BOOK REVIEW ~ LOVER AT LAST BY JR WARD

Title:  Lover At Last ( Black Dagger Brotherhood, Book 11)

Author: JR Ward

Release Date: March 27, 2013

Reviewer purchased own copy of eBook

Qhuinn, son of no one, is used to being on his own. Disavowed from his bloodline, shunned by the aristocracy, he has finally found an identity as one of the most brutal fighters in the war against the Lessening Society. But his life is not complete. Even as the prospect of having a family of his own seems to be within reach, he is empty on the inside, his heart given to another....

Blay, after years of unrequited love, has moved on from his feelings for Qhuinn. And it’s about time: The male has found his perfect match in a Chosen female, and they are going to have a young—just as Qhuinn has always wanted for himself. It’s hard to see the new couple together, but building your life around a pipe dream is just a heartbreak waiting to happen. As he’s learned firsthand.

Fate seems to have taken these vampire soldiers in different directions... but as the battle over the race’s throne intensifies, and new players on the scene in Caldwell create mortal danger for the Brotherhood, Qhuinn finally learns the true definition of courage, and two hearts who are meant to be together... finally become one.

Book Review 

(singing) "It's been a loooong time comin'!" AHEM. Let me get my thinking cap on here ***makes minor adjustments***

Holy Freakin' Shit!

Okay. You know when a book's upcoming release gets a lot of hype and you're anxious about said book and you gnaw on your nails because you're so damn excited but nauseated at the same time? 

Yeah ~ LOVER AT LAST is like that. I was so worried about how this book would go. It really had only two ways to fall: 

1.  A big bust and major disappointment because what you really wanted to happen really NEVER happened.

2. A huge surprise and you're drooling all over yourself, banging your head on any and all hard surfaces because your girly bits are exploding, AND your toes have gone into perma-curl mode so that you have to get a crow bar just to uncurl the bastards. 

Well, the WARDen totally surpassed my expectations and I did a whole lotta number 2. ER...I mean, I banged my head on any and all hard surfaces and had to use a crow bar to uncurl my toes. NOT that number 2. 

Moving on...*blushing furiously*


Qhuinn and Blay's story has been a secondary story throughout all of Ward's books. Now they have moved to the spotlight, where their HEA shines brilliantly with epic sex scenes that blew my mind, startling WTF moments when an unexpected body pops up from vat of Lesser blood, and show-stealing secondary plots that were phenomenal and just as riveting. 

As I was reading, I couldn't help but squee a little to myself at all the possibilities that kept flying around. We get to see so much more of Trek and Assail (who I have to say is really smexy and fast becoming a favorite) and see a softer said of Xcor who continues to pine for Layla. 

Then there are the hilarious WARDisms (as I like to call them) that just make me smile as I read them. You know what I'm talking about...

Yup, someone was popcorn-and-Milk-Dudding it from over on the left by the staff entrance.

 
Listen, I gotta go. I need both hands to hold my gut as I laugh my ass off attcha. Later. 

Holy inappropriateness, Batman. And too bad that fact did nothing to change his thought pattern. 

"Annnnd this explains why they say the female of the species is more dangerous than the male." "Word," someone muttered from out in the hall.  

But my fave line? 

And Qhuinn felt well and truly owned for the first time in his life. It was...nothing short of a miracle.  

To me, that line summed it up perfectly -- It personifies how Qhuinn for years felt alone, ostracized from his family, and unwanted. It was a profound moment for me in LOVER AT LAST.

There are numerous fantastical and fanatical moments in this book--but only one disappointing factor that stops me from giving this a full 5 star rating. It has NOTHING to do with plot development, characters ARC's, editing, etc. WARD is just too freaking brilliant in that department. 

It was the fact that I missed my original six Brothers and how they made me laugh out loud in the most awkward of places. Especially Rhage. He always had the knack for making me crack up, but this time around I didn't do much of that. And Lassiter would make my sides hurt at his hilarity. It just felt a little forced this time around.

But I will always remain a dedicated WARDen fan, re-reading her shit, because---you can NEVER get too much of the Brotherhood. 

Not. Possible.

On a side note ~ To know that the next book (THE KING) will be about Wrath and Beth? Well, that's just the happy-happy to my joy-joy and made me giddy as all get-out. 

BOOK REVIEW ~ RAPTURE BY JR WARD

Title:  Rapture ( The Fallen Angels, Book 4)

Author: JR Ward

Release Date: September 25, 2012

Reviewer purchase own copy of book

Mels Carmichael, reporter for the Caldwell Courier Journal, gets the shock of her life when a man stumbles in front of her car outside the local cemetery. After the accident, his amnesia is just the kind of mystery she likes to solve, but she soon discovers they're over their heads with his past. Over their heads with passion, too ...As shadows walk the line between reality and another realm, and her lover's memory begins to come back, the two of them learn that nothing is truly dead and buried. Especially when you're trapped in a no-holds-barred war between angels and demons. With a soul on the line, and Mels's heart at risk, what in heaven - or in hell - will it take to save them both?

After reporter Mels Carmichael hits a disheveled man with her car outside the local cemetery, she pays a visit to the stranger in the hospital. The only thing he remembers of his past is seeing a name written on a headstone: that of Jim Heron—a fallen angel charged with rescuing souls from the seven deadly sins. Now, as Mels struggles to help this mysterious stranger rediscover himself, Heron himself returns to prepare for a battle between good and evil.

Those who know me understand my obsession with the WARDen and the books she writes. It's a no-brainer that I will automatically buy her stories. This woman has the gift for crafting a story that makes me wish I could write like her.

She is some serious heapin' portion of awesomesauce.

That being said, I will ALWAYS give an honest review--and I honestly LURVE this series. It is one of those series that just get better and better as I read. And the WARDen just can't put them out fast enough!  For two days I was lost in Caldwell, NY, spying on Jim Heron and his buddy Adrian. And hoping like hell Devina got her ass kicked real good.

If you have not read this book yet, and follow this series religiously, you might want to skip this review. I know that the hero has remained a big secret-and will be revealed in this post. So, step away now if you don't want to know.

The sexy, yet very evil Devina hasn't been playing very nice. And because of her affinity for rule breaking, a soul that has been damned her wall of souls has been brought back to earth for another chance. You get to see more developmental background info about Devina and what makes her tick. I love the scenes that display her OCD tendencies and visits with her psychiatrist.  

Matthias, Jim's old boss, wakes up naked in a cemetery atop Jim Heron's grave with no memories of his dark past. He has somehow escaped hell and been given another chance to make the right choice. But will he be able to once his memory comes back and he faces all the evil deeds in his past?

A car accident puts Mels life in danger as she falls for the naked man (Matthias) that she hit with her car. She can't explain the pull he has over her, but she finds herself helping Matthias try to gain his memories.

I seriously wondered how WARDen would pull this one off. How do you take a man who has already been shot, rotting in hell and turn him into a character that you can relate to and root for?

Oh, yea of little faith...

I absolutely love these characters: Jim, dog, Adrian, and even Devina...evil bitch that she is...has me absorbing every word and wearing a shit eating grin until the last page. There are huge WTF moments and laugh-out-loud scenes. And my heart breaks for Adrian's loss and how he deals with it. Just when you think you know how these characters will react, WARDen throws a big monkey wrench in there and leaves you completely stunned.

Secrets are revealed that have been driving me crazy. Like the fact that dog is not just a dog. His secret identity will no longer be so secret. But the WARDen also leaves us a new puzzle to be solved. 

I have finally figured out that WARDen's books cannot be skimmed. In fact, her books are like the episodes of LOST...you have to re-read them over and over in case you missed something the first time. I highly recommend listening to the audio of this series--it is superb! 

