Most Helpful Customer Reviews
|
|
61 of 82 people found the following review helpful:
5 Klovers - Courtesy of CK2S Kwips & Kritiques, September 25, 2007
With the temporary loss of his premonitions and telepathy, coupled with the loss of his best friend Butch to coupledom, Vishous is floundering. A gunshot wound in a battle with a Lesser leaves him mortally wounded at just the point in his life when he isn't sure what he has to live for, landing him right in the emergency room of the beautiful doctor who can give him every reason to survive. The beautiful HUMAN doctor. There is always a catch, isn't there?
Dr. Jane Whitcomb can't quite believe her own eyes when she operates on the strange patient on her ER table. She's never seen anything quite like what she finds inside his chest cavity, and is determined to capture every moment for the medical books. Being prepared for anything is what makes her an excellent trauma surgeon. She isn't quite prepared, however, for her enigmatic and fearsome patient to capture HER.
Only half-conscious when his Brothers retrieve him from the hospital recovery room, V knows only that Jane must come with him. And so the Brothers heed his wishes, toting the hapless doctor along as easily as a sack of flour, completely against her own wishes.
Although imprisoned with her patient against her will, Jane is determined to give him the best care she can provide. It isn't long before they become much more than just patient and doctor. But a human and a vampire can't mate, can they? And even if they could, V's vow to the Scribe Virgin will most certainly keep them apart forever.
It was just last year that some online friends insisted I read J.R. Ward's Black Dagger Brotherhood series. They made it sound so intriguing I quickly snapped up all of the books that had been released at the time, and then promptly devoured each back to back! Ward immediately found herself on my pre-order list, and her subsequent releases in this series have held her place there.
I've loved each of the books that she has released in this series, each quite possibly more than the last, although I have to admit the one in my hands right now is usually going to be my favorite! LOL Still, the fifth book in this saga, Lover Unbound, will probably hold its position as my favorite yet for a long time, and not only because it is her most current release. Ward reveals so many secrets about various characters in this edition, including the lead male, Vishous. My jaw dropped when I learned along with V exactly who he is. My heart broke along with Jane's as we relived his past torment with him.
Understanding what V went through as a child, the tortures and betrayals he has lived with from those closest to him in the past, makes his fierce and unwavering loyalty to those he loves and trusts today all the more understandable. The deficit of caring he has suffered makes him cling all the more tightly to those in his life now, such as his best friend Butch and now his mate Jane. Of course, this same protectiveness extends to the other members of the Black Dagger Brotherhood and their Shellans.
Jane is the perfect Shellan for V, with her no-nonsense attitude hiding depths of passion available only to her fated Hellren, Vishous. He admires her efficiency and strength of will even as he desires to break through the rigid demeanor that makes her the successful trauma surgeon she is to find the soft woman hidden deep underneath.
I won't lie to you - there are some heart-stopping moments in this book. Fans of the Black Dagger Brotherhood books know that Ward's stories can deliver some of the most devastating punches quite unexpectedly. I sobbed uncontrollably when I read the third book, Lover Awakened, and will readily admit that book left me more than a little ragged. I loved the story, but I wasn't prepared for the tragedies that came with it.
But that book prepared me for the rest of this series. I now read Ward's stories with the knowledge that anything can happen, and it may not be what I expect or want, but it will always make for a wonderful story and sometimes a great cry. And so it is that Lover Unbound has its own calamity, one guaranteed to make readers put the book down while they get themselves under control. Whatever you do, do not stop reading the book. No matter what you think, have faith that Ward leaves this story with a more than satisfactory, albeit unconventional, ending. Truly, once I finished this book and thought about the way it ended, I could see no better way for it to conclude, under the circumstances. Ward succeeded in finding a way to keep our couple together without resorting to repeating what she has already done in previous books from this series and delivered a story that will keep you guessing and on the edge of your seat from cover to cover. And for me, there is nothing better than a book that manages to surprise me, as long as the author makes it believable for their world and their characters. J.R. Ward has succeeded admirably on this score and I, for one, am standing and applauding at this gutsy entry into her popular series!
|
|
|
22 of 30 people found the following review helpful:
Both Amazing and Frustrating, October 9, 2007
Lover Unbound garnered an instant impression from me on ending it. It was a hard journey, probably the hardest book to read of the series for me. I thought Ward had wrung out of me all the rough emotions I could possibly feel with Zsadist's book (Lover Awakened), but oh, how wrong I was. My first impression? Well, it was a mixed bag actually: disappointment, utter joy, a bit of a depression in regards to some characters, smiles for certain scenes, heartfelt sighs for others...and a definite piqued interest for continuing with the series. A mixed bag to say the least--more like a salad in which some ingredients were found exceptionally tasty and snatched up, others a bit wilted and set aside for pondering.
