Mr.Rainbow.Pages
186 reviews18 followers
Hello everyone, I'm Mr. C Reviewer, and tonight we're discussing (She/Her) Penny Jessup's book, Chasing The Alpha's Son. Which is the second book in The Alpha's Son Series. The book was Published November 27, 2023. The narrative, told using first person perspective following Max and spans 33 chapters and 340 pages. Summary: Max finds himself at a crossroads as Christmas approaches, feeling disheartened by the absence of any communication from Jasper. Despite his earlier determination to pursue Jasper relentlessly, Max is on the verge of giving up hope. However, a glimmer of opportunity arises when Alpha Jericho announces plans to dispatch a group of Elite Pack wolves to an allied wolf-pack located high in the rocky mountains to witness a rare Blood Moon. Intrigued by the prospect of spending a week in a cozy ski-lodge and rekindling his romance with Jasper, Max decides to give their relationship one final chance. As they arrive in the mountains, Max realizes that the journey is fraught with unexpected challenges. Amidst the breathtaking backdrop of the rocky mountains, finding private moments with Jasper proves to be more difficult than anticipated. Complicating matters further, political tensions between the packs intensify Jasper’s resolve to keep them apart, while new and old rivals emerge in pursuit of Jasper’s affections. Review: I absolutely adored the small, identical howling wolf illustrations in the book. They added a delightful and playful touch to the story, making it even more engaging and visually appealing. I believe that this book can be enjoyed as a standalone read. It adeptly recaps the events of the first book, ensuring that readers who may not have read the previous instalment can still fully appreciate and understand the story. However, I also recommend reading the first book for a more comprehensive and immersive experience. One aspect of the story that particularly stood out to me was the inclusion of real movies and songs within various scenes. This added a layer of authenticity and relatability to the narrative, allowing readers to connect with the story on a deeper level. It also presents an opportunity for readers to explore these references and immerse themselves further in the world of the book. I thoroughly enjoyed the thrilling action sequences in the book. However, I yearned for a deeper exploration of Max's wolf abilities. The information surrounding this aspect felt incomplete and left me wanting more. I hope that in potential future instalments, the narrative delves further into this intriguing aspect. -I thoroughly enjoyed the first book's accompanying audiobook, and I eagerly anticipate the release of an audiobook for this second instalment. I would prefer to have the same narrator, Michael Mola, to maintain consistency across the series. His exceptional storytelling ability and engaging voice brought the first book to life, and I believe he would excel at capturing the nuances of this second book as well. -The introduction of new characters added an exciting layer to the storyline. The exploration of Max's budding friendship with Mason was particularly engaging, offering a fresh dynamic to the narrative. In the book, I came across numerous scenes featuring Todd and Simon that were genuinely humorous. Their character development throughout the story was quite satisfying to witness. Additionally, I found myself feeling proud of the progress Max and Jasper have made. The book effectively sheds light on the immense pressure Jasper is currently facing. I appreciated Aisha's presence at the beginning and towards the end of the book. However, I wished she had more page time as I missed her character throughout the story. In the latter part of the book, I noticed a positive change in Katie's situation, largely due to the support and encouragement from her friends. However, there was a point in the middle of the story where I found myself disliking her because of something she said. If there is a sequel to this book, I hope that this issue is not overlooked. It would be beneficial for it to be addressed, even if briefly, as it felt inconsistent with her character. -This book is a captivating continuation of the story that left me wanting more. As a reader who has always sought out books with similar themes, I found this novel to be a delightful discovery that resonated deeply with me. The conclusion of the book filled me with immense joy, and I was reluctant for it to come to an end. I fervently hope for a third instalment, as there are still lingering questions that I yearn to see resolved. For each Book that I read, I rate it out of 10 so for this am going to give it a 9.4 Remember this was what I thought about the book personally and I suggest that you give it a go for yourself.
-The book was exceptionally well-written, with vivid character and place descriptions that effortlessly transport me into the story's world. Similar to the first book in the series, this instalment effectively incorporates wolf symbolism, adding an intriguing layer to the narrative. Reconnecting with the characters and immersing myself in their world once again was a delightful experience. The story unfolds three months after the events of the first book, creating a sense of continuity while introducing new developments. The setting around Christmas and New Year adds a festive charm to the narrative, evoking a heart-warming and nostalgic atmosphere. The detailed depiction of holiday foods and Christmas drinks further enhances the immersive reading experience, making it an ideal choice for the holiday season. Reading this book in late November, just before the onset of December, heightened the anticipation for the upcoming festive month for me and added an extra layer of enjoyment to the reading experience.
