The Maiden & The Unseen by Alexis Rune and Jeanette Rose
Series: Love & Fate #1
Publisher: Rose and Star Publishing
Publication Date: September 27, 2022
Format: ebook
Source: Kindle Unlimited
Rating:
Goodreads Synopsis: God of the Dead. King of the Underworld. The Unseen. The Renowned...The Glorified Babysitter.
Zeus has finally decreed that the gods may leave Olympus and mingle - anonymously - with the mortals of the present. With zero warning or waiting for him to consent to this arrangement, Hades is placed in charge of not only helping the gods assimilate but also financing them. Unlike the other gods, Hades never withdrew from the mortal world. Instead he spent six months of every year among them, building a fortune befitting one of his many names. As long as the gods follow his strict rules for living among mortals, they have access to a generous monthly stipend. Break the rules, lose the privileges. No allowances. Ever.
Goddess of Spring. The Maiden. The Mistress. The Venerable One...The Social Media Manager.
For the last two years, Persephone has lived among the mortals, enjoying everything the world she was so sheltered from has to offer. It took years of begging since Zeus's decree to get her mother to allow her to go, and she imparted some strict rules to follow. Rule 1: No fraternizing with other gods. As far as Demeter is aware, Persephone's closest friend is definitely not Helios, the Titan of the Sun. Rule 2: No men. The mortal she's casually dating doesn't even know the gods exist. Rule 3: Every six months, Demeter comes by for a visit. This one Persephone can't get out of, and if it keeps her mother from investigating Persephone's life, what's the harm?
Destiny. Fate. Fortune. Kismet...An absolute bitch.
Fate has other ideas for Hades and Persephone, and it does not take lightly to being denied. Struggle and fight all they want. But the threads of destiny have wrapped tightly around them and tugs them tighter and tighter, no matter what the gods themselves have to say about it.
Trigger Warnings: Sexual Content (BDSM, Puppet Play, Blood Play, Spanking, Dub-Con, Power Play)
Review: I am a sucker for a Hades and Persephone retelling/adaptation. This one has a more modern wist to it as well.
Hades is still his normal alone/lonely self but he is living part time in the human world and has been tasked with helping the gods blend in if they choose to live there - he is pretty much bank-rolling them to live there and not be obvious about being supernatural. He notices during an account review that someone is trying to hide from him and turns off the account of Persephone. It is never really made clear if the illusion was her mothers doing, but it was alluded to (and I think it will be an interesting add-in eventually to tell her that it is her doing that Hades and Persephone meet.)
This book was spicy, but in the best way. Hades is kind of an ass, but you don't expect much else from him, Persphone is more of a bad-ass than normal. She is less whimping damsel, and trying to be an independent women to the best of her ability. I appreciated that her mommy issues were not the full focus of her side of the story.
This plot was very obvious, it plays a lot like enemies to lovers. I was able to read it all in one day during a carride. It was a common enough story but I still enjoyed it and have already picked up book two.
If you are not comfortable with sexual content, you should probably skip this one, there is a fair amount and it starts pretty quickly. That said, if you enjoy it, this could be for you.
I just really like the story of Hades and Persphone and making it adult content is fun. This book ended on one hell of a cliffhanger - pun intended - so have teh next book on hand.
