What do you think?
Rate this book
The White Octopus Hotel
Not yet published
Expected 28 Oct 25Journey 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.
368 pages, Paperback
Expected publication October 28, 2025
28 people are currently reading
11410 people want to read
About the author
Alexandra Bell
2 books89 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.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 95 reviews
August 31, 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.
medium.com
instagram
facebook
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
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.
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 3, 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--wall 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--wall 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!
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.
May 7, 2025
Alexandra Bell owns a slice of my heart.
This isn’t a recent thing, this was given freely back many years ago when I received a proof of her previous novel The Winter Garden. The day it arrived into my life was one full of great heartache in my personal life.
So I took that book, cloistered myself away and fell into a world that saved my sanity. No lie.
Here we are several years later, and yet again she took another slice of my heart. Again, given freely.
The White Octopus hotel sings joy, sorrow, love, loss, friendship, grief, pain all into the reader and it is nothing short of a miracle of a novel.
Following Eve as she seemingly disappears into the past, into a bygone era of decadence and luxury, and a scavenger hunt that could reward her with the one thing that could alter her past and future.
But the more time she spends within its gilded walls, the more she learns not just about herself but someone who claims to know all about Eve.
Eve punishes herself by feeling guilty about her sisters death despite the fact it may never have been her fault. But she doesn’t deserve to be happy. No, she only wants to set things right.
I won’t spoil anything regarding just what awaits the reader inside these pages, but I say this directly to the author; thank you. Thank you for crafting something so thoughtful, beautiful, fragile, and incredibly magical.
And thank you for gifting me such a special proof.
I will treasure it always.
This isn’t a recent thing, this was given freely back many years ago when I received a proof of her previous novel The Winter Garden. The day it arrived into my life was one full of great heartache in my personal life.
So I took that book, cloistered myself away and fell into a world that saved my sanity. No lie.
Here we are several years later, and yet again she took another slice of my heart. Again, given freely.
The White Octopus hotel sings joy, sorrow, love, loss, friendship, grief, pain all into the reader and it is nothing short of a miracle of a novel.
Following Eve as she seemingly disappears into the past, into a bygone era of decadence and luxury, and a scavenger hunt that could reward her with the one thing that could alter her past and future.
But the more time she spends within its gilded walls, the more she learns not just about herself but someone who claims to know all about Eve.
Eve punishes herself by feeling guilty about her sisters death despite the fact it may never have been her fault. But she doesn’t deserve to be happy. No, she only wants to set things right.
I won’t spoil anything regarding just what awaits the reader inside these pages, but I say this directly to the author; thank you. Thank you for crafting something so thoughtful, beautiful, fragile, and incredibly magical.
And thank you for gifting me such a special proof.
I will treasure it always.
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 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.
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
August 2, 2025
Thank you NetGalley and Alexandra Bell for the ARC!
Eve is twenty-eight, which means she’s too old to be kissing a nineteen-year old in a steam room. It’s okay (???) because he’s survived the Somme, which has to add a good fifteen years to you. Also, she first met him when he was older. Yeah, time is trippy in this book. You can tell because there’s a clock on the cover. Eve dresses all in black every day, not because she’s depressed (though she very much is), but to hide the octopus tattoo that symbolises her childhood trauma. At least when she gets to the Octopus Hotel she gets to wear some cool vintage dresses. I don’t care what anyone says, Eve’s mother is terrible, although she might have benefitted from a husband who did more than blink uselessly when she said she found motherhood hard. Eve goes to therapy already, but she needs to have therapy plus premium or something because nobody has ever told her that THE RESPONSIBILITY FOR KEEPING AN EYE ON A TODDLER LIES WITH THE PARENTS AND NOT WITH THEIR FOUR-YEAR OLD SISTER.
good for fans of: debilitating self-loathing, misplaced blame, linear timeline? don’t know her, old timey words like ‘topping’
Eve is twenty-eight, which means she’s too old to be kissing a nineteen-year old in a steam room. It’s okay (???) because he’s survived the Somme, which has to add a good fifteen years to you. Also, she first met him when he was older. Yeah, time is trippy in this book. You can tell because there’s a clock on the cover. Eve dresses all in black every day, not because she’s depressed (though she very much is), but to hide the octopus tattoo that symbolises her childhood trauma. At least when she gets to the Octopus Hotel she gets to wear some cool vintage dresses. I don’t care what anyone says, Eve’s mother is terrible, although she might have benefitted from a husband who did more than blink uselessly when she said she found motherhood hard. Eve goes to therapy already, but she needs to have therapy plus premium or something because nobody has ever told her that THE RESPONSIBILITY FOR KEEPING AN EYE ON A TODDLER LIES WITH THE PARENTS AND NOT WITH THEIR FOUR-YEAR OLD SISTER.
good for fans of: debilitating self-loathing, misplaced blame, linear timeline? don’t know her, old timey words like ‘topping’
June 29, 2025
I just finished it. And I already want to read it again.
July 10, 2025
Thank you so much to NetGalley for sending me this arc.
Magical and mysterious hotel, set in the 1930s and time travelling?! It has a recipe for perfection but as much as I enjoyed it, it didn't fully hit the mark for me.
The start of this book really gripped me even though it was quite a slow start. You don't fully get into the story line until around 25% mark and then it really hits you with intrigue.
Our main character Eve, I didn't love her and was actually frustrated with her at times. I didn't gravitate toward her and therefore actually wasn't routing for her as much as I should have. But, I really did love our other main character Max. I found him very charismatic and ultimately, a much better storyline to read.
There was multiple timelines which I absolutely loved, and loved how the different era's was described. The hotel in the 1930's made me think of The Hollywood Tower Hotel in Disney and how it may feel, which makes my Disney heart very happy! I loved the magical aspect of the hotel, and having a scavenger hunt take place so you can explore these aspects was genius.
