Omegaverse MM Romance Review: The Male Luna
The Male Luna, an Omegaverse MM Romance by Vanna Bay | Book #1 in the Wolves of Rocky Falls series | Goodreads | Amazon | My rating: 3 of 5 stars | Genres: Omegaverse, Fated Mates, Enemies to Lovers
Introduction
The Male Luna by Vanna Bay is an omegaverse MM romance, but it’s different from other omegaverse stories I have read. The Alpha’s mate is called Luna.
In this story, Brayden has just moved to Rocky Falls with his siblings, whom he has custody of after his mother’s death. They are in dire straits, destitute and desperate for a new start. He is the fated mate of the resident Alpha, but unaware of his lineage or status, and deeply confused about everyone in town’s strange reactions to him.
Blurb
Normal was the goal. Fate brought fur and a punchline.
Brayden’s life is a chaotic mess with the appearance of a broodingly possessive Alpha Damien and one ridiculously inconvenient mate bond later. Lukewarm coffee is out and ancient pack laws are in. Brayden is having none of it, determined to resist this unwanted destiny with a full-scale sarcastic rebellion against this supernatural nonsense.
Prepare for a darkly funny rom-com that gleefully claws its way out of the werewolf genre box. While Damien’s possessiveness howls ‘fated mate’, Brayden’s inner monologue is a laugh-out-loud revolt against any predetermined bond.
His wit is sharp. His mate’s teeth are sharper. Who bleeds first in this untamed romance?
340 pages, Kindle Edition
Expected publication June 3, 2025
Genres: Omegaverse, Fated Mates, Enemies to Lovers
Overall Impression
The Male Luna offers a story with characters who are flawed and real, who wear their emotions on their sleeves. The depth of world-building speaks to the author’s attention to detail and the nuances of their imagination. The world is complex, with a social hierarchy that becomes clearer as one reads. Descriptions are rich and allow the reader to immerse themselves in the world. However, the story struggles with pacing, characterization issues, clarity, and copyediting issues.
Thanks for the Contact
I read The Male Luna after the author, Vanna Bay, reached out to me on my site, and I am happy to provide my review. The opinions in this review are my own.
Plot Overview
After his mother’s death, the duty of caring for his five siblings fell to nineteen-year-old Brayden. Brayden, who is barely old enough to take care of himself, let alone a whole brood of children, has uprooted the family and moved to Rocky Falls for a new job, an unspecified position in the local hospital. They move into a dilapidated trailer on the outskirts of town.
Ill-Behaved Children
Brayden’s hope for a fresh start immediately derails, however, due to his brothers and sisters being unable to behave themselves in a grocery store. His older siblings, a 15-year-old and a 12-year-old, don’t help him keep control of the younger children at all, for some reason, and only add to his burden. It all comes crashing down when one of the twins spills a drink on another patron.
Who’s Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf?
Enter Damien, the other MMC in this story, who, in a completely unhinged moment, almost immediately physically assaults Brayden. And he gets off scot free because he’s the town’s mayor. (Read: he’s the alpha.)
I do want to note that later in the story, Brayden physically assaults Damien, also, so if physical abuse is a trigger, there may be some behaviors that you find problematic. But as presented, a fully grown man assaults a teenager over a spilled drink. To put it mildly, it’s a bad first impression.
Clear Communication? Don’t Know Her
Everyone in town else knows that Damien’s erratic behavior is due to Brayden being his fated mate. Some communication would alleviate so many issues. Confusingly, no one bothers to tell Brayden what’s going on until 64% of the way through the story. There are so many opportunities for someone to sit Brayden down and clearly tell him what’s going on. In fact, readers would benefit from this vicariously through Brayden learning about what’s up.
Communication, folks! It’s so important.
-Fae
Key Themes
Power and Social Hierarchy
Society in Rocky Falls is different from the real world. Alphas are dominant, betas are their administrative assistants, and omegas or lunas are submissive or vulnerable. Brayden rejects this stark power imbalance. Mostly because he doesn’t know about it until he’s trapped by it.
Consenting in Relationships
And this is key. Brayden doesn’t know what is going on until it’s too late. This reality reveals what is likely the most problematic aspect of this scenario. Brayden cannot consent to any relationship with Damien because the power balance is already present. His choice will always be made under duress.
Long-Reaching Effects of Trauma
Brayden is traumatized as hell. He was groomed by his mother to be a sex worker and uses sex as a tool. He has compartmentalized his trauma to the point that he cannot sense his werewolf side. His trauma means he’s reactive, he’s emotionally stunted, and he can barely hang on. The traumatized child (let’s face it, 19 is still a child) cannot possibly comprehend that he is the fated mate of a werewolf. Yet he’s forced to. And things are rough.
Sacrifice For the Greater Good
Brayden does not want to be Damien’s mate. For most of the novel, Brayden hates Damien. For good reason. He fights violently against the role he’s been forced into. He almost makes it. Damien’s packmates, however, force the situation. Because, as Damien’s mother says, “Damien’s position as Alpha meant that there would have been wider consequences for the entire pack.”
