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    Lover Avenged: A Novel of the Black Dagger Brotherhood
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    Lover Avenged: A Novel of the Black Dagger Brotherhood
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    Lover Avenged: A Novel of the Black Dagger Brotherhood
    Ebook833 pages12 hours

    Lover Avenged: A Novel of the Black Dagger Brotherhood

    By J.R. Ward

    4/5

    ()

    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    About this ebook

    As the vampire warriors defend their race against their slayers, one male’s loyalty to the Black Dagger Brotherhood will be tested in this breathtaking novel in J. R. Ward’s #1 New York Times bestselling paranormal romance series.

    Caldwell, New York, has long been the battleground for the vampires and their enemies. It’s also where Rehvenge has staked out his turf as a drug lord and owner of a notorious nightclub that caters to the rich and heavily armed. His dangerous reputation is exactly why he’s approached to kill the leader of the Black Dagger Brotherhood—Wrath, the Blind King.

    Rehvenge is used to living in the shadows and keeping his distance from the Brotherhood. As a symphath, his identity is a deadly secret—the revelation of which will result in his banishment. But as Rehvenge is pulled into plots both within and outside of the Brotherhood, he turns to the only source of light in his darkening world. Ehlena is a vampire untouched by the corruption that has its hold on him—and the only thing standing between Rehvenge and eternal destruction...
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherPenguin Group
    Release dateApr 28, 2009
    ISBN9781101057995
    Unavailable
    Lover Avenged: A Novel of the Black Dagger Brotherhood
    Author

    J.R. Ward

    J.R. Ward is the author of more than sixty novels, including those in her #1 New York Times bestselling Black Dagger Brotherhood series. There are more than twenty million copies of her novels in print worldwide, and they have been published in twenty-seven different countries. She lives in the south with her family.

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    Reviews for Lover Avenged

    4/5

    941 ratings50 reviews

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    • 4/5
      At this point it is as if the single brother single storyline deal Ward had before is decimated. This book had ups, downs, and a whole lot of new crazy thrown at the reader. I wish we could have gotten Elehna and Rev some more to truly feel the connection because it felt a little as an after thought. What we do get in this book is some serious John/Xhex shipping. ALL the ships.

