Το βέλος του έρωτα, Βιβλίο 1

by Andrya Bailey

Όλα ήταν ήσυχα και τακτικά στη ζωή της Σαμπρίνα, ξεκινούσε την πρακτική της στο Μουσείο Καλών Τεχνών του Χιούστον, όταν σε μια δεξίωση της διεύθυνσης του Ιδρύματος την πέτυχε το βέλος του φτερωτού θεού και ερωτεύτηκε τον όμορφο έλληνα καθηγητή και επιμελητή του μουσείου, Νίκο Σούλη. Για κακή της τύχη, ο θεός των ονείρων της θα μείνει στην πόλη μόνο για δύο μήνες, ενώ η αντίζηλός της, η όμορφη και πλούσια Μάγκι, δεν τον αφήνει στιγμή από τα μάτια της. Υπάρχει ελπίδα το όνειρο της Σαμπρίνα να γίνει πραγματικότητα;

Genres: Greek Mythology, Contemporary Romance

208 pages, Paperback

First published February 8, 2015

Reviews

[Tracy O’Sing · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hot sexy Romance... Wow!

This was a short read, and ended with a cliffhanger! Oh I can't wait to read more in this Series..
Ms Bailey is a new author to me, one I will be definitely looking out for.
I just love all things Greek and enjoyed the details and history that was obviously well researched and described in this short sexy Romance...

[Sassy Beta Reading & Review · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved loved loved the story of Sabrina and Nikos and it isn't over yet! This looks like it will be a three part series that CAN NOT be read alone and MUST be read in order. This DID NOT have an HEA and DID end in a cliff hanger.

Sabrina is a student working on her big degree (don't remember what) and is doing an internship at a musuem where she meets the man of her dreams Nikos who looks like one of the Olympian Greek Gods she has always been facinated about. It's love at first sight for Sabrina.

Nikos is in the states for only a few months as guest speaker, advisor, etc. about his travels of digs he has done in Greece. Sparks fly, tempers flair, secrets kept and broken. There is heart ache, tears, lies and most of all...some hot sex!

This is written as a single POV (Sabrina's). I would have loved to have seen Nikos POV. That would have added so much more depth to the story. I think though, that it was probably written as single POV so it kept us guessing about Nikos motives and secrets. So, I'm not too disappointed that it wasn't multi pov. It didn't take away from the story have only one pov.

The characters were well developed, their dialogue was entertaining and the description to detaiils were done well also. One thing I could have done without thought was all the references to Greek Gods and how much Nikos reminded Sabrina of this one...then that one...then another one. It was over done I think. All in all a good read and I am anxious to read book 2 and 3.

So....Would I recommend this book? Yes

Would I read more from this author? Yep! I need to know what happens next!

Sassy Beta Reading & Review

www.facebook.com/sassybetareading

[Catherine Wright (Cat's Guilty Pleasure) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was given a copy by the author in exchange for an honest review.

Absolutely loved this love story! I can hardly wait to read the next! I couldn't put it down. I loved the chemistry between Sabrina and Nikos. Nikos is the dream guy we all want. If you love romance, you can't miss this one. Sabrina was so sweet and lovable. This was an amazing book and I can't wait for the next one to be released.

Review done in conjunction with Nerd Girl Official. For more information regarding our reviews please visit our fansite at http://www.facebook.com/nerdgirl.ng

[Geri · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! If this could really happen I might have to study Greek mythology, lol! Sabrina is working towards her dream degree by working on an internship when she meets Nikos. This story has the hotness that the Greek gods deserve and has heartbreak and tears as well. I hope that book 2 is out quickly because I so want to read more and see what is happening with our characters. When you start this story don't make any plans because you won't be able to put it down once you start. It is that good!

[Inge-Lise Goss · Rating 5 out of 5]

An Engaging Romance

This is a great, hot romance. Sabrina, a graduate student who has a passion of Greek mythology, has scored the internship she wanted at the Fine Arts museum. What she didn’t count on was falling for Nikos, a Greek archaeologist and the museum’s curator. Maggie, a rich socialite, is determined to have Nikos. Can Maggie destroy Sabrina’s whirlwind romance?

