Enter the Nightmare, Jayne Castle (Review by Heather Drake)
Rating: 4.0/5 Stars
Thank you to The Gloss Book Club, publisher Berkley, and author Jayne Ann Krentz (writing as Jayne Castle) for the opportunity to read and review the ARC of Enter the Nightmare (A Harmony Novel). I give this book 4 out of 5 stars.
Enter the Nightmare is the eighteenth book in the Harmony series, but it can be read as a standalone novel. The series takes place on Harmony, a futuristic world filled with psychic powers, ghosts, and paranormal dangers. Long ago, settlers arrived through a rift that has since closed, leaving the planet isolated from Earth. Nearly everyone possesses some type of psychic talent. Each book blends romance, mystery, and suspense, and Enter the Nightmare is no exception.
The story follows Alice Radstone and Owen March. Alice’s life unravels after the death of her mentor. She is drugged, mysteriously married with little memory of the event, accused of causing her husband’s death through psychic abilities, and committed to a mental institution by his family.
After escaping and rebuilding her life, Alice is summoned to the Hotel of Dreams. Once again, she awakens with fragmented memories, a dead man in her bathroom, and kidnappers pursuing her.
Owen March is hired to find Alice, but after realizing he has been misled, he chooses to help her instead. Together, they uncover the truth about Alice’s past while evading those determined to capture her.
One of the most entertaining characters in the story is Alice’s pet dust bunny. Yes, a dust bunny! With his oversized personality and ability to charm almost everyone he meets, he adds both humor and heart to the story. In my mind, I pictured him as a small, fuzzy dog-like creature with an alarming number of very sharp teeth. He was fiercely loyal to Alice and often stole the scenes he appeared in.
The story is both strange and captivating. It took me a little longer to get through than some books because I occasionally found the plot and world-building complex. However, once the mystery began to unfold, I became increasingly invested in discovering the truth behind Alice’s past and the conspiracy surrounding her.
While Enter the Nightmare can absolutely be read as a standalone novel, I would personally recommend starting with the first book in the Harmony series. Although the author does a good job of providing enough background for new readers, I think experiencing the series from the beginning helps build a stronger understanding of Harmony’s unique world, its psychic talents, and the society that has developed on the planet. Having that deeper knowledge of the setting and its history would have enhanced my appreciation of some of the details, relationships, and references in this story, and likely would have made the overall reading experience even more enjoyable.
The combination of suspense, paranormal elements, romance, and the unique Harmony setting kept me engaged until the end. If you enjoy paranormal romantic suspense with psychic abilities, intriguing mysteries, memorable characters, and a touch of humor, Enter the Nightmare is well worth picking up.