Tag: Vampires

Juniper (Spell Library #2)

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Juniper by Eva Delaney
Series Name: Spell Library
Genres: Comedy, Contemporary, Fantasy, Ghosts, Magic, Paranormal Romance, Pirates, Reverse Harem, Romance, Shifters, Vampires
Intended Age Group: Adult
Publisher: Independent
Edition: Kindle
ASIN: B086HG2WRC
Rating: 3.5/5
Amazon

Description

Juniper is in hiding from some allies turned enemies for taking some things that weren’t hers. When she decides to use some dark magic for a night of fun with her three favorite toys, things go awry. The toys become dildo shifters! The three being: a shy vampire, an 18th century pirate, and Shakespeare himself.

The spell only lasts until morning, so Juniper promises to show them a good time. But can she really stand to let them go? If she wants a real chance at a future with them, she must come out of hiding and confront her problems.

Personal & Info

Violet is good, so I am continuing the series. If you also read Violet, I do not recommend using that as an expectation for this book. Violet is cute and funny, and generally appropriate. This book goes in a completely different, erotic, direction.

Some of these have paperback copies available, but not all of them. I can only find Amazon links for them, so that’s all I’m listing.

I don’t have good notes for this one, so I’m not sure I’ll have much to say. I’ll do my best anyway.

Characters

Juniper, the main character, is a dark witch. She’s hiding from people in plain sight by not using dark magic, because apparently people can track that. She’s a thriving business woman in the sex toy industry. Her products are magically enhanced for all kinds of shenanigans.

Oscar, I believe he is the bookish vampire. He is my favorite in this volume. I resonate with him and want him for myself.

Sam is the pirate. I think he hogs most of Juniper’s attention.

Shakes is literally Shakespeare. I think they function under the logic he doesn’t LOOK like Shakespeare because he looks younger than the commonly seen pictures or something like that.

Alyssa, I think she is Juniper’s best friend, if I am remembering right.

Story & Thoughts

I actually think the first third of the book is difficult to read, because it seems like it’s trying too hard. By this I mean, throwing in as many sexual jokes and phrases as possible, to the point where they don’t make sense, or sound strange. Some of the humor is lost because of this. After the first third, the story finds its pace and gets better.

This book has more action in it than Violet. There are magic duels, for example. I think an entire street gets messed up because of one.

I can’t remember the finer details about the story events toward the end with the island and the other witches and warlocks or whatever you want to call them. What I do remember is the book is very erotic, like, maybe eighty percent erotic, and twenty percent actual deep story. I’m making up these numbers.

There are elaborate sex scenes scattered about. Three ways, guy on guy, almost anything you can think for them to do, they do. It’s not shy either, you might as well be reading a full blown erotica.

It’s incredibly obvious Juniper’s favorite guy is the pirate. They have the best chemistry of the three, and their personalities seem to compliment each other in a gravitational way.

Violet (Spell Library #1)

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Violet by Mia Harlan
Series Name: Spell Library
Genres: Comedy, Contemporary, Fantasy, Magic, Paranormal Romance, Reverse Harem, Romance, Shifters, Vampires
Intended Age Group: Adult
Publisher: Independent
Edition: Kindle
ASIN: B086HXCNHT
Rating: 4.5/5
Amazon

Description

Violet is a young chameleon shifter on the run. She’s spent the past year posing as her 80-year-old best friend in Silver Springs. No one can ever find out who she is or what she looks like or she might end up dead. Not even her three fated mates: a bear shifter, a vampire mage, and a troll cop. But that might be out of her control.

Personal & Info

I see a lot of ebook ads on social media. That’s where I found this one. The description was so out there and funny on its own that I added it to my wish list. I scroll through my wish list regularly for sales, and this one was free one day, so I grabbed it. I’m glad I did, too, because this book is glorious!

I am unable to find any hardcopies or listings on other major sites, so I’ve only listed the link to the Amazon kindle version.

It’s been a while since I read this, but I like to read this series every so often as a pallet cleanser when I need a break. At this point, I’ve read four of them (in the past two years), so I’d like to get reviews up for them so I won’t be missing any when I get around to reading more of them.

All of these books CAN be read as stand alone novels, but they do connect a little. The characters appear in other books, and the main connector is a novel that gets passed to each main character.

