Seeking Persephone

The Lancaster Family #1

by Sarah M. Eden

When Persephone Lancaster receives a marriage proposal from the ill-tempered Duke of Kielder, she refuses, and then reconsiders. The obscene sum of money he's offering Persephone would save her family from ruin. With her characteristic optimism, she travels to the far reaches of Northumberland to wed a greatly feared stranger. Lodged deep in a thick forest infested with wild dogs, the Duke's castle is as cold and forbidding as the Duke himself, a man with terrible scars on his body and his soul. But the Duke's steely determination to protect his heart at all costs is challenged by his growing attachment to his lovely and gentle bride. With caring persistence, Persephone attempts to pierce the Duke's armor and reach the man beneath. Yet he cannot tolerate such exposure, and his repeated rejections take their toll. But when grave danger arises, the Duke realizes he must face the risk of revealing his true feelings or lose the woman he cannot live without.

Genres: Romance, Historical Fiction, Regency, Historical Romance, Historical, Clean Romance, Fiction

288 pages, Paperback

First published November 7, 2008

Reviews

[Maria Clara · Rating 4 out of 5]

AY, SANTA CACHUCHA, QUE ESTO VA DE LOBOS!

Bueno, de lobos y de algo más🤭, y ese algo más es una pasada!

Pero empecemos por el principio, que me conozco y me pierdo solita🥴. ¿A quién no le apetece leer un retelling de La bella y la Bestia ambientado en la regencia😍? Vamos, a mí muchísimo, y si además le añadimos un duque arrisco, una mansión oscura y silenciosa, un bosque tenebroso y una Bella increíble, pues ya tenemos montado el sarao del siglo.

Y qué sarao! De esos que te calientan el corazón mientras los lees, de los que te dibujan una sonrisa en los labios y te hacen suspirar y reír. Es más, si esto es una muestra de lo que nos espera en el siguiente libro de esta bilogía, pa´mañana es tarde! Y es que estoy deseando leer más historias de esta autora❤️!

[Kathleen · Rating 4 out of 5]

spoiler-free, mainly (no big suspense give-aways)

Wonderfully written "Beauty and the Beast" Regency Romance, set in 1805 in Northumberland, near the Scottish border. Despite the "clean" factor, Eden manages to engender sexual tension, imbuing her characters with emotional depth. This is not a Christian romance, despite the publisher. No mention of scriptures and Eden does not evangelize.

The POV shifts from Adam to Persephone. Internal musings are limited to brief digressions so it does not hinder the flow of the story. Eden writes flowing dialogue peppered with humor and angst, creating a mounting sense of emotional urgency.

I ♥ the lonely hero, Adam Boyce, Duke of Kielder, aka The Dangerous Duke (and by the end of book 2, I was swooning for him). He hides his tender and intensely loyal heart behind a biting sarcasm and a deadly reputation. His birth defect resulted in numerous bumbled surgeries, leaving the right side of his face a mess. Knowing that his son's ear-less and cross-hatched face would incite cruelty in the kids at Harrow -- and all through life -- the old Duke taught young Adam how to fight dirty. When Adam went to Harrow at age 7, he immediately slew every Goliath. He did the same at Oxford and at The House of Lords.

When the story begins, Adam is giving his spineless heir-presumptive cousin the boot and deciding to marry ASAP, to beget an heir. He tells his man of affairs to find him a poor and plain Jane of gentle birth, for "Adam severely disliked beautiful people." But his solicitor arranges the marriage, sight unseen, so Adam finds himself at the altar with Persephone Lancaster, a baron's impoverished granddaughter, eldest of six kids, and fairly pretty, but not beautiful.

For the sum of 110,000 pounds -- plenty to feed her hungry family -- Persephone marries her Hades, and what a cold, austere, grumpy grouch he is! Heartless, at least for a while. Yet funny, too -- grumbling under his breath at the wedding service when he realizes she's not homely, mocking her mythologically-based name (so she cheekily mocks his horses' names, Atlas and Zeus). But there are reasons for his distance. He's been hurt badly by the one who should have loved him most, his mother.

