A Quest for Deliverance by Cara E. Ruegg

🕯️A Quest for Deliverance by Cara E. Ruegg🕯️

Book #4 in the Multi Author standalone series, Lives of Legends. [Books can be read in any order]

ARC Review! 🎉

📖 Expected Publication Date: August 29, 2025 📖

Blurb: 

Ariadne has never believed in the gods her father worships, the ones who demand blood sacrifices and rule with fear. She knows that they’re not gods, just people with strange powers—like her. But in a court where power is everything, revealing her secret could make her a pawn in her father’s ruthless game.

When a stranger arrives, immune to her abilities and shrouded in mystery, Ariadne is drawn to him. But falling for him could be her undoing, especially when her father condemns him to the Labyrinth, a maze that no one escapes alive. Determined to save him, Ariadne ventures into the maze herself, guided by her hidden abilities and an unlikely ally.

A Quest for Deliverance, a retelling of Theseus and Ariadne, is a standalone no-spice novella, complete with tropes like forbidden romance, enemies to lovers vibes, and self-discovery. It is part of the “Lives of Legend” series, a collection of twelve retellings of Greek myths where the tragedies become happily ever afters. Each book is written by a different author so it can be enjoyed in any order. The proceeds from this series are donated to the Human Coalition to provide for mothers facing crisis pregnancies.

My thoughts:

Another great book written by Cara Ruegg! 

I didn’t even realize this was part of a multi author series, until like last night… yeah, we don’t talk about that. It’s actually a pretty quick and sweet little book that I would almost call it a novella?? 🤔

I thought the Greek Mythology woven in this book was pretty cool and interesting! I had never heard of Ariadne and Theseus’s story before so it was something new. There were these little curveballs in the story that kept my mind tossing and turning.. asking myself questions furiously like, “who is she gonna end up with?” or “she better not end up with him!”. Not gonna say who though! 🙃

Ariadne —> was such a humble person and I loved that about her. She was that princess ‘god’ that visited and had compassion on the poor. She was bit naive and fell in love with this “faker” that didn’t even love her and was just messing with her emotions. But all things went well by the end! 😮‍💨😄 

Theseus —> didn’t really like him 😒 He really didn’t have any depth until the end. 

Dionysus —> the “god”… he grew on meeee [swoon] I think that’s all I’ll say.. I don’t wanna give anything else away 😉😅

“I wish to kiss you now, believe me, but I want it to be at the moment I can fully say, ‘You’re mine.’”

In conclusion, this was a cute and squeaky clean little book with hardly any details in the romance, had no language, and not a lot of details on the Greek Mythology (my opinion). 

I received this ARC (Advanced Readers Copy) from the author/publisher in exchange for an honest review! Thank you to Cara E. Ruegg for the opportunity!

⚠️ Age recommendation: 13-14+ ⚠️

My rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

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Ages 10-12 rating: ⭐️💫

Ages 13-14 rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Ages 15-16 rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Sexual Content: 

2 kisses (both were very lightly detailed), a hand kiss, a hair kiss, a cheek kiss, remembering a kiss, and wanting to kiss. A little bit of Attraction, Noticing, Warmth, Blushing, Touches, and Tingles. Some Flirting and dancing (1x). A mention of a woman may or may not still being “virtuous” because she was in the presence of men in a boat overnight (she still is). Love and the emotions. 

Profanity: 

None 

Violence: 

Some blood, death, fighting, injuries, pain, and being struck by a sword. Sacrificing people when they break a law or are guilty for crime, (killing people for the gods) and sentencing people to be killed by the Minotaur. Mentions of a curse and a bloodbath. Mentions of death and killing. Mentions of a war. (All of this is lightly to semi-detailed)

Other Content: 

This book contains Greek Mythology and the gods having powers. Not overly detailed though. 

LGBTQ Content:

None 

POV’s: In 3rd person

Switches between Ariadne, Theseus, and Dionysus. 

148 pages