Tarnished by Time

Legends of Love #3

by Daniela A. Mera, Elayna R. Gallea

A urban fantasy Hades and Persephone retelling perfect for fans of Crescent City and The Cruel Prince.
“Putting aside the fact that he was my ex-boss and the fact he had orchestrated my kidnapping, I had no business being the wife of a king.”

Aidoneus

My first wife died three centuries ago. Now, Aranthium was facing a major threat. Time without having a queen had weakened my powers. In order to win the war against my brother Phelix, I needed to remarry.

After months of being paraded around with the most eligible Aranthian bachelorettes, I made my choice. Phaedra was not a princess, nor did she come from a powerful family. But, somehow, she had the power of the gods. She was exactly what I needed in my life.

The only problem was she made me feel things I had no right feeling for someone a quarter of my age.

Phaedra

I grew up in a gilded cage, unable to spread my wings. My mother never let me have the freedom I craved. Then, when I was beginning to live my life as an independent Angel in Olimpie, I was abducted by the King of the Daemons for my own “safety”.

I worked for him for years, but one day, things changed. After an attack on the city I had come to call my home, I was in a coma for months. When I woke up, new power flowed through my veins.

Aidoneus needed a wife. I needed someone to balance the power before it destroyed me. Hades approached me with a proposal: marriage. As friends. Nothing more.

Resisting the King of the Daemons was a lot more difficult than I had ever bargained for.

This book is a complete, stand-alone story that is part of a larger series. "Romancing Aranthium" books are the perfect books for fans of fantasy romance who love sweet love stories, powerful ladies, danger, political intrigue, and epic journeys. Setting classic stories in an urban setting with vampires, fae, merpeople, angels, and were-shifters makes them all the more enticing.

Genres: Fantasy, Retellings, Greek Mythology, Romance, Fantasy Romance

474 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 31, 2022

About the author

Daniela A. Mera was born into a royal Fae family in Scotland. She was a free spirit who loved traveling and cloud watching while laying velvet-soft grass. When she came of age, her mother forced her to travel to Las Vegas in order to kill a dragon and conquer a neighboring kingdom.

The dragon turned out to be a man, whom she fell wildly in love with. The couple ran away to the gentle hills of Mexico where Daniela ate lots of tacos and fruits the size of her head.

Something along those lines, anyway.

She writes whimsical tales full of lore all around the world, full of emotionally available men and women who run the world. She can be found listening to sappy romance ballads while writing scenes meant to emotionally damage her readers.

When not writing, Daniela can be found doing yoga and playing video games. Join her newsletter for freebies at: www.danielaamera.com

Reviews

[Lover of books · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was well done!! I loved exploring the war and their relationship. The first book is probably my favorite. But this would be my second favorite.

[Resse · Rating 5 out of 5]

To anyone who has learned to love again, even after a stormy past. Life is full of second chances.

I was drawn in since the dedication.

Tarnished by Time has dual points of view from our two main characters, Aidoneus and Phaedra, jumping between the past and present. Usually, when books have time jumps, it can get confusing. However, it didn’t happen for me here. There was no point where I was confused about it because it was marked at the beginning of the chapter, even when it alternated.

AIDONEUS HADES. That’s it. I LOVE HIM. Usually, I’m not a fan of all caps, and I try to avoid using them as much as possible, but I think this case deserves an exception.

I was captivated the whole time, wanting to finish reading in one sitting. Even though that didn’t happen because it wasn’t possible, I was tempted to pick it back up every time I put it down so I could know what would happen next and finish the book.

I’ll be honest; it’s been a while since the last book in the series. I had forgotten what happened and who the main character was, even though there were cameos in The Pirate’s Deal. But that is more due to my memory than anything else. Even though I had forgotten, I could still understand what was happening as I was reading because little bits and pieces from the previous books came back to me. I wanted to know more about the side characters.

Tarnished by Time is fast-paced but can still grip you and take you to another world. Maybe it’s the third book, and the world has already been established. But not reading the other books won’t hinder that. Although I suggest that you read all of them because it makes the experience more enjoyable.

I love titles and all of the “Romancing Aranthium” books. I think the titles are cute and clever. The books are different retellings of stories people already know; Romeo and Juliet, The Little Mermaid, and Hades and Persephone. It’s a different adventure every time. And yet, Daniela A. Mera and Elayna R. Gallea managed to intertwine the storylines and make them cohesive, but they could also stand alone and be separate stories. I will absolutely read more from them when I have the chance.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 (4.5)

There were many quotes I loved from Tarnished by Time because I loved so many moments. However, it wasn’t easy to choose one without spoiling anything. So I decided to go with the dedication because I think it captures the book without giving too much away.

Looking back, I think I may change my ratings for the previous books in the series. I haven’t updated it on the other posts, but I will when I get the chance. So these are the most recent ratings.

Opposite Ends of the Sea ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨ (4.25)

The Pirate’s Deal ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

[Hannah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hades and Persephone retelling with a twist? Sign me up immediately! Fast forward to me finishing this story, feeling as though I’d finally found a retelling that didn’t feel stagnant and like another replica.

I love Greek mythology retellings. There’s something about reinventing stories for new audiences that makes me happy every time, and I love new versions of classics. And this one did not disappoint.

Phaedra, the female main character, was an Angel with passion, sass, and absolute relatability. She was the kind of character I immediately felt drawn to, and who I was rooting for the entire time. And Hades. Urgh. I loved this plot development, the depth, the possessiveness, and the honesty.

This book had some of my favourite tropes: arranged marriage done well, office romance, mythology, and magic. Definitely one I wish I could be reading again for the first time

[Cathryn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you so much to the authors for the opportunity to read an ARC of A Court of Wind and Wings. This is the third book in their Legends of Love standalone series.

Summary:
Hades is a widowed Daemon King who is still mourning the loss of his wife. Circumstances force him to marry his assistant, Phaedra. Can he allow himself to move on and admit feelings for her, or will it simply be a political union?

Review:
A Court of Wind and Wings is an urban romantasy retelling of Hades and Persephone. The setting a melting pot of magical beings including angels, daemons, fae, weres, vampires, demigods, and more. Fans of Crescent City will enjoy the big city feeling, especially some of the intrigue that comes with it.

I enjoyed this read and would recommend it for someone who likes modern urban fantasy settings and sensitive MMCs. The world and lore is interesting and I liked learning about magical being technology. I appreciated that Hades could be both “touch her and ☠️” and also not an alpha-hole. Hades is also ancient compared to Phaedra, and he’s actually bothered by it, even though everyone he talks to doesn’t see the big deal 😂

Stars: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4/5
Spice: 🌶️ 1/5

[Emma Dekker · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was given an ARC copy of this in return for an honest review.

The Hades/Persephone retelling/trope will always be in my top five easy so I WILL read every book that has this listed. For whatever reason it took a bit to get into however after the half way mark it was hard to put down. It was refreshing to see the Hades character portrayed as someone more intoned with their emotions than how they are usually written.

Definitely recommend all three in this series but I think this one is my personal fav ❤️


4/5 stars ⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️

[Kristy Hurst · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was thrilled to read the full story of these two characters introduced in another of Daniela's and Elayna's novels. It held strife, heartbreak, triumph, love, and action. Who needs movies when you can read books like this!

[Elsa L · Rating 4 out of 5]

I just absolutely love a good Hades and Persephone retelling. And this one was refreshing.

Phaedra is an angel who gets in trouble one night. But Aidoneous saves her by kidnapping her, and offers her a job to work from him. Aidoneous is a widow who eventually develops feeling for his assistant, but Phaedra is clueless. In the midst of a war, Aidoneous must marry and have a new queen. So Phaedra and the King of Daemons get stuck in an arranged marriage.

I was so invested in this book the whole time, it just has a little bit of everything. Flashbacks, great backstories, a big plot as well as a very cute romance and a happily ever after. If you’ve read the legends of love series you definitely want to read the ending, and if you’re just looking for a book to read through with a HEA this one won’t disappoint.

🪽Arranged Marriage
🪽Forced Proximity
🪽Angel x Daemon
🪽Family Conflict
🪽Happily Ever After

[Hunter P · Rating 5 out of 5]

Knocked it out of the park!

Only a few times ever I've been so anxious for the next book. This was amazing just like the others. So much emotion and power from words. Now I just need to buy them in print to sit with my collection of best books I've ever read and will re-read.

