I talk about everything that happens in the book, so be warned!
Let me start off by saying I am a JR Ward fangirl all the way. I love all of her books (some more than others) and I visit her message boards on a daily basis. This isn’t really a review, so much as why I really love this author and her books:)
The book started off slow to me, and I had a few moments of slight panic, however, by page 150 or so the book got in its groove, and it was classic BDB. I’m not going to summarize the book, instead just leave my thoughts on each character.
Rehvenge and Ehlena – The book starts off with Rehvenge being propositioned by a member of the glymera, Montrag, to assassinate Wrath, King of the vampire race. Rehv may be a “sin-eater,” but he has friends in the Brotherhood (including a sister that is mated to one of them) and is not going to kill the king. Instead, he has Xhex kill Montrag…nice. I’m a big fan of Xhex..we will get to her in a min. Rehv ends up meeting Ehlena, a nurse, at the clinic. Both of them are alone in so many ways, and they find comfort in each other. I like the two of them together, I didn’t love them, but I like them. I have read some comments that Ehlena is too perfect, and while, yeah, she doesn’t have a lot of negatives surrounding her, Rehvenge needs someone like that in his life. He has murdered, pimped, been a drug lord, and probably a hundred other nasty things. He needs someone clean. Hey – she accepted his barb that comes out of him when he gets all excited – that gives her lots of credit in my book ;). I love the fact that when his bonding scent first appeared, neither really freaked out. Obviously he wasn’t ready to fully mate with her since he had not yet revealed he was a sympath or that he had another life she didn’t know about. On the sympath note – he never really abused his sympath powers in this book. Sympath’s are suppose to be these evil sin-eaters, and I never really got that vibe from him. I understand he hates that side of himself and was drugged to the max to keep it hidden, but the evil sympath tendencies seems to be very few. Rehv also deals with the princess in this book – she is still blackmailing him to keep his sympath secret safe from the public. I love how she is dealt with at the end of the book – I like how Lash bargained for her and had the hots for her (kind of gross really – for awhile he thought she was a dude) and Xhex and the other sympaths took care of her at the end.
I did feel like the romance scenes between Rehv and Ehlena were lacking just a bit. They were romantic and sweet but thought they could have been so much more intense. Especially at the end, in the last scene they had sex, I was kind of hoping for a bit more. However, I feel the love scenes between Wrath and Beth were amazing and made up for lesser scenes with Rehv. With that being said, I enjoy the fact that she is building this world and the books are taking on a slightly more urban fantasy feel. I don’t think the book was lacking sex scenes, just the wild intense spark between Rehv and Ehlena could have been a bit more in my opinion.
Rehv has some really sweet moments – in the closet with his mother in her bedroom when she told him she was dying. Another favorite of mine was when he dropped the jewels at the Princess’ place and she told him to bend down to pick them up and he said he “bows before no one.” But later, he found himself on his knee before Ehlena telling her she had diamonds in the sole of her Keds. I was surprised Rehv did not become a Brother and that he is now King of the Sympaths. Now on to the reason I read the book…..
John Matthew and Xhex – John, John, John. Where do I start. I have been dying for JM’s book since he first transitioned in Lover Unbound. I mean..I WANT his book. (BTW – it will be called Lover Mine and out early next year). I think my favorite scene of the entire series is when JM is drunk off his ass in the bathroom in Lover Enshrined, and looking in the mirror at himself for the first time and Xhex comes in:) We definitely saw a different version of JM in this book though. In previous books he has been such the gentleman, such a good soul but JM gets screwed over big time in this book and he pretty much goes off the deep end. You have to remember though – JM grew up piss ass alone, not even knowing what he was. He gets “adopted” by Tohr and Wellsie only to have Wellsie murdered and Tohr vanish. When Tohr does come back he is just an empty shell and does not have anything to give to John. Qhuinn and Blay have been his only stable source of friends. Then Xhex literally screws him over…when she left him in her bedroom the first time they have sex..I knew shit was going to break out. I loved the way JR Ward wrote that scene. You could feel JM’s heart breaking. I don’t really blame JM for screwing every girl he could find after that, especially since he has had such embarrassment in that department in the past. I was shocked when he stopped by her bedroom at the Brotherhood mansion, and had sex with her, then left. I knew right there something bad was going to happen to Xhex. In a way, it is perfect Lash kidnapped her. JM is going to eff him up royally. Of course, JM is going to need help…when Rhage turned into his dragon form, he couldn’t even beat Lash. And now JM is planning on going up there with just Blay and Qhuinn to get Xhex back. eek! I can’t wait to see it happen. Ooh – and we learn Xhex used to be with Murdher! Whatever he did to her, he screwed her up big time with a fear of commitment. I want more of him!!! She mentioned that Rehv is paying the Princess with blackmail because Xhex screwed up 25 years ago…I wonder what she did! I have to say I love Xhex. I can’t wait for her to have her own book..she is so different from Ehlena, Mary, Marissa – all of Ward’s previous heroines. She murders and gets excited about it (what she did to Grady at the cemetery – gross!), she doesn’t give a damn what anyone thinks about her, and she is totally loyal to Rehv. She is just a hard ass, and she is going to be awesome to read about.
