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Starbrook City Omegaverse #4
Saving the Knotty Mafia Princess
Once upon a time, there was a princess locked away in her father's castle.
Alright, fine, it was a mansion, and she was a mafia princess.
Wren was never supposed to be an omega. She grew up thinking she'd designate as a beta—a short beta, but a beta nonetheless. When she presents as an omega at twenty-two, her life changes irreparably.
Despite her plan to get out from under her parents thumbs and live life away from the suffocating practices of the Mafia, she finds herself sold to the highest bidder with no regard for her wants or desires.
Wren needs saving—and her friend Teddy know just the guys the pull it off.
_____
Saving the Knotty Mafia Princess is a prequel novella that takes place about six years before the events of The Knotty Omega . Find out how Wren met her pack in this MFMMM mafia-adjacent story.
Alright, fine, it was a mansion, and she was a mafia princess.
Wren was never supposed to be an omega. She grew up thinking she'd designate as a beta—a short beta, but a beta nonetheless. When she presents as an omega at twenty-two, her life changes irreparably.
Despite her plan to get out from under her parents thumbs and live life away from the suffocating practices of the Mafia, she finds herself sold to the highest bidder with no regard for her wants or desires.
Wren needs saving—and her friend Teddy know just the guys the pull it off.
_____
Saving the Knotty Mafia Princess is a prequel novella that takes place about six years before the events of The Knotty Omega . Find out how Wren met her pack in this MFMMM mafia-adjacent story.
363 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 18, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 123 reviews
June 25, 2026
Some aspects of this worked so well for me and others fell kind of flat. It was an inconsistent read with little elements jabbing my brain (ie. the h not knowing that phones played music, I don’t think it was realistic that she was that removed from normality). Loved how the guys were immediately enamored with the h and vice versa. Even though they’re true scent matches, they also took the time to connect with sharing important details about themselves, going on mini-dates, etc. A lot of *ahem* physical connecting, but emotional connection too. The start does have some potentially triggering elements with her toxic family and a bad pack temporarily having her, but once she’s rescued, all the fluff alongside a bit of scheming to ensure their safety.
Written in first person, multi-POV with all the mains. No ow drama, the om involved with the bad pack weren’t of interest to the h and are dealt with severely thanks to the guys. The h was inexperienced and the guys had experience, but at least a couple admitted to having been celibate since being made aware of her.
Some tropes/themes:
☆ Why choose omegaverse
☆ MFMMM
☆ Omega x 4 Alphas
☆ Forced proximity
☆ Scent matches/fated mates
☆ Sheltered/naive FMC
☆ Damsel in distress
☆ Late presenting omega AND one of the alphas
☆ Omegaverse elements - knots, heat, instincts, nesting, whining, purring, bonding bites
☆ Toxic family
☆ Criminal elements discussed - not the main characters
☆ Some darkness earlier in the book - then loads of sweetness
☆ One age gap alpha
☆ Not a pre-existing pack, just coworkers/friends
☆ Cutesy nicknames
☆ FMC claims her agency/power
☆ A bit of kinky touches - cockwarming, permission for somno, there’s a “good boy” dropped, some bratty behavior
The h is the only daughter of a mafia-style family, who are using her for her omega status. The book starts with the h being dangled in front of others and escaping into an alley briefly, where she makes her first friend, one of the guys. A year later, the h is plotting with this H to escape her parents using her artistic skills. It’s pretty hilarious how she uses subterfuge with her parents regarding this btw, nice touch and a hint of the backbone that she displays more later. Unfortunately, her parents wreck her plans, she’s in danger, and the H who was helping her calls in help for a rescue. The rescue crew and the H friend all end up being scent matches with her so they’re keeping her hidden and safe while establishing a brand new pack.
This is a very steamy book with one on one time and eventual multi-partner and full group scenes. The guys aren’t interested in each other, but they’re also comfortable with getting up close and personal with each other at times in order to satisfy their omega (I’m talking bout some DVP y’all). In addition to the spiciness, the fluff is fluffing. The cutesy nicknames were a little much for me with how often they were used. Others may feel differently. But other details were cute, like a lake date and painting with each other. The guys were such confidence boosters and green flags.
I liked each of the guys and they were distinct from each other, always nice in a reverse harem. Each one also brought something specific to the relationship and was acknowledged by the h. This is a group where they see each other as individuals and as a unit, also always great. One of the guys does speak with a British accent that was hard for me to read at times because of how my inner voice chose to “hear” it, totally on me but may bother someone else too.
Side characters are a little sparse, but the h does get a female friend in the form of the alpha twin sister of one of her guys. It was lovely seeing her figure out that friendship dynamic. I think I also saw some readers hoping for a future book with the sister, who has a poignant moment talking with the h about the challenges of being a female alpha.
The climax is them guaranteeing their continued safety and shoving their demands in her parents’ faces. Really liked how the h was given the opportunity to stand up for herself. As well as the heat and bonding that followed. Very HEA ending and based on other reviews, this group feature in other books of the series, so not the last time that they’re seen. I did like it and this was my first book by this author. I’m curious about other books by her so I’d be willing to check something else out in the future.
Written in first person, multi-POV with all the mains. No ow drama, the om involved with the bad pack weren’t of interest to the h and are dealt with severely thanks to the guys. The h was inexperienced and the guys had experience, but at least a couple admitted to having been celibate since being made aware of her.
Some tropes/themes:
☆ Why choose omegaverse
☆ MFMMM
☆ Omega x 4 Alphas
☆ Forced proximity
☆ Scent matches/fated mates
☆ Sheltered/naive FMC
☆ Damsel in distress
☆ Late presenting omega AND one of the alphas
☆ Omegaverse elements - knots, heat, instincts, nesting, whining, purring, bonding bites
☆ Toxic family
☆ Criminal elements discussed - not the main characters
☆ Some darkness earlier in the book - then loads of sweetness
☆ One age gap alpha
☆ Not a pre-existing pack, just coworkers/friends
☆ Cutesy nicknames
☆ FMC claims her agency/power
☆ A bit of kinky touches - cockwarming, permission for somno, there’s a “good boy” dropped, some bratty behavior
The h is the only daughter of a mafia-style family, who are using her for her omega status. The book starts with the h being dangled in front of others and escaping into an alley briefly, where she makes her first friend, one of the guys. A year later, the h is plotting with this H to escape her parents using her artistic skills. It’s pretty hilarious how she uses subterfuge with her parents regarding this btw, nice touch and a hint of the backbone that she displays more later. Unfortunately, her parents wreck her plans, she’s in danger, and the H who was helping her calls in help for a rescue. The rescue crew and the H friend all end up being scent matches with her so they’re keeping her hidden and safe while establishing a brand new pack.
This is a very steamy book with one on one time and eventual multi-partner and full group scenes. The guys aren’t interested in each other, but they’re also comfortable with getting up close and personal with each other at times in order to satisfy their omega (I’m talking bout some DVP y’all). In addition to the spiciness, the fluff is fluffing. The cutesy nicknames were a little much for me with how often they were used. Others may feel differently. But other details were cute, like a lake date and painting with each other. The guys were such confidence boosters and green flags.
I liked each of the guys and they were distinct from each other, always nice in a reverse harem. Each one also brought something specific to the relationship and was acknowledged by the h. This is a group where they see each other as individuals and as a unit, also always great. One of the guys does speak with a British accent that was hard for me to read at times because of how my inner voice chose to “hear” it, totally on me but may bother someone else too.
Side characters are a little sparse, but the h does get a female friend in the form of the alpha twin sister of one of her guys. It was lovely seeing her figure out that friendship dynamic. I think I also saw some readers hoping for a future book with the sister, who has a poignant moment talking with the h about the challenges of being a female alpha.
The climax is them guaranteeing their continued safety and shoving their demands in her parents’ faces. Really liked how the h was given the opportunity to stand up for herself. As well as the heat and bonding that followed. Very HEA ending and based on other reviews, this group feature in other books of the series, so not the last time that they’re seen. I did like it and this was my first book by this author. I’m curious about other books by her so I’d be willing to check something else out in the future.
June 19, 2026
“Turns out, the more you do sex stuff, the more confident you get with it. Who knew?” 😂😆😂😆
Overall 4.5/5 stars ⭐️
Returning to Starbrook City has been so wonderful! I love this series for the ooey gooey sweet scent matches and fast feelings! This book brings a great balance with an opening that is pretty high tension and fast-paced! I LOVED IT! Then we got to settle into some scent match getting-to-know you that was so sweet and so swoon-worthy. I absolutely ATE IT UP! I found as many tiny moments throughout the day as I could to open it back up to get a few more bites.
What’s Inside
❤️ Omegaverse
❤️ MFMMM
❤️ Mafia Princess who needs to escape
❤️ Scent Matches
❤️ Inexperienced FMC
❤️ Late Presentation
Quite frankly, I love when scent matches just dive into relationships. It gives me all the warm & fuzzies. I love the simplicity and comfort SO MUCH.
ARC Review of Saving the Knotty Mafia Princess by Jessica Winters releasing June 18th. This is the fourth book in the Starbrook City Omegaverse series of interconnected standalones. This book can be read as a complete standalone, in fact the events in this book take place prior to all the other books.
I was gifted a copy of this book by the author. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you!
Overall 4.5/5 stars ⭐️
Returning to Starbrook City has been so wonderful! I love this series for the ooey gooey sweet scent matches and fast feelings! This book brings a great balance with an opening that is pretty high tension and fast-paced! I LOVED IT! Then we got to settle into some scent match getting-to-know you that was so sweet and so swoon-worthy. I absolutely ATE IT UP! I found as many tiny moments throughout the day as I could to open it back up to get a few more bites.
What’s Inside
❤️ Omegaverse
❤️ MFMMM
❤️ Mafia Princess who needs to escape
❤️ Scent Matches
❤️ Inexperienced FMC
❤️ Late Presentation
Quite frankly, I love when scent matches just dive into relationships. It gives me all the warm & fuzzies. I love the simplicity and comfort SO MUCH.
ARC Review of Saving the Knotty Mafia Princess by Jessica Winters releasing June 18th. This is the fourth book in the Starbrook City Omegaverse series of interconnected standalones. This book can be read as a complete standalone, in fact the events in this book take place prior to all the other books.
I was gifted a copy of this book by the author. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you!
June 24, 2026
I loved it! Jessica Winter never fails to meet my expectations.
