From USA Today Bestselling author Keri Lake comes an intense and gritty romantic thriller that’ll have you turning the pages well past your bedtime.The most terrifying monsters aren’t found in dreams …Four young socialites have gone missing in the Chicago area. Two found dead, bearing the signature marks of a brutal serial killer. With the kind of tragedy that mars Nola Tensley’s past, she … Tensley’s past, she should be concerned, but without a pot to piss in, all the struggling single mom cares about is making a normal life for her son.
After all, she’s clearly not the murderer’s type.
Or is she?
When Rhett Voss, an enigmatic and handsome stranger, answers her ad for the outdated in-law suite at the back of her property, offering double her asking price, Nola really can’t refuse. Even though the supposed Wall Street Wolf seems better suited for a high-rise downtown—a suspicion that quickly turns into hindsight once she submits to the flirtations of her charming new tenant, and consequently, unearths a series of disturbing revelations.
Her curiosities lead her down the path of a madman, whose moniker, The Sandman, only hints at the grisly nature of his crimes. He’s smart. Evasive. A cunning psychopath with a twisted method of disposing his victims.
And his hunting grounds are hitting too close to home.
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FANDARKTASTIC!!
A spine-tingling, hardcore thrilling read! A must read for 2019, a dark reader’s dream.
I don’t know why I hadn’t read Keri Lake before Juniper Unraveling, yet here I am second book by her down and I’m in awe of her ability to keep me guessing. This book was a dark lover’s dessert. Edgy and eerie. Sadistically written with mystery that will have you scratching your head. You know that feeling, it’s when you close a book and your body is so wound up, you could run a mile? Just me? I was on a high with no where to go. My fingers were flying across my phone, like who read this, I need to talk. I need to discuss this amazingly written book. I can’t even begin to write a review worthy. This story checks all the boxes as far as I’m concerned. A suspenseful, depraved, dark romance. The main characters bring painful pasts and a bit humor into the mix.
“And you’re not some creep who keeps bottles of Jergens to put the lotion on it’s skin.”
“Do you have something against Jergens?”
A third POV was like hanging out inside Ted Bundy’s mind. Complete and utterly fucking twisted. I felt like I was walking into a horror film with a blindfold. Raised hair and all. I love how the author build-up every single encounter with brutal strength and demented emotion.
“If he timed it right, he could work himself up to climax the moment she took her last breath. And what a glorious moment that would be for him.”
Let’s not forget. THIS is a romance in all of it’s dark. It’s bipolar disorder and cake. You get your dark chocolate and you eat it, too. I absolutely loved Voss. His mommy issues included. You’ll know what I mean when you read this. I’ll never look at a wine stopper the same.
I could really go on and on and post all my highlights, because this book. A masterpiece of psychopathic tendencies. I LOVED THIS STORY AND CANNOT WAIT FOR THE CONCLUSION!
4.5 stars
Nola Tensley was struggling as life kept pushing her down. With a son to take care of, she can’t afford to let herself drown. So when an unexpected opportunity came, she grabbed it even though she had her reservations especially with unsolved murder cases littering around. Rhett Voss might come out of nowhere, but he could possibly be her salvation or her own demise.
Voss was one sexy, irresistible hero. He had an aura of mystery and untouchability that’s alluring. Nola might be flustered at times, but I love how selfless she was and did the best of her ability to make things right.
Out of all the characters, The Sandman was the one intrigued me the most. I loved him and his methodical approach in his crime. My favorite aspect of him is his “cold play”.
The story was engaging and I liked the multiple POVs. Both characters had a palpable chemistry and their pull to each other was sexy. What I wanted more is the desperation of fear, which I hope to get in the conclusion of this duet.
Nocturnes & Nightmare is a cat and mouse story dominance and possession. It would appeal to readers who enjoy a dark romantic thriller.
Keri Lake is an author I’ve come to trust over the years. I know when she sets a mind on something that she delivers and never disappoint me. So when I hears she left her dark romance aside to write a romantic suspense thriller, I was all in!
“When a man has lived his entire life as a monster, though, nothing really scares him anymore. Not even the darkest demons from his past.”
I went in Nocturnes & Nightmare completely blind! I didn’t know the blurb, not the characters’ names, nothing. I think it added to my anticipation with what’s happening in the book!
I was constantly at the edge of my seat trying to make some sense, piecing the clues together and trying to guess who’s behind it all.
Told in three pov’s you’ll get all you need to be in dire needs of book 2 by the end of the book! Things happens slowly to put you in a state of both worry and lust. There I said it.
While the romance is taking a back seat, let’s be clear Nola & Voss’s attraction is all over the place!
“The intersection between a sordid past and my pleasure is a consummation unfulfilled, a temptation I won’t indulge in, for fear that I would be just like the men who raised me”
Rhett Voss is a hitman who’s past is catching him up. Forced to return in his hometown, his link to a certain killer brings him right to a place he never expect. Meeting Nola and caring about her was not really the plan.
Nola Tensley is a mom trying to protect her son from the ugly world we live in. Unfortunately the last months had been rough for her and her little boy. Oblivious to the danger surrounding her, she has no idea who her new neighbor is, nor can she knows that he might also be her best chance at survival.
Nocturnes & Nightmares is the perfect set-up for what’s to come. The writing is as usual impeccable, leaving you with so many questions your head won’t stop spinning!
I wish I was a little mind reader to know what’s in Keri’s head right now. But like I told you I trust her to make it all clear and perfect by the end of Requiem and Reverie.
Whoa, this was dark and intense! The Sandman is out there and he’s sadistic, cruel and merciless, his trademark for a kill is very distinct. Nola Tensley doesn’t really pay attention to the string of murders happening lately because she’s busy trying to keep her life together by working to pay the bills and to provide for her son after their own tragedy several months ago. And against her better judgment, she’s renting out the back in-suite apartment to a mysterious Rhett Voss, who is as sexy as he is dangerous, yet he’s always dressed like he’s trading stocks but hints at an undercurrent of violence. Nola and Voss both have an unfortunate past which is somehow tied or linked in a way, but I haven’t quite figured out the connection yet and can’t wait to find out more. In the meantime, Voss is on the hunt for the Sandman, who has a new target in his sights, even if she is not like his previous victims. Voss only meant to keep an eye on her, but he’s become rather intrigued by her, too. The set up is ripe with an eerie feel to it, where everyone is suspect, knowing that a surprise could jump out around the corner at any time. This story packs a punch with all the elements of secrecy, murder, blood, vulnerability, vengeance and a sociopath that is so easy to hate. I was on the edge of my seat turning the pages, but also enjoying the subplot of a building relationship that could lead to clues about the serial killer. I’m interested to see where things go in the next book because it can only end with a bang.
Thrills, chills and heart-racing excitement. This has it all. I love dark and twisted but this has a rawness that almost had me going over the edge. So good! The Sandman is real and NOT nice. When this started off it seemed fairly mundane although kinda creepy and the wham the intensity picked up with one event that sent this story in a direction I could not have predicted. The characters are superb from the over-worked mom, Nola, to the heartbreaking Oliver to the intriguing cast of secondary characters and Nola’s family. And then enters the ultimate panty-melting male in Voss. There’s so much to him that I’m not even going to give a hint of all the depraved and delicious aspects to his character. But the most horrific is the Sandman/madman that’s targeted Nola and pulled Voss into his sick and twisted game. The writing is superb and kept me on the edge of my seat and turning the pages. I’m so tired right down because I couldn’t put it down and then the ending. Ugh! Not an OMG cliffhanger just unfinished business including the very dark budding romance between Nola and Voss. Will he or won’t he pull her into his form of sexual depravity? Can she really resist? Their interactions had me so twisted up, along with the heart-stopping murder mystery that keep my guessing the whole time and looking for clues. I loved the author’s focus on detail in this fabulous story of family dysfunction, the mystery of a serial killer, and a dark romance. I can’t wait for the rest of this breathtaking story! I voluntarily reviewed an ARC.
4.5 stars
Nocturnes & Nightmares is the latest Duet by Keri Lake with book 2 being released in May. As usual the writing is awesome and the story grabs you and doesn’t let go till the end. I was on the edge of my seat through out the whole story trying to tie it all together. Voss and Nola have amazing chemistry and I think their connection runs deeper than they know. I can’t wait for book 2.
***ARC Provided by Author***
This book is so much more than i anticipated! It’s dark and twisted and you will be on the edge of your seat with anticipation as to what will happen next. The characters are addicting. The story is gripping. and I can not wait till the rest is revealed! Keri has outdone herself with this one. My jaw is on the floor and my head is in the clouds!
Rated 4.5 Stars
Nocturnes & Nightmares was amazing, fascinating and disturbing. It had me intrigued, glued to the pages and had my mind going a mile a minute coming up and discarding theories on who the Sandman is. I think the author did a great job of balancing the moving parts, of balancing the razors edge between thriller and romance, of keeping the reader poised on the edge of their seat dying to know what happens next while making them fall in love with what shouldn’t be lovable. Voss is not a knight in shining armor by any stretch of the imagination but there’s something about him that’s compelling that makes the reader fall for him knowing full well they shouldn’t. This author excels at making the seemingly unlovable lovable. I loved this book, highly recommend it and cannot wait to read the conclusion.
Copy provided by author
Keri Lake, what have you done??? When one of your favorite authors hits publish, you hold your breath from anticipation. With Nocturnes & Nightmares, I’m pretty sure I stayed in apnea during the whole book!!!
That’s certainly one of the most surprising stories that author wrote.
What to say that won’t spoil anything for you though…
Take the plunge in N&N’s dark and mysterious atmosphere.
You’ll meet NOLA, strong, determined and hardworking mom. She will break your heart and make you so proud of her. There is something I absolutely love in Keri Lake’s heroines; they are outstanding, you simply don’t ignore their presence. In that regard, Nola is no different. But because she is a mom, an amazing one, a badass one, and a vulnerable, she is also very different. She stand up for herself and has that incredible sense of humour.
Voss, her neighbor and renter is the anti-hero I absolutely love falling for. Dark, dangerous, deadly. And Protective.
Together they navigate into the web a serial killer is weaving around them. The tension is palpable, the thrill will grip you. The suspense will keep you on edge all along. Past and present collide, tragedy dances with horror.
The tone is incredibly dark, some scenes utterly chilling. I kept wondering all along and with my suspicions, I can’t wait to read more in Requiem & Reverie. The game is on…
I swear to all that is holy, Keri Lake is trying to kill me. This woman is queen of the darkness.
Voss – oh boy, what can I say other than Dax you might be losing your crown, my love.
Nola – she’s had a rough life, but she’s one tough cookie.
I’m not giving any spoilers about anything in here. All I’m going to say is I devoured this book and upon turning the final page I was making grabby hands desperate for part two.
So deliciously dark, so tortuously twisted.
Keri has looked at the darkness and jumped further into the abyss.
Let me start off with saying this was my first book by this author, and it is an incredible read! She will She will keep you guessing throughout this book I promise.
I was on the edge of my seat through out the whole story trying to tie it all together. Voss and Nola have amazing chemistry and I think their connection runs deeper than they know.
These characters will ingrain themselves into your heart and soul. And the chemistry between them is off the charts! As I read, I felt so many emotions, sadness, anger, fear, and even lust. I absolutely can’t wait for book two!!
I want my own Voss!!
Nocturnes and Nightmares had me thinking I was bipolar
One moment I was laughing so hard my sides hurt ( for the sake of pillows everywhere!) And the next I was cringing and white knuckling my kindle (I will never view latex the same) wanting to turn away yet knowing I couldn’t.
I can always count on Lake to get my heart rate up and my emotions on edge. This was everything a good thriller should be.
Nola had me in stitches. She has had such a shit life and still, she can wake up and see the beauty in the sunrise or the humor in a serious “duh I royally screwed up moment”.
Oli knows a lot more than he is saying. I can’t blame the little guy though. I am kind of torn between hugging him and granting him a timeout. When and if he decides to speak of that night I think it is going to bring readers to their knees. Though I could be way off, honestly at this point I am jumping at shadows.
Voss, I don’t care what anyone says he is the perfect book boyfriend! Dark, sexy, deadly, sadistic -and yet – he has that twinkle in his eyes that would dampen any cotton panel – (reminder I called dibs)
This drew me in right from the opening scene. Lake easily kept me guessing throughout the story line – tossing little crumbs out occasionally that I greedily gobbled up only to find I had been misdirected.
This is the first in a duet so don’t get your hackles up when you find yourself at the end and still trapped in the dark
Nola Tensley is a single mother who has been knocked to her knees by the experiences she has faced in life. It’s to her testament, and the fierce love for her son, that rises to feet to fight tooth and nail for as best of a life as she can give him.
Money as always is tight but to help ease the burden she has advertised for a lodger to reside in the annex to the back of her home. By nature she is a pessimist but her cup runneth over when she finds a lodger who is eager and willing to pay over her original asking price.
Her out of place, somewhat rude and reclusive lodger is Rhett Voss. He’s dark and sleek and she can’t seem to shake off the something being amiss with him. He reeks of money and luxury, but her instincts are correct when it comes to whiff of danger that hangs in heavy plumes around him.
As readers we are introduced to the man behind the mask with Voss. We know Nola should heed her reservations about him, but yet, knowing his reasons for being there change the game completely. In honesty I didn’t second guess my ease in thinking of him as a dark hero. He’s admittedly frightening, but I must say I shivered for all the wrong reasons. The story is a perfect balance of danger, exhilaration and fear, wound together tightly with tension that is set to break in spectacular fashion.
