The Alpha’s Pet by Louisa Gough

Title: The Alpha’s Pet
Author: Louisa Gough
Publisher: Amber Allure
Genre: M/M Contemporary Romance/Shifter
Length: Novella
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

A guest review by Lily

Review Summary

A sweet easy to read story of a young werewolf who finds the courage to stand up for himself and the man he’s fallen in love with.

BLURB

The only thing more difficult than living in a pack is living alone…

As a young omega wolf, Blue trades his personal freedom for the critical security a pack offers. At the bottom of the pecking order, he s fiercely loyal to his alpha, Rafe, but wary of the beta wolves, accustomed to their thoughtless cruelty and dominance games. Indifferent to his own needs, Blue never considers fighting for a better position. Until he meets Gabriel.

As Rafe s newest pet, Gabriel is off-limits. From the moment Blue meets him, he aches to be with the other man, but his loyalty restrains him. Pack politics might bar the two of them from touching, but nothing can stop the swift connection that soon develops into a much deeper bond. Blue will never have a chance with Gabriel unless he improves his standing in the pack. And a fight to the death is the only way he can prove himself worthy of his mate…

REVIEW

Blue is the omega of his pack and at the mercy of his Alpha and the pack betas. He’s used to being on the fringes and submitting whenever a beta is in the mood for sex. But his life’s about to change when he falls hard for Gabriel, his Alpha’s new pet.

Rafe, the pack Alpha, took Blue in when he was a teenager and always treated him well. When Rafe brings his newest pet into the pack Blue finds himself falling for the sexy newly made wolf. Determined that Gabriel will be his one day Blue decides it’s time to stand up for himself and challenge a beta for a better pack position.

Bolstered by Rafe’s unexpected support and the thought of winning Gabriel, Blue has to find a way to beat a stronger, meaner and more experienced fighter. Determined to win he leaves the pack to prepare for his challenge but will it be enough to take on the beta?

This story is the first I’ve read by this author and was quite enjoyable. With well drawn characters and an interesting storyline this novella is an entertaining read. Blue is a young man who is used to, if not exactly happy with, his position in life. As the omega he’s last on the totem pole but when Rafe brings Gabriel into the pack for the first time in his life Blue has a reason to question if being the omega is all he’s destined for.

I liked both Blue and Gabriel, they are nice likable protags and despite Gabriel’s relationship with Rafe there is a strong and instant connection between the two. Rafe is also an interesting character. He took Blue into his pack when Blue was a teenager and it was nice, as the story unfolded, to see that there was more to him than just being the Alpha. It takes Blue a while to figure things out but when he does, with Rafe’s support, he’s finally ready to try for a better life, both for himself and Gabriel.

My only issue with the book was that I would have liked to have seen Blue’s training time incorporated into the story. The time he spends getting ready for his challenge is all off page and I think it would have been interesting to read how Blue, with very little experience with being a true wolf, was preparing for his big day.

Overall I did like this story very much. It’s nicely written and has a plot that is both different and interesting as well as engaging characters.  Recommended.