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Listening Length 7 hours and 17 minutes

A mission gone wrong forces Brax’s alpha team to become something more—a pack.

In a world that no longer welcomes packs, it’s all Brax can do to hold his team together. Four alphas without omegas is a recipe for disaster. And now that they’re civilians, with the military watching their every move, it’s not going to be easy to keep the truth about their pack hidden.

Brax’s most pressing problem is his buddy Duke’s stolen son. Everywhere he turns for help is a dead end, until chance introduces him to Oliver, the capable, captivating omega—and legal advocate. Brax’s luck might finally be turning around. But can he trust Oliver with more than just their legal troubles—can he trust him with his secrets?

Oliver has everything he could want in life—a successful career, the respect of his peers, an apartment in the city. But not an alpha. Been there, done that. No shifter he’s dated could handle the fact that, some days, Oliver’s job comes first. When the death of his estranged parents takes him back to his childhood home, he meets Brax—the handsome, troubled doctor who just might be the exception to the rule…

Defender is a novel-length shifter romance, featuring mpreg, cake, stubborn alphas, and some scenes not suitable for readers under the age of eighteen.

8 pages, Audible Audio

First published October 4, 2019

344 people are currently reading
658 people want to read

About the author

Claire Cullen

63 books644 followers
Claire Cullen is an author and aspiring baker. Since she was a toddler, she has loved making up stories. Getting them down on paper proved a challenge in the early years when her preferred medium was finger puppets. She moved on to pen and paper, and later to keyboards, and hasn't looked back since, except for occasional bouts of nostalgia.

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5 stars
594 (32%)
4 stars
705 (38%)
3 stars
440 (23%)
2 stars
83 (4%)
1 star
16 (<1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 172 reviews
Profile Image for ⚣Michaelle⚣.
3,662 reviews233 followers
May 11, 2020
So, for the first, I don't know - half? - of this book, I thought maybe I somehow skipped the first installment. (Which is weird because usually subsequent books are on the BB shelf until I've read the previous one.) But no, it's the first one. So then I thought I missed a prior series that this spins off from. Only, there was no mention of one in the blurb.

And then, during normal conversation, or at appropriate times, we get what I felt I missed. No InfoDump! I LOVED that. I mean, sure it does get a little overly detailed about the duties of a Child Advocate, and goes on a bit about the lengthy process of custody battles & legal red-tape.

But a lot of the world-building is based on sociology, psychology and even anthropology that I was just enthralled. (Reminds me a bit of how the Mercy Hills series was built, but the mythology of shifters is completely different, as is the whole mating process, and the shifter/human society - not even sure there are "humans"...but still, the depth and style are similar.)

Anyway, it's not perfect. I wish there had been more explanation of how a human gives birth to 4 babies - after shifting back and forth from Fox to Human continuously throughout a 3-month pregnancy. I mean, were they fully-functioning & developed babies that just come out the size of kits? Did they stay human or shift to kits when Oliver shifted? I could never really puzzle that out. (Of course I just hand-waved away the whole Ass Baby trope, though. *shrugs*)

On the whole though, a great start to a new series; looking forward to reading the next one.
Profile Image for Denise.
823 reviews161 followers
December 26, 2020
2.5 Stars

There's a lot of potential with this series but the world-building was severely lacking in Defender. Nothing was explained to the reader unless it was a key aspect conveniently mentioned when it was important to the plot. There was a heavy focus on external conflicts and other characters to the point that the romance was lackluster and almost background. I didn't connect with any of the characters and the plot felt almost shallow. Again, there was the potential for angst with the plot but it was underdeveloped and didn't hit the mark. I might continue in the series but it's not something I'll be rushing to do.
Profile Image for Kaity.
1,982 reviews24 followers
January 12, 2022
1.5-2 stars

DNF @74%

okay this was umm.. yeah not my cup of tea. it was boring and i didn't feel the connection between the MC. I think that if there was more chemistry between Oliver and Brax it would have been more engaging but instead i felt like it was just blah.

Harsh but oh well.
Profile Image for Aleja.
871 reviews66 followers
May 17, 2022
Me encantó.
La verdad que no sabía qué esperar de este primer libro, había visto algo en booktok y me llamó la atención pero a la hora de empezar a leerlo, no me acordaba de nada sobre qué trataba, solo que fue una recomendación en TikTok 🤭. Sin embargo, me llevé una grata sorpresa. Inicié totalmente en blanco e ir descubriendo poco a poco este nuevo mundo fue increíble.

