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A review by mx_manda
Vera and the Vegas V: Part One by Sarah Blue, Ashley Bennett
3.0
Hooboy.
A "how do I even rate this??" read.
So it seems this is a first work, and it shows. Which isn't necessarily negative.
VatVV:P1 is an ambitious undertaking in OV fiction, riffing off the developing Sweetverse subgenre that keeps certain elements of the original het OV and makes it a lot less rapey. There's a definite formula that has emerged when it comes to packs in these novels: 4-5 men, usually 2 of them are not white, one is pretty young, and one is quite a bit older with Concerns that the FMC is too young, at least one pair of bonded dudes is thrown in there for some MM scenes (I have yet to see really any where the sole black MMC is not part of that pairing), and there's often a Beta thrown into the mix to keep things moving. It's been done often enough now that I feel comfortable declaring it formulaic. And in that regard, VatVV:P1 really doesn't stray off-formula. With one interesting exception, and where the ambition comes in: these two attempted to have an AFAB nonbinary character in the Alpha pack and used an OV device for AFAB alphas I've heard of before but haven't seen utilized in SV up until this point, and was very difficult to picture: the magic disappearing/reappearing false "member" that somehow extends from a clitoris. (NGL, all I could picture here was female spotted hyenas and their penis-like clitorises.)
A lot about this story was clumsy, from the unnatural TV-special-esque dialogues to explain one VERY limited flavor of nonbinary identity, to the bordering-obscene levels of typos and grammar errors (especially in the final 25% of the story, which made me wonder if everyone was rushed at the end to just get this published).
Overall, I did enjoy this read. VatVV:P1 could have gone a lot farther to stretch outside of gender binaries or monogamous, paired off morality—which is always so weird in worlds where family packs are a literal thing—but it is a story worth reading, and I'll certainly read the second half to see where it goes.
PS:
PPS: Body diversity and inclusion, please. Various heights of thin and ripped isn't cutting it.
A "how do I even rate this??" read.
So it seems this is a first work, and it shows. Which isn't necessarily negative.
VatVV:P1 is an ambitious undertaking in OV fiction, riffing off the developing Sweetverse subgenre that keeps certain elements of the original het OV and makes it a lot less rapey. There's a definite formula that has emerged when it comes to packs in these novels: 4-5 men, usually 2 of them are not white, one is pretty young, and one is quite a bit older with Concerns that the FMC is too young, at least one pair of bonded dudes is thrown in there for some MM scenes (I have yet to see really any where the sole black MMC is not part of that pairing), and there's often a Beta thrown into the mix to keep things moving. It's been done often enough now that I feel comfortable declaring it formulaic. And in that regard, VatVV:P1 really doesn't stray off-formula. With one interesting exception, and where the ambition comes in: these two attempted to have an AFAB nonbinary character in the Alpha pack and used an OV device for AFAB alphas I've heard of before but haven't seen utilized in SV up until this point, and was very difficult to picture: the magic disappearing/reappearing false "member" that somehow extends from a clitoris. (NGL, all I could picture here was female spotted hyenas and their penis-like clitorises.)
Spoiler
Which created a lot of questions on its own: can AFAB alphas get pregnant? Why was there no mention of AMAB omegas, and if AFAB alphas have false dicks and not locks, how are they ideal partners for those as-of-yet unmentioned omegas? Why was our one AFAB NB character very uncomfortable with their vulva (referred to in-story as their sex, per preference), and why did the authors go so far to be make sure to make us forget that Gus is AFAB and would have the anatomy to go with that? Not all AFABs like penetration, that's true, but because of the framing it gave me pause. Like. Can romance readers as a whole get over their childish aversion to FF sexual interactions while they consume MM ones in a rather predatory and gross objectifying manner? In the attempt to include an enbie character, I can't help but feel there was a binary need to make Gus "just like another man," which robbed that character of depth and nuance that could have been explored. And I get that's difficult for cis-gendered people to do, and that we live in a society that codes socially and physically masculine attributes as gender-neutral/unisex, and it's difficult to buck the 0 or 1 mentality when it comes to things. The effort was made. It's imperfect and problematic, but it's there.A lot about this story was clumsy, from the unnatural TV-special-esque dialogues to explain one VERY limited flavor of nonbinary identity, to the bordering-obscene levels of typos and grammar errors (especially in the final 25% of the story, which made me wonder if everyone was rushed at the end to just get this published).
Overall, I did enjoy this read. VatVV:P1 could have gone a lot farther to stretch outside of gender binaries or monogamous, paired off morality—which is always so weird in worlds where family packs are a literal thing—but it is a story worth reading, and I'll certainly read the second half to see where it goes.
PS:
Spoiler
Death to the Jealous Bitch™ trope. Seriously no need for it ever.PPS: Body diversity and inclusion, please. Various heights of thin and ripped isn't cutting it.