Thank you Orbit for the arc copy!
That was extremely interesting. Following a time loop premise with almost sci-fi fae-like creatures and world in the form of echos and etherians, this story ended up being unbelievably unique and entertaining. I ended up switching from physical to audiobook and that was such a good idea. The narrator is fantastic (same person who did Gideon the Ninth) and they made the story feel so immersive.
The sapphic rep was exactly what I wanted! The romance picks up pretty quick and I actually liked that it is a bit more fast paced than I expected. It felt really refreshing to have romantic characters working together and being adults/mature instead of circling each other or having silly fights.
Kendral is funny, smart, and an overall just a fantastic MC. Rika is an amazing counterpart to her as she balances out Kendral’s caution and honor with fierce determination and her ability will to succeed. They are such a perfect match and I can’t wait to see more

The plot/sci-fi elements are a bit complex but easy to follow especially on the audiobook. It felt like a dark fae story if it turned into a science fiction story. The echos was dark, twisted, and manipulative in the same way a fae world is. I love the twist at the end and didn’t figure it out ahead of time which I appreciated! Overall solid book and will be continuing the story!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the free ARC! All opinions in this review are my own.

RATING AND OVERALL THOUGHTS:

1.5 stars DNF’d at 30%. Regrettably this was a case of interesting premise but a boring and repetitive execution so early on that I show no value in continuing until the end. I was left endlessly confused and frustrated with the novel while reading.

SOME SPOILERS AHEAD

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WHAT I LOVED:

- The only thing I can say that I loved about this novel was the audio narration. Since I read this after publication date I was able to tandem read (got the audio with my own money) and the narrator is fantastic! She made the novel and characters come to life which was a brilliant feat considering it would’ve been a struggle otherwise.

WHAT I DISLIKED:

- The characters but mainly the MC Rem whose head we are in the whole time and it was extremely annoying. Every thought revolved around her being a new mother in some way, how she missed her baby, and gosh darn wouldn’t you know how tired she was all the time because, again, shes a new mum. There is quite literally nothing else I could tell you about her character because the narrative was just beating you over the head with the same thing. I also struggled to place whether the MC (as well as the secondary main character and love interest Rika) were 13 or 30 because of the way the two acted were more like two dramatic and hormonal teenagers with their first real crush/heartbreak and not grown women. The rest of the characters were onenote and forgettable. Couldn’t tell you anything about them or who they are and I didn’t have a reason at all to care. Bodies dropped and people died and all I could think was “oh well. moving on.”
- The repetitiveness. I get this was supposed to be a Groundhog Day type of novel which is fine in and of itself but you have to at least make each echo interesting enough to stand on its own (not just brief glimpses and then its gone) as well as give the MC time to do literally anything at all productive before pulling the party down into another echo. I don’t believe it was ever concretely given how long she had but the only mention I can find going back between her first scene at the party and when the clock tolled at the first time was 10 minutes. I don’t want to see the first 10 minutes over and over again and watch, yet again, the MC fail to really do anything to save people in that very short amount of time.
- The romance, there was nothing there between the two (definitely not at all enemies to lovers, more like indifferent) and the explanation for their previous relationship leading to their “breakup” was that Rika was nice to Kem in passing on jobs? (again not very clear on the guilds they work for nor the society they live in nor their previous relationship at all) and one time Kem said something profound to Rika before drugging Rem into sleep so Rika could steal something from wherever they were at. Thats it. It hardly at all seemed like a relationship beforehand whatsoever, more like Kem had a big crush but nothing else. Obviously I get the anger towards being drugged so Rika could do her job but the tone between the two didn’t at all feel romantic in any aspect. They just felt like coworkers/friends that had a falling out and were forced to work together again by way of proximity. Then there was the offhanded mention of Kem’s baby daddy who I guess showed Kem affection once or whatever and so Kem (or so the narrative implies) went and batted for the other team so to speak and thats somehow shocking. I wasn’t happy with the implication of this representation.
- The worldbuilding, the lore, the magic system. Anything at all about the echoes, the moons, the society they lived in, etc would’ve been helpful, nay, NEEDED to be established in order understand anything at all. I almost felt like I was missing a primer from a previous book or novella that set the premise for all of this up but there is nothing there so therefore nothing to go on and it just left me endlessly confused and frustrated reading. Lots of terms were thrown around but no context for what it means in the setting the novel takes place.
- I understood nothing about the “people” Echoes and their motivations for this “game” they were playing with the realties or the “rules” at all. Partly because we aren’t given any information about the layers of echoes and partly because Kem was just too tired and her brain was mush because she just had a baby and so therefore she has forgotten every bit of information about the job shes been doing for years and has been training for since she was a child. It boiled Kem from being the best Hound with the best skills to a very stereotypical and tropey version of “once you have a kid, you’ll forget everything that made you a person beforehand, and are only a mother from now on! oh, and you’ll always be TIRED.”

Is this…my new fave book?? I can’t stop thinking about this one, and how floored I am by the skill with which Melissa crafted this world and all its echoes. Kembral is a character so easy to root for, and the way her deep capacity for love and quiet expertise at her profession is balanced with the brain-is-soup state of fresh motherhood is amusing and deeply, deeply real. Her character voice gave me a perfect in to this story without sacrificing her capability to handle what was happening.

The plot was as rock solid as a plot that is repeating the same hour twelve times with different results can be. Following Kembral and Rika through their journey to save themselves and their friends had me on the edge of my seat, and Melissa choosing to use the repetition of events as eerie, dread-inducing markers of how much time was left in each echo was hugely effective. The payoff was satisfying, and I was STRESSED TF OUT enough that I started scouring reviews for spoilers, which. That’s some good tension. I cared what happened to these two deeply.

I could go on. I loved this book, and I’m thrilled that my bookstore chose it as a book club pick! Can’t wait to discuss it with others.

My major problem with the book is that the world is not exactly established. The story demands that the reader understand the world. But it is never explained - not even indirectly; the world building was nonexistent. I really didn't connect with the characters as well - they were just there.

And due to the structure of the time loop, the story felt really repetitive.

Thank you Netgalley, author, and publisher for the ARC.

This book had so much potential storyline wise, but the writing style really threw me off. It’s similar to fanfic and that’s just not what I like for novels.

The main character of this book, Kembral Thorne, is a single mom to a newborn on her first night away from the baby since her birth, which is a really interesting and fresh perspective to see in a genre novel. She’s also a working new mom, trying to find balance between her demanding job (she’s a Hound, which appears to be some kind of dimension-hopping police force?) and her new life as a mother. Kembral also has a complicated relationship with a spy named Rika, a rival who she had feelings for until a recent betrayal. Both of them are interesting characters who shows growth over the course of the novel.

The worldbuilding was also very interesting, but unfortunately a little flawed. I didn’t always feel like I totally grasped the world and why things were happening. Some reviewers have complained about flimsy worldbuilding, but to me it felt more like the worldbuilding was well constructed but not well explained. Like, I think the author has built out the world and the mechanics of the magic and *she* understands it all, but then when writing the book she didn’t give the reader enough information for us to understand it too. It’s a shame, because what I did understand about the world was really interesting, and I hope that it’s easier to grasp in future novels.

The book was pretty fast paced, although like I said, I didn’t always totally understand what was happening, partly due to the worldbuilding and partly because there were a lot of side characters and I sometimes had a hard time keeping track of who was who. Overall, there’s room for improvement but a lot of potential in this new series, and I’m interested to read more by this author. Three and a half stars, rounded down.

Two ex friends/potentially something more are forced to team up to solve a time warping/reality warping trapped time lock murder mystery in this fantastic first book in a series! Kembral Thorne is a star investigator who has finally decided to take some time off from her new baby and go and enjoy the year-turning party.... only it's not going to be as relaxing as she thought. When bodies start dropping and a mysterious forces/figures also start interfering Kembral has her work cut out for her. It doesn't help that the entire party has been dropped through layers of reality and she has to get them through them back to the original one. With nightmare inducing levels, with the laws of reality bending... and dark killer forces out there, Kembral will have to rely on the one person she doesn't want to to help her save everyone, her compelling nemesis, the cat burglar Rika Nonesuch, the one person she used to consider a friend and potentially something more until Rika betrayed her. Yet there is more to Rika's betrayal than Kembral could ever imagine and now they'll have to find a way to work together while healing from the heartbreak of the past... oh and find a way through this twisted reality warping murder mystery. This was such a fantastic and fun read, it combines mystery with a bit of magic and a touch of romance. ! The author builds such a fascinating world and the magic system was so unique and cool. It's so fun and really grabs you throughout the story. The story captures you from the start and really takes you along for the ride. I am so excited for the second book and can't wait to see what happens next with Kembral and Rika!

Release Date: November 19,2024

Publication/Blog: Ash and Books (ash-and-books.tumblr.com)

*Thanks Netgalley and Orbit Books | Orbit for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

I quite enjoyed this. I found the romance believable and the time aspect interesting. This reminded me a lot of Gideon the Ninth.

Thank you NetGalley and Orbit for an eARC (and a finished copy from Orbit) in exchange for an honest review!

