Claimed

Blood Lust #2

by Zoe Winters

In the midst of a power struggle for vampire king, it soon becomes clear to Anthony that the only way to protect a fragile human in his care is to claim her as his mate. Meanwhile, his deepest wish is to have his lover awakened from the memory loss that took everything... not just the memories he meant to erase.



Blood Lust (book 1) (Kept, Claimed, Mated)
Save My Soul (book 2)
The Catalyst (book 3)
Life Cycle (book 4)



Cat Fight
Dark Mercy

Genres: Paranormal Romance, Paranormal, Romance, Vampires, Urban Fantasy, Novella, Fantasy

108 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 15, 2010

About the author

Author of paranormal romance and urban fantasy.


Book 6 in the Preternaturals series Available for Pre-order now at Amazon Kindle and Kobo Books.

Author Bio:

Zoe Winters writes quirky and sometimes dark paranormal romance and fantasy. Her favorite colors are rainbow and clear.

She is known for her preternaturals series which combines romance front story with larger urban fantasy back story which develops over the course of several books.

Her world contains: demons, vampires, werewolves, werecats, and other shapeshifters, magic users such as witches and wizards, angels, and humans who are unaware of the magical world around them.

Zoe can be found at zoewintersbooks.com To subscribe to her newsletter, fill out the contact form.

Fun supplementary material for the preternaturals series can be found at theriantype.com

Reviews

[Claire Louise¤°.¸¸.•´¯`» · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading Claimed by Zoe Winters Second book in the Blood Lust Series Anthony was first seen in Kept and i was so intrigued and hoped we'd see him again (what can i say, i am a vampire junkie!) Anthony, a contender for king of vampires, has lusted for Charlee for a long time, has wanted to feed from her but always held back, it's only when he's under the influence of drugged blood that he's unable to stop himself from attacking and drinking from her almost killing her. Having to wipe her memory, he does a bad job of it and wipes her entire memory and is left with the task of having her around to fix his mistake.

I liked Charlee, she was an interesting character, especially since she had amnesia, i liked the glimpses of her 'real' self when she was talking with Anthony. She was conflicted in knowing what he was and yet she couldn't help the deep sexual chemistry she had to the vampire, there is lots of humorous banter between the pair.
Loving vampires as i do (i'd so be a vampire groupie!) i couldn't help but fall for Anthony a little bit, i was fascinated with his vampire world, they have as many politics and rules as the human world, the glimpses of his demon face when he looked in the mirror was interesting, Zoe Winters painted a vivid image of not only him but the entire world.

So you have, human and vampire two species not meant to be together but cant help the pull, a girl who cant even remember her own name, a vampire who is sex on legs, and amid all that is a tournament to see who will rule the vampire realm.

It is a great read, and again Winters packs a lot into a novella, surprisingly so!

[Paige Prince · Rating 5 out of 5]

After positively devouring Kept last February, I’ve been eagerly anticipating Zoe Winters’ next release: Claimed. After Zoe teased us with interviews with Anthony and Charlee (the hero and heroine), I decided two things. One: that I had to read this book and Two: Zoe is entirely too good at teasing her readers (I’ll glare at her later).

Claimed opens during the final fight in Kept, except instead of following Dayne and Greta (the hero & heroine from Kept), it follows Anthony after he drank Greta’s very powerful –and very drugged- Therian blood. He’s suddenly filled with an intense thirst, and goes to the one person he knows will slake that thirst – Charlee. Unfortunately, this is the one person he’s been denying himself, and he goes… shall we say a bit overboard?

After scaring the ever-loving crap out of Charlee, drinking from her, and generally scaring her half to death, Anthony feels bad about what he’s done and tells her to forget it. She does, but unfortunately, she also forgets everything else. Ever. Her name? Gone. Her best friends? Gone. She can’t even remember her dog’s name. Poor girl.

Greta and Dayne make Anthony take care of her, since now she’s super-vulnerable and he’s the only one who can figure out how to get her memory back. I like that he was willing to take care of his mistake, but I hated the way he kept thinking of her as “just a human” and casually went back and forth about whether or not he was going to kill her. Ok, he’s a vampire (and a sexy one, at that). I get it. But I love Charlee and I don’t like it when people think about killing the people (characters) I love!

Charlee stumbles through the whole “memory loss” thing, but I really admire her strength. She stands up for herself (to a vampire!), even when she’s not sure of who she really is. My heart aches for her as she goes through her things, trying to figure out some part of her past. It aches even more as she battles her feelings for Anthony and can’t decide if she cares about him or hates him.

Zoe writes characters that you either love or hate. They’re well-developed, funny/witty/just plain evil, and seem like real people (or vampires) to me. I love Charlee, Anthony, Paul, & Jane (the heroine from the next book, Mated), but I hate Linus and Callie. And that’s really a good thing, since Linus and Callie are the villains and you’re actually supposed to hate them.

Overall, I loved Claimed and its characters & storyline. As always, Zoe gives us a compelling story that makes you ignore your boyfriend and make him make dinner just so you can keep reading… oh wait. That was me. *grins*

[Ruth · Rating 5 out of 5]

I admit this is not what I typically read, but the plot sounded intriguing so I bought it. I'm glad I did! Anthony, the vampire, loses control with some drugs pumping in his system, so he attacks Charlee (a mortal) and almost kills her. To save face, he tells her to forget. Except, she forgets much more than the attack. She forgets who she is! I really liked that twist. From there, it's a matter of getting her memories back and forgiving him for what he did to her.

This book is very well-written. Zoe has mastered the art of world building. She paints a vivid picture of the world that is carefully concealed from the one we know; it's a world of vampires, shapeshifters and other creatures. The characters were developed too. Anthony was my favorite because he had a sexy quality about him. He might have lost control, but he's got a conscience and battles his love for Charlee. Charlee is a strong female lead, but she's not so hard and cold that she doesn't have a heart.

The pacing was good. Nothing dragged, and the sequence of events happened smoothly. This isn't one of those stories where the misunderstandings and hard feelings drag needlessly on. And the ending was great. I love how Charlee admitted her love for him! Definitely a great read!

[jD · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this one better than Kept, the first book of this series. Anthony is a vamp who wipes the mind of a human he drank too much of. The human, Charlotte, awakens with no memories of her life. This book is a novella but packs quite a bit of action and new characters into the story. This mishap happens as Anthony is about to enter a competition for leadership of the vampire nation. Charlotte is a weakness he can ill afford for an assortment of reasons. I found the events leading up to the competition humorous and creative. For example, Charlotte, discovers Anthony is a vamp and burns him with a cross while he is was day sleeping. He was not amused when he woke up to find the cross burned in his hand. It's even funnier when it happens the next day. I really wish Ms. Winters will write a full novel about the world of these shadow beings, she certainly has the talent to entertain me for 400 pages. I will keep my fingers crossed.

[Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Picking up from the closing events in Kept, we drawn from the world of the Were-cats and Sorcerers into the decidedly darker world of the vampires. After helping Greta and Dayne combat the effects of the drug Greta was given, Anthony attacks and nearly drains Charlee. Hating the fear he sees in her eyes after the attack, Anthony attempts to wipe her memory of his visit and instead wipes all her memories. Greta and Dayne step in and try to help, but ultimately she becomes Anthony's responsibility and ends up living with him in his apartment. While all this is going on, Anthony is involved in a tournament to decide who will be the next Vampire King. Confused? Don't be. It's pretty straight forward. Along the way we meet Jane, who happens to be our heroine in book #3. Which I'm halfway through. Awesome.

[TJ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Eeh, not great, not awful.

[Patti · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quirky characters

Enjoying the band guys turning to the good side for love. The ladies are not kickass but they are well written.

[Teshai · Rating 3 out of 5]

She annoyed the shit out of me.

