Review: Devil’s Cut by J.R. Ward

Devil's Cut by J.R. Ward
Published by Berkley on 8/1/17
Genres: Contemporary Romance
Pages: 418
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At first, the death of William Baldwine, the head of the Bradford family, was ruled a suicide. But then his eldest son and sworn enemy, Edward, came forward and confessed to what was, in fact, a murder. Now in police custody, Edward mourns not the disintegration of his family or his loss of freedom . . . but the woman he left behind. His love, Sutton Smythe, is the only person he has ever truly cared about, but as she is the CEO of the Bradford Bourbon Company’s biggest competitor, any relationship between them is impossible. And then there’s the reality of the jail time that Edward is facing.
Lane Baldwine was supposed to remain in his role of playboy, forever in his big brother Edward’s shadow. Instead he has become the new head of the family and the company. Convinced that Edward is covering for someone else, Lane and his true love, Lizzie King, go on the trail of a killer—only to discover a secret that is as devastating as it is game-changing.
As Lane rushes to discover the truth, and Sutton finds herself irresistibly drawn to Edward in spite of his circumstances, the lives of everyone at Easterly will never be the same again. For some, this is good; for others, it could be a tragedy beyond imagining. Only one thing is for certain: Love survives all things. Even murder.

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Jessica’s Review

5 “This was Everything” Stars.

I can’t even handle how good this book was. The Bourbon Kings saga has been a beautifully addictive, deliciously scandalous, emotionally tortuous but altogether unforgettable journey from beginning to end. This finale was not only one of my most anticipated reads of 2017, it turned out to be exponentially better than anything I could’ve imagined. Hands down, Devil’s Cut is the best book of this series, a series, mind you, I already loved beyond words. I couldn’t put this book down. I never wanted it to end. I could read about the Bradford Baldwine family, their floundering bourbon company, their troublesome relationships and their haunting family secrets forever and I’d never, ever tire of any of it. From beginning to bittersweet end, this entertaining, exciting, suspenseful family drama has CONSUMED me and the reality that it’s reached the end is one I’m not yet willing to accept.

I can’t tell you how many cups of coffee went cold as I read this book. I imagine I looked like some kind of wide-eyed crazy person as I read, clutching the book with white knuckles, turning pages hungrily as the twists and turns of Devil’s Cut completely captivated me. I simply could not tear myself away. The way JR Ward laid out this story, from The Bourbon Kings through The Angels Share right up to the very last page of Devil’s Cut, creating an intricately woven, fully immersive, sweeping story, was just BRILLIANT. And to my utter delight, this finale was everything I could’ve ever hoped for and so much I never expected. It was so satisfying, this ending, so full of surprises and heartache and healing and hope. It’s truly the PERFECT finale to a wholly unforgettable series.

I was beyond lost in this story, this family, these characters, the scandal, the secrets, the suspense, the love and hope and heart stopping memories… ALL. OF. IT. I couldn’t get enough. There’s truly nothing I can say that will do this book justice. I’m not a reader that needs my books adapted onto a screen, but I will pray everyday that this saga comes to life. It already has, truthfully. The manner in which Ward breathes so much life into these pages, squeezing out exquisite emotion and illustrating such lush imagery on every page, it plays out in my mind as clear as if I were watching it happen before me. This family in all of their dysfunction and all of their shared heartache captured me within the snare of their bonds and I never want to be let go.

There isn’t a more perfect way this series could’ve ended. Devil’s Cut fills in every hole, turns over every stone, answers every question, heals every single open wound left throughout the series. I felt everything a reader can feel in these pages. Ward carries her reader through the intricately woven storylines of each of the characters in this vast ensemble and she ensures her reader feels every thing they feel. Despair. Heartache. Hope. Fear. Joy. Devastation. Loss. Fury. Contentment. Every single emotion a reader can feel is demanded of them in this book. Devil’s Cut had my chin on the floor at times, had my eyes filled with tears (both from sadness and utter joy), had my heart leaping with joy just as often as it pounded relentlessly through agonizing memories and heartbreaking longing. This is a series I’ll reread and I’ll do it often. This is a series I’ll never forget. This is a series I never wanted to end but I’m so over the moon with how it did. Devil’s Cut is the most superb ending to a PHENOMENAL series and there simply aren’t enough words to adequately express how much I absolutely, wholeheartedly LOVED it.

About the Author

J. R. Ward is the author of more than thirty novels, including those in her #1 New York Times bestselling Black Dagger Brotherhood series. She is also the author of the Black Dagger Legacy series and the Bourbon Kings series. There are more than fifteen million copies of her novels in print worldwide, and they have been published in twenty-six different countries around the world. She lives in the South with her family.

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