Black Dagger Brotherhood Book 22: The Beloved by JR Ward

 

Black Dagger Brotherhood Book 22

Zsadist. His daughter. Her true love... what could POSSIBLY go wrong?

The daughter of a legend finds the love of a lifetime in this passionate, heart-wrenching installment in J. R. Ward’s #1 New York Times bestselling Black Dagger Brotherhood series...

Nalla, the blooded daughter of Zsadist, has led a sheltered life. Protected by her father and the Brotherhood, kept away from the deadly war with the Lessening Society, she is chaffing against the walls of the very safety that has ensured her survival. One night, she gives into her restlessness... and finds herself face to face with a male whose inner darkness rivals even that of her sire’s horrific origins.

Nate is a fighter with nothing to lose- and nothing to live for. Tortured in a human lab as a young, then cursed with immortality, he is all vengeance and no purpose because he cares for no one, not even himself. The Brotherhood know this all too well, and following his deliberate violation of the cardinal rule in the war, they declare him a dangerous liability that must be dealt with.

When Nalla and Nate find themselves fighting side by side, daggers aren’t the only things that fly. A sizzling attraction is ignited, except she knows her sire will never accept him- and on his side, Nate has made a secret bargain to end his immortality. As the enemy closes in, and Nalla realizes she must choose between her mate and her sire... what starts with such passion may well end with eternal sorrow and no chance of a reunion, even in the Fade.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/176443921-the-beloved

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My Review: 5/5 Stars

The Black Dagger Brotherhood is one of my favorite worlds to be in. The previous book left me with all kind of mixed feelings. And not going to lie, I was still a bit cranky going into this book. So much time has passed in that world. And it’s the kids’ turns to start getting their happy endings. And what better way to start the kids’ stories than to start with one of the first? Yeah, it’s Nalla’s turn. Her and Nate’s story was the right move to kick off this new shift in this series and world. And it’s hard to stay cranky with a series this good when you read about their story. 

So, Nalla is all grown up and she has been struggling with her place in her family’s life. It’s hard to not feel like you are in the way or not a priority when it comes to her parents’ love for one another. The truth of the matter is that Nalla doesn’t truly understand the challenges until she meets Nate and understands everything he has been through. But it also doesn’t help when her father is Zsadist, the scariest and most protective of the Brothers, who scares off anyone Nalla may be interested in but who isn’t ready to die at his hands. Lucky for Nate, dying isn’t exactly a problem. Nate has been through a lot and has become a ghost of himself since we last saw him. His curse has taken a toll and he has pushed everyone away and he is just ready to be done but he can’t. Well, at least until he learns there is a way. But things begin to change when Nalla and him cross paths and actually stick together. Is she enough to make him want to live a life of immortality? 

It’s weird to see the kids grown and falling in love. You never expected certain pairings and this one wasn’t one I could have seen coming. But they make sense. Their story and everything that happens between them? There is no one better for one another than them. I adored their story and I’m looking forward to the rest of the kids’ getting their stories. We see plenty of hints of the others and perhaps who I believe are the next two. This world continues to get interesting and I can’t wait to see where this next phase of the series takes us.