I think katee has fallen into the trap of writing too many books, too fast. The writing is sloppy, the characters aren't dynamic, and the worldbuilding is lazy and honestly? more or less nonexistent. I'm not sure why these books remain popular, as there is no substance to them.

I'm a big fan of Robert's "Dark Olympus" stories. Yes, they are spicy but the political intrigue is just as much fun. This is one of my favourites of the series simply because the political plot shares the spotlight with the spice so well.

Katee Roberts delivers again with another scorchingly hot book in the Olympus series. Each installment keep getting better than the last as the enemies of Olympus close in.

This has been the most tame instalment of the Dark Olympus series so far. Considering it’s about a polyamorous relationship, that’s pretty impressive.

I wanted everything to be more exciting. The stakes were sky high but felt unoriginal. If everyone in the thirteen is fighting off literal death threats, it’s not exactly frightening to have Zeus threaten to kill off one of the thirteen. And we seem to be building to Minos actually doing something that he… never actually does?

It’s the same with the people in this relationship. None of them seem surprised they’re all pretty much attracted to each other - the surprise comes more from their desire to be emotionally involved. Which is great in an enlightened, emotionally intelligent romance novel, but isn’t exactly what one expects picking up a book in this series. Not to mention, it’s not exactly done well.

Predictable is to be expected in this series, but with the big swings Robert was taking (relationship-wise), I was expecting Cruel Seduction to be much less dull than it turned out to be. Please tell me I’m done with this series now; if Robert can make polyamory boring, nothing is safe.

Cruel Seduction by Katee Robert gives lots of feels with this love triangle on steroids. It follows Aphrodite (a.k.a. Eris) and her marriage to the new Hephaestus who murdered his way into the role. What can go wrong? Aphrodite is cunning and clever with her manipulations of the public opinion all while struggling with her ex Adonis, budding feelings for Hephaestus' sister Pandora and oh my could that be something other than hatred for her husband? Murder, mayhem, and romance the perfect summary of Olympus.

Katee Robert’s "Cruel Seduction" is a captivating masterpiece that effortlessly weaves together elements of romance, suspense, and emotional depth. From the first page, Robert's compelling storytelling draws you into a world where passion and intrigue reign supreme. The characters are richly developed, each with their own complex motivations and desires, making their journeys both relatable and enthralling. The plot twists are expertly crafted, keeping you on the edge of your seat until the very last page. Robert's ability to blend steamy romance with intense drama makes "Cruel Seduction" a must-read for fans of the genre. This book is a thrilling escape that leaves you yearning for more. Highly recommended!

I love this spicy mythological romance series from Katee Robert.

This one features Aphrodite and Hephaestus. And Adonis. And Pandora. As usual on Olympus, there are schemes and machinations that need to be de-escalated for our players to begin to appreciate one another. This one goes full poly at the end!

Not my favorite book of this series but the spice was nice. It felt a little longer than it should be.

Sadly, I am not enjoying the rest of this series as much as I enjoyed the first book in the series. I find myself skipping the spicy parts because they seem kind of repetitive. I also could not find a character I liked in this book. Thanks to Netgalley for letting me read this title in exchange for an honest review.

Definitely not my favorite from the series but still enjoyed the spice. There is way too much going on and different point of views. I feel like the book was longer than it needed to be.

This series has a chokehold on me and I reread every time there is a new book. Cruel Seduction lives up to the hype of all Katee Robert's books. The poly representation in this book is amazing. Highly recommend

there is nothing better than this series my god 😭 katee robert is the queen of my heart when it comes to greek mythology and romance wow

This book left me questioning some things - myself, Katee, the plot, the characters, just... a lot. I loved it. It was objectively terrible. There is so much happening and yet nothing at the same time. I don't particularly love Katee's style of writing, but I thought she did a great job developing a character arc here. I honestly don't know how to feel, even a few days after finishing the book lol.

This book was sexy and thrilling. The level of spice is exactly what I expect from Katee Robert novel. I loved the characters and would recommend to anyone looking for a modern Greek Olympic retelling.