Brax y Oliver fueron geniales. Muero por conocer más de la manada.
Profile Image for Sanaa .
1,219 reviews177 followers
December 16, 2019
3.75 stars rounded up.

Not a bad book, just something felt off. Might just be me since I'm in the minority here. 2019 hasn't been the best in terms of books.
Profile Image for Manfred.
799 reviews47 followers
January 7, 2020
I have repeatedly written in my reviews that I am not a big fan of shifter stories,
the only thing worse is probably mpreg shifter stories.
Yet, here I am again reviewing one of those.
After all that holiday sweetness I had a rough time to return to "regular" m/m romance.
Starting several books and not liking them (at the moment), I thought that maybe a shifter story might make the transition easier and it really did!
This one was quite unusual, the society having moved on from pack to centralized, even banning packs from existence.
Then we have the usual trope, Omega, who is not like other Omegas, not wanting or needing an Alpha, because of his career and an Alpha who is unlike any other one out there (you know, not the kind that you meet in your everyday life ;-)), quite regular stuff, without many surprises except for the unusual society background.
But even with all these not too promising settings, I greatly enjoyed the story, it was fun to follow those guys, finding their way together, fighting some villains on the way and finally falling in love.
When at the end the "pack" problem, that seemed unsurmountable just before, suddenly almost solved itsself, it became a little too much, and as mentioned I am not really crazy for the kids, who of course followed immediately after the couples first heat. (I do love kids, but I prefer if women give birth instead of men).
But still this was a pretty decent read, a nice story and I am really considering the next installment, as the blurb sounds fun! 3.5 stars and recommended if you love shifters and don`t mind mpreg!
Profile Image for ~nikki the recovering book addict.
1,248 reviews2 followers
November 10, 2019
Interesting...🧐

I kinda went into this blind. I didn’t finish reading the blurb so I can’t say I expected anything. So I’m pleasantly surprised that this is a very different take on shifters and packs.

There’s all sorts of snifters here and pack dynamics are slightly different. There’s also an interesting history that lays the foundation for this rather quirky alternate universe.

I don’t know if I connected much with any of the characters, hence the mediocre rating. I’m hoping that changes for the next book in this series because I will be reading on! 🤓
Profile Image for Sarah.
417 reviews18 followers
March 9, 2024
(DEUTSCH WEITER UNTEN)


I just missed the fact that the book and the universe it’s set in includes mpreg. I’m really not a fan of mpreg ... not at all ... And especially not when it’s not explained biologically, but simply there.
And NOTHING is explained here. Nothing at all.
I like that even less.

Besides that big red flag, (and it’s my own fault for not properly paying attention) the book was incredibly cute! I really liked our main characters and the story was just nice too. It was cosy.
Of course, everything happened way too fast (as always in books like this), things weren’t explained enough, events sometimes seemed far-fetched and very contrived.
BUT IT WAS FLUFFY!
I especially liked the different shifter forms!

The mpreg theme weighs heavily though and I really don’t know if I can continue reading ...


(DEUTSCH)


Ich habe einfach mal überlesen, dass das Buch und das Universum, in welchem es spielt, mpreg beihaltet. Ich bin echt kein Fan von mpreg ... so gar nicht ... Und vor allem dann nicht, wenn es nicht biologisch erklärt wird, sondern einfach da ist.
Und hier wird NICHTS erklärt. Gar nichts.
Das mag ich noch weniger.

Neben dieser großen Red Flag, (und ich bin selbst schuld, dass ich nicht richtig hingesehen hab) war das Buch unglaublich süß! Ich mochte unsere Hauptcharaktere echt gern und auch die Geschichte war einfach nett. Es war cozy.
Natürlich ging alles (wie immer in solchen Büchern) viel zu schnell, Dinge wurden nicht genug erklärt, Ereignisse wirkten manchmal an den Haaren herbeigezogen und sehr gestellt.
ABER ES WAR FLUFFIG!
Vor allem die verschieden Shifter-Formen mochte ich!

Die mpreg Thematik wiegt allerdings schwer und ich weiß echt nicht, ob ich weiterlesen kann ...
Profile Image for Chanti Jardines Meza.
144 reviews2 followers
August 10, 2025
disfrute mucho del libro, me encantó la pareja y la manada y todo quiero leer más, seguiré con esta saga ❤️
Profile Image for Teal Wolf.
3,414 reviews26 followers
October 6, 2019
Defender by Claire Cullen is the first book in The Lost Pack series and is a m/m shifter romance that does include an mpreg. I am really excited to read this series. I was immediately intrigued by the world being created within this book and the roles Alphas, Betas, Omegas and packs play.

