3/5 ⭐️s
🫑 - no spice, nothing beyond kissing

LOVES:
- I appreciate the teamwork Eirene and Lamia enter into
- As the mystery slowly unravels I keep thinking I might know what’s what, but the reveal was still fun
- Very satisfying to see the gaslighting, jerk get what’s coming to him 😏
- Eirene’s lack of fear is so cool, she is a BAB
- The epilogue is sweet ☺️

“I don’t need to be brave, I just need to keep going.”

CRITIQUES:
- I’m interested in what’s going on, but for some reason the book just didn’t keeping my attention for longer periods of time. I think that’s partially because the pacing is slow.
- I wanted a little bit more of the romance, it was hinted at very minimally

The cover of this book is beautiful and I liked the overall story. I sure ended up feeling strongly about the characters, whether love or hate. It was very okay, it just didn’t quite make me love it.

As a reader new to retellings, the slow feeling of the book was a blessing for me. I truly appreciate Underwoods world and description and I'd love to read more from them. Both the atmosphere and queerness I really loved and I'm a sucker for a beautiful sapphic story.

I feel the need to acknowledge Underwood's controversy with her debut novel last year, because it's popped in my head now and again since it happened. It's just wild to me that someone would claim their book to be a retelling of a classic, only to say they didn't read it in the same breath. The fact she wrote and is publishing a second book based on Greek mythos after that whole mess is kind of boggling, too. Regardless, I'm here to judge Gentlest of Wild Things based off my own reading experience.

With that said, this was an absolute slog to get through.

I didn't care for anything that was happening, nor did I care for anyone. All the characters were one dimensional at best, but the villain, Leandros, was so painfully one-notedly awful it came off cartoonish; the only thing missing was him twirling his mustache whenever he tortured our leads. If Eirene and Lamia were human than cardboard, I would have been more sympathetic, but they weren't. Lamia was a bit more interesting due to the portrayal of her disability and how her dad utilized it to make her feel weak and stupid because of it, but her realization of that abuse felt way too rushed for me to genuinely root for her. At least she had changed; Eirene didn't change at all all throughout the story. If it weren't for Lamia, she would be dead and her sister would have become Leandros' so fast. She just became more of a vehicle for Lamia's development as the story went. It came to the point she wasn't a person, anymore, only the prize for Lamia to kiss once the victory over Leandros was won. It would have been so frustrating if I cared that much.

Other than that, there isn't much to say. The pacing was the bad kind of slow that stretched for too long, and the story heavily relies on you being invested in these characters, otherwise there isn't anything to show for it.

I want to say I won't be reading any of Underwood's other works, but some masochistic part of me wants to read her debut and satisfy that curiosity that's been plaguing me since the book released. But, as for now, I would recommend many other Greek retellings ten times over before giving the green light for this book.

I absolutely enjoyed this retelling! The world-building is rich, the conflict is well illustrated, and The characters are written in a way, that you feel they could be a neighbor or family friend, also, the romance is tastefully written. This book had me on an emotional rollercoaster and I loved every minute! I went from concerned to angry to confused to surprised to shocked and horrified to aww, how sweet. I rooted for the ladies to win from the very beginning. The way Lamia was treated was gut-wrenching, she wanted so much to be loved and accepted.

She got her licks back in the end though!!

This was a beautiful sapphic Greek Mythology retelling of Psyche and Eros.

Thank you Netgalley, HarperCollins Children's Books | HarperCollins, and Sarah Underwood for the E-ARC of this book in exchange for my honest voluntary review.

unfortunately, this just didn’t deliver for me. i never understood what tone is what going for. the opening almost felt like thriller or even horror, but for the most part the slow pacing and minimal style just left it feeling very meh across the board.

i found the reveal to be pretty predictable, and i really would’ve liked leandros to either be more complex or larger than life as the villain.

i’m not very familiar w Greek mythology so maybe fans of it will appreciate this more than me.

I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

Gentlest of Wild Things by Sarah Underwood is a third person dual-POV YA Sapphic historical fantasy inspired by Psyche and Eros. When wealthy merchant Leandros chooses Eirene’s sister, Phoebe, to become his next bride, Eirene won't step aside and let it happen. She goes to Leandros to offer herself in her sister’s place and faces tasks from the story of Psyche and receives help from Lamia, Leandros’ daughter.