[Tracy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Picking up where Kept ended, more or less, the vampire Anthony is reeling from the drugs he drew out of Greta when he came to Dayne's aid. In his flight from the circle in which Greta had been nearly killed he comes across Charlee's house, blitzed out of his mind and at the mercy of his demon. When he's near Charlee, the scent of her fear heightens senses already pushed to the brink and he feeds from her - almost drains her. Mindless with blood lust, he manages to keep from killing the young woman he's always enjoyed verbally sparring with, but when he wipes her memory of the event, Anthony accidentally wipes her entire memory. Charlee wakes up the next day with no idea who she is, where she is, or what's going on.

Charlee uses some deductive reasoning to hook up with Greta, who takes her to Dayne, who calls in Anthony. Over her friend's objection, Charlee goes with Anthony, who needs to protect Charlee from Linus, an ancient vampire in town for the centennial tournament to determine the king of the vampires for the country. Anthony's by no means a boy scout but Linus is pure evil, and he likes collecting mistakes like Charlee for his own nefarious purposes. Problem is, Charlee's memory might be gone, but she's not stupid, and she doesn't trust Anthony even before she finds out he's a vampire. After...well...lets just say she's got faith and a cross and isn't afraid to use either.

This is the second novella in the Blood Lust trilogy, and I was a little leery of it because I wasn't too fond of Charlee's character in the first one. What I did like about Kept, though, was the original and intriguing mythos and world building that Zoe Winters managed to expound on to pleasantly surprising levels and the sarcastic banter between the two lead characters.

I had similar hopes for Claimed, and some of them were realized. I again give credit to Winters for her ability to flesh out a world and define a species and its culture, in this case the vampires, in a way that's more comprehensive than some full length novels I've read. I also liked the widened scope of characters here, with Greta and Dayne playing a part in the beginning, and later seeing the addition of others that added to the plot development. I liked Anthony the first time around and appreciated the closer look I got of him in this one, as well.

I still think the narrative is a little choppy, especially at the beginning, and I had some problems with the dialogue throughout, though again, much more heavily towards the beginning. It too often seems stilted and inorganic to the characters or to any natural conversational progression. Internal monologues didn't suffer in quite the same way, though, and that was an improvement. I wish the beginning had been conceived differently, because I really had some issues with it, and didn't think the novella really started to grow on me until Charlee and Anthony were back at his place.

The biggest problem I had with Claimed, though, is in no way a critique of the story or the author, and really isn't anything that can be changed. I couldn't stand Charlee. That happens sometimes, personal preferences in characters sometimes just aren't met. It doesn't mean that someone else wouldn't like her, because it's totally subjective, but she represented quite a few of my own personal bugaboos for female lead characters. When suffering from amnesia she came across as too weak and easily led, and even her brief flashes of temper seemed more petulant than independent, and after the amnesia was resolved, she alternated between horrified and bitchy, neither of which I found attractive. I only wish there had been a detente with Anthony prior to the events in the Tournament, because without it, the change in their relationship seemed a bit too abrupt. Further details withheld to prevent spoilers.

I wish there had been more banter between Anthony and Charlee, because Winters did that really well in Kept, and I wish I didn't detest Charlee quite so much. I still have Mated to read yet, though, and I'm looking forward to it.

~*~*~*~
Reviewed for One Good Book Deserves Another.

[A.M. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Having read the first novella in the trilogy, "Kept", I was eager to get my hands on the sequel. And I wasn't disappointed: "Claimed" picks up right where "Kept" left off, except — instead of following Greta — it follows Anthony’s blood lust daze which leads him to Charlee. The end result is he wipes Charlee’s memory completely clean — she can’t remember her name, her dog, or anything else. And there couldn’t be a worse time for this to happen, as vampire politics are heating up.

This was the strongest of the three novellas. Not only did it focus on vampires (yay!) but I really connected with Charlee as a character, and sympathized with her plight. And beyond that, I felt that the male protagonist was far more developed and conflicted: as a vampire, he has a darkness to him that he will always carry with him, and that makes their relationship all the more interesting. It helps that the same witty dialogue I enjoyed in the first book is carried throughout this one, too — characterisation is definitely one of Winters’ strengths.

