I completely forgot to write a review when I finished this. Oops.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

This is by far my favorite Carly Spade book. I love Contemporary Mythos, but this was so much more. The premise was enough to get me hooked in. Cyberpunk AphroditeXHephaestus!! Absolutely fantastic. The characterization was phenomenal and the story is incredible.

Highly recommended. 10/10

Thank you to World Tree and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review!

I was very much intrigued by the idea of a contemporary mythology retelling, but this one unfortunately fell a bit flat for me. I have the utmost respect for the author and the story, and I think I was just not the intended audience for this book. I can DEFINITELY see others enjoying it, and it had a VERY intriguing premise as I said. I enjoyed the "modern" Greek god portrayals but I think the futuristic elements and time travel was where this book lost me. Again, there is definitely an audience for this book and I'm hoping this book finds those readers!

3.5/5 stars

I have to give this book props. I really didn't expect to enjoy this. I'll be honest and say that when requesting this book all I saw was a book about gods and was intrigued. I then while reading realized there was a cyberpunk aspect to it and got really nervous. Overall it worked out pretty great. While Cyberpunk is not at all something I tend to gravitate towards, I didn't dislike it here. It brought something unique to the book. I really enjoyed reading Ro (Aphrodite) and Heph (Hephaestus). I need a Heph in my life right now. Overall I had a really fun time and would recommend giving it a read.

This is a creative and unique retelling of a well-known mythology. I think some of it went a bit over my head (not being overly familiar with these Gods) but I enjoyed it nonetheless.

Of Love and Forge was a super cute childhood friends to lovers retelling of Hephaestus and Aphrodite. I loved how the chemistry built between the two of them even though there was a long established chemistry from their childhood friendship. The only complaint I had was how different Aphrodite felt in this book than how she was in Carly Spade's book "Eros". In that book, she seemed to have the maturity of a middle-aged woman, while here she seemed more like a woman in her mid-twenties.

thank you to netgalley for the advanced reading copy. I really enjoyed this and will be getting copies for my shop.

I really struggled through this book and almost quit several times. It’s a different concept for the Modern Greek Gods to be futuristic, I will say this book might truly appeal to some, and parts were fun, but I felt it went on a bit too long. There was far too much use of the word tits- why is that the only word the author chose to use for breasts, who knows? Legitimately perplexed as to who the villain truly was, there were so many detours to get nowhere with that answer. Overall, I just couldn’t connect with it. It’s a shame because I liked the other books in the series.
**Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book.**

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing this eARC. I really loved this book. It's a sort of cyberpunk mixed with greek mythology and time travel and spice. I really loved this Aphrodite & Hephaestus retelling. Truly stunning characters.

Loved the banter and tension between Heph and Aphrodite in this cyberpunk myth retelling. While the story was a slow burn, the nerdy references and eventual ignition of the plot kept me engaged. Grateful for the ARC from NetGalley and World Tree Publishing! ⭐⭐⭐

Carly Spade has crafter a world that eats you alive. In a mythical retelling meets cyber-punk, readers are immersed in the story of Hephaestus and Aphrodite.

Secrets, spice, and magical elements are thrown at you an incredible pace. The dual POV gives an inside look to both characters though I was more of a fan of the world through Aphrodite’s eyes.

A great escape read. I enjoyed everything about it.
Many thanks to the author and to Netgalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

I loved the setup and scenery of this book, very different and fun for a Greek mythology reimagining! This was a lot of fun and well worth checking out! The characters are clearly who you expect them to be and yet fully fledged out and enjoyable as Spade's unique take on them as well.

Thank you to NetGalley for the advance review copy!

What a fun read! I loved the whole storyline. I picked this book for the cover but I’ll be checking out the authors whole booklist now! Wow!

Loved this! The characters were well developed and the story was fun and thrilling. A fun and sexy book for any romance fan.

Thank you to NetGalley and Carly Spade for letting me review this book.

There are a lot of elements that I like. But unfortinately I had a hard time connecting with the story and most of the characters.

The beginning and some later parts gave me Marvel vibes. An element I liked.

I loved Heph most of the time. But the plot, the other characters... Especially all the damsel in distress stuff closer to the beginning wasn't for me.

Still, this might be just the book YOU are looking for.

Includes:
Marvel vibes

This retelling was so fun! The characters, the plot, cyberpunk, dystopian, Greek myth concoction was *chef’s kiss* close to perfection. Carly Spade created a magical world that had me hooked!

