Forsaking Midnight

Defying the Stars #2

by Emily McIntire

From the Queen of the Never After retellings comes a modern-day Lancelot & Guinevere filled with serious yearning, hate-to-love you vibes and a happily ever after

Some sins are worth the fall . . .

Lance Calloway fights when they tell him to fight. Bleeds when they tell him to bleed. Breaks when they tell him to break.

Six years in an unsanctioned cage, and the one line he's never crossed? Loyalty to his best friend, no matter the cost.

Then he's asked to protect

Genres: Romance, Dark Romance, Enemies To Lovers, Audiobook, Forced Proximity, Retellings, Slow Burn

498 pages, Paperback

First published July 14, 2026

About the author

Emily McIntire is a #1 New York Times and #1 Sunday Times bestselling author of Romance where the stakes are impossible and the happily ever after is always worth the fight. Her books span sub-genres and have been translated into over a dozen languages, hitting bestseller lists around the world.
A stage IV breast cancer thriver, you can find Emily in Tennessee with her family and her cats who think they run the house.

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Reviews

[naz · Rating 4 out of 5]

LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, this is how you write a best friend's girlfriend trope 🙂‍↕️🙂‍↕️ The vibes with this one... Emily, come pick up my jaw from the floor.

This is the second book in the series, so don't worryyyy I won't spoil it. That said!! You do not need to read the first one, but it is interconnected, so I definitely recommend it. We are back in Rosebrooke Falls, where we have Lance, a grump who fights in a cage and ends up tasked with protecting Genevieve his best friend's giiiirllll. We love forced proximity like, come on!! 🥵🔥

Anyway, this storyline was so good. The tension is evident from the start, and the way it starts to unravel not only their attraction to each other but also Lance and Art's (the bestie) relationship and how the secrets begin to affect everyone was so well done. I do have to say that I wanted to kick Art so many times. I just don't get when men go all, "I'll take care of it." JUST LET US INNN. (Sorry, personal vent lol it really grinds my gears, lmao) aka Emily, you did an amazing job creating the "villain" for this one.

Lance is such a PROTECTOR!!! I love him so muchhh. He's the typical fighter with a soft side that is reserved just for her, and I ate it up. Genevieve, I won't lie, isn't my favorite person, but I do think she was a great addition to the story since she's a baddie who wants to KNOW what's going on and hates being kept in the dark.

The spice scenes...mamaaa miaaa I do want to take a moment to say that I LOVE ME A WALL SCENE, and you get two here, so take that information however you want 😂 I definitely recommend this book and series to those who love romances with darker topics (but not a dark romance per say i swear), found family, and deliciously tension filled tropes!

tropes
💜 enemies to lovers
💜 best friend's girlfriend
💜 dual pov
💜 forced proximity
💜 protective MMC
💜 he falls first and harddd

⋆. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁⋆.⋆. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁⋆.
➳ 𝗽𝗿𝗲-𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱｡ꪆৎ ˚⋅ did I start another book while having two other reads why yes 🙂 yes I did!
I LOVE EMILY'S WRITING SO DUH I'm starting this one

Thank you Bloom for my physical ARC and Team Emily for my eARC

[Liana Gold · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75! Much better than the first book! I liked the main characters together and separately. I did miss out on a lot because I forgot almost everything from the first book.. so it’s best to read the first book first.



Thanks to Sourcebooks Bloom Books for inviting me to read this ARC! I really don't remember much from the first book except the Romeo/Juliet storyline. Hope to enjoy this one more than the first.

Review to follow :)



Many thanks to the publisher, SOURCEBOOKS. Bloom Books for providing me this eARC via NetGalley.

Publication: July 14, 2026

[Elle_bow 🩷 · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was already super excited for this one and I was (once again) not disappointed! I have no idea what Emily McIntire puts in these books but I eat it up every time!

I loved this one! I was super invested in the main story, Lance and Genevieve are probs one of my fav book couples now. I just couldn’t get enough.

I was hoping for a bit more enemies at the beginning but if I remember correctly they also show that dynamic in Burning Daylight (it’s been a while since I read it so I’m not sure), but for the length of the book I understand why they seemed to move on pretty quickly to lovers.

Overall awesome book!

