Thank you to Gallery Books for the #gifted copy.

How can you go wrong with a BDB book? It is my favorite vampire series! Baltz in the Band of Bastards has a Demon named Davina, who won’t leave him alone. Erika, a homicide detective, has a run in with Baltz in a case and can’t get him out of her mind. Oh Davina you piss me off. There is so much going on in this story! It was a quick page turner for me.

Devina is still haunting Balthazar in his dreams and so he continues his search for The Book to stop her. All the while he’s falling in love with a human but he doesn’t want to get to close to her so Devina won’t get hip to it. But she does and she’ll do anything to break them apart since she wants Balthazar all to herself. It doesn’t she know that a mated male will do anything to protect his Shellan. Devina finally gets her chance at true love but I’m doing so she unleashes the one thing the Brotherhood thought they wouldn’t ever have to deal with again.

I do like that with these last few books that we are seeing a different side to the Band of Bastards. I do feel like Balthazar and Erika’s storyline was a bit rushed or not the main focus. Maybe it’s just me but I was more into what would happen between Nate, Lassiter, and Rahvyn. I know that Lassiter’s book was just released and it will more than likely dive more into that but I found myself wanted to hear more about them in this book than the other couple.

Know one other than Jim Frangione should ever narrate this series. I don’t even physically read them anymore after I listened to him narrate one of the books a couple of years ago. His tone and diction between characters makes these stories even better in my opinion. I can’t wait to read the next book in this series.

Lover Arisen by J.R. Ward is the 20th book in the Black Dagger Brotherhood. To save everyone Balthazar tries to stay away from everyone. Nobody believes him but demon Devina is still around and inside of him. Too bad he keeps getting distracted by detective Erika. Erika knows something is going on Caldwell and she plans to get to the bottom of it.

Ok I forgot how this book ends. Actually I forgot most of this book. I have happy warm feelings but no distinct details. So this book was a fast pace fantasy with romance that you knew how it was going to end.

Three stars for enjoyable book but forgettable. This series has good reads this one was a weaker one but still adds to the franchise.

Thank you to NetGalley, Gallery Books and J.R. Ward for the free copy. This was an honest review.

4.5 Stars!! Lover Arisen is book 20 in the fantastic Black Dagger Brotherhood series by the indomitable author JR Warden. She never ceases to amaze me. One would think after so many books, the series would get stale, but not with author JR Ward at the helm! Her style of writing and intricate way of storytelling continues to deliver addicting characters, captivating storylines and amazing world building. She stays true to her original characters while creating new and exciting relationships.

Lover Arisen focuses on Balthazar and Erika, however, as with all the novels, there is a bigger story arc that connects the books together. Good vs evil. Light vs dark. Love vs envy, jealousy and hate. Chaos and control. It’s just so good!!!

I love the character and relationship development of our hero and heroine, analyzes and Erika. He has been a favorite of mine and she is sassy and fierce. Their attraction was immediate and strong. I loved the way they were together. Another perfect pairing and yet, the plot twists!!!!

This story is sad, sexy, gritty and compelling. It reminds me of the earlier novels on the series. I wasn’t sure how I felt about the Devina crossover but with each book, I find I enjoy her more. She adds to the chaos and I’m here for it. Lover Arisen is a an emotional rollercoaster with twists and turns. It is everything a BDB fan would expect it to be and sets up the next novel perfectly. Definitely recommend!!

I’m not sure if this book was for me. I needed something a little more focused on world building seven with the current plot! I could see why some would enjoy though

LOL i feel like I lived under a rock causeeee this is book 20?!? Book 20?!?! I am shocked but this book was pretty good considering I have not read her other books!

An old enemy has fallen and new enemies have arisen for the Brothers and their allies. Each new Black Dagger Brotherhood installment brings its own brand of excitement and Lover Arisen is no exception.

