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A review by amym84
Devil's Cut by J.R. Ward
4.0
Overall, I really loved this series. The Devil's Cut really ties together all the complicated story threads started over the course of [b:The Bourbon Kings|23355896|The Bourbon Kings (The Bourbon Kings, #1)|J.R. Ward|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1414595442s/23355896.jpg|42912504] and [b:The Angels' Share|26024583|The Angels' Share (The Bourbon Kings, #2)|J.R. Ward|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1449626012s/26024583.jpg|45948189]. When we last left the Baldwine siblings, Edward was going to jail after confessing to killing their father William, Lane was trying to save the sinking ship of a company in the Bradford Bourbon Company, Gin had married herself to a terrible man just to avoid having to change the life in which she had become accustomed, and black sheep of the family, Max, had returned.
I did feel like there were times, toward the end, where maybe the story got away from JR Ward just a bit. Even though the trilogy has been one big build-up to these endings, with the exception of Lane and Lizzie's story, I felt the other character's stories ended really abruptly. Almost like the turnaround that many of the characters experience happen from one page to the next instead of in the same gradual way the setting and the company were built up. Especially in Max's case where he was talked about from the beginning but didn't actually show up until close to the end of the second book. His story was then condensed down so much, plus had to make room for Lane, Edward, and Gin and I felt Max kind of got the shaft. I wanted to see him interacting more with his brothers and sister.
By far my favorite, and I believe the character that grew the most throughout the trilogy, was Gin. The story of the spoiled debutante suddenly facing a life where the money has pretty much run out, and she's got a daughter - who up to this point she's mostly ignored - to take care of. Gin basically had to grow up, and it was one of the most satisfying turns one of these characters took. I did want just something more between her and Samuel T. They had been through so much, when all was said and done, there was just a little something missing for me to truly make it perfect.
Overall, JR Ward knows how to tell a story, and this trilogy is chocked full of mystery and cliffhanger moments as she weaves from one point of view to another. Times where you didn't know what else could be thrown at the family, only to find out that there was still something else that could bring them further down. These people who are not always the best or kindest people, yet who are dedicated to the family name and to the family.
I hope that Ward decides to release more books in this genre as I think she has a knack for it beyond her paranormal romances. I'm sad that it's over, but I was pretty happy with how everything turned out.
I did feel like there were times, toward the end, where maybe the story got away from JR Ward just a bit. Even though the trilogy has been one big build-up to these endings, with the exception of Lane and Lizzie's story, I felt the other character's stories ended really abruptly. Almost like the turnaround that many of the characters experience happen from one page to the next instead of in the same gradual way the setting and the company were built up. Especially in Max's case where he was talked about from the beginning but didn't actually show up until close to the end of the second book. His story was then condensed down so much, plus had to make room for Lane, Edward, and Gin and I felt Max kind of got the shaft. I wanted to see him interacting more with his brothers and sister.
By far my favorite, and I believe the character that grew the most throughout the trilogy, was Gin. The story of the spoiled debutante suddenly facing a life where the money has pretty much run out, and she's got a daughter - who up to this point she's mostly ignored - to take care of. Gin basically had to grow up, and it was one of the most satisfying turns one of these characters took. I did want just something more between her and Samuel T. They had been through so much, when all was said and done, there was just a little something missing for me to truly make it perfect.
Overall, JR Ward knows how to tell a story, and this trilogy is chocked full of mystery and cliffhanger moments as she weaves from one point of view to another. Times where you didn't know what else could be thrown at the family, only to find out that there was still something else that could bring them further down. These people who are not always the best or kindest people, yet who are dedicated to the family name and to the family.
I hope that Ward decides to release more books in this genre as I think she has a knack for it beyond her paranormal romances. I'm sad that it's over, but I was pretty happy with how everything turned out.