My Life From Hell

The Blooming Goddess Trilogy #3

by Tellulah Darling

Save herself; save the world.

Humanity may be screwed.

To say that Sophie Bloom is at the top of her game with one only week until Spring Equinox and the final showdown with Zeus and Hades would be, well, lying.

The Goddess of Spring feels more like the Goddess of Bzzz, Thanks For Playing than the savior of humanity. And could her relationships be any more messed up?

Good times.

Sophie is convinced that things can’t get any worse than crawling back to her mother Demeter and begging for help.

But she’s about to find out how very wrong she is.

Genres: Young Adult, Mythology, Romance, Fantasy, Paranormal, Greek Mythology, Humor

414 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2014

About the author

Tellulah Darling
noun
1) YA & New Adult romantic comedy author because her first kiss sucked and she's compensating.
2) Firm believer that some of the best stories happen when love meets comedy and awkwardness ensues.
3) Sassy minx.

Both a hopeless romantic and total cynic, Tellulah Darling is all about the happily-ever-after, with a huge dose of hilarity along the way. Her romcoms come in a variety of heat levels and flavors; straight up romantic comedy, shaken with Greek mythology or stirred with urban fantasy.

Sassy girls. Swoony boys. What could go wrong?

Reviews

[Christine Alibutud · Rating 5 out of 5]

AHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!! I AM DRIPPING OF FANGIRL-NESS!!!!!!

"Fireworks, earthquakes, fairy dust, it was all that and a heap of jaw-dropping magnificence."

HOLY HANNAH!!!! THAT WAS A-MA-ZING!!!!!!!!!! 5 MAKE-YOU-GO-ALL-I-WANNA-KICK-SOME-GREEK-GOD'S-BUTT STARS!!! MY SOPHIE AND KAI CRAVING HAS FINALLY BEEN SATISFIED (No, I'm kidding! I WANT MOOOOOREEEE!) Yup, it's official, my love for this trilogy will never fade!


The Blooming Goddess Trilogy rocked my Greek Mythology socks! This series scarred me for life, but in a good way! This will forever be a part of my ultimate favorite series of all-time! I have been waiting for this final installment for quite a long time, and you guys should have seen my face when I finally had it on the palms of my hands. It was like magic...mini-fireworks...heaven... Oh, it was just...


It was like my personal ball of fire! Every part got my panties in a weird-kind-of-twist. And there was a great loss of sleep (NO REGRETS HAHA!) Every page kept me amped up, definitely a page-turner! Every moment was priceless, so much so that I forgot about everything and got lost in their world! Nothing seemed more important than reading the book! I SERIOUSLY COULD NOT PUT IT DOWN!!!!!!


It was the perfect ending to a perfect trilogy! I couldn't be any more happier, but at the same time, sadder, when I finished this series! It was a book of clever proportions! Full of wit, this book did not fail to entertain me! I couldn't count the times I laughed my ass off throughout this book!

I loved everything about it. I loved the story, and how it was not rushed nor forced. It was just...right...and...PERFECT! It's not your usual story, which is a big PLUS! Also, the story itself gets you hooked AND LEMME TELL YOU, I DID NOT KNOW TRUE GREEK MYTHOLOGY UNTIL THIS BOOK! Sure, I loved learning about the real Greek mythology at school, but the Greek mythology world Miss Tellulah created....SHE MAKES YOU WANT TO LIVE IN IT! Super amazeballs! The alterations of the Greek mythology characters were definitely refreshing and brilliant!

I also loved the dialogues and lines in this book! WITTY BANTERS, SNARKY COMEBACKS, AND FUNNY PUNCHLINES CAN DEFINITELY GO A LONG WAY! And the book definitely had those! It was truly exceptional!

AND OF COURSE THE CHARACTERS!!!!!! I loved every single one of them, even the ones I wanted to slap in the face! The characters in this book definitely came to life! And again, I loved how they were altered to a cooler character! AHHH! I love them all! Sophie, Kai, Theo, Fee, Hannah, Pierce, Jennifer, Cassie, Anil, Kiki, Felicia, Zeus, Hades, and just EVERYONE!!! Ugh I want to hug them all!!!!!!! So, here is a virtual hug for each one of them!


But Sophie and Kai....YOU GUYS TOOK OUT MY SHIPPER HEART AND RIPPED IT INTO PIECES!!!!!! YOU GUYS SERIOUSLY ROCKED MY SHIPPER SOCKS!!!


I loved Sophie, and how badass she is!!!! I loved how she kicked Zeus, Hades, and everyone who got in her way, in their asses! DEFINITELY MY ULTIMATE KICKASS HEROINE! LOVE YOU, SOPHIE BLOOM! LET'S BE SISTERS (please)! She is one of the funnest book heroines I have ever known! And throw in Kai...KAPOW! They are a force to be reckoned with when they are together! Kai is just...Kyrillos! And Kyrillos is just...Kai! AHHH THAT BOY TICKLED MY EVERY FIBER! Kickass, as well, plus...well, HOT!

OTP OTP OTP OTP OTP OTP 5EVER!

"I wanted that scary free fall where your heart is in someone else’s hands and theirs in yours. Instead of making you weak, it was the most precious, most secure place to be."

Whether they were having their sweet moments, silly fights, steamy (ooh la la!) moments, or just simply kicking some Greek god's ass, they will forever be one of my ultimate ships!!! AHHHH! I SWEAR, THEY ARE MY MOST BADASS OTP EVER!!! THEY MAKE ME SO PROUD!


But I really want to take the time to appreciate Kai's gloriousness...


I AM DROOLING UNABASHEDLY


Man, I just want to lick Kai like...


Especially when he was like


Oh, how I wished I was Sophie!!!

Kyrillos, son of Hades, Lord of the Underworld. Kai, my Prince of Darkness...


But, of course, I want to send out all of my love to Tellulah Darling because you are AMAZEBALLS!!!! YOU ARE SUCH A BRILLIANT WRITER!!! MAN, I JUST WANT TO EAT YOU UP!!! Plus, those extra goodies that you showered us with! Those 2 POVS from Kai: PRICELESS! And the Blooming Goddess trilogy is a taste of paradise!


I am so blessed to have been graced with your AWESOMENESS!!!!! I am seriously hoping for more great works by you!!!! ....And maybe more Kai POV? HAHAHAHAHA KIDDING.......(not) But yeah, seriously, I love you!!!!! I just want to hug you!!


