What in the time-space mind-bending heck just happened?

This book took a bit of time to grow on me, but once I did, I could put it down- and that's saying something because I mostly read it on my phone during work training breaks. When I read this book I often listened to the soundtrack from Inception, which the book often made me think about. It also reminded me of the Adjustment Bureau. This book blends a lot of genres that I think people of different interests could enjoy. Science fiction, romance, general fiction, also magical realism and historical fiction.

As someone who loves HF, I loved learning about the characters as they jumped between different periods in history. Moira, Ernest and Amelia are some of the main characters that you fall in love with, but part of the interest in the story is that for a long period of time you can never really know who is the good guy and the bad guy. Government agents have gotten access to time and the ability to change and remove parts of history their governments don't like. There are rebels trying to stop them and allow history to not be forgotten. In the middle is Amelia, who recently lost her uncle, visited by the mysterious Moira who wants her help in finding out what happened to Ernest. Amelia learns about 'the watches' and is thrown into a world between books, memories and time, on a journey to learn the mysteries of the world but also where she really comes from.

I found the pacing for this book to be just right, and it soon became a page-turner. You do have to be focused on the book to not get lost in the time jumps and jumps between characters. I found this book a great adventure to hop into and was sad when it ended. I'll be looking for the hardcopy to buy!

Historical fiction meets science fiction in this love story through time. We meet a family of watchmakers during the Nazi invasion who are doing all they can to survive. Lisavet gets stuck in a library of memories waiting for her father to return… but he never does.

In this novel you have a little bit of everything! We see a little mystery as to how will Lisavet get back to the real world. We see a young love bloom and heartbreak. We meet Moira, our strong protagonist who will do anything for her job. Lastly we meet Amelia a young girl who has just lost everything and everyone important to her.

The chapters were greatly detailed and made me question things I hadn’t before such a time and memories. It makes you truly think of how history is written by the victor.

It's a commentary on what we'd give up for the chance to hold onto everything.

Lost in time space, this ARC copy of Book of Lost Hours, by Hayley Gelfuso, felt like a story read backwards at times despite its absolutely moving forward. Underneath all that time matrix and book burning, it's a conversation about how our desire to control information can distill our opportunities to inform or educate.

Overall, Hayley gives us a dynamic little story arc unfolding as a series of unfortunate events. It wouldn't be my usual theme, however, alongside the complexity of a main character who seems to keep making a few mistakes, a little dystopia can be good to stir up the pot.

Loved this! Complex characters and world with interesting character development. Especially the main character, Lisavet. Kept me hooked throughout.

Wow. What can I say? This was great. As I read more and more I couldn’t help but think “how can this only be the middle of the story?” It was so wonderfully intense at the right moments, that I kept thinking this had to be the climax of the story, but it wasn’t. It was all continually building and building all the way to the end.

Stories of time and travel can be hard to navigate, but I thought the author did a great job of it. I really liked the pacing and how the story came together as the timeline got closer and closer together. Not all of the twists were super shocking to me, but when I discovered a lot of of them for myself, I was still really excited and it was just a lot of fun to discover what was really happening in the time space.

I am uncertain how I feel about the ending however. While I really enjoyed it and I’m happy with how it ended, I wonder what else it could’ve been. But it still gets a five star rating because that’s kind of the point of the story what could be what is and what isn’t.

Overall, really fun and intense at the right moments, with wonderful times of love and laughter and intrigue and anger and everything mixed in really well.

I’ve also seen a lot of comparison to “The Night Circus” and “The Midnight Library.” Personally I think the tone and intrigue is similar to “The Night Circus,” which is one of my favourite things about both books. I think it relates to “The Midnight Library“ in that it also takes place in a “library” and one travels through books, but otherwise they are very different - in a good way - books. Still in my humble opinion, someone who enjoyed both of those books will likely enjoy this one.

I received an advanced copy of this book thanks to NetGalley in lieu of an honest review…

And honestly, this is a book I will want to buy for my own “memory time” shelves.

The Book of Lost Hours is a richly imagined universe where watchmakers have been walking (and altering) time and memories for millennia. Lisavet Levy's father, a watchmaker, hides her in the time space to save her on Kristallnacht. There she lives for years, learning how to travel the memories of the dead. When she meets and falls in love with an American timekeeper, she must answer questions about how far she's willing to go for love, to protect those she cares the most about, and to protect the integrity of history, memory, and time itself.

This was an enjoyable, mind-bending "invisible string" read.

Part historical fiction, part fantasy, The Book of Lost Hours is a sweeping story of time, family, love, memories, and our responsibility to all of these things. On the evening of Kristallnacht, Lisavet Levy becomes trapped in the Time Space, where she spends the next several years wandering infinite rows filled with books of memories. When she uncovers a plot to burn memories and change history, she makes it her mission to save those memories and prevent them from being lost forever. When she comes face-to-face with one of those timekeepers tasked with burning memories, it changes the course of everything, with implications not only for Lisavet and her new friend but also all of history.