This is a well-crafted, romantic story about finding love at first sight. I’m looking forward to reading the next sequel. I highly recommend this book to everyone who enjoys steamy romances.

[Melissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I normally take some notes when I am reading a book that I need to review. I want to make sure I remember every thought I have on the book I am reading, but this book I could not stop reading until the very end. At first, I could not get into the story, but once I did, I could not stop reading. Wow, a cliffhanger. I need to read book #2 like NOW. I need to know what happens.

I love the story about Sabrina and Nikos, but there were so many questions I had about Nikos. Is he telling Sabrina the truth? Is Maggie really his girlfriend or just possessive of him? I can not wait until I read the next book.

We got to read this book with Sabrina's point of view. I wonder what we would had learned from Niko's point of view!!

☆☆☆☆☆
I give this book 5 out of 5 stars.
Would I recommend this book? Yes! Author? Yes!
Would I read more from this author? Yes!

Happy Reading!
Melissa

[Lady Donna · Rating 5 out of 5]

LOVE ALWAYS WINS

This is a romance book about love at first sight and the chemistry between the main characters, Nikos and Sabrina, is off the charts! Whenever they're together you can feel the magnetism bringing them toward each other. Great plot, with a mix of Greek mythology and art history. The dialogues clearly show the characters' emotions and at the end, you can't help but feel so sad for what Sabrina is feeling and going through. Excellent descriptions of the city and places they visit, also bring an extra treat to this book, as if you're travelling with the characters. Can't wait to dive into books 2 and 3 to see the end of the love story between these two. I incredibly Love it. Highly recommend!

[Theresa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Olympian passion
by Andrya Bailey
An erotic romance showing the pitfalls of expectation and reality. With a number of very detailed and steamy love scenes for the reader's delight. The book has an aspect of dreamy fantasy and true reality heartbreak. I would love to see if the sequel brings the story to a more pleasant end, it feels like I left the story in the middle.

[Alexandra Alexander · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this story. Very good descriptions, incredible chemistry between the main characters. Reading it was like watching a movie. You can tell how Sabrina's emotions were all over the place with her insecurity regarding Nikos.

Obviously, whoever has been through a long distance relationship, or involved with someone from a different culture and place, can totally relate to their dynamic. Sabrina falls in love at first sight when she spots Nikos for the first time - we have a mythological reference to Cupid here, in that Sabrina was hit by the arrow of the god of love.

This is fantasy (meaning, don't read it as if it's a story of 2 real life humans, after all, these are fictitious characters, although several of the situations could be very real). And as I said, their emotions reflect that they're both getting involved with someone from a different country, language, culture, etc, which is delightful to discover.

There's a lot of references to Greek myths, which makes it even more interesting, especially to those who enjoy reading about the Greek gods. Nikos is the good looking absolutely stunning Greek god, like Adonis? (sorry to spoil it here, but after reading someone criticizing Sabrina for falling for his good looks I have to ask - aren't most of the romance male characters good looking, charming, sometimes bossy, alpha males? Hello 50 shades Christian? And the female character falls for them also because they're handsome and all? So please, give it a break. Or maybe whoever criticized is not used to reading romance or love at first sight kind of books which is possible).

So, this is a steamy romance. There are steamy scenes between Nikos and Sabrina and I thoroughly enjoyed them. The book is written in Sabrina's POV, which brings to surface more of her feelings and we get to see Nikos as a mysterious character. I hope more will be revealed in book 2 because I don't want this to end and I can't wait to find more about Nikos!

[Carol Ann · Rating 5 out of 5]

Olympian Passion by Andrya Bailey had it all. It had wonderfully drawn characters like the super sexy Nikos, the sweet and sensitive Sabrina, and the perfect best friend Jane. The story is set against the backdrop of beautiful Greek antiquities and museum mystery. Fast-paced, emotionally charged, and did I mention passionate? I can't wait for Book Two.

