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Outlaws #1
Claimed
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.
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.
351 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published October 6, 2016
284 people are currently reading
7454 people want to read
About the author
Elle Kennedy
189 books89.5k followersA New York Times, USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestselling author, Elle Kennedy grew up in the suburbs of Toronto, Ontario, and holds a B.A. in English from York University. From an early age, she knew she wanted to be a writer, and actively began pursuing that dream when she was a teenager.
Elle currently writes for various publishers. She loves strong heroines and sexy alpha heroes, and just enough heat and danger to keep things interesting!
Elle currently writes for various publishers. She loves strong heroines and sexy alpha heroes, and just enough heat and danger to keep things interesting!
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 572 reviews
February 7, 2018
2/7/18 - ON SALE for $2.99:
http://amzn.to/2nHK9J8
Reviewed by: Rabid Reads
I'm not going to lie . . . sometimes, not often, but sometimes I get in the mood for SMUT.
I'm picky about it, though. Clearly not as picky as some others who read and hated CLAIMED, b/c "too much sex, not enough plot," and to those people I say:
Whatever you do, NEVER pick up Beyond Shame .
B/c CLAIMED is basically a toned-down, more marketable version of that concept.
That's not a complaint. I liked Beyond Shame . BUT. I could never read it for more than half an hour or so at a time, b/c, MAN ALIVE . . . something about loins and flames, and I just could NOT take it. I had to put it aside in favor of something else, b/c spontaneous combustion was a real possibility . . .
Not so, CLAIMED.
In this world, there are two types of people: citizens and outlaws.
Citizens live under thecontrol protection of a police-like state, while outlaws prefer to take their chances elsewhere. They live outside civilization, such as it is, eking out an existence
in the spaces no one of importance is interested in.
Outlaws are mostly transient, b/c even if they aren't doing anything particularly wrong, they're still branded with the label "outlaw," and enforcers are jerks who like to break shit.
It's harder to get broken if you don't stay in one place.
Hudson, a citizen, is on the run.
Unbeknownst to her, before he died, her father arranged a marriage to a man she despises, so much so, she leaves the safety of citizenship, fleeing to outlaw territory.
She's got skills, you see.
Her father was a man of importance, so she was trained with the enforcers, the elite soldiers. She also has some medical knowledge, and between the two, she figures she can make a go of it on her own.
She is sadly mistaken.
Conner is an outlaw, born and bred.
Against his wishes, the handful of men he's collected, fighters like himself, have made him their leader. Unlike most non-citizens, they've found a place of relative safety, a headquarters where they've lived and trained for the last six months, a place of stability from which they can raid enforcer bases for supplies, biting the ankles of the beast.
But that's not enough for Conner.
He has a personal vendetta against the head enforcer, who murdered his family.
In Conner, Hudson sees protection. She vastly underestimated her ability to survive alone, and after witnessing his men's efficient takedown of a group of bandits, she decides she's going with them when they leave.
Things don't go as either of them plan . . .
Things you should know:
1. There is M/F/M action, and, YES, I do mean action. *waggles eyebrows* So if that's not your thing, BEWARE.
2. Outlaw territory is EXTREMELY hedonistic in nature. Their lives are hard and could end at any moment, so when they can play, they do.
3. There is a LOT of sex. This is labeled and marketed as erotica. If you read this, you go into it with your eyes WIDE OPEN. Don't come back later and complain.
That being said, it's not sex devoid of a plot. I felt the balance was a good one, and it flowed from one to the other seamlessly.
So seamlessly that after picking it up on Saturday afternoon, I was surprised several hours later, realizing I had not moved, and was nearly finished.
I. Loved. It.
CLAIMED by Elle Kennedy is the first installment of her new OUTLAWS series. It's erotica, but it's smart and funny and well-developed, and, again, I LOVED it. I've already pre-ordered ADDICTED, and I'll be impatiently waiting until I have it in my grabby hands. Highly recommended.
http://amzn.to/2nHK9J8
Reviewed by: Rabid Reads
I'm not going to lie . . . sometimes, not often, but sometimes I get in the mood for SMUT.
I'm picky about it, though. Clearly not as picky as some others who read and hated CLAIMED, b/c "too much sex, not enough plot," and to those people I say:
Whatever you do, NEVER pick up Beyond Shame .
B/c CLAIMED is basically a toned-down, more marketable version of that concept.
That's not a complaint. I liked Beyond Shame . BUT. I could never read it for more than half an hour or so at a time, b/c, MAN ALIVE . . . something about loins and flames, and I just could NOT take it. I had to put it aside in favor of something else, b/c spontaneous combustion was a real possibility . . .
Not so, CLAIMED.
In this world, there are two types of people: citizens and outlaws.
Citizens live under the
in the spaces no one of importance is interested in.
Outlaws are mostly transient, b/c even if they aren't doing anything particularly wrong, they're still branded with the label "outlaw," and enforcers are jerks who like to break shit.
It's harder to get broken if you don't stay in one place.
Hudson, a citizen, is on the run.
Unbeknownst to her, before he died, her father arranged a marriage to a man she despises, so much so, she leaves the safety of citizenship, fleeing to outlaw territory.
She's got skills, you see.
Her father was a man of importance, so she was trained with the enforcers, the elite soldiers. She also has some medical knowledge, and between the two, she figures she can make a go of it on her own.
She is sadly mistaken.
Conner is an outlaw, born and bred.
Against his wishes, the handful of men he's collected, fighters like himself, have made him their leader. Unlike most non-citizens, they've found a place of relative safety, a headquarters where they've lived and trained for the last six months, a place of stability from which they can raid enforcer bases for supplies, biting the ankles of the beast.
But that's not enough for Conner.
He has a personal vendetta against the head enforcer, who murdered his family.
In Conner, Hudson sees protection. She vastly underestimated her ability to survive alone, and after witnessing his men's efficient takedown of a group of bandits, she decides she's going with them when they leave.
Things don't go as either of them plan . . .
Things you should know:
1. There is M/F/M action, and, YES, I do mean action. *waggles eyebrows* So if that's not your thing, BEWARE.
2. Outlaw territory is EXTREMELY hedonistic in nature. Their lives are hard and could end at any moment, so when they can play, they do.
3. There is a LOT of sex. This is labeled and marketed as erotica. If you read this, you go into it with your eyes WIDE OPEN. Don't come back later and complain.
That being said, it's not sex devoid of a plot. I felt the balance was a good one, and it flowed from one to the other seamlessly.
So seamlessly that after picking it up on Saturday afternoon, I was surprised several hours later, realizing I had not moved, and was nearly finished.
I. Loved. It.
CLAIMED by Elle Kennedy is the first installment of her new OUTLAWS series. It's erotica, but it's smart and funny and well-developed, and, again, I LOVED it. I've already pre-ordered ADDICTED, and I'll be impatiently waiting until I have it in my grabby hands. Highly recommended.
July 10, 2020
3 stars!
I've only read Elle Kennedy's Off-Campus series and I loved it so much I wanted to read some of her other books. Claimed is nothing like those books. It's an erotica-dystopian read. It was refreshing to read a different genre and I was hooked from the start. Hudson and Connor live in a time where there are enforcers, city people, outlaws, and bandits. There is population control and no one is safe. Connor is an outlaw, along with his group of 4 other men. When Hudson meets them, she is immediately attracted to Connor. She also sees how strong they are and how many resources they have and want to join their group. Hudson wants to feel safe. She has been alone for a while, running from the enforcers. She's got a big secret, too. She knows telling Connor could change everything between them. But all secrets eventually come out...
I listened to this book in audio, and though the narration wasn't great, I didn't want to stop listening. This was an addictive book. And wow... it was crazy hot and steamy! I loved Hudson and even though Connor irked me at times, I understood why he was the way he was and I loved him, too! All the guys in the group were great. I especially loved Rylan and Pike. I hope we get books on them soon!
I've only read Elle Kennedy's Off-Campus series and I loved it so much I wanted to read some of her other books. Claimed is nothing like those books. It's an erotica-dystopian read. It was refreshing to read a different genre and I was hooked from the start. Hudson and Connor live in a time where there are enforcers, city people, outlaws, and bandits. There is population control and no one is safe. Connor is an outlaw, along with his group of 4 other men. When Hudson meets them, she is immediately attracted to Connor. She also sees how strong they are and how many resources they have and want to join their group. Hudson wants to feel safe. She has been alone for a while, running from the enforcers. She's got a big secret, too. She knows telling Connor could change everything between them. But all secrets eventually come out...
I listened to this book in audio, and though the narration wasn't great, I didn't want to stop listening. This was an addictive book. And wow... it was crazy hot and steamy! I loved Hudson and even though Connor irked me at times, I understood why he was the way he was and I loved him, too! All the guys in the group were great. I especially loved Rylan and Pike. I hope we get books on them soon!
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November 10, 2015
Claimed is book one in the brand new series, Outlaws, by Elle Kennedy. I have been admiring the cover of this book for awhile now, anxiously awaiting the book’s release to see if the book lived up to the cover. Well, let me go ahead and tell you now, it did!!!
There was a terrible war, and the world was forever changed. A new society was formed and is led by the Global Council. All classes are eliminated; there is just the regular people, and the council and enforcers that enforce the rules. You have no freedom of choice, all decisions are made for you. Hudson Lane has been raised in such a society. Her father is the one who formed it. She has never known anything different, until her father died. Her twin brother is now in charge. But he’s changed. He’s become angry and malicious. And the day he presented her with a marriage contract, first drawn up by her father, to an evil man, she knew she had to get out. There is freedom outside these walls and she was going to find it.
“We all belong to him,” Rylan said simply. “The sooner you accept that, the better off you’ll be.”
Conner Mackenzie is an outlaw. Outlaws are the names given to those who flee life within the walls of the Global Council. Outlaws are hunted down and usually killed. This is exactly what happened to the group of people Conner used to live with, including someone special to him. Now he wants revenge against the murderers. He would rather be alone, but he eventually gains a few tag-a-longs which become his new band of outlaws, with Conner in charge. He doesn’t want to lead these men but they look to him for guidance. On a day when they have ventured outside of their own camp, is the day Hudson walked into his life. She begged him for protection but he didn’t want to add another to his group. But he couldn’t turn his back on this blonde haired beauty.
“Freedom was a drug, one that grabbed hold of you the second it entered your bloodstream. It made you giddy and reckless if you didn’t know how to channel it.”
Hudson can’t tell Conner who she is, he would most definitely kick her back out. So she shares just enough to satisfy his curiosity. The chemistry between these two practically blew a fuse in my e-reader. But this is no sweet romance. This is raw and rough and freeing. Conner shows Hudson just what it means to lose her inhibitions and to be free. The longer they are together, though, Hudson is able to very slowly chip away at the walls Conner has built up. She knows that she has to tell him the truth about who she really is. But she can’t lose this, lose him.
This book has everything. There are plenty of sexy times, but there is so much more. This world is dismal and scary. The lives the outlaws are forced to live just to be free! But, really, are they ever free as they are constantly having to look over their shoulder to survive? Will Hudson be a death warrant to those who have sheltered her because of who she is? Will Conner ever forgive her for keeping her identity a secret? There is plenty of heat in this book but also suspense and hope and so much more. So did I love this book? YES YES YES! I haven’t seen anything about what or who the next book is going to be about but I am so excited to find out. Thank you to Elle Kennedy for another fantastic read. I am most definitely a fan!
“Nothing is ending, Con,” Her palms stroked his cheeks as she brushed her lips over his again.
“It’s just beginning.”
September 16, 2016
Find all of my reviews at: http://52bookminimum.blogspot.com/
3.5 Stars
In case you didn’t see my status update yesterday, I was busted reading this by a senior partner in my law firm while trapped on a crowded elevator and him looking over my shoulder right as the female lead was getting all soaped up in the tub . . . .
