...........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

I think I am starting to get a better understanding and handle on Spicy books as they are called on booktok. It seems like one of the most hyped authors among this genre is Katee Robert. So, I was real eager to pick up Wicked Beauty as I continue to grow my knowledge in this genre. Also — the premise appealed to me — a modern day, sexy incarnation of Olympus. Sign me right up. I didn’t realize that this was third in the series — however– that was not an issue.

Wicked Beauty is about Helen, Patroclus, and Achilles. The three are competing to be the next Ares.

Wicked Beauty is about Helen, Patroclus, and Achilles. The three are competing to be the next Ares. There are the 13 who are in charge essentially of Olympus and the various functions. Ares is in charge of warfare and it turns out that the previous Ares, Helen’s uncle, has died. To become the new Ares, there is a 3 part competition. What makes matters worse is that Helen’s brother, Perseus, promises the winner of the competition that Helen will be their wife if they win. Helen doesn’t want to be a prize, so she enters herself. There she forms an alliance with Achilles and Patroclus. The alliance also has some side benefits… namely… a menage a trois…

As I said, you do not need any context going in as far as reading to previous books to understand what is going on. I found it was easy to drop right into the story and the setting. It also was easy to figure out the other characters too. I did read the summary for the previous books just because I was curious. Also, I enjoyed this book. I will be going backwards and reading the other two books in this series. It turns out, if you are newer to reading Spice, well, Katee Robert is great to start with. There’s a lot more plot, the storyline was actually interesting. Plus the spicy bits did not feel overwhelming or like it would scare me off from checking out more.

This is probably an ebook only purchase for most libraries, its SPICY AF. Highly recommend for hardcore romance readers

honestly my favorite of the dark olympus series so far. i loved these characters so much.

This one involves Helen entering a bloody and violent arena to fight for her own hand in marriage, because why not shove a giant middle finger in Zeus’s face? Achilles and Patroclus are the best, too. I had such a wild ride reading this one and I’m excited for all of you to read it as well! Katee never misses!

Each book in the Dark Olympus series is getting better and better! I loved the battle/challenge aspect of this one, and Helen's ingenuity and self-possession was a breath of fresh air. I did not like the dynamic between Achilles and Patroclus (nor did I like either of them much at all, really - Patroclus was a wet noodle and Achilles was a pompous ass), but Helen seemed to bring balance, fairness and kindness to the relationship. Overall an entertaining read.

I really enjoyed this one, however the physical format didn't work for me in the physical format. The audiobook worked much better, I think Helen was the weak spot in this story, and Achilles and Patroclus really carried it with their love story of legends. That being said, I still find this as worth the read and a decent addition to the series.

Review posted on Goodreads (August 18, 2022)
Review linked.

5/5 stars!

The way that I will read anything that Katee Robert writes! I am a huge fan of this series, so I was super excited for WICKED BEAUTY. What I will say about this series is that if you are looking for in depth world building or really in depth plot, then this series isn't for you. BUT if you are looking for a romance series that has a fun premise, AMAZING Queer rep, great discussions around consent, BDSM, and sex in general, as well as characters that are complex and human, then this is a series for you! I really cannot express how much Roberts’ Queer rep means to me. It is always incredible to read fictional worlds with such effortless and respectful Queer rep where Queerness is not an oddity, but is normalized and celebrated.

WICKED BEAUTY is not my favorite book in the series, but I did still really enjoy this book. This book has a lot more focus on the plot than I expected, and I did really enjoy that, but I did find myself wanting a bit more time with the romance. I also felt like it ended a bit too fast for my liking. I found myself wanting a bit more time at the end of the book. I did fall head over heels in love with all of the characters, however, and I think that is why I wanted more time with them. Overall, this was a great addition to the series, and I cannot wait to read the next book! Roberts sets up some interesting political intrigue in this book that I am interested to see unfold in the rest of the series!

I always recommend Katee's books to adult romance readers, and this book is no exception!

Thanks for reading!
Caden

I cannot get enough of Katee Roberts Dark Olympus series! The first two books were great! This one was smoking hot!

Wicked Beauty is a phenomenal retelling of Helen of Troy, Achilles and Patroclus. Finally we are getting into that hot MMF that we've come to know and love about Greek Mythology.

I haven't read the first two novels in this series but I really enjoyed this novel. This specific romance genre isn't my typical so it took me a bit of time to get through it- Huge fan of erotica but mythology was a sore point in school. That being said I really enjoyed this book once I figured out who everyone was and where they are. I cannot wait to go back and read Books 1 and 2.

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