Also, in JR Ward’s last chat, she mentioned that JM had his throat slashed open and he wasn’t doing well and Tohr was by his side. Of course she gave no time line for this little tidbit she dropped on us. And obviously it didn’t happen in this book – so I assume it is going to happen in his book out next. And if Lash is behind it, well…he is going to get what is coming at him!
Wrath and Beth – I am so glad JR Ward went back and visited with them. I was a BDB virgin when I read Wrath in Dark Lover. He was my first – there is no sweeter romance then Wrath and Beth together. I think their romance scenes were much better than Rehv and Ehlena. That is one reason why I like JR Ward – she revists her older characters and reminds us that although they have already had their own book, they are still living and things are still happening to them. Besides battling with the glymera and assassination threats, Wrath has to struggle with the loss of vision. When he lost his vision for the last time and then fell down the stairs – that was so heartbreaking for me. He had such a deep struggle with being a king that everyone must respect and look up to, and having a physical impairment. But you knew Beth and the Brothers would step up and not let him down. I love George (his seeing eye dog.) As I mentioned before, their love scenes were amazing and the book would not have been as good without them.
I LOVE that he is sparring with Payne on the other side..and he doesn’t even know who she is!! (She is V’s twin sis by the way – and no one, but the Scribe Virgin, knows who she is). I think that is an awesome twist. JR Ward has confirmed Payne will get her own book AND become a “brother.” So you know she is coming over to the other side soon.
Blay/Qhuinn/Saxton – I am such a huge Qhuinn/Blay fan. When they were at Zero Sum and Rehv walks by and Qhuinn says “I want to be him when I grow up,” (love that line) then Blay looks at Qhuinn and says – just don’t cut your hair it is so beaut…sigh! Blay loves Qhuinn so much. However, JR Ward has said, Qhuinn and Blay are not good in the short-term (which I really hope means they will be good in the long-term, but you never know). Anyway, Saxton (the blond lawyer dude, who is Qhuinn’s cousin) apparently is going to hook up with Blay. I assume in the next book. Boo..I am team Qhuinn/Blay! We get a hint that Saxton is gay when he meets with Wrath and all the brothers at Sal’s restaurant and Wrath can smell lust coming off Saxton while he stars at V. I mean, who wouldn’t be lusting after him :) And even though JM was screwing around with tons of women..he had a threesome with Gina and Qhuinn while Xhex watched on the security camera. Would have been much hotter if it had meant something to JM and Xhex wasn’t having her heartbroken..but it was a little hot:)
Lassiter and Tohr – These two were quite a pair and I liked how they played off each other. Thank goodness Tohr finally started feeding – his scene with Selena actually had my eye tear up for a moment. I wonder who he is going to end up with…he is definitely getting a book…the only clue JR Ward has given us to his future HEA is that we have SEEN but not HEARD her. There are a couple that fit – No’one, Thyme. and one or two others I can’t remember. I also don’t know how Lassiter fits into the brotherhood. At one point when the brothers were online on her message boards, Vishous mentioned a female and Lassiter got very angry and told V to never mention her again. So there is someone out there Lassiter is pining for. Maybe that is why he is being so helpful with Tohr..to get redeemed.
Rhage/Butch/Vishous – Glad we got to see them in action towards the end..but I miss this trio. I know JR Ward can’t have every character prominent in every book, but I just love the three of them together. At the beginning of the book when Butch sucked in all the lessers and V came to heal him and they were together in the car alone, I think that scene could have used a bit more page time:) I also loved it when Ehlena materialized up to the wrong balcony of the penthouse, and she ended up looking into V’s room as he was getting ready for a session with Jane. I wanted to yell at Ehlena to stay and take a peek! I need more V!
