Lover Unbound: Number 5 in series (Black Dagger Brotherhood, #5)

by J. R. Ward

Now, the cold heart of a cunning predator will be warmed against its will . . .

Ruthless and brilliant, Vishous, a member of the Black Dagger Brotherhood, possesses a destructive curse and the frightening ability to see the future. Tormented and abused growing up in his father's war camp, he has no interest in love or emotion, only the battle with the Lessening Society.

But when a mortal injury puts him in the care of a human surgeon, Dr Jane Whitcomb compels him to reveal his inner pain and taste true pleasure for the first time - until a destiny he didn't choose takes him towards a future that cannot include her . . .

• ISBN10: 0749955058
• ISBN13: 9780749955052
• Publish Date: 7 October 2010 (first published 1 September 2007)
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: GB
• Publisher: Little, Brown Book Group
• Imprint: Piatkus Books
• Format: Paperback (B-Format (198x129 mm))
• Pages: 544
• Language: English

Reviews

[kimbacaffeinate]

This tale was highly addictive from start to finish and while I wasn't hundred percent happy with something, it delivered all of the feels and left me satisfied. While each book in the series features a brother and his fated mate, there is an overall ARC regarding the Brothers and Lessers. Becuase of this and the connection to core characters, I recommend these only be read in order of release.

Vishous is struggling emotionally and I felt for him. It is hard to want another, and I wondered how Ward was going to play all this out. If you though Z's tale was dark and twisted wait until you learn V's. I cried for the little boy, wept for the man and needed him to find happiness.

As is typical, we get several story threads. V meets his mommy...and oh boy! This thread interfered with our romance and shared how flawed even Gods are. Viscous is injured and taken to a human hospital where he meets Dr. Jane Whitcomb. We get the perspective of a Chosen and spend time in the world of the Scribes. Then there is Phury and his struggles. I actually loved where this thread headed and want more. We didn't see much of the lessers, although they sure as @%$& interfered and pissed me off. For me, LOVER UNBOUND was an emotional ride that takes the reader from laughter to pain to happiness.

I adored Jane! The development of this relationship was crazy and the attraction between her and Vishous was intense. She really got him, and the sex scenes were dark and sizzling hot. Their banter, openness, and passion felt genuine and had me rooting for an HEA. With so many obstacles, Ward gutted me with a twist I didn't see coming. Honestly, this was almost a five star read for me, but the twist and how it was resolved left my coffee cold. Yes, it worked. Yes, I got what I wanted but nope, not happy. This review was originally posted at Caffeinated Book Reviewer

[thebookdisciple]

Good, but not my favorite. V has never been my favorite brother, the BDSM stuff was weird because of the abuse he suffered, Jane was just ok, and I, like John, struggled with the ending for V and Jane.

[nitzan_schwarz]

2015 tbr challenge

Really enjoyed this. Surprised how Ward made me believe their love even though it was so insta love, and you knew even before they meet it's going to be (I mean, the Scribe Virgin gives him 5 days, so you know that's his time frame to fall in love...)

[celinenyx]

The fifth book in the Black Dagger Brotherhood series, Lover Unbound focusses on Vishous, and on Phury in lesser degree. Vishous is the smart brother, and he has a hand that cannot be touched or it'll kill you. Even compared to the other BDB books, Love Unbound was incredibly light on a plot. There were no lesser chapters (lessers are the mortal enemies of the vampires) and all of the conflict was based on character interactions. In my head the brothers look completely different, but that only increases my enjoyment of these books. Ms Ward knows how to toy with your emotions, and her love for her characters shines through at every page.

Lover Unbound gets bonus points for having a non-feminine female love interest, and for the awesome bromance between V and Butch.

[EBookObsessed]

I was well aware of this story and its ending way before I even started the BDB. I liked Doc Jane and was a little wary of Vizhous. Like all the brothers his centuries of life were mostly F'd up. His playroom was kind of creepy. Listening to his life with his father was awful but his time with Jane improved his character for me.

His thing with (attraction to?) Butch is a little questionable but their bromance is special to them.

Characterwise I'm a little on the fence with him, but overall I liked the story.

[littleread1]

It was my favorite so far right up until the end. I mean, the ending fit, but it ... left me wanting I guess.

[Romance Schmomance]

this book made me sad towards the end ..