(I didn't buy his mother's sob story, not fully. Eden let this useless excuse for a parent off too easily).

Gradually, Adam learns to trust and respect Persephone. Without realizing that he is in love, he finally allows her to her see his face, fully, not just the good side. (Eden vividly portrays his insecurity about his scars and his gradual trust.) Adam starts plotting ways to make her want to stay at his immense castle in bleak Northumberland, far from her beloved family.

And Persephone? It takes time, but she learns to love him, by ignoring his contradicting words and demeanor, and attending instead to his actions. Persephone slowly wins him over with her courage (he despises cowards), companionship, and intelligence.

Best scenes: The whole book! (Ok, not quite). I could not believe what an emotionally gripping tale this unknown Eden has penned. This sometimes sad and angsty tale is lightened by snarky humor, often provided by the immensely charming Harry Windover, Adam's friend (the hero of book 2). The story suddenly darkens when death occurs, bringing grieving and loss. It drastically changes tempo and tension when Adam -- in a superior bit of daring-do -- saves Persephone. And always, the author portrays Adam, confused, striving to stay apart, but yearning. The bedtime scenes. ツ The scene when Adam played doctor. ツ Could it get any sweeter? The ending is totally delicious. Perfect.

Flaws: Umm...how we gonna beget that heir?? Get to it. Get naked. And the villain? Seemed like an extreme action to take, but not beyond credulity. I wanted just a little more physical expression of love. Also, the e-book price is questionably high, since printing, shipping, and warehousing costs are eliminated. $10.36 for the kindle version! (But the sequel, Courting Miss Lancaster, was only $3.99, so the two ebooks averaged at about $7.18.). Plus, Adam plays a fairly big role in the sequel. (See my review.)

FOOTNOTE: At her website, Eden provides a rebuttal to criticism that some aspects do not align with English history, rules of succession, and the flora and fauna of Regency-era Northumberland. (I dunno, but her defense sounded reasonable to me. I'm just glad to know Eden takes her readers seriously enough to TRY to get it right.)

[Pepa · Rating 1 out of 5]

Reseña completa: https://masromance.blogspot.com/2022/...

Es un no😅
No me ha gustado ni el estilo, ni la historia ni los personajes 🤷‍♀️
No voy a juzgar la calidad o no de la autora, que para eso hay gente más cualificada que yo simplemente es una novela que no es para mí
Me ha parecido aburrida, sin construcción de personajes, la historia es una adaptación de una que ya conocemos y hemos leído muchas veces, pero sin ningún tipo de chispa
Me ha costado muchísimo terminarla porque prácticamente no pasa nada y cada uno por su lado no deja de darle vueltas al mismo tema y no hay interrelación romántica entre ellos
Un gran chasco🤷‍♀️
Me sabe muy mal porque lo he empezado con muchas ganas pero no a todas nos puede gustar lo mismo

[Kathy * Bookworm Nation · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I saw a friend had reviewed this the other day it of course got me thinking about it again and so I thought I'd just pick it up and read a bit, and of course got sucked in and ended up reading the whole thing! This is one of my favorite regencies, I've read it quite a few times. I realized when I went to review it, that I had actually read it the past couple summers, always in June - this seems to be a summer favorite of mine. I'll of course have to pick up Courting Miss Lancaster because they just have to be read together. I can't wait for more books in the Lancaster series, I can't wait for Persephone's siblings to each have their own books!!!

The story was great, had a marriage-of-convenience storyline which I’m always a sucker for. It was a bit like Beauty and the Beast, but also the Greek myth of Persephone and Hedes was mixed in. I really liked our main characters Adam and Persephone. They don’t meet until the day of their wedding and they couldn’t be more opposite. Persephone comes from a big loving family, is used to being social and running her family household from a young age. Adam is an only child, being born without an ear and enduring (pointless) surgery's leaving him scared he has built up strong tall walls around his heart. While Persephone loves people and social gatherings, Adam despises them - he'd rather enjoy his quiet routine.

