God of Love

by Lena Hayes, Maeve Hazel

The Gods’ Gambit, a game of deadly trials, always ended with a winner.

Not this time.

They are coming. They are coming. They are coming. Those were the words her mother repeated every day without fail.

When twenty-two-year-old Charisma woke up in Elythra, forced into the Gods’s Gambit, her mother’s warning suddenly made sense.

Though, the trials weren’t her only problem.

The figure of a man, made of shadow, instructed her that her survival hinged on one she had to pretend to be in love with the God of Love.

The games? They became the least of her concerns.

As the trials unraveled, Charisma found herself entangled in an alliance with three powerful gods who, unexpectedly, depended on her. Despite their own ruthless agendas, they were her ticket home. To her mother.

Trapped between divine games, ancient vows and a turn of fate, she realized that even if she believed she had outsmarted the gods, she was just a pawn.

And in a game played by gods, pawns were never meant to survive.

Tropes:
- Greek Mythology Inspired
- Dislike to Like
- Deadly trials (but no one wins)
- One bed
- He Falls First
- Bonded
- Reversed Grumpy x Sunshine
- Mortal x God

Genres: Fantasy, Romantasy

Kindle Edition

Expected publication February 16, 2026

Reviews

[ℛℰ]

જ⁀➴ 𑣲 𝓟𝓻𝓮𝓻𝓮𝓪𝓭 ᭡

I got the e-ARC!!! Thank you so much author Maeve and Lena for sending it to me so excited to read it !!!!!❤️

[charisse ♡]

preread: greek mythology with a badass fmc?! sign me tf up lol. andddd i just got the arc tee-hee

[Ash Mustard · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved Charisma and the story even tho some parts I didn't like but i did enjoy this and couldn't put it down!

Thank you so much to the authors for letting me read this book I can't wait til the next one!

[Vicki Freezer · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really wanted to love that one, it has every single trope that I love, add into the fact this has the Greek Gods one of my passions, I was super excited when I got that email saying i'd been chosen to arc read this book. It unfortunatly fell a little short of the mark for me. Over all, it's good, and it has some strong merits, but for me they don't outweigh the negatives.

The start of the book was almost like being picked up and being dropped in the middle of something and i feel we don't quiet get the world building we need in the initial stages to really gell with the book, the world and exactly what the heck is going on, and why. i think one of my biggest questions when I started reading, that I hoped would be answered, was, how the heck did she get here? Why? what is the Gambit, what's its purpose, how did any of them get there and why is she trying to escape so hard? Like I said, it just felt like we were picked up and dropped mid-sentence.

The writing is also a little all over the place, our FMC is written in first person, and I don't mind the writing style, but then our two male character is done in third person, and the style is noticeably different.

We just seem to rush, without any of the needed depth to the world, and i'm so sad because I really wanted to love this. There is potential yea, but right now it's just lacking fundamental things.

[EchoWithATBR · Rating 1 out of 5]

thank you so much for the opportunity to read this as an arc 🤍 i’m always grateful to get an early look at a story.

sadly, this one just wasn’t the right fit for me right now. i ended up deciding to dnf. the writing felt like multiple styles were woven together into one book, and i personally struggled with that. the switching between first person and third person pulled me out of the story, and instead of getting immersed, i felt disconnected.

i was genuinely excited to start this, which makes it even more disappointing for me. sometimes it’s just about timing, and maybe one day i’ll pick this back up when it feels right.

for now, it simply wasn’t working for me — but i truly appreciate the chance to read and review. 🤍

[Liis · Rating 1 out of 5]

Thank you for the opportunity to read an ARC of this book. I wish this had worked, but unfortunately the book was not for me.

Plot & Worldbuilding
The synopsis gave the idea that we would be introduced to a game/trial system that the main character is forced to participate in. However, there was no information on what the trials were about, how they were structured, or why they existed in the first place. At about the 50% mark there were bits and pieces to give a very vague idea of what was happening. This meant I did not care about the Gods Gambit nor its participants. These trials were a big selling point of the book that we actually saw for less than 40 pages total.
The plot that was present in the book was hard to follow. This was partially due to lack of relationship building between characters as well as the writing style. I think the first chapter is a very great example of why the plot was confusing. We are introduced to Charsima who is already in the trials. Unfortunately, no information on how she got there, why she was chosen, what happened when she arrived, how she felt, or who else might partake was given. While reading chapter one I had too many questions (pretty typical) none of which got answered by the end of the book (very much not typical).

