A Story of Transformation

THE STORY: Butch O’Neal is a human ex-cop who has spent much of the past year as a friend to the vampires of the Black Dagger Brotherhood. The Brotherhood is a group of warriors who protect the vampire society from the soulless humans known as Lessers. Butch has also been depressed because the female vampire that caught his interest, Marissa, doesn’t want to see him anymore. When Butch is captured by the Lessers, he begins to fear that he might be becoming one of them.

OPINION: I liked this book because I thought that Butch’s journey was interesting and added something new to the overarching story of the series. I also liked the romance between Butch and Marissa although I, at times, found Marissa somewhat annoying with her demands that Butch not involve himself in any danger. She ultimately redeems herself by recognizing her own faults. I also really liked the complexity of the relationships between Butch and the brotherhood, especially V. At times like brothers, at times like could be lovers, their relationship is nuanced and deep. I liked Ward’s ability to tackle those issues without being defensive or an advocate.

WORTH MENTIONING: Once again, this book has a great overlap and communion between the characters which makes it feel more like a saga.

FINAL DECISION: I liked this book for Butch’s evolution. Beyond the romance, I found Butch’s ability to find meaning and purpose in his life to be the best part of the story.

CONNECTED BOOKS: LOVER REVEALED is the fourth book in the Black Dagger Brotherhood series. A reader can read this book without the others in the series although the multiple storylines may be confusing as the book picks up without explanation some of those storylines.

STAR RATING: I give this book 4 stars.

Beautiful, angst filled, Heartbreaking

“I’m not normal.”
“I know. But you’re not dirty or contaminated or unworthy.”

THE STORY: The Black Dagger Brotherhood is a group of warrior vampires who are to protect the civilian vampires from threats. Zsadist is one of the brotherhood but goes his own way. Kidnapped as child and forced to become a blood slave (used to feed on by another vampire), Z was also raped and sexually abused by his master. As a result of his century of being a slave, Z is physically and emotionally scarred. As LOVER AWAKENED begins, Z has been searching for several weeks for a female vampire, Bella, who was kidnapped by one of the soulless humans that the Brotherhood is fighting. Bella’s loss has hit Z hard and he is obsessed with her. Bella was immediately attracted to Z when they met. Weeks of captivity have begun to make her question who she is. This is their story.

OPINION: I love this book. It is my favorite of the series. I am a sucker for those damaged men who are healed by the women who love them. Z is just an amazing character. He has been damaged both inside and out by his time as a blood slave. He begins to heal, however, from the first time he meets Bella. His determination to find her or to avenge her when he believes her dead allows him to care about her in a safe way. Z believes himself dirty and unworthy of love because of the abuse he suffered. His contempt for himself is so incredibly difficult to read at times. At the same time, his ability to care about those around him even as he claims he doesn’t shows the resilience of the spirit. I loved everything about Bella and Z’s story. They have a very difficult road, but this book is emotional and sexy and painful all at once.

WORTH MENTIONING: The stories in these books are multiplying. That means that there are stories that aren’t resolved here and there is less time for the main couple.

FINAL DECISION: This book is painful and heartbreaking and incredibly beautiful at the same time.

CONNECTED BOOKS: LOVER AWAKENED is the third book in the Black Dagger Brotherhood series. It can be read as a standalone although it is best read in the context of the others in the series since Bella and Z’s story actually begins in LOVER ETERNAL.

STAR RATING: I give this book 5 stars.

It’s Like the Hulk’s Love Story

“God, he really was . . . beautiful.”

THE STORY: Rhage is one of the Black Dagger Brotherhood, a group of warrior Vampires who protect civilian vampires and humans against the Lessening society (humans without souls who are killers). Rhage is known as Hollywood because of this incredible good looks, but Rhage is cursed with a beast inside him that comes out when he loses control. Rhage meets Mary Luce and cannot get her out of his mind even though it is against all the rules of the brotherhood and his own personal struggles make a relationship impossible. Mary is a human and very fragile physically although she is incredibly strong in other ways. She is determined to be alone because of her own past but she can’t stop thinking about Rhage either.

OPINION: This is a beautiful love story with being overly mushy. Rhage and Mary are both people with a type of invader inside them. Both has become solitary because of it and it impedes them living a full life. In a real sense, they end up curing one another. I love how they both struggle against being vulnerable to one another wanting to protect the other. I love how Mary makes Rhage sweet and loving and how Rhage gives Mary a purpose and belief in herself. They both have needed someone to love them unconditionally. Beyond Rhage and Mary, there is also more wonderful views of the other characters in the series. I especially love the relationships between these people.

WORTH MENTIONING: This book also begins the story for the next book LOVER AWAKENED. There are also continuing threads of storylines that are not resolved here so readers should be aware.

FINAL DECISION: This is an angst filled book that I loved. Rhage changes so much during the book and he and Mary have such a painful journey to their HEA. This is a book where the character development is a paramount and the plot doesn’t overshadow the deep emotional connection between the characters.

CONNECTED BOOKS: LOVER ETERNAL is the second book in the Black Dagger Brotherhood. It can be read as a standalone although some of the series mythology is not repeated from the first book so readers will have to make some inferences to catch up.

STAR RATING: I give this book 5 stars.

Sexy, Exciting Vampire Romance

THE STORY: Wrath is the last purebred vampire and although he is recognized as king, he doesn’t want to be in that position because he believes himself unworthy. Because of his purebred blood, he ends up agreeing to help half breed Beth Randall through her transition to become a vampire. Beth grew up as an orphan and had no idea that her father was a vampire. When Wrath and Beth meet, both of them have their expectations blown apart. At the same time, there are serious threats from the Lessers (de-souled humans) who threaten both humans and vampires alike.

OPINION: I loved this book. Intense, sexy and exciting, DARK LOVER is the story of a serious alpha male who is made both vulnerable and strong by love. The men of the Black Dagger Brotherhood are vampires crossed with dangerous motorcycle gangs. Dark and gritty, DARK LOVER also manages to be deeply romantic. This book is clearly the first in a series as there is much setup and explanation. Also the plotline regarding the war between the vampires and the lessers is just beginning and is clearly not resolved by the end of the book.

WORTH MENTIONING: Ward introduces several other men of the Black Dagger Brotherhood with intriguing stories that will play out in future books.

FINAL DECISION: I really loved this book. Wrath and Beth are a great couple and the story is exciting.

CONNECTED BOOKS: DARK LOVER is the first book in the Black Dagger Brotherhood series.

STAR RATING: I give this book 5 stars.