As someone who initially cringed at the title (I'm so sick of Taylor lyrics being used to draw in readers, especially as I had to scroll down a long list of Meet Me at Midnights to find this one... will it ever end?), I absolutely adored this book - and can easily say it was one of my favourite reads this year so far. Five stars, maybe more. A total masterpiece.

The story, told by an author I personally had never heard of but will definitely be reading more from, starts in California, in a mystical forest... one we soon discover is just a dream. The protagonist, Aria, is gauzy and hopeful, in search of her perfect love story, when she stumbles upon Strat, a private school boy with an air of mystique about him... and soon after, he's visiting her in all of her dreams.

We learn that Aria's twin sister is in a coma after a rare bleed to the brain, and that these dreams are Aria's perfect escape. Life without Cady isn't worth living... but Strat makes Aria feel alive again. Until she searches for him online, finds out that he lives near her in real life. Our shy, introverted protagonist makes the brave decision to contact him, and the two start falling in love as Cady sleeps just miles away in the local hospital. But... what if this isn't the first time Aria and Strat have fallen in love? What if, maybe, they just can't remember it?

Typically, I don't enjoy books with a US setting. They often don't feel as decadent or grounded in place as UKYA. Typically, I don't enjoy books with a blend of contemporary and dystopian elements. They can feel... somewhat farfetched, maybe. And typically, I don't enjoy romances. But I loved this book.

Bourne's writing is maybe her greatest weapon... descriptive and rich, especially for YA, situating us right in the heart of inland California. But I also loved her storytelling, and the way she weaved a mystery around the plot, despite this not being its main draw... and hit us with a great big twist that had me gasping for breath.

Thank you so, so much to NetGalley and Scholastic for this ebook - I'm so excited to share it with my followers!

I’ve just finished Meet Me at Midnight by Brianna Bourne, and I have to say, I really enjoyed it! The story follows two high school seniors, Phoebe and Luke, who’ve been feuding for years, but their rivalry takes an unexpected turn when they’re forced to team up during their last summer before university. The whole premise of an enemies-to-lovers romance with a time-sensitive twist had me hooked straight away.

The chemistry between Phoebe and Luke was absolutely fantastic. The banter and tension between them was so fun to read, and I loved how their relationship slowly shifted from annoyance to something more genuine and deep. Their gradual realisation that there’s more to each other than they thought felt natural, and I couldn’t help but root for them the whole way through.

What I really appreciated about Meet Me at Midnight was how real the characters felt. Phoebe and Luke both had their flaws, and their development throughout the book was something I really enjoyed watching. There were moments of real emotional depth, and it wasn’t all just light-hearted romance—there was substance to their individual struggles and growth as well.

If I’m being honest, the pacing felt a bit slow in places, especially in the middle of the book. There were times when I thought the story could have moved forward a bit quicker, but honestly, the chemistry and character development kept me going. The ending also wrapped up a little too quickly for my liking—I was hoping for just a little bit more, but it was still satisfying overall.

Overall, Meet Me at Midnight is a lovely, heartwarming read with plenty of humour, emotional moments, and a romance that builds at just the right pace. I’d give it 4 stars and would definitely recommend it to fans of YA romance. It’s a perfect read for anyone who loves a good enemies-to-lovers story with a touch of nostalgia.

My desire to know what was going on and why kept me reading. I don't think this was really for me, but I can absolutely see the appeal for younger audiences.

I am not a romance reader, but every now and then I see a book that makes me want to dabble. Having recently fallen in love with the film Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, this being a comparison for Meet me at Midnight (along with the dreamy cover) made me want this book, bad.
I read this in Feb, in the lead up to Valentine's Day, so the timing was *chef's kiss*.

I enjoyed reading this. Every time I thought I knew what was going on, and that I was going to get bored, the characters caught up and moved on too. It was a very fast read, without scrimping on tension and build up.

I thought the overall message of the book was really well done and really important. Meet me at Midnight explores the idea of a relationship vs the relationship itself. We all love to romanticise our lives, make everything insta perfect and pretty. But this book reminds us to be real, and how much value that can bring.

This was a wondrous, mystical and dreamy novel. I loved the relationship between our 2 main characters and the journey they went on together, as well as uncovering the mystery element of the main plot. I think the book highlighted a lot of important aspects when it comes to relationships of all kinds.

This is just a personal preference thing, but I didn’t love the modern day pop culture references, however this may not bother people so just keep that in mind. Pretty much the only thing that pulled me from the story and stopped the book from being a 5⭐️ read.

Absolutely check this one out if you’re after a dreamy YA romance.

*Thank you to NetGalley and Scholastic UK for the ARC in exchange for an honest review*

What could I say about this book? It's art in book form. I loved this story so much. Brianna Bourne is a genious! I rated this story 5 stars because I couldn't put it down for a bit.

This was so good! I went into this expecting a fluffy dreamscape full of romance and while I got all of that I wanted I also got an amazing look into the dangers of erasing memory and also how difficult it is to truly see where your relationships went wrong. This book carried me through on a wave of constant enjoyment and I loved it so much!
It also had a slowly growing dystopian feel while keeping a really relevant feel – it felt like 2025 and whenever its set. It was a more subtle dystopian feel than most dystopian YA because it isn’t a full blown situationship after an collapse of society but it focuses on an invention that I can imagine a few hundred years later in a proper dystopian adventure and I really loved that.

What a beautiful beautiful beautiful book. The cover just draws you in but the storyline hooks you. I couldn’t wait to dive in and see what this book was all about and I wasn’t disappointed. It was magical, romantic, and full of mystery and surprises. I loved every minute. It says it YA targeted but I feel it’s beautiful for all ages! Please check this one out! You won’t be disappointed