Cover Image: Three Kisses, One Midnight

Three Kisses, One Midnight

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This three interconnected stories -- not quite novellas, not quite short stories -- are exactly what I expected from this set of authors: magical, charming, and romantic. I loved the way that each storyteller had their own distinct voice, impacted by their friendships, their family, their background. I loved how they each had very unique paths that night, but how their friendship was a golden thread that ran between each and every one. I honestly want more, more, more -- three stories was not enough!

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Three people, one love potion, and the journey to finding true love. In the town of Moon Ridge there is a legend of a young woman who had perished at the stroke of midnight losing the life she was set to embark on with her dearest love and since then every year the Lady of Moon Ridge descends from the stars and walks among the towns people conjuring an aura upon those willing to follow their hearts desire. This year at Moon Ridge High a group of friends known as The Coven will be searching for true love. Onny is a girl who loves tarot reading, crystals, stars, and magic, and when her grandmother leaves her a love potion after she has passed Onny fully believes that it’ll help her finally meet her soulmate, or rather, get get together with the Alexander, the boy she fully believes she’s meant to be with... except her rival Byron Frost, who is cold, hates all things Onny loves and is always bickering with her has accidentally drank her love potion and now he has to help her create another one.... except may she doesn’t know him as much as she thought and maybe he doesn’t hate her as much as she thought. Ash is an introverted artist who has a giant crush on his next door neighbor, an athletic and charming girl named Cassidy. Ash has had a crush on Cassidy since she moved in but has never had the courage to actually ask her out, he’s afraid that she’s never noticed him. He has also been receiving tiny little paper cranes in his locker, desk, backpack, and he has no clue who is leaving them behind for him. As Ash and Cassidy start to spend more time together he’ll discover that he isn’t as unnoticeable as he thought and that his secret admirer might be closer than ever. True believes in science, she’s passionate about her interest and she always speaks her mind, and yet after her horrible relationship with her ex she finds herself lost. True’s ex Bradly had made her doubt herself, he hated everything she was passionate about, he made fun of her for it and he always cut her down. She lost herself in him and now she is getting back to herself, and when she is put in charge of a mannequin that gets stolen for her the only person to help her is the charming paranormal ghost hunter Orion Parker. Orion is everything Bradly isn’t and maybe he’ll open up True’s heart once again. Three love stories and one absolutely magical read! I had so much fun reading this and getting to fall in love with each of the stories.

*Thanks Netgalley and St. Martin's Press, Wednesday Books for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

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4.5/5

GUYS THIS WAS SO CUTE. Literally one of the cutest YA romances I’ve ever read 🥹

The Halloween and autumn vibes were simply perfect. I instantly picked out the lyrical prose of Roshani Chokshi at certain parts, which was so beautiful. There were some truly beautiful lines in this book that built up the atmosphere of it so so well. Reading this during Halloween time would be perfect because it matches the vibes of it just so well?? Usually books struggle to encapsulate the mood they’re going for but this book hit it spot on!!

The magic in this book was perfect. I loved how it was just there, and not explained fully, just like an actual Halloween movie. It was there just enough to make the tale whimsical and I adored that. The town of Moon Ridge itself and it’s founders tale was all so small town perfection, and the tropes that came with it in the small town has me screaming. It was like the perfect Hallmark movie.

Out of all the stories, Ash and Cassidy’s was my favourite. Mutual pining for years to only fall in love??? Sunshine x sunshine??? My absolute jam. They were so so sooooo cute together and the way art was a main focus of their story was so well done. Ash was such a soft boy and I adored his POV. Cassidy was also a ball of sunshine and I adored her.

Ommy’s tale really set the background for everything that happened, which was great as it was first. The family connections in hers were also very well done. The academic rivals trope with her and Byron was okay. Honestly I prefer sunshine boys to grumpy ones, and given the fact there were sunshine boys in this book Byron was kind of …. not as good. It was still very cute though!!

True’s story was my least favourite. Her whole believing in science only thing annoyed me to no end. Orion was SUCH A CINNAMON ROLL THOUGH. He was sunshine and cuteness personified. But since their romance was kind of insta lovey, it was my least favourite for sure.