I want to end this review with my favorite line from the book:

"You’re my tree. My roots and my heart."

[Booknut 101 · Rating 5 out of 5]

The only thing missing in this book was a narration by The Muses. And maybe a song number or two!

I love this series so much. It's the kind of series that steadily grows over time, becoming better and better with each book - the characters gaining more depth, and the storyline becoming more layered and intense.

And for all you Kai fangirls out there, I will end your misery for you - yes, there is plenty of Kai to swoon over. Let's just say that Sophie really, really wants to talk things out with him, but Kai thinks that talking is overrated...leading him to resort to other more hot smexy subtle methods of silencing her!


But all super-mega-foxy-awesome-hot gods aside, this book carried a very important message.

In a Frozen-esque reveal, readers discover that the ultimate message Tellulah Darling is trying to send out is not love is important in the 'smoochy-poo-make-out' way. But that self love is important. Vital, in fact.

"It's not about being the best Sophie and Persephone, or even the best Sophie or Persephone. Just the best person. And for the first time in my life, I love that person. All of her."

Sophie comes to understand that the highlights and hardships of love pale in significance to self love. That loving the person she is, and accepting that person, gives her more power than 101 Kai relationships.

And I think that is immensely important lesson for everyone to grasp, and to live out in their daily lives.

Onto other news, this book carries a much-repeated theme, which I've dubbed: The Appreciation of Theo's 6 Pack (The Non-Alcoholic Kind)

From Festos' understandable admiration, to Sophie's slightly disturbing fixation during near-death experiences, we get a lot of Theo's abs-appreciation...which is not appreciated too much by Theo himself!

"I'll have you know I am more than my six-pack."

Mmm hmm. Sure thing, Theo dear. ;)

Aaaaaaand...Demeter is still a massive itch with a capital b.

I don't understand why nearly every single book that incorporates mythology concepts needs to make Demeter horrid. She's the Goddess of Wheat, guys. The worst she can do is fling Wonder White loaves at you!

But Demeter gets up to some pretty bad stuff in this series. This book will definitely make every female reader re-evaluate their mother-daughter relationship. Demeter's blackmailed, stabbed and snubbed her kid. So the next time you and your mum fight over who's doing the dishes...just thank the gods she's not holding a poisoned blade to your throat!

And to make the whole thing sweeter, Theo gets this dumbass plan that they should ask Demeter for help. By this point I was like:


But like any good book, it would be completely pointless if our main protagonists used common sense.

There will be many parts in this book when you will undergo something like this:


There will also be times where Sophie jumps head-first into danger and you'll prepare yourself to sing:


Yet, you'll come out the other side of the book feeling like you've won a $1 000 000.

So hold onto your togas, strap on your sandals, and prepare for an amazing adventure :)

[Colleen · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 Stars

This review contains some spoilers.

Sadly, My Life From Hell is the weakest of the The Blooming Goddess Trilogy which is unfortunate since it is the finale. The setup is much the same as the first two books: Sophie is still trying to harness her goddess powers, deal with her identity crisis, figure out her love life, and still deal with typical teenage drama.

The problem I had with this book was that there are several massive plot holes. Certain things conveniently happen and other things are pushed aside and forgotten about. And then a large portion of the storyline ends up being almost pointless. At first I thought that Sophie being sent into Persephone's memories was interesting. It seemed like it was going to end up being one of those "go back in time and try to stop events from happening then realize that your interference is what caused those events to happen in the first place" kind of time loop. But Sophie did not actually go back in time. It was just a spell, an illusion. And in the end it meant nothing other than some predicable self acceptance. While this book still had some entertaining moments, it was a bit of a letdown especially considering it was the end of the series. It wasn't terrible. But it wasn't great either.


RATING FACTORS:
Ease of Reading: 4 Stars
Writing Style: 3 Stars
Characters and Character Development: 3 Stars
Plot Structure and Development: 2 Stars
Level of Captivation: 3 Stars
Originality: 2 Stars

[♥♡¢σσкιє♥♡ (Krystle) · Rating 4 out of 5]

You can find this review and more on my blog:

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is a difficult review for me to write because this book was good, and I mean darn good, but I didn’t enjoy it as much as the other two in the series.

I know I would recommend this book to a large variety of people. It had mystery, romance, action, humor, and a well researched story line that kicked butt! My only real complaint about the story is that it didn’t make me feel the way the other two books in the series did.

The friendship between Sophie, Kai, Hanna, Theo, and Festos is what made the other books such a joy to read, but all the drama in this book strained those relationships. The craziness that they were put through finally started to wear on them and sometimes they attacked each other instead of the real obstacles.

It would be one thing if best friend and boyfriend issues were all Sophie had to worry about, but she must emit pheromones that piss of Greek deities or something because they all seem to want her dead. Even both of her parents want this poor girl dead. I mean she never caught a freaking break in this story! add in the fact that Kai was still having a difficult time dealing with the big reveal that took place at the end of the last book, and my girl Sophie was in a real bad situation, and she was in it all alone. I read these books for the happy romantic feelings, and the dramatic suspenseful ones. Sure I got the occasional glimpse of the amazing friendships that Sophie had with her three best friends and the smoldering chemistry that she had with Kai, but there wasn’t nearly enough!

Although this book wasn’t what I wished it would be, it was very well done, and that’s why it gets a four star rating. It deserves a four star rating and possibly more because it really is a great story with a nice message. Sophie learns a lot about herself and people in general. She is finally forced to come to terms with the fact that maybe her life wasn’t filled with bare foot frolicking in the woods when she was Persephone, and maybe Persephone was a lot more complex than she has given her credit for. Actually Persephone is a lot more complex than anybody .has given her credit for.

It’s very interesting reading about the dynamic between who Sophie is and who Persephone was. They are the same person after all. Sophie now has all of her memories of being Persephone but think about it, t can you recall your entire life with vivid detail? Sophie has Persephone’s memories, but she accesses them in bits and pieces. She also has the last 17 years of her life as a human fresh in her mind so even though Sophie is Persephone, Persephone truly died 17 years ago. It all sounds very complicated, but the author does a great job of preventing confusion for the reader. Sophie struggles with learning how to love who she is now and who she was when she lived her life as Persephone. She learns to take the good with the bad, and love it all.