I heard that Mary wants to have a baby in a future book (but she can’t because of the deal she made with the Scribe Virgin) and there has been lots of speculation on maybe adopting, so my guess is that Rhage and Mary get more page time in the next book or two.
Zsadist and Bella – Since we had their short story in JR Ward’s Compendium, I wasn’t expecting much page time for them. I was kind of hoping to see the brothers interact with Nalla, Z’s daughter, more. Maybe Uncle Rehv will hang out with her more in the next book. I think JR Ward already knows who Nalla is going to mate – think daddy Z is going to like that:) She is only a baby so we have awhile before that happens:)
Phury – Looks like he is back to fighting form which is good to see. Didn’t miss not seeing Cormia. Kind of glad we didn’t see a lot of them (sorry – I am just not a Phury fan!)
Trez and iAM – I am glad we got to find out a little more about this pair in this book. They are Rehv’s bodyguards and extremely loyal to him. They refer to themselves as Moors and apparently can turn into shadows. There is still a lot of mystery surrounding them but they were cool to read about. iAM apparently has a love for food and now owns a restaurant and she mentions he used to be in love but it turned out miserable – I have to wonder if that will come out more in a future book.
Fritz – I can’t leave him out…he picked out George because he sheds so the doggen can have more to vacuum. That just cracks me up. I need to find one of them for my house:)
I really LOVED the book and it is going to be a long wait til I get my John Matthew fix. We do have Covet, her new series coming out at the end of September. I believe the book takes place in the same world as her bdb books, and a character or two might even make a visit once in a while. There will also be an online chat with JR Ward and the brothers on May 19th. I will post more about it closer to the date.
Ok didn’t read one bit, will come back one day if I ever get to read it :)
LOL..sounds good! :)
*covering eyes* I’ll have to read this later Mandi! I gotta go before I cheat and read all the spoilers.
:) VFG
Go! Get out of here! ;)
I really need my own doggen too! Let me know if you find one (and a spare!)
Nice summation! I agree with a lot of your points — very cool to see more Wrath. I really liked how the two story arcs sort of… resonated together at the end, you know?
I didn’t read any either but the character headers! LOL
So glad you loved it!
Aymless – Yes..don’t we all? Someone who wants to clean all day??
Nicola – I liked how the book ended with both Kings together. It was a very satisfying ending – even with Xhex not there.
Amy – There was too much going on in this book!! I could probably add another page of speculation:)
Now, you know I had to come check out the place since you mentions lover avenged.. but I am sorry to say that i could not read the post just yet… i dont have all the books yet! but i promise to be back!!
Posts like this just keep nudging me closer and closer to actually checking out these books. I must be the only gal in the world with a husband who knows more about this series than she does! I was asking him the other day what the BDB was exactly — are they superheroes, or what? He says, uh, not exactly …
Cecile – I can’t wait til you read them!!
Obsidian – If Vampires had superheroes they might qualify;) You should check them out..I just have a slight obsession;)
hey! I agree with most all of this except that I do love Phury too, he has given so much of himself for others and finally got something back but is still sacrificing brother relations to be what the Chosen need and be away from Bella too. But I don’t miss Cormia or Mary and Jane had just enough lines to be reminded she’s cool. But I do miss the jabbering between Rhage V and Butch. There’s been plenty and will be more I’m sure, on the boards if nothing else.
I truly enjoyed knowing the depth of Rehvenge in this book. Nothing seemed slow to me or too much, I want as much as she can pack in since we wait so long between. I just read several times to get it all to sink in better. lol. I am glad there wasn’t much lesser stuff though. I was getting tired of their drama and goals in other books. Its needed and important but I started skipping through them more to get back to “the real stories” of vamp loves, friendships and trials and discovery. we found out lots more about interconnected histories and bloodlines this time too.
I was sad to see JM stay so hardened throughout the story, but she probably didn’t want to let him get a grip and feel again until the next book. Even though he admitted some things to himself in the end, he was still unshaken or touched much even by Tohr’s efforts to reach him by phone and in person. I expected Tohr to be able to see some visible sign of JM struggling to stay mad but I’m not sure he ever did even though we as readers were told JM almost felt something here and there.
