The Midnight Bargain is an exciting YA fantasy with a sprinkling of romance. It’s set in Chasland, a fictional world very reminiscent of regency England. The world is vibrant and colourful and the writing is elegant and easy to following and perfectly describes the costumes and setting of the regency era. We follow Beatrice Clayborn who craves her independence and dreams of becoming a mage, but with ‘Bargaining Season’ fast approaching she is expected to find a husband and give up her dreams.

The story is compelling, well paced and interesting and the theme running throughout is gross inequality for women. Women are stripped of their powers in order to bear children whilst the men continue to retain theirs. A marriage collar is used, this horrendous appendage blocks a woman’s magic powers in order to protect her unborn baby from being purloined by spirits. The magic system is fascinating, it’s well explained and developed and I particularly enjoyed the spirit summoning scenes. There sense of tension in these scenes with the expectation that something might go horribly wrong.

The characters on the whole are likeable and well portrayed, and it was fascinating exploring the relationships between them all. However, it was Nadi the Luck Spirit who shone for me. What a wonderful comical character. She’s so jolly and mischievous and with her constant hex-readiness she really made me chuckle. Beatrice is feisty, independent and brave and fights for what she believes in and again a well drawn character and it was wonderful seeing her character develop over the course of the story. I would have liked to have seen a bit more depth and grittiness to Ianthe’s character, although his kindness and intelligence is communicated to the reader, he otherwise comes across a little one-dimensional and bland.

The romance was nothing special, in truth I found it a little underwhelming and lacking in chemistry and with no build up or depth to it, appeared superficial. It is in fact Ysbeta rather than Ianthe who interacts more with Beatrice and appears to have a much greater connection.

The Midnight Bargain is an enjoyable and entertaining read with a smooth and easy to following writing style. The magic system is complex and interesting and there are some fabulous descriptions of the regency world. There is definitely a lot going on here to attract a YA fantasy audience, but particularly if you enjoy historical fantasy with a hint of romance.

Thank you so much to the publisher for the eARC to review,

I don’t know if it’s my eternal live for historical romance or just my moods but I loved this book so much. I rarely go into paranormal/ fantasy stories and this one has the perfect amount of elements to keep me intrigued and not being overwhelmed with it overall.
I loved the family drama and friendship and loyalty displayed between Beatrice and her sisters.
Her romance story is just perfectly crafted with great banter and some suspenseful twists.
I loved how strong and willingly to discover a bride between her love for magic and the lifetime tradition of loosing her ability to practice that magic when she’ll get married.
It’s entertaining and full of interesting characters that stands out more than others , especially Lavan, he wasn’t at all what I was expecting, he was much more and better.
I hope there will be more books after this one because it has a great potential for a favourite series.

I think the problem here lies with me rather than the book itself to an extent. I don’t think with a few exceptions that I get on with the genre of historical romance fantasy. I just couldn’t get engaged with the plot or the characters or the Insta love. The storyline was original in its concept and I think many will enjoy it but sadly it wasn’t for me.

The Midnight Bargain by @ceepolk - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️. Thanks so much to @orbitbooks_uk & @netgalley for this advanced review copy!

This book had been on my Amazon wish list for an age before I nabbed a digital proof, so obviously I was quite excited to read it. At first, however, I was glad I’d not paid money for it as I was really not connecting with the characters or the writing though the premise was really intriguing (it reminded me of Alix E Harrow whose style I really don’t like, now I look closer she’s actually provided a quote for the cover!) but I was intrigued enough to persevere and in the end I was so into the story and invested in the characters I ended up staying up late to finish it!

Since Bridgerton hit it so popular the Amazon listing has been altered to promote it as Bridgerton meets magic, but I think that is doing it a bit of a disservice. Beatrice Clayborne, a young sorceress brimming with magical potential is in town for the bargaining season - her family need her to marry a rich mage who wants her for her magical potential - but Beatrice is terrified of her wedding day - when she’ll be locked into a magical collar that will cut her off from the magic until the day she is done bearing children. Desperate to both escape her fate and save her family from ruin she summons a spirit of luck (#rachelsfavouritecharecter) who, as part of their bargain, demands Beatrice’s first kiss. But when the rich, handsome and intriguing Ianthe Lavan comes along, Beatrice is torn between two futures she will break her own heart by choosing between.

As I said, this book really warmed up. I was less into the fantasy Regency element and their system of magic, and more into the bold, vivid and really quite funny characters - especially Beatrice’s hilarious spirit Nadi - but I don’t think it will be for everyone. Skimming through Goodreads reviews (something I only allow myself to do once I’ve finished a book and formed my own opinions) lots of people feel the same - the concept has *so* much potential, but it is really up to of the writing style of you’ll actually like it or not - very much a marmite read, but one that I do suggest you persevere with at least for a while!

If this all sounds like your sort of thing do go and pre-order a copy, The Midnight Bargain is out on April 13th!

The Midnight Bargain is a charming, easy read, tackling themes of gender equality and power through a Regency-esque fantasy. Beatrice Clayborn is a powerful sorceress in a world where women are not allowed to practise magic and are locked into a marital collar that cuts off their powers. But Beatrice is determined to not let this become her fate, even as her family pushes her to marry to lift them out of the severe debt they have fallen into.

I really liked following Beatrice as the main character. She is powerful and knows it, and she is ready to challenge the whole of society for her right to become a mage - even if she has to do so in secret, risking everything. I wasn't too keen on the magic system itself, which seems to be strongly based in the mage being possessed by a spirit. Women learn magic from coded grimoires hidden in plain sight, and we get a fair bit of insight into how the magic works by following Beatrice as she conjures a luck spirit, Nadi.

Nadi was by far my favourite part of the book. I absolutely adored her and would totally take her with me everywhere and give her lots of cake. Nadi was a breath of fresh air in an otherwise quite predictable plot and character development. The rest of the cast is frankly quite forgettable, and the love interest, Ianthe, was quite bland for my taste. I also couldn't forgive the instalove and, even though I tried to look past it to enjoy the rest of the book, it bothered me to no end that Beatrice and Ianthe would be madly in love after briefly speaking ONCE. Ianthe's sister (and aspiring sorceress) Ysbeta was honestly a much more interesting character and I felt more chemistry between her and Beatrice, to the extent that I would have greatly preferred seeing them as a couple rather than the usual, predictable romance.

Crossing magic with a period drama is a great idea, especially for someone like me who loves both those elements, so I did overall enjoy reading this book. However, it was not without its faults. The plot was quite thin, the magic system problematic and the romance disappointing - in many ways, it reminded me of my experience watching Bridgerton, which I also found entertaining but deeply problematic. And yes, I did imagine Beatrice and Ianthe like this every time a dance was mentioned:

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I appreciated the effort to include a gender equality theme in the book, even though at times it felt more like reading a Feminism 101 guide disguised as a fantasy rather than a story seamlessly incorporating these themes.

Overall, The Midnight Bargain was a pleasant enough read, in no small part thanks to the author's excellent writing style. It had some serious issues for me (mostly the thin plot and overreliance on the instalove), but some charismatic characters and the never-ending charm of the Regency-like setting somewhat made up for those, leaving me mostly satisfied and only partly wishing that this book had dared go further to reach its full potential.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an e-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the opinions expressed in this review are my own.
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This was my first foray into the regency romance genre and, aside from a few hiccups, I did enjoy it for the most part.

To start with, the worldbuilding is beautiful. We're given pretty descriptions of unique settings and I felt immersed in the 'mood' of this story.

The characters are also well-developed, although I cannot say that for all their relationships. In fact, rather than our protagonist's relationship with the love interest, I felt that her bond with her spirit was much stronger and better explained.

At times the pacing was quite slow and difficuly to get through, but frankly speaking the setting always managed to pull me in. I'm sure I'll be trying out more in this genre soon.

This was a good book that kept me sufficiently interested. Aside from the wonderfully explained and relatively new (to me, at least) setting, everything else was executed to a normal degree with a satisfying conclusion.

Overall rating: ⭐⭐⭐ 3/5 stars

I had seen this title a while before I noticed and then requested it on NetGalley. I was ecstatic when I saw my request had been granted. It looked like it would be a promising read, the premise was interesting, and I was particularly curious about how a “magical Bridgerton” would be created.
In a society where women are stripped of their inborn magic on the day of their wedding, so as to ensure that no children can be possessed by wandering spirits, there are those who resist this fate. Meet Beatrice our leading lady, a woman with a remarkable amount of magic, who if born a man would have been swept up by a Chapterhouse to train and flourish, but alas she is not a man and now has to face an impossible choice, battle against what is expected of her and also that which her heart desires most. It sounds interesting right? Well, it was interesting, I enjoyed the magic system, the little bit of romance (we’ll get back to this) and women coming together to battle societal rules.
Alas, I was underwhelmed overall. The characters felt stiff, the romantic relationship didn’t feel well developed and while the connection between the characters makes sense in hindsight, the strength of their conviction when it comes to being in love feels slightly premature and forced.
Now don’t get me wrong…I enjoyed it. I just feel this is one of those books you either love, hate or feel indifferent about. The potential was there, it just didn’t quite live up to this potential.
There will definitely be those who absolutely adore this story; the characters, the world and cultures that the author created, it just didn’t quite live up to the expectation that was created by the synopsis and premise for me personally. It also took me about 45% of the book to actually become invested in the characters. I caught myself wondering “why should I care?” up to that point.
Now that all this negativity has been dealt with, I enjoyed the regency feel of the world, the proper way things had to be done and the author created marvelous villains. They were not evil in their own right, but their lack of care and ignorance when it came to the devastation felt by the women when their magic was ripped away was a very well-placed comment on ignorance not being blissful or an excuse and that a lack of care is just as harmful as active cruelty.
I strongly recommend you read it for yourself and decide if this magical, regency drama is for you.

I was really excited to read this book. However, I found it really slow going and just couldn't get in to it.

This is a beautiful Regency-era fantasy that tackles female empowerment with more gusto (and explicit passion) than any historical fiction I’ve read in a long while. While I enjoyed reading this, I'm not sure I can say it will stay with me. It was fun and and breezy to read through though, so I would recommend it as a light reading project.

The premise of this book is such an intriguing one: A world in which magic exists but women are barred from using it once they get married as a starting point for a feminist tale of self fulfillment and courage - sounds amazing. It's definitely an enjoyable read, too, and I finished it in one sitting. But in the end, it just left me feeling kind of meh.
The beginning was great and Beatrice is a loveable and relatable protagonist, and I did like the introduction of the Lavan siblings and the general world building. Beatrice's struggles resemble those of women in Austen-esque novels but with a dash of magic, and I enjoyed the magic system as well. Nadi, the spirit Beatrice hosts for most of the novel, is probably my favorite character in the whole thing.

There are a few things that did, sadly, dampen my enjoyment of this novel.. One issue is the sometimes inconsistent character writing for Beatrice, mostly in the context of her romance with Ianthe. There is a severe case of instalove between them that leads to Beatrice, who yearns to have her freedom and tells us that she doesn't want to marry all throughout the first chapters, wondering in chapter 3 (!!!), basically moments (!!!) after meeting Ianthe, whether she could give up this freedom for someone like him. It just... does not make sense so early in the book with what we know about her and made me, quite frankly, roll my eyes hard. The romance in general is rather lackluster because there is no real excitement, no real development and the obstacles in their way are, in the end, easily overcome with some Plot Magic. The romance suffers also from the lacking characterisation of Ianthe who seems to be reduced to the sweet heroic love interest. The stars of the show are definitely the two ladies, Beatrice and Ysbeta, and best spirit in all the realms Nadi.

The plot is a little meandering in places but I genuinely enjoyed it anyway - until the ending. Be aware of some mild SPOILERY territory from here on! A lot of stuff happens in the last few chapters and I was actually excited about it all, but the last scene is basically a Big Giant Dialogue between every character that was ever involved in the plot in any way, and every problem and obstacle our main trio faced along the way is suddenly just. solved immediately. Everything is fine, everyone agrees on everything, everyone's happy and forgiving, it's honestly really jarring and renders the journey we went on with all these characters kind of pointless. I am absolutely not averse to happy endings, but happy endings that kind of just happen within one dialogue scene that solves each and every single problem just feel a little tacked on. The same goes for the biggest magical obstacle in Beatrice's and Ianthe's way as a couple, the very reason Beatrice doesn't want to marry and women aren't allowed to have their magic once they get married. The solution to this problem is, in the end, an easy one just given to them instead of something they actively work towards and it simply doesn't feel satisfying at all.

So while this is an enjoyable novel with interesting world building, a cool magic system and characters with a lot of potential, it is also, in the end, disappointing in its execution. I would have loved to like this novel more because the world is SO interesting and such a good mix of historical fiction and fantasy, and the writing is very good too, but sadly it's just not for me. It's a solid 2.5 stars read for me, rounded up to 3 stars because I did enjoy my reading experience and also, Nadi is the best and I would definitely let him possess me.

I've got an ARC of "The Midnight Bargain" by Netgalley, for an honest review.

The book is an ok book, but slow pace and not really my style, and got a bit boring for me. But I did like the whole break free from tradition and norms. Cause the story is in a world where men has the over hand and women is being held down, basiclly. So this woman is trying to change it. Unfortunelly this story have been seen before and I guess I'm more an action type then politic and bals.

But over all it has a good message with it, that you can do and brcome what you want in life just fight for it. So that's nice.

This started off as a very intriguing story but unfortunately, it peaked at about 20% and went downhill afterwards. Not much happened and the magic system wasn't interesting.

The Midnight Bargain is set in a world where women are magic but they’re restricted from using it on marriage because when they are pregnant spirits take over their babies in the womb and turn them into demons. Enter Beatrice Clayborn a young woman with a powerful gift who has been learning sorcery in secret through some nifty coded books a band of underground female sorcerers wrote to help girls such as Beatrice. But Bea’s got to get married her family is mired in debt so she needs to bag a rich husband whether she wants to or not and she most definitely does not until hot and rich Ianthe Lavan sweet talks her in a book shop then kisses her senseless at a ball and wouldn’t you know it marriage starts to look a bit more appealing. Dammit!
The Midnight Bargain is enjoyable in the way regency romances are, it is incredibly heavy handed in the “boo marriage and children” negativity which never let up and grated in the end. The best relationship in the book is between Bea and her spirit, Ianthe is sort of an after thought. We hardly spend anytime with him at all and he must be one hell of a kisser for Bea to fall madly in love after only about five sentences of conversation. Ianthe is paper thin because it’s all about the ladies. But he was just a bit too wet for me to care about Bea’s conflicted feelings.

In this beautifully written historical fantasy, C.L. Polk blends the regency era romance of Pride and Prejudice with an intriguing magic system-creating a captivating tale of love,friendship and female empowerment,I devoured it in one sitting.

“The talent for sorcery in women is a curse when it ought to be a blessing.”

Beatrice Clayborn is a talented sorceress whose only dream is to become a mage and to use her magic to solve her families financial problems. The trouble is she’s a woman- and women cannot practice magic once they marry, for once they do,they are forced into a magical collar that inhibits their powers.

But Beatrice doesn’t intend to marry, she secret studies magic and had found a spell book that can help free her- by binding a great spirit and living out her days as an unmarried mage.

An incredibly enthralling regency fantasy that’s light in tone even with the feminist commentary, the setting was beautifully charming and the protagonist was incredibly easy to root for.

I liked Beatrice but she was a little too naive at times, I LOVED Nadi, the luck spirit- so endearingly chaotic you’ll be hard pressed not to. The romance here was also pretty good.I really enjoyed the chemistry between Ianthe and Beatrice,honestly I think Ianthe could be the new Mr. Darcy.

Overall I’d say It’s very Jane Austen Meets Naomi Novik - a mashup I never knew I needed until now.

Recommended to lovers of regency romances and historical fantasy as well as fans of Jane Austen,Naomi Novik or Bridgerton.

I also really wanted to say a huge thank you to Little,Brown Book Group UK and Net Galley for an advanced digital copy of this book.

I was kindly given an ARC of this book by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this...so much so that I read it in a few hours. I'd describe it as Pride and Prejudice with magic - and I was in to it!

This story is about a girl who has come of age and thus will be married off to the highest bidder in order to increase her families fortunes. When married she'll be locked in a collar which prevents her from doing magic or becoming a magician - this of course if just for men. She fights against the rules of society and challenges societies view of women and magic. I enjoyed the spirits, the feminism, the interesting magic idea and the world.

My only criticism was that the main character was so blind to what was right in front of her - it drove me a bit crazy.

A great read for a lazy day.

This book is basically Bridgerton but with feminist sorceresses and it was a lot of fun to read. I have a weakness for Regency era dramas as well as fantasy, so I couldn't resist both of them mixed together.

I was very intruiged by the focus on gender inequality in this context and the book did a good job of showing the protagonist's moral conflicts. On one side was her wish for self-realisation against all societal restrictions and on the other her responsibility towards her family and the consequences they would have to face if she rebelled against the role of wife and mother that is being enforced on her. When she eventually falls in love she is faced with question if there is a possiblility to pursue both options, reminiscent of an exaggerated modern-day equivalent of women having to decide between career and family.

Despite the social criticism there isn't that much depth to it overall. It's more of a quick read with a fun story that finds easy solutions to every problem in the end.

The worldbuilding and magic system are very intuiging and I enjoyed the decriptions of settings, characters and outfits of this regency world a lot.
The romance is fluffy and very undramatic, it felt slightly sudden. The love interest was a bit too much of the dreamy, perfect cardboard cutout type for my taste, but I rooted for the protagonist to find her happiness nonetheless.

Thank you so much Little Brown Book Group U.K., Orbit and NetGalley for providing me with an eARC in exchange for a honest review!

Firstly, thank you so much Little Brown Book Group U.K., Orbit and NetGalley for giving me the E-ARC of The Midnight Bargain by C L Polk in exchange for my completely honest and unbiased review.

The Midnight Bargain is a fantasy Regency set magical feminist satire that delivers commentary on the inequality of women and the role of men in enforcing that. In the world of The Midnight Bargain married women with magic are forced to wear collars that nullify their magic, reduce their senses from technicolour to black and to protect their unborn children from spirit possession in the womb.

The protagonist of the story is Beatrice, the eldest daughter in the family forced to enter the season to find a husband, succumb to the collar and save her family’s depleted fortunes. Beatrice us a gifted sorceress, who dreams of following the route of her male peers to rise in the ranks of magic and become a Mage united with a greater Spirit. However Beatrice lives in a male dominated society that seems her only value is in marrying a procreating to bring forth magically talented male progeny.

Beatrice is desperate to not marry and searches out a route to escape this predicted route into collaring by searching for knowledge in coded grimoires, which contain the knowledge used secretly by women to learn magic.During her search for a grimoire Beatrice meets a kindred spirit, Ysbeta, who is also searching for escape from marriage.

Amidst an environment of regency parties, teas, picnics, dress fittings and varied society events the two race against the clock to learn how to summon the greater spirit that will save them from arranged marriages.

The relationship between Ysbeta and Beatrice is the true standout relationship of The Midnight Bargain. They challenge and support one another, simultaneously whilst facing off societal norms and practicing magic. Despite the inauspicious start to their relationship, the become true friends, rivals, co-conspirators, and confidants, and if this isn’t true sisterhood and feminism, I don’t know what is!
 
However, the novel also includes a blossoming romance between Beatrice and Ysbeta’s brother Ianthe. He truly is the perfect gentleman, handsome, intelligent, empathetic, supportive...in fact too perfect, and the pace of their romance was a little too sudden for my tastes...even if it is a great foil for the story’s structure, but definitely a clash with the whole feminist stance of the main plot itself.
 
Despite the well-timed romance, The Midnight Bargain presents some interesting moral quandaries. The choice between family or magic, marriage or spinsterhood and of course the significant inequality between the sexes.

It also delivers an interesting and fun fantasy story, but it doesn’t fully deliver on the feminist front. If you are looking for a truly feminist fantasy, then I would warn you that this book poses the questions, but at times takes the easy path to a fun story, rather than face the true challenges.

Despite this, I still enjoyed the book and committed myself to enjoying a fun regency style fantasy rather than looking for deeper meaning. Overall 3.5 stars for me, and no regrets at all for the escape from the real world.

The Midnight Bargain is great fun. Regency romance meets magic combined with a social conscience. A well realised world with delightful descriptions of events and clothes and amour. All bound with a strong sense of what women are capable of and due. I do hope there are more novels to come set in this world, meanwhile I am off to seek other C.L. Polk works. Thanks to Orbit and Netgalley for an entertaining read.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for giving me access to this title. This is a regency era magic novel. It was a little hard for me to get into the book but I enjoyed the story.

The Midnight Bargain

Thank you to netgalley, C. L. Polk and Little, Brown Book Group for the e- arc.

𝗗𝗲𝘀𝗰𝗿𝗶𝗽𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻:
This book follows the story of Beatrice, a sorceress and the eldest daughter of the Clayborns. She is entering her first bargaining season where she will attend balls, parties and outings with the aim of impressing and securing a husband of a good name to ensure financial assistance and the status of her family. When the most eligible bachelor sets his sights on Beatrice, will Beatrice sacrifice her magic and her dreams for the man she loves?
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𝗥𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴:
⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️.5/5 (overall)
❤️❤️❤️.5/5 (romance)
🔮🔮🔮🔮/5 (magic)

𝗥𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄:
When I got approved for an ARC of The Midnight Bargain, I was all kinds of excited. The description and the cover we’re so enticing I knew I’d read it either way. There’s a lot of world building, information and it’s a slow build to the exciting parts. Historical style fantasy, a strong MC with an intriguing love interesting and a powerful friendship. An interesting read, for sure.

Beatrice was strong, fierce and a force to be reckoned with, torn between wanting her own freedom and securing her families future and trying to make both goals align. She is fiercely loyal, a friend I would love to have in my corner. She wants the best of both worlds, magic and a family, not just for herself but for all women and will not stop until that is achieved.

The romance developed a little too quickly, i understand that the bargaining season was short but I feel it developed to “love” very rapidly. I found the romance is easily overshadowed by the awesome friendship between Beatrice and Ysbeta, both fighting for their freedom in a misogynistic world, initial disdain on Ysbeta’s part, quickly dissolves when they unite in their common goal- of becoming mages, a profession only acceptable for men, whilst women are expected to have child after child. Throughout the book their bond strengthens and they find themselves protecting and assisting each other in a multitude of situations.

My favourite character is Nadi, she’s so funny and just wants to eat good food and hex everyone, I can relate!

Okay so i had to get beyond the halfway point to really feel anything for the book but damn, 60% onwards it was unputdownable, utterly compelling and emotive. Around 73% I was “damn girl”-ing out loud and at 83% I wanted to jump in the book and slap some characters.
Overall, I’d definitely recommend and I’m glad that I pushed through, the story interested me but didn’t grip me until past the half way point.