Persephone really wants to get to know her husband and has hope that maybe one day theirs will be a love match. Adam didn't want a beautiful wife and is upset when he sees how pretty his new wife is, only reminding him of his own physical imperfections, deciding to keep his distance. They have good interactions together and it was fun to watch their story unfold. I like that they grew to love each other slowly and accepted each other for who they were. To me it felt like they really fell in love. They had good chemistry. I especially loved Adam’s best friend Harry. He is really light-hearted and totally loyal to Adam, even though Adam is kind of mean to him. I guess Harry has known him for so long he sees Adam's sarcasm for what it is. I also liked how Persephone and Harry became friends as well. There is also some excitement and touch of mystery in the series. While what happens to Persephone is upsetting, it was a great way for Adam to come out of his shell and really care for her. Those scenes are some of my favorite!

Overall, I just really enjoy this one. I love the gothic-like castle and secluded setting. The characters are fun and well developed. One I would easily recommend to any regency fan.

Content
Romance: Squeaky clean - kissing
Language: None
Violence: Mild - a planned attack on Persephone, she is injured. Mild fight scene.
Religious: None
Series: Book one, but each book can standalone

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[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this. So. Much. This book is as good (or better) on the re-read as it was the first time.

This is a slooooow burn. You get to see inside their heads as they struggle to understand the other person and become more vulnerable with each other. The ending made me remember why I kept reading this series. I didn’t care about any of the other couples half as much as I just wanted to see Adam more. He opens up and begins to love and be loved by so many more people. I love Persephone, but I ADORE Adam. He’s such an imperfect, scarred, and grumpy hero. What makes it work, is that he is a lovely and soft/squishy person at heart. It’s because he was so hurt that he became prickly… he had so much love to give and no one to lavish it on… until Persephone.

This book doesn’t feel like the end to their relationship… and because there are a whole bunch of other books in the series, it’s like we get to see a gazillion epilogues with him growing in how he can demonstrate his love more openly and bravely.

Ugh, this is so good. I want to write like this when I grow up!

Even tho this has an audiobook, I didn't listen to it cause the sample of the narrator didn't feel right. The narrator has an American accent. I would love to see this book done with duet narration.

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First read. 5 stars. I really loved this. It was a little Beauty and the Beast. A little Hades and Persephone. Well done!

[Preeti ♥︎ Her Bookshelves · Rating 3 out of 5]

I so love the 'beauty and the beast' trope. And this book has all its fundamentals right, admixing in the Persephone/Hades tale as well - have to be the original beauty and the beast.
It's sweet, charming, leisurely and (too) clean.

The h is a sweet, biddable girl doing her duty to her family by marrying - sight unseen - a man who seems quite perfect on paper. A wealthy duke, not even thirty yet.
The H is a grumpy loner, a physically and emotionally scarred person who doesn't believe that any woman would willingly marry him or then stay on. So he asks his secretary to 'buy' a poor and plain spinster with a dependent family. Poor she is, plain not so much. Spinster she thinks she is/will be because of her dismal prospects - but at 20, isn't it a tad premature?
His doubts and mistrust only grow as he expects her to bolt just like his mother had done when he was a little boy - deserting her husband and her son. So he resides within emotional and physical walls - of his heart and his castle (yes he has one) in Northumberland. Very Beast-y!

All rolls on well and good, and some very endearing moments but...
The H-bff bromance wore on my nerves. The bff is oh-so-loyal that he refuses to leave the H's side even on the h-H honeymoon. I disliked this infringement with a fervor. And his silly, unfunny prattling made my teeth ache. He's used for fillers, very skim-able fillers.
“If you’re trying to tell me to make myself scarce now that you’re married, I completely understand, Adam.” Do you? Really?
(He's the H of the next book - a book I've decided now, to not read.)

The h/H were much more intersting during his rare absences. Left to their own non-verbose devices, the h/H patch up an understanding of sorts with sweet, hesitant (hers) and gruff (his) gestures.
Would today be a friendly-Adam day or a grumpy-Adam day? It was almost impossible to predict.

[Izzie (semi-hiatus) McFussy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nice enough story, but it didn’t work for me. I’ve read clean romances, but this one was sanitized down to the wall studs. No closed door. No consummation (Zounds! Is c*******t**n too forward to say in this review?).

