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Luna & Sol Omegaverse #1
Forbidden: Part One
What if everything forbidden to me — freedom, love, pleasure — could be mine?
Would I be brave enough to take it?
Five years ago, Josie Porter’s life was about to begin: she was going to escape her abusive family, move in with her best friend, and start college. Now, scarred from years of government torture in the Designation Academy, her dreams are long gone. Her only goal now is survival.
With the Designation Government out to pair every omega with often brutal alpha packs, Josie has to turn to black-market suppressants to disguise her biology. But when the supply runs out, Josie can no longer run from her designation.
Cam, Ben, and Theo Ashwood had given up on their dream to find an omega, refusing to participate in the government’s oppressive policies. But when the underground anti-government Alliance asks them to help an omega in need, they can’t say no. They never expected to meet her — their fated mate.
Suddenly surrounded by alphas desperate to tend to her every need, Josie finds herself feeling things she only dreamed of as a child — love, trust…hope.
But even the protection of her fiercely loyal pack can’t stand against those determined to tear them apart.
Would I be brave enough to take it?
Five years ago, Josie Porter’s life was about to begin: she was going to escape her abusive family, move in with her best friend, and start college. Now, scarred from years of government torture in the Designation Academy, her dreams are long gone. Her only goal now is survival.
With the Designation Government out to pair every omega with often brutal alpha packs, Josie has to turn to black-market suppressants to disguise her biology. But when the supply runs out, Josie can no longer run from her designation.
Cam, Ben, and Theo Ashwood had given up on their dream to find an omega, refusing to participate in the government’s oppressive policies. But when the underground anti-government Alliance asks them to help an omega in need, they can’t say no. They never expected to meet her — their fated mate.
Suddenly surrounded by alphas desperate to tend to her every need, Josie finds herself feeling things she only dreamed of as a child — love, trust…hope.
But even the protection of her fiercely loyal pack can’t stand against those determined to tear them apart.
568 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 1, 2023
3184 people are currently reading
9895 people want to read
About the author
Emilia Emerson
5 books760 followersEmilia Emerson loves to embroider, take naps with her dog, read filthy smut, and do projects around the house. She works in mental health and loves that writing romance allows her to explore worlds with guaranteed happily ever afters, cozy characters who love each other, and found families who overcome challenges together.
Stay up to date on new announcements:
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Stay up to date on new announcements:
Facebook Group: Emilia Emerson’s Reader Group
Newsletter Signup: www.emiliaemerson.com
Instagram & TikTok: @emiliaemersonauthor
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 954 reviews
March 2, 2023
It has to be hard for an author writing an omegaverse book because the line between a good needy omega and an annoying omega is very thin. Unfortunately Josie fell flat for me and by the end of the book she was outright on my nerves. There’s being jealous and insecure and then there’s making it your whole personality/identity and that’s what’s happened to Josie. She wasn’t likable even in the beginning to be honest, I just felt bad for her. Every single page in her POV she was talking about her weight, how there’s no way anyone would want to be around her or love her, how her life was terrible ect-it completely turned me off. That carried me through the first part of the book-yes it’s all very sad all the terrible things that happened to her but I don’t think there was a single scene where she wasn’t having some sort of breakdown and I was over it before the book ended. Also she was treating her alphas pretty badly to be honest-constantly questioning their love, commitment and attraction to her when they had done absolutely nothing to deserve that-in fact they were doing the opposite. Example: towards the end of the book, Josie has a confrontation in the bathroom with a couple of betas who knew her alphas before she did and she goes off the deep end in self loathing and lashes out at her alphas. When alpha Cam is trying to explain something about himself to her, she literally interrupts him and says “Cam, I know you would never hurt or abuse me. Since we’ve met, you’ve been caring for me and protecting me. I trust you.” Ummm what? The only reason her and Cam are having that particular conversation is because she didn’t trust him at all and went off because she heard some random betas in the bathroom.
This book is pretty much just trauma porn and that’s not my type of enjoyable book. Josie’s nonstop contradictions irritated me and I stopped feeling sorry for her and was just annoyed. The omegaverse world is a highly fictional world and when the author cannot balance setting up a story/character that has had a traumatic past/experiences with moving the story/characters forward-it just ends up a flat mess.
This book is pretty much just trauma porn and that’s not my type of enjoyable book. Josie’s nonstop contradictions irritated me and I stopped feeling sorry for her and was just annoyed. The omegaverse world is a highly fictional world and when the author cannot balance setting up a story/character that has had a traumatic past/experiences with moving the story/characters forward-it just ends up a flat mess.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 10, 2023
At first, I was really liking the cozy, super mushy vibe of the book but 550 pages of it got a bit boring. There was insta-love and no tension or conflict between the love interests, and the outside plot was in the background for most of the book so it didn’t leave much to keep my interest. It was basically 500 pages of them living their day to day lives, Josie feeling insecure and whiny, and the guys worshipping her to an extreme. If it was cut in half, I think I would have loved it but it was just too long and too sweet for me. It is perfect for anyone who just wants to read a book that feels like a big hug though.
September 3, 2023
first and foremost: i’m not a hater. if you enjoyed this book, good for you. I wish i could say the same because it had a lot of potential. But know that this review will be mostly negative.
I’m sitting at the train station angrily writing this review with tangled the series music on because i need some more fuel added to the fire lol
First thing: this story had a lot of potential. Not only the relationship but also the politics of it. But where was the plot? In all the almost 600 pages i read only the first 150 pages were “plot”, and that was the building of a character (josie) that just disappeared when she met her alphas. Literally those first 150 pages were Josie being represented as a strong curvy omega (oh yes this is an omegaverse lol) who lived on her own even though it wasn’t allowed, went to self defence classes SHE had pestered the alpha owner into doing.
She was presented as a person who fought for her rights and went through an intens trauma to reach this point.
ONLY FOR IT TO BE COMPLETELY WIPED OFF THE GODDAMN PAGES WHEN SHE MET THE ALPHAS.
Brooooo at some point i literally felt like the alphas were the victims in this story BECAUSE I WOULD FOR SURE HAVE KILLED JOSIE FOR HER CONSTANT WHINING. Jesus the back and forth between her going “ugh i’m so fat and disgusting” (i’ll go further into this problem later because wtf) “ugh these alphas don’t want me” “ugh i don’t deserve anything” and her going “omg they love me” “omg they think i’m so pretty”
bro. i got whiplash at least 15 times that i needed to go to the hospital to get that checked out because wtf was that.
also the instalove was 🧍♀️ uh, very clearly in the picture.
I was reading a scene where Theo explained to Josie that he had never felt much attraction to someone because he needed a personal and mental connection with someone (omg some demi and pansexual representation!!!) only for me to look back at how he literally sniffed her in a Trader Joe’s and immediately think about how good his knot would look nestled in her cunt. I’m sorry. You can laugh. i did too.
bro at least be consistent 😭😭😭
And yes going back to the fact that Josie was supposed to be a curvy omega (which she was) but i’m so offended at how this was handled. It could’ve been so good. But do you know what it did? Make me feel bad about my own body.
sorry but it had so much potential with her seeing only “skinny” omegas and her feeling proud in her body without the need to be hiding herself and just feeling loved by these alphas who thought she was incredibly sexy (good on them).
but do you know what we got? Her hiding herself EVERY TIME. Remember the whiplash? It would literally go from “omg they want me and i feel so sexy” to her putting her shirt back over her stomach because she felt conscious aboht her body. And okay that’s okay, not every day is a self love day. But every intimate scene? That made ME self conscious.
The alphas were doing their best at caring for Josie only for her to doubt their EVERY MOVE. I literally felt bad for these guys because they just wanted to be loved in return and they were walking on eggshells everywhere. They couldn’t even go somewhere without her having some freakout and THEM having to apologise??? IM SORRY????
