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Different Dynamics #1
Different Dynamics
Richard doesn’t mind being an omega; all he cares about is playing good hockey, even though it means ignoring the media that tries to rip him apart for it. They don’t think omegas should be allowed on the ice, but he gets along fine. He’s team captain. He can play with the best of them.
The one sticking point is his heats; Richard might be on suppressants, but he’s one of the unlucky ones who still gets a heat every four months or so. They suck to deal with, especially alone, but seeking out a heat partner isn’t an option. The PR nightmare alone keeps him from any kind of hook-up. He can’t risk it. Hockey is all he’s got.
When Richard’s heat comes early while his team is on a roadie, teammate and best friend James helps him out of a bad situation. Tired of hurting, Richard decides it’s better not to go it alone. And James is safe and warm; he’s a great alpha who knows just what Richard needs. When Richard also imprints on big, bad rival player, Dmitry Sokolov? There’s sweet comfort in a three-way with lots of knotting and dirty talk.
Richard might be on cloud nine.
Different Dynamics is a non-shifter A/B/O with an HFN.
The one sticking point is his heats; Richard might be on suppressants, but he’s one of the unlucky ones who still gets a heat every four months or so. They suck to deal with, especially alone, but seeking out a heat partner isn’t an option. The PR nightmare alone keeps him from any kind of hook-up. He can’t risk it. Hockey is all he’s got.
When Richard’s heat comes early while his team is on a roadie, teammate and best friend James helps him out of a bad situation. Tired of hurting, Richard decides it’s better not to go it alone. And James is safe and warm; he’s a great alpha who knows just what Richard needs. When Richard also imprints on big, bad rival player, Dmitry Sokolov? There’s sweet comfort in a three-way with lots of knotting and dirty talk.
Richard might be on cloud nine.
Different Dynamics is a non-shifter A/B/O with an HFN.
63 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 26, 2017
1 person is currently reading
55 people want to read
About the author
Tamir Drake
2 books3 followersTamir has the tendency to write feelings into everything, no matter how filthy. He’s not all that sorry about it.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews
December 30, 2019
4 Heat Induced Hearts
Sadly, I haven't read an ABO in a long time, and when I saw the chance for one with hockey players plus KNOTTING, I was all sorts of hell yeah.
Poor Richard. He’s an omega, and he’s basically under a lot of self imposed stress and pressure to not let his biology interfere with being a good hockey player as well as a great captain to his team. Richard goes above and beyond to not be a stereotypical omega, having gone so far as to have had a heat regulator implanted, in addition to taking heat suppressants, applying odor eliminators, and chugging down libido inhibitors, just so he won’t be a burden to his teammates. What he doesn’t realize is that all this denial of his natural rhythms is sure to backfire (it actually kind of becomes a running joke on how much he doesn’t know). Luckily, his bff is an alpha, and James is at the ready to be whatever he needs.
This really portrayed the ABO dynamic in all its squirm inducing glory. It showcased the uncontrollable urges and instincts, how much the pheromones were hard to resist, just how needy an omega can get and in turn, just how protective and caring an alpha can be. I admit that this isn’t for everyone and there are ABO stories out there that gloss over such, but this one didn’t. I actually enjoyed the addition of Dmitry (even though mmm+ is typically not my thing), because a gentle giant is my kryptonite, and his presence was the extra icing on the cake! Mmmmmmmhhh...
In the grand scheme of things, this is not an out of this world, phenomenal romance, but I’m biased when it comes to this trope, and this was a good representation of that, delivering exactly on what I like. Perhaps as a warning, this ended a bit abruptly and didn’t have any love proclamations. It definitely could’ve used some more smexy details and KNOTTING goodness, but overall, I am one happy reader! More please.
Thanks to the author/publisher for a copy in exchange for a honest review
Sadly, I haven't read an ABO in a long time, and when I saw the chance for one with hockey players plus KNOTTING, I was all sorts of hell yeah.
Poor Richard. He’s an omega, and he’s basically under a lot of self imposed stress and pressure to not let his biology interfere with being a good hockey player as well as a great captain to his team. Richard goes above and beyond to not be a stereotypical omega, having gone so far as to have had a heat regulator implanted, in addition to taking heat suppressants, applying odor eliminators, and chugging down libido inhibitors, just so he won’t be a burden to his teammates. What he doesn’t realize is that all this denial of his natural rhythms is sure to backfire (it actually kind of becomes a running joke on how much he doesn’t know). Luckily, his bff is an alpha, and James is at the ready to be whatever he needs.
This really portrayed the ABO dynamic in all its squirm inducing glory. It showcased the uncontrollable urges and instincts, how much the pheromones were hard to resist, just how needy an omega can get and in turn, just how protective and caring an alpha can be. I admit that this isn’t for everyone and there are ABO stories out there that gloss over such, but this one didn’t. I actually enjoyed the addition of Dmitry (even though mmm+ is typically not my thing), because a gentle giant is my kryptonite, and his presence was the extra icing on the cake! Mmmmmmmhhh...
In the grand scheme of things, this is not an out of this world, phenomenal romance, but I’m biased when it comes to this trope, and this was a good representation of that, delivering exactly on what I like. Perhaps as a warning, this ended a bit abruptly and didn’t have any love proclamations. It definitely could’ve used some more smexy details and KNOTTING goodness, but overall, I am one happy reader! More please.
Thanks to the author/publisher for a copy in exchange for a honest review
July 31, 2017
While I really liked this, I can’t give it more than 3 stars, because I was expecting a romance, a HEA or at least a HFN, but we got neither of those things.
If you want to read some hot (but also very sweet) omega/alpha MMM knotting, read this. If you want romance, I would skip this.
If you want to read some hot (but also very sweet) omega/alpha MMM knotting, read this. If you want romance, I would skip this.
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July 6, 2017No rating
So ummm. Yeah, somebody dropped the ball big time on this. Umm with you have A/B/O stories they usually are in the world, and feature a PNR aspect somewhere. Anywhere, anywhere. I mean that. I don't know what in the crackerjack is going on in this world. There was no rhyme or rhythm to the story. Nothing made sense at tall. Richard being this old and not knowing the basic omega function is laughable. I did not enjoy this at all. We see by the lack of rating, but I decided to continue. I couldn't help but realize the author made the Omega's heat very very similar to a women's menstrual cycle. I don't know if it was done purposeful or not, but I'm laughing at the thought of a hockey player who wears briefs and uses industrial pads for his slick! Its a many jokes in that in itself. This was very convoluted as well. James & Dmitry's participation was nice, but we didn't get to see it!!! What was the point of this story, it finished abruptly and feel like it was in the middle of the book instead of the end. In my opinion it was a waste of printing. No substance, no sense, no complete understanding of the trope obviously. I mean, who can't get shifter smut right? Apparently this author.
So ummm. Yeah, somebody dropped the ball big time on this. Umm with you have A/B/O stories they usually are in the world, and feature a PNR aspect somewhere. Anywhere, anywhere. I mean that. I don't know what in the crackerjack is going on in this world. There was no rhyme or rhythm to the story. Nothing made sense at tall. Richard being this old and not knowing the basic omega function is laughable. I did not enjoy this at all. We see by the lack of rating, but I decided to continue. I couldn't help but realize the author made the Omega's heat very very similar to a women's menstrual cycle. I don't know if it was done purposeful or not, but I'm laughing at the thought of a hockey player who wears briefs and uses industrial pads for his slick! Its a many jokes in that in itself. This was very convoluted as well. James & Dmitry's participation was nice, but we didn't get to see it!!! What was the point of this story, it finished abruptly and feel like it was in the middle of the book instead of the end. In my opinion it was a waste of printing. No substance, no sense, no complete understanding of the trope obviously. I mean, who can't get shifter smut right? Apparently this author.
July 24, 2017
Review also posted on the blog
I requested this one from NineStar Press because I saw it featured hockey and I also was in the mood for an a/b/o story. It wasn’t as good as I thought it would be.
It’s just too short and the whole thing felt too rushed. I really think this would have worked better as a novella or even a novel length story because the bones were there. It just needed a lot of fleshing out in my opinion.
Because of the length the narration felt kind of jumpy.
We never really get to know either of the characters because the story pretty much jumps from one sex scene to the next. This might be perfect for some readers, but it’s not my jam. I want to feel the connection and chemistry between the MC’s. While sex scenes can be a good tool to give the readers a sense of who the characters are, I didn’t feel like it worked in Different Dynamics. I just wanted more. More of the relationship between each of the characters, more about the characters themselves, more “every day life” and dammit, more hockey too!
The blurb makes it seem like there’s a lot of hockey in the story, but it doesn’t feature that much in the story itself.
After all the criticism though, I have to say that I still kind of liked it. It was good as a filler inbetween books because it’s really not long; but I probably wouldn’t read it again.
Trigger Warning for sexual assault at the beginning of the story.
I requested this one from NineStar Press because I saw it featured hockey and I also was in the mood for an a/b/o story. It wasn’t as good as I thought it would be.
It’s just too short and the whole thing felt too rushed. I really think this would have worked better as a novella or even a novel length story because the bones were there. It just needed a lot of fleshing out in my opinion.
Because of the length the narration felt kind of jumpy.
We never really get to know either of the characters because the story pretty much jumps from one sex scene to the next. This might be perfect for some readers, but it’s not my jam. I want to feel the connection and chemistry between the MC’s. While sex scenes can be a good tool to give the readers a sense of who the characters are, I didn’t feel like it worked in Different Dynamics. I just wanted more. More of the relationship between each of the characters, more about the characters themselves, more “every day life” and dammit, more hockey too!
The blurb makes it seem like there’s a lot of hockey in the story, but it doesn’t feature that much in the story itself.
After all the criticism though, I have to say that I still kind of liked it. It was good as a filler inbetween books because it’s really not long; but I probably wouldn’t read it again.
Trigger Warning for sexual assault at the beginning of the story.
August 21, 2018
It's been a couple of days since I finished this book and I'm still confused.
This book takes place in a world of Alpha, Beta and Omega's and guys in heat. That's all fine it could've easily been a great story.
But since it's a book taking place in a world different from ours, I expected some kind of explanation or introduction into this world within the first chapter.
I didn't get that. I actually looked up to see if this was a second or third book in a series, and maybe the introduction had been in the first book. But instead I found it was the first in a series.
I would have enjoyed this book more if I hadn't been so confused as to what was going on. It didn't help the main character seemed just as confused as me.
This book takes place in a world of Alpha, Beta and Omega's and guys in heat. That's all fine it could've easily been a great story.
But since it's a book taking place in a world different from ours, I expected some kind of explanation or introduction into this world within the first chapter.
I didn't get that. I actually looked up to see if this was a second or third book in a series, and maybe the introduction had been in the first book. But instead I found it was the first in a series.
I would have enjoyed this book more if I hadn't been so confused as to what was going on. It didn't help the main character seemed just as confused as me.