- gay lesbian-side mlm
Nick Vallina (MisterGhostReads)
615 reviews23 followers
I need to start this review by saying that three stars is me being INCREDIBLY generous as the end is pretty good. If it wasn’t for the end and the POTENTIAL for the next book this would’ve been lower. The first 60% of this book sucks. It is so frustrating watching Max give up chasing Jasper, decide to do a stupid dangerous thing to get his attention, be saved by Jasper, kiss Jasper, and then have Jasper push him away again. This happens THREE times during the book. The pair decide to be secret boyfriends AND break up like four times in the same chapter (that’s hyperbole a bit, but it’s at least twice. In the same chapter). The two characters I liked the most in the first book (Katie and Aisha) are not redeeming in this one. Katie and Max have a weird manufactured fight to try to draw interest but it’s not interesting. Aisha is barely there. This book isn’t good. I feel badly because it’s the author’s second…but they have at least set themselves up for the potential of something interesting in the third book but I won’t hold my breath.’ Thank you to Tiny Ghost Press for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review. EDIT: I can’t, in good conscience, give this three stars. Updated my rating to two stars.
- 2023 arc lgbtqia
Jeff
231 reviews57 followers
4 ⭐️'ˢ “Chasing The Alpha’s Son” By Penny Jessup 📕 Edition: ebook This was a delightful sequel to Max and Jasper's love story. 🌈💕 The narrative beautifully explores the challenges of love, with Christmas setting the stage for Max to pursue Jasper once again. The story unfolds in a cozy ski lodge amidst the rocky mountains, providing a romantic backdrop for Max and Jasper’s journey. The Blood Moon introduces unexpected twists, putting their connection to the ultimate test. The story hints at future developments for Max and Jasper, and I can’t wait! 📚✨ Chasing The Alpha’s Son releases November 27th! Thank you @tinyghostpress for this eARC!
- arcs-read-in-2023 read-in-2023
Nick Wells
80 reviews8 followers
Honestly, I wish Max had *stopped* chasing the Alpha’s Son! 🙄 For the vast majority of this book, there was no progression in Jasper, or in Max and Jasper’s relationship, with Jasper continuing to be a martyr and deciding on Max’s behalf that they shouldn’t be together. This was despite multiple conversations where Max says he understands the risk and wants to take that risk together. The will they/won’t they back and forth was less endearing and more annoying, particularly when Jasper agreed to be Max’s boyfriend, only to do the whole “we can’t be together” thing about 5 pages later! 😤 To be honest, Mason was a brilliant character and I was rooting Max and Mason to get together instead! He was open, honest, confident and caring.. and funny! Clearly Mason and Max were both happier when they were together, which was such a contrast to how it felt when Jasper and Max were together, where there was conflict and angst and unhappiness. I would definitely have preferred this book if Max had said that he was fed up of being messed around by Jasper, and got with Mason instead who didn’t need convincing that Max deserved to be loved openly. I did like some of the personal progression for Max though, even if it was frustrating that he didn’t recognise his worth and stop chasing Jasper. I liked that he took ownership of his narrative around identity, realising that being gay was who he is and wasn’t depending on Jasper, which allowed him to come out in a way that focused on him. I also liked the bi and queer rep with Olivia and Mia. Their relationship was cute and, even though they struggled with some of the same challenges as Jasper and Max (parental pressure, societal pressure, different ‘packs’ etc) they stood firm together as a team rather than pushed each other away. I’d quite like to see more of their story! There was some poly rep with Katie and her mates, but it didn’t feel quite right to me. I wouldn’t describe myself as polyam, so not speaking from a position of particular experience, but her mates weren’t poly and clearly wanted to be monogamous with Katie so it felt uncomfortable that they ended up in a poly relationship just to please Katie rather than because they actually wanted to be. I wouldn’t have prefer the three-way “mating” to have been understood and wanted by all of them from the beginning. Overall, the story was pretty good and, taking out Max and Jasper’s romance, I didn’t mind it! I just found the two of them frustrating and annoying, more than actually wanting them to end up together. 🩸🌕
Addie
31 reviews
bad plot, annoying characters, and mediocre writing but good vibes
Niki.reads.rainbow
191 reviews21 followers
It was a bit frustrating to read Chasing the alpha’s son. The reason? The romance between Max and Jasper. You see Max constantly changing his mind about Jasper, if he should or should not chase after him (so basically almost the same plot as in book one). The formula is basically: Max does something dangerous to prove his love for Jasper, Jasper tells him not to do it because it won’t change anything, Max almost dies, Jasper saves him/takes care of him, they kiss, Jasper acts like an idiot again and pushes Max away, Max wants to give up on their relationship, Jasper showing a hint of wanting him, Max changing his mind, and the cycle repeats. It was okay in book one, but it gets really frustrating, when you have book two with the same formula, with the same back and forth for another 300+ pages. However I really like the ending that gives me hope the next book will be better, and without this “does he want me or not?”. I wish we would be told nore about Max’s blood wolf abilities as they were never properly explained, because currently they used, where the author needs them to fix the plot. I have high hopes for the next book as I think the writing style was better than in the first book.
