So though i enjoy retelling of H&P . . .
I'm going to be honest with you and b tell you my main reason for reading this book was the spicy-factor. I was hoping the story would portray sometime of love story between the two, with off the charts passion. It's the little things, sue me🤷‍♀️.

What I got instead is a story that left me with the feeling of more dissonance than calm that I usually get after finishing a book. Frustration at a character for spending almost 70% of the book in a relationshipSo though i enjoy retelling of H&P . . .
I'm going to be honest with you and b tell you my main reason for reading this book was the spicy-factor. I was hoping the story would portray sometime of love story between the two, with off the charts passion. It's the little things, sue me🤷‍♀️.

What I got instead is a story that left me with tall these feelings. I have more dissonance than calm than i usually get after finishing a book. I'm frustrated at a P for spending almost 70% of the book in a relationship with someone she says she doesn't care about yet remains with, but she denies the sparks that fly every time she is around H. I hate stubborn characters. I mean it. She goes from hating H on one page to professing her undying love on the next. I'm confused about a cursed that isn't really explained yet shouldn't be triggered, only to kinda be triggered; so now what🤔?!? I'm hella annoyed with all these one-dimensional characters that are supposed to be millenia old but act like they aren't. P is Little Miss Bossy-Boots while trying to act naive? H thinks he's a bad-@ss, but is a pushover 🤨. The rest of the gods are all tools. They don't have to be compassionate; but if H is literal your wallet, I can't fathom how in old their years, they would have the audacity to talk to him the way that they do and he take it. It's outrageous. Most of all, I'm bewildered by how the author's didn't think the readers wouldn't noticed inconsistencies, poor character development, and repeated dialogs.

It had potential for me, but they're was just too much overall for me to just let go and go with the story. It was too much of a turbulent ride with everything.

** Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to review the advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion **

I enjoyed this. The writing was great, I can’t wait for more I would definitely read and recommend to others.

Such a spicy read!!!

This book has the spice. The premise behind the story is thrilling and beautiful. The spice is absolutely amazing scenes.. however, there are times that the book feels as if it focuses so much on the spice that it becomes a repetitive plot over and over. The retelling isn't bad.. but it isn't one of my favorites.

However, those who heavily like smut and spice will love this retelling.

I

I love a good Greek mythology retelling with Hades and Persephone being my favorites. I love how this one took it to an office romance setting and talk about spice! There’s a lot of smut in this one which was fine for me. I wish the ending was a little different, but overall, I enjoyed the story.

When the gods are allowed to mingle with the humans Hades has a system but one of the gods doesn’t want it known that she’s mangleing but when he decides to investigate it becomes way more than just Persephone not following the rules. I love books about Greek gods but was not prepared for the detailed sex in this book I wish there were more warnings about this stuff but unfortunately there was not. The story was pretty good although at first I couldn’t understand why Persephone would rather be with Jackson than Hades but knowing Hades track record I totally understood. I received this book from NetGalley and the publisher but I am leaving this review voluntarily please forgive any mistakes as I am blind and dictate my review.

I started this book fully aware that this is spicy Hades and Persephone retelling, which I was in the mood for. I knew the plot would be secondary to the spice level.

I think this is one of the easiest stories to go with and I liked that the plot revolved around a "workplace romance" twist to the story, adding a curse which prompts the reader to follow along and read more to discover what this curse is about. However, as I have now finished the book, I am still unsure what this curse is about. That aspect of the book was convoluted, especially when Hades was so adamant of not triggering it but then finally giving in and triggering in in the last chapter, for a reason that I still have trouble understanding. It is obvious when finishing the book that this will be a series and there is more to come, but the absence of bread crumbs to go by does not encourage the reader to wait for the next book. At least, it does not for me.

