I really wanted to love this book but found I couldn’t get into it at all.
I wish the main character had not found the ‘instant love’ as I feel that trope has been done to death.
Loved the concept of women not being allowed to practise magic

Beatrice Clayborn wants nothing more in life than to be allowed to practice her magic. However, as a woman, she is required to keep her ability secret living in fear of the day she is required to marry when she will be locked into a binding collar and her magic will be cut off. When she meets Ysbete and Ianthe Lavan, her future begins to look differently than she could have ever imagined, until she learns the truth about her bargaining season (like...her debut as a young woman of of age to marry) and how desperately her family need her to make a good match in order to ensure their future.

If Beatrice marries, she loses her magic. If she doesn't, she could lose everything else.

I wanted to like this book. It checked so many boxes for me, but it took me FOREVER to read and finish this title. I struggled to find anything that I really liked about the characters (especially Harriet-she was insufferable). The world-building at times was confusing and I wasn't always sure what was going on in the world or why people were allowed to get away with some of the things that they did.

This book just wasn't really for me.

I liked the writing but I hated the romance and, considering that's the entire plot, I didn't like the story. I'm just not a fan if Insta-love. If that doesn't bother you and you're looking for a historical romance with some fantasy, then you might like this.

I absolutely fell in love with the characters and world woven into life by C.L. Polk! We follow Beatrice as she fights for her right to wield magic instead of being forced into gray oblivion all women are upon the act of marriage and the silver binding collars placed by their husbands.

A fine and fun book, with an interesting world, although the most compelling relationship was between the two female leads, and I was disappointed in the choice of romantic partner for the main character.

In a world where women must put on a dampening collar to reduce their magic when they get married, two girls dare to wish for freedom. Beatrice Clayborn must make a good match in order to restore her father's coffers during the annual bargaining season. Another young woman, Yselta Lavan, also wishes to pursue her own magic path, but she is rich and has no need of a fortuitous match. Alas, her brother, Ianthe, has fallen head over heels in love with Beatrice. Ianthe swears he will protect Beatrice and permit her to use her magic as long as she agrees to wear the collar while pregnant to protect a child from being spirit-possessed. The world building is quite well done, I especially appreciated that there were people of color involved. I will have to wait to see how the series develops; it was an intriguing start, but I do not see how it will proceed.

Beatrice wants to learn and practice magic. But in her patriarchal world only boys can learn magic and women need to wear a collar that prevents them from practicing.
There's something about this concept that intrigues and repulses. Perhaps it is just due to 2020, but I really struggled with the sexism in this book despite these concepts being based off societies from not that long ago with young girls needing to marry for certain family status and power.

The characters and world building were good, but not great, and could have been explored a little more. In summary, I recommend this for teens or those who enjoy a bit of YA fantasy.

Thanks to the publisher and netgalley for providing me with an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

Another book set in the past were women has little to no rights. Sprinkle in some Naomi Novak writing and you have The Midnight Bargain. Didn't love this one but I could see how some would. I sped read this cause I just didn't care for the character much. Not for me. 2/5 stars.

Young sorceresses in Chasland are highly sought after; however, it isn't their magical talent that entices potential marriage partners. It is their ability to pass down magical genes to their future offspring. In order for a sorceress to safely bear a child, she must wear a warding collar which cuts off all access to her magical talents from the day of her wedding until the day she can no longer bear children. Beatrice Clayborn is a talented sorceress who is desperate to escape the warding collar that comes with marriage and continue to access her magical abilities. Beatrice wants nothing more than to be absolutely free until she meets Ianthe Lavan, son of a very wealthy family, during bargaining season. How will Beatrice choose between her magic and the man who she loves?

This is a regency romance with some magic thrown in. Expect lots of manners, social customs, descriptions of outfits, and incredibly boring parties. Ultimately, readers of regency romances might enjoy this, but I did not.

In a world where marriage is the only option what can a woman who wants more do?
And what happens when after making her decision to live a life chasing her dreams she meets someone that makes her realize that maybe...you don’t have to give up anything?!

Great YA novel about a world that tried to keep women in their place and a friendship between two women who disagreed where a woman’s place should be.

I really enjoyed this book! I loved the characters, especially sassy Nadi! I know the insta love has bothered some people but this book is obviously based in time with the weird society debutante and being courted immediately etc... so I kind of expected it. And loved it! I loved the world building and prose. My complaint is that there should have been more magic (the spells) and her father shouldn’t have the insta change he had at the very end- it was too drastic. Definitely recommend especially since I read this in one day!

