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The Wild #1

Lost Song

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I was nineteen when the world fell apart with news of an impending planet-altering disaster. To make the most of the time we had left, my high school boyfriend and I ran away to elope. We moved to a camper deep in the woods to escape the chaotic panic and violent struggle for food and supplies. We learned to survive on our own.

Three years later and he's long gone. But I'm still here. Living alone. Avoiding other survivors because no one can be trusted anymore.

Then an injured man drops at my feet, and I make the impulsive decision to help him. I'll tend to his wounds and wait for him to heal, but that's all I can offer. He's got his own demons--everyone who's made it this long does--and I won't let him drag me into danger.

I've done fine on my own. I can't risk everything that's kept me safe for him.

Lost Song is a post-apocalyptic romance set in the near future after a global catastrophe and includes some violent content and (secondary) character death.

286 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 6, 2026

153 people are currently reading
836 people want to read

About the author

Claire Kent

40 books2,206 followers
Claire has been writing romance novels since she was twelve years old. After teaching English at the university level for several years, she started writing full-time under two different pen names. She lives in Virginia.

Her early books are sexy contemporary romances filled with heat and real emotion, but with the Hold series she transitioned to science fiction romance. Her current books are steamy post-apocalyptic romance set in the near future after a global catastrophe. They feature smart, resilient women trying to survive in a new chaotic world and falling in love with strong, gruff, taciturn men.

Claire also writes softer contemporary romances as Noelle Adams,

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Displaying 1 - 30 of 137 reviews
Profile Image for ❥ KAT ❥ Kitty Kats Crazy About Books.
2,667 reviews11.1k followers
Review of advance copy received from Indie Reviewers
February 14, 2026
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ARC PROVIDED BY THE AUTHOR...

📚'𝙼𝚈 𝚁𝙴𝚅𝙸𝙴𝚆 𝙰𝙽𝙳 𝙾𝚃𝙷𝙴𝚁𝚂'📚 can also be found on my blog:
╰┈➤KITTY KATS CRAZY ABOUT BOOKS

❀⋆.ೃ࿔* LOST SONG ❀⋆.ೃ࿔* Is the first post-apocalyptic romance novel within (The Wild) series by author Claire Kent. This is Kat & Micah's story. And Molly Kat's much loved springer spaniel.

I may have squealed a little bit when this landed in my inbox..I think I have this author to thank *coughs* or blame for my obsession with this genre. With coffee in hand, my trusty iPad and my favourite couch to read on, I was good to go, life on hold and like a favourite programme this was binged from front to back. Like usual this author weaved her magic and I couldn't put this down, and like usual I wish it was longer, and I wish we had've stayed longer within the compound walls, as I was hoping for more within those scenes it was over with.

A strong independent heroine and a happy go lucky hero these two were bound to collide in the best way possible. All her hard edges aligned perfectly with him, together they were perfection.

Kat's marriage had lasted just a few weeks and hours past eleven months, when out of the blue he packs his things and left, leaving Kat behind all alone in their camper nestled within a secluded spot within the woods. Until a stranger is found on death's door outside her camper, she has no choice but to help him. Days turn into weeks as he heals, day after day she wants him to leave her sanctuary but that over part craves his companionship. A lost battle weaves itself around her heart as Micah breaks down all her defensives.

I crave that survival aspect of living within a dangerous changed world, and this author feeds that obsession of mine perfectly.
...‘I'm thinkin' I've never met anyone as beautiful as you. Beautiful and fearless and tough and vibrant. Alive. And fragile underneath it in a way that it makes me wanna be a godamn hero’
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Profile Image for Rain.
2,643 reviews21 followers
March 13, 2026
I hate to say it, but I was pretty bored for most of this book. *2.5* rounded up.

Kat and Micah didn’t really work for me. Micah is basically a golden retriever/Peeta-type hero. Sweet, devoted, and… that’s about it. He’s the “nice guy who shows up injured.”

Kat spends most of the book angry at men, though the reasoning is never explained. Her husband Jesse, wasn’t abusive, they grew up together and impulsively married when the world was ending. He eventually left to join a larger survivor group while she chose to stay alone in their tiny trailer.

The intimate scenes between Kat and Micah were well done (Claire Kent definitely knows how to write realistic sex), but the characters themselves were pretty bland.

Highlights for me were Molly the dog, and seeing characters from Protected again (Deck, Lilah, Logan, and Burgundy). I’m also definitely sensing Burgundy/Logan setup for a future book, which I’d happily read.