What I will say, is that sometimes it did get a bit confusing for me with where the storyline was going. I'm not sure I completely understand the ending of this book and how it all amalgamated together, but aware that may be a 'me' problem. I also wasn't entirely convinced with the relationship in the story and it just didn't feel organic.
Regardless of the above, I still really enjoyed this one and was aching to read more to discover more secrets of the hotel and characters. It's brimming with mystery, magic and enchants you from the very beginning, but also does delve into other heavy topics such as battling grief and guilt.
Magical and mysterious hotel, set in the 1930s and time travelling?! It has a recipe for perfection but as much as I enjoyed it, it didn't fully hit the mark for me.
The start of this book really gripped me even though it was quite a slow start. You don't fully get into the story line until around 25% mark and then it really hits you with intrigue.
Our main character Eve, I didn't love her and was actually frustrated with her at times. I didn't gravitate toward her and therefore actually wasn't routing for her as much as I should have. But, I really did love our other main character Max. I found him very charismatic and ultimately, a much better storyline to read.
There was multiple timelines which I absolutely loved, and loved how the different era's was described. The hotel in the 1930's made me think of The Hollywood Tower Hotel in Disney and how it may feel, which makes my Disney heart very happy! I loved the magical aspect of the hotel, and having a scavenger hunt take place so you can explore these aspects was genius.
What I will say, is that sometimes it did get a bit confusing for me with where the storyline was going. I'm not sure I completely understand the ending of this book and how it all amalgamated together, but aware that may be a 'me' problem. I also wasn't entirely convinced with the relationship in the story and it just didn't feel organic.
Regardless of the above, I still really enjoyed this one and was aching to read more to discover more secrets of the hotel and characters. It's brimming with mystery, magic and enchants you from the very beginning, but also does delve into other heavy topics such as battling grief and guilt.
July 5, 2025
3.5⭐️
I was instantly drawn to The White Octopus Hotel by the premise alone, an eerie, mysterious hotel with Grand Budapest Hotel vibes? Say no more. The setting is atmospheric, and the imagery of the hotel and the strange objects within it is so vivid it really leaps off the page.
There’s a strong sense of mystery from the very beginning, and the story does a great job of keeping you guessing with twists, secrets, and unexpected reveals woven throughout. It’s easy to get into, fast-paced, and entertaining! There’s some emotional moments too, full of love, grief, and everything in between.
That said, I did feel that the plot moved in a bit of a stop-start way. The narrative occasionally felt a little choppy and the writing itself was a bit inconsistent, some parts shone, while others didn’t quite hit the same mark.
But overall though, I enjoyed it. If you’re a fan of the magical historic hotel trope like Hotel Magnifique then this one’s for you!
Many thanks to Random House UK, Cornerstone and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I was instantly drawn to The White Octopus Hotel by the premise alone, an eerie, mysterious hotel with Grand Budapest Hotel vibes? Say no more. The setting is atmospheric, and the imagery of the hotel and the strange objects within it is so vivid it really leaps off the page.
There’s a strong sense of mystery from the very beginning, and the story does a great job of keeping you guessing with twists, secrets, and unexpected reveals woven throughout. It’s easy to get into, fast-paced, and entertaining! There’s some emotional moments too, full of love, grief, and everything in between.
That said, I did feel that the plot moved in a bit of a stop-start way. The narrative occasionally felt a little choppy and the writing itself was a bit inconsistent, some parts shone, while others didn’t quite hit the same mark.
But overall though, I enjoyed it. If you’re a fan of the magical historic hotel trope like Hotel Magnifique then this one’s for you!
Many thanks to Random House UK, Cornerstone and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
June 7, 2025
Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC.
Gorgeous GORGEOUS book. I'm in love with so much in these pages that it's difficult to begin describing.
Thanks to a quiet afternoon in my clinic with no appointments booked in, I got to finish this book today after just starting it yesterday night. After I turned the last page I felt I had lived many lifetimes through the duration of the story. I half expected to look up and see the looming White Octopus Hotel shrouded in fog amongst the Swiss mountains, not the gloomy walls of my little clinic room.
This book is many things all at the same time; its a meditation on grief and how we carry it with us always and how it changes us and shapes us, it's a look at love and the timeless nature of it, the power of memory and the hold it has on us, it's a love letter to the power of faith and imagination, a treatise on escapism but also home.... it's many things.
The general premise is that Eve is handed a small octopus figurine in the present day by an elderly man, Max Everly, impossibly, he is her favourite composer who lived over 100 years ago. The octopus is an exact replica of the one she draws incessantly in her sketchbooks and has tattooed on herself, and yet she can show no one as the ink is alive and moves, both across the page and across her body. Eve knows there is more to this, and she begins to look for the origins of this octopus, and so hears of a legendary hotel that disappeared from the history books. Its whispered about in certain auction circles, as some of the objects from the hotel have propped up in private auctions over the years, all with different magical properties. A phone that lets you get a call from the dead, notepaper that lets you write to the past, and so on. She goes on a journey to find the hotel, find herself, and find the past.
There is not a single page of this book that is not brimming with magic and beauty. This is magical realism at its finest, but also I found it it heart wrenchingly romantic in a tragic way. There's a lot I can't say without spoiling, so I'm trying to keep it brief and general, but wow! The nature of the plot and the way everything is set up is to question everything, question the timeline, question the characters, question the motives, but while doing so you have an enormous amount of fun with Eve on her treasure hunt throughout the grand White Octopus hotel, looking for clocks, octopuses, and answers.
I subtracted 1 star purely because some of the timeline in the explanation at the end didn't make 100% sense to me, and I wished it went in a slightly different direction. This in no way takes away from the overall enjoyment of the book. I just need this to be published asap so someone smarter than me can read it and explain to me the timeline just once more to make it make 100% sense.
Gorgeous GORGEOUS book. I'm in love with so much in these pages that it's difficult to begin describing.
