The Story of Son: A Story of Dark Vampire Romance

Writing is very good, as would be expected from this author. But the plot feels contrived in some places, and the ending comes way too soon and without clean-up details. There is little consolidation with her other vampire novels. Disappointing since this could have been more.
I'm annoyed because I couldn't find it at the library and had to pay $4.00, and it wasn't worth it. Would have been a good candidate for Kindle Unlimited.

I generally LOVE JR Ward but this novella was disappointing. I feel cheated out of my money. The story is a rough draft at best with too much left unsaid or explained and a huge gap left in the middle of the story. She builds up the first part amazing and then just leaves you hanging. NOT WORTH PAYING FOR.

This short story is a wonderful quick read that is a stand alone. Or is it? A single vampire family growing up in Caldwell, NY. How do they not know the Brothers and more importantly with all that is happening in Caldwell; how come the Brothers do not know of their existence? LOVED this story and am really hoping it does tie into the BDB sometime soon.

I was expecting much more from J.R. Ward. Very shallow character development and no plot of any substance. This was definitely not up to a Black Dagger or Fallen Angel quality. I felt ripped off. Even her Jessica Bird romance books were better than this concoction.

The reason I didn't care for this book is that I feel like I was ripped off. I love J R Wards books but this story was so short (I know I should have looked at the pages) that I feel it should have been a free short story. The story was ok but it was so short I just don't feel it was worth the price.

This was just not good. All characters lacked any depth, particularly Son. No world building, no character development, no tie in to the clearly related world of The Brotherhood. And, worst, the author gave no explanation for the time between "character rescue" and "happily ever after" other than "Two years later..." Just lazy writing clearly scraped out of the draft bin of prior work and sold for WAY too much money (at $4 it was $3 more than it was worth, if that) without any editing or finishing of the story.

I was expecting much more from J.R. Ward. Very shallow character development and no plot of any substance. This was definitely not up to a Black Dagger or Fallen Angel quality. I felt ripped off. Even her Jessica Bird romance books were better than this concoction.

The story was not developed. Why things happened was never explained. It was like an outline of a story with no details. I have enjoyed her work in the past but the whole premise of this story was flawed.

I'm sorry I've read ever Vampire novel Ms. .Ward has I stuck it out in the dark days with X, and John Matthew and those were dark I hailed and jumped for joy with the newest recruits even a bit funny, Paradise and the lot, but this was awful it looks like she started dreaming of a plot and forgot the dream, I could not learn to even like this one. Don't waste your time it will turn you off her really good stuff, everything else.

I can't believe I am going to "not like" a J.R. Ward vampire novel. Ugh. This hurts to even type. I am a HUGE Black Dagger Brotherhood fan! I can't tell you how many times I have read those 13 novels (seriously, I can't count...it's too many). Maybe that's why I found this book a little boring, rushed, and not honest to the "rules" of vampires in the other novels. Come on, J.R. Ward has to know her own rules she set forth for these guys. WHY DIDN'T SHE FOLLOW THEM?!

Vague Spoiler!
It states that this particular vampire doesn't know any other vampires. They need to feed off of each other to be "big and strong" otherwise they are puny. How is this particular vampire not only strong, but survived the transition without a female? That's just one of many examples of how this book was disappointing.

I know. I know. I'm picking apart the pieces, but I just wanted a short story of another amazing vampire. Didn't happen for me. So bummed!

This book does not measure up to the Black Dagger Brotherhood novels, so if you are expecting that, you'll be disappointed. It could have been a good book; however, neither the plot nor the characters are fully developed. It is just lacking.

Claire Stroughton is a mergers and acquisitions lawyer which she's very good at. However Claire inherited one client from her father~Mrs. Leeds. Mrs. Leeds is super rich and can demand that Claire come to see her before the Labor Day holiday. Claire has no problems doing as Mrs. Leeds asked. Yet when Claire is drugged and taken to the basement. Claire finds herself in a situation that she could never expect in her life~being captive. When Claire meets Son she's stunned to learn that he's Mrs. Leeds's son. As Claire gets to know Son giving him a name Michael. Michael appears to blossom under Claire's care. Can Claire help Michael escape? Can Michael leave? Your answers await you in The Story of Son.

This novella is set in the same universe as The Black Dagger Brotherhood. I was very curious about this story for awhile now but hadn't gotten around to reading it. I'm kicking myself for not reading it sooner than I did. I know many people either really like Ms. Ward's word or outright hate it. I find that I'm one of those people that doesn't fall in either category because I genuinely enjoy the worlds she builds. I look forward to my next adventure with Ms. Ward.

4.5 STARS

I absolutely fell in love with Son/Michael his tenderness and delicate nature was hard not to fall in love with.
While Claire is a strong female character who doesn't want nor need a spouse to be happy. Not because of any reason, she views sex as nothing more than that. She's work driven and that's what makes her happy.

After being tricked and falling into the trap that her longest millionaire client has set for her, she finds herself prisoner in a dungeon locked with the handsome and shy Michael.
Not soon after she realizes that Son/Michael is also a prisoner and has been for over 50 years.
They soon fall in love.

My one problem with this story is that J.R Ward made the female character say "I was a women inside a man bodies" reducing her to every other female character out there who is strong but once she finds love she's soft and everything is fixed again.
She could've taken this story in another direction but she did not.

Regardless of that I absolutely loved this story and I wanted so much more. Maybe a full length novel?

3.5 stars

I've seen mixed opinions on whether The Story of Son fits into J.R. Ward's Black Dagger Brotherhood series or not, some people say it's set in the same world but about stand alone characters while other's say it's in an entirely separate world. I can't confirm for sure either way but to me it feels like a story written by the author before she had finished fully developing the BDB world. In a lot of ways it has a very similar feel to that series (although these aren't characters you'll have met before and I didn't spot any cameos from familiar faces) but it doesn't quite follow the BDB rules, it's almost as if this was a trial run and she used the story to help her figure out the vampire mythology that a lot of fans are now familiar with thanks to the BDB series. That isn't a negative, I just thought it might help to clarify things for readers who (like I was!) are confused about where this story fits into the series.

It's also worth noting that this story was previously included in the Dead After Dark anthology before being released as a stand alone eBook. Again not a complaint but just something you might want to be aware of so you don't end up buying something you've already read.

So, now we've got that out of the way let's talk about the actual novella! The Story of Son is fairly short so you're going to have to just go with the almost instant connection between the main characters but I don't think you'll find that too hard because it's written to J.R. Ward's usual high standards and both Son and Claire are extremely likeable characters. I don't want to say too much about the plot because it would be very easy to give spoilers but when lawyer Claire is asked to visit an important client about a last minute change to her will she ends up getting a lot more than she bargained for.

Son, who Claire thankfully renames Michael, has had a pretty horrible time of things and I felt terrible for the way he had been treated by the people who should have cared for him. Claire is the first person to see underneath the monster he's been told he is to the sweet, caring guy that he actually is and it's her love that helps to save him. I really liked both of these characters and I enjoyed their story even though I would have loved to see this turned into a full length novel. I'd quite like to see more of Michael and Claire but I'm not really sure how that could work, I can't see them being able to appear in the BDB books because of certain inconsistencies in the world building but I can't imagine J.R. Ward creating a whole new series around them when it would be so similar to the books she already writes. It's a shame really because they could have been a great couple to spend more time with.

I'd kind of lost my love of the BDB series a little over the last few years and have fallen behind by not reading the last few releases but this reminded me why I always loved J.R. Ward's writing so much. It's made me realise how much I've missed the BDB world so if nothing else I'm glad it's rekindled my excitement and I'm now looking forward to continuing with the main series.

If you are a fan of JR Ward - then you will love this short little novella. In pure JR Fashion it has some hot steam, surrounded by an emotional story-line. How, this was managed in a novella was amazing - I think she could have written a full length novel with these characters.

