
Member Reviews

I enjoyed this new book in the series by Katee Robert.
It is a universe I know and love and it was great to be back and get glimpse of the previous couples. I have not read book 3 and 4 but Katee Robert does a great job at reminding the reader what is happening.
This book was entertaining and hot but I would have expected a bit more: more spicy time, more development in the characters. I feel like the characters moved too fast in their feelings with each other and some resolution of the conflict happened too quickly.
A great polyamory story nonetheless.

An exciting installment to the Dark Olympus series, this one has a mix of enemies to lovers, poly, and I guess, even 2nd chance romance. The relationships are well set-up, though the Aphrodite/Pandora connection seemed to go pretty fast. She is kind of the odd one out, as the other 3 have their own knot.
Tbh, I was actually expecting this to have more spicy scenes than there were, being a poly story, but it was interesting to have an equal focus on the forming relationships outside the bedroom.
I enjoyed the chaotic aftermath of Minos' crew's actions, and I feel like it will keep going like this, more peril for the 13 coming.

I started this book and I couldn't put it down! I HAD to finish it in one sitting.
This series is getting better and better with each book: they are spicy, fun, romantic and with an amazing sub-plot that links all the books together.
Everytime I finish a Katee Robert book I need to start the next one because they are just so entertaining!
The title gives so much on what is going to happen in the book! Expect a lot of hate sex and complicated emotions to deal with.
All the characters bring something to the table and they are so different from one another. And that's what makes them perfect for each other. Aphrodite, Hephaestus, Adonis and Pandora are a little bit of a mess, but how they love and care about each other it's so heartwarming.

I cannot stress this enough, I am most definitely ✨obsessed✨ with Katee Robert. I have read and own everything she has written. She could tell me to fuck off and I would STILL grovel at her feet and beg to read her grocery list. ANYWAYS, per usual, I LOVED this book. Hephaestus has always been a favorite of mine and I truly enjoyed seeing a side of him that is rarely (if ever) portrayed.

3.75stars--CRUEL SEDUCTION is the fifth full-length instalment in Katee Robert’s contemporary, adult DARK OLYMPUS erotic, romance series-a modern retelling of the gods and goddesses of Olympus. This is Aphrodite aka Eris, Hephaestus aka Theseus, Pandora and Adonis’ story line. CRUEL SEDUCTION can be read as a stand alone but for back story and cohesion, I recommend reading the series in order as there is an ongoing premise throughout.
NOTE: CRUEL SEDUCTION is a story focusing on a polyamorous relationship including several same $ex situations, with multiple partners.
Told from four first person perspectives (Aphrodite, Hephaestus, Pandora and Adonis) CRUEL SEDUCTION follows in the aftermath of the marriage of convenience between Aphrodite and Hephaestus. Our couple are the newest members of the ruling Thirteen, and someone is pulling the strings behind the scenes. By marrying Aphrodite, Hephaestus all but secures his place in the hierarchy of Olympus but Hephaestus never expected to fall in love with the woman that pushes all of his buttons. Hephaestus reputation as a killer has earmarked him for assassination but targeting his wife means the possibility of two openings on the ruling Thirteen. Meanwhile, Aphrodite’s ex Adonis fears for Aphrodite’s life, and Hephaestus’ best friend Pandora is falling in love with Aphrodite. As Aphrodite and Hephaestus begin to navigate their acrimonious relationship, Adonis and Pandora will round out the four-some, ensuring a tight knit bond for security, protection and love.
The world building continues to focus on the fight for a position with the ruling Thirteen-think of it as the leaders of the strongest Thirteen crime families forging together to make the rules, and enforce their power and control but there is always someone else waiting for a seat at the table-death either by assassination or natural causes, is one way to take take the power from someone else.
The relationship between Aphrodite and Hephaestus aka Eris and Theseus is tempestuous at best. Eris and Theseus despise one another-Eris believes Theseus has targeted her for extermination but Theseus is a dead man walking as his reputation as a killer has made him persona non-grata, and at the top of everybody’s hit list. As our couple slowly set themselves on a path towards love, Adonis and Pandora find that they too, want to be part of the relationship with everyone else. The $ex scenes are erotic, provocative and intense with scenes of multiple partners and same $ex situations.
There is a large ensemble cast of colorful, powerful and questionable secondary and supporting characters many of who we have met in the previous story lines. We are re-introduced to Theseus adopted brothers Minotaur and Icarus, and their foster father Minos, all of whom has their eye on the ultimate prize.
CRUEL SEDUCTION is a story of betrayal and vengeance, power and control, obsession and madness, acceptance and love. The premise is detailed and entertaining but is often waylaid with the numerous first-person narrators such that I had to go back to double-check as to identity of the current speaker; the romance is passionate and steamy; the characters are struggling, embattled, determined and desperate. CRUEL SEDUCTION ends on a happily ever after-for now, there is no resolution in the fight for control.
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If Katee is writing it- I am reading it. If Katee is writing it- I am loving it. And that’s really all there is too it.
This book was unlike any of the others in the series in the way that I had NO idea where this was heading at all. No one could have prepared me for the ending?!?!? I’m conflicted on feeling proud of Eris and Theseus and also feeling slightly disappointed. I really want more at the end with all 4 of them rather than it ending with that. I would do ANYTHING for a short story or novella with them !!!!!!!
Overall, this book is HOT. Katee is the smut queen imo. I loved the polyamory in this book and I know that’s such a taboo thing, but hear me out!!!!! You fall in love with them and it all just makes sense. It’s meant to be. I love them. I love this book. I love this series. I love Katee Robert.
I cannot wait for the complete series to be out in the world

