Blood Kiss

I was curious and had a certain amount of anticipation built up after reading the author’s post that with this spin-off series (or to be accurate- parallel, in between stories), the books were returning to feel of the earlier books of the Black Dagger Brotherhood. As I really liked those, of course I got excited. Not only does the author return to the style of only one or two plot threads and had a lot of Brotherhood moments (thank you, baby Jesus as Butch would say), but also it picked up some what-happens after the HEA for one of the brothers and his shellan, Butch and Marissa. And also started to follow a whole new generation of fighters (and lovers, of course).

Now, while this is a ‘new’ beginning, I wouldn’t recommend jumping in here without having read most of the Black Dagger Brotherhood series. The Brothers, the situation of the vampire world, other key players and situations are all coming into the series as an ongoing, assumed thing.

The story opens with Paradise, daughter of the King’s First Advisor and member of the aristocratic Glymera finishing up her work as secretary and ready to try out for the Brotherhood’s training school. Her dear father allows it because he wants her to know how to defend herself even though he is nervous about her in warrior training. Paradise has been shelter and feels the heavy burden of expectation from her rank. She doesn’t want an arranged mating or to be an ornamental shellan to some boring aristocratic male. She wants to be free and follow her own star. Paradise has no plans to fight in the war, but taking the step of joining the training school puts her on an adventurous path. That becomes even more of an adventure when her whole insides light up after encountering the aloof commoner, Craeg.

Craeg has no prospects after his family was destroyed in the killings by the Lessers. His father was a floor layer and that is the humble roots Craeg comes from. Being accepted into the Brother’s warrior training is his big chance. He will not be sidetracked even for the most beautiful, alluring female he has encounters. And this resolve grows more difficult each day. He wants Paradise so badly. But then he learns the truth and how deep and wide the gulf is between their situations.

Marissa is working at Safe Place and she is shocked out of complacency when a brutalized female mysteriously appears on the lawn and is dying. All the Brotherhood physicians are busy and so she must ask her estranged brother, Havers, to help. Marissa is affected by the unknown girl’s death, by seeing her brother care for a stranger when he doomed her to death by throwing her out of the house right before sun-up because Marissa was with the then human, Butch. All her feelings come boiling to the surface. But worse than those is the distance that is forming between her and Butch as both choose not to share with their mate what deeply affects them. Will what is left unsaid eventually break them apart?

Butch loves Marissa more than anything. She is his shining, pure light. He doesn’t want her to know about the shadows of him mind or the things that disturb him in his sleep. But Marissa is drawing away and keeping things from him. Has she woken up and realized what he already knows? That he’s not good enough for her? Butch might just have to delve into his deepest nightmares if he wants to keep his mate.

Alrighty, so yes, this was a reunion of sorts. I felt like I did back at the beginning when I was just encountering the Brothers and their new recruits. I wanted to cry a little when V and Butch return to the Pit and V uses the light in his hand to remove the lessers black blood from his body. I mean how long has it been since we saw that? Or to see the Brothers working to train the newest recruits in hand to hand and other defensive and offensive skills? Oh, and the mystery of the unknown brutalized woman with Butch and Marissa on the trail of the perpetrator was exciting.

As promised, the story stuck to two main couples. I could get used to this pattern of new younger couple paired with an older Brother and his shellan. The main younger couple are not entirely unknown. Paradise was a minor character in the BDB series and her story thread was already in motion. Her love interest was the unknown.

I was pretty much in hog heaven with this one with the exception of one thing. I’m not a Paradise fan. I didn’t have a love at first sight with her and I didn’t warm much from there. She’s a spoiled, self-absorbed rich kid, but also a warm, caring, vibrant woman (i.e. a normal person with flaws). I would have been alright, but I felt like she was a manipulator because her lies and her refusal to see there are repercussions for lies particularly to the people you claim to love. She does this with her father and she does it with Craeg and feels no responsibility when things go south as a result. It is Craeg who has to do the ‘I’m sorrys’ for getting the eensiest bit upset that he got lied to over something fundamentally huge. He tells her that he, as a commoner, could be killed or at the very least in heaps of trouble for taking an aristocratic daughter’s virginity so she goes off on him about discrimination. Really, Parry? Point flew right past her head because she was busy working up some anger because he was angry. He’s upset that she set him up for death if her dad gets angry enough, but her comeback is to tell him to get over himself in an I am woman hear me roar speech. I will concede that he did have hang-ups about the aristos because his dad and several other commoners died partly because of their selfish actions, but knowing that he was already sensitive about her kind, she chose to seduce him without telling him the truth because she knew he wouldn’t sleep with her if he knew the truth. That is manipulation to me and is the opposite of love. Deep breath…gal hit a touchy spot for me- thus the tirade here.

So yeah, the Craeg/Paradise romance, eh. She didn’t seem ready for something deep and long-term so while I was okay with their passionate encounters, I was only meh on a romance. Now, that said, I don’t mind them together and I do like what they each bring to the table as part of the training group.

