Reviews tagging 'Police brutality'

Dark Lover by J.R. Ward

20 reviews

mk_meow's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes

3.75

1🌶️

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Injury/Injury detail, and Blood

Moderate: Kidnapping, Death of parent, and Police brutality

Minor: Drug use, Sexual assault, Police brutality, and Pregnancy

whiskis's review

dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

The first book of one of my fav sagas ever, what else is there to say? It's just so unique the way JRWard tells this story, the complexity of the world and the way it develops it's just awesome in a full new way. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: War, Injury/Injury detail, Death of parent, Religious bigotry, Sexual content, Blood, Gun violence, Violence, Death, and Murder

Moderate: Drug use and Alcohol

Minor: Police brutality

jamiebrito's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious tense

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Loveable characters? No

1.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Torture, Sexual violence, Sexual content, Murder, Sexual harassment, Police brutality, Medical content, Hate crime, Injury/Injury detail, Gun violence, Grief, War, Rape, Physical abuse, Death of parent, Death, Blood, Kidnapping, Fire/Fire injury, Animal death, Car accident, and Sexual assault

mrsmishler's review

adventurous dark emotional fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content, Blood, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Police brutality, and Sexism

glutenfreemaggie's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Torture, Vomit, Alcohol, Body horror, Fire/Fire injury, Violence, Sexual harassment, Medical content, Police brutality, Sexual violence, Stalking, Suicidal thoughts, Alcoholism, Blood, Death, Gore, Kidnapping, Murder, War, Cursing, Death of parent, Grief, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Medical trauma, Pregnancy, and Self harm

rachelgreenreads's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.5

This was really high quality garbage. Like, it was very cheesy and trashy but the writing was good and the story was well done. There were some things that should have been very cringey, but it went past cringe and into camp, so those bits were actually hilarious. 

But I thought the relationship between the MCs developed well, there was some good hurt/comfort, and the disability representation was surprisingly well done. 

I hated Butch tbh, but maybe I was supposed to? I’ve heard he develops throughout the series. Overall very enjoyable read, but would only recommend to friends tolerant of the cringe/ generally some offensive stuff that just didn’t age well. 

Ps. There’s a lot of sexual assault threat/ attempts floating throughout the book. None from close characters, but still enough to give someone the ick for sure. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Violence, Misogyny, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, and Blood

Moderate: Sexism, Medical content, Sexual harassment, and Police brutality

Minor: Pregnancy and Torture

There’s a lot of sexual assault threat/ attempts floating throughout the book. None from close characters, but still enough to give someone the ick for sure. There’s also a lot of misogyny and chauvinism

mostly by Butch, but the way most of the vamps talk about women is not great

. There is also a lot of whorephobia and violence against sex workers in the book.

by the villain(s) but also one of the inner circle, Zsadist, though his actions are not confirmed.

elwyn_k's review against another edition

dark mysterious fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

2.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault

Moderate: Gore, Sexual violence, Sexual harassment, Sexism, Police brutality, Misogyny, and Gun violence

Minor: Drug use

moodreadererin's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Gun violence, Kidnapping, Sexual assault, Police brutality, Violence, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Sexual content, and Sexual violence

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Drug abuse, Sexism, Drug use, Vomit, and Animal death

Minor: Torture and Slavery

booklovinmamas's review

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Since the announcement that Passionflix is picking up the Black Dagger Brotherhood series to make them into movies, I decided it was time for another reread of the series. I have some catching up to do anyway since I drifted away from the series years ago when I started working full-time. Depending on my mood, I’ll be either listening to the books or reading them.

Storyline/My Thoughts: How I have missed the BDB series, J.R. Ward has been a favorite of mine since 2009 when I first started reading her books. First, Wrath has been one of my book-boyfriends for a while. The first time I read Dark Lover in 2009, I fell for the intimidating sexy 6 foot 9 inches leather-wearing Blind King. I was jealous that Beth became his mate in the book, but she fit him perfectly since she could handle his alpha ways. 