Anyway, go read this if you like:
-romanticised emotional abuse on alphas
-insta love and insta lust
-representation OH WAIT no because inconsistencies
-no plot, only apologising for what was not their fault
-the sex scenes couldn’t even save this
-no personality whatsoever
-the stereotypical alpha knitted, that was a plus
(i skimmed the last 40 pages because i couldn’t find it in my to care so this might not be entirely accurate but i’m pretty sure in a book where nothing happened for 600 pages, the last 40 wouldn’t be important too)
—————-
Review will come when i calm down about the fact that this started out SO WELL until the inevitable WHINGING came to be.
anyway, grab your seatbelts and buckle up because this is going to be a rant review🧍♀️😭✊🏼
I’m sitting at the train station angrily writing this review with tangled the series music on because i need some more fuel added to the fire lol
First thing: this story had a lot of potential. Not only the relationship but also the politics of it. But where was the plot? In all the almost 600 pages i read only the first 150 pages were “plot”, and that was the building of a character (josie) that just disappeared when she met her alphas. Literally those first 150 pages were Josie being represented as a strong curvy omega (oh yes this is an omegaverse lol) who lived on her own even though it wasn’t allowed, went to self defence classes SHE had pestered the alpha owner into doing.
She was presented as a person who fought for her rights and went through an intens trauma to reach this point.
ONLY FOR IT TO BE COMPLETELY WIPED OFF THE GODDAMN PAGES WHEN SHE MET THE ALPHAS.
Brooooo at some point i literally felt like the alphas were the victims in this story BECAUSE I WOULD FOR SURE HAVE KILLED JOSIE FOR HER CONSTANT WHINING. Jesus the back and forth between her going “ugh i’m so fat and disgusting” (i’ll go further into this problem later because wtf) “ugh these alphas don’t want me” “ugh i don’t deserve anything” and her going “omg they love me” “omg they think i’m so pretty”
bro. i got whiplash at least 15 times that i needed to go to the hospital to get that checked out because wtf was that.
also the instalove was 🧍♀️ uh, very clearly in the picture.
I was reading a scene where Theo explained to Josie that he had never felt much attraction to someone because he needed a personal and mental connection with someone (omg some demi and pansexual representation!!!) only for me to look back at how he literally sniffed her in a Trader Joe’s and immediately think about how good his knot would look nestled in her cunt. I’m sorry. You can laugh. i did too.
bro at least be consistent 😭😭😭
And yes going back to the fact that Josie was supposed to be a curvy omega (which she was) but i’m so offended at how this was handled. It could’ve been so good. But do you know what it did? Make me feel bad about my own body.
sorry but it had so much potential with her seeing only “skinny” omegas and her feeling proud in her body without the need to be hiding herself and just feeling loved by these alphas who thought she was incredibly sexy (good on them).
but do you know what we got? Her hiding herself EVERY TIME. Remember the whiplash? It would literally go from “omg they want me and i feel so sexy” to her putting her shirt back over her stomach because she felt conscious aboht her body. And okay that’s okay, not every day is a self love day. But every intimate scene? That made ME self conscious.
The alphas were doing their best at caring for Josie only for her to doubt their EVERY MOVE. I literally felt bad for these guys because they just wanted to be loved in return and they were walking on eggshells everywhere. They couldn’t even go somewhere without her having some freakout and THEM having to apologise??? IM SORRY????
Anyway, go read this if you like:
-romanticised emotional abuse on alphas
-insta love and insta lust
-representation OH WAIT no because inconsistencies
-no plot, only apologising for what was not their fault
-the sex scenes couldn’t even save this
-no personality whatsoever
-the stereotypical alpha knitted, that was a plus
(i skimmed the last 40 pages because i couldn’t find it in my to care so this might not be entirely accurate but i’m pretty sure in a book where nothing happened for 600 pages, the last 40 wouldn’t be important too)
—————-
Review will come when i calm down about the fact that this started out SO WELL until the inevitable WHINGING came to be.
anyway, grab your seatbelts and buckle up because this is going to be a rant review🧍♀️😭✊🏼
March 2, 2023
4.5 🌟.
I’m in a daze now! Completely speechless and scared because of that cliffhanger.
I will really need time to gather my courage to read the second part of this book.
Josie was an amazing heroine. Strong but traumatised, she was really coming out of her shell in the book with the help of her 3 equally amazing heroes.
I loved Theo, Cam and Ben so much. All of them so different but still closer than family. Each had their own quirks and personalities. They were so protective and supportive of Josie. To be honest, apart from them I refused to believe /love any other secondary character because I didn’t want that to come back and bite me.
This was a long book but the pace was good and story just flowed. They all needed it to come together.
I hated hated a bunch of obnoxious Alphas in this book. And the rules and the horrifying laws they were subjugating on omegas boiled my blood.
I just hope they all get their comeuppance in book 2.
I admit it took me time to come terms with some of the
Omega traits. But overall I enjoyed it very much.
Recommended, safe, first in series, TW and ends in a cliffhanger.
I’m in a daze now! Completely speechless and scared because of that cliffhanger.
I will really need time to gather my courage to read the second part of this book.
Josie was an amazing heroine. Strong but traumatised, she was really coming out of her shell in the book with the help of her 3 equally amazing heroes.
I loved Theo, Cam and Ben so much. All of them so different but still closer than family. Each had their own quirks and personalities. They were so protective and supportive of Josie. To be honest, apart from them I refused to believe /love any other secondary character because I didn’t want that to come back and bite me.
This was a long book but the pace was good and story just flowed. They all needed it to come together.
I hated hated a bunch of obnoxious Alphas in this book. And the rules and the horrifying laws they were subjugating on omegas boiled my blood.
I just hope they all get their comeuppance in book 2.
I admit it took me time to come terms with some of the
Omega traits. But overall I enjoyed it very much.
Recommended, safe, first in series, TW and ends in a cliffhanger.
April 30, 2025
✅ Multiple POVs
✅ Comfort/healing story
✅ Pace
✅ Some smut
✅(🆗) Plot
✅(🆗) Action
🆗 A lot of fat-shaming
❗️❗️Trigger warning: mentions of past abuse (sexual touch, neglect, manipulation, and psychological abuse), fat-shaming
Josie is an omega who secretly lives on her own and likes it this way. She does not plan or want to find a pack, but when she runs out of suppressants and goes into heat, she is forced to pick a pack. She can either pick the one her parents chose for her, a bunch of machos who only want her for status and will use her as a slave and discard her when they are done with her, or she can pick the pack who is secretly part of the Alliance trying to destroy the abusive government. The choice is easy for Josie, but even though the pack she picked seems nice, how can she trust them when all she’s known are abusive alphas, and when every law the government has passed in the past years has been to diminish and abuse omegas?
This book had a lot of potential, but I kept waiting for something to happen, besides Josie learning to trust her alpha and slowly learning about their past. Something to do with her pack fathers, with the pack she refused to join, with the DA, anything… But nothing happened except at the very beginning and the very end. Josie overheard a private conversation at the beginning of the book that hinted that there would be retributions or complications if she stayed with the pack she chose, yet nothing happened. There were no obstacles besides Josie’s insecurities because of her weight, her PTSD, and some jealous betas. It was a sweet comfort and healing story, but I was expecting something with more action and angst.
At least, the ending is promising. I was waiting for something linked to politics to happen, and it finally did in the last 5% of the book. Hopefully, it will set the tone for the second book, and the sequel will focus more on the plot. Overall, the plot in this first installment was weak, but it is a nice comfort/healing story.
Josie was introduced as a fierce omega, but this feisty character disappeared for a while. Josie lives independently and has a job, even though it is illegal for omega to work. She convinced an alpha to create a self-defense group for omegas, and she is making sure she and her omega friends can be as independent as possible. Once she goes to live with her alphas though, she becomes needy and highly dependent on their presence around her. I understand that it is explained by her heat and hormones, but I would still have loved to see this independent and driven omega underneath the heat and hormones.
