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Infernal Curses #1
The Nightmare Curse
Seven years ago, warlock Benedict Edwards was framed for his fiancées murder and sentenced to one hundred years in prison. Now, he’s been cursed by a mystery enemy on Christmas Eve to be terrorized by the three Demons of Cronus and Christmas who will show him his past, present, and future, after which the error of his ways will lead to his death by dawn.
But, during the transition of Christmases Past and Present, Benedict breaks out of the curse’s timeline and back to when his fiancée, Lucia—a brilliant research professor—is still alive.
When Benedict attempts to prevent Lucia’s death and solve her murder, things start changing from what he remembers—different choices made by those around him, new attacks, unexpected deaths. As the demons hunt him down, it becomes all too apparent that his curse, Lucia’s death, and their research on immortal diseases are all connected. And that his curser will let nothing—not even space or time—stop them.
The Nightmare Curse is a spicy, adult fantasy romance retelling of "A Christmas Carol" with a dual POV, second chance romance, and a HEA.
But, during the transition of Christmases Past and Present, Benedict breaks out of the curse’s timeline and back to when his fiancée, Lucia—a brilliant research professor—is still alive.
When Benedict attempts to prevent Lucia’s death and solve her murder, things start changing from what he remembers—different choices made by those around him, new attacks, unexpected deaths. As the demons hunt him down, it becomes all too apparent that his curse, Lucia’s death, and their research on immortal diseases are all connected. And that his curser will let nothing—not even space or time—stop them.
The Nightmare Curse is a spicy, adult fantasy romance retelling of "A Christmas Carol" with a dual POV, second chance romance, and a HEA.
314 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 14, 2023
7 people are currently reading
229 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
November 8, 2023
*ARC/Beta review - Opinions are my own*
This BOOK. I signed up on a whim and went in totally blind. I was a little skeptical about a romance version of A Christmas Carol but I was pleasantly surprised. It was a great twist on the tale, while still incorporating the basics of the story without it droning on or being repetitive.
Set in an alternate Victorian England-type universe where magic, warlocks and monsters exist. The story follows Professor Benedict Edwards, a warlock, who has been falsely imprisoned for the murder of his fiancée. But someone on the outside still isn’t satisfied, and calls forth the Nightmare Curse to ensure Benedict’s eternal demise.
The beginning of the story was admittedly a little slow, but once the curse goes into effect, the action is non-stop. I was enthralled and sped through the story after that. As the ghosts bring Benedict through time, he breaks out of the ghostly plane he was in, and stays in the past. He attempts to solve the mystery of his framing and prevent the murder of his fiancée. The foundation of the magic system wasn’t super detailed so there’s some imagination needed there, but via the action and its use, you get a good idea how it works.
It is a slow burn and not overwhelming in its frequency, but still great once it hits. And they really do get into it once the dam breaks so that part of me was satisfied 🤭
Overall, I can’t wait to reread when it officially launches and see the final edits! It would be amazing to see this as a movie- all the action and magic really came to life in my head as I was reading.
This BOOK. I signed up on a whim and went in totally blind. I was a little skeptical about a romance version of A Christmas Carol but I was pleasantly surprised. It was a great twist on the tale, while still incorporating the basics of the story without it droning on or being repetitive.
Set in an alternate Victorian England-type universe where magic, warlocks and monsters exist. The story follows Professor Benedict Edwards, a warlock, who has been falsely imprisoned for the murder of his fiancée. But someone on the outside still isn’t satisfied, and calls forth the Nightmare Curse to ensure Benedict’s eternal demise.
The beginning of the story was admittedly a little slow, but once the curse goes into effect, the action is non-stop. I was enthralled and sped through the story after that. As the ghosts bring Benedict through time, he breaks out of the ghostly plane he was in, and stays in the past. He attempts to solve the mystery of his framing and prevent the murder of his fiancée. The foundation of the magic system wasn’t super detailed so there’s some imagination needed there, but via the action and its use, you get a good idea how it works.
