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But, you know, not my monkey not my circus.
Judging the book apart from her, I really loved
This is a tough book to rate because, yes, I hated the heroine of the story as much as most reviewers. However, it is very clear that she had a psychotic break right before the story began, and all of her actions are being directed by the broken psyche of a delusional person. As soon as the hero figured out what she was hiding he should have gotten her to a psychiatric hospital. Not, you know, fucked her.
But, you know, not my monkey not my circus.
Judging the book apart from her, I really loved it. There is significant world-building that will direct future books in all of the connected series.
We also get glimpses into the mind of my favorite character, Lassiter. How could I not love a guy who saves dying people in the desert by bringing them a Big Mac and has the fashion sense of a blind Brony Hair Metal Band?
They can't see you, Good Boy. Who's a good boy? You are!
There is, as always, the set-up for a couple of the other characters to get their books and I really want to see where things go with Elyn. We only get a fraction of her story and she will obviously be a major player in the future.
As for favorite characters that make it into this book with more than a few lines:
Rhage
Murhder
Butch
V
And the Rehv gets a part. One of the funniest parts of the story is where the bitchy main girl calls him out on his outfit:
"I was so over tonight even before you waltzed in looking like Liberace and Hannibal Lecter had a love child."
Good one, psycho! No, that doesn't mean I'll let you out of the straight jacket. Now, lick that prozac lollipop I gave you like a good girl.
I also found it interesting that it wasn't mentioned that his mohawk is purple. I really hope he didn't change it to boring brown because of peer pressure or something. Just say 'no' Rehv!!!
There are a lot of stories going on at the same time and it took me a bit to get my head back in the game, but it was fun watching them all come together.... which you saw coming a mile away. I'm really looking forward to whatever comes next.
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This story line made me think a lot about J.R. Ward's Fallen Angel series, especially when Butch can give some information about his encounter with the Demon! I loved that I could cross reference various aspects of the story, it's the same as the Legacy series, I totally feel like I am in the world but from different times and view points. Amazing fo
Another fantastic story line for the Brotherhood, J. R. Ward always satisfies my expectations and I doubt I will ever tire of these hunky vampires!!This story line made me think a lot about J.R. Ward's Fallen Angel series, especially when Butch can give some information about his encounter with the Demon! I loved that I could cross reference various aspects of the story, it's the same as the Legacy series, I totally feel like I am in the world but from different times and view points. Amazing for sure!
I am so looking forward to the next instalment!!!
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Oh my God.
This book set up so many future storylines.
Let's start from the biggest mystery - the coffins. Coffins are meant for the Brothers that were deemed damned or they did something really bad. In them are bones, and nothing else. Sahvage was supposed/believed to be in one of them but that was not it.
Sahvage was resurrected by his cousin Rhavyn, who got some "witchy" abilities. Rhavyn was also believed to be gone, but she came back as the new female character name
SPOILERS AHEAD, BE WARNED!
Oh my God.
This book set up so many future storylines.
Let's start from the biggest mystery - the coffins. Coffins are meant for the Brothers that were deemed damned or they did something really bad. In them are bones, and nothing else. Sahvage was supposed/believed to be in one of them but that was not it.
Sahvage was resurrected by his cousin Rhavyn, who got some "witchy" abilities. Rhavyn was also believed to be gone, but she came back as the new female character named Elyn. In the last scene, it is heavily hinted that she is going to end up being Lassiter's heroine. OMG...
Throughout the book, Devine is wreaking havoc and I loved it. She is constantly noticing how she is alone, and I think that with the inclusion of Lassiter's heroine, because everything needs to be in a balance, Devine is going to find her match. That match is, probably, Lash. Can you imagine the chaos those two are going to cause?
Lover Unveiled heavily featured Balthazar and Nate. I thought that Nate is going to be with Rhavyn/Elyn until the last scene of the book. Balz played a big role with The Book and Devina, and in the last part of the book, he meets his heroine Erika Saunders. She is a CPD detective and a potentially really interesting character.
Speaking of Mae, she was okay. The problem I had with her is that she was not that well-developed character. We do not know anything about her, and what we do know is not that interesting. Every part of this book that did not feature the main couple was far more interesting than their love story. I have a feeling that this is a recurring case with the characters that we do not know anything about beforehand. I miss times when the characters were introduced way before they got a book. Qhuinn? Blay? John Matthew? Xhex? Rehvenge? Payne? Manny? No'One revealing that she is Xhex's mother and is still alive is one of the best moments in my reading adventure. Layla was in the books from the Lover Eternal. There are many potential heroines with the Chosen, Directrix Amalya & Rhym. Just saying...
But also, I am not reading these series because of the romance part, I am reading these series because of the worldbuilding. I think that J. R. Ward is writing books with the same priority in her mind.
The next one is probably Balz & Erika, but I could see her going with Phury and naming it The Primale.
AFTER THE BLURB RELEASE:
The heroine is a female named Mae and we have definitely not met her before... Why lie?
BEFORE RELEASE:
Sahvage?
... with a female that we have previously met?
Amalya, Directrix of the Chosen? Phoenia, the Chosen? Ghisele, the Chosen? Rhym, a vampire working at the Safe Place? Romina, a vampire that almost got mated to Peyton?
