I loved this book couldn’t put it down. I’m very much looking forward to reading the next book. This is a historical fiction romance mixed with magic. forgotten memories and mysteries to unveil. This is a good book and the characters are very well developed.

I loved this audio, the narrators did an absolutely fantastic job of bringing this story to life. This story was so complex and multifaceted that having the narration broken up made it so much easier to follow the story line even in the more confusing part.

I received an ALC from netgalley.

First of all, I'm not a fan of historical romance, and I wanted to listen because I thought it was more fantasy than historical. I also like the cover. I gave this book two stars because I wanted to DNF the book early until the 80% mark. It's the fact that Rua's amnesia was dragged on for too long and also made the story drag. I didn't have a connection to any of the characters. This book was not for me. I hope my review does not deter anyone from reading it because I was hoping for more fantasy than historical.

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 I’ve read in my whole life.

➸ the only one redeeming quality was the audiobook production. the narration was solid and helped make the experience more bearable, even though the content itself didn’t quite land for me.

The Gods Time Forgot by Kelsie Sheridan Gonzalez is a fun mix of historical romance and a bit of magic. It’s set in 1870s New York City and follows a girl named Rua who wakes up with no memory except her name. People mistake her for a missing rich girl, and suddenly she’s living the high-society life while trying to figure out who she really is.

There’s also Finn, a mysterious Irish guy with secrets of his own. The back-and-forth between Rua and Finn is super entertaining—they’ve got great chemistry, and the romance builds slowly in a satisfying way.

The book has cool mythology woven in, especially Irish legends, which adds a unique twist. It’s a little slow at times, especially when the fantasy stuff kicks in, but overall, the story and characters keep it interesting.

If you like historical settings, a bit of mystery, and some sweet romance with magical vibes, this one’s worth a read!

I got 87% in before the story stopped working for me (not the authors fault just technical problems) I loved the book what I did get read it was fun fantasy and has gods which is always fun

Omg yes!!!!!! This book was entirely captivating from start to finish. I was so utterly dialed in, desperate to know what happens next! Perfect for fans of Outlander and Bridgerton!! And the audiobook narrators were phenomenal!!!!!!! 10/10. No notes.

rua only knows two things: her name, and that she’s lost her memories. when the wealthy harrington family mistakes rua for their daughter emma, she reluctantly goes along with it. she has no means to get away from the harringtons, and hopes this charade will buy her time to figure out who she and emma really are. soon, she finds herself drawn to the lord of donore, finn, who is somehow familiar to her. as rua and finn work to uncover their shared past, rua is determined to find out what happened to the real emma.

i’m starting to think there are certain tropes/story elements that i only care for in fanfiction. i would normally consider myself a fan of the memory loss and (leaving out the second one since it could be a spoiler) tropes, but this is the second book i’ve read in the past month with those two elements that i really didn’t care for. unfortunately, for this book, not only did the plot not do it for me, i also didn’t absolutely get swept away by the romance, either. this did contain elements of irish mythology, though, which i did find cool, especially since i don’t see that in books very often. overall, this was just an okay read for me.

narration: kimberly m. wetherell and matthew forsythe narrated this audiobook. i liked the narration and thought it aligned well with the historical genre and slower pace of this book.

I really appreciated the dual narrators for the two main characters. They were easy to listen to and pulled me into the story. This novel started off strong with an intriguing concept. The main character, Rua, finds herself in unfamiliar surroundings in the late 1800’s. Those around her believe she has amnesia, but she is convinced she is not who they all think she is. She navigates this new life while trying not to make mistakes that will negatively affect her “family”. As she tries to recover her memories and solve the
mystery of who she is, an undeniable attraction draws Rua and the Irish born Finn over and over again even though he knows he should stay away. The interaction and romance between the two is satisfying to read and I was invested in the outcome of where their paths would lead, However, just as the final arc tension was mounting the story ended. It felt abrupt and frustrating. I truly expected more of a battle between the characters, as if the final chapters were missing. Had the ending gone a little further into the story I would have given it 4 stars.

This is a 10 star for me! I absolutely enjoyed it from start to finish and have already recommended it to 3 people! lol
The characters were well thought out and the plot was really interesting! I can’t wait for the next one and all the special editions will be sitting pretty on the shelf!

This book gives me fifth season vibes. I loved every moment listening to it. The way the female main character was interacting with everyone else was interesting to watch play out especially with the main male character.

I am writing this review a little less than 24 hours after I have finished the book, so I am going to try my best to emulate the feelings I had during and immediately after reading. When I go from one book to the next with very little time in between, some books I genuinely enjoyed get lost in the stack. While I can safely say that this has happened before with books I have recently finished, I think I can still say that this was the best book I’ve read all year. I understand that this seems a little less impactful given my previous statement, but with so little time left in the year, I stand by it regardless.

