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    Dark Lover
    Dark Lover
    Dark Lover
    Audiobook13 hours

    Dark Lover

    Written by J.R. Ward

    Narrated by Jim Frangione

    4/5

    ()

    About this audiobook

    The first novel of J. R. Ward' s New York Times bestselling Black Dagger Brotherhood series features a unique take on vampire lore and heavy doses of sensuality. The vampire Darius fears for the life of his half-breed daughter, who is unaware of her unusual destiny. To oversee her transformation, Darius seeks help from Wrath, a dangerous loner and the world' s only purebred vampire.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherRecorded Books, Inc.
    Release dateApr 24, 2009
    ISBN9781440708701
    Dark Lover
    Author

    J.R. Ward

    J.R. Ward is the author of more than sixty novels, including those in her #1 New York Times bestselling Black Dagger Brotherhood series. There are more than twenty million copies of her novels in print worldwide, and they have been published in twenty-seven different countries. She lives in the south with her family.

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    Reviews for Dark Lover

    4/5

    2,163 ratings131 reviews

    What our readers think

    Readers find this title to be a captivating and entertaining series. The author's passion for the world she has created shines through, and the characters and plot are engaging. The book includes well-written sex scenes that enhance the story without overpowering it. Some readers appreciate the narrator's performance, while others find it lacking in emotion. Overall, this book is highly recommended for fans of action, romance, and new experiences.

    What did you think?

    Tap to rate

    Review must be at least 10 words

    • 5/5
      Recommended to me by a coworker as “Epic Reading”. I have no complaints! This one is full of action, romance, blood and new experiences. Definitely a series I’ll continue reading.

      2 people found this helpful

    • 5/5
      I love this author and her books! This is one of my favorite ones!

      2 people found this helpful

    • 4/5
      This narrator has the personality of a teaspoon. No thanks

      1 person found this helpful

    • 4/5
      The book itself and the audio quality is good but this narrator sucks all the emotion and life out of the story. There is nothing sexy or entertaining about his voice. He sounds like a fossil of a man.

      1 person found this helpful

    • 4/5
      The story was good but I thought the narrator was very monotone. I got better once the story picked up and I got used to it.

      1 person found this helpful

    • 5/5
      Great series! I read them years ago and now I have been listening to the audio books.
    • 5/5
      J.R Ward is a true Sigma Female. No wonder the guys are flawless. These vampire homies are the perfect role modles for young dudes. Very Jersey Shore vibes love it soo much
    • 5/5
      it was good enjoy listening to it, it was really good and interesting to listen to
    • 5/5
      Excellent intro novel sets up so many stories to follow. I've read all the books in series thus far And to kill the wait time for newest release I began from 1 again inky this time I listen to rather than read myself. I love it!
    • 4/5
      Omg i enjoyed listening to this way more than i remember enjoying it when I attempted to read it years ago. It was almost a 5-star review but the self defense against pit bulls when they are already stigmatized - I couldn't accept it. I don't condone animal abuse of any type and I get that it was in self defense and this book was written in 2005 but pit bulls are the sweetest and I just can't overlook it.
    • 1/5
      This narrator bites it. Hurts my ears. Not good. Great book tho.
    • 2/5
      The narrator sounded like Zapp Brannigan from Futurama, but it fit the way the author writes about women in the book. It’s a little backwards and largely unnecessary for plot development, in my opinion.
    • 3/5
      The recording has a bunch of important parts missing from it. The story was good as far as I can tell but I feel like I missed a lot.
    • 5/5
      So. There is no possible way for anyone to read the Romance Genre and NOT come across the Black Dagger Brotherhood. Even if you aren’t into paranormal vampires, at some point you will stumble upon them or be recommended this series. It’s. That. Good. The series started with this book back in 2005 and is still going strong with its biggest following ever. I’ve personally met J. R. Ward and let me tell you, she is full of passion still for this world that has been created. She likes to say she’s just telling the story to us, that she hasn’t ‘created’ any of this, she’s just relaying the images and information that’s given to her. I love everything about this awesome lady and I am so grateful for this series and how entertaining it has been over the years.

