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The White Octopus Hotel
Journey to a magical hotel in the Swiss Alps, where two lost souls living in different centuries meet and discover that behind its many doors, they may just find a second chance.
‘Have you travelled a long way?’ she asked carefully. A smile twitched at the corner of his mouth. ‘Well, yes,” he said slowly. ‘Yes, you could say that. But it was worth the wait.’
London, 2015
When reclusive art appraiser Eve Shaw shakes the hand of a silver-haired gentleman in her London office, the warmth of his palm sends a spark through her.
His name is Max Everly – curiously, the same name as Eve’s favourite composer, born one hundred sixteen years prior. And she can’t shake the feeling that she’s held his hand before . . . but where, and when?
The White Octopus Hotel, 1935
Decades earlier, high in the snowy Swiss Alps, Eve and a young Max Everly wander the winding halls of the grand belle epoque White Octopus Hotel, lost in time.
Each of them has been through the trenches – Eve in a family accident and Max on the battlefields of the Great War – but for an impossible moment, love and healing are just a room away . . . if only they have the courage to step through the door.
‘Have you travelled a long way?’ she asked carefully. A smile twitched at the corner of his mouth. ‘Well, yes,” he said slowly. ‘Yes, you could say that. But it was worth the wait.’
London, 2015
When reclusive art appraiser Eve Shaw shakes the hand of a silver-haired gentleman in her London office, the warmth of his palm sends a spark through her.
His name is Max Everly – curiously, the same name as Eve’s favourite composer, born one hundred sixteen years prior. And she can’t shake the feeling that she’s held his hand before . . . but where, and when?
The White Octopus Hotel, 1935
Decades earlier, high in the snowy Swiss Alps, Eve and a young Max Everly wander the winding halls of the grand belle epoque White Octopus Hotel, lost in time.
Each of them has been through the trenches – Eve in a family accident and Max on the battlefields of the Great War – but for an impossible moment, love and healing are just a room away . . . if only they have the courage to step through the door.
353 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 28, 2025
264 people are currently reading
18368 people want to read
About the author
Alexandra Bell
2 books132 followersAlexandra Bell signed her first book deal at nineteen and has since written multiple books for adults and young people. She works for a legal advice charity and lives in Hampshire with her husband, sons and Sphynx cats. She also writes as Alex Bell.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 365 reviews
December 27, 2025
Did you hear that? That was the sound of my brain exploding. I'm not even joking—my mind is officially blown, and I swear there's still smoke curling out of my ears! This book is wildly smart, dizzyingly complex, and as mentally twisting as anything the Nolan brothers have ever written. Think Inception, Interstellar, and Tenet levels of brain-melting meets The Shining (not terrifying, but the hotel’s eerie ambiance gave me serious Overlook Hotel chills).
At first, the pacing is a slow simmer—until Eve Shaw steps into the enigmatic White Octopus Hotel. That’s when the book tightens its grip and never lets go. As more characters unfold (including a rabbit that channels both Donnie Darko and Alice in Wonderland), I found myself on an exhilarating scavenger hunt that made my neurons beg for mercy. I usually pride myself on spotting twists from miles away. Not this time. I was blindsided. Floored. Eyes-wide, jaw-dropped, sitting-on-the-floor stunned. That ending. I haven’t felt this mentally hijacked since The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle.
And honestly, can someone please adapt this into a series? The gothic, glamorous atmosphere of the White Octopus Hotel, the surreal octopus imagery, the moody time-bending sequences—just imagine what a visionary production designer could do with it!
So, what is it about? Here’s a quick (spoiler-light) rundown:
Set in London, 2015, we meet Eve Shaw, a reclusive young art appraiser in her twenties, wrapped in black turtlenecks to hide a mysterious octopus tattoo that… moves. Yep, moves. She’s haunted by guilt over the tragic death of her little sister Bella—a childhood accident she’s never forgiven herself for—and stalked by the vision of a rabbit that once belonged to Bella.
Eve’s carefully constructed life spirals the moment an elderly man appears at her gallery, gifts her a strange object, and then dies right in front of her. A hat with the initials "M.E."—eerily matching those of her long-missing favorite composer, Max Everly, who vanished decades ago after staying at the White Octopus Hotel.
Her curiosity sends her down a rabbit hole—literally and emotionally. A visit to the ruins of the old hotel in the Swiss Alps becomes a portal into 1935, where she meets the Max Everly, alive and searching for a nurse named Eve Shaw. She looks just like her. And the hotel owner, Anna, bears an uncanny resemblance too—complete with a rabbit of her own.
As Eve is swept into a time-traveling scavenger hunt with reality-bending stakes—one that may allow her to change the past and save Bella’s life—she’s caught between timelines, truths, and a growing emotional connection to Max that complicates everything.
This book had everything I adore:
Time travel? ✔️
Science fiction and gothic mystery? ✔️
A haunting hotel setting? ✔️
Romance laced with longing and impossibility? ✔️
Puzzles, portals, heartbreak, and second chances? ✔️✔️✔️
I was enchanted, bewildered, heartbroken, and in awe. And if you love books that make your brain spin while tugging at your heart, this is the one to pick up next.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Five gloriously mind-bending, time-traveling stars from me!
Huge thanks to NetGalley, Del Rey, Random House Worlds, and Inklore for this unforgettable digital review copy. I’ll be talking about this book for a long, long time.
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At first, the pacing is a slow simmer—until Eve Shaw steps into the enigmatic White Octopus Hotel. That’s when the book tightens its grip and never lets go. As more characters unfold (including a rabbit that channels both Donnie Darko and Alice in Wonderland), I found myself on an exhilarating scavenger hunt that made my neurons beg for mercy. I usually pride myself on spotting twists from miles away. Not this time. I was blindsided. Floored. Eyes-wide, jaw-dropped, sitting-on-the-floor stunned. That ending. I haven’t felt this mentally hijacked since The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle.
And honestly, can someone please adapt this into a series? The gothic, glamorous atmosphere of the White Octopus Hotel, the surreal octopus imagery, the moody time-bending sequences—just imagine what a visionary production designer could do with it!
So, what is it about? Here’s a quick (spoiler-light) rundown:
Set in London, 2015, we meet Eve Shaw, a reclusive young art appraiser in her twenties, wrapped in black turtlenecks to hide a mysterious octopus tattoo that… moves. Yep, moves. She’s haunted by guilt over the tragic death of her little sister Bella—a childhood accident she’s never forgiven herself for—and stalked by the vision of a rabbit that once belonged to Bella.
Eve’s carefully constructed life spirals the moment an elderly man appears at her gallery, gifts her a strange object, and then dies right in front of her. A hat with the initials "M.E."—eerily matching those of her long-missing favorite composer, Max Everly, who vanished decades ago after staying at the White Octopus Hotel.
Her curiosity sends her down a rabbit hole—literally and emotionally. A visit to the ruins of the old hotel in the Swiss Alps becomes a portal into 1935, where she meets the Max Everly, alive and searching for a nurse named Eve Shaw. She looks just like her. And the hotel owner, Anna, bears an uncanny resemblance too—complete with a rabbit of her own.
As Eve is swept into a time-traveling scavenger hunt with reality-bending stakes—one that may allow her to change the past and save Bella’s life—she’s caught between timelines, truths, and a growing emotional connection to Max that complicates everything.
This book had everything I adore:
Time travel? ✔️
Science fiction and gothic mystery? ✔️
A haunting hotel setting? ✔️
Romance laced with longing and impossibility? ✔️
Puzzles, portals, heartbreak, and second chances? ✔️✔️✔️
I was enchanted, bewildered, heartbroken, and in awe. And if you love books that make your brain spin while tugging at your heart, this is the one to pick up next.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Five gloriously mind-bending, time-traveling stars from me!
Huge thanks to NetGalley, Del Rey, Random House Worlds, and Inklore for this unforgettable digital review copy. I’ll be talking about this book for a long, long time.
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July 21, 2025
This book started off super strong and totally had me hooked. I loved the mysterious vibe—Eve, an art valuer, gets asked by an old man to appraise a strange white octopus figurine, and that kicks off this whole mystery tied to a ruined art deco hotel and a collection of magical artifacts. The setting was cool, the atmosphere was moody in the best way, and I was really curious to see where it was all going.
But once the time travel kicked in, things kind of went off the rails for me. I’m not usually a fan of time travel in general, and in this case, it made the plot feel a little all over the place. The back-and-forth between different timelines and points of view started to get confusing, and I felt like the story lost track of what made the beginning so compelling. The original mystery kind of faded into the background, which was disappointing.
That said, the parts set in the 1930s hotel were really vivid and fun to read. The love story that develops there added a sweet, emotional layer, even if it felt a bit rushed. I think readers who enjoy time-travel stories and don’t mind jumping around in the timeline might enjoy this more than I did.
All in all, The White Octopus Hotel had a great premise and a strong start, but it didn’t quite stick the landing for me.
---------
This is being marketed as similar to the Warm Hands of Ghosts by Katherine Arden, which is one of my favorite books of all time.
Received a copy from the publisher (thank you Kay Popple) in exchange for an honest review.
But once the time travel kicked in, things kind of went off the rails for me. I’m not usually a fan of time travel in general, and in this case, it made the plot feel a little all over the place. The back-and-forth between different timelines and points of view started to get confusing, and I felt like the story lost track of what made the beginning so compelling. The original mystery kind of faded into the background, which was disappointing.
