amy_reads4's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Lover Eternal is the 2nd book in the Black Dagger Brotherhood series and I am so happy to be back in this world! This story follows Rhage and Mary, Rhage is one of the infamous Black Dagger Brotherhood warriors who has carried a 100 year curse set upon him by the Scribe Virgin for the last 9 years, whenever Rhage is close to losing control he turns into a beast. Mary is a lost soul with a vampire for a neighbour. When a young boy comes into Mary’s life he unexpected brings her and Bella into the life of the Brotherhood, and nothing will ever be the same for Mary from there.
I found Mary’s story particularly painful to read and process, having lost her mother and being in remission from lukemia, she knows when it has returned. I loved watching her relationship with Rhage develop, seeing the internal struggles they both faced letting another in.
This book further fleshes out the fight between the Brotherhood and the lessers, along with the new lengths the lessers are willing to go to in their quest to find the Brothers. The elements of the modern world mixed in with vampire culture make it so easy to visualise their world.
When John appeared, with the symbol of the Brotherhood and patchy dreams I immediately felt I knew who he was, but I shall save that idea until we get further into the series.
I cannot wait to get into the next one and fall in love with even more of the Brotherhood and their lives. I throughly enjoy their bonds and friendships with each other also.
forthesanityof1's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
danisbookishchat's review against another edition
4.0
While Rhage is not my favorite brother he still absolutely has his appeal. I don’t even know what to say because I’ve read the first several BDB books multiple times and I’ve loved them every single time.
laurenjodi's review against another edition
3.0
Lover Eternal
3 Stars
Synopsis:
The fiercest fighter and most voracious lover within the Brotherhood, Rhage fears the harm he may cause when his curse takes over and the beast within him is released. That is until the day he meets Mary Luce, a human woman who has survived numerous hardships and can sooth the beast within Rhage. Soon the two will face their most dangerous foe and find out if their love truly can conquer all.
Review
Similar to book #1, the plot is on the mediocre side and only gets going toward the end. There are numerous "suspend your disbelief" moments and the Lessers are some of the stupidest villains in PNR. They are definitely more a danger to each other than to the brotherhood.
Rhage and Mary are likeable as a couple but not as individuals. Rhage goes from Don Juan/Casanova to lovesick puppy in under 50 seconds with little to no background or character development. The best thing about him is the beast even though the reason for his punishment is ridiculous at best. Mary's illness is saddening but also depressing and her lack of self-worth at the beginning makes her seem pathetic and annoying - first impressions are really very important and she does not make a good one even though she improves later.
One of the worst things about this series is the submissive and servile manner in which women are portrayed. The Chosen, for example, seem to exist solely for the purpose of "serving" the brotherhood and Layla's subservient behavior is very off putting (it reminds me of Marissa's attitude toward Wrath in book #1).
Nevertheless, there are a few appealing aspects such as the scenes with Rhage's beast, which are some of the best written in the book. In fact, the prose in general is an improvement (less street slang) but the dialogue is still childish and the writing style needs work.
Additional highlights include the compelling relationship between Bella and Zsadist and the subplot involving John Matthew's introduction to the vampire world. Both of these have me wanting to continue if only to find out what happens next - kind of like a bad soap opera.
3 Stars
Synopsis:
The fiercest fighter and most voracious lover within the Brotherhood, Rhage fears the harm he may cause when his curse takes over and the beast within him is released. That is until the day he meets Mary Luce, a human woman who has survived numerous hardships and can sooth the beast within Rhage. Soon the two will face their most dangerous foe and find out if their love truly can conquer all.
Review
Similar to book #1, the plot is on the mediocre side and only gets going toward the end. There are numerous "suspend your disbelief" moments and the Lessers are some of the stupidest villains in PNR. They are definitely more a danger to each other than to the brotherhood.
Rhage and Mary are likeable as a couple but not as individuals. Rhage goes from Don Juan/Casanova to lovesick puppy in under 50 seconds with little to no background or character development. The best thing about him is the beast even though the reason for his punishment is ridiculous at best. Mary's illness is saddening but also depressing and her lack of self-worth at the beginning makes her seem pathetic and annoying - first impressions are really very important and she does not make a good one even though she improves later.
One of the worst things about this series is the submissive and servile manner in which women are portrayed. The Chosen, for example, seem to exist solely for the purpose of "serving" the brotherhood and Layla's subservient behavior is very off putting (it reminds me of Marissa's attitude toward Wrath in book #1).
Nevertheless, there are a few appealing aspects such as the scenes with Rhage's beast, which are some of the best written in the book. In fact, the prose in general is an improvement (less street slang) but the dialogue is still childish and the writing style needs work.
