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Monster Research Facility #1
The Nightmare's Kiss
How can a living nightmare bring such sweet dreams?Mara Vance never thought her “useless” psychology degree would lead to studying an actual monster. Subject X-13, aka “The Nightmare,” is armed with sharp teeth, claws, and a constantly shifting form… yet Mara finds the huge shadow creature as intriguing as he is terrifying.But as Mara studies him, she soon realizes that the Nightmare is far more intelligent than her shady superiors say he is. And every night, she indulges in twisted fantasies about the same monster. What happens in her dreams stays in her dreams - right?Everyone says he’s nothing more than a monster. But when dream and reality collide, Mara must decide how much she’s willing to trust him - and herself. Will she risk setting him free, or will she lose him forever?
246 pages, Paperback
Published October 30, 2023
559 people are currently reading
2355 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 251 reviews
October 29, 2023
Thanks to Christina for finding this gem that scratched my monstery itch!
The h in The Nightmare's Kiss is a new college grad with a psych degree, returning to her small town. She learns that her ex is now working at a mysterious building that the locals call the Facility and when she's stonewalled at getting info from him, she begins to investigate, which interestingly enough leads to a job offer. I did find it a bit odd that the Facility had existed in their town for decades but the h is only curious upon her return, but that's a small thing. What she finds in the Facility is that she's experimenting with something unknown to her, but that she's told isn't a highly intelligent being. Except she starts noticing reactions that suggest otherwise and begins to do her own experiments that lead further down the rabbit hole to what's actually going on. All while dreaming about her subject in increasingly communicative and graphic detail. Written in first person, single POV of h. No ow/om drama (the ex is a jackass but he's not romantically interested in the h anymore and she detests him) and neither the h or H were virgins (the H's experience is kind of uncertain given how he interacts but he did have limited contact with humans).
I love how Christina pointed out in her own review how the steam was a compliment to the rest of the story in this one and she's spot on. This could have easily been straight up monster erotica with the fact that the H visits the h in dreams, but instead there's an actual plot with a slowly developed interest/romance. Now there is monster steam, including some rough sex with a touch of pain (just a heads up), but most of their time on page is the h working through what's going on, establishing a connection, and then plotting how to change it all.
Side character wise, I really liked the h's parents and the friends that she makes at work. I wish her ex got even more of a comeuppance than he did, but something does happen to him so I was satisfied with that. There's also a higher up at the Facility that you're unsure whether she's good or bad and a director who's allllll bad. Other monsters do briefly appear on page late in the book and were suitably gripping and made me wonder what else is in there.
This is a debut and some of the writing in places, esp with transitions and moving from the h being curious to being sexually attracted, was uneven. The pacing was good though and my attention never wavered. I had some questions about the history of the Facility, the locals, and the H's own history but none of these questions affected my overall enjoyment.
The climax is on the violent/gory side and quite tense. It's a big contrast with how most of the book has an experimental/investigative feel and then there's a whole heap of action and danger, but I liked it. I loved how the leadership of the Facility was resolved and what their plan was. The ending is HFN with the H and h both safe and planning on doing good, working towards a larger goal while also getting to be with each other so it was also satisfying. I would absolutely read more of this series and I think this was a fantastic debut.
The h in The Nightmare's Kiss is a new college grad with a psych degree, returning to her small town. She learns that her ex is now working at a mysterious building that the locals call the Facility and when she's stonewalled at getting info from him, she begins to investigate, which interestingly enough leads to a job offer. I did find it a bit odd that the Facility had existed in their town for decades but the h is only curious upon her return, but that's a small thing. What she finds in the Facility is that she's experimenting with something unknown to her, but that she's told isn't a highly intelligent being. Except she starts noticing reactions that suggest otherwise and begins to do her own experiments that lead further down the rabbit hole to what's actually going on. All while dreaming about her subject in increasingly communicative and graphic detail. Written in first person, single POV of h. No ow/om drama (the ex is a jackass but he's not romantically interested in the h anymore and she detests him) and neither the h or H were virgins (the H's experience is kind of uncertain given how he interacts but he did have limited contact with humans).
