**I received a beta copy of this book in exchange for honest feedback. All thoughts expressed are my own. This review may contain slight spoilers!**
All I have to say is W H O A.
I've always had a thing for Greek mythology, but I don't think I've ever read something as intense and as captivating as the story Stephanie wrote. I was hooked from the start, and I couldn't put it down!
There was only a little bit of confusion at the beginning, at least for me... mostly in regards to why Eros was so angry at his mother, but that immediately cleared up once I found out *why* Eros was targeting soulmates to get to Aphrodite, his mother.
And on a related note, the whole thing is sort of sweet in a creepy way... I mean, his wife was missing and he was just trying to get answers so he could find her. And okay yeah, killing soulmates *probably* wasn't the way to go, but I loved that Steph wrote Eros/Cupid as this vengeful being - how most people wouldn't see Cupid as, since he's all about love, ya know?
I also loved how she wrote Aphrodite as this well-rounded being, instead of her usual stuck up self that most people portray the goddess as. She's so much more than some bimbo goddess, and I really enjoyed reading her parts of the story. I loved how she was not only confident and fierce when she needed to be, but she also showed her vulnerabilities. It made her seem more real, a 3-dimensional character, instead of a flat 2-D character, which is what a writer wants to achieve (and Stephanie 100% did!).
Also, the impending doom that seems to linger over the gods throughout the book, that Psyche, Eros’s missing wife, seems to have the answers about but is nowhere to be found - this gave me chills. Like my arms are completely covered in goosebumps and my heart has sank into my stomach, kind of chills. To think that there's something - or someone - out there that wants to hurt the gods... it's brilliant how Steph portrayed this story. I am so impressed, and I am so happy that I got to beta read for her because this book is definitely on my recommendations list.