Knot A Trace: Part One

Bittersweet Omegas #2

by Liliana Carlisle

My best friend is missing, and three Alpha detectives are my only hope.

One minute, I’m running a macaron shop and nursing a broken heart, and the next minute, I’m holding search parties and raising reward money.
But no amount of baked goods can bring her back.
The Alpha Investigative Bureau is my last resort—three handsome detectives that are too busy to deal with one little Omega’s troubles.
They’re strong, brilliant, chaotic, and everything I could secretly hope for in a pack.
I’ll do everything I can to convince them to help me—including bribing them with the best cookies around.
And if I end up with a new pack because of it…
Well, I won’t complain.

Knot A Part One is the first part of a duet and ends on a CLIFFHANGER! This is a Why Choose Omegaverse with plenty of spice and hot Alpha detectives!
The Knot A Trace Duet ends with a HEA!

Genres: Omegaverse, Romance, Fantasy, Why Choose, Mystery, Paranormal, Smut

222 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 18, 2023

About the author

Liliana Carlisle is a romance author that loves angst, drama, and passion. The spicier the better!

She resides in Northern California with her husband, stepchildren, and emotional cats. She started her writing "career" in seventh grade, writing Backstreet Boys fanfiction in her notebooks. When she's not writing she can be found studying classical voice, playing Fortnite, or gulping cold brew.

Reviews

[Grapie Deltaco · Rating 1 out of 5]

Read it to see if the girl actually does get hit by a car after giving her love interest cookies he didn’t want and yeah. It happens.

CW: explicit sexual content, kidnapping, mentions of drug abuse/overdose, car accident trauma

[Giuliet · Rating 2 out of 5]

I don't know why I am reading these books but it’s like a crazy TV show that you watch, yet you damn well know it’s just shitty TV, but hey I still enjoyed it

[Random reader · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like this but I don’t necessarily love it. The whole storyline with Vincent feels forced and unnecessary, if you do decide to write in a third guy for the harem don’t make two of their personalities almost identical. Also, more clues about April should’ve been given in order to peak interest because April’s disappearance feels a little like an after thought even though it was supposed to be the reason she met the guys in the first place. One last thing: why do some authors like to describe younger women as wise and experienced? It’s okay to write the age gap, I love a good age gap but don’t make it weird. That just makes the older guy sound creepy and like he’s justifying something creepy. They’re both adults and how would he even know if she’s actually wise or experienced if he just met her?!

Apart from all of that, I actually really like River’s character and Landon too. I also like how the omega cases are tied to the O cases so I’m excited to read the next one.

[Fatbardha · Rating 1 out of 5]

I should start reading synopses and not going blindly in because my God.

[Vanessa · Rating 3 out of 5]

idc idc idc idc ✋🏾 i ate this up

[Sammi · Rating 1 out of 5]

Cómo se dice wild?

Are we all reading the same book because 5 stars…where? I’ve read better omegaverse books on Wattpad. The plot was lacking at best and the characters chemistry was mid.

[dos]

what the fuck have i done to anyone for this bullshit❓️❓️ nothing fucking happens ever and i hope she and everyone fucking die 😻😽

[MsRHReviewer · Rating 5 out of 5]

An interesting read, though the FB ad is a LITTLE deceiving.

I purchased this book a while ago, before I saw any FB ads about it. After seeing the ad, however, I decided to get around to reading it (I'm sure many of you understand the eternally long TBR list, so just because I purchased it, didn't mean I was going to read it right away!). The ad was a clip where the FMC baked cookies but she got laughed off by the MC. That doesn't happen in the book. She DOES bake macarons for some detectives she visits in hopes to convince them to help her find her missing friend, and they tell her they're unable to help (one going as far as calling the macarons a bribe), but that's as far as that goes.

That all aside, it's a relatively enjoyable read, if you like Omegaverse books. The FMC, Skylar, is doing everything she can to bring awareness to her best friend's disappearance. Baking to raise reward money, arranging search parties, interviews on local news, etc. Unfortunately, their police department doesn't have the man power to look into it much, so she goes to the Alpha Private Bureau (a somewhat classified private agency that the the government sometimes turns to). They turn her down due to having too many cases on the go until an incident occurs that sort of brings her and two of the detectives closer (the fact they are obsessed over her scent, and her theirs, helps this a lot).

