Magic is supposed to have a price – if you are going to break the laws of reality that is probably correct, but have you considered what would make someone prepare to pay a high price? Exactly how far would you go? In the enchanting The Midnight Bargain by CL Polk we find a world where women have to decide if having the power to create magic and gain knowledge must be balanced against how society expects proper women to behave.

Beatrice Claymore carries the weight of her family’s fortune on her shoulders. Her father has lost significant amounts of money in business and so his only hope of saving the family home and name is Bargaining Season where young women are placed on the society scene to attract ideally a rich husband. Beatrice however has magical abilities and dreams of being able to gain more power to aid the family business – if she can do that before a marriage proposal is received then she will be able to be unmarried and help create wealth in public. If she is married, she will be required to wear a magical necklace that takes away all her magical abilities in order for her to have children safely as is right and proper in her world. In her way though are the Lavan siblings Ysabet and Ianthe. Ysabet has a similar goal in mind, and she gets I the way of Beatrice acquiring a particular magical grimoire while Ianthe is kind, clever, funny, and good looking which as he is also part of the Season being very rich means life is about to get very complicated for everyone.

This is a delight to read balancing exploring a magical world where women have been told that their role is to obey their fathers and husband (all of whom can practise magic if they have that ability)/ But we also get a well delivered romance plot tsking us through the highs and lows of Beatrice’s life. Impressively neither feels tacked on to the other and they help expand the story giving it much more emotional depth.

Beatrice and Ianthe are indeed a lovely would be couple that Polk makes you both want to see happy but importantly get to understand why Beatrice would actually like to be her own woman. Beatrice is smart – she can crack codes to understand magic, handles bargaining with spirits and has a sense of humour. Initially in opposition to Ysabet (and who would not be after having a book taken from them) she becomes a mentor instead as the two try to work together to escape marriage. At the same time Polk places in Ianthe a really positive male character who as well as being clearly right for Beatrice is also a man realising that the women, he loves the most are not valued by the world in the same way he does. Beatrice awakens him to the fact that his sister will be treated as property to aid a business deal between families and Beatrice loses a gift precious to her. I really liked his character move from potential suitor to ally. All delivered in dances, card games battling cads, fathers and scheming mothers – the traditions of a regency style romance but with a magical twist.

But what really impressed me is the world all this happens in. All the romance plots could sound quite cosy, but this world has bite. One of the biggest concerns is that a woman can when she is pregnant find her child possessed by a spirit creating havoc when it becomes a child (hence why women with the power end up alone and unmarried). In that case the child and the mother will be burnt alive. We see late on in the book the impact that these controlling necklaces have on a woman taking all colour and sensation from the world and that’s combined with a more standard patriarchal world where women cannot have property or power; indeed, Beatrice’s own father does threaten if she cannot find a match he will and it will not be with any consideration to his daughter’s feelings. It’s a subtle threat throughout but this book raises the stakes so that the reader comes to understand means if things go wrong, they will go very wrong for Beatrice and Ysabet. Ysabet is one of my favourite characters in the story – although a daughter of a famous family she really just wants the power for magic; her own ship and the ability to travel – who can blame her and her defiance to get this really make you cheer her on.

This was my first CL Polk but definitely will not be my last; a perfect mix of characters, worldbuilding and plotting. I not only get to hope characters find a way through the society to find the happiness they want but also a subtle look back at how the rights of women have been controlled for too long. The ending of this book is particularly satisfying. An absolute delight!

One of the best fantasy romances I've read, set in a magical world that's like the Regency era, but with its own different countries and cultures. A magic system based on channelling spirits that hold specific characteristics like Knowledge or luck, though I wish this system was explained more in the beginning of the book rather. The romance is almost a meet cute of sorts, that slowly grows as the characters understand each other's hopes and dreams, such as the heroine fighting to define her own destiny outside a marriage of convenience, and channel her magical abilities which are forbidden to women. The hero is finding his footing in a patriarchal world as an empathetic man, but with an almost domineering mother. The thread of female friendship runs through the book as women in the material and spirit world come together to help the other achieve her goals. It shows how systemic changes are difficult, but not impossible.
You feel feel the danger when the heroines attempt risky magic, try to flee from forced marriages and finda way to do and be with what and whom they love.