Tropes/themes:
Post apocalyptic survival
Forced proximity
Wounded stranger
Grumpy (her) × Sunshine (him)
Slow burn
Isolated cabin in the woods
Protective hero
Slice-of-Life
HEA

The story really lacked meaningful tension. Nothing driving the plot ever felt particularly urgent or emotionally charged, even the rescue scenes.

I was also surprised by how cold Kat remained toward her husband Jesse. Yes, he joined a religious survivor group (the “Holy Rollers,”), but his fate was abrupt and oddly convenient for clearing the path for the romance. I kept expecting some kind of conversation or emotional closure there, and it never came.

Overall, this one felt very low-stakes and character-light for me. Definitely not my favorite in the series.

BR with Isabella, I think we've read every book in this series together.

Below is a list of books set in this universe. Most are fine to read as standalones.

Series Timeline (by year after Impact)
Year 1 – Hooded (Post-Apocalyptic Fairy Tales, Book 3)
Year 2 – Protected
Year 3 – Lost Song (The Wild, Book 1), Tower (Post-Apocalyptic Fairy Tales, Book 1)
Year 4 – Last Light
Year 5 – Haven (Kindled Book 1), Princess (Kindled, Book 2), Embers (Kindled, Book 3)
Year 6 – Hero (Kindled, Book 4)
Year 7 – Citadel (Kindled, Book 5)
Year 8 – Sanctuary (Kindled, Book 6)
Year 9 – Homestead (Kindled, Book 7)
Year 10 – Beacon (Kindled, Book 8)
Year 39 – Ashes (Post-Apocalyptic Fairy Tales, Book 2)
Year 45 – Devotion (Central Cities, Book 1)
Year 46 – Service (Central Cities, Book 2)
Profile Image for Soft Nectarine ~.
455 reviews966 followers
Review of advance copy received from Author
February 16, 2026
When the world ends WHO WILL WARM YOUR HEART? 💚✨ Injured but HANDSOME man lands on the doorstep of a jaded girlie & she may as well put his smart mouth to use for something…

✨🌲 ⛺️💚🐶🧡⛺️ 🌲✨

Cozy. Dystopian. Heartwarming.

Kat is a smart prepper girlie surviving in her camper for years after a global catastrophe. She needs no one. Until one day an injured giant lands on her doorstep and now she’s trying to heal him fast so she can kick him out 💨 But he’s handsome & witty so…maybe she can just partake in some casual sex while he’s recovering, right?

“He loves me so much. It’s impossible not to feel it. Right now and every moment of my days.”

Perfectly executed reverse grumpy x sunshine trope!! Kat’s reserved/self-sufficient personality needed someone cheerful to spice up her life 🧡💚 Micah’s sunny personality was like a balm to her jaded soul & the way he thought she was PRECIOUS…how adorable!!

🏕️ HE FALLS FIRST! Micah thinks she’s the most beautiful creature he’s ever seen!

🏕️ emotionally open mmc *we love a man that can cry*

🏕️ blueprint for the SICK BED trope

🏕️ they sing to each other

This book is different than Claire Kent’s others because it’s filled with playful attraction from the start. The slow melting of Kat’s heart & Micah’s vulnerable approach made the story an emotional read. Definitely SPICIER too!!


dytopian
reverse grumpy x sunshine
forced proximity
sick bed
small communities
trading/scavaging
single POV
HEA

Thank you to Claire Kent for this ARC in exchange for my honest review!
Profile Image for Carla .
1,687 reviews559 followers
March 11, 2026
It’s a good and cozy story, nothing dramatic or scary, just simple life after the apocalypse 🤭
It’s worth the reading.
Profile Image for Lilyya ♡.
678 reviews3,784 followers
March 1, 2026
4 stars

Claire Kent made me irremediably fall in love with the Post-Apocalyptic subgenera, and now to say that I’m obsessed with it is an euphemism. Love Song was no exception to the rule; i inhaled it in one sitting. everything played out perfectly in the narrative, to my opinion, from the impromptu circumstances that led the protagonists to meet and stay together for a relatively long period, to how their personalities were a prefect match to one another and lastly, how all the jam-packed with adrenaline part of the storyline was dextrally orchestrated, i was PANICKED. did i mention the toe-curling, delicious scenes? because one thing the author MASTERS other than making a dystopian, scary world the home for such beautiful and heartwarming love stories, is certainly writing multiple hot scenes without falling in a repetitive and boring loop. all in all, i would definitely recommend this book (or any by this author to be honest) especially if you are looking for something short and fast-passed to read.

