This was a tough one for me. I really enjoyed the first half of the book but struggled with the second half. I settled on 3 stars because I liked it overall, but it’s more of an average. The first half was 4 stars, the second half was 2 stars, so ergo, 3 for the whole thing.

The worldbuilding was really wonderful. I was once again getting those Spells for Forgetting vibes…a small island community of witches feared by mainlanders, but in less atmospheric way as in Spells or A River Enchanted. Still, I really liked the quiet magic that pervaded the community and how it masked a darker side.

I also really liked Tana, right up until she made a choice that didn’t feel true to character for her and upon which the entire second half of the book hinged. So, while I really enjoyed watching Tana begin to question things and learn her own mind instead of listening to the lies perpetuated to her and her community and everything felt very organic up to the point when she made that crucial decision, it made the rest of the story stand out as less organic and more contrived. It isn’t about Tana making a decision that I disagree with (though, to be fair, I DO disagree with it). There have been plenty of times when characters have done this and it didn’t upset me the same way. The difference is that in those instances, it was completely in that character’s nature to do what they did. Not so in Tana’s case, at least, not in my perception of her.

Even apart from that turning point in the story, there were other things in the second half that felt contrived, convenient ends and means. I just didn’t like how it went down, but it all worked out in the end I guess. There were some unfinished threads that leave the door open for creating a series from the story, though there is resolution enough to sustain it as a standalone, which at the time of this review is all they have plans for it to be.

Still, this could be one of those scenarios where I’m a bit pickier about things than others. I mean, I also gave 3 stars to ACOTAR but loved other books in that series. So do with that what you will.

I couldn't tell you the last time I read a YA book. I find them pretty predictable after awhile but WOW "Bring Me Your Midnight" was definitely pleasant surprise. I throughly enjoyed the witchy romantasy!

What a beautiful cover and what a beautifully written story. Tana’s fate has always been set, follow the coven’s rules, practice only low magic, never touch a Moonflower and marry the mainland Governor’s son.
While she doesn’t feel any sparks from Landon, the boy she’s destined to marry, she hopes feelings will grow.

Tana accepts her lot until she meets Wolfe. At that point, her life changes and the storyline picks up. Rachel Griffin’s description of the island world and magic life enthralled me. The yearning emotion between the two MCs was potent. I highly recommend this YA novel full of family love and the questioning of tradition.

Thank you to NetGalley and SOURCEBOOKS Fire, Sourcebooks Fire for this complimentary ARC. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

If you love the ocean, if you know how it feels to be torn between duty and WANT, if forbidden romance is your jam, and if you’re a Midnight Rain girlie, this book is for you. Rachel’s tender prose and romantic witchy vibes are unique in each book, yet each feel like sisters.

Truly expect the unexpected!

I had never read a Rachel Griffin book before, but this book I'm so glad was my first. This book was such the perfect cozy summertime read for me. I found it very easy to immerse myself within the story.

This book was beautifully written, especially for a young adult novel. It was deeply complex, but the story moved in a way that allowed the complexity to be understood and learned throughout. This book was addicting, and I devoured it easily in one sitting. The witchy and nature vibes had me absolutely entranced. Griffin does such a marvelous job of describing the natural elements throughout the entirety of this story. The MC was super easy to follow, and I enjoyed reading her character and following her journey.

I will say this book started out a little slow for my liking. However, I do think the pacing was setup this way to allow for the more complex world to be explained and understood more easily. Once the romance really picked up, I felt like the pacing did as well. My biggest knock against this book is I wish there had been more. While this book works a standalone, part of me was wishing there would've been more to come. I think there were a lot of relationships I would've liked to see flushed out more personally.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book as much as I was hoping to if not more so. If you're looking for a witchy, cozy, nature-infused book with a magic system that will have you devouring one page after the next, this is definitely the read for you!

Thank you NetGalley and Sourcebooks Fire for providing me an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

Overall Rating: 4.5/5

Another atmospheric witchy winner from Rachel Griffin. I love stories set on islands with SECRETS so this was basically catnip for me. One thing that kind of kept pulling me out of the story was I couldn't quite get a handle on what time period this took place in but that's a minor quibble.

