** THIS REVIEW CONTAINS WHAT SOME MAY CONSIDER TO BE SPOILERS **
Title: Lover at Last (Black Dagger Brotherhood)
Author: J.R. Ward
Cover Artist: managed by the publisher
Publisher: Piatkus
Buy Links: Buy LinkAmazon; Publisher
Genre: Urban Fantasy, Paranormal Romance
Length: (591 pages)
Rating: unrated
A Guest Review by Larissa
Review Summary: Blay and Qhuinn’s highly anticipated story that fell a little short of the mark, but did have its ups.
Blurb: Qhuinn, son of no one, is used to being on his own. Disavowed from his bloodline, shunned by the aristocracy, he has finally found an identity as one of the most brutal fighters in the war against the Lessening Society. But his life is not complete. Even as the prospect of having a family of his own seems to be within reach, he is empty on the inside, his heart given to another….
Blay, after years of unrequited love, has moved on from his feelings for Qhuinn. And it’s about time: it seems Qhuinn has found his perfect match in a Chosen female, and they are going to have a young. It’s hard for Blay to see the new couple together, but building your life around a pipe dream is just a heartbreak waiting to happen. And Qhuinn needs to come to terms with some dark things before he can move forward…
Fate seems to have taken these vampire soldiers in different directions… but as the battle over the race’s throne intensifies, and new players on the scene in Caldwell create mortal danger for the Brotherhood, Qhuinn finally learns the true definition of courage, and two hearts who are meant to be together… finally become one.
Review: Ladies and Gentlemen, I’m here to talk to you about the Black Dagger Brotherhood. So sit down, relax, and get a drink because we’re going to be here for a while.
Introduction:
No, I didn’t forget to rate this book. This book is left unrated because this is going to be the one instant where you get to make up your own minds, since I can’t make up mine. I’m torn between a 5 star for effort and a 1 star for the pond of piranhas on crack this book is.
This is not an easy book to review for me. Lover at Last was one of the single most anticipated stories. Okay, apart from the Draegan Lords by M.L. Rhodes that is. Not only because Lover at Last is a mainstream m/m book (You can say a lot about this author, but she sure got brass balls), but because Qhuinn and Blay’s story has been told over the last 8 years, give or take. Imagine getting snippets about one of your favorite gay couples in mainstream literature only to hear that they finally get their own book? Yup.
So I went into this book with high expectations. Probably too high. And got quite the let down in a way. Even if I still love Qhuinn and Blay and was extremely bouncy happy dance excited to see their story. So bear with me through this review.
I’m going to split this review up in a few sections so you don’t have to struggle through everything.
Also note: THIS REVIEW CONTAINS MAJOR SPOILERS. Read at your own risk.
The Black Dagger Brotherhood
The BDB is a mainstream, predominantly hetero urban fantasy/paranormal romance series that now spans 12 books. The series focuses on a vampire race’s struggles against “de-souled humans” made by The Omega called the Lessening Society, through a band of highly trained vampire warriors called the Black Dagger Brotherhood. All the brothers are big, strong, rough, tough, manly men who wear shitkickers and leather and are very fond of their weapons and toys. And I do mean very fond.
Qhuinn and Blay are not inducted the BDB, but they are warriors who fight with the brothers along with a few others. Their story has been told through pieces in almost all the previous books. So if you haven’t read any of the other books in this series, it might be hard to understand what is going on. I definitely would not recommend reading Lover at Last as a stand-alone.
What worked for me
QHUINN AND BLAYLOCK FINALLY GOT THEIR OWN STORY!!!! Okay, sorry for shouting, but it’s definitely a plus.
While the execution of this story left something to be desired of, it was good to read their story. It gives more insight into who both characters are and especially Qhuinn. We find out a lot more about his past. Qhuinn’s relationship with his parents and siblings was always very rocky because of his mismatched eyes. It made him imperfect for the aristocracy and from birth he was punished for it. During Lover at Last we get snippets of the past with his parents and we finally find out what happened the night of the Honour Guard.
