Till this Night

by Nuhaa Bardien

Savi Ray has grown up knowing three

1. She’s been betrothed to Doctor Rohan for as long as she can remember

2. She will inherit one of the largest hotel chains in the world and,

3. She has never been in love.

But her South Asian parents believed that love would follow after marriage and so instead of searching for it with anyone else, Savi throws herself into academia and her studies.

What she absolutely did not know was that the masked stranger she nearly kissed at a ball would be the son of her parents’ rival.

Theodore "Ted" Montague wants three

1. He wants to make his late father proud by stepping up to fill his shoes as the heir to the Montague Hotel Group.

2. He wants to make his mother happy as he watches her struggle with her grief and,

3. He wants to fall in love. The kind that inspires the poems he reads.

And now he’s sure he already has because since kissing that woman, he hasn’t been able to think of anything else.

When Savi goes abroad to finish her studies, even the distance—and dangerous secret between them—makes these two star-crossed lovers question everything they have ever known.

The last thing either of them knew or wanted was to fall in love with the one person they were meant to stay away from.

Till This Night is a dual POV contemporary retelling of Romeo and Juliet with family trauma, open door scenes, discussions of gambling addiction, and a happily ever after

It is the standalone debut in the By the Book Series (a two book interconnected series where each book is inspired by a Shakespeare play).

Genres: Romance, Retellings

294 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 23, 2024

About the author

Nuhaa Bardien writes stories with swoon worthy men and strong women. She lives in Cape Town, South Africa, with her husband, son, 11-year-old cat, and new kitten. You can find her picking up a new hobby or reading one of the books from her never-ending TBR list.

Reviews

[Nuhaa Bardien · Rating 5 out of 5]

Giving myself 5 stars for writing this book, with much blood, sweat and tears, and making it out on the other side.

This book is labour of love, an ode to friendships and dedicated to the eldest brown daughters out there.

Till This Night is my romantic and swoonsy book. The one with the passion, love, admiration and desire.

Hope you enjoy it 💜

With lots of love, from the little brown sister that is in awe of you.

[Shameez Papathanasiou · Rating 5 out of 5]

THEODORE MONTAGUE IS PERFECT AND I WOULD HAVE YELLED IF HE DIED (thankfully no one dies—much as the author promised)

That may come across as dramatic, but this is a Shakespearean retelling so I am absolutely allowed to be. Plus, once you’ve read it, you’ll understand.

Till This Night had me clutching for my fluttering heart many times because the love between Savi & Ted is so incredibly sweet (and then very, very sexy).

I enjoyed Nuhaa Bardien’s humor. Savi is a ray of light—which is fitting for her name. As much as I adore a swoonworthy hero, I love a swoonworthy heroine. Everyone knows that I can’t get enough of love, in all it’s forms, Savi & Kalina are cousins and Ted & Titan are best friends and the love in both cases warmed my chest. Titan and Kalina were the naughtiest of sidekicks who almost stole the story (and I have intel that they’ll be getting a book of their own!!).

I’m trying to keep it as vague as possible seeing as the author herself hasn’t released too many details but if you enjoy a walking green flag of a man who writes and recites poetry, a woman who is sunshine and loves to tease and, of course, Shakespeare then this is the book for you.

[Nicolle Coulson · Rating 4 out of 5]

What is there not to love about this?


The family rivalry, betrothel & betrayal, poetry, and dang love letters?
Be still my beating heart ❤️

This is everything you could want from a modern Romeo & Juliet retelling, but so much more and so absolutely heart-warming.

But wait - some of it also takes place in South Africa!

Ladies & gents, we have a winner here with Nuhaa’s debut novel.

Savi Ray and Ted Montague are my new obsession.

Thank you Nuhaa for letting me be part of your beta team. I loved this book, I can’t wait for everyone else to love it too.

[Jaina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rating | 3.5 stars

A Romeo and Juliet retelling, minus the death. GIVE.ME.MORE.

I loved this book, the relatability, the characters, the story.

We all need a Ted in our lives. What a calm, kind man who goes above and beyond for people he loves. And the love letters! Don’t even get me started. The way Theo poured his heart out into them,

Savi is such a badass and I truly want to be her when I grow up. I love when brown women are written as strong, knowledgeable, independent and sexy! Like yesss, we can be all of these plus more.

I did however feel like it was missing something. As much as I loved the characters and their sweet personalities, I needed a little more from them. I felt like we were just starting to see more of their personalities and then the book ended. I would have loved for their relationship and their personalities to have been fleshed out more.

All in all if you’re a sucker for romance and retellings of Romeo and Juliet, this one is for you!

[Aqeelah✨ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice: 🌶️🌶️


Why did I hold off on finishing this book!?!? A well deserved 5 stars, cause I just flew through this book with no time to breath 😭. An MMC with no flaws and is such a sweet heart !?!? Give me 14 of em please 😩 As the eldest brown daughter this warmed my heart ❤️. The tension and chemistry between the two main characters was unmatched, they just went so well together. I won’t be able to get over this !

Every letter written by Ted just had me melting. From him starting out in his letters with “My Dearest Savi” to “My Darling” 😭😭 I felt the emotion written into those letter. I was in awe with how romantic this book is. I even became tearing eyed at the airport scene when he gave her a good-bye letter. You had me there Nuhaa, wallahi 😭. I will be purchasing Better Once Than Never ⭐️.

[Tams · Rating 5 out of 5]

Let me tell you, I read this book on a HELLISH day, and it was the best escape I could possibly hope for. I think I read 90% of it in one day because I couldn’t put it down.

I love Ted. I love Savi. I love Titan and Kalina. I love THE BANTER. The humour. The perfect insertions of quotes from Romeo & Juliet at the perfect times.

This book was everything I needed.

[Chelsea (thatbookishteach) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thoroughly enjoyed this one 🫶

[Renske · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book reminded me a lot of Bride and Prejudice with a dash of the Romeo and Juliet retelling. I loved the friendship between Ted and Titan, and of course, the cousin-cum-sister friendship between Kalina and Savi.

I also had a few flashbacks of My Big, Fat, Greek Wedding with the cultural aspects and also a hint of Elena Armas' books (the cousins and the romance side).

I am ready for the gentle side of Titan and so ready for Kalina to fall head-over-heals in love.

I loved the side characters, wish for a bit more of Theresa, but think she's a minor character. I absolutely loved the grandmother. She was hilarious.

Sometimes endings are too abrupt and not given more grace, which is absolutely okay. I'm sure the author had her reasons. Otherwise, a recommendation for a quick read.

[Deviki · Rating 2 out of 5]

Actual Rating: 2 1/2 stars



Which Shakespeare story is this book supposed to be retelling? Romeo and Juliet? Because there are barely enough similarities to make it a retelling. 
 
I adore Savi and Ted, they both are very pleasant protagonists, but I wish there was more to them. To be honest, they seem very one-dimensional and don't have anything solid to stand out. They are good and sweet people, but that's the only thing about them. I didn't want some bad boy, good girl trope....not even wild and untamed protagonists. But they lacked in-depth personalities, they needed more than just being sweet people, something! anything! There was an attempt at humor, but it felt so brief and flat at times. 
 
This book was insta-love, and I hated that. I wish I could understand why they fell for each other, it seems like it was too quick, and that's that. There were few spoken words between them, and suddenly they were blown away.
 
Also, the poetophile part was nearly nonexistent. Ted suddenly spurting one or two sentences of Shakespeare quotes was simply not enough. Writing letters to each other seem so "normal" and nothing Shakespeare-ish about it, just plain letters. If it was worded in Shakespearean style, the letters would have made the difference and made a point to this whole traditional letter writing, but it felt like a normal letter that could have been an email. Weird, how we don't even get a full letter in the book, it just state it's four pages long but we only get two paragraph at best and the rest is just explain away in two sentences.
 
I don't understand why the authors choose writing letters to each other and then spend time together on a work/vacation to prolong their attraction to each other when there is barely any story to tell. There is nothing....no drama....no definite progress or character development during that time. It was just the two of them mooning over each other. Sure, we learned a few things about Ted's hopes and dreams and Savi's marriage dilemma and that's it. I also notice that they don't actually talk about it much, it's mentioned mostly as "thoughts" between them. They don't communicate much and when they do spend time with each other, it's like a dreamy 10 min MTV music video "scene".



I wish Savi was super quirky and Ted was bashful and awkward. That would have been hilarious when they both tried to outdo each other with their love of classical bibliophiles. Teasing each other and trying to impress each other with their own internal jokes, would have created more opportunities for character building for them both. Nope, we didn't get that......just ordinary personalities and a diabetic level of lovey-doveyness. 
 
While I did not like Rohan, I felt like each time he appeared on "scene," only then Savi showed some layers of personality. I'm also from a brown family, Yes, we're very family-oriented, and some brown parents tend to try and match someone's son/daughter for marriage, but Savi, you're 30 years old. At this age, your parents shouldn't hold so much power over your life decisions.

I wonder if Savi never met Ted, would she have gone through with the wedding with sleezy Rohan? Are you that powerless to stand your ground and tell your parents that you will not sacrifice your happiness just so they can save face? Respect is respect until it starts to jeopardize your own life. 
 
I wonder about their relationship. I mean, seeing their relationship progress kind of makes you wonder what the hell Savi was thinking when she accepted Ted's invitation to join him for work/vacation. Before that, they hadn't really spoken on the phone or face-to-face since the ball. Only via letters, and that takes weeks to arrive. Then, during the vacation, they hardly spend time with each other since Ted is always working. Then suddenly, they are undeniably in love with each other and are so sure of who the other person really is......feels like a soon-to-be episode on "True Crime Fatal Attraction." Lol, gosh, I'm not romantic at all!!!
 
I'm glad that they didn't body bang the moment they hit the hay of the "oh-how-unfortunate-only-one-bed" trope, lol, because if they did, I would have DNFed this book so fast. 
 
Nearly 100 pages in, we don't know what the so-called forbidden/rival relationship between Ray's and Montague families is. Only that they both own the same type of business, and it's a rival and taboo because of that. Not because of any solid betrayal or unpleasant past history....just because they are in the same business.....sigh.....
 
Everything gets resolved so quickly. Sure, angry parents are gonna sit down and read a letter instead of talking directly to Ted for his explanation for courting their only daughter. Don't think that will work with brown parents!! LOL The only drama part is when Rohan tries to manipulate Savi and her family, and after that, everything is resolved quickly. After her parents learn about Rohan's "problem" they just said wedding is off, they didn't even try to demand explanation from Rohan and his parents for trying to dupe them into marrying their only daughter for money.

Savi went to make her first business pitch, and then we didn't hear anything about it anymore until the misunderstanding part. How the heck did she not get any news that her pitch was rejected? No official emails? Simply one day, it was announced in the newspaper? 
 
I liked Savi and Ted, they are both sweet couples, and they match nicely, but honestly, there isn't enough to keep my attention after they got hitched in super hyper-insta everything. 

Did we get the infamous balcony scene ? Yes, if you can call it that LOL!!

 
An acceptable book for a light romance read, it had loads of potential for a well-written story but felt flat for me. 

[Tara Macpherson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I finally got around to checking out Till This Night by Nuhaa Bardien (@nuhaawrites).
It promised a modern Romeo and Juliet retelling with a happy ending. It promised a swoony and sensitive hero and a compassionate and intelligent heroine. It promised a love story that would make you giggle and root for.

And my friends, it truly delivered.
It was sweet, romantic, funny and a truly feel good read.
I think my favourite part was the fact that these two exchanged letters between the UK and South African.... And the post service worked 😂😂.
But seriously I loved how unashamedly these characters showed their love.

I immediately fell for this world and the characters (I immediately ran to start reading Titan and Kalina's book.

If you're looking for something sweet and romantic, this is the book for you!

[Zeenat Kalla-Bray · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such a cute book!!

My favourite quote:

“Another end to a day spent discussing modelling business processes, and all I wanted to do was climb under the covers to watch Pride and Prejudice, the Colin Firth mini-series—the right one—while downing a tub of Magnum white almond ice cream.”

Excerpt From
Till This Night: A Modern Day Retelling of Romeo and Juliet with a HEA (By the Book Series 1)
Nuhaa Bardien
This material may be protected by copyright.

Read this book.
It hits all the right places

[dia · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Till This Night" is a captivating contemporary retelling of Romeo and Juliet(happy ending, ofc!) , with a mix of South Asian culture.

Theodore Montague (Ted): ( a walking green forest)
As the heir to the Montague Hotel Group, Ted shoulders the weight of familial expectations with determination, striving to honor his late father's legacy while also nurturing and yearning for his own dreams.
Beyond his prose, Ted's actions speak volumes about his character. As Savi and Ted's love story unfolds, Ted emerges as a devoted partner, willing to defy convention and risk everything for the sake of love.

Savi Ray:
As the heiress to one of the largest hotel chains in the world, Savi navigates the complexities of her family's legacy with poise and determination, driven by a deep-rooted desire to carve out her path in the industry.
What I liked in Savi was her passion for academia and her dedication to her studies. While others may have expected her to prioritize marriage and tradition, Savi forges ahead with her education, immersing herself in books and research.
Despite her outward confidence, Savi has her own fears, struggling to reconcile her own desires with the demands placed by her family.
Also, her closet is totally love and is a reflection of her vibrant personality, filled with bold colors.

From descriptions of dishes to the verses penned by Ted, each element charm to the story, providing a cozy atmosphere. Also, the plot happens in Cape Town, so we get to see cozy restaurants and gardens, too. Kudos to the cover, and Brownie points out for the sidekicks Titan and Kalina and Aditi, the sneaky grandmother. I wish we had more moments of Aditi.
So "Till This Night" is a must-read if you love modern-day fairy tales and cozy romance.

[Morgan · Rating 5 out of 5]

SO UNDERRATED BUT AMAZING!! I loved this retelling of Romeo & Juliet. The chemistry was everything I wanted and more. One of the best books I’ve read recently on Kindle Unlimited! Can’t wait to read the 2nd book in the duet.

[Ju_bakhareva · Rating 4 out of 5]

i am in love with this book, i adore characters and enjoy every second of it. such an easy read that lifts your spirits. but for me the epilogue seemed unnecessary, because in it the heroine seemed to have ceased to be herself. according to my feelings: a self-sufficient lady, who was ready to build a business, has disappeared💔

[Jacquline Oliphant · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ahhh, this books has my heart.
It was just so cute and warm.

Such a cozy read until the last chapters with the parents yhoo my emotions went through the roof but I think that was a me thing then a book thing...
Which just made love the book so much more that it could impact me this way.
I loved it.

[Cozy Sabie · Rating 5 out of 5]

"In my day, we had different definitions of 'friend.'"
"He's...easy to talk to."
"Yes, very apparent by the cross-continent mail."

GENRE: Romcom
RATING: 4.75/5
FORMAT: eBook

Would I recommend to others?: I think this one is perfect for those of you who enjoy insta love, with a feature of retelling and HEA in multi-racial relationships (so yes, I do recommend it because who wouldnt enjoy this?)

Review:
My second Nuhaa Bardien read (yes, I did read book 2 first and than book 1 lol but it is an interconnected series so its more forgiving AND I managed to squeal every time the MCs from book 2 appeared in here😅)

This is a Romeo and Juliet retelling (Every book in this series is a shakespeare telling) and as a Romcom, it has a HEA guarantee, which I LOVED! Till this Night is a Dual POV, where we get to meet both Savi and Theodore, and they write LETTERS? Yes, in our modern world and current day, they communicate through letters and I'm sorry, if this doesn't convince you to read the book, I'm not sure what will 🤭

I truly enjoyed the dynamic between Savi and Theodore, the way they got to know one another and the instant connection between them. I love how they understand one another and uplift each other without compromising who they are. Another thing that was fun to read was the family dynamic between the two families: the Rays and the Montagues (hence the retelling)

I truly can't wait to read more in this world and seeing Savi and Ted appear again and again

[Mikayla Reid · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh. My. Gosh. I LOVED this book so so much!
My wonderful book swap partner, @nuhaamakes, was also the author of a book that's beeeeen on my tbr, so, of course, she gifted me a signed copy with a matching bookmark & stickers! I knew I had to read it as soon as I had a chance between review copies and Readalongs, and that's what I just did! Between Snowglobe and Where Sleeping Girls Lie @penguinbooksyasa Readalongs, I grabbed it and dove in. I was so ready to fall in love with the characters, the story and the writing - and that I did.
I knew I'd love it, but I didn't know I'd love it THIS much. But WOW, Nuhaa is a genius!
I adored the layout of the story, with the two different POVs rotating between the Acts - giving us all the Shakespeare vibes in format, but also in the text itself, with references written throughout.
The characters - mmhmm! I loved both Savi & Ted, but our side characters were also AMAZING and I can't wait for book 2 as well. Although I think we're all team Ted, he really was a charmer and I loved him and his love for writing. I also loved Savi and how headstrong she was, her passion is amazing to see.
I obviously loved the story too, I mean, that's what we're here for, right? I loved reading about the journey these two take, and especially seeing glimpses of my home country in a book like this. Cape Town is such a breathtaking city and to see it represented so well like this was really beautiful.
•
Okay okay, lemme stop gushing! I want to hiiiighly recommend this book to anyone who loved a good romance!! It has a little bit of ✨spice✨, 2 amazing main characters that you'll fall in love with, and a story that makes your heart happy. Please - go read this rn.

[Lopke · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 ⭐️

Savi Ray is soon to be betrothed to a man her parents chose for her, yet Savi is more focused on her career and studies. She asks her parents to give her 6 months to finish her academic course that would take her from London to Cape Town, and when she returns, she'll marry. They (reluctantly) give her permission.
On her final night in London, Savi encounters a masked stranger at a party, and an immediate attraction sparks between them. However, when she departs from the event, Ted Montague, the masked stranger, discovers that the captivating woman he is drawn to is, in fact, the daughter of his family's hotel business rivals.

Somebody, please give me my own Ted Montague!😭 This man had me in a chokehold from the very start.
He's already infatuated with Savi from only one interaction and with his head in the clouds, decides to write (physical letters!) to her while she's abroad with the help of both of their best friends - Titan and Kalina.

This was very much a slowburn progress, but the pining was 🔥 and it just created this beautiful friends to lovers connection between the two.
I loved the authors writing, which is very engaging and easy to get through, and it definitely made me want to explore the cities with these two cuties! But like especially with Ted because the man is SO SOFT!

I'm happy this didn't have a 3rd act breakup, but there's definitely some family drama that kicked up quite a stir nearing the end...
But it had a super cute HEA epilogue and makes me excited for book 2, which will be Kalina and Titan's story :)

Read if you like:
♡ romeo and juliet retelling
♡ soulmates
♡ poetry
♡ dual pov
♡ fun and sneaky adventure
♡ passionate mmc x funny and cute fmc
♡ star crossed lovers
♡ hotel rivalry
♡ letter writing
♡ open door
♡ no 3rd act breakup

[Letticia Collet · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's been a while since I've finished a book in 3 days... oh it kept me alright.

At first I was 'oh no!, please not another South African author using other countries as settings (even though I know most use fictional settings) in their book'. As the story unfold I've got what I wanted... South African locations

I love that this book was so easy to read. I love how Nuhaa made the characters so real.
One of the themes of the book is 'cross cultural love'... Ted and Savi's one is played out beautiful in this story.

Spoiler
I'm so happy it did not end like the original Shakespearan Romeo and Juliet.
Ted and Savi got their happy ending.

[Mamsidoll · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fresh take on the retelling of a classic

I thoroughly enjoyed the fresh take on the classic and it actually had me try to dip into my mental archives for the actual Romeo and Juliet story I read in high school.

I enjoyed how independent and head strong Savi was and the switch on the cliche story of a son being an heir to the family business. It was refreshing to see Shiv, her father, support her so wholeheartedly in her career and further studies etc. I think the close knit nature of the Ray’s with Rohan’s family was well-articulated and believable. The family dynamics from Shiv’s family were well described and I felt the warmth and care jump at me from the pages especially Aditi. Kalina was a great supporting character for Savi and their sisterhood was beautiful with all their comedic conversations leaving a smile on my face as I read through them. I think a lot of time was spent building Savi and her world more and it felt like the author was more comfortable with that side of the story.

Although we met Ted earlier in the story, I struggled to connect with him and empathise with his reluctance to take over the family business. In fact, I don’t think I fully understood the Montague family dynamics as intimately as the Rays. Ted’s mom came across as quite cold and distant even in the end when she becomes accepting of Ted’s decisions. I think Jesse was a supporting character that I didn’t understand at all especially because he was integral in the plot when it came to what causes a rift between Savi and her family and to an extent Ted and Savi’s relationship. I found an affinity with Titan more than I did with Ted because he seemed like a more well-rounded character.

Rohan was a strong antagonist and I didn’t see the gambling issue coming up so I feel like that was well-executed and a different twist on the unsuitability of an arranged marriage vibe.

I think the modern take on the classic was well-executed especially with how properties were named and the rivalry between the Montagues and the Rays. The pacing was good and I kept turning the page to see what would happen next and the chapters weren’t too long so it felt like a quick read.

I struggled to connect with the romance between Savi and Ted maybe because most of it evolved over letter-writing instead of actual verbal engagements between each other. Although parts of the letters were shared with the reader, because we didn’t read the entire letters, it ended up distancing the reader from the development of the relationship. It would’ve been nice to also be privy to the last letter Ted wrote to Savi’s parents so we could also understand the change of heart that happened with them.

With the modern twist, the letter writing was unexpected. Although it lent some fantastical mysticism to the story, it required a lot of suspension of belief. Maybe because as a South African I can appreciate how slow the postal service in South Africa is and so to keep up consistent communication in two week intervals seemed improbable. Additionally, if correspondence via text was not ideal because Ted expresses himself better in letters than text, I think emails would have been just as effective and because of the quick nature of email communication would’ve lead to more conversations between Ted and Savi for the readers to also feel the connection.

Although the story is set in London, Cape Town and Durban, I didn’t get the scenes that the characters acted in. As a South African I could understand Cape Town and Durban because I’ve been to those places and thus could infer on the surroundings and the culture within those cities whereas I’ve never been to London and felt like I couldn’t picture it so I could place the characters properly in the scenes.

I thoroughly enjoyed the wedding preparations and being folded into Savi’s family and traditions while learning about some of the activities that occur in a wedding setting. It was also refreshing from a representation perspective to read about people of colour being successful and holding their own in the UK hotel market. The story of how they made their success was inspiring especially because Shiv and Rohan’s father had come to London with very little and ended up building an empire.

Overall, a good story with very strong themes of family unity, love and the relentless pursuit of the things that set your heart on fire.

[J's Reading Journal · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a re-telling of Romeo and Juliet in the modern world. It revolves around the lives of Ted Montague and Savi Ray whose families have been feuding for generations. The book starts off with Ted and Savi meeting and instantly feeling a connection, without knowing that the other is a rival. Throughout the book, we see the two reconnect despite learning the truth about the other. They explore that connection they had and we see them go from friends to lovers. Other tropes included are forbidden love, love at first sight, and single bed.

While this book is very much Romeo and Juliet coded, I also noticed a lot of Cinderella moments scattered during their initial meeting (like the mask reveal, Savi being whisked away right as they’re about to kiss, Savi’s mask dropping as she enters the taxi, etc.). The author also did an incredible job with the re-telling – I loved how Shakespeare was quoted throughout the book – I felt like this really added to the re-telling and also served as a little tribute to him.

Now for some more of my thoughts on this book… some spoilers coming up, so if you plan on reading this book (which I really think you should) and you don’t want to spoil it, maybe stop reading here. This may be an unpopular opinion, but I thought that Savi being upset about Rohan (her arranged fiancé) cheating on her, was a bit ironic considering she was with Ted in another country, essentially having an emotional affair. While I agree that Rohan is an incredibly misogynistic asshole who can go fuck off, Savi’s actions weren’t exactly justified either, no matter how much she claimed that her and Ted were “just friends" – so her being that mad about Rohan cheating was a bit questionable for me. I also found the ending of the book to be a bit dramatic and rushed, where it felt like everything magically fell into place and the generational feud just vanished with one conversation. The dramatics may have been intentional to go along with the whole Romeo and Juliet vibes.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed the book and would recommend it to those who love reading romance, or those who want to read a modern day version of Shakespeare. It got bonus points from me because the FMC was brown and I feel like we need more Desi representation in fiction. I’m very excited for Book Two to be released (Better Once Than Never). I did a beta read for it and immediately fell in love with the characters, which is went back to read Book One. It was interesting seeing the subtle interactions between Kalina and Titan after having read their book first.

My rating: 3.5/5

[Tasneem · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh. My. Theodore. This man is the kindest, most gentle cinnamon roll. No lies. Honestly, it could be because I've been around the block with my fair share of morally grey, tsundere type characters that Ted Montague was such a lovely breath of fresh, minty air. The greenest of flags, seriously. A man of great worth.

Okay, let me stop gushing over our Romeo for a second.

Savi is probably one of the most level-headed protagonists I've read in a good, long while. If you know me, one of my biggest gripes in romances is the misunderstanding/ miscommunication trope. Sometimes they're done well, but other times... let's just say you can't tell me you're in love and then question their moral integrity a split second later without irrefutable proof of wrongdoing. Like, are you suuuure you ever trusted your partner, sir, madam?? This is my hill, and I will die on it. Thank you, Savi Ray, for believing in our little poet, through and through 💜

Reasons I love TTN:

✨️ Cape Town (I'm biased, shut up)
✨️ The Hobbit (IFYKYK)
✨️ No third act break-up! (We stan this!)
✨️ The stealthy as hell grandmother- could you love a character more???

The downside? I need more. Book two? Are you out there? Can you hear me? I need need need more T and K time...

This is a perfect, swoony read when you're in a mood for a good romance.

[Faziela Harris-Davids · Rating 5 out of 5]

Favourite Quote: "to get lost in your eyes and watch you fall apart "

Plot: Ravi is full of life and is the only daughter of the property magnates, despite having so much potential, she is betrothed to Rohan, and tries to delay her future of giving up her dreams to be barefoot and pregnant.

While Ted is heir to an empire, dutybound due to the passing of his father. Until one night changes everything.

This romance story beautifully encapsulates Shakespeare in a way that makes you feel like you know these characters but also provides such a modern twist to this age old tale.

I am obsessed!!!! The characters came to life in such a beautiful way, their conversation in prose with banter in between had me giggling like a schoolgirl while butterflies bubbled in my tummy. 🦋

For her debut novel, @nuhaamakes truly transports you with her words that despite not having slept in 3 days. I had to finish this in a day and it got me out of a rather deep book slump.

I look forward to reading more from this amazing author.

[Zoe Seabourne · Rating 5 out of 5]

A (happy) retelling of Romeo and Juliet with plenty of swoon-worthy romance.

Till This Night is:

🌙 Romeo and Juliet (minus the dying)
🌙 Soulmates
🌙 Poetry
🌙 Fun and sneaky adventures
🌙 A passionate MMC
🌙 A funny and cute FMC
🌙 Open door romantic scenes
🌙 Dual POV

If you enjoy a feel-good, adult RomCom and want more sweet, cinnamon-roll MMCs for your reading palate, then can I suggest Ted? Ted, the personification of romance, poetry and sticky-sweet summers.

Ted and Savi's star-crossed relationship was a joy to read and is Taylor Swift's 'Love Story' manifested. The way that Nuhaa writes all her characters (including the villains) feels so real, with enough romance to make it magical.

I loved the spin on their families being rivals of hotel chains - an industry Savi loves and Ted has his doubts. This novel also explores family expectations and the generational pressures alongside the romance making for delicious tension and poignant family moments.

[aqeelah ❀༉˖ · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Romeo & Juliet retelling with no death, no third act break up, the one bed trope, and letter writing? It’s a modern day fairytale!

Ted and Savi are absolute angels and this book gave me toothache with all its sweetness! It’s been such an honour and delight to follow these wonderful characters in their wonderful love story. I absolutely adore the side characters too and I’m already looking forward to the next book!

Step aside Shakespeare. We don’t need your tragedies when Nuhaa Bardien is serving us these happy endings. <3

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

The man quotes Shakespeare? Be stll my beating heart. Ted is the most swoonworthy of swooners. And Savi is a brown oldest daughter just out here fighting for her dreams whilst learning how to use her voice to claim what she wants. SO relatable.

The way they navigate the obstacles thrown at them while WANTING to be together is a beautifully written journey that Im so grateful doesn't end like the original play. I would need to speak to someone sternly if anything happens to Ted!

[Arini Vlotman · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved the story of Savi and Ted!l, I devoured this book in two days! It gave me all the feels as I felt each of their highs and lows, along with the familiar settings in South Africa. And the HEA was incredibly satisfying...

If you enjoy a sweet, slow-burn romance with a touch of spice, I highly recommend this book. I'm looking forward to Bardien's next story.

[J.D. Kizza · Rating 5 out of 5]

💜

[Cassey · Rating 5 out of 5]

A delight.

[Mar · Rating 3 out of 5]

3stars

this was cute, and although I didn't like the epilogue, it was a nice retelling.