I don't know how she keeps doing it, but K Robs has managed to make me fall in love with even more of Olympus' key players.

I really enjoyed the female narrator, the male didn't feel like he quite fit the part, but I still very much loved the story!

This time, we're following Eris/Aphrodite as she chooses to marry her enemy, the newly appointed Hephaestus, in a bid to find out his game plan after he claimed the title by triggering the assassination clause. This new relationship means leaving Adonis, a man she loved, but she will break her own heart and his, for the good of Olympus.

Who freaking knew that I'd come to have a sweet spot for fricking Theseus? The man is all tough exterior and soft marshmallow centre lol. Speaking of soft marshmallow, Pandora 😍 I loved getting to know her, and I adore her determination to take care of those she loves. I really enjoyed getting to see behind the curtain of these characters we've previously seen who present such an unruffled exterior to the public. Eris thought she knew what she wanted, and felt she needed to follow in her father's footsteps to protect Olympus at all costs. And sweet Adonis. Ugh. Just love him! Put all four of them together and you have a recipe for the sweetest, most loyal and protective, and sexiest foursome I've read to date 🥵🥰

I cannot wait for the next instalment in Olympus!

Myth: 4/5

A messy revenge seduction on both sides. I loved how true this story stuck to the disaster that is Aphrodite and Hephestus. Starting with an arranged marriage and leading to revenge seduction that gets complicated quickly, the four main characters finding their way in this polyamorous knot were a delight.

Magic: N/A

Like the other books in this series, it’s about the political machinations of the 13 who rule Olympus. A supernatural barrier around the city is mentioned, but it is a longer-term plot point, not part of this immediate story.

Overall: 4/5

A little more of the big plot, a lot more of Aphrodite, Adonis, Hephestus, and Pandora. This was definitely a marry first, feeling later story, and the anger at the oncoming feelings was just wonderfully done.

"𝑻𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒔𝒊𝒕𝒖𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝒊𝒔 𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒚 𝒔𝒕𝒓𝒂𝒏𝒈𝒆." "𝑾𝒆𝒍𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒆 𝒕𝒐 𝒑𝒐𝒍𝒚𝒂𝒎𝒐𝒓𝒚."

I've just finished this gem and maaaaan! It's a GOOD one!

Firstly, thank you Netgalley and Dreamscape Media for sending me the audio ARC in trade for an honest review. I very much appreciate it.

I loved the book! It felt very different from the previous Dark Olympus books. Not less salacious but much more funny and enticing (plot wise).

I loved all four Main characters and how they figured out their polyarmorous relationship.

"𝑴𝒂𝒚𝒃𝒆 𝒂 𝒕𝒓𝒂𝒅𝒊𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒂𝒍 𝒓𝒆𝒍𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒔𝒉𝒊𝒑 𝒋𝒖𝒔𝒕 𝒊𝒔𝒏'𝒕 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒖𝒔?"

No 👏 it 👏 f*cking 👏isn't! 👏

Aside from - you know - just being hilarious and scorchingly hot to read, the plot was mindblowingly good! 💥Mostly, I read Katee Robert for the pleasure *cough* of it, 🥵💦 But this book took the cake! It fed me with a deep dive into the world and politics of Dark Olympus, along with all the intrigue, plotting and machinations attached. And our four heroes thrown right into it. Love it. 💞 Totally recommend for Katee Robert fans and anyone who looks for a steamy read with a story. I also really liked that you could read it without knowing the previous books!

The narration was also VERY good! I've heard the audiobooks of Neon Gods and Electric Idol, and hated them (narration wise) but this one was marvelous. 👏 Bravo! 👏

While I did enjoy this book, it wasn't my favorite in the series. I liked the characters; however, the relationship complications just made my head hurt. I liked the plot at times, but then it got to be too much plot for me where it took away from the relationships and characters. I did like the narrators a lot, and think it really helped me get through this one to listen to the audiobook. I do wish the male narrators were more distinct for both the male POVs. It wasn't easy to know which perspective I was listening from, except when one of them kept saying "my wife" instead of using her name. But I did enjoy the audiobook overall. I'm looking forward to continuing this series and seeing where it goes from here.

Cruel Seduction follows Aphrodite, Hephaestus (formerly Theseus), Pandora, and Adonis. Aphrodite and Hephaestus are coerced into an arranged marriage due to politics and family ties. As they struggle to navigate the balance of power between them, the Olympians are being targeted in the city due to a newly revealed assassination clause. Pandora (Theseus' best friend) and Aphrodite have an unconventional first meeting, yet can’t seem to stay away from each other. Aphrodite initially seeks to use Pandora against Hephaestus. Adonis reunites with his ex Aphrodite after a painful break-up. Hephaestus schemes with Adonis on how to handle Aphrodite. Will Aphrodite and Hephaestus negotiate a truce to survive the Olympian chaos together?

Katee Robert does an incredible job of always including LGBTQ+ rep in their books and it makes me so happy!! There is so much queer joy here and they explore the dynamics of the open poly knot in a beautiful way. I loved the emphasis on how important communication is. The focus was always on supporting each other and learning who could best provide what was needed in a situation. Pandora has a great personality and I loved how she refused to do anything other than go after what (and who) she wants. Aphrodite and Hephaestus (Theseus) have so many steamy scenes that are lightning-charged with tension as they explore the power dynamic between them. Adonis provides an important balance for Hephaestus and Aphrodite; he has a very caring and calm personality.

Katee Robert puts their characters through it and I loved the moments of genuine vulnerability the characters share (Particularly THE hurt/comfort moment with Aphrodite.) Hephaestus’ energy of “I’m the only one who gets to kill you” was both hilarious and heartwarming. I also enjoyed when he was internally trying to decide if he wants to get to know Adonis more and thinks: “I don’t even like him!” It’s the classic trope of a character wondering why they’ve got heartburn when falling in love and Katee Robert nails it. I really enjoyed the cameos of other characters from the Dark Olympus series and look forward to seeing what happens next in Olympus!

Readers who enjoy the arranged marriage trope (but only so they can make each other miserable and then begrudgingly fall for each other), open poly knot rep, fantastic LGBTQ+ rep, and hurt/comfort will love Cruel Seduction. I listened to the audiobook and the narrators did an excellent job with the character voices and making them distinct. I feel like Alex Moorcock is the new Steve West of audiobook narrators! Check out Cruel Seduction and the Dark Olympus series if you like scorching romance, mythology retellings with spice, and unputdownable reads!

Thank you so much to Katee Robert, Dreamscape Media, and Netgalley for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

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

Thank you NetGalley and Sourcebooks. I received a copy of this eARC/eALC in exchange for an honest review.

Immediate thing I love and appreciated from this audio is listing off the trigger and content warnings. More often than not, it still seems so rare to have the CW/TW noted in the audio versions. Enjoyed the narrators. For those who have been following the series, it's the same narrators from the rest of Katee's Dark Olympus series. I don't think it will take away from anything as long as you're not binging the books back to back. And even if you are, you can probably adjust the speed to give different pitches. The narrators are very soothing.

Please note this review will also be updated with a link to additional review and discussion on August 14th with the podcast episode goes live for ACOFAE: A Podcast (A Court of Fandoms and Exploration) that I was able to review and discuss with podcast co-host. We have episodes for each of the Dark Olympus series books and are already excited for Midnight Ruin.

Book #5 of Dark Olympus is very much a “Oh – if it’s not the consequences of my own actions.” By the time you’ve gotten to this book, it’s definitely not a standalone, but you should have read the four previous books leading up to it. If you’ve read the books prior to this, a lot of what was going on made sense because it’s the natural course of action once it had been exposed (to a degree) of how to replace members of The Thirteen. Everyone has a hit out for them it feels like. Even if the citizens don’t know the fullest extent, what they do know they believe they’re doing the right thing.

As with all Katee books in Dark Olympus, this has a ton of spice, but it doesn’t take away from the story. Truthfully, you could take the spice out and it’s fine. Also with this series, Katee continues to make sure this world is inclusive and diverse.

That being said, Katee does a good job in the MuseWatch recap right before Cruel Seduction begins to remind the reader some of the key highlights to remember up to this point of what is happening in the world of the Dark Olympus series, so it doesn’t feel like you need to reread all the books to remember what is going on.

Another thing I really appreciated was the clarification of who everyone is. So many characters that we’ve been introduced to have their given names and then their new names when in a new role and the way it was laid out in this book, the clarification and how things were interchanged helped so much.

This book has 4 POVs from our poly relationship (Aphrodite, Hephaestus, Adonis and Pandora.) The multiple POVs isn’t confusing and doesn’t take away from anything either. It will be curious to see how this will move the plot along in the series because right now, it does feel like “well of course these things would have happened” in regards to the politics and the outcome of the public knowing.