Time goes by with no sign of her friend, and things begin to look bleak. Things are just going to get worse by the end, and the book leaves us on a cliffhanger.

The book is a little different from others in the regard that it's OV, but with a little bit of mystery in it with overdoses and the missing person(s). In my opinion, there's a fairly big clue about what could be the reason for the missing omega, but we'll learn about it in book two!

[girlwithhearteyes · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 stars

This review is for Part One and Part Two, but no major spoilers.

Omegaverse romance. The FMC is an omega whose best friend has gone missing, and the MMCs are the 3 alpha private detectives she goes to for help.

What I liked: The story was engaging and easy to read. There was a lot of caregiving/spoiling, as the FMC had a lot of insecurities after her last relationship and the 3 MMCs were all “you’re doing US a favour by letting us take care of you.”

What I liked less: I know omegaverse sex has copious fluids, but the extent of it here had me worried about dehydration. 😕 Also, I could not understand the reason for River (one of the MMCs) holding a grudge against some of the other characters AT ALL, which made me side eye other characters who thought his anger was justified. What is there to forgive?!

Final thoughts: I enjoyed it for the pure escapism, but I wasn’t reading it for the emotional journey. 😅

[Escape_withStephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

She's a wonderful friend who would do anything so selfless. They all have issues individually and very much all need therapy but the way they care for her is beyound beautiful. They will always put her needs first ,Always. River has a little anger issues . Landon needs to stop bottling things up and being the responsible one . Vincent sweet Vincent i can't wait to unwrap you.

[Cassidy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was so bad, but I genuinely could not stop reading it. I felt like I was watching a bad soap opera. also, what the hell is a mating gland. I spent most of this book just trying to figure that thing out. Having finished the book, I can confidently say I still have no clue where or what the mating gland is. In conclusion, will I be reading the second one? Yes.

[Regina Lopez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pensé que sería un libro corto entretenido pero terminó siendo una historia interesante que incluso tiene continuación porque no terminó de formarse toda la historia. Ha sido interesante y estoy intrigada por el final

[Liv Young · Rating 1 out of 5]

I gotta stop letting Thomas pick my books oh my god

[Aisling · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m hooked

I kind of hate and love the alphas and I can’t quite decide which emotion will win. But I’m so hooked on this book

[Chalice · Rating 4 out of 5]

The couple: River/Landon/Vincent and Skylar

Romance trope: omegaverse
Series: Bittersweet Omegas
Length: 214 pages

Plot: Skylar, a omega working at a local bakery, isn't looking for an alpha. Been there, done that. But when her best friend is kidnapped and she heads out to find the detectives who can help her, she discovers a couple of alphas who, while reluctant, draw her attention like no other. Landon and River are both too busy to take on another case, but there's something about Skylar that makes them want to help.

Commentary: This was an odd group of characters in so many ways. The alphas didn't get along with one another. I found Vincent to be completely unlikeable. Skylar was an older omega (29, but in omegaverse, that's older), which is unusual. They just didn't really mesh. The guys were attracted to Skylar, and it happened quickly, as in most omegaverses, so that wasn't too weird. But the idea of pack in this story was not what I was used to reading. It didn't seem to matter if there were any connections amongst the alphas or not - they were simply there for the omega rather than a family unit.

Also, I never understood why River hated Vincent so much. Landon seemed to be neutral. He didn't care as much about Vincent as River did, I guess. But River hated him, and why? Because Vincent quit when the job got to be too much for him. He burnt out, was near a breakdown, and so quit. That doesn't seem like such a terrible offense. What good would he have been on the job still, in that state of mind? He didn't owe River anything, mentor or not. He didn't really let anyone down. He didn't do anything awful. He just quit his job. It didn't seem to be the big deal that River was making it out to be.

Anyways, I liked the mystery aspect of the story, and I generally enjoy this author. I just don't know how I feel about this "pack." I did appreciate the way they all took care of Skylar and gave her what she needed.

