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    Kiss of Crimson
    Kiss of Crimson
    Kiss of Crimson
    Audiobook10 hours

    Kiss of Crimson

    Written by Lara Adrian

    Narrated by Hillary Huber

    4/5

    ()

    About this audiobook

    He comes to her more dead than alive, a towering black-clad stranger riddled with bullets and rapidly losing blood. As she struggles to save him, veterinarian Tess Culver is unaware that the man calling himself Dante is no man at all but one of the Breed, vampire warriors engaged in a desperate battle. In a single erotically charged moment, Tess is plunged into his world-a shifting, shadowed place where bands of Rogue vampires stalk the night, cutting a swath of terror.

    Haunted by visions of a dark future, Dante lives and fights like there is no tomorrow. Tess is a complication he does not need-but now, with his brethren under attack, he must shield Tess from a growing threat that includes Dante himself. For with one reckless, irresistible kiss, she has become an inextricable part of his underworld realm...and his touch awakens her to hidden gifts, desires, and hungers she never knew she possessed. Bonded by blood, Dante and Tess must work together to thwart deadly enemies, even as they discover a passion that transcends the boundaries of life itself.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherTantor Media, Inc
    Release dateApr 26, 2010
    ISBN9781400184583
    Kiss of Crimson
    Author

    Lara Adrian

    Lara Adrian is the New York Times and #1 internationally bestselling author of the Midnight Breed vampire romance series, with nearly 4 million books in print and digital worldwide and translations licensed to more than twenty countries. Visit her online at LaraAdrian.com.

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    Reviews for Kiss of Crimson

    4/5

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    • 4/5
      SYNOPSISEven the vampire-nation has a society setup. When "male" vampires aliens crash landed on earth centuries ago, their nature was violent and blood-thirsty. They killed for the blood that they craved but they also reproduced with human females.DARKHAVEN sanctuaries located in various places that are homes for the vampire nationGEN ONE - the First Generation of half human half vampires spawned on EarthBREEDS- Second Generation onward of half human half vampireBREEDMATES - human women that can mate with any vampire. They carry a birthmark that identifies them as such.the ORDER - a small group of warrior vampires bent on the destruction of the .....ROGUES vampires that have the same violent nature of the original vampires when they crashed landed and settled on earth centuries ago.MINIONS - human slaves to do the bidding of the Rogues Lara Adrian once again sets the plot. You are drawn into the plot of good vs evil and of love. Dante, a BREED and member of the ORDER is injured while fighting against the ROGUES. Unexpectedly, he meets his BREEDMATE. But someone is taking BREEDS and turning them into ROGUES.BEST PART: A woman has healing powersLEAST FAVORITE PART: Rio is still in the hospital and may never ever be the same.RECOMMENDATION: You will like this second book in the series if you enjoy reading about a society of vampires. Some good. Some evil. A vampire society that maintains a hierarchy while surrounded by humans. You will enjoy reading about a BREED vampire protecting a human female who has yet to understand that she is a BREEDMATE let alone what the vampire world is about.