Thanks to a quiet afternoon in my clinic with no appointments booked in, I got to finish this book today after just starting it yesterday night. After I turned the last page I felt I had lived many lifetimes through the duration of the story. I half expected to look up and see the looming White Octopus Hotel shrouded in fog amongst the Swiss mountains, not the gloomy walls of my little clinic room.
This book is many things all at the same time; its a meditation on grief and how we carry it with us always and how it changes us and shapes us, it's a look at love and the timeless nature of it, the power of memory and the hold it has on us, it's a love letter to the power of faith and imagination, a treatise on escapism but also home.... it's many things.
The general premise is that Eve is handed a small octopus figurine in the present day by an elderly man, Max Everly, impossibly, he is her favourite composer who lived over 100 years ago. The octopus is an exact replica of the one she draws incessantly in her sketchbooks and has tattooed on herself, and yet she can show no one as the ink is alive and moves, both across the page and across her body. Eve knows there is more to this, and she begins to look for the origins of this octopus, and so hears of a legendary hotel that disappeared from the history books. Its whispered about in certain auction circles, as some of the objects from the hotel have propped up in private auctions over the years, all with different magical properties. A phone that lets you get a call from the dead, notepaper that lets you write to the past, and so on. She goes on a journey to find the hotel, find herself, and find the past.
There is not a single page of this book that is not brimming with magic and beauty. This is magical realism at its finest, but also I found it it heart wrenchingly romantic in a tragic way. There's a lot I can't say without spoiling, so I'm trying to keep it brief and general, but wow! The nature of the plot and the way everything is set up is to question everything, question the timeline, question the characters, question the motives, but while doing so you have an enormous amount of fun with Eve on her treasure hunt throughout the grand White Octopus hotel, looking for clocks, octopuses, and answers.
I subtracted 1 star purely because some of the timeline in the explanation at the end didn't make 100% sense to me, and I wished it went in a slightly different direction. This in no way takes away from the overall enjoyment of the book. I just need this to be published asap so someone smarter than me can read it and explain to me the timeline just once more to make it make 100% sense.
June 5, 2025
4.25 stars!
I love an unapologetically weird historical fantasy! I think if you liked The Listeners by Maggie Stiefvater or The Warm Hands of Ghosts by Katherine Arden you will eat this up.
Full review to come closer to publication.
I love an unapologetically weird historical fantasy! I think if you liked The Listeners by Maggie Stiefvater or The Warm Hands of Ghosts by Katherine Arden you will eat this up.
Full review to come closer to publication.
May 11, 2025
Oh my😍. Time travel, magical realism, and the power of Art to heal: this is my first Alexandra Bell novel, but it won’t be my last. I recommend that you lean fully into suspension of disbelief and don’t to too hard to “understand” what’s happening. Just float along on the beautiful prose and enjoy the ride.
May 4, 2025
The Winter Garden is one of my favorite books. As soon as I finished reading it, I was eager for Alexandra Bell’s next novel. The White Octopus Hotel is one of my most anticipated releases of the year. I am so fortunate to have been able to read an ARC of this beautiful masterpiece. What I love about Alexandra Bell’s writing is how whimsical, emotional, and atmospheric it is. I truly felt like I was a guest at the White Octopus Hotel, watching the story unfold. While Bell’s writing is always enchanting, like The Winter Garden, this story has undertones of grief and sadness in it. It is done so well that I could feel my heart aching for our characters. One thing about me is that I hate time travel. The main reason is because it stresses me out. How one thing can impact another thing and become a domino effect. But I would read Alexandra Bell’s grocery list, so she is the exception. The time travel aspect helped develop the character’s relationships and made my heart ache for them even more. It worked wonderfully with the mystery of the story and the hotel. There is a beautiful love story in this book between two lost souls who find each other time and time again. It warmed my heart. I rooted for them till the very end. I loved the magic of this novel. I didn’t question why anything was happening. I threw out all logic and just let myself be lost in the story and its atmosphere. There’s ominous rabbits, enchanted objects, octopuses that come to life through drawings, and so much more. Though I may never be able to visit the actual White Octopus Hotel and experience its magic, I will always be a guest in my mind. I can’t wait to purchase a physical copy and experience the magic again upon its release.
*Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for my honest review*
*Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for my honest review*
August 16, 2025
I thoroughly enjoyed the White Octopus Hotel, it’s not like anything I’ve ever read before!
Straight away I was really excited about the whole concept of a magical hotel and time travel. The story follows Eve Shaw and starts in the present day with her story of how she lost her sister when she was very little and the impacts that had on her life, until one day when Max Everly turns up to her place of work to value a unique octopus figurine from the hotel.
Eve then begins her journey to the hotel and travels through multiple time periods and experiences different eras of life at the hotel. It’s confusing trying to piece together why she was at the hotel all them years ago but you later learn that her story started all them years ago, rather than in the present day like the start of the book suggests.
Throughout the book we see the love story blossom between Eve and Max and how they are always drawn to each other at the hotel and in the end we learn where their relationship really started back in the previous century. The story touched on guilt and grief of both characters.
I didn’t love Eve’s character, there wasn’t much about her that drew me to her and her story. However, I did really like Max and I liked him more and more the further I got into the story.
I will say, the story line was a little confusing at times to understand where it was going. I struggled to understand the relevance of all the different periods in time she was experiencing but this did start make sense towards the end! I didn’t realise until the end that Eve and Max were originally from the previous century and that then explained a lot in the end. I think the middle section may have dragged out a little bit to get to that end point where it all fell into place. Despite this though I did want to keep reading and the end of each chapter made me want more to get clues on what was happening.
You kind of just go with the weird and wonderful magic of the hotel and each chapter something new is discovered. It seems so random at times but it all ties together nicely in the end.
I did really enjoy the White Octopus Hotel and would recommend it, it’s totally unique and I’d like to read more from this author. Thank you so much to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC!
Straight away I was really excited about the whole concept of a magical hotel and time travel. The story follows Eve Shaw and starts in the present day with her story of how she lost her sister when she was very little and the impacts that had on her life, until one day when Max Everly turns up to her place of work to value a unique octopus figurine from the hotel.
Eve then begins her journey to the hotel and travels through multiple time periods and experiences different eras of life at the hotel. It’s confusing trying to piece together why she was at the hotel all them years ago but you later learn that her story started all them years ago, rather than in the present day like the start of the book suggests.
Throughout the book we see the love story blossom between Eve and Max and how they are always drawn to each other at the hotel and in the end we learn where their relationship really started back in the previous century. The story touched on guilt and grief of both characters.
I didn’t love Eve’s character, there wasn’t much about her that drew me to her and her story. However, I did really like Max and I liked him more and more the further I got into the story.
I will say, the story line was a little confusing at times to understand where it was going. I struggled to understand the relevance of all the different periods in time she was experiencing but this did start make sense towards the end! I didn’t realise until the end that Eve and Max were originally from the previous century and that then explained a lot in the end. I think the middle section may have dragged out a little bit to get to that end point where it all fell into place. Despite this though I did want to keep reading and the end of each chapter made me want more to get clues on what was happening.
You kind of just go with the weird and wonderful magic of the hotel and each chapter something new is discovered. It seems so random at times but it all ties together nicely in the end.
I did really enjoy the White Octopus Hotel and would recommend it, it’s totally unique and I’d like to read more from this author. Thank you so much to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC!
July 19, 2025
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher Del Rey for allowing me to read an ARC.
The White Octopus Hotel has a lot of magic and whimsy within its pages. It was like a mesh of The Night Circus, The Warm Hands of Ghosts, and a little bit of the Shining thrown in, sharing fantastical elements and good descriptions of surroundings with those books.
The book is short, which means there were times I felt scenes weren't fleshed out - like emotions or character motivations could've been delved into more. One example is the first kiss between the main couple felt glossed over. It should've been a monumental thing and it wasn't.
Grief, guilt, and the possibility of changing past mistakes are tackled in the story. Sometimes the main character, Eve, wasn't always likable. But with the guilt she was carrying around for 25+ years due to her younger sister's death, being unlikable at times is understandable. I liked the main male character - Max - and how his issues connected to WWI.
The hotel has such a rich history, I can see other stories being written about it from different decades.
There were mysteries that kept me interested. I wanted to find out what was going on, and I didn't guess the twist at the end.
The White Octopus Hotel has a lot of magic and whimsy within its pages. It was like a mesh of The Night Circus, The Warm Hands of Ghosts, and a little bit of the Shining thrown in, sharing fantastical elements and good descriptions of surroundings with those books.
The book is short, which means there were times I felt scenes weren't fleshed out - like emotions or character motivations could've been delved into more. One example is the first kiss between the main couple felt glossed over. It should've been a monumental thing and it wasn't.
Grief, guilt, and the possibility of changing past mistakes are tackled in the story. Sometimes the main character, Eve, wasn't always likable. But with the guilt she was carrying around for 25+ years due to her younger sister's death, being unlikable at times is understandable. I liked the main male character - Max - and how his issues connected to WWI.
The hotel has such a rich history, I can see other stories being written about it from different decades.
There were mysteries that kept me interested. I wanted to find out what was going on, and I didn't guess the twist at the end.
June 25, 2025
This was SUCH an amazing story - and I almost didn't even read it all! I liked the opening but things went weirdly random very quickly and I wasn't sure it would be for me, but so many other readers loved it that I felt compelled to give it a go and I'm SO glad I did because it turned out to be one of my favorite stories of the year so far!
Bell has done an absolutely incredible job crafting an utterly original, perplexing, complicated, fascinating world with her Hotel - and she has populated it with marvelous characters who will capture your heart and imagination. Don't let the bizarre beginning, with no clue as to why you're confronted with semi-visible rabbits and octopuses everywhere and moving tattoos throw you - it'll make sense and you'll love all the magical weirdness as soon as the story develops.
The emotional depths are significant, as are the thought-provoking insights into time, war, love, and the personal responsibility we take on even when we don't need to. It's a lovely story, and a fun(ny) one and it's told in a narrative voice that is an absolute delight. I can't wait to investigate her back catalog now!
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my obligation-free review copy.
Bell has done an absolutely incredible job crafting an utterly original, perplexing, complicated, fascinating world with her Hotel - and she has populated it with marvelous characters who will capture your heart and imagination. Don't let the bizarre beginning, with no clue as to why you're confronted with semi-visible rabbits and octopuses everywhere and moving tattoos throw you - it'll make sense and you'll love all the magical weirdness as soon as the story develops.
The emotional depths are significant, as are the thought-provoking insights into time, war, love, and the personal responsibility we take on even when we don't need to. It's a lovely story, and a fun(ny) one and it's told in a narrative voice that is an absolute delight. I can't wait to investigate her back catalog now!
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my obligation-free review copy.
June 28, 2025
3.4/5
Imagine Alice in Wonderland mixed with the quirky charm of The Grand Budapest Hotel; this novel is a blend of whimsy, magic, and mystery.
At its core, it’s a tale about letting go of the past, woven with a split-timeline romance. However, the true star of the story is the White Octopus Hotel, which outshines the main plot and characters.
The hotel itself is a captivating labyrinth of magical artifacts, legends, and hidden histories, evoking the same wonder I experienced as discovering Diagon Alley or Hogwarts for the first time.
The first 10 chapters lay a solid foundation, introducing the hotel’s mysteries and the motivations of the FMC, Eve, who seeks a powerful artifact for reasons best left unspoiled.
The prose is accessible yet vivid, striking a balance between evocative imagery and straightforward storytelling. Short chapters and a steady pace make the book easy to devour, structured like a puzzle that gradually reveals its pieces. This approach kept me mostly engaged while piecing together the narrative bit by bit until the later parts of the chapters.
However, the story falters by leaving key elements, particularly the magic system and its connection to the octopuses, unexplained, resulting in an incomplete picture and leaving me unsatisfied.
The time-travel and memory-loss tropes, while familiar, could have worked if executed well.
Unfortunately, the romance between the two MCs lacks.......spark and chemistry, making the hotel’s allure and the characters’ haunted pasts far more compelling than their love story.
Eve’s character also raises questions: she readily accepts fantastical elements like monstrous rabbits and animated octopus drawings, yet her prolonged skepticism about time travel feels inconsistent and frustrating.
The climax, unfolding in the later chapters, resolves some mysteries and sheds light on the characters’ backstories. However, it stumbles with convoluted time-travel mechanics and clashing timelines, which left me feeling disoriented sometimes.
Overall, The White Octopus Hotel has a mesmerizing setting that has potential and needs a deeper exploration. While its magical atmosphere and vivid world-building enchant me as a reader, the unresolved mysteries and lackluster romance prevent it from reaching its full potential.
I’d eagerly return to this hotel in a sequel, but I hope for tighter plotting and fewer loose ends.
Thank you to Netgalley and Del Rey for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.
Imagine Alice in Wonderland mixed with the quirky charm of The Grand Budapest Hotel; this novel is a blend of whimsy, magic, and mystery.
At its core, it’s a tale about letting go of the past, woven with a split-timeline romance. However, the true star of the story is the White Octopus Hotel, which outshines the main plot and characters.
The hotel itself is a captivating labyrinth of magical artifacts, legends, and hidden histories, evoking the same wonder I experienced as discovering Diagon Alley or Hogwarts for the first time.
The first 10 chapters lay a solid foundation, introducing the hotel’s mysteries and the motivations of the FMC, Eve, who seeks a powerful artifact for reasons best left unspoiled.
The prose is accessible yet vivid, striking a balance between evocative imagery and straightforward storytelling. Short chapters and a steady pace make the book easy to devour, structured like a puzzle that gradually reveals its pieces. This approach kept me mostly engaged while piecing together the narrative bit by bit until the later parts of the chapters.
However, the story falters by leaving key elements, particularly the magic system and its connection to the octopuses, unexplained, resulting in an incomplete picture and leaving me unsatisfied.
The time-travel and memory-loss tropes, while familiar, could have worked if executed well.
Unfortunately, the romance between the two MCs lacks.......spark and chemistry, making the hotel’s allure and the characters’ haunted pasts far more compelling than their love story.
Eve’s character also raises questions: she readily accepts fantastical elements like monstrous rabbits and animated octopus drawings, yet her prolonged skepticism about time travel feels inconsistent and frustrating.
The climax, unfolding in the later chapters, resolves some mysteries and sheds light on the characters’ backstories. However, it stumbles with convoluted time-travel mechanics and clashing timelines, which left me feeling disoriented sometimes.
Overall, The White Octopus Hotel has a mesmerizing setting that has potential and needs a deeper exploration. While its magical atmosphere and vivid world-building enchant me as a reader, the unresolved mysteries and lackluster romance prevent it from reaching its full potential.
I’d eagerly return to this hotel in a sequel, but I hope for tighter plotting and fewer loose ends.
Thank you to Netgalley and Del Rey for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.
May 18, 2025
This magical realism book shows us many stages of grief and guilt. I liked Max and Eve’s story, how they saved each other constantly. Max with the guilt of having to kill his friend in war , Eve with the guilt of losing her little sister when she was 4.
The reason I gave it 3 stars is that the book doesn’t really explain the concept of the octopuses and how Eve was capable of opening up the door when she was little (does she have magic? Was it because she already went to the hotel?) I felt that some things were not explained that were important to the story.
The reason I gave it 3 stars is that the book doesn’t really explain the concept of the octopuses and how Eve was capable of opening up the door when she was little (does she have magic? Was it because she already went to the hotel?) I felt that some things were not explained that were important to the story.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 1, 2025
A gorgeous story of magic, mystery and romance set against the backdrop of the White Octopus Hotel. Eve’s quest to unravel the intrigue of the hotel and its occupants set against a desire to undo past mistakes. I just fell in love with the main characters and loved the fantasy elements interwoven in. I’m not a fan of romance, but I loved this element in this story. Tears were shed by the end. Now excited to go back and read others by Alexandra Bell.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC of this book.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC of this book.
July 20, 2025
Many thanks to NetGalley and the Del Rey, Random House Worlds, and Inklore — for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I loved this book!!!
The White Octopus Hotel is one of those rare books that hooks you within the first five minutes — and then just keeps getting better.
The writing is superb: clear, emotionally resonant, and remarkably easy to follow, even with a time travel element (which is notoriously hard to pull off). Every time I had a question or wondered where something was going, it felt like the author, Alexandra Bell, had anticipated it and addressed it in the very next scene. The flow and structure were just that well done.
The hotel itself is beautifully imagined — full of art deco atmosphere, character, and charm. I especially loved the little details, like the names of the drinks, the decor of the rooms, and the overall vibe that made it feel like a place I genuinely wanted to stay.
The main character (FMC) was also a standout for me. At 27, she felt refreshingly grounded and mature compared to the younger heroines often seen in fantasy or speculative fiction. From the beginning, her emotional depth was clear, and her journey felt both personal and meaningful.
Themes of family trauma were handled with care and realism, and the historical elements — especially the portrayal of life in the WWI trenches — were written with emotional weight and vivid accuracy.
I absolutely loved this book and can’t recommend it enough. It’s beautifully written, thoughtfully structured, and full of emotional resonance. Keep an eye out for its release in October — you don’t want to miss it.
I loved this book!!!
The White Octopus Hotel is one of those rare books that hooks you within the first five minutes — and then just keeps getting better.
