Lover Unbound by J.R. Ward

Lover Unbound:
In Caldwell, New York, war rages between vampires and their slayers. There exists a secret band of brothers-six vampire warriors, defenders of their race. Now the cold heart of a cunning predator will be warmed against its will...

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 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.

Lover Unbound by J.R. Ward is the fifth book in the Black Dagger Brotherhood series, and as you know when I read a series back-to-back I rarely review each book. But in this case I just had to say a little something about Vishous and Jane’s story. Every book I have read so far has pulled me deeper into the world of the BDB, and my love for those alpha males knows no bounds. This book felt a little out of time with the series, there was hardly any action with the Lessening society, so the danger was stilted and practically non-existent. Now, with that being said, I loved Vishous’ book. Next to Zsadist's story, this was one of the most emotional of the series yet, and that is just one reason why I so enjoyed Lover Unbound.  There was also plenty of romantic tension and world building, and John Mathew has finally reached his transition. Jane was a very strong character that I thoroughly enjoyed, she didn’t come across as “delicate” or “weak,” and she stood up to the Brothers despite the fact that they scared the very life out of her. I’m still at odds with what happened to Jane in the end, I’m having so much trouble seeing just how Ward plans the future of their relationship to play out, especially concerning Jane’s predicament. But that’s the crux of it isn’t it? She just keeps pulling you in for more; I can’t wait to pick up the next book!

Forgotten Fridays (67)

I invite and welcome anyone interested to post their own Forgotten Friday and join in the fun! I feature a book that I have read and have forgotten how much I enjoyed it. Some books might recent reads and some might be older reads, but I hope this helps these (sometimes forgotten) books earn a spot on your own TBR pile!

Masquerade by Gayle Lynds
First Published: January 1996
goodreads

WHAT DO YOU DO...
When you gaze into the mirror--and find a stranger looking back? Liz Sansborough has no recollection of her past as a CIA agent; no idea what her future holds. For her, there is only the present...and the chilling knowledge that the world's most lethal assassin has set his sights on her.

WHOM DO YOU TRUST...
When your only link to your identity is a stranger who claims to be your lover? Gordon is so gentle, so loving--an secretive. If Liz dares to put her life into his powerful ha will he guard it with his own--or snuff it out?

WHERE DO YOU TURN...
When violence explodes around you, when nothing makes sense, when nobody--including you--is whom he or she appears to be? As Liz unravels a series of lies, she begins to suspect that the truth she encounters might be far more sinister--and deadly--than the original deception...

Thursday Thirteen (14)

Thursday Thirteen is a weekly meme with a simple theme: each Thursday you blog a list of 13 things. What kind of things? Any kind! Just come up with a list theme and run with it.
*All of my lists are in no particular order.*

Thirteen YA Last Lines

1. And you never know if that sound beneath your door is only the howling of the wind, or the Near Witch, in her small stone house or in her garden, singing the hills to sleep.
- The Near Witch by Victoria Schwab

2. He looked through the veil at Seth’s departing figure and said, “Try not to die, brother.”
- Radiant Shadows by Melissa Marr

3. I may not have planned on living forever, but now that I was, I was going to make the most of every moment.
- The Goddess Test by Aimée Carter

4. “Sam,” she said, and I crushed her to me.
- Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater

5. This time, I don’t know where the light will guide us.
- Wither by Lauren DeStefano

6. And while Luce dreamed below of the most glorious wings unfurling—the likes of which she’d never seen before—two angels in the rafters shook hands.
- Fallen by Lauren Kate

7. Graves clutched at my hand, his palm sweating, and he didn’t let go.
- Strange Angels by Lili St. Crow

8. “No, Angel.” He leaned in, his teeth softly grazing my ear. “I undress to impress.”
- Finale by Becca Fitzpatrick

9. I take his hand, holding on tightly, preparing for the cameras, and dreading the moment when I finally have to let go.
- The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

