Meet Me at Midnight by Jessica Pennington is a cute comtemporary teen romance novel. Sidney and Asher have to spend summer together since their parents are friends, so they have been playing pranks on each other for the last several years at their lake cabins. They have a common enemy when they are kicked out of their summer homes, leading them to call a truce and form an alliance. They bond over their love of swimming and pranks and grow closer, uncovering feelings that have been there the whole time. I found the book to be sweet and the characters are unique, but it is not as good and realistic as some other books.

It’s been awhile since I read this book. I actually finished this in December and just never got around to reviewing it. I remember I really enjoyed this book and all of the pranks the two pulled on each other.

I’m pretty sure this was another book that took place at a Michigan lake and I like that these books take me back to when I used to live in Michigan which is probably why I like them so much. I also like how young adult books are starting to focus on college and what happens next after high school.

This was a cute summer read I needed in the middle of reading Christmas books last month. This was a four star read. Thank you Netgalley and publishers for letting me read this. That had no impact on my thoughts, my thoughts are my own.

Confession: Lake Michigan in the summertime is my all-time favorite place in the world; so I was immediately hooked from page 1. I am a huge fan of a love/hate storyline and this had that and so much more. What I really love is that the story is told from both Sidney and Asher’s points of view. It spans the whole summer and then a few months of college. Personally, I would love to see this story play out and have a book following the pair through their college years. The epilogue was only a page and I wanted more!

Adorable story about a girl and her nemesis who find that live and hate are not so far apart after all.

The fun premise of this book - two teens engage in a prank war every summer against each other - was abandoned pretty early on for a bit of a romantic letdown for this reader.

**BOOK HUG & SIGH** So many warm fuzzies. Now I’m craving a re-read of When Summer Ends and Love, Songs and Other Lies.

MEET ME AT MIDNIGHT checks the boxes of some of my favorite things:
- Witty, sarcastic dialogue & characters
- Hate to love
- Perception vs reality
- Beach, lake location

I just love Asher and Sidney. And this quote (one of my favorites) pretty much sums up their relationship.

“Never underestimate how much I want to pry your brain open, Sidney Walters.”

I loved this book and think it's Jessica's best book yet. I finished this book over a month ago and I still don't have all the words to explain how much I enjoyed this book. The banter was witty and the relationship between Sidney and Asher was so fun and real. The pranks they played on each other were hilarious. I liked that the setting was similar, but not exactly the same as When Summer Ends (I really want to visit River Depot). I'll end this review with, my heart soared at times and plummeted at others, but I loved every second of it and it was such a great ride. I highly recommend reading this and Jessica's other two books.

I got an advanced copy from Edelweiss Plus in exchange for an honest review. This is only the second book I've read by the author, the first being "When Summer Ends", another book I was given an advanced copy of for a review.

Surprisingly, the story takes place in the same town as the prior story I mentioned above. This time, Sidney and Asher vacation there with their families every year, and for years have been pranking each other. But when their pranks go too far and get them kicked out of their vacation houses, they band together to prank the owner. But could they have an unseen spark?

There aren't any characters that are reoccurring from "When Summer Ends", but the Depot returns briefly.

I enjoyed reading this summer story and even liked some of the pranks (creative). I won't mention any pranks, because I don't want to give out any spoilers, but some of them were memorable, and even some of the other stuff they did together when they banded together was things that were interesting.

This book is good for fans of lake romances, summer romances, and even fans of childish pranks. Those who like teen summer romance books, give this a read.

I got an advanced copy from Edelweiss Plus in exchange for an honest review. This is only the second book I've read by the author, the first being "When Summer Ends", another book I was given an advanced copy of for a review.

Surprisingly, the story takes place in the same town as the prior story I mentioned above. This time, Sidney and Asher vacation there with their families every year, and for years have been pranking each other. But when their pranks go too far and get them kicked out of their vacation houses, they band together to prank the owner. But could they have an unseen spark?

There aren't any characters that are reoccurring from "When Summer Ends", but the Depot returns briefly.

I enjoyed reading this summer story and even liked some of the pranks (creative). I won't mention any pranks, because I don't want to give out any spoilers, but some of them were memorable, and even some of the other stuff they did together when they banded together was things that were interesting.

This book is good for fans of lake romances, summer romances, and even fans of childish pranks. Those who like teen summer romance books, give this a read.

Let me just start by saying I'm such a sucker for books set during summer vacation. This story follows two young people while on vacation at their family's lake house. Both Sidney and Asher are college bound swimmers who's parents are best friends and also met in the same college they are going to attend. They've been doing joint summer vacations since they were fourteen and have been trying to one up each other in a prank war ever since. A hilarious and adorable hate to love romance commences and you definitely find yourself rooting for them together, but also individually.

This story has some pacing issues and is slightly cheesy in some parts, but overall I had a lot of fun reading this one. This is probably more like a 3.5 star but because I did really enjoy it, I decided to round up to a four star rating.

I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher, via NetGalley. This in no way impacted on my view.

This book was the first by Jessica Pennington, but I can tell you, it won't be the last. Initially, I was drawn in by the gorgeous cover, and by the synopsis. I love enemies to lover books, and the idea that the two main characters, Sidney and Asher have spent most of their summers together at the lake house was something I wasn't willing to pass up the opportunity to read.

For years, Sidney and Asher have had a sort of love hate relationship towards one another. After the first few summers together, they grew apart, and started pranking each other. This summer, however, the pranks turn more serious, to the extent that the owner of the summer homes that they rent out every year has had enough, and kicks out both families. Now, they have to find a new home, and because it's the middle of summer, both families decide to rent one large house, with Sidney and Asher now rooming next door, and sharing a bathroom. It could be a nightmare, but they soon decide to band together against a common enemy, the woman who kicked them out. Now that they aren't fighting one another, their free time now lets them realise just how alike they both are, and that the common love of swimming that once brought them together, is still there, and the feelings they had pushed down for so long were ready to fly out.

This book was just so good. Reading it definitely didn't feel like a chore, and if it wasn't for work and real life, I wouldn't have put it down. Both Asher and Sidney were the best characters I could've picked for this story, and reading from both of their points of view let us understand their nuances, and what made them tick. Neither one can really remember what it is that made them hate one another, but they just know that they won't be the first one to give in. However, their feelings for each other - and they both have them - are becoming harder to hide, and through the flashbacks, we definitely see their chemistry. I honestly believed in their feelings, and their parents did too.

The plot, while not the most detailed, was definitely enjoyable. I loved all the different pranks that they played, and how the planning of them allowed Asher and Sidney to grow closer in a natural, not forced, way. Their romance wasn't the most important part of the plot, but definitely up there, and like I said, it was so good to read. The only real negative I have about this book is the secondary characters weren't all that fleshed out, but that's only something I'm thinking about after I've finished the book, and nothing that impacted the reading experience.

All in all, this was a fantastic book, and I'm so glad I've now read a book by this author. I'll definitely be trying to get copies of her other books, because I need more.

Sidney and Asher are some of the finest and funniest characters I have read in a while. They have tons of common ground, they are both about to start college and are competitive swimmers and their parents spend every summer at two cabins by the lake. Most of their common ground starts on the first day of summer when they begin the pranks. Each year, it's a competition to outdo the other and the year before. Since they are starting school in the fall it also feels like their last chance. When a prank goes bad and they lose their rental property they decide to team up and use their evil-genius against their former landlady and just maybe they can get past whatever it was that started this feud.

I loved reading about Sid and Ash and their lake adventures. I like how neither of them gave into each other. Not when it came to secrets and certainly not when it came to pranks.

This book was right up my alley. I cannot get enough of a YA book that has both humor and romance, is written really well, and has characters that have some depth without making them so immature I want to strangle them. This book had all of that plus more.

Asher is the guy you totally had a crush on in high school. He’s sweet, so kind, and devilishly handsome. He’s so in-tune and responsive to Sidney and her needs and just knows how to handle her and never pushes her beyond her comfort zone. He’s the guy you keep rooting for because he wears his heart on his sleeve.


Sidney is sinister with the face of an angel. She’s quiet to those who don’t know her and I feel becomes her true self when she’s scheming with Asher. She’s just like me and panics and over every-day situations. Constantly thinking of the worst case scenario rather than enjoying the moment. And because of this, she has a huge tendency to hide herself by painting rocks rather than being social.

The hate started off so strong with these two, but the bickering back and forth made the tension between Asher and Sidney so good. Whether it’s pranking each other or slowly revealing snippets of their lives, the build-up sucks you into this adorable story. This relationship reminds me of Jim and Pam from “The Office”. Asher shared little moments with a girl who saw him as a friend and patiently waited for the right moment for years. Being the type of friend that allowed him to be in her life regardless if this was the type of relationship he wanted. He just wanted to be near her. They bonded over a common enemy and the only way they knew how to interact initially was through pranks.

This is such a well executed YA book. The writing was superb, entertaining, and really relatable. The author was able to make these characters shine and pull the reader so far into the story that you can feel the sun shining on your face, the fear of getting caught with each prank, and slowing swooning at each encounter between Sidney and Asher. This was extremely playful. The enemies to more was really delightful, the alternative POV was entertaining, and watching them scheme and pretend to hide true feelings put a huge smile on my face.

I cannot wait to get this book to read it again. It was such an enjoyable book for me and Jessica has a new fan in me.

Thank you to Macmillan-Tor/Forge and NetGalley for this ARC. This is my own opinion

Meet Me at Midnight is a great new addition to YA romance. The story alternates between the voices of Asher and Sidney, whose families vacation together every summer at the lake. After their first summer together, they became more like frenemies, pulling ever more grandiose pranks on one another. This summer, they go too far, and something changes. As they start to try to mend fences, Sidney can't let go of her suspicions about Asher. The novel is very character driven, so you'll really be pulling for them to work it out, although Sidney's inability to trust Asher gets a bit frustrating. Still, a super fun read!

I really loved this book from beginning to end. There was a really great relate able dynamic between the two main characters. You can really tell that there is some genuine feelings there, although there is some denial as well for a while there. I loved how it went from when they were pranking each other through all the different stages of discovering one another again. The fall, the fallout, the coming back together, it was all so sweet and really enjoyable. I didn't want the book to end, and now I feel like I need to visit a lakehouse and look at the stars.

Meet Me at Midnight is about two soon-to-be college students, Sidney and Asher, whose families have been spending summers together for six years. They've spent most of those summers pranking each other, until the ultimate prank leads to unexpected consequences. The two are forced to be friendly, but their relationship quickly becomes more than that. The book follows on from the summer to their first few months at the same university. I think Meet Me at Midnight is a cute YA novel, but I personally felt it dragged at some points.

I received an ARC from NetGalley, but all opinions are my own.

THIS IS THE BOOK I'VE BEEN WAITING FOR!!! Ever since I read Jenny Han's The Summer I Turned Pretty I've been looking for a "summer" book to give me the same feeling and I've finally found it in Meet Me at Midnight!

Reasons why I love it:
-ENEMIES TO LOVERS
-summer
-family friends who only see each other once a year
-growing up together
-enemies to lovers again bc that's what makes this book SO good!!!!!!

I'm glad it comes out in April because this will be the perfect book to read in the sun, on the stand or by the pool/ocean. It's going to beTHE book of the summer!

This was a light and easy read, would be especially fun in the summer! Sidney and Asher are likeable main characters in this novel, it is a hate to love relationship. I'd recommend this novel!

Thank you Macmillian- Tor / Forage for providing me with an eARC copy of this from Netgalley.

