Describing this book as “for lovers of The Midnight Library” really was genius - I loved that one and I loved this one! As far as historical fiction novels go this one had less details about the specific timeframe and more details about the plot when compared to others I’ve read. This story was focused on other aspects with the setting kind of taking a lesser role. I really enjoyed the characters! The main ones were really relatable, and I loathed the antagonist the whole time. I enjoy when a book makes me feel things. The pacing was good. I felt it was slightly slow to start but with the amount of story in this one it came along nicely. I thoroughly enjoyed the author’s writing style - half the time I was in awe at the pretty language and the other half I was wondering how the author would conclude the story. I was also shocked at several plot revelations which kept me engaged with the story. Overall I really loved this book!

My thanks to Netgalley and Atria Books for providing a free e-copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Time travel, the whims of history and love; three messy, complex ideas that would be a challenge to approach alone. Hayley Gelfuso pulls off a remarkable debut by weaving them together into a story that speaks to what it means to be human and find resistance in overwhelming times. Plus, it has good ol’ fashioned pining to keep things interesting.

Without dimming the novel’s voice by way of comparison, the Book of Lost Hours is reminiscent of The Ministry of Time, The Bone Clocks and, surprisingly, The Book Thief. The novel is a story about stories, the importance of memory and the necessary resistance against the co-opting of history while acknowledging the fluidity of an agreed-upon historical canon. If this scattered description of influences and ideas sounds a tad unwieldy and convoluted, then it accurately captures the novel, yet not to the narrative’s detriment. Instead, the maelstrom of ideas and questions swirl around an essential, human love story at the centre, about a boy and a girl, their beliefs, and the world they want to leave behind.
Lisavet Levy is one of two heroines, originally from 1938 but slipping into the liminal timestream at the outset of the story. Amelia Duquesne is her counterpart in 1965 and is slowly unravelling the secret life of her uncle Ernest and his ties to the Temporal Reconnaissance Program with help from the agency’s director, Moira. While the book is plenty plotty, it soars because of the characters. I’m relatively green to historical sci-fi romance — is there an agreed-upon portmanteau like romantasy to make that description a bit less unwieldy — but I found the characters played enough outside of the established tropes to pay respect to the reader’s expectations without losing any sense of originality in the cliches. Gelfuso crafts a layered and complicated cast who are understandable in their motivations without being absolved of their faults or failings. As the novel deals with the world of covert agencies and undercover operators, to give away any more of the characters would take away part of the fun of reading and enjoyment of spending time with the cast. Except for Jack, he encapsulates the repugnancy of a power-hungry bureaucracy.
Again, for fear of spoilers, the less directly on the plot, the better. Gelfuso balances the trappings of a spy novel with the time-spanning historical romance. I was surprised to learn this was her debut, as there was a confidence to the pacing and timeline-hopping between the two protagonists. As this was pitched to me as a romance, there are some familiar turns and beats touched upon, but it would almost be insulting if certain expectations weren’t met.
Even if they’re contained within this one novel, which is surely not the case, these ideas and beliefs matter. The urge to placidly allow the greater forces of powerful men, corporations and governments to steamroll over the world and the progress we have made in an attempt to reshape it into a twisted reflection of their own image on its face seems easier. Doomscrolling through the news or tuning it out entirely feels like the best option when the world feels like it is burning around you, but it's during these times that I find myself seeking out stories of hope and resistance. I’ll fail to describe how the themes of The Book of Lost Hours resonated with me, and there might be a time in twenty years when I revisit it to find that the novel is needlessly optimistic when I’m living in a better world, but for the moment, the story was a balm without ever falling into saccharine complacency.

An interesting read I loved all of the magical aspects. It was all of the things a good book needs; fast-paced, well-written, and hard to put down!

From pre-WWII Germany to the Cold War-era America, The Book of Lost Hours is a love story of a woman who grew up in the time space, a library filled with books containing the memories of all who bore witness to history.

The story had some touching moments that gave me goosebumps! This felt like a Romance sci-fi fantasy, which isn’t my cup of tea (I should’ve considered the genres more carefully). The first half was really heavy on romance, more than I’m used to. The middle was page-turning—the different timelines were done well—very nice! But I couldn’t understand the sci-fi/time aspects so using watches and going inside the memory/books felt more like a magical portal fantasy. This Romance book was not for me after all, but it was overall okay. For fans of The Book of Doors and Romance. Thanks to Atria Books for the opportunity to read an ARC of this novel.

