What do you think?
Love After Life
Somno Slave
Sleep Paralysis Demon:
I am not interested in her consent.
I am here for her collapse.
Doctor Rheda Ainsley enters my cell believing she has been trained to observe, to diagnose and sentence me. She thinks she is in control; she believes the glass keeps her separate from me.
But she doesn’t know that I am not here to be analysed. I am here to overwrite her. To hollow her out and rebuild her memories around my seductive whispers.
When she closes her eyes at night, it’s my face she fantasies about. It’s my hot body touching her unconscious one.
I correct her thoughts in her sleep. I teach her how easily control dissolves. I isolate her from her profession, her colleagues, her sense of moral authority. I break her until she needs me to function. Until she craves the place where I hurt her because it is the only place she feels whole. Until there is no version of her left that can exist without my presence pressing against the inside of her skull.
This is not seduction.
This is conditioning.
Dream by dream, I will make my sweet little doctor my Somno Slave.
I am not interested in her consent.
I am here for her collapse.
Doctor Rheda Ainsley enters my cell believing she has been trained to observe, to diagnose and sentence me. She thinks she is in control; she believes the glass keeps her separate from me.
But she doesn’t know that I am not here to be analysed. I am here to overwrite her. To hollow her out and rebuild her memories around my seductive whispers.
When she closes her eyes at night, it’s my face she fantasies about. It’s my hot body touching her unconscious one.
I correct her thoughts in her sleep. I teach her how easily control dissolves. I isolate her from her profession, her colleagues, her sense of moral authority. I break her until she needs me to function. Until she craves the place where I hurt her because it is the only place she feels whole. Until there is no version of her left that can exist without my presence pressing against the inside of her skull.
This is not seduction.
This is conditioning.
Dream by dream, I will make my sweet little doctor my Somno Slave.
442 pages, Kindle Edition
Published August 1, 2026
About the author
Holly Guy
13 books282 followersHolly Guy is usually lost in a world of dark and forbidden romance novels. She battles with dark-antiheroes and sinful or forbidden desire.
Join the thousands of readers who are obsessed with her wicked words and follow her forbidden steps into the depths of romance!
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Join the thousands of readers who are obsessed with her wicked words and follow her forbidden steps into the depths of romance!
Tik Tok: @Hollyguyauthor
Instagram: Hollyguyauthor
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 116 reviews
August 10, 2026
⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4/5
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️ Spice: 4/5
📖🔥 Plot: 4/5
🖤🧠 Character Development: 4/5
🖤😈 Darkness: PITCH BLACK
Somno Slave by Holly Guy might have you jumping at every damn shadow in your bedroom if you're easily frightened. 😈 Maybe don't read this one alone in the dark… especially if sleep paralysis already freaks you out. 👀
Or, if you deal with sleep paralysis like I do lol.
Rheda is a doctor working alongside Peter, Mike, and Sean, trying to get a suspect named Deogal to confess to some seriously horrible crimes. She goes into it thinking she's the one studying him, analyzing him, and trying to get inside HIS head.
Yeahhhh… about that.
Deogal has completely different plans for his sweet little doctor, and things start getting very twisted very quickly. The lines between what's happening when Rheda is awake and what's happening when she sleeps start to blur, and that whole power dynamic was probably my favorite part of the book. 🧠😈
This was a fairly quick, completely unhinged read. The whole doctor/patient dynamic mixed with the sleep paralysis demon thing was such a different concept, and the spice was definitely doing its job. 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️ There is absolutely NOTHING healthy happening here, but I mean… we're reading pitch-black romance. We didn't come looking for green flags. 🚩
I personally didn't find it disturbing, but I can definitely see this one being WAY too much for some people. It's dark, toxic, completely inappropriate, and full of things we would question in real life lol.
I would've liked just a little more depth in a few places, which is really the only reason this landed at 4⭐ instead of 5⭐ for me.
⚠️ **CHECK YOUR TRIGGERS** ⚠️
😈 Non-consent
🧠 Psychological manipulation/conditioning
⛓️ Control & loss of autonomy
🚩 Toxic/abusive dynamics
😴 Sleep paralysis themes
🌶️ Explicit sexual content
🖤 Pitch-black themes
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️ Spice: 4/5
📖🔥 Plot: 4/5
🖤🧠 Character Development: 4/5
🖤😈 Darkness: PITCH BLACK
Somno Slave by Holly Guy might have you jumping at every damn shadow in your bedroom if you're easily frightened. 😈 Maybe don't read this one alone in the dark… especially if sleep paralysis already freaks you out. 👀
Or, if you deal with sleep paralysis like I do lol.
Rheda is a doctor working alongside Peter, Mike, and Sean, trying to get a suspect named Deogal to confess to some seriously horrible crimes. She goes into it thinking she's the one studying him, analyzing him, and trying to get inside HIS head.
Yeahhhh… about that.
Deogal has completely different plans for his sweet little doctor, and things start getting very twisted very quickly. The lines between what's happening when Rheda is awake and what's happening when she sleeps start to blur, and that whole power dynamic was probably my favorite part of the book. 🧠😈
This was a fairly quick, completely unhinged read. The whole doctor/patient dynamic mixed with the sleep paralysis demon thing was such a different concept, and the spice was definitely doing its job. 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️ There is absolutely NOTHING healthy happening here, but I mean… we're reading pitch-black romance. We didn't come looking for green flags. 🚩
I personally didn't find it disturbing, but I can definitely see this one being WAY too much for some people. It's dark, toxic, completely inappropriate, and full of things we would question in real life lol.
I would've liked just a little more depth in a few places, which is really the only reason this landed at 4⭐ instead of 5⭐ for me.
⚠️ **CHECK YOUR TRIGGERS** ⚠️
😈 Non-consent
🧠 Psychological manipulation/conditioning
⛓️ Control & loss of autonomy
🚩 Toxic/abusive dynamics
😴 Sleep paralysis themes
🌶️ Explicit sexual content
🖤 Pitch-black themes
July 30, 2026
ARC Review 🫣
Here I am with my very first pitch-black read! And I was absolutely OBSESSED with this book! It features one of my favorite tropes: criminal x psychiatrist. Rheda is an expert criminal psychiatrist who has been doing this job for 6 years, and Deogal is a criminal sentenced to death row. Also, Deogal is a sleep demon, so the book has a supernatural side as well. By day, Rheda observes Deogal's daily behavior through the interrogation room glass, and by night, Deogal enters her dreams. I guess I don't need to tell you what they do in her dreams, hehe🤭 I was holding my breath in certain parts of the book, and I'm honestly still trying to process that plot twist at the end... Deogal, you're a character no one should love, but I fell completely in love with you... (We listen and we don't judge!) I also have to mention that this book isn't for everyone.
Here I am with my very first pitch-black read! And I was absolutely OBSESSED with this book! It features one of my favorite tropes: criminal x psychiatrist. Rheda is an expert criminal psychiatrist who has been doing this job for 6 years, and Deogal is a criminal sentenced to death row. Also, Deogal is a sleep demon, so the book has a supernatural side as well. By day, Rheda observes Deogal's daily behavior through the interrogation room glass, and by night, Deogal enters her dreams. I guess I don't need to tell you what they do in her dreams, hehe🤭 I was holding my breath in certain parts of the book, and I'm honestly still trying to process that plot twist at the end... Deogal, you're a character no one should love, but I fell completely in love with you... (We listen and we don't judge!) I also have to mention that this book isn't for everyone.
July 20, 2026
ARC review
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Somno Slave is one of those books that gets under your skin and refuses to leave. Rather than relying solely on physical danger, it leans heavily into psychological horror, creating an unsettling atmosphere where the mind becomes the most terrifying battlefield.
From the opening chapters, the premise is deeply unnerving. A doctor believes she’s studying a dangerous entity from the safety of behind reinforced glass, only to discover that the true threat isn’t physical; it’s mental. The idea that sleep itself becomes a vulnerability is brilliantly executed, turning something as ordinary as closing your eyes into an act of terror.
The sleep paralysis demon is an unforgettable antagonist. He’s calculating, manipulative, and relentlessly patient. His greatest weapon isn’t brute force; it’s psychological control. Watching him systematically erode Rheda’s confidence, perception, and grip on reality creates a slow-burning tension that becomes more disturbing with every chapter.
Rheda is equally compelling. As someone trained to observe and analyze, she begins the story convinced she understands the boundaries between doctor and subject. Seeing those certainties gradually unravel makes for an emotionally gripping journey. Her struggle to hold onto her identity while questioning her own thoughts and memories is both heartbreaking and terrifying.
What makes this book stand out is its atmosphere. Dreams and waking life begin to blur together until neither the characters nor the reader can fully trust what is real. That lingering uncertainty keeps the suspense high and adds a constant feeling of unease.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Somno Slave is one of those books that gets under your skin and refuses to leave. Rather than relying solely on physical danger, it leans heavily into psychological horror, creating an unsettling atmosphere where the mind becomes the most terrifying battlefield.
From the opening chapters, the premise is deeply unnerving. A doctor believes she’s studying a dangerous entity from the safety of behind reinforced glass, only to discover that the true threat isn’t physical; it’s mental. The idea that sleep itself becomes a vulnerability is brilliantly executed, turning something as ordinary as closing your eyes into an act of terror.
The sleep paralysis demon is an unforgettable antagonist. He’s calculating, manipulative, and relentlessly patient. His greatest weapon isn’t brute force; it’s psychological control. Watching him systematically erode Rheda’s confidence, perception, and grip on reality creates a slow-burning tension that becomes more disturbing with every chapter.
Rheda is equally compelling. As someone trained to observe and analyze, she begins the story convinced she understands the boundaries between doctor and subject. Seeing those certainties gradually unravel makes for an emotionally gripping journey. Her struggle to hold onto her identity while questioning her own thoughts and memories is both heartbreaking and terrifying.
What makes this book stand out is its atmosphere. Dreams and waking life begin to blur together until neither the characters nor the reader can fully trust what is real. That lingering uncertainty keeps the suspense high and adds a constant feeling of unease.
