Sweet Nightmares By Hazel St. Lewis

 

Synopsis:


Jane Whitfield rose from nothing to become the youngest Prima Ballerina in the history of the Royalle Ballet—despite having a violent husband three decades her senior. But her carefully choreographed world shatters when her husband’s enemies come to collect his debts. Jane is tortured into making an impossible die, or strike a bargain with an evil god trapped inside a mirror.

Nightmare is ancient, cruel, and feared for a reason. He trades magic, wealth, and knowledge for soul-crushing costs—and he believes Jane is the witch destined to destroy him. But instead of killing her, he toys with her, offering a twisted sell her soul, serve him, and receive an endless supply of riches—enough to satisfy her wretched husband and his debtors.

Now bound to a god who revels in ruin, Jane becomes more than just his minion—she’s his growing obsession. But obsession doesn’t spare her from his darkness. He’s evil. She’s supposed to hate him, but the more time she spends in his realm, the harder it is to tell if he’s her monster… or her salvation.

She was destined to destroy him, but love might destroy her first.



Review:

This story sank it's hooked me right away.

Because of her husband, she makes a deal with an evil god trapped in a mirror, and this is where the story really takes a turn.

Nightmare lives up to his name, cruel, manipulative, and completely out of control in how he wields his power.

There’s no illusion that he’s a good guy. He’s not. That’s what makes their dynamic so unsettling and strangely addictive. The relationship is toxic and obsessive. The lines keep blurring.

" I will fuck you in all the ways, gentle, rough, possessive, demanding, lovingly. I will own and destroy you, but first, you must be ready."

You wait for Jane to realize she needs to destroy him, but instead, you watch her get pulled deeper into his world, deeper into him. That shift is uncomfortable in the best way, making you question what you truly support. I will say this isn’t a romance full of softness, healing, or redemption.

It’s about control, survival, and obsession, and how those can start to feel like something else entirely.

Did I love it? Yes... was I hooked.. Absolutely, I couldn't put it down




If you enjoy dark fantasy with strong power dynamics, morally flawed characters, and a relationship that breaks all the rules, this one will leave a mark.

4⭐

Vow or Never By Danielle Dexter

Synopsis:

She’s about to say “I do.” He’s about to ruin everything.

Eighteen months ago, Everly Hart had a one-night stand with the hottest guy she’s ever been with, yet she still found herself
No last names.
No phone numbers.
No expectations.

Now, she’s engaged to Carter Jacobs—the perfect fiancé with the perfect life who wants to plan a wedding straight out of a magazine. Everything is going according to plan until she arrives at the first wedding planning meeting to discover a very familiar face in the room.

Reese Myers.

He’s the tattooed bad boy who apparently writes vows for a living.
He’s also the man who disappeared after one perfect night.
And the last person Everly expected to see while planning her forever.

However, Reese doesn’t believe in love or promises of forever. He just writes them for other people. But shadowing Everly and Carter’s wedding means having to spend weeks watching the woman he never truly forgot prepare to marry someone else.

He knows he should keep things professional.
He also knows he should keep his distance.
And he definitely shouldn’t remember exactly how she sounded when she said his name over and over again.

But soon, professional boundaries blur.
Wedding chaos escalates.
And every appointment brings Reese and Everly closer to a truth neither one of them is ready to face.

Because the safest love isn’t always the right one…

…and sometimes forever begins with the person you were never supposed to see again.

Review:

"Every love story starts with a yes. Not everyone ends there..."

This was a cute, slightly messy take on love. It explores what love is, what it isn’t, and what happens when timing doesn’t cooperate.

After Reese disappears following what Everly thought was an unforgettable one-night stand, she moves on, like most people would.

She meets Carter Jacobs, the safe and stable choice. He would quite literally move heaven and earth for her. On paper, he’s everything.

Then, Reese walks back in. Not just anywhere, but into her wedding planning process. Of course he does. From there, the story dives into forced proximity, unresolved feelings, and a lot of emotional back-and-forth. Both Everly and Reese must confront what that one night actually meant and whether it was ever just that.

"Love is unconditional, so if he makes you happy, all I can do is be happy for you too."

This story reminded me of The Wedding Planner, one of my favorite movies, but with a bit more emotional depth added. The “what if” tension between Everly and Reese was somewhat predictable. Still, if you’re a reader who enjoys soft, emotional romance like I do, you will love it anyway.

Overall, I enjoyed the journey this story took me on.

Thank you, Danielle Dexter, for providing me with this arc in exchange for my honest review


3.5 ⭐️

Unholy Obsession By Stasia Black

Synopsis:

I used her body like an altar. Now she’s here for confession.

I left my past behind.
Then she walked into my church.
Once, I was Bane Blackwolf—heir to a legacy of blood and sin. A monster in the making. Instead, I chose the cloth over the crown, buried my name, and became Father Blackwood.
For years, I was in control of my darker nature. Until her.
Moira.
The woman with a sinner’s mouth and a body made for worship. The woman who doesn’t know it was me behind the mask that night—me who had her on her knees, begging.
Now she’s here, whispering confessions that twist the knife deeper. Tempting the man I pretend to be and the beast I’ve tried to bury.
I vowed to be a good man. I vowed to never take what doesn’t belong to me.
But Moira is mine.
The moment I touched her, I knew—I’d never crave anything the way I crave her. She’s the only thing that silences my demons and makes me forget the weight of my sins.
And I’ll be damned before I let her go.




