Claimed

by Zoe Crew

My ex just got engaged to the woman he swore “wasn’t a problem.”

He texted me after eight months of silence, saying he needed to talk.

I wore the green dress he always loved, and he was already at the table when I arrived.

But so was she. And she was wearing a ring.

“I wanted you to hear it from me,” he said slowly.

I drove straight to my best friend’s apartment on autopilot, knocking on her door until my knuckles hurt.

Then the elevator dinged, and my ex’s older brother was standing at the end of the hall.

The same man who told me, the week before the breakup, that I deserved so much better than him.

When I finally told him everything, he didn’t look surprised.

“You wore the green dress for him,” he said quietly.

I looked down. “Yeah.”

When I looked up, he was staring at me even more intensely.

“I’ve always loved that dress on you.”

Genres: Westerns

205 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 25, 2026

Reviews

[Joy Johnson · Rating 2 out of 5]

A book of metaphors that just bore you. I really wanted to dnf this book but at 205 pages I held off hoping it would resolve into a love story. It really reads like resistance and silence. They do get to an HEA eventually but it was lack luster for me. This was a first read for this author, I didn’t care for it but she definitely has an audience if you like watered down, zero spice and intimacy romance.

[Nicole · Rating 1 out of 5]

boring

I did not understand the branding or how this all fit together. It was so hard to get into I skipped half the book and even reading the ending felt stale

[Jen Burns · Rating 1 out of 5]

I don’t know what style writing this is supposed to be but it’s horribly annoying. The incomplete sentences and choppy paragraphs is so bad you are fighting to tell what’s actually going on. DNF

[Kristiej · Rating 3 out of 5]

I debated back and forth what grade to give this book and ended up with 3 but I could easily go higher. I’m ind my head a lot, even when I’m with other and I have this habit of sudden talking but I’m in the middle of a conversation but kind of forget the beginning was me talking to myself in my thoughts and then I continue talking to the person and they don’t have a clue as to what I’m referring to and I have to say, right, I forgot you weren’t in my head for the first part so then I have to start over. It’s very strange. After reading this book I think I get what it’s like. There are parts, a number of them, where we as readers are suddenly in the middle of something without any exclamation.
For example, I’m not sure exactly what Emma, our heroine really does for a living because it’s not really explained. I think what she does is arranges and puts on events to somehow fix things. And she’s good at it. I think.

She has a new assignment which she hopes will lead to a vice presencey in the company. Brief detour now
At the start of the book she is trying to get a winery publicity and become know for her boyfriend Wyatt. As soon as it’s successful he ghosts her for eight months with no explanation. Then out of the blue he invites her to dinner. Emma thinks this means they are going to work out why he ghosted her. But no, he has another woman with him, one he’s engaged to and Emma is both stunned and heartbroken. She thought they were clearing the air to get back on track.

Back to story. She is hoping this new assignment will be a distraction but it’s working for Wyatt’s brother Grant whom she met when she first started working with Wyatt. Grant is a rancher. The ranch has been in the family for generations but now hard times have hit and I think her job is to somehow turn things around. I can’t really explain how as it’s never. Made clear to the reader. This is an ongoing issue, not enough of an explanation for what’s going on and thus the lower grade.

But all the characters are so well written that as a reader I really care for them. From the moment he first meets her, Grant is very taken with Emma. But he’s never gone after what he really wants and though he really wants her, he not letting her know and leaving the way open for Wyatt to swoop in. When Emma starts her newest assignment, this means spending time at the ranch with Grant where she starts seeing him in a completely different light and begins having deeper feelings for him and he’s always had them for her. He’s such a well written hero, we can feel his loneliness and his longing. And Emma is well done also. She sees what a good man Grant is and the complete opposite of Wyatt who was only using her before dumping her. So the sweet growing love story gives this higher marks.