The Midnight Bargain is a magical historical book that delves into a deeply misogynistic world and what two women will do to be free of it. Although I was expecting a larger romance focus, I enjoyed the feminist threads and worldbuilding this book brought to the table. If you want a historical book with a bit of magic, or a fantasy book with historical vibes, this one might the book for you!

With all the fun of a historical novel mixed up with fantasy, we follow Beatrice, a sorceress who practices magic in secret. Women aren't allowed to pursue magic due to their expectation to have children, and children born from magic users are in great danger. Instead, her magic will be locked away from the moment she's married. With her family down on its fortune there will be consequences if she refuses to find a husband. Joining forces with another sorceress, one of the Lavan siblings, she can't help but be enticed by her new friend's brother. If she gives up her magic for marriage, she'll never be free; if she doesn't, she could lose everything.

The way the historical and magical aspects were intertwined was seamless and a delight to read about. I loved how Polk tied the misogynistic expectations of history into how magic was treated. On top of that, there were great historical romance tropes including the dynamic of a woman facing financial difficulties who falls in love with a rich man whose family don't approve.

This book has strong feminist themes, which I really enjoyed. The world is extremely misogynistic and rigid in its gendered expectations; it almost stepped into feminist dystopia territory. What I loved was how it encapsulated the difficulty in wanting more freedom, with struggling against societal expectations, and there being no easy answers. That even people who want to help may not understand the extent of your difficulties.

The characters were fun; I enjoyed a lot of what they had to offer, but they didn't truly come alive. The relationship's also seemed slightly underdeveloped. Don't get me wrong, they were perfectly fun, just not anything more.

The romance was also less of a focus than I was expecting. The marketing campaign for the paperback release has heavily focused on the popularity of Bridgerton, and that made me believe this was going to be more romance forward. In reality, it was essentially a sweet instalove, and although I enjoyed their relationship it didn't elicit any strong feelings in me.

Overall, The Midnight Bargain was a fun twist on a typical historical novel with the inclusion of a detailed magical world. It featured many of the tropes that make historical books fun and was delightfully feminist, but the character relationships weren't as strong as I would have preferred.

I was a little apprehensive about this book - I loved Bridgerton, but I find fantasy a bit hit and miss. However, the fantasy elements of this book were (mostly) SO well done. I loved how Polk seamlessly incorporated magic into regency life, and made the time period feel both historical and futuristic. I was so invested in the characters, and found Beatrice to be very lovable. I really wanted her to make the right decision throughout the book, but wasn't sure what it would be! I was back and forth on whether she should choose magic or love, and loved how Polk portrayed this. I also adored her friendship with Ianthe and Ysbeta, I thought it was brilliantly built throughout the book, and loved how they came to be truly great friends.

However, I thought the pacing was a little off throughout - the middle section seemed drawn out whilst Beatrice was trying to make the decision, and then the ending felt a little rushed. I would've loved Polk to slow down a little at the end, just so I got more feelings and intrigue at the end too, instead of all action and doing! I also found some of the spirit names and some of the action with the spirits confusing, and hard to keep up with. I think it could have been slightly easier to follow in these parts of the book if, again, Polk had focused on a combination of emotion and action, rather than doing action, then emotion, then action, etc.

Overall, I did really enjoy this, and would definitely look at picking up another Polk book!

This book was addictive!! I had such a fun time reading it and couldn't put it down. It's described as Bridgerton with magic and I would strongly agree with that- it had everything I love about Bridgerton and regency romance with a fantasy twist. Highly enjoyable!

With thanks to Orbit and C.L. Polk for an advanced readers copy of this book.

5 Stars - A very witty Historical Fantasy.

The story is set in a patriarchal society. Everyone has magical ability, but not all magical ability is treated equally. Male children may be trained in magic and explore the higher arts through formal education. Female children however are only permit to learn those spells that are practical and useful to their role, before being locked in a collar at marriage for the "health" of the next generation.

Our main character Beatrice Clayborn, is determined to choose a different path and become a sorceress, but her father is determined to make her a match and this years society season has just begun..... sound familiar?

Great read for those who thought Bridgerton was missing a bit of magic!

The Midnight Bargain is a gorgeous story, expertly interweaving all the best bits of magic, romance, and historical fiction.

