~Review of JR Ward's LOVER REBORN~

Lover Reborn (Black Dagger Brotherhood,#10)

 

 Opening Line "The bastard 's taking the bridge! He's mine!"

*SPOILER FREE*

Wow, I honestly don’t know where to begin with this review. To say that this was good is an understatement. To say that it knocked me on my ass and left me a drained, emotional wreck, is far closer to the truth. Yup, LOVER REBORN did me in, talk about your gauntlet of emotions, I mean I expected some angst but jeez! I cried (I mean really cried) I laughed, I sighed, I swore, I groaned and I gasped but in the end I also smiled.

As much as I was anticipating this book it was also with a heavy dose of apprehension; was I ready to see Tohrment find love again? Was he ready? Were any of us really ready to let Wellsie go? And most importantly could Ward make me believe in this new love? The answer is a resounding yes, I think in part because it doesn’t happen quickly (or easily) Reborn has been broken into 4 sections (1 per season) so that this book takes place over the period of a year. And it was over that year and all the shit that goes down (and oh does the shit ever go down) that Ward made me believe.

Starting where Lover Unleashed left off and with her usual flair Ward throws us into “Spring” and right into the action and pain that is Tohr. Chasing down a group of Lessers, Tohr is now relentless in his pursuit of the enemy, basically only drawing breathe to “ahvenge” his murdered wife and son. Tonight’s hunt sees Tohr launching himself off a bridge as John and Qhuinn watch helplessly from below, John issuing a silent scream as Tohr falls. And so it begins. Through 572 pages Ward proceeds to give us everything we want and then some…

Without going into spoiler territory (which is going to be hard) I can tell you of course that this is Tohr and No’one’s story. These two have a long history together and are both equally broken so it makes sense for them to get together. Lassiter is helping to move them along on the love train (in his own way) and as it turns out with a sense of urgency. John and Xhex also play key roles in their story, giving us some absolutely filthy-hot love scenes as well as showing us a marriage in transition.

Xcor and his Band Of Bastards are back and gaining strength in Caldwell. They do things here that… can never be forgiven. Sending one Brother on a mission under a decree of death. New and mysterious characters are introduced (Assail) while others are fleshed out (Throe and Zyphor.) We’re still all mixed up in the whole hot-mess that is Layla/Qhinn/Blay/Saxton; however that’s all about to change:) The Blind King still kicks ass, Ward throws a “needing” (or two) our way and gives us details of a ceremony that absolutely broke my heart. We also bare witness to a battle that gave me heart palpitations for all of its 60 pages and left some Brothers with life threatening injuries.

 Somehow through all this Ward also manages to give us time with each and every member of the Brotherhood mansion. We get to see everyone doing their thing, giving us some special moment with each of them and that in itself says something because there are so many characters now. There also aren’t any “lesser” POV’s to suffer through; we don’t travel back to the old country or to the other side to hang with the chosen (verily.) And I have to compliment Ward on toning down the product placement and Wardisms. This book just flowed beautifully.

In fact I would have to say that Ward has hit her pinnacle with Lover Reborn. The balance here is just right; the romance, the action, the surprises and the healing. I honestly never knew where this was going to go and when that happens you’re guaranteed a great ride.

And now for the good news Blay and Qhuinn have been officially announced as book #11! That’s right the wait is over. It looks like Ward has worked a miracle with her publisher because their story was originally to be a novella and now they’re getting their very own Hardcover instalment. Way to go boys. See you Spring 2013.

"Thats right, buddy. Our future has come."

~REVIEW of David Nicholls' ONE DAY~

Opening Line: "I suppose the important thing is to make some sort of difference"

So I’m going to try to write a somewhat sensible review here that doesn’t come across as all gushy fan-girl. I will say (hopefully only once) that I adored this book but you should know that I'm a bit of a sucker for a tragedy too. ONE DAY was brilliant in every way; making me laugh and cry while filling me with nostalgia and longing. And because I’m the same age as Dexter and Emma the time frame here was also totally relatable (see nostalgia) with little details I had forgotten about from the past two decades.