Characters

Violet, the main character, is a chameleon shifter. She impersonates her best friend to work at the library. Violet is in a bit of trouble, so nobody can know who she really is.

Violet, Violet’s best friend (yes there are two Violets), is a skunk shifter. Other Violet impersonates this Violet at work.

Liam is troll police officer. I don’t mean the jokester kind, he is a literal troll. He’s related to one of the old ladies that frequents the library.

Bert is Liam’s partner. He’s a vampire who chooses to work the day shift.

Cash is a wealthy vampire. His name is rather fitting when you think about it. I think he invented this world’s version of social media, if I remember right.

Nole is a bear shifter. He works at the library with Violet. I believe he has two brothers, but I probably won’t be mentioning them.

Story & Thoughts

This book has me laughing and giggling most of the way. The first half is hilarious

The story occurs within the span of only a few days. Day one, Violet is practically bombarded by men. I won’t say how, because that would spoil the comedy.

My favorite is Cash. I like his sense of humor the most, and he seems like the sweetest, in my opinion. No details on how or why, because I don’t want to spoil anything.

The story is not purely comedy, though. It gets serious in the second half, but the events practically fly by, so it doesn’t feel like the book itself is serious.

Both Violets get a happy ending, which is great. It’s not really a surprise though, because as a romance, a happily ever after is standard. I am a little surprised at the ending old lady Violet gets, though. That part caught me off guard, but good for her.

The general setting of the story intrigues me, but I have to wonder what humans see if they can’t see all the paranormal stuff.

I’m tempted to give Violet a perfect score, because, as a comedy, the rating system is a little different. I laughed a lot, which is good, but I feel like there is something missing from the serious section. I love this book. It’s a great break from the more serious fantasy I often read.

Lover Reborn (Black Dagger Brotherhood #10)

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Lover Reborn by J.R. Ward
Series Name: Black Dagger Brotherhood
Genres: Contemporary, Erotica, Fantasy, Paranormal Romance, Urban, Vampires
Intended Age Group: Adult
Publisher: Berkley/Penguin
Edition: Paperback
ISBN: 978-0-451-23828-3
Rating: 3.5/5
Amazon Barnes & Noble ThriftBooks

Description from the Book

Ever since the death of his shellan, Tohrment has been a heartbroken shadow of the vampire leader he once was. Brought back to the Brotherhood by a self-serving fallen angel, he fights again with ruthless vengeance, unprepared for a new tragedy. Seeing his beloved in dreams – trapped in a cold, isolated netherworld -Tohr turns to the angel Lassiter to save his former mate. The only way to rescue her is for Tohr to love another. As war with the lessers rages and a new clan of vampires vies for the Blind King’s throne, Torh struggles between an unforgettable past and a hot, passion-filled future. But can his heart let go and set all of them free?

Personal & Info

This is the most recent volume in this series I’ve read. After this one, the reviews will be posted as I read them, so the content will be more fresh in my mind. This one isn’t exactly fresh, but it is the freshest. I read it in May of this year, so the gap is only a few months, as opposed to being a year ago, like most of them were.

Qhuinn’s book is next, and I’m super excited to read that. I’ve been putting it off until I get caught up with these reviews for the previous volumes.

Characters

Tohr is the main character for this book. This is the first time in a while he is getting any solid attention. I’m actually surprised his book is occurring this soon.

Lassiter is important here, because he is guiding Tohr.

No’One, also known as Autumn, is Xhex’s mother, and the love interest. I will be referring to her as Autumn, because that’s a little less confusing.

John and Xhex experience some growing pains in their relationship now that they actually have a relationship.

Qhuinn and Blay’s plot building sections come to a head. Qhuinn’s book is next, and I’m excited to read it.

The Band of Bastards gains more significance as they plot. The BDB might have two enemy factions to contend with from here on out.

Story & Thoughts

I don’t agree with the premise for this one. Being forced to move on and stop grieving because your dead loved ones are essentially hostages with a time limit and it’s all your fault, I hate that. I mean, I get it if it’s because last rights haven’t been carried out, because that’s a common thing in multiple religions, but that’s not the case here. There are multiple criteria to be met to “free” them.

None of it is fair to Autumn. It’s like Tohr uses her and insults her throughout most of the book. Forcing a relationship on them that they are not ready for does not make for good story, nor does it make for a healthy relationship. We see Tohr’s less flattering sides often in this volume.