Overall this was an amazing fall time story, that was the perfect YA fluff mixed with magic and Halloween vibes. I would love these authors to do anthologies for all the seasons because this was fantastic!!

Thank you so much to the publishers and NetGalley for the arc!! You can read this book when it comes out August 30th!

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This book is made of three separate but connected stories. I really enjoyed the first one, liked the second one, and didn't love the third one. I've read and liked previous books from all three authors, so my hopes were high, but I have to say that overall, they weren't met. However, the book captures the cozy autumn/Halloween feeling so well, and I'll still be recommending it to those in search of that kind of seasonal read.

CW: past grandparent deaths, sexism

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Follow Onny, Ash and True, a group of friends known as The Coven, as they decide to prepare a love potion. The town’s Masquerade ball seems like the perfect occasion to try the recipe Onny’s grandma left her; a potion to help find true love. Their night will be nothing like they expected and will bring them each on a journey that will change them and the way they see things.

Magic and true love, that’s what you’ll find in this book! This was such a cute read. I loved that it was 3 stories in one but that all was happening at a similar time and was intertwined. The 3 characters were all different but all really nice. I think my favourite story was Onny’s story cause well, it was an enemies to lovers kinda trope and you know I’m always in for that! But honestly, I loved to see every character get his own happy ending. It is a perfect book to get in the vibes for Fall/Halloween. Even though the characters are in their late teens they felt a little younger in my head but it didn’t stop me from enjoying that book a lot! Oh and special mention to Mayor Grimjoy and Mr. Brightside for being the cutest couple ever haha gosh I loved those two! Overall it’s a sweet and easy read with a little bit of magic!

Thanks to St. Martin’s Press, Wednesday books and NetGalley for the free eARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

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Full review closer to publication date!

I'd like to thank the publisher, St. Martin's Press, Wednesday Books and Netgalley for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

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Title, check. Authors, check. Cover, check. Magical folklore, check. Romance, check.

The only thing that didn't work for me was the lead in to the whole story that didn't pull me in but I stuck with it and then moved through to discover the three romances with their tropey goodness as the kids from the high school are at a masquerade party and see the Lady of Moon Ridge that bestows a romance. So three kisses, one midnight. I love that the countdown for the three stories pull together with the kisses at midnight and change up the short story collection with this new delight. Onny was a little obnoxious and over the top in her introduction which is why it took me a bit to get into it but they all fell into place afterward and I enjoyed the ambience of the ball and the discovery of love.

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Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for letting me have an eARC of the book to read and review.

It was such a cute read! The first story might have been my favourite, what with the enemies-to-angsty-one-sided-feelings-to-lovers trope and everything, but I really loved the second too; Ash was such a cutie and I want to adopt and protect him. Loved the recurring characters of the mayor and biology teacher too. They were an overly sappy couple that would probably have made me sick with the PDA if they existed around me for real 😂 but also, very fun matchmakers and storytellers to have around.

My only hiccup here - which is why I'm conflicted over the rating now and lowered it from a 4 to 3 - is that it's only at the end that I realised they were supposed to be in their late teens?? This whole time, I was reading thinking they were 13-14-year-olds because that's what they were behaving and reading like?? 😭 So, yeah, that is very odd. <i>Veeeryyy odd</i>. The dissonance is giving me backlash rn.

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Loved the 3 love stories in one book! My personal favourite was Onny’s story, it was so full of sparks!

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After brewing a supposed love potion from a recipe passed down by Onny’s grandmother, each member of The Coven sets off to try to charm the love of their life. One falls for an unexpected suitor. Another paints himself into a corner. And the third refuses to believe in magic at all… until true love proves her wrong.

This book was really cute and will be the perfect fall read. It was interesting how each individual character story was told in a section of a book opposed to rotating chapters. Each character had a distinct voice and personality from the other. However It would have been easier if it did rotate the perspective in order of the timeline of the story as it was hard to keep track of what was going on.

