Lover Eternal by J R Ward

Lover Eternal by J.R. Ward
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - in and out over 2 days

Pages - 441

Publisher - Signet Novel

Source - Bought years ago

Blurb from Goodreads

In the shadows of the night in Caldwell, New York, there's a deadly turf war raging between vampires and their slayers. There exists a secret band of brothers like no other-six vampire warriors, defenders of their race. Possessed by a deadly beast, Rhage is the most dangerous of the Black Dagger Brotherhood.

Within the brotherhood, Rhage is the vampire with the strongest appetites. He's the best fighter, the quickest to act on his impulses, and the most voracious lover-for inside him burns a ferocious curse cast by the Scribe Virgin. Owned by this dark side, Rhage fears the time when his inner dragon is unleashed, making him a danger to everyone around him.

Mary Luce, a survivor of many hardships is unwittingly thrown into the vampire world and reliant on Rhage's protection. With a life-threatening curse of her own, Mary is not looking for love. She lost her faith in miracles years ago. But when Rhage's intense animal attraction turns into something more emotional, he knows that he must make Mary his alone. And while their enemies close in, Mary fights desperately to gain life eternal with the one she loves...


My Review

Rhage is one of the Brother hood, a vampire who is strong, aggressive, burns through human female lovers like a hungry person on an all you can eat buffet. He has to keep the monster at bay, cursed to literally have a huge beast burst from him if he gets too he up (kind like hulk but less green) and the women/sex help that. He forms no attachments and that is how he likes it, until he meets Mary. Mary is a human, been through more hardship than most and is such a caring a lovely soul. When Mary gets drawn into the vampires world she is in grave danger from their mortal enemies, The Lessening Society, trying to protect herself from her feelings and Rhage trying to keep her safe from harm the odds are against them.

So this is book two, you could pick this up and read as a standalone, I did (this is a reread) but I would suggest reading book one first so you get a better scope of the background. I really like Mary's character, she is so caring, selfless and brave, she has survived cancer, cared for her mother until death, volunteers for the most vulnerable in society and sees herself as a plain Jane. When Rhage can't leave her alone she is confused, standoffish but cannot deny her feelings but she won't admit them. Amongst the relationship stuff we have The Lessers trying to bump off the vampires, Rhage's inner monster, a dragon, that when unleashed puts anyone in the vicinity in danger of loosing their lives.

Action packed, some graphic sex scenes, romance, courting however some of the behaviours of the males is questionable, aggressive, rude, imposing, forceful however when they get up close the females swoon. That did irk me a wee bit but if we remember the old Christopher Lee vampire movies of that time just a look was enough to render a female swoony. We see a softer/vulnerable side of Rhage as him and Mary circle around their new "relationship". We flip between that, the violent clashes/fights with the Brotherhood and the Lessers although I found some of the pages on the Lessers slowed the pace down a wee bit of the story. I do want to learn more about the how and why of them and I think each book may focus on one particular warrior, book one was Wrath, two Rhage, three Zsadist so I am sure the rest of the books may follow suit. I have a fair few of them on my TBRM so will be reading the rest, also this book left me on a bit of a cliffhanger so I really need to know what happens next. 3.5/5 for me this time, each of the warriors are so different and with each book I have gleamed a bit more info on the origins and or Lessers so I look forward to getting my questions answered!

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Grey by E L James

Grey by E.L. James
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 7 days

Publisher - Vintage

Pages - 576 pages

Blurb from Goodreads

In Christian's own words, and through his thoughts, reflections, and dreams, E L James offers a fresh perspective on the love story that has enthralled millions of readers around the world.

Christian Grey exercises control in all things; his world is neat, disciplined, and utterly empty—until the day that Anastasia Steele falls into his office, in a tangle of shapely limbs and tumbling brown hair. He tries to forget her, but instead is swept up in a storm of emotion he cannot comprehend and cannot resist. Unlike any woman he has known before, shy, unworldly Ana seems to see right through him—past the business prodigy and the penthouse lifestyle to Christian’s cold, wounded heart.

Will being with Ana dispel the horrors of his childhood that haunt Christian every night? Or will his dark sexual desires, his compulsion to control, and the self-loathing that fills his soul drive this girl away and destroy the fragile hope she offers him?


This book is intended for mature audiences.



My Review

Firstly I feel I must say this is not a fresh perspective on Fifty Shades of grey, not from my point of view. I was looking forward to reading more about it from Christians point of view, learning more about him and the therapist, Mrs Robinson and details that would make Christian possibly more understood or sympathetic. That didn't happen, the book is almost exactly the same as the first book, obviously there are a few changes throughout, instead of the inner Goddess we get some of Christians thoughts on what is transpiring. However this book has not done anything to improve the negative aspects people thought of him from the first books.

Christian comes across as quite creepy in these, I never got that from the original books, controlling a tad, overbearing at points yet but not exactly creepy. I also don't remember him being so sweary, his thoughts towards his staff at times are quite annoying too but I feel I may be nitpicking there.

We have some flashbacks to when he was a child, some interaction from the good doctor and Mrs Robinson, I really wanted there to be more. Not the sex side but more their relationship, how did Mrs Robinson manage to get Christian to be from the aggressive angry young man to the successful albeit trouble with personal relationships man that Grey becomes.