[Αναστασια · Rating 5 out of 5]

Παρόλο που το βιβλίο ήταν μικρό σε έκταση το απόλαυσα πραγματικά.. Η συγγραφέας δεν χρειάστηκε να γραψει περιττές πληροφορίες για να γίνει απολαυστικό το βιβλίο ..Ήταν μια απόλυτα ρομαντική και παθιαρικη ιστορία και τελείωσε προς το παρόν με πολύ αγωνία...Ανυπομονώ για την συνέχεια της...

[Sheila Kell · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was gifted a copy of this book (without an expectation of review) but was hesitant to read it as I do not care for cliff-hangers or books from a single POV. I am kicking myself for waiting so long to read it. This has quickly become one of my favorite books.

Captivating characters Sabrina and Nikos relationship has just begun, and I look forward to following it in this intriguing story. Ms. Bailey has set the foundation for an addictive series that will keep readers asking for more.

A smooth, unique writing style caps off some of the great things I can say about Ms. Bailey's novel. The story is fresh, and the sex is hot. Don't wait. I promise you will wish you hadn't.

[Christina Morales · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow. So I'm expecting just a romance, instead I get a well rounded complex love story with Great imagery and settings. I love the way the author really knows her world and the setting. The main characters are complex and well rounded, with the main love interest being quite mysterious. The POV doesn't give away what he's thinking, feeling, or doing--- just like trying to figure out a real life man. The author does a good job with the plot twists and especially the sexual encounters. They are steamy yet not "porny." No judgement here but it would not have fit in well with the love story. All in all the ending made me gasp.

[Judith Lucci · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great read about a young classics student, Sabrina, who is a museum intern and madly in love with her professor Nikos. Nikos is on furlough for a few months and a steamy romance heats up between the two young lovers with Sabrina head over heels in love. The author has done an admirable job in balancing a steamy relationship with romantic interludes. A captivating read with a clever cliff-hanger. Cannot wait for the next one.

[Pax Sinclair · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sabrina is about to begin a prestigious internship at the Museum of Fine Arts. She’s hoping to be assigned to the antiquities department to do more research on her thesis. She attends the museum’s preview party of the Bronze Vessels exhibit. There she falls in love with Dr. Nikos Soulis, a man that appears to have emerged from the mist of Greek mythology. She discovers the demigod is unattainable but he's also the key to her research. Sexy read.

[Andrea · Rating 5 out of 5]

Olympian Passion is the recipient of the 2016 New Apple ebook Award in Contemporary Romance - SOLO MEDALIST

http://newappleliterary.com/2016ebook...

[Fred · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love at first site

This was a very nice read about Attraction at first site and hart break at losing it before your ready!

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Olympian Passion is the first book in the Olympian trilogy and I am looking forward to see what happens in the next books. This first book sets the stage for the passion and love between Nikos and Sabrina. The chemistry between the two jumps off the pages. This is a well-written book and the descriptions are fantastic. The supporting characters are great and the dialogue flows nicely.

[Edward Wolfe · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't normally read romance, but this was great. It seemed to start off slow and I couldn't see where it was going to go, but it pulled me in more and more until I reached the end and realized that I loved the story and didn't want it to end.

Now I need the sequel!

[Danielle Urban · Rating 5 out of 5]

Olympian Passion by Andrya Bailey is the perfect blend of Greek mythology, contemporary, and romance fiction. It has all the ingredients to make it irresistible. I found myself wanting to know how the Greek mythology and the modern contemporary life would mold. The passion between professor and student was like a forbidden fruit. Yet, it was the appeal of what should not be that pulled me in closer. The romance builds with every page. Heat, intensity, and the element of the unknown plays a huge part in this book. The characters were well-done. The heroine was a bit too addicted to the hero. I found that a bit unrealistic. Yes, there should be that pull towards the attractive Greek God type of a man, yet she was too heavily into him too soon. If she was attracted in the same way but tried to tamper it down or to ignore it and then epically fail- then, that would have been better. But it felt too fast, too soon. It had a bit of a resemblance to the Twilight saga. The heroine from the Twilight series was just as piqued into the mystery of a man just like every other girl, but it appeared she struggled too in getting the man's attention at first. The ending was epic. I still have no idea how the journey between Nikos and Sabrina will end in the next installment. That's right, there is definitely a cliffhanger leaving me wondering what's next.