      1 person found this helpful

    • 2/5
      Dante is part of an elite cadre of warriors whose job it is to keep rogue members of his vampire race in check. When a night out on the town goes awry, he finds himself at Tess Culver's place of business- wounded and dire need of blood.Tess has no idea the type of creature that has broken into her veterinary clinic, but she knows he needs help. In one stunning erotic, moment, her life turns upside down, linking her to the stranger for all eternity.Dante wants to forget the beautiful stranger who saved his life, but fate has made her his and when a strange drug hits the streets turning normally placid members of his race into raging lunatics, he's alarmed to find out she is somehow in the middle of it. Danger and passion infuse their every encounter, as Dante's soul- perhaps for the first time in his long life- awakens from a deep slumber and he discovers Tess is the one woman whom he was meant to protect ... and make his own.Although I enjoyed the first book in this series, I wasn't so enthused with this one. I couldn't get a handle on why we should even like Dante, despite his tortured soul, and I never really felt the connection between him and his fated mate.2 out of 5 from me. I hope the next offering (Tegan's story) will redeem the series for me...
    • 5/5
      Summary Dante, a member of the breed warriors, is out on a night of hunting rogues. Through a series of events, he ends up chasing a rogue, a rogue that is more dangerous than any he has encountered. Harder to kill, suffering from a bloodlust madness that even regular rogues don’t even suffer from. He ends up being shot and he comes across a veterinarian doctor, Tess, who he realizes after the fact of creating a bond to her, that she is a breedmate. Now she is his but only if he can protect her from the danger of his world. Tess has a talent and a heart for connecting with lost animals, and even though financially she is struggling she will do anything to help those in need. She is drawn to Dante, who is dangerous and makes her blood heat. She senses a connection between them, but there are so many secrets surrounding Dante. But when one of her two closest friends gets involved in some dangerous business with the rogues, with young Breeds turning rogue over the drug “Crimson” soon Tess will have to choose between a old friend and the man she is growing to love. Soon Dante and Tess will be thrown into the fire of danger, passion, and betrayal…The Hero Dante, is one of the Breed Warriors, and fights to protect both his kind and humans from the savagery of Rogues and their vicious appetites. What I found most intriguing about Dante was his fierce need to protect others. Dante doesn’t believe that he will ever be good enough to be lucky to have a mate of his own. He lives to fight and to kill the enemy. Dante’s gift is having visions of a future of death and fire…a death he knows will be his and soon. The same happened to his parents, and he knows he inherited his gift from them. Dante is on a mission, to find out the source of Crimson and destroy it. A dangerous drug that turns a breed into a rogue fast…faster than he has ever seen. Their enemy is at work against them once more. Dante is quite the hero in the story. I really loved his fighting spirit and how far he is willing to go to protect the innocent. I really admired Dante because of the way he wins over Tess.“You would quit the Order for her? Niko asked, the youngest only behind Dante, and a warrior who relished his duty perhaps even more than Dante had himself.I would quit breathing for her, if she asked it of me.”It’s not a instant love, it’s more he takes his time for her, trying to gain her trust not only for information but also because he is connected to her in an emotional and physical way.The Heroine Tess Culver works as a Veterinarian. She connects with animals and they trust her instantly. Tess grew up in a home of a dysfunctional family, where drinking and abuse were apparent. One night haunts her, the night she used her gift, a gift she views as a curse. She left home and built a new life for herself. But to this day, it still haunts her, so she focuses all of her attention on those animals that need her help that come from abusive situations.“You don’t think I’m . . . some kind of monster? That I’m not much better than him to have killed him like I did, in cold blood?”“Never.” Dante lifted her chin on the edge of his hand. “I think you’re courageous, Tess. An avenging angel, that’s what I think.”“I’m a freak.”“No, Tess, no.” He kissed her tenderly. “You’re amazing.”“I’m a coward. Just like you said, I always ran away. It’s true. I’ve been afraid and running for so long, I’m not sure I can ever stop.”“Then run to me.” Dante’s eyes were fierce as he held her gazeWhen Tess helps a stranger who is shot, she never realized how her life would be changing. What I liked most about this heroine was her drive. She was dedicated but a bit of a loner. Due to her gift, and her past, she struggles with trust. I really admired her strength and courage, and she proves herself in more ways than one. From beginning to end, we see more facets to her character, and with each chapter you begin to like her more and more.Plot and Story Line Kiss of Crimson continues off pretty quickly after Kiss Of Midnight. What I found most enjoyable was seeing Dante and Tess come together in the story. Its not a insta love story, which I was pretty glad about. It takes time, and its done slowly and gradually and I felt so at ease with their romance. This story sets off with a mystery and a dangerous situation of a new drug “Crimson” now this stuff is pretty bad ass, it pretty much destroys a Breed within minutes of inhaling the stuff and turns them into a blood crazed rogue, with superior strength moe than the regular breed and it takes a lot to kill them. This aspect of the story was heartwrenching at times. Because these are young Breeds in their late teens or early twenties who