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Bagging a Greek God #1

Tall, Dark, and Divine

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Eros, the Greek god of love, swore off the useless emotion after his ex ran off with some Viking godling. He's lost all interest in his matchmaking business, Made in Heaven, until he spots the sweet baker who works across the street. Before she stirs his sullen heart, he'll match her and get back to his ambrosia-laced wine in no time.

Lonely baker Annie Landon has given up on finding Mr. Right. What she needs is Mr. Right Here, Right Now, and this so-called “Greek God” she’s heard is on the rebound sounds exactly like the perfect kind of distraction. But picking up the bitter, workaholic is easier said than done…especially when he seems unreasonably determined to match her with someone else.

Can a woman looking for love—and the matchmaking god who wants her to find it with someone else—have a shot at a happy ending? May the best god—or mortal—win.

177 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 20, 2012

8 people are currently reading
486 people want to read

About the author

Jenna Bennett

122 books538 followers
Jenna Bennett writes the USA Today bestselling Cutthroat Business mysteries featuring Southern Belle and new-minted real estate agent Savannah Martin in Nashville, Tennessee.

As Jennie Bentley, she writes the New York Times bestselling Do-It-Yourself Home Renovation mysteries from Berkley Prime Crime, featuring designer and amateur sleuth Avery Baker and her boyfriend, handyman Derek Ellis, who renovate houses in Waterfield, Maine.

She also writes a variety of romance for a change of pace.

aka Jennie Bentley

The DIY series:

FATAL FIXER-UPPER (November 2008)
SPACKLED AND SPOOKED (August 2009)
PLASTER AND POISON (March 2010)
MORTAR AND MURDER (January 2011)
FLIPPED OUT (October 2011)
WALL TO WALL DEAD (September 2012)
HOME FOR THE HOMICIDE (December 2013)

The Cutthroat Business series:

A CUTTHROAT BUSINESS (May 2011)
HOT PROPERTY (June 2011)
CONTRACT PENDING (July 2011)
CLOSE TO HOME (September 2011)
A DONE DEAL (December 2011)
CONTINGENT ON APPROVAL (November 2012)
CHANGE OF HEART (May 2013)
KICKOUT CLAUSE (October 2013)

Soldiers of Fortune series:

FORTUNE'S HERO (December 2012)

Various:

ISLAND GETAWAY (October 2012)
VIRGINIA CREEPER (October 2013)
BEFORE YOU (March 2014)

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Displaying 1 - 30 of 86 reviews
Profile Image for Sahara.
144 reviews26 followers
May 1, 2013
According to the the goodreads standard, this is a 3 star review since I "Liked It" meaning it was *yawn* at frequent parts.

I didn't love it but I didn't hate it either. There parts that were a bit contrived however it is a light easy read with some steamy scenes. I will say though that it was annoying when he hardly touched her at all, just smirking and such, and she would all of sudden react fiercely in the "throes of passion."

Eros, the Greek God of Love, is the ultimate matchmaker and is unfortunately the victim of a philandering spouse. His wife ran off with a Viking and he is cynical towards his own practice as a result.

Annie, the owner of a dog bakery, resides on the same block as Eros' business. Eros fails to find her match and sleeps with her again and again *wink* *wink* until he realizes what she truly means to him.

This is definitively a funny light hearted read with an predictably sweet HEA. So enjoy it with some tea and crumpets!

description

In my humble but honest opinion,

Karen "Kitty" Stone


*arc provided for an honest review*
Profile Image for Feminista.
872 reviews1 follower
September 30, 2013
Rating: 2.5 out of 5.

Heartbroken after his wife left him, Eros the God of love takes refuge in alcohol and ambrosia. His matchmaking business isn't doing so well. Human divorce is on the rise.

Until one day his employees browbeat him into a night out at his friend's club. There, he meets Annie, a woman he was trying to set up with an accountant.

There were several things going well for this book. This book was light and meant to be humorous.

There were some times, however, when I wanted to pull my hair out in frustration. Eros, for a God, wasn't very smart. Annie, well, I would say she was a bit on the gullible side and I tend to like heroines made of stronger stuff. There were times when she was hurt and wanted to confront Eros, but ended up making nice with him.

But overall this story was nice.

ARC Courtesy of NetGalley and Entangled Publishing, LLC.
Profile Image for The BookChick .
1,454 reviews425 followers
April 22, 2013
My Rating: ❤❤
ACCEPTABLE: The characteristics of a 2 heart story include: a passable story but there was some element(s) that kept it from being a good story; and, it won’t make it to my 'read again' pile. I would not easily recommend it to a friend but would not rule out the possibility.
My Thoughts:
This book provided by NetGalley for an honest review.

A bit of background...
I will begin my review by stating that I love mythology and romantic fiction centered around it but Greek mythology is my absolute favorite. The major and minor gods, the pantheon, the titans...*sigh*...I love it all. So when I saw this book on NetGalley I jumped at the chance to read it. Romance + mythology = great read, right? Sadly, that was not the case in this instance. I will not recap the story for this review but I will say that the story felt highly circuitous. Will they, won't they?...Does s/he, doesn't s/he? The whole story is about one misunderstanding that could have been resolved with a simple conversation and not an assumption. Eros was the "god of love" but absolutely failed miserably at it in this story. He kept trying to force Annie with Harry. Harry didn't want Annie at all. And I mean...AT. ALL. And Annie was "meh" about him after he so rudely dismissed her the first time they met in a social setting. Yet...Eros still kept trying to force them together. As the "god of love", shouldn't he have intuitively known that there was no love there from either side?!?!

About the characters...
Eros seemed less like a god and more like a teenaged boy. He was so immature at times that I really had to force myself to finish reading. For me, he was highly unlikeable because his actions felt like manipulation and not an act of a benevolent god.

Harry was even less likeable than Eros. He was mean and inconsiderate and I could never understand why Eros kept trying to force him to be with Annie...even when the other gods and Annie herself said that she didn't want him.