3.5 Stars

This series is always loads of fun- with the delectable spice, mythological references, and all the olympus world drama, I always know I'm going to have a good time. No matter the pairings, or GROUPINGS, I always look forward to seeing where Katee is going to take the story. Cruel Seduction continues the journey, though I must say it didn't feel quite like the seduction I'm used to with the series or with Katee Robert. In the last book, I felt that the story was getting a bit lost in itself, and that really played out with Cruel Seduction. With four main characters, I expected a lot of fun group time....and a mostly character focused story. But this story felt heavily mired in the politics of this world, not quite as mythologically tight as I'm used to with the series, and oddly I felt like I needed our characters together more to truly invest in their chemistry. Of course, I still flew this and the audio is really well done, but this didn't quite have the allure this series has had for me, and I hope it can find it's way back to it's core before we get too lost in all the New Olympus politics.

Katee Robert could publish her grocery list and I would eat it up, but there's something about the Dark Olympus series that's extra enjoyable. Cruel Seduction was no exception. Marriage of convenience, enemies to lovers, and another fresh take on a poly dynamic - not to mention narrators I could listen to all day. As long as Katee keeps putting these books out, I'll keep devouring them like my life depends on it.

Katie Robert's books are such a joy. When I saw that I as approved for the ALC of this book I dropped everything to start it immediately. Aphrodite, Hephaestus, Adonis and Pandora are all so well balanced in the story. Hephaestus was the character that I thought would be the hardest to connect with coming out of Radiant Sin but I was so wrong! I really enjoyed the poly aspects of this book. This book is exceptionally hot like all of her books! I'm also really liking the political backdrop and expanding story of the world of Olympus. I can't wait to read the next book!

Every time it’s time to go back to Olympus, I get so excited! This story had so many moving parts and pieces, so nothing was EVER boring. From hate to heartbreak to just simple lust, this retelling of Aphrodite, Hephaestus, Adonis, and Pandora had it all! I was so enthralled the entire time!

Thank you @NetGalley @DreamscapeMedia @SourcebooksLandmark & @KateeRobert for ARC of Cruel Seduction.

Cruel Seduction is Book 5 in the Dark Olympus Series & is the story of Aphrodite/Eris, Hephaestus/Theseus, Adonis & Pandora

Out NOW, so run & grab your copy. Prepare yourself – this one takes the smut to a WHOLE NEW LEVEL! Katee Robert has given us another scorcher & now I’m itching to get my hands on Midnight Ruin.

If you have been living under a rock & not started this series yet, DO IT – NOW!

“He was my enemy. My lover. My husband. And the one man I swore by all Olympus I would destroy.

Aphrodite has never flinched at getting her perfectly manicured 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. It doesn't hurt that he's gorgeous in the way of fallen angels, either.

The only problem with using seduction as a weapon? Hearts are all too quick to get involved. With Hephaestus & Aphrodite trading venomous strikes that feel a whole lot like foreplay, lines become blurred & emotions entangled. 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 & everyone they've come to love.”

I loved this book!! As always, it's steamy and amazingly juicy, but this book also had lots of communication about identity-something that this world needs more of in everyday life. They are open with each other about their s e x u a l preferences but also about who they are and it was refreshing to read about POLY that was inclusive.
Aphrodite, Hephaestus, Pandora, and Adonis all talk about identifies in regards to romantic love, but also about themselves and individuals and their place in Olympus. It was fun to read about how everything is really starting to be intertwined in these stories and learning more and more about the characters.


Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Audio for the ARC!!

If you’re like me, when you heard the premise of a four person, love, not for Katee Robert’s latest in the Dark Olympus series, Cruel Seduction, you wondered how it was going to work!

Well, I can safely say that it works out pretty good, and I was impressed at how the romance between Aphrodite and Hephaestus’s and their marriage of convenience develops naturally, and then the course encompasses their two best friends/sibling/former lover.

This one starts off with both Aphrodite and Hephaestus fighting against the bonds of this marriage, and the traps a family responsibility that is put them in this place. They lash out at each other, but come together with steamy results in the aftermath!

All the while, Aphrodite is courting Hephaestus foster sister, and best friend Pandora to reap revenge on him, while he is doing the same to her former lover, Adonis.

The relationships that connect these four together literally do make love knot and I was pretty happy to see the results as the knot tightens around them!

