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jamiebrito's review
I was not a fan of the writing style. I found it to be boring. Thank you to Netgalley and Rose And Star Publishing LLC for an arc of this.
cxrriemc's review against another edition
dark
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
2.5
*ARC received from Netgalley - all opinions are my own*
TLDR: If you’re looking for a HadesxPersephone retelling that’s all spice with a tiny dash of plot, then this might be the book for you. Just be mindful that both characters have terrible communication skills and, Hades especially, is written in a very childish way.
Definitely not my favourite retelling as I tend to like my books, even the spicy ones, with at least a half decent plot with some substance attached. This reads as a pretty generic office romance with a hint of greek gods.
We only really get to see Hades and Persephone despite the first half of the book showing quite a bit of Helios and Melinoe which was a nice break but becomes very clear that their appearance at the start is just to kick of a book about them which was pretty annoying as it was nice to see both our main characters interacting with other people and the world around them.
In retellings I’m used to seeing Persephone often portrayed as a bit of a bratty character or being the more immature in the relationship but both Hades and Persephone were heard to stand at many points in the story. This made Hades hard to read in particular as you just expect so much more from his character and, at points, he is written as a more serious and melancholy character before going back to being whiny and childish. Both characters definitely could have benefited from some mature writing.
My review is conflicted as there are definitely good bits of writing throughout The Maiden and The Unseen, the character writing just hinders it so much. I think it’s best suited for those that are mainly just here for the spice and smut and can easily read without expecting too much from the plot/ characters.
ladyinvelvetx's review
4.0
This book was a Hades and Persephone retelling, which I love. It’s a modern day retelling I prefer fantasy more but I do like the modern retellings as well.
The characters were great and so was the banter. The spice was definitely good and plenty lol.
Mellie’s character is probably one of my favorites. Her weirdness and personality and what comes out of her mouth is quite funny and entertaining.
It was a little weird that Persephone in this book is a brunette. I’m used to her being a blonde in all the retellings I read. Overall this was a good retelling and I’ll be downloading the next book on KU.
The characters were great and so was the banter. The spice was definitely good and plenty lol.
Mellie’s character is probably one of my favorites. Her weirdness and personality and what comes out of her mouth is quite funny and entertaining.
It was a little weird that Persephone in this book is a brunette. I’m used to her being a blonde in all the retellings I read. Overall this was a good retelling and I’ll be downloading the next book on KU.
annettebooksofhopeanddreams's review
4.0
It's impossible to resist a Hades and Persephone retelling. And no, in my case that's not because of Lore Olympus. I've been a Greek mythology nerd since I was 13 years old and starring as Antigone in the school play Oedipus (no, she's officially not in that one, but the teacher thought it would be cute to have the guy, with his eyes out and blood all over him, deliver his monologue in front of his daughters). So, when I saw this book on BookSirens I needed to have it.
I'm positively surprised by this book and mostly by how it manages to make me like tropes and story elements I usually don't like. Firstly, there is a lot of sex in this book. Absolutely nothing wrong with that, especially since it's really well written, but not something I normally enjoy in these quantities. However, in this case I quite liked it. It was truly part of the plot, it was written with emotion and passion and it fitted the pull Hades and Persephone felt towards each other.
Secondly, both characters are not the greatest when it comes to communication. That's partly because they're magically bound to keep their mouth shut, but it's also because of their own insecurities. It's a true compliment towards the authors that I believed the reasons why Hades or Persephone kept their mouth shut about important issues, why it was so hard for them to tell each other every thing, to really give that last bit of trust.
Thirdly, what Persephone does feels a little like cheating, no matter how often she says it's not because she and Jackson were never exclusive. I understand she thinks and believes that, but it's quite clear quite soon he doesn't. I'm absolutely no fan of cheating in general, but strangely enough in this case it didn't make me as uncomfortable as it sometimes does. However, I still think she should have ended things sooner with the guy. Clearly.
After the cliffhanger I'm also really curious about the next book! I mean, I assume we're gonna go to the Underworld and I can't wait to see it!
I'm positively surprised by this book and mostly by how it manages to make me like tropes and story elements I usually don't like. Firstly, there is a lot of sex in this book. Absolutely nothing wrong with that, especially since it's really well written, but not something I normally enjoy in these quantities. However, in this case I quite liked it. It was truly part of the plot, it was written with emotion and passion and it fitted the pull Hades and Persephone felt towards each other.
Secondly, both characters are not the greatest when it comes to communication. That's partly because they're magically bound to keep their mouth shut, but it's also because of their own insecurities. It's a true compliment towards the authors that I believed the reasons why Hades or Persephone kept their mouth shut about important issues, why it was so hard for them to tell each other every thing, to really give that last bit of trust.
Thirdly, what Persephone does feels a little like cheating, no matter how often she says it's not because she and Jackson were never exclusive. I understand she thinks and believes that, but it's quite clear quite soon he doesn't. I'm absolutely no fan of cheating in general, but strangely enough in this case it didn't make me as uncomfortable as it sometimes does. However, I still think she should have ended things sooner with the guy. Clearly.
After the cliffhanger I'm also really curious about the next book! I mean, I assume we're gonna go to the Underworld and I can't wait to see it!
becksgoesbookish's review
4.0
This story delivers a fun spin on one of our favorite Greek myths, Hades and Persephone, but with a modern office romance twist. I always expect high quality spice from Jeanette Rose, and her and Alexis Rune definitely delivered in this book. The versions of Hades and Persephone we get are definitely flawed (communication who?), but you still want to root for them. And though their romance is a bit of delayed insta-lust, the overarching plot building is carefully crafted to leave us eagerly awaiting book 2! Though I’m definitely hoping we get even more Mellie in Helios in book 2 as well.
kariniwonderland's review
2.0
I understand that spicy books don't necessarily have the most brilliant plots, but this felt more like fanfiction with just smut chapter after chapter. And the fact that the characters acted more like (whiny) teens than adults didn't help either. Only in the last chapter do things get interesting, but then you are left with a cliffhanger. So this was a miss for me. It had potential, but lacked execution.
I got this arc in exchange for an honest review.
I got this arc in exchange for an honest review.
brookeekay's review
4.0
I received this book for free as an arc, but all opinions are my own.
This books is spicy, like VERY spicy! I have to say I wasn’t exactly expecting THIS much spice. There is definitely still a plot, but the majority of the chapters either have spice or mention spice.
I’m not opposed to spicy books, but I do think it’s a bit much for me personally, however, since it is a personal preference I’m not going to take any stars off for that.
I have to say, despite it being a bit much for me, It does end on a bit of a cliffhanger that does have me wanting to reach for the next book. So I do plan on continuing the series.
This books is spicy, like VERY spicy! I have to say I wasn’t exactly expecting THIS much spice. There is definitely still a plot, but the majority of the chapters either have spice or mention spice.
I’m not opposed to spicy books, but I do think it’s a bit much for me personally, however, since it is a personal preference I’m not going to take any stars off for that.
I have to say, despite it being a bit much for me, It does end on a bit of a cliffhanger that does have me wanting to reach for the next book. So I do plan on continuing the series.
hanxue's review against another edition
1.0
Persephone and Hades retellings are always either a hit or miss and this one? Total miss. It was just constant smut in the worst possible setting for a myth retelling plus the book was so incredibly long when it felt like it kept repeating the same stuff over and over that I ended up mostly skimming through after a while out of boredom. It was more smut > plot and I suppose some readers may enjoy that but ultimately this book was not for me at all. Also the smut was cringy as hell I cannot lie. I just felt bad for the actual myth after reading this mess.
Thankyou Netgalley for the ARC.
Thankyou Netgalley for the ARC.