Thief

Sterling Falls #1

by S. Massery

I wasn’t supposed to be at Olympus that night.
And I definitely wasn’t supposed to witness a murder – or be caught by the killers.

Hades, Apollo, and Ares run the mysterious, masked fight club, and they wield more power in this town than I could dream of holding. They destroy my life with one decree: Kora Sinclair doesn’t exist.

Sterling Falls was my chance to start over, but one night derails everything.
My scholarship, my job – gone.

I could run home, but giving up my dreams isn’t an option.
Desperate times call for desperate measures.

When I can’t repay my debt to an unforgiving man, he gives me a choice. I can steal Hades’ mask, or he can take what I owe from my flesh.

But if I do this, there’s no turning back. More than the fear of his threats, revenge drives my decision. I need to steal the mask.
After all, who better to become a thief than the girl they tried to erase?


THIEF is a full-length, mature college/new adult romance with dark themes. This is a reverse harem, #whychoose novel, meaning the main character has more than one love interest. This is book one of four in the series.

Genres: Dark Romance, Why Choose, Romance, Dark, Enemies To Lovers, Contemporary, Fantasy

335 pages, ebook

First published January 20, 2022

About the author

S. Massery is a dark romance author who infuses all her stories with a dash of suspense. Formerly from Massachusetts, she now resides in Southern California with her dog, Alice.

Before adventuring into the world of writing, she went to college in Boston and held a wide variety of jobs—including working on a dude ranch in Wyoming (a personal highlight). She has a love affair with coffee and chocolate. When S. Massery isn’t writing, she can be found devouring books, playing outside with her dog, or trying to make people smile.

• Facebook Group —> http://facebook.com/groups/smasserysquad 

• Facebook —> http://facebook.com/authorsmassery

• Instagram —> http://instagram.com/authorsmassery 

• Newsletter —> http://smassery.com/newsletter
• Tiktok —> http://tiktok.com/@smassery

Reviews

[Noa · Rating 5 out of 5]

"It's been three months… and don't they say revenge is a dish best served cold? I can only hope they don't see me coming."

Kora Sinclair doesn't exist.
Three months ago, Kora saw something she shouldn't have.
Something done at the hands of the rulers of Olympus.
The hands of the rulers of Sterling Falls itself.
Since then, she has had to run. And never come back to Sterling Falls.
But she ran right into another mess.
A mess she has to go back to Sterling Falls to get out of.
Steal Hades' mask… Shouldn't be that hard right?

"Masks are supposed to hide everything. But can't you see? It makes people show their true colors."

If I have said it once I have said it multiple times. S. Massery can write whatever she wants and she will knock it out of the park and I will eat it up and devour it.
This is just another piece of proof to add.
I mean Greek Mythology right? Why Choose right? Enemies to Lovers right? Revenge right? I feel like I don't need to say anymore!!!
And I am always a sucker for a Persephone retelling I mean come on how can I not?

"We think flowers are beautiful, but we still cut them and stick them in vases to wither and die."

Kora is literally on the run for all of her life and it is the fault of the rulers of Olympus. An underground fight club in Sterling Falls. A place where if you're an outsider, good luck because life is not as fun as it may seem. I highly recommend reading "Thrill" which is a short novella and it follows Nyx and Saint and it really added to the vibes and it got me into the story really well.
While we didn't get a lot of POVs from Apollo, Ares, and Hades, in their POV you find so much information that just enhances the story.
While they might seem like ruthless leaders (and they are) there is much more going on beyond the surface and I feel like we only just scratched that. Because there are 3 more books and I am already hooked. I feel also like in the next books I'll have more insight in the characters themselves but for now LOVE LOVE LOVE.

"Sterling Falls is corrupt, and you stumbled into the wolves' den."

The playlist is giving underground greek mythology fight club/ Persephone retelling and I am loving it 🥰🥰🥰

(Link - https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6ea... )

