I read the first two Dark Olympus books more for the romantic dynamics of the main characters than the background politicking and as a result, haven't really cared about any of the books since Electric Idol prior to this one. Those two books presented the concept of morally grey heroes finding love and contentment with their partners even as they are part of a fraught political landscape. In the interim, that's all gone and the stories seem to have lost their happy endings and replace them with a happy-with-what-we-have.

Robert gives a quick rundown of the past relationships and their ramifications featured in past books using an update from the in-series gossip site, MuseWatch, and it's just enough to give the reader an idea of where they're standing if it's been a while or they haven't read all of the books so far. Ariadne and her father's fixer, Asterion, also known as The Minotaur, has teamed up with Circe, a former Hera, to bring down the city and the Thirteen. Hoping to avoid the needless bloodshed inherent in her father and Circe's plan, Ariadne defects to Olympus and tells them what she knows in exchange for safety in the form of an arranged marriage to Dionysus. The consequence of this is her father demanding The Minotaur kill her, who in turn, wants to claim the woman who has always been his and get her away from what's coming. The story is multiple cat-and-mouse games with shifting alliances, plans, and loyalties. Everyone has their goals, and not all of them are straightforward. Asterion stalks Ariadne to her new home with her fiance and each time they meet, passion explodes despite Ariadne's fear that The Minotaur is out to execute her father's edict (and thus, her). The stolen moments between them are fantastic, but the strength lies in the pacing and suspense of trying to ensure that everyone gets out safely as war, violence, and change approaches Olympus. I wish there had been more to allow the reader to possibly develop an idea about what's coming rather than needing to be told. The mystery elements are thrown in just enough that you need to be told what's coming.

I was looking forward to seeing Hera and Zeus play out after their reveal in Electric Idol, but I'm not so sure based on the events of Dark Restraint. All in all, a solid tale to move along whatever Robert has planned for Dark Olympus, but I miss the hopeful note on which the first two tales ended.

Katee Robert has done it again in the latest volume of the dark Olympus series. The stakes are rising and Olympus is on the verge of destruction. Ariadne has betrayed her family to escape her father who would use her for his schemes and the Minotaur is hot her heels to either bring her back or silence her.

I swear Katee knows how to get a girl hot and bothered. I am absolutely obsessed with this series, especially the fact that you get cameos of old characters from previous books. If I’m being honest, I definitely think this is the darkest book out of the entire series. I love the it’s always been you trope that was throughout this book. I swear I feel like I get whiplash over all of these twists throughout the series as well as getting a great romance with political situations that intertwined

3.5/5 Stars

I will say that despite Asterion (AKA the Minotaur) and Araidne not being my favorite romance (more on that later), I actually really enjoyed this book!

My biggest complaint regarding Kate’s previous Dark Olympus novels were that they didn’t move the plot along all that much but that is definitely not the case with Dark Restraint. I would argue that this book has some of the biggest plot movements in the whole series and it’s partially a culmination of all the other mini plots Katee has been cultivating in her previous books but it’s also that stuff actually went down this book.

Now to the romance: Potential Spoilers Incoming:

I think part of the reason this wasn’t my favorite pairing is because it relied a LOT on previous history between the characters and I wasn’t even sure if the WHY they liked each other beyond mutual attraction. I audio feel that Dionysus was severely under-utilized and I felt he had better chemistry with both of the pairing than they had with each other. Still their interactions were sizzling so it’s still likable, I just think they should have had more chemistry for a friends(ish) to lovers plot.

Overall Dark Restraint is an excellent addition to the Dark Olympus series and it really set up the next book quite nicely! Looking forward to what comes next!

Thanks to Katee Robert’s and NetGalley for the advanced read of Dark Restraint in exchange for an honest review.

