Dark Desires After Dusk (Immortals After Dark, #5)

by Kresley Cole

[kimbacaffeinate]

I absolutely love the characters and delightful writing of the Immortals After Dark series. Cadeon Woede, a demon mercenary, looking to right the wrongs of the past with the help of Nix is given the assignment of capturing a halfling vessel. That halfling turns out to be Holly Ashwin, a local woman, that Cadeon has been secretly crushing on. Oh, the setup for DARK DESIRES AFTER DARK was fantastic. Cole hooked me from almost the onset with its interesting premise and likable characters. The banter between Holly and Cadeon was pure perfection! I knew we were in for one heck of a road trip!

Our heroine Holly has OCD, and Cole nailed her characteristics. I loved this added quirk. It also allowed us to see the softer side of Cadeon as he tried to accommodate her. Holly is bright and her field of study was an interesting one. Her condition, however, has given her a bit of a sheltered life. Believing herself human, her transformation, the trip, and serious danger freak her out before allowing her kick-ass side to emerge. FYI, a drunk Holly is a very funny, snarky Holly. Her transformation from sheltered human to confident warrior was a sight to behold.

At first, Cadeon is focused solely on his chance at redemption but spending time with Holly changes all that. Cadeon is a typical demon, and his thoughts and conversations had me laughing. His concern for Rydstrom was noble, and his struggles over his mate and family were nicely done. Cole writes such strong male characters. She takes the time to share all sides of their personality.

As these two travel, him to complete the mission, her in the hopes of reversing her transformation they encounter danger and face a growing attraction. Their interaction, attraction, and sexual tension allow the listener to experience all the feels. We do have some drama caused by miscommunication but Cole made it all feel believable.

The suspenseful thread played perfectly to their story and was filled with Wraths, demons and other supernatural creatures. We spend some time in the Valkyrie house, Nix was up to her old tricks. She remains my favorite character and I smile with glee every time she makes an appearance. The thread involving Cadeon's brother was solid and had me laughing in the end.

Robert Pedkoff continues to amazing me with his characters. His ability to capture the tone of the stories, and how he tackles the heated love scenes. OH MY! The more we get into the series, the tighter his voices become. I love that each character is unique and cannot imagine not listening to this series. He truly has spoiled me. This review was originally posted at Caffeinated Book Reviewer