I love a good historical fantasy. Add in a sci-fi element related to time travel and you've got my attention. This book was so beautifully written - the plot was designed to weave inside itself and connect the many different themes and character. I loved it so well. It tugged at my heart strings, it was relatable, and it was exciting. I will be thinking about this one for a long time.

The Book of Lost Hours is an ambitious and beautifully imagined debut that blends historical fiction, fantasy, and suspense. Hayley Gelfuso introduces readers to the mysterious “time space,” a haunting realm where memories of the dead are preserved, and through dual timelines—1938 Germany and 1965 Boston—she explores themes of memory, loss, and the danger of forgetting. Lisavet’s journey in particular is moving and unforgettable, her strength and grief giving the story its emotional weight.

While the pacing shifts at times and some side characters are less developed, the central concept and atmosphere are captivating. Gelfuso’s writing invites readers to consider who controls history, what it means to remember, and the cost of forgetting. A thought-provoking and powerful read, perfect for fans of historical fantasy with a literary edge.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4/5)

All I can say is, Hayley Gelfuso, how can this be your first novel?

The Book of Lost Hours follows Lisavet Levy and Amelia Duquesne that are intertwined in a way that readers will never expect. The plot twists and romance came out of nowhere for me, and I absolutely loved the relationships in this novel, both romantic and platonic. Gelfuso also does a lovely job on spinning the topic time travel into something fresh and exciting, keeping me on my toes throughout my journey. All in all, I very much enjoyed this book, and highly recommend everyone to read it...so you can sob like me.

By the end of this novel, forget-me-nots have become my favorite flower, and the moon shines just a bit brighter than before.

I LOVED reading The Book of Lost Hours. Among a large (...very large, still growing) subgenre of "books about books and book magic," this stood out.
The plot twists were well-crafted and landed with me. I enjoyed the characterization of two very different teenage girls as main characters. I also appreciated the range in years this was set.

I will absolutely pick up Hayley Gelfuso's next book!

This was so good that as soon as I finished, I had to immediately tell a coworker to read it. There were a couple of times I was tryiing to keep track of what year we were in but the plot was intriguing. There were some quotes and scenes that I wanted to look around at the world we are in and go same feeling now.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria for the ARC in exchange for an honest review

I would recommend if you're looking for (SPOILERS)

-m/f historical speculative romance
-dual timelines
-forbidden romance
-amnesia
-its always been you
-time travel

This was a gorgeously written book. The history brimming on every page, the aching loss, the intrigue. It sucked me right in and I had to know how it ended. A beautiful story about sacrificing for the people we love, who is writing our history, and of love. A book I'm jealous of anyone who can read for the first time.

The Book of Lost Hours by Hayley Gelfuso

I was honored to have a chance to read an ARC of the author’s debut novel. This book explores time, memories, and the things we do to protect those we love the most. I enjoyed the language, imagery and character development in this story that spanned across two generations of timekeepers. This was a speculative novel filled with mystery and magic. While I enjoyed the story immensely, at times it moved slowly for me, perhaps because of the long chapters. Still this is a promising first start for the author showing her creativity and craft, and I look forward to reading more from her.

While most of the “twists” in the story were all very predictable to me, the story had me pulled in and wanting a happy ending for these characters. I was very satisfied with the ending.

This book is definitely named correctly because I lost so many hours attempting to read it. The Midnight Library is one of my favorite books so when I saw this was compared to that, I jumped at the opportunity to meet it. This compares to that in the same way a banana compares to a carrot. They are both produce, but that’s all they have in common. The only thing this has in common with The Midnight Library is that both protagonists are stuck in an otherworldly, magical library.
I loved the concept of this but it was so drawn out and so many times it felt like it could have ended, but then it kept on going. The writing style just didn’t do enough to keep me engaged.
I did like the twist in middle, which renewed my enthusiasm for this (but not for long) and I enjoyed the ending (not because it was the end, but because of how it ended).
Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for an advanced copy. I’m sorry I didn’t get to it sooner. The Book of Lost Hours hit the shelves on August 26th.

This book was so good!! This isn’t my usual type of book, and I can sometimes struggle with a fantasy book and find it hard to follow. That was not the case at all here - the plot was so interesting and so engaging, the characters were well flushed out and interesting, and I really enjoyed every minute of this!

I listened to the audiobook, and the different characters were all portrayed really well.

I also loved the ending - everything came together perfectly!

I really enjoyed this story. it was so intriguing and kept me hooked as the different timelines unfolded. The writing pulled me in, and I kept imagining the whole thing playing out on the big screen. Honestly, it gave me strong Loki vibes with its time-bending twists and tension. I need to see this story adapted into a movie or show because it was just that visual, rich, and engaging.

This is a really good book, for those who like some time travel with a little history thrown in, and some relevance to our current times. It has lots of twists and turns, and even when I figured some out in advance, it was still surprising. The daughter of a Jewish watchmaker finds herself trapped in the time space, a library of memories, when her family is killed on Kristellnacht. She sees representatives from different countries coming in to destroy memories and change history, and she makes it her mission to preserve the memories. It seems like the Nazi's are the bad guys, but as the books go on, we question whether the Americans' motives are that much better. The book goes back and forth in time, and was well written and entertaining.

