The Gods Time Forgot

Happy release week to The Gods Time Forgot, the debut novel by Kelsie Sheridan Gonzalez. Set in New York during the Gilded Age, this novel opens with Rua awakening with amnesia. The people around her claim she’s Emma Harrington, daughter of a local wealthy family, but she’s certain she’s not. As Rua navigates the season in Manhattan, she’s trying to uncover the truth behind her identity and why she’s here. She’s also drawn to Finn, the Lord of Donore, an Irish man working his way up in society. Is there a connection there? What does he know of her past?

Why I Chose This Book:

I was excited to read a book drawn from Irish mythology, and the mystery surrounding Rua had my interested piqued. It’s also set in the 1870s, which is contemporary with many of the historical romances I enjoy. Here, it’s set in New York rather than England, making the setting feel fresh.

What I Liked:

• Rua is such a fun character! She’s temperamental and can’t be bothered to play nice with 1870s society. She’s strong-willed… a good match for her cold-hearted “mother,” Flossie.
• Finn! He’s conflicted, to be sure, but at his heart he’s a good person who just wants to help others, from orphans to people in fires to Rua when she’s bullied by everyone.
• Memory loss, mysteries, and hints of magic. For most of the book, we don’t really know what’s going on. Who is Rua and how did she get here? What happened to Emma? Are these hellmouths real? Does Rua have magical abilities? And what is this faint connection between Rua and Finn? We’re all in the dark until the last 20% or so.
• Feminism and critique of upper classes. Rua regularly fights against the restrictions and rules she faces as a woman. Finn simultaneously seems to dislike the wealthy, even if he wants to use his growing wealth to help those less fortunate.
• Irish mythology. Much about this isn’t revealed until late in the book, but I loved the nods to Irish legend and culture.

What Didn’t Work for Me:

• Is Rua a likable character in the end? Does she deserve a second chance?
• The ending still leaves some questions unanswered. I didn’t find it rushed, exactly, but I was hoping for a bit more explanation on some things.

Final Thoughts

The Gods Time Forgot is a thoughtful and mysterious novel that will keep you guessing until the end. It’s marketed as a romantasy, though it’s more subtle than most romantasies being published now. Even so, if you like the hint of magic and a forbidden romance set in the Gilded Age, with a thread of Irish mythology woven throughout, this is an engrossing read. I look forward to reading more from Kelsie Sheridan Gonzalez.

Special thanks to Alcove Press and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this book!

Get the Book

You can buy The Gods Time Forgot here – it’s available as a paperback, ebook, and audiobook.

The Gods Time Forgot by Kelsie Sheridan Gonzalez
Audience	Adult
Genre	Fantasy; Romantasy
Setting	New York
Number of Pages	336
Format I Read	Ebook (NetGalley ARC)
Original Publication Date	April 8, 2025
Publisher	Alcove Press

Official Summary

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.

Manhattan, 1870. Rua knows only two things: her name and that she has no memories. So when the wealthy Harrington family mistakes Rua for their missing daughter, Emma, Rua goes along with the charade, hoping for answers about who she really is. As she tries to blend into a society she doesn’t remember, she’s drawn to a firmly off-limits man: the Lord of Donore, a newcomer to Manhattan society who is somehow familiar to Rua.

Finn is new to this side of the Atlantic and knows that the best way to fit in as Lord of Donore is to make friends in high places and play by the rules of society. He knows he shouldn’t become involved with a mysterious, recently missing debutante, but he’s intrigued by Emma Harrington, and Finn has an uncanny feeling that this isn’t the first time they’ve met. 

With societal pressures mounting on both sides, Rua is determined to discover the truth about the missing Harrington daughter and her own past. But when her memories begin to return, they’re of a world far stranger than New York and traced in dark magic.

As ancient secrets unfurl in Rua’s memory, Rua and Finn are forced to uncover the mystery of their past and try to save their future. In this gritty and glittering romantasy, nothing and no one is as they seem.