Comments on: Review: Lover Unbound by JR Ward

By: Erin

Erin — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 20:19:47 +0000

Hello,
I understand the difficulty in trying to write a review without spoilers and I must say you’ve done it well

I would appreciate it if you could e-mail with major spoilers because I can’t really find them and I haven’t been able to get my hands on the book.

By: Menage a Kat

Menage a Kat — Tue, 25 Sep 2007 01:34:08 +0000

Lover Unbound linkage…

Reviews for Lover Unbound have been trickling in through the blogs over the last couple of weeks. Reactions are … mixed….

By: MaryM

MaryM — Sat, 22 Sep 2007 02:32:52 +0000

I think this was a very honest review Angie. You were more indulgent than I was. I adored JR and the Brotherhood, I was so incredibly looking forward to this book, and in the end LU felt like a natural disaster that left me completely devastated and wondering what the hell happened. Almost everything felt off and there are so many inconsistencies in this installment ( while you could have counted the ones in the first four books on the fingers of one hand) I was unable to fully enjoy any of the storylines. I’ve never felt so let down by a book. I could have stand the fact it wasn’t as mind blowing as I was hoping for, but it didn’t even make SENSE. It’s worse for those who had expectations because they know the normal rules of the BDB world, but even if I hadn’t I wouldn’t have thought it was badly written. To say I am crushed is a HUGE understatement.

By: Melissa

Melissa — Thu, 20 Sep 2007 22:12:02 +0000

From some of your reviews I have read in the past, I can tell that they have all been bery honest. I enjoyed this book a lot, but there are a few others that take my top list.

By: sula

sula — Mon, 17 Sep 2007 04:43:58 +0000

Just found the book at my local BAM and read it in one sitting. I was nervous based on the spoilers I’d seen, but overall it was a good read. I think if anything the romance between V and Jane suffers from a lack of development. I love the secondary characters in the BDB universe, and I want to spend time with them, but on the other hand, it takes away from time spent with the ostensible h/h of the book. I think that is what happened here. It’s too bad because I really liked Jane and I thought she was a good counterpart to V. In fact, in some ways, she seemed like a feminine version of Butch (particularly in the way she can zing a smart-ass response back to V). I actually was glad to have V and Butch talk heart-to-heart about what was between them….thought it added a lot to the story. But I’m sure there will be those that dislike it too.

The love scenes between V and Jane…yowza! *g* I just wish there were more of them.

Overall, I enjoyed the book but it won’t be taking the place of my favorite (Lover Eternal) anytime soon. I do look forward to a re-read though. It’s just so damn fun to spend time with the BDB.

And I’m very sorry, but I just HAVE to insert this smiley. lmao!
:whip2:

By: sophie

sophie — Sun, 16 Sep 2007 14:43:20 +0000

i am dying for spoilers plz plz plz take pity on me.

fire_blade_666@ntlworld.com

By: Ann Bruce

Ann Bruce — Sun, 16 Sep 2007 00:27:28 +0000

Just found out about Casper. *sigh* Now I’m torn about this book.

By: Ann

Ann — Sat, 15 Sep 2007 22:03:12 +0000

I have no opinion on JR Ward’s books, haven’t read them. But I saw Robin’s comment about the Stephanie Plum books and had to respond.

I’m in the minority as well, but I still like the series. I don’t mind the constant back and forth. I don’t necessarily want her to make a choice because I think Joe fulfills Stephanie’s need for security, and Ranger provides excitement. In some senses, it approaches polyamory, just without the label.

To a lesser degree, it does irk me that Stephanie hasn’t gotten even marginally better at her job, but that’s another kettle of fish.

As it stands, I still read the books — I call them “mac and cheese” stories because they’re comforting and I always know exactly what I’m gonna get. There’s something to be said for consistency in a (publishing) world where beloved characters get killed off for reasons that seem highly dubious (at least to me).

By: Robin

Robin — Sat, 15 Sep 2007 22:01:03 +0000

I think authors should listen to feedback from fans about work that’s not theirs, so they can understand just what the consequences of killing off a main character or completely veering from the essential character traits that they built the books on, before they choose to take that path.

Do you think there’s a difference between these two things? In the case of developing character traits, that seems to me to be a Writing 101 issue — characters developed logically and consistently. But killing off a main character, while a craft decision, seems a bit different to me, although I can’t put my finger on exactly why.

By: Robin

Robin — Sat, 15 Sep 2007 21:58:18 +0000

It’s interesting, this discussion of not listening to what fans say online, because as someone pointed out to me, it’s slightly contradictory to the conversation going on at Smart Bitches, where readers can feel betrayed by the direction an author takes her series because she (or he) wants to, not because of what the fans want.

In what sense do you think the two discussions are contradictory, Angie? I think they show an ironic consistency in demonstrating the fundamentally capricious and contradictory nature of reader response. What one reader loves another will hate; what one reader praises another will damn. I think we’re rarely fully consistent within ourselves let alone as any definable group, and it seems to me that letting reader reaction guide the writing process will yield fast track pass to Crazytown.