| Title | : | Ares (Contemporary Mythos #3) |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | - |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Kindle Edition |
| Number of Pages | : | 270 |
| Publication | : | First published March 29, 2021 |
When a threat on her life arrives in the form of an ominous letter, a bodyguard is assigned to follow her every move. Harm is immediately against the idea, and the animosity rises when said bodyguard is none other than former MMA men’s heavyweight champion, Mars.
Between their heads butting at every turn, forced proximity, and constant banter, Harm will discover Mars isn’t all that he seems. Around him, visions of battle, chaos, and destruction plague her thoughts. The red glint in his eyes holds more than mystery--it bears the unknown cure for both their fury…if they can learn to work together, that is.
Content Warning: Mild violence, cursing and adult situations.
Ares (Contemporary Mythos #3) Reviews
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Handling the God
4.5 stars - The God of War meets his match in this steamy, rage fueled spin that has Ares / Mars protecting MMA fighter Harm. Yeah, she too points out the irony of that situation. 😄
I really enjoyed the chemistry and balance between them. She calms him and he ignites her thirst to conquer to new levels. And when they are behind closed doors.... Let's just say that Harm can handle the Greek brute like none other. 🔥🎉'He lived up to his title and pillaged every valley and peak I owned.' -- Harmony "Harm" Makos
As someone who has been reading or listening to this series in random order, I can confirm that each can be enjoyed as a standalone. There are occasional references or crossovers with the others, including a tenuous connection between the heroines in 3 & 4, but they only enhance the story.
I listened to an author's copy that had Sophie Daniels tackling all of the characters with varying accents. She really did a great job.
Story: 4.5 stars
Narration: 4.5 stars -
Ares was such a delightful addition to the series, and I really enjoyed seeing how this story built up. I have such a soft spot for sexy MMA romance. I really liked that both the hero and heroine are MMA fighters. The hero retires and ends up being her coach, and I really liked how he is able to really focus her emotions on fighting and becoming a better fighter. Ares is also the God of War and so seeing how they are so equally matched and how she so readily accepts him and his nature was pretty great and we get back to Hades who plays a role in them finding their way to their HEA. I really loved the way that Carly Spade built this story and developed the romance, I became so charmed by it. Definitely, a strong edition to the series and I am eager to continue on more.
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Huge thanks to the author, Carly Spade for allowing me to read an arc of this book in exchange for an honest review!
Ares, the 3rd book in the series turned up the steam level for sure. Where Hades and Apollo were more on the romance and flirty side, Ares gave us a dose of hot, dark and intense passion.
I really enjoyed the MMA fighting and I felt like it was perfect for Ares and Harm's personalities. They fit right in with the fighting, brutal world without actually being brutal or abusive themselves. Harm's tough and guarded personality was relatable.
Full review coming soon to avoid spoilers!
4/5 ✰’s -
Great gods and goddesses, this was awesome!
Harm was one tough heroine with a background that forced her into being the tough kid or not surviving. As a result, she may have a few anger management issues and I wasn’t sure if I was going to like her too much. However, as the story continued, it didn’t take me long to love her kick-tail ways and her take no prisoners attitude. This was who she was and I can’t imagine her any other way.
Mars was the perfect match for her. He too had some serious anger issues which actually added to my enjoyment of the book. Afterall, he is Ares and I fell fast and hard for him. He’s super alpha which was tricky considering Harm didn’t need anyone to protect her. I loved watching him fall for her and then having to deal with his family.
Ares and Harm were hot together! I think this book might have had a bit more steam to it than the previous books and it worked perfectly for this hero and heroine. Their relationship was quite fiery.
Mixed with all the intensity of these characters, their issues from the past and the decisions for the future, was a thread of humor that was pure perfection amongst the heavier weight of their “battles”. This was such an enjoyable read and I loved getting Ms. Spades’ perspective of Ares and the woman created just for him.
