Lover Eternal Book (Black Dagger Brotherhood Book 2)

By J.R. Ward

Rating: ? ? ? ??(4.8/5 stars)

Lover Eternal by J.R. Ward is the second book in the spellbinding, sexually charged, and thrilling series The Black Dagger Brotherhood. As the reigning Queen of paranormal romance (argue with your mama), J.R. Ward continues to keep her readers riveted by weaving her unique web of an action-packed, passionate, and sophisticated fantasy world.

Rhage

Lover Eternal is Rhage’s book, a member of the Black Dagger Brotherhood. These powerful warriors were born to protect the vampire race from any threats, especially The Lessing Society—a group of barely humans who vowed to eradicate the vampire race.

Rhage is a loving, funny, charming, and outgoing warrior. His physical attributes dubbed him the name “Hollywood.” One thing to know about Rhage is that he bears the burden of a dragon-like beast in him. The beast appears mostly when Rhage is angry and can unleash its fury on either friend or foe.

Mary

Mary is a gentle, nurturing, and compassionate human woman. J.R. Ward focuses on Mary’s inner strength, resilience, and warmth. Mary is not a glamorous woman; as a matter of fact, her clothes are what I would call tasteless, but her way of dress and her demeanor reflects her down-to-earth nature. Her empathy, inner grace, and determination make her the perfect match for Rhage. That is what makes her so graceful. Her warm smile, empathy

The Plot Queen

J.R. Ward is arguably the “plot queen”…(like I said, argue with your mama—kidding, maybe). Her writing style is enchanting, emotional and will have you staying up all night to finish the book. No one can so skillfully weave together a multidimensional story that includes the central romance and several subplots involving other Brotherhood members and their ongoing battle against their enemies, the Lessening Society.

My Thoughts on the Book

When Rhage crosses paths with Mary, a human woman struggling with her personal losses and fear, it is love at first sight. The couple were drawn together by fate. At first glance, Mary and Rhage don’t fit, but they do on many levels. The two very quickly form an unbelievable bond, and her being human creates some challenges as a couple, with Rhage being a vampire and can live for centuries.

The couple’s journey is reflection, accession, and unconditional love. However, I don’t know if it is the difference between Mary and Rhage that I feel there could be more chemistry. Rhage is handsome and fun, while Mary’s character can be described as boring. I felt there wasn’t enough chemistry between them, but the sheets were on fire in true J.R. Ward form—so I wasn’t at all disappointed. I think I need a reread to be sure if I missed something…it has been many years.

The subplots allowed me to learn more about the brothers’ personalities and struggles/demons. The characters are so well-developed; I won’t say relatable because, let us face it, they are vampires, but they will have you rooting for them to find love and their HEA. When their books are written, the fans have some idea of what to expect—or we think we do until J.R. Ward weaves her web on us. You can read book one here==>Dark Lover Book Review

One of the most significant aspects of Lover Eternal is Rhage’s internal battle with his beast and his desire to protect those he loves. The struggle within him and his protectiveness add an element of complexity to his character. However, he exhibits extraordinary strength despite facing challenging circumstances (sorry, no hints read the book).

Almost Perfect…Except

A few plot threads might be left unresolved, which will be explored further in future installments of the series, and I prefer the old book cover.

Favorite Quotes

“I mean, come on. He’s kind of cute, in a Godzilla sort of way. And I’ll look at it as a two-for-one kind of deal.” ~Mary~

Final Thoughts

J.R. Ward’s Lover Eternal is a fantastic addition to the Black Dagger Brotherhood series. The series is an emotional, riveting, action-packed book that allows us enthusiastic fanatics to keep coming back for more—book release day can never come fast enough. I highly recommend Lover Eternal and the entire series.

Rating Review Rollout: 4.75

(1) Attention Keeper: 5 ? ? ? ? ?

(2) Digging deep in Character Development: 5 ? ? ? ? ?

(3) Danger-Drama-Friction-Suspense Fulfillment: 5 ? ? ? ? ?

(4) Edit to Perfection! 5 ? ? ? ? ?

(5) Feeling the Words: 5 ? ? ? ? ?

(6) Going with the Flow of the Story: 5 ? ? ? ? ?

(7) Grammar Police: 5 ? ? ? ? ?

(8) It’s all about the Chemistry, baby: 4 ? ? ? ?

(9) Laugh out loud funny: 4 ? ? ? ?

(10) Love connection: 5 ? ? ? ? ?

(11) Plot Worthy: 5 ? ? ? ? ?