NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • In an exclusive ebook novella set in the world of the Black Dagger Brotherhood, J. R. Ward tells the story of a fiery couple . . . doomed by an undeniable passion. Features a special preview of J. R. Ward’s upcoming Black Dagger Brotherhood novel, The Thief! The last place Ivie expects to be approached by a devastatingly handsome male is in a crowded, smoky cigar … devastatingly handsome male is in a crowded, smoky cigar bar rarely frequented by vampires—yet here he stands. Silas is flirtatious, gallant, and, above all, mysterious. Ivie is anything but. A nurse at the healer’s clinic and the daughter of a biker, Ivie is accustomed to speaking her mind. So she does. Since aristocrats rarely pick up females of her class, Ivie asks Silas just what kind of game he thinks he’s playing.
Despite her guarded exterior, Ivie surrenders to the fierce desire she feels for Silas. And yet, just as their courtship is heating up, he reveals that it cannot last, for he is bound to return to the Old Country. Their bond only deepens as they make the most of their precious time together. But when she learns the truth, Ivie must find a saving grace—before all is lost. . . .
Praise for J. R. Ward’s Black Dagger Brotherhood series
“Tautly written, wickedly sexy, and just plain fun.”—Lisa Gardner
“Ward’s paranormal world is, among other things, colorful, dangerous, and richly conceived.”—RT Book Reviews
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DAMN YOU JR WARD!!! Another great read that has me invested into more characters in your world of the black dagger brotherhood!!! Ivie and silas are pure magic together and even the secondary characters are just as interesting and have me already wondering about their stories!!! This book made me laugh and cry and had me pumping my fist in victory.And the hero of this tale is one of my fave characters of the black dagger series,and I’m glad that he had his moment to shine! I can’t get enough of this series!!! It’s awesome!
Imagine feeling those eyes on you across a crowded room!
Ivie works long hours as a caregiver, not that she minds, helping others gives her great joy. But once in a while, she likes to go out on the town, and it’s on one of these occasions she meets the aristocrat, Silas.
The attraction is immediate and intense, but Ivie senses there are secrets Silas is keeping from her and she tries without much success to guard her heart.
Silas is drawn to the beautiful young woman he meets against his majordomo’s advice. It’s a mistake to get involved, but he can’t control his passion for his dearest Ivie. Now he has to figure out a way to tell her the truth.
This story is much more than your normal romance. At first, I was angry with Silas for leading Ivie on when he knew there was no chance for them– but then, love can’t be turned on and off like a water spout, and his desperation to grab a few happy moments while he could really touched my heart.
Ivie is my hero! Faced with an impossible decision, she steps up to the plate and proves more than worthy for the aristocrat.
I give Dearest Ivie 5 lovely kisses- Love can overcome the worst obstacles with faith!
As with anything black dagger brotherhood related, this is a terrific story. I loved Ivie and Silas.
This is one of my favorite paranormal romance series. I was so happy to be back in the world of the BDB if only for a short while in Ivie & Silas’s novella. This was a little different than the other books in the series but in the very best way. It was a beautiful, heartwarming, soul deep, tear jerker of a love story. I am still reeling from it! JR Ward is amazing!
From the moment you crack the cover, JR Ward takes you on the world’s largest emotional rollercoaster. You will snicker at the sarcasm, growl with frustration, grit your teeth in anger, gasp in pain, cry with absolute anguish, hold your breath in anticipation and cry some more. What you won’t be able to do is become bored!
Right now, I both love and hate the Warden for running her cellies backwards through the wringer and then rinsing us with the softest rinse, only to drag us out to play football in the mud all over again. There is no comparison to the world of the BDB and I am grateful to be able to share in the lives and journeys of all the unique and wonderful characters. Thank you Warden for sharing their tales with us! If I could, I would give it more stars!
Love this book and all the others she has written!!!
One of the best, if not the best novella I have ever read. I laughed, I cried and then I cried some more.
Very much enjoyed this beautifully written side story!! If it ties into the BDB family where I think it does… I can’t wait!! Thank you JR Ward for all your wonderful words!
