It appears that I will receive the rest of this series in the following sequence.

Lover Revealed (Black Dagger Brotherhood,  Bk 4) Estimate: 1 weeks
Lover Unbound (Black Dagger Brotherhood,   Bk 5) Estimate: 3 weeks
Lover Eternal (Black Dagger Brotherhood,   Bk 2) Estimate: 4 weeks
Lover Enshrined (Black Dagger Brotherhood, Bk 6) Estimate: 4 weeks
Lover Awakened (Black Dagger Brotherhood,  Bk 3) Estimate: 5 weeks
Lover Avenged: A Novel of the Black Dagger Brotherhood Estimate: N/A

Is it important to read this series in sequence?  Or can we read them in #4 #5 #2 #6 #3 #7 sequence?

Here's a link showing Black Dagger Brotherhood last-to-first sequence

Dan (for Marilyn) edited to add link

I'm a bit OCD about reading books in order, but I think for this one you really do need to, to understand some of what is going on.

Dan,

I'm usually not  that picky about having to read books in a series, because I'll go and reread them if I need to.   I've read lots of series like this. These, though, I'd say would be fairly unintelligable if not read in order.  You could probably read 2 before 1, but even that's a stretch.  There is definitely an ongoing story and as the series progresses, it has spun more to urban fantasy than stand alone single title romance.  I'd wait until you have the actual reading order to start these.

yep, read this series in order.

besides the ongoing war, which will make more sense read in order, the couple for the next book often meet for the first time in the book before theirs.

Oh okay, I'll tell Marilyn we should set the others aside and wait for Lover Eternal #2.

She is almost finished with Dark Lover #1 and she is totally hooked on this series.  She wanted to jump directly to #5 to find out what happens to Butch.  She also wants to put this series on her keeper shelf.  Hmmmmm, 7 credits...  I'll have to see if I can talk her out of keeping them. :)

Dan (for Marilyn) 

I enjoyed them, but definitely not keepers for me.  Not my favorite series.

Love this series and you will defintely be sorry if you read them out of order. 

I think you need to read in order because the series is not just about the main characters....other couples continue their story line and new characters are developed before their "true" book comes out!

I'm glad you asked about this Dan/Marilyn, because I was just wondering the same thing! 

Definitely do not read this series out of order. You won't know who the characters are. That's probably the thing I love most about Ward, she assumes you've read her books and doesn't waste pages doing recaps. Each book is just way too wrapped up in the last to skip around.

This is one of my favorite paranormal series, and one of the very few that has gone on my keeper shelf. 

Well good luck with talking her out of keeping them, Dan. These were keepers for me from the first book and I've reread the series twice already. I thought they were wonderful!  Have you read the first one yet?  I know a few men that really enjoyed this series and found it amazing that it was written by a woman due to some of the scenes.

Hi Collette;

No I haven't.  I haven't read anything outside of technical manuals in a long time.  Maybe I should try it, Eh.

Technical manuals are mind-numbingly-boring.  So much so that on the first read it's difficult to retain any details.  So I would read once, then perform some work using those technical skills, and then read again a second time.  That way I could retain details on the second read.

Dan (for Marilyn)

Hi Dan,

Yikes! You really should try one of Ward's books just to escape for awhile. I have to read procedure for my job and if I couldn't escape into a book during breaks and lunch I would go nutso!  I'm with you though on retaining info. If I don't put it to use right away it doesn't get retained. I've always been that way so it's not a sign of age. lol  (that is what  I tell myself anyway).

Collette