One Last Try by Kari Gregg

One Last Try Reviews

• 
  Jenni Lea

  Well, that went in a completely different direction than I thought it would! I thought I was getting a deliciously filthy PWP but it ended up being an in depth look into trust issues, mental illness and healing. I was pleasantly surprised by the outcome.
  
  This is not a normal shifter/mpreg/Alpha/omega story. It provided alternatives to the standard tropes usually found in these types of stories. It was really refreshing to read.
  
  Of course, I still got the delicious filth that only Gregg can deliver. That woman writes the most delectable KNOTTING scenes I've ever read. I have yet to read anything by anyone else that surpasses them. All the biting and growling, the whimpers and whines, the grabbing and forcing... Yeah, take that knot. Take it! Take it! Force it in, it'll fit. Bite him! Make it so he can't sit for a week. Mmmmm...
  
  Uh... What was I talking about?
• 
  * A Reader Obsessed *

  4 Stars
  
  Well.
  
  That was certainly different and wonderfully unconventional in the subtlest and best of ways.
  
  This is definitely not your fluffy shifter ABO, where insta-love and uncontrollable mating urges dominate. Instead, this was harsh, gritty, mired in somber overtones, as one horrific incident has rendered not only the victims broken, but snowballs into a variety of issues affecting a pack’s entire dynamic.
  
  Nox has had it really really rough. He’s basically alone, his family destroyed by his psychotic brother, he perceives himself useless as an omega since his main purpose, which is to breed, is believed to be destroyed. He’s isolated himself from the pack, thus causing a ripple effect of problems that can’t easily be rectified.
  
  Enter Dio. He’s a fixer of pack hierarchy and organization. He, like Nox, doesn’t conform to what is always expected of him, and of course he’s immediately drawn to Nox as only an alpha can be. Understandably, Nox doesn’t trust anyone and is not about to be bullied, pushed, or lured into being a more active member of society, let alone what is expected of him as an omega.
  
  Admittedly, there’s not much that goes on in this book. It’s basically all about Nox and his slow process of healing both physically and mentally. It’s a thoughtful look at how tragedy shapes and influences, and how the changes wrought affect one’s self image and expectations for both good and bad. New definitions and expectations need to be made, and that's never an easy thing to do.
  
  What stands out here are the slight twists in typical ABO/shifter lore. Just little things like humans are aware, hormones and conception are discussed, and variations in the pack structure are noted. Mostly though, I felt this applied to Dio. He’s everything you’d want your alpha to be. Smart, strong, kind, protective. A man who owns up to his mistakes and admits when he’s wrong while wanting, insisting, on the importance of communication. He and Nox don't immediately fall in love. Sure, there's some biological urges and lust isn't ever a problem, but the caring and claiming and ultimately, loving, is definitely hard earned but worth it.
  
  Sadly for me this book isn’t gratuitous in explaining a lot and I wanted pages and pages of Dio and Nox, cursing the progression of my kindle getting closer and closer to finishing. What we got though, I thoroughly enjoyed, for this had plenty of twisty emotions and some very smexy scenes (plus KNOTTING). I just wish there was more, dammit! Why isn’t there more?
• 
  Jason Bradley

  God I want a book about Joth.
• 
  Susan

  These shifters go to coupels therapy! Honest to god badass shifters talk about their feelings!! How refreshing.
  
  This was a great hurt/comfort shifter story. Omegas can get pregnant in this world, but there is no actual mpreg in this.
  
  Nox has been traumatized when he was 14 and his brother, Joth, killed their other brother and their mother. Joth also gutted Nox, so any change of conceiving in the future is out of the question.
  
  Nox is now 20 years old, but has been emotionally detached from his pack all these years. He sleeps in his workshop where he makes furnuture, and he doesn't like to mingle with other pack members.
  
  But that is until the pack gets a new alpha, Dio. Dio shows an interest in courting and mating Nox. And Nox seems to be helpless when it comes to Dio. Where no other pack member has succeeded, Dio gets under his skin.
  
  But Nox has a long way to go to being healed, so Dio suggests they go to couples therapy to help them.
  
  I really liked both Nox and Dio. Nox was the silent, brooding omega, and Dio was the sweet, but firm alpha. I loved reading from Nox's POV. He was such an interesting person. He never felt sorry for himself, was pretty feisty, and he was fine taking care of himself. I never felt he needed Dio to rescue him. He 'needed' Dio to be happy, but he was no damsel in distress.
  
