I emailed Jen and said, “Hey, let’s do a ‘Why We Love Lothaire’ post!” Since she’s awesome she said, “Hell yes!!”. So I created a Google Doc, invited her to join me and went to bed. And that’s about as far as I got. I woke up and she had come up with all kinds of good reasons and quotes on why we love Lothaire and his bride, Ellie. I, in the mean time, deleted my highlights on my Kindle, had mad panic trying to fix it and eventually gave up only to find it magically restored at some point. I’m not going to question the Kindle gods. I’m just going to leave sacrificial print books at the Kindle alter in thanks.
Anyway, I’ve held up this post long enough with my drama so we’re going with Jen’s awesomeness and I’ll jump in now and then and try not to tarnish her shine.
Why We Fell For A Black-Hearted Vamp And His Bride
***WARNING***
SPOILERS IN THE POST AND IN COMMENTS IF YOU HAVE NOT READ THE BOOK
Jen: One of the things I loved most about Lothaire was his absolute immortalness. Yes, I know that is not a word but it is the best way I can describe it. He has been alive for so long things that would offend a normal person do not really bother him. They are just a way of life for him and he doesn’t really understand why someone would be offended by the things he does.
Sophia: Immortalness actually is a word. It’s in the Valkyrie Book of Badassedry and Knowledge. Everyone knows this. Yes, I agree with you. Lothaire has been around so long he’s on a whole different level than the average immortal. Not only does he not understand why anyone would be offended, he’s at a loss about why he should even care. But in a really cute way. 
He jerked back. “What is this? Be like you were with me the other times! When you melted for me.”
“That was before I fully understood what a nasty piece of work you are.”
“Because of a few shifter beheadings? Come on, Lizvetta, it’s not as if I went around cock-slapping gnomes.”
Her jaw dropped.
Sophia: Cock-slapping gnomes. Oh how I miss those days. (just kidding ) I would have made a great Valkyrie. Except for the ass kicking part. That’s too hard.
Jen: How can you can not adore his arrogance too? Lothaire is 100% full of himself and only himself. There were numerous examples of him telling Ellie how she is just a measly human and so unworthy of sitting by his side as a queen. I know many people who found his treatment of Ellie to be appalling but to me, well that is just the way he is. He truly believed these things, these simple statements of fact in his mind. I didn’t mind the way he acted because it just illustrated how far he had to fall. And eventually he did fall.
Sophia: I would have been totally disappointed if Lothaire would have not treated Ellie poorly. I know, I know, that sounds awful. But Lothaire is awful. He’s the Enemy of Old. Why would he not treat a mere mortal host poorly? It wouldn’t have been Lothaire if he went soft. Besides, Ellie was bad-ass and humbled that vamp. And she will continue to do so for the rest of his immortal life. HA!
“I’m a displaced king of two vampire factions. Now I work to reclaim my thrones.” Why am I telling her this? He didn’t give a damn if she respected him. “As for the other, I think I’m better than you because you are demonstrably my inferior in every way. Intelligence, wealth, looks, bloodline, should I continue?”
Jen: How can you not laugh when you read that statement? I found it so funny how seriously he took himself. He really believed he is that full of awesome.
Sophia: I admit, I cringed at some of his hurtful words. How could you not?
“Because fate would not slight me so unspeakably. I’d seek a noon-day sun if I were paired with one such as you.”
“Such as me,” she repeated blandly. She’d been mocked too often over her lifetime to take offense. Her skin was as thick as armor.
“Yes, you. An ignorant, mortal Kmart checkout girl.” He took the sharpest knife from his place setting, absently turning it between his left thumb and forefinger.
“Kmart? I should have been so lucky. Those jobs were hard to come by. I worked at my uncle’s outfitter shop.”
“Then you’re even worse. You’re an outfitter checkout girl with aspirations for Kmart.”
“Still better than a demon.”
Jen: Lothaire is hot. I am not sure there is any better way to state that. This book, and Lothaire, was the hottest book of the IAD series. That bad vampire had centuries to build up sexual frustration and a very short time to unleash it on Ellie. The best part was that it was mostly Ellie unleashing it on him!
“Ellie narrowed her eyes. Yes, his mocking stung, but he hasn’t cowed her; he’d just waved a red flag in front of a bull. He’s never had a country girl.
An earthy, dirty-mouthed girl – whose very life was on the line.
She could throw him for a loop. She recalled overhearing boys talking about her in high school: “You ever been parking with Ellie Pierce? It’s life-changing.”
****
“Lothaire, you’re looking at my nipples….still wantin’ to bite me? She lowered her hands, released dark waves of her hair, then clutched his shoulders.
“Lean forward, pet. I’ll only use my tongue on them.”
She shivered. “That’s what you want?”
“Yes.”
She leaned back.
Though her boldness attracted him like a font of fresh blood, his anger couldn’t be denied. “You want me to suck them.”
“Aching for you to.”
“Then obey me now, Elizabeth!”
Eyes closed, head falling back, she whispered, “No.”
Sophia: OMGosh, Ellie was great! And you are right, this is one of the hottest IAD books yet. Only Lothaire could pull off *hehe* the kind of control he did. And, I loved that Ellie took him on while she was still mortal. Brave lady. *giggles*
Jen: For all that I have said about his arrogance and immortalness he always displayed a strange loyalty, and almost friendship, to Nix. I think Nix, in her own crazy and convoluted way, is a major favorite in this series. I do not know a single person that doesn’t pine for her HEA. Most people even wanted Lothaire and Nix to be paired up. The scene between Lothaire and Nix towards the end of the book was heartbreaking.
Sophia: I am so in the HEA camp for Nix. I have loved her forevah because as funny and awesome as she is, there is a bit of sympathy for her as well. She guides her fellow immortals on their paths to love and happiness but we just don’t know much about her and her romantic past. Nucking Futs Nix needs love dammit! I love that she and Lothaire have their crazy friendship.
He muttered a curse, then said, “You may rest here this eve.” Tracing to the sitting room couch, he gently laid her down. “I’ll keep the Loreans away for one night.”
“It is blessedly peaceful here, high in this castle. White queen and black king can call a draw for a time….”
My enemy, my onetime friend. Why had she continued to help him? With a brusque “Good night, “ he tossed a blanket over her.
Jen: For Lothaire to finally realize all Nix has done for him, and how he realized he needed to reciprocated, was perfect.
“And when he thought about how much he loved Elizabeth and how inconceivably right it felt to have her by his side, he recognized that he was seriously – grievously – indebted to Nix”
Sophia: And with this quote, I giggle with glee. Oh the possibilities. I hope Nix gives him hell in many IAD books to come. No one deserves it more than Lothaire.
About Sophia (FV)
Ellie’s big old FU to Lothaire was classic.
It was epic!
I also loved how L was invisible watching Ellie, waiting for her to break down and cry, but she didn’t. He was like WTF? lol
He was a big douche head for most of the book.
He was but wouldn’t you have been disappointed if he had a massive personality transplant?
No, I understand why even though he was channeling Barrons le Douche for a short while. But L is adorable and Ellie didn’t put up with is crap.
Plus he’s a big softy by keeping her undies in his pocket, the love sick perv. ;P
THIS!! lol
You said Barrons. Be still my heart.
Omg I love this post!
Yes – Lothaire IS awful – but like you guys said – if he wasn’t – he wouldn’t be true to who he is.
It wasn’t a squishy-feely romantic book -but damn. It was hot.
Loved him.
AND – Loved his friendship with Nix. We needed to see that side to him too.
“cock-slappin gnomes” – one of my favorite lines ever.
No it wasn’t sappy and lovey but I loved Lothaire’s internal vulnerability. Little hillbilly Ellie sure rocked his world!
OMG!! Love this!! I still can’t enough of Lothaire! I thought Ellie was perfect for him.. I just couldn’t wait for that Soraya Bi*** to be taken care of!! >.<
So I guess the next book is Kristoff & Fury!! I'm still wanting Lanthe, Nix, Hot & Hotter twins…do you think Hag & Thad will hook up??… LOL now I'm just rambling..
Love getting more Lothiare fix!! I've become kinda an addict.. I've already reread it 2x
I was disappointed in Soraya’s demise. I expected more. Poof, she was gone. Wow. It’s ok though, that meant more time with Ellie and Lothaire I guess. lol
I don’t know about Hag and Thad. Thad is so young, plus he’s a young immortal. Isn’t a rule that immortals have to slut around for at least a few hundred years before the settle down?
YES! Poof she was gone. That part was odd. Not that I really wanted her around but it was very neat.
I love when Cole’s virgin heroes. The vampire who mates with the ghost is a perfect example.
I have most of these quotes highlighted on my Kindle too! God, I DEVOURED this book. It’s been a LONG TIME since I really got into a book the way that I did Lothaire. I ignored everyone. I didn’t do my homework. I didn’t even watch The Vampire Diaries! I fell completely and totally in love with Lothaire, despite how mean he was initially to Ellie, and I’m still pining over the book ending – how can I top that? I can’t! Getting into another book after finishing this one was HARD. Ok, now Kresley Cole needs to give us the next IAD book.
I feel that way every time I finish an IAD book. MOAR.
Lothaire was a huge jerk through out the whole book but Cole kept him true to character. Ellie was freaking awesome. She had him wrapped around her finger before any of them knew it.
Her FU to him was brilliant. And putting him in a wife beater towards the end cracked me up.
The best part about the FU? Everyone’s reaction. I was dying when they were all standing around commenting on it.
Yes!! I swear, I felt like I wanted to be right in the middle of that group of Valkyrie swearing how much I loved her more than anyone else. That was a great scene!!
OMG I forgot about the wife-beater. LOLOLOL I can’t stop laughing!!!
And L got his dog finally! His poor, poor puppy
. It still burns for me.
Yay, that part made me cringe.
I need to get my hands on the book so I can read the post. *pouts* My library needs to hurry up!
Your personal library is coming through for you. Don’t worry. *wink*
*gasp* My husband better watch out or I’m going to throw him over for you.
You still need him. I don’t kill spiders or take out the garbage.
Oh, now you throw conditions on our love? I see how it is.
Spiders and garbage? I am going to have to side with Sophia and say those are valid conditions!
Well I certainly don’t want to mess with them, so clearly it should be her job.
Oh this was a great post!
I loved the trailer and the wife beater scene-and Ellie blandly telling Lothaire that she wanted them to live there, and go to NASCAR games. One of the few times L knew panic.
I think my favorite part was actually the epilogue, though.
Lothaire+NASCAR=LOLOLOLOLOL.
I think that was a better revenge than leaving only an 1/8 of an inch of tendon ;P
I know right? I’m kind of starting to feel sorry for Lothaire LOL.
poor, poor Leo
I feel like I’m going to read the book again. Now. I can’t help it.
Talking about it like this is like rereading it! Everyone keeps bringing up parts I had forgotten!
Yay for Leo! Yay for Cole not taking a badass secondary character and neutering him into a fuzzy puppy in his own book. I also really loved having a “mere mortal” heroine for this one. Ellie was the bomb! Re-reading Lothaire next week… or maybe this weekend… Thanks for the awesome quotes!
I absolutely loved this post! And I adored the book, and I agree with all of your remarks. I think this is my favourite book in the series so far!
Yay, I finally got to read the post! I really loved that KC didn’t sugarcoat Lothaire. I’m always disappointed (and irritated) when you love a character because of how bad and f’ed up he/she is, but then the author tones it down when it’s time for their book.
I was glad that Lothaire was such a shit to her, because it gave her a nice opportunity to show him how little she cared about what he thought. She was all about respect being earned. Also, I liked seeing the reaction of a straight human brought into their world. Because, although it’s funny, the Lore is full of murder and revenge and violence. It was nice having Ellie react to that in a realistic way.
I would have liked a little bit more development after Lothaire had his change of heart, but I still liked them together overall. And the bits with Nix were awesome.