A warrior with inner demons falls for a woman who could save his soul in this seductive novel from the #1 New York Times bestselling Black Dagger Brotherhood series.Within the Black Dagger Brotherhood, Rhage is the warrior vampire with the strongest appetites. He’s the deadliest fighter, the most voracious lover, the quickest to act on his impulses. He’s also been cursed with two hundred years of … with two hundred years of hell. Possessed by a beast, he lives in fear of the times when his inner dragon comes out and he’s a danger to everyone around him.
Mary Luce has unwittingly found herself in the vampire world, and under Rhage’s protection. With her own life-threatening curse to bear, she’s not looking for love. Besides, she’s stopped believing in saving grace and miracles long ago. But when Rhage’s intense sexual attraction turns into emotional bonding, he knows he must have her for his mate. As their enemies close in, Mary finds herself praying for something she fears she’ll never have: life eternal with the one she loves.
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I have read this twice. I love Mary and Rage!
For a full review please visit https://tinyurl.com/y38omkap.
I’m a little late to discover this series but I’m so damn glad I finally ventured out and started reading it. This series keeps getting better with each book. Lover Eternal was awesome. I particularly loved the camaraderie between these brothers of the Brotherhood. The more I get know about them the more I fall in love.
Rhage captured my heart instantly. I was intrigued by him in Dark Lover and in Lover Eternal I couldn’t get enough of him. Everything about him was just right.
My only issue with this book was Mary. I wasn’t a fan of hers. She was too much in her own head about her insecurities. Luckily she grew some female balls near the end.
The world building is mind blowing and I’m so excited to keep reading this amazing series.
4 Beauty & The Beast Stars
What great character development and seriously painful angst between the love interests. I would love him myself. The action and evil reprobate in the book was perfect as well. Loved the plot twist at the end as well. Her books are a tad expensive but I’ve read several.
What I like about the BDB series as a whole is that it’s sort of this epic, ongoing, lots of moving parts type of series. In Lover Eternal, the “background” pieces are fantastic. Butch’s continues integration in the Brotherhood, John Matthew, Bella and Zsadist, etc.
However, Mary and Rhage’s story is pretty meh. While I get that Mary thinks she’s being punked by Rhage’s interest in her and her fears of someone watching her die – it takes too long for her to come around and to feel like she’s really with Rhage. Rhage is afraid of hurting Mary so he’s also emotionally back and forth. But what really killed it for me was the cheating, under the cloak of “my body needs this and you can’t give it to me” was really icky and I had a hard time coming around after that. When things *finally* come together for them, the book abruptly ends.
Honestly the best part of this book is the anticipation of Zsadist and Bella’s story which is up next.
Start of an interesting series. If you don’t mind angsty but acting gangsta semi-vampires who are actually vampire hunters stalking a very young woman who is becoming one of them, then this could be up your alley. Lots of swearing and dwelling on sex. The bad guys are supposed to be terrifying, but they’re surprisingly easy to kill or thwart if a mostly-blind guy can take them down… just my opinion. I have read most of the series, so it did hook me, but it’s not for everyone.
I’ve read the entire Black Dagger Brotherhood series, with the exception of the last one that I just ordered (#18, I believe). Each book centers on a different main character of the Brotherhood. If you’d like a whole different take on the world of Vampires, where they are the good guys, and you don’t mind a lot of steamy sex, this is the series for you.
I have read the entire Black Dagger Brotherhood series and loved every book. Anyone who loves paranormal romances will be hooked from book one. This series is definitely a page Turner.
I love JR Wards books. The vampire series is unique and absorbing. Love them!
Love the characters. Love the Black Dagger Brotherhood world.
Once you read one and fall for the characters you just can’t read just one.
