REVIEW: Claimed by J.R. Ward

In Claimed (The Lair of the Wolven #1) by J.R. Ward, Wolf behaviorist Lydia Susi has spent her career working to protect the wolf population, keeping humans from endangering their habitat and their future. And things have looked promising for them in the two years or so that she’s been at the Wolf Study Project (aka: WSP) in upstate New York. But now there’s a new threat. One that’s man-made. A high-end hotel chain is carving up the mountainside and potentially harming the wolves on purpose. Lydia has most certainly made her opinion known–which in hindsight might have just ended up putting her directly in harm’s way.

“Love is immortal. It survives all things.”

As things at the WSP headquarters go haywire more and more each day, with a missing-in-action director and a moody vet, Lydia becomes the de facto leader temporarily. Hiring a maintenance person is top priority. So when Daniel Joseph, a gorgeous drifter, comes walking in, she hires him on the spot. He fits in with Lydia and her office expert Candy perfectly. But he’s a walking, talking distraction. Daniel also proves to be a protective guy, so when Lydia finds out she’s in danger, she has someone to watch her back. The more details they uncover, though, it’s clear that things at WSP are not right. And after tragedy strikes, with the potential for more bad news on the horizon, Lydia and Daniel will have the fight of their lives on their hands.

‘He was a master of pleasure. He was power and control. He was, in a strange and undefinable way, taking not just her sex, but her soul. She was…
Claimed.’

A spinoff of J.R. Ward’s popular Black Dagger Brotherhood series, Claimed set the tone for The Lair of the Wolven with a slow burn story where nothing was as it seemed. Add in some danger, deceit, and a bunch of surprising twists and you’ve got yourself an unputdownable book.

‘She wondered where he would go, where destiny would take him. She already knew part of the answer to that. Away from her was where destiny was taking him.’

Trigger warnings: View Spoiler »suicide, torture, murder, terminal illness/end of life details. « Hide Spoiler

I have to say that Claimed was a tiny bit different from Ward’s BDB books, in that it wasn’t explosive action right out of the gate. She took time to build the intensity of not only the storyline itself but between all the characters as well. And I loved it. What *was* the same was the terrific balance Ward always has with her use of humor, darker themes, and heartfelt moments. Those elements worked exceedingly well in Daniel and Lydia’s unique case and really made them seem as if they could jump off the page.

This was the type of novel that gained momentum as it progressed until it reached a fever pitch in the last fifty or so pages. And the revelations from Lydia, Daniel and others were SO not what I was expecting! To the point that it made me want to go back and re-read certain sections to see it from a new perspective. I have to admire that in any author’s writing, but definitely in the way Ward accomplished it here. So for readers who are afraid Claimed might not be exciting enough, give it time. Once you see Ward pulling in members of the BDB world and as secrets are uncovered, I think you’ll be wowed just like I was.

Claimed kept me guessing and ripped my heart out then pieced it (almost…) back together with that shocker of an ending. It made me laugh and sniff back some tears. But most of all it made me appreciate J.R. Ward’s incredible storytelling even more, if that’s possible. Highly recommended.
 
QOTD: Are you a fan of spinoff series?
 

Book Info:

Publication: Published July 27th 2021 | Gallery Books | The Lair of the Wolven #1

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?