"Dark Restraint" by Katee Robert is an absolute firecracker of a romance! Picture this: a steamy, smutty journey between the unlikely duo of Ariande and the Minotaur. As a librarian, I've devoured my fair share of spicy reads, but this one takes the cake. The chemistry between Ariande and the Minotaur practically leaps off the pages, igniting a passion that's impossible to ignore. Robert's writing is as hot as it gets, with scenes that'll leave you breathless and begging for more. If you're in the mood for a wild ride filled with kink and heat, "Dark Restraint" is your ticket to paradise!

Katee Robert can do no wrong with this series. The way they write continues to build on itself, had me devouring each page, and flying through these books so fast I’m begging for the next in the series. The character development is always so well done, the little flashes of information we learned in previous books, coming back as I read, I didn’t know how she would get me to like The Minotaur, but each glimpse I get of him has me dying to know more when previously I didn’t know if I would care as much about his story. Of course, I was curious about Ariadne and the seeds planted about her, but I love her strength and skills and finding her place in this world. Will update with more when I actually finish but couldn’t resist adding an update.

"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—a man she's feared just as much as she desires.

The Minotaur never had any illusions about Minos's plans. He was willing to get his hands dirty as long as the old man kept his word—at the end of this, the Minotaur would be given Ariadne as a reward. Nowhere in that deal was her walking down the aisle to a different man. She's meant for him, and he means to have her."

Who doesn't enjoy a good cursed pairing?! This novel was a smidge darker than others in this series, but is still well worth the read! Katee Robert knows how to weave the relationship as the main plot, while feeding just enough details of the upcoming was to keep us on our toes. I admit I probably read this too fast, but I could not put it down. Ariadne faces hard choices and frustration at every turn but keeps going because she just wants to be her own person. The Minotaur, Asterion (perfect name), while deadly and a killer, is sweet and considerate of the object of his obsession....mostly. I adore the banter and sarcasm from all of the characters, plus most of them have real issues and consequences due to their own choices. Happy endings are never guaranteed, but always fought for in Dark Olympus and I love it so much. I'm already excited for the next pairing....you get a brief look at it at the end of this novel.

Dark Restraint is the seventh book in the Dark Olympus series by Katee Robert.

Ariadne (FMC)⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Daughter of Minos

Asterion (MMC)⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
AKA the Minotaur

After Ariadne flees her father, she soon enters into a forced engagement by Hera to Dionysus. Neither of them want the engagement/marriage to happen and forge a friendship while bonding over their actual lovelives.

Ariadne and Asterion were written in the stars! What started out as a childhood/teen friendship, turns into so much more as they grew into adulthood.

Beware of the trigger warnings for this title, there are a couple of deep topics discussed in this book.

Overall score:⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this title!

I feel like I am echoing what everyone else has said about this book - I love this series, it is still incredibly sexy, but I feel kind of gross about the relationship between Ariadne and the Minotaur. Overall, a quick, steamy read.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with a digital ARC of this title.

I love this series! Katee Robert does a fantastic job of making a fun spicy romance read that also has an interesting storyline. I can’t wait to pick up the next book to see what’s happening next in Olympus. I really enjoyed the characters in this book. Tough, scary Asterion who’s only soft for Ariadne. And Ariadne, who is no longer under her father’s thumb and can start to find her place and happiness in the world. This book was another wild ride and I can’t wait for the next one.

Katee Robert knows how to serve a delicious forbidden romance!

Ariadne and the Minotaurs relationship was so thrilling, I read in a couple of hours and couldn't really put it down. I also loved the political aspects!

Hera being a main plotter in the political climate of Olympus, absolutely ATE. I love seeing a women in power be an absolute girlboss.

I had fun with the spice and smut, I do wish we would've gotten more content between the main couple but this was a fun read regardless.

I enjoyed the ending of the book, it made perfect sense for this main couple and tbh I wish them nothing but the best.

I am super excited to read Hera and Zeus's book (like I literally always share), I am so desperate for their book. Which I do believe is next *squeals*

Thank you Sourcebooks and Netgalley for the ARC!

"Her body is the altar I worship at, and her love is the only sustenance I need."
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A morally grey MMC who is completely obsessed with the FMC. This story has lots of plot and is lower on the spice than a lot of this authors books. Dont get me wrong, this still very much has spice. I am just used to Katee Roberts books having mostly spice with little plot. This one was heavier on the plot. While I did enjoy this book, I found myself bored with some of it. The plot was there, it made sense and it flowed well but I wasn't sucked in like I would have liked to have been.

When we left off at the end of Midnight Ruin, Ariadne had escaped her father after betraying him to the Olympians. Now, she has to deal with the fallout, considered an enemy to both many of the people of Olympus and her father Minos's people, all while on the brink of war. Meanwhile, The Minotaur (Asterion) is trying to strike a balance that keeps Minos happy but, mostly importantly, keeps Ariadne safe.

