A steamy, fast paced, Olympian political thriller.

Ariadne quickly gives her vCard to Asterion (aka, the Minotaur). She’s the good girl, daughter of Minos. He’s the murderous henchman of her father. She’s pregnant and he’s honing to hunt her down.

Plenty of politics and chess loves in this fast paced thriller with Asterion and Ariadne at the heart of this book.
Recommend.

I have to say that this is my least favorite of the series. It was very heavy plot and as someone who didn't reread the whole series before picking this up it was a little confusing but that could just be on me. The plot wasn't bad and definitely set up for the next book, which almost makes me think that is what the author intended, that potentially she wasn't as invested in this couple as she is for the next one. As I don't think this couple had as much chemistry as others in this series.
My favorite spicy scene was honestly the prequel one and then the rest were just okay which feels rare for Katee Robert. Normally her books are very hot and heavy, and this one just felt, okay.
I still recommend the series overall and would say it is worth it to read this book, but I also recognize that there are better books in this series. I will be reading the next one!

3.5 stars | 3/5 spice

I can honestly say I did not know what I was expecting when I read this book. I had not read all of the books currently released in the Dark Olympus series but I was somewhat aware of what was going on in the story line just based on the books that I had read in this series thus far. However, I could see how someone who hasn't read any of the previous books in this series could get confused by the story line (would highly recommend the series by the way if you haven't read it yet). The Minotaur does give off strong alpha male vibes that usually puts me off but honestly I was here for it in this novel. He knows what he wants and he does not let anyone get in the way of it. Ariadne is not my favourite FMC in this series but I still liked reading about her character development and the way that her relationship with the Minotaur developed into something more. When I first started this book, I did not think I would like this pairing as much as I did. They truly grew on me the deeper I went into the novel. I love that this book - and this series in general - has a focus on the couple but also on the ongoing plot that intertwines the stories in this series together. This makes the series more interesting and really pulls you into reading the rest of the series because you want to know what happens next.

This book started off strong and has a lot of potential but I will not lie and say that this is my favourite book of the series. However, it was still an enjoyable read and I would still recommend this series to anyone who is looking to dip their toes into some dark romance or anyone interested in Greek mythology retellings. The end of this book did make me excited for the next installment of this series!

Thank you so much to Katee and NetGalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for my review.

Thank you to NetGalley, Sourcebooks Casablanca, and Ms. Robert for the opportunity to read an ARC of this title. An honest review was requested but not required.

I think in this book the overarching political storyline eclipsed the couple (Minotaur and Ariadne)'s "romance." Honestly, I was very interested in the scheming and maneuvering between Circe, Hermes, and Hera. I would expect that Zeus is doing his fair share as well, it's just less on-page. Very cutthroat, very soap-y, very juicy. LOVE.

It was almost unfortunate that the political storyline was *so* gripping, as the romance in this book was definitely a flop for me. I didn't care for either of the characters although I felt they were definitely done a disservice by being so completely outshone. Ariadne and Minotaur were childhood - what? not friends. Cohabitors? ugh - well, whatever they were, now they're lovers. It felt pretty cut and dry. The only thing slowing them down was the actual plot, which was far more interesting. Ariadne and Minotaur felt sort of peripheral. At this point in the Dark Olympus series I feel like I'm interested in the overarching storyline AND/OR Hera's book, period, the end. I honestly could not give a flying rat's patootie about Poseidon and Icarus, or any other characters shoved in front of what I really want. I don't even REMEMBER who else is unpaired (or unpoly-ed, as the case may be) I JUST WANT HERA LET'S GO.

2 1/2 stars, mostly (ok, completely) due to the macroplot.

I can’t believe my wish on Netgalley was granted, allowing me early access to this book! This series is so enjoyable for me - I love the modern take on Olympus/Greek Gods, the politics and scheming, and the smut. That being said, I think this installment has been my least favorite. While I enjoyed reading more about the politics in this world (especially because pieces are starting to come together), there was something that fell flat for me. I found myself frequently losing sight of the plot and all of the different pieces, especially pieces that were revealed in earlier books, which could be due to me not having read the earlier installments since they were released. The smut was okay (but maybe that’s because this was not my favorite pairing) and it felt like the characters weren’t as developed as other characters in the series have been. I really enjoyed seeing more of Hera and Hermes in this book though and I am excited to see where this series goes next!

Thank you to Netgalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I was beyond excited to be able to get an advanced copy of this! I recently became hooked on myth meets plot meets smut and this did not disappoint!
I cannot wait to see what the rest of the series will be like! <3

🧜🏻‍♀️ 𝐃𝐚𝐫𝐤 𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐭 🧜🏻‍♀️
𝐴𝑅𝐶 𝑅𝑒𝑣𝑖𝑒𝑤 | 𝖱𝖾𝗅𝖾𝖺𝗌𝖾 𝖣𝖺𝗍𝖾: 𝖳𝖮𝖣𝖠𝖸

Is this my new favorite of the series? I feel like I say that with each release! 🫠 But this time I mean it…well until the next in the series comes out and I say it again!

