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Das White Octopus Hotel
Als die junge Kunstgutachterin Eve Shaw in ihrem Büro einem silberhaarigen Herrn die Hand schüttelt, wird sie das Gefühl nicht los, diese schon einmal gehalten zu haben. Aber wo und wann? Sie erfährt von einem rätselhaften Ort, dem White Octopus Hotel . Mythen von Zeitreisezimmern und magischen Gegenständen ranken sich darum. Eve beschließt, in dem verlassenen Anwesen, hoch oben in den Schweizer Alpen, nach Antworten zu suchen und findet sich plötzlich in dem prachtvollen Belle-Époque-Hotel zu seiner Glanzzeit wieder. Ein junger Mann kreuzt ihren Weg, doch es ist nicht ihr erstes Treffen. Ist es ein neuer Anfang oder ein weiteres Ende? Kann das Ende auch ein Anfang sein?
384 pages, Hardcover
First published October 28, 2025
About the author
Alexandra Bell
2 books189 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 982 reviews
June 14, 2026
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.
medium.com
June 30, 2026
They call this book's genre romantasy—a blend of fantasy and a central, plot-driving love story. Not my typical genre, which surprises me somewhat since I enjoy a good love story and appreciate magical realism when it is done well.
Still, when I read the premise in my local library's newsletter, I was intrigued enough to step outside my comfort zone and give it a try.
This novel combines magical realism (one of my favorite genres), star-crossed love, time travel (one of my least favorites), and a thoughtful exploration of grief and trauma.
The story unfolds slowly at first. I kept wanting it to get to the point, sensing that something significant had happened—or was about to happen—while the narrative circled around the revelation until it finally arrived.
It soon becomes clear that reclusive art appraiser Eve Shaw is receiving clues through objects that come into her possession, suggesting there is more to her personal story than she realizes. After crossing paths with several mysterious individuals—most notably Max Everly in 2015—she is drawn toward the elusive, run-down, long abandoned White Octopus Hotel in the Swiss Alps, a place that feels strangely familiar.
By 2016, Eve follows these clues in an effort to uncover the truth about her connection to the hotel and her own past.
For readers skeptical of time-travel stories, as I often am, the novel ultimately raises compelling questions about loss, memory, and whether we would choose a different path if given the chance. Even if this story didn’t fully resonate with me, those themes make this book an interesting choice for book group discussion.
🌟🌟🌟.5 Stars
Still, when I read the premise in my local library's newsletter, I was intrigued enough to step outside my comfort zone and give it a try.
This novel combines magical realism (one of my favorite genres), star-crossed love, time travel (one of my least favorites), and a thoughtful exploration of grief and trauma.
The story unfolds slowly at first. I kept wanting it to get to the point, sensing that something significant had happened—or was about to happen—while the narrative circled around the revelation until it finally arrived.
It soon becomes clear that reclusive art appraiser Eve Shaw is receiving clues through objects that come into her possession, suggesting there is more to her personal story than she realizes. After crossing paths with several mysterious individuals—most notably Max Everly in 2015—she is drawn toward the elusive, run-down, long abandoned White Octopus Hotel in the Swiss Alps, a place that feels strangely familiar.
By 2016, Eve follows these clues in an effort to uncover the truth about her connection to the hotel and her own past.
For readers skeptical of time-travel stories, as I often am, the novel ultimately raises compelling questions about loss, memory, and whether we would choose a different path if given the chance. Even if this story didn’t fully resonate with me, those themes make this book an interesting choice for book group discussion.
🌟🌟🌟.5 Stars
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.
May 20, 2026
This is an attention-grabber, a fantastical mystery. I was emotionally attached to the story from page one. A very down to Earth writing style. The main character, Eve, is hard to get to know; she is distant but likeable. The multiple timelines ran smoothly, although I must admit that I was a bit confused at times! The secondary characters are all drawn very well. They are fully believable. It’s a bit of a slow burn and there were some troughs in the excitement level, but overall, it was a good, entertaining story. A bit, but not too much, of a romance to boot. And the ending is proper, superb, magical and joyous. What a book!
July 3, 2026
*I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.*
Quick plot summary
The White Octopus Hotel is a place filled with magical objects and hidden mysteries. More than fifty years after its sudden closure in 1935, the once-grand hotel has fallen into ruins. Yet it remains alive for Evelyn, who searches its halls for answers. Haunted by a childhood tragedy, she meets Max Evelyn, her favourite composer from the 1930s and together they search for a magical object that could change her life forever.
Introduction
I picked up The White Octopus Hotel, 'cause the description promised a cosy atmosphere and it delivered. It also reminded me slightly of Alice in Wonderland. The White Rabbit, the search for a mysterious door and the magical objects all create a similar sense of wonder.
Writing style
Chapter structure
One of the novel's strengths is its chapter structure. Each chapter begins with the character's point of view, location and year, making the frequent shifts between timelines easy to follow. Without this, the narrative would have been confusing.
Setting & magical elements
The exploration of the White Octopus Hotel is another highlight. The setting feels just as important as the characters and the novel takes the time to explain its magical elements while making the hotel itself feel memorable. The scavenger hunt also gives the exploration a clear sense of purpose.
Plot twist & time travelling
The plot twist itself was clever and unexpected, but the time-travel developments that followed became more complex than I initially thought.
Symbolism
The symbolism isn't especially prominent, but it answers questions and foreshadows later developments. My favourite symbols were the white rabbit and the octopus. The octopus provides a creative representation of guilt.
Characters
The characters are a strong part of the novel. Both Evelyn and Max are shaped by trauma. Their backstories give the story emotional weight and adds layers to the characters. Watching their lives unfold across different timelines while slowly becoming connected kept me invested. Max's perspective as a First World War veteran also felt refreshing as it's a viewpoint I rarely encounter.
Their internal struggles are handled realistically and the contrast between their darker thoughts and their desire to help others makes them sympathetic. The growing trust in each other strengthens the emotional core of the story.
Outroduction
I originally considered giving this book four stars, but the ending lowered my rating to three. I didn't expect the time travelling to become such a central focus. I generally prefer it as a supporting element rather than the foundation of the plot. I expected a cosy story about grief slowly changing to hope, but the narrative ultimately focused more on an increasingly complex family history. Although the ending touched on emotional healing, it felt incomplete.
Readers who know from the beginning that this is primarily a time-travel story with a romantic element will likely enjoy it more than I did.
Thank you NetGalley and Del Rey, Random House Worlds, Inklore for the advanced reader copy of The White Octopus Hotel by Alexandra Bell.
StoryGraph review + content warnings
Started the book: 14. July 2025
Finished the book: 14. July 2025
Wrote the review: 15. July 2025
Quick plot summary
The White Octopus Hotel is a place filled with magical objects and hidden mysteries. More than fifty years after its sudden closure in 1935, the once-grand hotel has fallen into ruins. Yet it remains alive for Evelyn, who searches its halls for answers. Haunted by a childhood tragedy, she meets Max Evelyn, her favourite composer from the 1930s and together they search for a magical object that could change her life forever.
Introduction
I picked up The White Octopus Hotel, 'cause the description promised a cosy atmosphere and it delivered. It also reminded me slightly of Alice in Wonderland. The White Rabbit, the search for a mysterious door and the magical objects all create a similar sense of wonder.
Writing style
Chapter structure
One of the novel's strengths is its chapter structure. Each chapter begins with the character's point of view, location and year, making the frequent shifts between timelines easy to follow. Without this, the narrative would have been confusing.
Setting & magical elements
The exploration of the White Octopus Hotel is another highlight. The setting feels just as important as the characters and the novel takes the time to explain its magical elements while making the hotel itself feel memorable. The scavenger hunt also gives the exploration a clear sense of purpose.
Plot twist & time travelling
The plot twist itself was clever and unexpected, but the time-travel developments that followed became more complex than I initially thought.
Symbolism
The symbolism isn't especially prominent, but it answers questions and foreshadows later developments. My favourite symbols were the white rabbit and the octopus. The octopus provides a creative representation of guilt.
Characters
The characters are a strong part of the novel. Both Evelyn and Max are shaped by trauma. Their backstories give the story emotional weight and adds layers to the characters. Watching their lives unfold across different timelines while slowly becoming connected kept me invested. Max's perspective as a First World War veteran also felt refreshing as it's a viewpoint I rarely encounter.
Their internal struggles are handled realistically and the contrast between their darker thoughts and their desire to help others makes them sympathetic. The growing trust in each other strengthens the emotional core of the story.
Outroduction
I originally considered giving this book four stars, but the ending lowered my rating to three. I didn't expect the time travelling to become such a central focus. I generally prefer it as a supporting element rather than the foundation of the plot. I expected a cosy story about grief slowly changing to hope, but the narrative ultimately focused more on an increasingly complex family history. Although the ending touched on emotional healing, it felt incomplete.
Readers who know from the beginning that this is primarily a time-travel story with a romantic element will likely enjoy it more than I did.
Thank you NetGalley and Del Rey, Random House Worlds, Inklore for the advanced reader copy of The White Octopus Hotel by Alexandra Bell.
StoryGraph review + content warnings
Started the book: 14. July 2025
Finished the book: 14. July 2025
Wrote the review: 15. July 2025
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.
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. 🐙
May 30, 2026
The White Octopus Hotel
was twisty and full of connections I didn't make. Sometimes there are books I read that remind me of when I was very young and just knew there was stuff in a book that I wasn't understanding. It doesn't happen to me often anymore, but it did with this book. But like my youthful confusions, there were often enough other interesting things I 'got' to keep me engaged. This was one of those for me. Time travel is one of my favorite, preferred genres, but some how I got lost in the tunnels on this one. . .so the most I can hang on the proverbial clothes line is 3 stars.
Lots of good stuff, tho - a love story that keeps heating up, but then fading, heating up, disappearing in the time lines. More Stori-interruptus than I could bear. Still, I'm going to find more of Alexandra Bell's work and try again, seeing if it was not the right time. (ha! get it?)
*A sincere thank you to Alexandra Bell, Del Rey, Random House Worlds, Inklore | Del Rey, and NetGalley for an ARC to read and review independently.* #TheWhiteOctopusHotel #NetGalley 26|52:24c
Lots of good stuff, tho - a love story that keeps heating up, but then fading, heating up, disappearing in the time lines. More Stori-interruptus than I could bear. Still, I'm going to find more of Alexandra Bell's work and try again, seeing if it was not the right time. (ha! get it?)
*A sincere thank you to Alexandra Bell, Del Rey, Random House Worlds, Inklore | Del Rey, and NetGalley for an ARC to read and review independently.* #TheWhiteOctopusHotel #NetGalley 26|52:24c
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!
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!
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.
December 2, 2025
The thing that I love most about time travel stories is that moment when everything clicks and the crazy plot finally makes sense.
Unfortunately, this didnt have it. It was all over the place - there wasnt an explanation or connection to each other. Even during the revelation - nothing made any sense.
I trudged on because the first half was actually good. But then it just went on and on and it was such a waste.
Unfortunately, this didnt have it. It was all over the place - there wasnt an explanation or connection to each other. Even during the revelation - nothing made any sense.
I trudged on because the first half was actually good. But then it just went on and on and it was such a waste.
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 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.
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.
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.
May 11, 2026
Eve and Max are from different decades, but they have grief and guilt in common. For Eve, it is the death of her baby sister. For Max, the death of his best friend during WWI. Time, if you must call it that, and The White Octopus Hotel have a funny habit of bringing these two together.
This was not only a cute, slowly building love story but a tragic one dealing with loss, guilt, and pain. It is also one of magical realism and time travel. It's told across time: 1917/1918 (last years of WWI), 1935 (at The White Octopus Hotel), and 2015 (London). The time traveling does get a bit tricky to keep track of, but at the heart of it I didn't notice any continuity errors. There were a couple of other bits of magic that went unexplained (or I missed the explanation) that kind of made sense - until it didn't.
I always love mutli-POV stories; it's one of my favorite tropes. It took me a bit of time to warm up to Eve, but I did come around in the end. I absolutely loved Max's story line. I enjoyed his character development a lot. There were a lot of side characters to keep track of. I found this much easier to follow than the magic filled part of the plot.
The world building was well done. I loved the 1935 section. You could feel the jazzy, art deco, glitzy vibes. The cover of this book is very indicative of the story that you're getting (it's so gorgeous!).
This was not only a cute, slowly building love story but a tragic one dealing with loss, guilt, and pain. It is also one of magical realism and time travel. It's told across time: 1917/1918 (last years of WWI), 1935 (at The White Octopus Hotel), and 2015 (London). The time traveling does get a bit tricky to keep track of, but at the heart of it I didn't notice any continuity errors. There were a couple of other bits of magic that went unexplained (or I missed the explanation) that kind of made sense - until it didn't.
I always love mutli-POV stories; it's one of my favorite tropes. It took me a bit of time to warm up to Eve, but I did come around in the end. I absolutely loved Max's story line. I enjoyed his character development a lot. There were a lot of side characters to keep track of. I found this much easier to follow than the magic filled part of the plot.
The world building was well done. I loved the 1935 section. You could feel the jazzy, art deco, glitzy vibes. The cover of this book is very indicative of the story that you're getting (it's so gorgeous!).
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.
🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
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.
