Team A.L.P.H.A. Books 1-4

Team A.L.P.H.A. #1-4

by Susi Hawke, Crista Crown

★ Team ALPHA is an mpreg wolf shifter series full of protective alphas, side splitting moments of laughter, dangerous missions, pregnancy, babies, and endless feels. ★

Grabbed
Team leader Noah didn't expect their mission to rescue a bratty kidnapped senator's son to uncover a web of corruption... or to find his mate.

Taken
Cody has been held captive for years, his soul beaten so far down, he hasn't tried to escape. Until he finds out he's pregnant. Strong, gentle Levi is shocked to find this wounded omega is his, and together they uncover each others' secrets.

Struck
The only thing worse than finding out your mate is your team members' brother? Them discovering you while you're knot deep in... ahem. But not even family strife can keep the team apart, or stop them from taking down evil.

Hacked
The team has been curious about Jonah's hacker friend Pax for a long time, but no one expected him to suddenly show up in the middle of their headquarters. They definitely didn't expect him to be Zeke's mate. And Pax didn't expect it either. He never planned on mating, but if he's going to do it, it will be on his terms... but Zeke won't submit easily.

But that's not all!
Included with the first four stories of this series are four BRAND NEW epilogues, for more of your favorite team's crazy antics!

You can expect to find naughty, knotty scenes of steamy passion, along with a lot of potty-mouth language and occasional violence. Beware of manties, rusty knives, mouthy omegas, and rainbow explosions. HEA definitely included, intended for 18+ readers only. Seriously, would you expect anything less from Susi Hawke and Crista Crown?

Trigger warnings: drug use, graphic violence, attempted rape, mention of past sexual trauma.

Genres: M M Romance, Romance, Shapeshifters, Omegaverse, Paranormal Romance, Paranormal, LGBT

692 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 9, 2018

About the author

I'm a total fan of M/PREG Paranormal Romances, first and foremost as a reader. I'm excited to share my own omegaverse(s) with you. What's not to love about adorable Omegas and the Alpha men who love them? If I'm not writing about men sporting baby bumps, I'm definitely reading about them!

I'm a native of Las Vegas, NV, so I'm pre-wired to love everything weird ~ although I don't find any kind of love to be weird. I'm a cis woman who's been happily married to the same lovable lug for 18 years. We have a 16yr old son, well, at least I think we do? Either that, or we have a ghost that eats all our food and uses up all wifi playing xbox while screaming into a headset.

As a new author, it's been amazing to find the amount of support that I've been given from readers and my fellow authors. Feel free to message me, I love to chat with fellow readers. Am I a reader? Heck yeah! In fact, I'm never certain that I can completely trust an author who isn't a fellow bibliophile.

I will try to update here when I'm doing promotional parties & chats. I usually do those on Facebook. If you haven't already signed up for my newsletter, you should totally do it! I only send out NL's to announce new releases or important announcements. I also like to note in my NL what I'm currently reading along with a cover shot and the link for anyone who is interested.

I look forward to interacting with everyone here!

Reviews

[Mari Cardenas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall: 4 Stars

1 ~Grabbed

Preston - Noah

4 Stars

I wasn't too sure what to make of Preston at first, but by the first time he was rescued and then seeing how his poor excuse for a father treated him, I was completely on his corner. Now, Noah I wanted to throttle, at least at first. They had great chemistry, though, and I really liked them together.

I hated Preston's father with the fire of a thousand suns. He was a piece of work and feeding him to Antonio's cat shifters would've been too good for him. As it was and after everything he'd done, I'd hope for a more fitting punishment for him. Now, Noah's parents and the way they made Noah see the light? I so loved them and that part might have been one of my favorites in the book. Nevermind the way they accepted Preston into their fold.

I hadn't listened to Peter B. Brooke before, and his performance was pretty solid. I think he did a good job with this book.

2 ~Taken

Cody - Levi

3.75 Stars

I really liked Levi. He was sweet and protective and was willing to do whatever he needed to make things right for Cody after his ordeal. I liked Cody, but he got on my nerves. Perhaps it was the reversed power play, and frankly, it made sense after what Cody went through, but the sex scenes felt a bit forced to me.