I loved the twists and turns of this unique story, and the broader picture themes of the passage of time and the responsibility of individuals as part of a broader societal history. Would definitely recommend!

⏳✨ The Book of Lost Hours is a mind-bending, time-twisting adventure that had an excellent premise… but it also confused me.

In the 1940s, 11-year-old Lisavet Levy is hidden in the Timespace for safety, but when her father never returns, she realizes she’s trapped. Discovering that Timekeepers are erasing memories, she secretly preserves them—until Ernest Duquesne tries to stop her.

In 1965 Boston, Amelia Duquesne mourns her uncle’s death when she meets Moira, a mysterious woman who introduces her to the Timespace. Moira needs Amelia’s help to find a lost blue book that once belonged to Lisavet. But why is this book so important? And why does Moira need her specifically to find the book?

The whole concept of Timespace was brilliant in theory, but the execution left me scratching my head. The history of the Timekeepers, the watches, the meditation—how does it all connect? I kept waiting for that aha moment, but instead, I just went along for the ride. 🚀

That said, I loved the Timekeepers and the idea of storing memories in books. It was very magical. 📚💫 The book jumps between different timelines, unfolding the past and present simultaneously, however, the sheer number of POVs had me a bit lost at times.

But I was still interested enough to keep going. Overall I wish I didn’t have to work so hard reading this book to try and put everything together but I love timespace plots and I do think that this book could make a great movie.

3 stars

QOTD: Would you rather have the ability to travel through time or access lost memories? ⏳✨

Alternatively, the book has multiple POVs—do you love when stories unfold this way, or does it confuse you? 🤯👀

Thank you @NetGalley & @AtriaBooks for my eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Just wow! This is a book that will stay with me for a long time!

In the early 1940’s when Lisavet Levy is just 11 years old, her father tucks her away into the time space to keep her safe. He promises to return, but after she waits for what seems like forever, she realizes something has gone wrong and he’s not coming back. She’s trapped.

The time space is where all memories are kept. When Lisavet realizes that timekeepers are destroying memories, she makes it her mission to save as many memories as she can, storing them away in her book. That is, until she meets Ernest Duquesne, who is very interested in what she’s doing, and tries to stop her.

In Boston, in the year 1965, Amelia Duquesne is mourning the loss of her Uncle Ernest when she meets a mysterious woman named Moira. Moira introduces Amelia to the time space, and recruits her in the search for a precious item. A blue book that once belonged to Lisavet Levy. Can Amelia trust her? And why does she want the help of a 15 year old girl?

I’m not kidding when I say that this has been my favorite read of the year! ❤️ The way the author so seamlessly combines the stories of Lisavet and Amelia is just pure talent! I am astonished that this is Hayley Gelfuso’s debut novel!! The author really did her research with this book. All the loose ends are tied up by the end, and you’re left crying both happy and sad tears. I really feel that this one is going to become a best seller. ❤️ I can’t wait to read another book by this author someday!

I received this book for free from Netgalley in exchange for my honest unbiased opinion. I rate this book as five stars. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

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Thank you to #netgalley for the ARC!

Beautiful cover and I’m a sucker for time travel so this book was an easy addition to my Want to Read list. I’m also against book burning and the spread of misinformation and so can get behind the message of this book. I felt like I was primed to love it and perhaps hyped it up a bit too much and so was left expecting more.

As with any book involving time travel or something similar, there’s a lot of questions as to the how it’s done, the paradoxes and the like and this book didn’t explain enough of the former to me and felt rather handwavey about the latter.

What to expect? Moving back and forth through different periods of time, a not super surprising twist and a love story. There’s a little bit of “what does it mean to be a mother?” And parent sacrifice but I wouldn’t frame this as a story about parenting or a parent’s journey.

Without going into spoiler territory, I will say I had a lot of feelings about this ending and a lot of questions.

First of all, thank you for the ARC. This book is a five star read! I loved the premise of the book. It was not only a mysterious idea but also a romantic book spanning over years.

Thank you NetGalley and Atria publishing for this ARC of The Book of Lost Hours!
The concept of this story is extremely clever. The merging of the real world with this magical element in a way that needs to be built within the story was extremely well written. It was easy to follow as far as how they accessed the time space and what it was used for. There were some points where I thought “ok so where did this person come from why do they matter” and everything lined up so well in such a satisfying way. At no point did it feel like the ending just needed to be tied off with a bow. The chapters had felt a bit lengthy, and there were a lot of sentences that just felt long. But it wasn’t that the story was boring, just wordy in my opinion. It didn’t take from the story, just made it take longer for me to read personally.

Amazing! This is one of those books that as soon as you finish, you want to start reading all over again so that you can find every little crumb that you missed the first time. I love the complexity of the characters. Jack especially was a really interesting antagonist, who was truly terrifying by the end because of how realistic he was. Love love love this book.

3.5 /5 stars

A sci-fi-fantasy- espionage-Love Story set in 40's and 60's, during two historical events, WWII and Cold War, a group of time keepers are trying preserve the books of memories of people against others who are trying to destroy them for their own political agenda.

