Beatrice Clayborn is a young, powerful sorceress secretly practicing magic in a patriarchal world that doesn’t allow women the freedom of sorcery. Beatrice’s greatest dream is to become a Mage, but her family is relying on her to secure an advantageous marriage in order to avoid financial ruin. There’s only one problem with this — once married, she will be locked into a collar that will cut off her magical powers to protect the children she will inevitably bear. While scouring the bookshops of Bendelton, Beatrice discovers a grimoire that could help her become a Mage, but she is swindled out of it by Ysbeta Lavan, a rival sorceress. Beatrice summons a lesser luck spirit to help retrieve the grimoire, but it demands a price: her first kiss — with Ianthe Lavan, Ysbeta’s brother. As romance blossoms between them, Beatrice will have to make the hardest decision of her life: to choose between love and her dreams.
This novel was very enjoyable, despite some minor flaws. The magic system and Regency-era inspired fantasy world were well-developed, and the writing was elegant and pleasant to read. I also really enjoyed seeing the themes of female equality and empowerment. However, personally, I felt like the romance was a little bit rushed and the characters didn’t really experience any significant growth. I would have also loved to see the author go into more depth regarding the magic system. Overall, The Midnight Bargain was an engaging read, and I would definitely recommend it to fans of fantasy.