Editorial review
The Night Service: Callie's Story
By Harriet Kass
Harriet Kass proves that desire and suspense make a formidable pairing.
Reviewed by CANREADS
Harriet Kass proves that desire and suspense make a formidable pairing.
In Kass’s The Night Service: Callie's Story, Callie Bennet is a recent university graduate working in a coffee shop and struggling to repay her student loans. Her life changes drastically when, in an attempt to improve her financial situation, she joins The Night Service—an escort agency for the elite. What follows is a fiery story of resilience, passion, and jealousy as Callie becomes entangled in a love triangle between Damian, a fellow escort, and Ryan, a powerful lawyer who is both a potential client and regular customer at the coffee shop where she works. This uniquely modern take on the Cinderella trope explores sex positivity and emotional growth while acknowledging the darker challenges that sex workers may face.
Kass pens a highly engaging tale that feels fresh, unpredictable, and full of twists. One particular pivotal moment is especially shocking, reshaping the direction of the story in a way few readers will anticipate. The love triangle is equally compelling, encouraging readers to debate between “Team Ryan” and “Team Damian,” and even shift their opinions as the story progresses. This is a story where love is messy yet real, and it is clear that Kass never settles for easy answers where love is concerned.
Beyond the romantic entanglements, the novel offers thought-provoking, nuanced commentary on sex work. Kass raises questions around moral conflicts while also presenting sex positivity in a meaningful way, balancing empowerment with the complex emotional realities of the profession. In this sense, the novel never loses sight of the humanity behind its provocative premise. As well, Kass’s prose is confident, clear, and remarkably natural, allowing the story to unfold seamlessly. The dialogue feels authentic and contemporary, while the passionate, well-written intimate scenes strengthen both the romance and the emotional stakes.
Although Ryan and Damian are well-developed characters, Callie and Annie would benefit from richer backstories and stronger motivations to further strengthen the novel's emotional impact. The conclusion also feels somewhat rushed, and a final proofreading pass to address a handful of typographical errors would have made an already polished manuscript even stronger. These minor issues, however, do not detract significantly from the overall reading experience.
Fans of love triangles, erotic romance, and stories that blend escapism with meaningful themes will find The Night Service: Callie's Story to be a memorable and entertaining read. Thought-provoking, romantic, and impossible to predict, Kass’s The Night Service: Callie’s Story is a novel that readers won’t be able to set down.
—CANREADS BOOK REVIEW