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Goddesses of Delphi #2
Mayhem
A freak solar flare plunges Nia Thanos, Muse of Astronomy, into an evil immortal’s attempt at a hostile take over of Olympus Enterprises. Her jobs—save the family business while rescuing the world from pandemonium. To eliminate the menace she must convince one mortal man to believe in the magic of what if.
‘Doubting Thomas’ Wilde hosts a television program aimed at busting myths. But when Nia confesses to being a Muse, it’s one myth he can’t bust, or believe. His refusal to help leaves Nia to face the challenge on her own.
Riots, looting, and general anarchy are minor problems compared to what’s coming if the balance of power shifts on Olympus. Nia’s undeniable attraction to Thomas wreaks havoc on her heart and threatens her ability to secure the safety of humankind. Nia finds herself fighting to persuade the one man she can’t live without to help save the world.
‘Doubting Thomas’ Wilde hosts a television program aimed at busting myths. But when Nia confesses to being a Muse, it’s one myth he can’t bust, or believe. His refusal to help leaves Nia to face the challenge on her own.
Riots, looting, and general anarchy are minor problems compared to what’s coming if the balance of power shifts on Olympus. Nia’s undeniable attraction to Thomas wreaks havoc on her heart and threatens her ability to secure the safety of humankind. Nia finds herself fighting to persuade the one man she can’t live without to help save the world.
- GenresRomance
196 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 8, 2016
28 people want to read
About the author
Gemma Brocato
45 books286 followersGemma's favorite desk accessories for many years were a circular wooden token, better known as a 'round tuit,' and a fortune from a fortune cookie proclaiming her a lover of words; some day she'd write a book. All it took was a transfer to the United Kingdom, the lovely English springtime, and a huge dose of homesickness to write her first novel. Once it was completed and sent off with a kiss even the rejections, addressed to 'Dear Author', were gratifying.
After returning to America, she spent a number of years as a copywriter, dedicating her skills to making insurance and the agents who sell them sound sexy. Eventually, her full-time job as a writer interfered with her desire to be a writer full-time and she left the world of financial products behind to pursue an avocation as a romance author.
Her gamble paid off when she was a 2012 Finalist in the prestigious Golden Pen contest for Romantic Suspense and she received contracts for her first and second book.
After returning to America, she spent a number of years as a copywriter, dedicating her skills to making insurance and the agents who sell them sound sexy. Eventually, her full-time job as a writer interfered with her desire to be a writer full-time and she left the world of financial products behind to pursue an avocation as a romance author.
Her gamble paid off when she was a 2012 Finalist in the prestigious Golden Pen contest for Romantic Suspense and she received contracts for her first and second book.
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
November 9, 2016
I don't really know what to say about this one. I enjoyed it, especially the concept of the Muses being challenged. But there were a few times when I was really fed up with the characters and doubted my ability to finish the story. I'm not sure I'm interested in the rest of the series. I know this is a pretty wishy-washy review, but it's the best I've got right now.
November 4, 2016
***4 ‘That was a close one’ Stars***
Talk about a wild ride. Not only with the challenge, which I swear was even bigger than the one laid out in Tyranny, but the feels that Nia and Thomas’ journey caused. There was sweetness, smexyness and even some ardoableness that had me swooning, but there was a good dose of angst in this one that even had me on the edge of my seat.
I really liked Nia and Thomas. Nia is sweet, intelligent and quite confident in what she knows, which comes with the territory of being a Muse, but she has her insecurities and quirks as well that gave her a very approachable quality. Thomas was a little more complicated. Events in his past have made him a skeptic and a cynic who doesn’t believe romantic love or that true goodness exists and yet there is one exception to the rule, even though he doesn’t see it. But despite what he thinks he believes his actions show that he is a sweet, caring and sexy as all get out.
While the way Nia and Thomas’ relationship begins is similar to how things went in Tyranny, there was much more angst involved and I enjoyed how different their paths to their HEA were. In a lot of ways it felt more realistic thanks to Thomas’ skepticism and even though I wanted to smack him upside the head for not believing, I couldn’t fault him either. I enjoyed their bantering and the sexual chemistry between them was hot. Their journey was rocky, but I liked how he eventually came to his senses and where they ended up in the end.
As I said in the beginning, the challenge this time around was an intense one and very well crafted from start to finish. I found that even I had my moments of doubt about Nia winning the challenge, though I knew we’d get an HEA at the end. I enjoyed seeing just what the sisters were capable of doing and spending more time with them. Callie is still the sister that has me wanting to crack her head and heart open to see what makes her tick, but I’m also curious as to what is going with Zeus. So bring on the next challenge!
