Lover Enshrined by J.R. Ward

JRWard-Lover EnshrinedOne reason for loving older books, is that it’s ok if it takes me a while to get to the last one of a series.  With new books however, it seems I’m always two books behind…if not more, haha.  I just finished Lover Enshrined by J.R. Ward, I’m ever so closer to her latest, Lover Unleashed.

Fiercely loyal to the Black Dagger Brotherhood, Phury has sacrificed himself for the good of the race, becoming the male responsible for keeping the Brotherhood’s bloodlines alive. As Primale of the Chosen, he is obligated to father the sons and daughters who will ensure that the traditions of the race survive, and that there are warriors to fight those who want all vampires extinguished.

As his first mate, the Chosen Cormia wants to win not only his body, but his heart for herself. She is drawn to the noble responsibility behind the emotionally scarred male. But Phury has never allowed himself to know pleasure or joy. As the war with the Lessening Society grows grim, tragedy looms over the Brotherhood’s mansion, and Phury must decide between duty and love….

In the last book, Lover Unbound, we learn Phury is now the Primal of the Chosen, a group of females whose entire purpose is to reproduce. Thou shall lay with 40 women and make babies for the vampire world.  Isn’t that every man’s dream, at some point in his life, to be able to just sleep around with beautiful women without a care?  I can admit I was like woohoo let’s do this when this job was announced, but I’m an odd ball.  It seems though that Phury was not excited about it.  In fact, the man smokes himself into a stupor and acts as if he’d rather have a root canal on every tooth in his head than sleep with beautiful women.  I was ready to smack him upside the head at one point.  The race is dwindling to nothing and he’s bitching and moaning that gasp he has to have sex with women to save his people.  Oh.  The.  Horror.

Jackie mentioned to me that he was so whiny she couldn’t finish Lover Enshrined.  I agreed before I even read it, because he always comes off a bit of a baby at times, but now I know what she meant.  He brings whine to a whole new level.  Once he grows a pair and man’s up, he takes charge and sets things in motion to save his people.  It’s not exactly the rules he agreed to but it’s a promise for a better outcome for everyone.

Not to mention, this world of Phury’s is being twisted around as the lessers find a new weapon, as John Mathew is becoming a man/male AND as a long lost friend is found.  This book is exciting in more ways than one!

I can’t forget Cormia, but there isn’t all that much I can really say about her.  She’s a Chosen, they live in a world where everything is white, all the girls are taught to act the same and talk the same and practically be as bland as bland can be.  There’s nothing exciting in the Chosen’s world and when she comes over to the human realm, Cormia is taken back by all the colors, sounds and sensations.  She puts up with Phury’s unnatural affection toward Bella and his back and forth commitment to his duty as Primale, without a fight, because that’s her duty.  Although she may have a bit more gumption than the other Chosen, she’s not all that different from all the others in her world…or the other females of other books in this series.

Now, in my review for Lover Unbound, I said that the male characters are becoming remarkably similar.   And they really were, until Phury.  He actually stands out, where as some of the characters in the series hasn’t.  Yeah he whines a lot.  Yeah he gets handed a gold platter full of wild sex filled nights and he throws a fit instead of taking one for the team.  But I don’t know, once you look back over the story his existence is a bit sad and you begin to see why he does the drugs, and why he is the way he is.  To me, his story seemed more realistic and less…cookie cutter bad boy trying to be tough but is really a big softie.   He stays stoned to fight off his thoughts, to not have to dwell on all of his failures.  Not to say that I’m a supporter of it by any means, but once you get to the end of Lover Enshrined you understand Phury and why he’s been this way.

I honestly could go on and on about Lover Enshrined.  I loved the plot, LOVED it.  I loved all the twists and turns in this story.  I am even more excited about how the roles of the vampires and those of the lessers are going to play out than ever before.  My only complaint is that it ended.

Read Order:
Dark Lover
Lover Eternal
Lover Awakened
Lover Revealed
Lover Unbound
Lover Enshrined
Lover Avenged
Lover Mine
Lover Unleashed
Lover Reborn

Other Reviews: Karissa’s Reading Review, Vampire Book Club, Buggy’s Book Blog, Cursed Pyramid’s Blog and Book Nerd Becca

About Nikki R 120 Articles
SAHM of 2, happily married bookworm, blogger and aspiring author. If I could read/write all day, every day, I would. Luckily I have a very understanding, and patient, husband who lets me get away with it as much as possible. Now if only the kids would understand my obsession, and the house would clean itself, then I'd be all set.

1 Comment

  1. I actually agree with you on this. I loved Lover Enshrined, and like you to me it stood out because it was so different from the rest (including John Matthews book).

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