Until the Clock Strikes Midnight, Alechia Dow
Until the Clock Strikes Midnight, Alechia Dow
List: $20.99 | Sale: $14.70
Club: $10.49

Until the Clock Strikes Midnight

Author: Alechia Dow

Narrator: Ozzie Jacobs, James Fouhey

Unabridged: 9 hr 7 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 02/03/2026


Synopsis

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.

About Alechia Dow

Alechia Dow is a former pastry chef, a librarian, and an award-winning author of acclaimed young adult sci-fi fantasies, several short anthology pieces, and magical (sometimes mysterious) middle grade stories. When not writing, you can find her having epic dance parties with her family, baking, reading, and exploring her local food scene.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Mai ༊*·˚ on February 02, 2026

3.25 ★— A fairy with the ability to grant Happily Ever Afters goes up against her far too handsome competitor, who instead gives people Ordinary Ever Afters. This book is just as whimsical and sparkly as its cover suggests, with a setting firmly rooted in fantastical realms and filled with magical be......more

Goodreads review by myo on February 22, 2026

i think if i would’ve read this in high school i would’ve loved it more, with that being said when this author finally does try adult books ill definitely be in line......more

Goodreads review by Sonora on February 05, 2026

Alechia Dow weaves achingly relatable characters into the most whimsy of settings, reminding all of us—no matter how wounded—that a happily ever after is never out of reach.......more

Goodreads review by ji on August 02, 2025

this book was a yes, yes, and another resounding yes for me! i had so much fun reading, much more than i had expected to honestly. dow’s writing is soft, cozy, and warm to read. i wanted to inhale it at some point because her descriptions were speaking to meeee, especially when food got brought up;......more

Goodreads review by Leanna on February 04, 2026

I am always down for a Cinderella retelling, and this cozy fantasy absolutely did not disappoint. Until the Clock Strikes Midnight is charming, whimsical, and full of heart, but what surprised me most was the emotional depth woven throughout the story. It delivers all the comfort you want from a cozy......more