In The Unseen Hour, Silas Reames crafts a hauntingly atmospheric tale set in Emrys, a world where time itself harbors danger. Once a year, there exists a liminal stretch—the hour between the old year and the new—when the veil between life and death thins. To be caught outside during this “unseen hour” is to risk never returning, your body found only after the clock begins to tick again. But when Celia’s father vanishes without a trace, she refuses to believe he is truly gone. No body means no death—at least, that’s the hope driving her relentless search.
Celia’s journey plunges her into forbidden realms, where meddling deities, vengeful gods, and shifting allegiances test her resolve. Along the way, she finds herself guided by the writings of Orion, the mysterious author of a journal she can’t seem to put down. As obsession turns to something deeper, their connection becomes both a lifeline and a dangerous temptation.
Reames delivers a story that blends gothic atmosphere with romantasy allure—darkly lyrical, brimming with suspense, and threaded with a romance that feels as inevitable as fate itself. With echoes of classic gothic tales and the fresh bite of modern fantasy, The Unseen Hour is perfect for readers who crave danger, devotion, and the pull of love against impossible odds.
That being said, I gave this one 3 stars. I loved the foundation and premise, but at times the pacing felt overly drawn out, and the insta-love between Celia and Orion didn’t fully land for me. Still, despite its flaws, this was a decent read with a strong concept at its core.

A romance caught between power struggles that they should have no place in, our characters fight for survival and live in this gothic romantasy.

Love me a good FMC who puts up with no bs. Celia is a strong intelligent fmc who is uncompromisingly true to herself - and is fierce about it. This book excels in world building, felt like i was in their world. Spookier dark romance with a low spice. Great adventure and pacing throughout - all the adventures/twists and the romance with Orion - yay! Ended with open plot threads that are set up nicely for the second book (not necessarily a cliff hanger but definitely leaving you wanting more!).

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Unseen Hour is a hauntingly beautiful blend of gothic atmosphere, high-stakes fantasy, and forbidden romance. Silas Reames crafts a world steeped in myth and danger, where every page drips with tension and longing. Celia is a heroine you can’t help but root for—determined, vulnerable, and driven by both love and hope. Her connection with Orion, a ghostly figure whose words first captured her heart, is achingly tender and full of quiet intensity.

What makes this story shine is its balance: eerie, curse-laden landscapes and vengeful gods are woven seamlessly with a romance that feels both fragile and powerful. The writing is lyrical without losing momentum, and the romance is as swoon-worthy as it is soul-stirring.

Fans of gothic fantasy and slow-burn, otherworldly love stories will be spellbound. This is the kind of book that lingers long after the final page.

We start this book following Celia, a wallflower of sorts with a will of her own and a determination to find her father.
He disappeared during the unseen hour which happens every news years eve. Celia finds a diary and some papers that have some clues she is hell bent on following, convinced in doing so it will lead her to her father.
She ends up in the Ether, ruled by a god with questionable morals and intentions and finds Orion upon her arrival. He helps her and they get closer and closer while strategizing and planning their way out before the next unseen hour approaches.
I found the Celia to be likeable, but not loveable. Orion I liked better, although I wish there were friends, or sidekicks introduced that I could really form a character bond with. The love for these characters fell a little flat.
The storyline was good and unraveled at a good pace, but I don’t know if it was enough to hold for the entire book. I enjoyed the read, but don’t think I care enough about the characters to see what happens with them.
This is a forced proximity, friends to lovers, magical adventure with a slow burn and 2/5 spice level.

Thanks to Victory Editing and NetGalley for this ARC! (All opinions are my own)
I would recommend this book for fans of the Belladonna Series by Adalyn Grace!
This book was very well written, and had an interesting twist at the end that I can't wait to see where it takes us in book two! The pros for me were the world building, the perfectly paced progression of the plot, and the characters the author wrote. I really enjoyed the setting of this other realm and the fear of the unknown. The author did so well describing the shades and the interactions between the various gods and our main characters Celia and Orion.
The cons for me were the dialogue, the entire relationship between Celia & Orion, and certain parts of the plot that were wrapped up too quickly or just skimmed over. The dialogue was a bit difficult to follow at times as it felt disjointed from the time period we are supposed to be in. Especially with Orion who had been away from the living for so long. I really didn't feel the connection with Celia and Orion. The instalove was not believable, and they (to me) lacked chemistry. I loved how she stood up for him and wanted to protect him but it felt like two long lost friends rather than two lovers.
Overall it's a 3 out of 5 for me, and I did still enjoy this book and would recommend it to others. I'll definitely be checking out book 2 as it has so much potential for both characters to grow.

Thank you to Netgalley and Night Loch Publishers LLC for The ARC!

