The Fake Mate by Lana FergusonRATING: 4 STARS
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"The Fake Mate" has been one of the most enjoyable omegaverse wolf shifter romances I have read in a long long time. It has reignited my love for the genre and all the great qualities that make an omegaverse/shifter subgenre a great alternative for those who are looking to dive more into the supernatural universe.
Lana Ferguson, a new to me author, had an uncanny ability to immerse me into the world she created by introducing our grumpy alpha, Noah, and sunshine omega, Mackenzie.
What really won me over were the superb leading characters. Mackenzie was a funny, witty, and strong likable female lead. Mack wasn't afraid to voice her wants, desires, and call out Noah's BS (you’ll understand more once you get a little more towards the end) . She was the perfect "fake" mate to the local hospital grouch and seeing their interactions and banter became the highlight of my read. The building chemistry was sizzling hot and the author didn't hold back with the knotty encounters—Yes! You have read that right! Encounters. Plural, my friend, plural—our dynamic duo had.
And we can't forget our grumpiest grump, Noah. His deadpan responses and brutal honesty was a favorite. It was refreshing to come across a mature character that was driven, smart, honest with his feelings and knew where his heart lay. He didn’t play around nor toy with Mack’s emotions and was so attentive and patient with her. Seriously, where can I find my own grump?! Noah fell hard and fast, and it was a pleasant surprise to see the man pursue the female lead wholeheartedly. Honestly, Noah is the ultimate book boyfriend. I don't care what anyone has to say.
Additionally, the side characters; Parker, the infamous Jessica, the "in-laws" were a great add-on and helped bring humor to the "fake mate" and am I falling for my "mate"? dilemma.
Besides the fantastic characters, the storyline was engaging enough to have me finish this in one sitting and though the pacing was damn near perfect for the first 70ish%, the pacing did derail for a brief moment and it just felt like I was at a standstill. I understand that the author slowed down the pacing to create a dramatic effect and to showcase the raw emotions of Noah/Mack’s turmoil—it just didn’t fit with the rest of the novel. Thankfully the book Gods were able to help the author redeem herself and the pacing picked up after 85-90%. To add-on, the build up to the whole Dennis/Noah animosity was anticlimactic. That’s all I’m going to say about that.
On a whole, the author was able to perfectly capture the complicated, chaotic relationship between an Alpha and Omega, and wasn’t afraid to touch on the stereotypes and flaws of each shifter species. With outdated stigmas surrounding unmated alphas and omegas, it was a refreshing take to the genre.
“The Fake Mate” had the perfect blend of humor, witty banter, shameless flirting, constant toe curling sizzling chemistry between the characters that was everything I could ever wish for, captivating plot with solid characters, and smutty goodness.
Fingers crossed we get another omegaverse shifter romance from this author in the near future. I would love to see Liam or Noah’s cousin, Hunter (I love me a good Alpha), get their own book.