You know, I could even live with chaste, but what broke me was that neither Persephone nor Adam broached the subject at all. “Are we…?” or “My bedroom…?” or “Undo my buttons…?” never passed their lips or entered their thoughts.

The diluted Beauty and the Beast tale was unnecessary. The references to Persephone and Hades were better, although Eden needed a bit more finesse to hide the marionette strings.

With that said, I did like Harry, and might take a peek at his and Daphne’s story.

[Drache.... (Angelika) · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 stars.
Awesome slow burn romance. There's a strong beauty and the beast - theme, and a bit of the Hades and Persephone - myth (I didn't know anything about it, but now I do).

I loved how slowly the relationship developed.
Every sloooooow step Adam and Persephone took felt well earned. Adam was never mean, just aloof and cool, never having experienced love and care aside from his nurse before he was sent to school at 7 years.
Persephone's will to get to know her husband and never really giving up was admirable.

I enjoyed the secondary characters, like Harry, the butler and stable master, they were all unique.
Adam's mother's explanations about his childhood, and his acceptance didn't make sense to me, but that was a small issue, and everything else was simply awesome.

[Daniel · Rating 2 out of 5]

Seeking Persephone was entertaining and quick. I read through it in one day and enjoyed it. If you are looking for a cute love story that is clean, fun, and short, this a good pick. If you are looking for something more, look elsewhere.
There are two reasons I didn't rate it higher. First, I didn't enjoy it as much as other books I've read. Frankly, I thought the main character Adam was annoying. His character was defined by exactly one characteristic and emotion. Later in the book he kind of develops a second one, but even then he's a really weak character. And I kept wishing that Persephone and Adam wouldn't work out so she could end up marrying Harry.
2. The second issue (made more glaring in comparison with Pride and Prejudice which I recently read) is that I don't feel like the author was true to human nature. When you read a great book, you walk away having learned something about human nature. It teaches you something about yourself. It's inspiring and enlightening. I don't expect that of every book I read, but there were a few moments in Seeking Persephone where I was pulled completely out of the story by the thought, no one is really like this. No one actually thinks this way.
I didn't chose to read this book for it's insight into the soul, but occasionally it was so contrary to what I understand of human nature that it was distracting. I'm not talking about sappy love. The major character flaws that are the main conflict of the book are not solved so much as superseded by convenient external emergencies. Thank the wolf/dog pack the marriage worked out at all.
I don't want to belabor this as I think the author's purpose was to write a casual cute love story. She nailed that. I just think it could have been much more.

[Kav · Rating 5 out of 5]

My third listen -- prompted by Sarah M. Eden's novella in The Holly and the Ivy collection. It features Adam as a boy and I just had to reread his love story again. Happy Sigh. Still as magnificent as I remembered.

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My second read through...er listen through...in preparation for finally finishing the Lancaster Family series in the year (this is the only one I've read so far.)

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Eeeeeepppp!!! I'm in a Regency daze of epic proportions. How is it that I haven't read a Sarah M. Eden book before???? She has written a bunch of swoonilicious novels, including 14 Regencies! This is me hyperventilating over 8 years of missing out! Gah! Time for a fast and furious game of catch-up!

Fainting couches, lace fans and smelling salts are definitely necessary accoutrements for this reading journey. Stock up and be prepared to be charmed by witty banter and the social graces of the day...well, maybe not so much when it comes to the Duke who has a somewhat beastly persona. In fact, I would actually classify this as a fairy tale retelling of Beauty and the Beast.

Disfigured in boyhood, Adam hides his heart behind a thick armor of indifference. He doesn't need anyone. Especially a bride. So, though he begrudgingly accepts Persephone into his home, he bars her from his life. Or tries to. Persephone can be quite a force when necessary -- the perils of being the eldest sibling of a motherless brood. Love how this beauty's gentle spirit proves stronger than her Beast's gruff stoicism!

An enchanting Regency gem.

