α Ω α α α
Cole (α): Pack Leader
Ren (α): Bookish
Laz (α): Golden Retriever
Damon (α): Tortured Hero
Synopsis: Although Faye loves her enchanting life making herbal medicine with her Grams, she’s excited to start her new adventure at Scent Valley University. Her only concern is being around alphas, who she fears and mistrusts. However, her best intentions to stay the course and avoid alphas are sidelined when the impossible happens: she meets her scent matches.
Thoughts:
It is always such a pleasure to read omegaverse romances from debut authors! I am always so excited to see a new take and delve into all the ways their Omegaverse is unique. Polly Maple’s debut is cozy and familiar, with all of the best parts of Omegaverse, but I found myself utterly charmed by the different little idiosyncrasies unique to this world! Bonds and Bloom is on the cozy side of Omegaverse, perfect for low-stress, snuggly reading.
Faye is such a sweet omega that has some (well placed) mistrust for alphas, but is brave enough to leave her home to attend college. I really loved her tenacity and strength during difficult parts of her story. As for her matches, there’s the organized leader, Cole, the goofball artist, Laz, the brooding tortured hero, Damon, and the bookish hottie, Ren. It was impossible not to root for them from the start, and while I always try not to have a favorite, Ren really stole my heart.
Their romance is more of an insta-lust/insta-love situation, which seems to be the norm for scent matches in this universe.
Aside from the romance, there’s also a really emotional found family of sisterhood with Faye and the omegas in her sorority. I really loved this part of the book/Universe. I also really liked Scent Valley University as a whole and am excited to see more in the world.
I do wish there had been more emotional development with all the characters, and less insta-love, but I can’t deny that it fits with the overall tone of the book! It’s just a personal tase thing. Some alphas seemed to get to that deeper level, while others didn’t.
This is a great choice for cozy omegaverse readers, or for those looking for a light story full of hope and knots!
November 2, 2025
I love a good cute and cozy omegaverse! Polly Maple did a wonderful job with this book. I loved the Silverwood pack and how they came together for Faye. And Faye! What a cutie pie. I would definitely want to be in the Stella house if I was enrolled at Scent Valley University. The female friendships in this book had me feeling like I was back with my sorority sisters in those sweet moments where you know they are always there for you. It’s such a unique idea to have people sorted into different houses based on scent compatibility. Faye’s alphas were hotties and I loved their different personalities. I’m usually a sucker for the reluctant one in the group but I switched up for Bonds & Blooms because Ren had my whole heart and more. He was so sweet and caring but when he was in the nest, he shed it all and really showed his alpha side. And when he stood up for Faye toward the end? YUM!!!
I really enjoyed reading this book and cannot wait for Kady’s book next! Thank you so much to Polly for the ARC of this book 🧡
I really enjoyed reading this book and cannot wait for Kady’s book next! Thank you so much to Polly for the ARC of this book 🧡
October 25, 2025
This was such a sweet read!
This was both all the instalove goodness while still having some angst and slow burn thanks to the broody alpha Damon. It was nice to have angst and frustration at the same time as having low anxiety relationships blooming. A perfect balance.
Faye is such a sweet and shy omega but she stands no chance once the Silverwood pack realizes that she is their scent match. All of her guys are great but fair warning, Damon in his fear might make you want to throat punch him.
I also loved the strong friendships we got to see with the Stellas. I am looking forward to seeing each of their stories unfold!
This was both all the instalove goodness while still having some angst and slow burn thanks to the broody alpha Damon. It was nice to have angst and frustration at the same time as having low anxiety relationships blooming. A perfect balance.
Faye is such a sweet and shy omega but she stands no chance once the Silverwood pack realizes that she is their scent match. All of her guys are great but fair warning, Damon in his fear might make you want to throat punch him.
I also loved the strong friendships we got to see with the Stellas. I am looking forward to seeing each of their stories unfold!
