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A review by nitzanschwarz
Clutch by Virginia Kelly, Piper Scott
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
B+ 87% | Very Good
Look, all I needed to read to decide to read this book was “Clutch is a 64,000 word steamy omegaverse mpreg-ish romance”. Like, that’s it. This book had me. A Western Omegaverse?? I had to see this. And I was not disappointed. And that’s even before you considerthe fucking dragon shifters
So, off the bat, it was super interesting to see a different take on Omegaverse. This is a super popular setting in manga and manhwa, so I’m used to seeing the East Asian take on it, and the cultural differences show, especially regarding sex and normalizing it. For example, no one here shames the omegas for their heat or sex drives. In fact, it seems totally normal to use apps like Grinder to find a random hookup in time of need. There also doesn’t appear to be prejudice attached to being an omega, such that they are lesser, useless, or cause trouble. It was a lot of fun to internally compare and contrast throughout.
But the most interesting element was definitely the inclusion ofdragon lore into the Omegaverse. It was totally unexpected, but I knew something was up from the first chapters, when Alistair oh so causally thought himself about the truth of being an immortal being . Their whole system is super interesting, even as I agree with our Omegas that it’s barbaric and, quite frankly, a bit dumb. It’s one of those systems that clearly has ancient roots under which it made sense, but failed to adapt and evolve as time changed. I think we’re going to see a lot of those things change during this series, but that’s just speculation.
Anyhow, back to this book! I absolutely loved Alistair and Nate’s relationship. From page one they had that delicious banter going on, and I liked how that remained constant throughout. Nate also didn’t put up with Alistair’s shit—or for that matter, anyone’s shit—and it was a joy to see them interact. Although this poor couple could just not get a break, with Alistair’s family interrupting their sexy times so many times. Those men need to wear a bell. They were also just so so sweet together.
Look, all I needed to read to decide to read this book was “Clutch is a 64,000 word steamy omegaverse mpreg-ish romance”. Like, that’s it. This book had me. A Western Omegaverse?? I had to see this. And I was not disappointed. And that’s even before you consider
So, off the bat, it was super interesting to see a different take on Omegaverse. This is a super popular setting in manga and manhwa, so I’m used to seeing the East Asian take on it, and the cultural differences show, especially regarding sex and normalizing it. For example, no one here shames the omegas for their heat or sex drives. In fact, it seems totally normal to use apps like Grinder to find a random hookup in time of need. There also doesn’t appear to be prejudice attached to being an omega, such that they are lesser, useless, or cause trouble. It was a lot of fun to internally compare and contrast throughout.
But the most interesting element was definitely the inclusion of
Anyhow, back to this book! I absolutely loved Alistair and Nate’s relationship. From page one they had that delicious banter going on, and I liked how that remained constant throughout. Nate also didn’t put up with Alistair’s shit—or for that matter, anyone’s shit—and it was a joy to see them interact. Although this poor couple could just not get a break, with Alistair’s family interrupting their sexy times so many times. Those men need to wear a bell. They were also just so so sweet together.
“Holy fuckballs. You know what this means, don’t you?”
Alistair raised one fine, dark brow. “That we’ll be having acrobatic sex for several centuries, at least?” Nate whacked Alistair lightly on the chest.
“No, you stupid lizard. It means I’ll finally have time to read all the books! Not to mention finish my dissertation.”
Alistair blinked at him. “That’s…”
“I know.” Nate snuggled into Alistair’s warmth. “Just think. All the books. All of them. All. This must be what Harry felt like when he found out dragons were real. I’m so excited. All the books, Alistair. All of them.”
Alistair held him tight and whispered in his ear, “All the books, my love. Every single one.”
My favorite part though has got to be all the soft™ moments with the eggs. God, who knew
Some of the side characters stole some of the scenes. Like Harry. Sweet, reptile-loving Harry. I ended this book being like “if Ev and Harry aren’t endgame I’m going to freak out” and then the next book is about them so guess what I just bought? *winky face*
As much as I loved this book, I did have some qualms with it. Like Nate’s disappearing job and dissertation. As some who aspires to become a uni professor and intends to get her Ph.D., it was super weird for this element of Nate’s life—and Harry’s, for that matter—to just vanish during the story. While it’s explained, it definitely left a sour taste in my mouth. I was also kind of surprised that the fact Nate’s mom escaped from a cult wasn’t really explored. My speculation?
It was also super bizarre how they brushed the whole attempted murder of children under the rug. You’d expect the
And finally… WHERE IS THE REST OF THE FAM? Where is the grandpa meeting his grandchildren scene? Where is the nephew who was helping their finance interacting with Nate and the clutch? Where is Sebastian’s clutch curious about Nate’s? and for that matter, where is the grandmother? Are all omegas in their world male? Hmmm…
Anyways, this was a TON of fun and I highly recommend it!
Story and Setting –18/20
Characters –18/20
Relationships –18/20
Writing – 15/20
Reading Experience –18/20
Final Score: 87
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content