We got to see a bit more of Ariadne towards the end of the previous book but getting to meet her officially was great. It made me absolutely wish Minos would get hit, mean girls style, by a bus even more than I already did! And the Minotaur, which I LOVED that only Ariadne calls him by his true name, Asterion. Not to mention how they truly met when they were younger.

☆☆☆☆☆/𝟱

✨Book 12 of 2024✨

Rating: 5⭐️

Spice Level: 🌶️🌶️🌶️

Format: 📖 e-book

Thank you @sourcebookscasa and @netgalley for an ARC of this book!!

Happy Pub Day!! 🎉

Review:

This is the 7th book in the Dark Olympus and I couldn’t get my greedy hands on this one fast enough, especially after that ending in the last one! Luckily, this book picks up right with the other left off. 🙌🏻

I loved Ariadne and the Minotaur as a couple, even though I hated the Minotaur in the other books he was in. But I guess that was the point. I’m so glad that Katee gave him a redemption ARC.

We really get to see into his head and know the reasons behind the not so great things he has done (which ~spoiler alert~ is mostly because he thinks he has to so he can be with Ariadne).

Their relationship doesn’t start off the best and has its issues, but by the end you can really see how much they love and care for each other. The smutty scenes were 🔥👌(as always).

The plot is plotting in this one! Everything that the other books were building up to comes to light and things go down! I’m so excited to read the next books to see where it goes from here!

Elements:
🍉Kinda friends to more to kinda enemies to lovers
🍉Touch her and d!e
🍉You and me against the world
🍉Forbidden Romance
🍉Assassin and very morally gray MMC
🍉Plus sized FMC

if i'm being completely honest, the politics & general plot development were better than the romance, which was the main focus of the book... didn't love the story or relationship between ariadne & the minotaur, so the book didn't really do much for me.

This book was an absolute thriller and was so delicious to read. It’s tying everything together so sweetly I cannot wait for the next installment!! I never thought I’d like the Minotaur as much I did in this book!! 10/10 and Hermes!!! Omgggg absolutely boss. Cannot wait to see Icarus with Poseidon🥰🥰

The book was fast and easy to read, keeping me engaged from beginning to end. The plot itself was interesting. I liked the world building, politics, and overall learning more about the world.

Personally, I wasn’t a huge fan of the romance in this book. While there were some good moments, I wasn’t fully invested in the relationship between the FMC and MMC. Maybe seeing a bit more relationship development between them would have helped. I also would have loved to learn more about their pasts.

I’m interested to see where the story goes next!

Katee said that "Dark Restraint" is their "darkest" book yet. It's a little bit stalker/protector-y but not super dark imo. Spice with a subplot and I love every minute!

I've been all in on Katee Robert's Dark Olympus series since Neon Gods and was so thankful to Sourcebooks and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an early copy of the newest addition to the series, Dark Restraint. I think overall this was maybe my least favorite of the series so far. It has a lot of my favorite things that Robert delivers like great spicy scenes and interesting dynamics while also furthering the world-building but I just wasn't as interested in Ariadne and the Minotaur.

Overall, while the cat-and-mouse relationship between Ariadne and the Minotaur is intriguing, the part of the book that worked the best for me was that world-building. Robert is clearly setting up a big confrontation and laying the pieces for war while giving us hot romances along the way.

I remain ridiculously feral for every scrap we get about Hera and Zeus and cannot be held accountable for the person I will be when we finally get their book.

Thank you to Sourcebooks and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an early copy in exchange for an honest review.

I absolutely love the Dark Olympus series but this one was a little underwhelming. I had really hoped for more romance, but their chemistry was all written off as previous off-the-page lore. It's hard to jump into spicy scenes without knowing the chemistry between the characters. Also the spicy scenes were far less than in previous books which was also a little underwhelming. I think this book was a hard one to write reguardless since it is about 2 characters who have never been fan favorites and they are working to take down aspects of Olympus that have really grown on loyal readers. This felt like a real work horse of a book and I just didn't feel the spark here that made me love earlier books in the series.

Dark Restraint wasn’t my favorite of the series but it kept me interested enough to see how the plot played out and politics. It felt like a filler but I am looking forward to Icarus and Hera’s books.

Thank you Sourcebooks and NetGalley for the ARC.

I haven’t ever vibed with the Minotaur in the previous books, so I already knew it was going to take A LOT to win me over. Sadly, Minotaur never won me over. The smut was alright & the plot was actually stellar! Which I feel like balances the series out well. Katee is also a phenomenal writer. Overall this was a high 3, low 4 for me.

Wow! This book starts off with a bang! 🌶️🌶️🌶️ Dark Restraint is the 7th installment of the Dark Olympus series and it centers around Ariadne and Asterion (AKA the Minotaur).First off, if you read the previous book, Midnight Ruin, then you already know what Ariadne is dealing with but if you haven’t definitely check the trigger warnings. In this book, Ariadne is forced to marry Dionysus for political reasons while Asterion spends the rest of the book trying to get her back.

