Thanks to Netgalley for an ARC of this book. It’s a fascinating tale told in an unusual way. Although interesting from the beginning, from about halfway through the story, I found myself unable to put down my reader, forfeiting sleep to find out what would happen.

Rua returns from a Hellmouth in upstate NY as Emma Harrington, the daughter of a very well-to-do family trying to fit into the top echelons of NY society. She doesn’t know how she got there or why, but she knows she’s not Emma, even though she looks almost exactly like her. She wants to return to the woods and the Hellmouth, believing the answers she seeks will be there, but everyone is keeping a close eye on her. Her only ally seems to be Mara, her lady's maid, but Rua isn't certain if she can completely trust her. Before she knows what’s happening, her family has relocated to the city. Her mother is a shrew who tries to control her every move (and thought), constantly threatening to have her committed to an asylum. She is the definition of social climber, embodying every negative quality of someone with no morals, focused entirely upon their own status. Adding that to her near-constant denigration and verbal abuse of her daughter, she’s a monster.

There was a great description of Flossie that I highlighted: “Flossie rose from her seat like a queen in her bright-yellow gown. It wasn’t the cheery kind of yellow that filled a room with joy but rather the kind that would take your eyes if you stared at it too long.”

When they get to NYC, Emma’s mother (whom Rua refers to by first name, Flossie) is determined to find the right spouse for her. She sets her sights on Finn, the Lord of Donore, an immigrant from Ireland who is handsome, rich, and well-respected. Apparently, every other debutante and her mother has also set her sights on him. From the moment they meet, there is a strong, inexplicable pull between them, and the only hints they might have known each other before come through flashbacks and dreams. I’ll admit, sometimes, it’s confusing. It’s never clear who Rua can trust and whether Finn can even trust her. Mara, Emma’s maid, seems to be her friend, but again, Rua feels there’s something untrustworthy about her. As Rua becomes more aware of who she is, she tries to hide it from everyone.

Finn had his whole life planned out—move to NY, make connections with powerful people, and use his influence to help Irish immigrants. He funds an orphanage for needy children which is overseen by nuns. Finn’s mentor and sponsor into society is Richard Fitzgerald; who has decided Finn should marry his daughter Annette. And Finn sees it as the key to his acceptance, so he is willing to go along with it. But each time he’s around Rua, he feels something he can’t explain—and can’t control. To attempt to control his attraction to her, he avoids her, but he thinks of her almost constantly, even dreaming about her in what appears to be a past life. Meanwhile, Annette and her friends are maliciously creative when it comes to taunting Emma, and Finn often finds himself coming to her rescue. When he becomes aware of just how evil Annette is, he wants nothing more to do with her, but Richard has other ideas.

As Flossie tries to push Emma and Finn together, it seems as if everyone else tries to push them apart—even Mara, for reasons Rua cannot figure out. Rua and Finn play the part of star-crossed lovers who aren’t even sure they want to be together—or, to put it more succinctly, whether they can be. And it certainly seems unlikely, up until the very end.

If you’re expecting a neat ending to their story, you won’t find that here. It’s not a simple HEA. The story left me teeming with questions and churning with thoughts of all of the possible outcomes. It forces the reader to think, to ruminate on whether Rua and Finn can ever actually find peace together. But it also leaves the reader with hope that they can overcome the significant obstacles placed in their path. After all, there’s more to this world—and to Rua and Finn—than meets the eye.

I was very bored throughout the story, and had trouble connecting with the characters.

For some reason, Rua was giving off an energy I hate about main characters (I believe they are called pick-mes). The storyline was a little confusing because it felt like the author was trying to squeeze in everything she loved into her book. Maybe that’s why I got exhausted while reading.

Still, the writing was decent and if you like the mix of the old and modern (relatively) times, do give it a read.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me an ARC in exchange for an honest review, and congrats to the author for the release!

This book was... a rollercoaster, to say the least.
I loved the premise from the begining and I was soooo hooked through the first 50 pages, then I lost track of the story and I had to leave it aside for a few days, BUT THEN I WENT BACK AND ENDED UP REALLY LIKING IT (?)
The banter between the two main characters was to die for and so swoon worthy, but the pacing was a bit lacking (I think that's why I had to leave it aside for a few days). Nonetheless, I really liked it and if you're looking for a historical romantic fantasy set during the 1870s you should definitely check this out.
Thank you netgalley for the arc!

This was sent to me by the publisher, but unfortunately it was really not for me. The writing needs some reworking, but the irish mythology aspect was pretty interesting.

