Dark Needs at Night's Edge: Immortals After Dark, Book 5

By: Kresley Cole

Narrated by: Robert Petkoff

Length: 10 hrs and 59 mins

Publisher's summary

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?

©2012 Kresley Cole (P)2012 Simon & Schuster Audio

loved it

it is a silly fun romance with a paranormal twist. love how the world is told

OMG I LOVED IT!!!

unbelievably enthralling. mrs cole out does herslf everytime all I can say is give me more!!

Pretty good addition to the series :)

3.5 - 4 stars

This was a pretty good story. I liked Conrad and Naomi and thought their story was a good addition to the series.

Naomi used to be a ballet dancer in the 1920s. Naomi did very well as a dancer and even bought and restored a beautiful old estate in New Orleans. Unfortunately, Naomi was killed by an obsessive suitor that wouldn't accept her breaking up with him. Naomi didn't want to die and ended up finding herself stuck as a ghost at her estate for the last 80+ years.

Conrad is the brother of the Wroth Vampires (see books The Warlord Wants Forever & No Rest for the Wicked). He was forcibly changed in to a vampire (to save his life) by a well meaning brother and Conrad didn't take it well. Conrad had been a member of a society that hunted Vampires (unknown to his family) and so when he was forcibly changed in to a Vampire, Conrad became something he hated and it made him hate his brothers. Conrad became a forsaken (a vampire that kills to drink blood) and is slowly going mad from the memories of people he's killed that he's plagued with.

The story starts out with the 3 Wroth brothers having captured Conrad and bring him to an estate they bought to store him at while they try to save him and hopefully cure him of his blood lust. This doesn't go easily as Conrad is out of it and only wants to kill his brothers. Naomi is at the estate and has been stuck there a very long time with little to nothing going on so she's bored....I mean REALLY BORED! When the Wroth brothers show up, Naomi is happy because it means that she wont be bored for a while. Unfortunately, Conrad causes some destruction in the house that upsets Naomi and Naomi wonders if she should really be happy that the vampire brothers will be staying there. She is halted in her plans to get the vampires out when Naomi starts suspecting that Conrad can see her. He seems really nuts though so she's unsure if he did see her or not but she figures it's worth further investigation. Unfortunately for Naomi, Conrad thinks she must be another of his hallucinations and so he tries to ignore her presence. Soon however, Naomi starts to suspect that Conrad can really see her and Conrad starts to realize that Naomi isn't a hallucination.

Conrad's brothers try to help Conrad regain his mind and are surprised at his quick recovery to lucidity. Once his mind becomes clearer, Conrad starts to realize that it seems to be due to Naomi's presence and he starts to suspect that she's something special to him. He wonders if she's supposed to be his Bride but since she's a ghost it's hard to say since she has no physical body to blood him with. In addition to Conrad's insanity issues, he has an issue with others being out to kill him, especially a dream demon that has placed a curse on him and is seeking to kill him. Conrad and Naomi spend time together as he regains his mind but things don't go perfectly and Conrad does overreact to some things which causes a rift between Naomi and Conrad. They manage to get past that but when Naomi brings about changes that cause their relationship and future to change, it propels the couple in to an unsure situation. There's much drama and some very bad times before the end but once everything is settled, Conrad and Naomi end with a well deserved HEA.

This was a pretty enjoyable story. I liked both Conrad and Naomi and liked them as a couple. My main complaint is that I thought the story started out a bit slow. However, once I got past the first part, the plot picked up and had some interesting and unexpected twists as the story progressed. Regardless of it's slow start, it's a good story that I'd recommend. :)

I *HEART* this book!

Would you consider the audio edition of Dark Needs at Night's Edge to be better than the print version?

Haven't purchased the print version, and unless I'm buying it so Robert Petkoff can come to my house to read it out loud to me, I won't be doing so anytime soon.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Dark Needs at Night's Edge?

The sexual tension between the characters before they get together. SO hot and yet so extremely touching.

What about Robert Petkoff’s performance did you like?

Every single freaking word of the entire book. The man could probably make a reading of the dictionary an intimate affair. If I had my choice, he would narrate EVERY SINGLE romance/ erotic novel out there. Seriously, Kresley Cole is one lucky author. I couldn't STAND the plot of the first novel in this series, but I kept listening because the narration is so on point. Like whoa. Dot com.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

This entire story moved me. I kind of did an audio marathon as soon as I came across these novels and when I got to this one it was like a revelation. No heroines acting the fool turning down some demigod who wants nothing more than to pleasure her at every waking moment. No ma'am! I enjoyed every single moment of this story, and have actually listened to it twice it was that good.

Any additional comments?

Although it helps to read the other books prior to this one for peripheral background purposes, this could stand alone. So if you can't stand the bickering star-crossed lover thing (the first 3 books) just go in for the kill with this one. I've read 6 books from this series and this is still easily my favorite. But seriously, Robert Petkoff MAKES these books. It's worth listening to just for the sweet love he makes to your ears.

Another great addition to this addictive series!

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

I would recommend this my friends. Ms. Cole does a great job of world building so that you are easily immersed. Robert Petkoff is also amazing.

Who was your favorite character and why?

I loved Conrad. He's a bad guy who is impossible to write off as just being evil.

Which scene was your favorite?

I loved the scene where Conrad gathered the newspapers for Noemi.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes!

I LOVE THIS SERIES!!!

Where does Dark Needs at Night's Edge rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

So far this is one of my favorites...I absolutely LOVE Robert Petkoff reading these books and as long as K.C. Keeps writing them and Robert Petkoff keeps narrating them I will keep buying them!!! I love all his different voices and accents and love the way I can distinguish between all the characters simply because of his voice changes!! LOVE LOVE LVOE LOVE LOVE THIS SERIES OF BOOKS AND LOVE LOVE LOVE Kresley Cole!!!!
I wish Robert Petkoff would narrate all romance novels!! Such a Sexy Voice!!!

LOOOOVE IT!!!!!!!!

I love these characters, their wit and personalities, the stories and the narration. I'm so glad I found this series!

THE BEST ONE IN THE SERIES SO FAR!!

I've loved every book in this IAD series so far, but this one was one was close to perfection and had me hooked from chapter one. It had love, humor, action, suspense, and the story of these lovers was just a pleasure to listen to. The other books have been mainly about enemies falling in love basically, but this one wasn't that way and I appreciated the change. As always, the narration gets an A+! Robert Petkoff drives me wild as he brings these characters to life. This series as a whole has become a favorite that I recommend if you're into the paranormal and of course enjoy hot lusty romance!

A Wonderful Love Story

What did you like about this audiobook?

One of the best I've ever read!

How has the book increased your interest in the subject matter?

This is one of the most exciting vampire stories among several others I've listened to.

Does the author present information in a way that is interesting and insightful, and if so, how does he achieve this?

Petkoff brought each character to life. He's a consummate narrator creating the voices and images perfectly. I'd read any book he narrates.

What did you find wrong about the narrator's performance?

Nothing!

Do you have any additional comments?

Kresley Cole is a wonderful vampire story teller creating characters and images that come to life. I've downloaded several of her books, but this is so far the best.

ABSOLUTELY AMAZING!

As always the combo of Kresley Cole's writing and beautifully woven story and hilarious cast of characters combined with the godness of Robert Petkoff....

I'm floored! Get it now!