July 31, 2018
When I had requested this book, I didn't realize that it was a short. But I went into the story not letting that bother me. But then I read the book & when I finished I was like; wait, what? This was more like thoughts & part of a story that the author was thinking about writing. There was so much missing. I liked Richard, James & Dmitry. I thought they were hot together but I don't know if they really had a HEA in the end. And I don't know really much about them or their past. Okay so Richard is an Omega but is totally clueless on what an omega is. James is an Alpha & Richard's best friend but had no clue that Richard was an Omega. Then I was confused on the imprinting. There wasn't any knotting on page, talk of MPreg or really anything at all except a lot of hot sex. And the ending? It just ends. Maybe the author will take this story and turn it into a full novel, which I would eagerly read as there were a lot of promises in this book.
ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
July 12, 2017
This was a very odd book for me. I am confused by quite a bit. Knowing this was a novella, I knew there would not be a lot of plot and world building, but we get absolutely minimal. I was expecting a PNR about an Omega who plays hockey. We did get that, well sort of.
Richard plays hockey. He's an Omega and the team captain. That in itself is interesting, but we get no sense of world here. Omegas are tagged as not being able to hold up like the Alphas can, so Richard is bucking that stereotype by working hard and-with the help of inhibitors and drugs-keeping his heats to a minimum. Only they do not really work well and Richard goes into a heat early.
James is Richard's Alpha best friend and when he notices Richard isn't acting right, he finds out his secret of going into heat. He offers his help. While they are navigating Richard's heat, he unwittingly imprints on James friend Dmitry, also an Alpha, who offers his help as well. Richard is loving the help and attention from these two men and doesn't want to let them go.
This story had so many possibilities and avenues to explore. But I felt this was a side novella to a bigger story-and I hadn't read the bigger story. It was a extended mating type scene which I expected, but I would've liked a bit more about the world this took place in. We do get snippets of attraction between the guys and we do get that all are up for the action. But my biggest complaint is that Richard is tagged as an older gentleman. He surely would have had some idea about how the Omegas interact with the Alphas. He was virtually clueless.
I guess Richard, James, and Dmitry are likeable characters-at least from the standpoint of dropping everything to deal with a friend's heat. We get little else to go on. Definitely a different type of story for me.
3 Stars/3.5 Flames
This book was gifted to me by the Jeep Diva for and honest review. The review and ratings are solely my opinions.
Richard plays hockey. He's an Omega and the team captain. That in itself is interesting, but we get no sense of world here. Omegas are tagged as not being able to hold up like the Alphas can, so Richard is bucking that stereotype by working hard and-with the help of inhibitors and drugs-keeping his heats to a minimum. Only they do not really work well and Richard goes into a heat early.
James is Richard's Alpha best friend and when he notices Richard isn't acting right, he finds out his secret of going into heat. He offers his help. While they are navigating Richard's heat, he unwittingly imprints on James friend Dmitry, also an Alpha, who offers his help as well. Richard is loving the help and attention from these two men and doesn't want to let them go.
This story had so many possibilities and avenues to explore. But I felt this was a side novella to a bigger story-and I hadn't read the bigger story. It was a extended mating type scene which I expected, but I would've liked a bit more about the world this took place in. We do get snippets of attraction between the guys and we do get that all are up for the action. But my biggest complaint is that Richard is tagged as an older gentleman. He surely would have had some idea about how the Omegas interact with the Alphas. He was virtually clueless.
I guess Richard, James, and Dmitry are likeable characters-at least from the standpoint of dropping everything to deal with a friend's heat. We get little else to go on. Definitely a different type of story for me.
3 Stars/3.5 Flames
This book was gifted to me by the Jeep Diva for and honest review. The review and ratings are solely my opinions.
June 30, 2017
3.5 stars. I really liked this, but I didn't like where it ended. It needs a sequel, there is a lot more story that could be told.
August 2, 2018
3.5 Stars
This book was short but surprisingly really hot and I enjoyed it up until the end. For being a shorter book, we got a lot of information and character dynamics packed in. I really liked Richard and that he still played hockey and pushed past his reservations and everyone's preconceived notions about Omegas not being able to do “rougher” jobs. When something happens to Richard (don’t want to spoil it by saying what happens), Alpha Jason really steps up and moves their friendship into being more, but he does it the right way; making sure to communicate and verify that it’s really what Richard wants and that it’s not just him being in heat forcing the actions and emotions. And then when Alpha Dmitry enters the equation, too, this book goes from Steamy to Smoking Hot. I think when the three of them figure it all out together it’s the best part of this book. I would have really loved to see more of the three of them together. The ending was just really too abrupt for me. It was like we got to the good parts of getting Richard, Jason and Dmitry together and it just ends. I was a little disappointed by that and really hope we get another book for them.
***Copy provided to Bayou Book Junkie by the author/publisher for my reading pleasure in hopes of an unbiased opinion, a review was not a requirement.***
This book was short but surprisingly really hot and I enjoyed it up until the end. For being a shorter book, we got a lot of information and character dynamics packed in. I really liked Richard and that he still played hockey and pushed past his reservations and everyone's preconceived notions about Omegas not being able to do “rougher” jobs. When something happens to Richard (don’t want to spoil it by saying what happens), Alpha Jason really steps up and moves their friendship into being more, but he does it the right way; making sure to communicate and verify that it’s really what Richard wants and that it’s not just him being in heat forcing the actions and emotions. And then when Alpha Dmitry enters the equation, too, this book goes from Steamy to Smoking Hot. I think when the three of them figure it all out together it’s the best part of this book. I would have really loved to see more of the three of them together. The ending was just really too abrupt for me. It was like we got to the good parts of getting Richard, Jason and Dmitry together and it just ends. I was a little disappointed by that and really hope we get another book for them.
