His Second Chance Omega

The Mountain Shifters #5

by L.C. Davis

Miles, affectionately called "Doc" by his packmates in the quaint village of Pine Valley, isn't the typical Council omega. Closer to fifty than he is to forty, the "husky" omega is convinced that his chance at love fizzled out years ago when Lorent, the Alpha he was promised to, refused to mark him. Rather than giving up after being condemned to a loveless mating, Doc chose to put all of his time and his heart into his medical career. If he can't have the family he's always wanted, helping the other families in his pack bring new lives into the world is the next best thing. He's carved out a comfortable if tangential place for himself within Pine Valley, but after the death of his mate in name only, the pack is left in need of an Alpha to lead them. Doc knows better than to think the handsome young Alpha sent to take Lorent's place will even look twice at him. Not when Pine Valley is known for having plenty of beautiful young omegas to choose from.

Blue has a reputation for being accomplished in both his professional and romantic conquests as the head of an elite task force dedicated to tracking and eliminating feral shifters who pose a threat to humans and shifters alike. After ten years of nonstop action, he jumps at the chance to settle down and live a quieter life when his former Alpha and close friend Barnabas offers him a position as the Alpha of a small-town Council pack. Blue is more than ready to answer the call in his heart to find deeper meaning in life, but the last thing he was expecting was to immediately imprint on a Pine Valley omega who's nearly twice his age. Doc might not be what Blue expected, but the omega proves to be everything he never even knew he wanted: kind, brilliant, devoted to his work and capable of making the Alpha's heart stop with a single look. Good thing he knows CPR. The only problem is, Doc is completely incapable of seeing his own worth.

Courting Doc proves enough of a challenge. The omega is as stubborn as he is smart, and a toxic beta who thinks he's the one who really runs Pine Valley is set on keeping them apart. Blue's toughest mission yet will be taking the reins of his new pack while winning his mate's trust.

Disclaimer: Contains mature content, intended for adult audiences. See inside cover for additional content warnings. This is the fifth book in The Mountain Shifters Series. Reading the others in the series will provide context, but this book can be read as a standalone.

Genres: M M Romance, Shapeshifters, Paranormal, Romance, Omegaverse, Abuse, Fantasy

160 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 17, 2017

About the author

Hi! I'm L.C. Davis, author of The Mountain Shifters Series, Queer Magick and the upcoming Great Plains Shifters series. I write MPREG and M/M fantasy.

I love hearing from readers, so feel free to reach out here on Goodreads or via email at author@lcdavisbooks.com!

Reviews

[Tanu Gill · Rating 4 out of 5]

I guess I'm going through a phase where hurt/comfort theme is satiating my appetite. ;-)

I loved this book. I adored Miles and Blue. Their characters were well developed and beautifully written. I enjoyed the romance development, the way Blue had to coax Miles out of his shy and resigned shell.

Even though I hadn't much enjoyed the second bookf of this series, making me remove the series from my mind, the blurb for this book lured me in. As many others before me must have mentioned in my reviews, this is a flip side of the usual May-December couple trope, with the younger guy being über confident, while the older guy was reserved. And that is the main reason what sold the book to me.

The plot was good enough, too. But there were a LOT of typos, botched character names (in one place, Doc was named as "Dog"!), and for that reason, I cut off one star from my rating.

But it's a sweet book. :)

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

Oh, how I love older, shy guys getting swept of their feet by younger cocky alpha dudes.



Doc (real name Miles) is the 45 year old doctor of his pack. He was mated to the previous alpha before he died, but that was in name only. The alpha treated Doc like he didn't exist and took other omegas to his bed all the time. That's why Doc is still a virgin at 45.

The influence of the alpha and his beta was so great that Doc is mostly ignored in the pack. He even get verbally abused by some on occasion. But that all changes when the new alpha takes over.

Blue is 25 years old and ready to settle down in his new pack. When he sees the older omega he just knows Doc is Blue's mate. But it's not that easy to convince Doc of that fact. Or that he is indeed worthy of being courted...

I just loved how the omega was the older one in this and the big strong alpha the younger one in their relationship. Way to throw all the stereotypes of a May-December romance out the window!

I would have given this more stars, but for some reason as soon as the couples in this series come together the relationship development just stops. I wanted just a bit more...

Still, a very enjoyable shifter mpreg.

[⚣Michaelle⚣ · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.0 Stars

I loved this reverse May/December romance! Having the Omega be the older MC, with a broken heart and the associated baggage of having never been claimed, was just so refreshingly different. I think I say that a lot about this series, and again we have another Alpha that is not like the rest...for the most part. He's a bit cocky and demanding but fair-minded, independent and a natural leader that doesn't feel the need to denigrate or humiliate those he's in charge of. And he also isn't one to let "convention" get in the way of what he wants - whether that's the Omega he's chosen to love or the previously established (and outdated) hierarchy in this pack he's been assigned.

I do have to say that I wish there hadn't been quite so much emphasis on Doc having babies. I almost wish that time had passed him by and that the story had focused on Blue STILL choosing him, even knowing that were the case, but loved Doc no matter what. *le sigh*

Anywho, off to read the next one...because I've been yearning to read more about Mel & Toval as other than side characters!

[TT · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finally! A well-written shifter book, the kind that put story ahead of sex scenes. The characters are likable and smart, there are cliches but they are handled well and there's great excitement towards the end of the book. Lovely HEA too! Only a couple of niggles, this could have used better editing: for instance someone in the book gets 'hit slapped' and in a heavy makeout scene 'Dog is panting'. Threw me until I realized it was supposed to be Doc. Also regrettably this isn't available on the Nook so I had to read it on my Kindle app. I HATE the Kindle reading experience!!! But I really enjoyed this book, 4.5 'sweet Doc, sexy Blue' stars!

[Jaime · Rating 4 out of 5]

A favorite of the series

I enjoyed this book probably the most so far out of the series. Blue & Doc are a great couple and I love it when an older man gets wooed by a younger stud!

[Jo * Smut-Dickted * · Rating 5 out of 5]

This one is for anyone who is packing a few pounds - what a real treat to get a MC that is not "wide shouldered, muscular, with a narrow waist"...and I LOVED Blue. His comments, his treatments of his man. This was just blue-tiful. Really wonderful and I loved it!

[Zuzu · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this book and loved the 2 MCs together, but the book was very low steam and seemed to lack the emotional impact that would have made it a better read.

[Qin · Rating 2 out of 5]

For once that a shifter story pertaking in a lengthy series dares to be creative and offer us a reverse May-December romance in which the older Omega is world-weary, reserved, apathetic and needs, much to his surprise, to be aggressively courted by the youthful new Alpha of his pack before he can overcome his low self-esteem, the book had to be dragged into the sewer by an overwhelming litany of blemishes. The three main defects on display in all the previous instalments reach irritating heights: never before did the writing feel this clunky and flaccid nor the copy-editing this atrocious than here (Mrs Davis had potential gold at her fingertips yet dilapidates it by throwing muddy sentences in the hope that they will stick); her annoying tendency to put the brakes on the character building as soon as the heroes mate, letting the story freewheel towards the end with the mpreg as her only focus, breaks out with insolence; and the universe building grows reprehensively vague, implanting in the reader's mind the strong feeling that whatever new pack the action takes place in is old hat with nothing distinctive whatsoever, not even a peculiar atmosphere. The last defect was rather easy to make good by laying heavy emphasis on the uniqueness and depth of the casting; too bad, here the main leads are entirely forgetable characters, Miles hardly less so than Blue whose background remains almost entirely in the dark for the Omega's past with Lorent and his dealing with the head bitch of the pack and his self-effacement exhaust his portrayal, whereas the deuteragonists and tritagonists without exception are all caricatures of the weakest caliber (pride of place in the respect go to Lorent and the lead bitch of the pack, the former cartoonish, the latter so crazy an harridan as to evince the concern of authorial misogyny).