MFMMM
Wren (omega)
Teddy (alpha)
Maverick (alpha)
Brennan (alpha)
Ethan (alpha)
MFMMM
Wren (omega)
Teddy (alpha)
Maverick (alpha)
Brennan (alpha)
Ethan (alpha)
June 18, 2026
4.5⭐️
“𝐅𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐞 𝐬𝐜𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐬. 𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐥 𝐝𝐢𝐝 𝐈 𝐠𝐨 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐚 𝐛𝐞𝐭𝐚 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐥𝐲 𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐚𝐤 𝐭𝐨 𝐚𝐧𝐲𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐚𝐧 𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐠𝐚 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐟𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐡𝐨𝐭-𝐚𝐬-𝐟𝐮𝐜𝐤 𝐚𝐥𝐩𝐡𝐚 𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐬?”
i am so glad we got Wren’s story. i was def one of those people who wanted more of her story after reading 𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑲𝒏𝒐𝒕𝒕𝒚 𝑶𝒎𝒆𝒈𝒂 and meeting Wren and Brennan and getting glimpses of her personality through the series.
you can definitely tell that this book started out as a novella. this book takes places over a 2 weeks period (other than the prologue) and you don’t get a lot of expansion of the guys’ backgrounds, other than maybe Maverick. but the connection development was still good between Wren and each of her men. though they were true scent matches, they still went on dates and wanted to court her properly as she deserved.
we also get introduced to Maverick’s alpha female bisexual twin sister 👀 and if there isn’t a book for her, i may rage.
“𝐒𝐨 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐈’𝐦 𝐬𝐚𝐲𝐢𝐧𝐠… 𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐈 𝐰𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐛𝐮𝐫𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐠𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝. 𝐈 𝐰𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐝 𝐦𝐲 𝐜𝐚𝐫 𝐨𝐟𝐟 𝐚 𝐜𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐟. 𝐈 𝐰𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐰 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐧𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐠𝐚𝐫𝐛𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐢𝐟 𝐢𝐭 𝐦𝐞𝐚𝐧𝐭… 𝐢𝐟 𝐢𝐭 𝐦𝐞𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐈’𝐝 𝐠𝐞𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐦𝐲 𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐞.”
this is technically a prequel to the 𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑺𝒕𝒂𝒓𝒃𝒓𝒐𝒐𝒌 𝑪𝒊𝒕𝒚 𝑶𝒎𝒆𝒈𝒂𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒔𝒆 𝑺𝒆𝒓𝒊𝒆𝒔, so if you haven’t read the interconnected series yet, this is the perfect place to start.
thank you Jessica Winters for an e-ARC of 𝑺𝒂𝒗𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑲𝒏𝒐𝒕𝒕𝒚 𝑴𝒂𝒇𝒊𝒂 𝑷𝒓𝒊𝒏𝒄𝒆𝒔𝒔 🎨🔪🕊️
✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦
MFMMM, AOAAA, 1st person multi-POV
22 fmc, 24 mmc, 32 mmc, ??? mmc, ??? mmc
late presenting omega fmc, late presenting alpha mmc, virgin fmc, true scent matches, stabby fmc, friends to lovers, ex-military mmcs, somnophilia, 🐓 warming, DP, DVP, they build her a nest, early release 💦, bonding/bite marks, knotting, squirting, heat scene, group scenes, HEA, epilogue, interconnected standalone, prequel
“𝐅𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐞 𝐬𝐜𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐬. 𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐥 𝐝𝐢𝐝 𝐈 𝐠𝐨 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐚 𝐛𝐞𝐭𝐚 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐥𝐲 𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐚𝐤 𝐭𝐨 𝐚𝐧𝐲𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐚𝐧 𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐠𝐚 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐟𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐡𝐨𝐭-𝐚𝐬-𝐟𝐮𝐜𝐤 𝐚𝐥𝐩𝐡𝐚 𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐬?”
i am so glad we got Wren’s story. i was def one of those people who wanted more of her story after reading 𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑲𝒏𝒐𝒕𝒕𝒚 𝑶𝒎𝒆𝒈𝒂 and meeting Wren and Brennan and getting glimpses of her personality through the series.
you can definitely tell that this book started out as a novella. this book takes places over a 2 weeks period (other than the prologue) and you don’t get a lot of expansion of the guys’ backgrounds, other than maybe Maverick. but the connection development was still good between Wren and each of her men. though they were true scent matches, they still went on dates and wanted to court her properly as she deserved.
we also get introduced to Maverick’s alpha female bisexual twin sister 👀 and if there isn’t a book for her, i may rage.
“𝐒𝐨 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐈’𝐦 𝐬𝐚𝐲𝐢𝐧𝐠… 𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐈 𝐰𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐛𝐮𝐫𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐠𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝. 𝐈 𝐰𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐝 𝐦𝐲 𝐜𝐚𝐫 𝐨𝐟𝐟 𝐚 𝐜𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐟. 𝐈 𝐰𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐰 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐧𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐠𝐚𝐫𝐛𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐢𝐟 𝐢𝐭 𝐦𝐞𝐚𝐧𝐭… 𝐢𝐟 𝐢𝐭 𝐦𝐞𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐈’𝐝 𝐠𝐞𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐦𝐲 𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐞.”
this is technically a prequel to the 𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑺𝒕𝒂𝒓𝒃𝒓𝒐𝒐𝒌 𝑪𝒊𝒕𝒚 𝑶𝒎𝒆𝒈𝒂𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒔𝒆 𝑺𝒆𝒓𝒊𝒆𝒔, so if you haven’t read the interconnected series yet, this is the perfect place to start.
thank you Jessica Winters for an e-ARC of 𝑺𝒂𝒗𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑲𝒏𝒐𝒕𝒕𝒚 𝑴𝒂𝒇𝒊𝒂 𝑷𝒓𝒊𝒏𝒄𝒆𝒔𝒔 🎨🔪🕊️
✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦
MFMMM, AOAAA, 1st person multi-POV
22 fmc, 24 mmc, 32 mmc, ??? mmc, ??? mmc
late presenting omega fmc, late presenting alpha mmc, virgin fmc, true scent matches, stabby fmc, friends to lovers, ex-military mmcs, somnophilia, 🐓 warming, DP, DVP, they build her a nest, early release 💦, bonding/bite marks, knotting, squirting, heat scene, group scenes, HEA, epilogue, interconnected standalone, prequel
Review of advance copy received from Author
Read an advanced copy from the author.
This book is a bit darker than the first two in the series (prob on par with the third), given Wren's circumstances as a "Mafia Princess". The author doesn't linger on the darker elements but it does discuss themes you would expect to find in a much darker OV. Given how cozy the first two were, I think that's an important note. Definitely check the CW if darker OV themes/tropes are difficult for you.
It was fun to meet Brennan and Wren again after the quick meetings in Knotty Omega and find out how she became such a confident woman. As a whole, the pack is satisfying. Each member is distinct--no man blob!--and the men have a fun, banter-filled relationship with Wren. The plot moves quickly and provides some action and suspense but is wrapped up into an HEA, not just for the pack but for Wren's own empowerment, quickly.
If I'm being honest I absolutely could not stand the what I think was supposed to be Cockney accent (??) for one of her pack members. It was more like a stereotype than an actual accent but didn't use regular Cockney slang (or even general English ones), and it was incredibly distracting. It kept pulling me out of the story with how ridiculous it was. I probably would have DNFed if the rest of the story weren't so solid. It was also thrown in that that particular pack member had gotten into Oxford, but turned it down to be a drummer in a punk band---except we don't find out for what but offhand mentions he knows about explosives (?? it seems to be used as a shorthand for "he's smart"), and we never hear anything about his band. His accent should signal he was raised very poor and working class, and it so seems odd we don't hear how he ended up being accepted to and then turning down Oxford. Similarly, we don't find out much about the other men's backgrounds, either. It would help contextualize their behaviors a bit better, and overall make the story more developed and make the character traits feel less like they're just aesthetic choices (e.g. the man's tattoos, black pants, etc.)
That said, it is a solid read in the OV genre that ticks all the boxes.
This book is a bit darker than the first two in the series (prob on par with the third), given Wren's circumstances as a "Mafia Princess". The author doesn't linger on the darker elements but it does discuss themes you would expect to find in a much darker OV. Given how cozy the first two were, I think that's an important note. Definitely check the CW if darker OV themes/tropes are difficult for you.
It was fun to meet Brennan and Wren again after the quick meetings in Knotty Omega and find out how she became such a confident woman. As a whole, the pack is satisfying. Each member is distinct--no man blob!--and the men have a fun, banter-filled relationship with Wren. The plot moves quickly and provides some action and suspense but is wrapped up into an HEA, not just for the pack but for Wren's own empowerment, quickly.
If I'm being honest I absolutely could not stand the what I think was supposed to be Cockney accent (??) for one of her pack members. It was more like a stereotype than an actual accent but didn't use regular Cockney slang (or even general English ones), and it was incredibly distracting. It kept pulling me out of the story with how ridiculous it was. I probably would have DNFed if the rest of the story weren't so solid. It was also thrown in that that particular pack member had gotten into Oxford, but turned it down to be a drummer in a punk band---except we don't find out for what but offhand mentions he knows about explosives (?? it seems to be used as a shorthand for "he's smart"), and we never hear anything about his band. His accent should signal he was raised very poor and working class, and it so seems odd we don't hear how he ended up being accepted to and then turning down Oxford. Similarly, we don't find out much about the other men's backgrounds, either. It would help contextualize their behaviors a bit better, and overall make the story more developed and make the character traits feel less like they're just aesthetic choices (e.g. the man's tattoos, black pants, etc.)
That said, it is a solid read in the OV genre that ticks all the boxes.
June 18, 2026
Listen, Jo's brand of crazy from One Flew Over the Omega's Nest really spoke to the angry bitch inside of me that is sick of everyone's shit and just wants to burn it all down. I loved seeing her tear through assholes and take what was hers.
But there's something about watching Alpha men turn into soft protectors as they nurture their damaged little Omegas into the people they were always meant to be that just melts me and speaks to the damaged little girl still residing inside of me. I loved all the guys, already team Brennan since I knew him best from the other books. But man-o-man, the moment I met Teddy I was in love with the cocky-bastard. And Maverick going from Alpha-bear to Daddy-bear (though I'm honestly not a 'daddy' fan) was the cutest thing ever. His own little insecurities that Wren helped heal was beautiful.
I love the Starbrook City series so much. I hope Ms Winters finds countless more tales to tell in this series.
But there's something about watching Alpha men turn into soft protectors as they nurture their damaged little Omegas into the people they were always meant to be that just melts me and speaks to the damaged little girl still residing inside of me. I loved all the guys, already team Brennan since I knew him best from the other books. But man-o-man, the moment I met Teddy I was in love with the cocky-bastard. And Maverick going from Alpha-bear to Daddy-bear (though I'm honestly not a 'daddy' fan) was the cutest thing ever. His own little insecurities that Wren helped heal was beautiful.
I love the Starbrook City series so much. I hope Ms Winters finds countless more tales to tell in this series.
