It was a really interesting cute book. The romance between Chloe and Helen is really sweet and I appreciated the way they worked together and developed as characters, especially as they worked through their pasts. The side characters are also really well done and have a lot of humor. I would have liked to see more depth in terms of not only Chloe and Helen's relationship but also the world building itself. The author sets up a really interesting premise but doesn't dive as deeply into it as she could have. However if you're looking for a quick, sweet adventure romance that is like a more adult Percy Jackson, this is definitely going to be a good book to pick up.

Overall I truly enjoyed this book. This might be a book for you if you are a fan of light reads in the fantasy realm. It gives off strong Charmed, Supernatural, and Buffy-type vibes.


The Writing: I found the author's writing to be quite enjoyable. It was light and easy. I often come across adult or NA books with writing that feels very adolescent given the audience, but this is not one of those books.

The Characters: I had a few favorite characters, but they were mostly side characters. For the two main characters, Chloe and Helen, I didn't feel like there was quite enough character growth between the two of them. The book started with some very flawed characters, and while there was a resolution in their stories, I don't feel like it was quite where I needed it to be. I could easily have read another couple hundred more pages if it meant getting a bit more well-rounded characters.

The Story: I really enjoyed this story. I am usually able to figure out the major twists as they come, but this book still got me in a few places. I had some pretty crazy theories and was glad to see that I was wrong more often than I was right.

The Romance: The relationship between Helen and Chloe felt a bit shallow. I would love to have more depth in this area as well. I like the premise of their attraction and relationship, but would love to have seen a bit more in this area.

Wright’s “Haunted by Myth” was an enjoyable read with great pace and the author is really good writing action scenes. The story was well-written and engaging. We follow our main character: Chloe. She hunts ghosts and monsters as per family tradition, and the family ghost, Ramses II.

One critique I have is that I wish the lore was explained more as that was one of the most intriguing things about the story. It’s stated that Chloe has “the blood of Isis” but I don’t think it was explored after its initial mention. That is extremely interesting, and I would like to know more! The plot contains a love story and I generally believe most stories would be better without a romance plot and this was no exception from that belief. I’d rather had more world building.

This makes it sound I disliked the book – but I really enjoyed it.

Haunting by Myth- 2.5⭐️ 2🌶️

Sci-fi-fantasy
LGBTQIA
Romance
New adult
dual POV
Sapphic fantasy romance
Greek myth
Magical realism
Paranormal
Mythical Creatures
Slow burn
Rivals-to-lovers


This took me SO long to get into. The book started right into the action, but I didn’t find myself interested in what was going on, at all. The entire blurb happens before the book even starts, which is frustrating and misleading. It’s very possible that this just wasn’t the book for me. I found the plot to be predictable, even though the premise was unique.

The two FMCs weren’t as compelling as I hoped or expected from main characters. I found myself just wanting more from them. It was interesting to see both characters try to move past their legacies… but I didn’t find that enough to make me invested in their journey. Their romance was really lacking depth, for me, pushing it to the side.

Ramses was actually my favorite character. I found his paternal leanings and banter to be really the best part of the book.



Thank you NetGalley and Bold Strokes Books, Inc. for an Advanced eReader Copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

Haunted by Myth was a fun read that manages to do something new and original with the urban fantasy genre. Barbara Ann Wright concocts a literary spell with a dash of ghosts, a sprinkle of monsters, and a pinch of Greek mythology, stirring it with a wink and a nod as she allows a magical age-gap romance to simmer and steam.

Chloe is a ghost-hunter who was never supposed to have inherited the family business, constantly operating under the shadow of her dead sister’s memory and her mother’s grief. At her side is the ghost of the pharaoh Ramses, who has been a partner, a mentor, and a father-figure to her family for generations.

Helen is the legendary woman whose face launched a thousand ships, although she resents being defined by one story when she has done so much more over the ages. She is something of a monster-hunter, but only to rescue them from the human world and provide them with sanctuary on her island. At her side is the Sphinx – not to mention Pegasus, naiads, and more.

There’s a whole cast of supporting characters to the story, both human and otherwise, which adds to the wonder, the mystery, and the humor of the world that Wright has created. It’s deliberately unclear what the sides even are, much less who is on which, and there are centuries of resentment and distrust between humans and monsters that further strain potential alliances. I was utterly fascinated by the monster side of the story, and would love to have seen more of the menagerie in Helen’s sanctuary, and there is a whole world of adventure hinted at in Fatma and Ali that I would love to explore as well.

For all of that, this is Chloe and Helen’s story, and while their romance is a goal, it’s not the driving force behind the plot. Yes, mutual attraction draws them together, but it’s their strength as women, their morals and their purpose, that allow them to overcome the divide between natural and supernatural to face a threat that neither can thwart on their own. Chloe is a wonderful young woman who must put her doubts and fears behind her if she is to embrace her destiny. While Helen may be older and wiser, she is not without her doubts as well, especially when it comes to humanity. They bring out the best in each other.

Fast-paced and fun, full of imagination and emotion, Haunted by Myth was a thoroughly entertaining read with plenty of LGBTQIA positivity.

Thank you #NetGalley and #BoldStrokesBooks for a free ARC of #HauntedByMyth by #BarbaraAnnWright in exchange for an honest, no spoilers review!

SAPPHIC HELEN OF TROY!!! Need I say more? I saw that in the premise, and I was sold!

This book tells the story of Chloe, a ghost hunter (not by choice, thank you very much), and Helen (of Troy, but try not to mention that part around her), and how they meet and develop feelings for one another. If you like an enemies-ish-to-lovers type trope, you may enjoy this book!

I loved the modern setting for this Greek mythology retelling. It was different from all the other retelling I’ve been reading lately. This is a dual point-of-view, and I thought the author successfully switched between Chloe and Helen without confusion or losing any of the story telling parts. Ramses was maybe one of the best characters in this story! I thought it was a really cool touch because you can bring in two different types of mythology/lore.

If you love sapphics, if you love mythology retellings, if you love witty banter, found family, and Supernatural-esque vibes, then definitely pick this book up! It’s out on December 12!

4.5 stars.

Thank you to Bold Strokes Books and Netgalley for providing me with this eARC, in exchange for my honest review.

The beautiful cover, mixed with the title automatically drew me in. It took me a minute to divulge into this world because I was worried it would be hard to follow, but not at all.

I found this to be a fun, lighthearted sci-fi fantasy take weaving both mythology and modern day exploration. I would have loved to see more of the Helen and Chloe romance plot lines built up or even more subtle moments to help believe their true love, but I could just chalk that up to YA-estqe nature / soulmate ideology. It was an easy read, with the relationship between Chloe & Ramses being the main pairing to root for. I thought this book was an enjoyable & entertaining read. I didn’t love the ending, but i didn’t hate it. It just wasn’t what I pictured.

The blending of the mythical with the paranormal was very interesting and made for a fun story. I loved the characters, they were fun and relatable. I was a little lost of some of the setting changes, but overall it was a fun read! Who doesn’t love adventurous lesbians saving creatures?

People often choose to get over bad marriages in highly individualistic ways, and running an animal sanctuary is probably not the worst way to go about healing yourself.

What is unusual though, is if the animals are all mythical beasts, and the person getting over the marriage is Helen of Troy! But Helen is determined to get past the nightmarish legacy Greek men created in her name.

The problem is, she is not prepared to meet someone else who's struggling with a family legacy - in this case, one that involves hunting and killing monsters and mythical creatures.

So when Helen meets Chloe, given their very different aims, sparks inevitably fly. And not the kind they were expecting, either...This is a very different take on the character of Helen (nee Troy), and an amusing, fanciful read. It gets 3.5 stars.

Haunted by Myth dabbles with mythology and romance as it follows two women who on paper have opposing values that work together to contain chaos in the supernatural world.

I like that the title is so close to being a play on words, with 'haunted/haunt' being an imperfect homonym for 'hunted/hunt', which describes Chloe's legacy job as a monster hunter. The girl in question, however, has morals about what creatures she would hunt and when she would kill if need be. Chloe is hunted by a mysterious supernatural being that threatens to kill her and is haunted by the legacy of her family, her sister's brilliance and her mother's overbearing bomb of grief and expectation. Helen is also haunted and hunted. Her legacy as 'Helen of Troy' has worn her down. She has to deal with the strange string of events involving a certain monster hunter and her crew and the supernatural creature that might threaten her supernatural sanctuary. Hence, both are haunted and hunted by myth.

I liked how mythology is being utilised here and how the plot is shaped by it. I struggled with some members of the supporting cast, as it felt a bit overpopulated and somewhat underutilized at times (except Ramses; he's great). The romance between the leads (no spoiler there) has the beginnings of an emotional connection, but not deeply so and is more physical, to my belief. I'm not attached to them as a couple. That's okay.

Overall, it's an okay read. It gets exciting here and there, especially because of the delicious mythologies, but the romantic subplot is a little muddy because, unfortunately, it leans skin-deep.

Thanks to Netgalley and Bold Strokes Books for providing me with the e-ARC/DRC in exchange for an honest review.

Chloe and her ghost companion banish ghosts to where they belong. While searching she’s run across a woman about to take a monster back to her sanctuary to keep it safe and secure. Helen doesn’t want her charges killed which she fears Chloe will do but when an unknown threat comes to her sanctuary island she’s going to need all the help she can get to keep these monsters from escaping.
This is a fun read with humor and a long awaited romance.

Thank you #Netgalley #Boldstrokesbooks # Hauntedbymyth for this ARC

This book was really cute! I love stories that don't immediately start with the romance. I also love how different yet similar these two characters are and how their journeys lead them to each other. It was original and different and truly mesmerizing.

I received an ARC copy of this book from the Publisher via Netgalley and voluntarily leaving my review.

Chloe always looking on the outside of what her family does but when her sister dies she inherits the family magic and thrust into hunting and banishing monsters and ghosts. She also trying to deal with her grief along with her parents who she has a not so great relationship with and even though she has this going on doesn’t stop her from doing what’s right. Helen has spent centuries running a sanctuary and rehab for mythical creatures and can’t stand that she will forever be known from a mistake. Chloe and Helen clash but soon realize they may have to face common enemies and maybe both may see although they have different philosophies they can be both right. I enjoy the mystical parts of the story and Chloe and Helen are both strong women and they do have chemistry but I just felt the romance fell flat it’s should’ve just been in background while they faces challenges.

This was cute! I enjoyed that it was modern and fun and it was wholly original. I didn’t guess anything about who the villain would be or the motive and that was a fun surprise.

In regards to the romance, definitely a slow-burn which was frustrating because it never delivered on the… catharsis, shall we say.

I think it’s set up nicely for a second book as the idea of the queen of the Greek underworld and the weakening veil between there and the mortal world was left unexplored. I would definitely continue reading the series!

First off all, gorgeous cover!! It instantly made me want to read the book. But the title played a huge part as well, since I'm a sucker for mythology. At first I was expecting the classic mythology retelling but I really enjoyed it when I found out it was mythology woven into contemporary fiction. The romance part could have been a bit better executed but it was still a nice read.

*I was lucky enough to receive an arc from Netgalley and Bold Strokes Books in exchange for an honest review.*

Haunted by Myth is a really interesting concept for a book and I haven't ever read anything like it before. There a some elements that were done perfectly like the presentation of Helen and how she interacted with the label 'of Troy'. Exploring her outside of her beauty is definitely something I want to see more of.
I tend to stick to more of the typical mythology retellings but did enjoy the elements of mythology incorporated into a contemporary novel. The romance felt slightly forced but I still enjoyed reading about Chloe and Helen.
Ramses was probably my favourite character. He was written really well and was just so cool. It also meant that multiple mythologies and histories were able to interact with each other.

I ended up not finishing this book. I was really interested in it based on the blurb, but when I got reading it I realized it was just not quite for me. It felt very Percy Jackson (which I loved growing up) but since this novel has been written for adults, I just felt like there was a disconnect. The writing was very mid grade, but with lots of swearing. I definitely think there will be people who enjoy it, but it’s just not my cup of tea. Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for providing me an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

It was a rather fun read. The plot is interesting and the universe is as well. The writing is most likely the strongest aspect of the novel, it has a certain lightness that made me fly through the pages. Unfortunately, the characters are sort of one-dimensional and I wished they would have been more developed. And the romance is probably what I disliked the most. It is very quick and superficial which is a shame. Their romance is more of a physical fling than an actual emotional connection.

Thank you to Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for a honest review.

Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC.

The mythology elements were too over the surface. I did not know this was a sort of urban fantasy genre of novel and thought it would be a mythology retelling. I did not vibe with the story nor the characters. but the writing was good enough. I did not finish the book because there were too many confusing elements. 2.5 stars.

I didn't manage to finish this book, it just didn't hold my interest. I didn't find the characters very compelling as their motivation was rather shallow, and they weren't particularly interesting. Sure action stuff happened... but it kind of lacked personality. It felt like reading an episode of a fantasy TV series, Buffy or Supernatural. If you like those you will probably have a great time with this. I just found it a little lacking in depth and character voice.
When I read the blurb and saw myth and Helen of Troy, I was hoping for a little more meat on that story, especially because it is meant as an adult novel. This was more on the new adult spectrum.
I love fantasy, but I also read a lot of historical fiction so I can get pretty demanding on that level. I love genre mash ups so I might have had too much hope.