DARK RESTRAINT • Katee Robert • Pub Date: August 6, 2024

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for an eARC. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Abridged Goodreads Synopsis: Ariadne Vitalis is in trouble. She's betrayed her father—and his benefactor—and now she's left to rely on the questionable mercy of Olympus to keep her safe. As with everything in this city, mercy comes with a price. For Ariadne, that means a marriage to Dionysus. She has no choice but to agree, even if there's only one man she's ever wanted—Asterion aka The Minotaur. The Minotaur never had any illusions about Minos's plans, but nowhere in that deal was Ariadne walking down the aisle to a different man. She's meant for him, and he means to have her. Ariadne knows better than to encourage the Minotaur. But when his hands are on her body and his wicked words are whispered in her ear, she might just be willing to let all of Olympus burn…

This was certainly the "darkest" romance in the series thus far (though by no means unpalatable for those who are not familiar with or fans of dark romance). Considering this is book 7 in the series, a change-up was appreciated! Though I'll say what I think we are all thinking...who cares about the Minotaur? I certainly did not, and this story did not change that perspective for me. Ariadne and the Minotaur have been my least favorite couple to-date. Luckily, the overarching plot and politics featured in this story completely made up for this.

This book left me very excited to see what is going to happen next in Olympus. We also received a brilliant set-up for Hera's story, and even Icarus' story. Icarus was another character I did not care much about, but the end of this book changed my mind about him! I am now eager to have a story devoted to him and his potential love interest(s?). And I would be remiss to leave out the little peak into Hermes' storyline that this book gave us.

So all in all, no to the couple but a resounding yes to the set-up this book played in the overall series. You best believe I will be one of the first in line for Book 8.

This seventh entry into the Dark Olympus series definitely reads more « dark romance » than any other title so far. I really enjoyed this novel, but in particular the last 50 pages were impossible to put down. Dark Restraint sets up the next book in the series so incredibly well, and I can’t wait to get my hands on book #8 when it is available. From the get go of the book, these two characters are simply fated to be together, and are willing to do anything for each others safety.

Katee Robert is one of my favorite authors, and I had devoured this series, each book had me wanting more of the story! I’m definitely not ok and this book hangover will last for a while.

In our opinion, Dark Restraint was aptly titled, as this one was a lot darker than the others. The themes were heavier, and the characters more troubled and complex. We love a good "hate the world but love her" vibe, but the Minotar sometimes pushed it to the obsessive extreme.

We actually really enjoyed how plot forward this one was compared to the previous ones. The political drama kept us on our toes and honestly kept us going when we needed a breather from the two MCs dynamic.

All that being said, we eat up these Dark Olympus books like candy. Whatever Katee puts in them is like crack to us. We cannot WAIT to see what else is up her sleeve for this series 👀

I received a free copy of this book thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca; all opinions expressed are exclusively my own.

After the last book, Midnight Ruin, this book felt like a breath of fresh air. Where the last book felt like a plot vehicle exclusively, to me this one felt like the plot and the romance were deeply entwined, and equally compelling. It's a tough story as well; neither of the main characters have had healthy relationships or role models, and their romance is deeply complicated and will make some people uncomfortable at least. That said, it's made me even more excited for the series to progress as we learn more about the city and previously mysterious characters.

For sensitive readers, there are instances of graphic violence, pursuit, abusive relationships, toxic families, dubious/implied consent, offpage pregnancy termination, and graphic sexuality. One character is mentioned to have had suffered endangerment, starvation, and sexual assault as a child though it is not depicted on page.

Thank you so much to Sourcebooks Casablanca and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an early copy of Dark Restraint.

I have been a fan of this series from the beginning and love to see the overall drama and story develop from the different POVs as we progress through the series. This book is focused on The Minotaur and Ariadne, who we've seen over the previous books. There were a few lulls in the action, and I found myself skimming some parts, but it picked up again at the end. It was a little jarring for The Minotaur to suddenly have a name and that was throwing me off quite a bit.

Like others check over triggers before diving into this one!

This was probably one of my least favorite Dark Olympus books but I still enjoyed it. The premise and tropes were great. I didn’t like how Asterion was adding further trauma to a poor traumatized girl for a good portion of the book. Like I get that he’s supposed to be the emotionally unavailable brooding love interest, but stop making her think you intend to kill her. I’m invested in this series but it is starting to feel long overall. We’re nearing the finish line though. I plan to read them all.

