Even after part one, and everything that I had issues with there and here in part two, I just loved that book. I'm still standing with my statement, that the timeline everything happened should have made longer. That way, a lot of the issues would be solved or at least the actions and reactions of the characters would have made more sense.
Like, if Cambrie had more time to overcome her trauma and stuff like that, it would become more believable. Instead, it seems everything happens in around a month. I have already mused about that part in part one. And gave my piece of my mind about that enough. I don't even mean it negatively, since it's the authors' story and I can understand why the author wrote the way she did. But she had still other options to counteract a lot of those negative reviews, I have read.
It's just difficult to understand how Cambrie overcame her trauma so quickly. And at the same time, there is a group of older men, and she ends in a relationship with them. Even though, they don't do anything heinous to her or even utter any intention to exploit her innocence. But I can understand why some people are not okay with it. Even if I don't agree. Because as I said, I don't get the vibe at all that they want to harm her and try to help her in every way they could. And we have to consider the society of that world. And there it is totally normal to have young Omegas, since they need a pack for their heats and there is a need for children and a lack of Omegas.
And generally, age doesn't matter to me, as long as they love each other and are happy with it. It's not my life or my choice, so why should I bother with it? Only because she is 18, doesn't mean she is a child and can't decide for herself. I'm living in Germany, and you are legally an adult, when you turn 18. Sure, you don't know everything yet and are still navigating how things work. But in general and from my own experience as a woman, women are often more mature. Sure, Cambrie doesn't know much, but still she is her own person and is not forced to do anything by them.
The only things I'm not really sure about are that the guys talk about their own trauma/issues and anxieties, which aren't mentioned in depth. It's never truly said, what they all experienced. Other than on a surface level. And some are more explained than others, either. So, Marius had experienced trauma with what happened to his sister. But it is only mentioned in part one, and I didn't really see his struggle in any interaction with Cambrie other than the first meeting, where he couldn't control himself.
Spencer mentioned, that he has anxieties as well, but I don't know anything about him. His background was the least elaborate. I don't know anything about his family or where he came from. Oscar's story is mentioned again, but it isn't elaborated on much. We know he felt lost after they abandoned him, and that they turned away from him because of the illness and him losing his voice. Nixon is one of the more elaborated ones, too. Because of that, he was one of the most cohesive characters to me. Same with Savo. He may not have told her everything and what had happened, but you can imagine what impact it had on him. Rafael was again more on the sidelines. We get told about his late beta partner, but I'm not sure where his hesitation/insecurities came from. He took the longest to bond Cambrie. So, in general, I had wished for more explanation.
Another part is, that I wasn't happy to learn about the countries in the second part. Of course, the entire second book is full of political topics. But until this book, I didn't even know that they live in Oscad or have different countries and in what world it was playing. And that there are differences in Omega biology and customs is, in my opinion, an important part, that helps to navigate and immerse myself in the book world. Like that Shearia is the only place that have female and male omegas. I didn't know that it was unusual, since it wasn't mentioned, and Alton has Phillip as a male omega. No one said anything. Or why is it, that only Shearia has that genetic makeup? Maybe there will be a book about Shearia as well, so that there would be a better explanation.
Furthermore, I noticed another issue with Cambrie and Oscar. After her abduction, within a week she could understand Oscar with no issues. Sure, she has lessons in sign language with Bohdi, Oscar and Savo. Even though, it is barely shown/mentioned. But I can't believe that you are able to understand so much after one week. It's too sudden. Again, something that a more spread out timeline could have solved better.
Another thing I kept thinking back too is, why did Yoram try to buy Cambrie from her adoptive father? I mean, he said he was her biological father, and it was always said he has a claim on her because of that. Her adoptive father hasn't that claim. And how did he even know that Cambrie is his daughter, before he abducted her? Why didn't he try to get her pack sooner? When she was a child? Again, about Yoram it was said, that he is powerful, and he had so many people behind himself. He had men who have abducted her from the pack. Why didn't he do the same to the adoptive father? Makes no sense to me.
Not truly an issue, but suspect to me is, that they care much about having lube close by, but I have yet to see it mention, that they clean themselves up. Or sanitize their d*cks after some anal play to make sure, that nothing from the intestinal parts end up in places, it shouldn't be. Like the mouth or Cambrie vaginal areas. Sure, could be that there is no health issue in their biology, but yet again—it was never said anything like that.
Last point for me is the epilogue. I do enjoy seeing the future and changes. Though the most was already mentioned before the epilogue. But most of the stuff is told passively, and we don't see how those classes and stuff work in practice. And then Cambrie is pregnant. And if anyone has read some of my other reviews, I don't like it, if things are mentioned, but not shown. So, I would have appreciated it to know the family life after the boy is born. And maybe who the biological father is?
So, overall, I can overlook the issues, since I was really invested in the characters and the story. I loved the dynamic of the pack and it was interesting. It may sound like there are a lot of negative things in the book. For me, I didn't really see it, during the read. It's just what I wrote down while reading and thought back to and reflect it to you. It's my way of telling what I like and what didn't work for me. Generally, to process the book and the feeling it gives me.