are being destroyed by this drug. We have a side plot of a new character Chase and his secret agenda to find his nephew who has been missing for two weeks. We have Elise, a woman his brother was mated to, but a woman he has loved secretly but knows he will never have a chance with. Even though Chase starts off with secret intentions, they are good ones to save his kin and I respect that. It was just the icing on the cake to see Chase win over the warriors here, despite the lies and deceit, he proves himself capable. We some other character Gideon and Savannah, Lucan and Gabrielle, and poor Rio!! Zero trust with women (which for those who have read the first book, know why) and is scarred and still healing from what happened in the previous book. The love story between Dante and Tess is real and vivid in emotion and passion. They fight for the love they have found together and it is quite moving when they finally trust fully in each other.“Everything makes sense when I’m with you, Tess. My life makes sense, after so many years of running scared in the dark. You are the light, the reason I live. I’m bonded to you deep, woman. For me, there will never be another.”This book really grabbed my attention, and i stayed up reading because I was so immersed in the story. I love the way Lara Adrian’s writing is so compelling and wraps around you like a heated blanket in the dead of winter.The Cover I really love the blue and red contrast here…with the red splashes of the city and the blue of the couple. Has an edge and passionate feel to it.Overall View Kiss of Crimson is a tantalizing read that sinks its hooks into the reader from the first page. A stimulating page turner that is packed with sizzling passion, edgy suspense, and a mystery to unravel!! THRILLING TO THE END!
    • 5/5
      I started the Midnight Breed series about a year ago. After hearing rave reviews from other paranormal romance readers, particularly those who compared this series to the Black Dagger Brotherhood – a series I love – I’d been very much looking forward to it. However, the first book, Kiss of Midnight, while good, didn’t grab me in quite the way I’d hoped, which is probably why it’s taken me so long to get around to reading the second book. The world building sufficiently intrigued me to make me come back, though, and I’m so glad I did, because Kiss of Crimson was an excellent read. It’s the story of Breed warrior Dante who is plagued by visions of his own death, and veterinarian Tess Culver, a Breedmate who harbors an extraordinary gift. After chasing a vampire he believes has gone Rogue, Dante is nearly blown to bits, the explosion tossing him into the river, where he’s swept away. He manages to crawl out and ends up in the storeroom of Tess’s veterinary clinic, where he feeds from her in an effort to heal himself. It’s not until afterward that he realizes she bears the mark of a Breedmate, and by Breed law, what he’s done makes her his. He tries to fight it, but the bond with her is strong, making it impossible for him to stay away from her. Then he discovers that the vampire he chased that night was actually hopped on a new drug called Crimson that is rapidly turning many Darkhaven youths into Rogues, and it’s Tess’s ex-boyfriend who is manufacturing and dealing the drug at the behest of the Order’s mortal enemy. Dante tries to gently woo Tess before revealing the entire truth of what they are, but when her life is threatened by Rogues, she gets a quick initiation into his dark and dangerous world.We didn’t learn a great deal about Dante in the first book of the series, so going into this one, he was mostly a clean slate, a character waiting to be fulfilled. At only 229, he’s one of the younger vampires in the Order, the son of a scholarly aristocratic Breed male and his beloved mate. Dante’s mother was a seer who correctly envisioned both her own and her mate’s demises. She passed this gift down to her son, and for many years, he’s been having visions of his own death but has no idea when it might occur. In part because death is dogging him everywhere he goes, he’s had little interest in finding a mate, but that all changes the night he meets and feeds from Tess. The whole incident leaves her understandably freaked out. Dante would have liked to explain everything right then, but with dawn rapidly approaching, he’s forced to erase her memories. Even though Breed law says that she belongs to him, he tries to forget her, but he simply can’t. So he sets about engineering situations where he can get to know her better and gradually seduce her. Dante quickly realizes that he’s fallen in love with her, and things are going well until the actions of Tess’s ex-boyfriend end up putting her in mortal danger, leading to the necessity of Dante bringing her into the Order’s fold quickly. But when she learns what he is and all that he’s done, she may not be able to forgive him. Dante is my kind of alpha, one who’s confident and commanding while still having a gentler side and exhibiting vulnerabilities. I’m a sucker for psychic phenomena in paranormal romance, so Dante’s visions made him an intriguing hero. I also loved how he went about trying to woo Tess and how he was supportive and protective when she revealed her past to him, all of which showed his kinder side.Tess is a sweet heroine who has been through a lot in her life. She harbors traumatic secrets from her childhood, as well as hiding her own psychic gift. She’s mostly a loner with no family and few friends, which is partly why she’s tried to maintain a friendship with her ex, even though she knows he wants to rekindle their romantic relationship and she doesn’t. She runs a veterinary practice in a not-so-great area of town, and even though she often struggles to pay the bills, she’s always unerringly kind to everyone, animals and their owners alike. With no one to go home to, she has a habit of working late, and it’s on one such night that Dante shows up in her storeroom. Being the caring person she is, Tess