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Midnight Muse

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New year. New apartment. New enemy.

Drawing major Quinn Conroy just moved back to town with her best friend for their second year at Vulcan University. She revels in being away from her almost too supportive parents as she searches for inspiration long lost. Her new apartment is supposed to serve as a tranquil space to find the creativity that she’s been yearning for, but when she discovers just how thin the walls are that separate her from her new neighbor, all serenity is torn up and crumpled just like her many attempts at her drawing assignments.

Knox Foster is your quiet, stereotypical brooding upperclassman. Unless you’re Quinn. Then, you’re just an ass. Art student turned tattoo artist, Knox searches for an apprenticeship in the midst of a life-altering motorcycle accident that left his hands in worse shape than he cares to admit. He favors the stillness that the midnight hours have to offer when sleep evades him. It’s when he feels the most at peace, with a piece of charcoal and sketchbook in his hands or the wind against his body as he rides into the night. Until Quinn moves next door, that is. She’s been ruining that peace since the first day they met.

Quinn and Knox share one very common goal—and a wall—to find the inspiration they’ve been missing. It seems like since the day she moved in, Quinn can’t catch a break—between the asshole neighbor that parks his motorcycle in front of her moving truck and the elevator that she swears is going to break down any day, it’s like sophomore year has it out for her. For Knox, it’s the constant pestering from the other side of the wall and the forced proximity he has to the neighbor who provides said pestering, now that his roommates have befriended the girls-next-door.

Quinn and Knox have sworn to hate each other for the entirety of their lease—possibly even longer. But when their walls start to crumble and their lines become redrawn, they might just realize that they have more in common than they think.

396 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 1, 2024

14 people are currently reading
151 people want to read

About the author

Lanie Tech

3 books24 followers
Lanie Tech is a graphic designer by day and author by night. Her writing stems from many years spent as a fanfiction author and she’s sorry if it shows. She is currently in her contemporary romance era but hopes to dip into the romantasy world someday. Midnight Muse is her first novel.

She currently lives in SoCal with her younger sister and enjoys strawberries, traveling, creating delusions during walks or work, and loves anything and everything creative.

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Displaying 1 - 30 of 40 reviews
Profile Image for Huniyah.
475 reviews6 followers
August 7, 2024
ARC Review

I am a big lover of college romance and the romance between two artists, wow I love that idea. But unfortunately, this book fell short in every aspect.

This book seriously needed a developmental editor to take a look at it. In a book both main characters will have an internal struggle and an external goal, this is what builds your story and keeps the plot moving forward, and although these characters did have them, there was no effort made to actually overcome these struggles. The pacing did not help with this at all, because for first 50% of the book it just felt like very repetitive set up but those scenes held no substance, you could take them out of the book entirely and nothing about it would have changed. The writing style honestly confused me because it flowed well in some places and in others I was struggling to keep going. It did feel a little juvenile at part and just some very cringey wording. Ex. "as fuck" "hella" "nervy"

These characters did not fall in love with each other, they fell in lust. For the first half of the book they barely interact and I am not exaggerating when I say that, I think it might've been around 4 times they interacted and they were very short interactions, where they honestly barely spoke to each other. Quinn spends the majority of the time with Slate at the beginning of this book, so much so that he starts to feel more like the MMC than Knox. I understand the author was trying to create a slow-burn hate-to-lovers situation here but she failed. For a slow burn, there needs to be slowly raising tension but this didn't have that there was no chemistry to fuel that tension. Like genuinely it felt like reading about two neighbors that are annoyed of each other and nothing more.

When Knox does tell Quinn about his dad beating him and how it caused his accident, she feels bad for him and then they have sex. And that's literally all there is to their interactions for here on, all they do is have sex or think of each other sexually. They do go on one date. But I felt there was absolutely nothing between these two besides having sex, that's where their connection begins and ends. There is no emotional bond between these two.

Knox is not a fleshed-out character at all. The main reason that is, is because he very much isn't in the beginning of the book (majority of this book is from Quinn's POV) and when he is, he's just an asshole. I understand he's supposed to be a grumpy character but he didn't feel like it. We hardly see go on a journey about his tattooing and how it affects him emotionally to not do something he loves, whats he going to do about it. This is the main problem with both him and Quinn they aren't active in their journey they're both kinda shrug and are like I guess I'll do this instead or I'll think about it this way.

I did not like Quinn at all. Her whole personality was just being either mad or horny. And honestly, the way she would describe other men was just so confusing because their introductions seemed like they were also just another love interest. She literally talked about how pretty Slate's cock was and not even once but multiple times. Also she has imposter syndrome but she was is doing absolutely nothing to overcome it. Majority of this book she's like "Ugh, I have imposter syndrome and I have this huge project I need to do but can't... oh well where's Knox I need his cock." Spoiler how she gets over it: Also her art history class beinf hard felt like such a subplot because what did it do for the plot besides introduce us to Odie who does even matter in the book.

There was a lot of unnecessary detail in this book, about things that just didn't matter in the slights and also extremely repetitively, like yes I get it, Slate is a behemoth of a man, you don't need to tell me this 700 times. This also extends to the characters. I do not understand the point of Reid, he was literally just there, he held no importance in the plot. Also Slate, as a character just annoyed me, he was so underdeveloped, his sole reason to be in this book was to be Quinn's guy best friend and speak only in innuendo. I swear to you every other word this man spoke was wrapped in innuendo and it wasn't even good. He honestly just felt like a caricature.

The only thing this book has going for itself is the cover because it is gorgeous. This is not a book I would recommend to a friend.

Thank you Lanie Tech for an ARC of this book.
53 reviews
September 2, 2024
Midnight Muse was such a great read that I honestly want more from them author. As soon as I started reading the book I couldn’t put it down since I wanted to know more about Quinn and Knox.

I loved the descriptions of each character in the book. I was able to visualize how each one of them looked in real time as I read (honestly want a hug from Slate as well). This book was a perfect slow burn that I felt the tension and the want in a way it made my heart stop at times.

I really enjoyed how this book was funny at times but it also had serious moments making the book super realistic. Especially since as someone who gave up on art could relate at a deeper level.

Quinn was such a relatable character that I couldn’t help love her even more. She seemed so strong to me. I loved that even when she felt hopeless she still tried her hardest to continue on and find new hope especially when it came to her art block.

Knox was a character that I applauded for going through so much and still trying. He’s will to not give up was so empowering that I felt inspired.

I loved the banter between Knox and Quinn that I just wanted more and more even after I finished the book.

I honestly loved this book so much I can’t wait for more!

Rate: 5 🌟
Profile Image for Fatma.
383 reviews14 followers
September 1, 2024
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

ARC Review

Tropes:
Slow Burn
College Romance
Both are Artists
Grumpy x Grumpy
Annoyance to Love
Share a Wall
FOUND Family
Neighbors
Each Other's Muses

Firstly I never would have guessed this book was a debut novel, it was so beautiful written! The plot and characters flowed so nicely with each other. The world building and hints at possible future books/couples were wonderful!

Quinn just moved into her new apartment with her childhood best friend. After a long & tiring day the last thing she needed was a run in with her annoying, yet hot new neighbor, but that's exactly what she got.

Knox hasn't had the best 3 years and the day he met his new neighbor, took a toll on him. Getting rejected once again from an apprenticeship made him grumpy and didn't have the greatest first impression on his new neighbor, but then again neither did she.

These two were honestly just adorable! I couldn't stop reading to see what was going to happen next with these two. The annoyance they had for each was hilarious and had me rolling my eyes. The slow burn was definitely slow in this book, but that build up tension! I was so happy when they finally decided to let go of their annoyance and accept their feelings!

I loved that both Quinn & Knox became a safe place for each other. They could freely talk about their doubts & insecurities without fear. They vulnerability they showed each had my heart full!

I'm a sucker for found family and this book hit the spot! Knox, Ace, & Slate, Quinn & Rory were already so close separately, but them altogether was chef's kiss! They found each right when they needed each other and became a huge family! Reid slowly joining the friend group was cute.

Those little hints at Slate & Reid's stories had me wanting more! I'm getting enemies to lovers vibes and I'm here for it!

