Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me an e-arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I really thoroughly enjoyed this book. Rua was such a great character and I loved the mystery that surrounded her. The chemistry between her and Finn was amazing and their banter couldn’t have been better.

I liked how with this book, little by little the author filled in information about the past. It kept me gripped and I had to keep reading so that I could understand who everyone was and their histories.

I’ve struggled with historical romances that I’ve read recently because I hate how women were treated back then and in all the ones I’ve read recently, even if the FMC is strong willed and goes against society’s expectations , the love interest usually agrees with society’s views on women. What I absolutely loved about this book was that Finn didn’t agree with the old fashioned views and it made this book so much more enjoyable for me.

Overall, this was a really fun read and I highly recommend it!

3 ⭐️ Thank you Alcove Press for the ARC!

An Irish mythology-inspired romantasy set in the Gilded Age with a delicious Enemies to Lovers dynamic. A disoriented Rua wakes up in the middle of the forest in the body of someone else with no recollection of how she got there and who she is, with the exception of her real name, that is. Forced to live in the shoes of a seemingly problematic young girl, Emma Harrington, Rua struggles to conform to the expected social norms. She soon meets the mysterious Lord of Donore and gets the uncanny feeling that they’ve known each other in another life.

While the beginning was a tad slow and the ending left me wanting, I DEVOURED everything in between. I loved the banter and tension between these characters. Gonzalez also lit a desire in me to learn more about Irish Mythology. This is perfect for fans of Bridgerton and Historical Fantasy Romance.

I could not put this book down. It was romantic and the mystery kept me reading, wondering how Finn and Rua knew each other, and who they really were. I loved the Irish mythology and was surprised by the ending and the answers to the mysteries. I would absolutely read another book by Gonzalez and can't wait for her next one.

I've been following Kelsie's writing journey since 2021 and she was the first writing tiktok account I followed. I'm so proud of her for her determination through everything and to finally get to see her published book out there.

I loved Rua and Finn and the beginning of this book was rife full of questions and drama and delightful character development. I love the Gilded Age setting and the historical backdrop. This definitely felt like it leaned more on the historical elements than fantasy. For most of the book, Rua feels trapped out of time as she has to deal with pretending to be Emma and the confines of being a woman in the extremely patriarchal Gilded Age. Her borderline villianess mother who threatens to send her to the asylum if she doesn't cooperate and the catty women determined to ruin her. All while she is trying to discover who she truly is.

The romance with Finn is the highlight and I wish we could have seen more of both timelines. The pacing felt a little off in so much as the main book is a series of Bridgerton-like social events until the last 20% where the more fantastical elements take over.

I'm so happy for Kelsie and excited to see what she writes next. Thank you so much to Alcove Press and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an early review in exchange for an early copy.

Thank you Kelsie Sheridan Gonzalez and Alcove Press for this early copy of The Gods Time Forgot!

I loved the setting of this book, and I was really interested in the premise of the plot. The mystery of the characters felt like a fun way to keep the plot going, and there always felt like an edge of something more as you read.

But sadly, this book wasn’t for me :( As interesting as I thought a lot of the plot points could have been, the overall pacing of everything felt off, and I had a hard time getting invested in this story. More often than not, I found myself getting second hand embarrassment from some of the interactions, and it was tough. I will say that I do think that it came together, but it was a little rough getting there.

But that’s just me! I think that this has a lot of potential to be a fantasy lover’s new favorite book 🫶🏻