I love how Christina pointed out in her own review how the steam was a compliment to the rest of the story in this one and she's spot on. This could have easily been straight up monster erotica with the fact that the H visits the h in dreams, but instead there's an actual plot with a slowly developed interest/romance. Now there is monster steam, including some rough sex with a touch of pain (just a heads up), but most of their time on page is the h working through what's going on, establishing a connection, and then plotting how to change it all.
Side character wise, I really liked the h's parents and the friends that she makes at work. I wish her ex got even more of a comeuppance than he did, but something does happen to him so I was satisfied with that. There's also a higher up at the Facility that you're unsure whether she's good or bad and a director who's allllll bad. Other monsters do briefly appear on page late in the book and were suitably gripping and made me wonder what else is in there.
This is a debut and some of the writing in places, esp with transitions and moving from the h being curious to being sexually attracted, was uneven. The pacing was good though and my attention never wavered. I had some questions about the history of the Facility, the locals, and the H's own history but none of these questions affected my overall enjoyment.
The climax is on the violent/gory side and quite tense. It's a big contrast with how most of the book has an experimental/investigative feel and then there's a whole heap of action and danger, but I liked it. I loved how the leadership of the Facility was resolved and what their plan was. The ending is HFN with the H and h both safe and planning on doing good, working towards a larger goal while also getting to be with each other so it was also satisfying. I would absolutely read more of this series and I think this was a fantastic debut.
September 24, 2023
4✨ I love finding self-published hidden gems like this one!
The Nightmare’s Kiss by Skyla Gray is a paranormal monster romance that follows Mara, a recent college grad, who moves back to her hometown and starts a job at the mysterious Monster Research Facility.
She thinks her job as a research tech entails observing subject X-13, a mindless shadow creature known as the Nightmare, but she soon learns that the Nightmare is not as unintelligent as she was led to believe.
Witnessing the cruel treatment and unjust imprisonment of the Nightmare and other experimental subjects at the Facility, and slowly finding herself falling for the Nightmare as he visits her in her dreams, Mara knows she must do something.
The Nightmare’s Kiss comes in at just over 300 pages, and wonderfully sets up the potential for sequels following other subjects and their human love interests.
There’s also some spice, but it’s definitely a complement to the story, versus the feature focus.
Overall, if you’re looking for a paranormal romance with BIG The Shape of Water vibes, check this out!
The Nightmare’s Kiss by Skyla Gray is a paranormal monster romance that follows Mara, a recent college grad, who moves back to her hometown and starts a job at the mysterious Monster Research Facility.
She thinks her job as a research tech entails observing subject X-13, a mindless shadow creature known as the Nightmare, but she soon learns that the Nightmare is not as unintelligent as she was led to believe.
Witnessing the cruel treatment and unjust imprisonment of the Nightmare and other experimental subjects at the Facility, and slowly finding herself falling for the Nightmare as he visits her in her dreams, Mara knows she must do something.
The Nightmare’s Kiss comes in at just over 300 pages, and wonderfully sets up the potential for sequels following other subjects and their human love interests.
There’s also some spice, but it’s definitely a complement to the story, versus the feature focus.
Overall, if you’re looking for a paranormal romance with BIG The Shape of Water vibes, check this out!
August 12, 2024
+“You said it was my dream.
-I lied. Sorry, little dreamer.”
Primer libro que leo de Skyla Gray y la verdad que me ha gustado. Para ser mi primer contacto estoy bastante contenta.
En cuanto a la novela en sí, me la he leído en inglés. En cuanto al nivel de idioma yo lo encuadraría entre un B1-B2. Puede contener vocabulario respectivo a laboratorios, pero por el resto al tratarse de fantasía urbana puede resultar más fácil si estás leyendo por primera vez una novela en inglés. El estilo de la autora tampoco es muy denso ni hace muchas descripciones minuciosas. Como primeras lecturas si lo recomendaría.
Ahora, en cuanto al argumento en sí no es nada innovador, así como se desarrolla la historia además que siento que le falta profundización. Sin embargo, la historia engancha, al menos es lo que me ha sucedido a mí. Además, tengo un punto débil por los “monstruos” de sombra o de pesadilla.
En conclusión, ha sido buena lectura y creo que seguiré con los siguientes.
“You’re a stranger nightmare”.
-I lied. Sorry, little dreamer.”
