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Legacy #5

Finding Chrissten

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Held in captivity for eighteen terrible months, Chrissten Lawton has a long recovery ahead of her. Rescued by the Haven pack, there’s one member in particular who refuses to leave her side, and who also awakens a part of her she thought she’d never get back.

From the moment Hank Brewer picks up Chrissten’s scent, he knows they’re true mates. No matter what is in their pasts, he’s determined to help her and prove she can trust him. He’s a half-breed, but he doesn’t do anything halfway.

But the shifter who claimed Chrissten against her will is on the loose, and he and his rogue pack won’t rest until they have Chrissten back in their clutches and have destroyed the Haven pack.

Each book in the Legacy series is a standalone story that can be enjoyed out of order.

274 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 8, 2012

30 people are currently reading
456 people want to read

About the author

N.J. Walters

167 books1,270 followers
Once upon a time N.J. had the idea that she would like to quit her job at the bookstore, sell everything she owned, leave her hometown, and write romance novels in a place where no one knew her. And she did. Two years later, she went back to the bookstore and her hometown and settled in for another seven years.

One day she gave notice at her job on a Friday morning. On Sunday afternoon, she received a tentative acceptance for her first erotic romance novel and life would never be the same.

N.J. Walters is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author who has always been a voracious reader, and now she spends her days writing novels of her own. Vampires, werewolves, dragons, time-travelers, seductive handymen, and next-door neighbors with smoldering good looks—all vie for her attention. It’s a tough life, but someone’s got to live it.

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5 stars
296 (41%)
4 stars
264 (36%)
3 stars
125 (17%)
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30 (4%)
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6 (<1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews
Profile Image for Rinou.
998 reviews41 followers
January 15, 2019
2,5/5 ?
-The story about the doctor was brought to a close too fast, with just the vampire saying what he saw in the doctor’s head before killing him.
-With what she went through it’s difficult to believe the heroine is able to feel desire for the hero few days after being freed.
-There is a lot of repetition in the characters’ thoughts.
-It’s not logical that the brothers let a stranger with their sister most of the time (except that there wouldn’t be any story if they didn’t) instead of watching her themselves.
In spite of these the story was pleasant and the conclusion with the bad werewolves satisfying. I especially liked how the hero was patient and kind with the heroine.
Profile Image for Kami Dodson-Perry.
721 reviews24 followers
May 30, 2012
***SPOILER ALERT***

Chrissten Lawton is finally rescued after a horrible 18 months of abuse. Her brothers (Quinn & Craig) never gave up hope of finding her. Now with the help of The Haven pack they were able to save her from her kidnappers.

Chrissten has been forced to mate with Brian (pure blood werewolf) against her will. Will Chrissten be able to overcome her trust issues with men as a result of the abuse she has suffered? She will have to if she wants to be with Hank.

Hank has fallen fast & hard for Chrissten. Hank knew the moment he caught her scent that she was supposed to be his. Chrissten & Hank should not be attracted to one another with her being mated but they just can’t stop the attraction that they feel for each other. Hank knows he has to take it slow, Chrissten is fragile from her ordeal. Hank is winning her over with his charms & the feeling of protection she has when she is near him.

Now Chrissten & The Haven pack have to face off against Brian her mate/rapist as well as 5 other pure blood werewolves to protect herself & all other female werewolves out there. Once that is accomplished then she must decide if she can be Hanks mate after all that she has been through. She also will have to convince her twin brother Quinn that she wants to be mated with Hank & hope that it does not start WWIII.
Profile Image for Jess O. (From Jess to You).
1,333 reviews37 followers
February 25, 2013
"3 out of 5 stars! What would you do if you found that your "true mate" was forced to mate with another? How far would you go to protect her? Would she ever be willing to open her heart to you have everything she's suffered? These questions plague the whole novel, while Hank and Chrissten try to understand the connection between them and deal with the men who abused her."

Read more of my review and two teasers here: http://frommetoyouvideophoto.blogspot.com/2013/02/made-grade-legacy-series-book-5.html
Profile Image for Bryanna Nicole.
716 reviews34 followers
May 11, 2012
Chrissten. Her story is very heartbreaking. The trauma she's goes through is realistic and handled well. That's all I'm going to say about that since I'm bad at describing depressing thoughts. On a less depressing note, Hank is a big hulk of sweetie pie with badass piled on top. Yep it's possible. Great Hero. Good book, 4 Stars! I'm ready for Damek now.
Profile Image for Raine.
2,462 reviews52 followers
June 26, 2025
For some reason I didn't like this one as much as Quinn's book. I think it is because that Chrissten was mated so it didn't really seem like she was Hank's mate. I think this was what turned me off this book a little bit.
Profile Image for Rachel.
483 reviews53 followers
January 3, 2017
Love it!

