Black Dagger Brotherhood Series: Lover Mine

Posted by Jules in Book Reviews, Erotica, Paranormal, Romance, Vampires | 3 comments

Lover Mine, by J.R. Ward

reviewed by Jules & Megsly

What happens when you mix two readers, some Black Dagger Brotherhood and a review? A surge of appreciation for the brilliant J.R.Ward who has brought the brother’s world to life, a pinch of verbal squealing and a whole new kind of review.

Now, mind you, a great deal of spoilers lie ahead so don’t click past this point if you don’t want to know major details about Lover Mine, John Matthew’s book. And, by the way, if you haven’t read it yet, it’s about time you make it a priority, trust us – Megsly and Jules – this book deserves your immediate attention.

It was clear from the beginning of our chat about Lover Mine that both of us were entirely in love with this installment of the brotherhood series. There was a lot to discuss as this book was a feast for readers, but we had very little to debate about. The central couple of the story, John Matthew and Xhex, translated to the page with great emotion and their connection was undeniable.

For Meg, John Matthew ranks closely with Z, her favorite brother. For me, well, I fall in love every time but John Matthew is right up there with Vishous (my number 1) and Zsadist as well (is it possible for a heart to be split in three?)

So what did we think of the hero of the book? From the moment we encounter John in the beginning of this book, it is clear he is in a state of grief over the disappearance of Xhex. He is committed to her, dead or alive, and in an outward expression of his commitment to her, his story begins with him paying tribute to her by inking her name on his back with a stolen stash of V’s ink.

Megsly: I think, as far as John Matthew’s book went, he was the most relatable, since you were truly with him from pre-trans to post trans and through the majority of his trials and tribulations.  Where as Z struck me hard from the reflections of what happened in his past, John Matthew really got to me because you were right there with it.

Jules: And even before his pre-trans state we knew of his previous existence as Darius, which plays into this book heavily.  I thought J.R. did an incredible job at weaving in Darius’ back story with John.

Megsly: Very true, getting to know Darius intimately was great; I’m so glad she gave us that chance.

Every brother (though John is not officially a brother) needs his Shellan and this book was no exception. Though it was clear from the beginning that Xhex was John’s intended, J.R. Ward was crafty in the way she kept us guessing about if Xhex and John would actually get their happily ever after. Xhex, a fighter, was imprisoned and abused in multiple ways by Forelesser Lash. Prior to Lover Mine, I always felt Xhex was harsh, all grit and grunt and androgynous to the core, but through this book we learned that there was much much more lying beneath her tough facade.

Megsly: Speaking of what he [Lash] did with Xhex, I really think JR Ward handled that very well.  There were so many ways she could have carried that and she did it with as little detail as possible, retaining respect for her readers that may have been in that situation before, while completely communicating Xhex’s pain and fears and experiences really well. I felt like I could feel what Xhex was feeling. I think that’s why I love her character so much now.

Jules: I agree 100% – not to steal the words out of your mouth, but I thought the way Xhex’s experience and heartache translated was impeccably executed.  It was nice to see her softer side exposed, despite the obstacles she had to overcome to transform in that way.  And don’t even get me started on John Matthew.   His tender care of her and his anticipation of what she needed was beautifully done as well.  He gave and gave and gave and experienced some growth and healing of his own. I for one was overcome with emotion during several parts of this book.    When John is in the house with Xhex and she is watching as he silently screams, thinking she is dead, my heart just shattered. The emotion of that moment was just a killer.

While John and Xhex were at the very heart of this book, there were also many other sub plots weaved into the story. With every progression in the series, it seems we are offered more of the brother’s world and I have to say, I like it. Qhuinn and Blaylock played heavily into Lover Mine as things intensified between the two of them. For me the sexual tension between them was so intense I was dying for relief. It wasn’t certain that Blay’s feeling for Qhuinn were reciprocal until Qhuinn started releasing the bonding scent in a heated encounter. Still, Blay was left without any true resolution as were we, the readers. Meg and I were both hoping for some sort of resolve with the Qhuinn and Blaylock arc, but in the end we both agree that we look forward to seeing how things play out between them in the next book (which cannot be written and released soon enough)!

One of the situations that did see some resolve was the strained relationship between Tohr and John Matthew. Meg indicated that she “died a little inside” when John made the first step by preparing a sandwich for Tohr and I was equally as smitten with that moment. Speaking of which, the way in which the Tohr/Darius/Xhex history intertwined with the present day Tohr/John Matthew/Xhex story was incredibly done, right down to the last bullet.

Of course, it wouldn’t be such an enthralling series if we didn’t have some things to look forward to from the forthcoming books.

We were introduced to Mhurder via a ghost-hunter side story (probably my least favorite part of the book, but Meg latched on to it like a post-trans vampire at the vein) and there could only be one reason for this; a future appearance in the series is practically guaranteed.

Then we had the son of the Omega, Lash who seemingly bowed out in a dramatic showdown with John Matthew, Xhex and Tohr – but did he really go poof? Meg for one hopes he’s gone, but his semi-shadowy state toward the end of the book left me wondering if he really is out of the picture for good. He was devious and despicable, easy to loathe and the most villainous lesser to date which made for a more fascinating lesser storyline.

Finally there is Payne; daughter of the Scribe Virgin and twin sister of Vishous. Her life was left hanging in the balance at the end of the book (and Dr. Manny has been summoned to aid in her care) just as she had been released from the confines of her mother’s sanctuary. We know so little about her other than she can hold her own in a fight with Wrath and she has longed for the freedom that her mother finally granted. And now that she has escaped the monotony that governed her life, should she survive, will she end up being a wild child? Will she find a lover and know the pleasures of the flesh?

There was so much detail in Lover Mine that I’m positive there is something we overlooked, even though there were two of us. In the end, we both agreed that the book was a feverish read and was nearly impossible to put down. Satisfying would be an understatement.

Of course if everyone agreed on everything it would be a boring world out there. So, please, if you disagree or have a differing opinion about Lover Mine, bring it on in the comment section below. If you want to join in on the gushing, we welcome that too.

Until next time…