J.R. Ward’s A WARM HEART IN WINTER (Black Dagger Brotherhood #18.5) had me melting.  The Black Dagger Brotherhood series is a paranormal romance about a society of vampire warriors.  In this story, a sequence of events takes place that make Quinn and Blay reassess their lives and become formally mated. The two became a couple in book eleven, LOVER AT LAST.  Considering they have known each other for most of their lives, they were due to a formal mating ceremony.  However, a terrible storm and tragedy cause some hindrances. This contemporary PNR novel takes place in Caldwell, New York.

I love all the Black Dagger Brotherhood characters, but I have always had a soft spot for both Quinn and Zsadist (from book three, LOVER AWAKENED), so I appreciated their integral roles in this story. They both experienced heartbreaking pasts that they are continually recovering from. The bulk of this story is about Quinn.  He does a lot of soul-searching about his past with his family, primarily his brother, Luchas.  Quinn and Blay have grown up throughout this series.  They have become impressive dynamic characters that make you want to learn more about them.

A WARM HEART IN WINTER was masterfully written. Like the rest of the books in the series, it is told from multiple points of view.  The book highlights: abuse, death, coping, and love. It is impressive how the three narratives within the novel intertwined.  Everything has meaning.  J.R. Ward did an outstanding job using flashbacks throughout the novel. The story felt like a fast read despite being 496 pages long.  Probably because I could not put this book down. 

J.R. Ward does a fantastic job of making A WARM HEART IN WINTER feel new while building on the foundation of the previous books in the series.  J.R. Ward’s A WARM HEART IN WINTER is a heartfelt addition to the Black Dagger Brotherhood series.  Followers of the series will not want to miss this installment.  The book is professionally written so you could probably follow what is happening without having read the other books in the series, but honestly, I recommend reading the entire series, if you have not already done so, because the books do build upon one another.  Plus, they are that good.  I look forward to the next book in the series.