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Lover Awakened (Black Dagger Brotherhood, #3)

J.R. Ward

Start date: March 1, 2013

Finish date: March 31, 2013

Discussion: Challenges: What's the Rush

Why we're reading this: Part of our group series (re)read: Black Dagger Brotherhood …more
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Challenges: What's the Rush

* 2025 Series Read: K.N. Banet's "Jacky Leon"
By Steph , Serious series addict · 89 posts · 31 views

last updated Aug 30, 2025 10:39PM

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* YEAR-LONG CHALLENGES
By Steph , Serious series addict · 1 post · 389 views

last updated Aug 17, 2010 11:14PM

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What Members Thought

Feb 14, 2010 Lauren⁷ 💜 rated it it was amazing

Shelves: favorites, romance, fantasy-sci-fi-romance-romantasy, sexy-sexy-sexy, shelfari-favorites

There are people who pooh-pooh true real lasting love and say it doesn't exist. Stories like this are proof that it is real and love can change your life. This is Zsadist's story, Zsadist was captured as an infant and forced into literal centuries of sexual slavery and humiliation, being raped on a daily and repeated basis. In order to survive such torment, he shoved his humanity (vampanity?) down far and deep. And just before he gets rescued by Phury, the husband of the woman who was inslaving There are people who pooh-pooh true real lasting love and say it doesn't exist. Stories like this are proof that it is real and love can change your life. This is Zsadist's story, Zsadist was captured as an infant and forced into literal centuries of sexual slavery and humiliation, being raped on a daily and repeated basis. In order to survive such torment, he shoved his humanity (vampanity?) down far and deep. And just before he gets rescued by Phury, the husband of the woman who was inslaving him tries to cut his face open and he almost succeeds. Flash forward roughly 300 or 400 years, Zsadist still keeps his humanity shoved far and deep and is to be blunt, plain nasty. Not the kind of guy you'd want to meet in a dark alley or anywhere else for that matter without a whole platoon of Marines and maybe not even then. But Bella (whom he first meets in the previous novel) gets kidnapped by the Lessers and it doesn't devastate him per say, but it definitely effects him on an emotional level. He finds her and rescues her and then things start to change, and Bella starts to more or less get under his skin and at first he tries to push her away. But little by little Bella digs up his humanity. And then Bella goes into her first needing. And he's the one who "services" her during her needing, and after her needing her starts calling her his shellen. And then Bella finds out she's pregnant. This story is a testament to just how much love can change and transform and redeem a person, before meeting Bella, he didn't think he was worthy of love or compassion or really kindness and his deeply scarred face didn't help matters either, but Bella looks past the scars and is not scared of him or repulsed by him and that is something that Zsadist is not used to. By loving Bella and her loving him in return, it changes him in many profound ways. Love is a beautiful and wonderful thing! And the ending, the ending will make you cry (in the best possible way), it's beautiful and one of my most favorite endings of all time. And as per the usual, the characters are excellent (J.R. has a talent for characters like i've never seen before) and the plot is excellent. This is just a flat-out excellent book, and truly in one of the best paranormal romances out there. And i can't find a single bad thing about this book or think of a single bad thing. Read it! You will not be disappointed. ...more

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May 20, 2010 Carrie rated it really liked it

Shelves: part-of-a-series, paranormal-romance, j-r-ward, supernatural

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Jul 07, 2008 Kimberly rated it it was amazing

Shelves: 2008, 2013

This is book is the reason why I love the Brotherhood. This is the book you take with you to the deserted island no matter how many times you've read it before.
I’m doing a re-read to see what I missed the first time around, and I missed a LOT in this book.
I forgot how sweet John was as a pre-trans. He was just a kid who finally found a real family and then he gets an in your face introduction to the lessers and what the Brotherhood is doing to protect the species. Speaking of the lesser, I mis ...more

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Mar 09, 2011 Logan rated it it was amazing

Shelves: own-bought-ebook, romance, paranormal

Five big fat stars! I don't think I fully understood the BDB obsession until this book. Sure, the first two were entertaining and steamy and campy fun, but this one...whooooooie! Zsadist is a tortured and misunderstood soul, and at times I got so frustrated with all of the characters' self-absorption and inability to see through the others' facades that I wanted to scream, but the book is still immensely satisfying. I think I would almost recommend people read this one first, except that you do Five big fat stars! I don't think I fully understood the BDB obsession until this book. Sure, the first two were entertaining and steamy and campy fun, but this one...whooooooie! Zsadist is a tortured and misunderstood soul, and at times I got so frustrated with all of the characters' self-absorption and inability to see through the others' facades that I wanted to scream, but the book is still immensely satisfying. I think I would almost recommend people read this one first, except that you do get some important backstory from the other two books. I bet I could catch someone up on the details around Z and Bella, though, and then staple them to a chair and watch them read this one. SO GOOD. You're not moving until you finish it, I would say. *stares sternly*

Z's past certainly explains a lot about his behavior, but I was surprised at how little Phury especially seemed to understand how that past impacted Z's life. I didn't fully buy that Phury would think that Z could hurt Bella. I mean, really? Z's twin brother wouldn't get that all of his cold fury and isolation and self-punishment was a front for self-loathing despair? He would really just assume that what he suffered turned him into a sociopathic woman hater? Nope. Don't think so.

I thought Ward did a really nice job depicting what happened without being overly graphic. We don't need to know all of the details, and she gave us the information without dwelling on it. I also felt that Z's perspective on everything was well done and I really believed his experiences and how those shaped his self-image. Heart-breaking stuff.

I was most happy about his change toward Phury. He seemed finally able to love him as a sibling and not just as this fellow warrior brother. I think faced with the enduring support of Phury and Bella showed Z that there are people willing to do anything for him and that he is worthy of their love and respect. I liked that his transformation was gradual and didn't happen overnight. He grew and changed but at an appropriate pace considering his past. I loved watching that change happen.

I've always had issues with Phury. Until that moment, I didn't really see the depth of his sacrifice for Z. Sure, he's celibate and does whatever he can for his brother, but it always seemed kind of doormat-y and pathetic instead of honorable. When he decides to shave his head and take a knife to his face, though, I got it. He's not messing around. He seriously loves his twin, so my apologies Phury. I get it now.

I have to mention that I cried at the end when Bella interrupts Z and Mary and he shows her what he's been working on. I hope that's vague enough to not be a spoiler but specific enough that you who have read it know what I'm talking about. That moment kicked me in the gut and it was so sweet and beautiful that I couldn't contain the tears. I can't think of a single other urban fantasy or romance novel that touched me to the point of tears. Good stuff. ...more

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