OMG! This book was absolutely perfect for me. I really have enjoyed Katee Robert’s other series The Wicked Villains, but this version of Hades blew me out of the water. I am a sucker for Hades and Persephone retellings, and the world of Olympus that Robert created was ingenious. I am absolutely hooked, and I cannot wait for the next installment! Hands down one of my favorites of 2021.

As someone who reads a lot of Hades and Persephone retellings, I know first hand how hard it can be to find one that has A. good writing, B. an interesting plot, and C. good smut. Katee Robert knocked this out of the park! This book grabbed my attention in the first chapter and never let go.

Persephone wants out of Olympus, and when her mother blindsides her with an arranged marriage proposal to the dangerous Zeus, she flees, ending up in Hades realm. Persephone and Hades both hate Zeus, so they strike a mutual deal - Persephone will "belong" to him for three months (until she receives her inheritance which will allow her to leave Olympus for good), and they will work together to make sure that their acts of "ruination" are public enough that Zeus will no longer want Persephone as a wife.

Hades and Persephone have instant chemistry and it's absolutely captivating. The spice is very well written and while I don't know much about d/s or kink, it is clear that great care was taken in portraying healthy, consensual relationships between all parties involved. I loved the development of their relationship, and I was satisfied with the ending.

All I can say is I want more!

Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to read and review this book early!

This was my first book by Katee Robert and I loved it so much I'll be diving into her backlist titles asap.

NEON GODS is a Hades / Persephone retelling in an urban fantasy setting. I love Greek mythology, so I loved that aspect, but it's not hard to follow if you're NOT a fan or very familiar with it.

What. A. Ride. This story is so addictive; I couldn't out it down. Add this to your TBR if you like: grump / sunshine, dark, brooding hero who is actually a softie on the inside, S P I C Y kinky romance that includes public acts, and a badass heroine who knows what she wants and goes after it.

Going into NEON GODS I knew there would be plenty of steam, but what I didn't know was that I would fall in love with Hades & Persephone's love story. Their backstories are dark and heartbreaking but they are so good for each other! I'm not usually a fan of insta love/lust but it works here, and although there may be insta lust, they gradually move into something so much more than that.

There's also a bit of suspense in the plot as the constant threat of war looms over the relationship and it kept me on edge the whole time.

Highly recommend and can't wait to read the next book in this series!

Warnings: Steamy scenes, murder both on and off-page, physical violence, voyeurism
Tropes: Brooding guy falls for the quirky girl, HEA
Rating: 5 Stars

This Hades and Persephone retelling is set in a modern-day Olympus, where the original 13 have lived and died, and successors have risen to take their place. Three of the lines are given by lineage: Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades. The rest are earned by the nature of their position, whether that entails selection or something more nefarious.

The story focuses on Persephone Dimitriou, the rule-following daughter of Demeter. Forced into an engagement with Zeus, Persphone flees across the city, and crosses the River Styx into the land of shadows, said to be left lawless and unruled after the death of the last of the Hades line.

What Persephone finds on the other side of the river changes everything she thought about life in Olympus, the reality that the 13 have constructed, and her views on herself and love.

Neon Gods is a combination of urban romance and Greek mythology retelling. What I adored the most about this book are the character arcs that both characters undergo, where they both learn to be a little more selfish in some ways, and a little more selfless in others. I was really glad to see scenes of the BDSM/kink community written with clear consent and respect at their foundation.

Many thanks to Sourcebooks Casablanca, Katee Robert, and NetGalley for allowing me to read an eARC in exchange for an honest review!

“Zeus is notorious for not wanting what he considers tarnished goods.” I take a deep breath. “So…tarnish me.”

Massive thank you to netgalley and publisher for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review

If you know me, then you know hades and Persephone retells extend my life expectancy. I have read Katees past works and I’m a big fan, hence why my excitement for neon gods skyrocketed and she did not disappoint!!! All the tropes on top of the retell were amazing, and the steam was so intense a few kinks get explored. This version of Persephone was a much more confident and outspoken I love her!! This version hades was a lot softer than I’ve ever read, he was truly the epitome of stone cold hard to the world but soft to his one love interest. But this version of hades really emphasised his dedication and love for Persephone, he only ever prioritised her And took care of her from every single aspect. His love for her knew no bounds this man is PERFECT 😩💗

In regards to plot nothing unpredictable happened however we need to remember it’s a retell. It would have been nice to see some twists occurring however, I’ve seen some interesting ones in other retells.

