Book Review: Dark Desires After Dusk by Kresley Cole

Author: Kresley Cole
Series: Immortals After Dark #5
Audience: +18
Genre: Paranormal Romance, Urban Fantasy
Publisher: Pocket Books
Release Date: May 20th 2008
My Rating: 2.5 Cups
Source: My Copy
Blurb (from Goodreads):

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 we 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 state his wildest needs–and claim his heart?

*Disclaimer: This review contains a few spoilers. I tried to keep it to a minimum, but unfortunately I had a lot of feelings for some specific things about the story and to be able to explain my rating I had to address them. 

I’m not going to lie, I struggled a bit with this book, as you can see from the rating I gave it. And I’m a little mad at past-Ruby for not keeping a reading journal, because past-Ruby not only loved Dark Desires After Dusk, she gave it a 4 star rating. I would have liked to know what it was about the story that my former self liked so much. That being said, I can guess which parts of this book felt different to me now as opposed to many years ago, but I’m sure there are small things that maybe I’ve missed back then, or maybe even now.

Don’t forget that I’m reading this book as a buddy read with Jamsu @ Jamsudreams and you can read her review of Dark Desires After Dusk here. Now let me tell you all my thoughts and feelings.

Book Review: Dark Needs at Night’s Edge by Kresley Cole

Author: Kresley Cole
Series: Immortals After Dark #4
Audience: +18
Genre: Paranormal Romance, Urban Fantasy
Publisher: Pocket Books
Release Date: April 29th 2008
My Rating: 5 Cups
Source: My Copy
Blurb (from Goodreads):

Bestselling author Kresley Cole continues her seductive Immortals After Dark series with this tale of a vampire shunned even by his own kind and a beautiful phantom, bound together by a passion they cannot resist.

A RAVEN-HAIRED TEMPTRESS OF THE DARK…

Néomi Laress, a famous ballerina from a past century, became a phantom the night she was murdered. Imbued with otherworldly powers but invisible to the living, she haunts her beloved home, scaring away trespassers — until she encounters a ruthless immortal even more terrifying than Néomi herself.

A VAMPIRE WARRIOR CONSUMED BY MADNESS…

To prevent him from harming others, Conrad Wroth’s brothers imprison him in an abandoned manor. But there, a female only he can see seems determined to drive him further into madness. The exquisite creature torments him with desire, leaving his body racked with lust and his soul torn as he finds himself coveting her for his own.

HOW FAR WILL HE GO TO CLAIM HER?

Yet even if Conrad can win Néomi, evil still surrounds her. Once he returns to the brutality of his past to protect her, will he succumb to the dark needs seething inside him?

Dark Needs at Night’s Edge is by far my favorite book so far of the series. We’re finally meeting new species of the Lore, and I absolutely loved seeing the world expand, this time with ghosts. This book was once again a buddy read with Jamsu @ Jamsudreams and you can check out her review of this book here.

Blog Tour Book Review: Treasured by Lexi Blake

Author: Lexi Blake
Series: Masters and Mercenaries #22.5
Audience: +18
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Erotic Romance
Publisher:1001 Dark Nights Press
Release Date: June 22nd 2021
My Rating: 5 Cups
Source: Social Butterfly PR
Blurb (from Goodreads):

From New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Lexi Blake comes a new story in her Masters and Mercenaries series…

David Hawthorne has a great life. His job as a professor at a prestigious Dallas college is everything he hoped for. Now that his brother is back from the Navy, life seems to be settling down. All he needs to do is finish the book he’s working on and his tenure will be assured. When he gets invited to interview a reclusive expert, he knows he’s gotten lucky. But being the stepson of Sean Taggart comes with its drawbacks, including an overprotective mom who sends a security detail to keep him safe. He doesn’t need a bodyguard, but when Tessa Santiago shows up on his doorstep, the idea of her giving him close cover doesn’t seem so bad.

Tessa has always excelled at most anything she tried, except romance. The whole relationship thing just didn’t work out for her. She’s not looking for love, and she’s certainly not looking for it with an academic who happens to be connected to her boss’s family. The last thing she wants is to escort an overly pampered pretentious man-child around South America to ensure he doesn’t get into trouble. Still, there’s something about David that calls to her. In addition to watching his back, she will have to avoid falling into the trap of soulful eyes and a deep voice that gets her heart racing.

But when the seemingly simple mission turns into a treacherous race for a hidden artifact, David and Tess know this assignment could cost them far more than their jobs. If they can overcome the odds, the lost treasure might not be their most valuable reward.

**Every 1001 Dark Nights novella is a standalone story. For new readers, it’s an introduction to an author’s world. And for fans, it’s a bonus book in the author’s series. We hope you’ll enjoy each one as much as we do.**

*Disclaimer: I received an e-ARC of this book from Social Butterfly PR in exchange for an honest review. This does not influence my rating or the content of my review in any way.

**Disclaimer: This book contains mature content. As a result, my review may contain references to content intended for mature audiences only.

You guys, I can’t even explain how much I adored this story. The world of the McKay-Taggart is getting so much bigger and I can’t help but be utterly in love with it all. I’ve said this many times, but I have yet to read a book by Lexi Blake that I didn’t find charming and adorable and that didn’t make me cry at least once. And Treasured is no different.

Spring 2021 Wrap-Up

Well this is embarrassing. I didn’t mean to just disappear, I promise. I just had trouble managing my time properly and then I just… enjoyed not writing? Which is strange, because I do love blogging and I missed it.

How has everyone been? My spring as been pretty exciting. My internship is over and now I’m back to job hunting, but I have a little bit more… faith? Energy? I don’t know what the right word for it is, but I have it. I’ve learned a lot during this process, and I’m just excited and hopeful.

Let’s get started with this wrap up though, because I have 3 months worth of wrapping up to do.

Book Review: Wicked Deeds on a Winter’s Night by Kresley Cole

Author: Kresley Cole
Series: Immortals After Dark #3
Audience: +18
Genre: Paranormal Romance, Urban Fantasy
Publisher: Pocket Books
Release Date: September 24th 2007
My Rating: 5 Cups
Source: My Copy
Blurb (from Goodreads):

Bowen MacRieve of the Lykae clan was nearly destroyed when he lost the one woman meant for him. The ruthless warrior grew even colder, never taking another to his bed—until a smoldering encounter with his enemy, Mariketa the Awaited, reawakens his darkest desires. When sinister forces unite against her, the Highlander finds himself using all his strength and skill to keep her alive.

Temporarily stripped of her powers, Mari is forced to take refuge with her sworn adversary. It’s rumored that no one can tempt Bowen’s hardened heart, but soon passion burns between them. Though a future together is impossible, she fears he has no intention of letting her go.

If they defeat the evil that surrounds them, can Mari deny Bowen when he demands her body and soul—or will she risk everything for her fierce protector?

I’m back with another Immortals After Dark review for you guys and this one is… just brace yourselves. I have to once again thank Jamsu @ Jamsudreams for buddy reading this series with me, because had I not been doing this buddy read with her, I do believe I would be missing out on not just a ton of fun, but also on seeing the series in a different light. This is what happened with me and Mari and Bowen’s story. I remembered very little from my first read of the book, so it was kind of like reading the book for the first time. And that was amazing. Let’s get started!

Book Review: No Rest for The Wicked by Kresley Cole

Author: Kresley Cole
Series: Immortals After Dark #2
Audience: +18
Genre: Paranormal Romance, Urban Fantasy
Publisher: Pocket Books
Release Date: April 2015 (first published October 31st 2006)
My Rating: 4.5 Cups
Source: My Copy
Blurb (from Goodreads):

In this next installment in the Immortals After Dark Series, USA Today Bestselling author Kresley Cole delivers a scorching tale about a forbidding vampire who lives in the shadows and the beautiful assassin who hunts him there.

A vampire soldier weary of life…

Centuries ago, Sebastian Wroth was turned into a vampire—a nightmare in his mind—against his will. Burdened with hatred and alone for ages, he sees little reason to live. Until an exquisite, fey creature comes to kill him, inadvertently saving him instead.

A valkyrie assassin dispatched to destroy him…

When Kaderin the Cold Hearted lost her two beloved sisters to a vampire attack long ago, a benevolent force deadened her sorrow—accidentally extinguishing all of her emotions. Yet whenever she encounters Sebastian, her feelings—particularly lust—emerge multiplied. For the first time, she’s unable to complete a kill.

Competitors in a legendary hunt…

The prize of the month-long contest is powerful enough to change history, and Kaderin will do anything to win it for her sisters. Wanting only to win her, forever, Sebastian competes as well, taking every opportunity—as they travel to ancient tombs and through catacombs, seeking relics around the world—to use her new feelings to seduce her. But when forced to choose between the vampire she’s falling for and reuniting her family, how can Kaderin live without either?

My Immortals After Dark buddy reread with Jamsu @ Jamsudreams continues with No Rest For The Wicked and it was a glorious time. Now, I do have to mention that it took me a month to read this book, not because I didn’t like it, but because I just wasn’t in the mood for paranormal books. But this was totally a me thing and it ultimately had no influence on how I enjoyed this book.

Blog Tour Book Review: Taggart Family Values by Lexi Blake

Author: Lexi Blake
Series: Masters and Mercenaries #21.5
Audience: +18
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Erotic Romance
Publisher: DLZ Entertainment, LLC
Release Date: May 11th 2021
My Rating: 5 Cups
Source: Social Butterfly PR
Blurb (from Goodreads):

From Ian and Charlotte’s first meeting in Paris to a look into the future, Taggart Family Values chronicles Masters and Mercenaries’ favorite family through a series of short stories and novellas. Includes one brand new short story and one new novella. Lexi hopes readers will have a blast connecting with Ian and Charlotte and all their little monsters!

Taggart Family Values includes the novellas Paradise City, Sweet Child o’ Mine, Homecoming, and Countdown. It also includes the short stories Adam Tells All, Make Lemonade, Rough Night, and Stuck at the Office.

Some of the stories were previously published in newsletters and cookbooks.

*Disclaimer: I received an e-ARC of this book from Social Butterfly PR in exchange for an honest review. This does not influence my rating or the content of my review in any way.

**Disclaimer: This book contains mature content. As a result, my review may contain references to content intended for mature audiences only.

***Disclaimer: This is book 21.5 in the Masters and Mercenaries series. While I will keep my review spoiler free regarding this book, most spoilers about the series in general are unavoidable at this point.

I am coming out of my hiatus cave with another review of a Lexi Blake book, and it is a fantastic one. My silent prayers have been heard, and Lexi Blake collected all of her Ian and Charlie short stories in one book. I cannot explain to you how much I adored this installment in the series, and even though I’ve already read some of these stories, it was still fun to reconnect with my favorite couple. Let me tell you all about this book!