Read This Book If…you love a good messy romance!

Please note: this was an ARC provided to me by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Genre: erotic romance
Series: Dark Olympus # 5
Spice Level: 4/5🌶, 3-4 explicit scenes
Setting: fictional city of Olympus
POV: multiple, 1st person, present tense
Tropes: arranged marriage, enemies to lovers, second chance romance, hate sex, injured/comfort, praise kink

What I Thought: This was definitely the most ambitious book in the Dark Olympus series so far! I love how every single one of Katee’s characters is queer and adding an open poly knot into the mix was really interesting. Because the plot was so fast-paced, I found myself wishing for a little more time with each of the characters and their individual relationships. I adore this series and can’t wait to see what (and who) is next!

Memorable Quote: “It’s not the heroes who slay monsters. They are too honorable.”

This has become one of my favorites in the Dark Olympus series! The build up from both Wicked Beauty and Radiant Sun play out really well here between Aphrodite and Hephaestus. I loved the political scheming taking place between Olympus and Minos and how it led to this marriage. Beyond the thrill of politics and unraveling of the Thirteen is the seduction, which oh my god is so hot. If there’s one thing you can expect from a Katee Robert book is to read the sexiest, most toe curling smut and this book delivers. I personally will be thinking about chapter 25 for the rest of my life, it was incredibly hot and sexy (honestly this whole book was).

Overall, I loved this book and highly recommend you read this one and the rest of the series if you haven’t already!

Read if you like…
•enemies to lovers
•political scheming
•modern Greek mythology
•polyamorous relationship
•multiple pov
•🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

Cruel Seduction is the 5th entry on Robert's Dark Olympus series and was just as spicy and fun as the rest of the series. However I think it was my least favorite. The novel was not bad but it felt unfinished. Obviously there's drama and danger afoot in the upper city and Robert is setting up her next book in the series but for me the relationships in this book don't feel even slightly resolved.

Cruel Seduction picks up directly after Radiant Sin with Theseus taking on the title of Hephaestus after murdering the old one. To quell panic and shore up an alliance with Theseus and foster father minors Aphrodite (Eris) is married to Theseus. The two clearly despise each other but underneath all that hate is passion. Complicating matters is Theseus's best friend Pandora and Eris's ex Adonis. Eris is attracted to Pandora and what starts as a mission to uncover Theseus's weaknesses blossoms into actual feelings between the two. Similarly Adonis and Theseus are also drawn together. Eris and Theseus also get to know each other and discover similar difficult childhoods ruled by domineering, abusive fathers. Eventually all four of them come together to form a poly relationship which is incredibly sweet but then the book just ends. I felt like the relationship was still developing and I wanted to know more.

I did really enjoy this book and and the conflict between the Olympians and Minos. It also seems like another major character will be introduced soon but no spoilers.

I highly recommend and I will be checking NetGalley for the next book ASAP

I was provided a free copy of this book through NetGalley.

Tropes: Marriage of Convenience, Second Chance, MMFF/Polyamorous Relationship, Revenge, Hurt/Comfort, Enemies to Lovers, Grumpy x Sunshine, Forced Proximity

TW: Attempted Murder, Murder, Violence, Blood, Child Abuse (Historical, Non-Graphic), Attempted Sexual Assault (Historical, Off-Page)

Thank you to NetGalley and SourceBooks for providing me with an E-ARC in exchange for my honest opinion!

This is the fifth book in this series. You can read this book as a standalone, but I recommend you read the series in order so you can understand the back story and drama more. In this book, we are following two couples: Aphrodite and Hephaestus | Adonis and Pandora.

Katee Robert is the QUEEN of representation and diversity. I have read a lot of Katee Robert books, and I feel like with this book, she outdone herself. This book is filled with drama and spice, but it was written so well. The enemies to lovers in this book was *chefs kiss*, absolutely one of my favorite things in this book. The open poly knot relationship was written perfectly. I thought I was going to be confused but I wasn't. When Hephaestus kept saying "my wife", I WAS SCREAMING. The revenge sex was HOT, I was literally sweating when reading. I felt the chemistry between everyone. I'm in love with this series, and I'm in love with Katee Robert. If you haven't read this series, stop what you're doing and read it now, you won't regret it! Now to wait until Midnight Ruin releases....I'm already counting down the days 🤣

Another great, steamy retelling of greek gods! This time with Aphrodite and Hephaestus. Can't wait for more stories to come in this series.

