Black Dagger Brotherhood: Lover Mine (Book 8)

After hearing about John Matthew more and more during each of the previous 6 books of the series, we finally get to read about his story in Lover Mine.  This book begins just a few weeks after the previous book ends.  Xhex is still missing, and John Matthew vows to find her and bring her back.  We not only get to learn more about John Matthew, but we also find out a lot more about Xhex's past.

There are so many stories going on in this book that it's hard to decide which one(s) to cover in a review.  So, I'll say this:  if you're a fan of the Black Dagger Brotherhood series, you owe it to yourself to read this latest installment.  There's a lot more to the book than just John Matthew, Xhex, and Lash's fate.  We get a look back to Darius' life before and during the beginning of his time in the Brotherhood and we find out what happened to Xhex's former lover (the Brother Murhder).  We meet the Bloodletter's daughter and Quinn starts to face some repressed feelings.

Overall, I was a little disappointed in Lover Mine. We had new characters and new story lines thrown at us, and while a few stories were told, there are some that are left open.  I'd love to read more about Payne & Vishous, I'd like to see the Blay/Quinn/Saxton issue resolved, and I felt the Murhder sub-plot that was thrown in deserves more attention than it was given.  J.R. Ward definitely left many openings, and I hope that she lets us in on all the little secrets.

Up Next:  The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner