Midnight in Everwood is a literary version of The Nutcracker, but in this version, Marietta is a young woman chafing under her parents' expectations of an advantageous marriage that would also mean the end of her ballet career. Dr. Drosselmeier, a decidedly creepy and dubiously employed new neighbor, starts to court Marietta to her parents' pleasure and her dismay. Drosselmeier, tantalized by Marietta's rejection of him, becomes increasingly aggressive forcing her to flee through a magical ballet stage and into a strange world. I don't want to give away any spoilers, but Marietta finds that there is more than one to be robbed of choice, the value of supportive friendships and that if she doesn't stand up for herself, no one else will. The ending wasn't the HEA I wanted to see, but it was probably more realistic than my expectations. I really enjoyed the imagery and world-building, well-developed characters, and the unique take on what The Nutcracker could be with more time to tell the story.

I had night hopes for this but it was just “meh” to me. I didn’t love the main character and the beginning was sloooow. I wanted more of the relationship between Marietta and Legat, and I felt like it was rushed. I found world and the supporting characters interesting. The writing was good, but a little too descriptive for me sometimes. Overall, this was just ok but I wish it had been better.

I actually tend to enjoy purple prose, but this was over the top even by my standards. I feel like this book needed significantly more editing: I can tell that the editors sought to maintain the author's style but at the cost of reader enjoyment and comprehension. Combine this with a dragging pace and flat characters, and I found myself highly disappointed by an idea that had drawn me in instantly from the description. I know this is YA, but the main character displayed a tiring lack of maturity and clarity of decision making -- I am exhausted by YA novels that feel that the age of their protagonists automatically prevents them from making sound choices.

The Nutcracker is one of my favorite things about the holiday season, and when I chanced upon a retelling for adults I knew I had to read it.

This delectable, romantic, hopeful, and tragic story made my heart soar to the highest heights and smile through tears. It was absolutely beautiful and magical, and I am too afraid to give anything away to say much about the plot. Let’s just say a tenacious Edwardian woman is swept away into a world not her own, rife with magic and danger that she must navigate to return home as well as potential romance.

I wanted to love this book. A retelling of the Nutcracker? Yes. Please. This felt like a really original idea. Instead, it fell a little flat for me. The metaphors and the "sweet, sugary" language of the story were overworked. Almost like the descriptors had to be piled on for us to imagine anything. I get what the author was going for, but it was cumbersome. The characters needed a bit more depth and the battle/finale was anticlimactic and a little too convenient.

I think some people will love this book and I think it'll be a hit with a lot of people, but it just missed the mark for me.

This title ended up not being for me. That said, I know that there are gonna be a number of people that really adore this. Unfortunately, there were just too many things at play that are at odds with my personal preferences in books.

I enjoyed the writing. I thought it was well done. I've seen other reviewers say that it's too sticky, sweet with the descriptors. In my opinion, that was really helpful in setting the atmosphere of Everwood and -- though it did get a bit tiresome after a while to read yet another clothing description -- I thought it worked well enough. That said, I thought the world-building was a little haphazard. Marietta. sometimes cannot remember anything about her home world, it's all a haze. Except, when it's convenient for her to remember every single detail of the horrors that await her re: having to marry Drosselmeier, she can remember everything and thus relates it back to Captain Legat and her fellow prisoners. Likewise, the climax with the king was similarly weak on the lore. Legat is bleeding out, near death, and then the characters are like "oh, yeah. btw there's this legend regarding magical healing that has never been mentioned before isn't it great?" It felt a little bit like a deus ex machina easy way out. Like, literally. And the fact that Marietta knocks out the king with her ballet slipper and that's what leads to him being able to be defeated when the literal captain of the army cannot defeat him in sword battle??? That was simply too much for me.

As far as characterization goes, that was fine to me. I did think we got a bit more telling that showing re: the romance and the development of the friendships between the women that left me unsatisfied. And overall, the story was kind of a drag. The pacing was off, in my opinion. It felt waaay too long.

The lack of prominent nutcrackers in a retelling of The Nutcracker was also a bit of a disappointment.

I was so excited to read this Nutcracker retelling. With delectable, dreamy imagery, and a stunning setting, I assumed this would be the perfect festive beginning to the holiday season. However I found most of the characters one dimensional, the pacing rather slow, and the prose a little too flowery. Listening to Tchaikovsky definitely enhanced my experience while reading, especially all of the ballet references. But I found myself starting to lose interest about 60 percent into the story, after she finally wanders into the magical Everwood… until we meet a few charming soldiers. The possibility of a forbidden love recaptured my attention, and was one of my favorite parts. Considering every other man in this entire story is awful or alarming (except her brother Frederick), I appreciated the glorious “cinnamon roll” of a man that is the love interest. Also her found family or sisters, Dellara and Pirlipata were a highlight as well. Overall this was a cute Nutcracker retelling, with a lot of fairytale, mythology, and literary references. I’m sure a lot of readers will enjoy this, it just felt very young and wasn’t for me.

Thank you to M.A. Kuzniar, Harper 360 and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you Netgalley and Harper 360 for allowing me to read and review this title! All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Midnight in Everwood is a Nutcracker retelling for adults. Marietta is a dancer through and through and is worried about the dwindle of her dancing days as Christmas nears. Like a moth to a flame, when a mysterious toymaker, Dr Drosselmeier, moves to town Marietta is drawn to his building and the magic inside. Little does she realize, when he creates a theater for her final ballet performance, there is something sinister about the magic and the performance itself.

M.A. Kuzinar weaves a stunning tale for the winter season. Marietta is around 20 years old, though the story is for adults I think young adults would like to read it as well. I did enjoy the new twists and the retelling in general, it's always interesting to read the changes an author would make to a classic story. The pacing wasn't too bad, I did kind of nod off a bit in some parts but overall a decent story.

4 stars

A retelling of the Nutcracker, Midnight in Everwood is a darkly magical tale about a girl, Marietta, obsessed with ballet. It is 1906 and her parents want her to get married, their sights set on their strange new neighbor, Drosselmeier. But before a wedding can take place, the toymaker causes her to be whisked away to another realm. Marietta is trapped there with other women, forced to dance for the king. There is lots of whimsy, ballet and some romance.

Lush and descriptive, sometimes bordering on a little flowery, Midnight in Everwood fills the senses with winter, Christmas and all the vivid imagery we know from the beloved ballet. Kuzniar tries to fit in a lot of issues from race, class, and LGBTQ+ relationships. Marietta reads as younger than 20, but it is a book written for adults. Marietta can be foolish and impulsive, but is also determined to forge her own way in life and live out her dreams of being a ballerina no matter what society has planned for her. The magical realm of Everwood is dark and dangerous, with rebellion brewing, a metaphor for Marietta's life.

Overall,. an enjoyable retelling perfect for the holiday season. 3.5 Stars rounded up to 4,.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. I haven’t read the nutcracker in years and I love this retelling it was magical, whimsical and fun, great read during this holiday season.

This book is magical, charming and picturesque. Marietta loves ballet but as a society belle she is expected to marry well. As it is, her parents have allowed her to remain in ballet lessons but only until she turns 21, which is on the eve of the new year. Her last performance is to be during the Christmas Ball, hosted by her parents. She secretly auditions for a ballet company and she is accepted but she cannot tell her family. After the Christmas ball she is transported to Everwood, a magical kingdom in the midst of a rebellion. During Marietta’s time in Everwood she learns that determination and allies will help you along the road of life. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was a very enjoyable read. It had a good plot, and an enjoyable set of characters. Not only was it also well written, but it was also well edited!

This book is gorgeous. I just can’t get over how pretty the cover is. I enjoyed reading this one. Some of my favorite books are retellings so I was super excited for it!

Thank you to Harper 360 and NetGalley for the ARC. I was intrigued by the concept of this work and was so pleasantly surprised by the execution. I enjoyed the world that was built and the emphasis on sisterhood and the bonds with people that make you stronger. The world was atmospheric and well described. It was a book that had a solid ending but I would have kept reading if it was longer. Great work!

This book was so very reminiscent on my childhood Christmases spent at the Nutcracker. I loved every magical moment of it. It has made me want to read the original, since I have only every seen the ballet (many, many times).
My only hesitation with it is that it is being marketed as an adult fantasy but it honestly felt and read more like a young adult book.