I love messy poly relationships between broken characters and Katee Robert wonderfully provides it in the fifth installment of the Dark Olympus series.

Hephaestus carried this book for me—his relationships with Adonis and Aphrodite were the perfect mix of sexy and tender and it was great to have a non-Olympian POV character for the first time. His struggles to find his identity within Olympus really helped him feel more fully realized and made the world-building stronger (something I was stoked to see again from "Radiant Sin").

On the other hand, Pandora was so underdeveloped by comparison which was a disappointment since she seemed like such an excellent character! It felt like a missed opportunity not to give her any real character growth or obstacles to overcome like the other POVs. While I did think the stakes felt higher in this book, there was still some overly repetitive emphasis on how dangerous Olympus is rather than highlighting it in a way where the audience actually feels the danger.

Overall, "Cruel Seduction" has solidified as my new favorite in this series and I can't wait to see what's in store for Eurydice, Orpheus, and Charon in book six!

Thanks to Sourcebooks Casablanca and NetGalley for the digital ARC!

I couldn't put this book down.
I just love it when the main characters are stubborn, morally grey but deep down they're so much more and oh boy...was this true for Eris and Theseus. (not Adonis and Pandora though, they are both cinnamon rolls)
I loved the multiple povs.
And the spice? Katee did it again...there was a particular scene that left me blushing and clutching my pearls. 😅
I can't wait for the next book in the series.

I'd like to thank Netgalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca for the arc of this book!

4.5/5 rounded up.

I don't even know how to write a professional review on this because all my thoughts are very *ahem* unprofessional. It was sexy, it was sweet, it was tense. This book focused a lot more on the plot and the politics of the world rather than just the smut. And while I love me some Katie Robert smut, I'm also enjoying learning more about the inside workings of the world and seeing more into the characters lives!

This was a great addition to the series, and honestly I don't see myself getting tired of this series any time soon. I will read Katee's grocery list if it included some spicy Olympians.

Aphrodite is not afraid to play dirty to get what she wants, and right now that means marrying Olympus’s number one enemy – Hephaestus. In order to keep him off balance, Aphrodite plans to seduce his best friend – Pandora. Pandora is just as beautiful as she is sweet.

Hephaestus isn’t afraid to play the same game as Aphrodite and it seems that seducing her ex, Adonis, would be the perfect solution. What he doesn’t plan on is falling for Adonis.

With so many hearts involved, feelings might get in the way. Hephaestus, Aphrodite, Pandora and Adonis, an unlike quartet, but can it work?

AH! I was so excited to get an arc of the next installment of the Dark Olympus series. It is one of my favorite series and I love it so much. I absolutely loved this book and I think that it is my favorite in the series. Wicked Beauty was probably my favorite before, but this one took the cake – it was just so good. I loved the enemies to lovers. Hephaestus and Aphrodite were both so wonderfully written, their story was fantastic. I loved how they were developed, and the story played out. I also loved Pandora and Adonis as well. It was a little jarring in the beginning to be thrown back into this world as there are the character names and titles and sometimes, they only go by the title. But once I got things situated in my brain, I was able to be fully immersed in the story and didn’t want to put the book down.

I highly recommend this one! You won’t be disappointed.

I am so happy to be gifted an e-arc of this book by Sourcebooks Casablanca, and Netgalley @Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Genre: romance influenced by Greek mythology

Aphrodite has agreed to marry the new Hephaestus, adopted son of Minos, as a way to keep him off-balance and destabilize his quest for power. Of course, he’s more than she’s bargained for. But then again, so is his best friend, Pandora. And Aphrodite’s ex-lover Adonis, always the most charismatic person in the room, may be exactly what Hephaestus is looking for. Only together can they attempt to thwart the assaination attempts and look for something all four of them can definite as a happily ever after (or for now), with two on each side of the power struggle for Olympus.

This one was always going to be messy, but if anyone could pull it off, it would be Katee Robert. While I think she’s been successful at what she set out to do, this may be my least favorite of the Dark Olympus books (but still four stars from me!). One thing I’ve loved about the series is Robert’s unique ability to dive into the psyches of her characters and give us their perspective on the crisis Olympus is facing along with the unexpected perils of falling in love. With four points of view, it becomes harder to dive as deeply into each perspective.

That said, Katee brings the heat, which is what you come to expect in this series. By 50% into the book, we get four bangs with different combinations of the characters. And as with all of the books in this series, gender identity and sexuality is all embraced. The questions around polyamory are “Will it work with these four characters” not “Will it work” or “is it acceptable.”

The early bang - which I know many readers love - does mean that most of the plot is shifted into the last 50% of the book. I’m not always a plot driven reader, but I felt adrift for the first half while I waited for the external plot to put pressure on the burgeoning relationships and to give me a little reminder of what’s going on with the rest of Olympus.

I don’t recommend starting with this one for your Dark Olympus journey - but you can start with any of the first 4 books to get you here.

Thank you to Sourcebooks Casablanca and NetGalley for an eARC for review. Cruel Seduction is out 8/8/23.

Book: Cruel Seduction by Katee Robert
Rating:⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Trope: Enemies to lovers, Marriage of convenience, Polygamy
Publication: 8th August 2023

Katee Robert is back with a new installment in the Dark Olympus series, and I want to express my admiration for this author for consistently delivering amazing stories in this highly popular series.

Cruel Seduction is a retelling of the Aphrodite and Hephaestus story, but let me assure you, dear readers, that you are not prepared for the intense passion and excitement this book will bring. Despite its fast pace, the story reaches a crucial point in the series where new characters in town are causing confusion and mistrust, ultimately posing a threat to Olympus. Now, it falls upon the thirteen individuals to take matters into their own hands and engage in powerful games. Aphrodite is prepared to play dirty and ensure the survival of Olympus, regardless of the cost or sacrifices she must make. Aligning herself with the enemy seems to be the only way forward, but no one anticipates the sensual twists this new relationship will take, rekindling hope for happiness that once seemed lost.

The plot and character development seamlessly transport readers into the world of Dark Olympus, and the unfolding narration is truly awe-inspiring.

Thank you NetGalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca for giving me the opportunity to review this ARC copy.

Cruel Seduction picks up right where the last Dark Olympus left off with Aphrodite marrying Theseus (aka the new Hephaestus). Aphrodite’s goal is to distract Hephaestus so that he can’t focus on whatever nefarious plans he has with his foster father, Minos. She does this by seducing Hephaestus’s best friend, Pandora. But it comes back to bite her as Hephaestus plays the same game by seducing Aphrodite’s ex, Adonis.

The storyline continues from the previous couple books with Minos moving his secret plan forward to destroy Olympus. But not a lot actually happens in this book to move the plot forward. It kind of felt like it could be a filler book between Dark Olympus 4 and 6 with sex scenes being the main focus. Which, no real complaints here. Just good to know before jumping in.

Katee Robert really said "Oh, you want messy??" and then she delivered it beautifully.

MF, FF, MM, MFM (DVP!!)

Aphrodite agrees to a political marriage to Theseus because 'keep your friends close and your enemies closer' and what's closer than marriage? They straight up hate each other. She decides to seduce his best friend, Pandora. He teams up with her jilted ex, Adonis, to not make her look bad. And then, oops, sex ensues between a lot of different parties. And then, double oops, now feelings are also involved.

And of course, all of this is happening while the crazy politics of Olympus is going on in the background.

I love the polyamorous group dynamics in this one, especially because it is a little more nuanced than some relationships I've seen depicted as polyam. However, my biggest complaint is with Pandora and Aphrodite's relationship. I wish it had been more developed and given the same attention as the other relationships. The Aphrodite/Theseus/Adonis situation was given way more depth and it felt like Pandora was just a convenient addition to the drama rather than a relationship that made sense.

So, overall, I do not think this was my favorite from the series. Nevertheless, I am still so invested in this crazy world that Katee has put together. (And truly, all of the little nuggets related to Zeus/Hera… I am so excited to finally get their story)

Another great read. I love this series. I love katees writing and clear and distinct each character is.


As always, we get a beautifully done polyam! But Lord, was it messy getting there.


Eris and Theseus are Aphrodite and Heaphestus respectfully. Bound for a marriage of power and control, neither wants to be in.

Eris has Adonis, and Theseus has more important things to be concerned with than The Thirteens Darling.

Eris throws her whole being into xaring for the people of her city, and even if they mean losing the man, she'll never admit she loves to marry the one she can't stand she'll do it.


But when these rivals start playing close to home, it gets MESSY AF!!!!

No one gets out unharmed.


I will say Pandoras character seems less main character energy and more body to be fucked.


