Layered, passionate, and exciting!
Title: Alpha Heat
Series: Heat of Love Book 02
Author: Leta Blake
Narrator: Michael Ferraiuolo
Genre: Non-shifter Omegaverse
Length: 15 hours and 22 minutes
Publisher: Leta Blake Books (22nd October 2018)
Heat Level: Moderate – Explicit
Heart Rating: 💖💖💖💖 4 Hearts
Blurb: A desperate young alpha. An older alpha with a hero complex. A forbidden love that can’t be denied.
Young Xan Heelies knows he can never have what he truly wants: a passionate romance and happy-ever-after with another alpha. It’s not only forbidden by the prevailing faith of the land, but such acts are illegal.
Urho Chase is a middle-aged alpha with a heartbreaking past. Careful, controlled, and steadfast, his friends dub him old-fashioned and staid. When Urho discovers a dangerous side to Xan’s life that he never imagined, his world is rocked and he’s consumed by desire. The carefully sewn seams that held him together after the loss of his omega and son come apart—and so does he.
But to love each other and make a life together, Xan and Urho risk utter ruin. With the acceptance and support of Caleb, Xan’s asexual and aromantic omega and dear friend, they must find the strength to embrace danger and build the family they deserve.
This gay romance novel by Leta Blake is the second in the Slow Heat universe. It’s 130,000 words, with a strong happy ending and a well-crafted, non-shifter Omegaverse. It features alphas, betas, omegas, male pregnancy, heat, and knotting. No cheating. Content warning for brief sexual violence.
Product Link: Audible US | Audible UK | Amazon US | Amazon UK
Reviewer: Gigi
Review: A deeper read than I thought. I started with this audiobook not having read the first in the series. I’m very impressed with Michael Ferraiuolo’s narration, he delivers the right amount of passion, a variety of voices/characterizations and good tempo.
There are lots of layers to this story, set in a non-shifter Omegaverse. The world the story is set in involves status/social positions of Omega, Beta, and Alpha, and an interesting concept of being unmanned, which is what I came to learn of as “gay” for an Alpha, to be in the submissive position.
Readers are reintroduced to other couples from book one, and we get a good feel for the fact that all of the relationships in this series somehow intersect or overlap.
My favorite character, and the strongest by far is Urho. As a doctor he cares for all the characters, being wounded from loss of his spouse and son, he builds up protections around his heart. He wants Xan but denies himself until he sees that Xan is putting his life in danger and nothing other than taking him in hand, and heart, will protect him.
Caleb is an interesting balance to the trio. As an asexual Omega, Caleb nonetheless loves Xan and feels safe in their relationship, knowing Xan will not pressure him sexually but will be there to help with his heat. When Caleb sees Xan’s interest in Urho he encourages it, and fears that Xan will wind up dead if left to fill his needs with dangerous dominant alpha’s who only enjoy his pain.
The trio come together through care of friends, exile to a house out of town, and make a pact to help Caleb through his heat when the time comes.
When the story reaches its crescendo and all hell breaks loose, I wasn’t sure if my favorite character Urho could pull it off, it was intense, nail biting and exciting! You’ll know what I mean when you get there, it’s almost absurd how everything develops but there’s an HEA, don’t fret!
The sexual scenes are steamy for sure! The narrator does a good job adding passion to the worlds. I just wish I had read book one first. I recommend you read/listen in order. Looking forward to the next book!