[cat (catching up slowly) · Rating 4 out of 5]

“And I want to tell her that I didn’t fall for her all at once. It was slow, and ordinary, and it crept in through the kitchen, and the mornings, and the way she slips food to my dog thinking I don’t notice. That somewhere between the waterfall and the bench and the sandwiches at ten p.m., she became more to me.
𝓢𝓱𝓮 𝓫𝓮𝓬𝓪𝓶𝓮 𝓮𝓿𝓮𝓻𝔂𝓽𝓱𝓲𝓷𝓰.”


on repeat 𝄞 ࿐♬ 𓍢ִ🎧ྀི ᯓ ‎♪ˎˊ˗
“sᴇᴄʀᴇᴛ ʟᴏᴠᴇ sᴏɴɢ” (ғᴛ. ᴊᴀsᴏɴ ᴅᴇʀᴜʟᴏ) x ʟɪᴛᴛʟᴇ ᴍɪx
0:21 ─♥────────── 4:09


Okay so when I requested this ARC, it was solely because of the cover. I thought it was absolutely gorgeous. So when I got the approval email, I was thrilled… and then I read the blurb and immediately had to look up the story of Lancelot and Guinevere because I had never heard it before. And I’m not gonna lie... I got nervous 😭

I’m very much not the kind of girl who enjoys cheating or affair tropes, especially when it involves the main characters. Considering that’s basically the entire foundation of the original legend, I was hesitant going in. 🥲🥲anyway… with that out of the way let’s talk about the plot.

The story starts with several jumps between past and present, which left me a little confused at first, but things become clearer as the story unfolds. It’s definitely one of those books that slowly reveals pieces of the bigger picture and keeps making you question what you think you know.

One of the first things the book establishes is the bond between Lance and Arthur. They’re brothers by choice, bound together since childhood by friendship and a blood oath. The story makes you love that relationship early on, which only makes it hurt more when the cracks start showing and you realize things aren’t nearly as healthy or balanced as they seem 🥺

And Lance… UGH LANCE 😭😭😭😭
This man is the embodiment of loyalty. He sacrifices everything for the people he loves, over and over again, without ever expecting anything in return. The further I got into the story, the angrier I became on his behalf because it felt like everyone around him was taking and taking while he continued to give. 😭😭💔

My heart also broke for Genevieve. The way Arthur treated her drove me insane. It wasn’t always loud or obvious, but the constant neglect, embarrassment, and manipulation made me want to shake him. Every time he pushed her aside only to pull her back when it suited him... guys you don't even understand how frustrated I was 😭

One thing this book does really well is make your feelings toward the characters constantly shift. You’re learning information alongside them, uncovering secrets, and trying to piece together everyone’s motivations. There were moments where I liked characters, moments where I hated them, and moments where I genuinely didn’t know what to think.

Now for the biggest thing I was worried about:
the cheating

Yes, there is cheating in this story (both emotional and eventually physical). Genevieve is emotionally starved, neglected, and left feeling completely alone while Lance is tasked with protecting her. You can pretty much imagine where things start heading. 🫣😓 What I appreciated, though, was that the relationship didn’t happen overnight. Nothing physical occurs for quite a while, and the book spends a lot of time building their friendship, trust, and connection first. The slow burn was intense. The yearning? Absolutely ridiculous. Every interaction felt like a wire stretched so tight that it was bound to snap eventually.

Do I condone cheating? Absolutely not.

Was I particularly upset that Arthur was the one being cheated on? Also no. 😭

If I had to pick someone he would definitely be it.
He was genuinely awful and cared far more about appearances, expectations, and his father’s approval than the people he claimed to love -_-

I think out of everything, what impacted me most was Lance’s journey. He’s spent his entire life believing his value comes from what he can endure and what he can sacrifice. Watching Genevieve see him for who he truly was—not what he’d done, not what he’d been forced into, but simply just him—was incredibly emotional. She gave him permission to feel again. To hurt. To want things for himself.

While I wouldn’t call this a super dark romance, it definitely explores some heavy themes. There’s underground fighting, corruption, manipulation, secrets, and plenty of morally gray choices. As someone who rarely reads darker romance, I found it very manageable and surprisingly enjoyable. 🙂‍↕️

My biggest dislike was definitely the cheating, and usually when it's included, I won't rate past 3 ⭐️... but honestly, I don’t think it’s fair for me in this case when the retelling is literally based on an affair. That’s more on me for requesting the book before fully reading the synopsis 🤷🏼‍♀️

Overall, this one easily held my attention. Once I got invested, I couldn’t put it down. I definitely teared up watching friendships fall apart... especially when one person was willing to sacrifice everything while the other barely seemed to care.
Despite my hesitation going in, this story ended up surprising me in the best way. It made me frustrated, emotional, and completely invested from start to finish, and now I’m extremely curious about who’s next.

I have a sneaking suspicion we might be getting some Alex and Felicity action, and I’m calling it now: my book senses are telling me the title might just be Stealing Sunlight. don't quote me on it though... just a guess 👀 🤷🏼‍♀️

favorite quotes ↓

“Aristotle argued that tragedy isn’t about death. It’s about the fall from grace. The moment when everything changes and can’t be unchanged.”

“I see everything when it comes to her.
But it doesn’t really matter, does it?
Because Art saw her first.”

“And what piece are you, then?”
“The knight, I guess."
“Knights protect the queen.”
“Yeah,” I murmur. “I guess they do.”

“I can’t turn off the part of me that feels anymore, and that part has her name written through it like letters carved in stone.”

“Real life doesn’t always get wrapped up in a red bow. Sometimes it’s left cracked with memories, and matching scars on the palms of two boys who thought a blood oath could protect them from the world.”

things to know about the book ↓

🩷 enemies to lovers
🩷 forbidden love
🩷 hate to love you
🩷 best friend’s girl
🩷 slow burn & yearning
🩷 forced proximity
🩷 he falls first
🩷 cheating
🩷 morally gray MMC

swearing: yes
spice rating: 🌶️🌶️🌶️
→ chapters: 24, 39, 36, 46, 47, extended epilogue

Thank you NetGalley, publisher & author for this arc in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

─────────
・❥・⁀➷ 🌕💜🩷 𝕡𝕣𝕖-𝕣𝕖𝕒𝕕

MY WISH WAS GRANTED AND I GOT THE ARC
😭😭😭 such a good day!!

[aira · Rating 3 out of 5]

ˏˋ°•*⁀➷ 3.25/5

I didn't remember much from the first book at least as much as I should have, so I did have to go back and reread my review. I didn't write much, but it jogged my memory a little bit so there's that.

I feel like even though I'm giving this the same rating as the first book, there was a lot of confusion about the characters. That's on me and I should have reread the first book because my memory is terrible. However, I still enjoyed it. I might have to reread the whole series when it's completed so I won't be so confused next time around.

The first one was a modern take on Romeo and Juliet and because I didn't know which one this was based on, I did a search to find out that it was Lancelot and Guinevere. I do have to admit that I had no clue who these people were, so I did a little more research to get an idea of what we were working with.

Now, what I got in case anybody was also clueless was that Lancelot and Guinevere have an affair...Guinevere is King Arthur's wife, Lancelot was a knight on King Arthur's roundtable and their forbidden affair was apparently what led to the downfall of the Camelot. At the end, Lancelot became a hermit and Guinevere became a nun. I didn't think this book would have the same ending, but I was curious to see which direction it would take.

It starts off with Genevieve in a relationship with Lance's friend, Arthur and the first chapter was at the "Round Table Tavern" in this modern take coming from the "round table" in the original story so that was a nice note.

I was a little skeptical of how the forbidden relationship was going to go. I don't think it was bad, I was just hoping for a little bit more of the enemies to lovers vibes because it felt like we missed a little bit of it. I thought it was good for the most part and we did see some really good back and forth, but I wanted a little bit more in terms of the chemistry between them both.

Overall, I did have a fairly fun time with it. It's going to come out in a couple days, so I hope whoever's interested, enjoys it so much!! 🤭

thank you to the publisher and netgalley for this arc!!
-------

pre-read: not the arc landing in my email...so freaking excited.

[Alya ( 20 comments restriction ) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thoughts
One of my favourite best friend's girl trope reads! Not saying that I'm fan of cheating but when it comes to books I'm willing to switch off my morals for a few hours😂 however with this book there was no need to switch anything off because Arthur was an absolute wanker! This was so good from start to end, the back n forth, their interactions, just everything from start to end. I loved them together and separately especially the FMC the attitude was absolute golden! The MMC? Oh my heart where do we sign up to find a man as loyal as Lance??🫠
One thing I absolutely adore about Emily's writing is the way she writes her characters and portrays their feelings, it makes you feel like you're experiencing their feelings with them. My absolute favourite book is still book 1 -- not for a specific reason just that the romance hit harder and I was 1000% invested in their love story

What To Expect
▪︎ Morden Lancelot and Guinevere
▪︎ Forbidden romance
▪︎ Enemies to lovers
▪︎ Protecter MMC / he falls first
▪︎ Forced proximity
▪︎ Morally grey hero

Plot Summary
Lance Calloway has spent years fighting and following orders without question. When he’s assigned to protect Genevieve DeGrance, the last thing either of them expects is to grow close.
As Genevieve uncovers the dark secrets hidden in Rosebrook Falls, the pair find themselves drawn to each other despite the risks. But in a town built on lies, falling in love could cost them everything.

My Bookstagram

[Shannon Farley · Rating 5 out of 5]

“One. Two. Three. Four. Five. Six. Seven. Seven seconds for my seven minutes. And I know I’ll see Lance Calloway at the end of every single one.”

That was a breath of fresh air!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️

I love when the first book in the series is so good and then the second is also on that same level! 💜 Thank you for not disappointing me Emily! This interconnected standalone continuation fell perfectly back into this world and storyline seamlessly. We got to see alot of the beloved characters from book one and dive deeper into the mystery that was Lance Calloway. 😉This book was full of tension, plot, mystery, deep character dynamics, betrayal, high stakes, a slow develop romance, beautiful writing, and great pacing!

The man that Lance Calloway is…….maybe I’m a sucker for the tortured protector but 💋 so yummy! And Genevieve was the perfect balance between brave but emotional and gentle. The way their romance built was so refreshing and genuine. And the dynamic that Art had in all of this was so well written.

If you have not started this series, I definitely recommend! It’s an easy read with a great plot, flawless writing and a beautiful romance! ♥️🔥I will definitely be reading her back log waiting for book 3. Fingers crossed for Paxton story! 🤞

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just finished listening to an advanced copy of a book that was just released called, Forsaking Midnight. This is book two in the Defying the Stars series and this is about Genevieve. She moved to Rosebrook Falls to be with her boyfriend Art, but she has felt like an outsider ever since she got to town. Art is busy a lot so when someone starts following Genevieve, Art asks his best friend Lance to keep an eye on her and protect her. Lance has been trapped and forced to fight in an underground fighting ring for the last six years, so he is the best person to keep Genevieve safe and he will do anything for his best friend, even though Lance doesn't get along with Gen. But as these two are forced to spend time together, they get to know each other better and also they start to realize there is a lot more going on in this town than it seems. Before Lance and Gen know it danger is closing in and the only people they can truly trust is each other, they've formed a bond they can't explain or resist. Lance realizes he wants the only person he can't have, the one person who just might be able to save him, his best friend's girl.
I loveee all of Emily's books (I've read them all except her Christmas book I'm saving that for the holidays) but this book is now one of my new favorites of hers! I mean this is how it's done, this is how you write a best friend's girl trope!! This was such a fantastic enemies to lovers story with so much banter, tension, YEARNING, and such a slow burn that was soo worth the wait! The hate to love between Lance and Gen felt real and authentic, it was so well written. The narrators did a phenomenal job bringing these characters to life! Lance was so protective and selfless, he was the perfect MMC. Gen was such a badass and kindhearted FMC. I loved everything about their characters and I would take a whole series focused on them! And Cavall, obviously! 🐾 (& I had to include Cavall's pink duck Virgil in my book review pic, since my dogs actually had the same exact toy as Cavall!) 💜📚

Thank you to Emily McIntire, Dreamscape Media, and Netgalley for this ALC of Forsaking Midnight, in exchange for an honest review.

[Sim-fully Ever After · Rating 4 out of 5]

4🌟, 3🌶️

Diving headfirst into a world I knew nothing about proved to be surprisingly rewarding with this high tension story.

I was initially hesitant about the cheating trope woven into this modern Lancelot and Guinevere retelling, but Arthur made it so delightfully easy to root against him that I happily switched off my morals. Watching Lance, a fiercely loyal protector with a massive soft spot, fall hard for Genevieve created an intoxicating blend of high tension and delicious yearning that had me hooked right away.

What made this such a rewarding experience was the incredible emotional depth and the way the story balanced dark secrets with genuine character growth. Genevieve is a fantastic heroine who refuses to stay in the dark, and seeing her stand up for herself alongside Lance gave the romance so much extra punch. The slow burn was masterfully executed, and every single layered emotion and charged interaction was brought vividly to life.

Going into this book completely blind gave me all the best kind of surprises and reading butterflies. While the beginning took a minute to find its footing and left me slightly confused by the complex web of relationships, the payoff was entirely worth it. It is a messy, beautifully angsty journey about sacrifice and finding someone who truly sees you through all the chaos.

