I came into Neon Gods looking for a sultry, modern take on Greek mythology. There’s no denying the concept is exciting: mythological retellings reimagined in a dark, romantic world? I was ready. But the execution left me feeling… more confused than captivated.

While the story uses names and some themes inspired by the myth of Hades and Persephone, the mythological tie-ins felt thin. Olympus, in this version, exists somewhere modern but vaguely defined. It’s unclear if we’re in a future state, an alternate version of Earth, or a metaphorical city-state of the gods. The setting feels more like a backdrop than a fully realized world, and that ambiguity distracted from the story’s potential depth.

The romance leans heavily into the steamy side of dark romance (something Katee Robert is well-known for) and the chemistry is immediate. But emotionally, it moved too fast for me. The insta-love left me wanting more development, more buildup, more tension between them before declarations of devotion took over. The plot itself often takes a back seat to the romantic dynamics, and I couldn’t shake the feeling that there were missed opportunities to enrich both the world and the character arcs with a bit more complexity.

To be fair, the book knows its audience and serves up a heavy dose of heat and high-stakes attraction. But I was looking for a myth retelling that grounded itself more firmly in the themes it borrowed from, and instead it felt like a contemporary romance with fantasy elements loosely pinned on.

This one just didn’t work for me. It’s not a series I’ll be continuing, but I do understand the appeal. If you’re here purely for spice and a high-drama love story, Neon Gods may still be worth a try. Just don’t expect a rich mythology to accompany the heat.

1 star for personal preference, but I still appreciate the boldness of its concept.