Carly Spade

Stephanie Costas has always had a passion for humanity. As a digital forensics examiner, she fights bad guys from the technical front. When a closed cold case is dug up, she finds herself becoming consumed to set things right. No amount of eighties music or repeated viewings of her favorite movie Dirty Dancing were enough to distract her. She needed a vacation in the worst of ways.When she set foot in the gorgeous tropical resort in Greece, she had no idea she'd meet a man claiming to be Hades, god of the Underworld. And she certainly had no idea that he was telling the truth. Her Greek vacation was about to become very...interactive.A Hades/Persephone re-imagining.**The Contemporary Mythos series will feature a different Greek god in each book re-exploring their myths and combining contemporary romance tropes. Though they will all stand alone, the stories will also intersect for those that read them all.**

Hades

Farra McChesney

I love any Greek mythology retelling. This was a cute version of Hades story. I just wasn't feeling it. It took me way longer than it should have to read. It just didn't pull me along. It wasn't convincing enough. I needed more from the main characters as they were falling for each other. Hopefully Apollo gets a little more heated and Ares DEFINITELY better bring the heat. Haha it was decent enough to give at least 2 & 3 in the series a chance.

Cindy McKee

Hades

Not a bad retelling. I liked Stephanie and Hades figuring out their relationship in such a normal way. A good contemporary story.

Lover of Romance 

This review was originally posted on Addicted To Romance

This review may contain spoilers, so fair warning, upon reading the review.
 

  First Impressions

Hades is the first book in the Contemporary Mythos series. This is a book I honestly randomly notices as I was browsing my kindle app looking for some good KU recs. And I found this series and the minute that I saw the covers I was so fascinated, I was like what are these beauties and why haven’t I heard of them before.l Well I instantly grabbed up book one and was so fascinated. This is such a unique world. I would recommend this if you are a fan of Neon Gods by Katee Robert, it’s somewhat similar to it. It’s set in a contemporary setting where the heroes are Greek mythological gods (so far all the well-known ones) but with a unique twist to the stories. This book is a slow burn romance, so the heat level is minimal, but the scenes that do happen are moderate steam level. The world-building is done very well and the romance is a solidly written one.


  What I Loved

I really had a blast with this story here, it had such a unique start to the story and I was really intrigued by this story and seeing what was built within this world. I would say that it has some similarities to Neon Gods but is very different. In Neon Gods by Katee Robert, its more isolated from the mythological world. In this setup, it merges a contemporary setting to a mythological one in a way that was so unique. I really found myself so attracted to the world-building and invested in the romance. We have a strong heroine who is balanced out with her own vulnerabilities and has such a kind heart. Then we have a hero, who is so stern and serious and anti-social to the extreme. But he is drawn to the heroine even though he knows it’s impossible for him to be with her. I really was intrigued by the slow burn, because there is definitely chemistry between the two but its well built and even though I would have enjoyed more heat, it felt well balanced with the evolvement of their romance. The setting is beautiful Greece and the islands and there is such a picturesque feel to the story. I also really enjoyed how the story progressed. There is such mystery surrounding the hero and I found that mystery to be so addicting. I found the ending to be so satisfying and is a definite HEA and I can’t wait to delve more into the other books, I have a feeling they will be highly entertaining.


  
    All those things pale in comparison to the fact you possess it all and yet humility and kindness blossom in you.
  



  What I Struggled With

There wasn’t much that I struggled with, the writing didn’t pull me into a factor of a five-star, but it is engaging and fun.


  Overall View

I found Hades to be a power-packed romance that delivered in creativity, authenticity, and unique detail that had me thirsting for more!

Adorei o livro, já li ainda alguns livros envolvendo mitologia grega, deuses e isso, mas tenho a dizer que gostei bastante de como este livro foi escrito e a história que transmite. Um livro que era capaz de repetir, adorei e gostei bastante.

Andreia Soares

Shelby Goodwin

Y’all—WOW—I enjoyed this SO FREAKING MUCH!


Told from the perspective of a compassionate digital forensics examiner, I fell head over heels with the premise of Hades from the start. The protagonist, Stephanie, captured my entire heart, and it wasn’t just her infatuation with all things 1980s that won me over (which was utterly amazing and as a 90s kid myself, so damn relatable). What really got me is that Steph is fully dedicated to helping the families of homicide victims who desperately need answers.

Her bestie Sarah, concerned she’s becoming overly obsessed with solving a certain cold case, books a trip to Greece and the adventure begins, complete with bottomless cocktails and 80s references galore! It seriously felt like home to hang with Steph and Sarah by the swim up bar. Sarah is an exemplary friend and detective who brought a ton of comedy to the dialogue which I appreciated to no end.

