For some reason I had pretty low expectations for this book, which wasn't based on anything and wasn't particularly fair, but I had a lot of fun with this! It was a quick, entertaining YA fantasy read, and while it maybe does feel a little bit generic, there are a few things that make it stand out. I particularly really enjoyed the setting and the characters, which were both interesting and fun to read about. Marynka and Zosia have such a great dynamic and I loved their enemies to lovers arc.

Loved this book! The enemies-to-lovers trope is my favourite & I really liked the slow-burn. I really liked both Marynka & Zosia's characters, their opposing personalities, and their individual struggles with attaining their goals. The plot was decently paced, if a bit slow in the beginning. I enjoyed the ending.

The midnight girls is magical, wonderful, *heart*felt and amazing. I adore this queer magical story about two girls who are after hearts but end up stealing each others. It gives me all of the wonderful butterflies I get with a good story.

I simply want to live in Alicia Jasinska's brain. Atmospheric language, lush culture, and the most delightful queer enemies to lovers romance that made my gay little heart squeal with delight. I know this one is a standalone, but there is soooo much potential for more stories in this world, and I'd love to see them!!

DNF @ 28%

Marynka is the epitome of sunshine and Zosia is her polar opposite. Each has been saved by a witch in exchange for stealing hearts of princes… literally

I really loved the premise but I found myself bored. If I’m nearly 30% in and not vibing with the characters or the plot, I am not going to like the book in the slightest. I did not feel connected to the main characters and the plot, while intriguing, did not move fast enough to keep me in it.

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This book may be for you though if you like…
•Sapphic romances
•Villains
•rivals to lovers

I already adored this author’s first book, The Dark Tide, but when I saw her next release was going to be sapphic monster girls, I knew it was going to be even more of a favorite than the The Dark Tide ever was. And boy was I right! I loved so much about this, from the setting that felt like it curled out of the edges of the book to the characters that brought life to every page!

My favorite part of this book definitely had to be the characters, and I loved the strong contrast they created in the narration. You could so clearly tell who was narrating each chapter, whether it was Marynka and her burning energy and the magic of Midday or whether it was Zosia, with the blanketing calm and power of Midnight. I love how clearly every character embodied their powers, but that similarities could still be drawn between all these witches, and that they were so clearly not human on top of all of that. This book fully leans into these girls being monsters, and I love it so much for it. (I also love Marynka and her fire and chaos so so much, especially when it’s seen on page with Zosia as a contrast!)

The plot itself wasn’t necessarily dazzling, but it also felt like it fit the setting wonderfully, and didn’t necessarily try to fit with the characters themselves for the reader’s attention. This book was heavily character-driven, and the plot seemed to understand that and work in tandem with the strengths of the characters, rather than drowning it out. I also really loved how the setting tied it all up, and it was so interesting to see the contrasting temperature reflected in this setting as Zosia or Marynka would use their magics. It was overall just really well-done and composed, and I can still picture certain scenes in my mind!

Overall, this book has cemented this author as someone to keep an eye on for me, and I cannot wait to see what she writes next!

The description of a rivalry, winter balls, disguises, and a magical contest had me intrigued from the start. I loved the idea of this book. However, it wasn’t all that I expected it to be. Unfortunately, I found the pacing to be a bit too slow so it lost my interest at times. There was so much build up to getting to the Prince and attempting to take his life that I found myself putting this book and picking it back up several times before I really got into the story. Once I did, I enjoyed the rivalry between Zosia and Marynka, the magic, and the world the author has created. Marynka and Zosia were entertaining and my favorite parts of the book were when they were just talking to one another.

I soft DNF'd this and do plan on coming back to it since I have heard good things about it. At the time when I was reading it fantasy wasn't keeping my interest so it's not at all the books fault, just mine. For what I did read I was enjoying the characters and was excited to see how the story would all play out. The world and plot was really cool too, Ive never seen anything else like it. Thank you to Netgalley and the Publishers of course.

Um...sapphic romance? Yes Please. And thank you very much.

That's really all I NEED to say for this one...but I'll say more anyway.

The story reflects Polish culture beautifully both from what I already knew (I have polish family) and from what I've heard from others. The Fantasy elements even reflected that, which was amazing. Truly, the storytelling here was astounding and downright awesome!

I would read anything Jasinska writes. Period.

My Thoughts:

This sapphic romance book is more about passion, one-sided rivalry, jealousy, fear and competition than it is about romance, but it does have a satisfyingly non-sappy epilogue.

What makes the relationship between Marynka (Midday), Zosia (Midnight) and Beatta (Morning) interesting is that not only are they all servants of three sister Witches, but that this rivalry and attraction between Midday and Midnight has been going on long before the two girls were chosen. Their intense connection, then, is fate.

What does Marynka really want? What price is she willing to pay? What does Zosia really want? And what price is she willing to pay? Do both girls like the power that makes them into monsters? What will either of them do with their freedom? And what does Beatta want?

The book slowly reveals their individual desires and ambitions while also sending them on a thrilling chase for Prince Josefʻs heart (literally - they need his heart pulled out of his body). Can they work together or do they end up killing each other? This was a pretty wild ride: witches, monsters, magic and holy swords, oh my.

From the Publisher:
In a snow-cloaked kingdom, two wicked rivals secretly compete for the pure heart of a prince, only to discover they might be falling for each other.

Karnawał season is a time for mischief and revelry. For the next few weeks, all will be wintry balls, glittery disguises, and nightly torch-lit sleigh-parties.

Unbeknownst to the merrymakers, two uninvited girls join the fun. Zosia and Marynka are drawn to each other the moment they meet, until they discover they're rivals, who both have their sights set on the prince's heart. If one consumes a pure heart, she'll gain immeasurable power. Marynka plans to bring the prince's back to her patron in order to prove herself. While Zosia is determined to take his heart and its power for her own.

Their ambition turns into a magical contest with both girls vying to keep the prince out of the other's grasp, even as their attraction to one another grows. But their attempts on his life draws the attention of the city that would die for him, and suddenly their escalating rivalry might cost them not just their love for each other, but both their lives.

Author: Alicia Jasinka

Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire

Publication date: December 28, 2021

Thank you for the ARC and a chance to review this.

This book was captivating from the first chapter. The author sucks you in by following two rivals in the chase to steal a prince’s heart. The confident, quirky MC finds her inner strength while on a hunt for a heart. Truly a unique story!

DNF. I couldn’t get into this book. The set up just didn’t draw me in and I didn’t feel connected to the characters.

Wholly engrossing. I couldn't put it down and I loved both the fantasy elements as well as the characters themselves, their voices, and the discoveries they made about themselves and each other.

This is my first Alicia Jasinska book, despite me having been hyped for her debut, The Dark Tide. I was even more excited for The Midnight Girls, because it was pitched as a sapphic villain/villain ship, where the two girls are also monsters hunting a prince for his heart. What's not to love?

The Midnight Girls was such a fun book, it starts off with a brief introduction to Marynka (Midday) and Zosia (Midnight), before getting right down to business and having them unknowingly bond with one another. Marynka was so headstrong and confident in her monstrousness that it was impossible not to love her. Zosia was more cautious, but so genuine and determined that I adored her too, as well as Beata and her patience and protectiveness. Marynka and Zosia balanced each other out so well, both of them were competitive, and Zosia's more calm approach offset Marynka's chaos perfectly.

The romance and relationships between the three girls and their grandmothers were definitely at the heart of the story, at times it almost felt like the more chaotic villainous aspects were just added as an afterthought. That's not to say that they weren't villainous or action based enough, because there was quite a bit, but it felt a bit forced and messy at times in order to keep dragging the plot out. I think part of it was to make sure Marynka and Zosia's relationship had enough time to fully develop, but I still wish it had felt more solid. That being said, the relationships were all extremely well done. I loved the complexity of Marynka and her grandmother's as well as Józef and Kajetan's tumultuous love/hate relationship.

If you're looking for a sapphic or villain/villain fantasy, definitely try to pick Midnight Girls up! While the fantasy plot wasn't as strong as I expected, the relationships more than make up for it. Overall it was a fun ride and I'm looking forward to reading The Dark Tide and anything else Jasinska releases in the future.

This book caught my eye almost entirely for the cover - and this one is beautiful enough that it gets quite a few extra glances when it's on display. I just wish the book was as stunning as the cover. There is nothing truly *wrong* with this book, it just doesn't feel as strong as I would have wanted it to be. It's good, it's enjoyable, it's something I would recommend in the library.. but it's not something that blew me away and made me desperate for more, or even desperate to talk about it with others.

The Midnight Girls was so much fun. I loved the setting and the vibes that the whole book had. I'm not sure I've ever read a book that had so much Slavic fantasy and those vibes? It was so refreshing for me honestly.

Enemies to lovers is one of my favorite tropes and this one here hits so much for me. Throughout the whole book I was just screaming about it. There was so much tension between them and a lot of Killing Eve vibes with the tension.

I really enjoyed just the utter confusion in this too. There was so much "do I want to be her, do I love her or do I want her" through out it all. It was perfect.

This is a queer fantasy and really didn't have content warnings. This was such a light fun fantasy that was a fun read.

I loved all the representation in this book. The plot and the characters were all amazing. Also, I usually don’t read for romance but the tension was high quality. Awesome book!

DNF at ~40%

I really wanted to like this book. I have tried four time to read this book- after publication I even switched to the audiobook in a hope that I’d be able to get into it that way. Unfortunately I have never been able to get further than 40%. Maybe I should have realized this book wasn’t for me, I DNFed The Dark Tide too.

I found the character ms annoying and there was just never a moment where the plot hooked me in.

I loved the relationship between the three characters. The worldbuilding was lush and I loved the magic in this story.

This was out of comfort zone but it held my interest. About a band of witches on their big holiday and protecting each other and keeping up the traditions and dealing with intruders at the party. Parts of the book were way too descriptive and other parts way to short.