This is awesome! Chrissten and Hank are both fantastic characters!
Profile Image for Pet.
3,689 reviews8 followers
February 23, 2018
I mulled over for a long time whether I would leave a review on this story or just let the stars be my reminder.
The reason I chose to write this review was because though this story is a few years old, there are things that need saying.
First I want to say I liked the story for the most part, I loved the characters both Hank and Chris are wonderful, and their story would have been so wonderful but for one thing that changed my perception and dimmed my enjoyment of the story.
Profile Image for PepperP0t .
5,108 reviews86 followers
October 5, 2024
Chrissten Lawton had been taken from her family by Brian, a rogue wolf, desperate for a mate just as heat came upon her the first time. Brian took Chrissten to a human scientist who’d promised females for Brian’s pack in exchange for his help. Brian forcefully claimed Chrissten and with meager nourishment, she weakened daily.

Hank Brewer and the Haven pack was unable to rescue Chrissten the first time but she caught Hank’s scent and clung to it like a lifeline and’ Hank stole her pillow from her prison. The second time Haven pack attempted to rescue Chrissten, they were successful. Chrissten and Hank recognized each other as mates much to the chagrin of her brother and father.

That said, this reader wasn’t fan of the pacing or repetitiveness.
Rating: 3.5stars
2,343 reviews
May 21, 2017
Rereading this book from before my GR days. I enjoyed it much more the second time around. In 2013 I gave it two stars for details I found lacking. This time around I read the books before it in the series, not all, but enough to fill in the details the author felt readers would already have in their mental rolodex. It definitely gives the reader a different feel. Glad I had a chance to reread it.
Profile Image for Midniteandwolves.
651 reviews1 follower
April 9, 2021
Wonderful story

They finally found their sister but had to track to pure bloods to keep her safe and Bethany to. When they missed her the first time Hank took something with him and seal his and Chris fate.
Author 11 books69 followers
May 16, 2012
"Finding Chrissten" is better than its predecessor, "Quinn's Quest," thank heavens! But it's still missing the polish and vibrancy of earlier books in the series - particularly "Alexandra's Legacy" and "Isaiah's Haven." I wonder, is it the series itself getting tired, or is the author feeling rushed to churn out more books?

The obligatory backstory (which is laid out like a textbook this time in the first chapter, rather than via any sort of world-building) is necessary, I suppose, to bring new readers up to speed in this, the 5th book of the series. But we don't learn anything new about werewolf society or their genocidal war with paranormal bounty hunters in either this or the last book. The prose here is pretty stilted and repetitive, and I cynically begin to suspect the only point of the characters being werewolves is as an excuse for possessive macho behavior and hormones-raging sex.

I was disappointed that more wasn't explored with the mad scientist, Dr. Morton, but it just proves my prior argument that he was a throw-away plot device in the previous book. And apparently, the paranormal bounty hunters must be having a convention in Vegas or something, because that whole aspect of Walters' premise has completely fallen off the map. It's not until the big fight scene that Walters' talent starts to really shine again. The heart-pounding action is well written as well as a moving demonstration of Hank and Chrissten's new relationship. More like that in future installments, please!

The characterizations are pretty good, but not great. Chrissten, a victim of horrific trauma, is portrayed in a sensitive, tender, convincing way - kudos to Walters for that. Unfortunately, the squandered potential that was Quinn lingers in this story, as Chrissten's twin brother broods and growls impotently through this one, too. [Check out my review of "Quinn's Quest" for more details.]

Hank, the hero, is alternately wonderful and cardboard. He's a nice guy, through-and-through, with a clear, uncomplicated and believable motivation. In some parts, he comes across as a little too perfect, though. But in Walters' defense, it would take a perfect guy to win the heart of a woman who'd been kidnapped, imprisoned, abused and raped over the span of 18 months.

Even though technically a whirlwind romance taking place in the days immediately after Chrissten's rescue, the swiftness of their bond is more plausible thanks to the fact we spend huge amounts of time in Hank's and Chrissten's heads. But while the couple have loads of emotional chemistry together, the sex scenes are kind of meh. I believe Hank when he tells Chrissten she's beautiful to him, that she's the most important thing in his life, that he loves her (some of these scenes even brought the sting of tears to my eyes). He comes across as heart-rendingly genuine when he says things like, "I'd never take anything from you that you didn't want to give me." But the dialogue frequently hits sour notes when the two are in bed and the talk turns sexual.

It's possible that Walters has set up the next novel (if there is one) to be a m/m romance between Quinn and Chrissten's younger, fully human brother, Craig, and a vampire. If so, here's hoping a break from the pack will be a much-needed breath of fresh air for this series.
Profile Image for Tracie R.
2,143 reviews
December 21, 2013
WOW Simply Breathtaking

I can't say enough how much I love this series. Every book has you right there gripped within the pages not wanting to put it down until the very end

Chrissten Lawson was kidnapped a little over eighteen months ago she has been drugged and abused by a doctor who is experimenting with her DNA and she has been forced to mate against her will with a brutal pureblood werewolf named Brian.

When Chrissten was first taken there was another half-breed with her named Bethany luckily though with Chrissten's help Bethany had escaped. Bethany has found her way back to Quinn, Chrissten's twin brother she had told him of her and Chrissten's ordeal and had provided Quinn new hope of finding his sister and bringing her home alive.

Hank Brewster had come a long way from his days growing up as a foster kid in Iowa. He was with Quinn when he received the news about Chrissten and he was with Quinn when they had all gone to rescue Chrissten only to find they had missed her by mere minutes.

Hank knew from what Bethany had told Quinn of some of the things that had been done to Chrissten and he knew the first time he inhaled her scent he was determined to find her and keep her safe. When word arrives that Damek knows where Chrissten is Hank will risk everything to get her out and keep her safe for Hank is sure of two thing Brian will die for what he has done and Chrissten is his mate a mate that because of what has happened he may never have.


Merged review:

WOW Simply Breathtaking

I can't say enough how much I love this series. Every book has you right there gripped within the pages not wanting to put it down until the very end

Chrissten Lawson was kidnapped a little over eighteen months ago she has been drugged and abused by a doctor who is experimenting with her DNA and she has been forced to mate against her will with a brutal pureblood werewolf named Brian.

When Chrissten was first taken there was another half-breed with her named Bethany luckily though with Chrissten's help Bethany had escaped. Bethany has found her way back to Quinn, Chrissten's twin brother she had told him of her and Chrissten's ordeal and had provided Quinn new hope of finding his sister and bringing her home alive.

Hank Brewster had come a long way from his days growing up as a foster kid in Iowa. He was with Quinn when he received the news about Chrissten and he was with Quinn when they had all gone to rescue Chrissten only to find they had missed her by mere minutes.

Hank knew from what Bethany had told Quinn of some of the things that had been done to Chrissten and he knew the first time he inhaled her scent he was determined to find her and keep her safe. When word arrives that Damek knows where Chrissten is Hank will risk everything to get her out and keep her safe for Hank is sure of two thing Brian will die for what he has done and Chrissten is his mate a mate that because of what has happened he may never have.
Profile Image for Tawnee.
59 reviews
January 3, 2014
5 Stars

My Rating Scale
1 Star - I hated it.
2 Stars - It was pretty bad.
3 Stars - It was okay.
4 Stars - I liked it.
5 Stars - O.M.G. It was AMAZING!!

My Review Will Contain Spoilers!!!
I won't tell you everything about this book, I have to keep you guessing about what happens in-between my brief descriptions of the book. I hope you enjoy my review. I know I left out a lot of the book. Hope that keeps people happy!

Hank Brewer, a werewolf in the Haven Pack, has helped Quinn Lawton look for his twin sister since Quinn was introduced to his pack.

Chrissten Lawton has been held captive for what seems like forever and is giving up any hope of her brother rescuing her from the hell that she is in.

The first time Hank caught Chrissten's scent, he knew that she was his true mate. It was just horrible knowing that he and the pack had just missed her captives by minutes. He smelled her and with it, he smelt sunshine, but underlying that sunshine, was the scent of Chrissten's mate.
The Haven pack has searched for Chrissten long and hard, and have finally found the newest place her captives are staying. They go and get her back. Chrissten can't open her eyes but the scent she just smelt was haven, she didn't know whose it was but she knew the owner would keep her safe.
Now that the pack has Chrissten back, they have to worry about Chrisstmen's mate coming after her. In order to keep her safe, they have to kill him, but in order to kill him, they have get to him. When Chrissten first sees Hank, it was love at first sight, but, she is still mated to Brian and knows it wouldn't be fair to Hank. Soon Hank and Chrissten fall in love and Chrissten desides she wants to sleep with Hank. They do and when Quinn finds out, he is (excuse my language) pissed!
Right after that, Brian comes and kidnaps Chrissten and when Hank finds out he leaves Haven to kill. With his and another pack, they rescue Chrissten and kill Brian and his pack. Later Hank and Chrissten mate and they have their own HEA.
Profile Image for Summer.
381 reviews103 followers
July 31, 2012
I did like this one and Hank and Chris are a very good fit for one another. But I must vent that I am disappointed in the next book of this series and will not likely read it. To me it had seemed that there was a build up of attraction between the vampire Damek and Chris and Quinn's brother Craig. Now I find out that Damek's book is next, but he meets a woman :( I just thought they were going to get together.
Profile Image for Lori.
378 reviews
May 30, 2012
4.5 stars.

Her voice. NJ's voice. I could read her forever. She has such a musical, soft, yet powerful voice. Much like her characters. I loved Hank & Chrissten. And I admit, I'm dying to know what becomes of Craig & Damek. Lord, I hope she's writing thir story, and I hope it's a m/m rather than a menage. Either way, I can't wait for the next one.
Profile Image for Zany Rin.
192 reviews
September 12, 2013
Love ... LOVE ... Love this series! This one nearly broke my heart when it comes to the hero and the heroine. While reading this book Hunter Hayes's single Wanted was hot on the radio and the chorus of that song makes me think of Hank and Chrissten. Can't wait until Chris's book is available ... it's going to be EPIC!
Profile Image for Laura Beth .
843 reviews46 followers
February 1, 2016
I really liked this book of the series. I cannot wait to see what happens next. I did not feel as rushed through this book as I did the last book of the series and enjoyed it for itself as well as the next installment in the series. Hank and Chrissten were great together. Hank was good for her without being sappy.
Profile Image for Dar.
4,417 reviews91 followers
February 5, 2023
Hank and Chrissten were wonderful together! They had a few misunderstandings, and some huge obstacles to overcome, but they belonged together. I loved how they instinctively supported each other, looked out for each other, and were deeply tuned in to each others feelings. This series only gets better and better with each book I listen to!
Profile Image for Sarah.
2,113 reviews30 followers
February 28, 2013
i thought it was so sweet how Hank had to take the pillow. they suit as mates perfectly but finding out chris has been used and mated to a rogue do not sit well with hank...
i love how he works so hard to help chris and recovery from the years of torture, rape and isolation by the rogue mate/pack
Profile Image for rj.
733 reviews340 followers
August 26, 2016
An okay read about werewolves and vampires and evil scientists.

Hank was a great hero. So understanding, caring, and patient.

But I did feel like the story was just going in circles. Especially their thoughts.
Profile Image for Polly.
1,550 reviews7 followers
November 4, 2014
Of course finding Chrissten would be next in the series. This book didn't disappoint. Excitement from page one. I especially loved seeing the bad 'wolfs' get their just deserts. Getting to know Damek a little better also was great. I'm glad his book is next!

Profile Image for Rochelle.
3,462 reviews56 followers
May 9, 2012
Wow another FANTASTIC read........absolutely Loved this book!!!
Profile Image for Laura.
421 reviews
May 9, 2012
This autodownloaded to my Kindle yesterday and I read it in one (albeit long) sitting. Very much enjoyed this latest installment in the legacy series. Solid 4*
Profile Image for Vanessa.
15 reviews
May 10, 2012
OMG this was a wonderful book, now I will have to wait for the next one....what will I do with my self!!!
Profile Image for Bonnie.
978 reviews
May 11, 2012
Another great addition to the series. As much as I liked Hank and Chrissten, I'm really anxious to read about Damek and Craig in the next book.
Profile Image for Tina.
80 reviews10 followers
June 14, 2012
Another great addition to the Legacy series!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews

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