Next book in the series: Knot A Trace: Part Two

[Mazzy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked it. The premise and characters are interesting enough, although not as fully fleshed out as they could be. But I kind of don’t get it - like the world of this story. So they have alphas and omegas, okay. They have mating and heats, sure. But they are human beings? This is just a normal human world but everyone has a super sense of smell and live in ‘packs’? I’m not sure I understand how or why the author went down this route instead of just fully committing to a werewolf story. What’s even stranger to me is that this book is tagged in the paranormal and werewolf categories, but again, the characters are referred to as human beings and other than some genetic quirks, inhabit human bodies.

[Emily Stimson · Rating 1 out of 5]

A difficult read..

[yaqi · Rating 1 out of 5]

dnd 57%
nicht klappentext gelesen
nicht gewusst dass es lostes omegaverse ist💀
habs nicht gerafft und war grundsätzlich lost

[Librarian Jessie (BibliophileRoses) · Rating 2 out of 5]

Holding out for part two haha. It wasn’t terrible, it was fast paced and interesting but it left so much unanswered and I while I’ve read a lot of omegaverse and know that fates overrule current emotions the way things ended between her and the boys has me questioning.

[morganinpages · Rating 4 out of 5]

how very cutsie, very demure, very mindful of Skylar to just get hit by a car after bringing her alphas some cookies🥰guyssssss this book was literally so good and might just be my second favorite book of Liliana Carlisle’s now (second to my baby alpha inmate ofc)!! Like Skylar literally doesn’t know what to do in order to help find her friend so she goes to an alpha detective bureau to end up falling for two of the lead detectives??!!! How cute. And the first meeting with Lincoln was literally so adorable I fell in love with him IMMEDIATELY. It was also so funny when both Lincoln and River were fighting over the cookies she brought them! And don’t even get me started about the mysterious Vincent! I literally need more of him right this second. I read this book in a day and literally couldn’t put it down. Like Landon and River were literally so cute and totally different, but I loved them both the same. And they were so patient and sweet to Skylar. I’m obsessed. And those spicy scenes🥵OMG I WAS COMBUSTING❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥I literally had to stop for a second bc it was too good!! This book is so underrated and one that you need to read immediately. Like who doesn’t love a cute baker who falls for the hot and sexy detectives?? The cliffhanger definitely had me screaming and I absolutely need to know what happens!!

[Sienna · Rating 5 out of 5]

ARC REVIEW

I was lucky enough to get an ARC of this book and let me tell you.. wow!! It was amazing.
These characters are so perfect together, the spice and tension was TOP TIER🤤🤭🫠
I read this book in one sitting, the storyline just hooked me and I couldn’t stop reading.
And the cliffhanger…!!! I cannot wait to binge part 2🥳

[diyareads · Rating 1 out of 5]

dnfed.

It's a omegaverse book but it's literally sooo boring

[Irene Kiew · Rating 4 out of 5]

This review is for both part 1 & part 2 of this duology.

I give the author props for characterisation of Skylar. Being in Skylar's head is so messy. I felt like she (and all the guys except Landon) needed therapy before she could have a healthy relationship. She has panic attacks, anxiety, guilt, low self-esteem, and loads and loads of fears, including fear of rejection.

Did I root for her as a main character? Yes and no. I admired her loyalty to her best friend, April, but I felt that half of it was out of love and the other half was driven by neuroticism. She's constantly obsessing that she's not doing enough to find April and that she's letting April down. Her behaviour is almost manic at times and yes, she does say that she's been told she's intense and "too demanding", but perhaps a person who has been abandoned by their parents would of course have a deep need for reassurance and love, aside from the omega characteristics (wanting to be pampered and cared for).

River is also not in a mentally healthy state of mind, neither is Vincent. Both of these two haven't worked through their issues with themselves and with each other. One word from Skylar asking them to get along and boom, all is well? I don't buy it at all.

Skylar and River are a perfect co-dependent match; they are both obsessive, needy, anxious, and constantly push themselves to the point of exhaustion. They don't have healthy behaviours... how can you love someone if you don't know how to love yourself first?

In fact, I wanted to know why Skylar had stayed with Jason for so long when they didn't even live in the same town and she had to give him gas money to get him to come visit her. There's never any explanation as to why she settled for so little when her inner omega wanted to be taken care of. I also wanted to know how Vincent survived for two years without a job, hiding inside his home and never going anywhere except the gym. Does he come from money?