I liked Annie and thought that she was a solid character. She played the hand that she was dealt even when it was a blow to her ego.

And Dino...*sigh*...If Eros was a teenaged boy, Dino was a teenaged boy smack dab in the middle of puberty. I get that he is the god of wine and debauchery but his quips and rejoinders (especially to Ari) became stale after about the fiftieth one. But, Dino was not without redemption. He did do something good at the end of the book which helped to catapult him solidly into the "likeable" category.

Ari and Brita were good counterbalances to Eros and Dino because they were level-headed and reasonable.

I didn't have a problem that they modernized their names although the name "Ross" felt too à la Friends. I, however, did have a problem with the fact that none of the gods seemed to exude any of the powers or dispositions of their status. Even Zeus and Hera were a bit on the god-lite side.
In a few words...Unfortunately I just did not enjoy this story. However, it may be highly enjoyable to another reader despite the fact that it was not my cuppa.

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Profile Image for Sofia Lazaridou.
2,863 reviews136 followers
August 23, 2012
4.5 stars for tall,dark and divine.The book was good the story original but I didnt like the whole Greek Gods in USA thing.I mean they could be in Greece where they actuall came from and not in NY.Plus I think the author made some stuff to fit into the
story.

Eros has a heartache cause his wife left him for someone else.Yeah the God of love has a heartache cause his wife fell in love with someone else.And he does a horrible job at muching people.Also he fights the love he feels for Annie and causes her trouble.
Everything starts at Dionis`s(Dionysusaybar.Annie and Ross(Eros) meet and he suggest to her to talk to Harry.The thing goes bad but Annie ends up having sex with Ross.The nest day Ross sets up a date for Annie and Harry.The date is awful,Anni goes to Rossa`s place and you know what they do.The 3rd day he brings the big guns,his arrows.He makes sure that the first peson Harry will see when he hit him with an arrow is going to be Annie,since he is convinced that Harry is the man she wants and needs.Read the book if you want to see what happens next.

The book left me with questions and I am hoping the author will publish a sequel with Ari and Dionis`s story.During the book you see that something has happen between them and they both have feelings for eachother but they dont act on them.
Profile Image for Kristina.
32 reviews
February 27, 2013
Review courtesy of All Things Urban Fantasy

TALL DARK AND DIVINE seemed like it would be a fun story about Greek gods living in the modern world with witty dialogue and some amusing romantic hijinks. Aside from the at times witty dialogue and quirky characters this story just fell flat for me. The characters–whose names were cleverly modernized–came off as one dimensional and very shallow. They all acted like teenagers who pretty much only talked about sex and relationships throughout the whole book. There was really nothing motivating me to care too much about who was going to end up with who.

The relationship between Annie and Eros was kind of cute to start with, but I was put off by their first sex scene which kind of borders on date rape for me. Granted, Greek mythology is filled with gods taking advantage of mortals but in this modern context I was put off. The sex scenes and other methods of persuasion the gods used to mess with relationships didn’t come off so much as cute and silly but kind of weird and manipulative.

TALL DARK AND DIVINE could have been a fun romp but I was left dissatisfied and bored with all of the vapid relationship talk and lack of real character development.
Profile Image for Mlpmom (Book Reviewer).
3,191 reviews411 followers
September 8, 2012
I absolutely love Greek mythology so when I saw the synopsis on this one I knew that I needed to try it. I mean a god that was also a match maker. But not just any match maker, a match maker that was once scorned and has sworn off love of his own forever?

Yep, a must read for me. Add the added bonus of mixing romance and mythology together and I am so there.

This book really was a fun (and hot!!) read. Yes it is very much adult (lots of usage of the f word and some sensual scenes) and while it could have done a little without all the swearing, at the same time, it was sort of fitting when it was used and didn't deter from the story at all.

This wasn't my normal read but I liked it and would recommend it to anyone wanting a good light romance read with that HEA we all love to have.

I really enjoyed this read and I really hope the author tells Dion and Ari's story next because I know there is so much there that wasn't told and I want to read their happily ever after too!

I give this one 3.5 to 4 Stars!
Profile Image for Rachel Firasek.
Author 19 books272 followers
July 26, 2012
Absolutely loved this fun read! I want an Eros. :)
Profile Image for LaCath.
212 reviews1 follower
July 4, 2019
For the first third of the book, I thought I was going to give it 3 stars. It wasn't great, but it wasn't awful either and there were some nice aspects.
However, the more I read, the more annoyed I became with the main characters. It was only sheer will that got me to the end.
Eros (nicknamed Ross. Why ? It wasn't sexy at all. Every time I read the nickname, I had a reminder of Friends...) was an ok character, even if he wasn't very convincing as a powerful god of love. Most of the time, he went from nice puppy to moping dude and back.
But mostly, the problem was Annie. I don't mind reading about regular girls falling in love with supernatural dudes. But for the opposite to be true, they need a little spark that makes them special. That wasn't the case with Annie. She was bland, tending on boring. Plus, she had some reactions that didn't make sense.
So why the 2 stars then ?
Because of the secondary characters. They were the real interest of the story. I actually was way more invested in the "love story" between Ari and Dion (that unfortunately never happens) than the main characters'
Profile Image for Ritsky.
338 reviews7 followers
January 28, 2018
This is actually an okay book. I like the characters. Not just the main protagonists, but other characters as well. Oh, and I like the setting! Greek gods in modern world living modern live. I suspect this book is up to its own series, but for some reason never really written. Too bad, because I would LOVE to read the story on Ari and Dion.

Eros and PsycheAnnie's characters are likable and cute, both on their own and while they are together. However, I'd like to see why Eros is smitten by Annie, because we only got to see that Eros had already had his thing for Annie, but not exactly WHY. As for Annie...well, I understand that we hardly need reason why she fell into lust with Eros, but I fail to see why she loved him. On second thought, I don't think the book never really said she LOVED him. It was only three days anyway!

Despite all that, it is a fun book to read. If you're looking for light romance, here's your book. :)
Profile Image for Raven.
952 reviews1 follower
November 18, 2018
Awwww, this was soooo cute!

I loved it! It was a great romance between two great characters. I was even invested in the other characters. Except for Henry or Harry or whatever his name was, he could go die for all I cared. But Dion and Adri or whatever, I wanted to know what was going on there. And since this is supposed to be a series i hope that's the next one!

but yeah, the romance got steamy in all the right places. I was fully invested. The only thing I didn't like was that it got rushed at the end. She just went from: "You're crazy" to "Okay let's be immortal forever." Like... what?

But otherwise I enjoyed it and I hope to read the next one really soon.
Profile Image for Abra.
594 reviews15 followers
August 20, 2021
While it's kind of cool that the new thing in books are gods and demigods, this book didn't do much for me. The problem is the heroine. She's really annoying and a glutton for punishment.

The basic plot is that Eros is still pissed that Psyche left him ages ago. He runs a matchmaking business with a few goddesses. He runs into Annie at a bar run by Dionysus. Annie approaches Eros, but he palms her off on some dude at the back of the bar. Eros did this knowing that the guy was drooling over one of the goddesses. Inevitably, the bar guy is super rude and Annie leaves the bar. She leaves her purse and Eros brings it out to her. They sleep together and off we go.
32 reviews1 follower
October 6, 2018
Enjoyable

Such a fun and unusual premise! To make the Greek gods seem human. I'll be reading this one again. Only problem was the ending -- it should have been more heart pounding.
Profile Image for Stella.
482 reviews132 followers
August 22, 2012
I was a bit anxious to read Tall, Dark and Divine as the last couple of paranormal romances I have read lately were disappointing and I was feeling uncharitable towards the genre. But in the end mention of Greek gods and godesses to me, the mythology fan won over my reluctance and I'm so glad I took a chance on Tall, Dark and Divine because it was delightful!

Even though the premise for the Bagging a Greek God series (the 1st book of which is Tall, Dark and Divine) is that Greek gods and goddesses are living in modern day USA among us, I wouldn't categorize it as paranormal romance.

Our hero is Eros, the god of love, but he is in a sad state ever since his wife and love of his life Psyche "had called him a workaholic and run off with some overdeveloped Viking warrior with braids and more brawn than brains". So being cheated on and abandoned Eros is now cynic and disillusioned and his matchmaking business is far from thriving as he spends his days and nights getting drunk on ambrosia. But his friends and colleagues, among others Ari (short for Ariadne, yep from the Cretan labyrinth) and Dion (Dionysos, god of wine and debauchery), have had enough of him wallowing they take him out one night and one thing leads to another at the bar and he ends up accompanying a drunk Annie home, where instead of providing her with a shoulder to cry on they end up cheering up each other in a much steamier way. *wink*

Annie was a likable, very normal heroine: she has insecurities, is shy and realistic. What I mostly remember is that the chemistry between Eros and her was flammable. They acted like magnets, there was something about her that Eros just couldn't resist and his attraction to such a normal and ordinary mortal was a breath of fresh air. The secondary characters, a bunch of well and lesser known Greek gods and goddesses were all fun and entertaining. I liked how their most famous traits was interwoven in their personalities, and I enjoyed the new American nicknames of the Greek gods (Adonis became Donnie, Eros - Ross, etc), and loved Jenna Bennett's humour.

I loved all the references to bits and pieces of Greek mythology and the different legends and how Jenna Bennett incorporated them in this contemporary romance:

"Well, it would be the last time he made that mistake,anyway.Never again would he get emotionally involved with a human. It just wasn’t worth the trouble. You spent years of time and effort pursuing them. You let work fall by the wayside, so people and animals didn’t fall in love, mate, or marry, while the earth grew dry underfoot. You braved the Underworld for them, you woke them from infernal sleep when they stupidly opened the box they were explicitly told not to, and you lowered yourself and went crawling to mighty Zeus himself to ask for help in making them immortal, just so you could keep them with you forever. And then, after just a few thousand years, this was how they repaid you. By whining that you worked too much and didn’t love them enough before they left you for someone else. Mortals. Couldn’t live with them. Couldn’t— unfortunately—live without them."

"Eventually he’d just walked out of the bar, intending to go home and sleep. He’d give Morpheus a call and make a trade: some form of hook-up at some point in return for the gift of sweet dreams"

I had some minor complaints about the ending: I get why Eros is ready to marry Annie after only 3 days, after all he has lived a few millenia, but her contemplating getting married without going out on an actual date and staying with him for all eternity was a bit too unrealistic and rushed for me (I also expected Zeus giving more of a challenge (or at least needing more begging) before giving his consent).

Verdict: I had a lot of fun reading Tall, Dark and Divine, it was a cute, sweet story, full of chuckle worthy lines and some very sexy scenes. The Bagging a Greek God series is a cute and fun new contemporary romance series I'll definitely keep an eye on for later books. Tall, Dark and Divine was the perfect light, sweet and sexy summer read, so if you are looking for a nice story to keep you entertained for a few hours I'm sure you'll enjoy it!


Plot: 8/10
Characters: 8/10
Writing: 8/10
Ending: 7/10
Cover: 8/10
Profile Image for Kayleigh {K-Books}.
1,186 reviews19 followers
August 19, 2012
Tall Dark and Divine Review on K-Books

"I love you. I know it's too soon, and I know I told you I wasn't ready. We've only known each other a couple of days. But I love you."

There are no words to explain how much I loved this book. From first hearing about this book I instantly wanted to read it. I am a major mythology fan and I adore books with mythological aspects in this so to find this book about Eros, the Greek God of Love I couldn't wait to read it. I was not disappointed in the slightest.

