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Blackrose Brotherhood #1
Violent Desire
12 immortals, 12 outcasts, 1 mission.
Kill their own kind, before it’s too late.
Detective, killer, vigilant. Eric Sharpe is tired of watching criminals walk free. When a low-life drug-dealer kills his partner and escapes justice, Eric plots his own revenge. His plan is faultless, but for one thing: The handsome, mysterious man who arrives moments before Eric’s plan comes to fruition. Not only does the mysterious man know Eric’s an undercover cop, he knows exactly what Eric did fifteen years ago—an event so traumatic Eric has been trying to bury it ever since. And the mysterious man? Fifteen years ago, Eric killed him.
Now he’s back to reclaim what’s his: Detective Eric Sharpe.
Immortal. Predator. Vampire. After betraying himself and the Blackrose Brotherhood, Zaine can’t afford another mistake. There’s one rule above all others the Brotherhood stand by. One rule that can never be broken. Never, ever, care. All Zaine has to do is hunt and kill the savage nyktelios vampires and keep his head down. And he was doing just fine, until saving Detective Eric Sharpe from a vicious vampire attack. Zaine can’t stop thinking about the intelligent, handsome but haunted man. Walking away is the right thing to do, but the detective and Zaine are hunting the same killer—the same vampire—a vampire who knows more about the both of them, and the brotherhood, than anyone realizes.
A vampire seeking to bring down the Blackrose Brotherhood, for good.
Zaine can’t walk away. Eric won’t walk away. Brotherhood rules be damned, the vampire must be stopped, and they’ll go down fighting together to end him.
***
Violent Desire is the first book in an all-new MM paranormal romance series. Each book features a new MM couple ending in a HEA/HFN.
Content warning: These are adult books. There will be graphic, on-page depictions of sex, torture, and swearing. These vampires do not sparkle. They're relentless in their mission. They do bad shit for good reasons, and some do good shit for bad reasons. They DO NOT CARE. They have been described as psychopaths with fangs. Read at your own risk.
Kill their own kind, before it’s too late.
Detective, killer, vigilant. Eric Sharpe is tired of watching criminals walk free. When a low-life drug-dealer kills his partner and escapes justice, Eric plots his own revenge. His plan is faultless, but for one thing: The handsome, mysterious man who arrives moments before Eric’s plan comes to fruition. Not only does the mysterious man know Eric’s an undercover cop, he knows exactly what Eric did fifteen years ago—an event so traumatic Eric has been trying to bury it ever since. And the mysterious man? Fifteen years ago, Eric killed him.
Now he’s back to reclaim what’s his: Detective Eric Sharpe.
Immortal. Predator. Vampire. After betraying himself and the Blackrose Brotherhood, Zaine can’t afford another mistake. There’s one rule above all others the Brotherhood stand by. One rule that can never be broken. Never, ever, care. All Zaine has to do is hunt and kill the savage nyktelios vampires and keep his head down. And he was doing just fine, until saving Detective Eric Sharpe from a vicious vampire attack. Zaine can’t stop thinking about the intelligent, handsome but haunted man. Walking away is the right thing to do, but the detective and Zaine are hunting the same killer—the same vampire—a vampire who knows more about the both of them, and the brotherhood, than anyone realizes.
A vampire seeking to bring down the Blackrose Brotherhood, for good.
Zaine can’t walk away. Eric won’t walk away. Brotherhood rules be damned, the vampire must be stopped, and they’ll go down fighting together to end him.
***
Violent Desire is the first book in an all-new MM paranormal romance series. Each book features a new MM couple ending in a HEA/HFN.
Content warning: These are adult books. There will be graphic, on-page depictions of sex, torture, and swearing. These vampires do not sparkle. They're relentless in their mission. They do bad shit for good reasons, and some do good shit for bad reasons. They DO NOT CARE. They have been described as psychopaths with fangs. Read at your own risk.
Unknown Binding
First published June 25, 2022
311 people are currently reading
3917 people want to read
About the author
Ariana Nash
52 books2,259 followersBorn to wolves, Ariana Nash only ventures from the Cornish moors when the moon is fat and the night alive with myths and legends. She captures those myths in glass jars and returning home, weaves them into stories filled with forbidden desires, fantasy realms, and wicked delights.
Her debut novel Silk & Steel hit Amazon's:
#1 LGBT Bestsellers Horror
#1 LGBT Bestsellers Fantasy
#1 LGBT Fantasy Hot New Releases
#1 LGBT Horror Hot New Releases - for 3 months!
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Her debut novel Silk & Steel hit Amazon's:
#1 LGBT Bestsellers Horror
#1 LGBT Bestsellers Fantasy
#1 LGBT Fantasy Hot New Releases
#1 LGBT Horror Hot New Releases - for 3 months!
Join her Goodreads group here: https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/...
Sign up to her newsletter here: https://www.subscribepage.com/silk-steel
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April 30, 2025NEW LOOK!
For NSFW character art, join my FB group here.
✔ Elite, mysterious, anti-hero vampire brotherhood
✔ Each book will focus on a new MM couple
✔ Each book will end in a HFN/HEA
✔ Over-arching series plot
✔ Ariana Nash Angst ™
✔ 18+ graphic violence, sex, language
Content warning: These are adult books with dark content. There will be graphic, on-page depictions of sex and torture, and plenty of swearing. These vampires do not sparkle. They're relentless in their mission. They do bad shit for good reasons, and some do good shit for bad reasons. They have been described as psychopaths with fangs.
Out June.
For NSFW character art, join my FB group here.
✔ Elite, mysterious, anti-hero vampire brotherhood
✔ Each book will focus on a new MM couple
✔ Each book will end in a HFN/HEA
✔ Over-arching series plot
✔ Ariana Nash Angst ™
✔ 18+ graphic violence, sex, language
Content warning: These are adult books with dark content. There will be graphic, on-page depictions of sex and torture, and plenty of swearing. These vampires do not sparkle. They're relentless in their mission. They do bad shit for good reasons, and some do good shit for bad reasons. They have been described as psychopaths with fangs.
Out June.
October 17, 2023
I was provided an e-copy of the book by the author (and I am ever so thankful for that!) in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
✅ Smut (MM)
✅ Pace and plot
✅ Action
✅ Vampires
✅ Characters
✅ Angst
✅ Betrayal
✅ 2 POVs
✅🆗 Relationship development
❗️❗️ Trigger warnings: mention of past abuse of a minor, use of drugs, and murders
Strong 4 stars
Eric Sharpe is a New York detective trying his best to put bad guys behind bars, but he gets tired of seeing criminals walk free, and decides to take matters into his own hands, even if it's not the right and legal way to proceed. Things get complicated when Eric runs into a man he killed 15 years ago while being on an undercover mission. Even worse, this man is responsible for Eric's traumatic past, and he is now trying to lay claim to Eric again.
Zaine is a Nyktelios, a vampire, and he is part of the Blackrose brotherhood. They are sworn to eradicate any nyktelios who does not adhere to the brotherhood's way of life. Their goal is to protect humans from cruel and vicious nyktelios, but to do so, the members of the brotherhood have a strict set of rules to follow, and the one rule above all the others is that they must not care about others. Zaine already struggled with this golden rule in the past, and it becomes simply impossible for him not to care when he meets detective Eric Sharpe. Zaine decides to ignore the rules and work with Eric to catch the man responsible for Eric's trauma.
