Summary
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.
My Thoughts
The Maiden & The Unseen is Book 1 in the Love & Fate series, and so good!!
I am a sucker for a spicy Hades x Persephone retelling, and this did not disappoint.
We meet Persephone living in New York away from her oppressive mother (Demeter) and having become an independent and strong woman. She is sexy, smart, has a job, and is trying to live life as best she can in the Mortal Realm.
Hades is our typical tall, dark, handsome, rich, broody benefactor and head of Plutus Industries. He has a lot of responsibility on his shoulders and is quite the cranky broody man…. until Persephone walks into his life – or rather his apartment unannounced and uproots everything.
The chemistry and building tension between the 2 of them throughout the book is INSANE and so good! I was on the edge of my seat the whole time, praying for a bit of relief and for them to stop being so stubborn and admit they like each other.
I really enjoyed their banter, back and forth, push and pull – it was so sweet and wonderfully painful to watch. And dealing with the fact that Persephone had a mortal boyfriend?? Sweet Jackson never stood a chance against Hades.
If you are looking for a plot heavy book, this isn’t it. If you are looking for a Hades x Persephone erotica, you have come to the right place. I think this is very important to keep in mind. If I had to judge on plot my review would be very different, but knowing what this is, I can say it is literally so good and spicy, steamy, boiling hot! I could not put it down.
Overall, I really enjoyed The Maiden & the Unseen by Alexis Rune and Jeannette Rose as book 1 in the Love & Fate series. It was the perfect Hades x Persephone erotica retelling set in the modern day.
Worthy of a reread.
See what other books I think are worthy of a re-read here.
Read my reviews of book 2, The Mistress & The Renowned, book 3, The Queen & The King, and book 3.5, The Nightmare & The Daydream Novella.
**This book was an ARC read and gifted to me in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.**