[Emily Seelye · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sweet story with little conflict. At 45, Doc is a virgin omega who was rejected by his mate. When his mate dies, a younger Alpha, Blue takes over the pack and is instantly smitten with Doc. Most of the story revolves around Blue wooing Doc and getting him to take him serious. Most of the conflict in the story has to do with an ousted beta and omega trying to get revenge on the two of them.

[~nikki the recovering book addict · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved it!

I enjoyed all previous books in this series but I think I loved this the most. I love the pairing of an older omega with a younger alpha. It's just so sweet. It's a relatively short story which would be a lot better if it was expanded out. I mean, it's a good story but it could have been great if it was fleshed out more. Just my opinion. Looking forward to the next one!

[Teal Wolf · Rating 5 out of 5]

Must read!

This is a great second chance at finding love romance that delivers sweetness, emotion, suspense, enemies, drama, and heat. Love the main plotline but also the arc that pulled in other packs' members and promises more action and drama for the next books to come.

[Jax · Rating 1 out of 5]

Didn't realize I had already tried book 1 of this series. Same problems here. DNF @25%

[Yvonne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hot young alpha wants the mature, cuddly omega. Yeah, let’s hear it for romances for the older, chubby characters.

[Breezelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked it. It was short and sweet and a nice mindless read. Areas that could have been improved included the length of the book (to get more character development, steam ;) , more details and expand the storyline) because it did feel rushed at times. But overall a solid 3.5 in my book.

[Miriam still reading! HIATUS from GR]

45% dnf. I love the storyline but I don't like the author's execution.

[Sierra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Like Doc himself, this was fluffy and sweet. Blue is young and hot, in his twenties, a badass with a military-type background, and now the alpha of a small pack. He's just gotten to the age where he wants to settle down and is a guy who's never had a "type". But once he sees and scents Doc, all bets are off; this man WILL be his mate. Doc, poor sweetie, was ignored and belittled by the former alpha who was his mate in name only. Even the other pack members take him for granted and overlook him. While he's confident as a doctor, his self-esteem as a man is very low. Part of that is his size and age. He's mid-40's and pudgy. But also sweet, smart, and caring. I think that the book will particularly appeal to BBW women or those 40 and older who secret wish for a cougar/May-Dec romance. The fact that Blue is wildly in love and lust with this much older and less handsome man is very affirming for those of us who aren't the perfect, hot bodied, mate-material ourselves. (Kind of like those nerd-gets-the-hot-guy romances.) Anyway, it's a very charming story and not without it's challenges. Doc is hard to convince of Blue's affections and, in the meantime, there are pack members spreading poison. It's not a deep story, it's pretty predictable. There's also very little sex in it. So for those looking for angst or torrid passion, seek elsewhere. Those looking for a sweet, beauty is in the eye of the beholder tale then this is for you!

[Wax · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really liked it. I don't read a lot of alpha/omega stories, so this was a pleasant surprise. Miles is a 45 year old omega who's a bit plump. He was pretty much ignored by his previous alpha mate, and consequently, though the town relies upon his medical skill, they pretty much look over him most of the time. Blue is the new alpha, and one look at Miles has him wanting the omega for his own. However, he has to overcome Miles' feelings about his self-worth. Love that the age gap has the younger alpha chasing after the older omega. I only wish there had been more world-building. To be fair, this is the fifth book in a series, and I haven't read the others, so there might be things I was missing.

[Romancefanta · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved it!

It took two tries to read this book. The first time I jumped in not having read the previous books in the series and was lost so I abandoned it for the other books. This time I was able to breeze through it and enjoyed it very much. I love a May-December romance, we need more of them.

[Penumbra · Rating 3 out of 5]

His Second Chance Omega is the fifth book in ‘The Mountain Shifters’ series. It stars Miles, aka ‘Doc’, the doctor of the Pine Valley pack, and Blue, the pack’s new Alpha. This is told in third person through Miles and Blue’s pov.



I haven’t read the previous four books, but I didn’t have a problem following along with the plot in this story. Previous characters from the other books showed up and I was curious about them, so I might go back and read the other stories depending how I feel about the many mistakes I found in this one.