      I honestly can’t remember how this was first recommended to me which is kinda sad. I did start the series from book 1, which you have to for this one. These books are not stand alones. It almost makes the series even more amazing because every book is not just the main female/male perspectives; you have multiple character perspectives throughout each book. There is so much going on in this world that it can’t be told from just 2 characters. I own used copies of the first 8 books, that’s all my teenage budget could afford at the time! This time around, I listened to the audiobooks. I feel I could remember most of what I had read years ago, and will advise it might be hard to follow everything with just audio, you might have to read a print copy haha!

      So let’s start at the beginning here. We have a King vampire who is working hard physically to protect the race against their enemy (the Lessers), but not really into the rest of the actual king duties and stuff. He has a team of brothers that he fights with, but the numbers that were once great have dwindled over the years. We open with one brother asking his king to help his daughter through the transition of becoming a vampire. Almost as if he knows something is going to happen to him. As reluctant as Wrath is about this request, once tragedy strikes, he has no choice but to find this female and fulfil his promise to his brother. It was supposed to be a simple get in, help her, get out task… but he finds himself getting continuously tangled in with her and it’s hard to stay away.

      Beth is just a simple reporter, but this current story has her being pulled into a world she never expected to be in, but was always meant to find. She knows something has always felt a little off with her life, and once she catches a mysterious stranger outside her apartment everything she thought she knew and believed in gets turned upside down. As she is introduced into this vampire world we learn more as well of how things work and how they exist.

      Beth and Wrath are a whirlwind from the start. With the help of brothers and friends, they are going to learn to navigate this changing world. The extra characters really help paint the other scenarios happening around these main two, and they get you excited knowing their story is going to come and be developed further. There is a LOT going on in just this book, but it sets you up to dive into a whole world that will suck you in and never let you go.
    • 1/5
      I guess maybe some people are un phased by the narrator, but he honestly made this book completely unsexy. It’s a shame. I wanted to give this series another try since I haven’t read it in over 10 years and I never got to finish it. But I’m not sure I can listen to 13 whole hours of this.
    • 5/5
      Well, it is a great and amazing writer work it is more of unifying way of community. This writer is more in depth about the races need the leader of the one has to become and take the thrown. Since the loss of a friend made him look more into the surveil of their races and making ways to fight to prevent the estinition of the races.
      I give this five start and have enjoy every bit of the book and love to read it again.
    • 5/5
      I first read this book in 2017 but really enjoyed rereading as an audible. JR has created a brotherhood of vampires complete with a King and Queen. I loved all the characters and their names are awesome.....like Wrath, Rhage, Vichous, Zsadist.....a warrior vampire deserves a warrior name.

      So smartly written and thoroughly enjoyed.
    • 5/5
      I just can't rave enough about this book. From the characters to the plot. There are incredible sex scenes in the book, but the author doesn't allow the sex to overtake the actual storyline. J.R. Ward weaves her story in such a way that the imagination just brings the book to life. I'm so excited just thinking about starting the next book!!!! I also want to mention that the Narrator, Jim Frangione, did a very good job at reading this book. I just didn't like how the audio was produced. There were too many seconds between the end of one chapter and the start of the next..... and still, that doesn't take away from the absolute awesomeness of this book.

      2 people found this helpful

    • 4/5
      Just some quick thoughts because I’m writing this on my phone. I really enjoyed this! The last 25% almost made me give this book five stars because I loved them so much.

      This book took me a long time to finish. This was mostly because my library loan ended and then I had to get back on the waitlist but also because when I was reading it at first I don’t think I was really in the mood for this book. I just didn’t feel any motivation to pick it up. This time, I absolutely flew through it.

      One of the things I loved about this book is the great mix of protectiveness from Wrath that still doesn’t remove all agency from Beth. I like a little protectiveness in my romances but I don’t like when the love interest is completely steamrolled by that protectiveness. I thought this book found a great balance of that and it made me love the romance.

      I think this book does a great job making you care about all the characters. I definitely want to read more about them in later books. All the brothers were very interesting and you can tell that they all have interesting stories.

      I will absolutely be continuing this series though I don’t know when I’ll pick up book two because I have so many books I own left to read but I’m very interested in seeing where this series will go.
    • 4/5
      Really good book. I'm actually a little annoyed at the title, because it makes it sound like it's a romance novel. I guess it is, sort of, but I was reading it more for the vampire angle than the romance part. Ah, well. Still a good read, and I'm looking forward to reading more in this series.
    • 5/5
      This book has been in my to-read list for forever and now that I finally got to read it I wasn't disappointed. I only regret that I didn't read it sooner. Also those warriors are hot as hell. The only minus parts were Mr. X's POV which I hated. He is just so disgusting somehow but I lived when I read more about Beth and Wrath and now I can't wait to read the other books.
    • 4/5
      I wasn't sure I was going to like it, it is a very violent book. But I became fond of a few of the very flawed and interesting characters.
    • 5/5
      ★★★★★Dark Lover (Black Dagger Brotherhood, #1) by J.R. Ward

      So I have to say...... I was given this book and told to read it. I had never heard of it before, but respect my friends opinion. That being said, I reread the first few pgs, several times, and could not get into it... Then I meet someone else who reads it, and she said just read it! So I gave it another shot, and so glad I did. I'm addicted, I swear. And I am glad I found this series 4 years after it started, because I could not get enough of it and read a book a day for a week. I highly recommend this series!

      1 person found this helpful

    • 3/5
      One of my favorite BookTubers raves about this series. I had a free gift card and decided to give it a go. I was not really sure if it was going to be my thing or have too many sexual scenes, but I decided to try it anyway.

      This started off really strong. It did take me a minute to sort through all of the characters. There are a ton introduced pretty quickly, and you get different aspects from several of them right after another. One thing I really enjoyed was hearing bits and pieces around their pasts. It was not really in detail, but the little information started to develop them individually. I can see why people love this series, as I really liked all of the characters and would like to read more about each.

      I was not a huge fan of how Beth and Wraith meet. I was annoyed what happens when he breaks into her house. However; I ended up enjoying their relationship as the story continued.

      This story had lots of romance and action all in one. I never lost my interest and it was really fast read. Overall, I enjoyed this. Some things I really liked and others I could have gone without. I am not sure if I will or will not continue on with the series at this point, but would definitely pick them up if I found them for a bargain.
    • 5/5
      This book caught my attention right away as I began to read it. I had to make myself put it down. I love that the author breaks down the meaning of the words she used. Awesome book. Couldn't wait till the next book.
    • 3/5
      Dark Lover
      3 Stars

      Synopsis
      As the half-human daughter of a vampire warrior, Beth Randall is one the verge of huge changes in her life. In order to survive her transition, Beth will require the help, and blood, of a vampire male. Wrath, the fierce leader of the Black Dagger Brotherhood and the last pure-blood vampire is the perfect candidate and as a result of his debt to Beth's father finds himself in the unwanted position of helping Beth. However, when the two come together sparks fly and they are irresistibly drawn to one another.

      Review

      This is my second attempt at starting Dark Lover as I was initially unable to suspend my disbelief in order to complete the book. Things went more smoothly this time perhaps because I have read more PNR since then. Even though the first sex scene between Beth & Wrath made absolutely no sense to me,(what woman who has just been the victim of a sexual assault has sex with a complete stranger), I was able to get past it.

      Let's begin with the most problematic aspects of the book - the plot and the dialogue. The story is mediocre to say the least. The villain is completely one dimensional and his plan to destroy the vampires overly simplistic. Moreover, his name, Mr. X, kept reminding me of Steven Williams' more ominous character in The X-Files, and as such, his failure to deliver is even more disappointing. In addition, the Satanic-like cult, whose members smell like baby powder, cannot possibly be considered a serious threat and are merely slightly annoying.

      The dialogue is truly awful. The male characters sound like overgrown teenagers making a lame attempt at "gangster speak". Seriously? What rational adult uses words like "bro", "deal", what's up", "zip it" etc.?

      On a more positive note, the vampire mythos is interesting and well developed. The fact that the vampires eat food is particularly appealing as the lack of food consumption is the one thing that bothers me about vampires in other series such as Lara Adrian's Midnight Breed and Tina Folsom's Scanguard's Vampires.

      The romance between Beth and Wrath is enjoyable and they make a cute couple, especially at the end. Their fight scene with the Lessers is also entertaining.

      While it is difficult at first to distinguish between the various members of the brotherhood, they ultimately develop singular personality traits and become very intriguing, especially Rhage (can't wait to find out more about his curse), Zsadist (can't resist a tortured hero) and Butch (his relationship with Marissa has definite potential).

      In conclusion, despite my issues with this book, I will give the next one a try as I've heard that the series does improve in later installments.
    • 4/5
      It's not exactly what I expected it would be. It does retain some of the elements common in the genre it belongs to, but it made it work effectively enough to make it not as cringey as the premise would have you think. There are a lot of rolling-my-eyes-so-hard-at-this moments, and I resorted to reading a different book every once in a while to "cleanse my palette", in a manner of speaking, as I was reading through this.

