2.5 rounded up. This was fine. I wasn't hooked like I was expecting. The premise sounded so good but hardly anything happened until the last 3rd of the book.

And the ending... it felt like a weird openending. An epilogue would have been nice. I also would have loved seeing more of the mythology.

Thank you so much to the publisher and nergallry for the arc I exchange for an honest review

I really enjoyed this enemies-to-lovers historical romantasy! Thank you so, so much to the author, publisher, and Netgalley for allowing me to read this title!

Blurb:
Manhattan, 1870. Rua knows only two things: her name and that she has no memories. So when the wealthy Harrington family mistakes Rua for their missing daughter, Emma, Rua goes along with the charade, hoping for answers about who she really is. As she tries to blend into a society she doesn’t remember, she’s drawn to a firmly off-limits man: the Lord of Donore, a newcomer to Manhattan society who is somehow familiar to Rua.

Finn is new to this side of the Atlantic and knows that the best way to fit in as Lord of Donore is to make friends in high places and play by the rules of society. He knows he shouldn’t become involved with a mysterious, recently missing debutante, but he’s intrigued by Emma Harrington, and Finn has an uncanny feeling that this isn’t the first time they’ve met.

With societal pressures mounting on both sides, Rua is determined to discover the truth about the missing Harrington daughter and her own past. But when her memories begin to return, they’re of a world far stranger than New York and traced in dark magic.

As ancient secrets unfurl in Rua’s memory, Rua and Finn are forced to uncover the mystery of their past and try to save their future. In this gritty and glittering romantasy, nothing and no one is as they seem.

Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher for the digital ARC, it has not affected my honest review.

I was hugely anticipating this book but struggled to be sucked in, the characters felt a little flat and the story didn't grab me as much as I hoped.

I'm not going to lie, part of the reason I picked up the book is because the cover reminded me of Ten and Donna from Doctor Who. So perhaps I was expecting a little more than I got but I did enjoy the banter! The plot was a little convoluted and the time travel didn't make sense to me (sorry!) but overall a fun read.

19th-century New York, the Gilded Age. A woman emerges from the woods covered in dirt and blood and in someone else’s body, with no memory of her past, or who she is. To make matters worse she keeps feeling this pull toward a certain Irish Lord, but doesn’t know why. The Lord of Donore (aka Finn), also feels this pull but has no memory as to why they are feeling this way. As things begin to unravel around them, they soon discover why their love is so forbidden. Our characters don't remember anything until right at the end, but there is little worldbuilding with the supernatural elements which I found disappointing. The vibe with the 1870s was better, but the almost supervillain way the other high society women acted was laughable at times. The ending is a bit abrupt and left me feeling I missed something. Thank you so much to Alcove Press and NetGalley.

I'm sad this book wasn't better than what it was. I was so excited for this book to come out but it fell quite flat for me. Don't get me wrong it wasn't horrible but it wasn't spectacular either. My biggest grip was Rua's character. She was so utterly ridiculous and had no sense of survival in the slightest. I understand she had no experience in high society but she was being so abrasive and out spoken that it was ridiculous. Lady you have to survive and blend in. Survival instincts were just not there even with a very real threat of being throw into an asylum. Rua made me hate this book and the only saving grace was Finn and the Irish mythology. I love learning about different mythologies so for me this saved the book a bit. All in all the book was just fine and I don't know if I would read anymore from this author.

The most promising premise, but unfortunately, it fell short for me. I couldn’t get myself to truly care about the characters or the relationships. Rua could’ve been such a great character, but I feel like the way her rage was written became frustrating. She’s obviously supposed to be intelligent so why couldn’t she just play along and why couldn’t that be the scheme instead of having her fault at seemingly every turn?

This book has gotten many good reviews. I was curious to read it, even though it sounded a bit different from many of my book choices.

Here is a story about Rua and Finn. Rua is a woman without memories. Will she remember who she is before the book's end? What will happen to her when she pretends to be someone else, a young woman in New York society.

Then there is Finn. He is a Lord (from England) trying to figure out how to fit in when he comes to New York.

These two will come together in a world filled with secrets and magic. Will they find their way successfully?

Come to the 1870s and stay for a while in this title. Fans of the genre should enjoy this one.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Alcove Press for this title. All opinions are my own.

Haunting love story, where the pieces fall into place on the way. Historical fantasy with threads of magic. Lovely read for fans of Rachel Gillig for example.

This was a neat fantasy premise! The banter was great and the setting, both time and place, alluring, and it made for a very neat tone for the story. This is definitely an interesting read for fantasy fans looking for a period piece!

I DNFd at 34%

The chemistry between them was great, but there hasn't been enough between them to get me invested. The mystery was interesting but not interesting enough to hook me.