This alt-Regency era novel tells the story of one desperate young woman's quest to escape a devastating future. In this world, women are forced to wear marital collars, cruel devices designed to cut off their magic under the pretext of saving their future children from being possessed by spirits during pregnancy. This fate is inescapable; as soon as a couple marries, her husband locks the collar into place around her neck where it stays until she is no longer able to bear children.

Beatrice Amara Clayborn is a young lady from a modest family. All her life, she has been prepared for the Bargaining Season - a time when eligible young people from high society attend balls and events to socialise and make potential matches. The future of the Clayborn family rests heavily on Beatrice's young shoulders. Her father is in debt after a string of failed investments, and he is gambling the last of their money on Beatrice's first Bargaining Season. No matter what, she must leave with a new husband.

Beatrice, however, has other plans in mind. She doesn't want to spend her life shackled by the marital collar, living with a man she doesn't love. Beatrice wants to continue studying magic and to be recognised for her powers. The last thing she wants is to marry... until she meets handsome, rich Ianthe Lavan. Ianthe and his sister Ysbeta quickly become integral to Beatrice's plans, and the trio has plenty of surprises in store throughout the book.

Some of this book's greatest strengths are its world-building and originality. The world is intriguing and exciting, richly described without spending too much time going into every little detail. It's well-written and definitely has a lot of potential.

Overall, this is a highly enjoyable novel that defies genre boundaries to tell a brilliant story. Plus, isn't that cover gorgeous?

Beatrice Clayborn dreams of becoming a magician and summoning a powerful spirit to help in her father’s business endeavours. Unfortunately for her, he believes the only way for her to help is by marrying a powerful man. If she does that, though, she will be forced to give up her magic for years to protect her unborn children from the magical spirits who seek a home in human bodies. When she meets the powerful Lavan siblings, she promises to help Ysbeta, who also seeks to avoid marriage, but finds herself attracted to her handsome and forward- thinking brother Ianthe. As her relationships with the Lavans progress, Beatrice finds her dreams becoming more complicated.

This was a very enjoyable read. The world building and magic system are strong. While set in an alternate world, the setting, descriptions, and language give the feeling of the Regency era, with all the social mores that go along with it. I found the stakes for Beatrice and Ysbeta gripping and emotional enough to keep me reading, and the descriptions of the effects of the collar married sorceresses must wear were horrific enough to create tension.

Beatrice’s relationships with the Lavans were interesting too. While there’s never really any doubt about the outcome of her attraction to Ianthe, there are moments where her desire for magic and her desire to do her duty to her family create tension, and heighten the emotion between them. Initially one of mistrust and rivalry, her relationship with Ysbeta, too, has its satisfying, emotional elements.

Readers may find Beatrice quite unlikable at times. She is quite selfish at certain moments, definitely, but it is satisfying to see her realise the need to help other sorceresses too.

I also quite enjoyed Beatrice’s relationship with the luck spirit, Nadi, who provided some comedy, but through whom Beatrice also learned more about the spirit realm. One of the interesting elements of the book is how little the magicians really understand about bargaining with spirits. I would enjoy exploring more of that in another book set in this world, perhaps. I actually don’t typically enjoy stories with magic tied to spirits, but this worked quite well for me, particularly when we learn how the bargaining really works. There’s a lot more nuance here than it seems.

I felt that the book could perhaps have said more about sorceresses who don’t come from wealthy families, though. There is a discussion of a sorceress who gives birth to a spirit child, where the consequences of not wearing a collar are revealed, but I felt these poorer sorceresses could have had a larger role in the book. The story does feel rather classist, though I do think that Beatrice and Ysbeta’s actions work in favour of all sorceresses in the end.

There was also a slight pacing issue for me, in that I felt the ending was wrapped up quite quickly, relative to the pacing of the rest of the novel. Over all, though, I enjoyed the world building, the characters, and the story a lot. I will certainly be reading more by this author.

