Theresa K. (Tesstarosa) - , reviewed on 6/25/2011 + 151 more book reviews

This is the second book in the Black Dagger Brotherhood series and follows the story of Rhage aka Hollywood. Rhage is Hollywood good looking, thus the nickname. Women practically throw themselves at him and thats good thing, because he has a 200 year curse thats given him an inner demon that can only be tamed with sex or fighting. If the demon is let loose, there is no stopping him and he will destroy all in his path, friend or foe.

The story opens with Butch unsuccessfully trying to pursue a relationship with Marissa. And, Vishous, who is psychic telling Rhage that he is going to meet his love and she will be a virgin. Rhage finds this to be a bit unbelievable especially given his penchant for having random sexual encounters.

Mary Luce nursed her faithful, Catholic mother through a fatal illness, survived leukemia and now works for a law office and volunteers at a suicide help line. Shes just received a phone call from her doctor that they want to do some follow up testing and shes sure that the leukemia is back. That night, after leaving her shift at the suicide help line, where shes gotten another mystery call from someone who doesnt speak, a young boy shows up at her home. He doesnt speak but he knows American Sign Language which Mary knows because she used to work with autistic children.

The boys name is John Matthew and he is an orphan who was named by the nuns at the orphanage where he was taken after he was found abandoned. He is now living on his own in a dingy apartment. Hes the one who has been making the anonymous phone calls. While sitting outside and talking with him, her neighbor, Bella, comes over and meets John as well.

Bella is shocked when she sees the bracelet the John has made for himself. The bracelet says the name Tehrror in the vampires old language a warriors name. John tells her that he doesnt know what it means. He just saw it in a dream. Bella goes home and puts a call into the Black Dagger Brotherhood hoping they can help, because she knows that John is a pre-transition vampire and hes going to need someone around to help him go through the transition.

She is instructed to have John ready to go to the Brotherhoods compound with her the next night. They will send a car to her place. Then she tells them he doesnt speak but can sign and needs an interpreter but the interpreter is human. They tell her to bring the human. They will erase her memory after the evenings events.

At the Brotherhood compound, Rhage meets Mary and decides that he wants her. He tells Bella that she needs to make arrangements for him to have a date with Mary. She is resistant and the king, Wrath, is not happy about this plan either. Getting involved with humans is not a good plan. He convinces them to allow it because hes going to force a meeting if they dont and hell erase her memory after the one date. No big deal.

Mary doesnt understand why Rhage, who is devastatingly handsome and has women practically throwing themselves at him wants to date her. He doesnt scrub her memory and then on their second date, they encounter some lessers and in the process of fighting them off, Mary loses her purse which has her identification information.

Now Rhage cant leave her alone at her home because the lessers will show up there and try to harm her. They wont know that shes not one of them. He spends the first night at her place only to have her find out hes a vampire the next morning when he is burned by the sun. After that, he goes against Wraths wishes and takes her to the Brotherhoods compound for safe keeping.

While Rhage is pursuing Mary, Tohrment is pursuing John trying to convince him to move in with the Brotherhood. He gives him his cell phone number and says to whistle when he calls him. Hell know its him and come pick him up.

Bella has also become enamored of one of the brothers, Zsadist. He doesnt really understand why shes not attracted to his twin, Phury, who doesnt have a scarred face and is much more pleasant to be around. Bellas brother, Rehvenge is not happy about her wanting a relationship with one of the Brothers, but hes not happy that shes living in a home on her own either. He feels its too dangerous and in the end, he is right.

I liked this story better than Dark Lover. The sacrifices for love and redemption are in this story as well. I also like how the author is building the series and introducing characters and relationships that will be the stories told in the future books.

The story arcs about the lesser are there the Mr X thing doesnt seem as bad. Im not sure if thats because Mr X is replaced by Mr O or if Ive just gotten used to the overuse of the lesser formal name.

And, theres lots of sex.

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