Received this from NetGalley.
Hades/Persephone modern retelling as a modern urban fantasy with the gods still having their powers.
If the gods want to come down to mingle with the mortals, they have to go through Hades as he is footing the bill. However when Persephone comes down of course Demeter wants to keep her hidden as the goddess of Spring and the god of the Underworld are fated. So when Persephone's funds have run dry she has to take a job with her new boss Hades. Their pull and attraction to each other is undeniable only one problem, Persephone is currently dating a mortal. Hades won't give Persephone what she wants until she ditches the man completely, but she isn't ready to become attached to the god just yet in large part due to her mother's rules. Oh and the curse if the two get together could also dampen things. A steamy and c*cktease of a retelling would recommend.

"Do not ever doubt how much I want you. I’d give my entire kingdom and crown to have you."

I know, you don't have to say it. I am obsessed with any sort of spin/take/retelling of Hades and Persephone and I won't stop.

Jeanette Rose and Alexis Rune spun a unique modern retelling full of witty banter, hot sexting and even hotter scenes. The addition of other gods and deities that we normally do not get to see in other Hades/Persephone retellings was exciting, like a "I know that person!" moment when their name popped up on the page. Mellie was a total show stealer for me and I am dying to see more of her in the next installment(s).

For a modern retelling, I loved that we got to still see glimpses of their abilities. Not only did they play into who they are, but it added that extra thrill and excitement to their more intimate scenes where they used them. Also the glamour and revealing their true selves, and obviously the scene that followed, was just chefs kiss. I haven't read many retellings that bring up their god forms (horns, wings, etc) and that made this really stand out for me.

That sudden ending (not really a cliffhanger because you know what happened) makes me eager for the next book. I need to know how Demeter reacts to the prophecy being fulfilled, maybe some Persephone showing off with her horns and learning to love them, Hermes role in it (and I guess what happened to Jackson but I could leave it or take it with him). I am begging for more Mellie and Helios. I would give my left arm for a whole book of those two.

Fair warning this book reads more like porn vs a story with any kind of plot. Which made it hard to read and I finally DNFed it about 30% in but skimmed a lot of the ending to see what happened. I don't mind smut in books but it needs to make sense for the story.

I love Hades and Persephone-themed things, so I was all for this when I saw it. I thought having gods go to the mortal world and working there was excellent. I especially liked how they had Hades in charge of it. There was a chance meeting between Hades and Persephone and then they interacted every day at work. I liked how there was the added feature of the prophecy and not messing around with fate. The purpose of this book was to get them to become a couple, where hopefully if there is a sequel it helps build the world and set the scene more. This book is definitely for adults only.

First off I would like to say thank you to the author for providing me with this arc 🖤

Now I really enjoyed parts of this book. The smut in it was hot and amazing. However I felt like I wanted a bit more story to balance out the smut a bit.

I also couldn’t understand why Persephone would stay with her human boyfriend. She essentially had already cheated on him with Hades. Even after the failed proposal I just can’t understand why she wouldn’t break up with him.

Either way I did enjoy this book and am looking forward to the next one!

I did not think that I was going to make it past the first couple of chapters at first. That being said I am pleasantly surprised at how this picked up and did not stop. The spice is there for sure and builds and builds between the two main characters. I do wish there would have been more character build especially for all the names mentioned in this book. Some characters fall to the way side throughout the story and then new ones appear leaving you to wonder where they went and who the new ones are. All in all it was an easy and quick read.

Hades and Persephone is an interesting retelling. I love Greek/Roman mythology and this is a classic storyline. It's very spicy and sexy and may not be for everyone.. The characters are interesting enough to make the story work. It does end on a cliffhanger so we'll have to wait for the sequel.... An enjoyable read overall.

Thanks to the publisher for the arc.

this book had a great combination of fantasy and steam, plus a good integration of the two for some fantastical steam. The relationship was believable and provided a unique take on this classical myth and the idea of being fated. There were too many repeated phrases throughout the novel. I would like the author to have more trust in the reader to remember characteristics or relationship dynamics. There also needs to be a better reason for the female lead not wanting to break up with current partner. That tension point felt a little weak. I think with some additional editing this could be a winner. It does leave on a cliff hanger so I'm assuming it will be part of a series. Overall a page turner.

This books is a retelling of Hades x Persephone that I really enjoyed. I love mythology, so as soon as I read the synopsis I knew I had to read this book. Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and the authors for a copy of this book in exchange for my honest thoughts.

Thanks to Rose & Star Publishing, and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I wish both characters' godhood was experimented with and used better.
Most of the time they just acted like some horny emo teenagers, and almost illogically because the author tries to imply that Hades is a super strong baddie but he just fails to act like it through the entire book. He's just pinning and being emo about it. Persephone is written like an oxymoron. She is supposed to be all about her own freedom but allows the guy she's supposed to be casually hooking up with to behave possessively with her?!>?!>!>!>!>!>>

WHAT?!?!?

I can justify Hades with the whole fated plot but NOT that guy.
She should've slapped just at the boyfriend thing, to mark a difference. Allowing the guy to behave possessively with her just makes it seem like she's okay with being walked all over.

I know that when you read many retellings of the same story it sometimes becomes repetitive and I have read many Persephone x Hades retellings. I just wish she was actually given some spine in most of them.

I really enjoyed this telling of Persephone and hades. I loved that Persephone has a back bone and is not easily swayed by hades! Great book!