  I loved how Dio kept pushing the importance of communication. I did a happy dance when he suggested couples therapy.
  
  I did have one complaint and that is that I felt the relationship was not fully developed when I reached the end of the book. I felt these guys had a way to go still. I could have easily read another 100 pages about them growing closer.
  
  This ends in a HFN, which wasn't too bad, but I did want just a bit more.
  
  
• 
  Heather the Queen of (Smut)Books

  3.5 Stars
  
  Not what I was expecting from Gregg. There's only three sex scenes in the book and they are much more subdued from her usual. Not a cumbucket in sight. When it started I thought it might be another PWP but surprisingly it was.....more. A bit of a psychological thriller, romance and a hurt/comfort read all mixed into one. It had a surprising amount of depth.
  
  Only complaint is it ends so abruptly, it jumps from them starting to fall in love and needing to heal to them being in love and healed at the end. It felt like there was a huge piece missing. I'm hoping she'll decide to start a series from this one. I would've liked to see what happens with Joth.
  
  But I can forgive just about anything with KNOTTING.
  
  Recommended
• 
  Helen

  4.5 Stars for the Shifters couple therapy alone !
  
  This is my first time reading a book by this author .
  
  I found the start of this book slightly tough going , but it was setting up Nox's hurt , and boy did he have reason ! Big family tragedy , plus the mishandling of the situation by his pack .
  Dio is the Alpha fixer drafted in , who wants to mate Nox .
  
  As the story developed , I came to understand more , even what appeared to be Dio's less than romantic wooing , especially initially . Although nothing says love like a brace of rabbits left on your doorstep !
  As an Omega , Nox struggled with his traumatic past and the expectations of his Omega role within the pack .
  I loved that once he found his voice , he was so feisty ! And the couples therapy , way to go Nox telling it like it is , even to the talkiest human Doctor .
  
  As others have mentioned , the story does end a little abruptly , and I certainly would have liked to have seen more of Nox and Dio in their established relationship .... Or an epilogue ...... Or another book about these two !
• 
  Meags

  4 Stars
  
  This book wasn’t on my radar at all, until my dearest GR friend picked it out for our next buddy read and I went along for an unexpected and surprisingly impressive ride.
  
  This story kind of blew my mind a little. I guess I was surprised because I’ve come to expect a certain kind of story arc and a particular level of writing quality from shifter books in general, perhaps? But regardless of that, this book shook things up and established a new standard of shifter storytelling for me.
  
  Basically, our MC and precious male omega, Nox, was seriously mutilated and almost killed by his younger brother, Joth, when they were teenagers – an event that also left their older brother and mother murdered. The shit Nox has since been through and the loss he’s suffered is intense, and, obviously, difficult to get over. He’s become part feral, living and working in a den of his creation, and he avoids talking to other members of his pack as much as possible.
  
  When a new alpha named Dio takes over the pack, he sets his sights on Nox, intending to mate him and do everything in his power to help Nox recover from his past traumas. Nox has the presence of mind to submit to his new alpha, and he even finds himself liking Dio, but trust is not an easy thing for Nox to dish out, so the progression of their relationship is anything but smooth sailing.
  
  The characters here were deliciously complex. Nox in particular was dealing with some pretty heavy shit and I loved that there was no quick fix to all his mental health issues. His trauma was realistically dealt with, with the story heavily featuring scenes of therapy, including couples therapy between Nox and Dio. I found all of this to be a really refreshing and highly engaging plot point.
  
  The murderous, blood hungry brother, Joth, was a fascinating character. He was a special kind of crazy; the kind of psychopathic character that disturbs you on so many levels, yet endlessly captivates your attention and interest to know more. If truth be told, I actually could have done with more of his story and I would have loved to get his POV on things.
  
  Overall, this was an impressively written and unique little shifter story. Being new to this author’s books, I’ve clearly got my work cut out for me when it comes to tackling her backlog.
• 
  Theresa

  The story was told from Nox's depressed POV. The story was there, but not enough emotion to push my hurt/comfort button. The arranged Alpha/omega mating between Dio and Nox was too flat to push my romance button. Their relationship was similar in many ways to the one in
  Pretty Poison.
  