For starters, I requested an arc for this book because I knew of the author from social media. I had seen videos about her writing for over a year, and while I loved watching her work, I would not have requested the novel if it weren’t for the intriguing plot and time period in which it was set in. I expected this book to be like the majority of the ones I had read this year – another story that fit the mood I was in at the time, but maybe would not have been as memorable if it were not a book I was in the mood to read.

When looking at the clothes on the characters in the cover and thinking of the overall setting of the novel, I pictured it to be a fall read, one that I unfortunately was unable to pick up at the time as a result of school. The year is coming to an end, and I knew that when January started, it would be back to spring/summer in my mind, and I would no longer feel that I could read books such as these because they would not fit the season. Determined to start and finish this book while I still felt a chill in the air, I began reading.

While I had favorites throughout the year, I don’t recall that I had a book so far that I was constantly thinking about as I did with “The Gods Time Forgot.” I don’t believe that there was a book that I sped through as fast, nor was there a book that I was so eager to get back to. Rua and Finn were a delight to read about. I read on my Kindle, and every time they were together in a scene, I had highlighted and tabbed every page.

In 1870 New York, Emma Harrington emerges from a hole in the ground, immediately grabbed by the townspeople. She is thrown into the world of America’s Gilded Age, being dragged from event to event under the stern watch of her mother, Flossie Harrington, and warned that the only way that she will be able to make up for her expulsion from boarding school is by winning over the affection of newcoming immigrant, Irish aristocrat, and Lord of Denore Finn. Finn is intrigued by Emma; she does not seem to fit into their society, and while he knows his reputation is at stake, he can’t help but fall for her; it feels as if he’s met her before.

Finn is right – there is something different about her – she’s not actually Emma Harrington, and she can’t figure out why she’s here.

This “Emma Harrington” is actually Rua, and no one seems to believe her. All she remembers is waking up and climbing out of the hole in the ground. She has no memories from before, but she knows that while Emma Harrington may look like her, there is no way they are the same person. Desperate to figure out what happened to her and get back to where she’s meant to be, she must navigate this foreign world of social etiquettes, prove she is who they say she is, and learn of the true Emma Harrington’s whereabouts – all while keeping her true identity a secret from everyone.

If only she could remember what that identity is.

I will say it one more time, I absolutely loved this book. If I could find anything bad to say about it, it would be that I felt it ended too abruptly. While this may deter others, it instills a sliver of hope for me, a belief that there may be the sequel that I so desperately crave. I cannot speak for the grammar or the plot structure and plot holes, because while I didn’t see them, I am not qualified to comment on whether or not they were there. All that I can say is that I was so glad to find a book that made me wish to read faster so that I could experience the world and plot all at once, and I am thankful that I could find a story that was so interesting that it didn’t require me to be in the mood to read it.


Thank you so much to NetGalley and Alcove Press for the arc and the privilege of reading this novel and thank you Kelsie for writing such a beautiful story for me to enjoy.

Edit:
While this is from the original novel's arc that I received, I will make this work for the audiobook, too, because they are the same story.. My new additional thoughts are as follows:
1. The dual narration was the absolute best! I am so happy that you were able to do that, but also that you got Finn's voice actor to do an actual Irish accent! I was worried that it was just going to be a random mountain-man voice with no accent at all, but you didn't let that happen, and I am so grateful!
2. I wish I had this audiobook when I was reading the physical arc, because I feel like it would have made it so much more immersive. I was already hooked after the first chapter, so I can't imagine how much more obsessed I could get! However, I feel like this was probably here on the website when I read the novel, so that one's on me.

Thank you for allowing me to not only read this story, but listen to it too. It was truly a 5 star read.

A intriguing blend of historical fiction, fantasy, romance, and Irish mythology, The Gods Time Forgot centers around a woman’s precarious place in the rigidly patriarchal world in the 1880s — and highlights one woman's determined actions to defy it. I'll be honest, there was something about the cover or description that made me slow to pick this one up, but once I did, I found myself easily swept away.

The story begins with a bang: Rua awakes, digging herself free from a hole, hearing the voices of people searching for a lost woman. While she's not certain that woman is her, a deep and pervasive amnesia makes her desperate for help. When she stumbles towards them, the searchers immediately mistake her for their missing family member Emma, despite her insistence that Emma is not her name. Without memory of her previous life in their home, she continues to make missteps that don't jive with their family's standing in polite society. Convinced that she is suffering from a mental break, her controlling parents threaten her with entry into an assylm if she does not quickly confirm to their expectations. Enter: Finn, a business man who has traveled from Ireland to New York and is working hard to establish himself within proper society. Though he knows he should not involve himself with the fiery and controversial Rua/Emma, he finds her oddly familiar and irresistable. There is a low-key mystery vibe that provides some tension as Rua looks into the disappearance of Emma, her own murky history, and how she can get back to her former life.

