3.5 stars

This is a forbidden love trope romance with a girl who falls for her professor, and her professor falls right back.

Kara Valari is a student, which poses ethical concerns, and fooling around with her could get Maximum Kane fired.

Maximus Kane is deadly hot and fascinating, but Kara Valari already has her future planned out for her, a future that doesn't include her buff professor, and she doesn't have a choice in the matter.

The back and forth between these two got a bit old at times. There's only so far that you can stretch the whole "I want you.. but I mustn't" trope. If you're looking for smut, look elsewhere, this leans more romantic than steamy. The plot is interesting enough, if a bit dragging. I didn't find any of the characters particularly irritating. The 'surprise' isn't really, and considering the title and description of Maximus, I don't think it was really meant to be. I enjoyed it well enough to download the next one. If you're into paranormal romance and star-crossed lovers, you might like this one.

Ok,so this was a super sloooooooow burn and I am not here for that. I wish this had moved faster and had more spice to it, I was also not a fan of the cliffhanger ending. The story just fell flat for me.

I love how so many things happened in the book. I could not keep myself from the book because it was so good

I felt like I knew exactly what was going to happen before it happened. Like I haven't read a scene where the H and h are making out and about to get the sexy times on but then they get interrupted just so the story drags along. Same old same old.
The characters fell flat, the plot was subpar, and overall I was disappointed.

I do love a new twist on mythology! Definitely a good book and I can't wait for the next in the series.

This one did a good job setting up the mystery and tension between Maximus and Kara, and even though it was a reread for me, I did enjoy the romance between the two of them. Both were too much of martyrs for me, but not all bad.

Interesting story with compelling characters. I love the dynamic between Kane & Kara ..and even Kell & North (hoping for more from them later) love the mythology, slowburn romance & the eventual spicy bits. Will definitely read more by this author.

(Thank you to NetGalley for a copy of this E-book in exchange for an honest review.)

I don’t know what it is about my bad luck with romance novels these days, but nearly every one I’ve picked up recently has promised (via blurbs, reviews, and covers) high heat and a lot of spice, and each has failed to deliver on even a fraction of those promises. What gives?

Blood of Zeus relies heavily on the “insta-love” trope; we’re supposed to take it as a given that Maximus and Kara fall head over heels for one another after their first interaction. It’s the laziest kind of storytelling: True Love™️ based on nothing more than mutual hotness and some unexplained magical energy. We’re expected to invest in these characters despite them having the personalities of Wonder Bread (albeit with shiny hair and ridiculous abs) and the chemistry of a couple of room-temperature Bud Lights.

But even then, even if we accept that they have somehow fallen madly in love after their first meeting, one would hope we at least get to see their love in action, right? Wrong. Maximus and Kara have a few conversations and, like, a handful of brief dedicated solo interactions over the course of the whole book, and the other 90% of the plot (using that term generously here) is them separately pining for each other and bemoaning the forbiddenness of their otherworldly attraction. Whenever I read insta-love I expect either A) high heat (like, let’s get the romantic exposition over with so we can see these two take the express train to pound town), or B) an angsty forbidden romance where we at least get to witness the protagonists try to work through their ridiculous chemistry. Do we get angst in this book? A bit, sure. But we also rarely see Maximus and Kara enjoying their time together or even acknowledging what specifically attracted them to each other in the first place, aside from an ineffable… “something.” There are no interpersonal stakes. As a reader, I felt burdened by the amount I was expected to take as given (“no, no, trust us, I SWEAR we’re into each other”) and I enjoyed very little payoff in return for those assumptions. I’m not even just talking spice; I’m talking affection of any kind that doesn’t involve pages of elaborate eyeball choreography.

Because of the lack of plot points, character development, and romantic interactions, the pacing drags to the point where it seems the characters are just treading water for a few hundred pages. And then in the final chapters we have a bit of a deus ex machina moment and then the book just… ends. Like, no resolution whatsoever. Sure, it’s a clear setup for the sequel(s), but turning to the acknowledgments page after the final chapter was so abrupt it literally felt like a mistake. I had to go back a few times and check to make sure I hadn’t missed anything.

I’m giving this two stars instead of just one because the supporting characters were interesting, if underdeveloped; I thought Maximus’ friendship and fraught backstory with Jesse was easily the strongest part of the book. I was really into the overall premise when I started reading, especially the elements of Dante and the Divine Comedy woven into the story, but I was highly disappointed by its overall execution. This was a romance novel that felt like homework. I may try reading the sequel out of mere curiosity—maybe my investment in the first book will pay off down the line?—but, truth be told, I’m not holding my breath.

The only thing worse than being a demon is being a Valari. As an undergraduate at Los Angeles’s Alameda University, Kara Valari can sometimes succeed at forgetting she’s both. Lost between the pages of the classics and tucked into the shadows of lecture halls, she can dodge the paparazzi’s lenses as well as her family’s publicized dramas—not to mention their private expectations. She has one more year to feed her true passions. Then she’ll be expected to fulfill a much darker destiny.

Cursed with inexplicable strength and god-like stature, literature professor Maximus Kane knows all about darkness. Every day he’s reminded of the missteps of his childhood and the devastating consequences they’ve had on those dearest to him. To atone, Maximus spends his nights alone and his days submerged in the quiet life of academia. His existence has become a study in control, and he’s become a master at it—until Kara Valari walks into his toughest course.

Viscerally, Kara’s everything he craves. Logically, she’s everything he rejects. She’s a starlet of privilege. She’s also a student. And after one touch, he can’t deny that she’s awakened something in him that may never go dormant. Nothing about her makes sense, but everything about her feels right. Especially in the deepest strands of his DNA, which are still shadows of mystery to him—a mystery Kara seems determined to uncover.

She’s Hollywood royalty. She’s forbidden fruit. And he’s pretty sure she could be the answer to everything.- Goodreads

I wouldn't consider this book a slow burn because they began lusting after each other the moment they saw each other. What I would say about this read is that it is slow and the two go in more circles than a merry-go-round.

For Kara to be this person of privilege with a dark secret, she is boring. For Maximus to be this hunk of sexy goodness, he is boring and there aren't enough details about him for me to look at him as beyond a mildly attractive but large man.

What I did like was the fact that they were both really into books and history. The nerd in me would have liked to see more of that. But the book lacked chemistry, it lacked the juiciness you assume you are getting from reading the title.

I didn't think this was a bad book but it was a introduction book that lacked chemistry and lacked the pull for me to want to read book two.

Overall, short review but that is what I have.

2 Pickles

Thank you to Netgalley for providing a review copy. This was an enjoyable ride. There was a bit of insta-love but it worked for the story. I do feel like I could’ve used some backstory to explain Kara’s history more. More world building would have helped but overall an entertaining read.

I enjoyed this concept of forbidden love between heaven and hell. The MCs had good chemistry I just wish there was a little more sexual tension. Some parts felt a little repetitive and I personally felt like I wanted more out of the story but it was a good start to the series.

When I saw this story and the two amazing authors— I knew it would be a story I didn’t want to miss! I loved it! From cover to cover you will be absorbed in this book, I didn’t want it to end. I don’t want to ruin the plot for anyone so I can’t say much more; however, I highly recommend this book.

5 Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️


📚I received a review copy of this book. My review is unbiased and freely given. Thank you for the opportunity to review. 🦄

The chemistry and angst between the characters started with that slow burn, but then picked up enough to tease, before getting to the spice. The storyline was interesting and I loved the Dante reference used to further the plot. You're not given a lot of information about what's going on or who these characters are at the start, so that's a slow process. But I loved Maximus and Kara together. They were sweet and I'm hoping they work out. But it ends on a major cliff hanger so you have to read the next book to find out more. Overall, I enjoyed it and will be jumping right in to the second book, which seems like it may have much more action driven plot, rather than setting up all the players like this first book.

Maximus Kane has known he was different since he accidentally injured his best friend at the age of eight. Cursed with incredible strength and large stature, he has had to become a master at controlling his emotions, losing himself in books and academia and living like a recluse. His mother has always refused to tell him who his father is and why he's so different.
Kara Valari has always resented her family's celebrity, preferring to stay in the shadows with her nose in a book, preferably classics. She's been eagerly anticipating the class exploring Dante's Divine Comedy just as much for its classic value as its importance to her family. From the start, there's a strange draw to Professor Kane. She can sense something different about him, like he's not everything he pretend to be. But as they grow closer, she struggles to fight the attraction as she's promised to another.
This book was just ok for me. While Kara had somewhat good reasons for not telling Maximus the truth, all her hot and cold just left me frustrated with her character. Too many secrets just hinted at, but that I guessed a long way in had me skimming to the end to see if I was correct.
I received an advance reader copy of this book. The views and opinions expressed in this review are completely my own and given voluntarily.

Four stars

Unique and interesting story. The characters pull you in.

I voluntarily read an advanced copy.

We follow the story of Maximus (a god) and Kara (half demon).
The two main characters meet at university; Kara being a student from a well know Hollywood family and Maximus being the Lterature professor. For the semester, they are studying Dante's Inferno.
What are me to this book was the teacher/student trope. And I quite enjoyed it. While both characters are haunted by their own past and circumstances, they find (or try to) a way to resolve the obstacles they come across their relationship.
It's a quick read, with emotional ups and downs. Although, I wish certain plot points were better written.

**I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book provided by the publisher, Waterhouse Press, via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.**

I was very excited to receive this arc because the premise was intriguing and it had been a while since I had read any books set between a college student and their professor so I was definitely excited to see where this would go. Unfortunately this book didn’t quite have what I was looking for.

Literature professor, Maximus Kane, is immediately enraptured with Kara Valari a student in his class. His feelings are reciprocated and they have a deep and instantaneous bond that is developed on the spot. They become close very quickly which is normally fine but this just moved to fast for me. They went from zero to obsessed with each other so fast and I wanted more of the tender moments (like at the Observatory) where they get to know each other.

Maximus sounds like a 17 year old whenever he interacts with anyone that isn’t in his lecture hall. His conversation with his mom had me questioning if this was a YA book in disguise because I couldn’t get over how petulant he was behaving. This man is supposed to be in his 30’s but he sounded like a teenage who was upset his mom wouldn’t let him extend his curfew.

The dialogue is very simple in this book. The premise is very cut and dry and there’s not a lot of subtext with the story: what you see is what you get. Normally this doesn’t bother me when I’m reading these types of romances but I struggled with it since I didn’t care much about the characters either. They fell very flat for me and having basic characterizations with weak writing isn’t a great combo.

I felt like there was no voice differentiation between the characters. If there wasn’t a name at the top of the chapter headings it would have taken me a second to figure out whose chapter it was. I can’t imagine how hard it would be to get the different voices done but I still need to believe I’m reading things from two different characters perspectives.

This book does have some really popular tropes that I know people enjoy: Taboo Romance, Student and Teacher, Instalove, Alpha male, and a Virgin FMC. So there’s a lot of good stuff coming from it (not to mention an interesting tie with Greek mythology and the presence of hell). Unfortunately this book just didn’t work for me.

i need to read the next book ..what just happened i will tell you i was left hanging this author owes me the other book.Thank you favourite

I really, really enjoyed this book. It had a really good
built -up, slow-burn kind of thing going. When you
finally get to the part where things get pretty
intense, well things get really interesting as well.
That cliffy, left so many unanswered
questions, but I'm happy to wait.
Maximus and Kara's story isn't over, especially after
that ending. Really looking forward to the next book💗

The ending to this book was a total tease. I need the whole series right now. It was soo good. The character building was great, even though through most of the book I was shouting for her to tell him her big secret! Definitely a must read. :)