Edit 12/14/24: The duplication issue with the chapter, The Warmth of Christmas, has been removed. Please have your kindles update their version.
Low drama, high spice, and lots of cute moments. A perfect afternoon read.
Omegas are supposed to crave alphas, to yearn for a pack. But not me. I'd rather scrub toilets than succumb to those instincts. That's why I'm hiding my true nature this Christmas, pretending to be a beta and working as a live-in housekeeper for a pack of alphas—NHL star Rory Sampson, football player Nathan Lane, Olympic swimmer Henry Goldstein, and MMA fighter Xander Brin. Thanks to Callaway Pheromone Suppressant Spray, they don't suspect a thing.
It's the perfect plan... until a blizzard hits during my heat week and traps me with them.
Now, I'm stuck in close quarters with four irresistible alphas who awaken desires I've tried so hard to bury. They can sense that I'm not what I seem, and my carefully constructed disguise is starting to crumble. Even worse, I know we're scent-matched—a truth I've desperately tried to ignore.
The snow is falling, the fire is crackling, and the tension is rising. Will I be able to keep my secret, or will the storm reveal my true nature and expose my heart to the pack?
Willowside Omegaverse is an interconnected Cozy and Spicy Why Choose Omegaverse Standalone Romance series that can be read out of order. Each book features an omega woman and her alpha harem.
What you'll find in this book:
Small-town vibes Cozy Romance (with lots of spice on top) MM-themes (between two of the guys)) with FMC still at the center of attention Accidental Pregnancy Sporty Alphas Christmas is a focal point Omega disguised as a Beta Low drama for when you need a break from angst and roughness. MMCs that are: Good boys Golden Retrievers A little broody but softies at heart Attentive On-top-of things Willing to Share REALLY good at.... extra-curricular activities.
Genre: Adult Omegaverse Romance (Contemporary) Spice: 2/5🌶️ *spice ratings are relative to similar books in the same genre*
The Catalog: MMFMM Omegaverse, omega pretending to be a beta, pack of athlete alphas, designation dysphoria, FMC is their live-in housekeeper, secret scent-matches, snowed-in heat, pierced peen, accidental pregnancy, low-stress/ cozy
Pack Dynamics: α α Ω α α Nathan (α): NFL player Rory (α): NHL player Henry (α): retired Olympic swimmer Xander (α): MMA fighter
Synopsis: Ruby just needs a decent job to save up for a place of her own, but getting hired as an unmated omega is near impossible. That’s how she found herself faking as a beta to get a live-in housekeeper job in an illustrious neighborhood. Now, she just has to mask herself until her heat, when she’ll ride it out alone at a friend’s. But things get complicated when she accidentally discovers the alphas she works for are her scent-matches.
Thoughts: My first holiday omegaverse this year, and what an adorable one to start with!
I really enjoyed! The pacing is quick and exciting, with a sneaky heat, revelations, and worshipping alphas. There’s even a small continuation of their story, following them for nearly a near after the story’s climax, which I really loved.
I do wish there had been maybe a little bit more drama/resolution about Ruby’s lies, however.
Cat’s Stats MMC/FMC/MMC/MMC/MMC- Xander, Ruby, Rory, Nathan, and Henry Genre- Omegaverse (contemporary) Heat- Multiple partners with MFMMM and MM and crossing of swords. Series? Y Safety? Y Triggers? Teaser event for next book hinting at possible SA. Tropes- RH, Why Choose?, Alpha-bet, Secret Omega, Nesting, Knotting, Heat Wave, Workplace Romance, Forced Proximity (snowbound), Instalove, Scent Matching. Mewsings Normally I’m not crazy about RH, especially when it’s a ménage of more than three participants zexytime scene. Usually the men are indistinguishable from each other and in the zexytime scenes, either someone is left out of the main event or they all indulge in ridiculously impossible acrobatics. And there is a little bit of that in this book, but it’s not too bad. There is a sincere attempt to make the Alphas individuals. Xander is distinctive, and the other three overlap a bit, but Ruby does have individual moments with each of them. I have recently discovered Omegaverse and I really like the contemporary type where it’s more magical realism than Sci-Fi or Fantasy. This one is fun. But what made it stand out for me was the commentary on the marginalization of people. It subtly made me think rather than clubbing me over the head with polemics. I like books that make me think, and I enjoyed this one.
I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I went into Knot the Play expecting a fun, low-drama omegaverse romance with plenty of spice—and oh boy, did Sara Vincent deliver! This book is the perfect mix of cozy and scorching, making it an absolute must-read for anyone who loves a why-choose romance with an irresistibly swoon-worthy pack of alphas.
Our heroine? An independent, no-nonsense omega determined to defy fate (and her biology) by hiding in plain sight. I loved her stubborn streak, her dry humor, and the way she refuses to be swept away by instinct—until, of course, a blizzard traps her with four ridiculously attractive, scent-matched alphas. Rory, Nathan, Henry, and Xander each bring their own charm and heat to the table, and watching the tension slowly build in their snowy little forced-proximity situation was deliciously entertaining.
What I loved most, though, was the vibe of this book. It’s not just about the steam (though trust me, there is plenty of that). It’s about warmth, found family, and the joy of finally belonging exactly where you were meant to be. Knot the Play is an instant comfort read—one that will leave you with a full heart, a happy sigh, and a desperate need to read more from this series!
Book #3 of Willowside - can be read as a standalone, but does include characters from the prior books.
Ruby, Nathan, Cander, Henry, and Rory fall pretty fast. Ruby is hiding the fact that she’s an omega, working as their housekeeper disguised as a beta. Through some seriously bad luck (was it really?), she gets stuck with them through her heat. The alpha’s were pretty dopey and forgiving for someone who hid something major, but maybe it was the fact they wanted in her pants! This moved extremely quickly, and I probably would have preferred a little bit of angst to offset the amount of sweetness in this one. A bit disappointed though - it seemed like it would be a sports romance, but other than a teeny tiny bit at the end, it was based around the fact that the alphas are sports stars.
Sweet, a few spicy scenes (but they don’t overtake the book), and a cute HEA.
I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.
This is a short and sweet novella about an omega masking as a beta. One blizzard + a heat + 4 alphas— one thing leads to another…plenty of spice while also having several sweet moments between Ruby and her alphas.
While this was an enjoyable read, it is lacking some character development/depth (again, it’s a spicy novella not a nobel prize winning novel) There also were a handful of small errors in editing (e.g. missing quotation marks for parts of conversation, missing letters/typos, etc.) but not enough to detract from the book.
Overall, I’d give it a 4 for spice and 3.5 overall. It was short and sweet.
What to expect: • Scent Matches • Heat wave • Knotting • Nesting • MMFMM
Spice Level: 🌶🌶🌶/5
I was bored and looking for something to read to pass the time.
A quick and easy omegaverse story where the romance is quick and drama doesn't exist.
There is a distinction between the male leads—you get to see a little bit of distinguishable personalities/ traits—but don't expect huge character development/depth. You get a superficial introduction to all the characters.
Our female lead is masking as a beta, gets stuck with her alpha employers—there are four of them, two of which are romantically/sexually involved with one another, and each is involved in a different sport—due to a snowstorm, spends her heat with them, and then it's smooth sailing towards their HEA.
This is the first book I have read from Sara Vincent. I loved it. The lying about her status was wrong but needed. The guys where good to her from the beginning and felt a pull towards her.
Rory - NHL Player Nathan - NFL Player Xander - MMA Fighter Henry - Retired Olympic Swimmer Ruby - Omega
The guys needed a housekeeper and they wanted a beta. Ruby applied stating she is a beta. She has a spray and suppressants that mask her scent.
What happens when the alphas discover her deception? Are they scent matches? Do they keep Ruby or send her away? What happens when she goes into heat? Let's finish reading to find out!
I am enjoying these Willowside books. It is nice to get tiny glimpses of the previous characters and their lives plus the foreshadowing for the next book.
This book has an Alpha pack of 4 - all with sports backgrounds. Even though the story is based initially on a lie there isn't any angst or major stress so it was a cozy read.
That is the thing I have been enjoying about these books - they are comfortable to read and I don't end up stressed out. A small book vacation to a lovely town with overall great people (we just ignore those family members that are super irritating; book 2, I am looking at you).
I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Ruby is an orphan omega who is trying to hide her status so she can get a job. She finally gets hired as a housekeeper for a pack of athlete alphas and her suppressors are working until a blizzard snows her in during her heat and she can’t hide anymore.
This was a cute little palette cleanser omegaverse novella. It could be the omega in her but she seemed really immature for an independent orphan woman. Two scenes of good spice all with group dynamics. There’s an MM relationship that I wish would’ve been explored a lot more, fascinating to have an NHL and NFL player together. Good short Christmas holiday read.
A short and sweet omegaverse. Ruby is an omega hiding as a beta as she is struggling to survive on her own. It's difficult for omegas to get jobs and she manages to get hired as a housekeeper for a pack of alphas - because they think she's a beta. Because of the scent spray she uses she doesn't immediately realize they're her match but they feel drawn to her even though she's a *beta*.
Low-angst (almost none), sweet alphas who just want to take care of her. Of course it's got all the yummy spice of a heat that we all love!
The third of the willowside omega stories! Ruby is our FMC omega who is hiding out. She just wants to have a normal life. Ruby loves to clean, Can she come clean my house too? And start her own business. But as an omega its really hard to do so. She is hired on as a beta housekeeper for four athletes in a pack. Shes using some scent suppressants but when she runs out and her heat kicks in then come the sparks. This is a great HEA story.
I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.
This is book three in Willowside Omegaverse with omega Ruby and Alphas Nathan, Xander, Henry and Rory. The pack is made up of star sports athletes which have always hoped to one day find their scent matched omega. As an omega and an orphan Ruby has been taught that she is less than everyone else and she needed to chemically suppress her omega side. I enjoy the alphas coming to the rescue of their omegas through consent, kindness, support, and love. "This is my honest review of an advanced reader copy."
I really wanted to like this book, I really did. I think the premise is set up to be a great story, but the writing is flat and uninspiring. The cover shows hockey sticks and a puck, however there was one chapter about Rory going back to practice after his injury that seemed added as an afterthought. I feel like the author may have added this specific cover due to the recent hockey romance popularity.
I always enjoy a good, sweet romance. As with most of these short ones I feel like so much was missing. There was no character development. No bonding (meaning non-bumpity bump). It’s hard to see why this pack and omega would gel at all. I love a good story. This one had a good start and a good end, but no filler. It’s good if you want a “hi! Wanna f****? Love you? Bonded. Baby” read with no real substance.
Third book in the series for Willowside and I have enjoyed this one as we have stayed with the small town vibe but thrown in a little more drama than the last 2. I really like that all the guys are a little different and Ruby tries really hard to deny who she is. It was really entertaining and easy to read with some spice thrown in and scent matches as well holiday but I would have loved a little more back stories. Solid 4 stars!
In this world Omegas's do not get work easy because of their biology. Ruby just wants to be treated as a person not her designation. But she cannot find a job as an Omega, only a Beta. So she passes herself off a Beta so she could do what she loved, clean. She took a live in housekeeper job. But who knew she was living with 4 Alphas.
I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.
This is book 3 of Willowside Omegaverse and I recommend reading the whole series. The plot was quick paced and impressively handled. World building continues to excel. The characters were very well written and likeable and steamy together. Overall I liked this book and recommend.
Grab a copy, kick back and enjoy!.
I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Because I have the willpower of a toddler, and because the previous book in the series was so good and I wanted it to keep going, I find myself writing this review at 2 am.
Ruby's pack are such sweet and endearing men. I think the MMC's chapters we my favorites
The next book in the series is mentioned in the afterward, and I cannot wait!.
I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I love this series set in the small town of Willowside. The characters are all wonderful, and it is very sweet and fluffy and spicy. Ruby needs a fresh start, and she got it when she took the cleaning job for Henry, Xander, Nathan, and Rory, all professional athletes of some kind. Things didn’t go as planned, but they turned out even better.
This was a cute and quick read. I love all holiday oriented Omegaverse books, and this was another good one in the Willowside series. Ruby is an omega hiding out as a beta when she goes into heat. Her alphas are all sweet and caring, taking care of Ruby at every turn. This was a sweet and spicy Omegaverse story that is a perfect holiday read.
I am so glad I found this author. These have been some sweet sweet books with a little spice. I love all kind of books and love the dark books but sometimes after you need these sweet palette cleanser. Loved the book the characters and everything that happened. Great read.
I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.
This was such a good book! Hooked me from the beginning and couldn't put it down! I love Ruby, strong, independent, hard-working. I love each of the guys different personalities. Was angsty with a bit of a slow burn and some things they have to overcome, definitely some spice and just a great story!.
I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I’m enjoying these books so much! They’re a fun and cozy short read. And I love that this one has them all snowed in. Yay! Snow and a warm fire. Who could ask for more? Well, I guess the four guys that’s she’s now snowed in with could lol. This book was sweet and spicy. Tons of fun. Witty banter, and just overall a good novella.
This is a cute and quick fluffy read. Absolutely no angst and everything works out without any issues. It is definitely a palette cleanser of no conflict sweetness. It is well written and I definitely enjoyed it.
Those were some nasty nasty men and not in a good way. It’s ok to not know how to deep clean and/or want a maid to not do chores yourself, but to live in FILTH is a turn off to me.
The rest of the story was bland, the heat was not sexy and I was bored.
Ok. This one is my favorite from the series. So far anyway since I read there should be a fourth one sometime. I want to live in Willowbrook. I love Ruby even though I didn’t think I would. Her alphas are great too. Good book.
It's not a bad story but the emotional reactions just didn't seem realistic to me. Almost like Vincent wanted to avoid conflict so went instead to instant trust and forgiveness.