Review: Dark Lover

Reviewed by Jen
 

I start this review with the acknowledgement that the characters have ridiculous names.  There. I said it. But I strongly encourage you to get past that. Because the Black Dagger Brotherhood is knock-your-socks-off-sexy.  And this is the book that started it all.

In this world JR Ward has created, there are vampires. They cannot go in the sun and they drink blood, but only the blood of an opposite-sex member of their own race.  The live under the radars of humans. And they are hunted by soulless killers, known as Lessers.  The defenders of their race are a group of warrior vampires known as the Black Dagger Brotherhood.

As our story begins, one of the Brothers (Darius) is killed in bomb set by a Lesser. It was his dying wish for his friend Wrath to take care of his half-human daughter Beth. She has no idea Darius was her dad and knows nothing of her vampire heritage. But soon, she will reach the age of transition, where she will become truly vampire. And for that she needs the blood of a male vamp. Enter Wrath.

When the two of them meet, it's instant fire. They jump in the sack in less time than it takes you to say "holy crap."  It. Is. So. Hot.  Of course, their path isn't easy.  Wrath is the leader of the Brotherhood and is the King of his people. He already has a wife, of sorts, but he has never had a sexual relationship with her. They have only met each other's blood needs. The vampire world is new and scary to Beth. But she is no simpering whiner; She is a great leading lady: strong, loyal and smart.  And because of that --and the unbreakable connection between her and Wrath-- their happy ending is a foregone conclusion.

There are several cut scenes to what is happening with the Lessers and, like many other people, I have trouble not skimming through their pages to get back to the main story.  (This is true for all the BDB books.)  Of course, this part of the story is necessary too, so try not skip it.

The book has a great band of supporting characters. Almost all are destined to have their own books.  Ward weaves all their stories together, so as a reader, I feel part of their family. And it IS a family.  If you haven't read this book yet, now is the time.  It is amazing. 5 stars.

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Dark Lover

by JR Ward

Release Date: September 6, 2005

Publisher: Signet