I liked Midnight Beauties more than Grim Lovelies. I really enjoyed the characters and I think they were much better written in this book than in the first book.

I liked Anouk so much more in this book than in the first one. She stood up for herself a lot more and it was refreshing. I also really liked how quick and clever she had become. I think over the course of the two books she went through a lot of development and I really enjoyed it. My favorite characters were definitely Petra and Rennar. I also still think Beau is annoying and I disliked him even more in this book.

Shepherd's writing wasn't my favorite but I don't think it was bad. I didn't really like the way she wrote her dialogue. It felt kind of stilted to me. Her writing wasn't the best but it wasn't the worst I've ever read either.

I really enjoyed the way the book started. I thought it was a good place to start and I immediately felt drawn into the plot. I think the events in this book were so much more interesting than in the first book and I felt so much more connected and invested in the characters. I was actively rooting for everyone to be okay, even if that wasn't what happened...

Overall this wasn't a bad book. I just didn't like it as much as I had hoped it would. I do think everyone should give it a chance though to see if they would like it.

3.5 / 5

A satisfying conclusion to an enjoyable duology!
Midnight Beauties picks up right where Grim Lovelies left off, with Anouk wanting, and needing, to become a witch so she can save her fellow beasties (animals who are enchanted in to humans) from being forced to remain in animal form. Desperate times call for desperate measures and Anouk makes a deal that has her walking through fire (literally) to achieve her hearts desire of freeing both her friends and unlocking her true magical self.

I really enjoyed all the parts of this that took place in Bavaria where Anouk undergoes deadly trials to become a witch. Really exciting to read and dove into the mythology behind this world which I found interesting. Some parts of this novel moved a bit slow for me and the big twist at the end felt a bit unnecessary but all in all I enjoyed this and would recommend the duology to YA fantasy fans.

Great follow up to Grim Lovelies! It was just as good as the first book. Definitely need to look for more Megan Shepherd.

Grim Lovelies was one of my favorite reads earlier this year. I couldn't wait for the sequel to come out! Luckily, today is the release date for Midnight Beauties, and I am so happy that I received an Advanced Reader Copy. Midnight Beauties picks up right at the end of Grim Lovelies, where our beasties have just battled it out at Montelimar. Our main character, Anouk, is determined to save her friends. In order to do so, she pledges to marry her sworn enemy, but only if she survives the trial of fire to become a witch. I have truly enjoyed these books. I love how Midnight Beauties continues to show Anouk's strength and commitment to her friends who have become family. There is plenty of action, drama, and heart in Midnight Beauties. I can't help but root for these underdogs! I am not surprised that I enjoyed this book, after falling in love with the Grim Lovelies.

Megan Shepherd's Midnight Beauties is the final installment in the authors Grim Lovelies duology. 6 weeks have passed since Anouk learned she has access to magic. Pretty surprising from what she came from. She fought and survived the siege of Montélimar, while her friends (Beau, Cricket, Luc, Hunter Black) have all reverted back to their original forms before they were human. Now, Anouk has to find a way to become a witch so that she has the power to bring her family back.

Anouk is approached by Crown Prince Rennar of the Shadow Royals with a deal that she cannot refuse. Unfortunately, it results in her agreeing to a political marriage that will see her go from a beastie, to a maid, to a witch, and end up as a Princess. If that wasn't enough to tempt you, the Royals of London have disappeared, the Coven of Oxford have not only unleashed magic on the city, but technology is fighting against magic which isn't supposed to mix. But, before Anouk can save the world, she needs to survive the Cottage.

Anouk is joined at the Cottage/The Schwarewald by Petra, who wasn't exactly an ally the last time they met. Anouk isn't exactly welcomed with open arms by the man in charge, Duke Karolinge, who tells Anouk that the school is a graveyard for the soon to be departed. In fact, the woods are filled with the dead who never made it to the front doors. In order to become a witch, one has to find their own cruxes, while also surviving a final walk through fire which not many girls have survived in recent years.

With Anouk's marriage to Rennar, her friends are returned to their human form, and the Shadow Royals have to put their hatred of each other behind so that they can work together to defeat the chaos that is tearing London to pieces. The beasties pretty much have carte blanche in the ability to kill witches without any sort of penalties. Truth be told, the time Anouk spends at the school isn't all that long. The fight and battle for London was absolutely the best part of the book and readers will be in agreement that Anouk is definitely a star who has done some amazing things over the course of this series.

Midnight Beauties is a high-stake, action packed thrill ride with a bit of romance thrown in to keep even the most harden critics happy. I do, actually, believe there is more to tell in this world. There are characters who have found themselves in interesting situations, and there is a war on the horizon that Anouk and her family can join in, or walk away and let the chips fall where they might. Plus, the fact that she is a force to be reckoned with, makes for some interesting new storylines.