tries to help the injured warrior, but when he bites her, she’s terrified. Of course, after Dante erases her memory, she has no recollection of what happened, but when she starts seeing him again around town, she feels inexplicably drawn to him in a way she’s never felt before. Even though he projects an air of danger about him, she quickly falls for him and feels like she can trust him. But when she’s attacked by Rogues and rapidly thrust into his world, it’s a lot to take in. Tess is a wonderful heroine who is a kind, compassionate person. She’s very giving and loving toward those she cares about, both human and animal. I love her psychic talent and what she can do it nothing short of extraordinary. Even though she initially struggles with the revelations of a hidden world she never knew existed, she isn’t unreasonable. When Dante proves his love for her by being willing to make the ultimate sacrifice, it’s an easy choice for her fully accept him as he is.Kiss of Crimson has a number of interesting supporting characters, some of whom have their own POVs. We’re introduced to Sterling Chase, a Darkhaven agent, who bears an unrequited love for his brother’s widow, Elise. It’s because of that love that he asks the Order for help with the Crimson drug problem, because his nephew has gone missing and is believed to be using. While he isn’t entirely up front with the Order, at his core, he’s a good guy, who has to make some difficult and heartbreaking decisions throughout the course of the story, and in doing so, he proves himself to be a strong warrior, too. I’m not entirely sure what the future holds for him, but perhaps he’ll join the Order. I do know that this isn’t the end for him, though, because he becomes the hero of the final book of the series, Darker After Midnight. I’d hoped that perhaps Elise would come to love him back, but that’s not to be the case. She briefly meets and has a moment of connection with taciturn, enigmatic Breed warrior Tegan, and they will become the hero and heroine of the next book, Midnight Awakening. All the other warriors and their mates put in appearances as well. We briefly see Rio (Midnight Rising) recovering in the infirmary from events of the last book, while Niko (Veil of Midnight) helps Dante with a dangerous mission. Tech geek extraordinaire, Gideon, (A Touch of Midnight) helps with all things techie, while his mate Savannah puts in a few appearances as well. The Order’s leader, Lucan (Kiss of Midnight), is seen, along with his mate Gabrielle. I’d also be remiss if I didn’t mention Harvard, a very cute but ailing little dog that Dante uses to get into Tess’s good graces. Then there are the bad guys. Tess’s ex, Ben, initially seems like a decent fellow, albeit a little clingy and stalkerish, but his drug manufacturing gets him into a world of trouble as he quickly discovers that Marek, the Order’s mortal enemy, is the one pulling the strings and funding his operation.Overall, Kiss of Crimson was a really great read. I very much liked both Dante and Tess. Dante is the perfect mix of alpha warrior and gentle, passionate lover. Tess is very relatable and easy to love. They fit together very well and more than prove their love for one another, while their romance is emotional, steamy, and tender. The underlying plot about the drug, Crimson, and how it’s turning young vampires into Rogues was engaging, well-crafted, and suspenseful. There were a couple of twists that I didn’t see coming. While the first book left me a little uncertain about the Midnight Breed series, this one has solidified my interest and I’m hopeful that it produces many more great reads for me. At the very least, I can say that both Tegan and Elise are characters who deeply intrigue me, so I’m very much looking forward to reading their story soon.
    • 3/5
      The beginning of this book was really good, high quality action writing which just grabs you and immersed me into the story right away.
      I don't feel as if this story is so much about Dante and Tess as it is about the Breeds (what the vampire nation is called) and how the Warriors (good bad ass vampires) are fighting the Rogues (mean bad ass vampires). I like the two main characters but never felt a good connection with them. The series is starting to feel like a long continuous story with little glimpses of the characters who make up the story. The characters are almost like the secondary characters and are pushed to the background.
      I started to get disinterested around ch.17 but otherwise the first half of the book was a good read as far as action is concerned.
      Oh my gosh, oh my gosh! When the truth of Dante's death vision was revealed I gasped loudly! Crazy! Bravo Ms. Adrian for putting that little shocker in there. Seriously this little story arch raised the book in my eyes. I was starting to get a tad bored until this happened and now I'm highly anticipating reading the rest of the book. (I think after I read this part I had 5 or 6 chapters to go in the book) Just too bad that there were 11 or so chapters in the middle which were kind of boring, but at least it picked up in the end.
      Haha the "Die Hard" reference was cool, but then I had a hard time not picturing Dante as Bruce Willis after he said "Yippeekayay, muthafucker". Usually I'll take originality over a copied popular pop culture reference.
      I thought Tess's reaction to the whole Breed world was more believable than Gabrielle's (Kiss of Midnight). I thought this book was better than the first, and I liked Lucan better than Dante. Anyway great action beginning, slow middle, but then back to exciting fast paced end. I wish there had been more of Marek (villain from #1 Kiss of Midnight in Midnight Breeds series) in this book and a better storyline than the drug "Crimson" causing havoc for the Breed Warriors to tie this book into the series. Alas this series is still intriguing me so I carry on with the next one, which is about Tegan and who I think is going to be my favorite.

