Lover Unleashed by J.R. Ward

Did J.R Ward "bring it" again?  True.

The ninth installment of the Black Dagger Brotherhood keeps the brothers story alive, with a few new characters added in this whopping 498 page book!  Be prepared for an emotional and lengthy read.  Did I "like" the book? Um…Yes, but I had serious issues with it.  I had debates with myself, trying to explain and express why I didn't "love" this book.  Because I really wanted to LOVE it!

I really, REALLY wanted to LOVE it!

So, overall the book was good read. Ms. Ward produced a solid continuation of her Black Dagger Brotherhood Series.  I love her unique writing style and how she uses slang and pop culture references throughout her writing.  And just like in her other books, we get to read about what else is going on with the other brothers, as well as, the "evil" doers.  *insert evil laugh*

I did however, find some parts of the book a bit tedious to read.  I was frustrated for the first half of the book, mostly because I wanted to read more about the main focus of this book which was suppose to be Manny and Payne!  Grrr… 

Like I sad before OVERALL the book was good but Manny and Payne's story was a little bit of a let down.  Payne wasn't the bad ass I thought she would continue to be.  Remember the fighting scenes she had with Wrath?  And Manny was just…Manny.  Not the sexy intense Doctor Manelo I wanted.  I guess my problem was I wanted Manny and Payne's story to be more exciting!  Kind-of like V and Jane….and Butch's story was in this book!   They stole the show!

Don't get me wrong Manny and Payne's romance was sweet and forbidden (you know, in the doctor patient kindof way) but Manny and Payne didn't stand out like most of the other hero and heroine stories Ms. Ward has produced in the past.   

So I can't complain too much because I'm glad we got to read more about V and Jane.  I'm not a big V fan (Z and Wrath are my favorite) but V and Jane's abrupt end to their story didn't settle very well with me.  Jane becomes a ghost and now they can live together forever was also a little bit of a let down.  So, I'm glad they finally get a happily-ever-after that meets my HEA standards.  Ha.

If you've been a fan of the BDB series, like me, and have read all nine books, you'll notice that the main focus of the series is going to shift.  There are new (and very intense) characters introduced into the brotherhood mix, hence the length of the book. 

Also, I do not recommend to read this as a stand alone.  I recommend reading the other books before you read this one, there are way too many complicated back-story references.  This is not a good start for a first time reader to the series.

So, my final answer is…YES, definitely read it!   I'm also very curious to see what every other die-hard fan have to say too! 

Ms. Ward keep it coming. True.