This novella is a part of the larger Black Dagger Brotherhood universe. This novella, while excellent and diverting, is really best read as a part of the series. JR Ward is possibly my favorite author. She is certainly tops in Paranormal Romance. If that is a genre you like…The Black Dagger universe of books is the BEST there is!!
This book was so good and so emotional! Ward really knows how to write emotions and make you feel everything.
Ivie never expects to be approached by a vampire in a crowded cigar bar for humans. Silas is handsome, flirtatious, and clearly part of the glymeria, but Ivie can’t stop thinking about him. Ivie quickly surrenders to her desire for Silas and their relationship really heats up. Unfortunately, Silas reveals that it cannot last because he will be leaving soon.
I loved this book. Ivie is everything I love in a heroine. She was strong, a hard worker, and wasn’t afraid to speak her mind. I just loved how blunt she was and that she never beat around the bush. She was always direct, even when it came to death.
“Death can be a release and a relief for the person, and that is a blessing. The thing is, a lot of times, it is work to die. It requires physical and emotional effort. What sucks is that for most, particularly if they’re dying out of sequence, it’s a job they don’t want. It’s about loss of control, loss of function, loss of identity and independence…loss of choice and decision, of family and friends. But if you can let go of all that, what comes with it is freedom. A soaring freedom, the soul released from its temporary prison of mortality.” – Ivie
I also really loved Ivie’s family. She had a large family that truly cared about her and supported her through everything. I especially loved her burly, tattooed father, Hirah. He was such a great father and was always there for her, even if he couldn’t fix the problem.
Silas is part of the glymera but he doesn’t act like them. I really loved him. He was everything I want in a hero. He knows it’s the end for him but he continues to push himself just so he can have some happiness. I just love how caring and sweet he is with Ivie. He really loves her and would do anything for her, even let her go.
“Please don’t forget me. I know I’m probably supposed to tell you to move on with your life and dwell on this little slice of time we’ve been given…but just…take me in your heart wherever you go. It will be the life I wished I’d lived, by your side, enjoying the gift of time and health with you.”
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I loved these two’s relationship. It was quick, steamy, and heart wrenching. It made me feel everything, which is one of the reasons why I love Ward’s books so much. She really can make you feel every emotion about her characters. I love that even though Ivie knew there wasn’t really a chance she didn’t give up on trying to save Silas’s life. She truly is a strong and courageous female.
“I love you, Ivie. I really do. And if dying is what I have to do to deserve you, all I can say is, my life for knowing you is a bargain I’d pick every time. I’m just…sorry about how this is going to end.”
Overall, I loved that we are getting novella’s featuring new characters in the BDB world. I love the brothers but it is nice to see how other people live in this world. I was also so happy to see Ruhn pop up in this book! I really hope Ivie and Silas pop up in future books because I want more of them.
Oh My Goodness This one made Me cry. It was a side Story in the world of the Black Dagger Brotherhood But it was Told with so much heart and Love that you almost say wow I am sorry you went through that Thinking of the author It was written that passionately.I hope that is not true. She is just the most exceptional writer. This is a must read.
Absolutely loved it.
Loved this, wish it had been longer, very reminiscent of the older BDB books.
Original review: https://myshelfbooks.wordpress.com/2019/12/29/review-dearest-ivie-by-j-r-ward/
After fifteen whole books based on The Black Dagger Brotherhood world, the author decided to write a shorter story. A novella as it is known in the publishing business. The good thing about that format is that it usually delivers quick snacks that leave the reader somehow satisfied. This one is not an exception; but, after so long dwelling in the dark with these guys, I was expecting something meatier.