🎶 "Way down We Go" - KALEO
🎶 "Lion" - Saint Mesa
🎶 "I Just Wanna Run" - The Downtown Fiction
🎶 "RUNRUNRUN" - Dutch Melrose
🎶 "IF THERE IS A GOD, IT'S ME" - PLVTINUM
🎶 "that's how you make a villain" - emlyn
🎶 "I'm Her" - Natalie Jane
🎶 "Masquerade" - Lindsey Stirling
🎶 "Desire" - MEG MYERS
🎶 "Pretty Distraction" - SkyDxddy
🎶 "Courtesy Call" - Thousand Foot Krutch
🎶 "FUNERAL" - Neoni
🎶 "la di die (Acoustic)" - Nessa Barrett, jxdn
🎶 "Hypnotic" - Zella Day
🎶 "Hate Me" - Nico Collins
🎶 "Fighter" - Christian Reindl, Power-Haus, Dream Harlowe
🎶 "Imaginary" - Evanescence
🎶 "The Devil is a Gentleman" - Merci Raines
🎶 "Friction" - Imagine Dragons
🎶 "Paranoid" - I Prevail
🎶 "Monster" - Lady Gaga
🎶 "HEARTBEAT" - Isabel LaRosa
🎶 "Everybody Wants To Rule The World" - Lords
🎶 "like that" - Bea Miller
🎶 "You Don't Know Me" - Elizabeth Gillies
🎶 "Dangerous Hands" - Austin Giorgio
🎶 "Medusa" - Kaia Jette
🎶 "Morally Grey" - April Jai, Nation Haven
🎶 "Prisoner" - Miley Cyrus, Dua Lipa
🎶 "Big Bad Wolf" - Roses & Revolutions
🎶 "NUMB" - Ryan Oakes
🎶 "Stick Season" - Noah Kahan
🎶 "Lose Control" - Teddy Swims
🎶 "Bloodshot" - Sam Tinnesz
🎶 "Ferris Bueller" - Emei
🎶 "Fallout" - UNSECRET, Neoni
🎶 "engravings" - Ethan Bortnick
🎶 "Silence" - Marshmello, Khalid
🎶 "STFD" - TeZATalks
🎶 "Airhead" - Honey Revenge
🎶 "MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT" - Loveless
🎶 "Worst Case Scenario" - Loveless
🎶 "Haunting Me" - Loveless
🎶 "Red Flag" - Natalie Jane
🎶 "Dead Or Alive" - Stileto, Madalen Duke
🎶 "…Ready for It?" - Fame on Fire
🎶 "Vigilante Shit" - Taylor Swift
🎶 "Devil Knows" - Armen Paul
🎶 "WOW" - Zara Larsson, Sabrina Carpenter
🎶 "R U Mine?" - Arctic Monkeys
🎶 "Fantasies" - Llynks
🎶 "butterflies" - GAYLE
🎶 "Nightmare" - Scarlet City, Anxxiety
🎶 "Victim" - Halflives
🎶 "Messed Up" - Once Monsters, Chloe Adams
🎶 "nameless" - Stevie Howie
🎶 "Seven Nation Army" - Stevie Howie
🎶 "Anarchy" - Lilith Czar
🎶 "Us and Pigs" - SOFIA ISELLA
🎶 "My Own Monster" - X Ambassadors
🎶 "Gasoline" - The Weeknd
🎶 "Playground" - Bea Miller
🎶 "As They Bloom" - Unlike Pluto
🎶 "Hallucinations" - PVRIS

And don't worry just because it's the first book doesn’t mean I won't provide you with some 🌶️🌶️🌶️

"When you're used to this, I can't wait to see where we go."

"You feel perfect. Too fucking perfect."

"We've talked about this, flower. You come first."

🎭 Tropes 🎭

💮 Greek Mythology Inspired
💮 Why Choose Romance
💮 Enemies to Lovers
💮 Slow Burn
💮 Forced Proximity

Book edit - https://www.instagram.com/p/C3IkPayIv64/

Full Sterling Falls Playlist - https://spotify.link/CdpCKE0VTIb

[Vee · Rating 4 out of 5]

You know it’s a good book when you constantly rationalise the characters behaviour. Bad, Good, literally whatever they do, I will clapping on the sidelines like Regina George’s Mum.

I read the synopsis and instantly thought ‘what pr1cks’, I’m not going to read this book. From the sounds of it, they took her life away and made her invisible. I am a grudge holder, so I couldn’t see myself forgiving them easily. However, then I started reading and it’s so much more complicated than that (as it always is).

So this opinion was quickly forgotten, they are actually all so likeable (even when they are unlikable)😩. The character development is on point.

👇🏼Small Spoilers👇🏼

Quick bit of a backstory before I get into the characters. This isn’t a dystopian world, as I ordinarily thought. I assumed it was set in Olympus and so the main characters may have powers or something. In reality … they are just in reality.

The characters and story are just inspired by Greek Mythology (This may have been evident to others, but not to me) :

- Olympians/ Gods vs Titans - The conflict between the 2 ‘gangs’.
- ‘Persephone’ & ‘Hades’ - Their relationship isn’t very harmonious.
- The siblings - Apollo and Artemis
- Kronos - Evil villain/ Trafficker
- Hell hounds (Guardians of hell) - Biker gang
- Olympus - Is the main MMC Mansion
- Obviously the Greek names. Whether they are real or used as pseudonyms to protect their identity.

There are probably a ton of other Easter eggs, but I’m not very up to date on my mythology. Incorporating this into the plot altered my perspective on everything and despite my limited knowledge, I could clearly see so many parallels.

The Characters :

Kora - ‘Persephone’👸🏼
- When you first meet her she is quite meek and I instantly thought she was going to be annoying. She wasn’t, I jumped to conclusions. In the first scene, I think it was her fear taking over. She actually a very strong character with a lot of trauma. She was a foster child, survived domestic abuse and physical abuse (an SA scene is briefly included in the form of a nightmare - after 80%). This character has been through a lot, but that doesn’t stop her from constantly putting her bravery to the test and standing up for herself.

Jace - ‘Hades’ 👑
- The leader
- Very stoic
- Finds it hard to express emotions, but tries to physically show you that he cares.

Wolfe - ‘Ares’👑
- Cinnamon roll/ Golden retriever
- Jokester of the group
- Very affectionate.
- Puts on a ‘happy face’, even when he’s going through sh1t

Apollo - ‘Apollo’ 👑
- Protector/ very physically strong
- Hard upbringing ( the shopping scene. Ahhh 🥲)
- Competitive
- Haven’t seen a ton from him yet

I liked all of them in their own way. They personalities were all very different and although Jace is the leader, they are all equals. They frequently refer to themselves as ‘brothers’, which I thought was sweet.

In terms of spice, it was quite YA for quite a while, which was fine with, as the plot was soooo strong. However, suddenly it just flipped and the ‘PG of it’ flew out the window. Again not complaining, but this familiarity just came out of nowhere 😂.

My last Greek God inspired book was an absolute flop, but this was such a refreshing take and the characters gelled so well together. I have read one other book by this author and I was not a fan at all. This could be the fact it was a bully romance and I struggle with those.

Overall this was a great read and that cliffhanger was 🤯

Needless to say the next book is downloading !!

Parting note - Marley is a sketchy b1tch, I do not have concrete evidence to support this, besides the fact she is a ‘bare minimal’ friend. If she turns out to be a murder or something in the next book, I will feel happy and justified.

[Intel Chicky Reads Romance (Kara Merideth) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Story: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Trope: RH
Angst: 😱😱😱
Smexy: 🔥🔥🔥🔥
Triggers: past sexual assault

Kora has had a string of bad luck. Trying to make a fresh start after leaving an abusive relationship, first, she witnesses a murder and when she refuses to leave town, she had to borrow money from a shady character to stay enrolled in school after she's "erased". Jace, Apollo, and Wolfe never expected Kora to stay around after they threaten her, but when Kronos comes looking for his pound of flesh, they feel guilty about how she has become a casualty in their war.

This was definitely an interesting read. I haven't read many RHs, but I've enjoyed S. Massery's other books, so I figured I'd give it a try. The story has a secret society feel, but it's more like gangs fighting with other gangs with people trying to dismantle the whole corrupt system. I found it to be a bit slow in the beginning, but I think it had more to doing the groundwork for laying out a complicated storyline. It paced a lot faster by the last 1/3 of the book and I'm really interested in seeing where she's going to take us. There was tons of chemistry between Kora and the guys, but ironically she still hasn't gotten with the one with whom she had the most tension. Can't wait to read the next book!

[Mal · Rating 2 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️

The blurb was promising, but the execution? Not so much. The h was an idiot and I couldn’t figure out why the Hs were drawn to her. The sex scenes were so boring, wtf. No chemistry, no fire, no angst. I won’t be continuing this series.

[Melluvsbooks]

DNF @15% - the hokey-ness of the dudes’ outfits and their masks were bugging me - and the h’s “makeover” was eyerolly - such a badass with her septum piercing AND 10’lb weight loss 🙄 (how will they ever recognize her?!? 👀🤔💀)

These are the petty things that sent me searching the book - and confirmed that she had an abusive boyfriend… and I really REALLY dislike this trope. Because it takes all the fun stuff off the table with her present boyfriends… or at least they will talk it and analyze it to death. That’s not the right angst for me 🤷🏼‍♀️

[Rhonda Ziglar · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 AMAZING STARS!! New author to me and she has won a new reader. Wow, this story was amazing and not what I expected....I am glad I gave it a try. These characters are perfect and they sucked me in. I can't wait for more in this series.

[Lana ❇✾DG Romance❇✾ · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 STARS

I moved here to escape my nightmares. Somehow, I waltzed right into another one.

As a huge S Massery fan, I have absolutely no idea how I'm only reading this series now. And it's a why choose! I'm frankly ashamed of myself for sleeping on this and reading the spin off series, Nemesis, first. I know, I know, judge away.

I love a good dark why choose, and this one hit just right. I also love greek mythology, so the nods to it in this book and series were the perfect cherry on top. Kora is in Sterling Falls on a scholarship with everything to look forward to, until she stumbles into something and sees something that she shouldn't. Suddenly, the rug is ripped out from under her and her dreams and scholarship right along with them.

The romance is a slow burn, with more time spent with Wolfe and Apollo in this book. With it being a four book series, the romance built at the perfect pace. We get the chemistry and try built up was delicious. The story is certainly dark and I loved the quick paced intensity of it.

Find me on:

[Ruthie · Rating 1 out of 5]

1.75 - didn't like it

This book follows Kora Sinclair, student at Sterling Falls University. One night, fairly early into her arriving in Sterling Falls, Kora goes to Olympus, a mysterious place that seems pretty popular with the citizens. She comes too late, though, and tries to go through the back. This leads to her witnessing a murder, and the "gods" in charge of Olympus decide, as a result, to completely ruin her life.

Months later, Kora is in deep shit with the loan shark she made a contract with to pay for her schooling. Except she doesn't have the money to pay him; she doesn't even have money to feed herself. The loan shark tells her to get the mask of Hades, one of the three "gods" who fucked up her life months earlier, or pay dearly.

Her thievery puts her directly in contact with the gods that ruined her life, and she ends up getting to know each of them as a person. Meanwhile, the implications and consequences of her contract with the loan shark just keep piling up.

I wasn't a fan of this book at all. I thought it was confusing and overly fast-paced. I didn't particularly like any of the characters, but I *especially* didn't like Kora. It just wasn't for me, and I'm not planning on reading the rest of the series.

