At the beginning it seemed like this story would be about Missy and her flight for freedom, but really I think this story was more about Tad and his acceptance and initiation into pack life and politics.
Tad is unlike most other heroes that I can remember reading in recent history, and that is because he is an Omega. An Omega is someone in the pack that experiences others feelings and intents, almost like intuition, and is a natural peacekeeper who selflessly puts others needs before his own. An antithesis to an Alpha hero.
Tad doesn't realize he is an Omega, just recently found out he is a wolf, and is conflicted about being "triggered" so that he can take his wolf form. His reasons are complicated, and somewhat justified, even when he is reunited with his high school love....Missy, whom he has been secretly yearning for. I wanted Tad to claim Missy as a true Alpha would...no matter the consequences, and even though he yearns to do exactly that...he won't let himself, it goes against everything that he is as a character. I wanted Tad to take what he wanted, because it's what Missy wants too. For me he was too conflicted, not assertive enough...and basically just not an Alpha. And that is where I think the problem lies for me. It's not that his character was not written well, because it was. The author stayed true to what being an Omega male should be...unfortunately I've come to realize that I prefer Alpha's...and even Beta's, but not so much an Omega for a hero.
There are things that I loved about Wolf Flights, things that I thought were distracting, and things I wish would have been explored in more depth. I wish less time would have been spent on Missy's research group, because I thought it was just a distraction to the story, didn't really add to it, and the author could have spent the time on other aspects of the story I wanted more of. Missy had enough reason to leave her pack because of her evil brother-in-law. The research group was her excuse to leave, but I wish a more simple escape to Tad would have been written instead.
I wanted more of the sexy scenes like the one where Tad and Missy went dancing. It was a dance of seduction, and I wanted more like it. I also wanted to explore more of Tad's assimilation to the Wolf Pack and the hostility between "blue-bloods" and "half-breeds". This was mentioned briefly and the possibilities intrigued me. I hope this is something that is explored in the future and that this was just an introduction to a much deeper issue.
But the thing I missed the most was that the reader did not get to experience Tad's "change" into a wolf. I felt that the whole story was leading up to him being "triggered", finding his mate, and being able to experience what it is to be a Wolf. And while it wasn't essential to the love story, for me it felt incomplete without it.
Overall I enjoyed Wolf Flights, and would still recommend it despite what seems to be mostly negative comments. It is sexy, sometimes tortured, but also has moments of fun banter that will make you smile and maybe even make you laugh. I liked their love story. I liked that Missy turned to Tad, and I thought their Omega abilities were an interesting challenge. While I liked Tad as a character, he's just not my cuppa as a hero which is where most of my problems lie. I also wanted more of their story. Because what I did like, I REALLY LIKED. I will definitely be looking for the next one in this series, Wolf Games, due out early spring of next year.
Rating: 3.75 stars (B-)