It is a slow burn and not overwhelming in its frequency, but still great once it hits. And they really do get into it once the dam breaks so that part of me was satisfied 🤭
Overall, I can’t wait to reread when it officially launches and see the final edits! It would be amazing to see this as a movie- all the action and magic really came to life in my head as I was reading.
July 30, 2025
3.5 - ⭐⭐⭐ 💫
“You have me - forever. I would be lost without you. Directionless with you. It would be as if you dropped me in the forest and took away my map…I need you.”
The Nightmare Curse is the first instalment in the adult historical fantasy series, The Infernal Curses. Each novel is part of an interconnected standalone series following re-imagined holiday stories so you do not need to read them in order but characters do overlap. Written in dual third person POV, we follow Benedict and Lucia as they must confront the demons of Christmas.
Seven years ago Benedict was framed for the murder of his beloved fiance, Lucia, just as they were close to finishing their research on immortal diseases. Crippled by the loss and trapped in a prison he has no hopes of escaping when something changes when Benedict finds himself cursed. The demons of Christmas and Cronus will show him his past, present, and future...before killing him and dragging his soul to hell on Christmas morning. Yet Benedict finds a way to break free of the demons while in the past and seeks out his love. Together they must unravel who cursed Benedict in the present, who killed Lucia in the coming days, and how this is connected to their work...all before the clock strikes first of Christmas day.
This is a book that LAUNCHES you into the thick of things and, while it takes time to catch your bearings, the pay off is pretty great.
Benedict is an engaging character who has a second chance he will not squander. I admired his tenacity, his love, and his ambition.
Lucia is a woman determined to unravel the truth and her curious mind means she often catches things before Benedict does. I felt trust in her lover really helped move the story along and I liked how she challenged the expectations of women in her time - especially when her father questioned her dedication to science.
This book does contain spice. I would say about 2.5 spicy peppers out of 5 spicy peppers. There are approximately 4 spice scenes in this book with the first steamy moment happening around 37%. The spice is detailed and explicit. It is also Lucia's first time initially and I liked the care to which Benedict had with spice before they started exploring more down the line. The spice reflects moments of tension and release for the characters and when the mood strikes these two will not simply confine themselves to a bed XD I felt the spice worked well!
The story itself had a strong second half that really gripped me but the first half was rough. I really felt the prologue packed a punch when kicking off this story but leading up to the clear focus on finding the person that cursed benedict in the second half I got lost and struggled to feel the romance of our characters. I think there was a lot of time spent trying to lay down the lore and it came at a cost. That said the book did find its rhythm and I was drawn in. I liked the high tension, I liked how the risk gave way to spicy moments, and I liked the twists and turns because, boy, do we get a few. No one is fully safe and I think that added to the need to solve things. I am curious to explore more behind the magic system here as it sounds fascinating with the pieces we got. The ending itself is sweet and provides a HEA that these two needed after everything.
Overall, this book ended on a strong note and I will definitely add book 2 to my TBR!
Thank you Kayla for the gifted copy. I also purchased an ebook to read.
“You have me - forever. I would be lost without you. Directionless with you. It would be as if you dropped me in the forest and took away my map…I need you.”
The Nightmare Curse is the first instalment in the adult historical fantasy series, The Infernal Curses. Each novel is part of an interconnected standalone series following re-imagined holiday stories so you do not need to read them in order but characters do overlap. Written in dual third person POV, we follow Benedict and Lucia as they must confront the demons of Christmas.
Seven years ago Benedict was framed for the murder of his beloved fiance, Lucia, just as they were close to finishing their research on immortal diseases. Crippled by the loss and trapped in a prison he has no hopes of escaping when something changes when Benedict finds himself cursed. The demons of Christmas and Cronus will show him his past, present, and future...before killing him and dragging his soul to hell on Christmas morning. Yet Benedict finds a way to break free of the demons while in the past and seeks out his love. Together they must unravel who cursed Benedict in the present, who killed Lucia in the coming days, and how this is connected to their work...all before the clock strikes first of Christmas day.
