This book is a very fast read. I enjoyed the main female character and her sly and cunning. iPad. The basis of the story was a neat twist on a thief and a magical system. I also enjoyed the evolution of her character and struggle she had to overcome by the end.

Lani’s stories have always been a shining light ion my dark days and this was no exception. I have always recommended her books and will forever do so.

Short synopsis: Cat is chosen as a patron saint because of her gift, when she meets Father Ignatius he helps her find why her parents were killed.

Short synopsis: I wasn’t sure what to expect with this one, fantasy mixed with western vibes. But somehow it worked. I really liked the fact that the world building was minimal and easily accessible to a fantasy “newbie”.

I love a strong female character and Cat was exactly that! Filled with magic and adventure, finding a sense of purpose, and a bit of romance.

Read if you love:
- YA fantasy
- Light world building
- Western vibes
- Strong female characters
- Families and vengeance

Thank you netgalley for providing me with an arc in exchange for an honest review. I really enjoyed this one, including most aspects from the characters to how they and the plot developed. Would absolutely recommend to anyone interested in the genre. Taking all of this into consideration, I am giving it 4/5 stars. Can’t wait to read other works from this author.

4 Stars

Thank you Netgalley and Publisher for this ARC.

I really enjoyed this story. I was looking for a standalone with a different story line than what I have been reading for the last few books.

I really liked Cat's character and her story line. I don't think I've read a story similar to this so it was a breath of fresh air. It was also a quick read, which is always nice after reading a more dense book prior.

The story kept me wanting to read chapter after chapter and I finished it in two days! I'd recommend her books and especially this one too.

I listened to the audiobook of this one because I figured I'd never get to the ebook and I really wanted to get it off my NetGalley backlist. While parts of this story really grabbed my attention and held it, most of it was hard for me to focus on. I'm not sure if that was because I was listening to the audiobook or not, but I do feel like I would have liked it more if I would have read it with my eyes instead of listening to the story. I thought the world was interested. I loved the plot for the most part. The characters were just okay in my opinion, but overall they weren't bad. I do feel like if you are a fan of young adult fantasy book, you will like this, but just be warned that the audiobook wasn't my favorite and if I could redo reading this one, I'd go for the ebook instead.

4.5 stars

I didn’t realize that the first book I read by Lani Forbes would be her final book. But this one started with a beautiful foreword from Lani’s husband, talking about the similarities between Cat’s struggles and battles and Lani’s. It was the foreword that announced to those who didn’t already know that sadly Lani had passed away.

This book, Face the Night, is a fantasy western…with cowboy/outlaws and gunslinging and cattle ranching…and just a hint of magic. And, I don’t know, somehow that blend of genres works really well, at least to me.

I liked Cat and Adrian and Father Iggy and Amos and Soap and Pedro and Edith. The characters were all just really cool. Honestly I loved learning about them, and wish there was opportunity to give them each their own stories within this world, because I found the world and the concepts within to be rather interesting.

This is why fantasy standalones make me sad. Yes, they’re great and I enjoy not having to settle in for a lengthy series…but at the same time, I love having a lot of time to explore different regions and peoples and magics. There’s nothing like it.

This book had some action and some intrigue, and even some romance. It was a good time, and I definitely found myself absorbed into the story, and wanting to keep reading so I could find out what would happen next.

I marked my rating down to 4.5 stars just because I would have wanted just a little bit more with this story. Also, because some of the revelations and twists I called a bit too early. Overall though, I had a great time reading this…and it definitely makes me want to go back and read the trilogy Lani Forbes released prior to this.

This was the most amazing book I read this year. I loved Lani's other stories and was so sad to hear of her passing. But I am glad that she lives on within her stories. She was one woman that I will never forget. This story that is best described at a fantasy western (yes that sounds weird) had an amazing and fantastic magical system that I could not get enough of as well as characters that were fully developed and so good. You could tell how much of Forbes this book had in it and it made me feel like she was still with us. I wished that this could have been a full series but it wasn't meant to be. The ending with the twists was breathtaking and I was sad to see it end.

This was brilliant! Bravo Lani Forbes!
Thank you to the author, NetGalley, & Blackstone Publishing for the eARC!!!!

Y'all this was a wild ride all wrapped up in a highspeed chase! By the end of this one I was ready to give fantasy westerns another try...having sworn not to read another after a few horribly written ones. Face the Night was not only action packed with all my must have western elements (guns, chases, outlaws, men of the cloth, religion, power-hungry rich bad guy, a drug of a sort that fuels bad guy's pockets that he tried to take full control over territory with) this also incorporated some great fantasy tropes (slow burn romance, protagonist set on revenge for bad guy killing her family, hot romantic interest with flaws you can't help but want to help fix, demonic crazed right hand man of the bad guy). This novel was also very well written and the world building was spot on (not too much and not too little). Sometimes in fantasy authors take too much time explaining what readers should see, which makes it harder for the reader to immerse themselves in the story. This was not the case here. I felt as though I was encouraged to use my own imagination to create the background of this world with the descriptions given, which is my absolute preference.
If you are a fan of females with grit that live on the edge of their emotional circumstances and who feel emboldened by their choices in life, then this is the story for you. At first I wasn't a fan of Adrian because he seemed like a mouse in a wolf's clothing, but as the story progressed I was won over. Plus, I am a full fan of father Iggy who not only helps Cat find her part in the threads of destiny, but also because he is a religious leader who knows the importance of vows but also the understanding that sometimes we have to live in shades of gray, even when others would force us to believe life is either black or white.