10. And no matter what happened next, I was damn well going to earn her sacrifice.
- My Soul to Take by Rachel Vincent

11. I waved to Ethan, nodded forgiveness at Mom, and shut the door, following Ash into the silver moonlight.
 - The Iron King by Julie Kagawa

12. Her stomach dropped out from under her as the silver river spun away and the spires of the bridge slid under her feet, but this time Clary kept her eyes open, so that she could see it all.
- City of Bones by Cassandra Clare

13. “I don’t care,” he said, and kissed me.
- Shade by Jeri Smith-Ready

Why Haven't I Read You? (28)

Every Wednesday I’ll choose a book off one of my (many) shelves that I haven’t read for some reason or another, and include the first few lines from the first page.

Feel free to join in, and comment about the books I feature if you have read them!

Dunklebarger Rehabilitation Center was not a center by modern definition; more an old drafty mansion converted over generations from family home to funeral home, to sanatorium, and finally an iteration where the old and unwanted were dumped to die. “Guests” transferred there shared the same profile: elderly, no living family, friends awaiting them on the other side, critical-life-taking conditions.

Wildcat Fireflies by Amber Kizer

goodreads 

Future Favorites (136)

Future Favorites is an awesome blog feature created by Alex over at Electrifying Reviews. I post about a book that is yet-to-be-released that I can't wait to read!

Styxx by Sherrilyn Kenyon

Release Date: September 3, 2013 by St. Martin's Press

Just when you thought doomsday was over...

Centuries ago Acheron saved the human race by imprisoning an ancient evil bent on absolute destruction. Now that evil has been unleashed and it is out for revenge.

As the twin to Acheron, Styxx hasn’t always been on his brother’s side. They’ve spent more centuries going at each other’s throats than protecting their backs. Now Styxx has a chance to prove his loyalty to his brother, but only if he’s willing to trade his life and future for Acheron’s.

The Atlantean goddess of Wrath and Misery, Bethany was born to right wrongs. But it was never a task she relished. Until now. She owes Acheron a debt that she vows to repay, no matter what it takes. He will join their fellow gods in hell and nothing is going to stop her.

But things are never what they seem, and Acheron is no longer the last of his line. Styxx and Acheron must put aside their past and learn to trust each other or more will suffer.

Yet it’s hard to risk your own life for someone who once tried to take yours, even when it's your own twin, and when loyalties are skewed and no one can be trusted, not even yourself, how do you find a way back from the darkness that wants to consume the entire world? One that wants to start by devouring your very soul?

It's Monday, What Are You Reading? (156)

Books I read last week:
Lover Revealed by J.R. Ward
The Thing About Weres by Leigh Evans

The book I’m reading now:
Lover Unbound:
In Caldwell, New York, war rages between vampires and their slayers. There exists a secret band of brothers-six vampire warriors, defenders of their race. Now the cold heart of a cunning predator will be warmed against its will...

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 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.


Books that spark my interest this week:
Lover Enshrined by J.R. Ward
Stained by Cheryl Rainfiend

Sundays with Sarah (39)

To find out more about Sarah and this feature go here.

The "hub" over in Alberta that provides Sarah's internet services has mysteriously broken down. Unfortunately she couldn't proceed with her post today.  Stay tuned for a new one next week!

Personally, I think something like this might have happened:

My Bookish Wants & Gots (60)

My Bookish Wants & Gots is a feature over at The Book Vixen. I list the books I want - which can be old, new, or upcoming releases - and the books I recently got.

Tempest by Julie Cross

goodreads

The year is 2009. Nineteen-year-old Jackson Meyer is a normal guy… he’s in college, has a girlfriend… and he can travel back through time. But it’s not like the movies – nothing changes in the present after his jumps, there’s no space-time continuum issues or broken flux capacitors – it’s just harmless fun.

That is… until the day strangers burst in on Jackson and his girlfriend, Holly, and during a struggle with Jackson, Holly is fatally shot. In his panic, Jackson jumps back two years to 2007, but this is not like his previous time jumps. Now he’s stuck in 2007 and can’t get back to the future.