John and Xhex get a lot of attention here. It’s almost as much their book as it is Tohr’s. They have their first real fight as a couple, and it’s ridiculously blown out of proportion due to stubbornness on both sides. I think they are both wrong, but Xhex isn’t willing to so much as try to understand where John is coming from. Everything has to be her way or the highway, and that’s not how a relationship should be.

Regardless of those two things, I like the story. A significant amount of important plot things happen aside from Tohr’s romance. The book doesn’t feel bogged down by any perspective for too long.

If you are reading these in tandem with the Fallen Angel series, like I am, you are likely aware how angels like Lassiter function by now. However, I think this is the first time it’s stated that they are essentially solar powered in some ways. It’s definitely wise to read both to have a solid grasp on them as a species, if species is even the right word.

Trigger Warnings

I’m just keeping a running list of trigger warnings that have been in the series so far, from what I can remember. If you’re reading the series, or considering reading the series, and you have sensitivities, you might want to know these. The list so far: abuse, attempted rape, drugs, kidnapping, sexual themes, rape, and violence.

Lover Unleashed (Black Dagger Brotherhood #9)

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Lover Unleashed by J.R. Ward
Series Name: Black Dagger Brotherhood
Genres: Contemporary, Erotica, Fantasy, Paranormal Romance, Urban, Vampires
Intended Age Group: Adult
Publisher: Signet/Penguin Group (USA)
Edition: Paperback
ISBN: 978-0-451-23511-4
Rating: 3/5
Amazon Barnes & Noble ThriftBooks

Description from the Book

A fighter by nature, a maverick when it comes to the traditional role of the Chosen female, Payne is cut from the same warrior cloth as her brother. And that’s before human surgeon Dr. Manuel Manello gets sucked into her dangerous world. Although he’s never believed in things that go bump in the night – like vampires – he’s more than willing to be seduced by the powerful female who marks him as her own. But as the two find so much more than an erotic connection, the human and the vampire worlds collide…just as a centuries-old score catches up with Payne and puts both her love and her life in deadly jeopardy.

Personal & Info

Based on my rating, this is one of the worst volumes I’ve encountered in the series. It’s a three, and yes, that’s not bad, but this one is a low three. Like, teetering on the edge of a high two.

I do think I should warn you, if you don’t like super corny plot devices, you might not like this volume. This book uses sex as a type of magical solution. It’s an erotica, so it doesn’t matter to me, but I know that kind of corny nonsense annoys some people.

Characters

Payne was introduced in the previous book, and she is the female lead in this one. I have a problem with how she is portrayed, though. She is built up to sound like a tough girl, as strong as any male, whom loves to fight. This book does not do her justice in my opinion.

Manny Manello is a surgeon, and the love interest for this volume. If his name sounds familiar, it’s because he used to work with Jane.

Vishous is significant in this one because Payne is his sister, so insert all overly protective brother tropes.

Jane is also significant here, because she and Manny are doctors, and Vishous plays a big part. This book is about as much about Jane and V as it is Payne and Manny.

Qhuinn and Blay’s stories get a little bit of attention here. They’re still building up for later.

Story & Thoughts

This book focuses more on relationships and interactions with the characters instead of combat or anything with the lessers. It seems like there’s been a long break from them. There were a couple “small” encounters with them in this, but that was about it, not nearly as much as in previous books. It’s actually a little baffling after a majority of books so far contained a lot of content involving the forelessers’ perspectives.

I don’t care much for all the Vishous and Jane drama in the first half of the book. I couldn’t wait for those sections to be over so I could get to the other characters. That same drama gets better in the second half, though. The resolution of it is the best part of that section.

I like the Manny and Payne sections, but at the same time they feel like nothing was really happening. The big issue concerning Payne builds up from the prologue and feels anticlimactic resulting in pretty much nothing. I don’t think they get enough screen time in their own book. The conclusion of their story also leaves me wanting. I feel like it was missing something

A new group of vampires is introduced in this volume as part of Payne’s past and comes to find her in the present. I’m not sure how I feel about them, yet.

I find it odd the entire book says Payne has eyes like diamonds, but the prologue says they are violet. That doesn’t make any sense.

Trigger Warnings

I’m just keeping a running list of trigger warnings that have been in the series so far, from what I can remember. If you’re reading the series, or considering reading the series, and you have sensitivities, you might want to know these. The list so far: abuse, attempted rape, drugs, kidnapping, sexual themes, rape, and violence.

