Rating: 4 stars
Buy Link:
Amazon | iBooks | Amazon UK
Length: Novel

 

Chance is an omega male, duty-bound to breed for a society that has no fertile females. He was raised by a bonded pair of betas, his mom and dad, but he’s now an adult, having had five heats with children he was not allowed to see or touch before they were delivered to the waiting beta parents. Charlie’s never seen an alpha male, but he’s been told they are gruesome, fearsome creatures that need to be locked away lest they attack and rape any omega they get their hands on.

Chance has two close omega friends, and as they are all due to be inseminated in the coming weeks for their next heat, they go out for a little fun and make desperate, mystical, wishes for love. The next thing Chance knows, a freak storm and accident have him thrown from a vehicle, down a ravine, into a raging river where he almost dies, except that he’s saved on the edge of a wilderness…by an alpha.

Keer is an alpha not constrained by the mores of his society due to his extreme wealth. His grandsire is a wealthy and powerful alpha, as was his father who disappeared many years ago. Keer’s alpha relations all have carefully curated and constructed beta identities, for society, though few of them ever leave the secure family compound. His dad is an omega, and he raised Keer to be an intelligent and compassionate man. Keer can’t let Chance drown, even if it means compromising his public identity.

Chance is battered and ill from his accident, needing intense nursing care that Keer provides in a well-outfitted cave near the river’s edge, the boundary of Keer’s family estate. Of course, once Chance is healed from his injuries, he still can’t be moved; his heat comes on and it’s more than a day’s journey by horseback to Keer’s family compound. Keer tries to help Chance through his heat without being physical with him, but Chance’s trust for Keer has grown through their connection in the cave. He has always wanted the chance to mate for real, and Keer is so gentle and loving. Surely, the stories of alpha brutality are little more than propaganda? At least, that’s what Chance is beginning to think. And Keer’s ministrations assure Chance his instincts are true.

This is a neat omegaverse story, with hints of Handmaid’s Tale woven into a M/M romance. Keer falls just as hard for Chance as Chance does him, but he’s not sure how to handle it. He won’t compromise his family, but he also can’t forget the protective and amorous feelings awoken within him by tending to Chance’s heat. Chance has a choice to make: return to society and put the fears of his parents and friends to rest, or stay hidden within Keer’s massive family complex with the alpha he has come to love, forever.

I liked this one. It had good pacing and an interesting forced-proximity romance. The “mystical” ideas of love and connection, especially in the practically mythical soul bond, were so foreign to each of them, and both men were so vulnerable yet strong together. The societal constraints placed on their love had emotional consequences, but they did get resolved rather quickly, thanks to Keer’s wealth and determination to protect Chance at all costs. I liked how they worked through the logistical issues and Chance’s life was greatly improved by the end. Not a lot of stories that begin with a character going over a cliff end so satisfactorily. Expect a lot of sexytimes and tenderness, and a solid and beautiful HEA. This is the beginning of a series, so I expect one of Chance’s dear omega friends will find an alpha for his own in the next book.