This was really hot, I loved how much consent played a role. I think if you love the dark, misunderstood, I’m-scary-in-public-but-really-sweet protagonist, think Rhysand from ACOTAR, that you’ll love these vibes. Persephone is totally willing to get what she wants, and Hades is determined to give it to her. 🔥🔥🔥

DNF at 40%. I am such a sucker for Hades and Persephone retellings, but this one just fell flat for me. I am all for dark fantasy and dark romances, but I didn't realize that this one leans so much more into erotica that I wanted. I am all for smut in books, but I don't really enjoy the BDSM role play and control that takes place between Persephone and Hades in this book. I know a lot of people that loved this one, but it's just not for me.

4.5
I understand the popularity of Hades and Persephone retellings in romance. My aversion to it lent itself to my fascination with the original tale and being horrified for Persephone.
The best way these retellings can be done is to present a very different type of Hades. Katee Robert has managed to write not one, but two very memorable and VERY different versions of Hades.
While I enjoy her Wicked Villains series, I admit Hades is not my favorite because he is so like his original tale counterpart for a modern version. It was almost eerie and frustrating which made this much more enjoyable with a Hades I could love and root for.
Hades and Persephone were such a loving and healthy relationship here which is not what you would expect from even a lot of contemporary romances lately. Katee Robert manages to have a dark and chaotic background but presents a healthy relationship at the core.
This book also has content I am not particularly a fan of but done in the best way. Exhibitionism gives me anxiety to just think about let alone read about and enjoy. However, as long as everyone watching is consenting I do not see a problem with it. It is when you have public sex where onlookers are not consenting that I do not enjoy reading at all.
I loved how much they checked in with one another. I loved how Hades would improvise and compromise with Persephone rather than feel like he had to just work with her to get her to that comfort zone. I hate reading BDSM books where the fear is supposed to drive the kink. BDSM is all about compromising and improvising so everyone is having a good time and you know, fucking enjoying themselves? Who would've thought huh. Also, Hermes? My heart.
I'm excited to read the next two books, I need to check who they are about.

I don't know how Katee Robert has been off my radar prior to Neon Gods, but I'll be reading everything she writes now. Neon Gods is one of the hottest books I've read in a long time. Audio performers can make or break even a great book, but the talent here was perfect (Alex Moorcock voice performance as Hades was off the charts sexy - my ear buds about melted every time he introduced a chapter with a growled "Hades".) Fans of Christine Feehan and especially Sherrilyn Kenyon will love this. And I cannot wait for the next book in the series!

Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for my ALC in exchange for an honest review.

I won't reiterate my review of the book itself, but this audiobook. Wowza. This does what an audiobook is meant to do, enhance the text. The subtle voice inflections, the pacing, just the narrators' voices, all of it made the story enjoyable on a reread. I knew what was coming and it was just so pleasure-filled.

Both narrators were excellent but I straight up screamed the moment the narrator for Hades started speaking and never stopped. Even before the scenes started becoming steamy he had me blushing. Whether this is the first time you read this book or a reread, this was so enjoyable. Read, listen, and enjoy.

ALL OF THE STARS, SWOONS, BLUSHES, AND STEAM

4.5 ⭐️
Audiobook narrated by Zara Hampton-Brown, Alex Moorcock and they were great. I really enjoyed them. I highly recommend listening to this one.
This is a retelling about Greek Gods. It’s an erotica romance and I felt like a voyeur during some of this. Watching what they did to each other in public.
I liked watching Hades fall into this thing he tried to fight. He checked off all the boyfriend boxes for me.
This is a series and I can’t wait to read book 2.
If you love erotica then you’ll love this.
Thanks to Dreamscape Media via Netgalley.

<b>Audiobook arc provided by NetGalley. </b>

<i>Neon Gods</i> was one of my most anticipated books of the year.

Listen, we all love Hades and Persephone retellings, but most of them are…bad. This one…is pretty good...and hot.

As an avid Katee Robert reader for the past couple years, this is the first traditionally published book of hers that I’ve read (I know she’s had them before, but I haven’t worked through the blacklist). You can definitely tell there were additional editing and content changes that come with a traditionally published book versus what she independently published. <i>Neon Gods</i> is probably one of her most polished works.

Now, I did enjoy it, a lot. Comparing it to the one very popular new adult retelling, it’s skies above in terms of plot, characterization and smut. I, also, am pretty sure I’ve never read anything, traditionally published or independently, with such a heavy handed voyeurism kink.

But....it wasn’t perfect. Robert relies a little too much on her other series and her worldbuilding…I don’t quite fully get it, but I go with the flow.

There are references to the worlds and characters present in her Wicked Villains series and her Sabine Valley series, to the point, I’m pretty sure this was meant to be another independently published series that ties to those, and much like those, I don’t quite fully get the world. I did love the change of the gods being more legacy titles and not immortal gods. I think just a little more description on how the magic system worked would have cleared up a lot of the issues and confusion I had, but honestly, it gets to a point, you’re there for the couple and you kinda just say “fair enough” whenever world building comes into play.

In terms of the audiobook, this brought in another major issue for me. While both narrators were technically good (this is dual pov), Persephone’s voice actress always used this croaky old man voice whenever she did Hades’ dialogue in her chapters - I wasn’t quite sure if they were just trying to make him sound sexy…but, it kind of had the opposite effect. Hades’ narrator was pretty consistent and didn’t do anything noticeable.