This was one of those books that I had a lot of fun reading, and although I had some complaints about it, sometimes the book is more enjoyable than it's quirks are irksome, and that's what happened here.

The writing was the first thing that drew me in. It was lush and descriptive, and immediately I felt pulled in to the book's world. At times I felt like it was too much, and that it was overwhelming the characters and their dialogue a little, but I stopped thinking that early on and ultimately loved the style. I thought it fit the genre perfectly.

The characters seemed simplistic to me at first, and I do feel like they were more like sketches than complex people - but I actually really liked this. People are like this in real life sometimes, for one thing, and for another, these characters (except for Wolfe, Landon, and Galen) were people that Tana had known her whole life. They wouldn't be complex to her because she'd know them inside and out. Ivy and her parents' every facial expression and tone of voice is familiar to Tana and she knew how to interpret them; that carried through, and I felt immediately comfortable with the characters. As the story got more intense for Tana, the characters made small adjustments, but they didn't stray from their own personality. The biggest reaction probably came from Ivy, and while it was jarring it still made sense. (view spoiler)

The main focus of this story is the romance between Tana and Wolfe. It was entirely too insta-love-y at the beginning. It's ridiculous how quickly they fall in love, but I think one could argue that the magic they were practicing contributed. Emotions are tricky things folks, and I don't know that I fully trust the basis of their relationship, but just like all my other qualms from the start of this book, I grew to not care. Tana learned about what she wanted from life as she and Wolfe became closer, and I liked that Ivy recognized the reasons for that. Ultimately her friendship with Ivy was what encouraged her to pursue Wolfe, which I loved - virtuous friendship can be a beautiful model for charity, and that gets pushed aside by romantic love so often, in fiction and in life. The fact that she could draw parallels between her relationships with Ivy and Wolfe made the romance feel more genuine.

Overall I'd highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good romantasy (I'm cringing too). One of my favorite parts of this was how much Tana loved swimming in the sea, so if you're a fan of the ocean give this a read. It's already out (because I'm a pleb and missed the release date by like one day *cries*)!

This book starts off a bit slower then what I was anticipating, but after the first 100 pages it starts to pick up. I loved the magic system. It was easy to follow and interesting. I liked the separation between the witches on the island and the nonmagical people on the mainland. This was my first novel by this author and I really loved her writing style, it was beautiful and intriguing. I think fans of YA fantasy will love this book.

Thank you to Netgalley, Sourcebooks Fire and Rachel Griffin for an opportunity to read this beautiful book early. I was captivated from the very first page and did not want to put it down. There was just something about this book that moved me in a way that I cannot describe. Even when I wanted to shake some sense into Tana. :) It was absolutely magical. I love it!

Overall, I very much enjoyed this book and it was a quick & intriguing read. I thought I knew where it was going after the first few chapters, but there were so many unexpected twists and turns to get the plot to where I predicted it was going to end up which made it that much more fun. The beginning of the book did seem a little rushed and it seemed like a lot of Tana’s feelings developed very quickly, but we did get to see some more development and context in the second half of the book.

I found myself lost in the pages of Bring Me Your Midnight, imagining the world Rachel Griffin created. The world building was fantastic, and I loved the idea of the Witchery, where each family owned their own magical business. This is a book I could definitely see being on the big screen and I'd be there on opening weekend.

Tana has a lot resting on her shoulders for someone her age, the entire line of witches relying on her for their future. While she's always known this was to be her life, a chance encounter makes her realize not everything is as it seems and there might be more to her world than she ever thought.

Once Tana met Wolfe the story really became engaging- my favorite parts were when she was with him. He was such a compelling character and I wanted to know more about his life. I liked how he challenged her, making her question everything she thought she knew.

I really enjoyed the last 20ish percent of the book, as everything really amped up. And I like the way the story ended, with all kinds of possibilities for the future of the witches.

