3.8!

| Particularly, I believe that the story itself is very simple and some little things bothered me a little while reading, like the miss communication between the protagonists, chapters were little too long and really slow; and the slightly exaggerated references to Taylor's songs (I love her songs, but in my opinion they could have been a little more subtle).

| In summary, it's a good story for that weekend you want to entertain yourself a little. I liked it for making me feel young again with all the boarding school setting and I adored Alex! He is such a great character and the bond with Lily, they were adorable.
So, despite off some negative points, the book brings gender representation and addresses topics not often portrayed such as diabetes and its various levels, which was things that I really think are positive points here.

I enjoyed this book however it did take me a while to really get into because of the pacing at the beginning but once it picked up I was really engaged. I do wish it was longer though at least the climax of the story. I really enjoy this authors writing style and the Taylor Swift references scattered throughout.

High school senior Lily Hopper is two weeks away from graduation when she is tapped by the unknown "Jester" to be a part of the school's senior prank team. When the Jester turns out to be Lily's ex-boyfriend, Tag, she realizes she must spend from dusk to dawn with him carrying out the senior prank. With a great friend group and plenty of Taylor Swift and movie references, this was a fun second-chance YA romance.

i enjoyed this book quite a bit but honestly i wish the synopsis would have revealed less than it did! i would recommend going into this book mostly blind. the romance was very cute and i would like to say i'm normally not a fan of second chance romance but i think it really depends on why it didn't work the first time, and the way it went down in this book i wasn't mad about it! the adventure part was fun but i kind of wished it had been set up more like a mystery or like we could follow along with the clues and what they meant? but it was impossible to do that because most of the clues just led to specific places on their campus that as the reader, we don't know because we don't go to that school ahaha i feel like it would have been more fun for it to be like generalized clues that we could play along with! i wasn't a huge fan of some of the events near the ending but at the core of it i enjoyed the characters and the pacing!

A short & sweet read. Super entertaining and the storyline was easy to follow. Definitely a coming of age story with a cute little kick of second chance romance. I think the book is for a very specific audience so if you do not enjoy YA romance you this book might not be your cup go tea. Overall, a very cute story of two teenagers in their final year of high school coming together to pull the ultimate prank. I was a fan of all the Taylor Swift references.

Thanks to net galley and sourcebooks fire for the gifted copy!

What happens after midnight was another fun read by KL Walther! This gave all the cozy, young adult romance vibes, complete with the teen angst but also the lower stakes drama. If you liked the whimsicality of The Summer of Broken Rules, you’ll definitely like this one, too! Thanks to NetGalley for the arc.

I also enjoyed that Tag was a type 1 diabetic, because it’s always great to see more representation out there (and an accurate portrayal of diabetes as well).

I loved this author’s first book and was so happy with book two! I think that the way that this author deals with sensitive issues in a very good and comfortable way. The plot line along with the characters themselves were very well thought out and introduced in a very cohesive way! The writing is addictively readable and flows so quickly these books are easy to binge in one or two sittings.

I was luck enough to get an ARC of this author’s next book coming out this fall and I’m so ready to jump into that story too! I will definitely be recommending this book to fellow YA readers.

I normally love YA books so I was really looking forward to What Happens After Midnight. I had high hopes for the senior prank that takes place at a boarding school.

Unfortunately, I was I completely bored while reading this book. I kept waiting for something exciting to happen but it never did. The prank was fairly tame but also very lame.

There might be readers who really enjoy this book. I was just not one of them.

"You don't know what's going to happen... But I'm ready for it."

This was cute, and honestly all of the Taylor Swift & Schitt's Creek references added to the youthful feel and overall high-school vibes that the book was trying to portray.

My biggest annoyance I suppose and what kept me from being fully invested in the story and giving it more stars, is just that I already knew what was going to happen. The synopsis basically lays the entire plot out for you, and nothing is really left to be "revealed." Which is fine in a sense, but it really took a lot of the excitement out of the story for me, which was a bit of a bummer.

What Happens After Midnight was published on June 27, 2023. Thank you to Sourcebooks Fire, NetGalley and the author for the digital advanced copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thank you Netgalley for an electronic advanced readers copy!

