The Black Dagger Brotherhood Novels 5-8

<a href="https://goodreads.com/book/show/10937565.The_Black_Dagger_Brotherhood_Novels_5_8" title="The Black Dagger Brotherhood Novels 5-8 by J.R. Ward" rel="noopener">The Black Dagger Brotherhood Novels 5-8</a> by <a href="https://goodreads.com/author/show/20248.J_R__Ward" title="J.R. Ward" rel="noopener">J.R. Ward</a><br />Genres: Adult, Paranormal, Romance, Suspense <br />5 Stars<br /><br />Words fail me to describe just how fantastic these books are.<br />Powerful ~ Enthralling ~ Addictive ~ Intriguing<br /><br />?<a href="https://goodreads.com/book/show/304027.Lover_Unbound__Black_Dagger_Brotherhood___5_" title="Lover Unbound (Black Dagger Brotherhood, #5) by J.R. Ward" rel="noopener">Lover Unbound</a><br />4.5 Stars<br /><br />Very well written with lots of twist and turns. <br /><br />Vishous &amp; Jane. How they come to meet is filled with suspense and for Jane, Vishous is a medical mystery. The attraction to each other is undeniable. Their story is filled with hot &amp; steamy intimate scenes and poignant moments. Those moments will tear your heart out.<br /><br />The mystery of who V's maternal mother comes to light and this brings his past of how he was raised to the forefront. You will feel anger and horror. You will want to slap his mother and father upside the head. Repeatedly!<br /><br />We also get more insight into Vishous &amp; Butch relationship. Though it still fills a bit 'Inadequate'.<br /><br />You will meet some new characters that peak your interest enough that you will want a story about them.<br /><br />There is so much in this story. So many things happen with the BDB and the people in their lives.<br /><br />There were a few things that I wasn't super keen on. One of them has to do with Phury.<br /><br />But I will leave it there for you to discover as read this amazing story.<br /><br />?<a href="https://goodreads.com/book/show/1240662.Lover_Enshrined__Black_Dagger_Brotherhood___6_" title="Lover Enshrined (Black Dagger Brotherhood, #6) by J.R. Ward" rel="noopener">Lover Enshrined</a><br />4 Stars<br />This one is tough to review. There are numerous elements and plot lines that are important to the series. Most of those I loved. <br />But, <br />The main characters. Phury and Cormia are not my favorite couple &amp; this is supposed to be their story.<br /><br />Some of the other important elements/characters include;<br />Payne, Vishous' twin sister.<br />John Matthew &amp; Xhex.<br />Quinn &amp; Blay.<br />Rehvenge &amp;<br />The son of the Omega. <br /><br />While I loved most of the 'other' elements in the story, I had a hard time connecting with either of the main characters.<br /><br />I have read a lot of my friends reviews &amp; one really stands out to me. <br />She really gets all the various nuances into her review in a way that just....<br />'Says It Better'.<br /><br />I've asked her if she minds if I put a link in my review to her review.<br />In hopes her answer will be yes, I'm inserting it.<br />If she says 'No', then I will edit my review to take the link out.<br /><br />Here is the link to her review;<br /><a target="_blank" rel="noopener nofollow" href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2396745719?book_show_action=false&amp;from_review_page=1">https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...</a><br /><br />And here is me crossing my fingers that she is okay with me putting that into my review<br />?????<br /><br />?<a href="https://goodreads.com/book/show/5098079.Lover_Avenged__Black_Dagger_Brotherhood___7_" title="Lover Avenged (Black Dagger Brotherhood, #7) by J.R. Ward" rel="noopener">Lover Avenged</a><br />5 Stars<br /><br />Rehvenge. <br />Dark, Mysterious, Dangerous. <br />Total Bad Boy. 100% BadAss!<br /><br />Yep, I admit it. I really have a thing for Rehvenge. <br />From the 1st time his character entered this series I have wanted and Craved more of him.<br /><br />I loved his &amp; Ehlena's story. <br />Passionate. <br />From a Slow Burn<br />To <br />An Inferno!<br /><br />There is so much to this story that it is a Must Read.<br />The suspense is high octane.<br />Things with the Lessers/Omega are going nuts.<br />No one is safe.<br /><br />Then there is Lash, the Omega's son.<br /><br />Not to mention all the other characters &amp; relationships going on.<br /><br />The intimate scenes in this one can scorch the air you breath!<br />The suspense will make you gasp with &amp; cringe.<br /><br />Other than Wrath's story, this is my favorite.<br />Hands down! <br /><br />?<a href="https://goodreads.com/book/show/7046495.Lover_Mine__Black_Dagger_Brotherhood___8_" title="Lover Mine (Black Dagger Brotherhood, #8) by J.R. Ward" rel="noopener">Lover Mine</a><br />5 Stars<br /><br />This is one that is in desperate need of a ReRead. <br />Why?<br />I have read every book in this series and the BDL so far. <br />Now I need to refresh myself on the information provided in it.<br />A lot happens in this one. <br /><br />Information about Darius. Which of course means info about John Matthew.<br />I need a refresher on Lash (the Omega's son)<br />Eliahu Rathboone a.k.a. Boone.<br /><br />John Matthew &amp; Xhex are the mc's. Their story is filled with torture, fear, intensity, high suspense and beautiful, steamy, high octane romance.<br /><br />Oh, and yeah baby! We get to see Rev, Trez and Iam in action.<br />Three of my top favorites.

