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9.06.2012

Claimed: Brides of the Kindred, #1


Claimed
Evangeline Anderson
Brides of the Kindred, book one
ebook, 318 pages
Published February 9th 2011 by Smashwords
ISBN 9781452413167

Olivia Waterhouse has just graduated from nursing school and has her whole life ahead of her—until she gets drafted. Problem is, she isn’t being forced into the Army, she’s been chosen as a Kindred bride.

The Kindred are huge alien warriors—a race of genetic traders whose population is ninety-five percent male. After saving Earth from the threat of invasion they demand a reward—the right to find brides among the population. The chances of being chosen are about the same as those of winning the lottery—guess it’s just Liv’s lucky day.

Baird is a Beast Kindred who recently escaped imprisonment and torture at the hands of the malevolent Scourge. Through the torment and pain only one thing kept him sane—the thought of finding and claiming his bride—Olivia. His need to possess her is a burning intensity that threatens to consume them both.

Angry at having her future and her family taken away from her, Liv vows to fight back the only way she can—by resisting. She has one month on the Kindred Mothership with Baird—their claiming period. If she can keep from having bonding sex with him during that time, she can go home and get on with her life on Earth.

But Baird isn’t going to make it easy for her. Every week he is allowed to touch Liv more and more intimately and according to the contract she signed, she has to let him. She’s determined to resist him but his touch sets her on fire. And just as she thinks she knows what she wants, a twist of fate and an attack by the faceless Scourge AllFather changes everything…

Sylvan, despite your icy blue eyes and spiky blonde hair, you've won my heart already. Too bad this is your half-brother's story.

This one started out perfectly. The prologue was right on and the first chapter kicked off oh so delectably. Then we begin to learn about the women... and things get all cliche. One's in nursing-Olivia. One's in law-Kat. The other-Sophia- Olivia's twin sister... a teacher. And they're all fat. Yes, fat. Full figured blah blah blah... They're fat. Leave my girls athletic or thin... or hell, big boobed.. but don't say full figured. My mind goes all Garcia from Criminal Minds with that shyt.

But hey, I'm a walking stick. Size eight is obese compared to me.

Nearly six months of torture, and the only thing that kept Baird sane and kept him fighting was the Earth woman destined to be his Bride. Their minds met. Dreams were shared. Visions traded. And still she rages against their union. Even with his pledge of devotion, love, and protection, Olivia is loath to admit her attraction to the Beast Kindred. And only with his half brother Sylvan's meddling words of advice does he have the patience to keep his distance. Not a lot of distance, mind you.

As we go through the four weeks of claiming-holding, bathing, tasting, bonding-things get repetitive. Oh boy, do they get repetitive, and we don't even make it through week three before things go to hell! Baird needs her. Or so we're told (over and over) but I never really *felt* it. Despite the months of torture, he's recovered quite nicely without her help. And when it happens all over again, it's nothing that a little striptease can't handle.

Overall, I was left disappointed by Baird and Olivia. However, Sylvan had me in his pocket the entire time. And so, I'm moving on to do something that I rarely ever do-jumping right into book two. Hunted. Sylvan and Sophia's story. She's suppose to be the daffodil of the three women, but it looks like she can put up a fight just as good as Olivia ever did. And hers is so much more intriguing.

3 out of 5 stars.

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