Qhuinn always found a haven with Blay. His parents who, while aristocracy or glymera, never cared for imperfections and thus didn’t care that Qhuinn was less than perfect in physical appearance. Blay’s parents are very open and loving and that resulted in Blay being a kind and caring person, often putting others’ needs before his own. But I’m getting away from my point. It’s very cool and awesome how Blay’s parents handle their son’s coming out. It was definitely a highlight of the story.
What I also very much liked in this story was Wrath (the King, but also leader of the BDB) taking more of a stand and re-writing the laws pertaining to introducing new members into the Brotherhood. It was sorely needed as most of the Brothers are results of selective breeding within the race.
Qhuinn is the first Brother that is not a result of the selective breeding and it’s a good boost for Qhuinn’s self-esteem since he feels quite the outcast.
There is quite some action in this story and there is an incident with a plane and Qhuinn that highlights perfectly who Qhuinn is. It’s an attention grabber. Guaranteed to keep you on the edge of your seat.
Now we’re going over into territory of what didn’t work for me. The ending is very sweet and cool. Qhuinn finally does something for Blay instead of the other way around. I had to laugh when I read about Qhuinn in a tuxedo. Hell, the guy almost didn’t know what it was. He’s all leather, piercings (did I mention he has a Prince Albert?) and boots. The epitome of manliness. Unfortunately it was the only sweet, romantic scene between them. The rest was all laced with a heavy dose of emo.
Oh, did I mention that Qhuinn trashes Havers, the stuck-up, arrogant asswipe of a doctor? Epic!
What didn’t work for me
I’m afraid this is probably going to be longer than the other section.
The plot. Lover at Last is almost 600 pages long. Qhuinn and Blay’s story fills maybe 35/40% of this. The rest is all Trez, iAm, Assail, Sola, Wrath, Rhevenge, Xcor, Layla and some asshole Lessers. It was annoying, irritating and frustrating to read one chapter featuring either Blay or Qhuinn or both and then switching to another character. While it has always been Ward’s MO to introduce other plot angles in a story (how else did we come to love Qhuinn and Blay) it was excessive in Lover at Last. The constant switching was trying and took much away from the story as a whole. It also left Qhuinn and Blay’s story sorely underdeveloped.
To me it felt like all they do is fight when they suddenly see the light and resolve their issues. Okay maybe Blay finally had a much needed explosion and gave Qhuinn some harsh words.
The friendship between Qhuinn and Blay has been long and Blay has been in love with Qhuinn since before their transitions. However their friendship has always been focused more on Qhuinn and his troubles than Blay and this reflects in the story, as you might have noticed from the first part of the review. There is way more insight into Qhuinn than Blay and that’s too bad, because Blay is an excellent warrior and friend.
Then when Blay finally finds someone for himself: Saxton, it’s left unfocussed. It’s clear that Saxton is unimportant in the scheme of things and their relationship just dies. Saxton was a very cool character though. No drama there. But… while they break-up early in the story, Blay doesn’t tell Quinn until the last 10% of the story. WTF…?! He made Qhuinn think he was sleeping around on Saxton. It puts Blay in a bad light, while he’s is clearly a person of honour. Though the point was probably also to make Blay seem less like a saint. While it’s my understanding that Blay keeping his mouth shut is related to the Layla/pregnancy angle of the story, it made the story have an air of incredulity about it.
Then there was the pregnancy angle. Qhuinn has never expressed his desire to have a young (not that I was aware of) only for a shellan/mate. Suddenly there was the Chosen Layla (servant of the Scribe Virgin/Goddess). While Qhuinn has been known to fuck everything female that is willing, he was suddenly all about getting a young… Erh?
This made me scratch my head and think that Ward wanted to project a little white picket fence on Qhuinn and Blay. They are normal if they have kids…right? While Blay has more trouble with Qhuinn sleeping with Layla (in the previous book) he also has never expressed a desire for kiddies.
Qhuinn’s struggle with his sexual orientation was another no-go for me. In the previous books and in particular Lover Mine I remember Qhuinn referring to himself as gay. Yet, it takes almost to the end of Lover at Last for Qhuinn to come to terms with his sexuality and admit he is gay… good Lord people! Yes, everyone comes out when they are ready, but it didn’t do any good for the story itself, because then it ends.
The Romance
Hmmm, I didn’t think any could be found in this story with all the emo crap going on between them. It’s there, but it’s weak. Mostly found in small comments.
The sex between the two is explosive, frantic, angry and based on lies. Not every erotic scene has to be about flowers and hearts, but there was little to be found in their encounters. I understand that Ward wanted to maintain the manliness of Qhuinn and Blay’s characters, but she could have thrown us a bone. The scenes are explicit, but there is almost no mention of things below the belt. Words such as ‘penetration’ and ‘mounting’ were used. No mention of ‘cock’, ‘hole’ or any stretching going on. It is always from behind as if gay couples don’t have sex in any other position.
It’s wasn’t so much that the scenes were bad, they were just bland and unbefitting Qhuinn and Blay. The lack of details made it even more unromantic. As Ingrid pointed out to me when we talked about this book: the erotic scenes are safe. They are detailed but not so much as to scare people away who are not used to reading about gay sex. While I can understand why Ward did this, it still left me disappointed. Especially because in the other books the male/female erotic scenes were way more detailed and explicit (hell, I remember Zhadist having a conversation with his Dick) and Qhuinn and Blay deserved the same (not the conversation).
When Quinn and Blay finally make up and work things out there is no long or detailed erotic scene and it’s shame. It would have put things in perspective.
Then there was the no lube aspect of the sex between them. Erhh… ouch? Of course, maybe gay vampires are self-lubricating. Who knows as there was very little mention of things below the belt. It made me wonder if they even had cocks!
So…overall conclusion
This has become a long ass review and I could go on for quite some time about the ups and downs of this book. While I’m very happy that Lover at Last is here and that J.R. Ward wrote the story, it wasn’t quite the story that I hoped for. Too many fillers, too much drama, too many lies and some unresolved issues. It was a likable story, but I’m afraid my expectations were too high and I suffered a major let down. So I leave you to make up your own mind about this story.
Great review! I would have had no idea where to start on explaining everything that’s gone into the series up until this point.
I was disappointed with how Blay and Quinn were treated. It wasn’t a bad romance, it just wasn’t good enough for them. The sex scenes were nowhere near as good as the couples normally get from Ward. Even past threesome scenes with Blay and Quinn were more intimate and hotter than most of the ones in this book. The emotional connection between them was definitely lacking in the first 575 pages. I didn’t like that they didn’t get together until 15 pages from the end. I wanted to be able to enjoy them together and happy for a while.
Quinn having the major realization he was gay didn’t work for me either. It came out of nowhere and you’re right, he had referred to himself as being gay before.
At first I was really annoyed by all the other side plots, but by the end I was really into them. They were a bigger hit for me than the Blay/Quinn romance.
Hi Andrea, thanks! My guess is that a lot of people expected more and didn’t quite get what they were hoping for.
The side plots are part of her MO, but in this book it was even more than most, which didn’t help matters 🙂
*spoilerish*
sort of, I think. Don’t read unless you have finished the book.
I skipped all the non Blay Qhuinn parts. (Easy to do with an actual book not so easy with an ebook)
After she screwed me over regarding V I lost interest. (Vishous and his black wax, makes all hot and bothered….. just ask Wave, who has to send me V and Butch fan fic LOL)
I’m torn between 3* for effort and 1* for holy cr*p batman, what a mess.
Is it just me or did she really really want Layla to star in the B/Q mix? I know JR has said that Layla is her favourite, but still!
Surely, with the input of gay men and M/M writers, she could have written some common sense sex. I don’t care if these guys are super tough vampires but for the love of all things holy, use some sort of lubricant, PLEASE! (I’m still trying to unclench my ;-). )
I read a review which said JR wanted Qhuinn and Layla to get together but the fans didn’t want it so she begrudgingly wrote Blay and Qhuinn. I don’t know if that’s true but it sure felt like it. Layla starred in this book more than Blay did and it was his book! i dont get the whole baby thing, i really dont. It was a messed up, disjointed backstabbing at Qhuay fans. But that’s just my take. I could read it again for the 4th time and change my mind though. (Doubtful but it could happen)
Guess it really is a 1* for me 🙁
I am going to get it from the library and skip the non-main-storyline parts too.
Hahaha yeah quite a lot of people were upset by V & Butch! Me included.
I didn’t know about review, but it wouldn’t surprise me either. Then again, there is a lot of info out there
Thanks Natasha!
