This is a solid addition to this series. Romance, mythology, and it was just amazing. Those who loved the other two books will definitely enjoy this one in the series.

Long story to get to this book review…
It all started with a trip to Greece this Spring Break with some young people. While my knowledge of Greek mythology sort of existed…I can’t say I was an expert. We visited all these super cool ancient sites: Temple of Posiden, Delphi, Temple of Athena Nike, Acropolis, Parthenon, Corinth, Knossos, Mycenae, Olympia and Sanctuary of Asclepius in Epidaurus (these were my favorites) - I realized that the kids knew a lot more than I did about Greek Mythology. They had all read the Rick Riordan Percy Jackson series for all of their in depth knowledge about the ancient Greeks. So, when I got back from Greece, I binged all the Percy Jackson books. They were soooooooo good. I literally could not stop. They are definitely middle grade YA fiction books, and a little outside of my normal pleasure reading. When I finished those, I wanted to keep going with the Greek Mythology but I wanted more “spice.”

Whoooooboy! Does this series deliver. I had seen Neon Gods on the display at Target and I just knew from all of my blogs and lists that it was a popular romance. I downloaded Wicked Beauty from NetGalley and THEN realized it was the 3rd book in the series. Obviously, I had to read the first 2 books before I read Wicked Beauty. (I really have to read series books in order. I feel like I miss a lot if I don’t.) It took me 3 days to read the 3 Dark Olympus books and I LOVED EACH AND EVERY ONE OF THEM!!! SO GOOD!

I’m guessing if you are thinking about reading Wicked Beauty, you have read the first two. If not, go read Neon Gods and Electric Idol. Trust me. This third book has the previous couples appearing and this one focuses on Helen of Troy, Achilles, and Patroclus. Some F/M/M action. This is a modern retelling that takes place on the East Coast as that is where the cradle of modern civilization is now. Zeus decided that Helen is his to give away in marriage. They are definitely trying to make political alliances. The gossip is toxic and everything is for show. The powerful 13 are based on Greek Gods and there are lots of shifting alliances and dirty moves. It’s like NYC, LA and DC all rolled into one ball of toxic pseudo-reality. Helen has her own ideas for her future and enters the competition to fight for her own hand in marriage. That way, she can control some aspect of her life. If you are looking for that twist of Greek mythology in your romance stories, this is the book for you. It is definitely explicit and written for adults. Super hot! Enjoy.

I enjoyed this erotic romance more than than the last, but not as much as the first. Few patrons ask for this kind of romance but if the do it will be my go to series.

Hunger Games meets Triwizard tournament, but make it spicy and throw in Greek mythology. Not usually a poly romance reader but I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Loved the dynamics between Achilles and Patroclus. Helen was a strong, feminist character. 4/5 stars.

I am a big fan of Katee Robert, but this one was just not it for me. This is the 3rd book in the Dark Olympus series, and it just didn't hold my attention. I love Helen's character, she's a badass, but the chemistry with Petrocles and Achilles was just...okay? Yes, the steam was definitely there, and it was hot, but I didn't feel as much connection as I have in her other books.

If you enjoy throuples and enemies to lovers, you'd probably love this book. It is very well written. I think there were just too many elements that I was "meh" about, personally.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced review copy of “Wicked Beauty” by Katee Robert. Thoughts and opinions are my own.

I was so excited for this one as I like how Katee Roberts writes throuples such as in her Wicked Villains series ‘Learn My Lesson’ and ‘The Beast.’ Having read the Wicked Villains series, I’m starting to feel like this Greek mythology series is adapting a lot of the same elements from Wicked Villains but toning it down for traditional publishing. But ‘The Beast’ was definitely my favorite of that series so bring on another mmf throuple with a green cover!

When it comes to this series, you just have to kind of go with it when it comes to the world building. Does it make sense to have Ares, essentially the military leader position, decided by a Ninja Warrior Competition? Not really. But having the competition framework made this story the most interesting of the series. Helen is the prize but she’s not having that and enters the competition too . I was hoping for an “I’ll be shooting for my own hand” sort of scene but she ended up slipping her name in secret. She competes against people who see her as a pampered princess to be won as their future bride. I appreciated that there weren’t all male contestants competing too.

Helen was childhood friends with Patroclus. Patroclus is now dating Achilles and they’re all competing for Helen and the Ares position. I liked Patroclus a lot. Achilles took longer to grow on me as I wasn’t a fan of how he and Helen got together. I did like how the story kept making me rethink who should win and why. I also liked how the mythology came into the final battle and the winner was satisfying and made sense. The ending felt a bit rushed. I’ll be curious to see how this change in Ares position comes into play in future books.

Definitely my favorite of the series! I’ll be picking up the next one.

4/5 stars

I had been meaning to read the first two books in the Dark Olypmus series for a while but things got away from me - mostly, my TBR, really.

In any case, when I got the chance to read Wicked Beauty, realizing it was a MMF, I dove right in. And was not disappointed in the least. As usual, Katee Roberts knows her steam. And goddess knows I love when swords cross!!!

This modern retelling of Greek mythology with Helen of Troy, Achilles and Patroclus is completely edible and delicious. The characters and their connections were complex and interesting and beyond the steam - which you should read anyway - there was an interesting storyline and you can see political struggles and a peek into what the future books in the series could be dealing with.

I have read Katee's Wicked Villain series and they're among my favorite books ever - repping queerness, diverse relationships and couplings, etc. I'm a fan for life, honestly.

Thank you Netgalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca for a copy in exchange for an honest review.

