The Sweet Spot: Ancient Greece meets the National Hockey League
- Amanda Hayes
- Feb 12, 2024
- 7 min read
There is a reason we call this section The Sweet Spot. Whether you're curious about reading a spicy book or know you're not ready for it and want to dip your toes in the water, these are the books for you. While both picks stand out in their own right, you will find that they showcase intimacy in a carefully crafted way to aid the plot rather than detract from it. This month's picks take us on a journey to the past as we step into the pages of the well-known pages of the Iliad and then bring you back to the present as you settle in for a nail-biting game of the NHL. While these two stories are countless years apart, at their core, they both highlight a topic that is vital to romance: self-acceptance.
As a reminder, below is the structure of our Sticky Scale.
Wax
The first of the three ratings---and the one to which we dedicate this post---is Wax. Anyone who has previously handled wax knows it can be a slippery substance, but it becomes brittle when dried. Therefore, Wax books have no explicit sensuality. Physical romance
may be described in general terms or implied, but your innocence will remain intact.
Honey
Moving up a step, the second rating is Honey. As you can imagine, honey is significantly stickier than wax, but more importantly, it is sweeter. Honey's monthly section is The Sweet Spot because these books will be the perfect option for those looking for a more...
adventurous read while not devolving into spicy territory. In simpler terms, think fade to black. There is sure to be moderate sensuality, and physical actions will be described and detailed but will not be explicitly written. If you're unsure of whether you are ready for a
true spicy book, these recommendations are sure to help!
Nectar
At last, we have arrived at the last of the ratings: Nectar. These books are not for the faint of heart; I can guarantee you that. Nectar's monthly section has been deemed The Spice Rack (if you know, you know). These books will have your blood flowing, your palms
sweating, and your heartbeat racing. Whether you're into the sweet stuff, the taboos, or any of the laundry list of kinks out there, this section will surely have something for you! Be warned, our Nectar recommendations will have explicit sensuality and go beyond what is
appropriate for anyone under the age of 18. Sex will be written in graphic detail, and there is always a chance that acts beyond intercourse may make an appearance. So strap in, grab your favorite drink, and settle into your favorite spot as you venture into a world of
new experiences, or revisit your favorite smutty reads.
Of Love and War
A Tale as Old As Time
And no, we're not talking about Beauty and the Beast (this time). We're talking about that well-known tale of boy meets boy, boy falls in love with boy, one boy goes to war and the other follows. Are you with us? Step into the beehive and let us transport you back to Ancient Greece, where homosexuality was accepted, so long as it was with boys who had not yet reached the age of "manhood"; otherwise, homosexuality was frowned upon. Author Madeline Miller takes us into the pages of one of the most renowned works of literature to date: The Iliad by Homer. The Iliad is a text that has long been considered one of the greatest classical works of all time and is a staple of the academic sphere in history and literature. And like all great academic texts, its stories, meanings, and intentions are heavily overthought, overanalyzed, and never agreed upon. It is this fundamental distinction that Madeline Miller plays upon as she offers a homoerotic retelling of the story of Achilles and Patroclus. A story that takes the reader into the enigmatic Trojan War.
A History of Ancient Greece
More specifically, of the Trojan War. Like many texts from Ancient Greece, the tale of the Trojan War details the legendary conflict between the Achaens and the Trojans. Of course, the cause of the war was love, as Paris of Troy stole Helen from her husband, Menelaus, King of Sparta. Once again, there is no agreement amongst the academic community on whether the Trojan War was an actual conflict; however, most lean towards it being part of Greek mythology born from the oral retellings of a real conflict that inspired the events of the Trojan War. Despite the disagreement, many iconic themes emerged from the story of the Trojan War, not the least of which was the Trojan Horse, a false wooden horse used by the Greeks to trick the Trojans into opening their walls and bringing them inside (while hidden inside the horse) without knowing, allowing the Greeks to lay siege to the city. But while, like Ares and Aphrodite, love and war usually come hand-in-hand, their conflicts are miles apart yet nearly the same. And it is amidst this legendary conflict that we find our story.
Love and Death
Greek retellings make for some of the most powerful and attractive works of literature, and our first pick for this month's Sweet Spot category is The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller.
The legend begins... Greece in the age of heroes. Patroclus, an awkward young prince, has been exiled to the kingdom of Phthia to be raised in the shadow of King Peleus and his golden son, Achilles. “The best of all the Greeks”—strong, beautiful, and the child of a goddess—Achilles is everything the shamed Patroclus is not. Yet despite their differences, the boys become steadfast companions. Their bond deepens as they grow into young men and become skilled in the arts of war and medicine—much to the displeasure and the fury of Achilles’ mother, Thetis, a cruel sea goddess with a hatred of mortals. When word comes that Helen of Sparta has been kidnapped, the men of Greece, bound by blood and oath, must lay siege to Troy in her name. Seduced by the promise of a glorious destiny, Achilles joins their cause, and torn between love and fear for his friend, Patroclus follows. Little do they know that the Fates will test them both as never before and demand a terrible sacrifice. Built on the groundwork of the Iliad, Madeline Miller’s page-turning, profoundly moving, and blisteringly paced retelling of the epic Trojan War marks the launch of a dazzling career. |
An Orange Prize for Fiction Recipient in 2012, The Song of Achilles is a lyrical tale that will have you falling in love with Achilles and Patroclus just as they do with each other. It is a tale that challenges what you think you know of Ancient Greece and the Trojan war and one that doe so with the talent and ease of a master. Madeline Miller's debut novel will have you on the edge of your seat as it brings all of the anxiety and revelations of first love set against the intensity and suspense of the conflict raging around them. And as anyone will now (though if you do not, we definately won't be the first to tell you), there is a reason that someone's greatest weakness is known as their Achilles Heel. A novel that USA Today calls "fast, true, and incredibly rewarding", The Song of Achilles is guaranteed to have you in your feels, even if you don;t know how the story has to inevitable end. Or maybe Madeline Miller might take pity upon you and rewrite history. Th eonly way to know is to strap into you armor and flip to the first page.
Madeline Miller grew up in New York City and Philadelphia. She attended Brown University, where she earned her BA and MA in Classics. She has taught and tutored Latin, Greek, and Shakespeare to high school students for over fifteen years. The Song of Achilles, her first novel, was awarded the 2012 Orange Prize for Fiction and was a New York Times Bestseller. Miller was also shortlisted for the 2012 Stonewall Writer of the Year. Her second novel, Circe, was an instant number 1 New York Times bestseller, and won the Indies Choice Best Adult Fiction of the Year Award and the Indies Choice Best Audiobook of the Year Award, as well as being shortlisted for the 2019 Women's Prize for Fiction. Miller's novels have been translated into over twenty-five languages, and her essays have appeared in a number of publications including the Guardian, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, Telegraph, Lapham's Quarterly and NPR.org. She currently lives outside Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. To learn more about Miller and her works, you can visit her webpage madelinemiller.com.
Ice Skates and Heartbreaks
Onto the Ice
And we're back with a second hockey romance for this month, to help coold down any unwanted reactions to this next pick. It is a story that takes us back to the skating rink, however, unlike Check, Please! Book 1: #Hockey from our Wax picks this month, our second Honey pick will have you questioning whether you're on the ice or in a sauna as things begin to heat up. And like all good sports romances, our leading player is one to call home to mom about because he will have you feeling all of the feels as the love story unfolds, but (just a. friendly suggestion) maybe you don't tell mom everything, if you know what I mean. No matter how close you are with her, there are just some things that should stay between you and the pages of Hannah Cowan's chilling romance.
A Second Chance at Love
The second Honey pick of the month comes skating in as Her Greatest Mistake by Hannah Cowan.
I’m the face of the NHL. The golden boy with quick hands and a million dollar smile that the fans adore. My contract is up at the end of the season, and with playoffs starting, I have to be on my best behaviour. Keep my head down and respect the press when they shove their microphones beneath my nose. This isn’t my first rodeo, so it should be easy. Right? No. Not this time. One bad call and I’m the poster boy for bad decisions. I haven’t seen my childhood best friend since the day her father betrayed me and she broke my heart. Now, eight years later, she’s back. And she’s my new fake girlfriend for the next three months. Some wounds never heal, and the moment I see Braxton Heights, I know mine have not. But she’s the only shot I have at saving my reputation and securing my new deal, and while I might have lost her all those years ago, I refuse to lose hockey. I just hope I’m strong enough not to fall for her all over again in the process. |
If that cover alone isn't enough to have you out on the ice without needed a jacket, fear not, because author Hannah Cowan tells a beautiful story of a second chance romance that features some a side of spice that is sure to have you warming up in no time. Best of all, it is a story that celebrates visisbility with a plus-sized female main character in Braxton. Maddox amd Braxton's love story begins in their childhood and comes to a startling ocnclusion when Braxton dumps Maddox after her father betrays him. But when Maddox finds himself in some hot water and his saving grace comes in the form of Braxton, his temporary fake girlfriend who is meant to help heal his public image, he must fight to refuse the burgeonign feelings of his past from breaking through. Maddox had his heart broken by Braxton once before, but as the two spend more time together and Maddox fights to hold onto the his career, can he find a way to open his heart up to loving Braxton again or is their love story best left where it burned to the ground eight years ago?
Hannah Cowan is an Amazon top 60 bestseller, a hockey fanatic, and an alien smut addict. She is from a small town in western Canada but now lives in an even smaller town with her fiance and son. Having grown up with not much to do but watch sports—specifically hockey—and read, it was an easy decision to try her hand at writing books that combined those things! Learn more about Hannah and her list of works by visiting her website hannahcowanauthor.com.
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