Midnight Beauties begins shortly after Grim Lovelies ends. The battle is over, Anouk's fellow beasties are caught, many friends are dead, and she and the goblins are stuck in the manor with no good or hope. In comes Rennar who's ready to make a deal and work together to save the world before it's too late.

What follows is an exciting journey of self discovery. The bonds of friendship are tested and new ones are forged. Who can be trusted and who is working against them? The answers may surprise.

Unfortunately, this book seemed to go through the sophomore slump. I enjoyed the first book, receiving an arc copy at work, but I felt that this sequel kind of dragged a little bit.

First off, I'm kind of mad that this is a duology because the ending totally lets the world be explored further! EEK! But, I have to say that I really really really enjoyed this novel and I'm so incredibly pleased by how it went.

Grim Lovelies left us on such a dramatic cliffhanger and I wasn't sure how the Megan Shepard was going to stitch our feelings back together, but holy crap did she do just that. This novel is an incredible whirl-wind of action, magic, romance, and bad-assery. I was kind of meh on Anouk in the first novel, but she finally comes into her own in this novel and I seriously want her on my side in any kind of fight. That's also why I'm sad that this is only two novels because I want to know what goes on after the book.

The characters and world-building are so rich in this book. We not only get to see a bit more of Paris, but we also get to travel to Germany (Hello Black Forest from the Grimm Fairy Tales!), and London. Each character adds a level to Anouk's story that really helps her take on the world and try to make everything right for those she loves. It's a very thrilling conclusion and you will NOT be disappointed if you pick up these two novels.

I was lucky to get an advanced copy of this lovely book from NetGalley. Since I read it early, I'm not going spoil anything. I will say that I was very happy with Midnight Beauties because it takes the action and plot of the first story and expands the conflicts and world while letting us tag along with the characters we loved while meeting new, interesting characters. It's a wonderful continuation of the story.

I can't wait until it is published so that I can get a physical copy for myself and a copy for my classroom library.

I hope you will add it to your to-read list! You won't be disappointed!


Link: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2766058814

This book was received as an ARC from Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Children's Book Group - HMH Books for Young Readers in exchange for an honest review. Opinions and thoughts expressed in this review are completely my own.

Hearing that this was the spellbinding conclusion to the Grim Lovelies series and how positive the response has been to our young patrons, we knew we had to take a look at Midnight Beauties. I do have to say that I did like the book, however there were some tangents that happened that made me drift off a bit and get caught off guard making it hard to stay on track with the book. Once I got back on track, the book was very invigoratingly intense and it was definitely a sparking conclusion to the series. All of our favorite characters are back in this final chapter better than ever, and Megan Shepherd definitely saved the best for last.

We will consider adding this title to our YFiction collection at our library. That is why we give this book 4 stars.

I enjoyed this book way more than I expected to based on the first novel. I was happily surprised to find that most of my issues with Grim Lovelies were explained or given purpose in this story. I always enjoyed the world created in this series, and I was glad to be taken on a fun ride again with the beasties, royals and pretties. Sometimes the magic got a little confusing, but it all leads up to an action packed roller coaster of a conclusion. I could not stop reading toward the end, I just needed to see how everything turned out right away! For me Grim Lovelies was needed for character building, at the end of that novel I wasn't fully invested in the characters, but midway through this one I absolutely was. Anouk especially gets way more interesting, and I developed an unexpected fondness for Prince Rennar as well. The most interesting character development for me though was Petra. She seemed like such a random throwaway character in Grim Lovelies, but in Midnight Beauties we see her purpose and potential revealed and I loved every minute of it. Overall a fun and enjoyable ride - a quick read that takes you through a roller coaster of emotions, but leaves you with a smile on your face.

I didn’t read the first book in the series but Midnight Beauties is a good read. Love the mix of real life, magic & fairytale in the YA genre. I’m interested to read the first book & any other that are to follow to see what’s to come.

There’s a edginess & it’s not all sunshine & rainbows. The prince & royals aren’t all their cracked up to be, though they are still charming when they want to be & of course, lovely to look at.

I would definitely recommend to students & to enjoy this type of YA reading.

Shepherd continues her series of haute-couture witches, goblins, and beasties in the highly anticipated sequel to Grim Lovelies. Anouk, now a powerful force in her own right, is up against forces darker than the witches and Royals who formerly held the keys to the kingdom. Making a dangerous alliance to secure her friends' freedom and sacrificing her power for a greater purpose, Anouk must face her own fears about her humanity in order to save everyone she loves-and possibly her former enemies. Midnight Beauties is a dazzling, non-stop ride that you won't want to end.

I really love Megan Shepard but something about this series isn’t quite gelling for me. I enjoyed Grim Lovelies – despite some questionable bits. I enjoyed this too, in fact, and I preferred it to the first one. It feels like the MC has come a long way. But something isn’t quite hitting home for me. (Sadly this is probably a sign that this book and its predecessor are not really intended for me.) Verdict; enjoyable and recommended for those who like simpler YA with an edge of darkness.