A unique twist on omegaverse, with bold and eccentric characters. This is the story of Dylan and Axel. Dylan is the younger brother of Axel's best friend. Since he was a young boy, Dylan has been in love with Axel, pining for him from a distance. His love seems unrequited so he flees as soon as he can. But when he comes back, those feelings he's been running from catch right back up to him.
From the A Den Mate for Dylan blurb:
Dylan
Axel is the love of my life; he just doesn’t know it yet.
Ten out of ten do not recommend spending your formative years pining after an alpha who’s your brother’s best friend. But alas, here we are.
My only solution is to leave Foxwood Hollow and start afresh. So what do I do when I have no choice but to return home, only to realise all of those years and miles haven’t doused the flame?
Axel
He’s your best friend’s little brother. He’s your best friend’s little brother.
It was a mantra I’d repeated to myself for years, ever since my brain had shifted from omega smells good to omega smells like mine.
I’m happy for Dylan when he leaves Foxwood Hollow to chase his dreams. I always knew he was destined for a life larger than this little town can offer him. But I feel his absence like a gaping chasm, and the silence that follows has my alpha instincts going into overdrive.
When Dylan finally comes home, a lot has changed. But the soul-deep longing is as present as ever.
Can I really let him slip through my fingers again?
Angel's review:
Emory Winters is a new-to-me author, and when I read the blurb to this book, and saw the cover, I knew I had to read it. I am so happy I did cause this story is just adorable!
Dylan has been pining for his brother's best friend for years, and as he grew older that pining just kept growing. He hoped that as he got older Axel would finally notice him but that never happened, so, when he turned 18 he left his hometown and avoided anything to do with Axel. When he graduates college and has to move back home he can no longer avoid the man he's been in love with for years, and that turns out to be a very good thing.
There was so much pining and angst in this story that was written so well. I wanted to yell at Axel to just notice Dylan already! He was trying so hard to get Axel's attention but never getting the attention he wanted from him. But, now that they are both older, they finally communicate and lay all of their feelings on the table. I thought the story progressed nicely, the story glowed seamlessly, the POV switches were distinct and Axel and Dylan both had their own individual voices.
The relationship between the two MC's was a long time in the making, years of pent up feelings finally getting out in the open. I adored each and every character! And while Cooper wasn't my favorite character in the beginning, as the story went on, I started liking him more. I hope he gets his own story at some point as I am curious to see who he ends up with... And if his mate might end up being a certain grumpy cook.
Overall a fantastic story! It's full of angsty goodness, a twist on fated mates, knotting, alpha/omega dynamics, plenty of knitting, nesting, and the brother's best friend trope.
Emory Winters has impressed me yet again with her beautiful writing style and utterly romantic love stories.
This is the story of Dylan and Axel. Dylan is the younger brother of Axel's best friend. Since he was a young boy, Dylan has been in love with Axel, pining for him from a distance. His love seems unrequited so he flees as soon as he can. But when he comes back, those feelings he's been running from catch right back up to him.
This is a story about fox shifters, but we don't see much of them in their fox form (Dylan once, Axel twice, but never at the same time). The omega/alpha aspect was much more prominent.
I thought the story was relatable as Dylan was the younger sibling with an intense crush on Axel. But it's more than that; Dylan's feelings run deeper than anyone could have expected. So he's devastated when they aren't returned. I would have liked to see a little more understanding from Dylan that it would have been inappropriate for Axel to have romantic feelings for him at his age, but it's understandable that a young teen wouldn't have that self-awareness. Dylan could also be pretty dramatic, which seemed to be a thing for omegas in general.
The beginning of the story was a bit rough for me. The writing style was great, but I struggled with the characters a bit and how fast it went. It didn't really seem necessary to cover seven years in the runup to the present day, and we don't get Axel's pov during that time. Independently, I liked everyone and thought they were overall good people, but their behavior could at times be frustrating. I wasn't a big fan of Dylan's brother Cooper because he could have saved both Dylan and Axel a lot of heartache by simply keeping them updated on what was going on. I know his heart was in the right place, but I was glad the others called him out on that. I also was aggravated by Dylan's behavior at staying away from home and cutting off all contact with Axel when he left. I thought that was cruel, like he was punishing his family and Axel for something that really wasn't their fault. I especially felt bad for Axel as he endures so much in his life and Dylan isn't aware and never once bothers to check in on him. I thought it was unbelievable that Dylan never asked anyone or checked in on Axel given that he was in love with him. Dylan also apparently cared for Axel's dad, but never bothered to ask after him either. And in all that time, his moms never even mention Axel or his dad when they talk to Dylan? That seemed unbelievable. He'd grown up with Axel being a huge part of his life and just cutting him out entirely seemed callous, even though he thought he needed to.
The second half after their reunion was much better. I do think Axel would have been justified to be angry with Dylan a little longer, but that isn't his personality. Once they got together, their romance was really sweet. There was an aspect of fated mates in the story, but that was never explicitly said. However, neither Dylan nor Axel really felt settled or content until they were together. Axel does so many sweet things for Dylan, and once he realizes how much Axel has lacked care in his life, Dylan goes above and beyond to make sure Axel knows he is adored.
Dylan definitely gives Axel a run for his money and he is super sassy. Axel couldn't always keep up. Sometimes, I felt Dylan was a bit dismissive of Axel's feelings, especially Axel's insecurities given Dylan's quite experienced dating history and apparent desire to not settle in Foxhollow. Dylan is a lot more worldly than Axel, and I think Dylan forgot that or took it for granted. Axel doesn't always feel like he can measure up to Dylan's past, and Dylan doesn't really reassure him except for one or two quick conversations. I think we as readers were supposed to accept Dylan's love for Axel from the first part of the book as evidence that Axel and Foxhollow are all he wants (which is true, but Axel doesn't know that and his past behavior from Axel's POV suggests otherwise). I also didn't love how Dylan's friends acted about Axel, like he was at fault for hurting Dylan. It wasn't like Dylan ever confessed his feelings to Axel before he left or explained why he went no contact. Nothing that happened was Axel's fault. It was nice that everyone was protective of Dylan, but Axel deserved someone to be protective of him too. Instead, it seemed like most everyone just gave him a hard time.
My favorite part of the story was the connection between Axel and Dylan once they confessed their feelings and how despite both having experience with other relationships, they had each saved some first experiences for their mate that they were able to share with each other. That was the aspect of their relationship that really made me feel like they were committed to each other and meant to be.
I hope we get Adam and Lei's story at some point. I thought Adam was a great character and I'd love to see more of him. I'd also like to get to know Cooper more because I feel like there is a lot more to his character. Overall, I really enjoyed this story and I look forward to more from Emory Winters.
A Den Mate for Dylan is currently available as an e-book and paperback and can be read as part of your Kindle Unlimited Subscription
Comments
Post a Comment