    • 5/5
      I think this was my favorite of the series so far! Loved it!!
    • 5/5
      I think this was my favorite of the series so far! Loved it!!
    • 4/5
      The only thing I really loved about this book is John Matthew and Xhex. Rhev and Ehlena's story was week and not very inspiring to me. Truth told I really don't remember much about their story besides her name.
    • 4/5
      Lover AvengedBook 7 of the BDB seriesRehvenge & Ehlena with a little bit of John Matthew & Xhex thrown in.Richard Reynolds for years, decades, has been a well-respected member of the glymera and head of household and self-imposed supporter of his mother and younger sister after the death of his stepfather. His sister, Bella, is now the shellan to a member of the brotherhood, Zsadist, but his mother still relies on his support to keep her in the wealthy lifestyle to which she is accustomed. He adores them both and has always taken on this responsibility willingly. He has a few secrets, however, and secrets can get expensive. Especially when you have a serious psychopathic monster blackmailer.To keep up with these expenses, Richard aka Rehvenge aka The Reverend is the owner of the popular nightclub, ZeroSum, as well as being the local drug lord and pimp. To his credit he's kind to his girls and provides a safe environment for them, but he's still a pimp. I know, I know. As if being a drug dealer isn't bad enough.... He's a big, serious dude sporting a mohawk and amethyst-colored eyes. His reputation precedes him, and along with his entourage of security detail, mainly the "twin" Moors and Xhex, at his beck and call, he exudes the "run away!" vibe which usually keeps those with half a brain from messing with him. He is also half-sympath, which is a big no-no in the vampire world. That information has to be carefully hidden, because anyone who knows is required by vampire law to report sympaths who are then deported and sometimes tortured and killed at the sympath colony. Even worse to the aristocratic minds of the glymera is the damage it would cause to the reputation of their bloodline. They would be ruined socially ("Oh, the horror!") Rehv doesn't care about any of this for himself, but he has always been concerned for his mother and sister and so has been willing to go to extreme lengths to hide his sympath side. Rehv has been struggling with his attempts to hide his sympath side from the world. He's having to inject more and more dopamine in order to keep his inner sociopath from coming out. Unfortunately, dopamine is not a street drug, so he has to get his ever-increasing supply from Dr. Havers. It is on one of these visits that it becomes apparent there is a mutual attraction between Rehv and Dr. Havers' nurse, Ehlena. They do reluctantly develop a relationship but it is fraught with a lot of problems mainly on Rehv's part because he doesn't want to ruin his chances by having Ehlena find out about how dark his life is (hello, sympath? monster blackmailer? drug lord? pimp?).This book gets pretty exciting and interesting as we learn more about the sympaths and about Rehv's blackmailer, about the advances of the Omega, and the extent Rehv is willing to go to protect those he loves. At points it gets seriously Shelob nasty. heheThis is a great book in the series. I'd say in the Top 3 for me. Oh, BTW, even though the model on the cover of the book doesn't match Rehv's description, I don't care. I think I may frame the dust jacket and hang it on my wall. ; )
    • 3/5
      Typical JR ward book. All of them are pretty interchangeable. That's not to say I don't enjoy reading them. I don't like the use of the serviced but it is common theme in many of the books, so push through them. Also, the word true is over used.
    • 4/5
      Lover Avenged was another good book in the Black Dagger Brotherhood series. It was interesting to learn more about Rhev, Xhex, and their background. I'm still not in love with Xhex, but maybe I'll change my mind after reading Lover Mine. I also enjoyed the side story of Wrath and his struggle with losing his sight and Tohr coming to terms to some degree with the loss of Wellsie. I'm looking forward to where the stories go in the future.
    • 4/5
      Rhev has long been one of the more enigmatic fringe characters of Ward's BDB world and certainly not one of the most likeable. His heroine, Ehlena, is certainly a strong female character in a world dominated by warriors and killers and refreshingly non-blood thirsty. I liked the story about the two of them and certainly enjoyed the sub-story about Wrath coming into his own so long after we've finished his own tale in the first book of the series. My only major disappointment is that she chose not to continue the more personal look into the back story of Qhuinn and Blay that I enjoyed so much in the last book.There is a lot about the characters/plot/ storytelling that rubs me the wrong way and although I do believe in redemption, there is just too much general enjoyment in bloody violence for my taste. That combined with some of the over the top dialog makes me wonder why I keep coming back, but there is no doubt that I must find some enjoyment in the tale because I keep looking forward to the next chapter of this engrossing series.As we've gone along with the series the tales certainly have gotten grittier and darker but despite this and my general dislike of the "kill 'em all" attitude I will press on and will be reading "Lover Mine" as soon as I can get my hands on it.
