Release Day Review: 5 Stars for Claimed by J. R. Ward

 

“This emotional roller coaster does not disappoint.”—Publisher’s Weekly

Welcome to the Lair of the Wolven.
Get ready to be Claimed…

Claimed, the first book in an all new epic series, Lair of the Wolven from #1 New York Times and bestselling author J.R. Ward is now available!

A heart-pounding new series set in the Black Dagger Brotherhood world, with a scientist fighting to save the timber wolves—and getting caught in a deadly trap herself...

Lydia Susi is passionate about protecting wolves in their natural habitat. When a hotel chain develops a tract of land next to the preserve, Lydia is one of the most vocal opponents of the project—and becomes a target.

One night, a shadowy figure threatens Lydia’s life in the forest, and a new hire at the Wolf Study Project comes from out of nowhere to save her. Daniel Joseph is both mysterious, and someone she intrinsically wants to trust. But is he hiding something?

As the stakes get higher, and one of Lydia’s colleagues is murdered, she must decide how far she will go to protect the wolves. Then a shocking revelation about Daniel challenges Lydia’s reality in ways she could never have predicted. Some fates demand courage, others require even more, with no guarantees. Is she destined to have true love... or will a soul-shattering loss ruin her forever?

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 What I thought about Claimed

Lydia Susi is dedicated to studying her wolves.  She's part of a research project tagging and tracking them and making sure they continue to thrive.  When she comes across another poisoned wolf, she suspects the new developer who is working to get rid of the wolves habitat for a new luxury hotel.

When a drifter comes to town looking for a job, he comes to Lydia to apply for her open maintenance position.  She's drawn to Daniel John, but is hesitant since he's told her he doesn't stay in one place very long.  But there is definite attraction between them that they both won't be able to resist.

I was pulled right into this story.  There is a lot of information in this book as it sets up how this world relates to the Black Dagger Brotherhood world.  The connection between Claimed and BDB comes through Xhex who is having nightmares about her past, and her hellren John Matthew who wants to help her.  Turns out that Xhex knows something about what's going on up on that mountain.  I've never been a big Xhex fan, but she and JM felt like old friends in this story.

There is a different sort of connection between Lydia and Daniel John. There was physical attraction for sure, but it's a different sort of yearning from the BDB couples.  I don't know if that explains it, but I did like the relationship between Lydia and Daniel from the start. It was steamy and full of promise,  but the other aspects of introducing this world took precedence over their connection until the late pages.

I couldn't help but wonder if there is a connection between John Michael and Daniel John -- that two first name thing and I'm hoping there's more to Daniel's background than we know so far in the story.

There's a lot to this story that happens in the final twenty percent of the book.  I loved the ending here. It wasn't hard to figure out there would be unresolved stuff too when I still had so many questions 80 percent in, but I didn't make mind (too much) although ..well I won't say more because I don't want to spoil, but you'll be holding your breath in those final pages.

I NEED more of this world. I have so many questions..

There's something I really like about JR Ward's writing in her non-BDB stories. Even though this one is set in the BDB world, it still has a different tone and voice which I loved. Maybe I just pay more attention in a fresh series. And I found Claimed to be fresh and familiar at the same time and it made my time spent reading worthwhile.  

Can't wait for more of this story!  

About J.R. Ward

J.R. Ward is the author of over thirty novels, including those in her #1 New York Times and USA Today bestselling series, The Black Dagger Brotherhood. There are more than 15 million copies of Ward’s novels in print worldwide and they have been published in 25 different countries around the world.

After graduating from law school, Ward began working in healthcare in Boston and spent many years as Chief of Staff of one of the premier academic medical centers in the nation. She lives in the south with her incredibly supportive husband and her beloved golden retriever. Writing has always been her passion and her idea of heaven is a whole day of nothing but her computer, her dog and her coffee pot.

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