This was a fast and pleasant read. I particularly liked the witty and tense banter between the two main characters but also the setting of 1870 Gilded Age Manhattan high society dynamic. Every over character was purposely infuriating in the way they treated Emma/Rua who is amnesic after a nigh in the woods/meddling with dark magic.

The MMC is full of spunk and grit even when literally everything and everyone is out to get her or set her up for failure. That was a little heavy and triggering in ways but she kept her spirits up.

The premise and even the resolution at the end we exciting and satisfying, however not much happens in the story. The loss of memory storyline took up too long to sort out and the goddess plot line was under-developed sadly -- a missed opportunity for the ending to expand the world and tie all the different elements/aspects of the main characters... unless this isn't a standalone and that was a choice. I gave it 4 stars because I liked the writing, the characters, and have hope this story continues.

The first thing that caught my eye about this book was its breathtaking cover art—absolutely stunning! The story is set primarily in the 1800s and centers on Rua. She has no memories of her past, only the vivid recollection of clawing her way out of the earth in a dark forest. When she’s discovered by others, they’re certain she’s Emma, someone they know. Rua is thrust into Emma’s life in high society, but nothing feels right—nothing feels like hers.

As the story unfolds, Rua begins to recover fragments of memories from a past life—a time filled with gods, magic, and powerful guardians. Along the way, she meets Finn, an Irish immigrant who, like her, doesn’t quite belong in the rigid structures of high society. Despite their best efforts to keep their distance, the two are inexplicably drawn to each other. Meanwhile, Rua must maintain the facade of being Emma while unraveling the truth about the dark magic and secrets surrounding her life and identity.

The plot is intriguing, and the writing is beautifully done. However, I did find the pacing a bit slow in places, and the ending felt somewhat abrupt. It makes me wonder if this book is setting the stage for a sequel—it certainly leaves room for one!

I liked the slow burn romance but found the plot/ storyline repetitive.
75% into the book before anything really starts to happen that’s related to Irish mythology.
I enjoyed the Irish mythology aspects that come in about 90% into the story. But overall the story is predictable and the ending felt a little rushed.

The Gods Time Forgot promises an interesting premise of lost memories, Irish mythology, and star-crossed lovers, but bad pacing, a tedious FMC, and an abrupt ending brought the whole story down.

The Gods Time Forgot tells the story of Rua and Finn. Rua wakes up covered in blood as she crawls out of a hole in the ground, with no memory of who she is or how she got underground. Mistaken for the daughter of the wealthy Harrington family, Rua plays along to find out who she is and what happened. Her plans are derailed when she meets Finn, an Irish immigrant lord and the number one bachelor of the debutante season. Finn is determined to make his way in New York society so he can fund his charitable pursuits, but he dislikes having to play society's games. When he hears rumors of the wild Harrington daughter, he vows to steer clear, but one look at Rua awakens lost memories and a bond neither can deny. As their pasts begin to awaken, Rua and Finn are forced to deal with the pressures and dangers of nineteenth century New York society while fighting their attraction and facing the brutal truth of their returning memories.

I really wanted to like this book. Irish mythology is so interesting and less popular in books, and the star-crossed lovers aspect seemed exciting. The story started off great--Rua clawing herself out of the ground, finding herself covered in blood, then washing off in water than burned anyone else who touched it--was both macabre and fascinating. The relationship between Rua and Mara seemed intriguing, and Rua's efforts to blend in while trying to figure out who she is seemed like it would be a hard mission. Finn's POV provided a nice counter--he had his own mission and was willing to play games to earn a name in society, even though he didn't care for said games. And the sparks between the two of them--woo! It was all adding up.

But then the first 2/3rds of the story was basically Rua being opinionated and brash and definitely not keeping a low profile to try to pretend to be Emma. I appreciated the ways she broke the typical debutante mold at first, but then it got very repetitive, and I just keeping thinking that this would be the final thing that got Rua sent away. I liked the trappings of the New York Gilded Age--Rua's dresses in particular were described beautifully--but it wasn't anything special. Finn didn't want to be drawn to Rua because it ruined all his careful plans, but he couldn't help himself, and then he kept making bad decisions because of lOvE. And while I liked the scenes with the two of them, I never felt like they fully received the consequences they deserved for their bad decisions.

And so the story played out more like Bridgerton than a historical romantasy until the last third, when Rua and Finn really start remembering and piecing things together. I liked learning more about the mythology and about Rua and Finn's true identities and was just generally excited to see how their love would play out. The ending was building up to some big conclusion and then it just...stopped? Like, the story just ended suddenly, and not even on a cliffhanger. It was just the end without any real resolution or hints of things to come and I was left questioning the entire book.