Josie’s trauma was well written and realistic, I think. I am in no way an expert in trauma and PTSD, but her trauma is slowly revealed and her reactions and thoughts are consistent with someone who has been through years of abuse and is trying her best to live with the aftermath. I also adore the fact that even though she was forced to pick a pack very quickly because her heat was about to start, she didn’t jump into bed with the 3 alphas. She had hard limits when it came to sex and she was able to hold onto them even during her heat, and the alphas never once pressured her for more than what she wanted to allow.
The part I am less sure about is Josie’s relationship with her weight. She has been fat-shamed her whole life because she is curvy (she even described herself as “fat”), and while I understand that the author wanted to show how toxic the society Josie lives in is, and how omegas are all expected to be skinny, the fat-shaming annoyed me a little after a while. I mean, the poor girl already has enough trauma, and now she has to deal with fat-shaming on top of it? I was hoping for her to grow more confident with her body and to stop caring about other people’s mean comments (easier said than done, I know), but maybe it will happen in the next book…
The alphas are kind and sweet. I liked them all, but seeing them live their day-to-day life for over 500 pages was too long. I have nothing bad to say about them, Ben is a sweet ray of sunshine who loves to bake and feed Josie, Cam is the fierce protective alpha and Theo is the quieter one who likes to sit with Josie and talk about books with her… That’s about it, I liked them, but I can’t say that I am in love with them. They are nice and amazing, but I just needed more to happen in this book to really get involved in their relationship with Josie.
While I loved the healing and cozy vibe of the book, the lack of tension and plot made it fall a little flat. It was a long book for what little happened in it. I will still read the sequel, because with the way this book ended, I have hope that there will be an actual plot in the next book, and maybe more tension and action too.
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✅ Comfort/healing story
✅ Pace
✅ Some smut
✅(🆗) Plot
✅(🆗) Action
🆗 A lot of fat-shaming
❗️❗️Trigger warning: mentions of past abuse (sexual touch, neglect, manipulation, and psychological abuse), fat-shaming
Josie is an omega who secretly lives on her own and likes it this way. She does not plan or want to find a pack, but when she runs out of suppressants and goes into heat, she is forced to pick a pack. She can either pick the one her parents chose for her, a bunch of machos who only want her for status and will use her as a slave and discard her when they are done with her, or she can pick the pack who is secretly part of the Alliance trying to destroy the abusive government. The choice is easy for Josie, but even though the pack she picked seems nice, how can she trust them when all she’s known are abusive alphas, and when every law the government has passed in the past years has been to diminish and abuse omegas?
This book had a lot of potential, but I kept waiting for something to happen, besides Josie learning to trust her alpha and slowly learning about their past. Something to do with her pack fathers, with the pack she refused to join, with the DA, anything… But nothing happened except at the very beginning and the very end. Josie overheard a private conversation at the beginning of the book that hinted that there would be retributions or complications if she stayed with the pack she chose, yet nothing happened. There were no obstacles besides Josie’s insecurities because of her weight, her PTSD, and some jealous betas. It was a sweet comfort and healing story, but I was expecting something with more action and angst.
At least, the ending is promising. I was waiting for something linked to politics to happen, and it finally did in the last 5% of the book. Hopefully, it will set the tone for the second book, and the sequel will focus more on the plot. Overall, the plot in this first installment was weak, but it is a nice comfort/healing story.
Josie was introduced as a fierce omega, but this feisty character disappeared for a while. Josie lives independently and has a job, even though it is illegal for omega to work. She convinced an alpha to create a self-defense group for omegas, and she is making sure she and her omega friends can be as independent as possible. Once she goes to live with her alphas though, she becomes needy and highly dependent on their presence around her. I understand that it is explained by her heat and hormones, but I would still have loved to see this independent and driven omega underneath the heat and hormones.
Josie’s trauma was well written and realistic, I think. I am in no way an expert in trauma and PTSD, but her trauma is slowly revealed and her reactions and thoughts are consistent with someone who has been through years of abuse and is trying her best to live with the aftermath. I also adore the fact that even though she was forced to pick a pack very quickly because her heat was about to start, she didn’t jump into bed with the 3 alphas. She had hard limits when it came to sex and she was able to hold onto them even during her heat, and the alphas never once pressured her for more than what she wanted to allow.
The part I am less sure about is Josie’s relationship with her weight. She has been fat-shamed her whole life because she is curvy (she even described herself as “fat”), and while I understand that the author wanted to show how toxic the society Josie lives in is, and how omegas are all expected to be skinny, the fat-shaming annoyed me a little after a while. I mean, the poor girl already has enough trauma, and now she has to deal with fat-shaming on top of it? I was hoping for her to grow more confident with her body and to stop caring about other people’s mean comments (easier said than done, I know), but maybe it will happen in the next book…
The alphas are kind and sweet. I liked them all, but seeing them live their day-to-day life for over 500 pages was too long. I have nothing bad to say about them, Ben is a sweet ray of sunshine who loves to bake and feed Josie, Cam is the fierce protective alpha and Theo is the quieter one who likes to sit with Josie and talk about books with her… That’s about it, I liked them, but I can’t say that I am in love with them. They are nice and amazing, but I just needed more to happen in this book to really get involved in their relationship with Josie.
While I loved the healing and cozy vibe of the book, the lack of tension and plot made it fall a little flat. It was a long book for what little happened in it. I will still read the sequel, because with the way this book ended, I have hope that there will be an actual plot in the next book, and maybe more tension and action too.
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September 29, 2024
Okay so the first time I read this I gave it only three stars because I found Josie to be one of the fmcs that I disliked more than I liked as she seemed to be rather whiney. Having read the whole series now I appreciate more her behavior and mannerisms and why she acts the way she does so I definitely like her much more and overall made it a four star for me this time around.
December 2, 2024
DNF @ 75%
I just don’t care enough about any of these characters.
I just don’t care enough about any of these characters.
May 7, 2024
Rating: 3/5
Spice: 4/5
Trigger warning: Mention of past physical and sexual abuse, forced starvation, anti-fat bias, PTSD, depressive thoughts, disordered eating (binge-eating), emotional neglect.
This is a story set in the Omegaverse. It follows our main character, Josie, an omega struggling on her own without a pack. She has no plans on submitting to a group of alphas due to past abuse and her families’ strict ideologies on designation. Her time at the Designation Academy was one of great hardship for her. Once she unexpectedly goes into heat and is forced to choose a pack of alphas she find 3 men who much to her surprise worship the ground she walks on. Now she must learn to trust these men and let them care for her. Something she has never known before, but they are happy to give. Can she learn to love when all she’s known is hate?
This story was “okay”. I enjoyed the concept a lot but I think it was too long for me. I found myself skimming through the last 10 chapters of the book. I think the plot development wasn’t what I was looking for. The ending did make up for it though. The pacing was lacking, but it also wasn’t horrible.
The characters were also okay. I think the FMC, even though she went through a lot in her life, sort of fell flat to me. She is trying to overcome everything she’s been through but at the same time I don’t think she got any stronger. The only difference I could see was her sexuality and how she seemed more open when it came to that. Now was there some emotional development? Yes there was. However, I think I was expecting more. She was always apologizing and never seemed to realize how much she actually deserved. Maybe I’m wrong, but I was just expecting more out of a 500+ page book. Her love interests were very cute and caring. I loved the cinnamon roll mentality, but I think it all got a little repetitive. There wasn’t one conversation where one of the men, or her weren’t apologizing or being overly emotional. I need my characters to have a backbone. Again, I understand they all went through a lot but there was also plenty of room in the book for some major developments.
I think what kept be going is the world itself. I really enjoy the fact that there is an alliance going after the DA and hope there is more action in the second when it comes to taking it down.
I think there was potential here but there was also something missing that would have kept my interest more. I think I’m still going to continue with the story because I did actually enjoy the ending. I really hope there is more emotional development with the characters in the second part. I really want Josie to become the badass I know she can be.
