Review ~ Blood Kiss by J.R. Ward @JRWard1 @SignetEclipse

Blood Kiss by J.R. Ward
Narrator: Jim Frangione
Length: 12 hrs 39 min
Series: Black Dagger Legacy #1
Published by Signet on December 1, 2015
Genres: Paranormal Romance
Pages: 424

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I received this book for free from Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Paradise, blooded daughter of the king’s First Advisor, is ready to break free from the restrictive life of an aristocratic female. Her strategy? Join the Black Dagger Brotherhood’s training center program and learn to fight for herself, think for herself...be herself. It’s a good plan, until everything goes wrong. The schooling is unfathomably difficult, the other recruits feel more like enemies than allies, and it’s very clear that the Brother in charge, Butch O’Neal, a.k.a. the Dhestroyer, is having serious problems in his own life.

And that’s before she falls in love with a fellow classmate. Craeg, a common civilian, is nothing her father would ever want for her, but everything she could ask for in a male. As an act of violence threatens to tear apart the entire program, and the erotic pull between them grows irresistible, Paradise is tested in ways she never anticipated--and left wondering whether she’s strong enough to claim her own power...on the field, and off.

I am a HUGE fan of the Black Dagger Brotherhood and I was so excited that Ward was doing a spin-off. More opportunities to see the Brothers was exactly what I wanted!

This new group of trainees gives us fresh faces to add to the already powerful series Ward has given us. The pairings and romance pick up pretty quick. We get little hints of who is going to hook up with who. Craeg and Paradise were a hot couple. Paradise’s total disregard for the glymera and their ideals gave her a strong personality that made me really like her. Her determination to get Craeg made things, including his training, very difficult for him. The possibility of Peyton also being an issue between the two also hung in the air.

I absolutely loved the Brother’s idea of try-outs. They really put those trainees through some tough situations and I was so tense wondering just what obstacle they would have to overcome next! With the level of intensity and trials they were put through, I was totally surprised by the remaining team. A big selling point on this new team is that they are also smart-mouthed and witty that made me laugh out loud.

Of course, one of the biggest points in this story was the excitement of seeing the Brother’s and their shellans again. We can’t forget Lassiter as well! They not only bring their tough sides to the party, but their wit and just outlandish behavior brought on more than one burst of laughter for me. I especially love the reactions these guys display when the girls get some good old free time to live it up! You see a totally different side to these guys.

Speaking of different sides, the Butch/Marissa storyline brings to light a lot of emotional points. Things the two have not really examined since their intense mating. You see sides to both characters that you didn’t really notice but was really good to see that these guys don’t just mate up and live happily ever after. This couple has issues just like any normal couple, and this is told really well. I loved that both Marissa and Butch are put into roles that are uncomfortable for them.

There was really only one point that I struggled with. The new characters seemed so young to me. Don’t get me wrong, there was a lot of hot sex going on, you won’t miss any of that! I felt like they were teenagers, when I know they have all passed their transitions and would be young adults. Maybe it is because we have the brothers as teachers that it makes the new characters seem so young.

Overall, I can say I really loved this book. It was not overrun with too many storylines and the characters are getting well defined. I’m going to enjoy this new branch of my favorite series and can’t wait for more!

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