Ms. Zanetti has done it again! 5 fantastic, wonderful, Hope filled, always knew Paxton was her heart, HEA stars 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 Wow, this story really packed a punch! The suspense had me on the edge of my feet. I loved it all. I loved how Hope followed in Grandfather's steps (Talen Kayrs) by becoming one of the most strategic brains in the Realm. This book was freaking awesome, and of course, I'm biased. I've read them all! Filled with nonstop action, banter, laugh out loud times, heartfelt moments, betrayal, and so much killing made for an excellent read! The kids have grown up, and now Hope runs her own squad. The Kurjans are still evil, and Ulric wants to kill even more enhanced females...go figure. Pfft... However, our resident heroes, with appearances from our past characters, stop evil in their tracks. Paxton was 'THE' perfect hero, and he brokered no argument that Hope was his. I loved watching them grow together and fall into that deep abiding love that only friendships can evolve from. I loved it, and I can't wait to see what's in store next!!!

****I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book provided by NetGalley*****

I received an advance review copy for free from Netgalley, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Hope is the only female vampire born, however, lacks the powers that some of her family has. While she has unique abilities of her own, she leads a group of warriors with her strategic skills.

Throughout the book, Hope is torn between two men in her life. Drake and Paxton. Both are childhood friends. While one is who she thinks she needs to marry out of duty, to bring peace for both of the races. The other is her best friend who has always been there for her through thick and thin.

A paranormal romance with lots of action and drama.

Would I recommend this? Yes, even though it is not a standalone, I was engaged with the story and was not lost. So even for people new to the series, they could read it.

Spoiler*******
I received this as an ARC from @ #Netgalley

This was an amazing read.I enjoyed the build up between the H/h. To see Hope grow into a strong, independent ,and caring adult. Why growing up among all those Alpha personalities was a real treat. It was also great to see the growth that Paxton has had over the years. His devotion to Hope and Hope's devotion to him was Beautiful I absolutely loved this read and it was amazing to see all of the other characters throughout the series.

We always knew that Hope's story was going to be the conclusion to the story arc that's been going for over 16 books. The Realm and the Kayrs family have evolved over the intervening decades and the Kurjans have been biting at their collective heels. Now we get to see whether Hope sacrifices herself for Peace or if she listens to her heart and turns to love.

Hope has a lot of big decisions in this book. She may love her family and Paxton but no one will ever tell her what to do. She is the one with the strategies and SHW will decide her fate. I loved the way she took the information they discovered about her in her stride. No super power? OK she'll tear down the Kurjans another way then! Drake and Paxton are both important to her and she can't decide what path to take, especially after her and Paxton decide to cross that friendszone!

Paxton has sure been keeping some big secrets - he'd put any deep cover spy to shame! Everything he does is to keep Hope safe and that just made me love him more. They've been part of a trio of friends since they were kids and I just knew that theirs would be an epic tale!

Whilst this may be the last chapter in the series - we have tantalising glimpses of how the series could evolve and than we can get even more Realm goodness! There are scenes with my fave guy - Talen, the Seven and Zane. All those Alpha males in the one place is an explosive mix let me tell you!

As usual no one is really safe and there may be a few deaths that you don't see coming but what an epic ending!

Hope has always known she’s been destined to bring peace. She knows it will be a choice that not everyone will agree with, but knows it will be right to bring about peace. Hope it’s unique in many ways. Not only is she the only female vampire. She is also a component known as the lock. A critical piece of the puzzle to destroying their greatest evil.
The time to make choices upon her, Hope is seeing things in a very different light as many secrets are starting to become known. Forever brave and always willing. Hope will do whatever it takes for peace.


It is no secret that I am a Rebecca Zanetti fan. You will find many reviews of her books on this blog. Her imagination, world building, and honestly just the way she rides have provided me many many hours of entertainment over the years. It could be paranormal or contemporary, and Rebecca Zanetti knows how to catch and keep your attention. The Dark Protectors series spans over 25 stories, including four novels and novellas. This could be read as a standalone novel. However, I would highly recommend reading at least a few of the other books in the series. This is one I have been highly anticipating.


Warrior’s Hope is one of those books that has been building up for many years and was everything the book needed to be and more. Spectacular in so many ways. Rebecca Zanetti concludes this particular.arc of the series with a vivid bang. We have page turning actio and suspense. A romance triangle that finally comes to ahead. Secrets revealed and tough choices are made. Warrior’s Hope had many layers and revealed many things that I’m sure I’m not the only one who was happy to discover. The book had me captivated from beginning to end. I read the book in one sitting, truly getting lost for an entire day.

Warrior’s Hope is in my top five read of the year.

WOW! Hooked From Page One

What can I say, such a fantastic action packed read! I seriously couldn’t put it down and ended up reading until late at night.

So many secrets, betrayal, shocks, steamy passionate moments, a feisty female vampire with a super sexy hero, her best friend who isn’t what he pretends to be!

A surprised shock near the end which I didn’t see that coming!

A fantastic read with a storyline that will leave you wanting more, fantastic characters and a well deserved HEA.

5 * Recommended Read!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Hope’s Warrior😍

Warrior’s Hope is the next book in the Dark Protectors series and is a culmination of the past few books where we find answers to questions posed previously❣️

“You know you’ve been my heart from the first day we met, right?”

Hope is a prophet but also the only female vampire in existence. She hopes to negotiate peace between the Realm and the Kurjans. At present she is on a path that only she can decide….one direction is pulling her towards Drake, the leader of the Kurjans and Paxton, her childhood friend.

An exciting story that is action packed and so full of explosive reveals🤩 I received an advanced copy from Netgalley and the publisher and voluntarily leave my honest review❤️

I was so excited for this book! It feels like it has been so long in the making to get to this point. I felt the book was very well done and did not disappoint in delivering. That being said, I am going to be a bit stingy with my review as I don't want to post any spoilers. I would highly recommend you do not read this series out of order or you will be lost.

If you are familiar with this series, you know that Hope is the "lock" and it is her destiny/fate to help defeat Ulric who is a murderer and is just plain evil. Hope wants peace among the nations but knows that will not be an easy thing. While trying to figure this out, she also has to figure out her path for her own future. She needs to take a mate but also figure out if she will even live past the ceremony to kill Ulric.

I could not wait to see who Hope ends up with as it has always been a push/pull between Drake and Paxton. Drake is the leader of the Kurjan nation who are the enemies of the Realm; Hope feels that fate is calling her to mate with Drake in order to obtain peace for everyone. She has known Drake since they were kids when they met in dreamworlds, just like Hope's parents. Paxton is her best friend and has always been by her protector and confident. He has been gone a lot the last few years "studying" with his Uncle but when he comes home to visit he has changed significantly. Hope can't help but thing he has her heart even if fate has another plan for her.

There is so much other stuff I want to say about this book. Both Drake and Paxton have secrets that could vastly change Hope's decisions.

Definitely a great addition to the series and it finally gives you some closure. Read the series in order though or you will be lost!

*Title: Warrior's Hope Dark Protectors, book #16   

 *Release date: 10/3/23 read: 10/1 /23

*Author: Rebecca Zanetti

*Format: e-ARC

*Page Count: 258

*POV: 3rd person

*Setting: Idaho-Realm Headquarters

*Genre: PNR, fantasy

*Tropes: vampires, witches, demons, shifters, fated mates, love triangle, good vs evil

*Look out for:
 kidnapping, threat of rape, murder


*Synopsis: Hope Kayrs-Kyllwood is the only female with vampire blood in existence. It has been prophesied that she will stop war between the realm and the Kurjans. The burning question has always been who she will mate, and will she survive?

*Characters

Hope: first and only female vampire. A great war strategist. Leads her own unit.

Paxton: vampire-demon hybrid, Hope's childhood friend and protector. He is a scientist now with his uncle Santino.

Drake: Hope's childhood friend; the new leader of the Kurjans. Wants Hope as his queen.

Zane and Janie: Hope's parents, Father is King of the demon realm.

Ulric- "the big bad." an immortal who killed enhanced females to become indestructible.

Paelotin-Pax's cruel father abused him as a child.

*Review: If you are a fan and have read all the books in the series, this is satisfying. I have watched Hope grow up wondering who her mate was going to be. Hope, Drake, and Pax had a complicated history, and it finally gets resolved. There were a few surprises, which added to all the action and fighting between the Realm and the Kurjans. I loved all the couples making a cameo or two .I would love more books from Hope's unit-Libby/Derrick, the twins Collin and Liam, and Hunter. A great end to this storyline!

*Rating: 5/5  ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

 *Spice level- 5/5 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️One great scene between H and h's first times.

Thanks to NetGalley and Kensington for this ARC 💚! I voluntarily give my honest review and all opinions are my own.

Wow. This is my favorite series. While some series get old and steal sometimes. This one does not. I thought Garrett's was my favorite book because I was waiting so long for it. This book was perfect. When you are reading this book and you think you got it figured, Ms. Zanetti will prove you wrong and make it better than you could thought possible. If you been reading this series this is a most book for you. Each book has a different main character but they are all interconnected. Don't start with this one, pick "Fated" or Vampire's Faith. Then you will not stop until you get to this book. This is a amazing series and all her books are great. This being the last book on this series. Hopefully she will continue with another story line with more stories from the second generation. If you write it we will read it.

This is the sixteenth (16) book in the Dark Protector series and not only anticipated but pivotal and a game changer... Who does Hope Kayrs-Kyllwood choose? I am one of Rebecca's rebels and RZ really got me on this one! I feel like this was a legacy book, with years of multiple storylines converging to this moment in Realm history.

Since the first book in the series, Fated, Talen brought this special little enhanced girl, Janie into the Realm. For me, she has been one of the most intriguing characters of the series, the Chosen One. She introduced us to her dreamworld, love triangle, and Zane, Vampire / Demon hybrid and leader of the Demon nation. From that love we have Hope, and if you thought Janie and her enhancement special, Hope is just as much and "the Lock." She is also the only female vampire ever born and from two of the most formidable families of the Realm.

Like her mother, she has developed her own dreamworld, and grown up with two very different young men, with one being the leader of the Kurjan nation. If she chooses Drake, she can bring peace to the Realm through family and she feels that is her duty. But since childhood Paxton has always been there for her and her for him. Her family and home has always been Paxton's safe place, and truly Hope's best friend. He would do anything for Hope, protect her and sacrifice everything for her. But Paxton and Drake both have a few secrets of their own...

This was a bit of a time warp, since this is the third generation of characters to start adulting in this series. For almost half of this series, Hope and her role in the future has been a concern, and everything comes together in this book. So many questions... What are Ulric and his Kurjin followers planning for the kidnapping of enhanced females? What does destiny hold for the Seven, who are mostly related to Hope in some way. And what role will the keys and lock play out as all the nations are on the verge of war. Will Hope have to make the ultimate sacrifice for the Realm?

I was delighted with the outcome, and DID NOT see that coming. This series is all about relationships with layers of friendship and bonds woven through by a multigenerational series of storylines. This is a series of Paranormal Romances, but the characters are still connected beyond the featured relationships. I was privileged to get an arc and it was such a treat and just as good as I expected it to be. This book is best read as part of the Dark Protector series. Thank you NetGalley and thank you Team Zanetti for releasing this gem into the universe.

4 stars - It was really good

Like a lot of people who have been reading this series since the beginning, I have been waiting for Hope’s story because she is a main part in bringing down Ulric with the Seven. But while I have been waiting for this story, I was also apprehensive about starting this book because I am not a fan of love triangles and I knew this was going to be that since the author has been teasing that Hope has to choose between Drake or Paxton since they were children. But, I was surprised by how much I actually enjoyed this, probably because the love triangle isn’t as centerfold as I was expecting.

Hope is the Lock that will help bring Ulric down and she has known that since she was a child. Because of that, she expects fate to play a key role in her future and doesn’t really make her own decision about her future, which is part of why I didn’t love Hope for the beginning of this book. Yes she is an important part of defeating Ulric and potentially finding peace between the Realm and the Kurjan but she refuses to really think about what she really wants until it's almost too late. Because she is so obsessed with being the peacebringer she ignores all red flags with Drake and assumes he is always telling her the truth, even though she receives all the reports on kidnapped women and attacks and knows he is the leader. Hope’s naivety is part of why I didn’t really love her at first, especially since it puts her and Paxton in danger. Once she wakes up to the truth though, we finally see the true Hope who is living for herself and that is the one I liked. She boldly declares her love even if it means death and fights to protect those she loves.

