⭐️⭐️ (2/5 stars)

Listen, I'm all for escaping into multiple layers of reality where natural laws are more of a suggestion than a rule (hello, relatable), but The Last Hour Between Worlds didn’t quite whisk me away the way I hoped it would.

The premise? Intriguing as heck. A badass investigator, Kembral Thorne, is stuck at a party that’s literally spiraling into a nightmare (we’ve all been there, am I right?). Mysterious forces are dragging people through layers of reality, and we’ve got teeth-eyed creatures and blood-dripping walls by layer four. All solid nightmare fuel! But somehow, despite all that, I just couldn’t connect with the characters. Kembral felt flat to me, like she was going through the motions, and her dynamic with Rika Nonesuch—her "awfully compelling" nemesis—left me wanting more tension, more spark, more… well, something.

That said, I’ve got to give credit where it’s due: the cover is gorgeous. Honestly, I would hang it on my wall. It’s a stunning piece of art that perfectly sets the mood of otherworldly chaos (which, ironically, was more compelling to me than the chaos inside the actual book).

While the plot had plenty of potential, it just didn't grab me. I found myself skimming at points, waiting for something to click with the characters or the narrative—but it never did. If you're into mind-bending realities and cosmic-level threats, maybe this one will work better for you, but personally, I’m heading back up to the surface after this trip through the Deep Echoes.

I was really excited to read this because of the premise of the book, but sadly it just fell a bit flat for me. Maybe, it was just bad timing on my part. I thought the writing was great,but I didn't really connect much to the characters.

Rating: 2 stars
***Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the ARC ebook.

Gosh, I really REALLY wanted to like this one. Locked room murder mystery and a "groundhog day" time loop? Let's go! I love science fiction/fantasy, and a time loop story--I was ready, I was amped, and this crashed and burned. I just couldn't get into it and it felt like pulling teeth trying to get through it.
You're thrown into the world and FMC Kembral is at a work party after being on maternity leave, she sees her rival Rike Nonesuch (...these names are so YA). She would refer to events that happened and the reader is just supposed to know what's going without explanation. The time loops were also so pointless and boring--especially after 11/12 times? The dialogue was campy (in a bad way), the romance just absurd (no tension, and just nothing there for me) and I just was go glad to finally be done with it once I finished.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the chance to read this eARC.

DNF at 20%.

Unfortunately this one wasn’t for me. I usually love time loop stories but the world building in this one was chaotic and inadequate. I kept reading it like “what are you even talking about?” The main character would mention some random event that happened by its name and then expect the reader to infer things? The world building was randomly inserted in inappropriate times and I could not get over the lack of it.

Also, Cats and Hounds? Rika Nonesuch? Are you writing an adult fantasy?? Because it definitely did not feel like it. Maybe this is supposed to be some kind of humor but it went way over my head if it was.

In theory, this book sounds fantastic: 12 Echoes below the Prime layer - never have that many lined up before but now they did and somehow this event is occurring and the Mc needs to figure out how to stop it. But the execution? Terrible!

And while I like the inclusion of a newborn mother as the main character, I need to know if it was actually relevant to the plot or if the author just went “oooh I’ll make her a mom for representation purposes.” Because to where I got, her being a mother had no relevance to the story. Except that she kept going “I have a baby at home to worry about so I can’t risk my life.” The baby daddy walked out when he found out she was pregnant and she obviously has had a long time crush on this Cat lady. It just felt more like a character trait than anything else.

Not for me, but might be for others.

The premise of The Last Hour Between Worlds seemed like it would be something I would be OBSESSED with, but unfortunately this just wasn't for me.

This was so fun!! After being on leave for a few months to have her baby, she goes to a work party just trying to relax and not worry, but when the guests start dying, she realizes that's not possible.

Groundhog day and a sapphic cat and mouse game rivals who team up to figure out how to save them all. It's all very gay, and I loved it. I enjoyed the unique magic system, the adventure, and the cast of characters. I'm excited for the next book!! Thank you, Netgalley for the arc.

This is a Knives Out meets Lovecraft meets the Remedial Chaos Theory episode of Community, but make it sapphic gaslamp fantasy.

Kem is a new mother who just wants a night out, but manages to get sucked into a game between the gods and to make matters worse, her maybe sort of ex-girlfriend is there too. And also there's a lot of murder and jumping between realities.

This was twisty and fun and funny with, lots of fast-paced world building, and I cannot wait to get the next one this trilogy.

4.5/5 stars.