<strong>Good</strong><br /><br />5 for the entire collection, though individually one or two would be a 4. I love, love, love John and the way he was interwoven with the novels - before finding himself as the lead in the fourth book. And Xhen? Perfection.

Still loving the stories of the Black Dagger Brotherhood. I wish they'd given JR Ward a good editor, because the books have so much potential, if they had some copy work done. I didn't love book 7 as much as the others, just didn't buy the couple of Rehvenge and Ehlena as much as the others. That instalment dragged on a bit for me. I'm just confused HBO hasn't picked the series up. What a TV show these books would make.

Loved!

10000000 stars!!<br /><br />Best series! &lt;3

The entire series is great. J R Ward never disappoints!

Couldn't put the book down...cannot wait for the next

This is probably one of my top three books in the series, along with Lover at Last and Dark Lover. I abso love John Matthew and Xhex together. They are 2nd to Quinn &amp; Blay as my fav couple.

BUY STOCK IN KLEENEX!: The Black Dagger Brotherhood #8, Lover Mine<br /><br />It’s finally my last review in this set of four series I downloaded—from now on it’s one at a time! J.R. Ward’s Black Dagger Brotherhood: Lover Mine was so emo I found myself mopping my face through a great deal of it! Oh, my John Matthew! Again with the warning—start this series at the beginning so you get the full effect!<br /><br />Flashbacks abound again this go-round, mostly to Darius’ past when he first became a Brother, but his story entertwines and converges with Lover Mine’s in very surprising ways [personal opinion, I’ve thought John Matthew was Darius reincarnated from the GET GO!]. You won’t get it all until the very end! The book then shoots off right after Lover Avenged finished, with Xhex trapped by a spell in the hands of the evil Lash, Omega wannabe. It takes NO imagination to let your head cinema run rampant on his depraved torture-turned-lust captivity scenario! BUT! The readers get a WELL DESERVED dose of Payback’s A Bitch with Lash in this one.<br /><br />There’s also a huge dose of the Blay/Qhuinn bromance in all its enticing entanglements. Will they or won’t they? There’s always a ménage a threesome, albeit with that third person being a revolving door, but this duo is just so FUN to read!<br /><br />John Matthew has grown up before our eyes (pun intended), and really comes to terms with everything this time around—his pre-trans past, his relationship with Tohr, his feelings of male inadequacy due to sexual abuse, his growing male bonding ego, and his strange choice of bedfelons! I don’t think some care much for Xhex, but dammit she’s a hot mess and John Matthew is bound and determined to rescue her and make her his. Their torrid on again, off again affair is thrilling and inspiring (even if it gets a little sappy at times).<br /><br />We also get what was, at first, was a really IRRITATING side story about a Ghostbusters faux TV show hunting down a lead to become the next America’s Most Wanted. Mostly because the story interrupted either hot romance or dire disaster sequences. The author had method to her madness (even though the main dude is a sleaze and the on-camera talent is a bimbo), because it DOES tie into the story nicely, although I worry about the final outcome for future tomes!<br /><br />Wrath also has to come to terms with his permanent blindness in this one, and his part of this tale really introduces us to the main character (I think) of the next book, Vishous’ twin sister Payne, and what a PAIN in the ass she is! You’ll like the way things turn out by the end of this one, promise!<br /><br />Even with Xhex playing a huge role in this one, I still don’t ‘get’ the sympaths much better than I did. You find out how she and Rehv got to where they are now, but not where did the damn sympath species come from in the first place—this is driving me insane!<br /><br />Overall, Lover Mine blew me away and keeps me guessing where J.R. Ward is gonna go next—I’ll let ya know! lol<br />***<br /><br />Okay, number 7 in the series, only one more book in this set to go then I'm reviewing individually!