Her True Alpha

The 12 Sectors #2.5

by Isoellen

Phee was a proper Omega.

She’d done everything society expected of her–Obeyed her parents, married an appropriate choice of Alpha, tolerated his infidelity.

And what was her repayment? To be cast out by her husband in favor of his pregnant mistress.

With their marriage contract canceled and her reputation in tatters, Phee’s future seems hopeless.
Then, the most unexpected suitor appears… Right as her long-absent heat begins.

~*~
Her True Alpha is a novella set in the world of the 12 Sectors, and features a HEA for the characters involved.

Genres: Omegaverse, Romance, Paranormal, Fantasy, Novella, Dark Romance, Dystopia

110 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 26, 2022

About the author

Isoellen is just your average, Gen-X'er who drinks too much coffee. Her first romance story was written in 1977 at 8 years old after seeing the movie Star Wars. She knew even then that a rogue on the wrong side of the law was a better mate than the boy on the hero’s journey.
The worlds she creates are violent and sensual, but her characters always find beauty in the decay and romance with intimacy. True love and happily ever after’s are guaranteed.
She is currently working on the 4th book in the 12 Sectors Series, Redeeming Her Alpha.

Reviews

[Val ⚓️ Shameless Handmaiden ⚓️ · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Smut Stars

I read in the review of a trusted book friend that this was short and left her wanting more, and boy, she wasn't kidding. So I can't really complain about it since I knew that going in. I'm still going to, though...complain about it, that is.

I really liked book one and two from this series and have been not so patiently waiting for book three. So I didn't really care what reviews for this said, to be honest. I love this series and this installment was "free" to me via Kindle Unlimited. Plus, I'm an omegaverse slut. Meaning: I read it the minute I became aware of its existence.

But I digress.

This was short. And, I mean, of course it was. It's a novella. But I've read tons of novellas over the years that manage to be both short and really good, so....just saying. Not that this was bad, it just felt like certain, boring things took forever, and then the stuff I really wanted felt rushed.

Phee was a super interesting character. And I would have loved to see he rake her mother over the coals a little more. Because revenge and comeuppance are two of my favorite flavors.

There were also a TON of editing/typo issues in this that made me feel like it got hurriedly pushed out without a final edit.

Also, I could have REALLY gone for an epilogue. The ending here sucked.

Overall though, this met my expectations and, despite all the gripes above, I did enjoy it.

[Rain · Rating 3 out of 5]

Please don't judge this story and think this is a good example of this author's work. It really isn't. This book was lacking the heart, and deeper connection between the characters...and an actual ending?

Thoughts:
I love this world
Realistic but heartbreaking past for the fmc as a "breeder/omega"
I LOVE how she stood up to her mother - YES!
The main characters don't meet until around 50%
It's just mating/bonding after that point
It read like the author wasn't feeling this couple and decided to stop writing and submit to KU

It was kinda a bummer to read after loving the previous two books in the series.

Choosing Her Alpha 5 stars
Her Broken Alpha 4 stars

[Melluvsbooks · Rating 2 out of 5]

Underwhelming.

I loved My Broken Alpha. Not sure what happened here.

This is a novella.

The MCs don’t even see each other til past 50%

First very short conversation is at 70%

Sex at 90%

No connection. The H is moping around about his dead mate who was pregnant with their baby… 😵‍💫 and then he spends most of the book lusting after his boss’ girl til he meets the h…. He is just barely holding himself back. He’s so keyed up by the other girl by the time he meets the h, that he immediately latches on the h upon seeing her. 😐

They have one conversation and then they have sex and “bond”.

So romantic. 😕

The h is basically a 26-yr old divorcee. 😐. she’s barren and depressed.


This is not why I read Omegaverse.


Bottom Line? Meeeeeehhhh ⭐️⭐️




⚠️SAFETY SQUAD SPOILERS⚠️
- no cheating or sharing
- no OW/OM drama
- no dubcon - beyond the natural biology coercion in this genre
- neither MC is a virgin

[Isoellen Isoellen]

Hello amazing readers -

Her True Alpha is NOT Merrick's book. And it is only a Novella.

I know you wanted more. I'm sorry. I'll be a good writer and email an update soon. You can always join my Facebook group or follow my podcast for more information on what the heck I am doing with my time!

But we gotta open the dang emails and I have noticed that about 70% of us have so much email (like me) that we don't have time check every little thing.

