Lover Avenged

Rehvenge, a symphath vampire who gets energy from manipulating others' emotions, is recruited by a group who want to displace vampire king Wrath, a gruff, determined vigilante. Rehvenge is also falling hard for vampire nurse Ehlena, who disdains his affections and focuses on caring for her ailing father. (crapp blurb from both Amazon and B&N).

Ok...how do I put this...LOVE HIM! Rehv is a complex hero who had to teach himself morals, feels guilt for his conception, hides his Sympath side from the world, falls in love with a female he feels he doesn't deserve, and sacrifices all for his family and friends by commiting himself to the Sympath colony.

Ehlena is a nurse who despite all she has tried to do falls for Rehv and saves him from the colony with the help of Xhex and the brotherhood. Ehlena's a great female character but not up to par with Mary, Bella, or Xhex but I do love her all the same because she gets the reason for all of Rehv's lies and knows she has to save him because he won't/can't save himself.

Wrath gets another play in this book and we get to know Payne (who we meet at the end of Lover Enshrined - a.k.a Vishous' twin) and it's nice to visit back into the brother's whose books are over. (hoping this trend continues).

John Matthew and Xhex. He realizes he's in love with her (which DUH we all knew because he started bonding with her after they first met) and Xhex is fighting her attraction and feelings because of her past with Murhder and her being a fellow half-breed Sympath. She pushes him away and he goes "toxic" from the rejection...but when she gets snatched by Lash (a.k.a Omega's son - vamp now half lesser) he resolves to save her even if in the end she doesn't want him.

Lash - is a total psycho. Hate reading his parts in Lover Enshrined and Lover Avenged. SOOOOO going to be bouncing off the walls when he kicks it.

Ok...so yeah, gotta show the love for the man with the amethyst eyes!

Lover Enshrined

Phury, a sworn Brother who has also become the Primale, is wrestling with a destiny he doesn't want, an addiction he can't handle and an insurmountable feeling of inadequacy that bleeds over into his love for Cormia, his Chosen First Mate. He holes up at the Brotherhood's rural New York base. The Omega, bent on destroying the vampire race, is meanwhile growing ever stronger, and his long-held plan to destroy the Brothers, via the Lessening Society, is coming to fruition. Younger Brotherhood trainees John Matthew, Qhuinn and Blaylock are learning what it means to come of age and are immersed in their own drama with Qhuinn's malicious cousin, Lash. The stories all reach a shared climax, leading to explosive revelations that set up the next book beautifully. Focusing less on Phury and Cormia and more on the Omega's plot amps the tension on all sides. A subplot involving Rhevenge, John Matthew and the female symphath Xhex is particularly exciting, with Ward diving into varied subspecies, sexual predilections and questions of identity. Ward has outdone herself with this latest Brotherhood novel.

Ok of all the books on the brothers I had the hardest time with Phury. I love him, but I can't stand him in this book. The wizard, his addiction, his never ending self hatered and self distruction. He has legitimate issues and even though he is a great read, I find myself on my second and third reading skipping the story of he and Cormia and focusing solely on Rehvenge, Xhex, John Matthew, Quinn and Blay. Bonus tho, we meet Lassiter and Tohr comes back! And Dudes let me tell you Lassiter is just coooool!

Also with Rehvenge, we meet the Princess and she is one WACKED AS FU** BI***! and it all leads up to Rehv's book.

As much as I love the brotherhood and all the brother's/males/females in these books I find I tolerate Phury less...and I blame myself because I am at a point in life where no matter who the character is I can't stand a whiner....so sadly Phury has joined the ranks of Luke Skywalker in that regard...lovable but annoying as FU**! :D

Lover Unbound

New York Times best-selling author J. R. Ward has blown away fans with layered, titillating tales of sexy vampires and supernatural intrigue. Here, the son of a Bloodletter falls into the care—and possibly the arms—of a mortal surgeon.
"The series [has] earned Ward an Anne Rice -style following, deservedly so."—Publishers Weekly
Publishers Weekly
The newest in Ward's ferociously popular Black Dagger Brotherhood series bears all the marks of a polished storyteller completely at home in her world. Vishous, son of the Bloodletter, is a cunning, stone-hearted vampire warrior devoted to killing the wicked, undead vampire slayers known as the Lessers; after an ill-fated visit to a hospital, Vishous falls instantly and unexpectedly in love with a human surgeon, Dr. Jane Whitcomb. Soon, Vishous has brought the unwitting human back to the Brotherhood lair, where she returns his feelings, opening up a potentially cataclysmic conflict-Vishous is, against his will, destined to become the Primale, a warrior with multiple vampire wives who's meant to ensure the survival of the species. Ward has by now become an expert at fleshing out the stories of her supporting characters-each with his or her own novel-without overpowering the central story, and while the romance between Vishous and Whitcomb is genre-typical, Ward isn't afraid to break with convention in challenging, gratifying ways. Though not recommended for newcomers to Ward's universe or romance traditionalists, this fix will give Brotherhood addicts a powerful rush.


