His gaze drilled into her very soul. "What are you thinking about, Annabelle?" Huskily asked, a caress to each of her senses. 

Like him, she couldn't lie. Not this time, the truth already proven by the softening of her lips. "Kissing you."

His gaze immediately dropped to her lips, his pupils gobbling up his irises. "Why?"

Because you think I'm a prize. Because, when you look at me, I feel cherished rather than leered at. "I believe you'll be familiar with my answer----because."


Wicked Nights is the dark and sexy debut new paranormal romance series by Gena Showalter featuring angels. These angels have been scattered amongst her Lords of the Underworld series, so I was ecstatic to hear they would be staring in their own series titled Angels of the Dark. Showalter does not disappoint, and from the beginning of the book I was fascinated and couldn't turn the pages fast enough. 

The story begins four years after Annabelle Miller witnesses a demon savagely murder her parents on her Eighteenth  birthday while she helplessly fought to save them from death. She has been wrongfully convicted of murdering her parents and has been serving her time sentenced at the Moffat County Institute for the Criminally Insane,  in the  Colorado mountains. Unfortunately she is the only human that can visualize these demons that victimize her daily, and therefore leading to the further speculation that she is criminally insane, and no longer fit to be rehabilitated into a positive member of society. 

It breaks my heart to read that Annabelle has not only been victimized by the demon that killed her parents as well as her dreams of a normal life but she is now a victim of a sleazy creepy doctor that she has nicknamed Dr. Fritzpervert that uses sedation to force himself upon her body daily. Finally an army of unruly angels have become aware of the demon infestation at the Moffat Institute and have now deemed it their responsibility to rid the demon festation and protect the humans at all costs. 

This man could teach her, she thought. This heavenly man who appeared so devilish, like a dark, seductive dream meant to lure a female straight into midnight temptations. 
Dangerous....Yes, this man is dangerous......

Zacharel is the brutally SEXY-Licious commander of these group of unruly angels that have been working together for the past three months since their Deity gave them one year to prove they are worthy of keeping their wings. None of these angels wish to become Fallen Angels and each of their behavior reflects on the entire group ultimately dooming themselves and Zacharel to life without wings if they fail. Ultimately upon meeting Annabelle he gives her a chance to be rescued away from further abuse, but she's going to have trust this ferocious warrior Zacharel if she expects to survive, or die trying. 


Annabelle is fierce, feisty and so kind hearted with such a strong and courageous soul. I was instantly enthralled with how she stood up to Zacharel and challenged his every word, without even a desire to heed the consequences. It was riveting to watch such an aloof angel used to commanding orders without rebuttal yet, Annabelle such a feisty human questions and refuses even the simplest commands he gives her, yet he recedes giving her free will to do as she pleases. 


"This is no way to speak to me, Annabelle. I am in a dangerous mood."

Zacharel is such a voracious warrior and I was fascinated with his tortured story. Sadly his past has left him a hardened shell of the carefree angel he once was before the loss of a loved one. His past has dictated his inner turmoil and his suffering leading to a life without love, and a focus on cruelty. Having kept himself closed off from romantic interactions for so long, I've found it endearing to watch his cold outer shell thaw into an angel with a desire for someone other than himself. Zacharel and Annabelle both from their first meet ignite such intoxicating passion and sexual tension, it wasn't difficult getting wrapped up in it. 

"Very well. But I must admit, taking care of a female is more difficulty than even I imagined."

"Hey! I am not high maintenance. I'm spunky."

His gaze met hers for a protracted second. "To a man who has spent centuries seeing to only his own needs, you are indeed high maintenance, but I'm finding I do not mind maintaining you."


Together these two charmed their way into each others heart, as well as my own while they works together to discover the identity of the demon that has spent the last four years spending his minions to torture and injure Annabelle, ultimately putting a target on his back as an enemy of Zacharel. From the first time Zacharel met Annabelle he has a desire to protect her, and possess her heart, mind and soul, and with this demon interfering with her safety his defeat has now became Zacharel's greatest ambition, and those familiar with Zacharel know that ambition is not something he lacks. 

" You were warned," Zacharel said before Annabelle had time to react. He smiled, but it was not the kind smile Annabelle could wring from him. It was the cruelest of all. His wings flared from his back as he grabbed him by the waist. "You don't care what I do to you? Well, let's see if I can change your mind."

As a Lords of the Underworld fan I was delighted to see appearances from a few of my favorite demons and their fiery women! I recommend Wicked Nights for fans of sexy, dark paranormal romance fans who find themselves fascinated with tortured heros and heroines. I LOVED Wicked Nights, and true to Gena Showalter form she will wrap you up in this story where you don't want to put it down, tug at your heart strings, excite you with a spicy romantic story, side characters your eager to get to know more, and world building that will you will desire to read the next book immediately. I'm already a huge fan of sexually deviant yet loyal Thane and selfless and tortured Kobo, and I'm hoping the next book will feature one of them. Wicked Nights is a must read for all paranormal romance fans, so you must read it immediately! 
 
"You are mine," he rasped. "Only ever mine. I accept all that you are, and we can be together. "

4.5 Stars!!!

ARC provided by Author 

You can also find my review here: http://missvainsparanormalfantasy.com...