Bound to the Alpha

by Riley Trent (Pen Name), D.J. Heart

Derek, a virile alpha in his prime, is well past the age where he has to worry about bonding with an omega. When his sister ropes him into being a chaperon for her daughter's graduation party, however, he runs into an omega whose scent has him burning with need. The omega is his, and nothing will stop Derek from claiming him.

Scott never wanted an alpha, and he certainly never wanted a traditional one like Derek. The older alpha is uncompromising and strict, pushing Scott to be the kind of doormat of an omega he's always pitied. It's intolerable and degrading, and Scott isn't going to give in without a fight...


(This 60,000 word book contains some dark themes before the happy ending, including dubious consent, bondage and attempted brainwashing. Do not proceed if this bothers you.)

This book was previously published under the pen name of Riley Trent.

***

“Man, I’m so sorry. I didn't realize that this room was-”

“Shut up,” Derek growled, taking a step closer. He barely recognized himself, skin feeling too tight, that scent filling his nose making him want… making him need. The boy took a step back, a sour note of fear wafting off his skin. Derek reacted - he had no other word for it - charging the boy and slamming him back into the door, closing them inside the room. This time he turned the lock, preventing any interloper from coming in and interrupting him while he claimed what was his.

“Dude! Just calm down, OK. I’m sorry I interrupted your- Argh!” Derek clamped his hand down over the boy’s lips, palm gnashing into his teeth, pinning him to the door as he pushed his face into the boy’s neck. He buried his nose in the skin under the boy’s ear, opening his mouth wide, teeth elongating and getting ready to stake his claim. To seal the boy to him, to make it so that no one could ever take him away.

“Man! You don’t want this, OK! Just, take a step back. Please!” the boy was begging - hands pushing uselessly at Derek’s chest - working himself into a panic. Derek ignored him. Pretty soon the boy would be bitten and claimed, and any objections he had would be drowned out by the need to please his new alpha...

Genres: M M Romance, Omegaverse, Dark, BDSM, Abuse, Gay, Paranormal

293 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 8, 2015

Reviews

[Lilly [Hiatus due to School] · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bound to the Alpha has to be one of the darkest omegaverse stories I have read. Dark in terms of how the omegas are treated by their Alphas and the methods used to get obedience and submission.

We have Alpha Derek (30), who runs a consulting firm. He’s a traditionalist and believes that omegas belong at home under the control of their Alphas. His family and a good chunk of society do not share his views, only the most conservative. His sister has asked him to chaperone a house party filled with teenagers. He gets upset that there are unmated omegas mixed with betas and Alphas, but he can’t do anything about it. He soon catches the scent of an unmated who calls to him and bites the poor boy when he loses all sense. Now they are mated for life, the omega under his Alpha.

Scott (18) is in his final semester of high school; he never desired to be mated young and to a traditional Alpha who wants nothing but to make him subservient to him. He has to endure some really inhumane methods from his Alpha, whose aim is to make him completely docile and submissive.

This story was messed up, and the road to a happy ever after is pretty rough. Scott is trapped by Derek by the bite, and as per society, he’s basically his property. There’s little he can do about it. Derek tries to brainwash Scott using straight-up torture methods, like the omega box, to accomplish this. Seeing what Scott goes through and Derek’s internal thoughts is pretty horrific. Another reviewer said this, but yeah, he would 100% be the type to take away women’s right to vote and get an education and would want them labelled as property.

Scott hoped Derek wasn’t one of the assholes who thought omegas should be like slaves to their alphas. If he was, there wasn’t much Scott could do about it. He was Derek’s property now, bound to him until death.

Scott was an omega. Routine, rules, and clear expectations—with a firm and consistent discipline—would have Scott feeling content and happy in no time. Derek was sure of it.

Scott realizes that Derek won’t take away his rights, such as being able to go to college in the fall, as long as he respects his rule. Seeing him slowly agree is conflicting, and while not thoroughly brainwashed like Mike (Derek’s friend omega), he slowly gives in. He literally uses his biology against him, it's fucked up.