June 26, 2026
Dnf at 32%. The ick factor was high with this one
June 27, 2026
Genre - Omegaverse Romance
Rating - ⭐️⭐️⭐️.75/5
Spice - 🌶️🌶️.5/5
Multiple POV
FMMMM
Main Characters
> Wren Sofia Messina/Artist name - Sylvia Bloom (22/5’0) - Late-Presenting Omega/Mafia Princess/Aspiring Painter (Scent - Spiced Apple Cider)
> Maverick Aleksandr Petrov (32) - Ex-Marine Vet/Runs Petrov Recovery Services (Scent - Leather & Lemongrass)
> Theodore Leopold Covington III/Teddy (24) - Beta turned Late-Presenting Alpha/Drummer/British (Scent - English Breakfast Tea)
> Ethan - Alpha/Computer Genius (Scent - Lime & Bergamot)
> Brennan Madford - Alpha/Ex-Marine Vet (Scent - Vetiver & Blood Orange)
Side Characters
> Francesco Messina - Beta/Italian Mafia/Owner of Alexandro Fashion Brand/Wren’s Father
> Lucia Messina - Beta/Wren’s Mother
> Kellan Caruso - Head Alpha of the Caruso Pack
> Jasper Caruso - Alpha/Part of Pack Caruso
> Victor Caruso - Alpha/Part of Pack Caruso
> Beatrice - Private Chef
> Maggie Petrov (32) - Alpha/Doctor/Ex-Military/Maverick’s Twin Sister/Packless
This book can be read as a standalone due to the timeline being based 6 years before “The Knotty Omega”. None of the characters from the previous books make an appearance 🙂
I’ve been waiting for Wren’s book to come out ⏳ We’ve seen her and Brennan throughout books 1/2/3 and it was about time we got to fully meet her other 3 Alphas.
Wren hit the jackpot with all of her Alpha’s ☺️ They instantly fell in love with her the first moment they laid eyes one her but they knew they couldn’t start anything with her until they got her away from her parents.
The audacity her parents had Using her once she presented as a late Omega, withholding food as punishment, making her go on a diet which made her malnourished, selling her off to an abusive pack for money and giving said abusive pack a heat inducing injection to use on her 🤬 I stand by the statement “Not everyone deserves to be parents”🖕🏼
The Caruso Pack 🤢 What the fuck were her parents thinking 😵💫 Selling her to a pack so they could get better business opportunities due to her being mated I wish Maverick beat the shit out of all of them and not just Victor ☠️ or gone back to his old ways and killed them all 🔪🔫
Teddy the Teddy Bear 🧸 Teddy was still presenting as a Beta when he and Wren first met so he had no idea that she was his true scent match (Beta’s aren’t effected by Omega scents like Alpha’s are). Before he presented as a late-Alpha, he was 100% obsessed with her and waited a whole year before he confessed his feeling to her. He went out of his way to sneak onto her father’s property just so he could see her and he made sure that she had a way to earn money so when the time came, she could escape the control of her parents 😮💨 The night they were meant to run away together was the night she was sold off to the Caruso Pack 😢 When she was taken, it triggered his instincts and he presented as a late Alpha. Only then did he find out that she was his true scent match and he went mad with rage at the thought that he might never find her 🥺
When they managed to get her back and realised that all of the items from her nest was left behind, Teddy used his photographic memory to replace everything she’d lost. As he watched her for a year, he memorised everything about her - her hobbies, her nest, her room, her behaviour 🥹 I’m glad It was him who bonded with her first 🫶🏼
Brennan the Boo Bear 🤣 Brennan has been an important side character for the first 3 books, protecting the FMC’s from harm and making sure they stay safe when meeting with potential packs. Now that we have a back story of Wren and the abuse she endured, it makes sense as to why he took a job at “Omega Matching Services”. Having witnessed what happened to Wren behind the closed doors of the Caruso Pack, he wanted to prevent it from happening to other Omega.
BRENNAN CROCHETS 😍 I do like me a man with hobbies �� It was sweet how he feels comfortable enough to be himself around Wren 😌 I loved how he would sit with her crocheting whiles she was painting. It was there personal bonding time together that none of the other Alpha’s joined in on 😊
Maverick the Daddy Bear 😈 Whiles all the MMC’s were obsessed with Wren, Maverick was OBSESSED!! He was my favourite one out of our Alpha’s but once I found out just how obsessed he was 😮💨🙀🫶🏼🥇Wren, you’re one lucky son of a bitch🫡 After seeing Wren for the first time via camera footage, he reacted the same way as Brennan did… by searching up her name. What made him different from Brennan was that he stumbled across her photo on a black market website that he uses for his rescuing business. This website is used as a hit list, used by those who desire to have an Omega or Beta kidnapped or killed 😥 Seeing her photo triggered a series of events, leading him on a killing spree. He either killed those who posted the ads or seriously injured them to send a message to others. As time went on and the message began to spread, her photo gradually started to disappear from the site 😶🌫️
From this information alone, it makes sense why Wren considered him her safety blanket and the reason why she always went to him when she was feeling venerable 🥹
Ethan the Bossy Bear 🤓He reminded me of Austin from “Her Knotty Alphas”, but instead of showing his love language through baking, he showed it through cooking 🥘
His love language was also shown through technology 👨🏽💻 On the night that Teddy and Wren met, he forgot to turn off his body cam. By forgetting to do so led to Ethan “meeting” her as well and he instantly felt drawn to her.
As he was Teddy’s roommate, he knew about their plan to run away together. To make sure she remained safe from her parents matches, he hacked into her father’s emails and deleted pack requests from those he saw as unworthy. He would also hack into the security cameras so that Teddy could sneak in and see her.
He did all of this and he never even planned on meeting her 🥺 He just wanted to make sure she got the freedom she deserved 🥹
If I do remember correctly, Maverick is the one who becomes Head Alpha of the pack. In “Their Knotty Omega”, Brennan’s last name is no longer Madford but Petrov instead. Normally in packs, they take the Head Alpha’s last name and as Mavericks last name is Petrov, it give off the impression that Maverick was made Head Alpha🫡
This story ends with a HEA for Wren and her Alpha’s 🥰 There is no Epilogue 🙂
At this moment in time, this is the last book of the “Starbrook City Omegaverse” Series. I’ve read some of the other reviews and some people have expressed an interest in Maverick’s twin sister, Maggie. Honestly, I wouldn’t be mad is she got her own book. In this series so far, none of the FMC have been Alpha’s and as she’s bisexual, she’s doesn’t mind if she has a male or female Omega. She doesn’t mind having other Alphas within her pack as well but she expressed that many male Alpha’s aren’t fond of the idea of having a female Alpha within their pack. If we end up not getting her book then I’ll just make up her pack in my head 🤣 It involves a cute needy male Omega with an equally cute needy female Omega, a hunky big boy Alpha, a grumpy nerdy Beta and a dominate Alpha who’s hates being touched by those outside his pack. And it involves MM romance, FF Romance, ALL THE ROMANCE!!! We’re spreading the love around 🤪😘🤩🥵😈
Triggers/Tropes
▫️Ass Play
▫️Attempted Forced Heat (Via Injection)(Not by the MC’s)
▫️Attempted SA (The Caruso Pack planned to SA Wren after injecting her. They chased her around the house as she tried to escape. They never managed to do anything as Maverick and Brennan broke down the front door and saved her)
▫️Bonding/Mating Bites
▫️Cock Warming
▫️Double Knot (Vaginal/Anal)
▫️Double Penetration (Oral/Vaginal)(Vaginal/Anal)
▫️Double Vaginal Penetration
▫️Dry Humping
▫️Emotional Abuse (Not by the MC’s)
▫️Friends to Lovers (Teddy & Wren)
▫️Group/Solo Scenes
▫️Handjob
▫️Heat
▫️Knots/Knotting 🪢
▫️Light Somnophilia (Consensual)(Wren wakes up to Teddy going down on her. In previous chapters, she expressed how she wanted the MMC's to do this to her)
▫️Light Violence (Maverick beats up Victor for strangling Wren)
▫️Masturbation
▫️Mention of a Killing Spree (There’s a black market website where you post ads of Omegas/Betas you want killed or kidnapped. Maverick would go after those who posted photo’s of Wren. He’d either kill them or severely hurt them to send a message to those who wanted to hurt Wren. After that, her photo stop appearing on the website)
▫️Mentions of Restricted Feeding (FMC parents withheld food as punishment)(In the past)
▫️Nest Control (Wren’s father sells her to Pack Caruso. They force her to sleep on a bare mattress, saying that she will only get pieces of her nest back for every task she does correctly. This is their way of “disciplining” her)
▫️Nesting
▫️Nicknames (Teddy calls her “Dove”/Wren calls him “Teddy Bear”)(Ethan calls her “Little Bird””Brat”/Wren calls him “Bossy Bear”)(Maverick calls her “Baby Girl”/Wren calls him “Daddy Bear”)(Brennan calls her “Song Bird”/Wren calls him “Boo Bear”)
▫️No Cheating
▫️No OW/OM Drama
▫️No Pregnancy
▫️No Protection (Omega’s can only get pregnant during their heats. Maggie gives Wren a birth control shot before her heat starts)
▫️No Swords Cross ⚔️
▫️No Third Act Break Up
▫️Omega FMC/X4 Alpha MMC
▫️Omegaverse
▫️Oral
▫️Pining
▫️Praise
▫️Protective MMC’s
▫️Quadruple Penetration (Oral/Anal/Double Vaginal)
▫️Rescue Mission (The MMC’s save the FMC from the Caruso Pack)
▫️Self-Defence (After Wren is injected to induce her heat, she tries to escape. She gets cornered in the kitchen and Jasper jumps towards her. She grabs a knife from behind her and he impaled himself in the stomach)
▫️Sharing (Only between the MMC’s)
▫️Squirting
▫️Strangling (Victor strangles Wren)
▫️Time Jump (Around 1 Year. From Prologue to Chapter 1)
▫️True Scent Matches
▫️Virgin FMC
Rating - ⭐️⭐️⭐️.75/5
Spice - 🌶️🌶️.5/5
Multiple POV
FMMMM
Main Characters
> Wren Sofia Messina/Artist name - Sylvia Bloom (22/5’0) - Late-Presenting Omega/Mafia Princess/Aspiring Painter (Scent - Spiced Apple Cider)
> Maverick Aleksandr Petrov (32) - Ex-Marine Vet/Runs Petrov Recovery Services (Scent - Leather & Lemongrass)
> Theodore Leopold Covington III/Teddy (24) - Beta turned Late-Presenting Alpha/Drummer/British (Scent - English Breakfast Tea)
> Ethan - Alpha/Computer Genius (Scent - Lime & Bergamot)
> Brennan Madford - Alpha/Ex-Marine Vet (Scent - Vetiver & Blood Orange)
Side Characters
> Francesco Messina - Beta/Italian Mafia/Owner of Alexandro Fashion Brand/Wren’s Father
> Lucia Messina - Beta/Wren’s Mother
> Kellan Caruso - Head Alpha of the Caruso Pack
> Jasper Caruso - Alpha/Part of Pack Caruso
> Victor Caruso - Alpha/Part of Pack Caruso
> Beatrice - Private Chef
> Maggie Petrov (32) - Alpha/Doctor/Ex-Military/Maverick’s Twin Sister/Packless
This book can be read as a standalone due to the timeline being based 6 years before “The Knotty Omega”. None of the characters from the previous books make an appearance 🙂
I’ve been waiting for Wren’s book to come out ⏳ We’ve seen her and Brennan throughout books 1/2/3 and it was about time we got to fully meet her other 3 Alphas.