I don't know that I'd really describe this book as fantasy; it reads much more as a historical romance that the author decided need some fantasy to make it relevant in today's publishing world. And that's a shame, because the mythology is interesting and had a lot of promise. Ultimately, this isn't the book for me.

This book was a journey for me - it felt a bit slow to start, but once I was thoroughly in it, I was IN. IT. I felt the societal pressure inflicted on the characters so acutely and while I wished there had been more fantastical elements and answers to my questions incorporated into the finale, I was completely engaged and I can’t wait for more!

This was different. In a good way. Rua's journey was unlike that of which I've read before. I enjoyed this.

A dark fantasy novel with solid worldbuilding and characters. Rua doesn't really remember much, but she's pretty sure she's not Emma Harrington. Unfortunately, with no other options, she submits to the ruse of being Emma to buy herself time to figure out what she really is. It's either that or the Harringtons are going to lock her up in a madhouse, a fate almost worse than death. She teams up with businessman and immigrant Finn and together they slowly untangle the magical mystery of who Rua is and what really happened to Emma Harrington.

This book was one I was able to read pretty quickly and was one that started out okay but ended up being interesting at the end. There were points the plot/ storyline kinda flat lined and then others that kept the mystery alive. I feel like the ending was a little to HEA kind of thing instead of having a cliffhanger or a point where they talked about what their past was and what they had to do to move on from it. It was a little weird for me after reading about them and their history. I think I just expected more of a struggle between them or to have the other issues that you find out about come to play and leave us wondering what they will do next. As of right now I don’t hate the book but I’m in no rush to pass it to a friend or read the next one.

3.5/5 - Very enjoyable, but didn't quite hit as hard as I'd hoped

I was instantly intrigued by the comparison to Outlander and was so excited to dive in. I loved the blend of historical fiction, Irish mythology, and romance in this book! However, the slow pace had me struggling to turn the page (and amnesia tropes just are not my jam, but that's a me problem). Rua is bold and witty character, which I sincerely appreciated given the time setting. Ultimately, this was a fun read but the slow pace and abrupt ending left me disappointed. It's worth checking out if you're a fan of regency-era fiction and mythology-based romantasy though!

Thanks to NetGalley and Alcove Press for the advance copy of this title.

This was fine. It didn’t blow me away and the characters didn’t really stick with me. They also didn’t seem to the same people from their past life. I wish their first relationship had been fleshed out a little more.

The story of Rua and Finn was one like no other. Filled with mistaken identity, soul mates destined to find each other, and one heck of a ruthless mom to boot. Set in Gilded Era NYC this book was everything I love about that era and more.

The story & writing style reminded me of Ruthless Vows. Two people, meant to be together, but fought it every step of the way…until they couldn’t any longer.

Thank you NetGalley for the chance to read this book in exchange for my honest review.

The Gods Time Forgot is a gorgeous mix of Manhattan high society and the haunting beauty of Irish mythology. Set in 1870, the story kicks off with Rua, a young woman who finds herself in the mysterious woods in a river everyone believes to be cursed where she has no memory of her true identity but is mistaken for the missing Emma Harrington. Desperate for answers about who she really is, Rua steps into the life of a debutante she knows she isn’t. But things take a turn when she meets Finn, the enigmatic Lord of Donore, who’s just arrived in New York and feels eerily familiar.

What really hooked me was the blend of romance and mystery. Rua’s determination to uncover the truth—and the longing between her and Finn—kept me flipping pages. Their connection feels fated but is layered with secrets, making every interaction charged. And let’s talk about the setting: it’s got all the glamour of a Bridgerton-style society drama, but with this dark, magical edge that makes it so much more than just a historical romance.

The story shines when it leans into its mythological roots. There’s something so fresh about weaving Irish legends into a 19th-century New York backdrop. However, I wish the ending had been given a bit more time to breathe. It felt like everything ramped up, and then—bam—it was over. The main antagonist especially could have had a bigger role in the finale to make the payoff feel more intense.

That said, I really enjoyed the whole experience. It’s a romance that quite literally transcends time, full of intrigue, longing, and a touch of magic. If you’re into fantasy with strong romantic vibes and a unique setting, this one’s for you.