This is a book that LAUNCHES you into the thick of things and, while it takes time to catch your bearings, the pay off is pretty great.
Benedict is an engaging character who has a second chance he will not squander. I admired his tenacity, his love, and his ambition.
Lucia is a woman determined to unravel the truth and her curious mind means she often catches things before Benedict does. I felt trust in her lover really helped move the story along and I liked how she challenged the expectations of women in her time - especially when her father questioned her dedication to science.
This book does contain spice. I would say about 2.5 spicy peppers out of 5 spicy peppers. There are approximately 4 spice scenes in this book with the first steamy moment happening around 37%. The spice is detailed and explicit. It is also Lucia's first time initially and I liked the care to which Benedict had with spice before they started exploring more down the line. The spice reflects moments of tension and release for the characters and when the mood strikes these two will not simply confine themselves to a bed XD I felt the spice worked well!
The story itself had a strong second half that really gripped me but the first half was rough. I really felt the prologue packed a punch when kicking off this story but leading up to the clear focus on finding the person that cursed benedict in the second half I got lost and struggled to feel the romance of our characters. I think there was a lot of time spent trying to lay down the lore and it came at a cost. That said the book did find its rhythm and I was drawn in. I liked the high tension, I liked how the risk gave way to spicy moments, and I liked the twists and turns because, boy, do we get a few. No one is fully safe and I think that added to the need to solve things. I am curious to explore more behind the magic system here as it sounds fascinating with the pieces we got. The ending itself is sweet and provides a HEA that these two needed after everything.
Overall, this book ended on a strong note and I will definitely add book 2 to my TBR!
Thank you Kayla for the gifted copy. I also purchased an ebook to read.
July 20, 2025
The Nightmare Curse is a delightful mix of A Christmas Carol, Dante's Inferno, and fantasy romance - I loved every minute of it. McGrath does a wonderful job of turning the well-known Christmas story on its head in the best ways possible. This alt-Victorian London tale has a unique magic system, a fun twist on a familiar city, and dives into an intriguing holiday mystery.
The story follows Benedict Edwards -- imprisoned for being falsely arrested for the murder of his fiancée, Lucia, several years prior. Benedict must face the 3 demons of Christmas (yes, demons, not ghosts, but demons...I love this re-imagining) and suffer his fate of being dragged to hell for failing to repent his greed (of knowledge). This Nightmare Curse always succeeds in taking its victims by the stroke of midnight on Christmas.
Instead Benedict's own Marley figure issues him a warning -- go back and change the past. Benedict manages to do so and teams up with his fiancée and found family in the past in order to change their fates.
I loved getting both Lucia's and Benedict's POVs as they struggle to root out the villain of their story and stop Lucia's murder from coming to fruition. McGrath blends the right amount of plot, spice, banter, and fantasy that you will race to the end of this book as she pulls the story along a fast speed.
I loved the spin on this old and familiar tale -- I was invested in the characters, the plot, and for the next book in the series. This retelling is one you want on your TBR this holiday season (or whenever you feel like it)!
4.5/5
The story follows Benedict Edwards -- imprisoned for being falsely arrested for the murder of his fiancée, Lucia, several years prior. Benedict must face the 3 demons of Christmas (yes, demons, not ghosts, but demons...I love this re-imagining) and suffer his fate of being dragged to hell for failing to repent his greed (of knowledge). This Nightmare Curse always succeeds in taking its victims by the stroke of midnight on Christmas.
Instead Benedict's own Marley figure issues him a warning -- go back and change the past. Benedict manages to do so and teams up with his fiancée and found family in the past in order to change their fates.
