Review: Lover Unleashed by J R Ward

Genre:   Paranormal Romance

Release Date:  March 2011

Series:  Black Dagger Brotherhood, Book #9

Publisher:  NAL

Author Website:  http://www.jrward.com

Format Read:  Ebook

Pages:  512

Source:  Borrowed but feel I must buy for my collection

Reading Challenge:  Kick Ass Heroine

Rating:  4 flowers of love-really liked it and would recommend it

Read an excerpt

Book Blurb

Payne, twin sister of Vishous, is cut from the same dark, seductive cloth as her brother. Imprisoned for eons by their mother, the Scribe Virgin, she finally frees herself-only to face a devastating injury. Manuel Manello, M.D., is drafted by the Brotherhood to save her as only he can-but when the human surgeon and the vampire warrior meet, their two worlds collide in the face of their undeniable passion. With so much working against them, can love prove stronger than the birthright and the biology that separates them?

My Thoughts

I have really been on the fence about reading this one, so I waited before getting my hands on a copy.  I have had a love/hate relationship with this series because some books are better than others.  But just when I feel that the Brotherhood has lost its appeal, I get sucked back in and have to get caught up on the latest drama.

Lover Unleashed picks up right where Lover Mine left off.  I’ve read a lot of reviews where readers were not happy about the story focusing more on V and Jane rather than on Payne and Manny.  I didn’t feel that way because to me all of the BDB books have about four or five different stories happening simultaneously.  And that’s what I love about them.  There’s so much going on it keeps me glued to the pages trying to guess what’s going to happen next.

Lover Mine by J R Ward

Title:  Lover Mine
Author:  J R Ward
Released: April 27, 2010
Series:  Black Dagger Brotherhood, Book 8th
How I Got It:  Purchased

Book Summary:
In the darkest corners of the night in Caldwell, New York, a conflict like no other rages.  Long divided as a terrifying battleground for the vampires and their enemies, the city is home to a band of brothers born to defend their race: the warrior vampires of the Black Dagger Brotherhood.

John Matthew has come a long way since he was found living among humans, his vampire nature unknown to himself and to those around him.  After he was taken in by the Brotherhood, no one could guess what his true history was-or his true identity.  Indeed, the fallen Brother Darius has returned, but with a different face and a very different destiny.  as a vicious personal vendetta takes John into the heart of the war, he will need to call upon both who he is now and who he once was in order to face off against evil incarnate.

Xhex, a symphath assassin, has long steeled herself against the attraction between herself and John Matthew.  Having already lost one lover to madness, she will not allow the male of worth to fall llprey to the darkness of her twisted life.  when fate intervenes, however, the two discover that love, like destiny, is inevitable between soul mates.

My Thoughts
I was not entirely impressed with this book.  I was so excited to get my hands on this book, that I even tried to find it out before the due date.  Now we all know that some stores are guilty of this, and I was hoping praying that Wal-Mart would not recognize the important of the BDB series and would put the book out early.  But nooooo, those cocksuckers put other books out early, (oh, yeah, I watched daily) but couldn't put this one out.  And, my middle finger goes to that new Barnes and Noble clerk that was about to sell me a copy, until he had to go all newbie on me and had to ask his co-worker a freakin' question.  He comes back to me and says "I'm sorry ma'am, but that book doesn't come out until Tuesday.  Would you like for me to hold it for you?"  Hell ffffffing naw!

Okay, back to the review.
 
I did enjoy every minute of  John and Xhex, it's just that I think their story deserved a little more. It was great that they ended up together, but I just felt like it was missing something.  Probably that same something that Covet was missing.  What?  Not sure, but it's something. 

I was all for the tat showing his dedication to his lady love whether she accepted him or not.  I was also loving the way they vibed when he finally got her back.   I was in tears when JM was all she wanted, trusted, and leaned on.  I thought it was so sweet that she held onto him like her security blankie. (Sigh)  Finally!  This is why I love you, J R Ward.  But why did  JM have to go and spoil the romance with a  line like, "I want in you." Couldn't he have said something sexy like, "God, I want you."  Damn, bonded males are never gentleman when they really want it.

So damn glad that Lash got popped.  I have been waiting for someone to kick his ass from day one.  But, what happened to the mega showdown between good and evil?  I was looking for a longer ass kicking.  Maybe something slow and painful symphath style.   Butch could have snorted him up after Xhex got through with him just to make sure that he'd never come back.

On the other hand, I think he should have been kept around a little bit longer.  Happy endings always have to have some type of drama to keep us interested.  I think there should have been some type of plot where the Omega ended up taking Lash out, because Lash became too powerful.  They could have had a fight to the death, to see who would be the last Omega standing.  It was clear the Lash was truly his Father's son and headed to Omegadom.  Maybe that's why the O didn't hesitate to put the hit out.

Anyhoo, glad JM and Xhex got it right, got it together, and yadda yadda yadda, but does that mean that they are going to turn into side stories like my fav couple, Rhage and Mary?  After a couple has their HEA, it's like "that's a wrap" and we hear about them every now and then.

I guess now I'll have to transfer my obsession to the train wreck love affair that is or isn't Qhinn and Blay.  If those two don't just rip each other's leathers off and just take care of the business, I am going to scream!
Serves Qhinn right to have to watch Saxton become his buddy's jump off.  Blay has damn near begged for the booty, got denied, so now he's on to the next.  If these two do end up together, I think they'll always have a threesome going on with a female just to keep Qhinn "normal".  If Q does cheat, I'd love to punch him in one of his mismatched eyes so hard, that they'd both become the same color!

I actually like Blay and Saxton together-for awhile. Just long enough for Q to get himself together and realize that Blay is his mate.  It wouldn't be fair to put them together and have Q just going through the motions with B. Like I've said before, I don't really care for M/M, but for these two, I make the exception.  Their romance, or whatever they call it, is just too hawt to ignore.

As for Saxton, he is a wonderful character and deserves more development. While JM is busy having his HEA, Saxton becomes the third wheel in the B and Q triangle.  There's going to be alot of growling, fang baring, and  bonding scents roaring. Will B have to chose between Q and S?   Yay!  It's about to get supa messy at the Brotherhood Mansion and I am going to love every minute of it.

My Rating
I give it 4 stars. I really wanted to give it 5 stars since I bought the ebook for my Nook, then bought the hardcover for my collection.  Sadly, I cannot give what is not deserved.
To be honest, a lot of stuff, I didn't read and others I was like...uhh, okaay.  The main thing I was focused on was the JM/Xhex/Lash  and the Qhuinn/Blay/Saxton dramas.  All the other stuff was really unimportant and could have been left out.

The paranormal investigators stuff was kinda wack so I skipped over it.  I got the gist of what it represented and maybe later I'll actually read it.

I thought the Darius back story was going to lead into a big revelation on JM's part, but I guess that's going to play out slowly in future books. Something else to look forward to.

The Payne and Vishous reunion was sweet. Oh, the Scribe Virgin so needs her glowing ass checked.   And who better than her own children to go toe to toe with her.  Now we can get to know Vishous a little better and hopefully Butch will find some other shit to do.  I still don't care for him and just wish he and Marisa would just walk into the Fade together!

Anyhoo, I don't know if I'll be as excited about the next book.   Still love you Warden, but if it doesn't have some major Q and B action or Mannie and Payne aren't all that, or Mannie and Payne don't dust the Scribe Virgin, I think I'll be checking it out at the library.  For now, the thrill is gone, so please, please, please, make it juicy!

Oh Shit, Am I Still Interested?

Okay, I was trying to tweet this, but I got a little long winded so I figured that I'd just post it here.

I just finished Lover Mine and I feel so...nothing. The mystery of John Matthew and his obsession with Xhex is what really drew me to this series.  But now that he has his HEA and seems like everything has come full circle and gotten wrapped up all nice and neat for him, my attraction to this series may have been satisfied.

I'm not going to write the review just yet, because I'm dosing at my laptop as I type, but I just wanted to get these thoughts out.

