Jump to ratings and reviews
Rate this book

Middle of the Night

Rate this book
"The only thing you have to fear from the shadows is me."

All Emma Warner wants is a better life. In a city rife with crime and corruption, the only option to cover her mother's medical bills was a loan from a crime boss called the Wolf. Now, after her mother's death, Emma has to work in his seedy nightclub, the Crescent Club, in order to pay off the debt. When the opportunity comes for a new job working for young, elusive billionaire James Kane, Emma jumps at the chance to potentially change her fate and pay off the Wolf even faster.

For two years, a vigilante called the Phantom has been working tirelessly to keep New Atlas safe while keeping his identity hidden. When Emma has a chance encounter with the Phantom one rainy night, her life changes in unimaginable ways.

Now, women are going missing from the Crescent Club. As the missing women begin to turn up dead and a strange new drug hits the criminal underworld, Emma and the Phantom must work together to solve the disappearances before anyone else goes missing–and Emma could be next. She must fight not only to survive, but also to save the city she calls home all while trying to understand her growing feeling for both James Kane and the Phantom.

Except she doesn't know they're the same person.

403 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 6, 2025

11 people are currently reading
118 people want to read

About the author

Shelby Lewis

1 book6 followers
Shelby Lewis was born and raised in South Carolina. She has a BA in literature and art history from Wofford College (not that she used it, but had a good time earning it). If she’s not writing, she’s usually found curled up with a good book with one or both of her cats or following her husband around to get on his nerves. Middle of the Night is her debut novel.

Ratings & Reviews

What do you think?
Rate this book

Friends & Following

Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!

Community Reviews

5 stars
19 (57%)
4 stars
9 (27%)
3 stars
4 (12%)
2 stars
1 (3%)
1 star
0 (0%)
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
Profile Image for Tay.
85 reviews8 followers
September 27, 2025
It gave me uys vibes and I love that book I love the characters it’s a good book check the trigger warnings your mental health matters but check the book out and have your opinion and thoughts on it ! I enjoyed this one I want more ! 10/10
Profile Image for Courtney.
185 reviews
September 21, 2025
*ARC REVIEW*

𝐇𝐨𝐥𝐲 𝐜𝐫𝐚𝐩, 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤!! 𝘔𝘪𝘥𝘥𝘭𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘕𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 is such a ride. Fast-paced, full of action, and the characters?? So good. I honestly can’t believe this is a debut. Shelby came out swinging more than the phantom and hit all the right targets.

𝑬𝒎𝒎𝒂 : certified badass. Our fearless female lead has been through it, and instead of crumbling, she’s out here saving others and not taking crap from anyone, especially not some sleazy men. When she decides to do something, she does it, no questions asked. She’s strong, sharp, and relentless.

𝑱𝒂𝒎𝒆𝒔 : brainy vigilante with a moral compass MMC.
While trying to figure out who killed his parents 20 years ago, James wants to clean up the town but draws the line at murder (yay, morals!). He manages to be protective without being annoying or controlling, which is refreshing!

𝑫𝒐𝒖𝒈𝒍𝒂𝒔 : the ultimate side character MVP! He sees all & knows all and isn’t afraid to speak his mind to Emma & James. He is such a caring and protective father figure. Also, he meddles in the best way possible showing how much he truly cares.

The banter and wit between all of them is wonderful. And the slow burn?? Torturously good. I read the whole thing in one day because my brain simply refused to do anything else. (Just ask my dirty apartment)

I also appreciated how James is protective but not in that annoying “I’m the man, let me handle it” way. He respects Emma and lets her be her fierce self. That is very refreshing considering she works in a sketchy underground club and still holds her own and he never tries to stop her or take over. 𝑊𝑒 𝑙𝑜𝑣𝑒 𝑎 𝑟𝑒𝑠𝑝𝑒𝑐𝑡𝑓𝑢𝑙 𝑘𝑖𝑛𝑔

(𝘖𝘬 𝘰𝘬, 𝘴𝘰 𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘱 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘧𝘶𝘭𝘭𝘺 & 𝘪𝘵’𝘴 𝘌𝘮𝘮𝘢, 𝘴𝘰 𝘴𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘥𝘪𝘥 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘴𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘥. 𝓠𝓤𝓔𝓔𝓝!)

And don’t even get me started on the drug plot twist. No spoilers, but it was so wild and original that now I’ll side-eye everyone in public.
Paranoia: activated.

