Thank you NetGalley for granting my wish.

This wasn't my favorite book in her series.

Enjoy

I loved how this book moved the plot along, I love how more developed it gets with each book in this series and I can’t wait for things to finally come to a head in these last few books! I really liked Ariadne and The Minotaur together. Who doesn’t love a man who’s not only obsessed but also only soft for his woman! I can’t wait for the other books especially Hera and Hermes!

If you want a simple dark romance that’s an easy read, Katee Robert’s Dark Olympus series is a great place to go. But don’t expect complex character development. This is all fluff and spicy romance. I would also recommend starting at book one. She does not do a good job providing exposition, and the number of characters can be extremely confusing by the time you get to book 7 if you’re not already prepared. Like all the other books in the Dark Olympus series, this has great spice and is action-packed, particularly at the end. A fun world to lose yourself in for an afternoon.

OKAY. So. I was super excited going into this one. And overall, it didn't disappoint. BUT I think it's getting harder and harder the further we get into this series. The plot isn't necessarily too complex or difficult, it's more that there wasn't enough to hold my interest at times.

Did I enjoy it? Yup! Would I recommend this/this series? obviously. Especially for anyone with an interest in mythology.

I was granted an early arc to review. I am truly grateful for that opportunity.

Dark Restraint is number 7 in the Dark Olympics series. It follows the story of the newcomers who are aiming to bring down the 13 and take their place.

One of our main characters, Ariadne is sweet, shy, and use to being a pawn for her family. One day in the maze and she throws it all away to give in to the attraction and desire she has for the “Minotaur”…yet even that has consequences. Forced to turn to her enemies and sell her family out, she does what she needs for freedom and safety. Even if it means exchanging one cage for another.

Our other main, Minotaur (Asterion) is the hitman for Ariadne’s Father. Asterion is nothing more to him then throw away and weapon. That’s all everyone sees, except Ariadne, the forbidden desire and attraction had grown throughout the years. Asterion will destroy anyone and everyone except her.

Together they must fight the politics, the families, and did I mention Ariadne’s impending marriage as part of her arrangement for safety.

Trigger Warning: Kidnapping, abortion, child abuse

Omfg this one was SO GOOD. I loved everything about it. Great balance between the couple, their story, the overarching plot, and setting up for the future books. Definitely one of my favorites in the series.

Thanks Net Galley and Sourcebooks Casablanca for this ARC.

Releasing 6th August.

2⭐
2🌶

Was not for me. I felt the relationship between Ariadne and Asterion was rushed and lacked a build up. The main characters had no personality and the book had minimal storyline.
I havent read any of the Olympus books but dont think i will even bother after this one.
Surprisingly not much smut for a Katee book 🤣

Katee Robert books are endlessly entertaining. I do wish this one had more plot in it, we moved maybe an inch plot wide and I got really bored about the border wall thing let me tell you.

As always with Katee, the spice was spicing and I loved the forbiddeness of it all.

3.5 ro0unded up.
I loved the plot of this book, but the smut didn't quite hit the mark for me this time 😐.

As always with every Katee book, I had a blast reading it and following the plot twists as the stories developed. However, this couple wasn't my favorite of the bunch so far. The story had a great plot and premise, which Katee absolutely nailed, but it just wasn't for me this time.

I'm super excited to see what Poseidon and Icarus' story will be because you just know it's going to be good. I think I was reading this book in hopes of catching glimpses of them, which definitely lessened how much I loved the Minotaur and Ariadne's story!

Asterion is truly a man obsessed. In the best possible way! He is big scarred angry and brutal but hot damn this man is a damned softy. Every time he uttered sweetheart I am pretty sure I melted into nothing just to be reformed so I could keep reading. Ariadne is sweet adorable infuriating and wickedly smart. I also way overly enjoyed her budding friendship with Dionysus and I really do need more of that.
I am so happy when I get to throw the term slowburn right out the window. These two did not have the level of patience or restraint needed to avoid each other and that's exactly how they needed to be.
While they were struggling to keep their damned hands to themselves the politics of Olympus were heating up to an even more insane level. I love the interwoven schemes, alliances, and batshit crazy plots truly making me wonder whose side anybody is even on and I am so excited to see it all converge and who will finally come out on top.

I love this world so much! I am always anticipating a new addition to the series. Not my favorite, but still enjoyed it. This book was very on brand with what to expect from Katee Robert. My obsession with this series is still in effect as we await the next installment. Solid 4 out of 5 stars.

Obsessed is the only word to described this book and how I feel about this book. I loved every moment of it. A great addition to the series, and I was fascinated to see how the overarching plot got pushed forward.
Focusing on two of Minos' people really added depth the the story since this is the first completely non-Olympus couple the series has focused on. Although we got to see many reoccuring characters, and so much more depth for Hermes and Hera especially (I really can't wait to see more of both of them these glimpses make me even more obsessed with them).
I was nervous before reading since we already knew from the previous book that Asterion is obsessive and that Ariadne has had an abortion, both of which could have made for my personal ick and made this book not for me, but Robert handled both so beautifully (as always). Asterion is obsessive but not in a the wave of red flags I can't ignore, instead his love of Ariadne is like his personality foundation.
In a series of great books, this is probably one of my favorites, and I cannot wait to see what is in store for the next books.

