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Expected 28 Jul 26
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Alex’s Corbeau-Green’s world is burning down around him, and Ophelia Winters is desperate to prove she didn’t light the fire.

When Ophelia first accepted a scholarship from Sorrowsong, an elite university in the Scottish Highlands, she wanted nothing more than to destroy Alex and his family at any cost. But that was before she knew him, before they became each other’s everything. Now, after an unthinkable betrayal and the disappearance of his father, Alex is forced to return to New York, desperate to forget what they had, and salvage the damage done to his family. In Scotland, Ophelia is left reeling, alone . . . and watched.

With a new anonymous tormentor threatening to release evidence that Ophelia and Alex committed a murder on campus, it’s clear that they’re going to need each other once again. But can they find a way to trust each other, and repair the love that they had? And even if they can—will it be enough this time to keep them alive?

416 pages, Paperback

Expected publication July 28, 2026

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About the author

Autumn Woods

3 books2,978 followers
Autumn Woods is the Sunday Times and USA Today bestselling author of the Sorrowsong University series. She writes gothic and gloomy settings with love stories that’ll tear you apart just to put you back together again. Her books have been translated into twenty languages.

Outside of writing, she is a book illustrator and an aerospace engineer, and you’ll often find her climbing, painting, baking, or walking the British countryside with Mr Woods and their dog.

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5 stars
236 (60%)
4 stars
118 (30%)
3 stars
29 (7%)
2 stars
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6 (1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 317 reviews
Profile Image for ahmeeka.
196 reviews
April 26, 2026
[arc review] daybreak is the perfect conclusion to the duet and I’m sad I can’t read the series again for the first time.

you know when you read on a kindle, and it shows excerpts that other people have highlighted? there is SO many that I highlighted and want to talk about. however, you’ll have to wait—but trust me, they’re worth it.

daybreak continues immediately after the end of the first instalment, nightshade. if you haven’t read the first book, you can’t read this as it won’t make sense given the events that occurred in the previous book.

while the first book was definitely darker, this one has that tiny bit of hope. there’s hope, more romance, and the character development is perfect.

the points of view between both ophelia and alex are evenly split in daybreak—compared to nightshade where we only got approximately 2-3 chapters of alex. I really liked this because it meant the reader could see what he was feeling firsthand.

the mental health representation was done so beautifully. you can tell autumn woods really took her time to make sure it was represented so authentically, and it was one of my favourite aspects of the book.

another part that I really enjoyed—it’s one of my favourite parts—was ophelia finally finding her place. after what happened to her parents in the first book, it became her mission to keep everyone at arm’s length. the reader gets to see ophelia pull back some of the walls she’s built, let people in, and find home in her female friendships.

I liked that we got to see more of alex, his work life, and home life. it added so much more depth to his character, and for us to understand the struggles he’s facing trying to keep his head above water.

overall the book is fantastic, and autumn woods couldn’t have done a better job. daybreak ties everything together so well and I didn’t finish it asking any questions, or worried a plot point was left unanswered.

if you haven’t read nightshade, you have until july to do so!

daybreak is going to be one of the most talked about and read books of 2026, and you’re not going to want to miss out.

thank you pan macmillan for the advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review!
Profile Image for Iqra.
723 reviews6,588 followers
Want to Read
April 2, 2026
Ur girl just secured an arc of this book I’m literally shaking???? Like daybreak is actually in MY hands rn?? 🥹🥹🥹 Best believe imma be ditching everything to start this 🙏🙏🙏
Profile Image for ❀ Tia ❀.
141 reviews203 followers
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
April 21, 2026
ARC REVIEW 🌹

1 across: Eight letters, first letter D.
Clue: My most recent five star read.
Answer: 🄳🄰🅈🄱🅁🄴🄰🄺


‼️ Disclaimer ‼️
This book makes up the second part of the Sorrowsong University Duet. Reading the first book, Nightshade, is essential in order to fully understand the events in this book.

⚠️ Trigger Warnings ⚠️
• Stalker • Mental health struggles (inc. suicidal thoughts) • Bereavement • Declining health of a parent • Murder • Drowning • Violence and physical injury • Explicit sexual content •

🖤 My Thoughts 🖤
I stayed up until ungodly hours of the night to read this. I kid you not, I was staring at my kindle, wide eyed, forgetting to blink, shovelling maltesers into my face much akin to a human-sized version of the board game Hungry Hungry Hippos, while hunched over like some feral goblin desperate for juuust one more chapter before bed. I'M OBSESSED, I TELL YOU!

I really enjoyed Nightshade, but I really REALLY enjoyed Daybreak. Very much like with the first book, I was totally hooked by not only the romance, but also the mystery and suspense which quite literally had me white-knuckling my kindle at several points.