I also found the plot a lot more meaty this time around. Besides the obvious thread — Charlee’s amnesia — there is a vampire tournament involved, along with the introduction of Jane, who stars in the last novella of the trilogy. It’s a story of struggles: Charlee fighting valiantly with her amnesia and also with her mixed feelings for Anthony, Anthony struggling with his feelings for the “just human” Charlee, vampires doing their political manoeuvring… It all adds up to a tightly written, well paced novella.

The world-building was as before a fascinating and unique take on the supernatural world, hidden in plain sight. I particularly liked how non-sentimental Winters’ vampires are: not sad and moping, but with ambitions of their own. And it was also interesting to see their differing political agendas and beliefs on matters such as blood drinking, mate claiming, and the level of respect owed to humans. Charlee is thrown head first into this confusing society and it is a testament to her strength as a character that she handles the situation admirably.

So what didn’t I like? Well I definitely think that the first few chapters from Charlee’s point of view are a little weaker than in the second half of the novella, mostly because Charlee is so (understandably) confused that she needs a lot of “telling” — her best friend Greta immediately shows up and tells Charlee who she is, their history, etc. And Charlee took the information overload quite calmly; I would have preferred to really sink down into her confusion and fear. However, this really improves throughout the novel as Charlee is thrust into situations unfamiliar even to her unamnesiac-self (i.e. having to stay with Anthony).

Anthony’s point of view on the other hand was great. I loved the insights into vampire culture, and I really liked his darker, more calculating side. Firstly, he’s a heck of a lot sexier than the male lead in the first book, which is always a plus! Secondly, the stakes felt a lot higher this time around. Given the political upheaval, Anthony is at risk of losing so much more than a relationship if things with Charlee go wrongly, and the added tension really pulled me in.

Overall, Claimed is a highly entertaining light read which showcases Zoe Winters’ writing at its best. It’s a story that pulls you in: you cannot help but empathize with the two lead characters because they have so much to gain — or lose — from the success or failure of their relationship.

In sum, if you like supernatural romance, vampires, or any combination thereof, this is the book for you.

[Larissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Previously Published on my blog: Welcome to Larissa's Bookish Life

Blood Lust is a compilation of three Paranormal novellas, all part of Zoe Winters’ The Preternaturals Series. Each one tells the story of a couple and their journey into their Happily Ever After. All the stories are set in the same world and some characters cross over between them at times.

I have to say that I was very pleasantly surprised by this book. I tend to enjoy a shorter story now and then but I do prefer full length novels. I feel it is hard to make a HEA work in less than that.

However, I feel that Zoe has done an amazing job in introducing us to these characters, this world and telling their stories. I loved the mix of supernatural races that Zoe has written. We have Vampires, Cat Shifters, Werewolves, Witches, Warlocks, Demons and so much more.

Kept is the story of Greta, a cat therian (shifter), and Dayne, a very dangerous sorcerer. Greta’s life is in danger when she finds out that her tribe plans to sacrifice her because of something she has no control over, Dayne is the only one who can keep her safe. Dayne is HOT and his bad boy reputation gives him the privacy he needs, that is until Greta comes into his life and steals his heart.

Claimed is all about Anthony and Charlee. Charlee is Greta’s best friend and co-worker and for a while she has been flirting almost daily with this very hot man that keeps showing up at the store where she works. Anthony can’t seem to resist stopping by and flirting with Charlee, specially since her blood seema to draw him more than any other person’s blood has. But one night, Anthony loses control and does the imaginable, he drinks from Charlee. Ashamed of what he has done, Anthony erases her memory of the night, but something goes wrong and she wakes up the next day not remembering anything at all. Now, the only one who can help her claim her life back is the Vampire who took it all away in the first place.

We meet Jane in Claimed, when Greta meets her as one of Anthony’s adversaries’ girl. In Mated, Jane is now the being mistreated by another vampire and Cole, the local Werewolf Alpha, saves her by taking her as payment for gambling debts. Jane has been in Vampire’s radars for as long as she can remember, something about her just attracts them, but now she has the chance to leave that all behind. However, she is not sure how safe she is, hiding away in a Werewolf den, where one of them seems to be enjoying human meat.