I loved getting both Lucia's and Benedict's POVs as they struggle to root out the villain of their story and stop Lucia's murder from coming to fruition. McGrath blends the right amount of plot, spice, banter, and fantasy that you will race to the end of this book as she pulls the story along a fast speed.
I loved the spin on this old and familiar tale -- I was invested in the characters, the plot, and for the next book in the series. This retelling is one you want on your TBR this holiday season (or whenever you feel like it)!
4.5/5
November 14, 2023
***Beta Review***
Before you start thinking "Oh this is just a retelling I've read a million times," DON'T.
You may think you know Christmas Past, Present, and Future, but DEFINITELY not like this. The world in Kayla's book is beautifully written. And the first paragraph had my jaw open and my imagination whirling for the rest of the story.
Set in the 1800s, Benedict is in jail for a crime he knows he didn't commit when Christmas Past shows up in his cell. He doesn't want to see his lost love, Lucia, for his own reasons. But when he goes to the past, he finds more than he ever expected. This really is a fun, well-paced read that is guaranteed to have you reaching for this instead of the original every year.
Before you start thinking "Oh this is just a retelling I've read a million times," DON'T.
You may think you know Christmas Past, Present, and Future, but DEFINITELY not like this. The world in Kayla's book is beautifully written. And the first paragraph had my jaw open and my imagination whirling for the rest of the story.
Set in the 1800s, Benedict is in jail for a crime he knows he didn't commit when Christmas Past shows up in his cell. He doesn't want to see his lost love, Lucia, for his own reasons. But when he goes to the past, he finds more than he ever expected. This really is a fun, well-paced read that is guaranteed to have you reaching for this instead of the original every year.
January 6, 2024
Fast paced, spicy, snd thrilling.
Well written and fast paced. I love how Kayla made her own twist on the Christmas Carol! I also love the romance between Lucia and Benedict! Also, the Diseases were very well thought of, and really represents how corrupt a person can be when it comes to money, and the book represented that well as well as it’s also a good representation of real life, as there are many illness that still have cures for them to be found or made but instead of finding a cure, leaving it all as is for making a buck. The plot twists were also clever and very well written and integrated into the book!
Anyways, definitely recommend, specifically if you want to read a retelling about the Christmas Carol!
Well written and fast paced. I love how Kayla made her own twist on the Christmas Carol! I also love the romance between Lucia and Benedict! Also, the Diseases were very well thought of, and really represents how corrupt a person can be when it comes to money, and the book represented that well as well as it’s also a good representation of real life, as there are many illness that still have cures for them to be found or made but instead of finding a cure, leaving it all as is for making a buck. The plot twists were also clever and very well written and integrated into the book!
Anyways, definitely recommend, specifically if you want to read a retelling about the Christmas Carol!
December 28, 2025
This is a Christmas Carol retelling with warlocks and reimagines the story as a recurring thing called Scrooge’s curse. There are enough allusions to the original story to give you touchstones and familiarity, but it doesn’t at all feel like a regurgitation. There’s a lot about this book I really enjoyed, but little tweaks could make it so much better. There were some grammatical and sentence structure errors that could be easily fixed with more editing. It’s set in a historic time frame but a good bit of the dialogue felt modern enough to pull me out of the story. This is also an easy editing fix.
January 8, 2024
4.5⭐️
"It all began, once upon a Nightmare Curse"
Innanzitutto devo ringraziare Alessia per aver scoperto questo libro, averlo letto, e aver deciso che era il regalo perfetto da farmi a Natale😂 dopo averlo letto non posso che concordare, infatti l'ho divorato in pochissimo tempo e ho amato tutto.
La storia si ispira a "A Christmas Carol" di Dickens. Benedict, il nostro protagonista, è ormai da 7 anni in prigione, accusato ingiustamente di aver ucciso la sua amata e promessa sposa, Lucia. Ma quando la notte di Natale si ritrova vittima della cosiddetta "Nightmare Curse", Benedict trova il modo di sfruttarla a suo favore, tornando nel passato per cercare di cambiare il destino di Lucia, e il suo.