Aphrodite could absolutely step on my next

{4.5 stars, rounded up} CRUEL SEDUCTION • Katee Robert • Pub Date: August 8, 2023

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for an eARC in exchange for an honest review. This book is the eagerly awaited FIFTH installment in the Dark Olympus series. If you have not started this series yet, stop reading this review and go pick up the first book (Neon Gods) right now! These books are a delicious combination of romance and smut with some thriller-vibes (aka a love story with an intriguing, fast-paced plot and some STEAMY sex scenes).

Abridged Goodreads Synopsis: Aphrodite has never flinched at getting her hands dirty, and she's not about to start now—even if that means marrying Olympus's enemy number one, the new Hephaestus. She has a wicked plan to keep her deadly new husband off-balance, seducing the one person he seems to care about most in this world: Pandora, a woman as beautiful as she is sweet. Two can play the seduction game, however, and Hephaestus is all too happy to put his new wife in her place. Her ex, Adonis, seems like he'll do the trick. The only problem with using seduction as a weapon? Hearts are all too quick to get involved. But a broken heart may be the least of their worries. With unrest in Olympus reaching new heights, these bedroom games may have deadly consequences for themselves, their city, and everyone they've come to love.

Within 10% of this book, I quickly realized this was book going to become my favorite in the series. The stakes in Olympus are HIGH. The political tension had me stressed in the best way! Robert does not forgo the romance either. This book has the perfect balance of plot and character development as we get to watch this polyamorous relationship unfold after Aphrodite ends her on-again, off-again relationship with Adonis to enter into a marriage of convenience with Hephaestus. From there, things get wickedly messy. This book may also be the steamiest book to-date.

TL;DR: Read this book if you like marriage of convenience, enemies to lovers, multifaceted characters, second chance romance, open relationships, political tension, revenge plots, etc.

Thank you to Sourcebooks Casablanca and Katee Roberts for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

This was a solid book, but I honestly was expecting more from it. After the events of the last book, it felt like the overall plot was really picking up. There were so many questions at the end of Radiant Sin and I couldn’t wait to dive in and see what this meant for Olympus. However, this book did very little to advance the plot. It was mostly smut with a bit of plot added to the side. Also, the lack of Hermes hurt the book in my opinion. She was built up and had such a role in the last book, that he absence was really felt. I did like Theseus’ journey and the bits of insight we got into Ariadne, Icarus, and the Minotaur, I just wish we had gotten more!

Cruel Seduction was messy af, and I absolutely ate it up! This is my first book by Katee Robert, even though it's the fifth book in the Dark Olympus series. It can be read as a standalone, but I think I would appreciate it even more if I read the rest of the series.
The beginning was a bit confusing, which I expected because as I said I haven't read the other books but it didn't bother me that much. The chemistry between the characters was amazing and I loved the interactions and connections as they were forming. There was a little bit of everything - enemies to lovers, second chance, arranged marriage, lgbtq+ rep.
I was in a slump, and this was exactly what I needed to get me out of it! Now I can't wait to go back and read the series from the beginning. Highly recommend to check out this series if you haven't already.
Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This installment of Robert's romance-mythology retelling is high in drama, suspense, and a really really really slow-burn side plot. At first I was not enjoying the "forced to marry my enemy" trope and the games being played on both sides of the marriage, lukewarm sex scenes didn't help either, but I warmed up to the characters as their stories progressed. What I couldn't get over was the super stretched out side plot that Robert's has employed from the beginning of this series. I'm ready for the end of Olympus already (a.k.a. the not so secret side plot) and don't even need all the Gods/Goddesses to get a retelling at this point.

Cruel Seduction is book 5 in the Dark Olympus series by Katee Robert. I have read all of the other books in this series and have enjoyed all of them. I have read many other Katee Robert books so for me she is an instant buy. If you want to find your gateway into romance with darker themes and taboo she is the author to try.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Polyamorous Romance

I appreciate the author representing love in all its forms. Spicy scenes 🥵 MM, FM, FF, MFM

I felt that this book was not as good as the other books in the Dark Olympus series. There was just so much going on. The book could have been longer and we would have had more time to really bond with he characters more. There wasn’t the same level of passion that we felt during other books in the series.

Pandora was more of a side character. It was almost as if she was just added in, and didn’t necessarily fit into the relationship as much as Aphrodite, Hephaestus, and Adonis did.

Aphrodite marries the new Hephaestus in order to keep an eye on him. But they end up way more tangled than they could have imagined. Aphrodite hopes to be able to distract citizens with gossip, but assassination attempts on the Thirteen are rampant in the city, and it puts everyone in danger.