I don’t typically like books set in the Omegaverse, for a lot of various reasons. For one, I don’t like relationships in romance novels where there is an inherent imbalance, and alpha/omega relationships tend to have that simply by their nature. I make an exception for Liam Kingsley, though, who writes mostly likable, thoughtful characters who are more often than not portrayed as being in relationships with people who are different from them, but equal. It’s a breath of fresh air. His writing also tends to be altogether free of politics which is also refreshing.

Kihyun’s Vow is the best book of the Timberwood Cove series, which is Kingsley’s best series. I don’t like every book in it–a couple suffer from bad narrators and some suffer from insufferable characters (almost always the omega, incidentally), but by and large they’re my favorite Omegaverse books out there. The world building is good, though there are definitely some points that are glossed over. Each book focuses on the relationship between an alpha shifter and an omega human, in a world where humans are largely unaware shifters exist.

Kihyun is my favorite kind of alpha–strong but gentle–and Hogan is my favorite kind of omega–kind and nurturing but also strong and not particularly submissive. So it’s no surprise I like the book so much. I also like that Hogan is already aware of shifters, to avoid the done-to-death “reveal,” and has no problem with it. The main conflict is exciting and the relationship conflict is understandable. It’s an excellent book.