"Let me love you until you're sure it's magic."

This book is pure magic.
I absolutely loved it!
It's the most beautiful, delicate book I've read this year.

What happens when duty is not enough? When everyone expects you to fulfil your role to save others even if it means you have to give up love and passion and your freedom?
What if there's another way?

I absolutely adored Tana and Wolfe's relationship, how pure and raw their feelings were for each other.

the magic?
the cozy vibe?
the love between Tana and Wolfe?

I'm obsessed!

Thank you Netgalley and Sourcebooks Fire for the e-arc of this beautiful book!

Tana is intended to marry Landon, the governor’s son, to solidify the relationship between the mainlanders and the Witchery. But when Tana misses the witches’ midnight ritual to release excess magic, her life is in danger and there is nowhere to turn—until she meets Wolfe, who claims to be from a dark magic coven. Now Tana must choose love and wild power or Landon and peace for her coven…

I loved the descriptions of this peaceful island full of small magical delights. Yet there was a thin thread of tension from the start as the mainlander’s fear of magic showed up in small incidents.

I loved Tana’s connection to the sea and the beautiful imagery used when magic was described.

I liked that Landon was generally a good man and that their potential alliance was a source of hope for so many, making Tana’s decision more difficult.

And even when Tana’s friendship with Ivy was strained, their genuine affection remained.

And Wolfe… whether gruff, playful, challenging, or vulnerable, he was fire!

Thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Fire for the ARC.

Genre: YA Fantasy
TW: PLEASE CHECK
Spice: YA
*Thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Fire for providing a free e-book in exchange for an honest review*
 
Plot:
Tana’s fate was decided the moment she was born. She was to marry Landon, the Governor’s son, to secure a much-needed alliance between the island witches of her coven and the non-magical mainlanders. All was going according to plan, until Tana met Wolfe and he opened to eyes to see that things were not always what they seemed. With the Islands currents become more dangerous Tana must learn to trust Wolfe & his forbidden magic. With their chemistry burning will she be able to choose between love and duty when the time came?
 
Thoughts:
This story has such a powerful message weaved thought its pages. It teaches you to follow your gut and what you believe to be true even if it goes against all odds.
 
I appreciated witnessing the struggles of the MC Tana. I could personally relate to her desire to do what is right for everyone else despite feeling that it is wrong for her. The struggle of being torn between those two opposing desires can truly feel paralyzing at times, but there is immense power in finally standing for what you truly believe to be the right path for you, regardless of everyone else’s opinion.
 
Even though the writing was poetic, the repetitiveness of it made it fall slightly flat for me, but I will admit that there was something truly magical about this book’s plot that just kept me enticed. The magic system had quite an interesting take on it and the duality between the magic and non-magic beings along with the high and low magic systems was alluring.
 
I was also not a fan of how the Instalove was developed. There was such a short span between 0-60 that it left little to no development prior to professing their undying love. It felt a bit too much for my liking.

“Let me love you until you’re sure it’s magic.”

This was a quick, entrancing read! The beginning felt very much like Spells for Forgetting with the island/mainland dichotomy. From almost the very beginning I was angry on behalf of poor naive Tana. An anger that it didn’t even occur to her to feel. I was captivated as soon as we meet Wolfe though. His frustrations with Tana mirrored my own (in her defense, she’s been lied to her entire life). The tension between them and because of all the secrets really kept me engaged. The author pulled a lot of emotions from me in the last half of the book; anger, heartache, frustration, and finally relief and happiness.
This was my first Rachel Griffin book so I must go read her earlier books now after thoroughly enjoying this one!

4.5 stars

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing a requested copy to review. All opinions are my own.

Bring Me Your Midnight is about a coven of witches who practice gentle magic on an island off of the mainland, where they were once banished by humans for practicing "dark magic." The main character, Tana, is the daughter of the coven's leader, and she has been betrothed to the son of the mainland's governor, in an attempt to strengthen the alliance between witches and humans and to protect the witches from ever being attacked again. But when Tana meets Wolfe, one of the old coven who continue to practice "dark magic" and secretly reside on the same island, she realizes that the witches' way of life is a lie and that suppressing their magic is destroying their island.

I think Rachel Griffin's writing is very pretty. The language is literally and figuratively flowery. Tana's family owns a perfumery so they are always out in nature collecting flowers, herbs, grasses, etc. to make their magical perfumes. And the witches' power came from a particular flower, too. There is a lot in this book about duty and what Tana and her family and her friends are willing to sacrifice to protect their lives, namely by sacrificing Tana's happiness and even her magic, banishing her to a virtually magicless life on the mainland. And for me, that's where we hit the problem here. I actually did enjoy Tana and Wolfe, who initially disliked each other, but pretty quickly fell madly in love (of course) (Wolfe, I don't think you did anything wrong!) But the sort of insta-love forbidden love thing wasn't really my favorite, especially because it shouldn't have been that hard for Tana to make her choice? Her mom and her best friend and her dad and the rest of her coven were willing to do some pretty heinous things in my opinion to ensure their alliance with the mainland and Tana I guess is a way better person than me because I would have told them to choke! This is her mom and her best friend doing these things to her...woof.

