Lover Avenged (Black Dagger Brotherhood, #7) in Alpha Heroes & Spitfire Heroines

Nov 03, 2008 Auntee rated it it was amazing

Shelves: keepers, paranormal-romance, 2009_reads

Excellent, just excellent. JR Ward is back with a vengeance! For anyone who was disappointed with the previous two books in the BDB series, I urge you not to give up on it--鈥淟over Avenged鈥� is every bit as good a book as the first four of the series. It鈥檚 got everything that you could want, starting with an outstanding hero and heroine in nightclub owner/ drug lord Rehvenge and nurse Ehlena. It鈥檚 a testimony to the author鈥檚 writing skills that she can make a drug lord, mobster pimp into one of he ...more

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Apr 09, 2009 Eastofoz rated it liked it

Shelves: paranormal

If I were rating the cover of this book it鈥檇 be 5 stars hands down :D Too bad the book isn鈥檛 like the cover though :-/ Granted this one isn鈥檛 as bad as Lover Enshrined but it鈥檚 a close second for me. There are way too many plots running at the same time that left me wondering if the story鈥檚 main focus was really about Rehv and Elhena or if it was about Lash鈥檚 new role, Wrath鈥檚 blindness, Wrath and Beth and their marital issues, Tohr鈥檚 coming back to the land of the living, Lassiter helping Tohr, If I were rating the cover of this book it鈥檇 be 5 stars hands down :D Too bad the book isn鈥檛 like the cover though :-/ Granted this one isn鈥檛 as bad as Lover Enshrined but it鈥檚 a close second for me. There are way too many plots running at the same time that left me wondering if the story鈥檚 main focus was really about Rehv and Elhena or if it was about Lash鈥檚 new role, Wrath鈥檚 blindness, Wrath and Beth and their marital issues, Tohr鈥檚 coming back to the land of the living, Lassiter helping Tohr, John Matthew鈥檚 obsession with Xhex, Xhex wanting John Matthew but won鈥檛 tell him, Payne who comes out of nowhere to kick Wrath around, the Scribe Virgin and her new misery, and on and on and on. I got the impression that Ward wasn鈥檛 sure what she wanted to focus on so she just threw it all together.

All the stories outside of Rehv and Elhena鈥檚 felt like a lot of filler to me especially the part about the Lessers. They seem more present in this novel than before which I think takes away from the main story. I don鈥檛 mind a few paragraphs about them here and there to wet your whistle so to speak for the main love story but it was always just too long. I generally skimmed/skipped all the Lesser parts at one point (though I did like the Texan Mr D and his twang).

The pseudo street language also got on my nerves in this book. I didn鈥檛 mind it in the others because it fit well with the characters, but here it felt like Ward was trying too hard and overused it. Everybody was saying 鈥渇uck this fuck that鈥� even if didn鈥檛 seem in character (Elhena, Beth鈥�) I was fed up with her bizarre comparisons one after another and the abbreviations (MMO, CCP, NFW鈥�.). At the beginning I tried to figure out what they meant but then I just skipped it.

As for the relationship between the h/h, there wasn鈥檛 enough of it and it had so much potential. She did a great job with Rehv and actually turned him into a very sexy, interesting hero. Like other readers, I wasn鈥檛 all that keen on his character and when I found out the next book was about him I was more than skeptical but it worked out. Ward built up some good sexual tension up until they got together for the first time but when they finally 鈥渞eally鈥� get together at the end I was disappointed that there wasn鈥檛 more. I was actually more interested in knowing what John Matthew planned on doing about Xhex.

I鈥檒l still read the next one because I want to know what happens and I鈥檓 holding out hope that Ward will go back to the kind of writing she did in Books 2 to 5. For someone not a BDB fan I don鈥檛 think they鈥檇 enjoy the book. The stories are too many and too messy and the eye-rolling lingo grates after a while.
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Dec 07, 2008 Julie (jjmachshev) rated it it was amazing

Shelves: 2009-reads

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 symp 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! ...more

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Aug 16, 2009 Julianna rated it really liked it

Shelves: desert-island-keepers, paranormal-romance, read-2010

Reviewed for
"4.5 stars" J. R. Ward has done it again with another spectacular installment in the Black Dagger Brotherhood series. Lover Avenged has pretty much everything I've come to expect from her writing: Swoon-worthy romance that harkens back to some of the earlier books in the series like Lover Eternal; hot love scenes, this time between more than just the main couple; lots of obstacles to overcome for true love to be victorious; an intelligently written fantasy story arc; lots ...more

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Feb 14, 2010 Lauren鈦� 💜 rated it it was amazing

Shelves: library-has-a-copy, favorites, fantasy-sci-fi-romance-romantasy, romance, hot-hunky-hero, sexy-sexy-sexy, cover-i-love