I enjoyed the plot. It was well thought out, combining romance and a bit of intrigue about a situation dealing with omegas, which involves Doc. However, I felt the story was a bit rushed, mostly the romance between Miles and Blue. I understand Blue knew instantly that Miles was his mate, but Miles suffered twenty-five years of neglect under his dead Alpha mate, making Miles insecure. The previous Alpha and a couple other pack members encouraged the pack to treat Miles unkindly. I can’t believe Miles gets over it in a few months, which the story implies. It would’ve been nice to feel more of Miles growing confidence in Blue rather than being told how the situation changed.

The author did a good job with the characters, not just Miles and Blue. They all had distinct personalities that continued throughout the story. I could believe in them as a couple.

If you’re looking for hot Alpha/omega sex, you won’t find it in this book. It’s fade to black or very brief. In fact, I found the initial sex scene odd. I clearly got the impression it was a male/female sex scene rather than a male/male scene. Either the males in this series don’t have male genitals, they’re all Trans, or they’re intersex. If a book is fantasy mpreg, I prefer it give some hint as to how the male is actually going to give birth. Is it by cesarean? Do the males develop a birth canal as the fetus develops? Alternatively, do they only have female organs? Not giving enough information in all aspects of a story comes across as cheating the reader and that the author didn’t want to bother with the details, thus making the world building incomplete. Lack of detail in world building can lower my opinion of a story.

In addition to the lack of information about mpreg and the rushed feeling of the emotions of Miles, there are many grammar issues. I found many missing words and instances where the character name wasn’t the correct one. What bothered me the most were the sequence errors. For instance, here are some simple ones. Miles is standing; next thing I read is he is getting up from a squat position. When did he first squat or sit down? There’s no information on it. Another instance is Blue is holding Miles close, then some dialogue, and then Blue reaches out to pull Miles close again. There’s no indication that Miles stepped away allowing Blue to pull Miles back again. At the beginning of the story, there were a couple of instances were the sequence of events was out of order. Reading back, I could tell where the paragraphs should have been placed after or before other paragraphs instead. Either this is bad writing or the author needs to get some better proofers and beta readers, because these mistakes were sloppy and did affect my opinion of the writing.

Final comment. The cover models don’t look anything like Miles or Blue. Blue has blond hair with a streak of blue. In addition, the model in the back who is supposed to be Miles, is not plump. Miles is plump and forty-five years old. That model doesn’t fit Miles in any way. For me personally, I don’t like it when the cover models aren't accurate or don't closely enough depict the characters.

If you’re okay that the sex and mpreg in this book doesn’t make sense more than in other mpreg stories, and that Miles recovers from twenty five years of emotional neglect and insecurity in months, then His Second Change Omega is for you. The book has a good plot and characters, but it could’ve been so much better if the author had taken more time to flesh out the relationship, made better world building with the mpreg situation, and fixed the obvious errors. I give this book 3 Stars only because I liked Miles and Blue and the plot, otherwise there’s too many problems with the story.

[Mirjam · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Spirits had given him everything he had ever wanted and more.

Damon Adler aka Blue, 25, the new Alpha of the Pine Valley Pack. Blue was the head of the Los Angeles Federation of Wolves Special Task Force for a year and has been a part of it since he was 16.
Having such a demanding job, Blue came to the conclusion that a slower pace was exactly what he needed. So when the verum Alpha offers him a position as the Alpha of a small-town Council pack, he is more than ready to answer the call because something had been calling Blue to Pine Valley



Miles aka Doc, 45, Omega to the late Alpha who never marked him their union was for the sake of politics more than anything else. Doc had always longed for a family of his own and now being a middle-aged omega with more than his fair share of padding around the middle he knew it was too late to fulfill his dreams, he was the last thing the young Alpha would be looking at that evening.



Told in dual POV’s alternating between Blue & Doc, this is a nice enjoyable read. I enjoyed Blue & Doc’s coming together and think they are a great couple but I was mostly taken by the whole “older man getting pursued by a younger hottie” theme!