Colin Darcy did a fantastic job with the story. His voice is very pleasant and he brings a lot of emotion into the performance.

The case was more satisfying this time around though, more complete upon itself and less rushed as they guys managed to dismantle a sex-traffic ring that captured omegas and we learned about the origin of ALPHA team from Papa P.

3 ~Struck

3.5 Stars

David - Boomer

I really liked Boomer and David together. Yes, they were fated mates, but they had amazing chemistry and were fun, sweet and hot together. Boomer didn't try to smother David and David was more than capable of making decisions for himself and standing up to his horrible brothers, who I hated with the fire of a thousand suns for how they treated Boomer and David throughout the book and that are the main reason I didn't rate this book higher.

The rest of the team and Boomer's family and David's parents were lovely, but I could've done without the twins' aggressiveness against Boomer and I'm not sure I'd read a book with any of them as leads, that's how much I didn't like them.

The narration was really good. Colin Darcy has a wide range of voices and gives each of the scenes the right amount of emotion it needs. I would've liked Boomer to sound a bit more Italian, but it was enjoyable enough.

4 ~Hacked

Zeke and Pax

3.5 Stars

I was really annoyed with Zeke and Ezra in Struck, so I was gladly surprised by how much more I liked Zeke here. He was definitely my favorite of the two. I loved seeing how his little Omega had him all twisted around his little finger. Now, Pax, the Omega, was another matter altogether. I was so frustrated by him because he was such an annoying little twatwaffle and I wanted to shake some sense into him. I totally got and respected that he had a hard life until the moment he came across Team A.L.P.H.A. and he was used to being on his own and depending on himself only, but he was such a prickly little thing, even when Zeke proved himself over and over and over again.

Unfortunately, we didn't see that much of the case they were working on, so there wasn't all that much closure in that respect. I hope it will be continued/finished in book 5.

The narration wasn't as good as with the previous book, but it was still enjoyable and entertaining. I loved Colin Darcy's rendition of Zeke's voice, but the rest of the characters' voices felt a bit stilted.

~ Epilogues

I hadn't read these before listening to John Solo narrate them just now and I absolutely love them. John is such a versatile narrator and his voice is always a delight to listen to. He totally made these shorts, which were a lovely way to reconnect with Team A.L.P.H.A. even better for me. 

[Kirstin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Audiobook Bundle Review--

Shifters and Humans live in the same world, but live by very different rules it seems. Humans don't care much for Omegas. A band of Alpha badasses was created to ensure the safety of omegas everywhere. Will some highly trained and skilled soldiers, they can rescue and return kidnapped omegas to their homes.

All 4 books were stories based on the ALPHA team rescuing omegas, who just so happened to be one of the team's fated mate. So we've got action and we've got romance all together.

I liked all of the books. I enjoyed the casual stories and hearing about the team and missions. It was all very sweet and tender. If you like that sort of story, I would absolutely recommend this box set. If you are more the angsty type who likes MC's who are overcoming major obstacles, this probably will be on the light side for you.

[Anna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hilariously good and also heartbreaking. There’s nothing like an alpha wolf who goes all caveman! I also love an omega wolf who doesn’t put up with an alphas bullshit! Now excuse me while I skip off to read books 5-7.
Happy reading!!!

[Leslie A Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

All of the mixed reviews for the Team ALPHA series, written by Crista Crown and Susi Hawke, confuse me so much. As soon as I started listening to book one I was hooked! I just knew I’d love the entire series. The characters were captivating in different ways. Each one had a distinct personality that drew me in. I cared about what happened to them. I loved getting to know their stories, no matter how gritty they were. Perhaps I’m biased because I loved Susi Hawke and Crista Crown before I started the Team ALPHA series? I’m not entirely sure. Either way, I loved this set of books! Continue reading to see my thoughts on each novel in this bundle and the overall conclusion at the end.

Before I get started with the books I’d like to talk about the narration first. This first book in the Team ALPHA series is narrated by Peter B. Brooke. Before listening to Grabbed for the first time last year, I didn’t have a clue who he was or what his style was like. Usually, I’m picky when it comes to narrators so I’m happy to report I enjoyed his narrating style. He brought the characters to life, giving each a voice that stood out, and I really liked it.