Spice: 4/5
Trigger warning: Mention of past physical and sexual abuse, forced starvation, anti-fat bias, PTSD, depressive thoughts, disordered eating (binge-eating), emotional neglect.
This is a story set in the Omegaverse. It follows our main character, Josie, an omega struggling on her own without a pack. She has no plans on submitting to a group of alphas due to past abuse and her families’ strict ideologies on designation. Her time at the Designation Academy was one of great hardship for her. Once she unexpectedly goes into heat and is forced to choose a pack of alphas she find 3 men who much to her surprise worship the ground she walks on. Now she must learn to trust these men and let them care for her. Something she has never known before, but they are happy to give. Can she learn to love when all she’s known is hate?
This story was “okay”. I enjoyed the concept a lot but I think it was too long for me. I found myself skimming through the last 10 chapters of the book. I think the plot development wasn’t what I was looking for. The ending did make up for it though. The pacing was lacking, but it also wasn’t horrible.
The characters were also okay. I think the FMC, even though she went through a lot in her life, sort of fell flat to me. She is trying to overcome everything she’s been through but at the same time I don’t think she got any stronger. The only difference I could see was her sexuality and how she seemed more open when it came to that. Now was there some emotional development? Yes there was. However, I think I was expecting more. She was always apologizing and never seemed to realize how much she actually deserved. Maybe I’m wrong, but I was just expecting more out of a 500+ page book. Her love interests were very cute and caring. I loved the cinnamon roll mentality, but I think it all got a little repetitive. There wasn’t one conversation where one of the men, or her weren’t apologizing or being overly emotional. I need my characters to have a backbone. Again, I understand they all went through a lot but there was also plenty of room in the book for some major developments.
I think what kept be going is the world itself. I really enjoy the fact that there is an alliance going after the DA and hope there is more action in the second when it comes to taking it down.
I think there was potential here but there was also something missing that would have kept my interest more. I think I’m still going to continue with the story because I did actually enjoy the ending. I really hope there is more emotional development with the characters in the second part. I really want Josie to become the badass I know she can be.
June 4, 2023
This was my first introduction to omegaverse, and to say I was apprehensive is a severe understatement. However, the entire time I was reading this I was pleasantly surprised with how much I loved it. Everything from the writing, the FMC, the MMC’s, side characters, romance…like it was all just so good.
I went into this knowing next to nothing about the terminology used in this genre, but the author does a great job of explaining everything at the beginning of the book. Everything was easy to understand and left me feeling very intrigued.
I felt like Josie was pretty relatable, for me anyway. I can understand why some of the reviews mentioned that they didn’t like her, but for me, I really connected with her. I’ve struggled with body image my entire life and it’s made friendships and relationships really difficult. I also haven’t always had a healthy relationship with food, so seeing a FMC with the same insecurities and struggles made me love this even more. I found her funny, genuine and really easy to love. I also really liked that while she thought her sensitivity was a weakness, Cam, Theo and Ben NEVER did.
Speaking of them… oof I loved all of them. In my experience anytime that I’ve read a why choose I always have one guy that I like a little more than the others, but I didn’t have that with this at all. I loved them all so much and liked that they were just so kind, patient, fiercely protective, but also able to be emotionally vulnerable. Seriously the communication on their end was fantastic.
There isn’t too much that happens until you start to reach the end of the novel. Essentially a majority of this was Josie adjusting to pack life while trying to heal from previous trauma and insecurities. This was fluffy as hell, but the spice was so good. The humor sprinkled throughout was also so unexpectedly funny—specifically Josie driving, it had me cracking up. I can see why this may not be up everyone’s alley, but truthfully it was exactly what I needed—low tension, overly mushy and tender characters, a lot of sweetness and quite a bit of steam.
I would definitely recommend this if you’re new to omegaverse. Like I mentioned at no point was I confused, and if anything this just made me want to dive deeper into the genre. This book had that cozy feel so if you’re needing something high stakes, with a lot of tension and intense plot then this probably isn’t for you. However, if you’re like me and just kind of need to give your heart and brain a break then this is definitely for you… Except the last couple chapters. They are ROUGH. Luckily part two is out so you don’t have to suffer for long.
I went into this knowing next to nothing about the terminology used in this genre, but the author does a great job of explaining everything at the beginning of the book. Everything was easy to understand and left me feeling very intrigued.
I felt like Josie was pretty relatable, for me anyway. I can understand why some of the reviews mentioned that they didn’t like her, but for me, I really connected with her. I’ve struggled with body image my entire life and it’s made friendships and relationships really difficult. I also haven’t always had a healthy relationship with food, so seeing a FMC with the same insecurities and struggles made me love this even more. I found her funny, genuine and really easy to love. I also really liked that while she thought her sensitivity was a weakness, Cam, Theo and Ben NEVER did.
Speaking of them… oof I loved all of them. In my experience anytime that I’ve read a why choose I always have one guy that I like a little more than the others, but I didn’t have that with this at all. I loved them all so much and liked that they were just so kind, patient, fiercely protective, but also able to be emotionally vulnerable. Seriously the communication on their end was fantastic.
There isn’t too much that happens until you start to reach the end of the novel. Essentially a majority of this was Josie adjusting to pack life while trying to heal from previous trauma and insecurities. This was fluffy as hell, but the spice was so good. The humor sprinkled throughout was also so unexpectedly funny—specifically Josie driving, it had me cracking up. I can see why this may not be up everyone’s alley, but truthfully it was exactly what I needed—low tension, overly mushy and tender characters, a lot of sweetness and quite a bit of steam.
I would definitely recommend this if you’re new to omegaverse. Like I mentioned at no point was I confused, and if anything this just made me want to dive deeper into the genre. This book had that cozy feel so if you’re needing something high stakes, with a lot of tension and intense plot then this probably isn’t for you. However, if you’re like me and just kind of need to give your heart and brain a break then this is definitely for you… Except the last couple chapters. They are ROUGH. Luckily part two is out so you don’t have to suffer for long.
Read
August 22, 2024I made it to about 60% of this story but I just can't go on anymore. It wasn't all bad and for the most part I was enjoying it but it just feels very drawn out at this point. Knowing there's a Part 2 with even more pages to these characters, I know I won't continue onto that book so I don't see a reason to finish this one. I am curious about the standalone, Cherished, and might come back to the series to read that one.
February 20, 2023
This is a debut book by Emerson about Josie, a scarred but determined omega with a terrible past and significant trauma at the hands of the Designation Government as she struggles to accept love, kindness, and herself most of all.
Emerson has done an amazing job of balancing a unique Omegaverse world--one where omegas are repressed at the hands of the government and given little by way of freedom--with a heart-searing love story. In her world, omegas can't drive, can't move about freely in the world, and most are not even permitted to hold jobs. Their entire life revolves around being mated off to a pack, and their entire existence is bound up with their designation. And yet, omegas still need a pack, and packs (well...most of them) need an omega to nurture, care for, and protect. This push-pull of need, want, and repression creates a tinderbox of conflict you can feel building throughout the book. Something has to change.
Josie's quest for freedom and independence in this world makes her unique, as she actively tries to break free from the agents of oppression in her life. Her weight makes her an "atypical" omega, and we follow Josie's negative thoughts throughout much of the book as she deals with flashbacks from abuse (physical and emotional) at the hands of her parents and the government. When she is matched with Pack Ashwood--Cam, Theo, and Ben--who accept her for who she is and who have been through their own traumatic experiences, she has to learn to accept their love. See herself through their eyes, and begin to undo the damage that years of abuse has caused.
This book has the perfect balance of action and romance, with the dark moments (and yes...there are some pretty dark ones) balanced by warm cuddles, hot sex, and enough baked goods to make you want to dash out to the nearest bakery (don't forget to bring the book, though). I highly recommend it to those who love the OV, want to read about a curvy FMC and a pack who want nothing more than to love and protect her, and who are intrigued by a dystopian/politically-driven world.
And as always, peep the TW's to make sure it's alright for you.