Black Dagger Brotherhood, Legacy & Prison Camp & Fallen Angels series reading order:
- novella
+ Fallen Angels novel
= Black Dagger Legacy novel
# Black Dagger Brotherhood: Prison Camp novel
Dark Lover (BDB #1) [Wrath & Beth Pt. 1]
Lover Eternal (BDB #2) [Rhage & Mary Pt. 1]
Lover Awakened (BDB #3) [Zsadist & Bella Pt. 1; Butch & Marissa Pt. 1]
Lover Revealed (BDB #4) [Butch & Marissa Pt. 2; Vishous Pt. 1]
Lover Unbound (BDB #5) [Vishous & Jane Pt. 1]
Lover Enshrined (BDB #6) [Phury & Cormia; Qhuinn & Blay Pt. 1]
- Father Mine (BDB #6.5) [Zsadist & Bella Pt. 2]
- The Story of Son (BDB #6.6)
Lover Avenged (BDB #7) [Rehvenge & Ehlena; Wrath]
+ Covet (Fallen Angels #1) [Devina Pt. 1]
Lover Mine (BDB #8) [John Matthew & Xhex Pt. 1; Tohrment & No'One Pt. 1]
+ Crave (Fallen Angels #2) [Devina Pt. 2]
Lover Unleashed (BDB #9) [Payne & Manny; Visous & Jane Pt. 2; Xcor]
+ Envy (Fallen Angels #3) [Devina Pt. 3]
Lover Reborn (BDB #10) [Tohrment & No'One/Autumn Pt. 2; John Matthew & Xhex Pt. 2; Qhuinn & Blay Pt. 2; Xcor & Layla Pt. 1]
+ Rapture (Fallen Angels #4) [Devina Pt. 4]
Lover at Last (BDB #11) [Qhuinn & Blay Pt. 3; Xcor & Layla Pt. 2; Trez & Selena Pt. 1; Assail & Sola Pt. 1]
+ Possession (Fallen Angels #5) [Devina Pt. 5]
The King (BDB #12) [Wrath & Beth Pt. 2; Trez & Selena Pt. 2; Xcor & Layla Pt. 3; Assail & Sola Pt. 2]
+ Immortal (Fallen Angels #6) [Devina Pt. 6]
The Shadows (BDB #13) [iAm & Catra; Trez & Selena Pt. 3; Xcor & Layla Pt. 4; Assail Pt. 1]
= Blood Kiss (Legacy #1) [Paradise & Craeg; Butch & Marissa Pt. 3]
The Beast (BDB #14) [Rhage & Mary Pt. 2; Xcor & Layla Pt. 5; Assail Pt. 2; Jo Pt. 1]
= Blood Vow (Legacy #2) [Axe & Elise; Rhage & Mary Pt. 3]
The Chosen (BDB #15) [Xcor & Layla Pt. 6; Qhuinn & Blay Pt. 4; Trez & Tres/Selena Pt. 4; Vishous Pt. 2]
= Blood Fury (Legacy #3) [Peyton & Novo; Saxton & Ruhn]
- Dearest Ivie (BDB# 15.5)
The Thief (BDB #16) [Assail & Sola Pt. 3; Vishous & Jane Pt. 3, Jo Pt. 2]
- Prisoner of Night (BDB 16.5)
The Savior (BDB #17) [Murhder & Sarah; JM & Xhex Pt. 3]
= Blood Truth (Legacy #4) [Boone & Helania; Syn; Butch Pt. 1]
- Where Winter Finds You: A Caldwell Christmas (BDB #17.5) [Trez & Tres/Selena Pt. 5]
The Sinner (BDB #18) [Jo & Syn, Butch Pt. 2, Devina Pt. 7]
# The Jackal (Prison Camp #1) [Jackal & Nyx]
- A Warm Heart in Winter (BDB #18.5) [Qhuinn & Blay Pt. 5]
Lover Unveiled (BDB #19) [Sahvage & Mae]
This book proves JRW has no respect for her readers anymore. She's in it for the money. My money as it were. I'm rationalizing continuing to spend my money based on, Vishous is worth it, but there will come a time that not even V will pull me back to shelling out my cash.
I was once a staunch advocate for the irrev
1/5: I've never given a BDB book a one star rating. Not even, The Shadows, Blood Truth, the joke The Savior, or the magnanimous failure The Sinner. JRW outdid herself on Lover Unveiled.This book proves JRW has no respect for her readers anymore. She's in it for the money. My money as it were. I'm rationalizing continuing to spend my money based on, Vishous is worth it, but there will come a time that not even V will pull me back to shelling out my cash.
I was once a staunch advocate for the irreverent BDB series but now through a long ass string of bullshit books, I have become a harsh critic. Sorry not sorry. That's what happens when a once badass author loses her grip on her beloved series and turns it into a cash cow.
So here we go. Put a helmet on.
Simps and feminism... give me a damn break. This is ParaNormal ROMANCE! Ya know Alpha Heroes - vamp, angels, shifters, etc for this sub genre.... GTF out of here with the political nonsense. You built your empire on the backs of alpha male vampires that don't give a flying f*** about human bullshit. Now all of a sudden BDB needs to be woke? Should have seen this coming when JRW had Vishous apologize to Xhex for smoking at a dead woman's house. V doesn't apologize for anything until he's given a lobotomy like every single character in this series — is this because of JRW or the ghostwriters 🤔
The strongest parts of the book are with the OG Brothers - shocker right? This series used to be about them. ** The BLACK DAGGER BROTHERHOOD ** Unfortunately, now, they are reduced to back of the line after thoughts and replaced with thin and disposable characters that have zero involvement once they hook up with their mate.
Please stop with info-dump refreshers for new readers who can't be bothered to start at book 1 which is Dark Lover. OG BDB readers know who is mated to who. What a doggen is. Who Fritz is. We know what everything is! These words could be used for writing better characters.