The first of the "Beyond a Contemporary Mythos" series focuses on Aphrodite (Ro) and Hephaestus (Heph).

The chemistry between Heph and Ro is steamy, and their requitted, centuries-old smoldering crush surfaces during a forced proximity situation that is swoony, hot and electric. With surprises around every corner, this action-packed novel takes it to the next level!

Highly recommend! I’m anxiously awaiting the rest of this series!

I love Carly Spade's books. I was curious what her take on these two would be and she went above and beyond my expectations. Honestly, I hadn't every imagined this dynamic for them, or this sort of world for them. It is well-written, the world was built beautifully, and I am chomping at the bit for more. This book leaves you satisfied, but desperate for more information, more of their story. Carly has managed to take a version of Aphrodite I normally shy away from, and turn it into something I am desperate to see again. Pure witchcraft and I am here for her talents. All I can say is everyone who loves Greek myth retellings should read this.

Well... I loved that this is a retelling story of Aphrodite and Hephaistos. I was super exited about this book and it started pretty well. Some really spicy scenes there. However the main story fell flat at times.


I mean, I know the romance story is important and believe me I'm all in for that. But in fantasy romance you expect more that just the romance. The story plot did not develop as expected and then the wrap-up felt hurried. I understand this is a first in a series but honestly the set-up for the continuation doesn't feel quite right!

Anyway, ok story not the best. It might get better on book two!

I love Greek Myth and I do enjoy a good retelling. I have to say I have always been rooting for Aphrodite and Hephaestus. In the myths they are married and Aphrodite is off having a good time with everyone else but I do love when they are meant to be together.

I'm not usually into futuristic stuff but I liked how the author handles it in this case. Totally enjoyed the angle with Cupid. This is really a great read, well paced, with likable characters.

I received an arc of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Greek mythology is in vogue and Carly Spade clearly understands how to deliver the modern mythological themes in Of Love and Forge. This novel follows the love story of Aphrodite and Hephaistos (Heph) as they time-jump and teleport while fighting typical Greek villains and their minions. Of Love and Forge begins a spin-off series “Beyond Contemporary Mythos” from her six-book series “Contemporary Mythos”, but the original series does not need to be read to understand this new spin-off.
Aphrodite is introduced as an immortal Greek god living in modern times, using her abilities as a love goddess to support an escort business, but her abilities are now waning and she doesn’t know why. Heph uses his ability as the god of the forge to become the best bounty hunter while living a few hundred years in the future. When a bounty is placed on Aphrodite, Heph takes the bounty and intends to turn Aphrodite over to her captors until he realizes that the client is going to sexually exploit her. Thus Aphrodite and Heph team up for the remainder of the novel to fight the client that now wants them dead as Aphrodite seeks answers for her waning immortal powers.
There are quite a few fight scenes but their variety and short durations keep the novel well-paced throughout. The placement of the story in a futuristic cyberpunk setting helps keep the scenes fresh and interesting while still feeling realistic. There seem to be quite a few cyborg/enhanced people in the future described, which reminded me of “The Mods” in recent Star Wars who voluntarily enhance certain body parts with tools and weapons to assist in fights. The human minions are balanced out by numerous harpies which helps to keep the story mostly based in Greek mythological tropes.
The emotional connection between Aphrodite and Heph carries the story. They are old friends who briefly flirted in the past but never acted on the connection, and now their coincidental meeting has reminded them of what they mean to each other. They try to remain polite at first but it doesn’t take long for them to admit their feelings and act on them… which they do in great quantity. There are numerous sex scenes which strike a good balance of compelling narrative without being drawn out enough to slow down the pace of the book. There is more sex than standard romance novels while not being quite as detailed as popular erotica on the market. Fortunately, all of the sexual encounters feel true to the characters and help to develop the plot. All aboard team #Hephrodite!
In addition to the romance, I also really enjoyed the friendships displayed in this book, such as between Heph and Orion, and Aphrodite and the Graces. Aphrodite and Heph are well supported by their friends and family, with an adorable sidekick of a small rabbit who naps in coat pockets while the main cast are engaged in battle. Aphrodite and Heph also grow as their own people in addition to developing their relationship, learning to be more honest about what they want in life and seeking healthier pursuits. This book would be well adapted to a movie or TV series with an interesting cast of characters, visually stimulating settings, and a killer wardrobe for Aphrodite.