Ok. Now for the spoilers.

Spoilers below.
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.
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Ok. So Kora is desperate to get away from her ex. She runs away to Sterling Falls. She gets mixed up in Olympus shit, they tell her to leave, prevent her from getting hired *anywhere*, get her scholarship revoked, etc. So what does Kora do? She takes a fucking loan out from a *loan shark*. She doesn't call her friends or family for help. No, she just takes literally the most idiotic and dangerous course of action. And all so she can go to college? Make it make sense. Higher education is, of course, important. But it's not so important that when you get cancelled in a town, you can't go literally anywhere else. She doesn't want to go back home? She doesn't have to. She just has to go LITERALLY ANYWHERE ELSE. Kora, you are the DUMBEST character EVER. The desperation and willpower to stay is so unwarranted.

Next: Wolfe, Jace, and Apollo's interest in Kora. It's completely unwarranted as well. Wolfe is first interested in her because of her Persephone mask (which, for anyone else who wore it, they got turned away at the door, but she just got free entry instead?), and the "desperation" in her eyes. So he says. They later catch her stealing Hades' mask, and this really interests them. So much that they just start having her followed. When her pinky is almost cut off in Kronos' den, they somehow come in guns blazing to save her. Now she lives with them and they'll do anything to help her out.

But fucking *why*? Like there's no justification for it. She may be slightly interesting, but there's nothing that justified them going in and risking their lives for her in their enemy's territory. There's nothing that warrants them sticking their necks out for again and again as said enemy continues to threaten her. She's done nothing but attempt to steal from them and be a sad girl. There's nothing that sets her apart, nothing special. And yet, at least Wolfe and Apollo are apparently enamored with her, and overly concerned for both her safety and pleasure?!? It. Makes. No. Sense.

Next, Kora demands of Jace that he do everything to prevent her from coming to further harm from Kronos. She does this in spite of the fact that *she* was the dumbass who signed the contract without reading through it and was taken in and protected by him and his boys. They owe her nothing. They've already saved her life thus far. She has absolutely *no* room to be demanding Jace to break her out of her shitty contract. And then at the end, she has the fucking gall to be miffed that he didn't find a way to get her out of it, even though she believes he died trying?!? KORA. You are KILLING me.

Finally, this book was fairly rushed, especially in any sexy parts. Like I felt like they just came out of nowhere. She's super traumatized from her ex, which is valid, and she's like, "I don't even know these guys," and then she's like, "Why are we not fucking already? So confused." Furthermore, the sex scenes are so fast, not at all detailed, and I just felt... absolutely nothing while reading them. That's *not* how I want to feel reading some spice. She does end up having penetrative sex with Wolfe after a rape dream??? And it just falls flat.

I just...couldn't with this book. Not a fan. Not a fan at ALL.

[JL Roberts · Rating 5 out of 5]

***Copy was given in exchange for an honest review***

Hades aka Jace, Apollo (already named after the god Apollo), and Ares aka Wolfe are in a race to save Kora before Kronos can collect for the contract she signed with him. The price is her and none of the guys will let that happen. When they banished her from their town and told her to never come back they thought she would run not borrow money from the leader of one of the two most powerful gangs in their town but she does and now she is doomed.
All Kora wanted to do was get away from her abusive ex, go to college, and start fresh, she even had a new job all lined up but after witnessing a crime involving the gods of Olympus she finds it all ripped away and in a desperate act she borrows money from the wrong person. He gives her an ultimatum that leads her back to the gods, but if she fails she will belong to Kronos forever.
I loved this book! The entirety of the story just sucks you in. From the fighting ring at Olympus to the gangs and corruption of the town to the romantic twists. Not only is Kora falling for Wolfe and Apollo but she's also feeling that pull to Jace. This ends on a cliffy that leaves you wanting more. I can't wait for book two!

[Bec · Rating 1 out of 5]

Ooof, this just seems to drop you right in and it makes no sense, there is a lot of why questions that should be answered. The setup for the plot just made me go hmmmm. This just starts out with too much confusion and so I'm going to DNF.

[Jolie Vines · Rating 5 out of 5]

Do you know how happy I was when Ms Massery announced she was turning her hand to writing a reverse harem series?
OVER THE FREAKING MOON.
Picture the scene - not one mean boy but THREE for Kora, our heroine. And after the trouble she finds herself in, frankly, she deserves all the more good loving.
Our men are Hades, Apollo, and Ares, and between them, they run Olympus - an exclusive fight club. They are mysterious, hot, powerful, hot, and hella good looking. Did I mention hot?
Massery brings the steam. One woman, three men, allll the heat.
I can't recommend this enough. I adored the suspense, the dark twists and turns, and every second Kora was with her guys.
If you loved the Fallen Royals series, you're going to go wild for this.
Ten stars.