Pssst- I really over-share my personal life in my group, and I get to talking on my podcast too, yada, yada style. Plus, I read the first chapter of Her True Alpha out loud to give you an idea of what you are in for.

Her True Alpha is a novella that takes place at around the same time as the last chapter in Her Broken Alpha - it is Phee's story. It includes some Mother relationship. (Yes, yes, I do have mother issues.) I didn't intend this to be a full novel. I just wanted you to know what was happening with Phee and some 12 Sectors drama.

Check out my newsletter and the spaces I hang out for updates, and also, check out my Goodreads blog, I know I have been awful at keeping you informed (insert formal author apology here) and I will try to be better. I love this world too.

[Leigh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Her True Alpha is a Novella set in The 12 Sectors world and features Phee (Naya's sister from book 2) and Alreck third in command to Alpha Nothonal Darre. If you follow my reviews, you will know that I loved books 1 & 2, gave them both 5 stars and have already done a reread on both. Now while I really enjoyed this one it's just way too short and I felt that more could have been made of the story. So basically, Phee has an Alpha but he is weak as are all the men in the area. She has a contract with him but not a bond so unfortunately when she is diagnosed with early Menopause, he leaves her for his Mistress. Alreck has been in a rut and wants so badly an Omega of his own. When he smells Phee for the first time he is obsessed, and his rut triggers her heat. Overall, it was an enjoyable story, but I needed more.


***ARC Provided by Author***

[Bex (Beckie Bookworm) · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars
This is an omegaverse novella that takes place in the twelve sectors it focuses on Phee she is the sister of Naya a previous heroine and Alreck one of her mate Darre’s men. So Naya is home to introduce her bonded Alpha to her family and Phee is expected to be in attendance. When the big rough alpha Alreck kick starts Phee’s stunted genetics triggering her estrus cycle she finds herself totally embracing this unexpected turn of events.

I’ll be honest From what I have seen previously of Phee I wasn’t exactly a fan she came across as shallow filled with self-importance and frankly not that nice of a person. Initially when this begin I thought little had changed with her but then as the story unfolded I realised that Phee was in a downward spiral and is now questioning everything she thought she believed in even her own mother

Suffering from an early menopause and abandoned by her contracted mate Phee just wants to hide away from the world she’s filled with self-loathing and has realised too late just how empty her prior existence was. Now a broken omega back under her mother's roof she’d give anything for a second chance and she now gets this in the form of Alreck.

So this was well written and did feel fleshed out enough which is always a big consideration of mine when it comes to novellas. it probably did help that these weren’t new characters so I knew some about them already. I did wish it had been longer and I felt that the first three quarters was so beautifully done whilst the last bit the actual mating part was maybe a tad rushed. I still enjoyed it and do rate it but I also feel this part of the story could have been much stronger than it was.

Phee did actually manage to win me around here I do think they’ll always be a bit of the self-involved about her it’s just in her nature to attempt to manipulate those around her but with a strong alpha like Alreck keeping her in check she’ll be fine he’s actually good for her and takes none of her nonsense. This was a good appetiser which definitely whetted my appetite ready for the next main event and I’m hoping that will be another full size read set in this fascinating world of alphas and omegas. I voluntary reviewed a copy of Her True Alpha (The Twelve Sectors #2.5).



Reviewed By Beckie Bookworm
https://www.facebook.com/beckiebookworm/
www.beckiebookworm.com

[❁ lilyreadsromance ❁ · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was okay, I guess. It felt like it barely scratched the surface of this world (understandably because it's a novella, but still).

[Rachael*Caribbean*girl*bibliophile · Rating 2 out of 5]

Spoilers ahead



Ummmmm?? Where's the rest?

Ok so this is Phee's story, she came across as stuck up in her sister's book so I don't remember liking her much. Most of this book was about Phee, her realization that she's a broken omega as she's now barren, the ending of her marriage and her realization that her mother isn't at all who she thought she was. I actually enjoyed all this and hoped it'd lead to a whole new Phee. However I saw that I was halfway through and our mcs had yet too meet 🤦🏾‍♀️
Enter Alreck, third in command of the barbarian Sector 2 king. He's basically desperate for an Omega and scenting Phee he's decided she's his🤦🏾‍♀️ he's also been lusting after her sister, the mate of his king, almost the entire time we've been in his head. Not to mention the beta he'd taken as his who then died.....
Cue her heat.....some pretty good boning....a little post sex huddle....the end!

