Two hundred years before the common era, Aphrodite surprises an itinerant sculptor with a shocking request: Hear my story, see me for who I truly am, and carve it into stone. Never before has the goddess posed for her likeness, and as the artist works, she shares pieces of herself.

Her greatest triumphs and most grievous mistakes. The truth behind the tales of her beneficence and vengeance. And the one epic romance that slips through her perfect fingers, time and time again.

Part memoir, part fantasy, and all heart, Aphrodite in Pieces begs the eternal, essential questions: what do love and beauty truly mean? And can they last?

Aphrodite in Pieces by Lauren J.A. Bear is a compelling mythological retelling of the story of Aphrodite, reframing what we know of her within a female voice. I love how the familiar myths take on new truths, especially showing the enduring weight of love and beauty, how true beauty comes from loving oneself.

What is compelling is the way each myth is told in a new way, from Aphrodite's point of view but most importantly, showing how women are treated if they are beautiful and wanted by men. It demonstrates how easy it is to paint a woman as wrong if they enjoy sex or if they try to be strong and independent. I also appreciated that Ares is painted in a much more positive light as is their relationship including Aphrodite not wanting to marry Hephaestus. And when you remove a person's choice, then they are forced to seek freedom in their own way.  I love the way beauty and love are presented in positive ways.

If you like Greek myths but want to see a more positive story of Aphrodite, I highly recommend this compelling mythological retelling by Lauren J. A. Bear. She truly inverts all your ideas of Aphrodite and paints the goddess in a new light. She shows how powerful love can be, especially self-love and how beauty is about more than symmetrical features. It is truly an astounding book.

Rating: 5 out of 5 doves ~~ Andrea Rittschof

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