November 7, 2025
I want to attend Scent Valley University and live in Stella House! This whole university and surrounding area is so cosy! I need to go to Noodles and Chill 😂😍 I never wanted to leave this world! I loved Faye and her alphas. They were perfect for her and she was perfect for them. I don’t know if I can pick a favorite because the alphas were just so different but all so just right for her! If you like cosy omegaverse books this needs to go on your tbr to be read immediately!
January 1, 2026
Super cute read. Faye has just started Uni and she’s excited to get out of her small town and study botany, meet her dorm sisters, and she’s not shopping for alphas but life goals. Too bad fate has other plans.
There’s usually one grump in his own way in the bunch. Add in the beta-hole of a teach (now former botany idol) and she’s in a whirlwind of emotions.
Really enjoy the character growth and can’t wait for Katy’s story
There’s usually one grump in his own way in the bunch. Add in the beta-hole of a teach (now former botany idol) and she’s in a whirlwind of emotions.
Really enjoy the character growth and can’t wait for Katy’s story
January 4, 2026
A cutesy and cozy omegaverse story 🌸
Overall, this was an enjoyable read with lovely cover art. I was hoping for a bit more in terms of the relationships between the characters. It didn’t feel like we got much of a build up or development of a relationship with the characters. I was also hoping we’d learn a bit more about the characters themselves, it felt a tad surface level for me. I am curious to read the next book and see how the series continues on.
Overall, this was an enjoyable read with lovely cover art. I was hoping for a bit more in terms of the relationships between the characters. It didn’t feel like we got much of a build up or development of a relationship with the characters. I was also hoping we’d learn a bit more about the characters themselves, it felt a tad surface level for me. I am curious to read the next book and see how the series continues on.
November 5, 2025
Where can i find my friends like this??
This debut Novel by Polly Maple is amazing! Highly recommend if you love cozy stories with Knots, nesting and surprise heats!
We Meet Faye, a shy Omega branching out on her own away from her Grandmother for the first time. She goes to Scent Valley University where they do not discriminate against the designations. She meets her soul sisters at the Stella House. This is also where Faye runs into the Silverwood Pack.
The Silverwood pack made up of Alphas of different personalities. Im Def a Damon Girl..... If you know, you know!
The bonds in this book, both pack and friendship, were beautifully crafted. I cant wait for the next book to come out!
This debut Novel by Polly Maple is amazing! Highly recommend if you love cozy stories with Knots, nesting and surprise heats!
We Meet Faye, a shy Omega branching out on her own away from her Grandmother for the first time. She goes to Scent Valley University where they do not discriminate against the designations. She meets her soul sisters at the Stella House. This is also where Faye runs into the Silverwood Pack.
The Silverwood pack made up of Alphas of different personalities. Im Def a Damon Girl..... If you know, you know!
The bonds in this book, both pack and friendship, were beautifully crafted. I cant wait for the next book to come out!
December 17, 2025
I loved everything about this book. It was so cute. She helped heal all of them and they showed her what being loved and cherished meant. Also love that she found best friends who always have each others backs.
January 20, 2026
I will be honest and say this was fine. I was just bored and it needed an editor. The bones of this cozy story were there, but cozy shouldn't mean nothing happens. We don't really get any tension, not a ton of build up, the story happened but I wasn't drawn in.
November 9, 2025
for a university based book not a lot of studying actually happens
Read
January 14, 2026No rating as it was just not my thing. Can’t do “academy” setting Omegaverse with a bunch of 19 year olds. DNF at 50%
February 8, 2026
This was so wholesome and adorable! The writing wasn't great, but I'm so excited for the rest of the novels in this universe!
February 10, 2026
3.5 stars
November 7, 2025
1.5 stars.
November 28, 2025
I’ve been in such an Omegaverse phase, so I was so excited when I saw that this book was coming out—and it was so so cute!!
I loved the dynamics between everyone in this book! The female friendships were wonderful, each member of the pack was different and supportive of the others, and the FMC was great! She felt very realistic to me, and I loved that she grew so much in her confidence and independence while also learning how to be vulnerable.
If you’re looking for a new Omegaverse that’s super sweet, super spicy, and a little angsty, grab this one!