No relationship development
Not even a HFN
No real character development as Phee's evolution was stopped by her heat and Alreck.....well he got what he wanted I guess
Idk it felt like any Omega would do for the H
I really really wanted Phee to get pregnant but again abrupt ending so Idk man


Maybe there's a part 2? Idk

Had this been more fleshed out, especially the damn relationship I'd have definitely rated it higher

ETA I just saw the author noted that there's a HEA for this couple....I think that part got left out of my copy. Could someone help me out and share the version with the HEA please?☹️

[Elizabeth]

3.5 ⭐️ maybe 4 ⭐️ 🤷‍♀️ it was good but…

I’m a wee bit gutted to be honest - 110 pages 😭 this had soooooo much more potential. Why a novella??

This quote got me right in the feels though 😍⬇️

“I’m broken. You can’t want me.” When he tipped his face up, her tears splashed onto his cheeks. “I’m broken too. We will be whole together.”

I really wanted to know more about Phee & her relationship with her husband & more about his affair. I felt cheated when certain facts were dropped into the story and the author decided not to elaborate on them.
I really liked the two main characters however, towards the end I thought the Alpha male came across as a bit of a meat head in his dialogue… maybe he was just caught up in the moment & a bit love drunk? 😅

I’m a sucker for an Epilogue! I always want to know more & always, ALWAYS NEED to know what happens next. For example, I loved Phee standing up to her mother & then going completely against her mothers wishes in her choice of Alpha 💪🏼 however, I wanted to know her mothers thoughts on the matter as I’m sure she was livid 😂 so yeah… what happened next? 🤷‍♀️ did they move to sector two? Was she still barren? Ahhhh so many questions 😭
AND… we were told the King would be arriving yet there wasn’t much of a mention of him afterwards. I really wanted to hear more about Naya as well & her relationship with her sister Phee. Random stuff like, how was she coping in sector two? Her pregnancy, will she support & help her sister, will they help change sector two for the better???
I’m a big fan of Isoellen & her omegaverse. I just feel like this was rushed and maybe the author was under pressure to release a third book in the 12 sectors series? 🤷‍♀️
I will most certainly one click her next release, I just hope it has more than 110 pages. 🙌🏼 such a great story yet so many wasted opportunities. 🙁

[Jac K · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 🥱🥱 Stars

This review hurts to write because I'm a HUGE fan of this series (and author), but this wasn’t good… and if I’m honest, more deserving of a 2 ⭐… but again, huge fan and it was free, so I’m only out my time.

***Spoilers from book 2***

Her True Alpha piggybacks onto the epilogue of Her Broken Alpha, so in case you forgot….
Alreck has taken responsibility for that pregnant evil Rachel that tried to kill them all. Phee was unhappily mated and going through their version of a divorce. Darre and Naya traveled to sector 5 to see her family and meet with Kane to discuss politics.

Going in I liked Alreck, but I didn’t have great vibes for Phee. She seemed like a snooty bitch, but I pushed on. The ginormous problem is that there is really no plot and very little smut, so we’re left with a TON of filler. We’re at 56% until these two even set eyes on each other, 65% until they speak and that’s one short conversation, then 78% on is one lengthy sex scene. That’s it…that’s the book.

Bottom Line- An uneventful and boring read. The couple spend so little time together that it was impossible to connect with either. I never warmed to Phee; she pouted and hid most of the book. She never apologized for being shitty to Naya, and her character was just as stuck up and materialistic at the end. Even after bonding she’s concerned about not having access to things. I would've loved to see them return to sector 2, and have Phee show some personal growth.

[JD (on semi-hiatus) · Rating 3 out of 5]

This takes place in the author's dystopian Omegaverse series "The 12 Sectors." Here, we follow Phee, sister to Naya from Her Broken Alpha. Abandoned by her husband when he discovers she's barren, she doesn't understand the effect that one of her visiting brother-in-law's men has on her. How can Alreck want her when she can never give him what his breed desires most?

This was difficult to rate and not for the first time, I wish GR offered a half-star option. Let me begin with what I liked. Given the novella's brevity, the author manages to pack in detailed world-building (the descriptions of Sector 5 recall Eisenhower's soul-deadening white suburbia) and interesting characters who achieve growth. I particularly appreciated Phee, who, atypical for a generic omega, actually feels and expresses anger at her situation (it was so refreshing to read about an MC who doesn't exemplify the "grumpy meets sunshine" dynamic so beloved of generic writers). While the bitter, brittle Phee isn't necessarily likable, she's always compelling and sympathetic. Finally, as always, Isoellen's descriptions of emotions (particularly Phee's initial anguish) and the usual Omegaverse tropes (heats, ruts, etc.) are elaborate and visceral.

