ARC Review: Claimed in Shadows (Midnight Breed, #15) by Lara Adrian

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Review

“This detour was only supposed to be temporary. I never dreamed I’d find forever here.”

4.5 stars!

I have been so freaking excited for this book, and the moment the ARC dropped into my kindle I dropped everything to read it and I finished it one sitting, unable to put it down. It’s a fast-paced, action-packed, exciting, intriguing, fun, sexy and romantic addition to the Midnight Breed series, and I loved it!

This is book 15 in the series, and while you’ll get more enjoyment out of it if you’re a fan of the series and have followed these characters and their storylines throughout the series, it would be possible to pick this book up if you’ve missed a few books, or even if you are new to the Breed world.

This is the story of Aric Chase (son of Stirling & Tavia Chase, twin brother of Carys). As a trainee for the Order, he’s dedicated to his career as a warrior and wants nothing more than to get out in the field like his father, his friends, and the men he has looked up to all his life. So when he gets the chance to take on a mission in Montreal, he jumps at it.

Kaya is a breedmate who is training with the Montreal branch of the Order. After surviving a torturous childhood and some time on the streets, she is tough, fierce and determined, and is working hard to prove herself to her team – the first real ‘family’ she has ever experienced.

When Aric and Kaya are teamed up to go undercover to investigate a lead in the ongoing war against Opus Nostrum (a terrorist group determined to wipe out the Breed), they both have something to prove and they throw themselves into their mission. It doesn’t exactly go as planned, which sets the stage for their work together to continue, and for the rest of the Order to get drawn in to their ever-complicated investigation.

They also didn’t expect the explosive connection they feel to each other. Neither of them have pursued relationships in the past, both of them focussed on their careers, but while Aric decides there’s nothing wrong with having a bit of fun with his temporary partner, Kaya is reluctant to get involved with one of the Breed’s golden boys, and with the sexual tension building, let the fun commence!

“(It) brings us closer than ever to one of Opus Nostrum’s members. And that’s all credit to you, Kaya.”
She slanted him a wary look. “Are you just trying to make me feel good? If so, don’t bother.”
“If I was trying to make you feel good, believe me, you wouldn’t have to ask. You’d know.”

I love Aric! He may be arrogant, but he’s a genuinely good guy. He wants Kaya, he doesn’t hide it, and I loved his sweet, flirtatious side.

“I may be an arrogant asshole with more blessing than I’ll ever deserve, but that doesn’t mean I don’t have enough self-awareness to recognize something extraordinary. Especially when I’m looking right at it.”

Kaya is tough, and no-nonsense, and though she may try to resist, there is something brewing between them that neither of them are able to deny, and when they finally decide to explore that chemistry, holy freaking hotness! They quickly realise that their connection is more than just physical, and I loved watching them fall for each other!

“You can trust me.”
“Trust you? I hardly know you.” The protect sounded weak, despite the force with which she pushed it past her lips.
“You really want me to believe you feel that way? Because I’ve been trying to convince myself that’s how I feel about you, and it’s not working. Not one damned bit.”

But Kaya has secrets. She has a past that she has tried hard to move on from, but that she remains tied to, and those ties are about to cause big problems with her work for the order. Torn between the past, and her new family and the man she’s falling for, she will be forced to decide where her loyalties really lie – but will Aric still be standing by her side when the truth is revealed?

It’s all very exciting. There are twists and turns, some predictable and some not, but even though I predicted the main twists, it didn’t diminish my love of the story, and with ups and downs, high action, excitement, secrets and emotional revelations, I loved the way it all played out.

I loved Aric and Kaya together. Their feelings for each other take them both by surprise, but I love how functional they were about it. They followed their hearts, and though they got scared and there were moments of confusion and uncertainty, I could completely understand where they were at, and on the whole their love story is sweet, passionate and just gorgeous.

A big bonus for me – with the story being set in Montreal, it gives us the chance to hook up with Niko and Renata again, and OMG, I loved their story! A devoted couple, I loved catching up with them, I loved the direction of their story, and I love that we even got a glimpse into Niko’s POV. It was really special, and a great added extra to the book. Mira and Kellan also appear, as does Rafe (Dante & Tess’s son), and I loved his storyline!

I loved being back in the Breed world. I was immediately sucked back into everything that I love about this world, I loved catching up with old characters, as well as meeting new, and this book was just what I was hoping for.

I loved it. 4.5 stars.

Advanced Review Copy was generously provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.

 

For full series information, check out our Midnight Breed Series page.

 

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