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Not all fairytales begin with ‘once upon a time’—some start with a broken heart.
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What drew me to the book:
The title.
How long it’s been on my TBR:
2 Months.
My expectations:
A fun, if not slightly angsty, Fantasy book with Romance.
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My thoughts whilst reading:
Honestly I was just largely disappointed & somewhat bored, the disappointment started early on, as early as when the love interest showed up (which wasn’t very far into the book). I started off hopeful, I loved the hope & magic through which Ella, our main character, saw the world but I quickly grew tired of it when it all led to nothing. The love interest came along & any hopes I had for this book to actually be interesting disappeared as all Ella seemed to be capable of thinking about was how hot this guy was - that was the moment I knew the book would let me down. The writing which I thought to be full of magic at first soon became tiring as it was just simile & metaphor after overwrought simile & metaphor, especially as we were given so little information with any actual substance, most important information I found was just given in a sentence or two (often out of nowhere) so that we could go back to reading about Ella waxing poetic about Thane’s looks or something or other.
Ella & Thane’s ‘development’ - which is a very generous word seeing as it was non-existent - was boring, the two met, he had a questionable interest in Ella which Ella never questioned or thought to be odd despite only knowing him three days & instead she fancied him which is a whole can of worms by itself. Thane asks her odd questions & speaks to her as if he knew her in her past life which she never finds bizarre, Ella also finds out that he has been asking around about her but again never really questions it or thinks much of it, Thane also just says odd things which again she never questions, at one point he even speaks into her head & she just accepts it. We also get Ella saying that she wants to kiss him when he smiles which would be fine if it wasn’t all so superficial, by this point she’d barely spent 6 hours with him across 2 days but she is already ready to give herself over to him.
Another gripe I had is that Ella started of somewhat interesting, torn between few good options she could either marry one of two men who she doesn’t love or go find work as a woman of ‘ill-repute’, she spends her time day dreaming & hoping for someone from her past to rescue her or even for herself to remember her past until Thane turns up & it’s all about him, his looks & how she can’t stop thinking about him which was a waste of a good plot.
Anyway, things progress & eventually Ella regains her memories which then throws us into the most boring 19 chapters of the book solely about Ella’s past & the lad up to her memory loss. I was so bored reading this stretch as not only did I not care for Dawn (who Ella really is) I found her to be boring & lacking of any character at all. These chapters despite all being pretty short seemed to drag on until we finally reached the end of the past in a final 2 chapters which were more interesting than all the others surrounding Dawn’s past, it's a shame they were so short. My problem with this was how it broke up the story, there was no flow to it connecting the past & present to keep the story moving, instead you are thrown solely into the past & have to trudge through it to finally get the story to progress, I can see what the author was trying to do but it the execution fell ridiculously short.
Finally the story makes its way back to the present & whilst this last third wasn’t as much of a drag I still didn’t care much for it. It got a little repetitive & the progress it did make left me bored, it felt like it could have been building up to something epic which obviously it didn’t, the drama / conflict between Dawn & Darkness was boring & the resolution was a let down lacking the emotional depth it could have carried had the book been done well.
How long it took me to read:
4½ hours across 3 days.
Overall:
The Forgotten Life of Ella Moon is what happens when your book has no layers or depth, the book had barely any substance & everything was just given with nothing being earned from Ella’s trust to any information or plot no matter how big or small; it was all just served up on a tray which shone the colour of a cloud on a bright night; it was the epitome of telling instead of showing. The book's romance which was one of the main selling points in the synopsis was nothing but insta-lust, with Ella knowing Thane less than a week before falling for him & like everything else in the book everything to do with their relationship was all given & not earned. The second ‘part’ of the book (out of the three there were) dragged & was boring, I cared less for who Ella used to be & found her to be less interesting than who she was as Ella.
The book would have benefited from being restructured, specifically the middle & final third into something with better flow. It could also cut down on a lot of the scenes as nothing consequential happened often & you could easily get away with reading just the dialogue for a large majority of the book. I also think that despite being only 300 pages it could have easily been cut down to 250 at least by removing some of more irrelevant descriptions, I also think had it been shorter it could have worked better & packed more of a punch.
Quite frankly this book should be re-titled ‘The Forgettable Life of Ella Moon’ after how boring & unremarkable it was.
Miscellaneous:
Not Applicable.
Did it meet my expectations:
No, I went in expecting something enjoyable & entertaining & instead I found myself annoyed, bored & extremely unimpressed by the romance.
My thoughts on the cover before & after reading:
I really like the colours, they drew me in but I’m not the biggest fan of the cover, whilst the style it’s in helps it stand out from other similar covers I’m just not the biggest fan of this style of cover.
Looking at it after reading the book it doesn't feel like it suits the book at all.
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Favourite character:
I liked Ella before Thane as well as her friends.
Favourite scene:
The end as whilst I disliked the ending & found it somewhat anti-climactic, it at least marked the end of the book.
Favourite relationship:
None.
Favourite quote:
None.
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Why I rounded the review down*:
Not applicable - but if it were I would round it down as I just didn’t enjoy this book all that much to round it up nor did I think it deserved to be rounded up based on the character work or the relationships or the writing.
Do I regret reading it:
Not necessarily but I won’t be coming back for a re-read either.
Will I be reading the sequel:
No, whilst I do think that if there is a sequel it could have potential I don’t think that it will be for me.
Will I be investing in a physical copy:
No.
Do I recommend it:
Honestly, not really unless you want a book that reads like those TikTok vertical dramas.
*(for rating systems such as Goodreads)
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Thank you so much to Netgalley for the ARC.

Ella can only remember the last twelve months, after being mysteriously found on the banks of the river in the village of Riverton. She is taken in and given work, but she desperately wants to know who she really is.

This is a beautifully written fantasy romance, that switches between realms. It is a story of love and heartbreak.
A very enjoyable and captivating read.

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and author for letting me read a copy of this book in return for my honest review

4/5 stars
Not all fairytales begin with ‘once upon a time’—some start with a broken heart.
No one in the small village of Riverton knows who the girl found asleep by the river is or where she came from. Including the girl. A year later, the girl, now named Ella, has slipped into her ill-fitting life as best she can. She has made friends, found work, and almost fallen in love. Her new life would be perfect if she didn’t miss her forgotten one. That longing is only complicated when the very handsome Thane Tenebris shows up in Riverton, searching for what he lost.
At first, Ella believes her feelings for Thane are because of their mutual need to find what they’ve lost. But the more time she spends with him, the more she’s drawn to him and the darkness that surrounds him. Ella can’t help but wonder if he is from her past. And after a reckless night with Thane reveals the truth of who she really is, Ella realizes her forgotten life may not be worth remembering.

Review:
I really liked all of this! The characters the story everything.

I thought this was very good and I will have to add this to the shop shelves. Thank you for the chance for us to review.

This was a decent read with an interesting premise—uncovering a forgotten past and rediscovering identity. I liked the overall idea and some of the emotional moments really hit. That said, the pacing felt a bit slow at times, and I didn’t feel fully connected to the characters. It had potential, and there were parts I enjoyed, but it didn’t completely pull me in the way I hoped. A solid read, just not a standout for me.

The Forgotten Life of Ella Moon is a beautiful romance story that tells the love story of Darkness and Dawn, two gods who, like Romeo and Juliet, weren't meant to love each other, but whose love was so great and powerful that not even Death could separate them.
A very well-written book, with a beautiful cover, enchanting characters, and a very, very engaging plot.
Highly recommended, but with a warning: it contains some very descriptive sex scenes, so if these types of scenes are a trigger for you, there are two options: skip them or learn to ignore them. It's not fair to stop you from reading this beautiful novel because of those scenes, which, after all, are part of Life.
I thank the author and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.
The opinion I have expressed above is based solely on what I think and feel about this book.

This book follows Ella, who is found by the side of a river with no memories. It delves into her life in the year after being found (including the arrival of one Mr Tenebris), and how she got by the river. I loved learning about Ella and her history. I absolutely adored Mr Tenebris and his gentleness towards Ella. I loved exploring the world of Gods. I felt that this book was really well written, with characters that had depth to them. It was such a hauntingly beautiful book that I genuinely struggle to think of anything I didn't like about it.

I absolutely loved the first half of this book. I loved the plot, the well developed characters and the FMC and MMC had great chemistry.
You lost me on the second half of the book. It felt like a totally different book. The FMC felt bratty, it was all about fairytales (which was so different than the first half), and the pacing was weird.
Overall I still felt like it was worth reading but it was just okay for me.

I really enjoyed these book. The concept is quite unique but the underlining themes of identity and trying to be who you want to be and not what others want is really relatable.
The characters felt fully developed and I was rooting for Ella from the get go.
It is more a tell don’t show kind of book and the world building took second place behind the characters relations, but I enjoyed the love story elements and didn’t feel like I was missing out on much.
In the end I couldn’t put it down and raced through the final chapters.
Overall I really liked this book and thought it was a pretty decent Romantasy… but if you’re bigger in the fantasy side it may not be for you.

Thank you to NetGalley for this e-ARC.

I found this book enjoyable for its charming, fairy-tale language. The characters, whether main or side, each had a life and personality of their own, shaped by their aspirations. Every character wanted something more to their life--Ella Moon wanted a memory of a lively past, Clara wanted a husband for stability, William wanted Ella to love, and Sissy wanted her stories to be real happy endings. The desires of these characters made them enchanting to read.

However, I thought the pacing was slow, especially for the beginning. The plot was barely beginning, so I tried to be patient. Perhaps a little more action at the start would have kept my focus.