Rapture simply enraptured me from beginning to end. And as usual, I am salivating until the next one.



BOOK REVIEW ~ LOVER REBORN -- JR WARD

Title: Lover Reborn
Author: J.R. Ward
ISBN-10: 0451235843
ISBN-13: 978-0451235848
Publisher: NAL
Release Date: March 27, 2012
Hardback: 572 page
Genre: Paranormal, Vampire

**NOTE--Reviewer bought Kindle eBook version



Where to buy the book:
Amazon
Barnes and Noble
BAM


Where to find the author:
Website
Goodreads
Twitter
Facebook
Official Blackdagger Brotherhood Yahoo Group
JR Ward Message Board
Blackdagger Brotherhood Store



Book Blurb:

In the darkest corners of the night in Caldwell, New York, a conflict like no other rages. The city is home to a band of brothers born to defend their race: the warrior vampires of the Black Dagger Brotherhood.

Now back in the Brotherhood - and unrecognisable as the vampire leader he once was - Tohrment is physically emaciated and heartbroken beyond despair. When he begins to see his beloved in his dreams - trapped in a cold, isolating netherworld - Tohr turns to a self-serving fallen angel in hopes of saving the one he has lost. When he's told 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?

Book Review:

There is seriously NO WAY that I can do this book review any true sense of justice. The words that swarm around in my head are jumbled--HOLY SHIT, HOT DAMN, OMG, JAYSUS, and JR, YOU ARE KILLING ME.  This is just a taste of what echoes inside my head as I read LOVER REBORN.

I wanted to savor this book like a vintage aged wine--caress each word like a long lost lover, memorize every scene like a favorite movie, and immerse myself with the Brothers that I have come to love and adore. I didn't want it to end.

Sometimes, you wait forever for a book to be released. You sit on pins and needles hoping and praying that you won't be disappointed. And sometimes, if you're lucky, the author surpasses your expectations and blows it completely out of the water.

JR Ward, I bow to your greatness and am so freakin' jealous of the tremendous talent you have. As a writer, you have touched a part of my creative soul and have made my toes curl. The words that flow from you are heart-felt, genuine, and so damn real. I had several moments where the characters (especially John Matthew) literally stood in front of me and I could feel everything like a punch to the gut. If I could have one-tenth of your talent, I would die a happy gal.

There are sooooo many lines, scenes, and parts of this book that affected me deeply. And I will NOT spoil it for those who haven't gotten the chance to read it. Let's just say that this book made me cry several times, laugh out loud and literally jump out of my seat. 

The icing on the cake? Quinn and Blay will have their own book--a full length novel, peeps--and I wait on pins and needles, again.

Thank you, JR, for staying true to yourself, the Brothers, and writing what you see--not what the public or the publishers demand.  I commend you for that.

4.5 Horny Devils

And for those of you who haven't read THE FALLEN ANGELS Series---you must do so NOW. This series has the flavor and flair of the BDB and I am now listening them on audio. The narrartor has me swooning all over the place and is by far the best I have ever heard on audio books.

Best Books Read in 2011 ~ A Year In Review

For the first time ever, I have been keeping track of the books I read over on my Goodreads profile. I have even set a goal for this year--to read 200 books by December 31, 2011.  I am this close. **index and thumb finger almost touching** UGH! I have read about 190. My profile shows 183, cause I don't include re-reads. Maybe I should reconsider, lol.

Trying to come up with just one book out of the year is tough--there are so many damn good authors out there, that I cannot single out just one. IMPOSSIBLE. **NOTE- this compilation comes from the books I have READ in 2011, NOT books that were published in 2011. Kay?

So, I have come up with 25.

They are in no way in order-it's like trying to pick my favorite kid. I can't favor one over another. NOPE. NOT GONNA. But I do follow this list with a few Awards---they don't win anything, of course, but it's fun to do. Maybe when I win the lottery I can offer up some trophies?


