Psyche Middleton vows her dad will never see the risqué photos she took during a summer modeling stint abroad, but one of them ends up on a billboard in her Montana hometown, where everyone—especially her dad—can see it. That becomes the least of her worries when she meets Erik, a mysterious guy who rescues her from a mob and who she’s never actually seen because he can make himself invisible.

Erik takes her to his palace in an idyllic kingdom, and she is swept into the beauty and culture of his world, but his affection has one condition: she may not see him. Enchanted, intrigued, and not wholeheartedly believing he’s real, Psyche can’t bring herself to love him blindly. When she betrays his trust for a glimpse of his face, Psyche ends up at the mercy of Erik’s controlling mother, who demands that Psyche prove herself in order to be reunited with him. Psyche knows love is never easy, but this is ridiculous. She agrees to complete three impossible tasks to prove her devotion to Erik—or die trying.

This modern retelling of the myth of Cupid and Psyche is a fantastical journey filled with laughter, danger, and the indomitable power of love.

Hi, 

Today I am back with another classic retelling! Not many have heard of this myth but it is a love story for the ages! The book is called “Painted Blind” by Michelle A. Hansen and is about Cupid and Psyche! If you need a little history on the origins of this myth, read it here! This is a modern retelling of the story set in the 21st century with magic, intrigue, romance, and action! It takes the story and adds some twists and turns but generally sticks to the original script.

The book deals with issues such as body image, honesty, and temptation. Since Psyche is a model, it would’ve been easy to give her the idealistic model image. This includes a waistline too small and bulimic issues. The author does a very good job addressing those issues and making it clear that Psyche is a normal girl whose body is a natural beauty. I really enjoyed that because it made her seem more relatable. As for our Eros (or Cupid), he isn’t the chubby baby with wings as many greek painters portrayed him as. I like the more realistic version of Cupid, as a God and not a child.

For anyone who’s looking for a good romance with Greek roots (which I always am), this is an amazing book. Its modern twist makes the story good for all ages!

I give this book a rating of:

XOXO Shelby Grace