Keri Lake is an author whose stories come off the page and play like a reel in the mind. The words fall away with the images she conjures, and the hair-raising sense of anticipation that starts as a prick soon turn into full blown shudders that race down your spine.
I COULD NOT STOP READING! Edge of my seat..heart pounding thrill ride. Holy forking frogs !
I need book 2 now. Have mercy. I can’t even write an adequate review.
I’ll come back and revise my review when my brain isn’t mush.
BREAKDOWN OF RATINGS~
Plot~ 5/5
Main Characters~ 5/5
Secondary Characters~ 5/5
The Feels~ 5/5
Pacing~ 5/5
Addictiveness~5/5
Theme or Tone~ 5/5
Flow (Writing Style)~ 5/5
Backdrop (World Building)~ 5/5
Originality~ 5/5
Ending~ 5/5
Book Cover~ Fantastic
Series~ Sandman Duet
Would I read more from this author? Yes
Would I recommend this book? Yes
I’ve been following Keri Lake for a while.
But I haven’t had read any of her books until this one.
Omg have I been missing out!
She is an incredible author.
I loved her writing style.
It pulled me in right away and kept and held my attention till the very end.
Actually when I got to the end I was screaming for more lol.
The characters are all intriguing and complex.
Omg the plot and storyline were riveting.
Rhett Voss is a dirty talking take charge private man.
He’s a bit mysterious.
But as the story goes on the reader gets glimpses into his childhood and his family.
Nola Tensley is such a strong capable lady
She’s a single mom.
Her son Oliver is eleven and he’s having difficulties
Nola hasn’t had an easy life. It’s now been made harder with what Oliver is going through.
When someone from Voss’ past comes back to haunt him.
His and Nola’s lives are about to collide.
Their chemistry together was absolutely sizzling!
I loved this book!
Thoroughly enjoyed every minute of reading it.
So excited to read the next book and see how the story and mystery unravels!
I love Keri Lake’s stories as they are filled to the brim with equal amounts of excitement and chills. Nocturnes & Nightmares was a little different from the norm as it had more of a romantic suspense/mystery element versus a true romance. Nonetheless, as always it was filled with shudders and chills and a delicious connection between her characters as the cherry on top. Voss and Nola were sexy and compelling and I swear this story had me on pins and needles the entire time!!
AHHH!! This review will be annoyingly vague to avoid spoilers. But suffice to say this story was amazingg!! I never wanted to stop reading as I was consumed from the start. I was mesmerized and caught up in the story and was absolutely enthralled with figuring out who the Sandman was. I had goosebumps and butterflies and the spinetingling chills were no joke!! I am absolutely consumed and ready for book two! Bravo! 4 stars! ~Ratula
….Monsters are real……
When tragedy strikes, Nola Tensely and her son, 11yr old Oliver, just try to make it as best they can if life. However when it seems like a serial killer that likes to play games has his eyes set on Nola she doesn’t take it seriously. Rhett Voss is a part of the gallows, a group of ex military Spy/Assassins, but he is ready for a change bored with his routine. When he gets a cryptic message from someone who he thought was dead, he has no choice but to follow the clues given. That leads him to Nola. He’s there to get intel on her and find his nemesis, but will he be to intrigued by Nola to keep it professional? What will happen to these two with a game of death all around? Can they figure out who is playing this deadly game or will it be to late? If you’re a fan of psychological romantic suspense than this is definitely the book for you! Told in dual POV and ends in a major cliffhanger. “I think everyone is born with goodness in them. Some just don’t know what to do with it, that’s all.” This is a brilliant mindf$&k and a must read! So many twists that keep you guessing until the very last page.
Let me start off with saying this was my first book by this author, and it is an incredible read! The intensity of her words will have you on the edge of your seat throughout this book. The story of Voss, an agent of sorts, is a complete and total alpha who you can’t help but become enamored with. The description of his character is so vivid, you can actually picture him in your mind. And Nola, the young mother he is protecting, unbeknownst to her, is a complex yet endearing character that you can’t help but want to protect yourself. When an evil person from Voss’s past comes to the forefront, Voss is determined to make sure Nola is safe and will do anything to make sure she is. These characters will ingrain themselves into your heart and soul. And the chemistry between them is off the charts! As I read, I felt so many emotions, sadness, anger, fear, and even lust. This is truly a heart stopping, phenomenal read and I can’t wait for the next book to find out what happens!!