I liked Asterion and Ariadne as a couple and thought that they complimented each other nicely. Asterion is portrayed very badly in the previous books and I was not sure how his redemption arc in this book was going to go. Don’t get me wrong he is still a bad person, but this book delves into his background which lends us some insight into why he is how he is. He has a huge soft spot for Ariande and would do anything for her. Ariadne also had a rough childhood and is still struggling with having freedom and not being someone else’s pawn. She loves Asterion but he is under her father’s thumb just as much as she was. How far will both of them go to break free?

On a macro-level, the series progresses a lot during this book and there is no shortage of political intrigue. If you like this series and/or Greek romance retellings (especially spicy ones 🌶️🌶️🌶️) then I think you will love this book! I cannot wait for the next book!!!

Thank you to Katee Robert for an ARC of this book.

“I don’t know how many times I have to say it before you believe me, sweetheart. This thing between us is never going to end. You and I are written in the stars.”

In a conflict with these kind of stakes, you either come out on top or you come out six feet under. -Hermes

Book 7 in the Dark Olympus series brings us Ariadne and the Minotaur aka Asterion who’s maybe a little bit of a marshmallow 🤯😮- a burnt and crispy one, but still one nonetheless. Lots of “touch her and die” but also calls her “sweetheart” and makes sure she’s fed and has read all her books to find out what she likes… I mean, just read the quote above- the man is smitten! He’s still super rough around the edges and kills people, but for her, he’s a marshmallow. Truly, color me pleasantly surprised!
We begin 10 weeks before the end of book 6 (Midnight Ruin) at Minos’ house party in Radiant Sin (book 4). Ariadne has lived her whole life under her father’s thumb only being valued as a bargaining tool. What her father doesn’t know, is that she’s left information for Apollo which will hopefully help the Olympians. Escaping the fallout from the expected bloodshed at the end of the house party, Ariadne slips into the hedge maze to be alone. When Asterion finds her and admits he didn’t kill one of the Thirteen, like he was ordered to, their mutual betrayal of Minos snaps the final tether keeping them apart. The result of this encounter (pregnant with the knowledge that her father will kill them both) propels Ariadne to the Lower City and into the hands of the Olympians in Midnight Ruin (book 6).
Alone and subject to the whims of the Thirteen, Ariadne finds herself engaged to Dionysus through the suspect planning of Hera. Hera, who we discover is planning a coup and isn’t above using anyone and everyone at her disposal including Ariadne and Asterion, the Minotaur, to achieve her goals. As Minos and Hera’s plans coalesce and the war with Circe grows ever closer, Ariadne and Asterion (who’s been ordered to kill her by her father) find they can’t stay away from each other- and don’t want to. When the wall comes down and with Circe’s fleet at their doorstep, Ariadne and Asterion make their escape.
This book really moved the plot line along, brought some other players to the foreground- ginger headed Poseidon has left his shipyards and is entangled in Hera’s plot along side Dionysus. When the wall falls, Poseidon finds himself with Icarus as a prisoner. (Book 8 is Poseidon and Icarus! 👀👀) Hermes is back and still full of secrets- like how did she know where to place a bomb so the wall would fall?? I can’t wait to find out!
Katee always brings the spice but unlike some of her other books, the spice didn’t overshadow the plot/ wasn’t the whole plot. This felt well balanced between spicy scenes and a storyline which moved the plot of the series forward. Overall I liked this book better than some of the others in the series and I can’t wait to see what kind of trouble Circe brings with her.

I think this book was a great addition to the series. The plot thickened and I really enjoyed Asterion and Ariadne. I loved their relationship and how possessive he was over her. I am just a sucker for the trope of he will destroy the world for her and he is a tough guy for everyone else but her.

Quick Summary:
This book follows Ariadne after she betrays her dad Minos. This book follows more of the plot of what Minos is planning and how they come closer to bringing down the wall that secures the city. This book also follows the relationship of Ariadne and the Minotaur (Asterion) as they navigate their betrayals to be with each other.

The scenes!!! Katee brought the heat! As I said, I enjoyed the plot because I still can't figure out what side anyone is one. I enjoy the twists that Katee brings to this book as it continues to leave me wanting more. I want to know what is going to happen to all the characters I've been reading about over the years and if they are going to be safe.

4/5 stars for Dark Restraint. Thank you Katee Robert, Sourcebooks and Netgalley for granting my wish and gifting me this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I was granted a wish from the publisher and netgalley for an arc.

I enjoyed this book in the dark Olympus series, but it isn’t my favorite.

I am really loving how the overarching sub-plot is picking up in intensity. I find myself really wanting to see more of it over the couple and their story.

The relationship in this book was ok for me. I didn’t think they had the chemistry some of the other couples have had. I wished we had gotten a little more of their past together I think that might have helped a bit. The one thing about them that I did kind of like seeing was how they really want out of the life they find themselves in. It is a little different from the others who are far more involved in parts of the world.

I thought I was interesting this was the darkest of the series, but I am not sure I felt that it was. There was violence and death but it didn’t strike me as dark for this series.

This series has been enjoyable and with every book we get closer to the end. While I am sad to see it close I am excited about the other stories we will get!

Overall rating 3.75 (rounded up to 4) out of 5 spice level: ODD open door (very) descriptive language and imagery