[Rachel Fallon · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Court of Wind and Wings is the third standalone book in the interconnected series Legends of Love. This time, we’re focusing on Hades and Phaedra, who we met in the last book. Hades is Helena’s uncle, and Phaedra was his assistant. There were clearly romantic vibes going on between them! This picks up where we left them off. With Phaedra badly injured in the attack by Phelix. As it turns out, she’s in a coma. So this book has a bit of a different style. The beginning has Phaedra’s POV only in flashbacks from when she and Hades met 50 years ago. At least until we hit the point in the story she gets going in present day! While Hades has a lot of time without her in the beginning, sorting out his own issues!

Hades has been instructed by his mother, communicating via his brother, that he must marry. Phaedra isn’t even an option. Not only is she in a coma, she has a boyfriend! Gasp! I will say it felt like there was a bit of a disconnect with her character from last book to this one. There she seemed interested in Hades, and was a complete badass. While here, she’s never thought of his romantically at all since he’s her boss, and she doesn’t seem to fight really. But it’s easily looked over, and it’s possible I’m missing something here! But either way, Hades goes on a bunch of comically bad dates with different royal characters to try to find himself a wife.

Of course, once Phaedra wakes up, quits her job and dumps her boyfriend, Hades gets a wake up call from his mother, and he decides he can only marry her. This sets us on a really fun Hades and Persephone retelling. Someone even jokingly gets her name wrong and calls her Persephone! We have the kidnapping (how she began working for him), a forced marriage, and an arguing couple that clearly does like one another! I really enjoyed this part of the story. The first half with Hades was definitely entertaining as he bumbled through trying to date, but his interactions with Phaedra are wonderful.

The two of them have a lot of chemistry, and have spent 50 years working together, so there’s definitely a rapport there. Hades loved once and lost his wife tragically, so he’s been fighting his feelings due to guilt over moving on. While Phaedra has trauma from her mother’s parenting that has left her closing her heart off to everyone. The slow break down of their walls, as they become friends and then something more, is fabulous. The issues they’re facing though get in the way of their progress. Phelix is still determined to destroy them all and take over. And then there’s the public and paparazzi to deal with as well.

Phelix making his move actually managed to surprise me in the way it went down! I didn’t seem some of the betrayal coming even with the hints. I guess I just can’t imagine anyone going against Hades, in any universe! But it made for a great plot! Phaedra is taken, and Hades snaps. It’s here we meet his mother, and their interaction was so interesting. The history and complicated feelings there were fascinating and I wished we’d gotten even more of Fortuna! But sometimes it’s better to keep the larger gods and goddesses more mysterious. I think it worked in the books favor in truth! The showdown that follows is appropriately riveting!

I loved where Hades and Phaedra wound up. All of these books have a HEA, so I knew to expect it, but it was still thrilling after everything that went down during the course of the story! They’re an adorable couple really. Hades is too cute when he’s in love. We also get to see characters from the other books here, which I always love. The big wedding for Helena and Erik was definitely amazing to see. And the epilogue wrapped things up in such a perfect way. I loved that they didn’t go back on a certain aspect of Hades character for a more typical HEA. I think that message is too important. And families come in all shapes and sizes!

I received an eARC of this book. This is my honest review left voluntarily.

[theromantasybookcorner._ · Rating 5 out of 5]

🌷🍃𝗕𝗢𝗢𝗞•𝗥𝗘𝗩𝗜𝗘𝗪🍃🌷

🌿𝙰 𝙲𝙾𝚄𝚁𝚃 𝙾𝙵 𝚆𝙸𝙽𝙳 𝙰𝙽𝙳 𝚆𝙸𝙽𝙶𝚂 𝙱𝚈 𝙳𝙰𝙽𝙸𝙴𝙻𝙰 𝙰. 𝙼𝙴𝚁𝙰 𝙰𝙽𝙳 𝙴𝙻𝙰𝚈𝙽𝙰 𝚁. 𝙶𝙰𝙻𝙻𝙴𝙰
🌿𝙱𝙾𝙾𝙺 𝟹 𝙸𝙽 ���𝙷𝙴 𝙻𝙴𝙶𝙴𝙽𝙳𝚂 𝙾𝙵 𝙻𝙾𝚅𝙴 𝚂𝙴𝚁𝙸𝙴𝚂
🌿𝙶𝙴𝙽𝚁𝙴: 𝙵𝙰𝙽𝚃𝙰𝚂𝚈 𝚁𝙾𝙼𝙰𝙽𝙲𝙴
🌿𝚁𝙰𝚃𝙸𝙽𝙶: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️//𝟻