I think this book could have been edited even more. The same scene and dialogue happen over and over between 30% mark and 60% mark of the book. It also relies a lot on texting between the characters and heavy dialogue that is so blunt that it does not help the reader understand the feelings the characters are both having. They talk about it but we do not get descriptions of how these feelings manifest in their heart / body / mind, except the lust and obsession with the other's body and smell. And even that lust is very aggressive for the reader, there are no subtlety to it, and it is described always the same way all along the book, showing lazy writing and again, a lack of editing. This is something that could have been fixed with more edits or beta-reading.

As for the characters themselves, they seem one-faceted. I did not manage to understand their nuances. They are hundreds of years old, with life experiences covering millenias, yet what I could gather could be summed up in : Perspehone is selfish and Hades is a pushover. Which is also very strange for the figure of Hades to be. From the very beginning, one of the plot point is that they can't be together because Persephone is seeing someone, though she does not care about this person. Yet, when asked, she refuses to stop seeing that man and that spans for more than 60% of the book. The reasoning behind her action is left unexplained and the way Hades and Persephone finally go from dislike but attracted to each other to absolute undying love happens on half a page, I would not even be able to tell you how it progressed because it did not. It simply happened which is disappointing considering that tension was indeed an important part of the book. Zeus even tells Hades "what do you know about her?" and instead of getting on page "get to know the other", we just go from "I desire you" to "I cannot live without you", which fell flat and again, felt lazy.
There is also a big contraction in Hades: he is saying at the very beginning that he can never have a Queen at his side, to 3 pages later, saying that Persephone is his Dark Queen. It all felt very inconsistent, overall as a character, he is not well-rounded.

Brilliant, amazing, so funny, so much heat ... I loved loved loved it.... right up until that ending!
What the actual F.CK???

Way to spoil what would have been an absolutely amazing reading-experience! *Sigh*

Majority of the book was smut, I think there could have been a better plot. It felt really rushed and the end left lord to the imagination but not in a good way. There could have been another 5-6 chapters maybe to help it feel a bit more complete

I love Hades and Persephone. I am always looking for these two because I just know it’s gunna be heated. This book gives me very modern retelling vibes and I really really enjoyed that. It has lots of spice but also, a good plot. The first chapter didn’t pull me in at first but once I was 3-4 chapters In I completed the book in one sitting.

Thank you to the author for allowing me to read this ARC. I can’t wait to buy this book to add to my HadesxPersephone collection.

Thank you netgalley and Rose & Star publishing for this arc!

Do Hades and Persephone retellings ever get old?
NO
Tropes: Office Romance fated mates

I love that this was a modern retelling, reading the new rules the Gods had to follow was so interesting. I think my favorite part was the different take on hades and persephone. I LOVE sassy hades, and snarky persephone. I have been waiting for a sassy hades, and my prayers have been answered!!!! I also love how much he would do anything for persephone.

Just saying... there is spice, horns and calws. Yes i loved that hahaha.


warning: there is a cliffhanger!

The Maiden and the Unseen by Jeanette Rose and Alexis Rune is a contemporary Hades and Persephone retelling. I absolutely adore Hades and Persephone retellings and this one is one of my favorites. I loved the relationship between Hades and Persephone and how they both have internal insecurities though I wish they were more open and honest with each other about them. I loved the side characters in the beginning of the book but towards the end they just kind of disappeared from the story. Though the ending on Hades’ end was a little confusing, I really enjoyed the cliff hanger of an ending. I will definitely be continuing this series.

3.5 I love books about Greet mythology, but for me it was a little too much smut. Yes I know I know some people love there smut and don’t think there can be too much but for me if I’m reading a book I don’t want to have to feel like I can’t read it in public but that’s just me! If you don’t mind that this is a 5 star book for you!

The Maiden and The Unseen is an erotic/modern Hades and Persephone retelling.

I loved the plot and story that Jeannette Rose and Alexis Rose explored in this book. They wrote and made me fall in love with both Hades and Persephone. The ending was just cruel and unusual punishment!!

I received this book for free in return for an honesty review

To be completely honest, the only reason I persevered with this book is because I was given it as an ARC. Thank you for that.

Where to begin.... This is one very very long continuous smut scene essentially. I wanted to love the characters and they had such potential. However, there was so much miscommunication between the two main characters with no dialogue flow that I ended up with whiplash trying to keep up. There were several occasions where I needed to read back to make sure I hadn't missed something which would explain why the character had suddenly decided to get angry.

Story wise, again it had such potential. Having Hades as a business man made sense and an office romance should have worked, but in this case it just didn't. In terms of spice it went from 0-100 ridiculously fast with no build up.The rest of the book then just consisted of a different sex scene each page.

To conclude, as I said I really really wanted to like it. Toning down the spice, adding some tension and really fleshing out the story and characters would help immensely.

I received a copy of this from NetGalley and this is my freely given opinion.

This is a joint authored modern take on the Greek myth of Persephone and Hades, as a contemporary romance/erotica.

I have always enjoyed mythology and this was one of my favourites. I was actually going into this story with a lot of scepticism, but was pleasantly surprised. This was dark and angsty, but a very compelling story, drawing on some of the myth of Olympus, the Underworld, gods/mythic creatures and a modern day New York.

Hades is still the god of the Underworld, and still tied to reign there 6 months out of the year, and allowed to come up to the mortal realm the other 6 months. In his contemporary incarnation he is the CEO of Plutus industries, a money making mogul. In this world, the other gods and creatures of Olympus are allowed to petition to leave the mountain and engage in the mortal realm under strict rules by Zeus, and they are given accounts by Hades. Hades notes that someone appears to have entered the realm without following the proper protocol, and freezes everyone's accounts to flush out the rogue diety.

Persephone has been suppressed and hidden by her mother, Demeter, for centuries, and was finally given some freedom and allowed to leave Olympus, so long as she follows Demeter's rules. She found a job that she enjoys as a social media coordinator, and things have been going well. She's even in a non-committed relationship for the the past several months with a pretty nice guy. Suddenly things go to hell in a handbasket when she finds out her accounts are frozen and she has no money. She seeks help with her friend, Helios, who connects her with Plutus industries, who manages her banks.

Hades and Persephone have a contentious relationship from the moment they meet. Hades recognizes that she is his fated mate, the fated Queen of the Underworld, and is conflicted as he finds her incredibly attractive, but fights against the declared fate. She ends up working for Plutus industries, and because of her mother's overprotectiveness, is unaware of her and his intertwined fates. This becomes a contemporary boss vs. employee interoffice attraction as well, with a paranormal twist, and a lot of heated interactions between Hades and Persephone. Add to the situation that Persephone is in a bit of a love triangle with the previous boyfriend also, which adds to the sparks and conflict between her and Hades. Finally, she is aware that Hades is hiding something from her, as they both end up succumbing to their attraction and have a relationship, but Hades does what he can to prevent Persephone from becoming tied to the Underworld, which in the original story involves her eating pomegranate seeds. Because this is erotica, the seeds are of a different nature... though surprisingly, not necessarily eaten.

This was better than I expected, as it is a classic myth I loved and there is such a strong contemporary twist to it (there is a lot of texting, which I do not find sexy, but it does fit the story). It was a fun, compelling, and quick read, with some interesting takes on some of the other characters of myth. FYI, there is a lot of graphic sex, and sex play, mild BDSM, masturbation. My biggest quibble is that this is not a finished, stand alone story, but ends on a cliff hanger note, and I am left a bit frustrated by that. So I hope that there will be a conclusion in the future.

3.75 stars out of 5

I’ve read my fair share of Persephone and Hades retellings. Where this modern retelling differs is Persephone is no maiden, she doesn’t care about the feelings of those around her, she’s social media smart but money dumb. She cheats on the man she’s with, saying they aren’t a couple but also doesn’t try to understand how Hades feels being the side hoe.

Hades was easy to love. He has his low moments but you grow to like him because he’s trying, he’s in a raging battle with himself and their fate, and he’s trying to learn more about Persephone and her likes, he’s constantly worried about their relationship.

