Ungodly Rich: A Novel

by Katharine McGee

NATIONAL BESTSELLER Old gods, new rules. New York Times bestselling author Katharine McGee boldly reimagines the Greek gods as a family of billionaires—with all the messy drama that entails.

“A modern twist on Greek mythology that blends the opulence of Crazy Rich Asians with the scandal of Gossip Girl.”—Woman’s World

When Julia Dodds meets Harry Adams, love hits her like a lightning bolt. He’s adventurous, charismatic, and impossibly handsome. Little does Julia know that her boyfriend has left out a few key details. His name isn’t it’s Ares, as in the ancient god of war. His mother is Hera, and his father is Zeus.

Soon, Julia is caught up in a world of wealth and privilege as she joins Harry at a lavish family reunion. Except these billionaires don’t just have wealth—they have divine powers. And the moment she steps onto their private island, Julia becomes their latest target.

It’s no secret that the Gods love to meddle, and when it comes to Julia, Harry’s immortal relatives each have their own agenda. Harry’s mother, Hera, will do anything to protect her own. Harry’s sister-in-law Aphrodite has a deeply personal reason for hating Julia, and tasks Hermes, keeper of family secrets, with digging up dirt. Meanwhile, Hades has spent years trying to upend Zeus’s power—and now he finally sees an opportunity to strike.

Set against a globe-trotting backdrop that sweeps from New York’s exclusive private clubs to the wilds of New Zealand to the gated estates of the British aristocracy, Ungodly Rich is a story of love, revenge, secrets, sex, and the most ancient motivator of family.

“The cliff-hanger ending is begging for a sequel.”—People

Genres: Fantasy, Romance, Fiction, Audiobook, Mythology, Adult, Romantasy

Audible Audio

First published July 7, 2026

About the author

Katharine McGee is the New York Times bestselling author of American Royals and The Thousandth Floor trilogy. She studied English and French literature at Princeton University and has an MBA from Stanford. She lives in her hometown of Houston, TX with her husband.

Reviews

[Liralen · Rating 4 out of 5]

When Julia meets her boyfriend Harry's family, it's something of a shock to the system—they aren't an ordinary family but a business empire in and of themselves, and they're jaw-droppingly powerful and rich...some might say ungodly rich. And there's just one tiny thing that Harry hasn't told her...his name isn't Harry. It's Ares. And there's a reason his family is so powerful.

The squeal I squelt when I saw that McGee had a new series in the works—I'm still not over the fact that the American Royals series is complete, and the Queen's Match duet sent me down so many Wikipedia rabbit holes that I'm surprised my laptop didn't overheat and die. Like many kids, I had D'Aulaires' Book of Greek Myths, and you'd better believe it stuck with me...so this was a total delight.

This is the Greek gods if they'd managed to make it into the modern age with a little bit of luck and a whole lot of savvy. They've adapted—maybe people are no longer leaving offerings or building temples, but they've found other ways to stay relevant and powerful, and they've found ways to maintain privacy even in a world where everyone has a camera and the Internet in their pocket. What they haven't found is a way to make peace with each other...or a way to welcome newcomers into the fold.

This is full of drama, and it's delicious. McGee doesn't write her characters squeaky-clean—rather, some of her most interesting characters are grasping and determined and focused. They want to maintain their positions or gain better positions; they have power without necessarily accountability. They make bad choices, and choices that hurt other people, and at the same time you're able to root for them, because it's possible to see where they're coming from just how much they have on the line.

Not sure how long this series will be, but I'll be along for the ride.

Thanks to the author and publisher for providing a review copy through NetGalley.

[Erin Craig · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely everything I hoped it would be! 😍😍😍

[Janssen]

This was just an absolute delight

[mehreen · Rating 4 out of 5]

that was a RIDE. my favourite part of this reading experience was guessing which god/goddess was which based on their alias. this book was a whole dramatic mess from start to finish, and while i am begging for julia to run away from these people (gods) forever, i also can't wait to see where katharine mcgee takes this story next. the plot is kinda silly, so are the characters, some things don't make a whole lot of sense if you think about it too much (like why can't they just make julia a minor goddess, why does she have to replace someone on the olympic council, maybe that's just a gap in my ancient greek knowledge idk but i DID wonder , but it was just really fun to read and a good time. and i can always count on katharine mcgee for that.

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pre-read: if there is a katharine mcgee book, i am THERE to read it

[cyd · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced readers copy in exchange for an honest review. This book was so fun and such a fun take on greek mythology. I loved all different character povs and it was not confusing to follow all the different plots. The plot twists were all kind of predictable but i still really enjoyed this. After that ending I am assuming this will become a series and I will definitely be continuing.