It was easy to want to root for Rua to overcome the oppressions of a heavily patriarchal era, however her decisions, overall abrasiveness, and tendency to violence made me less sure. That said, her character felt fitting for the Irish mythology it was intended to reflect. I do wish the Irish folklore and her backstory could have been brought to center stage more effectively once introduced, so that readers would have gained an understanding of the folklore instead of just references to it.

The dual narrative from Kimberly M. Wetherell and Matthew Forsythe was well performed, with fluid pacing and emotional nuance. Thanks to NetGalley, Spotify Audiobooks, Alcove Press, and Kelsie Sheridan Gonzalez for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

4 stars...first off thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this audioARC of the book. I enjoyed this one. The characters were all lovable and I loved the plot. I really wanted to punch the mom many times and also the antagonist girl, Annette. This storyline was right up my alley. Hell mouths, Irish goddesses, murder, mayhem, societal woes. It's got intrigue, fantasy and some romance. I would definitely recommend this book to people.

Tropes:
Irish mythology
1870s era
Amnesia/Confusion
Historical Romance with a splash of fantasy

I loved the twists and turns that came with Rua and Finn's relationship.
It was truly wonderful to see how the ins and outs of 19th century NY old money and new money society.

I did not love how slowly the audiobook narrators read and sped it up to 2x speed.

Thank you Spotify Audiobooks and Netgalley for the ALC in exchange for an honest review.

A beautifully crafted, but frustratingly slow story. This was an atmospheric blend of mystery, romance, and very minimal folklore. It will probably appeal to someone who enjoyed the historical depth of The Gilded Age and Outlander (in concept only, in execution it's a far more stagnant situation). While the lush period details and gilded setting are immersive, the story's glacial pacing truly tested the limits of my patience. Somehow these 300ish pages managed to feel twice as long as they should have. There's undeniable craft here, but not enough narrative urgency - a stronger editorial hand could have given it the urgency it desperately needed. Unless you're happy to linger endlessly in the same scenes, you'll likely find your patience wearing thin well before the end.

The audiobook narration was lovely.

Thank you to Spotify Audiobooks for providing the ARC via NetGalley!

I was intrigued by this synopsis (and the cover) since I don’t know much about Irish mythology. Unfortunately, it fell flat for me. We get only glimpses into the mythology and honestly some creepy aspects involving the occult which I’m not sure whether that is part of the mythology or not. The first half was very slow for my preferences and then the ending eventually felt rushed as everything came together. It also ended very abruptly. I usually prefer an epilogue as a nice closure.

I did like the narrators. Both did a great job with the accents and flow.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the gifted copy of this audiobook. The thoughts and opinions in this review are my own.

Content Notes: Kisses/Makeouts

An amazing greek mythology retelling with a bit of mystery, romance and feisty FMC involved. definitely recommend for a historical romantasy.

I’d like to thank NetGalley, Spotify Audiobooks, and Kelsie Sheridan Gonzalez for the opportunity to listen to the audiobook version of The Gods Time Forgot.

It’s been quite a while since I ventured into a romantasy novel—especially one where the romance takes center stage. While this genre is currently popular with both adults and young adults, I’ve only dipped my toes in until now.

What truly drew me in was the Irish mythology. In my opinion, we need more stories rooted in that rich mythos, and this novel hit a spot I didn’t even realize I’d been craving. The story is primarily set in 1870s Manhattan, with interwoven glimpses of a past in Ireland. At times, especially in audio format, the overlapping settings could be a bit confusing to follow.

I really liked the main characters, Rua and Finn. As for the rest of the cast… let’s just say I had a few unladylike things I wanted to say to them—but I suspect that was exactly what the author intended.

The plot was intriguing enough that I finished the audiobook in just two days. While the romance stayed firmly in PG-13 territory, I found myself both invested and just a little frustrated with how long it took the main couple to stop dancing around their feelings. That said, I was ultimately satisfied with the ending. It did feel a bit rushed, and I was bracing myself for a cliffhanger—but thankfully, it wrapped up neatly.

Overall, I enjoyed The Gods Time Forgot and would happily recommend it to my library patrons. It’s a great beginner-friendly introduction to the romantasy genre, with a bonus dose of Irish history and lore.

Rating: 3.75/5

I really enjoyed this audiobook! As a huge audiobook listener I feel I can come to appreciate any narrator, but these two really made the story shine! I’ll definitely be buying a physical copy as a shelf trophy and recommending this to my friends who listen to books!