Wren hit the jackpot with all of her Alpha’s ☺️ They instantly fell in love with her the first moment they laid eyes one her but they knew they couldn’t start anything with her until they got her away from her parents.
The audacity her parents had Using her once she presented as a late Omega, withholding food as punishment, making her go on a diet which made her malnourished, selling her off to an abusive pack for money and giving said abusive pack a heat inducing injection to use on her 🤬 I stand by the statement “Not everyone deserves to be parents”🖕🏼
The Caruso Pack 🤢 What the fuck were her parents thinking 😵💫 Selling her to a pack so they could get better business opportunities due to her being mated I wish Maverick beat the shit out of all of them and not just Victor ☠️ or gone back to his old ways and killed them all 🔪🔫
Teddy the Teddy Bear 🧸 Teddy was still presenting as a Beta when he and Wren first met so he had no idea that she was his true scent match (Beta’s aren’t effected by Omega scents like Alpha’s are). Before he presented as a late-Alpha, he was 100% obsessed with her and waited a whole year before he confessed his feeling to her. He went out of his way to sneak onto her father’s property just so he could see her and he made sure that she had a way to earn money so when the time came, she could escape the control of her parents 😮💨 The night they were meant to run away together was the night she was sold off to the Caruso Pack 😢 When she was taken, it triggered his instincts and he presented as a late Alpha. Only then did he find out that she was his true scent match and he went mad with rage at the thought that he might never find her 🥺
When they managed to get her back and realised that all of the items from her nest was left behind, Teddy used his photographic memory to replace everything she’d lost. As he watched her for a year, he memorised everything about her - her hobbies, her nest, her room, her behaviour 🥹 I’m glad It was him who bonded with her first 🫶🏼
Brennan the Boo Bear 🤣 Brennan has been an important side character for the first 3 books, protecting the FMC’s from harm and making sure they stay safe when meeting with potential packs. Now that we have a back story of Wren and the abuse she endured, it makes sense as to why he took a job at “Omega Matching Services”. Having witnessed what happened to Wren behind the closed doors of the Caruso Pack, he wanted to prevent it from happening to other Omega.
BRENNAN CROCHETS 😍 I do like me a man with hobbies �� It was sweet how he feels comfortable enough to be himself around Wren 😌 I loved how he would sit with her crocheting whiles she was painting. It was there personal bonding time together that none of the other Alpha’s joined in on 😊
Maverick the Daddy Bear 😈 Whiles all the MMC’s were obsessed with Wren, Maverick was OBSESSED!! He was my favourite one out of our Alpha’s but once I found out just how obsessed he was 😮💨🙀🫶🏼🥇Wren, you’re one lucky son of a bitch🫡 After seeing Wren for the first time via camera footage, he reacted the same way as Brennan did… by searching up her name. What made him different from Brennan was that he stumbled across her photo on a black market website that he uses for his rescuing business. This website is used as a hit list, used by those who desire to have an Omega or Beta kidnapped or killed 😥 Seeing her photo triggered a series of events, leading him on a killing spree. He either killed those who posted the ads or seriously injured them to send a message to others. As time went on and the message began to spread, her photo gradually started to disappear from the site 😶🌫️
From this information alone, it makes sense why Wren considered him her safety blanket and the reason why she always went to him when she was feeling venerable 🥹
Ethan the Bossy Bear 🤓He reminded me of Austin from “Her Knotty Alphas”, but instead of showing his love language through baking, he showed it through cooking 🥘
His love language was also shown through technology 👨🏽💻 On the night that Teddy and Wren met, he forgot to turn off his body cam. By forgetting to do so led to Ethan “meeting” her as well and he instantly felt drawn to her.
As he was Teddy’s roommate, he knew about their plan to run away together. To make sure she remained safe from her parents matches, he hacked into her father’s emails and deleted pack requests from those he saw as unworthy. He would also hack into the security cameras so that Teddy could sneak in and see her.
He did all of this and he never even planned on meeting her 🥺 He just wanted to make sure she got the freedom she deserved 🥹
If I do remember correctly, Maverick is the one who becomes Head Alpha of the pack. In “Their Knotty Omega”, Brennan’s last name is no longer Madford but Petrov instead. Normally in packs, they take the Head Alpha’s last name and as Mavericks last name is Petrov, it give off the impression that Maverick was made Head Alpha🫡
This story ends with a HEA for Wren and her Alpha’s 🥰 There is no Epilogue 🙂
At this moment in time, this is the last book of the “Starbrook City Omegaverse” Series. I’ve read some of the other reviews and some people have expressed an interest in Maverick’s twin sister, Maggie. Honestly, I wouldn’t be mad is she got her own book. In this series so far, none of the FMC have been Alpha’s and as she’s bisexual, she’s doesn’t mind if she has a male or female Omega. She doesn’t mind having other Alphas within her pack as well but she expressed that many male Alpha’s aren’t fond of the idea of having a female Alpha within their pack. If we end up not getting her book then I’ll just make up her pack in my head 🤣 It involves a cute needy male Omega with an equally cute needy female Omega, a hunky big boy Alpha, a grumpy nerdy Beta and a dominate Alpha who’s hates being touched by those outside his pack. And it involves MM romance, FF Romance, ALL THE ROMANCE!!! We’re spreading the love around 🤪😘🤩🥵😈
Triggers/Tropes
▫️Ass Play
▫️Attempted Forced Heat (Via Injection)(Not by the MC’s)
▫️Attempted SA (The Caruso Pack planned to SA Wren after injecting her. They chased her around the house as she tried to escape. They never managed to do anything as Maverick and Brennan broke down the front door and saved her)
▫️Bonding/Mating Bites
▫️Cock Warming
▫️Double Knot (Vaginal/Anal)
▫️Double Penetration (Oral/Vaginal)(Vaginal/Anal)
▫️Double Vaginal Penetration
▫️Dry Humping
▫️Emotional Abuse (Not by the MC’s)
▫️Friends to Lovers (Teddy & Wren)
▫️Group/Solo Scenes
▫️Handjob
▫️Heat
▫️Knots/Knotting 🪢
▫️Light Somnophilia (Consensual)(Wren wakes up to Teddy going down on her. In previous chapters, she expressed how she wanted the MMC's to do this to her)
▫️Light Violence (Maverick beats up Victor for strangling Wren)
▫️Masturbation
▫️Mention of a Killing Spree (There’s a black market website where you post ads of Omegas/Betas you want killed or kidnapped. Maverick would go after those who posted photo’s of Wren. He’d either kill them or severely hurt them to send a message to those who wanted to hurt Wren. After that, her photo stop appearing on the website)
▫️Mentions of Restricted Feeding (FMC parents withheld food as punishment)(In the past)
▫️Nest Control (Wren’s father sells her to Pack Caruso. They force her to sleep on a bare mattress, saying that she will only get pieces of her nest back for every task she does correctly. This is their way of “disciplining” her)
▫️Nesting
▫️Nicknames (Teddy calls her “Dove”/Wren calls him “Teddy Bear”)(Ethan calls her “Little Bird””Brat”/Wren calls him “Bossy Bear”)(Maverick calls her “Baby Girl”/Wren calls him “Daddy Bear”)(Brennan calls her “Song Bird”/Wren calls him “Boo Bear”)
▫️No Cheating
▫️No OW/OM Drama
▫️No Pregnancy
▫️No Protection (Omega’s can only get pregnant during their heats. Maggie gives Wren a birth control shot before her heat starts)
▫️No Swords Cross ⚔️
▫️No Third Act Break Up
▫️Omega FMC/X4 Alpha MMC
▫️Omegaverse
▫️Oral
▫️Pining
▫️Praise
▫️Protective MMC’s
▫️Quadruple Penetration (Oral/Anal/Double Vaginal)
▫️Rescue Mission (The MMC’s save the FMC from the Caruso Pack)
▫️Self-Defence (After Wren is injected to induce her heat, she tries to escape. She gets cornered in the kitchen and Jasper jumps towards her. She grabs a knife from behind her and he impaled himself in the stomach)
▫️Sharing (Only between the MMC’s)
▫️Squirting
▫️Strangling (Victor strangles Wren)
▫️Time Jump (Around 1 Year. From Prologue to Chapter 1)
▫️True Scent Matches
▫️Virgin FMC
Review of advance copy received from Author
4.25⭐️
4🌶️
ᴏᴍᴇɢᴀᴠᴇʀꜱᴇ
ᴡʜʏ ᴄʜᴏᴏꜱᴇ/ʀʜ
ʟᴀᴛᴇ-ᴘʀᴇꜱᴇɴᴛɪɴɢ ᴀʟᴘʜᴀ
ʟᴀᴛᴇ-ᴘʀᴇꜱᴇɴᴛɪɴɢ ᴏᴍᴇɢᴀꜰ
ʀɪᴇɴᴅꜱ-ᴛᴏ-ʟᴏᴠᴇʀꜱ
ᴛʀᴜᴇ ꜱᴄᴇɴᴛ ᴍᴀᴛᴄʜ
ᴀɢᴇ-ɢᴀᴘ (ᴛᴇɴ ʏᴇᴀʀꜱ)
ᴀʀᴛɪꜱᴛ ᴏᴍᴇɢᴀ
ᴠ!ʀɢɪɴ ᴏᴍᴇɢᴀ
ꜱᴏᴄɪᴀʟ ᴀɴxɪᴇᴛʏ ᴏᴍᴇɢᴀ
ᴅᴀʀᴋᴇʀ ᴏᴠ (ᴍᴀꜰɪᴀ ᴘᴀʀᴇɴᴛꜱ)
I love the Starbrook City series and fell in love with Wren in the previous books and was so excited she and her pack got her own story! This one is little bit darker than the other books in the series due to her parents mafia association and how they treat Wren. Wren is a late presenting omega and after her parents realized she was an omega they’re goal was to use her. Her parents were atrocious. The things they did to her mentally and emotionally abusing her. I was so glad she met Teddy and developed a friendship for the first time. She was kept in a guided cage by her parents never truly experiencing life. Teddy helped bring her out of her shell.
The Alphas are friends and coworkers who work to help free omegas who are in bad situations. That’s how they meet. I love a good rescue mission. They are not a pack already so we get to see Wren and them build their pack together and I really enjoyed that. I love that they each got time with her and got to grow their relationship more naturally despite being true scent matches. Teddy and Wrens relationship was extra special since they were friends first. Loved that!! I love the dynamic she had with each alpha. I will be honest there were a few things struggled with (again this is just me being honest about my reading experience. ) I really struggled with Teddy’s dialogue with the English accent. I loved him and I felt it was taking away from his character. I also wasn’t a fan of the nicknames Wren gave the guys. That made me cringe (boo bear, bossy bear etc) again this is just what didn’t work for me doesn’t mean it doesn’t work for someone else but I wanted to be honest. Other than those small things in throughly enjoyed the story.
Now the chemistry and spicy scenes were some of my favorite out of this entire series! Plenty of spicy Microtropes thrown in there too! 🔥🥵 I loved how the guys showed Wren what love looks like and how omegas should be treated. I loved her art work and the carrels of breaking free. Seeing Wren’s character grow, heal and get her revenge was beautiful! I love her and this pack and so glad we got to experience their story!