[Jamie Rosenblit · Rating 5 out of 5]

I need a sequel NOWWW

[Kelly (and the Book Boar) · Rating 2 out of 5]

I’ll gladly shoulder the blame for taking an L on this one and let this serve as a friendly reminder that if you are like me and rarely read a synopsis before picking up your next read you either need to learn how to DNF or realize they all aren’t going to be winners.

Like I just said I picked this one up blind for the title alone. As a connoisseur of all things Bravo and the vulgar displays of wealth which can be found especially with the Beverly Hills’ Housewives (and Heather on OC), I was stoked to read about some richie-riches behaving badly. What I didn’t realize was that the title was to be taken literally and this was truly going to be about the Gods all of us Boomers had to learn about back in school. It also was really trying to be a Crazy Rich Asian sort of plotline with a wedding that the family doesn’t want to happen, but ugh what a boring slog it was for me. The rating is absolutely through the roof, however, so just call me a wrongreader once again and that’s fine with me.

[Natalie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was SUCH a unique take on the Greek gods and their myths, but in a contemporary setting.

Basically, while the gods are no longer “worshipped” as such and ordinary people are not aware that they are gods (they think they are just a wealthy and influential family), people’s interests in what they represent give them power (Ares appeals to adrenaline junkies, Aphrodite to those obsessed with beauty and vanity, etc).

Right off the bat, I thought the naming system of the gods was so clever (Athena = Alina, Zeus = Bruce, Hera = Tara, etc). It was so fun to follow along and learn the new name for each god.

I really liked the story as well. Julia was an interesting character to follow as the only “normal” person so to speak. She managed to hold her own really well and was really quick witted as well. I loved her relationship with Harry and they were so cute together! Normally I don’t tend to enjoy book where the couple have fallen in love prior to the events of the story, but it worked really well here since they had great chemistry and there were some flashbacks.

There are multiple perspectives and I liked seeing the gods interacting with each other as well as how the overarching plot came together. I also liked the various nods to mythology scattered in the story.

Also, that ending! What?!? There had better be a sequel coming!

Definitely pick this book up if you’re at all interested in Greek gods and mythology because it was very well done. I really enjoyed it!

[Rachel | rachelturnsthepage · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 ⭐️

UNGODLY RICH has been flying under the radar this summer, and it definitely deserves more recognition 👏🏼

💖 Think CRAZY RICH ASIANS meets GOSSIP GIRL with a touch of Greek mythology. It was such a fun ride from start to finish!

Julia and Harry have been dating for two years when she encourages him to reconnect with his estranged family by attending their reunion in Greece. What she doesn't know is that his family isn't just incredibly wealthy, they're the Greek gods.

✨ This was the perfect light fantasy for anyone looking to dip their toes into the genre. I loved the modern take on the gods and all of the family drama, secrets, and over-the-top wealth that came with it. It felt fresh, entertaining, and incredibly bingeable.

There are a lot of characters, especially since many of them have both modern names and their godly identities, but I was surprised by how easy they were to keep track of. I think that's a testament to McGee's storytelling and character work.

I can't wait to see where the story goes in the next book!

Thank you PRH audio for the free audiobook 🫶🏼

[Angelie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Greek gods and goddesses behaving like entitled immortal billionaire brats, but with divine powers! This is the exact book I have been needing. Loaded with the best kinds of family drama. It's so entertaining, fresh, vibrant in all forms, and perfect 👌 on audio.

Run to get this one!

[Brandice · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ungodly Rich is a Succession meets Greek mythology story and I’m pleasantly surprised by how much I liked this — I mean, I loved it!

Set in the contemporary world with justtt the right amount of magical realism, Ungodly Rich is a family drama brimming with secrets, deception, power, and tension. Told from multiple POVs, the story involves Gods, mortals, responsibilities, and motives. I’m not usually drawn to Greek mythology but the balance of other elements and the story taking place in a modern era were strengths.

The only downside for me was the abrupt ending that definitely leaves things open, implying there’s more to come. I’m not a big series reader, however, I will absolutely tune in for this, at least a sequel! Highly recommend!

[Andi · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like to thank NetGalley and the publisher for allowing a read.

I enjoyed this book, but I felt like it was more of a set up for the next book than an actual book?

We meet our cast of characters, we see them interact, we see that there is suspicion (or was it fate) on how she met her fiance.