  The relationship between Nox and his brother Joth was the most interesting part of the book. Joth oscillated from shifter brother to human brother to psychotic wolf. Sickeningly, it actually had more warmth, leftover from fond childhood memories, than the relationship between Nox and Dio.
  
  There were some cool topics - shifters vs. humans, breaking shifter tradition, male shifter reproduction, brain disorder, etc.
• 
  BWT

  Well, I really enjoyed this. A paranormal romance with character growth, communication, and a good plot? Yep. This has all that and more. Totally worth a read!
  

  “I’m afraid,” I whispered, the confession soft on my lips. “Of you, of us. Of everything.”
  “I’m scared too.” Finally, he pulled me into his arms. His warmth enveloped me as he cradled me against him. Solid. Steady. My fingers curled into the meat of his biceps, holding him fast. “Mostly, I fear losing you.”
• 
  jessica ☾

  Pretty average writing to be honest, but I absolutely loved seeing a young character like Nox that is so staunchly against having children ever- something I can definitely relate to and was super excited to see!
• 
  books_and_brew

  
  I'm just not sure that I mesh well with this author. I read her I, Omega novel and I did not like it. I thought I would give this a go but just didn't seem to ever really get into the story.
  
  I enjoy MM MPREG shifter stories but this just didn't do it for me. Dio confused me as an alpha and Nox was all over the place. His internal dialogue was numbing and ran too long. The relationship between the two felt awkward to me and I didn't completely understand it.
  
  I enjoyed Joth though, and I feel if she wrote a book about him that that would be more up my alley.
  
  On to the next!
• 
  Makhda

  Too much anger. Too depressing. Not enough romance for me. And this was not really mpreg book. I only liked Dio. The rest of it, not so much.
• 
  SheReadsALot

  New GREGG?
  
  
  
  Want.
• 
  Sara

  Well, color me happy!
  
  This was such a great story. I went in for the dirty shifter sex and of course got a dose of sexy KNOTTING from the master that is Kari Gregg but this book gave me so much more and I loved it. It was terribly romantic, emotional and so many moments of swoon, I almost fell off my chair at work.
  
  Nox, is amazing. He is so strong after what his brother Joth did to his family and Nox has done all that he can to survive. When the new Alpha shows up to fix the pack, Nox meets Dio and things are never the same.
  
  I liked that this relied on the traditions of the Alpha/Omega relationship and then threw them all out the window. The shifter world is still something I am exploring with relish and I loved how both Dio and Nox admit to not being the typical dominant in everything Alpha nor the obediently submissive Omega and they really dig that about one another.
  
  Dio is getting put on my shelf as a Swoony McSwoonster with all that he does for Nox and all that he says. He is amazing and I loved the journey he goes on as he courts his mate.
  
  Nox has issues but who wouldn't and yet he is stunning with his growth and adaptability though he resists it with his beasts yet ends up taming and claiming all that want him.
  
  Good lord. I am talking in circles but this book was not what I expected... SO NOT what I expected with the sex and I am so happy about that. This was sexy and romantic and truly a wonderful tale of romance and love between an Alpha and his Omega mate.
  
  Just... sigh.
  
  So happy I picked this up.
  
  Oh one last thing... Joth is nuts yet that last conversation with Nox was eye opening. He is still crazy AF and belongs where he is but... wow. Talk about giving a monster a nod of humanity for even one second. Well done, if I dare say so.
• 
  Dee

  3.5 - I liked it, maybe a bit more than liked it, but not quite so much as really liked it.
  Firstly, this cover totally reminds me of
  Forging the Future, I was looking at it trying to think why it seemed familiar and I finally figured out that it makes me think of that cover.
  So, things I liked were Nox's interaction with the psychologist - grudging, reluctant, resentful, turning to an insidious trust in them. Just like real life! Plus Dio suggested couples therapy! My gosh, it's nice to see some pro-active alpha's out there for a change. I enjoyed the dichotomy of Joth, his own character(s) and Nox's feelings for him as a brother. These were so powerfully written, I think that may have been why other aspects of the book - ie. the romantic relationship, past/rekindled friendships - were comparatively weak and felt flat. Things I didn't like - a lack of insight on Dio's mindset, the rapidity of the conclusion, the world building was not as strong as it might have been - it was hinted at yet never with any strength. In other
  Kari Gregg stories I have been left intrigued enough to speculate and wonder; here I was more blasé, inclined to just think a quick "huh, so humans know" or "shifters barter, very retro" and leave it at that.
  Essentially what it comes down to is this is not actually a romance about a relationship - Dio comes across as a deus ex machina for Nox's healing and reassimilation into society (albeit shifter society). It's a story about one man's emotional recovery from trauma with sex and romantic elements. But it's pretty good for that.
  
