Review: Lover Reborn – JR Ward

Lover Reborn by JR Ward
Series:  Black Dagger Brotherhood #10
Release Date:  March 27, 2012
Publisher:  NAL
Source:  Amazon, via my own wallet
Buy the book at: Amazon

In the darkest corners of the night in Caldwell, New York, a conflict like no other rages. The city is home to a band of brothers born to defend their race: the warrior vampires of the Black Dagger Brotherhood. 

Now back in the Brotherhood – and unrecognizable as the vampire leader he once was – Tohrment is physically emaciated and heartbroken beyond despair. When he begins to see his beloved in his dreams – trapped in a cold, isolating netherworld – Tohr turns to a self-serving fallen angel in hopes of saving the one he has lost. When he’s told he must learn to love another to free his former mate, Tohr knows they are all doomed . . . 

Except then a female with a shadowed history begins to get through to him. Against the backdrop of the raging war with the lessers, and with a new clan of vampires vying for the Blind King’s throne, Tohr struggles between the buried past, and a very hot, passion-filled future . . . but can his heart let go and set all of them free?

A year is a long time to wait for the next Black Dagger Brotherhood release, especially when you know the brother that is going to be written about someone with a heart so decimated he couldn’t possibly love another.  A year is a long time to read all the speculation about what’s the plot is for the next book, what’s going to happen with the baddies and how JR Ward could possibly make Tohr love another.  A year is a long time, but in the case of Lover Reborn it was so freaking worth it.


Many things happen in Lover Reborn (which takes place over the course of a year), so many that it’s hard to focus on exactly what elements should go into a review.  Here are some of the highlights:


Tohr / No’One:  
Poor Tohr.  His grief was hard to read.  It was such a tangible thing, it was almost a separate character in the story.  Even when he was faced with the fact that he was causing Wellsie and his unborn son to be stuck in the “In Between”, he still couldn’t seem to let go of the grief.  

While he and No’One entered into their “understanding” with the explicit goal of trying to release Wellsie, you could see that he was just going through the motions.  Which wasn’t fare to anyone.

No’One does play the role of the martyr, but she does it because she’s stuck in this viscous circle of not thinking she is worthy of anything after what happened to her.  She’s only good enough to act as a servant, she hides under her robes and she lets Tohr walk all over her.  There are quite a few times where he snaps at her, then comes back later to apologize and she says ok.

The turning point in their relationship comes after a spectacular blow up in which Tohr rips into No’One (who at this point goes by the name Autumn).  While many things were said they should have been said differently, I think that was the catalyst to finally get Tohr to understand it was time to move on.

Lassiter:
I have to say, I freaking love Lassiter.  He added comic relief to the storyline when it became incredibly emotional.  His unorthodox methods of getting through to Tohr were probably the only way Tohr would have been able to get through his grief.  But it wasn’t only Tohr he helped, but No’One as well as he gave her the confidence to move forward.


Xhex and John Matthew:
I assumed after mating that these two would manage to get their act together.  WRONG!  Seems a few months into their mating, they’re relationship is already disintegrating.  John Matthew freaks out when Xhex gets hurt in the field  That starts the downfall of their relationship.  There were several times when I wanted to smack Xhex because of her attitude.  It was almost as if how she felt was more important.  Ultimately they kinda work out their issues, but I’m waiting for when Xhex runs out on JM again.


Xcor/Band of Bastards:
So if you thought the bad guys were just the Omega and the Lessening Society, think again.  Xcor, while an incredible bad guy, obviously is slightly conflicted and still operating under the Bloodletters standard operating procedure.  But he does has a conscience, which we saw after what went down with Throe.  I still see him as a huge thorn in the BDB’s side, but there may be some redemption for him and his merry men.

Layla:
I get that Layla is still naive to the way things are on this side.  I get her eagerness to help out the “soldiers” out fighting the good fight.  But can anyone be as completely clueless as her?  I do hold Phury partly responsible for the mess she got herself into.  The woman should not be allowed to run around without a babysitter. 


Quinn / Blay:
Does anyone else feel like they need to wrap their arms around Quinn and just hold on every time the story shifts to him?  We get to see just how much of an outsider Quinn feels and how he’s having a really hard time keeping his feeling for Blay disguised.  Every time he sees Blay and Saxton together, his jealousy rears it’s ugly head.  The only thing he was missing was the bonding scent flaring up.
But Quinn isn’t the only one holding on by a thin thread with hiding his feelings.  Blay demonstrates just what he feels for Quinn while waiting for him to recover after a run in with Xcor.   I can’t wait to see what happens next.


I’m not doing the 547 pages that make up Lover Reborn justice because it was such a fabulous read.  You are on an emotional roller coaster from practically the first page and will be a blubbering mess when you get close to the end.  But it’s worth it.  Tohr was forever changed the night his Wellsie was killed, but our new Tohr is still a man of worth.  A man who now understands what it’s like to lose everything and have to fight your way back.  A man who will appreciate what he has every second of every day and make sure those important to him know that.