Disclaimer: I received a free e-arc from the publisher Tiny Ghost Press. All opinions are my own.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Lauren
213 reviews13 followers
So adorable!!!
Zephyr29
49 reviews
Let's start this off by saying that I did not like the first book. I was frustrated the whole time, and it had no saving grace in my mind. The only reason I even read this book was my own poor mindset, because I absolutely hate not finishing a book series that I already started so I borrowed this from a friend. On another note, I got what the book's message was and what it was trying to get across. As a queer person I think it's very very important to have books like this. I just don't think this necessarily worked in this particular case, sometimes it felt a little uncomfortable even.
It was absolutely ridiculous, although I do have to give it that I thought it was a tiny bit better than the previous book.
Don't get me wrong, there isn't much of a difference between the two books because the plot is EXACTLY the same, but I felt like if the first book didn't exist and I only got to read this one, it would've been enough and I could've said something along the lines like 'meh, it was fine'.
But two books of this is just absolutely boring and infuriating, watching Max go between chasing Jasper and not chasing him, changing his mind five times in one chapter (like he did in the first book) was extremely annoying and repetitive since this book didn't offer anything else at all.
I enjoyed Mason's character and his friendship with Max, and I did miss Aisha a lot since she was the only bearable character of the first book in my eyes.
I found the blood wolf concept interesting and I think it had potential.
The ending was weird, the turn of events was out of the blue for me for many characters, and I had a ton of other problems (especially with Katie bc holy sht), but I can't even get into that right now.
- lgbtqia
Rafael Andrade
296 reviews5 followers
Simply perfect. The sequel to The Alpha Son manages to take the story to new heights. Jasper and Max still need to figure out where they are in their problematic relationship, and also navigate the treacherous territory of a planned coup to take over the Elite Pack. As the Blood Moon approaches, Max will learn about a new and lethal side of himself.
I highly recommend it.
Pilii
175 reviews1 follower
Necesitaba un final que me dejara con ganas de leerme la continuación, pero se quedó corto. Daba para un re buen drama, pero ahí también se quedó un poco corto. Y Max y Jasper no pueden ser más vuelterosss.
Soy malisima con los nombres, pero amamos a Mia, amamos al pibe este que se hace amigo de Max, y odiamos profundamente al loquito ese.
Joshua’s Reading Corner
45 reviews1 follower
ARC Review I pray to the moon gods we get a 3rd book! This was an amazing book, I loved the writing and character developments. I wanted to punch jasper for what he did to max but I’m so happy with the way it ended. I would definitely recommend reading this series. This is my favorite book of the year!
Jon Borbone
36 reviews
This series gives me the same feeling I had when I first read the Twilight series. I’m addicted and need more injected into me asap.
Hal-Jai Orai
46 reviews
Hmmm Even for an angst ridden YA book. . .this was a bit, much. I get teens are prone to foolish flights of fancy and over react but my goodness. . .
Hazel Dharan
130 reviews
Finished reading this in a night 🤡👍🏾
Erin Smith
113 reviews
3.5 ⭐️ cheesy goodness. Love this little series and can’t wait to see what Max and Jasper get up to next
Lodewijk Claeys
14 reviews
Just a fun little read, bit cringe at times buy cute and comforting.
Érik
61 reviews
That was cute and fun. The back and forth of Jasper exasperated me, but with that book title, i knew there would be «chasing» involved, lol. I liked the characters, new and old. Not much to say. The last chapters were really great! It was a great continuation of the first book. The writing was better than the first one, so thats a plus! I love the fact that Max is so freaking sassy!! The cuddling scene in the tent warmed my little black heart 🖤 4 stars.
