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Lover Mine (Black Dagger Brotherhood, #8)

J.R. Ward

Start date: August 1, 2013

Finish date: August 31, 2013

Discussion: Challenges: What's the Rush

Why we're reading this: Part of our group series (re)read: Black Dagger Brotherhood …more
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Challenges: What's the Rush

* 2025 Series Read: K.N. Banet's "Jacky Leon"
By Steph , Serious series addict · 89 posts · 31 views

last updated Aug 30, 2025 10:39PM

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* YEAR-LONG CHALLENGES
By Steph , Serious series addict · 1 post · 389 views

last updated Aug 17, 2010 11:14PM

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What Members Thought

Feb 14, 2010 Lauren⁷ 💜 rated it it was amazing

Shelves: romance, favorites, fantasy-sci-fi-romance-romantasy, best-books-read-in-2010, hot-hunky-hero, sexy-sexy-sexy, cover-i-love, library-has-a-copy, book-boyfriends

J.R. Ward gave John Matthew and Xhex the story they deserved 100,000 times over and then some. And after reading this, I now remember why I love J.R. so much. This book is nothing short of fantastic and one of Ward's best. This takes place about 4 weeks after Lover Avenged. Xhex has been kidnapped by Lash and Lash has Xhex in an invisible prison of sorts and no one but Lash can see, hear, or speak to her. Lash thinks he's in love with her sickeningly enough. He's been physically abusing Xhex, be J.R. Ward gave John Matthew and Xhex the story they deserved 100,000 times over and then some. And after reading this, I now remember why I love J.R. so much. This book is nothing short of fantastic and one of Ward's best. This takes place about 4 weeks after Lover Avenged. Xhex has been kidnapped by Lash and Lash has Xhex in an invisible prison of sorts and no one but Lash can see, hear, or speak to her. Lash thinks he's in love with her sickeningly enough. He's been physically abusing Xhex, beating the crap out of her and torturing her and worst of all. Raping her, yes I said raping her, repeatedly and violently. JM and several of the brothers find the house where she's imprisoned, but because of the spell, can't see or hear her. But JM can sense that she's there and he even goes in the room she's being held in, and in one of the best and most heart-wrenching scenes of the whole series. He finds the pillow she's been sleeping on and starts hugging it and crying because it smells like her, this pretty much breaks Xhex's heart and she puts her hand over his cheek and he puts his hand over hers, somehow sensing but not actually feeling it. As they leave the room Xhex starts crying (and this made me tear up) says I love you to JM. John Matthew for his part is devastated and thinks Xhex is dead, and as a tribute to her gets her name tattooed on his back in the old language. Xhex does eventually escape, but she's close to death, she leaves Rehvenge a message telling them she's alive and that she's taking off. Well naturally, because JM has bonded to her doesn't take that news well at all and he and Rehv set off to find her. Xhex has a place that no one but JM knows about, and he goes there and he finds her and he more or less saves her life. Xhex gets treated by Dr. Jane and while recovering JM more or less becomes her anchor. He's there for her, he listens to her and he comforts her. Although you wouldn't think it, JM and Xhex are very well suited for each other. One of the things I love best about J.R. as I have stated in other reviews is the characters she writes. She has a talent for characters like I've never seen. And Lover Mine is no exception. Ward really dives into Xhex's character and peels the layers back and lets you see beyond and below the tough-as-nails half-sympath assassin exterior to the amazing person beneath. And the person beneath has a lot of depth, a sense of humor, and is actually a very caring and compassionate person. And there is a jaw-dropping connection between JM and Xhex that partially explains why he feels so drawn to her. Ward also dives into JM's character, and really shows you who he is. And JM is an amazing guy, sweet, kind, sensitive, intelligent and just all around wonderful. In other words, a true male of worth. J.R. has said he will be inducted into the Brotherhood and he deserves to be, I also wouldn't be surprised if Xhex gets inducted as well. I could never declare a favorite brother before, but now I can and it's John Matthew. Like many others I didn't care much for the paranormal investigators plot and right off I could tell why J.R. included it in the book. But I do have to give J.R. her due, it was a clever way to introduce Murhder. And there where also a few other things I didn't care for. I haven't cared at all about Blay and Qhuinn's tension and angst and eventual getting together since it was first introduced and i still don't care about it. I like them fine as characters. But them getting together? Don't care, haven't cared, never will care. And I also feel like J.R. made Qhuinn gay just to satisfy all the fans screaming about how he and Blay simply must get together. And I really can't see Qhuinn as gay. Bi? In a heartbeat, but not gay. And I also wish we had seen more of the Shellens. With the exception of Jane, we either don't see the Shellens at all or they only get mentioned or we only see them briefly. And I also wish we had seen a lot more of Rehv, considering the fact that he is Xhex's best friend more or less. But considering just how fantastic the rest of the book it, I can easily overlook those minor quibbles. This book also goes back in time to the Old Country long before the brothers emigrated to America, during the 1600's and you see how the friendship between Darius and Tohrment develops and we also get to read some of Darius's diary entries. I do wish Darius hadn't died, he was an amazing guy. But then we wouldn't have this amazing book. And speaking of Tohrment, we finally, finally begin to see him start to patch things up with John Matthew and I was glad to see that and I hope we see more of that storyline in Lover Unleashed. The ending was great, I was glad that this will be the last we'll ever see of Lash who was a lame villian to begin with and there was great poetic justice in the fact that Lash literally started rotting and falling apart and also in the fact that it was ultimately Xhex poofing him back to wherever Lessers go. And we also get to learn Xhex's full name, it's surprisingly pretty and what it means is interesting considering the kind of character Xhex is. And last but not least, the cover. It's one of my most favorite covers and it's perfect for JM and Xhex, not to mention very sexy. To wrap up, very minor quibbles aside, this an incredible book and one of the very best entries in the BDB series and one of the best books I've read this year. Read it, you will not disappointed. ...more

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Dec 11, 2010 D.G. rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: paranormal-romance, reviewed, spicy

I think this may be my last book in this series. It's clear to me that Ward is too much in love with her own writing that she fails the story. Did we really need 2 side stories that were so freaking long? She could have cut them by half and we would still have gotten the idea. There was no need for them to go on and on. Also, the business of Blay and Qhuinn is driving me nuts and I know this is just the beginning - I really don't know what people see in Qhuinn...he's such an a-hole!

John Matthew ...more

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Oct 11, 2011 Thenia rated it really liked it

Shelves: series, reviewed, vampires, 2011, paranormal

Finally the "damsel in distress" theme is broken! Okay, Doc Jane wasn't really a damsel in distress, but she wasn't kick-ass either (not in the conventional way at least). Well Xhex is, and deservedly so. Half-breed assassin with a horrible past, she is a fighter to the core.

John, one of my very favorite characters, finally gets a break. He has to go through hell and back again to get there but that only makes the result so much sweeter and precious.

Qhuinn and Blay face their own demons and the ...more

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May 22, 2010 twinfish2 rated it did not like it

Shelves: paranormal-romance

I swore I was done with Ward but I just couldn't stop myself from picking this up at the library. I thought she might have gone back to good writing but I was wrong she was all over the place jumping from one thing to another. The slang was every other word almost. Pathetic and annoying. Also this book was boring. I had it 3 weeks and only got thru 100 pages it was so slow moving. So I guess I should have followed my first instinct and say a permanant goodbye to this series. I am cured, finally. ...more

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Sep 10, 2009 Cindi Kelley rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 2011-read

I loved John Matthew and Xhex as a couple. There was a lot of story lines to follow but they all seemed to coalesce. Although the ghost story set in the Carolinas threw me off a bit. And the thing with Blay and Quinn is getting annoying. They need to quit acting like idiots, especially Quinn, and tell each other how they REALLY feel. Ugh!

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Nov 09, 2009 Kimberly rated it really liked it

Shelves: 2010

I did NOT want to like this but the ending was actually really good!
Good enough that I'm glad she put in the flashback of Darius and Tohr with the baby.
Good for Xhex and John/Darius/whoever he is!
Although, you think someone would have put two and two together by now regarding John and his seizures every time something personal about Darius was mentioned.

The next book is going to be cool granted V doesn't go even more Nancy on us being reunited with his sister.

Scribe Virgin is in trouuuuuuble! ...more

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Mar 15, 2012 lia rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: paranormal-romance

This is the story of John Matthew, a reincarnation of Darius, Beth's father.
For the live of me, i couldn't remember the story. But i guess because it doesn't hold me like any other BDB books. And with this book i decided to stop reading BDB. It just spiraling down from here.

...more

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