I really love Greek Myth Retellings and this one did not disappoint at all.
It was very atmosphoric and gripping and the tender romance was beyond words incredible.

Thank you so much to Sarah Underwood and NetGalley for this Arc in exchange for an honest review.

I would probably round this one up to a 3.5 star rating.

I appreciate that Sarah Underwood likes to write Greek mythology retellings. This is her second - both attempt to take Greek Myths and have a sapphic element/ romance. Both have fallen into some of the same issues though.

The story follows Eirene, twin sister of Phoebe, who has caught the attention of demi-god Leandros. To save her frailer sister, Eirene takes her place as willing to wed Leandros. He tasks her with four objectives to 'ensure she will be an adeqaute wife'. This story takes from a few Greek myths, Lamia, Psyche and Eros, and Aphrodite with love and desire.

What I liked about this story was that the love story could have been between sisters. So if you read it with that in mind, it is a lovely story. Through the story, Eirene is determined to keep her sister safe and out of Leandros' way - she does everything in her power to accomplish the tasks...for her sister. This devotion and love was wonderful, and while Eirene is stubborn she is so because of her attempt to save her sister.

I liked the steady pace of the book, but if you are looking for something quicker, this might not be for you. It has a very steady cadence - Eirene gets a task... she panics, but works to accomplish the task, slight chaos... and then progression. The bigger climax might have been around discovery of what Lamia is - I will leave that out, but it was not what I expected (because I know of a lamia as another type of creature and expected something a bit different).

Some dislikes: To the same effect as above - there really wasn't a sapphic romance. There was one kiss and maybe a little swooning, but the Lamia/ Eirene relationship came off as more of sisters than romantic love. I would have prefered the focus just be on sisterly love because if you are giving me "sapphic retelling" I really hope for more than this.

I also feel like the Psyche/Eros/ Aphrodite myths got a bit jumbled in the attempt to tell this story. Eirene was set with tasks, taken from the Psyche story - but I wanted more explanation of that myth and story to build the bridge a bit more clearly. Maybe a full story telling between Eirene and Lamia could have built up more of that romantic feel between them that I was missing.

Overall, this was a likable read. I enjoyed my time with it and will continue to read Sarah Underwood's retellings. The story had a fair amount of good qualities and if you come in knowing that the sapphic romance is a bit lackluster and that the pacing is kinda of monotone, I think you will be better prepared for your read. I really like the incorporation of Greek myth, and will continue to read for that reason alone.

I found this book so incredibly enthralling - I could not put it down, I thought it was an amazing approach to Greek mythology while also focusing on the relationships and love between women while also examining beauty versus monstrosity. I'll be thinking about this book for a very long time

3.75⭐️; The Gentlest of Wild Things was such a pleasant read! The story is a gentle nod to the trials of Psyche and Eros, so if you are looking for a full retelling, you won’t find it here. I found it refreshing though, and quite enjoyed the story of Eirene and Lamia.

Oh, Lamia! How I adored her character. Her growth through the story is wonderful, and I loved the softness she carries with her throughout her journey.

I found that the book was a bit more lighthearted in nature than I anticipated, which I found myself struggling to figure out if I enjoyed this or not. For even in a moment of turmoil, the story still felt “light” and not too serious. I think in some ways it was cute or worked within the scene, but there were some moments that felt a bit awkward. There were a lot of silly little moments that were endearing, but again, not what I expected when I went into this book.

Overall I think it’s a sweet and enjoyable story. It was an easy read and had a relatively simple plot, and I mean this as a positive. I’m someone who loves highly complex worlds and characters, but sometimes it’s nice to pick up a story that doesn’t have your mind spinning.

Don’t be fooled though, the story is still rich and there are still some little surprises in store.

I really enjoyed this book! The bond between the sister and the mythology was great. I struggled to connect with the two fmc. I like both character separately. Lamia was so soft and gentle. I liked that the author didn’t info dump and create this huge world that would draw away from the overall story.

3.5

I enjoyed this retelling of the myth of Eros and Psyche with the story of Lamia blended in for the most part. While it's not a story I'm super familiar with, I liked the author's take on it.

