Omega for the Pack

I can't decide if I like this book enough to continue with the series, but these books were an impulse purchase because I don't always mind mpreg and omegaverses are a guilty pleasure. As are some really dark, messed-up things in erotica. It is what it is, and I'm trying to pretend I'm not ashamed.

There's something about this book which kept me engaged. At times it was hot in dirty-bad-wrong ways and at other times it was just horrifying and depressing, but in ways which actually made me feel things about the world presented. I found myself empathizing with the main omega character, Ray, and resenting his mates for being so oblivious and so willing to accept that they ‘need' to breed him against his will. They are shown as trying to fight it, sure, but you'd think they'd learn to lock themselves in a basement on full moons or something. Instead, they pressure Ray to ask for it and succumb to instincts he's shown clearly hating as if that will make everything better. He's trapped, and nobody seems to properly process how badly he's spiralling into depression. It makes for some good smut at times, though, so there's that. (The writing of oral is bit lacklustre, but the rest is some of the better smutty writing I've found in novels of this type.)

The characters have unique personalities and interests, and that's refreshing for a polyamory based novel. I never had trouble telling them apart, which is in itself a miracle for books like these. I even cared about their attempts to make things better for Ray, though the ‘our inner wolves made us do it' excuse got old fast. I couldn't blame Ray for being bitter and sad!

The pregnancy itself seems like an afterthought, which frankly doesn't bother me too much because it's not my favourite thing.

The lore is also confusing at times and ridiculous or outright handwaved away at others. Ray, a male omega, shifts into a female wolf. Why? Ray didn't pay attention when told, so we don't get to know. The babies shift along with him. How is that possible and why does it happen? Your guess is as good as mine. The foundation of the pack's home also has to be christened with ‘fluids' from them, and it will somehow give supernatural abilities to sense where one another are in the home. This is never properly explained, and poor Ray is so uncomfortable with the whole ordeal. His family also seems to more or less throw him away rather abruptly. Something about being part of a different pack now? It was a little confusing.

Overall, it's not a bad read, but I didn't like the teasing of potential lore only to have it be dismissed or make no sense. The book also doesn't really seem to have a climax or a resolution and in fact the story only lasts about sixty percent of the ebook. Everything after that is a story about the two alphas who are into each other which goes back over the events of this novel and an excerpt from another in the series. Those felt rushed even more than the main story.

I'm a little hesitant to admit, but I enjoy how grim this gets and actually find it refreshing that Ray doesn't become a slave to his instincts. I'm not a fan of ‘omega starts wanting it because hormones, screw the emotional aspect' tales and, thankfully, this isn't one.