BOOK: THE GODS TIME FORGOT
AUTHOR: KELSIE SHERIDAN GONZALEZ
PUB DATE: APRIL 2025
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REVIEW
Thanks to Netgalley and the Publisher for this ARC. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
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This book was wonderful until I reached the ending. The only thing I didn't like was the ending. Everything else? Perfect! But, I don't regret reading, it was a very good book.
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This book started on a very nice note, we have our FMC, Emma, not Emma who lost her memories and the MMC, rich lord trying to secure his place in the American high society. The MCs both meet at parties where Emma is an outcast while Finn is the guy everyone wants on their arms. In between the book are elements of Emma's lost memories.
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I liked the amazing storyline and the pace of the book. Don't even get me started on the chemistry sbd romance between the MCs even though the book is closed door. I kept turning the pages to see who was going to end up with Finn, Emma, the FMC or Annette, who was going to secure his place in New York so he could achieve all the good things he wanted to do.
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A few chapters in, Emma discovered that she was not really Emma, but another person, Rua. But, she must keep up with the charade if she won't be sent to an asylum. But, she worked hard to find out who she truly was through books of Irish mythology. Anyway, she was an outcast in the society and chafed at the rules of society.
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Finn finds himself drawn to someone totally different from his needs, Rua. He keeps thinking about her and even dreams about a past life with her. Finn was a nice MMC, a good man who tried to help others even though it was not seen as the 'thing' in society then. If there was something I wanted with him, I wanted more knowledge about his past. I don't know much about him except he landed in New York and partnered with the creme de LA creme of the society. I don't know about his life in Ireland, his parents, his title, and stuff.
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The MCs both had amazing chemistry, and I liked them until I didn't. I liked the pace of the book, too. It was perfect, I read in a day because I was really curious about who was who was who and what was what. It's a very good book. And I was disappointed at the ending. It was vague and had some morally grey elements that I didn't like. I was aboutvto give if five stars when I read the last chapter.
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However, it was worth it, and I liked reading it. I'd recommend it.
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This book seemed to have a good premise but ultimately did not deliver. In my opinion, too much time was spent trying to blend into the high society world, and the same was true of trying to build tension/ longing with the characters. There was so much more to explore with the Irish Legends and the main characters' history, Emma and Mara's history .... I could go on. This was very surface-level and rarely had anything to do with the couple's real story. Additionally, the ending was unsatisfying, which left many holes and questions for the sake of wrapping the book up with a happily ever after.

Thank you to NetGalley and Alcove Press for this advanced copy. You can pick up The Gods Time Forgot on April 8, 2025.

While the beginning of this book hooked me right away, I have to say that the rest was sadly disappointing. I knew The Gods Time Forgot took place in a historical period, and I knew that would play into the story and setting, but I didn't expect it to comprise so much of the book. I love a good historical fiction story when the mood is right, but I expected far more fantasy than what I received.

It felt like the magic was thrown in at the beginning and end just to wrap things up when I would've appreciated a more drawn-out approach through the middle of the story. The romance certainly helped keep things moving, and I did enjoy the banter and relationship between Finn and Rua. But when a story is pitched as romantasy, I definitely expect the magic to have more of an impact. This felt more like magical realism adjacent.

Do I think the premise has potential? Absolutely. But I fear the execution was a miss for me.

A woman wakes up in the body of someone else and finds herself trapped in 1870 forced to act and follow societies rules all the while scrambling to discover what happened to her and who she truly is.... all the while memories of a past lover and betrayal haunt her... and it doesn't help that a lord who looks eerily like her past lover is also here. Rua wakes up in the body of Emma, Emma the daughter of a lord who had disappeared for two days and a man was also killed searching for her. Rua has no idea who she is and why she is in Emma's body but she does not like it, nor does she like any of the societal rules that 1870s has on woman. Rua's inability to adjust has Emma's parents threatening to put her in an insane asylum and Rua has to learn what happened to Emma and to her if she wants to escape and go back to her own body... all the while she is getting flashes of her past life and clues of what has happened. Then the handsome Lord of Donore shows up and Rua feels connected to him in ways she can never explain... because he looks exactly like her lover.. the very one she killed. Lord of Donore or rather Finn is just trying to marry a wife who will help him find connections and make him rich... yet the moment he meets Emma/Rua he feels a connection to her he can't deny, a connection he knows that if he gives into will destroy all his plans and lead to a life of chaos... yet he can't resist. The more time he spends with Rua the more he begins getting glimpses of a past life with her that he can't explain... yet with societies rules closing in on Rua and pressure being put on Finn to marry someone else... can they find a way to be together or are greater forces at play and the truth of who Rua truly is only unravel everything? This was definitely an interesting book, I love the whole "woke up in someone else's body" and must unravel the mystery. The pacing was a bit off for me because the ending was literally so abrupt and just there, I truly wish there was like 5 more chapters to explain more or to at least give a bit more. The ending just feels like a door slamming in my face and I'm just sitting here thinking "is that it?" as an avid k-novel/manwhua reader, I love transmigration novels or novels where people wake up in other people's bodies and must adjust to the world. Yet Rua was a bit harder to like because she really did not find a way to fit in at all, like come on girl work it out, fake it, she really just sped run the worst ways to get everyone on her case and be sent to the asylum. I was hoping she would be a bit more resourceful and a bit craftier considering she was said to be a goddess who schemed... but like it really was just a : welp here I am situation. All in all it was an interesting read and I liked the romance, thought I was hoping for a bit more in both the romance department, in the character growth department, and in the end of the novel department. All that is to say, if you like fantasy mysteries, absolutely pick this one up.

*Thanks Netgalley and Alcove Press for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

So, I have very complicated feelings about this book. It was very compelling, engagingly written, and I really did want to know how it was going to play out. The dynamic between Rua and Finn was interesting and a lot of fun, I thought they had good chemistry and there were really interesting scenes between the two of them.

But, ultimately, I don’t think I liked the book that much. As a whole I found it quite confusing; the way the plot is set up is quite muddled and it was very hard to follow in the first few chapters exactly what was going on. I did understand why some of the book had to be like this, but I felt like too much was being obscured from the reader and it made it very hard to follow.

I also thought the plot didn’t quite work. I felt like the book couldn’t quite decide what genre it wanted to be, and the fantasy element didn’t work as well with the Gilded Age setting as I thought it would. The historical aspect needed tightening, I noticed a few inaccuracies that were distracting, which was a shame as I thought the social climbing aspect of the book was (to a point) entertaining. Ultimately, though, that plotline became a bit repetitive and the characters, particularly the villainous ones, were way too cartoonish and over-the-top. I’m not quite sure why they were so keen to draw attention to the scandals of the Harrington family when it was established early on this would be a bad thing for them, too, and there were a lot of very uncomfortable scenes that felt very similar in tone and content.

The fantasy plotline was very interesting and had some good ideas but I think it felt like an afterthought for much of the book. It didn’t really come into play properly until right near the end. The ending, also, was incredibly blunt and didn’t feel very satisfying.

It’s a shame, because I really wanted to like this book. I just didn’t think it was very cohesive and I considered DNFing a few times over the course of it. I kept on going because the writing is very engaging and entertaining, and I thought the main characters, Rua and Finn, were well-drawn and likable, especially in comparison to everyone else. Their romance had some really nice moments and I liked their chemistry. I just thought the book as a whole needed more work. Still, I can see it working for a lot of people – it just wasn’t my cup of tea. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing a free copy of this book.

Content Notes: Death, murder, serious injuries, fire, bullying, controlling behaviour, threat of institutionalisation in an asylum, amnesia, blood, threat of sexual violence, public humiliation, on-page sexual content.

Three and a half
I really struggled to read this and I think that's because I found the way society and family treated Rua to be something that made me uncomfortable and well frankly annoyed. I did enjoy the romance aspects as the couple explored each other and for this reader that kept me wanting to continue reading. At times perhaps the pacing didn't keep me as gripped as I'd hoped but that's a tiny niggle. It's not a storyline that I've read before which was a joy and for me the standout character was without a doubt Rua. Yes I'd read more by this author but would hope for a different time period.
This voluntary take is I believe fair

"The Gods Time Forgot" by Kelsie Sheridan Gonzalez is a historical romantasy set in New York in 1870. Power and money mean everything, and family honor must be defended. So when the wealthy daughter Emma disappears and then reappears with no memory of who she is or what happened, it’s up to Emma herself to unravel the mystery. Her parents try in vain to reintegrate her into society, but Emma makes it difficult for them.

