REVIEW: Night for Day by Roselle Lim

Night for Day by Roselle Lim: In a strange kind of Romeo & Juliette meets escape room meets Twilight Zone we quickly learn that Ward and Camille traded their happily ever after to pursue their dream jobs a few years back and in a strange twist of fate end up in a different country seeking work with the same employer.

Given they never thought they would see each other again, it comes hard and fast that the attraction between our duo never really died, and in a land of warring mischievous gods, magical artefacts and a blurred line between outright fantasy and magical realism, our two need to work together to get out of the situation they find themselves trapped in whilst working through the puzzle of their previous relationship to determine what their future together holds.

With a super powerful opening, it felt like the ground work had mostly been laid for a creative and interesting read, however, as the story unfolds, the inherent romantic tension was slightly mismanaged; apart from coming from different backgrounds and therefore privilege, their break-up really didn’t add up – and therefore, their getting back together in a strange unreality didn’t either.

Given both were trapped in their new workplace and needed to work together by any means necessary to escape the clutches of the gods, some critical plot devices felt like they were missing – the inherent world building the typically exists in most fantasies, including clear motivations for the war so it felt like the characters were working out how the world works as the audience were.

Interestingly enough however, some clear themes of ambition, morality, sacrifice and choice were woven throughout and whilet some elements were tricky to navigate, some of the critical bones held up. On the whole a fun read that tried to play with a bunch of big ideas -Magical Realism, Fantasy, Romance and Romantasy.

Book Info:

Publication: 20th February 2024 | Ace |

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.