Prophetic dreams of a deadly hunt grow sharper and more terrifying every night... Julianna has been running her whole life—hiding from her hellish past and retreating from intimate connections. But when her nightmares reveal a helpless girl in grave danger, she knows she can't keep herself safe, let alone an innocent child. He's always had a heart of gold, but he wants this woman to come undone... Robbie's object of devotion presents a poised exterior, but he alone sees the vulnerable woman beneath. And when Julianna's dreams put her at risk, the goliath-sized rescuer of small animals and helper of old ladies has another project—shatter Julianna's glass shield and get to a little girl before evil claims them both.
CAPTIVE IN DREAM is a full-length novel with steamy romance and spine-chilling paranormal suspense. It is book two in the Cursed in Clayton series but can be read as a standalone.
Jessie Ellis is a romance author who lives in a tiny French village with her husband and three children, surrounded by woods, rivers, and farmland.
She's always loved reading thrillers, horror, and romance, thanks to sneaking books from her parents' shelves when she was too young to be reading them. Now she can't help but combine elements of those genres into the dark, gritty, and emotional tales she pens... always with a happily ever after.
Something mysterious has been happening to Julianna in ‘Captive in Dream’ by Jessie Ellis. This is a stand-alone second-in-series erotic romance paranormal thriller. Yep. It’s all in there, including reasonably graphic sex. It’s not clear if this is a trans-genre or all-genre approach to storytelling, but it doesn’t really matter because, at the end of the day, it’s pretty good fun. Poor Julianna is struggling with powerful and horrific dreams until she meets (quite frankly) stud Robbie, who whisks her off her feet in more ways than one. As the dreams become more vivid, nightmarish even, she takes to sleepwalking (borderline sexsomnia), and her life becomes more and more chaotic.
A visit to the well-endowed Robbi’s home town allows Julianna to open up to his juxtaposing sensitive interior, and from here, he becomes hopelessly devoted to solving the mysteries stemming from Julianna’s past. Ultimately, of course, his goal is to get the girl, and in that respect, Ellis gives us a satisfying resolution. These are rich characters with multifaceted goals, and for the most part, they hit the mark.
Ellis does an excellent job of binding these different styles together in a story that is heart-warming, sexy, scary and a bit of a rush. I’m not sure that paranormal and romance make good fellows (although Sookie Stackhouse proves the rule), and Ellis can’t quite resist squeezing in a few vampire references towards the almost abrupt ending of this sequel. There is a good story lurking amongst the monsters (mostly psychological). It races along from the start, but like a meal at a restaurant somewhat fancier than Baker’s Café, sometimes we are offered one course too many.
"Captive in Dream: Cursed in Clayton Book Two" thrusts readers into a tantalizing web of the supernatural, juxtaposed with the very human struggle of vulnerability and connection. Author brilliantly threads the needle between paranormal suspense and sizzling romance, crafting a story that serves both the heart and the adrenaline gland.
Julianna is an emblem of resilience and strength, a character whose defenses—born out of a nightmarish past—become both her armor and her cage. These walls she's built, while protective, also stifle her ability to connect, creating a dynamic that's intriguingly contrasted with Robbie—a mammoth with a soft core, whose unwavering devotion and tenacity prove to be the linchpin of the narrative.
However, beyond the romance and the supernatural, it's the underlying themes that resonate deeply. The story offers a profound exploration into the human psyche—how trauma can shape us, the lengths to which we'll go to shield our hearts, and the cathartic power of love and healing.
The pacing is exceptional, with a balance that keeps readers engaged, moving from haunting dreams and eerie premonitions to heartwarming moments of intimacy. And while the promise of goosebumps is no exaggeration, it's the final note of hope, the HEA, that lingers sweetly after the final page is turned.
In essence, "Captive in Dream" is a riveting dance of shadows and light, pulling readers into its grip and not letting go until the breathtaking end. Highly recommended for those who love their romance with a side of chilling paranormal intrigue.