Thank you so such an amazing novel! I can't wait to see more of your amazing work!
Profile Image for rocka flocka.
6 reviews
November 13, 2024
I'm being a bit generous here because it's a debut novel, and I don't want to discourage the author or potential readers. I can tell Lanie Tech is talented and I'm sending her all the best for the rest of this series!

That being said, you can tell where this story originally came from…meaning that it has certain fanfic roots that became very obvious to me once I learned about it. Some aspects of the story are just constantly repeated, which I think is common in fanfiction due to the space between updates, where recaps are often necessary. But this is a full novel, and I don’t understand why I was fed the same information multiple times. It served no purpose. I felt for Knox's story, but the amount of repetition just didn’t work, and it didn’t effectively convey trauma.

Rory and Quinn didn’t even seem like best friends. Maybe that’s because neither really had a distinct personality, but it didn’t feel like they were childhood best friends at all. Almost every conversation was about school or boys—mainly the hot neighbors. I’m pretty sure they passed the Bechdel test (hopefully, though I genuinely can’t remember), but I wouldn’t be surprised if they didn’t.

Quinn and Knox weren’t enemies-to-lovers; they were the ultimate miscommunication trope’s wet dream. I genuinely couldn’t keep up with them—constantly disliking each other and acting as if they’d murdered each other's families. I kept reading, waiting for Quinn and Knox to have a genuine moment of connection, but all I got was a drunken “I’ve always liked you” confession and some questionable smut (since she’d been drinking, which wasn’t necessary). Then, out of nowhere, they’re inseparable and in love? I wanted more yearning; it was hard to believe they were anything other than horny, desperate, and petty.

Quinn, in general, was hard to root for. She seemed very judgmental and quick to make assumptions, and that was…well, that was it. I genuinely couldn’t tell you anything else about her personality besides: a) she’s bad at art and insecure about her talent, which she constantly mentions in the strangest ways, b) she hates Knox and Ace, and c) she’s so horny that I genuinely thought she was going to hook up with everyone she talked to.

Speaking of which…the amount of cursing in this book is criminal. I love some swearing, but…did they just discover curse words? It was so overused that it became juvenile. I felt like I was reading about high schoolers (and honestly, based on how they acted, I wasn’t sure if they weren’t). It felt unnecessary and made it a tough read.

The characters lacked substance overall. There weren’t distinct personalities, and the side characters just seemed to float around. I did DNF, so maybe they get more development later on, but from what I read, it was boring. I didn’t care about any of them. Why did her parents show up for, like, two days? And what was with all these random side plots that had no real purpose and just vanished?

Slate was the only character I genuinely liked, but even he got old fast. He became a caricature of the funny, flirty guy. Also…how many times do we need to mention how large he is? I started highlighting it. A behemoth of a man? So large he blocks sunlight in a café? It got repetitive fast, and it also felt a bit off, considering he’s the only canonically (I think?) POC in the main friend group.

I wanted to love this book, especially to support a new author, but it wasn’t for me. That’s not to say it won’t be for others—I know plenty of people enjoyed it! I just wish it had more depth. It was lacking in too many areas for me, and the frequent spelling and grammatical errors throughout only added to the impact on my reading experience.
Profile Image for Carrie Nelson.
46 reviews1 follower
September 2, 2024
I feel like university romances can be very hit or miss sometimes, but Midnight Muse hits right in all the right places. It’s been a minute since I read a book that I just absolutely fell in love with ALL of the characters, and not just the main characters or the two experiencing the romance. Every single character in this book that had true “screen” time was so stellar, and a vital part of this story to me. The intermixing of the friendships in this book was so sweet and truly made my heart just as happy as the actual romance in the book.

Lanie Tech did so well with this book, and I genuinely cannot wait to read her next story! If you love some fun, lighthearted, camaraderie kind of friendships mixing with a great slow burn relationship, you’re going to love this book. If you’ve ever experienced something horrible with a family member and relate to characters with better found families, you’re going to love this book. If you have ever doubted yourself or your passions for being good enough or feeling right, you are going to love this book. This is such a compelling, yet really quick and easy to read kind of book, and I genuinely hope so many people read and love this story like I do!
Profile Image for Abe Eberle.
1 review
August 7, 2024
Such a beautiful book. I loved every moment with Knox, Quinn and the whole friend group. Midnight Muse made me yearn for art school. The way Quinn struggled with art history??— Girl! You and me both! I loved the cheeky banter between the friends and the relationships that developed throughout:,) Truly ate this one up and am so so so excited for the next book!
Profile Image for Tisha Pettus.
284 reviews12 followers
May 15, 2025
4⭐️/3🌶️

Book 1 in a new series, Vulcan University. This story is centered around Knox and Quinn but we meet the entire friend group and start getting the dynamics. I’m excited for the other characters stories.

Quinn and Knox are both broody and grumpy. And they mix like oil and water…in the beginning. But when Knox finally embraces what he’s feeling and asks Quinn out, it’s full speed and spice ahead! They learn each other’s story and insecurities and develop such a supportive relationship.

Their development is so good and you really fall for them. And no third act breakup yes please! I look forward to the next books in the series!
Profile Image for Bri.
204 reviews4 followers
August 21, 2024
3.25/5 ⭐️
🌶️🌶️.75

I went into this being extremely excited for the Grumpy x Grumpy trope but in the nicest way possible, Quinn wasn't really a grump she was kind of just bitchy? In the first 30% of the book she was just constantly mean and holding immature grudges over the guys over mishaps that happened but she wasn't 100% innocent in the situations either and it kind of bothered me that she never actually apologized for her behavior with everything yet expected Knox & Ace to apologize.

Besides that, I really did enjoy this book once our main characters started becoming friendly with one another and the relationship started to take off. The gallery scene was really stinking cute & by the end of it I ended up enjoying Knox & Quinn as a couple.
Yall the amount of sex these two had after they stopped denying themselves was insane 🤣

Thank you again Lanie for the e-arc i'm excited to see how book 2 will go! (very excited for who that couple is about to be) ♡
Profile Image for Beth.
642 reviews10 followers
August 27, 2024
This was an incredibly quick read and I found myself easily drawn into the story. The side characters made the story interesting and definitely set up the series. There were a few scenes that I absolutely loved like the steamy art exhibit and also a few that I found a bit repetitive. Knox was a perfect brooding, dark MC and I enjoyed Quinn once she became more sunshine than grumpy. This book will be available 9/1
Profile Image for steph 💖.
39 reviews1 follower
December 18, 2024
DNF. writing was shit and pacing was even worse. i get wanting to develop your characters but when more than half of the book was just ur bland character and nothing else it got enjoyable very quick. literally no plot at all 😭 please let’s just keep some writing to wattpad
Profile Image for Belle Jean.
147 reviews
October 22, 2024
So fun!
Right amount of angst, relatable imposter syndrome & spice. But also a lot of fun.
A great little story from a debut author.
Give it a chance you won’t be disappointed.
Profile Image for Liz Enow.
284 reviews1 follower
September 1, 2024
This is my first book from Lanie Tech and it was a good introduction to the story and our characters for the future books.

If you like books that are:
grumpy x grumpy
enemies to lovers
found family
forced proximity
slow burn
college art school romance

then this book may be for you.

This book is about Quinn and Knox. Both attend Vulcan University- who end up moving in next to each other. Things get off on the wrong foot as Knox with him blocking the uhaul truck so that Quinn is not able to move it. On top of that Knox and his roommates are noisy neighbors often hosting parties.

I enjoyed the cast of characters and I'm excited to read the next book in the series. It will be interesting as the second book centers around a romance that is developing in the first book so I look forward to seeing glimpses of Quinn and Knox in that book as well.

What I liked about this book:
I really liked the found family aspect of the book. I loved all of the characters in the book and I was not sure which story would be the focus for the next book (but I know now). I really look forward to the next book and of course my favorite character's book.
I enjoyed the setting academia/college.
My favorite scene was the gallery (FINALLY I been waiting for this). This a dreamy scene.
My favorite character was obviously Slate- even though he is a party boy he is so sweet and caring.

What I wanted more of:
-More build up between Ace and Quinn- yes they are enemies to lovers but I felt there were more scenes between Quinn and Slate/Reid or Ace and his roomies more so than her with Ace. I wanted more build up and force proximity. - I feel that their annoyance with each other was a bit too much and when it finally ended (for them to have such distain toward each other) it was over pretty quickly.

- I was hoping to get more inspiration/muse worthy moments for each character. How Quinn and Knox are muses for each other and inspire each other in terms of their creative processes and their art. I just wanted more of this. It was mentioned but I was hoping that it would have started earlier on in the story and that it would add to their infatuation with each other.

-The ending/epilogue was more of a wrap up as to what happened next- the ending felt a bit rushed. Again- I think there was a lost of focus on the main characters and it more or less focused on the whole cast (which is fine but I wanted a satisfying ending/conclusion of our main characters- which I am thinking it could be addressed in the upcoming books so it is keeping me intrigued.)

I'm looking forward to reading Slate's (and his love interest- maybe Isla?)
Profile Image for Anesty .
33 reviews
September 3, 2024
Finally getting to write my review. This book was fantastic! I love the found family! The friendship group is goals! There were just parts that I wish that were different.

Knox was my favorite! His story was heart-felt. But I’m sad that we didn’t get more of him. We didn’t dive more into him. He was barely in the story. The side characters were in the story more than Knox it felt like. And yes he was a jerk but he had his reasons for the most part but at times he was just a plain jerk lol. In my opinion, I wish we got more of Knox and what’s going on in his head instead of Quinn complaining and being Horny in the first half. And I don’t mean that in a mean way!

I didn’t like Quinn as much, to me she was like a mean girl at times. Again at some parts of the book she had her reasons but for some of them, she didn’t have any valid reason. And if I didn’t know her love interest, I would have guessed like 5 different guys because she described almost every guy she met like she was in love with them and wanted to get with them. Not a bad thing just a little confusing!

Knox and Quinn had some really cute moments that made me squeal but it was missing the emotional connection. They barely interacted in the first half. And this is where you could have paired her with any one of the guys as her love interest because Knox was barely in the story. And when they finally connected, it was a simple apology, an invite to his exhibit, he opened up to her about his trauma and then boom sex. It felt like she had one thing on her mind which it’s college nothing wrong with that, but at that moment it felt wrong because again he just shared his trauma. I would have enjoyed that more if there was a more emotional connection between the two in the first half.

The spicy scenes were nice! They were steamy! I love a couple that can’t get enough of each other. But to me, I would have enjoyed the spicy scenes more again if they had that emotional connection to go with it. They didn’t have that connection, they were simply just two college students hooking up and trying to move past their first interaction they had.

And it felt like the only time they truly had a connection where it wasn’t sexual or Quinn wasn’t thinking about him sexually was at the end at the diner. Again nothing wrong with that! But I wish they had more time to build that connection before jumping into all things sexual. It would be different if they were just hooking up and that’s that. But they weren’t just hooking up.

But nonetheless, this book was a good read! I was grateful to get an ARC to this story. I love a college story! And I’m excited for book 2 and I hope she does an interconnected story with the other characters.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Book_bandit01.
133 reviews4 followers
December 9, 2025
Quinn is in a bit of a rut. Sophomore in college and she had lost her love for creating art. She doesn't know how to get it back, and every time she attempts to create anything it feels like a chore/job instead of a calling. This year at Vulcan University, Quinn and her best friend move into an apartment building with a questionable elevator and neighbors that are prickly, flirty, and rude.
This book reminds me of the original Wattpad stories I would read about the badboy that rode a motorcycle, but was soft only for her. Only Knox has more depth than them and I really like him as a character. His mother died when he was younger and his father is a major douche canoe that only wants his "prodigy" to follow in his footsteps. So when he finds out that Knox is majoring in art instead of business, he pummels Knox really badly which forces Knox to leave on his motorcycle. He got into a major accident that scarred his hands that it need skin grafting. Unfortunately, his hands are always shaking, and this causes his future plans of being a tattoo artist to be put on hold. I know that the scars on his hands are apart of Knox, but this author really loves to bring up how he got the scars a lot. Alright. We get it. You don't have to say it so many times.
Quinn and Rory have been best friends since birth. Both of their fathers were best friends so they were kind of forced into the friendship which they didn't mind. I know when you get older you get busy and don't have time for friendships every day, but the scenes with just Quinn and Rory was truly lacking. I wanted to see their dynamic more instead of just taking their best friend status at face value. Yes, they will always be there for each other, but I just wanted to see more.
I like the element of Knox and Quinn sharing a wall. The concept of them having paper thin walls, and Knox being annoying to have the music volume all the way was annoying, but I liked the way the story was going. Their relationship was cool and I like how it expanded. You can tell that they were attracted to each other, but I like how the romance wasn't rushed until they finally got together at the 70% mark.
I can't wait for Slate's book, though I'm not to excited for 2nd chance romance that I'm guessing is going to be his book based on the scenes that that come up in this book.
Overall, I really liked the characters and I would like to read from Lanie Tech more.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Katie Peck.
176 reviews
September 11, 2024
This book really has good bones to be a stellar book. The writing process is such a complicated thing and I think there were really good character bones and storyline bones. I just do not think there was much of a climax and the story was really flat after the enemies became lovers.

I really loved the concept of this college romance with a forced proximity because they were neighbors and shared a wall between their bedrooms. I loved the build up and the angst between the FMC and the MMC. I even loved how they were each other's muses for their art. I love how both characters had deeper storylines and their own problems that they were trying to solve within their budding romance. Once they became lovers their story fell a bit and the sexual content was very monotonous.

The climax was just not there for me. There was a start to the foundation of a problem where the MMC's father was buying their apartment complex. And then what? I get that the MMC was afraid to tell his friends and the FMC and her roommate because they were just getting closer. But when he sat them all down at the end it was like no big deal and they just moved on and that was the end. And tht was it. It was little build up and then it fell even flatter for me. The bones are there for a build up for sure. I think it was just too much in the background of the story.

enemies to lovers
forced proximity
grumpy MMC/grumpy FMC
found family
Profile Image for Leigh.
4 reviews
December 23, 2024
this was recommended to be by a friend so i thought it would be good because we have similar tastes. it was not. this felt like a very rough first draft and felt so incomplete and repetative. it felt very much like reading a fanfiction.

now i myself am a huge fan of the trope hate to lovers in contemporary romance but this definatly read as more like hate to lust. there was literally no love between the character at all. even though Knox was meant to be the mmc, it really didn't feel like that. there were so many other character (i didn't care enough to remember their names) that seem to lust after the fmc that i was so confused through the whole book.

the character are a large part of why i read any book and i didn't like a single one in this. the two main charcters sevely lacked chemistry and just seemed to want to have sex with one another but there was no build up to that at all. there was no tension- nothing.

even the more tender moments between the two fell so flat because it was followed up immedietly by a sex scene. characters can have intimacy without getting freaky in the sheets but it seemed that this was all there was to their relationship.

this review was all over the place but this was just all the thought off the top of my head that i wanted to get down.
Profile Image for EJ.
125 reviews
September 8, 2024
🖌️ Book Review 🖌️
|| Midnight Muse ||
|| Author: Lanie Tech ||
Format: paperback
Release Date: September 1, 2024
Read from: August 27, 2024 to September 7, 2024
2024 RG: 114/100

MCs: Quinn and Knox

🖌️ College artists
🖌️ Annoyance to lovers
🖌️ Neighbors
🖌️ Forced proximity
🖌️ Found family
🖌️ Slow burn
🖌️ Grumpy x grumpyish
🖌️ Dual pov

Quinn has just started her sophomore year at Vulcan University with her best friend Rory. Excited to be on their own, they move into their very own apartment. Unfortunately, their neighbors are an annoying less-than-friendly group of three boys. Always playing their music way too loud, there’s nothing Quinn wouldn’t do to annoy them (specifically HIM) right back.

Knox is entering his junior year at Vulcan University. But now, there’s this super annoying girl next door who threatens to tow his motorcycle and pounds on the wall when he plays his music- and yet he just can’t help himself from getting on her nerves.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️5/5

“To the creatives who don’t think they’re good enough. You are. Trust me.”

I can’t wait to read Rory’s story! I loved this book (it’s a debut novel???) and I can’t wait for more!

Thank you so much to Lanie for the free copy to review! All opinions are my own.
3 reviews
July 8, 2024
ARC READ -
Holy moly!! I have to say I have already re-read this book a few times already!! Upon the first read, the slow burn hurt me so good!! The character depth and perspectives are described so well that you really feel like you’re a student at VU hanging out with the group! The two main characters are both stubborn in their own right and the way their relationship throughout the book changes is absolutely to die for!

This book is funny, witty, complex, and SMUTTY! Not only is the MMC Knox absolutely to die for but so are his two roommates <3 this book is not only a fun heartwarming read but also will literally shatter it into a million pieces at the same time (which we love)

Even reading it the second and third time around, I still find myself laughing at all the banter and crying way too damn much!! If you’re looking for an angsty, funny, sad, also happy??, smutty, annoying next-door-neighbors to lovers book I HIGHLY suggest reading this!! I am eagerly awaiting the rest of the books in this series ;)
Profile Image for Val.
422 reviews11 followers
September 1, 2024
I want to start by saying that as a debut novel, this was very well done! I love everything! From the friendships built, the relationships that develop, the self exploration and discovery, the spice, and everything in between, all was amazing.

In the beginning we meet Rory and Quinn, two life-long besties rooming together in college. We also meet the guys, Knox, Ace, and Slate; best friends and the new neighbors to Rory and Quinn. In an unexpected, and unwelcomed encounter, they all meet one another. And let’s just say, words were exchanged and a rival was born.

However, even with their rough start, they all become friends… expect Quinn and Knox continue to bicker and avoid one another at all costs. This made for an amazing and tension filled slow burn, which I loved! Another thing I really enjoyed about this book was the friend group that was formed. Even though they did not all start off on the right foot, it all was washed away and bonds were formed.

As for the main characters, we follow Quinn and Knox on their individual journeys, as well as their path from annoying neighbors to lovers. Quinn, our FMC, has a love for drawing but struggles to rediscover the passion she once had for the art. Knox, our MMC, also has the drive to create, expect his favorite medium is charcoal and tattooing. His struggle? An accident that left his hands in bad shape, effecting his artistic abilities.

After one beautiful night of raw honesty and vulnerability, Quinn and Knox turn from neighbors who hate each other to something more. Through forgiveness, understanding, and a lot of teasing, they see that they actually have a lot in common. And where their differences lie, they each cherish and respect about the other. I adore their relationship so much. They each find a muse and safety in one another that is rare. Both Quinn and Knox are obsessed with one another, making their relationship very fun and sweet to read.

The beginning is slower or repetitive in some sections. The internal monologue was pretty repetitive and frequent for the first half of the book. Also, the first 50% does not have a lot of substance to it, there was a lot of random days and events that did not add to the overall story. Some of it does help build the Vulcan University world, along with the friendships we see throughout the book but could have been condensed more.

This was such a fun read for me. I was smiling like a fool for a majority of the book. I am so excited to see what else takes places amongst this friend group and maybe other people we meet from VU. I adored everything about this book and highly recommend!

Thank you Lanie Tech for sending me this wonderful ARC! This is my full and honest review!

🌶️🌶️
Pepper percentage:
7.5% of the pages contain spicy content
14.7% of the chapters contain spicy content
Profile Image for Maegan Ashley.
Author 1 book19 followers
August 24, 2024
This is Lane Tech's debut novel and I think she she knocked it out of the park! This was definitely a slow burn, the main characters didn't get together until well over half way through, but I think the part after they get together makes it worth it! Knox was very grumpy the whole book until he got with Quinn, and then you see a COMPLETELY different side of him. I love that, when he's hard in life and soft for her. They both acknowledged feeling something toward the other before they got together, and it was so frustrating, because you just want them to be together. I really liked how there were other very important main characters, however, I do wish that there wasn't so much of them. If you didn't know that Knox and Quinn were the main characters going into this book, you might not be able to tell based on how much Slate and Ace were also involved. That is my only critique about this book...but I am still giving it 5 stars because I thoroughly enjoyed it, and it was very well written!
Profile Image for Cindy.
150 reviews9 followers
August 19, 2024
4.5 stars rounded up!

Okay when I say I ATE THIS BOOK UP, I mean I really couldn’t put it down.

I love the way the author actually does have her characters, college students majoring in Art, describing their views as art! The banter was fun, characters all witty, and a very good sprinkle in of the way life just gets us all.

I do wish there were some more of the repetitive paragraphs reworded or restructured because they tended to repeat what we already learned from earlier on in the book, but otherwise, I loved Midnight Muse so much. We get to see college students being college students while navigating love, family issues, friendships, and school. Life doesn’t get resolved at the end of a college school year, but the author sure did do a good job of giving us exactly what we need.

I am so, so excited for Book 2 and cannot wait for that to release. Thank you Lanie Tech for a copy of this eARC in exchange for an honest review.
Profile Image for Elizabeth.
471 reviews36 followers
September 2, 2024
To begin with, I had no idea this was a debut novel because it was so well written! The characters and storyline blended together so well. The hinting at potential future novels and relationships, along with the world building, were amazing! I loved every moment with Knox, Quinn, and the rest of the friend group. Quinn and Knox have pledged to hate each other for the duration of their lease, possibly even longer. However, as their walls crumble and their borders are redrawn, they may discover that they have more in common than they realize. I really can't wait to read Lanie Tech's next book because she did such a great job with this one!

Thank you so much Lanie for the physical ARC book.
Profile Image for Mia Lockhart.
528 reviews7 followers
August 25, 2024
Arc review
Firstly I would love to thank Laine Tech for giving me the opportunity to read Midnight muse which absolutely loved it so much and would highly recommend to others.

I love Quinn, Knox and the friend group like everything about was amazing I was hooked from looking at the cover it amazing for someone who likes drawing this book has a special place in my heart in would read it again. The banter between the friends and that relationships developed throughout the story and I feel like I made bond reading this book.
Profile Image for Megan.
292 reviews3 followers
August 28, 2024
this was such a fun and quick read! i loved the boys and their friendship dynamic. slate was my favorite! the descriptions in this book were magical and were able to paint such a clear picture! i liked the depth of Knox’s character and how we saw his personal struggles.

i wish Quinn didn’t hold minuscule grudges and took accountability for her actions as well.

with knox and quinn’s relationship i wish the buildup was a bit better. it did feel a bit rushed towards the end.

but i loved the book & the characters and i can’t wait to read about the rest of the friend group.
Profile Image for Megan's Reads.
90 reviews2 followers
August 8, 2024
I absolutely adored this book! Knox is definitely one of my favorite grumpy book boyfriends! Did i choose to read this over sleeping? Definitely. I did NOT want to put this down for anything! If you love annoyance to lovers, slow burn, grumpy and sunshine, this is for you! Knox has a motorcycle and tattoos as well ;) this book will live rent free in my head forever. ❤️
Profile Image for Amanda Scarr.
53 reviews
August 14, 2024
ARC review.

For a debut novel this was pretty good. It is a sweet college romance. The characters had some banter with enemies to lovers type deal. Interesting takes and looks into the characters and their problems. Other characters with in the story were playful and I can see where they can be easy spin offs for a decent series. I am excited to read the rest of the series as it comes out!
Profile Image for Carly.
32 reviews
September 6, 2024
The hate to love, the real and rawness of self discomfort to discovery. The parties, drama and spice. Gah-damn! Yes! All I can say without giving anything away is the answer to "should I read this" is YES
Profile Image for Allie.
2 reviews
August 6, 2024
The slow burn romance is perfect and done in such a thought out heart tugging way. This is a great romance and such well written !

Profile Image for Faith.
431 reviews5 followers
September 12, 2024
ATE ATE ATE GRUMPY X GRUMPY WITH A MOUTH ON THAT MAN IM A GONER
Profile Image for Neeq.
62 reviews
October 20, 2024
there’s nothing to say except that i hailed from Tumblr. That should be enough 🫣
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