Overall, please read 𝘔𝘪𝘥𝘥𝘭𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘕𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵! It’s amazing 10/10 already yelling at friends to pick it up when it comes out November 6, 2025❤️
Profile Image for honeylu ୨₊˚🌱.
46 reviews8 followers
November 30, 2025
★ ★ ★ ★ ★ genuinely best thing I've probably read, slight complaints but didn't falter review. Would recommend 100% ˘͈ᵕ˘͈

Okay WOW! If you're a reader that enjoys batman or other vigilante works or a strong FMC who's not afraid to murder for the MMC or he fell; she fell harder tropes. THIS IS FOR YOU!!!!
╭┄┄┄┄┄-·-·-·-。゚・。゚・
This book delves into our fmc Emma who is in debt with this dangerous shark, forced to work in his bar. While walking home our mmc literally falls off a building in front of her. She recognizes him as the cities vigilante (Phantom) and patches a knife wound for him in her apartment.
She applies for a second job to pay her debts off to be offered the assistants job, a live in assistant. Unaware her new boss (James Kane, a multi-millionaire) is secretly the vigilante she met the other night...
This book takes you on a full adventure of Emma and Phantom teaming up to figure out who's the culprit to her coworkers disappearances at her club. To uncovering dark truths and even getting kidnapped for the safety of the city. What happens when emotions and truths are revealed? Will they figure out what this drug is before it gets to them? What happens when one is forced to do something they never wanted to do? Will they figure out this mystery before it kills them?

THIS book is so good especially for being a debut novel! This book gets dark, it breaks your heart. The unsaid emotions spilling out in absolute devastating times. My one out of many admirations' with James is he doesn't stop Emma from doing what she wants!!
I was so scared for a closed door but luckily there was no smut needed as 90% of the book is them solving a crime together with tension!
My one complaint is it's 3rd person! Despite it being duel pov it's still in 3rd, which I'm not sure I enjoyed as much! But seriously this book is fantastic and the chemistry between them wow.

Please be aware of triggers within this book, there are threats of sexual assault, physical assault on fmc (not by mmc) a scene of homicide, forced violence between fmc & mmc, kidnapping and drugging
╰┄┄┄┄┄┄┄꒰꒱₊˚・。゚・
╭┄┄┄┄┄-·-·-·-。゚・。゚・

My favorite quotes :

"Emma was going to solve this case if it killed her. Anything to help him. Anything to save him"

"It terrified him that he would kill for her. That he would die for her."

“I couldn’t live with myself if I was the cause of you getting hurt!” he half-shouted

“And I couldn’t live with myself if your stupid lack of self-preservation got you killed!” she shouted back.

╰┄┄┄┄┄┄┄꒰꒱₊˚・。゚・
(My highlights contain spoilers, please read with caution)

THANK YOU FOR READING MY REVIEW <3


----
╭ ━☆・*。 Pre-read
I saw this on instagram and couldn’t be more excited to read this!!! I am a little nervous about closed door but I won’t judge until I’ve read it! Can’t wait to tell you guys how it is!!💫
Profile Image for Michele Dam.
69 reviews
October 29, 2025
I just finished Middle of the Night by Shelby Lewis, and I honestly can’t believe this is her debut! This quickly became one of my favorite reads of the year and an easy ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ for me.

This book gave me Under Your Scars vibes (which is another all time favorite), and I loved the little Easter eggs sprinkled throughout. Shelby’s writing pulled me in instantly. Emotional, fast-paced, and so full of heart.

The story follows Emma and James (aka Phantom), two characters with messy pasts and deep emotional scars who find themselves wrapped up in a dark and dangerous mystery. A new drug is hitting the streets, taking away people’s free will, and women are disappearing. Emma works at a shady underground club where many of these women vanish, and soon she’s teaming up with Phantom to uncover what’s really happening, all while trying not to fall for him.

The chemistry between these two is perfection. Their banter? Top tier. Their slow burn? Torturously good. James is protective in all the right ways without ever taking away Emma’s strength or independence (we love a respectful king 👑). The side characters Douglas, Kendrick, and Marie add so much depth and personality to the story.

The suspense kept me up way too late (I fell asleep reading more than once because I just couldn’t stop). The twists were wild and original, especially the drug plot line. I found myself side eyeing everyone by the end. Paranoia: fully activated.

This was emotional, romantic, thrilling, and unforgettable. I laughed, cried, and highlighted so many lines. I’ll be recommending this one to everyone when it releases November 6, 2025!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Visionary Impart.
520 reviews39 followers
November 5, 2025
Middle of the Night by Shelby Lewis is a thrilling, darkly romantic page-turner that perfectly blends mystery, suspense, and passion. Lewis crafts a gripping tale of secrets, danger, and redemption, where every twist pulls you deeper into New Atlas’s shadowy underworld. Emma and the Phantom’s story crackles with tension and emotion, keeping you guessing until the very end. A must-read for fans of vigilante intrigue and slow-burn romance this book will keep you up way past the middle of the night.
Profile Image for Jami Wheeler.
15 reviews1 follower
November 4, 2025
5 star read!! Thank you for the ARC Shelby Lewis!! This vigilante slow burn romance kept me on the edge of my seat! Emma meets the Phantom and decides to help him take down the bad guys of New Atlas while also working for the eligible bachelor billionaire James Kane. I loved both main characters and how their flaws and determination brought them together. This was a gripping, exciting, fast-paced ride where I was rooting for the hero’s the whole time. A must read!!
Profile Image for Savannah Secore.
9 reviews
November 12, 2025
I really appreciated how the action began immediately to get you hooked into the story! INCREDIBLE strong female lead, an absolute bad ass!

Fast-paced, intense (I was definitely stressed out at times!) and action packed! And then using a slow-burn romance to balance it out? Love!
Profile Image for Barbi Funes.
97 reviews
October 21, 2025
I fell in love, cried, laughed, sobbed, giggled and cried some more❣️ I loved it😊
Profile Image for Sierra.
4 reviews3 followers
October 6, 2025
Woah. A Batman retelling that had me on the edge of my seat. Middle of the night is a fast paced adrenaline fueled romance that will have your heart pounding and wanting more!! l am a sucker for slow burns and this was the perfect rendition of the slowest of burns 🔥 The tension, the yearning, absolute perfection. Shelby Lewis did Batman justice ⚖️ I could not put this book down and when I had to put it down it was all I could think about. I needed to know what happened next.

***Arc Review***
I had the pleasure of reading this gem before it was released. Middle of the Night by Shelby Lewis will be available Nov. 6th, 2025. Do yourself a favor and read it!

Emma is a young woman who ends up tangled up with a dangerous loanshark because she wanted to try and save her sick mothers life, but couldn't afford the care her mother needed. The loanshark is also the owner of a night club and makes Emma work for him to pay off her loan. He essentially owns her.

The Phantom is a vigilante who just wants to make his city New Atlas a safer place while trying to rid it of crime and corruption after something unfathomable happens to him as a child and law enforcement doesn't help.

James Kane is a CEO billionaire who inherited his father's pharmaceutical company after his passing. James is in need of an assistant and luckily Emma gets the job. James loves nothing more than his privacy. Emma wants nothing more than to figure James Kane out.

Emma meets the Phantom and ends up helping him with a dangerous case where women from her night club job are going missing and turning up dead. What could go wrong?!
94 reviews2 followers
September 16, 2025
I recently discovered Shelby and her upcoming debut story, it sounded interesting so I gave it a shot. And I found it to be an exciting read, filled with everything from suspense and twists, to romance and thrills. The cast was interesting and the dialog had some spunk, making this story fun and entertaining as well.
This is a strong debut that I 100% enjoyed, and I look forward to seeing what Shelby has for us next. Nice job on it!!
Profile Image for Ariel N. Anderson.
Author 7 books2,692 followers
November 21, 2025
I LOVE THIS BOOK!

Listen everyone, Shelby and I have been OG fans of each other for a long time now and I am SO proud of her for taking this step and publishing this book!

I loved this book so much that I woke up in the middle of the night (heh) because I NEEDED to have more of it in my brain.

I love James and Emma and their push and pull dynamic. Idiots in love, who doesn’t love them for that? I think their high-stakes relationship was SO real. I also loved all the background characters, Kendrick, Douglas, Marie, they all helped make the world feel alive and connected. There’s so much action that it never felt slow, and I loved that every little thing that happened tied into the major conflict of the book, making for a very satisfying ending and that love confession fueled by anger was CHEFS KISS!

And the little references to Under Your Scars…James Kane x Christian Reeves book WHEN???!?!?

I also wanted to say I’ve read this book about a zillion times before it was published and it STILL hits, I still found myself not wanting to put it down, and still got emotional at the heavy scenes.

Shelby, I LOVE YOU GIRL AND IM SO PROUD OF YOU!!! I can’t wait to see what comes next!
86 reviews
September 29, 2025
This book follows Emma and James aka "Phantom". While this book definitely gave me Batman vibes it was still very well written. I really loved the she falls in love, he falls in love, but neither can admit it to the other.
In a city full of corruption, a new drug has hit the street and women are disappearing and some come up unalive. Emma works at a shady night club where the women are disappearing from. She decides to help the Phantom with investigating these girls gone missing at the same time she starts working as James Kanes assistant.
Emma and Phantom both have horrible experiences with this drug that takes away a person's free will. This drug makes people trapped in their own bodies. They are aware of everything around they yet they are controlled by anyone that has the anti-agent in their system.
In the end James and Emma find love in each other and help each other heal from their past traumas. Happy Reading!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Cecilia.
67 reviews
November 7, 2025
Arc Review✨📚

4.75⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
1🌶️
Release: 11/6

This action packed, Batman inspired romance had me intrigued from the first chapter🤌🏻the writing was so well done - I honestly can’t believe this is a debut! I loved the witty banter between our MC’s🤭and that drug plot twist?! Didn’t see that coming!

