Until the Clock Strikes Midnight by Alechia Dow: Review
Welcome to my review of Until the Clock Strikes Midnight by Alechia Dow! If you’re looking for your next cozy fantasy read, look no further.
Title: Until the Clock Strikes Midnight
Author: Alechia Dow
Genre: YA Fantasy
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Pub Date: 02/03/2026
Description
The Good Place meets the Brandy version of Cinderella in Until the Clock Strikes Midnight, a cozy, romantic fantasy from award-winning author Alechia Dow.
Darling is the most talented—and unusual—Guardian to get a chance at winning the coveted once-in-a-generation Mortal Outcome Council mentorship. Getting the spot would mean having the opportunity to shape the future happiness of all mortal realms—if she succeeds at her first assignment, Lucy Addlesberg. Darling thinks it’ll be an easy razzle-dazzle job… until she actually meets Lucy. Her life is a complete mess, from her failing bookshop in her downtrodden village to her doomed flirtation with the princess of Lumina. But if there’s one thing Darling’s good at, it’s a makeover.
Calamity is the most talented—and arrogant—Misfortune of his class. It’s his job to save mortals from their own terrible decisions made in the pursuit of the mythical “Happily Ever After.” When Calam is granted a shot at the Mortal Outcome Council mentorship, he thinks his dreams are finally coming true. But first, he must pass the test. It should be easy—Lucy Addlesberg has been unfortunate for years. All he has to do is continue her string of bad luck so she can finally come to terms with reality and settle for a safer, more logical path in life. Yet when he arrives, he finds that Lucy has a Guardian assigned to her too—a chipper overachiever who is as colorful as the magic pouring from her glittery wand.
To thwart each other, Darling and Calam insert themselves into Lucy’s life posing as a betrothed couple. As they try to guide her down what they each see as the best path for her, they start questioning their roles and ultimately what they truly want for themselves… and if those feelings of loathing they have for each other might actually be something more like love.
Review
“If I could love anyone, if I could let love ruin me for one single person, I’d want it to be her someday.”
Until the Clock Strikes Midnight was my first book by Alechia Dow, and when I say I loved it, I mean I loved it loved it. The whimsy of it all immediately captured me, along with Darling’s voice. And while the book was a lot of fun, it was also so real. Darling’s bipolar disorder was represented with such clarity. It was never the sum of who she was, but at the same time, it affected her emotions and outlook over the course of the book and was important in understanding her.
The romance between Darling and Calamity was sweet, and the yearning was immaculate. Calamity, Mr. Pragmatism himself, was down bad, and I just loved the way Darling shifted his entire outlook on life. The conversations they had around wants vs needs and happiness vs stability were so interesting and got to the core of what makes humans human.
Overall, I think this was such a great story that really touches on following the desires of your heart and also shows that mental illness doesn’t dictate who we are. We can still live full, happy lives where we’re cherished for all the reasons we might think we’re too much. Time to bust out my copy of The Sound of Stars now.
*Thank you to the publisher for the finished copy. All opinions are my own.*
Author
Alechia Dow is a former pastry chef and librarian. She is the author of YA novels The Sound of Stars, The Kindred, A Song of Salvation, and Until the Clock Strikes Midnight, and middle-grade novel Just a Pinch of Magic. When not writing, you can find her having epic dance parties with her daughter, baking, reading, or taking teeny adventures.
Where to Buy
Bookshop | Barnes & Noble | Amazon