❥My Review: When I first read Grim Lovelies last year, I was in awe of how wonderfully written a fantasy book could be. It was one of my favorite reads last year, and when I heard about Midnight Beauties I was so ecstatic! 

It is everything I wanted and MORE! It was FILLED with plot twists.. Bam, Bam! Wait whaaaa???

Worth every gasp, and confusion lol. It was definitely perfect for me. 

Perfect for readers who love fairy tales, magic, fantasy, and the underdog hero.

It’s definitely the perfect sequel to Grim Lovelies. A great duology overall. 

Sad it had to end here, but in all honesty I do feel the ending was not a major closure for me..

Could there be more novels in the same world in the future?

Whooo knows? I guess we will wait and see.

Go out and get your copy today, I can’t recommend this series enough.

Worth the read, I PROMISE!

Thank You #Netgalley & #HMHTEEN for giving me access to this beautiful #galley copy of the novel in exchange for an honest review.. #Partner

A duology that actually left me wanting more, and I’m grateful to NetGalley for allowing me to read this prior to publication.
Anouk is desperate to save those she loves, and her resolve has her making bargains with those she feels little for in order to try to get things back to how she wants them. Determined to save her friends, Anouk heads to the wilds so she can take the test and prove herself worthy of magic.
Nothing is quite what you expect here, but it was a story that became increasingly interesting.

The ending of Grim Lovelies left me hanging and felt unfinished. This book made up for it and brought with it some necessary answers and conclusions. I think it would have been stronger as one larger book than the two smaller.

Unfortunately, I wasn't able to read this book because I didn't finish the first one. The characters within this world don't feel real to me and they are all rather forgettable. The magical elements of the world are confusing and seem to be fluid, but they also aren't really explained. Overall, I do not plan to continue this series.

Midnight Beauties picks up about 6 weeks after Grim Lovelies ends. The beasties we know and love are still in their original animal form, and Anouk must find a way to save them, the Goblins, and eventually the world. Prince Rennar shows up at the townhouse's door step with a proposition for her. Marry him, and he will restore the beasties to their human form. But there's a catch. Terrible things are happening in London, and Anouk has to help. To help though, she needs more magic than the tricks and whispers she can do now. She must travel to The Black Forest to cross the Coals with her crux to be granted a witch's powers. On average, only one girl will successfully become a witch every year through this process. But in order to save her friends, and the world, Anouk is willing to do anything.

Wow. What a good sequel to Grim Lovelies. Our girl Anouk is out here living her best life, going places and accomplishing more than anyone would expect from a simple beastie. Gotta hand it to her because she reached for the stars and got to the moon.I enjoyed returning to this magical world full of Pretties, Goblins, Witches, and Royals. Sometimes it can be confusing with just how many types of people there are, but it flows well. I like Megan Shepherd's writing style and I would continue to read her work.

Downfalls to this book include an ending I didn't like. The last decision Anouk makes breaks my heart because I wanted her to pick differently in her love triangle. This love triangle reminded me strongly of the Caraval trilogy where Tella has to decide between Jacks and Legend. I also docked it down a point because I di find it hard to keep up with the book at times. But again, I read it all in one day so I definitely enjoyed it immensely.

If you read Grim Lovelies, you have to read the sequel. Megan left it open to return to the world and write a follow up book(s), which I think would be very cool.

I found myself enjoying this sequel more than the original, and cannot wait to see what happens next in Shepherd's fantastical alt-reality! Fans of class YA fantasy will devour this series!

<!-- wp:paragraph -->
<p><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/37570566-grim-lovelies?ac=1&amp;from_search=true">Grim Lovelies</a> was the book of the month for my<a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/208665083329144/"> bookclub</a> back in November. I had some mixed opinions about Grim Lovelies when we read it back then, but I really ended up enjoying it, by the end of the book, and I wanted to know what was going to happen to Anouk and her friends. </p>
<!-- /wp:paragraph -->

<!-- wp:paragraph -->
<p><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Midnight Beauties </span>is a great continuation of this story. It quickly sucked me into the plight of young Anouk and I eagerly wanted to see what would become of her as she tried to become a witch. There were moments of passion and friendship that made my heart beat widely. I was touched with the display of love these characters often showed each other and the way they formed their own unique family and protected each other. I was holding my breath in moments of betrayal and left wanting more when I read that last page. </p>
<!-- /wp:paragraph -->

<!-- wp:paragraph -->
<p>I gave this book a 4 star rating. It was an enjoyable read that has made me like Grim Lovelies more than I did before. While there were some moments that were just a bit too slow and too drawn out for me, overall the story held my attention and I appreciated the many strong and fierce characters and found myself growing more attached to them all in this second book. </p>
<!-- /wp:paragraph -->

It hasn't even been a full year since I read and was completely enchanted by the first book in Shepherd's series, Grim Lovelies. Normally, I would have re-read that one first to better prepare for this sequel, but I thought that it was still fresh enough in my memory... and though the key points were there, and Shepherd provided some reminders, I still wish that I had re-read that one because the cast size is pretty large here and I think I would have enjoyed this one all the more with all of the details more firmly in my memory!