All of the relationships in this book were well-developed. but Sophie’s relationship with her best friend Theo and her boyfriend Kia were my favorites.

The love between Sophie and Theo rivals most of the romantic relationships that I have read. They love each other with a fierceness that friendship doesn’t accurately define. Sophie doesn’t have a traditional family, and he fills all the roles in her life that are lacking. Hanna is her sister, Festos is a brother, Kai is the love of her life, but Theo? Theo is everything. He makes her life complete.

Kai returned to some of his old ways in this book. He made no secret of the fact that he loved and wanted Sophie, but he kept a wall between them that I thought he destroyed in the last book. Even though their relationship was strained, he refused to stay away from her. It was sort of like the cupids arrow situation in the second book all over again only he could control himself. He didn’t feel an overwhelming compulsion to be around her, he just wanted to be with the woman he loved even if he was still a little angry with her. The difference between Persephone and Sophie is hard for anyone to fully understand, but if anyone gets it, it’s Kai. He knows both woman well enough to be able to see that Sophie would never make the same decisions that her former self did. Plus Kai loves Sophie in a way that he never Persephone. What he had with her in her goddess form was all fluff and cheese, but what he has with Sophie is the real thing.

This book was imaginative, well written, funny, sweet, heartbreaking, romantic, and very entertaining! It was nothing like what I was expecting, but if fit perfectly with the rest of the series. For three wonderful books, I have experienced these characters love the heck out of each other no matter what happens, and I can’t really ask for a better ending. After all, love is the best thing there is, and “all you need is love”. ;)

Because of violence and language, I would recommend this book for ages 14 and up.

[Tabitha (Bows & Bullets Reviews) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I so just got approved for this.


REVIEW:
This review is also available on my blog, Bows & Bullets Reviews

This is it, the final showdown is a week away and Sophie must prepare to forever win the battle and be humanity's savior or die trying...and take everyone on the planet with her when she fails. No pressure, right? Add the stress of that on top of trying to heal from psycho Bethany's stab wound, trying to get Kai to talk through his feelings, and working through the revelation that Felicity is actually Demeter (AKA Persephone's mom) in disguise and this poor girl is literally developing stress rashes. Can she get it together and save the world or is humanity doomed?

I intentionally read this slowly trying to make it last longer. As excited as I was to get my hands on it, I was equally sad because I don't really want Sophie's journey to come to an end. Well...I do because a longer journey means more conflict and poor Soph has been through enough, but I know I will miss her wit and her charm and her massive amounts of snark. Yes, I can (and probably will) re-read the novels, but it's not the same, you know? I'm going to try to keep my weepy, maudlin-ness to a minimum, because it won't do the book justice, but I suspect it might creep in here and there.

If we thought Sophie had been put through the ringer before, we were sorely mistaken. Here, Sophie more or less gets shoved into Persephone's last week of life and the fall out from having to see Kai loving her or Demeter actually showing affection should be enough to send her over the deep end. Add that to the stress that she still must figure out a way to save humanity and I'm surprised she never seriously contemplated suicide. Not our Soph, though, because she's too determined and resilient to give up. She'll save the world or die trying, and force her friends to help, even if they can't remember who she is.

The Kai we get is a mash-up between book 1 dickhead Kai and book 2 charming and swoony Kai. He's obviously still not recovered from the knowledge that Persephone planned to betray him and takes a good bit of that frustration out on our undeserving Sophie. He gets better, though, and he's good-guy side takes over once again. You know all those banners up right now that say "I sigh for Kai" for Wendy Higgins Sweet Evil Trilogy? Well I want one, but for this trilogy because this Kai is beyond sigh-worthy. That speech he makes to Sophie at the end?


The rest of the gang is all present, though we don't get as much of Hannah and her nerdiness as I would have liked. Theo and Festos are the most adorable couple ever and Hannah's new found obsession with Pierce is lovable, even if it does make her into one of those girls who is more interested in her boyfriend than anything else. Poor Hannah actually is as human as the rest of us, with hormones and imperfections.

There was a point while reading this when I panicked. Though I won't say who, someone dies. An important character dies. I HATE character death and I instantly went into a tailspin. I'm going to have to write a negative review. How can I write an negative review about one of Tellulah's books?!?!? I love her and all her work. I think I even started hyperventilating at the prospect of putting negative thoughts out about an otherwise amazing series. But I hate character death and I can't not mention it, right? I can't write a review without being completely honest and I can't love something where a favorite character bites the dust. Luckily for me (and all of you) this character doesn't stay permanently dead. We get a perfectly acceptable loophole for him to be...not dead.

Though I am sad to see it end, the ending itself is perfect. I loved the way Sophie saves the world and the uplifting message that leaves you with. I can't say much more than that without spoilers, but more novels should end with that particular moral in mind. This is everything I wanted when I started it. You get deep emotional drama and trauma along with Sophie's signature level of snark. You get Kai's swooniness (though it takes a bit of time to manifest). You get to see all your favorite characters get the happy ending they deserve. The only thing it's missing is comeuppance for Bethany, but it's okay because the way the last scene with her is written is better. I can't express how thrilled I am to have had the opportunity to read this amazing series and how utterly sad I am to see it end. I feel the textbook definition of a book hangover. What am I supposed to do now?


When all is said and done, I truly recommend not only this book and this series, but anything Tellulah Darling plans to write. She will surprise you with her ability to make you laugh and cry. Her ability to write in a realistic teenage voice never fails to surprise. She writes in a way that truly reminds me of Jennifer L Armentrout and that is a compliment of the highest order. Seriously, pick up My Ex From Hell if you haven't already because it's exactly what you didn't know you were looking for and you'll thank me later.

****Thank you to Tellulah Darling/Te De Media for providing me with an eARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review****

[Jenn · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5

Sassy, swoony indeed!

What a fabulous ending to such a great series!

Well, it all comes down to this. The equinox is upon us and Sophie is nowhere close to being ready to take on Zeus and Hades. On top of that, the whole trying to work things out with Kai thing, yeah, Kai's not much of a talker. He really just wants to use his mouth for other things (not that anyone would mind that, I'm just saying).

While most of this series has been light and funny, Life went a little dark side. It's not surprising considering the epic main event that was happening, but it definitely took the playfulness down a notch. This one went more into the lore and myths than the previous two, which I loved, and it also showed just how deep betrayal lies.

