Unleashed: A Greek Mythology Inspired Adventure by M.M. Gargiulo

Unleashed: A Greek Mythology Inspired Adventure Reviews

• 
  Rhonda ♍️

  In this mythic tale of true love found and then lost to a tragedy brought on by a sleeping giant trying to rise and causing earthquakes. A young man meets his God of a father in the quest to regain his lost love from the Underworld.
  
  The beginning was a tad bit slow and clunky with somewhat stilted and robotic like conversations. However the story picked up in the last third of the book when things got more interesting. The ending was not at all what I was expecting and a pleasant surprise to say the least.
  
  Thank you to Book Siren’s for allowing me the opportunity to read and review this book.
  
• 
  Christina Rybka

  Atticus and Petre are best friends along with Clotho,Petre’ girlfriend. A new girl Daphne comes to town with her family and Atticus is instantly smitten. Eight years later Atticus and Daphne are in love but a terrible incident happens. Atticus is angry and makes a deal with the Gods. Great characters and storyline Highly recommended Amazing book. Love Atticus and Daphne. Great supporting characters. I love Greek mythology and this book was so good.
• 
  Renee

  I don’t even know what to say about this book. The story, the World building was just beautifully written. The author wrote the book in such a way that you felt like you were there.
  
  This story is about love and what would you give for the person you love. It’s also about finding who you really are.
  
  This starts a bit slow because the author is setting up the world building as it’s set is ancient Greece with mythical creatures. But it picks up and you won’t be able to put it down!!
  
  I have loved everything I have read from this author and will happily read everything she releases
  
  Story 4⭐️
  
  I received this as an ARC copy and this is my honest & true review
• 
  Sri

  3.5 stars out of 5. I'm not sure if I'll read it again, but it was worth the read the first time. I would recommend this book if you're looking for YA Greek Mythology book. The storyline as well as the characters were well written.
• 
  Ariana Martin

  I loved it. It’s a well-paced and immersive book. It makes you feel as if you were there living in that time period. It uses Greek mythology in a way that feels authentic. If you are a fan of the Disney movie Hercules and the relationship between Hercules and Meg, then this book is for you. It is a YA story and the love between the two characters can be felt through the pages.
  
  The book develops the characters and the story of their lives very well. You get to know them as people and you cry for them, feel joy for them, want their story to turn out happily. The author does a very good job of making you root for the character on their journey.
  
  I want to tell you more about the story… But in order to avoid spoilers I will leave it with the above.
  
  Also, the author is a sommelier in her day to day life. And it comes through really well in the book. You can tell she is passionate about wine and food pairings. It was interesting learning more in depth about the types of food, textures, and tastes that were experienced in daily life in Greece.
  My only thing that I had a hard time with was that in the book the pacing through the first 80% of the book is steady and detailed without dragging on. However, once we get to the action and the peak of the plotline, I felt it was a bit rushed. I would have loved to get more in depth with the action and how it all played out. Also, I was a bit sad that there was no epilogue. Even though the story does end with a HEA. I wanted more of a wrap up and vision of the future.
  
  I was given an ARC of this book and am writing this review voluntarily.
  
• 
  Colene Cruz

  Following the story of Atticus and Daphne as their relationship is tried and tested in the ultimate fashion was a joy to read. Their connection is well-established right from the meet cute to the reunification and everything in between. I had no doubt in my mind that these two individuals would move mountains for one another. The eventual conflict that Atticus faces is heartbreaking, and the author does a phenomenal job of conveying that heartbreak.
  
  The writing overall is simpler than I had expected it to be, especially the parts prior to the time jump. I have mixed feelings about this: the simple writing emphasizes their youth in a way verbose language wouldn’t, but it also frames the story as if it were intended for a much younger audience. However, the descriptions regarding world-building and food are incredibly detailed. There are moments where it feels entirely immersive and paints quite an enticing picture.
  
  The reason for rating has nothing to do with the plot or the writing, but rather the characters themselves. While it is a certainty Atticus and Daphne love one another, it seems as if that’s all they have going for them. There is little to no character development with both Atticus and Daphne, and the other side characters also feel flat. The two of them go on this incredible journey, but at the end they are almost entirely unchanged (minus some physical alterations).
  
  Despite all that, I would still recommend this book to a younger audience or to anyone wanting a simple, youthful, innocent love story dolloped with a tale of epic proportion and a taste of adventure.
  
  [I received this ARC for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.]
• 
  Blue

  Content warnings for Unleashed just include death.
  ☆
  ☆
  I didn't like this one sadly. I couldn't really get into it, and I think part of it is that I'm just not into greek mythology anymore, or at least to a much lesser extent than I used to be.
  ~
  It wasn't a bad book, it just wasn't my kind of thing. It built the world up nicely, and introduced the characters in a way that made them seem worth caring about.
  ~
  I think another factor in why it wasn't my thing was that it's a fantasy-romance. My relationship with the fantasy genre is rocky, I don't always get on with fantasy stories because I either get bored of the world or characters easily, or there's not enough to keep me interested. And romance books have the be just right otherwise I don't care.
  ~
  Ultimately, it wasn't a bad book, just not the one for me.
  •
  Thank you to BookSirens for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
• 
  KimMac

  Unleashed is a Greek Mythology inspired story of love that knows no bounds. MM Gargiulo writes a beautiful story of love, dedication, selflessness, and determination. Atticus meets the girl of his dreams in his youth. Daphne will be his happily ever after and he dreams of the future they will have. When tragedy strikes his small village, his life will never be the same again. He falls into hopelessness until an unexpected turn of events gives him a glimmer of hope.
  
  The story is well written and the world building makes you feel like you are a part of their small village. You can feel the pain and angst that Atticus feels as the story unfolds. His heartbreak becomes yours. You will find yourself longing to have someone love you like Atticus loves Daphne. His love is deep, all consuming, and he would do anything to give Daphne happiness, even if it means the end of his own life. This is a must read for all the Greek mythology readers out there!
• 
  Kat M

  I really enjoyed how good the use of the Greek mythology elements were, it had everything I was hoping for from the description. It was a great fantasy-romance going through this book, it had interesting characters that I enjoyed a lot. It left me excited to read more from M. M. Gargiulo and glad I got to read this.
  
  "All right then,” Atticus said. He stood and kissed his mamá on her forehead, patted his hand on his páppa’s shoulder and headed to wash. He splashed off some of the dirt and grime of the day and got into bed. His parents were still in the kitchen whispering in hushed tones when he closed his eyes. He dreamed of Daphne bathing in a stream, her green eyes bright and vibrant, her red hair sticking to her wet back."
  
  I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
• 
  Kimberly

  Unleashed by M.M Gargiulo is the first book I e read by this author. I actually liked this book a bunch and so will you if you’re a fan of Greek Mythology. This is one hell of an interesting adventure.
  
  The main character is Atticus how falls truly, madly, deeply in love with Daphne. They have a beautiful and epic love that is tragically cut short. Atticus in grief makes a plea to the gods and a deal is struck. But anyone who has ever read Greek Mythology knows that things with the gods are never cut and dry.
  
  This is a story about love and how far you would go to save the one you love. How strong you must be to battle for it. The characters and story are written very well and the world is described in such a way you feel as if you were there. This is an enjoyable read.
  
  Final review:
  4 stars out of 5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
• 
  FaceBehindABook

  I didn't take to this one as fast as I did the other books written by this author but I still enjoyed it.
  
  I liked that this showed the raw emotion one feels when they are faced with loss and the lengths someone would go to, to get that sense of being whole again back. The backstory of the MCs was built so well that you felt the pain and the love too. The world building was great, I loved the different foods especially, dove was different 😬
  
  I think the reason I didn't fall straight into this one was because I couldn't keep up with how fast Atticus seemed to grow bigger. Trying to imagine muscles on top of muscles, on top of muscles was a little distracting especially since it started when he was like 14...
• 
  Jemmakate__

  I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. I really wanted to love this book as I love stories about mythology but I just couldn’t enjoy it.
  
  The repetitive nature of the story was unnecessary and boring, and I felt like the pacing was all off. So much of the first half of the book was just “nothing”.
  
  The characters I didn’t find very likeable and they felt lifeless. Atticus’ size is mentioned far too often. I got the reference and where the story was going after maybe the second reference but it kept being mentioned.
  
  If someone is looking for a basic quick mythology story they may like this book but it didn’t have enough substance for me personally.
• 
  Brigitte

  Greek Gods and demigods. Atticus has never been like his peers. He travels to hell and back to bring back the one he loves.
  
  Atticus falls for Daphne at first sight. He has supportive parents he adores, but things take an interesting twist when he discovers his true parentage. There is lots of action, disasters and love that knows no bounds. When tragedy strikes he is completely lost and does the inachievable.
  
  It's an interesting concept that takes a hold from beginning to end. Of course the gods lend a helping hand and in Hades' case, quite the contrary. Will they reunite?
  
