Part fantasy, historical, romance, while including an important lesson in remembering the past. Especially right now, it is important to acknowledge all of history, not just the portions that paint us in the best light or follow a very specific ideology.

While this story was pretty predictable in the twists, such as Moira and Amelia, it wasn't boring or lacking in engagement. At times it gets really terminology heavy, so watch out for notes on time paradoxes, a little physics, and some serious science. Those were the parts that made my eyes glaze over a little...

The interactions between the Russians (who were actually Soviets at the time, that bugged me a bit) and the Americans were interesting, specifically watching them actually work together to maintain all of history, and not trying to rewrite to sway to their respective governments ideals. Altogether, it had a nice romantic storyline while having a significant theme of government ideology throughout. Perfect for this moment in time.

TLDR: really enjoyed the story despite a lot of big moments not landing.

One night in November 1938, Lisavet Levy finds herself thrust into a mysterious hidden world called the time space by her father. He promises to come back for her, but he does not. So, amidst the books that house the memories of the dead, Lisavet raises herself. She encounters strange men from Germany, America, and other countries who burn the books, and she starts salvaging what she can from the burned volumes, inadvertently kicking off a chain of events involving spies, murder, betrayal, death... And maybe even some hope.

It’s a great story, and I think a lot of people will like this one. It was written with so much love and attention to detail. I really liked the small touches like the coat appearing in several sections of the book. And there were some really clever sections, like how one of the villains reveals what happened during WWII to Lisavet.

But while I enjoyed elements of this, there was so much flatness. Big reveals or moments of heightened emotion felt so detached. One big reveal– Ernest learning something– occurs entirely off-screen, a rather odd decision since he does get some POV sections. And despite taking place in various historical time periods, very little about the main settings is described. For example, I was surprised by how little Lisavet reflected on experiencing 1950s America besides a very brief aside about different clothing. She was experiencing the US during the height of post-war affluence and consumerism, which deserved more cynicism if nothing else.

I also struggled with the concept of time space and how memories are captured. I usually don’t struggle with going along with hand-wavy parts of world-building, but I really got bogged down with questions. Why are books arranged by country? Memories are destroyed when pages are destroyed, but can’t memories be lost anyway? What's the relationship between time and memory anyway?

💭: WOW! This is a debut? I couldn’t get enough of this. It is a fat book but it didn’t feel like it and I didn’t want the story to end. I am usually not a fan of “magic” per se, which this story seemed to have with the idea of time travel. But man- it really worked for me! I loved the characters and the twist. The plot and characters were so well developed. This book is a masterpiece.

“The Book of Lost Hours” by Hayley Gelfuso is a very unique story that reads like historical fiction with a touch of fantasy. Two of my favorite genres! I love dual timelines and this story does it beautifully. We follow Lisavet in 1938 and Amelia in 1960. This is the perfect book for book clubs! There is so much that can be discussed from this story. The story is heartfelt, the plot is engaging, and overall it was a very powerful read. Thank you to NetGallery and Atria Books Books for an advanced copy of this ebook in exchange for my honest review.

I went into this book so sure it would be a favorite. A time-travel love story, blended with science and memory? That’s exactly the kind of premise that usually sweeps me off my feet. And while there were things I admired, I can’t say it really worked for me in the end.

The book centers on Lisavet Levy, who gets pulled into a strange in-between realm called the “time space” after her father is taken during WWII. There, time is controlled like a bureaucratic system—regulators burn memories, and shelves of books represent people’s lives. Lisavet tries to rebel against the system, and along the way, she falls for an American timekeeper. It’s imaginative, and the science-meets-metaphor angle of time and memory was definitely intriguing.

But as much as I wanted to love it, I kept feeling disconnected. The way the narrative jumped around left me more lost than invested, and the twists never surprised me. The romance didn’t hit the way I hoped—it felt flat, more circumstantial than fated. And for a book about time and memory, I was expecting a world that felt vivid and magical. Instead, most of the “time space” scenes played out in plain conversations or among endless library shelves.

