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Night for Day
Two people destined to be together, but to never see each other again, fight against the greatest odds in this powerful and moving fantasy novel by critically acclaimed author Roselle Lim.
Exes Ward Dunbar and Camille Buhay thought they would never see each other again. They had broken up to pursue their dream jobs on opposite sides of the country—her to New York City, and him to Los Angeles. But years later, they unexpectedly reconnect in London, where they are interviewing for similar jobs. The spark they feel when they meet again—the attraction comes back like muscle memory, and they are reminded of what they had lost. When Ward and Camille discover they both got the job working opposing shifts, they vow to give their relationship another try.
Ward starts the day shift and finds the immortal clientele unusual and dazzling. When he clocks out at the end of the day, he finds the door locked and himself trapped in the building. After a horrific first night shift contending with restless spirits and ghosts, Camille is also unable to escape. In their respective prisons, they discover that they’re able to talk to each other a few minutes before dawn. This fleeting encounter incites longing for each other, but their promise to be together feels impossible. Because they are caught in the middle of a war of the gods—and their choices will determine the outcome.
Exes Ward Dunbar and Camille Buhay thought they would never see each other again. They had broken up to pursue their dream jobs on opposite sides of the country—her to New York City, and him to Los Angeles. But years later, they unexpectedly reconnect in London, where they are interviewing for similar jobs. The spark they feel when they meet again—the attraction comes back like muscle memory, and they are reminded of what they had lost. When Ward and Camille discover they both got the job working opposing shifts, they vow to give their relationship another try.
Ward starts the day shift and finds the immortal clientele unusual and dazzling. When he clocks out at the end of the day, he finds the door locked and himself trapped in the building. After a horrific first night shift contending with restless spirits and ghosts, Camille is also unable to escape. In their respective prisons, they discover that they’re able to talk to each other a few minutes before dawn. This fleeting encounter incites longing for each other, but their promise to be together feels impossible. Because they are caught in the middle of a war of the gods—and their choices will determine the outcome.
352 pages, Paperback
First published February 20, 2024
About the author
Roselle Lim
7 books951 followersRoselle Lim was born in the Philippines and immigrated to Canada as a child. She lived in north Scarborough in a diverse, Asian neighbourhood.
She found her love of writing by listening to her lola (paternal grandmother's) stories about Filipino folktales. Growing up in a household where Chinese superstition mingled with Filipino Catholicism, she devoured books about mythology, which shaped the fantasies in her novels.
An artist by nature, she considers writing as "painting with words."
She found her love of writing by listening to her lola (paternal grandmother's) stories about Filipino folktales. Growing up in a household where Chinese superstition mingled with Filipino Catholicism, she devoured books about mythology, which shaped the fantasies in her novels.
An artist by nature, she considers writing as "painting with words."
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 159 reviews
September 22, 2023
Two soulmates may find their way to each other against all odds, even in the middle of an earth-shattering gods' war as both of them are trapped in their workspaces.
This smart, unusual, and extremely creative fantasy romance makes us question what's most important in a person's life, how a person can learn from past mistakes, outgrow their flaws, and embrace self-growth to take another chance in life. Ward Dunbar and Camille Buhay are the perfect example of opposites attracting. Ward comes from a wealthy family and never had to fight for anything, born with a silver spoon. He's an optimist, a charmer, social, romantic, and easy-going, while Camille is a pessimist, a skeptic, an introvert, a hard worker, and someone who had to fight for everything she's earned.
Two years ago, they parted ways, which caused the biggest heartbreak they had ever endured. Fortunately, fate brings them back together in London when both of them apply for jobs at the same time. Their chance meeting at a bookstore leads to an intimate reunion in a hotel room. They decide to give their relationship another chance as they both get approval for the jobs they applied for. Ward applies for the day shift, while Camille applies for the night shift, highlighting their polar opposite personalities that attract them to each other like magnets.
Their jobs are unique. Camille helps cross over ghosts in exchange for buying their memories, while Ward sells jewelry and artifacts to the ancient Gods. They also have to deal with their eccentric bosses. Camille befriends the kind-hearted Mr. Samson, who often seems confused about where he is, while Ward struggles to charm the spiteful, survivalist, and tight-lipped Ms. Selene. Let's not forget that there's an epic war between Western and Eastern gods, and the couple has no idea that they are the chosen ones who hold the fate of humanity by determining the winner of the war. They also find themselves trapped in their workspaces without any possible means of connecting with each other, except for the magical instruments the Gods present in exchange for something vulnerable.
They must defy the odds, find a way to escape from the wild, magical, and dangerous places where they are kept prisoner. These places are plucked out of the most outlandish fantasies, filled with gods, ghosts, magic, and dangerous immortal bargains.
Can they find their way to each other, defeating the gods' ulterior motives and solving the mystery surrounding time and chaos for their second chance at love? You'll have to grab your copy to find out and enjoy this thrilling and fascinating journey!
Many thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for providing me with a digital review copy of this wonderful book in exchange for my honest thoughts.
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This smart, unusual, and extremely creative fantasy romance makes us question what's most important in a person's life, how a person can learn from past mistakes, outgrow their flaws, and embrace self-growth to take another chance in life. Ward Dunbar and Camille Buhay are the perfect example of opposites attracting. Ward comes from a wealthy family and never had to fight for anything, born with a silver spoon. He's an optimist, a charmer, social, romantic, and easy-going, while Camille is a pessimist, a skeptic, an introvert, a hard worker, and someone who had to fight for everything she's earned.