Eric is a brilliant and caring man, but he's also willing to do the wrong thing for the right reason (if you consider going rogue and killing criminals being the wrong thing). He is not exactly morally grey, but he is not the perfect example of a good law-abiding citizen either. He went through some very traumatic events for two whole years between the age of 15 and 17 years old, and 15 years later, he still bears the emotional scars of his ordeal. Eric is partly convinced that he imagined some of his trauma, or that he might be a little crazy because his therapists all told him that what he said about what happened to him could not be true, so it's a relief for him to finally find someone who not only believes him but is also a proof that what Eric went through was not a figment of his imagination.
I like that Eric never hesitated to stand up for himself and that he managed to remain a good person despite everything that happened to him, and everything that he went through in this book. He doesn't need anyone to protect him, and he shows the brotherhood that he can take care of himself. He is willing to do anything it takes to find and kill the man that hurt him so much when he was younger, but his relationship with this mysterious man is much more complicated than it appears. It's an unhealthy mix of hate, fear, lust, and desire to please, but despite having to deal with all these emotions, Eric doesn't let his anger and hatred rule him. He is willing to sacrifice himself to save others, and when faced with the cold and uncaring reality of the brotherhood, he doesn't just roll over to please them and get away from potential problems with them. He questions their leader and tries to make him see that their old way of doing things and not caring about humans might not be the good way to do things anymore. I am really curious to see how he will impact the brotherhood in the rest of this series.
With 400 years behind him, Zaine is the youngest member of the Blackrose brotherhood, and he struggles with the whole "not caring about anyone rule". He believes that there is a way to be efficient and accomplish his mission even if he cares about people, but at the same time, he'd had his heart broken in the past, because of his nature, and he knows that any relationship with a human is doomed from the start. When he meets the very smart, gorgeous, and brave detective Sharpe, he feels a true connection, and he knows that even though it seems quite fast, the feelings he's developing are true and run deep and that he would do anything to keep Eric Sharpe away from harm.
Zaine is a tortured character at times. He wants and needs to appear strong, tough, and emotionally detached, but he has a tender, vulnerable heart that feels way too much. He also tries to sabotage his relationship with Eric in order to protect him and keep him away from the danger and threats that come with being involved with a member of the brotherhood, adding some angst to their spicy and intense relationship.
The attraction between Eric and Zaine is almost instantaneous, and we can feel the sexual tension between them. I usually enjoy relationships with a slower burn, so even though I didn't mind the insta-lust between them at all, the intensity of Zaine's feeling from the very beginning was a little too much for me. It was so sudden and intense, that it seemed to be obsessive, more than attraction and the beginning of love. That being said, I still enjoyed this book very much, and Ariana Nash delivered yet again a spicy MM romance full of action, smut, angst, and characters with dark and complicated pasts. If you enjoyed Nash's previous series, you are sure to love this one too!
The next book will follow another member of the Blackrose brotherhood, but there is an over-arching plot that will extend to all books in this series (we should expect between 3 and 5 books according to the author). I am very excited to see more of Kazi, and to read his hate-to-love romance in the next book.
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✅ Smut (MM)
✅ Pace and plot
✅ Action
✅ Vampires
✅ Characters
✅ Angst
✅ Betrayal
✅ 2 POVs
✅🆗 Relationship development
❗️❗️ Trigger warnings: mention of past abuse of a minor, use of drugs, and murders
Strong 4 stars
Eric Sharpe is a New York detective trying his best to put bad guys behind bars, but he gets tired of seeing criminals walk free, and decides to take matters into his own hands, even if it's not the right and legal way to proceed. Things get complicated when Eric runs into a man he killed 15 years ago while being on an undercover mission. Even worse, this man is responsible for Eric's traumatic past, and he is now trying to lay claim to Eric again.
Zaine is a Nyktelios, a vampire, and he is part of the Blackrose brotherhood. They are sworn to eradicate any nyktelios who does not adhere to the brotherhood's way of life. Their goal is to protect humans from cruel and vicious nyktelios, but to do so, the members of the brotherhood have a strict set of rules to follow, and the one rule above all the others is that they must not care about others. Zaine already struggled with this golden rule in the past, and it becomes simply impossible for him not to care when he meets detective Eric Sharpe. Zaine decides to ignore the rules and work with Eric to catch the man responsible for Eric's trauma.
Eric’s ma had always said there was a thin line between criminals and cops. He hadn’t understood what she’d meant at the time, and then she was gone. He understood now.
Eric is a brilliant and caring man, but he's also willing to do the wrong thing for the right reason (if you consider going rogue and killing criminals being the wrong thing). He is not exactly morally grey, but he is not the perfect example of a good law-abiding citizen either. He went through some very traumatic events for two whole years between the age of 15 and 17 years old, and 15 years later, he still bears the emotional scars of his ordeal. Eric is partly convinced that he imagined some of his trauma, or that he might be a little crazy because his therapists all told him that what he said about what happened to him could not be true, so it's a relief for him to finally find someone who not only believes him but is also a proof that what Eric went through was not a figment of his imagination.
I like that Eric never hesitated to stand up for himself and that he managed to remain a good person despite everything that happened to him, and everything that he went through in this book. He doesn't need anyone to protect him, and he shows the brotherhood that he can take care of himself. He is willing to do anything it takes to find and kill the man that hurt him so much when he was younger, but his relationship with this mysterious man is much more complicated than it appears. It's an unhealthy mix of hate, fear, lust, and desire to please, but despite having to deal with all these emotions, Eric doesn't let his anger and hatred rule him. He is willing to sacrifice himself to save others, and when faced with the cold and uncaring reality of the brotherhood, he doesn't just roll over to please them and get away from potential problems with them. He questions their leader and tries to make him see that their old way of doing things and not caring about humans might not be the good way to do things anymore. I am really curious to see how he will impact the brotherhood in the rest of this series.
Zaine knew the rules. It just so happened that sometimes he broke them.
He acted the immortal, unstoppable vampire, but there was a vulnerability to him too.
With 400 years behind him, Zaine is the youngest member of the Blackrose brotherhood, and he struggles with the whole "not caring about anyone rule". He believes that there is a way to be efficient and accomplish his mission even if he cares about people, but at the same time, he'd had his heart broken in the past, because of his nature, and he knows that any relationship with a human is doomed from the start. When he meets the very smart, gorgeous, and brave detective Sharpe, he feels a true connection, and he knows that even though it seems quite fast, the feelings he's developing are true and run deep and that he would do anything to keep Eric Sharpe away from harm.
Zaine is a tortured character at times. He wants and needs to appear strong, tough, and emotionally detached, but he has a tender, vulnerable heart that feels way too much. He also tries to sabotage his relationship with Eric in order to protect him and keep him away from the danger and threats that come with being involved with a member of the brotherhood, adding some angst to their spicy and intense relationship.
He knew what it was— desire. The violent kind. The kind that had Zaine wanting to throw the detective against a wall and kiss him until he came undone in Zaine’s hands. And when Sharpe was out of his fucking mind with want, Zaine would sink his teeth into the detective’s neck and drink him down, drink him deep, gorge himself and maybe fuck him too if Sharpe was into it.
The attraction between Eric and Zaine is almost instantaneous, and we can feel the sexual tension between them. I usually enjoy relationships with a slower burn, so even though I didn't mind the insta-lust between them at all, the intensity of Zaine's feeling from the very beginning was a little too much for me. It was so sudden and intense, that it seemed to be obsessive, more than attraction and the beginning of love. That being said, I still enjoyed this book very much, and Ariana Nash delivered yet again a spicy MM romance full of action, smut, angst, and characters with dark and complicated pasts. If you enjoyed Nash's previous series, you are sure to love this one too!
