The Temple of Persephone
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4.1 • 14 Ratings
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- $9.99
Publisher Description
Bridgerton meets Greek mythology in Isabella Kamal’s delightful historical romance debut, The Temple of Persephone.
Persephone Honeyfield is witty, intelligent, and very aware that the only way to escape the monotony of the life she shares with her father and sister in the English countryside—and the wagging, ever-critical tongues of the people around her—is through marriage. She also knows the likelihood of it being a love match is nearly zero.
Aidon Barrington has carried on the legacy of his family’s funeral furnishing business, losing himself in the process. A shell of his former charming self, he’s traded his reputation as a rake for that of a recluse and regularly appears in the scandal sheets as London’s mysterious Lord of the Dead.
When Persephone finds herself at Gallowsgate—the old Barrington estate—on a seemingly simple errand, an unexpected run-in with the Lord of the Dead himself leaves her on the brink of ruination. With no other way to silence the village rumor mill, or save her sister’s reputation, Persephone agrees to marry Aidon, becoming the wife of a man she hardly knows.
Persephone finds herself increasingly fascinated by her new husband, whose kind, patient nature stands in stark contrast to the ever-swirling rumors about him. But when the gossip begins to sound more like reality than fiction, she attempts to uncover the truth behind the Lord of the Dead while discovering she may have already lost her most guarded possession: her heart.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Kamal riffs on the Greek myth of Hades and Persephone in her promising if underbaked Regency debut. Freckled, short-haired Persephone Honeyfield, who struggles with self-esteem issues in the shadow of her beautiful and docile younger sister, meets her handsome neighbor, Aidon Barrington, when, thinking his home abandoned, she breaks into his library to seek out a book that once belonged to her late mother. A reformed rake, Barrington now reluctantly carries on his father's prosperous funeral furnishing business; as a result, he is looked down on by society and nicknamed Lord of the Dead. Unexpectedly visiting his aptly named country estate, Gallowsgate, Barrington catches Persephone in the act and is immediately intrigued by her unusual looks. When their unchaperoned encounter is discovered, they're forced to marry to avoid a scandal. It's a fun marriage-of-necessity setup that benefits both characters: Persephone longs to leave home and see more of the world; Barrington is pleased to take the striking stranger into his life. Unfortunately, tedious misunderstandings and interruptions keep the married couple apart for much of the surprisingly minimal plot. Still, Kamal milks the mythological parallels for all they're worth, which should appeal to fans of retellings. It's not perfect, but this is sure to find an audience.