What I liked the most was the worldbuilding. Leandros is a descendant of Eros himself and he bottles Desire and sells it. The buying and selling of Desire has led to multiple young women becoming the wives of much older men and being quite compliant where they previously might not have been. It's cruel and hits a bit too close to home at times, but it does effectively show that such a product would be absurd if it really did exist. Leondros is also very protective of the legacy of Aphrodite and Eros, growing irritated at a more humorous adaptation of his ancestors during a play.

The other thing that was very cool was the inclusion of an empousa, a vampire from ancient Greek mythology. I’ve actually never encountered the empousa before despite reading a lot about Greek mythology over the years. I was also fascinated by the idea that Lamia’s emotions while she bleeds impacts the effectiveness of her magic. There’s a lot of very interesting stuff in regards to blood and magic and I’m into it because I love vampires and I especially love vampires in Sapphic fantasy.

Lamia and Eirene are very different but have some similarities. Both don’t view themselves as particularly beautiful and both are fairly selfless, but Lamia is so far under her father’s thumb that she struggles to go against his orders while Eirene has a stronger personality and has less respect for the gods than Lamia does. They’re fairly balanced as a romantic relationship and have very personal distinct needs that are separate from their romantic needs.

Content warning for misogyny and child abuse and implications of sexual assault

I would recommend this to fans of Sapphic reinterpretations of Greek myths, readers looking for vampires in more historical settings, and those looking for a YA fantasy that has lighter fantasy elements.

Thank you to HarperCollins for sending me an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Gentlest of Wild Things begins with the story of Eirene and her twin sister, Phoebe. When Leandros, a cunning descendant of Eros, sets his sights on marrying Phoebe, Eirene develops a plan to bargain her sister's freedom by completing 4 of his chosen tasks. At the same time, Eirene also wishes to use the opportunity to discover the secrets behind Desire, a substance created by Leandros, that he has labeled as "Love" and is using to impact the women of their community. While all of this goes on, Eirene becomes more and more familiar with Lamia, Leandros' daughter, and learns of the role she plays within the man's schemes.

I always love reading Greek myth retellings so it's only natural that I also enjoyed this one! It was very atmospheric, especially with the added element of a very tender and sweet queer romance. I also particularly loved the sister bond between our twin protagonists, but I feel like it could've been displayed a bit more once Eirene has started her tasks. Phoebe would be mentioned but was no longer very prominent which left me feeling like something was missing. I feel that this book also struggled a bit with pacing, but I can't quite put my finger on what it was. That being said, the way the stakes raised at the end was great and I feel it was executed really well!
I also want to add that I loved the portrayal of the antagonist in this story because he was actually unsettling, especially from Lamia's perspective. I would've liked to learn more of his backstory.
Overall a good book, I think it will work well for its audience! 3.5/5 Stars

Thank you to Harper Collins and NetGalley for an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

The Gentlest of Wild Things is a loose sapphic retelling of one of the most beautiful love stories in Greek Mythology, Eros and Psyche. Our story begins with Eirene, our hardworking heroine, who is struggling to keep her household fed, her twin sister well and her brother out of gambling debt. Her sister Phoebe is being pursued by Leandros, the demigod-ish purveyor of "desire" who is mysteriously linked to the disappearance of several village woman and the brutal death of his own wife. In Eirene's desperate attempt to save her sister from his clutches, she volunteers to marry him in her stead, discover the truths of "desire" and bring down the man threatening the woman of Zakythos. And enter our love interest, Lamia. Lamia is Leandros' broken abused daughter whose tears are the makings of "desire." Together, they learn the meanings of love, female empowerment, and the courage to stand and fight for their futures. It is your classic "true love conquers all" moment. I enjoyed the prose and pacing of Underwood's writing and felt the book did a wonderful job at giving us realistic and meaningful character development. The relationships she created were thoughtfully curated and accurately representative of real life emotions. My only critique is wishing the story followed the mythology just a tad closer. At it's core it was a great story with great writing, it just wasn't the retelling I thought I was getting.

What a beautiful story. I loved reading the Greek Mythology. The story and characters are really well written. I felt very immersed in the world while reading. Eirene and Lamia <3 I love them together so much. Sapphic love is so wonderful and the slow burn was so worth it. Their first kiss was beautiful. As was the epilogue. This was such a good read. I highly enjoyed this story and definitely recommend it.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC copy!

