J.R. Ward’s Lover Mine is, yes, the culmination of the romance between Xhex and John Matthew, but is also the beginning of one of the more poignant relationships in the Black Dagger Brotherhood series, that of Qhuinn and Blaylock. There’s tons of other advancing story threads, such as Tohrment and John’s reconciliation, the possible return of Muhrder, and Payne’s emergence into this side of the world, but those all pale compared to the two ongoing love stories.
In the main story, Xhex and John Matthew have A Past: John Matthew has had a crush on the six foot-tall security guard since as long as he’s known her, and Xhex has become uncomfortably aware of John Matthew as well once he completed his transformation. They’ve had sex twice, but the last time, Xhex made it absolutely clear to John that it was a thank-you fuck, which pretty much put the kibosh on their potential relationship.
Matters get a lot more complicated when Xhex gets abducted and forced to endure all manner of unpleasant things from her captor, the half-lesser, half-vampire Lash. John will rest at nothing to ensure her safe return, even though he knows she wants no future with him.
But of course she’s had some time to think about how she messed up, and once they are reunited, they are all over each other again. And this time it’s not a pity bang, but neither thinks there is a future for them.
In this book, more than any of the others, it feels as though J.R. Ward listened to some of her detractors and made sure the female of the story didn’t compromise her own personality or position to accommodate her male. John Matthew is sweet, and Xhex is most definitely not, although she softens up in the face with John’s feelings for her.
For example, while she was missing, John got Xhex’s name tattooed on his back. It takes nearly the entire book for her to actually see what he’s done—they spend way more time face-to-face, or in the dark—and when she does, she is blown away:
“Oh...my...God...”
Xhex’s heart stopped as she looked at him in the mirrior. Across his upper back, in a glorious spread of black ink...in a declaration that didn’t whisper, but shouted...in a billboard-size font with flourishes...
her name in the Old Language.
...
When, she mouthed.
His eyes squeezed shut, as if he were remembering somethign that made his stomach hurt. And then with his lids down, he signed slowly...and broke her in half:
When I thought you weren’t coming home.
Add to all of this that John is mute, and Xhex isn’t much of a talker herself. But, of course, the sweetness of it all is that they do talk, that they share their past traumas with each other. And their respective traumas are shared in another way as well: Both have suffered similar abuses, both were raised not knowing what they were, both felt completely separated from everyone else, and both have compensated for their feelings of inadequacy. All of that gets put aside when they finally, finally agree they belong together forever.
Perhaps the sweetest thing John does is make sure it’s Xhex’s hand that delivers the killing blow to her kidnapper. Later on, when they’re talking about why he didn’t just kill the guy himself, John says,
Well, you know...you’re not exactly the kind of female a guy would get flowers for. Sort of limits my options.
In a fitting end to their courtship, it’s Xhex who does the proposing:
“I’d like you to be my end game.” She cleared her throat. “It’s easier to check out. Just do yourself and be done with the whole living-breathing thing. But I’m a fighter, John. Always have been. And if you’ll have me...I’d like to fight with you.” She extended her hand to him, palm up. “So what do you say. How’d you like to sign on for a symphath?”
Fucking. Bingo.
John grabbed that hand of hers and brought it to his lips, kissing the thing hard. Then he ut it over his heart, and ash she kept it there, he signed, I thought you’d never ask, you meathead.
Okay, so while Xhex and John are finally figuring things out, so is Qhuinn: In the last book, Blay told Qhuinn he loved him, and that didn’t go so well because, in BDB speak, Qhuinn was so not on board with that. Now that Blay is trying to mend his broken heart and move on, Qhuinn does, in fact, realize he’d like to be with Blay that way. Talk about heartache! Qhuinn and Blay have one smokin’ hot, passionate kiss, but things remain unresolved between them.
Oh, Qhuinn! Our hearts ache for you.
Although Lover Mine includes all the usual BDB requirements—hot sex, huge males, swirling testosterone, kickass fight scenes—its hero and heroine do not adhere to usual male/female stereotypes. John is the beta here while Xhex is the alpha. And while both are damaged, it’s Xhex who has the most healing to do.
And there’s still Qhuinn and Blay to deal with. Oh, Qhuinn!
Megan Frampton is the Community Manager, Romance, for the HeroesandHeartbreakers site. She lives in Brooklyn, NY, with her husband and son.
