Lady of the Underworld by Skyler Andra – A Book Review

Posted February 26, 2020 by Booksandblurbs in PNR, Reviews / 1 Comment

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Lady of the Underworld

(Operation Hades – Book 1)

by Skyler Andra
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Paranormal Romance
Available on Kindle and Kindle Unlimited

Down & Dirty

The Gods, and their chosen Avatars, are back in this emotional, fast paced ride. At times it’s a bit confusing, but overall, it’s unique and stand apart from the usual fare – and it’s free on Kindle Unlimited.

What is it about?

(Blurb from GoodReads)

A spunky florist and a cold-hearted Lord of the Dead? Its a match made in the underworld!

Autumn Rankin is a florist first and foremost. Her speciality is in making a rose bear in under twenty minutes or pulling together a bouquet that says I’m sorry I screwed your best friend. But when she meets Hades at the funeral parlour, she discovers a hidden talent: convincing a dead soul it’s his time to go to the afterlife. Apparently souls are wandering the Land of the Living, and Hades, stiff, cold and guarded as he is, needs her natural charm and charisma to corral them to the underworld. But the Lord of Dead is hiding something. Secrets. And she’s determined to find out what, even if it destroys her.

Hades, old Lord of the Underworld, is losing his touch. Stubborn souls no longer heed his call for their final resting place. When he meets Autumn, he detects a power he has not seen in hundreds of years. The touch of spring he needs to chase away the winter consuming his realm, and maybe even melt his frosty heart. And with the Goddess awakening in her, he’s not going to let her go this time.

Note:

Lady of the Underworld is Book 1 in the Operation Hades series, a steamy paranormal romance with a dark, brooding and sexy Greek god, godly avatars, and loads of flower puns.

Thoughts on Lady of the Underworld

I am not sure if you need to Read Operation Cupid first, but it DOES help in establishing this world – and all the crazy things that go on in its shadows. But if you don’t, it’s alright – there is enough world building scattered throughout to grasp at the foundation, even though much of it may be confusing at first.

The first three quarters of this novel threw me for a loop, dragging me along on a whirlwind adventure I didn’t exactly understand, but was excited to view. The final quarter tried to make the previous pages make sense… and it did.. almost. It closes on a pseudo cliffhanger, offering no more answers and leaving the reader a bit stymied as to what, exactly, just happened. WHO is Hades? I mean, we know who he is, but why is his Avatar different? And what is the full story with Autumn? Who is she really? WHAT is she?

It’s all a mishmash of confusion and conjecture, but fortunately, the second book is out and the third is on the horizon – so answers will be found, soon.

* I received an ARC of this novel and am thrilled to share my honest opinion!*

Pros:

She is a florist… a FLORIST!
Flower puns abound, and they are ‘Dad Joke’ worthy. *Groan*
Mads, from Operation Cupid, makes an appearance.
The mythos are combining and melding, though the large scope is Greek.

Cons:

Very confusing, in way too many parts.
I didn’t quite understand her reactions…. that is NOT how a normal person reacts!

Perspective

First Person, Multiple POV

Ending Type

Pseudo Cliffhanger

Rating

Mature

Romantic Dynamic

M/F

Character Age Range

23+

My Final Verdict on Lady of the Underworld

A touch scattered and less than explanatory, yet the story is appealing and the characters incredibly enchanting. I found myself confused and befuddled more times than I can count, but that feels like it might just be part of the appeal. This is free on Kindle Unlimited, with book 2 already out and book 3 soon to release.

Published October 29th, 2019
239 Pages