scijessreads

So, as a reader, I have always been pretty open about my preferences. Yes, fantasy and science fiction tend to be my go-to genres, but lately, smut (or “spicy romance”) has made a very big impression on my reading list. Not that I never read the romance genre before, but Johanna Lindsey and Harlequin books are very much closed-door romance and “clean” compared to the books I read in that category now. Don’t even get me started on my dark romance/mafia kick…

But, one of those spicy romance sub-genres that I have found unexpectedly good is the Omegaverse. Alpha, Omega, and Beta designations, where Omegas need Alphas and their knots to get through heats (basically a multi-day sex fest) and create stable packs and pairings. It’s a whole thing. And even within this category, there are different ways to be in this world. Some are paranormal with shifters of various sorts. Some are humans that are non-shifters. Some have male and female omegas. All have some degree of biting, bonding, scenting, growling, and purring. And the nests… makes me really want to find a cozy, comfy den full of soft things to snuggle up in.

Lately, I prefer the “sweetverse” version of these stories, where society isn’t all rigid and controlling of the Omegas. But there are a lot of options where there are darker stories and a lot of angst. Some of my favorites in this universe are the Slate City Omegaverse by Devyn Sinclair (LOVE those packs). And the universe created by Kathryn Moon with Baby and the Late Night Howlers and Lola and the Millionaires (one of my absolute FAVORITES in this genre). As far as shifters go, Lexi Foss’ Carnage Island is one I go back to, along with her X-Clan series (this is only 1 Alpha/1 Omega instead of packs, but still really good).

In the pack versions of these stories, it’s pretty much polyamory, with 1 female (or male) and multiple partners. And sometimes those partners also are with each other. So you get various combinations of MF, MM, MMFM… There can be a lot of individuals to follow along with in these stories, but the good ones make sure you get invested in all of the pack members and the main arc. And these stories can get deep in the emotional pain cave. Even the “sweet” ones.

So, if you like paranormal, or kinks (in some cases), or group activities/polyamory, or fated mates (because a lot of them tend in that direction), you may want to give Omegaverse books a try.