Lover Unleashed
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Your thoughts on the new BDB: Lover Unleashed
message 51:
by
Johnna
(new)
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rated it 4 stars
Jun 24, 2011 02:50AM
I agree with Deva on everything except actually hating it. I wasnt that happy but I liked all the new people.
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I loved this book and I loved that there wasn't any major Lessers scenes. Can't wait to read more about Blay and Quinn. I'm very interested in Xcor and his men, too. I want Tohr, and Lassiter's stories and so much more. Can't wait for the next book! I was not disappointed one bit with this book.
I was kind of bored with this book. I didn't hate it, but I didn't love it as much as the first few books. It's getting very repetitive to me. Vampire finds someone he/she loves. Vampire can’t have that someone for whatever reason. Vampire and that special someone realize they are being silly and end up together or Scribe Virgin steps in and makes it possible to be together. The relationships in the books are very predictable. That being said I did enjoy the previous book with John and Xhex the most because that relationship built over a few books. I am also interested in what will happen with the rogue vampires.
I enjoyed reading it but I think it had too many subplots. I didn't feel that Payne was the main character. V was also such an ass in this book.:(
I agree with a lot of what has been said, namely that this is a transitional book, its a conclusion to the whole V/jane thing, (although as someone said I think it must have crossed J R Ward's mind to make Butch and V a couple) and the book was definitely not as intense as some of the others. I'm wondering who layla is going to be paired with (Throe??) and whenever is the whole Quinn/Blay thing going to play out. I really liked the inclusion of the Band of Bastards, I was getting a bit sick of the Lessers anyway and gives the story arc a fresh direction to go in. As someone commented even an average J R Ward is way better that a lot of other PNR writers.!!!
Lisa wrote: "an average J R Ward is way better that a lot of other PNR writers.!!! ."I think she's one of the best! :D
I'd have to disagree with Lisa about Ward being way better than a lot of other PNR writers. With any book I enjoy a short, simple, to the point read where the main characters stay being the focal point of the story. I'll admit there are different parts I like about Ward's writing than most writers. But seriously she has like a ton of chapters and most are filled with things we aren't even really interested in. And I personally hate that. I'm also kind of done with her doing the whole unrequited love anglee between her characters. I mean it was on thing to root for Marissa and Butch the first time they got together cause they wouldn't be with Beth and Wrath. But after that it kind of got on my nerves and often made me want to mentally re-arrange all the couples so that they could be with who they really wanted to be with in the beginning.
Love V and Jane in this one and was glad how the whole Payne thing panned out.Maybe I'm alone in this thought but I want Layla with Quinn. And I can't take Tohrment with anyone besides Wellsie but I guess the book coming next year is about him so I can suck it. Still going to read it! LOL
The next book is about Tohr?? Damn! I was hoping the Quinn/Blay/Layla mess would finally be sorted out. I'm thinking threesome. Anybody with me here?
Well last I read Layla and Qhuinn are friends. As he more or less told her that he is not into her that way. And she figured it out was Blay. So I don't know about an actual 3-way relationship, maybe Qhuinn getting Layla pregnant because Layla can have a baby is my theory. But don't think their traditional world can handle a 3some relationship like that, lol. Not to mention I don't believe Blay and Qhuinn really want that in the first place.
message 62:
by
Carol Cork *Young at Heart Oldie*
(last edited Aug 14, 2011 02:39AM)
(new)
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rated it 5 stars
Maggie wrote: "Love V and Jane in this one and was glad how the whole Payne thing panned out.Maybe I'm alone in this thought but I want Layla with Quinn. And I can't take Tohrment with anyone besides Wellsie but..."
Maggie, you're not alone because I would love to see Layla with Quinn as well. There has to be something between them if his dream is anything to go by. I think Tohr and No'One maybe be a possibility because they share a past and he couldn't save her the first time round.
I agree with a lot of the statements about this book lacking, but for a different reason. I was so looking forward to Payne's story because the one thing I've always thought was missing in the BDB series is a really kick ass woman. We saw a bit of that in the prior books with her sparring with Wrath, but when this story came out it was a huge let down. She was sulky a lot of the time, and I don't remember her speech being so formal in the other books. I wish we saw a lot more of the warrior side of Payne.