~ Copy received from the publisher via NetGalley and reviewed voluntarily ~
Talk about a wild ride. Not only with the challenge, which I swear was even bigger than the one laid out in Tyranny, but the feels that Nia and Thomas’ journey caused. There was sweetness, smexyness and even some ardoableness that had me swooning, but there was a good dose of angst in this one that even had me on the edge of my seat.
I really liked Nia and Thomas. Nia is sweet, intelligent and quite confident in what she knows, which comes with the territory of being a Muse, but she has her insecurities and quirks as well that gave her a very approachable quality. Thomas was a little more complicated. Events in his past have made him a skeptic and a cynic who doesn’t believe romantic love or that true goodness exists and yet there is one exception to the rule, even though he doesn’t see it. But despite what he thinks he believes his actions show that he is a sweet, caring and sexy as all get out.
While the way Nia and Thomas’ relationship begins is similar to how things went in Tyranny, there was much more angst involved and I enjoyed how different their paths to their HEA were. In a lot of ways it felt more realistic thanks to Thomas’ skepticism and even though I wanted to smack him upside the head for not believing, I couldn’t fault him either. I enjoyed their bantering and the sexual chemistry between them was hot. Their journey was rocky, but I liked how he eventually came to his senses and where they ended up in the end.
As I said in the beginning, the challenge this time around was an intense one and very well crafted from start to finish. I found that even I had my moments of doubt about Nia winning the challenge, though I knew we’d get an HEA at the end. I enjoyed seeing just what the sisters were capable of doing and spending more time with them. Callie is still the sister that has me wanting to crack her head and heart open to see what makes her tick, but I’m also curious as to what is going with Zeus. So bring on the next challenge!
~ Copy received from the publisher via NetGalley and reviewed voluntarily ~
December 1, 2016
Mayhem is the second book in Gemma Brocato's Goddesses of Delphi series about the Muses of Greek Mythology. I love the premise of these books, so I was looking forward to this second installment.
The Story- Nia is the muse of astronomy or the stars, and she must get a mortal man to believe in magic in order to save the world. Unfortunately for her, the mortal man in question is literally a doubting Thomas-- he even has a tv show to prove it.
My Thoughts- I really enjoyed the character of Thomas and his background/take on the world. I felt like he brought some interesting elements to the story. While some of this one felt similar to the first book in this series, Nia and Thomas were so very different from the first couple that it felt fresh. Again, there was some nice world-building, but I look forward to more as the series develops.
The Bottom Line- This series with its unique take on paranormal continues to be on target for Brocato. I can't wait to see where it goes.
The Story- Nia is the muse of astronomy or the stars, and she must get a mortal man to believe in magic in order to save the world. Unfortunately for her, the mortal man in question is literally a doubting Thomas-- he even has a tv show to prove it.
My Thoughts- I really enjoyed the character of Thomas and his background/take on the world. I felt like he brought some interesting elements to the story. While some of this one felt similar to the first book in this series, Nia and Thomas were so very different from the first couple that it felt fresh. Again, there was some nice world-building, but I look forward to more as the series develops.
The Bottom Line- This series with its unique take on paranormal continues to be on target for Brocato. I can't wait to see where it goes.
February 1, 2017
Mayhem by Gemma Brocato is a romance and sci-fi and fantasy read.
A freak solar flare plunges Nia Thanos, Muse of Astronomy, into an evil immortal’s attempt at a hostile take over of Olympus Enterprises. Her jobs—save the family business while rescuing the world from pandemonium. To eliminate the menace she must convince one mortal man to believe in the magic of what if.
Wow. An absolutely fantastic read. Full of magic wonder and fantasy. I haven't read book 1 but I will be and I can't wait for the next one. Highly recommended. 5*. I voluntarily reviewed an advanced copy of this book from netgalley.
A freak solar flare plunges Nia Thanos, Muse of Astronomy, into an evil immortal’s attempt at a hostile take over of Olympus Enterprises. Her jobs—save the family business while rescuing the world from pandemonium. To eliminate the menace she must convince one mortal man to believe in the magic of what if.
Wow. An absolutely fantastic read. Full of magic wonder and fantasy. I haven't read book 1 but I will be and I can't wait for the next one. Highly recommended. 5*. I voluntarily reviewed an advanced copy of this book from netgalley.
November 8, 2016
I loved Tyranny, book one of this series, but I didn't realize that I'd love Mayhem just a little but more.
The same aspect of suspense, love, humor, & drama appears in this book. However, the characters & situations are different enough to add variety. There's a little bit of something for everyone in this story & it keeps you longing to find out how things are going to end.
