» J.R. Ward

Lover Unleashed by JR Ward aka V’s Story Part 2

K.C. — Mon, 04 Apr 2011 02:35:00 +0000

Kindle/Amazon

Black Dagger Brotherhood #9

Genre: PNR/Urban Fantasy

512 pages

We’re baaaaaaaaack! After the birth of baby KC what book could we not wait to get our hands on…Lover Unleashed! Hell, I almost planned my c-section around this release date. Kidding, only a little bit. So, in-between late night feedings – learning to nurse with one hand and read my ipad in the other; to say I was excited to read the next BDB book is an understatement.

Oh Lover Unleashed where to begin with you.

LU starts off Xcor witnessing the Bloodletter’s (Vishous and Payne’s crazy arse father) death by an unknown female – vowing vengeance to find and kill her. We then proceed to the present time where Manny, Jane’s sexy doctor-friend from Lover Unbound, is summoned to hopefully to help cure Payne who is paralyzed. And in usual J.R. Ward style we have an abundance of side arcs that if not present I wouldn’t have liked the book hardly at all.

If you were expecting the awesomeness of Lover Mine to jump onto Lover Unleashed you’ll probably be disappointed. The main romance between Payne and Manny barely has any page time. Instead, Ward focuses on Vishous and Doc Jane’s story. Still emotionally unstable and frozen, Vi doesn’t know how to handle his feelings about his sister and the attraction between Payne and Manny. There are some truly heart wrenching scenes between V and Doc Jane leaving you to wonder if these two would actually make it (sobs). Butch also plays a major role in V’s recovery, which I thought gave V and Butch the clossure they should have had.

Ok let’s talk about Payne. I’m not sure what I expected but her somewhat meek dialogue with Manny didn’t really fit her kick ass personality from previous books. Also, she is one of the spawn of the Bloodletter you’d expect a little more fierceness. Anyhoo I liked how Ward placed these two together with Manny helping her to walk again. It was sweet and we all know Ward can bring the sexy scenes. Although, I liked Manny and Payne I really didn’t feel they were major characters, actually, I thought this book was really a bunch of side arcs made into one book, more so than any of her other BDB books. We get a little more of Quinn,Blay, Layla action, new BDB characters like Xcor and less….lessers.

Lover Unleashed isn’t my favorite of the series but I’m hopelessly addicted t and I’ll read any BDB book Ward writes. I’m excited to read more about Xcor (the disfigured vampire), hell I’m already matchmaking him with Layla and his friend because that’s how Smokinhotbooks rolls. If you love this series as much as we do (even Phury’s story) this is an entertaining read with a lot of your favorite BDB characters making an appearance.

Psst Read Smexybooks Post to find out who is in the next BDB book

Possibly Related Posts:

To Buy Crave (J.R. Ward) or Not to Buy Crave that is the question…

K.C. — Mon, 11 Oct 2010 04:20:08 +0000

Genre: Paranormal Romance

#2 in Fallen Angeles

Amazon

I know, I know you are not ‘supposed’ to compare BDB (for the uninitiated that’s Black Dagger Brotherhood) with Fallen Angles but I can’t help it. I’m in hearts with all the brothers and wanted the same relationship to happen with the Fallen series. (My emotional grid was all over the place…you actually can’t see that I just fist bumped myself)). But seeing as how Covet was a mite disappointing, I felt the need to pump the brakes and take a knee before I bought the new installation to the series, Crave. I was still feeling a bit sore from my initial jubilation smack down, and didn’t want to get my hopes up that Crave would be any better.

Oh, how I doubted my bestie, fav author. Ward, made a major improvement with her second book in the series and Crave is substantially better than Covet, by giant sized leaps and bounds. Now, it’s been a while between books so other than remembering Jim, fallen angels, and some crazy demon chick named Devina I was drawing a blank on the details of this series. The beginning is a bit confusing, actually I could have done without that whole part until our main man, Isaac, meets up with his lawyer, Grier Childe. Perhaps I was having a blond moment or not enough Ginko Biloba in my diet but once Grier and Isaac crossed paths the book became far more interesting. Why it was automatic, it was systematic, it was hydromatic! Why it was greased lightnin’!

Isaac is an awoled man on the run from the XOps (anyone else thinks that sounds dirty…). He is trying to survive by doing a little illegal MMA fighting to make some money. Nobody could fault Ward for being urbanely current. So, after being in an underground bust by the police, in walks his super foxy lawyer, Grier Childe. Grier has her own demons to slay and tries to keep them at bay by doing pro bono work.
Jim must once again battle the uber creepy Devina as part of the ‘Seven’ souls he must win for team good, otherwise the world will fall under the rule of evil. Nothing like a little pressure . As with Covet the soul Jim must save is never as cut and dry as it may seem and just because he has one on team evil doesn’t mean he can get cocky. Devina has grown more desperate to win and the stakes have just been raised.

I would have like more paranormal aspects with Devina and her demons, although there is one creepy scene where Jim makes a bargain with the demon to stay with her for a night. I may have been emotionally scared by that one. Sadistic torture can definitely leave a lasting imprint. What makes Crave stand out from Covet, is the characters. Grier was a much more interesting character and paired with Isaac’s southern gentleman charm and one badass demon – made for a great combination.