That being said, its still a fantastic book.
Ellen I agree with ya. I was told that Payne was to be more kick ass too. But that was on with Wrath as you mentioned. And then she stupidly got herself paralyzed in the first place. So although she might be a good fighter, I wasn't too thrilled about her either.
I didn't think it was as good as her other ones. But I still liked it=)
Thempper wrote: "I didn't think it was as good as her other ones. But I still liked it=)"True that...
I didn't really like Payne's story. I agree that this book felt more like an extension of V and Jane's story. But I'm not going to complain since they are my favorite couple so far. I just think since it was supposed to be Payne's story there should have been a more concentrated story line for her and Manny's relationship.
I agree Andrea. I felt the same way about Rehv and Elena in their story too. It's like they got pushed to the background and it was all Wrath and Beth all the time.
Well Sarah(in message #36) pretty much summed it up for me. I was eagerly awaiting another BDB book, and well, was a little disappointed with this one. After all the build up with the lessening society in Lover Mine, I was wondering how things would continue. Where is Quinn and Blay's story? That is the story I am really waiting for..."Lover Forbidden" or something. Not that I won't read the next book about Thorment, because well, I loved him and Wellsie. So now the wait begins, again, for the next installment.
I really liked the latest Ward book. but i agree with some of u. I think the most interesting parts were the chapters on blay and quinn. i think a book about them would be amazing. i do think the sex was lacking but i think the 3some def made up for it. ;) Can't wait for Torments book! oh and i forgot i loved Butch and V's plot in this book. i love me some Bromances. They are true friends and they dont let that steamy lust they have for eachother change how they feel, they just except it and are closer because of it! I love JR WARD!
There are a lot of points I'd like to agree with. I, too would like to see Qhuinn with Layla. The bromances just don't do it for me. I'd also like to see Qhuinn as the Primale.
Payne was way to angsty for me. I really want an ass kicking female. I was disappointed when Xhex turned girlie, too.
I don't think Lash is gone either. Or at least I hope not. I have a feeling he will be the undoing of the Omega.
Hmmm, there was one more. Oh yeah, Tohr's book is way too soon. Maybe in 300 years he can fall in love again.
I agree, Lover Unleashed was kind of blah compared to all the forerunners. Not enough magic! Still, I look forward to the next one. Every author has to have a goof now and then, especially in a series like this. Do love the other series Crave, Envy etc. Well written, even if all these stories also happen in Cincinnati...
Personally I love the slight overlap with BDB in the Angel series, seeing as its still going to take soo long before Tohr's book is out, even a touch of the brothers satisfies the reading soul.(confirmed BDB addict and proud of it)
I have mixed feeling about this book. dont get me wrong i really enjoyed reading but Payne wasnt like what i thought she would be like and i dont know i think this was more of Jane and V part2 which i dont mind i love Jane and V. again its not disappointing I just didnt feel like it was complete.
*sighs* okay I'm going to give my honest opinion please don't burn me at the stake...it was sloppy,rushed,not worth the wait or the money,the lovely miss Ward rambles through majority of the book and the rest made absolutely no sense, the dialogue between the brothers was so so very painful to read, there was no confrontation with the scribe virgin if there was anytime to do it paynes book would be it but nope just more talk of how bad of mother she is (like we aren't clear on that),I felt like I read too much about Jane and V but since manny and payne were just about as dull as a box of sand I didn't mind too much. please do not get me started on the whole V getting tortured to get through his child abuse..WEIRD doesn't even begin to describe that. you should have seen my face when reading the part about manny being butch's brother and related to Wrath I think that's when I officially wanted my 15.00$ back the book might have even been better if that part was left out since manny opt to not become a vampire.(if he remains human in future books I wont be responsible for my actions lol)and why oh why was there no mention of No'one did miss ward forget that in her previous book Lover Mine No'One was sent to be with payne but yet payne suffers depression from being stuck in a room confined to a bed with only visits from doc jane until manny comes and saves her from her loneliness? WHERE THE HELL IS NO'ONE??...oh and what was up with this xcor character?? even though I'm looking forward to seeing more of him in upcoming BDB books I fail to understand his purpose in Lover Unleashed other than to be a page filler I do appreciate the potential battle between the band of bastards and the brothers but the way they were introduced in Lover Unleashed was just BAD the characters were all over the place you couldn't really get a feel of who xcor was, at first he was so obsessed with avenging his bastard of a father death for years he dreamed of nothing but killing Payne all to forget about her and focusing on overthrowing Wrath and becoming king after he and his band of bastards leave the old country -__- really?, and the scenes with jose and the new guy.....I just wanna know WHY? I understand keeping some humans in the book to give it balance but when you have like 15,000 other plots going on I think you can keep the irrelevant stuff to a minimum *inhales deeply lets it out slowly* okay I think I covered most of what went horribly wrong in lover unleashed for me. believe it or not I still am a dedicated fan to miss ward and the BDB series I just don't appreciate paying 15.00$ for a book that was obviously rushed to meet her deadline. 15.00$ is a lot of money especially when you regret spending it not to mention I could have spent it on a much better book :-)...the twisted part is I'll still most likely pre-order the next one!:)
The more I think about the book, the more I hate it! I'm only happy it showed that V and Butch are each other's true love. The rest is a total disappointment.