Relationships:
This is where the story fell apart. Not a single relationship between any of the characters had depth. There was no bonding, there were no connections. It was like reading dialogue between people who were waiting for their bus to arrive and decided to make small talk for the 6 minute wait.
The most obvious disconnect was between Charisma and the love interest Eros (God of Love). Besties, they didn’t really talk to each other. I don’t know if they had enough dialogue to fill 5 pages of a book (I want to say 2 but I am being generous). How were I expected to build an emotional connection to their story?

Greek Mythology:
When using mythology that has been researched, written about, and has been known in its essence to many, you need to make sure it does not carry nonsensical change. This means understanding the difference between Pantheon and Parthenon and (as a huge Hades girly) knowing that Hades is the God of the Dead, not Death. That one is Thanatos. Research is not just recommended, it is vital. Of course, changing mythology is part of retellings, however there should be a reasoning that makes sense and is purposeful to the story itself. It was not the case in God of Love.

The Writing:
And thus, we have arrived at the core of why this book was not for me. ,Have you ever asked yourself: What if I press the middle autofill button on my phone to make a sentence? I do not know if this is a problem due to a language barrier or an issue with the thing-we-do-not-name-on-goodreads, but the writing is a mess. It almost feels like it was in parts edited so hard it became nonsensical satire.


Do I see any potential in God of Love. Yes, but not in its current form. This felt like a very early draft of a story. There were interesting elements that I can see myself enjoying. My opinion is that the book needs work on fleshing out the main goal: is it the trials, the relationship, the enmity between the gods, the secret Shadow, or all of them? As it is now, God of Love is unfortunately not a great first installment.

[Kamila · Rating 1 out of 5]

My first ever ARC! I was so excited when I got the email and I actually couldn't believe my eyes. The tiktoks promoting this book made the story sound very interesting and unique and that made me just overjoyed with being able to read the book before the publication.
Because of the above, I feel terrible giving this book 1 star. I really wanted to like this book and find in it some redeeming qualities but I found none. Instead, I found reasons why this book was not for me.
In my opinion this book lacks depth: there is no worldbuilding. I hoped we were just thrown into the story for the shock purposes and we would learn more as the story progessed but we didn't. At the end of the book I knew as much as before opening the first page. Because of lack of world-building I didn't understand what really are the games and how different participants got into it. The characters weren't really fleshed out as well. Some names we learnt when the FMC found them dead so if I don't know the characters, I don't know anything about the world and the games weren't actually scary or expalined... why would I care then? I didn't feel what was at stake or the cruelty od the main villain or why was he even described as a villain by everyone.
As I already said, the book lacked depth to really suck us into the story: similar thing happened with the love story between Charisma and Eros. The book claims that their love isn't about physical attraction but the connection of the souls, yet Charisma is into him because of his looks and they talk about physical attraction quite a lot considering that they barely talk with each other. It didn't feel like connection of the souls. I didn't even understand why they would be into each other in the first place since they barely talked and suddenly they were ready to fight the world for each other? Why do you feel so strongly about the other person and why should I believe and root for this couple?

Oh also! I hate when the FMC is supposed to be so baddass and to show how amazing and strong she is the authors make her hate dresses, makeup etc. You're telling me that when gods give you beautiful dresses, skirts, things to sleep in you are trully going to choose leggins and oversized old t-shirt instead? Oh because she is not like other girls right? She's a strong character so she has to hate everything feminine. Oh I thought we were pass this narrative.

I feel the idea for his book was good but then the authors didn't know how to create this world so they didn't at all and they are going to figure things out as the story goes or we are going to end up with a very shallow thing and characters that we don't understand and despise.

I want to finish this by saying that this is just my opinion and I saw that some people loved the book. Maybe one day I will be able to reread it and see in this novel some redeeming qualities.

[vic ⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧˚ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you so much to the Authors for allowing me to read an ARC of their book! I really appreciate it and can't wait for this to be published.

To begin with, I loved the FMC. Charisma is really likeable and relatable, which is something that I sometimes struggle with when reading. Her chapters in the book were my favourite, and I really gained a sense of who she was, and what she stood for. She was sassy, but not too sassy, and didn't intentionally make things more difficult for herself - which is what I find happens sometimes.

Early on in the book, we're also introduced to a fairy, who happens to be attached to Charisma. I fell in love with the character, and I wish that we had more time to get to know them, or even find out their name. Throughout the book, they are referred to as 'the fairy'.

Another plus for me was that the authors included visuals. Notes, signs and book passages were presented in illustration form, and I loved seeing that. It helped draw me in and pull my focus. It's only a small detail, but I really appreciated it.

Some struggles I had whilst reading were the formation of relationships between Charisma and her allies in The God's Gambit, and the worldbuilding itself. I'm not able to fully picture any scene or moment throughout the book, and I was also left yearning for more interactions and bonds formed. There were instances later on in the book which I believed would have benefited from more dramatics, which both of these issues could have solved.

I think a major issue that I found was that around 40-50% into the book, I was still left with a lot of questions on some plot points, which I believe we should have known by this point. I felt thrown into the story and spent a lot of my time checking back to previous chapters in case I had missed some vital information, to find out that we weren't graced with this to begin with. I also struggled with the ending of the book, and found myself quite confused at the pacing and was left with more questions than answers.

Overall, once I was halfway through the book, I do believe the story picked up pace and became quite enjoyable. I found myself being unable to put it down late at night and was excited to start reading the next day. While I have only rated this 3 stars, I definitely will be reading the next book in the series.

[Ines By · Rating 3 out of 5]

⚠️ Spoiler Warning


First of all, thank you so much for the opportunity to receive an ARC !!! I truly appreciate it. Most of the tropes in this book are right up my alley, especially the fact that it’s a fantasy romance with Greek mythology elements.
The writing itself is beautifully done, and it immediately drew me in.

Overall, I enjoyed this book and had a good reading experience, even though the beginning was a bit confusing. We’re thrown straight into the story with very little context, and at times it felt like I had missed pages. Thankfully, things become clearer as the story progresses.

The world-building is interesting and well thought out, and you can tell the authors did their research, especially with the use of Greek terminology. The plot is engaging and definitely keeps you invested.

One thing I wish had been developed more is the relationship between Eros and Charisma. Their bond doesn’t feel deep enough to fully justify how devastated Eros is. A bit more emotional build-up between them would have made his reaction much more impactful.


As for the ending, I know Charisma dies, but the cliffhanger left me with big questions. Zeus heavily implies that Charisma isn’t who she thinks she is — so now I’m wondering: is she really dead? Is Psyche and Charisma the same person? It’s a strong cliffhanger that definitely makes you want answers in book two.

Despite the confusing start, I still had a good time reading this book. It was an enjoyable read overall, and I’m curious to see what book two will bring.

[Migla M · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm so happy to have been chosen as an arc reader of this book!!!

It was such a beautiful and interesting journey. I've read a few books based on greek mythology, but here it was so uniquely interpreted, I was so on the edge most of the time. I loooved the mysterious atmosphere, the dark secrets that shrouded the whole story. When reading all the time I tried to understand what's going on, where it's going to lead next, and just as I thought I got the jist everything would slip through my fingers, because the plot just twisted the other way. I truly couldn't anticipate what was going to happen next chapter.

Though the chapters were from three different pov's, I liked how sometimes there came the third pov. Though I prefer the first pov storytelling, but here it worked perfectly together.

The plot was always changing. It helped to maintain it interesting by involving three povs, but also what kept me on my toes was the ever changing stories, places, sceneries. Though I still feel like a lot hasn't been reveal yet, and I'm really excited to get back to this world someday and explore it more.

All the characters were very interesting. I really wanted to see more of the 'errors' stories, get to know them better. I think I would have loved the story more, if they didn't suddenly all die at the same time - it felt a little bit strange, and I really liked the quests:))

[Lauren Courtney · Rating 2 out of 5]

I want to say thank you for the opportunity to be an Arc reader for this book! I was drawn in by the fact the book stated to have many of the tropes I love and I enjoy a good Greek Mythology retelling. Unfortunately, I cannot rate the book higher in its current form.

I want to start by saying, I did enjoy the book, and will likely read the rest of the series when it comes out, however this will not be up in my favourites.

The story starts in the middle of an action, which wasn’t really explained by the end of the book, not sure why the fmc hates the gods so much? Or why she is trying to escape the game, we get the idea around magic on earth as the reason for them, but it’s not really fleshed out. Also with her being able to see things that the others can’t? No further updates after that one scene.