Don't get me wrong, some of the fans totally loved this book and whilst it does offer some insight, it wasn't anywhere near what I was hoping for. I guess I just wanted to understand what made Christian tick, instead I got the same story that I felt made him look worse than before. I genuinely hope if she goes on to write more from Christians point of view, she does so with more focus on him than the sex and makes him a bit less creepy stalker and more misunderstood needs to be loved, 3/5 for me this time.

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Review - Breathless Encounter by Cindy Dees

Breathless Encounter: Breathless Encounter\The Dark Side of Night by Cindy Dees
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Time Taken To Read - 2 days

Blurb From Goodreads

A man—only, much more powerful…

…rescues filmmaker Sunny Jordan from certain death on the high seas. Someone wants her dead, but her mysterious savior, Aiden McKay, seems intent on guarding her life—and keeping his emotions at a distance. Sunny never imagines the sexual chemistry involved in being saved by a godlike man, a chemistry the man seems determined to ignore. He has secrets about who he is and how he can navigate oceans with the ease of an underwater killer. Swept up in an adventure, Sunny falls hard for this man whose love runs deep but is potentially deadly….

My Review

Firstly let me say this book is a two for one but I am going to review each book separately as I feel the stories deserve that so this is only a review for book one, Breathless Encounter. I had never heard of this author and only picked this book up because it was a good deal (under $4 for 2 books) and well look at the cover - I don't normally go for blondes but this chap draws you in!

Sunny Jordan is our main character (well one of) out on her boat trying to capture on video the atrocity's that happen out at sea. Someone wants her dead and whilst trying to take her down she is found and rescued by Aiden McKay (other main character). Aiden has secrets he doesn't want anyone to know about, especially a women when he has tried and succeeded in staying away from them for the past few years. However a blossoming romance and sexual tension sets in and before long they are battling their feelings and trying to stay alive, someone keeps attacking and trying to kill them but who is the target, Sunny or Aiden.

This is an action packed romance with murder, sex and a whole lot of life threatening situations. I liked Aiden, he is your gorgeous hunky man with commitment issues along with a few other unique traits. Sunny I would have liked to have slapped a few times - her life is being threatened yet she is concerned with insurance details, although in her defence she has a lot to contend with because of Aiden and the people constantly trying to kill them. I think some people will find this book too fantastical, how many times can one girl get into such situations and some of the things they come away with. For example "That went beyond clueless to royal jerkdom." and she uses the word crud, I haven't seen this term used in a book but we used to say it years ago so I loved it. I had some other cracking quotes but the bookmarks fell out.

When reading this book I laughed, sighed (even at a few points tutted out loud). It has a few descriptive sex scenes but mostly the story is about these two people who like each other and how they struggle to deal with it. Add in quite a bit of action, murder, sabotage and passion and you have a good story, despite a few issues I actually quite liked it. This is a perfect holiday book and I am just going to start the second novel but this time it is a 4/5 for me.

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Review - Fifty Shades Of Grey by E.L. James

Fifty Shades of Grey by E.L. James
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Time Taken To Read - 4 days

Blurb From Goodreads

When literature student Anastasia Steele is drafted to interview the successful young entrepreneur Christian Grey for her campus magazine, she finds him attractive, enigmatic and intimidating. Convinced their meeting went badly, she tries to put Grey out of her mind - until he happens to turn up at the out-of-town hardware store where she works part-time.

The unworldly, innocent Ana is shocked to realize she wants this man, and when he warns her to keep her distance it only makes her more desperate to get close to him. Unable to resist Ana’s quiet beauty, wit, and independent spirit, Grey admits he wants her - but on his own terms.

Shocked yet thrilled by Grey's singular erotic tastes, Ana hesitates. For all the trappings of success – his multinational businesses, his vast wealth, his loving adoptive family – Grey is man tormented by demons and consumed by the need to control. When the couple embarks on a passionate, physical and daring affair, Ana learns more about her own dark desires, as well as the Christian Grey hidden away from public scrutiny.

Can their relationship transcend physical passion? Will Ana find it in herself to submit to the self-indulgent Master? And if she does, will she still love what she finds?

My Review

Anastacia Steele (Ana), is a student doing her friend a favor by interviewing the billionaire Mr Christian Grey. What follows is a world wind of raw sexual education, some out there, dark and erotic tastes and a blow by blow account of Ana's teachings into a world most of us haven't ever dream pt of going.

There is so much controversy about this book and a lot of you love it or hate it, I'm not in any of those camps. I found it hilarious, irritating, repetitive, mortifying, educative and some moments of - to quote Ana "oh my". I visibly blushed reading some of it yet I found it hard to put down. For anyone who has wondered at the world of bondage/dominating/submissive this paints a very graphic picture. If your easily offended, like your books to be of high literature standing and of depth avoid this like the plague. If however you fancy something different with a whole host of silliness and naughtiness this is the book for you.

The only other thing I would say is there is a lot of repetitiveness in it. Constant use of the words "oh my" and referring to her inner Goddess which grates after a while, not forgetting the constant rolling her eyes and scenes kicking off with her biting her lower lip. I will be reading the next in the series as I have to know what happens next for Ana and Mr Grey but this one for me is a on the fence 3/5. Also if you fancy a giggle, go check out the reviews on amazon, particularly the one stars, some of them are pure comical genius.

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