This started out really good and I enjoyed the multiple characters POV. I was so intrigued, but then the big reveal happened and it kind of fizzled out.

Thank you NetGalley and M. N. Kinch for an eARC in exchange for my honest review.

This is an excellent fantasy story, a well-written treasure that left me excited for more.

Joan is a high-achieving grad student who is one interview away from a dream internship, when puts a new future, and whole lot of forgotten past, in her path at the Cardoza Family's Clockwork Cafe.

The story unravels the future and the past together to create an intricate tale of heartache and mission to save a family and more.

First of all, I want to say thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and M.N. Kinch, the author, for this ARC in exchange for my honest review!

3.3/5⭐

Through this book, I found out that I had a thing for a story where a character is a rationalist, a scientist, and someone who bases their life on facts. And then BAAAM! A world of magic slapped them on the face.

I’m actually surprised that I enjoyed this book. I love every character. I think it’s possible because of the multiple POVs that I can peek into the minds of every character. The pacing is perfect, and I can say that it’s a book with a story that will catch your interest as soon as you read it.

Final thought: It’s such an easy read, but I didn’t forget all the fun bits and twists. The only thing that still didn’t sit well with me was the romance subplot between the main characters. It just felt rushed, and I didn’t feel enough tension. But overall, I truly enjoy every second of it.

Publication date: May 27th, 2024

—denganafi.

On paper this book seems right up my alley & I did certainly enjoy it. I loved the mix between science & magic & the way the magic system was developed & explained.

My criticisms of the book are that I did feel that the characters lacked a bit of depth & development & that it didn’t really seem to pick up until well into the second half of the book. Despite this, being the first in a trilogy, this can sometimes happen so I’m excited to see what the next book in the series delivers.

“Tonight I feel different, like something has ended and something else is beginning.”

“That's when I realize were friends. Me, them, him. We're together in this now, whatever this is.
Connected. This is exactly where I want to be this summer. With this strange man, these three weird siblings, with their quirks and eccentricities and mysteries.”

Wonderful story with an amazing found family trope!! Three siblings and a scientist with a passion for the stars and music. Past, present and future intertwined. A quest to save the world and a Clock Tower that exists beyond time and space. This book grips you from the very beginning. There is no place for hesitation. You need to find out mor, whilst you’re reading. Thiago, Gabby, Luna and Joan will take residence in your heart, making you an able to get them out of it. The found family trope in this book was wonderful and the romance in it, even better. It was all so sweet but also complicated. So exciting but also scary. I couldn’t find the connections until they were shown to me. I had my ideas but I liked the surprises. And the journey to get to knowing more about the three siblings alongside Joan… it was interesting to say the least. Of course the ending made me cry … quite a bit to be honest!!! But the plot twist and the cliffhanger … they definitely left me desperately wishing for more !!!!

“A star has just exploded to reform into something new.”

“You need to understand, the clock CANNOT stop. It must be fixed, and the Keepers of Time must do it. No one else can.”

I really enjoyed the plot line and characters! Of course the romance was perfect as well. I also really really enjoyed the time traveling! It was such a different plot and took me to another place.

I finished this book 3 days ago, and it’s still all I can think about! The character building of each character and the relationships between the characters was beautiful. I felt like I truly was watching a movie versus reading a book with the descriptions. The story line was well organized and easy to follow, even with the different perspectives. My favorite part - the plot twist with Joan at the end! I am so ready for the next one in this series!

I LOVED THIS BOOK SO MUCH! I GAVE IT 5 STARS BECAUSE I COULDN'T PUT IT DOWN FOR A BIT. LOVED EVERY CHARACTER TOO.

Thank you for the ARC!
Honestly the writing feels a bit choppy/robotic? It’s incredibly off putting and kept me from truly getting into the story. It is a fast paced story, almost too fast paced for me. The second chapter being a change of POV with Thi talking about how he’d like to see her again even though they’ve not really spoken and spent 10 seconds together. But thats the impression I got from all main characters, they acted more like they knew one another right away so nothing was taken as “oh thats strange”, it was “that’s normal for them” from characters who shouldn’t know that yet.
I will say I really enjoy Luna, she has so much going on that she doesn’t verbalize. Her cat is also a star of the show and all it is there to be is cute.
I don’t care for Joan and Thiago personally, they don’t seem to have much depth and it was very clear from Chapter One where their story was going. Joan comes across as entitled and a bit rude, she’s nosy and pushes boundaries she hasn’t built a relationship enough to push. Thiago is angry, has the personality of a brick really.
Gabby is okay but her character falls flat when told from other POV’s.
Overall, this book wasn’t for me. The premise is super cool and I had high hopes having read the synopsis. But I really don’t like the two characters the story really focuses on, the writing feeling robotic also didn’t help me get into the story. I know this story will be found by those who are going to love it and thats exciting, sadly I’m just not one of those people.

Thank you NetGalley for the advanced copy of Keepers of Time

What a great book to cozy up to on the weekend. It does start off a little slow, but give it a chance and you’ll get hooked.

I enjoyed the multiple POV, tho the tone didn’t changed too much from one character to the next.

I look forward to reading the second book, and really dive into the romance more.

Thank you NetGalley and Xpresso Book Tours for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

The plot is riveting and feels very unique. The storyline has a lot of potential and I am intrigued to see how it will play out over the course of the series. This first book has set up a great plotline for the series but more could have been explored in this first book. The pacing of the story is not the best - the beginning (first 40%) is way too slow and reads like a cozy story about a cafe (I love cozy reads but this felt at odds with the tone of the second half of the book). Other parts felt rushed, namely Joan's discovery and use of her various powers. Moreover, the writing could have been better. Most of the writing is fine but then there are internal monologue lines or descriptions sprinkled in that read so awkwardly and break you out of the story (like "I catch a glimpse of myself in the bathroom mirror [...] I look like sonic the hedgehog." ...)

The characters are interesting and play well off each other. Joan is particularly a great female lead. However, the characters are not fully formed - even though the chapters are written from multiple POV, you can't really distinguish a difference in tone of voice/style between the POVs. The relationships between characters is also a bit rushed - in particular, the romance subplot here feels half baked and a bit awkward as it feels forced. The chemistry doesn't seem to be there.

Overall, I did enjoy this book and I think that anyone who loves books about time and enjoys a comfort read will enjoy this story. I have no doubt that MN Kinch's writing will only improve from here so I am intrigued to read the rest of the series.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this arc.

The idea of time travel really drew me to this book and it did not disappoint! I usually enjoy dual POV but for this particular plot the single POV was great. Everything flowed nicely and it was a great romantasy read.

I’m very torn about this book. On one hand, it’s a great idea - there are people who have special abilities and only they are able to “fix time” and protect the world. On the other, the characters are one dimensional and quite boring, the writing is not great and feels like a wattpad fanfic, the chemistry between characters is nonexistent, the multiple POVs are just a bit too similar to feel like it’s a perspective of more than one person (well, with one exception), and so on…
I couldn’t connect with the characters, who didn’t seem very believable. I couldn’t connect to the story, that seemed to be oddly paced. I didn’t buy into the romance since there has been no chemistry between the couple in question. I really struggled through the Keepers of Time and I am so disappointed that the potential of the story was somehow wasted.
2/5

(See more in review links.)

What's not to like about a good time travel story? I enjoyed reading from each of the characters' unique POVs, seeing glimpses of their thoughts and watching the pieces of the story come together. The pace of the book is steady, though a bit slower than I'd like (or what I'm used to with high-stakes fantasy).

I love books about siblings, and the Cardozas are no exception. Their personalities, passions, and gifts balance each other out, creating harmony within their own little circle of family. Thiago, Gabby, and Luna are all easy to fall in love with, and it is heartwarming to watch the ways they show their affection and care for each other.

Note that the villain in this story is . . . not 100% evil. I like morally grey characters with understandable motivations, as they make for more memorable stories with deeper emotional pull, and I'm curious to see how Kinch will handle this one.

Spoiler alert . . .

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What I'm looking forward to in the next book:
- Joan . . . Joan 😭 (iykyk)
- More Thiago + Joan 🖤
- Gabby finding her peace
- Who inherited Luna's gift??!!!

Thanks to netgalley for the arc
If you love fantasy set in modern day, multiple povs and found family then this is a book for you ✨

The plot, the pacing, the characters, the romance, all of it absolutely hit the mark and I was so invested in every single pov and loved all of the characters (gabby was probably my fave, what a gem 💎). I loved the fantasy/time travel elements though it would’ve been nice to understand Joan’s powers more as it felt a bit rushed how she started using them.

Definitely a fantastic start to a series and I’m excited to see how the next one plays out, especially after how this ended 😭😭