Il libro è ambientato in una Londra vittoriana parallela, abitata da soli maghi che praticano una magia basata sui sigilli. Il ritmo è incalzante, quasi senza sosta, la storia d'amore è dolce, basata sull'ammirazione e rispetto reciproco. I personaggi sono ben delineati, ed è facile immedesimarsi nelle emozioni che provano. La parte mistery ammetto che l'avevo indovinata dall'inizio, ma ne ho dubitato fino alla fine e non avevo previsto i vari colpi di scena prima della rivelazione, quindi va bene lo stesso😂
In conclusione: un retelling super approvato, e sono curiosa di leggere altri libri di questa autrice!
"It all began, once upon a Nightmare Curse"
Innanzitutto devo ringraziare Alessia per aver scoperto questo libro, averlo letto, e aver deciso che era il regalo perfetto da farmi a Natale😂 dopo averlo letto non posso che concordare, infatti l'ho divorato in pochissimo tempo e ho amato tutto.
La storia si ispira a "A Christmas Carol" di Dickens. Benedict, il nostro protagonista, è ormai da 7 anni in prigione, accusato ingiustamente di aver ucciso la sua amata e promessa sposa, Lucia. Ma quando la notte di Natale si ritrova vittima della cosiddetta "Nightmare Curse", Benedict trova il modo di sfruttarla a suo favore, tornando nel passato per cercare di cambiare il destino di Lucia, e il suo.
Il libro è ambientato in una Londra vittoriana parallela, abitata da soli maghi che praticano una magia basata sui sigilli. Il ritmo è incalzante, quasi senza sosta, la storia d'amore è dolce, basata sull'ammirazione e rispetto reciproco. I personaggi sono ben delineati, ed è facile immedesimarsi nelle emozioni che provano. La parte mistery ammetto che l'avevo indovinata dall'inizio, ma ne ho dubitato fino alla fine e non avevo previsto i vari colpi di scena prima della rivelazione, quindi va bene lo stesso😂
In conclusione: un retelling super approvato, e sono curiosa di leggere altri libri di questa autrice!
May 14, 2024
For a myriad of reasons, this book took me a while to get through. It started slow, and it took me a while to figure out what was happening in the world and with the main character. Then it seemed to pick up a bit before getting muddy again for me. The second half of the book, though, was all energy, and I flew right through it. There were magical fights, deceptions, treachery, and intimate moments. Though there is romance, and an HEA, this book is not a romance in the literal sense. It is much more than that. In the end, I really enjoyed it.
February 1, 2024
Oh what a wonderful action packed story.
This was a fantastic read, fast paced with some extreamly unique and complex magic system which is explained in beautiful details.
I loved this book, although it took time for me to complete it, cause of commitments, I always kept coming back to this story.
This has time travel, which is a very rarely done right, and here it definitely is done perfectly! The stemp punk vibes of this 1800s London was really exciting!
This was a fantastic read, fast paced with some extreamly unique and complex magic system which is explained in beautiful details.
I loved this book, although it took time for me to complete it, cause of commitments, I always kept coming back to this story.
This has time travel, which is a very rarely done right, and here it definitely is done perfectly! The stemp punk vibes of this 1800s London was really exciting!
December 27, 2023
I finally had time to finish this amazing book! From start to finish you were gripped!
The characters are so well written! I fell in love instantly. Benedict's love for Lucia was tender and sweet. I really hope there is a book for badass Sabine!
Thank you for writing this lovely story! One of the best Christmas Carol retellings I have read!
The characters are so well written! I fell in love instantly. Benedict's love for Lucia was tender and sweet. I really hope there is a book for badass Sabine!
Thank you for writing this lovely story! One of the best Christmas Carol retellings I have read!
