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Lover Eternal
Lover Eternal
Lover Eternal
Audiobook14 hours

Lover Eternal

Written by J. R. Ward

Narrated by Jim Frangione

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

4.5/5

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About this audiobook

Listeners looking for a fresh twist on vampire tales need look no further than the erotically charged Black Dagger Brotherhood series. Mary Luce is dissatisfied with her life and her job. But when she is unwittingly thrust into the vampire dominion, everything changes. Falling under the protection of the Brotherhood's strongest member, Rhage, she soon finds herself drawn to his animalistic urges.
LanguageEnglish
Release dateMay 8, 2009
ISBN9781440718823
Lover Eternal
Author

J. R. Ward

J.R. Ward is the author of more than sixty novels, including those in her #1 New York Times bestselling Black Dagger Brotherhood series. There are more than twenty million copies of her novels in print worldwide, and they have been published in twenty-seven different countries. She lives in the south with her family.

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Reviews for Lover Eternal

Rating: 4.258610030135301 out of 5 stars
4.5/5

1,626 ratings79 reviews

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  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I read this book several years ago and gave it 3 stars because I wasn't crazy about Mary but his time, listening to the audible version, I am giving it 4 stars.

    I love Rhage, his Dragon and Mary. This is the beginning of an exciting series filled with wonderful warriors who are brought to their knees by the women who love them. Enjoy while I set up the next book in the series.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Love it. Wish the whole series was on here. Please add them all as audiobooks.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    She looked so right in his big bed, nestled in the mountain of pillows he insisted on sleeping with. He wanted her there tomorrow and the day after and...
    Lover Eternal continues the adventures of the Black Dagger Brotherhood as they fight against their enemies the lessers. In this second installment, more characters are introduced and the world of vampires is expanded upon. Usually this would make me overwhelmed, but J.R. Ward makes each character interesting in their own right that I want to read more about them.

    The main romantic pairing is of Rhage and a human girl called Mary with cancer. Like Wrath and Beth, the attraction between them is instant. Even though there is insta-lust, J.R. Ward takes time to build on their relationship which I enjoyed up to a point. There was a lot of back and forth between Rhage and Mary with their inner conflicts making them reluctant to pursue a real relationship.

    Now I don't mind this, but it happened a lot. Sometimes too instant and out of the blue, then they were back together without ever moving past their inner conflict. The reasonings for backing out and causing conflict felt forced. What they said and did contradicted each other and got me confused on what they wanted. A lot of it was the fact they weren't honest to each other for a long time. It made for a tiring read and I was a bit disappointed since I really liked this couple. However, this didn't stop me from enjoying reading the chemistry between Rhage and Mary because it was there. And it was hot.

    The plot like the first one was convoluted. There were multiple plots going on at once besides the main romance. This was expected. I didn't enjoy the antagonists' POV as much as I did in Dark Lover, but I did like how the author expanded on their world. Did it make me sympathize with them, no.

    We are introduced to some new characters, one being Bella who is the next heroine in the third book. I cannot express how excited I am to read about her and Z!
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    This series was recommended to me by a coworker.. She stated is was “Epic Reading”. I must agree with her. I strongly disliked having to put it away. Rhage’s personality is kind of harsh is some ways but as the book continued, I learned to love him as he means well but has a hard time showing his true feelings. On to book three!
  • Rating: 1 out of 5 stars
    1/5
    Really liked the previous book but women are such doormats in this book. Mary Luce, with her "I'll never be good enough" mentality, constantly believes she's the one who has done Rhage wrong even though he literally went out HAD SEX WITH ANOTHER WOMAN all the while expecting her to stay in his bed and stay with him?! I don't care about his "special circumstances" as he still could have explained and discussed things with Mary to at least make her understand, but noooo. And when he comes back from FUCKING ANOTHER WOMAN she decides to jump him, has angry sex with him and then is mad at herself because she "used him for sex"? Are you kidding me?????? I won't stand for it. Go be a doormat somewhere else please and take that toxic behaviour with you.
    If you don't mind cheating and/or toxic miscommunication between couples in the books you read this book is for you.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Book 2 in the Black Dagger Brotherhood series focuses on Rhage and his love interest ends up being a human female, Mary. Not my two favourite people to read about, it is kinda interesting to learn more about the beast inside Rhage, but I felt Mary should’ve been a little stronger of a character to more match the beast inside Rhage. She just seemed a little timid.