Sophie never wanted this life. She just wanted to be a normal high school girl with her friends. And while she may have whined and complained about that in previous books, she steps into her role here and really grows. Walking in Persephone's shoes also helped her see that the Goddess of Spring wasn't all just sunshine and daisies.

This series has always been about finding your true self and being happy. With some strong girl power thrown in. It will remain one of my top series and everyone should read it. I can't wait to see what Darling has in store for us next.

I received an e-copy of this book from the author is exchange for an honest review.

[Diane ~Firefly~ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Satisfying end to the trilogy. Sophie gets cursed into Persephone's past in the Underworld and learns more about her old self and makes a new friend I really liked Oyzis and has to rescue an old friend with no one knowing she is Sophie.

Theo and Fee are adorable as always and I still really like Hannah. Pierce isn't around enough to really form an opinion. Sophie really grows up and deals with the issues. Kai is kind of a jerk in the past, but still love him in the present.

[Tiffany · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 Super Happy with the Ending Stars.

My wish list for this book only partially came true. But with the theme of the ending, only the happier parts came true because Sophie was much better than the blood and guts I was looking for.

Bonus - Kai. Is. The. Man (God).

[Ipshita · Rating 5 out of 5]

★★★★½

[Maraya21 (The Reading Dragon) · Rating 4 out of 5]

What. A. Ride!

Out of the books in this trilogy this was by far the heaviest. Super heavy. But that didn't diminish it's greatness, it reinforced it.

I can't write anything more specific without giving away important info about the book. What I can write is that this trilogy is worth a shot, it genuinely surprised me and now that it's over I love the characters even more.

Friendship, family, love, choices, consequences, learning, character development. It's all here and it's done well.

Now, with that said, where is my very own hot god? Here kardia mou, I don't bite (ヅ)

[Shayna Varadeaux · Rating 5 out of 5]

The absolute BEST YA Fantasy read with a mythology twist!!

I received a review copy through NetGalley! This review is posted in the My Life From Hell Book Blitz on my blog!

I went into this read torn because I love the series and hated to see it end. But man oh man was it a really good read.

I loved every agonizing second of this book. It had a gripping plot as we were counting down to the battle and the equinox. I worried nearly the entire time if it was all going to come together. I love the cast of characters, Sophie, Kai, Theo & Festos are my favorites! I liked the new twist that kept me guessing in the dynamic between Kai and Festos.

I laughed alot during this read. I can't seem to get enough of Sophie's snarky comments and crazy thought patterns. There's always a big swoon factor for me because Kyrillos is just hot! Everything about Kai is delicious even when he is a brooding jerk he's smexy as all get out. I liked getting to see more of Theo and Fess's romance. Kiki or Hekate was a cool new character too.

I thought club Nyx was pretty cool. I like the world created by Tellulah Darling alot actually. I liked that we get to see a more vulnerable side to Kai and a stronger side to Sophie in this story. I liked the way things unfolded and there was no lack of plot twists and I really liked that.

Just when I thought I had it figured out I was so wrong and things twisted again. This was a really great and epic ending to a fabulous trilogy! I recommend it and it deserves every star that I gave it.

I cannot wait to get physical copies for my three teens. they love paranormal and Greek mythology and I know they will love this and you will too! Don't second guess this one, this is a must read series for all YA lovers out there.

Get the other books in the series!!
My Ex From Hell
My Date From Hell
A Date of Godlike Proportions

A great YA series with adventure, love and chaos in EPIC proportions!

[Valeria · Rating 4 out of 5]

OMG this plot! I mean, I knew Sophie would have it hard, and that probably she’d encounter more than one setback, she always does. But I wasn’t expecting this! All the emotions, danger, action. It was one thing after the other, mixing in an intricate web of deception, agendas, and plain good kicking ass. I was very tense all the time for her, but also very entertained. So much happens; in a good way. There’s no one moment to get bored.

But the brilliance of it all is that it works so well! In the end everything that happens combines perfectly and we finally get to understand that prophecy. No loose ends here; and the story ended in a way I thought was just the perfect end. But I have to admit that sometimes I just thought the worst.

I love these characters! I want to hug them all and just be a part of the gang, even if I don’t get in the action like Hannah. I loved how they all got closer through this experience and in the end I felt so proud of them, for their selflessness and bravery. Especially Sophie, I always liked her mouthy attitude and her spark, but I’m really proud of what she achieved.

I also enjoyed the development in their individual relationships. Particularly I love Festos and Theo so much. They are great together! I’m so glad they got to be in each other’s life.

I was a bit disappointed in Hannah this time. I did feel like she wasn’t being supportive enough. I know that she got a little left behind of the all the action and intel, but still, it seemed like she had a hard time putting herself in Sophie’s shoes. I still like her though.

I liked Oizys as a new character. She was funny, and I definitely appreciated her loyalty. Kiki too! She was somewhat confusing, but meant well. A really intriguing character indeed. But the worst of the bunch were Felicia and Bethany. Ugh! I can’t stand that Bethany I really wanted to smack her stupid face. You would’ve thought she was going to give up? No! And Felicia? Let’s just say she finally showed her true colours and they’re not pretty.

I’m very sad that it had to end, but I’m happy that I got some closure too. This is by far my favourite book in the series. Excellent way to end a story of epic proportions.

*Note: I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review, but my opinion was not biased in any way by this fact.

[Katarina · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm so sad it's over. This is a brilliant series.
I loved the other books in the series and I had very high expectations of this one. And it surpassed every one of them.

Wow....what a book. The middle and end totally took me by surprise, one wild twist after another. But then I realized: there was simply no other way it could end. It was perfection.

The writing is still fantastic. Great language, so funny, witty and snarky: so intelligently written.

This book (this series) is among the best ever written for YA.

[Secretly Adorkable Readers · Rating 5 out of 5]

Compared to Kai and Sophie, Romeo & Juliet had it easy.

This was such an adorkable mythical YA Romance read of a modern tale of Son of Hades, Kai and the modern day version of Persephone. I enjoyed all the books in this series and cannot wait to read more from this author! This story will let you escape with action, humor, swooning and supernatural powers!