Rachel Griffin and her magical writing doesn't hide in this book. Enchantingly beautiful, deeply romantic and so intriguing. That's Rachel, and also this incredible fantasy. Please, dive in and enjoy this captivating world. And as a wishy witch myslef, there is that immense love I have for all things concerning witches, so, also this book.

This a well written political fantasy between duty and heart, Tana is forced to decide between the coven she was born to and the coven that seems to be calling to her.
The magic system is well built and easy to follow and the scenery makes you feel as if you are in the town with Tana and her friends.
While this felt like a low stakes insta-love book there were still many qualities that make this worth reading.
- Well created characters
- Steady pace
- Issues felt relevant and well handled

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

My Selling Pitch:
Do you want to read about Island witches with a magic system that doesn't even attempt to make sense? Do you like barely enemies to lovers insta love romance?

Pre-reading:
The cover-stunning. I forget how this book got put on my radar, but I'm glad it did. Let's suffer through some more fantasy, eh?

Thick of it:
It’s giving Martha’s Vineyard, but make her magic

Scorpio Races vibes

She's not like other girls. She can't do makeup.

Wow, she's cliche, but I like her. We love a forced proximity marriage of convenience. (That is not this book.)

I don’t trust Landon. I've read ACOTAR lol. (Suspicions unfounded.)

Is this gonna be sapphic??? (No.)

He's a house husband.

Oh my god, that is not his name.

The time setting of this book makes no sense. It's modern fashion but minimal electricity and showers. Cars, but not on the island. Like she can't pick a lane.

What's with this religious nonsense? This is literally a book about witches.

Wow, girl dinner.

Okay, Feyre.

Low t as in low testosterone? (You're not funny, Samantha.)

She said goth makeup over natural girl makeup superiority. But remember guys, she hates makeup.

A homesteading goth lesbian wedding?

They have phones??? Since when. They don’t use them.

A suicidal bird.

So basically you violated her DNR and you’re trying to justify that. That’s not up to you to decide.

Do they know what atoms and cells are in this universe?

This universe’s world-building makes no sense. If you can exchange a nothing animal like a bird for a human life why would the magic users be hidden and not rulers?

I know that's supposed to be romantic, but that's just dumb. Burn the world to see her face? Like c’mon. At least burn it for pussy, my dude.

Oh, I didn't think this was gonna be a shenanigans book. Your dad’s just chill with you bringing a girl home? Before marriage?

He made her magical noise-canceling headphones lol.

She has extra magic because she has swimmers ear lol.

Well, they slept together before marriage and it's a YA, so time for him to betray her.

Love isn't pain. Why am I reading so many books with this mindset lately? Get help y’all. Your peaked in high school relationships with man-childs ain’t it.

A different smell love interest

A Confederate flag defender

This is a standalone, and yet I feel like half the book is just repeating what’s already happened to the reader.

I just want you to imagine that you get into a fight with this dude, and he just like leaps into the sea. That’s like walking away from an argument in flip-flops.

That's kinda gross that your mom fucked his dad and they like still flirt.

They have ambulances, but not EpiPens.

A Sam!

hellebores

Why do they keep picking these flowers? Don’t they need these flowers? Shouldn’t they be growing a ton of them in like a very protected greenhouse? This book makes no sense.

Post-reading:
This book was bad. This book’s plot relies entirely on a magic system that makes zero sense. You have magic that can raise the dead and somehow the ruling powers that be haven’t conscripted that for themselves and their armies or even just their hospitals? You have a whole group of people turning down big magic to make tourist tchotchkes so that the tourists won’t murder them? Make it make sense. They’re on an island and somehow everyone uses the same plumbing system so that they can dose the town with magical fluoride? They need flowers to do magic, but there are no greenhouses producing these suckers.

The book never explains why the governor even wants this marriage. So he can tax the island? He could tax it without nuptials. Why does he even need the money?

The technology and time period in this book make no sense. You have modern fashion and cosmetics, but no cars, and some houses don’t even have electricity. A character references atoms and cells. They have landlines, but no internet and cellphones. They have hospitals, but no epipens.

The characters’ names are bonkers. It’s peak fantasy YA that our love interest is a dark-haired boy named Wolfe.

The book continuously repeats or summarizes information that the reader just read. I don’t need a flashback. It was like two chapters ago, god.

It’s barely enemies to lovers.

There’s nothing good about this book, but it’s polished enough that it is readable. That is a low fucking bar. Skip it. You’ll miss nothing.

Who should read this:
Witch and magic YA girlies
YA mermaid girlies

Do I want to reread this:
No

Similar books:
* Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater-magical realism, Island magic
* The Jasad Heir by Sara Hashem-enemies to lovers fantasy romance, forbidden magic, gaslighting family
* The Witch and the Vampire by Francesca Flores-barely enemies to lovers fantasy romance, gaslighting mom
* Fourth Wing by Rebecca Ross-barely enemies to lovers fantasy romance, gaslighting mom

A great atmospheric read! This is one of those books that just sucks you in and you can't stop reading. It had an intriguing plot and the world building was on point. Definitely recommend.

A perfectly brilliant and magical story of witches, duty, love, and family!

Tana has always known her destiny as a Fairchild; marry Landon, the governor’s son, to unite the island (witches) and the mainland (non magic). She’s even excited to play such an important role for her coven’s safety. But when she meets Wolfe from the old coven whom she’d always known to be extinct, he opens her eyes and her heart to something new and different. Now Tana must choose between the boy who stole her heart and the duty she’s sworn to uphold for the safety of her coven.

Such a beautiful exploration of duty vs heart with incredible voice and atmosphere. The writing was stunning and I love how many beautiful quotes were penned in this story. SO many heartfelt truths paired with gorgeous imagery set in the PNW with a beautiful magic system I want so badly to be a part of. Each character has such depth and layers and I loved how the story revealed every one. The pace was steady and emotional and I couldn’t put it down!!

Fans of Rachel Griffin’s other novels will adore this newest story.

I absolutely loved this book! Incredibly atmospheric, as well as romantic. I love that we once again get to tackle the topic of climate change through the fantasy land of witchcraft. The topic of good versus evil magic, and high vs low magic wrapped up in the romance between are two main characters made it to see all that much more exciting. I absolutely recommend this to everyone.

What I liked about the book:

1. As a nature lover, I loved how key their land and ocean was to their magic system and their history. The descriptions of the overflowing plant life in the towns, the infusion of magic into every day items like perfume and tea, and the way everything in their magic revolved around nature itself was so interesting to me. I’ve read a lot of books about covens recently, and I can honestly say this was a perfect representation of what I would want if I were a witch. It was refreshing, lush, and beautiful.

I also really liked how Tana described her feelings of the ocean and how being in it blocked out all her worries, fears, and pressures, as the ocean was so majestic that it’s “quiet” blocked out her loud thoughts. This is exactly how I feel about the ocean as well and could not have expressed it better myself.

2. Tana was such a wonderful character. While I battled with my feelings with her at first, always going along with what her family said and what she had been told was her duty, she did not let them control her ultimately. With small steps, she left behind the rules and guidelines that had been carved out for her in search of knowledge. Several times she remarked about wanting to know the truth, even if it hurt or wasn’t what she wanted to hear, as that was better than lies and ignorance. I can’t help but fall in love with a character who values knowledge over ignorance, especially when she was so humble and polite learning everything new about the “dark magic” world. And when she found her purpose??? GODS so good!

3. Wolfe was…amazing! He was everything I wanted in a MMC for Tana and much, much more. He saw that she was not vapid and taught her more about magic than she could ever dream, he showed her concrete proof of the things she wanted to know, and he ultimately fell to his knees for the girl he was never supposed to love. He was tough but sweet, guarded but vulnerable, and overall her perfect match.

4. I liked how Landon was a legitimately good guy and one of the first people to be honest with Tana. Because of their relationship and how he treated her, this didn’t really feel like a love-triangle book, which was great because how could she not end up with the guy named Wolfe???

5. I loved Tana’s dad and how sweet he was, even when she didn’t always walk the path her mother wanted. I also loved her best friend Ivy and how she came through for Tana in so many ways. While I wasn’t the biggest fan of Tana’s mother, I did enjoy the little history snip about her and Galen (haha!)

6. The writing was fantastic. It had an easy flow, and had the perfect amount of lush descriptors and intrigue. I also like the cover with all the symbols I didn’t notice at first, even if she looks like Lindsay Lohan!

7. There were so many quotes that were to DIE FOR!!! I can't wait for you all to read them!!!


What could have been better:

1. If I have to get nitpicky, the beginning was a little slow for my taste. It quickly resolved itself and very much probably has to do with the frame of mind I was in when I started the book. Obviously, it didn’t last long or hinder too much since I couldn’t put the book down once I started it!


Final Thoughts: If you like young adult/fantasy/romances, check this one out immediately!

Rating: 5 stars

There is something about Griffin’s writing that ropes me in every time. I’m such a sucker for witchy stories. While it doesn’t give the full witch vibes, because of the circumstances, it’s still so good. I love the writing and the way the story unravels. I ate this one up in about 24 hours and couldn’t keep my head out of this book. It was so good.

With every book she writes, Rachel Griffin just gets better. I loved Wild is the Witch, but I absolutely adored Bring Me Your Midnight. I adored every page. You guys, this book made me cry. If you know anything about me, you should know I don’t cry easily from reading, so for a book to move me enough to make me cry (and more than once!) is a huge feat, and for me is one of the markers of a truly excellent novel (well, I don’t expect comedies to make me cry, obviously).

What isn’t there to love about this book? Griffin already had the talent for world building and writing stunningly beautiful prose that evokes the natural and lush landscapes her books tend to take place in (in Wild is the Witch it was forests, and in this book it’s a gorgeous island redolent in meadows, idyllic forests, and a picturesque shoreline). For the magic system world building in this story she seems to have upped her game and stretched her muscles a bit into a wider stretch of the paranormal than her previous books, but it’s used very well and to great effect.

The storyline itself is not only interesting but it’s a sweeping, gothic, romantic fantasy that I gladly sunk into, letting the familiarity of an “arranged marriage for the sake of politics” trope alongside the “FMC has doubts because she really hoped her husband would love her and she doesn’t want to leave her friends and family” trope run along as it get swept up in intrigue over a parable about climate change, cults of personality, and how you can’t make people change their way of thinking with facts. People change their ways of thinking with their hearts.

The main characters in this book, Wolfe and Mortana, are absolutely wonderful. Watching them come together, both capricious and cautious at the same, is a delight. The beautiful and sad subplot of Mortana’s and Lily’s friendship was especially moving for me. The constant looming date of Mortana’s marriage to Landon, the son of the mainland’s governor, is also something that evoked a lot of emotion in me. I’d tell you why, but spoilers abound.

All in all, it’s a gorgeous book that’s elegant and wonderfully written. An excellent novel all-around.

I was provided a copy of this title by NetGalley and the author. All thoughts, opinions, views, and ideas expressed herein are mine and mine alone. Thank you.

File Under: 5 Star Review/Fantasy/Romantasy/Gothic/Paranormal Fantasy/Paranormal Romance/YA Fantasy/YA Fantasy Romance

Bring Me Your Midnight is my favorite Rachel Griffin book so far! It was atmospheric; coastal, magical & witchy! It felt like reading a dream at times.

Just incredible. Griffin is such a talented writer and the story she built in this novel was immensely beautiful. I would read this book again and again just to live a little longer in this world.

I was provided an ARC of this book via Netgalley, all opinions are my own. Thank you to Sourcebooks Fire for letting me read all of Rachel Griffin's books early, I have loved them all!

