Just Your Friendly Neighborhood Dog

"Life didn't have to be perfect...for true love to exist in it."

--JR Ward, The Beast

Genre: Adult Paranormal Romance

Publisher: NAL

Pages: 508

Publication Date: April 5th, 2016

Source: Review copy provided by publisher

Previous Books in Series:  Dark Lover & Lover Eternal & Lover Awakened & Lover Revealed & Lover Unbound & Lover Enshrined & Father Mine & Lover Avenged & Lover Mine & Lover Unleashed & Lover Reborn & Lover at Last & The King & The Shadows
Books in Spinoff Series: Blood Kiss
Find on: Goodreads | Amazon

Goodreads Description 

Rhage and Mary return in a new novel of the Black Dagger Brotherhood, a series “so popular, I don’t think there’s a reader today who hasn’t at least heard of [it]” (USA Today).

Nothing is as it used to be for the Black Dagger Brotherhood. After avoiding war with the Shadows, alliances have shifted and lines have been drawn. The slayers of the Lessening Society are stronger than ever, preying on human weakness to acquire more money, more weapons, more power. But as the Brotherhood readies for an all-out attack on them, one of their own fights a battle within himself…

For Rhage, the Brother with the biggest appetites, but also the biggest heart, life was supposed to be perfect—or at the very least, perfectly enjoyable. Mary, his beloved shellan, is by his side and his King and his brothers are thriving. But Rhage can’t understand—or control—the panic and insecurity that plague him…

And that terrifies him—as well as distances him from his mate. After suffering mortal injury in battle, Rhage must reassess his priorities—and the answer, when it comes to him, rocks his world...and Mary’s. But Mary is on a journey of her own, one that will either bring them closer together or cause a split that neither will recover from...

Le sigh. I won't lie to you. I wasn't completely rabid about this book when I first head it was revisiting Rhage and Mary as the main couple. I didn't really warm to Mary in Lover Eternal...ok, I didn't like her. There! I said it! Sue me for my feelings! I am happy to say though...I am a convert to the Mary Madonna movement. I looooooove her. Love love love times a bajillion. I take it all back. I'm sorry, Mary. You taught my hellren how to read, I shouldn't have been such a dick to you in my head. We are BFFs now, k? Ok, you're probably asking yourself, why the change? Let me tell you.

I don't know what was up my ass when I read Lover Eternal but I just didn't jive with Mary. I found her kinda annoying and way too Debbie Downer even though I KNOW she had every right to be. Again, I take it back. I felt so in tune with Mary's emotions that I felt like I was living her story right there with her. I completely understood everything she was feeling when she felt it and it all just clicked it. I felt for her and with her and I wanted so badly for everything to work out in her favor. She is so incredibly kind and nurturing and caring that I feel like a TOTAL KNOB for not really liking her before. But I've changed. Mary was hands down my favorite part of this story.

I don't want to reveal too much about the plot because I want you to experience everything for yourself. I will give you some highlights though.

• Rhage is amazing, per usual. He is going through some things of his own and I loved how he and Mary worked together to face them. They are such an amazing team. 

• Assail...ASSAIL!!! He and Xcor are my absolute FAVORITE non-Brother characters and we get a ton of Assail development in this book. It was brilliant and I loved every second of his arc. It was perfection. And there were plot twists that I never saw coming at all! Amazing!

• Layla. She's amazing. That is all.

• Plot twists and reveals you would never expect. 

• Plot points that have a lot of room for development and movement.

• Vishous has a big role in this book and I loved being with that diamond-eyed brooder. He is so intelligent and gives so much to his Brothers. And while I think in general he has had a lot of attention paid to him in the series as a whole, I think things are shifting for him, in a good way. I just love him. He's so straight forward, tell it like it is, he's a total silent killer and I love his kink. If my hellren didn't spend 100 years tied up NOT for fun, he and I would definitely be borrowing V's dungeon room. 

• Did I mention plot twists and reveals? Because they're there and they are Home Alone face kind of reaction.

• Feels!!! Oh, my gosh did I mention the feels?!? I was crying at multiple points because I am just so invested in these characters. IT IS JUST SO GOOD, YOU GUYS!!!

• The Brothers. They are hilarious. I love their interactions together especially when they're ripping on each other. It's just the best. There's one ongoing joke in particular in this book that had me rolling laughing. It's too good. THEY are too good.

• Zsadist--my amazing hellren has a few absolutely beautiful moments. Good and bad, he is breathtaking amazing and I can't even verbalize how much I love him. I won't even tell you not to get any idea because he's mine because that's just fact at this point. 

OK, I think I'm done. I would just like to say one final thing. I love how JR Ward has evolved this series from paranormal romance to so much more. These books aren't just about the "main" couple getting their happy ending. There is real plot going on that has nothing to do with romance and so many storylines that she weaves in that I read for way more than "just" the romance. They are so much more than "just" anything. I have said this for years, since I started reading, there is something infinitely special to me about this series and these characters. They are my family. When I read these books it feels comforting and warm and like coming home. I feel immediately transported to Caldwell and the Mansion and I can see everyone right in front of my eyes. I think everyone has a series that is particularly special to them for one reason or another and this one is mine. They are my people. 

I have nothing to say here excited the graphic is the title of our book and the alter ego of Rhage so I'm leaving it.

VIP
If you love the Brothers, their shellacs, and love in every form...this book is for you.