I can see this being a great fit for the right reader—it has big, thoughtful ideas, and the concept is unique. For me though, it dragged, felt predictable, and left me wishing for a little more wonder.

Book review: The Book of Lost Hours by Haley Gefuso
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This book reminded me of The Midnight Library (which I enjoyed) and Fahrenheit 451 (a classic that is one of my favorites). If you like those books, I think you would enjoy this one.

It is 1938 Germany, the early days of the Holocaust, and Lisavet Levy is thrust into a time space by her father to protect her from the Nazis. It is a space filled with books that contain the memories of everyone and can only be accessed by a small number of people who own a special watch. Stuck in the time space for years, she lives through other memories. When she sees men (government agents) enter this time space to burn memories for the purpose of rewriting history in their favor, she sets out to thwart their mission. She becomes a legend for the rebels and a target for the agencies.

It is 1965 America, Amelia Duquesne is mourning the loss of her Uncle Ernest, her primary caregiver after her mother died. When his watch is returned to her and she is enlisted by the CIA to track down a book, she becomes entangled in a war between the agencies and the rebels.

The novel moves fluidly between this time frame, ultimately converging in a satisfying and cohesive conclusion. It was creative and well written. The first half of the book captured me completely, but the latter half of the book became a bit too far-fetched to be convincing. I am not generally a fan of magical realism, probably because it is hard to convince me, but I enjoyed this novel more than I would typically enjoy any book of this genre. Occasionally, I like to venture out of my comfort zone and this was a good choice for me. I think it would be a wonderful read for anyone who loves romance, mystery, and magical realism. Thank you @NetGalley @AtriaBooks for the e-ARC of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.

A love story stitched through time, tangled in threads of quantum physics. The first half lingers, almost like wandering through fog, while the second half quickens its heartbeat and carries you forward. Some of the physics soared a little beyond my reach, but the characters — tender, flawed, and deeply human — made the journey worth it.

It’s a book of big ideas and soft hearts, a story that asks you to lose yourself in time in order to feel the weight of love.

I wanted to like this book so much, but I personally felt like it was a little bit too slow for my taste. I felt like it directed on a lot during the plot and I just didn’t feel like it captivated me the way that it should.

Traditional format 📕

Normally I try to summarize the book in a sentence or two but this one is a bit complex to explain that succinctly so let’s just get right to my thoughts.

At first the book gave me Addie La Rue meets Midnight Library vibes but as I dug in I really felt like this was a book with an identity crisis. It was a bit of romance, time travel/sci fi, spy, mystery and historical fiction all mashed together but not in a way that made the book unique or stand out and just muddled the plot for me.

I normally enjoy when books have alternating POVs and timelines but this one jumped all over the place leaving me to flip back many times to try to piece the plot together from the chapter titles/dates (and yes I fully acknowledge the main plot is about time travel but it was to keep track for me). I really wanted to love this book but it was a struggle for me to get through from about the 40% mark and I barely made it to the end.

I would recommend this book to those who like an interesting mix of genre’s and can follow a lot of jumping around in time. This book just wasn’t for me. I will give this a 3 out of 5. I don’t think it was a bad book but it just wasn’t a super enjoyable read for me.

Thank you to Net Galley and Atria Books for a digital ARC of this book. Opinions are my own

I loved the way this novel wove the two time periods (1948 through when Lisavet left the Time space) which progressed the other time period a little more each time. What a beautiful story, it made me cry. I really recommend this book for people who love historical fiction and sci-fi/time travel. The character of Lisavet was so beautifully complex and had so much depth, and I truly enjoyed peeling back the layers of her character. The ending was quite lovely too, leaving you with a sense of wondering what memories Amelia is really in. Is Lisavet really there, duay trapped in the time space and in the memory? Is she time walking? This would make an excellent book club pick. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to read this book! I give this 4.5 stars, it was beautifully written!