You know what, on second thought, I forgot about the "do I love him enough to come out of the closet" train wreck that is Qhuinn that I must see to the end.  I guess that answers my Q about if I'd really be interested in another book.  Damn, Warden, you know how to keep us coming back with your readable crack.

Sexy Saturday

Since I forgot, and it's Sunday, here's a double dose.  And OMG, what I wouldn't give for a few minutes with him! This could be Trez or iAm.  Tell me what you think.  Could his hawtness be a Shadow?

I'm still alive!

Yes, I am still alive.  I have not been posting because I have been taking my time and savoring all of the Lover Mine moments. I'm not doing my famous "look at the good parts first, then read the story in between".  I want to be sure I get all the drama and action together.  I am half way through the book, so the review should be coming up this week. 

J R Ward talks Love Mine and Black Dagger Brotherhood

Of course I am ubber and dubber excited that the countdown to Lover Mine is almost over (7 whole days and counting) and thanks to Smexy Books, Fiction Vixen, and a host of other blogger queens and their reviews, I am now frantic to get my hot little hands on this masterpiece. I have no shame when I say that I will be going by all bookstores daily in hopes that a sales person who does not know the seriousness of a BDB book, will put the books out early.  I am prepared to bribe any sales person to go ahead and ring me up.  I will kindly take my package,run for the nearest exit, knock down  anyone  in my way, race to my car, peel out of the parking lot with squealing tires, and break the law getting home. 

That's just me, but feel free to do your own thang.

Anyhoo, click HERE to see J R Ward talking about writing Lover Mine and The Black Dagger Brotherhood series.

Now, as long as I've been reading the Black Dagger Brotherhood Series (and I've read them all), for some reason I've always thought that Xhex's name was pronouned "X".  The Warden refers to her as "Hex".  Wow.   Well, she'll always be "X" to me because that name fits her image, the baddest bitch.

Virtual Signing for JR Ward's Lover Mine is now OPEN!!!!

Yep, if you'd like a personalized copy, signed by The Warden herself, please follow this LINK.  The book will be hard cover (sorry, no soft covers yet) and will ship out on it's release date of April 27, 2010.  The price is $23.36 and can be paid using Paypal.  Virtual signing closes on 4/22/2010 at 5pm EST, so don't wait to get yours!

Lover Mine is the latest and most anticipated release from J. R. Ward's Black Dagger Brotherhood series.   If you're like me, you just can't wait to get your hot little hands on this potential masterpiece.

For those of you that just can't wait (raising my hand too), here's the book summary and an excerpt.

WTF Moment

Today's WTF moment is about a touchy little subject called M/M. Hopefully, we are all adults and I'd love to get your feedback on what you think of the subject. So, after you read the post, let me know what you think.



Well, I was sitting at my computer getting the latest updates on one of my fav authors, one Ms. J R Ward, and couldn't not post my thoughts on this situation.

First of all, I LOOOOOOVVVVVEEEEEE J R Ward and her Black Dagger Brotherhood series. I also love reading her forum for the books. I am anxiously awaiting her latest, and probably greatest, book, Lover Mine to come out. So, any little tidbits and side bars that I can get, I'm all over.

I was reading a discussion that related to the Qhuinn and Blay HEA (Happily Ever After) and whether it will be a full book or whether it will play out in the background of other books. But then it turned into a question as to whether a person was comfortable reading about men being in relationships with each other.

Now personally, I love Qhuinn and Blay, but not too sure of the M/M going on between them. If you've read the books, it's crystal clear that they are in love with each other and eventually something wicked, hot and nasty will be going down. I'm okay with it (I guess?) as long as I don't see them do it yet. I'd prefer to be eased into it-ok yeah, maybe that wasn't the right set of words to use, but you get the gist of what I mean.

Don't get me wrong, to each his own. If you love someone, it shouldn't matter who or what they are. I'm not gonna go all moral and stuff on you, but personally, I wouldn't choose it (no slippery when wet for me, on a strict cock and ball diet), but it happens. In fact, I have a few male friends that think loving another guy is shit on a stick. Hell, I think loving a guy and all his great cock-I mean parts is total shit on a stick! So, I don't judge because they are happy with their choices. And isn't that the point-being happy?

