High-Stakes Forbidden Love in J.R. Ward’s The Chosen

In J.R. Ward’s world, Chosen female vampires have one purpose: to please the ‘Primales’ of their community and give them sons. But despite being Chosen, Layla was never with a Primale—though she did desire children and intimacy of her own. And so years before meeting Xcor, she had two babies with Qhuinn, another member of the Brotherhood. Their relationship was never romantic—as Qhuinn is in love with another male in their community, Blay—and so when she stumbled upon a wounded Xcor and healed him with her blood, her heart was open for love. She did not know who he was, and once she did, she confessed her crime.
When Qhuinn finds out that the mother of his children is in love with a convicted traitor, he acts recklessly in a moment of rage, with catastrophic results.
But Wrath, the Blind King, shows mercy on Layla and Xcor, offering them a deal: if Xcor convinces the rest of his Band of Bastards to kneel at Wrath’s feet, he will grant them freedom. The catch? That freedom is only possible in the Old Country, meaning that eventually, while Layla and Xcor may find temporary happiness, their love would be forced to come to an end when he returned to Europe.
The Brotherhood world continues to expand in scope and complexity, with this installment managing multiple POV’s and sub-plots, as well as flashbacks to the 1700’s. Ward’s characters are complex and her dialogue tension-filled, with appearances from beloved brothers such as Vischous, Trez, Lassiter, and of course, the original couple, Wrath and Beth. As Layla and Xcor explore their relationship on borrowed time, Ward does away with any semblance of a “slow burn”; the passion this couple has for one another ignites on the page. The balance of possessive, nails-digging-into-skin sex, and tender, gentle romance, is incredibly appealing.

In the second major plot, Qhuinn and Blay fall apart in the aftermath of Qhuinn’s (over)reaction to Layla and Xcor’s secret. Anger took over, and he insinuated that Blay wasn’t as much of a parent towards their children as Qhuinn was. Qhuinn spends a good part of the book trying to make up for his terrible mistake.
But Layla has a secret: she knows the one truth that could free Xcor from any punishment, even exile. It could unite her family again—including Qhuinn and Blay, and their children—but it could also backfire, and destroy them. Layla must decide if she is willing to risk her life, her family, and her love…or end up with nothing at all.
The Chosen is on B&N bookshelves now.