Reviews with content warning for Toxic relationship - Bring Me Your Midnight

The premise, the atmosphere, and the overall world-building were honestly great in this. It makes for a good witchy fall read, if you're into that! I always enjoy how Griffin connects her witches to nature in some way, and that's on full display in this book. Also, I would love to go to magical tea shop like they had in this book. It sounds so lovely!

I think my main qualm with this book is that I wanted more development of the romance. Sure, Tana and Wolfe got to spend a decent amount of time together, but I still didn't quite believe the romance by the end. I wanted it to be developed a little bit more. Not the worst I've read, but I wish there was just a little more spark and chemistry there.

There was good character development, though, and the overall stakes were pretty high by the end of the book. Not a bad standalone fantasy overall, if you're looking for that!

Content Warnings

bellebookcorner's review

Go to review page

adventurous emotional mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

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.

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!

Content Warnings

theespressoedition's review

Go to review page

emotional medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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!

Content Warnings

chronicacademia's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous emotional hopeful mysterious reflective slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

Content Warnings

More...