I agree with you Brittany
I loved this book, but hey, I am a V lover. :)
I loved this book just like it was and wouldn't change a thing, except give me more! Ward is an exceptionally gifted writer(story teller). I have read several thousand books in my lifetime and am quite taken with this series.
I loved it! I thought it was a more consistent return to her earlier work. I felt little to no connection to Lover Mine and Lover Revenged. I thought she was too caught up in her paranormal romance/urban fantasy switcheroo. That she kept telling fans about but never pulled it off. In fact she needs to stay firmly in PNR for her BDB series (because I think then her writing will be more like her earlier stuff) and use the FA series to segueway into UF.
I love the series...I actually did like the book because there was so much about V in there and I love him. Not enough about Payne, but I hope she makes up for it in future books. Even though it was Payne’s book, I feel she was not a main character. That's my humble opinion.
I always love a new book in this series and the new characters that J.R. Ward introduces, but...I thought the plot was a little sketchy and nothing really new in the plot development of the series overall. One thing that disappoints me in J.R. Ward's writing is that once she is done with a character, their story lines never go anywhere!! What about Wrath and Beth and their relationship... whatever happens between Rhage and Mary. Once their books are finished, their characters just vanish into cardboard figures for the rest of the series...a real weakness IMHO!!
Christine, a friend of mine that is a member on Ward's site said that she asked over on her site about future books. And there will be novellas over beth and wrath, rhage and mary adopting and so on anyway. But frankly to me beth and wrath and now jane and v are getting so much more time than actual people that the book is supposed to be about. And I personally hate that. I mean to me it's like why even say a new book is about a particular couple when you barely read anything about them for the whole book. Too many sub plots just over crowd her stories to me at times.
I totally agree with you, Brittany. I hope Ward lets the story go its natural and logical course and will write the ghost out of the series.Christine, you forget that the ghost is constantly shoved into our faces. She is in every book, we get told how awesome she is all the time! So while everyone else disappears, she is everywhere. Ward also wrote a second book for V and that thing. Made the whole storyline even worse if that is possible but I hope you get what I mean. Everyone disappears except that character. So annoying!
Elayne wrote: "I just wish Jane wasn't what she is!!!"You mean in the books at all? Cause that's pretty much where I'm standing.
Jane is basically a ghost. I hated that, too. She becomes "solid" when "V" touches her.
I won't mind as long as everyone gets their due in future stories. Like it is being written by the fans here. It is frustrating but for me I like Jane's character. I did not like the hand she was dealt but she was fleshed out very well that I could see a return to her human form in the future. I mean if Lash's skin can fall off and Wellsie can live in the ceiling then anything can happen. Ward has just got to make it go that way. As for me. Butch is who I LOVE and I would appreciate seeing him more in a future story or with his own novella.
Glynda wrote: "Jane is basically a ghost. I hated that, too. She becomes "solid" when "V" touches her."It's not the fact that Jane is a ghost that I am opposed to. I am opposed to the fact that Jane exists as a character to begin with. Her introduction to the world changed the character of Vishous that Ward's audience came to know and deeply love. And she didn't change him for the better. So I'm in the Rebel camp, entrenched for all of literary time, and there I stay. If Jane were a character in a side story, I might actually like her, but as she is, I can't. No ill feelings towards peeps that heart her, I just can't do it.
