A Romance with Mind Games and Power Plays
Electric Idol
Dark Olympus (Book 2)
Fantasy Erotica, Romantic Erotica
Sourcebooks Casablanca
January 18, 2022
ebook, audiobook, paperback
384
He was the most beautiful man in Olympus.
And if I wasn't careful, he was going to be my death.
*A scorchingly hot modern retelling of Psyche and Eros that's as sinful as it is sweet.*
In the ultra-modern city of Olympus, there's always a price to pay. Psyche Dimitriou knew she'd have to face Aphrodite's jealous rage eventually, but she never expected her literal heart to be at stake...or for Aphrodite's gorgeous son to be the one ordered to strike the killing blow.
Eros has no problem shedding blood. Raised to be his mother's knife in the dark, he's been conditioned to accept that he's more monster than man. But when it comes time to take out his latest target…he can't do it. Confused by his reaction to Psyche's unexpected kindness, he does the only thing he can think of to keep her safe: he binds her to him, body and soul.
Psyche didn't expect to find herself married to the glittering city's most dangerous killer, but something about Eros wakens a fire inside her she's never felt before. As lines blur and loyalties shift, Psyche realizes Eros might take her heart after all...and she's not sure she can survive the loss.
"Deliciously inventive…Red-hot."—Publishers Weekly STARRED for Neon Gods
"I get shivers just thinking of their interactions. SHIVERS."—Mimi Koehler for The Nerd Dailey for Neon Gods
“It’s how fucking sexy she is, yes, but I keep coming back to the trust she’s placing in me. I don’t deserve it…but strangely enough, I want to deserve it.”
If you’ve missed out on the buzz about Electric Idol by Katee Robert then let me fill you in on the ebook/print version. If you’re more of an audiobook fan, don’t worry! You can find Kristin’s audiobook review at LitBuzz as well! We have you covered!
If you’re here because #booktok has you wondering about dark romance retellings of mythology lore, welcome my lovies. Electric Idol is the modern retelling of Eros and Psyche. Equal parts forbidden romance and marriage of convenience, Electric Idol had me binging this new release from Katee Robert in just over a day.
There’s no shame in my reading game.
Eros’ mother is the latest iteration of Aphrodite. In this version of Olympus, the gods are titled jobs instead of having actual god-like powers. And while Eros Ambrosia may be a pretty face, he’s also his mother’s right hand guy. For him, over the years that has meant that he has devolved from being his mother’s protector to her hitman. Set in the modern world, Aphrodite prides herself on the ability to provide the current Zeus with the best candidates to be his Hera.
“I enjoy kissing. I always have. But kissing this woman could almost be the main event.”
This is where things get hinky. Demeter is still determined to get one of her daughters as the new Hera. With Persephone newly wed to Hades (Neon Gods Book 1), Demeter looks to Psyche to fulfill the plan she has for the Dimitrou family. You can see how this would be a problem. As a socialite, Psyche is used to crafting the image she wants everyone to see, and she uses it as a shield for the ruthlessness of Olympus society. Aphrodite takes afront to Demeter’s disregard and summons Eros to put an end to Demeter’s machinations by taking out Psyche.
What I love most about how Katee Robert writes her stories is that she really looks into how to best tell the story of each of her characters. Eros and Psyche have well-established society identities, but no one on Olympus knows their real selves. It’s only when Eros has a moment of clarity where he sees the kind of woman Psyche is, and feels like she can see his true self as well that he proposes that they marry in order to keep Psyche alive. In regards to the amount of inner dialogue and turmoil that both Eros and Psyche expresses on the page, I think that is essential for their character development and arc. Both are the equivalent of a shell to the Olympus society, so there needs to be depth expressed behind the masks that they wear.
“The woman showed me kindness once, and then I essentially followed her home like a feral cat and forced her to marry me.”
Think of Electric Idol like a chess match in social media and society politics. Eros and Psyche learn to trust and fall in love with each other behind the curtain and the projection of what everyone expects of them. I adored this story. It was both emotional as well as psychological but told in a way that didn’t detract from the romance of the overall journey.
If you can’t tell, I loved Electric Idol. I absolutely cannot wait to see what comes next because there is a bombshell at the end of the book that is both unexpected as well as deliciously devious. Electric Idol is out now and available at your favorite bookstore, or online retailer. Bee sure to check out Kristin’s audiobook review as well!
Jes is a self-proclaimed bookworm, who recently moved from the PNW back to the Midwest. When her nose isn’t in a book, she’s spending time with her husband, two kids, and her three fur babies, or exploring the globe. She also firmly believes that you should start the day with coffee, and end the day in bed with a good book.
