I want to start off by saying the Nutcracker isn't my favorite Christmas story, but I was willing to give this retelling a try.
Sadly, this story ended up not working for me. I didn't connect to any of the characters, and while the setting of Everwood is described wonderfully, that was about the only thing I enjoyed from the story.
I also wanted to point out that this reads a lot more like a YA book but is apparently classed as an adult novel.

I'd be willing to give this author another try in the future, but this one was a no for me.
Overall, 2 out of 5 stars.

Midnight in Everwood is a dark fractured fairytale retelling of The Nutcracker.

This one started off strong for me with its glittery and delectable writing and reminded me of many things I loved from the Bridgerton TV show, but I hit a solid WALL after about 40%, when Marietta reached Everwood, or the Nutcracker world.

While I originally liked her writing with all of the food descriptors, it quickly turned excessive and sickly sweet, and I felt like I couldn’t read a single sentence without being inundated with descriptions of chocolate this, caramel that, butterscotch everything. It became way too much. The author’s writing style also seemed like she was trying to use EVERY word in the thesaurus, and while I am a sucker for a well-crafted sentence with biting and descriptive words, the way in which this author wrote came across as stilted and gave the book poor flow. Character developments and plot holes seemed to abound once we reached Everwood, and I found myself caring little for how the story would end.

Thank you to Netgalley for the e-ARC!

I was completely captivated by this Nutcracker retelling! Richly detailed with complex characters, this dark, sugar crusted, magical tale will enchant you. I especially enjoyed reading this book at Christmas time and will enjoy rereading it next year.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper 360 for access to this arc.

Whimsical and wintry. Perfect for this time of year.

Marietta dreams of being a ballerina. While her parents indulge her by letting her take ballet lessons, they would never allow her to actually become a ballerina. It would mar the family name. She is to marry for for wealth and status. That is her duty.
When she first meets Dr. Drosselmeier, she is fascinated by his inventions. They are magical. Until she realizes his magic is of the dark sort.

This is a magical retelling of the Nutcracker. I really enjoyed the characters. Especially the friendships.

This was a magical fairy tale story. I know the music of The Nutcracker but nothing else. I can’t really compare this book to that. The book really reminded me of a fairy tale, with the magical castle, woods and the mean King.
I enjoyed the story
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the early copy

Thank you NetGalley, Harper Collins 360, and M.A. Kuzniar for an arc of this book in exchange for an honest review! This is an adult retelling of the Nutcracker. Before reading, I wasn’t too aware of the story, as I’ve only seen the ballet once as a kid and don’t remember much from it.

I originally picked up this book because of this cover, which is gorgeous! While reading I absolutely loved the writing style. I can understand why some readers wouldn’t like it, but to me it seemed very magical and made the book read like a fairytale. My biggest complaint about the novel is the the characters felt very one-dimensional and I never felt close to any of them. I liked learning about Marietta, our main character, and seeing what she goes through, but I never connected to her like I would have liked to. I also thought the pacing was slow and it took me longer to get through than most books would considering it’s winter break.

I loved learning about Everwood and ballet throughout the book. The romance was also very sweet and I enjoyed the ending. I recommend this one to fans of The Nutcracker, but I can see why some people wouldn’t enjoy it. I’m giving it 3 stars because of my mixed opinions, but I’m glad I read it, especially near Christmas time! It’s a good Christmas read and got me even more excited for the holiday ❄️

‘Only the most magical things happen at midnight. When mortal folk are dreaming, safe in their beds, it is then that the sprites and goblins creep out and the air crackles with wild magic.’

A wonderful Nutcracker retelling! A bit of a slow start but picks up and is a whimsical, dreamy, wintery fairytale. The author’s writing is just beautiful. The perfect Christmas or Winter read!

4.5 stars

Perfect for fans of Narnia and E.T.A. Hoffman's The Nutcracker, Midnight in Everwood is a deliciously atmospheric retelling that should be read under a blanket with a mug of hot chocolate at the ready.

Kuzniar captures the fairy tale quality of the original Nutcracker story beautifully, brilliantly bringing to life both the world of Edwardian England that Marietta inhabits and the magical realm of Celesta that she falls into. The prose is so remarkably descriptive that whenever I would stop reading, it felt like I physically had to transport myself out of the world Kuzniar created.

Honestly, the only thing that I could complain about is something that is just a personal preference for me. Because of the inspiration that this book takes, events happen to our heroine Marietta without as much of a deep dive into her thoughts and feelings as I would like. However, Kuzniar does a good enough job of giving us that through Marietta's dialogue with other characters that this issue ended up being somewhat mitigated for me.

If I had to describe this book in five words or less, it would have be "a perfect winter read." I can absolutely see myself picking up a finished copy of this book and reading it annually at Christmastime for years to come.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper360 (HQ) for an ARC of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review!

Provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

If you’re looking for a book to get you into the Christmas Spirit, look no further. This is a retelling of the Nutcracker that will make you truly feel excited for the holiday season.

I immediately noticed that this is one of the most atmospheric books I’ve read this year. It’s wintery with many descriptions of food, smells, candy, cakes and sweets. The setting of this book also contributes to this element, as part of this book is set in a town where the houses and furniture are made out of gingerbread and the castle is made out of sugar. I truly felt like I was walking through a magical winter wonderland while reading this book. However, this is more of a dark fairytale, and I would say there are a lot of similarities to Alice in Wonderland and Hansel and Gretel as well. Though things looks sugary sweet and magical on the outside, there is a more rotten darkness at the core of the setting in this book.

One issue I personally had with this story is that although the book is set in 1906, there were a lot of comments or mentions of current social issues that I do not feel truly reflected the era of this book. When I read fantasy or historical fiction, I do not like to see modern ideas or political or social issues in the story as it takes away from the escapism or accuracy of the time piece.

I also think the characters could have been a little more fleshed-out. Many of them seemed two-dimensional, and I would like to see their deeper personalities and motivations.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book! It was super atmospheric and I would recommend it to anyone for a cute, quick, magical read during this holiday season.

I have received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Long story short, I know next to nothing about the Nutcracker. Mostly because I don't know ballet, but I do know that it was turned into a movie. Or maybe mentioned in movies? Either way, I know it exists I just don't know much about it. Until now.

Entering into the magical world within Midnight in Everwood. Honestly, it was a pretty good book. I do think that it started off a bit slow for me but thankfully things picked up. It also introduced me to some unlikable characters. Mostly the guys because they just rubbed me the wrong way.

As for the rest of the characters, Marietta and Legat were my favorites. Well, mostly Legat if I'm being completely honest here. He just made things so much better in my eyes and I couldn't help but ship them. Their adventure brought them closer to one another and I just really enjoyed their teamwork when it came to certain foes.

In the end, I'm a little disappointed. I thought things were going to end one way and it went the complete opposite. So, I'm shocked and wondering why. I still enjoyed the book though.

DNF’ed at 20%

I wanted to love this, and it pains me when I have to leave a negative review. This book has all the ingredients for an epic retelling. If only the author had added more layers and depth to these characters, with the rich world-building…This story could’ve been incredible. However lavishing prose is not enough to keep my interest piqued.

Thank you Harper360 and netgalley for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Midnight in Everwood is a magical Nutcracker retelling. The prose was beautiful and it fit perfectly with the fairytale theme. The pace was a littler slower but I still found the story engaging.

I did struggle a bit to connect with the main character Marietta. She was definitely one of those I have to try and fail myself to believe you. Sometimes I found it frustrating but I did think towards the end she showed growth. I did love the forbidden love aspect that is later introduced in the story. It isn’t the main focus of the story but it did add another nice layer. I do wish there had been a little bit more to the villains in the story. Beyond that they just seemed to be the we are bad just because kind of evil. I wish there had been more into how they got their powers or why they they decided to use them for evil. The last few chapters were definitely my favorite they flew by and the ending was pretty satisfying.

Overall I still recommend this book if you are a fan of whimsical fairytales and looking for a darker retelling of The Nutcracker.

An Edwardian ballet dancer has to give up her dreams when a new and mysterious neighbor proposes marriage, delighting her parents. However, the man isn't what he seems and her steadfast refusal to his charms finds her transported to an alternate world where winter reigns and magic delights. Once there, she must find her way through the wicked king, his lavish balls and an admiring captain to help herself and other women escape back to their own worlds.

This was very lyrical, the prose was very fitting with the winter wonderland setting and I liked the focus on the women working together to escape!

Such a beautiful, thought-provoking read. A perfect blend of the story we know with new, lush elements that keep the pages turning.

This was one of my most anticipated books this year, and it was honestly worth the wait of obtaining it. I loved the way that Kuzniar used pieces of the original Nutcracker tale (and not just the ballet), as well as the world she crafted around the classic tale. This was a charming book, with tons of great visuals and the romance was very sweet, and fantastical.

Thank you so much to NetGalley & Harper 360, HQ for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

When I first came across this book it only had a description, and I was hooked. I can honestly say this is one of the best descriptions for a retelling I've ever come across, I was 100% sold.

Unfortunately, this let me down so hard. When I first started this, my expectations were sky high. I think it was the fact that this had been on my TBR for so long. Once I started reading this, it turned out to be so much slower paced than I thought. Not necessarily a bad thing, but I tried to lower my expectations anyways, and I was still disappointed.

If there's one thing this book did get right, it would have to be the world and magic. This was SO atmospheric and beautifully created. Even though I ended up not connecting that much to Marietta and her story, the world M.A. Kuzniar created alone was gorgeous and I would love to read something else set here.

Even though this was a disappointment, I haven't seen The Nutcrackers since I was a young girl and really don't remember it. After reading this though, I would love to see the play or read another book based on this retelling.

The only saving grace of this book is that the side characters know that the main character is stupid. Marietta finds herself in a magical land and is told several times to leave. Does she listen to people who live there? No, because she's a rebel without a cause. So I didn't feel sympathy when she got caught in a gilded cage. There is romance because, of course, someone falls in love with her.

Review based on an advanced reader copy provided through Netgalley for an honest review.

This was a treat to read, and I genuinely enjoyed this retelling of the Nutcracker. I try to find every retelling I can as it is one of my favorite stories, and I was so excited to be able to read Midnight in Everwood for a review! The details and descriptions were lush and delicious, and I could pick out the references to the original, but it was unique and kept my interest. I wish the romance was little more developed, but it didn't bother me so much as it wasn't the focus of the book. There were times I felt like the novel needed more plot polishing. The beginning with Drosselmeir felt like there was a 180 all of a sudden. And much of the action seemed rushed. I'm planning on purchasing this book for myself!

DNF for now. The writing style is just too dense for my liking. I think I would have enjoyed the whimsical setting, but prefer more modern tales and writing styles. I may go back to it another time.

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley and am voluntarily posting a review. All opinions are my own.

I first heard about Midnight in Everwood back in January of this year, when Gavin (How to Train Your Gavin) sang its praises. https://youtu.be/M65vLc7tmE0 And it definitely lived up to the hype he generated. While I’m only superficially familiar with The Nutcracker, I found the magic and whimsy of this story beautiful and immersive.

I really liked Marietta, and rooted for her. I love her determination to follow her dreams, even while others are determined to push convention on her, in the form of marriage and domesticity. She does find love, but it’s not one that leads to her losing herself or giving up on her dreams, a great contrast to the man her parents are trying to force on her. And the friendships between Marietta and other women in the story are wonderful, and incredibly empowering.

I loved the gradual, transportive world-building. Starting off in Edwardian London, with Marietta’s grim future awaiting her, it seamlessly moves into the world of Everwood, which evokes Narnia-esque vibes, sending the protagonist on an adventure while no time passes in the real world. Gradually, the layers are peeled back to reveal the darkness beneath the veil of loveliness, and it’s incredibly well done.

This book is pure perfection, and would make a great addition to your holiday reading (although it should be noted that, while it’s out in ebook, it’s not out in print in the US until January 25th).