I listen to this as an audio ALC with narration from Alex Moorcock; Zara Hampton-Brown. This pair has narrated the rest of the dark Olympus series, and they do a good job with their voices, contrasting each other. I did find with the four MC’s the female narration from Zara Hampton-Brown could’ve use more delineation between Aphrodite in Pandora’s narration chapters. I found as the audiobook continued. I did get used to the subtle differences. the voice work and his character differentiation by Alex Moorcock was excellent throughout. Overall the narration was very clean and easy to listen to.

Cruel Seduction by Katee Robert, releases tomorrow, and I highly recommend listening/reading this addition to the dark Olympus world! I know you’re dying to see how this love knot is tied up, just like I was!

Thanks to Dreamscape Media for my ALC of this book. Opinions are my own.

***Thank you to Katee Robert, Netgalley and Dreamscape Media for the ARC. Opinions are my own***

This is the 5th installment of the Dark Olympus series and features Aphrodite and Hephaestus and what happens after their forced marriage. The two quickly become enemies to lovers while adding in Adonis, Aphrodite’s ex and Pandora, Hephaestus’ best friend. While trying to figure out their own personal life, there are people trying to take out “the thirteen” and Aphrodite is targeted more than once. As lines cross and feelings grow, Hephaestus realizes his intentions have changed but it might be too late.

I enjoyed this book … but I felt the plot was even less than that in Neon Gods. I know Katee is always spice heavy but I felt there were some plot holes. But the narrators for the audio were great and definitely kept the storyline interested. I probably need to go back and actually read books 2-4 to fill in some gaps.

4.5 ⭐️

This book was very enjoyable. I really liked the character dynamics and relationship development in this book. I love the inclusivity in this series and how all relationship types are accepted in the world Katee Robert created and this book was no exception. If you enjoyed the other books in this series I think you’ll find this one just as good.

The narration for this book was spot on. It was well paced and easy to understand and follow along. I really enjoyed listening.

I love this series so much! This is the first arc audiobook I’ve listened to and it is great! I love the voices and multiple POVs! I feel like Katee Robert is an easy fast paced author whom still gives great plot and atmosphere. I didn’t expect the ending. I knew would all live happily ever after just not being in the thirteen was unexpected! I look forward to the next book and will read it quickly! I highly recommend this series!

I really loved this addition to the Dark Olympus Series. Katee Robert does such a great job writing a modern retelling of a Greek myth, and this time, it is the story of Aphrodite and Hephaestus.

The story begins with a forced marriage that sets the stage for an intense enemies-to-lovers scenario. Aphrodite and Hephaestus love to hate each other, might try to kill each other, and may start to burn for each other while her ex, Adonis pines for her, and Hephaestus' best friend, Pandora, is put in the middle of it all. The relationships between the four becomes complicated as they try to navigate the new normal of it all.

Amongst this relationship turmoil, something is still happening to Olympus and Aphrodite will stop at nothing to protect the city and the people she loves. It is interesting to see how other characters fit into all of this as the truth unravels throughout the story that has been building since book 1 of this series.

One of the most commendable aspects of the book is how it introduces and explores a polyamorous relationship. Katee Robert portrays this alternative lifestyle with sensitivity and depth, offering readers an insightful look into what relationships look like. This inclusivity adds an extra layer of complexity to the characters and their interactions, making the story all the more engaging.

Although I could not relate to the alternative lifestyle, I think that this book is a solid 4 star read, whether it be for the storytelling, spice, or character development. Katee Robert continue to deliver with this series and it is exciting to see what new characters she will reference next with each new book.

I received an ALC of this book in exchange for my honest review. Thank you so much NetGalley and Dreamscape.

This book has to be the best out of the series. It is definitely my favorite so far. It's the perfect combination of romance, politics, and suspense (ish).

“But thatʼs what makes it so hot, donʼt you think? Knowing we shouldnʼt, but doing it anyway.”

Aphrodite (Eris Kalios) loves Olympus above all else and she'll do just about everything to keep her city safe, including marrying its #1 enemy, Theseus—the new Hephaestus. The book follows the events of Minos's party in Radiant Sin and how Olympus, especially The Thirteen, navigates its new reality.

Obviously, their marriage isn't for love, so trying to undermine Hephaestus and getting under his skin, Aphrodite decides to seduce the only person he seems to care: Pandora. Despite being part of Minos's household, Pandora isn't really privy of his plans and her only truly concern is her best friend Theseus, now Hephaestus.

