Thank you Netgalley for an eArc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Beatrice is a young sorceress,who dreams of becoming a mage. Only one thing stands in her way, she is a woman. Women are only permitted to practice magic after they have produced heirs for their husband. Until then, from their wedding day, they are required to wear a collar which suppresses their magic. Beatrice practices magic in secret and is determined to remain unwed. She has been hunting for a grimoire which holds the key to achieving her dream. When she finally locates the grimoire it is taken from her.

Bargaining season has arrived and Beatrice will be expected to find a husband in order to save her family from ruin. Will she be able to give up her dream of being a mage, even for the right person?

What I liked about this book

The magic system - everyone can do small magics and charms but in order to do higher magic they must obtain a spirit. It reminds me of the magic system in Sorcery of Thorns.
The female characters - One of the prominent themes of the story is inequality. Most of the female characters in The Midnight Bargain are strong, forward thinking and are fighting for equal opportunities.
What I didn't like
The instalove- The romance felt a bit rushed and under developed to me.
For the most part the story held my attention and kept me interested. The writing is coherent and easy to read. I think that you will enjoy this book if you enjoy historical romance books or fantasy romance.

3.5 Stars
✮✮✮✬

I really enjoyed this book. I'm a big fan of regency era romance, but I loved that it was also a very feminist forward book. The main characters was well established and very likable. I would definitely read more from this author.

THE MIDNIGHT BARGAIN tells the story of a young woman caught between wanting to pursue her passion or honor her position. She can either practice magic (if she can recover a grimoire swindled away from her, that is) or get married and assume the role of a respectable wife (to the brother of the woman who swindled her grimoire away, no less). What will she decide? How will she navigate the obstacles thrown in her way?

I like to think of THE MIDNIGHT BARGAIN like cake. The base sponge is a typical Regency romance with family debt and the threat of arranged & loveless marriage, but the highly ornamental frosting is witchcraft, deals with tricksy spirits, and the quest for female independence in a male-dominated society. Just like good cake, this is a delicious tale that you'll savor until the last bite.

Oh my goodness! I absolutely loved this book and couldn’t put it down. The characters are gripping, the story is spellbinding, and the writing is exquisite. I can’t wait to find out if there are any future books and would love to learn more; although there wasn’t a cliffhanger which I fully appreciate.

Thanks to Netgalley, author: C.L. Polk and publisher: Erewhon Books for the free e-arc!
Here is my honest review.

My Thoughts:
I really, really liked this story. The beginning of the story made me feel like I was going on adventure. I could picture the carriage, the shop and the atmosphere. Beatrice, the main character was on the move to find a book. Not just any kind of book, a Grimoire! She wanted to learn more about magic. She desired to be a better sorceress. Somehow fate has her meet up with another sorceress named Ysbeta Lavan. It was a little intense how they met.

At first I thought Ysbeta would be a rival character towards Beatrice. I was not sure what to make of her in the beginning. My spider sense told me Ysbeta was going to be evil. Was it right? I continued to read on, the interaction between Ysbeta and Beatric was pretty interesting. Both characters are headstrong, educated, yearning to learn more and wanting their independence. Will they become friends or rivals?

Beatrice also meets Ysbeta’s brother, Ianthe who does fall for her. The romance sparked between them. It was a sweet romance in my opinion which I adored! Beatrice has mixed feelings about this. She does love him but does not want to be bound. The society in this story has the husbands control their wives magic. I thought this was awful. To be bound was like being locked up in a pale world. I think magic in this story is colorful and free. To lose that magic would be like losing a part of yourself.

Just another thought: the society times in this story is parallel to women back in the days of dowry. Think of Jane Austen. Women did not have much of a choice. Some felt the burden of helping their family by marrying for wealth and not love. I cannot imagine life like that, can you?

Does Beatrice get a choice or not? Does she get to marry Ianthe? Does she get to be free? What will happen?

