Audio Review: Lover Reborn by J.R. Ward

Lover Reborn by J.R. Ward
Narrator: Jim Frangione
Series: Black Dagger Brotherhood #10
Published by Penguin Audio
Published on: March 27, 2012
Genres: Paranormal Romance
Length: 23 hrs & 13 mins
Format: Audiobook
Source: Gifted

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#1 New York Times bestselling author J. R. Ward’s novels of the Black Dagger Brotherhood continue as a vampire warrior crosses the line between life and death…and ventures into an erotic world of dark dreams and darker desires.

Ever since the death of his shellan, Tohrment has been unrecognizable from the vampire leader he once was. Physically emaciated and heartbroken beyond despair, he has been brought back to the Brotherhood by a self-serving fallen angel. Now, fighting once again with ruthless vengeance, he is unprepared to face a new kind of tragedy.

When Tohr begins to see his beloved in his dreams—trapped in a cold, isolated netherworld far from the peace and tranquillity of the Fade—he turns to the angel in hopes of saving the one he has lost. But because Lassiter tells him he must learn to love another to free his former mate, Tohr knows they are all doomed....

Except then a female with a shadowed history begins to get through to him. Against the backdrop of the raging war with the lessers, and with a new clan of vampires vying for the Blind King’s throne, Tohr struggles between the buried past and a very hot, passion-filled future…but can his heart let go and set all of them free?

For the second BDB installment in a row I found myself struggling to connect with the couple that’s supposedly at the center of this story. I enjoyed following Tohr on his road to recovery after losing his mate but No’One’s victim-like demeanor and inability to move on without a man’s help just didn’t sit right with me. I also found the chemistry between the two to be only lukewarm at best; quantity is not a good substitute for quality. Thank goodness for Xhex and JM otherwise I think this book would have been a total flop for me.

I started this novel thinking that a reasonable amount of time had passed since Welsie’s death so Tohr moving on made sense. He lost the love of his life and I thought that Ward did a good job of not belittling his heartbreak. However, once No’One was introduced as a possible love interest the brother’s attitude did a complete 180 and not for the better. Tohr came off as a user who was willing to throw anyone under the bus in an attempt to save his mate from the Fade. Unfortunately for No’One, she was easy prey because of her past and went along with Tohrment’s ridiculous tirade.

One of my main pet peeves about this series is the weak female characters and No’One is the most spineless one to date. I understand that she’s had a tough go at it but you’d think she’d have learned to cope after 200 years. I’m sorry but if I’ve learned one thing in my 30 odd years on this Earth it’s that you can’t rely on anyone but yourself. Yes it’s great to have family and a support system but at the end of the day the only person who can initiate change is you. Funny that I know this but that a centuries old vampire hasn’t figured it out… No, instead she needs a man to save her. Puhlease! Plus, why didn’t anyone else in the house step in or at least try to befriend her? In previous books when a character gets stuck on a destructive path the brotherhood takes action. I wasn’t a big fan of the mid-story name change either. On a few occasions I found myself wondering “where the heck did this Autumn person came from?”

The ending flat out pissed me off; if Ward can turn people into ghosts and revive others, why does Welsie even have to move on at all? Especially given what’s revealed about No’One’s situation. Same thing goes for Lassiter, he supposedly makes the ultimate sacrifice yet suffers no consequences? There were just SO many cope-outs made in this book that I don’t even want to go there or I’ll never finish this review. Lover Reborn is worth reading for the Xhex and JM’s side story but other than that, I’m sad to say that I could have done without this book.

Books in this series:
My Review	My Review	My Review	My Review	My Review
My Review	My Review	My Review	My Review

Recommendation:	A must for BDB fanatics but not Ward’s best work.
Like this, like that:	The Sweetblood series by Laurie London, the Demonica series by Larissa Ione and the Night Huntress series by Jeaniene Frost.

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