January 12, 2026
Pleasant fun fluff with a bit of a twist that I never saw coming (but should have). Time travel romance heavily soaked in 'Somewhere in Time' with a dash of this and that. A fun deftly-written read.
March 1, 2026
3.5 stars rounded down.
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.
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 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.
May 4, 2026
2.25⭐️
Ich fand‘s furchtbar langweilig und irgendwann nur noch verwirrend.
Und man merkt, dass die Autorin noch nie in der Schweiz war. Scheinbar ist Zürich jetzt in den Schweizer Alpen, und dort gibt es ein Hotel, das nur über einen See erreichbar ist. Da habe ich mich als Schweizerin persönlich offended gefühlt. Man könnte sich ja auch mal die Mühe machen und 5 min auf Google recherchieren, bevor man solchen Unsinn raushaut. 🤦🏼♀️😂
Ich fand‘s furchtbar langweilig und irgendwann nur noch verwirrend.
Und man merkt, dass die Autorin noch nie in der Schweiz war. Scheinbar ist Zürich jetzt in den Schweizer Alpen, und dort gibt es ein Hotel, das nur über einen See erreichbar ist. Da habe ich mich als Schweizerin persönlich offended gefühlt. Man könnte sich ja auch mal die Mühe machen und 5 min auf Google recherchieren, bevor man solchen Unsinn raushaut. 🤦🏼♀️😂
Did Not Finish
March 21, 2026Hat mich sprachlich nicht abgeholt. Manchmal schafft es dann die Spannung, dass ich ein Buch zu Ende lese... ist hier aber auch nicht eingetreten. Schade.
March 6, 2026
The White Octopus Hotel is one of those hidden gem books that completely surprised me. I absolutely adored this story.
The novel follows Eve Shaw, who has carried the weight of guilt since she was four years old, believing she was responsible for the death of her little sister. That grief and self-blame shape so much of her life, and you feel the quiet heaviness of it in every stage of her journey.
While working at an art auction company, Eve encounters an elderly man who instantly unsettles her in the most intriguing way. When their eyes meet and she shakes his hand, she feels an inexplicable pull toward him. Before leaving, he presses a small octopus statue into her hand and tells her, “Promise me you will come back to the hotel.” From that moment on, Eve finds herself drawn into the mysterious pull of the White Octopus Hotel, and the story unfolds through magical realism and elements of time travel as her life becomes entwined with this strange and beautiful place.
This is ultimately a story about grief, guilt, healing, and a love that stretches across time. The writing is absolutely beautiful and atmospheric, and the emotional themes really resonated with me. It reminded me a little of What Dreams May Come (without the afterlife storyline) mixed with Somewhere in Time. It had that same sweeping, romantic, slightly surreal feeling. By the end of the book, I was absolutely ugly crying.
My only small criticisms are that the story starts off a bit slow and doesn’t really find its rhythm until about a third of the way through. I also found myself wishing the author had shown us more of the love story rather than giving us small glimpses of it.
Still, those were minor issues in what was otherwise a lovely, heartfelt novel. If you enjoy character-driven stories with magical realism, time travel elements, and emotional depth, this is definitely one to pick up.
The novel follows Eve Shaw, who has carried the weight of guilt since she was four years old, believing she was responsible for the death of her little sister. That grief and self-blame shape so much of her life, and you feel the quiet heaviness of it in every stage of her journey.
While working at an art auction company, Eve encounters an elderly man who instantly unsettles her in the most intriguing way. When their eyes meet and she shakes his hand, she feels an inexplicable pull toward him. Before leaving, he presses a small octopus statue into her hand and tells her, “Promise me you will come back to the hotel.” From that moment on, Eve finds herself drawn into the mysterious pull of the White Octopus Hotel, and the story unfolds through magical realism and elements of time travel as her life becomes entwined with this strange and beautiful place.
This is ultimately a story about grief, guilt, healing, and a love that stretches across time. The writing is absolutely beautiful and atmospheric, and the emotional themes really resonated with me. It reminded me a little of What Dreams May Come (without the afterlife storyline) mixed with Somewhere in Time. It had that same sweeping, romantic, slightly surreal feeling. By the end of the book, I was absolutely ugly crying.
My only small criticisms are that the story starts off a bit slow and doesn’t really find its rhythm until about a third of the way through. I also found myself wishing the author had shown us more of the love story rather than giving us small glimpses of it.
Still, those were minor issues in what was otherwise a lovely, heartfelt novel. If you enjoy character-driven stories with magical realism, time travel elements, and emotional depth, this is definitely one to pick up.
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.
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