Thank you Netgalley and publisher for the ARC copy!

If you are looking for a super spicy, Hades and Persephone retelling, look no further! This is a modern day twist with a boss x employee trope. Such a fun, fast read!

This Hades and Persephone retelling is a dual-POV story told in a modern-day setting, a quick read, and rather straightforward. The Greek Gods can, like in that of the Percy Jackson series, come down from Olympus to mingle with unsuspecting mortals in the human world. Hades, God of Death, for half the year is bound to remain in the mortal realm as CEO of Plutus Bank (which is clever, as this refers to Hades’ other name, Pluto, which more refers to wealth) before spending the other half in the Underworld. Persephone, Goddess of Spring, a Social Media Manager living in the mortal realm for 2 years, has an issue with her bank account and visits Hades. From here, there are many amusing and searing pushes and pulls which no matter how hard they try to resist, their Fate together is inescapable.

Now, I usually like retellings: they are my favourite and I don’t mind a contemporary touch to them. But this felt like an insult to the mythological characters! Persephone and Hades bicker and act very immaturely for their ages, and their pettiness puts everything to shame. I think if this had been approached differently, it would be fine. The way the shadow and vine powers were used, especially early on, is a little too odd for my liking, it threw me off! Plus, most of the secondary characters disappear from the story about halfway through, like Melinoë – who was actually my favourite character in this.

I like a book with a good balance of plot and steamy scenes – unfortunately, this was not it. The plot that was there was fine, however, there was more of the latter than could be counted (which if that is what you want is fine). At times, the writing style felt rather mature, like with avid descriptions or some backstory, but then reverted to a whole different silly vibe. I can feel the inconsistency. The book also ends on a cliffhanger, which I usually am not a fan of as I prefer books in a series that can be read as a standalone.

Do not get me wrong, I liked a lot of aspects of this. Indeed, the author is a real one for mentioning Hades has signed editions of LOTR, ASOIAF and TOG! As Hades should. AND that they watch “Pride and Prejudice”. Some moments I did like were in chapter 6 when Hades leans against the doorway (always love and appreciate the lean in any book) and in the later chapters their vulnerability with each other was nice to see.

Overall, the story was lacking and just wasn’t my cup of tea. I do accept, as per the author’s note, it is not meant to be mythologically accurate. At this point, I would have preferred a contemporary fantasy novel with the themes, and just forget this mythology. I will try a different retelling.

I would like to thank Netgalley for providing this copy of Alexis Rune’s book.

As a Greek mythology enthusiast I have never really enjoyed Hades and Persephone retellings. However, this is my first time reading one in a modern setting and spicier than I would typically read. I actually really enjoyed the way the authors captured the characters and their relationship which reminded me a lot of Feyre and Rhysand from ACOTAR. The ending with Hekate has me so hooked and I'm so excited to read the next book

Really really really enjoyed this story and I’m so happy that the rest of the trilogy is available to binge!

Read within a day as I couldn’t put it down, this story is a great blend of Greek gods / modern day romance with hints of wider mythology.

Both characters are enjoyable to read and it’s nice to see both perspectives.

It’s very 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️….. so enjoy!!!

GIRL- Hades and Persephone retelling with spice and sass- uh yes, please!

As an avid reader of all things Greek and Greek retelling, I thought I read it all until I was slapped on the face by this retelling.

I liked how novel the backstory was and how the author connected the Gods to mankind that made the integration seem modern without being faulty like some other retellings

The chemistry between Hades and Persephone was explosive! I am talking fireworks and hearts and balloons all combined in a burning building.

I cannot wait to see whats next for these two.

Thank you to the author and NetGalley for providing me with an arc in exchange for my honest review. You can follow me on IG @JessicaReadsIt.

The Maiden & The Unseen by Jeanette Rose & Alexis Rune is absolute fire. We are talking Scotch Bonnet spicy and then some! I adore an urban fantasy and if it has a retelling of Greek Myths? Well just bring it, place it right there and step away nicly, Mama Ink has some reading to get done! (Shut the door behind you, quiet reading tie required)

Oof. First off, chef's kiss for the writing collab between the authors. The flow is on point, the dialogue is dynamic and oh my crikey, spicy hot! If I blush when I am reading, it has to be some level of "Oh my" (the glorious George Tekai sort of Oh My at that!)

OKe, on to the actual review of the plot now I have calmed down a smidge. I am absolutely here for the reimaginings of Hades and Persephone and the Maiden and the Unseen is an absolute blinder! Bite-size chapters that are chunk sized satisfying, dual POV's and brilliantly transported to the modern day.