And then there’s Hades...SWOON...So Hades is described a “Sawyer from Lost look alike”, a total babe who sports an adorable southern accent. The banter and chemistry between Steph and Hades is steamy and so much fun—definitely what I looked forward to most! There were equally dark AND delightful moments in their romance which kept me completely entranced and dying for more.

One of the most fascinating elements of this book were the brilliant references to Greek Mythology. The story is set primarily at a Greek Resort, with mysterious characters who keep popping up with ties to mythology. I’m steering away from spoilers here of course, but the ending was gloriously satisfying and I’m SO READY for book 2: APOLLO!

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Tatiana Alvarez 

I really, really liked this book, a lot! It spoke to my Greek Mythology loving heart. I didn't know I needed a light hearted Hades romance, but I did! I devoured this book in two days and I'm bummed I have to wait until December for the next one in the series. (These books can all stand alone, so it's not a cliffhanger.)

Synopsis:
The story is about a young digital forensic examiner named Stephanie. She devoted all of her time to her work and putting criminals behind bars - all while behind a computer. Since she spends most of her time at work, she has not taken a vacation in over two years, which prompts her best friend Sara, a detective, to plan an elaborate vacation to a resort in Greece.

Hesitantly Stephanie agrees and is whisked away to Greece. Sara wants to make sure that she keeps work at home and let's lose, even if that means drinking and flirting with guys. One day as she goes out to the bar, she sees a man, dressed all in black, drinking alone. Unable to help herself, she immediately goes over and strikes up a conversation with him. Although it did not last long, Stephanie is drawn to him and can't seem to get this man, named Hades of all things, out of her mind.

Over the course of her stay, she continues to meet up with Hades and the two grow closer and closer, until he finally tells her that he is THE Hades, God of the Underworld. Although knowing she can't possibly have a normal, mortal life with the god of souls, she continues to see him up until their very last day where they have to part, maybe forever.

Stephanie now has to make a decision - continue on in her ordinary life without Hades, or leave everything she knows and loves behind to pursue a brooding God.

Things I liked:
- I really liked Stephanie, which surprised me because I typically don't enjoy characters like her. However she is so well written and rational. Yet she still knows that everything that is happening to her is crazy, but takes it in stride.
- Hades, I want one.
- Sara and Stephanie's friendship was so pure. There was no jealousy or backstabbing, just two very best friends. I loved seeing that.
- Fast paced, easy to read, fun plot
- The beginning of each chapter is beautiful.

Things I didn't like:
- I do not like that Hades had a southern accent. Not in the least. It explained why he did later on in the book, but I still was not a fan. Plus he never said y'all, so not really that southern.
- Some characters I thought would play a bigger role were nearly nonexistent or random
- Needed another steamy scene! But I think that is just me.

Linda Quintanilla

Oh, I just enjoy reading any book that has Hades as a main character. And Hades by Carly Spade is the one to read.Stephanie Costas has worked so hard in her career as a digital forensics examiner that she deserves a break. But saying something does not mean it will not happen. Unless you have a pesky best friend. Stephanie Costas finally has a vacation, and on the first day she runs into Hades. She may not know that's him until later on. She is definitely intrigued about his characters that she is more than willing to get to know him. He is definitely an interesting character to say the least. He is getting over a breakup and decides to take a short break from the underworld for a bit. And he definitely does not have time for Stephanie wondering questions. But you know as I do, nothing ever goes to plan when you go on vacation.Everything will start to unravel between Stephanie and Hades. It’s definitely entertaining to see how romantic Hades is. It’s so adorable to read especially when they do that dance. I won’t say what dance but let’s just say that you're going to love it.

Leonie

Wow, this was even worse than I expected. I feel bad saying this, but there are retellings out there that don't feel like an American-tourist-abroad-cringeworthy experience. Oh my.

Mariya Tuchinskaya 

I'm loving this current trend of re-imaginings of Greek myths and Greek mythology inspired stories. I've found Carly Spade's Contemporary Mythos series especially refreshing. 

In Hades, we meet Stephanie Costas, a digital forensic examiner and Dirty Dancing fan, who meets the god of the Underworld while on vacation in Corfu. Of course, sparks fly right away especially since Steph can see auras and realizes that there is more to Hades than meets the eye. 

I found the broody Hades and his Southern accent very sexy and could really relate to Stephanie's clumsiness. The chemistry between the two was electric and I loved how both went out of their comfort zones for one another. The scenes where Hades has to deal with his nephew and his aversion to the water were hilarious. But there were so many other funny scenes and great movie references. This was a 4 out of 5 star read for me and I recommend giving it a try.

Hades

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