🌟🌟🌟🌟.5 / 5
Prior to starting Wicked Beauty I was already such a fan of Katee Robert's Dark Olympus series, with Electric Idol being my favourite of the two. So I was a little trepidatious going into this read.

Well, let me tell you that I was NOT disappointed.

Once again, Katee Robert has shown that she has a true craft for weaving action with romance, without skimping on all the juicy details I've come to love and expect from her writing. I thought the competition as an ode to the ancient Greek olympics was great, and actually could have used a lot more of that within the story. It was so exciting and I couldn't stop listening until I learned the result of each challenge. What I truly enjoyed most is Robert's ability to write romance for a MMF, multi-partner relationship that is full of spice, consent and true love.

Read #WickedBeauty if you can't get enough of:
🏆 Greek mythology
🏆 The action of the Hunger Games without the imminent death
🏆 A fierce female MC taking charge of her future
🏆 Enemies to lovers AND friends to lovers, all in one
🏆 Juicy alpha males with brains and brawn that you can't help but want to sink your teeth into

Thank you to #NetGalley, #DreamScapeMedia and #KateeRobert for an advance audiobook. This is my honest review.

I read all the books in the series so far and Wicked Beauty is my favorite, sexual wise. The spice was on high and I am here for it! The sex scenes left me hot and bothered, no shame.
Story wise I was a little bit less into it compared to the other two books but it was still enjoyable to read this sexy retelling of one of the most famous Greek Myths. The three trials were fun to read, I especially enjoyed the second one.
I really loved Patroclus the most from the trio. His personality was the best, but Achilles was definitely the sexiest. Helen annoyed me sometimes but I did like the fact she stood up for herself instead of being a pawn in other peoples games.
As for their dynamic as a trouple, I liked it. It felt a bit wobbly at first but their relationship bloomed and I was happy about it.
All in all, it was a sexy smutty read.

I absolutely love the Olympus world that Katee Robert has set up. I love that she makes them more human and they have struggles just like we do in every day life.

The story wicked beauty might be my favorite so far. I loved the throuple concept and I loved that they had challenges between the three of them. Helen, Achilles, and Patroclus have such great chemistry in this novel and I loved that she was the balance between both males.

Outside of the plot between the characters, I really loved the trials and what they had to go through with those.

This was a great quick read and the narrator's did a wonderful job on the audio book. Thank you Netgalley for the ARC audio.

Overall 4/5
Spice 4/5
Audio 4/5

Wicked Beauty is the third book in the Dark Olympus series. It is a spicy modern retelling of the story of Helen, Achilles, and Patroclus. Katee Robert did not disappoint with this one!

I really didn't want to put this book down. I think this might be my favorite of the series so far and I can't wait too see what happens in the next book.

These were some of my notes while listening:
-4/5🌶
-forced proximity/one bed
-rivals to lovers
-mmf
-hate sex 💜
-snarky banter 💋🤌
-lowkey triwizard/hunger games vibes 😆 but SPICY
-Like narrators 1.5x-1.75x speed

Wicked Beauty is narrated by Alex Moorecock and Zara Hampton-Brown. The both did an amazing job. For the most part I listened at 1.75x but they sound good even at 2.5x. I would definitely listen to their narration again. I really liked the dual narration they did a great job differentiating between the characters.

Thank you Netgalley and Dreamscape Media for the Audio-ARC.

Thank you so much Netgalley for the audio ARK of Wicked Beauty. This was the third installment in the Dark Olympus series and just like the rest it’s steamy and a fun read! I will say this wasn’t my favorite, Neon Gods was my favorite one however this is a fun read! Would recommend for a quick beach read.

Achilles knows what he wants and that is to become the new Ares. With the help of his partner Patroclus, they go through a number of trials so compete for the title of Ares. Helen decides that she has every right to get what she wants and fights for Ares too.

This is definitely in competition of my favorite with Neon Gods. I did not enjoy Electric Idol so having Wicked Beauty be so amazing was a delight. I loved the relationship of Achilles and Patroclus! The multiple perspectives were great. I loved the relationship they had with Helen also. The hate sex was pretty perfect. I enjoyed Patroclus being a softy compared to the other two. Such a sweet babe. The spicy scenes were brought so hard.

I enjoyed the audio a lot also. The narrators did a good job in making me immersed in the story and begging for more.

5 stars!

I’ve really enjoyed The Dark Olympus series and this was a great installment. I’ve been waiting for Helen’s story for a while now so this was great getting to see her character’s depth.

The narrators were great and sound good on any speed, which is always a plus! I think this is a good read if you’ve enjoyed the series thus far and highly recommend that you read the first two if you haven’t yet. It would be incredibly confusing if not.

My only set back was Achilles and his personality. If you’re a fan of The Song of Achilles proceed with caution as this character is very, very different. I think that’s what threw me off, as in my head, he’s a poetic, light-hearted cinnamon roll. This Achilles is domineering and arrogant in ways that I didn’t exactly get on with. Which, to each their own! I think most people reading this series or are familiar with the freedoms Robert takes with her retellings won’t be surprised or bothered by the change.

Just like the other two books in the series. I enjoyed this one. It was a quick and fun read for in between the more serious reads in my lineup

Once again I wish the audio quality was better on the Netgalley app but that isn't the fault of the author or book. I liked this book the most out of the three and am grateful for the ARC!

This audiobook was 🔥 Dreamscape Media does not disappoint!

As soon as I started it, I could not put it down. Seriously, I stayed up all night finishing the book.

I love when multiple POV books use different narrators for male and female voices. It just adds to the story telling. I particularly loved this audiobook because the male narrator changed his voice between Achilles and Patroclus. Even though the way the book was written made it easy to distinguish between which POV we were in, it is still so helpful to have that tiny distinction while listening to the book.

I fell in love with all 3 characters in this book, especially Helen for having the strength to go after what she wanted and not being deterred from her goals. She faced a lot of obstacles and falling in love with rivals didn’t make it any easier.

I want more of this trio! I felt the book was not long enough.

Out of the first three Dark Olympus books… this one is definitely my favorite. I look forward to reading the rest of the series.

It’s unfortunate this book has to exist in the same universe as The Song of Achilles. Every new installment in Katee Robert’s Dark Olympus series muddles the absolute baffling worldbuilding of this pseudo-ancient Greek modern society… which is exactly as confusing as it sounds. Nobody asked for a retelling of the Trojan war in which Helen of Troy is cast in a threesome between Achilles and Patroclus. Actually, I think you could have cast any character in the Iliad other than Helen in this role and this would have made as much sense. Maybe even more. And yes, that includes Paris himself.

There is enemies to lovers. And then there are people who think each other are hot but have absolutely no emotional connection beyond a vague sense of aggression. That is Achilles and Helen’s relationship in a nutshell, featuring Patroclus as an afterthought. It’s hard to pitch this as a romance - threesome or not - when the characters spend more time narrating to the audience how much they are drawn to each other than actually interacting in a healthy, communicative way. Take me back to Psyche and Eros, please.

Achilles' defining characteristic is that he is good at The Battle, and proud of it. In all seriousness, I was utterly confused by Roberts decision to cast him as an orphan here when his mother was such a key part of his story arc in the original Iliad. Perhaps it was to give him some baggage to make his character more than a meathead jock, but this type of “pick and choose” worldbuilding from the original Greek myths becomes incredibly distracting when characters are swapped interchangeably with gods and the lineage of one character is completely ignored for plot convenience.

Helen’s only personality trait is that she wants to prove the world she is not the sheltered, privileged daughter of a powerful family Olympus perceives her to be - which is the exact character arc of Persephone in the first book of the series. Katee Robert seems to have a type of female protagonist she likes to write. And while the formula may work for her, I don’t have to like the answer.

Patroclus is the only vaguely tolerable character here, and that’s being generous. His one defining aspect is his knack for strategy that makes him Super Smart™, which we know because he wears glasses. We also know this because Achilles and Helen endlessly wax poetic about his intellect despite him doing little to actually prove this up. Patroclus could have been removed from the trials entirely and Achilles would still have made it to the final round.

Speaking of the trials, let’s not. This book plays at having a master plot for the trials to become the next Aries as the main conflict for the triage but it’s barely there to the point of blink and you’ll miss it. The smut scenes are longer than any given trial and the obvious endgame makes the entire ordeal completely lack any kind of narrative tension.

I may need a thorough re-read of The Song of Achilles to cleanse the experience of Wicked Beauty from my mind. Or maybe I’ll focus my efforts on the upcoming Iliad re-telling Wrath Goddess Sing, which promises to be everything this book was not. I can say after enjoying the second book in the Dark Olympus series, this is easily the weakest of the three companion works. And to Katee Robert, I'll say - Perseus and Eris were right there.

Thank you to the publisher Sourcebooks Casablanca for providing an audiobook ARC via NetGalley for an honest review.

Delicious and fast-paced. I knew I needed to read this after loving the second book in the Dark Olympus series and I was not disappointed. I am familiar with other retellings involving Achilles and Patroclus, but this one is definitely unique. It turns out I’m a sucker for their love and passion for each other. Throw in the stunning and fierce Helen and this was a wonderfully delicious (and steamy) story of power, love, and determination. I loved it! I hope there will be more in the series.