Some happy endings really were worth waiting for. Especially when they were just the beginning.





In this instalment of the The Mountain Shifters series we also get to know a wee bit about Cutter.

Part of the The Mountain Shifters serie that all can be read as standalone:

[❀ Jess ( Semi hiatus )]

”Instead his eyes locked on a pudgy omega with long hair and soft features “

”It was a bizarre thing to feel his tastes narrowing by the second, and he had certainly never expected them to land on a hapless looking omega over forty who was wearing a sweater that was about three sizes too tight for his soft yet ample build.”

DNF @ 20%

I’m sorry but the whole “ wearing a sweater that was about 3 sizes too tight “ was so distracting to me.

So we have a young alpha who was a playboy, made sure to sow his wild oats before he decided he wanted to settle down.

And the omega was rejected by his past mate, his previous mate would apparently sleep with everyone BUT him. He’s 45 so he’s considered past his prime. ONTOP OF THAT. He’s “pudgy” and wears clothes that are too tight for him + apparently he’s uncomfortable about his weight, he’s trying out diets. There’s people in the pack that pick on him.

“ If you couldn't have love, food was the next best thing. His latest diet had been even more of a resounding failure than the last, and after a full day of work at the clinic without a chance to eat lunch, he figured he could afford to treat himself to a couple of appetizers. Besides, it didn't really matter what he ate. Penelope and her posse were bound to make some snarky comment about him eating at all. As much as he would have liked to pretend that being old enough to be their father exempted him from hurt feelings, it didn't.”

. . . .
I want to know why he’s wearing clothes that are too small for him? He’s supposed to be a doctor. Doesn’t too tight clothing cause bad circulation? 🤔

[Claudia Lezár · Rating 4 out of 5]

3,5*

PLEASE READ MY RATING SYSTEM!!!

To my ratings:
A 3,5* is clicked with a 4* but in review marked as 3,5*:

5* - very very good and rare (it would be a Blow-Away-book like ‘Jesse's Smile’ or ‘Joey’ from Angelique Jurd, ‘Save the the kids’ series
from EM Leya, ‘Love’s Tethered Heart’ from C.L. Etta or ‘Liberty’ from Seth King),
it's like an A+

4* - very good and will be often reread and is a WOW-book with interesting plot and surprises (like most of Andrew Grey books and Davidson Kings 'Haven Hart'-series)
it's like an A

3,5* - a really good book, which will be reread a few times (most romances where you can enjoy for relaxing and during waiting times in
hospitals). I can recommend them definitively!
It's like an B+

3* - it could be more then a one-time-reader (2-3 times a year),
it's like a B

2* - it was ok to read, but it's more a one-time-reader (I wouldn't recommend it heartily, but it was ok)
It's like a C-, D

1* - sorry, but that isn't really a book for me (too many mistakes, not nice plot, illogical, so an absolute NO-GO). It's like failure in the
whole line, dismissed, repeat the class

[P Leslie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this one and loved the fact that the author mixed things up.

Blue knew from the moment he set eyes on Doc that he was his - but convincing the omega that he wanted him was definitely going to be a challenging task. Blue has always followed his instincts and gut feelings and this time is no exception - he's going to win the omega over by gaining his trust and giving him all the love and devotion he deserves.

Blue makes Doc's heart race but can he trust the alpha's intentions? Will fate be cruel again?

Blue wasn't a typical alpha - he's caring, patient and observant. My heart broke for Doc - he may be in a pack but he's still seen as an outsider. He's put down to the point he keeps himself isolated. Blue and Doc had great chemistry. Blue was very romantic and his sweet gesture when they mated was beautiful because it gave Doc an opportunity to experience something he never got the chance to.

The author explored the characters emotions, fears and insecurities really well.

