Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

My Selling Pitch:
Do you want to read about Island witches with a magic system that doesn't even attempt to make sense? Do you like barely enemies to lovers insta love romance?

Pre-reading:
The cover-stunning. I forget how this book got put on my radar, but I'm glad it did. Let's suffer through some more fantasy, eh?

Thick of it:
It’s giving Martha’s Vineyard, but make her magic

Scorpio Races vibes

She's not like other girls. She can't do makeup.

Wow, she's cliche, but I like her. We love a forced proximity marriage of convenience. (That is not this book.)

I don’t trust Landon. I've read ACOTAR lol. (Suspicions unfounded.)

Is this gonna be sapphic??? (No.)

He's a house husband.

Oh my god, that is not his name.

The time setting of this book makes no sense. It's modern fashion but minimal electricity and showers. Cars, but not on the island. Like she can't pick a lane.

What's with this religious nonsense? This is literally a book about witches.

Wow, girl dinner.

Okay, Feyre.

Low t as in low testosterone? (You're not funny, Samantha.)

She said goth makeup over natural girl makeup superiority. But remember guys, she hates makeup.

A homesteading goth lesbian wedding?

They have phones??? Since when. They don’t use them.

A suicidal bird.

So basically you violated her DNR and you’re trying to justify that. That’s not up to you to decide.

Do they know what atoms and cells are in this universe?

This universe’s world-building makes no sense. If you can exchange a nothing animal like a bird for a human life why would the magic users be hidden and not rulers?

I know that's supposed to be romantic, but that's just dumb. Burn the world to see her face? Like c’mon. At least burn it for pussy, my dude.

Oh, I didn't think this was gonna be a shenanigans book. Your dad’s just chill with you bringing a girl home? Before marriage?

He made her magical noise-canceling headphones lol.

She has extra magic because she has swimmers ear lol.

Well, they slept together before marriage and it's a YA, so time for him to betray her.

Love isn't pain. Why am I reading so many books with this mindset lately? Get help y’all. Your peaked in high school relationships with man-childs ain’t it.

A different smell love interest

A Confederate flag defender

This is a standalone, and yet I feel like half the book is just repeating what’s already happened to the reader.

I just want you to imagine that you get into a fight with this dude, and he just like leaps into the sea. That’s like walking away from an argument in flip-flops.

That's kinda gross that your mom fucked his dad and they like still flirt.

They have ambulances, but not EpiPens.

A Sam!

hellebores

Why do they keep picking these flowers? Don’t they need these flowers? Shouldn’t they be growing a ton of them in like a very protected greenhouse? This book makes no sense.

Post-reading:
This book was bad. This book’s plot relies entirely on a magic system that makes zero sense. You have magic that can raise the dead and somehow the ruling powers that be haven’t conscripted that for themselves and their armies or even just their hospitals? You have a whole group of people turning down big magic to make tourist tchotchkes so that the tourists won’t murder them? Make it make sense. They’re on an island and somehow everyone uses the same plumbing system so that they can dose the town with magical fluoride? They need flowers to do magic, but there are no greenhouses producing these suckers.

The book never explains why the governor even wants this marriage. So he can tax the island? He could tax it without nuptials. Why does he even need the money?

The technology and time period in this book make no sense. You have modern fashion and cosmetics, but no cars, and some houses don’t even have electricity. A character references atoms and cells. They have landlines, but no internet and cellphones. They have hospitals, but no epipens.

The characters’ names are bonkers. It’s peak fantasy YA that our love interest is a dark-haired boy named Wolfe.

The book continuously repeats or summarizes information that the reader just read. I don’t need a flashback. It was like two chapters ago, god.

It’s barely enemies to lovers.

There’s nothing good about this book, but it’s polished enough that it is readable. That is a low fucking bar. Skip it. You’ll miss nothing.