“I mean, Derek is the boss. That’s the main rule. He’s in charge, and I have to accept that. But he said I could have friends, and I’m still starting college in the fall… other than the leash and collar thing, it’s mostly about respecting the fact that he’s the one with the power in the relationship.”

“It’s this box Derek locked me in. He put me inside with a whole bunch of stuff that smelled like him, and then when I went into heat, it was like… everything just built and built until I was out of it. I went totally feral. Couldn’t remember him taking me out or having sex with me or anything. I hated it,”

I am glad that Derek realizes that if he wants to have a happy and healthy partner, his methods won’t work. It takes an accident to finally realize that what he has been doing and thinking will lead to tragedy if he does not stop, but he does finally and starts to change a bit.

Derek wanted Scott to be a good omega, but more than that, he wanted Scott to be happy being a good omega. So Derek had a choice to make. He could keep using the box and force Scott to behave, or he could relent and let Scott be happy.

“So we’ll just be like two normal people in a relationship? Where each person has just as much say as the other?” Derek looked like he was sucking on a lemon, but he nodded. Scott let himself hope that this was real, knowing how crushed he would be if Derek pulled the rug out from under him now.

At the very end, we see that Derek is trying to start over again with Scott to court him properly, thank god, but Derek is still not a good man by any stretch of the imagination. It’s nice, but I wish we got an epilogue.

Overall, I did enjoy it despite it being a more challenging read due to the content and themes. Please check TW/CWs before reading if interested; this is definitely not your typical omegaverse story.

[Jesslan Rose · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bound To The Alpha
By DJ Heart AKA Riley Trent

Middle-aged, old-fashioned, single (Alpha) Derek is annoyed that he's stuck being a chaperone at a party full of teenagers for his sister. He figures at this point in his life his chance at mating an omega is slim to none.

When young, idealistic, and modern thinking Scott accidentally stumbles into the room Derek is hiding in he sets off Derek's mating instincts turning Derek almost feral. Derek is furious Scott is on suppressants and not acting as a newly mated Omega should and Scott is furious Derek is acting like a caveman marking him without discussion of any kind.

I'll say it right off the bat... this book is not for everyone. Derek has high minded and old fashioned ideas including light bdsm, bondage, attempted brainwashing, from making Scott wear a collar and leash in public, to using an omega box (putting Scott in a small box filled with his dirty clothes meant to drive him into a frenzy and make him behave), non-con, and dub-con. Scott is modern minded and always felt sorry for Omegas who got stuck with Alpha's like Derek. He has a very hard time adjusting to his new life. They do find a happy medium together at the end.

The sex is rough and very kinky, the sex talk is very dirty.

Side Note: While they are wolf shifters shifting plays no part in the book whatsoever. There are no packs, etc. It's a modern world.

[Mishca · Rating 2 out of 5]

Iffy at best

DJ Heart's stories always have a thread of dubious consent and rape through them but this story was a firm 1 star at best for me until the end.

Warning possible spoilers: The relationship between Derek and Scott seriously sickened me through most of this. Derek tortures, humiliates and uses Scotts heat to rape him after putting him in a feral state where he is no longer consiously making decisions. The fact that it takes an accident for Derek to realize that he is treating a human being as less than an animal is horrific. The only reason I finished this was to give my conscience a rest knowing that they worked things out.

This story does end on a HEA with them forming a mutual understanding of sorts, but the first 80% of this book couldn't get me to raise this past a 2 star.

Concent is necessary in a relationship and Derek included with another alpha in this book show signs of a highly abusive relationship. Please find help if you or someone you know is in a relationship like this.

[Jennifer Ali · Rating 2 out of 5]

2 stars - pretty low I know.

This book had so much promise but certain things just really ruined it for me...

1) sorry guys but, I just can’t jump on the self lubrication kink train. Like, prepping is hot af why lose that in a story!

2) Derek was an asshole for the majority of the book, I know he redeems himself in the end by being ohhhhhh soooooo kinddddd and letting Scott have a little freedom 😒 overall he was a big ol’ ass. A sexy af one though...