★༻༺✽༻༺★✽★༻༺✽༻༺★

Thank you so much to Daniela A. Mera and Elayna R. Gallea for my gifted eARC of 𝐀 𝐂𝐎𝐔𝐑𝐓 𝐎𝐅 𝐖𝐈𝐍𝐃 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐖𝐈𝐍𝐆𝐒🩷

This book was STUNNING. I really love Hades and Persephone Retellings, so I knew I had to read this book and I loved everything about it. It was such a unique retelling of the classic tale - it had so many new and interesting elements to it and they all worked so well together!

Phaedra and Hades are literally perfect together. We meet these two in the previous book, and you could definitely tell that there was something going on between them. I loved their chemistry, even in Book 2 of the series and it just got so much better in this book. Phaedra was an amazing FMC - I loved her sass and she was so easy to connect with. Hades was positively swoon worthy and I loved their interactions. The tension, banter, and angst was deliciously frustrating and perfectly written.

As far as the pacing and writing style - I thought it was done very well and descriptions were so vivid and detailed. I love it when I can see what’s happening in a book and this book did just that. The pacing was excellent and I never felt like it was too slow or too fast in places. I found myself completely entranced in this world and I just really loved it so much!

Overall, I really enjoyed this book! I think it might be my favorite so far in the series, even though I still need on read Book 1! I love how this book wrapped everything up in this world and left me feeling content and happy with how the ending.

★༻༺✽༻༺★✽★༻༺✽༻༺★

[Tempest Reign · Rating 4 out of 5]

𝙎𝙩𝙖𝙧 𝙍𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
𝙎𝙥𝙞𝙘𝙚 𝙍𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜: 🌶🌶🌶

I really enjoyed this story of Hades and Phaedra, who were also in A Court of Seas and Storms, and loved their relationship. The slow burn and tension were just right, but there were also moments I found myself laughing aloud at what these characters did.

This book has a male character who suffers from infertility, as well as an older character who had lost some of their cognitive functions, and I thought the way these were handled and written to be beautifully done.

The ending had me in tears of happiness, and I thought it was the perfect place to leave these characters who had been through so much.

While these books can be read as pure standalones, I recommend reading them as an interconnected series, and in order of release, because I got lots of answers in this book that I had wondered about after reading the previous one (ACoSaS).



💢 𝙏𝙒𝙨: violence, death of a family member, parental trauma, brief mentions of male infertility, substance abuse, consensual sexual scenes, adoption

☆I recieved an ARC of this book from the authors. All thoughts are my own honest opinions.☆

[Courtney Esper · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have an entire shelf on my bookshelf dedicated to Hades and Persephone. To say I'm obsessed would be an understatement, but this book tells their legend so differently. Making this book, easily, one of my new favorites, and I will definitely be buying a hard copy to add to my most favorite shelf.

These two authors did such an amazing job of changing the story into a wonderful, fantasy-driven action novel. There are wars, a marriage of convenience, more wars, and finally love. It kept me on the edge of my seat the entire time.

This slowburn romance is truly one of a kind, and the ending had me tearing up with joy. I've always loved their love story, but these two authors took it one step further with their epilogue - and it did NOT disappoint.

I will always recommend a Hades book to anyone who will listen, but this one will be at the top of my list.

[PleaseGoAwayImReading · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was so enjoyable! I’m a big fan of retellings and reimaginings, and this Hades and Persephone retelling was very well done!

Phaedra is an angel (literally) who is strong, sassy, and smart. She’s amazing at her job being an assistant to Hades. But she’s feeling a little stagnant in her relationship with douchey Dylan and has been feeling… something… towards her boss.

Hades is the King of Death, who oversees a successful company and is a good ruler over his land, but he’s been off his game. Still reeling from the death of his wife, Hades - Aidonyeus- is being pressured by his advisors and family - his mother, Fortuna, by way of his brother, Raphael, to find a new wife, and preferably one who brings something valuable like political power or troops to the table. The issue? Dating feels like a betrayal to his deceased wife, but he also has these growing feelings toward his assistant; if he’s going to be forced to marry he’d prefer that it be to her.