Who should read this:
Witch and magic YA girlies
YA mermaid girlies

Do I want to reread this:
No

Similar books:
* Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater-magical realism, Island magic
* The Jasad Heir by Sara Hashem-enemies to lovers fantasy romance, forbidden magic, gaslighting family
* The Witch and the Vampire by Francesca Flores-barely enemies to lovers fantasy romance, gaslighting mom
* Fourth Wing by Rebecca Ross-barely enemies to lovers fantasy romance, gaslighting mom

A great atmospheric read! This is one of those books that just sucks you in and you can't stop reading. It had an intriguing plot and the world building was on point. Definitely recommend.

A perfectly brilliant and magical story of witches, duty, love, and family!

Tana has always known her destiny as a Fairchild; marry Landon, the governor’s son, to unite the island (witches) and the mainland (non magic). She’s even excited to play such an important role for her coven’s safety. But when she meets Wolfe from the old coven whom she’d always known to be extinct, he opens her eyes and her heart to something new and different. Now Tana must choose between the boy who stole her heart and the duty she’s sworn to uphold for the safety of her coven.

Such a beautiful exploration of duty vs heart with incredible voice and atmosphere. The writing was stunning and I love how many beautiful quotes were penned in this story. SO many heartfelt truths paired with gorgeous imagery set in the PNW with a beautiful magic system I want so badly to be a part of. Each character has such depth and layers and I loved how the story revealed every one. The pace was steady and emotional and I couldn’t put it down!!

Fans of Rachel Griffin’s other novels will adore this newest story.

I absolutely loved this book! Incredibly atmospheric, as well as romantic. I love that we once again get to tackle the topic of climate change through the fantasy land of witchcraft. The topic of good versus evil magic, and high vs low magic wrapped up in the romance between are two main characters made it to see all that much more exciting. I absolutely recommend this to everyone.

What I liked about the book:

1. As a nature lover, I loved how key their land and ocean was to their magic system and their history. The descriptions of the overflowing plant life in the towns, the infusion of magic into every day items like perfume and tea, and the way everything in their magic revolved around nature itself was so interesting to me. I’ve read a lot of books about covens recently, and I can honestly say this was a perfect representation of what I would want if I were a witch. It was refreshing, lush, and beautiful.

I also really liked how Tana described her feelings of the ocean and how being in it blocked out all her worries, fears, and pressures, as the ocean was so majestic that it’s “quiet” blocked out her loud thoughts. This is exactly how I feel about the ocean as well and could not have expressed it better myself.

2. Tana was such a wonderful character. While I battled with my feelings with her at first, always going along with what her family said and what she had been told was her duty, she did not let them control her ultimately. With small steps, she left behind the rules and guidelines that had been carved out for her in search of knowledge. Several times she remarked about wanting to know the truth, even if it hurt or wasn’t what she wanted to hear, as that was better than lies and ignorance. I can’t help but fall in love with a character who values knowledge over ignorance, especially when she was so humble and polite learning everything new about the “dark magic” world. And when she found her purpose??? GODS so good!

3. Wolfe was…amazing! He was everything I wanted in a MMC for Tana and much, much more. He saw that she was not vapid and taught her more about magic than she could ever dream, he showed her concrete proof of the things she wanted to know, and he ultimately fell to his knees for the girl he was never supposed to love. He was tough but sweet, guarded but vulnerable, and overall her perfect match.

4. I liked how Landon was a legitimately good guy and one of the first people to be honest with Tana. Because of their relationship and how he treated her, this didn’t really feel like a love-triangle book, which was great because how could she not end up with the guy named Wolfe???

5. I loved Tana’s dad and how sweet he was, even when she didn’t always walk the path her mother wanted. I also loved her best friend Ivy and how she came through for Tana in so many ways. While I wasn’t the biggest fan of Tana’s mother, I did enjoy the little history snip about her and Galen (haha!)

6. The writing was fantastic. It had an easy flow, and had the perfect amount of lush descriptors and intrigue. I also like the cover with all the symbols I didn’t notice at first, even if she looks like Lindsay Lohan!