Son - whom our heroine decides to call Michael - is the tortured vampire that has been locked in the basement of his mother's house. Once a year he is brought a young women to feed from and then her mind is erased. One of my favorite things about Ms. Ward is that she uses her words to paint a perfect picture - you can close your eyes and see Michael.

Claire, our heroine is the lawyer who handles Michael's mothers estate and is this years gift to keep Michael from losing control. The two connect and Claire attempts to save Michael from his horrible existence. If you are a fan of this author you definitely need to give this quick little read a go. If you have been living under a rock and haven't discovered her yet - this is a nice quick read to get your nose wet.

I would love to read Ward growing this short. Possibly meeting up with the brotherhood or their children meeting up with some some warrior in the training program for the brotherhood, maybe????

My absolute favorite and will read again and again. I strongly recommend! It has outstanding qualities. The characters are wonderful and surprising and multi-dimensional. The writing is luring, engaging, and well-crafted enough to keep me interested from cover to cover and beyond. The plot is astonishing with twists and turns weaved into a well thought and planned story. There’s no pretense and romance was well balanced and done entirely correctly with properly distributed amounts of hints, behaviors and incredible, undeniable chemistry. Predictability is at an all-time low. With the exception of series based books that follow the same path but are just as good. Overall, Favorite, must read again, recommend!!!

Even though I loved this book, it was too short for 1 and left me with WAY too many conflicting questions. From my understanding of Ward's vampires, even hybrid, they don't transition till they're in their 20's. Next a pre-trans doesn't have issues with the sun or other traits of a transitioned vampire. When a vampire transitions they'll need blood from another & in this book it doesn't mention that. Then vampires cannot fully live off human blood entirely & definitely not only 3 days a year. Also humans aren't supposed to be able to drink from them cause it could possibly kill them unless they have a vampire gene in their DNA. Granted Michael is a hybrid, but how is all of this even working? It doesn't make any sense to me. UGH!!

This story didn't have the JR Ward vibe for me. I was hoping someone from BDB would show up (hopefully that will happen-eventually). While I liked the storyline, the ending just made me feel lonely and unresolved. What happens?

There are too many opportunities to spoil the storyline so, I'll end with. It was a quick read. And I liked the characters.

I really enjoyed this book! My only complaint would be that I couldn't find a place to stop and just breathe for a moment! Not even for one single sentence.

For those thinking or expecting some kind of BDB story, this isn't for you. It's not part of the BDB series, even though a vampire is involved. Maybe J.R. Ward has plans in the future, but for now, it's not, and you can't read this book and have those expectations. Please keep that in mind when you pick it up to read it. :)

An excellent novella for vampire lovers everywhere. I don't think I have ever read a JR Ward book that I didn't love. Even with the short length, you truly get emotionally invested in the characters. I just want to know... What was Fletcher?

I just can't believe how good this book was. I love J. R. Ward but have become disillusioned with the BDB series.

This book was great and restored my faith in the author. In a few short chapters the story of Michael (Son) and Claire was told. Captivating and reminiscent of her early vampire themed novels. Not overdone. Just a lovely story.

I hope we'll see more of these characters and their family.

Found in the 'Dead After Dark' anthology. The short story is a romance that is uncomplicated. Yet it is still a well developed storyline & characters. Though it does happen in the BDB world we don't see any of the Brothers. Maybe we will get lucky & see Claire & her vampire in future BDB books.

Not one of her best books. And don't get me wrong I am a HUGE fan of the Black Dagger books. But this book... He only drinks from Humans??? If you know her world that is not correct, he would be dead by then.... They had 3 kids and 1 on the way? Usually, they have a difficult time giving birth... I could go on but, I won't... I'll just hang on till the next BDB book...