Emerson has done an amazing job of balancing a unique Omegaverse world--one where omegas are repressed at the hands of the government and given little by way of freedom--with a heart-searing love story. In her world, omegas can't drive, can't move about freely in the world, and most are not even permitted to hold jobs. Their entire life revolves around being mated off to a pack, and their entire existence is bound up with their designation. And yet, omegas still need a pack, and packs (well...most of them) need an omega to nurture, care for, and protect. This push-pull of need, want, and repression creates a tinderbox of conflict you can feel building throughout the book. Something has to change.
Josie's quest for freedom and independence in this world makes her unique, as she actively tries to break free from the agents of oppression in her life. Her weight makes her an "atypical" omega, and we follow Josie's negative thoughts throughout much of the book as she deals with flashbacks from abuse (physical and emotional) at the hands of her parents and the government. When she is matched with Pack Ashwood--Cam, Theo, and Ben--who accept her for who she is and who have been through their own traumatic experiences, she has to learn to accept their love. See herself through their eyes, and begin to undo the damage that years of abuse has caused.
This book has the perfect balance of action and romance, with the dark moments (and yes...there are some pretty dark ones) balanced by warm cuddles, hot sex, and enough baked goods to make you want to dash out to the nearest bakery (don't forget to bring the book, though). I highly recommend it to those who love the OV, want to read about a curvy FMC and a pack who want nothing more than to love and protect her, and who are intrigued by a dystopian/politically-driven world.
And as always, peep the TW's to make sure it's alright for you.
May 31, 2024
Has potential … has spice … but kinda dry.
DNF at 89% … I feel like the story fell flat. I’ve been trying to finish it for a solid month and for some reason I’m not invested. With a name like Forbidden I expected more.
2⭐️’s
3🌶️’s
Josie is a plus-sized omega and that is pretty much the center of her narrative and love life. So, if you have body image issues this book could be a trigger because there is a lot of body shaming and negative self talk. She starts out seeming like a really badass chick, and apparently she used to be. However, that quickly changes and through much of the book she is insecure and whiny due to her atypical omega appearance.
AND the terrible things that happened to her while under government care at the Designation School. In my opinion, this feels like it should have been the main focus of the plot but we didn’t start uncovering much about that until the last 20% of the book. By then I had lost interest in finding out what truly happened to her there.
Her alphas are really sweet and doting and endearing and all the perfect things. They go through an atypical courtship because of her oncoming heat and are rushed into intimacy. However, the way they tiptoe around her and her insecurity was kind of unappealing and didn’t totally give alpha vibes which was also kinda annoying.
Things I Liked
The spice was spicy!
The alpha’s adoration, each of them had their own way of showing their love for Josie and it was cute. Cam’s cuddles were just my fave.
The bakery/cafe vibes of their scent. I would love to live in that house. 🥧☕️🧁🥮
It’s not the same but … narrative around suppressants reminds me of birth control and the lengths women must go through for their sexual “health”. Birth control has such negative effects on the body and her trying to ignore her heat feels like women using pharmaceuticals to force a false bleed each month.
DNF at 89% … I feel like the story fell flat. I’ve been trying to finish it for a solid month and for some reason I’m not invested. With a name like Forbidden I expected more.
2⭐️’s
3🌶️’s
Josie is a plus-sized omega and that is pretty much the center of her narrative and love life. So, if you have body image issues this book could be a trigger because there is a lot of body shaming and negative self talk. She starts out seeming like a really badass chick, and apparently she used to be. However, that quickly changes and through much of the book she is insecure and whiny due to her atypical omega appearance.
AND the terrible things that happened to her while under government care at the Designation School. In my opinion, this feels like it should have been the main focus of the plot but we didn’t start uncovering much about that until the last 20% of the book. By then I had lost interest in finding out what truly happened to her there.
Her alphas are really sweet and doting and endearing and all the perfect things. They go through an atypical courtship because of her oncoming heat and are rushed into intimacy. However, the way they tiptoe around her and her insecurity was kind of unappealing and didn’t totally give alpha vibes which was also kinda annoying.
Things I Liked
The spice was spicy!
The alpha’s adoration, each of them had their own way of showing their love for Josie and it was cute. Cam’s cuddles were just my fave.
The bakery/cafe vibes of their scent. I would love to live in that house. 🥧☕️🧁🥮
It’s not the same but … narrative around suppressants reminds me of birth control and the lengths women must go through for their sexual “health”. Birth control has such negative effects on the body and her trying to ignore her heat feels like women using pharmaceuticals to force a false bleed each month.
dnf
December 5, 2024DNF at 55%
I'm going to be repeating a lot of what other reviews of this book have made very clear. The beginning was very interesting and did a great job of setting the scene. The introductions of the characters were great and had me sat. Everything after that up to halfway through the book was pretty okay. It's a slow and steady pacing but eventually, the heroine starts to grate on you. I understand and am extremely sympathetic to how she's been bullied and traumatized her whole life (for multiple reasons one of them being that she's plus size). She's been made to feel that everything pertaining to her is a problem and it's somehow her fault. If I'm being honest, the negative self-talk started to get even to me. Maybe it's just me but if I'm consistently hearing from these guys that they like me and my body and find it horrific that other people controlled what I ate/starved me maybe I would kinda sorta at some point start believing it? IDK, just a wild thought. I know it's an ingrained thing but at some point you need to at least try to rewire your negative thoughts even if for your own sake? (ahem...Yes I'm speaking from personal experience.) Can we start with at least body neutrality?
I also didn't really like that aside from what was initially presented it felt like the story had anywhere to go and that's not great considering how absurdly long this book is for some reason. It's not like this pack is going to single handedly topple the government laws that control omegas. I read a few reviews mentioning that there's a twist by the end, but I really couldn't care less about it at this point.
P.S. The audiobook narration was pretty good! I ADORED the accent for Theo (read by the male narrator) because (in some instances) he sounded almost exactly like Klaus from The Originals ♡
I'm going to be repeating a lot of what other reviews of this book have made very clear. The beginning was very interesting and did a great job of setting the scene. The introductions of the characters were great and had me sat. Everything after that up to halfway through the book was pretty okay. It's a slow and steady pacing but eventually, the heroine starts to grate on you. I understand and am extremely sympathetic to how she's been bullied and traumatized her whole life (for multiple reasons one of them being that she's plus size). She's been made to feel that everything pertaining to her is a problem and it's somehow her fault. If I'm being honest, the negative self-talk started to get even to me. Maybe it's just me but if I'm consistently hearing from these guys that they like me and my body and find it horrific that other people controlled what I ate/starved me maybe I would kinda sorta at some point start believing it? IDK, just a wild thought. I know it's an ingrained thing but at some point you need to at least try to rewire your negative thoughts even if for your own sake? (ahem...Yes I'm speaking from personal experience.) Can we start with at least body neutrality?
I also didn't really like that aside from what was initially presented it felt like the story had anywhere to go and that's not great considering how absurdly long this book is for some reason. It's not like this pack is going to single handedly topple the government laws that control omegas. I read a few reviews mentioning that there's a twist by the end, but I really couldn't care less about it at this point.
P.S. The audiobook narration was pretty good! I ADORED the accent for Theo (read by the male narrator) because (in some instances) he sounded almost exactly like Klaus from The Originals ♡
April 8, 2025
It was okay. I felt like I had read this before it took so long to get... nowhere. I would put this down and have to force myself to pick it up. It was not bad. Some parts were even fun. But it was not enough for me to want to continue to part two.
dnf
August 21, 2024This is a dnf for me
Josie is just way too hard on herself for me to take, everything is woe is me for her and I'm exhausted with her atp. I get it she's been through some stuff and thus finds it hard to trust but after slugging through 20 chapters I'm ready to slug Josie!
Hopefully she'll find a little spine soon I just won't be able to see it because I can't take it anymore
Original thoughts
Note to self
h suffers from extreme body dysmorphia, can't do this rn
Josie is just way too hard on herself for me to take, everything is woe is me for her and I'm exhausted with her atp. I get it she's been through some stuff and thus finds it hard to trust but after slugging through 20 chapters I'm ready to slug Josie!
