Loved It: Claimed by Elle Kennedy

Series: Outlaws 1
Format: Paperback
Release Date: October 6, 2015
Publisher: Signet
Source: Publisher
Recommended By: Jessica Haluska
Genre: Romantica | MC | Post-Apocalyptic

The bestselling author of the Killer Instincts novels “knows how to write scorching sexual tension” (USA Today). Now she really sets it on fire in a new series about men and women living on the edge of violence, sex, and life and death.

After a devastating war decimated most of the world, Hudson Lane has only known the oppressive life under her own father’s tyranny. She finally escapes, branding herself an outlaw and hunted by the Enforcers. Her best chance at survival is Connor Mackenzie, an aggressively sensual fugitive who opens her eyes to the wicked possibilities of a world without rules.

As the leader of a band of outlaw fighters, Connor can’t resist the beautiful stranger who asks for his protection. Despite his reservations, he agrees to introduce her to a whole new way of life. But when Connor discovers Hudson’s connection to the enemies of liberty, he wonders how far he can trust the woman who has abandoned all inhibitions to challenge every forbidden desire.

I've had CLAIMED for a while now but haven't really had the guts to read it til Jessica Haluska reviewed the darn book over at Rabid Reads. She caught me in the right mood because I wanted to try something different and though Outlaws reminds me so much of Kit Rocha's Beyond series, Jessica said that CLAIMED has more substance so I finally broke my copy's spine and read on. 

5-Star Romantica

See the cover art? See how hot, bare and arid it is? That is exactly how I would describe Hudson Lane and Connor Mackenzie's blazing, lust-filled-driven romance. It's forbidden, misleading, desperate, unapologetic, and all consuming. Not surprising since the world is in shambles and carpe diem is everyone's motto. It makes sense to LIVE as much as you can and Connor's crew is as hedonistic as you can imagine them to be. Orgies, threesomes, this MC are unabashed as far as their bodies and desires are concerned. CLAIMED is smutty for lack of a better word.

3-Star Plot

Let me explain this a bit. It's not that CLAIMED is lacking in it, the plot is as developed as it can get at this point. The world building is established early on in so few words so we have a good grasp of what happened and why there are Outlaws. My complaint is the lack of balance. There's too much sex and all the feels got dumped on us in the last quarter of the book. 

I'm a little disappointed because Connor and Hudson's personal stories and the politics in Outlaws are so good! Why didn't I get more of that?! I'd rather read less about their private parts and more about what makes them and their world tick. Hudson's relationship with her brother, Dominick, in particular, is very moving, and I have high hopes that he gets his own book and redemption. 

Despite my very biased opinion about CLAIMED, it's smut with substance and it's moving in more ways than one *wink wink*. The emotions displayed here is very intense, there's no in-between be it loyalty, love, friendship, or lust. There's a constant sense of desperation, distrust and feeling of doom which enhanced Hudson and Connor's romance and their efforts to survive and thrive. The characters are all engaging, EKennedy introduced and wrote them well that I look forward to reading more of them. Even the wolf pup, Hope, has my attention! Outlaws may require a specific mood for me to enjoy, but I did love my foray into this world nonetheless.

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