This BOOK is great. If your into Vampire Romance. This is a great way to start off this series. It can be cheesy at times, than again most romances are and its about escapism. So sit back and have FUN!

I didn't this was going to be part of a series when I picked it up, but I am without a doubt HOOKED!!! Wonderful start and with each book you learn even more about the people you have read aout in the previous books. AWESOME series. They remain in my keep pile even after reading them...at least twice. :)

Honestly, I didn't think I was going to like this book. After a string of unimpressive vampire romance novels, I was losing hope. This book was such a pleasant surprise. I'll admit that I laughed out loud at the descriptions of the brothers in chapter one. They are all such stereotypical alpha males that it's downright humorous. Likewise, the females are stereotypically perfect women. However, I couldn't put the book down and when I was close to the end, rather than order the sequels from Amazon and wait for shipping, I drove to Barnes and Nobel and bought them so I could get started on Lover Eternal right away. That was a clear indication (at least to me) of how much I enjoyed the book.

I really liked the different personalities of the brothers and while this novel played up (exaggerated) male and female gender roles, I found myself nonetheless getting sucked in and having a great time reading it. It's steamy, romantic and full of action. Definitely a fun and consuming read.

This is the first book in the Balck Dagger Brotherhood series. J.R. Ward has created a world of dehlishous vampires, and I can't get enough! She has beautiful names for each of the Brothers and captures your attention with the first page, not letting you put the book down until you are finished reading. This series is definatley worth buying and keeping to read over and over again.

This the first book in the series was great. It is what started my great love of the Black Dagger Brotherhood.

Well, I wanted to read this book to form an opinion, for a dicussion, my group was having on this book. I liked the book. I just didn't love it. I will try and read the other books in this series. After reading this book last night, I really can't say much about it that I remember as being great. But, I will keep an eye on this series.

I read all 5 back to back and quickly. Very enjoyable. Somewhere in the middle of the series I did get a bit tired but not enough to stop reading them all. The fifth book was one of the best. Looking forward to the next one.

At first I thought the book was kind of corny, with vampires with names like Wrath, Phury, Rhage, Zsadist, and Vishious! But as the story went on, the more I was drawn in. JR Ward writes a really good vampire novel with a lot of romance, and enough suspense to keep me hanging on! Can't wait to start on the next one in the series.

This is the first book in the Black Dagger Brotherhood series which is about a group of warrior vampires who's sole mission is to protect their species against an evil zombie-like species. Dark Lover is about their King Wrath finding love where he wasn't looking for it. What I like about this series is that its about strong men or vampires in this case who feel an all consuming love and don't need to put down their females to be macho. The story itself is also pretty good so you don't have to worry about overkill in any of the plots.

This is a great series! Each book focuses on a different vampire warrior, and his unique powers and internal struggles, as he finds (or stumbles across) his mate. And then in most cases has to convince himself (or others) that the woman is really his mate.
There's lots of action, and sex. And the series is heavy with sexual tension.
Excellent stories, characters with depth, lots of humor and sarcastic comments, great sex scenes...couldn't ask for more.

Excellent vampire series, especially if you're into Vampire Erotica, sounds a little Harlequine Romancy but this line of books has a very strong continuous story with a wonderful devotion amongst it characters and their mates. I found myself getting emotionally attached to each brother and their different personality traits. I can't wait for the next chapter to come out!

This book is more adult. I love it!! It's dark and describtive. If you love vampire romance, and teh paranormal, you have to check out this series!!!!!

Oh boy, where can I start? I usually have good luck using Amazon reviews to choose my next book. This time however, I have to disagree with all of the 4 and 5 star ratings. This book was laughable. I found myself cringing at the dialog between the supposed tough guys. No straight guy in the history of the planet has ever uttered the cheesetastic lines these guys did. And the names......Zsadist, Rhage, Phury, Tohrment....it's embarrassing. I couldn't even finish and I'm still baffled by other people's glowing reviews.

I read about J.R. Ward's series and found my library had Dark Lover so I checked it out. I liked the book so much I immediately ordered the other 4 that were out. This first book in the series sets the stage for the Black Dagger Brotherhood and the books MUST be read in order or you will not understand some of the characters/history. Though this was not my favorite in the series, it was enough to whet my appetite for more. After the 2nd in the series I was hooked. After the 3rd, I was obsessed. After I finished all the published books (5 at this writing) I bought my own copy of Dark Lover and reread the whole series again!!!

Congrats to a clever author. Yes, there are some hokey things in the story and I admit the heroines are weak for such strong alpha males, but the world she creates is so compelling you can't help but become immersed.

Wrath is the last purebred vampire left on the planet, and Beth is a half human who has no idea what is happening to her....


This book is one of my first branches out from historical romances....and I was scared, I mean, I LOVE vampire movies, but I was not sure about a book. Let me just say I absolutely Loved this book. I has, in my opinion, just the right amount of romance/story balance for me. If you want to read a vampire novel that has its own new set of rules, then this is the series for you.

There is only one word to describe this book - cheesy porn. It is just another "harlequin romance". I was shocked that this came up as a suggestion to read after reading the twilight series. TRUST ME - if you enjoy classic literature and anything with any amount of class in it - DO NOT WASTE YOUR MONEY!

I bought this book on a whim and boy am I glad I did. It was a really great book. I enjoyed it so much that as soon as I was finished i went and ordered the rest in the series.

This is the first of the J. R. Ward vampire series that left me wanting more. In fact, after finding this book I bought the whole series. What captured me from the start was the wonderful full characterization of Wrath and his band of brothers. Once Wrath meets Beth all bets are off and this male vampire shows his vunerablity and sensitivity. A wonderful book and a must read prior to starting the other books in the series. This lays the foundation for the rest of the books. Enjoy. This is a page turner.

I did like this book but I had some problems. I loved that Wrath was almost completely blind and that his senses were so acute it almost didn't matter at all. But there were several noticeable times in the story that it seemed he was seeing something he shouldn't have been. Like strawberry juice running down Beth's chin. Those are things that bug me because I think a powerful choice has been made to make him blind and I really want the reality of that adhered to for its best effect.

It took me a while to get into the lingo. It was so ... NYPD Blue. But after I accepted the rhythm of it, I liked it okay.

I wanted to know more about their world as well. The world of Havers and Marissa that was supposedly snobbish and judgmental was just mentioned and we never got to experience it. Perhaps in subsequent books we'll get more of a sense of the community in its entirety.

Anyway, it got exciting about two-thirds of the way through and I enjoyed it. The set-up for future books -- paramilitary style forces and a better fortress for them all to be in one place -- intrigues me and I'll read the next one.

I was a reader of romance books for many years. After going to grad school, I had to stop reading for pleasure. This book was my first re-intorduction to the genre after about 5 years. It was so good that I immediately ran out to get the other 3. Ward has a little different take on the Vampire world that I really like. They are a different species that can't turn others to be their kind. They exist along side the humans without allowing knowledge of their species. Ward also creates the Lessening Society. This is a brilliant addition to her book because this society's goal is to eliminate the Vampires. So, there are real tensions and threats to the Vampire's existence that gives the story so much depth. The Brothers are...fun, sexy, interesting, intelligent, and so well characterized. Hopefully, Ward will keep them coming!

I can't believe J.R.Ward has not been slapped with a lawsuit by Christine Feehan's lawyers. Come on... a "king" of his people? Marrying a half-human?! Hello. A race struggling to reproduce, for medical reasons!!?? Did no one spot this? A "brotherhood" please. I really could not believe how much of the plot came from Feehan's Dark Prince series. There were some entertaining moments. I enjoyed what Ward did with Butch and Marissa. But I cannot recommend a novel that was so derivative of another series I'd recently read.

Before my Kindle arrived I'd already purchased this book for download because of all the amazing reviews. I have to say that I was pleasantly surprised with the fact that...yes, it is about vampires...yes, it is romance...BUT, it has an intensity and grit that I've not experienced before in this genre. I'm now on the 3rd in the series and am just thrilled that each book continues to hold its own momentum.

I Loved the diffenrt spin Ms Ward chose for this series. I couldn't put this book down.

I love paranormal stories and have read most of Feehan, Kenyon and Hamilton's books. Blood, gore and magic make for some fun reading. A lot of similar readers recommend Ward on their reviews and I thought why the heck not. Now let me say that I am hooked!

The Black Dagger Brotherhood is a band of warriors fighting to keep their race alive. Based in Caldwell, New York, they have raged war against the slayers who call themselves the Lessening Society. At the top of the food chain is their reluctant king. Wrath is the only remaining purebred vampire on earth. When he witnessed the massacre of his parents centuries ago, he swore to take vengeance against those responsible. But while he became the leader of the Brotherhood, Wrath has never ascended the throne... until one of his loyal warriors was killed by the lesser, suddenly abandoning his half-breed daughter who is dangerously close to changing. Stricken by guilt, Wrath is forced to usher her into their world not expecting that he would eventually fall in love with her.

Beth Randall grew up never knowing who her father is, or even the vampire blood that she carries. Very close to transition, the half-breed grows restive, consumed by a hunger that she cannot appease. Then when a mysterious man appears to her at night and claims to have been sent by her father, Beth is drawn into the deadly world of the undead where she will find the answers to her restlessness, and where survival means entrusting her life with the only man who makes her soul burn.

DARK LOVER is the first book in my new favorite series Black Dagger Brotherhood. Wrath and Beth are such great characters. Ward has done a fabulous job with them that you cannot help but love them. Wrath is perfectly portrayed as the dangerously sexy and tormented hero who refuses to live up to his legacy, while Beth is the spirited heroine who helps him come to terms with his past and embrace his destiny. This is a captivating series that is sure to hook you from the word go. Ward effectively teases your taste buds by giving glimpses of what's in store for the rest of the brotherhood and I found myself reaching for the next book as soon as I hit the last page. If you haven't yet picked up one of J. R. Ward's novels before, then what are you waiting for?

I enjoyed this book and the entire series. The stories hook you immediately and the characters are larger than life.

after the 1st chapter i was hooked. I love the story line. After i finished this one, I bought the next four. They were just as good. Can't wait until the next one is published.

One hell of a ride! I read it and didn't want it to end, was desperate to find out all about the other Brothers. I'd advised you to buy them all at once, you won't be disappointed, ever.

I read this on the recommendation of a stranger in Books-a-million and boy am I glad I did. I am so picky about what I read, and this is going to be another series to love. I love that Wrath is moody and blind. It makes the character so much deeper and thoughtful, not that he's very thoughtful...seriously it's a good one, I'm just sad the Library doesn't have any of these...gotta buy them!

I'm so glad that I stuck with this book. It was a little slow for me for the first 100 pages, but then WHAMMO!, the action picked up, the chemisty between the hero and heroine really started to ignite, and most importantly, the characters really began to drive the plot along.

Brief synopsis: The Black Dagger Brotherhood is a group of the fiercest vampire fighters, responsible for the protection of their kind from the attacks of their 'evil' counterpart, the lessers. Wrath is the 'king' and his former brother-in-arms, Darius has passed on a last request to protect his half-human/half-vampire daughter, Beth. Beth is coming into the 'change', for which survival is not guaranteed. Wrath must fight his inner demons to help Beth. He's tormented, she's innocent.

You are also introduced to the other men of the Brotherhood, who will be the subjects of future novels.

This book opened a whole new world of sizzling adventure, love,
strife... Loved it all. Absolutely sucked in head over heels. The next book of the Black Dagger Brotherhood is even more compelling 5+. Definitely recommend this book and this series.

Ok, so I didn't know if I would like this book, but I left the future in the hands of the other reviews...Glad I bought the book, read it in one day...quite a feat if you ask me, but what else you gonna do with the flu? So I just started the next book, and I just ordered the rest of the books in this series. I love reading a series, because you get to keep up with all the other characters you love. Oh, and this book...Wrath is just a sex god, I love the possessiveness that he shows, I really think that is part of the vampire romance, ready to kill for their women. But the main woman, Beth, she is a strong willed woman also. I recommend this book, it provides suspense, animal lust, and a hellava story line. Cheers

Hot, hot, HOT, are first words that come to mind. Tingle from head to toe, with a sloppy stupid smile throughout and a thankful sigh that the vampire genre is not as dead as it has been in the past.

This debut novel from JR Ward is not only clever in its rendering, its unique characters that are bold, vivid and blunt and a well-rounded mythology, it truly shows a different perspective, that's just enviously creative. The dialogue and actual unfolding is fun, titillating and just a raucous ride!

Elizabeth 'Beth' Randall, abandoned by her vampire father, Darius, works as a beat reporter with a dull lonely existence and no sex life whatsoever, despite the fact that she's model beautiful with a witty sense of humor and strong, thankfully not too sentimental and cheesy, personality that's hard to resist. As a human unaware that she's half human, half vampire, turning 25 years of age is more of a problem than just getting older. For the transition between human to vampire is not only harrowing, but down right deadly. But when Darius, shockingly, is killed by an opposing force, the Lessening Society, soulless depraved humans with a will to kill and dark vengeance for vampire blood, the Brotherhood, an elite and powerfully dangerous vampire subspecies and blood-brothers, numbering only six, are trained especially to hunt and destroy the Lessers, convenes to figure out what the hell is going on.

Wrath, a larger than life hulk of man who is nearly blind, heavy-armed to the teeth in metal weaponry and leather clad, is their pure-blood vampire king, who shuns the title and everything with it, begrudgingly grants a dead man's request to keep his half human half vampire daughter from dying. What unleashes is more than just violence, but chemistry, hot sex and the opening and baring of old wounds for all involved, and especially for Beth, who's never really had a family; and Wrath, who is constantly haunted by his. In the background is Wrath's scorned and rejected shellan, more or less his mate since birth, that had blindly committed her life to him, for centuries, only to be rejected by a pathetic puny human. And her brother, Havers, a man with his own wounds to lick and takes his aggression against Wrath, with deadly results. As the transition nears, the Lessening Society reorganizes, throwing the old standard ways out the door and into unknown and unpredictable territory that will continue into the other books. The question is, as Wrath's mortal weakness, can Beth and he have the kind of life, and love, which he's only heard about? And never believed in? Well, read on...'cuz I sure as hell ain't givin' it away...

While the writing itself won't win any literary awards, the dialogue with its modern pop-culture references and style, great love scenes and some tender movements gives this unique vampire novel a very welcoming relief in vampire lore that has been sedate or overdone, sweetly romanticized or too fantastical, because about half way through, it looses the momentum it served on a platter with such a bang. The promise of something really explosive is more subdued, though still exciting and revealing, with several nicely placed surprised and openers for the other books in the series. Put aside (just for a little while) Rice's philosophical woes or Hamilton's oversexed, plotless books. With its 21st century style and look, Dark Lover is strongly grounded in a well-developed world and (surprisingly) well-rendered secondary characters with secondary romance sequence (a bit rushed and not as interesting that is told in Lover Revealed) that (Americans espeically) will be intimately comfortable with which adds vitality and realism to the story. Even if you're not into vampire lore, let's just face it: its fun with a great plot, endearing wonderfully rich characters, and the sex scenes aren't bad either.

Hot, hot, HOT, are first words that come to mind. Tingle from head to toe, with a sloppy stupid smile throughout and a thankful sigh that the vampire genre is not as dead as it has been in the past.

This debut novel from JR Ward is not only clever in its rendering, its unique characters that are bold, vivid and blunt and a well-rounded mythology, it truly shows a different perspective, that's just enviously creative. The dialogue and actual unfolding is fun, titillating and just a raucous ride!

Elizabeth 'Beth' Randall, abandoned by her vampire father, Darius, works as a beat reporter with a dull lonely existence and no sex life whatsoever, despite the fact that she's model beautiful with a witty sense of humor and strong, thankfully not too sentimental and cheesy, personality that's hard to resist. As a human unaware that she's half human, half vampire, turning 25 years of age is more of a problem than just getting older. For the transition between human to vampire is not only harrowing, but down right deadly. But when Darius, shockingly, is killed by an opposing force, the Lessening Society, soulless depraved humans with a will to kill and dark vengeance for vampire blood, the Brotherhood, an elite and powerfully dangerous vampire subspecies and blood-brothers, numbering only six, are trained especially to hunt and destroy the Lessers, convenes to figure out what the hell is going on.

Wrath, a larger than life hulk of man who is nearly blind, heavy-armed to the teeth in metal weaponry and leather clad, is their pure-blood vampire king, who shuns the title and everything with it, begrudgingly grants a dead man's request to keep his half human half vampire daughter from dying. What unleashes is more than just violence, but chemistry, hot sex and the opening and baring of old wounds for all involved, and especially for Beth, who's never really had a family; and Wrath, who is constantly haunted by his. In the background is Wrath's scorned and rejected shellan, more or less his mate since birth, that had blindly committed her life to him, for centuries, only to be rejected by a pathetic puny human. And her brother, Havers, a man with his own wounds to lick and takes his aggression against Wrath, with deadly results. As the transition nears, the Lessening Society reorganizes, throwing the old standard ways out the door and into unknown and unpredictable territory that will continue into the other books. The question is, as Wrath's mortal weakness, can Beth and he have the kind of life, and love, which he's only heard about? And never believed in? Well, read on...'cuz I sure as hell ain't givin' it away...

While the writing itself won't win any literary awards, the dialogue with its modern pop-culture references and style, great love scenes and some tender movements gives this unique vampire novel a very welcoming relief in vampire lore that has been sedate or overdone, sweetly romanticized or too fantastical, because about half way through, it looses the momentum it served on a platter with such a bang. The promise of something really explosive is more subdued, though still exciting and revealing, with several nicely placed surprised and openers for the other books in the series. Put aside (just for a little while) Rice's philosophical woes or Hamilton's oversexed, plotless books. With its 21st century style and look, Dark Lover is strongly grounded in a well-developed world and (surprisingly) well-rendered secondary characters with secondary romance sequence (a bit rushed and not as interesting that is told in Lover Revealed) that (Americans espeically) will be intimately comfortable with which adds vitality and realism to the story. And let's just face it, its fun with a great plot, endearing wonderfully rich characters, and the sex scenes aren't bad either.

I picked this book up at the bookstore out of boredom. And thank God for boredom. I wasn't 50 pgs in when I was on Amazon ordering the rest of the series. The vampires are gorgeous and torchered. What more could a girl want. But the truth is that the books are well written, the stories are interesting and not predictable. I like the love scenes but I also love the story lines. They are worth the time it takes to read and I would recommend them to anyone who loves fantasy, or paranormal erotica.

Before this book I had never read a paranormal, but I absolutely loved it! JR has done such a wonderful job creating the world of the Black Dagger Brotherhood that you can't help but be drawn into their world and lives. I look forward to reading more from this series and this author!

I was so excited to read this book, thinking I had found a new series to follow. I have to wonder about all the positive reviews here, are they real? For starters, the leading man, is described as large man with tree trunk thighs, yuck, wearing leather pants. I could'nt stop picturing Gene Simmons. Not my idea of a sexy guy. And the names for the guys in the brotherhood. Sooo stupid. Save your money, this book is silly and not romantic in any form.

J.R. Ward is an excellent writer, so I wonder where she's been until now! Has she been writing under other names? She gives us an action-packed alternative world, filled with warrior vampires, soulless humans, and lovers who bond for all eternity. Wow! Her secondary characters are fully rounded, and I couldn't wait to read their stories. Her mythology and the world she has created are both compelling. I only give it 4 stars, though, because her choice of names annoys me (Rhage, Tohrment, Vishous)...and she leans a bit too heavily on hip-hop culture. Since vampires live a VERY long time, I would think they'd have better taste in music! On the other hand, she is a very careful writer, and her editing is smooth and professional. This was a pleasure to read, and I highly recommend it.

From page one I was hooked by the characters and the world J. R. Ward created in this book. After the mind-numbing vampire fare that has filled the bookstores in the past few years, I didn't think I'd ever pick up another book in the genre. This series, however, turns the vampire mythology on its head. Original, compelling, dark--Dark Lover goes way outside the romance box, raising the bar for the entire paranormal genre.

It was hard to put down. Characters and plot were interesting and creative. It was not predictable. The only fault I could find was in a few cases the author would leave in the middle of scene A to write about characters in scenes B and C. Then the author would come back to scene A to continue with it. I almost rated the book 4 stars because of this cliffhanger technique which I didn't care for. However, on balance, I felt it was worth buying so I left it at 5 stars.

CAUTION SPOILERS: I loved a scene on pages 232 and 240, where Beth gave some Alka Seltzer to Rhage and soothed him for awhile. Wrath said to Beth "Thank you for caring for my brother." Then he thought "care for his brothers, care for him. It was the oldest code in the warrior class." It was a nice thought I hadn't heard before. I also loved the events happening around Butch (the human cop) starting on page 255 through the end of the book. His part of the story was unexpected and fun.

Sexual language: mild. Number of sex scenes: five. Setting: current day Caldwell, N.Y. Copyright: 2005. Genre: paranormal romantic suspense.

I'll give you that its not your classic romance novel, and that's what I liked about it. It also was clearly written by someone who's living in the now, not many romance books make reference to music by 50 Cent. Its a book for modern women who like a little edge with their romance.

This book was great, both in that it was a wonderful read, and also in that it introduced a great new series. There was action, hot sex, and enough world-building and character-introducing to be comfortable.

The characters are very sympathetic, and I love the Blind King idea...I hate when the characters are all perfect. This opened the door for the rest of the Brothers' flaws, which is great. I loved Wrath (hate the names though...had to throw that in at some point), I DO wish he was a little more well-rounded, but he's not completely two dimensional. Beth was great, and I love how strong she is, especially considering how new and strange everything would be in those circumstances.

The story is pretty up-front, and there's not a lot of development of other characters' love-lives, which I appreciate, and is not the case in the rest of the series.

5 stars: I re-read this one occasionally...less so now that Rhage's story is out, and I like it better. Really, this one rates 5 because I can't give it 4.5, and the series is really great.

I have to say I really enjoyed this book. In fact i rushed to buy the other 4 of them. When reading please keep in mind this is the first of 6 books. I saw it as setting up a baseline story for the rest of the series as it gave a broad base of the history of the brotherhood and the "lessers" The men in this story are just delicious and I can't wait to read more. The book was an easy read and I finished it in a little over a day. I just couldn't put it down.

This book really blew me away. Interesting right from the very first chapter. I read it all in less then 24 hours and I'm reading it over again just to re-live the story. A great book for the erotic supernatural genre. Make sure you don't have anything to do before you start reading this, because believe me your not putting this one down.

I was skeptical about this genre. I never would have read a vampire book before. But the reviews and discussions on the boards keep pointing to this author J.R. Ward. Honestly it took me one-quarter of the way into the book to become totally engrossed and obsessed with it. In the beginning I almost abandoned the book for a Nora Roberts (my favorite author). But I kept on going and suddenly- I was hooked. When the dialogue and "vampire language" gets sticky, just keep going. You won't be sorry. I'm ready for book #2- gotta find out what happens to the other Brothers!

I never enjoyed reading before. When I stumbled across this book I decided to give it a try, to help pass some exercising time. Needless to say, I am hooked - and on book 4 now.

It is an easy read. Characters are not so oddly named that they can't be remembered. The plot is dynamic enough to keep your brain moving, without becoming overwhelming. The sex scenes...oh, they are deliciously detailed and finish what they start! The one this this book does NOT have, is "grody". It is clean, passionate, chivilrous, and empowering. Nobody is degraded.

Not just for women! Once I was done with the first book, I suggested my husband begin the series, despite his busy schedule. Needless to say, he is also hooked, and almost done with book 2. Pretty impressive for an engineer who usually listens to AM radio stations. :)

Erotic and intense, if you give the author a little license and submit to the rules of her vampire world, you will be hooked for the series. If you sit down with it, have a clear schedule as you may not get up until you're done. As a bonus, the characters have depth and are very diverse. If this is your genre, it's very engaging. If it's not your genre, you may want to try it for the struggle between good and evil which might well surprise you.

This is the first installment to what has turned out for me to be the best paranormal romance series I've read. What I like best is that the book is written from the view point of several different characters.

#2 in the Black Dagger Brotherhood series! I read 250 books a year.