I really liked the story between Ariadne and Asterion. (Note: I am not super familiar with Greek Mythology, so my review will have nothing to do with the "retelling" aspect of it all). Asterion came to live with Ariadne's family when he was 14 to work for her father, and Ariadne and Asterion have been close ever since. If you, like me, are a sucker for an anti-hero who hates everyone but the heroine, this book is for you! Ariadne's sweetness softens Asterion's edges — but only as far as avoiding taking the "easier" route if it'll upset her, and he also will not think twice about doing what he has to if she's in danger.

As with the last few books in this series, the action is really ramping up as Olympus prepares for a war against an invading enemy with a very personal, long-time grudge. This book seems like a pivotal turning point for the rest of the series, and I can't wait to see what's in store for the people of Olympus next!

I really like the plot line of this series, but I felt that this book kinda went from 0-100 way too quick. The very first chapter you have Ariadne and the Minotaur’s first time, which ends in a pregnancy. I understand the reason why it was done, but it felt like it was just filler and didn’t affect much.

I did love the world building throughout and what’s going on with the city at the time. I can only imagine how difficult it is to keep this timeline straight while planning each book. I am very much looking forward to Hera and Hermes’ books, given the secrecy behind both!

Each book in this series get more and more wilder!!! And I freaking love it! Ariadne and the Minotaur?!?! 🥵🥵 so freaking hot, Katee Robert can do no wrong!!

Let me start this by saying Katee Robert is one of my auto-buy authors. I've read and devoured dozens of her other books, including those in the Dark Olympus series. Dark Restraint did not hit as hard as I wanted it to for me, but I genuinely believe that it is a *mostly* great book, that many people would enjoy.

The good, first of all: It is really refreshing to see two protagonists outside of the "Thirteen" and I enjoyed the perspective. I think the plot and story of this book were the most interesting so far, and I felt like it had the highest stakes. I loved seeing a different side of Dionysus, and I am absolutely feral for Hera.

The not-as-good: I did not vibe with the "spark" between Ariadne and Asterion. A lot of their tension was diffused in the first few chapters. I didn't really buy their love for each other, because a lot of it happens off-page, in their past. I wanted more "will they won't they?" personally.

Overall, I'm glad I read it, and I think anyone who loves the Dark Olympus series will like it. I just did not find it to be the strongest in the series.

Dark Olympus is one of my favorite dark romance series and this book did not disappoint. The chemistry between Ariadne and Asterion had so much history behind it, and so many years of longing, which made it especially satisfying seeing them give into their love.

I also really enjoyed getting to see more of Dionysus and his place within the greater picture. The political intrigue and shady dealings were amped up in this installment and I am chomping at the bit to see what happens next. The setup for a future romance with Icarus and Poseidon was perfection and I NEED to see what
my beloved Hermes gets up to next!

Thank you so very much to Sourcebooks Casablanca and NetGalley for this eARC. All opinions are my own.

Katee Robert doesn't disappoint!! Love the Dark Olympus series, and was lucky enough to snag an ARC copy for Dark Restraint.
You have the ongoing threat to Olympus looming over everyone, the tension between Ariadne and the Minotaur, stolen kisses in secret, and the SPICE 🥵.
Not to mention getting more of a glimpse into Dionysus and Hermes!
Like all the other books in the series, I'm now anxiously awaiting the next one!!

I loved this book. It is one of the best in this series. I didn’t think I would like the Minotaur as much as I did but I adore him. The ending was also a bit shocking. I didn’t expect it. I hope there will be more of Ariadne and the Minotaur in the future or some short stories of them. The plot in this one was more focused on the upcoming war instead of just the couple which I found very enjoyable.

Another great addition to the series! The Dark Olympus Series has me invested in the characters and the plot! The plot moved along quite well in this novel and I’m eagerly waiting for the next one.

This book was so freaking good!!!! I absolutely love this series and this book did not disappoint! Katee Robert is a mastermind! This book will have you sitting at the edge of your seat. This book is probably the darkest one of the series so far and was utter perfection. The characters were written very well with amazing characters growth and there was good plot/spice balance. I am definitely now impatiently waiting for the next one.

I’ve read all of the Dark Olympus books so far and was dying to get my hands on Ariadne and the Minotaur’s book. It absolutely did not disappoint! It was so sexy yet so so sweet. I loved these two characters so much and was rooting for them the entire time! So glad I was able to read it early! Katee you did it again!

The plot keeps plotting!!!! We're getting so close to the series ending and I love that things keep snowballing. I loved the friends to lovers with this (I can't remember if Katee has written one before/ recently) and I also loved that the relationship was not the main focus this time. It got me excited to get to both Icarus's and Hera's stories (ugh why must we waitttt) and I can't wait to hopefully really meet Circe soon.

Amazing continuation of the series! I didn’t think I would fall so hard for the Minotaur, but here we are. I loved seeing their relationship develop and I loved his dynamic with her. I also loved Ariadne’s journey to discovering who she wants to be on her own. We really get into some of the underlying politics of Olympus with this book. Just when I felt like I was figuring things out… PLOT TWIST. Katee Robert never disappoints and this book is no exception. I devoured this book so fast and can’t wait for the next one!