What Happens After Midnight is a young adult novel that takes place at a boarding school in America. The plot revolves around an elusive prankster, who is responsible for pulling a major senior year prank. This prankster has previously been in a relationship with our main character, and there is hope for a second chance romance to occur. (this is all on the back of the book so don't worry! no spoilers!)

Let's start with what I liked. I felt fully immersed in the setting of this book. The elite boarding school had extensive grounds that get explored throughout the plot. The way the story was set up stood out to me as well. There was a "before" and "after", which felt unique to the plot and what the author was attempting to convey.

Unfortunately, a few things kept me from fully loving my reading experience. Nostalgia was a major element of this book, yet I felt it wasn't effectively portrayed. Instead of yearning alongside the main character, I felt like I was trying to follow along with an over-the-phone conversation between a person sitting next to me and the elusive person on the other side of their phone. In addition, the pacing felt inconsistent across the novel. Parts felt fast while other parts dragged on.

Overall, I would recommend this book to people who enjoy YA books that take place during senior year of high school, dark academia settings, and second chance romance.

What Happens after Midnight is the newest book by K.L Walther.

It tells us a cute, adventurous story about Lilly and her ex-boyfriend Tag. They are in the last 2 weeks before summerbreak at the boarding school and are planning an end-of-year-prank. We follow them in their of discovering their old love and planning and doing the prank.

It was a fun summer read. For me it was a bit boring at some points in the book. I didn’t feel the vibe of the story at the beginning. That makes this book a 3 star read for me. Bonus points: I loved all the Taylor Swift references :)

The Taylor Swift quotes and references were the highlight of this book for me. As a feel Swifty, I love seeing characters use these quotes to describe how they feel during the story. K.L. Walther's books are a warm hug in the best way! I did enjoy Walther's other book (The Summer of Broken Rules), but this was amazing all on its own!

Special thanks to NetGalley for the e-ARC! I also bought myself a finished copy.

Given how much I enjoyed Walther's sophomore novel The Summer of Broken Rules, it's no surprise that What Happens After Midnight was a highly anticipated read for me. Like in Broken Rules, this story features a fun cast of characters involved in a game and a romance at its center. My favorite thing about this story has to be the setting: a boarding school! I'm a sucker for boarding school stories (see: my obsession with House of Anubis c. 2011). I felt like I was pulling a prank along with the characters as Walther took us from one location to another. If you're a fan of second chance romance, mother-daughter relationships, and games, this is the book for you!

Lily Hopper has two weeks left of her senior year at her boarding school. She’s starting to worry she didn’t let herself have enough fun. When the anonymous jester invites her to be part of the senior prank team, it’s her chance to let loose and break some rules for once. Just one problem, he turns out to be her ex-boyfriend, Tag.

This book is so much fun that I suddenly wonder why I never wanted to go to boarding school. I love the campus, the faculty, the mismatched pranksters, and the annual hijinks.

Although the students are the main focus, I couldn’t help but adore the relationship between Lily and her mother. It’s very Gilmore Girls-ish and I couldn’t get enough. This type of thought always makes me feel old, but I would love a book about the adults from the school!

I can’t forget to tell you all about Tag and Lily and their second chance romance. Teenagers that were once in love and are now broken up? Of course, there’s going to be a lack of communication at play. However, they actually acknowledge it and own up to their mistakes. It was so nice to see.

Read this book for:
-teenage love
-Schitts Creek references (if you like that sort of thing)
-middle of the night escapades
-diabetes rep
-boarding school
-mother/daughter relationship

Thank you netgalley and Sourcebooks Fire for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

While I feel like K. L. Walther's technical writing has improved since her last book, The Summer of Broken Rules, What Happens After Midnight missed the mark for me. It lacked the immersive atmosphere that made The Summer of Broken Rules so special. I felt like the plot dragged on and was a bit slow paced for my taste. I also never got attached to the characters. Nonetheless, I would still recommend this book to a young adult reader who is looking for an adventurous story.

Thank you Netgalley, SOURCEBOOKS Fire, and K. L. Walther for the digital ARC.