This is a slow-paced story. Don’t expect a book packed with action, excitement, or full-on fantasy. This is a true slow-burn, both in terms of the book itself and the romantic relationship between the main characters. The slow pace suits the story, and I enjoyed the background, characters, and language.

However, there was something missing. A little spark that would make this book extra memorable. Maybe I missed a stronger plot? I’m not sure. The characters are well-developed, and their interactions are engaging, but the overall storyline felt like it needed a bit more drive.

Despite this, I liked the book, and it was exciting to see how the story would end. The historical setting is richly described, and the author does a great job of immersing the reader in the era. An entirely okay romantasy without spicy scenes.

3.5⭐️
Thank you so much to NetGalley and Alcove Press for the early copy of this book!

I support women’s rights, but more importantly, I support women’s wrongs. And I am absolutely here for Rua in all of her glory.

The Gods Time Forgot is a historical romance with ties to Irish mythology and at times had some serious Bridgerton/regency vibes that I loved. Our main character, Rua, awakens in someone else’s body with absolutely no memory of who she is except for her name, which is definitely not Emma Harrington. Though that is who she will become to survive as a debutante in 1870s Manhattan.

The banter between Rua and Finn was top tier. I got some funny looks from people at the park as I snickered multiple times at some of their lines. And their chemistry was undeniable, even as Finn tried to reason with himself that a relationship with Rua could only end in disaster.

This is definitely a book that tends to be more character driven than plot driven. While the plot was there, it felt like the relationship between the characters was the much larger focus. The plot line with the amnesia and the gods felt like it took a backseat at times to focus on the characters, tho the end reveal helps that make a bit more sense. I also wish the ending hadn’t been so abrupt. Everything just wrapped up so suddenly, and it was a bit jarring to go from such high stakes to it being over. I would have loved more time settling the story.

Overall I really enjoyed this book! The banter was incredible and the premise had me hooked from the start. I loved the balls and the manipulation and scheming that made up a good chunk of the book. The fantasy part definitely had the backseat in this one, so if a reader looking for a historical romance with witty banter and a headstrong heroine with a hint of a fantasy element then this is the story for them!

In 1870 Manhattan old money struggles to make way for the new. Rua, who wakes up in a hole, covered in blood with no memory except her name, is mistaken for Emma Harrington. The daughter of an up-and-coming family hell bent on elbowing their way into society. As she struggles to fit into a life she knows nothing about, flashes of potential memories, and an abrupt, yet deeply felt attraction to the Lord Donore lead her on an adventure to find answers.

There were many strong aspects to this story that I appreciate. The cover is gorgeous, and the writing is great! The descriptions of dresses and balls were fantastic. Characters are believable (you really get a feel for Emma’s mother, who is the absolute worst. And Finn, who is truly wonderful). I was very interested in how Finn and Rua would end up, especially with all of the obstacles they faced.

My concern lies in the fact that it felt like two stories, which would have both been strong on their own, did not compliment each other well. The first, about a woman who lost her memory and has to figure out who she is AND figure out how to navigate society/get the man of her dreams? Perfect! The other, a story of sisterhood, war, love, and betrayal? Absolutely!

When combining the two the reader either got too little information of both, or one story was thrown in haphazardly, which left the other one to flounder. All of this is to say I really liked both ideas, however the execution made for a pretty abrupt and messy ending.

I am far more interested in the Gilded Age than I was before (if I'm being honest, I didn't remember it was a thing)! And also in Irish folklore. I might be on the search for more stories pertaining to those topics.