I would have rated this more highly, but for three things. First of all, the book gives the appearance of having been hastily written. It contains several distracting typos (I don't think "sexist" is what the author was going for), inelegant prose ("mess" is repeated multiple times on several pages), and repetition. This last, in particular, was frustrating because I would have liked say, shorter internal monologues, and more development at the end, when one potential conflict is settled far too quickly and unbelievably (I wish we'd also gotten a conversation between the sisters and some resolution with the mother). Finally, maybe it's the times we live in, but I find myself increasingly less invested in rigid class hierarchies. The author wants us to feel sorry for the Omegas; I pitied the betas and drones.

3 1/2 stars. There's one character who I suspect is not all she seems and may get her own book. Note: "Breather masks" have new meaning in the age of Covid.

[Joyous · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I picked it up, I didn't realize it was a novella. But the characters were familiar from the 2nd book. I enjoyed the story. Although the ending was rather abrupt and the last part felt rushed.
Looing forward to the next part in the series.

[Оля (hiatus) ***]

I hope the book will not be about Merrick! I want a virgin heroine for him.

[Lammie · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5⭐️

For a short book it took a long time for the characters to meet. That being said it was a really good buildup. I really like this authors style of writing. I couldn’t stand Phee at the beginning but she got better as the story progressed.

[Deborah · Rating 2 out of 5]

Having enjoyed both of the previous books I never really considered that I wouldn’t also like this one.

Well I’m sorry to say I didn’t like this at all. I didn’t like either of the characters. I didn’t like that it’s halfway through before they even meet.

This just didn’t work for me at all.

[Zen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great novella

I wasn't a fan of Phee in the last novel and approached this one with some trepidation, especially since I knew that Rachel was in the picture in the last one. I should have trusted in this author. This story touches on finding happiness with ourselves and how we use outside influences and society's expectations to determine our self worth. Although I still don't love Phee, I'm walking away from this one liking her a lot more than I did before and hope she is able to break free like her sister.

[Corda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short and easy read.

[Kimberly · Rating 4 out of 5]

An omegaverse treasure.
4.5⭐️’s
3.5🌶️’s


In Her True Alpha we meet Phee, the older sister to Naya of Her Broken Alpha, the previous book. I love this novella because it features a “barren” omega which is so unlike any other omegaverse book I’ve read. But what makes Isoellen’s OMV books so well written is the way she depicts Alpha-omega interactions. There is an attetion to biology on a psychological level that is enthralling. There is something so passionate and primal about how she portrays the characters that is just satisfying to read.

If you like OMV books, I highly suggest giving this series a try. They aren’t just smutty, knotty tales but there’s a lot of emotion, political power struggles and a building story across the sectors as well.

Why I Loved It
Menollie asked, “It’s all them single men, isn’t it? They’re a different lot. I don’t know whether to wet myself in fear or pull off my dress and beg one of them to use me.”
drone (or human) maid about the visiting Alphas


He growled, “Let me.” Phee cried out at his growl. He saw the rough noise chase across her skin and senses in goosebumps.
visceral and sensual *swoon*

“Let me introduce myself. I am Alreck. Your alpha.”

*double swoon*

[Aka · Rating 2 out of 5]

This didn't make it for me for an Omegaverse lover. Even it's a novella length it ends very quickly and the "build" up makes you wonder where it's going...but falls very short since like 70% of the book, the leads do NOT meet each other.

I jumped straight into this series, and it is easy to fall along in terms of understanding the world dynamics of the Omeaverse world...since 70% of it is basically Phee's failed life because of her mother. There was so much about Phee's background - which was interesting to read, but when you realize that's MAJORITY of the novella...it makes you wonder why is the last bit of the book, her suddenly getting it on with the alpha.

There isn't a real conclusion to the somewhat "conflict" of Phee vs her mother besides Phee finding out and confronting her mom. It was really quite sad to find out that Phee was hit one after the other with her life...

