Lover Avenged by J.R. Ward

The brothers are back—the latest installment in J. R. Ward’s sizzling #1New York Times bestselling series.J. R. Ward’s Black Dagger Brotherhood novels have introduced readers to a “different, creative, dark, violent, and flat-out amazing” (All About Romance)world. Now, as the vampire warriors defend their race against their slayers, one male’s loyalty to the Brotherhood will be tested—and his dangerous mixed blood revealed…Rehvenge has always kept his distance from the Brotherhood—even though his sister is married to a member, for he harbors a deadly secret that could make him a huge liability in their war against the lessers. As plots within and outside of the Brotherhood threaten to reveal the truth about Rehvenge, he turns to the only source of light in his darkening world, Ehlena, a vampire untouched by the corruption that has its hold on him—and the only thing standing between him and eternal destruction.

This book was all over the place! I like the investment Ward has made in multiple storylines but they kind of all dragged each other down. I am not a huge fan of the Symphath culture in these books because I can't find anything redeeming in it. Some virtue or honor in the species would make the books more readable! Otherwise, liked it and looking forward to the next.

I always include major spoilers (hidden), to help with my memory issues. Read them at your peril!

The main character has been keeping his awful family history and his half sympath nature hidden. He meets and falls in love with a nurse in Havers' clinic. He feels unworthy because in addition to the aboveHe is a drug dealer, a pimp and is forced to pay blackmail and sexually service his evil half sister . The heroine and her father used to be one of the glymera but were cast out when her father was duped out of his fortune, and her fiancé traduced her to excuse his dumping her. Her father now suffers from schizophrenia . Lash is back now that his biological father the Omega has made him a lesser of great power. There is a plot to Kill king Wrath

A rattling good read, easy to rip through the 700+ pages. As usual, the action jumps between several exciting plot strands.

This is by far my least favorite story of the series. I don't get why it's so popular. There were moments during this book that I was literally sick to my stomach... that whole twist with Rehvenge and his blackmailer. It was all kinds of wrong and not anything that I care to read about whether it's a romance or not.

I get the appeal of reforming the bad boy (or vampire in this case), but in the end I just don't think that Rehvenge really reformed. Yes, he fell in love, but nothing about him really changed. And while I liked Ehlena, I didn't like how she was with Rehvenge and I really hated how easily she forgave Rehvenge and got over all that she learned about him. Goodness knows, I wouldn't be able to.

I honestly only kept reading this book for the overarcing storyline. And if I hadn't been listening to an audio version, I probably would have skimmed large sections of the book. In the end, I just don't understand how a drug dealer/user can be celebrated as a romantic hero. And if this had been the first book in the series, I wouldn't have read any further.