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Beautiful Nightmare #1

Beautiful Nightmare

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Damina Nicaud, a beautiful, successful art buyer in Washington, D.C., has been plagued by hauntingly romantic dreams of a mystery man every night. While she knows she shouldn't consider her dreams to be anything more than anxiety brought on by her upcoming nuptials, she can't help but be lured into its entreat. Unbeknownst to her, the dreamscape that plagues her mind will be all that carries her through eventual heartbreak and learning the truth of her orphaned lineage. She is more than human.
Escaping to New Orleans on the heels of her broken heart, she begins to unravel the mystery of her life while discovering a love powerful enough to unleash an ancient power residing within herself. Weaving through a world of artistic passion, vampires, wolves, and the supernatural, Damina Nicaud begins to take hold of her Beautiful Nightmare.

675 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 14, 2019

18 people are currently reading
785 people want to read

About the author

L.C. Son

19 books129 followers
Wife of one. Mom of three plus a Beagle.

Well, at least that's how I'm described in the confines of my everyday life.

​Writing has always been second nature to me. I spent my childhood creating short stories and my collegiate years writing for the campus paper (Go TERPS!) Jump twenty years to the present--I'm still writing. At my day job I spend most of my time writing capability briefs, white papers, proposals--you name it.

Then one day it hit me. It was time to access my own creative power and bring to life the characters lurking in my mind.

I hope you enjoy my first book, Beautiful Nightmare. It has everything you'd look to find in a paranormal romance-urban fantasy-new age novel. Vampires. Wolves. Love. And so much more!

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5 stars
23 (33%)
4 stars
31 (45%)
3 stars
5 (7%)
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6 (8%)
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3 (4%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 51 reviews
Profile Image for Kym's Open Books.
1,067 reviews2 followers
March 14, 2020
3.5/5 stars. Son has an incredible way of grabbing you and bringing you right into the story. It hooked me right away. I quickly read the first half and patiently waited for more details. It took quite awhile for the fantasy elements to come in and the anticipation was rough!

During the second half, she introduces wolves, vampires and more. A lot of her story was so unique, and I liked watching it play out. I enjoyed seeing Damina find herself, but I wanted her to stay unique and not follow the “chosen one” trope. I also had a hard time believing a romantic relationship. It happened too fast and too deep for my taste. While that was still developing, another love interest was brought in and the triangle frustrated me. I didn’t feel she should be with either guy, I didn’t like either one of them enough.

Son did a great job meshing contemporary with fantasy and creating characters to connect with. I loved her descriptions that kept me right in the story, along with the characters. Overall, it was an exciting read that I think many will enjoy. I recommend this book for those who love romance, vampires and shapeshifters.

The content was fairly mild until bloody scenes among the vampires and wolves. The language was low (if any?), and intimacy was low/medium with some passionate details.
I received this book in exchange for an honest opinion. Thank you L.C. Son for the opportunity!
Profile Image for Julie Jackson.
2,318 reviews10 followers
February 13, 2019
Reviewed for SNS