A good read with great potential. The mix of folklore is great and the story has great potential but the reading of the book isn’t the smoothest.

I enjoyed this story. There were definitely some interesting plot twists and kept me guessing as I read.

I don't know much about Irish mythology and wish I knew a little bit more to fill in some gaps in my understanding.

I liked the character of Rua - crawling out of a hole and having no memory of who she is was an interesting way to begin the story. As her memories come back, there are a lot of details missing.

Flossie was a character that was very unlikeable. I wish there was more of Emma's dad in the story.

I am really glad I read the story.

𝗠𝗮𝗴𝗶𝗰. 𝗠𝗲𝗺𝗼𝗿𝘆. 𝗠𝗮𝗻𝗵𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗮𝗻

𝘐𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘩 𝘮𝘺𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘭𝘰𝘨𝘺 𝘤𝘰𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘴 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘎𝘪𝘭𝘥𝘦𝘥 𝘈𝘨𝘦 𝘕𝘦𝘸 𝘠𝘰𝘳𝘬 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘴𝘸𝘦𝘦𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘥𝘦𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘮𝘪𝘦𝘴-𝘵𝘰-𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘩𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘭 𝘳𝘰𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘴𝘺, 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘧𝘦𝘤𝘵 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘧𝘢𝘯𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘖𝘶𝘵𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘈 𝘍𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘐𝘯𝘬𝘦𝘥 𝘪𝘯 𝘉𝘭𝘰𝘰𝘥.

I’m still reeling. Imagine waking up in 1870s New York, no memory, covered in dirt and blood, and everyone insists you’re a missing socialite named Emma. That’s Rua’s reality. As she navigates the glittering yet suffocating world of Gilded Age Manhattan, flashes of ancient magic and forgotten gods begin to surface, hinting at a past far stranger than she could have imagined.

Enter Finn, the enigmatic Lord of Donore. Their chemistry? Electric. Their banter? Chef’s kiss. But as their connection deepens, so does the mystery surrounding Rua’s true identity and the dark forces at play.

Read this for:
🌀 Amnesia & identity mysteries
⚔️ Enemies-to-lovers tension
🗽 Gilded Age glam with a twist
🍀 rish mythology interwoven with history
💥 Slow-burn romance that sizzles

3.5 ⭐️
The Gods Time Forgot follows the story of Rua and Finn, characters who wove through time to find each other in a life that was never meant to be theirs.

Rua’s unbridled attempt to recapture who she used to be, armed only with her name and a deep longing to be known, entangled her in the duplicitous fringe of polite society. While the elite tried to define Rua before she could, Finn became charmed by her wit and yearned to find out why her feigned air of inconsequence made her shine brighter to him than those abiding solely by the hierarchy of societal class. As the two began to notice that the magnetic pull between them is not only attraction but familiarity, the paths they continuously crossed become blurred with who they once were to each other.

The refreshing take on magical realism in a high society setting was one that kept me invested in these characters finding the answers they were searching for, and their connection was one I was rooting for from the very start. However, the balance between present day and the ways that their past lives intertwined needed a bit more fleshing out, as some of the glimpses of their previous love story left me wanting more with some questions left with unsatisfyingly brief answers. Overall, this story felt very immersive and cozy with an interesting mysterious overlay, and I hope to read more from this author again!

Thank you to NetGalley, Alcove Press, and Kelsie Sheridan Gonzalez for this e-arc in exchange for my honest review!

The premise of The Gods Time Forgot was very compelling, in particular the setting of 1870s manhattan really drew me in. However, there were some parts of the book that I felt could have really benefited from some further developmental editing.

There were parts of the book that I really enjoyed. I think that the setting was very well written throughout the book, it felt believable and well researched. I also enjoyed the time traveling aspect although I do wish we got some further explanation on it. I did also enjoy the characters of Rua and Finn and although there wasn't quite as much of a romantic plot as I had anticipated, I did enjoy what was there.

Where I struggled with the book the most was in the fantasy aspects and the pacing. Yes, there was the time travel but it didn't go in depth in the way I had hoped and the book fell so far into the Manhattan setting and drama that it felt more historical than fantasy. I don't necessarily have a. problem with that however it felt like it didn't quite match the way the book was marketed. The pacing I do think was the biggest issue, the ending felt very abrupt and I was left feeling like I had a bunch of unanswered questions.

I do think that that The Gods Time Forgot was overall an enjoyable read and I do think there is a market for it but I think that the blurb doesn't quite sell the parts of the book I enjoyed the most.

