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Mt. Olympus Employment Agency: Muse #1
Unfinished Muse
Wynter Greene is a chronic quitter—in work, in life, and in love. When she quits a job, a boyfriend, and a seemingly minor craft project all in one day, the dormant deity blood in her veins triggers a Welcome Package from the gods. A talking—and singing—houseplant named Phyllis bullies Wynter into taking a job at the Mt. Olympus Employment Agency.
Stuck with a job in the Muse department, Wynter discovers that helping others finish what they start isn’t easy, especially for someone who can’t seem to finish anything of her own. And how is Wynter supposed to focus on anything when that guy from the Dreams and Nightmares department keeps distracting her with his rippling muscles and magnetic stare?
Wynter needs to figure her job out soon. Each failure is a tick mark on her record, and if she continues to miss her deadlines, she’ll be reassigned to the Underworld as a dog walker.
And scooping poop for a giant three-headed dog is nobody’s ideal career.
Stuck with a job in the Muse department, Wynter discovers that helping others finish what they start isn’t easy, especially for someone who can’t seem to finish anything of her own. And how is Wynter supposed to focus on anything when that guy from the Dreams and Nightmares department keeps distracting her with his rippling muscles and magnetic stare?
Wynter needs to figure her job out soon. Each failure is a tick mark on her record, and if she continues to miss her deadlines, she’ll be reassigned to the Underworld as a dog walker.
And scooping poop for a giant three-headed dog is nobody’s ideal career.
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First published July 17, 2015
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About the author
R.L. Naquin
32 books277 followersRachel is the author of the urban fantasy Monster Haven series from Carina Press. She believes in magic, the power of love, good cheese, lucky socks, and putting things off until stress gets them done faster at the last minute. Her home is Disneyland, despite her current location in Kansas.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews
November 25, 2017
3.5-4 Musing stars
I maintain that R.L.Naquin is a completely underrated author. She really does deserve more credit and notoriety. Every time I pick a book of hers I'm so entertained and I find myself finishing it and not even realizing it. Her Monster Haven series is one of my favourite humouristic fantasy series. And this one is on it's way too.
When Wynter Greene finally hits rock bottom in her life, after quitting for the millionth time, she triggers an invitation from the Gods. Yep, the crazy,prolific,legendary ones supposedly up in Mount Olympus. Her houseplant suddenly starts talking and singing and bullying her to apply Mt. Olympus Employment Agency. Which apparently takes in people that have reached the end of the line and employs them to basically do the Gods jobs. So many people, so little time apparently.
After one week of orientation from hell where nothing gets explained, Wynter is assigned as a Muse. Only no one is actually explaining what she's supposed to be doing. And the Fates clearly hate her as they keep pilling on the work and if she fails she'll end up in the Underworld. And no one wants that.
Gorgons, Cyclopses, singing plants, Furies, Muses all under the same building working to keep the world functioning. Amusing, funny and definitely entertaining. If you feel like reading a lighthearted fantasy book look this author up.
I maintain that R.L.Naquin is a completely underrated author. She really does deserve more credit and notoriety. Every time I pick a book of hers I'm so entertained and I find myself finishing it and not even realizing it. Her Monster Haven series is one of my favourite humouristic fantasy series. And this one is on it's way too.
When Wynter Greene finally hits rock bottom in her life, after quitting for the millionth time, she triggers an invitation from the Gods. Yep, the crazy,prolific,legendary ones supposedly up in Mount Olympus. Her houseplant suddenly starts talking and singing and bullying her to apply Mt. Olympus Employment Agency. Which apparently takes in people that have reached the end of the line and employs them to basically do the Gods jobs. So many people, so little time apparently.
After one week of orientation from hell where nothing gets explained, Wynter is assigned as a Muse. Only no one is actually explaining what she's supposed to be doing. And the Fates clearly hate her as they keep pilling on the work and if she fails she'll end up in the Underworld. And no one wants that.
Gorgons, Cyclopses, singing plants, Furies, Muses all under the same building working to keep the world functioning. Amusing, funny and definitely entertaining. If you feel like reading a lighthearted fantasy book look this author up.
September 1, 2015
We had this author in for a book signing at the indie bookstore where I work. This sounded fun and when I picked it up, I was sucked right in. Very well written. I loved the main character. She was funny but not in that trying too hard snarky way. She definitely grew over the course of the book. The secondary characters were also well drawn. The urban fantasy setting was nicely done and made sense. I typically despise stories with a Greek mythology base but didn't mind it at all here. Probably because the story doesn't concern any of the biggies, Zeus etc. The story concluded the main conflict but ended on a set up for an immediate future story. I hope I don't have to wait long.