I’m quite eager to explore more from this talented writer's world.

~~~~

Huge thank you to Emily McIntire and House of Hearts Lit for the ARC! 😍 All my bookish thoughts are completely my own. ✨

[Larareads · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to House of Hearts Lit for giving me this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

26 BOOKS IN 2026 CHALLENGE: 19/26

This is my favorite book from Emily McIntire and it is perfection!
Lance and Gen were everything! The banter, the tension, the yearning.
The way Lance wants to protect her from everything and everyone! Genevieve is such a baddie, I love her!
The spice in this is immaculate. I adore a wall scene and this book had two so I was having the time of my life reading this.
Overall, my favorite book in the series and my favorite from this author. Even though it's a little darker, it's still filled with funny moments and found family and an incredible romance!

Read this if you love:
• enemies to lovers
• best friend's girlfriend
• forced proximity
• protective MMC
• he falls first and hard
• yearning

[Isalyne]

I hope it's Lance's and Genevieve story 🤞🤞

Edit (Feb 2026): We have a description and a cover reveal 🎉😍 There will be different deluxe editions.
𝐒𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐚𝐥𝐥.

Lance Calloway fights when they tell him to fight. Bleeds when they tell him to bleed. Breaks when they tell him to break.

Six years in an unsanctioned cage, and the one line he’s never crossed? Loyalty to his best friend, no matter the cost.

Then he’s asked to protect 𝘩𝘦𝘳.

Genevieve DeGrance didn’t ask for any of this.

She came to Rosebrook Falls to be with the mayor’s son. But nothing in this town is what it seems.

Especially not the dangerous fighter who watches her every move like a threat.

She hates him.
He can’t stand her.
And yet…

The more time Lance spends guarding Genevieve, the harder it becomes to remember she belongs to someone else.

And the more she uncovers about Rosebrook Falls, the more she realizes the only honest person in her life is the one man she’s forbidden to want. 

In a town built on secrets and lies, falling for each other could destroy them both.

But staying away might be the one fight Lance can’t win.
Covers: https://www.facebook.com/authoremilym...

Edit (DEC 2025): We hape tropes 💕
🔥 Forbidden Romance
🔥 Hate to Love
🔥 Forced Proximity
🔥 Slow Burn (With a spicy payoff)
🔥 Touch Her And Die
🔥 He Falls First (and lies about it)
🔥 Morally Gray Hero
🔥 Yearning that Ruins Lives...Literally

Microtropes
✨ Proximity Disorder: "Why are we arguing this close?"
✨"If you die, I'll kill you" energy
✨Mutual Choking Fantasy (Derogatory...and not)
✨Jealousy Mismanagement: "I hate you, but I hate that he's touching you."
✨Identity Crisis: "You're not mine...why does it feel like you are?"

[Melissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh the YEARNING!!!!

I was looking forward to this book as soon as it was announced and it did not disappoint.

Emily is doing something really special with this series and I’m honored to have read it early thanks to her and Bloom. Thank you so much.

This is a gorgeous forbidden romance where the hero falls in love with his best friends girl. They’ve got every card stacked against them but they never give up on being together.

It’s a slow burn where Lance is YEARNING but once they submit to their feelings it’s no holds barred.

They’re inevitable and nothing can keep them apart.

I loved every thing about this book.

💖

A Lancelot & Guinevere retelling? With an HEA?

TAKE ALL MY MONEY

[Shelly’s Kindl3 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cooking Up Sacrifices

Genevieve and Lance weren’t meant to be so when they got together it was magic. The forbidden and yearning in this book was so good. I enjoyed rooting for Lance to take his best friend girl so bad because Aut didn’t deserve her. Genevieve was a force to be reckoned with especially in the middle towards the end of the book. I loved how once she came out of the dark about knowing things she took immediate actions to correct wrongs done against her father and Lance. Lance will sacrifice his own life to save others and his loyalty to his best friend pretty much kept him in chains. I love the plot twist because excuse me I didn’t see that coming. I would recommend this book if you love some drama in your books. I gave this book 5 stars because it was super interesting from beginning to end. I love how Emily McIntire told the characters stories with so much passion.

[Mads · Rating 4 out of 5]

(⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 3.75/5) The beginning started a little slow for me, but once it pulled me in, I loved it. I read the first one around the time it came out, so I felt a little lost going into this one & needed a refresh to be less confused with some of the characters but always a good excuse for a reread.

The chemistry & tension between Genevieve and Lance was done perfectly. The yearning 😫 I was so invested in them. The best friend’s girlfriend trope isn’t always my favorite but this was done so good. The storyline was actually fun outside of the romance too & had me pretty invested.

It had some solid heartbreak too which I can appreciate. I’m excited for the rest of the series. I love the little glimpses of the other potential couples.

[Darkest Bellé · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 stars!!

[Jessie Ross · Rating 3 out of 5]

These are mostly random thoughts:

Missed opportunity for an MFM spin on the Arthurian love triangle. I knew this was a cheating romance going into it, and now I realize I don't care for that trope AT ALL.

