After Dark: Dark Lover - Shit We've Read

This month, Emhma, Laurha, Rhico, and Bhella are sinking their teeth into J.R. Ward’s DARK LOVER, the first book in the Black Dagger Brotherhood. Before romantasy took over BookTok, paranormal romance was serving leather-clad vampires, tortured alpha males, and… ninja stars?!

Listen in as we untangle the mythology, examine the book as a fascinating study of masculinity, and realize one important element of the book was so lackluster, we almost forgot to even bring it up.

So, pour yourself your favorite Kraken Rum cocktail (Kraken, you know where to find us) and get ready for some early 2000’s nostalgia.

CONTENT WARNING: This episode features discussions of an adult-themed book, contains explicit language, and is intended for mature audiences only. Listener discretion is advised.

Synopsis

The only purebred vampire left on the planet and the leader of the Black Dagger Brotherhood, Wrath has a score to settle with the slayers who killed his parents centuries ago.

But when his most trusted fighter is killed — orphaning a half-breed daughter unaware of her heritage or her fate — Wrath must put down his dagger and usher the beautiful female into another world.

Racked by a restlessness in her body that wasn’t there before, Beth Randall is helpless against the dangerously sexy man who comes to her at night with shadows in his eyes. His tales of the Brotherhood and blood frighten her. Yet his touch ignites a dawning new hunger one that threatens to consume them both…