It’s hard to believe we’re up to book nineteen in the beloved Black Dagger Brotherhood series by New York Times bestselling author J.R. Ward with LOVER UNVEILED.  This is a series that has kept me riveted throughout, and Ward’s BDB books are always one of my most anticipated releases of the year.  I will drop everything else going on my life to sequester myself with Ward’s books as soon as I get my grabby little hands on them.  These paranormal vampire books are half urban fantasy, half romance, and 100% divine.

I adore Ward’s writing.  She drops lots of pop culture references and awesome turns of phrase that make me laugh out loud in public.  Her prose is always such a joy to read, even as she is describing pitched battles or terrible angst.  Ward’s books always put my heart through the wringer too; her characters suffer deeply before they reach their Happily Ever After, and sometimes after getting to their HEA as well.

Sahvage is a powerful vampire MMA fighter who has a buried past with the brotherhood and has been living a secret life for centuries.  When he meets his fated mate, however, he is drawn out of the shadowy existence where he’s been subsisting and comes to the attention of the Black Dagger Brotherhood to help save the world from a (relatively) new Big Bad Evil menacing all.  Sahvage is, like all Ward’s heroes, a deeply flawed character who nonetheless is strongly honorable.  He is so amazing- I wanted to wrap him up and give him a big hug.  The heroine Mae has lost everything, and desperation leads her to make some not-at-all-wise decisions that require Sahvage’s fighting skills and magical knowledge to protect her from.  The final character of the main triad of the story is a depraved demon whom we’ve seen before.  This demoness is trying desperately to find The Book, an unholy relic of foulness that can take over one’s mind.  Creepy stuff herein!

Ward brings another substantive addition to her vampire series, with a new evil that provides a great foil to the Black Dagger brothers as they band together to continue keeping the vampire population safe.  The characters are vivid and compelling, the dialogue sparkles with Ward’s typical wit, and the stakes are high.  I cannot get enough of Ward’s Black Dagger Brotherhood series, and LOVER UNVEILED is another must read by this enduring author.