Ok - as said before Vishous is a fav. He is an utter bastard and I think that is why I love him. He has a tough exterior but with those (two) he really lets in, he cares for deeply. I am at a loss to explain why I love Vishous but I do, have since we met him. Love his relationship with Butch, love his relationship with Jane (hell Jane is one of my fav female characters bec she is tough too). Love his habit of ending statments with "true?"

Also good thing about this book is it starts you into Phury's head more than in Lover Revealed and you get to meet Cormia of the chosen. You see the relationship between V and his mother and the best part is you get to see John and Xhex meet and start their trip towards each other.

Lover Revealed

Butch O'Neal is a fighter by nature. A hard-living ex-homicide cop, he's the only human ever to be allowed in the inner circle of the Black Dagger Brotherhood. And he wants to go even deeper into the vampire world-to engage in the turf war with the lessers. His heart belongs to a female vampire, Marissa, an aristocratic beauty who's way out of his league. And if he can't have her, then at least he can fight side by side with the Brothers. But fate curses him with the very thing he wants. When Butch sacrifices himself to save a civilian vampire from the slayers, he falls prey to the darkest force in the war. Left for dead, he's found by a miracle, and the Brotherhood calls on Marissa to bring him back, though even her love may not be enough to save him.


So yeah...LOVE HIM. I am sure that I am not the only person out there who reads this series and totally falls in love with each character for each book. Butch I have liked since we first met him in Dark Lover and he has grown so very much. His issues with his longing to belong and for Marissa and the battle within himself for the new connection to the lessening society thanks to the Omega.

I honestly love the friendship and the bond between Butch and Vishous that has carried through and continues on....

Gotta be honest, Marissa is not one of my fav leading females in this series but she's still cool. And I love that we finally get introduced to Xhex in this book and we Rhev (who irritates the shit out of me in this book bec he's all about Marissa and that's just not cool, bec they are so very wrong for each other ;p) *purr*

High Stakes - Erin McCarthy

(from book review) When tough as nails prosecuting attorney Alexis Baldizzi rescues her sister from the clutches of vampire Ethan Carrick by agreeing to stand in as his pretend girlfriend, she quickly realizes that she is in for an interesting battle, but just this once she seems destined to lose . . . her heart. When Alexis Baldizzi learns that her sister, Brittany, has left behind her dental practice and moved into a suite at a luxury casino owned by Ethan Carrick, she is determined to get her out. She is humored when Brittany tells her that Ethan, his friends and employees are all vampires, further disbelieving when Ethan tries to explain that he is a candidate for the vampire presidency and is in need of a temporary, intelligent, non-vampire girlfriend, to soften his image. Alexis agrees to play the part and is eventually shown evidence to support Ethan's vampire defense. Ethan is the most gorgeous man that Alexis has ever known, and once she stops fighting both him and her attraction to him, she discovers that the saying "Bite Me" has taken on an entirely new meaning. Ethan Carrick has been around for nine hundred years and not once in that time has he met a woman who fascinates him the way Alexis Baldizzi does. He thought his dentist, Brittany Baldizzi, was perfect to play the part of his girlfriend; she's tall, beautiful and perfectly sweet. That thought quickly evaporated once he met her sister, Alexis, a cute little pixie of a woman with the tenacity of a pit bull and handfuls of luscious curves. Ethan finds her to be a refreshing challenge and enjoys her company as he has no other woman in centuries. When attempts on Ethan's life escalate into threats against Alexis, there is nothing in the world he won't do to protect her.

Ok this was a wicked quick read and overall very good. I love Erin's humor that runs through her characters...personally having the hero worring about spouting poetry and later taking a face plant off a balcony bec he didn't want the fruit bowl he just tossed over to hit someone below is just funny!

I am not sure if I will finish this series but I did infact very much enjoy this book.

Lover Awakened

From Booklist
Deeply scarred without and within, vampire warrior Zsadist believes that he is unworthy of either compassion or true love. One night a glimmer of hope crosses his path, embodied in the young civilian Bella; yet, true to form, he pushes her away. But when the enemy of their race kidnaps Bella, Zsadist can't rest until he finds her, and once he does, he faces his biggest threat to date as fate grants him one last chance at peace. Ward spins her take on Beauty and the Beast into a raw, gritty tour de force, creating an array of ugliness and beauty, pain and pleasure in a tale that sparks enough plot stunners to keep readers fascinated for years to come. Not for the faint of heart--strong sexuality and stronger language rule here--this genre-bending third novel in the Black Dagger Brotherhood series, following Lover Eternal (2006), is a perfect fit for those who like fast-paced urban fantasy rich in both fury and poignancy. Nina DavisCopyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
Review
Lover Awakened is utterly absorbing and deliciously erotic. The Brotherhood is the hottest collection of studs in romance, and I can't wait for the next one! -- USA Today bestseller Angela KnightBest new series I've read in years! Tautly written, wickedly sexy and just plain fun. Now here's a band of brothers who knows how to show a girl a good time. -- New York Times bestseller Lisa GardnerJ.R. Ward's unique band of brothers is to die for. I love this series! -- New York Times bestseller Suzanne BrockmannWhen it comes to tormented heroes, few can top the dangerous and tortured Zsadist. In a change of pace, it's the hero who has sexual issues resulting from his violently abusive past as a blood slave. Both the hero and heroine have suffered greatly, but it's Zsadist's journey to self-acceptance that makes this book so compelling. Ward pulls no punches in this dark, dangerous and at times tragic series. Waiting for successive installments is getting harder and harder. -- Romantic Times, Top Pick

Book three in the series

I truly am at a loss of words to relate how very much I love this book in the series. Zsadist is so misunderstood on so many levels...after a century of abuse he locked down all emotions other than hate and anger but beyond that is a socially awkward person who through great personal strength finally gets his HEA with his love who not only understands but loves him all the more for his challenges.

