Review: Dark Lover by J.R. Ward

From the Back Cover:

In the shadows of the night in Caldwell, New York, there's a deadly turf 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...

This is the first book in J.R. Ward's wildly popular Black Dagger Brotherhood series and I can see why these books have gained such a following. Big badass vampires fighting to save their race who just need to find the right women to save them from their demons? I'm in!

Wrath is the leader of the Brotherhood, the last pure vampire in existence. He's sworn vengeance on the Lessers, the race of former humans whose sole purpose is to rid the world of vampires, and he thinks of little else. He holds himself aloof, limiting his contact with others, until his Brother, Darius, is killed, and Wrath is forced to honor Darius's last request: to find his half-human daughter and help her through her transition into the vampire world.

Beth is a young reporter, lonely and restless, an orphan who grew up in the foster-care system, struggling to make something of her life. When Wrath shows up at her door the chemistry and attraction between them is instant and consuming. But the bond they form takes them down a dangerous path as the war between the Brotherhood and the Lessers heats up and they find themselves caught in the middle.

This book was a real page-turner for me. I thought the story concept was creative and well thought-out. At first it was a little confusing because the author throws you right into their world with very little background information, but that's a good thing! The backstory is unveiled here and there over the course of the book and the author provides a handy reference glossary. Negative points: the point of view shifts around a little too much for my taste and there's a scene involving pit bulls that bothered me. As the mother to three loving pit bulls, I can't stand to see anything that perpetuates stereotypes and fear of the breed. But, it is one pretty intense scene and I'll let it slide since I enjoyed the rest of the book so much.

Is the writing top-notch? No. Does it get cheesy? Sometimes. Is it good anyway? Hell Yeah! Tough guys, smart chicks, adventure, violence, passion, wry humor, tender moments and lots of really hot sex - what's not to like? I'm ready to read the next two in the series, but I think I'll save them to take to the beach with me next month when I can savor them uninterrupted.


Rating: 4 Stars out of 5