TROPES
Cozy College OV
Found Family
Scent Match
Knotting
Surprise Heat
Thank you so much to Polly Maple for sending me a copy for an honest review. 💖
I loved the dynamics between everyone in this book! The female friendships were wonderful, each member of the pack was different and supportive of the others, and the FMC was great! She felt very realistic to me, and I loved that she grew so much in her confidence and independence while also learning how to be vulnerable.
If you’re looking for a new Omegaverse that’s super sweet, super spicy, and a little angsty, grab this one!
TROPES
Cozy College OV
Found Family
Scent Match
Knotting
Surprise Heat
Thank you so much to Polly Maple for sending me a copy for an honest review. 💖
February 11, 2026
This book was cute. If you’re looking for a short, low angst, low tension, no drama omegaverse read, then this might be perfect for you.
My taste in books is all over the spectrum, I like high tension, high drama, high risk as well as the complete opposite, so I didn’t mind a book that was a little more cutesie and completely low angst. So as I go into this review, I would just like to again state that I don’t mind books like this at all. I’m fully aware of what it’s gonna entail and I really don’t have a problem with it.
Start with the pros. The setting is cute, we love a good college vibe. It’s not heavy on the world building so you don’t have to focus too much on tons of details, but it’s detailed enough that you can visualize where you’re at.
The characters were decently developed, each one had their own distinct personality, and while there was some instances where they shifted into just being a little too sniffly and cutie for my liking, they still all held their own within the skeleton of a personality that was chosen for that character.
It was a pretty short book, a nice easy read. I believe it was a total of 7 1/2 hours for me to get through, split up between two days so real light and breezy. I like the low angst aspect of it, there was really no drama and no stomach dropping twists or anything like that so it’s a real simple read to digest.
The plot itself as well as how the story flowed was decent enough. Nothing extraordinary however I’ve read much worse books so again it’s pretty breezy to get through. It gets to the point and you know what’s coming so there’s no surprises.
Onto the more critical cons. The writing was subpar. There were way too many exclamation points in areas that didn’t need exclamation points which just makes the writing field juvenile. While the characters were decently developed, a lot of of them were painfully stereotypical. There were parts where I not only cringed, but just kind of glazed over because it was incredibly just cheesy and lame. For example, and this is a spoiler,
Rens insecurities, and how he handles his and Faye’s first date at the coffee shop was ridiculously dumb. We get he’s insecure, but the whole bashful eyes down “oh my gosh I just don’t think anybody could ever like me. Someone like you could never like me.” Just this woe is me, insecure mush was not helpful to the story or his character. I get being insecure and what happened to him with the other Omega, I understand where it’s coming from, but turning the alpha’s into these super weepy things is just obnoxious. And it’s also a copout in my opinion. That’s not saying that alpha’s cannot have emotion or show vulnerability but the way that it’s done when they do this really weepy, eyes down, can’t make eye contact “oh no I’m so bad. How could anybody ever love me?” Type of stuff is ridiculous.
That tends to happen with Laz as well. Anytime there’s an alpha with an insecurity. It just kind of turns into this “Poor me, poor my, how could anybody ever love me? I’m such a mess up” just seeking validation and it’s cringe.
I also have a really hard time, and I understand that this tends to be a main plot point with most of these omega verse books, however, the way it’s done tends to be really unbearable to read, it’s the all Alphas falling all over each other. “Oh my God I need to do anything for you, whatever my omega needs, I’m gonna drop anything and everything and just literally sprint straight to your side and grab you by the face and oh my God what do you need? Are you OK? You’re so precious and fragile oh my gosh do you need anything at all???” like that type of Alpha is just so childish to me. You can want to give somebody everything without quite literally dropping everything in your hands and sprinting straight to their side and dropping down to the ground and worshipping them. Like let the people be people. You can express love and adoration and desire to please, without literally turning them into mushy children. it’s just weird.
