Reviewed by Becca and Donna

TITLE: Blackwood

SERIES: Perth Shifters #1

AUTHOR: Pia Foxhall

PUBLISHER: self-published

LENGTH: 267 pages

RELEASE DATE: November 23, 2018

BLURB:

In a world that is still getting used to shifters, where everyone thinks omegas are second class citizens, nature photographer and omega Braden Payne lets everyone think he’s a beta. That way no one gives him a hard time and he doesn’t have to live a repeat of his failed relationship. But when his car breaks down in the remote Blackwood forest in Western Australia, without the medication that lets him hide who he is, he’s faced with what he fears most: an unmated alpha.
Government forest guardian and alpha Coll MacDubhar is tired of illegal loggers, foolish tourists and people who underestimate the wilds of Western Australia. He discovers Braden lost and in need of medical assistance in the forest he protects and knows something’s not right.
But there’s hidden depths to Braden that capture his interest, and no decent alpha would walk away when Braden’s unwelcome past comes to visit.

BECCA’S REVIEW:

This was a really good book and how I love alpha/Omega relationships to be. In the end. It was a little slow starting for me, and sometimes during but overall I loved it.

Having a bad past, Braden has been hiding himself for years. The sad part is, it was just a bad moment with an alpha. This went back to his family. So when he gets lost in the woods, panic attacks seem to become the norm. And when his suppressants start to wear off, yikes. When Coll finds Braden he knows something is very wrong. He can smell it. But Braden’s reactions to everything makes him realize he has to tread very carefully. Little by little, Braden opens up and the more Coll learns, the madder Coll gets. Especially when the past comes back to get Braden. Not once, but twice. But Coll has only felt this one other time, and he’s not giving up. With a lot of patience and understanding and little snark, Coll has to show Braden how the life of a shifter really is and can be.

Man, I love Coll. I’m normally gungho for the omegas. And don’t get me wrong, I love me some Braden. But damn, Coll is how an alpha should be. Caring, loyal, protecting, patient, kind, etc. With everything Braden had been through, Coll knew he would have to take his time with him and be very gentle. But what got me even more, was how he was with Braden’s heat. Being suppressed for so many years, it was hell, but Coll did all the right things, in spite of Braden at times being very angry and mouthy. I don’t want to give anything away, but Coll was perfect.

Braden was how I love my omegas. Omegas are so often misjudged. They go through hell because they are considered the weaker sex. They are often raped, beaten, and much worse. Often told they will never amount to much because they are just omegas. Made to be bred. But Braden fought back. He fought back by going to therapy and going on with his life. Yeah, things weren’t a picnic everyday. Panic attacks, triggers. But he still fought. And showed he mattered. Even when he didn’t think so himself.

I love these two. I really enjoyed this book and I think I may have a feeling who would be next in the series. And I hope so. It’s off to a good start.

RATING:  

DONNA’S REVIEW:

There were a lot of things that I loved about this story.

Firstly, it’s set both where I live, and also just south of my home, in the forests where I love to holiday. I think a book is always that little bit more special when you can picture the exact, familiar places that the author writes about. Usually when books are set in Australia they’re in the outback, or somewhere fun like Sydney or Melbourne, it’s not often I find a book set in southern Western Australia.

Secondly, I love Alpha/Omega books that use that dynamic as a commentary on culture and society. Here the author has drawn attention to real life issues experienced by those who have less agency than others by including problems such as victim shaming, incorporating the attitude that “alphas will be alphas” and having our main characters deal with ridiculous government departments that operate under outdated opinions and policies.

Lastly, I appreciated the way that the author didn’t feel the need to stick to the usual alpha/omega cliches in regards to the relationship between Braden and Coll. Coll was protective rather than dominant, and he didn’t feel the need to smother Braden. As for Braden, just because he found a mate, he didn’t suddenly feel the urge to stop taking beta hormones and embrace his omega-ness. And Coll never once considered trying to change Braden’s decisions.

If I had one complaint it would be that using the word “mate”, as in Australian for friend, can get rather confusing when there are shifters involved. Also, as Becca mentioned above, the story really did start off slow, but once it gets going it’s absolutely enjoyable. The secondary characters were well fleshed out and I’m eager to get my hands on the next book of this series. I think that most lovers of shifter books will like what the author has done with this story.

RATING: 

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