***Copy provided to Bayou Book Junkie by the author/publisher for my reading pleasure in hopes of an unbiased opinion, a review was not a requirement.***
October 2, 2018
Like several other reviewers mentioned, this book seriously lacks. First off, I had no idea how incredibly short it was when I picked it up. I'm not one for books this short because I feel there isn't enough time for decent character development and plot resolution.
Guess what?
That's exactly the case with this one.
The book all but starts off with sex, giving little to no back story. There is no history provided as to the world that these three men live in. We know things are different, but I would have loved at least a little bit of education on this part. It was all very confusing. My initial thought was that this must be a book in a series where all this is explained in the first book. I've read series like that and while it takes away from the books being able to be read as a stand alone, it can still work. However, that is not the case with this book. It's actually the FIRST in a series. So the reader is supposed to guess what's going on in their world?
The ending? Yeah... well that just blew. It abruptly ends with no explanation for the future. Very disappointing.
Guess what?
That's exactly the case with this one.
The book all but starts off with sex, giving little to no back story. There is no history provided as to the world that these three men live in. We know things are different, but I would have loved at least a little bit of education on this part. It was all very confusing. My initial thought was that this must be a book in a series where all this is explained in the first book. I've read series like that and while it takes away from the books being able to be read as a stand alone, it can still work. However, that is not the case with this book. It's actually the FIRST in a series. So the reader is supposed to guess what's going on in their world?
The ending? Yeah... well that just blew. It abruptly ends with no explanation for the future. Very disappointing.
July 27, 2018
A short story. This one is about a hockey player who is an omega and has heats.
Richard is the team captain and has kept his heats a secret from the whole hockey team. But one heat has come on unexpected.
So fellow teammate and best friend James is there to help.
There is a bunch of sex and little romance. But a good deal of friendship with the possibility of more.
Then a third is added. Will leave that to you to figure out. A fun surprise.
Overall, a hot little story. Not a lot of world building or character development. Feels kind of like a prequel. But a decent short read.
(Given a copy for an honest review) (NetGalley) (Thanks)
Richard is the team captain and has kept his heats a secret from the whole hockey team. But one heat has come on unexpected.
So fellow teammate and best friend James is there to help.
There is a bunch of sex and little romance. But a good deal of friendship with the possibility of more.
Then a third is added. Will leave that to you to figure out. A fun surprise.
Overall, a hot little story. Not a lot of world building or character development. Feels kind of like a prequel. But a decent short read.
(Given a copy for an honest review) (NetGalley) (Thanks)
July 26, 2017
3.5 Stars
I received a free copy of this book to read and review for Wicked Reads.
While there were parts of this book that were a bit... weird, I have to admit that I still enjoyed reading it. I loved Richard as he tried to keep his heat scent hidden anyway he could just because he was afraid he wouldn't be able to continue playing the sport that was his whole life. I loved that James was so tender and caring for Richard during his time of need. Dmitri was fun and added a whole other dimension to the story.
That being said, I really wish we would've had some expansion on certain aspects of the story. Like what 'slick' was and why Richard just suddenly started producing it. And OMG... it was like a period for a woman and I found that mildly disturbing. I don't understand how someone could get to Richard's age and not have any idea about the things he was so lost on. Even if he didn't know everything, I'm sure he would've learned a bit from other couples just from stories and talking. Then there is the whole imprinting thing.. Was it permanent? Was it only the one heat? I didn't quite understand how that worked. Let's just say there was a whole lot of questions I had that had they been address, the story would've been so much better.
However, taking in all the things I wish I'd had clarification on, all in all, I really did enjoy the story. I liked the sexy bits along with the friendships we saw. Seeing Richard and James turning their friendship into something more was exciting and interesting. I just wish we'd gotten a concrete answer as to what they were at the end of the story. Friends with heat benefits? More? IDK.. I was left hanging and that was a disappointment.
I received a free copy of this book to read and review for Wicked Reads.
While there were parts of this book that were a bit... weird, I have to admit that I still enjoyed reading it. I loved Richard as he tried to keep his heat scent hidden anyway he could just because he was afraid he wouldn't be able to continue playing the sport that was his whole life. I loved that James was so tender and caring for Richard during his time of need. Dmitri was fun and added a whole other dimension to the story.
That being said, I really wish we would've had some expansion on certain aspects of the story. Like what 'slick' was and why Richard just suddenly started producing it. And OMG... it was like a period for a woman and I found that mildly disturbing. I don't understand how someone could get to Richard's age and not have any idea about the things he was so lost on. Even if he didn't know everything, I'm sure he would've learned a bit from other couples just from stories and talking. Then there is the whole imprinting thing.. Was it permanent? Was it only the one heat? I didn't quite understand how that worked. Let's just say there was a whole lot of questions I had that had they been address, the story would've been so much better.
However, taking in all the things I wish I'd had clarification on, all in all, I really did enjoy the story. I liked the sexy bits along with the friendships we saw. Seeing Richard and James turning their friendship into something more was exciting and interesting. I just wish we'd gotten a concrete answer as to what they were at the end of the story. Friends with heat benefits? More? IDK.. I was left hanging and that was a disappointment.
July 25, 2017
Different Dynamics by Tamir Drake
3.5 stars
M/M/M Shifter Romance
Triggers: Attempted Rape
I was given this book for an honest review by Wicked Reads.
This is a very short read. There is not a lot of development of the characters and you really only get to see a snippet (less than seven days) of their time together.
Richard is the captain of his hockey team, but he has been hiding a major part of himself. Because he's an Omega, he has heats that he has learned to just deal with. He suffers through it, grits his teeth and continues to play through the pain. There is a terrible stigma already attached to him because of he is an Omega and he doesn't want to give his team or the league any more ammunition. However, when a heat hits him unexpectedly, he's suffering much more than he needs. When his dinner delivery goes bad, James comes to his rescue.