<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/62688758-bring-me-your-midnight" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px"><img border="0" alt="Bring Me Your Midnight" src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1668621714l/62688758._SX98_.jpg" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/62688758-bring-me-your-midnight">Bring Me Your Midnight</a> by <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/19902805.Rachel_Griffin">Rachel Griffin</a><br/>
My rating: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5492623517">5 of 5 stars</a><br /><br />
Tana's life has been decided for her. Marry the Governor's son in order to ensure an alliance between witches and non-witches. And she is okay with that all being chosen for her, understands how much this marriage means to her island and community. Or at least she thinks she does. Until she meets Wolfe, an infuriatingly charming member of the old coven, the one that practices dark magic, which has long been forbidden on the island. Tana soon learns that a lot of what she grew up believing is maybe not as true as she always thought. And once she gets a taste of dark magic, she can't help but want more. <br />---<br />To be completely honest, I'm struggling to write this review. Not because it was bad but because all of my thoughts right now are just *SQUEALS* *AHHHHH* "WOLFE WOLFE WOLFE". I would leave the review at that but I'm trying to be professional because Netgalley and the publisher were so kind to send me an arc of this and I am a professional book worm now gosh darnit! <br />---<br />It's been a long time since I stayed up late to finish a book, but with this one I just couldn't stop reading. I was absolutely entranced by this story. <br />Tana's story was heartbreaking but also inspiring. She was so willing to give up everything she wanted for the betterment of her people, but when she realizes that she is her own person and her happiness should come first, she becomes so powerful as her own independent person. She loves who she wants to love, not the one that she was born to. She practices the magic she wants to practice. She is who she wants to be. And in the words of Alexis Rose, I loved that journey for her. <br />I also loved Wolfe's character. In some scenes he actually reminded me of Cardan from The Cruel Prince series, in all the best ways. I highlighted some specific quotes that really gave me those vibes that I cannot wait to share once the book releases. <br />--<br />If you loved Nature of Witches, this book is for you. If you didn't love Nature of Witches, this book is also for you. Read it.
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/list/31487926-brittany-boyd">View all my reviews</a>

The magical world that Rachel builds is beautiful and complex. I very quickly and easily understood the parameters of the magical setting, and wanted to visit the island of Witchery.
Unfortunately, I felt the story line to be rushed and the relationships not fully developed. I would’ve liked to see this story as a trilogy to give more room for the characters to grow and the action to develop.
Thank you NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

An amazing YA read for lovers of fantasy. Tana finds herself stuck between good and dark magic. She is then faced with the tough decision of what it means to be true to herself. While Tana may be on the path least taken, she will do everything in her power to save her family and home.

Great writing style! I really enjoyed the book. My only critique is that some scenes felt very rushed-especially in the last 1/4 of the book. I will certainly recommend to library patrons looking for witchy tales!

What a beautiful piece of work. The inclusion of witch lore that you've heard before but with a little bit of a twist. The first half of the book felt a bit slower for me as it was slow and there was a lot of setting up the world and and the history of a coven that lives in fear of the mortal "mainlanders." The second half of the book sucked me in.

If you love Rachel Griffin’s work, witchy, deeply romantic reads, or are just looking for an immersive story, put Bring Me Your Midnight on your radar. Everything you love about Rachel’s books is here plus more. I am a huge fan of all of her books, so I knew this one was not going to disappoint.

Imagine a small island that is a safe haven for a coven of witches. Enter Tana, the daughter of the coven leader who has known her whole life her role is to marry the Governor’s son and secure an alliance that will change everything for their island. Of course, we must mix in the mysteriously beautiful Wolfe, who practices “dark magic” and lives on a hidden side of the island Tana didn’t even know existed. And we can’t forget a love letter to nature and the ocean that Rachel’s books tell so well.

I was so absorbed in this story and completely swept off my feet. The journey that we are taken on felt so original with an elemental of unknown up until the very end. I continued to be surprised with the decisions Tana makes, including how the story ends. That is hard to do in a way that feels genuine to the character, but here, I thought it was done so well. This one is a beauty!