Not a bad book, just not for me

There was potential here and I think it's marketed to an audience, I just don't think I'm that audience. Despite thinking I was. It just wasn't for me!

The Gods Time Forgot by Kelsie Sheridan Gonzalez is a dreamy mix of historical romance and fantasy with a twist of Irish mythology. Set in 1870s Manhattan, it follows Rua, a woman with no memory who’s mistaken for a missing debutante. She takes the opportunity to slip into high society and figure out who she really is.

Enter Finn, a mysterious and broody Irish lord who feels connected to her—and not just in the romantic way (though yes, there’s definitely tension). As Rua starts to remember bits of her past, things get magical and dangerous fast, tying their fates together in ways they never saw coming.

It’s got enemies-to-lovers vibes, slow-burn romance, high society drama, and mythological magic. Think Outlander meets A Discovery of Witches, with a fresh voice and a gorgeous, gothic atmosphere.

Perfect if you like your love stories with mystery, mythology, and a touch of the supernatural.

The Gods Time Forgot starts with a surreal, disorienting predicament - a girl clawing out of the ground, unsure who she is, where, or why everyone insists she’s someone else. The mystery hooked me early, and the whole identity crisis vibe threaded through a foggy mix of mythology and eerie vibes was compelling enough for me to continue.

What really landed for me was the feminist undercurrent. The way women are treated in this story, especially when they’re “too much,” too loud, too confusing, or inconvenient, is uncomfortably honest. Rua challenges the status quo, and the first response from society (and especially her lovely not-mother, Flossie) is to sedate her, lock her up, and pretend she’s just hysterical. That whole “crazy woman as a social embarrassment” narrative gets explored, and I appreciated the commentary on autonomy, identity, and how “madness” has been used as a tool to control women.

The slow-burn tension between Rua and Finn was easily one of my favourite parts. Their banter is snappy, crackling with energy, and never overly romanticized. It felt like two people challenging each other in the best way, with Finn actually listening to Rua, which, let’s be honest, is rare in historical settings.

Where the book stumbled a bit for me was the pacing, especially toward the end. After so much buildup and tension, the final chapters felt like a dash to the finish line. Emotional payoffs and big reveals came fast and didn’t quite land with the weight they deserved. I was invested, but we went from a compelling Morrigan retelling to social commentary to sexual tension to a disappointing “wrap it up” mode too quickly.

Still, it’s a lush, layered read with something to say. If you’re into myth-soaked romantasy with a strong heroine, complex themes, and some well-earned fire between the leads, it’s worth the ride, even if the landing’s a little bumpy.

Thank you to NetGalley and Alcove Press for providing me with an advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you Alcove Press for the ARC!

I had to think of my review for a bit about this book. I liked that it was based in Irish mythology, and that one can see the author has deep respect and admiration for that culture. The banter was top tier, the back and forth between Finn and Rua leaving my laughing or frustrated. I loved the fear and overarching threat was an insane asylum, something that is real and tangible instead of a big bad evil guy. And I am fine with the instant love, giving the fact that they were in love before.

However, I took a star off because the way the high society acted was just, not realistic? Like yes, they could be catty, but they weren't even clever about it. I also hate that it's the mother that's the bad guy again. Can we stop villainizing women? I think that the author maybe should have looked more into manners of the women during the golden age, they didn't act like modern high school bullies.

However, overall, I liked it and will read more by this author!

Dnf

I may pick this up at a later date, i just dont think the writing style is for me the world building wasnt easy to follow but i may still pick it up

Thank you

I think this book is being mis-marketed as romantasy, it is historical romance with a small fantasy twist at the end. I feel as though a lot of people are going to go into this book with certain expectations and be left disappointed, not because it's a bad book but because it's so different from what they are expecting. I really enjoyed Rua and Finn, their relationship was slow burn but I enjoyed their connection, there were times I wanted Finn to stand up for Rua more or communicate better but that's kinda a genre issue! You jump right into the story which leaves you a little confused but that's the point, I was very intrigued and wanted to solve the mystery of Rua! That being said, there were a lot of slow bits and then at the end all of a sudden everything is happening and it ends abruptly. They story is really solid though and I was so drawn in and immersed in the world!

I’m really loved the premise of this book, unfortunately the execution wasn’t the best for me. Maybe I’m just not the intended audience?

This was a DNF at 53%. I couldn’t quite get into the story or connect with the characters. The premise was so intriguing but at the halfway mark, I still didn’t understand the magic or the fairytale.

This is a book I thought would be quite good and was looking forward to reading. But I must say although it was okay I just really couldn't get into it and found it rather slow and a bit odd in parts. It fell a bit felt for me, not much excitement or emotion and felt as if something was missing.

Thank you NetGalley and Alcove press for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.