Introduction:
For the fans of The Ministry of Time and The Midnight Library, The Book of Lost Hours is a sweeping novel that blends time travel, memory, and emotional legacy.
Told across two timelines, it follows Lisavet Levy, trapped in a mysterious ‘time space’ library filled with memory-bound books after her father vanishes in 1938. As she grows up among specters and stories, Lisavet learns of a government effort to erase inconvenient truths, and begins preserving memories of her own.
Decades later, in 1965, Amelia Duquesne is approached by a CIA agent to help uncover a book her missing uncle once sought. But in stepping into the time space herself, she discovers that truth, memory, and love are far more complex than they seem.
Let’s talk about the book:
I couldn’t believe I was reading a book. It felt like I was living it. The Book of Lost Hours completely swept me away. I finished it in one sitting (four hours straight!) because I. Just. Couldn’t. Stop. I forgot to eat, drink, even breathe properly. That’s how deep this story pulled me in. I still can’t believe this is Hayley Gelfuso’s debut story.
Set across the 1940s and 1960s, The Book of Lost Hours follows the lives and experiences of Lisavet Levy and Amelia Duquesne – two fierce, unforgettable women who rise through grief, silence, and uncertainty, each daring to rewrite the fate the world tried to hand them.
The book has everything: romance, historic, and sci-fi elements, and this subtle but powerful war between truth and control. The characters Lisavet, Ernest, Moira, and Amelia were so vivid, it felt like I could see them through the words in the book.
And the writing? Pure magic. My only regret is that I couldn’t slow down and soak in every single word, because the pace and emotional intensity kept pushing me forward.
This book left me breathless. I’m still thinking about it. And I already want to read it again.
Would I recommend it?
100%! If you have read and enjoyed fantasy books of similar concepts, I would highly recommend you buy it as soon as it hits the stands on August 26th, 2025. Believe me, you won’t regret it!
Credits for the ARC
ARC Review: The Book of Lost Hours by Hayley Gelfuso
Releases August 26, 2025
Simon & Schuster Canada | Atria Books
ARC received via NetGalley Canada
I’d love to hear your thoughts once you get a chance to read it!
Where to find this book?
Buy The Book of Lost Hours by Hayley Gelfuso on Amazon CA
View The Book of Lost Hours by Hayley Gelfuso on Goodreads
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