    The best part about this series however is that it’s following the storyline of all these other characters. So even though I’m not 100% into Rhage and Mary, I learn a little more about John and Bella who fascinate me. We get snippets of more of Wrath and Beth too, it’s always nice to see more of characters you know! The series is going to continue on and I’m excited to dive right into the next book.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Ooh! I'm in love although I liked Wrath and Beth's story better. This was good too and I liked how there were more humans involved and John is a very interesting character and I can't help but want to read more about his fate and if he really is the person I think he is. Now I have to get my hands on the next book in the series. I loved this book and I love this series!
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I wish this was a better story, a story worthy of Rhage. He is beautiful and tormented, a plus. Mary was the let down, I wish she was a bit stronger. Rage definitely overshadowed her. When they were together I didn't get why he wanted to be with her. Butch and Marissa were more interesting and this wasn't even their book. I liked Rhage, wish he would have chosen a better mate.

    1 person found this helpful

  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I really enjoyed this book. I felt it was definitely a big lead up into how things will be going for the next few books. I liked how much of a build up this book was along with how much of the brother's personalities we got to see.

    Plot wise this book was riveting. Mary Luce meets Rhage or Hollywood and he falls in love with her. She's the usual self depreciating thinks she is nothing special female who can't believe Rhage actually likes her. We follow their journey of falling in love with each other and taming of Rhage.

    We also get introduced into the main female in the next book Bella.

    Overall its a fun read. I enjoyed it a lot. Can't wait to see where the next book goes.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Was excited to read this book as it was part two to the series. It really grabs your attention and makes you want to keep reading and not put the book down. I literally had to make myself put it down. I'm in love with these books. Can't wait to read the next book. Just Awesome!
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Lover Eternal
    3 Stars
    Synopsis:
    The fiercest fighter and most voracious lover within the Brotherhood, Rhage fears the harm he may cause when his curse takes over and the beast within him is released. That is until the day he meets Mary Luce, a human woman who has survived numerous hardships and can sooth the beast within Rhage. Soon the two will face their most dangerous foe and find out if their love truly can conquer all.

    Review
    Similar to book #1, the plot is on the mediocre side and only gets going toward the end. There are numerous "suspend your disbelief" moments and the Lessers are some of the stupidest villains in PNR. They are definitely more a danger to each other than to the brotherhood.

    Rhage and Mary are likeable as a couple but not as individuals. Rhage goes from Don Juan/Casanova to lovesick puppy in under 50 seconds with little to no background or character development. The best thing about him is the beast even though the reason for his punishment is ridiculous at best. Mary's illness is saddening but also depressing and her lack of self-worth at the beginning makes her seem pathetic and annoying - first impressions are really very important and she does not make a good one even though she improves later.

    One of the worst things about this series is the submissive and servile manner in which women are portrayed. The Chosen, for example, seem to exist solely for the purpose of "serving" the brotherhood and Layla's subservient behavior is very off putting (it reminds me of Marissa's attitude toward Wrath in book #1).

    Nevertheless, there are a few appealing aspects such as the scenes with Rhage's beast, which are some of the best written in the book. In fact, the prose in general is an improvement (less street slang) but the dialogue is still childish and the writing style needs work.

    Additional highlights include the compelling relationship between Bella and Zsadist and the subplot involving John Matthew's introduction to the vampire world. Both of these have me wanting to continue if only to find out what happens next - kind of like a bad soap opera.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    3.5 stars