Sorrowsong University had the perfect atmosphere: Gothic and gloomy, yet also surprisingly cosy (despite the, y'know, stalking and whatnot). The environment and overall vibe of the setting was so perfectly written, allowing me to easily immerse myself in the characters' world.

The character development throughout this book was so damn satisfying. I loved that we got more chapters written from Alex's point of view compared to the first book, and I adored how much he was dedicated to providing the best possible life for the women in his life. He was such a sweetheart! And the yearning, Oh Lord, the YEARNINGGG — I fear no future book boyfriend will ever compare.

I also found the way Alex's depression was written to be incredibly realistic and well incorporated. It was handled in a manner that perfectly balanced sensitivity and the bone-crushing realities of depression.

And Ophelia! Oh Ophelia, I'm so proud of you! I was begging for her to let her guard down and accept the love and support from those around her, and I am SO glad she finally learned to trust people. My gal just needed a support network and some peace; I'm so happy for her I could cry!

Also, a moment of appreciation for that epilogue! It was so so sweet, and such a wholesome addition to the story. I think it was the perfect way to end this duet!

I am devastated that my time in Sorrowsong has come to an end but I'm so grateful that I was able to be reunited with Alex and Ophelia three months early! And yes, I'm lucky enough to have received this arc copy, but I've still pre-ordered my own physical copy because it was just THAT good! I'm not a very big re-reader of books, but this duet is one I will absolutely be reading again!

Thank you to NetGalley, Autumn Woods, and Pan MacMillan for gifting this eBook in exchange for an honest and unbiased review. All opinions are my own.
Profile Image for Saranya [perhaps, back?].
1,086 reviews559 followers
Want to Read
February 8, 2026
꧁𓊈𒆜Pre-Read𒆜𓊉꧂

To the man who ruined me for all others,

Alex, you are a cathedral of contradictions—obsidian and ivory, cruelty and care, silence and symphony. From the moment you stepped into my (Ophelia's🙂‍↕️) life, cloaked in mystery and moonlight, I knew I was doomed. You weren’t written to be loved easily. You were written to be devoured.

I have memorized your wounds like scripture. I have traced your silences like constellations. You are the kind of man who makes pain feel like poetry, who turns longing into a ritual. And I—foolish, devoted, dramatic—have built an altar in your name.

You are my top 1 book husband.
Not because you are perfect. But because you are true. You carry your darkness like a crown, and your love like a curse. You make me ache in ways I didn’t know I could. And I would choose you, again and again, even if it breaks me.

As Daybreak approaches, I am terrified. I am trembling. I am begging Autumn Woods not to destroy you. Not to unravel the fragile threads of hope you’ve given me. But if you must fall, let it be beautiful. Let it be unforgettable.

Alex, if you break my heart, I will write sonnets in your name.

I will scream into the void. I will tattoo your final words onto my soul. I will mourn you like a widow and love you like a storm.

You are not just a fictional man. You are a fever. And I am burning.

Forever yours in fiction and fury,
Saranya

💌💋💋💋
Profile Image for enola (semi-hiatus).
114 reviews104 followers
Want to Read
January 6, 2026
WAR IS OVER I can finally buy and read the first book THANK GOD it's a duet and OMFG the cover??? hellooo???
Profile Image for ♡✿Mania⁠✿♡ ꒰Slowly returning꒱.
109 reviews143 followers
anticipated-new-releases
November 19, 2025
♡⁠˖⁠꒰⁠ 💌 ꒱ Pre release
OMGGG SCREAMING CRYING THROWING UP — life is worth living again autumn finally gave us the release date, you guys are not ready for the person I'll become when this releases litr one of my most anticipated releases ever!!!
I NEEEED THE ARC PLSSSSSS !!!
Profile Image for Erin (erinsreadingroom).
203 reviews197 followers
April 27, 2026
I finished Daybreak just as much as it finished me. 6 stars. Infinity stars. There is no rating scale in existence that will do this book, and the duology in its entirety, justice.

My emotions and my brain are a scattered, illegible mess that that no words will ever truly do justice to encapsulate everything that I am experiencing right now. The way that this duology has captured my heart and consumed my every waking thought needs to be studied because I didn't think it was possible to get any better than Nightshade... until I read its sequel and was immediately proven wrong.

Daybreak is such a beautifully raw and vulnerable exploration of young love, selt-exploration, trauma recovery and mental illness that reduced me to tears on multiple occasions. I devoured this book within the same day (with a few breaks where I just disassociated to stare at my ceiling and process my emotions) and I cannot express just how perfect the entire experience was. The discussions surrounding mental illness and the way that Woods refuses to diminish and understate the devastating impact this can have on not only the individual fighting within themselves, but also on their circle of loved ones, reduced me to tears on more than one occasion. This is a heavy and emotionally draining journey in the best possible way. The found family elements were perfect as always and I loved every moment that we get to share with Vincenzo, Belladonna, Collette, and all of the other incredible side characters. I feel like this wasn’t just a book that I read but a journey that I have had the privilege to share alongside our two main characters, and I would gladly return to this universe time and again throughout the narrative of our wonderful side characters should the opportunity arise.

Alex and Ophelia are everything to me and I couldn't be happier in the way that their story evolves throughout the entire duology. This is as much their story as two young individuals battling through their struggles and fears as it is their journey as a couple.

Alex, as always, broke my heart on multiple occasions and I desperately wished that I could reach through the pages to give this beautiful and selfless man a hug. His love and devotion for his family is such a beautiful attribute to his character which borders on self-sacrifice on several instances. His experience with depression felt all-consuming and exhausting in the most realistic way, especially in the emphasis that this isn’t something that can just be ‘fixed’ and is often a life-long battle. I was so happy to see Alex slowly learn how to communicate better his needs better when his struggles become too great and to allow the people that he trusts to shoulder some of that emotional weight. Seeing him willing to fight against his foes for the happier life that realises can be attainable was everything that I had been hoping so see, and I couldn’t with the way that Alex’s journey concludes in a way that is as much a beginning as it is an ending. His story is far from over… it’s just the end for us readers and what we get to see.

It might sound silly to say that you’re proud of a fictional character but I truly couldn’t feel anything but for our darling, grumpy Ophelia throughout this book. She truly progresses in leaps and bounds throughout her journey as she finally begins to recognise that she has a place and community within Sorrowsong University. That she has a family of people that are willing to choose her day after day despite sharing no biological relation which is what makes those connections all the more powerful. Ophelia has a lot of love to give to the right people and I felt nothing but sheer joy in getting to witness her find a permanent home with those who genuinely care for her. I adore that she’s stayed true to herself from beginning to end and hasn’t tried to change in order to better fit in amongst her wealthier peers. Ophelia really steps up in support of Alex throughout this book and I couldn’t be more proud in the growth that her character undertakes in tackling her fears as a result. She truly deserves the happy ending that we leave her upon and I couldn’t feel any more settled in knowing the bright future that Ophelia has waiting for her.

The chemistry and banter between Alex and Ophelia during Nightshade was easily one of the highlights of the entire book so I’m thrilled to see that dynamic continue into Daybreak. The witty remarks and dry flirtations work so well for two characters that desperately attempt to fight against a deeper emotional connection that will leave them feeling vulnerable and exposed. The yearning was written to absolute perfection (obviously) and I just loved getting to explore the story about two young, broken people who desperately want to be together and yet cannot presently do so. The time, patience and understanding that Alex and Ophelia regard each another with is so vital to the success of their relationship which shows so much growth and maturity. Their love is so gentle and filled with tenderness which is such a breath of fresh air to experience. They continue to show up for one another no matter what and I loved getting to see both characters continue to lean on one another without second thought. I adore Alex and Ophelia’s love story with everything that I have and I’m equally devastated and relieved that it’s over. Devastated because I will never tire of them and always wish for more… and yet relieved in knowing that their suffering if finally over.

This is such a beautiful conclusion for a beautiful couple who deserve nothing but the world. It feels bittersweet to be saying goodbye to the world of Sorrowsong University... unless our man Vincenzo decides to step forward and demand a love story of his own? I'd run to read that should it ever exist. Just saying.

All I have to left to say is preorder this book. Right now. You haven’t gotten around to reading Nightshade yet? That’s okay. Order your copy and preorder Daybreak at the same time because now is the perfect time to do so. You won’t regret it.

Alex and Ophelia how I love you so. What an utterly perfect duet for all Romance lovers to devour and obsess over just as much as I have.

𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐤 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐀𝐑𝐂 𝐭𝐨 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰 𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐨 𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞.
Profile Image for ✨Julie✨.
844 reviews1,864 followers
Want to Read
January 3, 2026
My most anticipated read of 2026! 🙌🏻

Best believe I will drop everything to read this one the instant I have it in my possession! July, please come quickly!
Profile Image for clicktojointhemafia.
508 reviews51 followers
November 25, 2025
12 letters, 2 words; what will happen to me if i don't get this book in my hands rn

[INSTANT DEATH]
Profile Image for anne ⭑.ᐟ.
96 reviews214 followers
Want to Read
April 2, 2026
SHUT THE FUCK UP. THE COVER??? OH MY GOD???

