Painted Blind by Michelle Hansen

Seventeen years old and agoraphobic, Psyche Middleton vows her dad will never see the risqué photos she took during a summer modeling stint abroad, but one of them ends up on a billboard in her Montana hometown. Now everyone—especially her dad—can see it. And yet, somehow, those are the mundane things in her life because she is about to fall unexpectedly, head-over-heels in love with Erik, a mysterious young man who rescues her from a crowd of admirers, and who she’s never actually seen because…he can make himself invisible.
As strange as this may seem, it’s about to get even stranger. Erik takes her to his palace in an idyllic kingdom, and she is swept into the beauty and culture of his world, but his affection has one condition: she may not see him. Overtaken, intrigued, and still not wholeheartedly believing he’s real, Psyche is going to have to decide if she can love him blindly; because if she can’t, she may lose him forever.

Goodreads Summary

What would you do if your not-so-innocent photo ended up on a billboard?  Psyche made a few wrong choices and may pay dearly for them.  She is saved, luckily, by Erik.  Erik is an unusual guy.  Most men want to impress their women at least in part with their looks; instead, he won't let Psyche see him.  It is an odd situation, odder still that Erik takes Psyche to his expensive and private home.  Psyche desperately wants to see her savior, but at what cost? ...and what to do with this "goddess" who seems offended by her very presence. 

This story is a retelling of Psyche and Eros.  Psyche was probably my favorite character.  She can be a little bit stubborn and very curious.  She tends to be independent, though there are times when she relies heavily on Erik.  She is very sweet and rarely does the wrong thing (indecent picture aside).  Erik is easy to get annoyed with.  Yes, it's great that he saved Psyche, but what's with the "no seeing" policy?  He seemed a tad ridiculous on that point, I know it's part of the retelling, but I have yet to see a truly valid reason for it.  Aside from that, Erik is a sweet guy.  He definitely deserves Psyche and seems willing to forgive her anything.  Aphrodite, on the other hand, is the opposite.  She looks for ways to interrupt Erik and Psyche's relationship and is always causing trouble.  If there's one character the reader likely will hate it's Aphrodite. 

The plot itself followed the Eros and Psyche myth pretty well.  The reader may already know the ending, but the author does have a few tricks up her sleeve-the tasks and descriptions of the setting were perfect.  The book is well-written and the author writes with an edge of mystery.  Overall, this book would be great for adult readers.

3 1/2 Stars



This product or book may have been distributed for review, this in no way affects my opinions or reviews.