I received this copy from the publisher. This is my voluntary review.

[Grady · Rating 5 out of 5]

‘Now, in the land of the gods, I was a true goddess’ – the power of love!

Texas author Andrya Bailey is an award winning romance novelist whose Olympian Love Trilogy has proved successful with critics and audiences alike. OLYMPIAN PASSION is the initial volume of the trilogy.

In a romance that intertwines suspense, Greek mythology and archaeology, and passion, Bailey opens her novel in the vein of academia, with hints of the suspense and excitement to come; “Three more weeks until we present our thesis research,” Jane said as we arrived at the auditorium for the first lecture of the day. “It’s almost over. What a relief!” A few months had gone by since I’d come back from my extra week in Athens. And I hadn’t heard anything about Nikos since. I hadn’t told anyone about the end of my fateful time in Greece. No one knew that it had been cut short. Facing Jane, Robert, and especially Curt, who had spent the first days with me there, wouldn’t be easy after what had happened. I wasn’t prepared to talk about it. I needed time to heal, to attempt the impossible task of forgetting Nikos. To rethink my life without him. To be normal again, after waking up from the nightmare.’

With that near operatic overture, Bailey sensitizes the reader, seducing us into her fascinating mythology-infused romance. The provided synopsis outlines the story well: ‘Love at first sight - that's what grad student Sabrina feels when she spots the handsome and smart Greek archaeologist and museum curator Nikos Soulis at a reception in the Fine Arts museum. However, the Olympian-looking god of her dreams is only in town for two months to help with a special exhibit. And her rival, Maggie, won't leave him alone. Nikos is intrigued to learn that Sabrina is interested in Greek mythology and art history. When he finds out that she's writing a paper about the Greek vases he's traveling with, he makes time to help her with her project, despite having a full schedule. Their attraction is so intense, that they can hardly handle being in the same room. Their chemistry is undeniable. Can Sabrina avoid heartbreak when she's seduced by the sexy Greek scholar?’

The story soars through mythological and archaeological ideas, and that aspect makes this initial volume of a romance trilogy work on every level. Fine character painting and sculptural atmospheres lift this novel to a higher level. Recommended.

[J.M. Northup · Rating 3 out of 5]

A romance for philhellenes

I was drawn to this book because of the beautiful cover as well as my love of archaeology. The idea of Greek mythology and art blended with love at first sight was a lovely premise for a story. Obviously, I needed to know more.

What I liked was the friendships shared among Sabrina, Jane, Curt, and Robert. The unconditional love and acceptance they had for one another was refreshing, not to mention what real relationships should be like. The honesty between them proved their genuine care, and their kindness was a testament to their respect for each other.

What I didn't enjoy was the over-used references to "Greek god" and "Olympian god." The attempt to connect to the Grecian imagery and recapping some of the character details became somewhat redundant. Also, I was frustrated with the relationship between Sabrina and Nikos - it felt less like love and more like lust to me.

I'm sure many romance readers will love this book. It ticks all the boxes for the genre, though I, personally, felt a disconnect emotionally. Still, I want to finish the series to know how it all plays out. I'd like to see what becomes of Sabrina and her friends, especially if Maggie gets a reality check in the future.

[Caitlin Bennett · Rating 5 out of 5]

So, before I started reviewing books with Alisha I used to read Fanfic for DAI. Yes, I know it’s not a thing with other people but it was for me. Well, one of the fanfic was an MAU (Modern Alternate Universe) and it was about college professors. I kinda got into it and loved it, so when I saw this book and it said, sexy professor, I just had to read it. Plus the blurb said the words Greek, Olympian god, and sexy professor. I know, it’s like the perfect book right? lol

On that first page it mentioned Greek Mythology, and at that, it had me hooked. I have always loved Greek Mythology, even wrote a few of essays about the gods and goddesses. Now, I don’t know all of them or anything but it was something that sparked my interest. If you can imagine I connected with the main character. Though this mc does have her head in the clouds, but that’s a good thing. Right?

I did have one tiny issue with this book, to be more straight forward. There was a certain scene that kinda threw me for a loop, I swore to myself that it was a dream and not really happening. But I was wrong, so I thought it was a little out of character. Even though I connected with the main character through greek mythology, sadly I didn’t connect on an emotional level with her. Keep in mind, the books I usually love have the characters pretty damaged. (aka character I connect with)Where in this book that is not the case, the mc seemed very sweet and she could bite back. Those things didn’t take anything away from this book, I still enjoyed it. Hints the 5 stars.

I loved the ending, (some might not) but it left me wondering what the was going to happen next. I mean that is the way to end a book, keep the reader wanting, waiting, build up the hype of what is going to happen in the next book. Bravo, Ms.Bailey you got this dark, twisted, fantasy obsessed reviewer in love with your book. I hope I get to see what happens between those two.

I received this book in exchange for an honest review. If you would like to read more of our reviews visit us on our blog: thebohemianhousewife.com

[InD'tale Magazine · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5/5.0

This is an interesting piece that has information about Greek vessels scattered throughout the story.

Read full review in the 2016 November issue of InD'tale Magazine.

[Books Review · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Olympian Passion" by Andrya Bailey is a captivating entry in the world of contemporary romance, meriting its accolades, including a 2016 New Apple Literary Medalist Winner in Contemporary Romance. This book is the first installment of the Olympian Love trilogy, setting a robust foundation for a series that promises to whisk readers away to the enchanting world of Greek mythology intertwined with modern romance.

The story revolves around Sabrina, a dedicated grad student, who is instantly smitten by Nikos Soulis, a striking Greek archaeologist and museum curator. Their meeting at a Fine Arts museum ignites a spark that is as immediate as it is profound. Nikos, who is in town for a brief two-month tenure, becomes the center of Sabrina's world, much to the chagrin of her rival, Maggie. However, Nikos finds himself drawn not only to Sabrina's beauty but also her intellect and passion for Greek mythology and art history, which aligns closely with his life’s work.

Bailey expertly crafts their relationship with depth and authenticity, making their whirlwind romance both believable and deeply engaging. The chemistry between Sabrina and Nikos leaps off the page, filled with moments of intense attraction and heartfelt interactions that are bound to leave readers rooting for their success. Despite the looming deadline of Nikos's departure, their connection deepens, offering a mix of academic collaboration and romantic development that is both sweet and intellectually stimulating.

"Olympian Passion" is more than just a love story; it's a beautifully penned exploration of passion and learning, capturing the essence of its characters’ connections through shared interests and mutual respect. It effectively uses the thematic elements of Greek mythology to enhance the romantic plot, enriching the narrative with a layer of cultural and historical depth that is both educational and enchanting.

This novel is highly recommended for anyone who loves a romance that transcends the ordinary, woven with threads of mythology that add a grandeur akin to the ancient tales it echoes.

[Adélie · Rating 1 out of 5]

Could not finish it. It was so poorly written. And I really didn’t like the characters. The amount of big fat red flags on this man. Sabrina needs therapy not a man. She needs to grow a backbone and her dignity and tel Nikos to go fuck himself. Nikos has zero respect for Sabrina or her boundaries. Breaking into her appartement and just fucks her without saying a word? Meanwhile Sabrina puts him on a pedestal and risks her degree for this fucking loser.
In the words of Meg: “No man is worth the aggravation”
AND in the words of Hades: “HE’S A GUY!”