Lover Eternal by J. R. Ward

Title: Lover Eternal
Author: J.R. Ward
Publisher: Signet
ISBN: 978-0-451-21804-9
Pages: 441
Series: Black Dagger Brotherhood #2
Type: Adult Paranormal Romance
Source: Purchased
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Rhage is one of the most dangerous warriors within the Brotherhood. Cursed by the Scribe Virgin for his reckless nature, Rhage is full of strong impulses that must be indulged lest his inner dragon emerge and reek destruction. When Rhage crosses paths with Mary Luce he is desperate to claim her for himself, as is the dragon inside him. But Mary has survived more than Rhage can comprehend and with her trials starting again there are some things even Rhage can't protect her from.

This is the second book in the awesome Black Dagger Brotherhood series (after Dark Lover) and I have to say I enjoyed it as much as the first. There were a few comments in the previous book about the unlikeliness of Rhage ever settling down which I found hilarious given that I knew his book was up next. I liked Rhage in the previous books, and his portrayal as the cursed warrior fits well with Mary who, unsure if she can even save herself, spends all her time trying to save others.

Once again the romance is well written and runs alongside additional storylines, this time introducing John Matthew as a character (his book Lover Mine is the eighth in the series) and focusing on a different Lesser called Mr O who was introduced in the previous book. The bad-guy perspective isn't something frequently done in paranormal romance books, but it gives a lot of depth to the story showing that the Lessers do have their own individual motivations.

The ending is cleverly done as while it concludes this book, it leads straight in to the next book. Bella is introduced in this book as a friend of Mary's and she interacts with Zsadist on several occasions. The cliffhanger at the end of their storyline means I can't wait to get reading their book.

All in all this was a great read and I can't wait for Lover Awakened.

Plot: 9/10
Characters: 10/10
Ending: 10/10
Enjoyment: 10/10
Cover: 9/10

Overall: 48/50