Review:

I went into this without reading the first two books 

I must say this story does a solid job of pulling you in quickly.

Moira is restless, searching, a little reckless in the way she tries to fill the void. And then there’s Bane… or Father Blackwood. A man split clean down the middle. Priest by day, something much darker underneath. Watching him struggle between restraint and obsession was easily the most compelling part of this story.

What really worked for me was the emotional tension. These aren’t just two people drawn to each other; they’re both carrying heavy pasts, trying ...and failing to outrun who they used to be. Their connection feels messy, intense, and at times a little dangerous in the best way.

And when it matters most, they do show up for each other. That balance between chaos and care kept me invested.

Now I’m definitely curious about what led up to all of this because it feels like there’s a lot more beneath the surface I haven’t seen yet.

4 ⭐️

Spitting Off The Edge of The World By Courtney W. Dixon

 

Synopsis:


I found you just when I thought my life was over.

Julien Kendrick

Not only am I a recent high school graduate from a prestigious school, but I also come from money—a lot of money. So why am I miserable? No, it’s more like apathy. I crave to escape this life, while others are desperate for it. I want to feel again. To feel something, anything. The decision to leave my horrible parents and friends to spend two weeks doing what I want to do is meant to be my last hurrah, as the old saying goes. I don’t want to spend it alone, though, so I hire a prostitute I find on the street. Not only is he stunningly beautiful, but his pain calls to me.

He’s the one I want to spend my last two weeks with.

Romeo

No kissing. No holding. And no loving. Ever.

Those are the rules. They’re simple when I need life to be easier. But then along comes Julien, who pays a small fortune to have me for two weeks. This is my chance to escape my hell—a life I’ve known for as long as I can remember. My only memories are of being used and abused. I don’t even know my birth name, having lost it somewhere in my past. When our two weeks are up, I plan to run, but Julien is derailing that plan. He’s so kind to me. Gentle. I’m not used to it, but I’m greedy for it. Now, I’ll do anything to keep him.







Review:

Thank you, Courtney Dixon, for providing me with this arc.

This story opens with raw, traumatic moments, and some scenes were hard to read.

Julien decides to take control of his life.. on his terms. When he meets Romeo, their connection is instant. As their relationship develops, it becomes clear they share more than just chemistry. They both carry similar wounds and histories. Through each other, they start to find what they’ve both been missing: stability, understanding, and a chance for healing. Before the end of this book, I was a blubbering mess! lol so be sure to keep those tissues handy for this one.

This story reminded me of a mix between an M/M  version of Pretty Woman and the emotional weight of Me Before You. It’s tender, intense, and it's beautifully written. It captures what it means to rebuild yourself while allowing someone else to come into your life.

Watching Julien and Romeo move from merely surviving to finding something to enjoying the possibilities of a beautiful life together was incredibly powerful.


I'm looking forward to seeing what comes next in this series.


That said, this book tackles some heavy themes. I recommend checking the trigger warnings before diving in.

5 ⭐

Daggermouth By H.M. Wolfe

Synopsis:


Set in a corrupt surveillance state ruled by the masked elite, this true enemies-to-lovers dystopian romance that’s Conform meets V For Vendetta follows a mercenary who botches the assassination of the president’s son and ends up forced to marry him.

The first thing you’ll learn in New Found Haven is that mercy doesn’t exist. The second thing is that, from the highest glass atrium in the Heart to the windowless slums of the Boundary, the Veyra are always watching.

The last lesson is the hardest, but you must remember it: Love outside of your ring is a death sentence.

The city is carved into rings of privilege and poverty, ruled by the masked elite who will do whatever it takes to hold onto power. Obedience is demanded. Rebellion is crushed.

Greyson Serel has spent his life caught between two worlds. Publicly, he’s the flawless heir to the presidency. Privately, he’s entangled in secrets that could topple the regime. But when he’s forced into a political marriage meant to bind him tighter to the government’s brutal laws, he finds himself shackled to a bride as lethal as she is unwilling.

Shadera Kael is a mercenary raised to kill, not to wed. Yet when her bullet misses its mark, survival leaves her tied to the very man she was sent to eliminate. Trapped inside the corrupt heart of the city, she becomes both prisoner and wife, her every step watched, her every move tested.

Their union is no love story—it’s a battlefield. As secrets come to light and betrayals fester within the walls of power, Greyson and Shadera must decide between annihilating each other or burning the city to the ground together.

In a world where passion has consequences and loyalty is paid for in blood, their forced bond may be the spark that ignites a revolution. Or the fire that consumes them both.

Review: 

I received this ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

First, I can't express how excited I was when I got approved for this ARC!  

I'm sorry, I know this isn't about me... on to the review..


"Beautiful things are often built on ugly foundations."

Daggermouth feels like the ugly road we're already on.