This is the second story in the Black Dagger Brotherhood series and it was a worthy sequel to the first one. This is the story of Rhage and Mary. Rhage, the brother known as Hollywood for his glamorous looks, has been cursed to carry a beast within him which causes him to crave sex and violence to keep the beast under control. Mary is unremarkable, human and terminally ill. Through Mary and her vampire next door neighbor, Bella, the brethren are made aware of a young vampire, John Matthew. John Matthew cannot speak so Mary is his translator. After she translates for him during his first meeting with the brothers her memory is meant to be scrubbed and she is to go back to her regular life. Rhage is attracted from the moment he hears her voice and disobeys orders to make contact with Mary after her memory is altered. His pursuit of Mary has the consequence of exposing her to the enemy and making them aware of her connection to the brotherhood. He is ordered to give her up and wipe her memory, but he refuses to and insists on protecting her. He realizes the gravity of his disobedience, but recognizes Mary as his. Things are not easy with the battle against the ever strengthening lessers, Mary’s health, Rhage’s beast, and the barriers within their relationship. But true to form, it is all very exciting stuff as the plot unfurls. The subplots involving the other brothers is quite interesting too. The characters are well written and the plot kept me turning pages at a high rate of speed. I was so vested in the outcome of Rhage and Mary’s story that I actually teared up once or twice.
I really love this series and look forward to the next installment.
Anything J R Ward rights is awesome and riveting!! But my favorite is The Black dagger Brotherhood!!! If I could I would give it 10 stars!!!
I have loved this series since 2006. At the time, there was nothing else I was reading that was so gritty and I found her choice of diction new and exciting. As I have returned to the series after an almost 10-year break I have become a little more critical. I still have a nostalgic fondness for the series and continue to buy & read them, but I am less satisfied with the gender essentialism of her vampire culture and the unquestioned and less exploited matters of class and race. Her use of urban street slang and hip hop culture feel a little more like cultural appropriation. Obstacles to the characters’ HEA (Happily Ever After) are often resolved via deus ex machina rather than via the characters’ internal wrestles with reality.
That said, it is good escapist fun. The characters are endearing and have strong and believable personalities. If you like reading urban fantasy or stories about a secret/underground culture, you will enjoy this book.
As much as I loved the first book in this series Lover Eternal is one of my favorites. Rhage and Mary are one of my favorite couples. I enjoyed every page of their stoy.
The BDB series is my annual read series. J.R. Ward’s world building skills, character arcs, and witty banter are so tantalizing that this reader just wants to live in this world. If you are looking for a fantastic series to read—the audiobooks are fabulous too—to fall into, I highly recommend the Black Dagger Brotherhood Series! This particular book is book two in the series: Rhage & Mary are the main characters in this tale. I ‘ship’ them so hard!
I didn’t think I would like JR Ward’s books but boy was I wrong. Read them!
Love the story so beautiful
I loved this book. As a matter of fact, I truly loved this series. I am now rereading a lot of it while reading new books from the world of the Black Dagger Brotherhood.
This was book 2 in the “Black Dagger Brotherhood” series. Rhage a member of the Black Dagger Brotherhood. He is a warrior and with the help of his fellow brothers he fights those that kill vampires lesser. Cursed by the Scribe Virgin within an enter dragon he fears hurting those he love. Mary Luce is a survivor she has beaten leukemia and may have to do it again. Rhage to keep him grounded and to keep his beast at bay with all the extra energy to burn he fights or has sex. When Rhage meets Mary in the hall of the training center he can’t see her, but her voice calms him and his beast. I loved this book I totally fell in love with Rhage. For beneath that overwhelming masculine beauty and sex-god exterior beats a lonely heart seeking a partner to love and cherish. All that raw power capable of brutal violence subdued by touching tenderness and achingly enduring love. Mary for her part was very sweet but being self-conscious of herself I thought was a bit much especially when they were about to have sex behind the couch. Mary knew that Rhage was a playboy he was hot and women throw themselves at him. I also liked reading more about Zsadist and Bella learning more about his past and why he is the way that he is. I like Bella and I think she will be good for Zsadist and I can’t wait to read the next book. This book was very well written with no errors in grammar or spelling. The dialog between the brothers is hip and refreshing, and I love that they listen to rap music. The one thing that was not explained was after Rhage was punished why the other brothers cut themselves. I also liked the fact that Torhr and Wellsie took John in to help him understand what’s happening to him I felt really bad for him. Although this book did have a happy ending I wish that Mary would have been turned.