Beatrice’s family is an interesting mix. Her father is so into traditional values that she will butt heads with him. Her mother, you can’t help feel sorry for her as you continue to read the story further along. Then there is also Beatrice’s sister: Harriet who I thought was adorable, a youthful firecracker spirit but she was aware of gossip and traditional values. She wanted the best for her sister and herself. Eventually she sees the truth of how society is and realizes she does want a choice as well. I am not sure what else to say on her. Will Beatrice’s family support her decision?

The one thing that was fun was the spirits that came to this story. The spirit that Beatrice connected with was named Nadi. Nadi made me feel like she was like a child but a powerful child. I just totally loved the connection between Nadi and Beatrice. They gave each other comfort, power and friendship. It is totally awesome. As Nadi and Beatrice continue to connect, Nadi eventually cares for Beatrice and the feeling is mutual. They kick butt!

Ysbeta did connect with two spirits and it was interesting how she dealt with it. Her spirits were a bit of a handful. How do you think she dealt with them? Do you think she gets a connection with a spirit to help her journey towards freedom?

I think the story was written elegantly and stylish. It kept me entertained. It was a great story of regency magic and feminism. Women’s rights are the main point in this story. You should read it if you like Austen/Regency.

I rather enjoyed this fantasy novel, it had a lovely mix of regency romance, magic and a great feminist slant. It was perhaps slightly clunky in places, with a few irrational character decisions, an almost instantaneous romance and certain things tied up a little too conveniently. I did like the majority of the character portrayals though, especially the friendships that developed (I loved Nadi the spirit and Ysbeta, most of the scenes involving them were highlights). I'd certainly read another book by the author.

(ARC provided by publisher via NetGalley)

Funny enough, I saw this in a webinar for upcoming fall titles. And me being me I decided to request it because the concept was intriguing. I, however, did not look at the author and did not connect it was the author who wrote Witchmark which was good. I don’t remember much about it because it didn’t leave a distinct impression upon me. So, once I realized that I worried that I was going to have trouble with this book. About five minutes after requesting it I was accepted. And so, I began to read the book. I was a teeny tiny bit optimistic as I’ve been reading a lot of regency romance recently, and that was one reason I was intrigued by this book.

Now, did I like the book? The answer is that I did. Much like Witchmark this book is a three star rating for me, probably more of a 3.5. I felt that overall I loved the concept of this book, but I struggled with some aspects of the book itself. Not to say I didn’t enjoy it and wasn’t engrossed, I was, I finished it in less than a day as I really wanted to know what happened next. I suppose my issues are a bit tied up in the aspects that I didn’t like as much.

Much like the previous work I felt the characters were all rather flat. They did have some personality, but overall I just didn’t feel all that much for them, especially our romantic interest Ianthe. He was like vanilla pudding, good, but bland. He didn’t do much for me as a character; he rather felt more plot device than romantic interest. I think that Ysbeta was a cool character, and I liked her. Beatrice had more substance for sure, she was strong and had opinions, but I often felt that was all there was to her. The best character though was Nadi. She made the whole book for me. I loved every moment that we were with her.

Honestly, I don’t mind insta-love when done well. I did not like it here. It felt awkward and forced. I would have rather seen more time spent on the relationships between the women and Beatrice and Nadi. Those were far more interesting than the romance aspects of the book! Especially because the world of magic was all tied up in it. I would have loved more of that.

The other issue was the pacing, it had some moments where I was just left fumbling along because I wasn’t loving certain scenes.

I did like the plot, it was interesting, and as I said earlier, a great concept, I just think some other parts of the book let it down. I also really liked the world building and magic system in this book. I would have loved to see more about it to be honest.

One last thing is that I liked the writing style in this book. It was easy to read and flowed.

Anyways, this book was by no means bad, but it wasn’t perfect by any stretch of the imagination. This isn’t a book I'll be cooing over or desperate for. I certainly think it is going to appeal to people, but it just wasn’t perfect for me.

