Lover Avenged

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.

I’m working my way through another reread of J.R. Ward’s Black Dagger Brotherhood series, and I’m glad to be back with the OG characters again. Rehvenge and Elena’s book has always been a favorite, and Rehvenge will forever be one of my top fave MMCs in this fictional world that J.R. created.

Storyline/My Thoughts: I’ve always felt strongly for Rehvenge since he was first introduced in the series. He came off as the bad guy/antihero due to what he did for a living, but he also had another side that I knew eventually would come out whenever we learned more about him. J.R. Ward gave her readers his POV several times in other books leading up to his won full-length book, which is why I was fully invested in Rehvenge and learning more about his character. 

In Lover Avenged, Rehvenge is approached by Montrag (a part of the higher vampire council) to take out the King of the vampires because Montrag knows only Rehvenge can do it due to the warriors always protecting the King. The issue is Montrag has no clue that Rehvenge is close to the BDB due to his sister. Rehvenge is the MMC in the BDB series that you don’t want to cross with, especially when he has people working for him that are loyal only to him, and he’s loyal to them, too. I loved the twists and turns happening with this particular storyline, and I did fear at the beginning that Rehvenge would go after Wrath, the King of the race who happens to be my book husband since he stole my heart first before Rehvenge. Rehvenge, though will forever be my fave antihero and one of my book boyfriends I’ve collected since I started reading romance years ago. I love those who come off as villains but secretly are heroes in their own way and will burn the world to save you and who they love, and that is exactly who Rehvenge was in Lover Avenged. 

The question was who would be the lucky-fated female to deal with Rehvenge since he’s not fully vampire and has another side of him that is forbidden to the vampire race. (J.R. Ward goes into more detail in this book, too.) I thought Beth, Mary, and Jane were strong lead FMCs in the series, but Ehlena topped them in her own way. She was the perfect mate for Rehvenge because she was similar to him. Ehlena and Rehvenge had made sacrifices in the name of love and family, where they both had to give up so much that they forgot they deserved happiness, too. Ehlena meets Rehvenge when he comes into Havers clinic, and she makes him a priority, especially when he isn’t taking care of himself. She has no clue who Rehvenge is and what he does for a living, but she immediately feels for him and wants him to care for himself, even when she should take her own advice. 

Ehlena and Rehvenge were equally stubborn and perfect in every way to be together. I loved reading their slow burn. I didn’t enjoy the two characters’ breakup, but I knew it was necessary. Rehvenge loved Ehlena and didn’t want to put her in danger, so he sacrificed his love for her to do what he thought was right. No spoilers from me on this one; just know that there is a bigger villain in this story that has been targeting Rehvenge for years, and I couldn’t stand this person. 

J.R. Ward doesn’t just give us the main characters’ storylines; she gives us sneak peeks of other storylines that are coming, plus what is happening with previous characters. You’ll get John Matthew and Xhex’s POVs and what is happening between these two. A lot of push and pull is happening, and I’m here for it when it comes to JM and Xhex. There’s also POV regarding Wrath, the King of the vampire race, and not just with Montrag wanting him unalived. Something significant happened to him that made me tear full when I read the scenes between him and Beth. Those two will always be a fave in the series, and I love that J.R. Ward continues to give us their POVs, even if it’s heartbreaking. 

Overall, this book gets five stars from me and will always be a favorite in the series. Rehvenge and Ehlena’s love story is one that was epic, and it was a great addition to the BDB series. 

Standalone or Part of Series: It’s part of the BDB series and I recommend reading in order.

Steam/Spice: 🌶 🌶.5

Genre/SubGenre(s)/Trope(s)/Element(s): Romance | Paranormal Romance | Fated Mates | Vampire Romance | Slow Burn Romance | Nurse/Patient | Alpha MMC | Antihero | Kickbutt FMC

Would I recommend this book/series? Yes. I recommend this book/series to readers who enjoy Paranormal Romances with Vampires/Warriors and their fearless heroines who fall for them.

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About J.R. Ward

J.R. Ward is the author of over thirty novels, including those in her #1 New York Times and USA Today bestselling series, The Black Dagger Brotherhood. There are more than 15 million copies of Ward’s novels in print worldwide and they have been published in 25 different countries around the world.
After graduating from law school, Ward began working in healthcare in Boston and spent many years as Chief of Staff of one of the premier academic medical centers in the nation. She lives in the south with her incredibly supportive husband and her beloved golden retriever. Writing has always been her passion and her idea of heaven is a whole day of nothing but her computer, her dog and her coffee pot.

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FranJessca

Owner/Reviewer at A Book Lovin' Mama's Blog

I guess I should type a bio here. I'm FranJessca, or Fran for short. I'm the owner/reviewer behind A Book Lovin' Mama's Blog. I've been reading and reviewing books on my blog since leaving the Navy in 2011, and I will keep doing it as long as possible. My favorite genres will always be Romance & Fantasy, and I read every subgenre underneath those two genres. (Sorry, not a fan of nonfiction, so don't try to convince me to read it.)
My obsession with reading started over 30+ years ago when I went to my first Scholastic Book Fair and found R.L. Stine's Fear Street series. Later, I came across Anne Rice's novels at my public library when I was fourteen when my obsession with vampires started. I was the girl who preferred to be a vampire over a princess any day. My husband says I would leave him a heartbeat for a vampire that looked like Spike or Angel (from Buffy the Vampire Slayer) or Damon Salvatore from The Vampire Diaries. (It's true, though, and he's accepted it.)

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