[Celia · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was an absolute, unexpected delight. I picked it up on the spur of a freakishly specific crave - my very first mpreg outside of fanfiction, and with my penchant for not twenty-something chars - and I found myself absolutely entranced with the softness and kindness of Thai story, the warm, likable characters, the smooth writing, so easy to flow through. Doc is adorable and just as vulnerable as I wanted my introvert second chance omega, and Blue was the best version of the Alpha male possible - as to say strong and cocky, but also caring and endearingly besotted: a protector and not a bully. Plus, the tropes, all the wonderful tropes! I literally flew through this, and I couldn't get enough. My one complain is, perhaps, that I would have liked to spend more time with these characters, and to have some of the interesting conflicts and the plot twists fleshed out a bit more - though I def appreciated the lack of hardcore angst. A girl needs to be soft from time to time.
All in all, what a wonderful surprise.

[Virginia Lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Doc (real name Miles) is the 45 year old doctor of his pack. He was mated to the previous alpha before he died, but that was in name only. The alpha treated Doc like he didn't exist and took other omegas to his bed all the time. That's why Doc is still a virgin at 45.
This is the 5th book in the mountain shifters series. this was awesome read of a older omega to alpha. Even with Blue being young he is strong Alpha until he meets his mate. Miles has always been the pack doc and always hiding in the shadows. Blue comes to take over the new pack and there is a lot of people that don't want him there. The twist and turns with all the suspense and betrayal that happens to make the pack peaceful again. Doc wants his mate but it may be to late.

highly recommend this series if you love shifters books

..

[Susana · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5-3 stars
When Blue accepted to become the new alpha of Pine Valley he does not expect much trouble. And trouble he finds. He does not expect to meet his mate either. And he finds his mate indeed. Even most unexpectedly his mate is the former alpha's rejected mate, older, chubby, shy and sweet Doc Miles. Despite Blue self-assurance, it is going to take a lot of effort to convince the seriously damaged omega that his alpha wants him for real...
A cute story, with the incentive of some surprising differences between the main characters (the omega is older, chubby, and somehow a pariah in the village whereas the alpha is younger and handsome). There is not much to it, though, nothing new. Entertaining but forgettable.

[Zoe · Rating 2 out of 5]

Too many turn offs

To have a character in a romance book described as 'pudgy' and then constant references to Doc's size such as 'ample waist' and 'love handles' when all a reader wants is to have their imagination turned on... Is to have it turned off! But Doc's early description of blue as a 'greaser' doesn't help either.
Such a pity that this author doesn't seem to be able to move past these constant off-putting description to allow attraction of the reader to the characters.
I love some conflict in my books as much as the next reader but I'm not sure Penelope was at all believable and I found a promising plot let down by this and more. Rather than be endeared to Doc, I was frustrated by how his size was all the author could think about!

[Chancey "Does not give out 5's like candy" Knowles · Rating 4 out of 5]

I haven't read the others in the series, and I felt fine. There was one section where I was confused and worried it had been explained in a previous book. But, the background info was given later in the story filling in some critical info about the world.

I really liked and enjoyed this story. I loved both m/c's. It was nice to see one older and not in perfect shape. The story was sweet and interesting. It flowed well holding my interest. There were a few editing issues but not too many that interrupted the flow etc... I was very pleased and will definitely look for other books from this author.

[Becky A · Rating 3 out of 5]

"His Second Chance Omega" received THREE stars.

The novel gained *stars* for these items:

* gained for: "The book caught my interest in the first five pages."

* gained for: "I thought about the book when I was forced to set it down and re-enter society."

* gained for: "I was sad when the book ended. I wanted more!"

The novel failed to gain stars for these items:

NO STAR gained for: "There were no info dumps, poor writing, or copy edit mistakes that jerked me out of the story."

NO STAR gained for: "That's it. I'm hooked on this author. I will automatically try anything s/he writes."

[Becky · Rating 3 out of 5]

Again, an enjoyable instalment with a wonderful May-Dec premise. Enough of a story to keep the pace but the romance, whilst sweet, felt a little unfounded (even for an instalove fated mates story) and the two sides to Doc (in-control medic/doubtful older omega virgin) didn't always mesh for me. However, the alpha-omega trope is still working for LC Davis!