This book very much felt gothy and dark. Like other said, it gives a Bridgeton vibe but add mythology, and of course, the spooky eerie vibes for anyone wanting that feeling before Halloween. Celia is such a curious and almost adventurous FemMc as she finds what her father was researching and decided to bring closure to whatever he was doing, or at least have something to prove for it. Her meeting Orion was the icing on the cake as they both really compliment each other through the story as they navigate this world of gods, danger and their own feelings that grow for each other. I only wished we lingered a bit more on their growing interactions since it felt a bit brushed aside at times or felt like everything fit in place a bit too well.

I enjoyed reading it and I look forward to what else entails in the series!

The Unseen Hour takes us to Emrys where a young woman is desperately trying to find her father and her freedom along with it. Emrys is plagued by the unseen hour every December 31st. And Celia (Our FMC) is looking for her father who went missing during it. So she sets out on adventure to find him and finds so much more than that.

This book gave me Bridgeton vibes but make it gothic. I loved the haunting vibes this book gave off. And I loved our FMC. She is stubborn and doesn’t apologize for being herself. It did take me a little while to get used to the writing style and get interested in the plot but overall I would say this is a solid four star read and I would recommend to my friends who wanted a good spooky vibe book for fall. ❤️

I can’t wait to see where book two takes our main characters!

Thank you to netgalley and Night Loch Publishers for the ARC.

Thank you to netgalley and Night Loch Publishers for the ARC.
The Unseen hour takes us with Celia ino the Ether to solve the mystery of her missing father. Where she meets Orion, an author of a journal she found from 100 years ago. Wrapped up in regency era problems and magical worlds and Gods.
Honestly I had a little bit of a hard time with the dialogue from the outset. Having said that, the story was very gothic and Halloween vibey.
The regency era vibes mixed in with fantasy was interesting. Though I found the premise really interesting, I can't say that I loved this book because of the prose between characters.
I enjoyed that Celia and Orion really bonded and worked together through the escapades. Both characters were strongly built and you were rooting for them.
I wasn't sure if it was going to be a part of a series when I started, but can assume it will be as of the ending. I'm just not sure I'm invested enough in the story of the characters to continue the series.

HUGE Thanks to #NetGalley and Night Loch Publishers for my ARC copy of this book!!

I have to admit, I went into this book completely blind (didn't even read the blurb until after I finished which does reveal one plot point that I didn't know until it came up in the book, LOL). This journey was a testament to why you should sometimes judge a book by its cover, which in this case is gorgeous!

This book gave me Bridgerton vibes meets a mysterious mythology. Gods waging a war between themselves behind the veil with real-world consequences for the humans on the other side who are often more preoccupied with the opinions of society to delve deeper and question the world around them. And with a non-teenaged FMC (which I really appreciate) and a completely devoted MMC, what's not to love?! And The Unseen Hour ends after dropping a pretty big bombshell and teased so much more to come in this universe and I can't wait! Definitely recommend this book to romantasy fans far and wide!

Highly recommend this book, especially as we head into Halloween if you're looking for something that feels spooky but still has a romantic storyline. The plot was refreshingly unique and kept me thoroughly entertained the entire time. I definitely was not able to predict how this ended, but I'm hoping desperately for a sequel!

This was a fun read with a good mix of adventure and fantasy. Set in pre-industrial area, Raynos is plagued by the unseen hour. An extra hour between New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day where anybody outside during the hour dies.

The mystery roped me in from the get go. I loved the daughter on a mission to save her father angle, the world building was easy to follow and beautiful and it definitely felt like an experienced writer.

Celia was headstrong and unapologetically herself which I love in an FMC. But I do think that I was more invested in the plot line rather than romance side of things.

The end was a surprise for me as I didn’t realise it was part of a series but I’m looking forward to see where book two takes us

The Unseen Hour is a haunting, romantic fantasy that plunges you into a world where even time itself is cursed—and love might be the only thing powerful enough to rewrite fate.

In the city of Emrys, the end of the year isn't marked by fireworks or festivities—it’s feared. During the Unseen Hour, doors are locked, windows shuttered, and prayers whispered in the dark. But Celia, restless and grieving the mysterious disappearance of her father, is not like everyone else. When she discovers an old journal filled with forbidden knowledge and a voice that seems to echo her soul, she’s pulled into a realm of death that promises answers… and maybe something more.

Enter Orion—the journal’s author, a brooding and enigmatic figure with a tragic past and secrets stitched into his very soul. Their meeting is no fairy tale. It’s tense, wary, and complicated, but as danger closes in and their fates intertwine, Celia and Orion's slow-burn connection becomes the emotional heartbeat of the novel.

What makes The Unseen Hour truly special is its atmosphere: rich, eerie, and steeped in myth. The writing weaves between lyrical and raw, grounding the fantastical with real emotional weight. This is not just a story about curses and gods—it’s about grief, trust, and the lengths we’ll go to for the people we love.

Celia is a refreshingly complex heroine—brave but not reckless, skeptical yet open-hearted. And Orion? He’s the kind of romantic lead that readers of fantasy swoon over: wounded, wise, and wielding just the right amount of mystery.

