***4.0 rating***
"Just the tip,” Eric begged, sucking on Hugh’s scent gland. “Just the tip. Please. Give me the tip.”
😏
Book 4, or shall we say Eric’s story "Expert” picks up where we left off in Illicit (book 3). After being supposedly exiled from Pelugia due to an unexpected scandal, Eric seeks refuge and comfort at the Cleghorn estate in Kadar. Eric, for those of you who don’t remember (well, because it’s been so long since we read the last book in the series), is the youngest Blake brother. A lovely, impressionable, intelligent, and beautifully awkward omega. This is his story, and his sexy doc, Hugh Randall, is a big part of that.
Eric is 18 years old, while Hugh is in his early 30s; there is a slight age gap between the mains, which makes the story more interesting. Eric is new in Kadar, and aside from being the subject of a humiliating scandal, he also has health issues related to his heating cycle. Eric is excessively horny, and the poor dear needs an alpha to keep him balanced and steady. Who better to come to his aid than the sexy, reserved, and stern alpha doctor?
The first encounter between Eric and Hugh is through a “manual examination,” up close and personal. Our handsome alpha doctor is captivated by Eric, who is all over the place due to hormonal imbalance. Doctor Randall tries to be professional with Eric; after all, he is a “kid,” a patient, nothing more, nothing less. But Hugh’s alpha instincts, which he tries to suppress at times, kick in and blur the lines between a patient and his doctor. An attraction between a needy omega and a protective alpha seems inevitable. Alessandra does a great job of showing that between Eric and Hugh, especially with Hugh trying so hard to resist the temptation that is Eric. We see Hugh’s self-composed professional demeanor coming undone when interacting with Eric. There is no denying that the good doctor wants Eric, the awkward omega. However, a bad marriage from Hugh’s past discourages him from taking things further with Eric. Although the doc is a walking contradiction, lol. He can’t seem to say no when it comes to Eric. The age gap and Hugh’s lack of belief in having a true mate create angst, tension, and challenges for Eric and his alpha-to-be. Much of the angst and tension in the story is in Part I of the story (the story is told in two parts). Part I was the part I highly enjoyed. Eric’s neediness, Hugh’s sternness, and the development of emotions between them made for good angst, which I think most readers will enjoy.
Part II of the story was somewhat unexpected (you will know what I mean when you read it). It was a bit rushed and relatively short. Had the angst and emotional development been explored more in part II, this would have easily been a 5-star read. But unfortunately, part II wasn’t what I thought it would be.
I sincerely hope Lucien gets his own book; he makes an appearance in this book. I enjoyed him being supportive and a friend to Eric. They are similar, and their friendship was enjoyable to read about. So, if you enjoyed Lucien in the first book, you would enjoy reading this book, where he is a supportive side character.
Overall, this was an enjoyable read. Much better than Feral and Illicit. There is an age gap, codependency, neediness, and angst, so my fellow AH readers, you will like this book since those are recurring themes/tropes in AH’s books. I am glad Eric got his own story; he is probably the most likable brother of the Blake brothers. I hope you like him as much as I did.
Expert will be released later this week. Happy reading!
Thank you very much to Alessandra Hazard for providing the ARC, I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
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"Manual examination."😏😜