I was captivated by the first half of this book. It tells the story of a woman and her daughter in the midst of an oppressive cult. They share a love for words and books, despite access being quite limited within The Community (as books are deemed evil). The daughter, Mia encounters The Scarlett Letter on a particularly meaningful day, and it seemingly changes the course of her life.

There’s beautiful storytelling in this first half, and parts of the story had me weeping. I appreciated the perspective on life, love and grief. But I didn’t feel quite as connected to the latter half, perhaps because the elements of magic and time travel felt like they were introduced too late. I was looking for more plot, and wanted to stay enveloped in Mia’s arc and journey.

Thank you to Netgalley and Simon & Schuster Canada for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I am completely in love with Alice Hoffman’s writing style and the beautiful way that she writes female relationships. This story tells the tale of a young woman who will do anything for her daughter and how her daughter finds strength in her darkest hour from the words in a book. There is romance, a beautiful mother daughter relationship, magical realism and hope. I absolutely loved this story!

I was hooked from the very beginning and couldn’t put the book down. I finished the book in one sitting. This is the first book I’ve read by Alice Hoffman and I enjoyed it. I am looking forward to reading her other books now. This book is released August 15, 2023. Thank you to Simon & Schuster Canada, Atria Book, Alice Hoffman and Netgalley for an opportunity to read an advanced copy of this books.

Huge thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for the eARC in exchange for an honest review!

*Stefon from SNL voice" This book has everything. Cults, time travel, the enduring magic of books, and of course the gorgeous writing I expect from Alice Hoffman. It's been a while since a book made me cry on public transit (because I stopped commuting, not because I stopped reading sad books), but this book had me crying on the Go Bus.

The Invisible Hour tells the story of Mia, who grows up in a cult where, among other things, books have been forbidden. But Mia breaks those rules and one book in particular helps save her. This book is powerful and poignant, and feels especially important now in a time where books are being banned and peoples bodies are being policed. Alice Hoffman has such a talent for creating characters you become attached to and stories that resonate.

I love Alice Hoffman and her books are usually all 5* reads for me. This one started off with so much promise. I was rooting for Ivy and Mia to escape the Community and start their lives again.

For me, it was not as magical as her other books. I found a lot of details skimmed over and would have liked more on how Mia coped once she was back living in the real world. I love historical fiction and books about books but this was missing something for me. Her life seems to just float along until she ends up time travelling to Salem and Nathanial Hawthorne before he writes the Scarlet Letter. Yes, I know this is fiction but I found the time travel on demand and the affair a bit too far fetched.

I did enjoy the ending for Joel (no spoilers here!). I wish the story had continued back in present time but perhaps that means a sequel?

Thank you to Net Galley, the publisher and author for the advanced copy of this book.

Thank you to Netgalley and Simon & Schuster Canada for the chance to read and review this title early.

3.5, purely due to my own reading preferences.

Going in to this book, I knew this wasn't my usual sort of read. But, I am attempting to broaden my horizons a bit! So, I gave it a whirl.

The story is intriguing, and the main characters are quite interesting. It is, in the end, simply a story about a pregnant teen who runs away to join a cult though.

I found myself long for more of a plot. (But that's likely my fantasy reading brain at play, I'm sure people used to reading Book Club picks will love this book)

The writing style is great, and it most definitely has convinced me to read more of Alice Hoffman's work!