Thank you to NetGalley and the Publishers for the ARC!

An Irish folklore tale mixed with the gilded age in this romantasy. I really liked the concept here but felt the execution was lacking. The writing felt really choppy and the characters were just ok for me. I was so excited for this but it didn't live up to my expectations.

I really enjoyed this book. But I love Irish mythology. I felt the characters were well written and people I wanted a happy ending for. Loved the Gilded Age setting in New York. The descriptions of the era really made me see things in my mind as I was reading. Very well done for a debut. Would love to read the sequel to see what happens next.

I think the concept of this book was incredible, but unfortunately, the execution just didn't work for me. It occasionally felt like the author didn't have enough to say, and resorted to repeating small moments. This one just didn't work for me.

A solid story with great likeable characters! The Celtic lore really held my interest, and it was a really immersive read!

Thank you, Netgalley and the publisher, for an advanced copy! Opinions are my own.

Meh. Just meh.

The premise was amazing, there isn’t enough Irish folklore in books and representation. The execution itself needs work. I’m not sure if the authors style didn’t work for me, especially early in the book I was really pulled into the story but then would get jarred out of it by her memories. They didn’t seem fluid, and that’s not the only bits that didn’t seem cohesive. The characters themselves fell a bit flat as well and the slog through didn’t feel like a payoff at the end.

I don't care for leaving a poor review but I had some issues with this story. While the synopsis was really intriguing the story did not hold true. The book was way to long and half of it was the same thing over and over with Rua/Emma trying to fit into the upper ten in Manhattan with her mother leading the charge, her screwing it up, and repeat. I didn't feel any real connection between Rua and Finn. The ending also felt like the author had no idea how to end the story so lets slap together something and add The End. No bueno.

2.5 The title and synopsis had my expectations high but this book just kind of fell flat for me the story was fine but the romance never quite clicked for me. This book follows Rua who wakes up with no memory of who she was only that she knew her name was Rua but people kept calling her Emma forcing her to play along as she try’s to figure out who she is and how she ended up in someone else’s life. The story was interesting but the pacing was really off causing me to lose interest about half way in and I really struggled to stay interested in this one. The romance that was in this book never quite felt right it felt very surface level and the feelings were just not there. I would like to thank NetGalley and the publishers for a chance to read this book for an honest review.

I didn’t realize this book was written in third person when I started, which was a bit unexpected. The Irish mythology was interesting and the main male character being Irish definitely caught my attention. The story jumps right into the plot without much introduction, which can be confusing at first but fits the female main character’s style. I made it most of the way through, but near the last 15%, I found myself skimming to finish. Overall, it was an okay read but lost momentum toward the end.

The Gods Time Forgot is a deliciously romantic, fast-paced story filled with witty banter, Irish mythology and headstrong characters. It was everything I hoped for in a historical romantasy and more. I laughed out loud throughout much of the dialogue and was clutching my chest through the end. And that last sentence?! *chef’s kiss* I cannot wait to read everything Kelsie Sheridan Gonzalez writes and would absolutely recommend this to readers who are fans of writers like India Holton, Heather Fawcett and Olivia Atwater!

I LOVED the premise of this book. I feel like we need more Irish mythology inspired books. I felt like the beginning was wonderfully paced, and it was very easy to get into, however the ending felt as if it was lacking something. I just needed a little bit more, but other than that this was a fun standalone fantasy.

The Gods time forgot had an exciting premise, and the potential to ne a unique read.
The opening chapter of the book is dramatic and throws the reader immediately into the plot. Emma, one of the primary features in the novel is a young woman who went missing. Although this is important, it is actually a different character that replaces her. Rua wakes up in a strange place and the only information she can recall is her name. After being returned to a strange home with an awful mother and an attentive maid, Rua attempts to piece together who she is and what has happened. With the threat of a forced admission into a mental institution looming closely and the unknown life she has taken over, Rua attempts to resolve this but a new society member attempts to disrupt this.
Finn, a mysterious Lord who popped up out of nowhere is implanting himself within wealthy and powerful men, with the potential to marry someone and secure his position. A thorn in his side appears from nowhere and after Rua and Finn meet, their connection is obvious, with the pair sharing the thought that they may know each other somehow.
As we learn more about Rua, Finn and what happened to Emma, the plot dissolves into a stream of drama.
Unfortunately I struggled to immerse myself in the story and characters. I felt bored at times and slightly lost.
I appreciate the eARC! Thanks so much.