Putting Lance and Genevieve in close proximity because Arthur did not have the time and means to protect her properly was a great, organic way of bringing the two closer. But villainizing Arthur was a little unnecessary and felt like a cheap way to make me feel good about reading a cheating trope.

I couldn't get behind the progression of Arthur from boy who literally can't do anything for himself or stand up for himself to secret mastermind of the operation/villain, even though he kind of gets redeemed by helping uncover the operation and surrendering quietly to law enforcement. Even with the element of seeking his father's approval and keeping up appearances, his devotion to Lance, which is set up from the very beginning, would have made it believable for Arthur to accept Lance and Genevieve's budding romance.

If acceptance wasn't in the cards, I thought from the beginning that this book had the perfect recipe for a "why choose" romance--something that would have been refreshing coming from Emily McIntire.

Even though McIntire 100% does not need to stay true to the classic tales (otherwise most of these characters would be dead) I feel like the little nods to classic characters make this story confusing and have me drawing conclusions and making connections that aren't actually there. For example, is Brutus Myrridin(merlin) supposed to stand in for the guiding wizard or paired with his sister Cassandra are they Brutus and Cassius? If so, who is Caesar?

[Athena 💗 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Zero complaints! This book had everything that the first was lacking and I couldn’t put it down. I started reading late into the night and read until morning.

The chemistry and tension between Lance and Genevieve was so good. Unlike the first book’s insta-lust, this was an agonizingly slow burn. I have nothing bad to say, the writing and storyline was addicting and the characters were multi-layered. I love how this author doesn’t make the decisions easy for her readers. The relationships are messy and no matter what choice is made, both will leave you feeling a little heartache. I’m especially excited for book three. That relationship dynamic feels like it is going to be the most complex and a lot of people are going to be left broken hearted along the way.

I received an ALC from the author and publisher, my thoughts and opinions are my own.

[Jess Ciesla | cozy library shed · Rating 5 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

I loved this one even more than Burning Daylight🥹🤍

If you love romantic suspense, you need to add this series to your TBR. Burning Daylight is a modern Romeo & Juliet retelling, and Forsaking Midnight is a modern Lancelot & Guinevere retelling.

Lance was EVERYTHING🥵🔥 Easily one of my favorite book boyfriends, and I loved watching his relationship with Genevieve grow throughout the story.

Emily McIntire writes some of my favorite spice. It’s so well done, never feels over the top, and perfectly complements the story and the characters.

I cannot wait to continue this series!🤍📚

And thank you to Bloom Books & Sourcebooks for gifting me an ARC!🫶🏼

[The Romantic Rush Blog]

After falling in love with Burning Daylight, I had a feeling this book would steal my heart too, and it absolutely did. I’ve ALWAYS been a huge huge fan of the lore of Lancelot and Guinevere so I knew I would EAT THIS ONE UP.

Emily continues to be epically brilliant in re-inventing legendary stories and presenting them through a whole new lens. Every connection feels intentional, and it's so rewarding to watch familiar characters and relationships transformed into something fresh while still honoring the source material. It's the same magic that made me love her Never After series...but here TRAGIC love stories?! It’s just so satisfying to see these tragedies reimagined into true HEAs.

But of COURSE it’s Emily, so it’s a hard and complicated path. Full of slowing burning angst and tension and so much delicious chemistry. I loved Lance and Genevieve. Watching their relationship evolve from distrust into unwavering trust was everything. The banter, the quiet longing, every interaction was so emotionally charged.. Lance has spent years carrying the weight of everyone else's expectations and needs, so seeing Genevieve slowly become the person who truly saw him, and gave him a safe place to let those walls down, was so beautiful and emotionally rich.

And the DUET STYLE audio SLAYS! (Arturian pun….) But seriously it’s so good. Connor Crais and Andi Arndt are top tier as always. Connor brings SO many layers, emotion, and intensity to the performance. He’s the perfect balance of Lance’s guarded stoicism and restrained passion. And Andi always delivers so much complexity. She’s feisty and vulnerable and magnetic. SUCH a good listen.

And I’m just LOVING this more complex world of future tragedy reimagined characters. There are so many tangled relationships and unanswered questions that I can’t wait to see what’s next. If you love emotional romance, unforgettable characters, layered retellings, and a series that is so creatively inspired and so much thoughtful detail from big and small, grab this one up!


✨ Enemies to lovers
✨ Forced proximity
✨ Bodyguard romance
✨ Morally gray, protective hero
✨ Small-town secrets
✨ Forbidden love
✨ Lancelot and Guinevere Retelling (with HEA)
✨ Slowburn tension
✨ Duet Style Audio





Story: 4 stars
Audio: 5 stars

[Sandy (Sandy.Reads) · Rating 5 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Emily McIntire has done it again. I swear, I’ll read anything this woman writes.

Genevieve and Lance were absolutely everything. Their relationship was the definition of forbidden romance, and I was rooting for them every single step of the way. Do I care that she was his best friend’s woman? Absolutely not, because that man was a complete piece of shit.

What really made this book shine was everything happening beneath the romance. Lance carries the weight of the world on his shoulders, constantly putting everyone else first, while Genevieve is forced to unravel lie after lie as she slowly discovers the truth. Watching both of their journeys unfold gave this story so much depth.

I could not put this book down. The romance, the tension, the emotional punches… it all had me completely hooked.

Now excuse me while I impatiently wait for book three because I need it ASAP.

[Persephone · Rating 4 out of 5]

ARC Read!

I really enjoyed this, but I liked Burning Daylight more. This one started out a little slow for me (which did not help with my reading slump) also, it’s been a while since I read Burning Daylight so that didn’t help me much when trying to remember stuff that happened that was mentioned back in this book. I just know that I enjoyed the first book to this one.

The one thing that I didn’t really like was the whole “best friend’s girl” like I get why you would think it was all ok to happen because of Art being the way he was, but it’s like oh, well Art is shady, so instead of telling him how I feel like we are drifting apart, let me just cheat on him with his best friend. And I get it because Lance is YUMMY! But it doesn’t mean that I need to like how it happened.

Lance is a good MMC, even though he stole his best friend’s girl, he did everything that he did to keep his family and best friend safe. And honestly Art never deserved his friendship, Lance was too good for him. Lance literally sacrificed himself just so that everyone could stay safe. He had a nice character growth.

Genevieve was an decent FMC, and she played out Art, I didn’t really get much growth out of character. The only thing there was, was how her feelings really opened up for Lance, but her as a character, not much growth.

Over all it was a good book! I loved how it was a slowww burn and that they built genuine feelings for eachother! I am enjoying this series and can’t wait to see what’s to come with book 3!

[Zahirymar Flores · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tengo que decir que esta serie me está gustando mucho. Amé el primer libro y estaba loca de leer este segundo porque ya conocía de Lance un poco pero me daba mucha curiosidad su personaje. La realidad es que no defraudó.

Lance y Arthur son mejores amigos desde pequeños, mas que mejores amigos son como hermanos. Lance ha pasado los últimos años de su vida en peleas clandestinas para pagar la deuda de su mejor amigo. Arthur es novio de Genevieve y ella se encuentra en peligro, por lo cual Art le encomienda a su mejor amigo a encargarse de protegerla. Lo que ambos no esperaban era que esa cercania se iba a convertir en algo mas pero que a su vez iban a poder descubrir secretos y traiciones.

Amé a Lance, es un personaje super leal, un alma torturada pero que poco a poco va descubriendo que muchas de las cosas que el pensaba no eran lo que el creía. Genevieve por su parte se va dando cuenta quien realmente es su novio y todos los secretos que esconde. La proximidad de estos personajes y el banter fue exquisito. Las escenas spicy estuvieron super bien escritas. El plot es en cierto modo continuación del primer libro pero me gustó mucho como se fue desarrollando todo.

Definitivamente recomiendo este libro.

[Alley Davis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Morally grey dark romance - binge worthy story with good character development and character arcs.

[Katie Hedrington · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75
ARC read
Full RTC

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75/5 ⭐️
1.5/5 🌶️

Emily McIntire continues to carve out her own niche with these darker retellings of classic stories, and I love that she’s sticking with it. They’re not all winners for me, though—her books tend to be either a huge hit or just shy of the mark. Forsaking Midnight landed somewhere north of the middle, but it absolutely kept me engaged from start to finish. I liked this one much more than the first book in this series.

This Lancelot/Knights of the Round Table-inspired retelling worked really well. I always enjoy seeing how Emily reimagines familiar stories, and I thought the foundation she built here was strong. The forbidden romance between Lance and Genevieve had plenty of tension, and I found myself rooting for them the entire time.

Lance was easily my favorite part of the book. He’s fiercely loyal to the people he loves, willing to sacrifice everything for his friends, his family, and eventually Genevieve—even when she’s completely off limits. He’s protective without being overbearing, and I loved watching him wrestle with doing the right thing versus following his heart.

Genevieve also had a satisfying character arc. She starts out seeing the world one way, only to slowly realize everything she’s believed is built on lies. Watching her grow into someone who trusted herself and fought for what she wanted made the romance even more rewarding. By the time their relationship finally came together, it felt earned.

My only real criticism comes in the third act. The big reveal had all the ingredients for a gut-punch, but the fallout resolved much more quickly than I expected. I wanted to sit in those consequences a little longer and watch the characters really fight through them. Instead, it wrapped up faster than I would have liked. It didn’t ruin the story for me—I just think there was an opportunity for an even stronger emotional payoff.

