Lover Unbound by J R Ward

For large parts this novel is just as boring and tedious as other reviewers say it is. For some reason though, I ended up with wet eyes. The pain of Vishous is what did it. His emotional pain when Jane gets killed.

What I didn’t like about the story:

The pervert thread. And the man-love thing between V and Butch. None of it rang true. Boringly lengthy efforts were made in this novel to undo everthing introduced about the aforementioned topics in previous novels.

The endless povs from every major and minor character newly introduced in the book. Like I cared anything about them.

The whole primale thing. You just know Phury is not going to maintain that multiple wives aspect so why have it.

I personally hate arranged marriage romances and harem romances. It’s sexual slavery pure and simple. Particularly those where the protagonists are not happy about the arrangement. It's all about 'the family' owning the female's or male's body. Gross. How convenient that Phury offers to take V's place. Unfortunately no-one offered Cormia an out. But neither V nor Cormia exercised any of the 'BS Free-Will' so derided in the novel. But really. That's purely a strategy to explain why sentient beings allow others to control their lives. Is that not totally culturally backward? Did Harriet Tubman, MLK, Ronnie R just lay down and let others control their destinies? No they fought (peaceably) for their right to excercise FREE-WILL..and for others to do the same. How dare some dime-store novelist come along and belittle the result of their efforts.

The way V mind-controls Jane is nasty. Maybe he’d like to blame Bloodletter and SV for that too. I loathed all this ‘blame the parents’ stuff as well.

I also didn’t like the relentless portrayal of men being wholly dependent on alcohol and drugs as a problem-solving strategy.

I can’t stand the JM character. In novel after novel he whines and victimises himself. No matter who he turns into, he will always be a pain in the butt as far as I’m concerned. But it wasn’t always the case. JM was first introduced as a vulnerable young man who had reached out to Mary. Who was skilled in dealing with that type of problem. And then Wellsie nutured his nutritional needs. But these women have disappeared from the books and what we get is a relentless portrayal of females as semi-hookers or potential ‘mates.’ With JM growing a sort of shadow BDB around himself. With exactly the same attitude to women as Wrath n Co. Horrible.

I had no trouble with the Scribe Virgin being a fallible deity. Because I’ve read Larousse’s Mythology and know that all the pantheons of gods are liable to behave just like humans. But the Omega should have featured more as a cause for her failings. I had no trouble coping with Jane’s death either because I just knew she wasn’t going to stay dead.

The romance between V and Jane wasn’t that great until she agreed to give up her career, social status, income to become a do-gooder at The Safe Place.

I basically skim-read most of this book. Because the BDB are no longer romances but have become something like Gone With The Wind or Peyton Place. All very successful I’m sure but not what I like reading.

You know. The way these novels are moving. I wouldn't be surprised if in Book 6, or thereabouts, Bella goes to bed with Phury because she feels sorry for him. Or such like.

Still. Serves me right for getting involved in hype.

If I buy another in this series (and its a big if), it will be from amazon marketplace at a maximum price of $2.

Lover Unbound. Basically bilge.

I once listened to a radio program about the results of an official public inquiry into years of abuse at a children's home. One of the interesting facts uncovered by this inquiry is that there were children in this terrible situation who had some idea of what was going on and were able to prevent themselves from being abused. Through strength of will mainly but also other strategies. (Not that they were any less messed up unfortunately) I would be much more interested in hearing about that kind of situation instead of the endless recycled stories that seem to make 'being abused' some kind of aspirational goal. That's my 2 cents worth. No offense intended. But not everyone becomes a victim when faced with a given set of circumstances. And I'd like to read more about those that don't.