Rating: 3/5
Content Warnings: Psychological Abuse, Abusive Parent, Assault, Attempted Murder
Read if You Like: Hunger Games but make it spicy
Steam: 4/5
Tropes: Friends to Lovers + Enemies to Lovers, Forced Proximity, Only One Bed, MMF Relationship

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks for this advanced copy in exchange for my honest opinion. Wicked Beauty will be released on June 7th, 2022

Okay, Okay…I have been a major fan of the first two Dark Olympus books and was super excited to receive this copy after reading the preview. I didn’t dislike this book but it also kind of bored me. The first and last 1/3 of the book was fantastic but the middle just got lost for me.

Things I Loved: I adored Helen and her story. Robert discussed a kind of abuse, not always touched, with Helen’s past relationship with Paris. I think the spice was well done and did accomplish a good amount of intimacy between the three. Consent was so so key in this book. Patroclus must be protected at all costs. I think the balance of personalities in this relationships and the overall dynamic was interesting. The little Eros and Psyche easter egg.

Things I Didn’t Like: Very high emphasis on the trials and the combat involved. It’s basically the hunger games with a throuple. I think, going in based on past books, it disappointed me that the romance didn’t feel like the key element in this book. Achilles’ arrogance at times got on my nerves. I wish we had more development in Achilles’ and Patroclus back stories, or even just their individual relationship. I wish there was more to the epilogue.

I’ll be continuing this series for sure to see how the characters continue to evolve.

What an absolutely amazing read. Love, spice, combat & action! Gah, this book is definitely my new favorite by Katee Robert. I won’t say too much… but Achilles, Helen and gah all the feelings. Definitely a must read!

It is a truth universally acknowledged that when Katee Robert writes a throuple, one must drop everything until one has finished reading. Wicked Beauty was straight up delicious.

The only reason this wasn't a five-star for me was completely due to personal preference when it comes to fantasy (what are we calling this though, because it's more like contemporary, diet-fantasy?) world-building because I ALWAYS want more. I don't care how long detailed world building makes a book, I love it. And in particular with how this one ended, I feel like more history and/or hints-of-what's-to-come would have added to this story without detracting any attention from Achilles/Helen/Patroclus.

The strongest of the three books so far!

There are a so many things to love about Wicked Beauty. First was the sheer unknown that was the ending. Sometimes when reading a romance you're not even a third of the way through the story when you know how everything is going to work out. With Wicked Beauty I was kept guessing until the last few chapters, and it was the best.

Second, the sex. Robert always writes the best sex scene, hands down. But what she knows and does *chef kiss* perfectly is use the sex to enhance the relationship. It's not just in there to add to word count, or entertain (through that are HIGHLY entertaining), but you can feel the relationship develop as the characters interact.

Third, the non-sexual action. The three trials were so great, I wish I could actually have watched them. It was gladiators meets American Ninja Warrior and I am here for it!

3/3 so far and I can’t wait for the next one. I was slightly worried about this one with the shift to Helen, but this book is top tier. The plot and spice were well balanced and three POVs were well done! I can’t wait for book 4! 🎉

“𝐖𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐚 𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐛𝐚𝐝 𝐬𝐜𝐞𝐧𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐨𝐬, 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐧 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐣𝐨𝐲 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐜𝐚𝐧.”
___________________

Read This Book For The:
• Arena Competition / Trials
• MMF relationship
• Open relationship
• Polyamorous/Throuple
• Non-binary representation
• “I don’t need saving” female badassery
• Hate sex
• Forced Proximity
• Friends to Lovers and Enemies to Lovers
• Political intrigue


Helen Kasios is officially the odd man out in her family. With her brother now Zeus, her sister named Aphrodite, and only other living relative exiled she is the only one without a name for herself. Determined to make her mark on the world she decides to put her name in as Champion to compete for the recently vacated title of Ares. That is until her brother names her as one of the prizes. Once again relegated to nothing more than an pawn to be played and claimed she puts her name in anyway and begins the hardest challenges of her life…the fight FOR a life of her own choosing.

