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

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 . . .

I received this ARC for free in exchange for an honest review. This doesn't affect my opinion of the book or influence the content of my review.

Alpha’s Promise is the tenth book (approx 345 pages) in Rebecca Zanetti’s dark paranormal romance series, Dark Protectors. Humans are not the only species to inhabit the world – vampires, demons, Fae and the various hybrids in-between – exist in our world unbeknown to the general human population.

While the romance aspect between Ivar and Promise is started and concluded within the pages of Alpha’s Promise, the main story arcs regarding the inter-species conflict and the ongoing quest by Ivar and his band of warrior brothers to rescue their brother-in-arms, Quade from another dimension is a continuation from previous books and is left to run into subsequent books.

What did I like about Alpha’s Promise?

I have only previously read a short story by Ms Zanetti’s – a novella in On The Hunt – but I found her writing style here very easy to read. As I haven’t read any of her Dark Protectors Series before, I was pleasantly surprised at how quickly I became engaged into the world of vampires, demons, Fae and the various hybrid variations.

I was impressed with our heroine, Promise, from the very first chapter. I connect to a story more when the lead female character is intelligent, resilient, self-reliant and has plenty of gumption and I wasn’t disappointed here. Promise was great, what an inspiring woman! But it’s not just the heroine who has to win me over in a paranormal romance; the hero has to as well. Ivar, our hero, was my kind of alpha – damaged and dangerous but in my eyes totally deserving of Promise.

I enjoyed that the plot in Alpha’s Promise is not just focused on our main romantic couple but it’s got a few threads weaving through it; it kept me guessing. What would happen next? The conflict, action and various threats in this tale felt non-stop which kept me on the edge of my seat.

Was there anything I disliked about it?

OK, so obviously I really enjoyed this book but there were niggles, hence the drop to a 4-star rating.

I may be doing this book a disservice. However, my qualms were with the character building and world-building.

I often felt lost throughout this book. Being unable to picture some of the settings being described. The family connections had me scratching my head and re-reading whole pages. Plus, I didn’t understand some of the actions of our so-called heroes. Although Ms Zanetti weaves certain re-cap information into this book, this is a complex world with multiple species. There are a huge number of characters and, as with all long-running series, a lot has happened. I’m sure that as a new reader, my lack of knowledge about the characters, understanding the dynamics of relationships and being part of the story to date has affected my perception of this book.

Basically, what I’m saying is…

I really enjoyed this book. It’s got everything that I look for in a good story; action, romance, humour, a gripping story-line and some well-written passion. Alpha’s Promise has definitely piqued my interest to go back and see where the Dark Protectors series all started.

I’d recommend Alpha’s Promise to fans of relationship and romance tales with gritty story-lines and lots of passion.

Has my review of ALPHA’S PROMISE (DARK PROTECTORS #10) encouraged you to find out more? I do hope so. Click on any of the links to check out the book yourself or to find out more about the author.

About Rebecca Zanetti

Rebecca Zanetti is the author of over fifty romantic suspense and dark paranormal romances, and her books have appeared multiple times on the New York Times, USA Today, Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and iBooks bestseller lists. The New York Times reviews have found that in her books, “humor surfaces in even the tensest moments, giving the high-stakes drama humanity and warmth.”

She lives in the wilds of the Pacific Northwest with her own Alpha hero, two kids, a couple of dogs, a crazy cat…and a huge extended family. She believes strongly in luck, karma, and working her butt off…and she thinks one of the best things about being an author, unlike the lawyer she used to be, is that she can let the crazy out.

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Thanks for stopping by and taking the time to read this review. Have you read any of Rebecca’s book? Drop me a comment and let’s chat.

Bye for now,

Flora x