As for Quinn I want him to find a delicious female that rocks his world and I’d like for it to be Payne but maybe she’ll hook up with Trez or iAm?!? Its also possible that she’ll hook up with LASH and become an enemy as most twins do according to BDB legends. But hopefully she’ll just be a wicked cool warrior. I DEFINITELY do want to see Blay get some love soon too, whoever that turns out to be.
I am also curious about Marie-Terese! Xhex thought the statue in the cemetary looked like her then later looked AT her! weird! and there is similarity between marie-terese, virgin mary, mother teresa… just wondering if someone from the heavenlies has stepped in to see something through or watch over someone. Guess she’s not for Tohr since she’s been heard now. But maybe JR said that before Lover Avenged was out? btw, this may be ridiculous (?) but maybe one doggen could find love outside her/his social class?
Immortalfiction – I like Phury – I just found him to be one of the more boring brothers. BUT – he is very unselfish doing what he does with the Chosen. At least he is not stuck on the other side! I wonder when the chosen are going to start mating and having babies.
Totally agree on the lesser thing…I find Lash much more interesting to read about then Mr. O or D or whatever letter she was using:) I was glad there were not huge chunks devoted to the lessers this time. I am assuming Lash is going to be around for awhile..especially since he proved so strong fighting Rhage’s beast. And daddy Omega probably wants him to succeed.
I’ve heard lots of guesses that Qhuinn will end up with Layla..I don’t know. I really want to know..he is such a good character. I guess we will get more of him in JM’s book since Qhuinn has to follow him around 24/7:)
JR Ward just confirmed at a book signing who Payne will end up with…I will tell you if you want:) Otherwise my lips are sealed.
Yeah, that was really weird with Marie-Terese. I think she somehow is that statue or something. JR Ward has a new series coming out this fall about fallen angels and Marie-Terese is going to be the heroine in the first book (called Covet)! So I think she is some kind of angel or at least non-vamp. The Hero in Covet will be named Jim Crane and apparently some bdb brothers or Lassiter might make a visit:)
I know right? Where is the love for the Doggen? Maybe Fritz is getting a little action on the side? :)
Thanks for stopping by and leaving your thoughts!!
Hiya! You stopped by my blog & now I'm stopping by yours. :)
You know how I felt about LA. It's one of those books that was both good & bad. The bad annoyed me, which is why I think I focused on it in my review. But, I also didn't hate it. Conflicted, conflicted, conflicted! LOL!
I'm adding you to my sidebar. :)
LOL – it is hard to ignore the things that annoy you:) Thanks for adding me..I will do the same;)
MANDI, YES! email me who Payne winds up with! holly @ rebourne.net
The stories of how are great enough that I don’t care if I know who already! Now that I’ve read them all and bought the guide too, I’m ready to get more info the forums! JR is just brilliant and I’m soooo glad she’s so involved with her characters and stories that she keeps all this other stuff going along with the books she’s writing. She’s amazing and very devoted and compelling for fans to be the same!
Her forums are fun!!! Totally overwhelming at first, but soooooo addictive.
I just emailed you:)
wooohooo!! thanks!! Hey btw, what CHOSEN names do we know so far? Amalya, Layla, Selena, and of course Cormia, Marissa, and wasn’t Madalina one? like a fallen chosen? (Ehlena’s mom) any others?
(sorry, I meant Rehv’s mom not Ehleyna’s!)
btw thanx for the scoop on Marie-Terese in Covet too! I just heard about it last week but hadn’t seen MT mentioned. guess that confirms she’s an angel of some kind, watching over Xhex! Maybe it happened because Darius came back as JM and fell for her but she’s too tough to love him without some intervention! MT sure was freaked when JM approached her at the club! She was like WHAT??? You can’t have ME!! I suspected something then.
Yeah – I need to create a spreadsheet or something to keep track of everyone. I think you hit on all the chosen but I honestly can’t remember all the chosen:)
I am psyched for Covet!! Fallen Angels on Harleys..yum!! What is up with MT?? She must be some other-worldy being;) At least we will have that to help with the wait for JM’s book:)
This had to be one of the BEST reviews I’ve read of this book! I’m linking it to mine, which seems quite pathetic in comparisson. Wow. Great job.