Missnöjd Konfirmand
520 reviews12 followers
Nu får det vara nog med varulvsböcker på ett tag, tror jag.
Jyanx
Author3 books106 followers
I need the next one now.
- audible mm yad
Rose Galante
37 reviews6 followers
I look forward to a third book so I can see where this all goes. I felt like this sequel was a bit rushed. This is more like a 3.5 rating for me. I love Max, Katie mainly drives me nuts, Jasper has so much depth - but I feel like his character developments are so rushed. Regardless, I’m invested in this story, and I need to know what happens, and hopefully Max can stop being crapped on.
Dion Marc
Author7 books12 followers
Thoroughly enjoyed this sequel. I listened to it in audio and the narrator did a fantastic job. I can see that the author is influenced by Manga and anime in their writing as these characters breathe it to their cores.
Can’t wait for the next audiobooks.
Good job Penny, I’m hooked.
sailormoonreads
128 reviews2 followers
You don't understand how hyped I was for this book. I've waited nearly two years, and when it was given me the chance to review Chasing the Alpha's Son OF COURSE I ACCEPTED. Warning: heavy angst, I had to stop every five chapters to breathe and walk around my room. Max, after Jasper's rejection in the first book, is terminated to chase him. Well, it seemed like a great plan at first, but three months passed and nothing changed. I really liked the character development from book 1, even though I admit that I felt very frustrated for a good 70% of the book; nothing seems to go in the right direction, and whenever something good happens, something else ruins the moment. But luckily for us, there's finally some HEA, but I'm really hoping for a third book to come out since there are so many twists and turns in this book that should be developed and explored more. We get a lot more queer representation in this book, from sapphic to polyamory, and I personally love to see poly representation in books, so this was definitely a great read for me. There's so much potential for another book. I really want to see how finally Jasper and Max's relationship will develop, the reaction of the pack, and find out more about Max's power. And as I've seen someone else say, I pray to the Moon Gods for a third book!🕯️ If you are curious about this book, you'll be happy to know that Chasing the Alpha's Son releases tomorrow so if you are looking for a cozy winter read and gay werewolfs this is the book for you!<3 Thank you so much @tinyghostpress for this ARC!
Until they get sent to an allied wolf-pack territory to witness a Blood Moon, and this looks like the perfect change for Max to finally get Jasper.
Chasing the Alpha's Son is a great sequel, and as I've said in one of my latest reviews, there's really something special about the second book in a series (hoping that this doesn't end as a duology😭)
Simone
147 reviews4 followers
Here is the thing. This book series is like watching shows like Teen Wolf in the very best way. There are more twists and turns than in a rollercoaster ride and I am obsessed. I loved The Alpha’s Son so so much and after that cliffhanger I was looking forward to Chasing The Alpha’s Son something fierce. I am very happy to report: It did not disappoint! Max is still so very chaotic and I am living for him. In book one, we get to see him realize the mate-bond he has with the alpha’s son Jasper only for Jasper to decide that the bond will put Max into too much danger. I loved the pining, the yearning, but also the complete and utter chaos in Max’ life. I loved the new friends we make in book two, Mason and Mia are amazing! Most of all, I loved the ending in this one, which had me squealing and smiling like an absolute loon. I do hope that we get to meet these characters again because I am soooo not ready to let them go!
But Max wouldn’t be Max if he just accepted that, so naturally, he decides to chase his mate. By… entering a race that in the past has cost people (wolves) their lives? Sounds fun! But that is just the starting point of book two in this fabulous series.
Gmassing
196 reviews1 follower
I enjoyed the first book in this series. This one however? Not so much. It veered off into an over done public service announcement. The whole point of the book was to say that yes, being gay is fine, being polygamous is fine, being lesbian is fine. Well fine, but that doesn't make a good plot. Or any plot. When not being consumed with this inclusive kume-bi-ya mentality, the other flaw for this book was that every room, outfit, view, etc...was described to the point of tedium. I don't need a laundry list of table linens. How about we just say opulent and leave it at that?
Jenny
171 reviews
I wasn’t sure about this book at the beginning, but it turned into a cute story about queer wolves surviving. I love unexpected representation so I liked how the alpha's son was vegetarian. The end reminded me of Young Royal's season 2 as they keep getting back together. One criticism I had is that they said video games are only for straight guys.
