This is the first book in the Immortals After Dark series that didn't completely satisfy me. I raced through Wicked Deeds on a Winter's Night, pulled along with Kresley Cole's usual fast pacing, smooth writing, and snappy dialogue. I liked the two leads, Mariketa and Bowen, but I did not like how their romance played out on the page.

My heart really went out to Bowen during books 1 and 2 in the series, I was really ready for him to catch a break and find his happily ever after. But I was also really curious: how could Bowen get a happily ever after when his one true mate is dead, and he can't travel back in time for her? Well, the answer *seems* to be witchcraft: Mariketa accidentally enchants Bowen to think she's his mate. He's sure he's been tricked, but the enchantment is indistinguishable from the reality and before long Bowen isn't sure he wants it to end.

Now, Lykae are absolutely, 100% devoted to their mates. No matter what Mari does, how she treats him, Bowen will come back for more. He literally cannot help himself. So what does that mean? Mari has all the power, and Bowen has none. Mari takes advantage of the situation in a kind of nasty way. Bowen runs himself ragged trying to win her, because it's his sole purpose in life. If he does a good enough job, Mari will hold out a shred of hope. But then he'll do or say something that isn't quite perfect, and Mari will threaten to leave him forever. Rinse and repeat.

Now, it can be really nice to read about a guy who will move heaven and earth for his woman, to see him really prove how much he cares. And Bowen has a few things to prove, for sure. But the way it worked out here really rubbed me wrong.

Here's an example which involves no spoilers. During the Hie, Bowen trapped Mariketa and a few other contestants inside a Mayan temple. Mari is trapped there for weeks, and the experience is truly hellish. Bowen thought Mari would be able to escape the temple because Mari told him she'd be able to. She was lying, but Bowen didn't know that. He didn't intend to torture or kill Mari; he just wanted to slow her down.

At the same time, Mari cursed Bowen so that he couldn't regenerate from wounds during the remainder of the Hie. Mari intended exactly the spell she executed, and she was convinced it would kill him. Bowen doesn't die, but he is horribly maimed - his face is burned, he gets shrapnel in his gut, he loses a hand.

So while Mari spends some seriously unpleasant time in an old temple with some nasty creatures, gross food, and bugs (but good company), Bowen is alone, injured, and hopeless in a fiery underground cavern. Bowen had it WAY worse than Mari. Mari intended the greater evil, and she caused more pain. But guess who has to apologize and grovel endlessly? Yep, Bowen. Bowen has to pay back Mari's suffering with (many) extravagant displays of devotion. Mari just has to decide when to forgive him. There's no balance.

Now, in A Hunger Like No Other - which also featured a Lykae hero - the Lykae's almost slavish devotion is balanced out by the fact that he's big and scary. Powerful. In Wicked Deeds, Bowen doesn't even have that advantage. Mari's magic is unstable...unless Bowen is nearby. Mari can pin him up, tie him down, whatever she feels like. He's physically and emotionally at her mercy.

Ok, enough. I'm going on and on because of how much I like this series, and this book was SO CLOSE for me. A few tweaks here and there and I'd just plain old love it. Instead it kind of left a bad taste in my mouth.