      B
    • 5/5
      Kiss of Crimson by Lara Adrian
      Book #2 in Midnight Breed
      5 Stars

      Synopsis:
      Veterinarian Tess Culver finds herself immersed in a secret world following a brief yet vivid encounter with the badly injured Dante, one of the vampire warriors locked in a fierce struggle against the rogue element of his race. The two soon find themselves bonded together by blood and passion and must work together to thwart the enemies in their midst.

      Review:
      I was hesitant to continue with the series but am really glad that I stuck with it as Kiss of Crimson is a definite improvement on the first book. Adrian’s characterization has improved greatly. Tess is an amazing heroine whose heartbreaking back story draws you in and Dante’s love for her is just awe inspiring – I particularly enjoyed the small twist regarding the connection between Dante’s special power and his relationship with Tess (you’ll just have to read it to see). For once, the sex scenes contribute to rather than detract from the emotional intimacy between the characters. I also enjoyed the subtle hints at stories to come, especially Tegan and Elise, and Rio whose condition is so distressful.

      The plot line continues from the previous book but adds an extra dimension by including characters from the civilian vampire world and an issue that relates to the vampire society as a whole. My one small quibble is with the villain in the book who is not all that menacing and is actually quite pathetic.

      Recommendation: Every new detail added in this book helped me to become more immersed in the world Adrian has created. I definitely recommend the series based on this book.
    • 3/5
      Vampires, breedmates and rogues... oh, my!

      Great series!!!
    • 5/5
      Tess and Dante appear to come from two different worlds and also appear to not have much in common. It is not long before it’s revealed that these two have more in common than they realized. Dante comes to Tess one night when a mission goes bad quite out on what he assumes to be a normal bust on a Rogue and he finds himself needing Tess’s help.

      Tess is a kind-hearted veterinarian who first meets Dante when he is laying on her floor in a puddle of blood. She is hesitant to help him but finds herself unable to say no. What happens against her better judgment, is something neither of them saw coming and fate steps in to lend a hand to two people who appear destined to together.

      Through a series of events, they realize that what they both were looking for had been there all along. Will they allow love to unite them or will an unseen enemy tear them apart? I won’t give any secrets away so you’ll just have to pick it up from the nearest bookstore to find out
      This book is number two in the Midnight Breed Series and it was just as page- turning as the first. Lara kept me into the story from the first page and found myself wanting to savor until the very last page. If you’re looking for a series full of love, adventure, vampires and fate, then you’ll love this book. The next book in the series is right at the top of my to be read list and I can hardly wait to see what Lara has up her sleeve for the story!
    • 3/5
      Paranormal Romance. Midnight Breed 2. Breed warrior Dante gets fixed up by Vet Tess and her breedmate woo-healing skills. OK. 
    • 3/5
      This book was really hard to rate. I liked it much better than the first. Tess was a likeable heroine. Dante was just the right amount of troubled. Watching them fall in love was sweet and satisfying. Unfortunately something just felt lacking. I liked the characters just fine but don't feel I got to know them enough to really care about them. I'll keep reading because I'm dying to see how Rio gets his HEA while living in a cave.