I skipped as well, also in the previous books. It’s ok if there is more than one angle on the story line, but not if there are so many. Also, I just don’t like Layla, this book just sort of felt like an interim-book to pass the time. I also agree totally with Larissa’s review – my expectations were high and she could have done so much more.
I agree with you on the review Larissa 🙂
Even thought it is an m/m book there is nothing in it that could offense readers not wanting to read m/m.
And although I love lots of plot in this book it feels excessive and it totally hides the “romance” plot. And all those plotlines never mingle with the Blay and Quinn story. So one could tape the B&Q chapters together and still have a complete story.
I think that is very weak and an easy way out for Ward.
And as Larissa said, in the previous books you wanted to those get together like all the other couples but I never got that feeling from this story that was supposedly about them. Also I missed John in the story what did he think?
Thanks hon! Yes, I missed John too. I deliberately didn’t add it to the review because it would have become too long, but yes, he should have been there more.
Larissa
I think you wrote a very well balanced review and it was not long, considering that the book is 600 fricking pages (less 10). Most of the reviews I have read echo some of what you said, even those that are 5 stars on Amazon. I don’t know why JR wrote this story because it certainly didn’t live up to the hype of “Lover at Last”. Whose story was she writing anyway? Certainly not Blay’s and Qhuinn’s. I think she did them a disservice. 35% – 40% of the book devoted to them in what was supposed to be their story??? 🙁 You said it babe! As for the sex, the less said about that the better.
Great job.
the less said about that the better. *shivers* indeed 😮
😮 😮 😮 Woa high praise from you! Thanks Wave! hehehe and I agree!
Thank you! I have been saying this since I read it. I seem to get a lot of “that’s how she does it” regarding the insane amount of other storyline stuff. And a good amount of “you have to love it because it will open the genre up”. I know she always has multiple storyline but the focus is normally the main couple, not so much here. And while it’s fantastic that this is #1 on the bestseller lists it would be even better if the story was better & more honest.
Hi Alison! Thanks!
And yes, it is Ward’s MO to put in a hell of a lot of other plot angles. But even then, in this story it was even more than usual and combined with the length that takes away from the main story.
This is a very good review – actually I agree with a lot (I hadn’t expected that).
But I have the feeling that someone has to throw some other aspects into the discussion.
For example the scene switching – if you buy peaches you’ll get peaches and not apples. Ward features this writing style since her first books. If someone dislikes that style, don’t read the books. It’s not special to Lover At Last but to all her books.
The criticism about the sex. I agree with the lube – hell, it was nearly the first thing I mentioned in my own review at GR and in a discussion group. Others have pointed out to me that they cum that much that they don’t need lube – actually every time they had sex, the one doing the fucking had at least cum once before….well, I still miss lube.
“Words such as ‘penetration’ and ‘mounting’ were used. No mention of ‘cock’, ‘hole’ or any stretching going on.”
Well – I find “cock” all the time …e.g “until his hard cock came against Blay’s…”, “his hands found Blay’s cock…”, “the head of that thick, blunt cock part his mouth…” (p.200 and 201 on kindle).
And I advise to reread for example Lover Unleashed. I never found for “vagina” in that one. Female parts are called “her sex” or “her core”. So this is really not a new development nor a new breach in style. If stretching was necessary? Someone told me that biting probably would hurt more. Maybe I have to rearrange my perception.
It’s how the Warden writes her sex scenes. I couldn’t find a difference in style and word choice compared to her latest books. Well, of course Lover Awakened was different but hey, the first five books were different.
And here we come to the next point. Since Lover Enshrined she had changed her style – subplots have taken more place, the couples don’t get enough time (I still wonder if Lover Unleashed really was about Manny and Payne or V and Jane). I think pages combined Manny and Payne had less sex on page than Blay and Qhuinn. It’s a balance between getting the lovestory on page, the whole story forward, introducing the next characters and revisiting the former characters (hey, we all would love to see Zsadist going down on Bella again, true?). It’s getting a bit crowded in her world and to be honest, I think she will always do it right for one reader and wrong for the other. Am I interested in Assail? No, sorry, he doesn’t ring my bells. Others? Well, yes, big bad vampire. So, some will love this subplot part, others dislike it.