What Happens After Midnight is available out now.

You know me: I’m a sucker for a good boarding school setting. I had so much fun with this one! I could feel the campus’ atmosphere and loved how the author used it for the book’s plot, as well. From the teachers’ houses to the forests, from the beach to the buildings, I just felt transported and really really enjoyed that setting, overall.
Set over the course of one night, What Happens At Midnight is a highly entertaining YA contemporary book overall. I had no time to get bored, always wondering what would happen next and if this senior prank would get done well, as well. It was a super fun read!
If ex-best friends to lovers to exes to second chance romance sounds like your thing… well, add What Happens After Midnight to your TBR! The romance was, for me, one of the highlights of this story. I really enjoyed Lily and Tag’s chemistry, their interactions, their messy feelings… obviously, they’re teenagers and it was filled with misunderstandings, at times. Yet, I could feel for them and really, really rooted for them.
Another highlight of this story was the relationship between Lily and her mother. Even if I kind of wish we got to spend a bit more time with them two, I got some kind of gilmore girls vibes from them and I really loved that!
The friendships were a wonderful addition to the story. I loved their little group so much, exactly the kind of fun squad goal I like to read about in my contemporary reads.
If you’re a Taylor Swift fan, you should LOVE all of the references in the book… I know I did!

If you’re looking for a fun, entertaining YA contemporary book, I’d recommend What Happens At Midnight. Loved the boarding school setting, the characters, the romance and the lovely mother-daughter relationship, as well. Can’t wait, once again, to read more from this author!

This was a fun second chance YA romance between two former flames, Lily and Tag who team up to help plan and pull off an epic senior prank. I really enjoyed the disability rep in this book. I hadn't realized there was such good Type 1 diabetes rep and loved how well that was depicted in the book. Full of adventure, romance and just overall tons of fun. Another hit from K.L. Walther. Highly recommended, especially if you enjoyed her last book, The summer of broken rules. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy in exchange for my honest review!

This was SUCH a fun read! Lilly reminds me so much of my high school self. I was definitely the good girl afraid of breaking the rules in case her parents found out 😂 Tag is so much fun. And the rest of their crew is great too! I loved all the shenanigans they got up to in their effort to leave a scavenger hunt of clues to the stolen yearbooks for their senior prank. I love group pranks and I love scavenger hunts so this one was right up my alley. There is also some solid diabetes rep in here and I feel like that’s something that doesn’t happen often so that was great too.

If you’re looking for some laugh out loud lighthearted high school fun with a second chance romance you have to check this one out!

Reminiscent of Today Tonight Tomorrow by Rachel Solomon, What Happens After Midnight is a fun and cozy read about two main characters looking for a second chance -- at their relationship, at their legacy, at what they wish high school would have been like. Between the Taylor Swift and Schitt's Creek references, I was already sold. However, the characters were so great that I would have been anyway. I loved how they were exploring who they were alone and together. I loved the scavenger hunt they were putting together. I loved that it happened all in one night. I love that it was a second chance for the characters to reconnect. I adored the Diabetes rep. I loved the mother daughter relationship (also reminiscent of Gilmore Girls!) and the fun of living near the beach and the school campus. Was there anything I didn't love about the book? I think a few aspects were a bit unrealistic but I don't think you pick up a book like this to be realistic -- you read it to have fun, to imagine the suspense, to laugh, to read a cozy, feel good read. If that's what you're looking for, you'll love this book as much as I did. Definitely the perfect fall or end of spring read!

Lily has always felt like she follows the rules too closely and wants to end her senior year with a bang. So, when she's asked to participate in the much-anticipated school prank from the unknown "jester" she takes that leap. What follows is a night that she certainly won't forget...

I think this is a story that my students would enjoy - drama, angst, and comedy are rolled into the novel. There was some language choice that I can see my students rolling their eyes at because they would never use it but I think they'd get wrapped in the story and the "will they/won't they" of Lily and Tag's relationship. I also really appreciated the diabetes representation. Overall, it was a cute story, but I did know everything that was going to happen based on the synopsis so there weren't any real surprises.