• 
  skvw

  It wasn't what I was expecting but I really loved it. I really want to know and read more about Joth.
• 
  Skye Blue ☆*~ﾟლ(´ڡ`ლ)~*☆

  This was excellent...but then, I expect no less from Kari Gregg .
  
  I loved that there was therapy, and a lot of it.
  Not just for Nox, but Dio also.
  I loved there was no quick cure.
  
  I was a little thrown when the first sex scene happened...it kinda came out of the blue...but it does fit with the shifter society in this world.
  
  This tackled a lot of issues. Mental health the biggest one. Nox had a lot to overcome. His brother was a piece of worked....but I did like reading about the visits with him.
  
  I'm glad that it didn't end with Nox knocked up. I think it worked out just the way it should.
• 
  ⚣Michaelle⚣

  4.3 Stars
  
  I have no idea why this isn't rated higher than it is...because it totally should be. It's like no other shifter book I've ever read...
  
  This isn't the typical Alpha/Omega relationship, and these aren't your typical shifters, and it isn't set in a typical shifter-world. I loved all the small details that set it apart; those bits were what made it special. Also, FuckYeah to the notion that an Omega isn't bound by biology, that s/he doesn't have to want pups, that s/he can have & make other contributions to the pack with learned education or perfected skills...and that the pack needs to change with the times or stagnate and fail. Sounds like a lesson society as a whole should learn a little better.
  
  (The therapy sessions made me uncomfortable but not because they weren't spectacularly done; the therapeutic advice just seemed more like "teachable moments" at times and a little more heavy handed than I'm used to. Still, amazingly detailed and a great device for character growth and introspection without overwhelming the reader with even more internal monologuing and navel gazing.)
• 
  Elena

  Very interesting and soooo different from other werewolf shifter stories I've read!
  
  Review to come...
• 
  Christy

  Even though the description for 'One Last Try' is what drew me to the story, I really had no idea what the author had in store for me. Kari Gregg has written an intense character study that focuses on grief, loss, mental illness, trust, and the ability to heal. She also created a very nontraditional shifter world where many of the tropes are skewed or nonexistent.
  
  Nox is more than a barren omega, or crazy and broken, as many believe. He survived a horrific attack by a loved brother and dealt with his mom and other brother's death at the hands of Joth. When he woke from his coma, Nox shifted and spent a long time alone, hiding from himself, his father, and his pack. So, in my opinion, he's far more than what many believe, and I think Dio recognizes that, and that is why Dio pushes for Nox to get help from the human doctors. Help in working through his grief and his rage, not just at Joth, but his own father who abandoned him, and his pack who did the same.
  
  Please find my full review at
  Rainbow Book Reviews
  
• 
  Leta Blake

  Really liked this a lot in many ways. Unusual exploration of trauma and other interesting ideas. Felt like the ending was a bit abrupt, but I'll take it. :)
• 
  Shaz

  I'm feeling guilty... why? Kari is one of these authors whose books consistently are a 4 or 5 star read for me, but I tend to overlook unless I'm prompted by someone or something. So in this case, someone: thanks Jase!
  
  Shifter's books often contain real tropes. The ones that always stand out for me are the ones that veer away from that. Not that these tropes aren't referred to here; they are, but they are then dismissed. Which was one of the twists I loved.
  
  This author's characters are also strong, flawed, but still strong. They have depth and we are led on their journey with them, which is another of my "must have's" for a great read.
  
  Personally, I would have loved to have had more, but then again, I'm just greedy that way *grin*. I found the end a little abrupt, but then again; see above lol.
  
  So if you're a lover of testy, stubborn, flawed, damaged shifters, alphas with compassion and a huge understanding heart, please don't overlook this book. You will be truly missing out!
• 
  Tatiana

  2.5
  
  Необычное произведение для a/b/o, но в целом неудачное.
  
  Много hurt/comfort. Очень много.
  Половину романа герои проводят, посещая психолога и докторов, занимающихся лечением бесплодия, но безумной любви между ними нет - связь произошла, потому что так полагается по законам оборотнического общества. Весь сюжет они друг к другу притираются. Искры нет, секс на троечку, поскольку, опять же, происходит он по требованию стаи, а не из искренних чувств.
  