“The bad isn’t who you are.”
Zaine lifted his gaze. “Yeah?”
“Isn’t that what you said to me? I don’t see a bad guy. Badass maybe… but not bad.”
The next book will follow another member of the Blackrose brotherhood, but there is an over-arching plot that will extend to all books in this series (we should expect between 3 and 5 books according to the author). I am very excited to see more of Kazi, and to read his hate-to-love romance in the next book.
Follow me on Instagram 🙂
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December 16, 2022
3.5-4 stars ☆
"After this, I'm taking you away... A tropical island, I don't know. Nordic fucking cruise. Whatever. But there will be an after, all right?"
"A bed of roses?" Eric smiled, learning back. Some of his bright spark returned to his eyes.
"Yes, definitely that."
i've been a huge fan of Ariana Nash's works after reading Primal Sin trilogy a few months ago and i've binged all but one of her backlist ever since. it's safe to say most, if not all, of her books have worked for me. 😌
when i first heard the announcement of this series, i was so excited after learning it was going to be a vampire mm romance series. although i've never really been into fantasy/pnr, i've been getting into so many genres outside of my comfort zone (aka contemporary) after being deep into mm and the fantasy side of romance, as well as mystery/crime, have hit different for me and i can't go back. 🤧
this book in particular, although i loved the world building and the characters we've been introduced to so far, i admit the romance felt rushed in some ways bc it was trying to balance the introduction of so many characters while having the mcs, Eric and Zaine, have their moments. if the romance was more slow burn and had taken its time to develop, this would have easily been five stars for me, but!! i actually did like Eric and Zaine together. they were so cute. 🥺 i just wish the build up wouldn't have felt so... quick? non-existent? but i have a feeling the other couples in the series might get to me a bit more bc the world building has been set up in this book, which usually means the future books will (hopefully) focus on developing the romance between the mcs.
aside from the cute moments between Eric and Zaine, another thing i loved about this book were the side characters - the members of the Brotherhood, to be specific. we haven't met all of them yet but, of those who were introduced, each one definitely had their own story to tell and i'm looking forward to learning more about them!! i'm excited for Kazi and Mikalis' stories. they have intrigued me the most so far. 👀
overall, rushed pacing of the romance aside, i thought it was a pretty good introduction to the series and i can't wait to read more of this world and its characters. 🥰
thank you so much to Ariana Nash for providing me with an arc in exchange for an honest review!
"After this, I'm taking you away... A tropical island, I don't know. Nordic fucking cruise. Whatever. But there will be an after, all right?"
"A bed of roses?" Eric smiled, learning back. Some of his bright spark returned to his eyes.
"Yes, definitely that."
i've been a huge fan of Ariana Nash's works after reading Primal Sin trilogy a few months ago and i've binged all but one of her backlist ever since. it's safe to say most, if not all, of her books have worked for me. 😌
when i first heard the announcement of this series, i was so excited after learning it was going to be a vampire mm romance series. although i've never really been into fantasy/pnr, i've been getting into so many genres outside of my comfort zone (aka contemporary) after being deep into mm and the fantasy side of romance, as well as mystery/crime, have hit different for me and i can't go back. 🤧
this book in particular, although i loved the world building and the characters we've been introduced to so far, i admit the romance felt rushed in some ways bc it was trying to balance the introduction of so many characters while having the mcs, Eric and Zaine, have their moments. if the romance was more slow burn and had taken its time to develop, this would have easily been five stars for me, but!! i actually did like Eric and Zaine together. they were so cute. 🥺 i just wish the build up wouldn't have felt so... quick? non-existent? but i have a feeling the other couples in the series might get to me a bit more bc the world building has been set up in this book, which usually means the future books will (hopefully) focus on developing the romance between the mcs.
aside from the cute moments between Eric and Zaine, another thing i loved about this book were the side characters - the members of the Brotherhood, to be specific. we haven't met all of them yet but, of those who were introduced, each one definitely had their own story to tell and i'm looking forward to learning more about them!! i'm excited for Kazi and Mikalis' stories. they have intrigued me the most so far. 👀
overall, rushed pacing of the romance aside, i thought it was a pretty good introduction to the series and i can't wait to read more of this world and its characters. 🥰
thank you so much to Ariana Nash for providing me with an arc in exchange for an honest review!
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July 7, 2022
MM Romance
Vampire Vigilantes
2 Bored To Death Stars ⭐️
DNF @ 96%. Yes, I am DNFing this book with 4% left to read because it’s that boring. I just cannot with this book a minute longer. The world building is why I’m giving this 2 stars because the action and adventure portion of this book is really well done. BUT this is a romance and this was so boring as a romance. They meet, it’s kind of instalove, a bunch of drama happens, they’re soulmates blah blah. There was one sex scene in this until the part where I quit. Yes, I quit in a sex scene but I just didn’t see them as a couple. I could see this being a great tv show. The blurb also says the vampires in this book aren’t sparkly, are violent blah blah but Zaine came off kind of cinnamon roll-ish. The others around him working for The Brotherhood were more dangerous but even then I expected it to be darker. The big baddie had a tie in to one of the main characters and there was a big twist I didn’t see coming. Maybe it was obvious but I fell asleep 4 times reading this book so maybe it was just me that missed it. It seems most people like this so this may be a me thing and not the book. This is my first read by this author and I’d give her another shot if it was something that felt like a romance. This just didn’t do it for me.
Vampire Vigilantes
2 Bored To Death Stars ⭐️
DNF @ 96%. Yes, I am DNFing this book with 4% left to read because it’s that boring. I just cannot with this book a minute longer. The world building is why I’m giving this 2 stars because the action and adventure portion of this book is really well done. BUT this is a romance and this was so boring as a romance. They meet, it’s kind of instalove, a bunch of drama happens, they’re soulmates blah blah. There was one sex scene in this until the part where I quit. Yes, I quit in a sex scene but I just didn’t see them as a couple. I could see this being a great tv show. The blurb also says the vampires in this book aren’t sparkly, are violent blah blah but Zaine came off kind of cinnamon roll-ish. The others around him working for The Brotherhood were more dangerous but even then I expected it to be darker. The big baddie had a tie in to one of the main characters and there was a big twist I didn’t see coming. Maybe it was obvious but I fell asleep 4 times reading this book so maybe it was just me that missed it. It seems most people like this so this may be a me thing and not the book. This is my first read by this author and I’d give her another shot if it was something that felt like a romance. This just didn’t do it for me.
June 23, 2022
**4.5/5**
*** I received a complimentary copy of this book***
Violent Desire is the first story in a new paranormal vampire series by Ariana Nash. Violent Desire contains a forbidden steamy love story between a homicide detective, Eric, and a four hundred year old vampire, Zaine.
Eric is a seasoned detective who has a violent and bloody first interaction with Zaine that leads the two on a complicated journey that leaves both inevitably drawn to one another.
This was a great introduction into this world where there are two kinds of vampires, one that actively harms humans without any thought and the other actively seeks to eliminate these evil vampires while working in a Brotherhood. I enjoyed meeting members of the Brotherhood, most are still unknown at this point, which leaves many questions especially regarding the leader.
Overall I really enjoyed this story, it had the challenge of introducing this world while creating a believable love story that had many elements thrown in including healing from trauma. Eric and Zaine have amazing chemistry and I loved seeing the possessive side of both towards the other.
*** I received a complimentary copy of this book***
Violent Desire is the first story in a new paranormal vampire series by Ariana Nash. Violent Desire contains a forbidden steamy love story between a homicide detective, Eric, and a four hundred year old vampire, Zaine.