This book was absolutely fabulous. Damina finds herself lost when she walks in on Jackson and another woman the night before their wedding. She runs of course and ends up meeting Dalcour. He is all man and immediately taken with her. Damina has a lot to learn about herself and her lessons will either make her or break her. Awesome writing with a storyline that makes you wonder what will happen next. I hope this story continues so I can see the outcome and find out what happens to Dacari.
A must read.
Profile Image for Spunky N Sassy.
5,408 reviews119 followers
February 22, 2019
Spunky N Sassy Rating: 5.0

~~~~~~~~~~Julie's ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Review~~~~~~~~~~~

This book was absolutely fabulous. Damina finds herself lost when she walks in on Jackson and another woman the night before their wedding. She runs of course and ends up meeting Dalcour. He is all man and immediately taken with her. Damina has a lot to learn about herself and her lessons will either make her or break her. Awesome writing with a storyline that makes you wonder what will happen next. I hope this story continues so I can see the outcome and find out what happens to Dacari.
A must read.
Profile Image for Rita.
294 reviews1 follower
January 11, 2021
"Beautfiul Nightmare" is quite the book. I do have so many different emotions that it's quite tricky for me to write a review. It is a very nice, looong, romantasy paranormal romance novel, and I loved it, however, the longer it went, the more confused I got. I was angry and Jackson, mad ad Damina and then Dal - oh my! The book brought so many feelings out - this is amazing! :) Don't get me wrong, the story, the world, it is incredible, and I love the fact that the author managed to trigger so many emotions!

Ok, so let's start at the beginning. I loved the beginning, the introduction to Damina and Jackson, their world, their love. And then it happens. I was heartbroken, I did feel Damina's pain and I understand her need to run away, to hide, to protect herself. I got it and I went for it.

But the moment she arrived in NO, it was getting more and more weird for me. On the one hand I was mad at Jackson for not doing something! Trying to explain in a better way, to really fight for her and then there is the matter with Dal. I do understand that Damina is heartbroken, but it was a bit too fast - and I am still not sure, if it was really "real feelings" or if someone influenced Damina.

Also the ending - I was like - what??? What is going on?? As much as I did not like Dacari in the beginning, I felt like "ok, of course this is happening, but what?" Why do Jackson and Dal act the way they do?

There is so much going on that I have to read book 2 in order to find out what Damina is going to do. She has to woman up and become a fighter! And not just complaining about I do not know who I love, run away, and hope that others decide for her.

Also, some other side stories are part of the story, which I do like, however, I hope it's not getting more. There are quite some people already ;)

I really am looking forwad to seeing how this all plays out in book 2! I do hope, Damina, Dacari and Jackson, Dal and the others get the ending they deserve.

The only thing for me that I did not like so much is that some parts were too long for me, and sometimes it kept repeating - there I would have liked a bit more fast-paced style.


***

Mit Beautiful Nightmare hab ich mal wieder ein Buch gelesen, was so viel Emotionen bei mir aufwirbelt, dass ich es schon wieder so gut finde. Es ist alles dabei, von Liebe, Angst, Wut aber auch Freundschaft und Familie.

Wir begleiten Damina auf ihrem Weg zu ihrer Hochzeit, doch dann kommt alles anders. Und genau den Teil des Buches liebe ich, denn ich versteh Damina, dass sie so reagiert, wie sie eben reagiert, bin verdammt wütend auf Jackson, dass er nicht mehr kämpft, versucht zu erklären, wo es doch so einfach wäre.

Und dann landen wir in NO. Und ab hier hätte ich Damina einfach nur schütteln können. Denn, plötzlich findet sie sich in mitten einer anderen Welt wieder, hat neue Freunde, vergisst auf die anderen (Allyson?) und verliebt sich neu - nach so kurzer Zeit. Wobei man ja nicht weiß, ob sie das wirklich ist oder ob hier wer nachgeholfen hat?

Ich hoffe, dass Damina in Buch 2 stärker wird, dass sie für ihre Sache einsteht, dass sie kämpft und sich endlich mal ihre Gefühle eingesteht. Besonders am Ende war ich komplett verwirrt und will unbedingt wissen, wie es weitergeht!

Es gibt auf jeden Fall eine Dreiecksbeziehung, also wer das nicht mag, sollte das Buch nicht lesen. Teilweise war es mir ein bisschen zu viel.

Auf jeden Fall bin ich auf Band 2 gespannt, und hoffe, dass mir einige Fragen beantwortet werden.

Was mir nicht so gefallen hat war, dass es teilweise ziemlich Längen im Buch gab, welche ich dann bisschen überblättert hab. Das Buch ist lang, und manchmal wiederholen sich Passagen. Mal schauen, wie das so in Band 2 wird.
Profile Image for Anjali.
463 reviews25 followers
May 30, 2021
Damina has it all - a great career, and a hunky fiance she is about to marry... As her wedding day approaches she gets increasingly emotional, and the weather seems to be mirroring her emotions.

On the eve of her wedding day her world comes crashing down, her fiance betrays her... and she can no longer bear to be around him... to get as far away from him as possible, she goes to New Orleans...

New Orleans is where her maternal family is from, and New Orleans is where the next big project lands in Damina's lap...

New Orleans is more than that though... It is magical, and filled with supernatural beings, who seem to be uniting around Damina...

The author spins a cryptic tale of Damina's experiences in her first few weeks in New Orleans, as she discovers and struggles with who she truly is.

𝙒𝙚 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙬𝙝𝙤 𝙬𝙚 𝙖𝙧𝙚. 𝙒𝙚 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙬𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙬𝙚 𝙖𝙧𝙚.

As the tale unfolds we meet a cast of strong, beautiful characters... the most interesting of them is Dalcour, the enigmatic benefactor.