When Skylar was rescued... I expected her to need physical therapy after hardly moving for a month. it's like having a limb in a cast after fracturing a bone -- when the cast comes off, you need PT cos the muscles will be stiff from disuse. It's not believable that she rests for a week and then can walk around and function like normal. She would have lost flexibility and mobility in all her joints.

I admit that I expected more from her. in captivity, she had leeway to walk around the room; she could have tried to stay fit and active until the suppressant withdrawal symptoms got to be too much. Instead, she's huddling in the bathroom all the time and not even being watchful of an opportunity to escape.

I think this is part of her personality, to expect the worst, and probably it was also because she didn't believe the guys would be looking for her, but eh... later everyone kept saying how strong she was, but I personally felt she didn't have much fighting spirit. She would fight on behalf of her best friend, but she would not fight for herself, it seemed.

Four stars for very different characteristics and personalities among the three men, for strong characterisation of Skylar, and for a plot that was not totally predictable. But the romance / HEA was not believable as I didn't feel they were in a place to establish healthy relationships... they all (except Landon, maybe) needed to work on their own issues first.

[Joanna · Rating 2 out of 5]

There are so many things wrong with this book:

Firtsly, could we please stop spreading fake information in books that can hurt people in real life. You can abso-f*ckin-lutely report someone missing earlier than 24h. Even if it's just an hour, do it! The first 24-48h are the most crucial in finding a missing person.

Officer Ben is a sh*t policeman. He didn't offer any condolences, he dismissed the case and told the FMC the police won't get involved and then suddenly he is portrayed as cute and helpful character because he helped a little bit with a search party, which he didn't organize and he caught the eye of the FMC's younger friend.

By the time officer Ben remembers that he has a cousin who is a detective, April has been gone for a few weeks, so Skylar waits another few weeks to follow up on the detectives from Ben. Why didn't she go right away? Why is Ben still portrayed as a hero, when he is incompetent?

The car accident. Nobody gets up and walks when they are hit by car so hard they fly in the air. Especially not small female omega. She would be dead or critically injured. Not walking and talking. The author could have used a more plausible scenario to get the MMCs to help the FMC.

We started the book around Valentine's Day - the girls discussing the special macarons. A few weeks later and then some, there is still Valentine's Day.

Landon and River come to her on Sunday (Valentine's Day), when she starts her heat. Then after her heat is over it says that her heat lasted "the weekend", which would suggest two days, but they came to her on Sunday, not Saturday. Then another chapter later it says that "she napped most of Sunday". Time in this book is a very fluid concept.

The good parts:

FMC is a dedicated friend. I would like someone like that in my corner.
MMCs try to help her even though they think that her friend is dead.

[KittyLuvr · Rating 5 out of 5]

This one is absolutely wonderful.
An Omega, Skylar, who strives to make her life count through her best friend, her best friend's mom & the bakery in which they all take pride. But even this cannot erase the cruel barbs her previous Alpha launched her way, dampening her spirit & confidence.
But when her bestie Omega disappears & the local authorities don't seem interested in investigating, Skylar will do anything to search for & find her. And that means dealing with 3 strong gorgeous Alpha private detectives . . . .
This story is beautifully written, the writing swirls the reader deep into the lives of the 4 main characters who are perfectly fleshed out along with the supporting cast. And the author keeps the reader's interest enthralled via the increasing physical attraction between the the Omega & Alphas, along with 2 mysteries that just MAY have a common & deadly link.
The writing is skilled, subtly superb in the way it draws & KEEPS the reader mesmerized & indeed, fascinated from the start to the heart stopping cliffhanger. At least THIS reader. Once I started this one I could not put it down until the final word.
Again, I found this one incredibly magical with excellent superb writing that cast me deep into the story, invested in the characters & on tenterhooks with the plot. Mystery, romance, scorching sizzle & loyal friendship all wrapped up in a stellar plot.
Do yourself a favor & read this one.
Seriously.
IMO, it's simply awesome.

[Brooke · Rating 5 out of 5]

I adore Liliana Carlisle. But this book? This cliffhanger? It tested the boundaries of my adoration. I ended this story with my heart in my throat, biting at the bit, still frantically swiping pages looking to continue this story. And considering I *knew* it’s a part one, to still be on edge when the inevitable happens? Top freaking tier.

One of my favorite parts though, was Skylar slowly learning that she *isn’t* too much (thank you ahole ex), and that the right Alpha (or three), would treat her like the queen she was. That there is no such thing as too *anything* when it comes to the right people in your life. And I appreciate the way that it wasn’t just Skylar’s character that suffered from that particular insecurity.

Not to mention the spice in this book had *me* clenching my thighs right along with our stress-baking queen of a best friend FMC. If I ever go missing, I need a Skylar in my corner, because she was absolutely unstoppable in her drive to find April.

Part Two isn’t out yet, and while I abhor cliffhangers, I can’t regret one second of this book. Besides, the bite between male leads was entertaining as all get out, and our girl Skylar’s ongoing battle to find her friend is more than enough to keep my brain spinning until the HEA guaranteed conclusion.

[Fiona · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic story

I really enjoyed this book, and I can’t wait for the second part. Skylar and April are the best of friends and chosen sisters due to Skylar’s mother and father not being such an active part in her life. Both girls manage a cafe and one day April just doesn’t come back to work and this is very unusual for her to not let Skylar know where she is. They discovered that she has been taken and Skylar insist that someone help her, she goes to the Alpha bureau who are known to take on cases for the government. There is a new drug that is around called O and the police officer who shows up to take the statement from Skylar and April‘s mother, Tammy tells them about his cousin who works for the bureau. Skylar goes to the bureau to ask them to take on her case, they refuse at first, then they find themselves drawn to Skylar and know that she is their omega. at the end of the book, Skylar send the guys away and is taken herself by some unknown person. What a way to hold your attention is to leave you hanging and wanting to know what’s going on in the next book.

I am leaving this review voluntarily, and it is my honest and fair opinion .

[Emma · Rating 3 out of 5]

🍬
⚜️ Book Title - Knot a Trace: Part 1
⚜️ Author - Liliana Carlisle
⚜️ Rating - ⭐️⭐️⭐️
⚜️ Some Genre/Themes/Tropes: Adult Fiction, Romance and Omega-verse

I’ve only started dabbling in reading Omega-verse books and this is a fun easy read. I stumbled upon the author while watching aesthetic reels and I’m glad I did.

Skyler is an Omega who runs a coffee and bakery shop with her friend April. When April goes missing, Skyler seeks the help of an Alpha detective team (River & Landon) to help find her friend.

It’s definitely in the instalove category as it’s a fast pace plot with spice. The ending though 😮‍💨 Prepare for a cliffhanger…

I would recommend this book to others who love Omega-verse books. I will definitely look for other books written by this author.

‼️ Check your triggers prior to reading.

Note (How I rate): One is DNF. Two is got there but struggled. Three stars is a good, enjoyable read. Four is an excellent read and five is a comfort read that lingers with me for life (very difficult to get but not impossible).

[Susan Cox · Rating 5 out of 5]

Omegas are disappearing.

OMG!! It is so awesome I read the book in a day. Skylar’s friend is missing. Their small town police force is not equipped to with enough manpower to fill devote time into the investigations. Skylar tries everything, posting missing flyers, organizing a fund raiser for reward money, participating in searches. The local beta cop Ben suggests she try the Alpha Bureau. They are two of the best investigators there are. Landon and River don’t do missing person cases, until they eat Skylar’s macaroons. Skylar works in a bakery that specializes in macaroons and she can make up the best flavors for her macaroons. They take the case. You’ll have to read the book if you want to know anything else. I would love to tell their story but all I can do is recommend this book to omegaverse readers. I’m hoping that part 2 is coming out soon.

[Rachel Stephens · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a great way to start the story!!
This was a quick read for me and it kept my attention throughout.
We got mystery, a few secrets, lots of feelings and spice.
I really liked Skylar. She is smart, a little insecure and an overall relatable FMC. She isn't a push over or afraid to speak her mind either.
Landon and River are the main alphas in this book. I'm hoping for a possible 3rd too. 🤞
I like both of the guys. There is a bit of a rocky start, but things get better pretty quickly. I loved how different they are and how they try to reassure her how important she is. I also loved how the guys came together, even if it's only for Skylar's sake.
However, I have a feeling she is just what they need to heal the rift between them.
Just wait for the cliffhanger, it may have you screaming!!! I can't wait for part 2!!!