I was attracted by the suggestion that this was a retelling of the Greek Hades/Persephone myth. It started well, with a setting in the high finance areas of New York; but by the time I gave up (at 22%) it had degenerated into an excuse for soft porn - all right if you like that sort of thing, but not at all well written. I could not bear to waste any more time on it.
By the way Persephone’s alternative name is Proserpina - not Prosperina.

I love a Hades and Persephone retelling and this was a really quick and easy read. However I didn’t find it to be super original and it did remind me of other books like A Touch of Darkness and ACOTAR, and the writing style was just okay. I thought some parts were pretty cheesy like when Hades says he has a signed copy of Throne of Glass. There was a lot of smut which I enjoy, but it was almost always followed by a fight about something petty. That being said, it was a decent read overall and if you’re a fan of Hades and Persephone retellings you might like this. I do kind of want to know what happens after the ending.

Thank you to Rose & Star Publishing and NetGalley for the ARC!

The Maiden and The Unseen is the first book the a series of mythology retellings by authors Jeanette Rose and Alexis Rune. This book is the first in a trilogy with subsequent books to come that follow different characters. In this retelling, some of the gods and goddesses have decided to come to the mortal world so they need someone to kind of keep them in check. Hades is in charge of this, staying in the shadows and keeping everything running smoothly. When he has a run in with an angry Persephone about her bank account, he offers her a job. In close proximity with each other, Hades realizes that Persephone is his fated queen and that is just not going to work for him. The two try to stay away from each other but fate has other plans for them.

Fated mates is literally my god tier romance trope. I absolutely adore it and this book really just cements that love. I liked Hades in this book but I absolutely loved Persephone. She is exactly what I have been wanting in a Persephone character. Most of the ones I read about are super naive and it makes them seem unintelligent. This Persephone has agency and we love to see it! She is based on the model Ashley Graham so we get that plus sized representation too.

This story get steamy fast and stays in that lane so if you don’t like smutty books, this isn’t one for you. But it was definitely for me. The characters had so much chemistry. I also think that the issues the characters had keeping them apart were valid and not over the top, which I always hate. The side characters are fantastic and I can’t wait to learn more about them as the books progress.

When I picked this up I didn’t realize it was a trilogy and as I was getting close to the end, I knew there weren’t enough pages left for what I wanted to happen! I can’t get the second book soon enough!

I love a good hades and Persephone retelling but this one just had way too much Smut for me! I was given an ARC by Netgalley & Rose and Star Publishing in exchange for an honest review!!

I wanted more plot and less page after page of smut! This book wasn’t for me but I do know other readers are going to eat this up.