•SPOILERS AHEAD•
There are so many problems with this book.
*I know JRW doesn't know what the BDB timeline is, she thinks the series started in 2008, nope it's 2006. Read the Insider's Guide. Pay attention to the seasons changing. Let me help everyone out, right now the timeline is 2011.
The reason this is a major bitch out session for me is the constant pop culture references that are from 2013 - 2020. Car models, cell phones, K-cups, Jake Paul (FYI he was 14 in 2011), Frozen - this movie released 2013. How is Stranger Things even on tv! Look I know JRW is all into the show but come on!
* Also stop with the, annnnnnnnd; hellllloooooo; okkkkkkkkk, etc. we had this talk before, retire the phrase "and what do you know"
* Readers are given characters we've never heard of since JRW pinned her star on Gallery Books and started pumping standalones out beginning with The Savior.
The Nate situation. No one cares about him. I don't care what the readers on the FB livestreams say, Nate is a beta at best but more like an omega. Yes he should be in one of those impreg omega verse books. Oh and the Nate/ Elyn chapters read like the Lesser chapters of early books. They are boring as hell, but there's probably something important in there. This isn't the case with that storyline. It's to give Nate page time so he can have a book someday. Hard AF Pass.
* Why does this book even matter to the BDB world? It doesn't - it could have been a novella about Sahvage and Mae. But no, it was written as a not so slick way of setting Lassiter up with his *mate*
This is what happens when you turn a series into a bunch of standalones and kick your OG characters to the curb. Oh BTW if you need a refresher, Butch is not stocky and shorter than the rest. He's literally an inch taller than V (who is 6'6")- check both Lover Revealed and the Insider's Guide.
So- Sahvage and Mae together are a snooze-fest. Why do all these new relationships read like something out of a desperate YA book. "No I'm going to miss you. No it's me. No me." WTH. This is supposed to be para-f'ing- normal romance. This series is supposed to be about big ass alpha males that know what they want and will go to ANY length to get it. And why can't Sahvage and dumbass Mae be together? Why?? Because weak stakes: he's still all up in himself about his cousin's death - spoiler, she's not, because no one dies in this series except Wellsie. And Mae can't turn in her V-CARD bc she's not married? Again YA level BS.
Mae is like all the other females in the book, minus, Ehlena and Payne. Yeah Mae. She ranks right up there with Jane level dislike for me. Mae has zero self preservation much like Jo from The Sinner. And Mae's need for the damn Book is weak. And dumb.
She's also the I'm a feminist hear me roar chick, also like Jo. Mae is like Jo 2.0. The I can do it on my own, bullheaded, naive heroine. Does she listen to like the one guy who knows about the damn Book? A freaking warlock? is that what we've settled on for Sahvage? No she doesn't.
Sahvage on his own is kinda cool. The fighter part was only a vehicle for the meet cute. His flashbacks were readable. I will say he and his hand had a great and explicit stroke off scene.
Oh and hey! He's immortal because of the book... but I also bet Rehv is too because his mom had the book and no one knows how old he is. Plus his whole lament about having to watch Ehlena die someday. He's way older than her. I'm calling it right now.
AND wtf is this simp bullshit. I'm supposed to believe that Sahvage is a simp? AGAIN why are we using this terminology? 2011.
Erika the police detective? She's only here to be Balls (yes that's how I spell his name) true love, whatever. Another human for a vampire. She can be the Butch 2.0 only not as cool or funny. The readers could've figured out on our own the missing heart homicides, which only lasted until the murder at the triplex. Did Ward really need to include another unlikeable female character? No, she didn't, there's Mae, which is more than enough in this book. And don't forget Jane! She had to make an appearance too and flex her domineering self. Telling the readers she is a compassionate doctor doesn't mean it's true. I enter into evidence books 5-16 and Dearest Ivie for good measure.
And for the love of donuts!! Stop with the Mrs. Mary *insert vomit noises here*
Devina. She's back to her bloody and violent self. Thank goodness. Props to Devina and the Tallah thing that was straight up the true demon.
Lassiter's obsession with Vishous... I mean really, at this point Lassiter sounds jilted ex-girlfriend. All he does is think about Vishous, talk about Vishous, or talk to Vishous, but in a bitchy condescending way. He goes out of his way to antagonize V then wonders why V wants to beat the crap out of him. Fun fact: I don't like Lassiter. He was cool until he wasn't which was around the time of The Beast.
Rehv: where the hell did he go after the Brothers were looking at the coffins? Why is he back to being the Reverend again? I thought he was the freaking King of the Symphaths? I thought he went legit for Ehlena? Anyone remember he burned down Zero Sum and faked his death? I'll tell ya why he was in this book: JRW is tired of being asked, "Where is Rehv?" This was her, there I wrote him into a book, submission.
WHY WHY WHY is JRW making our Brothers apologize for being who they are at their core?! Just in this book Sahvage apologizes to Mae for wanting to protect her... because feminism? Rehv apologizes for not revealing what he knew about the book — why would he! He's a damn king and badass gangster he doesn't owe Mae anything.
I think JRW should stop writing heroines, it's not a skill she possesses. They are either bitches, looking at you Jane, Beth, Jo, Mary, Xhex,and Mae; helpless wallflower virgins - Marissa, Layla, Cormia; or called whores because only the guys can bang anything that walks. She should just retcon all the matings and make all the guys gay at this point.
