Lover Revealed by J.R. Ward

I don't know if it was because Lover Awakened was such an outstanding book that was a hard act to follow or if it was just that this book truly was just so-so because I have to tell you, I was bored.

We first met Marissa in Dark Lover, she was the unwanted shellan of King Wrath. She was the female that had been chosen to help him through his transition and they were mated for many many years. Wrath released Marissa from their union after he found Beth, and because of her unconsummated marriage and the fact that she was never wanted Marissa became an outcast from the aristocratic society that she was born into.

Butch O'Neal is your standard hard-ass, tough city cop. He became involved with the brotherhood when he followed Beth into their world. Rather than eliminate him the brotherhood befriended him and kept him on- a very rare occurrence since they typically do not mingle with humans.

This fourth book is Butch and Marissa's story, and though it features a rather interesting turn of events in regards to the brotherhood, I found it rather dull. Marissa is still untouched (a virgin) and Ward flip-flopped between her being a damsel in distress to a Miss Independent so often that it left me rather unattached to Marissa and a little annoyed. She also beat the "scared virgin" persona into the ground and I was equally put off by Butch's dialogue. I get that she was trying to put together two people from the opposite end of the spectrum and really showcase their differences but unlike the previous books, I couldn't really feel the connection between them. You knew that Zsadist and Bella belonged to each other, but I never got the feeling that Butch and Marissa did.

On the flip side, the lore in this book was outstanding! The new involvement with the Omega was very interesting and I am about to die to know exactly what Vishous is. And ooooh doesn't John's story just hurt your heart? Oh please let something wonderful happen for him.

I'm giving this book a "It's not you, it's me" reprieve because the series is so fabulous but I seriously hope the next book is better.