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OVERALL:
Three short novellas each centering around the romantic pursuits (or in True’s case—absolutely not!), of the members of “The Coven.” The Coven is group of friends, led by by one “witchy” friend, others not so much. Stories take place on Halloween, and are full of fun tropes!! It’s YA romantic fluff and joy at it’s finest!

20 SECOND “WHAT’S THIS ABOUT”:
Onny and Byron—clear enemies to lovers—EP’s personal favorite (And I will never NOT love a dark and brooding Mr. Darcy type!)

True and Orion was my second favorite, as an opposites attract and sworn off relationships tropes. And Orion is my favorite constellation, so…that helped!

Ash and Cassidy, was my least favorite, as secret admirer /pining, BUT Ash was so darn cute and I wish they had put his mask on the cover.

My favorite part:
Every pointed look that Byron gave Onny that she 100% was missing!!
Actually, I take that back. My favorite really was anytime Mayor Grimjoy and Mr. Brightside were together and taking up page space. (They were BRILLIANT!)

ARC provided by Netgalley, and I’d highly suggest you pick this book up come August 30th, or anytime during autumn!

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A fun book about the magic of discovering true love

Thank you so much for allowing me to read and review your titles. I really not the opportunity!

I do appreciate it and continue to review books that I get the chance to read.
Thanks again!

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“No one had ever looked at her like that. Like she was something hypnotic, the magical made real.”

Three friends. One special town. One special Halloween. For their town’s 400th anniversary, Onny’s family is throwing a huge gala. Onny and her friends, True and Ash, have created a love potion that they are going to put to use at midnight, if they can figure out who they each have the spark of love with.

This book was very sweet. I do think it’s definitely a younger YA which is not what I had expected. I did enjoy it for the most part, but I did feel it lacked in a few places. The first story with Onny was great, but each subsequent story got less enjoyable for me. I also could never really understand if the magic was real or not as it was very unclear.

I thought Onny’s story was strongest because she had an established relationship with her love interest, even though it was as rivals. The other stories had people falling in love who had never even spoken prior to that night, which just doesn’t work for me personally. The spooky aspect also got more pronounced as the book went on which, again, I wasn’t anticipating. I think this book would benefit from a more accurate synopsis.

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EXCERPT: "Three authors — Roshani Chokshi, Sandhya Menon, and Evelyn Skye — have collaborated, and the product of their efforts is the heartwarming young adult novel Three Kisses, One Midnight. The book reminds us that paradoxically, something simple can lead to the most enjoyment. Sure, the three stories are predictable and cheesy, but they also emphasize the essence of the Halloween spirit in a lighthearted, fun way. Through these stories, readers are reminded of the power of friendship and love."

Full review published online at Asia Pacific Arts Magazine.

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Although this book was not entirely what I was expecting, it was a fast and cute read that I loved every bit of. The authors manage to hook you in and having you root for all the characters despite only having less than one day with each pair. This book had me grinning and smiling to myself and I couldn't put it down. I would highly recommend this book for anyone who wants a short read with romance and characters you can't help but adore.

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This is the absolute most perfect book to read around October. Full of witchy fun and enchanting characters, this story even had witch familiars which was absolutely adorable to see them on page, I highly recommend this if you’re in the mood for some fun spooky read.

ARC kindly provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

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Sweet, charming, and witchy! This is a perfect Halloween YA romance with just a touch of magic. I enjoyed each story and would have happily read more - what a true delight.

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Thanks to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for the ARC! This was cute and witchy, and it will be the perfect read for when summer starts to turn into fall. Onny's story was definitely my favorite.

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Overall I thought this was very cute and loved getting to read stories of the three friends. However I would’ve loved more interactions between the Coven and spending time actually getting to know the characters outside of looking for romance.

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This book was just a straight up joy to read. Sometimes things don't have to be deep and philosophical, sometimes they can simply be fun, and amusing. Light, and easy. Learning that makes reading all the better, especially when it comes to the subject of love, and what has people falling in love in the first place. Needless to say, "Three Kiss, One Midnight" is a book I'll be recommending to anyone who is simply looking to read something fun, and light, but with plenty of meaning beneath it all.

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