In this book we meet Ivie, a young vampire who works as a nurse in the clinic of my beloved Havers. One day she meets Silas, a vampire aristocrat who fancies her at first sight. The gap in their social status is too big, so… will they be able to ignore it and accept the mating tickles they are getting or will they succumb to the clichés of that kind of relationship? They wished that were their biggest obstacle…
This story happens in two stages: the barely getting to know each other and falling in love and the drama that happens during the second half of the novella. Both of those parts have left a different trace in their way. From the first one, I got a tingling laughter that makes me think fondly of the characters. The author has a great sense of humor that I’m sad she doesn’t use more often in this saga. The intial banter between Silas and Ivie is probably the second best scenes of this book. The first would be the dinner with the family, where there are also several situations that made me laugh.
The second part, on the other hand, has a much sadder undertone with the characters facing the reality that their relationship has an expiration day. Here the author tried to be a bit stealthy about Silas’ condition, but the clues she drops are too huge to be missed by any reader. It seems the only one naive enough to be surprised was Ivie herself. As I have mentioned, this part of the story is sad but not emotional. Or at least it didn’t affect me that much, due to the weak connection I had forged with the characters (no time for something deeper). The impact of the story would have much bigger with well established characters of the saga. In any case, it was enough to make Havers shine as the true star he is. Now, that is a guy who deserves his own book!!
As I said, there is barely enough time to meet the characters. Thankfully, Ivie is good-humoured and a bit caustic in her comments, which helps to get to like her pretty fast. In that same regard, I’m conflicted with Silas. I LOVED his charming way of getting Ivie’s sire on his side, creating possibly the best scene of the book. Sadly, he can also be a bit grumpy and it really upset me when he yelled at his majordomo without any weighty reason to do so. That disparity made me not to like the rich vampire that much. I have enjoyed both of them as couple, but I’m not crazy about it. I don’t know how I feel about meeting them again in future books. Right now, I’m sceptic.
If this story wasn’t embedded in the Black Dagger Brotherhood universe I think it would have been more remarkable. I guess that I have some expectations of that world that were not fulfilled with this novella. It is more a distraction from the saga than a mandatory stop in the timeline.
Love J R Ward! Great characters, wonderful story lines, steamy love scenes.
I effing LOVED this!
You’ll need A LOT of tissues!
Best of 2018!
I absolutely LOVED the book! DEAREST IVIE is a beautiful novella set in the Black Dagger Brotherhood world. We are introduced to new characters and get surprised with old ones!
I freaking loved this novella! Prehaps better than some of the previous BDB books, even. Because it was a novella, it was too freaking short. But such an emotional story about love between two average vampires and terminal illness. I loved Ivie and Silas. I loved the entire story. Masterfully done for such a short book!
This is a short yet sweet story about the black dagger world. I loved the ups and downs between the characters and especially how fierce Ivie became as the book progressed.
DEAREST IVIE is book 15.5 in the BDB series. It’s probably the only one in the entire series that can be read as a standalone so if you haven’t read any part of this series yet (shame on you!) scoop this novella up for a quick glimpse into this vamp world.
Ok, spiel over..onto the review!
Ivie is a nurse who was born to a “common” vampire family. She meets tall, dark & handsome Silas at a local cigar bar. Silas is very clearly an aristocrat but she can’t resist his beautiful eyes. Can Silas & Ivie overcome their obvious social class differences?
This is a book by J.R. Ward so there’s absolutely a whole lotta other stuff happening between these two but I try to stay away from spoilers soooo… I will say that Silas & Ivie’s romance took a turn that I really wasn’t expecting. Seriously, emotional rollercoaster warning! Yup, you guessed it, another tear jerker for me.
Silas was charming, sweet, thoughtful. I would’ve enjoyed getting more of his background if this was a full length novel (maybe we’ll see him again in another book?). Ivie was so freakin’ adorable. She was witty, smart, funny…STRONG. I loved everything about her, even her wacky family. In fact, I would totally read a spin off about Ivie’s biker brethren. Can you imagine? BIKER VAMPIRES in the Black Dagger Brotherhood world? HAWT!
Definitely another 5 star read for me as well as an addition to my READ AGAIN E-SHELF! Surprisingly told from only Ivie’s POV with a happy ending. I voluntarily read & reviewed this book.
I loved this little ‘in between’ story. It was so sweet.