I loved this line “I also loved it when Ehlena materialized up to the wrong balcony of the penthouse, and she ended up looking into V’s room as he was getting ready for a session with Jane. I wanted to yell at Ehlena to stay and take a peek! I need more V!”That was EXACTLY what I was thinking.
Great job on this :)
Barbara – Thank you so much!! You don’t know how much that means to me!! I really appreciate it. You definitely had to read the darn book to follow what the heck I was saying:) I’m glad we both agree on MORE V!!! I am so hoping that Payne will get a lot of scenes with V in the next book:)
I think there were one or two more Chosen mentioned at the end of Enshrined when they were melting toasters and whatnot… and Marissa wasn’t a Chosen. Good list though!
*grabs Enshrined off the shelf, it’s handy…*
Yeah, here’s one: Pheonia. She likes vacuuming (freak).
Good one Nicola. I would have never remembered her name:)
Thanks for the summary, I have to wait a few weeks for the book to arrive so this helps enormously :)
I like Phury with Z, not with women, I am glad he is back to fighting.
I can never have enough of V (and Butch)…I so hope J.R. Ward will not separate Quinn and Blay the same way and give the boys different mates.
I can't wait to see Payne in action, I feel she will be a major pain in the butt for a lot of people. I can't wait to read more of Rehv who comes third in my list of BDB males. And Lassiter! He is a very curious character even by himself and if the Lass&Thor pairing works half as good as Z&Phury's or V&Butch's then I can't imagine the wonderful reading in store for me.
I have to admit I was expecting a comeback for Wrath and Beth, theirs was the most innocent book of the series possibly because it was the first.
As to JM…I have mixed feelings about him. I'd much rather have him after he goes thru all the boy into man change, I am not so thrilled about eighter him or Xhex for that matter.
I will be back once I read Lover Avenged.
Till then peace.
ITA with your statement – “I like Phury with Z rather than women” – that is so true! I never minded Phury so much until his own book came out:) Now that he is fighting again, maybe he will be more appealing to me.
See – I think JR Ward started something between V and Butch and it srsly went too far. How could V have ALL of these feelings for Butch and then end up with Jane. I just am not a Jane fan. Poor V – anyway..I hope she does right by Blay and Qhuinn! I guess reading about Saxton and Blay won’t be too bad for a bit ;)
I really want to know how Lassiter plays into the whole world.
I would love to hear your comments after you read it!!
You hit all my thoughts as I read it. I liked it but it left me wanting more…more JM that is!! And Quinn and Blay too. But what’s driving me nuts is I can’t remember who Murdher is so I don’t know if Xhex’s relationship with him is significant? I’m not ready yet to go back and re-read the series to find out.
I can’t remember what book Murdher was in..I want to say he was in a vision of V’s. I think Xhex relations is significant with him because it ended the same time as when he got kicked out of the brotherhood and the blackmail started? Or am I making things up? I need to look into it.
Hey are you the one in charge of the J.R. Ward fan page on Facebook?
Anyways:
I LOVEEEEEEEEED Rehvenge and Ehlena! And I totally agree with you – they were totally lacking in the romance department. Not all of the focus was on them because of the narration changes, so I was saddened by that. But OMG my heart wept for Rehvenge when Ehlena left his apartment when he made her dinner and got dressed and everything … thank god she returned and so much more happened though :) And I was also hoping he would become a Brother!
Btw, who is Muhrder exactly?? There were bits of him mentioned in Lover Avenged when it was Xhex who was narrating.
And I totally loved the bonding between Wrath and George, so cute hehe.
How do you know that Blay and Saxton are going to hook up? Do they get their own book or are they going to get together in someone else's book? Any clue on who Qhuinn's future mate is/will be? I was kinda grossed out at the threesome thing to be honest. I didn't think John would finally get into what Qhuinn likes (ewww).
Any clue as to who Tohr will end up with? How do you know Mary wants to adopt? WHO IS NALLA GOING TO MATE WITH!? I hope Ward writes more about Trez and iAm though. Where do you get your facts from??? lol
And there's talk of Payne becoming a Brother, is that true? Who does she end up with? Enlighten me! :D
Enjoyed your thoughts though! I just finished reading the book :)
ALSO I forgot to add this: I totally hope that whoever Qhuinn ends up with, she can get him off that threesome/menage-a-trois habit. I don't like that lol.
Sade – Hi!