I really enjoyed this book! While I know the twist was supposed to be Lisavet/Moira but it wasn't really a surprise at all. I suspected from the beginning. That is not to say that effected my opinion of the book. I thought it was unique and keep me interested in the story. I liked imagining what everything looked like, the time space and the memories. Would reccomend!

Thank you to the publisher for a netgalley.

Well, I loved this one. I love a good travel through time. However, this one is not your typical time traveling. And though I thought this was going to be more of a historical fiction book, I am happy it was not.

I loved where this story went. Lisavet's development in the story was so, so good. Her life, at times difficult and sad, was a story worth reading. Each character in the story had their part and played it well. Each layer that unfolded was so well done, and nothing left me feeling like there were plot holes.

I love Ministry of Time, which this one is compared to. And while I think there are some big differences, I loved them both!

Thank you first and foremost NetGalley for allowing me to read this book in advance and exchange for an honest review. The review is linked below. Thank you again.

Thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for this free copy of "The Book of Lost Hours."

This stunning debut novel is without a doubt one of the best books I've ever read! Finishing this book left a quiet little "forget-me-not" in my heart that keeps tingling.

I adore time travel novels woven with enduring love stories and author Gelfuso created such endearing, memorable characters that I didn't want the book to end.

With timely themes of who "owns" history and how it's told and what we'd do to protect those we love, author Gelfuso blends them into the narrative without being "preachy."

I absolutely can't wait to read what author Gelfuso writes next!

The Book of Lost Hours is now one of my top reads of the year. WOW, I loved every second of this book, and I’m floored that it is a debut novel. This book is timely for a modern point in history, where people are trying to change the perception of history by shifting the narrative and books that teach the truth. I usually have issues with the bounce between past and present, but this plot was laid out perfectly when the two points unraveled and met in the middle. It is beautifully written and has a satisfying ending. This is one of those stories I want them to make a movie about.

Review:
The Book of Lost Hours is a beautifully written and haunting debut that blends gothic atmosphere with folklore and deep emotional resonance. From the opening chapters, the story creates an immersive sense of place. The prose is lyrical and vivid, drawing the reader into a world where time itself feels fragile and haunted.

The strongest aspect of this novel is the way it balances a dark, atmospheric setting with themes of grief, resilience, and the bonds that hold families together. The characters are layered and complex, each carrying secrets and struggles that feel both timeless and deeply human. The exploration of how time shapes our choices and relationships is handled with sensitivity and weight, making the novel both thought provoking and emotionally moving.

While the story is captivating, there were moments when the pacing slowed more than I would have preferred. Some sections lingered longer than necessary, which occasionally disrupted the momentum. Even so, the richness of the writing and the thematic depth more than made up for these slower passages.

I rated this book four stars because of its lyrical prose, evocative atmosphere, and thoughtful exploration of universal themes. It is a strong and memorable debut, and I look forward to reading more from Hayley Gelfuso in the future.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

ARC Disclosure: I received an advanced copy of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

The Book of Lost Hours beautifully blends together a historical tale and turns it into a fantastical mystery novel.

I loved this story and was so surprised to learn it was a debut.

The story takes place with dual timelines of Lisavet Levy, a child trapped in the “time space”, and Amelia Duquesne, who is grieving the death of her uncle, when she is approached by a government agent who asks for her help in retrieving a lost book that was in her uncle’s possession.

The stories eventually combine, in such an unexpected way. I was both shocked, and impressed, that a voracious reader like me could be so surprised by a twist.

This book had me turning the pages as quickly as I could, I just had to know what would happen next.

I highly recommend this story to fans of The Midnight Library, or readers who enjoy historical fiction blended effortlessly with fantasy!

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, Hayley Gelfuso, and the publisher, for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

The Book of Lost Hours is an exceptional debut that had me at hello just a few pages in!

In 1938, young Lisavet finds herself trapped in time space after her watch maker father hides her from the Nazis, but never returns for her. Time space is a vast library where books of memories are stored, only accessible by special watches. Initially, only the watch makers had access to time space, but eventually, governments took control of the remaining watches. Lisavet notices that agents are burning books and vows to save the memories they're trying to destroy. Lisavet can only experience the world through the memories in the library until 1949, when she meets a US agent, Ernest.

In 1965, young Amelia gets pulled into this story after her Uncle Ernest, her guardian, is killed in the line of duty. Amelia is told that she inherited her uncle's watch to access time space by another US agent, Moira. Moira is assigned to watch over Amelia, but only because the agency thinks she may be able to find Lisavet's book of lost memories. When Amelia finally gets to time space, she finds out there's much more to the story than she's been told.

I initially thought this book was a fantasy, but it's classified as sci-fi. It tackles some pretty big physics concepts without being overwhelming. It also tackles some pretty big moral questions about who should get to decide what memories or ideas get destroyed? I couldn't help but feel Orwell's 1984 knocking on my forehead while reading this. "He who controls the past controls the future. He who controls the present controls the past." I also couldn't help but feel like this is eerily relevant to today's world.

If you aren't into sci-fi, don't let the classification scare you. The Book of Lost Hours is so much more. It's a great mystery, with historical fiction and even a little romance that wasn't irritating to one who doesn't enjoy romance 😆 The writing was absolutely gorgeous! I can't wait to see what else Hayley Gelfuso will write. Finding shining debuts like The Book of Lost Hours is the reason I read ARCs! A big thank you to Netgalley and Atria Books for the opportunity to read and review an early copy!