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.

I really wanted to like this book. The premise was exciting, but I feel like the author didn't really deliver. The story was very boring, and I found myself not caring much about either character. The story dragged on, and the ending was very odd and seemed abrupt. It doesn't seem like there is another book, so I'm guessing this is a standalone. I didn't feel like the author wrapped it up very well. It was very predictable to guess what had happened to the real Emma. I feel bad for her, but it's not like she would have been able to go back to her life anyway with all that had happened.

Thank you to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for this ARC. My opinions are my own.

Rua remembers nothing from before she woke up in a muddy hole in upstate New York. Her maid and everyone around her claims that she's Emma Harrington, missing for two days, but Rua while Rua may look just like her, she is certain there is nothing of Emma in her. Emma's wealthy parents are determined to try bury the scandal of Emma's behaviour, which isn't made easier when Rua in Emma's body behaves in ways a debutante from the 1870s most certainly shouldn't.

Finn Somethingorother (cannot be bothered to go back to the book to find his actual surname), Lord of Donore, is in New York trying to secure lucrative business deals so he can secure his position in society, and use his wealth and privilege to support a hospital and an orphanage. One of the wealthy magnates would like him to marry his daughter, but at every social gathering, Finn can't take his eyes off the scandalous Emma Harrington, who insists he should call her Rua. He also can't understand why he seems like he knows her from somewhere.

According to the publisher: "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 a sucker for creative use of mythology in a story, I read far too few books set during the Gilded Age, despite loving historical romances, and I tend to really enjoy a good enemies to lovers plot.

Sadly, I should have remembered that most of the time, publishers have an extremely creative interpretation of what the book they're selling actually contains. Is there Irish mythology in this? Yes, and I thought it was rather creatively used, and wish there had been more of it. We also get an insight into New York in the 1870s, but it mostly involves very snooty and controlling mothers with lofty social ambitions for their offspring. Occasionally Rua wanders around unaccompanied in an inappropriately informal outfit, and gets herself into more trouble as Emma Harrington is more deeply embroiled in scandal.

Is this enemies to lovers? Not even close. This is former lovers possibly trapped in the bodies of other people and trying to remember how they fit together and what the heck has happened to bring them to where they are now. The romance is probably the least interesting plot of this book, and once the whole convoluted mess of who Rua and Finn really are to one another and how they came to be in New York at this time is explained, the book is pretty much over, and there isn't really any time for the reader to see how their romance is likely to work out now that they know the truth.

There are absolutely elements that work, but as a whole, this book is unsatisfying and leaves you wanting a more fleshed out story with more complex characters and character dynamics.

<b>Judging a book by its cover:</b> There are a lot of interesting elements incorporated in this cover (the knot work arch, the clock face in the background, the ravens, Rua's beautiful dress. However, I really don't like the way the artist has drawn the people, especially Finn, who looks more like a sinister villain than a romantic hero.

the title was intriguing and suggested a story that would really pull me in. unfortunately, that never came true.
the plot was flat and uneventful, and I struggled to stay engaged. the romance, which seemed like it was supposed to be a central, lacked depth and development. I never really got a sense of connection between the characters, which made it hard to invest in their relationship or believe in their love.
the writing style didn't stand out. It didn't add much energy or emotion to it, it only added to lack of momentum. at times, it felt like the story was just drifting along without a strong direction. and the ending reveal was the most boring plots l've read in my whole life.

Thank you to the publisher and author for providing me with an ARC for my feedback

There was something lacking in this book and I cant quite explain why I couldnt connect to it. There was drama, but the story felt repetitive . Its a fantasy but it felt like there was nothing "fantasy" about this? the romance is there albeit it in the background which is fine with me, others may gripe its not steamy enough. The ending was so sudden it felt like whiplash, I really would have liked it to be more fleshed out and detailed

The Gods Time Forgot follows Rua, a woman with no memories who is forced to try and blend into high society in 1870's New York after the wealthy Harrington family mistake her for their missing daughter. With a spin of Irish mythology and fantasy elements.

On paper this book seems like it would be right up my alley but it fell incredibly flat. The amount of times I had to put down this book because the dialogue and descriptions were honestly annoying the hell out of me was ridiculous.

For your own health, don't take a shot every time it is mentioned that Finn is big and tall. You will need a liver transplant before you even hit the 50% mark.

For a book with Gods in the title we barely get anything about Gods or Irish mythology until halfway through the third act of the book. You have to slog through nearly 300 pages of nothing before you get to why you actually picked the book up. I wanted to love this so badly.

There is also just some glaring historical inaccuracies that just make it harder to get through. The Irish were hated in this time period in New York, but you want me to believe an Irish man made it to high society and the most influential man in the city wants him to marry his daughter? Honestly I couldn't get past that either.

Thank you to NetGalley and Alcove Press for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

First time reading an irish mythology inspired book and I loved it. It’s a romantasy, set in the 19th century, with lots of banter between the main characters.

Set in the 1870s, this was a magical and intriguing book. I loved the setting, the characters, the plot. I think the main characters had a lot of chemistry and i like the fact that the book had a good pacing.

The story follows Rua, a girl without memory who only remembers her name. When she wakes up, she’s suddenly recognised as Emma, the daughter of a wealthy family. However, she knows she’s not Emma. But, with no clue to who she really is, she decides pretending to be Emma Harrington is the safest way to survive. And, as she tries to blend into the family, she’s drawn to the Lord of Donore, a man who brings her a sense of familiarity. Set in uncovering her and the real Emma’s truths, she has to battle her feelings for the Lord, survive in the high society, and protect herself. Suddenly, the world is not as it seems, and it turns out there’s dark magic at play.

I highly recommend this book if you like a historical romance, with banter, a slow burn and a starcrossed type of romance.

All in all, I give this book a 5 out of 5 stars. I would buy it.

This book was romantic, historical with some great mythological aspects but it didn’t quite hit the mark for me.

It was lacking some aspect that draws you in to a story.
It was enjoyable but only to a certain extent.
Not sure if would recommend

3.5 stars

I can't pinpoint what this book lacked but it just did not stand out as anything other than average. If anything, I needed more, the ending just sort of ended.

If it wasn't for the audiobook I might have DNF'd.

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

This story has a lot of Irish mythology in it. A girl named Emma goes into this body of water but when she comes out, she feels like her name is Rua, and is confused but goes along with being someone else. She doesn’t act how a typically society girl would. Her family is always trying to impress the upper echelon and they meet the Lord of Dunore who Rua feels like she knows him for another life. Are they somehow connected in the past and present?

Soft DNF-ed at around 19%. Might come back to this story later, but for now I'm putting it aside. DNF-ing ARCs feels so bad, but I want to give this book a chance and pick it up again later on - because on paper it is right up my alley!

In "The Gods Time Forgot" we're thrown right into action as Rua wakes up in Emma's body after the latter disappeared. With the background of 1870s era and a touch of fantasy and historical romance we embark on a journey to uncover the truth about Rua's past and her trying to find her footing in this new reality.

I loved the setting - New York, 1870s Gilded Age, romance than transcends time, Irish mythology. Unfortunately, my reading experience did not live up to the expectations I had. I struggled to stay engaged, finding the pacing of the plot quite slow, with the writing not maintaining my attention.

Having said all that, I do want to come back to this story at some point in the future.

Thank you to Kelsie Sheridan Gonzalez, Alcove Press and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Gods Time Forgot was an interesting story with historical background and romance, but it just fell a bit flat. It felt like nothing was happening even though, obviously it was, and I couldn't stay in the story or stay focused on what was going on. I did really enjoy the romance, I noticed some fun banter between them that definitely perked my attention for a bit.

I really enjoyed the characters, the world building, and the story. But I felt like it was wrapped up too fast, like a soon to be cancelled TV series that they didn't have enough time to flesh out, which was quite a shame. So 80% of the book was wonderful and then the ending was a bit of a let down.

There was a lot going on in this book. It felt dark and heavy to me. It was an intriguing storyline at being a god with no memories set adrift in a human world.

Rua has no memories, and she struggles to accept that where she is is where she is meant to be. Set in an alternative, yet Victorian world, Rua's very existence is threatened by a domineering society-climbing mother. She accidentally meets Finn and both know that there is some spark between them, yet they are both uncertain who and what that might be. Ancient myths begin to surface, and we learn that nothing or no one is who they seem to be.

Unfortunately I didn’t finish this one. I just couldn’t get into it. I might try again at a later stage

2.5 ⭐️
This book is a historical YA fantasy that takes place in 1800s NYC and is steeped in Irish Mythology. I had an interesting time with this book. I think my lower rating has a little to do with the fact that I am a mood reader and wasn’t really in the mood for a story like this and that it was finals week at school so I couldn’t focus on it as much as i would have liked. That being said, this book just fell flat. The plot had no arc and honestly didn’t pick up until 75% of the way through. I could only read around 3 chapters at a time before I got bored because it was honestly the same things over and over again until the climax. Rua would go to a party, embarrass herself or be embarrassed by others, fight with her mother, then Finn would maybe rescue her and then go back to the girl he was courting. It was that over and over again until the 75% mark. It was also so strange to me that Rua and Finn knew who they were and chose to do nothing about it or figure out why they were in 1800s New York. We never figured out why Finn was there at all. I hate to say it but this book was forgettable.

3 ⭐️ The gods time forgot is a historical fantasy romance with Irish mythology that gives major outlander and bridgerton vibes. The premise of this story sounded so amazing to me but unfortunately the execution just fell flat for me. I did really like the main character Rua but unfortunately the romance with Finn felt a little undeveloped and the pacing felt off. Overall I thought this book was just ok but I do think people who enjoy historical romance/fantasy may enjoy it.

Thank you to Netgalley and Alcove Press for the ARC of this book.

I wanted to like this book as I looked forward to reading it for quite awhile. Unfortunately I did not. I love the idea and the overall concept of the plot but after the first few chapters the book dragged on and on then abruptly ended. I gave it a 3 to be generous and cant leave a 2.5 on goodreads but didn't post on my social media. I only post 4 or above as to be kind to the author and audience.

If you love historical fiction, mythology, and a touch of fated mates trope, boy do I have a treat for you! This book is the answer to your prayers! We’re talking reincarnated gods who fell in love in a previous life, re-meeting and trying to figure out their past in late 1800s Manhattan high society. A great premise, and so well executed! I really enjoyed this book! I was left with a few lingering questions about the inner workings of it all, but that may be due to how fast I zoomed through reading this to find out what happened. The Irish mythology was so unique in the sea of Greek, Roman, and other fantasy retellings we are inundated with (lucky us though, right?). There was so much packed into this book, and the aforementioned unfamiliar mythology, that I really wish this was spread out into a trilogy. I wanted more romance, more backstory, more pining, more compromising situations that are so well suited for histroms, just more everything!!! Definitely pick this up if you need a break from fae, it was a great read!

Thanks to Alcove Press and NetGalley for the eARC!

Rue wakes with no memory of who she is or where she came from. And when she’s mistaken for Emma, a woman who looks exactly like her, Rua is thrust into a life that isn’t her own. With Emma’s mother threatening to have her committed to an asylum, Rua is desperate to uncover the truth and return to her real life, wherever that may be. But things get even interestingly complicated when she meets Finn, a charming yet infuriating man she feels an undeniable, yet mysterious connection to.

This historical romance, dabbed with elements of fantasy, was a thoroughly enjoyable read. While the plot unfolds at a slower pace, I found this fitting for the genre. It allows the reader to sink into the setting and gives characters room to grow. That said, I do wish the magical and mythological aspects had been introduced earlier and explored more in depth. I was far more interested in Rua’s journey of self discovery than the tensions with the gossiping woman of high society. The slow burn between Rua and Finn was deliciously played out, and their chemistry was compelling. I only wish we had more scenes of them together beyond the final moments.

*Thank you to Kelsie Sheridan Gonzalez, Alcove Press and Netgalley for the ARC copy. I am freely leaving my honest review.