Description:
US Marshall Jinx Collins is an outspoken, free-spirited, and fearless woman. It’s that same fearlessness, however, that tends to get her into trouble. Jinx questions her life prior to being adopted. When those questions lead her to a murderer who’s about to be transported into the witness protection program, Jinx decides to kidnap him to see if she can uncover the truth. Jed Kane has worked undercover in the human trafficking ring for years. When Jed accepts a job to disguise himself as one of his worst enemies and take a ride from the correctional facility to a secured location, he certainly had not planned on being abducted by Jinx Collins. Jed’s uncertain as to how he feels about her touchy-feely hands and loose lips—unsure if they irritate him or if they are awakening his badly behaving desires. Jed knows he must first find out what the fanatical little lady wants with a murderer before he can act on whatever he’s feeling.
Straight away Jinx is attracted to the resilient and enticing Jed Kane—the only man who hasn’t backed down from her candor. While Jinx discovers that the questionable criminal may be able to assist her in finding out the truth about her past, Jed vows to save Jinx from her daring self. Once Jinx starts to understand what Jed feels for her—he wants to own her—she demands that he succumb to the raging frenzy. Jed allows himself to seduce her body, submitting himself to that dominant need. But haunted by a world of unlawful ownership, Jed forbids his cold heart to stake its dangerous claim on Jinx Collins.
Locked away in a dark basement, a little boy is waiting to be rescued—and Jinx’s past holds the key to his prison. If Jinx can finally find the truth which holds her fears, and if Jed can forgive himself for his past, then not only might they be able to save the boy, but they might also discover that their carnal desires really derive from their own prison… an inescapable prison of love.
“I am completely floored by this book and could not take my eyes away from the pages once I started. This Forbidden Claim is a suspenseful and erotic story with moments that will grab your heart and squeeze it so tight you won’t be able to breath.
Jed Kane is an undercover agent deep within a world filled with the horrors of human trafficking. 
It is his mission in life to take down every one of the rings buying and selling humans and he carries each loss deep within him. When he is finally getting close to the person in charge of his latest operation, he hits a bump along the way. Dressed as the very man he despises, he is hoping to catch the ring leader but instead he is captured by a sexy young woman determined to get answers.
Jinx Collins finally found him! The man in the picture; Aztec. A known dealer in the business of trafficking humans, she knows he is evil. But that is not why she wanted to speak with him. She wants to know who the girl in the picture is. She knows her from somewhere, and realizes that the woman may be the only connection she has to a past that she can’t remember. When she finally gets the handcuffed Aztec to a safe place to talk, she realizes that all is not as it seems. The man is a decoy. A gorgeous decoy that she can’t take her eyes off of and there is a connection between them that she just can’t deny.
When Jed turns the tables on Jinx, he thinks he has everything going his way. But when she escapes his efforts, he swears they will meet again. He has to know why she is looking for the girl in the picture. The girl that he has been hiding for years. What is the connection between them? And why after he promised himself he would never get involved with a woman, did not deserve to ever love a woman, was he willing to risk everything for Jinx Collins.
I was blown away by the complexity of the characters in this story. Both Jinx and Jed have very difficult pasts. Jinx was in the foster system but can’t seem to remember much before her sixth year. Her parents made her feel unwanted and she barely ever speaks to them. She wants desperately to figure out her past, and who the girl from her memories is and will do just about anything to find out. As she follows the clues from her past, and some from the present the answers to her questions, become closer than she realizes.
Jed’s past reveals itself slowly throughout the story. He is a tortured soul with an angry heart. He is attracted to Jinx more than he should allow himself to be and is afraid that he will lose control. He wants to claim her as his and own her in every way possible. This is painful for him because he believes that no person should be owned in any sense and he hates himself for his feelings. What he doesn’t realize, is that perhaps Jinx wants him to own her heart and soul, if he would only allow himself to try.
The scenes between Jinx and Jed are powerful and erotic. The electricity sparks heavily when the two get intimate and every time Jed decides he doesn’t deserve the pleasure it is simply agonizing (you might want to beat him over the head a few times for leaving a girl hanging). But oh their moments together are nothing less than awe inspiring and when they are tender, they will make you melt.
Within the story, we also meet a young boy that is being held captive deep in the basement of one of the stash houses. He has been beaten, starved, and forced to do unspeakable things (none of which are actually described). His one redemption; he tells stories to help the other children hold on to hope that one day they will be saved. Your heart will break for him throughout the story and tears will fall for him as his story comes full circle.
This is an absolute must read!!! Like, stop what you are doing and go get it now! It is not just a steamy romance (though it does get steamy) but a thrilling, suspenseful, story of hope that will pull your emotions in every direction.
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Mel Bourn
June 25, 2012 at 11:00 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Thanks for the great review!! This is going on my TBR for sure. I have some amazon money that is needing to be spent!
Mel
Maria D.
June 25, 2012 at 11:39 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Great review! I’ll be getting this one later today:)
Sophia Rose
June 25, 2012 at 11:41 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
This book sounds great with all the elements that are going on in it. Thanks for sharing your review.
Heather
June 25, 2012 at 4:15 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
I love all of her books! This was my favorite! Great review!
Kc Lu
June 25, 2012 at 4:19 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Great review!! I can’t wait to read this one!!!
Eileen
June 25, 2012 at 7:12 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
wow what a great review. will have to put it on my list. Thanks!
Timitra
June 25, 2012 at 7:44 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Really great review Alyn!!!
Taryn
June 25, 2012 at 8:16 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
Great review! I just got this book and now I can’t wait to read it!
MaryC
June 25, 2012 at 9:20 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment
I’ve never read anything by Kelly Gendron but that’s about to change. Thanks for the review!
We’ve got all weekend to Party!! « Release Parties @ TRS
March 15, 2013 at 5:36 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
[...] 5 Stars ~ “I am completely floored by this book and could not take my eyes away from the pages once I started. This Forbidden Claim is a suspenseful and erotic story with moments that will grab your heart and squeeze it so tight you won’t be able to breath… Guilty Pleasure Book Reviews [...]
Excerpt: The Forbidden Claim ~ Meet Jed Kane! « Release Parties @ TRS
May 4, 2013 at 7:41 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment
[...] “I am completely floored by this book and could not take my eyes away from the pages once I started. This Forbidden Claim is a suspenseful and erotic story with moments that will grab your heart and squeeze it so tight you won’t be able to breath… Guilty Pleasure Book Reviews [...]