      Oh, and the Order really needs to beef up the security of this compound. Again a Breedmate easily flees their super secret compound only to get herself entangled with the enemy.
    • 5/5
      Book Two in the Midnight Breed series continues the story that began so effectively in Kiss of Midnight. The warrior about to meet his destiny in this one is Dante, one of Lucan’s most trusted and closest friends among the Order. Dante, like all the warriors, is driven by his purpose. In a spectacular setting up of the book, Dante is almost killed and manages to find a place to take shelter. In a small animal clinic, he encounters Tess Culver, and life changes forever when he takes her vein to insure his survival.

      I like Dante, he’s passionate and driven, loyal and a fierce fighter. He’s also haunted by visions of his death, and has spent most of his long life trying to outrun those visions. He’s drawn to Tess, who has her own kind of tortured past to overcome. I didn’t find this heroine as interesting or as sympathetic as Lucan’s Gabrielle from book one, but she does have her shining moments.

      As the Order races to find a drug-dealer who’s created a designer drug called Crimson–a drug that prematurely turns the Breed vampires into Rogues. It doesn’t make the situation any easier when the identity of the dealer is revealed as Tess’s ex-boyfriend.

      As with book one, this instalment sets up some intriguing glimpses into things to come, and gives another Warrior his mate. I can’t wait to start the next book!
    • 4/5
      This is an unusual story about vampires and drugs. We have a drug dealer that stubble onto a drug that turns young Breed into Rogues. The problem starts when the drug dealer is the friend of a Breedmate that will become Dante’s. The story starts with Dante being ambushed and needing a Host to help heal his wounds. I loved how Dante and Tess meet and how their courtship progresses through the story. Dante tries so hard to avoid what is happening. He has dedicated his life to fighting to protect the Breed and the human population. He has also fought with little care for his safety since he is sure he knows how he is going to die. Dante has premonitions of his death for most of his life. He has fought and lived his life according to the vision that haunts him. When he feeds from Tess that wildness begins to calm. Dante is all alpha male. He is strong, loyal and honorable. When he finds Tess he becomes compassionate and caring and very tender. Dante is one of my favorite of the Breed.Tess is a Breedmate with a secret that she thinks makes it impossible for her to stay in any one place for very long. Tess is a vet that loves animals and works for much less than she should so she can help the people that are down on their luck. Tess can also heal with her hands as well as kill with them. Tess is strong, compassionate, caring, intelligent and very lonely. She has been on her own since see turned seventeen. She feels like she doesn't belong with anyone or anywhere. I liked her a lot as well.This is the first story in this series were a new warrior is added to the team. Technically it doesn't become official in this story. Chase Sterling works with the warriors to track down the drug dealer. He is looking for his nephew. The nephew that has left the Darkhaven and become addict to a drug referred to as Crimson. Chase leaves the Darkhaven when he has to kill his nephew because he has turned Rogue.This is a very quick read. Like the first book there are lots of great characters and locations. The story covers many different parts of Boston. There is also the Master that is causing so much trouble and is a nasty piece of work. There is also the Minions, Rogues, and all the innocent by-standers. If you love vampire stories you are going to love this story.
    • 4/5
      Second book of the series and, I have to admit, I loved it. It was better than the first with strong characters and a sense of movement that you don't find very often anymore. The plot was like a wave, pushing me toward the inevitable conclusion of the story. lovely arc, lovely surprises through the plot. The ending was a little too quick for my liking but it still earned a solid four stars.