I kept coming back for more of this clever, beautiful, genrebending book. The author seamlessly blends romance, sci-fi, historical fiction, and suspense to create a beautiful story with well-developed characters. The breadcrumbs and foreshadowing were very well done, and kept me reading to see how things would unfold.
In my opinion this book did not suffer from the common historical fiction issue of jumping back and forth between timelines and being hard to keep track of. She had a tendency to stick with a certain storyline for a while, and then make it obvious that the focus was shifting.
This book blew me away. I'm excited for the opportunity to recommend it to library patrons!

♡Thank you to Netgalley and Atria Books for giving me this ARC in exchange for an honest review♡
Rating: ★★★★☆ (4/5)

The Book of Lost Hours is a contemplative and poignant novel that beautifully addresses the themes of memory, loss, and self-discovery. Hayley Gelfuso's debut novel (!!!) is a tear-jerking reminder that the journey of self-discovery is typically in the quiet, fleeting moments of existence. Those readers who appreciate literary fiction with psychological acumen and compassionate, multi-dimensional storytelling will definitely find a rewarding read in this novel.
Highly recommended for readers who enjoy character-driven stories with rich emotional layers and a reflective narrative.

A story about time, both physical and metaphorical, as well as a love story that defies all boundaries.

On the night of Kristallnact (1938) Lisavet Levy is hidden by her father inside the Time Space, a mysterious untethered library that contains all of the past's memories stored in books. When he does not return for her, Lisavet grows up in this liminal space, learning to walk through humanity's memories, both big and small. When Lisavet discovers that government employees called timekeepers are entering the Time Space to destroy memories and preserve their country's preferred depictions of the past, she makes it her mission to reverse and thwart these decisions. Her life forever changes again when she meets an American timekeeper named Ernest Duquesne.

This was a lovely historical time-travel romance, replete with mediations on censorship and bigger picture ideas about who writes/remembers history. I appreciated the intertwining of these larger and particularly apt discussions (particularly in our current climate) within the more traditional story base.

The story was well-paced, and moved relatively quickly. Gelfuso's writing was lyrical and poetic, evoking the dreaminess of a library made of memories (although, aren't all libraries such). Without diving too deeply into the plot, to avoid spoilers, stakes were high and as the book progressed, things complicated nicely. Although I guessed many of the twists, they culminated in a satisfying way.

I appreciated that Lisavet was a multi-faceted character, with real flaws- it added a layer of authenticity to the story. I sometimes felt that Eugene was written to be the "perfect man", and this stylistic difference between the two characters could be a bit jarring. That being said, their relationship was a high point of the book, and I enjoyed their scenes together immensely.

The story was quite cinematic, and I believe would be easily adaptable to another medium. Overall, this was a lovely book that should have wide appeal.

Thank you to Netgalley for giving me this ARC in exchange for an honest review

⭐️ - 1 star
Dnf at 45%

So I usually write long detailed reviews…but this book isn’t worth any more of my time. The entire plot was so unrealistic and lacked the magical spark that would’ve kept me interested. I was just so bored through the whole thing, finding myself literally praying the chapter was almost over. On top of that, the writing style was just super dry and I mentally couldn’t get through it.

To be fair, I’m not a fan of time travel romance to begin with and thought that this might change my mind, but I was so wrong. I think I’m ok never picking up a time travel romance again, I’ve had my fill with this. I respect the author for putting so much time and worldbuilding into her book, but it just wasn’t for me.

The concept behind this book was what drew me in. It’s unique and audacious. I’m a big fan of works that deal with memory and have some fantastical elements. And ones set (partially) in the Cold War? With time travel? And espionage? I’m in. Its execution was a bit confusing at times, both in terms of the central mechanics behind the timekeepers and the ending. The main character seemed out-of-time, not particularly tied to the reality of her timelines, which detracted from some of the historical elements. Thus, when the author tried to weave in some broader commentaries on themes like racism, or government corruption, or historical narratives, it felt a bit flat. It skewed toward a romance story more than a sci-fi or historical novel, which wasn’t my personal preference. The use of alternating timelines were interesting and the links between the characters’ stories were well-done. It was emotional at times but overall a cathartic read. I found myself enjoying the first part of the book most, losing some steam near the end and leaving me with questions. The chapters varied in length, especially near the middle, chasing the cadence of the read. The twists were somewhat predictable but that didn’t really detract from the reading experience. Overall, this was a solid read with lyrical writing, especially in a debut novel. Suitable for romance-focused readers and fans of The Book of Doors, The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue, and The Midnight Library.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

The Book of Lost Hours - I’ve sat on this review for about a week now trying to piece together my thoughts and feelings. I can’t believe this is a debut book. It has very unique world building that while it was definitely sci fi, it wasn’t so far outside realism that readers outside the genre might not enjoy it too. I thought the book comps were very thoughtfully chosen.

