I received this book for free from the library in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Source: the library
Where Winter Finds You
by
J.R. Ward
It is part of the The Black Dagger Brotherhood #17.5 series and is a paranormal romance in a Kindle edition that was published by Gallery Books on November 26, 2019 and has 480 pages.
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Other books in this series include [books_series]
Other books by this author which I have reviewed include Dark Lover, Lover Eternal, Lover Awakened, Covet, Crave, Lover Revealed, Lover Unbound, Lover Enshrined, Lover Avenged, Lover Mine, Lover Unleashed, Envy, An Irresistible Bachelor, Leaping Hearts, His Comfort and Joy, Lover Reborn, Rapture, Lover at Last, Possession, The King, The Shadows, The Bourbon Kings, Blood Kiss, The Beast, Blood Vow, The Chosen, Blood Fury, “Dearest Ivie”, The Thief, "The Reception", "The Rehearsal Dinner", Consumed, The Savior, Blood Truth, The Sinner, A Warm Heart in Winter, Claimed, The Wolf
A Christmas holiday novel, 17.5 in The Black Dagger Brotherhood (BDB) paranormal romance series, set in Caldwell, New York, and revolving around the extended family of a host of warrior vampires, their mates, and their friends. The couple focus is on Trez Latimer and Therese.
If you’re interested, there is a chronological listing of The Black Dagger Brotherhood books on my website.
My Take
This was both sad and sweet. A reflection of past love and current grief. Of a peek-in by a few of the core characters of the BDB. Yeah, so the language is essentially cleaned up, lol.
I’m guessing Raul’s miracle is expected to introduce and parallel Trez’s awakening. One that triggers a slow rise on his part that spans hope to delusion until it kindles that final awakening. And it’s a journey that I think Ward could have worked at more with an aim at more drama and more show.
As part of Trez’s journey, several characters are anxious to counsel Trez — he sure does need it. On so many levels! Nor is Trez the only one with reflecting to do. Therese must come to terms with her own anger about her family’s choices.
I love this…
“You should only ever wear firelight.”
What was the deal about the keys? She can lock her door with her mind. She can mentally transport herself wherever she wants to go. So why does Therese insist on finding those keys when she’s so panicky about being late for work?? Yeah, I know that whole copper bit is supposed to be important, but Ward didn’t impress me enough to make this scene so important.
And I just don’t get how this timeline thing works. Selena hasn’t been dead that long, and Therese is a lot older than I can account for.
There’s not really a lot of action in this, it’s mostly the two primary characters agonizing and loving using primarily third person dual protagonist point-of-view from Therese’s and Trez’s perspectives with the occasional global subjective third person POV for those moments when other characters have their bit scenes. As I said, sad and sweet, but without any really great highs or lows. Not that I wouldn’t buy this one, though. It is good. I just expected more.
That said…I can’t believe this was 480 pages long. It went so fast! And I love it that this has a happy ending, and that Lassiter gets his first miracle.
The Story
For all the wrong reasons Trez is carried away by a new waitress at iAm’s restaurant. He can’t resist thinking of her, dreaming of her…she looks exactly like Selena.
The Characters
Therese, a vampire with a master’s in civil engineering, ran away from home in Michigan and works as a waitress at Sal’s. Larisse and Rosengareth “Rosen” are Therese’s parents; her mahmen has a heart condition. Gareth is Therese’s so angry brother.
Trez Latimer is a Shadow who owns shAdoWs, a bar that exists on the edge. He’s been many bad things in his lifetime and enjoyed his sex addiction until he met Selena, a Chosen and Trez’s beloved mate (The Shadows, 13). Xhex, a.k.a., Alex (at the bar), is a symphath in charge of security at shAdoWs; she’s mated to John Matthew (Lover Mine, 8) whose father had been Darius (Dark Lover). Big Rob is Xhex’s second-in-command.
iAm, a.k.a., Chef, is Trez’s twin brother who runs Salvatore’s. His mate is the s’Hisbe queen, maichen (The Shadows) (who is now pregnant with a daughter!).
Sal’s Restaurant a.k.a,…
…Salvatore’s, is where iAm is the chef. Enzo is the manager. Emile Davise is one of the waiters, and he’s in love with Therese. Liza, a waitress, is jealous over Emile’s interests.
The Black Dagger Brotherhood is…
…a guard of vampire warriors dedicated to protecting their king, Wrath, and the race. George is Wrath’s seeing eye dog. Boo is Beth’s (Wrath’s queen) cat (Dark Lover). Rhage, a.k.a., Hollywood, is mated to Mary (Lover Eternal, 2); Bitty is their adopted daughter (The Beast, 14). Tohr is the leader of the BDB.
Doc Jane is a ghost who is mated to Vishous “V” (Lover Unbound, 5). Dr Manny Manello is the other surgeon who is involved with the BDB; he’s mated to Payne (Lover Unleashed, 9). Rehvenge is Trez’s old boss who now reigns as king of the symphaths; he’s mated to Ehlena, a nurse at Havers’ clinic (Lover Avenged, 7). Lassiter is a fallen angel with some really quirky tastes in television. Fritz is the BDB butler. Saxton is the king’s solicitor.
Havers is the race’s physician with a dedicated clinic in Caldwell.
Shadows, the s’Hisbe, are an evolutionary offshoot from vampires, and they can rearrange people’s thoughts. The Fade is the Heaven of the vampires and the s’Hisbe. Dhunhd is the Hell where the Omega and his minions hang out. A shellan is a wife; a hellren is a husband. The Arrest is a killing disease found only among the Chosen. There is no cure. A symphath is a subspecies that can read the emotions of others. Vinnie Giuffrida is a butcher who also supplies Sal’s.
Raul Julia, an insurance actuary, is a human who got very lucky. Alondra had been his daughter who had not been lucky. Ivelisse is his wife. Fernando had been with the Caldwell Police Department.
The Cover and Title
The cover is a conflict between the wintry chill of the snowy background with those fat falling flakes and Trez in a black leather jacket with his chest exposed…brrr… We do only see him from his lips to hips, but it’s enough to make me jealous of Therese! It does appear as if Trez is wearing jeans, but the story never does mention them. On the left edge is that black dagger that has appeared on other BDB covers. The author’s name spans Trez’s chest in an embossed and shadowed white. The title is smaller in a chilly pastel blue, also embossed, spanning Trez’s stomach. At the very bottom is the series information in white.
The title is a metaphor for the grief and the season Therese and Trez are suffering Where Winter Finds You.