Really enjoyed this with one. In a world analogous to our 19th C, women have fewer rights than men and are not normally permitted to practice sorcery, although a sorcerous wife is preferred since she will pass the talent on to her children. From there it follows the standard beats of an MC who goes against tide and practices in secret despite all the odds against her. I personally though Polk did the exploration of minimising women and organising a society that was inaccessible to them very well. I think I preferred the authors novella series but this was a strong fantasy.

Hmmm stuck in my inner evaluation purgatory: Another book gave me mixed feelings and I couldn’t decide if I hated it or loved it.

There are so many things I truly enjoyed: having equal rights between men and power to hold and use magic, to have rights to be Magus parts are thought provokingly well established.If you are a woman, you have to sacrifice your potential to have and hold the magic because when you get marry, you may put your unborn children’s lives into danger( they may be corrupted by vicious spirits)

Overall: The world building, bargaining system to choose yourself a wealthy, charming husband, rules of magic were the original, well developed and most interesting parts of the book.
But... yes... here comes the parts which bothered me a lot:

Firstly let’s talk about characters:

I found the characterization a little flat, superficial. MC Beatrice carries feminism vibes to fight for her rights to use her magic and become a Magus as like the other men do. But she was mostly too annoying, irritating, acting selfishly. Those facts made her unlikable. Her character suffers from lack of emotional depth. Poor, charming Ianthe shows his feelings from the beginning and I wanted to scream at her face and tell her “ get marry with this guy, what are you waiting for!”

Thankfully even though we suffer from heroine’s obnoxiousness, Nadi, lovely spirit she summoned to help her get back the grimoire, was my favorite character.

Romance parts are haphazard, instantaneous, too. I couldn’t get the part how they suddenly fell for each other. I really thought maybe I missed some pages and returned back to find them. Oh, no. I didn’t skip or miss any pages!

And the pace was a little bumpy. It gets slower and something happens to captivate your attention back. But a few chapters later the boredom comes back!

Fantasy parts and creative world building were truly amazing. I wish there would be less romance and more magic in this book with more tolerable characters. I’m so sure with this formulation: I would give it five stars.
So I stayed in Switzerland territory: it was not great but it was okay read so let’s meet in the middle by giving it three stars.

As in all fantasy books it took me a while to understand what was happening, and how things happen in that world created! But once that became clear it was so good! I love stories with magic, witch/mage and someone fighting against a system! This book dear people has everything! What more could i ask for!

Beatrice Clayborn wants magic, she has it in her blood, no one has to give it to her but she must find a way to stop them from taking it away from her! She must find a way to get away from her bargaining season without a husband and at the same time save her family’s honour, they have lost so much. They can’t lose this time!

Ysbeta Lavan and her elder brother Ianthe Lavan, the heir to the richest, successful family want the same thing, to let Ysbeta live the life she wants but their approach is different and when their lives cross with Beatrice, the adventure begins! Are they ready to make the great Bargain?

As I told you I loved the story, all the food, fashion cloths and all the balls and fancy things were so exciting. The slow romance between Ianthe and Beatrice was so magical! So beautiful! The trio feminists make such a great team! I read the ending twice just to enjoy it again! It felt so so so good and sort of powerful too! There were few places which felt like a drag but it was half because i wanted to know what happens next and couldn’t spare time for the dragging explanations and descriptions!!

Similar to C.L. Polk’s debut Witchmark, The Midnight Bargin is a secondary world fantasy of manners with a strong romance. The worldbuilding is excellent. I love reading fantasy of manners that are set in secondary worlds, rather than alternate versions of Europe. Polk has done an amazing job fleshing out the world and the characters that inhabit it, from the details of their clothing to complicated social norms. These small details are everywhere throughout the book and really help to bring the story to life.

I particularly liked the magic system regarding spirits and their connection to a Magus. Sometimes magic in fantasy novels is rigid, that it is already defined and has rules. Beatrice is self-taught with all her knowledge coming from grimoires and her own experiments. But as she furthers her knowledge, she realizes that there’s knowledge about magic and spirits that even the Magus don’t have.

For all the glitter and glamour of the Barganing Season and magic, The Midnight Bargin is an angry book. Polk takes the reader through a gambit of sexism that at many points feels hopeless. But this is also a romance, and although things are never perfect, eventually you get a happy ending. I cried at end of the book and there’s scenes I’m still thinking of long after having read them.

