Amelie has always been different.
Most high school students find life challenging, but 17-year old Amelie has a lot more to contend with than typical teenage angst. Ever since she turned 11, others have been irresistibly drawn to her—with tragic consequences. Her only escape is at night when she flies to different times and places through her “dreams”. Her life begins to change when, on one of her flights, she meets Clovis, an alluring and mysterious young man who hides a secret.
As Amelie finds herself increasingly drawn to him, she learns his story, how it intertwines with her own and finally discovers how to live her life in the real world. Until her own secrets are revealed to the wrong people and that world turns upside down.
Bright Midnights is the second in the Limerent Series and continues in the thought-provoking and beautiful style of the first as it considers different dimensions, different ways of looking at the world, and the transcendental power of love.
Purchase a copy of Bright Midnights
I chose Bright Midnights as part of the WOW Women on Writing tour because the premise promised something dark, paranormal, and emotionally intense. It absolutely delivered on that promise, though this is not a light or easy read.
This story is heavy. From the beginning, it’s clear that Amelie has endured an overwhelming amount of trauma. Abuse, neglect, and deep emotional scars shape who she is and how she navigates the world. And rather than offering immediate comfort or escape, the story forces her to confront everything she’s buried. It only gets harder before it gets better, and that is very much the point.
As Amelie begins exploring the concept of traveling through dream states, timelines, or alternate dimensions, the story opens into something much larger than it initially appears. These otherworldly journeys are intertwined with her inner reckoning. She is forced to face the memories, pain, and unresolved wounds that have hardened her over time. Healing, in this story, is not gentle or linear. It requires confrontation.
The structure of the novel mirrors that disorientation. Events unfold across physical reality and dreamlike states where it’s not always clear what rules apply or where the boundaries lie. I appreciated that the author didn’t overexplain these elements. Much of the meaning is left for the reader to piece together, allowing imagination and interpretation to become part of the experience rather than being spoon-fed answers.
Amelie is the emotional core of this book. Her story is tragic, and for much of the novel, she is painfully alone. Nearly everyone she has trusted has hurt her in some way, making it difficult for her to believe in safety, kindness, or reliability. When she finally forms new connections, including one supernatural in nature, trust becomes complicated. As a reader, I often found myself unsure whether this relationship was healing her or quietly harming her.
That uncertainty is intentional. Even by the end of the book, it’s difficult to say whether this relationship is truly good for her. But that ambiguity felt honest. Life rarely offers certainty when it comes to trust, love, or influence. Some relationships break us while simultaneously becoming catalysts for growth. Sometimes both things are true at once.
Because this is the first book in a series, the story doesn’t resolve everything neatly. There is much more to explore, and I’m deeply curious to see where Amelie’s journey leads next. I’ve already reached out to Women on Writing to let them know how eager I am to continue the series and share future reviews.
I would recommend Bright Midnights to readers who are comfortable with difficult themes, morally gray characters, and emotionally challenging stories. This is a book for readers who enjoy dark paranormal romance layered with psychological depth, soul-searching, and imperfect healing.
Thank you for allowing me to be a part of this virtual book tour, Women On Writing
If you enjoy cozy book reviews, you can watch my YouTube thoughts, follow along on Instagram, and see everything I am reading this year.
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Thank you for reading and spending time with my review today.
Lexy Delorme was born in San Diego, California. After graduating from the University of North Carolina School of law, various internships and years working in risk, tax, family, and international law, she now classifies herself as a recovering attorney.
With a father who served in the US Military, Lexy had a wandering lifestyle from her earliest days and in her time has been a pop musician, a science geek and a writer for magazines like Bonjour Paris and Playtimes. Throughout all of her different careers, her love of fiction has been a mainstay.
Within this eclectic life, she was also one of the first employees at 23andMe, a genomics and biotechnology company based in Mountain View, California and that experience influenced the genetic aspects of her Limerent Series, of which Caio is the first book.
For as long as she can remember she’s had characters in her head. As a child, these were the friends she wished to have. As a young woman, the lovers she wanted to find or the people she wanted to become. Writing fiction novels allows her the chance to give these characters a background, a story and a voice.
Having lived in in 3 continents, 9 US states, and 21 cities around the world, including London and Hong Kong, Lexy now lives in Paris with her French husband and two very cool sons. She is currently working on the next books in the Limerent Series.
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