Entangled: The Omega and the Bounty Hunter (Briar Wood Pack #1) by Claire Cullen

Entangled: The Omega and the Bounty Hunter (Briar Wood Pack #1) Reviews

• 
  Shin Mon Thway

  Very different and unique from typical shifters book. My very first
  Claire Cullen and I wasn’t disappointed at all. Actually I’m impressed. The story was interesting, bittersweet and angsty. Don’t expect a fluffy read since this isn’t a mpreg norm. The smut was hit enough but not overly done and too salacious. Enjoyable and original. Loved it.
  
  
  4 you have to love yourself before your find love stars
  ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
• 
  Barbara➰

  Dnf @ 32%
  
  Eh...I’m just super picky about my mate stories and this wasn’t working for me.
• 
  Myriam

  When will I learn to not fall for the pretty, pretty picture on the cover?! That cover is just about the only amazing thing about this story. The actual content is about as deep as the blurb. The characters and the worldbuilding are shallow and one note - there's only enough information provided to get from one moment to the next but no real thought was put into the world beyond how far the protagonists can see. It's insta-love with not even an attempt at real relationship development and did I mention the shallow character development and bad worldbuilding?
  
  Noah either thinks or talks about his scars what feels like every three sentences. It got annyoing fast. He's all insecure about them. I knew this after reading the blurb. They have serious impact on his ability to mate and consequently conceive. It would seem important information to know what they look like, how he got them and how exactly they lead to him not being able to mate right? Well, the author doesn't think so and this is just one of the many examples of WTF I stumbled over while reading this.
  
  There's also the honestly great idea of making this shifter world diverse. Seems like everyone is some kind of different animal. I really like that and would have loved to know why and how does this influence pack dynamics and the world at large. Unfortunately it really doesn't go further than 'Wouldn't it be cool if' and then nothing.
  
  (Slight spoilers) So Ronan is actually a rare species of shifter in this world. What a great idea! What kind of shifter could that be? Well, it's a wolf. I know, I was underwhelmed too because the fricking basis for the whole a/b/o craze in fandom was wolves and every other shifter book on the market is about wolves. I don't know what was supposed to be exciting about making wolves rare here when chances are that anyone that picks up an mpreg shifter book in the first place has probably read a lot of them before and will not find any of this new.
  
  This was a disappointment.
  
  
• 
  Rachel Emily

  Claire Cullen is one of my favorite mpreg/omegaverse authors, and this was a great start to a new series. It introduced a new world and has left me wanting more!
  
  Noah has grown up being told that he was less than omega, that he was worthless and not worthy of a mate or love. He lives by himself at a boarding house, and that is where he meets Ronan. Ronan promises to get Noah out of his lonely life, and he stays true to his word. I was worried for Noah at first, I'm so glad that Ronan was there to rescue him (a couple of times!)
  
  Although the summary does a great job explaining part of the story, most of what is in the blurb takes place in the first 30% of the story. It made me wonder what would happen next to Noah and Ronan. We get to see where Ronan lives, the pack that he is a part of (and totally makes me want stories for his brother and for Griffin!), and what he could bring to the pack.
  
  It was a bit of a slow start for me, and there are definitely still unanswered questions with the other characters, so I look forward to more in this series!
  
  I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
• 
  Eugenia

  [email protected]%......Due to a complete lack of chemistry between the MCs and LACKLUSTER writing. Off to greener pastures pastures 😅
• 
  Nemo ☠️ (pagesandprozac)

  there wasn’t anything particularly horrendous, i just found this super, super dull. just not for me i guess.
• 
  Gerbera_Reads

  This is my first time reading anything by Claire Cullen and I loved it. It's really hard to impress while writing about shifters because most of the time everything is always straightforward: meet mate - drag to your cave - *growl-skin-slap-bite* - baby! But here is a very unconventional story about a group of singular shifters and what really makes them a family.
  
  Noah is an omega who is lonely and an outcast. He is always on his own, insecure and just waiting for something in his life to change. He at first seems eager and a little downtrodden. And then comes Preston. He is everything Noah thinks he wants, so sleek and suave, saying all the right things. But I am happy to say that Noah is wary. And with a good reason because Preston is not what he says he is. By this time Ronan enters the picture and you might say: "Oh, is this a happy threesome?" But no, Ronan is here to capture and deliver.
  