    • 5/5
      I liked and hated this book, at the same time. I really like Rehv's story and the whole romance with him was terrific. I also like John's "development" in this story - a LOT. What I hated?: the "cliff-hanger" ending! I know this is a series, but this is the first book in this series wherein the main story-threads were not wrapped up at the end of the book. I have book 8 lined up and ready to go so it's not the end of the world, but... Anyway... I don't know why anyone would, but don't try to read this series out of order; the stories might stand alone, for the most part, but to get the full experience, it's best if you understand the "history" of all the characters. In this book's case, it's definitely better if you know John's past, otherwise you'll be very disappointed in his behavior.All in all, terrific story.
    • 1/5
      Lover Avenged is Rehvenge and Ehlena's tale. Rehvenge is Bella's half-brother who happens to be a half-sympath and the local drug lord. Bella is of course unaware of either her brother's alter-ego since neither him or the vampire family she married into has chosen to enlighten her. Rehvenge, even going so far as to fake his own death when the threat of his secret coming to light becomes imminent. And that's among one of the many reasons why I can't seem to enjoy this story. Many of the trials and tribulations our hero and heroine encounters seems to be unnecessary. More a product of their own " I so don't deserve this" attitude more than anything that it becomes really irritating.The path to true love is never smooth, at least in the world of paranormal romance fiction, but is it necessary to make a production out of it ?Then, there's Rehvenge and Ehlena's love affair. Love is blind of course but I fail to see the connection between them. It is explained to us that Rehvenge is first drawn to Ehlena because she shares his disconnection from the rest of the world. And once they get to know each other, they realize how wonderful the other is and thus fall hopeless in love. Yeah, right ... I'd like to know when with so many other threads going on and with hardly any time or chemistry between the two main protagonists. We've got Wrath not only dealing with the pressures of being king of a race in a losing war and short on fighting power but also having to deal with his failing eyesight. Then, there's John Matthew who's finally decided to give up on Tohr since he can no longer bear to watch his father slowly killing himself. Or Tohr who finally realizes that he wasn't the only one to lose a loved one when his shellan was killed. Not the best of the Black Dagger Brotherhood series. In fact, I'd consider this the worst of the series that I've read. The best being Zsadist and Bella's story in Lover Awakened.
    • 4/5
      The budding romance in this book is again less central to the plot. Wrath gets page time again. These books are what the later Anita Blakes could be if they were any good.
    • 5/5
      Thus far I love all the Brotherhood books, but this one stands out as one of my favorites. Rehvenge is a fantastically complex character, and I couldn't be happier with his story. And, as is true with all of the BDB books, there's plenty of development with side characters (and even old favorites) to leave you antsy for the next installment.
    • 5/5
      Brilliant book- just awesome! JR Ward completely came back from the last book- this one was so much more intriguing to me! (I was a little underwhelmed with the previous two books, but boy is Ward back to avenge the other BDB novels- haha!) So do NOT give up on this series, "Lover Avenged" lived up to its title. It has everything I asked for - magnificent (modest) hero/heroine in the illegal entrepreneur Revhenge and nurse Ehlena, intimate love scenes, complex plot...Ward is truly brilliant in that she can make the audience fall in love with a drug dealing, pimp such as Revhenge. Other than Zadist, I think Revhenge is my favorite vampire. Never thought I would say that after our first introductions of Revhenge as Bella's grumpy and overprotective older brother in the previous novels. But now that we finally have him figured out and the history of Revhenge is in the open- he is just as beautiful as Ward pegs his nurse Ehlena to be. Both Revhenge and Xhex were unlikeable to me until this novel. Geesh, now I love them - way to go, Ward.Now we have the lovely nurse Ehlena as the newest main character. She was bold, adventurous, courageous, a parent for her mentally ill dad and reacted in just the ways I felt I would in her situations. You find yourself heartbroken for her situation and feeling just how unfair life can be. But she takes it in stride and makes good with what she has, never really complaining or being whiney. I have to admit she really pissed me off in the beginning with how she treated Rehv. These two obviously belong together and they were both being totally silly. As cliche as this sounds- Ward had written it so that it really felt like a situation you could relate with. Will probably be my favorite