| Title | : | Defender (The Lost Pack #1) |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | - |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Kindle Edition |
| Number of Pages | : | 256 |
| Publication | : | First published October 4, 2019 |
In a world that no longer welcomes packs, it’s all Brax can do to hold his team together. Four alphas without omegas is a recipe for disaster. And now that they’re civilians, with the military watching their every move, it’s not going to be easy to keep the truth about their pack hidden.
Brax’s most pressing problem is his buddy Duke’s stolen son. Everywhere he turns for help is a dead end, until chance introduces him to Oliver, the capable, captivating omega—and legal advocate. Brax’s luck might finally be turning around. But can he trust Oliver with more than just their legal troubles—can he trust him with his secrets?
Oliver has everything he could want in life—a successful career, the respect of his peers, an apartment in the city. But not an alpha. Been there, done that. No shifter he’s dated could handle the fact that, some days, Oliver’s job comes first. When the death of his estranged parents takes him back to his childhood home, he meets Brax—the handsome, troubled doctor who just might be the exception to the rule…
Defender is a novel-length shifter romance, featuring mpreg, cake, stubborn alphas, and some scenes not suitable for readers under the age of eighteen.
Defender (The Lost Pack #1) Reviews
-
So, for the first, I don't know - half? - of this book, I thought maybe I somehow skipped the first installment. (Which is weird because usually subsequent books are on the BB shelf until I've read the previous one.) But no, it's the first one. So then I thought I missed a prior series that this spins off from. Only, there was no mention of one in the blurb.
And then, during normal conversation, or at appropriate times, we get what I felt I missed. No InfoDump! I LOVED that. I mean, sure it does get a little overly detailed about the duties of a Child Advocate, and goes on a bit about the lengthy process of custody battles & legal red-tape.
But a lot of the world-building is based on sociology, psychology and even anthropology that I was just enthralled. (Reminds me a bit of how the Mercy Hills series was built, but the mythology of shifters is completely different, as is the whole mating process, and the shifter/human society - not even sure there are "humans"...but still, the depth and style are similar.)
Anyway, it's not perfect. I wish there had been more explanation of how a human gives birth to 4 babies - after shifting back and forth from Fox to Human continuously throughout a 3-month pregnancy. I mean, were they fully-functioning & developed babies that just come out the size of kits? Did they stay human or shift to kits when Oliver shifted? I could never really puzzle that out. (Of course I just hand-waved away the whole Ass Baby trope, though. *shrugs*)
On the whole though, a great start to a new series; looking forward to reading the next one. -
70% DNF. BORING AS FUCK!
-
***2.5 stars***
-
2.5 Stars
There's a lot of potential with this series but the world-building was severely lacking in Defender. Nothing was explained to the reader unless it was a key aspect conveniently mentioned when it was important to the plot. There was a heavy focus on external conflicts and other characters to the point that the romance was lackluster and almost background. I didn't connect with any of the characters and the plot felt almost shallow. Again, there was the potential for angst with the plot but it was underdeveloped and didn't hit the mark. I might continue in the series but it's not something I'll be rushing to do. -
Me encantó.
La verdad que no sabía qué esperar de este primer libro, había visto algo en booktok y me llamó la atención pero a la hora de empezar a leerlo, no me acordaba de nada sobre qué trataba, solo que fue una recomendación en TikTok 🤭. Sin embargo, me llevé una grata sorpresa. Inicié totalmente en blanco e ir descubriendo poco a poco este nuevo mundo fue increíble.
Brax y Oliver fueron geniales. Muero por conocer más de la manada. -
1.5-2 stars
DNF @74%
okay this was umm.. yeah not my cup of tea. it was boring and i didn't feel the connection between the MC. I think that if there was more chemistry between Oliver and Brax it would have been more engaging but instead i felt like it was just blah.
Harsh but oh well. -
3.75 stars rounded up.
Not a bad book, just something felt off. Might just be me since I'm in the minority here. 2019 hasn't been the best in terms of books. -
I have repeatedly written in my reviews that I am not a big fan of shifter stories,
the only thing worse is probably mpreg shifter stories.
Yet, here I am again reviewing one of those.
After all that holiday sweetness I had a rough time to return to "regular" m/m romance.
Starting several books and not liking them (at the moment), I thought that maybe a shifter story might make the transition easier and it really did!
This one was quite unusual, the society having moved on from pack to centralized, even banning packs from existence.
Then we have the usual trope, Omega, who is not like other Omegas, not wanting or needing an Alpha, because of his career and an Alpha who is unlike any other one out there (you know, not the kind that you meet in your everyday life ;-)), quite regular stuff, without many surprises except for the unusual society background.
