**ARC provided in exchange for an honest review**

Black Rose by Karina Halle is a super steamy dark gothic paranormal romance and an excellent sequel to Blood Orange, which was one of my favorite reads of 2022. I couldn't wait to get my hands on this book after finishing the previous one.

Karina's writing style is fast-paced, and she wastes no time jumping right into the story. I appreciated the absence of any dull moments. Additionally, there are some connections to characters from other novels, which I found surprising and fitting. We also get a glimpse of what Valtu had been up to in the last two decades, which broke my heart. However, I was relieved that Valtu and Rose were reunited early in the story, which I believe was crucial for the development of their relationship. Valtu is still one HOT vampire, and he's even more dark and dangerous in this book. There were a couple of scenes that felt straight out of a horror movie, and Karina didn't shy away from the gory details, which I appreciated.

“We are primal, we are raw, we are destined.”

Rose is an outstanding character, and I admired her persistence and loyalty. She fought for Valtu and their love even when he wasn't able to do so. In my opinion, Rose was the stronger of the two. Although she was strong in Blood Orange, she was even stronger in this book. Both characters developed as individuals and as a couple. Karina took her time with the important scenes and spread them throughout the book, making the story unpredictable. The twists in the plot kept me on edge. Valtu has become one of my favorite book boyfriends, and I love his dark and light sides equally. The sex scenes were incredibly steamy, and the fight scenes were full of action and gore. This was an emotional, steamy, and raw dark paranormal romance, and I think it was a great ending to Valtu and Rose's epic love story.

Lastly, the epilogue was perfect, and I hope Karina writes more vampire books!