Book Review: Lover Reborn (Black Dagger Brotherhood #10) by J.R. Ward **18 Yrs Above**

Lover Reborn (Black Dagger Brotherhood #10)

By J.R. Ward

Release Date: March 27th, 2012 

Number of Pages: 572

Format: Hardcover

Rating: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

Blurb from Goodreads:

#1 New York Times bestselling author J. R. Ward’s novels of the Black Dagger Brotherhood continue as a vampire warrior crosses the line between life and death…and ventures into an erotic world of dark dreams and darker desires.

Ever since the death of his shellan, Tohrment has been unrecognizable from the vampire leader he once was. Physically emaciated and heartbroken beyond despair, he has been brought back to the Brotherhood by a self-serving fallen angel. Now, fighting once again with ruthless vengeance, he is unprepared to face a new kind of tragedy.

When Tohr begins to see his beloved in his dreams—trapped in a cold, isolated netherworld far from the peace and tranquillity of the Fade—he turns to the angel in hopes of saving the one he has lost. But because Lassiter tells him he must learn to love another to free his former mate, Tohr knows they are all doomed....

Except then a female with a shadowed history begins to get through to him. Against the backdrop of the raging war with the lessers, and with a new clan of vampires vying for the Blind King’s throne, Tohr struggles between the buried past and a very hot, passion-filled future…but can his heart let go and set all of them free?

My Review:

WOW. I can't believe I finished it in a day. Never doubt the writings of the Warden ever again. She rules.

I think there's nothing to say because everything that needs to be said has been said by so many others. But, I will reiterate. 

I'm so glad for how things turn out for Tohr. He deserved this book. His own story and I totally adore Autumn from beginning till' the end. I really enjoyed reading about these two. 

I really am rooting for the BoB too and hope for the best for these group of bastards. They aren't all that bad. Just maybe, misguided.

One important thing I HAVE to say. It's Layla. I'm glad I took some time off and only began reading this two months after its release date. Time brings things into perspective and you speculate it with maturity instead of negative emotions. 

I think we readers tend to orbit around and focus too much on the Qhuay coupling. We subconsciously, in a way, blame Layla for "coming between" Qhuinn and Blay. We forget that the problem lies in Qhuinn himself who feels unworthy and not good enough for Blay.

I'm for the future young now. They both need something good in their lives in order for them to move forward. They need something that belongs to them.

Layla has been trained as an ehros her whole life as a Chosen and I forget that it is not her fault to how she feels about being useless in her role/duty. Who and what is expected of her have been deeply ingrained. It's not easy to just change your mindset. What she needs is someone who REALLY loves her. That poor girl...Now, I can truly say I feel for her. Truly feel sorry for her. I am really rooting for Xcor and her. They are good for each other.

The last sentence in chapter 76 was very life-altering. Finally!!!! After so many trials and tribulation for these two, finally, we are getting what we want. Right my fellow Cellies?

Book Review: Covet ( The Fallen Angels #1) by J.R. Ward **18 Yrs Above**

Covet ( The Fallen Angels #1)
J.R. Ward
Release Date: October 29th, 2009
Number of Pages: 474
Format: Paperback
Source: Bought
Rating: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

Blurb from Goodreads:
Redemption isn't a word Jim Heron knows much about-his specialty is revenge, and to him, sin is all relative. But everything changes when he becomes a fallen angel and is charge with saving the souls of seven people from the seven deadly sins. And failure is not an option.

Vin DiPietro long ago sold his soul to his business, and he's good with that-until fate intervenes in the form of a tough- talking, Harley-riding, self-professed savior. But then he meets a woman who will make him question his destiny, his sanity, and his heart-and he has to work with a fallen angel to win her over and redeem his own soul.

My Review:
======May Contain Spoilers. Read At Your Own Risk.======

Many have said that the Fallen Angels series wasn't as good as the Black Dagger Brotherhood series but I beg to differ. It wouldn't be fair to compare both series side by side as both are two different genres altogether. While BDB leans more towards UF Romance, Fallen Angels leans more towards the action-thriller and Supernatural kind. It was good in its own way

It took some time for me to adjust to the style of this series but I ended up enjoying Covet. Jim was a rather introvert and self-preserved guy who kept to himself due to his background. He was a real refreshing character from my BDB boys. I still love them. I do. It's just awesome to change it up from time to time. And I loved his mind. The way he thinks, calculates, views, processes and dissects information was great because he did not just jump to conclusions immediately. He gave both sides the benefit of the doubt before finding out the truth. This is what I call a great character but still flawed enough to connect with you.

