This is a feminist fantasy romance set in a regency era patriarchal society and focused on a woman's right to control her own body and power. And what a woman is willing to give up for this right and power.

I would've absolutely loved it when I was younger as to me it read a little YA, with a in-your-face message and love-at-first-sight romance. As it was, I struggled with the main character and the romance. The main character's motivations and struggles seemed based on the depthless romantic relationship aspirations.

That being said, I burned through the second half, where the stakes get higher, the wealthy frippery is less, and the presence of our spirit friend becomes more prevalent. And I accepted the main character/romance as it is. There are some really great scenes with the mothers, but I would've loved to learn more about the magic and spirits. So for me it was uneven. But its a light quick read, especially if you like regency-era fantasy romance.

Thank you to Erewhon Books and Netgalley for a copy of the ebook in exchange for an honest review.

The Midnight Bargain uses an alternate-world Regency/Victorian-romance setting to examine modern feminist issues. As an avowed Austen fangirl and occasional Regency reader, I enjoyed it a lot. (Points for the Meryton references.)

The female characters were interesting, and both Beatrice and Ysbeta were appealing protagonists. The male characters unfortunately suffered by comparison. Beatrice's father and her unwelcome suitor Danton were somewhat 2-dimensional. The hero Ianthe was too perfect to be true -- he falls instantly in love with Beatrice, but the reader never gets a scene from his POV to explain why he likes Beatrice best out of all the girls on offer.

The magic system was unique -- the spirit Nadi was by far my favorite character.

My biggest issue with the a Regency-like world for this story was that it was then limited by Regency tropes. Beatrice and Ysbeta won themselves some measure of marital freedom and (for Beatrice) a more equal partnership in marriage, but they are still in a world where sexual and financial freedom is still unequal for men and women. (Beatrice's mother told her about the warding collar before the wedding ceremony, but she didn't say a thing about the wedding night.)

Instead of having Beatrice return in the epilogue and present her case for joining the mages' academy, I would have preferred to see her gather up all of the hidden female mages to start her own academy. (Burn down the patriarchy, Beatrice!)

The author left herself plenty of opportunity for sequel material, so I hope we see more of this world and these characters. I would love to see Ysbeta sailing all over the world in pursuit of magical knowledge, or seeing what Harriet's courting season would be like after the changes that Beatrice brings.

This book takes us to a world of wondrous magic with strict social structures and rules designed to keep women in lesser roles. Beatrice hopes for so much more than what her country’s laws will allow her and she will make any bargain that helps her, whether with a human or Spirit. Polk takes us on a rich journey of two women doing their best to change their world for the better no matter the cost. Even if it means losing their true love but gaining their freedom. I enjoyed this book immensely and loved the magic system. It does end rather neatly but even just skimming some passages again for this review had me enthralled. Definitely give this midnight bargain a try, you’ll find its worth the cost.

The Midnight Bargain was a beautifully imagined and poignant new novel full of magic and intrigue that walked a complicated line between historical fantasy and modern socio-political themes. From the beginning of the story, readers are faced with the essential question, "What would life look like if men controlled women's magic?" Beyond the historical reality of being traded as valuable property to be bartered and exchanged between male powerbrokers within a woman's family and class, C.L. Polk creates a world where her talented and strong-willed heroine, Beatrice Clayborn, faces not only a season of being paraded around in search of a wealthy match and an alliance that would save her family's finances but also the bitter fate of being literally collared by a husband who will limit her power and filter out her magical instincts.

While Beatrice searches for a grimoire that contains the knowledge necessary to avoid the collar and fulfill her dream of becoming a mage, she meets a handsome young man and his striking sister, Ianthe and Ysbeta Lavan. The Lavans quickly become the stars to whom Beatrice hitches her magical wagon. However, as she throws her lot in with the differing desires of the Lavan siblings, Beatrice is pulled away from her own plans and forced to make difficult choices to preserve her freedom.

Reading this book felt like I was following an Austen-esque heroine through a dystopian costume drama as she attempts to magically undermine an Atwood-esque, patriarchial, sociopolitical regime through a uniquely imagined fantastical feminism. I felt the romance in the story was a little too love-at-first-sight, which clashed with the fierce feminine voice the author was simultaneously developing in her heroine. That said, I found the storyline compelling and the action built to an exciting crescendo. I read this book in one day, as after only a couple of chapters I couldn't put it down.