Greyson is controlled and precise, unraveling in silence under the weight of power. While Shadera is lethal and defiant, forged into a weapon, unwilling to be anything else until survival forces her to change.

What happens between them isn’t just romance; it’s an ideology clashed with instinct. Trauma competes with desire.

Watching them shift from enemies to uneasy allies and then to something more dangerous felt like seeing a war unfold in slow motion.

Every interaction is charged. Every moment seems ready to explode... The writing hits hard. You feel every emotion and the overwhelming weight of injustice.

Then there’s the ending. It didn’t just surprise me...it shattered me, leaving me to figure out what TF just happened!

Visually, it felt cinematic, full of moments that need to be seen as much as read. It screams adaptation. I can't wait to see this on the big screen! Trust me, I will be there!

4.5

Bonds of Slavery by Charley Mayne

Synopsis:


Ryan’s Story Begins.

OBEDIENCE IS SURVIVAL
RESISTANCE IS PAIN

In a future where freedom has a price, how far would you go to survive?

The year is 2045. America’s war on drugs has turned into a war on its own people. Overcrowded prisons and a ruthless new administration give rise to the Chainmark Act – a brutal solution to prison population control, cloaked as justice.

Ryan Murphy, sixteen and already hardened by life on the streets of New York, becomes one of the first minors “offered” into the program. Sentenced for a crime he didn’t fully understand, Ryan is sold to Brad Wilkins, a sadistic Texas rancher who sees obedience as the only law.

As Ryan grapples with pain, isolation and control, he must learn the rules of survival in a system designed to break him. But even in the darkest corners of captivity, hope flickers – because Ryan knows that survival isn’t enough.

He wants to live.
And he wants to be free.


Review:

“One hundred and eighty years after slavery was abolished in the United States… it was brought back.”

I’ve always been the type to test my limits. You don’t really know what you can handle until something forces you to find out.

This book?
Yeah… it found mine.

Set in 2045, we follow Ryan—just sixteen—who makes one mistake. A stupid one. The kind most people would expect a slap on the wrist for.

That’s not what he gets.

What he’s forced into is brutal, dehumanizing, and honestly hard to even process at times.

I’m not exaggerating when I say this book broke me. I had to stop reading more than once just to breathe. Just to reset.


“Stay quiet. Stand still. Stay quiet. Stand still. Stay quiet. Stand still” 

This line still sits on your chest. 😭

The writing is raw and immersive in a way that doesn’t let you look away. I didn’t just read Ryan’s story, I felt every second of it. Every ounce of fear, pain, and helplessness.

Sleep didn’t exist for me.
Peace of mind was nonexistent. Not til i finished it

By the end, I wasn’t just emotional..I was gutted.

This is not an easy read. It’s not supposed to be. And it’s definitely not for everyone.

But if you can handle something heavy..something dark, suffocating, and brutally honest...this is one of those books that stays with you long after you finish it.

Just do yourself a favor...

Check the trigger warnings. Seriously.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Yes Chef By Grace Reilly

Synopsis:

If you can’t take the heat…get out of the kitchen.

After a public meltdown in the dining room of one of Manhattan’s most elite restaurants, Chef Jack Hartman is back in his South Florida hometown. Angry, grieving, and saddled with the unwanted storefront his late mentor left him, his life is spinning out of control. And that’s before Poppy Winfield, the blond, bubbly, utterly infuriating daughter of his former boss, shows up at his dock.

Poppy needs to escape. From her disapproving family, her horrible ex-boyfriend, and her reputation as someone who has never taken anything seriously. But more than that, she wants to prove herself—and she has just the plan to do it. Unfortunately, that plan involves Jack Hartman, the most arrogant, prickly, intimidating man she’s ever had the pleasure of throwing a shrimp at.

She knows Jack is desperate to come back from his unceremonious firing, so she proposes a deal: working together to open a revamped version of his mentor’s restaurant. He’ll handle the menu, and she’ll use her skill as a social media influencer to sell the hell out of its grand opening. If she and Jack can make the restaurant a success, it’ll be an accomplishment no one can deny—and a ticket for them both to return to New York.

Jack is intrigued, but only on his terms: if Poppy’s going to work for him, she must learn the ropes of the entire business. Including how to cook. From him.

As sparks fly both in and out of the kitchen and tensions reach a boiling point, Poppy and Jack are left wondering--could they be a perfect pairing? Or is this whole experiment a recipe for disaster?

My Review

Poppy, a successful lifestyle influencer seeking her family's approval, meets Jack, a talented chef dealing with the loss of his mentor and the shock of losing his job. As Jack takes on the challenge of reviving his mentor’s dying restaurant, he’s forced into an uneasy alliance with Poppy for the exposure he desperately needs.

What begins as an unwilling partnership soon evolves into a thrilling enemies-to-lovers type romance, filled with tension and undeniable chemistry.

I truly enjoyed this story. It offers strong summer vibes, charming side characters, and a heroine who is easy to cheer for. Though Jack can be frustrating at times due to his rough edges, his character growth and the sizzling dynamic he shares with Poppy made this an enjoyable and engaging read.

4⭐

Thank you, Netgally, for providing this arc in exchange for my honest review.