I have somewhat mixed emotions on the book due to how it started. At first it was hard to get into as it dived into the main situation of the story so fast that I was having trouble keeping up, BUT it was so unique and interesting that it kept me thoroughly entertained.

Thank you to NetGalley and Orbit for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

4.5 stars rounded up.

WOW! I can't remember the last time a book threw me into the middle of an exciting event and then turned everything upside down in the best way possible (Gideon the Ninth comes to mind, but that can't be the last book that made me feel this way, can it??).

The premise: Senior Hound and new mother Kembrall Thorne is attending the hottest event of the season- a New Year's party at a fancy mansion. The twist: the guests don't know they're all about to fall into an Echo (realities that exist below their own "Prime" reality) and become part of a game that non-mortals play.

I won't say much more because it was so fun to get thrown into the mix with as little information as possible, and I promise that the book will answer all questions as it takes you along for the ride. Aside from the high stakes involved, and trust me the stakes are HIGH, Thorne will also have to contend with seeing her long-time rival and worse, her ex-situationship, the city's best Cat.

I will say that this is also a very, very drawn out slow-burn but the tension is sooooo juicy. I highly recommend this if you like a good time-loop, Time-War-esque story!

DNF @ 35%
I tried to give this book to the 1/3rd mark to see it would pick up, and it did not. While a fun premise and interesting world, The Last Hour Between Worlds just felt kind of boring. I think perhaps if I had more patience right now I would maybe be able to stick it out, but I don’t, and frankly this book isn’t giving me enough of a reason to do so anyways.

I have previously enjoyed Caruso's other two series, so I went into The Last Hour Between Worlds expecting to enjoy it. Unfortunately, this fell rather flat for me. I found the premise, a locked-room murder mystery with a Groundhog Day-esque time loop, to be rather intriguing. However, after the first few times, the time loop shifts from being new and intriguing to redundant and boring. I think if Caruso had only included maybe 4 or 5 time loops, instead of the 11 or 12 that we had to read about, I would have enjoyed this book a lot more.

The thing I disliked most about this book though was the character-work. The characters were all very one-note. Our main character Kembral is our plucky single mom heroine who is such a good person as evidenced by her constant internal monologue about wanting to put herself in danger to save dogs and children. Rika is beautiful, mysterious, and aloof with a tragic backstory. The main villain is all-powerful and is doing villainous things just because. The dialogue was overly corny, felt very YA, and beat you over the head with what an amazing person with an amazing conscious our main character is. Also, the major reveal about [the identity of the echo born that Kembral knew as a child made me roll my eyes into the back of my head.

Overall, while the premise of this story was rather interesting, it falls flat with the one dimensional characters and repetitive nature of the story telling.

Three Reasons to Read:

1. If frantic pacing x Groundhogs Day feels like a vibe you want. Also, shorter chapters FTW!
2. You prefer relationship building over world building.
3. You want a “Modern family” but with your coworkers.

Three Reasons to Pass:

1. If campy dialogue is an immediate no.
2. If you need an answer behind every “but why” question. Also, I really wanted a cast list and a glossary. Anything to explain the world building.
3. If you’re looking for a deep read in the fantasy genre.

While I appreciated the new-mom POV (As a parent, I found it accurate), it didn’t capture my heart enough to want to go to the next book.

My thanks to @netgalley & @orbitbooks_us for this ARC.

2.5/5

First, I want to say thank you to NetGalley and Orbit Publishing for granting me a copy of this ARC.

This book was a fantastic read! As I do with most books, I went into it completely blind. I selected it because I loved the cover and I knew it was fantasy. As usual, I don’t regret going in blind and I highly recommend you do the same!

What I loved:
*The world was fascinating and imaginative - and the world building was well done.
*There was a mix of familiar magic elements and some I’ve never seen before.
*Dynamic characters that I enjoyed spending time with
*Great villains
*Fascinating plot
*High Stakes
*Banter
*Diversity
*Some other elements I won’t share so they can be surprises 🤓

What I didn’t like:
*I have to wait a year for the sequel 😭

You gotta check this one out when it releases in November!

****Don’t read past here if you want to go in blind****




If you like time loops, some sword play, mystery, bizarre/trippy surroundings, sci-fi elements, romantic tension, magic, and high stakes/save the world vibes - this book is for you.