January 17, 2016
This review was originally posted on Backchatting Books
Wynter, like the heroes of old, is undertaking an epic journey. She isn't seeking a holy grail or trying to slay the Nemean lion (which is just as well as Hercules has already finished him off) but instead is trying to reform herself. She gains a mentor, allies, enemies, possible love interests and meets all sorts of weird and wonderful people along the way to becoming a successful muse.
The good bits
The concept behind the novel and the mythological world building were great. Thankfully the mythology wasn't shoved down our throats with huge chunks of info but instead we got many sly references that had me chuckling. I spent way too much time dredging up my memories of Greek mythology to work out who Wynter's father was. My best guess is Apollo because he is often associated with the Muses and is known for having his way with chicks who turn into plants to escape him. Wynter's mother is good with plants and Wynter owns a talking one so it sort of fits.
The idea of the gods interfering in our every day lives isn't unusual but the gods employing human minions, most of whom are losers in real life, to inspire creativity in ordinary people was unexpected and worked well. The projects that Wynter scored as a muse were fairly modest as she was only a newbie but they mattered to the people that were undertaking them and Naquin made me want them to succeed.
There is lots of humour and the snarky Wynter has some great one liners. To give you an idea of what to expect, the novel opens with Wynter's plant called Phyllis bullying her into getting a job by singing loudly and badly. Once Wynter got past her mini breakdown and headed into the Mt Olympus Employment agency, it was game on with office politics which are always ripe for comedy. A few times the jokes missed the mark but as there were so many, it didn't really matter that much.
The not so good bits
I really struggled to connect with Wynter for the first half of the novel because she was so blasé about life and all it entailed even though she had a great sense of humour. This is an interesting approach for an urban fantasy as they often feature strong, kick-ass heroines. We are told repeatedly that Wynter has hit rock bottom and see the effects of this with her inability to maintain relationships, a job, complete hobbies etc but I wanted to know how her attitude came about. Obviously her mother's interesting approach to parenting played its part but there must be more to it. I'm hoping that the identity of Wynter's father will be revealed in future books and there will be similarities between the two so that Wynter is a clear product of nature and nurture. Wynter did start to evolve into a protagonist I could enjoy spending a few hours with but she lacked the warmth of Zoey from Naquin's Monster Haven series.
Reminds me of...
The Reluctant Reaper series by Gina X. Grant - both protagonists get thrust into a supernatural bureaucratic world and struggle to make sense of it.
Verdict
It took a while for me to warm to Wynter (pun not intended) but now the foundation has been laid, I think Naquin has another great series on her hands.
Wynter, like the heroes of old, is undertaking an epic journey. She isn't seeking a holy grail or trying to slay the Nemean lion (which is just as well as Hercules has already finished him off) but instead is trying to reform herself. She gains a mentor, allies, enemies, possible love interests and meets all sorts of weird and wonderful people along the way to becoming a successful muse.
The good bits
The concept behind the novel and the mythological world building were great. Thankfully the mythology wasn't shoved down our throats with huge chunks of info but instead we got many sly references that had me chuckling. I spent way too much time dredging up my memories of Greek mythology to work out who Wynter's father was. My best guess is Apollo because he is often associated with the Muses and is known for having his way with chicks who turn into plants to escape him. Wynter's mother is good with plants and Wynter owns a talking one so it sort of fits.
The idea of the gods interfering in our every day lives isn't unusual but the gods employing human minions, most of whom are losers in real life, to inspire creativity in ordinary people was unexpected and worked well. The projects that Wynter scored as a muse were fairly modest as she was only a newbie but they mattered to the people that were undertaking them and Naquin made me want them to succeed.
There is lots of humour and the snarky Wynter has some great one liners. To give you an idea of what to expect, the novel opens with Wynter's plant called Phyllis bullying her into getting a job by singing loudly and badly. Once Wynter got past her mini breakdown and headed into the Mt Olympus Employment agency, it was game on with office politics which are always ripe for comedy. A few times the jokes missed the mark but as there were so many, it didn't really matter that much.
The not so good bits
I really struggled to connect with Wynter for the first half of the novel because she was so blasé about life and all it entailed even though she had a great sense of humour. This is an interesting approach for an urban fantasy as they often feature strong, kick-ass heroines. We are told repeatedly that Wynter has hit rock bottom and see the effects of this with her inability to maintain relationships, a job, complete hobbies etc but I wanted to know how her attitude came about. Obviously her mother's interesting approach to parenting played its part but there must be more to it. I'm hoping that the identity of Wynter's father will be revealed in future books and there will be similarities between the two so that Wynter is a clear product of nature and nurture. Wynter did start to evolve into a protagonist I could enjoy spending a few hours with but she lacked the warmth of Zoey from Naquin's Monster Haven series.