For fantasy and historical fiction fans, as well as chick-lit readers, Polk's Midnight Bargain is a thoughtful and satisfying story that feels both entirely relatable and like an escape to another place and time.

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me an eArc of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I love reading Regency romances, despite the era's major issues with women's rights. The world in The Midnight Bargain, takes the concepts of those rights and twists the screw to make them even more impossible. Set in the fantasy country of Chasland (a Regency-era England clone, basically), upon marriage you not only lose your property and become property of your husband (as per actual history) but also lose the opportunity to do magic. Not just that, you're bound to it. Big stakes!

I enjoyed this story and the characters, and though I wouldn't call it a romance outright, there was a definite romantic subplot which I enjoyed. My only criticism is that it finished up a little too pat and too quickly. Suddenly in the last chapter everything wrapped up like boom-boom-boom, and then the epilogue had more story that I wish could have been told in a more fuller sense. By the second last chapter I feared it would be a cliffhanger, but instead things just wrapped a bit quickly for my liking. I feel this could have been served better as a multi-book series (trilogy perhaps?) to flesh out all the sub-plots, wrapping up only the main threads in this one.

That said, it's a unique magical take on Regency England and a story with likeable characters moving through the world. I'd recommend to other fantastical history fans, or Regency romance fans for that matter.

The Midnight Bargain is a fun fantasy, historical romance novel that follows the struggle of our main character Beatrice Clayborn trying to avoid a marriage that will force her to give up her magic for a large chunk of her life. The world building and magic here was really enjoyable and I loved the idea of the plot, though I do think the first couple of chapters really try to hit you over the head with just how unfair this world is, while that’s true it did seem a little hamfisted for me.

I enjoyed the dynamic between Ysbeta and Beatrice and definitely found myself rooting for them. The romance was the bigger miss for me in this book, it felt a little too insta love for my personal tastes and I think I would have enjoyed the book more if there was no romance.

Overall, this was a fun book to read and the writing style was really nice. I just wish it had gone a little deeper into the world.

Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC! All opinions are my own.

Thankyou to Netgalley, the author and publisher for providing an ARC in return for an honest opinion.


An epic historical fantasy fiction for lovers of witches, magic and women's rights/feminism. Unpredictable and unputdownable.

Aw, what a nice story. I like the perfect combination of fantasy and real-world elements. Beatrice Clayborn is a sorceress who secretly practices magic. In the world she lives in, girls must get married, and thus wear a marital necklace. Marriage could be a problem for Beatrice because that necklace would stop her powers. She dreams of being able to one day become a Magus, but her family objects. Beatrice's parents make her participate in the Bargaining Season, an event in which young girls and boys come together to negotiate future marriages. Since the Clayborn family owes a lot of money, they need Beatrice to marry someone rich to ensure their well-being. I love the story because of Beatrice's personality. She might be young, but she cares about her family and also wants to fulfill her own goals. She will need a lot of luck and skill, which will not be an easy task. It is a story full of magic, with a touch of romance but, most importantly, Beatrice's desire to achieve what she wants. It is a cute story because the author includes the values ​​of loyalty and friendship, which are essential in the world of magic. The book made me feel happy and optimistic about Beatrice, a fantastic character. I thank NetGalley and Erewhon Books for providing me with a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.

It's Jane Austen plus magic, with a side of institutionalized misogyny. Despte the heaviness of that last one, the book is witty and charming. Two women are looking for a way to escape their lives as dictated by society. There are bookstores, witches, codes, spells, colonialism, parties, and visits to to the tailors.

I would read other stories in this universe, even though the novel has a very satisfactory ending that does not seed an obvious sequel or series.

I was intrigued when I read the synopsis, but I didn’t expect to enjoy it as much as I did.  This was certainly a fantasy book, but it was much more than that.

This book takes place in an alternate world, but it has a historical slant to it.  Women are “sold” into marriage and must give up their magic to bear children.  The story centers on two women who won’t accept that life for themselves.  I was immediately drawn to Beatrice; she is extremely likable and has a good heart.  The author did a great job of making Beatrice understandable.  It was so easy to empathize with her, especially as a woman.  I also enjoyed Ysbeta; she was just the friend that Beatrice needed.  And Ianthe, he is the partner every woman needs, understanding and selfless.  

This book has a great story, but at its heart, it is about women’s rights.  About the idea that women should be able to make their own choices and have control of their own bodies.  I like that this book was able to make a point without being too “preachy” about it.  

I really enjoyed this book and want to read more by this author.

I wanted to like this book. From the outset, it had all the hallmarks of my kind of read. Unfortunately, though, it fell far short of my expectations. The main character lacked depth or really any characteristics that would make her anything other than a vehicle for hitting readers over the head with her unsubtle feminism. Don’t get me wrong—I’m a feminist! And the feminism angle that was made clear in the blurb of this book was one of the main draws for me. But the execution was so heavy-handed that I found I couldn’t take the main character seriously.

This book also fell into one of the pitfalls that I so often see in fantasy settings based on real-world places/eras. There were things that were very recognizable, and the author seemed to rely on those aspects to tell us everything we needed to know about the world. In other words, not enough attention was paid to expunging the world in which the story is set—particularly the cultures represented, their languages, customs, and dress. In many ways this book was attempting to be a Regency romance, but the story would have been better served by either divorcing it further from a recognizable time/place, or by setting it simply in an alternate universe version of England. That way most of the world building is done for you, right out of the gate, and readers are not left as much in the dark.

Thanks to NetGalley and Erewhon Books for providing me with an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I was super intrigued by the premise, but the execution of the book was underwhelming.

The world where only men are allowed to pursue learning magic, while women are left to worry about finding a husband and passing their own magic on to an heir, is a fantasy setting which at the same time highlights a lot of the current problems that we still have in the real world. I think it would have been way more interesting to see a deeper exploration of the problematics of the customs of this fantasy world instead of just reducing it to being a background for a romance plotline.

I'm generally not a fan of romance books, but there has been exceptions where I love the romance in books because it's done so well. That said, this book was a case of insta-love, which I'm not a fan of. Later on in the story the romance did get better and more justified as the characters got to know each other a bit more, but I still wasn't really invested in it.

The magic system seemed interesting, but we didn't get to see much of it and it was never really explained how it worked. I think because the romance plotline took such a forefront in the story, it took away from the worldbuilding, which is something that I'm most interested in when I read fantasy books.

So this book wasn't for me, but in my opinion, if you enjoyed books like The Winner's Curse, you might really like this.

(10/03/2020) 4.25 stars Thank you to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book ahead of time!

The Midnight Bargain is a delightfully frustrating feminist story about a young woman fighting for independence, not just for herself but her gender. The protagonist, Beatrice Clayborn wants to be a Mage, a position meant only for males. Her ambition goes head to head with her love for her family. Abandoning the typical route of marriage and losing her magic to bear children means abandoning her family and tarnishing their name. Already in a precarious financial situation, Beatrice’s family can’t afford her not marrying. Beatrice is determined to learn her craft in secret and has no desire to marry... Until a chance meeting a bookshop. The events that occur in the store lead Beatrice on a journey that involves rollercoaster of emotions and questioning what she always believed.

The romance of the story is so sweet. Although the main love interest had some lingering thought patterns of the patriarchy, he learns over time Beatrice’s philosophies are the right ones. He stumbles because of his desire to protect and help Beatrice but comes to fully respect her decisions (leading to some great angst).

The female friendship in this story is also great. Beatrice meets a like minded young woman who doesn’t want to be shackled down by the restraints of society. Together they try to figure out how they can save not only themselves but other sorceresses.

There were many incredibly frustrating male characters in this novel and they made me SO angry. I wanted to beat the crap out of so many men in this story but the main love interest and his friend were a breath of fresh air, restoring my faith in humanity.

The pacing was somewhat slow at parts but the writing was lovely overall and it felt like a great fantasy historical romance (set in a fictional place though). Polk created a wonderful story about the struggle so many young women experience and it made me so emotional. The determination of the story’s main character was admirable. You can’t help but cheer her on through everything (and getting incredibly furious at anyone that dared deny her her way!). I hope there are more stories in this universe because there is so much potential for more!

4.75/5

I received this as an eARC on Netgalley but before I was even 10% of the way through this book, I knew I'd be buying a physical copy for myself.

Beatrice Clayborn is a sorceress in a world where women aren't allowed access to their powers, forcibly being cut off from magic by a warding collar on their wedding day. Eighteen, at her first bargaining season, and knowing her family's status depends on her making a fortuitous marriage, she's dangerously close to losing her access to the vibrant world of magic. In her attempts to pursue more magical knowledge and save herself from being married off, she comes across a grimoire that could help her, only to have it snatched away by another sorceress. In her attempt to get the grimoire back, she makes a bargain with a spirit that leads to the beginning of a friendship with Ysbeta, the other sorceress, and a courtship with Ianthe, Ysbeta's brother. And it throws all three of them onto a journey of love, heartbreak, and toward the potential to change their world for the better.

The sexism and misogyny we witness in this story is, at times, brutal. When the largest conflict in this story came to a head, it was so painful that I was crying.

CL Polk has become one of my favorite authors. I recommend this book if you're into fantasy, romance that's compelling and sweet but also full of real obstacles to work through, women working together to fight against injustice, happy endings, and Regency-esque settings.

Thank you to NetGalley and Erehwon Books for the opportunity to read this as an eARC!

Beatrice is a young girl with an affinity for sorcery who longs to be free and to be able to become a sorceress. Alas, in Chasland (a land that reminded me a lot of the England seen in Pride and Prejudice or Sense and Sensibility), the only purpose of a girl is to make an advantageous marriage and to bear children. Even worse, to prevent any malevolent spirit from inhabiting a baby before it is born, married women need to wear a collar that cancel their powers until they stop being able to produce heirs.

This story is about Beatrice’s quest to find a different path, to get a hold of a special grimoire that will tell her how to bind herself to a greater spirit. Once it’s done, she thinks her father will let her help him with the family business instead of getting married.

But of course, things are never that easy. Beatrice meets Ianthe and his sister Ysbeta while searching for the grimoire. She connects instantly with the kind and gorgeous Ianthe and as the story moves on, she is faced with a tough choice: keep her magic or choose love.

The world-building was simple and elegant. As I said, it reminds me of Pride and Prejudice. The setting, the social events, the dialogues even. There is not a lot of action in this book. It is more about developing relationships and searching for the path that will lead to happiness. One thing that I liked less was the insta-love. There is (almost) no build up, the attraction is fast and almost seemed suspicious at first.

The characters are fine. Nothing extra-ordinary, but I liked them enough to care about Beatrice’s choice and to root for Ianthe. He seems really sophisticated and understanding of Beatrice’s internal struggle, still he was not a character that I fell in love with. Ysbeta is a strong character and I liked her; it was nice to see her relationship with Beatrice go from a mutual need to a mutual friendship.

Overall, it was an enjoyable read, and the epilogue was very satisfying, but the story was predicable and sometimes a little too slow-paced. I would also have enjoyed knowing more about their magic system... It seemed interesting. But we know next to nothing about it. It is a good choice though if you enjoy romance and historical fiction.

When I first came across this book on Netgallery, what caught my interest was the sorcery concept included.

This book explores the issue of sexism revolving around sorcery and the misogynist behaviour exhibited. However, it was too the extent where I started disliking the society and prejudices of this world (which I believe was the aim) what I liked was how the females in this book constantly tried to fight the sexism but it was also frustrating to see their problems neglected and cast aside.

I enjoyed reading about the women fight for their justice and what they love most whether it was magic or love, reading about fighting injustice is always satisfactory, if done write and I feel like this book is on the verge of doing so.

Personally I feel like there wasn’t enough romance in this book despite being part of the romance category and heavily promoted and character building was quite limited as I feel no true connection with any of the characters and would hold no grief if any were too die.

Also, the time length between the ending of the book and the epilogue was too long in my opinion, there was various concepts they could’ve covered and made into a storyline that would’ve grasped my attention and I believe there are still holes left in this story.

Overall, this was a pleasant book to read, I look forward to the next but not with dying agony and I also would recommend this to readers who enjoy watching females fight patriarchal societies and misogynists.

This book has leapt to the top of my list as favorite book of 2020. It was a magnificent read, evoking the Regency period and the societal strictures whilst in a world apart from that era.
The story follows Beatrice during her Bargaining season where Ingénues (read Debutants) young women who have magical talent are sought out by the upper echelons of this society with the aim to make the most advantageous marriage possible. The catch being that only men are taught sorcery/magic and once wed women stripped of their magical abilities using enchanted metal in the form of a collar.
Beatrice does not want to follow that path and has discovered magically hidden books written by unfettered women sorcerers so that she can progress and develop her magic. Whilst searching for such a book Beatrice comes into contact with Ysbeta and Ianthe Lavan, wealthy, entitled and a contact not to be dismissed. Ysbeta manages to win the book from Beatrice, however an unpromising inital meeting leads to a closer relationship with both siblings.
This is a book I will re-read, there was no element of it I did not love and my thanks to Netgalley and Tor publishers for access to this ARC. Sent me back to my teen years when I spent many happy hours reading Georgette Heyer.

DNF @ 10% I tried very hard to push through this book but the writing style is definitely not for me. There were too many run-on sentences and because of that, I had to read the sentences a few times to understand what the author is trying to say. Another problem was, I was very confused about the world because there was no map and glossary so when the author is naming places and people I have no idea who they are and where they are. Although I was very intrigued by the magic system because I thought it was a unique concept I just could not get through the writing.

From the beloved World Fantasy Award-winning author of Witchmark comes a sweeping, romantic new fantasy set in a world reminiscent of Regency England, where women’s magic is taken from them when they marry. A sorceress must balance her desire to become the first great female magician against her duty to her family.

Beatrice Clayborn is a sorceress who practices magic in secret, terrified of the day she will be locked into a marital collar that will cut off her powers to protect her unborn children. She dreams of becoming a full-fledged Magus and pursuing magic as her calling as men do, but her family has staked everything to equip her for Bargaining Season, when young men and women of means descend upon the city to negotiate the best marriages. The Clayborns are in severe debt, and only she can save them, by securing an advantageous match before their creditors come calling.

In a stroke of luck, Beatrice finds a grimoire that contains the key to becoming a Magus, but before she can purchase it, a rival sorceress swindles the book right out of her hands. Beatrice summons a spirit to help her get it back, but her new ally exacts a price: Beatrice’s first kiss . . . with her adversary’s brother, the handsome, compassionate, and fabulously wealthy Ianthe Lavan.

The more Beatrice is entangled with the Lavan siblings, the harder her decision becomes: If she casts the spell to become a Magus, she will devastate her family and lose the only man to ever see her for who she is; but if she marries—even for love—she will sacrifice her magic, her identity, and her dreams. But how can she choose just one, knowing she will forever regret the path not taken?

This book was so much more than I bargained for (pun intended)

The Midnight Bargain could be read as a deceptively Jane Austen-esque story. Young ingenue from a family with financial difficulties has to successfully navigate her season (called bargaining season here) in order to attract the wealthy husband that will save her family... but secretly she has other plans. She meets charming man — but refuses to dim her personality for him. He loves her anyway.

No offence to Jane Austen, but C. L. Polk has weaved a much more complicated story than that. Set in a world where women are born with magic but are shunned from studying it and they have to be collared when they get married (so that their magic doesn't attract any spirits who could hitch a ride with their unborn children), The Midnight Bargain a book about gender equality, of course, but more than that it's a book about about power, freedom and the importance of being able to carve your own path.

What did I particularly like about the book? The magic system described is fascinating — both in terms of it restrictions and in terms of the use of spirits. (I loved Nadi. I would invite Nadi in and let them eat cake.) The characters have a depth that's both heartbreaking and heartwarming — particularly Ianthe's journey from a kind-but-condescending imposer of patriarchy to a, well, no spoilers. The language; the tone of voice; the descriptions... yeah, I was basically blown away by all of it. I stayed up all night reading and had goosebumps throughout the last few chapters. I haven't read anything by C. L. Polk before, but I'll be rectifying this ASAP.

Go read this book, people.