[Crystal's Bookish Life · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this so much. A very familiar beginning with a damaged hero, arranged marriage, grumpy sunshine dynamic, beauty and the beast/Hades and Persephone retelling, but it all felt so well done with a fresh and unique perspective.

A sweet, swoony, charming historical romance inhighly recommend.

Will be in my next vlog

[Lucía Cafeína · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 💛
No esperaba disfrutarlo tantísimo pero es que a pesar de ser poco original HE VIVIDO ESTA HISTORIA A FUEGOOOOOO

[Dab · Rating 4 out of 5]

3,5 rounded up

This was a sweet story but there was one very upsetting thing, for which I haven’t seen any TW, so I’m leaving one:

TW loss of a loved one (a fourteen year old sibling) and grief

Otherwise it’s a cute Beauty and the Beast retelling. It’s very clean, especially for a marriage that was arranged for the sole purpose of begetting an heir (ain’t happening if you’re only kissing, guys).

Adam was a real jerk at the beginning and he only started snapping out of it towards the end. I would’ve loved one or two more chapters to see how he was doing as his new, vulnerable self. (And if there was any progress with that whole begetting an heir thing 😏.) Persephone was sweet and a good match for Adam. If it wasn’t for her grief this probably would’ve had more of a grumpy-sunshine dynamic.

I might still continue with the series, but not sure yet, I don’t want any more triggering surprises.

[Grandma Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Outstanding narration. Often the romance happens too quickly in most books. This was believable and felt natural. The story flowed well and the plot was rich. I read this with a book club and we all loved it. It’s not just a romance story, there’s a sinister plot as well. There was nothing graphic, nor inappropriate for a gentle reader. I’ve already purchased the next in the series and will listen to it with my book club. I’m legally blind, so it’s such an extra blessing to have Audible.

[Jane · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.75 stars - pg/mild pg13

Love this story! Love Adam, the Duke of Kielder and Harry, his best and only friend! The two of them are hysterical together. (I enjoyed book two, which is Harry's story, but, truly, I liked Harry even more in this book.) Love this author! I rarely re-read books; Sarah Eden's books are one of the exceptions (along with Georgette Heyer) -- I will gladly re-read hers for years to come. So far I've read this one twice and loved it just as much both times.

Another reviewer listed a great link in her review to Sarah Eden's website where she addresses some of the historical research she did for this book. I'm not very good with this, but I'll try to include a link as well, since it's quite interesting.

[Starr (AKA Starrfish) Rivers · Rating 4 out of 5]

NO SEX PEOPLE!! NO SEX!!

And 2 virgins besides…

Man, if I knew there was only 2 BRIEF kisses (I mean not even a mention of TONGUE!) I likely wouldn’t have picked this up.

But I did read it, and it was well written and I suppose I have to treat it like watching Sense and Sensibility or something. Ugh…

[Missy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am discovering that I enjoy Beauty and the Beast-inspired romances. The hero’s name is Adam, which is the unofficial name fans have given the Beast. He’s scarred from a birth deformity (if I recall correctly) that surgeons had attempted at fixing. There are creatures referred to as wolves in the forest. There is even a scene where Adam saves Persephone and her horse from the “wolves.” I think there’s a castle?? Or maybe just a large estate, I can’t recall. 😅

This book also drew inspiration from the Greek myth of Persephone and Hades, which is a favorite of mine. How Persephone (both the goddess and the heroine) is lonely and misses her family and how Adam/Hades feared letting her go because she may not return.

It is a clean romance with two or three kisses.

I don’t typically enjoy reading a slow-burn romance but it makes sense that these two characters gradually fall for each other. I think the author did a good job showing how they come to care for each other. There’s a little bit of angst (and possibly some frustration for some readers) since Adam refused to change his ways until almost the very end.

Adam’s best friend, Harry, provided comic relief, so I enjoyed reading his scenes.

[Océano de libros · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perséfone Lancaster recibe la propuesta de matrimonio del frío y distante Adam Boyce, duque de Kielder y pese a que en un principio la rechaza, sabe que es la mejor solución para el bienestar de su familia. Allí intentarán convivir tanto el uno como la otra, pero no será nada fácil.

