Destined by Jessie Harrell

Destined
Jessie Harrell

Synopsis: When Psyche receives a prophecy gone horribly wrong, she learns that even the most beautiful girl in Greece can have a hideous future. Her fate? Fall in love with the one creature even the gods fear.

As she feels herself slipping closer into the arms of the prophecy, Psyche must choose between the terrifyingly tender touch she feels almost powerless to resist and the one constant she's come to expect out of life: you cannot escape what is destined.

Psst... Do you feel that? It's the long, calming sigh of satisfaction you get once you read the last sentence in a truly heart-wrenching novel. You immediately say Aww and your heart warms a little. Sigh... And then disappointment cause you realize you've left that spectacular fantasy world containing the totally yummy, scrumpdidlyumptious hottie that you've been drooling over the past 200 pages and you're suddenly stuck back in reality without him. [Uh, no offense babe! I totally love you! heh heh...eh] Oh, well. The fantasy was good while it lasted.

So Psyche has been dubbed the new mortal daughter of Aphrodite by the goddess herself. Happy dance, right? Except it didn't work out too well for Aphrodite's first mortal daughter, Helen of Troy, did it? Uh...no. Psyche is blindsided but she goes with the flow - until Aphrodite brings her son Eros (aka Cupid) over and tells them she wants them to marry. Shocker, neither take to the news too well and end up throwing a few inappropriate comments. Eros is an immortal and gets to storm off to has his hissyfit but Aphrodite wants revenge against the mere human that dared to defy her wishes and reject her immortal son. She decides Psyche's destiny is to spend her remaining days in love with a despicable creature and declares that Eros must pierce her with one of his arrows to force this love upon her. But when the time comes to shoot Psyche, he finds he just can't do it and ends up nicking himself with the arrow. Now in love with Psyche himself, he must find a way to keep her safe and fulfill his mother's wishes all at the same time. Not an easy feat...

Now I will say that I know nothing about the myth involving Cupid and Psyche so I don't know how this compares, but I think any author deserves a little latitude when it comes to making it their own. I'm not one to criticize if it isn't an exact retelling - quite frankly I would find that boring (had I known it). I can say that I enjoyed watching these two characters grow to love one another once they put their pride aside and let their guards down long enough to do so. Sorta like Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy. Sigh...

Anyways, Destiny offers reluctant lovers, lots of mythical characters (my fave being the dead man that ferries the dead, or shades, into the Underworld), swoon-worthy heartthrob, and some of those horrible 'tests' the Gods like to throw at you to see if you're worthy of their time.

Novel provided by author for honest review.