It's been so long since I read book 1 Eternal Hunger that I had a hard time keeping up at first. The problem with audiobooks is I don't have that handy vocabulary guide to help me out. Once I caught on to the lingo though this book was non stop twist, turns, action and hot steaminess! (The song Meeting in the Ladies Room has forever changed for me) It's a wonder smoke alarms and sprinklers were not going off when Nicholas and Kate are together. I loved both characters and how they came together and cared for each other and Lad. I imagine him as such a little cutie. (view spoiler) The twist at the end of the story was kinda perfect and I can not what to see what come of that.... and Lucian ( )

gritty/ sad ( )

Original post: http://offbeatvagabond.blogspot.com/2012/07/book-review-eternal-kiss-mark-of.htm...

Oh Nicholas, how I love thee? I am absolutely obsessed with this series. Alex's book was a great debut and this sequel was even better. I couldn't put this book down. It was such a rush, a very sexy rush. If you are a fan of the Black Dagger Brotherhood, you will be a fan of the Roman brothers.

I love that this book really gave us more backstory. I felt like we missed some of that from the first one with Alex. We heard a little bit of Nicholas' story in the first book. Here, we get a bunch more of him and his past. We find out his past was very dark and destructive. What's worse, is that he hasn't really escaped his past and he has kept it from his brothers specifically Lucian. He was the one who saved Nicholas in the first place so many years ago. I really enjoyed the first book, but due to the intensity of this story, this one was much better.

We also have our heroine, Kate, who is definitely going on my badass chick list. She is a prisoner at a place named Mondrar, but they let her because she teaches in their vampire-gated community. Tragedy strikes when looking over one of her students who is Nicholas' long lost son. She escapes to take his son to him, but Nicholas doesn't believe her. I love how tough Kate is. Nicholas was giving her a lot of crap and she manages she give it right back to him. She may not be a trained warrior like him, but she was very smart and cunning. I love how we see her transition in the story and hearing her story about how she ended up in prison. Kate and Nicholas aren't all that different. They were an amazing match, truly perfect for one another.

Besides the story of Kate and Nicholas, we have more from creepy Ethan and from his master. His master will do whatever it takes to force the Romans through Morpho (the change that makes them Breeding Males and makes them full vampires). We do learn who it is and I was correct in my assumption of the culprit. We just need to know why he wants them changed so badly. He is definitely planning something, we just don't know what.

Now this may be Nicholas' book, but the highlight for me was Lucian. I knew from book 1 he would be a favorite. That couldn't be more true now. The dialogue between him and his brothers is just so much fun. He cracks me up even though his brothers talk about how dangerous he is. He definitely seems more bloodthirsty than the others, but we are yet to see why they call him the devil. I love how he keeps fighting his feelings for Bronwyn. She is the scientist we meet in book 1. They have great chemistry even though they act like they hate each other. But given the way this book actually ended, I think eyes will be opened. Seriously, that was a great ending. My jaw dropped then I burst out laughing.

This is a wonderful sequel. It was better than the first book. The storylines were amazing and flowed together beautifully. We get a couple of twists that are very exciting and I can't wait to see how they will develop. We get more laughs and amazing steamy scenes that will have you fanning yourself. Whether you are a hardcore BDB fan like myself or you really love PNR, I highly recommend you check this series out. You are sure to get a treat. ( )

Kate Everborne has one real ambition, to survive her punishment and to rejoin vampire society, but that plan is dashed when a child in her care is almost killed when his mother is assassinated. The mother tells her that the childs' father is Nicholas Roman. Lacking any other plan she goes to him for help. And they're attracted....

Yeah, it's pretty predictable, but it was just what my sinus addled brain wanted as I was reading, light distraction. Not incredibly memorable but diverting. ( )

This is the second book in the Mark of the Vampire series and I will admit, I was not sure if I was going to like this one as much. I loved Alexanders story in Eternal Hunger and Nicholas was present, but more in the background and did not really stand out to me. Lucian is actually the brother I am dying to read more about, but still the Roman brothers are a intriguing bunch to watch, so I was still excited about this book. I have also figured out that the more I read about these Roman boys, the more I fall in love with them.

