Wicked Beauty is a Helen/Achilles/Patroclus retelling. I think that what put me off about this book (from the others in the series and other Achilles/Patroclus stories) was the addition of Helen into their relationship.

The saving grace for me was the competition for Ares. That's probably what got me to finish this book. I think that the relationship was fine, but at the end of the day, Helen's boss babe energy is what made me like this book.

Pros: Helen & Patroclus & the competition for Ares
- Helen was a well written character that had a strong backbone and a reasonable goal
- Patroclus (ANOTHER SAVING GRACE FOR ME) was so sweet and I loved him

Cons: Achilles :( & the whole relationship
- Achilles was just such a frat boy and that's my only comment

overall: easy to read but felt a little cringe at times :) would recommend since I still want to read the rest of the series

Another hot one from Katee Robert. Sign me the fuck up for a hot throuple. Helen/Achilles/Patroclus were great. I’m not sure if I liked this more than I liked Electric Idol or not but I definitely did like it.
I was pleasantly surprised by the amount of plot there is in this book. We are clearly headed towards some kind of war in Olympus or invasion or something. Excited for the rest of the books for all of that. I think she has like 7+ books planned and I will read every single one.
The 🥵🔥🌶 steam and spice is there just like you expect from a KR book. The first scene where all 3 parties were present, well fuck me. Achilles can boss me around anytime he wants to 🤣. I think there are 4 or 5 scenes total? Definitely frequent.
I really loved Helen. She was a bad ass and really just took control of her life. Excellent heroine. She’s my fave of the 3 books so far.
Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca for the advance copy of this book! Release date is 6/7! I would suggest reading the books in order if possible but they can be read standalone. You will just miss some of the world building and background plot if you read out of order.
This will be posted on my Instagram @katebrownreads as well. Will update with link once it is posted.

And yet another perfectly written novel by katee Robert! I’m obsessed with this series and each one gets better and better! I can’t recommend this enough a mythology 50 shades of grey.

While I have enjoyed this authors work in the past, this one just did not do it for me. There were weird development issues with characters and major editing that needs to happen especially towards the later half of the book. I feel like it will be a lot of people's new favorite book by the author - which is why I want to sell it in our stores, but on a personal level I thought I would have more fun than I did. I'm still likely to pick up more books by this author, but slightly disappointed for such a hyped title.

I love the Dark Olympus series so much so I was beyond excited to read this early. I’m not really familiar with poly relationships but this absolutely exceeded my expectations. The addition of Helen to Patroclus and Achilles’ relationship was so well done - Patroclus and Achilles are pretty much opposites and Helen is the perfect balance between the two. And the spice, y’all. It was incredible.

I have to admit I kind of hate Achilles in general and I had many angry feelings toward him for a good chunk of the book but Katee managed to make me soften up to him by the end. I love Helen and how determined she is to prove that she deserves a place in the Thirteen. She’s let people mistreat her in the past, but she’s finally ready to prove that she’s more than just a pretty face and can compete with any man. Patroclus is just adorable and brainy and awkward and all around my fave.

This book was super fast paced - the competition to become the next Ares was action packed and there was never a dull moment. I loved the close proximity element and how Katee managed to keep things interesting even though it was mostly set in one location. I also want to point out that this is Katee’s interpretation and it doesn’t need to be historically accurate to be enjoyed.

Thank you so much to Sourcebooks Casablanca and NetGalley for the ARC!

This book was spicy and I loved it. I liked the take on Helen, and I really enjoy the world that Katee Robert built. Every time I read one of these books I throughly enjoy them. They're such a palette cleanser from heavier books.

I love these characters! This new take on an old mythology is unique. Olympus is like a soap opera set. In this one we get Helen's story. She's strong and determined. Achilles is an alphahole you can't help but love. Patroclus was my favorite. He's sweet and sexy. There's a lot of action and it gave me Hunger Games vibes. The romance is unconventional. The steamy sex scenes will make your kindle sweat! While I loved the poly relationship between these three I was a bit disappointed that certain words were spoken only between the men. I hope we see these three in the future with an update. I'm enjoying this series and can't wait for more.