Desperate to somehow return to 2009 to save Holly but unable to return to his rightful year, Jackson settles into 2007 and learns what he can about his abilities.

But it’s not long before the people who shot Holly in 2009 come looking for Jackson in the past, and these “Enemies of Time” will stop at nothing to recruit this powerful young time-traveler. Recruit… or kill him.

Piecing together the clues about his father, the Enemies of Time, and himself, Jackson must decide how far he’s willing to go to save Holly… and possibly the entire world.

Haven by Kay Hooper

goodreads

Another nightmare, in the woods this time. Different: She was running. Trying to escape.

But the same ending. Always the same ending. Another dead girl…

Emma Rayburn was born and raised in Baron Hollow, North Carolina, and it was a quiet life. Then came the accident…and the nightmares—each filled with unshakable visions of darkness, blind panic, and desperate women chased toward inevitable death. With no reports of local women missing or found dead, Emma has written it off to troubled imaginings—night after dreaded night. Until her sister arrives.

Jessie Rayburn, psychic investigator for a firm called Haven, has been estranged from Emma for years. Unresolved issues from Jessie’s past have not only kept them apart but have been clouding Jessie’s unique abilities. A return to her hometown to face a dark and violent incident from years gone by is her chance to regain them. But reconciliation with the past comes with a price. Few people in Baron Hollow are welcoming Jessie back. No one dares to breathe a word. And in this conspiracy of silence, Emma’s nightmares are becoming more vivid than ever.

Even with the help of Noah Bishop, head of the FBI Special Crimes Unit and co-founder of Haven, Jessie and Emma soon find themselves outnumbered by the secrets buried in Baron Hollow—and outrunning an evil that has been festering for years, one that’s targeting Jessie and Emma one last time.

 

Omens by Kelley Armstrong
goodreads
Twenty-four-year-old Olivia Taylor Jones has the perfect life. The only daughter of a wealthy, prominent Chicago family, she has an Ivy League education, pursues volunteerism and philanthropy, and is engaged to a handsome young tech firm CEO with political ambitions.

But Olivia’s world is shattered when she learns that she’s adopted. Her real parents? Todd and Pamela Larsen, notorious serial killers serving a life sentence. When the news brings a maelstrom of unwanted publicity to her adopted family and fiancé, Olivia decides to find out the truth about the Larsens.

Olivia ends up in the small town of Cainsville, Illinois, an old and cloistered community that takes a particular interest in both Olivia and her efforts to uncover her birth parents’ past.

Aided by her mother’s former lawyer, Gabriel Walsh, Olivia focuses on the Larsens’ last crime, the one her birth mother swears will prove their innocence. But as she and Gabriel start investigating the case, Olivia finds herself drawing on abilities that have remained hidden since her childhood, gifts that make her both a valuable addition to Cainsville and deeply vulnerable to unknown enemies. Because there are darker secrets behind her new home, and powers lurking in the shadows that have their own plans for her.

Spirit and Dust by Rosemary Clement-Moore
goodreads
Daisy Goodnight can speak to the dead. It’s not the result of a head injury or some near-death experience. She was just born that way. And she’s really good at it. Good enough to help the police solve the occasional homicide.

But helping the local authorities clear cold cases is one thing. Being whisked out of chemistry class by the FBI and flown to the scene of a murder/kidnapping in Minnesota? That’s the real deal.

Before the promotion can go to Daisy’s head, she’s up to her neck in trouble. The spirits are talking, and they’re terrified. There’s a real living girl in danger. And when Daisy is kidnapped by a crime boss with no scruples about using magic—and Daisy—to get what he wants, it looks like hers is the next soul on the line.

Forgotten Fridays (66)

I invite and welcome anyone interested to post their own Forgotten Friday and join in the fun! I feature a book that I have read and have forgotten how much I enjoyed it. Some books might recent reads and some might be older reads, but I hope this helps these (sometimes forgotten) books earn a spot on your own TBR pile!