3.5/5 stars

The concept of this book is really fun. I really like the idea of the story of a girl who has forgotten who she is and is trying to decide between trying to find out, and moving on with the life she now has. The reader knows more than the MC does from basically the first page, and while I think that can be a great way of writing this type of story, I do wish we were left in the dark (no pun intended ;) ) just a little bit longer.
I do believe that this is a good shorter story that could be read in one or two sittings. I do also think it is possible to flesh more of the plots and characters out to make it longer and feel more developed.

I really like the set up of the parts of the book. I don't want to add spoilers to this review but I'm specifically talking about how the past and present scenes are laid out. I also like how the Male Main Character seems to respect the FMC's decisions.

I am currently halfway through this and wanted to make sure I got my review in on time, and will edit this once I finish.
Edit: I did DNF it about half way through. I am not sure if I will pick it up again.

This book took me on a journey!

It was the perfect balance of magic and the reality of getting your heartbroken (as well as breaking some hearts, as well). It was beautifully written with each chapter winding you down the path of Ella Moon's turned upside-down life. How does one just wakes up and remembers who she is?

On some parts, I could relate to Ella -- being told by everyone who she should be and who she should love, leaving little room for making the decision by herself. The true dilemma of wanting to settle down (since it seems that everyone's doing it except for her) and wanting to believe that her true love is truly out there. She goes on to figure out that sometimes, you'd have to make sacrifices for the decision you truly believe to be true.

Overall, this book was such a treat to read especially since it seems that Ella takes you by the hand and allows you to be there to witness her whole life unfolding before her eyes. With some romance, magic, and a dangerously handsome Thane -- this book is the one to cozy up with late at night.

Goodreads review:

If you are in the mood for a tragic but moving love story about the consequences of breaking someone's heart, this is the story for you.

Ella Moon doesn't remember who she is, she does know however, with all her heart, that that same heart is broken. And that the life she is living now, is not hers.
Then a handsome stranger appears at the inn where she works. But is he truly a stranger?

The Forgotten Life Of Ella Moon is a well-written story with fairytale elements woven throughout, which I adored. It's an easy read with an engaging plot, interesting characters, and mythical lore.

Personally, I would have liked more in-depth world-building (I want to know more about the gods!) and the ending felt a tad anti-climactic. Would have loved to read about the couples' reunion!

All in all, Ella Moon is a magical story about:

* Vengeful Gods
* Star-Crossed Lovers
* Curses
* Fairytales
* Broken Hearts

4 stars for me!

Thanks to NetGalley & Melissa Naatz for the opportunity to review this book.

Oh I do like a good fantasy novel but this one just didn't do it for me. I found it rather slow and somewhat boring. Having said that the first part of the book and story was somewhat interesting, learning about Ella but it just went all down hill form there.

I wasn't enamoured with the second half, didn't like the way it was telling its story and found it missing depth and therefore found I just ran out of interest and didn't end up finishing it.

Thank you NetGalley and ARC provided by Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.

"A broken heart is a powerful thing, Sissy would whisper. Wars have been started over one."

"Some believe we lose things we take for granted and only when we have made amends do we get back those things."

GENRE: Romantasy
RATING: ⭐⭐⭐⭐/5
FORMAT: eBook Arc

Long Review:
This is a beautiful, lyrical story. It talks about the beauty and essence of memories and why it is important. It discusses the importance of a friendship, a relationship and of understanding the importance of who we are
"Memories were like stars. Without the stars, the night sky would be empty and dark. And without memories, Ella felt empty and alone. She had hoped this day would be different. That somehow a memory had slipped through the fog of her mind. But the only things that filtered through were the sounds of her new life."

This is a tale of Ella (view spoiler), a Goddess who lost her memory. She lives a live before regaining the memory and after regaining it. We get to read this throughout the book as two different parts and I enjoyed the division between both of these two. It was an emotional journey, getting to see Ella experience who she is as "Ella", not recognising herself fully and wanting to learn who she was before the memory loss in order to understand herself more
"The fact that stared back at her looked familiar, but some pieces were not. She didn't know how she had gotten the scar on her lip. Or why this morning her eyes shone a bright blue green instead of the stormy gray blue they had been last night. but the memory she missed the most was her name. A name made her someone. Someone to miss and someone to love."

We go through a journey of Ella wanting to be more than the forgotten pieces. She wants to know who she is and why she cannot accept the life that has been set for her. She feels as if her clothes are borrowed, her experiences and friendships are stolen moments in a life that isn't hers. And not only that, when she wakes up with no memory of who she is, she feels heartbroken
"When Ella first came to Riverton, she had been heartbroken. She was unaware of the reason for, nor could she put a fact with, that heartbreak. For days she cried over something or someone she didn't remember."

Naatz manages to merge the things Ella has ingrained in who she is as a person in her experience in the new life she is living. For example, she cannot withstand noise, lights and she is still able to see a strange glow in people's chest even though she has no memory of who she is. Not only that, this beautiful, lyrical book is about Ella sticking to her beliefs when others around her tell her to accept reality
"Enough. it is time to let go of this silly idea that your past will catch up with you. You will be twenty-eight in a few short weeks. You are too old to believe in fairy tales."

There is only one friend who Ella has that is strongly encouraging her to stick to her beliefs and in the end, this friend will be the solution to a curse, the way to learning patience for a goddess
"It will happen, Ella. I feel it in my bones. You will marry for the greatest love known to man. I promise."

Oh and here is a quote I loved about pity and how people hand it out, which is quite fitting in the book. Ella struggles with sticking to what she knows is true and what everyone around her tries to tell her to do and pity is a strong emotion that drives a lot of these advises
"She didn't want to see the pity in Thane's eyes. That was an emotion that people gave so freely. They never asked before they handed it out and expected the recipient to be grateful and accepting."

And in the end, Ella is left to deal with all her emotions, all the heart breaks and all the things she cannot mend without remembering who she truly is. We then move to the part of the book where she remembers who she is
"Such was the story of Ella's life. A life of burrowed pieces that didn't fit together."

I truly did enjoy this book, the parts of learning about Ella, her remembering who she is and then how the story ended, which was a justified ending for this book. Let's end this review with a quote that is very fitting for the book:
"Once there was a god who lost her memories. She wished them away. The silly god found herself in the mortal realm. There she found a boy and a girl, both wishing for the same thing: love. Then came a mother and daughter, both with a heart big enough to love everyone. But as curses go, one must die, and one heart must break. Who is it ...."

Thank you to the Nerd Family, NetGalley and the author for the eArc in exchange for my honest opinion.

I have grown a new love for a "quieter" reads - those unassuming, simpler slice of life stories that just appeal to your heart - and this is a wonderful example of such a book. A wonderful read

Thank you so much to Netgalley and Victory Editing for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I know they say not to judge a book by its cover, but I just love the cover of this one 😍 it's chaotic and floral and full of colour, so it spoke to me straight away!

I was a bit torn on my final thoughts on this book, because I absolutely loved the premise. Vengeful gods and star crossed lovers? Yes please! I was totally sucked in by the first half of the book where we meet Ella, the girl who can't remember her past. When Thane arrived in her small village, I was so invested as their chemistry built and hints of Ella's true life were revealed.

However, as the book continued, I found myself losing interest. While I liked the introduction of the other gods and the explanation of the curse that was affecting Ella, I was really longing for some more world building and action to occur in the story, because I spent a good chunk of it struggling to picture the world the story was set in.

I think my main criticism of this book is that most of the second act exposition seems to occur mostly through dialogue. For me, I found the large chunks of dialogue between characters hard work to get through, and was longing for a bit more showing instead of telling.

All in all, I'm grateful for the chance to read this book, but it isn't a favourite of mine. I think the first half of this book was well written and easy to read, and I think it has excellent potential if the author continues the story in a series.

Not my new favorite but I did enjoy it.
This was an ARC I was sent by Netgalley, my thanks go to them and the publishers for this chance!
I was extremely intrigued and captivated by the first half of the story, but then the pacing of the second half went off, and I felt like i needed more world building and didn’t get it?
The book was easy to get into and it was a light enjoyable read, I think I just wanted a bit more from it..

Thank you netgalley and the publishers for this arc.

The Forgotten Life of Ella Moon is an emotionally rich and captivating novel that pulled me in with its quiet beauty and layered storytelling. From the beginning, I found myself deeply invested in the characters and their journeys, and the emotional weight of the story stayed with me long after I finished it.

One thing I noticed was the pacing—at times, it felt like the story moved very slowly, with not much happening, and then everything would unfold all at once. This created a bit of an imbalance, but it also made the more dramatic moments hit harder when they did come.

The ending was both beautiful and heartbreaking. There was a reunion, and it was deeply moving, but it was so brief and distant—viewed through another character’s eyes—that it left me longing for more. I wanted to fully experience that moment with them, not just glimpse it from afar.

It’s been a long time since a book completely pulled me in the way The Forgotten Life of Ella Moon did. So many stories take a while to grab my attention—or never quite get there—but this one had me emotionally invested almost immediately. I found myself thinking about the characters even when I wasn’t reading, eager to get back to the story and see how everything would unfold. That level of connection is rare for me, and it’s what made this book stand out even more.

Even with that bittersweet feeling, I truly loved this book. It’s a story about memory, love, and what it means to be truly seen, and it’s one I won’t soon forget.

An important allegory of loving the wrong person, and the destruction that can leave in its wake, and making sacrifices for those we care about. Beautifully written.