Father Mine by J R Ward

This novella is only available in e-book format. So there it is. Stuck on my lap-top. Can't take it to work with me. Can't read it on any kind of journey. Unlike a proper paper book. I loathe e-books. I downloaded it in pdf format. But first I had to download Adobe Digital Editions Crap. The week after I downloaded Father Mine, digital editions wanted to upgrade. I declined the upgrade. So the original download refused to load. And I couldn't read Father Mine at all. I was forced to accept the upgrade. Another reason to hate e-books.


Of course. I enjoyed Father Mine. What is it about? Zsadist coming to love Nalla. Of all things. And coming more to terms with his past. The novella ends in a scene familiar to everyone who's read Lover Avenged.

I had to read Father Mine really carefully to pick up the plot. Basically Z still doesn't really like anyone other than Bella to touch him. And Bella would really appreciate it if Z could be a proper Dad to Nalla and pick her up, hold her and love her lots. Z, basically, doesn't want his daughter to have his legacy of pain and degradation...so he avoids her. That's really sad. I used to think it was really silly how all the men in the BDB had had such terrible childhoods. But maybe that's how they came to bond together. Also none of them have had much formal education so they don't really understand their motivations or behaviours. Particularly true for Z. Mary could have told Z that by ignoring his child he was essentially repeating (less seriously) his own childhood deprivations. But that probably wouldn't help him to find a solution. Other than in regard to his fighting skills, Z has serious self-esteem issues I suppose. But he doesn't whine. Just gets on with his job...killing Lessers. Also he is still reluctant to feed. So not much has changed since LA.

Bella of course is probably well-educated. And she isn't going to let her high motherhood standards slip. Despite the fact that she chose to mate with a brute and her bro' is a drug-dealing probable patricide. (If I read previous books correctly) Bella wants a doting Dad for Nalla. End of. Bella is also not a doormat. (The derisory name some readers gave to 80's romance heroines who stuck to the philosophy 'I will stay and love my man and thereby change his character.') Bella is the other kind of heroine. The 'I'll leave my man unless he changes his character' type of gal. The '...and I'll take our child with me when I go' type of gal. Bella will probably be walking out on Z about every 2 years over one or other aspects of his behaviour. One day he'll have to call her bluff if he wants to keep his balls. I was so appreciative of the scene with T. W. when the reader saw that to an outsider Z still looked big, evil and mean. That he could still pull out his black-eye look.

I've missed the language of the BDB. Just what does it mean, when a body is "head and footed?"; what is a sitch? But even I got the idea of the meaning of a 'Fed-Ex-tinction' package. Boy! Where does she find them?!!

For a 92-page novella I thought the plotting and pace were perfect. Minimal padding. (Just the dross with T. W. and his wife...like any reader was interested.) Currently. Z and Bella are the only true vampire couple in the BDB mansion. And in some ways. Z has fallen for a woman who is very similar to his abusing mistress with her privileged background and the fact that she likes a bit of rough, so to speak. I wonder if he'll ever make the connection himself. Zsadist's dream is of course very very strange. I'm glad Mary was able to use her skills to help Z.

A few years ago Penguin experimentally produced some tiny paperbacks that sold for about $1. That format would have suited this novella perfectly.