Almost all of the reviews I've read of this series rave about how talented the author J.R. Ward is, and after reading Lover Avenged I have to agree. For me this was a radical departure from the romance I usually read, for the most part when it comes to my romance reading, I read Harlequin Blazes and Historical romance, but I am so glad that I did depart, as this has turned me into a huge Vampire romance fan, and Paranormal romance fan! When an author can make you not only like but sympathize wit Almost all of the reviews I've read of this series rave about how talented the author J.R. Ward is, and after reading Lover Avenged I have to agree. For me this was a radical departure from the romance I usually read, for the most part when it comes to my romance reading, I read Harlequin Blazes and Historical romance, but I am so glad that I did depart, as this has turned me into a huge Vampire romance fan, and Paranormal romance fan! When an author can make you not only like but sympathize with a drug lord and pimp (albeit he doesn't beat or brutalize the girls who work for him, and he has bouncers to deal with the johns if they get rough with the girls), she is talented, but nevertheless in his business he is a nasty guy, I am of course talking about Rehvenge, the hero (or anti-hero such as the case may be) of Lover Avenged. Ah Rehvenge, in spite of his profession, I absolutely loved him, J.R. did an excellent job of balancing out the nastiness of his profession by making Rehvenge in his personal life with his family and friends a very nice, caring, sweet, and sexy (although he's drop-dead sexy no matter what) guy. He is a total alpha-male, very strong, very sexy, brooding, but he never turns cavemanish or stalkerish, and he is just so darn sexy, did I mention I Love Him? And there is also a lot of humor in this book, both between the Brotherhood (I laughed so hard at their bantering) and the other characters in the book, which also helps balance out the darker elements. And Ehlena the heroine who's a nurse also very nicely tempered Rehvenge. Ehlena was no shrinking violet, she was strong and feisty and not afraid to put her life in danger for the one she loves (hence the title), she could give just as good as he gave, he is a very strong alpha-male yes, but she was never a doormat and she never let him run roughshod over her. And I liked her a lot. With Rehvenge and Ehlena, it was a classic example of black and white, right and wrong, etc. And I felt they balanced each other out very nicely. There are also about 3 or 4 subplots going on in this book, and those where very enjoyable as well, albeit a little hard to keep up with. And this is by far one of the sexiest books I've ever read, I mean whew, the love scenes are H-O-T. And J.R. has taken blood-drinking, one of the archetypical Vampire traits and made it incredibly almost unbelievably sexy, she made it something you wouldn't mind having done to yourself if these guys where real, I'm not going to divulge how and spoil it, but trust me, it is sexy. And the cover also goes down as one of my most favorites ever, whoever chose the guy for the cover could not have chosen better, Rehvenge's description in the book and the guy on the cover match perfectly, if not better, right down to those intense and sexy amethyst eyes. YUM is all I can say about him. But J.R. did not sacrifice character development or a genuinely good story, for sexiness and the romance. There is excellent and very strong character development of all the characters from Ehlena and Rehvenge to the character's in the sub-plots, she really gets you into the character's minds, who they are, why they do what they do, their thoughts, their feelings, their motivations. Clocking in at close to 550 pages, is part of the reason why. And the story is also very good, interesting and for the BDB universe completely believable. This is an excellent introduction to the Vampire romance genre, but it's not for the feint of heart though, as I mentioned Rehvenge is a drug lord and pimp, the love scenes are very vivid, there is a fair amount of violence in this book, and some extremely graphic imagery, strong R rated language, and it's generally very gritty and raw. But to conclude my review, I LOVED IT! ...more

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Jan 28, 2010 Nicole rated it really liked it

I should be clear, I'm rating this in its genre rather than rating it against high literature. My expectations for this aren't as high as they are for, say, Simon Winchester.

So I get the feeling from the ratings I see that a lot of people didn't like this. I found it an engrossing read, however, even if the ending had some big flaws. Ehlena is the most interesting female character to come along in a long time (I can't even remember who half the previous female characters are), and while Rehvenge ...more

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Jan 13, 2010 Kelly rated it really liked it

Shelves: 2010-read

Book 7 and they just keeping getting better! This was one heck of a ride.

I love Wards ability to keep the series moving, bringing in new characters but never letting us forget the ones we have already fallen for.

Wrath and Beth showed us that mated life has ups and downs even for Vampires. Wrath and Beth are still my favorite H/H. So happy he got rid of that dam pansy desk and Chair!

I have loved Rehv from the start and this book did not disappoint. I liked Ehlena but she is not one of my favor ...more

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Dec 14, 2009 Mahlet rated it it was amazing

Shelves: pnr, favorites, audio, series, favorite-author

Z, Rhage and now Rhev have my favorite books of the series thus far. Very intense conclusion in this one with a cliffhanger ending that will have you BEGGING for John Matthew's book this April.

I'm so glad I suffered through Phury's book to make it here. Lover Avenged not only told Rhev and Elena's story, we had the added bonus of Wrath & Beth and John Matthew & Xhex drama and hookups. The scene in Wrath's office. On the desk. On the floor. If you read this, you know what I'm talking about. Smok ...more

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Jun 11, 2009 Barbara rated it really liked it

Shelves: vampires-werewolves-oh-my

Reading again April 2010 to gear up for JR Wards next addition to the BDB series....Lover Mine.

This is book 7 of the Black Dagger Brotherhood series. This book focuses on Rehvenge. Rehv isn鈥檛 actually part of the Brotherhood, he鈥檚 kinda the opposite. Rehvenge is a drug lord and owns a number of nightclubs in the city, one of them frequently visited by the Brotherhood and his sister Bella is married to one of the Brotherhood and has a young baby. Rehv has a sinister reputation so he seemed to be ...more

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Feb 02, 2009 Christel rated it it was amazing

Shelves: 2009-reads, jr-ward

WOW JUST WOW!! I was hoping Rehv's book would be better than the last 2. Phury's and V's books left a real sour taste in my mouth for reading but Ward has redeemed herself with Lover Avenged.

Rehv was a complex character to write, many isosyncracies, many different facets to his personality. Just different from the rest of the brothers.

Ehlena, what can I say. She had her own problems but her love for Rehv over rided everything else. Great H/H with a great HEA.

More into the lives of the rest of th ...more

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Jan 22, 2010 Rochelle rated it really liked it

Shelves: fantasy-and-paranormal, read-2010, vampire

I like that the book was focused not just on Rehvenge and Ehlena, but also with Wrath, Zhex and John, and even Lash. I just didn't find it was 5-star material. Lover Avenged was more gory/gruesome than most of the others in the BDB series. The book also seemed really long. ...more

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