Anyway I loved the contrasts between the new coven and the old, the pastels and the goth vibes, the haunting candlelit manor and the cottagecore village. That was cool.

Nobody does witches like Rachel Griffin! Her witches and their connection to nature is so beautiful and comforting. Every single one of her books is so unique, yet cohesive. This story is atmospheric and romantic, it was easy to get lost in it — I absolutely adored and devoured it. I absolutely recommend Bright Me Your Midnight if you want a poetic story about witches, love, and finding your place in the world. It might be my new favorite book of hers.

Rachel Griffin masterfully reminds us of the magic of nature in this spellbinding tale that transports readers to a world brimming with wonder and self-discovery. I love how the themes of identity, forbidden love, and the interconnectedness of the world are explored through both the old and new covens' connections to the natural world and the fate of The Witchery. With her exquisite prose and memorable characters, Griffin has crafted a truly immersive reading experience that will leave you longing for more. This book is a celebration of the beauty of nature and the indomitable spirit of the human heart. A wonderfully witchy read for YA fans!

Tana was supposed to release most of her coven's magic into the ocean during the full moon. But she missed it one day and she needs Wofe's help. He's from a coven that practices dark magic and she falls for him... BUT she's forced to marry a normal mainlander to secure an alliance for her covern....

I love Tana. She's interesting and I love her dilemma- being loyal to her covern or to herself. The plot twists are surprising too. A refreshing story.

Thanks to the publisher for the arc.

A nice stand alone fantasy romance with a great atmosphere and a very engaging love story. It had some Dark Academia vibes which are always very much apreciated and I liked the characters.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an arc in exchange for my honest opinion

Beautifully lush atmosphere, swoon worth love story, and a fascinating magic system all worked together to make this a pretty decent standalone fantasy novel. I wasn’t crazy about a few nit picky details, but so overly negative that it caused me to stop reading

Fans of Time of the Witches and Wild is the Witch, this book is for you!

I love a mix of dark academia, magic & witchcraft, and a love story woven throughout.

Especially when that love story means finding yourself.

"I love my parents and my coven with my whole heart. I love this island with my whole heart. And I will do whatever it takes to secure our place in this world, even if it means marrying aan I don't love in order to protect all the things I do."

This feels a bit like Little Mermaid if the mermaid was obedient. And if there was a love triangle.

This book was incredible, it completely drew me in! I felt every emotion Tana and Wolfe went through so devastatingly. It's a beautiful story, the characters are incredibly well written, the setting, the plot, the twists, the heartache, it makes for an incredible read. The story is an emotional rollercoaster that ebbs and flows like the currents of the sea it describes. Truly a wonderful story about a young witch discovering herself. Her chemistry with Wolfe is explosive and their captivating story kept em wanting more. I really loved this book!
Thank you for the ARC, my review is completely voluntary and honest

Absolutely fascinating..
Fast paced, well written, loved the world building, very different from other books, unique.
Tana Fairchild is determined to help her coven by marrying the Governo'rs son Landon sealing a pact between witches that lives on the island and the mainlanders.
But something feels wrong.. what she has been taught and told doesn't feels right anymore .. leading to unraveling secrets that will change it all.
You'll expect: magic, secrets, forbidden love, marriage of convinience and the banter between the main characters is so good.. also there's some plot twists you will not see them coming.
.
Thanks to Author, Publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, the opinions are on my own

Tana has always known her place in the world. She knows where she belongs, she knows what witch coven she will eventually join, she even knows who she will marry. Until one day she meets a boy who turns her entire world upside down.

What I liked -- I thought the plot of this story was so unique. High magic vs low magic, remote island, secrets and betrayals. Meetings at midnight?? How fun. Secret mansions and magic? So fun.

What I didn't love -- Personally I thought a lot of the dialogue was weak. A lot of superficial conversations that lacked depth. I also felt like the relationship moved really fast. I understand what Rachel Griffin was going for but I just didn't really feel it. It lacked emotion and ultimately I was left wanting more.