Esta novela llamó poderosamente mi atención y es cierto que me arriesgué pues no sabía si se trataba de un libro cristiano. Os puedo afirmar con total rotundidad que no lo es, eso sí, es un clean romance, cosa que no me molesta, es más, a veces encuentro que estas novelas desarrollan mejor varios aspectos.

En busca de Perséfone es el primero de los libros de la serie “The Lancaster family” y tiene toques de “La bella y la bestia” y del mito de “Hades y Perséfone”.

La historia parte de los motivos de Adam, duque de Kielder que no son otros, sino de evitar que su fortuna pase a manos de su odiado primo, por ello busca una esposa que le dé un heredero. Su fortuna es tan atractiva y generosa que Perséfone no puede rechazarla, pues sabe que su familia está en graves aprietos y esta sería la mejor salida.

Así que tenemos un matrimonio de convivencia y un protagonista masculino realmente atrayente.

Adam sufre unas cicatrices en su cara desde muy pequeño, pero en vez de traumatizarlo le han hecho ser un hombre que se enfrenta sin problemas, es además duque con lo cual lo frío y distante están garantizados. El toque de la autora es que Adam tiene un humor irónico que no dan ese carácter de hombre enojado. Adam está acostumbrado a la soledad... https://oceanodelibros.blogspot.com/2...

[Melissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow I loved this book! I was engrossed in the first page and couldn't put it down. Not that it is a fast passed action packed adventurer, far from it. This is a English romance that was a joy to read! Edan creates great complex characters and explains why they do the things they do and why it is logical to do them. In so many romance novels the heroines are very changeable and you wonder why they do the things they do but not Edan's characters. I just love a sweet, complicated love story and you get it all here. Her books are so clean! No references to sex at all, yet they hold such passion! This is they way to write a romance novel! I just can't say enough good. And the best part.....there is more to come! The story of the friend in this book is continued in Courting Miss Lancaster and other characters in Kiss of a Stranger! Both excellent books!
Reread_ 6-7-17. I think this is one of my favorite Eden regency books. I read it quickly to remember before I read Daphne's story. I just love these two and I love the way this one was written. It is so fun to go back and read them in order.

[Consuelo · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5, un romance histórico totalmente blanco, no esperéis escenas calientes ni duques despendolados, aquí hay una historia preciosa, muy bonita.
Hay un momento que se pierde el Duque en sus pensamientos,en su manera de ver las cosas,sus dudas y se me ha venido un poco abajo y de pronto llega un final muy muy muy precipitado
La parte inicial iba para un cuatro pero el final ha sido muy precipitado y y algo más de desarrollo le hubiera sumado
Me parece que en junio viene la historia de Harry en castellano , va a ser un personaje muy interesante ,aquí ha dado mucho juego
Los diálogos son buenísimos

[Kathy Jo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Adam was born with his right ear missing. Several surgeons believed that his ear was just under the surface and with surgery they could dig it out of hiding. Several unsuccessful surgeries later, his parents finally gave up hope that the ear would ever make an appearance. But all this left Adam even more disfigured and scarred both physically and emotionally. Feeling rejected by his mother, dealing with his father's untimely death and then being shipped off to school was just too much for little 7 year old Adam. He became cross and grumpy. Everyone feared and coward away from him. He never felt accepted or loved and did everything he could to hide his feelings from the world. When he discovers who the heir presumptive to his fortune is he will do anything to make sure the idiot never inherits his title. Even if it's paying for a desperate bride whose family is in need of financial security.

At the age of 12, Persephone's mother passed away giving birth to her youngest sister. From that moment on she could not longer be a child, she had to grow up and take care of several responsibilities. She was the mother, the cook, the maid, the bookkeeper, you name it and she did it. She was the glue that kept her family together. So when a letter arrived with a marriage proposal that would give her family the financial security they had always longed for, she was torn on what to do. She did not like the fact that she was being purchased and really wanted to turn it down. But, as always, she put her family first and accepted the proposal.