No shit!
Since I have zero shame or ability to tell even the tiniest of white lies (and since he clearly could already tell the answer), when asked what I was reading I told him the truth – DYSTOPIAN PORN!!!! And then I went and lodged a formal complaint about how his question made me uncomfortable and was probably sexual harassment of some nature. I keeeeeeed I keeeeeeed! I did tell him the truth about what I was reading, though, because seriously DYSTOPIAN PORN!!!!!!! I was totally hoping for . . . . .
And I’m still singing ♫♪We don’t need another heeeeeeero. We don’t need to know the waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay hooooooooooome. All we want is life beyooooooooooooooond. Thunderdome. ♫♪ Oh Tina, you are a gift from the tiny 8 lb. 6 oz. Baby Jeebus.
Where was I???? Oh yeah, DYSTOPIAN PORN!!!!! Alright, so our story is about Hudson, a woman who used to reside within the confines of the City as part of a family of big muckity mucks and ran away from an arranged marriage with a super rapey nutcase. Hudson has training, both medical and combat, but she’s well aware that beyond the City walls is an every-man-for-himself type of wasteland. When she runs across Conner and his band of outlaws she takes a risk and asks if she can join up with them . . . and is met with a resounding nooooooooooooooooooooope because soon-to-be leading male Conner’s peen is a bit too interested. But Hudson is persistent . . . .
And eventually the dudes say okay – but only for a day or so. After a successful supply raid, they decide to whoop it up a bit and that’s where Hudson discovers things are really not like what they were in the city . . . . .
ELLE KENNEDY DID!!!!!!!!! She did it real good too.
So anyway, Hudson is all . . . .
And Conner is all . . . .
“Don’t fucking tease me . . . Trust me, you don’t want to open that door.” But she did. She really, really did.
And I was all like . . . .
Once Hudson knew how on the outside sex wasn’t just for sluts and whores but that women could enjoy it and initiate it and whathaveyou, Conner was all . . .
“There’ll be ground rules if you stay” She’d expected that. “Like what?” “I call the shots.” He smirked at her. “And that rule extends to the bedroom. I decide how fast we go, what we do, where we do it, who joins us.” A wicked gleam sparked in his eyes. “I get total control.”
And I was all . . . .
Clean up, aisle MY PANTIES.
Now, of course there were some WTF moments. Like, have you ever moaned just from taking a gander at a penis????? Yeah, me either. Let’s be honest, they’re not super attractive. You know what does make me moan???? This . . . .
For the most part, this one was pretty solid. There was an actual plot, which isn’t always a guarantee when reading smut, and the smut was like OFF. THE. CHARTS. smutty. It was also refreshing to have a “honey blonde” as the leading lady. No offense to my ginger pals, but y’all know you are about as rare as unicorns so you shouldn’t be the star of every single damn dirty story. And also . . . .
I mean, COME ON. Gigi Hadid is wicked hot. It’s nice to be able to picture her for a change.
I don’t have a friend to tag on this one because it was the library’s recommendation software that brought it to my attention. Nice to know even random bots on the interwebs recognize that I’m a filthy whore.
3.5 Stars
In case you didn’t see my status update yesterday, I was busted reading this by a senior partner in my law firm while trapped on a crowded elevator and him looking over my shoulder right as the female lead was getting all soaped up in the tub . . . .
No shit!
Since I have zero shame or ability to tell even the tiniest of white lies (and since he clearly could already tell the answer), when asked what I was reading I told him the truth – DYSTOPIAN PORN!!!! And then I went and lodged a formal complaint about how his question made me uncomfortable and was probably sexual harassment of some nature. I keeeeeeed I keeeeeeed! I did tell him the truth about what I was reading, though, because seriously DYSTOPIAN PORN!!!!!!! I was totally hoping for . . . . .
And I’m still singing ♫♪We don’t need another heeeeeeero. We don’t need to know the waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay hooooooooooome. All we want is life beyooooooooooooooond. Thunderdome. ♫♪ Oh Tina, you are a gift from the tiny 8 lb. 6 oz. Baby Jeebus.
Where was I???? Oh yeah, DYSTOPIAN PORN!!!!! Alright, so our story is about Hudson, a woman who used to reside within the confines of the City as part of a family of big muckity mucks and ran away from an arranged marriage with a super rapey nutcase. Hudson has training, both medical and combat, but she’s well aware that beyond the City walls is an every-man-for-himself type of wasteland. When she runs across Conner and his band of outlaws she takes a risk and asks if she can join up with them . . . and is met with a resounding nooooooooooooooooooooope because soon-to-be leading male Conner’s peen is a bit too interested. But Hudson is persistent . . . .
And eventually the dudes say okay – but only for a day or so. After a successful supply raid, they decide to whoop it up a bit and that’s where Hudson discovers things are really not like what they were in the city . . . . .
ELLE KENNEDY DID!!!!!!!!! She did it real good too.
So anyway, Hudson is all . . . .
And Conner is all . . . .
“Don’t fucking tease me . . . Trust me, you don’t want to open that door.” But she did. She really, really did.
And I was all like . . . .
Once Hudson knew how on the outside sex wasn’t just for sluts and whores but that women could enjoy it and initiate it and whathaveyou, Conner was all . . .
“There’ll be ground rules if you stay” She’d expected that. “Like what?” “I call the shots.” He smirked at her. “And that rule extends to the bedroom. I decide how fast we go, what we do, where we do it, who joins us.” A wicked gleam sparked in his eyes. “I get total control.”
And I was all . . . .
Clean up, aisle MY PANTIES.
Now, of course there were some WTF moments. Like, have you ever moaned just from taking a gander at a penis????? Yeah, me either. Let’s be honest, they’re not super attractive. You know what does make me moan???? This . . . .
For the most part, this one was pretty solid. There was an actual plot, which isn’t always a guarantee when reading smut, and the smut was like OFF. THE. CHARTS. smutty. It was also refreshing to have a “honey blonde” as the leading lady. No offense to my ginger pals, but y’all know you are about as rare as unicorns so you shouldn’t be the star of every single damn dirty story. And also . . . .
I mean, COME ON. Gigi Hadid is wicked hot. It’s nice to be able to picture her for a change.
I don’t have a friend to tag on this one because it was the library’s recommendation software that brought it to my attention. Nice to know even random bots on the interwebs recognize that I’m a filthy whore.
October 9, 2015
5 MC + Dystopian Stars
Claimed is the first book in a new series called Outlaws. Every book are standalones.
For those of you who love the Off-Campus series, Elle Kennedy writes other genres. She has the Killer Instinct series, which is suspenseful and filled with action (I love) and now is her newest BRAND-NEW Outlaws series.
The BEST way I could describe this series is it’s a mixture of MC (motorcycle club) AND dystopian society. It’s like mixing my two favorite flavors and believe me, it’s an explosion in the mouth!
The world is in disarray and it’s every man for himself. There are two types of people: The Enforcers and the Outlaws. The Enforcers are like the police. They are run by the society and not all of them are good (well most of them aren’t, they are dictated on how to act). The Outlaws are the people not part of society and Connor is one of them. They are the resistance and live by their own set of rules.
Hudson is destined to marry a ruthless man. He’s abusive and he’s high ranking, he runs The Enforcers and Hudson rather die than marry him. Taking a chance, she escapes and runs into the Outlaws.
Wow, I love the premise of this book like wicked mad. First off, I’m a dystopian junkie. I love a war-torn book, because in these kinds of worlds, ANYTHING goes. There are killings, kidnappings and people having relations in public… oh my and oh yes.
Connor has a chip on his shoulder. As the leader of the Outlaws, he needs to be cold, calculating and think of his people before he can think of helping damsel Hudson. He agrees to take Hudson into his group for a few days because she’s pretty and she could be useful.
I LOVE Connor! He’s very mean. He thinks Hudson is gorgeous and he wants to tap it, but he can’t be boggled down by distractions. He keeps Hudson near, but is SUPER mean to her, I loved it and gobbled it up. He even let his buddies do some shameful stuff to her and Hudson loves it!
Yes, this book is super steamy, think MMF, relations in public and like I said ANYTHING goes, it’s really really really hot. You will not be disappointed.
I love starting a new series because I feel like there are so many possibilities and Elle Kennedy created a world I didn’t want to leave. I liked Hudson coming into Connor’s camp and she has a lot of baggage, which you will slowly find out. I like how Connor is not so nice, but he has his reasons and yes, you will slowly find out too. There’s a lot of action and I love the side-characters because Elle knows how to build hype and I can’t wait to read their stories in future books.
I 100% recommend!
An ARC was provided
An ARC was provided
AMAZON
Claimed is the first book in a new series called Outlaws. Every book are standalones.
For those of you who love the Off-Campus series, Elle Kennedy writes other genres. She has the Killer Instinct series, which is suspenseful and filled with action (I love) and now is her newest BRAND-NEW Outlaws series.
The BEST way I could describe this series is it’s a mixture of MC (motorcycle club) AND dystopian society. It’s like mixing my two favorite flavors and believe me, it’s an explosion in the mouth!
The world is in disarray and it’s every man for himself. There are two types of people: The Enforcers and the Outlaws. The Enforcers are like the police. They are run by the society and not all of them are good (well most of them aren’t, they are dictated on how to act). The Outlaws are the people not part of society and Connor is one of them. They are the resistance and live by their own set of rules.
Hudson is destined to marry a ruthless man. He’s abusive and he’s high ranking, he runs The Enforcers and Hudson rather die than marry him. Taking a chance, she escapes and runs into the Outlaws.
Wow, I love the premise of this book like wicked mad. First off, I’m a dystopian junkie. I love a war-torn book, because in these kinds of worlds, ANYTHING goes. There are killings, kidnappings and people having relations in public… oh my and oh yes.
Connor has a chip on his shoulder. As the leader of the Outlaws, he needs to be cold, calculating and think of his people before he can think of helping damsel Hudson. He agrees to take Hudson into his group for a few days because she’s pretty and she could be useful.
I LOVE Connor! He’s very mean. He thinks Hudson is gorgeous and he wants to tap it, but he can’t be boggled down by distractions. He keeps Hudson near, but is SUPER mean to her, I loved it and gobbled it up. He even let his buddies do some shameful stuff to her and Hudson loves it!
Yes, this book is super steamy, think MMF, relations in public and like I said ANYTHING goes, it’s really really really hot. You will not be disappointed.
I love starting a new series because I feel like there are so many possibilities and Elle Kennedy created a world I didn’t want to leave. I liked Hudson coming into Connor’s camp and she has a lot of baggage, which you will slowly find out. I like how Connor is not so nice, but he has his reasons and yes, you will slowly find out too. There’s a lot of action and I love the side-characters because Elle knows how to build hype and I can’t wait to read their stories in future books.
I 100% recommend!
An ARC was provided
An ARC was provided
AMAZON
January 4, 2016
This was not at all what I expected when I picked it up. I don't remember why I got this book, but it's been sitting on my shelf for a while and after I DNFed my last book I picked it up.
I expected dystopia, but really got smut. It was dysmutia.
Our setting is post-apocalyptic, after unnamed wars, global flooding, etc... We have very few humans left, and of course they all live in a community with some evil government overlords. They have embraced communism, because that always works out, and are ruled with an iron fist. To keep population control, they only allow very few women to breed, and there is no more medical care because they feel like sickness and injury just help to weed out the weak. It sounds like a magical place...
But, of course with every dystopia comes the dreaded outsiders. The ones who live outside of their perfect society, in this case called Outlaws. Makes sense, huh? Since they are outlaws, the enforcers/cops of this new world are always trying to round them up and make them become a part of their society. If they don't want to submit, they are killed. And, maybe the enforcers will rape them, torture their children, and kill them all anyway.
Our male hero is Conner. He is the leader of a small band of outlaws - all men - and his wife had been killed by the head enforcer, Dominik. He is completely set on finding Dominik and killing him. That is all that he cares about, all that he is living for. It's important to set goals for yourself in life. Keeps you focused.
Our femaleslut hero is Hudson. She was part of the society, but was being forced into a marriage by her brother to a ruthless sadistic enforcer so she ran away. Oh, and her twin brother is Dominik. She meets Conner and gang at a bar and decides that she wants to be with him.. for protection.. yeah... protection.
So, somehow, in this world-ending scenario, the nature of males and females changed and suddenly females are begging males for sex and maybe a male will be kind enough to allow them this favor. Maybe. If the girl is lucky. You know, cuz us gals are always looking for commitment-free, emotionless sex with dirty men who don't have toothbrushes or soap and in front of a lot of people. yeah, that sounds great.
Hudson worms her way into Conner's camp and starts endearing herself to his men. But, if she thinks she can get Conner to have sex with her, just because she is constantly begging him to, and just because she is beautiful and sexy, well, she's going to have to really prove that she deserves this first. Conner gets to treat her like absolute garbage - degrading her and forcing her to have sex with his friend first to work her way into his bed. But, don't worry, she is determined to win this great prize that is this horrible, mean, rude, crude, and disgusting man - no matter what she has to do. All while hiding the fact that her brother killed his wife.
In spite of all of that, I liked most of the side characters in this book and the world was somewhat interesting. The next book features characters that I liked better than these two, so I will probably read on.
I expected dystopia, but really got smut. It was dysmutia.
Our setting is post-apocalyptic, after unnamed wars, global flooding, etc... We have very few humans left, and of course they all live in a community with some evil government overlords. They have embraced communism, because that always works out, and are ruled with an iron fist. To keep population control, they only allow very few women to breed, and there is no more medical care because they feel like sickness and injury just help to weed out the weak. It sounds like a magical place...
But, of course with every dystopia comes the dreaded outsiders. The ones who live outside of their perfect society, in this case called Outlaws. Makes sense, huh? Since they are outlaws, the enforcers/cops of this new world are always trying to round them up and make them become a part of their society. If they don't want to submit, they are killed. And, maybe the enforcers will rape them, torture their children, and kill them all anyway.
Our male hero is Conner. He is the leader of a small band of outlaws - all men - and his wife had been killed by the head enforcer, Dominik. He is completely set on finding Dominik and killing him. That is all that he cares about, all that he is living for. It's important to set goals for yourself in life. Keeps you focused.
Our female
So, somehow, in this world-ending scenario, the nature of males and females changed and suddenly females are begging males for sex and maybe a male will be kind enough to allow them this favor. Maybe. If the girl is lucky. You know, cuz us gals are always looking for commitment-free, emotionless sex with dirty men who don't have toothbrushes or soap and in front of a lot of people. yeah, that sounds great.
Hudson worms her way into Conner's camp and starts endearing herself to his men. But, if she thinks she can get Conner to have sex with her, just because she is constantly begging him to, and just because she is beautiful and sexy, well, she's going to have to really prove that she deserves this first. Conner gets to treat her like absolute garbage - degrading her and forcing her to have sex with his friend first to work her way into his bed. But, don't worry, she is determined to win this great prize that is this horrible, mean, rude, crude, and disgusting man - no matter what she has to do. All while hiding the fact that her brother killed his wife.
In spite of all of that, I liked most of the side characters in this book and the world was somewhat interesting. The next book features characters that I liked better than these two, so I will probably read on.
August 3, 2017
1.5 Stars
All I wanted to read was a dystopian romance novel. But the author had something different in mind.
Her thought process must have been something along the lines of: "Hmmm, which books have been wildly popular in recent years?" Think. Think. Think. Think some more. "Ah yeah, now I know!"
Take a few components of the following dystopian novels Hunger Games, Divergent, Maze Runner, throw in a good measure of elements from Fifty Shades of Grey, minus the BDSM, plus ménage....et voilà...Claimed. Aren't we lucky that she didn't think of A Song of Ice and Fire - Game of Thrones? We would have probably found a few dragons flying around.
After about two chapters I thought 'Oh dear, please no' because:
I'll try to stick to the plot without mentioning the sex (who am I kidding?), but seriously, I'll try. Well, no, I wouldn't really call it a plot. Let's see.
We find ourselves in a world that was destroyed by a -presumably - nuclear war 40 years ago. To set the tone of the book let me quote what Connor has to say to Hudson regarding life in this dystopian future.
This book tried so very, very hard to be more than just a recital of different sex positions with different partners and constant thoughts of lust, lust and more lust. Some reflection is given to the idea of individualism vs communism (yep, that word was used at one point), free love vs closed relationship. But let's not kid ourselves here, with Connor and Hudson lusting after each other for the first 70% of the book, those reflections were mere fillers. Funniest moment? Relatively early into the book, Hudson and Connor, along with his group of super sexy men, are going to raid a depot. Hudson stays with Connor, the others spread out. There are minefields, guards, motion sensors; basically it's a dangerous situation. So they lie and wait. And what do you know? Hudson and Connor get all hot and bothered whilst waiting for the right moment to attack the depot! Let's not waste a single moment of the sexy times.
Obviously, due to the overabundance of those sexy times, the world building was underdeveloped to say the least. Even when other characters come into play, it's all about sex, sex, and more sex. Yep, you heard it correctly. Apart from two characters who appear in the last 10-15 pages, all these very young, super sexy people just want to fuck. Their lives are all about 'fuck, fuck, suck, pussy, dick, fuck, suck, swallow, lick, fuck, fuck, lick, cock, fuck' in a nutshell. And hey, why not? It's the end of the world!
Where is the romance? Well, the romance was there and it read roughly like this: "Oh my God, I need you to fuck me!" (heroine) and "Oh my God, I need to fuck you blind!' (hero). And then towards the end: "I'm sorry I lied. I love you." (heroine) and "I'm sorry I was an ass. I love you!" (hero).
Character development, you ask? Erm...
I know Elle Kennedy's Off-Campus series is very popular. I read The Score and I wasn't too impressed because a) it was NA and b) it was a very predictable story. Nonetheless, it was okay, nothing to get too excited about. I just wonder how she came up with this mind boggling accumulation of stupidity. But then, I don't fault the authors. If they can get away with it, good on them. It's rather the editors I'm most baffled with. They let these kind of stories through.
Anyway, the story picked up a little in the last 20%.
All I wanted to read was a dystopian romance novel. But the author had something different in mind.
Her thought process must have been something along the lines of: "Hmmm, which books have been wildly popular in recent years?" Think. Think. Think. Think some more. "Ah yeah, now I know!"
Take a few components of the following dystopian novels Hunger Games, Divergent, Maze Runner, throw in a good measure of elements from Fifty Shades of Grey, minus the BDSM, plus ménage....et voilà...Claimed. Aren't we lucky that she didn't think of A Song of Ice and Fire - Game of Thrones? We would have probably found a few dragons flying around.
After about two chapters I thought 'Oh dear, please no' because:
I'll try to stick to the plot without mentioning the sex (who am I kidding?), but seriously, I'll try. Well, no, I wouldn't really call it a plot. Let's see.
We find ourselves in a world that was destroyed by a -presumably - nuclear war 40 years ago. To set the tone of the book let me quote what Connor has to say to Hudson regarding life in this dystopian future.
“Have you seen how people live out here, Hudson? Hiding and running and struggling to survive. The Enforcers either drag our asses to that prison they call a city, or they kill us if we choose not to go..."That being said, people, especially those who live outside the City walls, still find the means to drink Tequila. 40 years after a devastating war, no less, which also changed the landscape dramatically. These people, called Outlaws, drive around in their cars and choppers and, God knows where they get the gas from. It wasn't really explained. The best is yet to come. They still have condoms!!! Short explanation: 90% of the women (it's always the women, why not men for a change?) within the City walls are sterilised to control the population growth. Those outside the City walls live as Connor explained in the quote above. The City has probably the resources to produce them but not the need (see sterilisation); but the Outlaws somehow, some way, find the means and the resources to produce condoms! Well, seeing that I'm reading an Erotica, and Hudson, our super-hero-esque heroine and of course one of the chosen to breed, is in need of a lot of condoms. Another thing that made my eyes roll was the description of Hudson's vagina. It was hairless! I don't have a clue why this was important in the first place, but it was down right ridiculous, when it had been mentioned only 5 pages earlier that Connor was in need of a shave and had run out of razors. Hairless vaginas in a dystopian novel = important! Okay??
This book tried so very, very hard to be more than just a recital of different sex positions with different partners and constant thoughts of lust, lust and more lust. Some reflection is given to the idea of individualism vs communism (yep, that word was used at one point), free love vs closed relationship. But let's not kid ourselves here, with Connor and Hudson lusting after each other for the first 70% of the book, those reflections were mere fillers. Funniest moment? Relatively early into the book, Hudson and Connor, along with his group of super sexy men, are going to raid a depot. Hudson stays with Connor, the others spread out. There are minefields, guards, motion sensors; basically it's a dangerous situation. So they lie and wait. And what do you know? Hudson and Connor get all hot and bothered whilst waiting for the right moment to attack the depot! Let's not waste a single moment of the sexy times.
Obviously, due to the overabundance of those sexy times, the world building was underdeveloped to say the least. Even when other characters come into play, it's all about sex, sex, and more sex. Yep, you heard it correctly. Apart from two characters who appear in the last 10-15 pages, all these very young, super sexy people just want to fuck. Their lives are all about 'fuck, fuck, suck, pussy, dick, fuck, suck, swallow, lick, fuck, fuck, lick, cock, fuck' in a nutshell. And hey, why not? It's the end of the world!
Where is the romance? Well, the romance was there and it read roughly like this: "Oh my God, I need you to fuck me!" (heroine) and "Oh my God, I need to fuck you blind!' (hero). And then towards the end: "I'm sorry I lied. I love you." (heroine) and "I'm sorry I was an ass. I love you!" (hero).
Character development, you ask? Erm...
I know Elle Kennedy's Off-Campus series is very popular. I read The Score and I wasn't too impressed because a) it was NA and b) it was a very predictable story. Nonetheless, it was okay, nothing to get too excited about. I just wonder how she came up with this mind boggling accumulation of stupidity. But then, I don't fault the authors. If they can get away with it, good on them. It's rather the editors I'm most baffled with. They let these kind of stories through.
Anyway, the story picked up a little in the last 20%.
Read
October 1, 2015DNFing at 50%.
First - there is a lot of sex. A lot. And I got bored. I mean - it's dirty and edgy but it was too much. I needed to see more going on in this dystopian world. ALL Connor thought about was sex. The dude needed some hobbies.
Also - the world and characters felt a lot like Kit Rocha's Beyond series. For me that was distracting. I was constantly comparing the two in my head.
First - there is a lot of sex. A lot. And I got bored. I mean - it's dirty and edgy but it was too much. I needed to see more going on in this dystopian world. ALL Connor thought about was sex. The dude needed some hobbies.
Also - the world and characters felt a lot like Kit Rocha's Beyond series. For me that was distracting. I was constantly comparing the two in my head.
September 23, 2016
Before reading Claimed, I hadn't read any of Elle Kennedy's books. She was one of the authors I had prejudged as being zero storyline beyond the erotica component. Don't ask me what I based that opinion on because I can't remember...and because I couldn't remember, I took the hilarious Kelly's recommendation and finally checked it out.
One thing I loved about this book is the strong dystopian/post-apocalyptic storyline. Yes, the sexual content was generous and intense but it fit into the desperation of the world Ms. Kennedy created and bumped the whole experience up a notch. Plus it was just plain fun to read ;)
I would recommend Claimed to fans of story-based erotica. Through this reading experience I was reminded to never judge a book by its cover and never judge an author...period!
My favorite quote:
“There is no tomorrow, Hudson. Right now is all that matters.” “Live in the moment,” she murmured. “That’s what we do, sweetheart. You take pleasure where you can get it, because who knows when you’ll get another chance. So yes, we live in the moment … And what a fucking moment.”
Note: Just for fun, I am noting a few things I can look forward to after the apocalypse (based on this book):
One thing I loved about this book is the strong dystopian/post-apocalyptic storyline. Yes, the sexual content was generous and intense but it fit into the desperation of the world Ms. Kennedy created and bumped the whole experience up a notch. Plus it was just plain fun to read ;)
I would recommend Claimed to fans of story-based erotica. Through this reading experience I was reminded to never judge a book by its cover and never judge an author...period!
My favorite quote:
“There is no tomorrow, Hudson. Right now is all that matters.” “Live in the moment,” she murmured. “That’s what we do, sweetheart. You take pleasure where you can get it, because who knows when you’ll get another chance. So yes, we live in the moment … And what a fucking moment.”
Note: Just for fun, I am noting a few things I can look forward to after the apocalypse (based on this book):
July 25, 2016
2.5 stars
I had an advantage going in, from friends' reviews, I knew this was going to be a smutty time. My favorite description comes from Jilly and her review where she coins the term "dysmutia" dystopia + smut. It fits this perfectly.
Apparently, the world has experienced some apocalyptic instances, I think from climate and nuclear bombs. Apparently, the U.S. coast line is now Utah. Apparently, government as we know it is gone and it's more like a main governed city full of city dwellers that follow the rules and enforcers that well, you get it, enforce the rules. Outside the city are outlaws who don't want to follow the city rules. Enforcers at first gave the outlaws a chance to conform but now they are just killing them. Our heroine's brother is the leader of the enforcers and our hero wants the bro dead because he apparently killed his wife.
I use apparently and I think a lot because the dystopia aspect is barely a pencil sketch, the outline is there for me as a reader to form a general world and scene but for every page of actual story there is 50pgs of sex. I may be exaggerating but I'm not sure, these people be banging all up and down the block. They bang themselves, their neighbors, each other, and happy voyeur group style. Apparently, no one gives a fig about an audience.
I feel like even trying to describe the story is like saying "I read it for the articles!". If you like orgies, threesomes, and multiple hot and heavy scenes then this had some hot ones. I like a little more rhyme and reason to characters but I wouldn't call this straight up porn, maybe, erotic thriller? There is some story there but with a wink, a little something to help tell yourself you're not a complete perv.
I'll probably read the next in the series because I'm dying to find out how the war with the enforcers goes. Hahahhaha, just kidding. I'm a pervert and I've seen the reviews on how hot the next one is.
I had an advantage going in, from friends' reviews, I knew this was going to be a smutty time. My favorite description comes from Jilly and her review where she coins the term "dysmutia" dystopia + smut. It fits this perfectly.
Apparently, the world has experienced some apocalyptic instances, I think from climate and nuclear bombs. Apparently, the U.S. coast line is now Utah. Apparently, government as we know it is gone and it's more like a main governed city full of city dwellers that follow the rules and enforcers that well, you get it, enforce the rules. Outside the city are outlaws who don't want to follow the city rules. Enforcers at first gave the outlaws a chance to conform but now they are just killing them. Our heroine's brother is the leader of the enforcers and our hero wants the bro dead because he apparently killed his wife.
I use apparently and I think a lot because the dystopia aspect is barely a pencil sketch, the outline is there for me as a reader to form a general world and scene but for every page of actual story there is 50pgs of sex. I may be exaggerating but I'm not sure, these people be banging all up and down the block. They bang themselves, their neighbors, each other, and happy voyeur group style. Apparently, no one gives a fig about an audience.
I feel like even trying to describe the story is like saying "I read it for the articles!". If you like orgies, threesomes, and multiple hot and heavy scenes then this had some hot ones. I like a little more rhyme and reason to characters but I wouldn't call this straight up porn, maybe, erotic thriller? There is some story there but with a wink, a little something to help tell yourself you're not a complete perv.
I'll probably read the next in the series because I'm dying to find out how the war with the enforcers goes. Hahahhaha, just kidding. I'm a pervert and I've seen the reviews on how hot the next one is.
October 8, 2015
CLAIMED is my first book by Elle Kennedy and while I liked the writing style, I did not enjoy the story as much. This book started out well, I was really enjoying it but then it went from "that's great" to "meh" and I was just happy to be done with it.
I don't usually read ménage, it's just not my thing, I much prefer exclusive sex between the main characters but it actually didn't bother me in CLAIMED, like I said, I was enjoying it and the sex scenes were hot but the H/h began to be annoying and I think too much sex can kill a book and CLAIMED got murdered.
Hudson was a strong heroine and I did like her at first, she was determined, smart, but then she became annoying, maybe even a bit childish at times and I just got tired of her.
Connor was a good male lead too, he made quite the impression on me, the guy he's a strong leader, he's good at guiding people and he cares about his men. But what a control freak, the way he was during sex was hot but then it wasn't. Even when another man was with them he told him what to do and I thought this was just not sexy, he was super controlling all the time and the sex became awkward. Apart from that, he too began to annoy me. Both of them had their "I-m-an-adult-acting-like-a-six-year-old" moment and I got over him.
I just think the author didn't develop them enough, it's a shame because this book had potential. The dystopian world was very interesting and I liked that aspect of the book but the sex overshadowed everything and not one thing had the opportunity to be developed correctly. I didn't feel any connection toward Hudson or Connor, I didn't like them as a couple, they worked when they had sex but that's all. Even the sex became too much.
Like I said, I liked the world that Elle Kennedy created, I think it could really work but the characters weren't for me and the sex killed the book, really. The secondary characters weren't well developed either, I just had zero feelings toward any of them and that, for me, is not a good thing. When I read a book I want to feel involved, I want to love or hate the characters, I want to FEEL and I didn't feel anything while reading CLAIMED.
The ending was rushed, everything happened at the same time, no suspense, no big twists, just exactly what I was expecting, even Dominik, Hudson's brother, who was supposed to be the big bad wolf in the story became this sappy little thing and it was ridiculous.
Anyway, the story started out well but it didn't last. Unfortunately, because I had big hopes for this one. That said, it doesn't mean I won't give the next installment a chance because I liked Elle's writing style and I truly enjoyed the dystopian aspect of the book.
I don't usually read ménage, it's just not my thing, I much prefer exclusive sex between the main characters but it actually didn't bother me in CLAIMED, like I said, I was enjoying it and the sex scenes were hot but the H/h began to be annoying and I think too much sex can kill a book and CLAIMED got murdered.
Hudson was a strong heroine and I did like her at first, she was determined, smart, but then she became annoying, maybe even a bit childish at times and I just got tired of her.
Connor was a good male lead too, he made quite the impression on me, the guy he's a strong leader, he's good at guiding people and he cares about his men. But what a control freak, the way he was during sex was hot but then it wasn't. Even when another man was with them he told him what to do and I thought this was just not sexy, he was super controlling all the time and the sex became awkward. Apart from that, he too began to annoy me. Both of them had their "I-m-an-adult-acting-like-a-six-year-old" moment and I got over him.
I just think the author didn't develop them enough, it's a shame because this book had potential. The dystopian world was very interesting and I liked that aspect of the book but the sex overshadowed everything and not one thing had the opportunity to be developed correctly. I didn't feel any connection toward Hudson or Connor, I didn't like them as a couple, they worked when they had sex but that's all. Even the sex became too much.
Like I said, I liked the world that Elle Kennedy created, I think it could really work but the characters weren't for me and the sex killed the book, really. The secondary characters weren't well developed either, I just had zero feelings toward any of them and that, for me, is not a good thing. When I read a book I want to feel involved, I want to love or hate the characters, I want to FEEL and I didn't feel anything while reading CLAIMED.
The ending was rushed, everything happened at the same time, no suspense, no big twists, just exactly what I was expecting, even Dominik, Hudson's brother, who was supposed to be the big bad wolf in the story became this sappy little thing and it was ridiculous.
Anyway, the story started out well but it didn't last. Unfortunately, because I had big hopes for this one. That said, it doesn't mean I won't give the next installment a chance because I liked Elle's writing style and I truly enjoyed the dystopian aspect of the book.
October 7, 2015
Didn't love it, didn't hate it. I think mostly I wasn't really fond of the story EK chose to tell. I love post apocalyptic stories especially if there is a romance involved. I just wasn't fond of the world that was introduced here. Here is an example of the sort of little things that made it less than fun for me. There is no way that a bar tender would trade a table full of drinks for sex. I don't think she owned the bar and I don't think the owner would stay in business long at that rate. You can't turn around and resell the sex your bar tender just had with a hot guy in order to get more product. Next scene, the male bar tender made the heroine give him a swiss army knife for a beer. That was a pretty darn expensive beer in a dangerous post apocalyptic world without currency.
Also I just didn't care much for the hero and how he treated the heroine. There was a lot of sex but I never really felt any genuine feelings between the two. And for those who care there was some random sexual sharing of the heroine. It was probably supposed to illustrate the post apocalypticness of it all but it really took away from any relationship feel. But seriously there wasn't much relationship anyway.
The conflict didn't really do anything for me either. There was no real sense of danger and I pretty much had it figured out. No real surprises anywhere in this book.
Also I just didn't care much for the hero and how he treated the heroine. There was a lot of sex but I never really felt any genuine feelings between the two. And for those who care there was some random sexual sharing of the heroine. It was probably supposed to illustrate the post apocalypticness of it all but it really took away from any relationship feel. But seriously there wasn't much relationship anyway.
The conflict didn't really do anything for me either. There was no real sense of danger and I pretty much had it figured out. No real surprises anywhere in this book.
October 24, 2016
Chesty cover. Horrible title.
I hate these. But. What are you to do. Moving on...
I overall really enjoyed another Elle Kennedy series last month, The Off-Campus series, and I knew she was becoming one of my fave NA authors so I decided to give another one of her series a try. The Outlaw series is a post-apocalyptic/dystopian adult romance. A lot of the adult romance I read is in the UF/PR genre so when I saw a dystopian one, I was super intrigued by it because I haven't read one before. I definitely enjoyed this one! I am a little conflicted on the rating because while I really loved a lot of the aspects of this book, there were also a few things I didn't like about it. So before I get into the rest of my review, I AM continuing on with the series because I really love this post-apocalyptic world that Kennedy has created. Also, this is a companion series. Next book follows another couple of the group.
In short, CLAIMED follows Hudson, a young woman on the run from her brother, Dominik, who is one of the commanders of the Enforcers. The Enforcers are the authority figures of this world. Hudson leaves the confinds of the Colony to brave the desolation of Outlaw country where everyone is trying to survive and hide from Enforcers who want to either kill them or rehabilitate them back in the Colony. While on the run, Hudson runs into Outlaws Connor and his group of men. Connor is trying to find Dominik because he killed Connor's wife. So, that's all going on.
To all the things I did like about this book. The world. I really dig that kind of fallout, scavenging, no laws type of post-apocalyptic world. There's something both hopeless and urgent in that kind of setting - which I definitely got while reading. I also really enjoyed the sex positivity in this book. You really don't see a whole lot of sexuality portrayed in a non-chalant and positive way in books - this I really enjoyed. It also really fit right with the setting as well. A lot of the characters speak very bluntly and crudely, and while I might have been like "Um..." if this was set in the modern world, because this is a post-apoc world it's easy to see how quickly human behavior can change when everything is taken away from us.
Another thing I enjoyed was the plot. Hudson has a big connection to the Colony, so we were able to see how this new government worked. While I enjoyed this insight, I really wanted more from the world-building (even though I enjoyed it!) The plot progressed really naturally and I thought the pacing of this book was pretty on point. There were enough scenes to build the characters and relationships as well as reveal key things going on around them and to what everything was leading up to.
Character-wise, I enjoyed both Hudson and Connor. However there was nothing too remarkable about either of them which might account to my 3-star rating. They were pretty basic sassy heroine/alpha hero that are generic to this kind of romance. But they weren't annoying, and that's always key. However, I do want to note that Connor wasn't one of those overbearing possessive dudes considering some of the sex scenes... (if you've read it, you know what I'm talking about) And I also think this accounts to the sex positivity to the book. I also really liked all of the side characters. Connor's men were all equally interesting (even if it took me about 45 pages to finally differentiate them all.) Lennox and Jamie were super interesting and I'm really really happy the next book follows them.
So I've kind of touched on a few things about what prevented me from rating it higher. Another thing is: this book reminded me a lot of a musical.
I hate musicals.
Now, here me out. Whenever I'm watching musicals and they FINALLY finish a damn song I'm like "YES. Time to get into some dialogue and story progression." But then literally ten seconds later they start ANOTHER song and I'm just like: lksdfjsldfjlfdadf.
That was literally this book with sex. Legit replace song with sex and that was the book. Ok, there were a lot of really great steamy scenes. And trust me when I say there were circumstances presented I hadn't read in a sex scene before so bonus points on that end, but I think I was so interested in the plot and setting that when they went to to bump uglies for the fourth time that day I was kind of tired of it. I'd have to say that was my only major problem with the book, but I feel like I can't complain too much about it because it IS a romance book xD I don't care, I was feeling the post-apoc too much.
Overall, if you read like me, give it a shot. I'm hoping to read the next book v soon.
I hate these. But. What are you to do. Moving on...
I overall really enjoyed another Elle Kennedy series last month, The Off-Campus series, and I knew she was becoming one of my fave NA authors so I decided to give another one of her series a try. The Outlaw series is a post-apocalyptic/dystopian adult romance. A lot of the adult romance I read is in the UF/PR genre so when I saw a dystopian one, I was super intrigued by it because I haven't read one before. I definitely enjoyed this one! I am a little conflicted on the rating because while I really loved a lot of the aspects of this book, there were also a few things I didn't like about it. So before I get into the rest of my review, I AM continuing on with the series because I really love this post-apocalyptic world that Kennedy has created. Also, this is a companion series. Next book follows another couple of the group.
In short, CLAIMED follows Hudson, a young woman on the run from her brother, Dominik, who is one of the commanders of the Enforcers. The Enforcers are the authority figures of this world. Hudson leaves the confinds of the Colony to brave the desolation of Outlaw country where everyone is trying to survive and hide from Enforcers who want to either kill them or rehabilitate them back in the Colony. While on the run, Hudson runs into Outlaws Connor and his group of men. Connor is trying to find Dominik because he killed Connor's wife. So, that's all going on.
To all the things I did like about this book. The world. I really dig that kind of fallout, scavenging, no laws type of post-apocalyptic world. There's something both hopeless and urgent in that kind of setting - which I definitely got while reading. I also really enjoyed the sex positivity in this book. You really don't see a whole lot of sexuality portrayed in a non-chalant and positive way in books - this I really enjoyed. It also really fit right with the setting as well. A lot of the characters speak very bluntly and crudely, and while I might have been like "Um..." if this was set in the modern world, because this is a post-apoc world it's easy to see how quickly human behavior can change when everything is taken away from us.
Another thing I enjoyed was the plot. Hudson has a big connection to the Colony, so we were able to see how this new government worked. While I enjoyed this insight, I really wanted more from the world-building (even though I enjoyed it!) The plot progressed really naturally and I thought the pacing of this book was pretty on point. There were enough scenes to build the characters and relationships as well as reveal key things going on around them and to what everything was leading up to.
Character-wise, I enjoyed both Hudson and Connor. However there was nothing too remarkable about either of them which might account to my 3-star rating. They were pretty basic sassy heroine/alpha hero that are generic to this kind of romance. But they weren't annoying, and that's always key. However, I do want to note that Connor wasn't one of those overbearing possessive dudes considering some of the sex scenes... (if you've read it, you know what I'm talking about) And I also think this accounts to the sex positivity to the book. I also really liked all of the side characters. Connor's men were all equally interesting (even if it took me about 45 pages to finally differentiate them all.) Lennox and Jamie were super interesting and I'm really really happy the next book follows them.
So I've kind of touched on a few things about what prevented me from rating it higher. Another thing is: this book reminded me a lot of a musical.
I hate musicals.
Now, here me out. Whenever I'm watching musicals and they FINALLY finish a damn song I'm like "YES. Time to get into some dialogue and story progression." But then literally ten seconds later they start ANOTHER song and I'm just like: lksdfjsldfjlfdadf.
That was literally this book with sex. Legit replace song with sex and that was the book. Ok, there were a lot of really great steamy scenes. And trust me when I say there were circumstances presented I hadn't read in a sex scene before so bonus points on that end, but I think I was so interested in the plot and setting that when they went to to bump uglies for the fourth time that day I was kind of tired of it. I'd have to say that was my only major problem with the book, but I feel like I can't complain too much about it because it IS a romance book xD I don't care, I was feeling the post-apoc too much.
Overall, if you read like me, give it a shot. I'm hoping to read the next book v soon.
October 7, 2015
The world is different but love and desire still thrive…
“He hadn’t asked to be in charge, and he resented his men for placing this much faith in him.”
Connor MacKenzie is a natural born leader. Decades after the world was torn apart, decimated by war and bombing, he is an Outlaws leader. He might not like it but there it was. While the cities are inhabited, they are tightly controlled and Enforcers patrol the colonies and the outlying areas for anyone fighting against their “government”. Forced to move constantly, staying one step ahead, they forge no new ties except for the ones already made. Rylan, Pike, Xander and Kade look up to Connor and together they are a band of brothers. Until the woman showed up…
“Because the woman was tough as nails – Connor could see it just by looking at her.”
Hudson Lane was on the run and forced to hide her real identity for her own safety. Stumbling onto a bar with the unlikely history of being a morgue was good luck she never even hoped for. Meeting Connor and his group had Hudson on a mission to join them. But first she had to ensure they trusted her.
“Because she wasn’t an Enforcer. She was a nurse, and she helped people. She was a good person, damn it.”
After a bit of a slow start, the characters seemed to find their groove and really bring the story to life. A post-apocalyptic world is not a new idea but Hudson and Connor, the whole band of brothers and their friends, brought a unique flavor and spin to the story.
The heat between Hudson and Connor was unmistakable, though at first I wasn’t too sure where this attraction was going. Things are different in this new world where “living in the moment” takes on new meaning, and the concepts of sex and love are more elemental.
“No shame, no fear, just people letting go of their inhibitions and giving in to…everything.”
And there were a lot of moments where hesitation, if there was any at all, was thrown right out the window. The sex is intense, raw and even better when feelings and emotions were involved. And where there is love and uncertainty, there are misunderstandings; unfortunately, in this new reality, bad choices could mean the difference between life and death.
The camaraderie and loyalty between the Outlaws, Honor and their circle of friends became more apparent as threats to one of their own brought out everyone’s protective instincts. I loved the humor, the heat and the story that is far from over. While Connor and Hudson have their HEA (yeah!) I can’t wait for the rest of the ‘boys’ to get their stories. I hope Rylan is next. Oh wait, Pike. Definitely, Pike. Or maybe…. ~ Diane, 4.5 stars
~~~
I thought I had my blushing game down until Claimed came along, but now blushing has taken on a whole new meaning. Not only was I sporting a cheek blush, I experienced a whole body blush while reading this deliciously gritty and hotter-than-sin novel.
Did I mention how panty drenching it is? It's worth mentioning twice. Those sexy outlaws will have you panting for more while simultaneously begging them to stop. Not only are the men absolutely edible but Hudson, dear sweet Hudson, learned how to not be so sweet. Hudson will manage to make you think thoughts you've never thought before. Ever thought about switching sides? You will now.
Even with all the sexy, very sexy and extremely sexiness aside—Elle Kennedy wrote an actual story worth reading. There was suspense, thrill, humor, and loss. There was so much companionship and beauty in their darkness. While they were living in a time where their society was extremely controlled, they found freedom. The story kept me turning pages and while the sultry vibes kept me light-headed and craving more. This book is the total package! ~ Kelly, 4.5 stars
“He hadn’t asked to be in charge, and he resented his men for placing this much faith in him.”
Connor MacKenzie is a natural born leader. Decades after the world was torn apart, decimated by war and bombing, he is an Outlaws leader. He might not like it but there it was. While the cities are inhabited, they are tightly controlled and Enforcers patrol the colonies and the outlying areas for anyone fighting against their “government”. Forced to move constantly, staying one step ahead, they forge no new ties except for the ones already made. Rylan, Pike, Xander and Kade look up to Connor and together they are a band of brothers. Until the woman showed up…
“Because the woman was tough as nails – Connor could see it just by looking at her.”
Hudson Lane was on the run and forced to hide her real identity for her own safety. Stumbling onto a bar with the unlikely history of being a morgue was good luck she never even hoped for. Meeting Connor and his group had Hudson on a mission to join them. But first she had to ensure they trusted her.
“Because she wasn’t an Enforcer. She was a nurse, and she helped people. She was a good person, damn it.”
After a bit of a slow start, the characters seemed to find their groove and really bring the story to life. A post-apocalyptic world is not a new idea but Hudson and Connor, the whole band of brothers and their friends, brought a unique flavor and spin to the story.
The heat between Hudson and Connor was unmistakable, though at first I wasn’t too sure where this attraction was going. Things are different in this new world where “living in the moment” takes on new meaning, and the concepts of sex and love are more elemental.
“No shame, no fear, just people letting go of their inhibitions and giving in to…everything.”
And there were a lot of moments where hesitation, if there was any at all, was thrown right out the window. The sex is intense, raw and even better when feelings and emotions were involved. And where there is love and uncertainty, there are misunderstandings; unfortunately, in this new reality, bad choices could mean the difference between life and death.
The camaraderie and loyalty between the Outlaws, Honor and their circle of friends became more apparent as threats to one of their own brought out everyone’s protective instincts. I loved the humor, the heat and the story that is far from over. While Connor and Hudson have their HEA (yeah!) I can’t wait for the rest of the ‘boys’ to get their stories. I hope Rylan is next. Oh wait, Pike. Definitely, Pike. Or maybe…. ~ Diane, 4.5 stars
~~~
I thought I had my blushing game down until Claimed came along, but now blushing has taken on a whole new meaning. Not only was I sporting a cheek blush, I experienced a whole body blush while reading this deliciously gritty and hotter-than-sin novel.
Did I mention how panty drenching it is? It's worth mentioning twice. Those sexy outlaws will have you panting for more while simultaneously begging them to stop. Not only are the men absolutely edible but Hudson, dear sweet Hudson, learned how to not be so sweet. Hudson will manage to make you think thoughts you've never thought before. Ever thought about switching sides? You will now.
Even with all the sexy, very sexy and extremely sexiness aside—Elle Kennedy wrote an actual story worth reading. There was suspense, thrill, humor, and loss. There was so much companionship and beauty in their darkness. While they were living in a time where their society was extremely controlled, they found freedom. The story kept me turning pages and while the sultry vibes kept me light-headed and craving more. This book is the total package! ~ Kelly, 4.5 stars
August 16, 2016
Ah bloody hell, I'm a little embarrassed to admit that I thoroughly enjoyed this post-apocalyptic erotica. It's like the adult-version/love-child of The 5th Wave and Divergent.
This is a book full of bad ass outlaws, fierce ass women proud in their sexuality, and jacked-up-police-dudes. There's threesomes and voyeurism. There's even a cute lil baby wolf. And good god help me, but against all odds, it was great. There's not much else I can say. This was a short read that had a little bit of everything (with a lot of hotness - if that's what you're into). I found the "unconventional" sex was portrayed in a totally un-problematic way, which was wholly enjoyable (*wink wink*).
Sidenote: Have any of you noticed how literally all heroines (in romance/NA/erotica) are described as having full, pouty lips?!
This is a book full of bad ass outlaws, fierce ass women proud in their sexuality, and jacked-up-police-dudes. There's threesomes and voyeurism. There's even a cute lil baby wolf. And good god help me, but against all odds, it was great. There's not much else I can say. This was a short read that had a little bit of everything (with a lot of hotness - if that's what you're into). I found the "unconventional" sex was portrayed in a totally un-problematic way, which was wholly enjoyable (*wink wink*).
Sidenote: Have any of you noticed how literally all heroines (in romance/NA/erotica) are described as having full, pouty lips?!
July 21, 2015
But why is it over?
But why can't I give it more than 5 stars?
But why don't I have book 2?
But why can't I have all these men?
But why haven't you preordered it yet?
**FULL REVIEW TO COME CLOSER TO RELEASE DAY*
But why can't I give it more than 5 stars?
But why don't I have book 2?
But why can't I have all these men?
But why haven't you preordered it yet?
**FULL REVIEW TO COME CLOSER TO RELEASE DAY*
October 3, 2015
“There is no tomorrow … Right now is all that matters.”
4 badass, super-smutty dystopian stars
Elle Kennedy has given us a strong (and super smutty) start to her Outlaws series. It’s set in a futuristic, post-war dystopian world where those living within the city live an oppressed life with everything controlled, and outside the city, outlaws live their lives on the run from city Enforcers who are constantly hunting for them in order to offer them two choices – conform or die. Because of this, life outside of the city takes on a desperate quality – live how you want and live it well because you never know what tomorrow will bring.
Terrified of the direction her life within the city is taking, Hudson Lane longs for more, so she escapes to the outside world. Knowing that dangerous people will soon be after her, she searches for safety in a world she doesn’t know, and she finds Connor Mackenzie.
Connor reluctantly leads a small group of fighters. They have set up a secret compound where they live in relative safety, and conduct raids for supplies while Connor plots his revenge on the Enforcer who took everything from him. Connor initially has no intention of taking Hudson under his protection, but he is eventually convinced by his bunch of badasses, and he quickly goes about introducing Hudson to the true nature of their (super smutty) lives.
Hudson very quickly realises that the cold and ruthless badass is also pure, carnal wildness, and the attraction between the two of them absolutely sizzles. They have a fantastic dynamic which is mostly anger, but is brimming with chemistry.
They want each other, but Connor makes it clear that he doesn’t do ‘attachments’, and that’s fine with Hudson. She isn’t a virgin, but life in the city doesn’t exactly encourage hedonism. Connor opens her eyes to the possibilities of letting herself go and, go-getter that she is, she throws herself into it.
Oh, holy God! I may have already mentioned it, but this book is SUPER smutty! Hudson and Connor hold nothing back from each other and the sex is hot, dirty and frequent, with a bit of kink (including M/F/M), and they revel in it!
And to nobody (except Connor’s) surprise, as they grow more comfortable together they start to develop feelings. They open up to each other and come to understand each other, and their strictly sexual arrangement soon becomes something more as they share their pasts and embrace the peace that comes from being together.
But Hudson is hiding who she truly is from the men who have taken her in, and when her true ties to the city are revealed, everything changes. Where do her loyalties truly lie? And how can Connor trust her after what he considers a devastating betrayal? It’s all very heartbreaking and the resulting fall out is violent and intense.
I really enjoyed this book. Hot and steamy with a nice amount of humour and some action, it was great fun. When I first saw read the blurb (and noted the erotic dystopian theme), I immediately thought of Kit Rocha’s Beyond series, and while there are elements of similarity, this book has an entirely different feel to it. Not as grungy, and a bit lighter, but with a level of danger and intensity that keeps you glued to the page. It definitely falls in the erotica category rather than romance, but there is some emotion and it suits the characters and the setting well.
I really like the world that Elle Kennedy has created. She’s painted a bleak setting, but has populated it with characters who are full of life and determined to live the best life they can - on their own terms. Connor’s guys are a fantastic bunch, and there’s a great group of supporting characters introduced. I’m really excited for the series to continue and to get to know these guys better in future books. There’s a nice story arc established – both inside and outside of the city, and I’m looking forward to watching that develop as the series continues.
A great read, I’m definitely excited for more - 4 stars.
An Advanced Review Copy was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
4 badass, super-smutty dystopian stars
Elle Kennedy has given us a strong (and super smutty) start to her Outlaws series. It’s set in a futuristic, post-war dystopian world where those living within the city live an oppressed life with everything controlled, and outside the city, outlaws live their lives on the run from city Enforcers who are constantly hunting for them in order to offer them two choices – conform or die. Because of this, life outside of the city takes on a desperate quality – live how you want and live it well because you never know what tomorrow will bring.
Terrified of the direction her life within the city is taking, Hudson Lane longs for more, so she escapes to the outside world. Knowing that dangerous people will soon be after her, she searches for safety in a world she doesn’t know, and she finds Connor Mackenzie.
Connor reluctantly leads a small group of fighters. They have set up a secret compound where they live in relative safety, and conduct raids for supplies while Connor plots his revenge on the Enforcer who took everything from him. Connor initially has no intention of taking Hudson under his protection, but he is eventually convinced by his bunch of badasses, and he quickly goes about introducing Hudson to the true nature of their (super smutty) lives.
“Live in the moment,” she murmured.
“That’s what we do, sweetheart. You take pleasure where you can get it, because who knows when you’ll get another chance. So yes, we live in the moment … And what a fucking moment.”
Hudson very quickly realises that the cold and ruthless badass is also pure, carnal wildness, and the attraction between the two of them absolutely sizzles. They have a fantastic dynamic which is mostly anger, but is brimming with chemistry.
“You know, you’re kind of an asshole.”
“And you’re completely out of your element … so let’s stop playing games, huh? Either slit my throat or suck my dick because we don’t have all night.”
They want each other, but Connor makes it clear that he doesn’t do ‘attachments’, and that’s fine with Hudson. She isn’t a virgin, but life in the city doesn’t exactly encourage hedonism. Connor opens her eyes to the possibilities of letting herself go and, go-getter that she is, she throws herself into it.
“I want…” She trailed off again, digging her teeth into her bottom lip.
His annoyance grew. “You want what?”
“As long as I’m here, I want everything. I want to be free.” She stumbled over her next words. “I want you.”
Oh, holy God! I may have already mentioned it, but this book is SUPER smutty! Hudson and Connor hold nothing back from each other and the sex is hot, dirty and frequent, with a bit of kink (including M/F/M), and they revel in it!
“I call the shots.” He smirked at her. “And that rule extends to the bedroom. I decide how fast we go, what we do, where we do it, who joins us.” A wicked gleam sparked in his eyes. “I get total control.”
And to nobody (except Connor’s) surprise, as they grow more comfortable together they start to develop feelings. They open up to each other and come to understand each other, and their strictly sexual arrangement soon becomes something more as they share their pasts and embrace the peace that comes from being together.
He wasn’t heartless. He was just a little bit damaged. But he was hers, damn it.
But Hudson is hiding who she truly is from the men who have taken her in, and when her true ties to the city are revealed, everything changes. Where do her loyalties truly lie? And how can Connor trust her after what he considers a devastating betrayal? It’s all very heartbreaking and the resulting fall out is violent and intense.
I really enjoyed this book. Hot and steamy with a nice amount of humour and some action, it was great fun. When I first saw read the blurb (and noted the erotic dystopian theme), I immediately thought of Kit Rocha’s Beyond series, and while there are elements of similarity, this book has an entirely different feel to it. Not as grungy, and a bit lighter, but with a level of danger and intensity that keeps you glued to the page. It definitely falls in the erotica category rather than romance, but there is some emotion and it suits the characters and the setting well.
I really like the world that Elle Kennedy has created. She’s painted a bleak setting, but has populated it with characters who are full of life and determined to live the best life they can - on their own terms. Connor’s guys are a fantastic bunch, and there’s a great group of supporting characters introduced. I’m really excited for the series to continue and to get to know these guys better in future books. There’s a nice story arc established – both inside and outside of the city, and I’m looking forward to watching that develop as the series continues.
A great read, I’m definitely excited for more - 4 stars.
An Advanced Review Copy was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
July 6, 2016
Warning! This review contains descriptions of explicit sex scenes and a lot of my cussing at this book. Read at your own risk.
DNF at about 10%
Claimed claims to be a dystopian with romance. From annotation: a new series about men and women living on the edge of violence, sex, and life and death. But imagine my surprise when this book turned out to be a porn! “I need to get drunk and laid – not necessarily in that order,” Rylan announced as the group crossed the threshold into the bar.
Ironically, but this is a moto of this book. Every character just wants to be laid... or drunk. War? Violence? Danger? Nope, sex, sex and more sex. Dirty sex is the MC of this book.Connor’s mouth went dry.
Christ, he wanted her naked.
This this the first time the hero noticed the heroine.“That’s right, babe. I’m hard as a rock,” he murmured. Then, with a smirk, he eased closer so his erection rubbed against her pelvis.
This is after five minutes of their acquaintance. Fucking unbelievable!
The heroine is one moaning creature. She has no control over herself and she literally melts from the sight of a dick, anyones dick.“I think you’re going to like this.” Connor’s tone grew downright seductive. “I’ve never met a woman who doesn’t moan at the sight of Ry’s cock.”
The blonde sank to her knees in front of Rylan, dragging the denim off his muscular legs in one fluid motion. His thick erection sprang up, and a wink of silver caught the light – the barbell running horizontally through the crown of his cock.
Hudson moaned.
Loudly.
Connor grinned. “Yeah, that’s about right.”
Orgies. This book is one jolly orgy. MCs fuck, they watch others fuck, they fuck with others and ect. Connor’s strong chest provided support, the only thing keeping her from keeling over. When he cupped her breasts, she trembled hard enough to shake them both, but that was nothing compared to the way she shuddered when Rylan’s tongue found her again.
“You like having his face buried in your pussy?” Connor asked, lightly pinching her nipples in time to Rylan’s quick, teasing licks.
She moaned in response. Her brain was too foggy to think, her throat too tight to answer.
I am rarely a book hater. But this, this was awful, I hate this fucking book, I hate everything about it. Most of all I hate that I wasn't warned in annotation that this book is a porn. This book misleads people who want to read a dystopian novel. I was expecting sex in this book (you know naked dude on the cover and all) but I never expected to stain my eyes with this fucking excuse of a story. Wait, what story? There's no story, you will understand it after 10 pages into the book. The MCs are as fucking dumb as they come. I can't fathom why so many good ratings? Why so many people enjoy it? I heard that authors off-campus series is good. Is it a veiled porn too?
Bottom line: Despicable book, despicable characters, no plot, tons of porn. Would not recommend to anyone. Save your nerves and brain sells, guys, there's far better reads in the world.
May 22, 2016
Thank you to SIGNET and Netgalley for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Claimed was my very first book from Elle Kennedy, and what a hell of an introduction! Please excuse me while I gush. I loved Hudson’s character. You had to be tough to survive in this world, and she fit that bill. She was also smart and knew she couldn’t do it alone. When Connor and his band of merry men fell into her path, she knew she needed to join forces with them in order to survive. Connor was a natural born leader who also happened to be badass. As reluctant as he was to let Hudson join his crew, he couldn’t deny how useful her medical training would be, and she made it clear she could hold her own, even with him.
Claimed mixed two genres I enjoy – erotica and dystopian – and turned it into something I loved. Just to be clear, this book is heavy on the erotica. And it is so well written. Hudson and Connor (ahem…along with some others) will have your book or reading device singing your fingertips. The author was able to make the sex an important part of the storyline. It was a huge way for the whole community to unwind from the immense amount of pressure they were living under, and Connor was also able to use it as a tool to measure how truthful Hudson was about where she came from. There were some heart-pounding moments in this book where you were so afraid (and often times hoping) that Hudson’s secret would come to light. One of the things that made Hudson stand out: an outlaw’s view of sex was very different from those who lived under the Enforcers thumbs, and it was clear in that instant that Hudson was no outlaw. Make no mistake; plot was not sacrificed in favor of steam. This book was steady the entire way through – if there wasn’t something sexy going on, the outlaws were planning their next move. One of the images in my head while I was reading this book (I think because of the use of the word bandit) was the old west. It had such a Tombstone feel to it, and it made me enjoy it all the more. Who doesn’t love a hot cowboy?
By the end of this story, I was invested in all the characters in this book. What is Pike’s deal? Where is Rylan the heartbreaker going to end up? And what the hell is going on between Xander and Kade? These are all things I must know, so I’ll be desperately awaiting the next book in this series. I loved every squirmy second of this book, and I’m thrilled to see that Elle Kennedy has a huge back list for me to dive into!
This review was originally posted at Badass Book Reviews.
Claimed was my very first book from Elle Kennedy, and what a hell of an introduction! Please excuse me while I gush. I loved Hudson’s character. You had to be tough to survive in this world, and she fit that bill. She was also smart and knew she couldn’t do it alone. When Connor and his band of merry men fell into her path, she knew she needed to join forces with them in order to survive. Connor was a natural born leader who also happened to be badass. As reluctant as he was to let Hudson join his crew, he couldn’t deny how useful her medical training would be, and she made it clear she could hold her own, even with him.
Claimed mixed two genres I enjoy – erotica and dystopian – and turned it into something I loved. Just to be clear, this book is heavy on the erotica. And it is so well written. Hudson and Connor (ahem…along with some others) will have your book or reading device singing your fingertips. The author was able to make the sex an important part of the storyline. It was a huge way for the whole community to unwind from the immense amount of pressure they were living under, and Connor was also able to use it as a tool to measure how truthful Hudson was about where she came from. There were some heart-pounding moments in this book where you were so afraid (and often times hoping) that Hudson’s secret would come to light. One of the things that made Hudson stand out: an outlaw’s view of sex was very different from those who lived under the Enforcers thumbs, and it was clear in that instant that Hudson was no outlaw. Make no mistake; plot was not sacrificed in favor of steam. This book was steady the entire way through – if there wasn’t something sexy going on, the outlaws were planning their next move. One of the images in my head while I was reading this book (I think because of the use of the word bandit) was the old west. It had such a Tombstone feel to it, and it made me enjoy it all the more. Who doesn’t love a hot cowboy?
By the end of this story, I was invested in all the characters in this book. What is Pike’s deal? Where is Rylan the heartbreaker going to end up? And what the hell is going on between Xander and Kade? These are all things I must know, so I’ll be desperately awaiting the next book in this series. I loved every squirmy second of this book, and I’m thrilled to see that Elle Kennedy has a huge back list for me to dive into!
This review was originally posted at Badass Book Reviews.
March 16, 2017
No stars - and I fucking love Elle Kennedy.
Dystopian end-of-the-fucking-world, or not, this h is the absolute WORST fucking doormat in the history of ALL romance novels. She is an insult to womanhood and I couldn't even be angry at the H fucking an OW as a way to punish the h, cuz the h threw herself at him right after and she KNEW HE JUST FUCKED THE OW. And he REJECTS HER to teach her another lesson. He even admits to thinking about the h while fucking the OW.
Fuck. That.
This was pure porn. That's not even a problem for me, but it wasn't even porn written with women in mind. This was about an h being sexually dissed by the H in numerous scenarios to teach her bullshit lessons and the h just takes it. She had NO self respect. Zero, bitches, zero.
Fuck. That.
This isn't even worth 0 stars. To even put it into that kind of context gives it respectability.
Fuck. That.
Dystopian end-of-the-fucking-world, or not, this h is the absolute WORST fucking doormat in the history of ALL romance novels. She is an insult to womanhood and I couldn't even be angry at the H fucking an OW as a way to punish the h, cuz the h threw herself at him right after and she KNEW HE JUST FUCKED THE OW. And he REJECTS HER to teach her another lesson. He even admits to thinking about the h while fucking the OW.
Fuck. That.
This was pure porn. That's not even a problem for me, but it wasn't even porn written with women in mind. This was about an h being sexually dissed by the H in numerous scenarios to teach her bullshit lessons and the h just takes it. She had NO self respect. Zero, bitches, zero.
Fuck. That.
This isn't even worth 0 stars. To even put it into that kind of context gives it respectability.
Fuck. That.
December 30, 2015
4.5 stars
HOLY CRAP YOU GUYS…
So the lovely Jess sent me this and she was all “you’re going to love this… it’s amazing.” And I was all… “uh huh.. okay. I’ll check it out.”
I opened it up to read just a chapter and see what it was all about and I DIDN’T PUT IT DOWN until I turned the last page.
Let me just say that the erotica genre has been lacking in the well-written, sexy, hot, steamy reads lately. I think Elle Kennedy is exactly what it needed.
Claimed is what I guess you might call a dystopian erotica. Set in a time where Utah is considered the coast and there is no government, only bandits, outlaws, enforcers or city people, life is hard and violence and sex is a way of life. People outside the city take what they want because you never know what tomorrow will bring.
Hudson Lane has escaped the city and a life she doesn’t want. But the enforcers are after her and her only hope to avoid them is connecting herself to Connor Mackenzie and his group of rough and tumble men.
It takes some convincing but they agree to take her in… and Hudson slowly learns how to let go and take the things she wants, including Connor. But no matter how much she wants him she knows it’s a tenuous connection that could break at any time, especially when he finds out the extent of the secrets she’s kept from him.
Connor has secrets too… ones he hasn’t even shared with the men who trust him and follow his lead. These secrets are what drive him and he isn’t sure he’ll ever be able to move past them.
If you’ve read anything by Kennedy, you know that she writes a pretty amazing story. While this falls into the erotica category, there’s more to it than just steamy sex. I really love the way she’s started this series and laid the foundation for the rest of the books. The world she’s created is intriguing and oh so naughty… and I loooooved it.
Hudson came from the city, and while she’s definitely shy and on the inexperienced side, I loved her desire to learn and let go and just experience everything. I loved that she voiced what she wanted and wasn’t shy or embarrassed by it. It was refreshing and boy did she get what she asked for.
Connor and his guys of course are damn sexy and as the unofficial leader of the group what he says goes… and he staked his claim on Hudson the moment they saw her… and even if he wasn’t going to take advantage of what she was so clearly wanting, no one else was going to be allowed to.
But of course Connor can only hold back so long… and I’m so incredibly thankful he finally caves.
”Please. Take me,” she begged.
Connor latched his mouth on her neck in an open-mouthed kiss. Her skin was on fire, burning his lips, fogging his mind more than any amount of whiskey ever could. “I’m not taking anything from you,” he corrected. “You’re giving it to me.” He dragged his tongue along the delicate tendon in her throat. “And I’m giving you something in return.”
I just have to mention one more character who I’m totally drooling over… Rylan. Good lord you guys. When you read this, you’re going to realize why I have a thing for him. Like… I’m dying for his book because of reasons and you all will be too!
So obviously I loved this… like loved, loved it and I’m dying for more in this series. If you’re a fan of well-written erotica, sexy men & strong women who take what they want and a setting that will have you interested in more than just the sex that’s happening, you’re definitely going to want to pick this series up.
Thank you to Berkley (JESS!) for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest thoughts. Feel free to send book 2 asap!
HOLY CRAP YOU GUYS…
So the lovely Jess sent me this and she was all “you’re going to love this… it’s amazing.” And I was all… “uh huh.. okay. I’ll check it out.”
I opened it up to read just a chapter and see what it was all about and I DIDN’T PUT IT DOWN until I turned the last page.
Let me just say that the erotica genre has been lacking in the well-written, sexy, hot, steamy reads lately. I think Elle Kennedy is exactly what it needed.
Claimed is what I guess you might call a dystopian erotica. Set in a time where Utah is considered the coast and there is no government, only bandits, outlaws, enforcers or city people, life is hard and violence and sex is a way of life. People outside the city take what they want because you never know what tomorrow will bring.
Hudson Lane has escaped the city and a life she doesn’t want. But the enforcers are after her and her only hope to avoid them is connecting herself to Connor Mackenzie and his group of rough and tumble men.
It takes some convincing but they agree to take her in… and Hudson slowly learns how to let go and take the things she wants, including Connor. But no matter how much she wants him she knows it’s a tenuous connection that could break at any time, especially when he finds out the extent of the secrets she’s kept from him.
Connor has secrets too… ones he hasn’t even shared with the men who trust him and follow his lead. These secrets are what drive him and he isn’t sure he’ll ever be able to move past them.
If you’ve read anything by Kennedy, you know that she writes a pretty amazing story. While this falls into the erotica category, there’s more to it than just steamy sex. I really love the way she’s started this series and laid the foundation for the rest of the books. The world she’s created is intriguing and oh so naughty… and I loooooved it.
Hudson came from the city, and while she’s definitely shy and on the inexperienced side, I loved her desire to learn and let go and just experience everything. I loved that she voiced what she wanted and wasn’t shy or embarrassed by it. It was refreshing and boy did she get what she asked for.
Connor and his guys of course are damn sexy and as the unofficial leader of the group what he says goes… and he staked his claim on Hudson the moment they saw her… and even if he wasn’t going to take advantage of what she was so clearly wanting, no one else was going to be allowed to.
But of course Connor can only hold back so long… and I’m so incredibly thankful he finally caves.
”Please. Take me,” she begged.
Connor latched his mouth on her neck in an open-mouthed kiss. Her skin was on fire, burning his lips, fogging his mind more than any amount of whiskey ever could. “I’m not taking anything from you,” he corrected. “You’re giving it to me.” He dragged his tongue along the delicate tendon in her throat. “And I’m giving you something in return.”
I just have to mention one more character who I’m totally drooling over… Rylan. Good lord you guys. When you read this, you’re going to realize why I have a thing for him. Like… I’m dying for his book because of reasons and you all will be too!
So obviously I loved this… like loved, loved it and I’m dying for more in this series. If you’re a fan of well-written erotica, sexy men & strong women who take what they want and a setting that will have you interested in more than just the sex that’s happening, you’re definitely going to want to pick this series up.
Thank you to Berkley (JESS!) for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest thoughts. Feel free to send book 2 asap!
April 25, 2016
2.5 stars.
Review posted at Oh My Shelves Blog
Claimed has a really interesting plot. Unfortunately it is buried under pages and pages of sex.
The World is now ruled by a Global council after being ravaged by war. The council has a team of “Enforcers” that maintain order and rule. Population is control and breeding is prohibited unless permission is granted by the General Council “GC”. Most females are sterilized when they become adults unless one is born into a protected class.
Hudson Lane is the daughter of the Enforcer’s Commander-in-Chief and when her father forms a marriage contract for her to marry another enforcer, Hudson flees her home. She searches for Outlaws, a band of rebels who refuse to be governed by the GC.
When Hudson comes upon Connor MacKenzie and his group of Outlaws, Hudson bargains for their protection. She will hunt, fight, clean and do any assigned tasks, as long as they allow her to hide out in the rebel community. Connor is on a mission to find Dominik, the leader of the Enforcer who murdered his wife and community. So Hudson decides to hide her connection to Dominik.
In this rebel community, Hudson finds freedom both from her family’s expectations as well as in her sexual desires. Connor’s touch makes Hudson burn and they embark on an intense physical relationship with includes Connor’s friend Ryland.
The only problem is that Connor is hunting Dominik, the leader of the Enforcers, and Hudson knows it’s just a matter of time before Connor and Dominik come face to face, and her secret will be revealed. The agreed upon “just sex” relationship has become more for both Hudson and Connor, but will it survive Hudson’s lies?
This story could have been really special but it was completely overshadowed by copious amount of sex by Hudson and company. I liked Hudson, she was strong, resourceful, well trained and up front about her sexual desires. I had no problem with her going for what she wanted. Connor was a well-trained alpha male, who was so focused on revenged that he glossed over the inconsistencies in Hudson's story. I liked them together but the oppressive regime by the GC and their enforcers wasn't developed enough to satisfy my piqued curiosity. Also, the character development was rather weak in this story as the characters ended up being cliché and one-dimensional.
I have read the Off-Campus series as well as the Killer Instinct series by Elle Kennedy and so I know this author is a really good writer. This particular book failed to meet the quality that I have come to associate with her work. I hope that book 2 will focus on the world more and character building. There is a good story here, it just has to be brought to the forefront.
*Special thanks to Tantor Audio for the audiobook, which was given in exchange for an honest review.
Review posted at Oh My Shelves Blog
Claimed has a really interesting plot. Unfortunately it is buried under pages and pages of sex.
The World is now ruled by a Global council after being ravaged by war. The council has a team of “Enforcers” that maintain order and rule. Population is control and breeding is prohibited unless permission is granted by the General Council “GC”. Most females are sterilized when they become adults unless one is born into a protected class.
Hudson Lane is the daughter of the Enforcer’s Commander-in-Chief and when her father forms a marriage contract for her to marry another enforcer, Hudson flees her home. She searches for Outlaws, a band of rebels who refuse to be governed by the GC.
When Hudson comes upon Connor MacKenzie and his group of Outlaws, Hudson bargains for their protection. She will hunt, fight, clean and do any assigned tasks, as long as they allow her to hide out in the rebel community. Connor is on a mission to find Dominik, the leader of the Enforcer who murdered his wife and community. So Hudson decides to hide her connection to Dominik.
In this rebel community, Hudson finds freedom both from her family’s expectations as well as in her sexual desires. Connor’s touch makes Hudson burn and they embark on an intense physical relationship with includes Connor’s friend Ryland.
The only problem is that Connor is hunting Dominik, the leader of the Enforcers, and Hudson knows it’s just a matter of time before Connor and Dominik come face to face, and her secret will be revealed. The agreed upon “just sex” relationship has become more for both Hudson and Connor, but will it survive Hudson’s lies?
This story could have been really special but it was completely overshadowed by copious amount of sex by Hudson and company. I liked Hudson, she was strong, resourceful, well trained and up front about her sexual desires. I had no problem with her going for what she wanted. Connor was a well-trained alpha male, who was so focused on revenged that he glossed over the inconsistencies in Hudson's story. I liked them together but the oppressive regime by the GC and their enforcers wasn't developed enough to satisfy my piqued curiosity. Also, the character development was rather weak in this story as the characters ended up being cliché and one-dimensional.
I have read the Off-Campus series as well as the Killer Instinct series by Elle Kennedy and so I know this author is a really good writer. This particular book failed to meet the quality that I have come to associate with her work. I hope that book 2 will focus on the world more and character building. There is a good story here, it just has to be brought to the forefront.
*Special thanks to Tantor Audio for the audiobook, which was given in exchange for an honest review.
July 20, 2016
3.5 Stars
As an overall I found this book enjoyable, however elements of it were somewhat disappointing.
I was looking for more of a dystopian story and less of a "fuck-it-all" sex romp. I definitely wanted more depth. I take full blame for my lack of enjoyment - I set expectations for what this book should be, instead of allowing the author to tell me the story.
I did not connect well to either of the main characters - I think this might have been a problem where their actions didn't always match their thoughts about themselves or each other. For example: the leading lady refers (many times) to the leading man as being "ruthless". Not once does he showcase that (imo) ... he's hard, yes ... demanding even ... but ruthless? Nope.
I think I will read the next in the series, as I liked most of the side characters more than the main couple and I'm interested to see how the larger story-arch will play out.
As an overall I found this book enjoyable, however elements of it were somewhat disappointing.
I was looking for more of a dystopian story and less of a "fuck-it-all" sex romp. I definitely wanted more depth. I take full blame for my lack of enjoyment - I set expectations for what this book should be, instead of allowing the author to tell me the story.
I did not connect well to either of the main characters - I think this might have been a problem where their actions didn't always match their thoughts about themselves or each other. For example: the leading lady refers (many times) to the leading man as being "ruthless". Not once does he showcase that (imo) ... he's hard, yes ... demanding even ... but ruthless? Nope.
I think I will read the next in the series, as I liked most of the side characters more than the main couple and I'm interested to see how the larger story-arch will play out.
November 8, 2024
This is your classic, fun, spicy little book. ✨🖤🌶️
October 17, 2015
3.5
This was a rather surprising read.
When I decided to read this book I didn't really expect much. Guess that's why I was pretty surprised to find it a fairly good read.
The characters felt real, the story was pretty good and the writing was rather exciting. It was fast paced, I had no time to get bored and no desire to skim (which doesn't happen too often to me). It was a thrilling book.
So why didn't I give it more than 3.5 stars? It didn't make me actually laugh/cry/be angry or any other outer-book emotions. It didn't make me "feel".
But all in all, it was a good one, a really nice, enjoyable read.
This was a rather surprising read.
When I decided to read this book I didn't really expect much. Guess that's why I was pretty surprised to find it a fairly good read.
The characters felt real, the story was pretty good and the writing was rather exciting. It was fast paced, I had no time to get bored and no desire to skim (which doesn't happen too often to me). It was a thrilling book.
So why didn't I give it more than 3.5 stars? It didn't make me actually laugh/cry/be angry or any other outer-book emotions. It didn't make me "feel".
But all in all, it was a good one, a really nice, enjoyable read.
March 17, 2016
I say this for every single review I write for Elle Kennedy, but no matter what genre she writes in, she's going to write a book full of some serious heat, great characters, and a story you won't be able to put down.
After war took out most of the world, a new system is put into place where those in charge thrive and the rest are left to fend for themselves. Hudson has lived under her father's thumb long enough, so she decides to escape and finds herself in the world of the outlaws. The only way she can survive, though, is by joining Conner Mackenzie's band of outlaws. Conner hates the way he feels when Hudson is around, especially since it seems to be messing with his ability to think straight as he finds himself allowing her to come back to their camp. He doesn't know where Hudson came from, but he knows she's from the city and has to question if he can think with his head without letting his lust get in the way.
Holy moly. Many of Elle's books are steamy, but this one is Steamy with a capital S. Some other reviews say that they think this book had too much sex, but with the attraction and lust between Hudson and Conner, I didn't know how they could even keep their hands off of each other! I loved their chemistry and how much Conner hated his limited control when he was around Hudson. He's a man who needs to be in control, so I loved seeing someone like Hudson have that effect on him.
As a post-apocalyptic book, I loved the world that Conner and Hudson lived in. Hudson's past was quite the secret she was keeping and she couldn't tell Conner for a VERY important reason. You knew that it would come out eventually and just had to wait for that bomb to blow up. Ah. There was also some action, which I always love in books. Oh, and as the first book of a new series, I could see Elle setting up secondary characters that are for sure going to get their own books later on in the series. I loved all of the characters and how they interacted with Hudson. I can't wait to see their stories!
Elle Kennedy outdid herself again with this lust-filled, post-apocalytpic ride. The world was easy to get lost in and Conner and Hudson's chemistry sizzled through the pages. I would definitely recommend this to any Elle Kennedy fan! And if you haven't read anything by her yet, go grab one of her books right now!
After war took out most of the world, a new system is put into place where those in charge thrive and the rest are left to fend for themselves. Hudson has lived under her father's thumb long enough, so she decides to escape and finds herself in the world of the outlaws. The only way she can survive, though, is by joining Conner Mackenzie's band of outlaws. Conner hates the way he feels when Hudson is around, especially since it seems to be messing with his ability to think straight as he finds himself allowing her to come back to their camp. He doesn't know where Hudson came from, but he knows she's from the city and has to question if he can think with his head without letting his lust get in the way.
Holy moly. Many of Elle's books are steamy, but this one is Steamy with a capital S. Some other reviews say that they think this book had too much sex, but with the attraction and lust between Hudson and Conner, I didn't know how they could even keep their hands off of each other! I loved their chemistry and how much Conner hated his limited control when he was around Hudson. He's a man who needs to be in control, so I loved seeing someone like Hudson have that effect on him.
As a post-apocalyptic book, I loved the world that Conner and Hudson lived in. Hudson's past was quite the secret she was keeping and she couldn't tell Conner for a VERY important reason. You knew that it would come out eventually and just had to wait for that bomb to blow up. Ah. There was also some action, which I always love in books. Oh, and as the first book of a new series, I could see Elle setting up secondary characters that are for sure going to get their own books later on in the series. I loved all of the characters and how they interacted with Hudson. I can't wait to see their stories!
Elle Kennedy outdid herself again with this lust-filled, post-apocalytpic ride. The world was easy to get lost in and Conner and Hudson's chemistry sizzled through the pages. I would definitely recommend this to any Elle Kennedy fan! And if you haven't read anything by her yet, go grab one of her books right now!
September 14, 2021
This was so bad and somewhat reminded me of that other post-apocalypse book Beyond Shame, ya know where everyone looses their sexual inhibitions and doesn’t shower very often? The men are aholes and the women have zero backbone. Emotionless sex, group sex, and sharing woman. The worse was how Connor treats Lane.
Lane begs Connor for sex, he watches her masturbate and then walks across the room and picks another woman to have sex with. But hey, he told Lane that he had her in mind while ‘drilling’ the ow. Gosh, be still my heart. He makes her have sex with one of his friends before she can be with him...I could go on about how gross this book was but I’ll stop here.
“You know, you’re kind of an asshole.”In this new world men rule and woman have one thing to offer for survival.
“And you’re completely out of your element … so let’s stop playing games, huh? Either slit my throat or suck my dick because we don’t have all night.”
Lane begs Connor for sex, he watches her masturbate and then walks across the room and picks another woman to have sex with. But hey, he told Lane that he had her in mind while ‘drilling’ the ow. Gosh, be still my heart. He makes her have sex with one of his friends before she can be with him...I could go on about how gross this book was but I’ll stop here.
nope-not-on-your-chinny-chin-chin
October 8, 2015Because apparently there's sharing.. Sigh.. As I've said before I like the M/F/M or M/M/F only when they all love each other not when there's a free-for-all.
Eμπάτε σκύλοι αλέστε in my language , come one, come all in English.
Eμπάτε σκύλοι αλέστε in my language , come one, come all in English.
December 31, 2018
Holy hotness, Batman!
Read
October 7, 2015i am going to skip this one!
I was really exited for this one, but then i read the reviews and my world came crashing down....
FREE LOVE A.K.A SHARING
What a shame!
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