It'd make a fun film or a TV series (I guess something like this aired on Netflix with Jeff Goldblum), but I want some more depth. Watching a back and forth upper-handed fight between a goddess and a mortal(?) was just too simple of a plot for me.

Based on the ending of the book, we're getting book two, which will seem to get the ball rolling on the dramatics and the family spatting.

It's a fun book, but it's not 5 stars original and new.

[Rara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Modern retelling of Greek Mythology? I am set..
WDYM Ares falling in love with a mortal woman? Im down..

Love love loveee this..

[Caitlin · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the idea of this. For a bit, it reminded me of Crazy Rich Asians but as Greek Gods.

In the end, it really just wasn't all that entertaining and Julia was not likeable enough for me to understand all the drama around her. I might read the second book if I'm in the mood.

[Adria · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was SO much fun!

[AshleyCC · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 rounded up. Did I see the ending coming from a mile away? Yes. Did I also enjoy the ride along the way? Also yes.

[Kerry Richards · Rating 2 out of 5]

I had two main problems with this book: the plot and the characters.

The plot: Warning that this is clearly meant to be the first book in a series. It does NOT tell whole story in itself and the whole things read like set up. I just kept waiting and waiting for something to happen and barely anything does.

The characters: The author was really disserved by sticking to the personalities of Greek gods and not explaining throughly enough why they don’t act like normal people. They are selfish and vain and awful which makes sense in context of being immortal beings, but not in context of enjoying reading about them. The only non-God charcter is our main one, but she is essentially just a Mary Sue. She is so boring and there is no chemistry between her and Henry. The author kept telling me they were in love but I never saw it or felt it.

[Mythili · Rating 2 out of 5]

I liked this book but also it's infuriating and I cannot in good conscience give it a higher rating. I mean, I did stay up late finishing it, and kept reading it in small snippets while out getting dinner (e.g., while waiting for my friend to go to the bathroom) so it's definitely readable in that sort of omg I can't put it down sort of way. It's almost as if it's got a desire compulsion built into it, so that everyone has to finish...

And if anyone else has the same question I do: it is a standalone, but with way enough threads to have a follow up.

I read McGee's American Royals series (about an alternate universe in which George Washington does become King of America) and found the first two books similar to this one before the last two surprised me with their stakes and maturity. On that 50/50 chance I was willing to also read this one, recommended by Aileen as "not literature but that's not why we're reading it." I don't particularly care about reading Literature, a lot of it is boring. Most of it. And most of it is about dudes dressed in black gossiping about feelings or whatever. But I do care about logical consistency, and that's why this book made me mad.

Our plot is thus: Julia Dodds is aimlessly wandering through life except that she has a hunky boyfriend who loves her, Harry Adams. Except Harry is actually Harry Ellesme, one of the heirs of this multibillion dollar conglomerate of everything (like a chaebol, but Greek) and, oh, also Ares the god of war. The worldbuilding is a bit handwave-y, but basically the Greek gods are real, their powers can determine the literal fate of the world (e.g., once a year they get together to determine the outcomes of elections, what to do about climate change, the winners of the World Cup), and they spend their days being, well, super petty and involved in the minutiae of day to day life. Julia arrives, the first mortal +1 in eons, and everyone is aflutter because Ares wants to elevate her to being one of the twelve gods in the Pantheon, which hasn't been done since Aphrodite was elevated ~1,000(?) years ago (displacing Hestia). Also Aphrodite and Ares got caught in bed together by Aphrodite's husband/Ares' brother Hephaestus, causing Ares to run away for a few years and all sorts of strife. Aphrodite stayed behind and has struggled with what she did to her solid, loving husband AND worries that she'll be kicked out of the Pantheon to make way for Julia because she's always been an outsider (at her voting-in ceremony, all the goddesses voted against her except for Hera, who voted yes because she loved her son and wanted him to have what she wanted).

As any good Greek god retelling should be, it's exceedingly soap opera-y and full of messy characters. Since that's Greek gods in a nutshell, I have no notes. But I have LOTS of notes about:

- Climbing: one pivotal scene that makes Julia go huh something is weird about this fiance of mine is when they're top rope climbing, are climbing down (!) and her belayer gets so distracted by how sexy Ares looks that she lets go of the rope (!) such that Julia starts freefalling. Ares leaps up 20 feet to save her, holding onto her and the wall with superhuman strength, but of course everyone assumes that's not what happened.

