Review: Lover Enshrined

Reviewed by Jen
 

This is my least favorite installment in the Black Dagger Brotherhood series. And I know for some people, it was the point in which they stopped reading the series.  It's definitely a turning point.  And I can tell you what the problem is in one word: Phury.  He is our male lead and quite frankly, he's lame.

At the end of the last book, Phury agreed to take his brother V's place as Primale of the race. He is essentially being put out to stud to repopulate the race. He's not a very good choice for the job, though, seeing as how he is a drug addict and a virgin.  Cormia has been chosen as his "First Mate." He's supposed to sleep with her first, before boffing her 40 sisters of the faith. But he won't seal the deal.  He's too busy getting high and feeling sorry for himself. 

Now I love a tortured hero, but Phury is just tortured... or maybe I'm the one tortured. By his whining.  Cormia is ok. She has lived a sequestered life and is just now learning to live in the outside world.  She's not the best heroine, but she doesn't stink like Phury.

Let me tell you why the book IS worth reading, though.  There's a great secondary story surrounding John Matthew and BDB: The Next Generation. We see his arch-enemy Lash transform into something worse than he already was.  We getting the stunning revelation that opens to the door for a relationship between two beloved characters. And we watch JM's feeling intensify for his future HEA, Xhex.   What's more, we have a great set-up for Rhev's story, which is next. And the return of TOHR! 

The bottom line is that while it is the weakest book in the series, you shouldn't skip it. Those great secondary storylines usher in the future of the Brotherhood. Just hold your nose and suck it up through the parts where Phury is whining and before you know it, you'll be ready to read Lover Avenged.

3 1/2 stars.