I think anyone reading this review can deduce it was NOT a favorite book of mine. I hate that I feel this way but BDB has become a letdown for me. Five-stars to V, even though he called Mae, ma'am over the phone.
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This gif sums up my feelings for this book. I'm really stuck on how to rate this one. I'm straddling between a 3 stars and 1 star cause that's how I felt while reading this. I know that sounds crazy but this felt all over the place for me and I can't put my finger on it. Some parts I enjoyed and other parts were really hard to stay engaged and frustrated me. And honestly I get the feeling if it wasn't for that very last scene at the end of book that got me excited for a certain
2.75ish stars
This gif sums up my feelings for this book. I'm really stuck on how to rate this one. I'm straddling between a 3 stars and 1 star cause that's how I felt while reading this. I know that sounds crazy but this felt all over the place for me and I can't put my finger on it. Some parts I enjoyed and other parts were really hard to stay engaged and frustrated me. And honestly I get the feeling if it wasn't for that very last scene at the end of book that got me excited for a certain character's story arc, I would have given this a 1 star. So hence my very mixed feelings. 😬
What I enjoyed:
-Nate. What a cute pie. Such a wholesome adorable cinnamon role. I loved seeing Nate and his family unit with Muhrder and Sarah at the farmhouse. It was a little weird seeing him call Murhder "dad" though. lol I would have liked for that arc to happen more gradually but still very sweet. Nate reminded me so much of the trainee pretrans era with Blay, Qhuinn and JM. His sweetness and flustered reactions remind me so much of Blay. While I'm heartbroken for him and his torch for Rahvyn that will most likely go nowhere(?) I'm looking forward to seeing where this character will go and see him grow more.
-Devina. Yes I hate this nasty bitch. I HATE HER. But lord she makes such a great villain. She gave me the excitement I needed badly in this book. Devina's type of nasty is just what this series needed. Like Omega who? For BDB fans you finally get to see what's in her arsenal and what she's capable of in here if you haven't read the Fallen Angel series. A lot don't like her type of creepy and gruesome but as someone who loved to hate her in FA, I love it. A good villain makes things suspenseful and she does that tenfold. You never know what she's going to pull next and that's what makes her so terrifying and a wild card. The Omega was boring in comparison so yeah..bring it on. The fact that all her scenes with every character is so charged and she sparks with everyone is so amazing. Yes a villain who has chemistry with everyone. 😂 I hate this psycho demon but lord she's good.
-Rehvenge. I mean it's Rehv need I say more? Loved seeing him and it was also really nice to see Ehlena getting dialogue and not being a mute after 456789 books. It's been ages. I would have liked more than 1 page worth of a scene with them cause they've been sorely missed. ❤️
-Rahvyne. I'm very intrigued and super excited with who she is gonna be paired up with (if Ward stays true to her word). FINALLY something new. (view spoiler)[She's exactly who I pictured for Lassiter. Eeek! (hide spoiler)]. Ward please don't fuck it up.
-Sahvage. I liked him and his tattoos. But if I'm being quite honest he felt a little hazy/underdeveloped in some areas. I wanted a clearer picture of his face for one. All I know is is he has dark blue eyes and a heavy brow. I also would have liked his MMA fighting to actually be shown and not used as just a plot device in the beginning for him to meet the heroine. I was expecting a vampire version of Wolverine. Or at least get one cage fight were he goes nuts. But I liked his sweetness and I liked how he and his cousin introduced dark magic into this series.
What I didn't enjoy:
-The plot. The whole "need to find an evil creepy book of spells to resurrect my dead brother who is on ice in my bathtub" just didn't work for me. I understand Ward wanted to show the complete desperate straits her heroine was in to save her brother and not thinking straight but it just wasn't my cuppa. I didn't like the motive behind it and it lost agency for me. Mae took a lot of stupid, reckless, selfish actions for too long and it drove me nuts.
-Mae. I'm just really extremely tired of the "no nonsense" plain Janes. I don't do well with grumpy heroines and this series has overplayed that trope. Can we move on from this? Why does everyone now need to be so fucking cynical, world weary, depressing, bitter and jaded in this series? Mae didn't make me feel anything outside of frustration for the most part and sheer annoyance in 1 scene in particular that involves a gun. I understood her desperation and fear of being alone and I will give her credit for apologizing whenever she knew she was in the wrong. Just didn't love that it happened so frequently. I also found it strange that the heroine is always saying she "works" from home but we are never given an explanation as to what her job is? What work? Details like that were missing. I'm just really tired of the redundancy and how every female in these books now are written exactly the same with zero flavor or their own personalities. It's become predictable even how they react to things. All the ladies are clone copies now and have become interchangeable. Their dialogue, their attitude, how they look, ect.
Let's play a game shall we? Who is being described below:
And she had a practical vibe to everything about her, from her flat shoes to the tight ponytail at the base of her neck, from her lack of makeup to her level hard eyes. And talk about professional clothes.