Really? I never saw much change in him per se. I mean there was the freak outs he had. But still V, has been the same since the start. Albeit more in the "straight" camp lately do to Jane.
Debbie wrote: "someone left a reply on my blog in regards to my review of Lover Unleashed and she too said it lacked the grit and substance of her other novels. I disagree, this novel dealt with more emotional an..."I agree. John and Xhex's book was so intense, this book was nice and sweet in comparison. I might be one of the weird people, but this book is actually one of my favorite of the series.
I love Manny, and his and Payne's scenes together are so electric. Sure, there are less actual sex scenes with them together as compared to others, but it just illustrate's Ward's gift of writing. She gives us variety and not the same book over and over.
V and Butch had sex in this book?
Bea wrote: "Debbie wrote: "someone left a reply on my blog in regards to my review of Lover Unleashed and she too said it lacked the grit and substance of her other novels. I disagree, this novel dealt with mo..."You know I like it too and the fact that he liked that she was super woman was funny... Come on when she beat up the mugger was awesome.
Carla wrote: "V and Butch had sex in this book?"No they didn't. Butch just helped V through some personal stuff using some familiar BDSM stuff that he is used to with a mix of some stuff from his past. But no actual sex.
Dhfan4life wrote: "Carla wrote: "V and Butch had sex in this book?"No they didn't. Butch just helped V through some personal stuff using some familiar BDSM stuff that he is used to with a mix of some stuff from h..."
Oh this is good to know, i love their relationship but just as friends. It would be weird if they had. What about Marissa and Jane!? And actually what would they do?! It would be impossible to go back to how things were before.
Well i still have to read this book, but to be honest, i'm kind of happy to know that V and Jane have a big plot in this book as Beth and Wrath had in BDB 7. Because when Ward finished one of the brother's books we never get to see about the couple anymore. I mean, i loved Mary and Rhage, actually he's one of my favorites and what happened to them? So, i think it's a good thing that she's sharing big plots in these books between new romances and old romances. I mean, this books is still about the BDB. I want to know more about those 6 guys and where their relationship wih their mates stands. And also because with all this we see that happy ends doesn't exist. They have problems, so they have to deal with it. For me it fells more real. To be honest, i love Jane. For me, she's perfect fot V. I just think that in his book their relationship happened too fast. But i believe in them. I don't think less of the V/Jane and Marissa/Butch relationships because of V/Butch friendship. Although i think Ward has to come to terms in which true love storie this is all about. V/Jane and Marissa/Butch or V/Butch. I hope she had close this storyline in this book. Or V are in love with Jane or he is in love with Butch.
Women reach out to love and comfort each other all the time. When men do this, we become really interested to see if there is more to it. So far their relationships says to me, "Hey buddy. If I could love a guy "that way", it would be you. You get me."
Dhfan4life wrote: "Really? I never saw much change in him per se. I mean there was the freak outs he had. But still V, has been the same since the start. Albeit more in the "straight" camp lately do to Jane."I will first say that I appreciate the fact that you express your love for the V/Jane pairing in a respectful manner. For some reason, this V/Jane vs Vutch issue has turned into an adult version of The Great Butter Battle...which since that was a euphemism for homosexuality, it makes perfect sense anyway. But regardless of what side your bread is buttered on, we all have to respect each other. My problems with Jane are
A)I am a huge proponent of continuing ARCs and I was eating up the Vutch ARC that ran fluent in books 1 through 4...even up until the very end of book 4, there was a tenuous relationship with Butch and Marissa. The flow was not only abruptly stopped, but was systematically cut off with a brick wall.
B) The chemistry between Butch and V is white-hot electric. Even people who are not fans of the VUTCH concept have to admit that when they get close to each other, your heart pounds just a little faster. With V and Jane, to me, it has always seemed forced.