James is Richard's teammate and an alpha. He helps Richard through his heat and it seems is very happy to do so. His good friend, Dmitry is another alpha that Richard somehow imprints on while going through his heat. Now this is where the story gets a little muddy - is it the drugs that make him imprint on more than one alpha? Or, does this just happen?
The kindness that is in this story makes the alphas sweet and Richard is happy to soak up their attention. Richard also has to come to terms with the fact that he has alphas to actually go through heat with - he's been doing it alone for so long that he fears that once this heat is over, they will both go back and leave him.
I do wish that this story had been longer because I think it has a lot of potential.
3.5 stars
M/M/M Shifter Romance
Triggers: Attempted Rape
I was given this book for an honest review by Wicked Reads.
This is a very short read. There is not a lot of development of the characters and you really only get to see a snippet (less than seven days) of their time together.
Richard is the captain of his hockey team, but he has been hiding a major part of himself. Because he's an Omega, he has heats that he has learned to just deal with. He suffers through it, grits his teeth and continues to play through the pain. There is a terrible stigma already attached to him because of he is an Omega and he doesn't want to give his team or the league any more ammunition. However, when a heat hits him unexpectedly, he's suffering much more than he needs. When his dinner delivery goes bad, James comes to his rescue.
James is Richard's teammate and an alpha. He helps Richard through his heat and it seems is very happy to do so. His good friend, Dmitry is another alpha that Richard somehow imprints on while going through his heat. Now this is where the story gets a little muddy - is it the drugs that make him imprint on more than one alpha? Or, does this just happen?
The kindness that is in this story makes the alphas sweet and Richard is happy to soak up their attention. Richard also has to come to terms with the fact that he has alphas to actually go through heat with - he's been doing it alone for so long that he fears that once this heat is over, they will both go back and leave him.
I do wish that this story had been longer because I think it has a lot of potential.
July 6, 2017
A Joyfully Jay review.
3.5 stars
Ok, so I sort of expected this one to be kind of omega mating heat crack, and that is pretty much what we got. Sometimes I am in the mood for light, fun, and sexy and so Different Dynamics seemed worth a try from a new-to-me author. And for the most part, this delivered pretty much what I expected and was an easy, quick read.
So there is a basic plot here of Richard unexpectedly coming into his heat and his friend James, and later James’ friend Dmitry, stepping up to help. While some effort is made to build the set up for how James finds out about the heat and why he gets involved with helping Richard, once things get going we are pretty much fully into the “must have sex now” portion of the book. James and Richard are best friends, so we know James cares about him. We also get mention that there is some prior attraction among the three men. But things still move right from zero to hot and heavy without much transition. I do appreciate that it is made clear that all of these guys are into it though, not just responding to urges and pheromones that are forcing them together.
There isn’t much character development here. We are in Richard’s POV and we get a basic sense of his reluctance to share about his heat problems and why. And we know he is a hard worker and determined captain, but that is about it in terms of his character. James and Dmitry are pretty much interchangeable, honestly, aside from the fact that Dmitry speaks in heavily broken English. Both are nice, kind, and caring men who are willing to put their lives on hold to help take care of Richard. But beyond that, we learn nothing about them and mostly they are just foils for Richard’s needs.
Read Jay’s review in its entirety here.
3.5 stars
Ok, so I sort of expected this one to be kind of omega mating heat crack, and that is pretty much what we got. Sometimes I am in the mood for light, fun, and sexy and so Different Dynamics seemed worth a try from a new-to-me author. And for the most part, this delivered pretty much what I expected and was an easy, quick read.
So there is a basic plot here of Richard unexpectedly coming into his heat and his friend James, and later James’ friend Dmitry, stepping up to help. While some effort is made to build the set up for how James finds out about the heat and why he gets involved with helping Richard, once things get going we are pretty much fully into the “must have sex now” portion of the book. James and Richard are best friends, so we know James cares about him. We also get mention that there is some prior attraction among the three men. But things still move right from zero to hot and heavy without much transition. I do appreciate that it is made clear that all of these guys are into it though, not just responding to urges and pheromones that are forcing them together.
There isn’t much character development here. We are in Richard’s POV and we get a basic sense of his reluctance to share about his heat problems and why. And we know he is a hard worker and determined captain, but that is about it in terms of his character. James and Dmitry are pretty much interchangeable, honestly, aside from the fact that Dmitry speaks in heavily broken English. Both are nice, kind, and caring men who are willing to put their lives on hold to help take care of Richard. But beyond that, we learn nothing about them and mostly they are just foils for Richard’s needs.
Read Jay’s review in its entirety here.
July 30, 2018
This review first appeared on the blog Ally's Appraisals: https://wp.me/p37L0Q-Zc.
My Thoughts: Short, punchy, and a sexy little read, Different Dynamics is an erotic roller coaster. For the length of the novelette, I found myself immersed pretty quickly in the world and the characters.
If you haven’t read or even heard of the A/B/O universe, then you are in for an interesting read. The book is pretty descriptive in regards to definitions and distinctions between the dynamics, and you should find yourself easily following along.
I really enjoyed the three characters in this novelette, they all really endeared themselves to me at separate times throughout the book.
*Richard is incredibly dedicated to his hockey team and the fact that he is an omega playing at a professional level. It was heartbreaking to see his self doubt and concept of his worthiness, it was really nice to this challenged by his interactions with James and Dmitry.
*James was really lovely in how he treated Richard and how he respected Richards wishes, all the while supporting him in any way he could. Also his easy acceptance of Dmitry made him such a chill but caring character.