Overall 5 stars I can totally see myself rereading this and highly recommend for fans of a touch of darkness!

Katee Robert, I truly love your retellings! I had been excited about this Hades and Persephone retelling ever since it was announced I was so happy to be approved for this e-arc thanks to NetGalley and sourcebooks

I loved each and every second of this book. The seamless way in which Katee has written this retelling makes it very much different from all the other HadesxPersephone retellings out there(Trust me I have read a lot, and this one just takes the cake.) As you can see I love the story of Hades and Persphone, so admittedly I had very high expectations of this one, and it has certainly delivered on every single one of those.

I loved the chemistry between the MCs, and the sex-so hot that I had to take breaks in between before continuing, it's just too hot to handle in one sitting. It wasn't just the sex that I liked but also the various themes that are being discussed. Like when Hades always asked her consent and the way they discussed about protection, I do feel that this book ticks away all my compartments for a perfect erotica romance.

Not just this, one other thing that I would highlight about this book is that it has a very unique and original world and I give a standing ovation to the author for pulling off building a modern greek world with all our beloved gods and goddess and other popular greek characters whose stories I can't wait to delve into whenever the next one releases.

Though I guess that the next one will be of Hera and the new Zeus? Thoughts?

A well-written voyeuristic relationship between Hades and Persephone that f***s Zeus!

Boy oh boy did I enjoy this book. Considering the fact that I have not really read anything by Katee Robert except 'Your Dad Will Do' which honestly was just guilty pleasure smut (which I really enjoyed by the way), this book really impressed me and I will be binge reading all of her books.
Set in an ultra-modern Olympus which is ruled by 'The Thirteen' we follow Persephone Dimitriou who is one of the daughters of Demeter, goddess of harvest and fertility of the earth (I think, my Greek mythology is a bit rusty), she is about to be given to Zeus as his wife by her mother against her will. Zeus at this point is known for his brutality and his infamous uxoricide. She does not want to be the next on his long list but she cannot really go against her mother, which means that all her plans to one day leave Olympus is out the window.

Refusing to live under the tyrannical rule of Zeus she escapes to the unspoken and forbidden lower city which is supposedly ruled by Hades who have become a myth among high society in the City of Olympus. Once she crossed the River Styx which could no longer be touched by Zeus because of a treaty that holds 'The Thirteen' together.
Once she crosses the river she is rescued by Hades and he is not what she is expecting. He is more humane than what people have been lead to believe and surprising more humane than Zeus who is out there killing his wives. The more she gets to know Hades the more she wants to know about why he is hiding in the shadows and content to make people in the upper city think he is not in existence.

Hades has lived in the shadows of the lower city for as long as he can remember. He has lived with hatred for Zeus in his heart for as long as he can remember because of something Zeus did to his family (trying to avoid spoilers here). However, people in the lower city love and respect him because he has always taken care of them and really he connected with the people in his city. So when he met Persephone not only was he interested in her deal to f*** Zeus over but he could not get her out of his mind. So when she suggested that they start a relationship that would make her totally undesirable by Zeus he is both shocked and elated to support her in her quest if it means he gets to have her to himself in his dungeon with lots of people watching!

I really quite enjoyed this retelling because it makes these greek gods so relatable and something pitiable. Hades has always been portrayed as this evil and Zeus has an almost infinite good that reading this switch was so fulfilling and honestly made me so happy!

Oh and yes there is a lot of sex, a lot of freakingly steamy sex at least it was consensual!
Thanks to #Netgalley for making this book available to me.

I had a good time with this Hades/Persephone retelling! It's set in Olympus which seems to be in the US because Persephone mentions wanting to pursue a PhD at Berkeley. I wasn't entirely clear on the worldbuilding and whether or not the Thirteen (these main gods) actually had powers. It seems like there are some supernatural elements in general. In particular, Hermes seems to possess some supernatural skills.

There is not much to the plot overall. Persephone doesn't want to marry Zeus because he's rumored to be a modern day Bluebeard. She makes this deal with Hades, and most of the book is them just getting to know each other. I really enjoyed seeing them do this and fall for one another! This does happen relatively quickly, but I definitely believed in the chemistry. We do have this grump/sunshine dynamic which was really fun.

I liked getting to see Hades' personality beyond his grumpy exterior. He's a very protective alpha type and will literally carry Persephone around sometimes. He's sweet though and is concerned about consent. He is very careful to not push Persephone beyond her comfort levels, so this was great to see! Persephone is very funny and sweet. She definitely has her own mind! She's good at taking Hades' feeling into account as well. She makes sure that he's comfortable with developments as well and doesn't try to pull anything sneaky. They have some wonderful discussions about consent, safe sex practices, birth control use, and STDs. I loved seeing them get to know each other behind the masks they put on in public. I think they truly understand each other and can be themselves.

There are several sex scenes throughout the book that are very explicit. There are elements of BDSM and sex in public. In general, this felt very sex positive and with these discussions, safe sex methods felt very normal. There is also some LGBTQ+ representation here. Persephone is bi, and it seemed like Dionysus might be asexual. There are fun nods to mythology with things like pomegranate and Cerberus!

I did have some confusion about the Thirteen. Some of these positions are inherited while others are elected positions. It wasn't entirely clear how this worked. I also couldn't stop thinking about their names. For instance with Hades - did he have another name before inheriting the "Hades" position/title? There were a few cases of things like this that bothered me a little bit. However, these are definitely more minor complaints and didn't detract from my overall enjoyment of the book.

I had a fun time with this and would love to continue this series! I'm definitely hoping the next book provides more information about the world as well. Overall, I'd recommend this if you're looking for an adult retelling of Hades and Persephone.

Content warnings for forced marriage and violence against women

My video review can be seen on my channel (around minutes 12:54-17:24 of this video): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H4UmE416aS4

An urban fantasy retelling of Hades and Persephone, one of my favourite Greek couples ever. I am relatively new to the Katee Robert fandom with this being only my second book I've ever read by her but I am sold!

This was a highly anticipated release for me and it did not disappoint. Katee Roberts has very successfully re-written the Greek gods into an urban setting with Zeus ruling one side of the Styx river and Hades the other.
Basic premise of the storyline:
Everything is under Zeus's power, he is one ruthless guy and no one dares to defy him. Until he tries to make Persephone his 4th wife. All Persephone ever wanted was to wait for the day when she could get out of Olympus for good. However, with Zeus' marriage proposal, she would be trapped forever. Fleeing from Zeus she ends up in the arms of no other than the boogieman and myth himself, Hades. Hades decides to help Persephone to try and deter Zeus from wanting to marry her and that's when things start to get interesting.

This book was so good, kinky but super sweet all at the same time. My heart just melts at the way this Hades and Persephone interacts. And the scene with Hades and the puppies?! Heart melted.
This was a seductive, quick read with broody protective commanding males and feisty females. I cant wait to read more for this world!

This book is my EVERYTHING. *swoon* Also I need the next one in my face RIGHT NOW.

Did you ever go through a Greek myth retellings phase? Do you love super hot romances that are heavy on the kink with consent? THEN THIS IS THE BOOK FOR YOU!!

I can't get over how great this book is. And knowing the story of Hades and Persephone I kept waiting to see how certain elements would play out. LOVE IT. I can't even find words to express how much I love it. Also, I'm gonna need Hermes' story, thanks. And Callisto's. And... OK, I need all their stories.

The world building in this book is just so incredible. It's part paranormal romance, maybe? And part I'm not even sure what. Part retelling? I tell you what it is, PURE MAGIC. I love the dynamic between Persephone and Hades. They both bring out these beautiful facets of each other and I just love to see it. Also, I now need to go read everything Katee Robert has ever written.

Look, I'm sorry this review is mostly just me gushing about how great this book is without any actual details. It's so good that I finished it and I MOURNED that it was over, and kept picking up my Kindle expecting to be able to read more and return to this Dark Olympus and these characters I came to love. I, ah, might need to reread it again, even though I have about a billion books I haven't read that I should be reading first. It's just that good.

This is the first book in Katee Robert's Dark Olympus series, and can be read as a stand alone. That being said, I CANNOT WAIT for the next book, which is about Psyche and Eros.