Also, I gotta say - Kembral is a BADDIE! She just had a baby and wanted to just enjoy a dang party. But when shit hits the fan, she doesn’t hesitate to jump into action and start kicking ass. 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼

Note: Thank you to Orbit and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read an e-ARC of The Last Hour Between Worlds by Melissa Caruso!

Rating: 5/5 Stars!

Summary: Kembral Thorne, a member of the Hounds guild with the ability to enter the Echoes (layers of reality descending into madness) and blink-step, is spending the night away from her newborn, Emmi, for the first time since she was born. She’s determined to get some enjoyment out of the elite New Year’s ball she’s been invited to by Dona Marjoria, one of the council members of Acantis City, except, her coworker tells her something strange is happening in the Echoes, and her almost-something rival from the Cats guild, Rika Nonesuch, is there, too. And then, Kembral witnesses the entire ballroom full of people die, before a strange relic clock strikes, and everything has been reset, but no one remembers dying- except for Kem.

As Kem races to figure out the mystery behind why this is happening so she can return safely to her daughter, she will uncover more about the Echoes than she thought possible, and, with Rika by her side, she may even uncover the mystery as to why Rika betrayed her– and if everything that happened that day really was a lie.

Review: Oh my God! This book is absolutely perfect, from the worldbuilding right down to the details and the dialogue. As with all fantasy books, you may be confused in the beginning, but I promise if you keep reading literally everything is explained in the most satisfying way. Kem was such an enjoyable protagonist who is so done with everything and everyone (except Rika and Emmi) and I was rooting for her the whole way through. Caruso maneuvers the pieces in subtle but delicious ways that results in the twists being both surprising and satisfying because there were plenty of clues to help clue you in beforehand without totally ruining it.

And the world! Oh my God the world! I can’t wait to read more of it because this is the first book in a series and I’ve never been so excited to find that out because that means I get to explore the world more with the future books. I wish I had my own Echo clock that went forward in time so I could just have them now. Anyway– what a world! It’s whimsical and mysterious, strange and sometimes terrifying, and at times incomprehensible– each Echo becomes less grounded in reality as you descend, and boy, do we descend in this book. Caruso triumphs in attaining this imagery without being entirely incomprehensible to readers– I never lost track of what was happening and Kem’s calm, decisive process for dealing with Echoes probably made it a lot easier for readers to keep up.

I loved the characters, all of them are so nuanced and enjoyable, and I ended up enjoying more of the characters than I usually do in books like this with so many fast-moving parts. I would die for Blair. Kem and Rika are so good, and I would love to see Rika helping Kem raise Emmi. Dona Marjorie is such a queen, she was consistently such a badass throughout the entire book.

Melissa Caruso I adore what you’ve created and I can’t wait to see where you take it! I highly recommend this book for fans of death game media, Baldur’s Gate 3 fans, DND and TTRPG fans in general, Hoyo game fans, anyone who likes women with swords. There’s a lot of them– thank me later.

This was such a FUN book! This book combines a number of things that I haven't necessarily read together before, making it an absolute treat to read. It has an interesting world that combines a regular fantasy world with increasingly odd, twisted, and Wonderland-ish layers of the world, giving a wonderful mix of things that regular fantasy readers will find familiar AND things that are imaginative and different without becoming overwhelming; it has a main character who is older and a recent mother, whose motherhood is incredibly important to her but doesn't become her sole defining quality; it has a fun love interest hiding lots of secrets; a supporting cast of characters that is very realized and fun and intriguing; and an almost fae-like group of eldritch creatures whose actions and interests have horrific consequences for the main characters.

The book moves at a good clip and is incredibly engrossing. I finished this in just two days, despite being very busy, because I kept wanting to come back and learn more about what is going on. This book is a fantasy mystery; it focuses on Kem, a Hound (investigator) in this world, who despite being on maternity leave ends up having to solve a mystery because, well, she was just trying to attend her first party since having a baby and instead the party keeps resetting and having murders happen. Rather than being a simple Groundhog Day style plot, the author includes a fun fantastical element where the clock doesn't merely reset; instead, the world keeps sinking further into what are, essentially, alternate realities that keep getting more and more disturbing, fantastical, and grotesque. Kem ultimately deputizes her nemesis-slash-love-interest, Rika, into helping her investigate, as no one remembers the same few hours resetting every few hours, leaving Kem and Rika as the two people who need to solve and stop what is happening. Because of the new world in each reset, the plot fails to become stale, as each new version of the world introduces new elements that are off, weird, different, and strange. As a reader, I found myself eager to see what each reset would bring because I wanted to see more of these Echo layers and just how twisted they could get. I don't think of this book as dark, though, or of it leaning into horror elements. I was never scared while reading (good thing for me; horror is something I do struggle with reading), nor were the elements of horror, especially body horror, overwhelming to me. They were deftly used, adding interest without becoming a creepy, gross slog to get through.