couple in the entire series...IF John Matthew & Xhex never get together!My favorite part of this novel may have been the deceit that Wrath put Beth through. It brought the romance back and added some heat to the plot. I was really hoping when reading the last few novels that Ward would bring some of the relationships of the other characters to the forefront of another book... and here she did it with Wrath and Beth. Thank you, Ward! I got what I needed.Sex scenes were pretty incredible in this book- super steamy. No skimping on details. I found myself blushing a few times ;] Also, all the characters have cameos in this novel- the only one I don't recall having any dialogue is Cormia, but she is mentioned in passing. Ward also has Xhex mention a BDB member Muhrder, who went rogue to save Xhex. Can't wait to hear more about him, I'm hoping we do in the next book. Payne, the twin to V, also makes a quick appearance to wrestle Wrath... and 'wake him up.' (Lots of cliff hangers that keep you wanting more!)"Lover Avenged" has the brotherhood making smartass remarks at one another that will make you laugh out loud. It is awesome, I forgot how funny the brotherhood could be. So much humor in the book! It really assists in alleviating tension that builds up in the plot. For instance, when Wrath questioned the effectiveness of a bullet-proof vest he was wearing because of how light it was- V recommends he strap a garage door or maybe a car to his chest. SOOO many great moments like this in this book.Your heart will break with John Matthew... and then again with Xhex as they both like to screw around with each other's (and their own) feelings. I know a book is good when I feel like my heart is breaking along with a character. I'm praying this is all resolved in the next book, it will be an outstanding story... especially with all the history we get on Xhex in this book. You will be like, AGH TELL ME MORE!Long book- but I couldn't put it down. There are so many plots going on at once and they're all intertwined... never was confusing though. It is easy to keep up with. Hopefully you can't put it down either!Well- I loooooved this book. Ward is back and I think I'm happy I've got this book in hardcover! No swapping or trading for me =) There is so much more for Ward to tell us....
    • 5/5
      Oh this is my favorite book for the series. I love the arc that both of these characters go through. I love the progression of the storyline for the brotherhood in general. I love that we finally see Wrath embrace his place as King. I love Xhex/John kind of getting on equal ground though through very sad ways. I love that Tohr is back and I am absolutely loving Lassiter (hope he gets his own book--that Angel is just FUN-NY)! I even think Lash (though still not loving the Lesser stories in the books) makes a great bad guy!Really the only downside to this series is that I have to wait till March? for the next one to come out :)
    • 5/5
      Lover Avenged is the seventh book in the Black Dagger Brotherhood (BDB) series by J.R. Ward. I was looking forward to reading this book and I was so not disappointed. This story is definitely one about polar opposites attracted to each other. As I read this book, I kept wondering how J.R. would spin this story into a satisfactory HEA, because I couldn't see how that would happen with odds stacked so high against Rehvenge and Elhena. The story flows smoothly with the right amounts of passion, mystery, action and the dark elements that make up the BDB world.As with the previous books in this series, there are other story lines within the book. You'll read more on John Matthew and Xhex, Wrath and Beth, and Tohr with his unwanted side-kick, Lassiter. Lash, the part vampire/part Lesser, is back stirring up trouble, in a spoiled, college frat boy sort of way. Lash, I think, is making the Lessers' part of the series more interesting than it had been in the past. There are also minor appearances by the rest of the shitkicker wearing, leather clad BDB gang throughout the book. The end leaves you with a cliff hanger, so you definitely will want need to read the next book in this series.If you haven't read this series yet, you will need to read the other books in the Black Dagger Brotherhood series before you read this book.
    • 5/5
      I finished reading Rehv's book a few days ago. I had plans to take it slow and savor it, but that never works as planned. I finished it in about three days, the story really sucked me in and I loved every minute. There is something about each brother I like and I've enjoy all the books. While Zsadist has always been my favorite brother, I think Lover Avenged is the best story in the series.Once again there are different plots going on. Lassiter and Tohr were great. It was also nice that we got to see more of Wrath and Beth. Even though the brothers & their Shellens appear in the other books I feel Wrath and Beth have been pushed out of the picture alot.I was never a big fan of Rehv's but this book really made me like him. The development between Rehv and Ehlena was sweet, tempting and very sexy. The only things that I didn't really like were the Lessers (sorry but they bore me to no end). Then there is John Matthew. I don't like the turn his character has taken. But I assume and hope the issues will get resolved in future books. Other than those two factors I felt the book was solid and a great read.