NEON GODS is a Hades and Persephone retelling. After her mother publicly ambushes her with an arranged engagement to Zeus, Persephone runs for her life and strikes a deal with Hades in the undercity.
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I’ve only read a few of Katee’s books so far, but I have enjoyed everything I’ve read, so I was very excited to get the change to read NEON GODS early. This was a good story, the sex was hot, the dialogue was fine, I liked the voice; but this story isn’t going to stick with me. Though I liked the characters, I didn’t really get attached to them. The ending of this book was the best part for me, starting around 75%.
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3/5stars, NEON GODS by Katee Robert is available June 1, 2021!
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Thank you to Sourcebooks Casablanca and Netgalley for sending me an eARC to review!

Thank you so much to @netgalley & @sourcebookscasa for the opportunity to read an e-ARC of Neon Gods by Katee Robert! Pub date: 6/1

Okay, reading this was an absolute BLAST! It was seriously so sexy and hot. I’ve seriously never had this much fun reading such a spicy retelling with Greek mythology characters. I’ve always been a huge fan of the Hades & Persephone romance and this seriously did not disappoint!

The chemistry between Hades and Persephone was seriously a chef’s kiss!

I will say though, the world-building was a little weird and I was kind of confused at some points but I didn’t focus too much on it.

I’m definitely going to be checking out Katee Robert’s backlist because I’m a huge fan now!

What a steamy take/retelling of Persephone and Hades.

Persephone dreams of leaving Olympus, going to school and being on her own. But Persephone’s mother, Demeter, has promised Persephone’s hand in marriage to Zeus. Zeus doesn’t have a great track record of being married, and mysteriously, none of his ex-wives are ever seen or heard from again. Downtrodden and scared Persephone flees. She crosses the bridge into the undercity where Hades once presided – he is believed to be deceased. Only he is not.

Hades takes Persephone in and they make an agreement of sorts. Let the mess with Zeus blow over, make him believe her damaged goods and she will be on her way. But the longer they put on an act for those around them, the less it becomes an actual act and feelings start to emerge. These scenes of Hades and Persephone are so hot, your panties will melt off.

But Zeus is calling their bluff and threatening war. Persephone and Hades each have their own plan to help the other. So what happens when Zeus is confronted? And will Persephone and Hades be able to be together?

Thank you Netgalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca for the opportunity to review this.

Neon Gods is a refreshing take on the Hades and Persephone myth!

I'm always searching for Hades and Persephone retellings. No one has come close to matching my love of the webcomic Lore Olympus, but Neon Gods takes the top spot in the romance novel category. Katee Robert weaves such interesting dynamics between the Olympian gods. Titles like Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades are inherited through bloodlines while Hera and Demeter are appointed.

Persephone, one of the three daughters of Demeter, longs to live a life away from the back-stabbing politics in Olympus, and soon she will reach her majority and have the funds to leave. But before she can put plan to action, her mother maneuvers her into a scenario with no escape. Zeus, with three dead wives to his name, proposes that Persephone becomes his new Hera. Refusal is not an option.

Overwhelmed, she finds herself escaping into the night only to be chased by Zeus' cronies. A dark figure appears on the far side of the bridge that joins Olympus to the Underworld. Hades, a line rumored to have died out, becomes Persephone's salvation, but their actions have consequences.

The only thing missing from this romance was a great sexual connection between the two mains. I loved them as a couple, but felt a little underwhelmed with their sex scenes.

4/5 stars!

WOW! I'm super impressed by this book - and incredibly grateful to have received an advanced copy from Sourcebooks Casablanca & NetGalley. Neon Gods has been on my radar for several months and I'm so glad that it didn't disappoint. This is the modern, Hades / Persephone story we've all been waiting for and I can't WAIT to see Katee Robert's other mythological retellings.

The main selling point to this story is just how damn likeable Persephone & Hades are. Persephone is a headstrong, clever, bad-ass heroine who understands her worth. Some interpretations of Persephone depict her as meek and trapped, and I never got that impression from this version. And Hades....my goodness. The absolute best grumpy, secretly soft character. His internal monologues (and their deep conversations) enraptured me and left me longing for more. The characters are dynamic, diverse (incredible bi-rep from both leads), and really all I could ever want in a romance. I'm absolutely <i> in love </i> with this version of Hades.

The only reason this is a 4/5 instead of a full 5 star read for me is that I felt like it was a little long. Parts in the middle, while they did a great job of allowing me to connect to the characters more, felt like they dragged on a bit and didn't further the story much. While there was absolutely incredible sexual tension and romantic build-up, I wanted a bit more from the final climax and conflict. It wrapped up a little too quickly for me and I had to go back and re-read certain sections to make sure I understood what happened.