She starts off with finding out she's "barren", has a failed marriage with her husband whom cheats - but it was an arrangement that Phee went along with. On top of that it's sad since even if Phee didn't have the connection with her previous husband, he didn't cheat until she told him that she would never bite him. Anyways all of her issues are derived from her mother - and it was just really sad that there isn't a real conclusion to that conflict. I mean as a reader we can assume her getting together with Alreck - infuriates her mom as a weird form of revenge.

Now for Alreck, you can see he had A LOT of background stuff going on with a failed marriage and unborn kid - but he is basically antsy since he wants a woman. Because of the way it was set up...it didn't feel that Alreck necessarily felt the bond with Phee, but saw her as the first avaliable omega and he's in a rut plus he's been ...horny? because of Naya's scent??????? I am so confused at this part of the world since that's mentioned quite a bit until Alreck meets Phee.

It's assumed that maybe Phee does get married, though she says she was NOT happy to move to Sector 2. Alreck makes her and she goes with it, but I'm really just ??? at their dynamic. It is mentioned in the end too that they talk about the crap both parties went through...but it was tidied up so fast it was weird.

So anyways if are looking for romance...keep in mind that the leads do NOT meet until way later in this novella, and bang. (literally) The conclusion is pretty lackluster and it felt quite sad since Phee was interesting. (Side Note: Steam is on the lighter/medium end for me.)

However I'm still sort of..............curious to read the other books that aren't novellas, since the world set up is different.

[Rellim · Rating 4 out of 5]

New Release!

Her True Alpha is book 2.5 in Isoellen’s The 12 Sectors Series. You don’t have to read Choosing Her Alpha (book 1) first, but I would recommend Her Broken Alpha (book 2) as Phee & Alreck appear in it. As such, this may contain spoilers to those books.

Naya’s sister Phee has just learned that she won’t be able to have children and is deserted by her Alpha-mate. Alreck has lost his Beta-mate. At first I was a little annoyed that it took Isoellen nearly half the book to get these two to even meet - but their individual backstories were important and helped solidify why they’re a great match. Phee's growth and understanding of her family dynamics were especially important.

At less than two hours to read, this novella isn’t as detailed & layered as the other books - however, it was enjoyable and a good addition to the series. When these two come together - it's on fire. I’m looking forward to more 12 Sectors… and hopefully an update on Alreck & Phee in subsequent books.

[Preeti ♥︎ Her Bookshelves · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not as good as the others though it had great potential.
Also the sudden-ish ending leaves scope for a sequel.
While the h's backstory and character is developed, this alpha leaves much to be desired.

The h is the cool/cold older sister of Nara of book #2. She lets herself be pushed into an arranged marriage with a weak alpha, has some marital issues and is dumped by her husband in the beginning.
Her distress and mixed emotions are very intriguing and relatable. Like how she'd planned to have a baby/babies and leave them to nannies but then it turns out she cannot have any! Her angst and emotional turmoil is quite well done.

Back to the H - The H/h meet at half way mark but it's not a bad thing imo.
We get mentions of his back story and his ill fated marriage to a beta from the last book.
But here, he's pretty one-dimensional. He just wanted/craved an omega and so the first unmated omega he sees (the h), he latches onto. Then they have sex - omega/alpha marathon kind - and we have The End.
The h, rightly so, did not wish to go back with him to the barren and lawless sector 2. And the last page had him growling her into submission on the topic. Poor girl!
To our knowledge, he doesn't even have a place to live in. And so I can only sympathize with the till-now-spoilt h!

Most intriguing character of these two books is the h's mother. She definitely has a lot to hide and I'm sure not all has been revealed. Is she just a controlling mother or is there something more sinister there?

[Sheena ☆ Book Sheenanigans · Rating 2 out of 5]

[🅙𝔲𝔩𝔷 · Rating 2 out of 5]

I normally really enjoy the alpha series but this was lacking something. The story felt short and the character development and chemistry between the main leads was weak. It was all about the heroine being infertile and feeling a failure and the hero behind lonely and then bam they met and were together. The end. No real plot development or storyline.

[W N · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is an ARC review. This is a short story taking place over only a few days. It feels like a lot was left out, maybe there will be more in the next book, I hope so. It was disappointing after having read the authors other books. It felt like a few chapters of a really good book. There were a few grammatical errors. I like this world where omegas are treated so much better than in other omegaverse worlds.