I did see the twists coming from early on in the book and was happy to find that I was right for the most part… some parts make me uncomfortable with it and it makes me wonder if those parts were added to camouflage the plot twist for later, but it just served to be disturbing more than anything.

I enjoyed reading this book. It held my attention throughout. What has me waffling was the characterization and story arc of the main character throughout as it led to the ending. I am still unsure about my feelings related to the ending. Was it too easy? Does it make it all a waste? I just can’t decide. The ending doesn’t totally destroy the rest of the book like some other books I’ve read, but I’m still left wondering if that was the ending with the least resistance or if maybe the challenge wasn’t fully communicated because the reader doesn’t know what’s implicated by the plan until it is actually happening. I just don’t know.

All in all, a fabulous debut and I look forward to reading more from this author!!

I would like to thank Atria Books and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I love a good time travel story and had very high hopes for this one. Unfortunately it did not quite do it for me. I did not care for the main character Lisavet Levy although I really wanted to. It just felt like there should be more to be honest. I did enjoy the writing and the concept, but some of the logistics around the memories, timekeepers and the time space didn't make sense. I just went with the flow since it's fiction after all but still found myself not very invested in the story or characters.

I'm glad I read it for something different and original but it just did not "wow" me, which is something I hope for in the books I read.

Thank you NetGalley and Atria books for the advanced copy.

2.5 stars

There was a lot good about this book but I just needed more from it. This is more of an "it's not you, it's me" problem but it is the kind of thing potential readers should know about.

In 1938 Nuremberg, when rioters come to attack her father's watch shop, Lisavet Levy's father shoves her into a magical library of memories to keep her safe and never returns. Almost 30 years later an ocean away, Amelia is mourning her uncle's death when a mysterious woman appears and offers her a role in international espionage like no other. I like time travel, magic, and books and I loved The Ministry of Time which this book is comp'd to so I thought there was a good shot I'd like this too. The plot is solid and the interweaving is all done pretty smoothly even if the twists are quite predictable. This book is just missing flavor. Where's the sauce? The protagonists all feel very cookie-cutter despite the magical aspects and don't have any complex motivations, grit, or even humor for the reader to chew on. When James was introduced I got pretty excited because finally there was a character who had some internal conflict but he doesn't really play a role at all. The magic/time travel doesn't have enough structure for the book to feel like a fantasy story, and the events aren't grounded in history enough for this to feel like historical fiction. I also generally have a problem with this kind of book club fiction because it always has such a blasé tone towards events like WWII where they're only passively used for plot or character development and aren't given the time or weight that they deserve. It's not massively problematic but it feels to me disrespectful at worst and like a missed opportunity at best. I wasn't mad when I was reading it but it feels very forgettable to me.

I know a lot of people like these kinds of books so don't count my review entirely against it, but if you need something more substantial from your books than a bit of magic, a bit of history, and a happy ending I don't think this book is worth your time.

Thank you to Hayley Gelfuso and Atria Books for this ARC in exchange for my full, honest review!

Happy reading!

I thought this was a beautifully written, lots of lovely turns of phrases, but the actual mechanics of time space to be much too confusing. It didn't really make sense to me, maybe this was a fault with my comprehension, but I needed it to be fleshed out. I thought some of it was a bit predictable, especially the love story, but I still enjoyed it. I just wish there had been more focus on the logic of time space and on history as those two elements sometimes felt like a poorly fleshed out frame to prop up the romance.

First of all, thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. This is such a captivating story. The combination of sci-fi, magical realism, and espionage wrapped up in historical fiction was fantastic to journey through. It was a bit slow a first and there were a few editing hiccups that threw me off, but nothing major. The story really picked up at about the 1/3 mark and was both heartfelt and magical with a hint of danger. I felt for the characters and adored the atmosphere both in and outside of the Time Space. The balance of right and wrong were tested in so many ways, and the results were always a surprise. I look forward to more books by Hayley Gelfuso, such a great debut novel.

