The novel opens with Lisavet Levy preparing for a bedtime story with her father. He informs Lisavet that the tale they have been reading every night is real. He instructs her to remain where she is and that he will come back once he has located her brother. In 1938, she is eleven years old. Her watchmaker father never came back. Before she met Ernest Duquesine, an American spy, in 1949, she was alone and had no support.
This is an intriguing novel that transports readers through time, books, and memories. It shows the lengths people will go to protect those they care about. I don't usually read fantasy books, especially ones with so many characters and locations to keep track of. Some topics covered include teen pregnancy, grief, suicide, and the Holocaust. There are so many moving parts in this plot that I found it difficult to keep track of.

The plot's distinctive concept of flipping between timelines and points of view is consistent throughout the novel. It takes a little time to adjust to the story's flow; I didn't immediately connect to the characters and their situation. I felt it started out slow, but the tempo picked up in the second half. This would work for your book club pick; there is so much to talk about.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I requested and received a copy of this book from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Nora St. Laurent
TBCN Where Book Fun Begins!
The Book Club Network blog https://psalm516.blogspot.com/

3.5/5 This book wrecked me—in the best way. I can’t believe this is a debut; it’s absolutely incredible. I devoured it in a single Sunday. The timespace concept was fascinating, and while I occasionally found myself a little lost in the mechanics, the overall idea and story completely hooked me. The plotting was both clever and intentional, though I’ll admit—timekeepers are just plain confusing. Ernest was as earnest as his name suggests, and I adored him. Beautifully done, Hayley. Huge thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for the opportunity to read and review.

I wanted to give myself some time to absorb everything before I gave a review. It’s been over 24 hours and I still don’t think I have the words to describe how enjoyable this book was! It’s hard to find a 5-star book to stand out from its single genre, let alone being a 5-star book in the science fiction/historical fiction/romance/spy thriller genres! It’s great marketing to liken this to The Ministry of Time because it does what TMoT did so well, but made it even better and the stakes even higher. It is staggering that this is a debut novel, I can’t wait to see what Ms. Gelfuso writes next.

We are living in a time where those in power want to rewrite history and censorship is on the rise, which is why this book is so important. May this book have stratospheric success and its message blasted from every corner of the world!!!

Thank you to Simon & Schuster for giving me the opportunity to read an advanced readers copy of this novel via NetGalley.

Thank you to Netgalley and Atria Books for the ARC!

This book was well written but was hard for me to get into. I don’t read many books of this genre so I think that’s why it was tougher for me.

I will definitely recommend to people that enjoy this genre to check it out though!

The time space was a very cool concept and I enjoyed reading how the time space and “real world” integrated. I also thought the different storylines were both intriguing and thought was cool to see how they connected throughout the story as well!

Finished Reading: 09 Aug 2025

Rating: 3.5/5

“The past is a mirror of us. It tells us who we’ve been and what we have become. Some people don’t like what they see in their reflection, so they change it by erasing memories from the face of the earth. By erasing people from existence.”

This started out strong—mysterious, engaging, and exactly the kind of time travel story I can’t resist. I flew through the long chapters and loved the “show, don’t just tell” style. But I figured out who’s who and how everyone was connected a little too early because it was too damn obvious.

I really thought this was going to be a solid 4–5 star read, but the ending disappointed me. Hence, the rating. It gave Doctor Strange: Multiverse of Madness vibes. :( I was hoping for a satisfying wrap-up after the villain died, but instead, it led into another story arc just to reunite the MMC and FMC. Sure, I wanted them to have a happy ending but maybe not only in a parallel universe. IYKYK. And Anton!! His story felt cut short. What happened to him after leaving the time space? What about in the “real” world? :( I wish there had been an epilogue to tie up those loose ends.

Still, if you love “what if” time travel scenarios, sprinkles of historical romance, and clever history references, this one’s worth picking up.

Thank you NetGalley and Atria Books for the e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley for an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. WOW, this book hurt. I was so invested in the beginning, and then halfway through I was so sure I’d hate the ending but couldn’t stop reading it anyway. And then it surprised me so much that I had no idea how it was going to end. And then the end left me in tears of wonder and awe. This book was everything. It was exactly what I needed and I loved it so much. I cannot believe that this is a debut novel. The words, the characters, the plot, everything about it was perfection and felt so real.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 stars. 6/5 if I’m being perfectly honest, because this book was amazing. I’d recommend it to anyone who likes reading, and even to those who might think they don’t like reading.
Definitely a new favorite book of mine.

The Book of Lost Hours is a beautifully imaginative historical fantasy that blends dual timelines, espionage, and a haunting exploration of memory. The time-space “library” premise hooked me instantly, and I loved how it explored who gets to decide what history remembers. It was a real testament to “History is written by the victors”. The war between countries of what should be remembered was fascinating because it just makes you wonder, what if theirs is how it all works. Though the pacing lagged a bit in places, the atmosphere and thought-provoking themes made this a memorable and unique read.

A big idea can change the world, for what is the world as we know it, but ideas? It starts small, inside the mind of one person, who grapples with it, tries to fully understand it, articulate it into words to share with another mind, who will poke and it, test it, expand it. Some of them wither and die under scrutiny, and others balloon with importance and have the power to change the world as we know it. Democracy. Germ theory. And in the case of The Book of Lost Hours, the manipulation of time.

This book is a wonder. Any book about time is going to bend our ideas of a timeline, and this one plays with the strings of time beautifully, skillfully, coherently, it will have you enthralled. This is a page turning thriller with so much heart and intellectual stimulation it will grip you and not let go until the final dang sentence.

It's also the kind of book with twists and turns and the simple joys of small discoveries. With that, I don't want to spoil one detail of the plot for those of you who go on to read this, which I very much recommend you do. It is marketed as a mashup of The Ministry of Time and The Midnight Library and I could not come up with a better description of this impressive novel.

Hayley Gelfuso, you are a genius and I think I will pick up anything you put down. Also, what do you mean this is a debut novel. Masterful work. Thank you, sincerely, for writing this fascinating book.

Note:: I received an early copy of this book from the publisher through netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Was a very interesting read. I quite enjoyed the mechanics of the story. Working a sensitive topic in history into a fantastic tale isn't an easy feat but it was done with a delicacy it deserves.

I received an advanced reader copy from NetGalley in exchange for a fair review. This novel was a brilliant meditation on time and its impact, the passage of time and how it changes an individual, how time changes the world around each character, & their altered perspectives within time. An exceptional read, definitely a story for anyone who enjoyed "The Invisible Life Of Addie Larue," or "The Midnight Library."

There were moments where I felt the pace drag a little bit, but perhaps that was the author's intention, to intentionally, deliberately, make the reader feel time passing at a particular pace. Regardless, this book is a fantastic achievement and features a plot that weaves through time and space with graceful and unexpected shifts. Such an interesting novel and an impressive debut!

Perhaps it was an oversight of plot or character development, but it seemed to me that Ernest misunderstood the depth of desperation for the female protagonist in trying to protect both herself, and her daughter, from the marauders of time. Nonetheless, the tale brings the reader full circle, to an incredible and satisfying ending. Highly recommended!

This novel started off really strong. I loved the idea of time travel mixed in with historical fiction and magical realism. Somewhere along the way though things got a bit muddled. The mechanics of the time space were a bit confusing at times. By the time I reached the last few chapters I had lost the plot entirely. I never came to care about Amelia, Ernest, Azrael, or Moira. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for my ARC.

Thank you to @netgalley @atriabooks & @simonschusterca for an early digital copy.

In The Book of Lost Hours, Hayley Gelfuso weaves an enchanting, genre-blending tale of memory, magic, and the power of history.

Eleven-year-old Lisavet Levy is whisked into a surreal Time Space—a library beyond time where memories are bound in books—and learns to preserve what others wish to erase.

Jumping between WWII Europe and Cold War America, her story and that of teenage Amelia intertwine in a beautifully crafted, emotional journey.

With rich world-building, subtle romance, and timely commentary on how history is written and rewritten, this debut novel is utterly unforgettable. A mesmerizing and heartfelt read.