Reminds me of...
The Reluctant Reaper series by Gina X. Grant - both protagonists get thrust into a supernatural bureaucratic world and struggle to make sense of it.
Verdict
It took a while for me to warm to Wynter (pun not intended) but now the foundation has been laid, I think Naquin has another great series on her hands.
August 23, 2017
that took awhile. I liked the author on her previous series and I thought that this series had an interesting concept. It was easy to put down at the beginning but it got better and I ended up liking it in the end. on to the next book
August 7, 2017
I liked the idea; bunch of Greek gods descendants working at employment agency? Yep. Winner right there. I just found it difficult to connect (or even liked) Wynter until near the end.
I had to agree with one of the reviewers who said that Wynter was so blasé about life. I know that the blurb said that Wynter was a chronic quitter in work, life, and love, but I didn't think it would be this bad. I was hoping she sort of kicking ass when she landed the job at the Agency -- but she seemed like she didn't care enough with this chance she got. Oh, I know that she didn't have the best trainer and colleagues, what with people hating her even before she started the job, but still, there was something 'off' with Wynter's attitude to me.
At least until the book almost finished ... I loved when Wynter finally saw what was going on, and she took the initiatives, also making sure that her clients would succeed. I saw the potentials then. So maybe I would stick around to see what will happen with Wynter in the next book.
I had to agree with one of the reviewers who said that Wynter was so blasé about life. I know that the blurb said that Wynter was a chronic quitter in work, life, and love, but I didn't think it would be this bad. I was hoping she sort of kicking ass when she landed the job at the Agency -- but she seemed like she didn't care enough with this chance she got. Oh, I know that she didn't have the best trainer and colleagues, what with people hating her even before she started the job, but still, there was something 'off' with Wynter's attitude to me.
At least until the book almost finished ... I loved when Wynter finally saw what was going on, and she took the initiatives, also making sure that her clients would succeed. I saw the potentials then. So maybe I would stick around to see what will happen with Wynter in the next book.
November 20, 2016
Un très bon premier tome qui pose de bonnes idées !
L'héroïne est sympathique et attachante et le monde dans lequel elle évolue suffisamment loufoque sans être ridicule.
Je lirai le second tome avec intérêt
L'héroïne est sympathique et attachante et le monde dans lequel elle évolue suffisamment loufoque sans être ridicule.
Je lirai le second tome avec intérêt
August 17, 2015
I was a huge fan of the Monster Haven series by R.L. Naquin and was sad to see it end. However, I was excited to see that a new series was in the works. Then we got a cover, and isn't it pretty? Completely different than the Monster Haven books, but no less interesting. I was counting down the days till it was released. To say I was completely stoked when the author contacted me to see if I was interested in a review copy was an understatement.
The book begins with Wynter breaking up with her boyfriend, quitting her dead end job and then when she comes home, quitting her latest craft project - a quilt. It's a this moment, when she hits bottom, that her plant, Phyllis the Philodendron, starts talking to her. Poor Wynter, she thinks at first that she has finally snapped. But Phyllis proves Wynter's not crazy, just ready for a new direction in her life - Mt. Olympus Employment Agency. Turns out Wynter has some Greek God somewhere in her family tree.
I had a lot of fun with Wynter as she stumbled her way through Orientation and her first days on the job. You could really see the growth of her character as she gained friends and self-confidence. The secondary characters have some quirky personalities and are great foils for Wynter. I didn't want to put this book down once I started it. I am giving it 4 stars.
Thanks to the author for the opportunity to read and review the book.
The book begins with Wynter breaking up with her boyfriend, quitting her dead end job and then when she comes home, quitting her latest craft project - a quilt. It's a this moment, when she hits bottom, that her plant, Phyllis the Philodendron, starts talking to her. Poor Wynter, she thinks at first that she has finally snapped. But Phyllis proves Wynter's not crazy, just ready for a new direction in her life - Mt. Olympus Employment Agency. Turns out Wynter has some Greek God somewhere in her family tree.
I had a lot of fun with Wynter as she stumbled her way through Orientation and her first days on the job. You could really see the growth of her character as she gained friends and self-confidence. The secondary characters have some quirky personalities and are great foils for Wynter. I didn't want to put this book down once I started it. I am giving it 4 stars.
Thanks to the author for the opportunity to read and review the book.