Pick this one up if you love:

-Witchy, deeply romantic reads
-A love letter to the ocean
-An element of “Will she, won’t she”
-Magic rooted in nature
-Character growth
-Atmospheric reads
-The love of a lifelong best friend
-Duty, honor, and sacrifice

For me, this was a five-star hit. Rachel just continues to grow and expand as an author, and it shows beautifully in these pages. I can’t wait to see what she is working on next.

Bring Me Your Midnight is a story so immersive, atmospheric, and breathtaking that it will leave you thinking about it long after you’ve closed the book and walked away. While some books have captivating opening lines, this book has a closing quote so powerful that you’ll want to tattoo it straight onto your heart.

Rachel Griffin brings a certain kind of magic to her book that I’ve yet to find elsewhere. While I was reading Bring Me Your Midnight, I found myself forgetting that it was a book. I wasn’t just looking at words on a page, I was living Tana’s story, feeling her heartache, and experiencing every salt and sea-soaked moment. This is the kind of book that envelops you and before you know it, you’re wiping away tears and blinking at your surroundings, realizing hours have passed and you spent them all on Tana’s beloved island.

I’ll be the first to admit that I’m not an outdoors person – and not because I don’t want to be, but because I have countless allergies and a paralyzing fear of most bugs. That being said, the way that Rachel writes about nature, the love that she so clearly has for our earth… it plants a seed of desire in me to leave the comfort of my home and swim in the sea, visit the oldest forests, and watch more sunrises.

I found myself putting seaside ambience videos on in the background while I read, just so the sound of the lapping waves could surround me while I read. What I wouldn’t give to actually read this book in a seaside cottage.

This story takes its time, which is normally something that grates on me. Instead, I found myself soaking in the writing, even when the plot was at a bit of a standstill. It didn’t bother me to spend time in Tana’s mind because it helped me connect to her so much more and understand why she chooses certain paths. It’s a very emotional experience and I loved every moment of it.

The moments that pricked me the most were the tender encounters with her father. I feel like in so many young adult books, especially in the fantasy genre (where parents are so often a side thought), there’s a lack of fatherly love. It was precious to witness the love Tana and her dad had for one another. Also, I’d love to have one of his cinnamon buns. They sound so delicious!

The romance in Bring Me Your Midnight is a whirlwind of emotions, both high and low. There’s a forbidden aspect to it that made it all the more enticing. I absolutely adored the way that Wolfe encouraged Tana’s wildness and even when he was at his most frustrated with her and their situation, he loved every piece of her – even the parts she hadn’t discovered or learned to accept yet.

There was so much more to this book than just romance and witches. There’s a heavy emphasis on identity, honor and duty – and how that can look different to different people, and family (both blood and chosen). While Tana is the main character and the one you root for, you might find yourself falling a little bit in love with some of the other characters as well, even when they’re doing things that you don’t quite understand. There’s no real “villain,” and that was something I appreciated. You understand the motives without there being someone to truly despise. It was really comforting.

I spent a great deal of time highlighting quotes on my Kindle. I’m not someone who annotates, I could see myself purchasing an additional copy just for that purpose (which is precisely how I felt when reading The Nature of Witches as well). This book could easily land itself a spot in my favorites of all time. Bring Me Your Midnight is an absolute masterpiece and I can’t recommend it enough!

[CW: (major) Classism, Toxic relationship, and Toxic friendship, (moderate) Cursing and Sexual content, (minor) Blood]

Wowee i loved this book. it was an adorable story, that had an amazing plot. I would say this is a cozy read, as it doesn’t shatter my world like some books do. But Rachel Griffen’s books all make me feel like this. I loved the concept but also the intricate designs and symbolism that appear throughout the novel. I always look forward to reading this author’s work because i’m not ever let down with a good cozy read. will definitely recommend this one to others!

Bring Me Your Midnight is a book filled with promise. From its stunning cover, it’s enthralling premise, to the first words that make you feel embraced by curiosity of magic…the promise of excitement, of romance, of story, and more is at the cusps of your finger tips as your turn the first page. There’s trepidation and intrigue at where this is to come.

But that promise is not easily found.

As beautiful as this book appears on its surface, its depths run shallow. The potential becomes cut short and the satisfaction is left incomplete.

》Tana《

Our main protagonist is one who I was glad to follow. I loved her curiosity and the way she refused to simply settle for given answers— she wanted to discover them for herself. She is a character who others have taken away so much agency, yet she strives to reclaim in.

》The Romance《

When Tana first meets Wolfe, the pace picks up, there’s a sense of exhilaration and electricity in the air. Instantaneously it’s clear there is an undeniable connection between the two, and the love story that will commence is one I felt would bring a sense of completeness to the story.

Instead, that initial fast pace never stops. The narrative fails to allow the romance to breathe. It’s rushed into place that all the follows, the good, the bad, the heart-warmth, the heartbreak, is felt unearned. It falls flat.

》The Magic《

I did enjoy how the witches magical system was described. I do with it had been fleshed out more, but overall, it felt original and fascinating.

》The Pace《

The story began at a cautious pace, allowing the reader to explore the world they've become immersed in....but when the romance hit, it picked up very nicely. And kept going and going, pacing far too fast to allow any time to take in its world. Never allowing a moment to just stop and let a scene breathe. An exchange stay in the air in thought. It moves fast and in the process denies any depth that could make betrayals, promises, tension, and love confessions ring true. It all rings hollows.

》An Ending & a Future《

Ultimately, this book is one I felt had such lovely potential— so much promise. But with all that water surrounding its world, it never broke past the surface.

That said, my desire for more never waned. I think there’s a particular mainlander character who could very nicely lead a spin off book.

Thank you NetGalley and Sourcebooks Fire for providing me an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

This is the second book that I have read by Rachel Griffin and I really enjoyed it. It is definitely in the same wheelhouse as Wild is the Witch so if you were a fan of that, then you will like this. The writing was great and the plot was interesting. The story did move a bit slow at times and the plot relies on miscommunication/withholding information.

This book was amazing and totally unexpected!!! It was every part romantic, magical, fantastical, addicting, and beautiful. The writing was everything and more. The impossible choice between love and duty and ultimately choosing between following her heart or avoiding destruction and doing what is necessary. I absolutely am in love with this book and am so glad I got the chance to read it. Thank you Rachel and NetGalley for the arc!!!

The best book I ever read about magic! The characters were absolutely captivating. The plot was compelling. The story had humor, warmth, love and passion. Now I must read the other books by this author!
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I really enjoyed Griffin's book Nature of Witches, so this was one of my most anticipated books of this year. However, this fell a little flat for me. I think that I wanted more from the plot and less from the romance.

This book felt like home.
It also doesn’t require many brain cells to read, because it is, at times, quite predictable.
However, I enjoyed myself thoroughly.
My favorite part was the magic system — as a practicing baby witch it was interesting to see a normalized fantasy version of moon circle magic be integrated into this book.
I think the author did an incredible job with that.
The plot unraveled at just the right speed, and I found it had just enough twists and turns to keep me engaged — also in the way it presented the lore. There was very little info dumping, and instead, the reader gets to discover new information along with the main character.

If I had to be nitpicky and name things I didn't like as much, I would say that I think it would have been nice if the magic system, which was hinted to be related to the moon, was a little more fleshed out.
The author could have made use of the wheel of the year and integrated more modern-day witches' sabbaths.
But then again, I think I am just saying that because I am a practicing witch and I get to have opinions on magic.
And— Wolfe is probably not my favorite name for a male love interest, it took me a little while to get over his name and focus on his personality.
But it's fine. I'm being nitpicky here.

If you are looking for a light and breezy YA romantasy and don't mind your books being predictable or having fade-to-black intimacy, this book is for you.
If you like enemies-to-lovers-to-enemies-to-lovers, "You only love me because I wanted you to fall in love with me" and something akin to a hero corruption arc, this book is for you.
If you like books about witches, this book is for you.
I would definitely (and have already) recommend this book to people, and I will declare it right now:
This book has made me yell at my screen, squeal, and kick my legs, and it is going on my list of favorite 2023 reads.