Dime Store Magic by Kelley Armstrong
First Published: February 2004
Series: Women of the Otherworld
goodreads

Paige Winterbourne was always either too young or too rebellious to succeed her mother as leader of one of the world's most powerful elite organizations- the American Coven of Witches. Now that she is twenty-three and her mother is dead, the Elders can no longer deny her. But even Paige's wildest antics can't hold a candle to those of her new charge- an orphan who is all too willing to use her budding powers for evil... and evil is all too willing to claim her. For this girl is being pursued by a dark faction of the supernatural underworld. They are a vicious group who will do anything to woo the young, malleable, and extremely powerful neophyte, including commit murder- and frame Paige for the crime. It's an initiation into adulthood, womanhood, and the brutal side of magic that Paige will have to do everything within her power to make sure they both survive.

The Thing About Weres by Leigh Evans

The Thing About Weres:
THE HEART IS A LONELY HUNTER

In the never-ending saga that is my love-hate relationship with Robson Trowbridge, I, half-Were Hedi Peacock, have had a change of heart. Ever since I shoved Trowbridge through the Gates of Merenwyn, I’ve been the leader of the pack—hard to believe, right? The thing is: I’m half-Fae. So even though my Were side is ready to heed the call of the wild, the other part of me is desperate to take flight. And much as it pains me to admit it, life without Trowbridge is really starting to were me down…

I AM WERE, HEAR ME ROAR.

To make matters worse, the wolves of Creemore want my blood—and the North American Council of Weres wants me dead. So I’m just counting the days until Trowbridge returns from the other realm…and comes to my brave rescue…and becomes my alpha mate. Wishful thinking? Of course it is. But given all the mess I’ve been through already, what’s the harm in doing a little bit of daisy-plucking? Besides, Trowbridge owes me big-time. A girl can dream.

The Thing About Weres by Leigh Evans is second in the Mystwalker series and definitely even more action packed than the first. I will warn you though; you NEED to read The Thing About Fate before picking this one up. Evans was brilliant and had me constantly guessing what would happen next, and each new twist was something I never saw coming. This was a page-turner from start to finish, and despite frustrating me at times…because I wanted to see something happen when in fact the exact opposite would occur (which honestly made the book even better)…just like the first, this book was un-put-downable! We see more of Heidi’s Mystwalker side and a lot more of the world of Therall: a place where Mystwalkers go to protect the souls of the fae. Once Heidi puts aside her “woe-is-me” attitude, she really becomes an alpha in her own right, and she’s definitely a character I want to see more of. There were times though, that I found her inner dialogue to be a little distracting, she would suddenly go off into a memory with little notice, and although it usually pertained to the situation, it would go on for longer than it needed to.

Unable to open the Gates to Merenwyn on her own, Heidi is forced to wait, six months have passed since she pushed Robson into the faerie realm, and acting as Alpha-by-Proxy is not making the Pack give her the respect she is due as his mate. So much so that someone informed on her and now the Council of Weres has deemed her a traitor. Waiting to die at the hands of her pack is not at all what Heidi imagined when she saved her mates life, and just as the deathblow is to land the portal is opened and Robson appears to save the day. But it is not all sunshine and roses for the Alpha pair; nine years have passed for Robson. And he is not alone, with him he brings a small wolf and a strange man. Only the man is no stranger to Heidi, he is her brother, Lexi, stolen as a child by the fae on the night her parents were killed. But he is not the boy she knew. He has turned into a dark and dangerous person in order to survive Merenwyn. The small wolf carries Robson’s scent, and although she doesn’t want to believe it, Heidi thinks that he has found himself a proper mate. One that can change into her wolf when the moon calls. (This completely broke my heart). But it is soon discovered that she is Lexi’s daughter and she carries no scent of her own because she is part fae. Learning that her brother will soon die if he doesn’t return to Merenwyn almost destroys Heidi’s relationship with Robson, and her only chance is to make a deal with the Old Mage who resides in Therall. But this deal could cost more than Heidi is willing to pay, and she can only hope that Robson will stand behind her and be the man she first fell for, the one she loves and trusts.