3) The dirty talk! It just, didn’t work for me. I know, shocking. I’m usually a puddle of happiness at any dirty talk. But this book just took it a bit too far. The whole book was dirty talk.

[Ed Davis · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this book. It was so kinky and sexy.

[Theresa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun and smutty story of the power struggle between a conservative traditional alpha and a liberal teenage omega.

This author's work is usually a miss for me because I need an emotional payoff for non con. Fortunately, this alpha was not satisfied with a superficial submission and compromised to get a willing submission from his omega.

[Phira · Rating 1 out of 5]

I just couldn't get into it.(spoilers: don't read if you haven't finished the book)

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There was just too much negative versus good in this book.
I literally cried with heartache for the omega when he was put in that box. And reading the alphas thoughts and how he trained putt his actions was horrible. It wasn't until the very end that the alpha realizes things just won't be going his way, and that his omegas happiness is in fact more important than having a good omega...So he begrudgingly allows his omega to revert back to being "himself" and decided not to use the omega box anymore. Wow, so kind! And once he finds out what could potentially happen to an omega by using The box, all he seems to think is, "phew! It's a good thing I didn't let it get that far! Wouldn't want my omega to get hurt! !" Not even caring what it's already done to his omega emotionally. But at this point nor does the omega, who's just as happy to forgive ( as he's been trained to do) as the alpha is willing to forgive him not being the good omega he's always wanted.
The alpha is still a douche and the omega is still brain washed from what I can tell. The only good thing( if you can call it that) is that this is probably how it would really be, if we were controlled by our hormones and instincts. There's no way in hell that there'd not be people who would abuse the connection. It's just sad that even til the end the alpha only thought of himself and how he felt.
I ended up reading the whole thing because i had to see how they'd end up. It's good the omega has more freedom, but I think his way of thinking is forever changed. And I think the alpha will be able to push more and more over the years until he does get his perfect little omega.

[Janet (iamltr) · Rating 2 out of 5]

Uh

90% of this book was an Alpha literally torturing and trying to brainwash an omega into acting as he wished. There was nothing redeeming about it at all. The omega was trapped from the non consensual bite and that was it. The last chapter had them going on a date but the omega did exactly as he wished so the torture worked out well, though we were supposed to believe the omega chose to do it on his own. Usually I love dj's alphaholes as the alpha really cares about the omega but not this time. The alpha did not want him at all, he didn't even like him.

[Kerry · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love this author D.J. Heart, but this wasn't my favorite book by them. Derek was an old-fashioned alpha who wanted a submissive omega who meekly obeyed his every wish and command. Scott wasn't that kind of omega, so he questioned and resented Derek for what he made him do (wearing a collar and leash and spending time in an omega box). Sure, they had tons of sex since they were bound to each other, but there were no feelings of love. At about 85% in the book, Derek finally decided to abandon his old-fashioned ways and it seemed like Scott and Derek could actually begin to fall in love, but then the book ended. I wish there was less of the first 85% and more of the last 15%.

[Megan Jackson · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm going to be honest and say I did not like the book. I gave it a shot because I liked the description, but I have to say I hated the Alpha. I wanted to stop reading the book about four chapters in however I'm a firm believer that you should read a book from start to finish because sometimes the author will surprise you and by the end of the book he will love to hate it! Sadly this is not the case... I hate to leave negative reviews but I also believe that you should review every book he read to help people in picking books... now I am also a firm believer that you should read reviews and still decide whether or not you want to read the book because just because I didn't like the book does not mean that you are not going to like the book... different strokes for different folks.... you should take every review with a grain of salt, with that being said Now for the spoilers

This book was basically about omega abuse, I didn't like the first time Derek put Scott in the box.. for clarification the omega box is a deprivation chamber.
Scott hated it so much that he got into a car accident fleeing Derek. I also did not care for the way Jacob and Michael's relationship is portrayed. (I will get back to that) now after the car accident Derek makes an attempt to change how he treats Scott because he realize that under the submission was hate. Now I really dislike books that just end with no closure....