many thanks to the author for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review!
Profile Image for britta ⋆˙⟡.
524 reviews73 followers
March 8, 2026
Loved this post apocalyptic romance with a super cute pup Molly. Two people feeling alone in the world coming together taking care of each other and singing around a campfire, loving in a trailer by the creek. Super cute with a hint of danger.🏕️
Profile Image for Izzie d.
4,342 reviews366 followers
March 6, 2026
Really enjoyed this one. It's set apart from the other series though still about survivors of the impact.
The heroine is strong and capable of caring for herself but when she helps the Hero who turns up injured she recognises that having other people in her life has it's advantages.
Simple things like being able to bathe on the river while the other stands watch adds to her safety.
The heroine was married young as the blurb says but he leaves, obviously with no modern communication she has no idea where he is or even if he's alive.
No details of the Hero with anyone else.
No intimate details except the Hero and heroine.
New enemy threat is a religious group who subjugate women, taking many wives.
I'm hoping this is book 1 in a new series as there is lots of potential.
HEA. Possibility of seeing that HEA in future books in the series through other couples books.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for AvidReader.
1,497 reviews342 followers
March 11, 2026
4.5 🌟!

I’ve been waiting for this book since a while now and it’s amazing.
It was so satisfying to read about a heroine who is a recluse, independent, grumpy and completely self sufficient. Kat was fantastic! A no nonsense and practical heroine. Surviving in apocalypse world where humanity is completely fallen is no small thing. But she did it and thrived. I loved her character.
Micah was her complete opposite. He is still hopeful and not jaded. He was also a sunshine to Kat’s grumpiness. I enjoyed their equation. It was satisfying to watch them figure it out and fall in love. They really had that special connection and were ready to work on it.
I loved Logan more in this book. He was more approachable. Can’t wait to read his book. Burgundy’s too.

-Post apocalypse romance.
-Forced proximity.
-Found family.
-Reverse grumpy x sunshine.
-Standalone, KU, safe and TW.

I received an advance review copy and I’m leaving this review voluntarily.
Profile Image for Cc.
1,239 reviews155 followers
Want to read
November 9, 2024
Whoo hoo!! I was hoping she'd start another series!!! I'll just be sitting over here very impatiently waiting for it, but I will be waiting. Lol. If you haven't read this talented writers other series, do yourself a favor and READ THEM.
Profile Image for downtown.
476 reviews5 followers
March 9, 2026
Claire Kent writes it and I read it.

I was excited when I figured out Micah was out MMC because I remembered liking him in Protected

Likable reverse grump sunshine paring with caretaking. Hot as always.

I was intrigued by the introduction of the "Holy Rollers" cult on the list of post-apoc threats in this world. I hope we explore that compound a bit more. I wonder if we get Burgundy's story now.
Profile Image for Jen • jenteereads.
419 reviews73 followers
March 11, 2026
Actual text I send while reading this: I love that Claire Kent seems to be in her humorous era

Followed by: He had her sit on his face and it was really funny…I’m loving it; no surprise

This is a great start to a spin-off series.
Profile Image for Evelyn Morrison.
145 reviews
March 7, 2026
I’m so excited for more books in this world! Cannot wait for Service and Hooded later this year :)
Profile Image for Anne in VA.
1,369 reviews20 followers
March 9, 2026
I'm really disappointed with this one. I loved this FMC, but for some reason the author decided the only way to get the plot moving was to make Kate become an effing idiot and make the dumbest decision. Why?!
Profile Image for Bookphenomena (Micky) .
2,962 reviews547 followers
Review of advance copy received from Author
February 11, 2026
Headlines:
Injured on her land
Don't wanna feel
The pull

When I say the anticipation has been high for this interconnected (to the Kindled series) series starter, I've only been ready for about a year but the wait was worth it. This post-apocalyptic romance had forced proximity written all over it and a dog, Molly who observed all.

Kat lived alone in a camper, shrouded by failing trees, hunting, growing a little food and trading for the other things she needed but she didn't want to live with others. Life had already taught her that no-one was worth the trust it would take. Micah was injured on her land and Kat had no choice but to offer some care to get him back out of the door.

I've always loved a bit of injured tragedy and the chemistry that can bubble from from those close quarters. Micah was respectful despite his attraction and Kat fought every feeling she developed. Alongside these two and their connection was a companionship that was precious, developing into shared goals.

There was a great plot afoot in Lost Song, Logan, Deck and Lilah who we met in Protected were fairly prevalent and I loved seeing Deck and Lilah especially. A lost loved one, an errant husband and a horrendous religious community all featured. I was glued to these pages and I finished it all too soon in two delicious bites.

Lost Song started off this series with characters I'm invested in. The Wild has such future promise and I am very intrigued about Logan and his daughter. I'm hoping his book will one day appear.