[leelu92]

Ok. This one wore me out. I really wanted V to get a good HEA. I knew going into that his ending was less than optimal as far as most were concerned. And I guess, it is what it is. I REALLY liked Jane and I really liked how she totally gave V back all of the guff he gave her. It's a shame that they were shortchanged as far their relationship was concerned. Once V realized she was the one, he was fantastic and I really enjoyed seeing him "happy and in love" and then...well. Poof.
I'm going to have to take a little BDB break... I need some fluff before I take on Phury.

[inlibrisveritas]

As you can see in the summary we finally get to read about Vishous, or more commonly called ‘V’. It’s been a long time coming I think, especially after the last book where you find out his attraction to Butch. He’s such a staple character for the Brotherhood, I mean he makes their weapons and keeps up with security….he also helps with the clean up thanks to his nifty mind tricks. He didn’t disappoint to say the least. His history is heartbreaking and tough, and you can tell that it weighs heavily upon him even though V is a pretty stoic guy. Each little flashback was so revealing and I couldn’t help but feel for the guy, especially when you find out why he has his tattoos and where his powers came from. He finally finds out who is mother is and boy is she a disappointment in some ways, and even though she’s pretty much neglected him when he needed it the most she wants him to become the Primale and leave behind what he cares for.

I really liked Jane Whitcomb, she’s pretty tough and doesn’t do submission. She’s also fairly intuitive and never once judges the Brothers even when she finds out the truth about them. The fact that V was attracted to another man or that he has a penthouse devoted to his rough sex life didn’t scare her off either, which I have to praise her for…because if I saw a room tantamount to a torture chamber (but cleaner) I’d beat feet out of there…or at least stay very close to the door. She just fits in with the Brotherhood really well, but I’m not really fond of the odd way things resolved with her…it just seemed off and little to forced.

There is also some great moments for John as well, like his transition (finally!) and some macho bonding with Z. His story is kind of heartbreaking too and it’s nice to see that somethings are getting a bit better for him, especially now that he has the bulk to intimidate certain jerk-wad characters. And then there is Phury, who is on a downward spiral that I wasn’t expecting. I can’t wait to get to his book to see how his final decision in this one works out, I’m seriously hoping for the best for him. It seems like all of these guys have had their hearts ripped out at some point and I just want them to get the break they deserve.

You can tell Ward writes these books carefully and adds all the emotion and love that she can. Each character is crafted in a way that tugs at your heart a bit. and the writing is downright addictive. I’m so happy I have the next book waiting on my shelf because I don’t think I can wait very long to start it, I simply have to know what happens to everyone next.

[Angie]

I was pretty excited to get to Vishous' book, since I wanted to see what goes on in that penthouse of his. It was also interesting to watch him deal (or not) with his feelings toward Butch and his recent mating to Marissa. He wants to be away from the happy couple, but he also can't bare to be away from Butch, so he throws his frustrations into sex with one of his subs. We unfortunately don't get the details, but the aftermath was a bit messy. Aside from his confusion about Butch, Vishous is approaching his 303rd birthday. He gets two huge surprises. First, he meets his mother! Second, he learns his "destiny." He wants nothing to do with either.

What he does want is Jane. She's the surgeon who saved his life after he was shot in the chest while fighting a lesser. I wanted them to get together so badly! Not because I particularly liked Jane (she's a little on the bland side, Plain Jane?), but because V needs someone! As always, what unfolds is an incredibly sexy love story, but this one is also heartbreaking. Unfortunately, I found the conclusion to be quite bizarre. I'm still not sure if I'm happy about it or annoyed. It just felt forced and out of place.

Of course, we've also got some side stories going on which I found equally interesting and entertaining. I've already made my love for John Matthew known in previous reviews, and Lover Unbound is no different. Poor John is nervous that his transition won't come soon, and that he's being left behind. There's also the issue of Lash returning to class...post-transition! I was nervous for John myself! But his two friends, Qhuinn and Blay, have his back. I absolutely adored the devotion those two show toward John. I am most definitely looking forward to John's book.

Then there's Phury. He's also got a case of wanting someone you can't have piled on top of the need to keep an eye on his twin. Phury needs to let loose and live a little. For himself. He's not doing Zsadist any good by torturing himself. He's taking selflessness to the extreme and it's not healthy at all. Finally, we've got Cormia, one of the Chosen. I loved getting to peek into the Other Side to see what it's like. I absolutely love the world Ward has created for her vampires, so any glimpse into their secret world and history is fantastic!

While it's definitely not my favorite of the series so far, Lover Unbound was still a great read. There's a lot of emotion running through each of the storylines, and I'm eager to see where they all go.

Read more of my reviews at Pinkindle Reads & Reviews.