My one issue with The Midnight Bargin is that Ianthe’s character felt a bit flat. A large part of his and Beatrice’s relationship was of him learning of the sexism Beatrice faces and the restrictions that face her at the prospect of having to lock her magic away. But in the end, Ianthe loves Beatrice enough to let her go when being married to him would still remove her from a central part of herself, her magic, and he loves her even more that he throws convention aside to help her. They’re still an adorable couple though and Polk made me squee over them several times.

The Midnight Bargin is an emotional, but wonderful read. Fans of the Lady Trent series by Marie Brennan will enjoy it. If you’re looking for a story to get angry about, but also a story to give you hope, pick this one up. Also the hardcover edition is freaking gorgeous and deserves to be on everyone’s shelves.

Yes!! I was so excited for this book because the synopsis was right up my alley. Alt history with magic? Sign me up! And this did not disappoint. I loved every single minute of this book. There was a great romantic subplot, the descriptions were amazing, and I did not want to put it down. More of this please! I'd love to see more books in this world.

A bargain made in haste has consequences for beyond its measure. A first kiss that sacred and magical moment has been promised to someone else and the bargain carries a toll so deep and rich it permeates Beatrices decisions and thrusts her into a constant battle between love and duty. I loved this enticing story , born of a fear that who you are can trap desire and make you surrender who you truly are. A great writer of the mystics has emerged.

Where should I even begin? I was given a free early copy by the author/publisher in exchange for an honest review. I was hesitant at first, to be honest, when I read the description. Would this just be another "blah" book? I have been going through a slump lately where the books I have read have been average, nothing special, but something to read at the very least. This book, however, blew me away. I loved the strong female main characters. I adored the love interest and his views on life and how women in their culture should be treated. I appreciated that the three main characters had so much actual growth and depth. There are so many struggles that you can easily see happening for real in that type of culture where women are seen as inferior. Women also have magical abilities, but they must sacrifice everything as soon as they are married. Their powers are cut off until their childbearing years are over. Beatrice's chance encounter with siblings in a bookstore is about to change her life and her world forever. You will not want to put this book down, and when you think the end is near and no happiness is to be found, something comes along and gives you hope once more, even if it is not the ending you expect. This book is definitely worth picking up and giving it a try!

Thank you Erewhon Books and Netgalley for giving me an ARC copy of this book for an honest review. All thoughts and feelings expressed are my own.

*Note: Please read past the first paragraph. I sum up the points of the story first.

This is a historical fantasy that put me in the mind of Victorian London. In this story, Beatrice is at her first Bargaining Season. It is very obvious that this is the only season that she is going to get and she has no choice but to attract a suitor. The Bargaining Season is only for girls that have magical ability. It has been decided in this world that only men are allowed to move forward in the pursuit of magic and women who have the ability are “sold off” to be able to produce more magical children. Once women marry they are put into collars until their husbands let them out. Which usually only happens after they are no longer able to produce children. This is portrayed as a for their own protection move.

Okay now that I have that boiled down to what sounds like a huge gripe let me tell you that I really enjoyed this story. I loved watching these girls (Beatrice and Ysbeta) take charge of their futures and not letting someone else decide what they are meant for. I love watching strong female characters take charge.

Yes, this story does have some instalove, however, I have to think that Ianthe liked/appreciate that Beatrice did not hold back and pretend to be the perfect debutante with him. When asked she told him what she wanted even though it could have had her collared before her marriage and I think that on some level he loved that part of her.

One character that I could not stand was Beatrice’s father. There was something at the beginning of the story that gave me a weird vibe about him and it just got worse as the story went on. He did not deserve the family that he had. But that is just my opinion.

All in all, I really enjoyed this story and I wouldn’t mind a spinoff to see what Ysbeta has been up to.

Thank you @erewhonbooks and @netgalley for the advanced copy of THE MIDNIGHT BARGAIN by CL Polk,

I love fantasy with smart, independent and competent heroines and the star of Midnight Bargain, Beatrice Clayborne, definitely didn't disappoint in that regard. I found the writing to be wonderfully descriptive and unique; its historical setting and court intrigue - it was all very well done and thought out. Overall, a really enjoyable read that I'd recommend to sci-fi / fantasy readers who like stories featuring strong heroines.