Thank you to the author for the eARC.
Profile Image for aedor ୨ৎ.
166 reviews27 followers
4th-tier-upcoming-reads
September 13, 2024
OH MY FUCKING GOD, ANOTHER APOCALYPSE THEME?? SIGN ME TF UP!!!
Profile Image for Pene|ope • Reading Slump, Send Help.
1,500 reviews203 followers
March 9, 2026
Claire Kent remains my favorite post apocalyptic romance author. 👏🏽 Her stories just vibe with me so well. This one is the answer to the question of what happens when a certified man hater falls in love with *gasp!* a man. The FMC was exactly as pessimistic and untrusting of men that I need an FMC to be after an apocalypse when she's living in a region filled with men from all angles taking advantage of women.

Oh and the praise kink chapter 18 delivered....🔥

Dubious cheating tag is bc she's married young but her husband leaves her after the apocalypse and she hasn't heard from him in years. No OW or OM drama outside of that.
Profile Image for Marilyn.
98 reviews5 followers
March 15, 2026
Very disappointing read. It felt like too much insta-love. Not a lot of build off. lack of world-building. We have an FMC whose husband left her. Apparently, she didn’t had a good family life before the apocalypse. Her brothers joined the militia and were not good people. My question is how exactly were they bad? What did they do before the apocalypse?

The ex-husband joined this cult.. ok. So he didn’t go back to her for over a year, and she is now afraid that he and his cult will go back after she was discovered??

She also doesn’t like Logan because he is a mob boss, and she doesn’t like being bossed around. Okayyyyy

There is so much I want to rant about.

I would have given this a 2 stars, but I have enjoyed Claire’s other series.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Jessica White.
530 reviews51 followers
Review of advance copy received from Author
March 6, 2026
From the moment I began Lost Song, I just couldn’t wait to pick it up at the end of each work day. It’s difficult to out my finger on just what it is that makes Claire Kent’s writing so compelling, but I think it’s a mixture of interesting storytelling combined with the ability to choose exactly the perfect word for each feeling and expression.
My experience reading post-apocalyptic romances is limited, but I found this world to be savage and unyielding and the perfectly wrong environment to forge a love story, which of course made Lost Song completely binge-worthy. You have a pretty badass heroine, Kat, who’s had to live on her own foraging and bartering for supplies amidst a time with no prospects, no future, and no promises of tomorrow. It’s a story of girl and her dog against the world. When Micah shows up on the scene, broad-shouldered, injured, and unanticipated, he seems like more trouble that Kat bargains for. I love an unlikely pairing and the work Kent puts in to breaking down Kat’s physical and metaphorical walls is truly beautiful to behold. I think Lost Song will appeal to all types of readers from fantasy, to romance, to new adult for the world building and character development, and these characters’ ability to navigate difficult situations. Call me a Claire Kent fan because I can’t wait to dive back in to this world and am excited to see what other character arcs she has in store for us. I received an early copy from the author. All opinions are my own.
Please visit the author’s website for content warnings.
Profile Image for Hooked On Romance.
444 reviews16 followers
March 12, 2026
⭐ 3.9 stars

A new series set in the same post-apocalyptic world as Claire Kent’s Kindled, Fairy Tales, and Central Cities series. This can technically be read as a standalone, but I highly recommend reading the Kindled series first to fully appreciate the world the author has built. I’d also suggest reading Protected before Lost Song. It isn’t officially part of The Wild series, but the events take place right before this book and it introduces Micah (the MMC here) along with several other characters.

I’m a huge fan of this world and basically stalk Claire Kent’s page waiting for new releases… which I then immediately devour. 📚👀

Kat married her high school boyfriend just before the cataclysmic event that changed the world forever. The two of them bought a trailer and moved deep into the woods, surviving together in isolation—until, just before their first anniversary, Kat’s husband packed up and left to join a large group. Just like that, she was on her own.

For more than two years, Kat survives alone with only her sweet dog, Molly. 🐶 She rarely sees anyone except when she ventures into a nearby town to trade scavenged goods for supplies. She’s grown used to the quiet, the solitude, and the safety of relying on no one but herself.

Because of that, visitors simply don’t happen… until one day she returns home to find a huge stranger passed out from a gunshot wound.

Enter Micah. 😏

Reluctantly, Kat tends to his injuries while constantly reminding herself—and him—that the moment he’s well enough, he has to leave.

I absolutely adored Micah. From the moment he lays eyes on Kat, it’s obvious he’s completely gone for her. He’s easygoing, funny, and genuinely sweet. Every night he asks if she wants him to leave the next morning, and every night Kat says she’ll let him know. Their quiet routine together was honestly kind of adorable. 🥹

While Micah is clearly ready to build something with Kat from the start, her trust issues run deep. After being abandoned once already, she’s built emotional walls so high they seem impossible to climb. But Micah is patient and willing to play the long game… and slowly, piece by piece, those walls begin to crack. ❤️‍🔥

I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of stories set in this world. Keep them coming, Ms. Kent! 📖✨
Profile Image for Heather.
256 reviews9 followers
Review of advance copy received from Author
February 18, 2026
I actually don’t even know where to start with this, it’s no secret I LOVE Claire Kents books, and I have been waiting for the Lost song since CK announced it a while ago. This lived up to everything I was hoping it would be!! I didn’t want to stop reading, I was hooked from the start, we have like the perfect set up in a book with this story, I loved coming back to the Wild and finding out more about it, it has a very different feel from the books in the adjacent series set in the same world. I am really excited to see where CK takes this world!!

Micah, our MMC, oh what a golden retriever of a man who also has some trauma to deal with around his sister, who is also a protector, he was such a delightful MMC and the mouth on him!! He is a deep well who isn’t afraid of taking the back seat for a women, he was just so perfect. I loved his humor, I loved his care taking vibes, just everything!!!

Kat, our FMC, was just a prickly character, and I loved her for it! An FMC who isn’t afraid to be bad ass and stick up for what she believes is right. Kat was such a strong character to the point in one part she made a silly decision, but she got herself out of the situation while still learning her lesson!! I loved Kat and Micah together, the perfect reverse grumpy x sunshine, I am looking forward to them popping up in future books.
This was a fantastic start to the new series, and I can’t wait to get my hands on book 2!!!

3.5 🔥
Profile Image for Shruti Gupta.
475 reviews4 followers
March 15, 2026
4🌟
Thank you Claire for the ARC.

I've always found Claire Kent's books to be perfect. They are short, quick, fun and hot. It's crazy how she manages to show real chemistry in such short length.

Kat has to be one of the most independent and strong female character I've read about. She had walls built all around her and never trusted people just on the basis of words.
Micah, on the other hand, felt like the chaos to her calm. He was protective, slightly more outspoken (comparing to her) and let her take as much time as she needs to make a way for him in her heart.

Kat and Micah were the type of couple where you just know that they complement each other.

“I never felt like I was good for much until you showed me what I was good for.”
Touched and curious, I cock my head to the side. “And what have you discovered you’re good for?”
He kisses his fingertips and then presses them against my mouth. “I’m good for you.”

Protected was the first book I read by her and to meet Leilah and Deck again almost felt nostalgic.
I've been super curious about Logan and I am not sure if he has a book or not, but if he doesn't, I'm not above begging Clare to write his story.

So so so excited for this new series and I can't wait for the next books.
Profile Image for Sarah.
400 reviews15 followers
February 12, 2026
Definitely Claire’s spiciest book 🥵 their chemistry was hot. I liked how capable both MCs were. No third act breakup. I wish it was longer because I wanted to get more in depth with them and maybe explore more angst. But it was satisfying and it was fun to see Logan again. I can’t wait for his book. Sensing some Logan/Burgandy tension????
Profile Image for Melo.
860 reviews22 followers
March 15, 2026
DNF 32%

That was painful to read.

This is my favourite genre, easy enough to go crazy with the plot. We are encouraged to suspend all reality. But we got this....

I had a feeling this wasn't going to be good from the get go because the writing is so stilted and awkward. But I still tried. Kat is written as a no nonsense character but all her actions say otherwise. Why take a man you've known for 3 days to your supplies?

Speaking of 3 days, I'm not a doctor but a bullet wound to the abdomen is a pretty big deal. You don't start having sex that soon. I have nursed a paper cut for much longer and everyone heard about it. That smut was like a teen after sex ed class.... Cringe.

Because I'm extra, she married her high school sweetheart at 19 so where did this come from ?? (direct quote, whilst having sex) "Men will often say all kinds of things in this moment that don’t mean anything to the rest of their lives. Kat is 23 years old. So errmmm what men???

This was just badly written.
Profile Image for Sandra R.
3,391 reviews47 followers
March 12, 2026
I really enjoyed this romance; set around three years after an asteroid impact on earth. There are spicy scenes and some action. It's written in Claire's easy to read, interesting style, from the heroine's point of view. 😍
Profile Image for Sydney S.
1,329 reviews68 followers
March 2, 2026
I love Claire Kent’s hopelessly devoted MMCs, and Micah is one of the best. There was some good pining, which I love, but I think I wanted a little more angst and emotion. I don’t know. I’m on my period.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 137 reviews

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