Review: Lover at Last

Lover at Last by J.R. Ward
Series: Black Dagger Brotherhood (#1)
Rating: ★★★★★

Needless to say, I think, SPOILERS for previous books in the series may be here.

Qhuinn, son of no one, is used to being on his own. Disavowed from his bloodline, shunned by the aristocracy, he has finally found an identity as one of the most brutal fighters in the war against the Lessening Society. But his life is not complete. Even as the prospect of having a family of his own seems to be within reach, he is empty on the inside, his heart given to another….

Blay, after years of unrequited love, has moved on from his feelings for Qhuinn. And it’s about time: The male has found his perfect match in a Chosen female, and they are going to have a young—just as Qhuinn has always wanted for himself. It’s hard to see the new couple together, but building your life around a pipe dream is just a heartbreak waiting to happen. As he’s learned firsthand.

Fate seems to have taken these vampire soldiers in different directions… but as the battle over the race’s throne intensifies, and new players on the scene in Caldwell create mortal danger for the Brotherhood, Qhuinn finally learns the true definition of courage, and two hearts who are meant to be together… finally become one.

Wow. What a ride!! Emotional as hell, funny, heart-wrenching and poignant. I loved Qhuinn and Blay’s story. Their romance, and the road to getting there, is one of the best I’ve read in this series. As J.R. Ward said in the dedication – no one deserved it more than these two.

There’s a lot going on in this book. A lot of advancement for a lot of stories, but the great thing – for me – was that I felt like the story focused on Blay and Qhuinn. I felt like the majority of the page time was with them, and while I didn’t do a count to see if this was true what mattered was how it felt to me. The moments between them, and their evolution was fantastic. Well deserved, and about time.

There’s so much more I could say, but it’s going to devolve into spoilers, so I’m just not going to here…yet.

Some of the side-stories it took me a little bit to warm up to. By the mid-point of the book though I was fairly intrigued by everything going on in addition to Qhuinn and Blay’s story.

I also loved that we got to see the majority of characters from previous books – which was a huge surprise for me. There wasn’t always a lot, and some characters got more page time in specific scenes, but for the most part we saw everyone that’s already had a book. That was an incredibly nice treat.

Layla, naturally, is a big part of this story – though not as big as I think a lot of people feared she would be. I loved seeing her growth. I can’t wait to read more about her.

The Band of Bastards – honestly some of the developments that happen, and thoughts that Xcor has, in this book scare me more than the attempt on Wrath’s life. And that’s saying something. These guys are a serious issue for the Brothers. I’m worried.

I also loved seeing more of Trez and iAm. And glad that we’re going to see even more in the future. Definitely some interesting stuff going on there. As for Assail, I’ve always kind of been on the fence about him. But he’s intriguing me. I want to know more – and I have to know more before I can decide if I like him or not.

Because I see the complaints everywhere, and have for a long time, I’m including this. I can’t say it better than a friend of mine, Beanbag Love does:

You’ll see all the things fans love to complain about. (Continuity problems, plot reuse, and repetitive, gratuitous and seemingly endless inner monologues; names-with-the-extra-h, slang, brand-name dropping etc). And that could ruin the book for you … if you let it.

If these things bothered you previously they’re probably going to bother you here … if you let them.

These particular things have never been my issue or bothered me, they’ve never taken away from my enjoyment in the story, I barely even notice them because I’m involved in the lives of these characters. But I’ve heard the complaints enough, so I am adding this little extra bit to acknowledge something I’ve seen around.

If you are like me and don’t pay close attention to this stuff, can ignore it, or not let it bother you then, you’re definitely in for one hell of a great ride in this book.

Overall, a fantastic addition to the series, a great romance between two very wonderful characters (with the proper amount of groveling!! Woo hoo!) And some interesting movement on the overall world/story-arc.

I think it’s ending up to be my favorite since Lover Awakened.