The writing is superb: clear, emotionally resonant, and remarkably easy to follow, even with a time travel element (which is notoriously hard to pull off). Every time I had a question or wondered where something was going, it felt like the author, Alexandra Bell, had anticipated it and addressed it in the very next scene. The flow and structure were just that well done.
The hotel itself is beautifully imagined — full of art deco atmosphere, character, and charm. I especially loved the little details, like the names of the drinks, the decor of the rooms, and the overall vibe that made it feel like a place I genuinely wanted to stay.
The main character (FMC) was also a standout for me. At 27, she felt refreshingly grounded and mature compared to the younger heroines often seen in fantasy or speculative fiction. From the beginning, her emotional depth was clear, and her journey felt both personal and meaningful.
Themes of family trauma were handled with care and realism, and the historical elements — especially the portrayal of life in the WWI trenches — were written with emotional weight and vivid accuracy.
I absolutely loved this book and can’t recommend it enough. It’s beautifully written, thoughtfully structured, and full of emotional resonance. Keep an eye out for its release in October — you don’t want to miss it.
August 19, 2025
From the first page I knew this was a special read. The writing is so magical and has so many beautiful descriptions of the Octopus Hotel and it really brought it life and can really see how it looked.
It is difficult to write this review as I do feel it would be better if you don't read the reviews and just jump in.
I haven't enjoyed a book like this in a long time and the ending bought tears to my eyes. It's a beautiful and magical story. I have seen a few reviews wanting answers and explanations aviator the magic or thr war, but sometimes you don't need explanations, you just need to simply accept.
Just a thoroughly enjoyable read... and did I mention it was magical?
Looking forward to reading more from this author.
Thank you Netgally and Random House UK for my advanced copy in return for an honest review
It is difficult to write this review as I do feel it would be better if you don't read the reviews and just jump in.
I haven't enjoyed a book like this in a long time and the ending bought tears to my eyes. It's a beautiful and magical story. I have seen a few reviews wanting answers and explanations aviator the magic or thr war, but sometimes you don't need explanations, you just need to simply accept.
Just a thoroughly enjoyable read... and did I mention it was magical?
Looking forward to reading more from this author.
Thank you Netgally and Random House UK for my advanced copy in return for an honest review
August 22, 2025
This was the read I needed for the moment. Think Time Traveller’s Wife meets Night Circus. And I would love a visit to the White Octopus Hotel - it reminds me of the hotel in Nevermoor. Here, Eve is in constant, silent grief and guilt over the death of her baby sister and Max, a musician who lived decades ago. The two cross paths over multiple timelines and there is just this wondrous magic throughout. I was unexpectedly charmed.
I received an arc from the publisher but all opinions are my own.
I received an arc from the publisher but all opinions are my own.
July 9, 2025
See my full review at http://michelleardillo.com/2025/07/09...
July 24, 2025
Review originally appearing on FanFiAddict.com
Hello again dear reader, or listener, I hope you’re doing good and reading some amazing things. As for me, I’m not pointing fingers but someone at Del Rey saw my emotional breakdown over The Warm Hands of Ghosts and thought, this gal needs more of this type of damage. And you know what? They were right. Please feel free to do it again, at any time, guys.
Fair warning this is about to get a little rambling and I mainly want to preface this review by saying the book itself caught me at a, let’s say, interesting time. In fact, this magical yet poignant book about grief (among other things) was sent to me the day I learned a close relative passed away. It happens that this was also my very first big loss. At that time one of the first things I said to someone that would understand was, I need zero platitudes right now. Not to go on a tangent but grief is such a peculiar thing, in that sometimes others feel they have the right to tell you how to take it and navigate it. And if you don’t humor them and their platitudes, they take offense. So, you need to know, dear reader, why this book clicked with me a lot, when I was finally able to read it.
The White Octopus Hotel by Alexandra Bell is one big Fuck You to platitudes.
Now, let me make that point more politely, will you?
I had not yet read any of Bell’s books, even though I have quite a few of them in my TBR, so when I was offered an ARC of this one, I thought it pretty neat a coincidence and a great time to finally dig into her work. The thematic similarities to Warm Hands was the main appeal of course, but the whole premise of a magical Hotel that allows guests from different eras to mingle, was just too good for me to pass up. I also happen to have a soft spot for two characters becoming entangled across time – blame my mother putting on The Lake House for young me, I guess – and the last time I got to read such a book was with Ashley Poston’s The Seven Year Slip. Even if you’re not really into contemporary Romance I’d recommend that book by the way because, much like this one, it is not merely about two characters connecting but the ways they navigate their own grief to finally make it to a place that feels good enough to allow another person in.
Even on the surface, The White Octopus Hotel is a truly beautiful read in so many ways. From the evocative writing bringing the Art Deco ambiance of the 30s glittering throughout the pages to life. To the magic within the story which is of the not overly explained variety, where unusual and unexpected things just happen, sometimes as if they were the most natural thing. In other words, Bell blends Magical Realism with Historical Fiction, to create a story that will fill you with wonder while making you swear you can hear a faraway laughter of hotel guests, interspersed with heartfelt music, but also marred by the haunting background metronome of mortar shells falling across No Man’s Land during the first World War. The author cleverly interlaces her timelines in a way that renders how in the present they still feel for the protagonists. You’re not merely flashing back with them but stuck in their own mental spirals along with them until they are ready to move on. And even then, they’re not “back to normal”. Because that’s what happens after trauma and is one of the main themes of this book. You’re ever changing, and change can be hard. But we can do hard things and we can find hope.
Bell’s expertly crafted narrative pulls together Eve and Max, two heavily broken people, across decades, and not exactly in the right order. For the Doctor Who fans out there, the Doctor/River vibes are strong – and my little Whovian heart was thriving – as they seem to meet up in reverse, in fact. Not to worry though, because Bell takes care in her weaving and you merely need to trust the process until she fully reveals how all of her threads come together into an enchanting and deeply romantic picture. And, not only does it all wrap up in the most satisfying manner, in a mix of bittersweet yet hopeful and tender feels, but this is the kind of story that will lend itself amazingly to rereads. It is in fact a common pitfall of time travel stories that once you know the right sequence or final reveal, the story loses its shine for there is no tension anymore. Not with this book though. If anything, you can go through it again and again with a certain smugness and lightness in your chest in seeing how all the pieces come together from the very beginning of the story.