November 25, 2024
An interesting take on the Christmas Carol tale, but for some reason, I expected something more. The relationship between both main characters was already set from the beginning, so there was very little angst and build up. The plot twist was expected.
All on all, a good book to get you into the Holiday spirit.
All on all, a good book to get you into the Holiday spirit.
August 31, 2025
I've never been a big Christmas Carol fan, but this was a fantastic, fun retelling of it! I thoroughly enjoyed the setting and the characters - especially Sabine. I know she's just a side character but I love her feistiness. The idea of warlocks in 19th century "London"? Incredibly creative. This was a sweet, fun read with twists and suspense, and a wonderful conclusion.
November 17, 2025
Just what my brain needed.
Loved the twist on the Christmas Carol retelling. Highly recommend.
Loved the twist on the Christmas Carol retelling. Highly recommend.
December 9, 2025
Oh, this was such a great read, loved this couple, and I need to read the sequel now!
December 2, 2023
***Beta reader***
I simply loved this book. The writing is captivating, the characters are complex and well portraied.
It is a retelling but it is still hard to anticipate what will happen next.
If you enjoy reading romantasy, this is perfect for you!
I simply loved this book. The writing is captivating, the characters are complex and well portraied.
It is a retelling but it is still hard to anticipate what will happen next.
If you enjoy reading romantasy, this is perfect for you!
April 7, 2024
A beautiful fantasy retelling with an original spin and sharp twists.
- Time travel
- Demons of Christmas past, present, and future
- Alternate Victorian Era world
- Dark academia
- Curses, death, & second chances
- Twists that make you forget how to breathe
- Fast-paced and amazing prose
This Christmas Carol retelling is blended with hints of Dante's Divine Comedy and wholly original characters and a plot that makes the experience of reading it magical.
Just like Kayla's first two books, the characters are vivid and layered. The world-building is seamless and made me forget I was reading. Her characters come to life with realistic dialogue and tension and emotion that bleeds off the page. The book is well-balanced with fast-paced action and beautiful descriptions. And the twists left my jaw on the floor.
Also, once again, Kayla created villains that I can't help but love and hate at the same time. I need them to be brought to life in film!
- Time travel
- Demons of Christmas past, present, and future
- Alternate Victorian Era world
- Dark academia
- Curses, death, & second chances
- Twists that make you forget how to breathe
- Fast-paced and amazing prose
This Christmas Carol retelling is blended with hints of Dante's Divine Comedy and wholly original characters and a plot that makes the experience of reading it magical.
Just like Kayla's first two books, the characters are vivid and layered. The world-building is seamless and made me forget I was reading. Her characters come to life with realistic dialogue and tension and emotion that bleeds off the page. The book is well-balanced with fast-paced action and beautiful descriptions. And the twists left my jaw on the floor.
Also, once again, Kayla created villains that I can't help but love and hate at the same time. I need them to be brought to life in film!
July 8, 2025
The original ’A Christmas Carol’ isn’t a book I know much about, I’ve only seen the movie years ago as a kid so a romance version was such an intriguing idea. This book is an interesting twist on the tale.
As someone who usually reads timeless stories or ones that are set in real time, this alternate old England type universe was a nice change of pace. The beginning of the story was a lot to wrap my head around but was slow enough to get an idea of what this world is like before the non stop action began. The magic system is super unique and I hope we get to understand it more deeply with future books.
Overall, this intriguing universe of standalone stories is something I’ll be looking forward to reading and rereading! This book would make really good movie with all the chaos and magic and battles!
As someone who usually reads timeless stories or ones that are set in real time, this alternate old England type universe was a nice change of pace. The beginning of the story was a lot to wrap my head around but was slow enough to get an idea of what this world is like before the non stop action began. The magic system is super unique and I hope we get to understand it more deeply with future books.
Overall, this intriguing universe of standalone stories is something I’ll be looking forward to reading and rereading! This book would make really good movie with all the chaos and magic and battles!
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews