"The Last Hour Between Worlds" was such a wild ride! I loved every minute of it—from the reality-bending premise to the tense rival-to-lovers dynamic between Kembral and Rika. The whole "falling through layers of reality" concept felt fresh and had me guessing every step of the way.

Kembral as a main character was an absolute force. She's not just your average investigator; she’s a new mom who’s pulled back into chaos after just wanting a break. The way her maternal instincts and sharp mind meshed was so satisfying, especially when paired with her complex relationship with Rika. Their chemistry? Chef's kiss. It’s sapphic tension done right, and I was so here for the slow burn between them.

There were a few spots where I got a little lost with the Echoes and lore. The layers of reality could feel a bit confusing at times, especially with the heavy info-dumps, but by the end, it all clicked into place. The pacing kept things moving, though I did feel it lag in the middle before ramping back up.

The horror aspects of the story—like the increasingly grotesque party scenes—were super effective and really added to the tension. You can just feel the clock ticking down (literally and metaphorically), which kept me on the edge of my seat.

I’m genuinely so excited for more in this series. Melissa Caruso has created a world that's vivid, imaginative, and interesting.

Somehow, I think this book just isn’t for me.
I’m about half way through…and stuck.
The premise is interesting…old gods playing with their food. After that, it just feels muddy.

Where are we? Is this Earth? A version of Earth? Another realm entirely? Or did I just miss something?
The idea of shifting through several layers…”holes” of reality…replaying a single event over and over is too Groundhog Day for me. But even that is interesting, in that we retain some bit of knowledge from the last shift, and maybe we can change the outcome of the game.

But, honestly, it would be good if I liked any of the characters. If any of them were interesting, it would push the story forward, but I can’t find any sympathy for any of them.

I may come back to this one and try it again with a fresh perspective, but right now, it’s a no-go.

3 stars for an interesting idea and great cover art.

I enjoyed the book. The story and premise is really interesting and that’s what drew me into the book. I did find some parts of the book slower than others but in the end I did find myself having throughly enjoyed the book.

Thank you NetGalley and Melissa for allowing me to read this ARC. I will be ordering for my library.

Thank you to NetGalley, Melissa Caruso, and the publisher for allowing access to the e-Arc.

4.5 stars

I enjoyed this murder mystery with reality-bending magic and work rivals. This was such a fun read. I absolutely adore Kem the FMC. There is something special about her. The discussions of motherhood were beautifully woven into the narrative. I’m so glad that I got an early opportunity to read it.

I highly recommend it!

THE LAST HOUR BETWEEN WORLDS by Melissa Caruso is sinister locked room kind of murder mystery and more, with an extremely competent protagonist stuck in a time loopy thing with reality-bending magic. It's the neatest setting I've read in a long time and I loved how the fluidity of the setting added a layer of awe and heightened the stakes.

The MC is a new mom who has just taken an evening away from her baby to socialize, and I quite love how the author depicts this coloring her every move, as well as her conflicting emotions. However, this needed some editing to smooth out the constant repetition of the fact that her insides were rearranged due to her carrying her baby to term, and the focus on her body's change because of pregnancy was quite overdone in pockets, and the resolution of her emotions was very abrupt. Take it with a heaping mountainful of salt cause I don't know how that feels.

Full review to come

The Last Hour Between Worlds was such an interesting, unique story; the author took a typical locked-room mystery structure and twisted it into different layers of reality. I liked the humor, and I adored the complexity of the main characters and their relationship with one another.

I don’t think there will ever be another story quite like this one. I’m really hoping it turns into a series!

Thank you NetGalley and Orbit Books for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

*Thank you to the publisher for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.**

This was probably one of the most unique premises for a novel that I've read in a long time - I can't even come up with an example of what it is comparable to, because it is wholly unlike anything else I've ever read.

This was a whirlwind. Admittedly, the first 20% saw my attention wandering off, but once I got into it, I could not put it down. The descriptions of the various deep layers of reality (or unreality, I suppose), were frightening, chilling, and remarkably surreal to the point of being pure nightmare fuel.

I'm interested to see where the rest of the series goes - this was a really strong first installment.

A fast paced, locked room murder mystery with a capable single mom as the main hero? Yes please! Not going to lie, the world building almost got me at the start but once you get past the first 10% of the book it actually unfolds into a really great magic system. One con is that I wish the echo relics were explained a bit more.

I also would have preferred that all of the “players” were known from the start but that’s just a personal preference. The other characters were introduced in a way that didn’t seem too complicated or all get thrown at you at once where you’re struggling to keep up.

The only part that I couldn’t get behind was the romance. Something about it just didn’t click with me and they felt more friendly than anything else.