It’s all so confusing. It works for me and I want to read more of this authors books so this is a recommended book. But I can also understand readers who get frustrated by the lack of information and detail. The book is free on KU so if you have KU and are the least bit curious about what the heck I’m trying to say, it will cost you nothing. And yes this is one of my more confusing reviews.

[Melinda Rose · Rating 5 out of 5]

A thoroughly enjoyable read with excellent structure and pacing. The story follows a proper rhythm throughout, allowing each scene to breathe without feeling rushed. Rather than relying on a short, fast-paced approach, the author takes the time to develop the plot and characters naturally, making every chapter engaging and purposeful. The balance between tension, emotion, and progression keeps the pages turning, resulting in a satisfying and well-crafted story. Definitely a book worth recommending.

[Amber Myers · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this book. I see some other reviewers felt it was hard to follow and I will admit that it took me an absurdly long time to figure out what was happening with the ranch and I will admit that even now I’m not quite sure…. The thing I liked about this story was the yearning, the long scorching looks, the charged silence… I felt like the story moved pretty quickly and I really enjoyed the supporting characters. Overall, it was a good read and I’d like to read more in the series.

[Rachel Santillan · Rating 0.5 out of 5]

I should have DNFd it - did I even read a book or just a bunch of words - I missed the story? I think I kept reading waiting for something to happen - with a title Claimed and a cover like this, you'd think you get an alpha cowboy, but instead you get a lot of quiet and one way conversations....my FYP let me down with this rec, it did better with the cringey monster smut that happens to be super sweet - this was just really boring, going back to monsters men for October. IYKYK

[Patti Yuliano · Rating 3 out of 5]

a little wordy

The storyline was really good but why did every action, every feeling, every look have to be explained and described in detail. It got to the point I found I was skipping those long descriptive parts and reading ahead because I already figured out what the characters meant.

[Elsa · Rating 5 out of 5]

If I could give this book a million stars, I absolutely would! It was incredible from beginning to end, and I couldn't put it down. I loved every moment of it and highly recommend it to anyone looking for an amazing read.

[Jennifer Lowry · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really liked this one! The yearning was next level!! I would have liked to hear more of their love story so hopefully we will get little snippets of that in the next book. This one was short and sweet and a little spicy.

[meg kapp · Rating 5 out of 5]

a clever, heartfelt and moving story

I LOVED this book The losses, the business & publicity process. The farm details. The struggles all around and lastly a HEA. Thank you for writing such a sweet story

[Bonnie brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sweet Romance

Zoe Crew just made my bookshelf from this book alone. Might of started as a ebook, but I will be buying the paperback to read again and again. Crew created characters that you can’t help but fall in love with.

[Lynne · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a new author to me and once I got in to the storyline and characters I wanted to find out how everything was resolved and if everything worked out for the characters. I enjoyed the book, a slow start but worth reading.

[Beverly Blank · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was the first book I've read from this author, and it won't be the last. The characters were great together, even though they fought their feelings. I enjoyed the story, didn't want to put it down, kept reading to find out what was next. I am glad that I grabbed this book to read.

[Rebecca Eddy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an extremely good story, definitely recommend

[Chrissy Shaffer-McNeal · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sooooo good

First time reading this author! I love a good cowboy romance, loved Grant and Emma. A must read!!😘 Sooo good!

[J · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great Heartfelt Story

Great story with all the feels. Would make a wonderful movie or a series. Great characters. Hope the 2nd book is a great as this one!

[Cindy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sometimes you have to take that first step…

She has a goal. Focus.
They met. Mutual heat rose. 2 years later…
Drama, a will, a lie, friends, home. Great story. 🥺😡🥰🥵😍

[Hayley South · Rating 4 out of 5]

Deep

Quite a deep book, concentrated on the connections of the characters.
Very little spice
Overall a good quick read 😀

[Julia · Rating 3.5 out of 5]

It was a bit contrived. She dated his brother. She saves his ranch. He has been in love with her since they met.

And yet, it is kind of adorable

Yes, I would say it was worth it.