  Ronan is a bounty hunter who is onto Preston for he is a very bad kitty! But then something happens - he smells Noah and now Ronan wants him in his life. What I liked about this part was that when two shifters smelled each other, all it meant that they were compatible, that there was a chance at a life together but it was not all cut and dry. They had to work on their relationship. They had to overcome their insecurities, their scars, their demons in order to make things happen.
  
  Noah and Ronan go on a journey to find happiness, self confidence and family that was denied them both. But they get that and so much more. The pack that Ronan belongs to is no ordinary pack and many surprises await when Noah finds out what is what. Oh, how I loved Griffin, their leader. His story, just like the stories of many of his pack members, is as amazing as it is horrifying and how far they've all come and what they have achieved is a testament to their strength and a will and desire to help others.
  
  Noah once said: "I was like a piece of driftwood, I went where the tide took me". But he makes the choices now and changes in the course of the book from scared and unsure into a force of nature and a confident man capable of protecting himself and those he loves. It was amazing to watch. Ronan gave him the push but he did it all on his own. All of the pack members are helpful, funny and supportive just like a family should be.
  
  This was a wonderful read and I was pleasantly surprised how it turned out. I will impatiently wait for the next one. I highly recommend it.
• 
  Valerie ❈M/M Romance Junkie❈

  Decent start to a new series. I can’t tell if this is completely new or a spin-off from one of the other series. The worlds are similar. I’ll still read them.
• 
  Kat ❅

  3.5 stars
  
  This one was definitely very similar to other types of stories in this vein but I did enjoy it. The first 15% of this book were a little rough and I wasn’t sure if I was going to like this. Basically the whole synopsis happens in the first 10% so if you’re reading this because the synopsis interests you, just know that part of this plot wraps up very quickly.
  
  I did like the characters in this book. Noah and Ronan has what I thought was a sweet relationship once it got past their first meeting and really started to develop. Neither of them are super complex characters and their romance is pretty streamlined but I did like they way they treated each other and how much they cared about each other. I liked how Ronan helped Noah to overcome some of the issues of his past and never wanted Noah to be so down on himself. I liked the pack structure of this book so that was nice to read about
  
  Overall this was another fun quick quarantine read that was great for a relaxing book to read that was easy to get through, just what I expected, and even though it didn’t blow me away, I definitely still enjoyed it.
• 
  Sienna Sway

  I really liked the start to this series. The twist with the alpha right at the beginning was great and I simply adored Noah.
  
  Normally, I steer clear of mpreg because it is just not my thing, but somehow in this world it just feels very natural and I didn't mind it at all. That says a lot.
  
  For me, the big down side was that the story seemed complete well before the end. I coudn't really understand why it was dragging on, but luckily I pushed through until the end and not only did it pick up again but I found that I was glad to have all of the extra info and insight into their lives and I was really happy with it.
  
  Love this series. I already read the second one and omg, it is incredible. Can't wait for more...
• 
  AvidReader

  3.5 stars ⭐️
• 
  Christy deSade

  Abuse of power....by the "good" guy
  
  What happened at the casino wasn't an exercise in trust, or proving themselves.... it was the rankest abuse of power on Ronan's part. A submissive trusts that the dominant will protect them, not place them, quite literally, in the hands of abuse. In no way was that acceptable, and yet everyone in the so called family was in on it.
  
  Unless you enjoy abuse and betrayal pretending to be love and trust, don't bother with this book. Or, more to the point, this author.
• 
  Jo * Smut-Dickted *

  So pretty decent with some good backstory. No real angst to speak of and the omega gets saved w/o a lot of heartache. Cinderella story.
• 
  Jamie (TheRebelliousReader)

  3 stars. Very unique read. I enjoyed that the author stepped out of the box on this one and did something fresh.
  
  Ronan, wolf and alpha, is a bounty hunter and he is seriously the coolest guy. I like and appreciate that he took things slow with Noah (who's a freakin' fox! how cute!) and how he was so tentative to his feelings. He never pushed him or made him do things he didn't want to do because Noah starts off as such an extremely timid and shy character. For a very good reason though. They both have very interesting back stories and I particularly like the whole theme of family in this book.
  
  The only thing that kept this from getting a 4 star is that the editing in this book was pretty bad. I also thought the beginning of the book was a bit confusing and had way too much going on. Other than that, everything else is great and the ending was really adorable.
• 
  Chappy

  3.5 stars
  
  A bit of a depressing reality where shifters are each others worst enemies. I'm not if human exist in this world, but if they do, we don't see any of them.
  
  Money seems to rule everything and poor shifter packs are reduced to selling their alphas and omegas. Packs are made up of all kinds of shifter species, but it seems rude to ask what someone is...they can't even tell by smell of anything.
  
  Another strange aspect is the whole scarring of the neck to prevent "mating"...seems very cruel.
  
  Noah is pretty much a captive held in isolation. Luckily, Ronan runs into him and senses something special. I wanted more emotion from Ronan.
• 
  Fani *loves angst*

  It was sweet and it was engaging and I loved both MCs, but I'm not sure I felt okay with the BW Pack's business and how they integrated Noah into it. Still, I'll probably read the next book as well.
• 
  Mimi

  3.75 stars
  
  I'm glad a gave this author another chance. I really enjoyed this store of Ronan and Noah. The dynamics of the pack are very interesting I hope we see more of them.
• 
  Amanda

  Decent start to an mpreg omegaverse series, I'm already intrigued with most of the side characters. my favorite aspect of this was the wolf & fox combo 🥰
• 
  Badh

  Satisfying story
  
  Noah and Ronan are perfect together. I don't think anyone else would've been able to convince Noah that he wasn't broken and that he was beautiful. All in all, a likable and satisfying story.
• 
  llv

  Rating: 3.5 stars
  I thought this a fairly good shifter story. I loved the MCs. I thought the premise was good. I just thought that book went on a little too long. I was ready for it to wrap up way before it did. Other than that I thought it a pretty good run of the mill shifter story with an Alpha/Omega dynamic and mpreg thrown in.
  
• 
  Lisa

  This was just ok. The story felt a little flat and I didn't really become enthused in any of the individual character's 'stories' or lives.
  Nothing ultimately wrong with it so 3 stars from me.
  Not a ringing endorsement I know, but it's still a good read.
• 
  Caroline Brand

  3.5 Stars
• 
  Claudia

  An ok read with not really enough chemistry to explain how they fell in love
  Not sure if I want to read the next one
• 
  Mrs C

  OK
  
  I love omega/alpha stories, I think possibly my favourite trope to read. This one is your typical omega sold and alpha saves. It's a quick read with a happy ending.
• 
  JoAnn

  I never learn... This has been popping up in my kindle store for some time, and I’ve been trying to read more KU books to make sure my monthly subscription isn’t going to waste. But this one bombed it.
  
  Anyways there was a lot wrong with one. 1) there was no romance, not even really an insta-love.. it just kinda happened and then eventually they screw and mate. I don’t really know how to explain it, just no courting, no emotion and no romance... just very flat and 2 dimensional. 2) I’m not even sure what the plot was... it wasn’t the romance that’s for sure...
  
  Anywho I might look into the 2nd one, only to see if they better. Even though I didn’t like or understand this one, it still had a lot of potential.
• 
  Ery

  Too fast
  
  The pace was just like lightning and they fell so fast - just really did not get the sense of emotion from them to build the rest of the story on.
• 
  Deirdre

  Worthless Useless Damaged Broken
  
  When I began this book I had no idea what to expect beyond it being a Mpreg. The author Claire Cullen is new to me as a reader, though I own several of her books. The cover was very intriguing and the first few pages pulled me in. I enjoy reading books about Omegas overcoming challenges. This story presented so many challenges for the Omega - more than anyone should be focused to endure.
  
  He not only endured his terrible past, present, and future. He ingested all the bitter words & actions thrust upon him. He considered himself an Useless Omega. So damaged and broken he'd never be able to conceive due to his horrendous scars. Worthless to his pack beyond finally hiding him out at a desolate Inn on the outer limits of the pack territory.
  
