This book has an interesting viewpoint, exploring the rights of women through the veil of magic. It deals with the pressures of conforming to societal and family expectations, while still trying to achieve personal goals and dreams. The writing was engaging and the story definitely drew me in. Beatrice carries the hopes of her family that she will make an advantageous marriage. However, she desires to become skilled in magic, a path denied her once she marries. How will she meet all of these expectations?

In The Midnight Bargain, we meet Beatrice, a young person with mafical abilities. But she is about to enter what is known as the first bargaining season.
This is a bit like when girls used to enter into society and be "out" i.e. eligible to be wed. But Beatrice does not want to wed as it means her powers wil be leashed. She is willing to go against society to avoid any union her father choses. Its an interesting premise. And one I think I would have enjoyed abit more if the world building was done from the start.
The romance was nice, and thought it was believeable. Overall it was an ok read, I enjoyed it and would be happy to check out more of the authors work.

Polk takes the popular Regency-romance-with-magic trope to another world, in order to give a reason why women are kept from becoming mages, while preserving all the fun trappings of a Regency romance social life. That gives our heroine, who wants to flout the system and become a mage in spite of the laws and limitations on women--until she falls in love, and is torn between two desires.

Meanwhile she forms a friendship with her heartthrob's sister, who also is desperate to become a mage, while behind the scenes both sets of parents are anxious for their daughters to make excellent marriages by their own standards. And there is Beatrice's younger sister, who watches Beatrice like a hawk, knowing that whatever choices Beatrice makes are inevitably going to redound on her.

It's a lively setup, and the problem about women and magic grounds the story. I loved the magic system, and the spirits (especially Nadi). The pacing moves along between some action scenes and society setpieces, with fun explorations into magic by the heroines.

I really liked the hero, who is the opposite of Draco Malfoy alpha who is more beast than beauty. The attraction might have been instantaneous but it was a pleasure to watch the steady growth of friendship and trust between the two. This, in turn, added heft to the difficulty of Beatrice's choice: give up a great guy forever for a magic life forbidden to her, or give up her dreams for domestic comfort and love?

A quick, fun read that I zipped through in a day. A welcome escape from the stress of 2020, the Year of Awful.

I really liked the story and the concept, but it could have been a lot more better ! The pace was a little bumpy. At times, it was really hard for me to continue with the book. Another thing that really annoyed me was the chemistry between Beatrice and Ianthe. They met like two times and BOOM ! They’re falling for each other. I would have loved to see Beatrice and Ianthe’s feeling for each other build up with time, rather than appearing out of no where. The world building was lacking at first. It was hard to understand the concept of the book at first, but it did improve with time.
I enjoyed the story despite choppy pacing, some limited character development and areas of rushed storylines. The magic is what drew me the most and kept me reading throughout the story, as well as Beatrice’s and Ysbeta’s striving for independence and autonomy over their choices.
Overall, I really loved the idea of a young sorceress fighting with her family and society for her freedom. I loved how C.L. polk has beautifully entwined Sorcery and Feminism. Good recommendation to your readers of fantasy and romance, and absolutely to promote women’s right to make their own choices.

This was a book that going into it I thought would either be amazing or a bitter disappointment. In actuality, for me, it ended up somewhere in between. The beginning instantly intrigued me and I was so excited to see where things were going to go. A heroine who wants to defy the conventions of society and refuse to marry in order to pursue the magic forbidden to her is so right up my alley. Until she suddenly meets someone and is instantly attracted to him and lamenting all she must give up in pursuit of her dreams. It does not help that he does not have much of a personality. The romance doesn’t seem built on anything and I did not care about it at all. I wanted more magic and rebellion, less sadness about not ever having his babies. I still liked the magical system and world building and could have over looked a lackluster romantic plot if the pacing hadn’t felt like long stretches of the same thing repeating and then a rushed and convenient ending. So this ended up a book I liked well enough but not one that lived up to what I really hoped it would be.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The Midnight Bargain is set in a world where women are denied the right to practice magic, being effectively muzzled after marriage so that they can bear children for their husbands without the danger brought by the spirits that sorcerers allow to inhibit their bodies to bring them power.

Beatrice Clayborn is one such woman, a sorceress with huge potential who practices in secret with dreams of summoning a spirit to bring her power and avoid marriage in favour of a life with magic.