I really enjoyed all these stories, but my favorite was Mated! I love a shifter and Cole is just a great specimen of the race LOL.

All in all, Blood Lust is a full plate for any Paranormal Romance lover out there! The romance is great, but it never overshadows the story, I think Zoe did a great job in balancing that out and I can’t wait for more books from her!

[Wulfie · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Blurb: For a vampire, Anthony isn't a picky eater, but he's drawn to Charlee's blood more than any other. Like a fine wine saved for a special occasion, he's denied himself this pleasure. But one night, high from the potent magical blood of another, he claims his prize and loses control. Ashamed of almost killing the one woman who means anything to him, he wipes her memory of the event. When Charlee awakens with complete amnesia, Anthony is the only one who can clean up the mess he's made.

I’m new to reading novellas so wasn’t sure I’d like reading extended short stories. I thought that they wouldn’t be able to develop the world or characters deeply enough. I was wrong on both counts. I loved Kept and you can read the review HERE.

Claimed isn’t a continuation of the story from Kept. It picks up where that one ended but shifts to a different set of main characters and introduces some new players. Anthony and Charlee played roles in the previous book that made me want to learn more about them. This story does that.

In Kept, once it’s revealed that Charlee has the hots for Anthony, Greta, the Therian, made it clear to Charlee that Anthony wasn’t a nice...guy. Charlee has no idea about vampires so doesn’t realize exactly how dangerous he actually is. I enjoyed Anthony and Charlee develop as characters and with each other.

Being inside Anthony’s head as he dealt with his conflicting thoughts, feelings and predatory nature was great. He’s a complicated character and was very well developed. I wasn’t so keen on Charlee. (I liked her more in Kept) But Zoe did an excellent job developing her as an amnesiac. Naturally, she’s going to be different from the character we were familiar with Kept. She just felt a little choppy to me in comparison with how well the other characters are developed.

The humor and sarcasm sprinkled freely throughout the entire story had me laughing out loud several times. And I’m looking forward to the next book in the series; wondering if it will involve all the characters we’ve met so far or take us in a new and unexpected direction. There are several characters from the first and second book who could return to set the rest of the story on fire.
I’d recommend Claimed and think of it as the second act of the story while Kept was act one and Mated will be act three. This is definitely a world worth building on. (hint hint, Zoe!)

This is the second novella in the Preternatural Series. You can buy the anthology Blood Lust , which includes all three books or pick them up individually.

[Zoe · Rating 3 out of 5]

I chose to read this series out of order, starting with Kept, then the third book, Save My Soul. Then I came back around to Claimed. Perhaps if I'd read the books in order, Claimed would have a better score. But of the three Zoe Winters books, Claimed is the weakest. While I love the romantic leads from Kept and Save My Soul, neither Charlee nor Anthony have much in the way of personality, and the whole book feels like filler between two much stronger stories. I kept waiting for something to happen that would make me care like the other books had. But that moment never came.

First there's Anthony and Charlee's non-existent attraction to each other, plus their not having a single thing in common. Also the story makes it clear that Charlee's memory is permanently erased, only for it to come back near the end of the story as if her past been merely repressed. The story might have actually been better if Charlee had to deal with this amnesia as a lifelong handicap, but the story goes for an easy solution that left me feeling extremely dissatisifed.

Then there's Anthony "claiming" Charlee, supposedly to protect her, and which binds the two characters together. This same idea is used in Save My Soul, but in a much more effective way. In Claimed, the link really doesn't do much, and Charlee seems no different after being claimed than before.

Another weak point is that early on, Charlee uses a cross on Anthony and gets no reaction from him, yet later, a cross is used to force Anthony to let go of Charlee. It's moments like this that make this feel like the weakest and least thought out story of what has been a solid and exciting trilogy.

Finally, there's the vampire tourney, which Anthony spends a long time making a big deal out of, only for the story to reveal that vampire games are lamer than reindeer games. I won't spoil it for other readers, but the last ten pages had me alternating between sighing and rolling my eyes.

