Until the Clock Strikes Midnight coming February 3rd, 2026 from Feiwel & Friends; 320 pages
Content Warning: Negative spirals of thought, brief self-harm, suicidal thoughts, mentions of death, grief, parental abandonment
About the Author: “Alechia Dow is a pastry chef, librarian, and an award-winning author of seven acclaimed scifi, fantasy, and mysterious young adult and middle grade stories. When she’s not writing, she’s either baking, reading, or having adventures with her partner and daughter in Germany” (Bio from author’s website).
Find Alechia Dow on the following platforms:
Darling and Calamity were both granted the chance at a Mortal Outcome Council mentorship, but only one of them is going to get the coveted spot. Darling is a Guardian whose purpose is to help mortals find their Happily Ever Afters, while Calam is a Misfortune trying to save mortals from the bad decisions they make in pursuit of happiness. To get their mentorship, they must succeed at their first assignment: Lucy, a girl with a failing bookstore in a run-down village and a crush on a princess. The two pose as a betrothed couple to insert themselves into Lucy’s life and lead her down what they each think is the best path. However, as they continue to thwart each other’s efforts, Darling and Calam start questioning what they truly want and if they might not hate each other after all.
Until the Clock Strikes Midnight was a cozy, colorful fantasy romance, but it was also a powerful story of overcoming hardships and choosing the uncertainty of happiness instead of settling. I was instantly intrigued by this book when the synopsis compared it to the TV show The Good Place. While enemies-to-lovers is a tale as old as time, the circumstances surrounding Darling and Calam’s relationship were something new. At face value, the two seem like the angel and devil on your shoulders, influencing your decisions; however, it was so much more nuanced than that. Calam didn’t believe in Happily Ever Afters, and by steering people down ordinary paths, he was helping them avoid Unhappily Ever Afters. Darling saw potential in everything and believed everyone deserved a Happily Ever After. The book had really powerful messages about happiness and the importance of human connection, which I really loved. On top of this, Dow used her experiences with bipolar disorder to write Darling. She is such a bright, determined character, yet she also struggles with the intrusive thoughts, negative spirals, and difficult emotions that come with the disorder. Dow didn’t shy away from showing the toll this took on Darling, but she also focused on Darling’s resilience and capability. Her compassion and determination were what helped not only Lucy and her village, but also Calam. Darling and Calam learned so much from each other, and together they have the power to make the world a better place. Dow showed that everyone is worthy of a chance at Happily Ever After.
Until the Clock Strikes Midnight releases on February 3rd, 2026.
Pine Reads Review would like to thank Fierce Reads and Feiwel & Friends for sending us an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Any quotes are taken from an advanced copy and may be subject to change before final publication.
Sam Yanis, Pine Reads Review Lead Writer