      Onto book three!
    • 4/5
      I'm so glad I found this exciting series. The war between Rogues and the Breed continues with a new threat to the Order and humans alike. A dangerous drug that turns simple vampires into Rogues (vampires who are consumed by bloodlust thus making them particularly vicious) is circulating, and Dante is the first of the Order to have an almost deadly encounter with an addicted Rogue. His severe injuries lead him to Tess, a sweet and kind veterinarian. Dante, in desperate need of healing, feeds from her before discovering that she bears the mark of a Breedmate. Plagued by visions of his death in the near future, he decides to spare Tess the details of what he is and what his feeding ultimately means. He erases her memory of the night and disappears. Chase, an Agent of Darkhaven, comes to the Order to ask for help in locating missing young vampire males and eradicating the drug endangering them. The trail leads to Ben, Tess' best friend and ex boyfriend, who turns out to be the drug dealer. This new development leads to Dante seeking out Tess again and he tries to get close to her to gather information but also because he can't resist his desire for her. Tess is harboring her own secrets and shies away from males in general, but she soon find the pull of Dante irresistible. As Dante and Tess grow closer, secrets on all sides are slowly revealed and Tess finds out in the worst possible way what Dante is.
      The first book was so good. Where Lucan fought his attraction to Gabrielle every step of the way, Dante is less resistant and he comes to find that secretly he's always hoped to find his mate and stop his visions from coming to pass. The female heroines all seem timid and are ultimately presented with the truth after witnessing the horrifying truth of the men they're attracted to. However, instinctively they know they're different and feel out of place among normal humans. Each Breedmate has their own special ability which later proves to be a useful aid in the war. I like seeing the females find that hidden strength they never knew they possessed. Along with the acceptance to use their powers for good, the acceptance and love of their males makes them stronger without infringing on their independence. They don't become simpering females with only their men on their minds but rather they're treated as equals and their help is more than appreciated.
      I'm definitely collecting the entire series. If you've read BDB by JR Ward, think you'll like this series.
    • 5/5
      I was a little weary going into this book based on some past reviews that I had read before reading the book. However, I must say that I enjoyed this book more than the first of the series. Ms. Adrian has done a great job at giving the book just the right amount of romance, thriller, mystery, surprises, and steamy love scenes (and boy oh boy are they steamy)! This book is based on Dante and Tess' relationship and how they come to meet and grow to fall in love. There are also other characters introduced (Chase, who I can't wait to see what happens with him), Elise and then we see some small appearances by the first loved Lucan and Gabrielle as well as a small bit with Rio and Tegan. I am excited about the possible connection between Tegan and Elise and am wondering where that story line is going to go. I would definitely recommend this book to those who enjoyed JR Wards Black Brotherhood Series and even Lynsay Sands series.
    • 2/5
      I really enjoyed the first book in the series (Kiss of Midnight) because it had lots of action and lots of electronic toys being used. This one didn't have much of either. The book is centered around Dante this time and it outlines his quest for the love of his life, a young veterinarian with strange healing powers. And that's about it. Add a club drug that is turning young vampires rogue and a whole lot of erotica, and that is it for the book. Disappointed.
    • 5/5
      I quite enjoyed this story, part of a series where the vampires are known as Breed Warriors (good vampires) and Rogues (bad vampires).Dante has been around for a few centuries, always fighting for the good of his people and man kind and he has never thought of taking a mate until he stumbles near death into Vet Surgeon, Tess Culver's clinic one night after he has been badly injured in a fight. He needs blood badly so he takes from Tess, he notices then that she has the markings of a breedmate (a human that can mate with his kind). Tess has always felt different than other people especially with her gift of healing, she is attracted to Dante but there is something about him she is not sure of. Dante is drawn to Tess in a way he never thought possible so he tracks her down so he can meet her again. He also finds out she is somehow connected to the investigation that he and his fellow Breed Warriors are conducting at present.One night Tess is attacked to near death but Dante comes to her rescue and he has to give her his blood so she can recover and this is the second part of the bonding between Breed Warrior and his Breedmate - and Tess does not know anything about it yet. She is at first shocked and disbelieving when Dante tells his story but like all good romance novels Dante wins Tess in the end.
    • 4/5