  It's a captivating read, full of mystery and magic. Thoroughly enjoyable.
• 
  Breaaaannna

  
  I really enjoyed this book! It was a great, quick read. I absolutely loved the mythology part of it. It was very real and authentic. The story was really easy to get into starting from page one. It was an amazing story and I loved the characters. It was easy to get caught up in the story and feel all the emotions our characters were feeling. Sadness, loss, grief, surprise, happiness and peace. I was not expecting the plot twist for this type of story but absolutely loved it. The ending really tied the story all together and made me feel happy for our main characters. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
• 
  Lydia Carson

  I truly enjoyed reading Unleashed. It is an adventure into the world of the gods. Atticus falls in love with Daphne and they make plans for a life together. But then tragedy strikes and their life changes forever.
  I liked that the was no profanity, no graphic sex. I like all the emotions and could feel for the characters. The love Atticus feels for Daphne takes him to the underworld. There wasn’t anything I didn’t like about this book.
  I have received an advance review copy for free and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
• 
  Ashley

  Thank you for another amazing ARC.
  Let me start by saying I absolutely love reading things pertaining to Mythology, and this one is soooooooooo good. While it does start out slower (not in a bad way) since it's doing a good bit of world building, its like watching a movie all while reading at the same time, the attention to details as well as the storyline itself kept me immersed the entire time and I was hooked. I have not been disappointed in anything I have read from her yet. Also I must say I absolutely love Atticus, who wouldn't love a strong, muscular, funny, sensitive, caring man? one who would do anything including making a deal with the Gods to get the woman he loved with his entire being back. He was the absolute perfect guy.
• 
  Mary Dooley

  How far would you go to save your soul mate and what would you sacrifice to get them back? Would you bargain with the gods? Would you go to the underworld and strike a deal with Hades? If this got your attention, so will this book. The author does a great job developing her characters all throughout the book making you fall absolutely in love with them. You feel as though you are with them and experiencing their emotions that they have throughout the story.
  
  The story starts out a little bit slow in the beginning because the author is setting up the world building in ancient Greece with mythical creatures as well as with the gods Zeus and Hades. However once we get into the action the story/journey really picks up and makes it very difficult to stop reading and put the book down.
  
  The Author does a fantastic job immersing the reader in Ancient Greek Mythology. She even incorporates food pairing that would be found in Greece during that time. From the wine, meats and cheese to the fresh baked bread. At times the reader can imagine what the food tastes like through just her descriptions of the characters enjoying their meals with one another. After reading about the delicious food I was left dreaming about it later. I am not much of a wine drinker but I am now considering becoming one.
  
  Overall I enjoyed the book and would recommend others to read it as well. So far I have loved all of the books that this author has written and find that her writing is amazing and easy to follow. The detail she puts in her writing makes the reader feel as though the story itself is coming to life. I can’t wait to see what she writes next and look forward to seeing more books from her. She is an author that has gotten my attention and I have already recommended her to friends and family.
  
  I received this as an ARC copy and this is my honest and true review.
• 
  Dani Scott

  This was such a good story. The beginning had me laughing and enjoying all of the nods to Greek mythology and then my heart was broken. This author truly does have a gift of ripping your heart in two and making you feel all the feels. And then everything became better and the ending was amazing. I fell in love with all of the characters and I loved the Greek mythology aspect. It was a unique and powerful story thank you so much for sharing it with everyone! ♥️
• 
  Mybookmemories

  I love Greek mythology, and this book certainly did not disappoint. The start was a bit hard to get through due to the extensive world building but I am so glad I pushed through as the rest was worth it. I enjoyed meeting the characters and seeing their growth throughout the book. The ending felt a little rushed to me, but other than that I really enjoyed this book and definitely recommend for lovers of Greek mythology.
• 
  Kelsey Moreland

  I was happy review an ARC copy of this story. I’m a world of so many retellings of popular myth, it was refreshing to read this retelling, less focused on flashy world building, and more on the people of the story.
  
  I found the characters likable, the story compelling, and the read over all an easy and enjoyable one.
  
  Occasionally, I felt the story slow down as certain passages felt repetitive of information already provided, but generally the story moves along quite nicely!
• 
  Celina J

  ARC review: This book was great to read. Not able to put it down. I adore Greek mythology and the minute I could read a new store or a retelling, I’m all in. This book had everything from the Greek tragedy, to Gods/Goddesses, quest, and redemption. Drive into Atticus and Daphne’s love story. I hope you will enjoy it as much as I did.
• 
  Devon Duffy

  Interesting storyline. I would not have been mad if it was longer to add more details. Some aspects seemed very rushed while others went into unneeded detail. However, the story itself was very intriguing and well written. I could definitely see a part 2 to this, or not. Either way I think it was a good tale and one worth reading.