If you like contemporary fantasy, a love triangle, and the melding of the human with the supernatural world, this is a book for you.

I enjoyed the book, though a few things didn't quite do the trick for me... I felt I had to wait for a vexingly long time before I figured out along with Damina what exactly was happening; of Damina's two love interests, I found it hard to buy the whirlwind one; and Dalcour was overwhelming - like an extravagant dessert...

Thank you, Ms.Son for sharing this book with me in exchange for a candid review.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
4 reviews
February 22, 2019
Didn't expect that

Very well written, lots of unexpected twist, the editing was thorough, the artistry of the cover is awesome, it truly grabs your attention and amazing cliffhanger was not expecting that. Will definitely recommend.
142 reviews1 follower
May 20, 2020
I could not put this one down. Just whoa, wow. There are many supernatural novels out there but I usually stick to Twilight. I am so glad that I won this book from a good reads giveaway.

Imagine living your whole life without knowing the real you. That is Damina’s story. Not only that, but imagine learning about the real you as an adult AND realizing that people knew and never told you. Wicked right? If you like a bit of romance and a mix of supernaturals then this is definitely for you. It does start off more on the romance side but when it picks up..it takes off.
Profile Image for Melina Lobo.
826 reviews98 followers
July 20, 2020
Warning: contains a few graphic (bloody) scenes.
🦄🦄🦄
A time will come when life gets rough; when your sand is full you’ve said enough.
🦄🦄🦄
Damina dreams of man she does not know, but is drawn to him like she knows him and is connected to him.
Few hours before her wedding, Damina's fiancé shatters her heart in the cruelest way possible.
Now, running away from everything she knows, Damina wants to put as much distance from him as possible.
New Orleans provides her the shelter she requires while she collects her thoughts, but while she is there she finds out more about herself.
But one thing's for sure, she is more than just human.
🦄🦄🦄
Beautiful Nightmare is a fantasy romance novel by L. C. Son and the first in the series.
The beginning part of the book resonates more with a contemporary romance novel except for a few excerpts (her dreams) because it's focused more on Damina personal life and love.
Damina's story is one of self-searching after being joined to one man for a good portion of her life, a man that deceived her, she wants nothing more than to understand what's best for her after keeping his opinions before her own.
Dalour, is someone Damina meets in New Orleans and is infatuated with her. He is, unique to say the least and the situation they find themselves in is excruciatingly hard to read because it's one I never thought I would come across again. (Read to find out what!)
Some of the dialogues that the characters were a bit cringey (I am not a huge fan of cliché sayings) but that's a personal opinion.
There was a twist that I should've seen coming because I know better but there wasn't a hint of it happening. (Yes, I am ashamed for not realizing it earlier 😂.)
I'm going to be starting with the sequel really soon and I cannot wait to see what happens next.
If you're a fan of supernatural/fantasy romances, this is a must read.
🦄🦄🦄
Rated 9/10
Melina L.
Profile Image for Jessica.
360 reviews32 followers
May 17, 2020
What a fantastic story. I absolutely loved it!! Can't wait to read more of L.C. Sons books.
Profile Image for Two Nerds With Words.
941 reviews51 followers
February 28, 2019
L.C. Son's Beautiful Nightmare reminded me so perfectly why I love this genre so very much. Gripping and breath-catching, this book was a genuine pageturner. Filled with twist and turns, and an ending that makes me desperate for the next book, this book is definitely 1-click material.
The characters, their connection, their journeys, and developments were well crafted and superbly detailed.
Enjoy getting lost in this fabulous paranormal fantasy romance.
667 reviews15 followers
October 26, 2020
This book started off as a romantic story and through some very sharp twists and turns moved into the supernatural genre. The characters and various scenarios were nicely portrayed. Although I found the book to be a bit long, it was nicely written and the story moved at a good pace.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
3 reviews
February 21, 2019
Good Read!!

This book is a page turner that I could not put down. Kept my interest from beginning to end. Refreshing clean romance with paranormal twist. Can't wait for book #2.
Profile Image for Rose Sawyer.
Author 4 books40 followers
February 27, 2019
This book truly does have everything I love about PNR. Not only that, it pulled me in and held me captive until I was able to hit the final page.
The characters were so relatable, always a marvel for a fantasy. Well written with a compelling plot, I'm eager for the next book.
Profile Image for Sydney Hopke.
1,383 reviews18 followers
September 26, 2019
Wow!

This story intrigued me when I read the blurb and it didn't disappoint! The author takes you on a journey of discovery. You feel like your there with the characters it's that descriptive. It's a story that once I started I didn't want to stop.
Profile Image for Verna.
Author 9 books37 followers
July 6, 2020
The author is very talented, she is very imaginative. The romance was a bit frustrating for me. However she captured her details very well. Overall, it was a good read. She is a great writer.
Profile Image for Picky Bookworm.
43 reviews2 followers
September 9, 2021
I have mixed feelings about Beautiful Nightmare. On one hand, I loved the story, and I loved the development of the characters. On the other, some of the characters, and even Damina herself, irritated me on occasion.

As I said above, I had mixed feelings about this book. On one hand, I absolutely loved the story. I thought the idea for the story was unique, which I love, and fantasy books, whether urban or not, are absolutely my jam. So in regards to the story, I can’t say anything negative.

Damina drove me a little bonkers. She was so indecisive through the whole book, and consistently took the blame for things that weren’t her fault. I said to myself on multiple occasions, “man, that girl needs some boundaries!”

This type of character isn’t always a bad thing, because we do get to see some growth and evolution of Damina’s character, which was definitely a good thing. Unfortunately, not all of that growth was in a good direction.

This whole book takes place over the course of about a week’s time, so when Damina falls for another man in New Orleans, I found it a bit unbelievable. First of all, Dalcour tells Damina during their first conversation, “I want you, and I always get what I want.” So he made me a little uncomfortable from the beginning.

Damina, as she’s discovering herself, and finding out about her family, is also surrounded by people who know who she is (no spoilers, promise!), and are constantly worrying about her and “protecting her,” even though she’s an adult.

What irritated me in these situations is that even though Damina isn’t up on all the information in regards to her heritage, she’s an adult and can choose to go wherever she wants, and stay out all night if she wants. She isn’t actually beholden to anyone, yet when these other people, who she’s known for less than a week, freak out on her for worrying them, she apologizes like she’s actually done something wrong. I can kind of understand their protective natures, as they know things about Damina and her past, that she has no clue about.

I loved the originality of the supernatural situations of the story, so that part was wonderful. I did really like the story, I just wish Damina had been written a little differently. She was relatable in some ways, and in others I just wanted to smack her upside her head.

One last thing I’ll say, I would love to get in touch with this author about proofreading. I came across several issues with grammar and punctuation, which I know would improve the story quite a bit. I found them distracting. Not enough to make me quit reading the book, or even quit enjoying the story, but enough that I would love to fix them, and make this story the best it can be.

I loved this story, and found quite a few of the characters a lot of fun. As you can see above, several of the supporting characters were amazing, and added so much to the story. Despite some of them being way overprotective, in my opinion, I could tell they really cared about Damina, despite only knowing her a few days.

I loved the originality of the supernatural situations of the story, so that part was wonderful. I did really like the story, I just wish Damina had been written a little differently. She was relatable in some ways, and in others I just wanted to smack her upside her head.

I loved this story, and found quite a few of the characters a lot of fun. As you can see above, several of the supporting characters were amazing, and added so much to the story. Despite some of them being way overprotective, in my opinion, I could tell they really cared about Damina, despite only knowing her a few days.

One last thing I’ll say, I would love to get in touch with this author about proofreading. I came across several issues with grammar and punctuation, which I know, if edited, would improve the story quite a bit. I found them distracting. Not enough to make me quit reading the book, or even quit enjoying the story, but enough that I would love to fix them, and make this story the best it can be. I think this book is worth it.
2 reviews
January 26, 2021
The story begins with Damina, the main character, seeing her fiancé, Jackson, betray her a few hours before their wedding. This prompts Damina to run away from him and try to put as much distance between them as possible. She hides in New Orleans, where her mother’s grave is located. Once there, she makes new friends and even meets a new man, Del, who she forms an instant connection with. However not all is as it seems and Damina starts to realize this and reveal new secrets as the story progresses.
For me, the book started off a bit slow, but it picked up the pace when the betrayal occurred. From then on, it kept me on edge, wondering what would happen next. The author does a good job of describing Damina’s pain and need to flee when she sees Jackson’s betrayal. Jackson’s emotions during this scene made me have some compassion for him, but his actions throughout the first half of the book made me frustrated. This irritation stemmed from his inaction. Although we later find out what really happened with Jackson, it was frustrating to see that he didn’t really do anything to explain the situation or even try to find Damina. The feelings Damina developed for Del seemed a bit rushed. She was just getting over Jackson’s betrayal and suddenly, she loves Del. It didn’t help that most of their relationship developed in the second half of the book. Even though Damina is an interesting character, she needs time to take in all the new information she learned about her family and herself before being able to discover what her feelings truly are. This is something she seems to realize toward the end of the book and the author does a good job of expressing this.
The book is a nice read, but leaves the reader wanting more. I look forward to book 2 and finding out the fate of each character.

I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Profile Image for Ayre.
1,106 reviews42 followers
Read
July 16, 2021
I'm sure this book has an audience that loves this and far be it from me to say don't read it. I only managed 2 chapters before DNFing it so there is a reasonable chance it gets better and that you'll like this book where I did not. Please check other reviews.

I tried to give this a chance but I did have to DNF this book. The writing was annoyingly repetitive (the guy in her dreams smells like cinnamon!) and the character is an insufferable Karen. We open the book on her wedding day and instead of being happy she's all complaints. I'd ask why shes even getting married to this guy if she's this uninterested but this is obviously a set up so theres no emotional attachment and its easy for her to drop the fiancé for the dream guy (that smells like cinnamon!!). We're also introduced to her relationship with her family and its all catty bitchy women hating other women. I only want to read about women who like other women, not make their entire personality about pretending to like someone while endlessly insulting them. The icing on the cake of my DNF was the fat shaming at the end of the first chapter. She doesn't diet or exercise but she's OBVIOUSLY super attractive and skinny.

leaving unrated because I didn't finish it.
Profile Image for Carrie.
2,537 reviews19 followers
May 3, 2021
This book is a huge world-building start to the series that includes any and all paranormals you can thing of.

The main character in this massive world is Damina. She's gone through the loss of her parents at a young age, but was luckily adopted by her aunt and raised along with her cousin. Seems relatively normal until we start seeing signs that she can change the weather with her moods and she has recurring dreams about a tree and wolves. Pretty early on in the story there is an act of betrayal on her wedding night that sends her spiraling into a different world (not literally).

The rest of the book takes place in New Orleans, where Damina finds out her true history and sees behind the curtain of the mundane. There's old historical house restoration work, vampires, wolves, clubs, dancing, sexy times, and more all wrapped in to a hefty size book. There's twists and turns, but even with so many pages, we get a bit of a cliffhanger at the end. While I'm sure this book will suit some readers, I found it difficult to complete personally. There are a ton of characters we meet, so I'm sure the reader can find someone to root for along the way, even if Damina isn't your cup of tea.
Profile Image for Lisa Villarreal.
351 reviews9 followers
November 30, 2025
A beautiful tale you can get lost within the pages as it details the life and story between three interesting characters. I loved the lore and interesting take on the paranormal world. It has shifters, vampires and they seamlessly come into the story. There was a lot to like but it does move slowly. It could have been cut down a bit and still felt full. It also uses a lot of exclamation points that caused the dialogue to feel immature. I think it could have been a 5 star for me if it had been tightened up a little bit more and the dialogue smoother. It was still a really fun read and had me interested in what was coming. The romance was also different and interesting-a unique love triangle. A lot of the story felt fresh.

You might love it if you love urban romantasy and books you really get to know the main characters with a lot of nuance and interesting dynamics.
Profile Image for Candi.
106 reviews1 follower
June 11, 2024
Well...This turned into an adventure full of shapeshifters - wolves. Plus vampires. The main character Damina Nicaud discovers she is part of some secret clan that her grandmother kept hidden from her. As she encounters the supernatural and abilities she never knew she had she eventually starts accepting this new existence. This book is full of action, mystery and magic. It was a fun read.

Thank you GoodReads for this giveaway.
Profile Image for Jennifer.
601 reviews16 followers
October 16, 2020
This story has everything. I couldn't put it down and can't wait for the next one. Well written with imaginative detail. I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Profile Image for Aizlynne.
792 reviews7 followers
December 24, 2020
I am a little torn with this story. I really liked it at first then got very frustrated with the MC. Though toward the end, her motivations made more sense to me, I still am having issues with her. I enjoyed Dalcour and Jackson's stories much more than hers. My other struggle was with word usage. The author consistently swaps nodding and shaking of heads using the opposite term of what was meant. It's a small thing really, but it happened often enough to bother me. There were other off putting editing issues as well (i.e. missing words and wrong words) but not enough to make me stop reading. Overall, it was a good book.
Profile Image for Alli.
25 reviews1 follower
March 31, 2021
I really liked Damina as a character in this novel however I do feel like she could have stood up for herself a bit more in the beginning and I felt like we were getting some slightly controlling vibes from Jackson, however as we're introduced to their families at the party the day before their wedding, it becomes clear just how strong her feelings for him are and a proper view of the dynamics in their relationship. 

I don't like Jackson very much at all, mostly due to the fact he breaks Damina's heart in the most brutal way the night before their wedding, and most of his friends and family seem like they're not really worth your time either. This is the turning point for Damina and she makes the decision to pursue her passion, heading to New Orleans for a once in a lifetime opportunity. She discovers something about herself which everyone else has known all her life, something she might have went her whole life without ever finding out. 

This was quite a fast paced novel once we got past the initial introduction and I enjoyed how the author used the dream as a part of that. As always I try my best to avoid any spoilers in my reviews but I will say it took a bit longer than I usually like for the fantasy element to kick in, but the fact the author was able to do so shows her brilliant writing ability. 
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Melanin Readss.
197 reviews18 followers
February 24, 2021
The build up was great!

This story is actually my first book that I’ve read that had 500+ pages. I did feel like the book did start off slow, it took a while for everything to come together. It took me finishing the book and digesting it to realize that the author had to lengthily build and showcase the story in such a way to explain everything. The author is definitely a pro when it comes to showing the readers what is happening within the story. Her descriptions are very vivid, giving you a glimpse of what she’s trying to portray. Initially I was actually liking Damina’s character but as the story progressed, my liking for her turned into annoyance. The entire time she’s constantly running away from new issues instead of facing them head on. She runs to get away from Jackson, her fiancé and days later run into the arms of Dalcour. A man she’s only known for a couple days and quickly professes her love. I couldn’t vibe with the romance that much. The back and forth she had internally between Jackson and Dalcour was draining. The journey of her finding out who she really was, was explained really well and enjoyable. All the secrets that come out had me on pause for sure and because I was already on the Anti-Jackson train for most of the book, the twist at the end caught me off guard completely.
Profile Image for Jenn.
666 reviews31 followers
August 4, 2022
I am always on the lookout for more new (to me) and wonderful paranormal series and authors. My primary book love lies heavily in the paranormal and more specifically the vampire-ish realm and I'm a huge one-click wonder for some pretty cover art (and add on a story based in NOLA), so picking up Beautiful Nightmare was a no-brainer.

Damina is on the eve of her wedding and is being plagued by odd dreams. Considering the stressful event surrounding her, she figures the weird dreams are just a result. But when she discovers her betrothed in a very compromising situation, she flees for her late mother's home in New Orleans. She is quickly ensconced in a very strange but weirdly right art restoration peoples with a very intriguing and enigmatic benefactor.

I hate to say it, but I just did not engage with this book as much as I would have liked. Damina was very Mary Jane and there was just so much crying. Everyone. Every few pages, all the crying. I just... yeah. It's not for me. I, also, really wish I had known this was a love triangle situation. It was completely clean, but still a love triangle nonetheless, and I pretty much hate those with the fire of a thousand suns. And, well... I just felt there was so much added minutiae that the story kind of dragged for me.

The overall world was extremely interesting, I loved Son's idea on vampires and their development as well as all other classifications of beings in this world.

While I didn't particularly gel with the characters, I do feel this genre and the specific story will probably appeal to many others. I'm salty and persnickety, so I'll just say mileage may vary.

*ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.*
Profile Image for _sassy_39.
2,609 reviews160 followers
February 16, 2021
Beautiful Nightmare is a paranormal romance novel written by the author L.C. Son. It is the debut book of the author. Damina Nicaud is a successful art buyer in Washington. She lost her parents at the age of seven and was raised by her aunt Delia and her grandmother. Damina often see a dream of a mystery man who smells of Cinnamon. But in reality she is going to be married to Jackson Nash, a savvy businessman who carries himself well.

One day, Jackson proposed Damina and she said yes to be his wife but one day before her wedding, her heart was broken. Earlier Damina had received a letter from JJ Properties of New Orleans as she was accepted into their apprenticeship program. Grab a copy of this novel and find out yourself what life has in store for Damina in New Orleans.

Storyline is very intense and narration is so smooth. While reading the story, I didn't feel like it's the debut work of the author. Writing is so polished and I enjoyed every bit of this story. Cover photo is nice and so is the title. I like to strongly recommend it to my fellow readers.
Profile Image for BooksCoffee.
1,068 reviews
January 14, 2020
Populated by vampires, wolves, and the supernatural, Son’s first in the series is marked by thorough characterization and a page-turning plot.

Damina Nicaud, a successful art buyer in Washington, D.C., has been plagued by haunting dreams of a mysterious stranger. Finding herself heartbroken a day before her wedding, Damina escapes to New Orleans to take on a professional assignment. But fate has something else in store for her: she finds herself fall for a mysterious stranger while secrets of her supernatural ancestry unravel gradually. Can love be powerful enough to awaken the ancient powers lying dormant?

After an opener that smoothly introduces the heroine, multiple plot lines unfold as hidden secrets of Damina’s ancient ancestry are revealed. The story’s crux, the supernatural component that involves Damina’s haunting—and continuous—dreams, stays in the background initially, assigning both the intrigue and the suspense to Damina’s tale.

Beautifully blending aspects of contemporary into paranormal and romance, Son heightens the excitement with her smoothly moving narrative and crisp prose, keeping the reader thoroughly invested in the story.

The details of the sensual, clean romance are memorable (the romance between Damina and her unlikely companion is sweetly tantalizing), and Son in this first installment does a lot to emphasize the emotions and interactions between her protagonists, making this impressive read a brilliant series opener. The satisfying conclusion successfully sets up the stage for the next installment in the series.

Readers hoping for a well-constructed paranormal romance will be greatly rewarded.
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203 reviews11 followers
March 12, 2021
Thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to get this ARC for an honest review.

Review/Reseña en Español/English

Español

2.5 ⭐

Este es el primer libro que leo de esta autora y definitivamente el ultimo, recordatorio dejar de leer libros que me atraen por su portada, punto positivo la portada es hermosa y la sinopsis te atrapa, pero este libro no fue para mí.

El libro trata de Damina Nicaud una mujer joven e “independiente”, que por diversas razones termina dejando a su prometido Jackson el día antes de la boda (se lo merece), viaja a Nueva Orleans para visitar la tumba de su madre y conocer de su pasado mientras supera el corazón roto que tiene. En ese lugar se da cuenta que las personas son muy raras y nada es lo que parece. Conoce a Dalcour Marchand, un hombre atractivo y con mucho dinero, ambos se conocen por el trabajo que termino haciendo en su mansión, y poco a poco se acercaron hasta formar una relación (?).

Primero que nada

Una vez dicho eso, el comienzo es aburrido y muy descriptivo, personalmente me molestan las descripciones y comentarios innecesarias, y este libro tiene demasiadas, literal TODO el libro fue innecesario (hablare de eso mas adelante), segundo algo muy personal que odio a morir son las proposiciones de matrimonio/noviazgo en general públicas, así que aunque solo haya sido una mención lo odie. Yo no juzgo la vida sexual de las personas y menos las decisiones que tomen con ella al respecto, pero no lo sé, cuando un hombre te dice que quiere esperar hasta el matrimonio para mantenerte pura me da asco, okay, tampoco creo en esperar hasta el matrimonio, pero eso depende de cada quien, para que lo consideren. Eso quiere decir una heroína virgen, nada nuevo.

Pero eso no es lo importante porque ya me encargare de destruir a Jackson más adelante, la relación entre Damina y Dal fue inexistente, es decir, se supone que son almas gemelas (fue más insta-lust) pero no hay química! Ninguna chispa, nada, así que su relación se me hizo forzada pero debo recalcar que me gusto que Dal intentara hacer más confiada a Damina y la respetara. Me agrada Dalcour pero siento que guarda muchos secretos y realmente no conocí a su personaje.

Pasemos a Damina, oh boy, no la odio pero es exasperante. Me estresa que la autora haya creada un personaje que según es fuerte e independiente, pero lo único que saber hacer es huir, no tomar decisiones por sí misma, odiar a cada hombre (que no hay nadie que los odie más que yo pero fue excesivo), pensar que cada mujer que conoce es una controladora, en serio ojala le hubiera contestado a Jackson como les hablaba o miraba a todas las mujeres. Lo peor de todo hace drama por cualquier tontería.

Ahora su ex-­prometido(?), lo odio a morir, espero que muera no lo necesitamos, ah y si es un triángulo amoroso aunque nunca pensé que lo seria hasta que llegamos al final. Él es lo que llama el hombre perfecto, yo lo llamo un controlador pasivo, ya saben un hombre que es tan genial que te respeta y te hace pensar que tienes una opinión, pero en realidad poco a poco va controlando tu vida. Que genial que el carro que tiene Damina lo compro el, o su teléfono, o la ayudo a arreglar su casa, o puede ubicarla por su teléfono y cuenta bancaria porque él es el encargado, o da la casualidad que sus conexiones la ayudaron a conseguir trabajo solo para alejarla de una amiga que veía la basura que Jackson es y trabajaba con ella. Así de malo es pero bueno es un buen hombre que la protege y aun así es ciega a todo eso hasta el final y lo ama.

Personajes secundarios

Allyson es la única persona que sabe usar la cabeza y ayudo a Damina, por desgracia no apareció mucho en el libro más que cuando Damina pensaba que ella era molesta por preocuparse por ella, en fin. Realmente se merece lo mejor del mundo y me alegra que haya sido ella quien la ayudo.

Dacari, la odio, es un personaje molesto. Es demasiado dependiente de su madre, hace todo lo que ella le dice y no piensa por sí misma, la mujer tiene 25 años y no puede tomar decisiones sin su madre. Ni hablar de cómo quiere que todo se trate de ella y claro llego a crear un drama innecesario con unos de los mejores personajes del libro, porque claro hombres y mujeres no pueden ser amigos y todos quieren con el héroe. Tuvo sus buenos momentos cuando ayudo y defendió a Damina y odiaba a Jackson pero de ahí en fuera no fue de mi agrado.

Jerrica, es la que le envió la invitación a Damina y la ame, ella fue justo lo que necesitaba para distraerse y una gran amiga escuchándola, lo que pasó al final con su personaje fue innecesario pero aun así ella es de mis favoritas del libro

Delia la tía de Damina y madre de Dacari es basura y punto. Los amigos de Jackson son basura tambien, me dieron asco.

En cambio, los jóvenes con los que trabajo Damina cada uno eran diferente y me agradaron demasiado. Brae es la mejor versión de Dacari, es lo que Dacari quiso ser pero no pudo, me encanto su relación con Damina, Mark no pensé que me fuera a agradar tanto pero en general fue entretenido. Brian es de los mejores y se merece algo mejor que Dacari, me gusto como ayudo a Damina y sobretodo que se preocupara por su bienestar.

Hay más personajes que mencionar pero regresamos a lo mismo de que fueron innecesarios, no entiendo porque los puso la autora, no aportaron absolutamente nada a la historia. Hablando de la historia me pregunto de que trato, verán no tenía ninguna objetivo, en serio todo se sintió innecesario y de relleno, al final del libro fue cuando por fin estábamos teniendo una trama. Definitivamente este libro no es para mí, tiene muchas cosas que pueden mejorar. Diría que me agrado ver como creció el personaje de Damina pero realmente no fue así.

¿Es este libro para ti?

Premisa en una oración: La historia de una mujer que viaja a una ciudad a enmendar su corazón roto, solo para descubrir que su vida no es lo que parece.
Perfecto para: Amantes de lo paranormal.
¿Lo recomiendo? No.

TW: relaciones toxicas, ataques de pánico.
Troupe: Romance, paranormal, vampiros, triángulo amoroso.
Heroína: 5/10
Héroe: 6/10
Romance: 4/10
Escenas sexuales: 0/10
Violencia/ escenas turbias: 0/10
Trama: 6/10


English

2.5⭐

This is the first book I read by this author and definitely the last, reminder to stop reading books that attract me because of their cover, positive point the cover is beautiful and the synopsis catches you, but this book was not for me.

The book is about Damina Nicaud, a young and "independent" woman, who for various reasons ends up leaving her fiancé Jackson the day before their wedding (he deserves it), travels to New Orleans to visit her mother's grave and discover her past while overcoming her broken heart. In that place, she realizes that people are very strange and nothing is what it seems. She meets Dalcour Marchand, an attractive man with a lot of money, they both know each other for the work she ended up doing in his mansion, and little by little they grew closer until they form a relationship (?).

