Review: Three Hearts by Grace R. Duncan

Liam Scott is sick. That’s not supposed to be possible. As a wolf shifter, he’s supposed to be able to heal. The omega gene he was born with means he’s capable of carrying shifter young and Liam is worried that whatever is wrong will mean his one-day hope of having pups will be dashed. But despite the fears keeping him away from the doctor until now, he knows he needs to go.

It turns out the sickness is temporary, but the treatment causes a whole other problem.

Mason’s alpha gene means he’s one of very few wolves who can impregnate an omega male. For two years, he’d been watching Liam, but things kept getting in the way. When Liam shows up in heat, Mason recognizes the opportunity he needs and doesn’t hesitate make to Liam his mate and the father of his pups.

But Liam has old wounds and fears to work through which the pregnancy is only making worse, and Mason isn’t sure how to get past them to show he’s serious about making a life together as loving mates. It’s not until a female wolf decides Mason should be hers that Liam makes his biggest worry known—and Mason can finally put the fears to rest.

 

This was the mpreg-iest mpreg story I have ever read.   

Liam is an independent omega who has no plans on mating or starting a family any time soon.  He’s got his eye on the future and it doesn’t include some overbearing Alpha-hole or a gaggle of ankle biters getting underfoot.  Sure, he one day hopes to have the family he’s always dreamed of but that’s for when he’s older, not right now. That all goes out the window when his heat suppressant meds go on the fritz and he finds himself alone in the presence of Alpha and long-time crush, Mason.

This story is sweet.  And… that’s about it.  There’s not much angst to it.  What little angst there is comes by way of miscommunication or, really, just not talking to each other.  I wouldn’t say there is much of a Big Misunderstanding (thank God, because I hate that trope!) but I did utter a few choice words at Mason’s obtuseness when it came to his lack of saying how he truly felt.

As for the rest of it, well, to be honest it was a bit bland.  A little too… domestic.  It was all about breeding Liam, meeting the parents and buying a new home.  There was not much else to it.  Frankly, I was bored through a good chunk of it.  It didn’t feel like I was reading an A/o shifter mpreg story; instead it read more like a sheltered suburbanite’s pregnancy diary.  There was none of the “mate, mine!” that I look for when reading mpreg.  There was no sinister villain out to get anyone.  There was no danger.  The woman out to steal Mason away from Liam referenced in the blurb wasn’t really a part of the story; just a small plot device thrown in near the end to facilitate the resolution of their miscommunication issue.

Now, I’m all for reading some brain candy, of which this story definitely qualifies, but I need some action or charm to balance out the fluff and there was not enough of either here for me.  I want the chocolate bar with the caramel and nougat center.  This was more like a Chick-O-Stick.  I’ll eat it if it’s offered and maybe even enjoy it but it’s not what I would pick when standing in the candy aisle.

This is not to say that I didn’t like the book because I did for the most part.  The birth scene was worth quite a chuckle and the epilogue was over-the-top ridiculous just the way I like it.  I ‘awwed’ when I got to the family tree at the end and saw they got mated on my birthday.  The story is well written with few editing issues and it flowed smoothly (albeit a little too slow for me).  So, it’s not a bad book at all.  It’s just not my type of brain candy.

A copy provided for an honest review.