*Dmitry, while introduced fairly late in the novel, makes no less of an impression. With his Russian accent and shy hesitance in dealing with James and Richard, he makes a surprising sweet addition to the novelette.
I really enjoyed the relationship between the three characters, the hesitance and almost shy admission of feelings between them had me smiling at the very end. Since the book is quite small, I found myself waning to find out more about these characters!
If you’re looking for a quick sexy read, I would really recommend Different Dynamics – it will draw you in for the smut but keep you reading for the characters.
Please note: I received a copy of Different Dynamics from NetGalley.
My Thoughts: Short, punchy, and a sexy little read, Different Dynamics is an erotic roller coaster. For the length of the novelette, I found myself immersed pretty quickly in the world and the characters.
If you haven’t read or even heard of the A/B/O universe, then you are in for an interesting read. The book is pretty descriptive in regards to definitions and distinctions between the dynamics, and you should find yourself easily following along.
I really enjoyed the three characters in this novelette, they all really endeared themselves to me at separate times throughout the book.
*Richard is incredibly dedicated to his hockey team and the fact that he is an omega playing at a professional level. It was heartbreaking to see his self doubt and concept of his worthiness, it was really nice to this challenged by his interactions with James and Dmitry.
*James was really lovely in how he treated Richard and how he respected Richards wishes, all the while supporting him in any way he could. Also his easy acceptance of Dmitry made him such a chill but caring character.
*Dmitry, while introduced fairly late in the novel, makes no less of an impression. With his Russian accent and shy hesitance in dealing with James and Richard, he makes a surprising sweet addition to the novelette.
I really enjoyed the relationship between the three characters, the hesitance and almost shy admission of feelings between them had me smiling at the very end. Since the book is quite small, I found myself waning to find out more about these characters!
If you’re looking for a quick sexy read, I would really recommend Different Dynamics – it will draw you in for the smut but keep you reading for the characters.
Please note: I received a copy of Different Dynamics from NetGalley.
August 6, 2017
Book & Author: Different Dynamics by Tamir Drake
Rating: 3 stars
I went into reading this excited to not only be reading a new to me author but a story set in A/B/O alternate universe. I’ve read that type before and have loved most of them.
What I got wasn’t quite what I wanted. Yes, it is a novella, so I wasn’t expecting extensive world building and a completely fleshed out plot line, BUT I was expecting a purpose. I didn’t get one. Yeah, there were talks of heats and the drugs Richard take to prevent them from happening so he could live the life he wanted as the team captain on his hockey team, but that’s it. James, his alpha best friend, and teammate was more than willing to step up to help. Richard had never taken help in efforts to keep his heats hidden.
Does he want more from James than friendship and sex? James seemed to maybe have some sort of feelings for him at certain points, but it was never clear. Dimitry stepped up when Richard imprinted on him but why? What did that gain to the story other than a hot sex scene? What were the purposes to Richard’s heat? Since no pregnancy was mentioned, I imagine it wasn’t that.
The sex was steamy and hot, and Richard was a little more of a built on character than James and Dimitry, but I did get a sense that both guys were good and nice and just wanted to be there for Richard. But what I didn’t get was the purpose of the story. The ending wasn’t much of one. It was abrupt and confusing. And I wouldn’t consider it a HFN because there was no romance, just sex.
I hope there is at least a sequel that can help clear of some of the lingering questions and maybe give these guys a HEA.
If you want a light, sexy omega book this one fits that bill.
*I received a copy of this book through http://diversereader.blogspot.com/*
Rating: 3 stars
I went into reading this excited to not only be reading a new to me author but a story set in A/B/O alternate universe. I’ve read that type before and have loved most of them.
What I got wasn’t quite what I wanted. Yes, it is a novella, so I wasn’t expecting extensive world building and a completely fleshed out plot line, BUT I was expecting a purpose. I didn’t get one. Yeah, there were talks of heats and the drugs Richard take to prevent them from happening so he could live the life he wanted as the team captain on his hockey team, but that’s it. James, his alpha best friend, and teammate was more than willing to step up to help. Richard had never taken help in efforts to keep his heats hidden.
Does he want more from James than friendship and sex? James seemed to maybe have some sort of feelings for him at certain points, but it was never clear. Dimitry stepped up when Richard imprinted on him but why? What did that gain to the story other than a hot sex scene? What were the purposes to Richard’s heat? Since no pregnancy was mentioned, I imagine it wasn’t that.
The sex was steamy and hot, and Richard was a little more of a built on character than James and Dimitry, but I did get a sense that both guys were good and nice and just wanted to be there for Richard. But what I didn’t get was the purpose of the story. The ending wasn’t much of one. It was abrupt and confusing. And I wouldn’t consider it a HFN because there was no romance, just sex.
I hope there is at least a sequel that can help clear of some of the lingering questions and maybe give these guys a HEA.
If you want a light, sexy omega book this one fits that bill.
*I received a copy of this book through http://diversereader.blogspot.com/*
July 19, 2017
Richard Packer is an omega hockey player (the first and only) on the road with his teammates to play a game when the starting stages of his heat hits him early. Thankfully he has his emergency pheromone blockers to help. It doesn't fully hit him until the game finishes up. He plans for a quiet night in with room service, hiding himself away from his teammates. Half of whom are alphas. But his night in doesn't go as planned and James, Richard's teammate and best friend ends up helping him. With the help of James, Richard's heat is more bearable. But other side effects present themselves and Dmitry Sokolov, another hockey player from another team, ends up also helping Richard through his heat.