    • 5/5
      Rehvenge, club owner and drug dealer and undercover Sympath has a secret - well, actually, he has quite a few of them. But at least one is that his cold scary exterior hides and soft heart. A heart he's lost to one of the clinic nurses, Elehena. With a plot set up in by vignettes in earlier books in the series, it surprisingly takes a while for the fairly predictable beginning to really get rolling, but when it finally does, oh my! Hold on tight, because the plot twists are quick and deadly. I've been looking forward to this installment, and Ward doesn't disappoint. And of course, the cliffhanger of an ending leaving Xehx and John Matthew dangling is well-baited. Sigh...
    • 3/5
      Reading other reviews on here and Amazon, I feel like I might be the only non-fan ever to review this book. Possibly also the only guy to review it.Not that it isn't a good book on its own, but it's heavily oriented towards the female reader and men in the book are the ultimate expression of what women desire in men. Bit strange when read from a male perspective, and occasionally, you feel like you're reading the female version Robert Heinlein - all the characters of the gender opposite of the writer tend to make you roll your eyes in how cliched and unrealistic they are at times.Never read any of the others, just read the blurb inside the dust cover and thought it was another vampire book. Ohhh no. Not really.J.R. Ward is a good writer in that she always keeps things moving, but the rest of it is a bit of a wince-fest at times. The action is good, and really, if it weren't for the author's obsession with hot, tattooed , muscle-bound guys, the constant breaks for sex (it gets tiresome after a while, strange, I know), realistic spelling of text messages, unflagging loyalty of servants, parents who are everything a parent should be to the point of being excessive, etc, it'd be an impeccable book.As it is, it's a great book pulled down by OCD obsessions with tattoos, hot guys, sex, leather, more sex and cliched characters and terrible names. All well and good in moderation, but there's little to be found.
    • 5/5
      So the problem with reviewing "Lover Avenged" from JR Ward's Black Daggar Brotherhood series is determining whether to reveiw it comparing it against all other books in its genre or comparing it against previous Black Dagger Brotherhood novels. If I compare this book against others I've read lately "Lover Avenged" is clearly five stars. The world of the BDB is complex, interesting, and consuming. The characters are heroic though flawed. Even though they are larger than life, these guys are relatable and feel oddly real. Ward doesn't follow the footsteps of many paranormal series authors. Too often thse series are formulas, where only the names and the settings seem to change from book to book. (Lynsay Sands vampire sereis comes to mind). I want more than this from my books. The other great thing about Ward is she doesn't forget her previous main characters. Here Wrath and Beth (stars of the first volume) have a major storyline. Some readers don't seem to like the many ongoing plotlines but I love it. Again, its realistic and complex. These books are meaty....this one is over 600 pages. A great value for $7.99! I can't read this book in a day, even if I'd like to. I would have to skip work and ignore my basic needs and my children to finish "Lover Avenged" in 24 hours. The basic overview of "Lover Avenged": Drug dealer and sympath Rehvenge is being blackmailed by another sympath. His secret is threatening to be revealed and would cause shame to his family and he'd be sent off to the sympath colony. Meanwhile he meets sweet nurse Elena who is as light and good as as he is darkness and sin. Wrath is facing imminant and permanent blindness and keeping a secret from Beth. John Matthew has been hurt so badly he is acting out. And a new lesser and the son of the Omega, Lash, is taking control over the lessers and trying to make them stronger. The story is like a testosterone charged paranormal soap opera. I think BDB is truly a unique and wonderful series. Only when I compare "Lover Avenged" to previous volumes in the same series, do imperfections seem to show. Rehv and Elena's romance wasn't as focused and central to the plot as in earlier stories. I don't care for the version of John Matthew we see here, I prefer the 'sweet' one. Still this story did the unthinkable and made me really like Xhex. I can't wait to find out more about her in the next story. While some long time fans are disappointed, I am excited to see the direction and style this series has taken on. "Lover Avenged" is a five star book compared to other books in the genre and a four star book in comparison to the other BDB books.
    • 4/5
      Almost from the moment he was introduced in the series, I have wanted to learn more about the half-sympath Rehvenge. He is Bella's (Zsadist's mate, from book 3) brother and now the leader of the glymera, the vampire aristocracy. The knowledge that he is half-sympath is a closely guarded secret, even from his own flesh and blood, but the price of silence is extremely high.