First of all

Having said that, the beginning is boring and very descriptive, personally, I hate unnecessary descriptions and comments, and this book has too many, literally, THE ENTIRE book was unnecessary (I will talk about that later), second something very personal that I hate to die is public marriage/dating proposals, so even if it was only a mention I hate it. Now I don’t judge the sexual life of people and less the decisions they make about it, but I don’t know when a man tells you that he wants to wait until marriage to keep you pure it disgusts me, okay, I do not believe in waiting until marriage, but that depends on each one. That means a virgin heroine, nothing new.

But that is not the important thing because I will take care of destroying Jackson later, the relationship between Damina and Dal was non-existent, that is, they are supposed to be soulmates (it was more insta-lust) but there is no chemistry! No spark, nothing, so their relationship felt forced to me but I must emphasize that I liked that Dal tried to make Damina more confident and respected her. I like Dalcour but I feel like he keeps a lot of secrets and I didn't really get to know his character.

Let's move on to Damina, oh boy, I don't hate her but she's infuriating. It stresses me that the author has created a character who according to her is strong and independent, but the only thing she knows how to do is run away, not make decisions by herself, hate every man (listen there is no one who hates man more than me but it was excessive), to think that every woman she meets is controlling, I really wish she had answered Jackson hows he spoke to or looked at all women. And the worst of all, she does drama for everything.
I met Jackson, and he immediately became my world. I’m not sure if I ever took the time to really get to know myself.

Let's move on to her ex-fiance (?), I hate him to die, I hope he dies we don't need him, oh and if it's a love triangle although I never thought it would be until we reached the end. He is what people call the “perfect man”, I call him a passive controller, you know a man who is so great that he respects you and makes you think that you have an opinion, but in reality little by little, he is controlling your life. How great that Damina's car was bought by him, or her phone, or he helped her fix her house, or he can locate her by her phone and bank account because he owns it, or it so happens that his connections helped her get a work just to get her away from a friend who saw the trash that Jackson is and worked with her. That's how bad he is but he is a good man who protects her and yet she is blind to all that until the end and loves him. Disgusting.
Like, he said this:
If she had a man when we first met, she wouldn’t have interfered so much in our relationship.

Everything in my life included Jackson, and I think that was too much for Allyson to bear.

Secondary characters

Allyson is the only person who knows how to use her head and she helped Damina, unfortunately, she didn't appear much in the book other than when Damina thought she was annoying for worrying about her, anyway. She really deserves the best in the world and I'm glad she was the one who helped her.
She went on a tirade about him being a control freak who was a train wreck to my very existence.

Allyson would tell me to take the opportunity. My aunt and cousin would burn the letter as Jackson lit the match.

Dacari, I hate her, she's an annoying character. She is too dependent on her mother, she does everything she tells her and doesn’t think for herself, the woman is 25 years old and cannot make decisions without her mother. Not to mention how she wants everything to be about her and of course, goes and creates an unnecessary drama with some of the best characters in the book, because of course men and women cannot be friends and they all want to be with the hero. She had her good moments when she helped and defended Damina and hated Jackson but from there on out, I didn’t really like her.

Jerrica, is the one who sent the invitation to Damina and I loved her, she was just what she needed to distract herself and a great friend listening to her, what happened in the end with her character was unnecessary but still, she is one of my favorites from the book

Delia, Damina's aunt, and Dacari's mother is trash, period. Jackson's friends are trash too, they grossed me out.
Even the modicum of independence I had was directed by my deceased parents, guided by my Aunt Delia and influenced by Jackson.

On the other hand, the people Damina worked with were each different and I liked them too much. Brae is the best version of Dacari, she is what Dacari wanted to be but couldn’t, I loved her relationship with Damina, Mark I didn't think I would like him so much but in general, he was entertaining. Brian is one of the best and he deserves better than Dacari, I liked how he helped Damina, and above all that he cared about her well-being.

There are more characters to mention but we return to the same thing that they were unnecessary, I don’t understand why the author put them, they didn’t contribute absolutely anything to the story. Speaking of the story I wonder what the plot was about, you see it had no objective, seriously everything felt unnecessary, at the end of the book we were finally having a plot. This book is definitely not for me, it has many things that can be improved. I would say that I was pleased to see how Damina's character grew but it really didn't.

Is this book for you?

Premise in a sentence: The story of a woman who travels to a city to mend her broken heart, only to discover that her life is not what it seems.
Perfect for: Lovers of the paranormal.
Do I recommend it? No.

TW: toxic relationships, panic attacks.
Troupe: Romance, paranormal, vampires, love triangle.
Heroine: 5/10
Hero: 6/10
Romance: 4/10
Steamy Scenes: 0/10
Violence/dark scenes: 0/10
Plot: 6/10
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