A mother on maternity leave finally gets some time away from her newborn to get some much-needed adult conversation, celebration of the dawning of a new year, and maybe a flirtation until the party goes horribly wrong. Kembral Thorne gets sucked back into work on repeat as she teams with Rika Nonesuch, her sometimes adversary and potential romantic interest to stop a supernatural crime. The story is told in first person from Kem's point of view as she delves deeper into the time loops, tries to figure out how to resolve the crime, and discovers a past connection with Rika all between chimes of a perplexing clock. This fantasy tale is a tad science fiction, a light romance, and even a bit cozy mystery all delivered in well-written prose that made it a pleasure to read. The characters are well thought out and interactions work to drive the plot forward into an enjoyable story. There is indication that this is the first in a series, but the story concludes satisfactorily that it could even be read as a stand alone, unless you delight in it as much as I did and can't wait for the sequel to find out what mischief Kem and Rika discover next. This would be a great read for anyone who enjoys a cozy mystery or fantasy.
I received access to this ARC thru NetGalley (for which I want to thank NetGalley and the publisher, Orbit Books) for an honest review. The opinion expressed here is my own.