Emma’s a true badass in the sense that she doesn’t take crap from anyone, but don’t let that fool you - she has a heart of gold. Dealing with the aftermath of losing her mom to cancer she feels lonely in the big city.😭James is a stud muffin, billionaire who also happens to be a genius with morals. For the past 20 years his parent’s murders have remained unsolved and while trying to solve them he’s out in the streets kicking the bad guys’ ass.💪🏻

Overall it’s an amazing book - if you’re read Under Your Scars by Ariel Andersen and loved it then you’ll love this book as well! It’s on the lighter side of dark romance, no emotional damage was experienced during the reading of this masterpiece.✨
1 review
January 20, 2026
As someone who grew up reading and loving the vigilante stories in comic books, this book is a dream come true. From the villains and the heroes to the setting and the final set up, this book is a like a love letter to all the vigilante stories before it, with its own unique twists. The vibes of this book are perfect: down-on-her-luck but tough girl has a life-changing encounter with someone who is just as angry with the injustices in her town as she is…who empowers her to take that anger and make a difference.

If you have ever consumed any kind of vigilante media in your life, this book is a must-read.
88 reviews3 followers
November 6, 2025
I did not realise before starting with this novel that there was a fairly modern day setting, which is something I usually am not a big fan of.

Luckily, I got reading since I had already started on it, and liked what I had read so far. I am very happy I did!

Highly recommended as something new and fun in this genre.

Thank you to the author for the opportunity to read this masterpiece as an ARC.
Profile Image for urarchive.
87 reviews2 followers
November 8, 2025
⭐️ 5 stars for me!

Yes, I read it during work (again lol) because I couldn’t stop reading it!! And yes, I cried (again, on the bus).

My first impression was, “Oh, this guy is like 🦇man,” hahahaha. I love it when Emma calls him Jamie, it feels so intimate to me. The pacing was a bit slow for my liking, but that’s okay as long as I get more James and Emma hahahahahahahh.

It was such a great read, and I really enjoyed it! AND I’m really satisfied with how it ends.

I can’t get enough! I need more of them. Please make an extra story or character arts or anythingggg!!!!
Profile Image for Rukayya.
148 reviews2 followers
November 11, 2025
I was selected as an arc reader for this book and I rated it 3.5 stars I enjoyed the mystery part off the book and the hidden identity as well, it was so good ugh and the way the main characters loved each other was worth everything.
Profile Image for Elizabeth Appolloni.
95 reviews6 followers
October 7, 2025
What a ride! The characters bring you real, human emotions and the story keeps you hanging on to find out what’s coming!!
Author 2 books5 followers
January 28, 2026
Enjoyed this book, despite of some annoying misunderstandings between the main couple. Strong female lead. It jumped straight into action which was nice, no slow beginning here.
Profile Image for Louise.
389 reviews22 followers
October 19, 2025
A great action packed, fast paced, vigilante action romance.

Profile Image for Shelby Lewis.
Author 1 book6 followers
Read
October 12, 2025
Hi, author here! This book is 5 stars to me because, for one thing, it took me three years and change to get here and a LOT of work. For another thing, I actually really do love this book. And that's the most important thing, biased review or no: I love this book! I think it's come out pretty well. I'm excited about it and excited for people to experience it.

Read it if you like: slow burn, idiots in love, found family, lots of action, vigilantes, billionaires, cool outfits and gadgets, a slightly unhinged FMC (in the best way), a protective MMC, and the occasional bout of female rage.

This can also be describe as a "lite dark romance" to be honest. There are some heavier themes, but it is still a romance at its core, which is why I've been leaning more towards "action romance" or "vigilante romance." Read and decide for yourself! I don't know, genres can be hard sometimes!
Profile Image for Hannah Seid.
407 reviews1 follower
December 27, 2025
Feminine rage. Vigilante justice. Yearning. Secret identities. Mafia vibes. Batman energy. Revenge.
Add a touch of romance, and you’ve got a story that’s equal parts raw and gripping.

It starts one way and ends completely different—so hold on tight. This book has soul: hurt, rage, healing, and that heavy guilt we’ve all felt at some point, even when things were out of our control. Both the FMC and MMC are flawed, real, and unforgettable.

A dark, powerful read that’s absolutely worth it.

Tropes:
• Vigilante justice
• Secret identity
• Mafia/revenge
• Feminine rage
• Yearning romance
• Morally gray characters
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews

Can't find what you're looking for?

Get help and learn more about the design.