7. There were so many quotes that were to DIE FOR!!! I can't wait for you all to read them!!!


What could have been better:

1. If I have to get nitpicky, the beginning was a little slow for my taste. It quickly resolved itself and very much probably has to do with the frame of mind I was in when I started the book. Obviously, it didn’t last long or hinder too much since I couldn’t put the book down once I started it!


Final Thoughts: If you like young adult/fantasy/romances, check this one out immediately!

Rating: 5 stars

There is something about Griffin’s writing that ropes me in every time. I’m such a sucker for witchy stories. While it doesn’t give the full witch vibes, because of the circumstances, it’s still so good. I love the writing and the way the story unravels. I ate this one up in about 24 hours and couldn’t keep my head out of this book. It was so good.

With every book she writes, Rachel Griffin just gets better. I loved Wild is the Witch, but I absolutely adored Bring Me Your Midnight. I adored every page. You guys, this book made me cry. If you know anything about me, you should know I don’t cry easily from reading, so for a book to move me enough to make me cry (and more than once!) is a huge feat, and for me is one of the markers of a truly excellent novel (well, I don’t expect comedies to make me cry, obviously).

What isn’t there to love about this book? Griffin already had the talent for world building and writing stunningly beautiful prose that evokes the natural and lush landscapes her books tend to take place in (in Wild is the Witch it was forests, and in this book it’s a gorgeous island redolent in meadows, idyllic forests, and a picturesque shoreline). For the magic system world building in this story she seems to have upped her game and stretched her muscles a bit into a wider stretch of the paranormal than her previous books, but it’s used very well and to great effect.

The storyline itself is not only interesting but it’s a sweeping, gothic, romantic fantasy that I gladly sunk into, letting the familiarity of an “arranged marriage for the sake of politics” trope alongside the “FMC has doubts because she really hoped her husband would love her and she doesn’t want to leave her friends and family” trope run along as it get swept up in intrigue over a parable about climate change, cults of personality, and how you can’t make people change their way of thinking with facts. People change their ways of thinking with their hearts.

The main characters in this book, Wolfe and Mortana, are absolutely wonderful. Watching them come together, both capricious and cautious at the same, is a delight. The beautiful and sad subplot of Mortana’s and Lily’s friendship was especially moving for me. The constant looming date of Mortana’s marriage to Landon, the son of the mainland’s governor, is also something that evoked a lot of emotion in me. I’d tell you why, but spoilers abound.

All in all, it’s a gorgeous book that’s elegant and wonderfully written. An excellent novel all-around.

I was provided a copy of this title by NetGalley and the author. All thoughts, opinions, views, and ideas expressed herein are mine and mine alone. Thank you.

File Under: 5 Star Review/Fantasy/Romantasy/Gothic/Paranormal Fantasy/Paranormal Romance/YA Fantasy/YA Fantasy Romance

Bring Me Your Midnight is my favorite Rachel Griffin book so far! It was atmospheric; coastal, magical & witchy! It felt like reading a dream at times.

Just incredible. Griffin is such a talented writer and the story she built in this novel was immensely beautiful. I would read this book again and again just to live a little longer in this world.

I was provided an ARC of this book via Netgalley, all opinions are my own. Thank you to Sourcebooks Fire for letting me read all of Rachel Griffin's books early, I have loved them all!

If you have enjoyed Griffin's previous YA books featuring witchy romances, you are going to enjoy this as well. This is a standalone, so you don't have to read her previous books, but if you have you will see similar themes of nature, magic and romance woven into the story. It by no means is a duplicate of the author's previous works.

This follows Tana, daughter of the leader of the local witch coven who's fate and future have been decided for her. Her parents arranged her marriage when she was a child in order to protect the coven's way of life and the island they inhabit. Witches and magic were once feared, and some of the mainlanders (non magic users) still fear them. Tana has always put her duty to her coven before anything else. When she meets a boy who isn't supposed to exist, who can practice magic that isn't allowed she begins to question everything she knows. For once in her life she learns what it feels like to make decisions for herself and be a little bit selfish. She also learns that this may upset the balance that her family and coven have worked so hard to create to provide a safe place for the coven and the people she loves.

