Thanks kindly to NetGalley and Hachette Australia for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book was a lovely read, but it just wasn’t for me. Kalaine Bradley’s debut novel is a mystery time travel romance, and sees a civil servant living with, assisting and monitoring Commander Graham Gore who has been transported from 1847 to the near future as part of a mysterious government time travel project.

My review is more a reflection of mismanaged expectations. It’s billed as a time travel romance, spy thriller, and workplace comedy. And for me it falls short on all three.

Yes true, it is a time travel romance indeed. But it’s an incredibly slow burn. The central romantic relationship drives the plot forward but their courtship is not consistently front and centre. My heart was not moved. There were no real feels.

Spy thriller seems like an overstretch. The depiction of a shady government ministry, secrets galore and assassinations felt a little cookie cutter. At one point a character tells another they’re in danger, literally - the writing isn’t subtle.

Workplace comedy feels like more a matter of personal taste. I wasn’t sure which bits of the novel were meant to be humorous.

In saying all that, I was impressed by the commentary around migration policy, reflections on the protagonist’s Cambodian heritage (a nod to the author’s own), and that the character Commander Graham Gore was inspired by his namesake, a genuine arctic explorer of that time.

Overall this would suit readers after a pleasant, accessible science fiction romance.

The Ministry of Time was a captivating tale from start to finish. From the first chapter I was caught up in the characters and action. With time travel stories there is often the urge to "assess" the science, pulling one out of the story, but that never happened to me here as the writing was so good I never paused to question anything. This is a book I would say is actually more character driven that plot driven. Even so, there were a few twists in the story along the way to keep you guessing and to hold one's interest. I thought the slow-burn start to the romance worked well and felt believable, and I found the ending satisfying. I would definitely read more from this author in the future and I am giving this book five stars.

A time travel story is an instant read for me, and I loved this genre bending mashup of romance, sci fi, historical fiction and mystery.

In the not too distant future, a civil servant is recruited to act as a ‘bridge’ for ‘expats’ from time. Among the expats is Graham Gore, who was whisked away prior to his death on a doomed arctic expedition. As the bridge helps him to adjust to the modern century, and their relationship develops, their world starts to crumble around them.

With its mixed genres, twists and turns, and well developed relationships, The Ministry of Time will appeal to a variety of readers. The writing was beautiful and insightful, exploring themes of race, belonging, loss and guilt, and our place in history. I loved the way the author wove facts about Gore throughout the story. Whilst the story is different, it gave me the same feelings of despair, hope, and curiosity as The Sea of Tranquility by Emily St John Mandel. The story was well paced, witty and eccentric, and the author didn’t shy away from taking risks and leading readers on an ambitious, often fun and sometimes sobering journey.

Thank you Hachette Australia & New Zealand and NetGalley for a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed are my own.