The Midnight Breed series

This is one of my fave vamp series. Each book is a separate couple. There's no cliffhangers though the there is an overarching plot theme, so they are best if read in order. I actually started this series at the same time I started the JR Ward BDB series - within probably only a day (I actually bought the first books of each series at the same time). Which was about a year after I discovered Sherrilyn Kenyon's DarkHunters and I was on a massive paranorma/vampire kick.

My faves of the series after book 1 (Kiss of Midnight - which really sets up the series and her "world" - since the prequel novella you're reading didn't actually come out until the series was about a half dozen books in and reader demand sorta got her to write it) are: #2 Kiss of Crimson (Tess & Dante), #4 Midnight Rising (Dylan & Rio), #7 Shades of Midnight (Alex & Kade).

The Lara Adrian series is most often compared to the JR Ward one (probably coz the first books were released so close together and had a similar theme) and for me, over time, Lara Adrian's held my attention for much, much longer (I gave up on the BDB long ago, it started losing its "glow" with #5 and I gave up entirely after #9 for good - I couldn't get more than a few chapters into #10 and never went back for more) and there really wasn't a huge dud in the bunch and I'm still reading, though I've just realised I'm 2 books behind - must catch up, thanks for the reminder! (the BDB lost me with its only one decent book [#8 Rehv's story] from book #5 till when I gave up after #9).

The Lara one seemed a little, for lack of a better word, classier - the BDB seemed just a little silly with all these almost-ancient warrior vampires talking all "gangsta" and being more brand-name conscious, and into the lastest fads, than Paris Hilton (like they couldn't decide if they were gangbanger gansta rappers or rich old money frat-boy types).  Lara also sticks to her created "world rules" and doesn't overload with plot tropes or stray away from the core romance stories.