Eros swore of love. He doesn't care if he is the God of Love. Ever since his ex-wife ran off with someone else he has been determined that he will never love again. Enter Annie. She is giving up on finding Mr Right and is more interested in just finished Mr Tonight. So when she runs into the brooding Eros... or Ross she is determined he can be her Mr Tonight. What neither of them count on is the feelings that arise in them both. But can Eros match her with a human where they can grow old together even though he is falling for her more and more each day? And can Annie convince him that he is the one he wants. When Gods and Mortals crash there's one thing for certain... their lives will never be the same.

I so loved this book. I thought it was fantastic. It matched ancient Greek Gods with modern day NYC and it was perfectly done. I was completely hooked right from the first page where we are introduced to Eros. I just couldn't put it down. My love for Mythology may have something to do. Tall Dark and Divine has so many of these Greek Gods running around modern times and I really loved that, I thought it was so different from other Mythological books.

Eros is such a great character. I loved him... but I wanted to punch him at times to knock some sense into him. He is drop dead gorgeous and so sweet. I love him! But he is determined that there is something better for Annie and continues to push her away and towards a different mortal. Yea... I wanted to hit him because it's obvious that Annie and Eros are just meant to be. It's such a cute love story. I loved that Annie was not like a stick thin supermodel beautiful character. She was a normal woman, who ate cookies and loved dogs... *ahem* totally me! I loved her and found her so easy to identify with. She is awesome and I love her.

I really enjoyed this book. I loved the mythological aspects and I loved the romance. It's such a cute romance and I just refused to put the book down until the romance has sorted itself out and gone exactly as I wanted... so yea... I read it in one sitting. I really loved it.

The one thing about the book that I didn't like as much as the rest is I felt like the ending was a little rushed. It might just be me and the hopeless romantic that I am but once the romance has righted itself I felt like it was over way too quick. I would have liked to see Eros and Annie together as a couple for a little bit longer before the book ending.

I really loved this book it has everything. Drop dead gorgeous Greek Gods who are totally drool worthy and heart-stopping romance. This is without a doubt a must-read for any romance and mythology fan.

"I just want to be with you. For however long you'll have me.
Forever."


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Profile Image for Theodora Catalina.
176 reviews34 followers
September 16, 2012
Original Review on: http://shattering-words.blogspot.ro

Tall, Dark, and Divine
By Jenna Bennett

Review by Theo~

I don’t know about you guys, but when I read something good I am all smiles and happy dances and holding tightly in my arms or head the book I have just finished! It is that stupid feeling that you get when you fell in love or you feel attracted to someone with so much power that you don’t know how to react!
Well, this is exactly how I feel right now! I feel in love with this book! I don’t think it is plain, neither stupid, I simply believe in its power to unlock some doors!

“What kind of mistake?” She hesitated. “You must have liked Annie, to go to bed with her.”

I was fascinated from the beginning by the idea of Gods and most importantly, Greek Gods! As a geek that I am, I am relatively informed about mythology due to my passion for these beautiful and extinguishing amazing creatures that used to live on Earth or used to live in someone’s imagination as much! First, I am letting my head down in front of those who created them and second of all I am letting my head down in front of you Mrs Bennett for your masterpiece!
Eros – as in the Greek God of love – aka Ross is living right across the street from a bakery that bakes dog food. In that bakery works this beautiful and normal human being – a woman: Annie! She is not tall, nor a model or the most extraordinary person on the planet, but she is sweet and kind and smells like vanilla and sugar! She is a normal, interesting kind of woman!

“She’s mortal,” Eros answered. “He’s mortal. She said she wants him.”
“And I think you’re protesting a bit too much.” Maybe. “Just do it.”

Eros is... well, Eros! He is tall, beautiful, extremely handsome, dark and most important: Divine! Yes, he is truly the ancient God of love that lots of people prayed to! He is the most impressive guy ever, a piece of the most beautiful good-looking person you have ever met! And not only this: he is suffering because of love!
Dramatic, right? How can the God of love be suffering because of such a thing? It sounds impossible and most important – crazy! So, he is drowning his loss, the loss of his ex-wife – Psyche, who left him for Erik! He is still mourning her after all these years, but with the help of Ari, Brita and Dion – he somehow succeeds to get out of his routine for one single night!
“And it wasn’t just the sex, either. She genuinely liked him. He was a nice guy. He was fun to talk to. He was caring.
Even if they didn’t end up having sex, she still couldn’t wait to see him. The thought of spending time with him, just sitting and talking, was enough to make her heart beat faster. She just wanted to be with him and hear his voice. See his smile and the warmth in his eyes when he looked at her.”

The night he got himself bonded to a new mortal! Annie! He fells for her instantly, even though he keeps pushing her over.
Even though he realises his love for her, he keeps pushing her over to a new love, he even gets to use his magical arrows and creates a whole new other mess!
I loved the action, the ideas, the easiness to read the book and the hot scenes! Everything fitted perfectly! I also loved the fact that the point of view was different in every chapter. One of Annie’s, one of Ross’s!
With this I give to this book 4.5 star out of 5!!
Profile Image for Katha.
23 reviews13 followers
May 7, 2013
ARC provided by the publisher for an honest review

I will give this book 3 stars.

It started out really good and if not for the last chapters I would have given it a 4 star rating.
To be honest, first of all I have to reduce on star because of the sex scenes. There was just something missing for me. Ross, for being the god of love, kind of didn’t deliver ;) Don’t get me wrong, the sex was probably really good for the hero and the heroine. Just not for the reader. So I couldn’t really relate when the author kept telling me the sex between the two was so so great.
Other than that I really liked the story. The idea to put ancient gods into the modern world might not be new but I liked how Jenna Bennett did it. Her way of writing was really fresh and fast paced. The witty inner monologues Annie had were funny, too.

And most important I could really relate to the couple. The author did a really good job at getting the reader involved with the characters. I felt with them from the start and had all those butterflies in my stomach when the two of them interacted.
That’s also why I was quite disappointed with the last chapters.

(Sorry, there might be spoilers from here on. I really try not to say too much)
Once Ross realized he loved Annie everything went south from there on. Not for them, mind you ;) but for me. He kept telling himself throughout the whole book that he can’t start a relationship with her because she is mortal and it once failed miserably with his ex-wife who used to be mortal as well. Well this was plausible so far.

So all in all it must sound like I didn’t like the book which is not the case!
I loved it. I loved Annie and Ross but unfortunately the last chapters were too rushed and kind of ridiculous. It felt like the author had to wrap the story up quickly because she had a limited number of pages.

So the book gets 3 stars form me. I’m reducing one because of the not so great sex when you are supposed to be the good of love and another one because of the ending.
I’ll have to say I will probably read the next story in the series because the concept was really good and I liked the characters so much.
Profile Image for Grace Fonseca.
240 reviews23 followers
June 9, 2013
A refreshing treat of a romance that I really enjoyed. This book really had a great fun feel to it. I liked this romance because the couple is not what you call traditional in any sense. It was like a perfect romantic movie with all the right sensibilities in place.

I really loved Eros, aka Ross in this book as he is trying to set up Annie Landon with Harry Mitchell who he thinks will be perfect, but nothing ever works out quite like he plans it to because of fate, timing or maybe something else. Ross is a matchmaker or the God of Love and wants Annie to be happy. When you want someone to be happy it is a sign that you yourself are falling for this person.

What happens is that Ross is still mourning the loss of Persephone, his wife. His wife has left him for a Viking and the rejection has hurt him in more ways than one. Ross was so in love with his wife that he really needs to move on with his life and things get mighty interesting when he agrees to Brita and his other employee to go to Dion’s club. Dion happens to be the god of Debauchery. Yes the god of Debauchery runs a nightclub. Seems appropriate. Yet what Dion does is mix Annie’s drink stronger than usual. Then all kinds of things happen that Annie and Ross/Eros don’t expect.

Annie and Ross/Eros first sex scene together is hot, hot, hot. This is the kind of scene that would make anyone appreciate some much needed Tender Loving Care when neither of the two individuals have had it in quite a long time. What I like is that Annie and Ross/Eros have a very different dynamic to them than I’ve read. What happens is one of the best scenes with heels on them.

After they have sex for the first time, things get mighty interesting and we really see that Eros/Annie have chemistry even if the two of them don’t see it. He really tries everything to make Annie happy even if the two of them seem to land in each other’s arms no matter what they try to do to avoid it. Even when he tries to set her up with Harry Mitchell.

Harry Mitchell is the biggest douche in the world. Sorry I didn’t like his character at all in the book. Thought he treated the heroine, Annie like crap, and no one deserves that. There date was one of the worst kinds of date I’ve ever read. I think the author did this scene because it made me want Annie to be with Ross/Eros in a lot of ways. Harry Mitchell is like the guy you want, but find out the reality of this person isn’t all it’s cracked up to be in real life. It’s kind of disappointing in a way.

Through much trial and error, and Ross’s stupid pride getting in the way, he told Annie how much she means to him. She doesn’t believe that he’s a god, but does eventually at some point. This leads to much comedy when we the audience get to meet Zeus and Hera, which was one of the more comedic moments in the book. I really loved the happy ending that Annie and Ross/Eros has in this book. Really liked the way the mythology was mixed in with modern times.

A very nice romance.

Rating: 4.5 Hearts
Profile Image for Evie.
412 reviews200 followers
October 3, 2015
4.5 stars

I knew this would be a good book, I just didn't expect it to be as funny as it was.

Eros was dumped by the love of his life. The thing is, the love of his life wasn't necessarily the "love of his life". Why? He hurt himself with one of his arrows and the first woman he laid eyes on was his ex, who ended up ditching him for a Viking of all men!

Eros hasn't gotten over her and no other woman will do. In his attempt at being a matchmaker he wants to match Annie with an accountant. But he seems to be a minute too late every time he's going to make the match. One night he runs out of wine and gives in by accepting his employees' invitation to the bar of the God of Debauchery (I loved that god). The one thing Eros doesn't count on is for Annie to be there.

Annie is tired of looking for the right man and decides she just needs a man for a "right now" fix. She's pleasantly surprised when she finds out Eros works across the street from her as she's never seen him before. She thinks he could be her "right now" fix, except Eros is still trying to match her with the accountant who also happens to be at the bar. The only problem is the accountant's sight is set on one of the goddesses and Annie is just, well she's just Annie.

It takes some wine, a few cosmos and two broken hearts for Eros and Annie to end up in bed. And then, even after that Eros still wants to match her with the other guy.

The whole matchmaking business with Eros was short of hilarious. Poor Annie ended up on a date at a dog park eating hot dogs with lots of onions and a diet soda.

Then Annie thinks Eros and his friends are a group of lunatics, thinking themselves gods. That was way too funny.

Overall, I really enjoyed this romance. It was way too funny, and I am looking forward to reading more of this type of work by Jenna Bennett.


blurb:

Eros, the Greek god of love, swore off the useless emotion after his ex ran off with some Viking godling. He's lost all interest in his matchmaking business, Made in Heaven, until he spots the sweet baker who works across the street. Before she stirs his sullen heart, he'll match her and get back to his ambrosia-laced wine in no time.

Lonely baker Annie Landon has given up on finding Mr. Right. What she needs is Mr. Right Here, Right Now, and this so-called “Greek God” she’s heard is on the rebound sounds exactly like the perfect kind of distraction. But picking up the bitter, workaholic is easier said than done…especially when he seems unreasonably determined to match her with someone else.