[Cecilia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Best book in the whole series!! <3

Read my whole review at Book Obsession

[Alya Atiera · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 ★★★★☆

❝I wanted that scary free fall where your heart is in someone else’s hands and theirs in yours. Instead of making you weak, it was the most precious, most secure place to be.❞

⚠︎ Spoiler if you haven’t read the previous book. ⚠︎

❥ Mental breakdown
❥ Save the world from apocalypse
❥ 'The world is against me'

《 Thoughts 》
25% - What a mess
78% - OMG
85% - What....
87% - Excuse me....?

😧😰😩😣😰😍

If you don't want to read something with very extremely immature teenage trying to save the world, then don't pick this up. Of course there's growth when you almost reached the end of the book. It's just that there's a lot of immaturity at the start of the book. I understand it because well, she's only like sixteen when all of this started. You can't expect her to be matured immediately right?

All in all, it's an enjoyable roller coaster ride with this series. My first book by Tellulah Darling and I enjoyed it. I wish I could read from Kai's POV because he's just so mysterious you know? I wonder what did he do when Sophie's burning. I mean tweleve hours? Damn. I only read it for like 15 minutes and you're telling me all of that is in twelve hours? It must have been a shock to him. Would really love to know what happened to him in those twelve hours. 🙁

《 Story 》
◆ Type? Series.
◆ POV? Sophie's.

⚝ Language: Has cursing.
⚝ Fluff: 💐
⚝ Romance: 🌹🌹🌹
⚝ Action: ⚔️⚔️⚔️
⚝ Suspense: 🎭
⚝ Trigger: Violence

✒ Synopsis
Sophie has been staying at Festos's house to recover after being stabbed by Bethany. Besides, it's not like she can go back to school after being pulled out off school. Of course, it takes a toll on her mind especially after she found that her old self has actually been planning to betray both her mother and lover.

She keep on saying she is different from her old self. That she's not like that. With the deadline getting closer and closer, she's getting even more frustrated than before with her inner voice telling her to do the opposite of what she want, letting it all loose. Will she eventually snaps?

《 Characters 》
❐ Sophie Amalia Bloom, Persephone
In this book, Sophie has become anxious (I think so because she keeps scratching her arm when she's under stress. Sorry if I'm wrong) and she started hearing inner voice in her head, giving comments here and there. She's telling everyone that she's fine but she's totally not. Far from it. There's also a lot of rage inside her.

❐ Kai, son of Hades
Kai is being elusive in this after he finds out about Persephone's betrayal. Although he knows it's not Sophie, he couldn't seem to make peace with it. Everytime she tries to talk to him about it, he always run away.

❐ Hannah & Theo, Sophie's friend
Definitely her best friends but with drama this time because Sophie is highly unstable. They try to be there for her. But is it enough?

[Hira · Rating 5 out of 5]

I. LOVED. THIS. BOOOKKK!!! I loved the whole trilogy! And it breaks my heart to say goodbye to my beloved characters. I miss them already.



Story:



The story was awesomesauce! It was a perfect ending to a trilogy. Like the previous books, it was full of adventure and suspense and stuff I didn't see coming. The story was super interesting and had a perfect pace. This book was unputdownable! Other than the action the story contained friendship and romance and the message of loving yourself which was really relatable. I loved how at the end it all came down to love, even if it was of different kinds and differently expressed.

Writing:



The writing, as usual, was great. Tellulah has definitely become one of my favorite writers. I love her writing style. It is so comfortable and keeps you reading. She creates a great atmosphere through her words and writes amazing, memorable characters.

Characters: I loved seeing these characters grow. I loved getting to know them better and feeling like they were my friends.

Sophie was kickass as ever.



She grew up a lot in this book and you can see how much she changed (for the better) from how she was in the first book. I love how Sophie was flawed and like normal people she didn't usually realize her mistakes. But when she did, she tried to correct them and make things better. Her actions didn't always make sense but they were driven by emotions and I understood her completely. Sophie was relatable and I loved being in her head.

Kai, oh Kai! I didn't think you could be more swoony.



We see a different side to Kai in this book. And by different I mean different! I love him still, maybe even more. I love how Kai is a bad boy but the good kind of bad boy. Not a bad boy with a softie heart but a bad boy who isn't really all that bad. I know I'm not making sense but yeah, I love Kai. He was really well-written and not there just for show. I loved his story, his personality and I loved how he stood his own as a character. He felt very real, even if he was a god. ;)

Prometheus/Theo was a really great character. I'm kind of glad that he was the more important best friend between him and Hannah. Not that I didn't like Hannah. But as a character I liked Theo better. He was a very interesting character and honestly with his story a whole novel (or more) could be written as him as the protagonist. He was a complex character and really well-written. I loved his friendship with Sophie.

The rest of the gang were great as usual. I was sort of annoyed with Hannah but I understood her position as well. Festos was cool as ever and I loved his friendship with Sophie and relationship with Theo. Cassie & Anil were adorable and played their part well as side characters. I'm glad Bethany didn't show up much, I was getting tired of that girl. A new character I really really liked was Oizys. She was a diverse, well-written character and I would gladly read books about her story.

Out of the villains we had our old Hades & Zeus who were their usual selves. We also had a new villain, Demeter, and I gotta say she was very well written! She was so twisted but still made sense.

Romance: Kai & Sophie were!!!!



They were dysfunctional but exactly how I imagine a real couple would be (seeing as I don't have any experience myself). I loved seeing the serious side to their relationship and having them work through their problems. It made them more real. They were perfect together! It's been a long time since I have loved a couple so much. These two were sexy and adorable and everything in between.



Overall: I really really loved this trilogy and would definitely visit this world again. I would highly recommend this if you like romantic comedies with action and a badass heroine. It has an awesome plot, great writing, well-written characters, sometimes witty sometimes meaningful dialogue, it was a really good experience reading this book. I don't usually like series, I'm more of a standalone girl, but I really enjoyed this.

[Estefany · Rating 5 out of 5]

So I read the first two book when they first came out and then I took a break from reading so I never finished this series.
Today I finished and I have to say this book was the best way this series could end. I love this book it was so beautiful and heartfelt and emotional.
The characters grew so much from the first book and we finally got to see more of Persephone and how she was and the underworld.
I love this series and I am glad I re read all the books before reading this one. I have to say the books came out in 2013 if I’m not mistaken and I can tell you I didn’t forget anything about the characters or this world in 6 years later it took me to finish the last one and re read the first two.