I really enjoyed Tana's journey of self discovery. She was always a little wild and reckless and didn't really fit in, but she was loyal and obedient out of respect and duty to her parents and community. When she finally found a place that fit, she went for it even though her actions had consequences, but she weighed the options and made a decision. Despite the pressure put on her and the lies and betrayal surrounding her situation, Tana never lost sight of wanting to protect the island and the people on it.

This is geared toward the young adult reader, so there is some foul language and mentions of physical intimacy but nothing beyond kissing is described in much detail. Everything is fade to black and behind closed doors so this would be acceptable for a mature young reader and teenagers.

this book was so much fun to read! forbidden romance, forbidden magic, what more can you ask for. The writing was absolutely magical and i sobbed and laughed and smiled though all of this book. 483847 stars!

I was immediately drawn in by the cover of this book, the striking blue is amazing, and the story inside is just as intriguing. I've been in a witchy mood when it comes to reading, so this one fit right in with my other recent reads, centering around a coven living on an island called Witchery. The setting and landscape are alluring and indeed magical and I absolutely loved it.

What didn't make this a five star read for me?
I don't mind that it started off a little slower as I felt like I could really get into the world-building and knowing these characters, but it was an odd juxtaposition to the speed at which the MC's relationship propelled once they became more intimate. It almost felt like a bit of emotional whiplash if I'm honest.

But overall I did enjoy this book and would recommend to other readers. I knew going into it that I could expect more of the romance aspect to shine and it did. It's a story of strife, love, and strength in the face of hard decisions. Many thanks to Netgalley for the arc.

I have mix feelings about this book, there are some things that I really like but there are some things that prevent me from fully enjoying this book.

This is my first time reading a book from this author and I fell in love with the writing style. The way it describes the oceans, the way the magic works, and the characters emotions are very well written.

I also like the magic system in this world, it’s unique and very interesting to know about. How you can imbue a little bit of magic into tea or perfume is fascinating and for other people magic can be used to travel through water and heal people.

However, Mortana (FMC) inner struggle between choosing duty or following her heart felt repetitive after a while, it kinda annoyed me.
I don’t really like Mortana’s mother character as well because I can’t seem to understand her actions. At times it felt like she love her daughter but at times she sees her daughter like a pawn she use to secure the safety for the witches.

As for the romance, I don’t really feel the spark between the main characters, they fell for each other slightly too fast. I wish there’s more room for them to interact more or more chapters from Wolfe's POV would be great.

Seeing this book as a standalone, the ending for this book felt too rushed and it wasn’t wrapped up like I expected it would be. While the ending was not what I expected, I wasn’t fully disappointed with it as well.

Overall, it’s a pretty good read and you can give this one a try if you’re looking for a witchy read. This book has the potential to be a good series with great world building and magic system, if there's a sequel I'll probably pick it up.

⚠️ 𝐓𝐖: emotional abuse, animal death, toxic relationship, injury

I received an advanced review copy for free through Netgalley, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. Huge thank you to the author and publisher!

Wow. I was a little scared going into this one because I had a love/hate with Rachel's previous books (3 star reads). But this one.... this one got to my heart and soul. This was such a good love story. But it was more than that.

Tana is my favorite fmc written by Rachel and I love how she learned to grow and make the hard decisions for her own life. She was brave while also still being afraid of the unknown.

And Wolfe..... what an mmc. I won't say much cus you should just read the book and meet him, but I love him.

Rachel's writing truly takes on the magic of her stories, and you can feel it in every read.

Read if you love:
-forbidden love
-surpressed magic
-self discovery
-magic and nature
-beautiful prose

Thank you so much to Netgalley and the publisher for a chance to read the eArc in exchange for an honest review.

Rachel Griffin does it again with a witchy, enchanting tale. The romance is absolutely gripping and you can't help but fall in love with every single character no matter their flaws.

