Book Review: Painted Blind (A Modern Retelling of Pysche and Cupid) by Michelle A. Hansen

Title: Painted Blind ( A Modern Retelling of Cupid and Pysche)

Author: Michelle A. Hansen
Publisher: CreateSpace
Date of Publication: Jan. 15, 2012
Format: paperback, Kindle, 331 pages
Source: bought
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Book Synopsis:Psyche Middleton vows her dad will never see the risqué photos she took during a summer modeling stint abroad, but one of them ends up on a billboard in her Montana hometown, where everyone—especially her dad—can see it. That becomes the least of her worries when she meets Erik, a mysterious guy who rescues her from a mob and who she’s never actually seen because he can make himself invisible.
Erik takes her to his palace in an idyllic kingdom, and she is swept into the beauty and culture of his world, but his affection has one condition: she may not see him. Enchanted, intrigued, and not wholeheartedly believing he’s real, Psyche can’t bring herself to love him blindly. When she betrays his trust for a glimpse of his face, Psyche ends up at the mercy of Erik’s controlling mother, who demands that Psyche prove herself in order to be reunited with him. Psyche knows love is never easy, but this is ridiculous. She agrees to complete three impossible tasks to prove her devotion to Erik—or die trying.

This modern retelling of the myth of Cupid and Psyche is a fantastical journey filled with laughter, danger, and the indomitable power of love.

My Thoughts:

I am a sucker for a good mythology story any time and Painted Blind doesn't disappoint either.  I have heard about this book way back earlier in 2012 but never got to it; but it always stayed in the back of mind.  The title stuck in my head and now I know why.  
It touched me in many ways, especially the relationship that develops between Psyche and Eric, even though she has never seen him while they are together.  I personally had something very similar to this talking to someone on the phone.  We got along so well (he even said we had so much in common) only when we met in person, he couldn't look past to what was inside.  

Anywhoo.....sorry I digress.

Psyche Middleton is beautiful but she shows us that beauty isn't everything.  In fact, for some it can be a downfall.  She is a model and after a very revealing photo of her portrayed as Aphrodite, she gets into a lot of trouble with the goddess.  
That is one of the plot lines that runs through the novel but not the only one.  In fact, I found there were a few but they all tied in pretty well together, as a few left you saying," wow!" 
The main thread is that she falls very heavy for this invisible guy, named Eric, that saves her from many high strung situations.  
Eric is a pretty confident fellow and likable indeed.  His beauty isn't what made me crush on him, though, but his sense of humor and flirtatious nature.  I loved the fact that he wanted Psyche to love more than just the outside of him and wouldn't allow her to see him.  
But of course, with that you always have haters.  Psyche should have been comfortable with her own feelings without having to prove them to her friend.  That is kinda of funny how something major happened there and yet there was much said about it later.  I don't want to ruin it for you but something that major I figure there would have been more emphasis, even with the big betrayal.  

You have to give Psyche credit for what she is willing to do to prove her love to Eric and yes, it is a bit extreme, but it is also romantic too.  It was fun and she ended up making more friends in the process that would give their life for her.  

The villain in this story is a whopper too.  He is evil, enjoys torturing people, and shows us that just because you are handsome on the outside, your bad attitude can make you the ugliest person ever.  

I had so many favorite parts in this story.  I loved Psyche and felt more closer to her through each trial she had to go through.  Her journey through the underworld was really cool and we also get to meet a version of Persephone that seems a little bit more interesting than I thought before.  
The ending is very cool and I loved the "pay-it-forward" way Psyche helped her friend.  
I think if you love mythology and want to read something that isn't too heavy but has a lot of endearing scenes then you should definitely pick up Painted Blind.  I really hope Michelle A. Hansen gives us more retellings of the mythologies we adore!

I give it five hearts!              

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Review: Goddess Interrupted by Aimee Carter

      Title: Goddess Interrupted

                (Book 2-Goddess Test)

Author: Aimee Carter

   Publisher: Harlequin Teen

                 Publication Date: March 27, 2012

                      Format I have: paperback, 296 pages

 Source: won in Giveaway

Goodreads Summary:

KATE WINTERS HAS WON IMMORTALITY.

BUT IF SHE WANTS A LIFE WITH HENRY IN THE UNDERWORLD, SHE'LL HAVE TO FIGHT FOR IT.

Becoming immortal wasn't supposed to be the easy part. Though Kate is about to be crowned Queen of the Underworld, she's as isolated as ever. And despite her growing love for Henry, ruler of the Underworld, he's becoming ever more distant and secretive. Then, in the midst of Kate's coronation, Henry is abducted by the only being powerful enough to kill him: the King of the Titans. 

As the other gods prepare for a war that could end them all, it is up to Kate to save Henry from the depths of Tartarus. But in order to navigate the endless caverns of the Underworld, Kate must enlist the help of the one person who is the greatest threat to her future. 

Henry's first wife, Persephone.

My Feelings:

I was super excited when Mindy at Magical Urban Fantasy Reads told me I had won her giveaway for this.  But then I realized I can't start reading a series in the middle so to speak, so I went and grabbed the first book.  You can check out my review of the first book here.

I feel like Kate has grown a lot since the first book, The Goddess Test, and is trying to cope with realizing everyone isn't what they seem.  At first, I didn't really like Kate because she was so whiny(yes I know she was going through some tough stuff) and wanted to blame herself for everything.  So I obviously drifted more toward Henry, the dark brooding handsome god that just didn't want to be lonely anymore.  

But in this book, I am totally on Kate's side!  I feel like she is  really put through hell proving her love to Henry, as well as risking her life to save those she cares for in her "family".  She still has those moments where she feels sorry for herself, but Kate has grown much more as a woman and I am so proud of the things she accomplishes in this book. Kate exhibits many qualities that shows us she is suited for the task she undertakes.  She is fiercely loyal, no matter what the outcome.  

Henry, ahh Henry!  Why do you make me so mad that I want to throw you in the river?  I love Henry, I really do.  He is my favorite of all the greek gods and goddesses, but in this book he just really ticks me off!

I felt like he was just a jerk in this book, even though he probably wasn't wanting to be, and not thinking about Kate's feelings at all.  He was so nice and sweet in the first book and in this one, I am like "Whoa!" Is this the same guy?  

And then we get to meet the dreaded Persephone.

Yeah, I am still reeling from her attitude towards Kate.  If I were Kate, I would just poked her in the eyes.  That would have made me feel much better.  Yeah that might be childish, so what?  

I cried many times in this story, partially due to this little love triangle between Henry, Kate and Persephone but the plot was phenomenon!

Prepare yourself; there is a huge cliffhanger at the end and I am impatiently waiting for the next book.  *drums my fingers on the desk*

I just had to give this five hearts!