Same goes for the relationships with the girls. Again, I’m fully aware that within the omega verse instant love and instant connection and “I’ve only known this person for one month but we’re scented mate so we’re just bound to be together.” It’s part of the whole universe. I just feel like there has to be a way to do it better than the traditional “oh my God I know I just met you, but I feel like I’ve known you for forever. This is so weird. I know I shouldn’t wanna be your best friend and your lover, but I can’t help it. This is just what it’s gonna be and it’s unexplainable.” and then it jumps into a relationship that’s been established for what feels like forever. I get that’s the point but there’s a way to do it and it just wasn’t done well here.
The tie to the girls and the initial desire from the FMC to have that relationship with them, coming from being very alone was awesome, I just really can’t stand when a relationship isnt established between the characters on the page and then something happens and everybody drops everything that they’re doing and sprint straight to the FMC like “oh my God are you OK? I was so scared for you. Do you need anything? We’re all here for you” like it’s just juvenile. And it just feels like high school fanfiction. Like there’s no real connection established between the FMC and these people and they’re dropping everything and just booking it straight to the FMC whenever a tiny little inconvenience happens. And then it gets brushed off by the FMC like “oh my gosh I’m so sorry it wasn’t even that big of a deal but thank you guys so much.” It’s just pick me energy.
That’s kind of what this whole story was giving, was the FMC being very cute and vulnerable and insecure and naïve with big baby doll eyes and she doesn’t know really how to interact with anybody because she’s been so alone and “oh my goodness” like a wounded little rabbit and then all of these big bad characters come and rally around her but then baby the hell out of her because of whatever reason. And then everybody else turns to mush around her? Like “oh my God, do you need anything? Are you OK? Tell me if you need anything. We’ll be right there. I swear you’re so precious.” Like all character development just goes out the window.
The story itself again while being low angst is also incredibly predictable. There were a handful of very obvious stereotypes, whether that’s a plot point or a character and it just fell directly into exactly what you think it’s gonna be. The whole Damon plot point was dumb as fuck. It was literally him, pushing her away and saying I’m so dangerous, you should be around me. I’m too dangerous. And then all of it was not even real? Like it was just trying way too hard to have the traditional stereotypes and they were done stereotypically lol
I could not have rolled my eyes any harder at some of these situations and characters that they found themselves talking to or being a part of.
There were also some parts that we’re just kind of thrown in their haphazardly I feel. The football players were constantly around somewhere and sending her and like hunting her a little bit and then one of the alphas would whisker away like what’s the point of that? Maybe doing it once but it was just oddly thrown in there at random times to put her in a dangerous situation? Cole’s dad being the stereotypical douche bag literally all of the things that he said were stereotypical. Like I cannot even begin to express how painful it was to read sometimes.
As for the middle/end, it went from 0 to 100. It was kind of muddied. One of my bigger pet peeves with college based stories is the education is always so important in the beginning and then they’re in class for a day and a half, and then suddenly something happens and it’s like they never go back to class ever again. It’s mentioned sometimes throughout the story that graduating is important but like, they never show up in class again, and then all of a sudden it’s the end of the book. Once she establishes a relationship with all of the alphas, it goes straight into bonding and then like a chapter and a half of just straight sex and then the book is over. Which I’m all for smut, I love love love a good smutty book. It just felt oddly out of place here. I get the heat, I know it was explained that the bonding would make the heat incredibly intense, but it was just odd to be a super cutsie, gushy book and then all of a sudden the last like 2 1/2 chapters are just straight smut.
TL;DR
The book is cute, short, low angst, no drama. I don’t like the writing that much, it felt very juvenile and very high school fanfiction. Way too many exclamation points, Not enough development with the plot and some of the characters. Some of the alphas were way too insecure, and woe is me for my liking. The relationship with the Stella‘s about halfway through the book just kind of fizzled out, and it became all about the alpha’s, which I understand, but still a little disappointing. And then the last chapter or two is just straight smut. The writing made it almost unbearable for me to read with it being very juvenile, very green, VERY predictable and unbearably stereotypical, but if that’s your type of book, then I think you’ll really enjoy it. It’s not awful, but I think there’s much better books out there within the omegaverse.