That said, the parts set in the 1930s hotel were really vivid and fun to read. The love story that develops there added a sweet, emotional layer, even if it felt a bit rushed. I think readers who enjoy time-travel stories and don’t mind jumping around in the timeline might enjoy this more than I did.
All in all, The White Octopus Hotel had a great premise and a strong start, but it didn’t quite stick the landing for me.
---------
This is being marketed as similar to the Warm Hands of Ghosts by Katherine Arden, which is one of my favorite books of all time.
Received a copy from the publisher (thank you Kay Popple) in exchange for an honest review.
April 24, 2025
The White Octopus Hotel is a hard book to summarize without giving too much away. At its core, it’s about two people from different centuries who meet in a strange hotel tucked away in the Swiss Alps. But beyond that, it’s about grief, memory, time, and the things we carry with us—whether we mean to or not.
There’s a quiet surrealism running through the story that I really loved. The hotel is full of oddities that feel both magical and meaningful: a horse stepping out of someone’s past, an octopus that insists on following Eve wherever she goes, doors that don’t always lead where they should. It’s whimsical in a way that feels deliberate, like the book is inviting you to lean into the strangeness instead of trying to explain it.
Eve and Max are the heart of the novel, and their dynamic is sharp, tender, and emotionally layered. Their interactions feel honest and human, sometimes messy, sometimes funny. And without spoiling anything, the people Eve encounters in the past—especially one in particular—add a deeper emotional weight to her time at the hotel.
This isn’t a fast-paced book, but it lingers in a way that matters. It’s soft without being slight, romantic without being cliché, and filled with small, meaningful moments that slowly build into something much bigger. I’ll be thinking about this one for a long time.
Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.
There’s a quiet surrealism running through the story that I really loved. The hotel is full of oddities that feel both magical and meaningful: a horse stepping out of someone’s past, an octopus that insists on following Eve wherever she goes, doors that don’t always lead where they should. It’s whimsical in a way that feels deliberate, like the book is inviting you to lean into the strangeness instead of trying to explain it.
Eve and Max are the heart of the novel, and their dynamic is sharp, tender, and emotionally layered. Their interactions feel honest and human, sometimes messy, sometimes funny. And without spoiling anything, the people Eve encounters in the past—especially one in particular—add a deeper emotional weight to her time at the hotel.
This isn’t a fast-paced book, but it lingers in a way that matters. It’s soft without being slight, romantic without being cliché, and filled with small, meaningful moments that slowly build into something much bigger. I’ll be thinking about this one for a long time.
Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.
November 1, 2025
Oh my god that was amazing 😭
The White Octopus Hotel is a quiet almost melancholy story about grief, love, hope, and healing. It is about forgiving yourself and finding a hand in the dark. There is a subtle sense of surrealism and magic woven throughout this story that keeps you guessing. I loved uncovering each new layer of the story.
I cannot recommend this enough to fans of The Warm Hands of Ghosts by Katherine Arden.
Thank you so much to the person at Del Rey who randomly sent this NetGalley link to my inbox. I don’t think I would have discovered it otherwise!
The White Octopus Hotel is a quiet almost melancholy story about grief, love, hope, and healing. It is about forgiving yourself and finding a hand in the dark. There is a subtle sense of surrealism and magic woven throughout this story that keeps you guessing. I loved uncovering each new layer of the story.
I cannot recommend this enough to fans of The Warm Hands of Ghosts by Katherine Arden.
Thank you so much to the person at Del Rey who randomly sent this NetGalley link to my inbox. I don’t think I would have discovered it otherwise!
November 21, 2025
This is such an unusual and unexpected book. At times I loved it, at times I was confused… but also found myself drawn to the characters, intrigued with the time travel, and charmed by secret rooms and people connecting over time.
Eve has lived with grief and guilt since she was a young girl and her baby sister died. There have been strange occurrences throughout the years, but especially when she shakes hands with an elderly gentleman in her office. And how is it that he has the same name as her favorite composer Max Everly from more than a hundred years in the past? How can she feel like she knows him, that they have a history?
These questions lead her to the White Octopus Hotel. There are many stories and questions about why they suddenly shut their doors years ago and never reopened. She arranges for someone to take her in their boat to the hotel, where she intends to wander for a few hours. There, she finds unexpected doors, memories and mysteries. She finds family members, and Max. I was unsure where it all was headed, but it came together sweetly in the end.
Eve has lived with grief and guilt since she was a young girl and her baby sister died. There have been strange occurrences throughout the years, but especially when she shakes hands with an elderly gentleman in her office. And how is it that he has the same name as her favorite composer Max Everly from more than a hundred years in the past? How can she feel like she knows him, that they have a history?
These questions lead her to the White Octopus Hotel. There are many stories and questions about why they suddenly shut their doors years ago and never reopened. She arranges for someone to take her in their boat to the hotel, where she intends to wander for a few hours. There, she finds unexpected doors, memories and mysteries. She finds family members, and Max. I was unsure where it all was headed, but it came together sweetly in the end.
July 14, 2025
*I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.*
The White Octopus Hotel is a place full of magical objects, each one unique and more beautiful than the other. It's beautiful walls, with paintings by Nikolas Roth who was a renowned Victorian painter, made it all the more whole. Balconies that hold secrets, only shown to those who drink from the tea cup that Eve bought in France. But be careful where you consume the tasty tea as it only gives you one chance to see the past lives of people who worked in the White Octopus Hotel. There are also octopus badges, exclusive for the octopus club, only people who wear that badge have privileges beyond one's own imagination.
More than 50 years later, the White Octopus Hotel closed. Now it's full of mold and damp. Broken windows and unsteady floors. Every wall which had a painting of the famous Victorian painter was dirtied with graffiti. The guest book which should show names of people who visited the grand hotel gone, only names of ghost hunters and urban explorers left.
The 27th November 1935 might have been the closing date, in an unexpected manner considering that it closed during a party in the same hotel, but it is still very much open for Evelyn who is searching for answers. The White Octopus Hotel is about a story of a young woman, still reliving her worst nightmare back when she was still a little girl. One day she meets Max Evelyn, Eve's favourite composer of the 1930s. With his arrival Evelyn is investigating the White Octopus Hotel in need of a magical object that will change her life forever.
The Review
I picked this book 'cause of the cosy vibes the description gave me. Now I'm also happy to announce that it reminds me somewhat even just barely, but still a spark of Alice in Wonderland. Probably 'cause Evelyn is haunted by a white rabbit that follows her every steps, but also 'cause Evelyn is searching for a door that is her desired destination furthermore being thrown in to a different place that doesn't exist anymore through the magical objects she touches or consumes.
(Evelyn mentioned that the rabbit was no ordinary rabbit, which the White Rabbit in Alice in Wonderland wasn't either)
The chapters were structured perfectly. Each chapter started with the name of the character's POV, the place and the year. Especially the year saved me and probably many more readers from being confused as most chapters switch between the year 1935 and 1917/1918 and sometimes even 2016 and so on. Without that information right before I start reading the chapter it would have been confusing until the chapter somehow told me in some other way in which year the characters and storie is in. So yes, I prefer it when the year is mentioned before I start reading the chapter.
I enjoyed the character focus in this story the most. We have two people who both suffer from the past. Eve is feeling guilty for leaving the gate open, leading to a tragic family accident. Max on the other hand, a lieutenant in the first world war, was left with shell shock after seeing all his comrades die in front of his eyes. He lost all his friends, leading to an eating disorder as well as seeing no purpose left in living. Eve however changes his life, showing him how beautiful life can be. Her desperate state to change the past as she is getting consumed more and more from grief and rage about what happened makes her find the White Octopus Hotel. The complex backstory of these two made the plot so beautiful. I was really enjoying seeing how they lived in their timeline, how things turned out and how they found eachother through time travel. It felt fresh seeing a story about a war veteran as I haven't really read about something like this before but I now know that it's more interesting to me than I initially thought.
The characters thoughts and how it influenced them were also realistic. Especially how ones inner voice isn't always from oneself but from the people we hurt the most or who hurt us the most. It really added to the development as well, seeing how their own thoughts tried to push through the evil thought patterns. When I read how Eve and Max opened up to eachother and telling eachother what they truly think, one could feel how much they connected to eachother with this. Although one could feel dislike towards them as they sometimes show to the readers how dark their thoughts actually are, their true intentions of wanting to help was always stronger, making them likable till the end.
Symbolics in this book might not have been as strong as some might say, but most of them answered questions and also hinted on the plot twist, so they are important regardless. My favourite symbols for this book were the white rabbit (probably biased as I'm an Alice in Wonderland fan) and the Octopus as it symbolised guilt so well, when I read the explanation for it I was astonished of the creativity within it. There were of course other symbols, but these were probably not just the best for me but also the most important ones to understand the story and characters more.
Exploration is a strong tool for this story. If one doesn't like books that explore a large area (in this case the White Octopus Hotel) for pretty much the whole plot, then one will surely not like this book. Not only are the characters explored deeply, making them realistic and even relatable for some, it also explores the surrounding area a lot. Since this is a fantasy book it's a strong positive. Nowadays many fantasy books forget (or don't make the effort) to explain the actual fantasy elements as well as include great world-building. This book made an effort to explain everything magical as well as show each single room of the White Octopus Hotel. The White Octopus Hotel isn't just supposed to look beautiful as a cover, it's actually beautiful ones you start reading. Besides, it's not just some boring exploring story, there is actually a scavenger hunt which is an event that is taking three whole days, the winner receives a prize that Eve desperately needs.
