Slow Heat (Heat of Love Book 1)

As mentioned elsewhere, I don't venture into the ABO-verse often (I don't care for shifter tales, but happily no element of that here), but I'm so glad I read this! Leta writes stories that ring true emotionally, and this tale was no exception. I loved the developing (and passionate) relationship between older omega Vale and baby alpha Jason. Intricate world building & family structure. Well-developed and interesting side characters. My heart broke a little for Xan and his impossible position in that society. Maybe we'll get to see his story in another book?

This book started off with a bang and never stopped. Vale and Jason were a sweet couple but they had some sad issues to overcome. While there was a difference in age I think Jason needed that maturity that Vale brought to their love and Vale needed Jason's youthfulness. There was plenty of sexy going on and a very tender love. This book was full of great friends and family and I'm hoping that Zan will get a great love of his own. Wonderful world building on Ms. Blake's new book. Thank you.

I wanted this book to be deeper than the standard alpha omega, may-december stories that litter this genre and I was happy when it did just that! There were so many interesting concepts and storylines it was difficult to pick the best one but they were all well flushed out and the characters so developed that you didn't have to. It was more than the insta love, everything comes together, these characters really worked for their hea's and it was fun going along for the ride.

I've read May-December romances, and Alpha-Omega, but never one combined like this. Jason was endearing as the "baby alpha," and I'd love to get a glimpse into his future as he comes even more into his own. This book was enjoyable, though it spent a little more time on the politics and laws of their Alpha-Omega world than I cared for, though a certain amount was needed to understand the conflicts in the story. I'm hoping to see a future book featuring Xan!

This book was my introduction to this genre of Alpha/Omega stories. I picked it up on the recommendation of a friend. As introductions go, it was a good one. I will have to explore more in this genre. The author does a wonderful job establishing a plot and a series of detailed emotional connections in what otherwise could have just been a steamy way to pass the time. I genuinely came to like and root for the people in this book, and their love story.

This was my first foray into this authors world and I was pleasantly surprised to read a different take on the Alpha/Omega stories that I’m used to, it was quite interesting. Th characters were written well and there was a happy ending which is always a plus, definitely going to check out other works by the author.

WOW. This was a completely different ABO verse and had some major sexual tension. This was lengthy enough to explain the universe and some really great secondary characters. Age gap is large for the society - and lots of struggles with being good enough for your mate -- there is here an ability to control some urges and both A and O can take a suppressant for behavior or heat.

This book was so touching. Usually, overdone angst wears me out. But Vale and Jason's story was a perfect blend of heart wrenching episodes soothed by unconditional love and devotion. A perfect balance indeed. Can't wait to read Xan's story. Poor baby deserves his HEA too!

The characters in this book was so very well thought off. All the characters draw you in. Jason and Vale fit together despite their age difference. I hope there's a book about Xan I cannot wait for his story. Five stars would recommend it to anyone. The characters will hold you within their grasp from the first word til the last.

Stars for an innovative world ? of non-shifter Alpha and Omega relations and history. Stars for a young sheltered Alpha and a much older Omega. Put that all together with talented writing and knowledgeable beta readers and readers are treated to a pleasurable read.

I really enjoyed this story, even though I've read mpreg books before that left me cold. I bought it simply because it's a Leta Blake book and I've loved everything of hers I've read.

Set in a futuristic world where there are no females, it was easy to immerse myself fully in the book as it wasn't trying to show a parallel world to our own current one, and I think it was all the better for that. The two main characters are both strong, and had their own ideas and agendas, and the supporting cast were all well-rounded and I felt as if I really knew them by the end of the book.

It's still not a genre I find myself drawn to, but I would definitely read more if Leta decides to write another story in this world.

Truly great alpha/omega book. Stayed up way too late because I couldn't put it down. The plot is wonderfully unique, which can be challenging in this genre. Loved the characters and how theirs insecurities and flaws made them so compelling. Must read for any A/O fan. Now we wait and hope for the secondary characters to get a spin-off.

I really enjoyed this book ... it just grabbed me from the beginning and I couldn't put it down. The main characters had such depth and the story line compelling and the intimate parts were super hot.
Charo

I would have liked a farther look into their future and spent more time with them after they mated. It was a nice story and was disappointed that it doesn’t seem the author is going to expand on anyone else’s story.

This was my first mpreg book and I was hesitant. But, it is Leta Blake so I trusted her! I'm so glad I did. This story was phenomenal. It grabs you from the beginning and doesn't let go. If you haven't read mpreg before, give this a try. You won't regret it!

Great book. The author did a wonderful job with the characters she presented, so much truth as one would see happen in the real world today with all the negative individuals against gay society. Wish she would actually continue the series with the characters portrayed,

I loved this may-december meets alpha-omega story. Just when I thought I had it figured out there was a twist,kudos to the author not many books accomplish that. I will definitely be reading more of her work in the future.

The opening scene is thrilling, and the world Leta Blake created is fascinating! Can't wait for some time on my own to finally finish this book, and I'll be sure to come back and add my final comments.

DNF.
Didn't really understand the point of inserting a male into a historically traditional female role. It was very dry having the world as we already know it being paraded as something 'new and different'.

