Review: Lover Revealed by J.R. Ward

Lover Revealed by J.R. Ward
Published: September 9th, 2009 (Signet)
Pages: 480
Age group: adult
Source: bought
Challenge: none
Series: Black Dagger Brotherhood, #4
Buy the book: Bookdepository
Rating: ★★★★☆

Note: this is not the first book in a series, and can therefore contain (minor) spoilers for the previous book(s) in the series. Reading of this review is at your own risk.

Butch O'Neal is a fighter by nature. A hard-living ex-homicide cop, he's the only human ever to be allowed in the inner circle of the Black Dagger Brotherhood. And he wants to go even deeper into the vampire world-to engage in the turf war with the lessers. His heart belongs to a female vampire, Marissa, an aristocratic beauty who's way out of his league. And if he can't have her, then at least he can fight side by side with the Brothers.

But fate curses him with the very thing he wants. When Butch sacrifices himself to save a civilian vampire from the slayers, he falls prey to the darkest force in the war. Left for dead, he's found by a miracle, and the Brotherhood calls on Marissa to bring him back, though even her love may not be enough to save him.

After enjoying the first three books in the series a whole lot, I was excited to start this fourth book, especially when I discovered that this was the first book that wasn't told from the perspective of one of the Brothers. I love the Brothers, don't get me wrong, but it was refreshing to experience things from a different POV. And Butch's story certainly delivered.

Just as fast paced, seductive and enjoyable as the earlier books, this story takes us deeper into the ancestry of the vampire race, giving us glimpses of what's to come for some of the (now) minor characters in the story. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book, even though I didn't like Marissa at all, together with Butch I liked reading her story. I can't say she fully won me over, but she developed as a character and I appreciate that in series like this one.

Overall, I really liked this book. It seems like there are no disappointments in this series, and I know that I''m way behind, reading the books only now, but the plus side is that I get to read the next installment much quicker after the previous book! Whoop! So guess what I'll be doing now? Right, ordering that fifth installment, because I need me some more warrior vampires!