I originally wanted to give this book 4 than 3 stars, but the ending left me disappointed. I didn’t expect time travelling to be such a central part of the story. I wouldn’t say I dislike time travel, but I prefer it when it’s just a small part and not the main focus. At first, I liked how Eve tried to change the past and thought this would be a cosy story about grief turning into hope and joy. I expected something more like Before the Coffee Gets Cold series by Toshikazu Kawaguchi: A cosy, heartwarming read about second chances, healing, and saying the things left unsaid. But while both books deal with time travel, this one took a very different turn. It became more about a complex family history than about emotional healing (it did somewhat at the end, but it felt incomplete), and it didn’t leave me with that same bittersweet, hopeful feeling.
I'm not intending to compare books as they are two completely different works, but I want to explain why I was left disappointed with this one. A strong factor for my disappointment was that it was getting too complex at the end with the time travel after the plot twist reveal.
Yes, the plot twist was smart and unexpected, but for me, the ending was a letdown. Readers who know from the start that this is a time travel story with a romantic touch might enjoy it more than I did.
End notes
Thank you NetGalley and Del Rey, Random House Worlds, Inklore for the advanced reader copy of The White Octopus Hotel by Alexandra Bell.
Started the book: 14. July 2025
Finished the book: 14. July 2025
Wrote the review: 15. July 2025
StoryGraph review + content warnings
The White Octopus Hotel is a place full of magical objects, each one unique and more beautiful than the other. It's beautiful walls, with paintings by Nikolas Roth who was a renowned Victorian painter, made it all the more whole. Balconies that hold secrets, only shown to those who drink from the tea cup that Eve bought in France. But be careful where you consume the tasty tea as it only gives you one chance to see the past lives of people who worked in the White Octopus Hotel. There are also octopus badges, exclusive for the octopus club, only people who wear that badge have privileges beyond one's own imagination.
More than 50 years later, the White Octopus Hotel closed. Now it's full of mold and damp. Broken windows and unsteady floors. Every wall which had a painting of the famous Victorian painter was dirtied with graffiti. The guest book which should show names of people who visited the grand hotel gone, only names of ghost hunters and urban explorers left.
The 27th November 1935 might have been the closing date, in an unexpected manner considering that it closed during a party in the same hotel, but it is still very much open for Evelyn who is searching for answers. The White Octopus Hotel is about a story of a young woman, still reliving her worst nightmare back when she was still a little girl. One day she meets Max Evelyn, Eve's favourite composer of the 1930s. With his arrival Evelyn is investigating the White Octopus Hotel in need of a magical object that will change her life forever.
The Review
I picked this book 'cause of the cosy vibes the description gave me. Now I'm also happy to announce that it reminds me somewhat even just barely, but still a spark of Alice in Wonderland. Probably 'cause Evelyn is haunted by a white rabbit that follows her every steps, but also 'cause Evelyn is searching for a door that is her desired destination furthermore being thrown in to a different place that doesn't exist anymore through the magical objects she touches or consumes.
(Evelyn mentioned that the rabbit was no ordinary rabbit, which the White Rabbit in Alice in Wonderland wasn't either)
The chapters were structured perfectly. Each chapter started with the name of the character's POV, the place and the year. Especially the year saved me and probably many more readers from being confused as most chapters switch between the year 1935 and 1917/1918 and sometimes even 2016 and so on. Without that information right before I start reading the chapter it would have been confusing until the chapter somehow told me in some other way in which year the characters and storie is in. So yes, I prefer it when the year is mentioned before I start reading the chapter.
I enjoyed the character focus in this story the most. We have two people who both suffer from the past. Eve is feeling guilty for leaving the gate open, leading to a tragic family accident. Max on the other hand, a lieutenant in the first world war, was left with shell shock after seeing all his comrades die in front of his eyes. He lost all his friends, leading to an eating disorder as well as seeing no purpose left in living. Eve however changes his life, showing him how beautiful life can be. Her desperate state to change the past as she is getting consumed more and more from grief and rage about what happened makes her find the White Octopus Hotel. The complex backstory of these two made the plot so beautiful. I was really enjoying seeing how they lived in their timeline, how things turned out and how they found eachother through time travel. It felt fresh seeing a story about a war veteran as I haven't really read about something like this before but I now know that it's more interesting to me than I initially thought.
The characters thoughts and how it influenced them were also realistic. Especially how ones inner voice isn't always from oneself but from the people we hurt the most or who hurt us the most. It really added to the development as well, seeing how their own thoughts tried to push through the evil thought patterns. When I read how Eve and Max opened up to eachother and telling eachother what they truly think, one could feel how much they connected to eachother with this. Although one could feel dislike towards them as they sometimes show to the readers how dark their thoughts actually are, their true intentions of wanting to help was always stronger, making them likable till the end.
Symbolics in this book might not have been as strong as some might say, but most of them answered questions and also hinted on the plot twist, so they are important regardless. My favourite symbols for this book were the white rabbit (probably biased as I'm an Alice in Wonderland fan) and the Octopus as it symbolised guilt so well, when I read the explanation for it I was astonished of the creativity within it. There were of course other symbols, but these were probably not just the best for me but also the most important ones to understand the story and characters more.
Exploration is a strong tool for this story. If one doesn't like books that explore a large area (in this case the White Octopus Hotel) for pretty much the whole plot, then one will surely not like this book. Not only are the characters explored deeply, making them realistic and even relatable for some, it also explores the surrounding area a lot. Since this is a fantasy book it's a strong positive. Nowadays many fantasy books forget (or don't make the effort) to explain the actual fantasy elements as well as include great world-building. This book made an effort to explain everything magical as well as show each single room of the White Octopus Hotel. The White Octopus Hotel isn't just supposed to look beautiful as a cover, it's actually beautiful ones you start reading. Besides, it's not just some boring exploring story, there is actually a scavenger hunt which is an event that is taking three whole days, the winner receives a prize that Eve desperately needs.
I originally wanted to give this book 4 than 3 stars, but the ending left me disappointed. I didn’t expect time travelling to be such a central part of the story. I wouldn’t say I dislike time travel, but I prefer it when it’s just a small part and not the main focus. At first, I liked how Eve tried to change the past and thought this would be a cosy story about grief turning into hope and joy. I expected something more like Before the Coffee Gets Cold series by Toshikazu Kawaguchi: A cosy, heartwarming read about second chances, healing, and saying the things left unsaid. But while both books deal with time travel, this one took a very different turn. It became more about a complex family history than about emotional healing (it did somewhat at the end, but it felt incomplete), and it didn’t leave me with that same bittersweet, hopeful feeling.
I'm not intending to compare books as they are two completely different works, but I want to explain why I was left disappointed with this one. A strong factor for my disappointment was that it was getting too complex at the end with the time travel after the plot twist reveal.
Yes, the plot twist was smart and unexpected, but for me, the ending was a letdown. Readers who know from the start that this is a time travel story with a romantic touch might enjoy it more than I did.
End notes
Thank you NetGalley and Del Rey, Random House Worlds, Inklore for the advanced reader copy of The White Octopus Hotel by Alexandra Bell.
Started the book: 14. July 2025
Finished the book: 14. July 2025
Wrote the review: 15. July 2025
StoryGraph review + content warnings
September 22, 2025
Eve is a recluse by choice and design, filling her days trying to break free of her past, constantly turning away from a shadow that refuses to let her forget her mistakes, as well as those she once loved and regrettably lost. She will always be to blame for what happened and no one, and nothing can change her mind.
When her job as an art appraiser leads Eve to shake the hand of a silver-haired gentleman in her London office, the warmth and familiarity of his palm lights something long dormant within her very soul…
The gentleman’s name? Max Everly - curiously, the same name as Eve’s favourite composer, yet he was born one hundred sixteen years prior. Curious isn’t it?
Yet Eve cannot shake the feeling this isn’t the first time they have been in each other’s company, but where, when, and indeed, how?
The White Octopus Hotel, 1935.
In the grand Belle Epoch building tucked away high in the snowy mountains, Eve and a young Max Everly wander the gilded, winding halls, lost in time itself.
Both Eve and Max have been through the trenches - Eve in a family accident that she will never forgive herself for and Max on the battlefields of the Great War - yet somehow for one impossible moment, love, friendship, healing are just a room away but it will take all of their courage to face the very things that weigh them down, and all they must do is step through the door.
Will Eve be able to figure out why she is in this seemingly impossible place, or will time finally run out for both of them?
An emotional, fragile, ethereal book that holds a mirror up to us all and asks the question; can we ever truly forgive ourselves when we make mistakes? And are we worthy of another’s love and forgiveness?
🐙 My top read of the year. This book now owns a slice of my soul. 🐙
When her job as an art appraiser leads Eve to shake the hand of a silver-haired gentleman in her London office, the warmth and familiarity of his palm lights something long dormant within her very soul…
The gentleman’s name? Max Everly - curiously, the same name as Eve’s favourite composer, yet he was born one hundred sixteen years prior. Curious isn’t it?
Yet Eve cannot shake the feeling this isn’t the first time they have been in each other’s company, but where, when, and indeed, how?
The White Octopus Hotel, 1935.
In the grand Belle Epoch building tucked away high in the snowy mountains, Eve and a young Max Everly wander the gilded, winding halls, lost in time itself.