Proof, that an mpreg story can be enjoyable, if and when the author writes it with utmost care and pays attention to the minutest of details.

I am in awe of how perfectly written this book is. Leta Blake created a beautiful world, where male pregnancy actually made sense to me, where women don’t exist and the hierarchy was made of alphas, betas and omegas. I absolutely loved that it mirrored the defects of our current world: alphas can’t have sexual relations with other alphas (ring a bell?); conservative views on abortion (sounds familiar?), and other tidbits that reflect on our distorted society.

There was a big age difference between Jason and Vale, but oddly it didn’t bother me, in fact I preferred it that way, this story wouldn’t have been what it was without it.

So, imagine a 19-year-old alpha barely out of diapers, who suddenly finds his omega in a 35-year-old professor. Jason was so cute and adorkable, trying to be the alpha that Vale needed, and I gotta say there wasn’t any fumbling on his part, maybe a bit of hesitancy due to not knowing how to woo a male. LoL But he managed just fine. :)

Vale had his own hang-ups about the whole situation. He figured he was past the age when he would find his mate, he gave up hope, and was actually comfortable in his life. He had an alpha who took care of him during his heats and had a great teaching job. So it was a bit of a shock when a student nearly knocked him on his ass in the middle of campus and wanted to claim him while everyone watched on.

It seemed like he wasn’t too old to be someone’s omega after all. He tried to resist the urge, but despite his fears and his past, he came to adore his baby alpha and couldn’t deny him.

*Now, let’s say there’s a gif right here, but since I couldn’t find one and didn’t actually have time to look for hours for something perfect, instead imagine this (not a direct quote):

He was clawing at his own clothes with fumbling fingers, body shaking all over. He wanted it so much. Bumping into the kitchen counter they toppled over and landed on the floor in a sprawled heap. They gazed at each other, both breathing heavily. He was sure his alpha could smell him, his need. Keening sounds left his mouth and he whimpered at the sheer look of want he saw mirrored in his alpha’s eyes. Mine. The look seemed to convey. Fingers caressing, mouth sucking, little lovebites already forming on his neck; and that tongue, he wanted that tongue deep in his mouth, he wanted to be claimed. Throwing his mate off, he turned on his hands and knees, arching his back and presenting himself, waiting to be mounted.

Don’t mind me, I’m enjoying myself here. XD

The story was a bit slow-moving (and that’s not the same as slow-burn, insta-lust is guaranteed), and I admit that at certain points I felt a bit overwhelmed by all the sex talk, condoms, pills, and babies, and all the rules; and at times it was a bit too wet and slick for my taste, if you get my meaning. It was hot, don’t get me wrong. ;P

Even though personally I couldn’t care less about marriage and babies, I still loved this book. And if I could choose, I’d probably want to be a beta, no drama for me thank you very much.

After a failed attempt to acquaint myself with this genre, my reintroduction couldn’t have gone better with this book. Highly recommended!

I have never read anything about alphas and omegas before. (Wolfsong by TJ KLune is about the ‘wolfiest’ thing I’ve done) so I went in with no preconceived ideas whatsoever.
Male pregnancy was another first. Although intrigued by the idea, I was a bit sceptical how this could work out.

Well, the five stars say it all: I LOVED it. Every little bit.

Leta Blake’s writing is more than convincing, it is downright wonderful in every way:

The world building is incredibly detailed and involved.
We are in a distant future where only men exist. To ensure the survival of the human race after the Great Death wolf genes were used to create alphas, omegas and betas who all have their particular roles to play.

The rules and regulations governing Jason and Vale’s world all have the aim to ensure reproduction is achieved. But they are ruthless and controlling, taking away alpha’s and omega’s personal rights over their own bodies. The consequences are often heart-breaking and inhuman, particularly for omegas. The issue of male pregnancy was dealt with really well!

Jason is an alpha, full of the enthusiasm of youth and ready to take on the world. He is genuine and lovely and has such a good heart, I couldn’t love him more. At only 19 he is brimming with energy and simmering sexual power and can’t wait to find his omega. (No wonder when they keep watching all those ‘educational’ videos at school! *g*)

However, when he ‘imprints’ on Vale it is clear from the beginning that theirs is not the average alpha/omega relationship. Vale is not only 15 years older (yes! age gap!) which is more than frowned upon, he’s also a professor at Jason’s school. And he is more than reluctant to throw the life he has built away for some young “wild kid”.

Leta Blake describes their budding relationship beautifully. While Jason just wants Vale and is driven to do everything to have him (and he is totally endearing in his efforts), Vale is very hesitant and cautious about the whole thing, even if they are “Erosgape” (an alpha or omega’s biologically and spiritually determined mate”) How can he sign a ‘contract’ with Jason, his “baby alpha” (that made me really grin!), when he has dark secrets that impact severely on their joining?

Above all Jason and Vale don’t really know each other. Yes, they seem to be ‘meant’ by fate and genetics, but are they really compatible? Does age not matter? Does life experience? Do interests? I adored the slow burn between them, the gradual development of real attraction and emotions, something that goes way beyond the need and sexual urge pushing them together.