Eric is a seasoned detective who has a violent and bloody first interaction with Zaine that leads the two on a complicated journey that leaves both inevitably drawn to one another.
This was a great introduction into this world where there are two kinds of vampires, one that actively harms humans without any thought and the other actively seeks to eliminate these evil vampires while working in a Brotherhood. I enjoyed meeting members of the Brotherhood, most are still unknown at this point, which leaves many questions especially regarding the leader.
Overall I really enjoyed this story, it had the challenge of introducing this world while creating a believable love story that had many elements thrown in including healing from trauma. Eric and Zaine have amazing chemistry and I loved seeing the possessive side of both towards the other.
did-not-finish
July 7, 2022
dnf @ 52%
holy fuck, I love Ariana but this was SO FUCKING BORING. all the brothers were more interesting, in spoken terms, than the mc here.
but this is Ariana we're talking about so I might come back to it, might not cus man, I want to read Mikhail's book and HIS ONLY‼️‼️ (okay, maybe storm's too)
holy fuck, I love Ariana but this was SO FUCKING BORING. all the brothers were more interesting, in spoken terms, than the mc here.
but this is Ariana we're talking about so I might come back to it, might not cus man, I want to read Mikhail's book and HIS ONLY‼️‼️ (okay, maybe storm's too)
August 27, 2023
"Sharpe was all kinds of complicated. Intriguing complicated. Alluring complicated."
Ariana Nash does it again with another fabulous MM paranormal book to launch her new Blackrose Brotherhood series. Violent Desire is the first book in the series and whilst they are all series-linked, it is a standalone read. This is Zaine and Eric's story.
Now, we are used to a few things in an Ariana Nash book - angst, usually a bit of a cliffy or HFN ending until the last book in the series, great character development, snark and banter, fantastic side-characters, brilliant world-building and a slooooowwww burn romance. Violent Desire has all of this in spades, EXCEPT for the classic slow burn, which honestly, I kinda missed.
The fact is, aside from the wonderful standalone The Final Masquerade, (which is a hella thicc book), Ariana Nash usually writes her books in series and this gives plenty of time to really draw out the angst and the love story. Now slow-burn is just my personal preference - if you are more of an insta-love, soul-mate type, you will ABSOLUTELY ADORE Zane and Eric. And don't get me wrong - Eric was just divine and an absolute badass, and Zaine was a total cutie underneath that stoic, no care, vampire persona.
"He'd been fighting to keep his head above water for much of his life. Zaine being close felt like a hand finally holding him afloat - allowing him to take a breath."
Not to mention I really loved the side-characters, and can't wait to find out more about Mikalis, the (in my humble opinion!) totally shady leader of the Brotherhood and Kazi (my fave).
Bring on Violent Mistake!❣️
4.5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Ariana Nash does it again with another fabulous MM paranormal book to launch her new Blackrose Brotherhood series. Violent Desire is the first book in the series and whilst they are all series-linked, it is a standalone read. This is Zaine and Eric's story.
Now, we are used to a few things in an Ariana Nash book - angst, usually a bit of a cliffy or HFN ending until the last book in the series, great character development, snark and banter, fantastic side-characters, brilliant world-building and a slooooowwww burn romance. Violent Desire has all of this in spades, EXCEPT for the classic slow burn, which honestly, I kinda missed.
The fact is, aside from the wonderful standalone The Final Masquerade, (which is a hella thicc book), Ariana Nash usually writes her books in series and this gives plenty of time to really draw out the angst and the love story. Now slow-burn is just my personal preference - if you are more of an insta-love, soul-mate type, you will ABSOLUTELY ADORE Zane and Eric. And don't get me wrong - Eric was just divine and an absolute badass, and Zaine was a total cutie underneath that stoic, no care, vampire persona.
"He'd been fighting to keep his head above water for much of his life. Zaine being close felt like a hand finally holding him afloat - allowing him to take a breath."
Not to mention I really loved the side-characters, and can't wait to find out more about Mikalis, the (in my humble opinion!) totally shady leader of the Brotherhood and Kazi (my fave).
Bring on Violent Mistake!❣️
4.5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
February 10, 2023
Bite me. Fuck me. Bleed me.
I may have rated this book higher if there was a bit more of the above going on here. A bit more romance and relationship growth between Eric and Zaine. It almost felt as if there was more discussion and interaction between Eric and Sebastien.
This book was entertaining, but there was so much going on. Lots of characters being introduced, lots of world building, etc. I would have appreciated seeing more regarding the MCs relationship coming to be. It was all very sudden and felt a bit rushed.
The world building was interesting, I think there is probably a lot of interesting things to explore there. I was also quite intrigued by a few of the other side characters that were introduced.
Eye-fuck me some more, Detective.” “Then go down on me again, Viking.” “As you wish.”
I may have rated this book higher if there was a bit more of the above going on here. A bit more romance and relationship growth between Eric and Zaine. It almost felt as if there was more discussion and interaction between Eric and Sebastien.
This book was entertaining, but there was so much going on. Lots of characters being introduced, lots of world building, etc. I would have appreciated seeing more regarding the MCs relationship coming to be. It was all very sudden and felt a bit rushed.
The world building was interesting, I think there is probably a lot of interesting things to explore there. I was also quite intrigued by a few of the other side characters that were introduced.
Eye-fuck me some more, Detective.” “Then go down on me again, Viking.” “As you wish.”
June 27, 2022
This was fun! However, I’d probably enjoy it much more if I didn’t hate insta-lust and ista-love with a passion, as both are the foundation of the romance here.
As a first book in a series, this was very good. It introduced a lot of interesting characters (that will later get their own books, as I understand it) and the main plot, which was rather original for vampire prn-romance. That insta-love, though… 💀 I really hope that at least ONE of the following books will feature a vampire/vampire couple with established characters who’d known each other for years, that’d be HOT AF. 🤞 And I’m waiting for Mikalis’s story. 👀
As a first book in a series, this was very good. It introduced a lot of interesting characters (that will later get their own books, as I understand it) and the main plot, which was rather original for vampire prn-romance. That insta-love, though… 💀 I really hope that at least ONE of the following books will feature a vampire/vampire couple with established characters who’d known each other for years, that’d be HOT AF. 🤞 And I’m waiting for Mikalis’s story. 👀
May 10, 2025
I was really intrigued by the plot for this book, but I found myself getting irritated at the repetition and the instalove.
The bad guy is described as the 'suave man' THIRTY THREE times before we get his name.... like really, tell me again that he's suave and I might believe it 😂😂
Eric and Zaine were an interesting couple, but they're declaring they love each other when they know barely anything about each other! They don't even have a sex scene first, which is normally where instalove comes in, so that made it even more confusing.
I liked some of the side characters but they felt like androids who'd been preprogrammed with one or two specific sayings. There was some interesting tension with Octavius, some intrigue around Mikalis, and I was curious to know who's locked up, but I'm undecided on whether I want to read more. I prefer characters to have strong emotional connections and to see their getting to know each other on page, otherwise I struggle to get overly invested in their story.
*****
I received an ARC of this book from Gay Romance Reviews, and this is my honest review
The bad guy is described as the 'suave man' THIRTY THREE times before we get his name.... like really, tell me again that he's suave and I might believe it 😂😂
Eric and Zaine were an interesting couple, but they're declaring they love each other when they know barely anything about each other! They don't even have a sex scene first, which is normally where instalove comes in, so that made it even more confusing.
