First I’d like to thank the author, netgalley and dreamscape media for coming out of the CLOUDS and granting this “Wish It” request. I was planning to own it already but to get to experience this as an audiobook was 👩‍🍳🤌💋 perfection.

Do I have to tell you Katee did it again? You already know she did. I have been captivated with this series and the mystery and intrigue sprinkled in amongst the Thirteen only adds to it! I loved the forced proximity, political strategy, and the animosity-to-love that blooms within this story, while also allowing Helen to grow into her own. This was an different take on an oversaturated Patroclus/Achilles market, and I loved it. It’s rare to find an author that thinks of the women in these particular retellings, I loved how Katee did it!

I’m already excited for Book 4, which is expected to be out in 2023.🤩 Wicked Beauty is out everywhere TODAY!

After reviewing Robert’s second novel Electric Idol via audiobook from Dreamscape Media, I was glad to see that the third novel was placed on Netgalley. In book three of the Dark Olympus series : Wicked Beauty , author Katee Robert explores a throuple in Achilles Kallis, Patroclus Fotos and the famed beauty of Troy herself Helen Kasios. This novel is filled with political intrigue, continuing plots from previous installments and a love affair to remember. Alex Moorcock and Zara Hampton-Brown once more narrated Robert’s leads and from their lips to the written word set ablaze their unspoken chemistry. Overall I would like to thank dreamscape media and Netgalley for an advanced audiobook copy and give it a strong 4 out of five stars. I highly recommend it to fans of Greek mythology retellings, and fast paced- romance.

Wicked Beauty is my new favorite in the Dark Olympus series!! I was thrilled to learn Katee Robert’s new installment would have Helen, Achilles, and Patroclus. First of all, the audiobook narrators were spectacular and brought excellent emotion to the performance. Their voices were pleasant to listen to and they embodied the characters well. This is the type of audiobook where you will find yourself sneaking an earbud in any chance you get so you can keep listening!

Wicked Beauty has political intrigue, fantastic pacing, and a dramatic competition. In terms of romance, it is enemies-to-lovers, poly romance, and filled with many delightful tropes. Achilles, Patroclus, and Helen are a well-balanced trio prepared to fight for power in Olympus- finding romance along the way. Wicked Beauty adds even more depth to the Dark Olympus series in terms of the politics, key players, and cameos. I already can’t wait to reread it!

This book includes so many great moments: from Helen deciding to compete for herself, the relationship between Achilles and Patroclus, and the love that all three find together. There is plenty of danger and competition to be found amidst seriously steamy scenes. I loved this trio!! I hope we see more of them in the future. If you enjoy fierce heroines, steamy queer romance, and Greek mythology reimagined- you need to read Wicked Beauty! I can’t wait to get a paper copy as well- the cover is simply gorgeous. The Dark Olympus series just keeps getting better and better- I highly recommend you check out Wicked Beauty!

Wicked Beauty releases June 7, 2022. Thank you to Katee Robert, Dreamscape Media, and Netgalley for a free audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

For publisher: My review will be posted on Instagram, Goodreads, Amazon, Storygraph, Wordpress blog, and Barnes & Noble etc

Best one in the series so far! This has politics, a competition, fighting, a thruple, a bigger plot and more. I think this has all the spice you want when reading a Katee Robert book with the addition of a very strong plot. I completely fell for the characters and they all had a strong back story that added to the book and the whole series. I can't wait for the next book in the series. The Audiobook was also great!

I've listened to all of the books in this series and Wicked Beauty is by far my favorite. So steamy and loved the three main characters.

I cannot get enough of Katee Robert’s Greek Mythological retelling!
This is the third book in the Dark Olympus series about Helen, Achilles, and Patroclus.
I knew going in there would be plenty of spice. But more than that I enjoyed getting to know these new (to me anyway) characters. In addition I enjoyed their storyline and learning more about what was happening in Olympus since the last book.
Thank you NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for an advance copy of this audiobook! This is my honest voluntary review!

