Tall, Dark, and Divine – Review
by Jenna Bennett
Category: Adult Paranormal Romance
Keywords: Greek gods, romance, Happy Ever After
Format: eBook
Source: Bought
Annie Landon has given up on finding Mr. Right, and has gone out looking for Mr. Tonight instead. A conversation overheard in the bathroom of Dionysus’s Bar about a jilted and lonely “Greek god” in need of a quick pick-me-up sounds like just what she’s looking for. But picking up the god of love for a one-night stand is easier said than done–especially when he’s sworn off mortals forever.
Eros has been down and out since his ex-wife left him, and falling for another mortal woman is the last thing he needs. Which means a maddening desire for the woman across the street is not in the cards. Thus begins his quest to find a match made in heaven for Annie. It’s the perfect plan … if only Eros can bear to let the girl of his dreams go.
Can a woman looking for love, and a matchmaking god who wants her to find it—with someone else—have a shot at a happy ending, or will Eros’s golden arrows miss their mark, for once?
Review:
As I read Tall, Dark, And Divine, I kept thinking this would make a great movie for the Hallmark Channel or one of the other channels that specialize in romantic comedies. Of course, if it were going to be shown on Hallmark, the hot sex scenes would totally need to be eliminated, which would be a total shame.
I enjoy stories where Greek deities are living in modern day settings. Bennett has set her book in present day New York where Greek gods have assumed every day lives and run businesses such as bars, detective agencies, and even a matchmaking business. The Greek god of love, yep, is the owner of that matchmaking business. Across from his office is a woman named Annie who owns a doggie bakery. Harry, an accountant type, stops by the bakery to buy biscuits for his dog. Eros is struggling some since his break-up with Psyche, but believes that by matching up Annie and Harry that he will be making the perfect match. However, Harry has fallen for Brita (Britomartis, the Cretan goddess of hunting), and once Annie has met Eros (who goes by the name of Ross), she doesn’t really have any interest in Harry. This “perfect match” may be a bit of a challenge, especially as Eros starts having feelings for Annie.
Tall, Dark, And Divine had a mix of things that I really enjoyed. First, all of the characters are quite fun and likeable. There are also quite a few humorous lines and scenes that just make you laugh out loud. And the sexy scenes between Eros and Annie have some great heat without going over the top or dominating the story plot line.
While there were a number of things that I really enjoyed about this book, there were a few things that kept me from giving it a higher rating. The story line is fairly predictable and at times resulted in some serious eye-rolling when certain scenes were just too obvious. Annie’s negative self-image and Eros’s denial of his feelings for Annie became tedious. I was glad that overall the book read quickly so the scenes that irritated me did not drag on. Also, for Greek gods and demi-gods, Eros and the others really didn’t have too many special abilities/powers, which just seemed strange.
The last scenes of the book were pretty funny and really made me feel like I could visualize them unfolding on a small screen. I can almost imagine the music that would play in the background and see who would star in each of the roles.
If you are looking for a fast, fun read, and don’t mind a bit of predictability, I would recommend Tall, Dark, And Divine by Jenna Bennett.
Visit the author online at jennabennett.com, her blog, like her on Facebook, and follow her on Twitter @bennett_jenna