Speaking of which – darn, these guys are ultimately hot. The sexual urgency between them is primal (remember: wolf genes!!!), their need overwhelming, their love making instinctive and intense. Absolutely sizzling and breath taking!

That gets me right to one more issue:
Both men have a sexual partner before they meet. Vale out of necessity and Jason is simply young and horny. The thing is that one of them does have sex with his partner after ‘imprinting’ and there have been discussions whether this was cheating.
Although it isn’t right, I do understand why it happens. Jason and Vale haven’t really met beyond the imprinting incident. They don’t know each other at that point at all and are total strangers. The MC and his partner need closure, need to say good-bye, so they can move on. And that’s exactly how this scene was written – as a very sad and poignant parting. And there is deep remorse afterwards.

But this book is more than just brilliant romance. It is thought provoking in many ways as it explores moral questions like equality of sexes, rights over your own body and whether you want to have children and same sex relationships (meaning two alphas). Please read Katerina’s amazing review for a more in depth discussion.

Leta Blake proves once again that she isn’t only a brilliant writer, but also incredibly versatile. I do hope there will be more books to come dealing with this world!

Highly recommended

I really enjoyed this story, even though I've read mpreg books before that left me cold. I bought it simply because it's a Leta Blake book and I've loved everything of hers I've read.

Set in a futuristic world where there are no females, it was easy to immerse myself fully in the book as it wasn't trying to show a parallel world to our own current one, and I think it was all the better for that. The two main characters are both strong, and had their own ideas and agendas, and the supporting cast were all well-rounded and I felt as if I really knew them by the end of the book.

It's still not a genre I find myself drawn to, but I would definitely read more if Leta decides to write another story in this world.

The story moves painfully slow. The characters are all pretty flat lacking in personality

I am not a fan of the world created. No women anymore. Wolf DNA but not shifters? Contracts?

I found myself skipping some pages but found it slightly more interesting in the second half.

I am curious about Xan so I may give the second one a read.

This book has absolutely ruined me! I've never read MPREG before, never thought I would like it. But, the blurb for this book gripped me, as well as some of my friends' suggestions. IT WAS WORTH IT! So worth it! The world was rich and so real to me that I was absorbed from the first page. The emotions were so intense that I couldn't put the book down. And, the love, no matter how it came to be, was so sweet that I want to read this book again and again. Jason made my heart melt while Vale made it ache. Bravo, Leta Blake. You opened a whole new genre to me! And I am in love.

Since discovering mpreg stories, I’ve been intrigued and when I saw that Slow Heat was also a May/December age gap romance, my interest was thoroughly piqued. While at times the book felt a bit long, it was the characters who kept my interest from wandering—and not just Jason and Vale, but the entire cast of characters.

I have to say, given his young age I found Jason to be an incredibly compassionate, intelligent young man. He truly cares for those people who are close to him, and though you might think at his age his brain would be focused on the more physical aspects of finding his destined mate he actually shows greater depth to his character by wishing to delve into Vale’s wants, needs, hopes, and likes so Jason can find out more about the man—not just treat him as someone with whom to mate. Jason shows great maturity, something that can be credited to his parents and their upbringing of him.

Vale, already in his thirties, is thrown for a giant loop when Jason imprints on him. It throws the independent life he’s carved for himself into question, and with his past he doesn’t know how Jason will react…which could turn his happy, comfortable life upside down. Vale does push back, thinking Jason would be better off with a surrogate in Vale’s place, but the pull of their bond steadily grows and that does lead Vale to flip-flop a bit on what he will do.

Their unique situation with the large gap in their ages, along with issues from Vale’s past that could complicate their relationship, and Jason’s father’s insistence on certain parts of the contract between them all contribute to a lot of tension and angst. There’s also plenty of sexual tension to add to it as Jason and Vale’s bond evolves, as it defines the meaning of slow-burn romance. There’s also the matter of Jason’s best friend Xan, as the two of them have an…interesting arrangement…and I wound up feeling so bad for Xan here (I’m SO glad to know he has his own story coming!). Vale also has his close group of friends, and they are a tremendous support to him and have been for a long time.

The world in which the story takes place is a dystopian version of our own, and there are extremely strong parallels drawn between the story’s alphas/omegas and our world’s males/females. To me, the Heat of Love series universe seems to line up to our world as it was in the 1940s or 1950s, with omegas being treated much like women were before the rights movements began, and alpha/alpha relationships like gay relationships here (can you say “blatant homophobia”?). I would like to have gotten a more thorough background of how their world became as it was, since before their “Great Death” there were females in that world.

With no shortage of drama, and with emotions running high for most of the book, Slow Heat was an engaging read and a solid 4-star read for me. Fans of mpreg M/M romance will definitely want to check this one out! This story is meant for readers 18+ for adult language and sexual content.

The narration: Michael Ferraiuolo did a fantastic job narrating this story. With unique voices that easily captured the personalities of the characters combined with intoning just the right emotions to match the story, I found that the audio version didn’t feel as long as the ebook version did—because I was that caught up in the story while listening. I’ve already listened to it twice, and am giving the narration 5 stars!