Thank you Dreamscape Media for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I have no idea how it's possible but each Dark Olympus book keeps getting hotter?????? Katee Robert simply doesn't miss! I loved the previous two books in this series, but lemme tell ya, Wicked Beauty does not disappoint. This follows Achilles, Patroclus, and Helen as all 3 of them enter a competition to become one of The Thirteen. As they prepare for the competition, things starts to heat up between all 3 of them...at the same time... several times. *heavy breathing* I really shouldn't have been listening to some of these scenes at work. Alex Moorcock & Zara Hampton-Brown were incredible narrators. Their voices complemented each other very well. Listening to the audiobook delivered an extra steamy experience.

Katee Robert continues to expand the world of Olympus in Wicked Beauty. The politics become more nuanced and character motivations start to become more apparent. I loved the competition aspect of this but I couldn't ignore the fact I was anxiously waiting for the next spicy scene to happen. The chemistry between Helen, Patroclus, and Achilles was unmatched and unspeakably hot. If you loved Neon Gods and Electric Idol, there's no reason why you wouldn't love Wicked Beauty.

3.5⭐️ | I really enjoyed this audiobook. Both Alex Moorcock and Zara Hampton-Brown gave wonderful performances!

WICKED BEAUTY is the third novel in Katee Robert’s DARK OLYMPUS series, and the first in this series to follow a polyamorus relationship. I was happy to be back in this world, but I’m beginning to think that these books and world building may not hold up as standalones.

I had a great time reading this installment for the most part. The tournament setting was a lot of fun. I enjoyed Helen and Patroclus as narrators, but Achilles kept me from loving the story overall. While I understand that his characterization was supposed to be a nod to the legend of Achilles and his hubris, I never found him sympathetic the way I was hoping to.

That said, I thought this “throuple” otherwise had a good balance, and had a blast following their (often sexy) shenanigans. I look forward to continuing on with this series!

I didn't know I needed a steamy Achilles and Patroclus retelling with the added bonus of Helen in the mix.
Katee Robert does it yet again with Wicked Beauty. This is the spiciest of the three dark Olympus books and honestly the best.

There are 13 leaders in Olympus, most of which are either passed down to heirs or have their successors hand picked. But not for the role of Ares. This succession is picked by competing in trials till there is one person standing. Achilles and his partner Patroclus have had their eyes on making Achilles the new Ares since a young age. And the new Zeus (Perseus) has hand picked his sister Helen to be the new Ares's wife. Helen wanting nothing to do with being a prize puts her hand into the ring to become the new Ares. Will Achilles and Patroclus let Helen stand in their way? Or become seduced by her during the competition?

It was interesting to watch Achilles and Patroclus's established relationship morph into a polyamorous one that includes Helen. I was irritated at Achilles at times on a personal level because I am not a huge fan of the alpha male, but I know many people will love that. Helen really came into her own during the book and by the end I was cheering for her.

Wicked Beauty was an amazing SPICY mash up of A Hunger Games esc competition and Disney's Brave. Katee knocked this one out of the park.

Cw
Abusive parent,
assault,
attempted murder,
blood,
abusive ex,
miscarriage (side character, off-page, historical)
Explicit Sexual content

Thank you to Dreamscape media from sending me an audiobook arc!

This is WITHOUT A DOUBT my favorite of the series so far. Perfect balance of spice and plot. This is an MMF romance (3.5🌶) with a hunger games type plot line. I loved every second of this, and the audiobook narration was perfection.

Katee Robert is my queen. This series is amazing and I love the take on Greek myth that she did.

I love that that these books are all about bad ads women taken the men and not the other way around. Helen of Troy is such an amazing mythos figure and I love that she is the centre of this book. Also Achilles and Patroclus are just so swoony!!

Wicked Beauty is the 3rd book in the Dark Olympus series and may stand as my favorite of the series. It was fact-paced, spicer, and full of action. The world was easy to visualize….or maybe it was due to the Hunger Games training facility vibes that helped. But who cares, I loved it.

Helen's brother, Zeus throws her into the competition for the new Ares position….as the prized wife for the winner. What everyone doesn't know is she has plans to win the position for herself. I could not help but adore Helen. She was complicated, and had an inner vulnerability, but was a total baddie.

Achilles has every intention of winning the position. His partner, Patroclus enters to help ensure he wins. Patroclus and Helen become friends. Patroclus was just loveable and Achilles has a chip on his shoulder and can be quite a grump at times but….just yum!! What starts from a fit of jealousy turns into a hot trouple.

The spice was nice. The development of the three's relationship and the competition and action is what kept my attention. Just know if you are looking for a retelling, this is very liberal.

So this one was following who would become the next Ares God. Then it's Hunger Games style GAME ON! Achilles, Patroclus, Helen get together but its pretty obvious on who would be Ares. It was good, a lot was more focused on the games. I'm still continuing with this seres.

Narrators Alex Moorcock and Zara Hampton-Brown did a really good job. I think they were perfect for their characters.

I received this audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this unbiased review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

This book was hot. 🔥 Let's be honest, all of Katee Robert's books are. But the tension? Amazing.

I adored the relationship dynamic between Achilles and Patroclus. They fit eachother so well. And when the prize of winning the competition is wicked beauty, Helen? Their dynamic shift and they are forced to undergo changes that neither of them were prepared for.

The competition was so entertaining, I enjoyed reading every bit of it. If you like Hunger Games, the completion almost had that kind of vibe to it. Alliances, camera footage, only one can win. Yeah, definitely enjoyable to read.

Helen is such a strong heroine. I loved her character and how she has to learn to trust again. She's such a well written character with great character development throughout the story.

I can't wait to catch more glimpses from this couple throughout the rest of the Dark Olympus Series.

Thank you Netgalley and Dreamscape media for an audiobook copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts are my own. 🖤

KATEE YOU'VE DONE IT AGAIN!

I don't know if I'm able to say I loved this more than Neon Gods because not only do I love everything about Neon Gods, but it also represents a huge shift in my reading and what I thought reading could encompass. But I'll be damned - Katee did that again with Wicked Beauty.

This book to me is such a nuanced masterclass in character and character development. Those elements have always been my favorite parts of Katee's work and they shine so brightly here. I think what I love the most about Katee is that she writes mature, emotionally intelligent characters who despite this are still flawed and still make mistakes and always come out the other side. Literally it was so reassuring to me, a big-time perfectionist and person who hates failure, to read about smart characters who make mistakes with the ones they love, be forgiven and learn and move on.

Frankly, there were many scenarios in certain scenes where I felt a lesser author would've made a more conventional choice or a safer choice. And Katee just blows past all of it. Romance writers usually don't put such strain on a couple caused by an action from an individual in said couple (besides that typical third act conflict that gets resolved quickly) and have them find a way back to each other. However, from what I've read, Pam Godwin does this and Katee Robert does this expertly. It was so interesting to see Katee put Helen, Patroclus and Achilles to the breaking point emotionally and mentally, and make sure they found their way back to each other.

Helen is without a doubt the most complicated heroine I've read from Katee. I still love Persephone and love Psyche don't get me wrong, but Helen is incredibly layered and I relate to her the most probably. What spoke to me so much about her and what I found unique about her as a character is when she would accomplish something, she would feel hollow and it wouldn't feel like enough. She's incredibly ambitious, which of course is a positive trait, but it was wonderful to see her find other positives in herself too.

Patroclus I just love. How earnest he is! How smart he is! His reading glasses! He feels so strongly and so deeply and out of the three characters, I was most excited to get to his POV chapters. I felt he was my emotional narrator throughout this book. I think each of the three characters provides something special to the relationship, but to me, Patroclus is the most responsible for the balance and harmony of it.

And Achilles. He is...annoying, but by the end you grow to love him. Learning about his motivations for his actions was the most satisfying part of his journey for me. What a fun role he played in this throuple too.

Also, I should say - I think it is COMPLETELY unfair for anyone to compare this book to Song of Achilles. Also, completely unfair to think that this polyam relationship doesn't work i.e. Helen got in the way, etc. If you feel that way, you shouldn't have read this book in the first place.

Also, I think out of all the romance I've read, I think I like how this book incorporates sex into the story the most. Sex really is its own character in this and drives a lot of the emotions, the plot and the connection between the three. Idk maybe a weird thing to point out, but it's not like "hey let's make this book spicy to make it spicy" but it really is integral to their relationship building.

Okay, plot time - amazing! So fun! It's The Hunger Games meets The Goblet of Fire meets Twilight's Eclipse. It's hardly ever in a romance where I'm both equally excited to read the character-building scenes AND the plot-driving scenes, but I was here!