Flipping loved it and I have two more to read in the series! I may just melt into a puddle due to the level of awesome in this book

Thank you to Netgalley, Rose and Star Publishing, LLC, Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA), Members' Titles and the authors, Jeanette Rose & Alexis Rune for this "Oh My Crikey!" epic ARC. My review is left voluntarily and all opinions are my own

Thank you to Netgalley and the authors for a copy of The Maiden and the Unseen in exchange for an honest review!

Synopsis: Fated lovers, Persephone and Hades have been living in the mortal realm. While Persephone is a social media manage, Hades is in charge of all the finances of the Gods and Goddesses living in the mortal realm. When suddenly all of Persephone’s money is gone, she is forced to go to the man in charge, Hades, which brings them together.

Opinion: I rated this book a 3.5/ 5 stars ⭐️(spice is 🌶️🌶️🌶️.)I’m a huge fan of Persephone and Hades retellings, so I was super excited to dive into this book. I was a little nervous when I saw that it was set in the mortal realm and Persephone was a social media manager.

I loved that though they were in the lived amongst humans, that life style wasn’t exactly the forefront of their personalities. Even with being a social media manager, that wasn’t a huge part of Persephone’s identity.

I did like that Hades was still kind of grumpy like he’s usually written to be.

Now in general, I thought both Hades and Persephone were a bit annoying together. They acted immaturely about their feelings and the whole fated situation. I honestly was mostly annoyed with Persephone, which usually isn’t the case for me in other retellings that are set in the human world.

Additionally, I’m not a fan of texting being a part of romance books in general, but I definitely don’t like it in fantasy romance where there can be a much better way for the characters to interact.

Overall, there were many parts of the book that I did enjoy and I look forward to reading and reviewing the rest of the series.

The Maiden & The Unseen is book 1 in the Love and Fate series by Jeanette Rose & Alexis Rune.
A phenomenal modern retelling of Hades and Persephone.
I absolutely loved and devoured this book! From the very beginning I was hooked.
Not only was this book SPICY (we’re talking pages upon pages of spice), but it was so swoon worthy.
The writing is amazing. The storyline is riveting. The characters are powerful, I could go on and on about this book.
Such an excellent Hades & Persephone Retelling.
If you enjoy Greek mythology and a lot of spice this is the I perfect book for you!

Thank You NetGalley and Rose and Star Publishing for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

I need a cold shower after reading this 🔥

I'm a total sucker for retellings and this was just perfect.
Love the story, the humor, the characters and the spice.
A Carolina Reaper chili is nothing compared to the spice level of this book and I'm totally here for it.

Will definitely read the second book in this series...I need to know what happens next and I'm looking forward to reading more about this couple.

Thanks to Netgalley for providing me with an ARC. My opinion and thoughts are my own and I'm leaving this review voluntarily.

⭐️⭐️⭐️ stars
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️ spice

I came for the Hades and Persephone retelling, but I stayed for the spice. Damn, it was steamy and there’s a lot of it. Absolutely top tier spiciness, I could not get enough.

The plot and world building definitely took a back seat in favour of all the smut. The universe is not overly complex like your typical fantasy read, and there’s not a whole lot of descriptive scenery, but I did like how it was almost an office romance with fantasy intertwined and the gods glamouring themselves in the human realm was a very cool concept.

FMC and MMC have that “can’t keep our hands off each other or spend a second apart” kind of energy, and I’m here for it because it led to consecutive chapters full of spice. Persephone was highly frustrating at times though, it was giving me flashbacks from Iron Flame - just ask the damn questions even if you don’t want to know the answers!!

Oh, and if my ladies in the shadow daddy bat boy fan club are looking for your fix - this is it. You’re welcome.

Overall, a nice, super easy read and also seems like in the rest of the series we’ll get more character development and world building. I want more Mellie! I mean…a dark and mysterious badass female character who knocks someone out after having sex with them? My kinda woman.

Will definitely be reading the rest of the series after being left on that cliffhanger!

<b>Tropes:</b>
🤍 Enemies (ish) to lovers
🤍 Fated mates
🤍 Miscommunication
🤍 Forbidden office romance (boss and employee)

My review is also posted on Goodreads!

While I don’t typically read books in a modern setting, I quite enjoyed this one. The spice was well written and at no point did I find myself cringing.

The plot was… okay. There was some conflict that could have been resolved pretty easily, and it was around 60% into the book. After that the plot was gone and it was pretty much just spice, which is fine if you like that.

I thought Helios and Mellie would be more prominent characters, but they were just kind of there for Persephone to have someone to talk to who wasn’t Hades.

The Maiden & the Unseen

This book drew me in immediately. Hades & Persephone, sign me up.

However, there were a lot of aspects that were just not for me. The insta lust and miscommunication is something I don't really enjoy, there was more smut than plot in this book. However, if you are in search of a smutty fantasy, then this is perfect for you. I found myself taken out of the story everytime a smut scene happened, and the smut scenes were a little too fast, let's say.

I want to thank the publishers for the arc, my tastes have just changed too much for me to enjoy the book.

This was spicy, super super spicy. Like can't keep their hands to themselves spicy and throwing you on my desk spicy.
I absolutely loved this book. Gods living in disguise in a modern day human world, fighting fate, destiny and cruses. The sexual tension and spice was so so so good. Top tier smut!
I would highly recommend reading this book for any fans of Greek mythology who want a twist on the classic tale. I want to read more of these.

This wasn't quite for me unfortunately. Quite lacking in plot development and characterisation, whilst plot points that were included were repetitive and drawn out.

Thanks to the author, publisher and Netgalley for provision of this book in exchange for an unbiased review.

Listen.. not all Hades x Persephone retellings need to be written. But here we are.
This wasn't bad by any means, there were parts of it that I really enjoyed, and at the end of the day I'm likely to pick up the sequel. That said, there wasn't all that much plot development, which is frustrating in a 400+ page book. The conflict was repetitive and drawn out, the characters - who are supposedly adults - talk like they're in high school, and HxP spent so much time naked that the rest of their relationship was basically nonexistent.

So, I picked up this book with anticipation, and it didn't disappoint! The collaboration between Jeanette Rose and Alexis Rune brought a unique flavour to the story.

Characters? They were a delightful bunch! I loved the nuances in their personalities and how they evolved throughout the tale. Each character had a distinct voice, making them easy to root for or, in some cases, against.

Plot? It was a rollercoaster of emotions. The narrative weaved together elements of fantasy and romance seamlessly. I appreciated the unpredictable twists that kept me engaged and eager to see what would happen next.

Writing style? The prose was enchanting. Both authors brought their A-game, creating a vivid and immersive world. The descriptions painted a clear picture, and the dialogue added more authenticity to the characters.

Romance element? Ah, the romance was beautifully done! The chemistry between the main characters was palpable, and the slow-burn aspect added depth to their connection. It wasn't just about the physical; an emotional resonance pulled at the heartstrings.

Ending? It tied up nicely. While some loose ends were left for interpretation, the conclusion felt satisfying, offering a sense of closure without sacrificing the magic of the unknown.

In summary, "The Maiden and the Unseen" was a delightful read, blending fantasy and romance with engaging characters and an enchanting plot.

I love Greek mythology, particularly the story of Hades and Persephone, so this book was very appealing to me! There's a lot of sexual content in this (which I didn't expect there to be so much of), and the minimal plot relies a lot on miscommunication. All in all, it wasn't my cup of tea, which is a shame since I was looking so forward to this.

Another hades and Persephone retelling with a ton of smut. I am a sucker for retellings of any kind so I knew I had to read this one! Fated mates as well. Love! If you’re looking for a book that’s mostly smut with a sprinkle of plot this is for you. This is Greek gods in a contemporary setting. The communication and such is very much gen Z like. Be warned it does have a cliff hanger!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for letting me access this book!

This one started off okay, but relied too heavily on miscommunication tropes and characters who acted impulsively and made nonsensical decisions that kept the plot from progressing basically at all. In the end, I didn’t really like this because it felt like watching love is blind or the bachelor without the fun.

I love Greek mythology retellings and I’m particularly fond of the story of Hades & Persephone particularly in a modern light.

I enjoyed reading this for the romance and the spice but the miscommunication trope was quite annoying. The side characters aren’t very developed so the whole book hinges on H & P who are frankly juvenile and annoying when they aren’t having sex. They are very insecure and paranoid about everything. I realise I hate miscommunication tropes - especially when it is drawn out to this extent. I also don’t understand how Hades is “bound” by his fate but still does the one thing he was determined not to do (which didn’t make sense in the first place). My favourite characters were Hekate and Mellie and you see them for all of 5 mins.

There are a number of plot holes and then the cliff hangar ending doesn’t help matters. I can’t help but compare this to other H&P retellings like Scarlet St Clair’s A Touch of Darkness and this sadly falls short.

2.25Stars