The Midnight Bargain is a beautiful and enchanting historical fantasy romance.
Our main character, Beatrice, does not have any interest in getting married as that would mean giving up her magic, but because of the financial situation of her family she is obligated to do so. Whilst on a hunt for a grimoire (a book enchanted with magic to appear ordinary but able to be unlocked by female sorcerers who know the spell to open it) Beatrice meets Ysbeta Lavan, a fellow sorceress who wants to avoid marriage, and her brother Ianthe. As bargaining season continues there paths cross multiple times and a friendship forms between her and the siblings, leading to her further exploration of magic.
The world is beautifully written and although Beatrice isn’t so well versed with the intricacies and etiquette of bargaining season, her younger sister, Harriet, is and she is the one who leads the reader through the protocols and expectations. I really enjoyed how well developed the magic system was and how, despite only men having access to magical training, Beatrice and Ysbeta were able to uncover secrets within their grimoires and teach themselves.
Although I enjoyed the relationships between Beatrice and the Lavan siblings, it didn't always feel organic. The development between Beatrice and Ianthe felt a little rushed and at times it came across as very conventions when he would almost instantaneously change his opinion on how women should be treated in the magic world, and what their roles should be. I also would have like to see more of the relationship between Beatrice and Harriet, for two sisters who are so close in age and are in a place they know nobody else, they have little interaction.

Thank you to NetGalley, Little Brown Book group and C.L.Polk for this ARC by exchanging honest review.

Anyway, The Midnight Bargain tells you the story of Beatrice Clayborn who lived during Regency era in a fictionous England. Imagine Bridgerton meets magic. I actually haven't read nor watch Bridgerton, sorry dearies 🤭. She is a sorceress who wants to practice magic for the rest of her life but been married will prevent her to do so. In her world, everyone can cast magic but women can't conjure magic after they were married. They will be chained with marital collar in order to protect their unborn child from harm by magic. So, Beatrice collab with Ysbeta and Ianthe Lavan (her lover) to break the tradition and find the solution to it.

✨Things that I favoured✨

So my thoughts on it, it's entertaining and engaging. A fast pace story as they moved to a problem to another problem quite fast. Interesting world building and plot but I wish we can get more details on magic and actions. I really really love as the story carried the theme of women empowerment, independent and freedom. We're getting strong-willed and fierce women characters like Ysbeta & Beatrice hence I'm pretty enjoyed it.

🍂Things to be improved🍂

Need more development on magical world building. Maybe some history/background. More action on the usage of magic. The romance as well need to invest more as I think they fall for each other quite fast as well. Insta-love as people said so. Ianthe also need to be upgraded 😂 He's kinda a guy of bare minimum gentlemen and we need more characteristic of him.

****Will be posting a review in Goodreads separately due to technical issues****

Midnight Bargain is a fantasy novel set in a quasi Regency-era in which women are forbidden from practicing higher magic in order to allow them to safely bear children.

This is not a book without flaws. The central romance lacks quite enough depth - Beatrice and Ianthe are soon devoted to each other without the necessary build up that would have made their feelings more credible. It feels like there are a couple of scenes missing. Also the magic system in the book is curiously ill-defined. We learn that in order to use magic it is necessary to join with a spirit, but the full scope and limitations of a fully fledged practitioner are never really explored. That seems a shame, given that this would appear to be a standalone novel.

I found the concept underpinning this book to be engaging, given the real-world parallels that many women face in choosing between a family and a high powered career. I find myself increasingly drawn of late to feminist fiction and strong female characters, so in this sense Midnight Bargain certainly struck a chord with me. I rather enjoyed it.

If you are looking for a short and snappy standalone fantasy that veers away from the usual medieval-based swords and sorcery setting, this could well be the book for you.

My thanks to NetGalley and Little Brown Book Group UK for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

4.5 stars

The Midnight Bargain follows Beatrice, a young socialite who is entering her first bargaining season to try and find a husband in order to rescue their families finances. However Beatrice is also a powerful young sorceress and doesn't want to have to give up her magic or get married, instead she is trying to find the secret to becoming a high mage and binding a powerful spirit by tracking down grimoires.

I really loved the blend of regency era romance and modern feminism - Beatrice is torn between wanting her own independence and ability to use magic freely, however she is also very much in love with Ianthe but she knows being with him would sacrifice her agency. I adore the time setting (major bridgerton vibes!!) and thought there was a great balance of description along with an actual plot and drama to keep you engaged.

The focus on friendship between Beatrice and Ysbeta was excellent, the book had a lot of feminist themes and I thought choosing to focus on a friendship between powerful women was a great choice, especially given the time setting where often women are portrayed rivals. From the beginning when they make a bargain for Beatrice to teach Ysbeta magic in exchange for Ysbeta helping Beatrice with the grimoire, you can tell their relationship is going to be entertaining but also very meaningful to both of them.

