Quick Reads and Quick Reviews, 25

  

• Sugar-Coated Omega: Food Trucks of Love Book 1, Lorelei M Hart & Xander Collins
• Love on Dragon's Wings: Dragon MD Book 1, Shane Honorae
• Omega's Baby with the Alpha Cop: Omegaverse Book 3, Dex Bass

A super awkward omega hottie tries to show his interest in the new food truck owner with sexy names for pies.  A standoffish alpha with baggage and a chip on his shoulder finds himself thawing over the bumbling omega's attempts.  Can a baby and a puppy bring a forever happiness to Jamie and Bryce?  The characters themselves were unique but without enough background or motivations I didn't really connect with them.  I thought Jamie's ineptitude with flirting was endearing at first.  He did mature some but will always be a touch awkward so it was hard not to like him.  Not liking him, at least a little, would be like kicking a puppy.  Bryce had a little more explanation as to why he was the way he was but I can't say I was a fan of how he described and thought of Jamie, constantly demeaning his importance and their potential.  It certainly didn't endear him to me or make me believe his sincerity when they committed to more.  The relationship itself was quite superficial and didn't really feel stable.  I'm usually okay with insta-love situations but I just didn't buy it here.  When Bryce's ex came into the picture though, I loved their unity, trust, and Jamie's feisty response.  That gave small glimpses into something that showed their possible potential for a solid future.  The overall story was sweet and cute with glimmers of a happy future.  3 stars.

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A doctor, a good Samaritan, a pregnant dragon, and a grasping enemy.  For a shorter novel this was surprisingly well-developed.  This had a full story and a romance that was believable in its inception and its promise of a future.  I really enjoyed this story because it was well-written and very well thought out.  There's a very shy do-gooder that loves dragons with all his self-sacrificing heart and while Cole seems average, its his heart that makes him completely memorable and likable.  His own personal struggles and motivations are clear right from the beginning and are enhanced by the drama that unfolds around him.  Despite Trent's upbringing he's down-to-earth and has heaps of compassion making him an ideal match for someone like Cole.  His profession helps that partnership along as well.  The drama is focused and not over-the-top in its nefariousness and it's not muddied with too many villains.  Overall, the story was very good with complete characters, a solid romantic evolution (though it's an HFN rather than an HEA), and a comprehensible source for drama and conflict.  4 stars.

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A road-side stop sets Rex and Edwin on a path to their own hard-won forever in the Omegaverse family.  I enjoyed the fun side of characters in the beginning but there was hardly any depth behind them as individuals.  Rex had a bit of a more complicated past with his deceased lover but I never got the sense that he was over him in a way that would allow Rex to have a new bond with someone else.  It's completely okay to love and honor the memory of your mate who has passed on but to use that memory to dictate every action afterward is too much.  I'm not exactly sure why Rex was looking for a second job either.  I'm astounded by all the small things that pop up in the story that either don't make sense or are unnecessary.  And why is Johnny Omega continually shoving his own anti-alpha agenda into his friends' love lives?  And the continually gyrating cops with bits their exposed?  I suppose that was to be humorous but it was actually pretty disturbing.  Quite upsetting, that.  Not to mention the all-important son that just plays a confusing bit role and a monkey not used to his full potential...

I was incredibly intrigued by the premise and this story had so much potential...but I'm sad to say that it didn't live up to it.  So many inconsistencies.  The descriptions are profuse, cheesy, and cringe-worthy...I mean, "tangy crotch musk" might appeal to some and it's entirely accurate, but really?  I think it would turn the majority of us off to read that description.  There was no romantic build-up to speak of, just a strange sexual encounter followed by vacillating emotions, inconsistent assertions, and ever-lasting love...not in any way believable.  I'm pretty sure this story suffered from way too many ideas and not enough self-editing, focus, or centralizing the story.  2 stars.

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