direadsomebooks's Reviews > The Gods Time Forgot

I love it when a book captivates me by its cover and then wins me over by all its other aspects! When I saw this book on Netgalley I simply couldn't resist and I was so pleased when my request was accepted that I started reading straight away. The beginning is a little slow and made me not get into the story right away, but it soon becomes so intriguing that is almost impossible to stop reading. Rua is a mysterious character, even to herself, as she has no memory of who she is. I loved to gradually unraveling her as she unraveled herself too. A strong and complex character, but also atypical, which is what I liked most about her. Thrown into the 19th century New York’s society, Rua has to unravel who she really is while pretending to be someone else and integrating into the high society of the time, which provides just the right amount of drama. But it's when the MMC, Finn, appears that the story really becomes addictive. The banter between these two, the way they tease each other, how they are gradually more affected by each interaction and how it becomes increasingly difficult to avoid the attraction, how they are true to each other even when they hide so much from the world, the chemistry and palpable tension, the author has built a romance that is impossible to remain indifferent to. But also the way Finn always treats Rua as an equal in a world that sees women as inferior, this made me love him on a whole new level! The fantasy aspect ends up taking more of a scundary role to the romance and character development and, although I would have liked to have seen it explored more, I didn't miss it too much. The story of these two and their evolutions as individuals shines on its own and the touch of gods and Irish mythology ends up being a touch of something more that affirms this book as part of the romantasy subgenre with immense potential to become a favorite for those who like the genre. The ending was a bit abrupt and I missed an epilogue that would have wrapped up the story better, but I loved the fact that it was more open-ended so as to leave room for a sequel, like a door sighly open. The kind of ending that leaves you longing for a sequel, but also feeling good if it doesn't happen.
This book turned out to be a very nice surprise, with kinda of lyrical writing, a sweeping romance, a mix of Divine Rivals and Bridgerton that was so engaging and addictive and that I loved to have the chance to read the arc. A read that captivated me, that ended up becoming a favorite and that I highly recommend!


Plot & World 4⭐
Characters 5⭐
Enjoyment 4⭐
Writting 5⭐

Overall 4.5⭐