This book narrated by Zara Hampton-Brown and Alex Moorcock, delivers a scorching retelling of Ariadne and the Minotaur set in a politically charged Olympus. Ariadne is forced into a sham marriage, while Asterion, the Minotaur, is determined to claim her as his own despite their dark, tumultuous past. Zara's narration perfectly captures Ariadne's internal conflict and vulnerability, while Alex masterfully voices Asterion's brooding intensity. The story is a mix of passion, intrigue, and the struggle for power, all woven into a steamy, gripping narrative. This audiobook is a must for fans of dark romance and Greek mythology retellings, offering a captivating escape into a world where love and danger are intertwined.

First off a HUGE freaking shoutout to Sourcebooks Casablanca for granting my wish of getting an ARC of Dark Restraint - y'all literally made my entire month by doing that!!

ANYWAYS - I loved this book! I won't lie - I was nervous I wouldn't enjoy it as much as the others because I think the Minotaur is probably one of my least favorite characters from this whole group but I was pleasantly surprised by how much I rooted for him throughout the story. Ariadne truly has been through IT throughout her life and that girl just.. she not only NEEDS life to cut her a break, she DESERVES it (probably more than a lot of the other characters might). The overall plot throughout this series starts to pick up quite a bit in this book as well, although I'm not sure I actually got anymore answers on why who is doing what lol. The spice was *chefs kiss* as per usual with Katee Robert's books and I always appreciate it's not the same ol spice in every book. Lastly, I want to be best friends with Dionysus... I just feel like we'd get along great LOL

I know I said it earlier but again, huge thanks to Sourcebooks Casablanca and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion!!

The overall consensus appears to be that this is the first book in the Dark Olympus series where the plot exceeds the couple, and I have to agree. Robert is clearly the queen of smut, but I wasn't invested in the couple. To be honest, there's also so many spicy scenes you can write before the actions start to get repetitive, and we're approaching that limit, especially if you have read any of Robert's other series. I also feel as if we continue to get couplings to extend the series, when all we really want is Hermes and Hera to find their HEAs.

I absolutely love how the characters were portrayed in this story. I expected the minotaur to be a much darker character, and while he was dark, the story between him and Ariadne shows him as a possessive, swoon worthy male. I definitely recommend this book if you've been following the Dark Olympus series. Even if you haven't, it's still a greaT read

Dark Restraint as the latest in the Dark Olympus series is another book that really moves the main story arc along.

I can see the theme that has been set up with Ariadne and the Minotaur, as the Romeo and Juliet “but we can’t”. But for me the transition between “we can” to “ok” didn’t really work for me. It didn’t have slow stages of progressing toward each other, or feel like it has a pivotal turning point to go from not trusting each other to total commitment.

I have also found Icarus a lot more interesting and engaging as a supporting character in previous books, which is a surprise as Ariadne is that character who I expected to be the most likely to present Icarus is the most positive light.

Over all this didn’t work for me as well as previous books, but now that Things Have Happened, I am looking forward to finding out what is next for Olympus.

Well, these two have scorching hot scenes! But there's also really sweet times like when he brings her food to make sure she eats. Or discussing their shared childhoods. That's what I'm looking for in a story, the connection.
Thank you to netgalley for the ARC. Opinions are my own.

Dark Restraint was a hit out of the park for me and I’m stoked to see what happens next in Olympus! If you’re following this series… there’s so much happening in the book that real threat to Olympus is showing their hand. Are they going to succeed?

This story follows Ariadne and The Minotaur, and how sometimes, fate causes you to cross paths even when you least expect it.

Dark Restraint is book #7 for the Olympus Series and is the story of Ariadne and the Minotaur. Possibly the darkest romance of the series.

Things I liked:
- Continuation of the over-arching plot with the Thirteen and the politics
- Quick read
- Tropes: dual POVs, forbidden romance, arranged marriage, curvy FMC

Things I didn't love:
- I didn't care for either main character. This in turn made some of the smut seem cringey (versus Persephone and Hades)
- Sometimes the characters get confusing because they have a thirteen title but also a different name - so then I sometimes get confused and have to look up a previous book and see which character is which.

I feel committed to the series so I will keep reading, though I am not sure this book was my favorite one. 3.25 out of 5
Many thanks to Netgalley and Sourcebooks Casablance for the digital ARC, these honest opinions are my own.

4/5 Stars

Thank you to Sourcebooks Casablanca for providing me with an arc.

I have been reading this series since the beginning and this is the fourth I have gotten to arc read and I thought this was a great continuation of this series. This book follows Asterion, aka the Minotaur, and Ariadne and their relationship that has been years in the making. This book also heavily progresses the ongoing storylines and we are finally getting to some great action that I can’t wait to see in the next book.