While it took a while for me to warm up to Hope, Paxton was one that I instantly liked. He was protective and determined to save Hope from herself. Throughout this book Paxton just continues to show how far he will go to protect Hope because of how much he loves her. Hope and Paxton’s relationship is intense and filled with danger. While I was apprehensive of this couple at first, I ended up really enjoying their story and think they make a great couple.

This book finally ends the Seven’s battle against Ulric. It has been a long time coming and it was a very unexpected and intense ending. The ritual with the Seven, the Keys, and the Lock was not what I was expecting and it made for a very intense and fast paced ending. I couldn’t put this book down once the final battle against Ulric started because things just kept seeming to happen and some of it was very unexpected. After waiting this long for this battle, I think this was a great final battle for the Seven and the Realm.

Overall, this book exceeded my expectations and I really enjoyed it. I am unsure if this is the final book in this series since there is finally peace between the nations, but if so, I think this was a good ending, and if not, I look forward to more.

CW: kidnapping, threat of rape, torture, violence, injuries, gore, death, misogyny, nonconsensual medical experimentation, references to child abuse and the death of a parent;

I admit going into this book with some trepidation. I've enjoyed Zanetti's books including this series overall and wanted to know how the current series arc would wrap up and the bad guy(s) defeated. however, in the lead up books, I found Hope & crew to be annoying and not caring for the parts of the those books that focus on them (even knowing it was important to the series arc I was tempted to skip those bits). Pax grew up into a smart, strong, sexy & sometimes stubborn hero. While Hope wasn't as bad as i feared, she still had moments that reminded me why I found her annoying. The story was nicely paced and mixed action, humor and emotion as childish friendship reveals to much more and planned/expected destiny conflicts with wished for destiny. There are several surprises and twists as the story and series arc come to a satisfactory conclusion that I can happily recommend to series fans (alas not really a stand-a-lone read for newbies due to the series arc and character development that occurred in preceding books).

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ After 16 books and so much anticipation for Hope’s story, I was a little concerned that my expectations were going to be too high and I might be let down. It’s happened many a time before. But guess what? I WASN’T and neither will you! Holy moly this had it all. Lust, sex, betrayal, family secrets, hidden parentage, epic battles, and everlasting love. You might say it ripped my heart out of my chest (iykyk).

I, not going to go into the characters because that will spoil the triangle that we’ve been waiting for resolution to. But it did not disappoint.

I cannot wait for the next round featuring the rest of the 20 something’s!

Thanks to Lyrical Press for the giving me the opportunity to read the arc for my honest review.

Well HOT DAMN!!! That was everything I wanted! I have always wondered how things would go down with this love triangle and the author did not disappoint. Although I can totally read a couple hundred more pages on these two, I have many unanswered questions…. Yup worth all the anticipation

Hope, Paxton, and Drake live up to the expectations we have of them from the previous books, with spectacular results.

Well, I have a lot of thoughts about this book, but I can’t put all of them down without giving away some spoilers. So, I’ll just say that this was exciting, heart-stopping, nail-biting action at its finest. Filled with unexpected surprises, this book brings a supremely satisfying end to the Seven’s journey.

In case you’re wondering, I’m giving this a four because there were some questionable parts for me. Sorry, can’t go into any more detail than that, but I still loved it.

I can highly recommend this entire series if you like steamy paranormal romance with fast-paced action. It is definitely best to read the books in order, though you could probably jump in with book number 8, Vampire’s Faith. But they are all well worth reading.

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with a copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

So amazing!

The perfect ending for the series. There are so many twists, so much heart and a truly beautiful story. I love the outcome and the journey there. Hope and her Warrior are a brilliant match.

I voluntarily read an advanced copy.