The main character protects herself with a tough exterior, shying away from intimacy. That’s until she meets the man who sees into her core and vows to melt her in more ways than one. But she has dreams that become more and more vivid, of a young girl in need of desperate help. How does this all unfold? I won’t say. Here’s an excerpt of one of her visions: Julianna heated at the words. They were rich, coming from Helena. Julianna wasn’t the only filthy one in the room. She knew what went on during the late-night activities of the party. She heard the sounds that were too loud to block from her ears. The wicked laughter and the moans and crashing of bodies and furniture and delighted screams…the ceremonies and orgies that she couldn’t shut out, and she’d been subjected to listening to for as she could remember. The Bluebird room was as far from the ballroom on the ground floor as possible…The lights in the room were off. One set of velvet, floor-to-ceiling curtains were parted to let in the glow of moonlight and outdoor lighting form the gardens. The door clicked shut behind her and she leaned against it, blowing out a shaky breath. The young man who’d played a guardsman in Helena’s tableau was already there, standing in the light from the exposed window. He stalked forward gracefully, chin down, eyes up. He had the look of a perfect predator. Silent, focused, intent. Goosebumps didn’t come so much from the chills, but more from the thrills; some of the scenes are very hot. I liked the writing style, and I found this story to be a real page-turner. Highly recommended!
Wow, just wow! I'm still reeling from the unforgettable experience that is 'Captive in Dream'. This masterfully crafted novel is a true work of art, weaving together intricate threads of storytelling, richly detailed settings, and complex characters that will leave you breathless. The writing is exquisite, with a lyrical quality that draws you in and refuses to let go. The author's use of language is nothing short of poetic, conjuring vivid images and emotions that linger long after the final page is turned.
The world-building is meticulously crafted, with a depth and complexity that immerses you in the story. The author's attention to detail is staggering, from the smallest descriptions of setting to the intricate inner workings of the characters' minds. The characters themselves are multi-dimensional and fully realized, with motivations and backstories that add depth and nuance to the story. The dialogue is crisp and authentic, with a natural flow that makes it feel like you're reading real conversations.
But what truly sets this book apart is its ability to evoke a deep emotional resonance. The author tackles complex themes and issues with sensitivity and nuance, tackling tough topics with empathy and understanding. The result is a reading experience that is both deeply moving and profoundly satisfying. If you're looking for a book that will challenge your perceptions, stir your soul, and leave you changed forever, then 'Captive in Dream' is the perfect choice. Five stars simply isn't enough - it's a must-read for anyone who loves great literature.
“Captive in Dream,” by Jenna Ellis, is the second book in the series, “Cursed in Clayton,” but it can be read as a standalone. It is an interesting mix of suspense, mystery, and contemporary romance with a paranormal element. (The story includes explicit sex scenes.) The MC, Julianna, is a young woman who is plagued by disturbing and prescient, recurring dreams. To make matters worse, she is prone to sleepwalking. In the opening scene, Julianna leaves her house during the night in a sleeping state wearing her nightgown (despite measures she has taken to prevent her leaving the house). She awakes in a parking lot with several scratches and a wounded foot. To add insult to injury, her nightgown is raised up, leaving her body exposed. Julianna’s latest recurring dream concerns a dark-haired girl being pursued and knocked to the ground by two men. Each time she experiences the dream, a bit more detail is exposed. Can Julianna find the girl and protect her from harm? I found the writing to be competent and effective. The pacing, though, was a bit uneven. The middle seemed to move at a slow pace, while the ending came so quickly as to be a bit abrupt. Nevertheless, I really liked the characters of Julianna and her amazingly patient and loyal love interest, Robbie, and the final reveal wrapped up the story in a satisfying way.
The author's handling of sensitive topics such as child abuse is both respectful and poignant, adding depth to the story without overshadowing the central romance. The explicit content and profanity are seamlessly woven into the narrative, enhancing the realism and intensity of the characters' experiences.
This book stands out as a compelling standalone read within the series, offering a perfect blend of passion, mystery, and emotional depth. The chemistry between Julianna and Robbie is electric, and their journey together is both heartwarming and thrilling. The plot’s twists and turns are expertly crafted, ensuring that readers remain hooked from beginning to end.
This book is a must-read for fans of steamy paranormal romance looking for a story with intense emotions, suspense, and profound character development. The author's ability to weave a gripping narrative with rich, relatable characters makes this a standout addition to the genre. Dive into Julianna and Robbie’s world and experience a tale of love, danger, and redemption that will leave you eagerly anticipating the next installment.