Mae? Jo? Sola? Sarah? Anne the Firefighter? (j/k) It's actually Erika, the human detective who yup you guessed it Balthazar is immediately enthralled with at first sight and you can just guess what that means.... see where I'm going here? Cause big girls who hang with the big boys don't need makeup according to Ward. Erika sounds exactly like Mae right down to the ever present ponytail. Every single female whether human or vampire are the same now. And I'm so tired of it. Also the toxic-feminist-defensive-I don't-need-to be-saved-I-can-shoot-a gun-all-men-are-sexist-pigs attitude is BEYOND obnoxious. You can be a strong female but also not be a cold bitch or defensive and glaring over everything. Those 2 things are not mutually exclusive and I kind of want to yell that into Ward's ear at this point. Erika the cop is even described as a "cold bitch" by her male peers and she carries it like a cape around her. Like..ugh. Not every female needs to be a "hardass" just so they can be paired up with these guys. I don't understand this copy, paste, repeat formula. Can I get a curvy gorgeous heroine? A heroine who likes makeup? A Chosen? A shy heroine? A goofy sunshine heroine? Please give me something new cause these ladies ain't it for me. I'm just so bored. The ladies all sound like the men now and it's so absurd.
-The Romance. Where was it?
Cause I sure as hell didn't see it in here. Same with the sex. Mae is a virgin, why couldn't we see these 2 actually having sex and enjoying each other in real time? Not a fucking 1 page sex scene near the end where he finally pokes her (we do get one other scene before that but no penetration is involved so I'm not counting it). Come on Ward! You used to be so amazing at the steam. These are Brothers, they are insatiable as hell. Where is the steam? This no longer feels like a Paranormal Romance series but more like Urban-Fantasy Paranormal with a sprinkle of romance thrown in. The romance is starting to feel like a complete after thought. I miss the slow burn, I miss the flirting and sexual tension that lasted longer than a paragraph. The work it took and the hot sex it leads to.
-Brother's POV's. I get the BDB universe is expanding but the "someone from the crowd said" shtick whenever we get a scene with all the Brothers feels lazy and not fun. Only 3 Brothers got dialogue & action in this entire book and you can guess which 3. Rhage, Butch and Vishous. It's no surprise but it's really tiring. Why are Rhage, Butch and V always everywhere and anywhere and talking for the whole group?? The cave scene with all the Brothers and the coffin and only those 3 are given dialogue so yes it's weird. Sorry but I'm sick of the V and Butch show. I mean Lassiter alone in the woods brooding over what's happening with Devina and clearly disturbed by the whole thing and yet all he can seem to focus on is what Vishous will think of him and his decisions and mentally dragging V. Why?! For the love of gawd WHY? I don't care about Lassiter's feelings on V or how to prank him back, talk about the fucking war. Vishous is inserted into every situation even when it's not necessary. Enough already.
So overall, ok. Not bad but not a favorite of mine. This dragged even though the pacing felt the same so I'm just gonna chalk it up to the plot not being for me. Also, comparing this overall with The Sinner, this didn't feel as big of a disappointment which is also why I couldn't rate it lower. Ward promised "old school" BDB and this didn't really feel old school for me, except for the title. Since dark magic has entered the chat I'm curious to see how this next phase in this series rolls out. I'm no longer invested in the romance aspect because it's not giving me what is promised so to speak. The "old school" BDB books I remember were sexy slow burn with exciting couples front and center that you wanted to root for and felt like you actually knew. All these recent pairings feel like 2 strangers just randomly slapped together in a rush with no effort to show for it. There is no longer any romantic "build up" like their used to be and that makes me really sad.
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Until next time Luv's💕💋 ...more
I don't typically write book reviews, but I felt like I needed to for this book. On the one hand I generally overall liked some parts of it, but there were so many inconsistencies and continuity errors, as well as timeline errors, it made it really hard to enjoy. If I'm paying an author $15 for an ebook, I expect it to make sense. The lack of quality and continuity is insulting. Does Ward think her readers are so unintelligent that we don't remember plot lines from 2-3 books ago? This is a SERIE
I don't typically write book reviews, but I felt like I needed to for this book. On the one hand I generally overall liked some parts of it, but there were so many inconsistencies and continuity errors, as well as timeline errors, it made it really hard to enjoy. If I'm paying an author $15 for an ebook, I expect it to make sense. The lack of quality and continuity is insulting. Does Ward think her readers are so unintelligent that we don't remember plot lines from 2-3 books ago? This is a SERIES.
SPOILERS -
At one point, Balthazar talks about how he should've had the proper bullets in his gun but he didn't take reports of the shadow men downtown seriously. In The Thief, V was bitten by one. In The Savior, JM was bitten by a vampire who had been bitten by one. Also in The Savior the brothers and bastards were at Throe's house party and saw and fought these shadows. Now in this book, none of that ever happened?
In The Thief, Phury and V realized that the book was missing from the sanctuary. They knew that it was a magic and dangerous book, but when Rehv goes to Wrath to say that someone is looking for this book, Wrath has absolutely no clue that such a book has ever existed?
Butch faced off with Devina in The Sinner, yet in Lover Unveiled Balthazar has no clue what she looks like. You can't tell me that Butch didn't come back to the brotherhood and explain that he faced off with her and that she was dangerous and that they had a new enemy and what she looked like.
Ward is writing too many books. She's throwing down her thoughts with no consideration as to whether they make sense or are consistent. One chapter was completely out of order. There's way too much going on in this book. You read a chapter about a particular character/characters and when it ends, you have to read five other plot point chapters before you get back to it. The Brothers don't appear until chapter 12 (in a brotherhood book) and even then, it's only Wrath.
I used to think that Layla was the dumbest and worst heroine in the series, but here comes Mae to prove me wrong. And believe me, it's hard to top how much I loathe Layla. Mae has got to be the most unlikable female I have ever read. No matter how many bad things she faces because of Devina and this book, all she can say is "I still need the book." She was so unlikable that I spent the entire book hoping Devina would kill her soon.