C) It's not Jane's fault that I don't like her. The fact that she has more page time than ANY OTHER SHELLAN in books that she has NO BUSINESS being in does bother me. LRb could have been a power house novel, and I understand that there were issues that Ward needed to tie up with their particular story, but there was so much Jane and so little Manny that I had a hard time liking him. I ended up totally drooling over him, but at first it was hard to get to "know" him because I was too busy trying to avoid the Ghost.
D) *And here's where the glove comes off so be warned. No disrespect intended, but we are all adults having an adult conversation and we can all be civil*
It is hard, as a fan of the World that Ward Built, watching something that I have come to love, something that has helped me forge lifelong loves and relationships, turn to something that breaks my heart rather than helps heal it. Occasionally, you read about a couple that transcends labels and pre-conceived notions and for me, that was the Vutch pairing. It was never about the M/M thing for me. It was always about something great that didn't just seem like the real thing, you KNEW it was the real thing. They aren't gay, they just...are. It was hard enough knowing that they would never be together. It was knowing that they characters genuinely loved each other. V actually fell in love with someone! And it was taken away. Granted, I understand that in mainstream publishing, a great idea can be swept under the carpet of "social acceptance" and I give that to Ward. Trust me, I know all about it. But the Vutch camp has consistently been treated with a lack of respect from those who are closest to the author. We are repeatedly forced to drink the Kool-Aid when were are told it's Cabernet. And what makes it all the more painful is the fact that we have been repeatedly and with no lack of insults that the horse is dead. The horse has shuffled loose it's mortal coil. Then a faint whisper comes from the Scribe herself and she tells us that the horse, in fact, is not dead, that she in fact saw it trotting around as pretty as you please. When we have a glimmer of hope that there may someday be a way that WE can see the horse, the cavalry comes in again, swats us with their NO-NO sticks and tells us that the horse is still dead. Were we not told that it was still possible to saddle it and ride into the sunset, we would let it go. Part of Team Vutch's ray of hope comes from Ward herself. That's hard to stomach. To me, it feels like a lack of faith in the intelligence quotient of her readers. Put it this way...Now the anti-Qhuay faction knows EXACTLY how the Pro-Vutch crowd has felt since LRe.
It's not that we do not respect her art. We do. We love it. We know it intimately. We appreciate her talent, and the mark of a great artist is that the worlds she's built become real. Ward has done a marvelous job with this and aspiring authors can only look to her for inspiration. But building a wall and lobbing bombs because of an ARC opinion is infantile. Do I like V's HEA? I give a resounding No! Am I going to point at those who do and tell them that they lack the mental acuity to discern who is and is not a bad character? Again, a resounding NO. Hell, my favorite Brother is Phury and I know how people feel about him. But I accept that as their opinion and move on. My least favorite Shellan is Bella. I won't recruit and start a war over it.
So Jane...for me? Blah. That doesn't mean we can't have a beer together and talk it out.
I wanted to love LRb. With all of my heart. But save for a few scenes, all it did was rip open a barely scarred wound.
Again, I realize these are works of fiction, but it is incredibly hard NOT to become emotionally invested in characters who are expertly written. The whole purpose of enjoying fiction is to take yourself to a whole new world. When the new world you've enjoyed ensconcing yourself in seems to repeatedly kick you in your already sore asshole, its time to hope for something better. Posting about it is just my masochistic way of coping. I am sincerely hoping that Qhuay will heal the wound, cause as of right now, it feels like its destined to be left open and bleeding.
I've said my piece.
Dhfan4life wrote: "Really? I never saw much change in him per se. I mean there was the freak outs he had. But still V, has been the same since the start. Albeit more in the "straight" camp lately do to Jane."I know we all see things differently but maybe you should reread his scenes. Do you seriously think the Disney character we saw in this book was V??? That was someone I don't know!
Carla wrote: "Oh this is good to know, i love their relationship but just as friends. It would be weird if they had. What about Marissa and Jane!? And actually what would they do?! It would be impossible to go back to how things were before."Well, the females shouldn't be surprised if they had sex. Especially the ghost since she is supposedly so smart. She even thought V and Butch were a couple.
Carla wrote: "I hope she had close this storyline in this book. Or V are in love with Jane or he is in love with Butch."In my opinion the book clearly showed that Butch is the only one for V! Wait and see for yourself!
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