Primer libro que leo de Skyla Gray y la verdad que me ha gustado. Para ser mi primer contacto estoy bastante contenta.
En cuanto a la novela en sí, me la he leído en inglés. En cuanto al nivel de idioma yo lo encuadraría entre un B1-B2. Puede contener vocabulario respectivo a laboratorios, pero por el resto al tratarse de fantasía urbana puede resultar más fácil si estás leyendo por primera vez una novela en inglés. El estilo de la autora tampoco es muy denso ni hace muchas descripciones minuciosas. Como primeras lecturas si lo recomendaría.
Ahora, en cuanto al argumento en sí no es nada innovador, así como se desarrolla la historia además que siento que le falta profundización. Sin embargo, la historia engancha, al menos es lo que me ha sucedido a mí. Además, tengo un punto débil por los “monstruos” de sombra o de pesadilla.
En conclusión, ha sido buena lectura y creo que seguiré con los siguientes.
“You’re a stranger nightmare”.
April 1, 2025
Rescue the Monster
Mara has returned to her hometown, where thy think she will pick up her relationship with her ex, Ethan. Mara has no desire to rekindle their relationship, but Ethan does work at a place that Mara is interested in. Ethan works at the “facility”, a place shrouded in mystery and security.
Curious about the facility, Mara does some research and manages to get a job inside the mysterious place. Her job is to study a mysterious subject made of some sort of dark matter. Before long, she realizes that she is dreaming about the creature that she calls Nightmare.
I’m not going to tell you that this is a completely clean story devoid of sex because it isn’t, however, it’s much more than sensual moments. This is a story about what it means to Human or what it means to love. I found that I was shocked at how much I enjoyed this story. It’s an adventure, it has action and romance, and is thoughtfully written. Five stars with this very interesting story.
Mara has returned to her hometown, where thy think she will pick up her relationship with her ex, Ethan. Mara has no desire to rekindle their relationship, but Ethan does work at a place that Mara is interested in. Ethan works at the “facility”, a place shrouded in mystery and security.
Curious about the facility, Mara does some research and manages to get a job inside the mysterious place. Her job is to study a mysterious subject made of some sort of dark matter. Before long, she realizes that she is dreaming about the creature that she calls Nightmare.
I’m not going to tell you that this is a completely clean story devoid of sex because it isn’t, however, it’s much more than sensual moments. This is a story about what it means to Human or what it means to love. I found that I was shocked at how much I enjoyed this story. It’s an adventure, it has action and romance, and is thoughtfully written. Five stars with this very interesting story.
May 17, 2024
Tropes:
~monster hero
~prison romance
~forced proximity
~forbidden romance
~size difference
3.5⭐️ rounded up because for a debut, I'm impressed! I really like the set-up of this series and that the monsters we met are pretty unique. The heroine, Mara, is returning to her hometown after graduating from college with no job prospects. But then she's offered a job at the mysterious facility in her town that everyone is afraid to discuss, because no one knows what goes on inside. Mara quickly finds out that there's a good reason for all the secrecy, but that something is also not right with how the place is being operated.
I will say that the "dream sex" trope isn't my favorite, and I knew going in that we'd be getting a lot of that because the hero is a nightmare monster. Since he's a prisoner in this facility he can only physically interact with the heroine in her dreams for most of the book. I also didn't feel much romance build-up between them, but when the action hit in the second half I was hooked on what was going on within the facility. I felt like this book was more setting readers up for the rest of the series, so I can forgive that the romance felt a bit weak when the plot itself made me instantly want to dive into book 2. I'm excited to see some of these other monsters get their romances in future books!
If this book was Taylor Swift lyrics:
"In the middle of the nimght, in my dreams
You should see the things we do, baby (mmm)"
😴
~monster hero
~prison romance
~forced proximity
~forbidden romance
~size difference
3.5⭐️ rounded up because for a debut, I'm impressed! I really like the set-up of this series and that the monsters we met are pretty unique. The heroine, Mara, is returning to her hometown after graduating from college with no job prospects. But then she's offered a job at the mysterious facility in her town that everyone is afraid to discuss, because no one knows what goes on inside. Mara quickly finds out that there's a good reason for all the secrecy, but that something is also not right with how the place is being operated.