      Rehvenge is a complicated and fascinating character, making Lover Avenged a wonderful addition to the series. Along with his story, J.R. Ward continues to combine drama with other characters and tension about the war with the Lessening Society into Lover Avenged, creating depth and a taut, suspenseful story. I noticed that the next book, Lover Mine, will be released in paperback this week, and I will definitely be picking it up to continue the series.
    • 4/5
      After Phury's story I thought this one had much more action but still plenty of angst to go around. I really liked Ehlena and I thought she had a pretty good storyline. The one thing that didn't make me give this book a five star review was the kind fo interaction Ehlena and Rehv had, I think the whole thing was a little bit rushed despite the book being quite long, just think their relationship could've used some more polishing. Great ending though!
    • 4/5
      Love this one, I was worried after a few get me as excited as Wraths story but this one has renewed my faith the the BDB
    • 4/5
      I love the brothers you feel me? But I was disappointed with this story. Without getting long winded, suffice it to say that I felt Wrath and John Matthew got more line time then Rhev. I didn't really feel connected to Ehlena or Rhev. While I applaud showing Rhev's more tender side, I thought we would see him at his most ruthless too, and it never happened.I felt a bit cheated with this book.I know that there was a lot of subplot and future foreshadowing going on, but between the Lessers, Lash, Wrath, JM and the rest of the kick ass brothers, Rhev took a back seat and that bugged the shit out of me true?I will still read the series, and will read her new series, but I was so excited for Rhev and his Mohawk, and I just was so disappointed
    • 4/5
      I found this book to be really good. I didn't like it as much as Vishous' book, but I liked how you got to learn more about Wrath and Beth's relationship. Rehvenge isn't as bad a guy as I thought he was in the previous books, and I've even developed a soft spot for Xhex. I absolutely loved the parts with Wrath and Beth though. I feel like those parts were a bit comic relief and a bit of an insight into the brotherhood. To me those were the best parts of the whole book.
    • 4/5
      Wow, this book, the seventh in the Black Dagger Brotherhood series, displays a marked improvement in storytelling. As an added bonus, we even get to spend a few pages with characters that have seen little to no action since the book where they were the main character! Turns out Mary IS still around!

