Neon Gods is one of my most anticipated reads this year and I was really disappointed. I don't exactly know what I was thinking, but for some reason, I thought this book had magic? Or something? Because of that, this book ultimately felt like a steamy Mafia romance, which really made me even more confused.

Since I read the Wicked Villains series and because some of the characters in this book are also characters in the other series, I could not help but wonder if these characters were the same, is this book set in the same world as the other series. Also, real-world places were mentioned, and to be honest, it really confused me even more and took me out of the story.

I love the Hades/Persephone romance trope, and while I liked Hades and Persephone's relationship in Neon Gods, it ultimately could not overcome the pitfalls, I felt the book had.

While I love the progression between Hades and Persephone's romance, I also thought that the plot was moving at a very slow pace. For an almost 400 page book, I was feeling the length, and I could not wait for the book to end.

Neon Gods is still steamy but not as steamy as the Wicked Villains series, which really added to my overall dissatisfaction with this book. I really, really want to love Neon Gods, but this book did not turn into an instant favorite for me.

This is the BEST Hades & Persephone retelling I have ever read. So unique and unlike anything out there. It was sexy and smart and I never wanted to stop reading it! I wish to spend the rest of my days reading about Dark Olympus, Katee Robert knows how to do it right!

The spicy aspect was amazing, I love that consent was present and made very clear. It immediately makes the reader feel safe and I really appreciate that. The actual scenes themselves were really well written and super steamy! I really could not get enough!

Hades, oh my gosh! I love that in this retelling he is soft but also like the literal god of the Underworld. It's fantastic, I have never seen Hades written better before! I also thought it was great that both he and Persephone are queer and its made clear, honestly it was about time that this happened and I'm so glad Katee has done it!

I really hope that we get to read more in this world, Katee Robert should get to write as many Dark Olympus books as she wants!

I never was one that was overly hyped about Hades and Persephone retellings. Until the day I heard that one of my favorite authors was releasing one of her own! I picked up this beauty the day it was released, June 1st, and it's taken me this long to articulate my feelings into words. And I still have only come down to this.....NEON GODS WAS AHH-MAZING!
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The way Katee Robert blended modern day with mythology was spectacular! And of course she mixed in her own flavor of erotica which you guys know I'm ~all~ here for!! Hades was the perfect cinnamon roll character but knew how to be a Dominant when the time arose! And Persephone was courageous and strong yet her bratty submissive side shines through which I feel gave her character so much complexion!
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Overall, this book will most likely make it in my top five favorites of the year! Easily a 5 star read from me and I'm so happy to have fallen in love with this book!
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

As a huge fan of mythology retellings, I was extremely excited to read about Hades and Persephone, the ultimate star-crossed lovers! It was definitely sexy and steamy, but I found the relationship between Hades and Persephone sweet as well, which is a must for any good romance.

As readers, we all have our own pantheons of authors who seem to have a god-like ability to rule over our hearts and minds. And, surprising no one, Katee Robert is clearly part of my romance author pantheon. Neon Gods was one of my most-anticipated reads of the year and it did not disappoint!

The first in the Dark Olympus series, this book follows Persephone Dimitriou as she flees a forced engagement to Zeus and finds herself under the protection of Hades. Now Hades likes to pretend he's helping her for his own gain (revenge on Zeus) when in reality he is the softest boy who has ever lived! He bandages Persephone's hurt feet, he cuddles puppies, time and again puts his own pride and self aside to help her and those she loves.

I always like the way that Robert writes about exploring kink, and especially enjoyed a scene where Persephone thought she wanted something and later decides that she doesn't. It was such a great moment about a heroine respecting her own boundaries and desires, and having a hero ready to support whatever she chose. Finding her own agency is a huge part of Persephone's story, and I loved how Robert layered that theme in throughout the entire book.

I am a sucker for Hades and Persephone retellings, and Robert gave me everything I love about their dynamic and more. I am counting down the days until I can read the next in this series!

❤️❤️❤️❤️ out of 5
Mythology retellings are like crack to me- I’m an addict and I freely admit it. So a Hades and Persephone retelling? Sign me the heck up! While I enjoyed this book I can’t help by being slightly disappointed as the retelling wasn’t quite what I was expecting because I had certain preconceived ideas going in.

Our heroine Persephone is offered up to Zeus like a lamb to the slaughter by her mother and her first instinct is to run. Run is what she does escaping a modern vibed Olympus straight into the unknown territory and arms of Hades- the one place Zeus can’t go. Her goal is to tarnish her reputation so Zeus can’t possibly want her back but she ends up falling for Hades right when she least expects it.

Hades in mythology is such a big character and every other time I’ve read him in a retelling he is larger than life and DARK. So I did feel like I was missing all of those vibes because this Hades was practically a soft teddy bear in comparison. Don’t get me wrong- I liked him, but he just wasn’t what I was expecting at all. Persephone, however, went from strength to strength and I was applauding her growth the whole time. I have to say this was quite tame heat wise for KR and I was kind of expecting a little more. Overall I enjoyed the book and will definitely want to continue with the series- and now that I have a better understanding of the retelling I won’t be disappointed.