<br /><br />LOVERS WITH A VENGEANCE!: The Black Dagger Brotherhood #7, Lover Avenged<br />As the 7th book in the Black Dagger Brotherhood series, Lover Avenged took me a while to get into. But I’m invested in the series, so I stuck with it, and it did pick up and become a page-flipper about half-way through. If you haven’t read the series up to this point, this review will be, well, POINTLESS! There’s more multiple plotlines, and not nearly as much hot action (read: SEX) in this one, with no room for Hallmark moments! This one’s centered on Rehvenge, i.e., The Rehv, Bella’s brother who’s only half-vampire. The other half is sympath, which irritatingly enough, we STILL have not much clue where sympath’s come from even after this installment. But they’re WAY creepy! I am infuriated! I wanna know more of this backstory! Rehv’s not a Brother, but they have mutual secrets, and he’s related by marriage since his sister Bella’s married to Zhadist. He’s the Mohawk wearin, snappy dressing drug-lord pimp kingpin of Caldwell NJ, keeping a deep dark secret for a whole lotta years. I had no sympathy for the half-sympath until this book, but you WILL feel for him in the end. And hate creepy-crawlies. But no spoiling!<br />Rehv’s dark secret? He’s being blackmailed by his sympath half-sister, to the tune of a shitload of rubies and sex including pissed off scorpions and crushed pepper body powder. Ugh. It’s the only time he doesn’t mainline away his sympath viciousness just so he can defend himself. And not giving two shitkickers for his life, he overmedicates and uses dirty needles, causing infection. Enter treatment for injuries and more drug supplies from the not-so-friendly supernatural Haver’s Clinic, and a nurse who peaks more than Rehv’s interest. Nurse Ehlena is an outcast from the glymera, working to take care of her schizophrenic aging father and barely making ends meet.<br />On the ‘sauce’ Rehv’s impotent, bit still gets the ‘hots’ for Ehlena. Ehlena has the ‘colds’ for Rehv—on the outside. This is where their romance takes off, both hiding their familial status from the other until it’s too late. Dun-dun-dun. Hooked (shall we say, ‘barbed’)?<br />Meanwhile, back at the (ranch) Brotherhood, King Wrath’s dealing with a sudden personal problem of his own that will have you screaming for the Scribe Virgin to DO SOMETHING! John Matthew’s sex drive finally catches up with his body, but when he sets his sights on Rehv’s right hand she-man, Xhex, well let’s just say, it’s fireworks. Just in case three major storylines weren’t enough, add in a dash of Tohr coming to grips with life without Wellsie, with him stuck in the here and now and her in The Fade. The fallen angel Lassiter (guess we’ll find out more in later installments) helps him out of the hole he’s dug for himself and start on the road to …!<br />The earlier books in this series had panty-dropping romance, but progress more towards thrilling fantasy, intricate drama, and sneaky protagonists. Lover Avenged exposes Rehv’s dark underbelly and the reasons why he’s come off as such a nasty brute up to this point. And who and what it takes to soften that brute right up. The rest of our characters in the Brotherhood are still living life, creating and solving problems, and injecting some great dialogue and scenes you won’t soon forget.<br />Lover Avenged (eventually) turns into a gripping read. Really, what more do you want?<br /><br />***<br /><br />There's gotta be a better way to review multiple book series when you download 4 together, but I haven't figured it out yet. This review is being added to as I finish each novel, so bear with me! Here's the NEXT book in my download!<br /><br />Phury‘s Phractured Phairy Tale! Black Dagger Brotherhood Novel #6, Lover Enshrined<br /><br />If you haven’t read any of the previous BDB books, this one is NOT the place to start! The plot definitely thickens with traditions, heritages, relations (in more ways than one *wink wink*)--I almost had to read this one a second time before writing a review the plot got so complicated!<br /><br />When we last left Phury, he had ‘volunteered’ to take Vishous’ place as The Primale--charged with repopulating the dwindling vampire species with 40 (yep, 40!) of The Chosen females, kept ‘enshrined’ throughout their lives with The Scribe Virgin, and prepped for only one thing. Procreation. And given Phury’s prior vow of celibacy in order to save twin bro Zsadist‘s life, well, it made Phury a REALLY unlikely candidate to fill The Primale’s shit kickers! Virgin Vampire Stud, anyone?<br /><br />The book opens with a flashback (again), and the warped way The Omega found a loophole in the Destroyer Prophecy to ensure he wasn’t wiped out. No spoilers, but seems like everybody finds a way to procreate and plant double agents, if you will, while trying to kill each other off! The characters that are actually related to each other by birth really get to messing with your head in this series. Needless to say, The Omega found a way to infiltrate the vampires, and indeed The Brotherhood, by way of abandoned child adoption. Evil child. What did this mean to our present day anti-heroes? You’ll figure it out through this novel, and how that offspring creeps into the storyline.