Carnival Nightmares by Selena Winters

 Carnival Nightmares 

by Selena Winters

My Rating: ⭐

Spice Rating: 🌶🌶🌶🌶

Just because this wasn't for me doesn't mean this isn't going to be for you. If you like your men unhinged in the weirdest way possible this one is for you.

Synopsis: 

In the once-quiet town of Willow Creek, my life was a steady beat, a rhythmic routine, until the carnival stormed in, a whirlwind of chaos and danger.

Under the neon lights and haunting melodies, Cade's eyes found mine—piercing, intense, sending shivers through my soul. He was a dark storm, a looming shadow over my every move.

Cade's obsession was relentless, his desire a madness that knew no bounds. Like a predator, he stalked me, every step a calculated move in his sinister dance. I tried to resist, but his twisted charm was a siren's song, pulling me deeper into his carnival of nightmares.

Reality blurred into illusion, and I found myself ensnared in a sinister game, where every shadow whispered secrets and every smile hid a threat. In Willow Creek's heart, where nightmares walked freely and darkness reigned, I faced a chilling in a stalker's eyes, love and obsession are one.

As the carnival lights dim and darkness falls, I stand at a crossroads. Will I succumb to Cade's dangerous embrace, or will I fight to break free from his deadly grip?

Carnival Nightmare is a dark stalker novella with heavy subjects that some readers may find triggering. There will be access to a full list of the warnings at the beginning of the book. This story has no cliffhanger and ends with a HEA.

My Review: 

Carnival Nightmares by Selena Winters had a premise that immediately caught my attention, a dark romance set within a twisted carnival. I want to love carnival romances. I keep hoping to find one that truly captures that eerie, wicked atmosphere while still delivering characters and chemistry I can invest in. Unfortunately, this book wasn’t that experience for me.

From the start, something about it just didn’t click. It wasn’t one specific issue so much as an overall feeling that kept pulling me out of the story. While I appreciate dark themes and morally gray characters, the execution here didn’t land in a way that made me want to continue with the series.

The FMC didn’t resonate with me, and I found it hard to connect with her motivations or emotional journey. On the other side, the MMC’s unhinged behavior wasn’t the kind of dark or dangerous that feels compelling, it veered into territory that felt chaotic without purpose, making it difficult for me to root for the romance or even fully engage with the plot.

Overall, Carnival Nightmares had all the ingredients for a dark, atmospheric carnival romance, but the dynamic between the characters and the tone of the story ultimately didn’t work for me. I genuinely hope others enjoy it, but this one just wasn’t a match for my tastes. If anything, it reminded me that I’m still on the hunt for that perfect carnival romance, dark, decadent, and wicked in all the right ways.