  Главное разочарование - отсутствие заявленного мпрега. Две трети книги герой страдает от того, что не способен иметь детей. Когда же доктора ему объясняют, что вполне способен, оказывается, что ни ему, ни альфе потомство вовсе и не нужно. К чему тогда мучения?
  
• 
  Shelba

  I honestly didn’t have high expectations for this. Definitely dubcon (as mentioned in CWs), in the sense that omegas don’t really have the choice to defy alphas, so you’re not always sure if Nox is doing something because he wants to, because he biology is driving him, or because it’s just pack hierarchy.
  
  And since this is from Nox’s POV, and Nox doesn’t know what he wants half the time, it makes for an interesting though sometimes confusing read. Which isn’t to say that’s bad… I thought Dio was rushing things, but as the story progresses, you realize there was a lot of misunderstanding on Nox’s part, and a lot of assumptions on both their parts on what they both thought an omega and alpha are supposed to want and how they should behave.
• 
  Lisa

  Not the normal type of book I would read but I found this to be a good book.
  Nox, an Omega traumatized after his brother goes on a ramoage killing his brother and mother, Nox turns feral for a while.
  One day a new Alpha arrives and sets his sights on Nox.
  It was good that Nox's issues weren't glossed over. He saw human doctors, not by choice, in an effort to get better.
  Shame this is a standalone as I would have liked to see more of Nox and Dio..
• 
  Lara

  A hopeful journey from being lost to finding home.
  
  Nox makes a heart-rending journey from being lost in a gray world without hope to one where he learns how to embrace joy and hope for a brighter tomorrow. Still recovering from his younger brother going mad and murdering his mother, sister and older brother as well as attacking Nox, the young Omega has become a skilled craftsman. He has forged a life for himself. When a new Alpha takes over the pack and his father dies, he is made to take over his father's visits to Joth, the brother who destroyed their family. He undertakes counselling, becomes mated to the new Alpha, and learns he may not as sterile as everyone thought. Together Dio, his new Alpha and Nox fight for their relationship and to define to themselves what it means to be family, and their own roles with both each other and the pack. Like all of Kari Gregg's book, I really enjoyed how well written and strongly developed she makes her stories. I strongly recommend any book by this author.
• 
  K

  Interesting take on an alpha/omega wolf relationship in a werewolves are known and accepted setting. Enjoyable but I had real trouble buying into the main characters' relationship even when I'd accounted for the a/o dynamics. Joth in all his psycho-ness was more interesting..
  
  and what was with putting 'est' at the end of some words..made the character using it seem like a child (runningest was one of them)
• 
  April

  Joth, we need more Joth!
  
  I really enjoyed the play on what is tradition/expectation within a shifter pack and how Nox navigates them. However, Joth... we definitely need to see more of him. He is such an integral part of this story and it would be really interesting to see the world from his point of view.
• 
  Deja Black

  Live to Read
  
  I absolutely live to read her books. Glad they invented that follow author thing or I'd miss one. And, yes, I mean live.
• 
  Relly

  Re read
  
  I liked this one more on the reread.
  
  I liked Dio more this time as he was doing whatever he could to try and be what Nox needed and wanted in an Alpha, unfortunately without talking to each other they were getting it wrong.
  
  Parts I really liked
  
  3.75 to 4 ⭐️
  
  I found this one hard to rate. There were parts that I really enjoyed and parts that annoyed me. Granted the annoying parts were mostly at the beginning where the guys were not talking at all, so were not communicating the reasons for their actions. This created confusion for me as a reader, especially when they first got together as they would only interact to have sex after the visit to the jail, and I believed that Dio was only sleeping the Nox and making no attempt to get to actually know him in this time. It really felt like he was using Nox and Nox’s calm acceptance of the treatment made me angry. This was actually incorrect and Dio was actually trying to mate with Nox the way an Alpha and Omega do I their society. Nox needed different things from his mate and once Dio understood he worked at giving Nox what he needed to feel whole.
  
  I actually liked the fact that therapy was used by the guys, as it gave them a chance to talk in a safe environment and gave Nox a chance to understand his own self and come to terms with his anger at the pack (I totally understood that anger) and I also liked the resolution between him and Dio
  
  So by the end this was a good book