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Review
Book 7 of the Black Dagger Brotherhood books is the first in the series that doesn’t feature one of the Brothers as a main character. Instead, we get the story of Rehvenge. Drug Lord, pimp, and overall shady underworld character, Rehv is, nevertheless, a friend to the Brotherhood, and his storyline has been steadily building over the last few books. Rehv also has the added misfortune of being half symphath – a subspecies of vampire that is kept separate from the rest of the race due to their evil and dangerous nature – a secret which he is willing to do anything to protect, as his world would be destroyed if it ever got out.
I freakin’ love Rehv! He is one of my favourite characters in this series. He is a hardass, no doubt about it, but he is also sweet, caring, and uber protective of those that he loves – his mother and sister (Bella, shellan of Zsadist), and his faithful trio of friends – Xhex, Trez and iAm. And new to his inner circle – vampire nurse, Ehlena.
Ehlena is sensational! She is so normal! She doesn’t have past traumas, she isn’t overly innocent or naïve, she’s sensible and good, but she also has a wicked side – she’s funny, she’s got a bit of badass in her, and just the right amount of smuttiness without being too nasty. She’s living in difficult circumstances, but she doesn’t let it get to her. She’s strong and brave, and just carries on, doing what she needs to do. I love her! She is a nurse at Havers’ clinic, so she knows Rehv from his frequent visits, and while they may seem like an unlikely couple at first, the chemistry between them is sensational.
“Look, the only reason I called was-”
“Because you needed an excuse. You shut me down in the exam room, but really wanted to talk to me. So you called about my arm to get me on the phone. And now you have me.” That voice dropped even lower. “Do I get to pick what you do with me?”
One of the things I love about their romance is that it’s a slow build. They both feel the attraction, and are slow in coming together, but they get the opportunity to get to know each other first. They have sensational phone calls where they open up to each other and talk about pretty much everything, and that just makes the times where they are together even more electric.
“Ehlena?”
“Yeah?”
“Don’t take this the wrong way.”
She drew in a deep breath and he saw her bare shoulders tighten. “Okay, I’ll try not to.”
“You keep showing up here? Being who you are?” There was a pause. “I’m going to fall in love with you.”
But Rehv’s situation puts up a lot of barriers for their HEA and my heart broke for him as he tried his hardest to protect his girl from all of the nasty in his life.
“I didn’t want you to know about any of this. I wanted to…be normal for you. I wanted you to feel safe around me…and I wanted to be with you. That’s the why of the lying. I didn’t mean to fall in love with you. I didn’t want that for you-”
It’s definitely not an easy ride for the two of them, and there are a lot of ups and downs to their story, but I loved every minute of it!
In addition to all of the Rehv and Ehlena awesome, there is also a huge focus on Wrath. The King is having a rough time of things, battling with his need to be a fighter, as well as with his own limitations.
Wrath was in a bad mood, and he knew this because the sound of the doggen waxing the wooden balustrade at the top of the main staircase was making him want to light the whole fucking mansion on fire.
There are some pretty huge repercussions from all that is happening with him, and he and Beth are both put to the test. Their part of the story is absolutely magic, and I loved revisiting the original BDB couple. They are amazing together!
John Matthew also goes through some huge changes in this one as he lets go of the sweet, idealistic boy he once was, altering him forever. His and Xhex’s relationship gains intensity, and the stage is set perfectly for their book up next.
Even though the primary action occurs away from the Brotherhood’s mansion, there is still a lot of time with our boys, and their dynamics and bantering is epic as always!
“Oh, for fuck’s sake, don’t look at me like that.”
Rhage recovered first. “I can’t help it. You’re just so sexy in those baggy-ass pants. I got to get me a pair, ‘cause nothing says hotness like wearing what looks like two Heftys stitched together at your racket and balls.”
Lassiter nodded. “Totally craptastic. Sign my sac up for some of that.”
There is also an exciting and action packed (and somewhat creepy) ending involving pretty much everybody, which ties off a number of storylines, as well as setting things up for the next book – and yep, there is a bit of a cliffy.
I absolutely love this book! Definitely one of my faves of the series.
Check out our Black Dagger Brotherhood page for more info on the series.