Dark Lover
Which book to start with? That’s been a big debate in my brain. Do I go with something really popular? Do I go more obscure? Do I start with vanilla sex? Or find something more “taboo”?
I’m going with one of the first books that I read and fell in love with. Dark Lover by JR Ward. My partner jokes that I have a PHD in vampire romance based on the number of books I have in our home. So, I’m going to let my freak flag FLY!
Dark Lover by J.R. Ward
Published in 2005
The Story: Emo king of the vampires finds himself the guardian of a woman who doesn’t realize she’s about to become a vampire herself. An intense sexual chemistry forces him to change his reclusive ways if he wants to keep her in his life.
Main Couple: Beth and Wrath
The Sex: Part of the premise of this book/series is that the males (that’s what the vampires call themselves) are giant warrior type dudes. So the sexual chemistry carries a lot of machismo and aggression. Not the kind where we have to be worried for their partners safety, but in an I NEED MY DICK INSIDE YOU YESTERDAY kind of vibe. Let me be clear, there is always consent. We’ve just got a lot of macho dudes up in this biz. One of the things I do like about these scenes is there is clear desire and enjoyment from both parties. A desire to please their partner. Which means lots of orgasms. A dream for any sexually active person. There are instances of both partners being on top, of giving and receiving oral sex. While none of the penetrative sex involves the external stimulation of the clitoris, I didn’t start noticing that trend until a few years ago. One of the things I don’t love about these scenes is that lack of communication that goes on between characters when it comes to expectations. They just kind of go at each other and assume that all aspects of sex are okay with the other. While you’re really lucky if you and your partner are just able to read each other like that, realistically a conversation regarding preferences and hey, birth control, should happen before engaging in any sexual exchange.
Best Line:
“She absorbed his weight with a throaty sigh.” chapter 8 | Had me thinking about a lovers weight coming down on me.
“The smell of her sex on him was like a whip against his self-control.” chapter 19 | This was one of those moments when you suspend your disbeliefs and go with the rules of the world and the species.
“As her thighs parted without any demand from him, he laughed again, a thick, male sound of satisfaction.” chapter 26 | Ya’ll, what can I say. These scenes made me want to jump into the book and BE Beth.
Worst Line:
“Good God, he probably looked like a lawyer.” chapter 24 | This just sounded so dumb in the middle of everything.
“The promise of raw, pounding sex and his ferocious hunger for her were obvious in the grinding of his jaw.” Chapter 26 | Made me think of the sound of teeth grinding. Eww.
Final Thoughts: I adore book! While the heavily aggressive warrior male is not for everyone, there is so much passion in this book. It was easy to relate to the main character's, Beth, feelings of being an outsider. Of missing out on the passion and connection that those around her were finding. Wrath fights against what the world has told him he has to be, and meeting someone who gives him the strength to make the changes he has always been afraid to is what we should be looking for. A partner that imbues us with strength just from the love and support they give us.
Spice level: 3/5
Kinks explored: None
Voices heard: Vampires, but everyone is described as white.
Did I like it? Oh yeah.