The next three novels in the Team ALPHA series are narrated by Colin Darcy. He too was a new narrator for me when I first read this series last year. Again, I didn’t know what to expect from his narrating style before I started. I didn’t have to worry though because he was pretty damn good as well. My only complaint is there were awkward pauses in the narration which sometimes pulled me from the story because I was trying to process what the pause was for. But, it’s something I quickly became used to and I wound up loving how he brought the Team ALPHA characters to life.

And last, but certainly not least, John Solo made a special appearance to read the epilogues for each book at the very end of the collection. I adore John and his reading style. I don’t think there’s a novel I’ve come across I didn’t love that was narrated by him. He did a wonderful job reading the epilogues, and I’m so happy Crista and Susi had him make the special appearance for this series.

One last thing so I don’t have to explain it over and over again while reviewing each book. Team ALPHA is a group of Alphas who are dedicated to helping shifters in need. The group was put together by Ray and Justin ‘Papa P.’ Perkins. They wanted to create a team to help all shifters, but especially Omegas in peril after Papa P. was rescued from a group of sex traffickers before Noah was born. Each novel of this collection follows one Alpha from team ALPHA and their Omega fated mate as they find each other and start their lives together.

Now, onto my thoughts for each book.

GRABBED
Book one of this collection is about party boy Preston Tierney and his fated mate, Noah Perkins. Preston is the Omega son of Patrick Tierney, a corrupt and cruel politician. Noah is the guy in charge of the Team Alpha crew. These two meet when Preston is kidnapped by a vigilante group and Team ALPHA is tasked with finding him. I don’t want to give too much away so I’ll just say there are sexy times, misunderstandings, an interesting development regarding Preston’s estranged mom, a pregnancy, a second rescue, plenty of funny banter, a great group of friends, and a sweet conclusion.

I honestly love this book. It is a little grittier than Susi’s Hollydale series which is a nice change after reading so much fluff. Though there are sweet moments, they are laced with threads of something darker. Preston is a little annoying at first because he comes across as this spoiled rich kid without a care, but he grows as a person the further the story progresses. Noah, on the other hand, is a solid, steady man from the start. He’s the typical Alpha male with his possessive and protective tendencies. They made a good couple which made for a great story. And, don’t even get me started on Ray and Papa P. I love them so, so much! There’s just something so sweet about them as parents. They treat everyone like one of their kids which makes my heart happy.

Overall, book one was a win for me.

TAKEN
In book two we follow the story of Cody Evans and Levi Thurman. Cody was kidnapped as a teenager and has spent six years being used and abused by the scum of society. Levi is the sniper for the Team Alpha squad. All he wants to do is use his skills to save people in need with his sniper rifle while wearing pretty panties under his clothing. Levi and Cody are thrown together when Cody calls the Team ALPHA helpline after discovering he’s pregnant. He needs to be rescued before something terrible happens to him or his baby, and Team ALPHA is determined to rescue Cody at all costs.

My heart crumbles for Cody. I can’t imagine what his life must be like before being rescued, but it is obvious he needs help. Levi is a wonderful fated mate for the little Omega. He understands Cody needs to be in control of things between them because Cody didn’t have control of his life while being held captive. They each have an awesome personality that complimented one another. Levi comes across as a steady, soothing, confident person right away. It’s easy to see that he will make a good partner for Cody. The Omega needs a sweet, loving presence in his life. My heart melted when Levi claims the baby in Cody’s womb before they’ve even mated. He doesn’t give a crap who the actual father of the baby is, he’s just determined to be that baby’s dad and love them no matter what.

Out of this series, I’d have to say this book is one of my favorites. I fell in love with both characters from the start.

STRUCK
Book three of the Team ALPHA series follows the insane story of how David Dempsey, Zeke and Ezra’s little brother, finds himself mated to Simon ‘Boomer’ Chiarelli. David is on a camping trip with some of his college buddies when he goes missing. Boomer is the explosives expert of Team ALPHA. David and Boomer come together when David’s parents find out he’s gone and they call Zeke and Ezra for help. Team ALPHA drops everything, even leaving in the middle of Mama Chiarelli’s delicious dinner, and head out to David’s last known location.

