Wicked Deeds on a Winter’s Night – Wicked is Good

Wicked Deeds on a Winter’s Night by Kresley Cole is the fourth book in the “Immortals After Dark” series, and it is in no way outdone by the first two books.

One of the things I enjoyed most when reading the second book “A Hunger Like No Other” was the savagery of the passion and the intensity of the scenes in the book.

Wicked Deeds certainly continues to carry the torch towards a gold medal in sexual excellence. Curiously enough, with the title, little of this book takes place in a winter setting…but that does not detract in any way from the content within!

One of the things I love best about Cole’s writing style is her no-holds-barred approach, and from the very first chapter, things are sizzling suddenly for Bowen and his mate-to-be, the witch Mariketa. They meet in a Guatemalan jungle, a part of a mystical being ‘Amazing Race’ style competition, and the sparks are flying between them from the get-go.

Despite that Mariketa has been casting an ugly glamour over herself for some time, Bowen sees right through it to the witch underneath, and she attracts him like no other. He thinks she has enchanted him to want her, and given the instability of her magic casting skills, Mariketa cannot be sure she hasn’t done that in a moment of passion.

Every interaction is more foreplay between the two, and even with the action in the story, their heat pounces off the page at every opportunity.

Bowen is tragic and sexy, all at the same time. He has been celibate for over two hundred of his twelve hundred years, when he runs into Mariketa. His conflict is multifaceted; he is overwhelmed at first by the guilt that washes over him at wanting her, because his celibacy is self-inflicted.

He also has to combat a thousand-year-long prejudice towards witches. He doesn’t realize that there is a reason why he is ferociously drawn to Mariketa. As she warms up to him and he begins to rationalize away his guilt to accept his feelings for her, their encounters grow more and more intense.

Up to the point when she meets Bowen, Mariketa has been on the edge of something big. Bowen sort of helps her regain perspective over her life; at the same time, he convinces her that she can’t live without him.

My conclusion? There needs to be some Lykae males roaming around in my neighborhood. For real…

This book, with its solid story, hot, hot sex, and captivating characters, places it firmly on my Certified Re-Read list. I can’t wait for the next in the series.

Dark Needs at Night’s Edge (Book 6).