The story revolves around sisters Eirene and Phoebe. Phoebe catches the eye of Leandros, a sinister man who produces a potion called Desire, which basically helps enslave women. Eirene, in a bid to save her sister, goes to Leandros and demands that he marry her instead. Instead of outright agreeing, he sets four tasks before Eirene and tells her if she completes them, he will leave her sister alone. It is during these tasks that she meets Lamia, the daughter of Leandros. The story continues to follow Eirene's struggles to complete the tasks, and Lamia's struggles of being the daughter of Leandros and what he is doing to the town.

The characters are all well-written, though it would have been nice to have a little more depth to Leandros. The story can be a tad slow at times, as there isn't a whole lot that goes on in between Eirene's tasks. My biggest problem with the book though is the speech. There are times when the speech feels very modern, as Eirene likes to drop the occasional 'fuck" into her sentences, which feels very out of place. There are times when the speech of others feels out of place, though for the most part Eirene is the issue.

Because I am not super familiar with the Eros and Psyche myth, I can't say how well this book represents that story. But I do think people who enjoy Greek myth retellings will enjoy this.

On the island of Zakynthos, Leandros, there is a descendant of Eros, and he sells bottled Desire. Desire is a force that turns women into obedient, blank-eyed followers. When he sets his sights on Phoebe, her twin sister Eirene steps in and strikes a deal: if she completes four tasks, Leandros will choose a different bride. As Eirene embarks on these tasks, she starts uncovering dark secrets about Desire and about Leandros’ hidden daughter, Lamia. Meanwhile, Lamia dreams of freedom, but a deadly threat looms over them all.

This story has a tender, dark, and layered exploration of the lengths we go to for those we love. With all the drama, romance, and eerie touches of classic mythology, Gentlest of Wild Things is the perfect title for this book.

I hadn’t read anything by Sarah Underwood before, and I went in with zero expectations—but this book really blew me away. The beginning was a bit slow, especially with the bleak setup of the village, but once the story got moving, I was hooked. Eirene’s journey through the four tasks was super engaging, and the way her relationship with Lamia developed felt natural and really well-paced given the circumstances.

Thanks so much to NetGalley and HarperCollins for the ARC!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed Gentlest of Wild Things. It is a Greek mythology inspired fantasy that was a really exciting story. This book has action, mystery, and romance. And the characters were interesting and very likable. I couldn’t get enough of this book!

4.5/5 Stars

Eirene and her twin sister Pheobe have an incredible bond, fiercely protective of one another. Eirene strikes up a bargain with Leandros, a descendant of Eros, who has his sights set on the ill-Pheobe. If Eirene can complete three tasks he puts forward, then he must marry her instead and leave Pheobe alone. While completing her first task, Eirene meets Leandros hidden away daughter, Lamia whose magical tears are what creates a powder called Desire.

I am a sucker for Greek myth retellings, make them sapphic and you have me hooked. This is a Eros and Psyche retelling that I read so quickly and was fully invested in the story and the characters within the first few chapters. I listened on audiobook and the narrators did an incredible job bringing both these characters to life. The slow-burn sapphic love story was amazing, I loved both Eirene and Lamia! Eirene was so determined to save her sister, and you could feel how much she loved her on the page. The tasks she had to complete were so intriguing and I loved watching her journey with Lamia's help. Lamia was so multi-layered and complex. It made me so sad seeing her struggle with wanting her freedom, but also feeling the loyalty to her father who is only using her for her tears. I loved to hate Leandros, what a vile man. The idea of Desire, a bottled powder that would make any woman obedient was terrifying.

I will definitely be picking up more from this author soon!

I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review:

Wow...just wow. I just finished this book and I am at a loss for words. I read about 5% of it last night and had to read it in its entirety today. I haven't felt so drawn and moved by a story in a long time. Dont get me wrong, I have enjoyed plenty of books and loved their stories and worlds, but this story was phenomenal.

When I read the description I thought eh, this could be interesting, but I wasn't particularly excited for it. I am so so glad I requested a copy and read it. This is a book I want to read again and would love to own and put on my shelf. It is absolutely worth the read and I am glad I spent my day in this story.



Left a review on goodreads and on amazon (the review for amazon is still being approved)

Gentlest of Wild Things is the story of a sister who will do anything to save her twin. In a small village, Eirene and her sister Phoebe live with their awful cousin. When Phoebe catches the eye of a mysterious and powerful man on the island, Eirene refuses to allow Phoebe to be stolen away. There’s something strange about Leandros, especially the circumstances under which his last wife died. To take Phoebe’s place, Eirene must complete four impossible tasks. Can she save her sister?