I will say that the "dream sex" trope isn't my favorite, and I knew going in that we'd be getting a lot of that because the hero is a nightmare monster. Since he's a prisoner in this facility he can only physically interact with the heroine in her dreams for most of the book. I also didn't feel much romance build-up between them, but when the action hit in the second half I was hooked on what was going on within the facility. I felt like this book was more setting readers up for the rest of the series, so I can forgive that the romance felt a bit weak when the plot itself made me instantly want to dive into book 2. I'm excited to see some of these other monsters get their romances in future books!
If this book was Taylor Swift lyrics:
"In the middle of the nimght, in my dreams
You should see the things we do, baby (mmm)"
😴
September 12, 2023
I chose this book on a whim, and it was a book of two halves for me. I struggled to get into the story, finding it a little far-fetched at times. Then the second half changed all that! There is a lot of action in the conclusion, which i thoroughly enjoyed, finished off with a HEA. So good. It is a short, spicy, enjoyable read. I received an advance review copy for free from booksirens.com, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
December 22, 2023
Typical monster smut. Well written, a bit slow at the start. Wasn’t a fan of the vaping or toxically masculine dad. No real relationship development between MMC and FMC —another author that confuses lust with love but that’s what I’ve come to expect with this genre, unfortunately. Romance used to mean emotional connection, now it means sex, apparently. I prefer sweet love stories with spice but those are harder to find these days.
October 23, 2023
3.5✨️
June 23, 2024
I was glued. To. Every. Word. The author does a great job setting up the FMC’s story without making it long or drawn out. The FMC even has a shitty ex who has also moved back home and works at the Facility, making it more awkward.
She lands a job with her psych degree at the facility and slowly starts to realize that her “subject” is a sentient being and the “research” being done at the facility is completely immoral. Chaos ensues as she plots to free him.
I swear I didn’t know what was going to happen page to page, or how they were going to pull any of this off. There were some great twists and turns as the book picked up; adversaries became friends, unexpected allies gained, all the villains got what they deserved, and there is a HEA.
I can’t get this book out of my head. It’s giving Sims 4 Strangerville vibes… but with shadow “woo hoo”ing and found family. I loved it
She lands a job with her psych degree at the facility and slowly starts to realize that her “subject” is a sentient being and the “research” being done at the facility is completely immoral. Chaos ensues as she plots to free him.
I swear I didn’t know what was going to happen page to page, or how they were going to pull any of this off. There were some great twists and turns as the book picked up; adversaries became friends, unexpected allies gained, all the villains got what they deserved, and there is a HEA.
I can’t get this book out of my head. It’s giving Sims 4 Strangerville vibes… but with shadow “woo hoo”ing and found family. I loved it
October 26, 2023
3.5 ⭐️
This book is the definition of " booktok made me read it"
I trusted a booktok rec and it went..better than expected 😃
This is a debut novel so I'm not going to be too harsh and instead try to be positive and remark the good things .
First, the writing was good! It was coherent, the narrative structure was better than I expected with a clear plot and questions presented as early as 20% 25% of the story . Good👌
About the story..our heroine comes back to her hometown after failing at life in LA.
She gets a job in a government facility were monsters are being held as test subjects.
She is in charge of a monster called the nightmare, who is basically a shadow who can take humanoid form and break into peoples dreams.
Well..we all can guess where this is going 😁
The vibe was very much similar to Stranger Things , from the description of the facility, the small town surrounded it , the director and the nightmare itself..
did I care about the resemblance? Not at all ..who doesn't love stranger things ? It added more depth to the worldbuilding.
Things to improve? Maybe the third act plot twist was a little forced..but I liked the feminist vibe so I can't complain.
I'm positive this is going to be a series with more side characters being in relationships with the other monsters from the facility and I'm eager to know more about them. Specially Dr wright and her cinnamon alien 🥹
This book is the definition of " booktok made me read it"
I trusted a booktok rec and it went..better than expected 😃
This is a debut novel so I'm not going to be too harsh and instead try to be positive and remark the good things .
First, the writing was good! It was coherent, the narrative structure was better than I expected with a clear plot and questions presented as early as 20% 25% of the story . Good👌
About the story..our heroine comes back to her hometown after failing at life in LA.
She gets a job in a government facility were monsters are being held as test subjects.