Both Eve and Max have been through the trenches - Eve in a family accident that she will never forgive herself for and Max on the battlefields of the Great War - yet somehow for one impossible moment, love, friendship, healing are just a room away but it will take all of their courage to face the very things that weigh them down, and all they must do is step through the door.
Will Eve be able to figure out why she is in this seemingly impossible place, or will time finally run out for both of them?
An emotional, fragile, ethereal book that holds a mirror up to us all and asks the question; can we ever truly forgive ourselves when we make mistakes? And are we worthy of another’s love and forgiveness?
🐙 My top read of the year. This book now owns a slice of my soul. 🐙
October 23, 2025
What a special story this was about regret and finding a steady hand to hold yours in the dark! It's got:
✓ A magical hotel
✓ Time travel
✓ Scavenger hunt/puzzles
✓ Working through grief
Eve Shaw is haunted (quite literally) by a tragic event from her childhood, and she would do anything to change what happened. When she finds herself transported back in time to a magnificent hotel known to house various magical objects, she might just get that chance.
I will say that I think this book took too long setting up before starting the meat of the story. Even without reading the synopsis, the story has the reader expecting Eve to travel to the White Octopus Hotel and to the past, but this doesn't actually happen until around 40% into the book. Up until that point I thought the book was just fine, but that's when it got good--and then, as I read on, it wound up being something rather extraordinary!
We have Eve, an artwork appraiser at an auction house in 2016 whose octopus tattoo moves itself around her body at will, and who finds herself participating in a scavenger hunt at the White Octopus Hotel in 1935 for the chance to win a magical object that could allow her to rewrite her past.
And then we have Max Everly, music composer and junior officer in World War I who is sent to the hotel in the Swiss Alps in 1918 to convalesce as a POW.
These two meet multiple times throughout history (but it's always only the first time for one of them!) The bond between them acts as a light in each of their lives, and "after all, a single candle could make all the difference in the dark". Eve eventually is forced to reckon with the knowledge that changing her own story will have consequences that ripple through time. Either way, someone she cares for is going to have to get hurt.
I really loved the specifics of the different magical aspects in this story. Was I left with some questions, for logistics? Sure. But the ghostly war horse in the steam baths, the creepy yet sympathetic Eavesdropper, the disconnected phone that receives calls from the dead--all wonderful!
Personally, I don't usually appreciate comps because so often they set me up for disappointment, but for readers who look for that kind of information I will say that this book had me at different times feeling hints of The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle and The Warm Hands of Ghosts vibes.
In all I found this to be an exciting, touching, and hopeful magical love story with an overall theme of making peace with the past. I plan to check out more of this author's work for sure.
Now, if I may share a couple of quibbles, which obviously were not egregious enough to drop my rating from 5 splendid stars. The writing itself was not bad by any means, but it was just a bit basic. And this last bit could be considered a tad spoilery, so please avoid if that bothers you, but it was odd to me that Eve, despite already having a crush on Max before meeting him, did not form any romantic feelings for him when she knew him in his thirties and he pledged to help her with whatever she needed, but then fell in love with him while he was a traumatized teenager in the midst of a mental health crisis. This seemed a bit ick to me.
THANK YOU SO MUCH to Del Rey and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for my unbiased review!
✓ A magical hotel
✓ Time travel
✓ Scavenger hunt/puzzles
✓ Working through grief
Eve Shaw is haunted (quite literally) by a tragic event from her childhood, and she would do anything to change what happened. When she finds herself transported back in time to a magnificent hotel known to house various magical objects, she might just get that chance.
I will say that I think this book took too long setting up before starting the meat of the story. Even without reading the synopsis, the story has the reader expecting Eve to travel to the White Octopus Hotel and to the past, but this doesn't actually happen until around 40% into the book. Up until that point I thought the book was just fine, but that's when it got good--and then, as I read on, it wound up being something rather extraordinary!
We have Eve, an artwork appraiser at an auction house in 2016 whose octopus tattoo moves itself around her body at will, and who finds herself participating in a scavenger hunt at the White Octopus Hotel in 1935 for the chance to win a magical object that could allow her to rewrite her past.
And then we have Max Everly, music composer and junior officer in World War I who is sent to the hotel in the Swiss Alps in 1918 to convalesce as a POW.
These two meet multiple times throughout history (but it's always only the first time for one of them!) The bond between them acts as a light in each of their lives, and "after all, a single candle could make all the difference in the dark". Eve eventually is forced to reckon with the knowledge that changing her own story will have consequences that ripple through time. Either way, someone she cares for is going to have to get hurt.
I really loved the specifics of the different magical aspects in this story. Was I left with some questions, for logistics? Sure. But the ghostly war horse in the steam baths, the creepy yet sympathetic Eavesdropper, the disconnected phone that receives calls from the dead--all wonderful!
Personally, I don't usually appreciate comps because so often they set me up for disappointment, but for readers who look for that kind of information I will say that this book had me at different times feeling hints of The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle and The Warm Hands of Ghosts vibes.
In all I found this to be an exciting, touching, and hopeful magical love story with an overall theme of making peace with the past. I plan to check out more of this author's work for sure.
Now, if I may share a couple of quibbles, which obviously were not egregious enough to drop my rating from 5 splendid stars. The writing itself was not bad by any means, but it was just a bit basic. And this last bit could be considered a tad spoilery, so please avoid if that bothers you, but it was odd to me that Eve, despite already having a crush on Max before meeting him, did not form any romantic feelings for him when she knew him in his thirties and he pledged to help her with whatever she needed, but then fell in love with him while he was a traumatized teenager in the midst of a mental health crisis. This seemed a bit ick to me.
THANK YOU SO MUCH to Del Rey and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for my unbiased review!
October 15, 2025
I thought this was a beautiful, soft story of time travel, love and regret, and captured the magic of grand old hotels and abandoned places.
Eve blames herself all these years for the death of her sister, who died in a car crash as a toddler after Eve forgot to close the gate and Bella ran out and died. I sometimes wanted to shake everyone in her life, including herself, for letting that little girl believe that she was a killer when it was really just a terrible accident. But grief can make monsters of us all.
Eve remembers visiting a grand luxury hotel in Switzerland as a child with her mother, and when an old man drops by her work with an octopus statue, she must drop everything and go investigate. At first she wanders around the abandoned rooms, the atmosphere very richly described, until she finds Room 17, puts her key in the lock, and steps back in time to 1935, in the hotel's heyday. I felt like I was stepping right into Downton Abbey. I feel sorry for women that they constantly had to wear floor length formal dresses back then.
The old man turns out to be Max Everly, a musician whose music spoke to her in her darkest moments. He's here in this time as a younger man, scoffing at the magical objects rumored to be located throughout the hotel. The guests are charged with a scavenger hunt to find all the octopuses in the hotel, and they can win a magical object for themselves if they win. Eve hopes to win writing paper that will let her turn back the clock and tell her younger self to close the gate this time.
She jumps back to 1918 too, when Max did terrible things in WWI and emerges from the war as a broken man. The two of them have a sweet love story that starts as a deep friendship, as they find common ground in guilt and trauma. Friends to lovers are one of my favorite tropes. I sometimes wished their romance had a bit more heat and tension in it, but I thought it was lovely and tender how they came together over shared pain. There was very little angst which you so often get with friends to lovers, aside from the angst of how can they be together as two people outside time and given Eve's mission to save her sister.
At first Eve seemed cold and unlikable, but I warmed to her as the story went on and she fell in love with Max.
I usually stay in cheap motels because that's all I can afford, but I've stayed in some of these old luxury hotels before and they do indeed sometimes seem magical and like doors to the past. The story caught that enchanting atmosphere with a mysterious undertone. I thought something a lot more awful was going to happen to these two because of how sinister the tone sometimes got.
I was also glad it wasn't repetitive like so many time travel stories can be. It was a sort of time loop, but a more interesting one. The time shifts could get confusing at times and I had a hard time figuring out what was going on till the last 20%, but sticking it out was worth it and the journey along the way was just so magical.
Overall I thought this was a lovely story that got to the core of grief and regret, with a splash of soft romance.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the advance review copy. I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Eve blames herself all these years for the death of her sister, who died in a car crash as a toddler after Eve forgot to close the gate and Bella ran out and died. I sometimes wanted to shake everyone in her life, including herself, for letting that little girl believe that she was a killer when it was really just a terrible accident. But grief can make monsters of us all.
Eve remembers visiting a grand luxury hotel in Switzerland as a child with her mother, and when an old man drops by her work with an octopus statue, she must drop everything and go investigate. At first she wanders around the abandoned rooms, the atmosphere very richly described, until she finds Room 17, puts her key in the lock, and steps back in time to 1935, in the hotel's heyday. I felt like I was stepping right into Downton Abbey. I feel sorry for women that they constantly had to wear floor length formal dresses back then.
The old man turns out to be Max Everly, a musician whose music spoke to her in her darkest moments. He's here in this time as a younger man, scoffing at the magical objects rumored to be located throughout the hotel. The guests are charged with a scavenger hunt to find all the octopuses in the hotel, and they can win a magical object for themselves if they win. Eve hopes to win writing paper that will let her turn back the clock and tell her younger self to close the gate this time.
She jumps back to 1918 too, when Max did terrible things in WWI and emerges from the war as a broken man. The two of them have a sweet love story that starts as a deep friendship, as they find common ground in guilt and trauma. Friends to lovers are one of my favorite tropes. I sometimes wished their romance had a bit more heat and tension in it, but I thought it was lovely and tender how they came together over shared pain. There was very little angst which you so often get with friends to lovers, aside from the angst of how can they be together as two people outside time and given Eve's mission to save her sister.
At first Eve seemed cold and unlikable, but I warmed to her as the story went on and she fell in love with Max.
I usually stay in cheap motels because that's all I can afford, but I've stayed in some of these old luxury hotels before and they do indeed sometimes seem magical and like doors to the past. The story caught that enchanting atmosphere with a mysterious undertone. I thought something a lot more awful was going to happen to these two because of how sinister the tone sometimes got.
I was also glad it wasn't repetitive like so many time travel stories can be. It was a sort of time loop, but a more interesting one. The time shifts could get confusing at times and I had a hard time figuring out what was going on till the last 20%, but sticking it out was worth it and the journey along the way was just so magical.
Overall I thought this was a lovely story that got to the core of grief and regret, with a splash of soft romance.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the advance review copy. I am leaving this review voluntarily.
August 6, 2025
06/08/2025
2025 reads book 38
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the e-arc of this book in exchange for an honest review
I think I have officially found my favorite book of 2025 and it isn't even out yet. I finally found that feeling again reading a book that I have only experienced before when I read The Night Circus and The Starless Sea, and I am so incredibly happy to have found another one. I am in absolute awe at this story, so much so that I am having a difficult time putting into words why I loved it so much. I will do my best to do it anyway.
The setting of the hotel was stunning. The description of the rooms and the general atmosphere was amazingly done. The time travel aspect was also well done, and while I was confused for a good while about the mechanics of it all it ended up working great in the end. I usually realize a twist pretty early on. While I was very close, this time I actually wasn't fully correct which I loved even more. The hints were there, I just didn't see it.
I don't want to spoil anything because this needs to be experienced by everyone on their own. What I can say is that the book explores love and loss during multiple different times and dealing with guilt and family dynamics after loss.
Just stunning.
2025 reads book 38
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the e-arc of this book in exchange for an honest review
I think I have officially found my favorite book of 2025 and it isn't even out yet. I finally found that feeling again reading a book that I have only experienced before when I read The Night Circus and The Starless Sea, and I am so incredibly happy to have found another one. I am in absolute awe at this story, so much so that I am having a difficult time putting into words why I loved it so much. I will do my best to do it anyway.
The setting of the hotel was stunning. The description of the rooms and the general atmosphere was amazingly done. The time travel aspect was also well done, and while I was confused for a good while about the mechanics of it all it ended up working great in the end. I usually realize a twist pretty early on. While I was very close, this time I actually wasn't fully correct which I loved even more. The hints were there, I just didn't see it.
I don't want to spoil anything because this needs to be experienced by everyone on their own. What I can say is that the book explores love and loss during multiple different times and dealing with guilt and family dynamics after loss.
Just stunning.
December 24, 2025
Time Travel at its finest.
The White Elephant Hotel takes us back and forth through the life of Eve Shaw. She's holding on to some hardcore grief from when she was a child, but when she meets a man who shares the same name as her favorite composer, who is long since dead, her whole life begins to take a fantastical spin.
From magical objects, to octopuses, to scavenger hunts, this romantic, whimsical tale has something for everyone.
Thank you to NetGalley and Del Ray Publishing for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
The White Elephant Hotel takes us back and forth through the life of Eve Shaw. She's holding on to some hardcore grief from when she was a child, but when she meets a man who shares the same name as her favorite composer, who is long since dead, her whole life begins to take a fantastical spin.
From magical objects, to octopuses, to scavenger hunts, this romantic, whimsical tale has something for everyone.
Thank you to NetGalley and Del Ray Publishing for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
October 17, 2025
My favorite book of 2025!
This was a mind-bending experience that reminded me of the series ‘Dark’ in its essence. Although, the book felt grander and more captivating due to its luxurious, haunted hotel setting in the 1930s—such a delightful backdrop! It included time travel, magic, and ghosts all bundled together, yet it never felt excessive. This story will stay with me for a long time.
I am petitioning for this to be turned into a TV series as soon as possible!
Thank you to Del Rey, Random House Worlds, Inklore, and NetGalley for providing this eARC in exchange for my honest review. It is set to be published on October 28, 2025.
🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
This was a mind-bending experience that reminded me of the series ‘Dark’ in its essence. Although, the book felt grander and more captivating due to its luxurious, haunted hotel setting in the 1930s—such a delightful backdrop! It included time travel, magic, and ghosts all bundled together, yet it never felt excessive. This story will stay with me for a long time.
I am petitioning for this to be turned into a TV series as soon as possible!
Thank you to Del Rey, Random House Worlds, Inklore, and NetGalley for providing this eARC in exchange for my honest review. It is set to be published on October 28, 2025.
🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
August 15, 2025
Have you ever wanted to right a wrong that you made or wish you had the ability to time travel and make a different choice? In this mysterious and magical book Eve lives with guilt everyday that she is the reason that her sister, Bella died. She feels haunted by her sister and even has an octopus tattoo that moves on her body. One day Eve meets an old man named Max Everly who tells her to go back to the hotel. Eve knows a Max Everly, a famous composer, but he has been dead for years. Eve decides that she will find this hotel and when she does she discovers that she has been there before. The only hitch is that the hotel closed in 1935 and Eve was not even born yet.
There is so much to this book. The more I read, the more I had to keep reading to try and figure out how everything is connected. There are so many great elements to this book including time travel, mystery, historical fiction, and romance. But it is also a story about survival. Eve and Max are two characters who have both been through so much. I could feel their pain and I was rooting for them the whole way through the novel.
This is truly a unique novel with so many different layers. If you love time travel, magic, a mysterious hotel that is always changing, and a few octopuses. this is the novel for you!!
Thank you to Del Rey/Random House and NetGalley for this ARC.
There is so much to this book. The more I read, the more I had to keep reading to try and figure out how everything is connected. There are so many great elements to this book including time travel, mystery, historical fiction, and romance. But it is also a story about survival. Eve and Max are two characters who have both been through so much. I could feel their pain and I was rooting for them the whole way through the novel.
This is truly a unique novel with so many different layers. If you love time travel, magic, a mysterious hotel that is always changing, and a few octopuses. this is the novel for you!!
Thank you to Del Rey/Random House and NetGalley for this ARC.
October 23, 2025
Simply breathtaking!
The White Octopus Hotel is a magical and beautifully written tale, transporting you into a world of historic time travel, gothic and supernatural mystery and puzzles.
The story follows Eve Shaw and her past, present and future, including a romance of two souls that are drawn together across the decades. However, this book includes so much more including, hidden rooms, strange and mysterious phenomena and elements. All of which are magical and every time something new transpires, it felt to me like an unexpected present being revealed.
The writing style was perfect in its simplicity, allowing you to easily follow sometimes complex plot points. As a reader I didn’t flounder, but waited with baited breath for the next element or detail to be unravelled.
Some of my favourite quotes:
“The moon had tumbled down from the sky and drowned in the lake, the orb shining from beneath the black water. Snow lay all over the roof, glowing almost pale pink in the night.”
“Listen, quiet sadness is no good. It’s not enough. You should never aim for that. You should pursue a life of the fiercest happiness instead. With everything you’ve got.”
A story of guilt, sorrow and grief with mind bending twists. Alexandra Bell has created a world of pure imagination. Such a shame to come to the end of this book as I really didn’t want it to end. I can genuinely see this being created into a series or a film as it would be incredible to bring this magical hotel to life. I cannot recommend enough, 5 stars!
Thank you to Netgalley, Random House UK, Cornerstone and Alexandra Bell for access to the ARC.
The White Octopus Hotel is a magical and beautifully written tale, transporting you into a world of historic time travel, gothic and supernatural mystery and puzzles.
The story follows Eve Shaw and her past, present and future, including a romance of two souls that are drawn together across the decades. However, this book includes so much more including, hidden rooms, strange and mysterious phenomena and elements. All of which are magical and every time something new transpires, it felt to me like an unexpected present being revealed.
The writing style was perfect in its simplicity, allowing you to easily follow sometimes complex plot points. As a reader I didn’t flounder, but waited with baited breath for the next element or detail to be unravelled.
Some of my favourite quotes:
“The moon had tumbled down from the sky and drowned in the lake, the orb shining from beneath the black water. Snow lay all over the roof, glowing almost pale pink in the night.”
“Listen, quiet sadness is no good. It’s not enough. You should never aim for that. You should pursue a life of the fiercest happiness instead. With everything you’ve got.”
A story of guilt, sorrow and grief with mind bending twists. Alexandra Bell has created a world of pure imagination. Such a shame to come to the end of this book as I really didn’t want it to end. I can genuinely see this being created into a series or a film as it would be incredible to bring this magical hotel to life. I cannot recommend enough, 5 stars!
Thank you to Netgalley, Random House UK, Cornerstone and Alexandra Bell for access to the ARC.
October 28, 2025
4⭐️
Happy publishing day to this lovely book!
Have you ever watched The Grand Budapest Hotel and thought to yourself „I need this but with magical realism, time travel, odd happenings and with WW1 and childhood trauma“? Well this is what you get with The White Octopus Hotel.
I don‘t even know how to summarise this without spoiling the book. I went in thinking this is a typical time travel romance, but instead it‘s a story about two scarred people who happen to fall in love thanks to time travelling.
I like to pay close attention to the plot and timelines when reading books with time travelling because it sometimes feels like things are getting out of hand and the author notices towards the end that they somehow need to wrap it all up. I really liked the pacing here and the ending was quite surprising to me. I didn‘t really feel that attached to the characters and I while the love story has everything it needs, it still felt like *something* was missing for me.
Nevertheless, that‘s only a minor complaint. I had so much fun reading this and being in the past with them. The octopus added such an intriguing touch and I would love to read more by this author.
Thank you to NetGalley and Random House UK, Cornerstone | Del Rey for providing me with a digital review copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinions.
Happy publishing day to this lovely book!
Have you ever watched The Grand Budapest Hotel and thought to yourself „I need this but with magical realism, time travel, odd happenings and with WW1 and childhood trauma“? Well this is what you get with The White Octopus Hotel.
I don‘t even know how to summarise this without spoiling the book. I went in thinking this is a typical time travel romance, but instead it‘s a story about two scarred people who happen to fall in love thanks to time travelling.
I like to pay close attention to the plot and timelines when reading books with time travelling because it sometimes feels like things are getting out of hand and the author notices towards the end that they somehow need to wrap it all up. I really liked the pacing here and the ending was quite surprising to me. I didn‘t really feel that attached to the characters and I while the love story has everything it needs, it still felt like *something* was missing for me.
Nevertheless, that‘s only a minor complaint. I had so much fun reading this and being in the past with them. The octopus added such an intriguing touch and I would love to read more by this author.
Thank you to NetGalley and Random House UK, Cornerstone | Del Rey for providing me with a digital review copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinions.
May 27, 2025
This book ticked every one of my boxes:
- Fancy Hotels
- 1930's
- Time traveling
- Magical objects
- Starcrossed lovers
and a ton of emotional damage.
I am a sucker for stories about fancy hotels, throw in some time travel, starcrossed lovers and the potential for emotional devastation for me as reader and I'm in.
I loved this book. The setting, the story, the fact that I had trouble figuring out what would be the clue until about 70% into the book. I couldn't stop reading. Did I bawl my eyes out at some points? Yes. Could I put this book down? No. I am very sorry for my boss, as about 50% of my workday today was spent at the White Octopus Hotel.
I have to say, there were times where I really disliked Eve as a character, but that did not diminish my joy of reading this book. Would definitely reccomend people to discover and enjoy this story.
Thank you to Netgally and the author for providing me with an arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.
- Fancy Hotels
- 1930's
- Time traveling
- Magical objects
- Starcrossed lovers
and a ton of emotional damage.
I am a sucker for stories about fancy hotels, throw in some time travel, starcrossed lovers and the potential for emotional devastation for me as reader and I'm in.
I loved this book. The setting, the story, the fact that I had trouble figuring out what would be the clue until about 70% into the book. I couldn't stop reading. Did I bawl my eyes out at some points? Yes. Could I put this book down? No. I am very sorry for my boss, as about 50% of my workday today was spent at the White Octopus Hotel.
I have to say, there were times where I really disliked Eve as a character, but that did not diminish my joy of reading this book. Would definitely reccomend people to discover and enjoy this story.
Thank you to Netgally and the author for providing me with an arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.
November 7, 2025
I'm so sad! This concept sounded made for me, but it just fell so unexpectedly flat :(
I'll talk about what I enjoyed first though. Hello, the cover? Stunning. Excellent font choice, and loved the interior design of the book as well (those drop caps?!) I'm only human. Would recommend based on that alone if you enjoy reading a book that is a pretty object, this one is definitely that even if the book itself wasn't my favorite of the year.
There were also some moments and some scenes that were really good. I loved that argument at the end between Max and Eve. Even though the first 100 pages were slow and felt a bit stilted, I thought it did a great job setting up Eve's grief and guilt. I felt like I knew and understood her and her motivations as a character.
I was sold on the book because of the time travel aspect and the romance aspect. After the first 100 pages (where the time travel only just sneaks its way in), I was sold on the potential of the mother/daughter storyline, and the commentary of sisterhood. None of these threads every became fully satisfying enough for me, which is where it all fell through.
The time travel: I was disappointed the time travel didn't start sooner. The first 100 pages read slow to me (despite the fact that they set Eve up well), so when we finally reached The White Octopus Hotel, I was excited to get things moving. But then things get moving, and I couldn't turn off the part of my brain that kept thinking "if this section moved over here, this would become more emotionally impactful" or "if this were revealed later, it would have more of a punch." The organization and flow of scenes didn't work well for me at all. Not because I was confused on where we stood in time (I do think the author did a good job keeping track of what Eve would know at each point versus all the other characters, which can be tricky). But the organization didn't work because it didn't feel maximized for emotional resonance. That could totally just be me personally (it very likely is), I just couldn't help but wonder if putting scenes in different orders and leaning more into some things over others and staying the hand for certain reveals and being fully in Eve's point of view at all times wouldn't have changed the overall impact and power of the read.
The romance: I'm really not an instalove girl, and Max and Eve's relationship did sort of have that fated-mates, we're-going-to-end-up-together-anyways sort of feel to it. That would have been fine overall if there had been enough on-page interactions of them actually falling in love, having any sweet moments together. Instead, it felt like the eventuality of them being love was a crutch so that we didn't have to actually see them fall in love—but that's just not how romance works! In the 1935 storyline, Max seems really withdrawn, which makes sense about 290 pages in. We don't get the 1918 storyline from Eve's point of view until 261 pages in. I felt like the pacing and organization of the time travel narrative was off, which meant that I couldn't get invested in their romance at all. I couldn't understand how or why they'd end up together. When they fight like an old married couple at the end—my favorite scene because it's so sharp and well written, but I felt like I didn't understand how we got there. At one point in the book Max says something to the effect of "I have no idea what's going on anymore" and that's how I felt about the development of their relationship.
The mother/daughter relationship: This is the one that puzzles me the most. Eve at the beginning states that she always wanted a better relationship with her mother, and it seemed to me that the relationship she did have is part of what affected her whole life, more so than Bella dying, really. The mom is such a ghost over Eve's whole psyche, yet we don't see any sort of true reconciliation between them. Which is fine, but then when it's revealed at the end that . Why couldn't we have seen more present-day interactions of them on the page? Even a handful more, not even of them solving all their issues together within the book, but enough to feel like that full reconciliation could have been possible once we learn ?
Sisterhood: At one point in the novel, Eve thinks to herself that she's not sure how she even felt about her sister because she never really got the chance to know her. And what she can remember is a lot of annoyance and frustration. That struck me deeply, and I wanted the story to dive deeper into that. Eve feels so much guilt and it colors her whole life and affects all of her relationships and yet, at the end of the day, she never really knew her sister, because her sister never really became anyone. How devastating, how cruel. What also struck me is how Eve never thinks to herself that she was denied having a true relationship with her sister—with all she mourns, she never once mourned that, which I found peculiar and a bit disturbing if I'm being completely honest. As an older sister who has a younger sister who definitely annoyed me as a kid (and still sometimes annoys me now since I'm not pulling any punches), I truly can't imagine my life without her, and it seemed a little bizarre to me that Eve, whose reality is one without a sister, never mourned what her life would have looked like had Bella lived. Since Bella is a ghost on page as much as Eve's mother, after the first 100 pages I was certainly curious to see what would be said about sisterhood through the rest of the novel, but we really don't get much. Also as someone who was deeply let down by another book this year pitched to be all about sisters, getting a glimpse early on at the potential of what this story could say and do with a sisterhood story and then seeing it never come to fruition was so sad.
So, to sum it up: I had really high expectations, and the book just wasn't what I was expecting. I am so glad that so many other people are enjoying it, though!
I'll talk about what I enjoyed first though. Hello, the cover? Stunning. Excellent font choice, and loved the interior design of the book as well (those drop caps?!) I'm only human. Would recommend based on that alone if you enjoy reading a book that is a pretty object, this one is definitely that even if the book itself wasn't my favorite of the year.
There were also some moments and some scenes that were really good. I loved that argument at the end between Max and Eve. Even though the first 100 pages were slow and felt a bit stilted, I thought it did a great job setting up Eve's grief and guilt. I felt like I knew and understood her and her motivations as a character.
I was sold on the book because of the time travel aspect and the romance aspect. After the first 100 pages (where the time travel only just sneaks its way in), I was sold on the potential of the mother/daughter storyline, and the commentary of sisterhood. None of these threads every became fully satisfying enough for me, which is where it all fell through.
The time travel: I was disappointed the time travel didn't start sooner. The first 100 pages read slow to me (despite the fact that they set Eve up well), so when we finally reached The White Octopus Hotel, I was excited to get things moving. But then things get moving, and I couldn't turn off the part of my brain that kept thinking "if this section moved over here, this would become more emotionally impactful" or "if this were revealed later, it would have more of a punch." The organization and flow of scenes didn't work well for me at all. Not because I was confused on where we stood in time (I do think the author did a good job keeping track of what Eve would know at each point versus all the other characters, which can be tricky). But the organization didn't work because it didn't feel maximized for emotional resonance. That could totally just be me personally (it very likely is), I just couldn't help but wonder if putting scenes in different orders and leaning more into some things over others and staying the hand for certain reveals and being fully in Eve's point of view at all times wouldn't have changed the overall impact and power of the read.