July 23, 2015
Wynter Greene is facing some big changes in her life all at once. She quits her job at a call center and dumps her boyfriend all in one day. When she goes home and drinks a bit of wine she starts to hear her house plant, Phyllis, talking to her. After a day or two, she listens to her plant and goes into Mt. Olympus Employment Agency to get a job. This is where she finds out she's a descendant of a god, that gods are real, and there are other people just like her. The others that are joining her in orientation all have to face tests to place them in their appropriate jobs. Wynter is placed in the Muse department and her job is to inspire people.
With little to no training Wynter has to meet the deadline for her three charges or risk being transferred to another department. Her charges are interesting, we have toothpick art, scrapbooking, and urban renewal. I'm not sure about yall, but I know I could all use a little bit of inspiration when doing something artistic. The concept of Mt. Olympus Employment Agency was interesting and definitely not something I've seen before. We don't get much face time with the gods, but I think that will change a bit in the next book. Unfinished Muse is a great start to a new series. I suggest this book if you're looking for a unique new series with mythology.
With little to no training Wynter has to meet the deadline for her three charges or risk being transferred to another department. Her charges are interesting, we have toothpick art, scrapbooking, and urban renewal. I'm not sure about yall, but I know I could all use a little bit of inspiration when doing something artistic. The concept of Mt. Olympus Employment Agency was interesting and definitely not something I've seen before. We don't get much face time with the gods, but I think that will change a bit in the next book. Unfinished Muse is a great start to a new series. I suggest this book if you're looking for a unique new series with mythology.
July 24, 2015
I enjoyed this a lot, I gather I only have to wait till October for the next one. (I did sulk a bit about this at first).
Anyway this is a fun book, with lots of twists and turns and some unexpected bumps along the way. It made me laugh out loud a lot.
This is the story of a woman whose mum is a bit odd, her plant talks to her and she finds out when she hits rock bottom that she's related to a God in some way and ends up working at the Mount Olympus Employment Agency but I'll let you read it to find out more.
As a bonus you get a short story at the end of the book (I read this first elsewhere) It's fun and a good introduction. I'd read it first if I were you.
Go on have a laugh, then moan on while you wait for October to arrive ;)
Anyway this is a fun book, with lots of twists and turns and some unexpected bumps along the way. It made me laugh out loud a lot.
This is the story of a woman whose mum is a bit odd, her plant talks to her and she finds out when she hits rock bottom that she's related to a God in some way and ends up working at the Mount Olympus Employment Agency but I'll let you read it to find out more.
As a bonus you get a short story at the end of the book (I read this first elsewhere) It's fun and a good introduction. I'd read it first if I were you.
Go on have a laugh, then moan on while you wait for October to arrive ;)
November 25, 2018
To be honest, I wasn't sure what to expect from this book. I am not a huge fan of mixing mythology and god figures with modern day times. It generally doesn't sit right with me and is not my thing. With that being said, I was quite surprised by how this story turned out. In essence, it's not bad!
The setup is quite pleasant, actually! So basically decedents of Greek Gods and Hero's are sent to the Mt. Olympus Employment Agency after they flop. Once the person in question hits rock bottom, they get sent to the Agency for evaluation to see if they exude any special talents. Now this usually comes as a shock to the person in question because most of them have no idea such a place exists, let alone that they have mythological blood running through their veins.
So the MC of this little novel is a 24 year old woman named Wynter Greene -- In the beginning I didn't like that name, but I have to say it's grown on me. I think it's pretty cute! Anyways, Wynter crashes and burns, so to speak. She then gets thrust through the lobby doors of the Mt. Olympus Employment Agency, and her whole world gets turned upside down.
Encountering strange creatures on the way in, Wynter keeps her cool and plays along, thinking that she must of fallen and hit her head in the parking lot -- can't say that I blame her. But she's not dreaming, all of it is real, and eventually she comes to terms with the new weirdness that is her life.
That is the foundation of the entire story and it's quite fun! The new employees are tested and placed in certain departments at the company. Wynter gets placed in the Muse office and has to learn how to secretly inspire her targets so they can create great pieces of art. Which is rather difficult because how does one inspire others if they don't feel inspired themselves? Wynter literally hit rock bottom the day before so she isn't exactly peppy at the moment!
Unfortunately her job turns out to be even more difficult than she had anticipated because everyone at the new office seems to be giving her the cold shoulder. Why? Perhaps they're just mean people or maybe it's her. Wynter struggles trying to get the hang of her new job and mostly just has to wing it and hope all goes well.