I loved this so. Made me blush but I also loved the communication and trauma healing and enthusiastic consent.

I am a big fan of mixing mythology but if you’re a purist, put that away and read it anyway.. 😉

Katee did it again! I absolutely loved Wicked Beauty, I wasn't sure how I'd feel about Helen being part of the thruple (I love Achilles and Patroclus) but wow I really adored their dynamic. I also appreciated introducing what i assume will be a new series plot point with the barrier breaking...does that mean perhaps a cross over with Wicked Villains or another series? I can't wait to see! Thank you for the early copy!

Wicked Beauty is a perfect addition to the Dark Olympus universe. With a new chance to grab for power Helen, Achilles, and Patroclus must make important decisions regarding themselves, their desires, and each other. The three main characters have such complex stories that will hook you in from their first introduction. Katee Robert does it again with a wonderful mix of humor, spice, and political intrigue to keep readers on their toes.

This book was absolute fire!
I was sitting on the edge of my seat the entire read. I could not wait to see what happened next!
I love getting the view inside Helen's mind, and the ability to immerse myself back into this world was an amazing retreat. My only regret? That I will not get to experience reading this book again for the first time. I can not wait to see what Katee comes out with next!

5/5 Stars

4/5 Spice

CW/TW : Abusive Parent and Abusive Ex, Assault, Attempted Murder, Violence (Including blood), Miscarriage (side character, past, off page)

Rep : Gay relationship (MLM), Poly relationship (FMM), Queer characters

I received a Free E-Arc in exchange for an honest review through Netgalley. Thank you to the Publisher and Netgalley.

I had originally received the 5 chapter advanced copy and loved it, so when I got the email that I was approved for the full copy I was extremely excited. I loved this book so much, the characters have complex pasts that were slowly revealed and overall were complex characters, the trials were well developed and were very interesting and engaging to read. I devoured this book just like I always do for Katee’s books in only a couple of days because it kept my attention throughout everything and I didn’t feel like there were a lot of slow moments.

While all the books in the Dark Olympus series are technically retellings this is really not, so if you are looking for an accurate retelling this isn’t it. But if you would like to see a happy ending for Achilles and Patroclus, maybe stick around for this book. This book is set in a modern day Olympus where all of the “gods” are mortal people and aren’t actually gods but instead take up mantels of the gods and are rulers of the city.

While this book had a very similar start to Neon Gods it is almost nothing alike plot wise. The book is centered around the Ares Trials and we see our main characters Achilles, Patroclus, and Helen all competing for their own reasons. Starting off the book it’s announced that there is gonna be a competition for the Ares title after the old Ares passed away, but during the announcement it is also announced that part of winning the title is winning Helen’s hand in marriage which she never agreed to. This throws Helen for a loop as she didn’t think her brother Zeus, aka Perseus, had it in him to do something like this and she was originally planning on competing for the title. Helen decides that she is gonna compete still just instead of stepping forward during the event for the announcement she would sign up in private to go around her brothers back. Achilles and Patroclus were both already competing so Achilles would win the title with the help of Patroclus’s intellect but when Patroclus sees Helen sign up for the trial it throws a small wrench in the plan as she was a wild card they weren’t expecting to compete especially after she was announced a prize. The rest of the book follows them all competing and slowly becoming closer even though Helen and Achilles & Patroclus should really be the furthest thing from close.

I loved the relationship between Achilles and Patroclus and how as the book progressed we learned more about their relationship which they had been in for years before this trial. They had always been in an open relationship but never did they plan that it would become a relationship with Helen Kasios. I loved seeing how the inter-dialogue of Achilles and Helen slowly shifted further into the book as they became closer because there was a slow shift from I hate this person to maybe I’m in love with this person with many steps between point a and point b.

Out of all of the Dark Olympus characters Helen is my favorite that we have gotten a point of view of so far. She’s such a strong badass woman that is having to fight against many of the most powerful men in and out of Olympus just so she could keep some amount of independence after being put up as a prize to be won. I loved seeing how she was still trying to work against some of the toxic mindset she had gotten from her abusive past relationship while also competing against her ex and putting up with him. I loved seeing her character from different points of view because in Electric Idol, she very much seemed like just a spoiled princess but we got to see why she puts up that act and what she is really like.