I liked some of the side characters but they felt like androids who'd been preprogrammed with one or two specific sayings. There was some interesting tension with Octavius, some intrigue around Mikalis, and I was curious to know who's locked up, but I'm undecided on whether I want to read more. I prefer characters to have strong emotional connections and to see their getting to know each other on page, otherwise I struggle to get overly invested in their story.
*****
I received an ARC of this book from Gay Romance Reviews, and this is my honest review
November 12, 2023
It was action packed, which made up for the lack of real “love story.” A lot of readers complained about it. How they didn’t know where the “love” between Zaire and Eric came from. Like it was insta-something, but not even so much as lust. The word “care” was thrown around a lot, but nothing led to its development.
The “love” parts of this book was really skimmed over and sketchily done. Hence the drop in 2 stars. Yet another take on vampires was fine. I like vampires. But throughout the book I was most interested in Mikalis than anything or anyone else. Doesn’t mean a lot for the main characters.
I may continue tho. Even if Kazi’s book is next. I’m more interested in Storm and Mikalis, wonder if they have anything going on. Or the Brother they have locked in a cell. Who tried to take the Brotherhood down…
That guy is interesting too.
The “love” parts of this book was really skimmed over and sketchily done. Hence the drop in 2 stars. Yet another take on vampires was fine. I like vampires. But throughout the book I was most interested in Mikalis than anything or anyone else. Doesn’t mean a lot for the main characters.
I may continue tho. Even if Kazi’s book is next. I’m more interested in Storm and Mikalis, wonder if they have anything going on. Or the Brother they have locked in a cell. Who tried to take the Brotherhood down…
That guy is interesting too.
July 25, 2022
I personally think that the brotherhood can go fuck itself... But this story has Ariana Nash signature and I liked it. 🥰
Besides... VAMPIRES 🧛♀️🧛♀️ Or something like that.
As always, Ariana created a complex story with deep characters that sometimes I liked and sometimes I didn't, but the development was enchanting and the world build was intriguing.
In general I like Ariana's writing and this one was no exception, she takes risks and really tries to develop the characters.
This wasn't perfect, but I think it was a good start. I'll keep going for sure. 🥰
Besides... VAMPIRES 🧛♀️🧛♀️ Or something like that.
As always, Ariana created a complex story with deep characters that sometimes I liked and sometimes I didn't, but the development was enchanting and the world build was intriguing.
In general I like Ariana's writing and this one was no exception, she takes risks and really tries to develop the characters.
This wasn't perfect, but I think it was a good start. I'll keep going for sure. 🥰
July 4, 2022
Vampires and smut? hell YES
May 6, 2023
great start to the series🔥. reminds me of the Necessary Evils series but wayyyy better imo. can't wait to read the next.
July 23, 2022
I liked most of the Ariana Nash stuff I've read, and I even really liked some of her books. I was super excited for this one. I've been dying for a darker vampire romance with some fun action plot. Sadly, this wasn't it, and I'm still unsure if it's a me thing, considering the expectations I had for this book.
Firstly, holy shit, the instalove. I'm already not a fan of this trope, but this particular brand of insta-love lacks so much finesse and... romance, honestly. I couldn't feel the connection between them at all. They barely spend any time together before being ready to die for each other. It's a lot of telling and not showing, because most of the book is spent world-building. Speaking of, the premise is interesting, I will give it that, but even the vampire plot is weighed down by a lot of info-dumping and a weak villain. I could see the action parts getting more interesting in future books since the basics of this world are already laid down, but sadly I don't think I'll be continuing the series.
I feel like the writing style was weak and superficial. Ariana Nash's writing style is never the strongest part of her books in my eyes, but she usually manages to create great atmosphere and angst that work for me. But in this one, I just couldn't figure out the overall tone the book was trying to take. It was sometimes silly and sometimes very Dramatique. The blurb warned me that those vampires "don't sparkle", that they do shit for "bad reasons", that they "don't care" and are "psychopaths with fangs". Well, honestly, I didn't feel any of that danger. The vampire MC seemed like a chill, normal dude. The vampire MC of the next book, whom we meet in this one, is literally a famous fashion influencer, the silliest profession in the world. On the same page as some humourous inter-vampires banter, we got Eric's trauma, which is very serious, but the writing felt a little too superficial for the subject matter IMO.
Revelations that should be high-stakes felt forced. For example,
I really don't understand what happened here. I feel like Ariana Nash is usually great at creating tension. At least in The Final Masquerade and in The Prince's Assassin (both of which I loved), the plot had me on the edge of my seat, and I was honestly scared for the characters. While reading Violent Desires, I felt nothing but frustration.
I received a free copy of this book and am providing my honest review voluntarily.
Read this review and more on my blog: https://horsetalkreviews.blogspot.com/
Firstly, holy shit, the instalove. I'm already not a fan of this trope, but this particular brand of insta-love lacks so much finesse and... romance, honestly. I couldn't feel the connection between them at all. They barely spend any time together before being ready to die for each other. It's a lot of telling and not showing, because most of the book is spent world-building. Speaking of, the premise is interesting, I will give it that, but even the vampire plot is weighed down by a lot of info-dumping and a weak villain. I could see the action parts getting more interesting in future books since the basics of this world are already laid down, but sadly I don't think I'll be continuing the series.
I feel like the writing style was weak and superficial. Ariana Nash's writing style is never the strongest part of her books in my eyes, but she usually manages to create great atmosphere and angst that work for me. But in this one, I just couldn't figure out the overall tone the book was trying to take. It was sometimes silly and sometimes very Dramatique. The blurb warned me that those vampires "don't sparkle", that they do shit for "bad reasons", that they "don't care" and are "psychopaths with fangs". Well, honestly, I didn't feel any of that danger. The vampire MC seemed like a chill, normal dude. The vampire MC of the next book, whom we meet in this one, is literally a famous fashion influencer, the silliest profession in the world. On the same page as some humourous inter-vampires banter, we got Eric's trauma, which is very serious, but the writing felt a little too superficial for the subject matter IMO.
Revelations that should be high-stakes felt forced. For example,
I really don't understand what happened here. I feel like Ariana Nash is usually great at creating tension. At least in The Final Masquerade and in The Prince's Assassin (both of which I loved), the plot had me on the edge of my seat, and I was honestly scared for the characters. While reading Violent Desires, I felt nothing but frustration.
I received a free copy of this book and am providing my honest review voluntarily.
Read this review and more on my blog: https://horsetalkreviews.blogspot.com/
June 22, 2022
4.5
A vampire series by Ariana Nash? Hell yes!
Vampires or Nyktelios as they are known here, fall into 2 categories, the Brotherhood and the rest. The Brotherhood are tasked with hunting the others, the agents of chaos.
The worldbuilding and characterisation is top notch. None of that pesky info dumping, all the information is woven into the story.
As with all Nash's characters, none are squeaky clean. This is more apparent here. Eric has done things, does things on page, which makes him someone to be careful of. Zaine, while a vampire, is actually a sweetheart. He's had to distance himself from humanity but is the most human of them all.
There's a lot of action, some surprises and steam. I'm really looking forward to where this series goes. I have a feeling that it's just safer not to trust any of them!
A vampire series by Ariana Nash? Hell yes!
Vampires or Nyktelios as they are known here, fall into 2 categories, the Brotherhood and the rest. The Brotherhood are tasked with hunting the others, the agents of chaos.
The worldbuilding and characterisation is top notch. None of that pesky info dumping, all the information is woven into the story.