Once I started this book I couldn’t put it down! I have always loved the story of the Nutcracker so I was so excited for a retelling of it! This book was whimsical and fun and kept me turning pages until 2 am! I’ve already ordered a hard copy for my physical shelf because I loved it so much!

Very interesting spin off of the Nutcracker! I see the ballet every year, and this was an enjoyable read as I feel I know the story so well.

Thank you so much, NetGalley, Harper 360 and HQ, for the chance to read and review this book in exchange of an honest review.

Marietta wishes to be a ballerina, but as Christmas draws nearer her dancing days are numbered, since her family wants her to get married and take her place in the society. When a toymaker, Dr Drosselmeier comes to live in a neighbouring townhouse, her life is turned upside down and filled with mysteries and magic. Even though his magic can be more dangerous than ever. When she discovers that the set he constructed has magin, at midnight she finds herself in a world filled with secrets and she has to fight to get back home.

Midnight in Everwood is a Nutcraker for adults and it's absolutely brilliant! The setting is lush and evocative and Marietta is a wonderful main character. She's smart and stubborn and she loves to dance, to follow her passion and not to be smothered by her family's expectations and ideas. When magic comes in her life, she finds herself involved in it. I fell in love with this story, the plot, the cover! Everything is perfect, magical and written so skillfully it was impossible not to love everything.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this arc. I received it after publication day and had already read it via the library.

I enjoyed the book overall. I’m not too familiar with the Nutcracker to know the similarities. I liked the magic and bonds in this story. I also enjoy the romance. It wasn’t overdone or too sappy. I wanted more for the MC and the captain, but it ended well.

Thank you to NetGalley for this eARC in exchange for an honest review. This review also contains mild spoilers.

This story delivers everything it promises, and more. From the Christmas aura to sugary sweetness. The magic of this story makes it a perfect read for the upcoming holidays!

Before divulging much further into what is great about this story, I want to touch on what makes it a 4/5 star read rather than a 5/5. I want to note that I don't know much about the Nutcracker so some of this might come from a place of misunderstanding the story.

Marietta, our protagonist, can be a bit hard to "like" at times, even once her actions are explained. She's decent enough with good intentions, and Kuzniar does hold her character accountable, but it is never entirely rectified with more favorable qualities. For example, she is warned by several people several times about leaving Everwood, and she doesn't think twice about it. Then she decides to dance ballet at a ball, setting her up for her entrapment by King Gelum. She is trying to escape the fate of her life in the times she lives in her world, so it is understandable, but it felt silly to not have her take so many of those warnings seriously.

There is also certain logic that doesn't sit right at times. Such as King Gelum having everyone at his mercy when he's holding up Marietta as a hostage and he tosses her aside to duel with Captain Legat. Although it can be argued this was him being cocky, it doesn't feel natural since we see him being sinister for the majority of the novel. Then Marietta knocks him out with her shoe... and Captain Legat is healed by the Star Lights... and that spicy scene tossed into that wintery mix was so random. And how many times is it necessary to use the word "marzipan" and "creme"? I loved the descriptions, but some of these words were overdoing it.

Despite all of these things, I still really enjoyed this story and it quite literally feels like magic. It does have that "Caraval" feel to it which makes it intriguing and enjoyable. Even before we set foot into Everwood. This book is probably best for those who appreciate world-building, as that takes precedence over a lot of the plot. The plot is explosive leading up to Everwood, and it does trickle a bit for the rest of the story, but it is acceptable because the world is enchanting. I personally loved the way the story made me feel when listening to the descriptions. Kuzniar does have a way with words, and this world-building was so unique and vivid that it kept up the intrigue even when there "wasn't much happening."

There are also some nice attempts at diversity within the story, given the time period of 1906. Although I'm not entirely fond of a storyline with gay men in a secret relationship while one is marrying an unknowing woman, it is typical of the time period. It does bring a layer of heartache as well, especially when in Everwood that is not an issue in their community. I can see that Kuzniar was trying to deal with race, class, and LGBTQ+ relationships carefully and that is appreciated.

Overall, the story is enchanting, charming, magical, and more. The world-building takes you on a journey to another place, and I am excitedly anticipating a sequel.