I really loved all of the fairy tale references through the book, and the changes in perspective between Ella and Aurora. I do hope there will be more in this series because I was HOOKED. I read this novel in under 24 hours, and as a mom of a toddler, that is no easy feat.

Pleaser see review posted to Goodreads. Will add to Amazon once available.
Thank you for the ARC.


5 Stars!! I'm a huge fan of books that do not end how you expect them to end!!!
I can't wait for the release so I can get a copy for my personal library.

This is my first Melissa Naatz book but will not be my last.
This book took me a minute to get into but then I was hooked. This story is gorgeous. Ella's journey was heartbreaking and heart warming and completely relatable. I felt like I was remembering something important as I read it. The way she described the gods and how they felt and thought...I'm trying not spoil it...but chef's kiss.
Can't wait for the next release!!



Thanks, Netgalley for the ARC. I'm hooked on Melissa Naatz

💫This standalone fantasy book was very entertaining. I loved the concept of cursed gods, forbidden loves, and the things some are willing to do or sacrifice, in order to obtain it.

💫It was a easy read and it will keep you on your toes. I wasn’t expecting the ending at all.

Netgalleryreview

Thank you to Netgalley and Melissa Naatz for the ARC! I had a great time reading this! If you're a fan of dreamy love stories entangled with gods and curses,then this one’s definitely worth picking up. The lore is rooted in familiar mythic tones but reshaped into something unique, and the writing leans lyrical without being overdone. While the story shines in creativity, the writing itself, while lyrical in nature, is fairly minimalist but is great for readers who prefer a more direct style and is easy to devour quickly! The romance unfolds slowly and carries real emotional weight, quietly heartbreaking and beautifully told. I’m excited to see where this world could go next!

I'm always a sucker for a slow-burn fantasy and this really hit the spot for me. I found the prose was flowery without feeling too repetitive or detached, and loved the development of the characters. This is the first book I have read by Melissa Naatz but I will definitely be searching for her other work in bookstores.

Thank you to Netgalley and Melissa Naatz for the ARC. I enjoyed reading this novel, the third by this author. I was unfamiliar with her previous work.

I found the book to be highly readable and not overwritten. I do really like the writer's style. She has a clear, clean voice that doesn't feel like purple prose which can happen in this genre. Plus, the characters are likeable, especially the women in the early chapters. I felt as though they were well defined with individual personalities. I only wish they had been in the story more. I also appreciated the various ways the author injected women's empowerment into the story whether it was about Ella's sexual empowerment or about the female gods who were all very powerful.

The worldbuilding in this book is fair. It's a little hard to describe because the first part of the book is one way and the second and third parts of the book have a very different location, tone, and cast. It seems the author is considering this to be the start of a series so potentially there will be more worldbuilding in future installments but, when it comes to this book, I think there was more room for depth with the worldbuilding in the second part of the book. I will also say that the language changes rather abruptly as well and that was kind of confusing. The language in part two and three is more modern using current, real life swear words and slang for sex organs that felt a little anachronistic given the old world tone of the first part. The book is a bit uneven in this way.

The plot itself was engaging, especially in the first part. Not gonna lie. She lost me a bit in the second part because of the abrupt change in tone but I rallied and got back into it. I breezed through it in a day so I would definitely recommend this to romantasy fans....

And there's the issue for me...I'm not a romantasy person. When I requested this ARC, I thought I was getting a magical realism/fantasy book with a touch of romance similar to When the Moon was Ours, The Night Circus, or Hotel Magnifique. This cover does not suggest romantasy or even fantasy really. It's too cutesy for that and really has no relevance to the story. Similarly, I don't think the title sounds like romantasy either. So, I did feel like it was an unintentional bait and switch in that the book maybe isn't being marketed the way it actually is which is a star crossed lovers romance about gods. It's romance with a capital R. This book majored in romance and minored in fantasy. So, if you're into romance, this is for you. If you like your fantasy to be primary fantasy with just a touch of romance (like The Guilded Ones, for example), this is not for you. This issue with how the book is being marketed is unfortunate because I do think, with the right title and cover that really reflect what the story is actually about, it could be very successful.

The last thing I will say is please do not try to have a drinking game for how many times the author says "Gods above" or "Gods below" as a slang phrase, or you will die. This was likely inspired by the occasional use of "By the cauldron" in ACOTAR. However, the overuse of this phrase had me grating my teeth by the end. It reminded me of how Vonnegut used the phrase "So it goes" 106 times in the 109 page book, Slaughterhouse 5 .

TLDR: If you like romantasy, read this. You'll like it. If you're not looking for a book that is primarily a romance, this is not for you.

3.75⭐️

“𝑵𝒐𝒕 𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝒇𝒂𝒊𝒓𝒚𝒕𝒂𝒍𝒆𝒔 𝒃𝒆𝒈𝒊𝒏 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 ‘𝒐𝒏𝒄𝒆 𝒖𝒑𝒐𝒏 𝒂 𝒕𝒊𝒎𝒆’— 𝒔𝒐𝒎𝒆 𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒓𝒕 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒂 𝒃𝒓𝒐𝒌𝒆𝒏 𝒉𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒕.”

This was a really solid debut romantasy, treading the pages of the tragic love story of Dawn and Darkness, in The Forgotten Life of Ella Moon we revisit the tale as old as time “true love conquers all” trope, the obstacles they must overcome and pain they must endure to be together.

The only thing I struggled with was that the pacing felt a little over the place at times, and whilst largely this was relevant to the plot - jumping worlds and timelines - this meant that sometimes it came across as disjointed and a little bit clunky.

This aside, this was really quite a beautiful read, and I’m looking forward to seeing where the author could potentially take this world next! Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to read an advance copy of this book.

Beautifully written and quietly devastating, this is a tale of lost love, divine heartbreak, and the fragile threads of memory.

This was such a gorgeously written story—atmospheric, aching, and threaded with the kind of magic that feels ancient and quietly powerful. I loved the fantasy elements woven through the plot, especially the haunting mythology of the gods and the tragic love story of Dawn and Darkness.

Ella’s path through memory, magic, and heartbreak unfolds with quiet intensity, always tinged with longing. Her unravelling—of identity, history, and love—feels both intimate and mythic, like reading a dream you half-remember.

If you enjoy slow-burn romantic fantasy with lyrical prose and a bittersweet edge, The Forgotten Life of Ella Moon will absolutely sweep you away. A beautiful, haunting read.