Audiobook Review: Slow Heat by Leta Blake

Slow Heat (Heat of Love #1) by Leta Blake, Narration by Michael Ferraiuolo
Audible, Amazon, Goodreads
Time: 14hrs and 7 minutes

4.5 Pants Off

Blurb: A lustful young alpha meets his match in an older omega with a past.

Professor Vale Aman has crafted a good life for himself. An unbonded omega in his mid-30s, he's long since given up hope that he'll meet a compatible alpha, let alone his destined mate. He's fulfilled by his career, his poetry, his cat, and his friends.

When Jason Sabel, a much younger alpha, imprints on Vale in a shocking and public way, longings are ignited that can't be ignored. Fighting their strong sexual urges, Jason and Vale must agree to contract with each other before they can consummate their passion.

But for Vale, being with Jason means giving up his independence and placing his future in the hands of an untested alpha - as well as facing the scars of his own tumultuous past. He isn't sure it's worth it. But Jason isn't giving up his destined mate without a fight.

This is a stand-alone gay romance novel, 118,000 words, with a strong HFN ending, as well as a well-crafted, non-shifter omegaverse, with alphas, betas, omegas, male pregnancy, heat, and knotting. Content warning for pregnancy loss and aftermath.

 Review

SLOW HOT FIRE

Squeeeeeeee!! This review will probably just be all gushing cus of reasons. What a surprise to my senses and my feels Slow Heat was. I’ve read a lot of non-shifter omegaverse in fanfic and I don’t see it a lot in published works and when I do they’re not that great. But this book and the narration was a slam dunk.  

Micheal Ferraiuolo is the TRUTH!! 

The Story: 4.5 Pants Off 

Jason Sabel is a young Alpha not yet into maturity. He attends universiy to learn how to finally care for his Omega when they meet. As an Alpha he’s got urges but Omegas are to remain pure until they meet their one true match so he’s getting no love on that part. But that doesn’t stop Jason from getting himself into something warm. So he gets off with his best-friend Xan another Alpha, which is a forbidden complication, but horny growing boys. 

When Jason meets his much older omega Vale, a professor at his university it’s quite unexpected and everything is set to work against them but instinct is a hard thing to deny. To the world their union would be a disaster because Jason is a young Alpha, and to everyone else Vale is a used up Omega who has been through many heats but Jason will not be denied his true match and he’s very much willing to risk it all for Vale. 

Vale Aman has his hang ups, after going through two very traumatizing heats. An omega is required to bare children and that’s something he can never do. So, he will not let Jason suffer a childless union no matter how much his heart will hurt. For each day he spends getting to know Jason, it’s a little bit of himself that he loses to the young man. Walking away will be hard but it’s for the best even though it will break him. 

So like wow, what a rollercoaster this was. I’m all about the older guy poking younger dude, but this one had a case of younger guy poking older dude. Along with heartache and miscarriage, a very bloody sounding miscarriage. 

Things I Liked: Pretty much everything. The story is entertaining, while a bit on the very long side it really kept me entertained all through. 

I enjoyed Jason and Vale as characters and their slow burn coming together. 

The writing is amazing. Leta Blake delivered a complex and very unique novel with so much undertones about serious topics like gender, and society norms. There’s a richer meaning, and it’s so much more than dudes who get pregnant.  

I enjoyed all the supporting characters and they added more spice to the story (but sometimes they were there just a little too much).  

Things I didn’t Like: Jason’s sexual relationship with his best-friend. Initially I really disliked Xan but there is so much to his character that I’m looking forward to his story. I just find their relationship contradicting, especially after Jason meets Vale. Like the Alpha/Omega bond is this undeniable sacred thing so Jason and Xan together just seemed wrong. 

So much story about other people that wasn’t Jason and Vale. The most intense and heartbreaking moments in the book really had nothing to do with the main MCs and that really bothered me. Their entire story could have been wrapped up in 150pgs or less. 

It also didn’t need to be so depressing and angst filled through out. For once I needed something to go easily, but every aspect just had to have some obstacle to get over.  

Vale! At a certain point his negative thinking and woe is me attitude really started to irk me. He was way too into his feelings and by the end I was over him. I would have been on board if Jason said “adios you whining omega”.  

It’s not a perfect 5 ⭐️s because it really did get draggy and Vale got super whiny and I swear he became the one with the lower mental age.  

Overall, I really loved the story and there is just so much more to discuss but then this review would be a 10pg review and ain’t nobody got time for that. I’m really looking forward to reading the next book in the series. 

The Narration: 5 Pants Off 

Michael Ferraiuolo is my favourite narrator ever!! While I am new to the whole audiobook movement, Mr Michael is the best I’ve ever heard. He made the story so freaking epic and I am convinced I love it for the sole reason of his narration (Maybe). 

Each character voice was unique and exciting and there was never a moment where I was confused about who’s who. He really brought his a-game and I want to dive into any audiobook he’s done. 

Even if the story wasn’t very good Michael Ferraiuolo would have made it enjoyable regardless, he brought Slow Heat alive.  This is one story I will be listening to over and over again and eagerly anticipating the second book in audio form.