Which is not to say the story is bad. But compared to Zoe's much stronger characters and stories in the first and third book in this series, the second is left wanting in a lot of ways. Still if you've read Kept, you should enjoy Claimed. But honestly, I'd suggest skipping it and reading Save My Soul before coming back to this story. I give Claimed 3 stars and recommend it to fans of vampire romance stories.

[Reena Jacobs · Rating 3 out of 5]

My review also posted on Ramblings of an Amateur Writer: http://reenajacobs.com/blog/2010/10/n...

Anyone out there ever play Dungeons & Dragons? Don’t be shy. I know some of you all were as nerdy as me growing up. I bet some of you still play the game. What does that have to do with Claimed? Anthony. I’d definitely classify him as lawful evil. Add that to his rash behavior, and Claimed ended up with some funky situations. I have to say, I rather liked him. Once in a while I think of something he did/said and crack up laughing. I try not to think about him in public places, cause I’m not quite ready to go to the loony bin.

Hmm…Charlee. I wasn’t so fond of the amnesic Charlee. She was a bit of a flake. She also spent a lot of time being pawned by vampires throughout the story. This is just a preference, but I rather like strong, decisive heroines. Even so, she had some great lines, such as: “Then you show up, all dark and brooding with your coat flapping out behind you like a comic book villain, and you’re upset I’m not acting like me?” Of course it makes me think of Anthony again, and I start laughing. But it’s okay, cause I’m at home in the privacy of my bedroom.

On to the spoiler free plot. In many ways this book is a standalone. However, I believe some may be confused with a few of the references on the first few pages if they haven’t read Kept. Get past that, and you’re good to go. I didn’t bother reading the blurb for Claimed, so it was quite a twist for me that Charlee lost her memory, and how she lost it even more so. I loved it! Everyone’s freaking out around her and acting weird, and she’s in lala land. Meanwhile, Anthony has his own agenda. And if he doesn’t achieve his goal, there’s a good chance all us mere humans might get pawned.

Well, Anthony and Charlee’s story is over, but really I want to hear more about them. I sure hope the aftermath of their lives show up in Mated and the soon to be released novel Save My Soul, even if it is hearsay.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved both Anthony & Charlee when they were introduced in Kept so I was really pleased to see that they got their own story which continues the events right after the ending of Kept. When Anthony is drunk on magical blood he almost drains Charlee when he feeds from her - not wanting her to remember and be afraid of him he wipes her memory of the event. However, it soon becomes clear that he didn't just remove her memory of that night, she remembers absolutely nothing - not even who she is. When he is trying to help restore her memory he unwittingly draws human Charlee into the vampire world and ends up having to protect her from other vampires who want claim her as their pet.

After enjoying Kept I was looking forward to Claimed and thoroughly enjoyed it. I continue to be amazed at how much Zoe Winters can pack into a novella. Claimed is full of action and I loved watching the relationship between Anthony and Charlee develop. Charlee is a feisty character full of quick come backs that will have you laughing out loud. She has every reason not to trust Anthony after what happened the night he nearly killed her and several things happen that cause her to trust him even less but everything he does after the first night happens when he is trying to protect her. Being a vampire fan I couldn't help but love Anthony - he really is great hero material & I loved how everything was resolved at the end of the story. I'd definitely recommend giving this series a try but I would recommend reading them in order. If you're a fan of the paranormal I'm sure you'll enjoy this - Zoe has a great writing style that is full of humor, action and romance.

[Jason Craft · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overall, I found this next installment to have more depth and meat than the first. The intriguing world of Cary Town is further enriched as the darker, vampire side is explored. The imagination fueling it actually made the story feel more like a fantasy novella than paranormal romance. Zoe certainly knows how to paint a vivid world.

Thankfully that world is inhabited by an expanding list of interesting characters. The two main characters here, Charlee and Anthony, are completely different than those in Kept, but still wield the same amount of power over your mind. Even though their situation nearly mirrors Greta’s and Dayne’s in Kept, they interact in unexpected and exciting ways. Their chemistry is so real, you will wish you had your own vampire to cuddle up with at night.