Thursday Thirteen (13)

Thursday Thirteen is a weekly meme with a simple theme: each Thursday you blog a list of 13 things. What kind of things? Any kind! Just come up with a list theme and run with it.
*All of my lists are in no particular order.*

Books from My Past

1. The Lifeguard by Richie Tankersley Cusick

2. Beach Party by R.L. Stine

3. Bury Me Deep by Christopher Pike

4. Amy Girl by Bari Wood

5. Masquerade by Gayle Lynds

6. Phantom by Susan Kay

7. Nine Lives by Sharon Sala

8. Carolina Moon by Nora Roberts

9. Lair of the Lion by Christine Feehan

10. The Ugly Duckling by Iris Johansen

11. The Smoke Jumper by Nicholas Evans

12. White Oleander by Janet Fitch

13. The White Bone by Barbara Gowdy

Why Haven't I Read You? (28)

Every Wednesday I’ll choose a book off one of my (many) shelves that I haven’t read for some reason or another, and include the first few lines from the first page.

Feel free to join in, and comment about the books I feature if you have read them!

There is one mirror in my house. It is behind a sliding panel in the hallway upstairs. Our faction allows me to stand in front of it on the second day of every third month, the day my mother cuts my hair.

Divergent by Veronica Roth

goodreads

Future Favorites (135)

Future Favorites is an awesome blog feature created by Alex over at Electrifying Reviews. I post about a book that is yet-to-be-released that I can't wait to read!

Grasshopper Jungle by Andrew Smith

Release Date: February 20, 2014 by Dutton Juvenile

In this truly shocking, grotesquely original coming-of-age, end-of-the-world novel, sixteen-year-old Austin Szerba interweaves the legacy of his family’s history in Poland and immigration to the United States while narrating the story of how he and his best friend brought about the end of humanity and the rise of an army of unstoppable, human-sized (six-foot-tall) praying mantises in small-town Iowa.

To make matters worse, Austin's hormones are totally oblivious; they don't care that the world is in utter chaos: Austin is in love with his girlfriend, Shann, but remains confused about his sexual orientation, stewing in a self-professed constant state of maximum horniness, directed at both Robby and Shann. Ultimately, it's up to Austin to save the world and propagate the species in this sci-fright journey of survival, sex, and the complex realities of the human condition.

It's Monday, What Are You Reading? (155)

Books I read last week:
The Trouble with Fate by Leigh Evans

The book I’m reading now:
The Thing About Weres:
THE HEART IS A LONELY HUNTER

In the never-ending saga that is my love-hate relationship with Robson Trowbridge, I, half-Were Hedi Peacock, have had a change of heart. Ever since I shoved Trowbridge through the Gates of Merenwyn, I’ve been the leader of the pack—hard to believe, right? The thing is: I’m half-Fae. So even though my Were side is ready to heed the call of the wild, the other part of me is desperate to take flight. And much as it pains me to admit it, life without Trowbridge is really starting to were me down…

I AM WERE, HEAR ME ROAR.

To make matters worse, the wolves of Creemore want my blood—and the North American Council of Weres wants me dead. So I’m just counting the days until Trowbridge returns from the other realm…and comes to my brave rescue…and becomes my alpha mate. Wishful thinking? Of course it is. But given all the mess I’ve been through already, what’s the harm in doing a little bit of daisy-plucking? Besides, Trowbridge owes me bigtime. A girl can dream.


Books that spark my interest this week:
Ink by Amanda Sun
All We See & Seem by Tammy Blackwell

Sundays with Sarah (38)

To find out more about Sarah and this feature go here.

Hi everyone, welcome to another Sundays with Sarah.

This week the post will be a bit different. Over the past 2 weeks, Rayne and I went on a cross Canada mini adventure.

My post will be in 2 parts: The journey there, and next week the fun there and in 2 weeks, the journey back

We started on our adventure in Edmonton, AB and traveled our first day from Edmonton to Winnipeg, Manitoba. We left at midnight on July 29 and did a night drive which I love as sunrises are awesome and I rarely see them.