The characters are interesting. The supporting characters were begging to tell me their own stories. Oliver and Brax were fantastic - they had moments of being awkward, adorable, and amazing. They were sexy and sweet, protective of the pack and both fully capable of fulfilling their roles. Together, they fit and I loved them.

The story had drama, humor, steam and a sense of family/pack. I was drawn in by the story right away and between the story being told and the characters, I had no choice but to stay hooked. Can not wait for second book to release.

I received an advanced reader's copy of the book and I am voluntarily leaving my honest review and recommendation.  
Profile Image for llv.
2,318 reviews14 followers
October 11, 2019
Rating: 4 stars
I thought this to be a very good start to a new series. I liked that this was a different take on the shifter genre, and I thought the author did a good job with world building. I think what I liked best was that Brax and Oliver were not your typical Alpha/Omega pair. Brax wasn’t all macho I’m in charge and we do it my way Alpha and Oliver wasn’t all submissive let me take care of you and put your needs first type of Omega. I really liked all the secondary characters in Brax’s pack and am looking forward to more books in the series. All in all, I recommend this to anyone a fan of Ms. Cullen’s writing and those who don’t mind a/b/o dynamics with mpreg thrown in.
Profile Image for John Altman.
258 reviews33 followers
October 22, 2019
Defender!

Total Rating: 3.5 Stars out of 5
Rating Review Rollout:
(1) Blurb vs Story matchup: 4 🌟🌟🌟🌟
(2) Character Development: 3 🌟🌟🌟
(3) Danger/Drama/Thrills/Chills: 3 🌟🌟🌟
(4) Editing/Proofreading: 4 🌟🌟🌟🌟
(5) Entertainment Value: 4 🌟🌟🌟🌟
(6) Feeling the Words: 3 🌟🌟🌟
(7) Flow of the Story: 3 🌟🌟🌟
(8) Keeps my Attention: 4 🌟🌟🌟🌟
(9) MC Appeal: 4 🌟🌟🌟🌟
(10) MC Backstory: 3 🌟🌟🌟
(11) MC Chemistry: 3 🌟🌟🌟
(12) MC Love Connection: 3 🌟🌟🌟
(13) Plot Worthiness: 4 🌟🌟🌟🌟
(14) Sexy Sex Scenes: 3 🌟🌟🌟
(15) Wrap Up of Loose Ends: 4 🌟🌟🌟🌟
Profile Image for Dena.
2,761 reviews
November 10, 2019
This just didn't work for me. There was no romance til about 75% into the book then suddenly the were in love? It felt like there was just too much going on and so the relationship development fell by the wayside.
Profile Image for Badh.
3,311 reviews66 followers
May 19, 2021
Great story

I love the worlds that Claire Cullen creates, and this isn't any different. I think that the premise is fascinating. I like how Brax supports Oliver, no matter what
Profile Image for Ghost.
85 reviews6 followers
December 15, 2020
It waaaaaas really good! I don't know where to start!

First I thought it was a werewolves book, because of the "pack" in the title and guess what? It's not! It's actually a shapeshifter / omegaverse book. And Shapeshifters of all kind! I didn't expect that: Zebra, elk, bear, horse etc...

description

(well for book 1 one of the mc is a wolf so I was like... 1% right, no?)

The story was really cool, didn't expect where it was going and that's what I loved the most.

As for the things that give me problem to put a 5 stars, maybe the relationship of the main character? Let me explain: it was okay at first slowly getting to know each other little by little and then we jump to declaration to each other really fast. It might not be a problem for other. I mean it is NOT something bad in a book, this is really my taste I'm talking about, and I like to see a step by step evolution in a relationship.

To sum up this book:


description


And as for the audiobook, John Solo's amazing, such a great voice and acting, just awesome!

Take care!

Ghost.
Profile Image for Lulu.
1,135 reviews21 followers
September 23, 2020
Story: 8
Writing: 8
First MC: 9
Second MC: 8
Secondary characters: 6
Mystery: 3
Sexual tension: 5
Humor: 2
Hotness: 6
Product placement: 1
Ridiculousness: 4
Annoying: 8
Audio: 10
To re-read: 0

Well this was a pleasant surprise. Packs are absolute? These guys are hiding their pack in a remote land and in need of omegas.. but hey there are ex-military and saved the world once upon a time

There are many types of shifters here; wolf, bear, buffalo, zebra..