As always, Katee Robert grabbed my attention in the first few pages. This series has captivated me from the very first book and I always anxiously await the next book in the series. Ariadne and the Minotaur's love story was so perfect. It was a nice break from hearing so much about the politics of the thirteen and their alliances.

Read if you like: violence, forbidden romance, sneaking around, he’s always loved her, he fell first, unrequited feelings, will kill for her, betrayal, death, politics, family drama

Ariadne is a weak fmc (and her bother is just as weak) which is completely fine btw but I just didn’t like her. I also couldn’t understand why she kept protecting her brother when he did absolutely nothing for her 😭

Asterion is a killer and described as a monster. I didn’t really see how he was scary. Sure, he was a demanding person but he didn’t kill that many people or was that violent?? I did like how he was an inner softie when it came to Ariadne though

I wasn’t really convinced on them together. I loved that he fell first and did a lot of things for her. But their romance went from 0 to 100, one day she suddenly turns around and says she loves him - but this whole time she never trusted him? Where is the romance? The tension? The longing?

If you’re into politics and like it when the MC’s gravitate towards each other when they’re not supposed to - maybe give this book a go! This was just a miss for me

Oh my! I have a lov/hate relasenship with this series. - but still I ahve to read them! I love the woulrdbuilding, the mainstory and the spice! Let's not forget the sice ;) But in the same time there's so many things going on, and I sometimes forget what the plot is. BUT this one was an esay read with lot's of action!

Also got it as a audiobook, and it was a perfect mix to shift between

Dark Restraint is the 7th book in the Dark Olympus and I always enjoy going back into this world and the stakes keep getting higher. This time we follow Ariadne and the Minotaur as they work to escape Minos and Olympus only to find themselves tangled in the politics.

As much as I am not a fan of possessive language in a romance I still found myself routing for the Minotaur and Ariadne as a couple. Also there spicy scenes were intimate and hot.

The ending is also intense and I need the next book now because I not only need to see the fall out but the next book is also Poseidon and Icarus . As excited as I am to see how Katee wraps the series up in the next 3 books but I also don’t want it to end I’m so invested in this series.

Loved the plot of this book, the smut was not it for me this time around 😐

I will say that as always with every Katee book I had a blast reading it, and seeing where the plot would go as the stories all keep developing, but this couple was definitely not my favourite of the bunch so far. I think their story was a great plot and premise, which Katee absolutely killed, but just not for me this time around.

I'm super excited to see what Poseidon and Icarus' story will be because you just know it's going to be good, and I think I was reading this in hopes to get glimpses of them which definitely lessened how much I loved the Minotaur and Ariadne's story!

Thank you NetGalley & Sourcebooks for an eARC!

Thank you for the opportunity to read this early. Really liked this one and am DYING to know what happens. I NEED that next book please and thank you.

I would like to thank NetGalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca for allowing me to read and ARC of this book. Note: sorry it took so long to post this review; I just got a new puppy and she is a HANDFUL and doesn't like when I read instead of paying attention to her!

I am a HUGE Katee Rober fan, and Dark Restraint is Book 7 of the Dark Olympus Series. It can be read as a stand-alone, but I HIGHLY recommend you read the other in the series for both pleasure and character backgrounds.

Dark Restraint focuses on Ariadne and The Minotaur (aka Asterion). Ariadne loves Asterion, but he is her father's henchman and off-limits, so she becomes engaged to Dionysus. The steamy romance scenes are back (in true Katee Robert fashion), as are the Olympus politics. Hera, and Psyche (from book 2) make an appearance as well. This also book starts to set up for an eventual series ending (I think it's a 10-book series, so 3 more).

I liked Dark Restraint, it had very likeable characters with some good romance, and a good plot. I can't say it was my favorite of the series so far, but it was very good, and a necessary step in the overall story/series arc. I am looking forward to books 8 & 9, which allegedly will feature Icarus & Poseidon, and Hera & Zeus, respectively. I hope Dionysus will make another appearance in one of the future books, as I really like his character.

For fans of dark, spicy romance, I definitely recommend Dark Restraint, especially if you are a Katee Robert fan, and double-especially if you have been reading along in the Dark Olympus series. I have chosen it as my book club read for August!

Dark Restraint by Katee Robert is book 7 in the Dark Olympus series. It's a dark romance, greek mythology retelling. This one follows Ariadne and her attempt to be free of her father's grasp. A fake marriage seems like the only solution. The problem is, the Minotaur...

This series continues to be super enjoyable and entertaining. It's a dark romance with Greek mythology references. The mmc won this one for me. He commanded attention. The fmc was the least of my favorites from this series as a whole. She almost faded into the background. The pacing was fast. It was very easy to read, and I got through it pretty quickly.

Will definitely continue the series.