Neon Gods

He was supposed to be a myth. But from the moment I crossed the River Styx and fell under his dark spell... he was, quite simply, mine.
Society darling Persephone Dimitriou plans to flee the ultra-modern city of Olympus and start over far from the backstabbing politics of the Thirteen Houses. But all that’s ripped away when her mother ambushes her with an engagement to Zeus, the dangerous power behind their glittering city’s dark facade.
With no options left, Persephone flees to the forbidden undercity and makes a devil’s bargain with a man she once believed a myth... a man who awakens her to a world she never knew existed.
Hades has spent his life in the shadows, and he has no intention of stepping into the light. But when he finds that Persephone can offer a little slice of the revenge he’s spent years craving, it’s all the excuse he needs to help her—for a price. Yet every breathless night spent tangled together has given Hades a taste for Persephone, and he’ll go to war with Olympus itself to keep her close…
A modern retelling of Hades and Persephone that’s as sinful as it is sweet.

I’ve been meaning to read Neon Gods by Katee Robert since it was released last summer (2021). I was intrigued by the cover and the synopsis when the publisher advertised it in the newsletters. Anything that involves mythology retellings, sign me up immediately. 

Storyline/My Thoughts: Neon Gods is the first book in Katee Robert’s Dark Olympus series, and this one involves a modern retelling of Hades and Persephone. I’ve always been fascinated by the stories of Hades and Persephone when I was younger and was anxious to read how Katee Robert was going to have these two mythology characters meet each other in a modern world. She didn’t disappoint with Neon Gods. This time around, Hades is considered a myth in the upper city where Zeus, Demeter, Hermes, etc., live. He’s never been invited to any of the parties in the Upper City. So why would they believe Hades exists. 

Persephone is at a party with her mother and sisters, but she doesn’t realize that her mother has planned that she is married to Zeus and become his next Hera. Unfortunately, Persephone is not for this because she knows that Zeus had something to do with the demise of his previous Heras’.

Persephone ends up running away and into the arms of a strange man in the Lower City when Zeus’s men are chasing her. What she doesn’t realize is the mysterious man is Hades. Hades never expects someone from the Upper City, like Persephone, to cross the bridge into the Lower City. The minute he has her, he knows he has an advantage over his enemy, Zeus. Here it is, everyone thinks Hades is holding Persephone against her will, but he isn’t because she wants to be there with him. She’s fascinated by Hades and ends up falling for the dark and handsome Hades.

Here are the things I loved about this book:

• The storyline of how Persephone finds out about Hades and how they end up together, and I also like how she convinces him to help her. 
• Hade’s character is grumpy, but he falls hard for the beautiful Persephone. He also has away in the bedroom or outside of the bedroom. If I had to choose between Zeus and Hades, I would select Hades in a heartbeat. (it’s not only for what Zeus did to the other Heras, either.) 
• The twists and turns the authors did in the book. I was not expecting how the ending happened, especially after finding out someone in Persephone’s life had a plan all along. 
• The steam factor in this book was HOT. It didn’t include too much BDSM, but it had some exhibitionism in it. 

Here are things that I didn’t like or wanted more of:

• I wanted to understand the world these characters lived in, especially how they ended up in the Upper City/Lower City. I felt I missed out on learning more about the world. 
• Persephone did what she did towards the end because she felt that there was no other way. 

Will I read the next book in the series? Most definitely, yes. I want to know more about this world, and I want to find out who ends up with who in the next book(s). I enjoyed the first book, so I’m giving it four stars.

Standalone or Part of Series: It’s part of the Dark Olympus series. Each follows a new couple, but I would recommend reading in order so you don’t miss out on previous couples that received their story.

HEA: Yes.

Trope: Grumpy + Sunshine; Fake Relationship; Forced Proximity

Steaminess: ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

Content Warning (from author’s website): Abuse, Parental death (historical, off-page), assault/attempted assault, explicit sex, guns, blood

Would I recommend this book? Yes. If you enjoy Dark Fantasy Romance, then this book is for you. I also recommend it to readers that enjoy modern mythology retellings.

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About Katee Robert

New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author Katee Robert learned to tell her stories at her grandpa’s knee. Her 2015 title, The Marriage Contract, was a RITA finalist, and RT Book Reviews named it 'a compulsively readable book with just the right amount of suspense and tension." When not writing sexy contemporary and romantic suspense, she spends her time playing imaginary games with her children, driving her husband batty with what-if questions, and planning for the inevitable zombie apocalypse.

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FranJessca

Owner/Reviewer at A Book Lovin' Mama's Blog

I guess I should type a bio here. I'm FranJessca, or Fran for short. I'm the owner/reviewer behind A Book Lovin' Mama's Blog. I've been reading and reviewing books on my blog since leaving the Navy in 2011, and I will keep doing it as long as possible. My favorite genres will always be Romance & Fantasy, and I read every subgenre underneath those two genres. (Sorry, not a fan of nonfiction, so don't try to convince me to read it.)
My obsession with reading started over 30+ years ago when I went to my first Scholastic Book Fair and found R.L. Stine's Fear Street series. Later, I came across Anne Rice's novels at my public library when I was fourteen when my obsession with vampires started. I was the girl who preferred to be a vampire over a princess any day. My husband says I would leave him a heartbeat for a vampire that looked like Spike or Angel (from Buffy the Vampire Slayer) or Damon Salvatore from The Vampire Diaries. (It's true, though, and he's accepted it.)

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