Thank you to @netgalley and @rachelgriffin for providing this beautifully written story to me for an honest review. From the first page I was captivated by the sea, Witchery and wonderful story of following your heart. Tana knows what her role is in securing the future for her coven and is proud to do so for their safety from the Mainland. When a witch from the old coven finds a way into her life he has her questioning everything she knows about magic. Tana has such beautiful character development and I felt like I was a friend of hers rooting her on from the sidelines. The book takes place primarily on an island called The Witchery. Rachel Griffin painted such a beautiful picture of this place that I would love to be able to visit and explore the flowers and shops of the low magic witches. I requested the rest of Rachel Griifin’s books on Libby and am so excited to read more of her writing.

Tana has always tamed her wildness to fit the expectations of her family and coven, and to ensure a marriage with the mainland governor's son that will secure their coven's safety. But when a deadly flower appears and a mysterious stranger immediately shatters one of her core beliefs, she wonders what the true danger is. What is more innocuous: releasing her unused power into the sea, as her coven has done for centuries, or finally using the power she was born with and raised to believe it was dark and dangerous as a tool to gain her freedom and pursue love she has been denied?
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As per usual, Rachel Griffin writes lovely tales, especially focusing on a witch's intimate connection with nature. It is a sweet little star-crossed romance about duty, family, and choosing one's own path. Overall, I enjoyed it, but I think I expected... more. It is clearly low fantasy, the stakes are not so epic or high as there is no discussion of the effects on the world as a whole, just their little island. I would have love to have seen Tana explore her untouched power more, for there to be more time with the love interest. The climax was not as action packed as I had hoped. I think Tana's friends and families made choices that were unforgivable, so any reconciliation would have felt forced.
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If you have loved RG's incredibly atmospheric witchy tales, then you will definitely enjoy this one.
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Thank you Net Galley, Rachel Griffin, and Sourcebooks Fire for the ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was my third book by Rachel Griffin and they just keep getting better and better!

“𝘽𝙪𝙩 𝙨𝙝𝙚 𝙤𝙥𝙚𝙣𝙚𝙙 𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙚𝙡𝙛 𝙪𝙥 𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚 𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝙢𝙮 𝙜𝙧𝙞𝙢𝙤𝙞𝙧𝙚𝙨, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙄 𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙙 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙮 𝙥𝙖𝙜𝙚, 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙮 𝙨𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙚𝙣𝙘𝙚, 𝙪𝙣𝙩𝙞𝙡 𝙨𝙝𝙚 𝙗𝙚𝙘𝙖𝙢𝙚 𝙢𝙮 𝙛𝙖𝙫𝙤𝙧𝙞𝙩𝙚 𝙗𝙤𝙤𝙠.”

I really love Rachel’s Magic systems 🤩. They are unique, not too complicated and always include nature. The same goes for this story. One of my favorite parts is the tea shop! I love that tea is a big part of the story and I could picture myself in the little town, sitting down in this quaint little tea house, sipping on some magic brew 🙌.

What else can you expect in this one? Witches, magic, arranged marriage, forbidden romance… what not to love?!

I give this one ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 and eagerly await what Rachel comes out with next 🤩.

Bring Me Your Midnight by Rachel Griffin is probably my favorite book about witches I've read this year. I love how Rachel Griffin writes about witches and magic. The world building was detailed and immersive. It was so easy to picture the Witchery and the mainland. The magic system is well defined and I love its focus on nature and balance. Tana is a very loveable main character and heroine. She showed so much wonderful character growth throughout the story. I don't want to give much away but if you love books about witches, nature, magic, and family this one is definitely for you.

Thank you @timesnewrachel @sourcebooksfire @netgalley for this gifted arc in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 ⭐️

Thanks so much to Netgalley for this arc in exchange for my fair and honest review.

I feel like this book had a very good premise to it. Magic that had to be controlled by the government, secret magic groups, forbidden romance AND arranged marriage? Like this book seems so good. And I did enjoy it. It was a good YA fantasy. But it was definitely very very rushed, which took away from the world building and the magic of it all. Plus, I’m not a huge love triangle gal. But, this book was definitely a good YA standalone and had some serious drama!