Additional highlights include the compelling relationship between Bella and Zsadist and the subplot involving John Matthew's introduction to the vampire world. Both of these have me wanting to continue if only to find out what happens next - kind of like a bad soap opera.
geo_ix's review against another edition
5.0
Holy shit. This one was even better than the first. How is that possible?? Basically, I cried like a little bitch....it was beautiful, and I'm SO glad Z has started to feel something. I knew it I just knew it. I'm so happy that the beast can find harmony with Mary, the way it's all come together has left me in awe with tears eyes.... Tears from the remains of my blubbering at 1am...... Whoops! I actually can't wait to read on but I know if I do, my 5am wake up will be here and I'll have not slept. Grrr
moirwyn's review against another edition
5.0
This review originally appeared on my blog, Books Without Any Pictures: http://bookswithoutanypictures.com/2019/07/23/lover-eternal-by-j-r-ward/
The next installment of the Black Dagger Brotherhood series is about a vampire named Rhage. Based on his name, we can already tell that he’s impulsive and has some anger issues. And he pissed off the Scribe Virgin, who is kind of like the vampires’ mentor/god figure, and she cursed him to carry a monster within him for 200 years. When he gets really really angry, the beast escapes and unleashes destruction. He’s basically got a Bruce Banner/Hulk thing going on, and he mostly manages to keep the beast at bay by unleashing his pent-up energy through lots and lots of casual sex.
Mary Luce has spent her life working with autistic children and volunteering at a suicide prevention hotline. She spends so much of her life taking care of other people. But Mary is also dying. She’s survived one battle with cancer, and now it’s come back.
Due to a chance encounter with a pre-transition vampire youth, Mary ends up coming to the Brotherhood’s house and meeting Rhage. She’s not his usual type at all, and she’s not really considering dating given that her lifespan is going to be so short, but the two of them connect, and Rhage can’t stop thinking about her. But can a man with a beast inside of him and a dying human woman really make it together?
I think that Lover Eternal was a much stronger book than Dark Lover. Rhage was an interesting male lead, and the hulk monster part was campy and fun, and it gave the sexy parts an interesting twist (is it a threesome when two people inhabit the same body? or something else? not quite sure about that one). I think Rhage had much more of a personality than Wrath. But on the down side, Mary’s cancer plotline did have a contrived ending, which I am willing to overlook in the name of a happy love story rather than a tragedy.
Onward to book 3!
The next installment of the Black Dagger Brotherhood series is about a vampire named Rhage. Based on his name, we can already tell that he’s impulsive and has some anger issues. And he pissed off the Scribe Virgin, who is kind of like the vampires’ mentor/god figure, and she cursed him to carry a monster within him for 200 years. When he gets really really angry, the beast escapes and unleashes destruction. He’s basically got a Bruce Banner/Hulk thing going on, and he mostly manages to keep the beast at bay by unleashing his pent-up energy through lots and lots of casual sex.
Mary Luce has spent her life working with autistic children and volunteering at a suicide prevention hotline. She spends so much of her life taking care of other people. But Mary is also dying. She’s survived one battle with cancer, and now it’s come back.
Due to a chance encounter with a pre-transition vampire youth, Mary ends up coming to the Brotherhood’s house and meeting Rhage. She’s not his usual type at all, and she’s not really considering dating given that her lifespan is going to be so short, but the two of them connect, and Rhage can’t stop thinking about her. But can a man with a beast inside of him and a dying human woman really make it together?
I think that Lover Eternal was a much stronger book than Dark Lover. Rhage was an interesting male lead, and the hulk monster part was campy and fun, and it gave the sexy parts an interesting twist (is it a threesome when two people inhabit the same body? or something else? not quite sure about that one). I think Rhage had much more of a personality than Wrath. But on the down side, Mary’s cancer plotline did have a contrived ending, which I am willing to overlook in the name of a happy love story rather than a tragedy.
Onward to book 3!
kimiichanga's review against another edition
3.0
3 stars just for bella and zsadist, didnt care about mary and rhage
booknookie's review against another edition
3.0
Click here to see my other reviews.Warning for a small rant. I will try to keep it on the down low. It was a good book. A real page turner. But not as good as the first book and as I'm thinking now, not as good as the third book. Yes I had to jump right into the next one since it ended on a cliffhanger and I just had to know how it would end.
I never really fell for the characters. The love story is overused and quite predictable. When the side characters are more interesting than the main characters, there is clearly something not working for me. I didn't really like Mary and Rhage didn't do anything for me. I remember Rhage, from the first book, as a funny, sexy, devilish, and charming character. Now he is just whiny and feels sorry for himself. Yeah, yeah! You have a curse. Boohoo! Get over it and move on. You have had a couple of hundred years so you should have been miles ahead by now. But yeah, it was just so repetitive.
I really liked the plot however and how the lessers had a big part and how all the other characters just built up to the story of the third book. It was interesting and quite captivating. The ending came a little fast but it made it easy for me to just throw myself right into the next one.
I really like Wards writing and her version of Vampires which feels just so right. This one was not a favorite but I still like the series and hopes the third one will be even better.