John Larigakis Larigakis itibaren Mali, Bihar, Hindistan
Click here for reviews on other Black Dagger Brotherhood novels 2.5 stars J.R. Ward: Black Dagger Brotherhood: Book 9: Lover Unleashed: Dr. Manuel Manello M.D. and Payne Summary: I actually finished this book several days ago but have help off reviewing it in an attempt to gather my thoughts about how exactly to review it. LOL! This book is supposed to be about Payne and Manny but their story consists of probably less than half of the actual book. There are several other story lines intertwined. Manny is one of the best surgeons in the United States and happens to be Jane’s (Vishous’s Shellan) . So when Wrath brings Payne back to the facility with a broken back (this is at the end of Lover Mine), Jane realizes that she cannot fix it and needs help from Manny. Jane searches for Manny for hours only to find him at her grave site, she convinces him to come back and to operate on Payne. Manny takes one look at the proud warrior woman Payne and vows to fix her! Payne takes one look at her healer and feels a soul deep connection with him and knows if anyone can fix her it would be him. After a “successful” surgery Payne and Manny connect further and she truly regrets having to wipe his memories… Manny is having a bad week every time he tries to remember anything he gets a splitting headache and his work is suffering badly and he is having these intense dreams about a beautiful woman that seems so real. Payne is having a bad week, her surgery was a success but she is still not feeling anything and she is sliding deeper into depression. Payne at her end asks Jane for something to end her suffering. Vishous comes in and convinces Payne for 90 mins before she does anything. In desperation Vishous goes and gets Manny to help Payne. As soon as Manny sees Vishous he knows, just knows that what he is about to hear will alter his life. Vishous removes the veil from Manny’s memories and Manny knows the only reason Vishous would be here is because of Payne and he immediately demands that Vishous take him to her. While with Payne, Manny tries showing her that there can be life in a wheelchair but during the discussion things digress into a make out session where she proceeds to glow and starts being able to move her limbs… As Payne heals herself her and Manny get closer, yet hope that they could be together gets further away. In addition to Manny and Payne there is a large portion of the book dedicated to Vishous, Jane and Butch as well as Qhuinn and Layla. You will see an influx of several new characters that also get portions of the novel. (The Band of Bastards and Veck, of the NYPD). Review: I have to say I was disappointed with this novel. The first half of the book was boring and not much went on except Vishous losing it. Payne and Manny were barely even in the first half it seemed. The first half concentrated mainly on Vishous and Jane and the problems they were having. Ok, now I know that realistically couples have problems, however, I hear my friends and family complain about their marital problems all the time. I really don’t want to read about it to that extent in my romance novel. Than you meet the merry band of “bastards” which were previously were in the Old Country but have decided to relocate to the New Country and their goals are to kill as many Lessers as they can, over throw Wrath as king and find and torture the woman that killed Xcor’s father the Bloodletter. I don’t really get the influx of the Bastards. I assume they are going to be the new bad guys that eventually turn good guys, but frankly Xcor is not going to be a character that I will like any time soon. I had kind of hoped that Vishous would have found and killed him by the end of the book for daring to capture his sister, but alas he was still alive by the end of the book. Well there is always hope that he will die in the next one, if I read it. Payne and Manny seem just too easy, neither one of them puts up much of a fight, its love at first site nor their biggest obstacle is Vishous. I would have liked to have seen Ward explore Paynes abilities more. So I guess she can look into the past much like Vishous can look into the future?? But it is only mentioned in passing but never explored. Payne can heal which we do see, but her ability like Vishous to destroy is only mentioned twice. Now, Vishous has his hand that always glows and is a constant worry but Payne can turn it on and off, why is that? Ward does not go deep enough into Payne for me; she is still somewhat of an unknown to me. Qhuinn shows up several times in this book, and is still whining. Now the rest of the brothers and their wives with the exception of Vishous, Butch and Jane are pretty much MIA. They are referred to but not seen much or at all. Now I don’t want to come off like the book is all bad it does have its redeeming moments, there is a scene with Vishous and Butch that really pulls you in. Vishous seems to come to a better place after that which you are happy for. There are some tender moments with Payne and Manny as well as some steamy moments. But overall the novel left me disappointed. The Ward diehards I’m sure will disagree with me, but this was a disappointment. Oh and on an unrelated side note: I’m still mad that the eBook version cost the same as the hardcover. Why is an eBook that is NOT a hardcover the same price? If any publishers are reading this, your eBook readers are very unhappy about that!