      SYNOPSISEven the vampire-nation has a society setup. When "male" vampires aliens crash landed on earth centuries ago, their nature was violent and blood-thirsty. They killed for the blood that they craved but they also reproduced with human females.DARKHAVEN sanctuaries located in various places that are homes for the vampire nationGEN ONE - the First Generation of half human half vampires spawned on EarthBREEDS- Second Generation onward of half human half vampireBREEDMATES - human women that can mate with any vampire. They carry a birthmark that identifies them as such.the ORDER - a small group of warrior vampires bent on the destruction of the .....ROGUES vampires that have the same violent nature of the original vampires when they crashed landed and settled on earth centuries ago.MINIONS - human slaves to do the bidding of the Rogues Lara Adrian once again sets the plot. You are drawn into the plot of good vs evil and of love. Dante, a BREED and member of the ORDER is injured while fighting against the ROGUES. Unexpectedly, he meets his BREEDMATE. But someone is taking BREEDS and turning them into ROGUES.BEST PART: A woman has healing powersLEAST FAVORITE PART: Rio is still in the hospital and may never ever be the same.RECOMMENDATION: You will like this second book in the series if you enjoy reading about a society of vampires. Some good. Some evil. A vampire society that maintains a hierarchy while surrounded by humans. You will enjoy reading about a BREED vampire protecting a human female who has yet to understand that she is a BREEDMATE let alone what the vampire world is about.
    • 4/5
      I’m feeling kind of bitchy and sleep deprived today. When I reviewed Kiss of Midnight, the first in this series. I mentioned that it wouldn’t be a good idea to start the book before bed. Perhaps I should have followed my own advice. I finished the book at about 3:30am.Kiss of Crimson is the second book in Lara Adrian’s Midnight Breed series and follows on from Kiss of Midnight. The additional new characters Elise and Chase providing an interesting sub-plot. Just like in Kiss of Midnight there was tons of action and romance. It seems any review I read on this series, people are saying how it is similar or is a copy-cat of J.R. Ward’s Brotherhood series. I haven’t read J.R. Ward’s series so I don’t have an opinion on that. But so what if it does? I read anywhere from 130-160 books a year. Probably 75% of them are from a series. Do you know how many series are out there that compare to another?Book 3 in the series, Midnight Awakening, is about Breed Warrior Tegan. It should be an interesting one, as Tegan is pretty cranky. He’ll be a hard one to tame.
    • 4/5
      Dante comes to Tess in a bad way, badly injured he needs blood and willing donor or not she's there. She's a vet, trying hard to make ends meet and occasionally failing. He discovers she's a breedmate and discovers feelings for her that are quite strong, not only is she a breedmate she's his.They find themselves drawn into this world of strange powers and she finds herself torn between worlds.Yes it's pretty predictable but I found it engaging and I enjoyed the read. Not enough to want to go out and get a copy for myself but enough to want to continue reading the series. I also found it interesting that the characters didn't shy away from some of the hard decisions!
    • 4/5
      This book was about Dante. He is one of my favorite characters and I really like Tess. The only thing that made this book less than 5 stars was the whole Vet Clinic going under subplot. I just didn't click with that but the rest was fantastic.
    • 4/5
      Kiss of Crimson, book two in the Midnight Breed series, stars Breed warrior Dante. Dante and a new character Chase are in search of the person who created the street drug Crimson - it's turning nice vampires into Rogues. Dante, badly injured by a Rogue hopped up on Crimson, breaks into a veterinary clinic and feeds from the female veterinarian in order to heal his wounds from the attack. He doesn't realize until it's too late that the woman, Tess, bears the mark of a Breedmate. He has now inadvertently bonded himself to her forever. The chemistry between Tess and Dante wasn't as hot as between Lucan and Gabrielle in the first book but it was still pretty charged. So far I don't feel like the books in this series are formulaic. This book had plenty of twists to keep me guessing.
    • 5/5
      Dante, being part of the Order, was attacked and severely in need of blood when he crawled into a vet clinic and fed off of the gorgeous human, Tess. Only to find out that she was marked as a Breedmate. Now with a blood bond to the woman, Dante must protect her from all the Rogues out there and try to help the FBI Special Agent Chase find the missing Darkhaven children addicted the the drug, Crimson. All the while, Dante must ensure that his visions of a fiery death for himself do not come true until Tess is finally, willingly, his.Tess is spunky, and has her own secrets from Dante, but she has only one thing on her mind when he is around... and that is getting him into her bed...
    • 3/5
      Ok well I decided to go ahead an read the next in the Midnight Breed Series. This is book 2 by Lara Adrian. I found the book to be ok. Guess this type of vampire is not my style. The plot was ok, the characters typical the ending fair. I already have the next in the series so I will go ahead and and finish it but .... I don't know that I will be reading much more from this author.
    • 3/5
      This is a silly series, but I'm still reading it. Dante is just like Lucan who is just like every other vampire, they have no real characters, they are all identical (except one or two who are even grimmer than the rest) Tess wasn't a bad heroine, and at least she didn't turn into a disney princess, cooing at eveything, that Gabrielle did in the previous book (she just became unbelievably sweet) I read it, I'll read the next one, but its more a comfort read than an addiction.
    • 5/5
      2nd book in the series. again similar plot lines as J.R. Ward but not as good. hot and will read again