Lover Revealed (Black Dagger Brotherhood #4) by J.R. Ward Book Review

Lover Revealed by J.R. Ward. Photo: Goodreads

A slow start to the book but then Ward ramped up the drama to warp-speed. A sweet ending to another pair of well-mated lovers.

The fourth book in the Black Dagger Brotherhood series - this one is focused on the story between Butch and Marissa. Their story has been present throughout all the books from the first in the series Dark Lover. Their love story has been a complicated one - one with a lot of ups and downs. The main thing I have to say right off the bat is WOW - that ending! It was slow to start up for sure and even about 50% of the way through the book I felt as if it wasn't anywhere near the quality of the the previous two in the series. But the ending chapters just took the story to a whole new level! 

Lover Awakened (Black Dagger Brotherhood #3) by J.R. Ward Book Review

 Lover Awakened by J.R. Ward. Photo: Goodreads

Dark, dangerous and sexy! A rough past does not mean you're broken beyond repair because love can crack just about any shell!

Can I start off by saying this series went from good to great to the best of the series yet - and for me I think that peak has been reached. J.R. Ward started the storyline for Lover Awakened in Lover Eternal quite honestly and while she does give some background at the beginning of the story if you haven't read the others - I think you'd be doing yourself a great disservice if you didn't read the second book in the series before starting the third. In fact - Lover Eternal included the meet scene for Zsadist and Bella and even their first 'sexual encounter' if you can even really call it that (if you know, you know). 

But I need to start off by saying once this storyline was introduced in the second book I couldn't put it down because I just HAD to know more. I finished Lover Eternal and then started on Lover Awakened within a matter of seconds - the damn thing interrupted my sleep schedule as I went to bed late at night and woke up early in the morning because I was so eager to keep reading. All in all - I finished Lover Eternal and Lover Awakened in less than four full days. The story of Zsadist and Bella is one that hooked my attention from the moment they appeared on the page. Zsadist seemed to have the same enthralling effect on me as a reader as he did with Bella. Basically, this book was unputdownable for me and I'd like to tell you all the reasons why.

Dark Lover (Black Dagger Brotherhood #1) by J. R. Ward Book Review

Dark Lover by J.R. Ward. Photo: Goodreads

This book isn't for the light-hearted and I think you just need to give it a chance - These aren't no Dracula boys or even Anne Rice vamps - they don't listen to opera and wear puffy shirts. They are mean-mugging, jacked, tattooed warriors who dress in all leather.

Dark Lover is the first book by JR Ward in the Black Dagger Brotherhood series. The Brotherhood is a band of warrior vampires who protect regular or 'civilian' vampires from a group called the Lessening Society (who are their sworn enemies as the Lessers hunt them and are trying to exterminate the vampire race). The Brotherhood consists of seven warriors Wrath, Darius, Tohrment, Rhage, Vishous, Phury, and Zsadist. There is a whole lot of world building in this book which is needed to understand Ward's world. Just a sidenote: this is one of my favorite things about vampire books - I love when authors take the classic vampire lore and make it their own. Certain tropes and lore is used but if they're a great author then they will always put their own stamp on it - a creative twist if you will. 

Both Feet in the Grave by Jeaniene Frost Book Review

Both Feet in the Grave by Jeaniene Frost. Photo: Goodreads

Frost proves time and time again that she is a master storyteller - one who is able to breathe fresh life into a story we've heard before but yet enthralls us as if it is the first time.

This book is a retelling of Frost's One Foot in the Grave but told from Bones' point of view (POV). The story follows Bones' hunt to find Cat after she's disappeared leaving nothing but a note and what happens once he does find her after all those years apart. The reader is granted a deeper look inside Bones' mind and gets to experience the story from a different perspective lined with the thoughts and emotions of a 200+ year old vampire.