“Magic that is only a shadow of what my ancestors practiced. But that's the price of being accepted in society, of having our hands shaken instead of bound, our cheeks kissed instead of slapped, our island celebrated instead of burned.”
Bring me your Midnight by Rachel Griffin

Another wonderfully magical cosy book from Rachel to curl up under a blanket with, of course with my favourite vegan hot chocolate & my kitties on my lap to complete the picture. This was a great book to binge read in one sitting, just like her first two books it blends real world elements & problems with magic & romance. You can’t help but love Tana & Wolfe, & hope they can find their ways as they navigate their duties & obligations to their respective Covens while also wishing perhaps for something just for themselves. This is a low stakes, cosy vibes, magical story that’s set in our world with the twist of what if elemental magic really did exist? A perfect standalone read for those days you just need a nice book to relax without any high stakes or battles etc. Thank you to Netgalley for the E-Arc in exchange for an honest review, I can’t wait for my hardcover pre-order to arrive because it’s going to look beautiful alongside the other standalone books by this author.

I love anything and everything written by Rachel Griffin! So when I saw that I was approved to read Bring Me Your Midnight I was thrilled!
We are reading about a group of witches that live on an island. In order to keep safe they practice safe magic. They expel the magic unused once a month. But still the safe haven they think they had isn’t so safe as it seems…
Reading this I was immersed. Those reading it this fall will be in for a treat. Rachel’s writing is magical and wonderful.

A change of pace from Rachel Griffin's previous "Wild is the Witch." I was a fan of the "survival" in the wilderness style of Wild is the Witch as well as the magical system. I found this book as enjoyable. The author has a certain style that shines well in this novel. I hope to re-read this novel and update my review if I do so.

A decent fast read. Our MC belongs to a coven of witches that practice low magic on an island separated from the non-magical humans who live on the mainland. They only use magic for simple tricks like creating magical teas and perfumes to sell to both tourists and residents. Otherwise, they "rush" out their magic to the sea to prevent a toxic build-up in their system. Over the course of the book, our MC realizes that not everything she's learned from her parents about magic and her way of living is true. Despite what she's been told, her coven is not the only one on the island. She must discover the truth for herself and decide whether or not her fate still lies within the coven she's always known.
I liked how the magic system in this is tied to to nature It's different in that the water and moon are connected to the magic without there being a system of mer-people or underwater magic. The prejudice against magic was also neat because the split between the magic and non-magic was literally seen as they're divided by the water.
My main critique is that the build-up to the romance wasn't much. There wasn't enough to make it feel natural right off the bat why the MC was attracted to her interest. I understand that he helps her a lot, but she feels this tug to him before that.

Thank you to NetGalley and SOURCEBOOKS Fire for sharing this ARC!

Bring Me Your Midnight revolves around Mortana, known to friends and family as Tana, a witch that has been destined to bring peace to her community from the moment she was born. Tana and her coven live on the Witchery, an island inhabited by witches that have worked tirelessly to keep their magic and coven safe from the fears of the mainlanders for centuries. Tana has been promised since birth to the mainland Governor's son as a way to broker peace and understanding between the two communities. Though Tana is initially happy for her life to be bound to duty, strange happenings on the island threaten to shift Tana's way of life and everything she knows about her world forever. When Tana meets a mysterious stranger who holds the key to the past and the future, she realizes that what she has known all her life is not what it seems...

This story is absolutely fantastical and magical and I loved every minute of it. Rachel Griffin weaves a beautiful coming of age story that is heavy on witchy vibes and displays a truly incredible magic system. There were moments that I wanted to shake Tana and tell her that she needed to get it together, but I also do understand that this is a YA fantasy and there are some plot points that definitely feel YA. The romance was perfection and I loved that the romantic moments were not graphic but spicy nonetheless.

This is my first Rachel Griffin book but it will not be the last!

Bring Me Your Midnight is an enchanting tale by Rachel Griffin, a story about forbidden love and questioning one's fate. Tana Fairchild has one role in life: to marry the governor's son and secure peace between the mainland and her coven's home island. But when she encounters a boy named Wolfe who teaches her forbidden magic Tana begins to question everything she knows.

Magical, ethereal, wonderful - all three words describe Bring Me Your Midnight. I could write an essay and still not be able to describe how much I loved this book! Rachel Griffin just has a way of writing that is beautiful to me and I'm always amazed with each novel.

The world created in this novel was lovely and I wanted to live on the witches island along with Tana. I loved the imagery at play and how the author crafted the sea into the story.

This book also contains one of my favorite tropes, forbidden love. And it was done beautifully; I really loved reading about Tana and Wolfe - even the gut wrenching scenes!

I would definitely recommend Bring Me Your Midnight to anyone who wants to read a beautiful YA fantasy. Thank you to Sourcebooks Fire for a copy of this novel. All thoughts and opinions contained within this review are my own.