All's Fair in Love and Blood
Jennifer Peel
5.0
Dark Lover (Black Dagger Brotherhood, Book 1)
by J.R. Ward
About this book
Welcome to the gritty, high-stakes streets of Caldwell, New York, where an ancient war between vampires and the soulless slayers who hunt them rages in the shadows. Wrath, the last purebred vampire and the lethal leader of the Black Dagger Brotherhood, has spent centuries seeking vengeance for his parents' murder. His cold, disciplined world is upended when a loyal soldier dies, leaving behind a half-breed daughter who has no idea of the dangerous heritage flowing through her veins.
Beth Randall is a woman adrift, plagued by strange, restless urges and a haunting attraction to the mysterious, shadows-drenched stranger who invades her home. As Wrath steps in to protect her, he discovers that this fragile human is the only one capable of anchoring his tortured soul. Their collision sparks a volatile, all-consuming hunger that threatens to destroy the very barriers he built to keep the world at bay.
This urban fantasy masterpiece is the ultimate must-read for fans of found-family dynamics and intense, slow-burn paranormal romance. With its hulking alpha heroes, visceral action, and a sprawling, interconnected brotherhood, this series is legendary for a reason. Prepare to be completely addicted to the dark, seductive heart of the Black Dagger Brotherhood.
- Publication Date
- May 25, 2026
- ASIN
- B000PDYVU2
Reader Reviews
April 3, 2026
I'm embarrassed to admit I just started J.R. Ward's BDB series. But I'm hooked. I love a deep 3rd-person, multiple POV series that's not only about the main couple but also contains hints of future books. Ward does this perfectly. Beth is a strong female lead. Wrath is scary but not too dark. He's the perfect reluctant hero. But its the brotherhood that is the star of this series. The mythos is different, which is refreshing. If you love an immersive series where the books span years and...
October 14, 2012
\"...The throaty laugh as she gripped him gently was yet another marvel. Just like her constant presence in his room, her fierce protection of him, her love, her strength. She was everything to him. His whole world. He'd gone from being blasé about his death to being desperate to live. For her. For them. For their future.\" ~ Wrath about Beth WOW. Yep, that's exactly what I thought. WOW. Once I sat down to read it (with more than 15 minutes to do so) I could not stop reading it. Of course, this...
March 1, 2012
ETA August 20, 2013 I just purchased book 11 in this series. I waited because I was into the short story genres for awhile and then I was reading a lot of free books. By the time I went back to read this I was afraid that I had forgotten too much of the series or worse that it wasn't as good as I remembered. So I decided to go back to book one. I finished it in less than 24 hours. Once again I was hooked. There is no other way of describing how it feels to read this series. What makes it even...
September 28, 2005
The Black Dagger Brotherhood is an elite group of vampires working together to defend their dwindling race and rid the world of their enemy, The Lessers. Their leader, Wrath, the only purebred vampire in existence, has a personal vendetta against The Lessening Society. They killed his parents. His sole focus for centuries has been the eradication of this deadly menace. Because of the potency of Wrath's purebred blood, Darius, a member of The Brotherhood, asks Wrath to aid his daughter through...
September 25, 2025
I chose Dark Lover by J.R. Ward because it's the opening to one of the most popular paranormal romance sagas out there. This novel is Book #1 in the Black Dagger Brotherhood series, which has grown into a long-running, interconnected universe. Since Dark Lover is the very first installment, there are no previous books before it, but it launches a powerful saga that continues to this day. J.R. Ward, the bestselling author of this series, is known for her dark, emotional, and action-packed...
