Hades, thanks for your email! Congrats to you and Persephone!! Will email Olympus HR policy for workplace dating soon. Points for now:
- She’s an intern, you’re CFO. We need to meet re: potential conflicts of interest - Your brother is also your boss, so loop him in asap
hope things are going great in the basement! Mark Hermes
ps. her mom has left me voicemail? pps. more than one voicemail??
At magazine publisher Olympus Inc, new intern Persephone Erinyes is trying to be her own woman. Head of Finance Hades Kronion is trying to make changes. Love wasn't part of the plan.
A feel-good contemporary romance retelling of the Hades/Persephone story from award-winning author Kate Healey!
This is such an addictively written contemporary romance - I didn't even mean to read it this week, but I opened the ARC on my e-reader to check that it had come through, and then I got completely sucked in! So I ended up reading it in less than 24 hours and loving it.
It's set at Olympus Publishing, with all the characters named after those from Greek myths, but there are no gods and goddesses in this book. I absolutely loved how Healey reshaped the familiar stories with these characters, though - and Hera (so maligned in so many of the myths!) turned out to be one of my very favorite characters in the book, while Zeus was every bit the jerk that you'd expect.
The protagonists, though, are Persephone and Hades, and they're both just lovely. If you love romances where the hero is hopelessly smitten and helpless for the heroine from page 1...here you go! Enjoy! :) The issues they face are the power dynamics within the company where they both work (he is NOT her boss or supervisor, they work in different departments, and their dating is done with the full knowledge of HR, but since he's one of the co-owners of the company, it still makes life awkward for her with other interns) and her relationship with her emotionally abusive and controlling mother.
Honestly, this book is 5 stars all the way in terms of quality - but the bits I enjoyed least were those involved in that storyline, only because that abusive relationship is portrayed so vividly and effectively that I found those scenes excruciating to read, even more so as the book went on. It felt absolutely real and true, and I CHEERED for Persephone's journey of empowerment - but oof, those scenes WERE hard to read.
But! The ending was SO very satisfying in every direction. Kate Healey (a.k.a. Karen Healey) has already released a free novelette for her newsletter subscribers (Penelope Pops the Question, which rewrote the Trojan War in a VERY pleasing way), and I absolutely recommend signing up to read it! I loved it, and I can't wait for the next book in this series.
I loved this romance so much! The little echoes of Greek mythology in a non-fantasy setting were so satisfying, and the romance was wonderful. It was a perfect escapist workplace romance story with just a sprinkle of classical references to give it extra depth.
Often when I read romance, my review is “This is probably a good book for this genre but it’s just Not For Me”. I am SO GLAD to report that this was not the case with Persephone in Bloom. This book IS for me! I read it in a single afternoon/evening and enjoyed it immensely.
The Greek-mythology-in-modern-setting worked well - I loved all the characters, the little nods to their origins, and seeing how it drove the story.
I mostly liked that it didn’t fall into “Insta-love” tropes, which I find so cringey. There was a really good build-up from “I see someone I’m attracted to” to “admitting mutual attraction” to “dating and friendship” to “relationship”. The book also takes place over a longer time period so I wasn’t sitting there like “it’s been TWO WEEK why are you getting engaged” - just a really satisfying build-up and development.
I also liked that the setting lent itself well to competence porn - it’s people succeeding at things they’re good at, which is just nice to read. Given how other characters are introduced (who will no doubt be stars of future novels) I look forward to more of this.
I enjoyed the emotional arcs of the characters, and the explicit respect and support they have for each other - there is no “I’m doing X for your own good” which I haaaate (except from a character from whom it absolutely is a bad thing).
A couple of things didn’t quite land for me or end up as resolved as I’d have liked, but those were minor quibbles that didn’t occur to me til after I’d finished reading.
Gorgeous, smart, feminist. I tore through this book in 2 days, because I didn’t want to do anything but read it until it was finished.
This new contemporary romance series reimagines the gods and mortals of Greek myth as the moguls and interns of a high-end publishing company. Aphrodite is a supermodel with an awful boyfriend, Zeus is the fast-talking company head with a history of harassing younger women… and Hades runs the finance department in the basement. When Persephone makes her way into the internship program at Olympus Inc, she and Hades have an instant connection. But can you ethically date one of the partners in the firm without the other interns hating you? Persephone already struggles with the perception of nepotism & privilege thanks to her wealthy, successful and smothering mother Demeter. Every step of the way, this May/December romance has realistic challenges around how to build a successful love story in the face of a problematic power dynamic — told with good grace, humour, and sizzling chemistry. I was not expecting to be particularly drawn into this romance, as I find it hard to imagine the Hades/Persephone story as anything other than SO NOT OK, but I fell hard and fast. Hades has social anxiety, vertigo and really doesn’t get out much… while Persephone is a talented artist and cheerful soul who is trying to prove she can survive without her mother’s money and influence. Both of them see more of each other’s value than they do of their own. Oh, and they report their relationship to HR after the first date, in case anyone was worried! As you might expect from the original myths, this romance has strong running themes of power dynamics, nepotism, family drama and gender politics, but I love the way that these are never quite presented in predictable ways. Both Hades and Persephone are surrounded by loving friends, colleagues and family who help and hinder them along their path to happiness. In a world full of Greek myth retellings, Olympus Inc is fresh and fun, mashing up glamour soap tropes with an undercurrent of thoughtful awareness. I’m looking forward to the next book (Aphrodite!) very much, as I can’t wait to spend more time around all these characters.