While the premise for this story--Irish gods and lovers separated by time and circumstances--is a good one, the execution of the story is flat and cartoonish. Rua/Emma Harrington and Finn are the mortal protagonists living in Gilded Age New York. But both have memories/dreams of another life when they were one of the Morrigans (in Rua's case), or Cu Chulainn (in Finn's). However, Rua has no memory of being Emma, and the family she finds herself in keeps threatening to put her in an asylum or to marry her off to a lord, if only they can convince him. As a nouveau riche family in New York, and as crass as the mother is, that does not go well. But all the blame for it goes to Rua. What's one of the things that's so unbelievable in the story is that no other nouveau riche families are mentioned. Somehow, all the scorn descends on Rua and no one else. There's much mention of the importance of reputation and dress, but very little development of character. It's unclear how Finn came to New York or why he's trying to burnish his reputation, even though he's an Irish lord. He remains throughout the story pretty much as a plot device and not a complex human being. There are accusations of devil worship and entrances to the immortal world through hellmouths (conveniently located near the Harrington family estate in upstate New York, or in Central Park when the action moves to Manhattan), but it's curious that no one other than Rua and her maid Mara seem to be aware of them. After a lot of angst and vague memories, the story is abruptly resolved, in a predictable, but unsatisfying, manner. Not a recommended story.

he book started off really promising and captured my attention with its premise. However, as the story goes on, I found that there was really nothing going on in the 75% of the book. I wouldn't have minded this slow pace if it had been used for a deeper understanding of the characters. Unfortunately, that wasn’t the case.

I felt like the characters remained one-dimensional throughout the whole book, I didn’t really see any development in any of them. As someone who enjoys, character-driven books, this really disappoints me.

Then, the ending was rushed and it didn’t feel like a true conclusion. All of the things and problems that the character faces were wrapped up too quickly. I still have so many questions after reading it and it really left me unsatisfied.

Overall, it wasn’t a perfect read but I did enjoy reading it.

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for the oppourtunity to read this eARC!

This was ok. I wasn't really into it. The celtic stuff was cool, but I think the amnesia aspect was taking me out of it because I wished I knew even a little bit about the world.

22/02/2025
⭐⭐⭐/5

I enjoyed this! A new take on soulmates, this book follows our protagonist, Rue, who is stuck in a girl named Emma's body and suddenly is living her life. Emma's life is one of social dissaray, a mother who cares more about what other families think of them then her own daughter and a father who just lets the mother's abuse happen.

See, I'm normally not a fan of any sort of insta-love, and this story felt very "instant romance" to me. However, I could forgive it thanks to the role it played in the story. The concept of this book is amazing, and the mythology that was integrated into the story was interesting and engaging.


Unfortunately, the pacing felt a bit off. The ending was very quick, while moments of the book dragged on for longer than necessary, and I feel that the romance wasn't fleshed out enough. I wasn't convinced of it.

I have big hope for this author, however. The creativity is something harder to improve on then pacing and writing style, and there is not a question in my mind that this debut novel, if anything, shows how much talent the author has. I look forward to hopefully seeing more of their works.

Rua/Emma wakes up in a hole and has no memory of how she got there or who she is. She starts to remember bits of her past and meets a handsome Irish Lord in New York and starts to suspect that they have met before. The story is based on bits of Celtic/Irish mythology and that part was really fascinating and I usually love a good historical romance, but this was so confusing to me overall. I loved their banter and relationship but I was still not following the whole setup of their situation at the end. The ending itself was so abrupt and didn’t feel like it was really fleshed out as it should have been. Overall, I was a bit disappointed that such a good concept fell so flat and scattered.

Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to read and review this story.

Although I enjoyed this book, I think there are a few things it lacks, that keep it from being really good.

Most importantly, the pacing seemed off. Most of the book felt like it was dragging out, and then all of the sudden, the last 10% or so of the book finished so quickly. Also, the main character's story is revealed very slowly. Authors have to balance withholding information from the reader to create a sense of suspense and revealing information so slowly that the story is boring in the meantime. In this case, I think the information was withheld too long, creating boredom.

This is Gonzalez's debut novel, which is exciting since they will probably only improve as they go. and I look forward to what they might write in the future!

This was a refreshing take on historical fantasy romance. Although it wasn't a new favourite, I was immediately considered for our FMC (talk about being in a pickle lmao) and I needed to know how it was all going to play out. Plus the tension between our two MC's was very fun to read.

Wishing Kelsie all the best for her debut!


3.75/5

This was a fun twist on Irish lore and New York City in the 1870s.

Personally, I enjoy amnesia stories and this one was fun. And what is even more fun when they are goddesses/demigods that come in the mortal realm.

Rua was a witty, strong-willed FMC that was put in a very interesting situation, one that felt like a cage.

Finn just couldn't stay away and the tension between them.