Eddie and Adrian were still much a mystery. You get glimpses and flashes of who they are but not entirely. Adrian seemed like the type of guy who gives you a laid-back-and-funny-asshole version of himself on the outside but not easily letting you on the inside. Eddie was the levelheaded and calmer version of the trio and gets Adrian the most. Both were tight together and somehow tend to leave Jim out. Maybe it's so that that Jim finds out things on his own but I really hope to see them growing closer as the series progresses.

Vin and Marie-Terese were perfect together. It was so good to read about the secondary characters who played a part in BDB i.e. Trez, Marie-Terese herself, Gina (but I don't really care for her). I enjoyed reading and getting to know more about our OTP. Vin and Marie-Terese both had endured hardships in the past and they certainly deserved each other and their shot at happiness. It's always great to read about how strong characters they were. I must mention Robbie. He's such cutie pie and the icing on the cake. His scene with Vin was too cute for words.

I shouldn't have read spoilers. I shouldn't have but I just couldn't helped myself. I won't look into the spoilers from now because I already knew what Devina really was from the start. But I can confidently say that even if I did not read them, I was already very suspicious of that bitch because of the prologue. I kept yelling at Jim to not fall for her damsel-in-distress-puppy-dog act and was truly devastated when he bedded her - in his truck. I knew it was bad news. Effing bad news. God, and I truly hated her with a vengeance! She's worst than a bitch and that sociopath Eugene aka Saul was just sick.

I must gush. I must. I recognised PHURY and BUTCH!!!!!!! I'm so proud of myself. I won't tell you which part they were mentioned but it was obvious enough for me to point them out. Imagine, getting excited over these cameo appearances.

Covet was a different but worthy read and I'm on to Crave.

Book Review: Lover Mine (Black Dagger Brotherhood #8) by J.R. Ward **18 Yrs Above**

Lover Mine (Black Dagger Brotherhood #8)

By J.R. Ward

Release Date: April 1st, 2010 

Number of Pages: 653

Format: Paperback
Source: Bought
Rating: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥


Blurb from Goodreads:

In the shadows of the night in Caldwell, New York, there's a deadly war raging between vampires and their slayers. And there exists a SECRET BAND OF BROTHERS like no other - vampire warriors, defenders of their race...


John Matthew has been through his vampire transition and taken to the life of the Brotherhood with a vengeance, but he still can't shake the nightmare of his past and is unsure of his future as a warrior hero. He's made a promise to honour the Brotherhood and their fight with the slayers at all costs, until the love of his life is kidnapped and he is forced to make a choice that could change his life and the Brotherhood's forever...

My Review:
"I would hold you up. I will ever hold you up and hold you dear, lover mine."

This book was seriously awesome and drove me to the edge of my seat. The adrenaline rush and WTF moments were a bomb. It was so good to finally see John have his HEA but such a heartbreak to see Qhuinn and Blay.

My heart is breaking for these two. I'm really looking forward to read and know more about Payne next. Layla irritated me alot in this book and I was disappointed in how she turned out because I really liked her when she was introduced in Lover Eternal but somehow in this book, she becomes not what I imagined her to be. Nevertheless, I'm crossing my fingers and cheering real hard for her.

I also did enjoy the Rathbone sub-plot and didn't see that revelation coming. Although it was brief, I fell in love with Gregg and Holly and I was rooting for them all the way. They were so sweet in the end. *swoony sigh*

The flashbacks of Darious anf Tohr were interesting and the reveal of who No'One was was a little bit expected but which got me all the more antsy for Lover Reborn .

Warden did it again and I'm on to the next one, Lover Unleashed .

Book Review: Lover Enshrined (Black Dagger Brotherhood #6) by J.R. Ward **18 Yrs Above**

Lover Enshrined (Black Dagger Brotherhood #6)

By J.R. Ward

Release Date: June 3rd , 2008

Number of Pages: 534

Format: Paperback
Source: Bought
Rating: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥


Blurb from Goodreads:

In this "frighteningly addictive" paranormal romance sage there's a war raging between vampires and their slayers. Here are the stories of a secret band of brothers like no other-six vampire warriors, defenders of their race. And now a dutiful twin must choose between two lives... 

Fiercely loyal to the Black Dagger Brotherhood, Phury has sacrificed himself for the good of the race, becoming the male responsible for keeping the Brotherhood's bloodlines alive. As Primale of the Chosen, he is obligated to father the sons and daughters who will ensure that the traditions of the race survive, and that there are warriors to fight those who want all vampires extinguished.

As his first mate, the Chosen Cormia wants to win not only his body, but his heart for herself. She is drawn to the noble responsibility behind the emotionally scarred male. But Phury has never allowed himself to know pleasure or joy. As the war with the Lessening Society grows grim, tragedy looms over the Brotherhood's mansion, and Phury must decide between duty and love....