[Trish R. Ali · Rating 4 out of 5]

* Excited for this, unfortunately not as good as Book 2 but still an enjoyable read. Will review more asap. Need to put my thoughts together *

** Updated review **

It is now understood that Her True Alpha is only a novella, hence the lack of what I felt was depth that I've read in Isoellen's previous books. Don't get me wrong, I still enjoyed reading this book even after my 2nd reading. I didn't quite like her when she was first introduced in her sister Naya's book. I do appreciate reading Phee's internal struggles in this book and I understood her more. As for Alreck, he's growly and seemed so brutish for the more refined Phee which makes him the perfect Alpha for her. Although we see usual nesting and purring, I do miss the rutting and the intricacies of Alpha/omega interactions between Alreck and Phee. Their scenes were really rushed and they only got together during the later part of the book.

I still highly recommend fans of Omegaverse to 1-click this book. If you're new to Isoellen, I highly recommend reading from Book 1. Enjoy!

[Grisette · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars

Rating mostly because of the scalding hotness of the 'courting', seduction and mating scenes 🤯

In truth, the first 55% of this short book dealt with the world building of the 12 sectors through the angles brought in by Phee and Alreck. As much as it was interesting to set to right some of the questions that had arisen while reading the first two books of the series, the subtext of it all grated me the wrong way. The opening chapters painted what is confirmed to be a twisted, unhealthily unbalanced and ugly world disguised under the veneer of a domestic society. I hated Phee and her thought process and her absolute condescending way to think that betas owed her what she termed as "proper deference".

And all her accusations (petty and shallow from my point of view) towards the beta nurses were only based on suppositions on her part that could be read as paranoia fueled by her shame and turmoil upon learning she was the ultimate failure of an omega. These chapters read as unfair and childish - I mean what right does she think she has to question haughtily the footwear of the nurse and form hysterical conclusion at the so-called perfid plan to humiliate barren omegas? And I don't care that so-called investigations by the King's men proved that there were illegal happenings at the clinic. The warped way this universe is run, I wouldn't be surprised that no investigation was carried out and that the execution/arrest took place only because a highly connected omega made a complaint. After all, in the 12 sectors we were made to understand that only those at the top of the food chain ruled.

But beside Phee's disagreeable persona, the more detailed description of her world in this book also confirms how very unstable such a society would be anthropologically speaking. It's a wonder that it has not collapsed already. A world with alphas always on the verge of losing their shit for a woman or when their ego is wounded, omegas in low numbers, a greater proportion of 'civilised' alphas/omegas pairing choosing contracts over bonding, submissive but resentful betas, fearful and broken drones, alphas being so old before maturing vs omegas marrying at 19... what a nightmare of a world! And definitely realistically unstable! But I get it, it's fiction, it's the author's choices. I respect that but there are glaring flaws which leaves something of a sour taste behind. A world can be dark and cruel but it has to escape the pitfalls of illogicality to survive. If the book had stopped at 55%, it would have earned only 2.5 stars.

Besides the steamy scenes, what saved the book was when Phee finally opened her eyes (Was she so self-centered all these years not to realise what the scents of her parents meant, given how she declared herself to be so emphatic? Lol) to how her mother had fed her and Naya a false view of Alpha-Omega bonds and conformed their thinking to that of their twisted society. I did emphatise with Phee and understood better how she behaved, but wished that Phee could have gotten more answers from her mother and that this reveal was fully explained esp. her mother's possible involvement in a more nefarious plan (instead of the out-of-nowhere and rushed way it came out).

There were also nice hints that the barren ailment might be the result of a greater something and that drones were not as non-entities as the first two books would suggest (the character of Menollie was real interesting). I do hope that these bits do not prove to be dead ends and will instead be well developed to enrich the rest of the series with themes more serious. I am not saying that I do not enjoy the smut as written by Isoellen in this series. Her smut writing is seriously hot and panty wetting and one of the best in the genre. The only thing that would make me want to live in the horrible universe that the 12 sectors is if I could get mindlessly drunk on an Alpha like Darre or Alreck - all protective and caring but also rough and possessive. But I think that for the sake of a well-rounded and unforgettable series, it would be worth the try that in the next books, the 'greater evil plan' theme and the 'other dynamics' voices count' theme could be brought forward and written as intelligently and as focusedly as the smutty scenes.

