BOOK REVIEW
Olympian Passion By Andrya Bailey
Texas author Andrya Bailey is an award winning romance novelist whose Olympian Love Trilogy has proved successful with critics and audiences alike. OLYMPIAN PASSION is the initial volume of the trilogy.
In a romance that intertwines suspense, Greek mythology and archaeology, and passion, Bailey opens her novel in the vein of academia, with hints of the suspense and excitement to come; “Three more weeks until we present our thesis research,” Jane said as we arrived at the auditorium for the first lecture of the day. “It’s almost over. What a relief!” A few months had gone by since I’d come back from my extra week in Athens. And I hadn’t heard anything about Nikos since. I hadn’t told anyone about the end of my fateful time in Greece. No one knew that it had been cut short. Facing Jane, Robert, and especially Curt, who had spent the first days with me there, wouldn’t be easy after what had happened. I wasn’t prepared to talk about it. I needed time to heal, to attempt the impossible task of forgetting Nikos. To rethink my life without him. To be normal again, after waking up from the nightmare.’
With that near operatic overture, Bailey sensitizes the reader, seducing us into her fascinating mythology-infused romance. The provided synopsis outlines the story well: ‘Love at first sight – that’s what grad student Sabrina feels when she spots the handsome and smart Greek archaeologist and museum curator Nikos Soulis at a reception in the Fine Arts museum. However, the Olympian-looking god of her dreams is only in town for two months to help with a special exhibit. And her rival, Maggie, won’t leave him alone. Nikos is intrigued to learn that Sabrina is interested in Greek mythology and art history. When he finds out that she’s writing a paper about the Greek vases he’s traveling with, he makes time to help her with her project, despite having a full schedule. Their attraction is so intense, that they can hardly handle being in the same room. Their chemistry is undeniable. Can Sabrina avoid heartbreak when she’s seduced by the sexy Greek scholar?’
The story soars through mythological and archaeological ideas, and that aspect makes this initial volume of a romance trilogy work on every level. Fine character painting and sculptural atmospheres lift this novel to a higher level. Recommended. Grady Harp Review