Achilles Kallis has everything he could possibly want: he’s second in command of Athena’s army, has his best friend and lover Patroclus Fotos by his side, and has his end goal of becoming Ares within his grasp. However his dreams of becoming Ares become threatened when Helen enters the competition. Determined not to lose focus on his target, friction arises as Helen and Patroclus rekindle a childhood friendship that brings out the possessive, dominant side of Achilles even more. What he doesn’t expect, however, is to find himself attracted to Helen. After a twist of fate lands the three of them in the same living quarters, passions begin to boil over leaving them each with the question: what happens if one of them DOES become Ares? And is the end goal worth the risk they take of losing everything that they’ve found in each other along the way?

I honestly have some mixed feelings on this book…as a continuing story in the Dark Olympus series I feel like it fell slightly behind its predecessors. I do appreciate the setting of the stage for the political and societal upheaval coming to Olympus but I really wish we would have seen a bit more of the characters before getting into this book. Or I wish there would have been more in this book. Parts of it felt a bit rushed and while the timeline was tight (only spanning the 1-2 weeks of the competition) I wish there had been more time to really grasp who each of the characters were without being in the middle of a competition.

Helen could be the source of this for me. She struck me as such an interesting character to explore in Electric Idol but I feel like we didn’t quite get to know her from her own POV in this book before we dove right into the conflict. What we DID explore in her backstory was absolutely excellent however and left me wanting still so much more. The abuse that she was subjected to from Paris was honestly not something you see explored much in books. It hit home for me and I really liked that we got to see sex in a different light as a result. Helen used sex to process her emotions and work out pent up feelings but at the same time we find out it’s the thing that was used to destroy her from the inside out. That made what she found with Achilles and Patroclus even sweeter and the way they showed her how a woman SHOULD be respected and treated was VERY well done!

Achilles, for being new on the scene, was the character I probably connected with the most just because he was such a defined and STRONG personality. He was an arrogant ass and it made you love him in spite of himself, but it was the fact that he and Helen were cut from the same mold that really sealed the deal for me. Watching them fight each other because of the ways they were essentially the same person was almost as entertaining as watching them accidentally grow closer for those same reasons.

Patroclus is officially my baby and he will be protected at all costs. Seriously, where do you find a soldier who is physically fit, hot, analytical, introspective, a tender lover, and meticulous in every well thought out step he takes?? He’s everything and I adore him. Beyond the fact that I just loved everything about him he honestly felt like a bit of an afterthought for a while. BUT watching him go from very apathetic with a slight victim mentality to the best version of himself through his growing relationship with Helen and Achilles was perfectly executed.

All the way around the dynamic between the three of them was so, SO good. The way Helen brought Achilles down a few pegs and brought out his softer side, but encouraged Patroclus to use his voice and be his own strong person just balanced their relationship so beautifully. I just wish we could have seen more growth in her outside of the growth we see her experience with her men. Yes she’s vulnerable, but she’s a strong female character and I would have loved to see her flex that and dominate more.

The spice. The spice in this book MADE the book. Honestly this is the first book of the Dark Olympus series that I honestly felt could classify as smut with some supplemental plot to keep the world building/storyline moving along and I am NOT mad at it!! It was EVERYTHING to write home about and there were quite a few times that I could have used a cold shower from the banter alone…and then it kept going.

Overall this was a great hot, spicy, sexy, sweet, strong addition to the Dark Olympus series. I’m giving it 4 stars only because I really wish there had been more…even an additional 50 pages added to the story would have made all the difference. BUT the bread crumbs have already been dropped for the next installment and I already can’t wait to get sucked into the next tale. I’m just hoping through it we continue to get more updates on our favorite throuple!!

Really fun fresh take on Achilles and Patroclus. I dont know if some people who love Greek mythology will like that Helen is the main character and love interest between this famous couple--but I enjoyed it

Are you looking for a mashup of Greek mythology and the Hunger Games except make it sexy and you don't have to decide between the members of your love triangle? Then Wicked Beauty is probably for you.

Helen is the daughter of the last Zeus and sister of the new Zeus & Aphrodite (this makes more sense if you've read the first two books in the series). Her entire life she has been treated as a pawn - in this book, she is literally part of the prize to be awarded to the winner of the tournament that will determine the next Ares. But Helen has other ideas: she plans to compete on her own merit.