If you enjoy a PNR series with lots of world-building storytelling and bada$$, unforgettable characters, you’ll enjoy this series. The first book introduces you to the Black Dagger Brotherhood vampires, and the first one to get their story is the King himself, Wrath. He is the only pureblood vampire and is meant to lead the vampires, not fight along with them. He prefers to fight with his men to avenge what happened to his parents, but he knows eventually, he’ll have to give it up. He’s been tasked to help with bringing his friend’s daughter over for transition as a vampire. It will be easier for her if Wrath helps her. The woman, Beth, has no clue about the vampire world, and he will have to ease her into it. He’s not supposed to fall for Beth, though, but finds it hard to resist her.

Wrath and Beth’s relationship is instant-love and lust. A reminder this is a fated mates storyline, so these books usually have that trope in them. Wrath comes off as scary and intimidating, but the vampire has a way in the bedroom, and Beth can’t resist him. There is a reason, though, for the instant attraction between the two characters. I loved how Beth could handle Wrath in this book and how Wrath was very possessive and protective of Beth immediately, even if he was resistant at first to be with her. I can’t wait to see their relationship grow in later books in the series.

This is not a book about sparkly vampires. This book is about vampires fighting an evil that wants to harm them known as Lessers. These Lessers will do anything to rid Caldwell, NY (the world) of these vampires, especially the Black Dagger Brotherhood, an elite of warrior vampire brothers. They are the strongest and most intimidating out of all the vampires. I loved how J.R. Ward set up the first book introducing everything to her readers and what will come later in the series.

Readers will not only fall for the main characters from Dark Lover but the other Black Dagger Brotherhood vampire warriors, too. Wrath may be my top fave, but I have slight crushes on the others. J.R. Ward made them ALL irresistible in different ways. 

I give Dark Lover 5 ‘outstanding ‘stars, and I’m furiously diving into the next books as I type this review. I have missed this world from J.R. Ward and am glad to be back in it. 

Standalone or Part of Series: It’s part of the Black Dagger Brotherhood series, and I recommend reading in order.

Steam/Spice: 🌶 🌶 🌶   

Genre(s)/Trope(s)/Element(s): Paranormal Romance. Fated Mates. Vampires. Instant Love. Alpha MMC. Vampire MMC. Royalty/Vampire King MMC. Half-Vampire/Half-Human FMC. Touch Her and I’ll Unalive You.

Would I recommend this book? Yes. I recommend this to romance readers who love the Paranormal Romance subgenre. If you are looking for a long-written series with sexy vampire warriors, these are for you too.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Sexual assault, Violence, and Sexual content

Moderate: Police brutality and Death of parent

The FMC is

sexually assaulted in the beginning of the book. She does get away before anything happens.

Butch, her cop friend goes after the person who dared harm her.

He's a police officer and takes justice in his own hands but it backfires on him and he ends up suspended without pay. Justice is served in the end though of the person that did dare hurt her at the end of the book.

wickedgrumpy's review against another edition

dark emotional medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

I don't really know what to say about this book.  It's the first one I managed to pick up and finish in a while so it had that going for it but part of that might have been that I wanted to see where the trainwreck go.

So many things were conveniently coincidental.  It was full of tropes that I hate, like fridging, dubious consent, insta-lust/love, etc...

The take on vampires was different I suppose but the secret society based enemy was decidedly wacky.  Will not be continuing the series.

---

Content Warnings

Minor: Animal death, Mental illness, Toxic relationship, Car accident, Murder, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Slavery, War, Police brutality, Stalking, Addiction, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Kidnapping, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Classism, Confinement, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Grief, Hate crime, Infertility, Injury/Injury detail, Blood, Death, Gun violence, Medical content, Medical trauma, Misogyny, Alcohol, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gore, Pregnancy, Sexism, Sexual assault, Torture, Toxic friendship, and Violence