My taste in books is all over the spectrum, I like high tension, high drama, high risk as well as the complete opposite, so I didn’t mind a book that was a little more cutesie and completely low angst. So as I go into this review, I would just like to again state that I don’t mind books like this at all. I’m fully aware of what it’s gonna entail and I really don’t have a problem with it.
Start with the pros. The setting is cute, we love a good college vibe. It’s not heavy on the world building so you don’t have to focus too much on tons of details, but it’s detailed enough that you can visualize where you’re at.
The characters were decently developed, each one had their own distinct personality, and while there was some instances where they shifted into just being a little too sniffly and cutie for my liking, they still all held their own within the skeleton of a personality that was chosen for that character.
It was a pretty short book, a nice easy read. I believe it was a total of 7 1/2 hours for me to get through, split up between two days so real light and breezy. I like the low angst aspect of it, there was really no drama and no stomach dropping twists or anything like that so it’s a real simple read to digest.
The plot itself as well as how the story flowed was decent enough. Nothing extraordinary however I’ve read much worse books so again it’s pretty breezy to get through. It gets to the point and you know what’s coming so there’s no surprises.
Onto the more critical cons. The writing was subpar. There were way too many exclamation points in areas that didn’t need exclamation points which just makes the writing field juvenile. While the characters were decently developed, a lot of of them were painfully stereotypical. There were parts where I not only cringed, but just kind of glazed over because it was incredibly just cheesy and lame. For example, and this is a spoiler,
Rens insecurities, and how he handles his and Faye’s first date at the coffee shop was ridiculously dumb. We get he’s insecure, but the whole bashful eyes down “oh my gosh I just don’t think anybody could ever like me. Someone like you could never like me.” Just this woe is me, insecure mush was not helpful to the story or his character. I get being insecure and what happened to him with the other Omega, I understand where it’s coming from, but turning the alpha’s into these super weepy things is just obnoxious. And it’s also a copout in my opinion. That’s not saying that alpha’s cannot have emotion or show vulnerability but the way that it’s done when they do this really weepy, eyes down, can’t make eye contact “oh no I’m so bad. How could anybody ever love me?” Type of stuff is ridiculous.
That tends to happen with Laz as well. Anytime there’s an alpha with an insecurity. It just kind of turns into this “Poor me, poor my, how could anybody ever love me? I’m such a mess up” just seeking validation and it’s cringe.
I also have a really hard time, and I understand that this tends to be a main plot point with most of these omega verse books, however, the way it’s done tends to be really unbearable to read, it’s the all Alphas falling all over each other. “Oh my God I need to do anything for you, whatever my omega needs, I’m gonna drop anything and everything and just literally sprint straight to your side and grab you by the face and oh my God what do you need? Are you OK? You’re so precious and fragile oh my gosh do you need anything at all???” like that type of Alpha is just so childish to me. You can want to give somebody everything without quite literally dropping everything in your hands and sprinting straight to their side and dropping down to the ground and worshipping them. Like let the people be people. You can express love and adoration and desire to please, without literally turning them into mushy children. it’s just weird.
Same goes for the relationships with the girls. Again, I’m fully aware that within the omega verse instant love and instant connection and “I’ve only known this person for one month but we’re scented mate so we’re just bound to be together.” It’s part of the whole universe. I just feel like there has to be a way to do it better than the traditional “oh my God I know I just met you, but I feel like I’ve known you for forever. This is so weird. I know I shouldn’t wanna be your best friend and your lover, but I can’t help it. This is just what it’s gonna be and it’s unexplainable.” and then it jumps into a relationship that’s been established for what feels like forever. I get that’s the point but there’s a way to do it and it just wasn’t done well here.
The tie to the girls and the initial desire from the FMC to have that relationship with them, coming from being very alone was awesome, I just really can’t stand when a relationship isnt established between the characters on the page and then something happens and everybody drops everything that they’re doing and sprint straight to the FMC like “oh my God are you OK? I was so scared for you. Do you need anything? We’re all here for you” like it’s just juvenile. And it just feels like high school fanfiction. Like there’s no real connection established between the FMC and these people and they’re dropping everything and just booking it straight to the FMC whenever a tiny little inconvenience happens. And then it gets brushed off by the FMC like “oh my gosh I’m so sorry it wasn’t even that big of a deal but thank you guys so much.” It’s just pick me energy.
