Review: A Warm Heart in Winter - J.R. Ward

 A Warm Heart in Winter 

Author: J.R. Ward

Publisher: Pocket Books Fiction, Simon & Schuster, Inc

Publication Date: November 2020

 

Available in: Paperback, Hardcover, Kindle, Audible

There are so many books in the Black Dagger Brotherhood series by J.R. Ward, and the plot lines for each book are so expertly interwoven that it is sometimes hard to remember where each character has left off since the last book. Sometimes the Warden (the nickname her readers have given her, and yes, if you know anything about BDB, you know this title is warranted considering the characters she has to try to wrangle every dang day) graces us with a sequel to our favorite characters, which makes me squee with delight. I am definitely one of those types that never wants a story to end and always thinks about what each character I love is doing after they get their Happily Ever After.

I'd like to be able to say that I love all of the characters in the BDB universe equally but for different reasons, but that would be a lie. My favorite has always been Zsadist (Lover Awakened and Father Mine), and followed closely by Rhage (Lover Eternal and The Beast), but then Lover at Last came out and we FINALLY got the Qhuinn and Blay romance we'd always wanted.

While Lover at Last gave me that forever kind of love story for Qhuinn and Blay that I'd been dying to see play out, A Warm Heart in Winter revisits the couple during a Christmas blizzard that causes all sorts of trouble for the Brotherhood, and let me tell you, it gave me ALL. THE. FEELS.

Not only does Ward give us even more Qhuinn and Blay (plus their young, twins Rhamp and Lyric, sooooooo cute!), but then she goes and kills me by including Zsadist as an integral part of their journey together. To see Zsadist have come so far and be the anchor that he is in this book... Yeah, this only further cements my love for the Brother and no one will ever be able to take his place. 

 

 

Without ruining any of the book for you, I will say that this book should have been sold with a box of kleenex (even with the pandemic happening!) because there is not one chapter that is not full of emotional turmoil that tugs at your heartstrings. Ward hits all the right notes with this novel, expressing clearly and eloquently the emotions each of her characters vacillate through: love, loss, guilt, shame, sorrow and regret, and in the end, the knowledge that everything happens for a reason even if we don't understand why in the moment that everything changes.

A Warm Heart in Winter is more than Qhuinn and Blay's continuing love story, it also gives the reader greater insight into characters we already know and love, and introduces us to a love story we never even knew had already taken place.

Well done, Warden. 

Now, I just have to exercise patience for the next BDB book, Lover Unveiled. Oh, the torture!!!

Revisiting the Black Dagger Brotherhood and Disappointment in HarperCollins

It's been nearly two months since I was offered an ARC of the second book in the Tearling series and no book has arrived. It's well past the publish date of the book, which was June 9, so I guess I'm not getting one.

On Friday, I sent an email to the marketing exec in charge (as far as I could tell from the HarperCollins site) for the book to let them know how disappointed I was in the lack of follow through or response since the original offer. I emailed the original contact twice, and sent three direct messages to HarperCollins via Twitter, all to receive no response. We'll see what the new email to someone else brings, if anything.

I really don't want to purchase the book now, because I have a bad taste in my mouth from the experience, but I want to read the damn book! So, pay day is this weekend and I'm sure I'll have to go purchase it for myself, and I'm sure I'll probably review it. It's not the author's fault the marketing higher-ups don't keep their word. I NEED to know what happens with Kelsea!!!

In the mean time, I will have to resort to an ebook since I STILL can't find some of the other books I know I had lost in the move. I just finished the Kindle version of The King by J.R. Ward and am still contemplating how I feel about it. I won't do a full blog review on this one until I am sure where I stand, but I will say - I love Wrath. He was the first of the Brotherhood I was introduced to, since I insist on reading the books in order. I assumed with all the myriad of characters the author has created, the continuation of the series would focus on the ones we haven't seen yet, but I was pleasantly surprised to revisit Wrath and Beth.

The author also revealed that one of the upcoming books would once again feature Rhage and his Beast, which I am VERY excited for! The cover was revealed earlier this month:

I have a feeling I must have missed some books in the series, because I felt like the other story arcs in The King featured some characters I have a big question mark about. Like I remember iAm and Trez, but who the hell is Assail and where did he come from? I need to go do some research to figure out where I went wrong in the reading order. It could be simply that when I was focusing on college graduation, trips to Orlando and London that I just overlooked some.

I might just have to institute a reread of the series.

What a hardship, to revisit all my favorite members of the Brotherhood, true?

Have you read the Black Dagger Brotherhood series? Which Brother is your favorite and why? Let me know in the comments!!!