As soon as I saw "The Book of Lost Hours" was about a secret library, I knew I had to read it. It definitely gave "The Midnight Library" vibes, which is my all time favorite book!

The book jumps between different timelines and had small twists that continued to keep me interested. The whole concept of the "Time Space" was fascinating and I genuinely felt a connection to some of the characters, while other characters I couldn't stand *cough cough* Jack.

If you love books with secret libraries, dual POV's, and ones that make you question how far you'd go for someone you love... this is the book for you!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

"The Book of Lost Hours" is a great fit for fans of "The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue." From hopping between timelines to being 'cursed' by challenging commonplace ideas...the vibes are impeccable. I couldn't put down this genre-bending book.

The story takes us through the life of Lisavet Levy, a Jewish girl living in the time of World War 2. Through no fault of her own, Lisavet enters the time space — a place where memories are contained. Soon Lisavet discovers there are Timekeepers destroying memories and rewriting parts of history that don't suit their governments. Even as a girl Lisavet knows this is wrong, so she begins saving what she can of the burned memories.

What follows is the political tug of war of the Timekeepers, and what they are willing to do to stop Lisavet and maintain the version of history they wrote. A very sweet romance weaved between the story's threads asks the question, "What would you do for the ones you love the most?".

The book's twists and turns made it very interesting (but I did find a few of them predictable). Nevertheless, I really enjoyed this book and highly recommend it. It made me stop and think about the themes and questions this book brings to light in our current political climate.

The novel does mention events pertaining to the Holocaust, so please be mindful if you would be triggered by this.

Atmospheric fantasy filled with historical moments. The book alternates between the 1950s and 1960s, though it starts before WWII when Lizavet Levi shut into a time space where memories and made it erased. The book then shifts to Amelia who becomes aware of the time space through a watch left by her uncle. The alternating time periods tell the stories of the time keepers and their pursuit of truth and memory and how to protect those you love. I’d like to thank NetGalley and the publishers for allowing me to read this ARC

In The Book of Lost Hours by Hayley Gelfuso, my latest NetGalley review book, Lisavet Levy finds herself in a secret library in between time called the time space. Her father left her there to keep her safe and never returned for her. Lisavet grows up by herself and discovers the library is full of memories of everyone who lives and lived. There are timekeepers who burn memories in the form of books and Lisavet decides to save as much of the books as she can. And then she meets a timekeeper named Ernest and her life is forever changed. In a later time, Ernest’s niece is mourning his death and meets a timekeeper named Moira who brings the girl into this strange world of burning memories. How do the past and the future connect? Well, you’ll have to read the book to find out.

The Book of Lost Hours is a really beautifully written book. The way Hayley Gelfuso balances the two time periods and how she connects everything up is masterful. The story is a wonderful puzzle that clicks into place and it all makes sense once you see everything from the past and how its important to the future. And the characters are fantastic. Lisavet is my favorite character in the book, but Ernest and Amelia, the niece, are both great too. Even the supporting characters and the villains are complex and interesting.

I couldn’t stop reading The Book of Lost Hours. I found myself drawn back to this story again and again. I stayed up all night to finish reading it and now to write this review. This story is so good. I had to know how it all worked out. I was very pleased with the ending.

Hayley Gelfuso is an excellent writer. This is such a great book. As someone who loves stories about books and libraries and anything to do with time, well, yes, this book was a treat. The Book of Lost Hours is another favorite book for me this year. I have been so lucky to read (and review) so many fantastic books in 2025.

The Book of Lost Hours by Hayley Gelfuso gets a high recommendation from me. I will not forget this one anytime soon.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing a early digital copy of this book for review. The Book of Lost Hours by Hayley Gelfuso releases on August 26th, 2025.

5 stars
Amazing! I loved this book - what an experience!!!

In 1938, eleven-year-old Lisavet’s watchmaker father asks her to go through a door to hide from Nazi soldiers with a promise that he will return for her but no one came back and the door disappeared. She is now stuck in an unknown place called “The Time Space” filled with shelves full of books with memories of all who lived. 🤯 How can you NOT be intrigued!?!