This book ends while they're on a date, Scott tells Derek he wants to go on a date so they go on a date. They both get dressed how they want Derek picks him up from his parents house. There at the restaurant the exchange (one had job and one blowjob) there's no discussion about how they're going to proceed in the future. They talk kind of in their head a little bit about how happy they are. Then the book ends while they're at the table in the restaurant on their date.... yeah crappy ending. No discussion about anything in their future no discussion about school and family just ends.

Now there is a section where Michael and Scott talk Derek never asked Scott what he said to Michael to set him off. That makes several references to remember to ask him so the author dropped the ball there as well, then Jacob complains about having to put him back in the deprivation chamber excuse me the Omega box.... then Jacob calls into work because there was an incident with his Omega. Derek call them find out Michael had a heart attack inside the omega box. Find out Jacob is a really shitty Elsa and hasn't seen Mike since he went to hospital.... there is absolutely no closure about what happens between Michael and Jacob.... this is probably leading into a book for the two gentlemen which I will not read because I did not enjoy this book so there was no closure on their relationship for me as well.

[Mr.Rainbow.Pages · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hi everyone, Its Christopher the reader here and the book we are here to talk about tonight is Bound to the Alpha. I read this book for the first time in January and it took me a day to finish reading. I am now going to talk about some of the book details. It was rated for readers aged 18 and up, and was first published on the 2nd of October in 2015. It was told using 3rd person with it following Scott's and Derek's point of view. The book had 8 parts, which were lengthy. All together the book had 293 pages by reading on the kindle.


- I really liked this book, I thought that it was written pretty well, I couldn't stop reading. I also thought that the character development was really good, The characters felt real. This book did keep me guessing what was going to happen next. This book did remind me of one of my favourite TV Shows called Teen Wolf, in the show it has two characters that has the same name as the main characters in this story also of which for this book and the TV Show they both have supernatural themes as well. I liked that we got to meet some of Scott's friends. I did like his friends they did seem nice, I would have like maybe a few more scenes with them in but I also feel like it worked well without those added scenes. When reading I did think that the book would turn into them maybe teaming up together. trying to save him and brake him out but that didn't really happen. Part of me would still have liked for that to have happened so the book could have maybe had a bit more action maybe for them to have failed to show the reader that they did try or something when they first found out about some of the details of Scott's and Derek's relationship.

I do think that I would have liked the story a bit more if it was longer as it was a short read. Some of the parts within the story did feel a little repetitive, It did start to get a little boring slightly at times during through them parts. I think that scenes like that are pretty challenging to write. I feel liked it would have worked a little better in film then a book with editing when things happen repetitively in a timeline lope type of thing through periods of time passing. I would have liked there to have been a bit more world building, I think it would have helped make the book even more fleshed out. I would have loved if the character's were shapeshifting werewolves as I'm just obsessed with them, there was just no full wolfing out or anything in this book.

-I would have liked for this book to have an epilogue of how the characters life's are like in the future or maybe even another book to this one. I would love it if this book gets turned into an audible book as personally when I listen and read along I find that I gain a deeper experience with the book. I would also like it if it was turned into a TV Show, If it ever does I would definitely go and watch it. I liked the ending of the story I thought it was good. Half of me personally cant forgive the character, Derek for what he did to Scott but looking more into the story and how things worked in the book's world I do understand why it did end that way.


For each book that I read, I rate it out of 10, so for this I'm going to give it 8.9. Remember this was what I thought about the book personally and I suggest that you give it a go for yourself.

[Alastair · Rating 1 out of 5]

M/m, alpha/omega, forced bond, age gap, abuse?, Hea?
Overall... Yikesarooni
There's a lot to unpack here so let's just jump right in.
Derek, the alpha, is a grade A asshole. He's the kind of guy that would believe women don't have a right to vote or own land and they should stay home and happily provide sex.also, he's 30.
Scott, the omega, is very liberal and open minded. He is still in freaking high school. There's zero reason why a 30 year old should be around a high schooler but for some reason Derek was asked to chaperone a high school party for his niece and then somehow found poor Scott and just bit him right there and then. Just. Upending his whole life. What the fuck? So Scott is super not happy and Derek does some pretty fucked up shit to try and make Scott behave but in the end it didn't work and it took Scott nearly DYING before Derek realized MAYBE his methods weren't going to work. Character growth in maybe the last 20% and then the book ends and I'm left worried about this character and hoping they don't end up in a torturous situation again because apparently there are just no laws in place to protect from abuse. Ugh.