Captive in Dream has similarities to Jessie Ellis’s previous romance novel in this series. There is a haunted, innocent heroine and a masculine male to give her comfort (and much more). The two books are also similar in that the assertive male is older than the submissive female by more than a decade. That got me wondering: Is this a current trend in the romance genre?
The male siblings in both of Ellis’s books together own their own business – a hardware store. Cue the innuendo-laden jokes.
Captive in Dream is all about Julianna’s horrible dreams that have paralyzed her life. My eyes kind of glazed over the dream sequences in the book. For some reason, long dreams conveyed in novels bore me.
But it’s a well-written novel that slowly gets to the bottom of Julianna’s horrors. The book is described as a “steamy and spine-chilling paranormal romance novel.” Steamy it is; spine-chilling it is not. After much sexual tension, I’m glad Julianna found her person in the fawning, masculine Robbie.
"Captive in Dream" by Jessie Ellis is a genre-blending novel that combines paranormal suspense with romance. The story revolves around Julianna, who is plagued by disturbing dreams that foretell a dangerous situation involving an innocent child. Her character undergoes a transformation from someone on the run from her past to a determined protector. Robbie, the central male character, adds depth to the narrative as he strives to break down Julianna's emotional barriers and save the vulnerable child. The novel effectively builds tension and intrigue as hidden secrets and a dark legend are unveiled, creating a sense of anticipation for readers. The romance element between Julianna and Robbie adds a tender aspect to the plot, offering a balance to the suspenseful elements. "Captive in Dream" provides a resolution without cliffhangers, ensuring readers a satisfying conclusion. Jessie Ellis has crafted a story that explores both paranormal elements and the complexities of human emotions, making it an engaging read for those interested in this genre combination.
I read the previous book in the series, Visions of Scarlett. This book follows the same theme. A paranormal story with a young woman falling for a much older man. It seemed too similar. As the main character deals with dreams that haunt her (sorry for the pun), a romance builds. Along with the romance, there is also a paranormal mystery involving the dreams. Julianna is determined to get to the source of her dreams; Robbie is determined to make the vulnerable younger woman his.
The story is well-written and the author lays out the mystery in a way that keeps you wanting to read. I wanted to read it all at once but work got in the way. I kept my tablet next to me and every time I had a break I couldn’t wait to read more. I don’t know what was more compelling: the mystery, or the romance. I admit I’m not a fan of erotica and I glossed over those scenes, but the rest of the story is amazing. I loved it all. I hope to read more of this author’s books.
There were quite a few similarities between this book and the first in the series (this one being book 2 in the sequence). The story followed Julianne and Robbie this time, and like book 1, she was much younger than her older lover. Scarlet and Callum from book 1 also appeared in this story, as Scarlett through her psychic work, was of use to Julianne in helping decipher her dreams. I enjoyed the dream sequences, as I liked the chilling aspect of girls going missing at 7 year intervals, as well as the mystery of Becca’s story. There were also plenty of heavy and steamy scenes between Julianne and Robbie for readers looking to heat up the autumn nights.
I think the tagline of this book was accurate, as it’s definitely a spicy paranormal romance. Overall I liked it better than book 1, mainly as I thought there were more paranormal elements in this one, and I liked the Julianne-Robbie romance better than the Scarlett-Callum one.
If you love romance, but it's October and you also want a dash of suspense with your romance--then this book is for you. It's impossible not to root for Julianna and Robbie (and Maisey). Basically, the story centers on Julianna and her prescient dreams, and her goal is to figure out what is causing them. And Robbie’s goal is to be with Julianna. I also like some of the mysteries like when Julianna awakes in the parking lot, which keeps the reader turning pages to try to figure out what happened to get her there.
The paranormal aspect was fun, and I liked in particular the world building. The voice never felt info dumpy or expository, but instead, this info was revealed seamlessly.
There's a very satisfying and sweet HEA with her and Robbie as well. I definitely recommend to romance readers, romantic suspense, and paranormal readers too. It’s a nice crossover between the genres. Hope you enjoy as much as I did!