Amid the political intrigue of Aranthium and the petty but deep running squabbles of the gods is a very sweet, emotional, slow burn story of Andy and Phaedra. Their trials and tribulations will keep you reading, and their moments of shy, awkward sweetness will make you smile and root for them.

This one is definitely worth reading, as are the others in the Legends of Love series. They can each be read as stand-alones but in my opinion are more fun when read as a whole series.

[Brandi Davies · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was provided an ARC of this title for free and am leaving this review voluntarily. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Readers returning from A Court of Fire and Frost/Court of Seas and Storms (stand alone books set in the same universe) will enjoy the additional world building and all the characters pop in from time to time in this third book.

I really like Hades/Persephone from mythology and so retellings are intriguing to me. I really liked the characters and their backstories. I liked the touch her and die vibe from Hades who was also a gentleman and a good ruler/friend/partner/uncle.

Hades has to marry to secure his power base to win the war against the evil Ice Mer King, but he has been in mourning for his late wife for centuries, and Phaedra is in a coma and is the only one he has felt anything for since his wife’s death AND SHE HAS A BOYFRIEND. Miscommunications abound and when she wakes up she quits and breaks up with her boyfriend at the same time.

Because I had read the whole series, I only disliked the bit of going to “enemies” as it was quite clear from book 2 that these two had feelings for each other and had worked together for such a long time; so it seemed like a big step backwards for these two. However it gave each character time and room to grow and it was great to see that. So when the happy ending happened and they finally had an open honest conversation I loved their chemistry and would have loved a bit more of that as I was sad that the book was ending.

Thanks for making such a great universe that was so gripping through these three books. If you like romance and retellings this and the two previous books are for you.

[Bethany Carman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Chefs kiss. I loved this book. Now I don’t really know the hades and Persephone story, but this retelling had me wanting more. Will that be my new favorite retelling? Time will tell, but this was a delicious start. The sneak peak we had of these two in the last book does not reconcile with the couple in this story. I know it was them, but it didn’t feel like them. I still don’t understand why Phaedra so instantly started hating Aidy to begin with when in the last book they showed a happy companionship. Make it make sense.

[Kelsey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, this series was a whirlwind and I’m so sad it’s over 💔 I was given an ARC of the novel in exchange for an honest review.

I love Greek god retelling, and especially a retelling of the infamous Hades and Persephone. What I loved about this series is that though I knew going into each novel that it was a retelling, the stories were so unique and the world building was so in depth, that I continually forgot (and was surprised) when I was reminded that they were retellings. Now that shows that these authors know what they are doing!

This is a story of Aidoneus, a daemon king and Phaedra, an angel. Tropes include office romance, marriage of convenience, he falls first, forced proximity, touch her and 💀, and age gap. I immediately gravitated toward Aidoneus - our cinnamon role MMC who constantly thought about how to properly show his respect toward Phaedra. Phaedra is stubborn and relatable, and I appreciated the fact that the authors gave her time to develop her feelings toward Aidoneus). I love a slow burn romance and second chances for love, and this story was all that and more. All the missing information I struggled with in A Court of Seas and Storms were answered in A Court of Wind and Wings, and it was such a lovely way to conclude the series (though I did wish for Helena kicking some butt). I would definitely recommend you read the series (in order).

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.💫/5
🌶️/5

[Vanessa · Rating 4 out of 5]

An entertaining little novel with way more plot and way less spice than expected 🤔😂 I quite enjoyed it 👍❤️📚

Spice: 🌶/5  
Writing: 🖊🖊🖊️/ 5 
Fantasy & Worldbuilding: ⭐⭐⭐/5
Romance: ❤❤️❤️❤️/5 
Plot Twists: ⭐/5  
Characters: ⭐⭐⭐⭐/5 
Dialog: 🖊🖊🖊️/5  
Dark: 😈/5  

Tropes: Arranged Marriage, Power Discovery
Reading time: 8 hours

[Aisling · Rating 3 out of 5]

Meh

It was good, a lot happened and it kept my attention but I just didn’t love it. It was kind of boring at points and a bit too long. I haven’t read anything else by this author because I got this one for free.

[Renee Morris · Rating 5 out of 5]

A story of lost lost and learning to move on. King Hades is forced to marry to save his kingdom. He needs someone of power to unify is own. What starts as a marriage of convenience turns into more.

I received an advance reader copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Alyssa Korsmo · Rating 5 out of 5]

I almost started with this one because I didn’t know the books were interconnected. I’m glad I read the others but this was my favorite I think. I will say all 3 books got on my nerves with the women and just them being too harsh or dumb with their choices but they all ended well.

[Marcey · Rating 4 out of 5]

I decided to read this book without reading the other standalone books in the series, and I felt like there were some parts where I was just lost. Maybe reading the other books would've helped. But overall, I enjoyed the characters and the story! It was a very unique retelling!

[De_Boekenplank_van_Floor · Rating 5 out of 5]

“What If I wanted to change the rules?”

“I love you,” I said quietly”

“I couldn’t wait to see what would happen next.”

A Court of Wind and Wings is het derde en laatste boek in de Legends of Love serie van Daniela A. Mera en Elayna R. Gallea. Als je na de eerste twee verhalen nog geen fan was, dan ben je dat na dit prachtige verhaal zeker. Losjes geïnspireerd op het verhaal van Hades en Persephone, worden we deze keer meegenomen in de (romantische wervelwind) van het leven van Aidoneus Hades, koning van The Gates of Hell.

Na de dood van zijn eerste vrouw dacht Hades nooit meer liefde te kunnen vinden, maar dan is daar, de letterlijke engel, Phaedra, zijn assistente. Helaas voor Hades, is Phaedra bezet. Daarnaast ligt Phaedra, na de gebeurtenissen in het tweede boek, nog steeds in coma. Bovenop dat alles komt nog de dreigende oorlog met Hades’ broer Phelix en het probleem van Hades’ afnemende krachten. Hij zal moeten trouwen, om zijn volledige kracht weer te kunnen gebruiken.

Wanneer Phaedra ontwaakt uit haar coma en zij haar boyfriend Dylan en haar baas Hades samen aantreft in haar ziekenhuiskamer, besluit ze dat alles anders moet. Ze gooit beide mannen de deur uit en neemt ontslag: het is tijd voor een nieuw leven, ook al weet ze nog niet precies hoe, wat en waar. De hoe wat en waar worden echter al snel voor haar bepaald als blijkt dat ze de beschikt over heeft over ‘godpower’. Ze is daarmee precies de bruid die Hades nodig heeft om zijn krachten terug te krijgen.

Een demonenkoning met een gebroken hart. Een engel op de vlucht voor haar krachten. Zullen ze, wanneer ze gedwongen worden te trouwen, het land genezen of alles vernietigen zo ver het oog rijkt? Je leest het in A Court of Wind & Wings! Een boek dat je in je hart kan raken en tot tranen kan roeren.

[Breana Sprinkle · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you're a fan of the miscommunication trope, it is fairly well executed in this book.
If not, it might not be for you.

Found the story fascinating in terms of plot. World-building wasn't that uniquely executed. Some of it worked for me but some didn't. Which is one of the main things I look at when reading.
The relationship with Phaedra and her mother was a realistic relationship between child and parent. Difficult but with understanding and love.

The relationship between the two main characters wasn't fueling as much.
Though it got better in the second half when you see them slowly becoming more tolerable towards one another. Then eventually in sync.

The references like Faephone and ViewTube feel like slightly ripped off versions of our world technology which didn't work for me. At first I was able to look over the phone but the YouTube knockoff was taking it far.

It ended up getting better and I found that the story was more in-depth than it originally was thought to be.

Second half redeemed the first half.

Aside from a few minor peeves.
Overall, a good story.

Thanks to the authors who created this for us to read. A lot goes into creating books.
I'm happy to share my thoughts!

[Kelsi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Who doesn’t need another fabulous Hades and Persephone retelling in their lives?!

Rating:⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice:🌶️

Another Hades and Persephone romance I absolutely adored!! I loved Hades and Phaedra in the previous book, and when I saw they were getting their own novel I couldn’t wait to read it and see what romance awaited them!! And I was not disappointed!! Now I will admit that I did feel like I’d missed something or maybe misread something because in this book Phaedra didn’t seem to have an original interest in Hades where in the last book there seemed to be a lot of tension between them. This was thankfully resolved after a series of poor matches Hades was forced to endure. Then things were right back on track and I was in love with these characters all over again!! I don’t want to spoil anything though so I’ll leave it there, and talk a little about the characters whom I loved!

