The Sinner by J.R.Ward

There is something that discerns a J.R. Ward book apart from all others. 

 
The Black Dagger Brotherhood series is one series that I can say, For A Fact, that I have read on a regular (and Religious) basis. The world has so many different layers, the characters are some of the most beloved, and you get lost in the violence and grit of a vampire and slayer ridden New York.
 
 PAUSE
 
I've begun to notice a trend lately with this series that at this moment.....
 
has me feeling...…
 
quite.....
 
Meh.
 
The last several books we have seen the Band of Bastards finding their shellan's and I will tell you strait up, from the bottom of my Icy Black Heart, that I was counting down the seconds until Xcor's book. (which side note...was incredibly disappointed with...)
 
 
There has lately been an unfortunate pattern to the more recent editions to this epic romance series. 
And that's the somewhat....
loss.....
of romance.
 
What do I mean here? 
Hold my beer while I break this down.
 
 
Since the beauty and majesty that was The Beast, the war with the lessening society has really been taking up a majority of the airtime for each book.

 Which I am TOTALLY okay with going deeper into this war, but when side characters/side plots/N'side shizz in general is taking away from the characters you have introduced us to (and we are supposed to form a bond with), the romance comes across as lacking.
 
The main Romantic pairing for The Sinner was supposed to be Syn and Jo. 

Or better known as, the psychopath killer mohawk dude, and the reporter/pain in V's memory-erasing a$$. 
 
The reason why this romance seemed to fall flat:
Look back at the past books in this series.

Go on, I'll wait. 

Welcome back.

 
Anywho, when you look back at the past books, do you notice something? 

It's that we have these characters that we have come to recognize and adore getting to see (even slight little peeks of) in current books. 
 
Why do we love them so??

 Because J.R. Ward took the time to make us feel them.

 Feel FOR them. 

Understand them. 

Feel like we could be standing right beside them.  

The pairings early on in the series are some of my absolute favorite in romance novels ever.

 And THAT is saying a lot. 

But that is because of the amount of struggle, the amount of hurt, the amount of effort that was put into making these couples really and truly feel like they

 COME TOGETHER. BECOME ONE. FREAKING BOND.
 
And that's what has really taken away from more recent books in this series. 

The fact that apparently, WE CONTINUE NEEDING TO SEE POINTLESS SCENES OF PAST CHARACTERS (which I CAN TOTALLY GET BEHIND in some cases.) 

Its taking away any sort of bond or emotions we can put into these new characters. 

Which, frankly, makes me damn sad.
 
I love all the couples up until this point and am (apparently) in the minority here when I say I'm fricking over the moon with Butch and Marissa. 

And also, totally in love with V and Jane. 

I know that will draw unwanted boooooo hissssss attention, but frankly y'all can take it elsewhere homie. 

There were a lot of people who just want V and Butch to be together. 

Nah. 
Do they have a bond that I think is completely special? 

Sure do.
Do I want/think it is in any way shape or form more than that? 

I'd say Fudge no, and better not be.
 
Why?
 
Cause. 

 

Just kidding, there is a reason.

 
These vampires take the ultimate vow to be with the one that they bond with.

 Literally carving their shellans name into their back and dumping salt into it. 

Which, I've had salt in a papercut before. 

And. Hard no. 

But anyways, they have suffered and are essentially souls entwined with their mate. 

If J.R. Ward were to ever touch those pairings (some people say kill Marissa and Jane then put V and Butch together) the story would not just lose its appeal, it would go against the bond that she has created for each and every one of these stories. 

That vow and oath to love them from here and beyond would essentially be null and void and would make every bond and vow taken completely useless. 

And for being a ROMANCE series built on this love beyond humanities limits, I don't think the series would hold anymore. 

And that would make me really sad. But also, really angry. Don't F with mated pairs y'all. 

That ish don't fly.
 
(I know people are saying Tohr, what about Tohr HUh? K. Listen. Tohr's original mate died before we really met her or knew anything about her. Was it sad? Yes. Was it life changing because we knew essentially anything about them? Nah. Tohr was a side character to the story at that point. I ended up loving his story because it was heartbreaking to see him come back into the world, forgive himself, and be able to build a life anew. With characters we watched bond, suffered alongside with and fought to be together, could we watch them go through what he did and be okay with it. F**k No. And that because we have suffered and fought for their love alongside them. So, no. 

Be gone naysayers.)
 
There have been a few moments in this series where I hit a hard PAUSE cause there are just some things that I say ABSOLUTELY NOT (V almost/thinking of cheating on Jane).

 That really shook my faith in this series. 

Because in the end, it's romance. 

  And something like that is (in my eyes) completely unforgivable.

Now past my little rant that has LITERALLY been sitting on my chest Forev's,

 I have but one more slight teensy-weensy problem with this book and books of late in this series.....
  

WHERE'S THE MF'N STEAM???? 

What in the actual lukewarm bath has happened to the steamy scenes in these books? 

We went from an exploding volcano can't-read-this-in-public steam, to a tepid tea can-read-this-aloud-to-my-parents steam. 

Which sucks! 

And I know that's the filthy part of me coming out but seriously, TF happened to all my steam Ward? I mean I can deal with a good struggle (getting off in this case) and watching the couple deal through it, but WTF there was no struggle. 

There was no build. 

It couldn't happen, couldn't happen, OH LOOK Now I can! Yahoo. 

Like...

WHAT IS THIS.

This is not some J.R. Ward steam writing here...

 This is not built on literally AT ALL. 
 
Do I think that steam = Good romance?

 Nah.

Especially when you really aren't building the couple's relationship at all and rather going the hoover highway route and making it "insta-scent connection". 

Honestly, feels a bit like a lazy scapegoat for not wanting to spend time developing a couple.

 Where's the anticipation? 

Where's the burning desire?

 ehhhh 

I'm not bitter, you're bitter.
 

 
I got so lost in my argument here that I don't even know where I'm at at this point...Is this just mindless rambles? What year is it? Where did this soapbox under my feet come from?
 
Positives from The Sinner:
 
The lessening war is over. And we literally have an open playing field for where this series can go now. I'd REALLY like to see more effort put into building these new characters and their bonds. Cause as much as I adore the original boys and gals, I want that feeling of love for even more characters.
 
The scene with Wrath at the end. I'm not crying, you're crying.
  

Butch literally being the most devoted friggin' mate of all time.  swoon
 
I mean there is literally a character whose nickname is Balz.

 Like come on now. 

Lassiter. (at all. period.)
 
Moving forward I really hope we get to bond more with new characters. 

I love the original boys in the leather, but I want to continue seeing this series grow, and 

Scribe Virgin knows my heart of stone has LOTS more room for some new favorites.

 I only hope the lukewarm romance can get the heat (AND MF'N FOCUS) back on, less of the Cash-Grab-Business-Name-In-My-Book-Cause-Advertising, and that moving forward we continue to see this world grow.
 
Dear Sweet Omega Breath, this review is less of a review and more of rant...

I don't know how I got so off track here. 

But that's where the argument of good authors comes in. 

See, I wouldn't have all these feelings and opinions if J.R.Ward wasn't a truly talented author.

 I only hope to see some of that good Ole' Ward romance in the future.
 
3.42 Literally-lost-out-on-a-perfectly-steamy-Bu/Ma-scene-and-I-am-upset stars