<br /><br />You also get a LOT more info on Phury’s ‘Dark Passenger’ (sorry, Dexter fans), the voice he’s carried in his head that tells him he’s the root of all evil, the evil twin, the cause of his parent’s anguish after Zsadist’s abduction as a child, the reason for all that’s wrong in every world. The voice that started and keeps Phury addicted to vampire weed (read, red smoke) and tempts him to harder drugs and alcohol to keep from eating a Glock. Some of these characters have REAL suicidal tendencies!<br /><br />Phury is artistically contrary to his warrior roots--he loves opera, obsessively draws pictures (well, I might add), destroys his own work (ivy becomes a metaphor creeping around in this tale), and belittles himself to the point of exasperation by the reader. He’s still fixated on his pregnant sister-in-law Bella, and convinced that neither she nor the child will survive the birth--which of course will be his fault (you do get the outcome in this book). All this self-loathing and savior complex Phury harbors inside made Cormia the perfect candidate as his love interest (FINALLY!). As The Chosen First Mate (Gilligan, anybody?), she was the one that didn’t fit in to her Society, either, silently questioning all the ritual and heritage, and beating herself up constantly about it. She was supposed to be The First Lay, but when Phury attempted to do the deed, he couldn’t bring himself (or his body parts) to go along with violating Cormia cowering (can you cower when your spread-eagle bound and gagged on a marble slab, with your eyes covered?), so he had brought her back with him to The Brotherhood’s headquarters and refused to answer the Directrix of the Chosen’s pages as to what the hell was going on?<br /><br />As Cormia and Phury VERY AWKWARDLY began relating to each other, he kept throwing obstacles in their path….the jerk! Her inquisitive nature about the ways of the real *cough* world, along with Phury trying to match her up with John Matthew, could damn near drive you to distraction! She wanted to learn and know more, and Phury wanted to give it to her, but with someone else! It was entertaining to read about Cormia discovering everything from the television and playing pool to colored food (yeah, VERY sheltered in The Other World), to the fact that sex wasn’t all about the pain as she was taught, and that love was possible. And can I just say Fritz the Butler (doggen, in BDB terms) can give everybody a serious case of blueballs! Cormia only has eyes for Phury, even though she was selected for him, she sees behind the façade and develops her own savior complex when it comes to him. Oh no she DIDN’T volunteer to give up, encourage Phury to choose another First Mate, and get exiled to the position of enshrined history writer of the race, secluded and never to be seen again!<br /><br />And speaking of John Matthew, we finally get through all the ‘younger’ generation’s transformations, and the complications that arise and boil completely over when The Omega’s true plan to save himself gets involved. Oh, and might I add, Johnny boy, though scared to death of sex because of the assault perpetrated on him as a child, has kinky tastes in the female he DOES finally become attracted to!<br /><br />The war between the races really heats up in this installment, getting all the families of the aristocracy involved (acting fools, as usual), murder sprees, deadly injuries, and Kingly edicts (and rule-bending). Lots of everything gets destroyed in this one, and the former rules of engagement get thrown right out the window. It’s a Phairy Tale of revolution over evolution, self-sacrifice for the Greater Good, and The Old Ways ain’t necessarily the best ways!<br /><br />Phury turns the Vampire species on it’s ear, and even though he gets what he needs in the end, there’s trouble in them there hills! And tiny spoiler--do parents, faux or otherwise, return from those hills?