I absolutely loved the premise of this book! The Ministry of Time is part sci-fi (in its plot), part historical (in its characters), part contemporary (in setting and vibe). It has a smart plot-twist I didn't see coming! The ending is a bit abrupt, making me wish we had more time with the characters as their lives changed dramatically. This story has something for everyone: richly presented history (which was my favorite part, with more details about the inspiration in the afterword), spies, time travel, secrets, and a love story (or two, or three).

It took me 5 tries to get through this book. The writing style isn't my preferred style and it's also super slow burn. But I knew I would like it - I just knew it - because I generally love time travel books. I'm SO GLAD I stuck with it. The ending is DYNAMITE. Loved it so much.

An interesting spin on time travel and the butterfly effect. The narrators voice was very distinct and emotional while also being clinical, which made sense as I discovered more about why she was telling this story.

This is a first novel? Bradley's tale of involuntary time-travel, government bureaucracy, and true love, is dazzling and delightful. The writing, particularly the dialogue, is top-notch - clever and funny. The improbably romance between the 21st century civil servant narrator and the 19th century naval officer is pleasing on every level. Bradley manages to avoid the usual pitfalls of time travel novels and delivers an ending that is just as satisfying as the spectacular start. I can't wait to read her follow-up novel.

I loved the premise of this book, as it is completely unlike any other book I've read before. However, I found this book to have a mushy middle that I could just not completely get through, with so many other summer reading titles calling my name.

I picked this up and put it down an awful lot, and was in the middle of moving when I was reading it, so that may explain why I didn't ever feel fully immersed in the story. To be honest, I got a little confused between the different time travellers, and I'm not sure if it's because the ministry called them by different names than they called each other, or what.

I have no doubt this was a great book, and I heard about it constantly on all of the reading podcasts I listen to, but it was decidedly not for me.

#NetGalley
#TheMinistryofTime

This book manages to fit so many genres into one story — romance, sci-fi time travel, espionage thriller, quirky found family — and it's undeniably entertaining. I love the time travel premise and setup to the story, and Kaliane Bradley writes with a delightful sense of humor. I enjoyed the beginning of the book more than the end, but definitely a fun escapist read with something for everyone.

I’ve gone back and forth with my feelings on this book. It was super hyped and so I was very excited to read it and was instantly interested when I started. I don’t know if outlander was an accurate comp for this book so I went in thinking it was going to be different. This book is definitely more literary. Overall, I was interested and finished the book. By the end, I didn’t feel the buy in on these characters and felt myself just wanting to finish the book. I will say that I am excited for the tv adaptation of this book because I think the book lends itself to that format. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

There have been a host of time travel stories that came out in the first half of 2024 but The Ministry of Time manages to be one of the best. For fans of Ben E. Winters, Kaliane Bradley's novel imagines a future where the government assigns employees to act as a bridge to time refugees. There's a lot going here but Bradley manages to wrap everything up in surprisingly few pages. Sure to be one of the "best" of 2024, The Ministry of Time was one of the most engaging and fun books I've read in a long time.

Barack Obama and I are on the same page with this one. Three of my daughter's book clubs (don't ask. I raised a reader) have picked it and all love it.

Fantastic. Had such a good time reading this. I think it’s going to be a big hit because it has very memorable prose and plot, and it feels unique to a lot of the stories coming out lately. Very excited to see what’s next form Kaliane Bradley!

This story begins with a young woman receiving a stroke of good luck - she's hired for a plum job as a handler for one of several individuals plucked from various points in history so that the effects of time travel can be studied. Her assignment is "1847," a Victorian polar explorer named Graham Gore who died on an Arctic expedition... in 1847.
Unlike so many synopses, this one describing the novel as "a time travel romance, a spy thriller, a workplace comedy," is pretty accurate. Readers who are more interested in the mechanics of science and hows and whys probably won't enjoy this as much; this is a literary sci fi novel along the lines of Never Let Me Go where the focus is on the characters, ethical dilemmas, and emotion. It gently, stoically explores imperialism and the refugee/immigrant/ person of color experience in a white culture, as well as ethics and personal responsibility. The writing is provocative and lovely, with piquant observations, moments of wry humor, an appreciation for history, and clear-eyed candor on the marvels and trappings of our modern world.
A couple hours before the end, the narrator referenced entering the "final weeks," and I thought a slightly despairing oh no because I didn't want it to end. This begins as an enormously entertaining book (especially if you're prone to, ahem, romances with Victorian gentlemen), but towards the end, it shakes off its restraints and also provokes genuine anxiety, tenderness, and empathy. This story surprised me in the best of ways and left me both yearning and hopeful.
4 stars for an incredible debut!!

I found this book to be kind of bland despite all the hype. I wish I liked it more. but the concept is really fun

I adored this book--it felt completely original and I was swept up in the narrative from the very beginning. However, I found that my ARC had some formatting issues which made it chanllenging to read.

A fun take on time travel. I was surprised by many of the twists the story took, and I thought the author did a good job withholding enough information that the reveals felt exciting and rewarding.

A new mysterious government organization, The Ministry of Time, has a fascinating function: use a time machine to rescue people from the past and bring them to the present. Amid this indisputably challenging endeavor enters our narrator. She will function as a ‘bridge’, a companion of sorts assigned to one of the time-refugees. She is tasked with helping him acclimate to a time he knows nothing about.

This book had just the right amount of science fiction to set up a story that is really about emotion and human connection. Filled with humor and wit, this unique story is an enjoyable, quick and fun read.

Ministry of Time was a highly anticipated read, and I am so sad that it did not work for me. It is likely a case of I am just not smart enough for this storyline.

There is a lot to like. My favorite part was the male lead is learning to live in the future. It was often hilarious and occasionally sad as I thought about my parents learning computers, etc. It taught me to give them a break when they ask me questions about Google.

I also really enjoyed the found family aspect of the novel. Many of the side characters added depth and brevity to the storyline.

Honestly, I think if I had been able to wrap my head around the science of the story, I would have enjoyed this a lot more. So, if you like hard science fiction with romance, I would recommend it.

Thank you to NetGalley and Avid Reader Press / Simon & Schuster for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley was an interesting and intriguing book. I was hooked right away Plucking people, expats specifically, out of history as a way to test time travel. Now imagine one of these expats suddenly becoming your roommate. I appreciated the historical accuracies in this book. This book not only had an interesting story but it taught you a little bit about life and history.

I have mixed feelings about this very interesting book! First, I am a huge fan of reading about real life Arctic explorations in the 1700 and 1800s, so I loved the inclusion of Graham Gore! The premise was also really interesting!
Where it lost me was having no explanation for some major plot points and there were some side characters that I loved way more than the MC and Gore. I also think the author was just trying to do too much. So many opportunities for great discussions, but nothing was in depth so it just felt like missed opportunities. I still think this was worth reading!

Despite all the buzz, this was just fine for me. I didn't love the main female narrator remaining unnamed. There were a few places where the intersecting timelines caused more confusion than clarity.

Immediately yes. We were all arguing over who got to put this out as a recommended book at the shop. I really enjoyed this timey wimey book. Perfect summer read. Thank yall so much!