If you have enjoyed Griffin's previous YA books featuring witchy romances, you are going to enjoy this as well. This is a standalone, so you don't have to read her previous books, but if you have you will see similar themes of nature, magic and romance woven into the story. It by no means is a duplicate of the author's previous works.

This follows Tana, daughter of the leader of the local witch coven who's fate and future have been decided for her. Her parents arranged her marriage when she was a child in order to protect the coven's way of life and the island they inhabit. Witches and magic were once feared, and some of the mainlanders (non magic users) still fear them. Tana has always put her duty to her coven before anything else. When she meets a boy who isn't supposed to exist, who can practice magic that isn't allowed she begins to question everything she knows. For once in her life she learns what it feels like to make decisions for herself and be a little bit selfish. She also learns that this may upset the balance that her family and coven have worked so hard to create to provide a safe place for the coven and the people she loves.

I really enjoyed Tana's journey of self discovery. She was always a little wild and reckless and didn't really fit in, but she was loyal and obedient out of respect and duty to her parents and community. When she finally found a place that fit, she went for it even though her actions had consequences, but she weighed the options and made a decision. Despite the pressure put on her and the lies and betrayal surrounding her situation, Tana never lost sight of wanting to protect the island and the people on it.

This is geared toward the young adult reader, so there is some foul language and mentions of physical intimacy but nothing beyond kissing is described in much detail. Everything is fade to black and behind closed doors so this would be acceptable for a mature young reader and teenagers.

this book was so much fun to read! forbidden romance, forbidden magic, what more can you ask for. The writing was absolutely magical and i sobbed and laughed and smiled though all of this book. 483847 stars!

I was immediately drawn in by the cover of this book, the striking blue is amazing, and the story inside is just as intriguing. I've been in a witchy mood when it comes to reading, so this one fit right in with my other recent reads, centering around a coven living on an island called Witchery. The setting and landscape are alluring and indeed magical and I absolutely loved it.

What didn't make this a five star read for me?
I don't mind that it started off a little slower as I felt like I could really get into the world-building and knowing these characters, but it was an odd juxtaposition to the speed at which the MC's relationship propelled once they became more intimate. It almost felt like a bit of emotional whiplash if I'm honest.

But overall I did enjoy this book and would recommend to other readers. I knew going into it that I could expect more of the romance aspect to shine and it did. It's a story of strife, love, and strength in the face of hard decisions. Many thanks to Netgalley for the arc.

I have mix feelings about this book, there are some things that I really like but there are some things that prevent me from fully enjoying this book.

This is my first time reading a book from this author and I fell in love with the writing style. The way it describes the oceans, the way the magic works, and the characters emotions are very well written.

I also like the magic system in this world, it’s unique and very interesting to know about. How you can imbue a little bit of magic into tea or perfume is fascinating and for other people magic can be used to travel through water and heal people.

However, Mortana (FMC) inner struggle between choosing duty or following her heart felt repetitive after a while, it kinda annoyed me.
I don’t really like Mortana’s mother character as well because I can’t seem to understand her actions. At times it felt like she love her daughter but at times she sees her daughter like a pawn she use to secure the safety for the witches.

As for the romance, I don’t really feel the spark between the main characters, they fell for each other slightly too fast. I wish there’s more room for them to interact more or more chapters from Wolfe's POV would be great.

Seeing this book as a standalone, the ending for this book felt too rushed and it wasn’t wrapped up like I expected it would be. While the ending was not what I expected, I wasn’t fully disappointed with it as well.

Overall, it’s a pretty good read and you can give this one a try if you’re looking for a witchy read. This book has the potential to be a good series with great world building and magic system, if there's a sequel I'll probably pick it up.

⚠️ 𝐓𝐖: emotional abuse, animal death, toxic relationship, injury

I received an advanced review copy for free through Netgalley, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. Huge thank you to the author and publisher!