Princess Evelina Evernight was expected to obey—to smile, to submit, and to marry for the good of her kingdom. When she was promised to the heir of a rival realm, she became a living treaty, her freedom exchanged for peace.
But Evelina was done being silent.
Brielle knew how to disappear. Moving through the castle as a servant, she listened where others spoke freely and survived by remaining unnoticed. Yet beneath her quiet presence lay a secret—one that could shatter the fragile balance between kingdoms.
As secrets festered and political tensions rose, two women from opposite worlds found themselves bound by circumstance, choice, and a future neither had intended to claim.
In a kingdom ruled by night, the most powerful forces are the ones that remain in the dark.
Nicole Yvette is a Kentucky-born author, small-town resident, and mom of two toddler girls. She writes whenever she can—early mornings, late nights, and any spare moment in between. When she’s not writing, she’s usually playing guitar or dreaming up her next story. After completing three novels, Nicole is preparing to release her debut (Beautiful and Deadly ~ Estella Croft) in 2026.
Hi! This gets 5 stars all the way! I can't wait for all of you to read it, so without further ado, here's the review!
About Evelina: Honestly, she wasn't what I expected at first. She had a complexity to her role and felt like a gritty character—not in a bad way, but there was a reality to her experiences and pains. She was brought up as someone who could be in danger but was never given the tools or the skills to survive it, having to depend on a male figure of authority. It was very frustrating, and I loved that she rebelled against it.
Also, it was very interesting that she considered someone else perfect for the princess role she was given, and that she didn't think herself feminine enough. However, the person she expected to be perfect because of her affinity for feminine things was the exact opposite of what Evelina thought. It really makes you think about how women are taught to be feminine but not always to be themselves, and how they compare themselves when they don't fit into the narrative others want.
By now, I know I'm a sucker for the female rage trope, so I loved that she didn't resent her role as a princess, but rather the imposition and coldness of her father. She wanted to be considered more than a bride and a trading object; she wanted the respect she earned by being the first daughter of a King. I liked her inner battle with her feelings and that, when the moment came, she acted according to what she needed and wished to accomplish, not what others expected of her.
About Brielle: It was intriguing that Brielle had a desire for truth, and yet her skillset was based on the opposite. I also liked how her abilities were based on her adapting to a role given to her as a responsibility. Honestly, I loved her character! Even though I didn't understand her importance at first, learning about her inner conflict between her actions and what she wanted to do was interesting because of her background and her relationship with Evelina.
About the world-building and plotline: I love how the world-building may seem at first like a classical fairytale style with a contrast between Night and Day, but I loved the poetical style of description given to each culture or kingdom written. I liked that the storyline felt very similar to Stephanie Garber.
It was a nice touch that we get a full sense of where we are when the characters travel, like when a new level or area opens up in a video game. Also, I'm all for the complexity of the political intrigue (I did and didn't expect what transpired in the last third of the book) and how it's intertwined with Evelina's development. We always get huge info-dumps in books and it gets tiring, so I like that we learn right alongside the main characters.
Fair warning! The plot-twists come without a sound and hit you like an unexpected punch. Be prepared to cry for characters you barely knew but loved anyway.
Dynamic between MCs: Dang! Their interactions are so well written. The male lead will get you grinning like you are stupidly in love because of his actions towards Evelina. I've got to say, I never expected how their relationship would turn out. Their love feels too good to be true!
I loved Evelina's brothers. I'm one of those girls who always wished she had brothers, so I loved their interactions and their desire to protect their sister, while trying to respect her through the whole situation during the first third of the book (not going to spoil anything, so I won't say what).
Now, after finishing the reading, I am going to say I love Atlas. He will remain my book crush! I loved his loyalty to Evelina and how he respected her from the very beginning.
Final Thoughts: Ma'am, you are officially one of my favorite authors. You tackle modern problems with so much grace and skill. It makes me think that you will be the next to write something as big as The Hunger Games was when it was released. Thanks for the opportunity to be a beta reader and for making it an amazing experience.
With this, I can say: think of Throne of Glass but with an actual plot, good character depth, and growth. Add a little bit of romance and drama like Stephanie Garber, while catching a glimpse of Victoria Aveyard's style of plot-twists and world-building. So, if any of the descriptions above sound like something you enjoy, then Evernight is the book for you!
Twice now, this author has gotten me out of my normal reading style with her books, and it's always worth it, and I'll always read whatever she writes. She has a truly fun and intriguing writing style. Her characters feel real, fleshed out, and interesting. She doesn't make her main female characters unrealistically perfect, and I like that. They can be funny, annoying, heroic, and BA, and I'm here for it. She knows how to write a truly awesome main female heroine.
Her men... don't get me started... swoon (collapses with hand to heart). I love her main men. They are just fabulous, and for the second book of hers, I just adore the way she writes them. They are strong, smart, attractive, and swoony without being ridiculous.
