I was drawn to the name of the book and I also thought that the cover was gorgeous! The blurb intrigued me and I thought this book was going to be a mix of a Greek myth retelling and the TV show Supernatural. Both things that I love! Even though there was monster/ghost hunting, the myth aspect of the blurb was not as I initially expected as the mythological references in the book are very surface-level. Unfortunately, this book just did not work out for me. Given that this is an adult novel, the writing pulled very young and it just didn’t click with me. This novel is also meant to include a sapphic romance, but I found the relationship between the MCs a little one-dimensional and not very compelling. I had a hard time connecting to the story. That being said, the writing itself is not bad and it is definitely a quick read. So if you want something quick, fun, and unserious to read on a rainy weekend this might work for you.

Overall, a very cute, interesting and entertaining read. I mean, who doesn't enjoy a good well written paranormal story.


Thank You NetGalley and Bold Strokes Books.










b

I really liked the idea of greek mythology merging with the modern world but this book was so boring and honestly a tad bit confusing. Definitely not for me.

2,5/2,75⭐️

First of all, thank you Netgalley and Bold Strokes Books for the ARC.

“Haunted by Myth” by Barbara Ann Wright is a fantasy book with romance elements.
This story caught my attention as a fan of Greek mythology, but unfortunately, it didn't work for me.

The concept was interesting and I liked the writing, but sadly, I didn't find the characters particularly appealing, except for Ramses.
I also found the romance between Helen and Chloe a bit superficial and rushed.

Ghost busters meets old familiar mythologies in this sapphic reimagining of Helen of Troy. Haunted by Myth takes a new approach to renowned tales where familiar stories, myths and creatures make appearances throughout.

I found this book a bit hard to get through and couldn’t really get into it in the beginning. Didn’t really relate to the characters, which is an important aspect of the reading experience for me. In this instance it might just be a me-problem, because both the story and writing was overall well done. It had a humoristic twist that made it more enjoyable to read. The relationship between Chloe and her ghost Ramses was one of the best aspects of the book. We love entertaining banter with ancient Egyptian ghost pharaohs with big personalities! Further, I really liked that we, the reader, got to learn about Chloe’s past at the same time as her as it prevented a huge info-dump in the beginning. The only thing I actively disliked about the book as the insta-love between the main characters from the moment they met. It felt a bit forced and not like a natural attraction. Would have loved some more world building and for the myths to have be explored more in depth.

Overall a good love story - it was amusing to see how Chloe and Helen fell into each others orbit. Would recommend it to people who like sapphic books and ghost hunting but not if you have something against insta-love.

Mythology and history collide when a ghost hunter named Chloe and Helen of Troy fall in love. Yes, the Helen of Troy. And she runs a sanctuary for mythical creatures. Chloe has a lot to balance on her plate, with both monsters and mayhem added to the mix.

I loved the premise, though I would note it happens before the story begins. It’s a contemporary paranormal spin on some fan favorite figures in history, my favorite in this story being Ramses the II, Pharaoh of Egypt. If you like a fun read with lighthearted dialogue, this book is for you.

Thank you to Netgalley and Bold Strokes Books for this ARC.

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!