I mean I loved Hades from the start, he has reconnected with family, he’s doing his best to protect his people in a fair and just way, all while falling for a girl he feels is way out of his league. Then you have Phaedra who was just amazing, she fights for what she believes in and for those she loves! I couldn’t put this book down and would highly recommend this book to anyone who is looking for a boss/assistant romance, where he falls first, and the plot doesn’t stop!!

HAPPY READING 📖

[Beth’s Book Collection · Rating 5 out of 5]

Please, please, please go and read this series of interconnected stand alones!

This final book in the series is SO DAMN GOOD, I loved all these books but this one is my favourite.

The characters are just so incredibly well written, the blooming and evolving relationship between Phaedra and Aidoneus is both frustrating and fabulous. I loved Phaedra’s feisty nature, while also showing vulnerability at times. The dual POV in this book allowed us to explore more about both of the main characters and see beyond how they are perceived by others which I enjoyed immensely.

The plot of this book was spot on and had me hooked from beginning to end. I adored the culmination to this series, it was genuinely everything I could of hoped for. I still find it baffling that this series interconnected stand-alones can all work together seamlessly for this amazing conclusion. That ending as well was so heart warming, the found family vibes are strong in this book and I am here for it.

I received an ARC copy of this book and can confirm that this is my honest review.

[Jess (Turnthepagewithjess) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tropes/themes: Enemies to lovers, Friends to lovers, Grumpy/sunshine, Marriage of convenience, Opposites attract, unrequited love, Work Colleagues, Chosen family, Emotional Scars, Hades/Persephone retelling, Urban fantasy, and Age Gap.

Wow. This was my first Hades / Persephone retelling and OMG... I need more. I LOVED it! This was definitely a 5-star read for me. The world-building was detailed but easy to understand. You got backstories for the MCs, there are some great side characters, and I really loved the inclusivity of the characters as well. I definitely cannot wait to see some fan art. I really have come to love Aidoneous, Phaedra, and the other characters we meet. I could have used a little more banter and spice (just my personal preference), but overall the book was so great. And who knew Hades was such a teddy bear, albeit a terrifying Daemon King teddy bear.

[Jessica-Mae · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review! 5⭐️ Why? I am sucker for a love story after hardship and having a MMC who is a literal teddy bear makes it only better! I particularly liked the time jumping at the beginning and believe it added more depth to the characters without unnecessary explanation. Another great work by @authorelaynargallea ❤️

[Casey Hayes · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was provided an ARC of this title for free and am leaving this review voluntarily. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This third book of the Legends of Love series of interconnected stand-alone retellings by Elayna R. Gallea and Daniela A. Mera was easily my favorite of the series and maybe my new favorite Hades and Persephone reimagining of all time.

I knew going into this arranged marriage of convenience that I was going to enjoy it, having read and loved the two previous titles, which also gave a bit of a glimpse into what Aidoneus and Phaedra’s pre-existing dynamic was like, but it gave so much more than I could have imagined and I couldn’t put it down.

These authors have such created an addicting world, complete with a group of characters you’ll enjoy getting to know, and beautifully done love stories for the ages.

Following the pattern; easy 5 stars.

[Jasmine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Even though it’s a retelling, I would say it’s still a lovely story. Not only do the characters fall in love, but they grow together. You can tell the growth between them two and it’s inspiring. There are some touchy scenes but not as intense. It’s more on the romantic side. Even though there was romance, there was also some circumstances that you will come across.

I loved how it gives you a lot of details to what is going on. To me, it deserved the 5 stars. We obviously know not all retelling will be the same. It has a touch of the authors own way of writing.

[Crystal Roberts · Rating 5 out of 5]

✨review ✨
this hades and Persephone retelling was a mix of Acotar and a touch of darkness. I found this book an enjoyable quick read. The world building was imaginative. I enjoyed the characters and the love story.

🧚‍♀️ Fairytale rating🧚‍♀️
6/10 for keeping with the original fairytale
6/10 for originally, taking the tale and giving it an original twist
7/10 for personal enjoyment

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