3 / 5 stars

Meet Me at Midnight follows Sydney and Asher in another year of summer shenanigans as they both try to out-prank each other. Sydney and Asher have always had it out for one another after something happens between them during the first summer they meet. It does not make things easier when they repeatedly have to vacation with each other each summer due to the close friendship between their parents.

This story is pretty cliche and repetitive at times, but it was pretty fun for some parts. I enjoyed having both POVs for this novel; because I soon realized that I definitely preferred Asher as my favorite POV over time. Honestly, Asher’s perspective saved the book for me. I feel like if I did not get Asher’s perspective, this book would have a lower rating. In all honesty, I am a bit in- between rating this a 2.75 or a 3. Overall, this book had its good parts but in the end I was ready to be finished with it.

I started out enjoying both the plot as well as both perspectives. I enjoyed the pranks in the beginning as well as the transition out of them as well. I never fully felt on board for a potential relationship between the characters, but I never ruled it out, at first. I feel like I enjoyed the idea of a strong potential friendship between the two, but by the end of the novel I wanted Asher far away from Sydney.

I love the character development for Asher in this novel. Throughout the novel things are hinted that things are not all the appear to be. We gradually see this play out, especially with character development. Sydney tries to go through similar character development alongside Asher, but she continuously regresses back to her former self. I got tired of it to be honest. Especially once the “big reveal” of their fallout is included; I was done. I basically considered Sydney a toxic character/friendship/idea of a relationship for the last 20 percent of the novel. She tries to redeem herself by the end of novel, and she does make an okay start of an apology, but I was just over her. I think Asher deserves someone better. Friendships and relationships take effort and conversation. Asher constantly mentions this and makes so much effort; in return, Asher is treated with disrespect and hurtful actions. So yeah, this was not a new favorite read for me. It had potential, but it ended up totally disappointing me in the end.

'Meet Me at Midnight' is the story of Asher and Sidney, family friends who spend every summer together in neighbouring lake-houses. From the offset, we learn that they 'hate' each other, in a friendly sort of way, pranking each other at every opportunity and basically making each other's lives miserable. The reader, along with the other characters, is perfectly aware that there is some kind of romantic interest underlying these pranks, but for the first part of the book, we simply watch them competing to outdo the other person'.

They've been doing this for years, but when they finally take the pranks a step too far in the summer before college, they decide to make a truce and work together against a whole new target. Of course, this truce then turns into a summer fling, and the two re-evaluate their friendship completely, facing a new set of challenges along the way.

I did enjoy this book, but I had a couple of problems with it. In terms of the characters, I really loved Asher's character and how consistent he stayed throughout the book. It became obvious to me early on that he wasn't as on-board with the hate-relationship between himself and Sidney and that he had other intentions all along. His humour was amusing, his motives were believable and some of his romantic gestures were really adorable. Sidney, on the other hand, wasn't so likeable for me. I found her to be irritating and irrational, jumping to conclusions without giving others a chance to explain themselves and generally struggling to manoeuvre other people's feelings. The redeeming factor for this is that multiple people in the novel, including Sidney herself, appear completely aware of how dislikable she is, and many times she is called out for her behaviour.

I found the story to be sweet and I did like seeing their relationship develop, but I also feel as though some moments were a little unnecessary. There are some parts of this book that I loved and raced through, but these were interspersed with moments that I feel the book could have done without. This wasn't really an issue because I still happily made it through the entire novel, but I do think that the book was dragged out a little more than it could have been.

The writing itself was really impressive and I loved how well Jessica Pennington differentiated between Asher and Sidney's voices. Her style of writing was extremely easy to read and I feel as though this is one of the reasons why the book is so quick to get through. I will definitely have a look at the author's other work because I feel that her ideas and writing are very enjoyable, even though parts of this book specifically just weren't for me.

Overall, despite the issues I had with this book, I loved the premise and think that this would be a good, easy summer read. Some of the romantic moments really warmed my heart and parts of this book did leave me laughing out loud so, if you're looking for a sweet YA contemporary, you might really enjoy this.