I don’t know what to say except that I was fated to like this book.
Greek retelling?
Beautiful cover?
Sapphic love story?
Sign me up. Take my soul. Give it to me.
I worship at the altar of Sarah Underwood, thanking her endlessly for writing books for the greek history enthusiast gays. We’ve won, guys.
We’ve won.

Plot Summary:

Eirene, a young woman from Zakynthos, has only ever wanted to protect her twin sister, Phoebe. But when Leandros, a man supposedly descended from Aphrodite and Eros themselves, sets his sights on her, Eirene finds herself striking a bargain with the dangerous man. Complete four tasks and her sister will be safe from his clutches. Meanwhile, Lamia is the daughter of Leandros, with a power that is used to craft a threatening mixture called Desire. When Eirene and Lamia meet, fate has plans for them they never could have dreamed of.
Will they successfully thwart Leandros and protect Phoebe? Or have they already been doomed from the start?

Plot Review:

First of all, the plot is based on the story Eros and Psyche with empousa, dangerous drugs called Desires, and sapphic main characters thrown in.
What a delicious mixture.
Everything about this book sounds amazing.
But!
At times the story was a bit boring plot-wise. We have Eirene and Lamia working together to solve these four tasks, yet nothing else really happens. We don’t see much of the world except Leandros’ house and, well, Hades at one point.
And while the tasks are certainly difficult, they don’t drag us far beyond what we have already seen of Zakynthos. What I love about Greek myths and retellings are the worlds created and explained on the pages. There’s nothing I love more than diving into a world filled with gods, badass empousa, and amazing mythological creatures.
Unfortunately, this book didn’t do much for me in that department.
What really saved this story was the romance. I usually don’t enjoy a book based solely on romance𑁋Okay, maybe I’m lying to appear like I have more depth than just being a lovesick sapphic eating up gay books because she’s lonely, but let’s just pretend I’m telling the truth𑁋but this was truly an exception!
However, that’s not to say that the plot was completely lackluster. I enjoyed the scenes with the ram because it actually gave me an interesting mythical beast to focus on.
Everything else… Well, this could have included some more high-stakes tasks to spice the story up a bit, but, thankfully, the romance kept me hooked!

Characters:

If there’s one thing I love more than Greek myth retellings, it’s cute sapphics being adorable and in-love with each other.
And if there’s something I love more than that, it’s well-rounded and unique main characters.
Gentlest of Wild Things gave me all of this, thankfully.
Eirene and Lamia were such unique characters with their own defining thoughts, feelings, and reactions.
Eirene, out of both of them, is probably my favorite. She’s fiercely loyal and determined with no thoughts for her own wellbeing. All she wants is for her sister to be safe from Leandros. She’s so selfless, yet also deeply caring. Even when something important and life-altering is revealed about Lamia, Eirene doesn’t change her mind about her.
Speaking of Lamia.
She’s such a gentle soul. In most cases, I would find her naive and gullible for trusting Leandros so easily, but it was truly because she wanted to believe in the best of him. And isn’t that the sweetest thing? But, when it comes down to it, she protects Eirene with everything she has.
And have I mentioned how much I relate to her? The way she talks about women… I mean, I feel you, Lamia. Like, we would get along great just admiring women and fan-girling over Eirene.
It’s just…
I just truly love them both!
Moving on to side characters…
Uhm…
What side characters? Phoebe? Pieros? Damon?
I don’t think there was nearly enough page time for any of them. Phoebe is the reason Eirene is involved with Leandros, yet not much is mentioned about her. And Pieros? Honestly, I was really hoping he would have some kind of character arc. He seemed like the character most likely to experience one.
But, well, it never came.
And the villain? Leandros?
A self-centered, abusive, and egocentric, attention hog.
Eirene constantly calls him a monster, but I swear it would have been so easy to stab him in the gut with her knife. He got close to her constantly, invading her space, without holding her arms back. She could have easily killed him at any moment.
But I guess then we wouldn’t have a very interesting story, so…

Overall Thoughts:

Lacking some interesting plot-lines, but brimming with sapphic yearning. Honestly, that’s all I really need in a book.

Gentlest of the Wild Things is a Greek myth reimagining that blends the trials of Psyche and Eros and the myth of Lamia.

Shining star of the story is the character development of main characters Eirene and Lamia. Eirene is the rebellious, determined and self sacrificial heroine who would do anything for her twin sister, even marry evil town resident/descendant of Greek god Eros, Leandros. Lamia is a broken, timid and sheltered woman hidden away by her evil father. The character journey that Eirene and Lamia go on is what makes this story so gripping, nuanced and tender.