My Review:
“I love you forever" didn't always need to be spoken to be understood.”

Among all the first 5 endings that I've read, Lover Enshrined's was my favourite and the best. I reread it so many times that I could remember it by heart. Lover Enshrined was different from the previous books in terms of plot and context. The main focus wasn't on the romance but the lesser and actions going on but when the romance appeared, it was well worth it. I understood Phury so much more in this book and loved him very, very much. Phury was a very neglected and misunderstood person. The conflicts and his addiction metaphored in the form of the Wizard were beautifully flashed out.

Cormia was a wonderful heroine. She wasn't like the other females before and it was really breath taking. She has a quiet reserve and a strong countenance as well as a streak of boldness in her that I truly adored. She was the perfect thing for Phury beacue they make each other whole.

The secondary characters such as JM, Quinn, Blay, Rehv, Xhex really stood out. I really appreciated the way Ward explored homosexuality in this book because the scene between Blay and Quinn was really poignant, tender and beautiful. I can't wait to see more of Lassiter either as well as John and Xhex. They are really cute together. I wasn't really invested in Rehv at first but this book succeeded in making me excited to start on Rehv's story. It was really horrible to see how messed up he was in the inside from what he had to do. I wanted to go hug him and rescue him from his horrifying duty to the Princess.

Overall, Lover Enshrined was truly amazing.

Book Review: Lover Unbound (Black Dagger Brotherhood #5) by J.R. Ward **18 Yrs Above**

Lover Unbound (Black Dagger Brotherhood #5)

By J.R. Ward

Release Date: October 1st, 2007

Number of Pages: 502

Format: Paperback
Source: Bought
Rating: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥


Blurb from Goodreads:

In Caldwell, New York, war rages between vampires and their slayers. There exists a secret band of brothers-six vampire warriors, defenders of their race. Now the cold heart of a cunning predator will be warmed against its will...

Ruthless and brilliant, Vishous, son of the Bloodletter, possesses a destructive curse and a frightening ability to see the future. As a pretrans growing up in his father's war camp he was tormented and abused. As a member of the Brotherhood, he has no interest in love or emotion, only the battle with the Lessening Society. But when a mortal injury puts him in the care of human surgeon, Dr. Jane Whitcomb compels him to reveal his inner pain and taste true pleasure for the first time-until a destiny he didn't choose takes him into a future that cannot include her...

My Review:

"Letting go meant you accepted what couldn't be changed....you stared at what was before you with clear eyes, recognizing that unfettered choice was the exception and destiny the rule. No bargaining. No trying to control. You gave up and saw that the one you loved was in fact not your future, and there was nothing you could do about it." 

I didn't expect Vishous's story to be more touching and poignant than Zsadist's. Tears actually rolled down while I read Lover Unbound and that's saying something because I'm the type of reader that seldom and always often not cry or sob or whatever when I read.

I really do not know how to write this review. Many have said that they didn't like the ending and so on but I thought otherwise. I really thought the ending was appropriate and rather meaningful. And for the first time, I actually felt sympathy for the Scribe Virgin. With great power comes great responsibility and thus heavy consequences to bear. The Scribe Virgin had to bear the consequences of her mistake and the revelation of what she did and what occurred due to her deed was shocking for me. I really didn't expect that. Seriously.

Vishous and Jane were wonderful and exhilarating characters. Jane was so badass and man, was she bold. I couldn't believed it when she told Rhage to fuck off. She's so badass and I love that brain and mouth of hers. V and Jane were perfect for each other because they flow on the same wavelength, they understand each other and they heal each other.

Lover Unbound was really awesome and I love the unconventional ending no matter what others are saying about it. It is perfect. Now, I'm psyched to read about Phury and Cormia because Cormia is just too adorable.

P/S: I LOVE the prologue. Totally did. It was a great opening.

Book Review: Lover Revealed (Black Dagger Brotherhood #4) by J.R. Ward **18 Yrs Above**

Lover Revealed (Black Dagger Brotherhood #4)

By J.R. Ward

Release Date: March 6th, 2007

Number of Pages: 455

Format: Paperback
Source: Bought
Rating: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥


Blurb from Goodreads:

Butch O'Neal is a fighter by nature. A hard-living ex-homicide cop, he's the only human ever to be allowed in the inner circle of the Black Dagger Brotherhood. And he wants to go even deeper into the vampire world-to engage in the turf war with the lessers. His heart belongs to a female vampire, Marissa, an aristocratic beauty who's way out of his league. And if he can't have her, then at least he can fight side by side with the Brothers.

But fate curses him with the very thing he wants. When Butch sacrifices himself to save a civilian vampire from the slayers, he falls prey to the darkest force in the war. Left for dead, he's found by a miracle, and the Brotherhood calls on Marissa to bring him back, though even her love may not be enough to save him.

My Review:

"United by their clasped hands, they became again the two halves, the light and the dark. The Destroyer and the Savior. A whole.” 

I've already read and reviewed the first three books in the series and I love each one as I went along. Butch's story is no different and I won't compare Marissa and him to the others because every character is different and every story has its own specialty and awesomeness.

I love Butch. I didn't like him in the beginning in Dark Lover but I adored him and the rest of the brotherhood at the end of it. Butch's smart-assnes is such a laugh. I love his banters with V. Their scenes were so hilarious and tender at the same time.

Marissa is a very innocent heroine and I like how she changes into a stronger character as the story progresses. I love how the heroines in this series are strong in their own way. It's so good to read about them being strong and tough for their shellans/mates.

Lover Revealed is as good as the rest. I'm a fair persona and will have no favourites. I love all the brothers and the females. One without the other will never be complete. J.R Ward did it again and I am in awe of her.

On to V's story....

Book Review: Lover Awakened (Black Dagger Brotherhood #3) by J.R. Ward **18 Yrs Above**

Lover Awakened (Black Dagger Brotherhood #3)

By J.R. Ward

Release Date: September 5th, 2006

Number of Pages: 434

Format: Paperback
Source: Bought
Rating: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥


Blurb from Goodreads:

A former blood slave, the vampire Zsadist still bears the scars from a past filled with suffering and humiliation. Renowned for his unquenchable fury and sinister deeds, he is a savage feared by humans and vampires alike. Anger is his only companion, and terror is his only passion—until he rescues a beautiful aristocrat from the evil Lessening Society.

Bella is instantly entranced by the seething power Zsadist possesses. But even as their desire for one another begins to overtake them both, Zsadist’s thirst for vengeance against Bella’s tormentors drives him to the brink of madness. Now, Bella must help her lover overcome the wounds of his tortured past, and find a future with her…

My Review:

"I was dead until you found me, though I breathed. I was sightless, though I could see. And then you came...and I was awakened."

The horror. The traumatic events. The sorrow. The sweetness. Lover Awakened shook me to the core and wrung my heart unlike any other. It made me well up with tears, laughed and grinned like an idiot. Lover Awakened was so fragile which it has to been handled with care. No words could described this book and I am too overwhelmed by it to review it. The ending was so privately sweet. Z deserved all the happiness after all that he had gone through. It just feels too sacrilegious to review Lover Awakened and the quote above says it all.

Book Review: Lover Eternal (Black Dagger Brotherhood #2) by J.R. Ward **18 Yrs Above**

Lover Eternal (Black Dagger Brotherhood #2)

By J.R. Ward

Release Date: March 7th, 2006

Number of Pages: 441

Format: Paperback
Source: Bought
Rating: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥


Blurb from Goodreads:

In the shadows of the night in Caldwell, New York, there's a deadly turf war raging between vampires and their slayers. There exists a secret bound of brothers like no other-six vampire warriors, defenders of their race. Possessed by a deadly beast Rhage is the most dangerous of the Black Dagger Brotherhood. 

Within the brotherhood, Rhage is the vampire with the strongest appetites. He's the best fighter, the quickest to act on his impulses, and the most voracious lover-for inside him burns ferocious curse cast by the Scribe Virgin. Owned by this dark side, Rhage fears the time when his inner dragon is unleashed, making him a danger to everyone around him.

Mary Luce, a survivor of many hardships is unwittingly thrown into the vampire world and reliant to Rhage's protection. With a life-threatening curse of her own, Mary is not looking for love. She lost her faith in miracles years ago. But when Rhage's intense animal attraction turns into something more emotional, he knows that he must make Mary his alone. And while their enemies close in, Mary fights desperately to gain life eternal with the one she loves...

My Review:

Wow. Just wow. I'm taking deep breaths and still trying to wrap my head all around this. I actually love Rhage's story more than Wrath's. Just a little bit more as it involves a beast. A real living literal beast and the taming of it.

I appreciated the slower romance especially on the female's part. It's understandable how long it takes for Mary to actually believe that someone as gorgeous and to-beautiful-to-be-real actually wants her. I mean, I wouldn't believed it myself and boy, can she harness and tame that beast into a pet. I'm quoting Butch here.

