One of the original rom-coms, the tale of Psyche and Eros is spell binding! McNamara truly did her due diligence with research and historical references! The perfect read for fans of Greek Mythology, and ultimate love stories where love conquers all! Really well written!

Thank you NetGalley and William Morrow for the arc copy of this book.

Eros and Psyche is a favored myth of mine. It’s different than most Greco-Roman myths with women. This one is one of the first beauty and the beast stories. The story of falling in love with a soul is beautiful. And this I enjoyed most about the book.

In this retelling, Psyche is a warrior instead of just a maiden. Eros is a primordial deity instead of the son of Aphrodite. These changes don’t bother me in the slightest. The basic story is there although it had many minor changes. It’s told in dual pov, which was nice I thought.

What I loved is that Hecate (Hekate) was present. She is one of my favorites. Many of the pantheon show up as the story progresses. The gods and goddesses all had distinct personalities.

The scenery could have had a bit more description. Thankfully I’ve watched enough things that take place in this time period to imagine what hasn’t been described.

Thank you again NetGalley and William Morrow for allowing me to review this arc copy.

For readers who enjoy Naomi Novik and Lore Olympics, Psyche and Eros tackles Greek mythology in the fresh manner that Nettle & Bone tackled fairy tales. Full of lyrical narration, Psyche and Eros follows Psyche, a girl who dreams of fulfilling the prophecy about her to become a hero despite being a woman and Eros, the god of desire who is rather lacking desire to do anything at all.
The novel is an excellent addition to fiction that portrays a strong female protagonist and dives into deep questions about sexism, heroism, desire, purpose, responsibility and different types of love. It’s a full story that plays with Greek mythology while also humanizing the gods. Readers cannot help but root for Psyche and Eros, find themself intrigued by Hekate and like Demeter, Zephyrus, and even Medusa. It’s new and familiar at once, a story for readers to look for their favorite gods while also absorbing a believable tale to be added to the stories that is Greek mythology.
There are many things done well here, from making the characters well rounded, the villains interesting and perhaps a little vulnerable, to great writing, good pacing and a well tied up plot. I imagine many readers will find something to enjoy as they dip their toes into the interwoven lives of the Greek gods!

Overall it was an interesting retelling of the mythology. I did enjoy the characters and how they developed but the negative comment I have is that it was slow. I found my putting the book down because i was bored with the pacing. Although some portions kept me hooked, it was still outweighed by the slow pacing.

I loved this retelling of Cupid and Psyche. I don't think I've ever read an in depth story about Cupid, and know him simply as the cherub with the heart bow, right? Wrong. Eros was one of the first gods born from Chaos, and has divinity over desire. He hates what his power does to gods and mortals alike, and McNamara gives him a little taste of his own medicine a la Aphrodite, the new goddess of love. Psyche is a greatly developed character, and the many other gods and events sprinkled throughout make this a very enjoyable read. I highly recommend to anyone who enjoys retellings. You won't be disappointed.

I'm not really familiar with the tale of Psyche and Eros, so I really enjoyed reading their story. I know this is a retelling, but I'm sure how it relates to the original. Pacing was a little slow, but overall I really liked it.

Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.

OMG! I love this myth so much and this book did not disappoint!! Beautifully told, with so much heart, drama, and adventure. I’ll reread this one over and over again.

I liked this a lot actually - classical myth retelling an are always hit or miss for me. This was easy to read and follow, and I enjoyed the characters. Oftentimes historical fiction books can feel really bogged down for me but this one didn’t - I feel like I flew through it.

Psyche and Eros is a retelling of the Greek myth centering around a young princess who must face a series of struggles to finally reunite with the man she loves. There can certainly be comparisons drawn to the Song of Achilles in that this book featured so many of the classic characters of Greek literature. Achilles, Patroclus, Helen, Menelaus, and more made an appearance throughout the book. It makes a great read for those diehard mythology fans out there.
The storyline itself was a little slow to unfold, everything event seemingly taking a long time. For this reason, it took me about a month to finish when a book of this lengh typically takes me a couple of days to a week. Though the book as a whole was certainly good looking back after reading, the struggle to get through made it difficult to grant all stars. Readers who easily bore of books and want something fast paced to keep them on their toes and committed to reading probably shouldn't try this book.
That said, overall the story was quite strong and there was still a lot that happened over the course of the plot. I think with the right audience this book can be a new favorite, adding to the mythological retelling that are already available with a completely new story that hasn't been significantly examined previously. I urge fans of the Song of Achilles to give it a try!

I'm not super familiar with the tale of Psyche and Eros, so I really enjoyed learning more about their story.

But that also means I can't personally comment on how this particular retelling compares to the original. However, looking at other reviews, it seems that LM has taken MANY liberties with the myth. That obviously didn't bother me since I don't really know any better, but just a heads up for readers who are familiar with the original content. This is probably more of a reimagining rather than a retelling.

That being said, I quite liked this. I definitely think Eros outshines Psyche in terms of characterisation and development. Maybe it's because the nature of the gods is so unchanging, so it was refreshing to see his heart bend a little. I thought it was portrayed in realistic and relatable way. And Psyche is an interesting character, but I struggled to connect to her at times.

I also had no idea that the story of Psyche and Eros overlaps with the Trojan War. I've read so many retellings about the war, so I wish this didn't spend so much page time focusing on certain events surrounding Helen and Iphigenia, as it felt like it took away from the main story. But I appreciate how it shows how all the myths are connected.

Overall, I enjoyed this particular greek myth reimagining and has me on the lookout to see what LM writes next!

This was a fun read. I love mythology so when I saw this with the absolutely stunning cover I had to request an ARC. I read this in one setting and while it was a tad slow at some parts, it was an overall good read. I wanted a bit more from the romance, but maybe a lighter romance is what the author was going for. TYSM for the opportunity to be an ARC reader for you.

Thanks to NetGalley for the early copy!

To be completely honest, I wasn't expecting much from this book upon picking it up. Being a mythology retelling, I knew I had to read it, and so I did. And to say I was pleasantly surprised would be an understatement. I had a ton of fun reading this book, and found myself rooting for the romance despite knowing everything would be fine in the end.

This book takes quite a few creative liberties, more so than any mythology retelling I have read thus far. I can understand that this might set off some hardcore mythology fans, but I honestly really enjoyed the changes. True, Psyche was never a fighter in the original story. But let's be honest; Greek tales rarely focus on females in a positive light, let alone have them be a warrior just as strong as men. I found this change a welcomed one, as well as other creative liberties the author made in this retelling.

What's more is I found the romance between Psyche and Eros to be a genuine one, and I enjoyed every minute of it. I could see this story easily being twisted in a way that could taint this romance, and that thankfully does not happen here. And I am satisfied with the conclusion.

After some reflection, I think I can safely say I haven't enjoyed a mythology retelling since Madeline Miller's Circe. And if that doesn't convince you, I don't know what will.

This was a fun one! I didn’t know too much of the story of psyche going in, so it was a great read! And oh my goodness this cover, I need it for my shelves.

Decent writing. Pacing was somewhat slow and I would have appreciated it to have been more in line with the typical Greek story. I understand it’s a retelling, and I love when authors take some liberties with that, but it’s so far off base at some points, that it turned me off. Overall the book was pretty slow and the romance lacking. 3 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Luna McNamara is a new author to me and I really love Psyche & Eros retellings. This was decent enough, but I was never truly hooked. There are a lot of retellings out there of this same story, and I didn't think this brought anything new to the table. It was a quick and fun read, but I ultimately wanted more.

I personally wasn’t getting into the story or feeling invested in the characters. I just read Neon Gods so maybe that’s part of it.

Purists will have a field day with this one. ;-)

Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow for the ARC.

The rare Greek myth retelling that doesn’t make you cry.

I enjoyed this book. The writing was excellent and I liked that it added a touch of relatability to the story. I enjoyed the ending especially.
The pace was a bit slow for me, but other than that it was good.

I love Greek retellings so much. While this one wasn't completely accurate to the original tale, it was a fun read, for sure.

3.5/5 ⭐

Psyche and Eros is a modern retelling of Greek mythology based on the love story of Psyche, princess of Mycenae, and Eros, the god of desire. I loved the narrative and literary elements in this story and appreciated the author's note at the end where McNamara provides extensive insight into the myths, legends, and retellings she based this novel on.

The best aspect of this novel is that you need not be an expert in Greek or Roman mythology to enjoy the narrative. The story stands on its own and is enjoyable without having a foundation in the archetypes and allegory within mythology. At the same time, for lovers of mythology, readers will appreciate the part neo-Platonist allegory aspects in the story as well as the fairy tale and romance themes woven throughout. This beautiful and powerful retelling gives major rom com vibes with plenty of charming dialogue and laugh out loud moments.

The story is action packed as Psyche and Eros fight to break the curse placed upon them by Aphrodite and is plot-driven. In the words of the author: "Myths are not written in stone. They are organic, evolving structures constantly being adapted to new circumstances and cultures. This is but one reimagining of the Eros and Psyche myth." I immediately checked to see what else this author has published after finishing and truly look forward to reading more of her work!

Thank you to the author and publisher for the e-arc copy!

I enjoyed this retelling! It was fun and the characters endearing. This version definitely takes its own twists, and I personally really liked the unique take. (But if you’re a stickler for accuracy to source material this may annoy you.) I loved the reimagining of Psyche as a feminist tale with a strong protagonist. I would recommend for sure!