3.5 stars! There was a lot I loved about this book - the way J.R. Ward gives her characters strength, Anne's dog!, the suspense of the investigation and what seems to be an untouchable bad guy, the multiple points of view to help introduce some of the men who will hopefully get their own books in the future (I love letting that attachment build), and the character growth.
That being said, there were also some parts I didn't like so much. Anne was not a heroine that I rooted for as much as I usually do with J.R. Ward's females. While some of her reasons and hangups kept me from hating her since I could see where she was coming from, I disliked how harsh she was with her mother and didn't find it excusable. The reveal of the mystery bad guy didn't feel good for me. Even with the evidence given, I didn't find it very believable or epic. There was a certain lack of satisfaction.
On the iffy side, this brotherhood is more realistic and gritty than BDB with their flaws, angst, and hardships, which naturally makes them more morally gray. I'm not sure how I feel about that. Part of what I love about J.R. Ward's writing is that I love all of her main characters, even if they have some bad qualities (Gin from the Bourbon Kings comes to mind). I liked Anne, but I didn't love her so I'm unsure how much that future grittiness will effect my liking of future pairings.
But, there's only one way to find out so I will be reading the second book! There are a few of interesting characters (Anne's brother, a couple of guys from the two stations) who I'm excited to read more about and hopefully see get their HEA.
That being said, there were also some parts I didn't like so much. Anne was not a heroine that I rooted for as much as I usually do with J.R. Ward's females. While some of her reasons and hangups kept me from hating her since I could see where she was coming from, I disliked how harsh she was with her mother and didn't find it excusable. The reveal of the mystery bad guy didn't feel good for me. Even with the evidence given, I didn't find it very believable or epic. There was a certain lack of satisfaction.
On the iffy side, this brotherhood is more realistic and gritty than BDB with their flaws, angst, and hardships, which naturally makes them more morally gray. I'm not sure how I feel about that. Part of what I love about J.R. Ward's writing is that I love all of her main characters, even if they have some bad qualities (Gin from the Bourbon Kings comes to mind). I liked Anne, but I didn't love her so I'm unsure how much that future grittiness will effect my liking of future pairings.
But, there's only one way to find out so I will be reading the second book! There are a few of interesting characters (Anne's brother, a couple of guys from the two stations) who I'm excited to read more about and hopefully see get their HEA.