[Tj · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not sure what to say about this one. I think I haven't been in the right mind to read a book like this. Still, there seems like there are two different stories in this book. It was dark and aggressive for most of the book, then it becomes more "normal". It took me quite awhile to get into the book and I'm going to admit I skimmed ahead to make sure it all turned out ok because I just was having a hard time with it. When I came back and read it straight through, it wasn't so bad. I think there just was too much sex...yeah, I know, how is that possible? There wasn't much of an attempt at world building and I was left with many questions with this world. I do wish there had been more world building. I think it would have helped flesh out the story and move it from being SO much about the sex.

[lex ❄ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reallt good dark erotica. While I knew what I was getting into, I sort of felt overwhelmed, but in a good way. Lots of CWs.

Tags: omegaverse, virgin/inexperienced bottom, strict top/bottom, conditioning, noncon, kidnapping/captivity, mindbreak, abuse, stockholm syndrome, toxic love interest, dark erotica, size difference, body modification, chastity device, orgasm denial/edging, overstimulation, third person POV, barebacking, blowkobs, cockwarming, creampie, facial, humping/grinding, marathon sex, rimming, power imbalance.

[Jo * Smut-Dickted * · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like this author because he brings the edge. Dirty talk, alpha on the other side of "I want one" and just this hint of non-con or dub-con are always on the table. Yummy.

This one was not quite so formulaic as I've read in the past - here it's a high school kid and the evolution of Mr. Alpha Sir is pretty intriguing. He realizes that having a happy Omega is far better than an Omega who has no brain and merely exists to please him.

Plus it's hot. As always. Win!

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good

This was a good story...Very short though. Alpha was not an easy character to like. Very dominate and at times cruel. There are some pretty dark scenes so be prepared!

[Kelly · Rating 1 out of 5]

Reader Beware

There is a warning in the book description. Please take heed! This was a hard book to read and I wish I hadn't.

[Carole Ann · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 Stars

[Whitney · Rating 4 out of 5]

What did I just read?

No seriously, what did I just read? I mean, I'm giving it 4 Stars so I guess that means I liked? Right? But at the same time... I have no idea what to feel.

Ignoring the cover in its entirety because god it's bad, let's start with the good because there is a lot. Number one, it is beautifully written. And I don't mean that it has a lot of flowery language or imagery. I just mean the story is written in a way that it keeps you invested even when you get to parts that may or may not Vibe with how you like your books to go. Like for example, I don't care how messed up and sadistic the dominant gets as long as there are cute, sappy, sweet moments that balance it all out. No such thing really happens here. But the story was interesting and the writing tells the story well. That sounds really basic and generic but if you read it you'll know what I mean. Also, it was written in parts, not chapters and I was into it.

Number two. The smut is grade A+++. That is all.

The three. The characters are amazing. Like they actually feel real. Are they the most complex characters ever? No but they're well fleshed out. No one is over-the-top or underdeveloped, it just great. And there is character development out the Wazoo for our two mains.

The whole book is just really well done and the story is super interesting. So why am I so off-kilter you asked? Because I have never read an A/B/O in its entirety. Until now. And look I'll read just about anything that has the word romance somewhere in the description but God if I don't like A/B/O stories. Now admittedly I haven't picked up many but that is mainly because I have tried but noticed they always go one of two ways. Completely nonsensical in which logic isn't even a thing or really creepy rapey. Neither of which is really my thing. But I read this in its entirety and I enjoyed it. I even read all smut scenes and good Lord are there a lot of them (but again there is top-notch so you know not really complaining). I don't know how to explain it and I don't know how to feel about it but I really enjoyed this. I really enjoyed seeing Derek evolve. I really enjoyed seeing Scott regain himself. I even like the not-so-subtle commentary all the conservatives and liberals. It didn't even feel too long and believe me when I say that when I saw the page count my first thought was is this really necessary. And it was. In fact, it could have gone on a bit more because mutual (consensual) respect didn't happen until the last couple of pages.

So yeah I really like this. Even the parts that made me kind of uncomfortable but then again that was kind of the point of those parts. Like for example, we weren't supposed to like Derek in the beginning (and middle). You weren't supposed to hate him necessarily, but you definitely weren't supposed to be fond of him either. We weren't supposed to just be okay with Scott's brainwashing. You were supposed to be feeling uncomfortable for him since he couldn't do it himself. And you weren't supposed to wish for an I love you at the end because this was the slowest of slow burns and they were nowhere near that. It would take probably another 50 to 70 Pages for them to get to that point. Not that I would be against reading that.

It was great. Maybe a bit higher than an average 4 stars but not enough to round up. So if you're like me and an alpha omega verse isn't really your jam, read the sample first. And if you like it then give it a go. Likewise, if Alpha Omega verse is your jam and you like over-the-top Alphas with a side of kink then definitely pick it up because this was written for you.

[❇️Bora❇️ · Rating 2 out of 5]

If only the entire book could've been like the last chapter.

Derek has caveman tendencies due to his extreme conservative beliefs about alpha/omega roles. Therefore, the way he acts can come across as being abusive. The book doesn't try to hide this or make it seem like Derek is a good person. Everyone in Derek's life (aside from Jacob, his friend who also shares the same lifestyle) tries to get him to change his archaic way of thinking, even Derek himself is aware of how different his beliefs are from the majority but sees nothing wrong with them.

So reading the book, I couldn't exactly hate it for having such a terrible character because the whole story is about Derek ultimately learning that he has to change his ways and listen to and respect, Scott, his omega's opinions. However, it's really hard to enjoy such a book and whatever, if any, type of character development you start to see in the MC when all you want to do is just punch the guy most of the time.

I don't really see Derek and Scott lasting as a couple after the book is over. Rather than Derek and Scott coming to a comprise and Derek deciding to change his ways of thinking, it'd make more sense for Derek to find an omega that prefers the same lifestyle as him and would love to pretty much be his slave. I just can't believe that, Derek, at his (iirc) 31 years of age has the capacity to change his lifestyle and preferences all of a sudden.

Anyway, overall the plot was hard to enjoy, both MCs (even Scott) were not really likeable, and the sex was okay but really repetitive.

TW:
Dubious consent - The first chapter starts out with Derek forcing a mating bond on Scott despite his rejections. The mating bond ultimately leads to them having sex and the 'relationship' progresses from there. Though the sex itself is consensual, it only happened due to the mating bond which was forced on Scott.

[L.D. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Please be aware that this book is NOT for everyone. There is rough, kinky sex that some people may not be comfortable with. Read the warnings and do not read this if those warnings make you uncomfortable.

Derek is a sexy, dominant alpha who has no desire for an omega…until he runs into Scott, an omega who’s scent overcomes Derek’s rational mind and leaves him no choice but to claim Scott as his omega. The relationship starts off rocky – Derek is unforgiving and has a vision of what he deems the “perfect” alpha-omega relationship looks like. Derek’s vision is completely different from what Scott wants out of a relationship, and this clash of visions leads to conflict. Derek and Scott have to work to overcome this conflict before they can truly be happy being mated to each other.

The story is pretty straightforward, and there’s a bit of angst is this book, but overall I found it quite entertaining. Plus, there was so much dirty, delicious sex. I’m a huge fan of BDSM sex – the kinkier, the freakier, the better in my opinion. I don’t need my sex to be realistic (this isn’t a How-To manual after all), I just need my sex to be dirty and hot. And the sex is this book met all my requirements and more.

Overall Rating: 5 Stars. Wonderful writing, sexy characters, and fantastic sex – this book has everything I love in my romance and erotica books. I enjoyed this book immensely.

[Marie · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was hard to finish. I just kept putting it down then coming back to read a paragraph or two before starting that cycle all over again. Not sure if it was the writing style or the Alpha lead in the book but I couldn't really get into it.

There is an age gap between the Alpha and the omega in this book and as such the Alpha didn't really think that he would of ever bonded, I'm almost inclined to think that he should not have.

He meets his omega at a party he is chaperoning and claims him right the against the door with barely a word from the omega.

Derek, the Alpha, is very 'old school' and subscribes to the belief that omegas should live only to serve their alphas however his new young omega, born in a time where those old world views a becoming less and less popular does not meet his expectations of what an omega should be like.

He is very rigid for the majority of the book attempting to manipulate and brainwash Scott, his omega, to be a 'better' omega.

Scott succumbs quickly because of their new 'bond' and his own biology just tries to hold on to the fact that at least he is not to terribly and is willing to let him have some freedom.

This one was a bit of a miss for me. The plot was ok but I think the execution could have been a little better. The sex scenes had good potential as well the first few built up well but fell flat and then they all became repetitive.

[Tricia Ledford · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hot!

HEA-ish. I could have used a little more but overall it ended well.
Third person point of view.
Alpha, omega, beta world.
Knotting. Collars. Full submission. Domestic punishment. So kinky.
Strict top and bottom rolls.
🌶🌶🌶🌶🌶 5/5 smut. Very smutty. And I loved it.

Scott is a liberal omega. He wants equal rights, he wants to be treated like a person, and he has his own beliefs. Derek is conservative, dominate, and as soon as he catches Scotts scent Derek claims Scott. Derek collars Scott, spanks Scott, and wants complete and total obedience and submission from Scott. Needless to say Scott is kind of scared of Derek and his old ways, but if Scott says anything about it, or acts out Derek is quick with punishment. Derek also bought a box, small and filled with Derek's scent, to make Scott listen. Scott hated it.
It had brainwashing vibes, but eventually Derek figures out Scott isn't happy, and the way Derek wanted Scott to submit wasn't good for either if them. While at the same time Scott liked Derek being in control sexually just not all the time. They come to an understanding.... And that's it. The end.
I wanted more. It was implied that Scott would be willing to be collared for Derek's pleasure... But only at home. And I wanted to see that!.

[Perdita · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not your typical omegaverse story. It's dark but not your typical dark.

Spoilers ahead

For me, the concept of the box was a very creative idea. The scenario of "How to brainwash your omega without acknowledging what you are doing, all while convincing yourself that it's for his own good" was particularly engaging.

As the story goes on, the character's internal conflict creates a captivating narrative. I found Derek's ups and downs especially compelling. What triggered his doubt, and how he confronted and dealt with the matter provided numerous opportunities for character development. His realization that his methods might not have been right to begin with, and his willingness to compromise for his omega's happiness, added depth to the story and made for a satisfying conclusion.

A comment said something that really stuck with me. Was the Scott at the end the real Scoot?
We all assumed that Scott managed to escape his manipulated self, but is that really true? Are the effects of manipulation so easily undone and erased? Was the original Scott ever willing to consider sucking his alpha at a restaurant and staying on his knees under a table?

I believe these questions will forever linger in my mind, not allowing me to forget about these two.

[Bee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read to me by Alexa.

🌶️🌶️🌶️

I wanted a darkish omega verse with forced mating and no sharing or non-con outside of the main couple. This satisfied all of that criteria.

Derek is an alpha who never intended to have an omega and he’s got some pretty old school and honestly harmful ideas about how omega should be treated. But he is not intrinsically awful, he doesn’t actually understand that his way of doing things is harmful.

Scott is an independent omega, and while he does eventually see himself with an alpha certainly not one with antiquated ideas like Derek. But Derek smells him corners him and forces a mating bite pretty instantly.

Their relationship is pretty rocky, and Derek is pretty awful initially, and he basically tortures Scott by locking him in a box. He doesn’t do this to be cruel. He genuinely thinks he’s helping Scott get in touch with his omega, instinct, or whatever. But the result is the same it’s cruel . After a blowout, Derek comes to his senses and they find a new normal and they their HEA.

