This was a strange one. I think the premise is a knockout, it has so much that I like; some magical bureaucracy, some star crossed lovers, a slow burn reveal of lore mechanics. But the tone is just so blunt and strange. It’s really horny? But not a reverent kind of horny that would be appropriate for scope of the story. A bummer.

Camille and Ward are exes who decide to give their relationship another go after bumping back into each other years later. What feels like kismet ends up becoming disastrous because even though they both are living in the same place and both landed jobs, their jobs end up to be sinister, Ward is working the night shift while Camille is working the day shift (as if that isn't difficult enough to navigate), but then they are held captive and get caught up in some twisted game the gods are playing. Their places of employment turn into escape rooms and they have to figure out how to escape, while also being pawns in the god's games. The gods are using Camille and Ward to help them settle their own disputes, and if this game isn't played properly their lives could be at risk.

This was okay. Such an incredible and intriguing concept, but it fell horribly flat. The characters were underdeveloped, the spicy scenes were oddly placed throughout the story, and I felt no connection to them. The author told me about their love, but she didn't successfully show me. The fantasy aspect was also underdeveloped. The first chapter is them sleeping together and discussing getting back together, and the next chapter they are trapped in their respective jobs.

Not only was there no character development, minimal world building, and a confusing plot, but there was also a lot of miscommunication and too many sexual innuendos. I think this could have been fantastic if the beginning may have started with them together in the past, and then gradually brought us to their reunion, and then after a bit of development and an understanding of their relationship THEN they could have been thrown into this escape room war scenario. This was too disjointed and trying to be too much in a short amount of pages.

There was a twist of two that were cool, and some things I didn't predict, but I just didn't feel any excitement or emotional connection to this story, and frankly the sex scenes and innuendos were cringe. This is my first book that I have read by this author, but I may try another in the future because this had potential.

I almost DNFed this, but the narrators for the audiobook truly saved this for me. I think they did a very good job even considering that I didn't enjoy this book. I am so grateful it had dual narration!

Thank you NetGalley, Berkley Pub, and Penguin Random House Audio for these ARCs and ALC in exchange for my honest opinion. This publishes on 2/20/24!

Thank you Berkley for a copy of this book.
Pub date- February 20, 2024

“Books are uncomplicated. You don't get into arguments with them, and if you do, it means you haven't found the right one."

This book was different and not what I was expecting, in a good way.
It’s a second chance, opposites attract romance but add in them being thrown into a crazy escape room for a war between gods!
Camille and Ward are soulmates and they will do anything to get back to each other. Especially after being apart for two years from a break up. They both accept job offers but once they start, they find they are locked in can’t leave. They’re in a race to figure out the puzzles to get out.
I especially love that twist towards the end. I didn’t see that coming!
For fans of magic and romance, be sure to preorder this one!

Night for Day tells the story of two lovers seeking a second chance who find themselves embroiled in circumstances far beyond their control. The chapters alternate back and worth between the two main characters' perspectives; a style which works well, especially considering the characters are physically separated for most of the story. However, felt jarring that Camille's chapters are written in first-person perspective and Ward's are written in third-person perspective.

The concept of the two shops was so creative, and I found myself wishing I could take a look around them myself. I would have liked even more description of the antique shop in particular, especially the items it contains.

I did notice a few discrepancies and inconsistencies. In one chapter, a major character is introduced as having "raven-black hair", yet in the very next chapter, she is described as a brunette. Another moment that jarred me out of my immersion in the story was, "Four items left and only two riddles. The odds are in your favor." Somebody send Ward back to math class.

Overall, more satisfying read as a romance which happens to contain fantasy elements than read as a fantasy.

This is an urban fantasy about two lovers who get the short end of the stick when accepting a new job but receiving opposite shifts for it & they are unable to leave! So they only get about 5 minutes to talk each day & are left wondering what is going on! We’re given Camille’s first-person POV & Ward’s third-person POV in rotating chapters over the span of a few weeks as they work out how exactly they fit into this war between gods.

