4.5/5

I’ve never read any of Katee’s books, but the most common thing I’ve heard is that they’re HOT with capitals H, O, & T. This one is definitely that. It’s the start of her new Dark Olympus series. First up? Hades and Persephone (my fave Greek God pair!).

Synopsis: Above the real world is an upper echelon where the Greek Gods live. It’s ruled by the main 13, yet, as far as Demeter’s daughter Persephone knows, it’s really 12 since Hades is a myth. The twist here is that the Gods aren’t immortal—when they die, a new person becomes the “new” Hera, etc. And, in this world, the Hera slot is open since Zeus can’t seem to resist murdering his wives. The next in line? Persephone...after her mother offers her up as Zeus’s fiancée without her consent.

Persephone is not interested in being Hera #4, especially Dead Hera #4. So, she makes an escape...into the arms of a very much alive Hades who rules the human world (the world "under" Olympus). Zeus is pissed but can't get access to Hades or Persephone due to a treaty between the upper world and the underworld. So Hades and Persephone come to an agreement--they'll pretend they're together (co-conspirators WITH benefits) for the 3 months until Persephone turns 25, gets her trust fund, and gets the heck out of Olympus for good.

First, yes, it's suuuuper steamy but, thankfully, the emotional connection between H & P is as built up as the sexual connection. Yes, H is hot, but he's also got that gooey, mushy center--he's sinful & sweet. He cares for P AND is a wonderful ruler to the humans he oversees. P is not some TSTL (romance speak for "too stupid to live") heroine, either. She's strong-willed, smart, and totally on-board with Hades' exhibitionist side. This is a sex positive book (there's kink, so definitely check for trigger warnings), and Katee does a great job organically weaving in the issue of consent into the spicy narrative.

If you're looking for a summer romance and like extra steam, this one is a great choice!