This book has enormous potential! Time travel, living in the memories of others, altering the past and its impact on the future, and on top of everything else the nefarious governments trying to control the present by editing the past. I was really looking forward to some level of investigation into these fabulous themes.

Instead a very intimate and compact love story, and one that seemed to repeat itself page after page. While I’m a sucker for a good love story (having married my soul mate!), but this is at best a decent love story, especially given the twist in name and identity. And aside from a single fully developed character, the other main characters are just not well developed.

This book is well written and has some poetic and touching moments but does not come close to realizing its potential.

I walked away from this book with mixed feelings.
It had a compelling opening. The central concept of a girl stranded in a time library is one I really enjoyed. Exploring the world through the eyes of Lisavet, a girl orphaned by the Holocaust, was deftly done. I found the character of Azrael interesting.
When things shifted to the Cold War era, however, I found myself struggling. The book started to feel like an appetizer salad at a nice restaurant: a little bit of everything but not designed to fill you up. I was intrigued by the idea of a time intelligence agency, and I liked Moira. However, I didn’t care about Amelia and thought she didn’t add much to the story. Jack was a very one-dimensional villain. I began liking Lisavet less and less and found some of her choices unfathomable. (The scene of her and Jack getting together was particularly unpalatable and felt wildly unnecessary; the consequences of that were never revisited.) There were random sprinklings of commentary on racism, intelligence agency corruption, and historical revisionism that felt more obligatory than meaningful. The ending was nice, but didn’t make sense to me: you’re telling me that erasing knowledge of a time library, and the extreme historical revisions that it spawned, hardly changed history at all?
However, I did overall enjoy the book. I think Ernest and Lisavet’s romance was lovely and I was rooting for them. I think the author has a talent for coming up with original ideas, and I look forward to her next work.

I am always so interested in books that involve time travel. It’s such a fascinating topic, and it’s always done so differently. Lisavet Levy’s story was so unique! I have honestly never read anything like this one. I fell in love with her and Ernest. I fell in love with their love story. It was beautiful and heartbreaking. And Amelia, this poor girl has been through so much, yet she was incredibly resilient.

I’m so excited for more people to get their hands on this one. It’s such a uniquely beautiful tale.

Thank you so much Atria books and Netgalley for an early copy in exchange for an honest review. I loved it!

Good story. Told in two time-frames. Lots of fascinating characters. The two main characters meet in both times, but one of them does not realize this until later. A little schmalzy at the end. Worthwhile and recommended.

Thank you NetGalley and Simon and Schuster for an advanced eBook of The Book of Lost Hours. This book sucked me in from page 1. I was instantly captivated by Lisavet's story and how she adapted to her unique situation. It was very thought provoking and I loved the depth of all the characters.

I LOVED THIS BOOK. I have never highlighted so much while reading before, but I was obsessed. The entire time I was on the edge of my seat. I loved every part of it and was kicking my feet and giggling or gasping at every piece of new information as I kept reading.

THIS BOOK WILL BECOME A BESTSELLER. If it doesn’t I might riot. I hope nobody share spoilers before it is published. I cannot wait to share it with my friends and family so we can discuss it together!! August cant come soon enough.

The Book of Lost Hours is described as “A sweeping, cinematic love story, this feat of imagination explores memory, time, and the lengths we will go to in order to protect the existence of those we love.”

It artfully jumps between two timelines and is so beautifully descriptive that you feel as if you in the book yourself.

Even better, this book was inspired by The Library: A Fragile History ??? I also love this book so this tidbit in the acknowledgments broke my brain.
The book has been described as a for fans of The Ministry of Time, The Midnight Library, and the Invisible Life of Addie La Rue. While I agree these books share some characteristics I don’t think disliking one of them should make you avoid the Book of Lost Hours. This book is also much more tangible with easier to follow timelines. The Book of Lost Hours also stands on its own as it is a story that has something for everyone. History, romance, geopolitics, imagination, appreciation for books, strong women, science, there’s literally so much packed into this book that I truly think anyone could find something to love.

On the surface The Book of Lost Hours is a work of fiction which shared a creative idea of if timekeepers and memories existed in books ones could access and change in a magical world. But on a deeper level it considers censorship, lost knowledge, and who is in control of history. It is such a mutli layered book that you won’t be able to guess what will happen next.

I loved every part of reading it and I cant wait to read it again.