Two people who are destined to meet, Lisavet and Ernest, out protagonists, are the heart and soul of this book. I especially liked the character development of two characters. Lisavet, an innocent who grows to morally questionable one, when it comes to the extend she will go to keep her loved ones safe. And same to be said for Jack. A grey-black character, who was an interesting villain.
Lastly, I like the social message of the book, which feels relevant at this time when books are being banned and when it's difficult discern true and false information.

The quality of writing could have been better. Explanation is sometimes not given or vague for certain concepts, especially the creation of time space, and the special abilities developed and perform by a few characters. The ending with Azrael made sense within the concept of this world, but I was left with wondering what did Azrael and time keepers of the past use to enter and exit the time space...

I don’t even know how to describe this book. Lisavet Levy, a young German-Jewish child, is put into the Time Space during Kristallnacht by her watchmaker father, and then is trapped there. What is the Time Space? From what I can gather it is a library of people’s memories. You can only get there by a specially made watch, one that Lisavet’s father made. And there seems to be a whole department devoted to it in the CIA, determined to burn memories of people that they deem too dangerous to remember. As Lisavet grows up in the Time Space, she tries to save as many memories as she can from being destroyed, but also falls for a CIA agent who enters the space.

There’s a lot more going on as this takes place in two different time periods, but I don’t want to give too much away. I enjoyed the book immensely and am excited for it to be published.

I enjoyed reading this. I think it was a great concept and executed well for the most part. It was nice seeing all the pieces fall together and the time jumping was nothing too crazy, so it was easy to follow. I can say that I’m not too satisfied with the ending. *SPOILER ALERT*


I really wish that Amelia and the original Lisavet had been able to keep in each others lives in some way. Yes, Amelia still has her as a mother, but not the same. Amelia is burdened with all of the memories alone. At one point Amelia opens the new time space where Lisavet now exists in some form, but Amelia doesn’t know that. Even if they had no way of being in each others new lives, it would have been nice to see Lisavet acknowledge Amelia by shaking the stars a certain way or something to just show that I’m here and I will always be watching.

The night that the Nazis come for a Jewish watchmaker, he protects his daughter by hiding her in an alternate dimension known as the Time Space. Young Lisavet grows up here alone and learns to walk through memories. Soldiers from multiple countries attempt to change history, each believing they are in the right, by burning memories - Lisavet takes it upon herself to reverse this damage. She then meets a young American solider in the time space, Ernest, who will change her way of life.

This book was absolutely phenomenal. I'm obsessed with the time travel aspect of shows like Loki and The Umbrella Academy, as well as books such as 11/22/63, The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue and The Midnight Library. Fans of any of these will appreciate "The Book of Lost Hours". And even if you haven't read any books dealing with time travel but want to start, definitely put this on your TBR to read when it is officially published in August.

Thank you so much to NetGalley/Atria Books for the ARC!!

I loved this book. It's a transcendental story, about time travel, yes, but more importantly, love. It also tackles timely themes such as the erasure of history and who decides what goes in the history books, and starts out set on Kristallnacht. It's a slow build with a rewarding ending. Five stars!

I really enjoyed this story!

The concept of time walking and a library of memories of those who passed was very intriguing.

I must say that I enjoyed Amelia's timeline more than Livavet's timeline. That's because I am particular about the romance in a book. Lisavet's storyline became heavy on the romance and Amelias's had more action and suspense.

I thought that how all the timelines and storylines came together towards the conclusion was well done. There were a couple of reveals where I had to shout out loud, lol. I wish we got to see more of Anton though... I really enjoyed his humor and snark.

I really liked Hayley Gelfuso's writing and I'll be sure to keep a look out for her other books.

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy for review.

I'm going to preface this with saying this is undoubtedly one of the stronger books to come out of 2025 thus far, and I am a fan of Gelfuso. I'll be looking for more of her work because of The Book of Lost Hours! I agree with many reviews that readers who enjoyed *The Midnight Library*, *The Ministry of Time*, and *The Book of Doors" will enjoy this one!

The story follows Lisavet, Ernest, Moira, and Amelia, with Lisavet’s entry into the Timespace serving as the initial catalyst. This new reality, where the rules of time and memory are rewritten was a very intriguing premise. The shifting perspectives and narrative style, while attempting to create a sense of mysticism, often felt disjointed. The world of the Timespace itself remained unclear at times, with the mechanics of operation leaving me with some question, and that I believe was the point. The constant back-and-forth between different points of view didn’t feel as fluid as it should have, and I found myself struggling to maintain interest, rather than being immersed in the story.

The romance between the main characters is one of the few elements that kept me invested, but even this felt secondary to the convoluted plot and character arcs being both generic and predictable. The side characters, especially Amelia, lacked depth. I was hoping for more character development, but by the end of the book, Amelia felt just as shallow as she did at the start, leaving her arc feeling incomplete and unsatisfying.

Overall, I did enjoy The Book of Lost House by Hayley Gelfuso through a world where memories are stored in books and time is a fluid, ever-changing concept.