As a major fan of Roselle Lim, I knew I had to read Night for Day. And while this is definitely the spiciest of Lim’s books, it also has an escape room meets fantasy vibe. Keep reading this book review of Night for Day for my full thoughts.
Summary
Exes Ward Dunbar and Camille Buhay thought they would never see each other again. They had broken up to pursue their dream jobs on opposite sides of the country—her to New York City, and him to Los Angeles. But years later, they unexpectedly reconnect in London, where they are interviewing for similar jobs. The spark they feel when they meet again—the attraction comes back like muscle memory, and they are reminded of what they had lost. When Ward and Camille discover they both got the job working opposing shifts, they vow to give their relationship another try.
Ward starts the day shift and finds the immortal clientele unusual and dazzling. When he clocks out at the end of the day, he finds the door locked and himself trapped in the building. After a horrific first night shift contending with restless spirits and ghosts, Camille is also unable to escape. In their respective prisons, they discover that they’re able to talk to each other a few minutes before dawn. This fleeting encounter incites longing for each other, but their promise to be together feels impossible. Because they are caught in the middle of a war of the gods—and their choices will determine the outcome.
Review
(Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. This has not impacted my review which is unbiased and honest.)
Night for Day was constantly unexpected. While this one has the most fantastical explicit elements – like gods and magical artifacts – it’s more subtle than I thought. There’s this distinct locked room feel not only because Ward and Camille are trapped, but also in the magic. Night for Day felt very much like a magical escape room with puzzles, artifacts, and a struggle between the gods. There’s very much a question, throughout, about what anyone’s motivations are and who they can count on.
Loyalty is a large theme in Night for Day. Not only between Ward and Camille, but also in their choices. Because of their quick separation, at the beginning I was struggling to see what connected Ward and Camille. These second chance exes separated by magic made me wonder what drew them together in the first place. This concern largely resolved itself as we get snippets of their memories, but Lim’s past books have read more character driven as Night for Day.
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With any second chance romance, Night for Day tries to highlight what happened the first time. Why didn’t they work out? And it tries to explore what could change their fate this time. While it’s a bit stretched out because of the supernatural conflict and their physical separation, Night for Day mostly gains momentum from the ticking clock and puzzles. Can they solve their own escape or are they doomed? Towards the end, many of the themes had a great resolution or twist – even if it felt a bit quick considering the lead up.
Overall, Night for Day is Lim’s spiciest most fantasy centered romance book. If you like the idea of a contest of god’s wills and escape room type puzzles – with some spice – this is for you! Find Night for Day on Goodreads, Storygraph, Amazon, Bookshop.org, & Blackwells.