Thank you to Netgalley and Alcove Press for the digital arc of this book. I really wanted to love this book, but unfortunately, it just fell flat in so many ways for me. The overall writing is well written, but the story line felt a little all over the place. I found the change in povs to be harsh and the overall plot to have a lot of holes. Unfortunately just a miss in my opinion.

This book was so intriguing and had my attention in the beginning. Mysterious Rua shows up in the woods and is presumed to be missing socialite Emma Harrington. Set in the gilded aged New York City, we follow Rua as she grapples with having no memory of who she is or how she got there, while also pretending to be Emma. We learn that Emma was a troubled girl who is bullied and abused by not only the upper class, but her own mother.
After Rua’s run in with handsome and sought after Finn, the Lord of Donore, the two realize their connection feels familiar. Along the way, they both remember their pasts and try to put the pieces together.
The fantasy elements of this are inspired by Irish mythology, specifically the Morrigan. I really think this had so much protection, but unfortunately the fantasy aspect was lacking. We only got brief flashbacks from both Rua and Finn that didn’t really do anything to progress the fantasy plot.
We spent the majority of the book in all the social dinners and events where Emma (Rua) constantly gets scrutinized and her mother threatens to send her away. This really doesn’t stop the whole way through. It’s a constant cycle. The ending was extremely abrupt. I actually had to flip forward to see if there was more because I thought, no way it ends like this?
Ultimately, I really liked the idea of this Irish fantasy/romantasy, but the execution was lacking in many areas.

Thank you to NetGalley and Alcove Press for this E-ARC!

There was a lot happening in this book… I liked the elements of Irish mythology mixed in with the 1870s era and the romance, which had a lot of banter. I think the pacing could have been better, but overall, I really liked this!

It was hard to follow the flow of the story. It was also hard to understand whose POV I was reading because there was no clear indication when it was changing. I liked the premise of the story but the execution of it wasn't done as well. I also feel like the end was very abrupt.

What an interesting romantasy! I really enjoyed the way Gonzalez wove in some Irish mythology into the storyline. I also loved Rua’s feisty character and the vivid depiction of 19th-century Manhattan, capturing both its glittering wealth and the darker underbelly of New York, as well as the haughty pettiness of high society. I also appreciated the way Gonzalez depicted life the 1870s, when one’s wealth wasn’t enough to be accepted into Manhattan’s “royalty”, and women were not credited with having any intelligence, were not allowed to voice their opinions, or have any interests beyond discussing the latest fashion. Recommended for lovers of romantasy and fantasy. (Full review on my blog)

Thank you to Netgalley for this ARC copy

Holy crap I'm OBSESSED with this book. The prose was gorgeous, the characters were so real. The banter, the wit, the 1870s insults! *chef's kiss*

Love the references to Irish mythology and the swoon-worthy romance. The pacing towards the end especially seemed rushed and the ending very abrupt. I do think readers will expect an epilogue or some conclusion after such a sudden ending! Nevertheless, a fun historical romantasy!

Beautifully written story of an aristocratic woman woken up in the woods with a blank mind and an Irish immigrant who is struggling to fit into the high society of New York set in the 19th century. Both feel a weird pull to each other and soon find out why...

There were some critical points i can't help but complain about:

- repetitive story (it was quite tiresome to go through the same moments again and again)
- lack of promised Irish mythology and forgotten gods (at least in this first installment)
- lack of description and too many actions per centimeter
- ending... omg, that was poor and rushed.


I think this one requires thorough editing and revision of the ending. It has good potential :)

I wanted to like this - I read it quickly, it was not bad but I kept waiting for more of the fantasy element. Early on, the FMC had no memory and there were some flashbacks but the relevance wasn’t really clear - that was ok, sometimes things don’t feel like they make sense and it becomes clear later. It mostly continued as a historical fiction with a romance story and flashbacks. Only towards the end did the fantasy aspects come into it more. The story was slower throughout and then quite rushed in the conclusion. I liked the Irish mythology, and I enjoyed the MCs and their relationship. The side characters were pretty much all awful, there were no redeeming qualities for any of them. The setting was great, early 20th century New York. The writing style was easy to read. I did enjoy it but after the rush towards the end, I was ok with it ending, though confused that the FMCs family never arrived at the end. It had promise but just kind of fizzled unfortunately.