      The urban fantasy aspects far outweigh the erotic romance segments, which is what made me like this book more than I would have if the romance outbalanced it. I don't like Elizabeth, nor Wrath that much, though. Their moments together, and with the other members of the brotherhood, are either sappy or disturbing for me. They don't have that concrete of a personality for me to care about them too much. I couldn't even feel the tension and suspense in the moments where their emotions were severely heightened by the dangers they were facing.

      My main qualm about this novel though, that made me not love it-- aside from the main pair and my issue with the cringeworthy spellings of the names of some of the characters, the members of the brotherhood, mostly-- is the fumbling feel in the writing style and the plot. It very much feels like the author isn't quite certain whether to include either the erotic romance or the urban fantasy factors. Or where exactly to lead the plot. It's too shifty, the focus not staying on one certain aspect as there's too much to focus on, to set the stage, primarily. It's probably the misgivings of whether the readers will enjoy those or not. I think/hope that'll get sorted out in the succeeding books in the series.
    • 4/5
      This review first appeared on A Weebish Book Blog.

      I’ve been on a re-reading old favorites like crazy this year, especially since I’m determined to catch up on my series, such as the Black Dagger Brotherhood. I’d just finished Nora Roberts newest release and wanted to lose myself in a familiar, well missed world so I checked out DARK LOVER at the public library. Unsurprisingly, it spawned a BDB binge read that I can’t say I’m unhappy about.

      When Darius, close friend, fellow BDB member, and the only other member with a correctly spelled name is murdered, leaving his half-breed daughter clueless about her lineage, Wrath is forced to usher her into the world of vampires or leave her to die a pain-filled death at the tender age of twenty-five.

      "As far as he was concerned, there were only two good positions for a human. A female on her back. And a male facedown and not breathing."

      Meet our tortured hero:

      Wrath is King of the dwindling vampire species, leader of the Black Dagger Brotherhood, and strongly believes he’s unqualified for both titles. He’s an almost completely blind, bitter, leather-encased terror whose self-hatred almost rivals Zsadists.

      He’s also a major asshole… until he stalks meets Beth.

      "“You are beautiful,” he whispered. His subtle accent made him roll the R over his tongue, almost as if he were purring.

      Well that stands to reason, she thought. When he touched her, she felt beautiful."

      Meet our Mary Sue:

      Beth is our idealized heroine. Her life as a beat reporter at her small Caldwell newspaper is going nowhere, she has few friends, and zero prospective partners. She stunningly beautiful and the men in her life worship her but she’s got eyes for no one… until she meets Wrath.

      *cue eye roll*

      Yeah, the tortured hero and the Mary Sue are a dime a dozen in the romance world. And yet, I gave them four stars. Why? It’s hard not to love them. I certainly did. Beth is a strong, take-no-shit heroine and the perfect mate for a vampire like Wrath. She buffs out all his edges in the hottest ways possible. Despite my complaints, they made an excellent beginning for the Black Dagger Brotherhood series.

      But my favorite character? Fritz. The butler. He’s so adorable and happy to serve. I want a Fritz.

      All-in-all, I enjoyed the hell out of DARK LOVER and that’s really all that matters in my book. It made a wonderful reintroduction into the world of the BDB. If you’re a paranormal romance junkie who likes their characters fanged and haven’t read this series yet, where have you been?!
    • 4/5
      Wow. I was really surprised with the story between Wrath and Beth as well as the closeness of the "brotherhood." I don't read para normal or sci fi, because it is easier, for me, just to read contemporary. This was contemporary, romantic, sexy, and hot. The writing is flawless.

      Will I continue to read more para normal and sci fi... Maybe... Probably... I know that i will continue reading the Black Dagger Brotherhood series. I half way though #2... Lover Eternal
    • 5/5
      This was a great start to what I think will be a fantastic series. I love how dynamic all of the characters are, even the smaller ones. I love the spin on the vampire/hunter relationship...how the hunters are the ones who have no souls and are "undead." I'm looking forward to learning more about the other brothers, and seeing how Wrath changes now that he's made some decisions about his life. I'm also surprisingly looking forward to how Butch continues to play a role in the series.