Dearly Departed by Chip Pons is a gay reimagining of the Hades and Persephone myth, centered on Hayden, a former god of the underworld now working as a funeral director, and Levi, the sunny flower shop owner who ends up tangled in his carefully controlled life. It’s such a fun premise…and I really wanted to love it! And parts of the book do feel fresh, tender, and specific in a way I really appreciated. I especially loved the idea of turning Hades into someone who now tends to grief in such a practical, human way. I also adored the characters, which made it all the more frustrating that, for me, the execution didn’t fully live up to the premise.

The beginning was easily my favorite part of the novel. Hayden needs lilies for a funeral, but Levi delivers sunflowers instead. The playful back-and-forth that follows their meet-cute, where flowers essentially do all the talking, is incredibly charming and a perfect setup for this story. You’re reminded that the language of flowers applies to both their worlds, and that it’s not so far-fetched for these wildly different characters to be compatible. I just wish the novel had stayed in that courting stage a little longer. Their relationship turns physical and emotionally intense very quickly, and I don’t think the story fully ferries the reader from curious mutual attraction to you’re my whole universe. The leap in emotional intensity feels abrupt, especially given how little time the story spends developing that transition on the page.

Once the relationship moves forward, the romance starts to feel too one-note. Hayden and Levi have chemistry in theory, and I liked the basic shape of their grumpy-sunshine dynamic, but their conversations often felt repetitive. They would talk through fairly simple ideas, then react as if they had just uncovered some massive truth about life or love. The numerous sex scenes also didn’t always work for me, largely because I never felt a strong enough emotional foundation underneath them. Instead of deepening Hayden and Levi’s connection, many of the intimate scenes felt like a Mad Libs version of romance and spice, where a grab bag of genre tropes, dirty talk, and kinks were randomly dropped in without enough context to make them feel specific to these characters. And don’t even get me started on “Good boys get the helm,” where the helm of Hades randomly shows up for a spicy scene only to never be mentioned again. What was the reason?! So much felt driven by novelty, and I think we just needed more focus on what Hayden and Levi actually wanted or needed from each other during at least some of the intimate moments because I think the physical side of their relationship can be fun and sexy while also strengthening their emotional bond.

Hayden’s work as a funeral director was the part of the book I found most compelling. A former god of the underworld choosing to stay close to death, not through power or mythology but through the practical care of grieving families, is such a thoughtful and fitting direction for a Hades retelling. Those scenes gave Hayden dimension beyond the familiar brooding love interest archetype and grounded the story in something tangible and emotionally resonant. I found myself wanting more of that side of him, more time in the funeral home, and more insight into how he approaches grief and the responsibility of helping people through loss. It felt like the place where Hayden’s past and present could have intersected most meaningfully, but the novel only briefly explores that potential. Beyond a few touching scenes, much of Hayden’s time at work is reduced to paperwork and brooding, instead of the emotional and thematic richness of his profession.

I also wanted more from the paranormal side of the story. The book gestures toward a much larger mythological framework, especially with the contract that stripped the gods of their powers, Hayden’s long and storied history, and the artifacts scattered throughout his apartment, but those pieces never fully come together. I didn’t need an exhaustive Greek mythology lesson, but I did want enough context for the world to feel more intentional. Hayden has lived through centuries, witnessed history, and carried the identity of Hades into a very different life, yet so much of that background stays just out of reach.

The third-act breakup also felt unnecessary to me. By that point, the book already had plenty of tension to work with: Hayden’s guardedness, Levi’s vulnerability, the Greek mythology, and the question of what a relationship between them would actually look like beyond the initial rush of attraction. Instead, the conflict escalates for no real plotty reason, then resolves so quickly that it doesn’t add much to their development. The saving grace amid all the strife and drama is Levi’s best friends, Dominic and Elijah. They’re delightful, and everyone deserves a found family as supportive and loving as they are.

Even with my frustrations, I think Dearly Departed is worth checking out if the premise immediately grabs you, and particularly if you’re looking for a modern, gay mythological romance with plenty of spice. For me, though, the best ideas in the book needed more room to grow.

Thank you to NetGalley and Putnam for sharing an advanced reader copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Dearly Departed at a glance

Book details

Title: Dearly Departed
Author: Chip Pons
Publisher: Putnam
Release Date: June 16, 2026
Page Count: 400

Synopsis

Hope is a dangerous thing for gods. Even former ones.

From the highly beloved author of “contemporary romance magic” (Christina Lauren) Winging It with You comes a Hades-inspired gay rom-com, in which the former god of the Underworld turned grumpy funeral director must find a loophole in the Immortality Retirement Act that banished him to Earth, until the florist next door who sees life in full bloom begins to unravel all his carefully laid plans.

Hayden Harlow, once the mighty Hades, has spent centuries quietly resenting his fall from immortality. Stripped of his godhood by the allegedly irreversible Immortal Retirement Act, he now runs Harlow and Sons Funeral Home—a front for his eternal sentencing among mortals, and a bleak reminder of the purpose he’s lost. Still, he’s determined to claw his way back…if only the Fates at City Hall would stop toying with him.

Enter Levi Wilder: a florist with an artist’s heart, an infectious smile, and a gift for finding beauty in life’s messiest moments. When Hayden storms into Levi’s shop to complain about a bouquet of sunflowers—an offensive choice for a funeral, in his opinion—their worlds collide. Hayden is all restraint and shadows; Levi is all sunshine and charm. But beneath the clash lies an undeniable spark neither can ignore.

As their connection blossoms, Hayden finds himself caught between the life he once knew and the bright future Levi dares him to imagine. But trusting Levi means risking the walls he’s kept in place all these years—and it’s not just his heart on the line. Because in the threads of fate, one choice can change everything.

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