Unfortunately this was a big miss. It‘s been more than a month since I finished this and I hoped that time would make a difference but I still feel the same: this was undeniably messy.
The pacing was so off and it dragged on forever. While the characters had some chemistry that I enjoyed, this wasn‘t enough to save the book for me. The ending was sort of abrupt and as a reader I felt unprepared for the revelations. Overall sadly not satisfying. 2,5⭐️

I enjoyed this Romantasy! I do feel that the pacing was off a lot of the story, but it was enjoyable!

I loved the premise of the book, but the delivery of it just wasn't for me. The slow burn was a little too explicit and less below the surface than I would have liked. I also felt like the ending wrapped up too quickly and I was left feeling as if some things were unresolved. I did enjoy learning about the Irish folklore and loved some of the fantasy that was involved!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC! All opinions are my own.

DNF

A mythology inspired historical fantasy should've been the perfect book for me. Unfortunately, I don't think I'm in the right headspace for this one and had to put it down. The writing style didn't really click with me. I don't know if I'll be giving this a second chance.

I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

The Gods Time Forgot by Kelsie Sheridan Gonzalez is a third person dual-POV historical fantasy romance. In Manhattan in the Gilded Age, Rua wakes up in the wilderness and is mistaken for Emma, the missing daughter of the Harrington family, a family with influence in the upper echelons of American society. Finn, an immigrant from Ireland, is trying to secure a future for himself in a new country and those plans do not include Rua. But when they meet, there is a very clear spark there and Rua is determined to find out who she was and what happened to Emma.

One of the things I really liked was how Finn is torn between his desire to have the life he’s promised for himself and a life with Rua because he cannot have both. Emma had previously ruined her reputation before Rua ever entered the picture and it was basically already impossible for Rua to fix it even if she had wanted to. Emma was a social pariah and no one would be held accountable for treating her as such. One of the worst perpetrators of this is Annette, who is also vying for Finn’s attention and will do whatever she can to become his wife. Finn barely even likes Annette, but she represents security and a place in society, exactly what he’s after, and Rua can’t give him. I don’t always like the choices he makes, but I understand why he’s trying so hard to stay on the path he’s set for himself.

This is more character relationship-driven rather than plot-driven as a lot of things move forward because of the tension between Rua and Finn and them and everyone else. Rua and Emma’s mother, Flossie, do not get along while Mr. Harrington is kind of absent a lot of the time. Finn is constantly buffeted between Rua’s family and Annette’s. Both Rua and Finn are aware of what he wants and that he can’t be with her and have a life without worries, but because of the spark between them, they can’t stay away from each other, which leads to even more friction between Finn and Annette’s family. If you love a soap opera where everything is driven by interpersonal conflict, this would probably be a fairly good fit.

The fantasy elements come out slowly over the course of the book. We have The Morrígan who are figures of Irish mythology and the hero Cú Chulainn. The story is something of a reimagining of one of the stories of the Ulster Cycle but enough is explained so that if a reader isn’t familiar with the Ulster Cycle or Irish mythology, they’ll get enough information to know how it connects to Finn and Rua. I want more Irish mythology in fantasy that treats Celtic cultures as the unique entities they are, so I was pleased to see how very Irish this book is.

I would recommend this to fans of fantasy that utilizes Irish mythology and readers of Romantasy looking for something set in the Gilded Age with a lot of interpersonal conflict

My opinions about The Gods That Time Forgot is mixed. The story was engaging for the most part, for the premise is original and the author hints towards various clues but keeps the secret concealed until the very end. Through the various flashbacks, the reader can make some pretty good guesses about what is going on though. Weaving in Irish mythology was another strength of the book. I love learning about new tales and myths from various cultures.