Thank you NetGalley & Atria Books for this ARC in exchange for my honest review!

WOW. Just wow. This has become one of my favorite books I have read this year, and potentially one of my favorite books I’ve read in a really long time, if ever. Immediately the author entangled me into these timelines, the worlds of these characters with her writing.

Hayley Gelfuso writes characters you cannot get enough of. I felt a connection to Lisavet, Ernest, Moira, Amelia, Azrael, Anton and even Jack. I normally am not the biggest historical fiction fan, but this was everything I wanted and more. History, magic, mystery and romance.

My book hangover has officially taken over. This was everything.

I have no complaints, no edits, just sorrow that it's over. This story is so original, unpredictable, and thought proving from a philosophical standpoint to a theorist lens. Only when the ends of each string were tying together, did I see the braiding of the story I had already read. I could never predict how things were going to finish, how the plot would unfold, until it happened. In those moments, the story was absolutely beautiful. Almost every character has an important role in this story, a purposeful one that didn't fill pages but added to the plot. The only character I'm not sure about in the end is the older brother, but I didn't notice his absence until hours after I had finished the book.
From the writing, rhythmic, trusting, and paced well, to the characters, fully-deceloepd and complex as they needed to be, this story was as beautiful as It was engaging. I could potentially see this turn into a movie or a series of novellas following the string theory of this story.
I will be recommending this book to almost everyone I know and will do a much more formal review of the story in a few weeks on my site: Art In Your World.

Overall, this book is quite good and a fairly quick read. I mostly enjoyed the plot and thought it was quite interesting and the writing was good, especially for a debut novel. The storyline was creative and a good combination of fantasy, historical fiction and mystery. The story is told through two timelines, with the earlier one quickly going through time to catch up at the end to combine the timelines. I'm not sure the big "reveal" about Moira was supposed to be a surprise - it's pretty obvious starting several chapters before it's blatantly stated. The romance is also fairly good as it is more of a subplot and I quite liked Ernest as a character.

There are several things that I didn't like, although they didn't bother me as much as they could have. I enjoyed the story enough that it made up for the smaller issues I had. The time space, which was unique and a great concept, was under explained - how it worked, how the watches worked, how the time walking worked, etc. Also I'm not sure how much I liked most of the characters - I kept changing my mind on Moira especially since her motivations stopped making sense halfway through the book, but I guess it was for the story. Also the tension externally felt a bit lacking, especially considering that it was supposed to be taking place during the Cold War, and the "rebels" were poorly explained.

Generally, I'd recommend this book, especially if you like fantasy romances and books about time travel.

This is my first Hayley Gelfuso book and I am blown away! My heart hurts but is so happy at the same time. I enjoyed this book so much. It was a slow start, but once I started putting things together, I couldn’t put it down.
Lisavet was just a child trapped in the time space, a huge library filled with books of memories, waiting for her father, who seems to never return. She grows up among the memories of the world along side the faded memory of Azrael. She realizes government agents are coming to the time space to burn memories of people in the past, trying to stop an idea from taking root.
Soon, she meets Ernest, an American spy, and sets her out to change the past, possibly changing the way the time space works.
We meet Amelia, who is mourning, trying to navigate a world where she is all alone. She meets a CIA agent who needs her help. But when Amelia goes to the time space, she begins to question whether what she’s been told is true.
The twists and turns had me biting my nails. I screamed, I cried, I laughed! I absolutely loved this book and will definitely recommend it.

3.5 ⭐️
I enjoyed this story and thought it was very creative. I really enjoyed the idea or Time Space. I thought the book started off interesting, I love the story between Lisavet and Earnest when they were young. Earnest was a gem through the whole book. Lisavet as she got older, I didn't really care for. And I get it she went through some rough stuff, but some of her choices were questionable. The dual timelines were interesting but also confusing at times. I felt it was a little predictable, but it really didn't take from the story too much. One thing that drove me a bit crazy was how much smoking was talked about. Okay, I get it they are crazy smokers. I guess all in all, I had a little trouble connecting with the characters and getting that feeling in suppose to get. Also felt that the ending was. alittle lackluster. But the idea was really fun and creative. The Time Space was a really interesting idea.