Compromise for the Greater Good
Brayden struggles with the compromises he must make in this world. Especially because he’s in the dark about things for so long, he feels backed into a corner. He cannot make a choice freely; the ability to consent willingly was taken from him.
However, after Damien’s impulsive actions, they have a biological imperative that must be fulfilled for both their sakes. And also the pack as a whole. This conflict is one that the characters are not emotionally mature enough to grapple with. I mean, sure, Brayden is too young to approach much of his life rationally. He’s 19. Damien, while older, is also emotionally immature. Both characters struggle to communicate their needs in a way that makes compromise possible.
Characters
Brayden
Brayden is trauma wrapped up in a person. His mother was a sex worker. And hey, there’s nothing wrong with doing sex work. As long as the person doing it enthusiastically consents. Well, Brayden was groomed into doing sex work from a too-young age by his mother, who later died.
Maladjusted
Beyond being exceptionally problematic, this familial abuse, abject poverty, and lots of mouths to feed is the equation for Brayden to be a completely maladjusted young person. He’s only nineteen, his brain not finished maturing, and ooh buddy does he have some convoluted values about sex. He sees it as a tool, and is quick to use sexual behavior to get what he wants, even if what he wants is NOT sex.
Dissociated
Brayden is emotionally dissociated to the point that he cannot tap into something that should be innate to him: his half-werewolf side. Things to a werewolf shifter should be instinctive, based on centuries of genetics. But Brayden has severed his brain’s access to emotions and instinct, and his bewilderment about the town’s entire population’s strange behavior could have been avoided.
If Brayden had not come to Rocky Falls with such deep emotional trauma, this novel would be more of a run-of-the-mill omegaverse story. The fact is, though, that Brayden is flawed. As such, it sets The Male Luna apart from the rest and makes it unique.
Redemption Arc?
Brayden’s tragic characterization needs a redemption arc in the sequel to The Male Luna. Damien needs one of those, too. Now that I think of it, the whole town does. They really treat Brayden like a pawn in a game that he isn’t even aware is being played.
Damien
Damien is erratic, and because we read about him primarily from Brayden’s POV, it’s no surprise that Brayden thinks he’s an explosive, aggressive, and emotion-driven brute. He shows some hope though, and despite the fact that he’s older, he’s inexperienced in love. His world frowns upon dating before finding their fated mate. Imagine the crushing realization that his fated mate hates him because of his emotional outbursts. Also, his behavior must be viewed from the perspective of an unreliable narrator. Brayden’s behavior is just as erratic and wild as Damien’s.
Secondary Characters
A cast of characters brings the town to life. Lou, Aiden, and Olivia are all important werewolves in the town’s complex hierarchy. Travis is a rival sexual partner and someone Damien wants gone.
The Children
The children play critical roles in Brayden’s life. I’m introducing them as a monolith because there are so many of them. But they serve as Brayden’s major motivation through the story. Providing them with a better future is the reason they moved to Rocky Falls. Their behavior is all over the place. Brayden isn’t their parent, but he needs to set some structure for them or they’re going to go batshit later in life.
Glows
Lovely Illustrative Writing
The author has a firm grasp of rich description and attention to detail. The world comes alive on the page. Giving space to small details about the surroundings and atmosphere gives the reader a window into the world. This was done beautifully.
Potential Character Growth
This book very much feels like the start of a series, as the characters can only go up from here. Especially Brayden, I feel like he gains some semblance of control as the novel wraps up, and he has so much potential for growth.
Potential for Eventual Romance
In the last few pages of the book, I finally glimpsed a future where the two main characters could be romantically involved. Damien is controlled. Brayden isn’t reactive. They can come to an eventual peace and let feelings develop over time. I can see it.
Grows
Omegaverse Metaverse
There are many variations and iterations within the omegaverse genre. One shouldn’t assume the reader understands how a particular omegaverse story’s universe works because they’re familiar with the subgenre as a whole.
It seems like this story takes place within the omegaverse variation from Wattpad. I am less familiar with the tropes of this variation. So when reading this story, I had questions. I tried to make things fit within the boundaries of the omegaverse and fated mates stories I’ve read (and written!), but still had questions about some things. An information dump about how this particular omegaverse world works would not go amiss.
Pacing
There are some pacing issues, namely in the Run. There was so much going on, without much explanation, and it was unclear. Storyboarding the action sequences could shed light on pacing issues.
Copyediting Issues
The story’s biggest grow lies in copyediting. There are numerous issues with copyediting, namely in verb tenses and inconsistent tense shifts. Written primarily in the present tense, there are many occasions where the story drops into the past tense, sometimes in a sentence that started in the present.
The past perfect tense and present perfect tense are also used with inconsistency. Unfortunately, these sorts of syntax issues detract from the story and muddle the clarity of the writing.
Strong copyediting would fix these issues.
Recommend?
I recommend this book, and look forward to seeing where it is going.
Fans of fated mates and alpha/omega stories will enjoy the complex world-building and lore behind this story.
While there are some issues with the story, I think each character has great growth potential, and the series could evolve into an epic love story between the main male characters.
Review
I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review. I write reviews on my blog, Goodreads, Bookbub, Amazon, and more. If you want me to read and review your upcoming novel read my review policy and submit a contact form.