If you’re feeling the impending loss of Ted Lasso, and craving more witty workplace comedy with a side helping of ethical social commentary, this romance series is a great place to start.
I also recommend hunting down “Penelope Pops the Question,” a prequel freebie from the author’s newsletter, which is a zingy, delightful introduction to this world via the courtship of the very likeable Penny and Odysseus (with some bonus Trojan ‘war’ hijinks too).
[note: I received a free ARC from the author but joke's on her, I'd already pre-ordered it.]
I absolutely inhaled this. It was great. It's always lovely to read a romance that feels like it features *proper, grown-up people*. Add some hefty Greek mythology to that and what can I say.... whoops all round.
Things I loved about this book: - I said it already, these are grown-up people. Our hero and heroine ask for consent, they treat each other with respect, they talk about their issues (with each other, and when they're not ready for that/it's not appropriate, then with other people they trust), they want more from their relationship than co-dependency, they carefully consider the power imbalance between them upfront, they clear their office romance with HR. Swoon, be still my beating heart. And it's still sexy. So Kate Healey has just singlehandedly proved there really is no excuse for all the problematic crap in this genre. - The characters are described so well, both in their physical and mental characteristics, that they truly come alive. Persephone in particular felt like a real person, and I found myself comparing her to people I know. - The fresh take on Hades. So many retellings of the Hades/Persephone myth make him either dark/icky or depressive. This Hades is neither. He embodies the mythology well, while also being a super solid guy dealing with his own issues in life. - The clever incorporation of Greek mythology in general. At the start of Persephone in Bloom the transfer of myth into this world seems a little paint-by-numbers, or simplistic, but by the end I was kinda blown away by the layers Kate Healey had built up and also the twists built in that riff off our preconceptions from the known mythology (Demeter and Hera are both *chef's kiss*)
My one kryptonite as a reader? ANYTHING related to Hades & Persephone and any sort of retelling of that storyline. My passion with these two started with Lore Olympus years ago, and now, if literally anything has the two of them, I’m in. 100%. All the time.
That said, this was such a lovely retelling. It’s one of the few where the age gap isn’t *that* big of an age gap and we see a tender, sweet Hades (I mean, sometimes he’s sweet but also an alphahole), and we don’t see that primitive, agressive side as much. I also love how Persephone holds her own and works to find her own idea of self and independence in the world. Low key my favorite characters? Don and Hecate. The vibe they bring as confidants is fabulous.
I also love in this story we have all of the Greek figures and myths reappearing and just how modern the entire retelling is — normalizing work flow, HR practices (oh, Hermes, the first time he’s depicted in a non-annoying manner 😂), to even the droll experience of internship work. It’s real and the issues tackled near the second half are effortlessly depicted and damn, it’s not a twist, but it’s a pivot of sorts for the entire storyline. The only issue I have? Lacking epilogue 🥺🥺 (but I get it — there’s an entire series haha)
Spice: 🌶️ Recommend: Yes Audience: Hades & Persephone storyline lovers. Modern adaptations of classic storylines. Stories with diverse representation.
I do not usually reach for Hades Persephone romance but the mix of greek gods with a corporation sounded fun.
Twenty seven year old Persephone Erinyes has been accepted as an art and design intern at Olympus co and has to make a good impression to gain a spot after the programme. Forty two year old Hades Kronion is the CFO and is instantly drawn to the heroine but he is socially awkward.
I liked seeing various greek characters cameo and it surprised me at how close Hera and Hades are because she is usually depicted as jealous and vindictive in media. Hades has a phobia of heights.
These two were delightful together. I found it interesting that though Persephone is younger, she felt more matured and settled than Hades who except for being awesome at finance, fumbled around and was very awkward. He shows a soft side for his brother, Don and the interns which was nice. What worked was that there was a steamy aspect but the way the characters showed up for one another sold it for me. I liked how they were there for each other and had their own lives outside of the relationship.
The author portrays an emotionally abusive parent in a different way then I have read: whose intention is to care for their child but they end up smother and guilt tripping them.
There is plenty of representation here: plus size, LGBTQ+ as one of Persephone's fellow interns called Terry uses she/he/they pronouns and her best friend Hecate is transgender.
Tropes: Age gap (older hero-younger heroine fifteen year difference), workplace romance
As I keep saying, I don’t read romance, but on the other hand I’m a sucker for Greek mythology. This book turned out to be a romance I actually enjoyed! A big factor in my enjoyment was the lead characters being… sensible? Perhaps that sounds dull, but for me it’s far preferable to them throwing their brains out the window as soon as they meet.