She is in charge of a monster called the nightmare, who is basically a shadow who can take humanoid form and break into peoples dreams.
Well..we all can guess where this is going 😁
The vibe was very much similar to Stranger Things , from the description of the facility, the small town surrounded it , the director and the nightmare itself..
did I care about the resemblance? Not at all ..who doesn't love stranger things ? It added more depth to the worldbuilding.
Things to improve? Maybe the third act plot twist was a little forced..but I liked the feminist vibe so I can't complain.
I'm positive this is going to be a series with more side characters being in relationships with the other monsters from the facility and I'm eager to know more about them. Specially Dr wright and her cinnamon alien 🥹
Read
February 11, 2024love me a shadow monster romance!
February 19, 2025
WHY does this book not have better ratings??? I loooooooved it,
September 3, 2023
After reading the synopsis for this book I immediately wanted to read it. I love all things monster romance and I love this take on it. Mara gets to study the "nightmare" monster for work and starts interacting with it during her shift and then goes home and has dreams about him at night. But are they more than just dreams?
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I think the setup was perfect and it further sets the scene for future books in this series to which I am interested in reading. This was a quick and spicy romance with enough plot to keep it engaging. I do wish we had a little more time with Mara and the nightmare to develop their relationship a bit more but I still enjoyed the time we got!
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I think the setup was perfect and it further sets the scene for future books in this series to which I am interested in reading. This was a quick and spicy romance with enough plot to keep it engaging. I do wish we had a little more time with Mara and the nightmare to develop their relationship a bit more but I still enjoyed the time we got!
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
May 8, 2024
DNF 60% through.
I was really looking forward to this but it left me quite disappointed. The main issue for me was the lack of relationship development between the female main character (FMC) and the male main character (MMC). They jumped into a physical relationship almost immediately, with hardly any emotional build-up or deeper connection. This made it hard to feel invested in their romance or care about their story. Overall, a missed opportunity for what could have been a compelling love story.
I was really looking forward to this but it left me quite disappointed. The main issue for me was the lack of relationship development between the female main character (FMC) and the male main character (MMC). They jumped into a physical relationship almost immediately, with hardly any emotional build-up or deeper connection. This made it hard to feel invested in their romance or care about their story. Overall, a missed opportunity for what could have been a compelling love story.
April 14, 2025
I'm so glad I read the third one first because that one I liked. This one ehhhh not so much. Why? Because Mara is so stupid. NGL I did a lot of skim reading on this one.
August 2, 2024
3.5-4*
This book was a lot more interesting than I expected for a short story. The focus was mainly on the plot then the romance and I was completely engaged the entire time.
I think the relationship between the main characters was a little lacking in development, everything happened too fast between them. There was more about everything else and the other characters, than they romance in itself. Also, I thought we would learn more about the “hero” of this story. I was so curious about him and his kind, but we barely got one conversation about it. I confess I was a little disappointed, but still was a better book than I expected it to be.
Honestly, it was a very good debut novel for Skyla Gray. It could have been a little longer and have more development, but her writing was interesting and entertaining. It was the right kind of fast paced, without feeling too overwhelming. I really enjoyed the heroine. Her curiosity and thought process made me felt represented and inspired. I’m looking forward to reading the next installment and I hope we get more book from this entertaining series soon enough.
This book was a lot more interesting than I expected for a short story. The focus was mainly on the plot then the romance and I was completely engaged the entire time.
I think the relationship between the main characters was a little lacking in development, everything happened too fast between them. There was more about everything else and the other characters, than they romance in itself. Also, I thought we would learn more about the “hero” of this story. I was so curious about him and his kind, but we barely got one conversation about it. I confess I was a little disappointed, but still was a better book than I expected it to be.
Honestly, it was a very good debut novel for Skyla Gray. It could have been a little longer and have more development, but her writing was interesting and entertaining. It was the right kind of fast paced, without feeling too overwhelming. I really enjoyed the heroine. Her curiosity and thought process made me felt represented and inspired. I’m looking forward to reading the next installment and I hope we get more book from this entertaining series soon enough.
July 16, 2025
The story is short and enjoyable to a certain level. It’s the kind of book you can breeze through in a day or two.