As the twentieth entry in the Black Dagger Brotherhood series, Lover Arisen is not a good place for new readers to jump in. It’s not even a good candidate for regular readers to skip forward to as it builds off the events in the last couple of books particularly the previous, Lover Unveiled.

I felt a bit all over the place with this one. There were some new aspects and there was progress in plot threads that made this good stuff. However, there were a few bits that left me dissatisfied.

I suppose the demoness forcing herself on a couple of the guys did upset me, but oddly, that wasn’t as problematic for me. Demons gotta do evil (though the endless descriptions of Devina’s fashion collection did nearly send me over the cliff) so her sadistic pleasure in hurting others and destroying people worked to authenticate her place as a solid villain.

No, what had the book losing points for me was the under-development of the romance, the scanty backdrop of Balthasar’s character, the barely there Brotherhood showing, and the recycling of a past villain.

On the flip side, I could appreciate and really cheer on Balt with his struggles against the demoness. I was indifferent to him in the previous book, but he really won me over. Erika was strong, courageous, and intelligent. She had a horrific past and she channeled this into a drive to protect and serve others. I was most impressed when she gave Balt a chance to explain. I thought that was a big deal since her investigation had led her to know him as a criminal.

But biggest gem of this book… Lassiter.

There is the build up of Lassiter’s story and further details about Rhavyn that gave me strong satisfaction. Rhavyn was introduced in the last book and she seemed to be a being with some serious magical clout and a tough road. More comes out about her and that spark between her and Lassiter grew into an actual flame particularly on his side. She’s much more powerful than I thought and has the timelessness that would make her a good match for a being like Lassiter. She’s got one foot out the door right now, but…

Lassiter’s struggles hit me hard and left me really hurting for this eccentric, fun, and surprising complex fallen angel. He got torn up in this one and that only left me craving his story all the more. This is good because his story is next and I am salivating for it.

While I enjoy some books more than others in the series, I am in love with the series as a whole and wouldn’t miss any of the books. I recommend it to vampire lovers and paranormal romance fans in general.

Dedicated fans of this series will most likely enjoy this installment, but I don’t think it’s going to draw in new readers.

This book which is the 20th of the Black dagger brotherhood series is an intriguing and fascinating book. It is definitely a fight between angels and devils. Do you have Baltazar who is fighting being possessed by the demon Divina who wants to bring back an old enemy of the black dagger brotherhood. Balthazar also developed a romance with a homicide detective Erica and it is as usual a heart breaking romance. The story is so intriguing and you get to see the brothers again as well as a high stakes battle of good versus evil. This was a fun return to the world of the black dagger brotherhood.

I guess I was living under a rock because when I requested this book I had no idea this was book 20!, 20!! holy crap and since I have not read the others I felt kinda lost. I am going to give this a 3 because it was interesting but crap it looks like I need to read the other books (19!) to get more out of this book.

First - read this book! Second, it is part of a fairly long series, so I don't recommend trying to read this as a stand-alone book. There are too many things going on that you won't fully understand if you do, and then you will miss out on all of the awesomeness that is the story of Balthazar and that always annoying demon Devina.

I love how J.R. Ward writes her stories and the story arcs contained in them. There is a pretty big cast of characters in this series and the author always lets you see how some of their stories continue forward. I love that the next few books are always just a little bit revealed in the current book. The next Black Dagger Brotherhood book will almost certainly be about one of the supporting characters in this book. It is such a delightful experience to read this series and I really loved Lover Arisen.

Thank you Gallery Books and NetGalley for sending me this book in exchange for my honest review.

I devoured this book!
Author J.R. Ward delivers another mind explosive book in the Black Dagger Brotherhood series!
Loved the characters, setup and delivery of this story.
Another dark romance book that hooked me in!

I absolutely adored the original books in this series - like, multiple re-reads and recommending it to anyone who likes paranormal romance. I can't be too sure as to when this series jumped the shark, but a strong case can be made for book 15 "The Chosen".