Can a woman looking for love—and the matchmaking god who wants her to find it with someone else—have a shot at a happy ending? May the best god—or mortal—win.
13 reviews
May 14, 2013
I received a copy of Tall, Dark, and Divine for review from the lovelies at Entangled. Thus far I have been a huge fan of everything I have read from them. They publish quality work and I love that I am able to give honestly glowing reviews about the books I get to read.

So let’s get going!

The Good:

I’m a huge fan of mythology of just about any flavor, but the Greeks are my first great love. (Third grade school library for the win!) Bringing the Greek gods into the modern era is usually a big hit with me. Jenna did a terrific job with this! I thought she really captured what made each of them tick and showcased the personalities in a fun way.

TDD made me giggle at several points, which is always a huge plus! I liked Eros (Ross) and Annie. They were a cute couple and I was happy for them to get together. There were times I wanted to shake Ross for having his head up his ass. You’d think that after thousands of years and being the god of love, he’d have gotten a clue. But in keeping with mythology, while a god and exceptional, he really is just a glorified mortal with all the faults and foibles of a man, somewhat exaggerated.

The best part of TDD, for me anyway, was Dionysus. The god of wine and debauchery and all that other good stuff that comes from getting a snootful now owns a bar. Totally makes sense. He totally steals the show. Dion is snarky, brutally honest, has this awesome habit of telling Eros exactly what he doesn’t want to hear. He’s hysterical and made me laugh throughout the book.

The Bad:

While I really liked Annie, I sort of wanted to shake her for not putting her foot down a little more firmly about Ross being a moron about whatshisbutt guy that he was trying to set her up with. Not that I don’t understand why she didn’t. I totally do and it really would have been out of character for her to pitch a fit about it. I mean honestly, who WOULDN’T doubt that a FREAKING GOD would want them. She’s totally believable and relatable. Which is why I wanted to shake her

Overall:

This is a great read. I love how Jenna nails the characters of the gods and makes the whole thing light and fun, while at the same time telling a sweet love story. It was totally worth putting off that pile of paperwork that’s breeding on the corner of my desk!
Profile Image for Valerie.
927 reviews437 followers
July 11, 2013
3 1/2 stars

3 1/2 stars - I could stare at that cover all day

So here's the deal, I love Greek Mythology stories. And I'm especially drawn to Eros. I've read different versions of his story so many times and I never seem to tire of them. This one was super cute and I really enjoyed it.

Yeah, there as insta-love but how can you not have that when Eros is involved? And since this isn't realistic fiction, I was okay with it. I'm much more forgiving of that when it comes to mythology.

Oh course, it was Eros that made the book for me. Is there any one out there that's surprised that Val likes the boy best in the book? Shouldn't be. He's so cute. Well his actions are. He, of course, is smokin' hot just like that cover demonstrates. Blue eyes and dark hair are my VERY FAVORITE combination. He does not disappoint. Oh, he has his Greek God of Love ways and when he...um... yeah that...you don't forget too soon. But what I really loved about him was his denial. He's still pining over Psyche, who left him for some braided dude. Her lose, seriously. Anyway, he's been centuries not over her. His God friends drag him out and he meets Annie. The thing is, he falls fast but he doesn't know it - which I find hysterical, God of Love and all. No, seriously, I think he did know but he still wanted what was best for Annie and being married to an immortal wouldn't be best. So he does his best to fix her up with an accountant. Yep, an accountant. Loved watching him try and pull that off.

Annie is sweet and I liked her fine. She's twenty-eight and wants a relationship and she's hoping that's with Eros, Ross. His kisses excite her like no one else and I'm talking rip his closes off kinda excited. The problem is the mixed signals he sends. She doesn't mope though. She's gonna move on and find a relationship. I liked that about her. I, also, liked her reaction to....well I can't tell you that part but I liked that about her.

Together, they are too cute. I finished it in about a day. It's an easy and fast read. Just what I needed, a little Greek Gods with some Eros kinda loving.

If you like your romance on the mythological side, then you will want to pick this one up for sure. - See more at: http://www.stuckinbooks.com/2013/05/t...
Profile Image for Stephanie.
1,475 reviews81 followers
May 24, 2013
Looking for Mr. Right or Mr. Right Now?
TALL, DARK AND DIVINE by Jenna Bennett

http://fangswandsandfairydust.blogspo...

This is a fun book with some steamy and passionate moments, but it isn't just about the sex, or even mostly about it. It's more about the processes of getting over loss or coming into our own sense of self worth when as the female love interest Annie goes out looking for Mr. Right and then comes to think Mr. Right-Now might be a good thing too.

The story takes place in Astoria, Queens which has a large number of Greek Americans and Greek Immigrants. In this book it's apparently where all the Greek gods moved when prices on Mount Olympus got too high (I guess - I am kidding about the why). Now in this story it really doesn't seem as if the gods (who are friends with gods from other cultural pantheons) are all that powerful and their abilities are limited to a specific skill set. Eros is better at screwing up his own relationships than he is at his career as a matchmaker. He's pining for his faithless wife, Psyche and has been for quite some time, it seems.

He thinks the two mortals he sees daily would be good to set up but, in the way of a mad cap romantic comedy in film or on TV, one thing leads to another, and you get a couple of strange relationship patterns. The mortal guy is hot for a Cretan goddess, Annie his hot for Eros, Eros is not too bright about love. It all adds up to a love polygon.

While reading it you might have a chuckle or two, might sigh once or twice, and you might wonder why in gods' names these immortal, not all powerful beings aren't bright enough to know when they are falling in love. The characters are not terribly well-developed but they stay true to type and to the characters they are sketched out to be. It's a short, steamy romantic comedy so I didn't expect a character study.


Try as I might, I couldn't find any bad calls on the mythology, so Jenna did her research. I even learned a few things! She makes the story funny as she embraces themes of infatuation, lust and love. And the story is entertaining as Annie, Eros and a cast of characters traverse the rocky shores of romance.

