My Review of "When Wicked Craves" by J.K. Beck

Book Blurb:

Their love could bring the most potent pleasure—or the darkest nightmare.

A danger to both the human and shadow communities, Petra Lang is cursed never to love. For one touch of her skin unleashes the vilest demons imaginable. Sentenced to death by the shadow authorities, who fear she’ll turn her curse against them, Petra is rescued at the last instant by vampire advocate Nicholas Montegue. As their bodies merge and transform into mist, Petra feels an urgent erotic longing.

Nicholas fought long and hard to save Petra—and nearly paid the ultimate price. He risked his own life to spare hers, yet he knows he can never give in to the explosive attraction he feels for her. But the deep yearning they share can only be deferred for so long. Together, they must find a way to lift the curse. For only a love this strong has the power to overcome such monstrous evil.

My Review:

When Wicked Craves is the best book I have read in a long time. I simply could not put the book down. I believe a lot of various elements have to flow together to create a story as engaging, suspenseful and powerful as this one. One element which stood out to me from page one was J.K. Beck’s gift of choosing just the right words, formulating the appropriate sequence of them to create not only an image but a mood, a setting, the depth of a character…grabbing the reader and holding on tight until the final page is turned. The simple act of recalling a touch, Beck described as “the hint of sensation upon the breath of memory.” That phrase within the context of the chapter sent shivers down my spine.

The story flowed, an atmosphere arose—one mystical, tense, dark and sensual. I fell helplessly into this author’s world. The paranormal elements had enough familiarity to easily allow the genius of Beck’s differences. The intricacies of her shadow world, the way the characters were intricately intertwined, lead to new and complex complications in the relationships. I am not only speaking of the tangled labyrinth of the alliances and the discord between creatures within it such as vampires and weren, succubus and sorcerers, but of the sexual tension and romantic entanglements between them as well. It was this edge to the book which had me hook, line and sinker devouring the book rather than merely reading it. It was seriously non-stop action within the confines of very layered twists and turns, one surprise after another to be discovered and explored while magic flared, a monster once friend ripped people apart and vampires turned to mist to escape.

The best thing about this book, hyped up by the constant turmoil created for the characters, was the erotic intimacy between Petra and Nicholas, their passion and the anticipation of such even when sex, not even touch, was involved. Beck is a creative genius, an entrepreneur of romance and a wizard of plot.  The whole book took my breath away.

I have always enjoyed series which keep the same characters throughout, each book giving you an indepth view of a few of them. I can’t wait now to read the stories of Lissa and Rand, Sara and Lu. I’d like to thank Suspense Magazine for introducing this author to me. Guess I’m her newest fan!

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Reviewed by Kiki Howell for Suspense Magazine