I did really enjoy most of this story, but I feel like some of it was just lacking in terms of what I was expecting, such as the spice levels and how the plot progressed. I felt like the first 3/4ths of the book were much slower than the last fourth. I did like it though and will definitely read future books in the series!

Whew!! I really enjoyed Neon Gods - it’s a Hades/Persephone retelling. The best part for me was how much I love Hades - one of my favorite types of heroes. He’s gruff and tough on the outside but on the inside you can see how much he really cares.

Neon Gods is HOT!! If you are someone who prefers your romance closed door or light on steam, this one isn’t for you. But if you enjoy an updated take on a classic story with characters you’ll love and amazing chemistry - I highly recommend Neon Gods!

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the advance reading copy.

This book was amazing, we really appreciated her take on the Hades and Persephone story. We recently had Katee on to discuss the book, her thoughts on writing it, and what we loved about it. Link can be found below.

A sexy and intriguing Hades and Persephone retelling for sure! Katee Robert has quickly become a new favorite author of mine and this pretty much lived up to my expectations. We love a Dom/brat kink and an alphamellow hero!

The only gripe I have is that after reading some of her indie works it kind of felt like she was holding back a bit here to please her publisher. I don’t have any specific examples to pull from the book, but it’s just a vibe I got while reading 🤷🏻‍♀️

Highly recommend the audiobook btw as I think the narrators were perfect choices for Hades and Persephone. I can’t wait to read more of the books in this series as they come out. Highly recommend!

**thank you NetGalley and the publisher for providing an e-arc in exchange for an honest review!**

4.5

My first Katee Robert book did not disappoint! This was a quick, lustful and enticing story based off of Hades and Persephone mythological story. Now I have to be completely honest, I don’t know a ton of mythology so it definitely would have been a little more engaging if I was super familiar with it but I knew enough to get by nonetheless.

This was definitely super spicy with two engaging characters. I would definitely read the next in this series and more form her!!!

A contemporary retelling of Hades and Persephone that doesn't quite hit the mark.
I did enjo the modern aspects mixed with the mythology, but it wasn't explained enough. I felt out of the loop of how the world is run and how the gods were chosen or used in the society.
Hades and Persephone were likable enough, bit overall this felt like a short novella to something else.

Excellent steamy times with a really interesting take on Hades/Persephone. I'm a bit of a Greek mythology nerd and what I really enjoyed was how the author walked such a fine line between urban fantasy and contemporary. Like some scenes felt very reality-based, while others reminded you that magic/myth *does* exist in this world. Will definitely be reading more in the series if it's continued.

Thank you NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.
This was my first Katee Robert and now I just need read more! I really enjoyed Neon Gods, it was sexy, had great characters and I enjoyed the nods to Greek mythology in a modern way. The story of Persephone & Hades is one of my favourites in Greek mythology and I loved this retelling of it.
I loved the spice & kinks and can't wait to see what happens next in the series!

Clear your calendar and don't start this book before bed time because you will not want to put it down!!

You don't need any experience with Greek Mythology to enjoy this modern retelling.
Hades (God of the Underworld) and Persephone (Goddess of Spring and daughter of Demeter) just so happen to have a common enemy: Zeus. Hades, because Zeus murdered his parents and Persephone because she's engaged to him. So of course they end up in a mutually beneficial revenge plot that includes all the friends with benefits-benefits. Will revenge be enough or will they take a chance on their feelings?

This might be the steamiest traditionally published book I’ve read in a long time, and I loved every minute of it! I love how it mixes the lore of the Greek gods with a modern-day romance story. For instance, Persephone agrees to stay with Hades for three months, the lower city is the underworld, and her safe word is “Pomegranate”. I love how consent was handled between Hades and Persephone. He constantly checks in with her to make sure she truly agrees, even though he is in a position of power over her. I just loved the story in general, and I can’t wait to read the next book in the series!

This book was so perfect! I am obsessed with the hades/Persephone retellings and this book did not let me down. The plot plus the smut was perfect!! Katee Robert is definitely an author I need to read more of

I absolutely adored this Neon Gods.

This book is up in my top favourite reads of 2021 so far. The writing is fantastic. Robert’s has done an amazing job bringing the God’s to life in this book! I just love Hades and Persephone is a complete bad ass!!!

I am highly anticipating the next books in this series!!

Katee Robert's Neon Gods went above and beyond my expectations. I've read a few of her works in the past, so I knew that she could write sexual tension like the best of them, as well as build a wonderful world with ease. However, her world building and creativity that went into creating her version of Olympus was fantastic. Over the past few months, I've read a few Hades and Persephone retellings but this is the first time that I feel like the author made the story authentically theirs. This ability translated to her exploration of the Hades and Persephone relationship as well. As a reader, I could see all of the postmarks of the original myth, but it still felt fresh and new from Robert's voice. Also, as I said earlier, the chemistry that Robert was able to create between these two characters was palpable and jumped right off the page from the very beginning.
Overall, I was pleasantly surprised by how much I absolutely loved this book and I cannot wait to see what she does next with Psyche and Eros' story.

This is one of the better retellings I've read so far. This book was intense. Hades and Persephone are such a powerful duo and I appreciate that Katee Roberts didn't just take the names and attach them to generic romance characters.