‘Only the most magical things happen at midnight. When mortal folk are dreaming, safe in their beds, it is then that the sprites and goblins creep out and the air crackles with wild magic.’

an imaginative nutcracker retelling following a ballerina chasing her dreams who crosses paths with a mysterious toymaker who's enchanting inventions are beyond belief.

overall, this was an ok read. it is something i would recommend to cozy up to on a winter night with hot chocolate, the fire blazing, candles lit, and plenty of sweets nearby to snack on. the descriptions are v lush with sumptuous foods, elegant decor, detailed wardrobes, and more than enough sweets to give you a toothache!

v whimsical w a bit of romance, intrigue, and danger, it won't be my favorite winter read but i enjoyed it after watching the nutcracker for my first time and the cozy descriptions just hit for my inner taurus.

3.5★

this was my first linsay sands and it was ok. the first half was quite funny w the fmc getting into all sorts of accidents and shenanigans from never wearing her glasses. i like that the mmc was down hard from the start. the humor was v entertaining.

however, plot-wise there wasn't a lotttt going on. there is a mystery but it's not the most driving and you do get a pretty typical villain-explains-all monologue. the fmc is also the most naive i've read yet even for hisrom, but she's sweet and v forgiving.

overall ok read, but def wanting to read more from this author bc i hear good things!

not my fav couple or hisrom book, but i had a good time!

i tend to stay away from the class difference couples bc i'm not big on the power dynamics at play historically, but the fmc is a teacher in no direct connection to mmc so i didn't mind it.

i absolutely cackled at the cats in the club scene, the ton are just absolute lemmings.

i'm feeling this author so far, so def gonna try some more of hers!

unfortunately, this did fall a bit short of my expectations.

i started reading and was surprised to double check to find that it's not YA. the writing feels very YA level and i don't like saying that bc it's a complaint i often see and don't agree with. however, i feel it's applicable here.

we're sold on it as regency mean girls but that's hardly the dynamic. i feel like a lot of authors are trying too hard to make every character very morally sound but it ends up creating quasi mary sue's with no room for friction in relationships and conflict, nor complexity to characters.

if i hadn't just read nearly 100 hisrom books over the past year, i don't think i would have minded this. my standard has been set too high tho 😭 i felt like there was no attention to detail, and i got distracted by the occasional dialogue that felt too modern for the time.

this feels more like an almost YA introduction to hisrom for romance readers who haven't really gotten into it. honestly i'd take out the sex scenes and make it YA bc it might do better that way.

overall, i don't think this was for me, but i think there will still be readers who enjoy a fluffy, regencyish sapphic romance.

an honest arc review ♡