Overall, a very fun read and I can’t wait for more from this author.

I can’t say enough good things about this book! This book had everything I wanted in a fantasy, science-fiction type book. I loved the idea of different realities and how each reality had a different layer to them. The world that the story took place in was well articulated and very easy to understand and remember the background of characters. I fell in love with the main character and I can not wait for what’s next because this book was a wild ride.

I want to thank NetGalley for this eARC in exchange for my honest review as well as the author for this free copy.

I am a huge fan of all Melissa Caruso's books and I was looking forward to this one. I knew it would be a departure from her other book series but was willing to take the journey. It doesn't spend ANY time on world building or set up, just throws you into the story from word one. This actually works well as it aligns quite a bit like Kem's character's experience and you find out what is happening along with her. After a chapter, maybe 2, I was completely sucked in and wanted to read faster and faster to find out what happened next. I really ended up enjoying it and can't wait to see how it's received once published and the next book in the series to be available!

I received an e-arc from the publisher and Netgalley for review.

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

About 20% of the way into this book, I knew it was a winner. At the 80% mark, I knew it was 5 stars. This book was great, an absolute banger, and I enjoyed every single minute of reading.

Kembral is the best kind of protagonist: a woman (duh), completely competent, driven by the truth, takes no crap from men, and not-so-secretly totally into her proclaimed rival. She’s a new mom whose focus on her work is only enhanced by her newborn daughter. While some may try to use that against her, she never sacrifices her commitment to the truth or her commitment to her daughter. We love a (seemingly middle-aged) protagonist who knows how good they are something and who knows the truth matters.

The rivalry between Kem and Rika is the heart of this novel, as they must get over each other’s slights to work together to solve this locked-room mystery (more on the plot later). There’s a rich history to their story and lots of hurt feelings, so rivals-to-lovers might not be the best way to describe them. I’d say it’s more like rivals-to-adversaries-to-friends-to-potentially lovers-to-enemies-to-adversaries-to definitely more than friends. That’s a mouthful, though.

The world and plot were so well done. It’s a fantastical world of different layers and Kem’s job as a Hound is to traverse these different worlds. It makes her uniquely suited to handle the plot’s problem. And what a problem! Where Caruso came up with this structure, I don’t know. It’s so marvelous and so unique. Caruso truly created something special with this story. I think Kembral is one of my favorite protagonists of the year.

This book, for me, was practically perfect. The lore of the worlds Kembral inhabits is magical, mystical, and mysterious. The characters are memorable and even hours later, I can remember the best and the worst of them. The writing is engaging, the plot threads kept me coming back for more, and I had a great time reading this book.

Overall, I’d highly recommend this book to anyone who loves complex romantic relationships between women, clock motifs, fantasy with a hint of sci-fi, and a world rich with a lore that is slowly exposed to the reader.

Look for this book November 19, 2024!

Wow this book was absolutely wild and so fast paced and fun. I loved absolutely every second of it. The different realities or "echos" were all so cool and magical.

Usually in faster paced books I struggle to connect with the characters and find them to feel rather flat, but I found all of the characters in this book so interesting and engaging, especially the main character Kembral as she navigates her complicated feelings of being a new mom who wants the best for her daughter with her passion for her high risk career. The romance subplot was also excellent with several fun twists and reveals.

Even though this book is the start of a series, it was a completely satisfying book on its own which I always appreciate.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves books with deadly trials, locked room mysteries, rival to lovers romance, and protective female characters.

I will definitely be continuing this series and can't want for the next one.

Thanks to Orbit and Netgalley for providing me with an early copy to read and review.

Absolutely loved this! Tore through it so fast. The characters are compelling, and the world is fascinating. It’s quickly apparent that the situation is going to get worse and worse, but the details of how that unfolds are captivating and surprising.

This was a fun and complex fantasy story that reminded me of The 7 and 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle mixed with Beetlejuice! There is a romantic subplot that was just perfection and the mystery itself was thoroughly engaging.

Really fast paced and creative time bending sci-fi fantasy with a touch of romance. Blink and you may miss something important!