I very much liked the characters, but I will admit that in many cases I was more interested in the secondary characters than I necessarily was in the main two. I did quite like Kem, but Rika never really clicked for me. There were several Big Reveals about Rika that fell flat for me. However, the supporting cast is fantastic. I adored each and every one of them, and am very much looking forward to seeing them again.

(Another point in this novel's favor? While this is going to be a series, this book very much could be read as a standalone. It wraps up in a satisfying way while obviously leaving the door open for the next book.)

The romance is very lightly done. I think I saw this book marketed as a romantasy at some point, so I was nervous about reading this, as I pretty universally dislike romantasy. However, I was pleased to find that this is mostly a fantasy, with romantic tension driving part of the secondary plots. If you are looking for steamy romance, this will not be for you. This is a super slow burn romance, with no steam.

Overall, I very much enjoyed this. It was an easy read, not too deep or serious, with enjoyable characters and a really interesting world. I had some issues with how some Big Reveals were handled, as I thought they were clunkier and less impactful than they should have been, but I still had a really good time with this book. Thanks to NetGalley for providing an eARC; all opinions are my own.

This was a hard book to get into at first and I almost gave up because the world building was a lot but I’m glad I pushed through because the locked room mystery aspect of it was so intriguing once m settled in. I enjoyed the FMC was different and intriguing. Will be adding to our library.

I enjoyed this fast paced, locked room murder mystery. The story and premise is really interesting and unique; once I got past the first 10% of the book I was really hooked. I did find some parts of the book slower than others and I do wish the echo relics were explained a bit more, but overall it was a very fun read and I'm interested to see where the rest of the series goes from here.

DNF @ 41%

Sapphic, early 30s mother FMC, and a super cool techno-alternate reality setting with multi-dimensions - what more could you want, right?

The start of this novel really hooked me and I was really excited to see where the premise would lead from a plot development standpoint. There was a lot of creativity in concept, and the writing had a complementary flow.

Unfortunately though, I just experienced a cluster mindfuck from the lack of answers in the world building. I really had a hard time really understanding where we were going with the story. At first I thought it was refreshing that the author wasn’t just info dumping at the outset and inserting terms from the world within natural conversation, but the problem is that those terms were never fully explained, even 41% in. At that point, it just made it hard to continue picking this one up.

An exciting, tightly woven murder mystery featuring a strong single mother as the protagonist? Absolutely! I can't hide it; the world creation was almost too much for me at the beginning, but it really comes together after the initial 10% of the story. The downside is that I would have liked more clarity on the echo relics. also had a personal preference for knowing all the "players" from the beginning, but that's just how I am. The introduction of the other characters was done in a way that felt manageable, not overwhelming. However, the romance aspect was a bit of a letdown for me. It just didn't resonate, and it seemed more like a friendly connection than a romantic one. All in all, a delightful read, and I'm eagerly anticipating more from this writer.

Join Kembral and Rika as they journey through layers of reality to save the world as they know it in this fascinating adventure fantasy about rival guilds, reality-bending magic, and unexpected mystery. This story featured fascinating world-building with layers of "echoes" that the characters were forced to experience throughout a time-looped evening, on a brink of a new year.
I did find the magic system a little hard to follow, especially in the beginning, as there was quite a lot to it. My only real complaint with the story is that it felt a little slow in the beginning, which might be a "me" problem because so much happens so quickly. There are no info dumps, everyone is thrown into the action within the first few chapters of the book, and no one, especially the main character, really has a chance to catch their breath.
As a result, it does take a while to understand how the levels of reality work and what the Echoes and Empyreans actually are, and what their powers consist of. But this all pays out wonderfully in the end. By the halfway point of the book I was sucked in and finished the story within days. The reader really needs to jump into the story, and trust the author to bring you along, which she absolutely does. There were plenty of disparate plots throughout the story that all came together brilliantly in the end.
I really enjoyed this story and I am so glad that I received an ARC of this excellent start to a brand new series. I had never heard of this author or this book before, but I am so excited to find a new world that I could get lost in and I cannot wait for the next book in this series.



Thank you to NetGalley and Orbit Books for a copy of this eARC in exchange for an honest review.