  It seemed as though his pack found a way to make money off of him. Noah would rather continue to see him as Worthless. It didn't matter that not one, but two Alphas had recently shown interest in him. Nothing mattered except what the Pack/Alpha wanted. There were Enforcers to make a mere Omega bend to their will.
  
  Unfortunately in this society Alphas could be treated as roughly as Omegas. Children could be taken at an very early and sent away for "training". Poor packs sold their young members to keep them a float. But that led to a great deal of fear and insecurity among families within packs. Never knowing when a child might be wrenched away or badly hurt/scarred.
  
  This story is hard at times to read because of the cruelty and casual indifference of upper level pack members & rich/elite packs. Omega breeding farms are supposedly "outlawed", but existed / flourished underground. Above ground the "training" received by some Omegas is tantamount to how to be a good concubine. While Alphas are taught to fight as pack warriors, but the really tough ones are expected to fight for entertainment purposes for the wealthy. An Alpha born to a poor pack or in a breeding farm can be sold to a wealthy family to be raised to be a a fighter. The more vicious and victorious the Alpha the better.
  
  The world building in this new series is quite different from what I'm used to reading. The packs are mixed species. There are bounty hunters for runways. As long as they have the strength and intelligence anyone can lead a pack. There are significant class (socioeconomic) differences between the packs.
  
  The main premise of the story, the title, the cover are all linked. It could've just as easily been Barb wires as braids & thorns and scars. To paraphrase someone - You don't have to believe someone's lies about you. Just because they and others repeat the lies, doesn't make them true. But each of those sharp barbs from someone's tongue can diminish a person - a little piece at a time over many years. In this book how the main characters overcome their seemingly insurmountable challenges makes for great reading.
  
  I eagerly await the next book in the Briar Wood Pack series.
• 
  Sarah

  2.5 stars
  
  When I started reading Entangled, I was looking for an absorbing, indulgent shifter romance. While the book has its plus points, it was ultimately disappointing.
  
  I liked the first quarter of the book just fine. My heart went out to lonely and soft Noah, and I loved watching the tentative trust growing between him and Ronan. After the two head to Briar Wood Pack, things started heading south for me. The relationship moved too fast for me. Plus, there wasn’t a strong foundation for their feelings, other than the fact that despite Noah’s expectations, Ronan wasn’t a terrible person. There’s so much emphasis placed on how Ronan seems to be the only one who would accept Noah. Ronan seems to do most of the legwork for their relationship, and he goes from being supportive to preachy, endearing to cringey. He’s always telling Noah to love himself, as if trauma can be fixed with a cute self-love bandaid. Moreover, this takes away from Noah’s character development. He simply reacts to Ronan instead of recovering on his own. Add in the fact that Noah is always the damsel in distress and doesn’t seem to have a spine, and you have two pretty flat characters. The romance had potential, but it wasn’t hashed out well. Also, can we talk about Ronan lied to Noah about his first mission. I get that the pack wanted to protect Noah, but I read Ronan’s actions as a major act of betrayal but the follow up conversation treated it like a minor bump in the road (can I say ???). There would have been other ways to catch Noah’s attacker, and they couldn’t have guaranteed what the entire thing could have done to Noah’s trauma, nor could they be sure the plan would work. If I had reservations about the book before, it was at this point that it lost me.
  
  The conflict in the book was also handled poorly. The build-up was good, but the resolutions were almost always anti-climatic.
  
  For an alpha-beta-omega universe, it doesn’t change much from the status quo. There is a good amount of the plot dedicated to showing how shifters and omegas can suffer without packs, or worse, at the hands of a bad pack. However, there aren’t explored to put out social commentary, but used as plot devices.
  
  The main relationship also seems to have be built on stereotyped, unequal ground. Omegas are painted as men with the domestic gender role of female. I’m all for playing with gender roles, provided it is done thoughtfully. However, I felt like Claire Cullen took a heterosexual couple entrenched in strict gender roles, and just substituted the female for Noah. I’m not sure if this is a genre-wide criticism, because I’m okay with mpreg and even relationships that have dominant/submissive dynamics - all provided it is on equal ground, and I don’t know if I got that here.
  
  In all, this is yet another book that had potential, which fell through in various respects.