I liked how so many familiar names (with sometimes “updated” characters) appeared in the modern setting and behaved much as we might imagine (or extrapolate). Admittedly, I kept expecting them to manifest godly powers, which they didn’t. At most, they appeared larger than life, but that worked well in the environment of a big media corporation.
I’ll be keeping an eye out for more from this author :)
4.5⭐️ This might be one of my favourite mythology retellings! The way the author has mixed contemporary personas and events with their mythological counterparts is brilliant. The story is very aware of the issues in Greek mythology and is sort of rewriting history. The characters are intriguing, insecure, funny, and ambitious; they are very human and relatable. I very much appreciate the tact and care with which the author handles difficult topics, such as sexual harassment, parental abuse, phobias, and assault.
Hera, Hecate, Don, and Aphrodite are my favourites so far - besides my forever favourites, Hades and Persephone, of course! I'm very curious to see where else this story goes!
Easy read. No third act breakup, which is a plus! Love the friendship dynamic between Hecate and Persephone.
My only quip is that the author spends a lot of time making Persephone incredibly averse to any sort of nepotism, or the appearance of nepotism, and doesn’t do a great job of explaining why. Yes, her mother is overbearing and controlling, and she wants to be independent, but in this economy? She shouldn’t be as surprised as she is that, regardless of how people think she got her job, they might be wary of her.
A warm, clever romantic comedy full of family, found and otherwise. The world of Olympus Publishing is Greek gods meets office romance meets The Devil Wears Prada in a wonderfully inclusive version of fashion magazines where the cafeteria food is actually delicious (courtesy of Hestia) and the finance department lives in the basement (run by Hades).
This was so more-ish that I read the whole thing in one go. I am INVESTED in all these people and their lives. I can’t wait for the next one.
A compelling, fun to read contemporary romance set in a publishing company, and inspired by Greek mythology (though without fantastical elements). I enjoyed the smart character interactions, the intersecting plots that added depth while still remaining a fun and light read, and that people actually _talked to each other_ and (usually) did competent adult things like "we should follow the HR policy on this".
I love a good retelling, and this was definitely a GOOD retelling. It was really smart and well written, and I loved all the Greek mythology easter eggs! I really liked both MCs and hope we get to see more of them in the other books in the series! I did, however, find myself wanting MORE of Persephone and Hades as the story ended, as the ending felt abrupt to me, and I’m hoping that we hear more about how their lives are going as the series continues.
I know I’m referencing a YA series, but this has similar vibes but perfect for a contemporary romance. I loved this book and it had a great balance of core characters and side characters! I loved Persephone and her confidence but also growth. Hades is just…adorable? Not a golden retriever but maybe a Doberman?
Also want to call out the amazing representation in so many different characters and moments. Can’t wait to read more 🖤
This was such a clever Greek mythology retelling. I loved seeing the Gods and Goddesses as actual people with real lives. Other reviews said it already, but I loved Hera the absolute most. She deserves the world. Persephone was written in such a beautiful way, and to me (as a plus-sized woman) it makes complete sense that the Goddess of spring would be a full-figured curvy plus-sized woman.
I can't wait to see who else shows up in the rest of the series.
I don't really like office romance but heard good things about this and gave it a try. I loved it. It avoided all the typical tropes of an office romance while having an interesting modern take on the Greek Gods. I got to 30% and then didn't want to put it down. The only thing I didn't understand is why Persephone is so caught up in the nepotism aspect when she knows she is capable at work.
Finally!! A hades and Persephone story that involves the mythology elements and isn’t bad! Pleasantly surprised that the contemporary elements worked. Loved the representation we see in the characters and I will definitely be reading the rest of the books in the series. Knock one star off cause I would have liked to have seen a conclusion with Demeter.
Hot as hell, deeply delightful, and with an edge of wit that really distinguishes this book from others similar. The drama! The scandal! It never lets up. All I wish is that I had a Hades in my life (or maybe Don) - omg, especially the bit about the taxes.
I devoured this book. When I wasn't reading it, I was thinking about reading it. It was smart, funny and very easy to read. I absolutely can't wait to dive back into the world with Aphrodite Unbound.
DNF @ 59%: I think any Hades/Persephone retelling is always going to be dicey. This is unfortunately an example in my opinion—I cannot read a romance book that deals with power imbalance in a relationship this lightly. :(
I was expecting a light hearted romance and this was definitely not it. The romance parts were sweet but the story is actually quite heavy. Overall pretty good writing and the story was good. Just don't think too hard about someone named "Hecate" living in modern America.
It was a nice re-telling with a fresh approach to each character, however I did feel the romance and (spice) was a little too quick. It's a nice read and I do plan to continue the series.
i’m such a sucker for retelling and reimaginings - so this hit the spot! so cute and i loved the way the plot and characters were - plus the cute nods to other parts of greek mythology and legends hehe cannot wait to devour the rest of the books in the series
This was such a lovely contemporary romance, with Greek mythology inspired characters - the Hades/Persephone romance is successfully done in a very sweet non-creepy way. Delightful!