The romance: I'm really not an instalove girl, and Max and Eve's relationship did sort of have that fated-mates, we're-going-to-end-up-together-anyways sort of feel to it. That would have been fine overall if there had been enough on-page interactions of them actually falling in love, having any sweet moments together. Instead, it felt like the eventuality of them being love was a crutch so that we didn't have to actually see them fall in love—but that's just not how romance works! In the 1935 storyline, Max seems really withdrawn, which makes sense about 290 pages in. We don't get the 1918 storyline from Eve's point of view until 261 pages in. I felt like the pacing and organization of the time travel narrative was off, which meant that I couldn't get invested in their romance at all. I couldn't understand how or why they'd end up together. When they fight like an old married couple at the end—my favorite scene because it's so sharp and well written, but I felt like I didn't understand how we got there. At one point in the book Max says something to the effect of "I have no idea what's going on anymore" and that's how I felt about the development of their relationship.
The mother/daughter relationship: This is the one that puzzles me the most. Eve at the beginning states that she always wanted a better relationship with her mother, and it seemed to me that the relationship she did have is part of what affected her whole life, more so than Bella dying, really. The mom is such a ghost over Eve's whole psyche, yet we don't see any sort of true reconciliation between them. Which is fine, but then when it's revealed at the end that . Why couldn't we have seen more present-day interactions of them on the page? Even a handful more, not even of them solving all their issues together within the book, but enough to feel like that full reconciliation could have been possible once we learn ?
Sisterhood: At one point in the novel, Eve thinks to herself that she's not sure how she even felt about her sister because she never really got the chance to know her. And what she can remember is a lot of annoyance and frustration. That struck me deeply, and I wanted the story to dive deeper into that. Eve feels so much guilt and it colors her whole life and affects all of her relationships and yet, at the end of the day, she never really knew her sister, because her sister never really became anyone. How devastating, how cruel. What also struck me is how Eve never thinks to herself that she was denied having a true relationship with her sister—with all she mourns, she never once mourned that, which I found peculiar and a bit disturbing if I'm being completely honest. As an older sister who has a younger sister who definitely annoyed me as a kid (and still sometimes annoys me now since I'm not pulling any punches), I truly can't imagine my life without her, and it seemed a little bizarre to me that Eve, whose reality is one without a sister, never mourned what her life would have looked like had Bella lived. Since Bella is a ghost on page as much as Eve's mother, after the first 100 pages I was certainly curious to see what would be said about sisterhood through the rest of the novel, but we really don't get much. Also as someone who was deeply let down by another book this year pitched to be all about sisters, getting a glimpse early on at the potential of what this story could say and do with a sisterhood story and then seeing it never come to fruition was so sad.
So, to sum it up: I had really high expectations, and the book just wasn't what I was expecting. I am so glad that so many other people are enjoying it, though!
December 27, 2025
Slow start with this one, but once I got halfway through, I was hooked. Beautiful love story with some fantastical elements. Time travel with a bit of a fairy tale feel. Very enjoyable book.
June 2, 2025
This book came at a perfect time as it gave me a rollercoaster of emotions. It gives you joy, love, sorrow, friendship, grief and pain but all in such a blend that you cannot stop reading. It doesn't happen often that a book has made me that emotional.
The hotel is full of mysteries and wonders, time travel and star-crossed lovers which are all meaningful and all have a connection with each other. It's hard to describe it without giving any spoilers so would definitely recommend people to pick it up.
There were times that I was annoyed with the main character Eve, however I liked that the author was not afraid to shy away from it. The interactions between Eve and Max felt honest with all the emotions that you can expect, honest, messy, funny, sharp and layered.
The White Octopus Hotel will be a book that I will be thinking about for a long time, thank you for that
Thanks to Netgalley for providing me with an arc for an honest review
The hotel is full of mysteries and wonders, time travel and star-crossed lovers which are all meaningful and all have a connection with each other. It's hard to describe it without giving any spoilers so would definitely recommend people to pick it up.
There were times that I was annoyed with the main character Eve, however I liked that the author was not afraid to shy away from it. The interactions between Eve and Max felt honest with all the emotions that you can expect, honest, messy, funny, sharp and layered.
The White Octopus Hotel will be a book that I will be thinking about for a long time, thank you for that
Thanks to Netgalley for providing me with an arc for an honest review
December 16, 2025
Review
“As the hotel got closer, it was like seeing a photograph slowly developing-the details appearing, a spark of an idea made real. But more than that, it was like coming home. Eve felt a strange tingling sensation wash over her as she stared at the hotel. It knew she was here. She was suddenly certain of it. It had been waiting for her. It had been waiting for years.”
After a mysterious man named Max Everly gives Eve an octopus ornament, one she believes she recognises, one that looks exactly like the octopus tattoo she has, her obsession with it leads her to discovering a hotel from 1935, the White Octopus. Through further investigations Eve discovers this hotel was believed to hold magical artefacts and was a key to traveling back through time. Eve is desperately trying to locate the hotel as it may provide a way for her to undo a tragic event from her childhood.
The White Octopus Hotel by Alexandra Bell delves readers into a surreal world of magic, time and a second chance of living.
The worldbuilding in this book is amazing and though I don’t want to give too much away, I will discuss the hotel in a bit of detail as it was one of my favourite aspects of the book. The White Octopus is situated in Switzerland in the Alps and I just immediately loved that cold, remote setting. In 1935 it’s a grand, luxurious place, a place of opulence and wonder. Each room is filled with strange and surreal magic—a room with a fountain that showers music like rain, the Smoking Room with the Eavesdropper hiding behind the curtains, an enigma who only coughs when someone is telling a lie, a mirror to show a changing and malicious reflection. Then there are the strange octopus and clock motifs around the hotel, some only appearing after dark. There is a level of creepiness to the hotel too, ghosts haunt this place and some of the magic seems to be able to turn sinister. I loved the balance that Bell created here, the way the hotel is represented as an escape but also a place where you wouldn’t want to linger too long, there are too many hidden secrets. Then the people who run the hotel have their mysteries too and it became fascinating to work them out. The time travel aspect of the hotel was a fantastic concept, it had its limitations set out at the beginning and held enough mystery to keep me compelled. However by the end I was left confused and had a myriad of questions that were left unanswered, which was a bit of a shame.
“He wanted to thank her for listening, for being there, for reminding him that there was kindness and gentleness in a world that had gone mad. Only he knew he wouldn't be able to find the right words. For a wild moment, he thought of kissing her instead. But she was clean and whole, and he was dirty and damaged, and it could not be.”
The themes in this book were so beautifully and poignantly illustrated throughout. Bell really gets to the heart of both Eve and Max, two characters broken by their past, overwhelmed with grief and guilt. Eve is desperately trying to undo a childhood trauma that she never recovered from, never forgave herself for, and Max is followed by ghosts from being on the front line in the war and all the horrific things that had occurred there. Eve often shuts people out, she can be quite selfish and she will not stop blaming herself for things that were completely out of her control. Her relationship with her mother, Jane, is strenuous and honestly for a long time I despised Jane. Yet as the novel progresses, we learn so much more about her mother, we see a woman overwhelmed by motherhood and Eve begins to understand her more. Though that doesn’t excuse how Eve was treated as a child, Bell portrays a mother who was trying and struggling. As much as Eve is blinded, so too is Max, making him often angry and reclusive. I really loved the way their friendship and they’re growing closeness played out, how at first both find solace in art forms, and then in each other. They are each other’s warmth when their life is cold and lonely, through time they get to know each other like no one else could. It is beautiful, sad but also offers hope for their futures, for their healing.
The White Octopus Hotel is the story of two people finding each other when they are at their darkest moment and showing each other how to heal. Dazzling, mysterious and heartfelt this is a novel that offers magic and comfort.
Review copy provided by Hana at Del Rey UK in exchange for an honest review—thank you for the copy!
The White Octopus Hotel is out now!
“As the hotel got closer, it was like seeing a photograph slowly developing-the details appearing, a spark of an idea made real. But more than that, it was like coming home. Eve felt a strange tingling sensation wash over her as she stared at the hotel. It knew she was here. She was suddenly certain of it. It had been waiting for her. It had been waiting for years.”
After a mysterious man named Max Everly gives Eve an octopus ornament, one she believes she recognises, one that looks exactly like the octopus tattoo she has, her obsession with it leads her to discovering a hotel from 1935, the White Octopus. Through further investigations Eve discovers this hotel was believed to hold magical artefacts and was a key to traveling back through time. Eve is desperately trying to locate the hotel as it may provide a way for her to undo a tragic event from her childhood.
The White Octopus Hotel by Alexandra Bell delves readers into a surreal world of magic, time and a second chance of living.
The worldbuilding in this book is amazing and though I don’t want to give too much away, I will discuss the hotel in a bit of detail as it was one of my favourite aspects of the book. The White Octopus is situated in Switzerland in the Alps and I just immediately loved that cold, remote setting. In 1935 it’s a grand, luxurious place, a place of opulence and wonder. Each room is filled with strange and surreal magic—a room with a fountain that showers music like rain, the Smoking Room with the Eavesdropper hiding behind the curtains, an enigma who only coughs when someone is telling a lie, a mirror to show a changing and malicious reflection. Then there are the strange octopus and clock motifs around the hotel, some only appearing after dark. There is a level of creepiness to the hotel too, ghosts haunt this place and some of the magic seems to be able to turn sinister. I loved the balance that Bell created here, the way the hotel is represented as an escape but also a place where you wouldn’t want to linger too long, there are too many hidden secrets. Then the people who run the hotel have their mysteries too and it became fascinating to work them out. The time travel aspect of the hotel was a fantastic concept, it had its limitations set out at the beginning and held enough mystery to keep me compelled. However by the end I was left confused and had a myriad of questions that were left unanswered, which was a bit of a shame.