I really was so enticed to read this & was excited to see how the mystery of their job situation would unfold! However, the pacing was all over the place & the narrative moved much too quickly without explanation. AND YET there was so much exposition/telling when it came to character development & building the romantic relationship😭

I’m having trouble deciding how I feel about this book but I will still give the author another try!

steam rating: 1/5

This was a fun, really unique, opposites attract/forbidden second chance romance filled with intervention from the gods, a cosmic bet, puzzles, a cool escape room challenge and two very interesting, Asian MCs. Great on audio too and a new favorite from Canadian author Roselle Lim. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy and @prhaudio for a complimentary ALC in exchange for my honest review!

Steam level: closed door

This book was fascinating and beautifully written. I really enjoyed it, but I did feel like it was missing some key elements to push it over the top into amazing and perfect territory.
I loved the premise but wish it would have delved deeper into the war and what exactly the two sides were fighting for.

Camille and Ward were both great characters, and I loved their relationship. Seeing them come together and learn to love and trust each other was quite possibly my favorite thing about this story. I do wish that the events of the book had taken place over a longer period of time. I think it ended up feeling a little rushed with it just being over a period of a few weeks. If it had been longer, I think it would have added more angst and longing to their situation.

Overall, though, this was an excellent read, and I look forward to reading more by this author.

Thank you, Netgalley, and the publisher for allowing me an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Though I thought the premise of this story sounded intriguing, unfortunately, it just wasn’t for me. I wanted more character and world development, and I found the whole thing kind of predictable. Also, as much as I like the star-crossed lovers idea, the protagonists spend the majority of the book apart, and I didn’t feel their connection as much as I wanted to. I did like how they grew and realized how important they were to one another. Being apart but still working together to figure out how to get out of the mess they’re in shows them how well they work together and how deeply they care.

Also, I thought the war between the gods was really interesting and wish it were explored in more detail. The story takes place in a short period of time and within two stores, so that could explain why certain aspects weren’t explored in more detail. But it didn’t really work for me. Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of the book. All thoughts are my own.

3.5. stars

I really enjoyed the premise of the book, with the spooky world-building and the escape game nature, as well as the nature of the relationship between Camille and Ward. It's rare to find a love story where the pair are together and fight the whole time to stay that way. Roselle Lim built such an interesting world with the story, I would have liked to spend a bit more time learning about it, but at times I felt like we were being sped right through.

3.25⭐️
Thank you so much Berkeley for the e-ARC!
I’ve really been in my fantasy era lately and was excited when I got this ARC, but it wasn’t as good as I hoped.
The premise is really interesting and unique on paper-it follows a couple who each get a new job at a magical store and they must sell all the items to different gods before they’re allowed to leave. I enjoyed the first half for the most part, but the second half was slower for me.
The writing also felt kind of choppy throughout at some points and I feel like there could have been more fleshing out with the plot.

When Ward and Camille run into each other in London after a painful previous break-up, they can't stay away from each other - until a few warring gods decide to step in and separate them, possibly forever. Both Camille and Ward are given jobs in a small shops in London only to find out once they enter, they can only leave if they find the items the warring gods are searching for and then choose a side.

Night for Day is an escape room in literary form with the added bonus of reuniting loves once the riddles have been solved. As Camille and Ward explore their separate shops in search of the special items, they find ways first to work together and then to work on themselves. The initial chapters are a little rough to sink into because, as a reader, I was nearly as confused as the main characters. But once momentum builds for solving the riddles, then the story flowed more easily. Of course there were some riddles or surprises for the read as well as the characters which was a bit of fun.

Unfortunately after about two-thirds of the way through the book, there weren't really any surprises left and it was very obvious where things were heading. It was a sweet bit of fun, but I didn't feel that connected to the characters or the underlying plot. Perhaps there'd be more secrets revealed on a second reading but the book just didn't grab me enough to want to read it again.

The star-crossed lovers concept of this novel's description drew me in - exes find they are both starting new jobs in London simultaneously and rekindle their romance on the eve of their respective first days. But their first days go catastrophically wrong, and they both find themselves trapped in the middle of something bigger than they could have imagined.

Unfortunately, the reality of the book did not live up to the intriguing description. I struggled with the lack of character development and how the story was constructed, making it difficult to root for Ward and Camille individually and as a couple. A considerable portion of the story unfolds in letters passed between the couple; however, only a handful of times do we actually learn what was written in the letters, making me feel like a critical portion of the narrative was absent from the reader's experience. Additionally, this was a dual POV book with one POV written in the first person and the other in the third person, which was incredibly distracting.