I can't keep the characters straight anymore and the same plotlines keep getting recycled. This story was boring and uninspired, and Ward should have let Devina rot after her "Fallen Angels". What I wanted for this book was to finally get Lassiter's HEA and instead what I got was the least interesting BoB brother's story. Finally, I thought this book needed more information at the beginning. Unless you've very recently read book 19, you're going to be confused for this one.

I wouldn't recommend and I definitely wouldn't reread.

Ok. Can I just say that the Black Dagger Brotherhood series is one of my favorites? I was late to the party but better late than never, right? I discovered the BDB series back in 2012, with Lover Reborn. Up until 2020 I would reread the entire series before the newest book, I loved it that much. But these past few years have been rough so I didn’t have the headspace to do that. But you better believe I read each new book when it comes out, even if I need to flip the previous book to refresh my memory.

In Lover Arisen I didn’t need to refresh. I have been waiting for this one! I wanted to know about Erika and Balthazar since we first saw her. I’m intrigued with how the human police force explains all these weird happenings. We would see Butch’s ex partner from time to time, so we knew a little, but not from someone who has experienced the full force of the memory swipe and sort of knows it. That definitely messes with her as she’s tries to put the pieces together.

I had fun watching her and Balz. Their HEA was a little bit different than the past ones but I’m sure the Warden has a plan I’m just not seeing. I am happy they managed to figure out their differences and fall in love though. I’ll admit I was worried for a minute there. They obviously come from opposite sides of the law so that made things difficult to say the least.

Now I know this book wasn’t about Lassiter but I have a lot of feelings here. Some good obviously, because I love him, but there’s a great big negative that is going to bother me for quite a while. I won’t spoil it but I’m rather upset at this turn of events. I know I need to trust the author, but dang, this is hard.

And of course Davina was here as well, to cause mayhem, which she does so well. I was a bit shocked at the way her quest is working out. I didn’t see it going in that direction. But you better believe I will read the next book to see what happens there.

Speaking of the next book… I CANNOT WAIT. I’m thinking this may require a complete series reread so get the full experience.

I have been with the Warden since the jump and I am obsessed with the BDB. This series is probably in my top 5 and I can't get enough, while I love the original Vamps, some of the newer books don't hit as hard (but to be fair, it's hard to follow them). Ward does a great job bringing to life new characters and meshing with the old to keep her fans happy. Solid 3.5 rating and yes I will absolutely be signing on for the next installment!

OMG. I'm in LOVE with this series and story. Getting back to the BDB world was just what the doctor ordered after being sick for the last two weeks. I devoured it in one night, and didn't even care that I was exhausted the next day.

Lover Arisen is the 20th installment of the Black Dagger Brotherhood. The books really should be read in order. I had read through half of the series and had trouble understanding parts of the story. Lover Arisen revolves around Balthazar, a demon possessed vampire and a human homicide detective Erika Saunders. When their lives intertwine the implications could be deadly.

This book is set in a highly detailed world of Caldwell, NY; with many modern day references. The world of the Brotherhood is dangerous and dark, so when mentions of Brene Brown, Mark Rober are made I feel more included in their world. This Black Dagger Brotherhood book continues the legacy of introducing you to new characters while exposing you to an ever-growing saga of the sects of good, evil and human.

I am sure there is a grand arc end game but this book fell flat to me. I didn't know Balthazar's backstory, it wasn't explained. Why did he act like he did? I wasn't sure what meaning behind including moments with Nate, Rhavyn and Lassiter were except maybe to add more drama with a love interest triangle. I just wanted more time to learn about Rhavyn. She was the most intriguing to me. With J.R. Ward you know that the wold building is culminating to something big, I just wish I knew when that is expected to happen.

Thank you to Gallery Books and NetGalley for the DRC. All opinions my own.

Lover Arisen
Black Dagger Brotherhood #20
JR Ward
Wow it’s amazing that #20 in the amazing Black Dagger Brotherhood series, Lover Arisen, can still possess originality and vitality and it’s because the Warden is just that good.