The coveted role of Ares, one of the powerful Olympus Thirteen, is up for grabs, but it won’t come easily. Competitors will have to go through 3 tough challenges in order to win. The powerful and driven Achilles is determined to win and brings along his friend and lover, Patroclus. But neither of them expect the ever stunning Helen, princess of Olympus, to be part of the prize of winning. Nor did they expect to both feel a fire when their paths cross hers. Uncertainty is high in Olympus, and they must all look out for themselves, but what happens when emotions run high?

I felt the narrators did a fantastic job and especially loved the use of a male and female voice for the multiple POVs.

Thank you NetGalley and Sourcebooks for early access to another Katee Roberts title!

Wicked Beauty is dazzling, sexy, and everything I didn't know I needed in this world. Achilles, Patroclus, and Hellen make a show-stopping triad, one that could only come from the brilliant mind of Robert. The Dark Olympus series has completely sucked me in!

I loved the narration on the audio book and hope to hear more from them!

Thank you Netgalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca for sending me an ARC of Wicked Beauty!

Wicked Beauty is the 3rd book in the Dark Olympus series. I enjoyed the first one but the 2nd and 3rd were both a little boring to me. Achilles, Patroclus , and Helen are the main characters in this 3rd novel. I do in general like Helen, and I liked Patroclus as well. I found Achilles to be a jerk. He is so full of himself and everything has to be about him ( though he does get a bit better by the end) . I do not have much to say about this book. I was bored through most of it. The only parts that really got my attention were the trails. The book was of course spicy, and that's about all I can say.

I def loved the audiobook way better than the book. It was a slow start with me with the book (the only thing I prob needed was a family chart) but i enjoyed the voice actors.

I have really enjoyed this series by Katee Robert. One of my issues with the Wicked Villains series was that every story felt exactly the same. This series, they feel different to me. Same universe, but actually different plots.
Electric Idol still remains my favorite so far, but this one is really close. I enjoyed Achilles, Patroclus, and Helen's relationship form and grow stronger as they realize how strong each of them is individually.

The author Katee Robert has a way of drawing the reader in the tale. The story is different and nothing like I anticipated- but it was sizzling. Wicked Beauty breaks down barriers between Helen, Achilles and Patroclus. While the triad trope isn’t one of my favorites, I still enjoyed the story and plot. The battlefield was intense and kept me on the edge of my seat!! It was interesting to get a glimpse of how the 13 Olympian’s behave with one another.
I very much enjoyed the narrators, Alex Moorcock & Zara Hampton-Brown. Together they elevated the story and created a wonderful performance of Helen, Achilles, and Patroclus.
A very special thanks to Dreamscape Media and Netgalley for the ALC.

Wicked Beauty
by Katee Robert

I received a digital copy of this audiobook book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I love a Greek mythology retelling. I had previously listened to the audiobook for Neon Gods the first book in this series and loved it. (Who doesn’t love a Hades and Persephone retelling?)

This book focuses on characters that are well known but that I generally knew less about - Helen of Troy, Achilles and Patroclus. In Katee Roberts version of Olympus the 13 primary ruling “gods” are more positions that are held by mortal individuals than actual individual immortals. Therefore to select the next Ares applicants must compete in a series of three trials that had a hunger games-esque quality to them.

Very LGBTQA+ positive. We have a fairly prominent non binary side character utilizing they/them pronouns. Patroclus has 2 moms and has a long term male partner and in case you couldn’t tell from the description we’re headed towards a polyamorous throuple in this plot.

Robert presents the relationships and characters in a way that is compelling, relatable and accessible even to someone who is not familiar with them in their daily life. This story is open door and high steam and yet still plot driven with captivating inner monologues from fully fleshed out characters. Trigger warnings - dead parents, dad murdered mom, manipulative siblings, history of emotional abuse as a child and in romantic relationships, bullying, abandonment/orphan.
Awesome book. I definitely want to hear more from Olympus. Sound quality and narration was great.
Bravo - 5/5

Oh my gosh I loved this one! It’s probably my favorite out of the Olympus series now. I loved the characters and the storyline, and can’t wait to add this one to my physical collection!

I LOVED THIS BOOK! The best way I can describe it is Katee Roberts meets The Goblet of Fire! This was my first Ménage à trois book and I really enjoyed how Roberts valued all of the components of the relationship. I really liked the ending however, the only reason I’m giving this book 4/5 stars is because there was no epilogue. I wanted them to enjoy themselves stress free for at least one chapter. Other than that it was a great book and I really enjoyed it!
The narrators are amazing and the guy did an amazing job doing both Achilles and Patroclus and being able to tell who’s POV it was without question! One thing I will say is I hope NetGally improves the app for better quality audiobooks!