I love these books! The characters are amazing but it’s the background politics and shenanigans that intrigues me the most. I need to know how this will end.
The open poly knot? dynamic is interesting. I liked getting to know them all. And my heart goes out to them all. Theseus/Hephaestus won my heart.
10/10

I really enjoyed this 5th installment (cant believe we're already at book 5!!!) of the Dark Olympus series. I love Katee Robert and her writing so much. Each book in this series is unique, fun, and hot. The worldbuilding is easy to understand yet so well done and simple. I will keep coming back to this series as long as Ms. Robert keeps writing them. Cruel Seduction is dedicated to people who love mess and while yes, this story was messy, I loved every singe second of it.

I flew through this book. I love Greek Mythology and all of her other books in this series. This one was just as smutty and good to read.

This book has a lot going on: It’s at once an enemies-to-lovers (Aphrodite/Hephaestus) and second chance (Aphrodite/Adonis) MMFF open polyamorous romance. I’ll admit that why-choose/poly romances are near the bottom of my list of favorite tropes, but Katee has always done a fantastic job of letting each individual character shine in this kind of dynamic—and Cruel Seduction is probably the best example to date.
Getting inside Aphrodite’s head was a lot of fun, namely because she hasn’t been shy about causing her own brand of trouble. That said, Cruel Seduction shows a different side to her—one where it’s obvious she cares about her family, her fellow citizens, and her role as the matchmaker of Olympus. On the other side of this equation is Theseus, and I was gobsmacked by how much I enjoyed his character. These two have a little bit of a grumpy/sunshine and opposites-attract dynamic because Aphrodite is used to the spotlight and Theseus wants everyone to leave him alone so he can go brood in his own little corner. Considering he was one of the main antagonists in Wicked Beauty, I was not ready to fall so head-over-heels for him. What can I say? I have a type. He cares deeply about his best friend, Pandora, and he’s working hard to adjust to life in the spotlight. And that’s not the only major change he’s dealing with. The once promising warrior must now come to terms with the fact that he’ll walk with a limp for the rest of his life, thanks to his little run-in with Helen.
Adonis is Aphrodite’s ex, and he knows exactly what the game is when Hephaestus seduces him, but he’s genuinely attracted to Theseus and there’s no denying they have plenty of chemistry. Even better, we see a softer side to Theseus in these moments, and I found myself enjoying their time together immensely. Of course, Aphrodite can’t turn a blind eye to what her husband is doing, and so she seduces Pandora in retaliation. But like Theseus and Adonis, Pandora’s not ignorant to what’s really happening, nor is she immune to their wild chemistry. Though Theseus and Pandora are strictly platonic, it still rankles him to see his best friend with his wife—not to mention one of the Thirteen. But this also serves to show us a softer side of Aphrodite as well. There’s something so gentle and feminine about these two when they’re together.
When I heard the title of the book was named Cruel Seduction, I wasn’t sure how I’d feel about the dynamic.
Though there were some hurt feelings here and there, no one ever crossed a line that I didn’t think they could realistically come back from. Better yet, everyone had their own roles and individual relationships that melded into a dynamic that works for all of them.
Last, but certainly not least, this book advances the overall mystery and plot of the Dark Olympus series. Not only do we learn more about Minos’ backstory and get more of a peek at his other children—Icarus, Ariadne, and the Minotaur—but it also pulls back the curtain a little bit on the lore surrounding Olympus. It seems only fitting that a book centered around Eris would kick the chaos up a notch, and just like in the last two novels, there will be major consequences for what happens in Cruel Seduction.

