Hi there! Today I’m sharing my review for a historical romance that goes waaaayyy back! I really enjoyed author Sasha Summers’ contemporary fiction, (HOLLYWOOD EVER AFTER, HOLLYWOOD HOMECOMING, and HOLLYWOOD HOLIDAYS) so I thought why not? ECLIPSING APOLLO is the lovestory between Apollo, a god of the Olympic pantheon and Coronis, a mortal princess. It is an interesting and bittersweet supernatural tale.
Make sure to check out the excerpt and keep scrolling to get your free book(s)!
About the book:
Apollo is fond of many things. Music, poetry, physical prowess, truth, and love. The Pythian Games are in his honor and he attends, as a mere mortal, to enjoy the competition… and the women. Meeting the fair Coronis offers him his greatest delight. Her strength, her fearlessness, and her beauty clasp his heart with an irrevocable hold. But she wants none of him.
Coronis’ duty is to marry, but she yearns for so much more. She is a fierce competitor, a hunter, skilled in strategy and reason. Those that would court her lack both the mind and the body to rival hers – she will settle for no less. As a mortal, Apollo was both infuriating and tempting. But Apollo the Olympian is terrifying. She fears giving him her heart might destroy her soul.
Demeter’s need for revenge pits Olympian against Olympian, forcing Apollo into a darkness the God of Light must fight if he ever hopes to see his Coronis again.
How about a little taste?
He turned, readying his bow as he’d done a thousand times before. It was all too easy to miscalculate, to skew his arrow a hairsbreadth from the mark. He released the arrow, stunned when it hit the target.
The crowd reacted instantly, applause and cheers breaking the silence.
He looked at Coronis, stunned by the slight smile on her face. “Why do you smile?”
“Father says there’s never been more than four rounds.” Her smile grew. “We shall make history.”
He smiled in response. “Winning is no longer important?”
“Winning is everything,” she argued, incredulous. “Surely you see that?”
In that moment she was not just a woman. No, she was a competitor. An adversary to respect. He nodded, puzzling over the affect this woman had upon him.
Once the field was cleared and the targets were place, a silence fell upon the spectators. He would lead this time. The target was miniscule, an easy miss…
Coronis scarce waited for his arrow to fly before releasing hers.
The crowd waited as the judges ran the length of the field to the targets.
From the corner of his eye he watched her. She stared at the ground, her hands clasping her bow as she shifted from foot to foot.
When the judges pulled her arrow from the target and held it high, the crowd erupted with cheers and applause—to be drowned out by rolling thunder. Rain fell down in torrents, lightning split the sky in quick succession, sending all in the stands in search of shelter. He would have followed the others, but she stood, staring up at the sky, smiling. So he remained at her side.
He would touch her, pull her against him, and hold her. Instead, he stepped closer and took her hand in his. Only then did she look at him.
Lightning pierced the sky, striking a great tree at the edge of the field. He’d scarce heard the crackle and snap of its mighty trunk before the air around them whistled and the tree began to fall. He did not think, but pulled her tightly against him, sheltering her with his body. When the ground shook with the force of the fall, he held her still. Her back was pressed against his chest, her scent tickling his nose, while his arm cradled her waist. His hold eased once he knew she was safe, but the feel of her curves against him was a heady thing. If not for the chill of her wet tunic on his skin, he would have held her until she forced him to release her.
He swallowed, taking in the tree. If he’d not pulled her aside, Coronis would be dead—pinned beneath the tree. His chest felt heavy, weighted by a most crushing pressure. The feel of her, trembling against him, was the greatest comfort. He drew in a deep breath, running his hands along her arms. “You are cold,” he murmured, his nose brushing her ear.
She shivered, pulling from his embrace. She glanced at the tree, the realization of what might have happened clear upon her pale features. She stared up at him with a face so conflicted he would draw her close once more. Instead she ran from him, toward the safety of her father’s house.
My review:
This is the third book in a series, and I’m probably sure I should have read it in order. That said, I still was able to enjoy this book–after I sorted out the backstory.
This is a historical romance of Ancient Greece featuring Olympian god Apollo finding love, unexpectedly, with a mortal princess.
While the pantheon of Olympus squabbles regarding the vengeance Demeter wishes to wreak over a shade who hunts her daughter Persephone, Apollo and Hermes travel to Delphi to compete in the Pythian Games, celebrating Apollo’s ancient victory over a dragon. En route, Apollo catches sight of a huntress in the wood, Coronis. She is a fantastic physical specimen, and her form while hunting is admirable. He is taken by her physical charms, and thrown off by her acid tongue.
Coronis is off-balance whenever she encounters the beautiful and arrogant (she assumes) Apollo. However, the longer he competes in the games, the more she realizes that his pride is well-deserved. Time and again he stands up for her, and risks much to save her from a forced marriage to Damocles.
Poseidon and Daphne, both angry with Apollo, are set on separating the pair, even after Apollo pledges to marry and remain faithful to Coronis. One reviewer complained that there’s a lot of sex in this book. Ha! The first sexy scene between Apollo and Coronis happens on their wedding night, and there are few scenes after that. It’s not THAT much sex, enough to cement their relationship, which is something that Apollo doubts greatly.
He has never experienced real love, and Coronis possesses such a feisty, hard-won heart that he’s not sure she truly does love him. HE feels that he loves her heart and soul, and wants to make her an immortal, the sooner the better, as he’s had troubling images of her being attacked since they first met. He also sees their son growing strong, so he knows they have a life together, but–and this is probably mythologically accurate–it’s not exactly a happily ever after. I won’t spoil this, but the end is more bitter than sweet. The scheming Olympians have their way, and it leads to heartbreak and bloodshed.
I liked the story. It was interesting and creative. I felt a part of this ancient society, and found it playful and engaging. I’d love to have a god worshiping me, as Apollo did for Coronis. His heart was open, and he reveled in the moments that he felt hers was, as well. There was plenty of plot to move the story along, between Coronis’ unknown lineage, Damocles’ antics, and Apollo’s champion performances. How comical when the man you’ve been sniping at is suddenly revealed to be the god you worship and appeal to for guidance! Poor Coronis, I really did sympathize.
I did have a serious problem in the amount of grammatical errors I found in my review copy. Not sure if I was sent an uncorrected ARC, but there were so many errors (misused homophones, missing words, punctuation, misspellings) that I truly hope so, and I hope all was corrected in the for sale copy.
Interested? You can find ECLIPSING APOLLO on Goodreads, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, iTunes and Kobo.
The Loves of Olympus series has had some excellent praise. You can get started by downloading MEDUSA A LOVE STORY, the first book in the series for FREE!! And, THEA’S FATE is FREE as well!
MEDUSA can be found on Goodreads, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, iTunes and Kobo.
THEA’S FATE can be found on Goodreads, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, iTunes and Kobo.
FOR THE LOVE OF HADES can be found on Goodreads, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, iTunes and Kobo.
About the Author:
Sasha is part gypsy. Stories have always played an important role in her life. Her passions have always been storytelling, Hollywood, history, and travel. It’s no surprise that her books include a little of each. Her first play, ‘Greek Gods and Goddesses’ was written for her Girl Scout troupe. She’s been writing ever since. She loves getting lost in the worlds and characters she creates; even if she frequently forgets to run the dishwasher or wash socks when she’s doing so. Luckily, her four brilliant children and hero-inspiring hubby are super understanding and supportive.
You can find Sasha online on her website, Facebook, twitter, Goodreads and Pinterest.
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