Mirrigold: Mutterings & Musings

Bitter Heat by Leta Blake

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

As with the first two novels in this brilliant series, Leta Blake uses the narrative to raise questions which parallel events which are happening in our own world.

Here it’s more expansion on omega rights, the lack of any control over their own heats for bonded omegas and what happens with a pregnancy which isn’t wanted.

It’s also a redemption story, that of Janus Heelies and his determination to live up to the forgiveness and friendship Caleb (from Alpha Heat has given him as he heads into the mountains to learn how to become a doctor.

There’s an interesting path taken as Kerry is already pregnant with his abusive alpha’s baby, and while he is free in so much as that alpha is now in prison, his obligations to his in-laws mean there is still overwhelming pressure which is weighing him down.

Janus is doing his best to be a better alpha and for the most part he’s succeeding. He’s thrown in at the deep end with his doctoring and he’s learning how to be grateful for life’s small bounties. But Kerry throws a massive spanner in the works.

I loved how their relationship built up so slowly and, without spoiling anything, I really loved the clever path Leta takes with the plotlines here as they move into friendship and beyond.

There’s a fabulous cast of secondary characters, we get to catch up with Caleb and his family and get an insight into where the series may be going next.

These books are wonderfully insightful, superbly crafted and remain among my favourite shifter stories.

This one only isn’t a 5* read for me because I wanted more of Janus and Kerry together and, while Leta gave a wonderful extended epilogue, I would have liked to have seen the growth on page.

#ARC kindly received from the author in return for an honest and unbiased review

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