Many questions were left unanswered, hoping we will get more clarity in the 2nd book
Positive note: this is a shifter MPREG book but with limited sex scenes :)
Profile Image for Jules.
71 reviews5 followers
March 3, 2023
3 stars

Mixed feelings. Enjoyed the premise and story but never really connected with the characters for some reason. Still gonna read the rest of the series though :)
Profile Image for Sharee Robbins.
252 reviews1 follower
December 15, 2024
4 ⭐️
2 🌶️
Very interesting shifter romance full of real world type drama mixed with shifter drama. I enjoyed this one a lot!
Profile Image for Joyfully Jay.
9,071 reviews517 followers
June 18, 2020
A Joyfully Jay review.

4.5 stars


Omegaverse, for those unfamiliar, is a world where people typically fall into one of several genetic castes: alpha, beta, and omega. This book, though, takes a fairly subtle approach. Brax and four of teammates are all alphas, but Brax was chosen — or chose himself — to take the responsibility and emotional duties of pack Alpha. He makes the decisions, he makes the rules, and he’s the one who tries his best to keep them all going. He wasn’t always this way; when they were lost, and became a pack for self-preservation during a mission gone wrong, it was someone else who held that role. But he died, and Brax is still mourning. The grief, the trauma, the anger, and the guilt eat at him and keep him from finding peace. He can’t even trust himself to shift without wrapping himself in chains and hiding in the basement. Until Oliver.

Read Elizabeth’s review in its entirety here.


Profile Image for Sue Milkovich.
1,725 reviews16 followers
October 15, 2019
ABSOLUTELY INCREDIBLE

We have a new pack and it's INCREDIBLE. THE LOST PACK, is filled with amazing characters. This is the introduction of this incredible group of Alpha and Beta ex-military shifters. Brax is the pack Alpha. After discharge from the military, Brax, Duke, Thorn, Zane and Cole are trying to rebuild their lives. Legal trouble bring them into contact with Oliver. Oliver is an Omega, who is an Omega advocate. Brax and Oliver are drawn to each other but are reluctant to act on it. CLAIRE CULLEN builds a pack like no other. I could NOT put this book down. It has everything you want in a shifter story. Snarky Omegas, helpful Betas, confused Alphas and adorable shifter kids. Not to mention action and adventure. Good guys, bad guys and the I can't wait to see who the next book is about. This has a HEA and no cliffhanger. But this is going to be another of this Authors, I can't wait series. I'm in, are you?? I HIGHLY, HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS BOOK!!!!!!
30 reviews
October 7, 2019
Claire Cullen never fails to engage the reader with her excellent world building, realistic characters, and issues that resonate deeply. When the story starts, we meet Brax, who's overwhelmed under his responsibilities for his team/men and about to break badly. We also meet Oliver, who's now been thrust under a new set of responsibilities he wasn't expecting at all at the passing of his parents. From their fortuitous encounter in professional capacities, they came to gingerly come together in mutual hope. People they are responsible for have their own troubles and the reader does become quit embroiled in their issues as well. Both Brax and Oliver are highly likable. The writing draws me in and keeps me in the story until I was staying up quite late (not a good thing to do on a Sunday night). This promises to be another wonderful series from her and I can't wait to read the rest.
Profile Image for SC.
810 reviews26 followers
January 2, 2020
So long winded

It just felt unnecessary long, it simply dragged. There really wasn't a lot of excitement, a ton of things were very vague pertaining to this author's shifter world. Some did get explained towards the end I suppose. I cannot begin to tell you what anyone in this book looks like, at all. I didn't really feel the chemistry between the two main characters either. This felt like an empty story which is odd when the book feels eternal. I also cannot get passed the whole unlimited breed of shifters in one pack. I don't know, I don't think I liked this book at all.
Profile Image for Ntokozo M.
435 reviews19 followers
February 1, 2020
4 stars!

This was so good I read it in a day! That should tell you all you need to know. But, if you’re still not convinced how about the cuteness of a pack of alphas and betas trying to find their way without an omega? How about a story of the family we choose and all that we would do for them. Not to mention the risk of being hauled off to military detention and studied just for wanting to be a pack? I hope that convinces you to give this book a read because I sure enjoyed the heck out of it!
Profile Image for Theresa.
3,566 reviews
October 29, 2019
Different shifter world. Nice omega MC.
Good Alpha MC except he seemed out of character when he first put the moves on the omega. Good relationship but not much sexual chemistry nor sizzle. Sweet supportive pack.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 172 reviews

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