“He wanted to thank her for listening, for being there, for reminding him that there was kindness and gentleness in a world that had gone mad. Only he knew he wouldn't be able to find the right words. For a wild moment, he thought of kissing her instead. But she was clean and whole, and he was dirty and damaged, and it could not be.”
The themes in this book were so beautifully and poignantly illustrated throughout. Bell really gets to the heart of both Eve and Max, two characters broken by their past, overwhelmed with grief and guilt. Eve is desperately trying to undo a childhood trauma that she never recovered from, never forgave herself for, and Max is followed by ghosts from being on the front line in the war and all the horrific things that had occurred there. Eve often shuts people out, she can be quite selfish and she will not stop blaming herself for things that were completely out of her control. Her relationship with her mother, Jane, is strenuous and honestly for a long time I despised Jane. Yet as the novel progresses, we learn so much more about her mother, we see a woman overwhelmed by motherhood and Eve begins to understand her more. Though that doesn’t excuse how Eve was treated as a child, Bell portrays a mother who was trying and struggling. As much as Eve is blinded, so too is Max, making him often angry and reclusive. I really loved the way their friendship and they’re growing closeness played out, how at first both find solace in art forms, and then in each other. They are each other’s warmth when their life is cold and lonely, through time they get to know each other like no one else could. It is beautiful, sad but also offers hope for their futures, for their healing.
The White Octopus Hotel is the story of two people finding each other when they are at their darkest moment and showing each other how to heal. Dazzling, mysterious and heartfelt this is a novel that offers magic and comfort.
Review copy provided by Hana at Del Rey UK in exchange for an honest review—thank you for the copy!
The White Octopus Hotel is out now!
November 2, 2025
This book was not at all what I expected and I was so pleasantly surprised! I ended up loving it. Initially when I saw the blurb and the cover, I thought okay, time travel romance. NO. I was so wrong - although it does have both of these things (very small but significant romantic subplot), it’s super twisty, mind bending, and quite eerie! The vibes are giving inception and tenet - a twisty story that makes you think. I love anything with time travel/manipulation. This one was such a hit for me. Time travel, trauma/PTSD, opulent hotel setting, magical realism and an aching romantic subplot? Sign me the hell up. The twists were excellent and although I did predict something at the end, I was still very satisfied. If you liked any of the things mentioned, I’d recommend giving this one a try!
Thank you Del Rey and NetGalley for this eARC.
Thank you Del Rey and NetGalley for this eARC.
November 2, 2025
Thank you to Netgalley, Del Rey, Random House Worlds, and Inklore for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review
Eve Shaw has never felt like she belonged, her family experienced a tragedy when she was 4 years old and it has affected the rest of her life. She works at an auction house, and one day an old man who she feels a connection to comes in and asks to speak with her. He gifts her an octopus figurine and asks her to promise to go back to the hotel. It sparks something within her that starts her on a journey through time, and discovering what her life truly was meant to be.
I really believe the premise of this novel was so fascinating and the author put in a lot of work to have all the strings come together in the end. It just didn't work for me, the way it came together just felt very convenient for me, and the main 2 characters felt a little flat and one dimensional. It was an okay read.
Eve Shaw has never felt like she belonged, her family experienced a tragedy when she was 4 years old and it has affected the rest of her life. She works at an auction house, and one day an old man who she feels a connection to comes in and asks to speak with her. He gifts her an octopus figurine and asks her to promise to go back to the hotel. It sparks something within her that starts her on a journey through time, and discovering what her life truly was meant to be.
I really believe the premise of this novel was so fascinating and the author put in a lot of work to have all the strings come together in the end. It just didn't work for me, the way it came together just felt very convenient for me, and the main 2 characters felt a little flat and one dimensional. It was an okay read.
June 29, 2025
I just finished it. And I already want to read it again.
December 20, 2025
The White Octopus Hotel by Alexandra Bell is a unique time travel romance with a side of mystery. Eve Shaw, an art appraiser, and Max Everly, a WW1 veteran, are from different time periods, but they meet at a magical hotel in the Swiss Alps, and eventually find healing and a second chance at love across time. They team up in a scavenger hunt where Eve can win the gift of changing one moment in her past that haunts her. It explores themes of grief, love, and forgiveness.
I really enjoyed the exquisite world building. The author vividly describes the magical hotel with all of its enchanted objects and hidden octopuses. I found the pacing to be slow but deliberate, with the plot developing carefully.
I appreciated how the whole story came together in the end and the meaning behind the octopus symbol.
“Sometimes I think grief is a bit like an octopus with tentacles that reach into every corner of your life.“ If you enjoy contemplative magical realism over fast-paced action, I think this thoughtfully written novel is well worth your time.
I listened to the audiobook through the Libby app. I’m a sucker for a posh British accent, and thought the narrator Mei Mei MacLeod was especially engaging 3.75/5⭐️ (rounded up!)
I really enjoyed the exquisite world building. The author vividly describes the magical hotel with all of its enchanted objects and hidden octopuses. I found the pacing to be slow but deliberate, with the plot developing carefully.
I appreciated how the whole story came together in the end and the meaning behind the octopus symbol.
“Sometimes I think grief is a bit like an octopus with tentacles that reach into every corner of your life.“ If you enjoy contemplative magical realism over fast-paced action, I think this thoughtfully written novel is well worth your time.
I listened to the audiobook through the Libby app. I’m a sucker for a posh British accent, and thought the narrator Mei Mei MacLeod was especially engaging 3.75/5⭐️ (rounded up!)
November 17, 2025
This book follows Eve as she dives into the mysterious world of the white octopus hotel, with some interesting time travel aspects.
Let’s start with some positives: I really liked the concept of this book. The Hotel as the central location worked really well and I enjoyed the descriptions of the magical artificers found there. Though, I wish we spent more time just discovering the hotel and really soaking it in.
Because of the plot, it felt like Eve was running around a lot which made the book feel more rushed. This also included the romance. Unfortunately, I was not sold on it, because I don’t feel like we see the true build up of emotions. Felt more like it was being told that they cared for each other, rather than actually feeling it as the reader.
The time travel aspect I thought was interesting but a bit underdeveloped. Especially towards the end and with some of the reveals.
Overall this was a bit mixed for me since I did have a nice time reading it, and it read quickly, but to me felt overall a bit rushed.
3.25⭐️
Let’s start with some positives: I really liked the concept of this book. The Hotel as the central location worked really well and I enjoyed the descriptions of the magical artificers found there. Though, I wish we spent more time just discovering the hotel and really soaking it in.
Because of the plot, it felt like Eve was running around a lot which made the book feel more rushed. This also included the romance. Unfortunately, I was not sold on it, because I don’t feel like we see the true build up of emotions. Felt more like it was being told that they cared for each other, rather than actually feeling it as the reader.
The time travel aspect I thought was interesting but a bit underdeveloped. Especially towards the end and with some of the reveals.
Overall this was a bit mixed for me since I did have a nice time reading it, and it read quickly, but to me felt overall a bit rushed.
3.25⭐️
December 6, 2025
A quiet exploration of grief, love, loss and regret. If, like me, The Warm Hands of Ghosts by Katherine Arden changed your life, then this has a pinch of that anguished magic.
A slower starter, but it pulled me in like the tentacles of Eve’s octopus and I fell in love with the slow burning embers at this story’s heart. It’s for angry people. It’s for people who haven’t forgiven their inner children, or life for its cruelty. It’s for those who’ve lost, who fear losing, who want a second chance, who want to ask that question: what if I could change everything? Would I? It’s a quiet, unassuming candle in the dark, which hit just at the right time when the brainstorms are loud.
A slower starter, but it pulled me in like the tentacles of Eve’s octopus and I fell in love with the slow burning embers at this story’s heart. It’s for angry people. It’s for people who haven’t forgiven their inner children, or life for its cruelty. It’s for those who’ve lost, who fear losing, who want a second chance, who want to ask that question: what if I could change everything? Would I? It’s a quiet, unassuming candle in the dark, which hit just at the right time when the brainstorms are loud.
December 9, 2025
The White Octopus Hotel is on of those magical reads that suck you in! I couldn’t put this down. The start was especially strong and I was so drawn into the characters and storyline. The time travel itself was transportive and rich in details. For me the plot became very much a magical experience and at times I was totally lost in where things were going, but then things began to unfold and it was a satisfying read. It’s romantic and deals with interesting themes of trauma and grief. I’ve seen it compared to Warm Hands of Ghosts and very much would agree. If you enjoy historical romance fiction with magical realism then this needs to be added to your collection. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this advanced reader copy. This is a voluntary review of my own thoughts.
November 10, 2025
4.5 rounded up to a five! A magical and quaint story filled with mystery, hidden secrets, and a ton of love. This was so refreshing and I was left wondering right up until the very end. Will recommend to anyone!
October 8, 2025
This novel is a gripping narrative that ensnares readers from the beginning, blending time travel, fantasy, and breathtaking vivid details. It chronicles the lives of two individuals across disparate time periods, culminating in a convergence at the White Octopus Hotel as they attempt to rewrite history.
With its scheduled release at the end of October it’s a MUST read, hands down my best read in 2025. This one will stay with me for a long time.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an advance review copy in exchange for a candid review.
With its scheduled release at the end of October it’s a MUST read, hands down my best read in 2025. This one will stay with me for a long time.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an advance review copy in exchange for a candid review.
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