A pregnant omega trapped in a desperate situation, an unattached alpha with a lot to prove, and an unexpected fall into love that could save them both.Kerry Monkburn is contracted to a violent alpha in prison for brutal crimes. Now pregnant with the alpha’s child, he lives high in the mountains, far above the city that once lured him in with promises of a better life. Enduring bitterness and … bitterness and fear, Kerry flirts with putting an end to his life of darkness, but fate intervenes.
Janus Heelies has made mistakes in the past. In an effort to redeem himself, integrity has become the watchword for his future. Training as a nurse under the only doctor willing to take him on, Janus is resolute in his intentions: he will live cleanly in the mountains and avoid all inappropriate affairs. But he doesn’t anticipate the pull that Kerry exercises on his heart and mind.
As the question of Kerry’s future health and safety comes to an explosive head, only the intervention of fate will see these desperate men through to a happy ending.
This gay romance novel by Leta Blake is the third in the Heat of Love universe which began with Slow Heat. It’s 111,000 words, with a strong happy ending and a critically-acclaimed, non-shifter Omegaverse. It features alphas, betas, omegas, male pregnancy, mpreg, heat, and knotting. Content warning for a violent and oppressive society regarding reproductive rights.
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This is Book #3 in the Heat Of Love Series. This is a non shifter, mpreg dynamic. This surrounds Alpha Janus, Xan’s cousin from book #2. He was a piece of work in that book. Left to his own devices, he’s looking for direction. Kerry is a pregnant Omega hiding in the mountains where he was raised. Neither of these men are in a good place. They couldn’t be more different. This had me on pins and needles til the end. I couldn’t imagine a way out for either one. I really enjoyed not knowing until the end how this was all going to be resolved. It has a stellar epilogue and a bonus scene that are fantastic. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS BOOK AND THIS INTERESTING SERIES!!!!!
I loved these books!
Will Fate help two broken men find redemption?
What a great continuation of the Heat of Love series! Leta made me care about her characters and the world she has created. Some men I hated, most I loved. Come, get pulled in to a world where there are no women. Where pregnancy and birth are not easy. Where Érosģape mates are preferred, but contacted mates are common. Old friends are back, as are old enemies. It is a study in contrast between city and mountain life. There is unexpected love, and ultimate redemption. There is mpreg, drama, sweet babies, loyal friends, loving family, and horrid in- laws. I loved this book!
This is Janus and Kerry’s story. Once a bad boy playboy, Janus is trying to turn over a new leaf, restart his life, give back. Almost dying a few times will do that to a guy. An alpha nurse, he goes to the mountains to study. Kerry is an omega contracted to an abusive alpha, now on prison after being convicted of rape. Now pregnant, Kerry had come home to the mountains to heal. Neither expects to be entranced by the other. The pull is amazing. Kerry thinks he isn’t deserving of love, especially from Janus. Janus only knows he will risk everything to protect Kerry and make him his.
Throw in a crusty old doctor and his feisty omega, over- bearing in- laws, a doting pater, a healing lake, and friends willing to fight for what’s right, and you have a story you can’t put down! You will love this book.
This book has both real and implied violence. While it is not gratuitous, it is necessary for the story arc. There are also scary medical moments.
Please read the first two books. You will be glad you did.
This book contains adult themes and language, mm sex, and is intended for mature readers only.
Another compelling book in this series! I love the universe and how Leta Blake isn’t afraid to be gritty while also delivering swoon-worthy romance. She never disappoints!
Another wonderful story in this series.
I love this series so much and this setting was wonderful. It moves this world from that of the more privileged one the other books were set in, to a world were poverty is the norm but so is love, so much love.
Janus is a vastly different character than he was in the last book, Alpha Heat. But don’t worry if you haven’t read Alpha Heat, I think Bitter Heat does OK as a standalone. The first two books in the series are fantastic though so you really should give them a try.
Janus has been humbled by the illnesses he’s suffered over the last few years and is determined to dedicate his life to those less fortunate. He finds a country doctor willing to take him on as a student nurse so Janus moves to the mountains to begin his studies
Kerry is contracted to a horrible alpha who is in prison for terrible, violent crimes. He also abused Kerry but Kerry’s in-laws to allow force him to allow their imprisoned son to service Kerry’s heats because they want an heir. Kerry fled to the mountains to live with his pater who runs a boarding house. Its there that he meets Janus.
This story has so much going on; it’s angsty, and sad and happy and had my emotions going all over the place while I read it. Janus redeems himself and is a wonderful character in this book. He comes to care deeply for Kerry even though Kerry is contracted to another alpha. He also comes to care deeply for the mountain people who so desperately need his medical skills.
The story has a wonderful HEA but also had a surprise or two that I didn’t see coming. One was sad but uplifting at the same time, the other one was just wonderful. I love that the epilogue gave us a glimpse of Kerry and Janus’ life several years down the road.
The Heat of Love series is one that has really captured my heart. The only thing that could make Bitter Heat better for me would be for it to come out as an audiobook with Michael Ferraiuolo doing the narration as he has the previous ones in this series.
I borrowed and read a copy of this book from Kindle Unlimited.
***Reviewed for Xtreme-Delusions dot com***
I really love this series. When I requested a copy of this book, I didn’t even look at the blurb. I didn’t need to; I just knew I had to read it. As with the first two books, we have a story about a love that may not be easy, but with time and patience, a beautiful story unfolds.
This book brings two characters from Alpha Heat together. It is not necessary for the reader to have read the other books, but I highly recommend reading them in order. Kerry’s role in the previous story was very small and mainly off page, but Janus had a starring secondary role as an alphahole. He contracted the deadly strain of the flu at the time, and was a hair’s breath away from death. The omega he treated abominably was the one to nurse him and convince him to be a better man.
Kerry’s life as the omega of Wilbet Monhundy was full of pain and suffering. Wilbet played an important, if nefarious role, in Alpha Heat as well. He was eventually imprisoned for brutally raping several prostitutes while contracted to Kerry. However, even incarcerated, he has been able to terrorize and abuse Kerry due to the wishes of his parents for an heir. Kerry is allowed to return to his pater’s boarding house in Hud’s Basin between his heats, but is expected to return to the city if and when he gives birth to a Monhundy grandchild.
Janus is leaving the life of money, omegas, and illegal fighting behind in hopes of turning over a new leaf. He has a new respect for those who give of themselves in order to care for others after his many illnesses, and has set his sights on becoming, if not a doctor straight away, at the very least, a competent nurse. He has found a doctor in the mountains willing to take him on, even though he has not completed all of his coursework due to his ailments. He signs on as a boarder at Monk’s House, which belongs to Kerry’s pater, Zeke.
As Janus is thrown right into the fire with his medical experience, he begins to get to know the standoffish, yet intriguing omega. It becomes obvious that Kerry is pregnant, but the depth of his misery does not become obvious until he makes an unexpected decision, at least to Jonas. When Jonas realizes the situation, he begins to note that his moral compass is extremely skewed when it comes to this prickly, yet deeply hurting man. When Kerry finally admits Zeke’s true intentions behind allowing Jonas to stay during Kerry’s pregnancy, Jonas is surprised, but not daunted.
The real threat to Kerry, and by extension, Jonas, are Kerry’s in-laws. Wilbet’s pater will stop at nothing to get his chance at a do-over of sorts. He lives in denial of his son’s guilt, but subconsciously wants a chance to prove that he and Lukas, Wilbet’s father, can raise a good and proper son. They know the only way to get their chance is through Kerry, because no omega will ever contract with their son again if the current contract is broken.
As Janus and Kerry grow closer, Janus and his friends work to find a way to free Kerry from the nightmare of his life. But, Kerry is resistant; not only because he doesn’t like Caleb, but because he believes there is no hope for a better life. He is also terribly conflicted about the child growing within his womb. But, when a decision must be made, he chooses not necessarily what he wants, but what he feels to be right.
Once the circumstances change, truths that have been long in coming are brought to light. These facts not only solidify the growing bond between Janus and Kerry, but also save them a lot of work, money, and publicity. Kerry still harbors fears and doubts, but eventually, he learns that what he has with Janus is safe and true. And, when danger comes to call, an old friend saves the day, and Kerry finally realizes the extent of love his heart holds for his family: which leads to a very happy ending.
Happy reading!
* I received an ARC of this book and I am leaving my honest review. *
Finally!! Finally we get a new story in this amazing series.
Ever since Alpha Heat I’ve been anxiously waiting to find out how Janus would fare and if he’d get a chance to redeem himself and find the happiness and love he yearns for. He was such an awful, but also such a tormented, almost tragic character. We only got hints of Kerry in Alpha Heat, but enough to know he is a very deserving candidate for true love.
Kerry, as an omega, has very little rights and no way out of his hellish contract with the man who tormented and abused him and so many other omega’s for years. Kerry goes through some really dark times when he discovers he’s pregnant with the child of a man he considers a monster. His pregnancy and all the turmoil and difficult decisions that come with it are handled so very thoughtfully in this story. I loved that Janus did his utmost to be there for Kerry instead of judging him from a place of ignorance and privilege.
Kerry is a man without hope and seeing him ever so slowly fall for Janus, learning to trust, taking that leap of faith, was so satisfying. It reminded me all over again of why I love, no need, romance novels in my life. The draw between Janus and Kerry is undeniable, even when their love seems doomed from the start, so there’s certainly a lot of angst but also the absolute wonder of falling in love, and all the heat and tantalizing sensuality that comes with that.
The world-building in this book, and series, is amazingly intricate, with so much food for thought in its approach to religion (“mainstream” and pagan), family, love and last but not least, gender roles in society. The omega freedom groups are facing almost impossible odds, but I sincerely hope we’ll get to see some changes for the better in coming books.
I loved seeing Caleb and Janus together as friends and the glimpses we get of Caleb’s happy life with Xan, Urho and their children were a treat. I only wish we could’ve gotten a scene with Janus and Xan bonding or finding more on page closure.
The epilogue was surprising in its focus and brought tears to my eyes, because it was so moving and unexpectedly emotional instead of just a sweetly fluffy look into Janus’ and Kerry’s HEA.
Recommend, obviously.
The “Heat of Love” series is superb and “Bitter Heat” is an outstanding book in the series. Although it can be read as a stand-alone, the series is woven together so well that the reader will be pulled in. In this book, Janus, an alpha, appears to have turned over a new leaf and has decided to live a better life, working in medical care. His work brings him to the mountains to work with a doctor and learn how to run a practice. Kerry, a pregnant omega, was mentioned briefly in a previous book. Contracted to a violent and imprisoned man, he has suffered abuse, pain, and forced sex during heats. While minimal overt violence occurs in the book, it is difficult to imagine his suffering. As the pregnancy progresses, Janus and Kerry feel a strong attraction to each other, but it seems that many obstacles will prevent them being together.
The plot is tightly woven, leaves nothing hanging, reads as authentic, and it has a perfect combination of frustration, hope, family and community support, passion, and love. It’s well-edited for a smooth read. Read the entire series and get lost in enjoyment.
I Give this Book a 3.5/5 Star Rating, listing as 4.
This is Omegaverse, if you don’t know what it is, please take the time to look it up before you judge this book. It may not be everyone’s cup of tea but it’s DEFINITELY Mine.
*Grins*
I have to say I’m a bit let down with this one, it seemed a bit rushed at and near the end and that’s where it needed the most attention. Janus & Kerry deserved more focus time after the birth than what they got in the book.
I hope Fan gets what he desires and also would love to see more of the citizens in the mountain! 😀
Heat: 3/5
Romance: 3.5/5
Suspense: 4/5
Drama: 4/5
HEA(?): Yes, but gotta say that last epilogue-ish ending was not thrilling, and to me was a poor conclusion to this book.
Some of the subject matter in this book may be considered triggering.
I look forward to the next installment of the series!