    I liked this book better than book one. I'm liking getting to know everyone and how they interact with each other. The romance isn't my favorite, but I really like how the brotherhood are so connected. I'm interested in finding out more about The Scribe Virgin and The Omega and seeing where the series storyline goes. All the mythology details make me definitely want to continue the series.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Prayers can save lives. (I think I'm going to puke!) It's fast paced and easy to read but there are just too many things that bother me. So I'm giving a relatively low rating.Male characters are only masculine on the outside. They really think like women. Ok this might be a question of style on the authors side.I don't like the usage of slang in the book. It doesn't make the guys tough if they are wearing shitkickers instead of boots, you feel me?I think Scribe Virgin and Omega should just have a good night together. It would save so many lives! Until I read these books I wasn't aware of the fact that happy endings can be overly exaggerated.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    The Beast! I love Rhage! Okay... I love all of the brothers and their associates (well, most of them) but come on... who wouldn't want their own knock-out gorgeous warrior who can poof into a badass 'monster' when things go south?
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    This is the 2nd of JR Ward's books in the Black Dagger Brotherhood series. The story revolves around Rhage a member of the Brotherhood. He has been cursed by the Scribe Virgin, the deity of the vampire race, and carries around a beast within himself that he struggles to control. The beast is capable of utter destruction, not only of lessers (enemy of the vampire race), but of those he cares for. He cannot allow himself to love.... until he meets Mary.I loved the second book as much as the first. This series ranks right at the top of the list for me. Can't wait to read the next book.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    This one made me CRY! But I loved it. I loved the tragedy of Mary, I loved how accepting she was first of John Matthew and then later of Rhage and his beast. I loved how protective and loyal all the brothers were to Rhage and how even Zsadist was showing his worry and concern. I'm glad I have the next book to read though because I am very worried about Bella.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Keeps getting better and better!
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Note: This is Book 2 in the series but stands pretty well on it’s own. There are a handful of scenes that are enhanced by having read Book 1 (Dark Lover) first.This modern-day vampire romance centers on Rhage, a warrior in the Black Dagger Brotherhood. Contained within him is a beast and occasionally Rhage must let that beast out. Thankfully there are evil-doing Lessers (lower-caste vampires) that need taking out. Then he meets Mary Luce and he finds himself wanting something more out of life. Mary will be the catalyst for change, and not just change for Rhage.I was luke warm about Book 1 but I hear that this series gets better and better. The female characters started off with more detail than in Book 1. Mary works at a law firm, volunteers at a suicide hot line, has a battle with cancer, and a bit more. She comes into the story with a full life and depth. However, once she meets Rhage and her hormones kick in, most of that depth goes out the window. As with Book 1, the main female character gives up her life to be with her vampire lover, however Mary does sigh over it once or twice. Bella is a secondary character and Mary’s neighbor. She serves as a source of info to the reader about vampire society. However, we learn very little about her, so she’s a one-dimensional character. Also, the ladies spend quite a bit of time cringing over this or that, including the mere sight of weapons. Sigh.The most interesting character in this book was John, a young vampire. However, he doesn’t know what he is and he’s use to staying away from people in general to protect himself. This book definitely gives more info on the vampire caste system and how they interact with one another, along with how things have changed over the years. There are non-warrior vampires that do no harm to humans, meanwhile the Lessers have given up their heart and soul for near-immortality and do plenty of harm when they can get away with it. Then there are the women that serve the Scribe Virgin. I really enjoyed learning about all these different types of vampires as John was learning about his origins.So Rhage is the big, gorgeous, muscly warrior and main love interest in this book. Prior to meeting Mary, he used sex as a way to let off some steam and keep his inner beast in check. He’d turn on his vampire mojo to get a woman interested, ramping up her libido while removing her inhibitions, have some sexy times with her, and then wipe her memory clean of the encounter. Does this sound like the vampire version of a date rape drug to anyone else? So this is pretty standard behavior for some the vampire warriors and totally acceptable to the Brotherhood. Yeah. I think the Brotherhood needs a full weekend seminar on what constitutes sexual assault.I found it hard to root for Rhage and hope he had a good outcome. I think this is why I didn’t become totally engrossed in the story. I definitely connected with Mary because she has all this interesting stuff going on; she’s got depth. Meanwhile, Rhage has that man child thing that all the Brothers seem to suffer from. For instance, he’s been alive for hundreds of years but has never had a female friend. I can suspend my disbelief over vampires but not over the main character’s lack of experience.The naughty bits were long in coming. We had plenty of teasers leading up to the coupling, which was steamy and sweet. The sex scenes become a bit more robust as the story continues.I will be continuing on with the series as I heard Book 3 is where things get really good. The vampire society and it’s history are very intriguing. Also, I want to know what happens with John.The Narration: Jim Frangione did another good job. I’ve really become fond of his voice for this series. When an individual male character is talking or doing the inner monologue thing, the voices are distinct. However, when a group of the guys get together and are chatting back and forth, the distinctness disappears.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I liked this one better then the first one. I felt more for the characters, them had more life to them. In the first book I only was intersted in two characters. I almost gave up on the series, I am glad I gave it another shot.This book gave life to more of them drawing me into their lives. Now, I can't wait ot read the rest, am I now a "Brother's Addicit" ? LOL Rhage, sexy....
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Just as a quick side note: I just got some extra cash so I went on a book crazy buying spree, so I have a TON of stuff coming your way, not to mention what I already have on my shelf I have no read yet. So...be ready.

