A review by looseleafellie
Neon Gods by Katee Robert

This adult romance modern Hades and Persephone retelling has Persephone fleeing to Olympus’s Lower City to escape a marriage to Zeus. There, she makes a bargain with Hades: he’ll keep her safe for the winter, and then she’ll escape Olympus for good. But the growing feelings between them make Persephone second-guess her plans …

I assumed this would be a fantasy romance, but it’s more of a dystopia. There isn’t much magic, but the system of government in the city of Olympus is set up to mimic the gods of Mount Olympus, which was super interesting to me.

I thought Persephone and Hades had great physical chemistry — it helps that Hades is a consent king! Unfortunately, the romance felt too insta-love-y for me. After a few days together, Hades was like, “this woman has changed my life!” and I just didn’t buy that. I also felt the general pacing was a bit wonky.

Overall, I would recommend this book if you’re looking for spice with the flavor of an interesting world and the hurt/comfort trope, but not so much if you’re looking for a tight plot or slow-burn angst.

Spice level: Graphic

CWs: Emotional abuse, sexual harassment, gun violence, blood, eating disorder, mention of parent death.

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