[Bridget · Rating 5 out of 5]

Please tell me Dan Levi plays Fee in the movie

Please tell me there's a movie, too.
Fantastic conclusion to this classical kick-boot series. When that thing happened with the fire and the stuff (NO SPOILERS), I nearly lost it. But, all together now, this story and series gave us all ya' need (and what all YA needs, too). But, what can you expect from the Fabulous Tallulah Darling but it being a Wilde ride? Deborah Wilde, that is. She loves you, ya ya ya.
Hannah Solo. HAHAHAHAHA!

[Yessenia Andaverde · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ok. Fine. The bad thing? The heroine is the most dramatic here. She yells and cries and sobs. Even hears a voice in her head telling her bad things. And the angst and teenage drama. This was supposed to be a story about beings thousands of years old. But they all sound as if they were 16.

The good thing? The twists. They were interesting and changed the picture completely. This story got better at the very end, but it did.

[Yani · Rating 5 out of 5]

I spent half of the time mad at Sophie for ending up being the typical YA heroine that falls apart for a guy. The other half I spent glued to my seat with my heart in my throat, trying to read faster than light so I could figure out what happened to my babies. All in all, it was a nice and fun rollercoaster ride.

[Deanna Rodriguez (Cook) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Captivating

It was everything I wanted! It reminded me of Percy Jackson with a girls voice. Literally could not stop reading!!! I would recommend this trilogy to anyone who enjoys a captivating story AND Greek mythology!

[Daniele · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing

One of the best books I've read. It had many tear jerkers but was worth every single one. I wish there was another book that goes to show Sophie's and Kai's relationship.

[Andréa]

Note: I received a digital review copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley.

[Erin Arkin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great end to the series!

My Life From Hell is the third (and final) book in The Blooming Goddess series by Tellulah Darling. I am a bit sad to be saying goodbye to these characters. This series has a great mix of snarky characters, serious challenges, and swoony boys….all my favorite things. If you haven’t started this series yet, definitely check it out. Darling mixes in the trials of being a teenager alongside the issues one would face if they suddenly found out they were a Greek Goddess living in a human body.

Book three dives right back into the story and if you remember, My Date From Hell ended with a bang….or knife to the stomach (literally). Sophie has been living with Festos while recuperating from the wound that Bethany gave her since she can’t go back to Hope Park. Another piece to this is now that Sophie remembers everything Persephone did; she is also having visions and doesn’t really know what they mean. Things begin to click as the story progresses but they are just adding to the stress that Sophie is dealing with. Added all together, things are getting really tough for Sophie and I was definitely worried about whether she was going to get through this whole thing.

Along with all that trauma, Sophie has been trying to get Kai to talk to her. Since he found out that Persephone was actually going to betray him the first time they were going to do the ritual he has been closed off and although they have some killer make out sessions, he refuses to discuss anything with Sophie and is still more than a little angry. BUT – Kai is Kai and I do love him. Although he struggles with the past, he really does love Sophie. Trust definitely doesn’t come easy to either of these characters because of how they have grown up but once they get past all the junk, they really are good for each other. I think Sophie says it best “Boys who slay monsters for their friends are dreamy.”

I have to say, Sophie has changed quite a bit since book one and has learned a lot about herself. I liked seeing the growth and seeing her move into being more accepting of who she is and what she can do. I think at the end of this one, with the help of the people around her, she realizes just who is important (Family = Kai, Theo, Fee, and Hannah) and what she values. Her relationships have also changed – throughout this book we see Sophie struggling a bit with the change in the dynamic of her relationship with Hannah as well as Theo.

As usual, this book has quite a bit of action. It also has a few twists I didn’t expect. I won’t give anything away but one of the great parts was getting to see Persephone’s point of view and seeing both Persephone and Sophie together (in a sense). One of the things I like best in all of Darling’s books is the dialogue between the characters and it definitely continues through this final book. It gave me a view of how these characters interact with each other and the dynamic between them. Things have changed throughout but there is always a lot of love with a dose of sarcasm and wit.

The secondary characters definitely shine in this book. With Hannah taking a bit of a back seat in this book, we are introduced to a new character named Oizys and she was a solid fill in. As the goddess of Misery, she is the opposite of everything Persephone is and this created a great dynamic with Sophie. Demeter/Felicia also has a bigger part in this story and we learn more about the relationship she had with Persephone and Persephone’s feelings toward her on top of Sophie coming to some realizations about Demeter/Felicia. When Kiki/Hekate was introduced and put her spin on the story, things started to come together.

I thought Darling did a great job of tying together the past and present as well as giving the reader some insight into all of the different relationships. There were some things that came out in this book (e.g. the friendship between Kai and Festos) that although there was clearly something from their past that impacted their relationships today, we weren’t really aware of and I was happy to get the clarification.

This was a wonderful wrap up to Sophie’s story and although I am sad that her story has ended, I appreciate the way that Darling wrapped it up. If you enjoy Greek mythology, solid characters, and a great story, definitely check this one out.

Thank you to Tellulah Darling and Netgalley for the review copy.

[MGGMMGGM · Rating 5 out of 5]

Originally posted at The Solitary Bookworm

First of all, let me thank Dianne from Oops! I Read a Book Again for giving me the heads up once this baby appeared in Netgalley. I immediately texted her when I finished reading My Date From Hell and gushed all over that conversation. Haha! She sent me a message a soon as My Life From Hell was up for requests so thank you D for reminding me – much love to you dear.

I will not to humiliate myself with too much fangirling over the series – I will try, but no promises. As I said from my review of My Date From Hell, this trilogy is a complete packages oozing with so much awesomeness unlike any other. It is not a tearjerker that will change your life, nor will it give you clarify and peace. It is also not a breakthrough story that you have not read before. My Life From Hell, and the series as a whole, is a YA read about a about Sophie and her adventures after finding out that she is Persephone but without the confidence, power or her memories. Imagine everything goddess and bottle that inside a teenager – that can only mean disaster. It is a YA with mythology centered plots so expect too much emotion, ego and power trip, drama and romantic plots to it but done right.

