Reviewed by Donna
TITLE: Open Omega and His Bitter Bear
SERIES: The Pariah Pack #4
AUTHOR: Susan Laine
PUBLISHER: Siren Books
LENGTH: 126 Pages
RELEASE DATE: September 7th, 2016
BLURB:
As an omega, Woody Fry balances the unity of his wolf pack and serves as a gardener and healer. He’s an outspoken and optimistic twink who always supports his family and is ever ready to take a leap of faith. An unexpected intrusion into the wolf territory on an autumn’s day brings Woody face to face with a sullen, young coywolf and an equally morose, hostile bear in his prime.
Brown bear Lyss Arthur doesn’t trust anyone, preferring to keep to himself and radiating an air of rage. When the two opposites realize they’re mates, all bets are off. But Lyss isn’t on the market for a mate, so Woody has his work cut out.
Soon the wolf pack learns that the bear and coywolf are on the lam. They’re pursued by a lethal enemy who’ll stop at nothing to get them back. Protecting the bear and his teenage ward might prove deadly for everyone concerned.
REVIEW:
I previously reviewed book number three in the Pariah Pack for Love Bytes and was impressed by the quality of what I assumed would be a silly story. With this book, the author has once again created some nicely fleshed out characters in what feels like a longer story than 126 pages.
Open Omega and His Bitter Bear brings back our favourite characters from the first three Pariah Pack books and introduces us to some new favourites.
Bear shifter Lyss left his pack to rescue coywolf shifter Randy, and the two men have been on the run ever since. Their old packs want them back and it isn’t going to be pretty when they find them. Bitter doesn’t even begin to describe Lyss, so when the two men find themselves stranded on the side of the road, he’s ready to fight the whole wolf pack that claims to own the land if that’s what it takes. But there’s no need to fight, because one of the wolves is Woody Fry, Lyss’s mate. And when it comes to the Pariah Pack, if you’re a mate, you’re family.
What I like most about these stories is the atmosphere of “The Pack”. They are an absolute band of misfits and rejects lead by an alpha wolf and his bunny shifter mate. While the stories are light hearted and fun, they are also well written and as I mentioned earlier, I like the characters that Susan Laine creates. Unlike many twinky omegas, Woody is hardly stereotypical. While “open” really is the perfect word to describe him – he’s such a freakin’ positive ray of sunshine – he’s no easily intimidated pushover who needs to be saved by a strong alpha type. In fact, it’s Lyss who needs to be saved and Woody who does the rescuing.
Overall I didn’t enjoy this book as much as the previous ones. I don’t actually have anything bad to say about it, but I guess I just didn’t find the plot very exciting. However, for fans of the series it’s definitely a must read and I can’t wait to get my hands on Randy’s story next.
RATING: 
BUY LINK:
[…] each could be read as a standalone, but for this book, I think I’d recommend reading at least Bitter Bear and his Open Omega first. Randy makes a rather significant appearance in that book and I think you’ll get a […]