<br /><br />***<br />Vishous’ Virginal Visions ReVealed! Black Dagger Brotherhood Novel #5, Lover Unbound<br /><br />While reading, my head audio kept playing Bon Jovi singing, “Shot through the heart, and you’re to blame, you give love a bad name”! If you’ve gotten this far in the series to read a Book 5 review, you’re already a fully transitioned member of The Brotherhood! The next exciting installment of The Black Dagger Brotherhood, Lover Unbound, belongs front and center to Vishous, the “intelligent” Brother with several dark secrets in his past (and his present)! From the mysterious tats on his face (and other assorted *ahem* parts of his anatomy), to the glowing gloved hand, (both courtesy of an abusive warrior father and a surprise virginal mother); from the death visions of His Brothers that abruptly ceased, to his dark and sadistic sexual tendencies, V’s a teddy bear, wrapped in a mystery, inside an enigma. This book gives us the key, frequently told in flashback, as to just how V became the Big Bad Silent One, and who helps him unlock ALL the secrets. His conflicted attachment to Butch (ah, Dehstroyer, but he’ll always be Butch) takes an abrupt turn when V gets blasted in the chest during an off-chance lone Lesser hunting mission gone bad. With no back-up this lands him smack in a HUMAN hospital! Ruh-roh! Was THIS the recurring freakish nightmare that has plagued him into sleeplessness? Maybe. Haha! Six-chambered heart? Check. Immediate need for open-heart repair by a brilliant and successful female trauma surgeon? Double check. Dr. Jane Whitcomb literally takes V’s heart in her hands, in every way. When the Brotherhood finds out V’s dire condition, they spring into action to get him back into the fold, but guess what? Even in his weakened condition, V won’t leave the hospital without ‘his’ doc! Is V’s loveless and violent sex life about to change? You know what that means--another over exposed human, one with real brains and an extremely curious nature. Bingo! This is one close-quarters housecall! Love at last for V does not come without a price, especially since he finds out what his True destiny (and who his mother) is. Said Destiny is actually linked to the REAL reason V got the lead chest-piercing to begin with--it was NOT an unlucky shooting by any means. Jane helps him unbind his troubled past, sort out his feelings for Butch, and finds her own thrills in V’s Black Playroom. Yes, that’s EXACTLY what I’m talkin about. When V can’t stand to let her go back to her human life, all of V’s painful past and degrading destiny collide in majorly tear-jerking form. You may not like the ‘form’ it takes, but the outcome of V’s story is one you won’t be able to put down! There are secondary stories intertwined, as always, featuring a sacrifice by Phury to escape the pain of watching his twin Zsadist and his not-so-secret beloved Bella start a loving family that Phury thinks he will never have. There’s also a big slice of a character we’ve met before, the pre-transition John Matthew, born mute in a bus station, dumped into and abandoned by foster care, sexually assaulted by a male stranger, and terrified of everything. John became Mary’s neighbor and friend before she hooked up with Rhage, and wears a bracelet with Old Language inscriptions indicating he’s ‘of the blood’. Specifically, Darius’ son and Tohrment’s nephew. Since being taken in by The Brotherhood (they DO have a tendency to take in strays, lol), he’s been suffering through his pre-transition much as an adolescent, complete with bullying warrior classmates and the loss of his new substitute parents, Tohr and Wellsie. Since you’ve been reading, you know pregnant Wellsie was brutally assassinated and Tohr vanished in an anguished loss of mate and sanity, to parts unknown. John has slunk around in the outskirts of the story thus far, but begins to come to terms with his transition and his physical and emotional afflictions, with help from some unlikely sources! All hail The Brotherhood!<br /><br />

03/13/17 (Second time reading Lover Unbound) <br />LOVE. It's the first word that comes to mind when I think of this story. J.R. brings to life a story of love and sacrifice, sorrow and joy, light and dark, life and death that's so emotional you get the feeling of being on a rollercoaster that never stops. Vishous and Jane are an amazing couple and I truly hope I get to hear more of their story. I love how throughout each story you don't just get the main couple but mainly other subplots within each book. In this one you hear about John Matthew, Butch and Marissa, Z and Bella, as well as V and Jane. You also learn more about The chosen and the Scribe Virgin. The past of the Scribe Virgin that is brought to light in this story was really unexpected as was the surprise she reveals at the end. I'm glad that V is willing to repay the sacrifice that was made for him and I hope that the Scribe Virgin really does find some peace in the future. Well done, J.R.!