Beatrice's spirit friend Nadi was also a really fun character, she (they?) was so mischevous and sassy. I thought the spirit magic added a lot to the book and I always love anything to do with ghosts/spirits so I was very much in my element here.

My only (very minor) gripe with the book was I was not 100% invested in the romance between Beatrice and Ianthe, I really liked them both as individual characters but I would have liked a bit more development, especially towards the beginning. I did however really enjoy their conversations where Beatrice was challenging Ianthes attitudes towards women and magic. I did also think the internal conflict Beatrice had around marriage and love was really well done, you can see she is torn and obviously wants the best for Ianthe, even if it means she has to break his heart because she cannot give him what he wants.

I also really liked the dicussion around womens agency over their bodies, I thought the fact that the reason women cannot practice magic once they are married because it can put their babies at risk whilst they are pregnant and so therefore are kept in a magic supressing collar all their (fertile) lives was an interesting reflection on current womens rights activism, especially around contraception, abortion and the right to choice. I liked how it was challenged by various characters, and how a lot of the women didn't like the collars, but because it was systemic no-one was speaking up about it and therefore Beatrice presumed she was the only one struggling.

In conclusion I really enjoyed this, if you are looking for a great blend of regency romance, magical shenanigans and feminism then I think this book would be perfect for you!

‘Nadi, you will wear a fine gown. You will dance. You will eat cake. You will see starlight. You will have a kiss by midnight, and then our bargain is done.”

My thanks to Little, Brown Book Group U.K./Orbit for an eARC via NetGalley of ‘The Midnight Bargain’ by C. L. Polk in exchange for an honest review. I subsequently bought its ebook and audiobook editions.

This is a delightful historical fantasy set in a world reminiscent of Regency Britain complete with lovely gowns, strict social etiquette, and the rest - yet also with hereditary magic and grimoires.

Its lead is Beatrice Clayborn, a young woman who is forced to practice magic in secret. While magic is accepted in this world, women with magical talent are restricted to learning simple charms, their only worth is to become compliant wives and bear magically gifted sons.

Beatrice is about to take part in the Bargaining Season, where magically gifted ingenues are paraded before prospective husbands at soirées and balls. Beatrice is aware that on her wedding day she will be locked into a warding collar that will cut off her power. Yet Beatrice does not want to marry and dreams of becoming a full-fledged mage. However, her family are in severe debt, and only her making a good marriage can save them.

When Beatrice discovers a grimoire containing the key to becoming a mage, Ysbeta, a rival sorceress, is also determined to have it and out of deference to Ysbeta’s higher social station, Beatrice yields. However, she almost immediately regrets it and decides to summons a lesser spirit to help her retrieve the book. Her new ally demands a price: Beatrice's first kiss . . . with the sorceress's brother: the handsome and fabulously wealthy Ianthe Lavan.

I have always loved Regency romances and add to the mix magic and social issues linked to women’s rights and I was completely hooked from start to finish. I especially adored Nadi, the lesser spirit that Beatrice summons. She brought a delightful element of comedy into the story.

Overall, I thought Polk’s writing was excellent and that she created a world that I found myself deeply immersed in.

I plan on reading more novels by C. L. Polk and hope that she will return to further explore this rich world.

The Midnight Bargain by C. L. Polk is a historical fantasy story and when I saw that someone described it as Bridgerton with magic, I had to read it. And I definitely see where that came from after reading the book.

The story is about Beatrice who lives in a magical England inspired by the regency time. I really loved this setting and felt transported right into this time. The magic system was also very interesting and based on a bargaining system with spirits. You also meet the spirit Nadi and I absolutely loved her. In this world women only have magic until they marry. Then they have to wear a marital collar that disables their power in order to ensure the birth of a healthy child.

Our protagonist Beatrice challenges this system and society standards as she has no interest in marriage and rather wants to study magic and become a Magus, which is only accomplished by men. Next to the magic system these feminist touches, such as the fight for equal magical rights, were my favorite part of the book. However, I had a hard time connecting to Beatrice at first because she felt rather flat and unlikeable, but throughout the story her character developed more.

One day her path crosses with the Lavan siblings. Ysbeta is a woman like her who doesn’t want to lose her magic and the two bond over that and become friends. Ianthe however awakens romantic feelings and complicates everything. He was a wonderful person and showed that not all men in this world are archaic.