Also competing are Achilles and Patroclus. Achilles is a warrior champion, and Patroclus is only competing to support him in his ambitions rather than with a plan to win. The two of them are longtime lovers who still, after many years, haven't had the "define the relationship" talk.

So we've got an element of enemies to lovers, since all three participants are competing against each other. We've also got an element of forced proximity, since all competitors have to live in the same dorms. And since Achilles and Helen both have legitimate reasons for competing to be Ares, as a reader it's hard to take sides and decide who to root for! The relationships between Helen, Achilles, and Patroclus work independently and as a threesome, and are definitely the highlight of the book. As with other entries in this series, this is not a one-to-one retelling of the Greek myths. That said, Wicked Beauty is our favorite so far, partly because we know what to expect and partly because the characters' development and motivations are the best to date!

Helen is the party princess of Olympus. The daughter of Olympus royalty, she was never meant to be more than a pretty face. But Helen wants more. She wants to prove that she's more than a would-be trophy wife and she's going to do so by competing for the newly open title of Ares.

Achilles has his sights set on becoming Ares. He hasn't worked his way through the ranks to stop short of his goal. With his trusted friend and lover, Patroclus, at his side, Achilles knows he will win the competition.

What the three competitors never counted on was the feelings that would build between them. And, when the winner is announced, decisions must be made or hearts will be broken.


The third in her Dark Olympus series, Katee Robert has reimagined the story of Achilles and Patroclus with all her usual heart and steam. "Wicked Beauty" is so hot that it could melt the Arctic, and the characters have great chemistry. Where it fell short for me, though, was in the repetition of certain themes (I won't mention them in case of spoilers). But, Robert does what Robert does best, and that is deliver a romance so hot that you'll be sweating your way through the pages.

This book is just as good as the first two ones in the series. I felt that Achilles at times was a bit pushy, but he kept himself in check quiet often. Patroclus was a really lovely character, he seemed very sincere and thoughtful. And Helen was just what is best described as a badass woman with a heart of gold. I'm very much looking forward to the continuation of this series and hoping to maybe get a glimpse of this triad in the future books.

i really wish that the first 26 chapters of this novel were as brilliant as the final 5 because wow i loved the ending. the spice in this story was also VERY good, however it definitely did take away from the plot a little bit (the plot which i didn’t truly enjoy until the end).


**mild spoilers below**


achilles’ character annoyed me SO MUCH for most of this novel. he was pushy, arrogant, and extremely careless at times (e.g “forgetting” to use protection with helen, getting super annoyed at patroclus for acknowledging helen’s existence but then sleeping with her the next day)

This book was fun and entertaing but only if you don't view it as a greek mythology retelling as it's often marketed as. There really is little mention of it and its more like chararcters with names that match those in gm. It was steamy and had strong characters which I enjoyed. This was a good books, not my favorite but I think fans of her previous two books would love it!

I really like this series and the only reason my library wouldn't purchase this is because I work for a school library so it's not really part of our collection policy. I really enjoyed the last two of the series and while I really liked some of of the concepts, I did feel like this book acted as more of a bridge between the next phase of the series. This is completely fine but it did make me feel like I was missing pieces of the interactions and growth between the leads that I normally find to be very well fleshed out. Still a fun read and I can't wait to see where it goes next!

I am not a huge fan of the romance trope of a throuple, honestly. That is not this author's fault, and I still loved the book anyway. There were definitely a few slow parts and an odd end here and there, but all in all I recommend it.

Wow! You think the previous two books of the series were tempting, extremely hot! Think again! Third book will exceed your highest expectations! This book is not hot! It’s fiery! It’s explosive! There are so many explicit, intense scenes make you hyperventilate! The chemistry between ménage a trois can burn the entire Olympus!

The power balance between the trio is fantastic! Normally I’m not into MFM books! So this was quite surprising and highly intrigued me because this book is more than erotic romance. The action packed big race between opponents to become the next Ares was truly heart throbbing and exciting. Bring out your popcorns and start stress-eating while you’re flipping the pages, your heart in your mouth, sweating, praying your team wins the vicious tournament!
The secret schemings, Olympus politics, mansplaining, sexism, power games blended in heart pounding action scenes and extra steamy, saucy, delicious sex scenes!