Once you properly delve into it, you encounter a no punches pulled narrative about different kinds of grief, and more specifically the one burdened by guilt. It tackles depression in ways rarely seen in fiction, because, granted, we always tend to look for hopeful narratives. But sometimes those fluffy narratives that tell you “things might be dark but don’t be sad now cause it’ll be better later”, well they just don’t help. We struggle to connect with something that is ten steps ahead of us telling us to just keep fighting, when we have lost all interest in the fight itself. Sometimes that is because for better or worse, those well-meaning stories (or even people) add onto the idea that feeling the way you do is the wrong thing to do, and they merely add onto the things you feel you’ve done wrong. And on the vicious cycle goes. But books like this one take the harder road of telling you that it’s ok to not be ok. It’s not particularly pretty perhaps but it shows a side to mental health that I feel more people ought to know about. Which is also why I think anyone ought to read this book regardless of personal subgenre taste. It is a stark and unapologetic view into things often either glossed over or hurtfully romanticized, and the author takes great care to portray PTSD and Complex PTS in a manner that is both informed and respectful. Truly, if someone isn’t aware of the difference between the two this book and its two protags would work as an excellent example, I feel.
What is also very important though, is that Bell tackles trauma in all its ugliness and contradiction but, underlying every single part of it, is the beauty and necessity of the art that allows us to work out and through those ugly feelings. Be it music or painting, whichever medium facilitates the connection between people who would otherwise struggle to explain themselves through words. Bell tells us through this tale full of enchantment and poignancy that aiming for a sad contentedness is not enough. You must strive for happiness even when you think you might never, or should never, feel those feelings again, because life is never just one thing. She shows her characters find the tools they need to begin to forgive and allow themselves to feel their feelings without wallowing in the dark ones past the point where they become dangerous. It’s just that sometimes all you need is someone to hear your music, see your art, or sit next to you quietly for as long as you may need.
Alexandra Bell masterfully weaves a story about love, both romantic and familiar, that cannot be contained by time. The Hotel brings souls together for a reason and that can sometimes be so that one will remind the other to just keep moving forward, however much time they need to take to do so. It encapsulates the bittersweetness of life, in a manner that recognizes that perfect Happily Ever Afters only exist in fairy tales, but a life fully lived is one of immeasurable joy and immense pain all bound together. One does not negate the other and neither should it.
I couldn’t put this book down and I have been thinking about it nonstop for days, in part trying to come up with the right words to say (and believe you me this isn’t even a tenth of what I’d like to go over) and in part because of how right and beautiful it felt. There are so many messages to take from this story and I love that every reader that gives this one a go will come out of it a little different no matter how they came into it. Whether you disagree and feel yourself fighting against what the characters are feeling/saying at the beginning, because you yourself were in that headspace in the past and know it gets better, or if you’re fully agreeing with them and seeing yourself in them in a way the feels a little to close for comfort, by the end you feel both understood and understanding. However cheesy that may have just sounded. I’m trying, ok? This book is extremely important and my brain is broken over it. But if you’ve stuck this far my point is this:
Pick up The White Octopus Hotel, let it transport you to different times, allow it to mirror your worst feelings or let it help you understand those of others close to you that are going through it. And by the end of it let it help you to grow and move forward.
This book comes out October 28th and I’m telling you dear reader, you don’t want to miss it. It is pure magic.
Until next time,
Eleni A.E.
Hello again dear reader, or listener, I hope you’re doing good and reading some amazing things. As for me, I’m not pointing fingers but someone at Del Rey saw my emotional breakdown over The Warm Hands of Ghosts and thought, this gal needs more of this type of damage. And you know what? They were right. Please feel free to do it again, at any time, guys.
Fair warning this is about to get a little rambling and I mainly want to preface this review by saying the book itself caught me at a, let’s say, interesting time. In fact, this magical yet poignant book about grief (among other things) was sent to me the day I learned a close relative passed away. It happens that this was also my very first big loss. At that time one of the first things I said to someone that would understand was, I need zero platitudes right now. Not to go on a tangent but grief is such a peculiar thing, in that sometimes others feel they have the right to tell you how to take it and navigate it. And if you don’t humor them and their platitudes, they take offense. So, you need to know, dear reader, why this book clicked with me a lot, when I was finally able to read it.
The White Octopus Hotel by Alexandra Bell is one big Fuck You to platitudes.
Now, let me make that point more politely, will you?
I had not yet read any of Bell’s books, even though I have quite a few of them in my TBR, so when I was offered an ARC of this one, I thought it pretty neat a coincidence and a great time to finally dig into her work. The thematic similarities to Warm Hands was the main appeal of course, but the whole premise of a magical Hotel that allows guests from different eras to mingle, was just too good for me to pass up. I also happen to have a soft spot for two characters becoming entangled across time – blame my mother putting on The Lake House for young me, I guess – and the last time I got to read such a book was with Ashley Poston’s The Seven Year Slip. Even if you’re not really into contemporary Romance I’d recommend that book by the way because, much like this one, it is not merely about two characters connecting but the ways they navigate their own grief to finally make it to a place that feels good enough to allow another person in.