David and Boomer are one of my favorite couples. They each have a rough time with their sudden mating and the consequences. Boomer has to deal with crap from Zeke and Ezra who, until he mated David, were his friends. After the mating, there’s a contention that has to be sorted out. Zeke especially causes so much stress for the newly mated pair that I wanted so badly for someone to kick him in the nuts. I love that Boomer helps David find where he fits in. David is a bit lost before Boomer, feeling like he doesn’t belong with the humans or shifter, and it’s saddening. So, when Boomer comes along and puts things into perspective for the younger man, I fell even harder. I love Boomer’s dedication to David despite the crap the twins put him through.

There are so many great people in this book. The Dempseys and Chiarelli’s made for a great cast of secondary characters. With the ups and downs, the personalities, and the conclusion of this book, I found this too, is one of my favorite books of the entire series.

HACKED
The last book in this first bundle is about Zeke Dempsey finding his feisty fated mate, Pax. Zeke is the brawny muscle of Team ALPHA. He’s the one good at getting information out of the bad guys with his interrogation skills. Pax is the faceless hacker, and friend of Jonah’s, that Team ALPHA relies on when they can’t get the information they need elsewhere. Pax would have been more than happy to stay hidden in his bunker. But, his hideout is compromised while doing some sleuthing for the Alphas. He has to flee and can only think of one place to go, to his buddy Johah.
The last thing Pax expects to find is his fated mate.

I was initially worried I wouldn’t like Zeke’s book because of how pissed I was after reading book three. I wasn’t entirely wrong in thinking I wouldn’t like this book as much, though for an entirely different reason. Pax treats Zeke so badly at the beginning of the book I actually felt bad for the big Alpha. Perhaps it’s karma for how he treaded Boomer is Struck? I’m not sure. All I know is Pax isn’t very nice to Zeke for quite some time. I hate that about his character because otherwise, I like Pax. He’s an interesting character who doesn’t like labels. He wears feminine clothing, pretty makeup, and has a ‘take no shit’ personality. I understand that he has trust issues because of his past. I just wish he trusted Zeke earlier in the book.

I didn’t dislike this book, so to speak, I just have mixed feelings on it. The characters win my heart over in the end, but boy do I want to spank Pax.

EPILOGUES 1-4
I’m not going to go into too much detail about these epilogues because they’re short reads. I will say that more than one of them made my heart smile, especially the one with Simon, Tony, and Mama C. These are lovely additions to the series, giving snippets of the character’s lives after all of the happy ever afters. John Solo did a great job reading these for the listener.

IN CONCLUSION
I am so pleased with this first bundle of books. There were things I liked a lot about each one. Then there were things I disliked, usually character behavior, but in the end, I enjoyed my listen. The narrators did a fantastic job of giving these novels more depth than just the writing alone. Susi and Crista did a wonderful job of creating a series that shows a more sinister side to society without going too dark. Some things could be trigging for people like attempted rape, human trafficking, kidnapping, etc. There was also a lot of love, acceptance, understanding, and friendship.

If you’re the sort of person who likes male pregnancy books, shifters, fated mates, and stories that aren’t overly serious without being silly, you should give these a listen. The excellent cast of characters makes for a great series that, I for one, enjoyed reading to the very end. I’d also like to point out that I’ve read/listened to this series more than once. It’s a go-to for me when I need to listen to something I’m familiar with so I can relax without focusing too hard.

[Elaine White · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNFd at 10%
I've been meaning to read a Susi Hawke book/series for a long time and just never gotten around to it, but this was not the book to start with.
So...let me just say that I intended to write this review by saying that there was nothing really wrong with the plot, characters or writing style, but that it just hit all my No buttons right off the bat. However, I just went to reassure myself that I wasn't being too harsh on the book by reading low-rating reviews (it makes me feel better about not liking a book, okay?) and this one blew me away: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
If you want all the spoilers for the first book in this series, or the reassurance that you stopped at the right point, start here because I'm now glad that I DNF'd at 10%, because this review mentions some hard NO behaviour that I would absolutely have hated if I'd stumbled across it accidentally. There were ZERO trigger warnings for this stuff, so I'm glad I missed out.

~

Right, onto my thoughts...

It's real simple. I can't stand the following:
* whiny protag
* carefree, freeloading rich b*tch with no care for anyone but himself
* excessive drug abuser because "that's the only time/way he can be himself"
* "claim me, breed me" omegas who won't take no for an answer
* cheesy, ridiculous dirty talk that most people would cringe over (more on that later!)
* using a "mating fog" or "rutting fever" to explain away insta-lust, get-your-pants-off-now-despite-the-fact-I-just-sent-five-minutes-saying-no
* fat shaming ("more than a fat kid wants cake")
* any professional person - bodyguard/agent/cop - being all "no, we should only knock boots once we know each other better" then changing their mind in less than a minute because some heat-rutting-omega scent obsession takes over and makes them forget all sense, discretion, and mission tactics.

There are probably more I've missed - and undoubtedly more that I haven't read far enough to tag - but you get the point. So totally, absolutely not a book for me.

I'll elaborate a little, but I had to cut some stuff out of my first draft because I got a bit whiny myself about all the things I didn't like.

* the over-exaggeration of things
Noah has a d*ck big enough to knock Preston's teeth out (apparently) and yet when Noah looks at Preston naked, he's got - ahem, and I quote - a "stubby little d*ck". Hmm, not sure that's how you want to be describing your mate, Noah. It felt like one of those "me big alpha, you small d*ck omega" moments.

* I was disappointed when I discovered what Team A.L.P.H.A. I was expecting something pretty epic, like Alpha Liaison Protection and Handling Agency - something that says "we're the top dogs and we're going to do this sh*t right". But, no. It means - Accept, Love, Protect and Help Always.
It just didn't fit the alpha, top-dog, frat bro characters that the book focused on.

* the constant use of nicknames. Noah was called bossboy or baby bossboy about 20 times in just 2 pages. It was excessive. They use it for him in almost every sentence. Then Noah starts calling Preston 'Princess' all. the. time.

* Personally, I hated the constant frat-bro mentality and shit-slinging between the team. When I read about a team, I want to envision myself reading a book for every character, but I just didn't like ANY of them.

* the POV choices were strange. The Prologue is told in 3rd person through Preston's POV, which is fine. Chapter 1 switches to 1st person POV for Noah. Fine. But then Preston gets his next POV and it's 1st person. I mean, why make the first POV in 3rd if it's going to be the only one? It really didn't make any sense and it added nothing to the story, to have it in 3rd person.

* I didn't believe in the whole mate thing. For me, it was just an excuse for instant sex and supposedly knowing each other intimately after just ONE HOUR. Noah and Preston literally met one hour ago, but Noah's POV says "My heart broke a little at this rare appearance of my mate's low self-esteem that he covered so well for the rest of the world".
Hold up. You've known this guy an hour. How do you know it's rare? How do you know it's real low self-esteem and he's not just bullshitting you to get you into bed, which was what he was doing about 5 seconds ago?
"So you're a decent G.I. Joe type after all. And I'm the loser party boy. I feel like the fates aren't being fair to you." Just because he says it while looking downcast doesn't make it low self-esteem. In fact, it doesn't even fit with Preston's personality at all. Preston hasn't had a single low self-esteem moment in ANY of his POV's.

* my last big issue is the phrasing choices, which includes the frat-bro stuff, but mostly is about the dirty talk. I won't yuck on anyone's yum because I know it might work for some folk. But, FOR ME, this is not sexy and not what I was expecting to read:
"I wand your f*cking knot buried so far up my ass that my throat will hurt"
"While I sucked my finger clean, a line of drool ran from the corner of Preston's mouth as he watched" - now, I get that he's drool-worthy, but ACTUAL drool? Like, literally there on his mouth?
And, this little exchange was a bit too much for my tastes...
"Are you planning to fill me with so much cum that I'll be gargling and spitting it out the other end?"
"You'd better not spit it out," I said with a wink. "That's grade-A prime alpha juice there, Princess. If that shit comes up, you better just swallow it back down."
Sorry. That's just not for me, and it wasn't even within the realm of Noah's personality as he'd been described so far. If a little sex can change his personality that much, I'm not going to love what else is coming, so...I bowed out early.

If you love insta-lust, possessive alphas, feisty but too-stupid-to-live omegas, and some frat-bro dirty talk, then this is the book/series for you. If not, maybe just keep scrolling.

[Lorraine Burns · Rating 1 out of 5]

Disappointed

To much 'Male Locker Room Smack' Soooooo not funny!! Guys yucking it up!!! Just couldn't get past the first book.....Rolled my eyes too many times!!! Could have been a great story just tone down the testosterone a bit Ladies!! I felt like there where holes in the story because the male smack became the focus as opposed to the details.......How do wolves carry packs with firearms & explosive across 15 miles of snow? I'm not a writer, I'm a reader & a story has to flow...And what are feebs....

[Badh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great series

I love all these books alone, and putting them in one place is always awesome. The bonus epilogue sections are even better. And sparkly.

[L.D. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Team A.L.P.H.A. is a seven book omegaverse series revolving around the six Alpha wolf shifters who are the active members of Team A.L.P.H.A., a government sanctioned mercenary group. The entire series has been bundled into two volumes which include bonus epilogues. The first bundle contains books 1 -4 and introduces us to Team A.L.P.H.A. and the zany, dangerous wolf shifters who have made it their lives’ mission to save shifters from being enslaved and oppressed. The books all focus on a different member of the team finding their mate, with an overreaching plot that ties all the books together.

First, a few notes and observations on these books – this series is not for everyone. Each book has violence, sex, and mpreg while featuring different tropes and themes. The storylines and over arching series plot reminds me of some action thriller Hollywood movie – meaning, there’s a lot of explosive and over-the-top action scenes with very little regard to actual military or battle tactics. To put it bluntly, the action scenes are not realistic, but they aren’t meant to be. They are meant to be extreme to the point of pure entertainment, which the authors pull off very well. The entire series has a superhero comic book/movie vibe – cool action scenes for the sake of cool actions scenes. Once I stopped dissecting each scene and just let myself ENJOY what was happening, I found myself completely engrossed in the series.

The biggest strengths of these books are the humor and romances between the characters. Each book features an alpha finding his true mate and the development of that relationship from practically strangers to a loving family. Each book features mpreg with detailed pregnancy and some birth scenes (plus hot sex!). Banter and humor runs rampant throughout all the books, and is one of the defining features of these series. Team A.L.P.H.A. jokes about EVERYTHING and it is hilarious.

The first Team A.L.P.H.A. books are narrated by Peter B. Brooke and Colin Darcy with a special guest appearance from John Solo. The production of this audiobook is well done with no outside noises or glitches. I enjoyed the dual narration between Peter and Colin, and LOVED John’s surprise appearance. Overall, this was a well done and well narrated audiobook and a steal since you get four books for the price of one…PLUS the epilogues.

The books the books themselves range from 3 stars to 4 stars, with the overall bundle getting a solid 4 stars from me. I recommend these books to anyone who likes omegaverse and wants something with action, humor, fluff, and romance.

[❤Sharonica-Logic❤ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall 4 out of 5 stars🌟 Performance 4 out of 5 stars🌟 Story 4 out of 5 stars🌟
Reviewed: 07-06-20

Team A.L.P.H.A. #1-4
MMyThoughts and Review:

Book#1- Noah (Alpha) and Preston (Omega)
A sassy Omega in need of saving who winds up being the one doing the real saving in the end. Even if that saving was of a strong Alpha heart. 4.00🌟

Book#2 - Levi (Alpha) and Coty (Omega)
I've got you in my sights.
When an older Alpha finds he craves the orders from his young Omega in the bedroom, even more than his secret collection of satin and lace, he has no doubt theirs will be a HEA. 4.50🌟

Book#3 -David (Omega) and Boomer (Alpha)
Things that make you go, *BOOM*! What's more explosive than an Italian Family conversation around the dinner table? Finding and bonding to your fated mate who is the baby brother of your ALPHA TEAM-MATES...without discussing it with said mates... **BOOM BABY!** 4.00🌟

Book#4 - Pax (Omega) and Zeke (Alpha)
Black-hat hacker meets torturer who enjoys playing with his food. A match made in furry-tales. 3.5🌟

**Extra Special Epilogues at end of book #4** This first series was hours of fun! The narrators were new to me but they did a smashing job. I may have been a little partial to their roles of Pax and Zeke and Levi and Coty. Mmhmmm...but then, I am partial to those types of roles, PERIOD! *swoon. Next series, please! I definitely need more of that! Oh yes, definitely.

[Kosh Gott · Rating 3 out of 5]

This series of gay* shifter mpreg stories is good but not great. The stories are formulaic and a bit scattershot, but they are fun. This series takes place in an alternate reality where shifters are out, well-known, and integrated into normal human society and there does not seem to be much in the way of packs that one typically finds in the genre. Omega wolf-shifters are treated as second-class citizens or even as chattel. Team A.L.P.H.A. exists as a quasi-vigilante group that protects omegas in trouble, including torturing and murdering those who exploit omegas. However, the emphasis of these stories is on family dynamics and and fated-mate romance.

I did appreciate that not all of the couples follow gay stereotypes, though some did. For example, in one couple the younger twink/omega is the Dom and the older alpha male is the sub and usually the bottom. In another, though in matters of sex they were stereotypical, in other matters the omega is clearly dominant over the alpha.

The stories are diminished in quality by being too predictable. Also, the authors constantly conflate the various forms of "to lie" and "to lay", which gets very irritating at times. It is clear these books were not professionally edited.

*It isn't spelled out, but it appears that all alpha wolf-shifters are attracted to omegas regardless of sex or gender. So, it is unclear whether the main characters would qualify as gay in the normal sense of the term.

[Katherine · Rating 1 out of 5]

Grabbed
Team Lead Noah and a Senator’s son Preston. Ok. Pretty standard stuff, with fated mates, an evil father and all that. The narrator’s voice is almost a monotone, and mutes any emotions present in the text. It’s making it all feel detached.

Taken (r Mar 20/21)
Cody (abused and captive for 6 years) and Team member and Levi

Struck (r Mar 21/21)
David (Zeke and Ezra’s little brother) and Boomer (Mama C’s son, with 5 sisters, good Italian boy). Tension after the twins (Ezra and Zeke) find Boomer literally ass-deep in their baby brother. Fated mates, heat, rut and all that. Whatever.

Hacked (r Mar 22/21)
Pax (hacker friend of Jonah) and Team member Zeke (r Mar 22/21)

Epilogue for Grabbed (r Mar 22/21)

Epilogue for Taken (r Mar 22/21)

Epilogue for Struck (r Mar 22/21)

Epilogue for Hacked (r Mar 23/21)

Summary: the cliches are way too much here. I get the parallel of having men suffer through morning sickness, pregnancy aches & pains, and labor. But the cliches! Stop! Just stop. Everything is a stereotype - even with the difference of having men getting pregnant - finding out the gender, gender reveal parties, I can’t even. The omega and alpha dynamic. There is no nuance, and no subtlety. The narrators really don’t help - why they chose to depict Noah, the ALPHA team lead, as speaking in a monotone all the time - is beyond me. It was awful. Jonah’s voice too, was annoying geek voice, tolerable, but not with Noah’s voice.

[Deirdre · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.75 ⭐s Great Team Players
The first four books of this series exceeded all expectations in terms of action, adventure, violence, big strong Alphas, rescued Omegas, Wolves, and shifter haters along with laugh out loud storylines to balance the seriousness of what the squad was combating - sex traffickers and drug cartels.

I enjoyed the Epilogues for each of the books, though the one book I gave the lowest rating to I felt the same way about it's Epilogue. To read my reviews of each book please check the Latest Reviews of the Individual titles except the first book, GRABBED which was a reread after the first time in December 2018.

[DarcLibrarian · Rating 5 out of 5]

Big Bad Alphas?

I thoroughly enjoyed this Free Kindle Unlimited box set about a group of men who have made it their life's work to rescue and protect abused Omega's. However the abuse is caused, whether by the hands of a parent or by traffickers. In the midst of their work they come across their fated mates. And that's where the fun begins. Trying to convince the one that they belong together. All under the watchful eye of an amazing couple.

Susi has written an engaging story with amazing characters. I can't wait to find out what will happen with the remaining unmated Alpha's. Roll on the next box set.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this series so far and would have 5 starred it except for the fact that I felt like some things were just glossed over in the need for a shorter story. In a few books certain action scenes were just skipped but the author had no problem filling lots of pages with sex. I love the sex scenes as much as the next guy/gal but I would have been happier with both. I really loved what was there but felt it could have had more. That could just be me. I am looking forward to the next set of stories.

[Phyllis Cook · Rating 2 out of 5]

so disappointing

I would have down graded this one based on internal inconsistencies and occasional grammatical errors. But that doesn’t even hold a candle to my real issue here.
If you replaced alpha/omega with male/female, this bundle would be torn apart for being sexist almost to the point of misogynistic. Every omega is shown as damaged, broken, and/or plagued with no self esteem until the alpha ‘fixes’ them. The alphas come across as a-holes who are excused and forgiven for everything.
Way below par for these authors.

[wordsandblankspaces · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

I liked this for the most part but by the time I started reading book 4, I was a bit burnt out with them. They seemed to all have the same basic set up. Boy meets boy, boy likes boy, relationship seems unsteady, side drama happens, everyone ends up happy and totally loved up. Do I want to keep reading the series? Maybe but I need a break first.

[Teal Wolf · Rating 5 out of 5]

The first four books in the Team ALPHA series by Susi Hawke and Crista Crown are included in this amazing bundle. We get action, danger, suspense, humor, heat, sweet moments, and a lot of "family" in this bundle. These characters are some of my favorites... and their stories are fun and entertaining.

[C Kloi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun, exciting, endearing

I love these books because of the different characters and their families and struggles. So many changes and so much growth. The two computer geeks, especially Pax, made me laugh,cos I could relate to them so well. Thank you for writing these books.

[Beth · Rating 3 out of 5]

Choppy and light on story

This was my least favorite of the four books thus far. It just felt like there wasn’t a lot of story here when there was so much to work with. I guess I wanted more depth and detail.

[Mrs.V · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this bundle: it contains the first four books in the A.L.P.H.A. series.
All the books are a mix of funny, sweet and steamy, with a lot of action thrown in for good measure. Strong Alphas meeting their fated mates in unexpected, fierce Omegas.

[Rachel Blomberg · Rating 5 out of 5]

Accept, Love, Protect, and Honor Always

This was the first four books of Team ALPHA, where Noah, Levi, Boomer, and Zeke meet their mates. Each book was stands alone but was best to understand and much more fun read in order.

[Marcie Brown-Wendorff · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very sweet with good plot twists

Not my usual genre but I saw many recommendations from one of my book groups and gave it a try. The romances were very sweet and the stories had good plot twists. Worth a read!

[tracy johnson]

Action and love, wow!

Reading how each of these men came together is a rollercoaster. The ups and downs keep you reading and the action of each mission keeps you on the edge of your seat!

[Tiffany · Rating 4 out of 5]

Team Alpha is always great

The epilogues were a nice touch to add to the bundle. You can’t go wrong reading the stories of these sweet guys who have made themselves a family.

[Balgair Tod · Rating 5 out of 5]

Had already read these books separately. Had to "possess" them as they have possessed me. I highly recommend these books.

[Katie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it!!

I loved this bundle! I really liked getting to know the team and seeing each of the guys find their perfect match and fall in love. I can't wait to read the rest!!

[Barbara J. Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Incredible stories

I have to say I was totally blown away by these stories. The team is phenomenal in its quests and in meeting their mates.

[CB · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun, sexy read - an entertaining series followed by the Alphabit series, then the Novak series. Whew!!

[Jennie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun Series

I really like the characters of this series, though I do wish the dialogue was a little less cheesy at times.

[Kayra · Rating 5 out of 5]

good read

I like this take on omegaverse. Zeke and Pax were my favorite couple in this box set. Can't wait to see Ezra wolf out over Cain!