I did love Balthazar but his character will most likely suffer with his human female, the boring and plain Erika. Devina was fun even though I'm supposed to hate her. I enjoyed Murhder and Sarah but can't see how Nate can have a book any time soon unless it's a YA book about the kids. I preferred Shuli (Peyton version 2.0). I'm reading for big, strong, kick ass vampires, not a boy with a crush. Actually Nate is JM version 2.0.
The sex was almost non existent and boring. Mae was another plain, boring female in her fleece. Don't get me started on being a 50 year old virgin.
If you're charging $15 for an ebook (and $28) for a hardcover, you've got to do better than this.
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I'm always excited about a new J.R. Ward book, but I was especially intrigued about this one because of Sahvage. We don't really know too much about this hero, which was one of the reasons why I was looking forward to it.
Sahvage turned out to be more than I expected him to be. There were sides of him that I didn't really expect but found quite attractive about him. It's always hard to introduce a new Brother when the original ones are so loved by readers, but I think Ward did a good job of
I'm always excited about a new J.R. Ward book, but I was especially intrigued about this one because of Sahvage. We don't really know too much about this hero, which was one of the reasons why I was looking forward to it.
Sahvage turned out to be more than I expected him to be. There were sides of him that I didn't really expect but found quite attractive about him. It's always hard to introduce a new Brother when the original ones are so loved by readers, but I think Ward did a good job of it. She brought something new to the series and did it in a familiar way, but didn't just rely on the love of the series to make it happen. Sometimes I think people can be too harsh on these newer characters because they are so loyal to the original brothers. But Ward shows that her world can keep evolving and growing.
LOVER UNVEILED plays a pretty important part in the overall storyline. There are a lot of different points of views in this book and I've come to really appreciate them because they make the story feel rich. Not to mention, I think that's what keeps Ward invested in this series because she can play around with the different characters rather than just writing from the same point of view again and again.
All in all, I really enjoyed this book as I do with all of Ward's beautifully written stories and I can't wait to see what will come in the future in the Brotherhood world.
Read my alternate review on Fresh Fiction
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As is typical with the world of the Brotherhood, there are other subplots involving Balthazar, Murhder & Sarah's son Nate and Lassiter, which all collide around the formidable demon, Devina. This woman wreaks a new kind of havoc and disaster that makes the Lessers experience look like child's play.
I'm used to the series laying the groundwork for new stories in earlier books so I was confused in the beginning, trying to figure out who Sahvage was and his backstory (don't bother researching because this is his first appearance). We learn that through his memory flashbacks and it involves his cousin Rhavyn who is equally formidable. His life is truly tragic and Mae becomes his unwanted salvation. While I liked who I thought Mae was going to be when she first appeared, her singleminded obsession about The Book felt selfish as the story progressed and she became the weaker element of the story and romance.
It's my understanding that Devina was introduced in the Fallen Angels series, which I haven't read but it didn't matter because you get her power and devious nature in this story. I liked how the subplots came together, making for exciting and explosive moments, even if the romance fell short of my expectations. The narrator, Jim Frangione, makes listening to the series my only option as he has provided distinctions for the Brotherhood world that just enhance the experience. And I love his storytelling. I'm adjusting to the change in how new characters are now introduced but enjoyed this one despite my initial confusion. After all, it's always great returning to Caldwell. 3.5 stars
Posted on Blue Mood Café
(Thanks to Simon & Schuster Audio for my complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.)
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In this story, we are getting the inside scoop on Savhage. He is someone who has had a very traumatic past. He wears the trauma on his skin and on the outside. But when he meets the one he knows is right for him, things change.
Inside this man is a mess. Ward takes us through some of his painful past and experiences in order to feel and know what he is dealing with. The intricate detail and complexity of thes
Tough one to rate. Mae is not a favorite but the story is ahhmazing.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
In this story, we are getting the inside scoop on Savhage. He is someone who has had a very traumatic past. He wears the trauma on his skin and on the outside. But when he meets the one he knows is right for him, things change.
Inside this man is a mess. Ward takes us through some of his painful past and experiences in order to feel and know what he is dealing with. The intricate detail and complexity of these characters that she's developing is truly amazing.
There are a few different tangents to the story that come together in the end for a big climax. The story is in depth and perfect addition to the rest of the series. Savhage's choice of a mate it's not my favorite character. I found her annoying, overly headstrong, and not supportive enough of him. But that's my personal opinion.
Overall, this story is addicting and powerful with more development into the complex world the Brotherhood lives in. Great story!
*Copy received for review consideration
Full Review & Giveaway - https://amidlifewife.com/lover-unveil...
P.S.: I love, love this series, but lately...
BDB #1: Dark Lover - 4.5 stars
BDB #2: Lover Eternal - 4 stars
BDB #3: Lover Awakened - 5 stars
BDB #4: Lover Revealed - 4 stars
BDB #5: Lover Unbound - 4 stars
BDB #6: Lover Enshrined - 4 stars
BDB #6.5: Father Mine - 3 stars
BDB #7: Lover Avenged - 4 stars
BDB #8: Lover Mine - 5 stars
BDB #9: Lover Unleashed - 3 stars
BDB #10: L
P.S.: I love, love this series, but lately...