She grows up among the memories of past, walking through centuries of events and moments; realizing that some Timekeepers (people who can access “The Time Space”) are erasing memories by burning the memory books. Lisavet always tries her best to salvage whatever is left of the burnt books while keeping herself safe and hidden from these Timekeepers. Until she meets one of the American time keeper Ernest Duquesne in 1949 who is also trying to save memories.

We encounter memories being erased, timelines manipulated, lives altered, reality vs perceptions, and beautiful connections between loved ones.

There was a huge possibility of confusion or too much information and unnecessary explanations because of the complex concept of this story but the author takes you through the journey so beautifully that every single moment is filled with awe and curiosity no boring random fillers just pure magic. I fell in love with the author. I am really looking forward to what Haley writes next because I am a fan now….

Rating 4.5

Quick very high level summary.
Time Space is a vast library where all memories are stored. Every memory from every human that has every lived is stored there. Lisavet is trapped in the library by her father who put her their to keep her safe during Nazi occupation. She has become the protector of the library and a decade later she meets Ernest who becomes her ally in protecting the Time Space. Three decades after Ernest, his niece Amelia is recruited by the government to find a book that within the Time Space.

My Take.
This read was very intriguing, I mean accessing a time-space library through watches and jumping through memories. The entire concept was very interesting and engaging and provided a compelling story. The author gives us amazingly strong world building that created a completely immersive experience and I was easily emotionally invested. I loved the multiple lines and historical aspects but I do wish more was invested in the consequences of changing events in the time line. It’s mentioned but not really in depth. Most of the MC’s are well developed but there are some like Amelia that are not as developed as I would have liked. Overall I found this a very enjoyable read and well done debut. I cannot wait to see what Hayley Gelfuso gives us next!

This book was absolutely incredible--heartfelt, heartBREAKING, and overall, it just blew me away!! I really enjoyed the multiple POVs we got, as well the two timelines--it was SO interesting and I never knew where the story was going (although I did have a suspicion about a certain character that proved to be true and I felt very happy as a reader when I was proven right in my hunch!). I loved the blend of historical romance with science fiction--that combination works perfectly with this book! The concept of the time space being a place for memories to be stored but that could be altered by those meddling timekeepers! Lisavet and Ernest have my heart, (well they broke it and reshaped it so many times but I'll allow it), Moira and Amelia were POVs I was not expecting but I really enjoyed their chapters and perspectives! This will be one of those books under the 'will make you cry/break your heart, anyway, go read it' because it will leave a lasting impression in the best way!

Yes, this is a love story, but it is so much more, and I can't wait for more people to read this!!

I want to start off by saying that this novel was BEAUTIFUL and I was crying by the end of it, but in a good way! I could definitely see the parallels between The Book of Lost Hours and The Midnight Library in the library setting of the Time Space and that there was a main companion/guide, but aside from that these novels were night and day, so very different from one another but in a good way!

This novel is science fiction but mostly in the sense that it involves the concept of time and time travel, but other than that this story is extremely human. There were elements that reminded me of magical realism in it, mixed in with its historical World War II/Cold War era setting full of espionage and mystery. But most of all, this novel is about LOVE and how far we would go to in order to protect those that we love. I was NOT expecting that as a central theme of this novel, and it absolutely blew me away.

The only negative that I can think of is that Amelia was a brat throughout most of the book, but especially in the first half. There were characters who would comment on how clever and charming she was and while that was true it came off in a very bratty sort of way, I wish that she was aged up a couple of years so that she wouldn't have had to be written as such a brat.

But even in spite of that Amelia grew on me and I honestly loved all of the characters. Ernest and Lisavet were fabulous, and Lisavet might honestly be my favorite character that I've read so far this year. Even the antagonist (not saying who due to spoilers, but it becomes obvious who it is as you're reading it) is fantastic, realistic and well-written. Overall this was 5/5 stars for me, a fantastic novel with amazing characters that I couldn't get enough of. I cannot recommend this novel enough, and thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!