The premise of this book was incredibly fascinating: a fantasy book about the six wives of Henry xiv with strong Tudor influence and aesthetic, a magic system, and a plot to overthrow the king. The addition of a sapphic love interest gave me a lot of high hopes in the beginning, but unfortunately, I could not get into the book. The plot line felt forced in some places, and the ending was incredibly disappointing. It is such an intriguing concept, and it may resonate with some people, but I don't believe it was for me. 

Thank you to Netgalley and orbit books for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review. 

It's an interesting concept, but I really struggled to get into it. The reimaging of the stories in Ovid's metamorphosis kind of fell flat, and although it's described as a "brave, feminist" retelling, I really struggled to get those vibes from it. I really wanted to like it (especially since it starts out with Daphne, my favorite), but it wasn't for me.

I haven't seen this book talked about super frequently, but I was excited to find a retelling focused on Hephaestus. He is a complicated figure in mythology that I have conflicting feelings about, but his portrayal in media is often brief, problematic, or both. 

I love that the gods are portrayed as deeply flawed and incredibly difficult to like in this novel. I think it's always fun when retellings play with the fact the gods were capricious in nature and mortals subject to their whims in the original myths. 

The story includes everything from the creation of mortals (and the Pandora ordeal) to Medea and Jason and the Trojan War. It's interesting to see these events from Hephaestus's perspective, and I love that he is made to be sympathetic at times without negating from the fact he is also a god: less capricious that Zeus, but also problematic in his own way. 

This book is such an intriguing concept. Euripides has always been my favorite play write, and a modern day reimaging of the Bacchae that explores power dynamics, privilege, and delirium was something I didn't know I needed. 

This book is written very poetically, and explores the experiences of Lena, a woman who has been recently widowed, Hedy, Lena's eccentric friend from her dancing days, Drew, Lena's son and heir to his father's hotel chain, and Jordan, Drew's 'perfect' wife, as they travel to Naxos (yes, Ariadne's island) for the opening of the new hotel. Lena is intrigued by the women who dance in the firelight on the beach, and soon, Hedy, Lena, and Jordan are swept up in a frenzy. At the end of this novel, no one is left unchanged. If you've read the Bacchae, you can probably guess the direction of the story early, but I loved this modern spin on the ancient play. 

Typically, I'm not one for modern retellings, but the author's poetic way of relaying the story really drug me in. I was very pleasantly surprised by this book.

Thank you to Netgalley and Penguin Group Putnam for the chance to read and review this book!

I put off reading this because I'm always skeptical about Demeter/Persephone retellings, but I was so pleasantly surprised. Demeter is not perfect, but she is also not entirely vilified in this novel, and the Persephone/Hades ordeal is not overly romanticized. Additionally, there's a sapphic romance, which was entirely unexpected. 

This book explores love, motherhood, and what it means to cope with loss over the span of eternity. It was definitely worth the read! 🌿🌼 

This novel is a YA romance, but I found myself enjoying it although it's different genre wise from the retellings I usually read. Persephone is a goddess who wants the world, but is given flowers instead. Demeter tries to encourage her towards marriage and fulfilling the role expected of women in a patriarchal society, but Persephone cannot stand the idea of marriage (to a god she does not know especially). She constructs a plan to go to the underworld to hide.

I am always hesitant with Persephone retellings because I have a hard time with Hades being portrayed as the perfect love interest (or the Stockholm syndrome that blinds Persephone), but I feel like this novel does a good job of reimaging the original myth in a way that gives Persephone more agency than in the original sources. It is full of quippy dialogue and tropes, and I think it was a fun read. I love seeing myth retellings in the YA space because it gives younger readers an intriguing entry point to learning more about mythology and the ancient world. 

Thank you to @netgalley and @sourcebooksfire for the opportunity to read and review this book. It is out already, but will be publishing in paperback in the US  September 2. 💚

This book was an excellent way to spend my weekend. . 

 The main character Minerva, a graduate student, as she delves into the true events that inspired the book she is writing her thesis on: The Vanishing. 

She has always been intrigued by the supernatural, and grew up listening to her great-grandmother, Alba's, stories in Mexico. She realizes there may be more to The Vanishing than is written on the page. 

When Minerva discovers an elderly donor to the university has journals written by Betty, the author of The Vanishing, she convinces her to allow her to use them for her research. Her research leads her to unexpected places, and soon, she finds herself in mortal danger. 


The Bewitching alternates between three main story lines, Minerva's in 1998, Betty's in 1934, and Alba's in 1909. Though time and location separate these story lines, they all intersect beautifully. I found myself on the edge of my seat and closing my blinds as I read this book. 

Thank you to Netgalley and Del Rey for the opportunity to read and review this book before publication!