Lover Mine (Black Dagger Brotherhood #8)

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Lover Mine by J.R. Ward
Series Name: Black Dagger Brotherhood
Genres: Contemporary, Erotica, Fantasy, Paranormal Romance, Urban, Vampires
Intended Age Group: Adult
Publisher: Signet/Penguin Group (USA)
Edition: Paperback
ISBN: 978-0-451-23155-0
Rating: 3.5/5
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Synopsis from the Book

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 very different destiny. As a vicious personal vendetta takes John into the heart of the war between vampires and their enemies, he will need to call upon both who he is now and who he once was in order to face off against evil incarnate – and rescue his one true love.

Personal & Info

If you weren’t looking forward to this volume, you’re probably lying. John has had plot building going on in the background of almost the entire series, and his sections have been some of the most alluring. I was impatient to get here.

There is a coded message before chapter one, and after the end of the last chapter. I’ll translate for people who don’t have the Insider’s Guide, which has an alphabet decoder in it. The code at the beginning says, “XHEX,” and the code at the end says, “JOHN MATTHEW.”

Characters

John Matthew finally gets his own book after being introduced in volume two.

Xhex, the love interest, experiences a lot of trauma and recovery. It’s similar to what Bella experienced, but a lot worse. Sex plays a big part in the recovery, which may not make total sense, but it’s fiction/fantasy and vampires, so whatever. If she needs good sex to recover from trauma sex, who am I to question fiction/fantasy erotica logic.

Lash is the most threatening villain so far, in my opinion.

Qhuinn experiences frustrations.

Blay starts dating, good for him.

Payne is introduced in this book. She spars with Wrath because she is not like other Chosen. Her book is next.

Story & Thoughts

I like this book, but I think there are things that could have been done differently to make the story and characters a little better.

We get a lot of Darius and Xhex backstory in this one. I like how it ties together with the current story involving John and Xhex. However, it can be considered a little weird. If you don’t see it, I’m not going to point it out.

I don’t like how Xhex, essentially, what did she call it, “chicked out.” That seemed out of character for her. She goes through a lot of trauma and stuff in this volume, but it’s like her whole personality tweaked and she became similar to all the other girls, at least for a little while. The balance of her vulnerable side versus her tough side seemed uncharacteristically different. I didn’t think she’d change THAT much after how she handled herself.

Lash’s part in the story feels anticlimactic. It seems necessary in order to tie up the story neat and tidy, but I just don’t find it satisfying.

Blay and Qhuinn’s sections feel more solid than John and Xhex. I found myself disappointed to only see glimpses of their story. I’m impatient to see more.

Kidnapping seems to be a running theme in the series. This is at least the third time someone has been kidnapped in proximity to the Brothers. I’m sure it probably won’t be the last.

Notable Issues

There are inconsistencies with John’s hair. This whole thing takes place over, maybe, a few days. The beginning of the book says he has a buzz cut, shaved bald, basically. Later on, fingers are run through his, “thick hair.” There’s no way his hair would have grown long enough for that in that time period.

I’m not sure what the ghost hunter parts have to do with anything. I get it’s probably a set up for later, but it seems so random and out of place throughout the book. It drags the story, and makes me get that, “why am I reading this,” feeling. I don’t care about the love life of two ghost hunter TV people. The parts that are likely to be important later are so small, I think the entire sub-story could have been cut. What Xhex sees on TV is probably enough.

Trigger Warnings

I’m just keeping a running list of trigger warnings that have been in the series so far, from what I can remember. If you’re reading the series, or considering reading the series, and you have sensitivities, you might want to know these. The list so far: abuse, attempted rape, drugs, kidnapping, sexual themes, rape, and violence.

Lover Avenged

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Lover Avenged by J.R. Ward
Series Name: Black Dagger Brotherhood
Volume Number: 7
Genres: Contemporary, Erotica, Fantasy, Paranormal Romance, Urban, Vampires
Intended Age Group: Adult
Publisher: Signet/Penguin Group (USA)
Edition: Paperback
ISBN: 978-0-451-22857-4
Rating: 3.5/5
Amazon Barnes & Noble ThriftBooks

Description from the Book

Rehvenge is used to living in the shadows and dealing with the roughest nightwalkers around – including the Black Dagger Brotherhood. His fearless reputation is why he’s approached to kill the race’s king, and his bad side is dying to rise to the occasion. As his secret identity as a sympath is threatened, he turns to the only light in his ever darkening world – a female vampire untouched by corruption and the only thing standing between him and eternal destruction.