Thank you to Author Jessica Winters and team for the eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
4🌶️
ᴏᴍᴇɢᴀᴠᴇʀꜱᴇ
ᴡʜʏ ᴄʜᴏᴏꜱᴇ/ʀʜ
ʟᴀᴛᴇ-ᴘʀᴇꜱᴇɴᴛɪɴɢ ᴀʟᴘʜᴀ
ʟᴀᴛᴇ-ᴘʀᴇꜱᴇɴᴛɪɴɢ ᴏᴍᴇɢᴀꜰ
ʀɪᴇɴᴅꜱ-ᴛᴏ-ʟᴏᴠᴇʀꜱ
ᴛʀᴜᴇ ꜱᴄᴇɴᴛ ᴍᴀᴛᴄʜ
ᴀɢᴇ-ɢᴀᴘ (ᴛᴇɴ ʏᴇᴀʀꜱ)
ᴀʀᴛɪꜱᴛ ᴏᴍᴇɢᴀ
ᴠ!ʀɢɪɴ ᴏᴍᴇɢᴀ
ꜱᴏᴄɪᴀʟ ᴀɴxɪᴇᴛʏ ᴏᴍᴇɢᴀ
ᴅᴀʀᴋᴇʀ ᴏᴠ (ᴍᴀꜰɪᴀ ᴘᴀʀᴇɴᴛꜱ)
I love the Starbrook City series and fell in love with Wren in the previous books and was so excited she and her pack got her own story! This one is little bit darker than the other books in the series due to her parents mafia association and how they treat Wren. Wren is a late presenting omega and after her parents realized she was an omega they’re goal was to use her. Her parents were atrocious. The things they did to her mentally and emotionally abusing her. I was so glad she met Teddy and developed a friendship for the first time. She was kept in a guided cage by her parents never truly experiencing life. Teddy helped bring her out of her shell.
The Alphas are friends and coworkers who work to help free omegas who are in bad situations. That’s how they meet. I love a good rescue mission. They are not a pack already so we get to see Wren and them build their pack together and I really enjoyed that. I love that they each got time with her and got to grow their relationship more naturally despite being true scent matches. Teddy and Wrens relationship was extra special since they were friends first. Loved that!! I love the dynamic she had with each alpha. I will be honest there were a few things struggled with (again this is just me being honest about my reading experience. ) I really struggled with Teddy’s dialogue with the English accent. I loved him and I felt it was taking away from his character. I also wasn’t a fan of the nicknames Wren gave the guys. That made me cringe (boo bear, bossy bear etc) again this is just what didn’t work for me doesn’t mean it doesn’t work for someone else but I wanted to be honest. Other than those small things in throughly enjoyed the story.
Now the chemistry and spicy scenes were some of my favorite out of this entire series! Plenty of spicy Microtropes thrown in there too! 🔥🥵 I loved how the guys showed Wren what love looks like and how omegas should be treated. I loved her art work and the carrels of breaking free. Seeing Wren’s character grow, heal and get her revenge was beautiful! I love her and this pack and so glad we got to experience their story!
Thank you to Author Jessica Winters and team for the eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
June 23, 2026
Saving the Knotty Mafia Princess by Jessica Winters
⭐⭐⭐⭐.5 | 🌶️🌶️🌶️
⤷ I absolutely ATE this book up! I loved returning to Starbrook City and reading Wren's story! The sweet chemistry between Wren and Teddy had me falling in love with the characters from the first few pages, and more with each new MMCs!
⤷Prequel / Book 4 to the 𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑺𝒕𝒂𝒓𝒃𝒓𝒐𝒐𝒌 𝑪𝒊𝒕𝒚 𝑶𝒎𝒆𝒈𝒂𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒔𝒆 𝑺𝒆𝒓𝒊𝒆𝒔. If you haven’t read this interconnected series yet, this is the perfect place to start!
𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐌𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐓𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐬:
💛Omegaverse
🖌️Why Choose MFMMM-AOAAA
💛Social Anxiety Omega
🖌️Late-Presenting Alpha & Omega
💛Artist Omega
🖌️Friends-to-Lovers
💛Age Gap (10 Years)
🖌️True Scent Match
💛 Mafia Adjacent
𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬:
📌Wren (O): The sweet and determined painter
📌Teddy (A): Sweet and cheeky, all-in for Wren, deeply devoted
📌Ethan (A): The nerdy and protective “bossy bear” and “good boy”
📌Brennan (A): The strong ex-military
📌Maverick (A): The pack “daddy bear” that would do anything to protect and make her feel safe
𝐄𝐱𝐭𝐫𝐚: The character artworks on the author’s Instagram are so perfect!
𝐌𝐞𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐌𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬:
𝐐𝐮𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐬:
“I know you don’ know much ’bout me, Dove,” Teddy says, his voice gentle, “but you never ‘ave to lie to me. You are who you are, and nobody has any right to judge that.” My eyes are fixed on where his hand holds mine. “What if…” I huff a breath, knowing I’m going to sound so stupid in just a second. “What if you’re not who you are? I mean… what if who you are isn’t who you’re supposed to be? Like… what if people… what if people are keeping you from being… yourself?”
“I would do anything for you.” Then, before I can talk myself out of it, I lean down, pressing the softest of kisses against her lips. The smallest sigh of contentment leaves her, and I pull back, looking into her eyes again. “You are strong, and clever. I’ve gathered that just from knowing you the last twenty- four hours, and hearing how you’ve lived up until now. Believe me when I say, Wren Messina, I will never let you be locked up in a tower again.”
────────────────
🚨𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐬 & 𝐓𝐖🚨:
Please read all the author warnings, as some themes/events in this book may be triggering.
🎀 Thanks to Jessica Winters and her team for trusting me with this ARC!🎀
All thoughts and opinions are my own.
⭐⭐⭐⭐.5 | 🌶️🌶️🌶️
⤷ I absolutely ATE this book up! I loved returning to Starbrook City and reading Wren's story! The sweet chemistry between Wren and Teddy had me falling in love with the characters from the first few pages, and more with each new MMCs!
⤷Prequel / Book 4 to the 𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑺𝒕𝒂𝒓𝒃𝒓𝒐𝒐𝒌 𝑪𝒊𝒕𝒚 𝑶𝒎𝒆𝒈𝒂𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒔𝒆 𝑺𝒆𝒓𝒊𝒆𝒔. If you haven’t read this interconnected series yet, this is the perfect place to start!
𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐌𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐓𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐬:
💛Omegaverse
🖌️Why Choose MFMMM-AOAAA
💛Social Anxiety Omega
🖌️Late-Presenting Alpha & Omega
💛Artist Omega
🖌️Friends-to-Lovers
💛Age Gap (10 Years)
🖌️True Scent Match
💛 Mafia Adjacent
𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬:
📌Wren (O): The sweet and determined painter
📌Teddy (A): Sweet and cheeky, all-in for Wren, deeply devoted
📌Ethan (A): The nerdy and protective “bossy bear” and “good boy”
📌Brennan (A): The strong ex-military
📌Maverick (A): The pack “daddy bear” that would do anything to protect and make her feel safe
𝐄𝐱𝐭𝐫𝐚: The character artworks on the author’s Instagram are so perfect!
𝐌𝐞𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐌𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬:
𝐐𝐮𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐬:
“I know you don’ know much ’bout me, Dove,” Teddy says, his voice gentle, “but you never ‘ave to lie to me. You are who you are, and nobody has any right to judge that.” My eyes are fixed on where his hand holds mine. “What if…” I huff a breath, knowing I’m going to sound so stupid in just a second. “What if you’re not who you are? I mean… what if who you are isn’t who you’re supposed to be? Like… what if people… what if people are keeping you from being… yourself?”
“I would do anything for you.” Then, before I can talk myself out of it, I lean down, pressing the softest of kisses against her lips. The smallest sigh of contentment leaves her, and I pull back, looking into her eyes again. “You are strong, and clever. I’ve gathered that just from knowing you the last twenty- four hours, and hearing how you’ve lived up until now. Believe me when I say, Wren Messina, I will never let you be locked up in a tower again.”
────────────────
🚨𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐬 & 𝐓𝐖🚨:
Please read all the author warnings, as some themes/events in this book may be triggering.
🎀 Thanks to Jessica Winters and her team for trusting me with this ARC!🎀
All thoughts and opinions are my own.
June 24, 2026
If you’ve been following Starbrook City, you’ve already met Wren, but this is where her story finally peels back like a hidden chapter you did not know you were missing.
We are taken back to the beginning, watching Wren before she becomes the woman we think we know, and seeing exactly how her world collides with the Alphas who change everything. Teddy brings a softness that feels like safety, Ethan adds a sharper edge with a quietly nerdy charm, and her gruff daddy Alphas round out a pack that somehow fits her chaos perfectly.
Jessica once again proves she knows how to build characters that linger. The men are bold, addictive, and impossible to ignore, while Wren is written with a quiet resilience that never feels forced.
Her life at home is suffocating in the worst way. Every choice is controlled, every detail dictated, and her identity is treated like something that belongs to someone else. It is only a matter of time before that control starts to crack, especially as her parents push her toward a future she never agreed to.
When everything finally breaks, it is not gentle. The arrival of her Alphas shifts the entire story, turning it from captivity to escape in a heartbeat. But freedom is not clean or easy. The shadows of her past are still close enough to reach her, and nothing about her new reality is truly safe yet.
What follows is a fight for distance, safety, and something resembling a life she can actually choose. And even when escape finally comes into view, it is earned the hard way.
We are taken back to the beginning, watching Wren before she becomes the woman we think we know, and seeing exactly how her world collides with the Alphas who change everything. Teddy brings a softness that feels like safety, Ethan adds a sharper edge with a quietly nerdy charm, and her gruff daddy Alphas round out a pack that somehow fits her chaos perfectly.
Jessica once again proves she knows how to build characters that linger. The men are bold, addictive, and impossible to ignore, while Wren is written with a quiet resilience that never feels forced.
Her life at home is suffocating in the worst way. Every choice is controlled, every detail dictated, and her identity is treated like something that belongs to someone else. It is only a matter of time before that control starts to crack, especially as her parents push her toward a future she never agreed to.
When everything finally breaks, it is not gentle. The arrival of her Alphas shifts the entire story, turning it from captivity to escape in a heartbeat. But freedom is not clean or easy. The shadows of her past are still close enough to reach her, and nothing about her new reality is truly safe yet.
What follows is a fight for distance, safety, and something resembling a life she can actually choose. And even when escape finally comes into view, it is earned the hard way.
Review of advance copy received from Author
We finally have Wren’s story!
This was a lovely read from start to finish. We got to see deeper into Wren’s background and how she met her pack, after watching her flourish in the first three books of Starbrook City Omegaverse.
This a, build-a-pack, Omega rescue turned finding their Scent Match, Late Blooming - Omega and Alpha. Cosy omegaverse with dark themes.