    Anyway, This book is a the classic tale of beauty and the beast, with a bit of a twist, the beast is a vampire cursed by lexicon's deity, and the beauty is a relapsed cancer survivor. Perfect right? Nope.

    I love this book...it is one of my all time favorites, Ward writes with such conviction for each of these characters, they seem without a doubt real. Rhage and Mary are absolutely perfect together, nothing like the ladies man being brought down by the women who is no where near his type. There is also a very heavy plot line here that continues from the first book "Dark Lover", and it is excellent. We see a new character introduced here, who is one of my favorites as the series progresses. Don't miss this one, its excellent. I liked this book a lot, but it is not my favorite of the series, if you can believe it.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    These books are campy, cheesy, adventurous, and original. I hate that I love reading these.It reminds me of when I go to the grocery and buy something like fiery hot Cheetos, or bacon flavored SPAM. Or even those cheap pot pies in the frozen section, or a bag of pork rinds. I have to shop produce first because then I can...or ONE can hide them under the healthy food. You don't want people to know that you love those things but you can't stop buying them from time to time, or in this case, reading them. So I've heard....
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I heart this book so much I wish I could marry it. First of all it was my introduction to the BDB. After trying to read DL twice I gave up and hoped this would be better. Thank the Virgin it was not only better but has ended up being one of my favorite books in the entire series. This book is pure, perfect romance.

    Rhage is such a beautiful male. Inside and out. Of course he's gorgeous. His openness is charming, endearing and a little scary. I understand why average woman Mary is wary of this hunk of male persuing her so relentlessly but that's what I love about Rhage. He fell in love with her voice first and kept on falling for the whole woman.

    The relationship between Rhage, V and Butch aka the troika was hilarious and sweet. They take such care with him after he comes back from unleashing the beast. You don't expect it from huge, leather wearing, cold hard killers. They also have fun busting his chops and he takes it all in stride.

    The Good:
    90% of this book. Really there's very little that's not good. Mary's struggle to accept Rhage's love is intense and believable and Rhage just hangs in there determined to be by her side. His "I'll love you enough for both of us" brought tears to my eyes. In fact, get the tissues. LE will make you bawl like a baby. Several times. From about the middle to the very end. Him holding the moon in his hand. Tearing up. Her running out of the house saying "I'm not ok"? Crying. In the hospital she's praying to stay just a little longer so she can be with Rhage? Bawling. The end? OMFG just weeping.

    Other good things about LE? The first glimpses that Zsadist might not be the crazed psychopath he projects. Bella, Mary's neighbor and friend sees something in this dangerous male and damn if she's not going after it.

    The Bad:
    This seems to only have gotten worse as the series has gone on. Product placement and slang and these oh so bizarre names. On first read I couldn't believe it. Vishous? Rhage? Tohrment? WTF? It grows on you and after a while you won't be able to spell any word in the english lahnguage without a rahndom 'h' thrown in.

    The Ugly:
    The lessers suck. If you haven't read LE before suffer through their parts because Mr. O is one creepy MOFO and he's in the next book too. Other than that these are the worst villans ever. I wish she'd created a villan that I was really scared of. Unfortunately that doesn't happen until LEn.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    This paranormal story had plenty of action, dealt with some real life issues and had a captivating ending but for me it was slow going midway because of all the violence and so much time spent on the bad guys. Vampire Rhage struggles with his inner dragon and he is calmed by Mary's voice.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Check out my other listens at Eargasms Audiobook Reviews

    Oh man I am loving this series!! Rhage is such a wonderfully written character! He has way more depth that shown in the first book. He appears to be a player and a heartbreaker just looking for a piece of a$$. But is all has to do with his cures and urges it brings about. And really her feels empty until he finds his mate.

    Mary broke my heart a little. She over came illness only to have it rear it's ugly head again! Oh and she and Rhage are perfect together!! The blend of opposites creates a fantastic dynamic.

    I will say in general I do not like the Scribe Virgin. Am I the only one who finds her overly stern and a tad vindictive? In the series she is the only thing I do not enjoy. I wish she were a little more mother earth!

    Great story and I can not wait to see where it is heading. It really keeps you on your toes. THere are a few moments when the box of tissues will be needed!

    Zadist is the next book and i am so ready!! I love him and he is my current book lust...um I mean crush! So very bad boy!
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    A marked improvement over the first book. Since it worked last time . . .