As there had been readers who weren’t interested in Blay and Qhuinn.
Was the plot a bit forced? Yes, absolutely, I think she actually had to construct the problems.
The built up of the love-conflict was the oldest and most used one in romance – both parts of the couple neglect to talk to each other, are assuming they know what the other wants and thinks and blablabla.
Did I want them to be a couple sooner? Of course. Was this something new in her books? No, Autumn and Tohr had taken their time, too.
I really missed one visible “tender” lovemaking between Blay and Qhuinn. A love scene that is the natural continuation of the sweet and heart-stopping kiss in the PT-suite (LEn). I mean, she can write tender moments between the guys if there is no sex…I wanted one with it. I wanted a more intimate connection. So I wholeheartedly agree with you there.
I have never read that Ward actually called it m/m herself, it is still a Paranormal Romance of the Black Dagger Brotherhood – which happens to star a male/male couple this time. And in my opinion it is written in the same style like the previous last books – no difference here.
Another thought to the sex – I’ve read a lot m/m books that fade to black, it feels kind of wrong to criticize Ward for her writing style when she at least brings the sex on paper.
Nonetheless – I enjoyed the book and I will read the next one. I think it’s really up to each reader how much weight the aspects of the stories get in rating the book. It had flaws, no question. Did they annoy me that much? No, so this is still a great series and there is much more to come – hopefully.
And this is a really good review, thank you Larissa.
Totally with you, Sunne. Great summary! I just want to add: I stopped reading this series with book#8, which was DNF for me, but with this one Ms. Ward got me back. I’m looking forward to reading the next book. And with Wrath – can’t wait!
I completely agree with you about the change in her writing style since the earlier books.
I wasn’t thrilled with how Blay and Quinn were handled, but it was much better for me than Tohr and Autumn. That was one couple I didn’t connect with at all. It took me until about halfway through Lover At Last to even remember who Autumn was. 🙁
OMG – don’t get me started on Lover Revealed – this one was simply …boring? Her worst book ever.
I agree. Tohr and Autumn made came from left field for me and that was my issue with them. It just made no sense when taken in the context of the other books.
O_O woa! That is some reply! Thanks!
And yes, I compeltely missed that the word cock was used. Well i didn’t miss it so much as I was fixed on the “his sex” part. But thanks for pointing that out!
Hmmm what I meant about the sex part was mostly that she doesn’t mention much going on below the belt. My focus was not so much that I wanted all the details on what was there or wasn’t, but that it was a very safe way of writing compared to her other books. The way she wrote it made it feel static and bland to me and nothing like any of the other stories. To be hones, I didn’t quite like most of the books after Phury’s book. Not even John’s and he was one of my favourite characters.
I’m aware that she changed her style and while I didn’t mentioned any of the other books in detail I didn’t agree on it there either. Yup, entirely with you on the Manny/Payne & V/Jane. I’m not against introducing different plotlines and angles or hell even other couples, I just found it so excessive in Lover at Last that it really took away from the story she was trying to tell. But my guess is that this is personal. Not everyone likes different plot lines or couples in their romance 😉
Hihi Yes, it’s not actually m/m. To be honest, I haven’t paid attention to how it is marketed. To me it’s just a m/m story 🙂
Re the fade to black. My guess is that is different for everyone. In my personal opinion, I rather have a scene fade to black than a scene that is bland or static to which you feel no connection or where there is no connection between the characters :=)
Okay… I hope this all makes sense, because it’s been a long day and I think my brain is mostly shut down now! Thanks again for the insightful reply!
I actually think I get what you mean – this, too is a problem I had with her last books. I never got the feelings back I experienced during Bella’s needing or with Rhage and Mary.
But that already had happened since LEn, maybe Rehv and Elhena were okay, but defo not JM and Xhex and well….I was really dissapointed for Payne loosing her virginity on the last pages of her book. Duh…and we really don’t have to talk about Tohr and Autumn. If I consider these books I think she really improved again.