THIS MAKES NO EFFING SENSE. You don't climb down a top rope wall--you belay down, and so your partner would be aware that you were about to belay down and be paying attention. Also everyone uses a grigri these days, especially in a hipster climbing wall in Brooklyn, so unless her belayer literally unclipped her (????) there's no way to 'fall.' And there are TONS of people watching at all times in a gym, so if Ares really did vault up a wall to grab her everyone would have seen? And someone might have caught it on tape as well??

- How long Aphrodite is a god: the Greek gods are, like, REALLY old. We're introduced to Aphrodite when she's a babely mortal maiden, washing clothes in a river, and Hephaestus shows up. She already knows that he's immortal because she can just ~tell~ which leads me to think that she's from an era that still knows Greek gods? Or godly manifestations? But that's like, thousandS of years ago, not just a thousand, and if so Aphrodite has been a god for way longer than she's given credit for. Which also means she's not going to still have imposter syndrome when around normal humans, because she's been immortal and fabulously wealthy for thousandS of years.

- this whole being deified thing: why is Aphrodite so worried about being kicked out of the Pantheon, when it's clear that Julia is more like Athena in being clever? What determines Pantheon status? Does having powers really matter that much to any of these characters, why not just be a Hestia and get some magic, immortality, and lots of money? Why can't a mortal be made immortal via like, normal deification, like they become a minor god of something or another?

- the incredibly complicated consequences of the gods being responsible for the outcomes of wars, climate change, sporting matches, elections: so that means these people are responsible for all these terrible things? like, literally 1:1 responsible? Ares is the god of war, and he's given this little plot point about trying to get teenage boys to not be sent into pits to mine for rare earth minerals (?) but also he flippantly says that after his whole cheating scandal "I went to the Middle East to do what I do best, war" WHAT

Right to recap I did enjoy this book in a sense but ymmv. I think the next one will be about Penelope and Hades (always a classic).

[Nikki · Rating 5 out of 5]

A modern day reimagining of Greek gods but as a family of wealthy, modern day billionaires because they’re no longer worshiped as ancient gods! I mean, say less! The full cast of characters included Ares, Zeus, Hera, Aphrodite, Hermes, Hades, and mortal Julia who is set to meet Harry (aka Ares, unbeknownst to her). All of our gods are under mortal pseudonym’s as they’ve been living amongst mortals on earth for centuries, ruling as an elite family.

I devoured this story! As Julia meets the family, we get an intimate look inside each member’s drama-filled secrets via their own pov! And there were a lot of secrets embedded within this story. I loved how each god was written true to Greek mythology but in a modern way. There’s just enough light fantasy represented in their divine powers to still feel grounded in the real world.

Themes involving control and manipulation, power struggles, toxic family dynamics, marriage, and self identity within a new family made this unputdownable for me. If you love books where you get to be a fly on the wall, then this one was so juicy! I’m not sure if it’s going to be a series but it definitely felt as though Hades story might be next and I am here for it!

🎧 AUDIOBOOK NOTES 🎧
I absolutely loved the audiobook! First, it was narrated by the brilliant Saskia Maarleveld, so you know you’re in good hands with this experience! Second, for a large cast of characters and only one narrator, Saskia’s voice work performance was expertly executed! You don’t even miss a beat! I can’t recommend this on audio enough!

𝐏𝐮𝐛 𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐞: July 7, 2026
𝐆𝐞𝐧𝐫𝐞: Mythology • Reimagining • Light Fantasy • Contemporary Fiction
𝐅𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐭: Physical & Audiobook combo
𝐍𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧: Saskia Maarleveld
𝐌𝐲 𝐑𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠: ★★★★★ 𝟓
𝐌𝐲 𝐕𝐞𝐫𝐝𝐢𝐜𝐭: A must read for lovers of Greek mythology and Succession-like family dynamics!

✨Thank you @crownpublishing for my free ARC + @prhaudio for my audiobook! 🎧
#prhaudio #prhaudiopartner

https://www.instagram.com/p/DcbVN-Pjs...

[Megan Wynne · Rating 4.5 out of 5]

This book was Crazy Rich Asians meets Greek gods. I was entertained all the way through. There better be a sequel!

[Katherine Crowley · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was amazing. Certified banger. 10/10. Brought me back to my roots of why I love reading. Very reminiscent of all of the books that I read as a child/ early teen when I first discovered my love of reading.
I need more books like this!!!!

