April 2020 Book of the Month Giveaway
May 16, 2020 07:04 PM Posted by juliannadouglas
After having only a couple of five-star reads during the first three months of the year, I found myself with so many in April that I had a hard time choosing which one to feature as my Book of the Month. I finally settled on the newest book of one of my all-time favorite series that I’ve featured several times before. This book is a turning point in the series that essentially makes it the end of one era and the beginning of a new one. That’s because the war that has dominated the series from the beginning finally culminates as readers get to see whether a long-held prophecy is fulfilled, and if so, in what way. But in addition to some major changes in the overall series story arc, we also have a beautiful, love-conquers-all romance between our main hero and heroine that of course makes it all worthwhile.
Syn is a dangerous killer who has a monster living inside him that, much like an addiction, drives him to take lives and also gain great pleasure in doing so. He’s been able to exercise this part of himself in some ways through becoming a soldier in the war, but it isn’t quite enough to appease this drive. The remainder of his aggression is taken out by secretly working as an assassin on the side. However, he’s a killer with his own code of honor, taking the time to do his research and only killing people he judges deserving of their fate, while caring nothing about the money he’s offered for these jobs. His latest hit job sends him right into the path of a beautiful reporter, who turns out to be the person he’s been sent to kill. But from the moment he meets her, something about her calls out to him like a siren’s song, and he’s unable to do her any harm. Instead he finds himself longing for something with her that he thought never to experience. Like many of the characters in this series, Syn has a heartbreaking backstory with a brutally abusive father who appears to have genetically passed down his penchant for violence. As the story opens, Syn loathes himself for what he’s become, and as a result has a death wish, not really caring whether he lives or dies, until he meets Jo. Falling in love with a good woman, and experiencing her love in return, turns him right around. He’s absolutely nothing but completely tender and selfless with Jo, always attending to her needs, despite it causing him physical pain, which is why I was able to fall for him despite his proclivities.
Jo was adopted as an infant and never knew her birth parents, while her relationship with her adoptive parents is complicated and strained. Lately she’s been experiencing weird cravings for Slim Jims and chocolate, having hot flashes, and also getting killer headaches when she tries to remember certain things, feeling like there are gaps in her memory. Her investigative reporter friend helped her get a job as an online editor at the newspaper, but she really has ambitions of becoming a full-fledged reporter herself. In her spare time, she engages in paranormal investigations and writes a blog about the things she finds. When the crazy story of a gangster who was literally skinned alive falls into her lap, she thinks her dreams of being a real reporter might finally become a reality. However, her boss is a misogynistic dick, placing her in an uphill battle to achieve that. It’s in the course of her investigation of the story, though, that she runs into Syn on the street. As he helps her evade the police, he both frightens and intrigues her, while also making her hormones race. Jo keeps telling herself that she shouldn’t let him into her life, but at the same time, she can’t resist him. Things turn hot and heavy between them pretty quickly, but as certain information comes to light, she isn’t sure if she can trust him anymore.
Syn and Jo make a wonderful couple who balance each other out. Even though a lot of bleakness surrounds them, their relationship is one filled with tenderness and passion offering a much-needed counterpoint to the darkness in the rest of the story. I loved all the other characters, too, both new and old, who bring plenty of flavor and interest to the story. It was nice to finally see the manifestation of the prophecy that we’ve all been waiting for so long, which led to a pretty intense confrontation. As I kept reading and had fewer and fewer pages to go, I was starting to worry how the author was going to wrap it all up satisfactorily, but I shouldn’t have, as she did so with her usual flair, and the final scene was utterly priceless.;-) I very much enjoyed this book and look forward to seeing where things go from here for out beloved cast of characters. That’s why I’m naming J. R. Ward’s The Sinner as my April Book of the Month. If you enjoy paranormal romance with an emotionally damaged alpha male hero and a relatable heroine, tender and passionate interactions, and plenty of action and adventure, then you should definitely give this book a try. Keep reading to learn how you can win a copy for your own library.
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Cover Blurb- A sinner’s only hope is true love in this passionate new novel in J.R. Ward’s #1 New York Times bestselling Black Dagger Brotherhood series. |
Fate anointed Butch O’Neal as the Dhestroyer, the fulfiller of the prophecy that foresees the end of the Omega. As the war with the Lessening Society comes to a head, Butch gets an unexpected ally in Syn. But can he trust the male—or is the warrior with the bad past a deadly complication?
With time running out, Jo gets swept up in the fighting and must join with Syn and the Brotherhood against true evil. In the end, will love true prevail...or was the prophecy wrong all along?
Read my complete review of The Sinner.
Giveaway
If you would like to win a copy of The Sinner to see how wonderful it is for yourself, just enter the Rafflecopter giveaway below. I happen to have an extra copy of this book on hand, so one lucky winner (US only) will receive this brand new print copy of the book. Good luck!
International Entrants: You are welcome to enter my contest, but due to the high cost of shipping overseas, if the winner chosen is outside the US, they will receive a $10 Amazon gift card instead to help you purchase the book in your own region. Please note that the gift card will be issued from Amazon.com (the US site), as I am unable to purchase one on any international Amazon sites. It’s my understanding, however, that the card can only be used to purchase items on Amazon.com, and not any other Amazon sites. So please be aware of this limitation before entering.
Categories: Book of the Month, Giveaways
Tags: J. R. Ward