If you enjoyed The Gilded Age on HBO, this book might intrigue you. The story is set in Gilded Age New York, but with a fantasy twist. We follow a young woman who has lost her memory, but finds herself the daughter of one of the wealthiest families in New York. With rumors swirling about her expulsion from boarding school and her odd behavior, high society jumps at the chance to spurn her and her family's new money. But she meets a handsome Irish lord and sparks fly, prompting them to wonder how they have such a strong connection when they have just met for the first time.

I had such a fun time reading this book and I would recommend to anyone who enjoys historical fiction, lots of drama, and also might be interested in twists of Irish mythology and paganism.

Thank you to Alcove Press and NetGalley for providing me with a free e-ARC of this book in exchange for my review!

In 1870 Manhattan, Rua has forgotten everything about herself and is mistaken for Emma, the missing daughter of the wealthy Harrington family. As she tries to blend in, she's drawn to the forbidden Lord of Donore. He's recently arrived in Manhattan and is just as drawn to her. He feels they may have met before, and gradually Rua recalls a past rife with dark magic. The two must figure out the past in order to save their future.

The Gilded Age in New York City is rather like Regency and Edwardian England. The old money doesn't appreciate upstart new money entering society but is more than happy to take that money for their own business prospects. Lord Donore is Irish and hopes to build orphanages and hospitals for the poor, financing them with glitzy hotels built with the Harrington fortune and Fitzgerald connections, as long as he marries Annette Fitzgerald. Rua replaced Emma, who had gone missing in upstate New York, but rumors about her circulate and she has little interest in truly fitting in. Emma and her maid Mara had worshipped the Morrigan in secret, and the missing memories include whatever the two had been up to.

Alongside the growing romantic feelings between Rua and Finn, with Annette at the third point of the triangle, is the truth about how polite society works as well as what happened on August 1. Both Finn and Rua have memories or dreams of a past that is straight out of Irish myth. As the summer progresses into fall, there are more memories and more complications; we don't see it all come together until the final 10 to 15 percent of the book. I raced through it to find out what happened next. I really enjoyed the story.

3.75* but rounding to 4* since we don’t get partial stars

Historical fiction, fantasy, and Irish mythology were the reasons I decided I needed to try this book. In a few ways, it didn’t quite hit the mark, but it was an overall good read.

I am not always a fan of starting a book with the main character having an amnesia type situation, but a girl previously known as Emma to those around her, emerges from a hole in the woods believing she is a girl named Rua. Though her family was already worried for her mental health, this situation does not help her and now her family is debating on putting her in a sanatorium since now she also does not recognize her family members, and she keeps arguing about her name.

When Rua and her family move to New York, near Central Park, they are anticipating joining the upper levels of society. Rua feels out of her element and is trying to keep her head down, but her mouth and actions keeps getting her in trouble. When she meets Finn, a really cute and slightly adversarial relationship starts to bloom.

My few issues with this book are: 1. The amnesia thing, 2. The first half of the book is pretty slow, and the pacing kept me from being as engaged as I wanted to be, 3. The romance was the focus but I didn’t get enough balance with the Irish mythology and the fantasy elements I expected.

I really wanted to like The Gods Time Forgot, but it fell flat. I have been following the author on tik tok for a year or so now where they’ve been excitedly talking about the book and it sounded like something I would love. Unfortunately, I had many issues with the execution of the story and how it all came together.

The goofy, gimmicky regency era drama did NOT mix well with the dark, fantasy lore in my opinion. I loved the dark side of this book but the weird backdrop setting of Bridgerton esque silly regency drama felt so misplaced compared to how this novel eventually ended.