*HUGE SIGH* Wow, yeah, just love him!

Dark Lover

In the shadows of the night in Caldwell, New York, there's a deadly turf war going on between vampires and their slayers. There exists a secret band of brothers like no other-six vampire warriors, defenders of their race. Yet none of them relishes killing more than Wrath, the leader of The Black Dagger Brotherhood. The only purebred vampire left on earth, Wrath has a score to settle with the slayers who murdered his parents centuries ago. But, when one of his most trusted fighters is killed-leaving his half-breed daughter unaware of his existence or her fate-Wrath must usher her into the world of the undead-a world of sensuality beyond her wildest dreams.

Oh Wrath...This is the first book of the series and there are just so so many things that I like about this book....I seriously have to admit I LOVE the way she writes these guys! Ward has a wicked sense of humor somtimes...and rather than rave about this book I am going to include some of my favorite quotes instead.

"And how's that going to go? You're just going to walk up to her and say, 'Hey, I know you've never seen me before, but I'm your dad. Oh, and guess what? You've won the evolutionary lottery: You're a vampire. Let's go toDisneyland!' "

Welcome to the wonderful world of jealousy, he thought. For the price of admission, you get a splitting headache, a nearly irresistible urge to commit murder, and an inferiority complex.
Yippee.

Wrath glared. “Nice of you to show up, Z. Busy tonight with the females?”
“How about you get off my dick?” Zsadist went over to the corner, staying away from the rest.

Lover Eternal

Two hundred years: that's how long Rhage must bear the curse born of his reckless inconsideration. Sex and violence are all he once pursued; now they are the only things that keep the beast within at bay. He has little hope for finding peace during this existence, until Mary Luce enters his life. Irresistibly drawn to her light, he's pulled into a struggle with his own demons as well as the real enemies who threaten the vampire world and Mary. Ward wields a commanding voice perfect for the genre, and readers new to the world of the Black Dagger Brotherhood should hold on tight for an intriguing, adrenaline-pumping ride featuring a race of warrior vampires who fill enemies with terror and women with desire. - - Within the brotherhood, Rhage is the vampire with the strongest appetite. He's the best fighter, the quickest to act on his impulses, and the most voracious lover-for inside him burns a ferocious curse cast by the Scribe Virgin. Possessed by this dark side, Rhage fears the times when his inner dragon is unleashed, making him a danger to everyone around him. When Mary Luce is unwittingly thrown into the vampire world, she must rely on Rhage's protection. Knowing that Mary feels the same intense animal attraction, Rhage must make her his alone...

This is the second book in the series and one of my favorites. Rhage is beauty personified in the male form. But the thing I like about him the most is that he is a good friend and loyal to his brothers and has the redeeming quality of being able to express his thoughts and feelings without a filter. He learned a hard lesson from the Scribe Virgin in his curse with his beast, but was willing to keep the beast within himself inorder to save the one he loves the most.

Mary is cautious and caring and wary of Rhage because despite her attraction for him and his caring for her she is dying and not sure what to do with all her swirling thoughts and emotions.

Also while in this book, you get to get inside Butch's head some more and he is just lovable in all ways, but along with Butch you also get to meet John Matthew for the first time, you meet Bella for the first time, and you get to see inside (my personal fav) Zsadist's head as well.

You learn more about the battle the brotherhood is fighting against the lessening society and more about their culture as well.

I could seriously go on and one about this series as it became one of my favorites before I ever finished Dark Lover (book one). The way Ms. Ward writes and the dark humor as well as the fact that inspite of being Vampires and Warriors at that, they are not perfect and their flaws are not broken hearts in the past or other common male flaws in other romance novels...they range from near blindness, to a beast, to slavery/torture, drug use etc.

All in all they are very human in a nonhuman way ;p LOVE THEM!!!! Love this book and love Rhage. My opinion keeps changing as to who my fav is after Zsadist and Rehvenge...thinking it's tied between Rhage/Butch/Vishous ;p

Lover Mine - J.R. Ward

I am going to stamp my feet and have myself a full blown hissy fit because I so VERY VERY much want it to be April. I'm so anxious about this book I am debating whether or not to cave in and buy it hardcover rather than wait a year for paperback to match the rest.

sldvnadpirugnafdvj afu8! And then some!

Why isn't it April?! *heaves big sigh* At least there are other books to look forward to in the mean time. :D