Dark Lover Audiobook

By: J.R. Ward

Narrated by: Jim Frangione

Published by:Recorded Books 1/2009

Burning

Black Dagger Brotherhood,  book 1
13hrs and 35 mins

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.

Dark Lover Audiobook Sample

My Review

If you are a Paranormal Romance Junkie like me, I could almost bet that this book is already among your favorites and maybe two or three more from this series, on the other hand if you never heard of The BDB, this is your lucky day.
This was the book that got me out of my Twilight Saga obsession back in 2008 and opened my eyes to a new universe, where the men are hot, strong and loyal, the relationships are sexy and deep, the worlds are exciting and intricate, the suspense is thrilling, the women are smart and confident, and the fantasy of it all just takes you away.

This was a great welcome introduction to the world of Urban Fantasy and Paranormal Romance.
In Dark Lover, J.R. Ward introduces and sets up the cast of characters that will occupy the next few novels in the series, and she does it so in such a way that each and every character is their own person,  and each very unique. Wrath, the reluctant King of Vampires and intimidating lead warrior of the Brotherhood at 6.6 feet of pure terror as J. R. Ward describes him, manages to be alluring, tortured, and a completely sweet and sympathetic character that displayed a perfect balance between dangerous and sensitive.
I really liked Beth, she refused to be bulldozed over by Wrath and was one of the first people to ever put him in his place or even tell him no, she’s strong, independent and outspoken, but at the same time she showed a side of vulnerability and compassion that made her just the kind of heroine I like.

There are quite a couple sex scenes but they blend in perfectly and didn’t slow down the plot or over power it and yes they’re hot, very hot.
The Brothers are big tough men,(did I already mention how hot they are?) each in battle with  their own demons while fighting the bad guys who are out to eliminate their entire race. A completely original take on vampires, the story is sensual and yet aggressive- everything you could ever want in a paranormal romance is right here, there’s action, blood, romance, steamy love scenes and humor.

I loved the emotional connection between the brothers; I found the relationship between the men as interesting as the one between the couple.
I think the brilliance of this series is the writing and execution. JR Ward does an excellent job throwing in pop culture references and making her characters honest, believable and truly urban.
I love this book not so much for the plot, but because of the characters, the way it made me feel, and the way it grabbed me.

I highly recommend starting the series with this book, even though this is one of the few series where I can see each installment making it on its own.
I read this before experienced it on audio, and after listening I went back and changed my rating from 4 stars to 5 and moved it to my favorite’s shelf, as cliché as it might sound, the audio definitely brought this book to life and made the characters and this fantastic, original  and sexy world even more real .
4.12 based on 950 ratings on audible.com

4.24  ·  rating details  ·  121,041 ratings  ·  6,979 reviews

Dark Lover Audiobook by Jim Frangione

A bout the narration… Well, let me just say it wasn’t love at first sight, or in this case at first listen with Mr. Frangione, I have to admit that it took me a little while to get used to his voice.  At first I didn’t hear much difference between the characters, and the female voices left a lot to be desired.
it’s very hard to write this review, I had to make an effort to remember my first impression, and it’s even harder now that I can’t imagine anyone else but Mr. Frangione reading this series. At this point he has become The Black Dagger Brotherhood.
I can’t honestly tell if he’s gotten better with the books or if is just me getting used to the way he reads them, maybe is a little bit of both, in any case, now I absolutely love him, let me emphasize, I love the way he narrates these books, I feel that he really gets it, he gets the characters, the tone of the story and he delivers it with the sensuality, passion, and in your face kind of attitude that are so characteristic of J.R. Wards’ style of writing.
I very highly recommend this series, don’t miss out!!. This is Paranormal Romance/Urban Fantasy at its best.

The Author

J.R. Ward 

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