      Focusing on Rehvenge, the vampire/sympath owner of the nightclub ZeroSum, this book gives us a better taste of what it is to be a sympath. As this story also contains significant storylines for Wrath and John Matthew, it does a good job of moving the greater plot arc forward.

      It took me a while to read, almost twice as long as the previous books, but it was worth the effort.
    • 4/5
      I am finally getting over all of the ridiculous names and spellings in this series! I'm not sure if that is a good or bad thing...I've liked the character of Rehvenge ever since he was introduced as Bella's super protective older brother. I've only grown to like him more as he was slowly fleshed out in the series, so I was excited to read his and Ehlena's story. Ward's style of writing took a major turn after the first five books; instead of focusing mainly on the couple, she's been including multiple story lines in the book. This leaves the romance taking a backseat much of the time, and this book was no different in that regard. Ehlena and Rehvenge's relationship doesn't have much time in the spotlight, but when it does, it is done well. I like Ehlena; she may come off as a weaker female, but she eventually proves her strength. And, like I mentioned above, I really like Rehvenge, and I thought that Ehlena was a good fit for him.The story line featuring Lash and the Lessers was the worst, in my opinion. It basically circled around Lash trying to find a way for the Lessening Society to make money by taking out drug dealers and assuming their place in Caldwell. I got rather sick of this story line early, and I found myself skimming those parts in the book.I was also less than enthralled with the story line of Wrath going blind. Wrath has never been a favorite character of mine - I barely made it through Dark Lover and that book remains my least favorite in the series - and I skimmed most of his parts, as well.But I like the messed up relationship between John Matthew and Xhex, and I'm so looking forward to reading their story - in fact, as soon as I'm finished with my review, I am going to pick that book up and start reading! :) I do like that John Matthew is starting to grow up, which has taken him quite a while, considering how much crap he has gone through in the series so far.I was surprised that Bella (and, therefore, Z) didn't have more of a role in this book, considering that Rehvenge is her brother, and he has put a lot of effort into deceiving her for all of her life. I would have liked a better scene between them at the end, wrapping up the loose ends. Still, the ending wasn't bad, and I liked how Rehvenge and Ehlena ended.
    • 3/5
      Overall I liked this book, but....I agree with other people who've read it who say that it's more of a fantasy/action book than a typical paranormal romance. There is a love story in it - and the main couple interact beautifully. For me the main themes in this book are love, lies vs. reality, and personal growth. To me it was like typical J.R. Ward with a dash of "Lord of the Rings". My husband read it after I did and really liked it, but he said it had the action pace of "24" - like he expected an hourly countdown to appear at the beginning of each chapter.
    • 5/5
      Yes! J.R.Ward has done it again and "Lover Avenged" is a return to the style of her earlier books. I cried, more than once, while reading this story. A character I really never though I could admire became a hero, and one I already admired became whatever term there is for more-than-a-hero. Fans of the 'Black Dagger Brotherhood' will rave, I'm just headed to make some room on my keeper shelf!Rehv, Rehvenge, or the Reverend...whatever name you use, he's still the same man. Part vampire, part symphath-he's a creature damned by his blood, his birth, and his people; yet somehow he's managed to carve out a life (of sorts) that enables him to take care of those he loves...his mother, his sister, his friends, his employees. For a man who lives amidst the wallow of drugs and death, he is kind and loyal to his friends, and death to those who cross him. This same creature is one who has sacrificed more than most can imagine in their worst nightmares...and continues to do so only for others...asking next to nothing for himself. So what happens when a creature like this has to make a decision between himself and a woman who would be the only one who could save him?Ehlena. She lives a life far different from her peers. Her bloodlines are impeccable, yet she's stretching every penny. Her beauty is that of the glymera, yet she can't remember her last date. She's trapped, willingly, into a life caring for her schizophrenic father. She's a nurse, she's a carer, she knows the difference between right and wrong and believes everyone deserves to be saved. She's also one of the few nurses who can deal with the frightening man who's a regular at the clinic. Their friendship has a rocky start, but quickly becomes what neither was looking for. Will she be strong enough to save Rehvenge?There are a ton of reviews on the plot line of "Lover Avenged". Instead of rehashing those, I'll say what I liked about this book. Ward has given us a deeper look into those on the fringes of her world's societies. Creating a character that's a drug dealer and a killer; then turning him into a hero is NOT something most writers could successfully accomplish. Rehv is an anti-hero hero--probably one of the most human and complex characters Ward has written. She's done a fabulous job of showcasing sacrifice and redemption...and not just for Rehv and Ehlena. In this story, we get more on the current situation with Wrath and Beth...and I dare you NOT to cry. Yes, there's sadness; but there's also a victory; victories in the plural really, in this story about dealing with the worst deck life can deal; and doing so with a strange kind of honor. The stark emotional swings I felt while reading "Lover Avenged" were those of a cathartic nature. There were sad tears and happy tears; characters I loved and characters I hated; all wrapped up in the tension of suspense, relief, hope, and sometimes horror, that didn't let up until the final scene of the book. As always when I read, I try to imagine myself as a character in the book. In this book, I wanted to be at least three of the characters, all at different times. For me, "Lover Avenged" and J.R.Ward have taken the BDB series in another 'zag'; but it's one that's reminiscent of the first few books in the series so it's rather like coming BACK instead of heading out. I don't mind. I'm enjoying this crazy, frightening, wonderful, and scary journey...and I can't wait to see where we're going next!
    • 4/5
      I love these books! This one is not as spectacular as the others, but it is still a lot of fun. There are a lot of loose ends left at the end of the book. I can't wait for the next one!
    • 4/5
      Moving out of the realm of romance and more into urban. Still enjoyable even if the romantic relationship is not the central focus of the book. I liked Rehv and wished to see him fight his sympath side more so he could be with Ehlena. And I felt the forgiveness was too easily given. He lied to her about everything he was and a month apart and his capture by the sympath king, and she forgives him. I feel more time should have been spent exploring this fascinating betrayal. But I liked Rehv when he was with Ehlena, because he wanted to be better and he loved her.