Claim Me at Nightfall

Doomsday Brethren #5

by Shayla Black

I’ll protect her with my last breath…even if it means breaking my own heart.

Raiden
My family is cursed, so I swore I’d never take a mate…
Especially while the war decimating magickind grows bloodier every day.
But my heart refuses to let go of Tabitha Lowery—soft, stubborn, brave…
And carrying my youngling.
I have a target on my back. I should keep my distance.
But when the unthinkable happens, I’ll burn the world down to protect her—
And the secret her father died to keep.
Even if it means handing her over to the man her parents chose to keep her safe.

Tabitha
Raiden’s abandonment was the worst pain in my life—
Until my family was murdered before my eyes.
Then the wizard who broke my heart comes roaring back.
Ready to sacrifice everything to save my life…even at the cost of his own.
I should walk away.
I should honor the safe mate waiting for me.
But when Raiden risks everything to protect our unborn child and claim what’s his…
There’s one truth left: love like ours isn’t chosen.
It’s fate.

Unknown Binding

Published December 19, 2025

About the author

Shayla Black is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of more than 100 contemporary, erotic, paranormal, and historical romances. Her books have sold millions of copies and been published in a dozen languages.

As an only child, Shayla occupied herself by daydreaming, much to the chagrin of her teachers. In college, she found her love for reading and started pursuing a publishing career. Though she graduated with a degree in Marketing/Advertising and embarked on a stint in corporate America, her heart was with her stories and characters, so she left her pantyhose and power suits behind.

Shayla currently lives in North Texas with her wonderfully supportive husband, her daughter, and two spoiled tabbies. In her “free” time, she enjoys reality TV, gaming, and listening to an eclectic blend of music.

Follow me on Facebook: http://shayla.link/FBPage

Join me in my Book Beauties group for weekly LIVE chats: http://shayla.link/FBChat

Reviews

[Nadine Bookaholic · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great adventure with the Doomsday Brethren.

[Lisa Spofford · Rating 4 out of 5]

CLAIM ME AT NIGHTFALL is Book 5 in the DOOMSDAY BRETHREN series by Shayla Black. In this spicy paranormal/fantasy romance, Raiden, a wizard from a cursed family, must protect Tabitha, the witch who is pregnant with his youngling, when Mathias attacks her family and she is the only one to escape. Meanwhile, he is confronting his own destiny, even if it means sacrificing himself. He fights his love for her in order to keep her safe. This is an open door, first person, dual POV, contemporary paranormal/fantasy romantic suspense novella with tropes such as dark romance, witches and wizards, magical realism, accidental pregnancy, heroine in danger, fight against evil, cursed hero, letting her go for her own safety, and possessive hero. I have been really enjoying rereading this series and getting to read parts that I couldn’t find in print in the past. I love the humor and creativity of the world of magickind that the author has created and am looking forward to being able to read the entire series this time around. The chemistry is hot, the action and overarching story is interesting and the author’s writing continues to be excellent, if a little rushed at the end. I recommend this book for readers who enjoy a paranormal/fantasy good vs evil romance and enjoy J Kenner, Nalini Singh, or Donna Grant for similar paranormal settings and Penelope Douglas or Rina Kent for dark, intense romance with possessive heroes.

I am voluntarily writing this honest review after reading a gifted copy of this ARC via Booksprout. All opinions expressed are my own.

[Claudia |✨Cushin Violeta's Bookish Realm✨ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Everytime Ms. Black releases a new book in this series, I'm over the top excited to get my hands on it and this was no different.
This one was a novella and a quick read yet packed a punch full of magical adventure and action.

This one follows Raiden and Tabitha and their can't be together even when they are having a kid together stormy ride.
But there's also this whole new twist about the secret that Tabitha's father wanted her to protect no matter what but all she has is a clue and both Raiden and tabby are confused as to what does it mean.

I have to say majority of the time Raiden annoyed me because of his stubbornness. Yes, he has his concerns which are valid but I was like why can't you see what's the better option for everyone and the way tabitha was dedicated to him, made me feel for her so much.
But later in the book, something happens and Raiden reluctantly but definitely won me over.

Ofcourse we have the supervillain aka the evil witch, Matthias destroying everything and wreaking havoc on everyone's life.
Matthias is beyond evil and I can't wait to see him find his end in the most heinous ways for the way he's tortured so many after his rising again.

I'm in awe, the way we are switched from a highly emotional scene to an intense mini battle going on and me as reader being absolutely nervous and freaked out about how will they get out of danger this time.

I loved meeting the whole gang who I've fallen for right from the first book and I'm always eager to meet them again.
And a new reveal in this one indicates that the next one will be about duke and his special one, who is already on Matthias' radar... Ooohhh... Can't wait for the next one. Loved this one.