Vichous, resident IT geek and live wire (think the hand). He's had it tough the last several months. He's got some conflicting emotions to work through regarding his roommate, Butch, feelings he hates himself for. Meanwhile, the war with the Lessers isn't going away, but turning a corner instead into newer, possibly deadlier territory. Like all of the brothers, his life hasn't come without a price, and memories of his father's warrior camp impede his ability to heal on the inside. His way of dealing is to indulge some darker sexual preferences, but is it helping? When a Lesser roundup goes bad, V finds himself hospitalized, but in a human one where the brotherhood is in danger of exposure. There he meets Dr. Jane Whitcomb, a self-assured surgeon...his savior. If not for her, he'd most likely have died, so why not kidnap the brilliant doc to make sure the healing continues? There's something about her that sparks the "mine" instinct and V's not having it any other way. Only problem is there's this tiny little job he's got to handle for the SV and it may mean an end to what V wants and a beginning to what's best for the vampire race as a whole. Can V step down from what he wants? Is it really in a warrior's nature? Jane may have been more than he bargained for too, more than he can sacrifice this time. And for a brother that's made incredible sacrifices in the past, it just might be time to take a stand.
First off, I agree with some of the professional reviews--this is not the book to enter the series on. If anyone starts off with it, they're doing themselves and the books a disservice. This series is worth reading in order from book one. Vishous has had quite the interesting development in the last four books (in order: Dark Lover, Lover Eternal, Lover Awakened and Lover Revealed). It's probably safe to say that many readers developed some expectations--who wouldn't with these vamps? They're exceptionally developed, larger than life (in our minds) and full of some very engaging emotions. I realized though, that in doing so I was putting myself and the characters in a corner. Realizing this didn't make me appreciate the ending any more, which is different. Hard hitting, heavy and raw. This book WAS raw, gritty and in-your-face. It's the BDB though, that's what we've been getting. The author has stayed true to the roots of the series in that regard. Did I wish it could have been different for the main characters by book's end? Big yes. Jane felt too rushed, but the circumstances in which she entered the series were rushed too, so it could be explained that way. Regardless, I wished for more from/for her, and I suppose that is why the ending disappointed me. To me, the ending left a lot of questions; ones I hope will be answered in later books. She seems to still have an important role by the ending, so that gives me hope. The romance was a bit understated compared to previous books--there's a lot of detail about John Matthew and his friends included, a great set-up for Phury's book (next in the series titled Lover Enshrined, June 2008). Secondary characters do play a bigger role in this one and those parts were stellar. Even Zsadist continues to develop beautifully--Ward's not done with the individual characterizations! This book explored some deep emotions and a new take on the way romance can be written. While the ending left me feeling unsatisfied, I'm still convinced this is one bold, gutsy and talented author, which only lead me to wanting one thing in the end--Phury's book. We meet his possible mate and what we find out about her and the culture she arrives from is not to be missed. Lover Unbound is going to sure-fire please fans, or put them in reserve and on guard. Oddly enough, it did both for me. Sounds like a success to me.
|
|
|
43 of 67 people found the following review helpful:
So T'eed off !, October 3, 2007
I can't begin to tell you how this book disappointed me. I can't stand how it ended, how the romance progressed. ANYTHING! It was just awful. I don't think I even want to read the next book after this tripe.
I took the day off!!! It has been on my calendar for months since reading the last book. I bugged my husband for weeks before making sure he knew I needed this one uniterrupted day. No chores, no talking, take out dinner night. Maybe not even teethbrushing I told him.
Sadly my husband then heard the brunt of my extreme disappointment.
Why oh why???
Since my review garnered such need for comment I feel the need to clarify why I was not more descriptive in my review. I am not into spoiling it for people who do adore the series. I count myself among them. However, I didn't another enjoy another "sickness" which required a lot of time holed up in the bedroom. The reasons for V to fall in love with this particular doctor wasn't well explained and just saying MINE wasn't going to cut it since it smacks of Feehan and borrows a bit from Karen Moning. It cuts out developing a romance based on love and trust--it is basically property rights being exercised.
All this could have been forgiven but I was ready to grieve for V when the end happened. It would have been OK, tragic but OK. I would have applauded JR Ward for her bravery and waited for his next love affair knowing that his story would continue. What a waste though--for their race, for the protection of their people, that the strongest and bravest are saddled with women who are either non-temporal or human and infertile.
|
Share your thoughts with other customers: 
|
|
Most Recent Customer Reviews
|
Over a hundred thousand books are eligible for our 4-for-3 Books, Music, DVD promotion. How do I find more eligible items?
(150)
$7.99
(178)
$6.99
(96)
$13.57
Cart