What didn’t work for me is the miscommunication, which is sky high, the toxicity, the plot that finally showed it’s face at 85%. So MUCH of this book is smut! I got bored so often, because it’s either them imagining about doing each other or them actually doing each other. The use of shadows and vines were a nice touch I have to admit.

There were a few things that didn’t make sense, like Persephone overworking herself when the book starts and I guess she drops all her projects to work for Hades but we don’t exactly know, which once again goes to show how little she cares about anything. The side characters disappear COMPLETELY halfway through the book. Minthe? Millie? Helios? Hello? Don’t see them again at all.

This also ends on a cliffhanger. Wonderful.


Thank you so much for the opportunity to read the eARC

I was really into this series until around chapter 65ish and quickly became bored. The plot was interesting! The steamy scenes hot! But then...it just drops off and becomes sort of nonsensical and doesn't resolve a thing - because "sequel". The saddest thing is that established side characters (and no, not talking about Jackson) just don't show up after around chapter 30.

The reason I'm giving this book 3 stars is because although I didn't love it, I know that there will be many people that enjoy it. I love an extremely smutty retelling but I also need a great story line to go with it.
But this book was almost all about the spicy scenes and not enough about the story. I wish there had been more build up, some more suspense maybe. It just need more to the story.
The ending does leave on a cliffhanger and I will definitely be reading the sequel to see how it turns out.

If I was judging this book by its cover, it would have a much higher rating. 😅

So, I’m going to start by saying, I did know this book was going to have smut, BUT I didn’t realize that was all it was going to be. I don’t mind smut, but I do like there to be some sort of story and plot involved. And this…. Yeah, not so much.

I chose to read this book due to the Hades and Persephone theme, and though it was fun to see the different gods/goddesses, it was the bare minimum that actually connected it to the myth.

And for the romance? Their relationship was awful (in my opinion). I considered her cheating on her boyfriend (she said they weren’t boyfriend/girlfriend though they were dating for 6 months?) a major pitfall - I don’t like those types of romances. They had no trust for each other and the reader is yanked back and forth constantly. I think there is a curse that keeps Hades from sharing? Throughout the story it felt like random information, that should have been better explained, was just thrown in. It ends on a cliffhanger that I can’t bring myself to care about and I won’t read anymore that follow this one.

So, all in all, I was very disappointed in this one, but perhaps someone who doesn’t care about a storyline would enjoy it!

Thank you to #netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I love the writing style and the level of smut. There is also a strong storyline with a good plot. The characters are fun to read about and the book is still unique even though hades and Persephones stories have been redone a few times recently. Overall, a really good read and I’m excited to purchase the book when it comes out and recommend it to my book club.

Rating 3.5🌟
Plot twist: 2 🌟
Spiciness: 4-4.5🌶


This is probably the spiciest Hades x Persephone fated mates book I have ever read!

It has so many smut scenes 😍 and they are definitely unique and spicy on their own 🤤

I loved the modern touch of the book and the writing style 👌

HOWEVER:

It took 40 something chapters for the main characters to actually be together and everything before that was back and forward, hot and cold and not much of a story building. There was a point where I considered DNF-ing the book as I was getting frustrated of all these "it almost happened but nope 🙅🏻" moments for 200 pages straight 😅

Also, I do get that there was a curse to make the book more interesting; but was it really necessary that cream 🥧 was the trigger of the curse? Lol

I did end up enjoying the book and reading it completely but I think I could have done with either less chapters of hot-n-cold or with more action and drama!

I also loved the side characters but they were kind of undeveloped, I get that they are not the MC's but it just felt like they were unnecessary brought in the book for 1 chapter or 2 and out the window for the rest of the book 😁

Overall, great smut book to tickle all your dark fantasies but not much of a fantasy or romance (for me at least).

Would I read book 2? Yes. I liked it more than I hated it so we shall see what emotions the next book 📖 will bring 😁💋💌