INDIEI have them all now. Just the way I want them.McKay, the one who loves me deepest.Adam, the one who protects me fiercely.Donovan, the one who tells the truth.They are my friends, they are my lovers, they are my world.And Maggie belongs to all of us—no matter who her father is.This is the family I’ve always wanted.This is the family I deserve.And I will do whatever it takes to keep them. McKAY wanted.
This is the family I deserve.
And I will do whatever it takes to keep them.
McKAY
I have a secret that could ruin everything.
But I’m not keeping that secret to hurt her.
Nathan St. James needed to go.
ADAM
I made plan that could ruin everything.
But I did it to save us in the end.
The Company needed to come back.
DONOVAN
I told a lie that could ruin everything.
But I didn’t tell the lie to them—I told it to myself.
Carter is closer than we think.
There is something truly wrong at Boucher House on the Old Pearl River.
Some hidden evil lurking deep inside the woods.
Nothing about their blissful life is what it seems.
Because just when they think they have it all—he shows up to take it back.
more
Rating:
Spectactular!
I jumped right back in to the lives of Adam, Mckay, Donovan and Indie. They are all such compelling and interesting characters with different backgrounds yet so similar in that they were all raised within the Company. I think what the Company does best is to mess with the minds of children. So these people and the people they know are all a bit crazy.
In this book they are all back together after the 4 years that they were apart from the time the incident occurred on Indie’s 20th birthday. She finally did what they always feared and went completely nuts on them. They all nearly died, especially Indie’s 2 year old daughter Maggie. Indie still has no recollection of the 4 years she was away or why she did the things she did that night. She also can’t remember the time before she came to live with Adam and Mckay, when she was on the island.
Donovan also lived on the Island when he was young and he doesn’t remember much of his childhood either. He knows he had a twin named Carter, but can’t remember him. He knows that when he was 15 and Indie was sold, he was the one that talked Adam into buying her but he has no recollection of why. So he and Indie are trying to recover their memories together.
Adam is still trying to learn things about the company that he wasn’t privy to before. He knows much of it should be in his father’s records, but he has searched everywhere at Old Home and in his Father’s house in the city but has come up empty so he is trying to find the files. Adam likes to be always in control and the leader.
Mckay is angry at Adam for taking Maggie and leaving him alone those four years. He was bought at nine years old by Adam’s father and they had never been apart for very long before that. He is coming to terms with the fact that he loves Adam but he has the anger that is keeping them apart and Mckay has some secrets as well. Things that were going on when Adam was recovering from the time Indie hit him in the head with a candlestick.
So much mystery in the background of each of them, plus there are others that may or may not be dangerous to them. Is Nick Tate still alive? Carter (Donovan’s evil twin), sent a card on Maggie’s birthday saying he was her father. Is that true? Is she Nathan’s? The boy next door was supposedly killed by Indie that night of her 20th birthday. So when he calls Mckay but hangs up does that mean he is dangerous to their happiness? This book is awesome, the characters are so deep and flawed that you can’t help but feel for each of them. I couldn’t put it down.
I voluntarily read & reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts & opinions are my own.
JA Huss gets me every time. Dark and twisted and chick full of suspense. It’s utterly delicious!
Everyone has gone back to their “real” life – Adam traveling, Donovan going back to his medical practice, McKay building his own bike shop business, and Indie disappeared. However, forces start to bring these 4 people together and go back to Old Home to confront what happened there that drove everyone away. When you are dealing with black ops spying, stealing, mind control, etc. you never know what is going to happen from one minute to another. As these 4 people confront their situation and the threat to Indie and a surprise guest, they try their best to understand the tragedy that tore them apart and how to bring them back to together. Not only do they try to define a relationship(s) but they also work together to figure things out. Things are easy to figure out since you are dealing with “The Company” and now there is chaos there (?) and it’s hard to tell who are friends and who are foes. I love Julies stories that makes you think about what to anticipate next and then when it’s not what you expect, you still realize that what happened really makes sense. I love romance combined with secrets and dark societies that come into play as you try to figure out what is happening to each character and the strong lines.
Pretty Nightmare is just that.
The wonderfully warped mind of J.A. Huss brings us another beautiful, sensual, sad and yet hopeful tale of The Company. The bond that was created in Creeping Beautiful between Indie Anna, Adam, McKay and Donovan is cemented with Maggie in this book. Even after the horror that happened in the last novel, they are determined to remain a unit, a family of sorts.
But secrets must come out and dangers must be faced.
