Psyche and Eros by Luna McNamara completely enchanted me from start to finish. I’ve always loved Greek mythology, but this retelling felt so fresh and human. Psyche’s journey, not just as a lover but as a woman finding her strength, really resonated with me. McNamara’s writing is lush and lyrical, bringing the ancient world to life in a way that feels both timeless and modern. The slow-burn romance between Psyche and Eros was beautifully done—full of vulnerability, passion, and genuine emotion. It’s the kind of book that stayed with me long after I finished, making me reflect on love, destiny, and the courage it takes to shape your own story.

I couldn't read this as an ebook for some reason so will get it when it comes out! Sorry! (Leaving a 4 star review to be fair.)

I am really loving Greek mythological retellings at the moment. This one was very interesting as I learnt about myths I hadn’t heard of before. Great book

I love Greek retellings and was super eager to see a new one based on characters I had some but not all knowledge on.

However I just could not get on with the writing style. It felt much like statements such as I did this and I did that. I just didn't gel with it and sadly dnf-ed.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

As a Greek Mythology girlie, I requested this as soon as I saw it. I adore the genre so was looking forward to reading a story on a couple that isn't as widely popular as Hades and Persephone for example. I really enjoyed learning about Psyche and Eros but I particularly enjoyed how other Greek Myths were woven into their love story From Atalanta training Psyche so that she can fulfil her prophecy to the start of the Trojan war. It was a fun and enjoyable read.

I do feel that there could have been a bit more romance in this given the tag line is 'The greatest love story ever told' though.

I enjoyed this greek myth reimagining it was good fun but it was lacking depth for me.

I shall keep an eye out on what McNamara does next.

I didn’t know a lot about the story of Psyche & Eros so I was intrigued to read this. And I did end up enjoying it. It was interesting to see how their love developed throughout the story and what they were willing to do to be together.

This book was magic and music and love given form. Taking multiple versions of the myth of Pyshce and Eros, weaving them together, and adding a dash of unique style that is purely the author’s own, the final result is an incredible, joyous thing.

I adored the amount of familiar names we encountered throughout the story, with famous Greeks of all kinds making an appearance. They were all so well defined, again a wonderful blend of the things we ‘know’ – for example, that Zeus is an arrogant dude who can’t keep it in his pants – and things the author uses to best suit the story, like that Psyche has encountered the background horrors of marriage and does not enjoy the sound of it at all. It was a beautiful thing to see all these happenings made so vivid that one could almost believe this was a true story, getting so lost in the fantastic story telling, and its fantastical nature.

Retellings and mythology inspired novels are so popular at the moment – see here for just five from around the world I’ve loved – and sometimes that means books can end up being overlooked and underestimated. Do not make that mistake with this book. It will grab you, whisper its secrets into your ear, and you will be reduced to tears by the sheer poetry of the narrative.

It works especially well as an audio book, with the alternating points of view narrated separately, and both actors giving their all to the performance. They get across all the emotions you feel throughout the pages: the angst, the pain, the anger, the desperation… And most of all, the love.

This is a story of how the god of love fell in love. It is a story of how a young woman thought her destiny to slay monsters could, should, and would prevent her from finding love. It is how they found each other, and lost each other, and found themselves in finding each other again. It is, simply, a love story, yet so much more. And it is utterly perfect.

3.5 (rounded up)⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you so much to Orion and NetGalley for an e-arc of this book.

A refreshing take on Greek myth retellings. The author melded a few different myths whilst adding their own take as well which made for an entirely new and original take on Psyche and Eros, and other side characters like Atalanta, Iphigenia, Gaia etc.

I really enjoyed this and found it to be quite different from other retellings that are being published at the minute (and I will read them all 😅)

📱E-Book Review📱

Psyche & Eros
Luna McNamara

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I am becoming such a fan of the retellings and was so excited to start reading this one.

I have some basic knowledge of the better known gods, goddesses and myths, but not the lesser known and not really a very in depth knowledge, so I absolutely love reading these and picking out the interlinking of some of the myths and relationships I've already seen before.

The main story here deals with Psyche, Princess of Mycenae, who is prophecied to defeat a monster that even the gods fear. She spends her youth learning to fight with lessons from Atalanta - even though it's frowned upon for women.
Aphrodite, feeling jealous, sends fellow god Eros to curse Psyche but he ends up cursing himself and instantly falls in love with her instead.

We see the story unfold through both pov's which is great as there is such a contrast in the attitudes of our two main characters. We get a much better understanding of how their minds work and how they view the world that they live in as well as a first hand look at their own backstories.

I love the mix of adventure - Psyche growing up and fighting to create her own destiny against tradition and society and the snippets of the start of the Trojan war. And in contrast with this, we see the softer side of the pair as their relationship grows and their love story develops.