In her quest to do so, she meets siblings Ysbeta and Ianthe Lavan. Ysbeta shares the same goal as Beatrice but is handsome Ianthe enough to convince Beatrice to change her thoughts on marriage? Both Beatrice and Ysbeta are running out of time as Bargaining Season is upon them, a time where eligible young women attend social events, meet potential suitors and marriages are bartered and agreed.

The Midnight Bargain introduces a new magic system which I will confess to being slightly confused by at the beginning but soon started follow. The use of spirits to give sorcerers power facilitates the introduction of spirit of luck, Nadi, who is a great character in herself, trading experiences with a Beatrice in return for granting her luck in her endeavours to escape her fate.

The story has a great feminist storyline with Beatrice and Ysbeta having to fight and scheme to obtain rights and powers that would have been handed over to them had they been born male. I think of all of the characters, Beatrice was actually my least favourite. That’s not to say I didn’t like her but I just though Ysbeta was more interesting. It also took me a while to warm to the romantic subplot but that developed well as I progressed through the book.

I did find the pacing a little slow in the first third or so but was hooked for the end of the story and thought it was tied up really well at the end. I would definitely read more books set in this world if the author decided to expand it!

<i> Could she give him up, even for power?</i>

This book is the feminist magical Austen-esque book the literary world has been waiting for!

I love "Pride and Prejudice," strong-willed, kickass female protagonists, and magical fantasy, and this book ticks off ALL the boxes. The love story is heartwarming and swoon-y, the magic is fascinating and par-for-the-course in this world, and the feminist messaging is so strong and awesome. And an extra million points for a story with people of color that doesn't make a tragedy of the color of their skins and instead settles this into the story as a completely regular state of things! The love story of this book, alongside the messaging about how powerful magical women shouldn't be literally collared to dampen their magic simply to marry and have children, is the kind of thing that would make so many fantasy books better.

Beatrice and Ysbeta yearn to learn magic and become Mages, but in this world, women are the property of their husbands and their marriage is a trade deal for their fathers. The social doings are that of Victorian London, with debut seasons and society summers made for girls to make advantageous matches to find a husband. Beatrice's father has made faulty deals in the past, and his family's finances and social standing are at risk of ruin, unless Beatrice marries well. Her younger sister, Harriet, won't be able to enter society without her older sister's rescue. But Beatrice comes from a line of sorceress women, her mother included, and has been sneaking magic and seeks out the help of a lesser spirit, Nadi. Her mother wears the marriage collar, which dampens all ability to perform and feel magic, and its sole purpose is to keep a woman's unborn child from becoming a spirit-born, where a spirit overtakes the soul like something from "Rosemary's Baby." But a husband holds the only key to the collar, and only a man can become a Mage. Women are for babies and property, and little else. Beatrice meets Ianthe and his sister Ysbeta while seeking a grimoire to aid her magical studies - grimoires are magical texts disguised as dull books to secretly help women learn magic, and the men in society cannot sense them nor are they aware of them. Ysbeta and Ianthe are part of a wealthy, powerful family, but Ysbeta is still at the will of her parents and bargaining chattel for her father's business dealings. Can Beatrice and Ysbeta find magic and lead the lives they yearn for? Can they find love and help the society of all women while they seek their own lives?

This book is fantastic and I urge all lovers of Victorian historical society tales, romance, magic, and powerful women, to enjoy this book, as well.

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.

Thank you to netgalley for providing me with an e-arc in exchange for an honest review!
I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this book, I was initially attracted by the stunning cover, and am glad to say I enjoyed the contents just as well! The historical setting was done well, and the descriptions of the outfits and the carriages etc all added nicely to it. Stories about witches/sorcerers/mages always attract me and so I've read a few, but this one didn't feel repetitive or like it had been done before. The magic-system was unique and well-developed, I loved the idea of binding spirits and Nadi was one of my favourite characters! The romance was sweet and I was rooting for the main couple all along, but the best relationship dynamic in my opinion was between Ysbeta and Beatrice, give me more wholesome 'would die for each other' female friendships!! If you're looking for a well-written fantasy romance with great characters fighting for female empowerment in a sexist and socially unjust society, I'd highly recommend this book!!

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.