As with all Nash's characters, none are squeaky clean. This is more apparent here. Eric has done things, does things on page, which makes him someone to be careful of. Zaine, while a vampire, is actually a sweetheart. He's had to distance himself from humanity but is the most human of them all.
There's a lot of action, some surprises and steam. I'm really looking forward to where this series goes. I have a feeling that it's just safer not to trust any of them!
December 26, 2023
3.5 Stars ( estou numa vibe de 3⃣. 5😅) Queria mandar uma nota maior mas senti que faltou algo. Adoro universos vampirescos, mas confesso que não sou fã de vampiros frescos, gosto de vampiros que gostam de MORDER 😅 Faltou mais mordidas nessa livro, mas o enredo é interessante e fiquei curiosa pelo segundo livro com o kazir.
November 23, 2023
Interesting start and I'm excited to dive into the rest of this series, and meet the different members of the brotherhood. I really enjoyed Eric and Zaine's book. I did find it a lot to take in at times and the flow felt disjointed because of that, but overall I enjoyed it.
June 28, 2022
In this new series featuring a morally gray brotherhood of vampires, Ariana Nash delivers a fantastic read with a fleshed out world, interesting new chatacters, a mystery, a love story to die for, and all of the twists and turns readers expect of her work.
While the romance itself isn't dark, elements of character backstory are quite dark and could be triggering to some readers, so fully recommend you check out the content warnings.
(I received an ARC in exchange for my honest review.)
While the romance itself isn't dark, elements of character backstory are quite dark and could be triggering to some readers, so fully recommend you check out the content warnings.
(I received an ARC in exchange for my honest review.)
July 30, 2022
There are so many elements of this story that I adore.
A troubled detective with past trauma. Check.
A sexy supernatural who can’t leave said detective alone. Check.
Morally grey main characters. Check.
Sexual tension and a bad guy with an unhealthy obsession with one of the MCs. Oh yes please and thank you.
Eric Sharpe, detective at the NYPD, takes the law into his own hands when his partner’s murderer can’t be brought to justice. And in doing so, he inadvertently puts himself in the middle of a vampire show-down.
Zaine is a member of the Blackrose brotherhood, and a vampire. His job is to track and kill out-of-control nyktelios vampires and he’s not suppose to care about a nyktelios’ victims. And he’s absolutely not supposed to let his target get away because he was too busy saving a sexy detective.
A human and a vampire can never truly be together. But Eric’s and Zaine’s worlds get entangled even more when it turns out that the nightmare from Eric’s past is the very vampire that Zaine’s been hunting. A vampire who now has Eric in his sights once again.
I enjoyed this read a whole lot. It’s fast-paced and eventful, with all sorts of mysteries being uncovered as you go along. It’s the details of Eric’s past. Zaine’s secrets. The Brotherhood itself. Basically, there’s not a dull moment. I breezed through this read in record time since I couldn’t put it down.
This is the first book in a new series, so there’s obviously some world-building to get through. There was a new take on the aspect of the vampires and blood-sucking in particular that I thought refreshing. That, along with a few other things made this new universe feel very new and interesting. And I wish there had been more. The story was over too quickly, without providing all the answers I needed. Which – of course – was the point all along, since I’m now dying to read the next book.
For a long while I thought this would be a five-star read. I loved the world. I loved Eric. And him and Zaine were awesome together. But, unfortunately, Nash decided that the epic fight in the end and the Brotherhood’s opposition to Eric and Zaine being together wasn’t enough. So she added the classic self-sabotage-out-of-nowhere twist just to wring out that last bit of drama from the story. It’s really sad because it was completely unnecessary, and it lowered my overall opinion of the story.
Still, this book is quite the ride. And I’m predicting this series, with a whole bunch of vampires each getting their story, will be epic.
This first installment, though, ends up a solid 4-star. Highly recommend.
https://reflectionsofaswedishgirl.blo...
* A free e-copy of this book was kindly provided by Gay Romance Reviews *
A troubled detective with past trauma. Check.
A sexy supernatural who can’t leave said detective alone. Check.
Morally grey main characters. Check.
Sexual tension and a bad guy with an unhealthy obsession with one of the MCs. Oh yes please and thank you.
Eric Sharpe, detective at the NYPD, takes the law into his own hands when his partner’s murderer can’t be brought to justice. And in doing so, he inadvertently puts himself in the middle of a vampire show-down.
Zaine is a member of the Blackrose brotherhood, and a vampire. His job is to track and kill out-of-control nyktelios vampires and he’s not suppose to care about a nyktelios’ victims. And he’s absolutely not supposed to let his target get away because he was too busy saving a sexy detective.
A human and a vampire can never truly be together. But Eric’s and Zaine’s worlds get entangled even more when it turns out that the nightmare from Eric’s past is the very vampire that Zaine’s been hunting. A vampire who now has Eric in his sights once again.
I enjoyed this read a whole lot. It’s fast-paced and eventful, with all sorts of mysteries being uncovered as you go along. It’s the details of Eric’s past. Zaine’s secrets. The Brotherhood itself. Basically, there’s not a dull moment. I breezed through this read in record time since I couldn’t put it down.
This is the first book in a new series, so there’s obviously some world-building to get through. There was a new take on the aspect of the vampires and blood-sucking in particular that I thought refreshing. That, along with a few other things made this new universe feel very new and interesting. And I wish there had been more. The story was over too quickly, without providing all the answers I needed. Which – of course – was the point all along, since I’m now dying to read the next book.
For a long while I thought this would be a five-star read. I loved the world. I loved Eric. And him and Zaine were awesome together. But, unfortunately, Nash decided that the epic fight in the end and the Brotherhood’s opposition to Eric and Zaine being together wasn’t enough. So she added the classic self-sabotage-out-of-nowhere twist just to wring out that last bit of drama from the story. It’s really sad because it was completely unnecessary, and it lowered my overall opinion of the story.
Still, this book is quite the ride. And I’m predicting this series, with a whole bunch of vampires each getting their story, will be epic.
This first installment, though, ends up a solid 4-star. Highly recommend.
https://reflectionsofaswedishgirl.blo...
* A free e-copy of this book was kindly provided by Gay Romance Reviews *
July 7, 2022
2 - 3 stars!
Violent Desire is my first Ariana Nash novel and I was pretty dissapointed. I was expecting a lot more from this story and while the world building and detail were well done, the actual romance was...well bad. Do you know what doesn't go together?
Instalove and a slow burn.
That's what happened here. Zaine and Eric had a major instalove element but nothing actually happened between them until about the 62% mark and it was a mediocre 2/3ish page scene that lacked passion and emotion. There was one other intimate scene between the two of them at the 96% mark and it too was less than two pages and lacked any real depth and intensity.
Eric had quite the traumatic past and there was very little true development on that. This is a man that has been sexually and emotionally used by a vampire and he still fights the aftermath of the conditioning and non-consent he went through and it was more or less glossed over. Eric didn't have a lot of defining characteristics and quite honestly neither did Zaine. Although I did really love Zaine and his heart. Despite believing he wasn't owed much in life and didn't deserve Eric, he did everything he could to keep him safe including trying to push him away.
The action in here was fun to read and kept me on my toes and I enjoyed reading about the secondary characters, including a certain scary 3,000+ year old vampire/monster. But...I am majorly hung up on the fact that I went into this expecting some great world building with a unique perspective on vampires which I definitely got but the romance was sub par at best. I 100% wanted more relationship development, maybe some enemy-to-lover action, definitely more intense love scenes and a more drawn out slow burn with delicious sexual tension...none of which I got. Maybe this story needed to be another 100+ pages for that to happen. I don't know.
