I immediately fell in love with this novel – ‘The Love of Gods: The Legends of the Pale Series, Book 1,’ by Tarrant Smith is a sexy, thrilling, romantic paranormal fantasy that blends romance and mystery with a taut storyline, fascinating characters, and intriguing mythology. I simply could not put this book down, as it is a page-turner from page one!

The reader is immediately introduced to the protagonist Lugh (Lugos) Grant, a handsome, intelligent god who mingles with humans as he navigates life afterlife. In this lifetime, he resides in Georgia, and he happened to connect with his love for all eternity, Keely. Though he is magnetized to Keely, he makes every attempt to protect her from all of the challenges of becoming involved with a god. He, among several other gods and goddesses, live among humans in the “Pale” – a community that exists in parallel to the 3D world of humans – along with witches, shapeshifters, demons, fairies, and several other otherworldly, magical entities. They have adapted to current times, oftentimes cloaking their powers, and live seemingly “normal” lives. There are a number of characters in this story, and the author creates a believable world where the characters have depth and the dialogue is witty and realistic.

Lugh is called by the goddess Rhiannon to Kentucky, where he meets with others to learn about the murder of a witch, Seraphine. Lugh has many resources and is incredibly powerful, and he begins to investigate the troubling situation. He and Keely, while falling in love with one another, experience grave danger. Lugh is faced with a decision – what can he do about this relationship, and how many more lifetimes can he endure being apart from Keely?

The author does an excellent job of richly describing characters who exhibit depth - and developing the fast-paced narrative – mixing myth with the real world to create a believable storyline.

As I finished this first novel in the series, I was left wanting more! I am anxious to pick up the second novel. If you enjoy paranormal romance, this is a book you won’t want to miss! It’s appropriate for older teens as well as adults. I passed it along to my teen daughter, who also feel in love with the characters.

"Interwoven into the story are both paranormal and human experiences. Characters constantly move from using human technology such as cell phones, luxury cars, classic cars, security systems and Google maps to teleportation and shape shifting. They move from the mundane such as using passports to shifting from human form to animal form. This adds interest and intrigue and ensures the story is fast moving.

The dialogue between characters is rich and realistic and enhances the relationship between characters. The tale is also enhanced with some interesting metaphors, for example, Keely is described at one point as "a puddle of need"; which is my new favorite phrase.

The Love of Gods is a well-written story. The dialogue is engrossing and most of the characters and their loyalties are intricate but explained in depth. Both the love story and the mystery will keep you guessing until the end."

"There's a complex cast of characters to get to know as the novel progresses, along with the system of the gods, the Pale, and how they relate to one another after centuries of relationships, betrayals and aiding one another. Author Tarrant Smith has built fantastic lore here which is well worth engaging with but does take time to separate from the main love story. Lugh and Keely make a great combination for their epic love story, and I particularly enjoyed Keely's realistic dialogue and reactions to the situations she's put in. Lugos is a chiseled and brooding hero which romance fans are sure to love, and mischievous other gods who get in his way are also delightful to read about. Overall, The Love of Gods is a romantic work sure to please fans of interpersonal drama and epic love stories."