“‘Hunter Black gets cranky,’ Cricket informed Sinjin, ‘when he goes more than three days without assassinating someone.’”

Midnight Beauties picks up where Grim Lovelies left off: Anouk is trying to figure out how to get her friends back from the Prince Rennar, and in human form no less. Right away, though, Rennar shows up on her doorstep and Anouk enters into a deal that she’ll marry him to get her friends back - but first, she needs to become a witch to prepare for a greater fight against an evil that’s threatening to consume the world. Overall I thought this book was enjoyable and had a fun journey. I think the characters are my favorite part of the story; the gang and situation is unique. At the same time, the plot felt a little all over the place for me. The test that Anouk has to take to become a witch by walking through the coal baths felt like a very big part of the plot, but then it was just over and she was suddenly on her way to London. It just didn’t feel like a very smooth transition. The plot with Rennar also felt like it ended abruptly. Throughout the story, there’s this back and forth with the two of them where you never know for sure if Rennar is a good guy. And then when it seems like he’s making character growth he suddenly starts... killing a bunch of goblins? I do feel it was pretty circular to have Anouk change him into a bird, but it was also very anticlimactic. I do like how Megan Sherperd isn’t afraid to make big moves in her books and to hurt characters. For one, I almost got teary when Luc was dying and then he had to become one of the snow children and they can only see him when it snows now. But why, for the love of all that is holy, does Hunter Black always get the short end of the stick? Now the guy he was in love with - and the comedic relief of the book - is dead? Cut the guy some slack! He needs some happiness! Anyway, it was a fun a ride.