It's not Shakespeare but it is a good time between the pages. Recommended for beach, sofa or passenger seats.
Profile Image for Ashley Ferguson.
356 reviews26 followers
May 15, 2013
While this is not typically the kind of book I read, I actually ended up enjoying it much more than I thought I would. I loved how the Greek/Cretan gods and goddesses were integrated into New York, and how they somehow managed to avoid doing anything really suspicious that would lead mortals to think they were divine beings. I also really enjoyed how they tended to pick professions based on what they were gods/goddesses of - Eros runs a matchmaking service, Dionysius owns a bar, etc. Oh, and I thought it was neat how they modernized their names as well.

I kind of felt like the romance was a little forced, but that it ended up working out eventually. The whole story takes place over like 5 days, so I guess it plays with the whole "love at first sight" thing. That's not really my style, but it seemed to work here so props for that. I also should have expected there to be sex scenes and such, because just look at the cover, but I was a little taken by surprise when I got to them. They aren't long or too in depth though, so even if those tend to scare you off, you can always skip over them pretty easily. I don't think the story would have really worked without there being a few steamy parts though, so take that as you will.

Although I'm used to a significant amount of world-building and all that jazz because of the types of books I normally read, I actually think Bennett did a pretty decent job of reconstructing the world as we know it to include the Greek gods living among us. I think she gives enough history and enough explanation without really taking away from the whole romance thing, and I was pretty impressed by that. There's also not much character development, except for maybe Eros, but again I don't think that it's really necessary in this book. It works. Oh, and I love Zeus and Dionysius' father/son relationship.

Overall, I think this was a nice, easy read. Maybe not for the younger crowd, so tread with caution if you plan on giving this to your teen. I don't know if I would read any more in this sequel (I might), but I would recommend it to anyone who is looking for a contemporary romance with a twist. a 3/5 for me, but I think it would do very well in the romance genre.
Profile Image for Haley .
284 reviews687 followers
May 19, 2013
3.5 rating

Tall, Dark & Divine was a nice light read. It had likeable characters, a sweet romance, slightly steamy scenes, and a few laugh out loud moments. Although I did quite enjoy Tall, Dark & Divine I did expect more from it. The idea of Eros the greek god of love running a match making business on earth I found very interesting and thought would make it into a super steamy, hilarious read. While there was a few slightly steamy scenes, and a few moments where I found my self chuckling, overall I just expected a little more from it.

My favorite aspect of Tall, Dark & Divine was (obviously) the romance! I loved how Ross fell for Annie so hard even though she was a mortal and not fit like a model (she's short and curvy). I always love when books have a main male character that likes girls who are different than what society tries to tell us is 'beautiful'. I loved the tension between Annie and Ross, and just really enjoyed watching their romance grow.

Besides the romance between Ross and Annie being great I also really enjoyed them as individual characters. Annie was so easy to like, I liked that she had insecurities, I felt it made her seem more like a 'real' character, considering everyone has insecurities. Also loved that she had a big love for animals, I LOVE animals so her having that characteristic just made me love her even more. I can't forget Ross either, he was soo insanely swoon-worthy! Besides Annie and Ross who are the main characters I also had a third favorite that was Dion, he was hilarious, and I am really hoping that one of the books in the future will be focused on him. (fingers crossed)

If you are looking for a book with a sweet romance, and something that is a light fun read, then Tall, Dark & Divine is for sure something you should pick up. I enjoyed it enough that I think I will re-read it sometime in the future even (:

Pros- Light fun read, with cute romance and likeable characters.
Cons- Expected more, ending felt rushed.
Profile Image for Ali .
663 reviews153 followers
August 26, 2013
Tall, Dark and Divine was a little like reading two books in one. The first half was pretty good, funny, interesting and unique. The second half, unfortunately, just didn't quite hold up.

Annie leads a bit of a ho-hum life. She's slightly insecure about her weight but is determined not to let it interfere in her plan to pick up a guy at the local bar. She is over looking for the perfect guy, she just needs someone to help fill her needs. When she learns a divorcee is at the bar and possibly needs the same thing she does, she sets her eyes on Eros.

I never really felt like I had a great grasp on who Annie is but Eros was another matter. I really enjoyed his voice, his quick and short snipes and his own insecurities. He's the God of Love but his own marriage failed miserably and centuries later he still doesn't know how to move on.

Annie stirs something in Eros that he hasn't felt in a long time. He wants her but she's mortal, therefore he is determined to make her a match that will make her happy. That's what Eros does, he's matchmaker, a creator of love...or so he has always believed. His feelings for Annie make him question that though. Maybe it isn't love he's been orchestrating all this time, maybe it only infatuation. If that's the case, everything he has believed for years is wrong. Even his only feelings.

I loved the concept of Greek Gods running a match-making business and I really enjoyed all of the Gods as characters. And, as I said the first half of the book was fun and entertaining. But the end was rushed and I lost the sense of the some of the characters. Annie especially. I felt like she just went along with things, as if she had no mind of her own. It was a departure from my original thoughts on her, and not a good one.

Tall, Dark and Divine is the first in a series that promises to be fun, I'm only hoping for a slightly better execution in the next go around as I think Bennett has a winning idea with the concept.
Profile Image for Ange.
63 reviews31 followers
September 20, 2012
FINAL RATING 2.5 STARS

Well, this could have been a lot more entertaining.

This book was not supposed to rock my world. It was just supposed to entertain me, and it kinda did. However, I needed to look past too many things for it to even do that part right.

For instance, the characters seemed to know things they weren't supposed to know. I mean, I know that when you have a lot of characters sometimes this type of continuity mistakes happen. But that's why you should outline, make character outlines as well and get a freaking GOOD editor.

Another thing that bothered me were a few typos I caught. Maybe it's something about eBooks? Maybe editors don't pay as much attention to ebooks while editing? I don't know. The thing is that THINK and THING are not interchangeable words, and an editor that's being paid to look over a book should know this. I mean it's just his/her job, you know?



It's that too much to ask?!

Other than that I finished, and it did make me smile a couple times... so it wasn't horrible. However, the fact that I was more interested in Dion (Dionysus) and Ari's (Ariadne) story should clue you in that Eros and Annie's love story wasn't exactly epic.

Profile Image for K.M..
166 reviews2 followers
May 23, 2013
I received this ARC from Entangled Publishing via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This book included Eros, the Greek god of love. That's about all it had going for it. Romances involving Greek mythological characters and humans have been done by other authors and suffice it to say, this book offered nothing unique. TDD may be a "Goodread" to readers who don't mind illogical plots. Unfortunately, the logical side of my brain would not turn off as I read this farfetched romance.

Let's just jump to what I didn't like. First, this was way too short. I had a feeling the book wouldn't be that great once I checked the length. With the length in mind, I prepared myself for the dreaded insta-love cliche. I HATE insta-love. Ahem, moving on. The crux of the plot centers on Eros (Ross) and Annie in modern-day times. Ross has finally recovered from a previous relationship and randomly meets Annie at a bar. While talking, Ross tells Annie to chat/flirt with a rando in a bar (Harry) knowing full well that Harry was interested in someone else. Needless to say, Harry harshly snubs Annie leaving her upset at Eros for even suggesting it.

So let me get this right, the God of freaking love knowingly tells someone to flirt with someone else even though he knows the results will be disastrous? Color me stupid, but isn't he supposed to be like...an expert at matchmaking? I won't spoil the rest of the plot but Ross/Eros keeps attempting to play matchmaker with Annie and Harry when both of them want OTHER PEOPLE. Eros came off as an immature, befuddled, idiot. In short, this was a sad attempt at writing a romance, more specifically a disservice to Greek mythology. Don't waste your time, money, or energy reading this book.
Profile Image for Melody  May (What I'm Reading).
1,488 reviews24 followers
May 15, 2013
Posted on my blog: What I'm Reading

Let's be honest Greek Gods wreak havoc wherever they go. If you don't believe me, you haven't been keeping up with your Greek mythology. Yes, they do have good intentions and some not so good. Well, poor Eros is still hung up with his ex-wife leaving. Yep, he's still hung up on Psyche. Which isn't a good thing, because he's the God of Love. Eek! He's not doing his job. Now Annie is tired of trying to find the one, that she's willing to have one nightstand with Eros.

Oh goodness, at times the story is a little silly. Hey what are you going to do when you have Gods on the loose. Not like you can really stop them. However, the story is a cute one. Nothing like having Greek Gods wreaking habit on New York. Anyways, we have Eros a broken-hearted Eros trying to his job, but once he start to gets to know Annie it's becomes a little difficult trying to fix her up with Harry.

I like Annie, because just seems like the typical girl. You the girl always looking for love, but always coming up short cause she's just average. Then you have Eros, who happens to be a God and finally coming to terms to his relationship with Psyche. I actually like how it almost became a near miss. Now I wonder which God is next to find love.

Overall, I did enjoyed this book. It was fun, especially with Eros trying to avoid his feelings for Annie and trying to do what he "thinks" is best. So, if you are looking for a story with Greek Gods wreaking habit on human lies, but not intentionally, you might want to read Tall, Dark and Divine. Who knows you might be looking for a God too.
Profile Image for Rhianna.
459 reviews93 followers
September 2, 2012
Giggles, Greek Gods, and Golden Arrows

You'd think the Greek god of love would be really lucky at finding one of his own. Unfortunately, Eros has had really bad luck in his romantic life which is making him really unpleasant company for his fellow dieities. When Annie Landon, the baker at the dog bakery across from his matchmaking business' office, crosses his path he makes it his mission to help her land the guy she's interested in. But what if the guy she thought she wanted isn't who she thought he was and the matchmaker trying to help her make a match is the very thing she's needed all along?

Chick lit fans fasten your safetybelts. This one has plenty of elements you're sure to love from the businessy people and hot spot bar they all seem to hang out at, to the giggle inducing moments that lighten the romance it's a fluffy kind of read. Eros is charming—what else do you expect from a Greek god?—and his fellow gods dieties make an interesting group of secondary characters perfect for sequelization. Annie is okay, I personally had a hard time finding her relatable and that always makes it harder for me to fall in love with a book.

Lots of misunderstanding and some naughty scenes that'll have your hair standing on end keep it tightly paced as Annie and Eros find their way to a happily-ever-after. TALL, DARK, AND DIVINE is just the sort of chuckle inducing, quickie romance that readers could savor at the end of a rotten day at work. If you love Tina Folsom's Out of Olympus series you're sure to enjoy it!

***Review copy received via publisher.
Profile Image for Ellen.
670 reviews10 followers
August 13, 2012
I think I may have been unfair to Melissa Bourbon Ramirez in my review of Deceiving the Witch Next Door. This is the second of Entangled Covet line I have read. I was really excited because until now I've pretty much been working off of the formula Entangled=win. But this book wasn't quite what it could have been.

It had a great premise but I was put off by how much the characters thought the gods were so good looking. Hell in a horrible moment shortly after having sex with Annie, Eros (Ross) muses how blindingly gorgeous Psyche was and her perfect breasts. I don't care if the author has a less attractive heroine, so long as the hero thinks she's the most beautiful woman ever - FYI thinking about your ex-wife's boobs after sex with the heroine is not cool.

I'm blaming the editor. Maybe I was unlucky, but if it happens again with Take It Like a Vamp, the third of the original Covet releases, I will disavow the line. Promise I'll come back and add the results when I get to that book.

*EDIT*: After reading Take It Like A Vamp I think that the editor or someone else involved in the line is at fault because once is a bad author, twice is bad luck, three times is just wrong.

All sadness aside I will probably read more if this becomes a series, because I want to know what happens between Ariadne and Dionysus and the others mentioned. It's an okay book just don't expect to have your world rocked.
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