Rhage was a really sweet lover. Such a sweet, gentle and loving guy underneath. It was kind of funny to see him insert Mary's name in almost every sentence when he addresses her. It's like the word "Mary" is honey to his soul and he's afraid she will poof off and disappear if he doesn't say her name. It felt like a reassurance and affection.

The brothers are fabulous as always and I just can't get enough of the troika bromance and the gangsta talks. You feel me, WARDens? I have a love-hate relationship with the Scribe Virgin. Seriously. She's like some kind of sadist but not quite. Talking about the Scribe Virgin, my mind literally went blank when the meaning behind Mary's name was revealed. I was like, "HUH?? What?? Are you serious?"

Anyhow, the ending was deservingly sweet and I can't wait to read about Z's story next. My heart aches for him.

Book Review: Dark Lover (Black Dagger Brotherhood #1) by J.R. Ward **18 Yrs Above**

Dark Lover (Black Dagger Brotherhood #1)

By J.R. Ward

Release Date: September 6th, 2005

Number of Pages: 393

Format: Paperback
Source: Bought
Rating: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥


Blurb from Goodreads:

In the shadows of the night in Caldwell, New York, there's a deadly turf war going on between vampires and their slayers. There exists a secret band of brothers like no other-six vampire warriors, defenders of their race. Yet none of them relishes killing more than Wrath, the leader of The Black Dagger Brotherhood.

The only purebred vampire left on earth, Wrath has a score to settle with the slayers who murdered his parents centuries ago. But, when one of his most trusted fighters is killed-leaving his half-breed daughter unaware of his existence or her fate-Wrath must usher her into the world of the undead-a world of sensuality beyond her wildest dreams.

My Review:

I have a huge goofy grin on my face right now. Seriously. And I feel utterly foolish, ridiculous and silly - all in a great and awesome way. I don't care that there are others saying this series is ridiculous and whatnot but I've never enjoyed an Adult Paranormal Romance like I have with this book and I know I'm tremendously late into starting this series. Nevertheless, better late than never right? The Black Dagger Brotherhood is so kickass awesome and I have Maria Mentzelidi to thank for all her gushings and persuadings. I am now officially a huge fan and convert of the BDB series. Now, on to the review.

The most important thing to me in a book is the main character. In order to fully get immerse and fall in love with the book in the process, you gotta have a connection and chemical reaction to the main characters as well as the rest of them who are going to stick around. Dark Lover has it all. I really like Beth and Wrath. They are awesome characters. Beth is perfect for Wrath because Wrath is a king. It is in his blood. He is a warrior and a leader who has a very strong will of his own and Beth has it in her as well to match his and tame him when need be. I didn't really mind the "instant attraction" paradigm used in Wrath's story. He is a vampire after all with animalistic instincts. I have to admit I kinda love the possessiveness and protectiveness they have over their loved ones and to see how much they actually cherish their shellans/hellrens and I simply have a weakness for the endearment leelan. I really enjoyed reading about and connecting with the hero and heroine.

The brothers. They are one messed up bunch but oh, so lovable. I love them all. Baggage, curses and all. It is so heartwarming to see them have each other's back, ready to defend and protect. And their banter with each other is very, very, very entertaining and OMG hilarious. I even love the doggen, Fritz. He is such an endearing character and reading his scenes was great. Even Beth's cat Boo is no exception although all it did was purr around the Brothers. Butch was a surprising one. I wasn't all that into him in the beginning. I found him a "hardass" and rather pushy-tough. But I quickly warmed up to him and totally was rooting for him with the rest of the brotherhoood all the way. It was so cute to see V and him buddying up over their fandom for the Red Sox and cozying up with the rest of the brothers. It was great to see them accepting him like one of their own - almost.

Readers have reviewed and commented that Marissa was a rather bland character. Yes, she is - in the beginning - but after that I realized I was wrong. Marissa was sheltered and protected all her life. She tries very hard to be presentable and wanting Wrath to actually want her as his true shellan. Her character is the totally opposite of Beth's. While Beth is all fire, Marissa is like a calm ocean. She is docile, elegant, naive and so innocent in so many ways. She has led a miserable life and I truly wish her to have a happy ending with Butch. I really like Marissa. I found her a very sweet character.

All in all, I'm glad that I took Maria's advice and picked up this series. Although there were LOTS of things happening all at the same time, I could wrapped my head around it and keep up with all of it. Dark Lover or I can confidently say The Black Dagger Brotherhood Series, has a healthy balance of action, hot sizzling romance, cute and hilarious banters and everything you need. I know there are some cheesiness and I seriously don't care.

Now, on to Lover Eternal.....*winks winks*

P/S: Thank god for the glossary at the beginning of the book. I would be so lost without it.