BDB #1: Dark Lover - 4.5 stars
BDB #2: Lover Eternal - 4 stars
BDB #3: Lover Awakened - 5 stars
BDB #4: Lover Revealed - 4 stars
BDB #5: Lover Unbound - 4 stars
BDB #6: Lover Enshrined - 4 stars
BDB #6.5: Father Mine - 3 stars
BDB #7: Lover Avenged - 4 stars
BDB #8: Lover Mine - 5 stars
BDB #9: Lover Unleashed - 3 stars
BDB #10: Lover Reborn - 4 stars
BDB #11: Lover at Last - 5 stars
BDB #12: The King - 3 stars
BDB #13:The Shadows - 4.5 stars
BDB #14: The Beast) - 4.5 stars
BDB #15: The Chosen - 4 stars
BDB #15.5: Dearest Ivie - 2 stars
BDB #16: The Thief - 3 stars.
BDB #16.5: Prisoner of Night - 3 stars
BDB #17: The Savior - 4 stars
BDB #17.5: Where Winter Finds You - 3 stars
BDB #18: The Sinner - 3.5 stars
BDB #18.5: A Warm Heart in Winter - 3 Stars
BDB #19: Lover Unveiled - 2 Stars
I went into this book with an open mind and an open heart. I can't say that I loved what I got though. It was an overall okay book. The story, or should I say stories due to the multiple POV's present, were all very interesting and engaging. What soured the whole thing for me, you ask? Mae.
I just didn't like Mae. I can understand and empathize with her (to a degree) wanting/needing to do what she set out to do BUT when it starts to put your life in danger that's went it
Originally posted at: I went into this book with an open mind and an open heart. I can't say that I loved what I got though. It was an overall okay book. The story, or should I say stories due to the multiple POV's present, were all very interesting and engaging. What soured the whole thing for me, you ask? Mae.
I just didn't like Mae. I can understand and empathize with her (to a degree) wanting/needing to do what she set out to do BUT when it starts to put your life in danger that's went it needs to stop. She was willing to go to extreme lengths for a BIG maybe. It took her realizing that what she had with Sahvage was special for her to put a stop to it. By then it was almost too late. I humored her for the first half of the novel but I was looking forward to when she was going to drop it.
Sahvage was a standup guy (apart from all the killing he's done in the past centuries (?) he's been alive .... 😅) with a big heart. In my humble opinion, he deserved better than Mae. I'm very interested in how he figures into the next big bad take-down. It's probably quite a ways off but I have a feeling that he's going to play quite a part in that finale when it finally comes down to it.
The ending was quite nice, dare I say sweet! I liked that Sahavge got reunited with someone very special to him. On a completely different note, from what happened it seems that the big-bad will go into hibernation for a while and come back swinging. I'm very excited to see what she has up her sleeves for next time. She's proved that she's a smart cookie time and again.
My Favorite Quotes:
"The heart of another is never ours to demand if it is not freely given."
"You make peace with your circumstance, or you destroy yourself from the inside out."
"True love does not require your acknowledgment to be a force in this world."
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Before I start I must clarify that I love the BDB books and gave read them multiple times, but the new direction JRW is taking is bad. Really, really bad. God knows why JRW brought the demon in from her Fallen Angels series. She was annoying then and she was really annoying in this book as well.
This book (and her previous one The Jackal) have gone off the rails big time. Her lead females are stupid, juvenilistic and annoying. The lead males aren't that much better. The stor
Before I start I must clarify that I love the BDB books and gave read them multiple times, but the new direction JRW is taking is bad. Really, really bad. God knows why JRW brought the demon in from her Fallen Angels series. She was annoying then and she was really annoying in this book as well.
This book (and her previous one The Jackal) have gone off the rails big time. Her lead females are stupid, juvenilistic and annoying. The lead males aren't that much better. The story line was weak and just didn't hold my attention. So much so that I ended up skipping great swathes of endless drivel. Not sure if I'll continue with this series. No fun in it anymore.
This breaks my heart to say it, but it must be said, "Who wrote this bullshit?" I have been a fan from day one. When they were in paperback to start with. Now you come out the gate at $15? For garbage? I had no problem paying full price to support my favorite series. But you can bet your sweet life the next one will be a library borrow. Kenyon did this with the Dark Hunter Series. It hurt my heart to cut her off, but I did. The series tanked after Acheron. She should have st
WHAT. IN. THE. WORLD?This breaks my heart to say it, but it must be said, "Who wrote this bullshit?" I have been a fan from day one. When they were in paperback to start with. Now you come out the gate at $15? For garbage? I had no problem paying full price to support my favorite series. But you can bet your sweet life the next one will be a library borrow. Kenyon did this with the Dark Hunter Series. It hurt my heart to cut her off, but I did. The series tanked after Acheron. She should have stopped it there,but she did not. WARD needs to stop calling these BDB. SPIN OFF IF YOU MUST, BUT NOT FOR $15. DONE.
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I really wanted to love this book but unfortunately I didn't.
Usually in this series you know at least one of the characters but both Mae and Sahvage were new to the series and it's hard to have empathy for their situation and understand them when the book is also going on with other side stories.
Sahvage, I didn't really understand why he felt the need to distance himself from the brotherhood, once his side came out no way would they have judged or condemned him or his cousin.
Mae, I just 3.5 🌟"s
I really wanted to love this book but unfortunately I didn't.
Usually in this series you know at least one of the characters but both Mae and Sahvage were new to the series and it's hard to have empathy for their situation and understand them when the book is also going on with other side stories.
Sahvage, I didn't really understand why he felt the need to distance himself from the brotherhood, once his side came out no way would they have judged or condemned him or his cousin.
Mae, I just plain didn't connect and didn't like her from the get go. She wanted to bring her brother back from the dead (mind you they didn't get along and had been fighting for weeks on end) and damn the consequences!