The love story between Eros and Charisma feels forced, he’s ready to destroy the world for her by the end but they don’t really interact on a romantic level a lot? If being bonded makes you act that way I would say it needs to be made clearer.

I did enjoy the ending, the shadow being a part of Eros and Psyche maybe being alive, good cliffhanger and starting point for a more morally grey Eros in book 2.

Maybe some more fleshing out required, but good bones and story that could be amazing with some tweaking!

[bells · Rating 3 out of 5]

I went into God of Love really excited because romantasy + Greek mythology + deadly trials sounded like a perfect combo for me! While the concept had a lot of promise, the execution didn’t fully hit the mark.

I really liked the multi-POVs, especially Shadow’s, it added an interesting layer to the story. I also loved that Eros was chosen as the love interest, this felt pretty refreshing. The classic dysfunctional Olympian family drama where they’re scheming against Zeus was entertaining as always. The plot itself was intriguing and the ending was so heartbreaking (like, quite literally💔).

However, the world-building felt underdeveloped, particularly the magic system. I personally think that the romance between Charisma and Eros felt a bit rushed, it could use a little more build-up. The deadly trials, which were one of the major focuses, weren’t as intense and engaging as I expected. Also, sometimes the characters felt a bit flat, making it hard for me to fully connect with them emotionally.

Overall, a solid 3-star read with interesting ideas and a strong devastating ending, it just needed a little more depth.


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Thank you to Maeve & Lena Serathi and BookFunnel for the ARC!

[Haru Nawasena · Rating 5 out of 5]

As an ARC reader, I never thought I’d really love—no, be OBSESSED with—this book. I even devoured it in one night lol 🤣 The beautiful covers and illustrations caught my eye at first sight, but once I dove into their love story, I was totally hooked. It felt like I found something missing inside me 🤣

For everyone who’s curious about what this book is about: it’s a retelling of Greek mythology—Eros, the God of Love, who falls in love with a mortal named Charisma. BUT this book focuses more on their deep emotional connection rather than physical attraction. The authors show us that souls can be beautiful too. It’s giving Disney vibes mixed with Once Upon a Broken Heart by Stephanie Garber, but for adults and in much better way.

It’s written so beautifully, with fun and playful banter between the characters, some spice (not a lot in Book 1, but definitely more in Book 2), yearning, and rich world-building. I mean, who doesn’t want a devoted God—not to mention the HOT one—for us?? 🤣🤭

I really love the character development and how their relationship unfolds—it’s such a fun journey! The authors really did an amazing job. Praise them, because this book NEEDS THE HYPE ASAP!!! 👏🏻🔥

⭐️Rate: 100000000/5

[Ashley · Rating 3 out of 5]

God of Love

I’m torn on how I feel about this book. For one, this book ends on a cliffhanger… but not a normal cliffhanger… a tragic one. I’m not sure how I feel about that. Cliffhangers don’t normally bother me. But I usually go into a Romantasy expecting a HEA or atleast a “happy for now”, which this book had neither in my opinion. It was stated in the tropes that “no one wins” so maybe that should have been my clue. Also, this is based on greek mythology, which honestly I’m quite naive to, so maybe this is a known tragedy and I was just blindsided?

Aside from my displeasure with the ending, the overall book is 3 ⭐️ worthy. It started out slow and confusing, but about midway through I was engrossed in the secrecy and the scheming taking place amongst the gods. The romance felt forced/rushed however, and I wish there was more sustenance to build up to the ending. The FMC, though, was strong and determined which I loved.

I do have hopes to read book two and hope there is a HEA at the conclusion of the story.

[Jess · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was my first ARC read and I’m so so thankful for the opportunity.

My overall thoughts for this book:
- It was entertaining, finished it within a few days and wasn’t bored.
- A good plot idea but I don’t feel like it was carried out effectively.
- the cliffhanger ending will be a good transition into the next book.

What I thought was done well:
- I liked the plot idea. Trials, gods, romance, all plots and tropes that I enjoy.
- Cliffhanger ending.
- Reminded me a of once upon a broken heart but make it trials and Greek mythology.

What I thought could have been done better:
- I thought the descriptions were slightly over explained.
- I didn’t really feel like we got to know the characters so maybe more depth on them would have been better.
- I didn’t feel any chemistry between the MMC and the FMC considering they were supposed to be in love. More scenes with the two of them with tension and angst would have been great.
- I felt like whilst the plot idea was good, it kind of felt confusing. I’m pretty sure a key to something was mentioned and then forgotten about later on.