This one blew my mind with revelations I did not see coming even when the slapped me in the face! Man what a ride! The lies, the secrets and the never-quite-knowing moments are what make this series so engaging and explosive.
I am waiting with bated breath to see where Julie takes us next and what rabbit holes we will fall into. Bring on October!
She did it again! J.A. Huss delivers one of the best series I have ever read. This book, the second in Creeping Beautiful series, gives us a little more insight on the lives and past of our characters, Indie, Adam, McKay and Donovan.
As usual when it comes to the Company plot, nothing is what it seems. And this book, as well as Creeping Beautiful, book #1, makes you think and try to find all the secrets. And I did found one! Yay I’m so happy, LOL!
I took my time reading it, enjoy it and now I can’t wait for the next one!
Wow, what a fantastic continuation to this series.
Book 2 was just as page turning, mind blowing, surprising and phenomenal as Book 1. This series is an absolute must read!
If you have NOT read Creeping Beautiful, I suggest you start there and this is a continuance of the story that begins there.
ARC received from author
Oh, my this series is a whirlwind! Some really good progress was made in it.
While Creeping Beautiful was very much a set up of the strange story here, Pretty Nightmare is a building foundation for the multiple relationships at play here. All three men are in Indie’s life now and she has Maggie back. She loves them all in her own ways, but tired of bed-hopping, she wants them all together and is slowly working on that through the book. In order for the four of them to be together, the three guys need to also work out what is happening between them, so we see a lot of side conversations and heated moments between the men. This book really builds the multiple levels of relationships that exist within this group, in order for them to be a successful group for the future.
There’s so much mystery happening in this book. We really learn so much about Donovan in this one, all of them, but especially him, specifically his past on the Island and how it plays into the current story. He, like Indie, has blanks in his memory as to why he convinced Adam to buy her and what also went on in his time on the Island, so much of the book is also them working together to rebuild those memories.
Top this off with the Carter and Nathan stuff. Specifically the Carter stuff. Holy moly, the author did not hold back with this plot! I did not see it at all coming. It’s hinted right in the book’s synopsis under plain sight, funny enough. So my question going forward now, will it still be a group of four, just slightly mixed up, a group of three, or back to the couple we started with…. I just HAVE to know. I can’t figure out where these relationships are going.
It’s weird to read this book while I am concurrently reading the beginning of the company. Hopefully by book 3 I am caught up and I will fully understand all this Company stuff.
Bring on the next one!
“There’s nowhere left to run, Dear Indie.
The only thing left to do is fight.”
Hot. Damn.
Did anyone else feel like their hearts and minds were about to explode (in a good way!) while reading book 2 in the Creeping Beautiful series?! Just holding this pretty little book in my hands had me beyond excited to go back into the rollercoaster of a journey with Indie, McKay, Adam and Donovan.
It took me a good couple days just to get half my thoughts on this book down, there was so much mind-blowing information and new secrets revealed that it took me awhile just to get my mind around it. I found myself putting the book down, thinking about it for many minutes and then reading and re-reading the same paragraph just to make sure I read it right. And damn… were there many moments like that, JA Huss sure knows how to hook you in, hold you hostage and want more by the end. I absolutely loved every minute of it.
I loved getting chapters in each characters POV and getting to know the inner workings inside their heads. I felt like I was part of their journey and came along for the bumpy ride. I really enjoyed the fight Indie had within her and wanting to get the answers she so desperately wants to her past. Adam, Donovan and McKay, in their own way, each had their fight within them too and I loved the strength and bond all 4 of them, including Maggie, had together.
Although I had my suspicions, my heart broke getting to that ending. There was a part of me that wished some characters were set on a different path and not how they ended up but I loved the way it all played out in the end.
There were still some questions that I needed and wanted answers to so my fingers are crossed we get them in the next story, and in true JA Huss fashion I know we’ll get more questions added to the list with some of those getting crossed off. I can’t wait to know what other secrets and lies these characters have, I so need more!
I wish I could relay in words a standing ovation for this book. Simply brilliant! Jaw dropping. Edge of your seat. Several times I had to stop and just sit there wondering WTF. I have been a huge fan of this author and every book I read of here’s she just pushes the bar even higher. Brava Brava!
I absolutely love how the author can pull you into a world and you come out of it not realizing you’ve just read the entire book in one sitting…this book is absolutely amazing, the guys and their different moments/friendships with Indie make this book everything! I love Indie’s journey in this book. This difference in this book from the first is it brings you deeper into the world of the characters and you get a chance to know them on another level, which will have you hooked from the moment you start reading! If you’re looking for a good book to get lost in, a world that will pull you into it and have you feeling like you’re a part of it. This is the book for you!