Another point is – I think she has given away the opportunity to make Blay and Qhuinn shine so much more by NOT writing one tender lovemaking. I think…we had the kind of sex she wrote in other books, too. I checked a bit and found no real difference in her wording. But I would have “bonded” more with them, their lovemaking, if it had at least once been “lovemaking” and not “animal wild fucking”. This was in the other books, the urge to care for the female. And this was missing, which is kind of sad because the urge to care for your loved one still should be there, even if it is a kick-ass fighter.
Still – somehow I still think her books are good.
Larissa, thank you so much for this epic review! I’ve never read any of the BDB books, including this one, but I was very curious about how this one would fit in with the other books and how this one would come across to m/m fans — and to have the full picture of that, I needed the backstory and explanation of the whole series. I didn’t know where to start, but your review is a perfect consolidation of everything I needed to know.
Thanks Val. I’m glad it was helpful. The first half of the series is definitely recommendable if you can find the time at some point 😉
*Glomps Val* I was beginning to think I was the only human on the planet who hadn’t read BDB. I can’t get past the backblurbs–all stray Hs in the names make me grind my teeth. This doesn’t inspire me to start.
Also, *glomps Larissa* Now I’m not the only one to refuse to assign a rating on a book.
No no Crys you are definitely not the only one – but I have read so many spoilers by now that I am feeling brave enough to eventually read this book as stand alone. Awesome review Larissa.
Thanks guys!
First of all, let me thank the reviewer for tackling this book. It was such a brave move because there are so many feelings attached to this book for many people, that things could get a little heated no matter where you fall on your review. BTW, smart move not rating book.
Secondly, Let me defend the author a little bit. I think this book was so anticipated, for so long, for so many people, that it would be almost impossible to meet up with everyone’s expectations. It’s kind of like if you started saving up to go to Disneyworld when you’re 5 years old because you want to meet Mickey Mouse. You save up for years, until you’re finally able to go when you 18 yrs. old. Then you discover Mickey Mouse is just some underpaid schmuck in a costume. Also, as far as I know, these are the only gay sex scenes Ward has written. I’m sure she read some other authors as part of her research for the book but she probably doesn’t quite realize just how important things like lube and stretching are to those of us who read gay fiction on a regular basis.
I rated this book as 5 stars on Goodreads for several reasons, some of which people may not agree with. The biggest reasons are sentimental. Blay and Qhuinn’s first kiss was a watershed moment for me. It literally changed my life. I went from a fan of Paranormal Het Romances to reading almost exclusively, gay romance. I also went from someone who knew the way gay people are discriminated against was wrong, but never really took a stand to someone who fights daily for equality. So for me, Blay and Qhuinn are not just this one book, they are every book since that kiss and for me, they are 5 stars.
I also wanted my rating to reflect my respect for Ward’s courage. I know, as someone else has said, there are reviews that say that Ward initially did not want Blay and Qhuinn together. I have been a member of Ward’s member boards for years, until they closed, and Ward, herself, was quite involved with them. I have followed the development of Blay and Qhuinn’s relationship and while it is technically true that Ward, at least initially, had planned for Qhuinn and Layla to be a couple, it does not truly reflect the journey. Ward had initially written Layla as Qhuinn’s future love interest, but as she says, the characters spoke to her, and things changed. She then began to feel her fans (we call ourselves Cellmates because she’s the Warden) out to see how they would accept a gay couple.
Finally, as it’s been pointed out, Ward’s writing style is not for everyone. She has many plotlines running at once and the main romance is not always center stage. There was a lot of talk that Ward would not focus too much on the other storylines in this book so that readers who do not want to read a gay book to keep up with the back stories, if they skip this one. So, it’s actually a positive thing that Ward continued all the storylines.
Great comment, I agree.
And you mentioned “the kiss”. It actually is the best moment in the books ….my copy of LEn still opens automatically at “the kiss”. 😀
You are right, there is something to be said about the Warden’s courage. When I started reading BDB a few years ago – it was shortly before LEn – a m/m book wasn’t really in the making. If ever…maybe a novella without sidestories…if ever, still to be checked with the publisher. And I remember as much enthusastic comments about Qhuay as angry ones, people who said they would stop reading if she wrote about Blay and Qhuinn. To make it a novel, complete with everything was a brave move for her, especially because you have to see that this decision must have been made earlier, basics have to be laid in the other books, etc.
