Thank you to NetGalley, alcove press, and Kelsie Sheridan Gonzalez for providing this free ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Unfortunately this didn’t do it for me. I loved the concept and the idea, but the execution was lacking. Nothing really happened for 75% of the book, and everyone was talking in circles. Rua kept saying to herself that she knew she needed to play nice with the Harringtons and society so that they wouldn’t send her to an asylum, but quite literally every interaction she had with them was the exact opposite of that.

I needed more action and plot from this book. We had a few flashbacks from the two main characters, but they didn’t do anything with them? It seemed like it WANTED to have them try and unravel the mystery of their identities but took so long to get there, I wasn’t invested by the end.

I had fun until I didn’t and wow did it all turn so fast.

The set up was so fun (1870s NYC? Tell me more!!) but the execution fell by the way side at about 75/80% and the ending was so abrupt that the moment I saw the words “The End” on the page I just starred into the distance trying to reconcile all the hours I wasted.

I’d skip it if I were you. 3 stars for the ambiance and the initial set up but this was not nearly as romantasy as you’re led to believe, the myths and magics are either not explained at all or are explained in such a rush you feel lightheaded.

I would have read 150 more pages for a better ending.

Thanks to the publisher for the earc! Pub day is 4/8!!

In 1870, being a woman means living under constant restrictions: intelligence cannot be displayed, personal opinions must remain unspoken to avoid causing offense, and life itself unfolds within rigid, oppressive boundaries. It is within this stifling atmosphere that The Gods Time Forgot takes shape, weaving together Irish mythology with the decadent allure of Upper Manhattan.

The plot is compelling and well-structured, guiding the reader through an engaging narrative centered on a love story that is both carefully crafted and sharp enough to feel genuinely authentic. The characters are vividly drawn, with depth and charm that allow them to resonate with the reader. At the same time, the novel is enriched with evocative details of 19th-century New York, skillfully balancing opulence with an underlying darkness, adding layers of complexity to the text.

The Gods Time Forgot stands out as a refined and confident debut, showcasing the author’s talent for crafting immersive and well-balanced narratives. A novel that undoubtedly leaves a lasting impression.

DNF at 28%

The blurb sounded interesting, and something I would enjoy, but unfortunately, this book wasn’t for me.

The pacing was so slow, and honestly I felt like falling asleep while reading. The beginning and first few chapters were promising, but after those, there was basically nothing happening. To me, the characters felt “flavorless” and flat (especially the FMC, Rua), and I would have hoped to see a bit more world-building.

I think the story has potential, but it would need more work and editing.

“The Gods Time Forgot” tells the story of Rua, who wakes up in the body of socialite Emma Harrington without any memories. Finn, lord of Donore, has traveled from Ireland and is working on integrating himself into New York society. The integration of Irish mythology with Gilded Age New York just really didn’t work for me, I found the plot uninteresting, and the characters uninspired. Not exactly a bad book, but so boring that I just don’t have much else more to say about it.

In this house, we support women’s rights but moreso we support women’s wrongs. Rua will continue to hold onto my heart for years to come. The plot was fantastic, the action was gripping, and watching Rua find her way was breathtaking. Kelsie Sheridan Gonzalez will be a must by author for me moving forward. This book was utterly captivating.

It was a beautiful tale of two beings who are meant to be together, who are soulmates in every lifetime but they are met with a tragic ending. But despite everything they oppose fate and find their happily ever after.

Thank you Netgalley for an ARC of this pretty book in exchange for an honest review.

This book was described as "perfect for fans of Outlander and A Fate Inked in Blood." Because of this premise, I was excited to read this book. After a promising start, the story's pacing slowed. The characters no longer held my interest, and I struggled to read it past the first act. For a book being marketed as a fantasy, there was not enough magic and mythology to hold my interest. Therefore, I will not be finishing this book.

“Their chemistry was undeniable. A perfect combination of attraction and curiosity; he’d never experienced anything like it. A desire so raw, he’d let the world burn for the chance he might satiate it.”

That quote is the highlight of the book for me. We encounter some good banter between our MCs, all set in historical 1870 America. Once we got about 20% through the book, then I couldn’t put this book down, but more so to find out what happened and to get some history on Irish gods I know nothing about.

We start out with our FMC, Rua, who doesn’t remember who or where she is. However, she finds herself in Emma Harrington’s body. As the story progresses, we learn more about Rua and Emma’s history, which are both pretty twisted. And, to add an extra layer of intrigue, her fate is twisted with Finn Donore (our MMC), who basically saves the day.

I wish there was more fantasy to the book. Really, it’s almost historical romance with the beginning and end dealing with these supernatural Irish gods, so to speak. The historical romance I very much enjoyed: balls and fancy dresses, drama between cliques, narrow escapes from doom! However, some of these elements weren’t completely fleshed out and seemed frivolous by the end. For example, having Emma’s gowns being made by the best seamstress in town. We get one big scene, but that’s it. This story focused on the history and politics of 1870 Manhattan too much, when it should have been focusing on the drama of the Morrígan three and Cu Chulain history and interactions in the present. Not enough fantasy, sadly.

Throughout the story, we get flashbacks of past events, but they happen in a sudden way that kind of confuses the reader. The person experiencing them doesn’t show outward signs or are sometimes dreaming… it just seems interjected into conversation and then the character knows what has happened.

Overall, I appreciated the mention of a mythology I’m unfamiliar with. If the story made a little more sense and gelled better, it might have received a better rating.

I would like to thank NetGalley and Alcove Press for allowing me to read an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. This book will be published April 8th, 2025.

When Rua is rescued from a hole in the ground, she has no memory of her life other than her name. But she's mistaken for Emma Harrington, the daughter of a wealthy Gilded Age family. Criticized mercilessly by her social climbing mother for not conforming to the social mores of her class, Rua tries to fit in while waiting for her memories to return. She discovers that she can go back where she came from through a Hellmouth hole, but only on certain holidays.

When her family returns to NYC, Rua meets Finn, an Irish lord looking to become part of the city's ruling class. The two feel a pull toward one another that they can't explain. But getting romantically involved with a social outcast would foil all of Finn's plans.

This is a long book that mostly focuses in the first half on Rua's life as Emma and the abuse of her mother and by members of the city's upper class. Little by little both the reader and Rua learn more about her background and her connection to Finn.

I found the book very engaging, especially in the second half. All told, I'm going with four stars.

I was provided an ARC by the publisher via NetGalley.

This book was really good! I loved the premise of it, being set in New York City during the Gilded Age, not knowing who you really are or why you are here, and Irish mythology. I was hooked from the beginning. I loved the Irish mythology in the book. I have not red a lot of that in books before. I also loved the romance in this book. Finn and Rua were such interesting characters.

I loved this intoxicating romantic fantasy!! This story is set in New York during the gilded age which made this book even more exciting! Detailed descriptions coupled with Irish Mythology is like nothing I have read in the past. Engaging from start to finish.

The Gods Time Forgot by Kelsie Sheridan Gonzalez had such an interesting premise, blending the grit of Irish mythology with the glamour of Gilded Age New York and it started out strongly with a dramatic opening chapter that really caught my attention and drew me into the mystery of the story. I was hoping for a better balance between the mythology and the historical fiction aspects of the story but it definitely skewed more heavily towards the historical with lots of detailed descriptions of gowns and parties. In fact at times it was almost easy to forget that the story had any fantasy aspects at all. While I can appreciate attention to detail and vivid descriptions I do not want them at the expense of well developed characters and a plot that moves along and unfortunately that is what I found happening in this book. The pacing started out fine but definitely slowed significantly in the middle and then the ending felt very rushed which is a shame. This is a book that has potential and I am sure will find its audience, I think unfortunately it just was not for me.
I read and reviewed an ARC courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher, all opinions are my own.

