Grim Lovelies was one of my favorite reads earlier this year. I couldn't wait for the sequel to come out! Luckily, today is the release date for Midnight Beauties, and I am so happy that I received an Advanced Reader Copy. Midnight Beauties picks up right at the end of Grim Lovelies, where our beasties have just battled it out at Montelimar. Our main character, Anouk, is determined to save her friends. In order to do so, she pledges to marry her sworn enemy, but only if she survives the trial of fire to become a witch. I have truly enjoyed these books. I love how Midnight Beauties continues to show Anouk's strength and commitment to her friends who have become family. There is plenty of action, drama, and heart in Midnight Beauties. I can't help but root for these underdogs! I am not surprised that I enjoyed this book, after falling in love with the Grim Lovelies.

I feel pretty conflicted about this book. Once again I feel like I'm in mourning for what this series could have been. The world and the characters had so much potential but I feel like it came out half-baked. I wish that there had been more time and depth to the plot. I feel like if the plot was ironed out it would make a good trilogy but as it is I felt like were were bounced around too much. Some twists came to fast and other scenes seemed to last forever. I enjoyed the plot twists in Grim Lovelies for the most part because they felt fresh and interesting. I didn't feel that way about this book. It didn't feel like we got to learn more about the characters and I'll be honest, I felt like the romance was a drag.

Usually if you have angst, separation, or other drama in a second book it needs to be built on a solid, believable foundation. I wanted to figure out how these characters ticked but I never did. The final twist felt tacked on and (I hate to say it) a bit lazy. Really, I didn't mind everything that happened, I didn't like how it happened, how it was presented, and how it unfolded. There could have been so much more.

I feel like my review is especially harsh because I had high expectations for this book. I wanted it to give me the development and depth that Grim Lovelies didn't. There were some good moments and interesting things here but it just wasn't more than ok. If only it had been given more time to develop and grow I think it would have been truly great.

Beautiful. Immaculate. Will reread this series soon.

Midnight Beauties is set in Paris and follows Anouk as plagues and time loops are beginning to destroy London and she and the rest of the beasties try and figure out a way to stop it.

I found this book incredibly frustrating. So things I didn't like:
- There's no high stakes. Sure, verbally the stakes are really high but I never actually felt like they were. The plagues don't seem real, I never fear for Anouk, nor is there ever any doubt the other beasties will be turned back into humans.
- The romance. The romance in this book is the reason I hate YA romance. Anouk is in love with her brother figure (already weird), and then the antagonist from the first book becomes the 3rd corner of a love triangle? What? He murdered her allies and turned her friends back into animals with little chance of them returning! Yet he kisses her and she's just kind of like "uh you know I don't like you right?". It's a badly done enemies-to-lovers situation.
- Which leads me to my next issue: the final twists. There were a couple of twists that felt like they were just for the sake of throwing off the readers, because one could have been easily avoided and the other destroyed all of the character development of another character and just seemed to come out of nowhere.

Things I did like:
- It was a very engaging read, I was always eager to keep reading to find out what was going to happen.
- The author is very good at creating hooks for the next book. I'm really curious to see what Cricket gets up to in the next one
- Petra getting a bigger part in this book. I enjoyed seeing more of the former witch's boy and hope she plays an even larger role in the next book

I'm going to read the sequel but I'll complain the whole time.

The plot felt rushed. This book could have been written as two separate books. It could develop side characters more and do more world building. But as it is, it's still a good book. The plot points follow in a natural progression. The character arcs complete themselves. There's room for a possible next book, but there's no dramatic cliffhanger. The ending felt complete and satisfying, except for a certain someone not being there(no spoilers). That part felt unnecessary and came out of nowhere.

I felt that I was really going to enjoy this series. I’ve been on the hunt for a new fantasy series to draw me in, and Grim Lovelies just didn’t hit all the right notes for me.

This book dragged on way too much for my taste. I felt like it could have ended three times before it actually did. I finished because I really liked the characters and the concept of the Haute, but I found myself losing interest frequently.

Interesting concept and characters, but failed to hold my imagination.

When it came to this world, I have many mixed feelings. On one hand, I couldn't get enough of all the magical talk, the covens, the royals, the cottage. But, then there was the romance that began blooming. Which, for me, made absolutely no sense because of all the damage that had been done before this second novel. Along with that, were a few other tidbits that made it even more difficult to fall in love with. Even so, that wasn't enough to keep me from still moving forward.

And, that, had to do with all of the other supernatural and magic wielding that went on. I couldn't get enough of the cold, and spooky, forest that led to the cottage. Or what was waiting for everyone at that cottage with all of the unique characters that filled the pages. Plus, it made me fall in love even more with Beau, Luc, Petra... and just wait 'til you meet some of the pretties enduring the trial. That right there was intense, unsettling, and interesting, to say the least.

It doesn't stop there, that's only the beginning of all of this. Another reason why, when those other small occurrences happened, or the love plot came back in, I still kept reading and trudging along. Much of that having to do with the loyalty, the friendships, the strength many of them had to keep going. It's what a lot of this novel was made of, giving me a little more appreciation for it.

Enough, like I said, to keep reading. But, even like that, I was still caught in the middle because of those parts that came back to me. I really couldn't do with that twisted romance, or the other one that felt like we were reading something a bit desecrating to those characters. Maybe, it was just me, but its how it felt and left me somewhat irked. I think, if it had been played a little differently, the setup a little not so irritating, or head scratcher of a "why??" I may have felt more love for those parts.

Throughout all of that, there I was again, reading more and more, until I reached the end. Because, that ending, well, it was worth the wait and the craziness surrounding it. Especially that Noirceur... heebie-jeebies for days. It was all more than enough to still find some middle ground with it. It might not be a book in my tops, but it still kept me entertained for days.

***I received this copy from HMH Books for Young Readers via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.***

Okay so I really enjoyed Grim Lovelies and was so excited for Midnight Beauties.

It wasn’t awful or horrible just very meh for me. Which is crazy because I loved these characters in the first book. A lot happened in Midnight Beauties that I loved! The Coal Baths loved! After the first 1/3 of the book it just fell flat to me.

Rennar was my favorite character, big surprise I know, the villain was my fave. But, I didn’t feel like I really got to know him which he has hundreds of years as a past. I wanted to know more and that just didn’t happen.

The besties I began losing interest in and can’t explain why. I found myself at times wishing the book was over already. And needless to say it took me months to finish it. Yes I’m busy with school, but I never felt like picking it up. I made myself finish it.

If you love this series I’m sorry lol it just turned out not to be my fave, but I love Megan’s books so that hasn’t deterred me from picking up more of them!