Ariadne has betrayed her father and now has given herself over to the questionable mercy of the Thirteen in exchange for information on her father in order to try and keep herself safe. But her deal leads to her being forced to accept a marriage to one of the thirteen, Dionysus, even though he is not the man that has held her heart for a while. Asterion never had any illusions about Minos’s plans but he was fine with whatever happened as long as he could protect Ariadne and eventually make her his at the end. But now she is going to walk down the aisle to another man and he has been tasked with killing the woman he loves.

I loved getting to learn more about Ariadne, Asterion, and also Dionysus which I wasn’t expecting. Dionysus is aro/ace so he doesn’t want anything out of the marriage he also gets forced into but I liked the tentative friendship he and Ariadne formed. Asterion has been in love with Ariadne for years and he made a deal with her father that when they were done, he could have her but then she betrays her father and he gets sent to kill her. Ariadne is stuck in a wolf den and shes a lamb and she try is trying to protect herself and her brother, Icarus even if it means she has to marry a man she doesn’t love. Her and Asterion’s relationship is hot as hell and kicks off in the first chapter. They both care a lot for each other and while this one is one of the darker ones I would say, it still has what I have come to love from katee as she balances light and dark very well.

I can’t wait to see how the events of this book continue to affect the rest of the series and I am so ready for Icarus and Poseidon’s book as it is going to be amazing. This was great but do check trigger warnings on Katee’s website if you have any worries.

I’m still in awe of Katee Robert and this series. How does it keep getting better with each book?!

This is definitely the darkest book of the series, more of a dark romance, but there were so many soft, tender moments to balance that out. Ariadne and The Minotaur (who are NOT siblings in this retelling, FYI) treat each other with such gentleness. They each have their struggles, but at the end of the day they’re coming back to each other with love and compassion.

In this book we also get to see more of Olympus and the machinations that are going on. I truly cannot guess where this is going, and I’m eagerly anticipating the next book to find out more!

*I received a free ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

Thank you to NetGalley, Sourcebooks Casablanca, and Katee Robert for the advanced copy of Dark Restraint!

In Dark Restraint, we follow Ariadne and the Minotaur as their relationship develops amidst rising conflicts around them.

Having had no previous experience in this world that Katee Robert has created, I thought Dark Restraint gave enough information that I could contextually understand what was going on. There were some moments that I was confused, which was fair considering this is book 7 in a series I haven't read, but I enjoyed the story nonetheless.

Another hit from Katee Robert! I was hesitant to read this one because I thought it was going to be a love triangle, but I was delighted to be wrong.
I love the twisted world of Dark Olympus. I loved that the main characters already have an established connection. Their love is forbidden and the stakes are high.
Highly recommend!

Going into this one, I knew it wouldn't end up being my favorite of the series because I wasn't particularly interested in Ariadne or the Minotaur. But the book didn't really convince me to like either of them very much either. We got the "I've loved you since I was a teen" thing but didn't really get to see flashbacks or anything. Just the Minotaur being extremely obsessed with her and unwilling to let anyone else have her. It also didn't feel like Ariadne was a strong female lead either. She didn't feel like she had much of a personality compared to many of Katee Robert's other characters in this series, which I'm sure what at least partially intentional because of her upbringing. The spicy scenes were fine but they didn't feel like they were particularly special or overly hot like what we've typically seen for this series.

Overall, my favorite part was the overarching plot with the downfall of Olympus getting closer & closer. I think there's three or four more books in the series & I just can't imagine what's going to happen next with this big plot. 👀

Thank you to NetGalley, Sourcebooks Casablanca, and Katee Robert for sending me an early copy!

I am a fan of the Olympus series. This one was not my favorite. I didn’t care for the plot or for the characters.

I’ve read every book in the Dark Olympus series and it’s impossible to stop! This new book, Dark Restraint, is the story of Ariadne and the Minotaur. It is definitely darker than I usually read, but if you want a retelling of Greek mythology in a modern setting and looking for some smut, this series is for you. It’s truly addictive. By book 7, the complexity of the political situation is well underway. Society, murder, backstabbing, survival, assassins, sex, betrayal, secrets and deception continue in this story. Ariadne has been handled and manipulated by her father all her life. He has not been nice to her and her focus has been on survival. The Minotaur has been obsessed with her and loves her as best he can. He has been assigned to kill her, but he has his own plans. He is a different person with her, even though he has seen and caused more violence in his life then most. He was always looking out for her. They are taking a big risk by being together. But the sexual tension is there and is HOT. There are some dark elements to this story, just like all the others. I do feel like all the characters get their HEAs in a way that is good for them. The twists and turns keep this story going and I could not put it down.

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.