Romance is also a part of the book and Beatrice and Ianthe fit beautifully together. But it was very much insta love and it happened way too fast and didn’t have a lot of room to properly develop.

Overall, The Midnight Bargain is a highly enjoyable story, but some things weren’t fully worked out and the pacing was a bit too fast. 3 stars.

(ARC kindly provided via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.)

I really enjoyed this, overall it's a clever fantasy of manners with a powerful message and some memorable characters.

The Plot: This is where the book shines. To have women's rights addressed so starkly and to have such a range of perspectives, both positive and negative, on display was really refreshing and empowering. The epilogue was *chefs kiss* Although I can understand it, it was a little disappointing that the older generations of women weren't more interested and engaged .

The Characters: I thought most of the characters were well thought out and had clear personalities but sometimes their actions felt a bit off and designed to fit what the story needed of them. Harriet was the most confused, at times she was a socialite who knew the ins and outs of etiquette then she was a financial genius and she couldn't decide how she felt / acted towards her sister. Beatrice herself was far too forgiving especially of her father who is unbelievably cruel to her. Danton Maisonette and Mrs Lavan to me were really clever characters used to great effect.

The Pacing: I think this is the weakest part of the book, the start was good and had a nice rhythm but it became really boggy in the middle and I was bored reading the same conversation between Beatrice and Ianthe / Beatrice and Ysbeta, when the story found the right gear to get out of the mud it was good again but the ending felt rushed and far too forgiving.

I loved the premise of this book—magic, romance, and dark deal, in a pseudo-regency setting, with a touch of feminism. It did deliver all of that, in part, and was quite a fun read, but it ultimately didn’t grab me.

The magic was well thought out and interesting, based around summoning various “greater” and “lesser” spirits and all sorts of associated traditions.

The romance was pleasant enough, though I didn’t really find myself falling for the slightly too perfect hero. I was definitely rooting for the main couple, but didn’t get much of a sense of chemistry from them either. Despite all the magic, it basically had a fairly traditional historical romance structure—neither a good thing nor a bad thing, just an observation. Everything was pretty chaste throughout.

The “dark deal” aka the “Midnight Bargain” of the title didn’t ultimately amount to much. I guess I was expecting some sort of sinister/risky/passionate arrangement with the love interest and just a bit more of a complex plot and more twists and turns, and that just didn’t materialise.

What I’ve described as the “pseudo-regency setting” was pretty well done. It was set in a second world fantasy setting, rather than late eighteenth century Britain, but the inspiration was pretty clear and was pleasantly different from most fantasy/magical settings.

And finally, the feminist angle was based around the idea that upon marriage, women have to don collars to block their magic, so any children aren’t possessed by spirits in the womb. It was an interesting idea, but for me the heroine’s absolute refusal to compromise and some slightly hard to justify decisions wore a little thin. And then the eventual solution was equally all a little convenient.

Overall then, a fun book, but not one I loved. It was the sort of read where, whenever I was reading it, I was enjoying myself, but once I put it down, I never had a desperate desire to pick it back up.

Beatrice is a desperate young woman, who dreads losing her magical power once she is married and forced to wear a collar that will subjugate her abilities in order to protect her unborn children. Her dream is to become a ‘thornback’ – a spinster who will keep in touch with her magic so that she can advise her father in his investments and help him regain the family fortune that he recklessly squandered on an ill-advised get-rich scheme to popularise orchids. However, her father’s idea is to take advantage of her sorcerous talent and set her up to make an advantageous match that will help restore the family and open more doors for her ambitious younger sister, Harriet. And he won’t hear of Beatrice’s alternative ideas that will allow her to keep in touch with her magic.

She isn’t alone in her yearning to hold onto her talent – Ysbeta Lavan is in a similar hard place and when they find themselves vying for the same information, Beatrice undertakes to help Ysbeta attain the same skills that she has managed to finesse. Unlike Beatrice, Ysbeta’s mother is wholly unsympathetic to her daughter’s hopes. Beatrice, in particular, takes some jaw-dropping risks that pulls down some unwelcome attention. I teetered on the edge of continuing, as I began to feel that the story was becoming unrealistic with some of the stunts she pulls. But fortunately Polk managed to bring the story to a suitable conclusion. The pacing is a tad uneven, particularly near the end, where it suddenly speeds up. But I enjoyed the ending, which wrapped everything up satisfyingly, and found the world and the magic wholly convincing. I just wished I’d liked Beatrice more, but some of the risks she took were stupid and monumentally selfish, as she wasn’t just risking her own life – but also pulling others into harm’s way.

That said, I found the story engrossing and largely enjoyable and I’ll definitely be tracking down more of Polk’s writing. Recommended for fans of Regency-style fantasy romances. While I obtained an arc of The Midnight Bargain from the publishers via Netgalley, the opinions I have expressed are unbiased and my own.
8/10

I loved this. It was such a fun read and beautifully written. Firstly, I really liked the choice of setting, there was such a rich and lavish world built up around the characters. We got a full view of magic, court politics and etiquette of not just one land in this world but of several and how they treated women in particular. The magic system itself was interesting and I loved that our Main character, Beatrice, was not a novice but skilled when we met her. I liked the Regency feel to the setting without it being overly focused on the descriptions of clothing or decorations. There was just such a rich and lavish feeling to it all, like sinking into plush cushions, with the writing just sweeping you away with it all.

Beatrice was a great main character, confident but also inquisitive. She is not naïve in any way she stands firm in her decisions and how she reasoned and questioned the decisions she had to make through out the plot was fantastic. The romance was also interesting. It was a real meeting of equals. I loved that it didn't overshadow Beatrice and her story but instead moved with her and her decisions. I really liked how it played out through out the book and I was right there with it till the end. I enjoyed the development of Beatrice's friendships and the struggles to choose between the friendships, her family, her love and her own freedom. My favourite character was Nadi, the Spirit Beatrice bargains with, I liked seeing the development of Beatrice's magic and her connection with Nadi grow, it was a fun and very interesting relationship to have such a strong arc within the plot.

My only gripe is that a lot of the plot points that Beatrice falls into could have been easily solved with communication. Mis-communication tropes are my least favourite and a larger part of the denouement of this tale could have been solved if two of the characters just had a honest conversation. That made the book a little frustrating as I could easily see alterative plotlines. The ending however was still exciting and fun to read regardless on my misgivings about the chosen trope. I was still right there with every story beat wanting to know how it would turn out.

Overall, the writing style was really engaging. I found myself wanting to read more and more, wanting to spend time with the characters, worrying for them, getting excited for the romance, wanting to fight there battles. That that is the sign of a great read. Thoroughly immersive and captivating that you are just swept along and the pages just fly by.

The Midnight Bargain, C.L.Polk.
Magic meets Bridgerton in the Regency fantasy everyone is talking about...

Review from Jeannie Zelos book reviews
Romance 
Genre: Sci-fi and fantasy

I wasn't sure about this book at first, but quickly became hooked and I loved it.
Its a mix, a magical world, but historical in the sense that women are property, and horrors, no matter how talented magically once married they lose that. As spirits can enter unborn children and take over women have to wear a collar to lock out their magic and therefore lock out any harmful spirits. Not just while they are pregnant, but from their wedding day to the end of their childbearing years. Beatrice is horrified, she is talented, thinks the system unfair and would fair rather keep her magic and remain unmarried. However her families future depends on her making a good marriage, thanks to some poor investments by her father, a fact she's only just become aware of.
Poor Beatrice, stuck between a rock and a hard place. Her only hope is to continue her magical education in secret and get good enough to convince her father she can help mend the families fortunes that way...
There are some great characters here, a lovely mix of friendship and the usual Mean Girls, as Beatrice isn't quite from the top drawer. I was surprised how things with Ysabeta developed, loved it, it wasn't what I expected. Ianthe, who couldn't love him. One of the few forward thinking men of the time, who was prepared to try to understand what Beatrice had issues with. Like most of us, whats accepted as norm isn't questioned, and though he knew Ysabeta has problems with it he hadn't really though about it from a woman's view. Of course he's in the minority, and his mother certainly doesn't share his views.
The star for me was Nadi, the luck spirit. I adored her, she made the book really special, her relationship with Beatrice. They both cared about the other, where convention said spirits needed to be kept in place, and didn't have those sort of feelings.
Its a gentle romance, beset with society problems and a really fun read. I loved the magic, loved the problems that cropped up, loved the gentle mean girls stuff. It ends neatly, everything wraps up with a neat epilogue, and I'd love to read more from this world, see how the things develop with these characters and maybe others a couple of years down the line.