Equal parts heartbreaking and hilarious yet also suspenseful as each chapter takes place a year to the day after the last one so you have to figure out what’s happened in that time between. And of course you want the H/h to get together so you’re waiting with bated breathe for them to finally “see” each other too. In the end this also made me want to seize the day like it’s my last, phone up all my long lost friends and lovers and look at old photographs. Hmmm and I haven’t even gotten into the genius of the writing yet (how do you put that into words?)

I knew that writing a review here was going to be difficult (when you love a book this much there doesn’t seem to be enough correct words to do it justice) and I promised myself to just keep this short and to the point so here goes... This is one of the most hilarious, perceptive, witty, moving and heartbreaking books I have ever read.

Told in 5 parts in alternating POV’s and over a span of twenty years Dexter Mayhew and Emma Morley meet in 1988. Em has just graduated from university and hooked up with that boy she’s seen around for ages. He is Dexter, beautiful, pretentious and in his mind destined for greatness. As the sun rises they drink wine and talk about their futures. They have their whole lives stretching out ahead of them in an endless number of days and isn’t it going to be wonderful they can achieve anything they want to.

Starting as lovers Dexter and Emma continue as friends and the book joins them on July 15th of each year (St Swithin’s day) through their 20’s and 30’s and into their 40’s. As anyone in their 40’s knows, life happens and it doesn’t always go as planned, missed opportunities and the like.

“When I was younger everything seemed possible. Now nothing does.”

Through phone calls and letters, in different countries and towns, through assorted relationships, jobs and life’s little surprises and ruts we join Em and Dex each year in a unique snapshot of their life. They don’t always get along but they do think about each other everyday in some way and in case you haven’t figured it out this is ultimately a love story.

I can’t say much more about this without giving it all away. But when I read the last word I wanted to start it again and nothing I’ve tried to read since compares. Cheers.

“Live each day as if it’s your last, that was the conventional advice, but really, who had the energy for that?”

~REVIEW of J.R Ward's LOVER AWAKENED~

 ZSADIST, YOU BROKE MY HEART

++BIG stars



 

Opening Line: "Goddamn it, Zsadist! Don't jump--"

This is an amazing book and my favourite in the series. LOVER AWAKENED tells the agonizingly painful story of Zsadist, a former blood slave and most feared member of the Blackdagger Brotherhood. After Zsadist rescues the beautiful, aristocrat Bella from the Lessoning Society's torture facility she refuses to leave This side (or bed.) Craving the strength and security she now finds only with him. And it's with her growing love and patience that this reluctant hero ultimately `awakens'. It's a bumpy ride for our pair and this relationship will leave you in tears, both of joy and sadness as we witness Z's transformation from the `cold one' into a male of worth. A multilayered novel L.A of course has several stories and POV's running simultaneously and the action never stops. Full of suspense, erotic and ultimately heartbreaking.

Introduced briefly in the past two books, we now get to find out what made Zsadist the way he is. A confirmed sociopath who avoids all relationships, Z is scarred, pierced, tattooed, violent and illiterate. He's the most feared Brother and distrusted by all because of his intimidating and just downright mean nature. He enjoys pain yet can't bare any kind of physical contact due to the years of physical and sexual abuse he suffered during his time as a blood slave. Zsadist makes for an unlikely romantic hero but JR brilliantly gains your sympathy and you will grow to love this misunderstood and abused character.

Phury as Zsadist's twin plays a major role here, and through a series of flashbacks we learn the details of Z's enslavement and Phury's daring rescue of him. It's a striking scene resulting in the loss of his leg and Z's brutal scarring. Phury has spent his life consumed with fixing his twin and is riddled with guilt, sacrificing time and again and it's starting to take a toll. Now exhausted, he's playing a deadly game with the `red smoke' and despite his vow of celibacy can't help being attracted to Bella.

We also get to know Rehvenge the Sympath club owner of Zerosum and John Mathew's story starts to unfold as he begins his training and accepts the love of a family. Of course all the Brothers get some attention so we get shots of Wrath, Rhage, Vishous, Butch and their respective `Shellans.' Some of my favourite scenes involve the Brothers just going about their daily business, little interludes in the kitchen, or hanging out playing pool and teasing each other. Unfortunately the Lessers continue their torment making things personal now as their leader Mr. O attempts to reclaim Bella and a shocking loss occurs within the Brotherhood family that will be felt throughout the rest of this series.