I loved the power dynamics and sexual attraction between Helen- Achilles and Patroclus.

Helen and Achilles are both dominant, stubborn, determined, ambitious and pretentious characters. Helen knows politics, using her beauty as weapon, abandoned and used by her family and she’s definitely more than pretty face. She’s smart, calculating, bold, tough, strategist as Achilles is quiet brilliant warrior who doesn’t know much about politics and how to rule the empire.

Patroclus perfectly balances those two fiery, impulsive characters with his calm, intelligent, patient, diplomatic characteristics. He’s caring, sweet, nerdy, putting the others first!

Trio’s high chemistry is incredibly! They’re not only physically but also emotionally fitting each other’s needs!

Overall: I loved the bleak, bloody, dangerous competition theme to become the next Ares!
-I loved the powerful characterization!
-I loved to see cameos of previous books’ characters and welcome Hermes and Dionysus with open arms!
-Those freaking hot scenes were so naughty! Of course I loved them!
Yes, this is my favorite book of the series! I wish I can triple up my stars!

So many thanks to NetGalley and SOURCEBOOKS Casablanca for sharing this amazing digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest thoughts.

Robert does it again for me. I think of all the recent romance releases with the Greek gods hers are my favorites.

I love the emotional depth she's able to reach in a short time. You invest fully with these characters. I love the politics and the world in general.

Polyamorus are not my general romance reading style, and I've no personal experience with it, but I feel like this book has a good reflection of the honesty, commitment, and communication that would have to go into it.

If you've read the other books in the Dark Olympus series I recommend continuing with this one. I'm interested in seeing what happens next with the storyline for sure.

Thanks for the ARC NetGalley!

oh this book!! oh Katee!! so sexy!


We are brought into this story of Helen, daughter of the previous Zeus, sister to the new. Her younger sister has Althe title of Aphrodite, and Helen is tired of being treated like the pretty pretty princess. Helen decides to compete in the championship to become the next Ares, but meets Patroclus, and Achilles, and the sparks are flying.


Will any or all of the three get together? which one will become the next Ares, or will they all be eliminated?


Reader, you have a wild and sexy ride ahead of you !


thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this advance copy.

I wanted to like this so badly, but I just couldn't. The trope wasn't for me. I didn't feel any spark between the characters and it just felt odd. I will still read everything that Katee Robert's writes, but this was just wasn't my favorite.

Thank you to the publishing house and Netgalley for allowing me to read and review this book.

Ares is dead. A trial will determine who will replace him. Helen, sister of the new Zeus dream of one thing becoming Ares and proving to everyone she is more than a prize to win. She's got two adversaries who might understand her and become more. One of them has a similar dream. Will they forgive the other if one of them wins?

Is there a book where Zeus isn’t an asshole? He is less cruel than the first, but still, I hate him. Here is what I like in the book:

• Helen. She is intriguing. I like the way she evolves. She heals from her past. She grows into the strong woman she is. She's not only strong, but she's also caring, and she only asks someone to care about her without demeaning her.
• Achille and Patroclus. They are cute together. You'll fall for them in no time. Patroclus is the nerd and Achille is the muscle (he is not stupid). They complete each other. I love their POVs and how they interact with Helen.
• The best scenes are after the three fights. If you know what I mean.
• The trial is well crafted and well written. I immediately thought of Roman and Greek history with the gladiator or Pankration.

The end almost broke my heart and made me wish for other books in the series. The multiple POV of Katee is perfect. She definitely knows how to write sex scenes and emotional scenes. The third book is another reason I would recommend reading the Dark Olympus series.

(Will also appear on Instagram on Wednesday, April 13th 2022)

3.5 rounded up

Another steamy book from Katee. This had a fun story, but really just focused on the relationships between Achilles, Patroclus and Helen. I enjoyed this, but I really wanted more of just Achilles and Patroclus! Patroclus was my favorite, and loved everything about him. This one was unique in the series as it had three different POVs. This had a bunch of new characters you don’t see in the first two books. I also wanted more of an epilogue!

Thank you Sourcebooks and Netgalley for my early copy!