Don't get me wrong... I'm a Huge Fan of J.R.Ward...I have read & re-read the entire series of the Black Dagger Brotherhood several times... As you might imagine I was very excited to finally get a chance to read 'The story of Son'. It started off like a thrill-ride, everything I've come to expect from this author & this series, well truthfully, not quite. In a long running series, where each new book picks up the story of a familiar character, details their backstory and then goes on to giving a thrilling ride of love & angst, as well as including the rest of the brotherhood (& the Omega & his Lessers) I was disappointed that the "Story of Son' had ignored pieces of information about the vampire race that have held throughout the other books of the series. For instance, the males of the vampire race feed from the females...feeding from the human race leaves them weak and causes them to need to feed more often, and yet this book has Son (aka a Michael) feeding from human women but once a year, having never even seen another vampire... with no loss of strength or abilities. But...even that I could have overlooked given how new & interesting the character of Son was. What absolutely ruined this book for me was the abrupt ending. As I was reading along...and I finished this book in one setting... I kept expecting a lead-in to the actual brotherhood. When the heroin was considering having her cop friends help free Son, I thought oh, here it comes, as Butch was a cop...but no. So, on I read, still expecting the brotherhood or at least some tie-in to them or the Lessers to appear, you know, I expected a little danger, a little knife/gun, life/death, kidnap/rescue action, maybe a little black leather & s***-kicker wearing...And then...a huge jump in time to find they now have kids and are living a relatively calm life, AND nothing about the brotherhood, the vampire community OR the Lessers has occurred, and yet the book is at its end. How disappointing... It's like Ms. Ward just hit her deadline and threw a hasty ending on it. As a long time fan I was so let down that I gotta tell you, I find it unbelievable that the same author even wrote this sad attempt...

WOW !! to this amazing author there are no words or review to express how great you are!!!

this story was short and sweet and to the point?

not to sure or understand the purpose of this book or where it fits in? is it a standalone or part of the BDB and if where?

but all in all a great read

I am a huge fan of JR Ward, have read every BDB book and novellas as well as the Angel books. I have loved them all. But this book was just stupid. Fortunately it was a quick read so I didn't waste too much of my time. That being said I still can't wait to read her next book!

Great story! I loved this story when it appeared in an anthology. It was a little something different from JR Ward. The only thing I didn't like? I wanted more story (longer). Glad to see it is being offered as a single title.

I thoroughly enjoyed this love story but found myself wanting more. I liked that the story moved at a nice pace, but I would have liked more history of Son (Michael) and Claire as a lead in to their "meeting". All in all the story held my attention and I love J.R. Ward so maybe a Pt. 2 (hint hint).

Was she dreaming? Did sensible mega accountant Claire's cool veneer crack over a man she met in the basement? There's much more to this story, read and you'll find out all the details of this paranormal romance!

Ward sets a great story line and presents interesting characters that could have been turned into a series. 3 stars because story abruptly flashes forward in the last chapters ending it with no room for more. Many unanswered questions

3.5 stars

I've seen mixed opinions on whether The Story of Son fits into J.R. Ward's Black Dagger Brotherhood series or not, some people say it's set in the same world but about stand alone characters while other's say it's in an entirely separate world. I can't confirm for sure either way but to me it feels like a story written by the author before she had finished fully developing the BDB world. In a lot of ways it has a very similar feel to that series (although these aren't characters you'll have met before and I didn't spot any cameos from familiar faces) but it doesn't quite follow the BDB rules, it's almost as if this was a trial run and she used the story to help her figure out the vampire mythology that a lot of fans are now familiar with thanks to the BDB series. That isn't a negative, I just thought it might help to clarify things for readers who (like I was!) are confused about where this story fits into the series.

It's also worth noting that this story was previously included in the Dead After Dark anthology before being released as a stand alone eBook. Again not a complaint but just something you might want to be aware of so you don't end up buying something you've already read.

So, now we've got that out of the way let's talk about the actual novella! The Story of Son is fairly short so you're going to have to just go with the almost instant connection between the main characters but I don't think you'll find that too hard because it's written to J.R. Ward's usual high standards and both Son and Claire are extremely likeable characters. I don't want to say too much about the plot because it would be very easy to give spoilers but when lawyer Claire is asked to visit an important client about a last minute change to her will she ends up getting a lot more than she bargained for.

