I enjoyed this one. The political movements made it more than the FMC & MMC.

# Dark Restraint
# 9/11/2024 ~ 9/12/2024
# 4.0 / 5.0

I think that this was, so far, my least favorite in the series. While I loved the character of Ariadne (her will, independence, fierceness, etc.), I just didn't find the romance all that compelling. I can appreciate the Minotaur's struggles and internal conflict between loyalty to his "savior" and loyalty to his love, but again, it just wasn't as compelling as some of the other books in the series.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a digital copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

I really like how this pushed the overarching plot, that thinly links all these books together, forward. I'm also a big fan of how The Minataur is only soft for Ariadne. This greatly filled in the world building, politics and the romance while not as striking as others in this series was good.

Ariadne and the Minotaur are my absolute favorite so far in this series. Very much giving dangerous man but soft for her, touch her and I’ll kill you vibes. Also giving your mine and no one else can have you/you can’t hide from me, I’ll find you anywhere🥵
I feel like as the series has progressed we are getting so much ✨more✨ in the best way. The storyline, the tension, the mystery, it makes me sad knowing we are building up for what is going to be an epic ending but I can’t wait.

Thank you Sourcebooks Casa for providing me with an e-ARC in exchange for my honest thoughts.

I am so sad to say I was disappointed by Dark Restraint. :/ This book and the last book felt more like filler than the romance books of the earlier Dark Olympus titles. I was not invested in Ariadne or the Minotaur's relationship. In my opinion, this was the weakest romance of the series this far. On the other hand, I do appreciate the political maneuvers Katee is trying to accomplish and I hope she can pull it off in the final stretch of this series.

I wanted to love Dark Restraint, after reading all of Katee Roberts’s Dark Olympus books, but this one fell a bit flat for me. Of all of the books in the series, this one adhered most closely to the Dark Romance trope, which I admit is not my cup of tea.

I really admire what the author has done with this series—each book is a standalone, but there’s a narrative through line, with each book adding to a larger mystery, If you’re a fan of the series, this book is definitely worth a read. And if you’re looking for a dark romance to scratch an itch, this is a quick read that will do that for you. But I wouldn’t strongly recommend it on its own.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me an eArc to read and review!

I think, perhaps, this book suffers from my binge-reading the Dark Olympus books and becoming bored with the weird timeline and universe. I generally enjoy these books because of their high-stakes political intrigue, but if you read a bunch of them in a row it becomes really tedious and repetitive.

Ariadne and the Minotaur could be a really interesting couple and this is the darkest dark romance Robert has written. Unfortunately, this whole relationship centers on a weird miscommunication trope which just made me want to shake both of them. I ended up DNFing because there wasn't enough I found engaging to keep going.

I absolutely love the plot of this story. I love that Euridyce steps into her confidence and knows who she is and what she wants. I love that this is a story of redemption, and it is done so well!! I have been waiting for Charon's happy ending forever, and I am so happy to see him obtain it. Katee Robert truly hits it out of the park with this series. I love how seamlessly the growing conflicts and politics of Olympus add to the plot and depth of the main characters. I am on the edge of my seat to see what happens with Olympus next.
Book 4/5
Spice 4/5

Another great addition to the Dark Olympus series. The Ariadne and Minotaur ship is a wild one, but I was definitely buckled in and along for the ride. A lot of plot points resolved/came to fruition in this one, so it'll be exciting to see what comes next for these characters!

Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for providing me with an arc for an honest review.

I’ve enjoyed her Greek god retelling. It has all the spice touch her and die, you could want. A quick read and enjoyable.

@katee_robert can do no wrong! I was so excited to read Dark Restraint, the 7th book in the Dark Olympus series and it didn’t let me down.

I’m obsessed with this series. I feel like I know the characters and the city so well after reading all of these books. Ariadne, Dionysus, and the Minotaur are now three of my favorites from this series.

I’m hooked and, as soon as I finish one, I want to read the next one! This book ends with an ominous feeling and some trouble on the horizon. I cannot wait for book 8!

Dark Olympus, why can't I quit you! At this point I'm mostly just in it for the bigger plot, which means I'm going to keep reading this series as long as they keep publishing it, but as the individual couples/throuples/quartets go, the individual books can vary when it comes to how interesting I find the characters involved in the main romance and how long it takes me to finish reading as a result. The Minotaur and Ariadne were in my top third and I did eventually go back and finish, so I'm giving it 3.5 stars rounded up because I was also happy to get the plot information we did. (To be fair, it doesn't help that the main thing I want out of this series now is a Callisto/Perseus book and I don't care whether she ends up killing him or they end up falling in love or both, and I feel like if we get that it won't be until close to the very end of the series for plot reasons... but I will persevere. :))

⭐️⭐️⭐️ Dark Restraint by Katee Robert

This is the 7th book in the Dark Olympus series. It’s another 🔥one!

This book focuses on the relationship between Ariadne and Asterion (the Minotaur.) Asterion is a hired bad guy of Minos, Ariadne’s father. Minos has ordered Asterion to kill Ariadne, but he can’t because he loves her. I had a hard time picturing this relationship because Asterion is the Minotaur. Robert continued to remind us he’s a giant of a guy with long flowing red locks. Once I got past this obstacle, I was aggravated by the constant miscommunication between these two lovers. If they would have just had a conversation - ugh! I know that’s the essence of the miscommunication trope, but this one was so grating in that it was obvious he wasn’t going to kill her but he wouldn’t just say it. Anyway, after this was sorted out, I really did like these two together.

Otherwise, it’s a continuation of the Olympus story and characters. Fabulous world building and storytelling.

And kudos to Dionysus for being a stand up dude!

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for providing me with an ARC of this title for review.

This was a pretty quick read for me. The story continues the entire Dark Olympus saga. The relationship between the Minotaur and Ariadne is a total slow burn. I really wanted more of Dionysus but hopefully he’ll get a story soon. They book also set up a very clear path for the next installment. This one wasn’t my favorite of the series, but still a solid installment.

I liked this book, I loved how the plot progressed from the last book, it was definitely way more plot based than the romance. Which I didn’t mind at all, one of the main reasons I love this series is the plot. I am not a big dark romance person but this one really stuck with me.

I loved Ariadne, I think she was probably one of my favourite fmc in the series. The minotaur was okay, not my favourite but I liked him as well, especially them together.

Overall with the rest of the series, I didn’t like this book as much, mostly because the romance didn’t really stick with me and I wasn’t interested in them at all. But it was still enjoyable and entertaining.

Thank you to NetGalley and SourceBooks for the arc in exchange for a free review!

Imagine my surprise when I check my email only to discovery that net-galley and Source Books had granted my wish for an advance copy of Dark Restraint, just one day before its release! Thank you for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Dark Restraint delves into the evolving relationship between Ariadne and The Minotaur. I'll admit, I initially struggled to connect with the characters. While Ariadne began to win me over in the previous book with her intriguing situation, I found myself hesitant about The Minotaur's chapters at first. However, his devotion and compelling words gradually won me over. I'm always a sucker for a character who is dark and rugged yet tender with his love interest, and The Minotaur's intense, almost obsessive affection for Ariadne delivered just that.

Katee Robert's talent for world-building is truly captivating. She seamlessly blends politics and romance without detracting from the story's momentum. Dark restraint has left me begging for more particularly with the intriguing Dionysus and the enigmatic Hera, whose presence added depth to the plot.

Overall, this book represents a significant improvement over its predecessor. While the earlier book was enjoyable, it left something to be desired. While I wish more had been done to introduce us to both Ariadne and The Minotaur and their blossoming relationship leading up to Dark Restraint, the characters managed gradually won me over, despite my initial reservations.

Thank you, Katee Robert, Source Books and Netgalley for the ARC.

3.5 stars

I enjoyed this and I love the series. This isn’t my favorite of the series and I felt like there was less plot in this book than the previous ones. It was still enjoyable but not my favorite.
I loved Dionysus and I am looking forward to Icarus’ story if he has one.

I enjoyed the audio and thought the voice actors did a good job portraying the characters.

*Thank you Netgalley and sourcebooks Casablanca for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

DARK RESTRAINT is the seventh instalment in Katee Robert’s adult DARK OLYMPUS erotic, romance series-a modern day retelling about the gods and goddesses of Olympus. This is Ariadne Vitalis, and Asterion aka the Minotaur’s story line. DARK RESTRAINT should not be read as a stand alone as there is an ongoing premise throughout the series.