I found the four obstacles to be very entertaining and exciting. They helped expand and add color to the Greek inspired world. I loved all the mythical beasts, especially Daphne. I loved the sibling relationship between Eirene and her sister. Finally Lamia’s completed character arc was satisfying to read.

Thank you to Netgalley and HarperCollins for this e-arc. I would recommend this book to fantasy readers that enjoy Greek retellings, trials and obstacle based stories, strong female main characters and sapphic romance.

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins Children's Books | HarperCollins for allowing me to read this book!

It was better, I think, than Lies We Sing to the Sea, but the sapphic romance felt just as underdeveloped. It seemed as if they both saw each other, decided she was pretty, spent time away, and then came back with attraction solidly in place-- if even that. (Unfortunately as someone who had disliked Lies, the nods, references, and it being a linked continuation to the previous book felt more annoying than a little gift) There's been statements of how vague the setting felt from other reviewers I agree with.
There were also a few references i thought too heavy-handed, such as the lamp oil spilling on the protagonists shoulder to wake her from her sleep, which... was exactly Pysche and Eros. Who are said to exist here. And the one spilling the oil being a descendent of Eros (also of Psyche? it isn't mentioned)
It was also annoying to me that the first task stayed the same.... except our protagonist is so special and great she's able to to most of it, all by herself, by hand. I think I also might have enjoyed for the empousai "twist" to not be in the way that it was, with the person being unaware, as it felt it took away some complexity that might have made the characters more interesting. It's totally fine she killed the other girl in the half-horror first chapter, she didn't know!

I think, however, even with the concerns that were not to my taste, my students would enjoy this, as it is fast-paced enough that it can keep their interest.

3.5 rounded down because so much of the setting and atmosphere heavy lifting is being done by the reader's familiarity with Greek mythology and while I overall liked it, I didn't quite buy the romance between Eirene and Lamia.

I did really appreciate that this isn't a retelling or continuation of any specific myth but rather just playing in the sandbox of Greek mythology and the concepts of demigods and immortals. This does mean that the setting is flimsy - I didn't get a good sense of any of the places other than when Eirene was sent on a task, and you're constantly at task for remembering things like the original parameters of Psyche and Eros' tale - but in the end, it mostly works.

Eirene and Lamia felt much more like friends than love interests, the first people they could each truly confide in and learn to lean on in so long, especially in Lamia's case - it made the romance aspect feel like it was just because the story wanted them to be in love that they were. That said, as a story of female friendships and breaking free of expectations and restrictions, it stands really well in that case, I'm just disappointed that once again, the sapphic relationship in Underwood's book is so under-developed.

Rating: 5 Stars
Grade: A+

I got this book as a free ARC from NetGalley, so I had not read Sarah Underwood's other book, and I didn't have any expectations for this book, so I was just blown out of the water at how good this was.
Eirene's twin sister, Phoebe, is being eyed by Leandros to be his next wife - and the problem is, there is something predatory about him and Desires he sells, which make women blank-eyed and obedient. Rather than let him talk Phoebe, Eirene agrees to complete 4 tasks for Leandros, and in exchange, he will marry Eirene instead. Once in his house, she meets his daughter Lamia, and the two begin to suspect things aren't quite what they seem...
The beginning was a bit slow for me, I found it hard to get past the hopeless of the village, but once there? Bam, off to the races. Eirene's quest with her four tasks with engaging. I also really enjoyed the development of her relationship with Lamia - it felt natural under their circumstances. I was able to guess bits and pieces of what was happening, but only just enough that the reveals felt exciting and I felt clever, which is the perfect balance in my opinion.

I unfortunately had to DNF this at around the 30% mark, not for any particular reason but just that for some reason I could not get invested in this story. I think the beginning of this book really captured me, but once the main portion of the novel and the interaction of the two main characters began, my attention began to flag. There isn’t anything wrong with this story, and with how many positive reviews it has I really wanted to like this, but I think this just wasn’t for me. I know this book takes a lot of inspiration from Psyche and Eros, but without much happening in the story with Eirene trying to save her sister, and Lamia not being the most interesting character, I realized I was reading to finish the book and not to find out what happens next. There are enough hints at the larger story to give me an insight of everything going on, but as of now I’m simply not interested enough to continue.