I liked the premise. Getting to know Richard and learning about alphas, omegas and heat were all fascinating. I enjoyed what there was of the world and character building. I really wished it had been longer and readers could have gotten a more definitive plan of action/promise of a future from all the characters about their relationship. What was presented was too open-ended for me.
I'm not usually a fan of menages and have certain criterias for such books i have read/(ing) Different Dynamics was a book I didn't mind seeing some MMM in. In fact once it presented itself I started wishing there was more. The characters were all very likable and as I said before I wish this story had been longer just so we could a more developed relationship among the three characters.
The only issue I saw that bothered me was that James didn't have a last name. Richard and Dmitry both do but James is the odd man out. It bugged me and I kept thinking that was pretty inconsistent.
A review copy was provided to me in exchange for an honest review
August 16, 2018
Different Dynamics follows omega hockey player, Richard, who accidentally goes into heat when there are complications with his suppressants. His teammate, James, who is also an alpha, ends up helping him fight off an attack by a random alpha who works at the hotel they are staying at. The two end up back in James’s room and “dealing” with Richard’s heat. Then, through a turn of events, a rival hockey player, Dmitry, another alpha, gets into the mix when Richard imprints on him as well….
I will say this for Different Dynamics, it did take a risk changing the dynamics that are usually associated with relationships of alpha’s and omega’s. Which is something that should be recognized by readers. It is easy to fall into the formula of alpha helps omega and they fall in love. With Different Dynamics, the love really doesn’t come into play. Yes, they get each other off, but there is only the barest hint of a relationship for the future between these guys, and even then, it is a relationship based on helping each other through Richard’s future heats…. Some people may enjoy that setup, but because it was so unconventional, , I couldn’t connect to the characters themselves.
This entire novella was just a snapshot moment in their lives and had no serious stake in their lives and so I couldn’t develop any emotional investment to what would later happen to them.
Then there was the reasoning behind why Dmitry suddenly needed to become a part of helping Richard through his heats. I thought the reasoning to be pretty flimsy and had no backing through any type of character development. There was no evidence to substantiate the claim that it was necessary that Dmitry be there, and the only reason given was “Oh you should have learned this in omega school, Richard. Everyone knows this….” It was a cop-out.
Overall, I enjoyed reading the different perspective that Different Dynamics gave to the alpha/omega trope. However, the lacking character development kept me from fully connecting to the characters and what they were going through. Tamir Drake’s writing style was fluid enough that I would read another book of his in the future.
I will say this for Different Dynamics, it did take a risk changing the dynamics that are usually associated with relationships of alpha’s and omega’s. Which is something that should be recognized by readers. It is easy to fall into the formula of alpha helps omega and they fall in love. With Different Dynamics, the love really doesn’t come into play. Yes, they get each other off, but there is only the barest hint of a relationship for the future between these guys, and even then, it is a relationship based on helping each other through Richard’s future heats…. Some people may enjoy that setup, but because it was so unconventional, , I couldn’t connect to the characters themselves.
This entire novella was just a snapshot moment in their lives and had no serious stake in their lives and so I couldn’t develop any emotional investment to what would later happen to them.
Then there was the reasoning behind why Dmitry suddenly needed to become a part of helping Richard through his heats. I thought the reasoning to be pretty flimsy and had no backing through any type of character development. There was no evidence to substantiate the claim that it was necessary that Dmitry be there, and the only reason given was “Oh you should have learned this in omega school, Richard. Everyone knows this….” It was a cop-out.
Overall, I enjoyed reading the different perspective that Different Dynamics gave to the alpha/omega trope. However, the lacking character development kept me from fully connecting to the characters and what they were going through. Tamir Drake’s writing style was fluid enough that I would read another book of his in the future.
July 13, 2017
Different Dynamics was a really short read, under 100 pages. With the shortness of the book, there wasn’t much time for the characters and the world to be flushed-out. The main character is Richard, an omega and hockey player. Apparently this world consists of alphas and omegas and omegas go into heat once a month. This happens to Richard while away from home and his teammate James offers to help him deal with it. Most of the book focuses on Richard and James having sex, later adding in James’ friend Dmitry. Richard also spends a lot of time bemoaning his omega status, which it turns out he wasn’t really educated on. Honestly, I spent most of the book very confused. Towards the end, I even starting wondering if there were any women in this world. I couldn’t remember if there was mention of any. I think the best part of the book was how steamy the sex scenes were. It started with Richard and James but later James’ friend Dmitry joined in. There was also mentions of knotting which wasn’t really explained during the sex scenes. While the steaminess was a plus, there wasn’t much time to develop a relationship between Richard and James, let alone Richard, James, and Dmitry. For the most part, I just felt confused reading this book.
August 12, 2018
I was expecting a lot more from this than what I actually got. Richard is an Omega hockey player who experiences an unplanned heat on the road. His teammate James, steps in and helps him through it. I liked the team mate stepping up, protecting not only his captain but his friend. Then he expectantly imprints on Dmitry (James's friend and team rival). The threesome works extremely well together. I just wish there was so much more to this. I feel like I got a sample of a much bigger story. The possibilities for this were endless and I feel like there needs to be much more to make this story complete. I liked what I read, I just wanted there to be so much more to the story.
July 31, 2018
I was given this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Honestly, I didn't understand most of this book. It seemed like I came in at the middle. Nothing was explained. Relationships just became what was necessary to make the book continue on. The sentence structure was choppy. There were times I thought I missed a page.
I feel like I want to like it more than I did because there was a small frayed thread in there of hope that it would turn out to be great afterall, but it just abruptly ended. Weird.
Honestly, I didn't understand most of this book. It seemed like I came in at the middle. Nothing was explained. Relationships just became what was necessary to make the book continue on. The sentence structure was choppy. There were times I thought I missed a page.
I feel like I want to like it more than I did because there was a small frayed thread in there of hope that it would turn out to be great afterall, but it just abruptly ended. Weird.
July 26, 2018
Recieved from Netgalley. Short and sweet, loaded with smut. Warning does contain attempted assault. I like how this one focuses on the caring side and not the claiming. James and D go out of their way to help Richard in every way possible. I liked how quickly it gets into the story and doesn’t linger on the press side of things. Smooth flowing and a nice wrap up.
August 8, 2018
This was an ok story but it was just like any other Omega story.
I received this from Netgalley and I thought this would be a really well developed Omega story because it is published by Nine Star Press. It was ok, but I was expecting much more. It was an ok read if you like Omega stories, and a good book to slot between longer reads.
Copy provided by Nine Star Press via Netgalley.
I received this from Netgalley and I thought this would be a really well developed Omega story because it is published by Nine Star Press. It was ok, but I was expecting much more. It was an ok read if you like Omega stories, and a good book to slot between longer reads.
Copy provided by Nine Star Press via Netgalley.
August 13, 2018
Richard is an omega most believe omegas shouldn’t even believe they should be playing the sport but Richard loves it. While on the road he goes into heat early and his friend James helps him through the heat. Dmitry is a friend of James and agrees to help Richard as well. This is a fast-paced hot and steamy read. I liked the characters just wish it was longer.
July 4, 2017
I admit to be a bit confused about this novella. Heck, I'm a lot confused, to be precise! Given the blurb, I was expecting a paranormal story such as an omega shifter or something. But, I don't know, perhaps I'm just not too familiar with A/B/O stories. The story was set in AU America, that much I grasped, but no mention of paranormal setting whatsoever.
That an Omega could be a captain of a hockey team filled with Alphas was not something that I expected (I thought Alpha supposed to be a leader? Huh). It would be interesting had this aspect been more explored. Alas, I seemed to miss the background of the story. It kinda started at a run and left too many clues behind for me to follow.
In fact, to me it felt like a snippet of a more complete story. A hot and steamy snippet, with the amount of sexual activities between characters spread across the pages. Just like the opening, the ending didn't feel conclusive and sort of just ...hanging there.
I couldn't say whether Richard, James or Dmitry were likable enough characters as I didn't get to know them enough other than their prowess in dealing with the heat situation. Clearly, this is not a favorable introduction to a new-to-me author, but it's an interesting experience to say the least.
Advanced copy of this book is kindly provided by the author/publisher in exchange for an honest review.
That an Omega could be a captain of a hockey team filled with Alphas was not something that I expected (I thought Alpha supposed to be a leader? Huh). It would be interesting had this aspect been more explored. Alas, I seemed to miss the background of the story. It kinda started at a run and left too many clues behind for me to follow.
In fact, to me it felt like a snippet of a more complete story. A hot and steamy snippet, with the amount of sexual activities between characters spread across the pages. Just like the opening, the ending didn't feel conclusive and sort of just ...hanging there.
I couldn't say whether Richard, James or Dmitry were likable enough characters as I didn't get to know them enough other than their prowess in dealing with the heat situation. Clearly, this is not a favorable introduction to a new-to-me author, but it's an interesting experience to say the least.
Advanced copy of this book is kindly provided by the author/publisher in exchange for an honest review.
October 25, 2018
I enjoyed this book it is the first I have read by the author and had the right amount of story and steam to make a good novella. I enjoy a good Alpha/omega read and this one did not disappoint I will be checking out more from Tamir in the future
April 19, 2020
I loved this book. It was so sweet and caring while not missing the right amount of spice. I would have loved to know more about what happens to Richard and James. And Dmitri. But the two best friends and team buddies really captured my heart.
July 31, 2018
Still trying to figure out what to write for a review....
July 18, 2017
A Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words Review An Alisa Review:
Rating: 4.25 stars out of 5
I really liked this story. Considering Richard is an omega he knows next to nothing about his own biology other than the fact that he still gets heats even with the suppressants. He has never had anyone to help him through his heats before and isn’t sure what to do about how he is feeling but with James and then also Dmitry they are able to take care of him.
Richard has always had to keep his guard up and protect himself from the nay sayers, but watching him finally have the opportunity to give up his control and let James and Dmitry take care and protect him was wonderful. This story is told from Richard’s viewpoint so we can see his confusion and helplessness when it comes to how this heat reacts to his medicine and hormones. James and Dmitry make it clear that they want to be there for Richard in the future in which Richard is hopeful for, but there is mention about both of them having to be there for heats and Dmitry doesn’t live near Richard and James. I’m not sure if it can change by heat or if he will continue to need both of them if they continue their relationship.
Cover art by Natasha Snow is great and gives us a great visual of Richard.
Rating: 4.25 stars out of 5
I really liked this story. Considering Richard is an omega he knows next to nothing about his own biology other than the fact that he still gets heats even with the suppressants. He has never had anyone to help him through his heats before and isn’t sure what to do about how he is feeling but with James and then also Dmitry they are able to take care of him.
Richard has always had to keep his guard up and protect himself from the nay sayers, but watching him finally have the opportunity to give up his control and let James and Dmitry take care and protect him was wonderful. This story is told from Richard’s viewpoint so we can see his confusion and helplessness when it comes to how this heat reacts to his medicine and hormones. James and Dmitry make it clear that they want to be there for Richard in the future in which Richard is hopeful for, but there is mention about both of them having to be there for heats and Dmitry doesn’t live near Richard and James. I’m not sure if it can change by heat or if he will continue to need both of them if they continue their relationship.
Cover art by Natasha Snow is great and gives us a great visual of Richard.
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