5 Fated stars ★

Fate and duty is all Hope Kayrs-Kyllwood has thought about since she’d been born. Achieving a treaty between the Realm and Kurjans and finally, having peace between the species, has always been her objective. Leaving beside love and a chance at happiness, Hope just wants to finally destroy Ulric, spiritual leader and warlord of the Kurjans, impenetrable and impossible to kill. It all comes down to three people: Paxton, Drake and herself.

Paxton has loved Hope since childhood, since they first met, he’d vowed to protect her no matter the cost, even if it has to be from herself. He knows there’s a battle coming, and that he has a role to play in it; however, that doesn’t mean he’s not going to interpone himself between Hope and any danger that might threaten her, even himself. He has a lot of secrets: everybody in headquarters thinks he’s just a scientist studying butterflies with his uncle; when in reality, he has been training to become a warrior, someone who can protect himself from a dark past and protect others. His early childhood wasn’t easy, Hope and her family was the one constant thing that helped him get through the worst of his father’s abuse. Shocking revelations will change everything he knows about himself and will put to the test his relationship with Hope, with help from Drake, Kurjan Nation leader and the last of the three who are meant to bring peace between the species.

Throughout the story, the reader will be thrown from one direction to another, doubting alongside Hope if the path she’s seeing is the correct one or if it will come to the destruction of the Realm and everyone she loves. One thing I must say is that, if there was any doubt Rebecca Zanetti is a master in plot twists, with this book there's confirmation. Everything we know is about to be tested and she brings the best twist with this story that you’ll least expect. With a lot of Kayrs and Kyllwood presence, I’m now tempted to re-read all the books in the series again. You never know what you’ll find.

Just don’t forget before reading that you need a few things: comfy chair, good light, something to drink (why not a few tissues) and be prepared to get caught up in the plot of the conclusion for this generation of the Dark Protectors. I hope there’s more to come! Not ready to say goodbye just yet.


***Disclaimer: I’ve applied and received this book as an ARC via NetGalley and this is my honest review***

The next generation of Dark Protectors has certainly grown up! It feels like avid readers of the series have been waiting for this moment in the series. Little Hope Kayrs-Kyllwood, the only female vampire-hybrid, has grown up to become one of the top Realm strategists. She leads her own team, filled with familiar faces from the series, and is on the hunt to figure out her fate. Much like her mother, Janie, she is caught between what she thinks fate is telling her, her heart to sacrifice everything for her family and the prophecy of what will be in the end. Hope is in hot pursuit of saving enhanced females when her mission takes a turn to catch an elusive hacker. Much to her surprise and disappointment, her best friend, Paxton Phoenix, is the hacker and Hope's world flips up on end. She must confront her feelings for Paxton, as he suddenly may be a threat to her family and to the Realm. As Pax and Hope dance around the inevitable and uncover new truths together, danger still looms as the Cyst and Kurjan's work against the Realm.
Zanetti crafts a wild and satisfying ride for the Realm's favorite daughter!

An end to a wonderful series. Zanetti has again, given her readers a wonderfully written book that comes full circle in terms of the plotline and dark protectors universe. However, this book was not what I imagined a series finale to be. When the author started up the dark protectors series again, I was excited to revisit some characters and get Hope's happy ever after. The way Zanetti set up each new book towards Hope's book was such a great build up, but after reading this book, it was not a finale that worked with the previous books. This book felt a bit rushed, especially towards the end where it feels like the final battle was such a letdown. And the build up of Drakes character and his and Paxton's rivalry wasn't portrayed very well either. Reading the book was like reading Marked all over again, but with different character names. The falling for enemy and falling for best friend trope were obvious either way, but Drake's character was just written off, making him the big bad Kurjan like all the previous books. Drake wasn't even integral to the story. So what was the point of him throughout all these past few books? The storyline of previous books and plot in this one was to resolve the Realms issues with every nation to be at peace. Yet, again the Kurjans were made the bad guy and there were no redemption arcs for either the nation or individual Kurjans that would lead towards at least a start at peace. The Kurjan nation just fell in line because it was said so. That being said, my favorite character was Vero. He was what I imagined when thinking of a Kurjan hero for this book. He showed the most character growth and I loved how he handled his internal and external struggles. Overall, this book was great for a Dark protectors book but an OK ending to the series.