I liked the chemistry between the two MCs. I think it was done pretty well for such a short story, but I really didn’t love that the FMC vapes. It pulled me out of the story every time it was mentioned🤷🏻♀️
I liked the chemistry between the two MCs. I think it was done pretty well for such a short story, but I really didn’t love that the FMC vapes. It pulled me out of the story every time it was mentioned🤷🏻♀️
September 8, 2023
This hit a lot of the right notes for me when it came to the romance. And I don't know why, but I found the shadow monster kind of cute in the beginning. Overall, it is a very enjoyable read and a great first book to a world that will hopefully have a follow-up.
I received a free ARC copy of this book.
I received a free ARC copy of this book.
October 24, 2023
2.8/5
Książka okej, znaleziona na booktoku. Przeczytałam ją w dwa dni. Końcówka taka mehhh… Spoko odmóżdżacz między prawem cywilnym a karnym.
Książka okej, znaleziona na booktoku. Przeczytałam ją w dwa dni. Końcówka taka mehhh… Spoko odmóżdżacz między prawem cywilnym a karnym.
November 25, 2023
I mean...if your vibe is since i cannot outrun your dream demon, fuck him. That's for you.
March 2, 2025
I LOVED this. This was a super cute monster romance and I think it was really engaging and gripping! The story follows down on her luck psychology student Samara moving back to her sleepy home town. She starts poking in to the Facility, a shadowy presence that everyone in town is wary of. When she gets hired on she discovers that her test subject is a highly intelligent nightmare entity named Somnus. They connect and struggle to move forward.
All that said, while I enjoyed the book, I did have some issues that I will get into below:
SPOILERS BELOW!!!!
- Some parts were a bit rough and I personally wanted a bit more connection between the Somnus and Mara. We see a connection at the start but once the smut starts it's just like they're in love now, no buildup or bonding.
- I liked Somnus as a character but wanted to see more of him! From the glimpses we see he's sardonic and wickedly charming but I wanted more of that! Most of the time the story is just a bit repetitive with Mara going through the notions of her job and then getting spicy at night.
- I didn't really care for Mara...
LOOK I know it sounds bad but she's supposed to be really smart but really comes across as TSTL. She's annoyingly naive and the fact she honestly thought "oh I'll just show this director keeping monsters here against their will that they're all sentient and smart he'll feel bad and let them go" was DUMB AF. Girl seriously? Then there's the whole I'm gonna stay and work here thing. Calliope lied to you the whole time, what's not to say she won't do it again? Also, what exactly are you even doing while staying on since your main job was to test for stimulus? Also we don't ever get a sense of what she looks like.
- I wanted more smut!! We do get a few spicy scenes but they're not super in depth or detailed, I think this would have been perfect with more explicit spice.
- the whole thing with her ex was dumb to me. Like it sounds at the beginning like he did something unspeakable to her, but she still kinda seeks him out and still interacts with him? And then him being groomed to take over for the director. It just didn't work for me.
- I HATED that they stayed. Look I get it, Mara wanted to help save the monsters but she basically just leaves him in her office and he's stuck in the same place that tortured and experimented on him for like 50 YEARS?! I know it's a fantasy but I don't see how he would want to do that plus she has her own place now, just take him home!!
- I thought it was a bit weird there was all this emphasis on her parents/ family and then they're basically not mentioned at all at the end of the book and she's moved out? I would have liked to see her struggle with the decision to keep her family safe or something.
All that said, while I enjoyed the book, I did have some issues that I will get into below:
SPOILERS BELOW!!!!
- Some parts were a bit rough and I personally wanted a bit more connection between the Somnus and Mara. We see a connection at the start but once the smut starts it's just like they're in love now, no buildup or bonding.
- I liked Somnus as a character but wanted to see more of him! From the glimpses we see he's sardonic and wickedly charming but I wanted more of that! Most of the time the story is just a bit repetitive with Mara going through the notions of her job and then getting spicy at night.
- I didn't really care for Mara...
LOOK I know it sounds bad but she's supposed to be really smart but really comes across as TSTL. She's annoyingly naive and the fact she honestly thought "oh I'll just show this director keeping monsters here against their will that they're all sentient and smart he'll feel bad and let them go" was DUMB AF. Girl seriously? Then there's the whole I'm gonna stay and work here thing. Calliope lied to you the whole time, what's not to say she won't do it again? Also, what exactly are you even doing while staying on since your main job was to test for stimulus? Also we don't ever get a sense of what she looks like.
