Born in a bus stop bathroom stall and raised in an orphanage among humans, John Matthew had no idea the legacy that lay before him, or that he is the reincarnation of the Black Dagger Brotherhood warrior Darius.  Things changed for the better when a vampire met him and recognized John Matthew as one of her kind, ultimately bringing him into the fold of the Black Dagger Brotherhood.  Now John Matthew is a powerful warrior, a far cry from the weak male he once was.  But life has taken yet another unexpected turn and, not for the first time, the vampires’ war against the evil lessening society has become deeply personal.  The female he knows to be his mate, half-vampire half-symphath assassin Xhex, has been captured by John Matthew’s greatest enemy.  It will take all of his strength and hers to defeat the evil they face and overcome the horrors of their respective pasts to face the future they could have together.

Get ready for one of the wildest rides of your life in the explosively sensual Lover Mine.  J.R. Ward has delivered an incredible romance packed with twists, turns, and the most amazing surprises.

Having watched John Matthew “grow up,” so to speak, over the course of the series, I was eagerly anticipating his story.  Lover Mine was not what I expected – it was so much more.  John Matthew has become the fierce warrior we first saw him wanting to be, but he’s not without his weaknesses.  He has been through so much that his heart has to be covered with a multitude of scars, and yet he is a deeply caring male; I loved this about him.  As for Xhex…I don’t even know where to begin.  Since her entrance in the series I have adored her.  She is one of my favorite characters and Lover Mine has only enhanced that.  Xhex is beautifully lethal and the hard shell she wraps around her masks a loving heart that few are privileged to see.  Her past and much of her present aren’t pretty, but she’s a survivor and comes through things I won’t spoil by describing with a strength that is astounding and wonderful to see.  She and John Matthew fit one another perfectly and because they captivated me, both separately and as a couple, I could not put Lover Mine down.

While Xhex and John Matthew are undoubtedly the center of Lover Mine, there are multiple storylines which wend through the book, involving John Matthew’s friends, loved ones, his enemy Lash, and even a few characters he has not yet met.  However, I wouldn’t dream of spoiling the book by revealing any details.  The only thing I will say is that some of the most heartbreaking portions of Lover Mine, for me, involve John Matthew’s best friends, Blaylock and Qhuinn.

Lover Mine is the eighth book in the Black Dagger Brotherhood series and although the romance between John Matthew and Xhex can be read as a standalone, the book and world as a whole could be confusing to readers not familiar with the series.  The Black Dagger Brotherhood books are some of my favorite stories, so I highly recommend reading the first seven books (Dark Lover, Lover Eternal, Lover Awakened, Lover Revealed, Lover Unbound, Lover Enshrined, and Lover Avenged) before starting Lover Mine.

Filled with passion, danger, and love in all its forms, Lover Mine is one of the year’s best romances and is not to be missed!