A gorgeous book cover so appropriate for the beautiful fantasy romance novel it contains. In The Midnight Bargain, Beatrice Clayborn is a sorceress that yearns to become a full-fledged magus; but she needs a special grimoire to accomplish this.

Because women practicing magic is frowned upon in her country, Beatrice must secretly search for the coveted grimoire in the various booksellers of Bendelton. Once she finds the grimoire, she is swindled out of it by another sorceress.

Desperate to get the grimoire back, Beatrice makes a bargain with a spirit to help retrieve the grimoire. What follows are a series of both bitter and pleasant surprises. A very magical read and well suited for fans of fantasy and light romance. Five stars -- I loved it!

I received a digital ARC of this book from Erewhon Books through NetGalley. The review herein is completely my own and contains my honest thoughts and opinions.

In a world where women lose their magic upon marrying, one young sorceress is determined to reconcile her dream of becoming a master magician with the expectations of her family. A romantic fantasy with an intriguing premise; elements of tension and world building were lackluster. The story was still gripping enough to hold my interest but not developed enough for a 5 star review.

A very interesting and innovative story that wraps the reader in a world of magic and mischief. A spell-binding read for anyone who adores magic, a strong heroine, and a bit of mystery.

The Midnight Bargain is a Regency-inspired fantasy romp with magic and misogyny. In this fictional world, women aren't allowed to become Mages and bond with greater spirits, something which our heroine, Beatrice, chafes against. Acquiring the friendship of a woman in a similar situation and the love of a powerful and generous man, Beatrice disobeys the rules, fights against the injustice, and eventually achieves what she's always wanted: to become a Mage.

Beatrice is a compelling character and I enjoyed following her adventures. I liked how her friendship with Ysbeta developed, borne out of their common desperation and blooming into something richer. Ysbeta's brother is the love interest, who unfortunately came across as flat to me. Ianthe appreciated Beatrice's rebellious attitude, and he was clearly intrigued by her because she challenged him, but his falling in love with her, the fierce determination to marry her and help her at all costs, came across rather quickly in the narrative. Besides that... there's not much else to say about Ianthe. He's kind, generous, clever, passionate, wealthy, determined--the embodiment of a romance novel's love interest rather than a full character on his own.

I think that was my main problem overall: some key characters came across as one-note. Beatrice's father was one that I wished had more depth in him, and her mother was but a shadow.

The worldbuilding is great fun: the magic system with the details of how to cast a circle and how to form the appropriate signs with your fingers, the bonding with spirits, the grimoires hidden in plain view, the codes, the secret society of women mages, but also the collars and the spirits possessing the unborn. There's a lot to mine there, some of which we only got a tantalising glimpse of.

My favourite part of the story was the relationship between Beatrice and the lesser spirit she bonded, Nadi. Nadi was a delight and I truly loved watching the two of them together. I was quietly devastated when I assumed that Beatrice would have to abandon Nadi in order to bond with a greater spirit.

In short, this feminist fantasy was fun and well-paced, but less complex than I expected.

I received an ARC from Netgally (thank you!) in exchange for my honest opinion.

I absolutely loved this book. The focus on female empowerment in a world that locks women away from their powers in order to protect theoretical children is all too real, even in our world absent of magic. Beatrice is an amazing protagonist who only desires to be free to use magic and help her family. Ianthe is the love interest to beat, with his willingness to give up everything deemed valuable, children, in order to be with Beatrice and see her fulfilled. Ysbeta, who yearns to educate those who aren’t educated, stands strong in her role as a supporting character, which leaves me wanting more on her end. All in all, this book is an amazing read.