The Maiden and the Unseen is a modern twist on the Hades/Persephone myth, but I'm happy to report that it certainly stood out amongst the ever-growing list of modern day re-tellings.

In this re-telling, Hades funds the gods after Zeus allows them to come down from Olympus and entertain themselves with the humans. The only catch - they must follow his strict rules. When Hades discovers that one unknown god is on his bankroll yet is magically hidden from his list of check-ins, he discovers the existence of Persephone, Goddess of Spring. Persephone, under strict directions from her mother to not reveal her existence to any gods, does not even realize that she's living on Hades' dime and not her own paychecks. Hades, determined to know more about her, forces her to work for him to pay off her debts. As the two grow closer and old prophecies come to light, it's only a matter of time before either fate or the other gods intervene.

The content is certainly ~spicy~ and not for the faint of heart. It's not necessarily violent, just very... intense. And can I just say, Jeanette Rose and Alexis Rune are the new queens of building up tension. I was entranced with how masterfully they were able to create chemistry between the main characters. Aside from the spice, I appreciated that the reader is gifted with a Persephone that actually has a backbone. Instead of being metaphorically dragged into the Underworld, Rose/Rune provide us with a woman who makes her own decisions, bends when she must, and ultimately makes Hades work for it. All in all, a great first novel in a series that I'm very much looking forward to devour as they release!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Rose & Star Publishing for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I wasn’t sure what to expect of this retelling, honestly. The spice is immaculate and the plot line was enjoyable. Around 70% in I found that the pace of Hades and Persephone’s relationship sped up a little too much, which is why I only gave it 4 stars. But, I loved seeing this softer, tortured version of Hades compared to all of the blatantly arrogant and boisterous versions of him I am used to reading. Persephone’s character is so much more strong-willed and determined than most retellings, too. I loved her stubbornness and “take charge” attitude, it was such a nice change.I thoroughly enjoyed this story and hope that the cliff-hanger ending means we get a sequel!

This book was perfect from start to finish. I have fallen in love with the story of Hades and Persephone. It is such a wonderful mythological story of two opposites falling in love. The God of the Dead and the God of Spring (life)!

I expected the same old story, but the authors did a wonderfully creative job of creating a new modern story line from the old.

Especially loved the 'heated' romance!

Highly recommend

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher (Rose & Star Publishing), the authors (Alexis Rune and Jeanette Rose) for granting me an advance copy in return for my honest opinions.

To say I am obsessed is an understatement. I INHALED this book. I have read other Greek retellings. I love Persephone but every retelling I've read was so unconvincing. This book had my favorite modern day
Persephone/Hades. (actually, just my favorite period. What set these two apart from others I've read are that they were the most believable and relatable. Their connection felt so real/not forced. Hades is the domineering ass until it comes to Persephone. Love the touch her and you die. Persephone is a total badass even as she navigates having her world turned upside down.
I grew up on the Disney Hercules so I appreciate my Hades with a bit of sass so I was ECSTATIC when Hades said "bitch please" in the very first chapter.
The dual POV is amazing. These authors NAILED it. It was perfectly balanced and encompasses their tone perfectly.
Not only did this have great plot and story- amazing, connectable main and supporting characters, creative spins, etc but the SPICE. Good lord. The spice. Ooooooooo.
I have already started recommending this to everyone I know and love and cannot wait for the sequel!

Thank you to Netgalley and Rose and Star Publishing for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

For me, this one was a DNF, unfortunately.

As my first Greek Mythology retelling, I just couldn't get into it too much. The writing style for me didn't really grip me in the way that I wanted it to and the insta love also put me off the book. Whilst I understand that this is the end goal, and that it's based on mythology, some more dramatisation to add the angst, drama and chaos into the beginning would've hooked me more on this book.

Although I don't like very much greek mythology retellings this Hades and Persephone retelling was absolutely amazing. It convinced me to read more. Great plot, lovable characters. I loved it!

I love a retelling story especially spin offs regarding Hades and Persephone. Even on the original Greek Myth, they are the ppwer couple with the least amount of scandals and has really exuded monogamy - not the usual trend among gods and goddesses. That being said I was so excited to read this one.

Unlike the other retelling stories, this combined the modern and traditional magical powers that both deities possesed. There was also the involvement Fates on the plot making it really promising. If we are to base assessment on the technical components of a novel (setting, characterization and plot) this could have been wrapped up in less than 150pages, instead of 431 pages.

I love a good smut, there's an art put by the author in writing a good smut. This one however, relied on repetitive and to the point of frustrating descriptives that I literally had to skip the "deed" scenes. Like yeah, I get it you are h*rny for each other, next. Apart from that, the sequel seems to promise the actual meat of the series so yeah, I am still looking forward to it.

Thanks to Netgalley and Rose & Star Publishing for the opportunity to review this eARC.

I LOVE most all Hades and Persephone retellings! I was so excited to be approved to review this.

This book is light on plot and heavy on sm*tty goodness.

If that’s your flavor, jump on in!

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for the ARC. I love hades and Persephone and will pretty much read any book about them. This book started out really good, but ended up pretty much being all spice and no story. The first 50% was a slow burn, but the end was just smut. So much to the point where I just skipped it. The storyline kinda fell apart and took a back burner to the amount of porn. I can appreciate it, but I felt the entire end just focused on porn instead of advancing the book in any way.