Even on the surface, The White Octopus Hotel is a truly beautiful read in so many ways. From the evocative writing bringing the Art Deco ambiance of the 30s glittering throughout the pages to life. To the magic within the story which is of the not overly explained variety, where unusual and unexpected things just happen, sometimes as if they were the most natural thing. In other words, Bell blends Magical Realism with Historical Fiction, to create a story that will fill you with wonder while making you swear you can hear a faraway laughter of hotel guests, interspersed with heartfelt music, but also marred by the haunting background metronome of mortar shells falling across No Man’s Land during the first World War. The author cleverly interlaces her timelines in a way that renders how in the present they still feel for the protagonists. You’re not merely flashing back with them but stuck in their own mental spirals along with them until they are ready to move on. And even then, they’re not “back to normal”. Because that’s what happens after trauma and is one of the main themes of this book. You’re ever changing, and change can be hard. But we can do hard things and we can find hope.
Bell’s expertly crafted narrative pulls together Eve and Max, two heavily broken people, across decades, and not exactly in the right order. For the Doctor Who fans out there, the Doctor/River vibes are strong – and my little Whovian heart was thriving – as they seem to meet up in reverse, in fact. Not to worry though, because Bell takes care in her weaving and you merely need to trust the process until she fully reveals how all of her threads come together into an enchanting and deeply romantic picture. And, not only does it all wrap up in the most satisfying manner, in a mix of bittersweet yet hopeful and tender feels, but this is the kind of story that will lend itself amazingly to rereads. It is in fact a common pitfall of time travel stories that once you know the right sequence or final reveal, the story loses its shine for there is no tension anymore. Not with this book though. If anything, you can go through it again and again with a certain smugness and lightness in your chest in seeing how all the pieces come together from the very beginning of the story.
Once you properly delve into it, you encounter a no punches pulled narrative about different kinds of grief, and more specifically the one burdened by guilt. It tackles depression in ways rarely seen in fiction, because, granted, we always tend to look for hopeful narratives. But sometimes those fluffy narratives that tell you “things might be dark but don’t be sad now cause it’ll be better later”, well they just don’t help. We struggle to connect with something that is ten steps ahead of us telling us to just keep fighting, when we have lost all interest in the fight itself. Sometimes that is because for better or worse, those well-meaning stories (or even people) add onto the idea that feeling the way you do is the wrong thing to do, and they merely add onto the things you feel you’ve done wrong. And on the vicious cycle goes. But books like this one take the harder road of telling you that it’s ok to not be ok. It’s not particularly pretty perhaps but it shows a side to mental health that I feel more people ought to know about. Which is also why I think anyone ought to read this book regardless of personal subgenre taste. It is a stark and unapologetic view into things often either glossed over or hurtfully romanticized, and the author takes great care to portray PTSD and Complex PTS in a manner that is both informed and respectful. Truly, if someone isn’t aware of the difference between the two this book and its two protags would work as an excellent example, I feel.
What is also very important though, is that Bell tackles trauma in all its ugliness and contradiction but, underlying every single part of it, is the beauty and necessity of the art that allows us to work out and through those ugly feelings. Be it music or painting, whichever medium facilitates the connection between people who would otherwise struggle to explain themselves through words. Bell tells us through this tale full of enchantment and poignancy that aiming for a sad contentedness is not enough. You must strive for happiness even when you think you might never, or should never, feel those feelings again, because life is never just one thing. She shows her characters find the tools they need to begin to forgive and allow themselves to feel their feelings without wallowing in the dark ones past the point where they become dangerous. It’s just that sometimes all you need is someone to hear your music, see your art, or sit next to you quietly for as long as you may need.
Alexandra Bell masterfully weaves a story about love, both romantic and familiar, that cannot be contained by time. The Hotel brings souls together for a reason and that can sometimes be so that one will remind the other to just keep moving forward, however much time they need to take to do so. It encapsulates the bittersweetness of life, in a manner that recognizes that perfect Happily Ever Afters only exist in fairy tales, but a life fully lived is one of immeasurable joy and immense pain all bound together. One does not negate the other and neither should it.
I couldn’t put this book down and I have been thinking about it nonstop for days, in part trying to come up with the right words to say (and believe you me this isn’t even a tenth of what I’d like to go over) and in part because of how right and beautiful it felt. There are so many messages to take from this story and I love that every reader that gives this one a go will come out of it a little different no matter how they came into it. Whether you disagree and feel yourself fighting against what the characters are feeling/saying at the beginning, because you yourself were in that headspace in the past and know it gets better, or if you’re fully agreeing with them and seeing yourself in them in a way the feels a little to close for comfort, by the end you feel both understood and understanding. However cheesy that may have just sounded. I’m trying, ok? This book is extremely important and my brain is broken over it. But if you’ve stuck this far my point is this:
Pick up The White Octopus Hotel, let it transport you to different times, allow it to mirror your worst feelings or let it help you understand those of others close to you that are going through it. And by the end of it let it help you to grow and move forward.
This book comes out October 28th and I’m telling you dear reader, you don’t want to miss it. It is pure magic.
Until next time,
Eleni A.E.
August 11, 2025
This freaking book! Holy crap! I savored and enjoyed every word on the pages - through all the timelines' characters settings - nothing fell short of wonderful. It was a surrealistic adventure that I didn't want to end.
The twist - that glorious twist in the last 20 pages (or so) swept my off my feet into tear-ville. I cried over its beauty.
Similar to the book Water Moon, with its exquisite take on magical realism.
Eve, who is an art evaluator, is given a white octopus ornament that sets time and space into a warp at a Hotel in the Swiss Mountains.
I can't go further because I don't want to give any of this experience away!!!!
THANK YOU! THANK YOU, netgalley.com, for this free ARC!!!!! My opinions are of my own.
The twist - that glorious twist in the last 20 pages (or so) swept my off my feet into tear-ville. I cried over its beauty.
Similar to the book Water Moon, with its exquisite take on magical realism.
Eve, who is an art evaluator, is given a white octopus ornament that sets time and space into a warp at a Hotel in the Swiss Mountains.
I can't go further because I don't want to give any of this experience away!!!!
THANK YOU! THANK YOU, netgalley.com, for this free ARC!!!!! My opinions are of my own.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 95 reviews