This was such a fun and unique book and I thoroughly enjoyed it!

The story is set in Emrys, a place that is plagued by the Unseen Hour, which is an extra hour between New Year’s Eve and the New Year. Anyone who is unfortunate enough to be outside during this hour dies and is found frozen the next morning.

Our main female character, Celia, who is from a noble family in Emrys, is struggling to come to terms with the apparent death of her father during the Unseen Hour. He was declared dead but his body was never found. Celia has discovered that her father was researching the Unseen Hour and how to find out what happens during it without dying. She sets out to follow her father’s instructions and, hopefully, bring him home from wherever he ended up.

One of the items among her father’s research is a journal. Celia falls in love with the long-dead author of the journal and, after following her father’s and the journal instructions during the next Unseen Hour, ends up in the Ether, a world between life and death, where she meets Orion. Together they are tasked with a quest by Death herself and set out to find Celia’s father, escape the Ether and return to Emrys.

I loved Celia as a main character! She’s headstrong and rebellious, snubbing the social norms and expectations of finding a match during the antiquated season (think Bridgerton) and full of resilience and determination to find her father.

Orion was a great love interest and treated Celia like a queen. I’m hoping he isn’t too good to be true and continues with his care and compassion in the next book. He’s also brave and strong willed, dealing with tragic events that happened in his past and surviving the Ether for many years.

I’m loving the direction this series is going with the mortals vs Gods storyline and I can’t wait to read the next book and find out more about the Gods. I won’t say anymore about side characters and events as I don’t want to spoil anything.

Arc Review
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
In Emrys, the Unseen Hour is a time of fear and hiding. But when Celia discovers a mysterious journal, she's drawn into a realm of death where she meets Orion, the journal's author. As they navigate this treacherous world, they must confront their pasts, the power of warring gods, and their growing feelings for each other.
This book was such an adventurous ride in journey. I love the characters. The plot actually kept me hundred percent interested throughout the whole book.
The atmosphere of this book is very dark unsettling and Gothic so the book was exactly what I was looking for especially around spooky time. This is a good book if you like Gothic vibes I actually highly suggest this one.

The Unseen Hour by Silas Reams was such an enjoyable read! It had the perfect mix of adventure and fantasy romance. I especially loved Celia’s rebellious spirit and her determination to uncover the truth about her father. I’m really excited to see where Silas Reams takes the story in book two!

The Unseen Hour — a time so cursed that people hide indoors, hoping to survive it — really hooked me straight away. The atmosphere is dark, a little unsettling, and definitely gothic in tone, which I loved.

Celia’s search for her missing father drives the plot, but what kept me reading was the way she stumbles into Orion’s world. I didn’t expect to fall for the romance as much as I did — the idea of slowly falling for the author of a journal, only to meet him as a ghost.

If you like your fantasy gothic, moody, and laced with doomed romance and gods that feel dangerous, this is one to pick up.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

I really enjoyed this concept and enjoyed the Gothic fantasy romance elements in this and thought the fantasy concept worked well overall. It was everything that I was looking for and was enjoying getting to know Celia and the rest of the characters. It was so well written and enjoyed the overall package of this book. Silas Reames has a strong writing style and left me wanting to read more in this world and characters.

“He’d soon find out, though, that love could fuel vengeance as readily as anger. And I had plenty of both.”

“I don’t want his name on your lips again, Starlight. Just mine.”

Spice: 🌶️.5

✨✨✨✨✨✨

When Celia picks up the trace of her father’s research into the Unseen Hour, she gets a lot more than she bargained for. More questions than answers, bickering drama between deities, and a very golden retriever of a Head Shade.

MMC is giving major Haku vibes (Spirited Away, for reference). But at no point was this man, Orion, anything less than kind, loving, and compassionate towards Celia. Which honestly made me a little… frustrated.

Let’s start with the good:
This book has the writing of a fairly seasoned author. I did highly enjoy the “touch HIM and 💀” and reverse “who did this to you?” trope. It has all the right pieces in place to be truly amazing, and I’m a sucker for inventive pantheons, especially if it’s built on the foundations of one’s that already exist.

… which brings me to the “not so good.”
I write this with all the respect in my soul, but I didn’t quite resonate with either of the characters. I liked them and I understood their mutual interest and cooperative mission, but their romance felt a bit rushed, and when the kissing and *ahem* copulation eventually happens, it just fell a bit flat. It felt as if it was “yeah it happened, moving on.” And the circumstances under which it happened felt kind of ordinary and unceremonious. It had the typical ‘almost happened before they were interrupted’ situations. Without going into too much detail, too much had worked out kind of perfectly (or at least not awfully) for them - it lacked strife and conflict which would aid to their growth as characters, thus increasing our emotional vested interest in watching their tale unfold.

It ends in a cliffhanger, which gives me hope that we’ll see more dynamic within the world of Emrys and the Unseen Hour, the conflict, arc, and topography of characters, and more backstory as to how this Unseen Hour came to be.