This book was amazing!!!! Simply stunning in it’s story, it’s depth, it’s romance, and it’s world. I was hooked from the beginning and didn’t want to stop, didn’t stop, as the next, the next, and the next thing came to being. There were tears, there were laughs, there was sexiness and romance. There were bonds existing, made, re-formed, and they tied all of these wonderful characters together. At the heart of the story was love. Love that never died, never wavered, never gave up. At the soul of this story was family. Families that interconnected from blood bonds to chosen to made and maintained. The mythology and the mystical is the spine of this story, but the characters that I connected with gave it the heart and the soul that made it an unbelievably amazing read <3

I definitely enjoyed the PR. I honestly didn’t know this was part of a series until I started reading thi... so just a heads up.

Standalone within the Forbidden Brotherhood.  This story focuses on Bjorn, father of all werewolves. He lost his family and has served Odin for centuries.  He is sent on an errand by Odin that changes his life. A good romance, full of action and steamy scenes. You will want to read the other stories in the series, if you have not already,

***Thank you to NetGalley and Entangled Publishing for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Expected release date January 18, 2021.***

🐺🐺🐺🐺
3.75 – 4 stars

Bjorn Cursed is another very solid installment in the “Forgotten Brotherhood” series.  I loved reading about Bjorn’s backstory (briefly introduced in the previous story, Burning Ash).  And oh my, I wish I had a friend / colleague like Anja…one that I could learn many life lessons from  .  We’re also introduced to a new character who will *hopefully* have his own “Brotherhood” story soon.

Turns out Bjorn isn't just a grumpy growly old wolf, he's got a softer sexier side too -- it's just one only his late wife (who's death, along with their children's, resulted in his becoming an immortal Norse berserker who turns into a huge wolf so long ago) gets to see.  Anja died while trying to protect her children from violent marauders while Bjorn had been called away to fight elsewhere.  Anja's bravery gained the goddess Freya's attention who granted her the "honor" of serving in her hall in the afterlife while her young children would be allowed to be reborn for a chance at a full life.  Anja unable to leave Freya's hall, worked each day finding comfort in the hope that her children (while they wouldn't remember her) had found happiness and long lives and waited to see if her husband (who surely would have gone to Valhalla upon death) would venture to Freya's hall in search of her in the afterlife.  when Bjorn is tasked by Odin to hunt down & kill and escapee from the afterlife (the dead don't belong in the land of the living) and Anja finds herself suddenly pulled from Freya's hall and dropped into some strange alley and time it doesn't take long to realize that the Gods and similar powers are playing games and causing trouble for the Forgotten Brotherhood members once again.  What we also get is a reunion story with plenty of love and passion between two individuals who complement each other and fight for a future together against some very steep odds.  We also get the other brotherhood couples and the bonds that tie them together, a few twists & surprises, and a bit of humor to balance out what turns out to be an enjoyable installment in the series and reading time spent eagerly turning the pages to see just how the HEA comes about.

4.5 stars - I really loved Bjorn Cursed. He's a wolf shaped shifter, the first-ever made. He lost his family centuries ago and in this read, he discovers that all isn't lost. It's just the sort of sexy, thrilling read I've come to expect from NJ Walters. Nicely done!

Bjorn Cursed is an unforgettably phenomenal addition to this fantastically exhilarating series! It helps to bring even more intensity and emotion and danger to the already charged and deadly group of the Forgotten Brotherhood. This is a full charge ahead adventure that refuses to be slowed down or side tracked in its single minded focus of hope, love, and justice. Don't hold your breath because it will be stolen in the very next second.

Bjorn has been served a command from the lips of his Creator that will either grant him honorable favor or leave his world in shatters. Either way, he has to see it through. What he never expected was to have his very heart in the cross hairs. Anja has been pulled from her existence and placed into a foreign world surrounded by strangers. Trying to figure out what happened to her, she finds herself face to face with her distant past and hope gives her the courage she needs to figure out this mystery. When Bjorn's world explodes with a grand and unbelievable revelation, can he hope to keep his heart safe and protected this time, or will he find it shattered beyond recognition and forever destroyed?

Bjorn was always a character from the shadows who left me intrigued and wanting to know more. I knew he had just as an incredible story as the others, and I couldn't wait to crack open his hard shell to see what was hidden inside. Hearing his story tore my heart to shreds and had me rooting for him from the very start. Anja fit him very well as the perfect love and partner. She was just as fierce and raw and noble as he. I lost my heart to this daring and dynamic couple. They are just as amazing and sizzling as the other couples that we have gotten to know. They bring experience, heart, and determination to the Brotherhood.

N. J. Walters is a true wonder of an author who has created this wildly scintillating and deliciously deadly world of forgotten heroes. She is a truly gifted and boundlessly talented author who has forever brightened and deeply filled my world with precious words that never fail to entertain and instruct. The Forgotten Brotherhood is a wickedly fantastic series that is sure to dazzle and delight any fantasy reader who gives it a much deserved chance.

I've really enjoyed this series from NJ Walters. I guess each book could be read as a stand-alone, but I think you definitely get a better story if you read them in order. The stories involve gods, mythologies, and fighting for love. The Forgotten Brotherhood are outcast paranormals who are the ones that take care of other paranormals when they've gone too far. 

We've met Bjorn the werewolf in previous stories. He's lived for centuries after Odin cursed him as a werewolf. Anja has been pulled from the otherworld and thrust into a game of gods and trickery. Bjorn, Anja, and the rest of the Brotherhood take a stand against the gods to fight for love and family. 

Bjorn and Anja are different than the other couples in the series because instead of instant chemistry, they are long-lost lovers who had a family centuries ago. their love for each other has endured centuries and even the gods can't keep them apart. That doesn't dampen any of the physical attraction though. ;)

I thought maybe this was the last book since the known members of the Brotherhood have all had their books, but then we meet Sven. So who knows?

I had the chance to read an advanced copy through NetGalley for review.

ARC from NetGalley

2.5 stars

This book wasn't bad, it just wasn't terribly interesting. It's a paranormal romance about a werewolf whose dead wife is brought back to the land of the living. They get reacquainted while trying not to die, since Odin has put a bounty on her head, and Freya has come to bring her back to the land of the dead.

This was I think 4th in a series, and I didn't feel that I had missed out on anything. The romance was meh because they were already married, just hadn't seen each other in hundreds of years. So there wasn't any suspense. There were sex scenes, though not too many.

Eh, it didn't really leave much of an impression on me either way. I will forget it immediately.

**I received a copy of Bjorn Cursed from Entangled Publishing and Net Galley in exchange for a voluntary and honest review. My opinions were not solicited in any way.**

Bjorn Cursed by N. J. Walters is the fourth book in the Forgotten Brotherhood so I highly recommend reading them in order as it start where the previous book ends. I was so excited to hear Bjorn was going to get his own story as I love Norse mythology and werewolves and I thoroughly enjoyed this book.

Bjorn Knutson having lost his his wife and children to raiders in his grief he agreed to Odin's offer of being the first werewolf. But imagine his surprise when his wife Anja shows up in an alley in New York not knowing how she got there or why. He takes her to Maccus and Morrigan's with the rest of the Forgotten Brotherhood show up to figure out who took Anja from Freya's Hall. Hmm looks like Lucifer may be up to his old tricks again maybe? I will leave that there because the wild ride Bjorn and Anja will travel plus when Freya's enforcer shows up it will be a surprise for all. Beside I do love how other Gods and Cassie's Dad shows up to figure out how this story will end.

I can't believe it's all over, but I'm desperately hoping for a little more ;-) Out of everyone in the brotherhood, I'm not sure who my favorite might by. I've loved them all for different reasons. It was definitely one of my favorite parts of this was series, was learning about each member of the Forgotten Brotherhood and their amazing and bada** partners!

Bjorn definitely has one of the most heartbreaking backstories and I've been so eager to learn more. And not going to lie, I loved having Anja back with him. A reunion of sorts that was absolutely everything. Gosh, to read that moment again for the first time, my heart was beating in overtime because of what it would mean to Bjorn... to have his beloved back in his life after all this time.

It's a bit of a tangled web of who is trying to do what, but I was such a huge fan to get more glimpses of the entire Brotherhood. I love when they're all together and could probably read many more books of them doing what they do.

I hope this isn't quite farewell to this series, but I've enjoyed every single bit of it!

How amazing that Bjorn is finally getting his HEA!!! I was hoping this would happen after reading the last book and then here it is!

These books keep getting better and better as they are published and waiting for the next one to arrive is excruciating to say the least.

This series is one to pick up and read from the absolute beginning because they all flow very well from one to the next.

Please keep these coming! I devoured this in one sitting without even stopping.

Bjorn has been along for a long time.  He went mad after finding his family mutilated and called out for assistance from Odin.  As usual, when Gods are involved, his plea doesn't go to plan and he ends up cursed, becoming the thing he feared most, a monster! 

Bjorn found a new outlet for his bloodthirst with the Forgotten Brotherhood.  He uses his lethality to take out the worst of the Supernaturals who prey on humans.  But when he is given a bounty by Odin himself he never reckoned on meeting the one person he can never forget - his wife!

Anja didn't shirk her duties within Freya's Hall. She struck a bargain for her children to be reborn and live a new life.  But she was sucked into a void and then spat out into a whole new world.  When she is attacked she has a giant of a saviour - one she knows all too well.  What are the gods up to?  Did they know Bjorn and Anya were husband and wife?  Was it just a quirk of fate?  Can they escape the regulations that run the deity's realms and stay together?

OMW what a way to reunite these lost loves!  I was heartbroken getting to know their back story. 
 I loved the way that whilst Anya was totally naive about how things work in the modern world, she wasn't totally out of the loop as she learned from newer inhabitants of Freya's Hall.  The introduction to the Market nearly made me weep! Maccus & Morrigan and Asher & Jo are around to assist with a little surprise visit or two from others you might recognise from the other books! 

Twists, turns, Ah-ha moments, and literally tearful moments.  I'm genuinely loving this world and I'm sure I'll enjoy whoever comes next - hopefully Sven!!

When Odin orders Bjorn to kill a soul that escaped Freya’s hall, Bjorn never expects that the escapee is his long-lost wife Anja. Bjorn mourned the brutal murder of his wife and children and raged in grief for years. How can he now send his wife back to Freya for punishment?

Freya has no idea how she ended up in this new world. All she remembers is an endless void and then a bustling city. When Bjorn rescues her from some unsavory characters, Anja is stunned. Like Bjorn, she resigned herself to a solitary existence, so reuniting with him is like a gift from the gods. However, someone wants Anja dead, and there is nowhere to hide. Can Bjorn and Anja survive the will of the gods and figure out who is messing with the Forgotten Brotherhood before it’s too late?

This is a fantastic addition to the Forgotten Brotherhood series. I was hoping for Bjorn’s story and loved finding out what happened to him and the rest of the brotherhood. Bjorn never really got over the death of his beloved wife and children and spent so much time avenging their deaths and living in a haze of rage and revenge. He was on the brink of losing his mind he was so riddled with grief. Knowing how deeply he cared for Anja made their reunion all the more lovely. Their chemistry is off the charts, and their long-lasting love is unconditional.

Of course, many obstacles stand in the way of their happy ending, including murderous and meddlesome gods and the reappearance of someone from their past, but Bjorn and Anja didn’t come this far to end up apart! I love how fiercely they fight for each other and their love and how they face their battles head-on.

I also love that all of the main couples from the first three books come to Bjorn’s aid in this book. Ash and Jo, Alexei and Cassie, and, of course, Maccus and Morrigan staunchly support Bjorn and Anja to help figure out who is behind Anja’s unexpected reappearance. They also stand with Bjorn and Anja against the most dangerous of foes. I love this found family, and Bjorn and Anja realize that, though they miss their family most desperately, their found family is quite special too.

Bjorn Cursed is an action-packed and engrossing addition to the Forgotten Brotherhood series, and I can see many ways in which the author could expand the world. (Yes, please! I need Sven’s story!) Each story in the series can be read as a standalone, but I would recommend starting with the first book if you want to fully understand the context of the plot and the characters’ actions. Thanks so much to NetGalley, Entangled Publishing, and the author for a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.

Since the last book I was hoping for Bjorn to get his own book and it was so worth the wait. His story was so sad it just tore at my heart and I wanted him to get his own HEA.

His heart stuttered, and he blinked, unable to believe what he was seeing—it was the face that filled his dreams.

Lucifer is up to no good again he just will not leave the Brotherhood alone.

Anna is a strong woman and she’s been through hell.
She is a fitting mate for Bjorn.

“Thought you might need some help, and I was right. Aren’t you lucky I’m such a giver?”

All of our favorites are back.

“You’re worst nightmare,” he shot back. “That never gets old.” He grinned at Bjorn. 

Another great edition to this series full of surprises and humor.

OMG, The Forgotten Brotherhood is still getting better and better! My heart had broken for Bjorn in Burning Ash, hearing he lost his wife and children centuries earlier to a brutal murder. So, when N.J. Walters confirmed that the next story would be about Bjorn I did a happy dance. And when that purple cover came across Netgalley (I mean, you can't miss it, awesome cover) I nearly dropped everything and started on Bjorn's story. And what a story: after nearly succumbing to madness from his grieving and trying to avenge his slaughtered family by turning the murderers and their families into werewolves, Bjorn has resigned to be all by himself. Lonely and without any light in his life, only working as an assissin to take out the worst of people (or paranormal creatures).
When Odin summons him to take out a soul, who has escaped Freya's hall, he doesn't hesitate: obedience to Odin is paramount. Until he realizes he is forced to kill: his Anja. She has reappeared in New York, without any knowledge how she got there. Bjorn realizes the gods are again messing with the Forgotten Brotherhood, so he contacts his fellow Brothers. So yay, Maccus (yep, from Fury Unleashed) and his tough-as-nails Morrigan, make regular appearances throughout the story. And this time, also Alexei and Cassie (from Arctic Bite) appear on the scene. And of course, it wouldn't be the same with Asher and Jo (from Burning Ash).
Together, they try to find out, who is after them and why. And just when you think it can't get any better, N.J. Walters creates just another twist and turn in the story, which keeps you guessing. And of course, I can't wait to see if N.J. Walters will give Sven a story as well. In all, five out of five stars from me and a special thank you to Netgalley for providing the arc.

Again, another decent addition to the Forgotten Brotherhood series. I love when a series is a collection of independent stories set within the same world that can be read as standalones. This compliments the previous books nicely and effectively adds to the prior developments. 

Which makes me sad that I am so torn with this review and rating, because while I found the content of this story to actually be my favourite of the series so far, I found the narrative/writing to be a bit on the weaker side. I would have liked some sort of build-up in the beginning.

I love that this is a story of a husband and wife reuniting and no insta-love can be found, but everything in the synopsis happens within the first five pages. I would have loved to learn more about Anja and Bjorn separately, seeing them struggle on their own, as it would have made their reunion that much sweeter. 

But overall, this installment is fun and entertaining and the perfect scratch for my paranormal itch.