Absolutely loved this. Another retelling to add to my growing collection now.
Will be interested to see what this author does next - whether another retelling or something different - either way, I'd be keen to give it a read.

Psyche and Eros is a great Greek retelling for fans of Natalie Haynes and Jennifer Saint. I enjoyed this one and would like to read other books in this genre.

Huge thanks to Orion for my copy in exchange for the review

Thank you Netgalley and Orion Publishing for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

"Psyche and Eros" by Luna McNamara is, a retelling of Psyche and Eros love story.


I would give "Psyche and Eros" by Luna McNamara a 3 star review because, I liked seeing a new side of their love story, I really enjoyed seeing Eros's pov but I didn't really enjoy Psyche side of the story as much since it follow both Psyche and Eros.

Thank You, NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a free eARC in exchange for an honest review!

Let me start by saying how great this book was. I didn't know much about the myth, and I felt like this expanded my knowledge well. I loved how the story allowed us to see Psyche grow up, and see how Eros came to being. Their story is one that isn't as well-known, and I feel like this book is going to fill that gap. The story itself was easy to follow, and I found myself drawn into the story. I loved how it had both their perspectives, as it really added to their story seeing how they each responded to certain things. I felt that their relationship was authentic, and it helped me understand the lengths they both went through to be together. I also liked this book's commentary on heroes, how they are careless, also how women are treated as a whole in Greek myths. The ending was nice too! Overall, a solid Greek myth retelling!

TW// mention of suicide and rape

May contain spoilers ahead

Psyche, first born daughter of King Alkaios of Mycenae was prophesised to conquer a monster feared by the gods by the Oracle of Delphi. She fights to follow in the footsteps of the heroes of the tales she was brought up with, in spite of the expectations set for women, training harder than ever to prove her worth and standing in the world.

Eros, the god of desire, soon finds his gift to create love more of a curse than a blessing, witnessing first hand how quickly love can sour and lead to overwhelming hate and revenge. He longs to live a life of solitude, refusing to meddle in the affairs of neither gods nor mortals. However when Psyche unwittingly offends Aphrodite, she becomes the primary target of her ire and wrath, Eros is forced to shoot her with a curse, one that ensures she falls in love with the first person she sees, but looking into their eyes will lead to them being parted for all eternity. When Eros accidentally nicks himself with the fated arrow, he falls immediately and overwhelmingly in love with Pyche, and the two have to navigate this new predicament of only bonding and falling in love within the darkness, to avoid the enactment of the curse destined to tear them apart.

Although I've seen that the author has changed the stories in a few places, I really loved this story. It was a beautifully crafted Greek Mythology retelling that was utterly refreshing and atmospheric. I'm not well versed in the story of Psyche and Eros but I really loved this introduction, some of the content in the story shocked me to my core, and was incredibly evocative, impacting me emotionally in a way I was not expecting.

Psyche is determined to be a hero and cement herself in history among the greats, as a woman who defeated the monster feared by gods. Training in painstaking and demanding circumstances with legendary Atalanta, and resolute in proving her worth to the men who see her as little more than demure and obedient, whose existence is based solely upon becoming a wife and mother to respectable and revered men. She's fierce and strong, a profoundly remarkable, empowering and steadfast young woman, who refuses to conform to the prospects expected and imposed upon women, and determined to take control of her own life and live it how she sees fit.

Eros, a primordial god with a gift for desire, struggles to find his place in the world. He's sarcastic, and dry witted, with a charismatic charm that just makes you adore him. After watching son defeat father for generations, for the throne of king of the gods, Eros has learnt a thing or two about how to be cunning, and how to wield his gift as a weapon. Weary and disconcerted with how his gift for desire can be turned against one another, he desires a life of solitude, estranged from the gods who cover his power for their own gains, and mortals who are so frail and prone to jealousy and violence. He fears one day becoming the brunt of his own gift, fearing falling in love just for it to sour, he stays as far away from others as possible. He envies mortals in the escape and peace death brings them, damned to live for eternity with no peace or solace, alone and manipulated who revere the gift that only appears as a curse to Eros.

Psyche and Eros's relationship was so beautifully written, as the two star-crossed lovers finally find someone who accepts them fully for who they are, it was just so tender and charming to see them both letting someone in and allowing themselves to be completely vulnerable with each other. It was so heart-warming and thrilling to follow them along on this journey as they both fight to work their way back to one another. Eros finally finding something to give him purpose and peace, and Psyche finding someone who doesn't downplay her dreams and abilities as a fierce fighter, or make her feel like she isn't enough, it was just so beautifully raw and tender. This story grabbed hold of me and refused to let me go, it's such an intricately and magically woven story about the power of unconditional love, and the undeniable pull it has in spite of any obstacles, distance or time.

I absolutely adored this story, remarkable, tender and full of suspense. The pain and anguish the two feel is palpable through the pages, and it's hard not to fall in love and root for them. At one point I didn't want to pick the book back up again in fear of all these Greek Tragedies that plague couples, that I've grown so attached to in the past. However it was a warm and wholesome ending, and seeing them both grow and become more compassionate and gentle in regards to the world as a whole was so endearing and warming. Definitely pick this one up if like me, you love a good Greek Mythology retelling with a feminist twist and a touching and poignant love story.

Personally I'm not super clued up on the Eros and Pysche myth aside from the very bare minimum. So whilst I can't comment in how close to the original it is, I can say that I really enjoyed it. Pysche has a no nonsense attitude that I love in my heroines. Eros was a bit less appealing. There just wasn't much to his character but I really enjoyed it

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"Psyche and Eros" by Luna McNamara is a stunning feminist retelling of one of the greatest love stories in Greek mythology. The book takes us on a thrilling adventure alongside Psyche, a princess who rebels against societal traditions to fulfill her destiny of defeating a monster feared even by the gods themselves. McNamara's exquisite writing style, poetic and lyrical, brings to life a cast of vivid, glittering characters and paints a world full of magic, humor, and heart.

The love story between Psyche and Eros is both epic and heart-wrenching. The jealous Aphrodite sends Eros, the God of Desire, to deliver a fatal love-curse to Psyche. However, when Eros is pricked by the very arrow intended for Psyche, he is doomed to love a woman who will be torn from him the moment their eyes meet. As they face challenges greater than they could have ever imagined and the Trojan War begins, they are thrown together by fate, trying to find their way back to each other before it's too late.

McNamara's feminist retelling of this classic tale is a breath of fresh air. The story is filled with strong, headstrong female characters who defy societal norms and expectations. The book is a must-read for fans of Madeline Miller, Jennifer Saint, and Susan Stokes-Chapman, and anyone who loves a good love story.

In conclusion, I highly recommend "Psyche and Eros" to anyone who wants to be swept away by a story full of adventure, romance, and star-crossed lovers. McNamara has created a masterpiece that will linger in your mind long after you've closed the book. Don't miss out on this fantastic read!

Absolutely love greek mythology! This was FANTASTIC! I loved getting to know Psyche and Eros' story. They are sooo amazing. I think Eros stood out more than Psyche due to him being portrayed in a realistic and relatable way. I lovd this book so much.

A great myth retelling should be judged not by how closely the retelling cleaves to the original story and characters, but by how these characters and story are utilized in thoughtful, original, and entertaining ways. Myths and Legends since ancient times were alive, shifting sometimes subtly, sometimes dramatically between cultures and contexts, always growing and evolving. This neverending adaptability is what makes myths great.

Luna Mcnamara's debut book does just this. It breathes new life into and creates a new iteration of the legend, one that is both respectful of the source material while also brazenly willing to adapt the material so that new themes can emerge, such as female agency, while keeping old themes present in the original, such as love and intimacy.

McNamara does a good job of making these characters feel both 3 dimensional, while at the same time, having both Psyche and Eros retain an archetypal feel. Her poetic and witty writing style helps to foster an atmosphere of this being an epic Greek legend that reinforce the point that these are characters from legend that deal with prophecies, curses, and divine forces outside their control.

I particularly appreciated Mcnamara's stellar job deconstructing the way we look at heroism, and how heroism is rooted in violence and patriarchy. I enjoyed Mcnamara's feminist counter to the traditional Homeric conceptualization of heroism, one rooted in the power of love, compassion, and commitment.

The book is thoughtful, emotional, and witty. I highly recommend!

Psyche and Eros has catapulted it's self into one of my favourite Greek Mythology retellings of late!

Retellings are experiencing a big rise in popularity, and Pysche and Eros breaks the mould and offers something wholly original.

Packed full of adventure, humour and excellently written I would whole heartedly recommend to fans of the genre, but also those who just enjoy a good story.

The characters are well fleshed out (I also loved how the male characters were given the chance to redeem themselves in the end, for a change!) and the story is well paced. Delightful writing that absorbs you - I raced through every enjoyable minute of this one!

I am already looking forward to Lunas next offering!

Thank you to Netgalley and Orion Publishing Group for the eArc in exchange for a honest review.

I loved this! There are so many Greek mythology retellings out these usually about the following things things: the orestia/ Troy/ the odyssey (as these three intertwine), Medusa, or Hades and Persephone.

I am so glad this author delves into this myth more I love it! And is one of my favourites! There are not enough Eros and Psyche telling!