I hope this book finds people it connects with, but it was a miss for me. Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Romance for the free advanced copy for which I've provided my honest review.

Thank you, NetGalley and Ace, for my complimentary digital copy for review.

Night for Day isn't just a book—it's a world where Ward Dunbar and Camille Buhay's hearts beat again for a second chance at love. Imagine stumbling through a door and finding yourself in a universe where fantasy feels as real as the ground beneath your feet, where every glance between fated mates crackles with unspoken promises, and where gods play a high-stakes game with human emotions.

Ward and Camille—what a pair! Their chance reunion is the stuff of poetry; the kind of love story that makes you believe in the magic of second chances. There's something raw and real about them that pulled me in and made me root for their love like they were old friends.

But don't let the steamy moments fool you. "Night for Day" is a deep dive into their souls. It's about the scars from their pasts, the clashing of their worlds, and the raw, messy edges that come with truly knowing someone. Their journey together is as much about finding themselves as it is about finding each other.

And just when you think you've got a handle on things, the 'locked room' scenario flips the script. It's claustrophobic, intense, and brilliant—a puzzle that Ward and Camille have to solve together.

For Camille, Ward is the one who got away. And vice versa. When they both find themselves in London on job interviews and meet up their deep connection and attraction to one another drives them back together. However, when both of their interviews go awry and end in magical "jobs" that are part of an escape-room-like scenario to decide the outcome of a war between gods, they must rely on that connection and deep love to help them despite being separated from one another throughout the ordeal. The big question is will steadfast, determined, realist Camille, and trusting, romantic Ward be able to choose the same side in a war when they are such opposites?

I enjoyed reading this book and contemplating the ideas of morality, trusting in love, trusting your partner/understanding their autonomy in a relationship, etc.

4/5 stars
1/5 spice

PS: While I enjoyed this read I don't think it's romance enough for our romance-driving insta account so I will post it as a story but probably not as a post. goodreads review is however already live and linked.

The cover of this book is gorgeous and the Greek mythology inspired plot captured my attention right away. While this book explored intriguing themes, I had a hard time connecting with the story. However, that is obviously on me and not the book. I recognize that it has great potential to appeal to other readers and I encourage others to try it out!

Camille and Ward find themselves trapped in an alternate reality, unable to leave and pawns in a war of the gods. They are working day and night shifts, largely unable to communicate, and few directions on how to escape the world they find themselves in. They interact with customers (ghosts and gods) and their respective bosses who have been trapped for years.

First, it must be said that I am not typically a fantasy reader. The concept sounded interesting to me and I’m glad I tried something new. I appreciated the great twist toward the end of the novel as well as the higher truths about humanity that were embedded in the story. There was minimal world building so I wasn’t overwhelmed.

I think this book will appeal to those who enjoy:
- immortality, gods and goddesses, mythology
- escape rooms
- romantasy
- spirits, ghosts, the in between

Thank you to Roselle Lim and Berkley for sending me an arc in exchange for my honest review.

When it comes to fantasy and enemies to lovers.. sign me up. I loved the world building and the premise of the book was honestly interesting enough for me to finish it through however I felt like it dragged on for a bit and was repetitive.

Unfortunately this one really did not work for me. I thought this sounded interesting because I love when gods are thrown into the mix, but I found the worldbuilding confusing. The writing style really put me off though, there was sooo much telling instead of showing and I thought some of the writing felt immature and too straightforward. I would've preferred if both POVs were written in the same style because the flip flopping made the writing seem worse. I also did not really like the couple at all!

The writing made me fall in love with these two. Camille & the hero, absolutely enchanted me. This book was quite long but never once did I feel bored I was glued to the pages and read it in one sitting! The word building was top notch, And, I just felt that their palpable connection was magical and they were perfect together!

A very intriguing premise, and really interesting characters! I was especially interested in the world building, and this didn't disappoint! There were a few confusing spots, but I pushed through to get to the bottom of the bigger plot line. Will add to the recommend list!