The book is written in a way that expects the reader to be knowledgeable about Irish mythology when the reality is, most readers will be going into this without a clue (I am one of those readers. I personally felt the name drops and the lack of explanation OF the mythology until the 85% mark itself was a huge set back for this book. This also ties into my issues with the visions/dreams of our main characters “other lives”. They are dropped on us randomly throughout, and often enough the characters react with one sentence and it’s never really discussed / talked about/acknowledged in depth by our MCs. This book would have benefited from us learning things AS the story was told. It would also have been so much more realistic to showcase Rua’s curiousity as to what was happening to her throughout the story, because you’re telling me your conscious is dropped into someone else’s body, you have no memories, they’re calling you some other girls name, and you’re NOT desperate for answers? You just go along with the dumb regency drama? Also why did Finn rarely comment on any of his visions/dreams? We could have benefited from him mulling over what he saw in relation to his heritage and knowledge of his own mythology. TL;DR I personally wish the lore and mythology was sprinkled better throughout the book and earlier on for readers to be better immersed in the worldbuilding and lore.

Honestly my issues with this book are very similar to the ones I had with Our Infinite Fates by Laura Steven. If you’re going to write a story that features past lives and their love story….do make sure to show us that love story and that chemistry rather than just shoving two characters together who are instantly infatuated with one another. With The Gods Time Forgot I would call it a slower burn, but I don’t feel these characters really got to know each other on anything other than a superficial level, which took away from the romance for me.

And the ending of the book….was so…confusing. A big jumbled mess where no one’s actions made any sense. I feel like the author is showing us a scene but we aren’t given the full context of what’s happening. If this is supposed to be a standalone, that ending makes no sense and is so unsatisfying.

I genuinely feel like this story will find its readers, but for me there was simply a massive disconnect. The best way I can describe it is that I felt like I wasn’t in on the joke, all the information was kept from me, even until the very end.

Thank you to Kelsie and the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced ebook of this highly anticipated read!

The premise of this book is so intriguing, it had so many aspects of mythology and the gilded age time period that I really enjoyed. I liked Rua’s character, Finn was so swoonworthy, and I felt the other characters rang true to the time period and societal level at which it is set. Also, the writing was very well done and truly painted a picture of the setting and the people within them that immersed you in the text.

I wish the mystery was a bit more hyped up, there just wasn’t as much alluding and flashbacks and foreshadowing or clues to really grab my attention and make me want to solve it. However, I still enjoyed how it all shook out and did find myself surprised! It was just a bit slower in the beginning and I had a hard time picking it up sometimes.

This book surprised me in that way where I closed it and sat there blinking at the ceiling, not quite ready to re-enter real life. It took me a minute to find my footing in Rua’s story (which makes sense, considering she doesn’t know where or who she is either), but once the threads began to pull tau, Finn appeared, and the tension between them began to spark—I was hooked.

The premise itself is gripping: a girl with no memory mistaken for a missing debutante, an unsettling family legacy, a city glittering with corsets and secrets, and a stranger who feels dangerously familiar. The amnesia trope made it hard for me to settle in at first (I’m someone who likes to know things), but the slow revelation of Rua’s identity, paired with the unraveling of myth, society, and magic, kept me turning pages faster than I expected.

This book has such a strong sense of place. Gilded Age New York feels vivid and detailed. But what really made it stand out to me was the way the fantasy elements slowly wove themselves into the story. As Rua’s memories start to come back, you realize there’s something much older and stranger going on, something rooted in myth and magic. It’s a mix of historical fiction and fantasy that honestly shouldn’t work as well as it does, but somehow it really does.

I do wish the ending had given me just a bit more. Not because it wasn’t good—it was—but because the world and characters deserved a little more space to breathe before the curtain closed. The scope of the mythology, the weight of the memories returning, the emotional payoff between Rua and Finn—it all felt like it needed a second act. A duology might have let that depth unfold more naturally, more powerfully.

Still, The Gods Time Forgot is beautifully imagined, emotionally resonant, and rich with myth and memory. It asks what we owe to the people we used to be, and what we’re willing to risk to reclaim our story.

Would I recommend it? Absolutely. Just know it asks a bit of you in the beginning—but if you stay with it, it gives back.

If you like your romantasy with mythology, mystery, and morally complicated memory loss—this one’s for you.

Thank you NetGalley & Alcove Press for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.