As for the romance between Phee and Alreck it was of course pretty much insta-lust as their world dictates that true pairings are driven primarily by their biology. That said, Alreck seemed much in control as he kept showing much restraint and patience to overcome Phee's mental barriers, even in his rut. He proves to be a very appealing alpha male lead; Phee is a lucky girl. I do hope that Phee will behave as I am not sure that she will adapt to the living conditions in Sector 2. Or maybe she will be so bond-drugged that all these things will not count. It seemed so for Naya in Book 2, even if Naya is an easy going person. I am also not clear whether Phee is really the fated one for Alreck since his chapters before meeting her seemed to indicate he had a very bad case of dry spell for any available omega (even Naya would have done if Darre was not here!). So what has Phee that is unique that no other omega counts? I believe they are fated but Isoellen just did not get in the few lines to confirm this firmly. C'est dommage!

So, for a novella complementing Book 2, it sure raised lots of feelings in me. I wished it didn't end so abruptly and that we were at least given an epilogue. Hopefully, we will get glances at Phee/Alreck in other books? Well, a good book nevertheless and a series to continue following for sure.

[Carol · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 Stars

I wanted to like this more. It was interesting and well written. My problem was for a novella length story the author spent literally 50% introducing both heroine and hero before they finally meet. I wish it had happened sooner.

When they do things happen rather quickly as expected but due to the speed and then the somewhat abrupt ending with no closure I was left unsatisfied.

I felt like we only scratched the surface with Phee. She was only beginning to know her true self and explore that. Especially on the cusp of realizing all the lies and manipulation her mother used on both her and her sister Naya. Truly we barely got to know her. She felt very one dimensional. Much of her inner thoughts were droning on about their world, what she was taught by her mother about being a proper omega and her place in the world. It was rather tedious when all I wanted to do was actually get to know her. But we never really did.

I liked Alreck. I also felt like we didn't get to really know him either. But I felt we had a better feel for his character and personality more than Phee who was essentially going through an identity crisis. So, to see them share her heat together and bond with their bites it was a little underwhelming when directly following said heat we simply end the story.

There is so many questions left unanswered. Especially because Phee wasn't happy about moving to Sector 2, even said in her thoughts she did not want to live there. But Alreck growled and well who needs individual thought, hm? And how will Naya feel about her sister living nearby? Their relationship was strained at best to my recollection. And how does her mother react to the bond? I bet she freaks out and faints or something selfishly dramatic. Does Phee ever get pregnant?? Guess we'll never know.

So as interesting as this was a I think it suffered because it WAS a novella and not a full length story.

[L S · Rating 3 out of 5]

where is the rest of the story?

I normally love Isoellen’s work. I came into the story knowing it will have some lose ends, since that is a common theme with this author, but this was a massive let down. We got some closure for the previous story, and we get so much build up for phee’s story. I was expecting more. You see her evolve, taking responsibility for her part in her failed marriage, which would suggest you would see her take a different approach in her next relationship. This doesn’t happen. We see a heat and boom, they are mated. What about the conspiracy Phee seems to stumble upon? What else was her mother hiding? Naya insisted in bringing Alreck. Did she sense what would happen? Also, the way this story ends with the hero using their bond to force Phee to live where he wants, proves Phee’s mother’s point that the bond forces omega submission. This is the opposite of the previous two books. Likewise , you get the sense that the omegas choosing the weaker alphas as mates is leading to the alphas to lose there alphaness. Is this what is causing the omega disease? Or is it the std as it was suggested? If so how did the heat happen? This ending and even the steamy scenes were a let down. Normally this author does a good job of building a connection between the characters, but there was hardly any interaction there. You add the few typos and this feels more of a draft than a finished copy. I really like the 12 sector world, and would have loved to give this a better rating, but if this is the effort the author is going to put in moving forward, I don’t see much hope.

[cara · Rating 3 out of 5]

The H missing his contract wife at the start of the book really soured my mood. He kept on droning on about how he missed her company etc etc. Plus she was pregnant before she left/ died whatever. He also kept on thinking and getting a hard on by smelling any omega. Like? I don’t remember the H of the first book being horny by every omega he thought of
Also in such a short book, for half of it the MCs don’t even meet. Also what an unsatisfactory ending. There should have been some conclusion with an epilogue ugh

[Angela · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ending was eh…ok

It didn’t have much depth. Short little read. I felt it just ended, just ended. Wanted to know more about Phee’s life after bonding, talking with her sister etc. Not my favorite of her books but still a nice little read. Loved the first two in the series. Still a favorite author. Definitely wanted it to be a full novel but with many great authors you want to know more even if it’s a short story.