<br /><br />03/15/18 (Lover Enshrined - First read) <br />Holy Crap!!!! What a tremendous story. Admittedly, it's long and took a while for me to read the whole thing, and I might have skimmed over the parts that dealt with the Lessers (mainly because I can't stand those ghost faced freaks), but I couldn't get enough. This is an amazing addition to the BDB series. <br /><br />Phury, twin brother of Zhadist, is a truly tortured soul. His sadness and low self-worth have led him down a path, straight into the arms of drug addiction. He has spent his life worrying about others to the detriment of his own health and well being. He is at his lowest point in this book. He worries for the Brotherhood, His Brother, Bella (his brother's pregnant shellan), their unborn child, the duties resting on his shoulders as the Primale, and the fate of the entire race as a whole. Understably, he has a lot on his plate and feels the weight of it all. A weight he tries to dull with drugs and liquor. Throughout his stupor he meets and falls in love with the Chosen, Cormia. Although, it takes him a very long time to realize how much. <br /><br />Cormia, a Chosen Female of the Scribe Virgin, has spent the last five months at the mansion with the brotherhood. Sleeping in a room next to the Primale, Phury. A room that seperates by only a single wall. Her desires and wants are awakened and she has to deal with the guilt that as a Chosen she is one of many and is not supposed to feel or want the things she does. Like the fact that she does not want to share Phury with her Sister, as tradition requires. Through her journey of self-discovery, she realizes that as she has fallen in love with him she can never bring herself to share him, even if the fate of her whole race depends on it. Cormia made a few friends in the mansion. Like Bella and John Matthew. <br /><br />John Matthew is the second child and son of the fallen brother , Darius. He is the younger brother of the Queen, Beth. He's recently gone through his transition and feels lost and incomplete, as he is still dealing with the scars of the attack he suffered at a younger age. He is also feeling lost without his adopted father, Tohrment, who disappeared after his Shellen(mate) Wellsie was murdered by the Lessening Society. He has many trials that he too has to face throughout the story, but luckily for him, he has his two buddies, Qhuinn and Blaylock, by his side. <br /><br />Qhuinn, is the second son and a Glymera family, a family of the aristocracy. A family that believes that deficiency or differences mean you are cursed. Being the second son he is already cursed with a stigmatism. Being colored bling and having two different colored has means he has been shunned and shut out of the family his whole life. Forced to hide from the world because he family didn't want him or his 'deficiencies' to tarnish their family name. He is hot-headed, and spend way to much time with the ladies and consuming booze. He usually always with John Matthew and Blay.<br /><br />Blaylock is also a son of the aristocracy. However, his family is not stuck like Qhuinn's family. Instead they welcome and love Qhuinn with open arms and whole hearts. He's a great friend to both John and Q. He's also in love with his best friend, Qhuinn. <br /><br />All three boys are members of the trainee class for the Brotherhood.<br /><br />Also, in this book you get to hear more about Z and Bella. Love Zhadist. He's my favorite brother.<br /><br />03/21/18 (Lover Avenged - First Read)<br />What a great addition to the BDB series. I was so emotional confused with this one. There are always so many stories going on in each book that my feelings take me on a roller coaster ride. In this story we get to see Rehvenge find his Shellan, Ehlena. They make a really great couple and I like that she brings out his best side. The same way that Bella brings out Z's best side. In this one you learn a lot more about Rehv and his past. Why he is acts the way he does, why he does the things he does, and why he lives his life in the manner he does. You also hear a lot about Ehlena and how she came to be where she is. You hear a bit more about Wrath and Beth, as well as Tohr and Lassiter. I have to say I'm so glad Tohr is back. Him leaving broke my heart. He's still struggling but, he is back. YAY!!!!! There is also a lot more about Xhex and John Matthew. The ending of this book is one I did not see coming. I'm looking forward to reading the next book, which happens to be JM and Xhex's book, which I plan to start either today or tomorrow.