Once again Julie Huss’ genius and ability to mind f$&”! her readers and her own characters as well is astounding. The level of creativity and manipulation of story telling makes her a 5 star author every single time!
Jam packed with mystery, intrigue and thrillingly sexy. This series twists and turns with aha moments and how the hell did that happen!? If you are Company woman then you know the evil that lurks in the shadows and the secrets that bind characters together. Pretty Nightmare ticks every box!!
Can we just take a minute and realize how brilliant j a huss is!! I don’t want to put any spoilers so it’s hard to explain this book. I absolutely cannot wait to get more of this story!! If you love the first book you’ll love this book more!!!
There are some stories you read fast, and then there are others, like the ones JA Huss writes, where you better not read too fast, or you’ll miss a detail or two that might come in handy later! With this series, I know better to read slow, especially since there are 4 protagonists who all get to share their viewpoints, and yet, I’m staring dumbfounded at my Kindle asking myself, “how did I not see this as a possibility?!” This feeling reflects the skill and talent of this author and the way she weaves a complex and emotional tale that leaves us wanting more!
This book focuses on a return to life with Adam, McKay, Donovan, Indie and her daughter, Maggie. On the outside, they appear to be adjusting to their new normal, but aside from young Maggie, each character senses cautionary doubt, almost waiting for something or someone to tip over their neat apple cart. This book ends with a cliffhanger, but I felt some satisfaction with where the author has left us…for now!
O.M.G.
The song that kept running thru my head while reading Pretty Nightmare was a rendition of Baby Got Back… “OMG Becky… look at this BOOK ! It’s just so good… so crazy.. it’s just so out there…. chorus: i like good books and I cannot lie ”
But honestly this whole series is completely . I’ve already told my 22 yr old daughter that she needs to start at the beginning of this entire conspiracy with Rook and Ronin and then tell me what she thinks since I doubt I’d have time to start over!
This is the 2nd book of the Creeping Beautiful series and holy crap, its fantastic!! Things you thought happened in book 1 are questioned in book 2. Gawddddd! There is so much that I wanna say about this book, but i don’t wanna spoil it!!! Just know that nothing is what you expect it to be…. anything you think you know, you don’t.
I absolutely recommend not only this book, the series, the conspiracy books prior, and JA Huss all together!
I give it !!
I recieved an ARC for my honest review.
Well WTF!! Just Blow Me Away!!
1. Stop if You have NOT Read Creeping Beautiful, just go back now or you’ll be all over the place Just Lost if you do not read these books in order!!
So so many different way’s this second of four books could’ve gone, and truly this is more of a Duet I’d surmise this one to be considered!!
But Julie Huss telling us about the “The Company” and all the characters whether new or old with the WORDS Pretty Nightmare as the title in any shape form or fashion should’ve forewarned me and anyone else that’s been a regular following Fan!! Because believe me I was trying my best to think Like her and The Company I’ve come to know and well trying to guess anything was futile!! Even though I knew what way JA Huss is going to write…well its just never going happen, you wont ever guess exactly right, especially to the broad base we have of different folks that’s associated to all its evilness.
What, I’m tell ya is that you don’t truly want to have Any Regular “Company” like this Coming by for a visit! Ha!
So at the end of Creeping Beautiful all hell had erupted and it was a shocking cliffhanger.
Things happened at Old Home as if they were an oiled machine of someone that planned it down to that last minute, or did they, was it them or someone else?
Oh so many secrets, so many lies, so many truths. So much to figure out, your head will spin and you might laugh out loud and you might even cry!!
Your mind will be reeling, your suspicions will be everywhere to see just what you were told, what you weren’t told or sidestepped? So much new info spilling into the mind fuck of such as only dear Julie can pull out….Oh the Feels in this, yes she will give you Lots in this one!
So what is Indie up to? Will she have them all as she pleases? What exactly is it that will please her?
What’s Everyone Been Up to? Can they ever be as close as before, should they ever have been?
So in this story of Nightmares, that’s exactly how it feels that they come at you as well!
Kind of a Mirror Mirrow On the Wall Just Who Is the Strangest of them all? Who weaves the best story of them all? Maybe it’s all of them, Is that why they were all together for so long anyways?
Its going be a WTF moment in the entire Second half, the first part is a kind of relearning these people as adults all together, well except for Maggie and Maggie, damn I Love Maggie! What she has become with Adam as a dad, she isn’t an Indie, I’ll tell ya that, but never underestimate these genes, they never let you down
Bravo Julie, oh this web of stories and people! Wasn’t sure how you would bring us out of the Jungle this time, damn what a freaking Ride!
Come On and Jump aboard this crazy train ride!! Cant wait for the next adventure, be awaiting on ya Julie & Company!!
If you haven’t read Creeping Beautiful, I highly recommend it! I’m so glad re-read it before reading this one. Pretty Nightmare reveals so much more, and it gave me a bigger picture than what I already got from CB! There are more secrets, more dark times to come, but also something that was a long time coming. Again, having the POVs of our favorite people really helped shape the storyline together so nicely. But I really loved the story – it was like being in a room of smoke and mirrors. Who, what, why? All shall be revealed in time!
3.5 Stars for Pretty Nightmare
I enjoyed Pretty Nightmare, but not as much as the first book. I do recommend you read Creeping Beautiful first. As always, I like that there is multiple points of view as to know what each characters thoughts are through out the story.
The story starts out a good pace, but the last portion goes quickly (turns into a page turner & needing to know what’s happening), and the plot twist of course! I look forward to the next book, because there is still more to come by the way this ends. I don’t feel you can trust to have all the answers until the end.
I am blown away on how good this series is, it might just be one of my favorites by JA Huss. She is a master at taking you through a maze with her words, but all her mazes are very complex once you think you are at the end you find you’re just beginning.
This book starts where Creeping Beautiful left off and is told in multiple POV it fills us in with a lot of missing information, and we get to know Adam, McKay, Donovan, Nathan, and Indie a little better.
Be prepared there is a huge cliffhanger, but I am super excited for Gorgeous Misery coming in Oct.
Loved every minute of this terrific follow up to the first outstanding book. This one flipped the script and flipped me out as the dead are not really dead and the guys and girls come back together. These characters are just insane! One, in particular, is really crazy. The wonderfully twisted Indie with her band of merry men. It takes a crazy village of insanely hot men to keep Indie from her default mode of destruction. And what a group of men. I happen to love McKay the most. Dreamy! Every time you think you know what’s going on another twist happens. It’s a madcap adventure of twisted games, thrilling intrigue, bloody suspense, and crazy killers as the Company makes a comeback just when you think it’s ended. But who’s in charge now? As the fractured factions of genetic engineering fight for control and someone is breeding little blond killers, Old Home’s inhabitants come back together in a spectacular fashion with a new pairing…well lots of pairings and couplings and arms and legs and lips…you get the picture. Hotness! Plus the dead are not really dead with those pesky doubles and plastic surgery. Excellent storytelling and creative characters kept me thoroughly engaged and flipping the pages. So good! This is my kind of inventive, one-of-a-kind series and I hope this crazy world this wonderful author has created will spawn (I had to go there 🙂 more stories. I was left with questions! Do we get Donovan or Carter? Where are the triplets? And what happened to Aiden? More please! I voluntarily reviewed an ARC.
Is it just me, or does anyone else feel bruised after reading Company novels? I loved James Fenici and Harper Tate and devoured that trilogy, but no other Company book has made me that hungry. Maybe it was because those were my introduction and now I’m like nine books in and it’s all WRONG, DIRTY, BAD–and not in a good or sexy way.
Pretty Nightmare is book two in the Creeping Beautiful series. Indie Anna Accorsi is the pretty nightmare of Core McKay and Adam Boucher, and the eternal mystery of Donovan Couture. Book one was the formative years, and book two is a collection of snapshots and flashbacks of epic events and occasions of importance leading to our ultimate series of reveals. And this time there are some real zingers.
This sequel is full of exposition–which I’m just not a fan of, and I have a hard time sticking to in the story. A large amount of inner dialogue about characters not ‘feeling right’ about things but going along with them anyway, which feels disingenuous of Company people. I also felt many times like there was a lot that J.A. Huss was forcing in the story writing. When the ‘pay-off’ happens, it creeped me out. I didn’t feel like it was a story climax; I felt it was a low-point for the characters.
And then the end of the book and the cliffhanger are interesting enough, but really, this felt a little like it was a repeat of book one in some ways, but my favorite character is the new collateral damage–and I’m just not sure I can read the next book to see what happens next. I can’t take the next dirty, bad bruising feeling another Company book will give me.
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary advance copy of this book.
Creeping Beautiful