Slow Heat by Leta Blake #LGBT #Review #Omegaverse #MPreg

Dana reviews Slow Heat by Leta Blake (Published by Leta Blake Books, May 19, 2017, 409 pages.) A copy was provided in exchange for an honest review.

Blurb:

A lustful young alpha meets his match in an older omega with a past.

Professor Vale Aman has crafted a good life for himself. An unbonded omega in his mid-thirties, he’s long since given up hope that he’ll meet a compatible alpha, let alone his destined mate. He’s fulfilled by his career, his poetry, his cat, and his friends.

When Jason Sabel, a much younger alpha, imprints on Vale in a shocking and public way, longings are ignited that can’t be ignored. Fighting their strong sexual urges, Jason and Vale must agree to contract with each other before they can consummate their passion.

But for Vale, being with Jason means giving up his independence and placing his future in the hands of an untested alpha–as well as facing the scars of his own tumultuous past. He isn’t sure it’s worth it. But Jason isn’t giving up his destined mate without a fight.

This is a stand alone gay romance novel, 118,000 words, with a strong happy ending, as well as a well-crafted, non-shifter omegaverse, with alphas, betas, omegas, male pregnancy, heat, and knotting. Content warning for pregnancy loss and aftermath.

Buy link: Amazon | Add to Goodreads

After I posted the spotlight for this book last week, I was so intrigued by the blurb and excerpt that I knew I just had to review this book. The teases I got from that spotlight were great and the story itself was amazing. I know that my review might be long and rambling but I have so many thoughts about what I read. This story offers so many themes and they were written so well without one outshining another. There is Mpreg, a dystopian setting, religious undertones, an age gap, and defying assigned norms.

Male pregnancy is probably not for everyone, but I like when reality is suspended and there is a part of me that would love to know how a man would deal with a pregnancy and what it would be like for them on an emotional level. I have only read a handful of mpreg books before. A shifter series or two where the males can become pregnant. Other books or series feature mpreg in an alternate reality/universe. Slow Heat is an alternate universe story, but it has a more specific name – Omegaverse.

Even though society is divided up in groups called Alphas, Betas, and Omegas, this story has nothing to do with shifters that also carry those names. I haven’t read any other Omegaverse books so I’m not sure it’s the same in every book, but in Slow Heat, it doesn’t appear that there are any females in society after something called “The Great Death.” It makes the story feel a bit post apocalyptic because it takes place in the future on this planet and history teaches of humans of our time.

There is discussion among the characters in this book whether scientists created the situation that they live in or a divine being called wolf-god. Even with this strange new world, there are a lot of similarities to what we have dealt with or are dealing with in the real world. The society runs on what seems like a conservative Christian philosophy. Reproducing is of utmost importance even though it can be very dangerous. Medical treatments to prevent or stop pregnancy are highly illegal. The book is a bit scary because it almost feels like the direction the U.S. is heading.

The age difference between the two mates is a pretty big deal because Vale has experienced a lot of life without his mate Jason, including the loss of his parents. He’s formed his own opinions and beliefs that Jason might not agree with. It is part of a true bond of alphas and omegas that the two want to please each other, but Jason really touched me with how earnest he was and how pure of heart he was. Before meeting Vale he was already more mature than most students his age, but after he did have to grow up fast and he passed with flying colors. Vale’s guilt over some parts of his past lent a real vulnerability to his character. Even though he was older and had experiences Jason couldn’t comprehend he still needed his alpha’s support and love. I definitely shed a few tears as Vale struggled with self-worth. Their relationship was really a beautiful part of the story.

The secondary characters in this story were a huge part of the story as representatives of the different parts of society and as friends and family to the two main characters. Jason’s father and pater shared an true bond and their love for each other and Jason was probably why Jason was such a caring individual. His best friend Xan carried a secret that would be dangerous to his status as alpha. His tastes go against everything society has told him he must be. (If the author reads this, I am pleading with you to write Xan’s story.) Vale’s friends act like more of a family to him. There are Yosef and Rosen who are both Betas. And Urho, an Alpha, has been there for Vale and helped him through trying times. There is some jealousy between Urho and Jason as two alphas in Vale’s life but a moment of crisis has them all working together for a very happy ending.

Okay.. I hope I haven’t gushed too much. There was so much content to the plot and the romance is sweet and tender. There are moments of angst and the masochist in me loved it. Slow Heat is up there in my top reads. I have a feeling I’m going to be obsessed with the Omegaverse now. The author did such a fantastic job of creating this world that felt believable to me. I definitely 100% recommend it.

10/10 Pots of Gold (100% Recommended) – Compares to 5/5 Stars

Author of the bestselling book Smoky Mountain Dreams and the fan favorite Training Season, Leta Blake’s educational and professional background is in psychology and finance, respectively. However, her passion has always been for writing. She enjoys crafting romance stories and exploring the psyches of made up people. At home in the Southern U.S., Leta works hard at achieving balance between her day job, her writing, and her family.

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