Son, who Claire thankfully renames Michael, has had a pretty horrible time of things and I felt terrible for the way he had been treated by the people who should have cared for him. Claire is the first person to see underneath the monster he's been told he is to the sweet, caring guy that he actually is and it's her love that helps to save him. I really liked both of these characters and I enjoyed their story even though I would have loved to see this turned into a full length novel. I'd quite like to see more of Michael and Claire but I'm not really sure how that could work, I can't see them being able to appear in the BDB books because of certain inconsistencies in the world building but I can't imagine J.R. Ward creating a whole new series around them when it would be so similar to the books she already writes. It's a shame really because they could have been a great couple to spend more time with.

I'd kind of lost my love of the BDB series a little over the last few years and have fallen behind by not reading the last few releases but this reminded me why I always loved J.R. Ward's writing so much. It's made me realise how much I've missed the BDB world so if nothing else I'm glad it's rekindled my excitement and I'm now looking forward to continuing with the main series.

If you are a fan of JR Ward - then you will love this short little novella. In pure JR Fashion it has some hot steam, surrounded by an emotional story-line. How, this was managed in a novella was amazing - I think she could have written a full length novel with these characters.

Son - whom our heroine decides to call Michael - is the tortured vampire that has been locked in the basement of his mother's house. Once a year he is brought a young women to feed from and then her mind is erased. One of my favorite things about Ms. Ward is that she uses her words to paint a perfect picture - you can close your eyes and see Michael.

Claire, our heroine is the lawyer who handles Michael's mothers estate and is this years gift to keep Michael from losing control. The two connect and Claire attempts to save Michael from his horrible existence. If you are a fan of this author you definitely need to give this quick little read a go. If you have been living under a rock and haven't discovered her yet - this is a nice quick read to get your nose wet.

I would love to read Ward growing this short. Possibly meeting up with the brotherhood or their children meeting up with some some warrior in the training program for the brotherhood, maybe????

My absolute favorite and will read again and again. I strongly recommend! It has outstanding qualities. The characters are wonderful and surprising and multi-dimensional. The writing is luring, engaging, and well-crafted enough to keep me interested from cover to cover and beyond. The plot is astonishing with twists and turns weaved into a well thought and planned story. There’s no pretense and romance was well balanced and done entirely correctly with properly distributed amounts of hints, behaviors and incredible, undeniable chemistry. Predictability is at an all-time low. With the exception of series based books that follow the same path but are just as good. Overall, Favorite, must read again, recommend!!!

Even though I loved this book, it was too short for 1 and left me with WAY too many conflicting questions. From my understanding of Ward's vampires, even hybrid, they don't transition till they're in their 20's. Next a pre-trans doesn't have issues with the sun or other traits of a transitioned vampire. When a vampire transitions they'll need blood from another & in this book it doesn't mention that. Then vampires cannot fully live off human blood entirely & definitely not only 3 days a year. Also humans aren't supposed to be able to drink from them cause it could possibly kill them unless they have a vampire gene in their DNA. Granted Michael is a hybrid, but how is all of this even working? It doesn't make any sense to me. UGH!!

This story didn't have the JR Ward vibe for me. I was hoping someone from BDB would show up (hopefully that will happen-eventually). While I liked the storyline, the ending just made me feel lonely and unresolved. What happens?

There are too many opportunities to spoil the storyline so, I'll end with. It was a quick read. And I liked the characters.

I really enjoyed this book! My only complaint would be that I couldn't find a place to stop and just breathe for a moment! Not even for one single sentence.

For those thinking or expecting some kind of BDB story, this isn't for you. It's not part of the BDB series, even though a vampire is involved. Maybe J.R. Ward has plans in the future, but for now, it's not, and you can't read this book and have those expectations. Please keep that in mind when you pick it up to read it. :)

An excellent novella for vampire lovers everywhere. I don't think I have ever read a JR Ward book that I didn't love. Even with the short length, you truly get emotionally invested in the characters. I just want to know... What was Fletcher?

I just can't believe how good this book was. I love J. R. Ward but have become disillusioned with the BDB series.

This book was great and restored my faith in the author. In a few short chapters the story of Michael (Son) and Claire was told. Captivating and reminiscent of her early vampire themed novels. Not overdone. Just a lovely story.

I hope we'll see more of these characters and their family.

Found in the 'Dead After Dark' anthology. The short story is a romance that is uncomplicated. Yet it is still a well developed storyline & characters. Though it does happen in the BDB world we don't see any of the Brothers. Maybe we will get lucky & see Claire & her vampire in future BDB books.

Not one of her best books. And don't get me wrong I am a HUGE fan of the Black Dagger books. But this book... He only drinks from Humans??? If you know her world that is not correct, he would be dead by then.... They had 3 kids and 1 on the way? Usually, they have a difficult time giving birth... I could go on but, I won't... I'll just hang on till the next BDB book...

Don't get me wrong... I'm a Huge Fan of J.R.Ward...I have read & re-read the entire series of the Black Dagger Brotherhood several times... As you might imagine I was very excited to finally get a chance to read 'The story of Son'. It started off like a thrill-ride, everything I've come to expect from this author & this series, well truthfully, not quite. In a long running series, where each new book picks up the story of a familiar character, details their backstory and then goes on to giving a thrilling ride of love & angst, as well as including the rest of the brotherhood (& the Omega & his Lessers) I was disappointed that the "Story of Son' had ignored pieces of information about the vampire race that have held throughout the other books of the series. For instance, the males of the vampire race feed from the females...feeding from the human race leaves them weak and causes them to need to feed more often, and yet this book has Son (aka a Michael) feeding from human women but once a year, having never even seen another vampire... with no loss of strength or abilities. But...even that I could have overlooked given how new & interesting the character of Son was. What absolutely ruined this book for me was the abrupt ending. As I was reading along...and I finished this book in one setting... I kept expecting a lead-in to the actual brotherhood. When the heroin was considering having her cop friends help free Son, I thought oh, here it comes, as Butch was a cop...but no. So, on I read, still expecting the brotherhood or at least some tie-in to them or the Lessers to appear, you know, I expected a little danger, a little knife/gun, life/death, kidnap/rescue action, maybe a little black leather & s***-kicker wearing...And then...a huge jump in time to find they now have kids and are living a relatively calm life, AND nothing about the brotherhood, the vampire community OR the Lessers has occurred, and yet the book is at its end. How disappointing... It's like Ms. Ward just hit her deadline and threw a hasty ending on it. As a long time fan I was so let down that I gotta tell you, I find it unbelievable that the same author even wrote this sad attempt...

WOW !! to this amazing author there are no words or review to express how great you are!!!

this story was short and sweet and to the point?

not to sure or understand the purpose of this book or where it fits in? is it a standalone or part of the BDB and if where?

but all in all a great read

I am a huge fan of JR Ward, have read every BDB book and novellas as well as the Angel books. I have loved them all. But this book was just stupid. Fortunately it was a quick read so I didn't waste too much of my time. That being said I still can't wait to read her next book!

Great story! I loved this story when it appeared in an anthology. It was a little something different from JR Ward. The only thing I didn't like? I wanted more story (longer). Glad to see it is being offered as a single title.

I thoroughly enjoyed this love story but found myself wanting more. I liked that the story moved at a nice pace, but I would have liked more history of Son (Michael) and Claire as a lead in to their "meeting". All in all the story held my attention and I love J.R. Ward so maybe a Pt. 2 (hint hint).

Was she dreaming? Did sensible mega accountant Claire's cool veneer crack over a man she met in the basement? There's much more to this story, read and you'll find out all the details of this paranormal romance!

Ward sets a great story line and presents interesting characters that could have been turned into a series. 3 stars because story abruptly flashes forward in the last chapters ending it with no room for more. Many unanswered questions

I love J R Ward, I don't think she knows how to write anything but amazing stories. Be they angels or vampires, she is one of my favorite author's. I want to read more about Michael and Claire!!! I have yet to read the Fallen Angel series but will purchasing them very soon...