Nia really fascinated me. Thomas hit a soft spot in my heart so hard I'm sure there's a dent somewhere inside. And, of course, it would be difficult to not fall in love with Hailey.
I can't wait for more of this series to come out, to read more about the characters we already know & see what new personalities Gemma will be gifting us.
Merged review:
I loved Tyranny, book one of this series, but I didn't realize that I'd love Mayhem just a little but more.
The same aspect of suspense, love, humor, & drama appears in this book. However, the characters & situations are different enough to add variety. There's a little bit of something for everyone in this story & it keeps you longing to find out how things are going to end.
Nia really fascinated me. Thomas hit a soft spot in my heart so hard I'm sure there's a dent somewhere inside. And, of course, it would be difficult to not fall in love with Hailey.
I can't wait for more of this series to come out, to read more about the characters we already know & see what new personalities Gemma will be gifting us.
The same aspect of suspense, love, humor, & drama appears in this book. However, the characters & situations are different enough to add variety. There's a little bit of something for everyone in this story & it keeps you longing to find out how things are going to end.
Nia really fascinated me. Thomas hit a soft spot in my heart so hard I'm sure there's a dent somewhere inside. And, of course, it would be difficult to not fall in love with Hailey.
I can't wait for more of this series to come out, to read more about the characters we already know & see what new personalities Gemma will be gifting us.
Merged review:
I loved Tyranny, book one of this series, but I didn't realize that I'd love Mayhem just a little but more.
The same aspect of suspense, love, humor, & drama appears in this book. However, the characters & situations are different enough to add variety. There's a little bit of something for everyone in this story & it keeps you longing to find out how things are going to end.
Nia really fascinated me. Thomas hit a soft spot in my heart so hard I'm sure there's a dent somewhere inside. And, of course, it would be difficult to not fall in love with Hailey.
I can't wait for more of this series to come out, to read more about the characters we already know & see what new personalities Gemma will be gifting us.
November 2, 2016
When I first heard the premise of these stories, I worried that each story would be similar to the previous.
Was I wrong!
While there are, obviously, some aspects that have to be similar, this story is very different than Tyranny!
I'm loving the flow and characters, and I can't wait to see what Ms. Brocato has in store for us next!!!
Was I wrong!
While there are, obviously, some aspects that have to be similar, this story is very different than Tyranny!
I'm loving the flow and characters, and I can't wait to see what Ms. Brocato has in store for us next!!!
October 14, 2016
Wow!!! Another great book in this series. I'm loving it. I need more
November 12, 2016
So I was scrolling my Facebook feed one day a week or so ago, and I came across this article: Ancient mosaics unearthed in Zeugma, Turkey. How cool is that? And it fits right in with Gemma Brocato's new series, the Goddesses of Delphi. (I know the article is a couple years old, but it was new to me.) So it made me even more excited for this series because you don't see many stories of the Muses in mythological fiction.
You may remember from the first book, Tyranny, this series is about The 9 Muses, who are Zeus' daughters with Gaia, and they inspire mankind in all kinds of areas like sacred song, written word, the Heavens, history, etc. Pierus was a jealous lower God, who also had 9 daughters known as the Pierides. Pierus and his daughters were always trying to subvert Zeus and, as a result, Zeus turned the Pierides into magpies. It is this story that Gemma has taken and given a unique modern twist. The Muses now have mortal life spans, to be reborn again throughout eternity with all their prior memories in tact. Olympus is being run by Zeus as if it were an international corporation, and all of this is taking place in modern day Delphi.
The heroine of this second installment of the series is Urania ("Nia"), Muse of Astronomy, protector of celestial objects and stars. She has inspired great historical figures such as Galileo and Newton, and had involvement with placement of the great stone monoliths like Stonehenge. Today, Nia is an astronomist at the Helios Institute in Delphi, and is still nudging scientists in their work with the stars and space. Nia was a good heroine... I liked that she was smart and working in the field of science. I wish there would have been more focus on her intelligence, but with a book of this length some things need to be sacrificed for the sake of the plot. Her intelligence was balance with insecurity, which helped Nia feel more "real" in the eyes of the reader. It's nice to know that not even goddesses and muses are perfect!
Each challenge that Pierus issues against a Muse requires her to work with a man who they must inspire to believe again. This puts the romance in the fated mate category as each couple seems to have a supernatural spark when they first meet. Nia's match for her challenge is Thomas Wilde, a true Doubting Thomas, who has lost his belief in humanity after a personal tragedy. I really liked Thomas and his dedication to his young niece, Hailey. I couldn't quite match up his surfer boy good looks with his Doubting Thomas television show and cynical personality, but it was an interesting contrast. Hailey was an endearing addition to the story as well - she certainly helped fill the cuteness quotient.
The romance between these two had to move quite fast by necessity due to the length of the novella. But it was not a type of instalove that bothered me... there was instant attraction and lust, but also some angst and emotion thrown in. And much like Thomas, there were times that I doubted whether these two would make it, and whether Nia would win her challenge and save the world. The complications to the challenge were well-plotted and interesting. I liked that they were of a scientific nature and it seems that Gemma put in some additional time researching all things solar and lunar. I also liked that we had other Gods and Goddesses helping... Atlas, Mars, Hermes, Mnemosyne, etc. I just love mythology-based stories because there aren't as many out there so I always feel like the material is fresh and new. I commend Gemma for taking the little known myth of the Muses v. Pieredes and working into something fun and entertaining.
This book was available on Kindle Unlimited as of the date of this review.
November 29, 2016
Fabulous book!
I loved the characters and the plot. I want to read the rest in the series to see how the overarching story is settled.
Nia, the Muse of Astronomy, and her sisters have been challenged by other Gods of the Greek Pantheon and must each win their challenge or become a magpie forever.
Nia's challenge is to convince Thomas Wilde, host of the TV show Doubting Thomas, that magic is alive and well in our world.
Thomas and his beautiful niece capture Nia's heart almost instantly. Thomas' belief is a bit more difficult to attain. Disaster almost occurs but this is a Romance novel so of course true love and the good guys triumph in the end.
The characters are fun and the plot is fast paced. I really enjoyed the interactions between not only the main couple but also the various family members, especially the sisters.
I loved the characters and the plot. I want to read the rest in the series to see how the overarching story is settled.
Nia, the Muse of Astronomy, and her sisters have been challenged by other Gods of the Greek Pantheon and must each win their challenge or become a magpie forever.
Nia's challenge is to convince Thomas Wilde, host of the TV show Doubting Thomas, that magic is alive and well in our world.
Thomas and his beautiful niece capture Nia's heart almost instantly. Thomas' belief is a bit more difficult to attain. Disaster almost occurs but this is a Romance novel so of course true love and the good guys triumph in the end.
The characters are fun and the plot is fast paced. I really enjoyed the interactions between not only the main couple but also the various family members, especially the sisters.
November 11, 2016
What a fun read. A modern day twist of the Greek mythology. Zeus and his daughters are at war with others and its now nias turn. With family and friends by her side she must face a Destiny. But New ones, innocents are brought into the plan unforseen by any of these gods or goddesses and now theirs, the new ones and all mortals lives are at stake. Her challenge has her facing a non believer of magic. Will she and her companions be able to change his mind before time is up? Can they all together save the world? Oh goddess lets hope so.
Merged review:
What a fun read. A modern day twist of the Greek mythology. Zeus and his daughters are at war with others and its now nias turn. With family and friends by her side she must face a Destiny. But New ones, innocents are brought into the plan unforseen by any of these gods or goddesses and now theirs, the new ones and all mortals lives are at stake. Her challenge has her facing a non believer of magic. Will she and her companions be able to change his mind before time is up? Can they all together save the world? Oh goddess lets hope so.
Merged review:
What a fun read. A modern day twist of the Greek mythology. Zeus and his daughters are at war with others and its now nias turn. With family and friends by her side she must face a Destiny. But New ones, innocents are brought into the plan unforseen by any of these gods or goddesses and now theirs, the new ones and all mortals lives are at stake. Her challenge has her facing a non believer of magic. Will she and her companions be able to change his mind before time is up? Can they all together save the world? Oh goddess lets hope so.
January 11, 2017
Hailey was my favorite
Loved adding the child aspect to this love story. I hope we find out more of her fate.
Some small facts and descriptions took me out of the book but I am too curious to care about typos and got caught up in this series.
Merged review:
took a while to get into this one- very complex plot-but did like it enough to continue with the series- Go Gemma- so I take it there will be a minimum of 9?
Loved adding the child aspect to this love story. I hope we find out more of her fate.
Some small facts and descriptions took me out of the book but I am too curious to care about typos and got caught up in this series.
Merged review:
took a while to get into this one- very complex plot-but did like it enough to continue with the series- Go Gemma- so I take it there will be a minimum of 9?
November 24, 2016
This series is a winner and so inspiring. I'm loving the story lines and the characters. The heroine is an astronomist and the hero a man she must convince to aid her in her quest. There's suspense, trials, a journey of discovery, love and romance. I can't wait for book three.
November 9, 2016
Gemma did it again. I love this book. As a new author to me I love her books. Gemma Brocato has a new fan of her books. I recommend everyone to read her books you will not be disappointed at all.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews