What’s it all about?:
Two lonely people, a chance meeting at an adult education class, an almost instant attraction. But why do they keep misunderstanding each other, missing each other? What is it that conspires to keep Jessie and Patrick apart? This is an urban romance with a difference; a tale of mortals acted by immortals.
What did I think?:
This quirky little book was provided to me by NetGalley and Open Road Integrated Media so many thanks to them for the opportunity to read this book. It tells the story of two people, Jessie and Patrick both single and lonely in their own ways but when they both sign up for a life drawing class fate or rather the gods throws them together – which is what makes this story so interesting and throws a different and unique dimension on relationships and what may be pre-ordained in our lives. The novel is written mainly from the perspective of the Greek god Hermes who is widely known as the messenger of the gods and the story assumes that the gods we have heard about only in mythology are alive and well and in control of our romantic destinies. I studied Greek mythology in school for a short period and it was one of the reasons why I was drawn to this story. In this way I was not at all disappointed, I loved being reminded of the classic tales of Hera, Zeus, Aphrodite and Dionysus and enjoyed how they were integrated into a modern romantic tale in order to guide Jessie and Patrick’s blossoming relationship.
When Jessie and Patrick first meet they both have their own separate issues, Patrick is heavily influenced by the god of alcohol, Dionysus and struggles daily with his drinking problems. When Jessie and Patrick move to Wales and enjoy a more secluded lifestyle in the country where Jessie can concentrate on her writing, Patrick seems to have put Dionysus behind him and exists in a happy tee-total state enjoying working on their land and painting in his studio. As we are well aware though, life and relationships are not easy, nothing ever seems to go swimmingly and Dionysus rears his ugly head once more, threatening their relationship and unearthing hidden desires.
My favorite part of this novel had to be the author’s unique take on how our destinies are controlled by using the gods from Greek mythology. I found it an interesting take on love in the modern age and how we may be powerless to act against forces that have already decided our fate. Unfortunately I didn’t really get on with the character of Patrick too well! He had his demons and was trying to work against them that is a certainty, but I found him to be thoroughly unlikeable and as a result this affected my thoughts about his relationship with Jessie – in other words, I couldn’t really believe it. I do think that some people will thoroughly enjoy this novel and as I mentioned before, the mythology parts were excellent which is why I’m giving this book three stars. In general I think this book wasn’t really for me although I understand the author has won awards for her children’s fiction so I’m intrigued enough to give them a go!
Would I recommend it?:
Probably not.
Star rating (out of 5):