Aside from this, I did notice a few formatting and grammatical errors in this proof edition - nothing that distracted me from the story at all, but just something I noticed.

10,000% you need to pick this up! I will be diving into Katee Robert's backlog immediately because I just need to read all of her retellings now!!

This book was hot hot HOT. I expected nothing less from Katee Robert and I was not let down. I went into this book not knowing what to expect after having an established obsession with Hades and Persephone stories previously. This book was wholly unique and enchanting in its retelling while creating its own space within the realm of Greek God stories. I hope we get many more from her as I would read every single one!

Neon Gods is truly one of the hottest romances I've ever read. This retelling of the myth of Hades and Persephone is fresh and unforgettable—a must-read for fans of Lore Olympus. She writes about sex and kink with spine-tingling delight, and I already know I'll return to certain passages for *ehem* personal use again and again.

I was a bit confused by the world building, so readers should be ready to lean into the core relationship and not worry about the role of magic in Robert's story.

I’m not usually one to read romance books, but I do love retelling of myths. I enjoyed this, and loved the modern twist. It was a quick read for me too, which was refreshing after slogging through a few other books..

I have read quite a few Hades and Persephone retellings, and this one is easily one of my favorites. The chemistry was on FIRE!, and their story was really beautiful. I was completly sucked in from the beginning and couldn't put the book down.
Persephone has always gone along with whatever her mother needs, and done whatever it takes to keep the peace in the family.. When one day she can't do it anymore and she runs... straight into Hades arms.
Hades takes care of his people but he has always held himself apart. He knows that caring for someone can have disasterous results.
When a woman crosses the bridge into the lower city, Hades has no idea how she will shake up his ordered world, and how much he needed it. He is a grumpy guy with a marshmellow center that needs to take care of his people. I just loved him soo much!
I love how as Hades and Persephone grow closer they really begin to bring out each others true selves. The parts that they have kept hidden from everyone else.

I have never read anything else by this author but I will definitely be checking out her backlist, and look forward to more books in this series!

I've never read anything written by Kate but since I never turn away from stories inspired by Greek Mythology, I didn't hesitate to request this book on NetGalley.

It started with introducing Persephone as the second daughter of Demeter. Having one of the Thirteen, as a mother, she is constantly surrounded by the media and the people seeking favor. The Thirteen are gods and goddesses of Olympus consisted of Zeus, Hera, Demeter, Poseidon, Athena, Hermes, Dionysius, Apollo, Artemis, Ares, Hephaestus, Aphrodite, and Hades.

Persephone always has an interest in Hades even though he is nothing but a myth. Then a disastrous night brought her to his doorstep. Finding themselves on the same goal, they became a reluctant ally to bring down their mutual enemy. Even though none of them could see this coming, no one could deny the fire ignited between them.

I liked how Robert retold Hades and Persephone's tale. It felt fresh and unique yet it has a familiar feeling about it. Maybe it came from the magnetic pull between the two lovers that could be felt through the words. Rather than being tricked, Persephone decided to stay with Hades. I loved that twist. Their chemistry was on point throughout the book. My heart couldn't handle their sweet adorable moments as well as their sizzling hot ones.

I also loved how Persephone's sisters were quite involved. I was scared that they'd only mentioned briefly but BAM they made the whole story a lot better. I think their personalities were more solid than other characters, even our two main characters. The world has the potential to be great. The idea of how the media has a big influence on Olympus intrigued me. Alas, it didn't get the chance to be explored. But I get it whose story this is so it took place in the Underworld, in which case it reminded me of Velaris from A Court of Thorns and Roses series.

All is well and good for some time until I lost interest halfway. Don't get me wrong, it has a nice start. But then it started to feel like it's going round and round focusing on the luscious moments of Persephone and Hades instead of the bigger problems. Maybe it's just me but I'd prefer Robert build their relationship while also working on the plot. Fortunately, the ending was satisfying so I could put the thoughts on things I didn't like aside.

Overall, Neon Gods didn't disappoint but it could do much better. I guess it's just a matter of taste because I believe in the hands of other readers, this book would seem wonderful. If you're a fan of Hades and Persephone and currently looking for a standalone read with an engaging storyline and heated, sensual scenes that'd make you burn, you should add Neon Gods to your TBR.