I APOLOGIZE IN ADVANCE FOR THE PERSON I WILL BECOME WHEN THIS DROPS BECAUSE MY BOYFRIEND ALEX CORBEAU GREEN WILL BE BACK HOME TO ME.
Profile Image for Texa.
117 reviews
dnr
November 15, 2025
“desperate to forget what they had” 🧐
Note: if he’s not celibate DNR
Profile Image for Sara ➽ Ink Is My Sword.
646 reviews496 followers
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
March 27, 2026
4.25

This was sooo good!! I love these characters so much. I don't wanna let go :c<3

how lucky am i? AHHHHHHHHHHH starting this immediately.

Thank you NetGalley and the Publisher for an ARC copy of this book.
Profile Image for Vanessa.
137 reviews2 followers
March 28, 2026
Rating: 5⭐️
Spice: fade to black 🫑

Tropes:
-completed duology
-dark academia
-romantic suspense
-so much yearning
-found family
-mental health rep
-healing

OMG! I love Alex and Ophelia even more than book 1! Alex is down bad for Ophelia. They are both yearning for each other and I ate it up!

We start off from the ending of book 1. We get to see more of Alex’s mom and sisters. That family dynamic was exactly what I pictured!

The mental health rep was done beautifully and handled with so much care. Alex carries the weight of the world. He’s so overwhelmed which doesn’t help his depression. But he sticks with his therapist and has so much love from his mother, sisters, and Ophelia.

It’s a duology I will reread time and time again. I love this story and the characters!

Thank you to NetGalley for the eARC! All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Profile Image for Natalia.
712 reviews39 followers
March 5, 2026
This is without exaggeration, one of the most perfect endings to a duology I have ever read. I closed this book with tear streaked cheeks, and that rare, beautiful feeling that comes from finishing a story that gave absolutely everything it had to give.
Watching Alex and Ophelia story continue after everything that happened in Nightfall felt like returning to friends you’ve been worried about for far too long. By the time I finished this, they didn’t feel like characters anymore, they genuinely felt like people I knew.

I also have to talk about the mental health representation, because the portrayal of depression in this duology is some of the most realistic and compassionate I’ve ever read in a romance. It felt raw, honest, and so relatable. At times it was amazing to see that level of emotional depth on the page, and at others it was genuinely heartbreaking because of how real it felt.

And then there’s that scene.

The life drawing scene.

I actually lost my mind. I’m being so serious when I say i was screaming into my pillow feral. It’s one of my all-time favourite setups in a romance book, and the way it was written here was absolute perfection, t’s the kind of scene that will live rent-free in my head forever.

Everything about Daybreak just worked for me: the angst, the healing, the romance, the suspense, the emotional payoff. For me it’s rare for a sequel to land the ending so perfectly, but this one truly did.

In short THIS WAS SOMEHOW EVER BETTER THAN NIGHSHADE AND YOU NEED TO PICK IT UP AS SOON AS ITS OUT AND RE READING NIGHTSHADE RIGHT BEFORE READING THIS WAS SO PERFECT I WOILD RECOMMEND!!

Also thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC in exchange for my honest review. I will be forever grateful I got to read one of my top books of the year on a sunny day off from work in March
Profile Image for Lucía.
188 reviews7 followers
Want to Read
November 18, 2025
ᡣ𐭩 grumpy x grumpier - he falls first - mystery - grovelling - ceo x student - yearning ᡣ𐭩 I'm so ready!!!!
Profile Image for Adri.
121 reviews10 followers
May 2, 2026
There are books you read, and then there are books that rearrange your insides and this is one of them. But what truly elevates Daybreak outside of Ophelia and Alex (obviously) are the relationships and support. The found family element is beautifully done and present for them. The aeroplane moment? If you know, you know, and if you don’t—well, prepare yourself. Alex’s relationships with his sisters and mother is wonderfully written as a group but also as individuals, each with their own personality.

I’m not sure how long Daybreak will stay rent free in my brain for, but I read Nightshade in November 2025 and it’s still there. If that’s anything to go by, I’m in for the long haul.

Tropes:
Obsessed MMC, dark academia, found family, mystery romance, mental health representation.

What I loved:
The references - like ratatouille, Alex and his yearning, Ophelia and her yearning, the support around them, the aeroplane - IYKYK, Alex’s girls. The ending 🥺 - these are happy tears.

What wasn’t for me:
haha, funny, everything was for me.

Accessible reading: No issues with font or VoiceView. Worked like a charm. No words tripped it up, even when the odd French word was thrown in.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 317 reviews