A review by edgybutfemme
Drag Me Up by R.M. Virtues

dark emotional hopeful slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

I really enjoyed how different this take on Hades and Persephone was. Usually Persephone is the one who needs to mature and work through things, typically a difficult or abusive dynamic with Demeter. One of my favorite things about this take one Hades and Persephone is we start the book where Persephone is further through her healing journey and gets to help Hades escape and heal from his abusive dynamic with Zeus. Hades and Persephone lean and grow from each other in a way that felt beautifully nuanced and realistic, and it meant a lot to me as someone who has healed from a lot of trauma with the help of my wonderful partners who carry trauma of their own. As a queer person, both Hades and Persephone being trans was also wonderful. I loved how they got to share their unique experiences of being trans with each other, and reading their romance made me feel warm and seen. I struggled a little with the pacing in the middle of the book, but considering i still read the whole book in a night and plan to read the rest in this series, it's certainly not a glaring issue. Persephone describes Hades as a safe place to land, and that's kind of what this book felt like. I didn't burn with the need to turn to the next page, but I don't think I was meant to. Instead, it was a gentle place to rest for awhile and feel safe in the knowledge that they would end up happily together. I'm looking forward to seeing how RM Virtue grows as an author in the rest of the series!