Now on to the story. This book introduces us to an intriguing world where there's a dark kingdom and another light kingdom. I love the imagery of this world. Evelina is the only daughter of the king, and she finds out early on that she's expected to marry the prince from another nation to bring peace between their countries. Though the story premise is one some may recognize, this particular version is SO well done, filled with layers of mystery and romance, and with a deeper story hidden just beneath the surface. She had me clutching my chest early on, nearly in tears, and also pulling out my hair at times (in the best way). I truly loved this story. I was an early reader, so the author shared chapters at a time, and when I say it was killing me waiting for more, that's an understatement. I would have read this in a day or two easily.
Fun, quick, thrilling, heartwrenching, and also heartwarming. If you enjoy strong, layered characters, fantasy, and romance, this is for you. It's perfect for teens and adults alike.
Nicole Yvette is undoubtedly a girls' girl author, and her writing reflects this in her latest release, Evernight. This young adult fantasy novel, told through two POV is set to release on August 1st. With its clean content, it's an excellent choice for young adult readers who enjoy stories featuring enemies-to-friends (lovers maybe) and female rage/power. The author's portrayal of characters teenaged to young adult was commendable, often prompting reflection on their actions and emotions. However, I felt the spy's narrative lacked depth, particularly when her mission details were revealed. It seemed plausible that honesty would have been a preferable approach in certain situations. The narrative's reliance on secrecy does make one wonder what would have happened if truth had prevailed.
In contrast, the princess's storyline was beautifully crafted, showcasing her intellect, humor, wittiness & bravery. The author's descriptive writing brought the settings, clothing, jewelry and little details were absolute perfection.
The ending was a complete surprise & I am both outraged and hurt for the princess. I’m curious to see who we hate in the next book and I’m hopeful that it’s not the Prince.
Side note- One thing I love is a theme. In Evernight, the princess says things like: ⭐️thank the stars ⭐️ stars I was in trouble ⭐️oh, stars, save me.
The author used a theme of words in her Novel Beautiful & Deadly (pirate YA) also.
This story exceeded my expectations! When it comes to fantasy my brain cannot keep up and it can be overwhelming how much detail is put into place but Nicole hits the nail on the head every time! The way she builds the world and the characters makes it so easy to become absorbed into the story.
I love the way she writes her characters, you become truly invested in their stories. I will say sure the prince sounded nice at first but I definitely became more intrigued once Caspian came into the picture. It’s made me all about the enemies to lovers trope that sometimes I’m not the biggest fan of, but with this story I’m all about it.
I became attached to Evelina’s character and was rooting for her the whole time. She was fiery and determined despite being put down by her god awful father. I do wish I got to know more about Brielle’s personality but I can definitely see how we will hear more about her story in the books to come!
Overall this book was great! I love how Nicole tells stories and will read whatever she comes out with. P.s. also loved the acknowledgements at the end it sounds like your dad is really obsessed with his hair or something. lol
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
*THERE ARE SOME SLIGHT SPOILERS IN HERE BUT NOTHING DRASTIC*
Evernight by Nicole Yvette
"You would make her marry a man she's never met for your benefit?" "Yet his words echoed in my mind, the full weight taking effect."
This Young Adult romantasy novel follows princess Evelina Evernight. Evelina is a young adult who lives amongst her father (who is VERY misogynistic telling her to stay in and do embroidery) and three brothers who work for her father.
One day, Evelina goes to her father's ceremony - in which she rarely gets invited to - to hear the revelation that one of her family's enemies (Lysander Brightwell) will be getting married to her via. an arranged marriage.
One thing is for sure: she and her brothers aren't happy about it.
I really enjoyed the book and the twist and turns it has (e.g. Brogan's murder, Evelina's attempted murder, her love life choices). It felt a little boring and lackluster towards the beginning however at 20-30%, IT WAS SO NOT BORING!!
AND THE ENDING!!!! SO GOODD BUT SO UNEXPECTED!?!?! CAN'T WAIT FOR THE SEQUEL AHAHA
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
ARC read! YA dual POV. Great world building, female empowerment, espionage, princess and a spy! I had no trouble falling head first into this book. I absolutely love the FMC princess and the way she steps into her birthright. I will definitely be reading the rest of this series to find out what happens next!
This is an excellent YA romantasy! All the characters are developed really well and the main characters are incredibly likeable. It's not predictable at all and I was continously surprised at the turns in the plot. I can't wait to find out what happens to these characters in the next Dusk and Dawn book.
Finished in 1 day because I could NOT STOP READING!! The characters draw you in. I fell in love with the sassy Evelina. I kept reading becausr every twist and turn keeps you on edge. I am sad it is over and can't wait for the next book.
I received an advanced review copy of this book and am leaving this review voluntarily
It’s kind of boring in the beginning. It’s gotten more interesting. That’s a nice little twist to the book. It’s a good book but not really my type of book! I enjoyed the book! Well then another twist it is. Who will evelina pick?