Gentlest of Wildest Things is a sapphic retelling of the myth of Eros and Psyche, with the inclusion of empousa. This was so well done! The story was tightly paced and hard to put down. I really enjoyed the exploration of what it means to be a monster, especially in ancient tales. I loved when Eirene and Lamia had to team up to complete the tasks. The storytelling uses well-known aspects of the tale, while including completely original ideas. The empousa storyline was fascinating and I wish more retellings included them.

Readers who enjoy Greek mythology retellings, sapphic romance, and an unbreakable sisterhood will enjoy Gentlest of Wild Things.

Thank you to Sarah Underwood, HarperCollins, and Netgalley for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

2.5 rounded up to 3; my main issues are these: Underwood's writing style is bland and boring, the heart of the Psyche myth is ignored, and her characterizations do not spark romantic chemistry.

Calling this a sapphic retelling would require some semblance of romance that actually *worked.* I think if you removed two small scenes from this book, I would have fully believed that Eirene loved Lamia like a daughter or little sister and simply adopted her after the conclusion of the conflict. There is ONE kiss, and one scene where they explicitly make each other romantically blush.

Eirene is entirely focused on saving her sister, Phoebe, throughout the course of the book. The beginning, the middle, and the climax. She is set to do four tasks by Lamia's evil hot father, akin to those Psyche was set by Aphrodite to prove her love of Eros. Here's the problem that starts the downfall of the whole book; Eirene is NOT doing these tasks for Lamia, her love interest. She's doing them out of love of her sister. Every task she achieves only draws her minimally closer to Lamia--- but the one she is fighting for is her sister.

There's basically zero chemistry between these two. It doesn't help that Lamia has been so sheltered and Eirene has been so hard working that they feel like a child and an adult respectively. The story even sets up that Eirene will become Lamia's stepmother upon marrying her father.

The story of Psyche is that of a woman who never wanted her beauty or her fame or the hundreds of adoring suitors. She wanted to be happy, and she found that happiness with Eros, but lost it with her lack of trust. And she worked so hard, sacrificed her hands, her beauty, her dignity, all to prove to Aphrodite that she was worthy of Eros's love. Positioning this story as a retelling of that myth is setting it up for failure--- especially since the myth of Psyche and Eros already seems to be a real and popular story in this world. So it's not a retelling. It's Lamia's dad being obsessed with his own lineage and a whooooole bunch of contrivances. Eirene does the tasks for her sister, not her lover, because Lamia isn't her lover until the very end of the book, in the epilogue. Except the fourth task, which Lamia has to do for Eirene, because Eirene is taken out by Lamia's father. So it all becomes such a jumbled MESS of the original myth that it doesn't even achieve anything.

To summarize--- romance chemistry was non-existent, plot was weak and contrived, the relationship was awkward because of how sheltered Lamia was, and the claims of this being a "sapphic retelling" only lead to disappointment.

If there is one thing you should know about me it is that I LOVE greek mythology.

This was such an interesting spin on Eros and Psyche and I've never read a book based on them before so I was super excited to delve into this.

I think the world building was a little lacking and Underwood could have fleshed more parts of it out to make the reader feel more immersed, but this wasn't a huge disappointed. I loved the mystery aspect and the strong female characters.

The chapters are short and the writing isn't overly complicated so this was an easy read, and such a cute epilogue!

Thank you to Harper Collins for the opportunity to read this in exchange for an honest review!

Amazingly beautiful story! I walked into this book blind and am so glad I did. I loved the characters and the amount of growth and development Eirene and Lamia went through was very rewarding.

I am hoping the author will decide to continue their story, as I would love to know what happens next.

Thank you to netgalley and harpercollins for providing me a free e-arc in exchange for an honest review.
I’ve been a lifelong fan of Greek mythology and retellings, and this was an interesting spin on the psyche and Eros myth. I liked the plot, the mystery was satisfying in its conclusion but I guess I would have liked more hints to certain worldbuilding points and creatures existing in this world. I did think the romance was well done, I liked the slow burn aspect and I bought the connection, but unfortunately I just didn’t latch on to either POV character.

