Reviews

Wicked Deeds on a Winter's Night by Kresley Cole

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amykastigar's review against another edition

5.0

I love everything about this book. It hits all the right notes for me and ranks as one of my all-time favorite romance novels, paranormal of otherwise. Mariketa is a fantastic heroine and Bowen, well, after a rough beginning he certainly grows on you. I started the IAD series last year, and this is my fourth reread of this entry. I shall push on, and while I am enjoying each book as the series moves forward, I won’t be surprised if this one remains my favorite.
Update: the audio is fantabulous!

virgo_reader's review against another edition

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3.0

The first part of Wicked Deeds on a Winter’s Night overlaps with the end of book 2 in this series, No Rest for the Wicked. Bowen MacRieve, a Lykae (werewolf), and Market the Awaited, a witch, are both competing in the Hie - a supernatural Amazing Race type game. Only Bowen’s a big old jerk, and he leaves Mari and other competitors trapped in a cave with very old, crazed incubi.

I’d say the first half of this book was a little slow to me. Maybe not slow because there was literal action/events happening, but there wasn’t a lot of focus on the pair of them together or their relationship. And when they finally do meet again face to face, Bowen is furious because he thinks Mari is enchanting him to want her, when he’s been celibate since his mate Mariah died 180 years earlier.

I loved the protectiveness of Bowen and how territorial he got with Mari (I’m a sucker for those werewolf mate stereotypes) and the banter between the two of them. We saw Bowen in both books 1 and 2 of the series and know he rarely smiles or jokes. Mari bringing that out in him was fun.

”If we had no bad blood between us, would you… like me?”
“I’d be attracted to you, but there’s no way I’d want anything permanent with you - bad blood or not.”
“What the hell’s so wrong with me?” His eyes flickered, and the hint of uncertainty he’d just revealed was drowned out by a surge of annoyance. “I’m strong, I can protect you, and I’m rich. And I vow to you, lass, once you experience what it’s like to share my bed, you will no’ ever want to leave it.”
His eyes bore into hers as he said the last, and despite herself, his utter confidence in this area affected her, forcing her to wonder what tricks a twelve-century-old immortal would’ve picked up over the years.
She inwardly shook herself. “MacRieve, when I settle down it’s going to be with a male that has - oh, I don’t know - a sense of humor, or of modesty. How about a lack of scathing hatred toward witches? Maybe a zest for life? Too much to ask that he’s born in the same millennium?”

The books pacing felt just a smidge off to me, because the beginning was a bit slow and then at the end it was like bang! bang! bang! plot twists one after another. (She accepts him in Lykae form. He says the wrong name during sex. She leaves him. He shows up and gets her back! He’s a fucker who doesn’t want her practicing witchcraft. She leaves him again and prevents him from leaving the house. But somehow he gets out and meets her for the private plane. The demon flying the plane abandons it and they crash. She almost dies. He finds a way to heal her. His ex comes back from the dead. Mari leaves him AGAIN. Mari goes into the mirror and then comes out to battle his ex who’s actual Haxa. Mari wins but is then trapped. Bowen frees her.

alejandra_guerrero's review against another edition

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4.0

Mariketa was actually a decent heroine. I didn't particularly care about Bowen, but he was OK.

jacquelinec's review against another edition

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3.0

I didn't think that Cole would be able to make me warm-up to MacRieve in this one, but she did. I only read it so that I wouldn't fall behind with the goings-on in the Lore, but I ended up really enjoying this one. Mostly because Mari is such a cool heroine and she didn't take MacRieve's crap.