Lover Awakened: A Novel Of The Black Dagger Brotherhood

This was such an emotional story. This was Zsadist's backstory. My heart was breaking for what happened to him.This story explains why Zsadist reacts the way he did to the people around him and why he was so emotionally distant. I was so glad he let Bella into his life. There are a few twists and turns in this story, especially at the end. We find out more about John Matthew, Rhevenge, Bella's brother and a death I did not see coming. I look forward to the next book in this series.

Zsadist is a rare character, easily my favorite in The Black Dagger Brotherhood. J.R. Ward did a wonderful job keeping Zsadist mysterious for the right amount of time, while developing his redeeming qualities. For this genre, I've never seen better character development and progression together. The ending was truly satisfying after such a rich journey.

One of my favorites. The severe emotional trauma and the power of love to heal, the power of forgiving yourself and others, and the need to get over your demons to become the person you love deserves makes this book truly special in more than just a surface skimming romance novel. This book can be helpful to those with their own trauma, showing the power of doubt, healing, and accepting help, and letting go of the past in order to allow yourself a future. It hits in a compellingly tragic and yet hopeful way that hopefully people will see and realize isnt only done in fiction. JR Ward makes her characters lifelike and truthful in their lies, deceit, emotions, and values. This novel is truly an excellent work of the written word.