Two years ago, they parted ways, which caused the biggest heartbreak they had ever endured. Fortunately, fate brings them back together in London when both of them apply for jobs at the same time. Their chance meeting at a bookstore leads to an intimate reunion in a hotel room. They decide to give their relationship another chance as they both get approval for the jobs they applied for. Ward applies for the day shift, while Camille applies for the night shift, highlighting their polar opposite personalities that attract them to each other like magnets.
Their jobs are unique. Camille helps cross over ghosts in exchange for buying their memories, while Ward sells jewelry and artifacts to the ancient Gods. They also have to deal with their eccentric bosses. Camille befriends the kind-hearted Mr. Samson, who often seems confused about where he is, while Ward struggles to charm the spiteful, survivalist, and tight-lipped Ms. Selene. Let's not forget that there's an epic war between Western and Eastern gods, and the couple has no idea that they are the chosen ones who hold the fate of humanity by determining the winner of the war. They also find themselves trapped in their workspaces without any possible means of connecting with each other, except for the magical instruments the Gods present in exchange for something vulnerable.
They must defy the odds, find a way to escape from the wild, magical, and dangerous places where they are kept prisoner. These places are plucked out of the most outlandish fantasies, filled with gods, ghosts, magic, and dangerous immortal bargains.
Can they find their way to each other, defeating the gods' ulterior motives and solving the mystery surrounding time and chaos for their second chance at love? You'll have to grab your copy to find out and enjoy this thrilling and fascinating journey!
Many thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for providing me with a digital review copy of this wonderful book in exchange for my honest thoughts.
Follow me on medium.com to read my articles about books, movies, streaming series, astrology:
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October 24, 2023
I've read and enjoyed all of Roselle Lim's previous books, each with likeable characters and a bit of magic. This one is totally different. The characters refer to it as like an escape room, but it seemed more like a very long episode of the Twilight Zone to me. Ward and Camille broke up several years ago, and meet again in London when both accept jobs there. The work places turn out to be very peculiar: Camille's clients are all ghosts, and Ward's are gods. And there's a catch--they are trapped there. I found the plot concerning East and West factions confusing, and I didn't like any of the characters, which is a deal-breaker for me in fiction. I hope Roselle Lim goes back to her earlier style. Two and a half stars. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC.
January 26, 2024
Though I thought the premise of this story sounded intriguing, unfortunately, it just wasn’t for me. I wanted more character and world development, and I found the whole thing kind of predictable. Also, as much as I like the star-crossed lovers idea, the protagonists spend the majority of the book apart, and I didn’t feel their connection as much as I wanted to. I did like how they grew and realized how important they were to one another. Being apart but still working together to figure out how to get out of the mess they’re in shows them how well they work together and how deeply they care.
Also, I thought the war between the gods was really interesting and wish it were explored in more detail. The story takes place in a short period of time and within two stores, so that could explain why certain aspects weren’t explored in more detail. But it didn’t really work for me. Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of the book. All thoughts are my own.
Also, I thought the war between the gods was really interesting and wish it were explored in more detail. The story takes place in a short period of time and within two stores, so that could explain why certain aspects weren’t explored in more detail. But it didn’t really work for me. Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of the book. All thoughts are my own.
January 27, 2024
This was a fun, really unique, dual POV, opposites attract/forbidden second chance romance filled with intervention from the gods, a cosmic bet, puzzles, a cool escape room challenge, ghosts, fantastical creatures and two very interesting, Asian MCs.
Great on audio too and a new favorite from Canadian author Roselle Lim. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy and @prhaudio for a complimentary ALC in exchange for my honest review!
🔥Steam level: some open door scenes, mild(ish) details
Great on audio too and a new favorite from Canadian author Roselle Lim. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy and @prhaudio for a complimentary ALC in exchange for my honest review!
🔥Steam level: some open door scenes, mild(ish) details
February 20, 2024
1.5 stars
Thank you to Berkley for the free book and PRHAudio for the gifted audiobook.
WTHECK DID I JUST READ.
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There’s no way I would have finished this if I didn’t have a review copy to get through, it was an absolute hot mess. And since I don’t have positives to say, we’ll keep this short.
My ONE positive: The audiobook narrators were fantastic. They nailed it, loved that there were two of them for the dual POV and that had me hanging on by a thread to this story.
Y’all. I don’t even know where to begin. This book was pure chaos. Nothing made sense and there seemed to be no rules to anything?? Things would happen and I was sitting there going, but HOWW???? The romance was meh, and the entire book was really awkwardly lusty? That’s not how you bring the heat at all.
And the ending made me want to throw my book. I hate books with this set-up. With all of the low reviews already on this, I should have known. I took one for the team here, I do not recommend reading this book.
Overall audience notes:
- Magical realism fantasy romance?
- Language: some strong
- Romance: 1-2 open; with awkward misplaced innuendo throughout
- Violence: low
Thank you to Berkley for the free book and PRHAudio for the gifted audiobook.
WTHECK DID I JUST READ.
BLOG || INSTAGRAM
There’s no way I would have finished this if I didn’t have a review copy to get through, it was an absolute hot mess. And since I don’t have positives to say, we’ll keep this short.
My ONE positive: The audiobook narrators were fantastic. They nailed it, loved that there were two of them for the dual POV and that had me hanging on by a thread to this story.
Y’all. I don’t even know where to begin. This book was pure chaos. Nothing made sense and there seemed to be no rules to anything?? Things would happen and I was sitting there going, but HOWW???? The romance was meh, and the entire book was really awkwardly lusty? That’s not how you bring the heat at all.
And the ending made me want to throw my book. I hate books with this set-up. With all of the low reviews already on this, I should have known. I took one for the team here, I do not recommend reading this book.
Overall audience notes:
- Magical realism fantasy romance?
- Language: some strong
- Romance: 1-2 open; with awkward misplaced innuendo throughout
- Violence: low
May 10, 2024
⭐️ 2 stars
Another one with a great concept but poor execution. I kept drifting away while reading it because the plot lacked anything to grip me. It felt like I was waiting for some development, but I couldn't find it. The romance was also nothing to admire. Lastly, regarding the plot, what happens with these gods and their war that bothers humans in their mess? I'm just really annoyed by all of them.
Another one with a great concept but poor execution. I kept drifting away while reading it because the plot lacked anything to grip me. It felt like I was waiting for some development, but I couldn't find it. The romance was also nothing to admire. Lastly, regarding the plot, what happens with these gods and their war that bothers humans in their mess? I'm just really annoyed by all of them.
February 10, 2024
In theory, this book should’ve been an easy five stars. However, there was little character development, poor pacing, and a general lack of scene setting that made immersing yourself in the book difficult. I’m so disappointed - I wanted to love this.
April 13, 2024
I have to admit that sometimes I do judge a book by its cover. And this cover came with a lot of expectations. For some reason I had totally expected this to be a light hearted romantasy. I guess it's because of the colors, the silhouettes, the entire vibe. So, when I needed a quick and easy read I was totally convinced this was the right book to pick up. After a few pages I already realized that maybe this book was a lot more than that, but I was already invested by then.
Sometimes you think you need one thing and discover that the thing you're getting is even better. In this case I thought I needed a light hearted romantasy and I discovered that this book was not exactly that but was a million times better. I don't think I can fully explain why. Explaining why comes with spoilers and the one thing you don't want for this book is spoilers. Discovering what's going on is at least half of the fun of this read.
The other part of the fun is the romance. Quite often romances are dreamy and romantic, but not very realistic. In this case the romance is messy at times. We understand why there have been issues with their relationship in the past and why these characters have to keep on working on their relationship to make it work in the future. There are moments these characters mess up, there are moments their relationship is not so perfect. And that's exactly what makes this story so meaningful.
I also really loved the magic and mythology. It's all quite complicated and I'm really impressed that the author made it all work and that it somehow seemed like this all made sense. I also really loved the Gods we got to meet in this story and the roles they were playing. And then there's of course the magic of the shops and the differences between the main characters being reflected by that magic. I can't wait for this author to write more books with fantasy elements. I'll for sure read them!
Sometimes you think you need one thing and discover that the thing you're getting is even better. In this case I thought I needed a light hearted romantasy and I discovered that this book was not exactly that but was a million times better. I don't think I can fully explain why. Explaining why comes with spoilers and the one thing you don't want for this book is spoilers. Discovering what's going on is at least half of the fun of this read.
The other part of the fun is the romance. Quite often romances are dreamy and romantic, but not very realistic. In this case the romance is messy at times. We understand why there have been issues with their relationship in the past and why these characters have to keep on working on their relationship to make it work in the future. There are moments these characters mess up, there are moments their relationship is not so perfect. And that's exactly what makes this story so meaningful.
I also really loved the magic and mythology. It's all quite complicated and I'm really impressed that the author made it all work and that it somehow seemed like this all made sense. I also really loved the Gods we got to meet in this story and the roles they were playing. And then there's of course the magic of the shops and the differences between the main characters being reflected by that magic. I can't wait for this author to write more books with fantasy elements. I'll for sure read them!
February 21, 2024
Intriguing premise, but lackluster execution. I never felt invested in any of the characters. The writing style is a lot of "tell, don't show," which makes sense: Camille and Ward are pursuing a second-chance romance while trapped, separately, in two different shops. They communicate via notes and, occasionally, by magical phone call/virtual reality. Most of the relationship development is each character separately reflecting on their previous relationship and deciding that they truly do love each other enough to make it work. Sadly, this just didn't work for me.
This objective review is based on a complimentary copy of the novel.
This objective review is based on a complimentary copy of the novel.
January 31, 2024
Camille and Ward are exes who decide to give their relationship another go after bumping back into each other years later. What feels like kismet ends up becoming disastrous because even though they both are living in the same place and both landed jobs, their jobs end up to be sinister, Ward is working the night shift while Camille is working the day shift (as if that isn't difficult enough to navigate), but then they are held captive and get caught up in some twisted game the gods are playing. Their places of employment turn into escape rooms and they have to figure out how to escape, while also being pawns in the god's games. The gods are using Camille and Ward to help them settle their own disputes, and if this game isn't played properly their lives could be at risk.
This was okay. Such an incredible and intriguing concept, but it fell horribly flat. The characters were underdeveloped, the spicy scenes were oddly placed throughout the story, and I felt no connection to them. The author told me about their love, but she didn't successfully show me. The fantasy aspect was also underdeveloped. The first chapter is them sleeping together and discussing getting back together, and the next chapter they are trapped in their respective jobs.
Not only was there no character development, minimal world building, and a confusing plot, but there was also a lot of miscommunication and too many sexual innuendos. I think this could have been fantastic if the beginning may have started with them together in the past, and then gradually brought us to their reunion, and then after a bit of development and an understanding of their relationship THEN they could have been thrown into this escape room war scenario. This was too disjointed and trying to be too much in a short amount of pages.
There was a twist of two that were cool, and some things I didn't predict, but I just didn't feel any excitement or emotional connection to this story, and frankly the sex scenes and innuendos were cringe. This is my first book that I have read by this author, but I may try another in the future because this had potential.
I almost DNFed this, but the narrators for the audiobook truly saved this for me. I think they did a very good job even considering that I didn't enjoy this book. I am so grateful it had dual narration!
Thank you NetGalley, Berkley Pub, and Penguin Random House Audio for these ARCs and ALC in exchange for my honest opinion. This publishes on 2/20/24!
This was okay. Such an incredible and intriguing concept, but it fell horribly flat. The characters were underdeveloped, the spicy scenes were oddly placed throughout the story, and I felt no connection to them. The author told me about their love, but she didn't successfully show me. The fantasy aspect was also underdeveloped. The first chapter is them sleeping together and discussing getting back together, and the next chapter they are trapped in their respective jobs.
Not only was there no character development, minimal world building, and a confusing plot, but there was also a lot of miscommunication and too many sexual innuendos. I think this could have been fantastic if the beginning may have started with them together in the past, and then gradually brought us to their reunion, and then after a bit of development and an understanding of their relationship THEN they could have been thrown into this escape room war scenario. This was too disjointed and trying to be too much in a short amount of pages.
There was a twist of two that were cool, and some things I didn't predict, but I just didn't feel any excitement or emotional connection to this story, and frankly the sex scenes and innuendos were cringe. This is my first book that I have read by this author, but I may try another in the future because this had potential.
I almost DNFed this, but the narrators for the audiobook truly saved this for me. I think they did a very good job even considering that I didn't enjoy this book. I am so grateful it had dual narration!
Thank you NetGalley, Berkley Pub, and Penguin Random House Audio for these ARCs and ALC in exchange for my honest opinion. This publishes on 2/20/24!
April 3, 2024
I chose to read this based on the cover alone and not reading the blurb. It has an interesting plot, but many times throughout the book i was confused what was going on and thrown off by the random spice scenes.
January 26, 2024
This book was fascinating and beautifully written. I really enjoyed it, but I did feel like it was missing some key elements to push it over the top into amazing and perfect territory.
I loved the premise but wish it would have delved deeper into the war and what exactly the two sides were fighting for.
Camille and Ward were both great characters, and I loved their relationship. Seeing them come together and learn to love and trust each other was quite possibly my favorite thing about this story. I do wish that the events of the book had taken place over a longer period of time. I think it ended up feeling a little rushed with it just being over a period of a few weeks. If it had been longer, I think it would have added more angst and longing to their situation.
Overall, though, this was an excellent read, and I look forward to reading more by this author.
Thank you, Netgalley, and the publisher for allowing me an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I loved the premise but wish it would have delved deeper into the war and what exactly the two sides were fighting for.
Camille and Ward were both great characters, and I loved their relationship. Seeing them come together and learn to love and trust each other was quite possibly my favorite thing about this story. I do wish that the events of the book had taken place over a longer period of time. I think it ended up feeling a little rushed with it just being over a period of a few weeks. If it had been longer, I think it would have added more angst and longing to their situation.
Overall, though, this was an excellent read, and I look forward to reading more by this author.
Thank you, Netgalley, and the publisher for allowing me an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Shelved as '2024'
May 31, 2024📱 Thank you to NetGalley and Ace
April 8, 2024
I have no idea why this book has gotten so many low ratings. It's a lovely romance/fantasy about two people torn apart by the gods in order to end The War between the gods. Also it had a nice twist that I never saw coming and I am pretty good at seeing twists.
April 14, 2024
Spice level: 1.5 🌶️
Read if you like:
▫️dual POV
▫️second chance
▫️magical realism
▫️gods and bargains
I wanted to love this book. The premise sounds like something I would absolutely love. It’s a second chance romance with gods and immortals in an escape room setting.
However, it did not live up to my expectations. The writing was too formal at times and then tried too hard to be informal and misused American slang. This lead to the prose feeling choppy, stilted, and awkward.
Camille and Ward were supposed to have this epic romance, but there was no buildup. The book just started with them deeply in love, so I didn’t care about their relationship. It was actually very cringey. There was almost no character development or growth, and it made it hard to be invested in the story.
The entire book felt like someone was poorly explaining a fever dream that they had a few nights ago and they couldn’t remember all the details. There wasn’t enough world building or explanation to be helpful, and the storyline felt too opaque. I forced myself to finish it, but didn’t care about the resolution at all.
Thank you to Penguin Random House, Ace Trade Original, NetGalley, and Roselle Lim for the ARC. I received an advanced copy for free, and am leaving this review voluntarily.
https://instagram.com/shanisshelves?i...
https://www.tiktok.com/@shanisshelves
Read if you like:
▫️dual POV
▫️second chance
▫️magical realism
▫️gods and bargains
I wanted to love this book. The premise sounds like something I would absolutely love. It’s a second chance romance with gods and immortals in an escape room setting.
However, it did not live up to my expectations. The writing was too formal at times and then tried too hard to be informal and misused American slang. This lead to the prose feeling choppy, stilted, and awkward.
Camille and Ward were supposed to have this epic romance, but there was no buildup. The book just started with them deeply in love, so I didn’t care about their relationship. It was actually very cringey. There was almost no character development or growth, and it made it hard to be invested in the story.
The entire book felt like someone was poorly explaining a fever dream that they had a few nights ago and they couldn’t remember all the details. There wasn’t enough world building or explanation to be helpful, and the storyline felt too opaque. I forced myself to finish it, but didn’t care about the resolution at all.
Thank you to Penguin Random House, Ace Trade Original, NetGalley, and Roselle Lim for the ARC. I received an advanced copy for free, and am leaving this review voluntarily.
https://instagram.com/shanisshelves?i...
https://www.tiktok.com/@shanisshelves
February 24, 2024
The premise of this book and the blurb had me really excited to read this!
Warring Gods? ✔️
Magical store that's actually an escape room sort of thing? ✔️
Star crossed lovers? ✔️
A mystery to solve? ✔️
Doesn't this sound so good??? Even the first couple of chapters had me thinking this was going to be a 5 star read...unfortunately that's not what ended up happening. I quickly realized that I did not buy into or care about their relationship, and I think that's because we are told that they are immediately in love in the book from basically chapter 1. This is a second chance romance, but we don't have details on their first go around (besides the repeating of "sex was always the easy part"). There's spice, but without any character or relationship development it just falls really flat and a little uncomfy. Also, how often their inner monologue veers towards lusty thoughts felt weird considering their circumstances.
I did think this story had a lot of promise, and I found aspects of it really cool but ultimately it just didn't work for me.
Thanks to Berkley for this ARC!
Warring Gods? ✔️
Magical store that's actually an escape room sort of thing? ✔️
Star crossed lovers? ✔️
A mystery to solve? ✔️
Doesn't this sound so good??? Even the first couple of chapters had me thinking this was going to be a 5 star read...unfortunately that's not what ended up happening. I quickly realized that I did not buy into or care about their relationship, and I think that's because we are told that they are immediately in love in the book from basically chapter 1. This is a second chance romance, but we don't have details on their first go around (besides the repeating of "sex was always the easy part"). There's spice, but without any character or relationship development it just falls really flat and a little uncomfy. Also, how often their inner monologue veers towards lusty thoughts felt weird considering their circumstances.
I did think this story had a lot of promise, and I found aspects of it really cool but ultimately it just didn't work for me.
Thanks to Berkley for this ARC!
March 18, 2024
Night for Day- 1.5⭐️3🌶️
Contemporary Fantasy Romance
Magical realism
Cozy Fantasy
Dual POV
Second chance romance
Gods/goddesses
Mythical/paranormal
This book was… boring. The whole thing could have been 200 pages shorter and turned into a novella and had about the same emotional impact. The plot was glacial and set up like and escape room for the gods. The world building was shaky and surface-level. The characters were not very likable. The most interesting were the side character gods.
Because the main characters were apart for 90% of the book, I was not at all interested in their romance or believed their chemistry.
Really, I wanted more of the gods, their war and magic system.
Thank you NetGalley and Berkeley Publishing Group for an eARC of this book. All opinions are my own.
Contemporary Fantasy Romance
Magical realism
Cozy Fantasy
Dual POV
Second chance romance
Gods/goddesses
Mythical/paranormal
This book was… boring. The whole thing could have been 200 pages shorter and turned into a novella and had about the same emotional impact. The plot was glacial and set up like and escape room for the gods. The world building was shaky and surface-level. The characters were not very likable. The most interesting were the side character gods.
Because the main characters were apart for 90% of the book, I was not at all interested in their romance or believed their chemistry.
Really, I wanted more of the gods, their war and magic system.
Thank you NetGalley and Berkeley Publishing Group for an eARC of this book. All opinions are my own.
February 24, 2024
2 Stars
I really wanted to love this, more so when I found out the FMC was Filipina (and so is the author! - how did I not know this before reading it? lol if you're Filipino then IYKYK) but I couldn't get into this book. I didn't really like how the romance was done, it felt abrupt to me and I would've loved more character development from our MCs and a bigger build up to their relationship. The premise for this book sounded so good but the pace was so slow and the story felt a bit disjointed to me and ultimately, I struggled to connect to the story and the characters.
Thank you NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for the ARC!
I really wanted to love this, more so when I found out the FMC was Filipina (and so is the author! - how did I not know this before reading it? lol if you're Filipino then IYKYK) but I couldn't get into this book. I didn't really like how the romance was done, it felt abrupt to me and I would've loved more character development from our MCs and a bigger build up to their relationship. The premise for this book sounded so good but the pace was so slow and the story felt a bit disjointed to me and ultimately, I struggled to connect to the story and the characters.
Thank you NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for the ARC!
March 9, 2024
I received this eARC from Berkley and I was really looking forward to this one as it has some of my favorite elements (magical realism, warring gods). Unfortunately, it fell short for me. I felt really lost most of the time, especially the beginning. It felt like I jumped into the middle of a story and had no idea how I got there. There just wasn't enough world building and set up for me. This was also a second chance romance and you never really got the back story on that, it just immediately jumped to them falling for each other (I'm not a fan of insta love) towards the end I just did not care what happened. I did enjoy the premise and it did have some fun parts, it just wasn't for me.
May 18, 2024
You guys, this book, it's...not very good.
Cool premise: war of the gods, human pawns. In this case, a broken up couple finally reuniting and then getting stuck working in retail on opposite schedules in shops they can't leave, catering to gods and, in the woman's case, also ghosts. If you ask me the "stuck in retail for all eternity" is the real hell here (badoom).
Look, the joke was just there waiting for me to say it.
Anyway, I love books and shows with gods and ghosts, but nobody's character was very well-developed in this and the stakes were unclear throughout (like...they were high stakes, but vaguely so). A couple of fun god-type beings who actually bothered to answer the occasional question showed up in the last thirty pages, but that was way too late for me. There were also, to me, some odd narrative choices.
For example, we spent a ridiculous amount of time listening to a god who goes by Theo spout frat bro-type misogynistic crap (I'm serious, I think he might have had the most lines of any character in the book), which was realistic enough but just unpleasant.
The sections featuring Camille, the female half of this MF pairing, were in the first person. Her personality was reasonably well-defined by the standards of this book, in that I could name a couple of characteristics she possessed. However, the sections featuring Ward, the male half of the pairing, were in third-person omniscient. And please note I said omniscient, NOT objective. I don't think I've ever encountered such a judgey third-person omniscient narrator in a book. The "Ward should've been grateful that" and "Ward didn't realize, but" lines were numerous. We established right away that Ward's rich white male privilege limits his view (reasonable), but we never really see him get past that.
Actually, now I think about it, this central pairing had all the dynamics of a "She's everything. He's just Ken" meme. But we've been told roughly a million times that they're, well, super in love and meant to be. So it must be true...?
Cool premise: war of the gods, human pawns. In this case, a broken up couple finally reuniting and then getting stuck working in retail on opposite schedules in shops they can't leave, catering to gods and, in the woman's case, also ghosts. If you ask me the "stuck in retail for all eternity" is the real hell here (badoom).
Look, the joke was just there waiting for me to say it.
Anyway, I love books and shows with gods and ghosts, but nobody's character was very well-developed in this and the stakes were unclear throughout (like...they were high stakes, but vaguely so). A couple of fun god-type beings who actually bothered to answer the occasional question showed up in the last thirty pages, but that was way too late for me. There were also, to me, some odd narrative choices.
For example, we spent a ridiculous amount of time listening to a god who goes by Theo spout frat bro-type misogynistic crap (I'm serious, I think he might have had the most lines of any character in the book), which was realistic enough but just unpleasant.
The sections featuring Camille, the female half of this MF pairing, were in the first person. Her personality was reasonably well-defined by the standards of this book, in that I could name a couple of characteristics she possessed. However, the sections featuring Ward, the male half of the pairing, were in third-person omniscient. And please note I said omniscient, NOT objective. I don't think I've ever encountered such a judgey third-person omniscient narrator in a book. The "Ward should've been grateful that" and "Ward didn't realize, but" lines were numerous. We established right away that Ward's rich white male privilege limits his view (reasonable), but we never really see him get past that.
Actually, now I think about it, this central pairing had all the dynamics of a "She's everything. He's just Ken" meme. But we've been told roughly a million times that they're, well, super in love and meant to be. So it must be true...?
December 9, 2023
See this review and more on Books and Ladders!
Disclaimer : I received a free copy of this book and chose to review it. This in no way impacts my opinion.
Content Warning: death, grief, nosebleeds, blood, discussions of war
I really liked this one but felt like there were some key missing pieces to make it a perfect read. I thought the premise was interesting with good execution but some of it ended up falling flat and feeling repetitive as time went on. I wanted to know more about the war, what the factions wanted, and the roles that everyone played in it rather than focusing so heavily on Ward and Camille.
I think it also would have been interesting to give us more time in the world rather than cramming it all into a couple weeks. We weren’t given enough time to explore, learn about the consequences, or to understand what has been happening. Because of that, the story felt really rushed. I thought there would be more of an emphasis on not caring how much time was spent during this because of the immortal aspects, which when juxtaposed with the mortal side just didn’t quite hit for me.
But I did really like Camille and Ward’s relationship. The coming together and realizing what it meant to trust and love one another was the best part of this novel. I liked the way their relationship was described and learning about their past as they moved forward into the future. I liked their complimentary aspects and how they learned to work together to overcome their differences.
This is different than Roselle Lim’s typical novels, but it was a good departure! I’d be so interested in reading more of this style of work in the future.
Like my reviews? Buy me a Ko-Fi!
Disclaimer : I received a free copy of this book and chose to review it. This in no way impacts my opinion.
Content Warning: death, grief, nosebleeds, blood, discussions of war
I really liked this one but felt like there were some key missing pieces to make it a perfect read. I thought the premise was interesting with good execution but some of it ended up falling flat and feeling repetitive as time went on. I wanted to know more about the war, what the factions wanted, and the roles that everyone played in it rather than focusing so heavily on Ward and Camille.
I think it also would have been interesting to give us more time in the world rather than cramming it all into a couple weeks. We weren’t given enough time to explore, learn about the consequences, or to understand what has been happening. Because of that, the story felt really rushed. I thought there would be more of an emphasis on not caring how much time was spent during this because of the immortal aspects, which when juxtaposed with the mortal side just didn’t quite hit for me.
But I did really like Camille and Ward’s relationship. The coming together and realizing what it meant to trust and love one another was the best part of this novel. I liked the way their relationship was described and learning about their past as they moved forward into the future. I liked their complimentary aspects and how they learned to work together to overcome their differences.
This is different than Roselle Lim’s typical novels, but it was a good departure! I’d be so interested in reading more of this style of work in the future.
Like my reviews? Buy me a Ko-Fi!
February 14, 2024
Thank you for the free book Berkley Pub and Ace, and thank you PRH Audio for the #gifted listening copy of Night For Day! #PRHAudioPartner #PRHAInfluencer #berkleypartner #berkley #BerkleyBookstagram
𝐓𝐢𝐭𝐥𝐞: 𝐍𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐅𝐨𝐫 𝐃𝐚𝐲
𝐀𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫: 𝐑𝐨𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐞 𝐋𝐢𝐦
��𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐬: 𝐅𝐞𝐫𝐝𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐞 𝐂𝐚𝐩𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐨 & 𝐖𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐃𝐚𝐦𝐫𝐨𝐧
𝐏𝐮𝐛 𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐞: 𝐅𝐞𝐛𝐫𝐮𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝟐𝟎, 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟒
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Ward and Camille broke up to pursue their own careers on opposite sides of the country. It’s not until years later when the two reconnect while interviewing in London for similar jobs. Almost immediately, the love and attraction between the two comes back. It seems like fate that they both got the same job in London, working opposite shifts. When Ward clocks out at the end of his first day, he finds himself trapped in the building with the door locked. The same happens to Camille after her shift ends. However, the two discover they are able o talk to one another for a brief period of time before dawn. Caught in the middle of a war with the gods, their choices will decide the outcome. Will Ward and Camilla be able to defy the odds and find get their second chance at love?
I found the entire premise of this book to be so interesting and unique. It’s not often that I read fantasy, so it did take me some time to wrap my head around what was happening, but I was pleasantly surprise at how much I enjoyed this one.
🗝️Fantasy Romance
🗝️Star-Crossed Lovers
🗝️Dual POV
🗝️Second Chances
🗝️Opposites Attract
🗝️Escape Room Vibes
🎧I alternated between the physical book and the audiobook, narrated by Ferdelle Capistrano and Will Damron. This was my first time listening to a book narrated by Capistrano and Ive found a new favorite! She was so dynamic and I really enjoyed my time listening to her. I’ve always enjoyed Damron as a narrator, and felt like he was perfect for Ward. Overall, I really enjoyed my listening experience and highly recommend this one on audio!
𝐓𝐢𝐭𝐥𝐞: 𝐍𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐅𝐨𝐫 𝐃𝐚𝐲
𝐀𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫: 𝐑𝐨𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐞 𝐋𝐢𝐦
��𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐬: 𝐅𝐞𝐫𝐝𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐞 𝐂𝐚𝐩𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐨 & 𝐖𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐃𝐚𝐦𝐫𝐨𝐧
𝐏𝐮𝐛 𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐞: 𝐅𝐞𝐛𝐫𝐮𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝟐𝟎, 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟒
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Ward and Camille broke up to pursue their own careers on opposite sides of the country. It’s not until years later when the two reconnect while interviewing in London for similar jobs. Almost immediately, the love and attraction between the two comes back. It seems like fate that they both got the same job in London, working opposite shifts. When Ward clocks out at the end of his first day, he finds himself trapped in the building with the door locked. The same happens to Camille after her shift ends. However, the two discover they are able o talk to one another for a brief period of time before dawn. Caught in the middle of a war with the gods, their choices will decide the outcome. Will Ward and Camilla be able to defy the odds and find get their second chance at love?
I found the entire premise of this book to be so interesting and unique. It’s not often that I read fantasy, so it did take me some time to wrap my head around what was happening, but I was pleasantly surprise at how much I enjoyed this one.
🗝️Fantasy Romance
🗝️Star-Crossed Lovers
🗝️Dual POV
🗝️Second Chances
🗝️Opposites Attract
🗝️Escape Room Vibes
🎧I alternated between the physical book and the audiobook, narrated by Ferdelle Capistrano and Will Damron. This was my first time listening to a book narrated by Capistrano and Ive found a new favorite! She was so dynamic and I really enjoyed my time listening to her. I’ve always enjoyed Damron as a narrator, and felt like he was perfect for Ward. Overall, I really enjoyed my listening experience and highly recommend this one on audio!
April 22, 2024
What a peculiar and creative fantasy this one was. It felt like an episode of Black Mirror mixed with a battle of the gods, which if these two mortals choose wrong, could end existence.It was also a different kind of romantasy. These two were already in love from their prior relationship, and recently reunited and decided to give it another go when they run into each other in London, far from where they both were before. They both are going for a job interview, unknowingly at the same magical place, where they are given counterpart shifts (he has the day shift, she has the night). However, they can’t leave the place once they’ve entered for their first shift and find themselves essentially as cashiers to the gods— he has to sell all their stock in order to escape, but each stock has meaning. She serves as a middle point to the afterlife, taking the ghosts tokens and memories so they can move on.
They also get played by the gods, which makes the decision on which side of the war to choose harder with the already limited information they have. Ward and Camille can’t talk to each other, though the gods give them alternative ways which come at a cost. So the two actually spend most of the book apart, with moments of interaction. The story is told in dual POV, switching back and forth just about every chapter.
However, I think the space allowed them to grow, as they knew in a way they still had each other. Also their encounters with their “bosses” helped them learn some things about themselves and also just value to life, as their bosses had already wasted most of their lives stuck in the store with them. It all had kind of a purgatory feel and was definitely different from anything I’ve read recently.
Thank you for the free book Berkley and Ace Books!
They also get played by the gods, which makes the decision on which side of the war to choose harder with the already limited information they have. Ward and Camille can’t talk to each other, though the gods give them alternative ways which come at a cost. So the two actually spend most of the book apart, with moments of interaction. The story is told in dual POV, switching back and forth just about every chapter.
However, I think the space allowed them to grow, as they knew in a way they still had each other. Also their encounters with their “bosses” helped them learn some things about themselves and also just value to life, as their bosses had already wasted most of their lives stuck in the store with them. It all had kind of a purgatory feel and was definitely different from anything I’ve read recently.
Thank you for the free book Berkley and Ace Books!
February 21, 2024
It wasn’t perfect, but it was charming in its way.
If were asked to describe this book I'd say it was The Night Circus in an escape room-esque setting with ex-lovers instead of strangers.
Told in dual POV, the story follows Camille and Ward. Two exes with polar opposite personalities and at times little in common, except for their unyielding love for each other. Trapped in separate locations, with minimal means of communication, they must work together to free themselves from their otherworldly prisons if they hope to have a future together.
I will say Ward and Camille's chemistry helped sell their relationship to me. They have such an elemental attraction. It also doesn't hurt that either of them was in any sort of relationship during the years they were apart.
Bottom line: Do I think this book is anything groundbreaking? No, but I had fun for the most part and I'm good with that.
Thank you to NetGalley and Ace Books for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
If were asked to describe this book I'd say it was The Night Circus in an escape room-esque setting with ex-lovers instead of strangers.
Told in dual POV, the story follows Camille and Ward. Two exes with polar opposite personalities and at times little in common, except for their unyielding love for each other. Trapped in separate locations, with minimal means of communication, they must work together to free themselves from their otherworldly prisons if they hope to have a future together.
I will say Ward and Camille's chemistry helped sell their relationship to me. They have such an elemental attraction. It also doesn't hurt that either of them was in any sort of relationship during the years they were apart.
Bottom line: Do I think this book is anything groundbreaking? No, but I had fun for the most part and I'm good with that.
Thank you to NetGalley and Ace Books for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
March 18, 2024
ward and camille reunited after they broke up years ago. as they rekindled their relationship, it seems like something more divine is pushing them apart. when the two entered their respective jobs, ward and camille couldn’t leave the shops anymore. all they can do to communicate is via letters delivered by a god, magical objects gifted by a god, and their trust in each other. for some reason, the exes are chosen by the gods to partake in the war between the eastern and western factions.
throughout the book, it’s obvious that camille’s more wary of people while ward is very trusting of others. it might have been due to the difference in which they grew up and their familial backgrounds. regardless of the game they’re in, camille and ward’s ultimate goal is to get back to one another and that was what motivated them to solve riddles, be in contact with ghosts and gods, and risk everything they know.
throughout the book, it’s obvious that camille’s more wary of people while ward is very trusting of others. it might have been due to the difference in which they grew up and their familial backgrounds. regardless of the game they’re in, camille and ward’s ultimate goal is to get back to one another and that was what motivated them to solve riddles, be in contact with ghosts and gods, and risk everything they know.
January 29, 2024
Thank you Berkley for a copy of this book.
Pub date- February 20, 2024
“Books are uncomplicated. You don't get into arguments with them, and if you do, it means you haven't found the right one."
This book was different and not what I was expecting, in a good way.
It’s a second chance, opposites attract romance but add in them being thrown into a crazy escape room for a war between gods!
Camille and Ward are soulmates and they will do anything to get back to each other. Especially after being apart for two years from a break up. They both accept job offers but once they start, they find they are locked in can’t leave. They’re in a race to figure out the puzzles to get out.
I especially love that twist towards the end. I didn’t see that coming!
For fans of magic and romance, be sure to preorder this one!
Pub date- February 20, 2024
“Books are uncomplicated. You don't get into arguments with them, and if you do, it means you haven't found the right one."
This book was different and not what I was expecting, in a good way.
It’s a second chance, opposites attract romance but add in them being thrown into a crazy escape room for a war between gods!
Camille and Ward are soulmates and they will do anything to get back to each other. Especially after being apart for two years from a break up. They both accept job offers but once they start, they find they are locked in can’t leave. They’re in a race to figure out the puzzles to get out.
I especially love that twist towards the end. I didn’t see that coming!
For fans of magic and romance, be sure to preorder this one!
February 13, 2024
A cozy adjacent spicy romantasy about two people as different as night and day who, as they try to work out their rekindled relationship after a chance meeting, instead find themselves trapped with no way to contact each other, embroiled in a game of war between gods. This story full of ghosts, magic, antiques, and immortal bargains was really fun. I enjoyed this escape-room type plot and all the mischievous personalities who came in and out of the shops. The plot twist(s) had me reeling so hard my reaction was quite visceral. I had to re-read chapters multiple times cause I couldn’t honestly believe what I was reading and wished I paid a little more attention as I was reading the first half of the book.This story was incredibly creative and I really had a blast reading this. I loved the discussions on morality, the struggles of those who need to fight their way to be heard versus those that are born with a silver spoon, the very unapologetically Filipino FMC, and the nonbinary ghosts. I do think this would’ve worked if the stakes were a lot higher, rather than the cozy-adjacent vibes I was getting. I wished the pacing was more even, and the plot was a lot more riskier as I feel like it would've captured my interest a lot more.
February 15, 2024
*Source* Publisher
*Rating* 3.5
*Genre* Fantasy / Contemporary
*Thoughts*
Night for Day is the story of two people destined to be together, but to never see each other again, as they fight against the greatest odds in this powerful and moving fantasy novel by critically acclaimed author Roselle Lim. Main Characters: Camille Buhay and Ward Dunbar. The book itself takes place mainly in London, in two different unique stores, and over a little over two weeks. Exes Ward and Camille thought they would never see each other again.
*Full Review @ Gizmos Reviews*
https://gizmosreviews.blogspot.com/20...
*Rating* 3.5
*Genre* Fantasy / Contemporary
*Thoughts*
Night for Day is the story of two people destined to be together, but to never see each other again, as they fight against the greatest odds in this powerful and moving fantasy novel by critically acclaimed author Roselle Lim. Main Characters: Camille Buhay and Ward Dunbar. The book itself takes place mainly in London, in two different unique stores, and over a little over two weeks. Exes Ward and Camille thought they would never see each other again.
*Full Review @ Gizmos Reviews*
https://gizmosreviews.blogspot.com/20...
August 13, 2024
so disappointing. the idea was there but every single character and every single plot point fell flat. we were outright told everything we learned instead of any nuanced descriptions happening and we still never got to see any relationship development or had any background into what the war (and the entire system the book was structured around) was about. the “major plot twist” was easily guessable around halfway through, which may have been alright if the rest of it had been compelling.
1.5/5
1.5/5
February 19, 2024
What a fun book! If you love fantasy (think Greek gods), romance and escape rooms then you will enjoy this book. Night for Day kept me guessing while I was trying to solve all the pieces. The ending was perfect. I wouldn’t change anything and it answered all of my questions.
Thanks Berkley Publishing for the free book and ARC!
Thanks Berkley Publishing for the free book and ARC!
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