A little word of caution though, I mentioned this when I reviewed the first book, but I think it needs to come up again. These boys are not the overly sweet, sensitive vampire that is going to whisper sweet nothings in your ear. They are fierce, no crap taking, kicking butt and taking names kinda boys. To say they are rough around the edges I think is putting it mildly. The point of this description? The brothers language is not always pretty, actually wait, it is never pretty. They describe things like they see them and it can be a bit jarring if you have not read about them before. I personally don’t mind it because I know that is how they think. The point of being in a characters head is to see the world as they do and these brothers are not shy about how they see things. So just a heads up, language sometimes blunt, but makes total sense since these books are a view of the world through the Romans eyes.

Onto the content, this book is all about Nicholas, the “lover” as Laura has called him. I originally thought that term meant he was the sensitive one out of the group. Um, no. I was forced to rethink that whole theory after this book. I had no idea what was in Nicholas’ past and when it was revealed to me I was thrown through a little bit of a loop, it was something I did not see coming. His past did add depth to his character and his actions made more sense once I knew where he came from. I always enjoy delving into charters past and seeing what has molded them into becoming what they are now. I have also found that Laura is really good at throwing curve balls at the reader unexpectedly and it keeps me on my toes through the books, which is awesome!

So, back to Nicholas. At the end of book one, he was sent through morpho and now shows the mark of his true mate on his cheeks. He has no interest in finding her at the moment though, because he is trying to keep the Eternal Order from pushing Lucian through morpho. While trying to track down Ethan Dare to satisfy the Order he mets Kate a veana (female vampire of pure blood) who claims she has brought him his son after the boys mother was killed. It puts a little bit of a kink in Nicholas plans and sets him and Kate on a series of events that challenges both of them.

The relationship between these two characters was tense at first, but the chemistry was there from the beginning, lurking below their tough facades and itching to break through. Kate was strong willed and did not just bend to Nicholas’ every whim. She did not fall at his feet and do whatever he asked. In turn, Nicholas had to work to win Kate’s trust and vis versa, and this made the relationship more interesting to watch unfold. Just like in Eternal Hunger there are many obstacles that stand in the couples way. However, watching both of these fiercely independent people try and fight their feelings and learn how to rely on another person, kept me completely engrossed in the story. Laura does a fantastic job of connecting you with the couple and letting the characters stay true to who they are.

Don’t worry though, you get to check in on the other two Roman brothers from time to time and there is still plenty of brother banter to go around. I always enjoy watching the brothers taunt each other and Eternal Kiss did not disappoint me there either. We even get a glimpse of Lucian interacting with Bronwyn. I am keeping fingers crossed that she is meant for Lucian, but there is no summary yet for his book so I am unsure. It has to be her though, right? Right? Well, I am going to keep telling myself it is to keep me sane.

This is a perfect time to mention the ending. Don’t freak out. I am not going to spoil it for you but, if you have read Eternal Hunger than you know that Laura left us with a resolution (for the most part) with Alexander, but then Nicholas’ life was thrown into chaos as the book came to a close. Which left me dying to get my hands on the next book to see how his story would unfold. Eternal Kiss is no different and at the end of this book Lucian is the brother whose future now remains unknown. I was gripping my book a little too tight there at the end because I could not believe what happened. Laura, your killing me! Just kidding, the ending was amazing, I just want Lucian’s book that much more now! Which, is a good thing because if means I have been sucked into this world and I cannot wait to see what Laura has in store for us next. If you are a fan of paranormal romance, this is a series you must check out. Fantastic characters, intriguing mythology, fast paced action, surprises behind every page and some hot vampire brothers who will dare you not to turn the page. What’s not to love? ( )