Robin
55 reviews
Deeply annoying at times to be honest Like the first solid half of this book was just frustrating because it has that "We can't be together... because I want to protect you..." trope I fucking despise, there was a good bit I wanna say 70% in and then (OK spoiler-laden rant incoming that makes no sense but I don't know how else to get my feelings out) Deeply frustrating, everyone acts like eejits. If it hadn't been for the very end I'd genuinely think the writer panicked and realised the relationships were improving then desperately tried to undo it at the last moment so everything can still be frustrating to all fuck at the beginning of the next book too. Yet I will probably buy the next one if there is one I guess just to finish this damn story. Also seeing what a book where might be better than this one, but I thought that about the ending of the previous one so I guess this is me: 🤡 Infuriating book.
R
19 reviews
I didn’t enjoy the first book and the didn’t enjoy the second. Adleast the first book only had spelling errors but this book it feels like very little care was put into it like in multiple places them having just TOWN NAME like really. Also them having the literal release date for the next book wrong like really are you kidding me!? Spoilers after this point This book Ghosting boyfriend- party - fire race - boyfriend almost dies - ski trip - ski trip biut your lost - oh they are in love - jk - jk - jk - oh he’s a blood wolf - witch in the woods - max is super man?- jk on the in love again - oh wait - New Year’s party aka the only plot - I’m coming out - the end I think the author has improved a bit but to be honest it’s like this is a separate book from the series Jasper is the only one that had an actual character ark surprisingly. Everyone else really hasn’t changed. He is literally a complete asshole who has really no redeeming traits. If your going to make a character an asshole have a reason behind it and I repeat let’s have some character growth at the very least. And yes he had grown but let’s be honest has he really like he told everyone that there together clap clap you havre done the bare minimum The New Year’s party- Why the flip Why is Katie upset like literally girl you just now want to be an asshole like let’s have this throughout the entire book not just at the end if it Max should have left jasper cause you know what max’s character arc could have been releasing that he was in the abusive relationship and jasper needed to figure out his shit before he gets to have him This was very rushed we kind of just forget everything from the first book and like this book is probably meant to be about max journey to figuring out he is gay which is great but it’s honestly done in such a bad way like we have people who actually are going through shit with this sexuality and then max that is like lol my parents aren’t homophobic Alia - why bring in the thing about her being mated it makes no sense and basically only is there to make you I guess feel bad for her but like she is such a secondary character that what the flip is the point like why did we need to put sexual assault it’s not adding to the plot. Katie’s whole poly thing - this makes me upset like this is messed up can we talk about how much of a dick and not respectful to her partners like they fight for her attention like she is some god this is not what a poly relationship is this is so bad and not a great representation On that point This book his a horrible rep of lgbtq relationships explain to me why any of the lgbtq relationships are the messed up flawed ones while the straight ones just get to live happy like of course they are part of the plot but honestly just focus on jasper and max make the other characters be happy relationships that are good examples for them Point of the fire race, what about that paragraph that btw I quote this this day in the last book, he’s never met a wolf like me. I’m starting to think this was a Harry Potter fan fiction Remus is that you, Sirius is that you. Lastly this book really needed idk care into it no achnologment page, no dedication, no authors note, no other content was this book read before publishing I think not.
Dan
21 reviews
I would have given this a 3.5 if it weren’t for the atrocious proofing/editing (I have a physical paperback copy). Riddled with mistakes (especially at the end) like missing a word, using the wrong word (poor vs pour, to vs too, etc), and misspelling words. If the author decides to write a third book in the series I’d suggest a new editor. I liked changing up the location and making it a trip and adding in another pack’s dynamic. I liked the addition of new characters. Clayton was a good villian. With Mia and Mason being nice allies. I also liked that as Max became more comfortable with himself he realized he wasn’t alone, which kind of mimics reality when you are closeted you think you’re alone but with coming out and exploring the community you kind of build your own pack. I liked the overall plot, however, I feel like what happened at the end should have happened much sooner. With that being said I hope it’s another cliffhanger and we get to see in the third book the dynamics of jasper and max being out to the pack/etc. I know the book was called chasing the alphas son, but I didn’t realize it was going to be the ENTIRE book. It was very frustrating because it felt like the same formula as the first book. Would have loved to have seen them together for a bit more of the book even if that meant they were “secret boyfriends” instead of it happening literally for a few pages and then Jasper being like “I can’t it’s too dangerous” or max “giving up” every five seconds. When Max was trying to “prove” himself to both jasper and the alpha by putting himself in danger/being reckless, just once I wish he would have succeeded and have had to be saved by Jasper. We know max is more capable than being a damsel in distress so it was frustrating always seeing him as one. Lastly I wish the alpha had some sort of epiphany from max’s “speech” to him. Maybe the will be shown in the third book. Another thing I’d like the third book to explore more (if there is one) is the rogues not being as bad the packs and leaders say they are. I thought that at some point the book was leading to max being the alpha of the rogues and outcasts… Katie was a self brat and her reasoning for space and all that and falling apart seemed like forced drama and didn’t make sense. Missed Aisha and wish she was in it more, but that’s just because I like her character. I really hope this isn’t the last book and that if there is a third we can stop this “chasing” and “it’s too dangerous” narrative and let them just be together and deal with whatever problems arise together.
