Butch O'Neal is a fighter by nature. A hard-living ex-homicide cop, he's the only human ever to be allowed in the inner circle of the Black Dagger Brotherhood. And he wants to go even deeper into the vampire world-to engage in the turf war with the lessers. His heart belongs to a female vampire, Marissa, an aristocratic beauty who's way out of his league. And if he can't have her, then at least he can fight side by side with the Brothers.
But fate curses him with the very thing he wants. When Butch sacrifices himself to save a civilian vampire from the slayers, he falls prey to the darkest force in the war. Left for dead, he's found by a miracle, and the Brotherhood calls on Marissa to bring him back, though even her love may not be enough to save him.
And J.R. Ward has another hit on her hands!
Lover Revealed is all about Brian "Butch" O'Neal, who is the only human in the Black Dagger Brotherhood circle. We met Butch in the first installment (Dark Lover) as a homicide detective and friend of Beth Randall, who becomes Wrath's shellan. When Butch learns too much about the Brotherhood, it becomes a question of letting him stay or killing him effective immediately. But through his close friendship with the brotherhood members, especially Vishous, they decide to keep him.
Unfortunately, all throughout his life and even currently while he's been living with the brothers, Butch has always felt like an outsider; like he's perpetually been coasting on the outside of life and has never really felt like he truly belongs anywhere. Now, living with these other ultra-powerful, strong, attractive, all-knowing vampires; he feels even more like a misfit.
So, how does he cope, you may ask? One answer: Scotch.
Night after night, Butch downsizes his problems and insecurities with alcohol and various one night stands. Of course, he's happy to have the close friendships he possesses with the other brothers, but he feels like a kept pet, who's just... there, serving no purpose whatsoever.
Then he runs into a creature so otherworldly beautiful, she makes Butch forget all about his problems. She is a vampire named Marissa.
Her reflection was of utter female flawlessness, an improbable beauty that seemed sculpted, not born. Tall and thin, her body was made up of delicate angles, and her face was absolutely sublime, a perfect combination of lips and eyes and cheeks and nose. The skin over it all was alabaster. The eyes were silver blue. The blood in her veins was among the very purest in the species.
Now, Marissa has had her own share of insecurities as well. If you remember, Marissa use to feed Brotherhood member Wrath, but then he met his shellan Beth, and she was cast aside. All of her life, Marissa has never felt good enough, despite her otherworldly beauty. She's a docile, timid, follower who has constantly been told what do to, how to act, when to speak, etc.
Then, she meets the outspoken, crass, ill-mannered human named Butch who is completely fixated on her, and she's not use to the attention, but she likes it... and him.
This was a great love story. It did start out a bit slow, but it definitely picks up the pace in the middle. Butch goes through various transformations (mentally, emotionally, physically, ...species-wise, you'll get what I mean when you read it ^_^), and Marissa also changes a lot during this book. She learns to use that backbone of hers and she begins to stand up for herself more!
In the end, I definitely recommend this book, but then again, I've been recommending this entire SERIES since the beginning of time, so... why haven't you read it yet, if you haven't?! You are missing out! Read it!
Cute quotes:
Closing his eyes, he floated away on the pain in his body. And from out of the swill of agony, he had a vision of Marissa from the first night he'd met her. The image was so vivid, he could almost smell the ocean scent of her and he saw exactly what had been: the filmy yellow gown she'd had on… the way her hair had looked, down over her shoulders… the lemon-colored sitting room they'd been in together.
To him, she was the unforgettable woman, the one he'd never had and never would but who nonetheless reached into the core of him.
4.5 TARGETS!
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