<br /><br />03/24/18 (Lover Mine - First Read)<br />This is probably my favorite story of the series, right behind Zsadist and Bella’s of course. No one will ever beat Zsadist as my favorite but John Matthew does a pretty good job of it. <br /><br />In this book JM is feeling abandoned by everyone he loves, everyone he opens his heart to. He is reeling from Xhex’s disappearance. In her honor he gets an awesome tattoo, thinking he will never see her again. My heart truly breaks for him and all he’s had to go through. He’s was abandoned at birth, grew up in a human orphanage, assaulted as a young pretrans, raven by Wellsie and Tohr only for her to be killed and him to disappear. Then, he meets Xhex and just when he thinks they have a connection she pushes him away. So sad!<br /><br />Xhex’s is a tragic story. She’s had to endure more in her life than any woman should have too, or any person for that matter. After being kidnapped, held and repeatedly assaulted by Lash, she finally gets free. However, her freedom is only physical as her mental and emotional state leaves feeling as though she is still being held against her will. Her life has been one tragedy after the other and it breaks my heart and sets fire to my. Look just thinking about it all. <br /><br />Lash is just a psychotic dick, and that’s enough said about him. I will say that in the end Karma is a true bitch and he gets his and then some. <br /><br />Blay, JM’s BF, is still in love with Qhuinn. I feel for him as he has to sit back and endure all the hook ups that Qhuinn has, seeing them all first hand. He’s taken to smoking as a coping mechanism for his feelings for Qhuinn. When has to witness the convo and subsequent actions between Qhuinn and Layla, it killed me. However, he does find someone who peeks his interest, Saxton, Qhuinn’s cousin. Due to Saxton’s returned interested in Blay, Qhuinn shows a bit of jealousy. Though I think it’s too little too late. Blay decides to start dating Saxton and the two become an intimate couple. <br /><br />Qhuinn, what can I say. I had a lot of thoughts of punching in the family jewels. I mean he spends months throwing his trysts in Blay’s face. He even so far as to look at Blay through a flimsy curtain during one said tryst only to get upset when Blay starts to show interest in someone else. He even went so far as to kiss Blay when he discovers Blay is going on a date with his cousin, Saxton. He’s admitted to thinking of Blay in a romantic way but refuses to let it go beyond fantasy because he’s determined to be with a female so he can be ‘normal’. After he discovers Blay and Saxton together, he finally decides to let Blay go. Very sad and frustrating because they are so meant to be together. I really hope they both pull their out of their asses and see the truth of what’s right in front of them. <br /><br />Layla is a pain in my ass. She’s a chosen who’s been trained as a ehros, a woman trained in the arts of sex. She feels unused, and unfulfilled, so she asks Qhuinn to use her and she does it right in fro t of Blay. However, even though she and Qhuinn have spent time together, it’s later revealed that they haven’t actually had sex. Yay!!!!!!<br /><br /> Lassiter, the angel, is still around and showing. Serious addiction to Oprah, Maury and other shows similar to these. Crazy and funny. <br /><br />Payne plays a much bigger role this time around and it’s really interesting what ends up happening with her. Some her past is revealed in this book. Like that fact that she is being held captive on the far side by her mother, the Scribe Virgin. It’s also revealed she killed her father. <br /><br />In this volume you learn a lot more and Tohrment and Darius. How they became friends and about their first mission together. I really loved this look into the past. While it may not be immediately obvious how these scenes are important is revealed towards the end of the book and wow what a curve ball. <br /><br />Another side story involves a guy named, Gregg Winn. He’s a producer for a paranormal investigators show. He’s in South Carolina doing a story about the ghost of Eliahu Rathboone. He has an assistant named Holly who is in love with him. Now while this part of the story, for the most part, seems out of place, it is revealed later how the two stories intersect. <br /><br />There’s also a new character, a chosen, who is introduced. Her name is No’One. She is a neat addition to the story. Her why of being a part of the series turn out to be quit the head spinner. <br /><br />I loved this addition because besides being able to catch up with past characters, you also get a look into the past of several characters. Past that you other wise would understand or know about. <br /><br />This was a great book and I can’t wait for the next addition of this series.