Personal & Info

At this point, all the primary Brothers have been covered. Now close friends, recruits, and/or family (if they have any) of the Brotherhood are getting some of their own books. My notes for this one were practically non-existent, and I read it last November, so I’ll do my best.

There’s a coded message in the vampire language before chapter one. In case anyone is curious and/or does not have the Insider’s Guide, which I will not be reviewing, I’ll put a direct translation here. I didn’t check for punctuation, and I’m not going to go back and see if there was any. Yes, the typo in the text below was there. I translated it as is, according to my own physical copy.

NO STRONGER ALLIES
NO GREATER FRIENDS
NO BETTER FIGHTERS
OF HONOR COULD A
KING BEHOLD THAN
THESE ASSEMLED
AFORE ME MINE
BROTHERS MINE
BLOOD NO STRONGER
ALLIES NO GREATER
FRIENDS NO BETTER
FIGHTERS OF HONOR
COULD A KING
BEHOLD THAN THESE
ASSEMBLED AFORE ME
MINE BROTHERS MINE

Content Warnings

I’m just keeping a running list of content warnings that have been in the series so far, from what I can remember. If you’re reading the series, or considering reading the series, and you have sensitivities, you might want to know these. The list so far: abuse, attempted rape, drugs, kidnapping, sexual themes, rape, and violence.

Characters

Rehvenge is not a brother, but he is the lead for this book. I’d say he experiences lots of character growth.

Ehlena is a the love interest. She’s a nurse who works at Havers’ clinic, and a member of the glymera whom has fallen on hard times.

Wrath struggles with his role as king, wishing to be out in the field with the Brothers, and life throws him a curve ball.

John Matthew’s book is next, so he’s pretty significant in this one as the final prep for that is taken care of.

Xhex is very obviously going to be John’s love interest, and as a close friend of Rehv, she plays a big role here, and we get to learn a lot more about her as a character.

Lash looks like he’s going to be the primary villain for a while, big promotion from small time bully.

Story & Thoughts

I felt like this one dragged a little in the middle, not a lot, just enough to notice.

It was interesting to see the softer side of Rehv. Before this book, he was always portrayed as an intimidating drug lord, or an overbearing and overprotective older brother.

We started to get an idea of Rehv’s life in some of the previous volumes, but we get an even deeper delve in this one. Because Rehv is half sympath, he must deal with that side of his nature. He can’t be happy with anyone the way things are either, so he must remedy his blackmail situation, and do something about the sympath colony. All while choosing a side: the king, or the council.

More drama ensues around John, Blay, and Qhuinn. Honestly, their sections are part of what I look forward to in every book. It’s unfortunate those parts are minor background plot building. I’m sure they’ll culminate into something later. I just hate the wait.

Notable Issues

I think some details are getting a little warped. Books 1-6 solidly described lessers as smelling like baby powder. This book kind of got away from that a bit, specifically in the early sections.

The mechanics on being able to sense people via feeding has been rather non-specific. I haven’t been reading these immediately consecutive, so my memory might be a little off, but I thought both people had to feed in order to be able to both sense each other. Like, in an earlier volume, Phury fed off Bella, right? And because of that, she could sense where he was. And the BDB ritual includes all the Brothers ingesting the blood of each member, so they can all sense each other.

That leads me to be confused on why it seemed, in this book, using the Phury/Bella example, it was portrayed as, hypothetically, Phury being able to sense where Bella would be. I apologize if my explanation is confusing. I’m trying to explain without using a spoiler as the example. It just seems like the mechanics have either been changed or not specifically explained. If it functions the way it seems to in this book, then it makes the ingestion in the BDB ritual seem pointless.

Lover Enshrined

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Lover Enshrined by J.R. Ward
Series Name: Black Dagger Brotherhood
Volume Number: 6
Genres: Contemporary, Erotica, Fantasy, Paranormal Romance, Urban, Vampires
Intended Age Group: Adult
Publisher: Signet/Penguin Group (USA)
Edition: Paperback
ISBN: 978-0-451-22272-5
Rating: 3.5/5
Amazon Barnes & Noble ThriftBooks

Description from the Book

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….