The characters are extremely likable. Julianna is seemingly your typical, innocent, girl. However, we soon learn that she has secrets, lots of them. The author is coy about letting you know too much too soon. We know she is somehow broken but we don't get to find out the truth until the very end. This, of course, makes it a page turner and you keep reading longer than you'd planned trying to figure it all out.
Robbie is her crush, and vice versa. Because of whatever haunts her, she can't get close to anyone; even the man she adores. I'm not normally a romance/smut reader so I found the romantic scenes a bit over the top, but I believe this is pretty standard for this genre. I did enjoy the romantic tension between Julianna and Robbie.
Amongst the romance and mystery about Julianna's past is a missing girl. As you continue, it seems more and more likely that it will all tie together. I will leave you with that, because I don't want to say too much.
I enjoyed the style of writing and the story was told well. I will read more from this author. I am excited to have found her! I really enjoyed the language, and flow or the story, and it really portrays a great sense of protection and desire from the male love interest, what a hunk. I think if you enjoy steamy romance stories, with large, strong attractive men this is one for you. Myself I enjoy many aspects of erotica and i think this is a great read for someone looking for a really engaging romance, whether its before work, or after work, or on the train, stories like this that tailor to such specific interests are always great to find and you always can find time to squeeze in some reading no matter where you are going. I really look forward to seeing the rest of this author's collection and I think she will do great! I am definitely going to follow her author page so i get updates on whenever she comes out with new stories.
Captive in Dream is Jessie Ellis's second book of five within this series. After reading reviews, I decided to try this one first as it has been described as a stand alone, which was a vindicated choice. I had no problem delving into the story and didn't feel left behind. I can't say I've read many books in the erotica genre, so wasn't sure what to expect before picking this up. But fair play, Jessie does a hell of a job moulding a few genres together, not relying on either too much and expertly weaving together a captivating story as a result. The dream's of Jessie's were especially well written, probably my highlight of the book. From a psychological standpoint Captive in Dream is spot on, as well as the sense of terror during some sequences. I will definitely be picking up the rest of this series, as well as buying the first.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Julianna is a sleepwalker and a person who has frequent nightmares. Robbie is her crush and he likes Julianna too. Robbie takes Julianna to visit with a woman named Rose, while he dies some work for her. The two women read together, then both fall asleep, sharing a reoccurring dream that Julianna has been having about a girl in a forest.
Something happened that traumatized Julianna when she was younger and raised by her step-mother. She believes that everything she touches goes wrong and when someone touches her, it’s painful. Robbie tries to understand and help Julianna because he really cares about her.
They take a road trip together to Robbie’s home town and Robbie learns more about Julianna and her dreams. Something mysterious has been happening there and they try to figure out what is going on.
This book is a real page-turner. Warning: steamy sex scenes.
This being the first book I've read by this author, I had taken the time to read the reviews first. The understanding that there were quite a few similarities between this book and the first in the series, makes me sad I hadn't read the first book before this. Those who know me, know how much I love detail. I was not disappointed, especially in the dream scenes. Paranormal, romance, with suspense thrown in for good measure. My kind of book. Well done! K K Weakley
Great paranormal, spooky mystery. It’s keeps you guessing until the end. Cool dream like states and a Snow White type fantasy. It’s dark and deranged but sweet at the same time:
‘Captive in Dream’ is the second book in the wonderful ‘Cursed in Clayton’ series by Jessie Ellis. This one revolves around Julianna and Robbie and it’s a gripping story that is equal parts horror and erotic romance. Beautiful but broken, Julianna hides her past and all the trauma she has suffered, but her defensive walls are gradually being torn down by Robbie. He loves her and wants her, and she feels the same but she cannot give herself to him until she deals with her past. On top of that, she’s suffering nightmares and sleepwalking, and these prophetic dreams are becoming more detailed. She has no choice but to solve the mystery of the little girl running through the woods. With Robbie’s help, she sets out to do just that and the couple, as well as the reader, are drawn into a horrifying history of murder and evil. This is another excellent book. The horror is terrifying and the sex scenes are beautifully written and leave nothing to the imagination. The ending was a little rushed but it doesn’t take anything away from this well-written, gripping horror story by a very talented author. I thoroughly enjoyed it.