Dreams of Darkness and Desire

Book Review 📚
Dreams Of Darkness and Desire by B.L Cagle - 4/5 ⭐

I went through the entire book questioning whether or not it was a dream or actually happening? There's so much make believe mixed with real life I couldn't figure it out. Granted it becomes confusing but isn't that part of the fun? Don't want it all handed to you on a plate.

The characters in the book are amazing. They were brought to life in my imagination thanks to the successful writing of Cagle. Blake and Larz are my absolute favourite duo. They work together so well. The characters help pull you into the book along with the story. It definitely worked really well and I was enthralled by the plot.

There was some serious question as to whether I wanted to trust the characters, I just didn't know who or what to believe. But that made the book for me, it kept me wanting to read more and more. After how it ended, I'm patiently counting down the days to get my hands on book 2!

Thank you to NetGalley and BooksGoSocial for allowing me to read this ARC - this is an HONEST review from my own personal opinion.

This book ticks all the right boxes, great story, interesting main character and dishy, powerful, misunderstood love interest.
This is all about Kira and Blake's relationship, discovering herself and fulfilling his ambitions. It flows well and leads you on a journey of nightmares and warlocks and Kira ultimately as Kira's 21st birthday will mark the revelation of her power, Blake has to work to put his threefold plan in place in order to harness it. All sorts of emotions, growth and discovery ensue and the story takes you the ultimate outcome. An enjoyable read.

I just finished this book and I'm thinking, what in the heck did I just read! This one was seriously good. Mind blown. In the beginning it is disorienting to read. I wasn't really sure what was going on. Then I realized...it's meant to feel that way. The main character Kira is disoriented. These nightmares she's having are bleeding into her daily life and taking a toll on her.
This book was a thriller for me. It kept me on my toes wondering what was really going on. The characters were interesting, the plot was pulling me in further the more I read. About 70% into the story the spice kicks up a notch. Definitely a slow burn, but worth it....leaves me hanging for book two!
Did it make me jump a couple times? Yes. Did I have weird dreams all night? Also yes. But will I read book two? Absolutely.
Thank you to NetGalley, the authors, and the publisher for the chance to read this ARC. All opinions are my own.

Embarking on an exhilarating literary odyssey, this book sweeps readers into a mesmerizing journey that stretches from the opening pages to a thrilling crescendo at its final chapter. The interplay of genres between twisted fantasy and chilling horror, evoked a range of emotions that held me captive.

Every twist and turn of the plot is a labyrinthine puzzle, a tantalizing enigma that entices the mind to decipher its intricacies. As the story unfolded, I found myself in a perpetual state of suspense, my thoughts racing ahead in a frantic attempt to unravel the enigmatic tapestry the author had woven.

Central to this captivating tale are the characters, particularly Kira and Blake, whose complexities and interactions formed intrigue. Their undeniable chemistry, adds an electric charge to the narrative. Kira's depth, her inner struggles and secrets, kept me perpetually invested, while Blake's enigmatic aura left me yearning to uncover the truths concealed.

However, I must confess that the adjustment to the third-person perspective was not without its challenges before immersing fully in.

The book's allure lies not only in its intricately woven narrative but also in the unexpected twists that lie in wait.

Lies, deceit and darkness. The shadows trying to keep hidden.

What is real and what is a dream? This book had me questioning the ENTIRE time what was a dream and what was reality.
When i thought i figured it out, i was wrong, so very wrong.

I was gripping the edge of my chair while reading this, turning page after page never wanting the story to end.
I was hooked from the prologue all the way till the very end.
I did not want to put this down, constantly questioning myself on if i trusted the characters or not. It was a fabulous read

Magic, Darkness, Love, Lies and Deceit all of these elements made this an enthralling read
and something i would recommend people give a read.



Thank you to NetGalley and BooksGoSocial for allowing me to read this ARC - this is an HONEST review from my own personal opinion.

Kira thinks she has it all; a wonderful boyfriend she’s been dating as a teen, supportive best friend, talent in dancing… But despite all the happiness she is dealing with so much more under the surface. Her parents both have died, and she lacks the love and support she had when they were around. Coupled with these dreams that seem so vivid, so real, and have lingering signs of being actually real. Her dreams lately have been her being hunted by a shadow man, a man so familiar to her, but could just be her imagination. She tried to navigate her world when Blake moves to town with his “brothers”.

Blake is not what he seems and lies start their relationship thinking it will be straight forward to get what he wants. But he can’t help but to respond to her light and will that be enough to defrost the dark and cold heart he has had for hundreds of years?

Will Kira not see the danger and darkness in time to save herself? Will love conquer all?

“Dreams of Darkness and Desire” by B. L. Cagle is an interesting and fun book. The twists and turns were not what I was expecting at all. The ending was a surprise. I was rooting for Blake and Kira the whole time and wanting love to break all barriers. The lore and story were a bit confusing because of lack of enough information about the world building though it was still really good. I would love to read more of the author’s works and was surprised at how much I loved the characters. 4 out of 5 stars from me.

Wow this book took me on a journey, not knowing if her dreams were just dreams or more. This book has me questioning if I knew the answer about my own dreams. I was captured by this one, I needed to finish it. I really enjoyed this and look forward to what the author does next.

In shock from this story! Really good book! Such a good book and story! So many twists and turns! That ending was shocking did not see that coming! The author did a really good job with this story! Very well written! So intriguing! Would definitely recommend!

For a debut novel- Dreams of Darkness and Desire was definitely something to be proud of. This is one emotional rollar coaster of a book set in New Orleans. It was filled with a good amount of mystery, questions, depth of character. Things were unexpected at times and I love to feel that was in a book.

I also really enjoyed how that cliff hanger was written.

That said, there were a few things I didn't really enjoy. When I went into Dreams of Darkness and Desire, I was under the impression that this was a YA book. But it felt a little too explicit for that. And one other critique- at times, things were a little too confusing with dreams v.s. reality.

I would, however, recommend this novel. It was flawed- like any book- but at the end of the day it was a gripping book with twists and turns that keep you on your toes.

This book was written by @blcaglecreativewriter and S. Brown. I read this book as an ARC, so thanks tot he authors and @netgalley for providing it!

I loved this book. I thought it was very original story and I really liked reading it. The book is a first part in the Dreams Trilogy: Witches & Warlocks. I gave the book 4 stars.

The story is about Kira Lockwood who has moved in with her best friend, has a wonderful relationship with her boyfriend and is excellingin her dance classes. Everything was perfectly fine until suddenly Kira is plagued by unusual dreams, or better said nightmares. To make everything more complicated, there’s a new neighbor in the street where Kira lives. He’s also the one haunting her dreams. Their attraction to each other is undeniable. Kira however struggles to understand why they hit it off so good while in her dreams he’s the one tormenting her. She decides to ignore the dreams, because after all.. dreams aren’t real, right?

There are quite some trigger warnings for this book:
Graphic sexual content, masochism, sadism, graphic acts of violence, graphic acts of manipulation, manipulative torture tactics, sensory deprivation, physical assault, mentions of mental health issues, threats of both physical and sexual assault, dubious consent, mentions of illegal drugs, alcohol use and excessive drinking, bad language.