ARC Review: Alpha’s Promise (Dark Protectors, #10) by Rebecca Zanetti

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Blurb

To hell and back . . .

Though he has vampire, demon, and Viking blood rushing through his veins, Ivar Kjeidsen’s soul-crushing trip to hell broke him in ways he can barely fathom.  One vow keeps the deadly immortal standing: To rescue the vampire brother who had sacrificed freedom for him.  To do that, Ivar needs the help of a brilliant physicist with wary brown eyes, fierce brilliance, and skin that’s way too soft.

Dr. Promise Williams understands the underpinnings of the universe but has never figured out the human beings inhabiting it.   Her function is to think—and not feel—until she’s touched by a vampire who’s nowhere near human. The primal hunger in his eyes awakens feelings in her that defy calculation. As she shows him the way to step between worlds, he brands her with a pleasure that could last more than a lifetime . . .

 


Review

5 stars!

Wow, I love this book! Action-packed, exciting, laugh-out-loud funny, romantic and so freaking sexy, this book has it all and I loved every moment of it!

This is the tenth book in the Dark Protectors series, and I love being back in this world! It’s a standalone story but I definitely wouldn’t recommend reading it unless you’ve got some background to the series – in particular, the new story arc that commenced in book #8 which introduced the Seven.

The Seven is a secretive, elite group of immortal Warriors. They have a mission to protect the world, and in carrying that mission out, demon-vampire-Viking hybrid, Ivar, was thrust into unending torture when he was thrown into another dimension, ripped between various other worlds and literally visiting hell until he was rescued. It left him crushed – physically and mentally, and months later he is still recovering. But he is driven by one thing – to save his brother who sacrificed himself to save the world and who remains trapped in that distant hell dimension.

Dr Promise Williams is a prominent physicist who lives and breathes math, science and the universe. She is passionate about her work, finding both comfort and inspiration in her equations to the exclusion of all else – including relationships. So when Ivar comes crashing into her life asking for her help and insisting on protecting her while she does it, she has no idea how to deal with the gorgeous, but insistent and controlling, badass. Especially when he reveals the secret of his world, and her part in it.

“Why you? Because you can help us figure out the how of what we do. More importantly, you can give me the one thing I need.”
His words softened something inside her she hadn’t realized even existed. “What do you need?” she whispered.
He released her hand and ran his palm along her face, gently cupping her jaw. “I need you to send me back to hell. As soon as possible.”

These characters are sensational. Ivar is this huge badass but he has a wicked sense of humour, and a great sense of fun about him. He is still trying to figure himself out after his ordeal, and the vulnerability of him dealing with all of that provides a beautifully heartfelt side to him. And I just loved him with Promise. He admires and respects her, taking great amusement in watching her work, and he holds nothing back when it comes to protecting and claiming her as his own.

Man, she was cute. Nerdy and sexy and brilliant. An alluring combination for a scarred former Viking.

Promise is hilarious. She’s a bit socially awkward and seems to have some Asperger’s-like behaviour in that she’s upfront and abrupt, and unconcerned with social ‘norms’. It makes for some sensational interactions as the logic-driven scientist is brought into a whole new world and exposed to a highly sexed alpha warrior who introduces her to passion like she’s never experienced.

She’d really like to engage in sex with him again. He was superb at it.

And together, they are just magic. I freaking LOVE this relationship! They don’t have the most conventional of meetings, but it’s lots of fun to read, and there’s an attraction between them from the very beginning. Neither of them are the game playing type, so their mad lust for each other gets addressed pretty quickly and it doesn’t take them too long to act on it, and holy hell, it’s so freaking hot! Their connection is sizzling, the sex is steamy (and there’s plenty of it), and the development of their relationship is both entertaining and emotional as they unexpectedly yet easily fall hard for each other.

“My loyalty is absolute … When I give my heart, it’s once only, and it’s for you.”

The boys from the Seven are all a part of the action of course, and the camaraderie and connection between them is fantastic. Their brotherhood is strong, and not only do they unquestionably have each other’s backs, but the sense of fun between them is so entertaining, and I love seeing them joking around and bantering back and forth. I also love that we got to spend time with some of the characters from the earlier books in the series as the Seven head to Realm headquarters. It’s an amazing group, with so many wonderful dynamics at play, and I loved being back in this world.

The action is intense as the Seven fight off multiple bad guys and work to understand their world. It’s exciting, clever and intriguing, and I’m loving this story arc for the series, and I am ridiculously excited for Quade’s book up next!

5 huge stars!

An Advanced Reader Copy was generously provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

 

 

See our Dark Protectors/Realm Enforcers series page for info on the series

 

Check out our Rebecca Zanetti Author Spotlight for more of Rebecca’s work

 

 

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