I love a spicy romance and Greek mythology, so I was really excited for this one! This is a modern retelling of Hades and Persephone, blending mythology with contemporary settings and challenges. Hades & Persephone in particular is one of my favorites of the myths (though it is kind of a bummer). Despite its promising premise, the novel falls short in execution, particularly with its characterization of the mythological figures. Hades and Persephone's immature behavior and petty conflicts detract from their depth as characters, which takes away from the story and it made it hard to care about them. The writing style fluctuates between mature and silly tones, creating inconsistency in the storytelling. Although there are moments of charm and vulnerability between the protagonists, the overall narrative lacks cohesion and depth. Also, I hate a cliffhanger ending, so that's an issue I had as well.

Another Greek mythology/folklore inspired Romantasy tale that is sure to find it's loyal fanbase out there in the world.

Love and lust in the dangerous world of gods and goddesses. This was an interesting take on the Hades and Persephone story. Intriguing mix or gods, goddesses, humans and things in between. There are a lot of secrets in this story. I kept begging for the truths to come out. I was a bit bummed when it ended on a cliffhanger that I wasn’t expecting. I’m sure the next book will be an interesting continuation and will hopefully wrap up lots of questions and conversations. Steam level is high and spicy in this book. Hades and Persephone are fire together. Hades has my full attention.

Omg the spice!!

I love a retelling of Hades and Persphone and this book hit all the marks! I love that it was set in the present and did I mention the spice?

Cant wait to see what will happen next!

The Maiden & The Unseen is a captivating fantasy romance that intertwines Greek mythology with modern-day elements. The story follows Hades, the God of the Underworld, and Persephone, the Goddess of Spring, as they navigate their roles among mortals while contending with their divine responsibilities and personal desires.

Plot :
In The Maiden & The Unseen, the gods are allowed to mingle with mortals anonymously, a decree from Zeus that places Hades in charge of facilitating this integration. Hades, who has never fully withdrawn from the mortal world, is now tasked with managing the gods' assimilation and finances. Meanwhile, Persephone, who has been living among mortals for two years, works as a social media manager, struggling with the constraints imposed by her overprotective mother, Demeter.

As Hades deals with the complexities of helping the gods blend in, Persephone navigates her newfound freedom and the challenges of modern life. Their paths cross in unexpected ways, leading to a deeper connection and a re-examination of their roles and desires.

Characters

- Hades: The God of the Underworld, who balances his divine duties with his life among mortals. He is depicted as both powerful and relatable, dealing with familial responsibilities and the burden of managing the gods' integration into the mortal realm.
- Persephone: The Goddess of Spring, who has yearned for the mortal world and finally gets her chance to live among humans. Her journey is one of self-discovery and breaking free from her mother's overbearing control.
- Zeus: The king of the gods, whose decree sets the plot in motion, adding layers of complexity to Hades' and Persephone's lives.
- Poseidon: Hades' brother, who adds a touch of humor and sibling rivalry to the narrative.

Themes

- Freedom and Control: The novel explores the balance between freedom and control, particularly through Persephone's struggle against her mother's constraints.
- Identity and Assimilation: The gods' attempt to blend in with mortals raises questions about identity and the challenges of assimilation.
- Family Dynamics: The relationships between the gods, especially the sibling rivalry and support, are central to the story.

Writing Style : Jeanette Rose and Alexis Rune's writing is engaging and richly descriptive, bringing the characters and settings to life. The authors skillfully blend humor, romance, and mythological elements, creating a narrative that is both entertaining and thought-provoking. The modern-day setting juxtaposed with ancient mythology adds a unique twist to the story.

The Maiden & The Unseen is a delightful read for fans of fantasy romance and Greek mythology. Jeanette Rose and Alexis Rune have crafted a story that is both whimsical and profound, with well-developed characters and a plot that keeps readers hooked. This novel is a must-read for those looking for a fresh take on classic myths and a heartwarming tale of love and self-discovery.

— 1.5 ⭐️, meh. Truly. It would be much better if this is only an “office romance” with boss x employee love story. Categorized as super duper easy book to read. You’ll finish it in one sitting. Too much drama (I love drama, but not this much) and the sex just blaah. I did not find it great or even enough, but cringe all over it. Besides the social issues that this book brings, I wouldn’t bother give the half star.

The story starts when Hades is boring and would like to find this little rat to play with him. Then suddenly she appears but unexpectedly, she would be his Queen in the future. Banter, cheating, and lots of make out sessions even sex is happening. But in the end, Fate won.

The main storyline is focusing on “The Fate” and how this thing would be the main issues that this book brought.