I love that Katee Robert writes so many different characters. Volume five of the Neon Gods series is about a poly relationship between Aphrodite, the new Hephaestus, Adonis and Pandora. As always, Katee Robert has a wonderful writing style. This is easy to read, emotional and spicy. The erotic scenes are definitely not neglected here but there is still a good plot. This runs (partially) through almost all volumes and here we learn a little more about Mino's plans. However, many questions still remain unanswered.

All four characters were very well developed and it was easy to empathize with them all and understand their respective actions. You never lose track and the dynamic between everyone is very well portrayed. I like the interaction and the dialogues, so the feelings come across very well. All four are super different and yet they complement each other in their own way. The other characters of the Thirteen also appear again and you always learn a few new tidbits about the individual characters.

“Neon Gods: Aphrodite & Hephaestus & Adonis & Pandora” was another good book from this great series and I’m already looking forward to the next part. If you like Greek mythology and spicy books you should definitely check out the series.

As someone who loves action movies only slightly less than I love romance, this book hit an absolute homerun for me! The intricacy this series is building is phenomenal and my only complaint is having to wait for the rest of the books to come out. Twists and turns, heat and heart…it’s all there. Katee Robert is one of my all-time favorite authors for a reason and every single book she releases just cements that further!

I flew through this!! I really enjoyed this one and all the characters. Every book has so much story along with a healthy whopping of smut. I really enjoyed Pandora she's so witty and just caring. Aphrodite was super fun too as we're the men!

Thank you netgalley for the earc in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 rounded down

Katee Robert has crafted a compelling series within Dark Olympus, and this book had the makings of a great, messy and sexy retelling of Aphrodite and Hephaestus.

Aphrodite agreed to marry the new Hephaestus after he killed for the title. It's the opposite of a happy marriage, especially since Aphrodite is still entangled with her ex, Adonis, and drawn to Hephaestus' friend and foster sister, Pandora. When Hephaestus sets out to seduce Adonis for a bit of revenge, things get even messier.

Robert has an incredible talent at weaving fascinating and compelling interpersonal conflicts. The complicated and overlapping emotions present here are fun and titillating to read, especially as the connections between pretty much every character in the polyknot grow. (Pandora and Hephaestus are not attracted to each other and do not engage sexually with one another). When I read the trope of "open polyknot" I wasn't sold on the idea. I wanted it to be closed, but actually the book makes it work. While rushed in the way of books, the boundaries of the relationship are clearly and consensually laid out.

As for the overarching plot -- the danger to the members of the Thirteen is growing, with assassination attempts increasing in number. Hephaestus isn't suited for his new position's duties at all and is failing Minos, his adoptive father, in his secretive, overarching plot to take over Olympus.

However, as is the case with Katee Robert books, the book is 90% sex and relationship drama and 10% actual plot, all of which is resolved quickly and simply in the last 10% of the book. Some of the other books in the series strike a better balance between plot and sex/relationship drama, but this one was especially lopsided and the ending felt exceptionally rushed. I ended the book feeling like it ended prematurely.

But the relationship and sex drama was deliciously messy. I particularly liked the way Hephaestus and Adonis's relationship grew from mutual revenge to genuine connection.

I think perhaps I am done with the Mount Olympus series. I remember her first few actually being well written and clever, and the twists on the gods and demigods of Olympus being really inventive. Now it's just sex. Which I don't usually mind! But it's almost like Robert is writing for shock value as opposed to storytelling, or to just keep pushing the envelope in terms of how creative she can be with the sex scenes. I don't mind books that have a lot of sex and smut, but not when I feel like the writing has the potential to actually be good and support these scenes.

I have read some of Katee Roberts other books in the Dark Olympus series which I think have been fun and interesting and Cruel Seduction is equally fun (though probably not my favorite out of all the other books). It took me awhile to get into the premise and get a feel for the characters but I will say, the action starts RIGHT AWAY. There is never a dull moment in a Katee Roberts book which is partly why I enjoy them so much. Definitely recommend for a quick/easy read especially if you like Greek Mythology retellings.