1. Shadowfever ~ Karen Marie Moning.
2. The Club Shadowlands Series ~ Cherise Sinclair. To Command and Collar Book 6 is the top fave of the series
3. The Reluctant Dom ~ Tymber Dalton
4. The Groupie ~ Ginger Voight 
5. Sinners On Tour ~ Olivia Cunning  Backstage Pass Book 1 is my fave.
6. Dark Ink Chronicles ~ Elle Jasper  Afterlife Book 1 is my fave
7. Chicagoland Vampires ~  Chloe Neill  Hard Bitten Book 4
8. Nickki Styx and The Devil's Bargin series ~ Terri Garey GAH--toughie--Devil Without A Cause if my fave.
9. Night Huntress Series ~ Jeaniene Frost  AGAIN-toughie-Book Two, Chapter 32, LOL. One Foot In The Grave
10. Charley Davidson series ~ Darynda Jones Second Grave on the Left
11. Men Who Walk The Edge of Honor Series  ~ Lori Foster  Savor The Danger Book 3
12. My Blood Approves Series ~ Amanda Hocking  Book 1 My Blood Approves
13. Jolie Wilkins Series ~ H.P. Mallory  Toil and Trouble Book 3
14. Deadly Series ~ Cynthia Eden  Deadly Heat Book 2
15. KGI Series ~ Maya Banks No Place To Run Book 2
16. Lover Unleashed - ~ JR Ward
17. Envy ~ JR Ward
18. Breaking The Rules ~ Suzanne Brockmann
19. The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer ~ Michelle Hodkin
20. The Fall ~ Marie Force
21. Sing Me To Sleep ~ Angela Morrison
22. Second Chances ~ Lauren Dane
23. Delicious ~ Shayla Black
24. Larissa Ione ~ Immortal Rider
25. Lara Adrian ~ Darker Than Midnight



SHOCKER of the Year  AWARD for me was from a new-to-me author, Ginger Voight. Her book, The Groupie was an emotional roller coaster--it was like watching a train wreck and I couldn't pull my eyes away. The emotions were heart wrenching and I am dying to see where she takes me in the next book.




Link for Author

 Blurb:

Into any girl's life a star could fall, but there's a thin line between love and obsession.

Andy Foster never expected lightning to strike when she met the enigmatic frontman of an up-and-coming rock band, but Giovanni Carnevale left her thunderstruck. At first it was easy to use her freelance writing career as an excuse to indulge the steamy flirtation, but soon she finds herself entangled in the fake and sometimes dangerous world of celebrity where nothing is as it seems, including the celebrities themselves.

She hangs on to find something real amidst the illusion, while Giovanni balances what he wants against what he fears most. Unknowingly they race toward a dramatic moment of truth that will leave two people injured, and one dead.


TEAR-JERKER of the Year AWARD is a tie.  The Reluctant Dom, by Tymber Dalton, had my sobbing several times. I still am not over it.




Link For Author

 Blurb:

 Sometimes, love hurts...if you’re lucky.

How can you refuse when a dying friend asks you for the biggest favor of all? Kaden and Seth have been best friends for over forty years. So when Kaden confesses not only that he’s dying, but that he wants Seth to take over as his wife’s Dom in their BDSM relationship, it rocks his world.

Seth has always seen himself as the perpetual screw-up and Kaden as the strong and steady one. To find out he is the only one Kaden trusts to protect and care for his wife, Leah, is a shock.
Now Seth finds himself immersed in a role he’s far from comfortable with—inflicting pain to provide emotional comfort for the woman he’s secretly loved for years. Can he deal with his crushing grief and learn the skills he must master in time to become THE RELUCTANT DOM?

**WARNING-STRONG BDSM ELEMENTS WITH A MENAGE SCENE. CRYING AND SOBBING ALOUD TO BE EXPECTED AND TISSUES READY!

Lauren Dane's Second Chances had me crying in my bed. I was an emotional wreck-all splotchy-faced and weak from sobbing so hard.