Stars: Five, a really magical read and I love this world. C L Polk, please write more!

ARC supplied by Netgalley and publishers

In a world where sorceresses are forced to set aside their magic to marry, one woman must reconcile her desire to save her family from penury with her dream of becoming a full-fledged mage. Beatrice Clayborn is about to debut in her first bargaining season: she is to enter society and secure a marriage to a wealthy man, to save her family after a string of bad investments have left them on the edge of financial ruin. But to marry is to give up her magic and be collared (literally) by a man, something that Beatrice doesn't want to do. Her only hope is a grimoire that could teach her to perform to bind a greater spirit to herself and become a Magus.

But when the grimoire is snatched from under her nose by another sorceress, Beatrice bargains with a lesser spirit to win it back. The price: a kiss from the sorceress's handsome brother Ianthe. Soon, Beatrice finds herself facing a difficult choice: be with the man she loves and forego magic forever, or damn her family to disgrace and ruin but pursue her dreams. What seemed an easy choice would now take her away from happiness...

Reading the blurb and the "rival sorceress" bit, I was worried that it would turn into some kind of rivalry thing, but I was incredibly surprised when actually Polk went the way of friendship instead. I was honestly so pleased because that level of female friendship isn't often seen in fantasy (though I do believe it's more common in romance novels) and it's just what the book needs. It's a novel of relationships: between siblings (both Ianthe and his sister, as well as Beatrice and hers, not to mention their relationships to their parents), but also between friends, and watching Beatrice and Ysabeta learn to trust each other was genuinely beautiful. The commentary on the literal subjugation of women is nuanced and unlike other reviewers, I didn't think that Polk just beat us over the head with it. We see a lot of society here: from the aristocrats engaging in bargaining season to the women who have been able to avoid collaring (and look, in one case, I definitely read two of them as being in a queer relationship and you can't convince me otherwise). It is infuriating to see so many men make decisions on Beatrice's behalf, talk over her, tell her she has no idea what she's saying and it all feels natural and logical within the boundaries of the world itself; she is a rebel and she is a woman, who needs a man to tell her how to behave and what to do and who will deny her the magic she's so capable of.

I also like that her relationship with Ianthe builds up naturally (there is a tiny bit of instalove, but nothing too glaring) and I enjoyed watching them come together and talk - this is the other thing that Polk does incredibly well. We don't just have steamy moments of passion between the two (and indeed, they don't really consummate their relationship on the page, which is something that differs from say the Bridgerton novels that I've read) with little else; in fact, the very fact that Ianthe sees Beatrice for who she truly is makes the romance so much more believable. They both have to adapt and change, to be the best partner possible, and again it's something that I love. Polk doesn't just have some rakish man change for one woman, nor do they have Beatrice set aside everything she stands for just to marry this man; instead, their plot lets them exchange ideas, disagree even! Their narrative comes together spectacularly because it's allowed to grow organically, even if the timeframe (of a couple of weeks) is slightly too unbelievable (but then again, this feels like a romance trope the Polk adopts, I wouldn't count it a negative against their writing or anything).

And then there is the friendship between Ysbeta and Beatrice. Again, to call them rivals is a slight misnomer that actually pits their relationship as a lot more adversarial than it actually is. Polk's ability really shines through here and I thoroughly would have been fine had they both run away to be Magi together though then that might not make it, strictly speaking, a romance. But Ysbeta is headstrong, she is determined and she is someone who, like Beatrice, won't accept the mores of a country or culture because she has to. I admired her a lot and it's testament to Polk's skill that I was able to cheer at the end for both of these women, because it never felt like one's happiness would come at the expense of another's.

I don't, quite frankly, understand the lukewarm reception for the book. I thought that Polk did a fantastic job with their worldbuilding (and yes, by the way, the author does use they/them pronouns can we as reviewers pay attention to this and not misgender them?!), the magic system is great and honestly, I enjoy this kind of romance novel, where the main character doesn't just obsess over her lover. Frankly, I hope we see a lot more of this, because it makes everything more realistic and earned - the happily ever after isn't assumed (I mean, it sort of is, to be a romance novel, but not by the characters) and by the end, I was absolutely thrilled to see this play out. So, as spring comes and all the cherry trees bloom, make sure you get your hands on a copy of this book. For me, I'm so thrilled to have found another romance author whose work I enjoy and I can't wait to read Witchmark!