I think this book would be great for anyone who likes slow-building Greek-myth inspired romantasy, and I encourage you to check it out. I think my biggest issue is I found neither Eirene nor Lamia that interesting of a character, and the villain Leandros was the one I wanted to know most about. I think in the future I’d like to come back to this book with a clearer idea of the story, and actually find out and crack the mystery that has been hinted at with what I’ve read so far.

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins Children's Books for providing this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

“Gentlest of Wild Things” is a stunningly beautiful novel combining two different stories from Greek mythology: that of Eros and Psyche (one of my favorites) and that of Lamia (with which I’m less familiar). Eirene and her twin sister Phoebe toil ceaselessly to support themselves and their (useless) cousin Stavros, but Eirene increasingly takes on more burdens as Phoebe’s health declines. When Leandros, descendant of Aphrodite and wealthiest man in town, seeks Phoebe as his next wife (after the suspicious death of the previous one), Eirene takes her place. She is on a mission: to understand how Leandros crafts his Desires, magical substances that he sells to men that keep their wives “happy” and obedient. Eirene seeks to destroy the secret to Leandros’s success and free the women in town from the substances that keep them subservient. Leandros is obsessed with his legacy, and before he will accept Eirene in place of her sister, he requires her to repeat the four tasks Aphrodite ordered Psyche to complete in order to prove her love for Eros. These impossible tasks should be impossible for Eirene, but fortunately, she has help from Leandros’s reclusive daughter Lamia.
This book was so gorgeous and so compelling. Taking place on the isolated island of Zakynthos, there is little external worldbuilding, but we don’t really need it. The mythology of the Olympians is pervasive throughout, but every beat of the story is contained within a small village, and much of it just within Leandros’s house. I loved the blend of fantasy with elements of psychological thriller, and how the story explored abusive relationships and the sacrifices the characters made for their loved ones. Beautiful sibling relationships, sapphic romance, and female rage? Plus gorgeous writing and atmospheric suspense? Yes please!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and HarperCollins for sending me an ARC in exchange for review!
4 ⭐️s

The Gentlest of Wild Things is a Young Adult fantasy novel presented as a sapphic reimagining of the legend of Eros and Psyche. "On the island of Zakynthos, nothing is more powerful than Desire―love itself, bottled and sold to the highest bidder by Leandros, a power-hungry descendent of the god Eros." (From the book's blurb.) The novel follows Eirene, a young girl who strikes a bargain with Leandros to save her sister from becoming his wife: if Eirene can complete four impossible tasks, he will wed her instead. The story also follows Lamia, Leandros' abused and isolated daughter, whose magical tears are responsible for the creation of Desire. Entranced by Eirene, Lamia agrees to aid the girl in her tasks, even if it means lying to her father. But as the two grow closer, freedom begins to feel impossible, and it soon becomes clear that Leandros is not the worst danger lurking in the tower, hungry for blood.

This book was a great romp of a time! It has all the ingredients of the perfect romantasy: adventure, danger, and pining. The sapphic love story was so, so sweet, and I loved the way the two girls interacted and cared for one another. It is definitely a slow burn, which is a favourite of mine (but go in prepared). Underwood also plays with themes of feminine rage through the vehicle of female monstrousness, which will be an evergreen trope for me.

The main reason this was not five stars for me was that I struggled to connect with the two main characters in the first half. I loved them by the end, but it took a minute on that front for me.

Overall though, this book was a great time, and I would definitely recommend it! The Greek mythology was accessible even to those not familiar with it, and the plot was fast-paced and engaging. Add this to your TBR!

Once again another stellar book by Sarah Underwood. This book was so good! The romance was so sweet and I love the way that the author reimagined this classic Greek myth. It was so beautifully written and I was enthralled the entire time that I was reading! I will forever be a fan of Sarah Underwood's books.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for letting me read an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!
This book was honestly so sweet & heart-warming - not only was the romance very touching, but also the love between the two sisters.
The pacing was good throughout - the format of the tasks kept things interesting, though I wish the solutions to them had been more about cleverness and creativity, rather than magic, because Eirene was such a determined and bright character. I appreciated the slow burn of the main relationship as it mirrored Lamia’s personal growth & discovery. Eirene & Lamia really were perfect for each other! Their love was very tender but they still had good chemistry and banter, with the perfect cozy happily ever after.

Sarah Underwood has a gift of writing deeply emotional books that are, somehow, also loads of fun. GENTLEST OF WILD THINGS is a beautifully feral tale that I can’t recommend enough!!