Watching Wren come out of her shell, realising and figuring out who she was, whilst learning she was safe with her pack. Teddy, her best friend who would go to the ends of the earth and further to get her back. Ethan, the quiet hacker with a dominant streak that helped her find her voice. Brennan, her gentle giant, who would rather tear his own heart out than see her in pain or upset. And Maverick, the older Alpha, with Daddy vibes and would burn down the world for Wren.
Even with a pack of great alphas behind her, Wren still managed to make her own way back to she truly is, listening to her instincts and becoming a total bada**, like we know her to be. And that scene with her parents? *chef’s kiss*.
Personally I would’ve made them pay a lot harder, but that says something about our FMC, she’s sweet and kind with a strength that makes her so wonderful to read.
Saving the Knotty Mafia Princess was a quick, fast paced, dark but cosy omegaverse and it was so incredibly satisfying finally watching one of our beloved characters get their happily ever after.
This was a lovely read from start to finish. We got to see deeper into Wren’s background and how she met her pack, after watching her flourish in the first three books of Starbrook City Omegaverse.
This a, build-a-pack, Omega rescue turned finding their Scent Match, Late Blooming - Omega and Alpha. Cosy omegaverse with dark themes.
Watching Wren come out of her shell, realising and figuring out who she was, whilst learning she was safe with her pack. Teddy, her best friend who would go to the ends of the earth and further to get her back. Ethan, the quiet hacker with a dominant streak that helped her find her voice. Brennan, her gentle giant, who would rather tear his own heart out than see her in pain or upset. And Maverick, the older Alpha, with Daddy vibes and would burn down the world for Wren.
Even with a pack of great alphas behind her, Wren still managed to make her own way back to she truly is, listening to her instincts and becoming a total bada**, like we know her to be. And that scene with her parents? *chef’s kiss*.
Personally I would’ve made them pay a lot harder, but that says something about our FMC, she’s sweet and kind with a strength that makes her so wonderful to read.
Saving the Knotty Mafia Princess was a quick, fast paced, dark but cosy omegaverse and it was so incredibly satisfying finally watching one of our beloved characters get their happily ever after.
Review of advance copy received from Author
ARC review
Saving the Knotty Mafia Princess follows Wren, a friend we meet in the original Starbrook City trilogy. We go back in time six years and get to see how she meets and falls in love with her pack. I loved Wren and Brennan in the original trilogy, so I’m thrilled we got to see more of their story and the other members of their pack!
Teddy is just the sweetest and I love how their relationship formed early on and separate from the rest of the pack. Teddy and Wren meet on the night of her 21st birthday party and immediately connect. They come up with a plan to help Wren escape her overbearing mafia family and spend the next year executing that plan. But the night they’re finally going to run away together, her parents sell her to a pack of terrible alphas. She manages to get a message to Teddy and he enlists the help of his roommate and bosses to extract Wren. During the extraction, it comes to light that they are all true scent matches!
While they’re in hiding and trying to figure out how to have their happily ever after, we get to know Maverick (aka Daddy Bear), Brennan (Boo Bear), and Ethan (Bossy Bear) and see their relationship blossom. They help Wren come out of her shell and discover her true self.
If you loved the original Starbrook City series, you’ll love this installment too!
Saving the Knotty Mafia Princess follows Wren, a friend we meet in the original Starbrook City trilogy. We go back in time six years and get to see how she meets and falls in love with her pack. I loved Wren and Brennan in the original trilogy, so I’m thrilled we got to see more of their story and the other members of their pack!
Teddy is just the sweetest and I love how their relationship formed early on and separate from the rest of the pack. Teddy and Wren meet on the night of her 21st birthday party and immediately connect. They come up with a plan to help Wren escape her overbearing mafia family and spend the next year executing that plan. But the night they’re finally going to run away together, her parents sell her to a pack of terrible alphas. She manages to get a message to Teddy and he enlists the help of his roommate and bosses to extract Wren. During the extraction, it comes to light that they are all true scent matches!
While they’re in hiding and trying to figure out how to have their happily ever after, we get to know Maverick (aka Daddy Bear), Brennan (Boo Bear), and Ethan (Bossy Bear) and see their relationship blossom. They help Wren come out of her shell and discover her true self.
If you loved the original Starbrook City series, you’ll love this installment too!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Review of advance copy received from Author
Ever since book 1 of the Starbrook City series I’ve needed to read Wren’s story - & the waiting didn’t disappoint!
Wren met Teddy at her birthday/Omega designation party. They’d been friends for a year whilst concocting a plan to help her escape her abusive Mafia parents. Finally, on the night of her impending freedom, all hope was lost when she was sold to a pack.
Leaving an ambiguous note in the hopes Teddy would find it & find her, Wren was carted off with Pack Caruso. They were just as abusive as her parents, but she lived in the hope that Teddy would rescue her.
Teddy, who’d spent his life as a beta, was going out of his mind trying to locate his little Dove. But the Alpha in him came out to play when he barked at his friend. A late designation, just like Wren. With the help of three friends, Teddy tracked Wren down, & they set about to save her. & just in the nick of time.
The four Alpha’s soon discovered Wren was their true scent match, but it was an agonising wait for Wren to recover & discover this for herself. They were patient. They were reassuring. They were everything Wren needed.
It wasn’t all sunshine & rainbows, but with planning retribution for her parents & Pack Caruso, Wren soon gained the confidence she needed to be able to fully embrace pack life.
I loved this book. So many green flags for these MMC’s 💚
Wren met Teddy at her birthday/Omega designation party. They’d been friends for a year whilst concocting a plan to help her escape her abusive Mafia parents. Finally, on the night of her impending freedom, all hope was lost when she was sold to a pack.
Leaving an ambiguous note in the hopes Teddy would find it & find her, Wren was carted off with Pack Caruso. They were just as abusive as her parents, but she lived in the hope that Teddy would rescue her.
Teddy, who’d spent his life as a beta, was going out of his mind trying to locate his little Dove. But the Alpha in him came out to play when he barked at his friend. A late designation, just like Wren. With the help of three friends, Teddy tracked Wren down, & they set about to save her. & just in the nick of time.
The four Alpha’s soon discovered Wren was their true scent match, but it was an agonising wait for Wren to recover & discover this for herself. They were patient. They were reassuring. They were everything Wren needed.
It wasn’t all sunshine & rainbows, but with planning retribution for her parents & Pack Caruso, Wren soon gained the confidence she needed to be able to fully embrace pack life.
I loved this book. So many green flags for these MMC’s 💚
June 19, 2026
‼️SPOILERS‼️
I did not know how much I needed Wren’s story u til I started the first page. I just knew it was going to be a good time and of course, Jessica, definitely didn’t disappoint. When I saw this book had a late presenting omega and ALPHA,
I loved Wren’s story. She had such a horrible upbringing and when she designated later in life, her parents just became even worse. And then, they did the unthinkable and sold her to a cruel back.
These guys. Teddy, Maverick, Ethan and Brennan are the perfect guys for her. At first, Teddy didn’t want other alphas but then when they helped him in the car with her, he knew he had to make the sacrifice. Maverick is definitely my favorite and you can’t make me change my mind whatsoever.
The bear names she comes up with for these guys was perfect. The fact that Maverick helped her had me laughing because the Bossy Bear for a certain alpha had me dying. He pretended to hate it but we all know deep down he did.
They gave her the best moments. Wren had been more than sheltered. The way she stood up to her parents at the end was absolutely perfect. And the courting and the dates was everything she deserved.
I cannot wait to see who is next. I hope it’s Maggie because her story is going to epic in my opinion.
I received a copy of this book and this is my honest review.
I did not know how much I needed Wren’s story u til I started the first page. I just knew it was going to be a good time and of course, Jessica, definitely didn’t disappoint. When I saw this book had a late presenting omega and ALPHA,
I loved Wren’s story. She had such a horrible upbringing and when she designated later in life, her parents just became even worse. And then, they did the unthinkable and sold her to a cruel back.
These guys. Teddy, Maverick, Ethan and Brennan are the perfect guys for her. At first, Teddy didn’t want other alphas but then when they helped him in the car with her, he knew he had to make the sacrifice. Maverick is definitely my favorite and you can’t make me change my mind whatsoever.
The bear names she comes up with for these guys was perfect. The fact that Maverick helped her had me laughing because the Bossy Bear for a certain alpha had me dying. He pretended to hate it but we all know deep down he did.
They gave her the best moments. Wren had been more than sheltered. The way she stood up to her parents at the end was absolutely perfect. And the courting and the dates was everything she deserved.
I cannot wait to see who is next. I hope it’s Maggie because her story is going to epic in my opinion.
I received a copy of this book and this is my honest review.
June 25, 2026
4.5 ⭐️
5 🔥
Omegaverse
Why Choose Romance
MFMMM
Mafia Adjacent
Late Presenting Omega
Late Presenting Alpha
Friends to Lovers
Mental Health Rep
My favorite of the series so far! This is book four of the Starbrook City Omegaverse series, but it is actually a prequel, set six years before book one, The Knotty Omega. All the books in this series are complete standalones and can be read in any order. I have read and really enjoyed them all! In this book, we follow Wren, a late presenting omega, who is the only daughter of a mafia family. Unfortunately, her home situation is absolutely terrible. She meets a beta named Teddy at her presentation party, and they form this sweet friendship. They make a plan to runaway together to Starbrook City, but things go very wrong. She is sold to an awful pack, and things go from bad to worse. Thankfully, she is saved at just the right time, by none other than her scent matches! It was so sweet to see Wren finally get the love and support she has been deprived of. She finally gets to experience so many things she never got to and truly lean into her omega side. I love that we got to experience her falling for each of her guys. This series has been truly delightful! I hope we get to see Maggie find her pack soon!!
Thank you Jessica Winters for the ARC!
5 🔥
Omegaverse
Why Choose Romance
MFMMM
Mafia Adjacent
Late Presenting Omega
Late Presenting Alpha
Friends to Lovers
Mental Health Rep
My favorite of the series so far! This is book four of the Starbrook City Omegaverse series, but it is actually a prequel, set six years before book one, The Knotty Omega. All the books in this series are complete standalones and can be read in any order. I have read and really enjoyed them all! In this book, we follow Wren, a late presenting omega, who is the only daughter of a mafia family. Unfortunately, her home situation is absolutely terrible. She meets a beta named Teddy at her presentation party, and they form this sweet friendship. They make a plan to runaway together to Starbrook City, but things go very wrong. She is sold to an awful pack, and things go from bad to worse. Thankfully, she is saved at just the right time, by none other than her scent matches! It was so sweet to see Wren finally get the love and support she has been deprived of. She finally gets to experience so many things she never got to and truly lean into her omega side. I love that we got to experience her falling for each of her guys. This series has been truly delightful! I hope we get to see Maggie find her pack soon!!
Thank you Jessica Winters for the ARC!
Review of advance copy received from Author
The next addition to the series. I retrospective book from a loved character.
FMC
Wren
MMC
Teddy
Sweet and cheeky beta… his adoration for his sweet caged bird is undeniable from the beginning. Doing all he can for this sweet omega.
Maverick
Hmmm loving the pack alpha daddy vibes. The stability and core of the pack. A love an alpha who just vibes strength.
Brennan
My favourite character from the other books. He’s been a pillar of strength for other omegas and it was so lovely to see his origins.
Ethan
Love a nerdy alpha. Can’t get enough of this one. Despite being a computer head he written well as an alpha - not lacking in brawn or capabilities.
I always feel these books are too short - just want more of these characters. The storyline is chilled and not too much drama. Not an ‘easy read’ in it being too simplistic, more that it’s just a nice read.
The growth of the FMC is great - a lot of scent sympathetic moments so be aware if that’s not your thing. No body betrayal, but certainly focuses on pack formation.
Storyline is linear and doesn’t jump around confusing the reader. Smut is good - definitely on the lighter side for me 🔥🔥🔥 but it fit the book better than if it was crazy scenes.
Highly recommend this author.
FMC
Wren
MMC
Teddy
Sweet and cheeky beta… his adoration for his sweet caged bird is undeniable from the beginning. Doing all he can for this sweet omega.
Maverick
Hmmm loving the pack alpha daddy vibes. The stability and core of the pack. A love an alpha who just vibes strength.
Brennan
My favourite character from the other books. He’s been a pillar of strength for other omegas and it was so lovely to see his origins.
Ethan
Love a nerdy alpha. Can’t get enough of this one. Despite being a computer head he written well as an alpha - not lacking in brawn or capabilities.
I always feel these books are too short - just want more of these characters. The storyline is chilled and not too much drama. Not an ‘easy read’ in it being too simplistic, more that it’s just a nice read.
The growth of the FMC is great - a lot of scent sympathetic moments so be aware if that’s not your thing. No body betrayal, but certainly focuses on pack formation.
Storyline is linear and doesn’t jump around confusing the reader. Smut is good - definitely on the lighter side for me 🔥🔥🔥 but it fit the book better than if it was crazy scenes.
Highly recommend this author.
June 18, 2026
If you’ve read the other Starbrook City books then you’ll be familiar with Wren but where did she come from? How did she meet her pack?Finally we get to zip back in time and find out just how Wren met her Alphas. From the sweet Teddy, to her gruff daddy Alphas and the just a teeny bit nerdy Ethan.
I love anything written by Jessica and this is no exception. Her males are delish and her females are strong with just the right amount of neediness.
It doesn’t come as any surprise that Wren’s parents are despicable and have sold their only daughter whom they have kept under strict control. From diet to wardrobe and even who she dates, every aspect of Wren’s life has been dictated to her. She can only string her parents along for so long before the long line of Alpha suitors takes a nasty turn and she ends up sold to an awful pack.
Queue her saviours who arrive in spectacular style and rescue her. Her parents are waiting around the corner, the threat of her old pack are always in the background and between all of this the cops threaten to recognise her.
Will they get her out and away safely to live free from her parent’s tyranny? Well of course she does but in order to find out how, you’ll have to read it!
I love anything written by Jessica and this is no exception. Her males are delish and her females are strong with just the right amount of neediness.
It doesn’t come as any surprise that Wren’s parents are despicable and have sold their only daughter whom they have kept under strict control. From diet to wardrobe and even who she dates, every aspect of Wren’s life has been dictated to her. She can only string her parents along for so long before the long line of Alpha suitors takes a nasty turn and she ends up sold to an awful pack.
Queue her saviours who arrive in spectacular style and rescue her. Her parents are waiting around the corner, the threat of her old pack are always in the background and between all of this the cops threaten to recognise her.
Will they get her out and away safely to live free from her parent’s tyranny? Well of course she does but in order to find out how, you’ll have to read it!
June 19, 2026
I don’t think I knew I needed this book and then I started reading it and it was 100% the book that I needed! Everything in this series has been so well done and every time I read another and I’m like I think this one’s my favorite and again I feel like this one is my favorite! I absolutely devoured this book. I sat down and powered through it in like two days and it was hard to put down! I love the beginning of the story where you meet Teddy and watch how that friendship really builds and he get helps tighten to the rest of the story!
We all love a build a pack story, and we love when when scents get involved in an omegaverse because that’s what the fun starts! I would note that the beginning of this book is for sure on the darker side and fits well with the Mafia part of all of this so keep that in mind when you start the story. Once the boys get involved and there's a tense rescue, the rest of the story is what you expect from Jessica. Such a great pack dynamic. Really building a story for each individual member and who doesn't love a story where the best friend has always been in love with her and has a photographic memory and replicates her nest so she feels better after being saved. Perfect story. Loved it.
We all love a build a pack story, and we love when when scents get involved in an omegaverse because that’s what the fun starts! I would note that the beginning of this book is for sure on the darker side and fits well with the Mafia part of all of this so keep that in mind when you start the story. Once the boys get involved and there's a tense rescue, the rest of the story is what you expect from Jessica. Such a great pack dynamic. Really building a story for each individual member and who doesn't love a story where the best friend has always been in love with her and has a photographic memory and replicates her nest so she feels better after being saved. Perfect story. Loved it.
June 19, 2026
I first leaned of Brennan and Wren from The Knotty Omega. Sprinkles of her story are made throughout the Starbrook City Trilogy and when Jessica announced she was writing Wren's story I was so excited!!
I was so pleased to read how fun and different Wren's story was from the remaining other Starbrook books. I appreciated the way that Wren's approach with her alphas was so unique. Without revealing a significant amount about the story, her approach with making individual connections with each of the alphas was a highlight for me.
It was also sweet and spicy how the alphas taught Wren since she was inexperienced. Not just about intimacy though, she was so sheltered and they gave her so many opportunities. Their love and protection of her comes through in every part of the story.
Another favorite moment of mine (again, without spoilers) is how each of the alphas discusses their first impressions of Wren. I loved it so much.
The only reason this is not a five star read for me, is I found Teddy's dialogue to be really challenging to read. I understand the purpose of writing the dialogue in a way it might sound with a British accent, however, for me it made it hard to understand a bit. I'm excited for the audio because I think the accent will be GREAT in audio.
I was so pleased to read how fun and different Wren's story was from the remaining other Starbrook books. I appreciated the way that Wren's approach with her alphas was so unique. Without revealing a significant amount about the story, her approach with making individual connections with each of the alphas was a highlight for me.
It was also sweet and spicy how the alphas taught Wren since she was inexperienced. Not just about intimacy though, she was so sheltered and they gave her so many opportunities. Their love and protection of her comes through in every part of the story.
Another favorite moment of mine (again, without spoilers) is how each of the alphas discusses their first impressions of Wren. I loved it so much.
The only reason this is not a five star read for me, is I found Teddy's dialogue to be really challenging to read. I understand the purpose of writing the dialogue in a way it might sound with a British accent, however, for me it made it hard to understand a bit. I'm excited for the audio because I think the accent will be GREAT in audio.
June 23, 2026
Ok, so imagine you grow up thinking you're gonna be a beta your whole life then you end up presenting as an omega. Now your awful parents sell you to an even awful pack. What is an omega to do? Hope her message to her bestie a punk rock beta from England gets her messages to rescue her, thats what. The emotional rollercoaster in the first part of this book, seriously insane. Obvi she gets saved, though she does save herself a bit because she's badass, so must be smooth sailing from there right???? RIGHT?!?!?! Yes but also no, its on an upswing. The pack she finds herself with isn't a pack right away, they form around her. I loved the "not you too" moments. All her men are awesome, Teddy is my fav, I liked the phonetic spelling of his British accent. Teddy is chaotic in the best way possible and such a fool for Wren. Mav is a Daddy bear all the way and just a strong force for her to lean on. Ethan is a sexy nerd with a bit of a dom side. Brennan is so gentle and sweet with Wren. This book when it didn't have my heart all over the place from the stuff with her family, it was sweet and silly and spicy and cute. I hope there is a book or novella for Mav's sister, she deserves her own family.
Review of advance copy received from Author
Saving the Knotty Mafia Princess By Jessica Winters
⭐️ 4.75/5
🌶 3/5
Arc read. This book is part of the Starbrook City Omegaverse series.
I was so blessed to have received an Arc of this book. I have loved every book I have read by Jessica and this book was no different. This book follows an omega named Wren she ends up presenting late as a omega her parents who are apart of the Mafia hold a party for her. That is where she meets Teddy. Teddy would go to the ends of the earth for Wren.
Teddy ends up being her a best friend and someone who Wren trust to help her get away from her parents. Unfortunately when they plan to leave her parents sell her to an pack that is abusive. Teddy enlist the help of his roomate Ethan, his friends Brennan and Maverick. Maverick is the older alpha with Daddy vibes. Been Brennan is gentle giant that is so sweet to her. Ethan is a quiet hacker who has a dominant side to him. When the save her the realise they scent match to Wren.
This series is one of my favourite omegaverse series.
Tropes
- Social Anxiety Representation
- Artist Omega
- Hacker Alpha
- British Alpha
- Scent Match pack
⭐️ 4.75/5
🌶 3/5
Arc read. This book is part of the Starbrook City Omegaverse series.
I was so blessed to have received an Arc of this book. I have loved every book I have read by Jessica and this book was no different. This book follows an omega named Wren she ends up presenting late as a omega her parents who are apart of the Mafia hold a party for her. That is where she meets Teddy. Teddy would go to the ends of the earth for Wren.
Teddy ends up being her a best friend and someone who Wren trust to help her get away from her parents. Unfortunately when they plan to leave her parents sell her to an pack that is abusive. Teddy enlist the help of his roomate Ethan, his friends Brennan and Maverick. Maverick is the older alpha with Daddy vibes. Been Brennan is gentle giant that is so sweet to her. Ethan is a quiet hacker who has a dominant side to him. When the save her the realise they scent match to Wren.
This series is one of my favourite omegaverse series.
Tropes
- Social Anxiety Representation
- Artist Omega
- Hacker Alpha
- British Alpha
- Scent Match pack
Review of advance copy received from Author
I have loved every book Jess has ever written and this one is no different! I was kindly provided an ARC in exchange for my honest thoughts and that's what these are!
We have been waiting for Wren's story ever since the Knotty Omega and this did not disappoint. Wren is so soft and adorable but has a spine of steel and it was so great to see that side of her flourish once she met her men.
And the men! I loved them all. Teddy is a Brit and I loved the accent (it read like Billy Butcher to me from The Boys and that is not a criticism, it was highly entertaining). Ethan is our resident tech expert and he was my personal favourite (I'll let you read the story to see why 🔥). Brennan and Maverick are ex-Marines with super soft hearts for Wren and they are delightfully protective and sweet.
This story really delivered on the theme of discovering who we really are when we're free of things holding us down and we have the space and support to flourish ❤️
Jess never misses and this is a great addition to the Knotty series!
We have been waiting for Wren's story ever since the Knotty Omega and this did not disappoint. Wren is so soft and adorable but has a spine of steel and it was so great to see that side of her flourish once she met her men.
And the men! I loved them all. Teddy is a Brit and I loved the accent (it read like Billy Butcher to me from The Boys and that is not a criticism, it was highly entertaining). Ethan is our resident tech expert and he was my personal favourite (I'll let you read the story to see why 🔥). Brennan and Maverick are ex-Marines with super soft hearts for Wren and they are delightfully protective and sweet.
This story really delivered on the theme of discovering who we really are when we're free of things holding us down and we have the space and support to flourish ❤️
Jess never misses and this is a great addition to the Knotty series!
Review of advance copy received from Author
Review of ARC i received from the author.
Mafia princess but make it fluffy.
Omegaverse/heat/late presenting omega and late presenting alpha.
HEA
🌶🌶
I seriously cannot get enough of Jessicas writing. She is my #1 favorite author. Her books are my comfort reads that I go back to over and over. I giggled through this book and had sad areas with how her parents acted towards her. She has a way of weaving big emotions into her books without absolutely wrecking you. This book was such a fun read. Id met wren and Brennan in the other books in this series however you do not need to read any of the other books to read this one. In fact if you wanted to read this whole series I might suggest this one first since it is set 6 years before the knotty omega. I would say it is a little less spicy than the others in this series? However the spice is very good. If you want a cute spicy fluffy read I highly suggest the entire starbrook city series. I cannot get enough of them and I hope she continues with some other characters as well 🙏
Mafia princess but make it fluffy.
Omegaverse/heat/late presenting omega and late presenting alpha.
HEA
🌶🌶
I seriously cannot get enough of Jessicas writing. She is my #1 favorite author. Her books are my comfort reads that I go back to over and over. I giggled through this book and had sad areas with how her parents acted towards her. She has a way of weaving big emotions into her books without absolutely wrecking you. This book was such a fun read. Id met wren and Brennan in the other books in this series however you do not need to read any of the other books to read this one. In fact if you wanted to read this whole series I might suggest this one first since it is set 6 years before the knotty omega. I would say it is a little less spicy than the others in this series? However the spice is very good. If you want a cute spicy fluffy read I highly suggest the entire starbrook city series. I cannot get enough of them and I hope she continues with some other characters as well 🙏
June 9, 2026
Couldn’t put this book down, I love this pack so much!!
I’ve been hoping for a Wren book since the first time we met her and now I wanna go back and reread all the books to see every cameo again!
I absolutely loved the fact that there was no drama with them all being scent matches, they embraced it from the start and all worked on getting to know each other.
All the alphas absolutely adore Wren and can’t do enough for her, I love their love!
So cute that they all have bird nicknames for her so she has bear nicknames for them🥹
Honestly, could happily read 600+ pages of this packs every day life! Ive had the best time!
Also, Maggie is so cute and needs a book!!!
My only small issue with this book was the dialogue for Teddy, i found it so hard to read and I just dont think it was completely necessary. It made him sound silly instead of british like the intention
Thank you Jessica for the ARC🫶🏻
I’ve been hoping for a Wren book since the first time we met her and now I wanna go back and reread all the books to see every cameo again!
I absolutely loved the fact that there was no drama with them all being scent matches, they embraced it from the start and all worked on getting to know each other.
All the alphas absolutely adore Wren and can’t do enough for her, I love their love!
So cute that they all have bird nicknames for her so she has bear nicknames for them🥹
Honestly, could happily read 600+ pages of this packs every day life! Ive had the best time!
Also, Maggie is so cute and needs a book!!!
My only small issue with this book was the dialogue for Teddy, i found it so hard to read and I just dont think it was completely necessary. It made him sound silly instead of british like the intention
Thank you Jessica for the ARC🫶🏻
Review of advance copy received from Author
Perfectly titled - loved the saving her part!
Tropes: Innocent FMC, late presentation designation, friends to lovers, secret identify
Spice 3/5
Loved hearing Teddy speak in his british accent in my head. Wren is the "locked in the tower" mafia princess who meets the help one night. The help, Teddy, promises to sell her painties so they can run away together and get her away from her terrible family. Just when they have enough money, her parents sell her to an awful pack. Just her luck that her friend she made, also has friends. Those friends just happen to be good at rescuing those that need it. And as soon as she is rescued, discovers all four are her true scent matches. Perfect rescue, kicked the door in, beat the alphas to a pulp. And abolustely love that Wren fought back and didn't give up. There is still her family to deal with, and figuring out how they can go public while she''s sitll missing from being "kidnapped". I absolutely devoured this!
Tropes: Innocent FMC, late presentation designation, friends to lovers, secret identify
Spice 3/5
Loved hearing Teddy speak in his british accent in my head. Wren is the "locked in the tower" mafia princess who meets the help one night. The help, Teddy, promises to sell her painties so they can run away together and get her away from her terrible family. Just when they have enough money, her parents sell her to an awful pack. Just her luck that her friend she made, also has friends. Those friends just happen to be good at rescuing those that need it. And as soon as she is rescued, discovers all four are her true scent matches. Perfect rescue, kicked the door in, beat the alphas to a pulp. And abolustely love that Wren fought back and didn't give up. There is still her family to deal with, and figuring out how they can go public while she''s sitll missing from being "kidnapped". I absolutely devoured this!
June 13, 2026
We’ve been waiting for Wren’s story and I’m so glad we waited. Winters has saved the best for last! Though I’m hoping there are many more to come in this Starbrook city universe.
We love a cute inexperienced FMC. Wren has been pretty sheltered by her horribly abusive mafia parents. Despite being sheltered she’s still clever despite her isolation and devised a plan to escape.
I love how Wren is somewhat timid but also isn’t at all when it comes to her guys. I love the way their relationships evolve.
I do like how she gets revenge and justice not only for herself but other omegas. There is a decent plot and despite it being mafia, there isn’t much and it’s not dark.
5⭐️ - Good plot. Good character development. My only complaint is the ending was shorter and I wanted more or an epilogue.
3🌶️ - plenty of spice with a decent sized pack and even though there aren’t real heat spikes we do see her heat and her “getting to know” her pack in many ways.
We love a cute inexperienced FMC. Wren has been pretty sheltered by her horribly abusive mafia parents. Despite being sheltered she’s still clever despite her isolation and devised a plan to escape.
I love how Wren is somewhat timid but also isn’t at all when it comes to her guys. I love the way their relationships evolve.
I do like how she gets revenge and justice not only for herself but other omegas. There is a decent plot and despite it being mafia, there isn’t much and it’s not dark.
5⭐️ - Good plot. Good character development. My only complaint is the ending was shorter and I wanted more or an epilogue.
3🌶️ - plenty of spice with a decent sized pack and even though there aren’t real heat spikes we do see her heat and her “getting to know” her pack in many ways.
Review of advance copy received from Author
Jessica Winters delivered another captivating addition to the Starbrook City Omegaverse with Saving the Knotty Mafia Princess. This book had everything I love in an omegaverse romance—danger, devotion, found family, and a pack that would do anything to protect their omega.
The story kept me hooked with its blend of mafia intrigue and emotional character development. I especially enjoyed watching the relationships grow as trust was built through both the lighter moments and the challenges the characters faced. The pack dynamic felt well-developed, with each member bringing something unique to the story.
The chemistry was off the charts, but what stood out most was the emotional depth behind the romance. The balance of action, suspense, and heartfelt moments made this an easy book to binge in one sitting.
If you're a fan of protective heroes, strong heroines, found-family vibes, and omegaverse romance with plenty of heart and heat, this is definitely one to add to your TBR.
The story kept me hooked with its blend of mafia intrigue and emotional character development. I especially enjoyed watching the relationships grow as trust was built through both the lighter moments and the challenges the characters faced. The pack dynamic felt well-developed, with each member bringing something unique to the story.
The chemistry was off the charts, but what stood out most was the emotional depth behind the romance. The balance of action, suspense, and heartfelt moments made this an easy book to binge in one sitting.
If you're a fan of protective heroes, strong heroines, found-family vibes, and omegaverse romance with plenty of heart and heat, this is definitely one to add to your TBR.
June 18, 2026
This is a prelude to the Knotty Omega Starbrook books
Wren, the daughter of a wealthy family with mafia connections is a late designating Omega. Her family controls every bit of her existence, from what she eats to the clothes she wears. While escaping outside for a panic attack, she meets Teddy, and quickly gains a friend. They plan her escape until things go wrong.
Thoughts:
Having been introduced to Wren thru the knotty Omega books, her personality of cute, charming and yet delightfuly spicy personality, as well as getting hints of her story, I really enjoyed getting to see her bloom, and start to develop into that confident version of herself. I honestly thought Brennan would be my favorite Alpha, since hes one of the more prominent of her Alphas in the other books, but honestly mav, and Ethan are my two favorite Alphas.
Well written, with a good pace story wise, the Author does a good job tying everything together.
Wren, the daughter of a wealthy family with mafia connections is a late designating Omega. Her family controls every bit of her existence, from what she eats to the clothes she wears. While escaping outside for a panic attack, she meets Teddy, and quickly gains a friend. They plan her escape until things go wrong.
Thoughts:
Having been introduced to Wren thru the knotty Omega books, her personality of cute, charming and yet delightfuly spicy personality, as well as getting hints of her story, I really enjoyed getting to see her bloom, and start to develop into that confident version of herself. I honestly thought Brennan would be my favorite Alpha, since hes one of the more prominent of her Alphas in the other books, but honestly mav, and Ethan are my two favorite Alphas.
Well written, with a good pace story wise, the Author does a good job tying everything together.
June 18, 2026
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
Saving the Knotty Mafia Princess is book 4 in the Starbrook City Omegaverse series, but can be read as a standalone, as it takes place years before book 1.
Overall, I really enjoyed Wren's story. It was sweet, it had some more intense moments, and the MMCs were all book boyfriend worthy.
As many OV novels, this one heavily revolves around heat, with plenty of spice. The beginning of the book has a bit more plot, but that quickly dies down in favour of a more spice driven content. Which was pretty hot.
Wren's growth was very heartwarming to witness, especially when finding her voice and asserting her will. The switch from scared girl to sex savant was maybe a bit quick, especially when she quickly moves to consummate her relationship with each of her alphas.
Anyway, if you love sweet omegaverse novels with a touch of mafia undertones, strong found family vibes, and all the spice, this one is a great read.
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
Saving the Knotty Mafia Princess is book 4 in the Starbrook City Omegaverse series, but can be read as a standalone, as it takes place years before book 1.
Overall, I really enjoyed Wren's story. It was sweet, it had some more intense moments, and the MMCs were all book boyfriend worthy.
As many OV novels, this one heavily revolves around heat, with plenty of spice. The beginning of the book has a bit more plot, but that quickly dies down in favour of a more spice driven content. Which was pretty hot.
Wren's growth was very heartwarming to witness, especially when finding her voice and asserting her will. The switch from scared girl to sex savant was maybe a bit quick, especially when she quickly moves to consummate her relationship with each of her alphas.
Anyway, if you love sweet omegaverse novels with a touch of mafia undertones, strong found family vibes, and all the spice, this one is a great read.
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