Introduction
Published in July 2026, Daybreak is the second book in the Sorrowsong University series, authored by Autumn Woods. This series is the perfect academic enemies-to-lovers and is a staple on BookTok for a reason.
A Summary
After the events of Nightshade, Alex is back with his family in New York, left with no choice but to take over as CEO and leave his dreams of happiness behind. Meanwhile, Ophelia is desperate to prove she didn’t cause this, but no one believes her and with a new stalker terrorizing her, she’s alone. But can they rebuild their love? Or will they let distance consume them?
Writing Style
There are two alternating POVs - Alex and Ophelia. The writing style is fairly full of internal monologue, and can become repetitive, but the story itself is engaging and an easy read.
My Thoughts
I was so excited to read Daybreak, as the highly anticipated part two in the Sorrowsong Series, but there were a few things that disappointed me with my reading experience. This book was considerably slower paced than Nightshade, which wasn’t bad within itself, but was different than I had presumed and that did affect it. I would have preferred the book to have a pace more in line with the first novel. Then, we have the romance aspect, which I did enjoy overall, but the back-and-forth nature of ‘I want to fight for us’ to ‘leave me alone because I can’t protect you’ got a little tedious.
Alex and Ophelia’s friends really carried this book. With Alex’s POVs, there was a real desire to see him overcome his struggles and continue to fight his depression. It was quite emotional to read. However, they only needed to carry the book because the plot seemed so sparse. The stalker plot should have felt scary, ever-present and intense, but there were entire chapters where I entirely forgot that there was even a stalker in the first place. It only appeared in the plot when convenient to move it along.
Overall, I did enjoy the book but I just wanted more from it.
Trigger Warnings
Please note this is a non-comprehensive list and there may be triggers in this book not explicitly stated here.
- Stalking
- Depression
- Parental illness
- Mentions of suicide, eating disorders
- Abuse
- Mentions of murder
- Attempted murder
- Torture
- Sex
Recommendation
I do recommend this book if you enjoyed the first, or if you just love romance in an academic setting. However, be prepared for it to be at a slower pace.
