Dark Lover (Black Dagger Brotherhood, #1), by J. R. Ward

Dark Lover (Black Dagger Brotherhood, #1), by J. R. Ward on Goodreads.

Release Date: September 6th, 2005
Age Group: Adult

Pages: 393

Overall: 5 Monkeys
Source: Net
Interest: Series

Read between March and April 2011 

Summary from Goodreads:

In the shadows of the night in Caldwell, New York, there's a deadly turf war going war going on between vampires and their slayers. There exists a secret band of brothers like no other-six vampire warriors, defenders of their race. Yet none of them relishes killing their enemies more than Wrath, the leader of the Black Dagger Brotherhood...

The only purebred vampire left on the planet, Wrath has a score to settle with the slayers who murdered his parents centuries ago. But when one of his most trusted fighters is killed - orphaning a half-breed daughter unaware of her heritage or her fate - Wrath must usher the beautiful female into the world of the undead...

Racked by a restlessness in her body that wasn't there, Beth Randall is helpless against the dangerously sexy man who comes at night with shadows in his eyes. His tales of brotherhood and blood frighten her. But his touch ignites a dawning hunger that threatens to consume them both...

My Opinion:

Wow! What an awesome book I'd been missing out on! This is a classic in Adult/Paranormal lit, but a new book to me. And, I just found that I can buy the printed books here in Arg! YAY!

So, I'm sure most of you have read this already, so I'll make it short. 

I love a bad boy-good girl relationship, so this book felt like it was written for me. Wrath was incredibly well written, and his transition from tough guy to Beth's protector was sexy as hell. What was a little off for me was their first night together: I'll give it to you, these vamps can be charming and make you want to do whatever they want, but it felt a little rushed to me. 

Other than that, I loved everything about the Brotherhood, each brother with their own problems and dramas, each one with a different temper. Wellsie was a really nice character, bringing some "normalcy" into the mix. I'm guessing she'll be Beth's shoulder to lean on in future books. 

The brothers scared me at times, but I loved when they showed their respect towards their brothers, king and Beth. It showed that no matter how troubled they are, they still know where their loyalties lay. 

Mr. X's appearances were a little off-putting to me, but needed, in order for the story to be able to continue. Every good character needs a nemesis. 

Marissa's and Butch's relationship started when it was most needed, both felt lonely and found each other. Although Marissa's stronger than him, Butch felt the urge to protect her against anything that might harm her. 

One of the things this book showed me: love conquers all.