If you enjoyed other Katee Robert books or are looking for a good polyamorous relationship in a contemporary romance book or want a contemporary romance book with some hunger games like trials in it this is it. It has a great plot and great characters and it’s overall a good book.

I really enjoyed this book!

First, this book was much spicier than both Neon Gods AND Electric Idol (Electric Idol was a normal romance level of spicy, so it did not take much to top it). All of the pairings were well written and the spice was HOT, and I also appreciated that (as per usual with Katee Robert books), consent was ongoing and enthusiastic during each encounter.

If you're someone who is a stickler for accuracy in Greek myth retellings, this book won't be for you. HOWEVER, if you are someone who loves Achilles and Patroclus and are desperate to see them have a happy ending, you'll definitely enjoy this! Making Achilles, Patroclus, and Helen a triad was an interesting choice, but I think it worked really well within this Dark Olympus universe.

One thing that I absolutely love about Robert's most recent releases (The Dragon's Bride and now Wicked Beauty) is the way she includes nonbinary characters. First, it's still relatively rare to have non-binary characters in books, so while they aren't the main character I really appreciate the representation. Second, and most importantly for me, I LOVED that she includes them in such a casual way. When the character Bellerophon, there is no stopping to explain their pronouns and no one misgenders them and needs to be corrected, everyone automatically switches to the correct pronouns, just like with she/her or he/him pronouns. I know in real life you can't always tell someone's pronouns by just looking at them, but in a book world, it makes perfect sense and is a great way to normalize non-binary people and they/them pronouns. I'm keeping my fingers crossed for a non-binary lead character in a future book!

Anyway, I loved this book and I am so excited to see more from this universe!

WOW

This book was such a fun read. I went in to this knowing very little and I had the best time reading it.

The relationship between Helen×Achilles×Patroclus was absolutely amazing. I loved the way each of them had so much love for the others and the balance between the three.

The whole story is a thrill ride, with fun characters and just the right amount of spice!

I highly recommend you check this out when it hit shelves!

I myself am off to buy more books by Katee Robert!

Thank you to #netgalley for the chance to read this advance copy!

Thank you NetGalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca for this eArc.

I read this in a sitting, yep! Loved this, loved the spin on the myth, loved out MCs, all the POV, their personalities, how well they are written, every interaction. Love it!

This will give you what we all got used to from Kate Robert, it packs the spice and it delivers a proper kick. But what i loved about this one more than the ones before is the amazing fun i had with all the Olympian dynamics, events, politics and where the world is headed.

Katee Roberts does it again with another spicy and modern twist on our beloved Greek gods. Read this one in a day.

Ok so let me start by saying this.. I don’t know much about mythology which I think helps me enjoy these books. I don’t have the well known versions of any of these relationships in my head that I’m constantly comparing the books to which opens up my mind, I think. I will say that the ending was predictable but that’s just because of the other KR books I’ve read but that didn’t take away from the overall experience of reading. I love that KR is able to write a story with enough steam to keep you interested without it being straight up trashy. Katee is one of my favorite authors and continues to impress me. Advice for readers would be set aside what you know/ think about these characters and I think you will enjoy this book.

***thank you to NetGalley and sourcebooks for this ARC***

This the second Dark Olympus book I've read (I skipped Electric Idol) and I did not feel lost at all. A little background on the world: I think it would be best described as urban fantasy romance with a dash of mafia flavor, and mythological names.
The premise: the station of Ares is open and to fill this position, Olympus has a hunger games style competition where the victor get to be Ares and marry Helen (aka Helen of Troy).
Did you read Hunger Games and think, I wish Katniss, Gale, and Peeta were all banging each other? This is the book for you.
Joking aside, this is the only triad in which I feel the author has 100% made all three characters equally in love with everyone. My hat is off to Katee Robert for the accomplishment.
If you are looking for a mythology retelling, this isn't the story for you. If you are looking for a super hot menage with a lot of action and shady politics, this is the book for you.

I was very excited to receive an eARC copy of this novel from NetGalley and the publisher!!! I had read the first few chapters in a preview and was was really looking forward to seeing how the story of Helen, Achilles and Patroclus played out.

As with Katee Robert's previous novels in this series (Neon Gods and Electric Idol), this installment focus's on the eventual relationship that forms between the triad. Helen (referencing Helen of Troy) is a known beauty of Olympus. Growing up with Zeus as a father was challenging to navigate. He was cruel, murderous and unkind. He, along with Helen's siblings, never placed much value on Helen apart from her beauty. Now that her brother Perseus has assumed the role of Zeus, its much the same. She's seen as a chess piece for others to maneuver. Therefore, when the position of Ares becomes available, Helen feels this is her opportunity to wield actual power as a member of the Thirteen and have some say over her own life. In order to win the title of Ares, champions must compete in a set of 3 trials. Perseus (now Zeus) has offered up Helen as a prize to the winner. She is to become the next Ares's wife. However, Helen still comes forward as a contender in the trials.

Achilles and Patroclus are also entered into the trials competition. Achilles has his sights set on becoming Ares and Patroclus is there with the sole purpose of supporting him and watching his back. The two have been a couple for more than a decade, but still have an open relationship. When Patroclus starts showing some interest in Helen, Achilles becomes jealous. From there, a polyamorous relationship of the steamiest kind develops between the three (fanning myself).

Other challengers include Hector and Paris, Helen's former boyfriend. This iteration of Paris is a complete douche bag. He manipulates, gaslights and emotionally/mentally abuses Helen.

Robert's continues her interesting take on Greek mythology and the legendary figures associated with it. I'm not normally one that enjoys reading reverse harem or mmf romances, but I have to say, I did find this one to be engaging. I liked that Patroclus was the 'sensible' one (also with a big brain, as the author mentioned a few too many times). Achilles was more rough around the edges, but you could really feel the love and affection these two had for one another and then for Helen. Also, they never treated Helen as though she wasn't capable or couldn't make her own decisions. The development of the romance plot was done well considering the opposing goals of our main characters. I also liked seeing Helen gain confidence as she successfully passed each trial. Oh, and the spice in this one is off the charts!!

I still find the world building a little lacking - like why is Olympus so cut off from the rest of the world? Why magical boundaries? What exactly is out there in the rest of the world? A little more interaction with our previous couple would have been great as well (specifically, Hades and Persephone).

In summary, a great, quick read! Looking forward to the next one :).

Rating: 3.5 stars

Thank you NetGalley and SOURCEBOOKS for this ARC! I still can’t believe I got an ARC for this book, I have never been more excited!

Helen is a bad bitch who is willing to do whatever it takes to take control over her life and refuses to be a pawn or some trophy wife. This book follows Helen’s trials and experiences as she competes for the role of Ares, but little did she know that she’d also have to fight to keep her heart.

This book follows the relationship between Helen, Achilles, and Patroclus because why settle for a love triangle when polyamorous relationships exist 😉 and fuck did that make the spicy scenes in this book so hot. Chapters 15-17 are burned into my brain and I know for a fact will live in my head rent free.

However, I will admit that this was my least favourite book of the series so far. I loved the characters of Helen and Patroclus, though Achilles did piss me off many times (mainly due to how big of a hypocrite he was), however Achilles was absolutely filthy which kinda made up for it lol. I also just was not as invested into the overall plot, the stakes just were not high enough compared to the first two books. I also felt like there was not enough tension between the love interests compared to the first two books and let’s be honest, the tension is the best part!

Despite all that, I still loved the book and absolutely love the world of this series! I Definitely recommend reading this book when it comes out in June!

Katee Robert, I am begging, screaming, and crying on my knees right now pleading for you to give us a Callisto and Perseus/Zeus book. I can feel their tension and potential through this book and I am DESPERATE for it PLEASE😩🧎🏽‍♀️