There is some more depth to this book and it does have a surprise twist that happens which is fun, but by the mid point I did get a little bored. Sometimes it felt like this story didn't have much of a direction or feel of urgency. It was floundering! Thankfully it does gain it's footing and the plot picks up.
There is something going on at Wynter's work, someone is purposely making her job difficult. But who would do that to her? Trying not to let it get her down, she carries on and does the best that she can do, which is pretty damn good actually. With the help of some new friends, Wynter starts to come out of her shell and become her own person. She's not going down without a fight! She's no quitter!
Nearly everything gets solved at the end of the book and justice is brought to light. I was a bit surprised by how things went but I think the possibilities of what is to come will be very amusing! Initially I didn't have high expectations for this story as I stated earlier, however Naquin's writing style has piqued my interest so I will be looking into the next installment.
There are still so many questions that I want answered! Who or what is Phyllis? She can't simply be a talking house plant, no way! What's going on with her mom? Who is Wynter's father? I want all the answers! So I must read the next book. I think Hades will be fun! :)
The setup is quite pleasant, actually! So basically decedents of Greek Gods and Hero's are sent to the Mt. Olympus Employment Agency after they flop. Once the person in question hits rock bottom, they get sent to the Agency for evaluation to see if they exude any special talents. Now this usually comes as a shock to the person in question because most of them have no idea such a place exists, let alone that they have mythological blood running through their veins.
So the MC of this little novel is a 24 year old woman named Wynter Greene -- In the beginning I didn't like that name, but I have to say it's grown on me. I think it's pretty cute! Anyways, Wynter crashes and burns, so to speak. She then gets thrust through the lobby doors of the Mt. Olympus Employment Agency, and her whole world gets turned upside down.
Encountering strange creatures on the way in, Wynter keeps her cool and plays along, thinking that she must of fallen and hit her head in the parking lot -- can't say that I blame her. But she's not dreaming, all of it is real, and eventually she comes to terms with the new weirdness that is her life.
That is the foundation of the entire story and it's quite fun! The new employees are tested and placed in certain departments at the company. Wynter gets placed in the Muse office and has to learn how to secretly inspire her targets so they can create great pieces of art. Which is rather difficult because how does one inspire others if they don't feel inspired themselves? Wynter literally hit rock bottom the day before so she isn't exactly peppy at the moment!
Unfortunately her job turns out to be even more difficult than she had anticipated because everyone at the new office seems to be giving her the cold shoulder. Why? Perhaps they're just mean people or maybe it's her. Wynter struggles trying to get the hang of her new job and mostly just has to wing it and hope all goes well.
There is some more depth to this book and it does have a surprise twist that happens which is fun, but by the mid point I did get a little bored. Sometimes it felt like this story didn't have much of a direction or feel of urgency. It was floundering! Thankfully it does gain it's footing and the plot picks up.
There is something going on at Wynter's work, someone is purposely making her job difficult. But who would do that to her? Trying not to let it get her down, she carries on and does the best that she can do, which is pretty damn good actually. With the help of some new friends, Wynter starts to come out of her shell and become her own person. She's not going down without a fight! She's no quitter!
Nearly everything gets solved at the end of the book and justice is brought to light. I was a bit surprised by how things went but I think the possibilities of what is to come will be very amusing! Initially I didn't have high expectations for this story as I stated earlier, however Naquin's writing style has piqued my interest so I will be looking into the next installment.
There are still so many questions that I want answered! Who or what is Phyllis? She can't simply be a talking house plant, no way! What's going on with her mom? Who is Wynter's father? I want all the answers! So I must read the next book. I think Hades will be fun! :)
March 11, 2018
I've read this twice now along with the rest of the series; this review is more of a series review.
As a professional Classicst, I'm picky about my Greek mythology fiction. I want an author who uses the extended universe provided by the corpus creatively, with both sensitivity to the ancient myths and a willingness to adapt and play with it to tell new stories. I'm especially picky about how people write Hades - the post-Christian lazy Hades=Satan trope is slow to die and I want to kill it with fire.
Anyway, this is not one of those series. I love what she does with it and find it all a fun, easy read with characters who make sense and a world that makes the best possible use of the language of mythology. She respects the source material without being pedantic about it and gives you a fun, easy read. It's also worth noting that this isn't primarily a romance series as such; it's more of a self-discovery kind of plot arc in a fun world that combines mythology with workplace drama. It's a great combination.
As a professional Classicst, I'm picky about my Greek mythology fiction. I want an author who uses the extended universe provided by the corpus creatively, with both sensitivity to the ancient myths and a willingness to adapt and play with it to tell new stories. I'm especially picky about how people write Hades - the post-Christian lazy Hades=Satan trope is slow to die and I want to kill it with fire.