Personal & Info

As with the others, I read this over a year ago, and my notes are essentially nonexistent. I’m doing these regardless to get caught up to the volume I’m currently reading. I will do my best based on skimming and memory. It’s been a while, though, so don’t expect anything amazing.

Content Warnings

I’m just keeping a running list of content warnings that have been in the series so far, from what I can remember. If you’re reading the series, or considering reading the series, and you have sensitivities, you might want to know these. The list so far: abuse, attempted rape, drugs, kidnapping, sexual themes, rape, and violence.

Characters

Phury is the Brother for this book. He’s the final of the original six. After this one the series goes on to include new recruits and/or close friends of the Brotherhood.

Cormia is the love interest for this volume. She was introduced in the previous book, Lover Unbound, as the Chosen intended to be the first mate of the Primale.

Zsadist, because you can’t have a Phury story without Z. Phury had to put up with his trauma crap, now Z has to put up with Phury’s trauma crap.

Rehvenge, because he’s been Phury’s dealer since day one, and his book is after this one.

John Matthew continues his plot building. He has a very obvious crush.

Qhuinn, we get to see deeper into his home life. It’s not pretty.

Lash continues to be a bully.

Story & Thoughts

I like this book, but it definitely has its problems. It attempts to tackle drug addiction as a theme for Phury. He’s been smoking something called red smoke since early on in the series. I specifically recall the earlier books describing red smoke as less dangerous and less potent than marijuana. That information was completely thrown out the window here.

Red smoke is his primary addiction, and is shown to be much worse than marijuana, if you know anything about it. This inconsistency put a damper on the whole book for me. It changed a fact to create drama for the story. Phury is portrayed as a legitimate drug addict despite previous information. It’s used as a means to encourage him to try something harder. If you’re sensitive to drug related stories, this book might not sit well with you.

My notes say I found parts repetitive, but I can’t remember if that’s the drug related parts specifically or not. If it is, then it’s likely referring to relapse sections. Relapses are a realistic thing and all, but they’re not always engaging to read.

John, Qhuinn, Lash, and Blay all have significant story in this volume. I remember looking forward to those sections more than Phury’s.

Sympaths get more in depth coverage in this volume, too. Rehvenge’s book is after this one, so this book covers all the necessary story preparations for that. There’s also a closer look at his staff, like Xhex, Trez, and iAm, who all work at his club. This does not mean his employees are sympaths, it just means they’re relevant to him specifically, because they are his trusted inner circle.

Lover Unbound

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Lover Unbound by J.R. Ward
Series Name: Black Dagger Brotherhood
Volume Number: 5
Genres: Contemporary, Erotica, Fantasy, Paranormal Romance, Urban, Vampires
Intended Age Group: Adult
Publisher: Signet/Penguin Group (USA)
Edition: Paperback
ISBN: 978-0-451-22235-0
Rating: 3/5
Amazon Barnes & Noble ThriftBooks

Description from the Book

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 a 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….

Personal & Info

I like this one, but I don’t think it’s as good as two through four. Like the others, I read this about a year ago. My notes for this volume are practically nonexistent, so I’ll do my best with skimming and memory.

Content Warnings

I’m just keeping a running list of content warnings that have been in the series so far, from what I can remember. If you’re reading the series, or considering reading the series, and you have sensitivities, you might want to know these. The list so far: abuse, attempted rape, drugs, kidnapping, sexual themes, rape, and violence.

Characters

Vishous is the lead Brother in this volume, which I think is a good thing, because Butch was the book before this one. I’m glad V doesn’t have to wait a long time after Butch to find happiness.

Dr. Jane Whitcomb, or Doc Jane, as everyone will come to call her, is the love interest. She experienced a family tragedy when she was young that encouraged her to become a doctor. Her personal ethics as a medical professional are strong.

Butch, can’t have a V story without Butch. He may have found his own love, but the bromance lives on.

John Matthew will likely be important in every book until his own novel. He’s not usually plot heavy important, but the build up of his story is likely important. Qhuinn and Blay, too, because the three of them are like a packaged deal.

Phury’s book is next so he’s getting more plot building. Phury plot stuff means more Zsadist plot stuff. Phury still pines after Bella while Z’s relationship with her just keeps getting better.

Cormia is the chosen of the Chosen. She is supposed to be the first mate to the Primale of the vampire species, but she doesn’t want the job. I won’t say more about what any of that means to avoid possible spoilers.

Story & Thoughts

There were only one or two tiny encounters with the Lessers. It’s like this book was a complete break from the usual villains being involved in anything. Every book before this one had significant Lesser activities throughout. It seemed odd with it missing.

The Brotherhood, and Vishous’ backstory are the primary focus for this volume. As with Lover Awakened, this volume has some heavier abuse themes. V did not have a good time in his father’s camp.

The pacing of romantic and erotic events seem a bit fast. I think Stockholm syndrome plays a big part in it.

Ever since John was introduced, a mass sprinkling of details and plot building for him has been going on in the background. His sections are some of my favorite parts. I love how Z takes the time to go for walks with John and talk with him. It’s very adoptive dad of him.

I’m baffled by the constant mentioning of the need for more warriors, yet the members of the Brotherhood are constantly given permission to have Shellans who can’t bare children. It’s not all of them. Wrath and Beth, for example, could feasibly have children. But it seems like most, if not all of the Brothers, don’t have any living family, so they are all the last of their lines. It makes me wonder if they should, or will, take more than one mate in the future. I doubt it, but the lore says males can do that. It seems a shame to let their lines die out if they are so important.

Lover Revealed

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Lover Revealed by J.R. Ward
Series Name: Black Dagger Brotherhood
Volume Number: 4
Genres: Contemporary, Erotica, Fantasy, Paranormal Romance, Urban, Vampires
Intended Age Group: Adult
Publisher: Signet/Penguin Group (USA)
Edition: Paperback
ISBN: 978-0-451-22968-7
Rating: 4/5
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Description from the Book

In the shadows of the night in Caldwell, New York, there’s a war raging between vampires and their slayers. There exists a secret band of brothers like no other – six vampire warriors, defenders of their race. But now an ally of the brotherhood is about to encounter his own dark desires….

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. He’s got nothing to lose. His heart belongs to a female vampire, an aristocratic beauty who’s way out of his league. If he can’t have Marissa, then at least he can fight side by side with the Brothers….

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. But even her love may not be enough to save him….

Personal & Info

Again, for the third in a row, my copy has a different Signet logo.

It’s been over a year since I read this one. Unfortunately, my notes are practically nonexistent, so I can’t guarantee I will have much to say. I remember I like this volume. I gave it a 4/5, but I think I like Lover Eternal more, which also has a 4/5.

Content Warnings

At this point, I’m just keeping a running list of content warnings that have been in the series so far, from what I can remember. If you’re reading the series, or considering reading the series, and you have sensitivities, you might want to know these. The list so far: abuse, attempted rape, drugs, kidnapping, sexual themes, rape, and violence.

Characters

Butch is the male lead for this book. He’s not a Brother, but he’s been around since volume one, so I suppose he deserves one. It would make little sense to keep him around if he didn’t get his own story at some point. If I recall correctly, Butch opens up about his not so great family to teach us a bit more about his background.

Vishous and Butch have a hard core bromance going, so it would be hard to have a Butch story without significantly including V.

Marissa has also been around since the first volume. I felt bad for her, so I’m glad she gets her own love story. She’s had to wait far too long.

Havers, Marissa’s brother, obviously would need to be in a story where she is significant. He’s not a character I ever liked, and he doesn’t make himself any more likable in this volume.

Rehvenge will probably be a consistently mentioned character since his sister Bella is with a Brother from the pervious book. He has connections in multiple parts of the story, because he also deals red smoke to Phury.

John Matthew seems to be significant in every book. There’s a slow build going on with his story leading up to his book, which is…volume eight, according to a series list.

Xhex is introduced early on in this one. I can’t remember for sure, but I don’t think she was mentioned much, if at all, before this volume. She is head of security at Rehvenge’s club.

Qhuinn, I think, is introduced in this volume. I couldn’t find his name from skimming until now, so that’s what I’m assuming. He and Blaylock are best friends, and will be around John a lot, because it seems they are the friends he’s made in class.

Story & Thoughts

I’d say this is the first book where the Omega makes a move personally. Or at least a significant move not orchestrated and carried out by his army. Is it really to his advantage? I’m not so sure.

Butch and Marissa make a good couple, but they’re terrible at communicating. Most of their drama stems from lack of communication. It’s a cliché in romance. They work it out eventually, because as a romance it has to have an HEA, but I think it’s strange how difficult a time they had being open with each other initially.

Honestly, I would have also been fine with V and Butch being paired. I think they would have made a good couple. They already have good banter and a blatantly obvious bromance.

John’s had a crappy life. It’s unfortunate he has to deal with depression and bullies right when things start looking up.

Lover Awakened

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Lover Awakened by J.R. Ward
Series Name: Black Dagger Brotherhood
Volume Number: 3
Genres: Contemporary, Erotica, Fantasy, Paranormal Romance, Urban, Vampires
Intended Age Group: Adult
Publisher: Signet/Penguin Group (USA)
Edition: Paperback
ISBN: 978-0-451-21936-7
Rating: 4.5/5
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Description from the Book

In the Shadows of the night in Caldwell, New York, a deadly turf war rages between vampires and their slayers. There exists a secret band of brothers like no other – six vampire warriors, defenders of their race. Of these, Zsadist is the most terrifying member of the Black Dagger Brotherhood.

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 his only passion – until he rescues a beautiful female from the evil Lessening Society.

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

Personal & Info

I’ve noticed some of the volumes I have don’t match any other cover images. I want to be accurate to which edition I read, so I’m taking a picture of the books for the ones of which I can’t find an accurate representation. For this particular series, it looks like a chunk of the copies I have contain a different Signet logo than other copies. I think, maybe, the copies I have use an outdated logo.

This volume is another one of my favorites. I don’t think I can choose between Lover Eternal and Lover Awakened. This one has a lot of abuse themes in it, so if you don’t like that kind of story, you might not like this volume. However, this one appears to be a fan favorite from what I’ve seen.

Content Warnings

At this point, I’m just keeping a running list of content warnings that have been in the series so far, from what I can remember. If you’re reading the series, or considering reading the series, and you have sensitivities, you might want to know these. The list so far: abuse, attempted rape, drugs, kidnapping, sexual themes, rape, and violence.

Characters

Zsadist is the primary Brother for this volume. We get to dig past his temper and hard shell to see his traumatic past and how he copes. The supposedly scariest and most intimidating of the Brothers has a softer side, and we get to see it.

Bella, who previously just wanted to dance with danger by flirting with Zsadist in the last book, has some trauma of her own. If there’s someone out there for him, it’s her. I think her recent experiences make her more suited to him. She may not have been a good match before.

Rehvenge, Bella’s brother. I can’t remember if he had any significant role in the first two books, but he’s in this one, so I should probably add drugs to the trigger warnings. Can’t have Rehv in the books without drugs.

Tohrment, this book is both a great and terrible time for Tohr…

Phury, you can’t have a Z story without Phury. They are far too close for that to be permissible.

Blaylock will be significant later. He’s one of John’s classmates.

Lash is an a-hole, whom, unfortunately, will be significant.

Story & Thoughts

This series keeps getting better as it goes. This volume has drama as Zsadist and Phury are so similar as twins they even have the same taste in women. Their history is revealed in a series of flashbacks cluing the reader in on Zsadist’s traumatic past, and Phury’s quest to find him. It’s impossible to learn more about one of them without including the other. They’re twins and therefore their lives are eternally linked.

I think this book is as much about Zsadist’s character development as it is the romance. Z has leaps and bounds of character growth, and so does Bella. Two traumatized people learn to help and love each other. Of course, the love part gets an assisted boost as the series shows a needing for the first time. It’s pretty extreme.

Substantial plot building has been laid out over the course of the first three volumes, and I’m interested to see where things go. I’m hooked on the series, and don’t plan to stop reading any time soon.

I thought I adjusted to the terminology and slang in this series. I was proven wrong in this volume. In John’s sections, he mentions the use of “ji” for martial arts. I’m certain this term is incorrect. It should be a “gi.” I did some googling to make sure. It bugged me every time I read it, and it will continue to bug me every time I see it.

Sometimes I think words are abbreviated for no reason other than to make characters or the writing sound cooler. This guy was using binoculars, but they were constantly referred to as “binocs.” I’ve never heard anyone call them that. I don’t know if it’s a common term abbreviation, but I suspect not.

This book was very close to a 5/5, but I couldn’t get past enough small oddities to approve that score.