4.5 true rating. Wow, I blew through the book. I was not expecting to literally stay up until ungodly hours of the morning because I needed to finish reading this book. A very fast paces time-loop fantasy adventure that was so much fun to read and to try and figure out what was going on just like the protagonists.
Kembral Thorne is such an interesting character, she is a force to be reckon with even when she is facing so many Echoes (which can literally be the source of your deepest nightmares). I think it is so interesting to see a character who just became a parent and the struggles they face with this new identity, no matter how much they wanted it or really love to be. Obviously a big part of what Kem goes through has to do with Rika Nonesuch (I gotta admit, some of the times of the characters and of the Echoes were a bit too much for me but it works in a world where things can literally be upside down). While at the beginning of the book it might seem that Kem and Rika are totally opposite to each other (as another character suggests), there is just something about their constant banter and teasing that makes you love their relationship.
The magic system in this world is quite dense for a story that occurs for the most part in the same place, and yet at the beginning I was so confused that you just need to trust the author that most of your questions are going to be answered. These magic elements I think definitely helped with the time-loop element of the story, which even if it is quite literally meant to be repetitive, there was always something at stake, as the characters descend deeper and deeper into the Echos.
I will definitely be reading the sequel to this book. Thank you so much to Orbit Books and NetGalley for the e-arc of this book in exchange of an honest review.

Man, this was so cool. The reality hopping, the symbolic moon-birthdays, the concept of Echoes...it was all just so fucking awesome! Everything about The Last Hour was incredibly creative.

I loved the queer rep, especially with the non-binary character. As a fellow non-binary person myself, it was nice to see something that wasn't a total caricature or stereotype. The romance between Kembral and Rika was very well done, in my opinion--angsty, but not in obnoxious, naive sort of way.

That Kembral wasn't a teen was pretty great, too. Don't get me wrong, I love and read YA, but I also just really appreciate that our main character was a 30ish year old woman, who also happens to be a new mother. I feel like we don't get to see that kind of perspective all to often in fantasy?

And I've just noticed that it's the first in a series, which is great because I need more of this world. I will beg for an ARC for book two, no shame. Thank you to Netgalley and Orbit for this ARC in exchange for an honest review

This book is packed full of action and fun! It also has a lovable cast of characters! The writing in this was so entertaining, and I ended up binging the last two thirds of the book in one day.

I have a love-hate relationship with Kembra Thorne, the main character. I found myself loving her and hoping for her success, but at the same time she frustrated me with how back and forth she was with everything! It was like she couldn’t make her mind up with how she felt and it was infuriating at times. Despite my frustration towards Kembra Thorne, I did really enjoy her at the protagonist for the most part. I’m a big sucker for characters who never give up, and that’s a huge part of who Kembra is.

I’m excited to see where the story continues, but I’m also uncertain on what else can be done with the story. I have high hopes though!

Thank you to Orbit Books for sending me an arc via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Melissa Caruso’s “The Last Hour Between Worlds” might be my favorite book I’ve read so far this year.

The main character, Kembral Thorne, lives in a world where there are different layers of reality, called echoes. One echo down isn’t that different from normal reality. The further you go, the more strange and dangerous things become. At a year end party, Kembral finds herself a part of a sadistic game, where powers larger than herself are fighting against one another to win. If they do win, Kembral and the party attendants, some of her closest friends, will be doomed.

There are SO many things I love about this book. A main character who is a mother! Lesbian love. High intensity. Characters who are easy to adore.

I am often intimidated by fantasies where I have to understand a lot of characteristics about the world. I feel like Caruso did a great job of explaining the intricate world she has created.

My one main complaint I would say is that it did feel a little long? But nothing that really made the book less enjoyable.

I cannot wait to read the next one! I think that this will be a book I think about often.

The Hour Between Worlds is an imaginative and pulse-pounding fantasy where reality is not always what you think, and danger lurks with every tick of the clock. Kembral Thorne is a new mother and a "Hound." She is the best investigator who doesn't know when to stop being on the job. All she wants is to enjoy a few hours at the year-turning ball, but soon, she realizes something is wrong. Guests start mysteriously dying at the ball, and she suspects something sinister is at play. She must find who is behind the deaths as each hour changes to an alternative reality before the worst reality rings true.

Kem is a compelling character as she has the dual role of both a workaholic and a mother, which creates a connection for readers with her. Her maternal instincts to protect her child add a layer of urgency to her actions, as she wants to return to the same reality with her daughter. The novel seamlessly blends elements of mystery, sci-fi, and speculative fiction that are unpredictable. The novel's pacing is relentless, with each chapter pushing the reader deeper into the eerie and violent reality that has ensnared the partygoers. The sense of time slipping away, marked by the relentless strikes of the clock and the ascension down an echo with a new terrible fate. The idea that reality can be manipulated easily and with devastating consequences causes panic. This is sold with a romantic element, but it did not connect with me, and I found myself skipping over parts to get back to the action. The book is a testament to the power of wit and courage in the face of unimaginable terror. If you're looking for a story that will keep you on the edge of your seat, this book is for you.

I received an ARC ebook for my honest review. Thank you, NetGalley and Orbit Books.