An entertaining and engaging reinterpretation of a classic myth.
Persephone willingly descends into the Underworld to escape an arranged marriage.
This retelling of the Hades and Persephone myth from Greek mythology focuses on Kore, a goddess frustrated from childhood by the trivial role assigned to her: goddess of the flowers and of beauty in nature. Facing an unwanted marriage arranged by her parents, Demeter and Zeus, Kore chooses to escape by throwing herself into the Underworld. There, she uses xenia, the rule of hospitality, to secure her temporary safety, despite Hades’ reluctance. As Kore explores the Underworld, she takes an interest in improving conditions for the dead and begins challenging the established order of Olympus. Her relationship with Hades evolves from wary tolerance to mutual trust; Hades is portrayed as a wounded but kind figure. Kore eventually adopts the name Persephone, claiming her new identity. As Demeter and Zeus come closer to finding Persephone, Persephone and Hades agree to marry to prevent her being forced into a marriage with another god and to protect Hades from the rumor that he’s stolen Persephone against her will. While some readers may find the modern-sounding dialogue distracting, others will appreciate the banter that gradually builds into a slow-burn romance. Characters like Styx and Tempest provide needed levity and add personality. Overall, Fitzgerald’s debut offers a fresh and appealing reimagining that emphasizes Persephone’s agency in a satisfying way.
An entertaining and engaging reinterpretation of a classic myth. (author’s note) (Fantasy. 14-18)Pub Date: Sept. 2, 2025
ISBN: 9781464243080
Page Count: 464
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Review Posted Online: June 13, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2025
A light and entertaining plot-driven romance.
A Connecticut girl and her best friend devise a series of plans in order to achieve their goals: following a dream and winning back an ex.
Eighteen-year-old Audrey Barbour has a Master Plan: attend Blue Ridge Glass School in North Carolina and someday turn her Etsy shop, Golightly Glass, into a thriving business. But her uber-wealthy parents insist that she instead follow in their footsteps and go to business school. So Audrey decides to go find the tuition money she needs with help from her best friend, Henry Chen. Henry needs a favor, too: He hopes that fake dating Audrey will help him win back his ex-girlfriend, and he points out to a reluctant Audrey that this could make her crush, Griffin, notice her. While Audrey’s parents vacation in France for three weeks, the pair rent out the Barbour mansion on the Long Island Sound. Soon romantic chemistry grows alongside their business partnership. Despite the pair’s great preparation and an abundance of secondary characters with connections and talents to help pull off their increasingly ambitious ideas, plans go awry, leaving Audrey and Henry scrambling and second-guessing their choices. The pacing is even, but the characters often take a back seat to the whirlwind of activity that drives the plot, with the emphasis falling on each person’s practical skills and their role in keeping the action moving over their emotional bonds. Audrey is white, and Henry’s surname cues him as Chinese American.
A light and entertaining plot-driven romance. (Romance. 14-18)Pub Date: March 31, 2026
ISBN: 9780593904794
Page Count: 384
Publisher: Delacorte Romance
Review Posted Online: Dec. 12, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2026
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A character-focused entry that will satisfy fans.
Romantic complications between a trained killer and one of her captors drive this sequel to Watch Me (2025).
Appealing to readers who prefer their romantic dramas to be light on action and heavy on long passages of banter, bitter sibling arguments, and tortured reflections, Mafi continues the tale of Rosabelle Wolff, the flaxen-haired assassin from the dystopic Reestablishment, and magnetic, “impossibly stunning” James Anderson, her nemesis-turned-lover who’s still trying to take down the regime. Now desperate to accomplish several secret missions, Rosa easily escapes from one of The New Republic’s prisons, where she was left in the series opener, and, dressed in “a little kid’s cat onesie,” eludes all pursuers except for James, who can seemingly find her at will. Enigmatic Rosa responds unpredictably to many human contacts—including with violence, temporary death (one of her abilities), or a sudden panic attack. Along with the central pair of rivals and lovers, James’ older brother, Aaron, shares the narration. Bestseller Mafi tucks in several subplots, including, notably, a cameo from Juliette Ferrars, the protagonist of the original Shatter Me series, who’s undergoing a scarily difficult pregnancy. Amid the slowly simmering rising action, the author delivers a revelation and a twist that set up a potential series climax. Some ethnic diversity is present in the supporting cast.
A character-focused entry that will satisfy fans. (Dystopian. 14-adult)Pub Date: April 7, 2026
ISBN: 9780063419056
Page Count: 384
Publisher: Storytide/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: April 7, 2026
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2026
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