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tiffany_bibliophage 's review for:
Lover Enshrined
by J.R. Ward
2.75/ 3 Stars
Man, was I ever disappointed with this one. Honestly, after this book I’m going to take a break from the series. I don’t find myself as excited as I previously was to read the next book, and I’m a little sad about it.
Let’s start off with Phury’s back story. Pregnancy is risky af in the vampire world and you’re telling me that BOTH his parents totally gave up parenting after Zsadist was kidnapped? I feel like we’re given this backstory just to make it seem like Phury has a traumatic past. It didn’t really make much sense. I mean, his parents could’ve loved him and he could’ve still felt he’d complete his family by finding Zsadist. Why did we need a comatose mother, and alcoholic father, and an alone Phury?
Then, in his adult life, I imagined Phury as this devoted, loyal, level headed character. He sacrifices his life to find the twin he’s been missing, shoots off his own leg to get both himself and Zsadist from harms way. Since then, he’s been the level headed twin brother making sure that Zsadist doesn’t go too far, always making sure that Zsadist is as ok as Zsadist can get. When Zsadist loses his shit, Phury was there to defend him and pick up the pieces. Every single time. Then, he takes Vishious’ place as the prime male, knowing that he himself has been celibate for forever now.
So, you see, I was excited to see Phury as a lover. I imagined he’d be so in tune with his mate and that he would sacrifice for her just like he did for his brothers. After all, his unrequited love for Bella and his celibacy should make him eager to find his own happiness, right? I thought he’d be level headed about his love. I thought with his celibacy the sex would be amazing- both our hero and heroine are virgins!! But that was so not the case. Instead he ignores her for half a year, and then straight up rejects her.
Cormia was a character ready to experience everything in the world, brand new. Phury could’ve rocked her shit with all the things that exist in our world. The tastes, smells, thrills, the beauty of the earth. Cormia didn’t know it but she was basically ready to be swept off her feet in a gentle, no rush way that Phury could’ve provided. But instead he fights it because he has a stupid voice in his head telling him that he isn’t good enough (when he sacrifices himself every time), and he’s holding a flame for Bella- who does not feel the same. So Cormia is left to experience all these wonderful firsts with someone who isn’t even the Hero.
Now, I know that Phury had that almost OD in the previous book, and I knew that he was going to have some struggles in his book, but what I didn’t expect was for there to be a voice in his head from all of the red smoke he was smoking. Not only does the previous books not even hint that this is his problem, he never even tells anyone that he has a voice in his head- even after he decides to get sober and it minimizes. I feel like there is no closure, but I guess with an addict we’re supposed to be left unsure of the future.
Then, after he OD’s, all of a sudden he wants to be with Cormia, and get sober. We’ve spent the entire book slowly getting tired of his bullshit and annoyed with the self talk just for him to snap his fingers and get his shit together?! He literally lost everything and all of a sudden he’s on board with the sobriety, Cormia, and life? I had trouble connecting the dots here. And let’s not forget about the fact that everybody just turned their backs on him. Z, talked to the dealer but that’s as far as he went before he washed his hands of him. Phury literally shot off his leg for Z and Z can’t hang around his drug addict brother like Phury stuck with his sadistic, suicidal brother?!! And Wrath, kicks him out of the Brotherhood. But Wrath could always depend on Phury to keep Z straight. I feel like Phury got less support than what he sacrificed himself for putting in.
The ending felt rushed. We spent all this time fighting Cormia and Phury for them to take the backseat in their own romance. I was more interested in what they were doing together for the Chosen, than I did for the romance that finally had free reign. There was no definite moment when Phury realized what Bella realized- that he doesn’t really love her. It’s like his obsession with Bella just faded away... like it was no big deal. The closeness that Zsadist and Phury had at the end of Zsadist’s book is back? I think. I thought they’d be good after Zsadist’s book, but we see how that turned out. I guess I’m just frustrated because I feel like the book leads us somewhere, and then when we get to the characters books there’s all these other problems thrown in to make thing interesting, but it’s a total turn from what I was expecting. This was not the same Phury for me.
Man, was I ever disappointed with this one. Honestly, after this book I’m going to take a break from the series. I don’t find myself as excited as I previously was to read the next book, and I’m a little sad about it.
Let’s start off with Phury’s back story. Pregnancy is risky af in the vampire world and you’re telling me that BOTH his parents totally gave up parenting after Zsadist was kidnapped? I feel like we’re given this backstory just to make it seem like Phury has a traumatic past. It didn’t really make much sense. I mean, his parents could’ve loved him and he could’ve still felt he’d complete his family by finding Zsadist. Why did we need a comatose mother, and alcoholic father, and an alone Phury?
Then, in his adult life, I imagined Phury as this devoted, loyal, level headed character. He sacrifices his life to find the twin he’s been missing, shoots off his own leg to get both himself and Zsadist from harms way. Since then, he’s been the level headed twin brother making sure that Zsadist doesn’t go too far, always making sure that Zsadist is as ok as Zsadist can get. When Zsadist loses his shit, Phury was there to defend him and pick up the pieces. Every single time. Then, he takes Vishious’ place as the prime male, knowing that he himself has been celibate for forever now.
So, you see, I was excited to see Phury as a lover. I imagined he’d be so in tune with his mate and that he would sacrifice for her just like he did for his brothers. After all, his unrequited love for Bella and his celibacy should make him eager to find his own happiness, right? I thought he’d be level headed about his love. I thought with his celibacy the sex would be amazing- both our hero and heroine are virgins!! But that was so not the case. Instead he ignores her for half a year, and then straight up rejects her.
Cormia was a character ready to experience everything in the world, brand new. Phury could’ve rocked her shit with all the things that exist in our world. The tastes, smells, thrills, the beauty of the earth. Cormia didn’t know it but she was basically ready to be swept off her feet in a gentle, no rush way that Phury could’ve provided. But instead he fights it because he has a stupid voice in his head telling him that he isn’t good enough (when he sacrifices himself every time), and he’s holding a flame for Bella- who does not feel the same. So Cormia is left to experience all these wonderful firsts with someone who isn’t even the Hero.
Now, I know that Phury had that almost OD in the previous book, and I knew that he was going to have some struggles in his book, but what I didn’t expect was for there to be a voice in his head from all of the red smoke he was smoking. Not only does the previous books not even hint that this is his problem, he never even tells anyone that he has a voice in his head- even after he decides to get sober and it minimizes. I feel like there is no closure, but I guess with an addict we’re supposed to be left unsure of the future.
Then, after he OD’s, all of a sudden he wants to be with Cormia, and get sober. We’ve spent the entire book slowly getting tired of his bullshit and annoyed with the self talk just for him to snap his fingers and get his shit together?! He literally lost everything and all of a sudden he’s on board with the sobriety, Cormia, and life? I had trouble connecting the dots here. And let’s not forget about the fact that everybody just turned their backs on him. Z, talked to the dealer but that’s as far as he went before he washed his hands of him. Phury literally shot off his leg for Z and Z can’t hang around his drug addict brother like Phury stuck with his sadistic, suicidal brother?!! And Wrath, kicks him out of the Brotherhood. But Wrath could always depend on Phury to keep Z straight. I feel like Phury got less support than what he sacrificed himself for putting in.
The ending felt rushed. We spent all this time fighting Cormia and Phury for them to take the backseat in their own romance. I was more interested in what they were doing together for the Chosen, than I did for the romance that finally had free reign. There was no definite moment when Phury realized what Bella realized- that he doesn’t really love her. It’s like his obsession with Bella just faded away... like it was no big deal. The closeness that Zsadist and Phury had at the end of Zsadist’s book is back? I think. I thought they’d be good after Zsadist’s book, but we see how that turned out. I guess I’m just frustrated because I feel like the book leads us somewhere, and then when we get to the characters books there’s all these other problems thrown in to make thing interesting, but it’s a total turn from what I was expecting. This was not the same Phury for me.