Lover Mine is the eighth novel in the Black Dagger Brotherhood series by J.R.Ward. While this novel mainly concerns the long-awaited story of John Matthew and Xhex, there are several subplots: a narration set in 1684 gives the reader more about the early Brotherhood in the Old Country, Tohrs start with them and Dariuss dream of a Brotherhood Mansion, as well as Xhexs origins; Lashs story develops; the tension between Blay and Qhuinn builds with the introduction of another character; Ward sets the scene for the next novel, Lover Unleashed, with some scenes with Payne on the Far Side; and finally, there is a loosely-connected narration about a reality TV program called Paranormal Investigations. Once again, the plot is original, with several twists to foil predictability. While John Matthew stayed true to form, it seemed to me that Xhex was acting out of character from previous books. The world Ward has created is certainly a compelling one that she comprehensively supports with plenty of information about what, who and how. The odd spellings can be taken in context as part of this world, although the questions as statements are slightly irritating. On the whole, this series is quite addictive and this book, while a brick, is a great read.