Then, there was Butch and Marissa. Sigh…loved. So loved this. This was all about a couple working through the grind of a long-term relationship and not just the explosive beginning. The love and fire is there though banked and now they have to wake up the fire and put the work in. Very satisfying and I loved how the author didn’t blow up some empty angst, but something real and complex that took some time to tease out.

All he could do was laugh, and suddenly she was laughing, too- and that was when he forced himself to get with the program and ease off the poor female. She followed with him, and they were scooting around so they were lying on the bed properly…
“I love you, Butch,” she said.
In the darkness, he knew she was looking at him and he f*** loved it. He wanted her undivided attention, craved it, needed it to ground him on some pathetic, talk-about-castrated level. But he would never demand that kind of thing from her- and for an impatient SOB, he was very, very willing to wait for it. God, when given freely? Her love, her focus was a gift, that, like her, never grew old to him.
Closing his eyes, he felt how much she loved him- and it was funny, sometimes, when you were with a person for so long, married to them, living with them, moments like this were just as wondrous and magical as that incredible instant when ‘I love you’ had been said for the first time.
“God, I love you, too.” p. 192 Butch and Marissa of Blood Kiss

When he went to open his mouth, she stopped him. “Before you speak, be very aware that I love you. I love you with everything I have and all that I am. But if you do not get real with me, I’m going to go back to the Pit, pack a bag, and move to Safe Place for a while.” She held his stare with unwavering eyes. “You and I are not going to survive long term, regardless of love or bonding, if you keep airbrushing things. If I keep airbrushing things. It’s not a good strategy for us. And if it makes you feel like you’re on the spot? As if I’m giving you an ultimatum? I don’t care. If anything gets in the way of our relationship, anything, I will mow that (stuff) down- even if it is you.” p. 301 Marissa of Blood Kiss

The action plot and the suspense was good stuff. Was I ever stunned to discover who was behind that poor girl’s beating and death. Nicely done, JR! I can’t wait to see what comes next for the training group. They are quite the team of misfits that work well together. They are from the aristocracy and the commoners and they each have their own skill sets and secrets. And there is room for any additions that need to come along in the future.

So, even though I got a hair up my nose about Paradise, I feel this book was an overall win and a breath of fresh air for the BDB world. I felt the book was energized and crisp and opens up the opportunity for more of the same. I recommend it for BDB fans in particular to take the time to read this offshoot, but also I’m putting in a plug to paranormal romance and vampire romance fans who haven’t tried the Black Dagger Brotherhood to add it to the list of reads.

Vampires, Black Dagger Brotherhood, The Legacy Training Group: Paradise, Craeg, Peyton, Axe, Anslam, Novo, Grave, Primus, Butch, Marissa, Vishous, Doc Jane, Mary, Rhage, Manny, Lassiter, Havers, Abalone, Glymera, B&D Sex Club, Murdered Females, Safe Place, The Clinic, The Compound.

I have read everything but The Bourbon Kings Series from This Incredible Author & there hasn’t been a single book I didn’t thoroughly enjoy if not down right Love, Love Love!
Mrs Ward has a way of writing that grabs you by the short & curlies, hard & holds you tight in place till the book’s read then releases iron her grip & hold on you!
What I really loved about this book:
It’s more character driven, less about the war & fighting, there was little to no Lesser Society fights in this book with only a sentence of writing about a fight but we read none of it only the after effects on Butch the Destroyher & V.
This Series is all about the New Recruits, their relationships, Mates & forming Friendships & Bonds & having each others back!
We also delve deeper into Butch & Marissa & their hardships into the forefront of each others minds & the deficits in their relationship, in the Vampire community as a whole & I think I See where this series is headed.
It’s my belief Butch, Marissa, Paradise & Craeg (possible new crew) will become the Black Dagger Police Department with Craeg’s promise to not Ahvenge the Death of his Father
It’s been a few years since I read one of J.R.’s Books & boy did I miss the quality writing, a world hiding in the mist & shadows of our very own.
The dynamics of the relationship of a bonded couple the Shellan & her Hellren, or the Banded BD Brothers bought together by training, war & camaraderie & keeping the rest of their species safe from the horrificness of the Lesser Society & their sick wacked out murder, madness & mayhem ways!
Mrs Ward has created a one of a kind world, it’s so unique, there will never be a duplication of her world, characters, or writing style.
It’s always eventful, has you on tenterhooks, is fast past & delivers action like a blockbuster movie in each & every book!
This would make an absolutely Awesome TV Series!

This talented Author has such a way with words and writes the greatest sex scenes with ease, at times it seems very masculine like, but it comes both from a woman’s & a man’s perspective but using terminology that doesn’t make me gag when I read it.

Yes it’s different, And Yes it’s amazing, but it’s never too vulgar or crass and it never makes me feel sick to read it or makes me want to gag on the words like many romance novels do. Thank you J.R. from the bottom of my heart & especially my stomach!

I rate Blood Vow 5 out of 5 !

I Borrowed This Paperback From My Local Library & This Is My Fair, Honest & Impartial Review

Reviewed By : Jewlzped

From the

(Bye Love From The Crazy Australian BookWorm)!