A young woman fights to escape the hierarchy of men in a magical world, where women must give up their magic to have children only to complicate her fight by falling in love.

Most novels that focus on magic and other worlds tend to ignore injustices to focus only on a romance so I was glad to see that it was not the case with 'The Midnight Bargain'. It is an easy to read, feminist take on a world of mages, family expectations and women's struggles.

I don't usually read fantasy (even though I enjoy them) so it took some getting used to. The first half of the book was kind of slow for me. However, the second half was more action packed and entertaining. The romance between the main characters happened too quickly and easily for my taste, but they were a really cute couple.
Overall an entertaining fantasy book. I give this book 3.5 (4) out of 5 stars.

I want to thank NetGalley, the publisher, and author C.L. Polk for providing me with an ARC of this novel.

This was an absolute delight to read! Anything involving magic or witchcraft, I am so game for! I definitely found this thought provoking, and the writing was fantastic. The character development and world building were also great. I could have done without the romance; I would have rather just seen the continuation of feminist/go women power. Overall a good read, though.

This book was..... a wild ride. I enjoyed it, and the premise was promising, but a few parts definitely fell short. I was frustrated by the character wanting to be a strong woman who was badass and amazingly with magic, but I really didn’t feel like I got that. Not to mention that she literally INSTANTLY fell in love with the love interest. I really wished that the book had spent more time focusing on the EXCELLENT female friendships (Beatrice and Ysbeta are you KIDDING ME????? Love them) as opposed to focusing on the romance. I was super intrigued by the magic, though, and I really did want to see more of that, which is what kept me going. 3/5 stars- I didn’t hate it, and I’m fact I did quite enjoy the middle, but it wasn’t a fave.

The Midnight Bargain was an absolutely delightful book that I couldn’t put down. It was a Regency romance meets fantasy meets feminist novel (so essentially three things I adore all in one novel).

Beatrice was a fantastic heroine and her journey was so fun to watch. While her determination did make her single minded at times, she felt all the more realistic because of that. And while I enjoyed the romance with Ianthe, I kept reading because of Beatrice’s friendship with Ysbeta. Ysbeta was such a fierce character!

The plot was fast-paced and the comedic relief was timed perfectly. In fact, I challenge you not to chuckle at some of the antics. Plus the magic system felt so fresh! While the ending was a bit abrupt, the epilogue made it worth it. Also, I loved how Polk presented so many different valid ways to be a woman. Polk plays with the reader’s idea of a “strong female lead” and it worked so well. It’s okay if you don’t want children and want to go on swashbuckling adventures. It’s okay if you want children and want to start a revolution. It’s okay to be whoever you want to be because there are so many different types of strength.

I absolutely loved this standalone and, even though I don’t know how Polk could do it, I really hope we get another novel in this world one day. I highly recommend The Midnight Bargain if you’re looking for a fantasy novel that will sweep you off your feet.

*Disclaimer: I received a digital advance copy of this book for free from the publisher. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Anything to do with magic and I’m there. I love magical books, I love books about witchcraft; Anne Fine being a particular favourite of mine.

I was disappointed with this story. The magic wasn’t as magical as I’d hope. It reminded me of discovery of witches at the start with the grimoire and the challenges Beatrice faced but for me it didn’t fulfil the excitement Harkness did.

The love story element was cringe for me where she fell head over heels....it contradicted with her strength as a female character. It feels as though this has been slotted in to capture another audience but it didn’t work.

It did get better and I was behind Beatrice the whole way but the ending really bored me and I found myself hurrying the ending because I was frustrated. I think making the love story realistic would improve this.

regency era AAA i love it as someone who has watched the 2005 pride and prejudice hundreds of times and the worldbuilding in the standalone is amazing. i love how ianthe was open to learn the way the beatrice thinks with her progressive worldview and he was willing to change even though the romance was shortlived. this is one of those books next to acotar that i just could not put down until i got to the ending which was also very satisfying

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

Dear author and strangers bothering to read my review, 2020 has been a difficult year, and July a difficult month. So when I saw a fantasy book, with regency romance elements, a beautiful magic system and a feminist agenda, where the heroine has the same name I do, it felt like someone hand-made me a book from goddesses’ perfection realm. And said – Bia, you have to read this sh*t, it’s so f-ing good (goddesses swear a lot :D)! And it would still be underestimating The Midnight Bargain.

The metaphors are so perfect and powerful! And the world was so beautiful - makes you want to explore it forever (it reminded me a little of Christelle Dabos ‘La Passe-Miroir’ series, entrancing and magical, yet familiar)…

I highlighted so many passages that my kindle bugged a little. It’s just THAT GOOD.

Thank you for writing this, I’m forever happy for having read it, and stranger reading this analysis for some reason – you should read this too.

This quickly became one of the best books I’ve read this year!! It was so good and so thought provoking. The main character and the love interest really balanced each other out and had great conversations that I think would subtlety teach someone sexist into seeing the woman’s POV.
The writing was fantastic, the plot was great, and the characters were sublime. The story had great ties to the real world and past, as well as current issues women are facing.
One thing I think it could have done better was including other minorities. In this world, do the rules change when the woman is black instead of white? What about women in love with other women? Overall this book made me laugh, cry, and everything in between. Definitely a worthwhile read!!

When this book was good, it was very good. And when this book was bad, it was very bad. That made reviewing it on a star level relatively difficult. I enjoyed the world and the mythology in it quite a lot. The rules around sorcery and how they controlled women's magic but still used them to create strong mages was really interesting. The characters had depth and interests beyond superficial ones- they wanted to be powerful mages all for their own reasons.

Because the characters were so good and the world concept so fun to read, this was a 3.5 out of 5 star read for me.

Full Review: 8/5/2020

Hmmm stuck in my inner evaluation purgatory: Another book gave me mixed feelings and I couldn’t decide if I hated it or loved it.

There are so many things I truly enjoyed: having equal rights between men and power to hold and use magic, to have rights to be Magus parts are thought provokingly well established.If you are a woman, you have to sacrifice your potential to have and hold the magic because when you get marry, you may put your unborn children’s lives into danger( they may be corrupted by vicious spirits)

Overall: The world building, bargaining system to choose yourself a wealthy, charming husband, rules of magic were the original, well developed and most interesting parts of the book.
But... yes... here comes the parts which bothered me a lot:

Firstly let’s talk about characters:
I found the characterization a little flat, superficial. MC Beatrice carries feminism vibes to fight for her rights to use her magic and become a Magus as like the other men do. But she was mostly too annoying, irritating, acting selfishly. Those facts made her unlikable. Her character suffers from lack of emotional depth. Poor, charming Ianthe shows his feelings from the beginning and I wanted to scream at her face and tell her “ get marry with this guy, what are you waiting for!”
Thankfully even though we suffer from heroine’s obnoxiousness, Nadi, lovely spirit she summoned to help her get back the grimoire, was my favorite character.

Romance parts are haphazard, instantaneous, too. I couldn’t get the part how they suddenly fell for each other. I really thought maybe I missed some pages and returned back to find them. Oh, no. I didn’t skip or miss any pages!

And the pace was a little bumpy. It gets slower and something happens to captivate your attention back. But a few chapters later the boredom comes back!

Fantasy parts and creative world building were truly amazing. I wish there would be less romance and more magic in this book with more tolerable characters. I’m so sure with this formulation: I would give it five stars.
So I stayed in Switzerland territory: it was not great but it was okay read so let’s meet in the middle by giving it three stars.

Special thanks to NetGalley and Erewhon books for providing me this unique ARC in exchange my honest opinions.

*Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review *

3.75 stars

Beatrice is sorceress. Sorceresses in her time and country are locked into 'warding collars' once they are married, to avoid any unborn babies being possessed by spirits, and women remaining unmarried and pursuing sorcery is very unusual, and frowned upon. She, however, wants to pursue the magical path, and when she meets the Lavan siblings, one becoming her ally in trying to find a way to pursue magic as a woman, and the other becoming her suitor, she is torn between the two and the pain it will bring her family if she tries to go against the system.

Overall this was an entertaining, cute read, while a little cliché at times. I did enjoy the themes of female empowerment and trying to break the cycle of female opression.

The magical system was rather interesting as well, with the mages harnessing powers through summoning and binding spirits, and becoming full mages only once they have summoned a greater spirit and bound it to themselves. I loved Nida as well!

However, I did feel that the pacing was a little patchy, and especially the romance between Beatrice and Ianthe felt a little too insta-love for my taste, and could have been more developed!

This is a hard book to review because on one hand I liked what it was trying to say but it was so slow I couldn’t read but a chapter or two per day.

“The Midnight Bargain” exists in a world where women lose their right to magic once they marry out of fear that their unborn children will be at risk of having their souls corrupted and when Beatrice enters her Bargaining season to find a husband she meets a pair of siblings in need of her talents to read a grimoire and save each other from a life of misery.

So the best parts of this book is putting the fantasy element on top of the real world issue of the unborn having more rights than the women expected to carry them and how the choices surrounding their bodies are dictated by their male counterparts. By having the collar act as symbolism for that restraint on women was very clever especially at the end when the weight of responsibility is shifted and how the men react offers a lot to the conversation and it was nice to see two women who were set up to be rivals make a strong team.

The romance here was rather blah I didn’t feel it at all but I’m not sure if that is the point so we could spend more time focusing on the task at hand. I liked the idea of the bargains with the spirits and learning more about their magic as a whole but like I mentioned above I could not stay interested in this book at all. I looked up how many pages were here and seeing such a low number compared to what I’m used to was shocking I felt like it was at least 800 pages trying to drag myself through it.

I hope others are able to connect with it with more ease than I could but as of right now I think the message was lost for me as I spent too much time just trying to keep my eyes on the page.

**special thanks to the publishers and netgalley for providing an arc in exchange for a fair and honest review**

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for this arc.

3.5 star. This book was a cute read. It focuses way more on the romance than the magic. I wanted more out of the fantasy aspect. There wasn’t much magic display at all. It does make sense with the story since women aren’t really supposed to use magic, but I was always craving more action. The instant love annoyed me, but the relationship was cute overall. I really liked the message of the book in how women should be equal and not the only ones to sacrifice. Great messages. Cute read.

It's bargaining season and Beatrice must attract an eligibile suitor and marry if she wishes to save her family from financial ruin. Can she give up her desire to become a mage and marry as she should or will she keep pursuing magic? I have to say initially I was sceptical on whether or not I'd like this book. But the beautiful cover drew me in. I was pleasantly surprised from the start and couldn't put the book down. I loved the relationships that were built between Beatrice, Madi, Ysbeta, and Ianthe. I thought the pace of the story flowed well and it kept me engaged throughout the whole story. I highly recommend this story to anyone who loves stories of magic and romance.

Book Review- The Midnight Bargain by C L Polk
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Thank you @netgalley and @erewhonbooks for this digital copy to read and review.
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Beatrice is now old enough to get married but all she wants is to learn about magic and become a female mage. The problem is women are expected to give up their magic to get married.
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I really adored this book! Beatrice’s plight really got to me. The injustice of it all, the uncertainty of her future, I needed to know how it all turned out! I got very emotional about the story in the last quarter of the book and was sobbing. This book had me feeling all the feels and I loved it.
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I gave this book 5⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

What an amazing story! I enjoyed reading it from the beginning to end. The characters, the story setting and the plot is sublime and very engaging.

The story follows a lady named Beatrice Amara Clayborn who needs to find a suitable and wealthy husband during the bargaining season. Her father, Mr Henry Clayborn, who lost their fortune on a business venture had no other options left to save the family’s reputation but to let her daughter secure a favorable match for marriage.

Beatrice is a sorceress who practices magic secretly. Unlike her mother who chose to wear a marital collar to protect unborn children and became a submissive wife to his father, Beatrice would like to become a mage so she can practice magic like any men in their society. She would also like help her family gain a great fortune so that her younger sister, Harriet, will be able to attend the Bagaining Season when she is of right age and to help her father in his business ventures.

When Beatrice found a grimoire that will help her summon a great spirit to become a magician, another sorceress named Ysbeta Lavan was also attracted to the grimoire. Since the grimoire has only one copy, Ysbeta’s handsome and compassionate brother Ianthe, suggested that they should read it together.

The more Ysbeta and Beatrice spend time together, the more they realized that they would like to become full fledged mages and follow their dreams. Entering into a marriage and bearing children like any other women in their society is what they are willing to sacrifice to pursue magic.

Of the three main characters, I sincerely liked Ysbeta. She has a strong character, very independent and knows what she wants regardless of the outcomes of her actions.

I love that the issues of inequality, sexism and and women’s rights were fully described in the story. I’m glad that the main characters were able to fulfill their dreams and succeeded in their goals at the end of the story.

The Midnight Bargain is a fun and delightful read! It’s a story filled with sorcery, romance, friendship and perseverance.

I’m grateful to the author, to Netgalley and to the publisher, Erewhon Books for allowing me to read and review the free ARC.

I would recommend this book to you and to my friends who love to read fantasy novels. I look forward to reading more of C. L. Polk’s books! 😊

Beatrice is a young sorceress who would rather find grimoires to become a Magus than prepare for her Bargaining Season, where she would be married off, locked in a collar that would block her from using her magic. Wearing the collar also prohibits a spirit to inhabit and possess a woman's unborn child in the womb. Husband's are the guardian of their magic, and hold the key to their collar's.

First, the world building is beautiful and has a Regency/Edwardian feel to it. The authors description of fashion, courtship, society, it was all alluring and I found myself immersed in the world. This event called Bargaining Season, where young men & women come together to negotiate marriage contracts was very intriguing.

Beatrice is a sharp minded and forward thinking woman of her time. Early on in the story, Beatrice finds a rare grimoire at a bookstore. There she meets the Lavan siblings, Ysbete and Ianthe. Eventually, the two women come together and have a common goal: free will of their magic, their bodies and to have equal standing in their misogynistic world. The practicing of conjuring spirits, bargaining and the implications of doing so was very nerve-racking, it was risky and so many things could go wrong.

I enjoyed the romance between Beatrice and Ianthe, I felt they were both drawn to each other the moment they first met (not love at first sight) but drawn to each others strengths. Although their courtship was short, their relationship still felt right to me. He knew she was intelligent, capable, and was open to her progressive ideas and he was willing to change his own views. At some point there were moments where I wasn't sure how their relationship would end. Would Beatrice choose magic over love? Is it possible for her to have both?

I did think the ending had a dramatic flair,overall not what I expected in a good way. Sorcery, conjuring of spirits, grimoires, women rights, and a Regency inspired romance, this was an enchanting and spellbinding story.

In Polk's newest novel, women who wield magic are forced to make a brutal decision: live as unmarried and scorned "thornbacks," or wear a magic-sucking collar for all their childbearing years of marriage to prevent spirit possession of their unborn children. Beatrice Clayborn is torn between following her dream of becoming a mage and making a brilliant marriage to keep her family solvent and time is running out. An absorbing read for fantasy and romance lovers.

Thanks to #Netgalley for providing this free book in exchange for an honest review!

In a regency inspired world where women have to lose their magic when they get married, Beatrice has been secretly practising magic and hoping she could get married to her beloved, and keep her magic.

This premise holds such potential and I was so excited to read it. I'm sure so many reads will be captivated by Beatrice and her fight for freedom.

I loved the main characters individually, but also seeing their dynamics between each other and within the society they live in. I absolutely adored Nadi throughout and feel like she definitely provided some of the best moments in the book.


The Midnight Bargain draws some interesting, but painfully relevant, parallels between our world and Beatrice's world inrelation to sexism, misogyny and womens autonomy.

Polk has such a wonderful way making me feel like I was fully immersed in Beatrice's world and life. Between the magic system and relationship between characters, this feels like a solid book either stand alone or to start a series. The only downside to this book is that I felt the pacing was a little bit off in places, but I adored the plot and the characters which is why this is a 4 ☆