[Mavra · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you want Greek mythology in modern day combined with Succession vibes, family drama, romance, Gossip Girl, high society, and fantasy… this genre-blending book is for you! LIKE WHAT. IT was everything I could ask for!!!!!
What I loved most about Ungodly Rich is that it somehow packed basically all of my favorite story ingredients into one book. The drama! The rich people problems! The secrets! The romance! The absolute MESS! I had such a fun time reading this.
And the whole concept of being engaged to a Greek god and not even knowing it?! EXCUSE ME???
This was just ridiculously fun, and now I need a sequel because WHATTTTT was that ending?! I WAS NOT ready to leave this world yet. And I thought it was a stand aloneeeee! WHYYYYYYY. 💀😆 l LOVED IT!

[Julia Carter · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thanks to netgalley and Katharine McGee for this ARC, which I received in exchange for my opinion.
3.5 stars.
This was an interesting and unique take on Greek mythology where your Greek God's have gotten with the times and go by other names. But God's will be God's, there are still some hijinks and other things going on behind the scenes. The romance between Julia (!!) and Harry was sweet although there were some parts that I didn't love so much (that proposal!) and of course you have in-fighting as people who have known and been together for eternity will do. this book should definitely have a sequel. would recommend!

[Stephanie D’Eusanio · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 ⭐️ this was such an interesting and fun spin on the Greek gods and goddesses! Imagine if the immortal gods from Ancient Greece were still alive, walking among us today as the wealthy and powerful people in our world.

This reads like a juicy drama but with some fun magic. We’re all familiar with the characters and their roles, so it’s easy to get into the book and understand the magic system.

The multi-pov narration is done super well. We get chapters from many different characters, and they each have 2 different names (their Greek name, and their fake name to hide their identity from mortals). At first I thought this would make it a bit confusing to follow along, but the author did an incredible job of making it clear who is who. I even paused in the middle of chapters a few times, and when I picked the book back up, I would recognize whose POV I was reading within a couple sentences!

Overall, this was super fun and clever. I enjoyed the crap out of it!!

Thank you to NetGalley and Crown Publishing for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review!

[Laura Skladzinski · Rating 5 out of 5]

This started out a little slow, and I wasn’t sure I was going to like it, but as the pace picked up, it was fantastic! Katharine McGee has imagined the immortal Greek gods - Zeus, Hera, Ares, Aphrodite, etc - as living in the modern world, and taking on pseudonyms as they play the role of reclusive billionaires. But when Harry (aka Ares) falls for a mortal woman, all the gods may be disrupted. While there are a lot of characters to keep straight, which is probably part of why it started slow for me, they eventually started to become discernible and pull me into the plot. McGee does her usual masterful job making readers sympathetic even to the villains, and now I’m just eager to know if there will be a sequel to the open-ended conclusion!

[Meghan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Listen, is any Katharine McGee book going to win literary awards? No. Do I read them for the amazing ridiculous drama? Yes.

It's the summer of Greek Mythology and McGee didn't miss out! Focusing on the Greek Gods (and maybe the start of a series?) in a modern world, who am I to miss out on this?

I wish there was more development of the lore/world. There's a mention from Hades late in the book that he's never actually seen the Underworld. And the implication may be that Gods just live like humans and always have lived among them? Changing their name occasionally? I'm not sure.

Honestly my biggest beef was the implication that Marietta, GA might be rural/farm land and not the suburban college town it actually is.

[Jamie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not sure what exactly Katharine McGee puts in her books that make them so addicting for me, but I absolutely gobbled this up in a single weekend. So original, so unique, and completely bingeable. It's like Gossip Girl meets The Iliad -- it's certainly the mash up and retelling I didn't know that I needed, but grateful that Katharine gave it to us! And while this novel doesn't exactly end of a huge cliff hanger, there are some definite loose threads and some plot lines to tie up in future books. I could read another book or 2 about this bold, messy, complicated, enthralling family!
Actual rating, 4.5 stars, but bumped up due to pure enjoyment!

[Emma Weikum]

noticing a pattern with her books where there is like a conventionally beautiful woman who knows what she wants who is the “villain” for trying to steal a man from a “normal” unassuming girl. this woman is always written in the most over-the-top way, meant to make readers mad. idk after reading the same thing over and over from this author it’s kind of giving misogyny to me.

[Laurien Berenson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This cleverly woven tale wasn't at all what I expected--it was SO much better. If you're a fan of Greek mythology, or simply enjoy reading about rich people behaving badly, this entertaining, laugh out loud funny book, is one for you.

[Cecily Milligan · Rating 5 out of 5]

(Un)GOD(ly rich) I loved this!!!

It was so fun and fantasy and drama and messy and I ate this it uppppppp