Beautiful Nightmare

Next week the Scared Sexy collection of six short stories comes out, and I was happy to get an early look at one of them: “Beautiful Nightmare” by Katee Robert. I’ve read one of their books before, Hunt on Dark Waters, and was interested in this story for its focus on a sleep paralysis demon. Usually a scary subject, but here the horror swiftly turns into an unexpected romance.

Gemma is new to her job scaring humans during sleep paralysis, but she’s never been a very demon-like demon as it is. Things go horribly wrong on her first solo mission. Instead of scaring her victim, Caleb, she has the opposite effect: he finds her totally attractive. Oops! Now what’s an awkward demon to do?

What I Liked:

• Demon is feminine instead of masculine. I’ve read several demon romances lately, and they seem to invariably feature a masculine demon. Here it’s kind of gender flipped, which I really enjoyed! A feminine-presenting demon with a bisexual man… though she can present differently if she chooses to.
• Connection and emotional intimacy. I may have mistakenly expected it to just instantly go steamy, but I actually loved that Caleb and Gemma consciously wanted to develop more of a connection first. They don’t have a lot of time to get to know each other, but they prioritize having conversations and understanding each other first. It made it so much sweeter than I’d anticipated.
• Finding where you actually fit in. Gemma has never fit in with the other demons; her perspective is just so different, and she hates scaring people. She’s heard threats of being disappeared… but to where? Maybe by getting to know Caleb, Gemma will finally feel understood and appreciated as she is.

Audiobook:

Andi Eloise does a great job of narrating “Beautiful Nightmare.” She captures Gemma’s uncertainty and confusion, the humor, and her sweet personality. This was an engaging listen from start to finish!

Final Thoughts

I really enjoyed “Beautiful Nightmare.” This is perfect for anyone who loves paranormal romance, especially those starring demons, and likes a meaningful character arc even in the shorter format. This is my second time reading Katee Robert and I look forward to reading more of their books!

For more from this horror romance collection, there are five other stories as part of Scared Sexy:

• “Hot for Slayer” by Ali Hazelwood
• “Falling” by Christina Lauren
• “Spicy Little Curses” by J.T. Geissinger
• “Space Vampire” by Ruby Dixon
• “My Boyfriends Are All Monsters” by Kimberly Lemming

Special thanks to Brilliance Audio and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this book!

Get the Book

You can buy Beautiful Nightmare here – it’s available as an ebook and audiobook.

“Beautiful Nightmare” by Katee Robert
Collection	Scared Sexy
Audiobook Narrator	Andi Eloise
Audience	Adult
Genre	Paranormal Romance
Number of Pages	52
Format I Read	Audiobook (NetGalley ARC)
Original Publication Date	September 23, 2025
Publisher	Amazon Short Stories

Official Summary

For one awkward sleep paralysis demon, scaring humans should be simple—except Gemma’s first solo haunting goes hilariously wrong in this tantalizing dream of a short story by New York Times bestselling author Katee Robert.

When Gemma’s supposed to terrify her appointed victim, she ends up captivated instead. Caleb, a romantic who believes in all things supernatural, finds her adorably pink-skinned, horned form more alluring than alarming. But as their steamy night unfolds and unexpected feelings bloom, Gemma must choose between her demonic duties and the human who makes her feel anything but monstrous.

Katee Robert’s Beautiful Nightmare is part of Scared Sexy, a deliciously dark collection of Halloween romance where things that go bump in the night might just steal your heart. These seductive stand-alone stories blend chills and heat in the perfect Halloween treat—each designed to be devoured in one sitting.