In the shadows of the night in Caldwell, New York, there's a deadly turf war raging between vampires and their slayers. There exists a secret band of brothers like no other-six vampire warriors, defenders of their race. Possessed by a deadly beast, Rhage is the most dangerous of the Black Dagger Brotherhood.
Within the brotherhood, Rhage is the vampire with the strongest appetites. 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. Owned by this dark side, Rhage fears the time when his inner dragon is unleashed, making him a danger to everyone around him.
Mary Luce, a survivor of many hardships is unwittingly thrown into the vampire world and reliant on Rhage's protection. With a life-threatening curse of her own, Mary is not looking for love. She lost her faith in miracles years ago. But when Rhage's intense animal attraction turns into something more emotional, he knows that he must make Mary his alone. And while their enemies close in, Mary fights desperately to gain life eternal with the one she loves.
Lover Eternal, the second book in the Black Dagger Brotherhood, was absolutely wonderful. I honestly loved this one more than the first one and that says a lot because the first book was amazing. Once again I have to say that I enjoy J.R.Ward's writing style. She tells the story through multiple point-of-views. The story flows extremely smooth, allowing the reader to understand exactly what is going on. I also appreciate the fact that the story continues to move on with each new perspective, and she isn't just retelling the same thing through different eyes. That is one of my major pet peeves in books.
In book one we learned that Rhage is cursed with a beast by the Scribe Virgin and that she granted Darius reincarnation at the end. In the beginning of book two we meet Mary, who is a cancer survivor and volunteer at a suicide hotline. She is followed home one night by John Mathew, who her neighbor Bella recognizes as a vampire who will be transitioning soon. Bella contacts the Brotherhood and the story unfolds from there.
Our main characters meet when Mary, Bella, and John are taken to the Brotherhood's headquarters. There is chemistry right away between Rhage and Mary. I really enjoyed seeing their relationship unfold. It was heart-breakingly beautiful. Here we have Rhage, this warrior who believes he is unworthy to receive anyones love, yet yearns for something more than a physical connection with someone. His curse causes him to be very emotionally unattached and careful when he is around others. Especially when he has a lot of pent up energy. You can imagine his surprise then when he meets Mary, the first person to make him feel more and instinctively protective over. He wants to know her, but he also yearns for her to know him. Mary is a survivor. She sees herself as an ordinary person whom no one is attracted to. Imagine her surprise when this huge warrior hunk is attracted to her and wants to get to know her. Yeah, she thinks he's playing her. Plus, she is probably dying from cancer again and doesn't want any unnecessary attachments.
Another relationship that I loved to see the start of was Zsadist and Bella! I mean come on, I did not see that coming. Zsadist is one of the most interesting brothers to me, because he is mentally and physically scarred by his past. EVERYONE and I do mean everyone thinks he is a heartless loose-cannon waiting to explode. Everyone except Bella that is, who sees him as more than what he wants himself to be seen as. All I can say is I can't wait to start book 3 to read the rest of their story.
Overall this book was amazing and I would definitely recommend this series! You wont be disappointed.
MY RATING: 5 out of 5 stars
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.
The Black Dagger Brotherhood is a series that I have been wanting to read for years. I have to say that Dark Lover doesn't disappoint and was a wonderful start to what I can already tell is going to be an amazing series. J.R.Ward does a great job creating a thrilling new paranormal world. She is very thorough with her explanations and I really liked that she included a dictionary of words for the unique world she created. I like that the story is told from many points of views because it allows the readers to follow the story from all sides. It adds a lot to the story without taking away from the connection with the main characters.
Wrath is the only one left of his kind. A king that doesn't want to be king. He is a myth to some, respected by many, and feared by all. A person that people automatically shut up and listen to when he starts speaking. He is one that people underestimate because they don't believe he has a heart. Beth is fierce but has a gentle soul. She has never known what its like to have a real family because she was in the foster care system. Wrath and Beth's story begins with Darius. He asks Wrath for a favor, which Wrath decides to honor after unforseen circumstances arise. I enjoyed Wrath and Beth's chemistry. From the beginning you could tell that they had a mutual attraction. Along the way they kept surprising each other and slowly letting down their walls. Beth worms her way into all of the men's heart and they would protect her with their lives. The brothers...............lets just say I can't to read all of their stories. Butch was also a great addition to the story and I'm looking forward to reading more about him as well.
MY RATING: 5 out of 5 stars
