Ties that Bind (The Family Novak Book 2) by Susi Hawke and Crista Crown #LGBT #Audiobook #Review #MMRomance

Erryn reviews Ties that Bind (The Family Novak Book 2) by Susi Hawke. The book was published January 6, 2020 and is 155 pages. The audiobook was published April 17, 2020. It is narrated by Kirt Graves and is 4 hrs and 20 mins length.  A copy was provided in exchange for an honest review.

In a world where the rules are gray and the Don’s word is a law unto itself, only one thing is sacred…family.

A Team A.L.P.H.A. and Alphabits spin-off series

Tony Peterson has seen friend after friend find their mate, including his brother, but he’s pretty much given up on it happening for him, especially since he’s not a typical alpha. It’s okay though, he has his son Dexter and a great job helping shifter kids heal and navigate the system. What more could he want?

Joey Novak had to fight his way through a lot of prejudice to be seen as equal to all his alpha brothers, and he doesn’t regret a minute of it. Living on the wrong side of the law means you have to make your own, anyway. As long as he doesn’t wonder if he’ll ever find an alpha who will be the perfect match for him, he’s completely happy with his life.

Fate always strikes when you’re looking the other direction, and when a kid under the Novaks’ protection ends up in the system, Tony and Joey’s paths cross, and the two men from opposite sides of the law have to discover whether true love is enough when their values are so different. With a baby on the way, they don’t have much time to find an answer. But what if that answer is that they’d be better apart?

This is the second book in this mpreg mafia series. Get ready for a world ruled by the Don’s iron fist, unique interrogation tactics, and a family that stands together…no matter what. You can expect to find naughty, knotty scenes of steamy passion, along with a lot of potty-mouth language and more violence than you’re used to from us. But at its heart, you’ll still find all the fluffy mpreg feels and crazy antics you’d look for from Susi Hawke and Crista Crown.

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My review:

I’m always fascinated with the fated mate theory.  You smell your mate, accept that you’re bonded for life, and then move on with things.  There’s a pregnancy and a happy ending.  I’m also always a little in awe of the shifter world.  I mean, in this book there is a bear shifter with a wolf shifter who wind up together.  Finally there is the mafia element.  I’m not always thrilled with books that glamorize that world.  That being said, the Novak family are pretty tame, and it wasn’t until the end of the book that the mafioso ties of the family became so critical.

But I digress.  Tony is a loving father to his son Dexter.  He’s a gentle and soft alpha who also puts himself in harm’s way when there are children in danger.  But he’s on the right side of the law.  Joey lives in the gray side.  He’s part of the Novak Family and they’ll step into the shadows if it means exacting retribution.  He and Joey accept they’re meant to be together while also acknowledging life isn’t always simple.

When Joey is sent to resolve a domestic situation that has the potential to turn violent, he doesn’t believe himself to be in danger.  He certainly would never knowingly endanger his unborn child.  But when push comes to shove, he’s a protector through and through.  This brings him into conflict with Tony who wants a nice simple drama-free life.  Which is ironic because Tony was about to put himself into danger as well.

I love the family dynamics in this book.  There are so many characters it can be hard to keep track.  Some come from A.L.P.H.A. Team and some are from the Alphabits.  I haven’t read all the books but am basically able to keep up so no worries if you haven’t read all the previous stories.  I liked the twist at the end that has set up the next book in the series.

I’ll also comment on Kirt Graves’ narration.  I always enjoy his work but I think he’s especially suited for this series because there are so many children.  He just has a great voice for kids and I appreciate that.  So, yeah, looking forward to the next book.

My rating:

9/10 Pots of Gold (90% Recommended) – Compares to 4.5/5 Stars

Susi Hawke

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I’m a total fan of M/PREG Paranormal Romances, first and foremost as a reader. I’m excited to share my own omegaverse(s) with you. What’s not to love about adorable Omegas and the Alpha men who love them? If I’m not writing about men sporting baby bumps, I’m definitely reading about them!

I’m a native of Las Vegas, NV, so I’m pre-wired to love everything weird ~ although I don’t find any kind of love to be weird. I’m a cis woman who’s been happily married to the same lovable lug for 18 years. We have a 16yr old son, well, at least I think we do? Either that, or we have a ghost that eats all our food and uses up all wifi playing xbox while screaming into a headset.

As a new author, it’s been amazing to find the amount of support that I’ve been given from readers and my fellow authors. Feel free to message me, I love to chat with fellow readers. Am I a reader? Heck yeah! In fact, I’m never certain that I can completely trust an author who isn’t a fellow bibliophile.

Crista Crown

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Crista Crown grew up in the middle of the woods in a log cabin her father built. She’s always found animals to be better company than humans, and finds that shifters combine the best of both worlds! She writes MM and mpreg romance and loves every minute of it.