I super love Sophie in My Life From Hell because if you thought that she was badass in the first two books, then you’ll surely appreciate her in the final book. She is pushed beyond her limits – physically, emotionally and mentally – yet her determination and strength only became stronger than ever. She is glorious and definitely showed everyone what she is capable off. I saw Sophie’s vulnerability here – and the moment she overcame those fears was epic and she kicked ass while doing it. If you think that Kai was swoon worthy before – then you have not read My Life From Hell yet. Though Kai loved Persephone before and it is evident in the story, he is definitely inlove with Sophie. Two different things. Though Sophie may not trust it – the readers do and we have been rooting for Kai ever since that kiss. I don’t believe that he was attracted to Sophie because she is Persephone – Sophie is a different league on her own. And as I have been saying over and over again – the chemistry between these two is insane. The main characters rocks (obviously) but what I enjoyed also in the series is how Tellulah incorporated everybody in the story and no one was left out. Everyone was connected and I thank Tellulah for creating an intricate stories that does not only revolve around the main characters – I cannot imagine the series without Hannah, Theo, Fee and even the Zeus and the other baddies. The trilogy was never one dimensional. It had a lot of twist and turns and I enjoyed everything. Everyone grew on me and I love every single one of them regardless their involvement.

What more can I say? I think I covered everything in my previous review. Questions are answered with clarity. We have resolution and revelation and I was not expecting a trilogy with so much depth. As the character grew, the story developed deeper than one anticipate. The ending was perfect – and as sad as the thought that the series came to its end, I love the fact that Tellulah will leave the readers with the satisfaction that they deserve. She has not only earned a spot in my bookshelf, Tellulah has earned my respect as a reader and earned the recognition she deserves as a writer. My Life From Hell is the final installment of the trilogy and I have to say that Tellulah Darling outdid herself in writing a fantastic ending to a wondrous trilogy that was quite enjoyable and addicting.

[Nova Zaiden · Rating 4 out of 5]

View more content on my blog: Out of Time

The finale of a swoony, funny trilogy. And boy, did it end with a bang! - Nova @ Out of Time

I wasn't really sure what to think about this book. I'd binge read the first two books and pretty much enjoyed them! I really liked the element of snark and personalities of the characters above all else. It was something different that I enjoyed, considering this book wasn't written like a diary.

I really liked this conclusion. This book happened over the course of a week, so I anticipated something mellow. WRONNNNGGG! What I got instead was a crazy whirlwind adventure that I got lost on and then got right back on afterward. It was definitely eventful, fun and what I think was a really good conclusion!

So for Sophie Bloom, she and her friends have to perform a ritual to overthrow the evil Gods. This is a ritual where she must confess her true love to Mr Swoony Kai. It's now a week before the time this ritual has to happen. Obviously everyone's freaking out. If Sophie fails... well... that really wouldn't be good.

What I really liked about this story was how it wasn't predictable. I knew this story wasn't going to be smooth sailing, it would be boring if it was. But what I didn't anticipate was all the crazy twists and turns involved. The interpretation of prophecies was a huge thing that connected the entire story together and I didn't get it until the characters did. I think that's good; it's fun to not be sitting there going "OMG, this is what it means! You characters are all so stupid!" and just be the one going "Oh!" when the characters find out too!

Tellulah's writing was still very en pointe. It's the same Sophie we know and love. I think she did a lot of growth in this book and the last. It's more because she's not just some human anymore; she's Persephone and in the book, there's a lot weighing on her shoulders so she really has to step her game up.

Unfortunately, I didn't see much growth in the other characters. I'm blaming it on the fact that the last book did a lot for this series. It carried the story along and dealt with a lot of the development. Characters like Theo and Kai are already so layered with painted out pasts in great detail. I don't think there could've been much to improve them anyway.

What I didn't like about this book was that I got confused. Again. All aboard the confused train because I got confused all three books. There's this one part where Sophie's sucked into this AU world and she becomes Persephone and no one remembers anything about Sophie. It's like she got sucked into the past or something. And then in one scene, Kai shows up and calls her Sophie and I'm like "what just happened...?" But I kind of just let it go and kept going on with the story, which was all smoothly written from there.

What I also didn't like was the mention of certain characters. I felt like they had no real relevance to the story and also slowed it down. There were parts that I skipped over because it was kind of wasting my time. I'm really not into the whole idea of fullers anyway.

Overall, I really do like this series! I'm going to go find that novella. I really like the cute scenes with Kai and Sophie, the serious scenes and the scenes that are hilarious. Darling really knows how to go between them and still make them sound believable.

[Lori Palle · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Most families yelled at their kids when they got mad. Mine sent hit squads. Greek gods: putting the “diss” in dysfunctional.”—Sophie

Sophie has faced killer minions, killer gods and goddesses, killer parents, and pretty much anything that could be described as “killer.” If that wasn’t bad enough, her relationship with Kai, the Prince of Darkness, has hit a seriously rocky path that would make even a couples counselor baffled, and she might possibly lose both her best friends. Oh, and all of humanity. But the hardest part? Somehow, she’s got to find peace with her inner goddess Persephone—the one who got her into this literally apocalyptic mess…

“I am about to show you the true meaning of teenage rebellion.”—Sophie

I can’t believe the trilogy is done! I want more of Sophie, Kai, and the rest of the gang! In this final installment, the stakes have been raised and all that’s standing between the gods and their goal of destroying all of humanity is a really, really stressed out Sophie. And by stressed, I mean there’s no amount of Valium that’ll help out our beleaguered Goddess of I-Hate-Spring.

The start of the book felt a bit jarring for me since we pick up two months after the events in book 2. There’s a 2.5 novella so I’m not sure if the time span is covered in that or if this really is an intended time jump. Regardless, it was kind of a bummer to start off with the past two months getting recapped although it was needed to get the story going. As I was reading, aside from the time jump, I still felt like there was something off that I couldn’t place my finger on. I absolutely loved the first two books with the zany situations, the quirky humor, and the snarky and funny character voice. Since the stakes are indeed higher in this book, the tone felt a bit more serious and an uber-stressed out Sophie wasn’t as much fun as in the first two books. There were still some fun moments, but I wasn’t laughing out loud as much as I did with the first two.

Sophie also has the unfortunate goal of finding peace with the goddess—aka her past self—who ruined everything for her. One of the things that I wasn’t expecting and totally loved was that we actually got to see a bit of the much loved Persephone’s life and learn that maybe she wasn’t as loved as everyone assumed. Well, considering who we discovered murdered Persephone in book two, we probably should have already known that.