- I wanted more smut!! We do get a few spicy scenes but they're not super in depth or detailed, I think this would have been perfect with more explicit spice.
- the whole thing with her ex was dumb to me. Like it sounds at the beginning like he did something unspeakable to her, but she still kinda seeks him out and still interacts with him? And then him being groomed to take over for the director. It just didn't work for me.
- I HATED that they stayed. Look I get it, Mara wanted to help save the monsters but she basically just leaves him in her office and he's stuck in the same place that tortured and experimented on him for like 50 YEARS?! I know it's a fantasy but I don't see how he would want to do that plus she has her own place now, just take him home!!
- I thought it was a bit weird there was all this emphasis on her parents/ family and then they're basically not mentioned at all at the end of the book and she's moved out? I would have liked to see her struggle with the decision to keep her family safe or something.
May 5, 2025
3.75⭐️ The entire beginning of this book, i.e. the first 25% of this book was MAD EERIE and spooky. This author can build a story that is interesting to read, a little spooky, pretty sexy and interesting. “The Nightmare” doesn’t say much, in fact, the romance was secondary to the plot. This book was MOSTLY plot, I’m proud to say. Overall there isn’t too much smut, the main character is likeable, but some things regarding one of the doctors at the facility seem like it should have been in a prequel, hopefully we get more info on her in the following stories. Overall, good story and the end to the book was satisfactory.
October 17, 2024
✨️ 3.5 stars ✨️
This was a fun but different read involving a shadow monster. It was easy to read, and I read it in a couple of hours. I enjoyed it enough that I'll be carrying on with this series!
I thought the premise of the book was interesting, and I loved the small town feel. I had hoped for a few more scenes with Ezra and Belle as well as possibly a POV from the Nightmare himself. I would have loved to have been in his head, especially when he met Mara for the first time 🤭
The ending was what I had hoped it would be and I'm intrigued to see how book 2 will unfold.
This was a fun but different read involving a shadow monster. It was easy to read, and I read it in a couple of hours. I enjoyed it enough that I'll be carrying on with this series!
I thought the premise of the book was interesting, and I loved the small town feel. I had hoped for a few more scenes with Ezra and Belle as well as possibly a POV from the Nightmare himself. I would have loved to have been in his head, especially when he met Mara for the first time 🤭
The ending was what I had hoped it would be and I'm intrigued to see how book 2 will unfold.
May 20, 2025
Keep reading
I almost DNF this book as the first 20% was extremely slow and the writing a bit meh. HOWEVER it then started to get good… really good! I’m so glad I kept reading because the second half of this book was great. I don’t want to give a spoilers but keep reading it’s worth it.
I almost DNF this book as the first 20% was extremely slow and the writing a bit meh. HOWEVER it then started to get good… really good! I’m so glad I kept reading because the second half of this book was great. I don’t want to give a spoilers but keep reading it’s worth it.
January 3, 2025
3.5 but let’s round up. First official book of the new year and it was a monster science experiment romance. Very iconic of me. Reminds me of the ones I used to read on Wattpad all the time. This one was for O who would never dare read something like this.
March 30, 2025
4.5/5 stars
I was pleasantly surprised at how much I liked this book. It was so good! The characters were well fleshed out and the story was intriguing and well plotted.
I loved the main characters! I can’t wait to read more in this series and learn about more of these monsters!
I was pleasantly surprised at how much I liked this book. It was so good! The characters were well fleshed out and the story was intriguing and well plotted.
I loved the main characters! I can’t wait to read more in this series and learn about more of these monsters!
June 26, 2025
This was my first monsters romance with an actual monster and I LOVED it. It’s so super cute and romantic and just ugh! I love the whole premise of a super secret facility with monsters and all that. I do wish I got a bit more spice though 😜
November 4, 2024
Loved it
I can't believe how immersed i was in the facility once i started, i literally went from the first book to the next one in a day. I couldn't put this down.
I can't believe how immersed i was in the facility once i started, i literally went from the first book to the next one in a day. I couldn't put this down.
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