Anyway, this is not one of those series. I love what she does with it and find it all a fun, easy read with characters who make sense and a world that makes the best possible use of the language of mythology. She respects the source material without being pedantic about it and gives you a fun, easy read. It's also worth noting that this isn't primarily a romance series as such; it's more of a self-discovery kind of plot arc in a fun world that combines mythology with workplace drama. It's a great combination.
April 13, 2018
This book sounded like a lot of fun. I liked the idea of seeing our main character pull herself together and learn how to navigate her new world. However, the execution of the idea wasn't that great. I never really felt a connection to Wynter. I think she was just too nonchalant about everything. The book opens with a lot of brooding about how she quit her job and dumped her boyfriend on the same day, with no explanation of why she did either, beyond the fact that it's something she does again and again. The employment agency was fun, but not enough to balance out that Wynter didn't give us any reason to care about her story.
June 7, 2018
I just love the works of R.L. Naquin.. I loved Monster Haven, I love Djinn Haven, and I love Mt. Olympus Employment Agency. Wynter has reached rock bottom... so when her Philodendron starts talking to her... well obviously she can add insanity to the list of things gone wrong in her life. It seems though,that fate has plans for Wynter Greene...
Definitely a book worth reading. Not a surprise as the author is definitely one to keep onthe to read shelf
Definitely a book worth reading. Not a surprise as the author is definitely one to keep onthe to read shelf
August 29, 2017
Really good
I accidentally started reading the second book first. Luckily I realized that and found this. It's funny and relatable on several levels. Everyone's had a project they've given up on. Or a rough patch. Now the queen of giving up is Muse for the downtrodden. I love it.
And I loved the short story in the end, a Philly girl just like me.
I accidentally started reading the second book first. Luckily I realized that and found this. It's funny and relatable on several levels. Everyone's had a project they've given up on. Or a rough patch. Now the queen of giving up is Muse for the downtrodden. I love it.
And I loved the short story in the end, a Philly girl just like me.
September 21, 2019
Fun story! I ended up buying it even after seeing a few negative reviews. The lead character Wynter Green (hokey name and all!) is believable and likeable. She is sent to the Mt. Olympus employment agency after her life hits rock bottom - by her houseplant, Phyllis! Neat fantasy characters and world, a good story, and a well-edited book. I'll move on to the next one.
May 23, 2017
Creative, funny, and uplifting, this is a delightful escape!
April 13, 2023
Girl finds out she has mythologic parents and gets into a school for demigods.
August 30, 2015
"Unfinished Muse"
By: R.L. Naquin
The seeds of creative ideas and story lines must love the fertile brain of R.L. Naquin. Another great work of the 'flight lantastic'. Or is that 'light fantastic'? Either way, I believe she would do well writing script for the "Dr. Who" series (one of my favorites by the way).
Using a normal 'talking' houseplant to usher in the not normal world that is to become Wynter's new life was brilliant on the comic front. As in her "Hidden" series she takes a main character that is quirky but realistic and gives her a paranormal flavor that is easy to digest and tastes good as you take bite after bite until you realize it is gone. It leaves you sorry that you consumed it so fast!
Wynter is a character that just can't find her calling in life and seems to be down and out in her luck and personal life. She finally meets the criteria for her assignment at Mount Olympus Employment Agency. Being given the position of 'muse' her assignment is to motivate her given clients, The last job on earth she thinks she is qualified for. But failure here could land her in the underworld. Many obstacles and disgruntled coworkers seem out to ensure her failure. With the help of her houseplant "Phyllis", she is determined to complete her assignments on time and on her terms. Will that keep her from the underworld? Or will it put her on the fast track to work for Hades himself?
Unlike Naquin's "Hidden" stories, this read was a little more "vanilla", a little slower in the middle and the ending came with fewer neatly tied up answers. It left you knowing (or hoping) more installments will follow and hopefully soon. I am anxious to see where this story goes and would definitely recommend it for a fun, motivational read! As a standalone book my rating would be different but as a series this has a great potential.
Jeanie G
I give this 4 a'muse'ing sheep.
By: R.L. Naquin
The seeds of creative ideas and story lines must love the fertile brain of R.L. Naquin. Another great work of the 'flight lantastic'. Or is that 'light fantastic'? Either way, I believe she would do well writing script for the "Dr. Who" series (one of my favorites by the way).
Using a normal 'talking' houseplant to usher in the not normal world that is to become Wynter's new life was brilliant on the comic front. As in her "Hidden" series she takes a main character that is quirky but realistic and gives her a paranormal flavor that is easy to digest and tastes good as you take bite after bite until you realize it is gone. It leaves you sorry that you consumed it so fast!
Wynter is a character that just can't find her calling in life and seems to be down and out in her luck and personal life. She finally meets the criteria for her assignment at Mount Olympus Employment Agency. Being given the position of 'muse' her assignment is to motivate her given clients, The last job on earth she thinks she is qualified for. But failure here could land her in the underworld. Many obstacles and disgruntled coworkers seem out to ensure her failure. With the help of her houseplant "Phyllis", she is determined to complete her assignments on time and on her terms. Will that keep her from the underworld? Or will it put her on the fast track to work for Hades himself?
Unlike Naquin's "Hidden" stories, this read was a little more "vanilla", a little slower in the middle and the ending came with fewer neatly tied up answers. It left you knowing (or hoping) more installments will follow and hopefully soon. I am anxious to see where this story goes and would definitely recommend it for a fun, motivational read! As a standalone book my rating would be different but as a series this has a great potential.
Jeanie G
I give this 4 a'muse'ing sheep.
July 28, 2015
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Wow! This book seamlessly rolled mythology, romance, and inspiration all into one story that had me running to my car to start (and finish) my next big project! Interested? You should be, because this book was fantastic!
Wynter (yeah, the name screams hippie parents) has just quit her job and dumped another boyfriend. She appears to be your typical "quitter" personality - anytime things look like they might force her to commit, she beats them to the punch. No roots, no baggage, and this seemed like her forever path until the weirdest things started happening. Her houseplant/lifemate starts a conversation with her for the first time ever. Also, she finds herself at an abandoned building, walking into a world filled with real-life mythical beings.
Turns out, the mystery father that her off-the-wall mother keeps telling tales about is an actual deity (or something). This fast-tracks her into the Mt. Olympus Employment Agency training program. Through some sort of twist of fate (ha), Wynter ends up becoming a very poorly trained Muse. Her clients are depending on her for inspiration and the motivation to complete their projects on-time.
I have to admit, I thought this would be all fluff and laughs, but there was truly some inspiration story jammed into this outrageous world. While watching Wynter struggle to keep her "clients" on track, I found myself smiling and rooting right along with her. It takes a lot from a book to really reach out and grab me, but this one did it. If you have even the slightest interest in a paranormal read, this one is guaranteed to entertain you (and might have you finishing a project of your own!).
Wow! This book seamlessly rolled mythology, romance, and inspiration all into one story that had me running to my car to start (and finish) my next big project! Interested? You should be, because this book was fantastic!
Wynter (yeah, the name screams hippie parents) has just quit her job and dumped another boyfriend. She appears to be your typical "quitter" personality - anytime things look like they might force her to commit, she beats them to the punch. No roots, no baggage, and this seemed like her forever path until the weirdest things started happening. Her houseplant/lifemate starts a conversation with her for the first time ever. Also, she finds herself at an abandoned building, walking into a world filled with real-life mythical beings.
Turns out, the mystery father that her off-the-wall mother keeps telling tales about is an actual deity (or something). This fast-tracks her into the Mt. Olympus Employment Agency training program. Through some sort of twist of fate (ha), Wynter ends up becoming a very poorly trained Muse. Her clients are depending on her for inspiration and the motivation to complete their projects on-time.
I have to admit, I thought this would be all fluff and laughs, but there was truly some inspiration story jammed into this outrageous world. While watching Wynter struggle to keep her "clients" on track, I found myself smiling and rooting right along with her. It takes a lot from a book to really reach out and grab me, but this one did it. If you have even the slightest interest in a paranormal read, this one is guaranteed to entertain you (and might have you finishing a project of your own!).
November 16, 2015
I read and enjoyed the author's Monster Haven series over the past few years. It was one of those series where I looked forward to the new instalment each time, and I was sad to see it come to an end. When I saw that the author was already tackling a new project, I knew I'd be reading it.
Wynter, the main character, hits rock bottom in her life, and doing so has allowed her to become a candidate for the Mt. Olympus Employment Agency. It turns out that somewhere down the line, Wynter has some Greek God in her genetics.
She has to go through orientation with a scary teacher who seems to be able to read her mind, and then she's assigned to a department, where all her colleagues seem to dislike her at first sight. We get to see her struggle with things that are new to her (like making friends), and strive to succeed in her given task rather than just give up and move on when the going gets tough, as has been her MO over the years.
