Series Review: Dark Dream Duet by Giana Darling

Series Review: Is this series worth your time? Does it get better as the novels progress? Or does it get worse? Find out below:

Synopsis for Dangerous Temptation (from Goodreads):

He arrives all dressed in black. Diamond cufflinks. A watch on his tanned wrist that cost more than we would ever see in a lifetime of work. He carries a single red rose for my mother.

Months later, Tiernan Morelli lays red roses on my mother’s grave. That same day, he tells me that he is my new guardian.

I should have known from the very start that he had more in common with the thorns than the rose. Now I know the truth: I’m a pawn in his dangerous game of revenge. I was too young and naive. Now it’s too late to save myself from his clutches.

I belong to him.

Series: Dark Dream Duet | Midnight Dynasty Series
Author: Giana Darling
# of Books: 2 (Full Reading Order Here)

There is a prequel novella (#0.5): Bad Dream

Book Order: Chronological
Complete?: Yes
Genre: New Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Heat Rating: Hot (Kink: minor)
Point of View: First Person, Alternating
Publication Dates: October 2021 – January 2022
Source & Format: Kobo Plus–eBook

Why I Picked it Up / My Expectations:

After reading what seemed like a lot of Constantine novels from the Midnight Dynasty Universe, I wanted to return to the more dangerous side of the universe and read a Morelli novel. I had also just finished Lessons in Sin, another book in the universe that which also has an age-gap romance trope, but it didn’t really impress me. This sounded like it could right those wrongs for me so I was excited to start this series.

The Concept – Midnight Dynasty:

The Midnight Dynasty Universe is a collection of books (series and standalones) written by different authors but feature the characters from a collective world. They’re intended to be read in any order because each series focuses on two lead characters at a time, but there are some shared chronological events and character interactions throughout the universe that overlap in the different series.

When to read #0.5 Bad Dream:

Definitely read it before you start Dangerous Temptation (#1). It’s actually included at the start of that novel. But I think it does a good job of setting up the relationship between Bianca and Tiernan and how that connection first starts. And I think it does a better job than the first novel does at emphasizing the struggles Bianca has in her life.

The Plot:

Prior to starting this duet, I had just finished the Hellfire Club and Lessons in Sin. Those books are set in the Midnight Dynasty Universe but aren’t in the center of the family feuds and seem more like aside stories.

This duet brings you right back into the heat of the family drama. I thought it did a good job linking the previous character stories together (particularly the Hearts Trilogy), the family history and set the stage for the next phase of the Midnight Dynasty Universe.

I loved the blend of romance, danger and suspense. These books moved fast (perhaps too fast–I felt like the finale was slightly abrupt) but in a way that kept you reading because you needed to know what happened next.

The Characters:

At first, I felt like there was a bit of a disconnect between the Bianca we meet in the novella and the girl we first meet in Dangerous Temptation (#1). But she quickly won me over with her tenacity to save herself and her brother. She wise beyond her years and I forgot that she was only 17.

Tiernan is the black sheep of the Morelli family so he was a mystery to me. He really only makes a brief appearance in the Hearts Trilogy from what I remember — which is a fact that I kinda forgot about when I picked this book up. But I quickly fell for his backstory and loved how his character evolved as the story did.

The Romance:

I think some people will struggle with the age gap between Tiernan (age 30) and Bianca (age 17). I know I did. Sure, Bianca is an old soul at heart but I felt like she was a little too young. I get why she is that age for the sake of the dramatic plot but I think her being 20 would have helped a lot to remove some of that ick factor to me. I started to think of her as older anyways because I really did love the connection the two shared. It was easy for me to see why these two would love each other despite the forbidding elements keeping them apart.

Midnight Dynasty’s Reading Order:

I had found a suggested reading order on Redit but have made some recommendations based on my own readings. Here is the suggested order based on that post and my own readings:

Cinderella Trilogy (K Webster)
Starcrossed Lovers (Jade West)
Beast of Bishop’s Landing (Amelia Wilde)
Hearts Trilogy (M O’Keefe)
The Collector Trilogy (Amelia Wilde)
Wicked Idol [Hellfire Series #1] (Becker Gray)
Lessons in Sin (Pam Goodwin)
Dark Dream Duet (Giana Darling)
The Arranged Marriage Trilogy (Monica Murphy)
Deception Duet (K Webster)

Series Rating: 4/5

[Bad Dream 4/5] | Dangerous Temptation 4.5/5 | Beautiful Nightmare 4/5

I loved my return to the darker side of the Midnight Dynasty Universe. I enjoyed the forbidden romance (some people certainly won’t) and the dangerous drama of the Constantine-Morelli feud.

Read if You Like: forbidden romance, family dynasties
Avoid if You: dislike dark romances