Hopefully she'll find a little spine soon I just won't be able to see it because I can't take it anymore
Original thoughts
Note to self
h suffers from extreme body dysmorphia, can't do this rn
July 16, 2024
‧₊˚ 3.75 stars — no spoilers
Overall I really enjoyed this book. This was my first (technical) omegaverse book and I’m pretty excited to dive more into this sub genre.
I really enjoyed Josie as a main character and I connected with her so much more than I originally expected to. I adored seeing the mental health aspects in book along with the romance.
This book had such a cozy feel to it, which I loved. It was on the long side but I didn’t mind it too much.
I liked the love interests (since this is a reverse harem) but they kinda meshed together a bit. I don’t read reverse harem A LOT but when I do I feel that the author really needs to differentiate the love interests so that they don’t feel like one person.
Another complaint that I had was that some of the writing was pretty cringey but I did look past some of it.
Overall I really enjoyed this book. This was my first (technical) omegaverse book and I’m pretty excited to dive more into this sub genre.
I really enjoyed Josie as a main character and I connected with her so much more than I originally expected to. I adored seeing the mental health aspects in book along with the romance.
This book had such a cozy feel to it, which I loved. It was on the long side but I didn’t mind it too much.
I liked the love interests (since this is a reverse harem) but they kinda meshed together a bit. I don’t read reverse harem A LOT but when I do I feel that the author really needs to differentiate the love interests so that they don’t feel like one person.
Another complaint that I had was that some of the writing was pretty cringey but I did look past some of it.
March 22, 2023
I had a mix of feelings regarding Forbidden: Part One. I thought Forbidden was very well written and I found minimal grammar or spelling issues, the plot was interesting, and the world building was intriguing.
But, I found Forbidden to be a very long read. The story felt like it dragged on and much of it could be omitted. I often felt like the same topic was rehashed over and over, without any story development or character growth.
Regarding the characters, I grew weary of Josie. I couldn’t relate to her; she was always crying. CRYING! Even assuming some of this was Omega hormones, it was a lot for me. I had hoped for some personal growth, yet she seems stuck in place, unwilling to go to therapy or work on herself. Josie was like an emotional vampire— taking all the emotional support from her alphas, yet giving nothing back. Her alphas were too perfect, with essentially no flaws. I did love their quirks: romance novel reading, baking, knitting; it was a wonderful change from the typical alphas you see in other omegaverse novels.
Overall, I think Forbidden had great potential, but needed some improvement upon execution.
But, I found Forbidden to be a very long read. The story felt like it dragged on and much of it could be omitted. I often felt like the same topic was rehashed over and over, without any story development or character growth.
Regarding the characters, I grew weary of Josie. I couldn’t relate to her; she was always crying. CRYING! Even assuming some of this was Omega hormones, it was a lot for me. I had hoped for some personal growth, yet she seems stuck in place, unwilling to go to therapy or work on herself. Josie was like an emotional vampire— taking all the emotional support from her alphas, yet giving nothing back. Her alphas were too perfect, with essentially no flaws. I did love their quirks: romance novel reading, baking, knitting; it was a wonderful change from the typical alphas you see in other omegaverse novels.
Overall, I think Forbidden had great potential, but needed some improvement upon execution.
April 4, 2023
For the most part this was a very straight forward paranormal romance. The book touches on very sensitive subjects but for the most part was often too sickeningly sweet. Heroine Josie suffers from extreme body dysmorphia and has such lived a very sedate life. As an Omega her life is even harder because her body demands she have Alphas to tame her heat but romance is not something Josie wants. At least initially until she meets her mates and even when the guys profess their love she struggles with accepting it. A lot of her body issues and self worth are because she has shit parents who care more about looks and standing in society than her actual feelings. Between being an Omega and having to go to a special school where her and other omegas were belittled constantly and lied to about their role in the world. This Omegaverse world is wild and the politics are constantly shifting against Omegas. Josie and her three men are so close to their HEA but given this brutal end, I think they still have a ways to go to find peace. My only complaint so far for the duet was the length because with so much sweetness all the time it was too much.
did-not-finish
December 17, 2024DNF at 50%.
I really want to like this but I'm tired of reading for a couple of reasons.
1. The constant internal and external fatphobia. I get it. All the other omegas are thin and she's not. Stop shoving the constant downtrodden thoughts along with the constant bullying. It's exhausting.
2. The consent (not) kings. The author is trying (good for her) to write men who are supportive and wonderful in a world where so many of the societal norms are toxic. However, she doesn't understand consent and kindness if she thinks having a man "force her chin up" and "trap her in place" or "exert his alpha dominance" or tell her that her drink is "fucking disgusting" are signs that a man is safe. No, they are not.
I stopped when the men pack up their food and leave a restaurant after the heroine has been bullied. They don't ask her "what do you want to do?" Nope. They just decide to get takeout. Even tho she has expressly said she wants to be out with them. She doesn't want to hide or be hidden. She wants men who are proud to be with her.
I can see the author is trying, but this doesn't work. Don't tell me they are amazing partners but keep inserting terrible behavior.
I really want to like this but I'm tired of reading for a couple of reasons.
1. The constant internal and external fatphobia. I get it. All the other omegas are thin and she's not. Stop shoving the constant downtrodden thoughts along with the constant bullying. It's exhausting.
2. The consent (not) kings. The author is trying (good for her) to write men who are supportive and wonderful in a world where so many of the societal norms are toxic. However, she doesn't understand consent and kindness if she thinks having a man "force her chin up" and "trap her in place" or "exert his alpha dominance" or tell her that her drink is "fucking disgusting" are signs that a man is safe. No, they are not.
I stopped when the men pack up their food and leave a restaurant after the heroine has been bullied. They don't ask her "what do you want to do?" Nope. They just decide to get takeout. Even tho she has expressly said she wants to be out with them. She doesn't want to hide or be hidden. She wants men who are proud to be with her.
I can see the author is trying, but this doesn't work. Don't tell me they are amazing partners but keep inserting terrible behavior.
September 11, 2023
Basically nothing happens in this entire book, which wouldn't usually be a problem, but this book is over 500 pages. That's a lot of pages for nothing to happen.
I was in the mood for an omegaverse though, and this one satiated that mood.
There are also some heavy triggers (like literal torture, etc.), and then there's also a lot of fat-phobia, discussion of weight, and inner monologue about being overweight.
I was in the mood for an omegaverse though, and this one satiated that mood.
There are also some heavy triggers (like literal torture, etc.), and then there's also a lot of fat-phobia, discussion of weight, and inner monologue about being overweight.
July 18, 2023
This was such a sweet, spicy omega verse. Josie's (FMC) men were kind, sweet, reassuring, protective, and thoughtful. We had Cam, the broad, protective, and possessive long-haired alpha that knits and is into light BDSM. Then, we have Ben, the outgoing and bubbly alpha that is a fantastic cook and baker. Finally, we have the sweet, reserved British alpha, Theo, who is pierced and saved his first for his omega. And finally, our FMC, Josie, who is sweet and kind, takes underground defensive classes for omegas and has been terribly mistreated by her parents and the oppressive government.
In this world, the government has slowly taken away omega's rights and forced them to conform to policies implemented by alphas. After years of oppression, Josie was able to find some freedom by taking suppressants to disguise her omega biology, until one day it ran out. And she is forced to find a pack; thankfully, an anti-government group helps omegas such as Josie, and she's paired with her pack. And once she's paired with her pack, they help her with her confidence and help her overcome her insecurities and fears. Now, will they be able to find their happy ending or will the government try and break this pack up?
Favorite quotes/scenes:
-“I ached to claim her, protect her, do anything I could to make her happy. Even though I didn’t know her yet, I would sacrifice everything for her.”(Cam)
-“Happiness bubbled through my body. After years of waiting, our family felt complete, and it was better than anything I could have dreamed.” (Ben)
-“Josie giggled and it was like the brightest sunshine.” (Theo)
-“Fuck, I loved her so much. I hadn’t told her yet. I still didn’t think I was good enough for her. She was pure sunshine and perfection. Every step she took towards me, showing her trust, knocked the wind out of me.”(Cam)
-“There is no world, realm, or universe in which you or your body could disappoint me. I love every part of you. I’ve never felt this kind of attraction—” (Theo)
-“You are my wildest dream made flesh,” he said. “I would wait an eternity for you, for this.” (Theo)
-“I wanted to be in her skin, to merge my body with hers. The thought of being away from her squeezed my chest. She was my heart, my soul, my everything.” (Theo)
-“Beautiful, you’re my mate. I’m completely taken with you. I love you.”
“You love me?”
“Yes, precious, I love you. You have my whole heart, and that’s not going to change.”
“I love you, too”.
“Don’t know how I got so lucky.” (Ben and Josie)
In this world, the government has slowly taken away omega's rights and forced them to conform to policies implemented by alphas. After years of oppression, Josie was able to find some freedom by taking suppressants to disguise her omega biology, until one day it ran out. And she is forced to find a pack; thankfully, an anti-government group helps omegas such as Josie, and she's paired with her pack. And once she's paired with her pack, they help her with her confidence and help her overcome her insecurities and fears. Now, will they be able to find their happy ending or will the government try and break this pack up?
Favorite quotes/scenes:
-“I ached to claim her, protect her, do anything I could to make her happy. Even though I didn’t know her yet, I would sacrifice everything for her.”(Cam)
-“Happiness bubbled through my body. After years of waiting, our family felt complete, and it was better than anything I could have dreamed.” (Ben)
-“Josie giggled and it was like the brightest sunshine.” (Theo)
-“Fuck, I loved her so much. I hadn’t told her yet. I still didn’t think I was good enough for her. She was pure sunshine and perfection. Every step she took towards me, showing her trust, knocked the wind out of me.”(Cam)
-“There is no world, realm, or universe in which you or your body could disappoint me. I love every part of you. I’ve never felt this kind of attraction—” (Theo)
-“You are my wildest dream made flesh,” he said. “I would wait an eternity for you, for this.” (Theo)
-“I wanted to be in her skin, to merge my body with hers. The thought of being away from her squeezed my chest. She was my heart, my soul, my everything.” (Theo)
-“Beautiful, you’re my mate. I’m completely taken with you. I love you.”
“You love me?”
“Yes, precious, I love you. You have my whole heart, and that’s not going to change.”
“I love you, too”.
“Don’t know how I got so lucky.” (Ben and Josie)
February 26, 2023
Well first of all that cliffhanger ending was brutal. When I finished this book I just kept staring at my kindle traumatized.
That said I really liked this book. Josie is an omega living in a world that is more than just a little unkind to her designation. Yet she is still trying and fighting to have a life. I saw a few people refer to her as annoying, and she definitely is, but that's kinda the point. She has been completely traumatized and then forced into this new situation with very little choice. The path to healing isn't linear and you can really see that is Josie's journey.
The alphas. Theo, Ben, and Cam. I completely adore them. They are not perfect. Each has their own pasts and insecurities they are dealing with but they never take that out on each other or Josie. They are just amazing.
This book is the perfect mix of dark plot, spicy scenes, sweet character interactions, and action! I cannot wait for book two!!
That said I really liked this book. Josie is an omega living in a world that is more than just a little unkind to her designation. Yet she is still trying and fighting to have a life. I saw a few people refer to her as annoying, and she definitely is, but that's kinda the point. She has been completely traumatized and then forced into this new situation with very little choice. The path to healing isn't linear and you can really see that is Josie's journey.
The alphas. Theo, Ben, and Cam. I completely adore them. They are not perfect. Each has their own pasts and insecurities they are dealing with but they never take that out on each other or Josie. They are just amazing.
This book is the perfect mix of dark plot, spicy scenes, sweet character interactions, and action! I cannot wait for book two!!
February 26, 2023
3.5⭐
2🌶
Forbidden is a new omegaverse duology with all the components one expects from the genre. This book is well-summarized in the blurb. Additionally, the MMC's Cam, Ben, and Theo are noteworthy. However, more world-building would have been appreciated. Despite understanding the traumas experienced by Josie, I found her negative self-talk and pessimism exhausting, especially given the book's excessive length. Overall, this book just wasn’t for me.
2🌶
Forbidden is a new omegaverse duology with all the components one expects from the genre. This book is well-summarized in the blurb. Additionally, the MMC's Cam, Ben, and Theo are noteworthy. However, more world-building would have been appreciated. Despite understanding the traumas experienced by Josie, I found her negative self-talk and pessimism exhausting, especially given the book's excessive length. Overall, this book just wasn’t for me.
May 25, 2023
Way too long. More than 550 pages with almost zero conflict or tension and it’s only the first in a duology. Also the heroine never stops crying. I get she’s gone through a lot of traumatic events but the amount of crying was truly excessive and made her into an annoyance for me rather than someone I was rooting for.
Read
April 11, 2023rtc
September 10, 2023
I don’t know how to rate omegaverse’s so don’t trust me but it got me out of my slump so for that, I loved it.
It gave dystopian smut and I love it.
Spice was great and varied between characters.
- light BDSM
- why choose MFMM
- good girls
- naughty girls
- possessive hot alphas
- 🪢ing
- breeding (no kids)
🌶️🌶️🌶️
Good representation of PTSD. Deals with a lot of fatphobia issues and the internal dialogue of existing in a bigger body. Also has demisexual rep which was appreciated.
I would say to be mindful going into this one if you struggle being inside the mind of someone who is quite insecure around their worth and their body. It was written well, but it was a slog (as someone who suffered similarly).
It gave dystopian smut and I love it.
Spice was great and varied between characters.
- light BDSM
- why choose MFMM
- good girls
- naughty girls
- possessive hot alphas
- 🪢ing
- breeding (no kids)
🌶️🌶️🌶️
Good representation of PTSD. Deals with a lot of fatphobia issues and the internal dialogue of existing in a bigger body. Also has demisexual rep which was appreciated.
I would say to be mindful going into this one if you struggle being inside the mind of someone who is quite insecure around their worth and their body. It was written well, but it was a slog (as someone who suffered similarly).
February 26, 2023
“Forbidden” is the debut novel from author Emilia Emerson. It is a reverse harem omegaverse that is set in a dystopian world where omegas have no rights.
This is not a fluffy, sugary sweet story. Omegas are without rights, betas are the forgotten members of society, and alphas are controlling bc domineering. This story is angsty and, at times, I had to stop reading because the themes were too heavy for me.
As far as characters are concerned, our main FMC is Josie. Josie is an overweight omega whose heat is quickly approaching, meaning she needs to find a pack. Josie’s parents absolutely despise her and have treated her horribly, and it’s no surprise that her alpha fathers sit on the board who decide what rights omegas have. Against their wishes, Josie chooses an alpha pack that are not on the father’s payroll.
The alphas that Josie picks are Ben, Theo and Cam. Ben is outgoing, exuberant, and loves to bake. Theo is the surly alpha who moved from London to a very traditional alpha compound (think Handmaids tale). He harbors a lot of guilt from the way he was forced to treat omegas. In my opinion, he’s quick to anger but he’s very soft towards Josie. The last alpha is Cam. Cam, too, came from a traditional compound and has a lot of anger towards his parents and what they allowed to happen to his younger sister. Cam was put into some horrible situations by his alpha fathers, who insisted he become a man and a dominating alpha. Eventually, Cam was convinced by a friend to try a BDSM club, where he could learn that power doesn’t always have to be abuse. Interestingly, he knits when he’s stressed (which is often lol).
First, the alphas. These men are enamored with Josie. They’re obsessed with her and never gave in to the Omega Manual, such as the constricting meal plan. They also never gave up on Josie, which says a lot because she was SO FRUSTRATING.
As I said previously, Josie is overweight. She makes it her entire personality and, just when you think she’s accepted herself, ends up doing or thinking something that sets her back. The constant self shaming was exhausting and took me out of the story multiple times. Towards the end of the story one of her alphas brings up the topic of therapy, offering her the option to go and get professional help. Unsurprisingly, Josie turns it down. Let’s just say her alphas had a lot more patience than I would have, because I would’ve cut my losses way early on.
This book was a solid 3 stars for me until the end. That end scene brought it up to a four with how strong it was!
This is not a fluffy, sugary sweet story. Omegas are without rights, betas are the forgotten members of society, and alphas are controlling bc domineering. This story is angsty and, at times, I had to stop reading because the themes were too heavy for me.
As far as characters are concerned, our main FMC is Josie. Josie is an overweight omega whose heat is quickly approaching, meaning she needs to find a pack. Josie’s parents absolutely despise her and have treated her horribly, and it’s no surprise that her alpha fathers sit on the board who decide what rights omegas have. Against their wishes, Josie chooses an alpha pack that are not on the father’s payroll.
The alphas that Josie picks are Ben, Theo and Cam. Ben is outgoing, exuberant, and loves to bake. Theo is the surly alpha who moved from London to a very traditional alpha compound (think Handmaids tale). He harbors a lot of guilt from the way he was forced to treat omegas. In my opinion, he’s quick to anger but he’s very soft towards Josie. The last alpha is Cam. Cam, too, came from a traditional compound and has a lot of anger towards his parents and what they allowed to happen to his younger sister. Cam was put into some horrible situations by his alpha fathers, who insisted he become a man and a dominating alpha. Eventually, Cam was convinced by a friend to try a BDSM club, where he could learn that power doesn’t always have to be abuse. Interestingly, he knits when he’s stressed (which is often lol).
First, the alphas. These men are enamored with Josie. They’re obsessed with her and never gave in to the Omega Manual, such as the constricting meal plan. They also never gave up on Josie, which says a lot because she was SO FRUSTRATING.
As I said previously, Josie is overweight. She makes it her entire personality and, just when you think she’s accepted herself, ends up doing or thinking something that sets her back. The constant self shaming was exhausting and took me out of the story multiple times. Towards the end of the story one of her alphas brings up the topic of therapy, offering her the option to go and get professional help. Unsurprisingly, Josie turns it down. Let’s just say her alphas had a lot more patience than I would have, because I would’ve cut my losses way early on.
This book was a solid 3 stars for me until the end. That end scene brought it up to a four with how strong it was!
September 8, 2023
quick thoughts:
- I'm fine with a needy omega, but a whiny one...
- alphas all end up sounding the same, so if you didn't tell me whose POV chapter it is, I couldn't tell the difference lol
- one has a dick piercing though eheheh
- external plot takes a major backseat throughout the book
- the government in this world sucks
- love the praise, words of affirmation, and dedication the alphas had for their omega.
- wish it was a bit more concise but still solid.
- ends in a bit of a cliffhanger
Rating 3.5 rounded up to 4 stars.
- I'm fine with a needy omega, but a whiny one...
- alphas all end up sounding the same, so if you didn't tell me whose POV chapter it is, I couldn't tell the difference lol
- one has a dick piercing though eheheh
- external plot takes a major backseat throughout the book
- the government in this world sucks
- love the praise, words of affirmation, and dedication the alphas had for their omega.
- wish it was a bit more concise but still solid.
- ends in a bit of a cliffhanger
Rating 3.5 rounded up to 4 stars.
January 7, 2024
I'm obsessed with Pack Ashwood. These alphas are so sweet and caring on Josie. Like I'm loving all the cuddling and nesting and everything with this omegaverse. But wowowow, that cliffhanger had me gasping! Off to read part two!!
January 10, 2024
DNF @ 79%
Let's talk about my issues with this book. To start, did you know the FMC is fat? 🤯 If you somehow didn't get a concussion from how hard we were beat over the head with the "she's fat" club, I'm envious of your ability to ignore repetitive and contrived writing. Every other page (or maybe even paragraph) references her body somehow, mostly in a negative way (unless it's one of her men praising her and telling her she's beautiful). Which she refuses to believe and even gets unfairly jealous (and tries to end the relationship) around the 80% mark when a former-fling is dissing her in the bathroom and she freaks out and regresses to "I'm not pretty enough for him." Cry me a fucking river and get over yourself.
Then, let's get into the character art. I went to the author's instagram to see what she thinks this fat FMC looks like. And there's ONE art of the FMC actually being fat. The others (commissioned or otherwise, she's still sponsoring them on her page), show the FMC as barely midsize despite the FMC constantly talking about her round stomach, her fat rolls, and how generally unattractive she is because she's fat. I'm sorry, if you're going to trauma-dump about how "fat" this FMC is and advocate for a self-love journey (which is what I'm assuming and hoping for but won't be sticking around to find out) - at least support/commission art that is accurate. And from what I can tell, the author is not plus size (though maybe she went through a weight loss so I'm really just speculating at this point, take this next part with a grain of salt), so it's frustrating how deeply she infused fatphobia and insecurities over the FMCs body. Yes, body dysmorphia is VALID, but that's typically internal and when every other character in the story is talking about your body and how disgustingly fat you are and how you need to diet and exercise, that's indicative of a larger body, NOT a smaller or even midsize body. UGH. Being fat and being beautiful are not mutually exclusive so stop shoving that bullshit down our throats.
And despite this book being over 400 pages, she's still working through all this negative self-talk about how fat she is. You literally cannot read a single conversation without her weight being mentioned and not a singular encounter with a stranger/family that doesn't lead back to her weight at any point in time. I'm genuinely hoping the author has written this to be a journey for self-love and acceptance, but like I said before, I won't be sticking around to find out. Fuck this book.
Let's talk about my issues with this book. To start, did you know the FMC is fat? 🤯 If you somehow didn't get a concussion from how hard we were beat over the head with the "she's fat" club, I'm envious of your ability to ignore repetitive and contrived writing. Every other page (or maybe even paragraph) references her body somehow, mostly in a negative way (unless it's one of her men praising her and telling her she's beautiful). Which she refuses to believe and even gets unfairly jealous (and tries to end the relationship) around the 80% mark when a former-fling is dissing her in the bathroom and she freaks out and regresses to "I'm not pretty enough for him." Cry me a fucking river and get over yourself.
Then, let's get into the character art. I went to the author's instagram to see what she thinks this fat FMC looks like. And there's ONE art of the FMC actually being fat. The others (commissioned or otherwise, she's still sponsoring them on her page), show the FMC as barely midsize despite the FMC constantly talking about her round stomach, her fat rolls, and how generally unattractive she is because she's fat. I'm sorry, if you're going to trauma-dump about how "fat" this FMC is and advocate for a self-love journey (which is what I'm assuming and hoping for but won't be sticking around to find out) - at least support/commission art that is accurate. And from what I can tell, the author is not plus size (though maybe she went through a weight loss so I'm really just speculating at this point, take this next part with a grain of salt), so it's frustrating how deeply she infused fatphobia and insecurities over the FMCs body. Yes, body dysmorphia is VALID, but that's typically internal and when every other character in the story is talking about your body and how disgustingly fat you are and how you need to diet and exercise, that's indicative of a larger body, NOT a smaller or even midsize body. UGH. Being fat and being beautiful are not mutually exclusive so stop shoving that bullshit down our throats.
And despite this book being over 400 pages, she's still working through all this negative self-talk about how fat she is. You literally cannot read a single conversation without her weight being mentioned and not a singular encounter with a stranger/family that doesn't lead back to her weight at any point in time. I'm genuinely hoping the author has written this to be a journey for self-love and acceptance, but like I said before, I won't be sticking around to find out. Fuck this book.
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