Thank you to NetGalley, Sourcebooks, and the author of this ARC which I received in exchange for an honest review!
The queen has done it again. Katee Robert never fails me and always delivers amazing books; this one was no different. I loved that she explored polyamory in Cruel Seduction and that each of the members of the poly knot at one point or another were enemies. The amount of hate s*x in this book was insane but I loved every second of it!
Something I have always enjoyed about the Dark Olympus series is all of the political side plots and I felt like this book had so much of it in there. Honestly, I think this one had more political plot lines than smut! Not a bad thing at all.
The only reason I gave Cruel Seduction 4 stars instead of 5 stars is because I felt like the book was a tad bit longer than it needed to be.

I’m loving this series more and more with each book. It’s hard to pick a favorite because they are all different and special in their own way. It’s so addicting. Each character is different and it’s so hard not to root for them, even if they are supposed to be the villain of the story.
From the first page this story pulls you in and it’s not a normal couple in this book, we have polyamorous MMFF relationship. It was the first time I read something like this and fell in love. We start off with an arranged marriage with 2 people that hate each other but are in love with someone else. It was well written and the messiness amongst these characters was everything. Trust me when I say this mess is the best kind.
Olympus is under attack by an unknown source. The heads would do anything to save their city, there is nothing that they would not do to protect their people. But does that mean losing who you are in the process or losing the person/people you love. What would you do for your home?
I need the rest of this series. It’s killing me to find out who is attaching them. We are getting little hints in each book but I haven’t been able to put it together. The books I’m looking forward to are Zeus and Hera aaaaaand Hermes! Like I can’t wait!
Received this ARC for my honest review and opinion.

This is another "win" for Katee Robert and the entire Dark Olympus series. Robert approaches relationships in a way that no other romance author does, and this was a ride from start to finish. Fans of the series will love this next installment!

The Dark Olympus series continues with Cruel Seduction and, much like the rest of the series, this does not disappoint. Here we get Eris' (Aphrodite) story and explore her marriage with the new Hephaestus and her relationships with Adonis and Pandora. The storyline that began in Neon Gods, with an outsider threatening the stability of Olympus, continues through Cruel Seduction, this time giving us more insight and more of a stake in the political game. The political intrigue is paired well with the blossoming polyamorist relationship of the book's four core characters.
Though Cruel Seduction was not my favorite of the series, it was perfectly steamy and advanced the ultimate plotline of the series very well.

Katee Robert is phenomenal at what she does. The spice is amazing. It’s Aphrodite so of course it is but oh it’s so much more. I read this in a day, less than maybe 8 hours. It’s so easy to devour, because it’s nearly impossible to put down.

Has this been my most anticipated instalment since Katee announced all the pairings? Yes, yes it was. Did it deliver? Oh yes, yes it did. The idea of managing four characters and their interlocking relationships as friends and lovers – only Katee could manage something like this!
Check out my more detailed thoughts below…
Characters: This book features a poly knot of four characters: Aphrodite, Hephaestus, Adonis, and Pandora. Olympus’ current Aphrodite is Eris of the powerful Kaitos clan. Her brother is Zeus and her sister is Ares. I have wanted to be in Eris’ head for so damn long! She is such an interesting character and I loved getting to see different sides of her through how others perceive her along with how she sees herself. You get a different side of Eris with her family and her lovers, she is not just some stilted ice queen. She is loyal, determined and the type of person who avoids feeling or seeming like she needs someone. I loved seeing the cracks in her armour and how others cared for her. Her husband is Hephaestus, a role in which Minos’ adoptive son Theseus killed for. I didn’t know what to expect, but he was a pretty dynamic character. I am looking forward to getting to know more of Mino’s brood of adopted children. Adonis is in this story in a role that mimics his of the Greek myths, he’s Aphrodite’s lover. I really loved his character and his fierce loyalty to Eris. The final character Pandora felt refreshingly different than her mythological counterpart, plus I loved her dynamic with Aphrodite.
Setting: Olympus politics are heating up and I live for it! This world is getting thrown for a loop. I love the wider cast of characters so much and how Katee always starts dropping easter eggs for future instalments. I cannot wait to read the next one about Eurdyices, Orpheus, and Charon.
Pacing: This story was riveting as I read it in just a few days. Every time I think the stakes are high, Katee finds a way to raise them.
Romance: What I loved about the makeup of all the relationships is what I tend to notice in these poly romances. It is very apparent in the Adonis and Aphrodite relationship, for example, that they didn’t make sense as a pair – almost that something was missing. This book just like every book in this series, and basically every Katee Robert book I have read is just incredibly hot. The nature of the poly knot meant you get a variety of combinations, making for some hot sex scenes. Katee always does a good job balancing the toe-curling hot sex with the emotional side of navigating a non-monogamous relationship. These characters really had to go through a loop to embrace happiness in non-monogamy.

“We will always have power for the sake of who we are, but that doesn’t mean it has to own us and our actions. We get to choose now.”
With a secret of the thirteen now revealed for the public, Olympus is in unrest and there are power plays happening at every turn. In an effort to keep her enemies close, Aphrodite will marry the current number one enemy in Olympus, the new Hephaestus. Though joined, they haven’t given up the battle for the upper hand and everyone can play the game with Adonis and Pandora involved.
I will never get enough of this series! What a glorious mess these four make when their emotions get tangled up in their schemes. I loved the way these characters balanced each other and getting to see them bond and their loyalty tested. The overarching story of this series is so intriguing, I am always jumping for the next installment. As always, Katee Robert delivers so much passion and tension with the spice!
You’ll Find —
Marriage of Convenience
Enemies to Lovers
Mythology Retelling
Thank you to NetGalley, Sourcebooks, and Katee Robert for the gifted digital review copy!

I received an arc for this from the awesome folks at netgalley! Thank you Netgalley & Katee for allowing me to review another one of your stories :D
Okay, so first off - I was really excited for this one! I love the Hephaestus x Aphrodite trope. This is surprising because I actually am a huge stan of Aphrodite x Ares. ANYWAYS - pushing my Greek mythology love aside - I was very curious about the add-ons of Pandora and Adonis! They work based on the mythology behind them. I also really like how they incorporated Hephaestus' bad leg which is often mentioned in classic texts.
So, before Radiant Sin - I felt like you could read the first three out of order and it really didn't matter because you wouldn't miss anything. That each one could technically stand on their own. Katee does a good job of explaining her world-building in each book so you can. However, to enjoy this one - I would say you need to read book 3+4 (Wicked Beauty & Radiant Sin) to get the best of this book. Wicked Beauty only for some context on Hephaestus, but for sure Radiant Sin because this follows that plot a lot closer.
I liked the dynamics of all the couplings in this. Mostly Hephaestus & Aphrodite, but I thought each relationship was special in its own way. But if you asked me which relationship I was more interested or intrigued about - it was Hephaestus and Aphrodite. I felt the character development for these two was better focused (which I don't find surprising as they were part of the "13") But it gave the relationship buildup more of an edge than the others. Again, liked them all.
As time went on in the series, I stopped being a fan so much of how the 13 came into power, but I actually feel like Katee fixed that with this series. There is a lot of spice in this series with a lot of diverse relationships going on, in Katee's style. I feel like this is similar to Wicked Beauty and not as intense as Court of the Vampire Queen.
This is still a standalone regarding these characters and focusing on them, but this is part of a much bigger storyline - so you won't get all the answers in this book and you might get lost if you read this first out of the series - so keep that in mind if you're interested in this series.
I will continue the series with Midnight Ruin. There is some foreshadowing in this about them.... and I am so excited!!!

The fifth book in this hotter-than-hades series did not disappoint bringing all the things we've come to love and expect from the author in Dark Olympus.
The plots, twists, and turns always keep my on my toes in regards to who's with her, who's scheming against who and in the end how will our favorites, villains and antiheroes alike find their HEA!

I've been enjoying this series so far and the premise for this one was enemies to lovers which is a favorite trope of mine. It seemed clear to me fairly early on that the marriage between Aphrodite and Theseus/Hephaestus was going to lead to some polyamory, so, if that's not for you skip this one. This is as spicy if not more spicy than all of Katee Roberts other books. I really enjoyed watching the relationships build in this one and look forward to see where this series will go next.