But even with all these not too promising settings, I greatly enjoyed the story, it was fun to follow those guys, finding their way together, fighting some villains on the way and finally falling in love.
When at the end the "pack" problem, that seemed unsurmountable just before, suddenly almost solved itsself, it became a little too much, and as mentioned I am not really crazy for the kids, who of course followed immediately after the couples first heat. (I do love kids, but I prefer if women give birth instead of men).
But still this was a pretty decent read, a nice story and I am really considering the next installment, as the blurb sounds fun! 3.5 stars and recommended if you love shifters and don`t mind mpreg! -
Interesting...🧐
I kinda went into this blind. I didn’t finish reading the blurb so I can’t say I expected anything. So I’m pleasantly surprised that this is a very different take on shifters and packs.
There’s all sorts of snifters here and pack dynamics are slightly different. There’s also an interesting history that lays the foundation for this rather quirky alternate universe.
I don’t know if I connected much with any of the characters, hence the mediocre rating. I’m hoping that changes for the next book in this series because I will be reading on! 🤓 -
Defender by Claire Cullen is the first book in The Lost Pack series and is a m/m shifter romance that does include an mpreg. I am really excited to read this series. I was immediately intrigued by the world being created within this book and the roles Alphas, Betas, Omegas and packs play.
The characters are interesting. The supporting characters were begging to tell me their own stories. Oliver and Brax were fantastic - they had moments of being awkward, adorable, and amazing. They were sexy and sweet, protective of the pack and both fully capable of fulfilling their roles. Together, they fit and I loved them.
The story had drama, humor, steam and a sense of family/pack. I was drawn in by the story right away and between the story being told and the characters, I had no choice but to stay hooked. Can not wait for second book to release.
I received an advanced reader's copy of the book and I am voluntarily leaving my honest review and recommendation. -
Rating: 4 stars
I thought this to be a very good start to a new series. I liked that this was a different take on the shifter genre, and I thought the author did a good job with world building. I think what I liked best was that Brax and Oliver were not your typical Alpha/Omega pair. Brax wasn’t all macho I’m in charge and we do it my way Alpha and Oliver wasn’t all submissive let me take care of you and put your needs first type of Omega. I really liked all the secondary characters in Brax’s pack and am looking forward to more books in the series. All in all, I recommend this to anyone a fan of Ms. Cullen’s writing and those who don’t mind a/b/o dynamics with mpreg thrown in. -
Defender!
Total Rating: 3.5 Stars out of 5
Rating Review Rollout:
(1) Blurb vs Story matchup: 4 🌟🌟🌟🌟
(2) Character Development: 3 🌟🌟🌟
(3) Danger/Drama/Thrills/Chills: 3 🌟🌟🌟
(4) Editing/Proofreading: 4 🌟🌟🌟🌟
(5) Entertainment Value: 4 🌟🌟🌟🌟
(6) Feeling the Words: 3 🌟🌟🌟
(7) Flow of the Story: 3 🌟🌟🌟
(8) Keeps my Attention: 4 🌟🌟🌟🌟
(9) MC Appeal: 4 🌟🌟🌟🌟
(10) MC Backstory: 3 🌟🌟🌟
(11) MC Chemistry: 3 🌟🌟🌟
(12) MC Love Connection: 3 🌟🌟🌟
(13) Plot Worthiness: 4 🌟🌟🌟🌟
(14) Sexy Sex Scenes: 3 🌟🌟🌟
(15) Wrap Up of Loose Ends: 4 🌟🌟🌟🌟 -
This just didn't work for me. There was no romance til about 75% into the book then suddenly the were in love? It felt like there was just too much going on and so the relationship development fell by the wayside.
-
Great story
I love the worlds that Claire Cullen creates, and this isn't any different. I think that the premise is fascinating. I like how Brax supports Oliver, no matter what -
It waaaaaas really good! I don't know where to start!
First I thought it was a werewolves book, because of the "pack" in the title and guess what? It's not! It's actually a shapeshifter / omegaverse book. And Shapeshifters of all kind! I didn't expect that: Zebra, elk, bear, horse etc...
(well for book 1 one of the mc is a wolf so I was like... 1% right, no?)
The story was really cool, didn't expect where it was going and that's what I loved the most.
As for the things that give me problem to put a 5 stars, maybe the relationship of the main character? Let me explain: it was okay at first slowly getting to know each other little by little and then we jump to declaration to each other really fast. It might not be a problem for other. I mean it is NOT something bad in a book, this is really my taste I'm talking about, and I like to see a step by step evolution in a relationship.
To sum up this book:
And as for the audiobook, John Solo's amazing, such a great voice and acting, just awesome!
Take care!
Ghost. -
Story: 8
Writing: 8
First MC: 9
Second MC: 8
Secondary characters: 6
Mystery: 3
Sexual tension: 5
Humor: 2
Hotness: 6
Product placement: 1
Ridiculousness: 4
Annoying: 8
Audio: 10
To re-read: 0
Well this was a pleasant surprise. Packs are absolute? These guys are hiding their pack in a remote land and in need of omegas.. but hey there are ex-military and saved the world once upon a time
There are many types of shifters here; wolf, bear, buffalo, zebra..
Many questions were left unanswered, hoping we will get more clarity in the 2nd book
Positive note: this is a shifter MPREG book but with limited sex scenes :) -
Story- ✮3.5 Stars✮
AudioBook Narration- ✮5 Stars✮💗 -
At last a strong omega MC! I liked it very much because of this :)
-
3 stars
Mixed feelings. Enjoyed the premise and story but never really connected with the characters for some reason. Still gonna read the rest of the series though :) -
A
Joyfully Jay review.
4.5 stars
Omegaverse, for those unfamiliar, is a world where people typically fall into one of several genetic castes: alpha, beta, and omega. This book, though, takes a fairly subtle approach. Brax and four of teammates are all alphas, but Brax was chosen — or chose himself — to take the responsibility and emotional duties of pack Alpha. He makes the decisions, he makes the rules, and he’s the one who tries his best to keep them all going. He wasn’t always this way; when they were lost, and became a pack for self-preservation during a mission gone wrong, it was someone else who held that role. But he died, and Brax is still mourning. The grief, the trauma, the anger, and the guilt eat at him and keep him from finding peace. He can’t even trust himself to shift without wrapping himself in chains and hiding in the basement. Until Oliver.
Read Elizabeth’s review in its entirety
here. -
ABSOLUTELY INCREDIBLE
We have a new pack and it's INCREDIBLE. THE LOST PACK, is filled with amazing characters. This is the introduction of this incredible group of Alpha and Beta ex-military shifters. Brax is the pack Alpha. After discharge from the military, Brax, Duke, Thorn, Zane and Cole are trying to rebuild their lives. Legal trouble bring them into contact with Oliver. Oliver is an Omega, who is an Omega advocate. Brax and Oliver are drawn to each other but are reluctant to act on it. CLAIRE CULLEN builds a pack like no other. I could NOT put this book down. It has everything you want in a shifter story. Snarky Omegas, helpful Betas, confused Alphas and adorable shifter kids. Not to mention action and adventure. Good guys, bad guys and the I can't wait to see who the next book is about. This has a HEA and no cliffhanger. But this is going to be another of this Authors, I can't wait series. I'm in, are you?? I HIGHLY, HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS BOOK!!!!!! -
4 stars!
This was so good I read it in a day! That should tell you all you need to know. But, if you’re still not convinced how about the cuteness of a pack of alphas and betas trying to find their way without an omega? How about a story of the family we choose and all that we would do for them. Not to mention the risk of being hauled off to military detention and studied just for wanting to be a pack? I hope that convinces you to give this book a read because I sure enjoyed the heck out of it! -
Different shifter world. Nice omega MC.
Good Alpha MC except he seemed out of character when he first put the moves on the omega. Good relationship but not much sexual chemistry nor sizzle. Sweet supportive pack. -
John Solo's narration bumped the rating to 3.5. Its a nice read/listen but slow in certain sections and the romance is very lukewarm. Infact, the sudden romantic feelings between the two MC's will catch you by surprise. The story surrounds an independent advocate omega and a tortured ex-military alpha leader who is living with his secret pack team of 3 other Alpha's Cole, Thorn, Duke and one Beta Zane. But the Omega Oliver is no "Omega in distress", he is a successful advocate who just wants to resolve a responsibility thrown his way by his deceased father's. Alpha doctor Brax/Braxton got the leadership responsibility he never wanted, but a mission gone wrong and he and his team have become a PTSD driven pack of Alpha's who are trying to find their footing. And their pack is trying to find an anchor omega that can bring and bind them together. Its not an easy feat as the world does not have warm feelings for pack's anymore and most of the packs now live obscurity. The military is also curious about the ex-military Alpha's whereabouts and their closely guarded secret.
Its a low angst book, with a good premise and the story flows, just be patient with the pace.
Claire Cullen is another new author for me and I am curious of what she has instored in the rest of the series. -
3.2 stars.
It started off very interesting but slowly became a bit boring which was disappointing considering how much I love this author’s work. We meet Oliver a confident advocate that comes in and helps Brex and his packmate Duke.
It was cool to see Oliver in action as a defender but I expected Duke’s full custody hearing to occur in the book but only a temporary one does. Maybe I misread but i don’t think so. It almost felt like the whole custody issue was brought up just to moving the ending events forward, that is, to create a main bad guy.
Anyways, I think I started loosing interest when so many things happened and the resolution was meant to occur in the future and predictively it all came around to one villain.
And then it all seemed to work out until the next book. Also, although we had some introduction into the world via conversations which was nice, a lot of the world felt unlived. I mean, there weren’t any omega or alpha women. It seemed that only men could be omegas which was interesting but sort of didn’t seem possible given the diversity of human dna but okay. And the injustice with the council and Omega House were quickly forgotten as if it was just to move the story along. I don’t know but I felt like it started off strong then got lost somewhere and dragged on.
And the solutions were too quick and happened randomly. -
So good
The story of Brax and Oliver. So very enjoyable. These two guys walked their way through a courtship and somehow found themselves in love. The world built in this book is enjoyable and fascinating. The modern shifter needing day passes to shifter parks was highly entertaining. We never really think about how shifters who live in the city cope with these kinds of things. I also enjoyed seeing what different animals that the pack shifted into. I loved the Cole was a horse and Zane was a zebra. It’s so very different from the traditional wolf we usually see in most books.
I enjoyed Oliver very much. As an Omega advocate, he must have seen the very worst that Alphas had to offer. Yet, he will willing to take a chance and help an Alpha out. Ollie was kind, compassionate and adorable. I love an Omega with brains. Brax was headstrong, brash and sexy. I found I needed a little more time to warm up to Brax, as him being an alphahole to Ollie when he was hiding his secret annoyed me. Good thing Oliver can be stubborn, too.
Once these two came together, it was all the sighs and feels. They made for a great couple and watching as the pack became stronger and stronger with all the changes going on was lovely to see. I am quite enjoying this series. -
This was lovely.
I'd already jumped onto the omegaverse bandwagon a dozen or so books ago, but I'm starting to realize I actually like (maybe, even love?) the Mpreg bit too. Last year me would be SHOCKED.
"Defender" was my first Claire Cullen book, and it won't be my last. A lot of the omegaverse novels I've recently read were more on the light side, I guess because children (or would-be children) feature quite a lot, or maybe there wasn't enough plot for my liking. I wouldn't call "Defender" angst-riddled, but there's definitely a lot of plot, a fair bit of angst and outside drama mixed in with just the right amount of romance and steam. So, all the kudos for that.
I loved all the characters, although there's still room for more development in some ways: although Brax is pretty sweet and gentleman-y and respectful, I felt like Oliver was just a tiny bit more fleshed out, so I ended up loving him more. He was fantastic, indipendent and focused and capable, but still sweet and lovely. I also utterly adored the found family vibes and the world-building was pretty incredible: so many shifter types! The pack dynamics were well-developed and original, and all that anti-pack stuff? I loved it.
I'm excited to continue with this series, especially after that ending.
-
Very nice story
I found this story riveting. I have read a lot of shifter/omega verse stories and this one dares to be different. This the story of a pack forming. The main character, Brax, is barely holding on as the pack alpha after a mission gone bad. Oliver is an unusual omega. He is a legal advocate and newly appointed head of a sanctuary for omegas after his father’s death. Their story isn’t a “love at first sight” kind of story although the attraction is there. They meet when Brax is called because one of the children is ill. Oliver returns the favor by helping one of Brax’s pack with a custody problem. When the omega sanctuary needs help Brax and his pack come to the rescue. From there the story fleshes out what a pack is and pack roles while still having Brax and Oliver get to know each other. There is mpreg. -
Performance: 5 Stars
Story: 4 Stars
A military forces team forming a pack out of dire necessity and then trying to hide it because it's frowned upon by society is an interesting premise. That storyline coupled with the hurt/comfort relationship and love that blooms between struggling alpha Brax and strong-minded omega Oliver, and the terrific narration of this audio book, kept me hooked throughout.
Author Claire Cullen has created an intriguing group of characters and pack dynamics in this shifter/Mpreg world - one that I want to explore further. Narrator John Solo delivers a fantastic performance, particularly the sweet words and whispers shared between Brax and Oliver - it all felt quite intimate, honest and heartfelt. I'm eager to jump into the audio for "Keeper" (Lost Pack series, Book 2).