Holy cow! This was exactly what I was expecting and more! The spice was perfectly balanced with the plot. I’ve never been more excited to wait for the next book drop. Book 7 is definitely going to be hard to beat for my favorite in the series!

Someone is plotting to take Olympus down in a fiery plan of revenge, and no one is safe.
Ariadne Vitalis is certainly not safe, not when Minos is in charge. But the Minotaur, who has longed for her for years, won't stand around as she's married off to someone else.
While Ariadne fights her feelings for the Minotaur and tries to look out for her brother Icarus, danger around Olympus grows by the second.
I enjoyed this installment of the Dark Olympus series, and am already looking forward to the next one!

Probably the darkest romance in Katee Robert’s series so far. Araidne was like a princess locked away in her tower most of her life and then she finally escapes, but it’s not into safety, instead being thrown into politics and intrigue. The Minotaur is assigned by her father to kill her, but little does anyone realize, including Araidne that he's loved her their entire lives.

I enjoyed all the twists and turns of this series, the glimpses at the other characters from the previous books and just the overall romance mixed with the political intrigue wrapped up in a Greek mythology retelling.

The spice 🥵All the scheming is chiefs kiss😘 Thank you NetGalley for this eARC! Posting on Goodreads and a short review on my insta ❤️

Spice 🌶️🌶️🌶️
Forbidden love

This series sure is longer than I expected, but goodness knows I don’t regret starting it. This is probably my favorite book in the series since Electric Idol (that’s saying a lot), and the plot developments and cliffhanger at the end?

Yeah, I’ll definitely keep going on to the next book.

I'll be honest: I got this book for the steamy scenes (and YES, they are). But I found myself getting sucked into the story, too. I love mythology and am totally here for the modern-retelling trope that's popular right now. My only complaint is that the names/titles are way too confusing.

The Dark Olympus series by Katee Robert is one of my favourite re-tellings of Greek mythology and this book does not disappoint. It is hot, steamy, and full of anticipation. While the relationship between the main characters, Ariadne and Asterion "the Minotaur" was not my favourite of the series, I think their perspectives offer valuable insight to the larger political story of the series. I also like how much representation Katee Robert includes in her books and how she has characters with a range of different identities and perspectives. Overall, an exciting addition to the series and I can't wait to see what happens next!

This is, unfortunately, my least favorite book of the series thus far. These books have gotten more plot heavy as the series has continued, and this one is certainly the plot-heaviest of them all. So much so that, for me, it really took the focus away from the relationship. I probably would have been more upset about this had I been invested in the relationship but unfortunately the specific relationship dynamics here also really didn't work for me. I found Asterion far too stalker-y (which I admit was probably the intent) for me to really root for them to end up together. Honestly I just wanted Ariadne to sail off in a ship by herself at the end.

It's also quite a bit darker than the rest of the series - not necessarily a complaint, just a neutral observation. I'm not quite sure where this overarching story arc is going - I'm still intrigued but also mildly confused knowing how many books we have left and who the main pairings are in subsequent books.

I still really love this series as a whole and think Katee is doing some really important representation - in this book, Ariadne has an abortion (off page but present timeline) and doesn't regret it because of the current circumstances, but thinks about what it would have been like if she had become pregnant a few years in the future when she hopes she will be free. I think this is a really important thing for readers to see and is not something I've seen in other romances.

Thank you to Sourcebooks Casablanca for the eARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Katee Robert is the Queen of my Universe. I love the Dark Olympus series and Dark Restraint was no exception.
I wasn’t exactly looking forward to the Minotaurs book, (per his actions in past books) but I love Ariadne enough to try it.

It’s hard not to love the “touch her and I’ll kill you” possessiveness of the Minotaur though. And Monsters who only seem capable of loving one person? Chefs kiss.
Ariadne just wants to be free of her father. .

There are a few things in this book that could be upsetting for some readers but they could be considered spoilers so please check the triggers before reading.
The spice was 10/10 but the building tension of Olympus politics was right up there on the excitement level.
Add Hermes and Dionysus and Katee hits it out of the park again.