A few weeks ago, I wrote a piece asking: “What’s up with vampire lit?” In particular, I questioned the trend of vampire as romantic hero. When I read this piece now I confess to a bit of embarrassment, because for the past week I have been walking around with my nose in J.R. Ward’s “Dark Lover.”

Yes, I did say “Dark Lover” and it is everything you would suspect - a vampire romance novel filled with longing, bared fangs and sex that would make Dr. Ruth blush.

There is much that, as a pedigreed English major, I would like to denounce here. For example, the vampires have names like Wrath, Rhage (also known as “Hollywood” due to his otherworldly good looks) and Tohrment. I mean, seriously? Because the average human has no idea there are vampires stomping around in their midst, vampires cannot go to the emergency room to have their wounds sewn up. The result is ghastly scenes of vampires leaning over sinks sewing themselves back up with twine or dental floss or whatever is handy. Puh-lease. Oh, and the best part? Our heroine, Beth, does not know that her father was a vampire. Snort.

Yup, this book should be a stinker. I should be posting a snotty review on Amazon right now imploring the good reading citizens of the world to save their money and not buy this trash. Except for this one tiny little thing. It is a damn good read. I mean, utterly entirely compelling in all its over-the-top glory. Maybe it works because, unlike Anne Rice (did I mention I just hate her?), Ward is not trying to do anything but deliver a snorting good read, and man, does she deliver. Here is a heroine you can relate to, a hero (Wrath, swoon!) you want to be real because he’s so yummy, and some gruff cops chewing scenery in between the sex scenes. This is fun city.

It’s official: I’ve gone over to the dark side. I would like to say I am troubled by this, but reading this book is the most fun I have had in a while. If you have room in your schedule for a good trashy romp, or even better, if you are going to be sitting on a beach over spring break, this is your book.

Leah Rex has worked in some aspect of the book business for more than half her life. When given the choice between food or books, she will always choose books.