Hephaestus, understandably, isn't happy with the stunt Aphrodite's pulled. So by his turn, he tries to get to her by getting involved himself with Adonis, whom she had an on-again, off-again relationship. Rather than feeling used, Adonis is more than happy to indulge in Hephaestus's plan.

Unlike Adonis, and despite being clearly attracted to Aphrodite, Pandora doesn't want to hurt Hephaestus, but she can't find it in her to get away from Aphrodite. And daaaamn, they are HOT. I wish they had more moments together.

Actually, the sexual tension between all the different pairings was delicious. Hephaestus and Aphrodite are Scorching. I have a thing for hate fuck scenes, and they definitely delivered it.

Aphrodite had me in a chokehold. I already liked her by her previous interactions in the first four books. But we didn't really know her and her motivations. She might be my favorite character in the series. She's strong, determined, but also vulnerable and real.

Theseus is indeed morally grey, I think he's the most so far. He slowly worm his way into my heart, especially seeing him with Adonis, and how gentle he could be. But when he turned this gentleness to Aphrodite, I was a goner.

Pandora was a pleasant surprise. She's a considerably new character, so we didn't actually know about her before now. I absolutely adored her. She was the very much needed soft touch in the story, but not in a naively way.

From the four of them, Adonis had the least developed personality. I wanted to know more about him, regardless of his relationships.

I enjoyed how their relationship progressed, especially because it didn't go as I expected. It didn't follow a predictable path. Once again, KR shed some light on the infinite possibilities in a poly relationship. Also, I love more and more the concept of everyone is queer in Katee's books. It just makes them all the better.

That being said, differently from the previous book, in this one, the romance is well interwoven with the political plot line. The relationships were really part of the plot this time rather than just a filler.

I didn't like the ending much concerning their relationship though, it felt rushed. By any means it changed my perspective on the book, but I was expecting something more, giving the obvious complexities of said relationship, or better yet, relationships.

The build up of Minos's plot is incredible. I'm really invested and I can't wait for it to reach its climax. I may have a theory or two of who are his secret benefactor.

As for the narration, the audiobook has a dual narration, which means just two narrators for four MCs. It was seriously confusing, especially because they didn't change their voice much. And their accents... I'm nor sure. It's not mentioned in the story anything about them having accents, yet it doesn't make sense to me why they have different accents in the audiobook. Also, the way the narrator made Adonis sounded like he was holding back tears all the time. I didn't enjoy very much the narration, to be honest, I don't know if I would recommend it.

“One would think youʼd paint the target on my back yourself. ” I said slowly, testing this new uncharted waters.
“Thatʼs just it, husband,” she smiles sweetly, only the tiniest edge present. “Iʼm the only one who gets to kill you. Iʼll bury anyone else who tries.” 🔥

Ugh... this just did not work for me..

I struggled with this for a few reasons: 1) there is really no plot, 2) the steam started pretty much immediately w/ zero build up, and 3) this book is just not long enough for me to buy-in to this poly romance. It all just felt too quick and under developed...

rating: 2.5 ⭐️

Cruel Seduction by Katee Robert
Dark Olympus series #5. Retelling mythology. Romance with erotica elements. Can be read as a stand-alone but better as part of the series.
Aphrodite is forced to marry the new Hephaestus for political reasons, and the 13. She plans leverage by seducing Pandora, the only person he seems to care about. He retaliates by seducing Adonis, her ex-lover. Lines blur and emotions get entangled. But Olympus is far from stable and enemies may be closer than they realize.

🎧 I listened to an audiobook version of this book, narrated by Alex Moorcock and Zara Hampton-Brown. These two have done the full series to-date alternating chapters by POV between Aphrodite and Hephaestus, female and male. The two narrative voices complement each other in tonal quality, timing and inflection. Passion is clearly portrayed as is hate and worry. I enjoyed this at a speed of 1.5 for the best conversational comfort. And I admit I turned the sound down a few times for privacy. Don’t want the mail carrier or FedEx delivery person tripping down the stairs. 🤣

This episode of the series does little to advance the series arc. It’s panting melting romance erotica throughout the entire book. Steamy hot over and over again. Some political barbs and rearranging but love seems to be a higher motivation these days.

I received a copy of this from NetGalley and publisher Dreamscape Media.