"[An] engrossing debut….Gelfuso seamlessly blends elements of romance and fantasy into the twisty quest narrative, and packs excitement into every page. It’s a delight."
—Publishers Weekly

"Book clubs, fans of Kaliane Bradley's The Ministry of Time (2024), and readers who enjoy books about magical libraries will find much to enjoy and discuss in this intriguing novel."
—Booklist

“The Book of Lost Hours by Hayley Gelfuso is a magnificent and complex feat of imagination, a love story that defies the boundaries of time, memory, and reality. From the very first wild page, you’ll be swept into a world where the past isn’t just remembered—it’s lived, fought for, and protected at all costs. Luminous and haunting, Gelfuso’s prose takes us on a journey through a tale of love that transcends time and space, an exploration of how far we’ll go to hold on to what matters most. The Book of Lost Hours is a testament to the power of memory, the fragility of truth, and the enduring strength of the human heart. You’ll never look at time the same way again.”
—Patti Callahan Henry, New York Times bestselling author of The Secret Book of Flora Lea

“There’s a version of me, somewhere in another timeline, who never read The Book of Lost Hours, and I feel sorry for them. Hayley Gelfuso has written the kind of novel that doesn’t just bend time—it stops it, folds it, and tucks a love letter inside. You don’t read this book so much as vanish into it, and when you return, your heart is not the same as when you left. An astounding debut!”
—Jamie Ford, New York Times bestselling author of The Many Daughters of Afong Moy

“A meditation on time, memory, and history, encased in a heart-pounding, cold-war spy thriller, wound tight around a sweeping story of love, family, and fate, The Book of Lost Hours performs actual magic—time itself stops as it draws you in. An undeniable debut by a glittering new talent.”
—Daria Lavelle, author of Aftertaste