Kiss of Midnight by Lara Adrian
1st in the Midnight Breed series. Dark and gritty vampire paranormal romance.
Gabrielle Maxwell was found in a trash can when she was just a baby. Her mother had been attacked by vampires and while she initially survived, too much blood had been taken and authorities didn’t believe her rambling story about an attack. Gabrielle grew up in the foster system. She has a few good friends but her trust is hard won.
Gabrielle witnesses a murder outside a night club and is plunged into the dark world of vampires where a blood war is about to erupt. Lucan Thorne is a Breed warrior, sworn to protect his kind while also eliminating the Rogues. Rescuing Gabrielle is his job. Falling in love with her is unexpectedly complicated because she is destined for leadership.

Violent and bloody, sexy and passionate, this initial book sets the tone of the series. Originally published in 2007, the series newest book is number 18 from 2022. Clearly, the stories will draw you in and compel (kidding!) you to read more. Vampire romance on the dark end of the spectrum. I can’t wait to read more. ( )

I was captivated by this book from the very beginning! And I can't wait to read the following books in this series...the author has created a totally believable world with vampires among us, fighting to keep humans safe from the rogues. The men are hot, sexy hunks, and their breedmates aren't too bad, either! On to the next!!! ( )

This one didn't have any major shortcomings (that aren't by definition part of the genre) but there just isn't anything that distinguishes it from any other popular pnr.
I have read a lot of pnr many of which had worse execution or major weaknesses but many of them also had novel ideas or interesting twists on old cliches/stereotypes to offer.
I would describe this book as an almost pure distillate of pnr. It's the result you would get if you average all popular pnr together.
If you are new to the genre and can endure a bit of cheesiness this might be an enjoyable read but for more experienced readers that look for something with a bit of uniqueness, this will probably be very boring. ( )

Kiss of Midnight by Lara Adrian
Book #1 in The Midnight Breed
Rating 3.5 Stars

Synopsis:
Gabrielle Maxwell has always felt like an outsider until the night she witnesses a brutal murder and is thrust into a hidden world of vampires on the verge of a blood war. Gabrielle soon learns that her destiny is intertwined with this strange yet compelling world as well as that of Lucan Thorne, the fierce leader of the vampire warrior class, who suffers from private demons of his own. Can these two people come together despite their differences to battle the threat in their midst?

Review:
Not the most original of plots for its basic premise and characters are far too similar to the first Black Dagger Brotherhood book (which I began reading but could not finish).
The descriptions of bloodlust, mind control, blood sucking and flesh burning remind me of why I am not a fan of the undead and prefer ghosts, psychics, demons and shapeshifters in my paranormal romance.
Moreover, there is something about Gabrielle and Lucan’s relationship that just did not mesh with me. Each is intriguing in his/her own right but something is missing, perhaps a lack of chemistry or underdeveloped tension between them.
In addition, I don't like it when extraterrestrials are used as an explanation for paranormal phenomenon as this demonstrates a profound lack of imagination – let’s just blame the aliens!
Despite these shortcomings, I did enjoy the romance and the twists and turns in the plot, especially the intriguing revelation at the end. I am also interested in reading about the other members of the warrior class, especially Tegan and Rio, and will be reading the next book in the series.
Recommendation: The series has potential so I can recommend reading this one as exposition for the next. ( )

It was okay, but I didn't care much for Lucan. He came across as too moody, and the "relationship" ended up feeling kind of abusive to me.

I might read the next book as I found the supporting characters interesting, and I'm a little curious about the mythology Adrian is trying to build here. I'm in no hurry to continue though, if the next book doesn't pick things up I'll def be leaving this series in the dust. ( )