So, if you were sitting on the fence on this one, your ol pals KC and K-Khan give it the Smokin Hot Stamp of approval. Other than the confusing beginning you don’t want to miss out on this one because Ward can still weave one bad ass story and with a surprise twist at the end.

Possibly Related Posts:

Lover Mine Is So Boss…True

K.C. — Thu, 29 Apr 2010 03:59:04 +0000

Genre Paranormal Romance/UF

Pages 528

#7 in Black Dagger Brotherhood

Amazon $9.99

[def:Qhuay {kuh-oo-ay} the most highly anticipated relationship (hopefully) between Qhuinn and Blay dubbed Qhuay]

Like most relationships, I’ve had my ups and downs with the brothers, but damn if I just can’t say no, and mutter ‘ I wish I could quit you’. I prayed Ward wouldn’t let me down even going to far as to light all my candles and make a few wishes. So I took a yoga breath, made sure I went potty, and told Mr. Smokin’ to piss off for four hours. I. Was. In. The. Zone.

The ‘Sitch’

Lover Mine begins with a delicious trifecta of man meat, aka. JM, Qhuinn, and Blay. Lover Avenged, left us with a whopper of a cliffhanger as Xhex had been kidnapped by Lash – which leaves John Matthew thinking that Xhex isn’t going to be coming back. Thus why he is in a tattoo parlor with V’s secret concoction of ink wanting to immortalize her on his skin. Permanently. (starts fanning self). Meanwhile, Xhex is in an invisible prison, being roughed up by that sick, rat-bastard Lash. Whoa, he is one sick puppy and I can’t for the Brothers to end his ass, True. Bruised and starving, Xhex wishes she hadn’t left things as they were with John Matthew (Smokinhot Cliff Note: remember she wouldn’t let JM kiss her during sexy time).

Meanwhile Blay is in love with Qhuinn, and Quinn is well, still being Quinn, meaning he’s sexin’ his way through the human and ‘civilian’ female populations. It seems the only person that Qhuinn won’t sleep with is Blay. Qhuinn, in his typical fashion, knows that Blay has feelings for him but all he can offer is a fist bump and a decanter of liquid fire. He can’t give up his dream at leading a normal life. (the glymera will never accept a homosexual Brother with two different colored eyes). Qhuinn just can’t keep his feelings bottled up for much longer especially when Blay meets his cousin Saxton. (FYI Saxton is a charmingly sexy man!)

This Book was ‘Boss’

Lover Mine is probably Ward’s best book to date and makes up for any disappointments I may have felt with previous AZ* BDB books. (Smokinhot Cliff Note: AZ =After Zadist).

Xhex:

John, she said softty.
He paused and looked over his shoulder toward the bed.

“I love you.”

His handsome face tightened in pain, and he rubbed the middle of his chest, as if someone had fisted up his heart and squeezed it dead.

And then he turned away.

As she hit the confines of her prison…

She was screaming at the top of her lungs.

John Matthew

John locked eyes with her and was instantly transported to a different plane of existence. Mighta been heaven again. Who the f*ck knew or cared. All he knew was that there was only her and him together, the rest of the world drifting away in a fog.

Was it possible to fall in love with someone twice, he wondered dimly.

JM has always been my favorite Brother and I liked that Ward didn’t try and get all angsty’ with Xhex & JM’s relationship. After surviving a trauma that would destroy most others, they deserved a little happiness; they’d been through enough. And let’s face it, my poor heart couldn’t take another rodeo down heartache lane. ( cries out ‘Qhuay’)

Blay:

(Qhuinn the ho’, is having sexy-time…again)

Better than the full bifta. Especially because Qhuinn was beautiful to watch when he had sex. Just….beautitful.
Back when Blay had tried to do the hetero thing, the two had tag-teamed a number of human females – not that he could have recalled any of the women’s faces, bodies, or names. It had always been about Qhuinn for him. Always.

For those you sitting on the fence, wondering if you should shell out the mulah for hardback pricing of Lover Mine YOU WILL NOT BE DISAPOINTED (<– notice the caps for extra ‘I’m really serious guys’)! Ward gets back to her romance roots in LM and does a stellar performance with John Matthews story.

Rating

BDB Q&A What Do You Think?

Who do we think is going to be Tohr’s Mate? Ward in her message boards has said that Wellsie is not coming back so that leaves us with…..?
Will Blay and Qhuinn get their HEA? Will it be m/m or m/m/f? I’m really hoping Ward will go all the way m/m, quick somebody make a blog button!
Is Payne the next BDB book?
How many more ‘brothers’ are there to write about? Tohr, Lassister, I’am, …?

GIVEAWAY
I’m in hearts with this book therefore I will donate Amazon Gift Certificate ($10.00) for one lucky SOB to go towards their Lover Mine book. Contest open to all that access Amazon. Giveaway End Friday April 30th

Whose your favorite BDB character? (this is where you go off and gush people!)

Other Lover Mine Reviews

Fiction Vixen 4 1/2 /5

Smexybooks 4.5 /5

Katiebabs B

Possibly Related Posts: