The Night Shift is a character-focussed slice-of-life drama in New York City which also just so happens to be a time-portal fantasy. It’s a beautiful cocktail that’s brimming with hope, and is sure to leave you with a smile on your face and a glow in your heart.

The story centres around Jean, a young woman who struggles to let people in, and who works nights in a Manhattan bar. She keeps life at arms length so she doesn’t have to deal with her troubled past. But when a workmate goes missing, she blames herself and starts searching for him. In the process, she stumbles on the best kept secret in New York — a series of portals, or “shortcuts,” that can transfer you anywhere in the city, even back in time — but more importantly, she’ll find a way to grow beyond the shackles of her past, and learn how to really live.

Jean is likeable and relatable, and I had no trouble rooting for her through the book. Every time she used a “shortcut” across the city, she glimpsed a snapshot of her past, and these flashes really added depth to her character.

The fact the story leans so heavily into its characters is really refreshing, because time-portal fiction has a tendency to be so intricately plotted that the characters can get a little lost in the mix. But that’s not the case here. If anything, this swings the other way, and there’s barely a hint of scientific explanation though the story. It’s the softest of sci-fi, but that’s what makes it work.

There’s a charm about the book that sucks you in. It somehow manages to revolve around hidden time-portals, while still feeling like a coming-of-age drama about a woman who gets a new job at a bakery. There’s something so innocent and sweet about the whole flavour of this book, that it radiates warmth from every page. The way Jean grows as a person and learns to overcome her trauma is just as exciting as any leap through time.

I was impressed by the way the plot unfolded. It was so gently and deftly done, and the puzzle at the heart of the book such a delicate one, that it could easily have come over as eye-rollingly convoluted in less skilful hands. Instead, the conceit behind the story is so perfect, I was able to just sit back and enjoy the ride. It’s so easy to get lost in this book. In a way, it transports you to New York faster than any “shortcut” and it successfully grounds you in the night life of the world’s most famous city. I adored it.

The Night Shift is sweeter than a slice of New York cheesecake, and just as delicious and addictive. When it’s done, you’ll crave one more mouthful. It’s a nostalgic, joyful, transportive, and elegant book which will move you to embrace life’s many wonders, and will definitely take a “shortcut” to your heart.

This novel is scheduled for publication on July 12 of 2022. Harlequin Trade Publishing provided me an early galley to read in exchange for an honest review.

As a music fanatic, I really appreciated the author's various references to new-wave and alternative bands and songs. It gives the whole novel a built-in sort of soundtrack.

I have always had a fascination with New York City, starting from when I was a kid reading comic books and watching TV and movies. It always seemed like a vibrant, mythical place. The author captures that element of energy and mystery here. In my early 20's, I got the opportunity to visit the city a couple times and would always be open for returns there again.

What drew me into this book was the concept of these "shortcuts" in the city. They start out as a very mysterious, almost mystical concept that moves the story quickly from contemporary urban fiction into one that is fantastical. I think the idea is very genius and thus an intriguing foundation upon which to build the story of the characters involved.

Just as the shortcuts tend to leave the passers-through a bit disoriented, there were places in the narration where I as a reader felt that way. I am not sure that was the author's intention. That feeling seemed to pass as the story got back into the groove once more. Things really pick up when Jean and her various acquaintances band together to attempt to make everything right. The ending of the story seemed to pull together very quickly; I almost would have preferred some trimming of the earlier chapters to give the ending some space to breathe.

I felt like this started off really slowly, to the point where I forgot I was waiting for the shortcuts to be introduced and the book to get exciting. The heavy emphasis on Jean's jobs and daily struggle felt stretched out. I wanted more out of the ending too as it felt a bit rushed at the end and I felt like I deserved a bigger payout.

Kindly received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

When Jean flees to anonymity in New York, she has no idea how her new life will be anything but the bland, inconspicuous existence she imagines. Natalka Burian’s The Night Shift is an intensely engaging story that more than lives up to its cover blurb. Part thriller, part science fiction/fantasy, it’s peopled with true, imperfect characters whose agendas and backgrounds emerge throughout a sometimes gritty tale of space-time travel and its effects on the travelers as well as the wider world, interwoven with contemporary lives molded by personal histories. Like the shortcuts Jean discovers, The Night Shift pulls you in and leaves you wanting to see what happens next.

THE NIGHT SHIFT was a very interesting and intriguing story.
A truly powerful story that had me up late at night reading to finish this book.
The characters I absolutely loved. Jean was a favorite and talk about strong. She kicked ass here.
This book has a very interesting storyline that had me wanting more of it.
Y'all will just have to read this for yourself. I personally thought it was amazing and very well written.

“I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.”

Harlequin Trade Publishing, Park Row,
Thank You for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!
I will post my review closer to pub date.