There is plenty of knots and slick, biting, heats, ruts, and all of the things that you expect in omegaverse

[Joyffree · Rating 3 out of 5]

Change can be a good thing
Scott was on his way to the top ~
Young, Intelligent, accepted tho a top-notch university ~
He was going to have it all someday.
A career he loved and an alpha who made his heart skip a beat.
Until fate took it all
Giving him Derek instead.
Broken, lost and borderline tortured Scott had given up.
Scott's character had so much resilience. He was a bit of a brat but he was also young and had hope. He was also a heck of a lot more forgiving than I would have been.

Derek didn't want an omega didn't plan to acquire one but when his mate walked into the room on accident he could do nothing but take what was his.
I did not like Derek ~ AT ALL!! What an arrogant self-entitled arse! He may have just slightly attempted to redeem himself (yeah I still am mad at him) towards the end.

This is an Alpha Omega story where the Omega's still do not have equal rights.
The Alpha (if you can call him that) is a bit of a traditionalist and possibly blind and lacking any emotions but that is just a personal opinion.

A lot of angst and Oh No you did not moments sprinkled with some seriously intense intimate scenes

[Lilli · Rating 3 out of 5]

So this book consisted of 98% sex and then 2% plot. Which fine, I'm not judging.

I don't mind omegaverse, I'm just stepping into it and I love dark romance so I thought I'd try to find something that fit both. And some of the things happening in this story just had me going "Holy shit how does this society even function?" Honestly, turn off your brain for this one.

Overall it was okay... some sex scenes dragged on too long and others were fine and dandy. It didn't take me long to finish this book, but don't come reading it expecting to be blown away. It's smut for smut -- not here trying to break boundaries or tell a story between interesting people.

[Brice · Rating 4 out of 5]

Generally, I have a love-hate relationship with this book. I kept expecting for something finally good to happen. The Alpha is a douche but I get that he cares and the omega, Scott, well... I expected more from him. I was really annoyed about how Scott would keep hating and despising Derek but ended up having sex with him in the end. But most of all, the society is pretty dark and twisted. I think it may have scarred me about how Alphas treat their Omegas in this world, well the conservative Alphas that is.

The book is twisted and dark and the brainwashing is really something else. The story is filled with raw and dirty sex and I also at most times kept on debating to myself if it's rape or not, but since the Alpha would stop when Scott said no, I guess it's not? Let's just leave it at borderline rape.

Overall, if you're in to something dirty and twisted and a whole lot of kinky stuff and dirty talk, well this book is definitely for you. The books still ends in HEA and all is well so I'd rate this a 3.5 out of 5.

[Foxy Vixen · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.8

It's too sane for me.
I want the toxic overbearing Alpha's who decides everything no matter what the omega wants, and that their only job is to yield to their master.

This is kind of the opposite. It starts out like that, but it's made clear that the Alpha is in the wrong, and the entire book is about teaching him about equality. Its healthy and a way better relationship in reality, but it's not what I want out of my erotica.

I want the repressed society where the omega has no rights, but soon learns to love being controlled body and soul. It's not what you want in real life, but it is what I want for my guilty pleasures, because it's a way hotter fantasy.
Disappointed.

D.J. Heart is the uncrowned boss of dub-con erotica, so I guess my expectations where skewed by previous works.
There's obviously nothing wrong to try something new, it just wasn't what I expected or wanted.

[Zhakhia Baker · Rating 1 out of 5]

uhhhhh

I genuinely don’t know it was really hard to read like I didn’t necessarily like it but I like finished it. I wouldn’t say I hate it but it really was hard to read like I’m very empathetic, so I kept putting myself in Scott’s shoes and getting sad and angry I don’t like being sad and angry unless it’s for the right reasons, but it was all right. It wasn’t too bad I mean I knew what I was getting myself into so I’m not really complaining if you know what I mean it was just like OK that was interesting will not be repeating, but it wasn’t bad, but I mean OK maybe it was just a little not like the book itself I just don’t like it it’s just not my thing I mean it wasn’t oh my goodness I don’t even know what I’m trying to say anymore