REVIEW: Addicted (Outlaws #2)

Addicted (Outlaws #2), by Elle Kennedy
Publish Date: June 28, 2016
Publisher: Signet
Format: e-ARC, provided by the author
Genre: adult dystopian romance
To Buy: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Rating: 4.5 STARS

(Synopsis) Lennox used to live in a paradise on earth with his best friend Jamie, in a place where visitors came and went, allowing their desires to run free. But everything changes when a deadly attack forces them to take up with Connor Mackenzie’s band of Outlaws. Lennox knows Jamie is hung up on someone else, but he’s always believed he’s the man for her—and won’t let her go without a fight. 

Even though Jamie is well aware that Lennox is one hot specimen of a man, she refuses to let sex ruin the most important relationship in her life. But when the object of her interest spurns her, she indulges in a little pleasure-filled revenge with her very magnetic, very willing best friend. One thrilling night with Lennox is enough to awaken Jamie’s unexpected desires for him. And now that she’s had a taste, she’s not sure she can ever give him up...

I love that Elle Kennedy has gone out on a limb with this fantastic dystopian series. I've read a lot of super sexy romance books. I've also read a lot of dystopian series. But, this combination of the two is definitely a first for me. And hopefully not the last. 

In Claimed (Outlaws #1), we met Lennox and Jamie - the operators of a way station/whorehouse/bar - and I never got the vibe that they were into each other. But, once we got into their heads, the situation became very different. They've been BFFs for 20 years, and herein lies the problem. We've seen it a hundred times - best friends who are into one another but don't make a move because they're afraid they'll ruin what they already have. Apparently, men and women fall into that trap in post-apocalyptic North America too. 

In Addicted, Lennox and Jamie are put together during an extended trip to a neighboring town, and a series of events cause Jamie to finally look at Lennox in a different way. And thank goodness for that, because these two together? Unbelievably hot. Crazy hot. RIDICULOUSLY hot. 

But the best part about Lennox and Jamie is that there are real, true feelings there too. They already love each other, so it's not like when Connor and Hudson met in book one and were strangers who didn't trust each other. Lennox and Jamie have history and shared experiences. They already know everything about the other. And, that just made their sexy times even more awesome. 

But, those feelings also cause other issues. There's jealousy and possessiveness and protectiveness that was never there before, and it freaks them both out. Just because they know each other as well as they know themselves does not mean they have an easier go of it. In fact, I would argue that it makes it so much harder for them, because they have to purposefully shift their views that have held steady for two decades. And they have to do it much faster than that. 

In addition to the relationship drama, which admittedly takes center stage, there's a lot of other things going on. Reese, the leader of the town, is keeping secrets from Connor's group, and Rylan is there to try and find out what they are. Jamie is also dealing with her feelings on starting a family and whether trying it in this rough world is worth it. The townspeople are being trained to fight, and a lively competition is going on as a way to help them. Honestly, this was probably my second favorite part of the book. It was fun and a good way to break up what was happening between Lennox and Jamie. 

There are a few twists and turns that kept me guessing and gasping. And the event at the end are going to have repercussions for a long time. This world that Elle Kennedy has created is fantastic and compelling. I can't wait to see what happens next.