Have you read the synopsis of this book, already? Please do.
What I loved the most about this book was the storyline. A story about women that have their powers stolen the moment they marry? That all this time they’ve been dominated and seen as a breeding tool? I see it as such an incredible plot idea, so much angst, so much at stake, AND a great cause to fight for. You immediately know that this NEEDS a happy ending but what you’re looking for is the ride. The development. The story.
And it did not disappoint!
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In addition to that, we get diverse characters + a lot of feminism! WHOP WHOP! It was honestly so heartwarming to be reading a story with such strong female characters. The courage they showed to fight, to not conform made me think and I'd love seeing more people reading it, we need to change mindsets!
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However, I was a bit conflicted between giving it a 4 or 5 star rating. Here’s why and this is my only negative point on this one: I couldn’t fully connect with most of the characters.
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There’s a first meeting and I register them as the enemies. And then suddenly it all changes and they become the best friends, forming this alliance throughout the book (which is totally usual in books, really nothing against that- but nothing was explained).
There was no insight on their thoughts or the reasons why they acted the way they did and so I only trusted their intentions when I was almost at the end of the book. Maybe I’ve got trust issues, lol.
That had a huge impact in my reading experience but still- the plot saved it.
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I’m giving it 5 stars. It was really good.
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📚 Thank you NetGalley, the author and Erewhon for the ARC!

3 - ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you NetGalley and Erewhon Books for sending me a free e-Arc of The Midnight Bargain in exchange for a review.

I liked this book it had some interesting elements and it’s set in a fictionalized regency-era England and many of you probably know how much I love anything that has to do with the regency era.

The story as the synopsis hints at follows Beatrice, a young Sorceress dreams of becoming a full-fledged Mage, however.. women in Chasland “Fictional England” as it was perceived at that time, are expected to make advantageous marriages for their families and become breeding machines. Predictable right? but the women have powers and it’s stripped away from them for a reason and here is where the story takes a darker turn. By the time a woman is married, she wears a Marital Collar and it’s function is to cut off the Sorceress’s power so when she is pregnant it’s to prevent her from birthing spiritborns “a child possessed by a spirit”. And so, Beatrice is dreading the Bargaining/Marriage season as her family expects her to find a husband torn between her duty to her family and her dream. She seeks out a Grimoire which would help her become a mage but even that Grimoire easily slips from her which leads her to do something outrageous: strike a bargain with a spirit of another realm to help her get her grimoire back in exchange for a first kiss of the spirit’s choosing.

As a concept, the story is very interesting, it established that women are looked down upon in that society, women are stripped of their powers while men resume to practice theirs freely, and they came up with an invention that is supposedly a protective measure yet it’s literally an enslavement tool.

Let me summarize a few points as to why I ended up giving this book a 3⭐️ rating:

• The plot was promising yet I was underwhelmed because it did not offer me a new experience.

• The pacing was unstable, it wasn’t a problem when it was fast-paced during important scenes because it kept me engaged but when it slowed down it just made me want to pause and call it a day because nothing interesting was going on.

• The characters are likable but I did not care much for them. Beatrice is what I’d call an empowering character and I liked her a little better in the 2nd half of the book but for me she wasn’t exceptional. Out of the Lavan Siblings, I found Ysbeta more interesting than her brother Ianthe whom was very bland and had no personality whatsoever. Beatrice and Ysbeta were a fun duo and I like their scenes together better than Beatrice and Ianthe’s scenes. Also. Nadi was a fun addition to the cast.

• I am such a romance enthusiast and don’t be shocked when I’ll say that I wouldn’t have minded if this book did not have romance and shifted its focus on expanding the other elements existing in the story. The romance was so underdeveloped and it followed one of the tropes I truly dislike: insta-love. There was no build up to it nor did I get the chance to know Ianthe better so I can root for them both. I’m just so disappointed with the romance.

• The Magic system was fascinating and I wanted to discover more of it. I think it was explained well but I wanted to see more magic and more action. But I have to say the whole spirits summoning process is amusing, even the spirits have personalities.

• I like how this book sends messages on women empowerment, independence, and freedom. We see all of it in Beatrice through her actions and beliefs.

Thank you to the publishers and Netgalley for letting me read this advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3498561635
The Midnight Bargain, part political, part historical, part fantasy and 2 parts romance.

I loved the magic aspects of this novel and think it worked well being intertwined with a historical setting of women being perceived as a lesser sex to men. The strong female characters Beatrice and Ysbeta made the story, their determination to fight for their rights is admirable. Beatrice's spirit, Nadi, seems like such a loving and dutiful spirit, helping and guiding Beatrice through her battles. I found her mischievous behaviour quite funny and enjoyable to read!

My only criticism of this book is that it was quite slow in parts and I wanted more magic and less historical sexism - although I can understand why it was heavily influenced. I feel like the magic only really started mid way through and seemed a bit rushed towards the end to get as much of the magic elements in the story. That being said, I think the author C.L. Polk has a way of writing fantasy novels, I'm not often drawn to fantasy as I find it a bit cringe worthy at times, but this novel works well for me as it includes historical settings mixed with fantasy. The writing style for setting the scenes was perfect as I could imagine exactly where they were and what the atmosphere would be like. I'd love to know more about the characters and the magic, although I believe this is a standalone novel.

I loved this book so much! The premise was unlike anything I’ve ever read, and I loved that it was set in a fantasy version of what seemed like 1800s England. Aside from the magic, The Midnight Bargain could have been a Jane Austen novel. This was so unique and I loved reading the combination of magic and Edwardian England.
The practice of collaring women after marriage to protect unborn children was so disturbing and strange, as well as an excellent metaphor for the ways men controlled their wives in the 1800s.
Beatrice is one of my favorite characters of all time. I loved her relationships with Ianthe and Ysbeta, Harriet, and especially Nadi. Nadi was another of my favorite characters, and every interaction between Nadi and Beatrice was simply heartwarming.
Another important theme was whether or not Beatrice wanted children. I really appreciated that even though she wouldn’t give up her magic for children, she still wasn’t opposed to having a family, while Ysbeta never wanted children.
The romance I did think was a little lackluster; I liked Ianthe, but it seemed like their relationship developed really quickly with minimal interaction between them.
Other than that, I thoroughly enjoyed this book and can’t wait to read more by this author!
4.5/5 stars

**3.5 stars**

Beatrice has a dream. And her dream, as a powerful magician of age 18, is to become a Magus, which is incompatible with marriage in the society she lives. But due to the circumstances and family pressure, she is in the process to be presented in society to secure a husband as part of a list of eligible bachelorettes...
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In general, I found this book entertaining. As a reader, what kept me keep going (I read the book in day and a half, minus some adulting hours) was the curiosity about the character journeys, their conversations and how they would reconciliate their values with their circumstances.
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The book is a mixture of debate, social discussion, friendship, romance, magic elements and a bit of action. There is also a touch of mischievousness brought up by the spirit that Beatrice bargains with (it was probably my favorite part in the book, combined with a couple of specific scenes).
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The fantasy universe creation was relatively simple, the characters were formed by a glamorous society where most of the people were measured based on their circumstances (either their magic capacity or wealth and political power) and the writing style was fluent. There was a part with a bit too repetitive statements in relation to the unfairness of the situation for a woman, but in general I enjoyed reading this book.
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*I voluntarily reviewed an early copy of this book. Thank you to the author and publisher for providing a copy through Netgalley.

After a month of reading books that were a disappointment to me, I finally came across a book that I loved. This book became one of my favorites (and of course I preordered a copy as soon as I finished reading the ARC!), and I'm so very much glad that I got approved on NetGalley for it. It was truly a great read.

We follow Beatrice Clayborn, a sorceress who practices her magic in secret. She dreams of becoming a Mage and pursuing magic as her calling, as men do. But there is something that stands in her way. Her father wants her to marry in order to save his family from debt. And if that happens, Beatrice would be locked into a collar that would take her magic away.

As time is running out, she finally manages to find the grimoire that holds the key to becoming a Mage. But the grimoire gets stollen from her hands by another sorceress. So Beatrice summons a lesser spirit of fortune, Nadi, in order to get it back. But everything comes at a price. And among the things she promises Nadi, is a kiss from the handsome and wealthy Ianthe Lavan.

Beatrice has choices she needs to make. And none of them are easy. Whichever path she ends up choosing, she would lose something important to her.

WARNING: SMALL SPOILERS AHEAD.

The magic system in this book was very unique, and I enjoyed reading about summoning spirits and how the Mages strike bargains with them. The whole thing about the collars women are forced to wear in order to protect their unborn children, made me feel uncomfortable, but it made a lot of sense in a story like this one. The characters were also very interesting and fun to follow. And I adored the way Beatrice was trying to put the needs of her loved ones before her own, even though she was torn into two by the decisions she needed to make.

The only thing I was a bit bitter about was the epilogue. I hoped there would be a sequel about them traveling the world, and finding new secrets that would help sorceresses around the world. But since we got the epilogue, it was obvious that this book was meant to be a standalone.

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Midnight Bargain

𝗗𝗲𝘀𝗰𝗿𝗶𝗽𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻:
This book follows the story of Beatrice, a sorceress and the eldest daughter of the Clayborns. She is entering her first bargaining season where she will attend balls, parties and outings with the aim of impressing and securing a husband of a good name to ensure financial assistance and the status of her family. When the most eligible bachelor sets his sights on Beatrice, will Beatrice sacrifice her magic and her dreams for the man she loves?
✨
✨

𝗥𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴:
⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️.5/5 (overall)
❤️❤️❤️.5/5 (romance)
🔮🔮🔮🔮/5 (magic)

𝗥𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄:
When I got approved for an ARC of The Midnight Bargain, I was all kinds of excited. The description and the cover we’re so enticing I knew I’d read it either way. There’s a lot of world building, information and it’s a slow build to the exciting parts. Historical style fantasy, a strong MC with an intriguing love interesting and a powerful friendship. An interesting read, for sure.

Beatrice was strong, fierce and a force to be reckoned with, torn between wanting her own freedom and securing her families future and trying to make both goals align. She is fiercely loyal, a friend I would love to have in my corner. She wants the best of both worlds, magic and a family, not just for herself but for all women and will not stop until that is achieved.

The romance developed a little too quickly, i understand that the bargaining season was short but I feel it developed to “love” very rapidly. I found the romance is easily overshadowed by the awesome friendship between Beatrice and Ysbeta, both fighting for their freedom in a misogynistic world, initial disdain on Ysbeta’s part, quickly dissolves when they unite in their common goal- of becoming mages, a profession only acceptable for men, whilst women are expected to have child after child. Throughout the book their bond strengthens and they find themselves protecting and assisting each other in a multitude of situations.

My favourite character is Nadi, she’s so funny and just wants to eat good food and hex everyone, I can relate!

Okay so i had to get beyond the halfway point to really feel anything for the book but damn, 60% onwards it was unputdownable, utterly compelling and emotive. Around 73% I was “damn girl”-ing out loud and at 83% I wanted to jump in the book and slap some characters.
I did find some parts repetitive and unnecessary to the story.
Overall, I’d definitely recommend and I’m glad that I pushed through, the story interested me but didn’t grip me until past the half way point.

I enjoyed this book so much, as it is a combination of two of my favorite genres - historical romance and fantasy. It is set in a world similar to Regency England, but with magic.

There is a season for young women and men of the upper class to be seen in society, mingle, and begin courtships. (I loved the descriptions of their fabulous clothing and unique dances.) As in Regency England, their marriages aren't necessarily motivated by love or even attraction, but by the need to make advantageous matches that will benefit their families financially, socially and in magical talent. This society is a patriarchy and not always a benevolent one.

One element that makes the book so good is the slow reveal of women's true place in the society, and the reasons for it. Throw magic, sorcery, romance, spirits, grimoires, the suppression of women and the intrepid ones who resist their limited choices, and you have a rich, compelling story.

I highly recommend this book and the author's other books, which are set in the same world. Thanks to NetGalley and publisher EreWhon Books for providing me an e-arc to read and review. These are my honest opinions of the book.