The story weaving all the events intertwining the characters with the world is so organic that it really blurs the boundary between fantasy and paranormal romance. I never gave the paranormal romance genre much credibility with me being such a sci-fi elitist and all, but Claimed has commanded my respect. It certainly raises the Blood Lust bar of telling a good story that just so happens to involve romance. The quality of the story was never sacrificed to force in romantic elements for the sake of genre.

If you are looking for a good paranormal romance or just need a break from your standard genre, I highly recommend you give Claimed a shot. You won’t regret it. The only feeling you’ll be left with by the end is a craving for more blood…

[Lina · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Even in today’s age, women still trusted beautiful monsters because they couldn’t believe anything evil could ever be wrapped up so pretty.”

This is the second story in the Blood Lust series, also novella length and a really quick read. You can check out my review Kept (Blood Lust #1) here. For such a short story, the plot and character development was great. There is an in-depth glimpse into the paranormal world, their mythology, hierarchy and organization here.

“‘I swear to God, Anthony, if you don’t get out of my head…’

‘You’ll what?’

She sighed. ‘I’ll be really annoyed.’

‘I quiver in terror.’”

It was well written. There was witty banter and parts that were emotional. There was introspection about the nature of good and evil. I love that even though this is a short story, it makes you stop and think about morality and what is right and wrong and where do we draw the line? It might seem like a quick light read, but there’s depth here. I really enjoy that. There’s also romance and action. It really had everything, except explicit sex. There was no explicit sex. I would recommend it to anyone looking for a fun, slightly dark paranormal series.

You can try out Kept (the prequel to Claimed) for free by going to Zoe’s website.

[Sadie Forsythe · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was better than book one, Kept, in that I wasn't totally disgusted by it. That's an improvement, yeah? I still wouldn't say it was very good. I can give a brief synopsis of the romantic plot. It goes something like this: "I hate you. I hate you. I hate you. I hate you. No, I don't, I love you and want to be with you for eternity."

It is exactly that well developed, with that much growth of feelings and emotions. I honestly have NO IDEA what Charlee is supposed to have fallen in love with in Anthony. He's actually kind of sweet from his POV, but from Charlee's he pretty much just stole her life and then, in the end, she decides she loves him for it. It makes no bloody sense at all.

My other big complaint is that, though the writing is ok, it's just amazingly cheesy. The tournament was especially bad. There was no tension in is, just cheese. I actually like B-Rated sci-fi sometimes, but this wasn't the sort that comes across as so bad it's good. It was just basically weak.

There is also no sex. So if you're looking for an erotic novel look elsewhere. This isn't erotic and I think it fails as a romance too.

[Kristie Elston · Rating 4 out of 5]

Claimed picks up where Kept ended with Anthony, a vampire, feeding on Greta's blood to remove the drugs from her system. The blood and the drugs have an unintended consequence on Anthony and he runs to the one person he’s avoided drinking blood from, Charlee, a normal human being whom has just learned about the paranormal world around her. Unfortunately for Anthony, in his blood lust, he wipes Charlee’s memory of her life and her love of him. Anthony is forced to take Charlee in when a bunch of vampires come to town for a tournament to crown a new King of the Vampires. Anthony is torn between trying to get Charlee’s memories back, the upcoming tournament, and fighting off a terrible vampire who would like to add Charlee to his collection.

There is far less sex in this novella then the previous one. But the tension and the story are better developed.

[Jacque · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m so excited to be re-reading this series again. Claimed, the second book in the series had me in stitches!

We initially meet Anthony and Charlee in Kept. Previously I thought he was a DoucheNoodle and her, a flake. Turns out neither are what they appear to be. Anthony actually has some caring depth to him. Okay…so maybe he did a big oopsie, but drugs were involved. He redeems himself when he does go to bat for her even though she doesn’t know it. And in the end, so does she. Charlee, hee-hee! She is mine kinda a girl. I totally would have done what she did when he was asleep.

The journey they take to get there was humorous and we are given even more of a view of things to come within the Preternatural world. A must read for any Zoe Winters fan.

The opinions and rating of this review are solely mine and in no way was I compensated.

