I've always been intrigued by the Greek myth of Hades and Persephone. However, as a warning to prospective readers, this is not an exact retelling of the classic myth. In this book, Hades fights the Titans to help Zeus become the chief god in exchange for the Sea, but Zeus dupes him and gives him the Underworld instead. In the middle of this, Hades stumbles upon the gardens where Demeter has been hiding her daughter, Persephone, for many years. It's love at first sight, and even as he tries to fight his growing attraction for her, he senses that she is the one who will complete him. I liked the secret admirer part of the book and how they first met, especially in light of the fact that she's never seen a man.
Persephone, however, is only naiive and young on the surface. The truth is, she has secrets hidden in her past--secrets she doesn't remember due to Demeter supressing them. As the story unfolds, we are given pieces to the puzzle until the end, which is a lot of fun as I played the guessing game.
Hades' reason for abducting Persephone is a good and solid one, so he's not the monster in abducting her that he's often portrayed as being in the classic myth. Even so, Persephone was taken against her will and is grasping with her new identity and has to learn who she once was, so she has her personal issues to deal with before she can embrace Hades completely.
PS There are no vampires in the book.
What I liked most about this book is that beneath Hades' hard exterior, he was tender in his love for Persephone, and for those of you who like virgin heroes, he qualifies. He can't kiss a woman without his passion nearly killing her which is why he's never had sex before. This is not a problem with Persephone who is the one meant for him, and when they do make love, it's steamy. So I classify this as a sexy read. And yes, Persephone is a virgin too, and as soon as he brings her to the Underworld, they are husband and wife as is the custom of that time. Oh, and Persephone is not the weakling that is often portrayed in the classic myth either, in case anyone wonders.
(reviewed the day of purchase)