I say this without hyperbole - I think this book is ahead of its time. I am unsure if general audiences are going to completely get it, but I want Katee to know there is an audience that LOVES what she's doing. The way she serves these three characters almost equally (I will say Helen is the star here) in this 400-page novel is astounding. Not only that, Wicked Beauty has such delicious, WELL WRITTEN angst that to me feels impossible to find in a romance novel.

Idk if I should immortalize this thought into Goodreads forever (*gasp*), but reading Katee's work honestly makes me angry at all the 2 and 3-star romance reads I've read in my life. I really don't think there's an excuse to write sub-par romances at this point because to me (to ME), Katee is writing circles around a lot of romance authors.

I have always said that I feel like Katee Robert is the most thoughtful romance writer I've ever read, and I'm here to reaffirm that. And also, I think after Wicked Beauty I can say that she's now my all-time favorite romance writer too. I will always trust her to write complex and capable characters, write clear consent, and give the characters exactly what they need (even if they don't want it at times).

Love this Happy Pride to all!!!!

Rating: 4
Author: Katee Robert

“A scorchingly hot modern retelling of Helen of Troy, Achilles, and Patroclus that's as sinful as it is sweet.” GR

I really enjoyed this story but I’m going to be 100% honest with all of you. I spent 50-75% of this story so confused and that is not the author's fault it’s mine. While I’ve always been intrigued by mythology I know nothing about it. So when I first started listening to this one everything was going over my head. I could not for the life of me figure out the names or locations and how who was related to who. But honestly with all of that confusion I still thought this was a fantastic book. I tried treating it like a fantasy book and just ignored everything I didn’t understand. When I learn a little bit more about mythology I want to reread this one because I know I would enjoy it even more.

The narrator did a great job bringing the story and characters to life. I could literally feel the emotions being conveyed. Helen’s character was relatable and likable. I loved that she had that fire in her. She was beautiful but she also had brains and a fighting side to her. I really loved the relationship Achilles and Patroclus had together. Overall, this book was enjoyable and if you're into spicy romances then I definitely recommend you check this one out!

Thank you so much @sourcebookscasa & @dreamscapemedia for the #gifted copy in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This book three of the Dark Olympus series and if if you’ve read the other books, you already know this author comes in hot! This book brings the spice and does not disappoint!

With each book, you get deeper into this new modern day Olympus and I really like the world this author has created. While I enjoy the love story, I’m actually more interested in the 13 and how they’re going to come together to face this new threat. Super excited to see what happens next!

Thanks to Netgalley and Dreamscape Media for the audio ARC of this!

I loved every steamy minute of it, the tournament setting, the triad relationship, Helen being both beautiful and kick ass, the whole thing was just so fun to listen to. I’ve loved this whole series and it’s impossible to pick a favorite, this was just as stunning as the other two and I can’t wait to see more of this series! The female narrator was fantastic and the male narrator was fine (I had a little more trouble understanding him when I tried to speed it up further, though I could still hear her just fine) - I still recommend the audio book if you generally prefer that format.

I found this to be pretty fascinating. I loved the connection between Helen, Achilles and Patroclus. The trials they entered to become Aries made this a fun read. I just think competitions like this can be exciting. I am wishing I had started with book one. Not that this wasn't easy to follow, but now I want to go back and get more insight to the other characters in this series. I will definitely be going back to book one and reading all in the series.

Summary:
In Olympus, you either have the power to rule...or you are ruled. Achilles Kallis may have been born with nothing, but as a child he vowed he would claw his way into the poisonous city's inner circle. Now that a coveted role has opened to anyone with the strength to claim it, he and his partner, Patroclus Fotos, plan to compete and double their odds of winning.

Neither expect infamous beauty Helen Kasios to be part of the prize...or for the complicated fire that burns the moment she looks their way.

Zeus may have decided Helen is his to give away, but she has her own plans. She enters into the competition as a middle finger to the meddling Thirteen rulers, effectively vying for her own hand in marriage. Unfortunately, there are those who would rather see her dead than lead the city. The only people she can trust are the ones she can't keep her hands off of—Achilles and Patroclus. But can she really believe they have her best interests at heart when every stolen kiss is a battlefield?

Review:
This audiobook was exactly what I needed. I loved the spice and banter. Katee Roberts writes such strong FMC’s. I can’t wait for the next book in the series.