💕🅵🅰🆅🅾🆄🆁🅸🆃🅴 🆀🆄🅾🆃🅴💕

𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆’𝒔 𝒂 𝒑𝒂𝒓𝒕 𝒐𝒇 𝒎𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒉𝒐𝒑𝒆𝒔 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒏𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓 𝒇𝒐𝒓𝒈𝒆𝒕 𝒎𝒆.” “𝑵𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓,” 𝑰 𝒗𝒐𝒘. “𝑰’𝒎 𝒑𝒓𝒂𝒚𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒏𝒈𝒍𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒉𝒂𝒔 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒆𝒚𝒆𝒔 𝒔𝒐 𝑰 𝒄𝒂𝒏 𝒍𝒐𝒐𝒌 𝒂𝒕 𝒉𝒊𝒎 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒓𝒆𝒎𝒆𝒎𝒃𝒆𝒓 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒆𝒂𝒄𝒉 𝒅𝒂𝒚.”

𝐁𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐃𝐞𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐥𝐬:
📖 Interconnected series, Book 5
☑️ He's a stubborn idiot who doesn't want to accept what he feels
☑️ She's crazy about him
☑️ Magical action packed ride.

[Maria L · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars! Shayla Black is one of my favorite authors and in this Book 5 of the Doomsday Brethren series, she did not disappoint me. Raiden is a man who’s already heartbroken about the woman carrying his child. She’s promised to another because her family deems him unsuitable. Shortly after he found her entire family has been murdered by the evil Mathias, he discovers that Tabitha is still alive. Their reunion is electric and spicy. But he has to make the gut-wrenching decision to hand her over to her betrothed, Sean, despite his every instinct to keep her hidden to keep her safe.

What happens next is an incredible test of the Doomsday Brethren’s ability to fight Mathias and his growing army. Will they successfully fight off the threat or will he lose the only woman he’s ever loved along with his child?

I was disappointed to see that this was only 113 pages, making this the shortest book in the series so far. I would have loved to see the fight scene dragged out a little bit. Despite its shortness, I still loved this book!

This story picks up right where Possess Me At Midnight left off. This series must be read from the beginning in order to be understood. Start with Book 1, Tempt Me With Darkness.

Thank you Shayla Black and Booksprout for this ARC. I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Rhonda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh Raiden!!!!! I wanted to kick his butt several times while reading this. Talk about a stubborn guy but I could also tell that he really, really loved Tabitha. He just didn't think he was worthy to be her mate, even though she is carrying his youngling! This story kept me turning pages and while it's on the shorter end than some of the other books in this series, you definitely get a story packed with danger, heat, and magic. A word of advice, you NEED to read this series in order or otherwise you will be totally lost! Out of the books so far, this is my favorite!! I adored Raiden even though he was a jerk at times!!! And the ending..........................I need the next book!! LOL

[ltfrom bc · Rating 4 out of 5]

Raiden just made me want to smack him upside the head. His belief in his future and his misguided sense of doing what was right was so frustrating. He was doing nothing but hurting himself but also Tabitha. The question becomes how long does he want to hurt both himself and Tabitha? He does not have long because Mathias is not going to stop his destruction.
This was such a gut-wrenching story to read. It is clear they both love each other deeply, but it is also clear the threat and battle with with Mathias is growing. My only complain with this book is that it was much to short. First world problems. LOL.

[Linda Dunn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Letting go of someone you love is one of the hardest things you wlll ever do...

Who knew a fierce ruthless warrior in battle could also hold a torch for the woman he loves. Raiden is exasperating and irritating and drove me crazy many times in this story. He feels he is not worthy to be with Tabitha and his youngling.  It's obvious they both love each other, and he needs to take his feet off the brakes. 

Mathias is relentless in his bloodshed and it's Raiden's mission to protect the ones he loves. He knows he has to give them up to another so they can remain safe, but will he be able to survive the loss?

[Leanne Bryson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Raiden's stubbornness had me wanting to throttle him more than once—he's such a frustrating jerk! Yet underneath it all, his love for Tabitha shines through, even as he convinces himself he's not worthy of her... especially now that she's carrying his youngling.
This one's on the shorter side, but it's bursting with danger, steamy heat, and magic that kept me flipping pages nonstop. Pro tip: read the series in order, or you'll be completely lost!
Hands down my favorite so far—I adored Raiden despite (or maybe because of) his rough edges. And that ending? Next book please!!!!! 4.5 stars from me.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Jo-Ann Forrest · Rating 4 out of 5]

Raiden and Tabitha's story will keep you on the edge with the intensity of their story and the fight they have to have to claim their HEA. Raiden is heartbroken over the fact the Tabitha is promised to somebody else but also carrying his child. As he fights the evil Mathias who has killed all of Tabitha's family, can he and the Doomsday Brethren fight such an army? This is not a stand alone story but the continuation of the ongoing story. This is the best story so far and I can't wait for what's next in this world of magic.

[Carissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Raiden needs to protect his mate Tabitha and the future mother of his unborn child. Mathias has just gotten rid of Tabitha's entire family. In order to keep her safe, she's sent to her original match Sean of whom her family wanted her to be with. Being this is a much shorter story in the series it does have an HEA and is a good addition to the series.

Note: this series must be read in order.

I received this book at my request and have voluntarily left this unbiased review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

[Dawn]

Fighting evil makes a man question himself like Raiden did. He's not sure he can protect the mother of his unborn child, his mate.
Tabitha knows he can protect them and show his love, if she could get through to him.It takes an attack at Tabitha's new home to make him realize how stubborn he has been by denying them both.
Love wins again!.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Christine Jalili · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book and couldn’t put it down. Raiden won’t make Tabitha (Tabby) his mate because he fears she won’t ever be safe from Mathias if he finds out what she means to him. Had some tears when he says he loves her, but will he still give her to Sean? He’s the safer route. Can he keep her and his unborn youngling safe? Thankfully there’s a happy ever after. I voluntarily read an advanced readers copy and I recommend this book.

[Angela · Rating 4 out of 5]

Raiden's stubbornness to accept that his family curse is nonsense almost cost him the life of his encinte and his unborn child. His refusal to see that Tabitha is exactly the right woman for him, and his self-defeating belief that she was so far out of his league almost caused him to lose the one woman who could provide stability and love in his future. My only complaint about this story was that it was too short. Book 5 in the series and definitely recommend reading in order.

[Shirley · Rating 4 out of 5]

The next in the series is a quick read but filled with a lot of must have information. From page one, I tumbled happily right back into this world. All the players, some unexpected twists and turns, a shocking tidbit that leaves more questions than answers and a Call for the finale, the only question is who will be doing the calling. Can’t wait for more!

[Nicki - The Overflowing Bookcase · Rating 5 out of 5]

Shayla Black has done it again!! Raiden and Tabitha's story will not only keep you on the edge of your seat but it checks all of the boxes any reader has come to expect from Ms. Black: beautifully written characters, an intense storyline and just the right amount of angst, mayhem and danger wrapped up with sizzle and steam. Perfection!! Cannot wait for more!!

[NanaX8 · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Doomsday Brethren continues in the war with Mathias and his evil minions as Raiden prepares to let Tabitha go to keep her safe. Grab this heart wrenching and edge of your seat race against evil and see if Raiden can save the only woman he’s every loved or does he lose it all?.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Biggs_bookshelf · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nothing like a stubborn man trying to “do the right thing” and screwing it uo royally all in the name of love. Shayla never disappoints with her stories. This book has to be read in order to understand the story line. It’s a multi layered story line with several people. Raiden is the leading role for this story and his love interest is Tabby. A quick spicy read with heart!

[Silke · Rating 4 out of 5]

Claim Me at Nightfall is the 5th installment in the Doomsday Brethren series and has to be read in order. It's a ahort, second-chance-at-love romance amidst death and destruction. There's a happy ending of sorts for the couple as the fight of good against evil continues. I received an early copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Lynn Thinking out loud · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finally Raiden gets his HEA. Tabitha and Raiden have a rocky start because of a curse and he isn't able to recognize his mate when he sees her and he thinks he's protecting her. I love this series however I wish the books were a little longer. I highly recommend this series.

[Teresa R · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finally
Tabitha carries Raiden’s youngling and his heart if he would just admit it. When Mathias wipes out her family to destroy a secret will he finally admit how he feels and Call to her? Or will they suffer apart?!

[Plainfilm · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love the protective nature of the MMC and how strong the FMC was. No huge steps forward or major battles within the major plot but possibly the sweetest HEA of this series by far.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Marjan Pourdavood · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome continuation of the doomsday brethren and their commitment to destroy the threat to humanity. Loved the emotional connection and slow building love acceptance.

[Tanya Rae ~ TaSTy WordGasms · Rating 5 out of 5]

Claim Me at Nightfall is the fifth book in the Doomsday Brethren series. This is Raiden and Tabitha’s story.

This book was emotional at times. Especially with Raiden distancing himself. Raiden being Raiden he is trying to keep Tabitha safe. But in a bullheaded way. But did it, keep her safe? You will have to read this book if you want to know.

Another good addition to this series! I loved it!