I forgot to leave a review for this, but I really enjoyed it! It's already out, so I won't say much more than I need to for my star rating. <3

This book is so gorgeously written. The imagery that is created in my mind while reading is just gorgeous. It helps me immerse myself into the story and creates scenery like I am really there. I think I liked the main conflict of this one more than the author's previous book (Lies We Sing to the Sea.) It was easier to grasp what the end goal was and how it would affect everyone around them. I loved the character development of Lamia and how she gained so much confidence in herself and moved past her naivety. I loved Eirene and her strong will to protect her sister and fight for the other women around her. She knew something wasn't right and was so determined to fix it, and kept that determination to the end. This was such a powerful story about women being strong and underestimated by men constantly. The mystery and reveal of the secrets of the house just added to the love story and made it more genuine. I can't get over how this book looked in my mind while reading it. I was truly and fully immersed in this world and was attached to the characters. It was easy to root for the characters and want them to use whatever manner necessary to get what they wanted. My only complaint is that it took me a bit to become invested in the story, but that was kind of necessary in order to set up the story and help gain an idea of what is at stake. I don't think I became fully invested until around 30% of the way through.

Thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins for an Advanced Reader Copy - pub date 10/1/2024. A story about the strength of love and devotion and growing into something lovely from out of poisoned ground - Gentlest of Wild Things takes the well-known story of Psyche and Eros, mixes in more agency and more lesbians, then hits it with a dose of old nightmares of the Greek vampire women. Basically, all in all, just the read for all of us who grew up obsessed with Greek myths and turned out to be part of the LGBTQIA+ squad... Which is, let's face it, a lot of us.

Eirene and her twin sister Phoebe are not happy, per se, but they are getting by. They have each other, they have Eirene's herbs and plans, they have Phoebe's weaving... and sometimes their lout of a cousin is obligingly drunk and not bothering them. But then the would-be lord of their little island, Leandros, ends up with a dead wife and sets his sights on Phoebe as replacement. Leandros is rich and mysterious and beautiful, a descendent of Eros, and wields his magic potions, his Desires, ruthlessly for power and control. Needless to say, he is not the kind of husband Eirene would pick for Phoebe. Thus she makes a dangerous deal to save Phoebe; she offers herself up as bride and ends up with four dangerous tasks to complete in order to win her and her sister's freedom.

In doing so, Eirene also finds the neglected and abused daughter that Leandros hides so jealously. Lamia is strange, shy, naive... and Eirene soon becomes as fascinated with her as Lamia is with her. Their story grows as the book goes on - their relationship, how far familial loyalty stretches, what is the true nature of love, what exactly constitutes monstrous? With each task that Eirene complete, her world grows and her heart expands. With each moment she shares with Eirene, Lamia learns more of her past and present and possibly her future. Told in the two POVs, the reader truly gets a feel for how each woman thinks and operates. There is a clear difference in the beginning chapters between Eirene's brash voice and Lamia's apologetic tones. The magic occurs when the two start to merge, a lovely symbol of their growing relationship in the form of the written word. A hero saves others but do they get to save themselves? Can Eirene and Lamia be heroes? We all deserve more self-rescuing princesses, right?

"She didn't need to be brave. She just needed to keep going." Favorite line in the book and it is a repeated motif. Real power is not potions and powders. It is the ability to make our own decisions and write our own stories.

My only hesitation in the beauty of this book rests in a few areas that seem to skip Eirene ahead in her feelings faster than feels right, jumping over her learning straight to knowledge. On the other hand, these moments are few and, once she gets to the new information, she is just as steady in her approach and synthesis as ever. Eirene KNOWS what is right and what feels right and never doubts her own opinions.

I highly caution anyone who is sensitive to physical injury descriptions or mental/emotional abuse to exercise caution. Trust me. You will loathe Leandros just as much as Eirene does. He is literally The Worst and, no, that is not much of a spoiler.

Everything about this book is perfect. The trials of Psyche and Eros retold? Perfect. The sapphic love and longing? Perfect. The slight reference to Dracula wives I also really appreciated. This would be perfect for any fall TBR.

I loved the story, the world building and meeting the different characters. I felt completely immersed in the story and couldn't stop reading it.