Genre: Paranormal
Book 5 in the Blackdagger Brotherhood
ISBN: 0-451-22235-0
Releasedate: September 25, 2007
Publisher: Signet Eclipse
Format owned: HC Rhapsody & MPB
For sale at: The Book Depository Store

Synopsis
When he woke up in the hospital and saw her standing beside his bed four words came to his mind: She. Comes. With. Me!
Ruthless and brilliant, Vishous son of the Bloodletter possesses a destructive curse and a frightening ability to see the future. As a pretrans growing up in his father's war camp, he was tormented and abused.

As a member of the Brotherhood, he has no interest in love or emotion, only the battle with the Lessening Society. But when a mortal injury puts him in the care of a human surgeon, Dr. Jane Whitcomb compels him to reveal his inner pain and taste true pleasure for the first time- until a destiny he didn't choose takes him into a future that cannot include her.

REVIEW
Lover Unbound is in da House! Lock the door; put my phone on silence, the kettle on for tea – this girl was going nowhere! Vishous was ready, willing and able to settle down with me on my couch and if I had to pull an all-nighter: Well DUH ofcourse I would. My bonding scent started flowing and one word kept going through my mind: MINE!!!!

In the end it was not what I expected at all!!!!

I started reading and felt the vibe of the book, the way it was written – it was different from the first four novels. Not necessarily bad – no – I mean its V, my tormented hero, my fave out of the lot of them: in short my expectations were very high beforehand!

I couldn’t wait for the cuffs, whips and leather to dominate, the thing that made Vishous different from the other brothers, the thing that made him mine.

I got settled into the story, page 36-37 came (phoned my sister – she so HAD to call me as soon as she reached that page!) Owh yes, this was JR Ward as I knew her. The BDB-feeling came smack right back to me. So what, that this time around it took a few pages extra?! Right… RIGHT?!

After that moment those pages that played out the scene I started getting confused, gone again that feeling was. It felt like JR Ward was not in touch with the story; NOT in TOUCH with Vishous’ character at all! I know in every series there are novels more difficult to write for an author but I could nearly taste frustration, as if JR Ward struggled with words while putting V’s story together, and amazingly enough it only felt like that with V’s scenes. The scenes with i.e. Blay, John and Qhuinn were A-MA-ZING!

Jane’s character was lovely, nicely put to paper, she stick like glue and worked. Vishous I expected more stronger, more dominant, more in struggle with what he felt for Jane, towards his destiny and the expectations of his BDSM that was raised in the previous novels were downright disappointing for me. Especially in the first 260 pages I felt things could have been left out so that more pages could have been dedicated to deepening Jane and Vishous, but then to me it still would have been just plain and ordinary romance wise because I just don’t think Jane is the one for V. She just doesn’t do it for me. They don’t work like the other Mates in the brotherhood do. But in some ways I’m glad (my ID talking here ;-) ).

After struggling through the first 260 pages I took a break from reading, I was not going to pull an all-nighter this time. I had to distant myself from the confusion, frustration and disappointment. I already had put it aside a few times before but this time I took more than a day for a break. Figured because I really wanted to finish reading this novel I was stressing myself too much and maybe that being the reason I couldn’t get in touch with this story.

After my time of contemplation V started whispering to me again, pulling me back towards Caldwell NY and when I started reading again the last 250 pages grabbed me and I got into the story – the BDB-feeling came back again, jus not as strong as the first four novels gave me. Even though the romance between V and Jane still didn’t grab me in the last half of the book. The built up towards it seemed to take forever and it just wasn’t as explosive as I would have wanted it to be.

Despite the fact the romance part didn’t work for me in this novel, the secondary plotlines were brought so amazingly it totally balanced itself out. I know this was suppose to be V’s story and I have the feeling, for me, it’s just too early in this series but towards the end you are so deeply involved into the characters being entwined in this world and together, that it opted for nothing else than having this story now. There was just no other way.

Be prepared though for some serious Kleenex-moments! The last 70-100 pages I think I went through half a box. The ending between V and Jane – in my opinion – would have been stronger if the Scribe Virgin didn’t do what she did. It would have left things more emotional, stronger, for the time being within the series. For me it doesn’t always have to be a HEA to still make it a good novel.

The story leaves a lot open to be discussed, and promises great things for the near future as a lot of plotlines are still to be played out in the coming novels, which is making this novel a superb series-novel.

I thought Zsadist and John really work together as characters. To see how Zsadist is growing in each novel I think is really put to paper very well. He still isn’t where he should be and due to the fact what he’s been through probably will always have his intense reactions, but overall he is adapting marvellously. Bella’s difficulty, seeming how we already know the outcome, didn’t have that big of an impact on me as it probably should have. And I actually missed Lassiter in V’s story. They seemed to be linked and connected in some way and still have a feud to come to terms with so I was amazed to learn he has no part in this story at all! I did however miss the ritual that, up to now, always seemed to have appeared in each book and the change in writing in this novel I think JR Ward is going to continue. Though maybe I feel it would have been better to continue writing the old way for the “original” warriors, because of the intensity that it brought forth. V and Phury’s characters would’ve been worth it.

I know I’ve been saying that I could do without the Lesser parts in the previous novels but I really missed it in this novel, not so much the lesser but the action that sprang from it. It gave the novels a thrill that made your blood pressure go up and heart rate go through the roof! It gave it OEMPH!

In my opinion the change in writing is not a bad thing at all. It just requires getting used to, but I like it. Just a little warning for those who still have to read this novel: don’t expect what you had before. Go into this novel blank and let the story lead you, don’t hold on to your expectations. This new path JR Ward has gone into sets her apart from the rest of the authors yet again. I’m seriously looking forward to Lover Enshrined ~ only 246 days to go till June 3rd, 2008 ~ the countdown has begun.

What is amazing to me is that out of all the novels (despite the different vibe of this one!); on a deeper level this one touched something inside of me. It stays with me so much longer than the others and leaves an awful lot to discuss and that combined with my overall look on the story making me still give this novel 4 Stars!

JR Ward, for me you did it again!

4 Stars