August 9, 2026
💥ARC Review💥
This was my first book by Holly. I went into it blindly and holy crap, I was not disappointed. Everything flowed the way I thought it would until the last 15% of the book. The twists and turns at the end had my jaw on the floor! I need the next book right now. I need to see what happens to Rheda next!
This was my first book by Holly. I went into it blindly and holy crap, I was not disappointed. Everything flowed the way I thought it would until the last 15% of the book. The twists and turns at the end had my jaw on the floor! I need the next book right now. I need to see what happens to Rheda next!
August 1, 2026
I found it really hard to get into, I was expecting more from it but it was basically wash rinse repeat for me sorry
Review of advance copy received from Author
😵💫🖤 Somno Slave completely got inside my head. This isn't the kind of horror that relies on endless violence or cheap jump scares. Instead, it slowly burrows into your mind, making you question every dream, every memory, and eventually every piece of reality alongside the characters. By the time I reached the final pages, I genuinely didn't know what to believe anymore... and I loved every second of it.
From the very beginning, the premise had me hooked. Rheda Ainsley is a talented criminal psychologist known for reading people better than almost anyone else. After years of working with dangerous criminals, she's convinced she understands how the human mind works. Then she meets Deogal Attor—a man accused of horrifying murders who refuses to play by anyone's rules. What starts as a psychological evaluation quickly turns into something far more disturbing, where the biggest threat isn't inside the prison... it's waiting for her every time she closes her eyes. 🌙💀
The way the story handles psychological horror is honestly brilliant. Sleep, something we all depend on, suddenly becomes terrifying. The constant uncertainty over what's real and what's part of Deogal's influence creates this suffocating atmosphere that never lets up. Every chapter pulled me deeper into Rheda's unraveling mind, and I found myself second-guessing everything alongside her. 😶🌫️🕷️
Deogal Attor is one of those villains you can't stop thinking about. He's manipulative, patient, intelligent, and unbelievably unsettling. He doesn't rely on brute strength—he wins by breaking people mentally, one tiny crack at a time. Every interaction between him and Rheda felt like a dangerous chess match where neither of them could ever truly gain the upper hand. He's terrifying... but somehow impossible to look away from. 😈🔥
I also really appreciated Rheda as a heroine. She's intelligent, determined, and confident in her abilities, yet watching those certainties slowly crumble made her feel incredibly human. Her battle to hold onto her identity while questioning her own thoughts, memories, and instincts was heartbreaking at times. Instead of becoming a helpless victim, she continues fighting even when she no longer knows what reality looks like. 🖤
One of my favorite parts of the book was the tension between Rheda and Deogal. Every conversation carried layers of manipulation, mind games, and unsettling attraction that made it impossible to predict where things were heading. The chemistry between them is dark, twisted, uncomfortable, and strangely magnetic all at once. It's the kind of relationship that leaves you horrified while still needing to know what happens next. 😵💫❤️🔥
The pacing never lets the suspense fade. Every revelation raises even more questions, dreams begin blending into waking life, and the deeper the mystery unfolds, the harder it becomes to separate truth from illusion. I kept telling myself "just one more chapter," only to realize I'd flown through huge sections without noticing. 📖✨
And then... that ending.😳🤯 I closed the book and just sat there staring into space, trying to process everything I'd read. It answers enough to satisfy while opening the door to even more terrifying possibilities, and now I desperately need book two because there is no way I can be left hanging after that.
If you enjoy psychological horror, morally corrupt villains, criminal investigations, unsettling supernatural elements, mind-bending suspense, and stories that constantly make you question reality, Somno Slave is absolutely worth picking up. Just be sure to read the trigger warnings first, because this is an unapologetically dark, disturbing, and unforgettable ride. 🖤👁️🌙
From the very beginning, the premise had me hooked. Rheda Ainsley is a talented criminal psychologist known for reading people better than almost anyone else. After years of working with dangerous criminals, she's convinced she understands how the human mind works. Then she meets Deogal Attor—a man accused of horrifying murders who refuses to play by anyone's rules. What starts as a psychological evaluation quickly turns into something far more disturbing, where the biggest threat isn't inside the prison... it's waiting for her every time she closes her eyes. 🌙💀
The way the story handles psychological horror is honestly brilliant. Sleep, something we all depend on, suddenly becomes terrifying. The constant uncertainty over what's real and what's part of Deogal's influence creates this suffocating atmosphere that never lets up. Every chapter pulled me deeper into Rheda's unraveling mind, and I found myself second-guessing everything alongside her. 😶🌫️🕷️
Deogal Attor is one of those villains you can't stop thinking about. He's manipulative, patient, intelligent, and unbelievably unsettling. He doesn't rely on brute strength—he wins by breaking people mentally, one tiny crack at a time. Every interaction between him and Rheda felt like a dangerous chess match where neither of them could ever truly gain the upper hand. He's terrifying... but somehow impossible to look away from. 😈🔥
I also really appreciated Rheda as a heroine. She's intelligent, determined, and confident in her abilities, yet watching those certainties slowly crumble made her feel incredibly human. Her battle to hold onto her identity while questioning her own thoughts, memories, and instincts was heartbreaking at times. Instead of becoming a helpless victim, she continues fighting even when she no longer knows what reality looks like. 🖤
One of my favorite parts of the book was the tension between Rheda and Deogal. Every conversation carried layers of manipulation, mind games, and unsettling attraction that made it impossible to predict where things were heading. The chemistry between them is dark, twisted, uncomfortable, and strangely magnetic all at once. It's the kind of relationship that leaves you horrified while still needing to know what happens next. 😵💫❤️🔥
The pacing never lets the suspense fade. Every revelation raises even more questions, dreams begin blending into waking life, and the deeper the mystery unfolds, the harder it becomes to separate truth from illusion. I kept telling myself "just one more chapter," only to realize I'd flown through huge sections without noticing. 📖✨
And then... that ending.😳🤯 I closed the book and just sat there staring into space, trying to process everything I'd read. It answers enough to satisfy while opening the door to even more terrifying possibilities, and now I desperately need book two because there is no way I can be left hanging after that.
If you enjoy psychological horror, morally corrupt villains, criminal investigations, unsettling supernatural elements, mind-bending suspense, and stories that constantly make you question reality, Somno Slave is absolutely worth picking up. Just be sure to read the trigger warnings first, because this is an unapologetically dark, disturbing, and unforgettable ride. 🖤👁️🌙
August 5, 2026
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ - 𝓻𝓪𝓽𝓮
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️ - 𝓼𝓹𝓲𝓬𝓮
🔥🔥🔥🔥 - 𝓹𝓵𝓸𝓽
🩸🩸- 𝓰𝓸𝓻𝓮
🖤 𝓶𝓪𝓲𝓷 𝓬𝓱𝓪𝓻𝓪𝓬𝓽𝓮𝓻𝓼🖤
Deogal & Rheda
🖤 𝓽𝓻𝓸𝓹𝓮𝓼🖤
📕dream demon
📕masturbation
📕noncon/dubcon
📕pitch-black romance
📕psychologist x criminal
🖤𝓺𝓾𝓸𝓽𝓮𝓼🖤
“But what is a name to a monster that fucks itself over sleeping bodies?”
“A little camera won’t stop me from ruining you.”
“Because the most horrifying truth is even now, with death inside me, I still don’t want him to leave me.”
🖤 𝓻𝓮𝓿𝓲𝓮𝔀🖤
This is a dark, extremely spicy, psychologist x criminal romance that you will absolutely obsess over! Deogal is such a manipulative villain that you can feel is playing a game with Rheda, but you can’t help but like the character. Their interactions. Their connection is one that feels like they’re pawns on a chessboard and he’s about ready to call checkmate. It’ll make you want to read the next book immediately after finishing because it leaves you with a cliffhanger and a dropped jaw.
*spoilers*
We are introduced to Deogal, who is a sleep demon who preys (or pleasures himself to be precise) on others in the dreamworld. It’s there that he comes across a female soul that intrigues him as she fights his desires. We are then introduced to Rheda, who seems to have lost her social life to her work life. One where she doesn’t feel appreciated. See, she’s been a criminal psychologist for six years and is on call at all hours. But she also has a certain skill. One that has some calling her a mind reader. And she may be one they can use for the latest Class M case.
It just so happens that her Class M case is centered on Deogal. A mute criminal that refuses to give any answers. She is told that he hasn’t said a word since intake a month before and she is to watch and take notes of his body language. But she doesn’t feel like that’s enough. That she can’t get through to him since he won’t even react to Peter’s questions. But then Peter starts to take more painful methods in order to get him to speak. Some actions being too much for Rheda’s eyes but he still refuses to answer anything.
But Deogal has another side to him that they don’t know about. He is a sleep demon who takes advantage of Rheda’s vulnerability. During the days, she is tasked to monitor him from beyond the glass of the interrogation room. But by night, she belongs to him and things spiral into a spicy seduction of lust that you will not want to look away from. I won’t give too much away because the twist at the end is something you won’t see coming, but this is an absolute read for the pitch-black romance readers looking for their next five-star read.
🖤𝓸𝓿𝓮𝓻𝓪𝓵𝓵🖤
The dark atmosphere and the blend of dreams and reality will pull you into this plot, knowing Rheda and Deogal’s relationship is one you know is not made for each other but you’re still rooting for it anyway. The psychological horror elements only adds to the overall storyline, causing you to overthink on what’s real and what’s purely coming from Deogal himself. A riveting novel with pacing that doesn’t drag but continues to pull you into until the end.
**no AI was used to generate any part of this review**
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️ - 𝓼𝓹𝓲𝓬𝓮
🔥🔥🔥🔥 - 𝓹𝓵𝓸𝓽
🩸🩸- 𝓰𝓸𝓻𝓮
🖤 𝓶𝓪𝓲𝓷 𝓬𝓱𝓪𝓻𝓪𝓬𝓽𝓮𝓻𝓼🖤
Deogal & Rheda
🖤 𝓽𝓻𝓸𝓹𝓮𝓼🖤
📕dream demon
📕masturbation
📕noncon/dubcon
📕pitch-black romance
📕psychologist x criminal
🖤𝓺𝓾𝓸𝓽𝓮𝓼🖤
“But what is a name to a monster that fucks itself over sleeping bodies?”
“A little camera won’t stop me from ruining you.”
“Because the most horrifying truth is even now, with death inside me, I still don’t want him to leave me.”
🖤 𝓻𝓮𝓿𝓲𝓮𝔀🖤
This is a dark, extremely spicy, psychologist x criminal romance that you will absolutely obsess over! Deogal is such a manipulative villain that you can feel is playing a game with Rheda, but you can’t help but like the character. Their interactions. Their connection is one that feels like they’re pawns on a chessboard and he’s about ready to call checkmate. It’ll make you want to read the next book immediately after finishing because it leaves you with a cliffhanger and a dropped jaw.
*spoilers*
We are introduced to Deogal, who is a sleep demon who preys (or pleasures himself to be precise) on others in the dreamworld. It’s there that he comes across a female soul that intrigues him as she fights his desires. We are then introduced to Rheda, who seems to have lost her social life to her work life. One where she doesn’t feel appreciated. See, she’s been a criminal psychologist for six years and is on call at all hours. But she also has a certain skill. One that has some calling her a mind reader. And she may be one they can use for the latest Class M case.
It just so happens that her Class M case is centered on Deogal. A mute criminal that refuses to give any answers. She is told that he hasn’t said a word since intake a month before and she is to watch and take notes of his body language. But she doesn’t feel like that’s enough. That she can’t get through to him since he won’t even react to Peter’s questions. But then Peter starts to take more painful methods in order to get him to speak. Some actions being too much for Rheda’s eyes but he still refuses to answer anything.
But Deogal has another side to him that they don’t know about. He is a sleep demon who takes advantage of Rheda’s vulnerability. During the days, she is tasked to monitor him from beyond the glass of the interrogation room. But by night, she belongs to him and things spiral into a spicy seduction of lust that you will not want to look away from. I won’t give too much away because the twist at the end is something you won’t see coming, but this is an absolute read for the pitch-black romance readers looking for their next five-star read.
🖤𝓸𝓿𝓮𝓻𝓪𝓵𝓵🖤
The dark atmosphere and the blend of dreams and reality will pull you into this plot, knowing Rheda and Deogal’s relationship is one you know is not made for each other but you’re still rooting for it anyway. The psychological horror elements only adds to the overall storyline, causing you to overthink on what’s real and what’s purely coming from Deogal himself. A riveting novel with pacing that doesn’t drag but continues to pull you into until the end.
**no AI was used to generate any part of this review**
Review of advance copy received from Author
Wow. This was my first read by Holly Guy and I'm kicking myself for not picking up something by her sooner. Somno is my favorite guilty pleasure trope and I knew the second I saw the title, Somno Slave, I needed to read it. I signed up just because of it, to be honest, and holy f*!# beans it did not disappoint! I have definitely found a new favorite pitch-black author to add to my list, and I can't wait to devour the rest of her work.
Somno Slave is a psychological horror with some hints of romance, a whole lotta spice and a mind fü#& of a story. Rheda Ainsley, our FMC, is cocky and self assured. A body language expert so good at her craft that she's even been called a mind reader by others in and related to her field. Until she comes face to face, in a manner of speaking, with Deogal Attor. The Sleep Paralysis Demon who will steal everything she is and has built herself to be. What follows is a deeply twisted, pitch black journey into some of the darkest shít I've read. And I absolutely LOVED it. The way Deogal strips away every piece of and breaks Rheda down is methodical and terrifying. It was like I was being broken down right alongside her as I read, which speaks volumes to Holly's skill. I was absolutely transfixed and taken by this story. I loathed every moment that life interrupted, forcing me to put my Kindle down. And finishing it pissed me off because I wasn't ready for it to be over. And I definitely wasn't ready for that freaking cliffhanger! Holly, girl you got some nerve, leaving me and everyone else who's read it hanging like that. But also, oh my gods, it's delicious, the agony of having to wait. So, if you love pitch black, psychological, horror with elements of romance that includes...
💤 A Criminal Sleep Paralysis Demon MMC
💙 A Therapist FMC
💤 LOTS of Somnophilia (it's 🤌🏻)
💙 Non & Dub-Con
💤 Psychological Domination & Total Ruin
...plus much more, including twists, turns and a cliffhanger that will leave you gagging and wanting to scream at Holly, then I cannot recommend this book enough! Of course, as much as I think you need to read this book, I do need to stress that this is a very dark, pitch black read. There are many situations within it's pages that could be found very upsetting and disturbing to some. Which means I need you to make sure you go over the trigger warning and content lists with a fine-toothed comb before jumping in. No book, no matter how good I think it is, is worth another reader risking their mental well-being. Please put yourself first and read those lists. I know Holly would encourage you to do the same. Somno Slave drops August 1st, 2026 and I promise that all you hardcore readers will not want to miss it!
Happy Reading!!
Story: ✔️✔️✔️✔️✔️
Psychological Horror: 🧠🧠🧠🧠🧠
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
Over All: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Somno Slave is a psychological horror with some hints of romance, a whole lotta spice and a mind fü#& of a story. Rheda Ainsley, our FMC, is cocky and self assured. A body language expert so good at her craft that she's even been called a mind reader by others in and related to her field. Until she comes face to face, in a manner of speaking, with Deogal Attor. The Sleep Paralysis Demon who will steal everything she is and has built herself to be. What follows is a deeply twisted, pitch black journey into some of the darkest shít I've read. And I absolutely LOVED it. The way Deogal strips away every piece of and breaks Rheda down is methodical and terrifying. It was like I was being broken down right alongside her as I read, which speaks volumes to Holly's skill. I was absolutely transfixed and taken by this story. I loathed every moment that life interrupted, forcing me to put my Kindle down. And finishing it pissed me off because I wasn't ready for it to be over. And I definitely wasn't ready for that freaking cliffhanger! Holly, girl you got some nerve, leaving me and everyone else who's read it hanging like that. But also, oh my gods, it's delicious, the agony of having to wait. So, if you love pitch black, psychological, horror with elements of romance that includes...
💤 A Criminal Sleep Paralysis Demon MMC
💙 A Therapist FMC
💤 LOTS of Somnophilia (it's 🤌🏻)
💙 Non & Dub-Con
💤 Psychological Domination & Total Ruin
...plus much more, including twists, turns and a cliffhanger that will leave you gagging and wanting to scream at Holly, then I cannot recommend this book enough! Of course, as much as I think you need to read this book, I do need to stress that this is a very dark, pitch black read. There are many situations within it's pages that could be found very upsetting and disturbing to some. Which means I need you to make sure you go over the trigger warning and content lists with a fine-toothed comb before jumping in. No book, no matter how good I think it is, is worth another reader risking their mental well-being. Please put yourself first and read those lists. I know Holly would encourage you to do the same. Somno Slave drops August 1st, 2026 and I promise that all you hardcore readers will not want to miss it!
Happy Reading!!
Story: ✔️✔️✔️✔️✔️
Psychological Horror: 🧠🧠🧠🧠🧠
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
Over All: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
August 5, 2026
I'm torn between 4 or 5 stars lol but I will say this book was a total mindfuck in the best way. Let me try and explain as I gather my thoughts because I'm not emotionally recovered from what I just read.
First of all, the writing is BRILLIANT. The prose is haunting and beautiful. I loved and hated Deogal at the same time. It's very rare for me to feel attraction to any man (fictional or otherwise) but this one did it with his cold, calculated cruelty. I LOVED the concept of a woman being nonconned by her sleep paralysis demon as someone who has gone through some *ahem* interesting experienced with sleep paralysis demons myself. There were so many breathtaking quotes that I forgot to highlight them all. The chemistry between them and the spice was off the charts, and the mind games and mystery surrounding Deogal and the case were fascinating. Despite it being a long book, I finished it in two days because I literally couldn't stop reading. I don't blame Rheda for being fascinated with him because same (except I didn't like that he was depriving her of sleep, that's one thing I wouldn't be okay with lol).
However this is, in my opinion, definitely erotic horror more than dark or even pitch black romance. I don't remember if it was marketed as such but since the author mostly writes dark romance I was expecting it. There's no HEA and I didn't feel like there was much love from Deogal's side. Which I liked, because I'm a bit tired of the obsessed man trope and I liked that this one actually doesn't give a fuck, I just don't feel like it's a romance. That said, it was excellent and steaming hot erotic horror. The ending left me a bit confused because not only did I definitely not see it coming, I also didn't quite understand what was going on, but maybe that's my fault for binging this book too fast. Either way, I need book 2 in my hands like right now (I didn't actually know this was part of a duology lol) and hopefully that will take away some of my confusion.
Here's the only quote I remembered to highlight:
"He looks like violence taught itself to be beautiful"
First of all, the writing is BRILLIANT. The prose is haunting and beautiful. I loved and hated Deogal at the same time. It's very rare for me to feel attraction to any man (fictional or otherwise) but this one did it with his cold, calculated cruelty. I LOVED the concept of a woman being nonconned by her sleep paralysis demon as someone who has gone through some *ahem* interesting experienced with sleep paralysis demons myself. There were so many breathtaking quotes that I forgot to highlight them all. The chemistry between them and the spice was off the charts, and the mind games and mystery surrounding Deogal and the case were fascinating. Despite it being a long book, I finished it in two days because I literally couldn't stop reading. I don't blame Rheda for being fascinated with him because same (except I didn't like that he was depriving her of sleep, that's one thing I wouldn't be okay with lol).
However this is, in my opinion, definitely erotic horror more than dark or even pitch black romance. I don't remember if it was marketed as such but since the author mostly writes dark romance I was expecting it. There's no HEA and I didn't feel like there was much love from Deogal's side. Which I liked, because I'm a bit tired of the obsessed man trope and I liked that this one actually doesn't give a fuck, I just don't feel like it's a romance. That said, it was excellent and steaming hot erotic horror. The ending left me a bit confused because not only did I definitely not see it coming, I also didn't quite understand what was going on, but maybe that's my fault for binging this book too fast. Either way, I need book 2 in my hands like right now (I didn't actually know this was part of a duology lol) and hopefully that will take away some of my confusion.
Here's the only quote I remembered to highlight:
"He looks like violence taught itself to be beautiful"
August 1, 2026
25 ARC readers DNF'd this book. Can 25 ARC readers be wrong? Yes. Yes they can (just kidding, mental health is important- definitely check your triggers with this one).
Meet Rheda. A Criminal psychologist who is calm, controlled, precise, career driven, structured and sexually repressed... At least by day.
Meet Deogal. A compelling, manipulative criminal who is sat on death row waiting for the signature to seal his fate. The strong, silent type (IYKYK) with a complete lack of respect for boundaries. Also a sleep demon by night (but you can't win them all).
Slowly, we see Rheda unravel in an expertly methodical game of cat and mouse - it is clearly not Deogal's first rodeo. The gaslighting from Deogal as he blurs the lines between reality and fantasy is superb to the point where I didn't even see Rheda begin to break (neither did she to be fair) and I think a bit of me broke with her. What starts as a relentless push on boundaries soon becomes a blatant demand for complete submission and all consuming obsession.
I did not realize when I picked up this book that Holly had not just woken up and chosen violence when she wrote this, she had actually decided to declare complete psychological warfare on us all. This book is, and will remain, inside my head and Holly has officially become one of my "auto buy" authors. Was anything real? Am I delusional? This was more than a "what the fuck did I just read" moment. This book left me lying in bed staring at my ceiling while I questioned my entire existence and tried to process the huge plot twist I'd read and definitely did not see coming. Make no mistake. There is no happy ending here (except maybe for Deogal under the desk of the interrogation room).
If (like me), you enjoy unhinged books that pick apart your sanity one chapter at a time, you HAVE to read this book. Just be prepared to question literally EVERYTHING once you've finished. You know. Like "Why do I want to read the next book so badly".
Meet Rheda. A Criminal psychologist who is calm, controlled, precise, career driven, structured and sexually repressed... At least by day.
Meet Deogal. A compelling, manipulative criminal who is sat on death row waiting for the signature to seal his fate. The strong, silent type (IYKYK) with a complete lack of respect for boundaries. Also a sleep demon by night (but you can't win them all).
Slowly, we see Rheda unravel in an expertly methodical game of cat and mouse - it is clearly not Deogal's first rodeo. The gaslighting from Deogal as he blurs the lines between reality and fantasy is superb to the point where I didn't even see Rheda begin to break (neither did she to be fair) and I think a bit of me broke with her. What starts as a relentless push on boundaries soon becomes a blatant demand for complete submission and all consuming obsession.
I did not realize when I picked up this book that Holly had not just woken up and chosen violence when she wrote this, she had actually decided to declare complete psychological warfare on us all. This book is, and will remain, inside my head and Holly has officially become one of my "auto buy" authors. Was anything real? Am I delusional? This was more than a "what the fuck did I just read" moment. This book left me lying in bed staring at my ceiling while I questioned my entire existence and tried to process the huge plot twist I'd read and definitely did not see coming. Make no mistake. There is no happy ending here (except maybe for Deogal under the desk of the interrogation room).
If (like me), you enjoy unhinged books that pick apart your sanity one chapter at a time, you HAVE to read this book. Just be prepared to question literally EVERYTHING once you've finished. You know. Like "Why do I want to read the next book so badly".
August 4, 2026
༞ 𝔸ℝℂ ℝ𝕖𝕧𝕚𝕖𝕨 ༞
𝑻𝒊𝒕𝒍𝒆: 𝑺𝑶𝑴𝑵𝑶 𝑺𝑳𝑨𝑽𝑬
𝑨𝒖𝒕𝒉𝒐𝒓: Holly Guy
𝑮𝒆𝒏𝒓𝒆: 𝗣𝗶𝘁𝗰𝗵 𝗕𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝗗𝗮𝗿𝗸 𝗥𝗼𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲
𝑹𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈: 𝟱/𝟱 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘀 🌶🌶🌶🌶🌶
༞༞༞
A big thank you to Holly Guy for generously providing me with an ARC for an honest review.
Holy hell… what in the gods’ name did I just read?
I went into this book completely unaware that Deogal wouldn’t just consume Rheda mind—he’d completely take over mine too.
I genuinely don’t have the words to describe the chills I felt by the time I reached the final chapters. My heart was racing with every page, and I was reading in a state of absolute panic, desperate to know what would happen next.
Did I end up craving Deogal the way Rheda did? Absolutely. You might hate him. You might question every single thing he does. But one thing is certain—you won’t be able to ignore him. 🫨🫣
And let me tell you this: once you pick up this book, you won’t be able to put it down. Even when you force yourself to take a break, the story refuses to leave your mind. You’ll keep wondering what’s coming next, replaying scenes, and trying to make sense of every clue.
The writing is incredibly intelligent, layered, and mysterious. It constantly leaves you frustrated in the best possible way—because every answer only raises more questions. It keeps you intrigued, endlessly curious, and desperate for just one more chapter.
The character development is phenomenal, and the way the plot unfolds is nothing short of brilliant. Every revelation feels earned, every twist lands, and the tension never lets up.
This is one of those books that doesn’t end when you close it lingers long after the last page.
Please check the trigger warnings before diving into this book. Once it pulls you in, there’s no turning back. 😮💨
𝑻𝒊𝒕𝒍𝒆: 𝑺𝑶𝑴𝑵𝑶 𝑺𝑳𝑨𝑽𝑬
𝑨𝒖𝒕𝒉𝒐𝒓: Holly Guy
𝑮𝒆𝒏𝒓𝒆: 𝗣𝗶𝘁𝗰𝗵 𝗕𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝗗𝗮𝗿𝗸 𝗥𝗼𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲
𝑹𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈: 𝟱/𝟱 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘀 🌶🌶🌶🌶🌶
༞༞༞
A big thank you to Holly Guy for generously providing me with an ARC for an honest review.
Holy hell… what in the gods’ name did I just read?
I went into this book completely unaware that Deogal wouldn’t just consume Rheda mind—he’d completely take over mine too.
I genuinely don’t have the words to describe the chills I felt by the time I reached the final chapters. My heart was racing with every page, and I was reading in a state of absolute panic, desperate to know what would happen next.
Did I end up craving Deogal the way Rheda did? Absolutely. You might hate him. You might question every single thing he does. But one thing is certain—you won’t be able to ignore him. 🫨🫣
And let me tell you this: once you pick up this book, you won’t be able to put it down. Even when you force yourself to take a break, the story refuses to leave your mind. You’ll keep wondering what’s coming next, replaying scenes, and trying to make sense of every clue.
The writing is incredibly intelligent, layered, and mysterious. It constantly leaves you frustrated in the best possible way—because every answer only raises more questions. It keeps you intrigued, endlessly curious, and desperate for just one more chapter.
The character development is phenomenal, and the way the plot unfolds is nothing short of brilliant. Every revelation feels earned, every twist lands, and the tension never lets up.
This is one of those books that doesn’t end when you close it lingers long after the last page.
Please check the trigger warnings before diving into this book. Once it pulls you in, there’s no turning back. 😮💨
Review of advance copy received from Author
Somno Slave is dark, disturbing, psychologically twisted, and completely unapologetic. Dr. Rheda Ainsley believes she is entering a prison to evaluate a dangerous man, but the balance of power quickly shifts once he begins reaching her through her dreams. The combination of criminal psychology, sleep paralysis, erotic horror, and supernatural obsession created a fascinating premise that caught my attention, and I immediately dug in.
The dream sequences were easily the strongest part of the story. Holly Guy blurs the boundaries between nightmares, memories, manipulation, and reality until both Rheda and the reader are left questioning what can be trusted. The atmosphere feels claustrophobic and increasingly sinister, while the fast pacing adds to the sense that Rheda is losing control faster than she can understand what is happening.
This is not a tender or traditionally romantic story. The connection at its center is built around possession and an obsession that becomes cruel and all-consuming. The uncertainty of what was happening made the story more unsettling and memorable.
Somno Slave was intense and imaginative. It is full of psychological mind games, nightmare fuel, extreme content, and a dangerously obsessive character who does not understand the meaning of restraint. Readers should take the content warnings very seriously, but those who enjoy pitch-black erotic horror, dream manipulation, morally irredeemable characters, and stories that leave them questioning everything may find this difficult to put down.
Thanks to Holly Guy for gifting me an eARC of Somno Slave. I am leaving this review voluntarily. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
The dream sequences were easily the strongest part of the story. Holly Guy blurs the boundaries between nightmares, memories, manipulation, and reality until both Rheda and the reader are left questioning what can be trusted. The atmosphere feels claustrophobic and increasingly sinister, while the fast pacing adds to the sense that Rheda is losing control faster than she can understand what is happening.
This is not a tender or traditionally romantic story. The connection at its center is built around possession and an obsession that becomes cruel and all-consuming. The uncertainty of what was happening made the story more unsettling and memorable.
Somno Slave was intense and imaginative. It is full of psychological mind games, nightmare fuel, extreme content, and a dangerously obsessive character who does not understand the meaning of restraint. Readers should take the content warnings very seriously, but those who enjoy pitch-black erotic horror, dream manipulation, morally irredeemable characters, and stories that leave them questioning everything may find this difficult to put down.
Thanks to Holly Guy for gifting me an eARC of Somno Slave. I am leaving this review voluntarily. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
August 2, 2026
Somno Slave
Star : ✨️✨️✨️✨️✨️
Spice : 🌶🌶🌶🌶
Plot : 😮💨😮💨😮💨😮💨
As always I like to add into my reviews that to please ⚠️ CHECK YOUR TRIGGERS ⚠️
THIS IS A PITCH-BLACK WORK OF ART. DO NOT GO IN THINKING THIS IS GOING TO BE A LIGHT READ.
I for one enjoyed this and completely fell in love with Deogal. Should I have? Probably not but is it fine? Yes 😂😉
Our character is
Rheda - psychiatrist
Deogal - criminal/sleep paralysis demon
Somno Slave is one of those books you just get sucked into right from the beginning. I'm always looking for something to hold my attention and this definitely does. This book is a criminal x psychiatrist trope. While the psychiatrist rheda is trying to figure out why she's struggling in her own head. She's given an opportunity of a life time. A high class, so hard to get case. One that you can't just pass up especially after working for 6 years for one to finally land in her.
However not everything is as it seems. During the day she's watching and waiting to see deogal movements, to see if he will break under the pressure. By nightfall, whenever she's wrapped up in the warmth of her sheets. She's still there, entering into her most deepest thoughts and dreams for them to be completely wrecked.
The sleep paralysis is so spot on, especially on how it makes you feel from the beginning. As someone who had dealt with sleep paralysis over the years I can't say I've experienced something like what they're doing 😉 but I have experience the terror that comes with it and it's by far spot on for the blurbed lines it can cause in reality.
This is such an amazing read and such a great plot twist. It will leave your jaw on the floor.
Star : ✨️✨️✨️✨️✨️
Spice : 🌶🌶🌶🌶
Plot : 😮💨😮💨😮💨😮💨
As always I like to add into my reviews that to please ⚠️ CHECK YOUR TRIGGERS ⚠️
THIS IS A PITCH-BLACK WORK OF ART. DO NOT GO IN THINKING THIS IS GOING TO BE A LIGHT READ.
I for one enjoyed this and completely fell in love with Deogal. Should I have? Probably not but is it fine? Yes 😂😉
Our character is
Rheda - psychiatrist
Deogal - criminal/sleep paralysis demon
Somno Slave is one of those books you just get sucked into right from the beginning. I'm always looking for something to hold my attention and this definitely does. This book is a criminal x psychiatrist trope. While the psychiatrist rheda is trying to figure out why she's struggling in her own head. She's given an opportunity of a life time. A high class, so hard to get case. One that you can't just pass up especially after working for 6 years for one to finally land in her.
However not everything is as it seems. During the day she's watching and waiting to see deogal movements, to see if he will break under the pressure. By nightfall, whenever she's wrapped up in the warmth of her sheets. She's still there, entering into her most deepest thoughts and dreams for them to be completely wrecked.
The sleep paralysis is so spot on, especially on how it makes you feel from the beginning. As someone who had dealt with sleep paralysis over the years I can't say I've experienced something like what they're doing 😉 but I have experience the terror that comes with it and it's by far spot on for the blurbed lines it can cause in reality.
This is such an amazing read and such a great plot twist. It will leave your jaw on the floor.
Review of advance copy received from Author
4 ⭐ 𝔸𝕣𝕔 ℝ𝕖𝕧𝕚𝕖𝕨 𝑺𝖔𝖒𝖓𝖔
An intelligent criminal psychologist, our FMC Rheda, undertakes a case. Another enlisting to understand and help the accused criminal before her. To read yet another mind or so she thinks.
Deogal, MMC, convicted of many heinous murders. He's silent, manipulative, dark and very perplexing.
This is a very dark, psychological manipulation of the mind. It makes you think whether the things happening are real or not.
Deogal gets in your mind, he burrows deep within your sleep. He breaks you apart piece by piece, questioning your own sanity, your desires, your own existence.
The build up in this story was fantastic, the suspense, twists and mystery of the plot. Omg that ending, I was staring at the wall 🤔 thinking hang on like wtf!!!
Loved the dynamic between these two characters. The writing style of this author really did build the depravity of this suspenseful dark romance. I really can't wait for part two, the cliffhanger for me I can't shake the immense need for the twisted answer to this story and these characters.
• Please check your trigger warnings!
🖤 Dark Romance
🖤 Erotic Horror
🖤 Unhinged
🖤 Psychological
🖤 Suspense
🖤 Criminal Sleep Demon
🖤 Therapist
🖤 Somnophilia
𝔹𝕝𝕦𝕣𝕓
Deogal, Sleep Paralysis Demon
I am not interested in her consent.
I am here for her collapse.
Doctor Rheda Ainsley enters my cell believing she has been trained to observe. To diagnose
and sentence me. She thinks she is in control; she believes the glass keeps her separate from
me.
But she doesn’t know that I am not here to be analysed. I am here to overwrite her. To hollow
her out and rebuild her memories around my seductive whispers.
When she closes her eyes at night, it’s my face she fantasies about. It’s my hot body touching
her unconscious one.
I correct her thoughts in her sleep. I teach her how easily control dissolves. I isolate her from her
profession. Her colleagues, her sense of moral authority. I break her until she needs me to
function. Until she craves the place where I hurt her because it is the only place she feels whole.
Until there is no version of her left that can exist without my presence pressing against the
inside of her skull.
This is not seduction.
This is conditioning.
Dream by dream. I will make my sweet little doctor, my somno slave.
I lost her once.
This time, I will bury myself inside of her.
And she will never wake up clean again.
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GGR8SDZK
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...
Somno Slave
#darkromance #psychological #horror #bookrecs #pitchblack
An intelligent criminal psychologist, our FMC Rheda, undertakes a case. Another enlisting to understand and help the accused criminal before her. To read yet another mind or so she thinks.
Deogal, MMC, convicted of many heinous murders. He's silent, manipulative, dark and very perplexing.
This is a very dark, psychological manipulation of the mind. It makes you think whether the things happening are real or not.
Deogal gets in your mind, he burrows deep within your sleep. He breaks you apart piece by piece, questioning your own sanity, your desires, your own existence.
The build up in this story was fantastic, the suspense, twists and mystery of the plot. Omg that ending, I was staring at the wall 🤔 thinking hang on like wtf!!!
Loved the dynamic between these two characters. The writing style of this author really did build the depravity of this suspenseful dark romance. I really can't wait for part two, the cliffhanger for me I can't shake the immense need for the twisted answer to this story and these characters.
• Please check your trigger warnings!
🖤 Dark Romance
🖤 Erotic Horror
🖤 Unhinged
🖤 Psychological
🖤 Suspense
🖤 Criminal Sleep Demon
🖤 Therapist
🖤 Somnophilia
𝔹𝕝𝕦𝕣𝕓
Deogal, Sleep Paralysis Demon
I am not interested in her consent.
I am here for her collapse.
Doctor Rheda Ainsley enters my cell believing she has been trained to observe. To diagnose
and sentence me. She thinks she is in control; she believes the glass keeps her separate from
me.
But she doesn’t know that I am not here to be analysed. I am here to overwrite her. To hollow
her out and rebuild her memories around my seductive whispers.
When she closes her eyes at night, it’s my face she fantasies about. It’s my hot body touching
her unconscious one.
I correct her thoughts in her sleep. I teach her how easily control dissolves. I isolate her from her
profession. Her colleagues, her sense of moral authority. I break her until she needs me to
function. Until she craves the place where I hurt her because it is the only place she feels whole.
Until there is no version of her left that can exist without my presence pressing against the
inside of her skull.
This is not seduction.
This is conditioning.
Dream by dream. I will make my sweet little doctor, my somno slave.
I lost her once.
This time, I will bury myself inside of her.
And she will never wake up clean again.
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GGR8SDZK
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...
Somno Slave
#darkromance #psychological #horror #bookrecs #pitchblack
Review of advance copy received from Author
ARC review!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ | Dark, twisted, and completely messed with my head.
If you love books that leave you questioning your own sanity, this one is for you.
A serial killer on death row. A doctor assigned to study him because he’s never confessed to his crimes. Sounds unsettling enough… until she starts dreaming about him. Except these aren’t normal dreams. They’re so vivid that she wakes up feeling like everything that happened was real, and suddenly sleep becomes the one thing she fears most.
This book absolutely plays mind games with you. I spent so much of it trying to figure out what was reality and what was a dream, and honestly? I was just as confused as the FMC at times. It was unsettling, psychological, and had me constantly second-guessing everything I thought I knew.
The chemistry between these two is completely forbidden, dark, and addictive. The spice? Filthy in the best way and definitely not for the faint of heart. There are scenes involving dubious consent, so please check the trigger warnings before diving in.
My only small complaint is that I did feel a little lost at points, but looking back, I think that’s exactly what the author wanted. And then those final pages happened…
That plot twist absolutely blew my mind. I never saw it coming, and it completely changed the way I looked at everything I’d just read.
If you’re into dark psychological romances that blur the line between obsession, nightmares, and reality, this one deserves a spot on your TBR.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ | Dark, twisted, and completely messed with my head.
If you love books that leave you questioning your own sanity, this one is for you.
A serial killer on death row. A doctor assigned to study him because he’s never confessed to his crimes. Sounds unsettling enough… until she starts dreaming about him. Except these aren’t normal dreams. They’re so vivid that she wakes up feeling like everything that happened was real, and suddenly sleep becomes the one thing she fears most.
This book absolutely plays mind games with you. I spent so much of it trying to figure out what was reality and what was a dream, and honestly? I was just as confused as the FMC at times. It was unsettling, psychological, and had me constantly second-guessing everything I thought I knew.
The chemistry between these two is completely forbidden, dark, and addictive. The spice? Filthy in the best way and definitely not for the faint of heart. There are scenes involving dubious consent, so please check the trigger warnings before diving in.
My only small complaint is that I did feel a little lost at points, but looking back, I think that’s exactly what the author wanted. And then those final pages happened…
That plot twist absolutely blew my mind. I never saw it coming, and it completely changed the way I looked at everything I’d just read.
If you’re into dark psychological romances that blur the line between obsession, nightmares, and reality, this one deserves a spot on your TBR.
August 6, 2026
This one is a tough review to write because I can see exactly what the author was trying to accomplish, but unfortunately the execution didn't hit for me.
The story grabbed my attention at the start. The premise was intriguing, the atmosphere was unsettling, and I was fully invested in seeing where everything was headed. Then around the 41% mark, the story took such a sharp left turn that I honestly felt like I had been dropped into an entirely different book. Instead of building on the tension, it became increasingly difficult to follow the direction the plot was taking.
By the time I reached the 95% mark, things finally started circling back around, and I was genuinely hoping all of the seemingly disconnected pieces would come together in a way that made me rethink everything I'd read. Unfortunately, that payoff never came. I finished the book with more questions than answers, and not in the satisfying, thought-provoking way the story seemed to be aiming for.
That said, I did enjoy the psychological elements. There were moments that genuinely made me question the FMC sanity, and I appreciated the author's willingness to lean into the darker aspects of the story rather than playing it safe. The concept itself had a lot of potential.
In the end, though, strong ideas can only carry a story so far. For me, this was a case of a fascinating premise that struggled with its execution. I can absolutely see why some readers may connect with it, but it ultimately wasn't a hit for me.
Review of advance copy received from Author
Somno Slave is the latest book in the Love After Life series by Holly Guy with the official release date set for the 1st August 2026. I’ve read all her books, including her earlier work which in my opinion doesn’t get the recognition it deserves, but she is getting better lol. My expectations for Somno Slave were already high to begin with & OMG she did it once again, surpassing what I thought to be impossible.
Rheda Ainsley our FMC is a Criminal Doctor with a talent for picking up on the smallest details/movements most people might not pick up on, she’s constantly analysing & looking for a logical explanation to support her observations and clinical diagnosis. That’s until she crosses paths with Deogal Attor, our MMC who has her questioning her own sanity & professional judgment.
Somno Slave for me is hands down a 5-star read & F**K me, the last 4 chapters in particular broke my heart into a million pieces. It was highly emotional from start to finish & jam packed with suspense, but I found from chapter 36 onwards it reached an all new emotional high I wasn’t prepared for and chapter 47 onwards combined that with a tension so intense it left me emotionally conflicted.
As I’m sure your aware by now, I’m not a huge fan of cliffhangers, I am far too impatient & a potential risk to ANYONE around me lol. So, imagine my surprise when I found discovered Somno Slave has 2 parts. Now I could have held off reading it until this duet was complete, but when Holly Guy gave me this amazing opportunity to ARC read, I couldn’t say no. But I won’t give her too much abuse publicly, I’ll do it privately instead lol. This is the first time she’s ever done something like this and she pulled it off brilliantly.
Now, I will say the cliffhanger itself isn’t the most heart-breaking I’ve ever read, but it definitely left me craving more. There are so many plot twists & unexpected turns it’s like walking through a labyrinth with its endless possibilities, never knowing the right way to go.
In 30 days you'll be able to explore the labyrinth for yourself, trying to dissect what's going on around you and coming up short every time. But will she be able to pull of book 2 the same way?
Rheda Ainsley our FMC is a Criminal Doctor with a talent for picking up on the smallest details/movements most people might not pick up on, she’s constantly analysing & looking for a logical explanation to support her observations and clinical diagnosis. That’s until she crosses paths with Deogal Attor, our MMC who has her questioning her own sanity & professional judgment.
Somno Slave for me is hands down a 5-star read & F**K me, the last 4 chapters in particular broke my heart into a million pieces. It was highly emotional from start to finish & jam packed with suspense, but I found from chapter 36 onwards it reached an all new emotional high I wasn’t prepared for and chapter 47 onwards combined that with a tension so intense it left me emotionally conflicted.
As I’m sure your aware by now, I’m not a huge fan of cliffhangers, I am far too impatient & a potential risk to ANYONE around me lol. So, imagine my surprise when I found discovered Somno Slave has 2 parts. Now I could have held off reading it until this duet was complete, but when Holly Guy gave me this amazing opportunity to ARC read, I couldn’t say no. But I won’t give her too much abuse publicly, I’ll do it privately instead lol. This is the first time she’s ever done something like this and she pulled it off brilliantly.
Now, I will say the cliffhanger itself isn’t the most heart-breaking I’ve ever read, but it definitely left me craving more. There are so many plot twists & unexpected turns it’s like walking through a labyrinth with its endless possibilities, never knowing the right way to go.
In 30 days you'll be able to explore the labyrinth for yourself, trying to dissect what's going on around you and coming up short every time. But will she be able to pull of book 2 the same way?
Review of advance copy received from Author
Wow...I can't say this is the darkest book I've read but it certainly hit some categories that are particularly hard to read. Number one in that category is mental health. The trauma to the MFC's mental health is hard to read. Probably hard than any of the other trigger warnings the author put on the book. Perhaps, this is an issue that is only hard for me to read, so I wanted to warn anyone going in that the MFC will question her own reality, multiple times, over and over again. With that warning I will say that the book is better to go into cold. I love to read ahead or get spoilers, and there were none for this book. It kept me on my toes. The spice was well done. The MMC was disturbingly swoon worthy. I haven't read another book like this in a long, long time. It was well written and intriguing. Overall a great book with some issues, spoiler coming.
Anything from here forward are my opinion only. As someone that reads upwards of 300+ books a year there are things I like out of my books. Loose ends tied up and HEAs or at least good closure. This book does neither. It truly is a mind fuck. Having said that, I would still highly recommend this book. It was intriguing, well written and hard to put down. This is the first book I've read from this author so I will definitely be reading more.
Anything from here forward are my opinion only. As someone that reads upwards of 300+ books a year there are things I like out of my books. Loose ends tied up and HEAs or at least good closure. This book does neither. It truly is a mind fuck. Having said that, I would still highly recommend this book. It was intriguing, well written and hard to put down. This is the first book I've read from this author so I will definitely be reading more.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 1, 2026
Well... that was gloriously disturbing.
It really got in my head and I couldn't stop thinking about it.
This was incredibly dark and had serious obsessive, dreamlike dark romance vibes - if you can really call it a romance. The atmosphere was unsettling, intoxicating and there were moments where I genuinely wasn't sure what was real, what was desire, and what was manipulation anymore.
If you like dark romance with psychological twists, blurred boundaries, and a heavy dose of intensity, this one absolutely delivers.
My only criticism is that parts of the middle felt a little repetitive.
There was quite a bit of the cycle of Deogal being pulled into these tense interrogations, then Rheda returning home only to fall back into those same consuming encounters. I think trimming or varying some of those scenes would have kept the pacing even tighter.
But then... that ending.
I have SO MANY QUESTIONS, and unfortunately I can't say any of them without spoiling it for everyone else. All I'll say is Holly has some explaining to do... and Deogal's entire existence needs a full backstory immediately.
Holly, you are no longer my friend
'If you enjoy dark psychological romance, obsessive dream logic, and endings that leave you staring at the wall questioning everything you thought you understood about the characters, definitely give this one a read.
It really got in my head and I couldn't stop thinking about it.
This was incredibly dark and had serious obsessive, dreamlike dark romance vibes - if you can really call it a romance. The atmosphere was unsettling, intoxicating and there were moments where I genuinely wasn't sure what was real, what was desire, and what was manipulation anymore.
If you like dark romance with psychological twists, blurred boundaries, and a heavy dose of intensity, this one absolutely delivers.
My only criticism is that parts of the middle felt a little repetitive.
There was quite a bit of the cycle of Deogal being pulled into these tense interrogations, then Rheda returning home only to fall back into those same consuming encounters. I think trimming or varying some of those scenes would have kept the pacing even tighter.
But then... that ending.
I have SO MANY QUESTIONS, and unfortunately I can't say any of them without spoiling it for everyone else. All I'll say is Holly has some explaining to do... and Deogal's entire existence needs a full backstory immediately.
Holly, you are no longer my friend
'If you enjoy dark psychological romance, obsessive dream logic, and endings that leave you staring at the wall questioning everything you thought you understood about the characters, definitely give this one a read.
August 8, 2026
2.5 Stars
The premise for this book sounded SO SO GOOD! Sadly I found myself bored most of the book. It felt really repetitive with nothing really happening, no big reveals (until the end) and even that I found myself being kinda disappointed about
I definitely signed up for the ARC for this one after seeing that there were a handful of readers that weren't able to finish it but I'm not entirely sure what part would have made anyone stop reading? Not sure what that's saying about me and that the books I'm normally reading are 10x darker than this lol
Rheda was a very annoying FMC - she's supposed to be one of the best criminal psychologists, getting criminals to answer her questions when no one else will and she's assigned to a new Class M criminal - Deogal. Catch though, she's only allowed to OBSERVE? She's fuming on the inside with how she's being treated but just lays down and takes it on the outside like GIRL. SPEAK UP.
Deogal was kinda forgettable as an MMC - there's a lot of abstract descriptions around him and about him but when we get to the part where he shows Rheda parts of his past my reaction was "....that's it?"
The last 50-100 pages definitely had me intrigued but when I got to that last page I found myself not really having any sort of reaction to how it ended. Really just "cool cool moving on"
The premise for this book sounded SO SO GOOD! Sadly I found myself bored most of the book. It felt really repetitive with nothing really happening, no big reveals (until the end) and even that I found myself being kinda disappointed about
I definitely signed up for the ARC for this one after seeing that there were a handful of readers that weren't able to finish it but I'm not entirely sure what part would have made anyone stop reading? Not sure what that's saying about me and that the books I'm normally reading are 10x darker than this lol
Rheda was a very annoying FMC - she's supposed to be one of the best criminal psychologists, getting criminals to answer her questions when no one else will and she's assigned to a new Class M criminal - Deogal. Catch though, she's only allowed to OBSERVE? She's fuming on the inside with how she's being treated but just lays down and takes it on the outside like GIRL. SPEAK UP.
Deogal was kinda forgettable as an MMC - there's a lot of abstract descriptions around him and about him but when we get to the part where he shows Rheda parts of his past my reaction was "....that's it?"
The last 50-100 pages definitely had me intrigued but when I got to that last page I found myself not really having any sort of reaction to how it ended. Really just "cool cool moving on"
Review of advance copy received from Author
Always check the trigger warnings...
This story follows Rheda a talented criminal psychologist who is known for reading people, better than anyone else.
We see Rheda analysing Deogal, what she doesn't realise is Deogal is there to rebuild her memories around his seductive whispers.
Deogal is a dream demon, one who haunts and hunts Rheda's mind, her thoughts, her body.. Breaking her down piece by piece to have her exsctly where he wants her.
He's the demon nobody saw coming, he's the person who Rheda craves, who wants to save, only it's her who needs saving..
This book caught me hookline and sinker with every deranged, unhinged dark words in it. I absolutely ate this book up!
The twists and turns this author has given us, is perfect.
It's dark, it's unhinged and it's something this author is perfect at creating.
The characters and storyline this author has created is beautifully done!
Just like Deogal this book catches you and hooks it's claws into you.
This isn't the first novel of this authors I have read and I can hands down say it will not be the last.
The ending of this book had my jaw hitting the floor, it was an ending I did not expect!
I can't wait to see what else this author has in store for us next.
This story follows Rheda a talented criminal psychologist who is known for reading people, better than anyone else.
We see Rheda analysing Deogal, what she doesn't realise is Deogal is there to rebuild her memories around his seductive whispers.
Deogal is a dream demon, one who haunts and hunts Rheda's mind, her thoughts, her body.. Breaking her down piece by piece to have her exsctly where he wants her.
He's the demon nobody saw coming, he's the person who Rheda craves, who wants to save, only it's her who needs saving..
This book caught me hookline and sinker with every deranged, unhinged dark words in it. I absolutely ate this book up!
The twists and turns this author has given us, is perfect.
It's dark, it's unhinged and it's something this author is perfect at creating.
The characters and storyline this author has created is beautifully done!
Just like Deogal this book catches you and hooks it's claws into you.
This isn't the first novel of this authors I have read and I can hands down say it will not be the last.
The ending of this book had my jaw hitting the floor, it was an ending I did not expect!
I can't wait to see what else this author has in store for us next.
August 10, 2026
When a criminal psychologist gets assigned to a high level death row case, she never expects her work to follow her home at night. After being assigned to inmate Deogal’s case, Dr. Rhesa begins to struggle with her already non-existent sleep schedule when the criminal she’s assigned to observe, starts visiting her in her dreams. While Rheda is hoping to identify Deogal’s motives behind his crimes, he is conditioning her for something much more sinister.
This is the first book I’ve read from Holly Guy and the concept of a sleep demon within a dark romance has been so intriguing to me as someone who has experienced sleep paralysis. While engaged in the beginning, I got a little lost in the middle due to the slower pace of this book. However, the ending did pick back up and suck me in to where I couldn’t put it down. I went into this thinking it was a stand-alone and unfortunately I was wrong. The ending left me questioning my own sanity a bit, because I’m thoroughly confused with what happened. While I’ve seen some descriptions of this being pitch-black I did not feel this was very dark personality. I would align this more heavily in a psychological thriller genre with a little dark romance.
This is the first book I’ve read from Holly Guy and the concept of a sleep demon within a dark romance has been so intriguing to me as someone who has experienced sleep paralysis. While engaged in the beginning, I got a little lost in the middle due to the slower pace of this book. However, the ending did pick back up and suck me in to where I couldn’t put it down. I went into this thinking it was a stand-alone and unfortunately I was wrong. The ending left me questioning my own sanity a bit, because I’m thoroughly confused with what happened. While I’ve seen some descriptions of this being pitch-black I did not feel this was very dark personality. I would align this more heavily in a psychological thriller genre with a little dark romance.
Review of advance copy received from Author
4.5 ⭐️ 4🌶
Wow, what a twisted wicked cat and mouse, game. I need book 2, like right now. This is a tension filled doctor vs serial unaliver who's on trial for his life. She must assess his mental competency, while he refuses to speak. I absolutely love Deogal. He the pitch black filthy talking villain that grabs you and won't let go.
Rheda is the serious no nonsense talented psychologist who unknowingly gets involved in the case of her life. She's young and a bit naive, unsullied until she meets the prisoner who won't break. The interactions between these two are scorching hot, sometimes forced each pushing the others buttons. The tension is palpable and the banter filthy and ruinous. As the story progresses, the lines and reality blurs till it all falls away in a downward spiral. The gods in here will have you shaking your head and closing your eyes in vain, chasing the ever elusive truth.
Tropes and triggers: forbidden romance, patient/ doctor, somno, serial unaliver, murder mystery, first time, cat and mouse, wicked filthy banter, captor and captive, dubcon, ancient gods, forbidden romance, morally black
I was given an advanced copy for an honest review.
Wow, what a twisted wicked cat and mouse, game. I need book 2, like right now. This is a tension filled doctor vs serial unaliver who's on trial for his life. She must assess his mental competency, while he refuses to speak. I absolutely love Deogal. He the pitch black filthy talking villain that grabs you and won't let go.
Rheda is the serious no nonsense talented psychologist who unknowingly gets involved in the case of her life. She's young and a bit naive, unsullied until she meets the prisoner who won't break. The interactions between these two are scorching hot, sometimes forced each pushing the others buttons. The tension is palpable and the banter filthy and ruinous. As the story progresses, the lines and reality blurs till it all falls away in a downward spiral. The gods in here will have you shaking your head and closing your eyes in vain, chasing the ever elusive truth.
Tropes and triggers: forbidden romance, patient/ doctor, somno, serial unaliver, murder mystery, first time, cat and mouse, wicked filthy banter, captor and captive, dubcon, ancient gods, forbidden romance, morally black
I was given an advanced copy for an honest review.
Review of advance copy received from Author
This book is less of a romance and more of a psychological thriller/horror.
Rheda is a criminal psychologist at a prison, but is never taken seriously as a woman. So she's very happy when she's put on a case with a death row inmate named Deogal. He's being accused of some horrible crimes, but he refuses to talk about them. They can't find any tactic that works on him, so they ask Rheda to use her profiling to see if she can offer any tips.
There's an eeriness to Deogal, while at the same time she's pulled to him, like a trance almost. He's getting into her mind and warping truth from reality. He's a dream demon and is good at what he does. She's caught his attention, and he's ready to play his game with her. She's hard-working, determined, and very good at what she does. But can't seem to escape his obsession with her.
I can't say too much as I don't want to give the book away. I did find a bit of the book a little repetitive, but I still really enjoyed the story, and that ending 🤯. I was shocked by the twist at the end (which doesn't happen often!), and I can't wait for the next book. I went back and re-read a few chapters again and caught a few things that I missed on the first read (now that I knew how it ended).
Overall: 4.25 out of 5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐.25
Spice/Heat Intensity: 5 out of 5 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
Main Characters: Deogal & Rheda
Darkness: 6 out of 5 🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤☠️
Type of book: MF, Dual 1st Person POV
Reading Order: Books need to be read in order
Title: Love After Life Series - Somno Slave: Book 5Epilogue: Yes
Ending Type: Open Ended/Cliffhanger
*OTT: Dominant, mind-controlling, manipulative MMC
*Sleep demon x Psychologist
*LOTS of somnophilia
*Non con AND dub con
*Psychological control
🛑⚠️ This book has very dark, possibly pitch-black themes (depending on what level of darkness you read); there are intense, disturbing, and descriptive parts that will be extremely offensive or triggering to some. Please check all the authors' TW/CW before reading! 18+ ⚠️🛑
*I received an early copy of this book & am voluntarily leaving this review.
Rheda is a criminal psychologist at a prison, but is never taken seriously as a woman. So she's very happy when she's put on a case with a death row inmate named Deogal. He's being accused of some horrible crimes, but he refuses to talk about them. They can't find any tactic that works on him, so they ask Rheda to use her profiling to see if she can offer any tips.
There's an eeriness to Deogal, while at the same time she's pulled to him, like a trance almost. He's getting into her mind and warping truth from reality. He's a dream demon and is good at what he does. She's caught his attention, and he's ready to play his game with her. She's hard-working, determined, and very good at what she does. But can't seem to escape his obsession with her.
I can't say too much as I don't want to give the book away. I did find a bit of the book a little repetitive, but I still really enjoyed the story, and that ending 🤯. I was shocked by the twist at the end (which doesn't happen often!), and I can't wait for the next book. I went back and re-read a few chapters again and caught a few things that I missed on the first read (now that I knew how it ended).
Overall: 4.25 out of 5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐.25
Spice/Heat Intensity: 5 out of 5 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
Main Characters: Deogal & Rheda
Darkness: 6 out of 5 🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤☠️
Type of book: MF, Dual 1st Person POV
Reading Order: Books need to be read in order
Title: Love After Life Series - Somno Slave: Book 5Epilogue: Yes
Ending Type: Open Ended/Cliffhanger
*OTT: Dominant, mind-controlling, manipulative MMC
*Sleep demon x Psychologist
*LOTS of somnophilia
*Non con AND dub con
*Psychological control
🛑⚠️ This book has very dark, possibly pitch-black themes (depending on what level of darkness you read); there are intense, disturbing, and descriptive parts that will be extremely offensive or triggering to some. Please check all the authors' TW/CW before reading! 18+ ⚠️🛑
*I received an early copy of this book & am voluntarily leaving this review.
Review of advance copy
Honestly, I don't even know how to describe this one...
Somno Slave thoroughly blew my mind. It’s pure psychological horror—you’re stuck right there with the FMC, Rheda, constantly trying to figure out what's real. Just when you think you’ve got a handle on the plot, everything flips. And Deogal? Completely unhinged, manipulative, and pitch-black evil in every possible way.
This definitely isn't a feel-good or traditional romance. It’s messy, disturbing, and packed with mind games, which is exactly why it works so well. If you want a book that pushes boundaries and leaves you thoroughly shaken, this is it! 🖤
I lost count of how many times I caught myself saying, "What the h3ll is happening right now?!" 😂 But I loved every second of it. The unpredictability and complete lack of reliability made it impossible to put down.
If you love:
▪ Truly disturbing reads
▪ Questioning reality
▪ Dark psychological horror with pitch-black characters
▪ A massive dose of "WTF?!"
Then welcome to Somno Slave 🖤
⚠️ Heads up: definitely check the trigger warnings first, because this book earns every single one
Somno Slave thoroughly blew my mind. It’s pure psychological horror—you’re stuck right there with the FMC, Rheda, constantly trying to figure out what's real. Just when you think you’ve got a handle on the plot, everything flips. And Deogal? Completely unhinged, manipulative, and pitch-black evil in every possible way.
This definitely isn't a feel-good or traditional romance. It’s messy, disturbing, and packed with mind games, which is exactly why it works so well. If you want a book that pushes boundaries and leaves you thoroughly shaken, this is it! 🖤
I lost count of how many times I caught myself saying, "What the h3ll is happening right now?!" 😂 But I loved every second of it. The unpredictability and complete lack of reliability made it impossible to put down.
If you love:
▪ Truly disturbing reads
▪ Questioning reality
▪ Dark psychological horror with pitch-black characters
▪ A massive dose of "WTF?!"
Then welcome to Somno Slave 🖤
⚠️ Heads up: definitely check the trigger warnings first, because this book earns every single one
Review of advance copy received from Author
I genuinely don't know how this book got its hooks into me... but it did.
I'm not usually drawn to longer books these days, yet I finished this in three days because I couldn't stop thinking about it. Every time I put it down, I wanted to pick it back up just to see where the story was going next.
The psychological horror was easily the standout for me. The way it blurs the line between dreams and reality had me questioning everything alongside the FMC. It was unsettling, eerie, and had this constant feeling that something wasn't quite right.
The twist at the end completely caught me off guard. I'm still not convinced I fully understand everything that happened, but weirdly, I don't think you're supposed to. It left me replaying the story in my head and trying to connect all the pieces, and I actually loved that.
The romance definitely takes a backseat to the psychological horror, so if you're looking for something that will mess with your head more than warm your heart, this is it.
If you enjoy psychological horror, sleep paralysis, reality manipulation, and books that leave you questioning what you just read long after you've turned the last page, I'd definitely recommend giving Somno Slave a try.
I'm not usually drawn to longer books these days, yet I finished this in three days because I couldn't stop thinking about it. Every time I put it down, I wanted to pick it back up just to see where the story was going next.
The psychological horror was easily the standout for me. The way it blurs the line between dreams and reality had me questioning everything alongside the FMC. It was unsettling, eerie, and had this constant feeling that something wasn't quite right.
The twist at the end completely caught me off guard. I'm still not convinced I fully understand everything that happened, but weirdly, I don't think you're supposed to. It left me replaying the story in my head and trying to connect all the pieces, and I actually loved that.
The romance definitely takes a backseat to the psychological horror, so if you're looking for something that will mess with your head more than warm your heart, this is it.
If you enjoy psychological horror, sleep paralysis, reality manipulation, and books that leave you questioning what you just read long after you've turned the last page, I'd definitely recommend giving Somno Slave a try.
Review of advance copy received from Author
🖤🖤🖤 Somno Slave 🖤🖤🖤
🖤 Sleep Pararlysis Demon
🖤 Somnophilia
🖤 Serial Unaliver
🖤 Incredible Plot Twists
🖤 💀 Row Inmate x Therapist
🖤 Psychological Mindf*ckery
Spice: 🌶🌶🌶
Stars: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
What in the actual mindf*ck, I loved it!! This book gave me all the brain tingles of a horror read, the suspense and the certainty you're moving towards something dangerous but Deogl draws you in with such patience until there's no way to escape him. Its wrapped in dark romance themes that are violent enough to sting but there are moments of vulnerability and tenderness that make you doubt yourself just that little bit, and that, is exactly how we all fall for a sleep demon.
The psychological conditioning is brutal and the plot twists were agony inducing in the best ways, they just kept coming. I could feel Rheda's deterioration and her desperation to cling to reality, knowing something isn't real doesn't stop the fear from creeping in.
This was my first book of Holly Guy's and it was such an addictive read, I cant wait for more from these two in the next book.
Please read trigger warnings on this one and note that there is Somnophilia throughout 🖤
🖤 Sleep Pararlysis Demon
🖤 Somnophilia
🖤 Serial Unaliver
🖤 Incredible Plot Twists
🖤 💀 Row Inmate x Therapist
🖤 Psychological Mindf*ckery
Spice: 🌶🌶🌶
Stars: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
What in the actual mindf*ck, I loved it!! This book gave me all the brain tingles of a horror read, the suspense and the certainty you're moving towards something dangerous but Deogl draws you in with such patience until there's no way to escape him. Its wrapped in dark romance themes that are violent enough to sting but there are moments of vulnerability and tenderness that make you doubt yourself just that little bit, and that, is exactly how we all fall for a sleep demon.
The psychological conditioning is brutal and the plot twists were agony inducing in the best ways, they just kept coming. I could feel Rheda's deterioration and her desperation to cling to reality, knowing something isn't real doesn't stop the fear from creeping in.
This was my first book of Holly Guy's and it was such an addictive read, I cant wait for more from these two in the next book.
Please read trigger warnings on this one and note that there is Somnophilia throughout 🖤
August 1, 2026
ARC Review
⭐️:5/5
🌶️: 3/5
⚠️Check Your TW⚠️
💀 Criminal x Psychiatrist
🖤 Pitch Black
💀 Dual POV
🖤 Sleep Paralysis Demon
💀 Somnophilia - Heavy
🖤 Control/Ruin
Thank you for giving me the opportunity to arc read!! If you like a psychological thriller/horror, morally corrupt MMC, criminal investigations, supernatural MMC, suspense, Somno Slave is absolutely worth it. That ending wasn’t not what I seen coming at all 🫣
I loved the FMC, she is so confident in herself and knows she’s badass in her career. She is there to prove she is the best but definitely she met her match with the MMC. Rheda is an expert criminal psychiatrist who works in a prison, and Deogal is a class M criminal sentenced to death row and he’s a sleep demon!!! By day she is observing him daily trying to read his body language and by night Deogal is entering her dreams and well you know lol and made her mix her dreams with her reality.
Just be sure to read the trigger warnings always, because this is pitch black and unapologetically for sure, has some disturbing topics, but this one will stay with you!
⭐️:5/5
🌶️: 3/5
⚠️Check Your TW⚠️
💀 Criminal x Psychiatrist
🖤 Pitch Black
💀 Dual POV
🖤 Sleep Paralysis Demon
💀 Somnophilia - Heavy
🖤 Control/Ruin
Thank you for giving me the opportunity to arc read!! If you like a psychological thriller/horror, morally corrupt MMC, criminal investigations, supernatural MMC, suspense, Somno Slave is absolutely worth it. That ending wasn’t not what I seen coming at all 🫣
I loved the FMC, she is so confident in herself and knows she’s badass in her career. She is there to prove she is the best but definitely she met her match with the MMC. Rheda is an expert criminal psychiatrist who works in a prison, and Deogal is a class M criminal sentenced to death row and he’s a sleep demon!!! By day she is observing him daily trying to read his body language and by night Deogal is entering her dreams and well you know lol and made her mix her dreams with her reality.
Just be sure to read the trigger warnings always, because this is pitch black and unapologetically for sure, has some disturbing topics, but this one will stay with you!
August 2, 2026
First off, the cover is absolutely gorgeous!! Yes, I do judge books by their cover, just wish I had the trophy for my shelf!
This book is a 10/10! I love psychology, body language meanings, breathing patterns and everything about how the brain works! While the good Dr. Ainsley was analyzing the guy in the orange jumpsuit on the other side of the glass, little did she know he was analyzing her just as closely. She was assigned to the project to get some answers out of the serial killer who wouldn't talk or move, not even a grunt. She watched him for hours at a time during the day. At night, she'd go home and dream about him, well she thought she was dreaming about him. Doegal was coming into her mind and brain f**king her while leaving physical marks on her body. He is a demon she can't stop thinking about.
The psychology of this book is amazing. How it affected the Dr. and how it messed with my head as well! You can't predict the outcome. I grew to love the Dr. and felt frustratingly bad for her at the end.
This is my first Holly Guy book and I certainly plan on reading more. The Love After Life series looks fantastic!
This book is a 10/10! I love psychology, body language meanings, breathing patterns and everything about how the brain works! While the good Dr. Ainsley was analyzing the guy in the orange jumpsuit on the other side of the glass, little did she know he was analyzing her just as closely. She was assigned to the project to get some answers out of the serial killer who wouldn't talk or move, not even a grunt. She watched him for hours at a time during the day. At night, she'd go home and dream about him, well she thought she was dreaming about him. Doegal was coming into her mind and brain f**king her while leaving physical marks on her body. He is a demon she can't stop thinking about.
The psychology of this book is amazing. How it affected the Dr. and how it messed with my head as well! You can't predict the outcome. I grew to love the Dr. and felt frustratingly bad for her at the end.
This is my first Holly Guy book and I certainly plan on reading more. The Love After Life series looks fantastic!
August 18, 2026
This dark romance started off with much more of a horror feel than I was expecting. The rape kink element really isn't for me personally, but bloody hell, did this book have me in a chokehold. And apparently my safe word was "one more chapter", because it certainly wasn't letting me go.
Dark, twisted, and genuinely shocking, this had me completely hooked. I thought I had some idea of where things were heading, but I absolutely did not see that coming until just before the reveal. It managed to catch me off guard without the twist feeling like it had appeared out of nowhere, which made the payoff even better.
It's not my favourite book I've read by this author, but it's definitely nowhere near my least favourite either. In fact, I'd put it pretty high up the list. Despite one element being outside my personal tastes, the story itself had such a grip on me that I couldn't put it down.
Twisted, addictive, shocking, and another reminder that apparently I enjoy fictional red flags considerably more when they're bound between two covers.
Dark, twisted, and genuinely shocking, this had me completely hooked. I thought I had some idea of where things were heading, but I absolutely did not see that coming until just before the reveal. It managed to catch me off guard without the twist feeling like it had appeared out of nowhere, which made the payoff even better.
It's not my favourite book I've read by this author, but it's definitely nowhere near my least favourite either. In fact, I'd put it pretty high up the list. Despite one element being outside my personal tastes, the story itself had such a grip on me that I couldn't put it down.
Twisted, addictive, shocking, and another reminder that apparently I enjoy fictional red flags considerably more when they're bound between two covers.
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