SOME BACKGROUND: Not all is well in Olympus. The barrier between Olympus and the rest of the world is collapsing, and the attacks in the upper city have become dangerous and deadly. The fight for power and control within the ruling circle of Thirteen has resulted in a number of deaths-someone is determined to destroy that which is no longer theirs to control.

Told from dual first person perspectives (Ariadne and Asterion) DARK RESTRAINT continues to focus on the fight for power. Ariadne Vitalis’ life was spiralling out of control, and with her father targeting the people in charge, Ariadne begs for sanctuary from the enemy, but in doing so, invokes the wrath of her father Minos. Enter Asterion aka the Minotaur, Ariadne’s father’s ‘fixer’, and the man with whom Ariadne has fallen in love. A one night stand weeks earlier forced Ariadne to run from the man that she loved but the barrier between the upper and lower city of Olympus is failing, and Ariadne’s father is taking aim at the Dodona tower, the centre of power for the ruling of Olympus.

The world building is detailed and complex. The gods and goddesses of Olympus have chosen sides; chosen their heroes; chosen who is going to live and die. With each successive death, a new god or goddess is proclaimed, thus the fight for power becomes dangerous and deadly.

The relationship between Ariadne and Asterion aka The Minotaur is a second chance relationship, of a sorts.Ariadne and Asterion have been dancing around one another since their early teens but Asterion is Minos’ fixer, and his latest target is our story line heroine. The $ex scenes are limited but passionate.

There is a large ensemble cast of familiar and colorful secondary and supporting characters including Her, Zeus, Poseidon, Hermes; Ariadne’s brother Icarus, and their father Minos.

DARK RESTRAINT is a story of betrayal and vengeance, power and control, obsession and madness, forgiveness and love .The premise is intricate and entertaining; the romance is fated and passionate; the characters are desperate, purposeful and stubborn.



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GOOGLE PLAY (Sandy Sch) posted

***3.0 Stars***

Overall,
This may be my least favorite book out of this series. The politics portion was very good, and it got me excited for other couples. However, this particular couple did not feel as fleshed out as it could have been. The SHE IS MINE language felt a bit forced to me. The MMC was very aggressive which normally I do not mind in dark romances, but this one just felt off. The FMC while marginally better just did not get enough back story for me. The ending of this book did set up what I believe will be a very interesting set of circumstances in the future. I will definitely still be continuing this series. I do recommend to my followers that you do not read these books out of order. While each book is a separate pairing, there is a through line story that will make events in this story very confusing.

Thank you Netgalley and Source books for the opportunity to review this book in exchange for my free and honest review.

4⭐️ 3🌶

YEP, I WANNA FUCK THE VILLAIN MORE THAN I'D EVER WANT A HERO.

Do I need to say anything further? I think it's pretty self explanatory. But I do have more to say. I went into this expecting it would be towards the bottom of my rating for the series given the two main characters in this one are not from Olympus, they're an implant from the events of Wicked Beauty and Radiant Sin. HOWEVERRRRRRR these two clawed their way into my heart and damn was this book more than I ever thought it would be.

Please do not ignore the content warnings for this one. There is heavier topics and there is CNC but this is something Katee excels at and does it so well each and every time. The dynamic between these two was so delicious because he is not morally gray. The man is so black you have to put a neon sign next to him to see him at night. He is the night himself. He is a villain, he is not a good person, there is no "he had no choice blah blah blah"... but his weakness is her. He has always wanted her and he'd do anything and kill anyone for her if it means she is finally with him and they can both be free. Sure you can make the argument of his upbringing and all that but he has evil inside and I would love that evil inside me. Can't really blame Ari tbch. But this is what I love about Katee... it's so easy to simp the hero, but when she can make you love the villain?? Nahhh that's where the true talent lies.

Maybe I do need to go back to therapy 🤷🏻‍♀️

IS IT TIME FOR ZEUS AND HERA YET?????? I AM LITERALLY DYING HERE, GNAWING AT THE WALLS OF MY ENCLOSURE!!!