I did ALL the driving on this trip and trust me it was exhausting. We made a few small stopovers in Saskatoon and Yorkton which are really nice places to visit but I wouldn't want to live there. Rayne enjoyed the trip but was tired and slept a lot during the trip.

Rayne and I stopped at all the border stops along the way,

and for the most part the weather wasn't that bad. I'm glad my car was nicely packed for the trip and lasted the trip but wow I still can't believe my car held so much.

Our first stop was in Winnipeg Manitoba at the Welcome stop KOA Campground. 

And we had a great night under the stars getting wet. The tent didn't hold up to well as I didn't treat the material with water proofing and it was a lot smaller to use than I thought. It cost us about $24 to stay the night. It was a great campsite.

We then travelled the following day through the north part of Ontario and OMG was it incredible. I really did enjoy the drive through northern Ontario but after two days of this

I was about to snap. Don't get me wrong, it was still awesome but WOW was it wet.

The gas prices in northern Ontario ranged from $1.44 to $1.98 (in Ignace, ON). We stopped at almost ALL the Tim Hortons along the way, and well…we are sick of Timmies for a while. 

We made a stop at Kakabeka Falls which were just incredible and definitely a sight to see. On day two we stopped in Thunder Bay, Ontario which was an awesome place to be and ate at this awesome restaurant called "Tokyo House"

 where it was all you can eat sushi. Trust me the place ROCKED!

 

 

We stayed one night at the beautiful Rainbow Falls campground and our site was nice and secluded. Rayne pretty much slept a good chunk on the trip.

We watched videos such as "Dog with a Blog”, "Sam and Cat", "Hoodwinked" and lots of other movies. Well, she watched, and I just listened. We stopped for gas only twice and even had a little fun along the way-- ok maybe a little too much fun.

The car finally rolled to 400,000km just as we hit Wawa, Ontario the way there and well I am still surprised the car made it the entire trip!

We stopped in Sudbury, Ontario on our way TO Amy's place and WOW seeing the massive coal plants was just incredible.

The last leg of the trip took us all the way to Amy's and we arrived around 11:30-midnight and just quickly unpacked and went straight to bed.

So,... a few reviews

** When Visiting Saskatchewan **

Saskatoon is an awesome city with many bridges, friendly people and most of all a FUDDRUCKERS burger restaurant. Gas was 1.31/ltr and was easy to navigate. Yorkton was small but hard to get through with so much construction going on the place was a nightmare. People not so friendly but for the most part it was still good.

Some places to See are the AB-SASK border at Lloydminster and the SASK-MB border which had a big ass buffalo. The Tim Hortons in Saskatchewan were actually quite decent and had the same prices. The tax in Sask was 13% HST

** When Visiting Manitoba **

Aside from the KOA Campground - AVOID THIS PROVINCE!!!!

I was pissed when we stopped at this one place where they spoke French and gave me shit for not speaking French. The gas was around 1.38/ltr and I found for the majority people to be extremely rude. The country was beautiful but well it was best just to drive right through. The tax was 14% HST

** When Visiting Ontario ** Part 1

Ok, from the Ontario Border to Barrie, was just incredible. I loved driving through the north, the roads are well taken care of, people friendly at the small stops we stayed at. Kenora was very pricey but nice, Thunder Bay was just AWESOME, I'd love to move there someday, Driving along Lake Superior and Huron was cool. The Rainbow Falls campground was well maintained, affordable and awesome. Just when visiting an Ontario Provincial Park they do add on extra charges. Sault St. Marie was nice but we didn't get to see the largest NICKLE in the world. Sudbury was good and well Barrie was AMAZING!!!!

Best place to eat - (before Barrie) was Tokyo house

Worst place to eat - Tim Hortons in Dryden

One thing about driving in North Ontario -- Get plenty of rest and take plenty of stops.

Take care and stay tuned for Part 2: The Barrie and Niagara Experience part of my trip next week.

Thanks for reading and tuning in!