Jennifer Saint’s new novel, This Immortal Heart, is due to be published in June 2026 and I’ve very much had the release date on my radar for a while. I’ve enjoyed all of her novels and knew that this one would be no exception; however, quite aptly given the fact that the novel focuses on the intense union of Aphrodite, the Goddess of Love and Ares, the God of War, I found that my enjoyment of this novel was far greater than her previous ones.
At its heart, the novel tells the story of Aphrodite and Ares who fall in love. The two learn things about each other which make us realise that they are complex and not completely infallible. Despite ruling over the mortal world, their humanity feels quite palpable at times and we learn that they too have trials and tribulations that they must endure. The most striking thing for me is the way that the author reframes Aphrodite. I expected that she would but I was really enamoured by her character’s warmth, empathy and her conscience.
I feel like there’s a define cultural trend at the moment where yearning and longing is everywhere: it’s on telly (TSITP and the new Bridgerton definitely stand out for me); it’s on social media (I loved the 2026 vs 2016 posts); and, although I’m absolutely inept when it comes to fashion, my friend informed me the other day that ski pants are back! Saint is definitely tapping into this; the novel feels like it has come along in a moment in which audiences across the world crave sweeping, aching romance. We see it with Ares and Aphrodite and we also see it with some of the minor characters too, especially Hephaestus whose gentle suffering was really quite moving. What this means is that unlike some of her other novels, this one felt like a proper page turner for me. I was invested from the opening page and Jennifer Saint kept me hooked throughout.
If you want some archetypical yearning, a complicated and moody War God with a gentle side, an incredible and powerful Goddess all coupled with the snide and volatile politics of Mount Olympus, then this one is definitely for you. I’d love to hear your thoughts once you’ve read it!
