Book Review: Lover Reborn by J.R. Ward

Author: J.R. Ward

Series: Black Dagger Brotherhood #10

My Rating: 4 cups

Blurb (from Goodreads):

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?

The wait is finally over! I'm happy Tohr gets a second chance and I have to say, I was actually impressed. I had doubts and some of my feelings haven't changed, but I think it turned out good.

First of all, I believe Lover Reborn is better than Lover Unleashed. There wasn't a question as to who's book was it really, I knew it was Tohr and No'One's and even thought there were a lot of subplots, they didn't take up too much space. Second, we get to see Lassiter a lot more and I have to say, I love that angel.

I have to be honest here. The moment I heard that No'One was going to be Tohr's HEA I thought there was no way it would work out. While I don't agree with No'One's actions in the past, I get from where she's coming and I understand her reasoning. I do believe she needed a full male, one that would love her and only her, but then again, she seemed happy and truly in love with Tohr. So maybe my fears, worries and doubts have no real base left. I was genuinely surprised by their relationship, pleasantly so.

As for the subplots, there was one that bothered me a lot. I saw a video on Ward's Facebook profile in which she explained the John/Xhex subplot a little and half of it I understood and I accepted. I mean, yes, I do know that it's not all rainbows and unicorns and that even fictional couples have fights. But at the end of the book I was expecting... more. I was waiting for the sun to be up in the sky once more and while they seemed to be happy again, I needed the certainty. And maybe this is going to sound a little paranoid, but I'm actually a little afraid now for the other couples as well. While I love learning about the earlier couples that I loved and cried and laughed with, (in all of the series I read, not just the BDB), I like knowing that even if they have a fight, at the end of the day the kiss and make up. I'm wondering if all the Brothers will go through similar phases like John and Xhex. But maybe that's just me.

I was waiting for more Qhuay action. And I'm probably the only one that's hoping Layla plays a big part in their HEA (read: I hope they become a permanent threesome!!). I really do. My heart broke for Layla, again. With each book it seems she's getting more hits and I'm sad, because I truly like her.

Xcor...I don't have much to say about him, except to wish him a quick death. I hate him. I really do. And I found myself wishing for a new, meaner boss for the lessers to come and overshadow Xcor. I know some readers might like him, but I'd rather miss the lessers.

Then there's a new vampire in town, one who I think has a lot of cards up his sleeves. I got a feeling he'll be a major player in the next books and I'm anxious to see what he's capable of.

All in all it was a good book. Not the best, but close. I'm now waiting for the news on who's next in the BDB world to get his/her story written (I'm hoping Qhuay).

Teaser Tuesday (18)

  

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

* Grab your current read
* Open to a random page
* Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
* BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
* Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

My teaser this week is from Behind Closed Doors by Sherri Hayes:

She wanted a fresh start, far away from all the memories of the city she’d left behind. Away from the person everyone thought she was.














What's your teaser this week?

Book Review: Bitten by Kelley Armstrong

Author: Kelley Armstrong
Series: Women of the Otherworld #1
My Rating: 5 cups
Blurb (from Goodreads):

Elena Michaels seems like the typically strong and sexy modern woman, She lives with her architect boyfriend, writes for a popular newspaper, and works out at the gym. She's also a werewolf.
Elena has done all she can to assimilate to the human world, but the man whose bite changed her existence forever, and his legacy, continue to haunt her. Thrown into a desperate war for survival that tests her allegiance to a secret clan of werewolves, Elena must recon with who, and what, she is in this passionate, page-turning novel.

I remembered last week that I was supposed to read this book for the Women of the Otherworld reading challenge. Now that I've read it, I can honestly say I have no idea what made me wait this long to read it. I did enjoy it, a lot I might add.

What I really liked about this book was that there wasn't a scene that I felt was less important for the main plot. You know how sometimes you read a book full of unimportant scenes that are there just to make you wait till the end? I didn't have that feeling with Bitten. That's what was so good about it, the fact that every scene, every little detail was important and it all played a part in the main plot.

Also, this was not your typical werewolf novel. I enjoyed the new take on these creatures and, as with vampires, it is hard to find a book that to me is fresh and Bitten managed that. I do hope that in the future books we get to explore more of the history of werewolves and the Pack.