Underwhelmed and honestly a little confused. Making these 3 a throuple is a weird choice that I cannot wrap my head around.

After reading book 1 and 2 in the series and not really enjoying them, I still wanted to give Wicked Beauty a chance because I wanted to read about Helen, Achilles and Patroclus. While I enjoyed this one better then the first two, I still wasn't the hugest fan. I think it is time for me to give up on this series.

I'll read anything that's a reimagining of Greek mythology, and I knew Katee Robert doesn't disappoint. And this was so good! I almost couldn't believe the afterword that this was supposed to be just Helen & Achilles at first, because to me Achilles & Patroclus are a package deal. And I truly can't imagine this story without him, too. All the conflicting personalities and emotions between the three just meshed perfectly. I liked that Helen was more than a spoiled princess, and that there was some actual working through problems for her to fit into what Achilles & Patroclus already had. The whole backstory of the Thirteen is so fascinating, too--such an inventive backdrop for a modern retelling. And ofc, Katee knows how to write a hot scene--I wish there were more, haha.

3rd book in the Dark Olympus series and it delivered! I loved Helen so much what a badass woman! This is an MMF with Helen, Petrocles, and Achilles and it was sooooo hot and spicy! Loved the tension and build up between Helen and the men. I think this perfect for someone who enjoys Polyam dynamic, forced proximity and enemies to lovers

In Wicked Beauty we have Achilles and Patroclus who are in a relationship, but not fully committed to each other. Helen is trying to let it be known that she is going to compete in the competition for the Ares title. Achilles has his heart set on winning that title and Patroclus is there to help him win. Helen joining the competition is a surprise to everyone. Patroclus hadn't factored her into their plans. Achilles and she are oil and water in the beginning. They both have preconceived notions of the other. Helen's ex, Paris, also makes it known he wants to win as Zeus announced that Helen would be married to whoever the winner was. There was a lot of backstabbing and hidden agendas. Helen couldn't even trust her own family. Her brother, Zeus, used her as a pawn and had no problems in doing so. Her sister went along with the plan and felt it was okay to publicly spring it on Helen. She had a lot of issues with trusting people and it wasn't hard to see why. Their dynamic worked. The 3 of them brought out of the best in each other. Achilles didn't make you wonder where he stood. He was brutally honest with what he felt and his ambition. Patroclus was more subdued and was kind of wondering how Helen would fit into their dynamic. When it becomes obvious that Achilles is on board with the 3 of them becoming a permanent team, Patroclus is beyond happy. Helen did kind of come off as spoiled and not really thinking through all the role of Ares would entail. I liked how each one of them brought something to the relationship that was needed.
I went into the book not knowing if I was going to like it, since m/m/f is not my normal reading genre. I found myself liking the 3 of them individually and together. KR did a good job of making you root for them. I will say that he book does kind of get bogged down at points in mythological "facts". What I remember about Helen from the history that I read when in school did not comport with how she was portrayed in this book. It wasn't a bad thing, just something I had to let go of in order to enjoy the ride this book took me on.
I received an arc from NetGalley for my honest review. This review is my own and it contains my true feelings about this book.

I enjoyed the writing and the characters. I did feel like I was missing something between Helen, Achilles and Patroclus but still felt their connection. I did start with this book and will be going back and buying the first two.

Wicked Beauty by Katee Robert is the latest installment in the Dark Olympus series and I gotta say it’s honestly not my favorite

In all honesty I’m not a big fan of throuples in the first place but because I enjoyed the first 2 books I thought I would give this one a go. This series is very binge worthy and I give it that but I was struggling to get through this book in particular

I didn’t like any of the 3 characters in this throuple and to me it seemed liked they really didn’t bounce off each other. I thought the relationship between all 3 of them was unhealthy and seemed to be rooted in jealousy at times and again they all just didn’t click together. Helen felt more like a pawn to me in their antics rather then an queen. I also absolutely disliked Achilles in this and thought he was way to overbearing and arrogant.

The plot also really wasn’t there for me either. It was very underwhelming and felt especially rushed at the end. This book felt more just like straight smut so if you are into that then this would definitely be more your forte. I was really hoping for a stronger plot and more character development but as the series goes on I’m getting more and more uninterested. I will still read the next one In the series so hopefully fingers crossed I’ll enjoy it more than this one!

Thank you Netgalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca for this copy in exchange for an honest review!

Katee Robert has done it again. I love her ability to spin Greek mythology on its head and make it incredibly spicy. I can’t wait to see what comes next!

This was a super fun read. It felt like an erotic modern hunger games. I didn't like the miscommunication but I was able to look past it. I had fun and enjoyed this book! Excited for book four!

I would like to thank NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book.

I absolutely loved this book! I loved the story line of this one the most out of the whole series so far. I can't wait for the series to continue. Anything written by Katee Robert I will read.

It's already out at my store but I enjoyed this newest addition to Katee Robert's spicy mythology retelling series. It's a fun easy read that will absolutely keep you interested in more ways than one.

Wicked Beauty is the third book in the Dark Olympus series by Kate Robert. I decided to give this book a try because someone recommended this author to me. I guess there’s a chance that maybe I just picked the wrong book of this author’s to try, but this is not my kind of story. The only thing that I liked about this story is that Helen fought for her own freedom. I can handle a steamy romance, but not a throuple romance. I am sorry to say that because of that I would not recommend this book.

This is not my usual type of read, but Katie Robert's books are definitely highly mentioned in book subscription groups, booktok, and instagram. I'm all about anything mythology related - even if it is a bit *spicy*!