I read this one quick! It was a fun read and nice to see some unique character traits from both partners. It is a sexy meet-cute with a little more character depth than your average books of the same flavor. She has a chronic illness, is a person of color, isn't described as thin, and notably wears glasses. All of which are generally under-represented traits in romance (some more than others, of course). I also love that her body size was something she was never conscious of. She was beautiful, and that was that. He is recovering from a traumatic relationship. There is no fantasy here, just regular world, and it was a nice easy read. Definitely a romance though - expect dirty language, adult depictions or adult activities, and fun times.

Read aloud to kids! Their reviews:

Eleanor (8): 5 stars. I like the bumblebee from the end and I also like Sundew. I think the mind control stuff was interesting and cool. I also really enjoyed how the queen was the evil one, like from their own kingdom not somewhere else.

Max (11): my favorite Character is sundew. I go I’ve it a 3 and 3/4 it was good but wasn’t my favorite. I like how tsunami and turtle arrived and almost died instantly. Over all it was good.

This is a fun and dark read. All the clues are there, but there were some twists that surprised me! It was well done. Definitely some dark themes here, but they're added in service to a convincing narrative and plot.

Good lord, the illustrations. THE ILLUSTRATIONS. So lovely, irreverent, playful, and in moments, surprisingly sophisticated. There is a spread in this volume between Psyche and Eros and the way she uses color to show light and create an intimate conversation between two people in bed was just so well done. I love comic art that doesn't take its self too seriously and it still excellent. The color is a character here.

The story line is also adult and complex enough to keep me engaged in yet another greek god retelling. I love these. Smythe is fantastic.

I listened this as an audio book for a public speaking course I’m developing. I really liked chapters 2-3. His “imagine the worst” and “you be you” chapters resonated. I found him a little grating though, to be honest.

The art is phenomenal and very to my taste. The story is complex and compelling but I have to admit I read this volume twice to be sure I understood. It's complicated.

Merged review:

The art is phenomenal and very to my taste. The story is complex and compelling but I have to admit I read this volume twice to be sure I understood. It's complicated.

Are many of the references dated? Does he constantly refer to all of humankind as “man?” Yes, of course, it was in the 1930s and ew. But as I’m reviewing materials for an upcoming public speaking course there are some old standby’s for a reason. This book is such an excellent resource for laying out technical vocal skills and the end of chapter exercises to practice and highlight the lessons are still so useful and practical.

This book is really helpful in that it provides TED Talk examples for each idea/lesson, so you're never left unsure about what he means. There is also some good technical speaking tips in here, but it is extremely focused on the TED style. Which, duh, I suppose given the name - but if you're looking for public speaking coaching in other contexts its not the book I would immediately recommend.

I'm a Holmberg Homegirl. She crafts unique lore and worlds for all her books, but it's never heavy-handed or hard to follow. She drops it into the plot just enough to provide context, but not lecture the reader on the entire political structure of the empire. Having read much of her work, it is formulaic, but it's a formula I wrap around me like a cozy blanket. This novel was particularly fun and out there, but still had the emotional tenor she brings to the fantasy-light romance genre.