Despite being engaging overall, the ending was quite unsatisfying. Without giving away too many details, the solution to the problem doesn't seem like it would actually fix anything; it's too simple. Perhaps it is meant to be a temporary solution so as to continue the story, but I found the end wrapped up too quickly and too conveniently. I'm now unlikely to read a sequel for I disliked the conclusion so much. In brief, the main characters figure out what is going on and then are supposedly saved from the incoming doom for a while... anyway, not satisfying.

Rating: 2.5 stars
Positives: unique premise, some witty banter
Negatives: rage, violence, unsatisfying ending

Thank you to Alcove Press and NetGalley for an advanced reader's copy. All opinions are my own.

Thank you to NetGalley and Alcove Press for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I was so excited when I read this synopsis of this book. Fantasy, history, mythology, and romance all in one book? Sign me up! The chemistry between Rua and Finn left me never wanting to put down the book. The pacing for the story felt a little rushed especially towards the end and the fantasy element felt forgotten. The romance and the mythology were definitely there though but it would definitely be better marketed as maybe magical realism instead of straight fantasy.

Overall, I enjoyed this book despite some of it's faults and I probably will read it again when it comes out and recommend it to my book club. <3

"The Gods Time Forgot" promised an intriguing blend of Irish mythology and historical romance, though it leans much heavier into the latter than expected. We follow Rua, a woman with no memories who finds herself mistaken for a missing society daughter in 1870s New York. The romance between Rua and Finn sizzles with tension and their chemistry kept me turning pages well into the night, even as they both made me want to scream in frustration at times (in the best possible way).

While the historical elements and character dynamics shine, the fantasy aspects feel a bit like an afterthought until the very end, when everything suddenly rushes together in a whirlwind finale that left me wishing for just a few more chapters to really flesh things out. Despite the pacing issues, there's something undeniably compelling about this debut that makes me excited to see what Gonzalez writes next.

Thank you to NetGalley and Alcove Press for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Kelsie Sheridan Gonzalez delivers a fascinatingly fresh premise with THE GODS TIME FORGOT. Gonzalez blends historical intrigue with romance in an Irish mythology inspired tale that is nothing short of original. If you love unreliable, morally grey protagonists, enemies to lovers, and rapid-fire, sensational conclusions, THE GODS TIME FORGOT is for you.

"The Gods Time Forgot" is very different from books that I normally read. While I enjoyed reading something a little different than I usually do, I wouldn't say I was totally obsessed with this.

I am not a huge historical reader, especially historical romances taking place in the 18th century. However, the historical romance elements of this book were where I thought the book shined the most. I was really loving the Bridgerton-esqe vibes and found myself appreciating, rather than loathing, the tension created by societal barriers. I loved Finn and Rua's chemistry and enjoyed seeing them navigate their growing attraction with the issues being created by society.

This book is being marketed as a fantasy but it really feels much closer to a historical romance with some magical realism/mythology elements than a true fantasy novel. There were really very few fantasy moments that occurred on page. Most of the book was focused on Rua navigating 18th century high society New York City without any memories. I think this will definitely work for some people, but I fear some people will be disappointed if they pick this up expecting to be reading a mythology-centered fantasy in the vein of "A Fate Inked in Blood" (which is named in the book's description).

I also didn't totally love the ending, it felt a bit rushed and didn't give that much closure. The rest of the book has a slower, almost meander-y pace leading to a very quickly resolved climax and the book's sudden end.

One of my favorite, extremely underrated fantasy series is "The Falconer" series, which takes place in a Steampunk 1800s-era Scotland. I think I was looking for some of the things I loved about that series in this book, and didn't quite find it. I think there are going to be a lot of people who adore this book, but it just wasn't quite what I was expecting.

3 stars

Thank you NetGalley and Alcove Press for the eARC. All opinions are my own.

I loved this take on Irish mythology! The amnesia piece was not my favorite, but I thought the payoff of Mara's motivations was worth it! The ending felt a bit abrupt, but maybe that was just because the last third was so exciting and fast-paced! A great read!