And not only do we get to know and—gasp—kinda understand Persephone, we get to see old Kai and Theo, the latter in his glorious titan form. Kai totally loses points—but who could blame the Prince of Darkness for being, you know, a cold-hearted jerk who is really dark and prince-like—while Theo gains many, many awesome points. I absolutely loved him after reading this book and was ready to pair Theo and Sophie in my mind. I wouldn’t though. Fee would be a tad bit annoyed, and no one wants to mess with the God of Fire and Volcanoes.

Overall, I enjoyed the book although not as much as the first two. While I mostly loved the ending, I did wish for a bit more closure and resolution. The author does give us some leeway to decide for ourselves what will happen next for Sophie, and we’re not totally left hanging (although I would love a 3.5 novella set in the future!). Overall, this is a 4 out of 5 for me!

(Originally posted on my blog; I received a Netgalley copy in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.)

[Francine Soleil · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perfect ending. Dear Tellulah Darling, I love you. Thank you for this trilogy.

originally posted here: http://alwayslostinbooks.wordpress.co...

WOW! WOW! WOW! I didn’t think the other books could top the first book in this series, but this book! This book! There aren’t enough words! It was not what I was expecting it to be, but it was awesome!

Sophie Bloom, aka Persephone, continues her fight to go against Zeus and Hades and to save the world. The stress over everything is taking its toll on her, and her ex from hell, Kai, isn’t really making everything easier. She’ll also experience misunderstandings with her best friend, and she has to face her mother who couldn’t care less about her. Time’s running out on Sophie and she needs to get it together in order to win this.

My Life From Hell answers a lot of the questions from the previous books, and even shows what exactly happened to Persephone before she became Sophie, showing more on Persephone’s stay in the Underworld. I got to meet a lot more Greek mythology characters too. I think my favorite one would be seeing Prometheus in all of his titan glory. He’s one of my favorite characters.

I’m not going to comment much on the characters, but I simply must talk about Bethany. She is the queen of the mean girls in Sophie’s boarding school, but due to certain circumstances, she made connections with the Greek gods/guardians/etc., which aided in her beauty, fame, and so on. But the girl is just pure evil. If this were Harry Potter, she would be Umbridge. (Sorry to those who don’t get the reference.) Basically she’s a loathsome character that one couldn’t easily get rid off, and she’s present in all three books. That didn’t put a damper on my love for this book or series though.

I think that love was one of the things that made this book really special to me. I personally adore how the term love was used in this book. It wasn’t just about the romance. It was also about friendship and about one’s self. I want to share so much about the awesomeness but spoilers. D: We see too many YA books that focus so much on romantic love, and I’m really fond of how Tellulah Darling deviated from that. Yes, there was still romance, but there was so much more for Sophie and her friends.

This is one of the most satisfying trilogies that I have ever read and it has made me really excited to read MORE from Tellulah Darling, even though there isn’t any news yet for a new book.

**************************************************

OVERALL, My Life From Hell is one of the most perfect series endings ever. I will admit that I faltered a little after the second book and novella and thought that none of the sequels could top the first book. But I was wrong. This was just one helluva epic conclusion. Tellulah Darling managed to break my heart, but also make it soar and flutter about. She made me laugh so much and she kept me flipping the pages. This book seriously gave me a big book hangover. My Life From Hell is awesome and I recommend everyone to read it. But if you want to be more specific, this offers Greek mythology with a twist in a modern setting. It’s funny, snarky, and unique. I love love love this book and series.

[Eleanor · Rating 5 out of 5]

First, I have to say this journey with Tellulah has been wonderful. I was honored to take part in her crazy challenges promoting My Date From Hell, I was excited when I received My Ex From Hell and every other title after it just the same.

Both Ex and Date were hilarious, though I’ll admit I enjoyed Ex more than Date. HOWEVER, My Life From Hell is a whole different ballgame. Without further ado, let me give you my thoughts on the book, that sealed the adorable The Blooming Goddess trilogy.

My Date From Hell concluded with Sophie being dragged away from school by her evil mother, Demeter, immediately after getting all of Persephone’s memories back and Kai realizing Persephone conspired with Demeter to betray him. Of course, the one to suffer from this little piece of information is Sophie.

My Life From Hell begins with a BIG surprise for the readers. And one that I, for one, really enjoyed. Sophie is now living with Theo and Fee in Fee’s loft. Theo can’t very well go back to school having been revealed for who he really is. The equinox is fast approaching and there are things to figure out as well as broken hearts to mend.

The group finds out their ward at the equinox site has been warded by Hades, so in order to gain access to the site they must use Demeter. Confronting her in order to get that access, Sophie strikes up a devastating deal, and wanting to or not, ends up in the Underworld again, against her will. But, here’s the tricky part – she’s Sophie, but in Persephone’s body. She’s reliving all that happens prior to Persephone’s death the first time, but this time in order to save the world, she must save herself. I mean, Persephone.

I think Sophie’s growth throughout the trilogy is very pronounced in this book and just at the perfect time when she need to literally save the world. She’s mature (mostly) and determined (mostly) and her strength manifests in different parts of the story, and in various aspects of her journey. I also loved the manipulation Darling did on Sophie’s journey – her key to saving the world. I think there were hidden clues to that conclusion strewn through the entire trilogy. Very clever.

I’ve got to dedicate a little bit of this review to Festos and Theo. G’damn, those boys are adorable beyond any comprehension. I think Fee is one of my favorite characters in this trilogy, and him not showing up in My Ex from Hell is a miss for anyone who decided to stop reading after book 1. I can respect not connecting with the story, but seriously – Fee is worth giving it a second shot. The boy is sarcastic, funny, determined, smart and in his own geeky-godly way – swoony.

My Life From Hell was a great conclusion to the trilogy and Sophie and Kai’s story. I can summarize this book as a great mythology meets modern humor story, wonderfully happy, funny, action packed with a HEA that leaves a sweet taste. And don’t forget all the Kai swoons. That boy… och. I love him.

My Rating: 4.5 Stars

* My deepest thanks to Tellulah Darling, Te Da Media Publishing and NetGalley for this advanced copy of the book.

I definitely can’t wait for more words from Tellulah Darling.