And then there’s the audiobook…absolute perfection. Connor Crais and Andi Arndt were perfectly cast. Connor brought exactly the right amount of grit, vulnerability, and devotion to Lance, while Andi gave Genevieve both strength and emotional depth. They’re both veteran romance narrators, and their performances elevated every scene. This is one of those audiobooks where the narration genuinely makes an already enjoyable story even better.

Overall, while Forsaking Midnight isn’t my favorite Emily McIntire retelling, it’s one I’d happily recommend. The romance delivered, Lance completely won me over, the Arthurian-inspired retelling was a fun twist, and the audiobook performances were exceptional. If you’re already a fan of Emily’s darker fairy tale-inspired romances, this is definitely worth adding to your TBR.

Thanks to Emily & Dreamscape for the ALC in exchange for an honest review!

[Amity Bailey · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5⭐️

I was instantly sucked into this story & never once wanted to put it down!! This narration & audio was fantastic!!! Connor Crais & Andi Arndt did an amazing job bringing this story & these characters all the emotions & chemistry!!

I absolutely loved book 1, but this story & these characters just stole my heart. Easily my favorite!! Lance’s story just broke my heart, yet he made me feel all the things in the way he showed up & was such a swoony MMC!!

These two had so much tension, banter, and an absolute top tier enemies to lovers chemistry that was to die for!! This book had emotion, suspense, humor, and brought the heat in these spicy scenes!! One I will definitely be recommending to everyone!!

[Emmy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thanks Libro.Fm for this ALC! I really enjoyed Burning Daylight so I was excited to start Forsaking Midnight! The narrators did a fantastic job portraying the characters and keeping me engaged! While I didn’t love this one as much as the first book it was still a solid read! I really like the idea of these being loosely fairytale retellings! It’s so cool spotting the little Easter eggs throughout the story! While I wasn’t a fan of the relationship dynamic of the FMC/MMC in the beginning, they grew on me! I liked how everything came together in the end, even through the suspense.

[C.G. Frances]

Ordered from B&N
July 2026

[Laurensliterarylair · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh my gosh!! Thank you so much to Emily, Libro FM, and bloom for the ALC!! wow wow wow!! I have read almost all of Emily’s books and without a doubt this is my favorite. I’m such a sucker for King Arthurian Legend retellings and actively seek out any opportunity to read any King Arthur retellings I can get my hands on! In my opinion this was such a refreshing and unique take on the story that really brought to life the characters and story in a new way.

Emily has an incredible talent to make fascinating and unique twists on the stories we all know and love. She holds true to very significant parts of the story while also making it something new and different! I would love to hear any retelling in Emily’s words!

First the characterization was so fun to read. I loved how Lance was “Excalibur” this had me GIGGLING! I was like Emily!!! The personality was very spot on for what I would expect to. Hes very loyal, touch my friends/those I love and die, and like very broody. I felt like he was such a fun character to read especially when everything was stacked against him but he still chose love and vulnerability.

I also loved Guineveres character. Shes curious, caring, and I loved how she was also very loyal and just wanted to be loved.

The spicy moments were also 10/10! I would reread this book again today after finishing it yesterday that’s how good it is!

Absolutely chefs kiss. Incredible retelling. Perfect pacing. 6⭐️ read without a doubt! Will be recommending this book to everyone I know and if you haven’t read any of Emily’s books and you want something thats so good you could binge it on the spot. I highly recommend you check out her books!

[Lauren (lololovesthings) · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25 stars.

Emily McIntire's "Forsaking Midnight" is an enthralling enemies-to-lovers dark romance with a lot of fighting, secrets, drama, twists, and intrigue. This is my first Emily McIntire book, but it definitely won't be my last. I was riveted by this Lancelot and Guinevere retelling. I enjoyed the characters, the set-up, the romance, the backstabbing, the way it all comes to a head. I love how McIntire makes the readers truly believe that Lance and Genevieve hated each other from the jump. As with all enemies-to-lovers, it doesn't last long. A few stolen glances here, a quick dinner there, some painful yearning and/or pining, a back-and-forth banter session, a skosh of "it's always been you," and a well-placed "f-it" moment, and those feelings go right down the drain. And the spice!? My goodness, excellent! I absolutely *loathed* Art from the start, and I knew something was fishy about him and his constant glib attitude towards his supposed girlfriend, Genevieve. She clearly loves him, but his heart doesn't always feel in it. Her feelings blind her, and that's when she and Lance start to get closer despite their mutual loathing. Art and Lance being best friends complicates matters throughout the story, and the fallout that occurs is delicious. I felt that this book was well-paced and not too terribly long. The audiobook is stellar. Andi Arndt and Connor Crais..... woooo, boy. Very few people are doing it better than them, and them together?! PERFECTION. The way they come together for this dual narration is excellent. I did not read the first book in this series, but I will definitely go back and read it now!

Thank you to Emily McIntire and House of Hearts Lit. for the complimentary ARC of this book. All opinions are my own. I was not compensated for this review.