[Annabelle Mcewen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved the theme of Greek mythology in this book, and the setting of the world of gods had such a whimsical feeling! In some ways these aspects reminded me of the ‘once upon a broken heart trilogy’ which I loved also.
This book does leave many unanswered questions which is frustrating but I understand that they will be answered in the next book. I enjoyed the scenes that were during the trials as it added a high stakes quality to the book, but at times I was a little overwhelmed by so many things happening and a lot of characters in scenes that I would get confused as to what was happening. But in saying that I think the more you read of this book the more you understand the world and characters, and things become clearer. I especially enjoyed the reveal of something to do with the character of shadow, as he was someone I had a big question mark over throughout the book!
An enjoyable read and would recommend to those who enjoy fantasy and especially Greek mythology based stories.

[Daviena Connett · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was lucky enough to be given the opportunity to arc read this book. Essentially this books gives hunger games x Greek pantheon vibes which I was so excited to devour! I love the concept of this book. I wish there was a bit more of a back story/world building as this was somewhat hard to follow. There wasn't enough of a relationship between the fmc and mmc to really justify the ending in my opinion but the cliffhanger at the end did answer some questions. The book has alot of potential and hopefully book two had more back story as I'm now invested in this story. Overall cool concept but a little discombobulated in my opinion.

[phie:) · Rating 2 out of 5]

Im very grateful that I was able to read this as an arc but sadly it wasn’t for me at all💔

Don’t get me wrong, I love greek mythology stories / retellings or anything of the sort!
The Story of Charisma and the shadow fell flat and sadly I didn’t connect with any of the characters nor the story. The Trials, which were supposedly the focus of the story were pretty minor and the romance between Charisma and Eros felt pretty rushed and a little forced tbh://

Even if this book was not to my liking, the general idea for the story is great and Im sure there will be plenty of people enjoying this book and future projects:))

[beeya]

Thank you to the authors for the arc, I'm so grateful to have read it <3

Unfortunately, I was very confused and underwhelmed with the world-building; it was a little underdeveloped. I would have loved to know more about the whys, hows, whats, whens, and so on. I wanted to know what the world looked like, how it made Charisma feel. Sadly, the romance also lacked connection and depth. I just wasn't convinced that they'd fallen in love. The ending did, however, catch me by surprise, and sadly, it was the only time I got excited to read on.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am very appreciative of Maeve and Lena Serathi and their team for the opportunity to read an e-ARC of God of Love!

I haven’t read many books related to Greek Mythology, so this was a fun book to read! I enjoyed learning about the God’s world and the God’s Gambit. The concept of the God’s errors was also an interesting detail!

Some of the story’s flow and POV changes were hard to follow and repetitive, but it was a fun concept.

I enjoyed reading about Charisma and Eros’s bond and seeing their relationship progress. I’m intrigued to see how this story will continue!

[Mihaela Gizea · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excuse me??? Greek mythology, dislike to like and a badass FMC???? Take my money now!!
This book kept me hooked, I’ve read it in a day and I don’t know what to do with my life now.
The fact that Charisma is so brave and fearless and she’s fighting GODS?? I mean babe I can’t love you more already (please let me have Eros thanks).
The end got me crazy and I hope the next books releases like now because that cliffhanger made me question my entire existence.
Loved it! Devoured it!! 🥹

[Antonia &#x1f4d6; · Rating 5 out of 5]

What do you mean IT ENDS LIKE THAT?????? The cliffhanger??? I HATE YOU! (Joking, when is the second book coming out?)

This was a truly nice read, I loved every bit of it. I loved Charisma’s POV, I loved Shadow’s, and most importantly, I LOVED EROS (can I borrow him?)

It was amazing. I have no words. I cried, I laughed, I yearned for some spicy things between them (but they literally had no time for spicy things *crying*), I absolutely loved it.

[Makayla Andrews · Rating 5 out of 5]

Greek mythology, deadly trials with a quirky but strong FMC.. this book was such a journey! As someone who loves Greek mythology I loved the dynamics between all the Gods. It ended in a pretty brutal cliffhanger and even though I’m still left with so many questions I can’t wait for more!! 🙌🏻✨