From the first page, you can't help but love Jeanette Rose and Alexis Rune's version of Hades. He's witty, sarcastic, self-deprecating, anxious, and normal. He's the middle child who somehow became the only responsible one, and what did that responsibility gain him? The privilege of providing monthly stipends for spoiled gods who are bored with their lives and want to play mortal. One of those gods is the Goddess of Spring, and she might just be the one who breaks all his rules.

I love this version of Persephone. She's smart, strong-willed (aka stubborn), independent, and unafraid to push boundaries. When given a rule, her natural reflex is to test the bounds. I love that about her, but it induces frustration in everyone else in her life.

This is a medium-burn romance with lots of steam. The chemistry is seriously palpable, due to the forced proximity, forbidden romance. This one of my favorite Hades and Persephone retellings, primarily because Hades is relatable and Persephone is likeable (it might seem like my bar is low, but there are some incredibly unlikable Persephone personas in the world). I will absolutely be continuing this series.

I freaking love this book. A modern day retelling of Hades and Persephone. I am a big fan of their love story. I read this book in two days, i need more.

Their connection was burning, i loved reading the moments they were together. I enjoyed the point of view switch from Hades to Persephone.

This was full of spicy moments and longing.

3.5 ⭐️

I know, I know, ANOTHER Hades x Persephone retelling… BUT I LOVE THEM, ok?!

The Maiden & The Unseen is hella spicy and has an interesting twist on fated mates/how Persephone becomes Queen of the Underworld. I think I would have enjoyed it more if H&P’s relationship had been fleshed out a bit more outside of boning each other nonstop, but the cliffy does have me intrigued enough to continue the series.

My current reading binge is mythology-based books, and I'm enjoying how different authors have different takes on familiar mythological figures.

The Maiden & the Unseen starts fast, introducing us to Hades and Persephone and their separate lives. They've never met, so the book is already deviating from the usual myth. I loved the Fates, and Mellie, and the way the author brought in so many "familiar" characters from Greek mythology and gave them new roles and personalities.
There's lots of vividly described lusting before the vividly described (and plentiful) sexy times.
Ends on a cliffhanger.

A fun Hades and Persephone retelling for when you want something fast and low stakes to read. If you love retellings, smut, and the fated mate's trope, this one is for you.

I loved the use of Hades' shadows and Persephone's vines! Super original and brought some newness to retelling that could have very easily mimicked other smutty retellings.

A little cheesy at moments, but it's smut so sometimes the build-up can be cheesy but it's fun if you don't take it too seriously.

I definitely recommend this to other retelling lovers!

This was a Hades & Persephone retelling in the same vein as A Touch of Darkness, and despite the fact that I really disliked ATOD, I actually enjoyed this retelling. It has a certain cheese factor, but the characters are likeable and the smut is varied enough that it didn’t bog the story down. Though, the authors DID fall into the trap where they seemed to creat conflict that was petty and didn’t make sense in order to create tension between the main characters. Did I absolutely love this? No, but it was enjoyable enough that I would read its sequel.

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.