I went into this not quite sure what to expect but I had a lot of fun! I love when authors get a little weird about genre, and I liked that this is a weird little mix between fantasy and science fiction. Caruso did a good job at making a weird time loop-y, reality bending situation, and I was delighted to see what new situations Kem and Rika would get into (though I think if you tend to prefer hard magic systems this might be a struggle but YMMV. just don’t try to figure out just how it all works!!!). I am not really a plot driven reader, but I found that this being more plot driven rather than character driven worked well. I think the result is that characters outside of Kem and Rika do feel less developed, but again, I had a lot of fun in the world and the horrors of the Echos and I personally found them to be complex and interesting.

I was nervous that the motherhood aspect of this book wouldn’t work for me—I am not a mother, nor do I have any interest in being a mother—but I found that it made sense when it popped up and I didn’t find it all that overwhelming or extensive. Her concerns are normal considering she’s not even technically back from maternity leave and suddenly is thrust into some insane murder game, and I think it’s refreshing to have older protagonists with different sets of issues (at some point you get tired of the twenty one year old protagonist who has to save the world).

The Last Hour Between Worlds has its weaknesses as well, but these are ones that don’t rank particularly highly on my list of things I look for in a story. The world building worked for me but it definitely skews hand wavy instead of being concrete, and at times the dialogue can be a little silly. To me, this was a little campy and very fun, and I think people who want a Serious Read or want to know as many rules of a world as possible might not have as good of a time. The book ends in a satisfying way, and though it could work as a standalone I will definitely pick up the next book as this seems to be a series.

I had fun and loved the experience, so while I don’t think this book is for everyone, I thought it was a delight.

As I was reading and talking about The Last Hour Between Worlds, I kept saying “this book is kinda dumb but it’s so FUN.” I kind of wanted to dislike it--it was a tad over-written, it was goofy, it was Too Much (tm), but I’d be lying if I said I didn’t enjoy it the whole way through and get excited to read the sequel.

I think the best explanation of the novel comes in the acknowledgements when the author says that she wrote the book basically on a dare because her editor told her that if she loved party scenes so much she should write a book that was entirely set at a party. And what a party this book is. We start with our heroine Kembral Thorne, out on maternity leave, taking her first hours away from her new baby. It’s supposed to just be a simple New Years party, but when she sees her rival/ex-girlfriend/professional troublemaker/criminal mastermind also at the party, she suspects this won’t be simple. And when people start dying, and time restarts, she knows its serious trouble.

This book is fun. The characters are fun. The author is having fun. I had fun the whole time. Yeah it’s escapist. There’s a character who’s entire personality is challenging people to duels and engaging in witty banter. There’s a haunted child who just stands in the corner and drops lore. This book isn’t literature but it’s not trying to be. So if you need to spend an evening at a party with pretty people who have witty banter, tasty canapes and a little fairy magic, you could do worse than signing up for The Last Hour Between Worlds.

I recommend this for Romantasy readers who don’t mind a lower spice level, fans of The Adventures of Amina Al-Sirafi, and The Haunting of Tram Car 015.

I received an ARC in exchange for this honest review.

This story was captivating and quirky. I really want to know more about the echoes and the beings that live in them. The premise was really cool and the characters made me laugh. The relationship between Kem and Rika was so cute and stressful at the same time because I wanted them to get back into each others good graces (which they do by the end of the novel) but watching them struggle with their feelings for one another was too much to handle at times! Overall, I enjoyed this story and I'm looking forward to what the rest of the series may hold.

I absolutely love time loop mysteries so I was really intrigued for this one from the get go!!! I also really liked the main leads here, and how there was a lot to unpack between their past and current dynamics. I felt it was fitting how we as readers would get fed the information, and thought the pacing was managed well. I also really loved the worldbuilding and horror elements (and kind of wish we got more of that in an atmospheric vibe kind of way), but either way I really did enjoy the overall story here.

The only thing I didn't really like was that while I enjoyed the main leads, the rest of the cast kind of fell a <i>little</i> flat to me. They all had great potential though so I'm excited to see how things might go in a sequel -- which I wasn't expecting one!! So definitely looking forward to that!

This was such a good fantasy read. I did struggle a bit with the world building but I love the premise and the characters. Can’t wait to see where this series goes.

I'm a huge fan of the time loop and parallel realities premise, and Ms. Caruso plays and elaborates on it incredibly well in her debut novel. You've got the machinations across parallel time loops of various interests, the individual players who end up banding together, even though they're technically enemies, and one is dealing with the aftermath of a recent pregnancy through all of this. Enjoyed my time with this, and definitely worth your time this fall.

Melissa Caruso has a unique Earth with the prime version sitting on alternate realities that grow more grotesque the deeper one falls. Kembral Thorne is a hound who rescues people who accidentally fall down the levels. She’s on maternity leave, but decides to go to a year-end party of colleagues , friends and enemies. Then most of the party are murdered and the time resets, one layer below prime. In The Last Hour Between Worlds (paper from Orbit). Somehow she has to discover what is going on, and save her friends, because each reset sends the party to deeper levels. Wow! I hope this finds itself on an award list.

The Last Hour Between Worlds had an absolutely fabulous alternate reality premise that was occasionally bogged down with the main characters interior monologue. I love the idea of a year-turning competition between deity-like beings that takes you through twelve layers of reality with the chiming of a clock. This was a unique premise that got delightfully and horrifically weirder with each layer of reality the characters sunk through. The perils faced in each level truly did ratchet up the danger and gore. I also think the Empyreans - the deity like figures playing for rights to name the new year - were constructed well, with motives and morals completely outside of the human range.

The humans are where this story was let down a little. The two female main characters, Kembral and Rika, had good depth. Rika in particular I enjoyed, and the twist reveal of her motivations was done well. Kembral, who is the first-person POV of the whole novel, was initially a refreshing main character, but her interior monologue quickly became circular. Kembral is a new single-mother who is out at her first party in two months since her daughter was born. As my mother myself, I initially appreciated the nods to the complex emotions of motherhood, Kembral's changed body, and real issues like milk let-down at inconvenient times. The first time I thought "Wow this is so relatable!" The second time I thought "I appreciate the emphasis on this." The third time (and beyond, since it's rehashed in all twelve realities), I felt like I had already got the picture.

Outside of Kembral and Rika, other humans stood in more as one-dimensional caricatures. There were some interesting twists with the party host, Marjorie, but they weren't explored any more than in passing. Overall, character work brought this exciting reality-bending fantasy up just a bit short.

I got approved for the audio of this also. The audio was PHENOMENAL! I thought the narrator was great and did a great job with the difference characters and their distinct voices. I was highly impressed.

However, while I was pulled in immediately with the plot line. I loved the fantasy version of Inception, I quickly became bored (okay not bored just wanting a change) at around the half way point when it came to the plot. I didn’t feel invested enough to continue on in a book that literally repeated itself. And so I ended up deciding to move on and not finish! Life is too short to get stuck in a rut, or a time loop multiple universe thing!

I wish there could’ve been other aspects of the story that got pulled in while still making the continued loop plot interesting. I just personally got a little bored, but still enjoyed this audio immensely!

I will NOT be review this book on my book review pages. Thank you for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!

This was such a cool take on a multiversal type of story! Dropped right into the story, we follow Kembral Thorne as she is dropped through the layers of reality, determined to save the day (and world?) as unassuming partygoers continue their revelry at each level.

I enjoyed this one quite a lot, and I enjoyed the world building quite a bit. The different echos and how they play into this world were really interesting and brought a certain level of grotesque and fascinating development.

Kembral was a great main character to follow, and I loved this powerful take on a new mom who is definitely still on leave. I enjoyed getting to know the world and the characters through her lens. The most interesting character for me was Rika, and I very much enjoyed her and Kembral’s dynamic and the way that they played off of each other.

The only challenge I really had with this one was that there were times it felt a bit repetitive, which I suppose is always the risk in a time loop sort of story. It was mostly the conversations between Rika and Kembral that wore on me a bit, as it felt like the same argument was played out a bit too long.

All in all, very solid and definitely 4⭐️ from me!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC.

This book is a Marvel Multiverse-Never Ending Story-Alice in Wonderland-Groundhog Day mashup masterpiece. Not only is the female lead a bad-ass. She’s also a mom (which is a combo that like neverrrrrr happens).

Kembral Thorne, is a “senior hound” and a trusted member of that guild. She finds things that are lost in whatever parallel universe/“echo” they may be in. She is one of a handful of people that can “blink step” (she can move into the ‘void’ to jump to her destination). She’s also a mom to three month old Emmi.

Tonight she’s going out- for the first time in months. Emmi’s aunt is taking care of her and as a single mom, Kem needed a night for some adult time. She definitely would get more than she bargained for. At this party of build members and the city’s elite, she runs into her boss, her friends from her old neighborhood, and her rival, Rika Nonesuch. Kem quickly finds herself in a jam and by that I mean fighting for her life as she drops through echos in a battle against Empyrians. With each death the clock tolls, the entire party drops one echo deeper, and the party starts again- only the rest of the guests do not know that.

This is non-stop action. These battles are intense and so well written- I could see each one come to life in my imagination. @melisscaru I can’t wait to read the 2nd book.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thanks to #netgalley and #orbitbooks for this #advancedreaderscopy that I just finished because… #momlife - pub date was 11/19/24 so go grab it!!!!

#2024bookchallenge106of75
#thelasthourbetweenworlds

I enjoyed this read. It was fast paced and very character forward. Although I felt the world building was light, the character interactions and dialogue made for an interesting read.