Heroine POV
Safe
Triggers -
This is the third book I've read by Carly and I loved it! I didn't know a lot about Ares before reading this but I enjoyed getting to know him and Harm. I loved Hades and Apollo, and Ares was no different. I read this book within 24 hours, it was that good!
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Carly Spade has quickly become one of my favorite romance authors. Especially because the more I read her Contemporary Mythos books, the more I realize that we really have the same kind of images of the Gods and what kind of people they would have been in modern times. A Dutch author had already paved the way for Ares, writing an amazing version of him in her novel, and I was therefore quite curious to meet Spade's version. Thank the Gods I managed to get an ARC!
What I love about this series is that each book really breathes the God being front and center. Which means that in this book we are confronted with passion, violence, fighting and most of all fire. Not only in Ares, but also in Harm. I have to admit that it's a setting quite strange for bookworm me, but the way Spade writes about the fights, about the training, about everything around the MMA worked for me. It's so focussed on the emotions and the adrenaline rush. It even seemed as if it all made me read faster.
On top of that I felt like this book had so many Greek Gods and Greek Mythology, maybe even more than the previous books. And literally everything Spade described and everyone we met made sense. I think it's quite hard not to fall a little bit in love with Dino and I loved that small glimpse of Poseidon! But, I most of all loved meeting Hephaestus and Athena! All those meetings, the struggles and the descriptions makes me long for endless more stories in this world!
And then there were the glimpses of the epic Greek wars, the Spartans, the Trojans! I want to talk on and on about those scenes, they were so vivid! I also really loved how the differences between Athena and Ares were explained and how this was translated to the different fighting styles of the Spartans and the Atheners. Even though it's a book about fighting and war, it's really explained with an amazing eye for details.
Of course, the true stars were our leading lady and her God of War. It felt like we didn't get to know Harm as intimately as the other girls, but in a way that also feels fitting. She's guarded, has trust issues and although she's a good fighter, she's also slightly hot headed. However, that does make her the perfect match for Ares. Ares has all this pent up anger and rage, constantly tempting him to forget the consequences. He needs an equal, a match and someone who understand him. It's a match made...well, just go and figure that answer out for yourself and read the book. -
Ares, god of war, finally meets his match in MMA fighter Harmony (Harm.) What started off as a body guard position, quickly turned into more. Harm is not when that let's people into her life easily. She has been burnt one to many times and the thought of going through that pain again terrifies her. However, there is something about Ares that draws her to him and she just can't break the spell. This is one battle she is not destined to win.
The book was such a fun read! I have enjoyed every single book in this series. This one reads quite differently than her others, but that is not a bad thing! There are darker elements at play, mostly revolving around violence and fighting, but nothing too over the top. The steamy scenes were also very different from her other books and I enjoyed reading those as well.
Harm is an interesting character. I did not connect with her as much as I did with the other two, but I still really liked her. I admired how tough she was and I enjoyed who she was with Ares. She kept true to who she was as she navigated what it meant to be part of an unbreakable love bond with her mate. My favorite thing about Spade's writing is that the men she writes are never toxic. I get tired of the overly alpha males that are extremely verbally abusive to the heroine and yet they still fall in love. This was refreshing to read!
Anyone who is a fan of the series will enjoy this book and new readers will love it too! -
We were like passing ships in the night. Each knew the other was there, but given the darkness, it was easier to pretend we didn't exist.
Carly Spade is the queen of contemporary romance. I love her books and she pulled out all the stops in Ares. Can I just say that I love how sassy and witty her characters are. I applaud the fact that the MC's always have a supporting best friends who are so full of life and in no way flat. Harmony and Chelsea were just as entertaining to read about as Harmony and Ares. The dialogue just flows so naturally and never fails to make me laugh. This book we get a much richer plot as we explore the characters and their backgrounds as well as their faults. Ares became my favorite book in the series by far, but I will probably say that about the next book too because each one keeps getting better.
Just please keep these coming! -
Gostei de ver este outro lado do Deus da Guerra, porque acho que colocam sempre um estereótipo nele - quase como acabamos sempre por ver a fazer com Zeus de uma forma, daquilo que acabamos por ler sobre ele e sobre a sua personalidade.
Ri-me profundamente quando acabavam a falar sobre o Homero especialmente porque acabava mesmo por ser uma forma de adaptação daquilo que conhecemos através das poesias épicas apresentadas pelo dito.
Acho que este foi aquele que possivelmente tinha um bom desenvolvimento e que senti que não estava tão apressado, mas ao tempo gostei muito mais do livro de Apollo. Ansiosa para ler os próximos. -
Carly Spade knows how to write a romance novel. Combine that with Greek mythology and I'm there. Her Contemporary Mythos series is so fun and easy to read and Ares was no different! It's a light, fluffy romcom-style read and you'll find yourself falling for her versions of the Greek Gods in no time.
I'll be the first to admit that I'm no MMA fan, however, the way Carly writes it was really easy to follow and understand. Besides, we all know we're reading it for the bodyguard, not the MMA content 😏
I loved all the little touches that Carly added to this book in particular. The way that Harm and Ares balanced each other was beautifully done. I also loved that we saw more minor deities this time around (the touch with Morpheus was great).
This is a series I could definitely see myself rereading. Now begins the wait for Eros! -
Surprise... Surprise.
• Harm - Strong, independent, bad**s woman on the surface and soft and warm under the surface. But you might not want to mess with her.
• Mars - Anger, strong, fire, and mysterious. It's kinda hard to figure him out. A man of many secrets and faces. His past? Maybe a little dark.
• Harm + Mars - Made for each other, highly compatible, they complete each other. She calms him down, he lifts her up.
• The plot - A twist here, a turn there and a surprise over there. Always keeps you interested. I finished the whole book in one go. Easy and simple but unique and beautiful. A different mode of suspense and thrill accompanying full on romance. Well built characters and story line. I loved the narration, it's perfect for the plot. Overall, not the usual cheesy romance. Kinda like a war of hearts. -
I loved reading Hades and Apollo's books so i was looking forward to Ares so much. It didnt disappoint either. MMA fighter Mars (Ares) retires at the beginning of this book and when fellow MMA female fighter Harmony (Harm - Amazon FMC) starts to get threatening letters he unknowingly ends up protecting her as her bodyguard. Mars is gruff & grumpy and a bit difficult to get along with especially with Harmony but she gives as good as she gets though. Which had me laughing at times. I genuinely liked these two characters and like the other books in this series they feature guarded, difficult men who are much more than they seem. Its a really good read and i cant wait for Eros' book now
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Thank you so much Carly for sending me an ARC of this beautiful book. I have devoured each one of this series so quickly. Carly’s writing is fast paced and addicting.
This book was no different. Ares is my favorite Olympian god and this did not disappoint. I devoured this book and let me just say the steam factor for each in this series just keeps getting hotter. Thank you for writing this story. Ares deserves it and is such an amazing character. I cannot wait for more in this series. Carly is amazing and easily now one of my fav authors. -
I really enjoyed this story! I haven't read the other Contemporary Mythos books yet, but they can all be read as stand-alone stories. I do want to go back and read the rest now though!!
Harmony "Harm" Makos was such a great character. I love MMA so it was really cool to see all of those elements in the story. Harm is obviously a boss, and she's strong as heck. She's been hurt before, so she doesn't let people in easily. Ares is great too. He's got some anger issues, but it fits with being the god of war. I love that Harm stays true to herself with the relationship, and I enjoyed the way the relationship played out. There was a lot of intensity and it fit who they were very well. And I'm a sucker for Greek mythology, so it's super cool to see those elements in the story too! The plot keeps it moving and interesting, and there are definitely some twists and turns!
Overall I really liked this book, and I definitely want to check out more from Carly Spade! -
I really love this story so much, but really what's not to love about Ares and this entire series.
You have:
-A strong Heroine
-An amazing plot
-Sexy Greek God in the mix
-A mythology story brought to modern times
-twist and turns, revelations and introductions to more Greek Gods
I loved every single page in this book. Harm and Ares were the perfect power couple. I loved how they were able to be in harmony around each other and just show be their calm to their storm.
There were some very interesting and exciting moments, honestly it made me look at Ares, the God of war in a total different way. You need to read this story and perhaps agreed with me. There is so much more about this book that I will like to share but I definitely don't want to spoiled it because its definitely a MUST read. -
Ares God of War. It’s a hard fight between him and Hades for me. The author weaved such a poetic romantic story. I enjoyed every moment of it. Harm isn’t your typical female lead and I dig it. Shes the perfect match for Ares. I was excited to meet other gods in this story. Carly took Harms story in a different direction than I anticipated but I’m here for it.
The prologue was perfect.
Can’t wait for Eros. -
This was new to me. I usually do not read books about fighters but this one's cover got me intrigued. This has an entertaining storyline and the main characters Harm and Mars are great together. They have great chemistry. I enjoyed their story.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review. -
Ares and Harmony maybe my favourite couple In this series, I love Carly’s writing and really enjoyed that our female lead was such a sassy badass. Let’s face Ares met his match. This book was funny, spicy and such an enjoyable read. If you haven’t met Carly’s Greek Gods then you need too. This was FANTASTIC. I also love that we hear and get page space for our previous gods in the series. -
Ares is the third book of this series and it is absolutely fantastic!!!!
Loved what the author did with the God of War and the other characters in this book.
The heroine is sassy and strong and I fell absolutely in love with her. A definite must!
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review. -
Fighting, Greek gods, a killer right hook? I loved this fun Greek inspired tale in the Contemporary Mythos series! Ares and Harm are the perfect power couple and I’ve loved all the fun twists on traditional mythology. Also, Spade has incorporated the Greek language in a unique and interesting way that makes you feel like you have the secret, insider scoop! I highly recommend this to all of my Greek mythology lovers!
Memorable quotes:
“His dark eyes were mystery and mayhem wrapped in a chocolate swirl.”
“What did you get when you combine one hurricane with another? Cataclysmic destruction.”
“I never thought I’d ever call something sweet, but my name, my real name on your lips…is one of the sweetest damn things I’ve ever heard.”
“I was only playing with fire, but I wanted to burn.” -
Another Enthralling Tale
Let me preface this by saying that Ares is one of my absolute least favorite Greek Gods. I went into this expecting a well written story (because that's what Carly Spade always delivers) but hating the male lead.
I was wrong.
The writing is as phenomenal as ever, but the characters weren't a weak spot in the book at all. It was probably my least favorite in the series, but that has more to do with me liking the main characters of the first two books more. There really wasn't anything about Ares that I would complain about in the slightest.
If you're a fan of Greek mythology and/or romance, you really need to give the books a read. They are worth it. -
Excuse my language, but hot damn! if I was to sum up this fiery love story into two words! The latest addition to the Contemporary Mythos series, Ares, tells the story of MMA fighter Harm, who helps bring balance to the legendary God of War. To see a story where the characters with dominate and volatile personalities not only fall deeply in love, but develop a relationship based on mutual respect and support, while being extremely passionate for each other. Which creates probably one of the best examples of a power couple. It is refreshing to see and a testament to Carly Spade's talent for character development.
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MMA fighter Harmony “Harm” Makos steps into the ring every day to act out her aggressions. She is at the top of her game. But when she is threatened, she is assigned a bodyguard Mars (Ares) who is another MMA fighter. When Harm begins to experience weird dreams or visions of Mars and her in a battle, he finally tells her who he really is. How will she react? Will she believe him?
I love this series. The characters are fascinating, familiar and yet new. The story line is intriguing and keeps the reader’s full attention. Grab your copy and enjoy! -
I love this series!
Seriously! This series is such a breath of fresh air and it gets better with every book. I can't wait to read the next one! -
So I've read this whole series in the incorrect order - starting with ZEUS, book number 6, and now reading ARES, book number 3. I didn't mind ZEUS (for reasons stated in that review) and so I had high hopes for ARES. Unfortunately, I did feel as though this one was a miss for me.
For starters, Ares' modern day persona was incredibly predictable. In the book we see the Greek God of war become a modern day MMA champion ... I mean, yeah. That's fitting to parallel his ancient character, however I would have preferred to have seen him as a different, more modern idea of a "war" god - maybe an activist leader or something like that? I think this would have made for a better read rather than this big lug of a man being known for his fists. I just felt that him being an MMA fighter had the audience see the character in a boring, one dimensional way, instead of having him progress in the thousand odd years between his godly days and the modern one of the story.
Ares also doesn't actually go by his Greek God name in this novel. He instead goes by Mars ... which is his Roman God name. Why? I'm unsure. Again, this was just a predictable element to the storytelling. In ZEUS we saw the king of the gods take on a new mortal name of Zane, and so I would have liked to see that here, too (or he could have kept the Greek name, that would have been okay). Any other A name would have been a way of updating his character to fit the world he now lives in.
I also had one main issue with Ares/Mars' love interest. Harm - short for Harmony - is also an MMA champion. Her nickname for her fights is "The Amazon", which is a callback to the ancient race of female warriors known by the same name. I'm mentioning this because it's important for her character as a connection to her Greek roots. Initially I was actually okay with this detail on the offset. This was fine until she ends up being scheduled to have a fight with another MMA fighter known as "The Trojan" ... at which point, the undertones for this section of the narrative become that of "a Greek will once again beat a Trojan".
Am I going to nit pick this detail? Yes. Why? Because the whole book isn't designed to be educational and barely reference any ancient mythology at all. By throwing in ideas like that, a reader may lean into this as possibly being an opportunity to learn - but they can't! The Amazons were NOT Greek in ancient mythology, they simply appear in Ancient Greek mythology. In fact, the Amazons fought alongside the Trojans during the Trojan war itself! We know this because Penthesilea - the Queen of the Amazons during this period - was killed in battle by Achilles. This is incredibly misleading, so much so that this should have been cut. With this undercurrent removed from the narrative, the book itself would have been fine. However this doesn't sit well with me as now it's printed and people may repeat this sentiment, adding to the misinformation of ancient mythology which ever present on social media.
So yeah, all in all I was disappointed with ARES. It only gets 2 stars because I managed to read it in a day with ease and some enjoyment. -
I am obsessed with this series! The authors writing is so much fun and last couple books have surprised me. I went into this book not sure what to expect as I am usually not a big fan of ares in mythology, however Carly has made me fall in love with him.
Mars & Harms story is beautiful from start to finish, I love their chemistry and the anger they share inside. How they balance each others rough sides, they action scenes are my favourite. Seeing these two kick ass is stunning, all of the sparring together and learning each others history.
The growth of these two is lovely and when they finally give in to their passion, the steam is hot as they compete for control and I just adored them so much.
Dancing and protecting each other, Harmony pausing his temper so he doesn't go to far and Ares setting her fury a light so she truly lets go of it all. I really enjoyed their dynamic and loved that they always fight for themselves, regardless of others and it made for a perfect ending.
So many gods & goddesses are scattered throughout this read too, all of which have an impact that made for a great plot. Especially loved Dinos friendship and Morpheus in terms of the dreams, how added to Ares & Harms connection was incredible.
Very close to being my new favourites, but I'm still weak for Hades & Steph so I'm going to think on it for a while.
Overall an entertaining, fast paced and beautiful story. With two extremely fierce, passionate and strong leads full of chemistry from their first meeting. A fitting end, looking towards more adventures together 💕
I'm curious for the next book which has Eros, as I haven't much thoughts on him yet so intrigued to read his tale. Then Poseidons book so that shall be fun. But I hate Zeus with a passion, so be interesting to see if change my mind for his story.
