Until the Storm Breaks

The Midnight Men #1

by Nate Wilder

He's the brooding literary darling who swore he'd never come home. She's the bar owner who can't afford to fall for someone who's leaving. Coming home was his first mistake. Falling for her was his second.

Calvin Midnight arrives in Dark River with one settle his mother's estate and disappear back to Seattle. But the small Washington town he abandoned has other plans—starting with Maren Strand, who owns the Black Lantern bar and lives in the cabin on his family's property.

Maren's built her life on being everyone's safe harbor, pouring drinks and keeping her own heart locked away. Now the Midnight estate might be sold, taking her home with it. She should hate Calvin for what his family could cost her. Instead, she finds herself watching him work shirtless on the porch, bringing him coffee, and forgetting why falling for a temporary neighbor is a terrible idea.

He writes devastating prose about grief but can't speak his own truth. She fixes everyone's problems except her own. Now they're stuck in side-by-side cabins with paper-thin walls, dancing around an attraction that proves that the fiercest storms happen between two hearts afraid to collide.

Until the Storm Breaks is a steamy, slow-burn contemporary romance featuring forced proximity, grumpy/sunshine dynamics, and just enough push-and-pull to make you scream 'kiss already!' First in The Midnight Men series—where every love story leaves a mark.

Kind words from early readers:
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “I’ll be honest—I was skeptical about a male author writing this kind of romance, but Nate Wilder completely won me over. He actually gets the female perspective without making it feel performative. The emotional beats are genuine, and he writes sexual tension like he understands what women (and men if they’d admit it!) actually want to read.”

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “Okay so I literally could not put this down??? The whole grumpy lit professor meets sunshine bar owner thing usually isn’t my jam but WOW Until the Storm Breaks made it work. And the steam was... ahem (fanning myself to cool off). Anyway, I stayed up way too late reading!”

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐“This absolutely wrecked me in the best possible way. One minute I’m giggling at their banter, the next I’m ugly crying into my wine glass. If you need a book that hits every single emotional note, this is it. Until the Storm Breaks was everything.”

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “New favorite author alert! Nate Wilder better write faster because I NEED more of this. Funny, scorching hot, emotionally satisfying ending that had me bawling and grinning like an idiot. Off to pre-order whatever the hell this man writes next!”

The Midnight Men
Until the Storm Breaks (Book 1)
Until You Say Stay (Book 2)
Until the Stars Fall (Book 3)

Genres: Romance, Audiobook, Small Town Romance, Contemporary Romance, Contemporary, Slow Burn, Amazon

360 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 23, 2025

About the author

Nate Wilder writes small-town romance—steamy, emotional, and full of the kind of chemistry that keeps you reading past midnight. A former journalist and chef, he's a devoted romance reader who believes the world needs more love, more steam, and more happily-ever-afters. He writes from Washington state, where he is supervised in all matters by his opinionated cat, Nala.

Reviews

[Tanya · Rating 2 out of 5]

Sweet, yet boring at first. It was a 3.5 possibly until the end. The 3rd act breakup was beyond ridiculous and the MMC is simply a whiny coward.
He's upset about something (not at all significant) and so he just abruptly leaves, disinvites her to the conference that she rearranged her life to attend with him (and was excited about), then just ghosts her? Him reading a "love" poem at the conference with the (obscure) idea she may (by chance) watch the live stream of (maybe) is just stupid. The not immediately rushing straight back to her to apologize and affirm his love was stupid. Not calling or AT THE VERY LEAST texting her was stupid. Her coming to him and him still letting her leave without saying anything....um, no.
If he wanted to, he would PERIOD

I didn't quite understand what his actual problem was with her getting a tattoo of some words that resonated with her at a time when she needed them. He should feel proud that his words were able to do that for her and apparently so many others. If he is uncomfortable with the attention (and the money he continues to make from them) why did he agree to publish and sell his book/ merchandise? Why does he continue to feed the narrative?

Regardless, he treated her terribly and I would have needed some actual groveling to move forward.

[Julie WB · Rating 3 out of 5]

3+⭐️ I was curious to read a romance written by a man and this one was solidly decent. I didn’t fall in love with it, but I found the characters likable and the story pretty good. There was something missing that I can’t quite explain. It just never totally grabbed me. The third act snafu was annoying and kinda made me lose respect for both MCs. Overall, good, not great, but I may read the next one anyway.

[Wendy Robinson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I started listening to this book because it was included on Audible. I almost didn’t listen to it, because the author is male and I wondered how much a romance written by a man would appeal to me. This is a lesson in not disregarding a story based on who wrote it. I actually loved it a lot, (although the whole premise for the third act breakup was frustrating which is where it lost a star), and I’m keen to read some more of Nate Wilder’s books, including continuing with the Midnight Men series 😊

[Lauren Taylor · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really wanted to read a romance written by a man, and happy to report it was just a corny and cringe as women write. 🤣

[Derryn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I cried...multiple times. 
I really enjoyed this book. It covered deep topics like grief, acceptance, forgiveness and love.

I did find some of the writing a liiiiitttllleee pretentious but overall a really great read. The FMC & MMC are clearly way more mature than I could ever hope to be, in dealing with some of the challenges presented. The cast of characters were beautifully written. 

I avoided adult responsibilities to finish it in a few hours. 

Spice level: 🌶🌶🌶.5

[Susan Hannam · Rating 3 out of 5]

Meh.

[READ ME ROMANCE · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love finding new authors to binge and am so glad I found Nate Wilder! He is one to watch and one to read. I read his bio and I really liked that he was a male romance author and was interested in his perspective. He is a journalist and a chef, and loudly and proudly expressed his passion for reading and writing romance. And it shows!

“Until the Storm Breaks,” is the first book in the Midnight Men series which features five brothers, all adopted when they were young: Dominic, Calvin, Theo, Alex, and Jake Midnight. They each have their own interconnected story and I’ll be reading the entire series!

Calvin, our hero in “Until the Storm Breaks,” is a brooding author who moved to Seattle. He’s a professor and after the success of his first published piece, he’s stuck trying to write his next masterpiece. The pressure is on and he takes time off to head home to settle his mom’s estate after she passes with his four brothers.

It’s when he’s home that he reconnects with Maren who is all grown up and running the town bar, which she bought off his mom. Maren loved his mom and it shows, and he’s conflicted over these feelings as he’s heading back to Seattle in just a couple weeks.

This author’s writing is wonderful because he understands that romance lives in the details. The emotional beats are earned, not rushed—every glance, hesitation, and half-spoken thought deepens the connection between the characters. Their relationship started out as “fake” for the benefit of both of their careers, but page by page you will have front row seats to them falling in love.

The dialogue feels natural and intimate, often saying more in what’s left unsaid than in what’s spoken aloud. Their prose is lyrical without being overdone, striking a perfect balance between vivid imagery and emotional clarity. What truly sets this author apart is how grounded the love stories feel: the characters are flawed, self-aware, and emotionally complex, making their growth and eventual happily ever after deeply satisfying.

This book is emotional about love and loss, and I admired that they were willing to compromise and find a way to be together. There is a third act breakup which I’m not a fan of, but it all works out in the end! I liked that the brothers each had their own personality and that they didn’t always agree or get along, but their family bond kept pulling them back together. These are people I wish I could know in real life, and I am looking forward to more!


Until the Storm Breaks featuring Calvin and Maren (both are writers/Bar Owner/forced proximity).

Until You Say Stay featuring Jake and Lark (Formula One Driver/Musician/fake relationship)

Until the Stars Fall featuring Theo and Emma (Chef single dad/forbidden/10-year age gap)

Until the Sparks Fly featuring Dominic and Brooke (gym owner/investigative journalist/enemies to lovers/second chance)

Until Our Hearts Collide featuring Alex and Isabelle (Both or Chefs. She is classically trained. She’s heading to NY and he’s in Seattle.)

[Karli · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was truly such a beautiful read, which happens when you have two writers as characters and one who focuses on poetry. There were so many beautiful lines that I lost track of the highlights.

This book gave such a beautiful analogy of grief, from so many different angles, and all written in a way that felt so authentically true. The analogy of the storm in the sense of grief is one that I personally use often, so to hear it be used and written in such a poetic way was a special treat.

The only thing that bothered me the most was a reaction that happened around the 85-90% mark in the book on Calvin’s end. I felt like it was just a little unnecessary and overdramatic for what it was at its base. The only reason it didn’t affect my rating on the book was because it was authentic. It was genuine. There is something about the way he reacted that, while overdramatic and not necessary, was real and felt human. I could feel the humanity in it through the pages, because I’m sure in the moment I would have reacted the same way. (Still wasn’t a fan of it though lol!)

[Delicate Rock · Rating 3 out of 5]

The third act break always ruins these things but the declaration of love poem without a call to the h just sank another star. He called or texted everyone except her. What a giant baby. The slow burn plus that I knew this couldn’t reach 4 stars.

Also he should have been more firm when a lady is touching his arm like that free your first kiss with a woman you’ve been falling in love with…. He left without saying anything but still seems odd not to make things clear about no touching

[Alexandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked what this was trying to do. It was a romance novel, yes, but it was also a discussion about grief as well as about influencer culture and parasocial relationships. It’s also written by a man who clearly put effort and thought into writing female desire and cared about challenging stereotypical portrayals of women.

I love all of these ideas, but I feel like none of them were nailed perfectly. Some of it felt forced. I feel like the author tried to do too much at once, and it left the actual romance missing a little something.

But it did make me think! I rarely write reviews but I felt compelled to analyze how I felt about it and write it down.

It was a good debut novel. The story is not making me sit on the edge of my seat for the next one in the series but I like his writing style and the thought put into the work.

[Bree · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was enjoying this book until 3/4 of the way through it took a hollow and melodramatic turn. The author manufactured relationship drama to give the book its climax, neglecting other aspects of the story that would have better served the purpose i.e. developer / big brother storyline. A shame really - the story had legs, until it didn’t.

[Page & Porch · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you love small towns drenched in rain and complicated families - Until the Storm Breaks will gut you in the best way.

This first book in Nate Wilder’s Midnight Men series introduces the five adopted Midnight brothers and the hauntingly beautiful town of Dark River. The story centers on Calvin Midnight, a broody English professor and reluctant literary icon, and Maren Strand, the fiercely loyal woman who cared for his mother through her final years. When Calvin returns home after his mother’s death, grief, guilt, and old wounds collide—especially since he and Maren are now forced to share a cabin and a past that neither can escape.

Calvin is a man trapped between the weight of his fame and the emptiness of his success. Maren, meanwhile, has built a quiet, steady life around loss—owning the local bar, caring for the woman who took her in, and anchoring herself to a town that feels more like family than the Midnight brothers themselves. Their relationship starts with barbed words and old resentments but slowly transforms into something tender and redemptive. The chemistry between them feels raw and lived-in, like two people learning how to breathe again after years of holding it in.

Wilder’s storytelling shines most in the family dynamics—the tension between siblings burdened by guilt, duty, and grief. The contrast between Calvin’s academic world in Seattle and Maren’s grounded, salt-of-the-earth existence adds emotional depth, and the scenes around repairing the storm-damaged home beautifully mirror the slow mending of Calvin’s spirit.

When betrayal, secrets, and the intrusion of Calvin’s past threaten what they’ve built, both characters are forced to confront whether love is enough to weather the storms that follow them. The climactic reunion at the publishing conference—equal parts emotional reckoning and romantic catharsis—had me absolutely rooting for them.

Until the Storm Breaks is a lyrical, deeply emotional love story about finding home in another person—and about the courage it takes to stay once you do. Poetic, tender, and achingly human.

[Sharon · Rating 5 out of 5]

A heartfelt novel about loss, grief and love.

Maren is living in a small Washington town, owns and runs the local bar and watching over Susan. Susan is a Dark River matriarch who took Maren under her wing when she needed it most. When she was grieving the death of her parents from an auto accident. During this time, Maren reads the works of a poet that helps her navigate her grief and decide where she goes from there. Only to find out that the author is Susan's son.
Jump forward to the death of Susan and the return of two of her sons, Calvin, the poet and Jack, the racer to town where they reconnect with Dom, Theo and Alex to mourn their mother. Calvin will stay in Susan's cabin that shares a kitchen and bathroom with Maren's cabin.
Sparks fly while they navigate their loss often getting caught in the rain storms of Washington. But, their love story will be fraught with challenges.
Poetry will define their love story while numerous other issues resolve.
Read about their obstacles and find out how their love story ends.

[Kelly · Rating 3 out of 5]

★★★⋆

“The storm doesn’t end. You just learn to live in the weather. And if you’re very lucky, you find someone willing to stand in the rain with you.”

In my quest to find more "free" audiobooks on KU, I stumbled across this one and I’m really glad I did. The story hits you right in the feels with the grief representation, with both main characters having dealt with loss in the past and navigating it again now. The story had a lot of heart and dealt with the grief rep well. It was a slow burn physically, but emotionally they connect much sooner, with the FMC falling before a relationship had really began. It felt a little soon and made the pacing feel a little off at times. I enjoyed the characters, even if I didn’t have an overwhelming emotional connection to them. The small town feel was great, and the side characters, especially the brothers, added an extra layer of curiosity that I’m excited to see more of. It wasn’t a jaw dropping, can’t put it down read, but it was enjoyable, and I would definitely continue the series. The narration was good too, and easy to listen to.

[Jasmine Kea · Rating 4 out of 5]

romance in poetry form

There was so much beauty in this book. So many lines that I read over and over just so I could soak in the imagery. As a poet myself, I ate up nearly every line. From the storyline perspective, there were a couple pieces of the plot that felt like they were supposed to be bigger than they ended up being, which made it feel a little… rushed, maybe? Like there could’ve been more story told there, but he ran out of time. But maybe thats my own projection. Maybe those aspects were always supposed to be peripheral and the writing was so captivating that I assumed it was the main plot. There were also a few small but noticible editing errors along the way (In the kindle version). But, all in all, I would read it again, which is generally the sign of a book I absolutely love. I’m looking forward to reading about all the Midnight brothers!

[Julia · Rating 4 out of 5]

For a romance novel, this was an almost literary kind of read. The characters were interesting, though she really could have skipped a sex scene or two to develop them fully. I like the fact that it was a slow burn kind of thing rather than "Hi. Nice to meet you. Now let's get naked." like so many of them are now.
I didn't give it a 5 only because it felt like the author gave up at the ending, like "Whoops, I hit the word count! Wrap it up!". Again, shorten a sex scene and give me just a bit more conversation or thought spiral.
On the Yes List.

[Jamie T · Rating 5 out of 5]

Prose and Being vulnerable to live with love

This world feels full of toxic energy right now and this book felt cleansing. Maren and Calvin were both hurting but found genuine connection and longing for a home in each other. There was great tension in waiting for them to be fully honest with each other. Their intimate moments were meaningful and steamy, but didn’t get in the way of the plot or their emotional connection, which I really appreciated. I’m looking forward to reading the next book in the series and watching what Nate Wilder writes in the future.

[Hope Jackson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Totally enjoyed falling into this story.

I have been having trouble the last few days finding a story that keeps pulling me in. This was very well done. I could identify with both characters and dropped into both rolls. I could have lived this life. I could have been either of these people. It was real to me. Their emotions flowed through me. I laughed some, cried some and wanted to throat punch someone a couple of times. Thanks for the journey. I will read your stories again.

[Carolynn Brill · Rating 5 out of 5]

excellent and beautiful!

This is so beautifully written - I can’t even express it! These characters are so strong, each buried in grief yet somehow finding ways to move on. To weave all this around the liters world is amazing. The special poems are so touching. The family of brothers is really good and I love all the crazy side characters, from Eleanore to Jayson to Lark. Looking forward to reading the next book!

[Anne OK · Rating 4 out of 5]

The beginning of a well-written captivating new series by a new-to-me male author. An interesting cast of characters set in a small town setting and includes love, laughter and happily-ever-after . . . even if it hurts sometimes.

Looking forward to the second book in The Midnight Men Series on November 13, 2025.

[Becky Gates · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful love story!

Such a refreshing change - a love (not a lust) story written by a man who doesn't focus just on sex! I loved getting to know the characters and what made them unique. Understably sensitive with a strong message about grief and getting through it. I've already downloaded the next book and can't wait to get started!

[Laura Bernstein · Rating 4 out of 5]

At first I wasn’t sure I would like it. But as I read on I just got better and better. Loved the plot, characters and the original story subject. Intelligent writing and believable story lines. I could do with a little less sex as I sometimes feel it’s just filler. Over all I really enjoyed it. I Will read the next 2 and I hope he keeps writing.

[Helen - HappilySheReads · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pacific Northwest emotional romance

3.5 stars. Set in the Pacific Northwest, I loved the stormy, beachy, vacation town-in-the-off-season vibes of this contemporary romance. Nate Wilder is a new-to-me author & I’d definitely read another one of his books. Specifically, I want to experience how he builds his small towns & pulls together the stories of the five Midnight brothers.

Set up as a traditional 2-person POV, Wilder does an impressive job voicing both female and male characters with a clear & relatable voice. That said, I would have been interested in reading this book just from the male perspective. While Wilder handled both POVs very well, I found myself more connected to the MMC’s voice & felt his story came across more vividly. I did love the first kiss moment. I think some of the spice scenes where I felt the most emotionally invested in these two characters.

The writing itself is very good and has moments where it feels almost poetic. But there were moments when it felt overly verbose & the endings of chapters had a bit of a repetitive feel, whether it was an internal musing or a warning to themselves. Each main character has a fairly complicated & emotionally loaded backstory & I wanted more of their stories. It left me feeling not as connected to these characters as I wanted to be.

Overall, it’s a good read & I’m ready to see what he does in book two. (But maybe this could have benefited from one more round of content editing.)

3.5 stars 1.5 peppers (I may upgrade if subsequent books fill in the holes like I’m hoping).

[Elizabeth Lavigne · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was a flop. There was really no character development and the love connection was rushed. In my opinion, the entire plot was ridiculous. Had the tattoo been left out and the story just been about grief and dealing with it while also trying to discover who are, it probably would have been better. Calvin was such a cry baby and turned me off from the very start. The dog was my favorite part.

[Erica Fishbein · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great chemistry and witty banter, and easy to read, but the adoption story was such a random and unnecessary addition. I couldn’t figure out what purpose it served, other than to act as the catalyst to falling out with Maren. Calvin’s return to Seattle was so dramatic and seemingly cataclysmic the end of the story ended up feeling rushed in a way.

[OregonEmma · Rating 3 out of 5]

Loved the story, but hated the ending when he finally pulls his head out of his a** and goes to find her at the convention. Such a massive display of public affection, and just not one that matched or vibed with the character.

[Sandra Springer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book !!

First time reading Male author ,wasn't sure what to expect. But it held me from the beginning. I am 83 and read daily, usually at least a book a day so I feel I can say Mr Wilder is an exceptional romance writer and I look forward to reading his next book.

[Nm · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars. This got me out of my reading funk. It was intelligently and beautifully written with just the right amount of spice. The way it was written... I felt what they felt. So glad I gave this book a chance.

[JUST A BOOK LOVER 💕 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall good I enjoyed it but also a little dramatic at the end, still cute. Don’t get me wrong it is somewhat emotional but it feels like it’s made deeper than what it is at times. Maybe something’s could have been executed differently…

[Sarah Tummey · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a lovely book. I don't know whether the author has experienced losing his parents, but I wouldn't be surprised. His words on grief are really authentic. I enjoyed reading about these two people gradually letting each other in.