    Things I liked
    - The bond between the men is cool, the best espirit de corps I've ever read. It's nice that a "romance" book can demonstrate different types of love.
    - Rhage's "curse" is very cool, particularly how it responds to Mary

    Things I didn't care for
    - Is it just me, or is Mary, our new heroine, so much like Beth that it feels kind of lame? I know there are tropes to be respected, but come on. Beth illness does not equal a new, interesting character.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I found this on the bus and decided to read it. I have mixed feelings about J.R. Ward. I appreciate every scene with the main protagonists. I feel her scenes with the "lessers", or antagonists, are superfluous. I only care about the couple. I don't care about the other parts. Shallow? I don't care.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    After reading Dark Lover and not enjoying it all that much, I found myself continuing the series anyway. Why? Because I want to read Zsadist's story, dammit, and I know that his is the third in the series. This book only intensified my desire to read his book.But this book isn't about Zsadist and Bella; sure, they make some appearances, particularly toward the end, but the main characters are Rhage and Mary. Okay, I can accept that.I still can't get over the names, but I guess I am getting used to them a little. At least, I didn't feel the urge to roll my eyes every time one of them was mentioned on the page. Although I'm still curious about the lessers and their naming conventions. Okay, so they become Mr. [first letter of their last name] once they become a lesser. Does that mean that there are only twenty-six of them at any given time? What happens if there are more? Is it Mr. O2? (Sorry, slight chemistry joke.) And I'm sure they have to search hard to fill out some of those letters - how many last names start with Z and X, for example?I think my problem is that I think too much about this series. It's supposed to be cotton candy; it was never meant to be a filling meal.Rhage...meh. Mary...also meh. Their relationship is all kinds of messed up, but they seem happy about it, so I can't really judge. Whatever floats their boats, I guess.I hate how women are portrayed in this series. Mary is so concerned about her average looks that it takes chapters upon chapters for her to even realize that Rhage might be interested in her at all. And damn, is there a lot of rape in this world. John Matthew was sexually assaulted, which is why he started calling the suicide prevention line and "met" Beth in the first place. Although the author doesn't come right out and say it, I'm pretty sure the Omega raped Mr. O when he was being "disciplined," too. The first thing Mr. O wants after the Omega is finished with him is a hot shower with plenty of soap, and he mentions that he feels like he'll never be clean again - all very typical for a victim of sexual assault. Later in the book, Mr. O also mentions how the Omega was on top of him. No one will ever be able to convince me that the Omega isn't a rapist now.And that kind of ties in with Rhage and Mary. Upon first meeting Mary, Rhage throws her up against a wall and starts groping her. A lot. Am I supposed to find that sexy? Because I don't. And the first time that Rhage and Mary have sex...what the hell? Rhage seeks out another woman to get his rocks off and to keep the beast at bay, and when he comes back to Mary (who is living with him at that point), she's so pissed off that she pretty much has her way with him? Ick. Talk about serious relationship dysfunction.The thing I did like about Rhage and Mary's relationship is that Rhage falls first, and hard. It takes a while for Mary to fall in love with him. Hey, you don't see that very often.Also, does anyone think that John Matthew is Darius reincarnated? I'll be shocked if that isn't what he ends up being.I'll keep reading, at least through Zsadist's book. After that, I'm not sure it's going to be worth the effort.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Typical JR ward book. All of them are pretty interchangeable. That's not to say I don't enjoy reading them. I don't like the use of the serviced but it is common theme in many of the books, so push through them. Also, the word true is over used.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Because I had battled cancer for a year I could uber relate to the heroine, Mary. I loved loved this story.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    This one was so much better than the first. Okay, so, Mary started off really cool - she wasn't some ideal, she spoke her mind, she had questions, she showed strength. However, it got a little too perfect in it's own way towards the end. And sweet Jesus can she puhleaseeeee shut up during sex? Rhage's storyline was kind of laughable at parts: "the beast wants her too!!!" "Mary...Mary...climb on me while I'm tied down to handle my beast." Oh, Dear.

    The infamous Layla. I actually liked her in this book. She intrigued me. Her role kind of sucks (no pun intended) so I felt sorry for her. I wanted to know more about her.

    The John Matthews storyline was interesting. He's very likable.

    Bella & Z were the best part of this book.

    Thor, Phury, & Wrath (Thank God) were mostly in the background so not much to say on them.

    The lesser storyline continues to be a total bore.

    There are plot points and ideas surrounding women that continue to make me grit my teeth.

    On to the next!