That’s kind of what this whole story was giving, was the FMC being very cute and vulnerable and insecure and naïve with big baby doll eyes and she doesn’t know really how to interact with anybody because she’s been so alone and “oh my goodness” like a wounded little rabbit and then all of these big bad characters come and rally around her but then baby the hell out of her because of whatever reason. And then everybody else turns to mush around her? Like “oh my God, do you need anything? Are you OK? Tell me if you need anything. We’ll be right there. I swear you’re so precious.” Like all character development just goes out the window.
The story itself again while being low angst is also incredibly predictable. There were a handful of very obvious stereotypes, whether that’s a plot point or a character and it just fell directly into exactly what you think it’s gonna be. The whole Damon plot point was dumb as fuck. It was literally him, pushing her away and saying I’m so dangerous, you should be around me. I’m too dangerous. And then all of it was not even real? Like it was just trying way too hard to have the traditional stereotypes and they were done stereotypically lol
I could not have rolled my eyes any harder at some of these situations and characters that they found themselves talking to or being a part of.
There were also some parts that we’re just kind of thrown in their haphazardly I feel. The football players were constantly around somewhere and sending her and like hunting her a little bit and then one of the alphas would whisker away like what’s the point of that? Maybe doing it once but it was just oddly thrown in there at random times to put her in a dangerous situation? Cole’s dad being the stereotypical douche bag literally all of the things that he said were stereotypical. Like I cannot even begin to express how painful it was to read sometimes.
As for the middle/end, it went from 0 to 100. It was kind of muddied. One of my bigger pet peeves with college based stories is the education is always so important in the beginning and then they’re in class for a day and a half, and then suddenly something happens and it’s like they never go back to class ever again. It’s mentioned sometimes throughout the story that graduating is important but like, they never show up in class again, and then all of a sudden it’s the end of the book. Once she establishes a relationship with all of the alphas, it goes straight into bonding and then like a chapter and a half of just straight sex and then the book is over. Which I’m all for smut, I love love love a good smutty book. It just felt oddly out of place here. I get the heat, I know it was explained that the bonding would make the heat incredibly intense, but it was just odd to be a super cutsie, gushy book and then all of a sudden the last like 2 1/2 chapters are just straight smut.
TL;DR
The book is cute, short, low angst, no drama. I don’t like the writing that much, it felt very juvenile and very high school fanfiction. Way too many exclamation points, Not enough development with the plot and some of the characters. Some of the alphas were way too insecure, and woe is me for my liking. The relationship with the Stella‘s about halfway through the book just kind of fizzled out, and it became all about the alpha’s, which I understand, but still a little disappointing. And then the last chapter or two is just straight smut. The writing made it almost unbearable for me to read with it being very juvenile, very green, VERY predictable and unbearably stereotypical, but if that’s your type of book, then I think you’ll really enjoy it. It’s not awful, but I think there’s much better books out there within the omegaverse.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 12, 2025
It was a cute story but I felt like a lot was missing in the world itself. We barely got any scenes with the classes or other campus stuff that wasn't party related. I was personally excited to see what the health botany class was gonna be like.
Now I'm not really a fan of instant lust/love but since its omega very I give it a pass since that's kinda a given lol. However I do feel like it was still rushed pretty quickly. I mean Faeye was barley in her first week of the semester and things were heating up between her and the other mmcs. I was hoping for at least a little more build up.
Speaking of the mmcs I have my likes and dislikes about them. Personally this is my how I would rate them from most liked to least liked;
1) Cole
2) Ren
3) Damon
4) Laz
I'm disappointed we didn't get more povs or interactions with Cole until further in the book since he was my personal favorite out of the alphas. Also he is the king of "talk her through it" I was going feral for him! Haha
Ren the typical nerdy guy but definitely knows what he's doing/saying. Can't go wrong with that trope.
Damon is a hit or miss for me. Normally I loooove a grumpy, tattooed bad boy but this time around it just wasn't doing it for me. His immediate presumption that Faeye was a spoiled omega to the point where he doesn't even bother to get to know her just irked me. And I know I said I wanted more build up with characters, but nearly 73% of the way into the book it too much build up and it was honestly a disappointment when he finally let go.
Lastly, Laz. To be dead honest I just did not like Laz at all. I know everyone is adult age but I just couldn't stop picturing him as a teenager. When it came to spicy scenes with him I pretty much skipped or skimmed ahead. I normally love a guy who is funny and a little goofy but with Laz it was just a bit overbearing. I hoenstly got the ick with his unicorn tattoo. The final straw for me was when he showed up right after Faeye and Cole bonded. I was looking forward to that bond the most because I really liked Cole and I just feel that special moment was ruined by Laz. Especially after it had been iterated how important it is for two newly bonded people to be left alone together for them to adjust to the bond.
As for Faeye herself, I love a good trauma healing trope but there were parts where infected disappointed with her character. I was really looking forward to her knowledge about plants and herbs and it felt like we barely got to see any of that. I also feel like she should've made the alphas grovel a lot more when the full truth of Damon's past was finally revealed. I honestly hate the "my body's instincts over my broken heart/trust" excuse. Did Damon purposely not tell her the full truth because he knew how she would react? Yes but I still feel that she should've made them grovel a bit longer instead of going straight into courtship.
Overall it wasn't a bad read, maybe if some of Faeye's povs were replaced with more of the alphas pov and maybe if Laz didn't exsist I would've enjoyed it more.
(No shade to the author about Laz, it's just my personal preference on his character and he was just not my cup of tea)
Now I'm not really a fan of instant lust/love but since its omega very I give it a pass since that's kinda a given lol. However I do feel like it was still rushed pretty quickly. I mean Faeye was barley in her first week of the semester and things were heating up between her and the other mmcs. I was hoping for at least a little more build up.
Speaking of the mmcs I have my likes and dislikes about them. Personally this is my how I would rate them from most liked to least liked;
1) Cole
2) Ren
3) Damon
4) Laz
I'm disappointed we didn't get more povs or interactions with Cole until further in the book since he was my personal favorite out of the alphas. Also he is the king of "talk her through it" I was going feral for him! Haha
Ren the typical nerdy guy but definitely knows what he's doing/saying. Can't go wrong with that trope.
Damon is a hit or miss for me. Normally I loooove a grumpy, tattooed bad boy but this time around it just wasn't doing it for me. His immediate presumption that Faeye was a spoiled omega to the point where he doesn't even bother to get to know her just irked me. And I know I said I wanted more build up with characters, but nearly 73% of the way into the book it too much build up and it was honestly a disappointment when he finally let go.
Lastly, Laz. To be dead honest I just did not like Laz at all. I know everyone is adult age but I just couldn't stop picturing him as a teenager. When it came to spicy scenes with him I pretty much skipped or skimmed ahead. I normally love a guy who is funny and a little goofy but with Laz it was just a bit overbearing. I hoenstly got the ick with his unicorn tattoo. The final straw for me was when he showed up right after Faeye and Cole bonded. I was looking forward to that bond the most because I really liked Cole and I just feel that special moment was ruined by Laz. Especially after it had been iterated how important it is for two newly bonded people to be left alone together for them to adjust to the bond.
As for Faeye herself, I love a good trauma healing trope but there were parts where infected disappointed with her character. I was really looking forward to her knowledge about plants and herbs and it felt like we barely got to see any of that. I also feel like she should've made the alphas grovel a lot more when the full truth of Damon's past was finally revealed. I honestly hate the "my body's instincts over my broken heart/trust" excuse. Did Damon purposely not tell her the full truth because he knew how she would react? Yes but I still feel that she should've made them grovel a bit longer instead of going straight into courtship.
Overall it wasn't a bad read, maybe if some of Faeye's povs were replaced with more of the alphas pov and maybe if Laz didn't exsist I would've enjoyed it more.
(No shade to the author about Laz, it's just my personal preference on his character and he was just not my cup of tea)
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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