omega arrivalRating: 4.25 stars
Buy Links: 
 Amazon | Amazon UK
Length: Novel


Milo is second in command at the Angel Hills pack and he has been sent to the River Wolf pack to pick up five omegas in a trade. Angel Hills is a strong pack, but they lost many of their wolves due to illness and they need the omegas to help rebuild their population. Milo remembers one of the omegas, Justin, from previous visits to the River Wolf pack and he hopes that the wolf will consider Milo as his mate. But Milo knows the new omegas are going to be in high demand and Justin may not be interested in him. For his part, Justin is very drawn to Milo, but he isn’t sure the man wants him with his four pups. Justin is also a little wary of mating after the bad experience he had with his previous alpha, Stone. The more time Justin spends at Angel Hills and with Milo, however, the more clear it is that the men are perfect for one another and Justin settles happily into his new life with Milo.

Gabriel is another of the new omegas coming to Angel Hills. He is even more wary that Justin about taking on a mate. Gabriel isn’t comfortable being an omega, with his mating heat and all the uncontrollable urges that brings. When the pack alpha, Grey, and his mate, Ian, take an interest in him, Gabriel is even more nervous. First, he wonders how he can ever fit in with the established couple. Ian seems to be sterile, so Gabriel wonders if he is only wanted for his ability to give Grey children. And though Gabriel likes Ian, Grey is a bit more reserved. But Gabriel knows he has to choose a mate, and saying no to the alpha isn’t a real option, so he agrees to join the pair.

Things are going well for Justin and his new family with Milo. And slowly Gabriel is beginning to feel comfortable with Ian and Grey, and even begin to fall for the two men. The three other new omegas are settling in as well. But when an intruder is detected, it threatens the safety of the pack and all that they have started to build in Angel Hills.

Omega Arrival is the first book in the new Angel Hills Pack series by Rebecca James. It is a spin off of her River Wolf pack series, which I haven’t read. This was presented as able to stand alone without having to read the other series, and for the most part I think that is true, though I did read Kenna’s reviews of those books so I had a basic understanding of what happened there. There were a few places where things are referenced that clearly happened in the other series, like why the River Wolf pack is falling apart, what is going on with their alpha, things that happened with Stone and Justin, etc. So there were a few places where a felt like I was missing a little background information, but nothing that really impeded my ability to understand and enjoy what was happening in this book.

The story splits its focus between two of the five new omegas, Justin and Gabriel. We get time with both of them as they come to their new pack, meet the wolves, and enter into their new relationships. Justin’s goes more smoothly as he is interested in Milo from the start, but Gabriel is more wary of mating in general, and unsure of his place with Grey and Ian. I liked that we get time with both of these guys as it is makes a nice contrast to see the two different relationships develop. The story also doesn’t have a lot of conflict, and so I think having the dual sets of MCs helps to fill out the book nicely. I enjoyed reading about both Justin and Gabriel and their relationships are both sexy and romantic. We learn a bit about what happens to the other three new omegas, but they don’t get much page time in this book (I am wondering if perhaps they are coming later in the series).

In terms of world building, I found this shifter universe James builds to be entertaining. Rather than fated mates like so many shifter worlds, things here focus more on the alpha/beta/omega dynamic. Omegas are prized because unlike betas who can only bear one child, they can have many. So yes, we got lots of mpreg happening here, complete with mating heats, rutting alphas, and sex starved omegas. So it is little bit of shifter crack here, but it is not too far over the top and I found the story to be fun and entertaining. There are no women to be found, nor are they ever mentioned. Everyone here is male, presumably all gay, but there is never any explanation as to why there are no women or anything else to really explain the world building, which seems a little lacking to me. We also get occasional mention about what the old alpha from River Wolf pack is doing, and the Human/Werewolf Congreess, but that is never explained either. If this is to work as a stand alone spin off, I think James needs to take a little time to explain these areas that are clearly connected to the original series for the new readers.

Overall I found this one entertaining. It is nothing really deep or intense, just some light, romantic fun. I enjoyed the world James creates and like all the characters we meet. I am really looking forward to continuing with the series and seeing how things develop.

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