I don't love rating this story this low. It started off really good but when I got to the 30% mark, I knew things were about to go down hill for me. I do think I will continue this series. Perhaps this novel was meant to be more of a introduction to the world and its parts. Overall, I didn't really like this but I'm not giving up yet.
Violent Desire is my first Ariana Nash novel and I was pretty dissapointed. I was expecting a lot more from this story and while the world building and detail were well done, the actual romance was...well bad. Do you know what doesn't go together?
Instalove and a slow burn.
That's what happened here. Zaine and Eric had a major instalove element but nothing actually happened between them until about the 62% mark and it was a mediocre 2/3ish page scene that lacked passion and emotion. There was one other intimate scene between the two of them at the 96% mark and it too was less than two pages and lacked any real depth and intensity.
Eric had quite the traumatic past and there was very little true development on that. This is a man that has been sexually and emotionally used by a vampire and he still fights the aftermath of the conditioning and non-consent he went through and it was more or less glossed over. Eric didn't have a lot of defining characteristics and quite honestly neither did Zaine. Although I did really love Zaine and his heart. Despite believing he wasn't owed much in life and didn't deserve Eric, he did everything he could to keep him safe including trying to push him away.
"When you’ve lived as long as some of the Brotherhood have, you know how every story ends. After a while, it’s just easier not to begin one."
The action in here was fun to read and kept me on my toes and I enjoyed reading about the secondary characters, including a certain scary 3,000+ year old vampire/monster. But...I am majorly hung up on the fact that I went into this expecting some great world building with a unique perspective on vampires which I definitely got but the romance was sub par at best. I 100% wanted more relationship development, maybe some enemy-to-lover action, definitely more intense love scenes and a more drawn out slow burn with delicious sexual tension...none of which I got. Maybe this story needed to be another 100+ pages for that to happen. I don't know.
I don't love rating this story this low. It started off really good but when I got to the 30% mark, I knew things were about to go down hill for me. I do think I will continue this series. Perhaps this novel was meant to be more of a introduction to the world and its parts. Overall, I didn't really like this but I'm not giving up yet.
July 7, 2022
Usually fantasy and pnr are not my cup of tea but I enjoyed this one ..The plot was interesting and the world building was awesome. The romance was kind of meh but I loved Zaine and I can’t wait for Kazi’s story!
June 25, 2022
3.75 stars
June 20, 2022
I received a copy of this book from author Ariana Nash (Pippa DaCosta) All thoughts and opinions are my own.
This review contains spoilers.
First, as soon as Ariana Nash says she's writing a new book, I do this because it never disappoints:
Violent Desire is the first book in the Blackrose Brotherhood series, and it focuses on the relationship of Eric and Zaine.
Eric Sharpe is a human detective, and also a vigilante (vigilante=person who cleans the trash people). He has a traumatic past, because he was abused by a vampire who used him as a feeder.
We realize that there are vampires (Nyktelios), and there are the bad ones and the less bad ones that are the Blackrose Brotherhood. The Blackrose Brotherhood kills anyone who doesn't follow their way of life, which is not using humans with bloodbags. They feed on blood, but not directly from the vein. And they also don´t do relationships because they are immortal bla bla and you will get your heart broken when your love dies.
Zaine is a vampire that doesn’t glow (and I'm glad he doesn't), but he is definitely a badass, hot, and doesn’t take shit from nobody. He is a member of the Blackrose Brotherhood and, as soon as he sees detective Sharpe, booom attraction.
And he re-thinks the no relationships that the brotherhood obliges. (Of course he does because Detective Sharpe is HOT AF).
While he re-thinks this, we meet the vampire that abused Eric and left permanent marks on him, and is our bad guy. He really is trash and abuses a lot of people, and we hope that he is turned into ashes (spoiler alert: he is turned into ashes).
I was afraid that being a standalone, the falling in would be too quickly, as they often do, but I thought it was very well paced and it didn't feel forced. I was positively surprised.
We get to know other members of the Brotherhood, and get very intrigued by them. They are badass, mysterious, smug, and a bit up their own asses, but I can’t wait for more of them!
There are ups and downs, a lot of angst, and the plot is very good and raises a lot of questions. The ones that are not answered, we know they will be in future books. We need them…
Miss Nash as usual, doesn’t disappoint and the sex scenes are... eyes went to the back of my head hot! Detective Sharpe and Zaine got moves!
And in the end, we realize that we all want someone who lays us in a bed of roses and also fucks us off our feet!
Can’t wait for more! Thank you Pippa so much or this opportunity! I love your writing, imagination and world building. Please continue to bless us with your incident reports :)
This review contains spoilers.
First, as soon as Ariana Nash says she's writing a new book, I do this because it never disappoints:
Violent Desire is the first book in the Blackrose Brotherhood series, and it focuses on the relationship of Eric and Zaine.
Eric Sharpe is a human detective, and also a vigilante (vigilante=person who cleans the trash people). He has a traumatic past, because he was abused by a vampire who used him as a feeder.
We realize that there are vampires (Nyktelios), and there are the bad ones and the less bad ones that are the Blackrose Brotherhood. The Blackrose Brotherhood kills anyone who doesn't follow their way of life, which is not using humans with bloodbags. They feed on blood, but not directly from the vein. And they also don´t do relationships because they are immortal bla bla and you will get your heart broken when your love dies.
Zaine is a vampire that doesn’t glow (and I'm glad he doesn't), but he is definitely a badass, hot, and doesn’t take shit from nobody. He is a member of the Blackrose Brotherhood and, as soon as he sees detective Sharpe, booom attraction.
And he re-thinks the no relationships that the brotherhood obliges. (Of course he does because Detective Sharpe is HOT AF).
While he re-thinks this, we meet the vampire that abused Eric and left permanent marks on him, and is our bad guy. He really is trash and abuses a lot of people, and we hope that he is turned into ashes (spoiler alert: he is turned into ashes).
I was afraid that being a standalone, the falling in would be too quickly, as they often do, but I thought it was very well paced and it didn't feel forced. I was positively surprised.
We get to know other members of the Brotherhood, and get very intrigued by them. They are badass, mysterious, smug, and a bit up their own asses, but I can’t wait for more of them!
There are ups and downs, a lot of angst, and the plot is very good and raises a lot of questions. The ones that are not answered, we know they will be in future books. We need them…
Miss Nash as usual, doesn’t disappoint and the sex scenes are... eyes went to the back of my head hot! Detective Sharpe and Zaine got moves!
And in the end, we realize that we all want someone who lays us in a bed of roses and also fucks us off our feet!
Can’t wait for more! Thank you Pippa so much or this opportunity! I love your writing, imagination and world building. Please continue to bless us with your incident reports :)
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 23, 2022
Finally! I’ve been scouring paranormal romance books looking for something like this story for a while – vampires who are NOT nice people. While they have a “human side” and have some… well, a few… redeeming characteristics, these guys are not fluffy in any way, and fully display the primal, predatory monster living inside of them; some even embrace it.
Eric is a complex, but unstable character with a whole list of problems, vampires being at the top of the list. He’s experienced a lot of trauma, is a cop but doesn’t trust the law, and is a bit uncentered as he has not been able to come to terms with his trauma from his teenage years. He’s interesting, he makes you wonder how he’s going to develop, and really is the star of the story. With that being said, he’s a little wishy-washy in his convictions. He has a couple changes of heart that seem abrupt, like they should have taken him a little longer.
