Promises and Pomegranates (Monsters & Muses Book 1)

Promises and Pomegranates sells itself as a Hades and Persephone retelling, but this is far more mafia romance than mythological fantasy. If you go in expecting gods, powers, and divine drama, adjust those expectations early. You will have a much better time if you go in wanting danger, obsession, politics, and scorching chemistry. Kal Anderson is feared, controlled, and worshipped by everyone around him. Elena Ricci refuses to be intimidated by her new arranged marriage husband. Elena’s fiery personality is the perfect spark to ignite Kal's cold demeanor. She challenges Kal at every turn which results in some amazing chemistry. Their relationship thrives on power games, possessiveness, and sharp banter. Kal’s dirty talk deserves its own round of applause because that man came prepared. Sav R. Miller knows how to build anticipation and deliver scenes readers of dark romance are looking for. The drama is addictive, the pacing is easy to fly through, and the story always knows how to set up the next confrontation. This is a popcorn romance in the best sense of the phrase. It is fun, fast, and made to entertain. My biggest hesitation was the retelling angle. The Greek mythology connection feels very loose and almost decorative. At times Elena’s father felt more similar to Hades than Kal himself. Some of Kal’s softer trauma arcs also clashed with the terrifying mob boss image the book worked hard to establish. A few emotional moments towards the end felt more awkward than moving. The audiobook performances were strong when the narrators stayed in their own lanes. Charlotte Claremont and Rock Engle both brought intensity and style to their roles. My usual audiobook complaint applies here though. Alternating POV chapters meant each narrator had to fake the other character’s voice. Nothing pulls me out faster than awkward moans and forced impressions. Look elsewhere if you want rich mythology. Promises and Pomegranates leans hard into real world mafia boss politics. Welcome home if you want spice, control, obsession, and a dangerous man growling commands into a microphone.

A cute retelling of Hades and Persephone as the book promised. My only hang up was the amount of lust in the book. Don't get me wrong i love a good raunchy romance, the dirtier the better. However, it felt like all the plot could have been summed up in 4 chapters and not a lot of the book actually mattered in relevance to the plot. The sex scenes were hot and warranted attention as much as everything else. Just felt like the actual movement of the plot was a bit lagging. Still excited to read the next book in the series! Just my personal thoughts

This book did not do it for me. I can appreciate the spice in the book but the overall plot was lacking. It was predictable and because of that there was no suspense or build up to the "big twist" of the book.