Blurb:


Link to Author



Ten years ago, Rori Simon left town shy, unattractive and with zero self-esteem. Now she’s back, older, stronger and finally loving herself—and it shows. Hot men are soon knocking at her door, including Jude Callahan, the bad boy who starred in her teenage daydreams…and her adult fantasies.

Jude can’t believe the sexy, confident woman before him is actually Rori! She’s gotten under his skin like no other woman has…and brings out secret desires he can’t resist. He wants to dominate Rori with every fiber of his being. Wants to own her and pleasure her. To cherish her as he makes her his.
Rori discovers she likes being controlled. She also knows Jude is not a one-woman man. Everything changes when she meets Zach Helm. Edgy, sensual Zach knows just what she needs, and before long, she’s in love. Jude watches them together and wonders if he’s lost his chance forever…

**WARNING-THIS BOOK CONTAINS HEAVY BDSM ELEMENTS! EROTIC AND HOT -- EMOTIONAL READ~ TISSUE BOX NEARBY IS A MUST.

MOST ANTICIPATED AND DIDN'T DISAPPOINT AWARD goes to Shadowfever by Karen Marie Moning. Her final book in this series was WELL DONE--and fit perfectly regarding the world she created. Some readers thought that there weren't enough answers. ME? I thought Karen handled it well. Sometimes, things can't be neatly tied up in a cute package. What is Jericho really?......To me, it doesn't matter.



Link to Author



                "You're Mac, and I'm Jericho. And nothing else matters."  ---Jericho, from Shadowfever.

Blurb:

MacKayla Lane was just a child when she and her sister, Alina, were given up for adoption and banished from Ireland forever.

Twenty years later, Alina is dead and Mac has returned to the country that expelled them to hunt her sister’s murderer. But after discovering that she descends from a bloodline both gifted and cursed, Mac is plunged into a secret history: an ancient conflict between humans and immortals who have lived concealed among us for thousands of years.

What follows is a shocking chain of events with devastating consequences, and now Mac struggles to cope with grief while continuing her mission to acquire and control the Sinsar Dubh—a book of dark, forbidden magic scribed by the mythical Unseelie King, containing the power to create and destroy worlds.

In an epic battle between humans and Fae, the hunter becomes the hunted when the Sinsar Dubh turns on Mac and begins mowing a deadly path through those she loves.
Who can she turn to? Who can she trust? Who is the woman haunting her dreams? More important, who is Mac herself and what is the destiny she glimpses in the black and crimson designs of an ancient tarot card?

From the luxury of the Lord Master’s penthouse to the sordid depths of an Unseelie nightclub, from the erotic bed of her lover to the terrifying bed of the Unseelie King, Mac’s journey will force her to face the truth of her exile, and to make a choice that will either save the world . . . or destroy it.

Best DEBUT AUTHOR again---is a TIE.

We'll start with H.P. Mallory. I simply love her writing style and her Jolie Series. Her new book can't get here fast enough.

Link To Author

Do not be fooled by her comical cover---this series is really great. I have suggested this book to other avid readers and they LOVED IT. So, I have to pimp it here.  H.P. started out self-publishing and her popular books rocketed her to a 3 book contract with Random House. WOOT WOOT! Which means her Jolie series will include 3 more books, starting with the release of  Witchful Thinking, to be out in stores Feb. 28, 2012.





Next, is Olivia Cunning, and her first book, Backstage Pass. I LOVED, LOVED, LOVED this book (and my book pimping got a lot of peeps hooked as well)!





Link to Author

 Blurb:

It's been months since Brian Sinclair, lead guitarist for the famous rock band, Sinners, composed anything. Unable to write the music that once flowed so naturally, Brian is lost without his musical mojo. But when sexy psychology professor Myrna Evans comes on tour to study groupie mentality, Brian may have found the spark he needs to reignite his musical genius. When lust turns to love, will Brian be able to convince Myrna that what they have is more than just a fling, and that now that he's found his heart's muse, he doesn't want to live without her?

