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4.11 AVERAGE
4.11 AVERAGE
I’m always down for Greek myths adaptations especially when it’s by one of my favourite authors. I think this book held the story together better than the first one (this can be read as a standalone) although the villain is a little boring. The leads were both enjoyable characters, with depth from showing not telling. Here’s hoping there’ll be more in the series although I’m not sure where it could possibly go next.
I'd really like to rate this 3.5. It was an interesting read, more of what I would define as erotica and less as a typical romance novel.
Spoiler Alert: I didn't mind the story of August as Eros, but the plot was quite shallow which is why it felt more like erotica to me. Loved the plays on the Greek myths. Hit on some more overt paranormal activities near the end.
Spoiler Alert: I didn't mind the story of August as Eros, but the plot was quite shallow which is why it felt more like erotica to me. Loved the plays on the Greek myths. Hit on some more overt paranormal activities near the end.
challenging
funny
fast-paced
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
this book is buckwild bananas amazing: steamy as heck, plus lots of Greek mythology. sex marathons set in ancient Greek stories. this book is light on plot, heavy on the sex.
lots of content warnings - if it comes up in Greek mythology, expect it to pop up here. all consensual in this story but may be iffy for some readers.
lots of content warnings - if it comes up in Greek mythology, expect it to pop up here. all consensual in this story but may be iffy for some readers.
Not as good as 'The Red' (the first book in the series). In comparison, this felt like it was written in a hurry – the plot and sex scenes weren't as intriguing and lacked the 'sizzle' of book one. I found the MC, Lia, super annoying - supposedly a madam but never actually did anything, she acted like a goodie two shoes ('Mary Sue' character) and kept talking in a weird, posh third-person voice: "We are not amused!" The plot twist with the MC, August, was also quite obvious (I guessed it about a quarter of the way through the book). I had no clue how/why they fell in love in such a short time, it just felt like a convenient.
However, I did enjoy the Greek Mythological aspects and after reading 'The Red' I'd say it was still worth a read, just to see what had happened to the characters from the previous book.
However, I did enjoy the Greek Mythological aspects and after reading 'The Red' I'd say it was still worth a read, just to see what had happened to the characters from the previous book.
Mythology meets erotica meets one of the most lovely examples I've seen recently of parent/child conflict resolution in this unexpected sequel to another fave Reisz book. Loved it!
challenging
funny
hopeful
informative
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Slowly but surely, I am starting to come around to the genre of erotica. Turns out, if consent is clearly established and the characters avoid homophobia and misogyny, I can genuinely enjoy it! This book even has a pan/bi love interest, which was a nice surprise. The writing is distracting sometimes (the author has a bit too much fun with phrases like "making a racket with her racquet" and gets a bit wordy at parts like "Lia had to know all about him at once and even immediately. Stat."), but this is just personal preference. I'm also not a huge fan of adult protagonists calling their parents "Mummy" and "Daddy" but I know there are plenty who'd disagree. Especially in erotica.
This book was delightfully sex-positive and feminist, and the mythology references were enjoyable. I also appreciated how the sex scenes were relevant to the emotional storytelling in the book, and even if the plot was a bit predictable, it was still a fun read. However, the ending line was oddly jarring, and I'm surprised more people haven't brought it up in their reviews. Unfortunately the ending kept me from feeling completely satisfied with this book, and because of that I'm not able to give it 4 stars. Despite the uncomfortable ending, I did enjoy the process of reading up until that point, and I'd recommend this to anyone looking for something steamy with a LOT of mythology references.
This book was delightfully sex-positive and feminist, and the mythology references were enjoyable. I also appreciated how the sex scenes were relevant to the emotional storytelling in the book, and even if the plot was a bit predictable, it was still a fun read. However, the ending line was oddly jarring, and I'm surprised more people haven't brought it up in their reviews. Unfortunately the ending kept me from feeling completely satisfied with this book, and because of that I'm not able to give it 4 stars. Despite the uncomfortable ending, I did enjoy the process of reading up until that point, and I'd recommend this to anyone looking for something steamy with a LOT of mythology references.
Good romance, better Greek myth porn. I’m so down.
This review was originally posted on (un)Conventional Bookworms
*I received a free copy of [title] from [publisher] via Netgalley. This has in no way influenced my voluntary review, which is honest and unbiased **I received a free copy of The Rose from Harlequin MIRA via Netgalley. This has in no way influenced my voluntary review, which is honest and unbiased *
The Rose is a beautiful erotic mix of Greek mythology, a fairytale and a romance. Reisz just enchants her readers, and that was even more the case with this story.
*I received a free copy of [title] from [publisher] via Netgalley. This has in no way influenced my voluntary review, which is honest and unbiased **I received a free copy of The Rose from Harlequin MIRA via Netgalley. This has in no way influenced my voluntary review, which is honest and unbiased *
The Rose is a beautiful erotic mix of Greek mythology, a fairytale and a romance. Reisz just enchants her readers, and that was even more the case with this story.