Thank you, Netgalley, Adrian and Simon & Shuster for this eARC read in return for my honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria for the eARC. All opinions are my own. I wanted to love this book based on the synopsis and I am so sad that I just didn’t. The premise is intriguing but what lost me was the character development and how easy it was to figure out the twist. It was too easy to end up feeling disconnected from the characters. The story felt like it plodded along.

🕰️ The Book of Lost Hours by Hayley Gelfuso 🕰️

Release Date: August 26, 2025

"History is written by the victors." - Winston Churchill (kind of)

Lisavet Levy is 11 years old when her watchmaker father hides her in the time space, a place where time exists on its own and memories are stored in books, with no way to get out on her own. Before he can return for her to pursue their plans of escape to America, her father is killed by the rising regime in 1938 Germany. Lisavet lives in the time space for over a decade, typical physiological needs like sleep and food suspended, until she meets Ernest. As a timekeeper, Ernest possesses one of the rare watches that allows him to access the time space. He is also an employee of the US government and tasked with tampering with certain memories. As Lisavet and Ernest grow closer, Ernest begins to question the work he has been doing.

Fast forward several years: Lisavet Levy has vanished and Ernest has been murdered in the time space. Ernest's neice, Amelia, inherits his watch and finds herself entangled with several government agents who want to use her to access the time space in order to find a secret book of memories.

Hayley Gelfuso's debut novel is an interesting dive into the concept of time and what could be possible if time were non-linear and able to be altered by a select few. The beginning felt very much like a political expose, but by the middle, the characters and plot had taken over. I was captivated by the characters identities and relationships throughout the course of time and enjoyed trying to figure out what really happened. The ending, however, fell a little flat for me. Without spoilers, it seemed rushed with an out of place HEA.

Thematic elements:

▪️Time/space continuum
▪️Time-travel
▪️Romance
▪️Right person/wrong time
▪️Suspense
▪️Spy drama

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐💫

Thank you to @netgalley and Atria Books for the eARC! All opinions are strictly my own.

#thebookoflosthours #netgalley #historicalfiction #historicalfantasy #sciencefiction #romance

This book was entirely unexpected, for me. I am a big fan of fantasy concepts, historical fiction, and emotional rollercoasters; this, in one way or another, checked all those boxes.

I have never read a book quite like this; a magical, beautiful and strange library known as the timespace, holding millions of books containing memories all across time. A generational love story, of many sorts; the love parents have for their children, that people hold for their partners, that friends hold for each other, and the love of time, memory and human story. It made me feel sad, angry, happy, warm, and grateful. It was beautifully written, thought provoking, and on brand for the content, a book I certainly would remember, and will share with others so it's story can't be erased.

5 stars from me.

Thank you to Atria books for the ARC of The Book of Lost Hours! Lisavet is sent in to a space where memories of people live in books and in ghostly apparitions and where food, drink, and sleep are not needed. As she lives here for years and years and sees timekeepers running around interfering with memories and destroying them, she steps in. Trying to save memories, she eventually becomes a symbol to others. A deeply adventurous book involving love, control, power, and the fragility of life according to time - this book exceeded my expectations. I was very moved by many of the romantic scenes in this book, and the ending was very much a nod to fate. Without giving away the story, this is a great read for those who enjoy fantasy, romance, and sci-fi. I definitely recommend!

Told from two points in time that eventually merge into one, this story was an intriguing read in the best way. Watching the characters and the stories unfold with the back and forth until the timelines finally meet was a great presentation of the story. The themes of what we would do to protect the people we love and how history is perceived were gripping. Nothing really caught me off guard in terms of plot twists but they were still great twists. When you want to pull the characters out of a story or jump into it to make them behave, you know it’s a good book! And the writing style is easily one of my favorites.