Adam and Persephone's marriage got off to a pretty rocky start. But with help from Adam's life long friend, Harry, Persephone will get some of the insight she needs to understand and connect with her husband. She knows there is something in his past that has caused him to shut himself off from the world. The more she tries to figure out what it is, the more she grows to care for her husband. But will he ever return her feelings? Or will he just keep rejecting her?

When tragedy strikes Falstone Castle, Adam is forced to open his eyes and see what's right in front of him. Will he choose to continue to keep the world at bay? Or will he open up and learn to not only live but love as well.

I absolutely adored Seeking Persephone! Even though I had read it once before, years ago, I was still sucked in from the very beginning and did not want to stop until I had finished it. I was very upset that real life got in the way of my reading time! I enjoyed getting to know Adam, Persephone and Harry all over again. I found myself laughing at the witty banter, getting teary eyed during the sad parts, growling in frustration and letting out little sighs throughout the book. My only complaint was the ending felt a bit rushed. I would have loved a little less of the misunderstanding/lack of communication and more of them together as a real couple. Other than that I LOVED it! :) Definitely a must read if you are a fan of Beauty and the Beast or Regency. ;)

I do have to admit that the casting for this one was a bit hard for me. But I love it! :)

[N · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reviewing and enjoying a Sarah M. Eden book feels like saying “Wow, that Albert Einstein was smart, right?” or “Mother Teresa, such a kind lady.” Like, come on.

This was not my first Eden, but it is my first Eden Regency, which I’m aware, picking up back up one of those comparisons, is like “Yeah, I’m familiar with Einstein’s theories, just not that relativity one.” I know, I know this humble servant calls herself a kissing-only historical romance reader, won’t shut up about marriage of convenience and broody grumps and yet had not read this. Make it make sense. You can’t. It’s called irrational bookish self-sabotage.

I’d also never read what’s basically a mail-order duchess scenario. I mean, His Grace franked his own sight-unseen proposal, that’s pretty bonkers. But we’re talking a severely high-handed, reclusive, scarred peer of the realm, so, as they say, it tracks.

I am left with some questions, but here we have lots and lots of what I love from the arranged nuptials trope. And most of all, I love when an author tests one’s tolerance for a brutish grump. I’ll be the first to admit I am a glutton for grovel, and my expectation of apologies, declarations and gestures being proportionate to the acute emotional constipation are subjectively elevated. Took him a minute, but the Duke of Kielder managed it well, for someone who considered arson as a Plan A solution and marriage was Plan B. Also for one so powerful and fearless, except when it comes to pesky emotions and vulnerable old wounds.

I also love a heroine that is better, more long-suffering, than me. More than once I wanted to tell her “You have nothing to prove here, Persephone! Wipe those eyes and take baskets to the villagers or something, the burden of proof is on him. And not these hot and cold crumbs of affection.” Her older sister/caretaker/fixer-upper heart won out, and she stuck in there and tamed her snarling beast. Thank goodness for darling Harry, too. We needed that steady relief, as every brooding brute needs a charming friend to throw empty, violent threats at.

Happy I finally read it, and I get why this book is so beloved. You can call off that booksta-intervention now.

Content notes: Kissing Only. Mentions of childhood trauma, loss of parent. On page grieving death of a sibling. On page peril and mention of blood.

[Kathy]

Enjoyed. I had already read books 2 & 3 in the series. Fun to go back and read how these two came together.
content: clean

[♥Milica♥ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Seeing as we'll be getting a Seeking Persephone movie in the near future, I figured it was time to go back and read/reread all the Lancaster/Jonquil/Gents books in the "proper" order. This one is first on the list, and one of the best, if you ask me.

It's a delicious slow burn mashup of regency England, Beauty and the Beast and Hades and Persephone. We get both Persephone and Adam's PoVs and I loved being in both of their heads. This was amplified by the excellent narration.

I was actually a bit wary of the audiobook, because the narrator wasn't British, and her narrator voice was American, but she did such a good job that it didn't bother me. I don't know if she does all the books in the series, but I'll certainly find out when the second book becomes available to borrow. My library says 6 more weeks, but hopefully someone will skip, I'd like to listen to it this year.