Z and Bella's love story takes center stage throughout though and is utterly fascinating. From the moment of rescue Zsadist won't let anyone else near Bella. And despite being frightened of him she wants him. To Bella he is perfect and she slowly begins to seduce him. Z is subsequently terrified, feeling dirty and hating his body's response to her. When the two finally kiss however...sigh. Ultimately Z's feelings of unworthiness force him to push her away. Into the arms of a male of worth, those of his twin brother. When Bella goes into her 'needing' though which twin will ease her suffering? The celibate one or the one who can't bear to be touched?

The climax of this book is simply unput-downable. With a suicide mission forcing one twin to sacrifice everything for the life of the other and a HEA that brings tears to your eyes as we get a rare glimpse of the future. Each book in this series just gets better and better but JR has outdone herself here. I would give this more *s if I could and can't recommend it enough.

Here's how I see Z:

~REVIEW of J.R Ward's LOVER MINE~

                                                      DEDICATED TO YOU...

**Spoiler Free** and BIG stars

Opening Line: "He wished he had more time."

In trying to review LOVER MINE two words keep popping into my head; Amazing and Damn… just damn. How can I honestly put into words how much I loved this story and how sad I am that it’s over? Following a year long wait JR Wards 8th instalment of the Black Dagger Brotherhood finally made its way into my eager little hands. At 512 pages LOVER MINE is huge (with a fantastic cover) and I’m happy to report that it does not disappoint, in fact with John Mathews long awaited story the WARDen positively shines.

Fans are given exactly what we’ve been waiting for with ever evolving storylines, multiple POV’s, surprises, tragedies, plot twists, ass-kicking action,(Xhex much) humour and oh the romance. Completed here with erotic, blush-worthy love scenes and of course the inevitable struggle and heartache. I can tell you that this story brought me to tears more than once and not for the reasons you might expect. All of this awesomeness has been wrapped up with Wards unique style of writing, complete with product placements, rap music, unique street language, multiple f-bombs and a whole new batch of cool Wardisms I can’t wait to start using, you feel me.

The series is brought full circle within this book with loose ends cleverly tied together and resolutions brought to story threads we’ve had growing and brewing since the beginning. Sadly I realized that even with Ward continuing indefinitely JM/Darius will be the last of the original brothers to have his story told and that with this book being red, just like book 1 (Dark Lover) she’s given us book ends of a sort.

With us since the beginning, in this instalment we finally get John Mathew (and Darius‘s) story. Of all the characters John is the one we have the greatest sense of and have invested the most time in, having watched him change from a scrawny, neglected and abused pre-trans into an enormous, and angry male with a ton of fricken baggage. His pairing with the half Sympath Xhex has been in the works for some time now and with her abduction in the end of (Lover Avenged) we have the perfect place to begin their story. (Which I’m not going to give away) I will say however that I was pleased to see reflections of the sweet, sensitive John we remember (only now oozing sex appeal) and witness a softer side of Xhex. As always their path to HEA is not an easy one but its fun and sexy as hell watching them open up to each other and get there.

As a whole the storyline blew my mind. With three very separate and distinct running plotlines, (which at first had me wondering, where the hell is this going?) Ward manages to merge all the puzzle pieces together into WOW, bringing us deliciously full circle. Darker and more serious than past books my only real complaint would be the lack of banter between the Brothers and the Brothers as a whole. The moments that we’re given are excellent and while they’re all represented to a degree (some more than others) I insatiably craved more and truly missed them. Qhuinn and Blay, each now with their own POV manage to somewhat fill the gap who along with Saxton bring a different degree of heartache, sexiness and hot mess to the mix. Lash is also back as the Lessening societies leader and surprisingly awesome here as he takes things to a whole new gooey level of evil.

In the end Ward leaves us smiling with contentment, with new characters emerging and events opening up for future stories that I can’t wait to discover. I just wish it wasn’t so far away because I find that after getting just 3 days with the BDB its already time to leave them again and I’m not quite ready to let them go yet. See ya next year boys, stay safe Cheers!

Oh, and in case you were wondering Ward dedicates this book to John Mathew himself (which was what started my first crying jag)