Pack Darling: Breathless: A Novel

by Lola Rock

356 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 5, 2023

About the author

Lola Rock loves sweets, stories, and passport stamps (in that order). Her books can’t decide if they want to be hilarious or heart-wrenching, but they promise to keep you up all night.

Reviews

[Britney ☆]

This was so so so so good. I absolutely loved the original version but this one I felt just gave us even more. More backstory, more details, more Orion. The plot is still perfection and both Lilah and Orion deserve sooooo much more than the Wyvern alphas so that grovel had better be absolutely delicious.

I am going to simply pass away while I wait for the next one because that ending is brutal 😭 Pack darling will forever be one of my favorite omegaverse books.

[Meka 🌸]

tting the chance to read it as an arc opportunity for the trad version was the push to bump it up the line.

All I can say is I regret waiting so long to start this, I ate it up so quickly and then proceeded to read the second one in a single day.

I loved Lilah from the start; she’s been through some stuff that left her scarred but she still manages to have a backbone and an interesting character overall.

The plot had you going back and forth with who you were rooting for and had that air of suspense that made you want to know what would happen next. I loved an angsty omegaverse book and this one hit the mark

[The Romantic Rush Blog]

Omigodness did I gobble up this series! I'd been hesitant to dive into it since it had so much hype, and because I usually grave an omegaverse that's a bit on the sweeter side. But I'm so glad I finally bit the bullet and listened. This definitely has a reputation as being one of the best and most creative omegaverse (though since then many similar storylines have come out), and the hype wasn't wrong. It was ADDICTIVE.

Book 1 was devastating. I'm so glad I read this after both were out because I'm not sure how I'd have continued. There is no spice (at least involving the heroine), the heroes are horrible cruel and selfish, and the chemistry is toxic and hateful. It's bully on crack- truly. I actually cried at times because I felt so bad for her- she's been through so much, and I really intensely felt that shattering cliffhanger and how hurtful and harmful it was to her. The dynamics are really complicated- and truthfully I've not loved the "shared omega" trope much but here I appreciated how it was handled, I loved the concept of a pack in crisis a bit, the relationship being a bit confusing with the omega, and most of all I enjoyed how their scent match was her and not him (their current omega) yet each had a different orientation to her. The bullying isn't out of cruelty or disgust, more so it's out of protecting the fragile dynamic they already have- which while it was HARD to read, I could understand it emotionally. But ugh- it was hard. So hard. And the finale was truly devastating.

[Ashleigh]

This book is fucking depressing. If you want to read an entire novel of sustained & undeserved abuse, then you’re in the right place. There is no silver lining here—I’m not rooting for any of the Wyvern’s or anyone else. If Lilah could magically become a beta and move on, that would be my ideal ending.

Part of me wants to read the next book in the series because of how entertaining the writing style is, but I also don’t like my emotions to be messed with—with no relief. So I don’t trust that any books after would provide even an ounce of respite.

I’ve read tons of books in this world, and any mate with an ounce of brains would have put two and two together eons earlier. There’s no logical reason, not even blocking or self-exhausting, or having an existing bond that should have prevented that. Especially given that half of those guys weren’t emotionally connected to their bonded mate. You aren’t obsessively in love with someone if you’re freely fucking other people. So to me, no excuse. She also put her body, her life, and her safety on the line multiple times. Even the first time would have been enough to warrant open eyes. Choosing ignorance is inexcusable.

So ultimately, I enjoy this authors writing but I hate the MMCs and the world in general that Lilah’s been subjected to. And I want everyone else to suffer forever after.

I appreciate NetGalley for this ARC. No story has made me feel this venomous…in a long time, but maybe ever.

[Emma]

This is a classic of the why-choose omegaverse genra for a reason.
Lilah Darling is a ward of her omega finishing school, but she is determined not to awaken as an omega and be beholden to a pack. Instead, she starves herself and works herself to exhaustion to prevent her awakening from being apparent, and sabotages all her meetings with potential packs. That is, until she’s given an ultimatum and forced to join the Wyvern pack. Atlas, Hunter, Finn, and Jett don’t want Lilah, they already have their pack omega, Orion. But, Orion is struggling to settle into his unexpected omega awakening, and the pack is falling apart. Lilah doesn’t want the Wyvern pack, and they don’t want her, until things start to get complicated.

It turns out none of them hate each other as much as they want to, especially Lilah and Orion. Unfortunately, the Wyvern pack can’t get its act together to treat Lilah with the love and respect she deserves until it’s too late. The ending of this book sets us up perfectly for some serious groveling in the second book.

If you love an enemies-to-lovers vibe, fated mates, and some MMC’s who’d better be prepared to grovel, this is the why-choose omegaverse for you. If you’re new to the genra, this is still a pretty accessible place to start.

[Stephanie]

This book has been previously published, so at least I don't have to wait for the next one. I binged this in about a day. I do actually want to read the next book despite my complaints, but only because I want to watch those Alphas beg for forgiveness.

The only two who didn't do anything wrong were Lila and Orion the omegas. Everyone else sucked hard, and they need to grovel so hard. I really hope she doesn't make it easy on them in the next book. I do hope she's nice to Orion a bit. I don't feel that he deserves too much hate.

I did cry a bit towards the end, and I held out hope for Lila through the whole thing which is why this book got a 4 star rating instead of a 3.

A few things annoyed me like how they kept saying/showing how dainty the fmc is, yet she can kick butt -.-. Make it make sense. Also I don't like that it's another ohh we don't want an omega/I don't want a pack kind of book, and the whole the omegas will scratch each other up bc us alphas are soo wanted blegh. It's been done to death! Please find new hooks.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this eARC in exchange for my honest review.

[Allie Akin]

4.5 stars

This was the book that knocked me down a few pegs lol. I thought I was a much faster read when I was this engaged in a book, like reading a hundred pages an hour. However, it took me like four hours to finish.

I don't have notes while reading because I was so engaged, but when I was going in the cover and the front page design was really pretty.

One thing about me is I do love me a good angsty omegaverse, give me all the angst, I will eat it all up, lick the plate, and ask for seconds, so needless to say, I devoured this book. On a scale of The Beta to Tormented Omega, it's slightly more than the Beta.

The only reason it's not a 5 star is because it doesn't have the five star feeling that I normally have, but still an amazing book.

[Tori]

I’ve read quite a few omegaverses but this is easily one of my top five. I was on the edge of my seat throughout the entire book. Every character’s back story is so interesting but Orion is my favorite character for sure. The way he works through his issues to accept Lilah is so sweet and seeing him trust her and then claim her by the end was too good. I hate cliffhangers but this one ends in a way where I wasn’t as devastated and I greatly appreciate that! I can’t wait for all the groveling in book two.
Thank you to the publisher and author for this ARC!

[Victoria Lee]

I’m so torn on this one. Like I definitely was locked in and invested in the story. I needed to know what happened. I rooted for Lilliah so hard! Have you ever just wanted to smack someone upside the head and tell them to get their sh*t together. I felt that way with all of the main characters. I just wanted them to be happy!!! I thought I wouldn’t like Orion, but he was actually my most favorite. I will definitely be starting book two asap.

[Anna Wilson]

This book was infinity stars. If you like books like the bonds that tie that has a badass yet scarred FMC, then this is the book for you. There's one heat, but it doesn't involve the FMC. The guys are absolute dicks and she has to go through so much. Finished in less than 24 hours and immediately started the second book! Love this omegaverse!

[Margo Beaudoin]

couldn’t put it down

An addictive read with great chemistry, plenty of tension, and characters I couldn’t help rooting for. The story kept me hooked from start to finish, and I was already reaching for the next book as soon as I finished. Definitely worth the read!

[Chris]

I loved this story so much. I really don't have the right word and I'm not sure how I'm going to recover. The pining, the dirty talk, the wounded bird and the grovel - it was all so heart wrenching. There is a reason this is one of the most recommeded books in the omegaverse!

[LeeAnne McCabe]

Forever obsessed with Pack Darling. This duet got me hooked to rejection x grovel omegaverse. Lola Rock writes the BEST alphaholes, the sweetest male omegas, and the strongest FMCs out there. No spoilers but the cliffhanger of this book is EVERYTHING and you need it immediately.

[Britney Cheetham]

I devoured this series. Literally ignored all my obligations and stayed up way too late to finish.

[Caitlyn Berry]

Loved!

Great pacing, character development etc! Loved. The FMC is older and I loved the dynamics of the guys (even when I hated it). Slow burn masterpiece.

[Asuna Kingsman]

Absolutely amazing!

This book took me on a roller coaster ride of emotions. I love the pack dynamic and the action scenes were some of the best I’ve read in a while.

[MeggoMyLeggo]

4 ⭐️
3 🌶️

[K]

Was not expecting to sob at the end of this book. I loved it and immediately bought the next one.

[Meg]

I’m not usually a huge Omegaverse reader, and finding a why choose Omegaverse that really works for me has been a challenge, but this one was hitting the mark! I definitely enjoyed it.

Lilah has been such a fun FMC to follow. Her self-deprecating humor has genuinely had me giggling a few times, and I’m already invested in her story.

And after that heartbreaking ending in book one? There was no way I wasn’t jumping straight into book two.