There is a lot to love about the series and this novel in particular; but one thing is the story inside a story that JR gifts to readers in every episode. This novel stars Balthazar and Erika but JR keeps the audience informed on all the other goings on at the BDB Mansion plus the lives of all the Vamps and subspecies in Caldwell. Nor does the author pull punches with etiquette or language so if you’re offended by constant F Bombs, Rap loving Brothers who don’t mind showing their fangs and explicit love scenes this is not for you but if you love the honest and unvarnished type of characters and a series that keeps you on your toes because it’s ever evolving this is right up your down and dirty alley. Fans of Urban Fantasy and paranormal romance will love this series but if you’re a new fan you’d be better off starting from the top.

The Bastard Balthazar was busy playing Robin Hood until he gets possessed by the evil and beautiful demon Devinia and now he’s on the hunt for the book of spells to find out how to get rid of her. Trouble is this delectable Homicide detective keeps showing up where he happens to be and he’s finding it harder and harder to keep wiping her memory clean because he would really like her to remember him. But yeah Vampires and humans don’t mix and mingle.

Caldwell Homicide detective Erika Saunders became a cop because of her tragic past hoping to prevent the horror she went through from happening to some other innocent. She’s also aware of some very strange like woo woo happenings going on in Caldwell, some cops having trouble remembering certain crime scenes, some suffering from strange burn out. She in fact has trouble remembering details about some of her own cases and if it weren’t for some video footage of a suspect (a suspect she dreams about) she wouldn’t have anything to go on because whenever she gets close to remembering she gets excruciating headaches. So she must be dreaming when she runs into her dream man at yet another crime scene. But no this is not a dream.

Meanwhile the demon Devinia is looking for love in all the wrong places but she’s okay with ruining lives while she’s on the hunt for her HEA. Now if she could just get the book of spells to grant her wish everything would be hunky dory.

Meanwhile the fallen angel Lassiter and current savior of the Vampire species is doing his best to keep evil at bay and keep the species happy and healthy unfortunately making it right for everyone else will be very costly for him.

Wow! I think this book just made me fall in love with the Black Dagger Brotherhood series again!

After reading one of the spinoff books and being a little turned off by this world, I decided to give it another shot and I'm so glad I did. This book delivered in a lot of ways that I think fans have been asking for. There were not a lot of side stories (only the main love story, the building one, and some resolution that crosses between them), there was some good smut (not really a deficiency before), and we don't break a lot of things that we built up before. If this is your first time in the BDB world, I don't know how you got here as a first book. There is so much world and character building that has been done up to this point that I wouldn't really recommend starting 20 books in.

So, this story - we finally get Balthazar's resolution. Poor thief ended up getting possessed and finding his mate in very short time and then the series left him hanging out there. In summary it seems very simple - thief and cop have drama. Underneath, though, the characters were really interesting. I felt for both of them more than some previous characters, or even the ones that are moving in parallel to this love story. The odds are (of course) against them and we have to work up until the very end to get them a HEA, but it is very satisfying. Erika, the mate/cop/person, was a real standout here and I was happy she didn't have to become something she wasn't by the end. Overall, I'm happy I gave the BDB another chance because it was well worth it!

Lover Arisen continues the Black Dagger Brotherhood series with another great installment! Balthazar is such a fascinating character! He is possessed by the demon Devina so things aren't exactly easy for him. And then there is human cop, Erika.

The story is totally action packed. It gave me the old school BDB vibes that I really loved. But, I am not gonna lie-this book ends in a not satisfying way so be forewarned. Do I think it is the set up for more? Sure. But this ending hurt like a bitch.

Lover Arisen really represented some progression in the story. I know some readers had walked away from the series, but I feel that this book really gets back to why readers loved the BDB! If you haven't kept up with the series, you really can't just jump in here. You need to be up to date on everything if you are going to keep up with all the threads that get pulled in Lover Arisen.