I am not the top person in charge of the JR Ward facebook page but I am one of the admins that helps out. I really need to get over there and see what is going on:)
Murdher – he was mentioned in either V's or Phury's book…we know he was kicked out of the brotherhood, we don't know why. I think after reading Rehv that it had something to do with Xhex. He will be in JM's book and he does affect the outcome.
JR Ward has confirmed Blay and Saxton hook up. She says Blay is good for the short-term but then something happens and he becomes unhappy again. I think he will break-up with Saxton and eventually end up with Qhuinn. But a lot of people think Qhuinn will end up with a girl. JR Ward has says Qhuinn does NOT end up with Layla.
She said Tohr ends up with someone we have seen but not heard (that was before Rehv's book).
Tohr, Lassiter, and Payne are all scheduled to have a book but her contract is open ended so she will continue to write as long as we buy books:)
I can't remember where she said Mary wants to adopt ..maybe a chat. Mary def wants children.
No idea on Nalla but JR Ward does say she knows who it is. huh??
I LOVE Trez and iAM!!!! I really hope we learn more about them.
I go on her message boards every day. I am just a bit obsessed;) That is where I get most of my info. At book signings she always gives out good spoilers, but they are not allowed on her message boards so you have to dig a bit harder to find those:)
Payne definitely becomes a brother in the next book and her HEA is Manny.
Yeah – the whole threesome thing is getting tired with Qhuinn. I can't believe JM did it with him..but I guess he was in a weird place with Xhex.
Thanks for commenting! I haven't had a good talk about bdb for a while:)
Yea no prob :)
I've always been intrigued by Qhuinn though, so I always thought he'd get his "HEA" with a girl. But oh well :)
Hey, finally someone who doesn't like Phury! I thought it was just moi! I COULD NOT read his book and his pinings for Bella are… toooo much. INMO, that's what ruined his story.
However, I loved Lover Avenged. Rhev proved to be a helluva main character, flaws and all because where's the fun in a squeaky clean hero. Ehlena was no damsel in distress, either. The phone-sex in hawt!
I was also happy that we got to see more of Wrath and Beth and their relationship beyond the "happy end" in the first book of the series.
OMG, Quinn & Blay, rawrrrr! I mean, why not? Gay mates! Would make for a scorching book i'd buy in a sec!
BTW, I think Lassiter's hilarious. 'You guys suck!' – laughed so hard.
Can;t wait for Covet and Lover Mine!
Im a massive BDB fan. V being my fav Brother.
I just finished Lover Avenged. Now Im going to have to re read while waiting for Lover Mine… I have a really, really stupid Q though. I cant picture the whole barb thing when Rehv unos… for some reason my brain wont process a picture.. like what does it grab onto… lol
I've pre ordered Covert and cant wait to have a read..
Ps: are there any similar books you would recommend?
Jacinta – lol – I believe the barb comes out only when Rehv is…excited…and latches onto anything it can grab a hold of inside the female ;) But it is described as pleasurable ;)
Some recs:
Darkhunter series by Sherrilyn Kenyon
Slave to Sensation – Nalini Singh
Pleasure Unbound – Larissa Ione
Halfway to the Grave – Jeaniene Frost
Let me know any of those sound good!
I have to defend Phury. I love him, because before he messed up with the drugs he was the most selfless character. Sure pining away after your brothers wife is not cool, but come on, imagine shooting off your leg to save your brother, bowing out of the race to get the woman you love, because of your brother..I was really pissed at the brotherhood for kicking him out, pissed like I was in a rage, I was like damn you wrath, even though I adore Wrath. I understood that he needed ot take a break and detox, but he had been covering up his personal fear because of his brother. Also, in almost all the books there are scenes with Phury just being there when needed, like when Rage was freaking out about not sleeping with Mary, who was the brother there to give him advice and go out for a run? Phury. And the whole celibacy thing, Come on!
I see your point! Although Phury had a bad drug problem and was being unnecessarily violent to the lessers, I do think they should have tried a more intervention/therapy approach rather than kick him out. He gave up a lot to be in the brotherhood…
JR Ward needed a way to bring the Chosen to this side of the world, and Phury had to somehow do that. Him leaving and living with them was a good solution to the prob. I do hear he is back fighting again in Lover Mine (John Matthew's book). It will be interesting to see how Layla and other chosen interact in future books.
Phury to me is not a big enough alpha, nor a sweet enough beta. He is somewhere in the middle and that is why I don't connect with him as well.
okay so i really thought i was the only person who wasn't much of a fan of Phury… I was one of those who started with Wrath an that will forever be my favorite book in the BDB series…but my fav brother is V an I was really disappointed with his story…but anyway I think Rev got a great story an I thoroughly enjoyed revisiting Wrath and Beth…
And I totally agree….can't wait for JM's story….I'm so addicted to the brothers that it feels like they're alive somewhere out there…
Tricia – you are far from the only person who is not a fan of Phury's. While I didn't really enjoy Phury, I loved JM, Blay and Qhuinn in that book :)
JM is the man!! I can't wait for his book!! :)
Hello again Mandi:)
It's been a while since I last visited so let me tell you this: I like your new layout. I also love the way you take the care to scan through JRW forums so that we don't have to. Curious as I am, I find my eyes hurt and my concentration shortlived whenever I try to stay there. I think it has a lot to do with the colours and the pictures and the chaos.
So THANK YOU so much.
The FOLLOWING contains SPOILERS.
I finally read Lover Avenged and…I'm heartbroken. Rehv was the 3rd male of the series to really psyche me up and and I can't help but feel his book does him little, if any, justice.
I understand the byronic hero/ romantic hero thing. Still… To have one side of him prevail over the other out of Love? WTH? He was a complex character! Much more intriguing too. Now he's a little more than standart harlequin figure with fangs to me and I want to sob at the waste. His relation with his sympath father, the dynamics of the sympath society were lightly covered if not left out possibly because of additional print page and pace issues. Or so I'd like to think.
That the lessening society is presented as mean and hateful and simple I can understand. But to do that to the sympaths was careless at best. Sympath was a damn good idea… To see to it so that it flourishes and enriches the BDB world would have made J.R.W a God to me. But no, no luck. Here again, I want to weep at the loss.
With Rehv's book I also found out that there is so much one can write about sex scenes before it becomes a dull, repetitive narration. The pathetic phone sex only made it worse. Since she bothered with it I can only guess the author is well aware of that too.
Even tho I liked Wrath- Beth storyline I can't help but think those chapters might be put to better use if they were spent dealing with Rehv's sympath side.
My feelings for JM haven't changed. The same goes for Xhex. But I am sick of people being kidnapped/ tortured. Haven't we gone through this already with Beth then Bella and Z? By the time Butch was taken I was really tired. But now Rehv and in the next book Xhex? Isn't there any other story starter for a change?
I am disillusioned too.
J.R.Ward had me hooked because she had so many good ideas. Ideas you could built upon. Intelligent stuff, not the B type vampire movies shit. Not to mention The Men.
She almost lost me with this book. With each vampire the same thing is being served. It has he exact same taste, the exact same colour and the exact same touch. It's boring. Really boring.
However I will read her next book. Because I want to know what happens with V ( my darling V!) and Payne.
I want to see how she handles the Qhuay problem and how I will feel about that after what she had done to V and Butch.
I hope Xhex will prove to be a more interesting heroine than Jane, Marissa and Ehlena. But I have serious doubts there.
I hope JM will become Darius very soon because D has a lot of potential.
And with total honesty I should say that even though I don't like the story anymore I do like her style.I like the way she introduces little bits and pieces to work a character into our skin, to make us want to read the next chapter or the next book out of curiosity. I feel I have a lot to learn from her on this regard.
I will comment on Covet some other time. Or not.
But I'll keep visiting.
Till then peace.
Hey Mina!
First, thanks for your kind words!!
While I am always excited for a new BDB book, Rehv has never done a lot for me so I wasn't expecting a lot. I didn't love his story – and I totally agree with your thoughts on the Sympaths. I like Rehv, but yet again, JR Ward writes a female lead that is so boring.
I thought the sexy scenes with Wrath and Beth made the book in terms of romance.
I'm interested how she will handle Xhex's kidnapping. I feel like that almost had to happen to snap JM out of his funk. Now he has purpose and he can realize what he has lost. I really, really hope Xhex stays more hard core..I'm worried!!
Definitely think we will get lots of JM/Darius info..and totally looking forward to Payne and Qhuinn/Blay!
I have high expectations for this book…she definitely has a knack for make us anticipate :)
Thanks so much for sharing your thoughts!!
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