The support for LGBT that has grown in the last year for example wasn’t as big as it is now. So it was a bold decision to go with it.
Lol, LEn opens to “the kiss” on my kindle, too. One of the best first kisses I’ve ever read.
Jenny:
First of all, let me thank the reviewer for tackling this book. It was such a brave move because there are so many feelings attached to this book for many people, that things could get a little heated no matter where you fall on your review. BTW, smart move not rating book.
On a lighter note, it took two bottles of virtual wine and a case of brew to persuade Larissa to write this review. 😆 BTW I think she has bigger balls than JR Ward. 😀
I agree with almost everything that was said here.
However, I’d like to point out some things that annoyed me to no end in regard to one of the plot lines: if it weren’t for the blurb I’d have thought that the main couple was Assail/Sola. I had to control myself to not skip their story, seriously.
And what kind of name was that? Since Ward made it a point to let us know that she was brazilian (or had brazilian parentes?), she should have given her a brazilian nickname like Sol or Mari, not Sola.
Another thing that I noticed was that her grandmother used expressions in Spanish like “Hola” (instead of “Alô” to answer the phone) or Sí (insted of “sim”). What was up whit that?
I’m sorry, it may be silly but since I speak portuguese I had to pick this bone here… 😀
I have to admit I don’t know what really happened with Assail and Sola because I hated that storyline so I skipped a lot of it. I hated it so much that I forgot about it. Definitely my least favorite storyline in the book.
On amazon, the book is listed as paranormal ROMANCE. At the very least, it’s a paranormal with strong ROMANTIC elements. So I find it very unsatisfying that the most romantic and, for me, best part of the entire romance is the EPILOGUE. Seriously, 600 pages and the last 10 are the best??! I paid how much and waited how long for an EPILOGUE??!
Thanks for the great review, Larissa. I felt like an ungrateful fan when I realized I didn’t really care for this book all that much. I’m still very conflicted. I don’t think Quinn and Blay got what they deserved. I’m super happy they got their own book, kudos to Ward for writing it. Keeping it clean enough for the hetero crowd while making it steamy enough for the m/m crowd was a big job, one I wasn’t worried Ward could pull off. But I think her effort fell flat. The sex didn’t work for me at all. Seriously, we’re talking piercings and no lube. I just couldn’t get the OUCH out of my head. I think that was shoddy m/m writing. (None of us would get away with that in our own books.)
In the past, Quinn and Blay started on the sidelines. Since their book didn’t really deliver what I was looking for (tender moments, an emotional connections etc), I’m hoping that Ward will keep Qhuay on the sidelines and give us glimpses of them in a loving, caring, supportive relationship in the books to follow. Maybe we’ll have to keep reading to see their relationship develop in tiny little snippets between main events (god, I hope so).
Nadja
“I’m hoping that Ward will keep Qhuay on the sidelines and give us glimpses of them in a loving, caring, supportive relationship in the books to follow. Maybe we’ll have to keep reading to see their relationship develop in tiny little snippets between main events”
That’s kind of what I was thinking. BDB would not be the same without the stories that come after the books. I love the little glimpses we always get into couples that got their HEA several books ago. I hope she continues this with Qhuay.
Well, I guess I’m in the minority here. I don’t feel Ward was all that courageous. As two potentially groundbreaking cases were argued before the Supreme Court at the same time as this release, I think Ward missed a tremendous opportunity to use her fame and following to tell a really romantic m/m story. I don’t need the sex scenes, I could tolerate all the subplots, what really angered me was there was no ROMANCE between Qhuinn & Blay! They fight, they have sex, they fight some more then have more sex. These two characters have more history than any other two in the series and yet the love they share was incredibly short changed! She blew it big time, in my opinion. And as for Layla? I don’t think I have ever hated a character more in my life!! She finds out her dream man is the bad guy and yet when she sees him again she doesn’t tell a soul? This guy who tried to kill her king, the king whose home she lives in, and she tells nobody?? Puh-leeze!!! Not sure if I’ll be back for more of this series. She buckled to the pressure and didn’t tell the love story Qhuinn & Blay deserved! :grumble2:
AGREED!!
Nadja
Holy woa, talk about an explosion of comments. Thanks guys! I’ll get into more detail as soon as I’m done party planning!