Can't stress this enough, YOU MUST READ THIS BOOK!!!!!!!!
5 outta 5 stars
NO REGRETS!!!!

A very original story that mixes elements of fantasy and western. Good world building and character development.
I had fun and was hooked till the last page
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

thank you to netgalley for the advanced reading copy. I really enjoyed this and will be getting copies for my shop.

Thank you to NetGalley and Lani Forbes and for letting me review this book.

There are secrets and twists you won't see coming at the beginning. There's western elements mixed in with fantasy elements. And there's feelings. Lots of feelings!

The beginning raised questions that I wanted answers to. But when I had read the first 25%, I knew I had to finish reading the book. I was hooked.

I loved the plot, the setting, the characters...everything!

I would recommend this book to anyone who loves westerns and fantasy, because this is the perfect mix of both.

Includes:
Twists
Secrets
Lies
Religious magic

Face the Night is a beautifully-written Western fantasy with interesting characters, a wild west setting, and an intriguing plot. Catriona Macgregor, once an heir to the Macgregor ranch, is now an infamous outlaw. When she hears that the person responsible for killing her family is manipulating the system to get his hands on her family's land, she joins forces with a renegade priest to stop Baron Caldwell's villainous plans. Unfortunately, Cat's scheme involves her going undercover in the Caldwell household, which means coming face-to-face with her childhood crush - the boy who betrayed her.

The characters are well-written and well-developed. Catriona is a strong female POV and Adrian is a very caring and understandable POV. Both are extremely likable. Other favorite characters include Edith (she may be my top character) and Father Iggy. The wild west setting is beautifully written. I could picture every scene. Face the Night is a stand-alone book, and it felt complete. I usually like series; however, if more stand-alones were written like this book, I'd be reading much more of them. The story was unique and felt fresh. I will absolutely be recommending Face the Night!

(3.5 stars rounded up)

Father Iggy was a fun character with a unique spin on the mentor archetype. The hints of found family with Cat, Amos, Soap, and Pedro made me smile. And I really liked how layered Edith's character was.

As Lani's husband Kevin mentions in the forward to Face the Night, Lani was a skilled worldbuilder. The fantasy-western setting is fresh and unique. Her magic system is intricately woven into the plot.

The plot was good. I was maybe expecting it to have a little bit more action to it, but it didn't drag. There was a plot twist near the end that could have maybe benefitted from a little bit of foreshadowing, but it wasn't so surprising that it jolted me out of the novel.

While I didn't keep exact track of cautions, there is fairly frequent swearing and coarse language throughout the novel. Overall, the romance is pretty mild with a few kisses, though there are two scenes where it's clear that the characters have a physical desire for each other. The violence is what you would expect from a Western, and isn't graphic.

Overall, Face the Night is a fresh fantasy-western novel. While I enjoyed it, there was a little too much language for my personal taste though.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher for granting me an advance copy of this book in return for my honest opinions.

Loved every minute of this book. Have never read anything by this author, but she jumped to the top of my must read list

Such a fantastic story and cast of characters

A must read. You're going to love it. Don't hesitate. You go to read this one!

**Thank you NetGalley and Blackstone Publishing for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review**

Before I even start my review, I want to let readers know.... lani Forbes passed away in February 2022. Days after giving birth to her son, she was diagnosed with stage IV cancer. She sadly passed away 9 months later and this book is being published post humously. Her husband wrote a beautiful tribute to her in the foreword, and that was more than enough for me to pick up this book.

Face the Night is a stand alone, Western fantasy. I have to say, this was my first time reading a fantasy set in a wild West time period. Cat became an outlaw after witnessing the tragic death of her parents, but when a rumor sparks, she must return home and face the life she thought she'd left behind for good. I really enjoyed this book. It was fun and exciting, and Cat was a great FMC. Adrian was also a great lead. I loved the reversal of the normal weak girl/strong boy trope. The romance was sweet and never went past kissing. The ending was satisfying and felt complete. This book made me want to go back and read Forbes' other works, because her writing is lovely. I'd definitely suggest this book for YA fantasy lovers looking for something a little different than normal.

May you rest in peace, Lani ✨

Face the Night … outlaw Black Cat Whitfield needs to watch her language and manors while disguised as a mission novice and governess to the out-of-control-mischievous Edith Caldwell. A truly difficult endeavor, but no more difficult than trying to claim revenge upon Baron Caldwell (who killed her parents) and trying not to fall in love with the Baron’s son…again! A well written, fast paced, clean, and humorous, read with a hint of the otherworldly. Will Cat Face the Night and catch the sunrise on the other side?

I absolutely loved this story! This "rightful ruler returns" story arc plot is truly one of my favorites of all time. Every single character is loveable (or disgustingly atrocious) and keeps you turning page after page. There is action, there is slow burn love, there is accepting one's true nature...this one has a little something for every reader. It's truly so sad that this author is gone far too soon because her writing is so beautiful.

Big thank you NetGalley and to the publisher for the chance to review this book pre-release. I feel so lucky to be able to have read Ms. Forbes last work, it was truly a work of love. I loved the way that the multi-pov was executed, and I really enjoyed the premise of the journey. I will be recommending this, and all previous works of Ms. Forbes, as they are just unforgettable. A more formal review will be available on my IG/TikTok and Goodreads.

It was sad to read this knowing it was her last book. Her husband writes a loving forward for it. I got to say. She left on a bang. I loved this world she created and would have liked more. Cat was a fabulous character. Wished we had had more of Amos. A feel good western with romance.