Lover Reborn by JR Ward

Black Dagger Brotherhood #10

            This is the first Black Dagger Brotherhood book I've read, so I am obviously coming into the story line in the middle. Despite that fact, I liked this book well enough that I put the first one in the series (Dark Lover) on the TBR list before I finished this one. While there is a large cast of characters, they are very well defined so I had little difficulty keeping them straight in my head. I am also intrigued by the complexities of their society. That aspect is well thought out and detailed. I'd like to learn more about it. There are also some physical and mental abilities that I'd like to know more about. And, the love story, as always with JR Ward, was spicy indeed.

            This book dealt primarily with the ideas of love lost, and moving past one's grief. There was also a side story featuring the compromises necessary for two strong people in love with each other to build a marriage.

            Thorment (Did I mention I love the characters’ names?) has lost his life mate, Wellissandra. She died in a previous story, but he is not dealing well with the loss. He is refusing to feed and wasting away both physically and mentally. His refusal to deal with the loss of his wife and unborn son is preventing them from moving into the Fade - roughly equivalent to our heaven - and they will soon be lost to oblivion if something does not change.

            No'One has been sent back to the mortal plain after having committed suicide years before. She too must learn to move beyond her self-involvement and grief to arrive at a full productive life.

            Lassiter is an angel attempting to "earn his wings". It is his task to herd both Thorment and No'One in the right direction and prod them toward each other so all three can be redeemed; a task akin to herding cats in this case. The process is sometimes sad, sometimes funny and always entertaining. And Lassiter does finally succeed.

            Whether everyone lives happily ever after remains to be seen, however, as certain factions within their society are plotting to overthrow their king. We'll have to see what comes of that in the next book, Lover At Last.

Covet by JR Ward

          Fallen Angels #1

          Jim Heron is a construction worker on a crew building a palatial estate for a business mogul.  He is basically just one of the boys, although he pretty much keeps to himself. His dark, violent past makes him wary of other people. What he doesn’t know is that the powers of good and evil have chosen him to direct the final competition between them to determine the ultimate fate of humanity. He will be given seven opportunities to influence the lives of pre-chosen humans. If he turns them toward good, the powers of good win a point. If the human in question continues his evil ways, the powers of evil get a point. Whichever side gains four souls first wins the souls of all humanity.

          Naturally, the powers for good will obey all the rules.  And, the powers of evil will always cheat. But Jim is given some help with his tasks.  He has a pair of fallen angels, in the guise of biker guys, and a dog – a puppy really to give him help and advice.  Working for the other side is the incredibly luscious Divina – a demon willing to do really nasty things to innocent bystanders in order to get her way.

          His first task is to turn the business mogul, Vin, away from his heartless, single-minded pursuit of the almighty dollar and all the best toys toward a more loving and giving point of view. He must get rid of Devina, who has already laid claim to Vin’s soul before Jim even finds out about his task. Vin must change his ways and learn to love Marie-Terese, the hooker with the heart of gold.

          This is the first book in the Fallen Angels series. I picked it up because I enjoyed the third book, Envy [Envy review]. I didn’t like this one quite as much as I did the third, but practice does make perfect. And I do have the second book, Crave, on my to-be-read list.