Dark Needs at Night's Edge Review

By now most blogs and websites have posted their own reviews about Kresley Cole’s next release in her Immortal After Dark series. Hopefully mine will be up to par and my impressions will be a little different from everyone else. So, without further ado…

Kresley Cole is one of my favorite authors. Whether she writes historicals or paranormal romance, I have enjoyed almost every single one of her books. Well, that is until her Wicked Deeds on a Winter’s Night came out last year. As most of you know, Wicked Deeds was a DNF (do not finish) from me. I was a bit ashamed because everyone seemed to love this book, while I couldn’t get pass the first 100 pages.

When a book comes along from an author I have usually glommed in the past and is a less than wonderful read, I have some reservations about their next release. What if their last DNF becomes an on-going cycle for them? All her past books up to Wicked Deeds I have enjoyed in her Immortals After Dark series. What would Dark Needs at Night’s Edge hold for me?

I can say with very happy results, that Dark Needs at Night’s Edge is a MUST read and my favorite book in this whole series. Kresley has an incredible way of writing wonderful characters who give angst a new meaning, but makes sure there are some lighthearted moments. Dark Needs is a much darker book where we don’t have those semi annoying witches showing up like they have done in the past. Sorry, I am not a big fan of them as a whole. Some of them do pop up but make a small appearance and leave as quickly as they arrive. Hooray!

What we have here are two characters who have suffered considerably. Conrad, is a vampire so overcome with bloodlust, he will kill anyone who gets in his way, even if that means his brothers who love him. Neomi, the woman in his life, is an 80 year old ghost who was murdered in a very gruesome way by a man who didn’t want to share her with any other. So, you may ask, how can a blood crazed murdering vampire and a beautiful ghost make a relationship work?

What amazed me is, is that Conrad and Neomi cannot touch each other because Neomi is a ghost after all, thus not solid. And because of that, their courtship was very beautiful and touching. Conrad thinks Neomi is a hallucination, which he has had many in the past. He is being held against his will by his brothers at Neomi’s former run down mansion so he can go through a type of rehab for his bloodlust. Conrad feels all is lost for himself that is until he starts to see Neomi. He begins to have hope that may be he can overcome what he has become. Neomi may have died horribly and is stuck in her home she loved when she was alive, but she embraced life to the fullest from her work as a dancer, to her friends and even men. We actually have a heroine who enjoys sex and does not feel guilty about it! And Conrad is one of those very special heroes I adore that has no experience with women. Double hooray!

As these two get to know each other, without any of the physical aspects you usually expect, Conrad is the first to admit to himself that Neomi is his Bride (mate) and his love for her will set him free. If only he can find a way to make her live again, or least give her a body so she can teach him all about the physical lovemaking he has missed out on for hundreds of years. Unfortunately Neomi’s phantom like state is a major roadblock towards their HEA.

So, how does Neomi change her ghostly state to be with Conrad? Of course I am not going to give that away, but Kresley makes sure things work out in the end for this duo. Their passion for each other is intense and because they cannot touch, their foreplay is through their conversation with each other, which leads to them both falling in love.

Another great thing about Dark Needs is, even though it is part of a series, and you haven’t read the other books, you won’t be totally lost. Kresley does a great job at giving enough information without a reader being too confused about past events or characters. But, if I were you, I would recommend you go back and read the other 4 books, even Wicked Deeds, my personal DNF (Forgive me Kresley!)

A tortured virgin vampire and his lovely and gracious beautiful ghost makes for a great and of course sexy read.

Dark Needs at Night’s Edge gets 4 out of 5 stars.

**AND… this weekend I will post an extra special review, which some of you have been salivating for. Which book you ask? One word- CRACK! MUWAHAHAAAA!!!**

Katiebabs (KB)