Tha characters are all annoying. Hades is out of place, Persephone is such a bitch (not in a good way), and the other sidekick character appearance just so-so. The only one I adore is Amanda. If this book just a normal boss x employee love story, I wouldn’t complain about the characters. I, personally aware about what the authors mentions in the beginning of the book. But, please, the characters just too bland for my liking. Either these Authors would like the readers to hate all of the characters (because they did a great job at it) or this is just their style of describing their character’s personality into stories.

Analyzing(?):
* Blend in with your surroundings can help your life
* “Good things takes time”
* Strict parents always gave the most rebellious children
* Fate vs Love
* Inner Voices of someone (demon & angelic voices)
* A child never knew good and bad, the parents were the one who taught them
* Gods’s profession in a human realm representation (symbolism)
* Denial of the obsession, would simply makes you want more
* Physical attraction sometimes loose to personalities attraction
* The thrill men mostly do, when they do not get what they want
* The pride of people who left their homes to never would like to going back empty handed

What I hate the most‼️
Persephone cheating. I don’t care if you do not put any label in it but she did cheating behind his back. Despite of what the male did is also the same but what goes a round comes around. I was truly overjoyed when he said “You are a slut” because well, she is.

Question, how could she left her old job that easily??

My best Quotes on the book:
“You can’t compare trauma to trauma. We all deal with it differently. One trauma is not worse than someone’s else”

Overall, this was a fun Hades and Persephone retelling. I enjoyed the office romance aspect. While I also enjoyed how both Hades and Persephone felt insecurities in their relationship sometimes the repetitiveness of these insecurities got old. They were having the same issues every couple of chapters instead of growing. I love the over focus on fate as the driving force for the story. I am excited to see how the rest of their story unfolds.

"𝙎𝙝𝙚'𝙨 𝙖 𝙦𝙪𝙚𝙚𝙣. 𝙈𝙮 𝙦𝙪𝙚𝙚𝙣. 𝙎𝙝𝙚 𝙬𝙖𝙨 𝙢𝙖𝙙𝙚 𝙩𝙤 𝙧𝙪𝙡𝙚, 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙨𝙞𝙩 𝙞𝙙𝙡𝙮 𝙗𝙮 𝙖𝙨 𝙖 𝙗𝙖𝙩𝙩𝙡𝙚 𝙧𝙖𝙜𝙚𝙨."

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book as an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for honest review.

The Maiden and The Unseen is the first book in Love & Fate series. The title itself resembles the main character of the book, Persephone—the once isolated goddess of spring who now lives in between mortals with some terribly strict rules to obey, and Hades—the ruler of the underworld, king of the dead who got hold on the two realms of both the living and the dead.

Their life collided when Persephone suddenly ran out of money and the only way to get her funds back is to face and made an agreement with Hades, another wicked god she doesn't know ever exists. And who knows that fate had something more than a mere business encounter for them.

I was sceptical when it comes to greek mythology retelling that the writing and the whole idea of god and goddesses would be overwhelming, but this one was totally accessable. We've given the crucial information about the divines like their ability or their origin in a simple way so if you're new into greek mythology it's totally fine to read this book.

Personally i have divided feeling for the first and the second hald of the book. The first half of the book is totally binge-worthy since we can't help but to immerse in the tension in their every encounter. I kinda struggle on the second half by how fast the FMC change her mind about the MMC and i just can't with that part. Also the reason why Hades kept the fate from Persephone, what i got is that once he figured the fate that he couldn't change but there wasn't saying that he couldn't spit it out loud? This part got me kinda confused.

But you know what? The ending got me hooked into the story again and i'm looking forward how their journey in the underworld will went in the next installment, The Mistress and The Renowned!

So, if you're looking for:
- Slowburn
- Forced proximity
- Wicked and powerful MMC
- Independent, rebellious FMC
- Fated mate
I recommend you to read this book!

Who doesn’t love a good hades & Persephone retelling!? This was so entertaining, spicy HOT, I enjoyed that this was set in the human world as well which you don’t see too often.

3.5⭐️

I received an ARC copy of this book for an honest review of the book. I want to thank the authors as well as NetGalley for sending me this book.
This is a retelling of Hades and Persephone. I think this book was well written, maybe a bit repetitive at times, and very descriptive. It is definitely full of spice and lots of passion.
I would have liked to have had more plot and a bit less smut. This is a standalone book, with a cliffhanger ending!

Thank you Net Galley and publishers for letting me read this arc in return for an honest review.

I have read so many different Hades and Persephone retellings that when a new one comes out, it's an automatic read for me. I just love them all and this one is no exception. If you want a book that's all spice and very little plot, then this one is for you. I was not expecting how fast they got into each other's pants. It was an instant attraction based on nothing but lust. And the photos thrown throughout this book of certain scenes threw me off in a good way. Wasn't expecting that but it was fun. The very little plot that does go on, I'm interested to see how the story progresses in the 2nd and 3rd books. How will she step into her queen of the dark role and will he escape his prison he's trapped in? One thing I didn't like about this book was the miscommunication from both of them. I hate how this is becoming a popular trope. I get that he can't say anything about his curse but all of their other problems could be solved if they just communicated with each other. It was super annoying, like why don't you trust me, do you not want me, why are you upset? Other than that, I loved all of the spice and I really like Mellie, goddess of nightmares. I hope she returns in the second book.

Thank you NetGalley for the e-arc!
I have seen this book floating around for a little little bit, and I am so excited that I received a copy to read and review. This is such a unique premise with the Greek gods not only mingling but having whole lives. This is definitely a book to read if you were looking for some thing very spicy and fun! This is not First slow burn or drawn out romance readers. There is a bit of an Insta lust component and the connection between Persephone and Hades’s pick up right away.
Overall, I enjoyed it and think it was a fun spicy read!

2.5 rounded down to 2
Not a bad book but I would only recommend it if you are really, really into Hades and Persephonie retellings. This book was like A Touch of Darkness meets Gossip Girl. Fun but not very deep. More focused on the spice than plot and not terribly original.

AGAIN with the miscommunication. Why is this a new trope? I understand it right at the beginning of a relationship when you're trying to figure it out but help me out. This was a decent novel with an interesting plot but I couldn't handle that it was far too long.

At first he book starts out a bit like "Hi, I'm the plumber." porn between Persephone and Hades. What I mean by that is they barley meet and they are together quite quickly. Their love and relationship progresses in an interesting way. The end I did not expect. It definitely left you hanging going WTF!! So now I have to read the next one.

Overall it is a fun quick read with lots of internal dialog and termoile about what step to take next in their crazy fated love!! I did enjoy the back and forth between their POV. On a spicy level I would give it a 4 to 5 pepper.

The description intrigued me: A Greek mythology set in the modern world; the writing here flowed easily and kept me entertained, but be aware that it is full of explicit scenes that almost, if not entirely, overshadowed the story.

I wished we had a little prologue to see how they lived before arriving on Earth and interacting with Humans, but there wasn’t.

The plot/characters could be handled better. One minute, you are reading about adults. Still, sometimes they behave so immaturely that you forget their Divine beings, which I realized happens in most books recently, fantasy creatures turning into boring replicas of mundane human beings to humanize them. What is fantastic about that? I don’t want to read about ordinary people with everyday issues.

I went into it without knowing that this was the first in a series, and it ended up on a cliffhanger; I am still debating if I will pick up the next book, “The Mistress & the Renowned.”

As someone who enjoys Hades and Persephone retellings and a good amount of spice, this book was a nice read with a decent writing style and insight. At the same time, I do like accuracy and I really need to be in the mood for more modern retellings. The extremely teenager like use of language isn't exactly for me. Apart from this, I do like how they kept a lot of traits attributed to the characters in mythology.
Overall, it's not the most groundbreaking book I've ever read but if you like modern retellings and a lot of smut, this one is for you.

I liked this book but it was to spicy for me! I liked the story and the characters and enjoyed the main story but flew over a lot of the spicy parts because for me they weren't really necessary to the story! nevertheless I´m excited to see the story continue and will read the other books in this series to see how the story progresses! i would love to see more of millie in the future and the relationship of the two get deeper!
I would recommend it if you like a mythological fantasy with a lot of spice!

(thank you netgalley for this arc-copy!)

PAUSED. NOT A DNF

———

I’m currently on chapter 47 (yes, really. And I’m only 65% through it) and I feel since chapter 30 I’ve just been reading for the sake of reading.

I wanted to try something different, I’ve read Hades x Persephone stories before and thought I’ll give it a go. But …

It’s going on a bit.

And the fact that 65% of the way through and they’ve only *just* got together… they’re gonna fall out. Third act break up, I can see it. And then pulled back together. Magically.

I don’t know why I’m just not pulled in by the characters at all. I’m LOVING Mellie. She seems to be the only character I like. Which, once you read it and found out who she is, is a little concerning.

Persephone, the goddess of spring. Hidden away by her mother… alright Rapunzel. No one knows why. And no one seems to be telling us why.

When Jackson is caught cheating, I feel like that was just thrown in there so we hated the character. It didn’t seem right. Was there really any need? Nope.

The spice was… ok. It’s spicy. Like two 🌶️🌶️ spicy.

I will come back to this at some point, I promise.

One of the better Hades & Persephone retellings I’ve read. However, if you are looking for something that stays true to the original story, it may not be for you. It’s also quite spice-heavy.