Still, my memory issues aside, this is an exciting read as Anouk strives to become a witch in her own right - and to reverse the spells that were so catastrophic at the end of the first installment. On top of that, the trouble in London with its magical issues takes on another key part and the plots come together in an exciting conclusion. It's a bit less off a cliffhanger than the first novel, but the ending is still plenty open for a few directions that the next book will take.

I really like the unique magical landscape of familiar European cities (Paris, London) that Shepherd has created. There are glimmers of traditional fairy tales here, but blended together in a unique and completely enjoyable way. I definitely plan on continuing on with the series - although I will be re-reading both of these before the next book for my best enjoyment!

This conclusion to Shepherd’s Grim Lovelies did not disappoint and I am glad that there was a strong wrap-up to Anouk and her story. The novel picks up where the first left off as Anouk tries to become a witch she and her beastie friends friends continue to find their place in the world of royals and pretties. A great magical trip through Paris and London with lots of thrills and twists along the way. I wasn’t as invested in the characters as I would have liked which slowed the book down a bit for me. The love interest felt contrived while the love triangle seemed unnaturally forced. Those romantic relationships dropped a star off for me because I just wasn’t feeling any emotion between the three.

Thank you netgalley for this arc in exchange for my honest opinion.

I received this copy from HMH Books for Young Readers via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

What. An. Ending. I received the first book, Grim Lovelies, in a LitJoy Crate a while back and astonished by how much I loved this story. It was beautifully written and felt like a wild adventure through the Parisian streets. I was so excited to get my hands on the sequel. I must say, I was not disappointed. I love fierce, little Anouk. She's brilliant and emotional, all the things you love in a main protagonist. I love watching her grow, learn, and build the fire within herself. I was so enchanted with this series and sweet Anouk that I would absolutely recommend this book to anyone (especially fashionistas!) who want a magical adventure through France and discovering the strength within themselves.

The perfect sequel to Grim Lovelies. I adore Anouk and her fierceness and was happy to see her adventure continue. The magic in this book is so wonderfully connected and thorough. I was very sad to see the book end, but would happily go back and reread to experience the magic again.

Loved finishing this story - do feel like I was cheering for a character maybe I shouldn’t have been

This sequel to Grim Lovelies did not disappoint! I fell in love with the world that Shepherd created in Grim Lovelies and I am glad that there was a strong conclusion to Anouk and her story. The novel picks up where the first story left off as Anouk and her beastie friends friends continue to find their place in the world of pretties. Full of magic and fun, this was a good read and I will recommend it to my students. Thank you netgalley for this arc in exchange for my honest opinion.

Another delightful escapade into Megan Shepherds effervescent and fantastical world! This one takes up right where Grim Lovelies left off and ramps up the stakes as our gamine ingenue Anouk tries to rescue her Beastie family (who have all been turned back into animals), while trying to navigate the glittering world of the magical elite, populated by slick and powerful Witches and the Royal Haute, all with their glistening powdered lips and sly smiles....PLUS lets not forget she must now become an actual witch AND help prevent the end of the world as we know it. Teaming up with a veritable mixture of friends and foes, including those delightful motorcycle-riding Tea Party-loving Goblins with their garish make-up (and who would have thought their love of blasting The Clash would help in the end?) Anouk and crew must make their way to London and stop the gathering darkness from spreading its chaos across the globe.

I loved this one just as much as the first one. Super fun read with just a little more darkness thrown into the mix. If Anouk was a bit of vanilla cupcake in the first book she's got sprinkles on top now, and a dark jelly center...with a blood red cherry on top:)

P.S. Had hopes for Beau gaining more dimension in this one, but he stayed pretty milk toast - le sigh...

MIDNIGHT BEAUTIES suffers from a case of second book slump. This installment didn't hit me quite like its predecessor did. Though I enjoyed diving back into this magical world, the reading experience wasn't exactly what I expected. I loved Anouk's character development. However, I wasn't a fan of the romance. Nor did I feel like there were any true risks. The prose, on the other hand, was on par and lush. The author does wonders with words, but the book's flaws impacted my overall enjoyment.

All in all, I thought it was a decent conclusion. With that being said, I will definitely keep an eye on Megan Shepherd's future works.