Stars– 4, Flames - 1

[Tara SG · Rating 4 out of 5]

* * * 3/4

--These books in 6 words:

romantic new paranormal world to love

--Why did I read this? And am I glad I did?

I had never heard of the series prior to Stella’s (Ex Libris) giveaway of the three novellas that kick off Zoe Winter’s Blood Lust series. I really enjoyed these books and was VERY happy to hear that they were just the beginning of a new series! I actually thought that these would make good novels. There was a little steam in two of the stories, but overall they were just great paranormal love stories.

I’d also like to take a minute to say how amazing Zoe’s website is and how they even have a full TherianType.com site (from the books). Very impressive!!

--Read the full review here : http://www.25hourbooks.com/2010/08/bl...

[Amber I. · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. After seeing Anthony and Charlee in Kept I am really glad they got their own book together.

I loved the way the book starts off with Anthony moments after the first book going to Charlee with drugs in his system. It starts off with lots of action and continues through the whole book.

I was sad we didn't get to see that sassy Charlee like we did in Kept. We had some of it but for most of the book we only get bits and pieces since she can not remember who she is. I also was a bit sad not to get a full them "getting it on" scene..lol Sorry but I was. We get the attraction and the maybe they will but no sex at all..

Still it was a great book. I loved the relationship and meeting some new characters. Can't wait to read the next one with Jane!!

[Kristy Mills · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was a little disappointed in this book. I'm bummed because I really liked Anthony, and I loved how it all started out. But Charlee is mad at him throughout the whole book. It was a little annoying. I can't exactly remember correctly but I don't think they so much as kissed until the very very end. Then it was over. Despite the cover, there were no hott spots in it. But thats not what upset me. What annoyed me about this book was the fact that we never got to enjoy the story with Anthony and Charlee actually being together. There was always tension and anger. But as soon as Charlee admitted her feelings for him it was over. The End.

[Marsha · Rating 2 out of 5]

I will be honest with you, there is nothing that bothers me more than formulaic storylines and that is just what "Claimed" is. Here's the plot: Evil , non feeling, powerful paranormal creature meets a human he cannot resist. She hates him. He endangers her life but then instead of killing her her professes his love and tries to keep her safe. She still hates him..........No wait! She loves him too. Blada, blada, blah!

This book quite similar to the first book in this series but with less imagination and even though there is one more book in this anthology, I will not be reading it. Sorry Ms. Winters, this is just not for me!

[J.A. Howell · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really enjoyed Kept so I decided to get the BloodLust trilogy and just finished reading Claimed. I did enjoy the story, though at times it felt like it hopped around a little and it ended somewhat abruptly. I think I would have liked to see this story expanded upon. Their conflict resolved rather quickly for something that Charlee felt would take a long time to forget.

Again though I did definitely enjoy this story as a whole and there was definitely some very amusing scenes (both in the comical sense and the sexy sense). It is certainly worth a read if you are into paranormal romance!

[Jamie DeBree · Rating 4 out of 5]

From were-cats to vampires...yet another highly enjoyable read from Zoe Winters. Anthony is the perfect vampire in my opinion...dark & brooding but ultimately a "good guy". The amnesia aspects of this story are very intriguing...you'll have to read it to see what I mean. And there's even a primal tournament that had me glued to the page dying to find out what happened next.

Read it - it's excellent. I can hardly wait to read the next story in the Blood Lust trilogy.

[Mlpmom (Book Reviewer) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love how this story took place directly after [i]Kept[/i] but started from two different main character's point of view and was an entirely different story that still left glimpses into the lives of Dayne and Greta.
A very well written story line with everything that you could want in a paranormal story.

[Cara · Rating 2 out of 5]

The story seems so and I just wasn't able to get a feel for the characters or their feeling for they had for each other. For a novella it seemed to wonder a bit and not enough was done for their developing feelings.

[Aubrey Sanders · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really did not care for this book at all, and I'm sad about that because I really wanted to like the character Charlee. I kinda like the turn the author took with this storyline, but I feel it could have been written a lot better.

[Sarah thomas · Rating 4 out of 5]

really good series