With that being said, as far as reading about it, I do think I will. I'm actually afraid not to. Knowing The Warden, if I don't read it, I'll miss out on a super good read. I'll just make sure I skip over the m/m real action. Go Team Qhuay! I'm doing this only for you guys, so your asses better stay happy!




Deuces

Lover Mine Alert

J R Ward just posted the cover for Lover Mine which is due out April or May 2010. I haven't gotten the official release date yet. I'll keep you updated. I can't wait!

Who Could Really Play a Brother?

Okay, everybody knows that I love J R Ward and her Black Dagger Brotherhood novels. Anything Brother related, I'm on it. So naturally, I joined her Yahoo group. The group is the greatest.
A while back, we had a discussion going about who would play the Brothers if it were made into a movie. JRB has stated that she has not be approached about it but it was still fun to speculate who everyone thought would bring the characters to life. Personally, I don't think they could ever find guys hot enough or built enough to pull it off. But, if they did, here's who I think would be perfect for my favorite characters.

Wrath- Hugh Jackman-okay, I know Wrath is suppose to be knocking on 7 feet tall and HJ is a mere 6'2" (damn I thought he was so much shorter) but he plays Wolverine so well. I think he can pull it off.

Rhage- Jensen Eckles (Dean of Supernatural) Of course he's not as "decorative" as Rhage but his personality screams Rhage. I can totally see him kicking Lesser ass, sucking on Tootsie Roll pops, and cracking jokes a mile a minute.

Vishious- Johnny Depp is the only person I see crazy enough to pull off V. He does crazysexycool very well.

Butch- David Boreanaz (of Bones)would be the perfect wise cracking ex cop. And how could anyone forget him as Angel, the vampire with a soul? I can totally see him and V (Johnny Depp) being BFFs but not sure if I can see their other closeness.

Phury- Jason Lewis (Smith, Samantha's boy toy from Sex In The City) simply because he oozes sex appeal. He is the only person I see that could do Phury justice. I was kinda conflicted on him because I also see him as Rhage.

Zsadist-Vin Diesel. I'm not sure why but maybe it's all in the voice and his menacing attitude. I can just see him towering over Bella and talking to her with that sexy voice of his. The black eyes would go with him perfectly. And I know that Phury and Z are suppose to be twins, but since Z's face is scared, it really wouldn't matter if they looked totally alike.

John Matthew- Jared Padalecki (Sam of Supernatural) or Tom Wellington (Clarke of Samllville). I am so torn on these because I think both would be great as JM. They both are fine as hell and have that quiet and innocent look. Both can lay the smack down while keeping their inner demons in check.

Quinn-Jensen Eckles can also fit this part. To me Quinn is like a young Rhage minus the dragon. But to be fair, I can really see Chris Evans (Johnny Storm of The Fantastic Four) as Quinn. He plays a sex god very well.

Blay-Jake Gyllenhaal His eyes just make him quiet and vulnerable and he did do Brokeback Mountain. The perfect BFF with benefits.

Tohrment-Gerard Butler (of Law Abiding Citizen). Loved him in 300 and I can really see him in that scene where he finds out about Wellsie's death and flips out causing that black hole.

Rhevenge- Two words and I promise you'll want this too: David Beckham. Mr. GQ himself could totally wear Rehv's mohawk and look oh so sexy in his suits. Give him an amethyst stare and a cane and watch the screen sizzle.

Trez-Tyrese (of Transformers)I chose him simply because he is chocolate and sexy-the perfect Moor.

iAm-Michael Jai (best known as Spawn, and Marcus in Tyler Perry's Why Did I Get Married) He definately has a don't fuck with me attitude and he's a martial arts master.

Lash- Ian Somerhalder (Damon of The Vampire Diaries) is my new fav villian. You love him, you hate, but you can't get enough of him.

Xhex-Jessica Biel Simply because she's a bad ass chick. And guys think she has the hottest body. I'm personally not a fan but since she's not with Justin Timberlake anymore, I'll try to stop hatin' on her.