Liviania‘s review of Dark Desires After Dusk by Kresley Cole
Paranormal Romance released from Pocket 20 May 08

Kresley Cole began setting the stage for Dark Desires After Dusk during Wicked Deeds on a Winter’s Night.  Those teasing glimpses of Cade’s character hold nothing to his full story.  Pornophile, hard drinking, fast driving rage demon Cadeon the Kingmaker has it bad for repressed mathematics professor/student Holly Ashwin.  Cole writes it so well they don’t even seem like an odd couple.

For one thing, she hints throughout in scenes that have nothing to do with Holly that Cade respects knowledge, wished he had a better education when young, and has been teaching himself about esoteric subjects during his mercenary career.  Holly is repressed precisely because she has been avoiding her Valkyrie/Fury instincts.  Disastrous attempts at sex convinced her remaining celibate was the best option, which went against her naturally lusty personality.  She quickly realizes that she could sex Cade up without hurting him – and she might not be as adverse to the idea as she pretends.

One obstacle is Holly’s current boyfriend, who despite their relationship of two years respects her wish to wait until marriage without complaint.  While she cheats on him, the two (as Cade points out) had more of a friendship than a relationship.  Cole manages to hit the right balance of Holly feeling guilty about being intimate with Cade before breaking up with Tom; she seems neither callous nor angsty.  Actually, Cole’s characterization of Holly hits all the right notes.  The OCD remains a constant characteristic, rather than coming and going as it fits the story, but it serves a purpose and doesn’t become an annoying trait that’s supposed to be endearing as is all too common in romance heroines.  She also earns her geek cred.  She knows her Star Wars and dreams up one awesome code.  (When she describes the code, Cade thinks she sounds more like a Valkyrie than a geek.  Obviously he needs to experience the wonders of gaming.)

The problem with these two getting together is that Cade needs to betray Holly so that he can get a sword to kill Omort the Deathless and regain his brother’s kingdom.  As we know from previous installments in the Immortals After Dark, Cade knows he messed up bad and feels some major guilt.  Cade and Holly drive cross-country in Rydstrom’s fab one point two million dollar ride, evading various attempts on Holly’s life and exchanging some of the best dialogue I’ve read all year.  Did I mention everybody wants Holly because her womb is magic?  Man, I don’t even hate that plot point.  For one thing, it leads to fabulous chase scenes and the return of Tera from WDOAWN.  The tomb of the incubi groups still has great friend chemistry.

For those wondering what Rydstrom is doing during these hijinks, he gets captured early in the novel by Omort’s sister Sabine..  He doesn’t appear again until a scene toward the end that makes me want the next book now.  (Actually, she’s been handing out hints about so many couples throughout the series that I want the next five or so books now.  I’m not greedy, really.)

If you have any love for paranormal romance whatsoever, do yourself a favor and read Dark Desires After Dusk.

Grade: A

     Summary: 

     A seductive beauty he can never have, yet can’t resist…

     Cadeon Woede will stop at nothing to atone for the one wrong that will haunt him forever. But once he secures the key to his redemption, the halfling Holly Ashwin, Cade finds that the woman he thought he could use for his own ends and then forget haunts him as much as his past.

     A tormented warrior she should fear, but can’t deny…

     Raised as a human, Holly never knew that some frightening legends are real until she encounters a brutal demon who inexplicably guards her like a treasure. Thrust into a sensual new world of myth and power, with him as her protector, she begins to crave the demon’s wicked touch.

     Surrender to dark desires…

     Yet just when he earns Holly’s trust, will Cade be forced to betray the only woman who can sate his wildest needs — and claim his heart?

Click on the Immortals After Dark series tag for more excerpts, more reviews, and more everything on this series.