Calafthereader
92 reviews
Book 2 of the Alpha’s Son saga. Book 1 ended with a cliffhanger and we were told right away that a sequel was in the works (2x300-page books sell better than 600-p ones, right ?). At the end of ‘Chasing’, many loose ends cry out for a sequel, so I’m sure author and publisher have planned Book III already. Sometime in 2024, then ? In any case, just to put it out there: this is NOT a standalone book. The unaware reader would be nonplussed as well as missing a lot of the good bits if starting here. Overall I liked book I a lot, but had some misgivings. Book II is both tighter in plot (the wolf/lupine world-building having been established in book I) as well as concentrating on the sexual development of the teen wolves (m&f): in book I we learn that Max Remus experiences feelings for another he-wolf, Jasper (the Alpha’s Son of the title). Gay stuff is a-brewing. Max is best friends with she-wolves Aisha and Katie. When the rite-of-passage Annual Wolf Run for a mate ends we find that Max and Jasper have bonded, while Katie ends with TWO mates (!!). Book II manages to concentrate on the Max-Remus relationship but also multiplies the mating possibilities. Like Heartstopper, ‘Chasing’ develops the queer alphabet spectrum nicely, to a point where I couldn’t but think that MAGA shit was going to hit the fan in book III - especially considering some prominent LGBTQ+ hater side-characters were left seething at the end. 5 star material then, but I’m bound to downgrade it to 4 because of sloppy editing (typos abound) and really grating misspelling (the author’s fault IMO). I tried to report them in the kindle app options, but it looks like there’s so much one can report. Dear Pennie: next time you want to have your hair COIFFED, I hoped you won’t them get QUAFFED (both words exist, with a totally different meaning). This horrid misspelling occurs 4 (5?) times. Much as I loved the book, I was disappointed by this (and the multiple careless typos).
Jeremy Denton
11 reviews
In "The Alpha's Son" series, Penny Jessup treads familiar ground with a blend of clichés and common tropes. Yet, this familiarity does not detract from the series' charm; rather, it imbues it with a sense of comfort and enjoyment. For a reader like me, who grew up devoid of queer representation in mainstream media, this series feels like a breath of fresh air. Historically, gay characters were often relegated to the roles of comic relief or antagonists, particularly before the 1990s. The following decades saw a shift, with gay storylines crafted primarily for straight audiences, often steeped in tragedy and sorrow. Iconic narratives like "Brokeback Mountain" typically ended in despair, reflecting and reinforcing the societal struggles faced by the gay community. This portrayal inevitably impacted the collective psyche of a generation of young gay adults, painting a bleak picture of their future happiness. However, "The Alpha's Son" series is among the beginning of gay stories that marks a significant departure from this trend. It embraces its cheesiness and clichéd elements, turning them into a source of joy and celebration for its queer characters. In a literary landscape where gay narratives were either non-existent or steeped in tragedy, Jessup's series offers a narrative where queer characters are not only visible but also victorious in their pursuit of happiness. Is this series a masterpiece of literary innovation? Perhaps not. But does it need to be? For someone who has spent a lifetime witnessing narratives steeped in sadness and loss, this series stands out as thoroughly enjoyable. It's a testament to the power of representation and the importance of seeing oneself in the stories we read. "The Alpha's Son" may not rewrite the rules of its genre, but it certainly rewrites the narrative for queer happiness and love – and that in itself is a noteworthy achievement.