The book was fast-paced and very intense. It made me "feel" like a part of the action, which is actually rare for me with a book written in first person. Actually, for a big part of the reading, I forgot it was written in 1st person.

I liked the sarcasm, the action, the tense moments, the tender moments, the funny scenes, the sad scenes, I loved them all. Then there was this very hot scene with a tree *sigh* Yeah, loved it all.

I think if you like urban fantasy, paranormal, werewolves and supernatural creatures, this is the book for you. I'm just sorry I didn't read it earlier.

Cover Love (11)

This feature is hosted by Carmel @ Rabid Reads. The rules are very simple. Choose a cover (or two, or three), preferably new-ish, and share what you like about it. Grab the graphic or don't just so long as you link back.


My pick this week:

I know this isn't the type of cover I've shown you in the past, but there's a reason this cover caught my eye. The moment I saw it I thought "Jewelry!". I love unique shaped silver jewelry (I'm ok with gold too, but I think those are for very special occasions, so I don't use them that often). This would make such an amazing pendant. Of course, the stone would be amethyst, 'cause I love those too. So there, I said it. I'm a girly girl after all...

Then again, those woods and the barely-there human silhouettes are cool too!








What's your pick this week?

Dirty Little Secret (5)

Dirty Little Secret is a weekly meme hosted by Under The Covers.

The rules are simple:

1. Be a follower of Under the Covers.
2. Create a post in your blog taking the meme image and copy instructions.
3. Answer the weekly question.

For more information and for signing up, go to the Under The Covers blog.


This week's question:




How do you go about reviewing 1 or 2 star books or books you didn't enjoy?


It depends. I might try to review the books, saying what I did and didn't like, like I do with all my reviews. But usually if I don't like a book enough for it to pass the  3 stars mark, I don't finish them. If I feel like the book is less than 3 stars, it means it's not enjoyable enough for me, so I figure it's safer not to finish it. Why read a book that I don't enjoy?

What do you think?

Book Review: The Awakening of Leeowyn Blake by Mary Parker

Author: Mary Parker
Series: The Kahl'Nar Saga, 1
My Rating: 5 cups
Source: review copy offered by the author
Blurb (from Goodreads):

I'm a normal teenager. I have a normal teenage life with normal teenage problems. The summer is my heaven. I live with my mom during the summer months. We stay in her tiny condo in Jacksonville, Florida. My parents split up when I was little. I'm not sure why. My mom never talks about it. Whatever it was, it was bad enough to make my mom pack me up in the middle of the night when I was four years old and run to my Gran's condo. My mom got the condo after Gran died. From that time on all I had known my entire life was beach life. Until four years ago. Until my uncle found me.

This is one of those books that remind me why I fell in love with reading. This is the type of book that won't allow you to put it down, unless you've arrived at the very last page of it, the book that will keep you on the edge of your chair and at the end, leave you thirsty for more.

When I started reading this book, I really didn't know what to expect. I know, I know, you've heard that phrase before and it might seem a little overused, but I really wasn't expecting this, the awesome new world I found in its pages. What I found was a world so complex and so wonderfully built, that I really don't have the right words to describe it. You have mystery, you have lots of fantasy, suspense, a little bit of horror even, a little thread of romance, a hint of sadness and some very funny moments.

What I loved about this book is that it's so unique. I think it's hard to find something this unique and fresh without thinking "Ok, I've read that before". I loved that I didn't feel that about The Awakening of Leeowyn Blake.

As you can probably imagine, this book is about a young girl named Leeowyn and how she struggles to adapt to the changes in her life. She's living with her mother and one night her uncle comes on their doorstep and tells her that her father is dead.

What I loved about Leeowyn is that she's not the typical teenage heroine. She's not a rebel, but she's not a girly girl either. She's not rude, but she speaks her mind. She can be tough as nails and she also has moments of tenderness. I loved that she was different and that made her seem so real and complex, full of character.

The story is fast paced. There isn't a moment where you want to skip any pages, because each of them hold something interesting. And I loved that at times the action changed between past and present, between dreams, visions and reality. And there's a major cliffhanger at the end of the book that has left me dying to know more.

I do hope the second book will be out soon, because I want to know what happens next with Leeowyn and her friends.

I definitely recommend this book to any fantasy fan, adult or teenager, it doesn't matter. If you love fantasy books, you'll certainly love this one.