Lover Revealed

Anyone who reads my books knows by now that I’m a huge JR Ward fan. So, just in time for Halloween, I figured I should write a review about one of my favorite vampire novels. I read this years ago, when I first discovered the series, and have done a few re-reads since. I love the dynamic between Butch and Marissa. They’re both convinced that they’re not right for each other, but their amazing chemistry can’t be denied. Watching them evolve from places of inner uncertainty to embracing their love for each other is beautiful. Ward evokes emotion from every page, chapter, scene and word. It’s no secret why she has one of the most popular PNR series of all time! Happy reading.

The book was good, but Melissa annoys me. She was just so whinny and spinless. But she was much more tolerable once she grew a backbone. But I love love love the bromance thing between Butch and V! I was looking forward to that storyline more than I was the one between Butch and Melissa. And I really liked how they found a way to change Butch, I didn’t like that he was eventually going to grow old and die. Overall this series is amazing.

Loved the story-the heroine not so much. I wasn’t sure I would enjoy Butch’s story to the extent that I did-I was so wrong. Heavy on the action and the intimacy-whoa! A really great book. My only regret is that the heroine grated on my nerves a bit much. At first, I cheered that she was finding her voice after centuries of letting others think for her. There’s finding your voice however and then there’s dictating your wants and needs to others all the time and not taking the time to understand how others are feeling. I felt Marissa did this a little too often in the story. Overall a thrilling read! On to Vishous!

Sometimes you just have to ask to understand why.

*5 Stars*

Another fabulous instalment in this series that I now highly addicted to. I’ve been intrigued about Butch and I really enjoyed his and Marissa’s story. There were so many things in this that I just had to get the answers to. Loops that were through at at me where I was just like “what on earth is going in?”.

I devoured this book and was hanging on every word, and messaging my friend (who has already read a fair bit of this series) as I was going, because I needed to share my thoughts. I actually really liked Butch in this, and I also really liked Marissa. She got quite the backbone by the end, and she also did some really good things in this book.

Butch and Marissa were wonderful together, even if they frustrated me with their lack of communication for a while there. And V, I love V, what a fabulous secondary character he is to this story.

There are still things I want answers to, and parts of the larger story that are carrying through to the next book, and I cannot wait to find out what happens next.

This was book 4 in the “Black Dagger Brotherhood” . I love this series. In the beginning of this book I disliked Marissa she was too naïve I mean she is over 300 years old and a virgin who had never worn pants I am so glad she grew a backbone. Butch has been in love with Marissa since the first time he met her she was Wraths shellan who he had never taken. Butch touches something deep inside her and only her feelings of unworthiness combined with her fear that if she feeds from Butch she will kill him, keep her from falling into the arms of the human who has touched her in these unknown ways. Her relationship with her brother has fallen apart because of her feelings for a human. Her brother is a doctor and has placed Marissa on a pedestal he in unable to forgive her when she falls in love with a human. Butch runs into a situation where he chooses to save a pre-transition vampire from the lessers who are attacking him. He is captured and tortured by the lessers. When the Omega finds out who Butch is he inserts an evil part of himself into Butch. Now only Marissa, the Brotherhood and the Scribe Virgin may be able to save him. But even with the changes in his body he is determined to fight and serve the ones he trusts and loves. Butch as it turns out is a cousin to Wrath therefore he can turn into a vampire hear is where the story gets weird he is part lesser and part vampire. Vishous was in this book a great deal and helps Butch with the change We also discover why there is the special bond between Butch and the brother Vishous. I felt for Vishous who saw Butch as ‘his’, not in a sexual way, but in a brotherly love kind of way. Though he is happy for Butch, he can’t help but feel more lonely than ever. It was also good to see John Matthews and the other pre-transition warriors, become friends and allowing for this series to go beyond the main brotherhood characters I also liked that John stood up for himself against Lash, but John seems so lost and I was glad that Wrath stepped in to help him. I am looking forward to reading the next book about V and his BDSM.

BDB always 5 !

In the fourth Black Dagger Brotherhood book, Marissa hasn’t seen or spoken to Butch in months. Since she’s used to rejection, she thinks he wants nothing to do with her.
Butch O’Neal is the only human who knows about the Brotherhood, but he feels like an outsider looking in. He wants to fight and protect the vampire race against the lesser (super-strong soulless humans), but the Brotherhood refuses to let him. After he saves a vampire civilian, he’s captured, tortured, poisoned, and left for dead. Thanks to his best warrior buddy Vishous, he’s taken to a vampire-run hospital, but he’s different. The lessers’ god, the Omega, has put some of his evil darkness into Butch’s body. Luckily, Butch’s new abilities work in the Brotherhood’s favor.
I absolutely loved Butch! Despite his abusive childhood, he was strong, easygoing, and determined to help others. He was an honorable person and loved Marissa very much. His and V’s friendship deepened to a whole new level. Neither of them understood the strange connection between them, but it was definitely sexual in nature. Though he wants Marissa, he knows his friendship with V is just as important.
I couldn’t relate to Marissa. I felt sorry for her—she suffered so much pain and humiliation—but most of it was her own fault. She was just too polite to stand up for herself. Though she does grow and become stronger as the book progresses, I couldn’t forgive the way she shamed Butch after they made love for the first time and how she demanded things of him, which destroyed his self-worth.
I really liked most of the side characters. Zsadist has stepped up to teach the warrior trainees, and I loved the scenes with him and John. Poor, sweet John. (I adore him!) After Wellsie’s death and Tohr’s disappearance in the last book, John has become so angry and determined to avenge them. His argument with Wrath, the vampire king, was heart wrenching.
Xhex is an awesome new character. She’s Rehvenge’s symphath friend and lead security guard at his nightclub.
I’m still not fond of Rehv. How will he keep his job as a pimp a secret after the incident with a glymera (aristocratic) patron? This looks like a glaring issue to me, but I doubt it will be mentioned in the later books.
Even though I found some various word choices/phrases distracting, I enjoyed this story and I’m excited to read about V in the next book.
4 Stars

Another amazing Black Dagger Brotherhood book! This book focuses on Butch who is struggling to find his place in the brother’s world.

Butch is a human who has found his home in the brotherhood. Unfortunately, he is still on the outside because he isn’t a full member of the BDB and can’t be because he is human. Butch is protective, caring, and emotionally scared. He has had a rough life and finds his true happiness with the brothers, and with the beautiful Marissa. I loved seeing the relationship between Butch and the brothers, especially V. You can feel the bonds between them and know they are brothers in every way. Marissa is the sheltered aristocrat who is trying to find her place in the world. She learns to be her own person, embrace her feelings, and find love. I loved seeing Marissa find herself and find her courage to stand up for herself and others. I loved seeing these two come together and work through their problems. It was emotional, heartfelt, and steamy.

“Darkness will never take me…because I have you. Light of my life, Marissa. That’s what you are.”

A lot happens in this book outside of Butch and Marissa’s relationship. We have a new weapon against the lessers, a prophecy, V struggling with many things, and the pretrans kids have started changing. We also see more of Rhevenge in this one and meet his security guard Xhex, who becomes an important character later. We also get the lessor’s perspective more in this book, which is always interesting but I could have done with less.

Overall, this was a great follow up to Lover Awakened and I can’t wait to re-read the next one.

I love this series! J.R Ward never disappoints. I started reading this book and couldn’t put it down.