This book was so promising. A riff on Irish mythology...the Morrigan and Cú Chulainn set in 1870s New York has all the elements I normally eat up in a book: Societal pressure, mystery, mythology...should have easily been a 5 star book for me.

Unfortunately, this missed the mark for me. The beginning had me pulled in immediately, and then the pacing started to get off...slowing way down. I didn't really feel connected to any of the characters. And I feel like pulling in the mythology was an afterthought, once it was pulled more fully in, explaining the strings that are strewn throughout the stories and how they tie together felt forced and rushed, and the ending felt sudden and jolted.

Gods, Memory Loss & a love that transcends time and place.
This book was for sure one I really wasn’t sure which way it would go. Would I like it? Would I hate it?
But I will say I was pleasantly surprised with Rua and Fin’s romance setting in the 1870’s. The dialogue for Rua was for sure ahead of that time period where women were pretty much for decor. She fought the system but it was like putting bonfire against the ever rising tides of misogyny and just all around cattiness of that time period.
The story for sure dragged in some aspects where it kind of became repetitive with then wanting each other and then not wanting each other then wanting each other again.
The main thing I would change is to give the secondary characters more depth. I just felt like they were just there to push the plot. Which isn’t bad but I wanna feel more of a rounded cast of characters outside the main duo.
Overall this book was a 3.25 Star read.
Would I recommend it?
Hmm in some aspects yes CuaSe of the time period and the memory loss love trope. No in the sense that it wasn’t a major stand out, for me anyways.
I’d like to thank NetGalley for the ARC of this book. I am forever thankful for the honor.

I was so lucky to get an early copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review. I wanted to love it. I found out about the book through the author on TikTok before it was even written and fell in love with it from her first video.
However, I have spent the last week trying and failing and dreading picking up my Kindle to read this book.
I will definitely be picking up a copy after its release on April 8, 2025, but for now, I have to DNF the book. I got 16% in, and the first 5 chapters read.
I find the writing to be almost disjointed. The story started off with such a bang with the FMC Rua coming to in a hellmouth, but then it started to fall flat, for me personally.
I know it's written in 3rd person, but I truly felt like I was being told Rua was doing this and had done this, or Finn was doing this but had done this. I'm highly aware I only read 5 chapters, but it was enough to take me out of the story.
I'm giving it my obligatory "I like the idea but not the story" 3 star rating because I like it, it's not great (the bit I read), but i love where it was going.

It was an interesting read, loved the premise. I enjoyed Rua as a character, however I’m not a big fan of Bridgestone style books so the 1800s setting was a little hard to digest. However, I would recommend this to fantasy lovers who are also into those kind of vibes.
Thank you for allowing me an ARC of this book.

I'm not really sure how to describe my thoughts on this book. I was really vibing with it, but it just kind of unraveled over time and near the end I was skimming and then really just unsatisfied with the ending. I absolutely love the setting and the male main character but I did need more from the relationship and the pacing fell apart near the end for me. all that said I definitely will still read from this author I loved the vibes and the writing can only get better from here.

Unfortunately this is a DNF for me, I was getting bored very early on and nothing was hooking me in. The writing feels clunky and the plot feels super slow - it's a shame because the premise sounds great. I try to not give up on ARCs but I couldn't keep myself interested, I've actually got bored and read two other books in the meantime, so I'm just not pushing through with it anymore.

The Gods Time Forgot is set in 1870 New York, where a woman emerges from the woods covered in dirt, blood, and in a completely different body. With no memory of her past or who she truly is, she feels an inexplicable pull toward an Irish Lord, Finn, who also senses a similar connection but has no idea why.

While the story didn’t completely blow me away, it definitely held my attention and I loved the inclusion of Irish mythology in a romantic fantasy setting was a refreshing change, and the historical backdrop created a fascinating atmosphere that added to the intrigue.