But anyway, this was incredibly sweet, I treasured every moment of their closeness because there were so few, I smiled, laughed, giggled, screeched and cried throughout, it's really that kind of book. If one of Sarah's books deserves to be made into a movie then it's this one. I'd of course love to see all of them on the big screen in a big interconnected Sarahverse.

Also!!! I will be getting a signed copy of this one in the mail, be jealous!!!! I really couldn't resist when I saw it as one of the Kickstarter tiers, I'm super excited.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book made me laugh a lot. Adam's comments and gruff attitude were comical to say the least. Honestly, I don't know how Persephone even put up with him. I found her devotion to him quite admirable! I would have easily given this five stars if the couple would have communicated more openly earlier in the book. (I have never done well with books where the characters have a lack of understanding, or communication until the very end.) It had a very sweet ending though. I thought this was a very fun read.

[Camille · Rating 5 out of 5]

I adore Beauty and the Beast retellings, so I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to read one set in Regency England and woven with elements from the Greek myth of Persephone and Hades. I’d heard a lot of wonderful things about this particular version, and I’m pleased to say I was not disappointed.

I loved our two protagonists. Persephone was adorable— so kind, cheerful, sensitive, and optimistic— while Adam, the Duke of Kielder, was wonderfully complex. While he was often fierce and intimidating, his powerful role and harsh demeanor was a mask to hide his pain, shyness, loneliness, and vulnerabilities.

Despite Adam and Persephone being opposites and first coming together as strangers in a marriage-of-convenience, together they slowly develop a deep relationship, which developed slowly and realistically. Together, they learn to accept one another, heal their internal weaknesses, and develop deeper feelings for one another. I loved watching Persephone gradually learn to trust Adam and come to recognize his more tender feelings hidden beneath his actions. In turn, Adam learned to open up to Persephone as she softened him and broke down the walls surrounding his heart brick by brick.

The couple's romantic scenes were all very sweet and clean, while still containing a delightful sexual tension. Their conflicting feelings of yearning and reluctance in the relationship created a nice balance, and much of their banter was witty while also containing a lot of depth and emotion. I love how they grew to love each other gradually and accepted each other for who they were; it made their love feel more real.

I thought Adam's hardened voice while reading from his perspective was very well written and often quite humorous, especially in his banter with his only friend, the easygoing Harry. I also loved the descriptions of the gothic castle in the secluded Northumberland, near the Scottish border. Not only was it the perfect setting for this more gothic feeling romance, but it sounds like a place that would be fantastic to visit.

Overall, a fantastic and unique Beauty and the Beast retelling that was adorable and very sweet. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

[Brittany · Rating 5 out of 5]

*I have now listened to this novel two times and I loved it even more the second time!*

This was such a fun, moving, and entertaining story to listen to. I loved listening as these characters married for convenience and worked to try to figure each other out. Sweet and clean story that I really enjoyed. I enjoyed the narrator and thought she did a good job of creating different voices for the characters.

[Coco · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bueno, un retelling muuuuuy suave y blando de Hades y Persefone.

[Lidia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read so many retellings of The Beauty and the Beast that I became an expert on spotting the ones that are good, well this one is one of the good ones!



Also, this is a retelling of Hades & Persephone


This book was on my shelf for a few years and I finally picked up because of this trailer based on this book : Here

What I didn't expected was :

- the male character being the most grumbling character I have ever read about
- laughing aloud because of a romance book
- a female character that is not afraid to be vulnerable and be a woman, Persephone was such a breath of fresh air in a world that "a good female character" must be strong and fearless, kudos to the author
- the romance came natural and slow built
- Harry was the funny, loyal friend that sees past Adam's mask. I totally loved the interactions between the two male
- clean romance and so pure, another thing we do not see in the present romance books.

The book follows Adam who in order to not leave his legacy and castle to his cousins, he marries Persephone but what Adam didn't expect was that Persephone breaks his every wall he put on because of his painful past. This is a slow build romance that is clean and pure like rarely you read nowadays.

[Janssen]

Cute, quick listen!