Secret Nights and Northern Lights

Ever since I had a brief layover in Reykjavík nearly six years ago, I’ve been very interested in Iceland. It’s a bucket-list destination, but until I can go there, I’ve loved reading books set there. So far it’s mostly been thrillers… but then I learned about a new romance set in Iceland! I’ve been so excited for Megan Oliver‘s debut novel, Secret Nights and Northern Lights.

This second-chance romance follows childhood best friends who haven’t spoken in 14 years, now reunited on a 10-day trek around Iceland. Mona has her first opportunity writing an international piece for the travel magazine she works for; Ben is the freelance photographer joining her. Will they keep things strictly professional? Or will this reunion lead to the romance that was cut short all those years ago?

What I Liked:

• A touristic portrait of Iceland. I love that this is book isn’t just set in Iceland, it really showcases so much that the country has to offer! We get to see its stunning nature: volcanoes, glaciers, waterfalls, even the northern lights. We get a feel for the cities and wildlife, too. I love getting immersed in Iceland. Like the article that Mona eventually writes, this novel made me eager to visit the country and get to experience all it has to offer.
• Travel journalism. On a related note, I liked getting to view Iceland not just as a tourist, but as a travel journalist and photo journalist. Mona and Ben aren’t simply enjoying a vacation; they’re finding all the hidden gems worth sharing with the world. I would love to be a travel journalist someday, so I enjoyed getting this perspective.
• Second chance done right. I appreciated that, with Mona and Ben, we get enough of their past to know how close they were, but it doesn’t go into a dual timeline. It stays focused on the present, even with reflections on their past. This makes the novel feel more focused and the romance feels more urgent.
• A tender look at phobias, traumas, and feeling like you’re not enough. Both Mona and Ben have fears they must face. Ben has a tragic past regarding his family life growing up; Mona is anxious and doesn’t feel deserving of attention (both at work and within her own family). I appreciated seeing characters who are vulnerable and still trying to become more confident.
• Fridrik. What a blunt and sinister guy lol.

Final Thoughts

Secret Nights and Northern Lights is a beautiful, adventurous, and tender romance perfect for anyone who loves travel and second chances. I definitely want to see more travel romances like this! And I hope to read more from Megan Oliver—maybe a romance between Jacklyn and Mason, or between Fridrik and Cassandra? I’ll be looking out for whatever is coming next!

Special thanks to the publicists at Penguin Random House, Berkley, and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this book!

Get the Book

You can buy Secret Nights and Northern Lights here – it’s available as a paperback, ebook, and audiobook.

Secret Nights and Northern Lights by Megan Oliver
Audience	Adult
Genre	Contemporary Romance
Setting	Iceland
Number of Pages	384
Format I Read	Ebook (NetGalley ARC)
Original Publication Date	November 18, 2025
Publisher	Berkley

Official Summary

Childhood best friends and first loves are reunited on a make-or-break work trip to Iceland, with old feelings coming to the surface in this charming romance from debut author Megan Oliver.

Mona Miller lives her life by platitudes: she’s just fine, thanks; all good; not a problem! Everything is right as rain—even if it’s all a lie. Everyone at the travel magazine where she works knows her as a team player (in other words, the one who won’t complain about the endless fluff pieces pushed her way). But, feeling snubbed after being passed over for a promotion, Mona jumps at an international assignment to Iceland, even though she’s woefully unprepared. 

She’s determined to prove her worth, though, and her can-do attitude will scale any glacier. But the freelance photographer paired with her is none other than Benjamin Carter. Ben, her childhood best friend who understood her even when her family didn’t. Ben, her first love—first everything. And Ben, the boy who ghosted her fourteen years ago and left her brokenhearted. 

There is a decade’s worth of resentment Mona needs to ignore if she wants to make it through this trip. She’ll put on her “No worries!” façade and hold Ben at a distance. But the more time they spend together, the more the ice around her heart melts. And as those old feelings spark back to life, Mona must decide if she’s willing to go on the biggest adventure of all.