We see Wynter grow as a person, and struggle to give up on bad habits. She finds a reason for getting up in the morning, for going out and inspiring others as their Muse. She faces the horror of her mother seeming to lose her grasp on reality, and has to deal with the shock of discovering that she owns a talking plant...
The story is interesting, and has good potential as it grows. For some reason, I just didn't connect with Wynter as well as I did with Zoey, and that affected my enjoyment of the story, hence the 3 stars. I'm not giving up, though, and will return for book 2 when it's released.
Wynter, the main character, hits rock bottom in her life, and doing so has allowed her to become a candidate for the Mt. Olympus Employment Agency. It turns out that somewhere down the line, Wynter has some Greek God in her genetics.
She has to go through orientation with a scary teacher who seems to be able to read her mind, and then she's assigned to a department, where all her colleagues seem to dislike her at first sight. We get to see her struggle with things that are new to her (like making friends), and strive to succeed in her given task rather than just give up and move on when the going gets tough, as has been her MO over the years.
We see Wynter grow as a person, and struggle to give up on bad habits. She finds a reason for getting up in the morning, for going out and inspiring others as their Muse. She faces the horror of her mother seeming to lose her grasp on reality, and has to deal with the shock of discovering that she owns a talking plant...
The story is interesting, and has good potential as it grows. For some reason, I just didn't connect with Wynter as well as I did with Zoey, and that affected my enjoyment of the story, hence the 3 stars. I'm not giving up, though, and will return for book 2 when it's released.
August 13, 2015
"Unfinished Muse" by R.L. Naquin is a fun modern mythology novel. At twenty four, Wynter Greene has hit bottom. She's quite her job and dumped her boyfriend all in one day, and worse of all she'll likely have to move back in with her mother if she can't find something fast. The straw that breaks her metamorphic camel's back, is when she throws out a quilt she's been working on for a few years. Seemly out of no where her potted philodendron starts talking to her, and won't quit until she's listened to what she has to say. Wynter is to report the Mt. Olympus Employment Agency in order to get her life back on track. Will Wynter ever learn not to give up? Or is she doomed for the Underworld. Overall, I really enjoyed this novel. It was a fun and fast read filled with quirky characters and lots of character growth for the main character. If you like novels that take place in the present that include a twist of mythology, then this is for you! Hope you enjoy it as much as I did and I can't wait to read the sequel!
March 29, 2016
I loved Naquin's Monster Haven series. I was thrilled when I saw a new book was available and then less thrilled when I saw the description. I am not a big fan of urban fantasy books set in a Greek/Roman-mythology/gods-are-real verse. Initially, I found myself warming to Phyllis, the houseplant faster than the main character, Wynter. Uh-oh, I thought, sighed and continued to read. I am glad I did. I give this book a 3.5 which I will round up to a 4 because while I was slow to get into it, Naquin is a gifted author and by the end, I found myself looking forward to book #2.
August 1, 2015
Great start to a new series, full of Naquin's trademark wit. Wynter Greene quits three things in one day and has her life change around when she's sent to the Mt. Olympus Employment Agency. Assigned to be a bubble-blowing Muse, Wynter the quitter must now inspire others to keep trying. Cool magic, and interesting world and lovable characters. I'm itching to read the next book and maybe (?) solve the mystery of Wynter's Greek God parentage.
Fave part: Phyllis the talking philodendron
Fave part: Phyllis the talking philodendron
January 11, 2016
Review to come: I just wanted to get my numbers for the year updated but fighting the flu and not in my right mind. Lol, anyway review to come!
I was looking for a break and wanted to read something involving mythology. I almost stopped reading this in the beginning. It was very slow but I did enjoy the book as it went along. I might even read the next in the series.
I was looking for a break and wanted to read something involving mythology. I almost stopped reading this in the beginning. It was very slow but I did enjoy the book as it went along. I might even read the next in the series.
August 14, 2015
Another A-Musing tale by R A Naquin
Just loved this new story line. So looking forward to the next book in the series. If you have not read the previous series you are missing something special!
Just loved this new story line. So looking forward to the next book in the series. If you have not read the previous series you are missing something special!
July 24, 2015
Beautifully written, fun urban fantasy. Original. I can't wait for the next book.
September 6, 2015
Mythology
This book is great for those of us who love Greek mythology. What would happen if you found out one of your parents was a God?
This book is great for those of us who love Greek mythology. What would happen if you found out one of your parents was a God?
January 5, 2016
This a fun new series based upon Greek mythology and set in Topeka, Kansas.
January 31, 2016
I'm a big fan of greek mythology anyway but this is a fun spin on it, very light reading but enjoyable!
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