[Vanessa (bookfairy.reads) · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's been a hot minute since I read some dark romance and also since I read a book by S. Massery and oh my god how I MISSED IT!! 😍😍😍😍

Her books are phenomenal if you ask me, her characters are great, the emotion, the yearning, the spice, the drama and plot and suspense; top notch. 🤌🏻

Thief was no different! I read the prequel "Thrill" first which was a great introduction to the world and made Thief even better in my opinion.
I love the slow burn, I love the darkness, I LOOOOOVE WOLFE! ❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥

The cliffhanger would've been my end if book 2 hadn't already been released, so needless to say, I immediately went ahead and started book 2 "Fighter" and I am already loving this one as well. 😍💕

[Darcey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Honestly this was the perfect entertaining, addictive, trashy read I was searching for!! It wasn’t that dark, which I appreciated, and the enemies to lovers storyline was so mild (those men were the sweetest) that it just ended up being a fun, easy read.

[Renee · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received a copy of this book from the publisher/author to review for Stephanie's Book Reports.

I wasn't supposed to be at Olympus that night. And I definitely wasn't suppose to witness a murder-or be caught by the killers. Hades, Apollos and Ares run the mysterious masked fight club , and the wield more power in this town than I could dram of holding. They destroy my life with one decree: Kora Sinclair doesn't exist.
Sterling Falls was my chance to start over, but one night derails everything. My scholarship, my job-gone. I could run home but giving up my dreams isn't an option. Desperate times call for desperate measures. When I can't repay my debt to an unforgiving man, he gives me a choice. I can steal Hade's mask, or he can take what I owe from my flesh. But, if I do this, there's no turning back. More than the fear of his threats, revenge, drives my decision. I need to steal the mask. After all, who better to become a thief than the girl they tried to erase?

This is a book is a little on the dark side so if you have triggers you will want to heed the warnings in the beginning of the book. It is also a reverse harem or may be I should say a why choose kind of read.
This is the story of Hades Apollo and Ares. are all in a race to save Kora before the nasty evil Kronos before he can collect on a contract that she signed with him. The true price of this contract is her and none of them are willing to let that happen. They have banished Kora from their town and they thought she would run but never in a million years thought she would sign a contract with Kronos to borrow money. He is the leader of one of the two most powerful gangs in their town. I don't even think she has a clue how bad this could end for her. All Kora has ever wanted was to get away from her abusive ex and go to college and work her new job and live her life like she has always wanted to but one word for Hades Apollo and Ares and it is all over for her. But now she is in debt to one of the most ruthless gangs and to solve her little problem the leader of that gang tells her it s either taken out on her flesh or steal Hades mask? She has anted revenge on Hades for a long time now since he started this whole mess in her eyes.
There is a lot that goes on in this book and I loved this book so much> it is really hard to put it idown to even cook super or leave the house. You do not want to miss this one.

[PP's Bookshelf · Rating 4 out of 5]

I will never be tired of reading Greek mythology related dark romance and Thief by S. Massery was definitely an intriguing one. This reverse harem romance was sexy and adrenaline fuelled and full of jaw dropping secrets. Hades. Ares. Apollo. Three gods of Sterling Falls. And one innocent yet fierce girl in their trap. It was dark and explosive and everything you need from a great dark reverse harem romance.

Kora run away from her past and wanted to start fresh in Sterling Falls while working and studying in SFU. But she became witness to a murder while trying to check out secrets of Olympus, a luxurious exclusive place with darkness. Hades, Ares and Apollo threatened her and took away everything she had. Her scholarship. Her job. And she took loan from Kronos. Now she is behind her payment and Kronos has a job for her. Will the bad boys will devour her or help her?
.
The plot of this story is multilayered. Please know that this is book one of a four book series. The small town of Sterling Falls has two sides. One is rules by the Titans and Kronos. Other side by the MC club known as Hell Hounds. And then there are the kings of Olympus. Jace King aka Hades. Wolfe James aka Ares aka son of Hell Hounds' President. And Apollo. They all have edgy, sinister, sexy personality and over all irresistible charm. Kora gets in middle of all the chaos. This girl is a fighter for sure. Her past broke her body but not her soul. She came back over and over again. These boys want to hurt her and own her at the beginning but slowly they realised that Kora isn't their enemy. Rather she is someone special. They are slowly building the connection as its only the beginning. The suspense, the action and the chemistry are all here. The twists kept coming and I just couldnt let my guard down. It ends with a cliffhanger and you would want the next books immediately.

I reviewed an early copy voluntarily

[Marisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great start to the series

The blurb, meh. The actual book, so good. I guess the blurb did describe the plot fairly well but I wasn’t exactly sure how I felt about it. S Massery now has a rather large fan. I enjoyed her storytelling and I felt like I really connected to the female main character, Kora, especially on an emotional level. I love being able to feel her heartache, her helplessness but also her courage and see her doing everything she could to survive.

You just know there’s something more going on and the author piques your interest with each new interaction between the characters and their point of views. I had initially thought it was just from Kora’s point of view but then we started to get point of views from the men which somehow made the book even better. There is action front and center that we know about but there are a lot of politics, interactions and a bit of history behind the scenes that completely play into the bigger picture.

For those that know their Greek mythology, the characters and their names are pretty creative. You don’t even realize some of the connections until you think about it or they are actually mentioned by the characters.

I also recommend reading the prequel/novella, Thrill, that you can download for free from the author’s website. It’s not required to understand the plot of this book but I enjoyed seeing a bit of the background of some of the characters and knowing more about them.

I like/dislike that we are left on not one but three cliffhangers in this book. I think that may have been the darkest part of this book. I cannot wait for the next book in the series and to finally get some answers.

[Kassey J · Rating 1 out of 5]

Nope just nope. I barely got through the prologue and I skipped pages just in that. I made it to page 18 and just I can't. The beginning of the book has crappy structure like they're talking about how there's a circle then one guy jumps and then another stabs but like which guy it made no sense. Then it progressively got worse with the heroine being so weak and stuttering like come on now why would you stumble off the path toward woods to get service and secondly if your ballsy enough to go to a club by yourself then you've had to know it was stupid to pay attention to what was going on most of people have common sense enough to turn away when you see a group of guys looking as though they're doing shady stuff. I may not make much sense if I reread my review in the morning but I know what I mean when I say the fmc is weak in the beginning and the beginning of chapter 1 just hurts my brain to read because of the poorly written plot background with so many questions on what's even being talked about and it's only the beginning so I will not be finishing the story at all it's a nope for me.

[Mariya · Rating 1 out of 5]

Edit: I am DNF'ing this book. MY GOD ITS SO BORING. and the writing is terrible.

am 65% done with this book and I feel like Im the only one who doesn't like it. the three boys are so poorly written I cant even be excited when they hit on Kore.. like theres almost no chemistry what so ever with any of these characters. the writing itself is somewhat boring as well..

[Anto~mcbr · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had such high hopes for this book.

So I guess I'm to blame for being left feeling underwhelmed. The book was ok, but when you go into something expecting to be blown away, ok ends up being uncomfortably close to meh.



For me, the strongest part of this story was its first half.

Kora fully underwent the fish out of water experience. Being new to a strange town, witnessing something she shouldn't have had and having her world turned up-side down and all her preconceived views of the world challenged. Having fallen in with unsavory characters and then having their menacing presence constantly hanging over her head. I enjoyed the persistent feeling of dread and hopelessness of the beginning. The struggle.



The inclusion of a little bit of Greek mythology was fantastic, too.

And I appreciated how painstakingly slow burn the romantic side was, and that there were a handful of chapters from the guys' perspectives thrown in there.

But, other than that, there wasn't anything particularly memorable or noteworthy about this story.



The guys were all unfairly gorgeous (obviously) and there was the requisite extremely hostile one who was a raging asshole half the time (Hades, in this case). But the thing is, for how slow burn this story was, and how much time there was to develop the romance, I was left not knowing what Ares, Apollo and Hades saw in Kora, or her in them for that matter. There was so little character development that it was impossible for me to figure out what they liked and found attractive about each other (besides outward appearances). The chemistry between them wasn't so much a spark, but a flicker.



Another thing I noticed was that around the middle point onward the writing got a little clunky. Some of the dialogues and responses felt like they were coming completely out of the blue, they were confusing and/or nonsensical in the context of the scene that was currently playing out. And those "Wait. Huh? moments completely took me out of the story because they forced me to stop, go back a few paragraphs and re-read everything again to make sure I hadn't missed anything.



Also, and this is totally a me issue, given the warning and reader's discretion advice disclaimer at the beginning, I was expecting the book to be a lot grittier, darker and disturbing than what I ended up getting. Maybe I'm way jaded and have read one too many messed up books, but this one was super tame.

In short, the characters were underdeveloped but the writing was good except for those odd reactions and weird dialogues that happened sometimes. The plot progression was ok and the world presented quite intriguing.

The book ended on a cliffhanger, and there were plenty of loose ends that I'm hoping will be tackled in future books (including expanding the guys' backstories and maybe Kora's being adopted coming back into play).

3.5⭐

**I received a digital copy of this book from Candi Kane PR in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own**

[Amanda · Rating 3 out of 5]

~ 3.5 Stars ~

I picked up this series because it seemed to hit all my happy points, and after starting the year with some lackluster reads, I was needing something easy, fun, and super addicting. This really helped keep me out of the impending book slump and I am so thankful.

So, why I picked up this book. Firstly, this author will be at Apollycon 2023 that I will be attending, and I want to be an informed reader when meeting all these authors. Secondly, the author posted early about her preorders and I LOVED her new special edition covers, they’re beautiful. Thirdly, there’s nothing like an RH NA romance to keeping you turning page after page. Now, to the reading experience…

I really liked the premise of these books and honestly, I felt the plot (young woman, out on her own for the first time, attending college and running into unforeseeable financial issues) was so extremely relatable. Thus the FMC when these problems occur, doesn’t always make the BEST decisions, but does try to do her best with what she’s given, and in the end, those decisions land her in even more trouble, and sets her on the path of getting an up close look at the uglier side of the city she just moved to.

I also really loved that unlike a lot of the other RH romances out there, I felt like the issue of jealousies and learning to “share” and everyone getting to know each other with their own reservations, felt extremely natural and not forced or fake. I’ve read quite a few RH romances and there’s always the “believability” factor that really determines whether I enjoy the romances.

I would say this is a very interesting mix of something like The Madison Kate series by Tate James and Neon Gods by Kate Robert… BUT MUCH BETTER than either of those series. It plays on the Greek mythology comes to a modern day city, and a modern day look at “Olympus”. It’s highly creative and addicting.

I would say, really why I didn’t mark this particular book higher is for the sheer fact that somehow through the entire first book, Kora never tries to turn to her parents about what’s happening in her life. Although she’s extremely stubborn and determined, and has clearly kept things from them in her past, she seems to have a healthy and good working relationship with her parents. So when her situation becomes so dire that she’s literally looking for where her next meal is coming from, how could ANYONE not turn to their parents? I felt so strange that those relationships were a complete afterthought, especially when she’s taking calls from them somewhat regularly. Like, who’s paying for her phone bill while she’s starving? So, the foundation of this novel just felt a tad flimsy due to this factor.

I also feel like her first encounter with Olympus and what initially makes her an Invisible Girl happened extremely quickly, and it might’ve been interesting to see that a little more detailed or flushed out.

Otherwise, I will absolutely be continuing with this series. I found myself excited to get back to it when going about my day. I finished this book in less than 48 hours and went on to the next book immediately!

[Steph W · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thief is book 1 in the Sterling Falls series by S. Massery.

What an amazing start to this RH series! Kora is our female MC and she can't seem to catch a break. She starts by witnessing a "crime" that wasn't for her eyes to see. Rather than unalive her, our male MC's decide to erase her existence on paper, which has devastating fallout for Kora. She is broke, jobless, and has lost her full scholarship to school. She makes a financial deal with the devil, that ends up having even worse repercussions.

The men, Hades, Apollo and Ares, take Kora back home with them as they try and undo the damage they have caused, as well as get her out of her contract with the enemy.

I loved the Greek mythology theme and backdrop for this story, it was very original! A good chunk of book 1 is devoted to world building, so be patient because it picks up in the last half and doesn't stop.

This does end on quite the cliffhanger, and I can't wait to see what happens with Kora and her guys next in book 2, Fighter!

[Tarra · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my first ever S. Massery read and oh my god! I loved it. Why have I not seen this series spoken about more? I bought the rest of the series as soon as I finished this one. Damn cliffhangers!

[Witchling · Rating 5 out of 5]

Must. Read.

[Kristy Nicole · Rating 5 out of 5]

ABSOLUTELY INCREDIBLE!!

I have always loved S. Massery’s books and i was so excited when she said she was going to dive into a new style! And she did it flawlessly and so amazing!

By far one of her best books!! I loved the introduction of these characters and how beautifully dark and twisted they were described.

Kora is by far one of her best female heroines! She is so broken, fragile, stunning, strong and a fighter all wrapped up into a Goddess (you’ll know what i mean when you read the book 😏). And then you have Apollo, Ares, and Hades. Who i could go on and describe in great detail but why would i want to spoil the surprises for you!

S. Massery has always had a dark side to her books but when it comes to this series she definitely understood the assignment 😂. This book will consume you and you won’t want to put the book down until you have read every last word.

I will warn you, S.Massery is an evil genius and she sure does love leaving cliffhangers, and this time she didn’t just leave one but left THREE!! HOW DARE SHE DO THAT?!? 😂😂

I am looking forward to the next book in this series and I’m sooo curious to find out how she answers all my questions!!

**This is a reverse harem, #whychoose novel, meaning the heroine has more than one love interest. It does have dark themes that could be triggering**

Book 1 of 4 in the series 🔥🔥

[H-e-l-e-n-a · Rating 1 out of 5]

Kora es una estudiante de universidad que una noche por accidente y por chismosa es testigo de un asesinato. Las personas que ejecutan el crimen son los dueños de una especie de discoteca/club de la pelea, y en lugar de "callarla para siempre" deciden borrar su existencia de los sistemas para obligarla a irse del pueblo.

Kora decide no irse, y le pide a un mafioso local un préstamo para pagar sus estudios y medio sobrevivir. Cuando llega el momento de pagar, y Kora no tiene con qué, el tipo le dice que le perdona la deuda si se roba la máscara de Hades, uno de los dueños del club ese.

Kora se infiltra y ahí es donde se vuelve a encontrar con los dueños que terminaran siendo su relación poliamorosa.

Odie a la protagonista, se la pasó tomando decisiones estúpidas. El final del libro termina en cliffhanger (hay 3 más) y yo simplemente quería que la tipa se muriera jajajaja

[Chrissy Lear · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well, S Massery has left me dumbfounded. She took reverse harem to a whole new level with this book. I have come to expect intense stories with lots of action, suspense, and some steam. But I could not have imagined this. Kora, Jase, Wolfe, and Apollo are all intriguing characters.

I enjoyed the audio version of this book. The narrators did a great job voicing these characters. I will note, I am not sure if this was due to my device or the production of the audiobook, but in the chapters from Kora's POV whenever the male narrator took over to voice one of the guys it got really quiet, almost impossible to hear.

Fair warning this book does have a cliffhanger ending. While I usually get frustrated with cliffhangers, I am pleasantly content with this one. I will happily sit here anxiously awaiting book 2.

[alexandra · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.25 stars ★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆

･ ｡ﾟ☆:Thief *.☽ .*:☆ﾟ

⁺₊★·.´🎧✩°｡ 0:56 ──♡───── 3:32 ⁺₊🎧★·.·´

🎶

Nice to meet you, where you been? I could show you incredible things. Magic, madness, heaven, sin

🎶

Kora Sinclair (h) finds herself cast into the shadows by Hades, Ares, and Apollo (H) after a fateful visit to Olympus leaves her invisible and alone. Betrayed and abandoned, Kora's life quickly spirals into chaos, forcing her to navigate a dangerous world of deception and dark alliances. Desperate to reclaim her existence and agency, she begins making deals with the Titans, tying her fate to some of the most powerful and dangerous men. But when Kora is tasked with an impossible mission, stealing from Hades himself, she begins to question whether she can actually pull it off. When her attempt goes wrong, she finds herself caught in Hades’ grasp. Now, Kora has to deal with the consequences of her choices and the debt that binds her to the very gods she was trying to escape.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: THOUGHTS*.☽ .*:☆ﾟ. ───

[Jace]

“She’s…” Jace frowns, folding the photo and sliding it into his pocket. “She signed her life away. And until we can figure out leverage to convince Kronos to drop it, she’s in danger.”

He’s not the warmest person (let’s be real), but his way of caring is mostly through protection, which makes things complicated. He keeps trying to push Kora away because he thinks it will keep her safe from everything happening in their town, but she keeps getting pulled deeper into trouble with the Titans. He knows how dangerous the situation has become and definitely blames himself for not being able to keep her away from it. And then there’s the romance aspect. He isn’t immediately jumping into the relationship or acting like he’s completely fine with sharing her, which I actually liked. His feelings for Kora are clearly there, but they’re still building instead of becoming instant love. He’s still always there for her, though, even making sure she can sleep at night, which I find adorable.

[Apollo]

I grasp it to keep from spilling but stare at him. “Apollo.”

He inclines his chin. “You guessed it.”

“Is that your real name?”

He smiles. “Yes.”

I absolutely adore Apollo. The way he goes out of his way to make sure Kora is okay and has enough food is so sweet. He really pays attention to her, especially when it comes to how reluctant she is to ask anyone for help. He understands where that comes from because he’s been in a similar position himself, so instead of waiting for her to ask, he just helps. He also carries a lot of guilt over the situation she’s in because he knows he played a part in putting her there. Instead of letting that guilt stop him, he uses it as a reason to do everything he can to protect her. The fact that he stocks her fridge with groceries without making a big deal out of it is one of my favorite little things about him. It shows that he understands what she needs without making her feel bad for needing help. He’s such a softie, and I love that he doesn’t even seem to realize it! He’s also the first one to actually put his feelings out there and act on them, which made me love him even more.

[Ares]

“Wolfe, why⁠—”

“Do not speak. I’m about two seconds away from losing my shit on you.”

My brow furrows. “Wolfe, what⁠—”

“Stop talking,” he repeats. “The Titans, Kora? You went to the fucking Titans?”

I love how gentle and soft he is with her while still having that side of him that can turn cold instantly. He’s protective and fierce when it comes to Kora, but he also has this tenderness with her that I really love. His willingness to dig into her past because he wants to deal with anyone who has hurt her shows how seriously he takes her safety. He isn’t only thinking about what’s happening in the moment. He’s thinking about anything that could come back and hurt her later. I also like that he doesn’t try to rush her into anything. He understands how important it is for Kora to have control over her own choices while also recognizing the moments when she might want someone else to take over. He’s honest about his own past with her too. It creates a lot of trust between them. He gives her the space to open up when she’s ready instead of forcing anything out of her. At the same time, he’s very clear that he wants her completely. Sharing doesn’t come naturally to him, but he’s still willing to figure it out because he wants her that badly. 🖤✨ Then there’s the moment where he notices how anxious she is and invites her to sit beside him. Because you keep looking behind you like you’re waiting for an attack. I loved that he noticed something was wrong without Kora having to explain it first. He wants her to feel safe around him, especially when everything else in her life feels so uncertain.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: OVERALL*.☽ .*:☆ﾟ. ───

I really liked the way this book mixes mythology with a contemporary setting. The mythology doesn’t feel completely separate from the modern parts of the story. It was a fun concept, and the combination of the mythology, romance, and darker elements worked really well for me.

[Chrissy Lear · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well, S Massery has left me dumbfounded. She took reverse harem to a whole new level with this book. I have come to expect intense stories with lots of action, suspense, and some steam. But I could not have imagined this. Kora, Jase, Wolfe, and Apollo are all intriguing characters.

Fair warning this book does have a cliffhanger ending. While I usually get frustrated with cliffhangers, I am pleasantly content with this one. I will happily sit here anxiously awaiting book 2.

[Skylar Hatch · Rating 5 out of 5]

•audio•

1000/1000 stars!! Wow I loved this!! I immediately want it in every single format (book, ebook, etc).

It was such a good listen, and I have absolutely zero doubts it would have been just as amazing to read!! It was spicy, suspenseful, and just ahh I loved it.

Do not love the cliff hanger though 😭😭😭😭😭 immediately need to start book 2

[THE PETITE LIBR☆RY · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’m torn between 2/3 stars on this one.

I feel like it had potential, the bones were definitely there, but it just didn’t work for me. I was bored by 40% and I found myself skimming more often than not just to get through it.

I wanted more from Kora, more from the guys, and a deeper connection to the story.