**WARNING--EXTREMELY HAWT and rated OMFG, I NEED A COLD SHOWER!  MAY CAUSE ADDICTION TO ANYTHING RELEATED TO THE SINNERS.






Okay---last two awards are titled FUNNIEST SHIT I HAVE EVER READ and HER BOOKS JUST GET BETTER AND BETTER.

I adore and LURVE Darynda Jones. I would walk the ends of the earth to get her book. She is THE nicest author I have had the priveldge to meet. And her books?  AWESOME, AMAZING, AND FUNNY AS SHIT--not to mention, her questionable hero, Reyes, is SMOKIN' HAWT-and sometimes--not in a good way.

Blurb:

Charley Davidson, Grim Reaper Extraordinaire, is back in this sexy, suspenseful novel of supernatural shenanigans When Charley is rudely awakened in the middle of the night by her best friend who tells her to get dressed quickly and tosses clothes out of the closet at her, she can’t help but wonder what Cookie’s up to. Leather scrunch boots with a floral miniskirt? Togethe...moreCharley Davidson, Grim Reaper Extraordinaire, is back in this sexy, suspenseful novel of supernatural shenanigans When Charley is rudely awakened in the middle of the night by her best friend who tells her to get dressed quickly and tosses clothes out of the closet at her, she can’t help but wonder what Cookie’s up to. Leather scrunch boots with a floral miniskirt? Together? Seriously? Cookie explains that a friend of hers named Mimi disappeared five days earlier and that she just got a text from her setting up a meet at a coffee shop downtown. They show up at the coffee shop, but no Mimi. But Charley finds a message on the bathroom wall. Mimi left a clue, a woman’s name. Mimi’s husband explains that his wife had been acting strange since she found out an old friend of hers from high school had been found murdered a couple weeks prior. The same woman Mimi had named in her message.

Meanwhile, Reyes Alexander Farrow (otherwise known as the Son of Satan. Yes. Literally) has left his corporeal body and is haunting Charley. He’s left his body because he’s being tortured by demons who want to lure Charley closer. But Reyes can’t let that happen. Because if the demons get to Charley, they’ll have a portal to heaven. And if they have a portal to heaven…well, let’s just say it wouldn’t be pretty. Can Charley handle hot nights with Reyes and even hotter days tracking down a missing woman? Will Cookie ever get a true fashion sense? And is there enough coffee and chocolate in the world to fuel them as they do?

JR Ward's Fallen Angels series started out kinda iffy for me. As a huge fan of the BDB series, I was shocked when I thought Covet was just okay. NOT her usual work.  But as I continued with this series, it started to woo me-rock me--and make me all tingly in certain places. That's why ENVY gets the HER BOOKS JUST GET BETTER AND BETTER Award.



Link to Author

Blurb:

A man and a woman tread the lines of danger, desire, and deliverance in the new novel of the Fallen Angels from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Black Dagger Brotherhood series....

ENVY

As the son of a serial killer, homicide detective Thomas "Veck" DelVecchio, Jr., grew up in the shadow of evil. Now, on the knife-edge between civic duty and blind retribution, he atones for the sins of his father---while fighting his inner demons. Assigned to monitor Veck is Internal Affairs officer Sophia Reilly, whose interest in him is both professional and arousingly personal. And Veck and Sophia have another link: Jim Heron, a mysterious stranger with too many answers...to questions that are deadly. When Veck and Sophia are drawn into the ultimate battle between good and evil, their fallen angel savior is the only thing that stands between them and eternal damnation.

So there are my picks for 2011.
What were your faves in the same categories that I picked? Your overall fave read of 2011 that you read? I'd love to hear what you guys have to say.