Devine was actually my main favorite character, she was feisty, devious and totally hilarious. She held nothing back and when you pissed her off you'd had better get out of her way!
You also had Nate, Balthazar, Sahvage's cousin Rhavyn/Elyn and Lassiter (who I adore) in the mix with the other characters.
It also seemed like the ending just got rushed through, you had to assume certain events happened to come to the ending it did. The ending also hinted at Lassiter having his story next. 👏 Hopefully 😉 ...more
Let me start by saying I LOVE the Black Dagger Brotherhood books. All of them. I often read them all, and love every character of this serie.
So it's with a very heavy heart that I must advise you NOT to buy this book. Yeah, it's that bad.
This is, by far, my least favorite BDB book. I had to force myself to power through and finish it. It's absolutely all over the place. You have 12 storylines that you have to follow at the same time to make sense of it, and if tha
Dont buy. All over the place.Let me start by saying I LOVE the Black Dagger Brotherhood books. All of them. I often read them all, and love every character of this serie.
So it's with a very heavy heart that I must advise you NOT to buy this book. Yeah, it's that bad.
This is, by far, my least favorite BDB book. I had to force myself to power through and finish it. It's absolutely all over the place. You have 12 storylines that you have to follow at the same time to make sense of it, and if that wasn't enough, you have flashbacks into the past, too.
All other books center on one character, and their interaction with their shellan/hellren. The wider picture containing their interactions with others, and the brotherhood's ongoing fight with evil. The Omega was no more, and now Devina the demon is the new darkness in town. I get that. We could have concentrated on Mae and Savhage, and how their story fit and affected the continuous fight with Devina.
Instead we have to endure being pulled apart in 12 different directions, following characters we don't care about and won't ever see again, just so that Mrs. Ward can have her grand finale where all those storylines converge. Well, I'm sorry to break it to you, but it wasn't worth the agony of having to go through the entire book to get there, it was completely anticlimactic, and it wasn't even necessary to the story. You could strip half of those useless chapters and end up with a better, less frustrating read.
To top it off, you find out, at the very end that after going through all of it, it was for naught as far as the Demon went. I can't say more for spoilers reasons.
This is the perfect example of where an author's ego takes precedence on the story. I can't believe I had to pay almost $15 for this.
Very disappointed fan, here.
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⚔️ 4 Sahvage Fighting Stars!! ⚔️
Lover Unveiled introduces us to Sahvage, a strong and powerful former Brother with a traumatic past he keeps to himself. Sahvage manages to keep a low profile and keep to himself despite his MMA fighting reputation....that is until he meets Mae.
Mae is desperate to find a way to save her brother. She's looking for a miracle, while looking, she finds herself at an underground MMA fight where she meets Sahvage. However, as usual their story isn't the only st
⚔️ 4 Sahvage Fighting Stars!! ⚔️
Lover Unveiled introduces us to Sahvage, a strong and powerful former Brother with a traumatic past he keeps to himself. Sahvage manages to keep a low profile and keep to himself despite his MMA fighting reputation....that is until he meets Mae.
Mae is desperate to find a way to save her brother. She's looking for a miracle, while looking, she finds herself at an underground MMA fight where she meets Sahvage. However, as usual their story isn't the only storyline in this book, eventually they all come together and while I did enjoy their journey, I didn't particularly like Mae. She could get quite annoyingly headstrong. Sahvage....I loved him, he's a great addition to the Brotherhood 🖤
We get to know Balthazar a bit better, I'm looking forward to getting to know more of him. We meet some new characters that are key to this storyline and possibly future storylines (fingers crossed!).
Let's not forget the new evil who gives the Omega and Lessening Society a run for their money, Devina. I have to say I hated her in JRW's Fallen Angels series however she fits right in with Caldwell's dark side.
Lover Unveiled is filled with a bit of mystery, secrets, and revelations. Needless to say the BDB is my all time favorite series. This was a great addition to the series and I cannot wait for more!!!
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There was no connection between the h and H. Like, seriously. None. I kept reading because the plot is developing and since I want to read the next book in the series, I had to finish this one. Anyhow, I'm excited to read Balthazar's story. And ...Lassiter. Sheesh. That's gonna be interesting
But I'll say this f@#k you devina!!!
and I'm to over whelmed with this book right now so many questions and emotions..
But I will say this
SOO MANY TWIST AND TURNS LOVE ACTION DEMONS. AND ALL THE OLD REGULARS
LOVED THIS BOOK SO MUCH.
DO. YOURSELF A GOOD DEED AND READ THIS BOOK....
When it came to being a legend, all it took was one person to recognize that you were epic. That was it.
Quick review. This was good. Iliked it but I didn't love it. Until...
Mea got on my nerves. I thought her whole plan was stupid. I like Sahvage. But I guess I still don't know him that well. I cannot stand Devina; and not because she's evil, but because she's a petty jealous bitch. The bad guys have always been the weakness in this series for me. You get a lot of Brother cameos. There's potentially some really good juicy pairings and overall arc stuff about to go down
3 3/4 "New Sheriff in town?"Quick review. This was good. Iliked it but I didn't love it. Until...
Mea got on my nerves. I thought her whole plan was stupid. I like Sahvage. But I guess I still don't know him that well. I cannot stand Devina; and not because she's evil, but because she's a petty jealous bitch. The bad guys have always been the weakness in this series for me. You get a lot of Brother cameos. There's potentially some really good juicy pairings and overall arc stuff about to go down in Caldwell. I can't wait to see how it all plays out! Happy reading!!
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