Easily one of the most thrilling, sexy, action-packed reads in my reading history. Dark Lover rocked my world! Five stars - the maximum -- isn't nearly enough for Dark Lover. I'm giving it 20 stars.

So if you would've told me 1 week ago that I was about to read a vampire romance novel...in a day....enjoying every second.....giving it a 5 star rating.....already addicted to the series...I would've told you that you had me mixed up with someone else.....maybe a goth girl or something. But I am here to tell you that the average girl next door is hooked on vampires after this story!

JR Ward takes you into another world...where vampires roam the streets, unknown to humans, and fight their counterparts, the "lessors". I know this sounds strange, but JR Ward does an incredible job of describing and bringing you along with the story. This book has a touch of "The Matrix" to it. Good and evil fighting it out in the shadows of an unsuspecting human race. It's really neat and unique.

Let me just say this once..."The Brotherhood", the group of elite vampires who's mission is to protect, are one hot group of guys. There is not a one of them who is not extremely intriguing and worthy of his own book. Lucky for us Ward agrees! They are bad to the bone, tough, but oh so loyal, and I think I fell in love with every single one of them, but Dark Lover is really Wrath's story.

Wrath is the king, but doesn't want to be. Tormented by the deaths of his parents and the role he believes he played in their demise, he feels unworthy of the throne. Beth is one of the "Brother's" daughter. She is part human part vampire and is about to go through the "transition" into vampire. Darius, her father, wants Wrath to help her through the transition because many vampires die in transition, and it is his belief that Wrath's "pure-blood" will help ensure her survival.

This is one of the most intense, passionate, in love, soul-mate, destined unions that I've ever read. Wrath's love for Beth, his "shellan", is what sets this novel apart from many others. The change that happens to Wrath after he admits his feelings about Beth is simply remarkable, and Beth is one of the most endearing and respectable heroines that I've ever read.

This is an edgy, erotic, suspenseful story of love and loyalty, of good and evil, and of friendship. Don't let the paranormal backdrop of this series deter you. Read this...you will love it!

I knew going in that Dark Lover was a paranormal romance, so I was expecting a slightly formulaic plot with sexy vampires and a rocky path to forever love. I can honestly say I got that; but I keep vascillating on just how much I enjoyed this novel. On one hand, I kept turning the pages as it was interestingly written and peopled with stereotypical characters you love or love to hate. On the other hand, the "romance" between the main characters never really made it for me as it was almost totally built around lust.

There are lots of things that bugged me about this novel, and some things I did enjoy. Firstly though, I simply couldn't buy into all the experiences the heroine suffered with almost no qualms: assault, an intruder that she desires immediately (and has sex with!), violence against a friend, turning into a vampire, learning about the father she never knew, marriage within days of meeting her "mate." I wanted more build up between the hero and heroine; that would have at least given credence to the sudden, soul-clenching, can't-live-without-you relationship which develops. Secondly, I really *hated* the names of the vampires; Rhage, Phury, Zsadist, Wrath? It reminded me of the odd spellings I tried to come up with for future children when I was in junior high school. I also had difficulty with the vampire world as presented here as it followed few of the "rules" I've read about anywhere else (but that may not have been a bad thing). Finally, the formula itself was almost too much; a twist or turn here or there would definitely have fleshed the story out, and made the characters much more life-like.

So what did I like that kept me reading? I liked that the hero was flawed with poor vision; that kept him from being too stereotypical. I loved some of the minor characters, including Rhage, Zsadist, Vishous, Butch the cop, and Fritz the butler. They were definitely nice additions that rounded out the landscape. I liked that Wrath finally stepped up to his true calling and I'm sure I'll want to know how things work out in their world. The writing, while quite purple at times, was engaging enough to keep me going and wondering how things would turn out (though I was certain I knew...and I was right).

A friend who often reads the same books as I do recommended this one to me and overall, I can't say it was a bad choice for me. While wishing it was more than it is, I can say that fans of paranormal romance and vampires in particular will enjoy it. In fact, as I reflect more on my reading experience, I may yet think it falls in the four star category. Despite its flaws, it's good reading that doesn't require much of the reader other than turning those pages.