Zaine is entertaining. While a vampire with monstrous appetites, his human side is a bit of a snarky bad boy. And he’s still young enough that he’s not entirely jaded like the rest of his peers in the Brotherhood and still has the capacity, and desire, to feel things. He’s also dealing with a recent trauma (well, recent in vampire years) and is conflicted with everything happening with Eric. While he wasn’t as deep a character as Eric, he’s still a character you want to get to know more about.
The whole storyline is unique, engaging, and there’s enough mystery – even at the end – that you want to read more and more. The story contains some dark elements, but they’re more greyish than really dark. I love dark and it definitely could have gone further. Thankfully this story is the first of a series, so we’ll definitely get more exposure to this world. Solid 4.5 stars, which I bumped up to 5.
Eric is a complex, but unstable character with a whole list of problems, vampires being at the top of the list. He’s experienced a lot of trauma, is a cop but doesn’t trust the law, and is a bit uncentered as he has not been able to come to terms with his trauma from his teenage years. He’s interesting, he makes you wonder how he’s going to develop, and really is the star of the story. With that being said, he’s a little wishy-washy in his convictions. He has a couple changes of heart that seem abrupt, like they should have taken him a little longer.
Zaine is entertaining. While a vampire with monstrous appetites, his human side is a bit of a snarky bad boy. And he’s still young enough that he’s not entirely jaded like the rest of his peers in the Brotherhood and still has the capacity, and desire, to feel things. He’s also dealing with a recent trauma (well, recent in vampire years) and is conflicted with everything happening with Eric. While he wasn’t as deep a character as Eric, he’s still a character you want to get to know more about.
The whole storyline is unique, engaging, and there’s enough mystery – even at the end – that you want to read more and more. The story contains some dark elements, but they’re more greyish than really dark. I love dark and it definitely could have gone further. Thankfully this story is the first of a series, so we’ll definitely get more exposure to this world. Solid 4.5 stars, which I bumped up to 5.
March 13, 2023
4.5 stars
June 29, 2023
“He knew what it was — desire. The violent kind.”
4 stars ⭐️
At the beginning I was a little confused by the world building, but once I got into it it was intriguing and quite complex. The plot was more action focused than romance, which might not be my usual preference, but something about this book kept me hooked the whole way through.
Can’t wait to read the rest of the series!
CW and tropes (spoilers):
- vampire vs cop
- violence and murder
- MC with traumatic past
- dub-con/non-con (not between MCs)
- strict top/bottom (only two scenes)
POV: dual, 3rd person
4 stars ⭐️
At the beginning I was a little confused by the world building, but once I got into it it was intriguing and quite complex. The plot was more action focused than romance, which might not be my usual preference, but something about this book kept me hooked the whole way through.
Can’t wait to read the rest of the series!
CW and tropes (spoilers):
- vampire vs cop
- violence and murder
- MC with traumatic past
- dub-con/non-con (not between MCs)
- strict top/bottom (only two scenes)
POV: dual, 3rd person
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 21, 2022
[Arc review. Thank you]
This story is the first of more to come and now I'm excited for more.
The beginning was a little slow with lots of world building and explanations. It was a little hard to follow at first. But it picked up speed soon and then I was sucked into the story (as expected 🤭).
The characters are excellent as usual. Some are obviously heroes, some are shady and most of them are broken. It makes a good mix and keeps the book alive! And hopefully all of those guys! Love the angst in this one, though [add nervous laughter here].
When I got to the end of the story I was sitting on the edge of my chair and as promised in the blurb it ends. However there's still a hint at more and it seems like the stories of the following books will be connected to this one. We meet a lot of vamps and fingers crossed that we will read more about them soon 😊
And what about Saint? I'm intrigued!
This story is the first of more to come and now I'm excited for more.
The beginning was a little slow with lots of world building and explanations. It was a little hard to follow at first. But it picked up speed soon and then I was sucked into the story (as expected 🤭).
The characters are excellent as usual. Some are obviously heroes, some are shady and most of them are broken. It makes a good mix and keeps the book alive! And hopefully all of those guys! Love the angst in this one, though [add nervous laughter here].
When I got to the end of the story I was sitting on the edge of my chair and as promised in the blurb it ends. However there's still a hint at more and it seems like the stories of the following books will be connected to this one. We meet a lot of vamps and fingers crossed that we will read more about them soon 😊
And what about Saint? I'm intrigued!
November 11, 2023
3.5⭐️ - lots of action but some parts were a bit tedious and I didn’t connect with the romance. It was very instaLove which is fine except I just didn’t buy into into this one.
There is a bit of cliffy which I am VERY CURIOUS about so I’ll definitely read more. Book 1 of a series can be challenging - there’s a lot of set up and character introductions which can take away from the MCs the book is intended to focus on.
The vampire hierarchy and history felt new and interesting so o definitely enjoyed that aspect.
That being said, i did like Zaine and Eric. I wanted more passion, more longing and more angst for them.
There is a bit of cliffy which I am VERY CURIOUS about so I’ll definitely read more. Book 1 of a series can be challenging - there’s a lot of set up and character introductions which can take away from the MCs the book is intended to focus on.
The vampire hierarchy and history felt new and interesting so o definitely enjoyed that aspect.
That being said, i did like Zaine and Eric. I wanted more passion, more longing and more angst for them.
June 20, 2022
Complicated
“Inside every single one of us there’s an ancient being... It isn’t human and it’s hungry—all the time. Deny it fuel, and it’s controllable. But feed it, and it consumes everything.” Holy fangs, this book has consumed me and I don’t regret a thing. I love everything about this bitingly complex book: the fangtastic-ly complicated characters, the amazing word-building, the dizzying swoops and swirls it took me through again and again, and best of all, it’s only the beginning. I. must. have. more. I’m breathless, in anticipation of the next, the secrets yet to come, and from all that we experienced with Eric and Zaine. BTW, these two are mine. Oh…sorry not sorry, my possessive vampire side must be showing.
Gah, how I love the angst and yearning between Zaine and Eric. So yummy, so passionate, so explosive, and their chemistry is that times a thousand. They’ve made my nights very happy. I adore Zaine, all sides of him: possessive, vulnerable, and stubborn. He’s a combo I can’t resist. But it’s Eric who stole my heart. I’m still swooning over him. My heart hurt for his past, but he is the fiercest of them all—and most sexy too—and I would choose him every single time. With all we learned, I am dying for more and to see what comes next. Beware though: you’ll break all the rules to read it.
“Inside every single one of us there’s an ancient being... It isn’t human and it’s hungry—all the time. Deny it fuel, and it’s controllable. But feed it, and it consumes everything.” Holy fangs, this book has consumed me and I don’t regret a thing. I love everything about this bitingly complex book: the fangtastic-ly complicated characters, the amazing word-building, the dizzying swoops and swirls it took me through again and again, and best of all, it’s only the beginning. I. must. have. more. I’m breathless, in anticipation of the next, the secrets yet to come, and from all that we experienced with Eric and Zaine. BTW, these two are mine. Oh…sorry not sorry, my possessive vampire side must be showing.
Gah, how I love the angst and yearning between Zaine and Eric. So yummy, so passionate, so explosive, and their chemistry is that times a thousand. They’ve made my nights very happy. I adore Zaine, all sides of him: possessive, vulnerable, and stubborn. He’s a combo I can’t resist. But it’s Eric who stole my heart. I’m still swooning over him. My heart hurt for his past, but he is the fiercest of them all—and most sexy too—and I would choose him every single time. With all we learned, I am dying for more and to see what comes next. Beware though: you’ll break all the rules to read it.
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