This book surprised me in a lot of ways & really solidified why I decided to read a 10 book series. Katee gives us such range and a new story, but continuing an overall "bigger picture" or a new puzzle piece and I loved that. I loved that she flipped the "normal" MM romance with this one too.

Normally, I don't pick up a Katee Robert book for the plot. IYKYK. Interestingly, with Sweet Obsession, I did. Now 8 books deep into the series, this is the first book where the political plot of the overarching series balanced well with the arc of this book. That said, I didn't find Icarus and Poseidon as compelling of characters as I'd hoped. When I pick up a book like this - where the majority of it is s3x - I need strong character development and intimacy.

Katee Robert is incredibly careful (and caring) as they set up the nature of the BD$M, for me almost to a fault. While I love the explicit consent all over the page, these scenes between Poseidon and Icarus tended towards mechanical for me. I had a harder time staying connected to this book than others in the series, even though this is one of the better plots in the last several books for me.

AMAZING SPICY ROMANCE!

One of the best in the series.

A must for 2025 to include in your TBR

I ate the story up! A captive developing feelings for his captor?!? Hellllll yasssss! Poseidon has been so mysterious I was very excited for his story and it did not disappoint!! The chemistry between and Icarus was hot and these two really had some need driving them to make their decisions.

But lemme tell you…I AM SO FREAKING PUMPED FOR THE NEXT ONE!!!!! My gosh the build up has been insane in the best way!!

This is one of those books where the "scorchingly hot" from the synopsis is actually 100% correct. This book is smutty in all the best ways, and I am once more in awe of how Robert writes about kink. The communication is not just present but it is a huge part of the sex scenes. They are constantly checking in with each other as they explore the kinks they are into. For reference it might be worth noting that this book contains the exploration of a pain kink, as well as a dom/sub relationship. In Robert's books, sex and kink are not just there, but they are active elements of the main character's personal growth, as well as the development of their relationship(s).

In addition to the romance plotline, there is a lot of build-up for the overarching plotline of politics and war. I will not go into detail, as to not spoil anyone, but the tensions are rising! I am really excited to see where this goes, and I am especially excited for the next book which is finally going to be Zeus/Hera. I have to admit that the political plot is not my main focus while reading these books, I am first and foremost here for the romance, which is why these books work so well for me. I am also a huge fan of all the ways Robert lets the original myths shine through in her works, even though they are by no means true retellings.

I would highly recommend this book series if you think romance stories set in a semi-fantasy world based on Greek mythology sounds fun! This series is smutty in all the right ways and I am absolutely obsessed with it.

Thank you to Sourcebook Casablanca for the free book. These opinions are my own.

I love the Dark Olympus series so much. I love everything Katee Robert writes, but this series especially has me engrossed. And wow, this book managed to balance moving forward both the overall drama and narrative of the series and the specific character romance incredibly well.

This eighth book features Poseidon and Icarus. While I felt I knew Icarus a bit from previous books, this was a new chance to get to know Poseidon. And he's so good. Seriously so much better than so many others in Olympus. He is a truly good man who cares for his people more than his power. In lieu of a book boyfriend, Poseidon is my book political leader.

Because of the amazing person Poseidon is, the story managed to be incredibly tender despite centering on a prisoner and captor dynamic. It's such a sweet romance. And of course, it also features steam and some kink dynamics that surprised me. I'm incredibly eager for the two remaining books.

4.5 stars rounded up

DNF at 56%

I tried I really tried. I usually love this series but I found myself not caring about the characters or what was happening. I found for a spicy book it dragged and I didn’t feel the characters connection. I likely will read the next book as I do want to know what’s happening in Olympus but it wasn’t enough for me to finish this on. 2 stars as I did like Poseidon as a character. But that’s about it.

Thanks to Netgalley and Sourcebooks for the copy in exchange for my honest review.

Sweet Obsession is the latest instalment in the Dark Olympus series, which I have loved. Whilst it’s still a fabulous book, it fell into the same trap for me as Dark Restraint, I struggled to get into the book because I didn’t have a strong sense of connection to the characters. Whilst Poseidon was mysterious and alluring, it meant it felt little connection to him and I didn’t feel a strong investment in Icarus.

The world building and plot were fantastic, they fit right into the extended universe and continued to push the storyline. I was most excited and engaged by cameos to and references to other characters who have had their own books already, it’s like getting to visit an old friend again. Also the Hera/Zeus teases were exciting.

I can’t wait for more Dark Olympus and look forward to continuing the journey. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher, Sourcebooks Casablanca for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review, these thoughts are all my own.

Not my personal favorite of this series, but enjoyable as always! My favorite part was seeing Icarus and Poseidon become more vulnerable with each other over the course of the story. I'm interested to see how the over all plot of the series wraps up soon!

Thank you to the publisher for the ARC!

Sweet Obsession is the eighth installment in the Dark Olympus series, this time spotlighting the dynamic between Icarus and Poseidon. Picking up right after the events of Book 7, this one dives into the aftermath of Ariadne’s choices, Icarus’ captivity, and Circe’s brewing revenge plot.

By Book 8, the stakes are high and the tension is palpable—this series is nothing if not dramatic, and Sweet Obsession keeps the momentum going. While I personally hoped for some resolution by now, I was surprised (and a little shocked!) to learn there are still two more books to go. But honestly, after investing this much time in the series, I’m in it until the end.

Icarus and Poseidon’s relationship took me by surprise—I didn’t see it coming, but I appreciated the attempt to subvert expectations with the power dynamics between them. Icarus’ agency in a captive setting and Poseidon’s unexpected vulnerability made for an intriguing contrast. While I wish there had been a bit more buildup and chemistry between them, I can see what the author was going for.

And of course, I’ll be picking up the next book—I need to know what’s in store for Hera and Zeus!

I missed the archive date on this one but ended up getting a copy through the library and thank goodness dark olympus 5eva.

I really enjoyed this installment! The dynamic between Icarus and Poseidon was unexpected in the best way—their banter, tension, and emotional push-and-pull had me smiling and fully engaged. There’s a charm to their chemistry that felt both playful and deeply vulnerable, and I loved watching their relationship evolve beyond the surface.

One of my favorite aspects of this book was how the kink was explored—it felt different from the others in the series, with a level of emotional intimacy and trust that added real weight to their connection. The exploration wasn’t just steamy, it was thoughtful and raw in a way that made the story stand out.

That said, I did find myself wanting more from the broader Olympus storyline. I’m so invested in the political games, shifting alliances, and chaos in the background, and while I loved the romance, I was hoping for a deeper dive into those threads too.

Still, this was a solid, sexy, and emotional addition to the series, and I absolutely can’t wait to see where things go next. Katee Robert continues to build a world that’s dark, addictive, and impossible to walk away from!

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks for the ARC in exchange for an honest review

I would recommend if you're looking for (SPOILERS)

-m/m dark romance
-dom/submissive
-captor/captive
-forced proximity
-insta attraction

I've stopped even trying to guess what is going to happen in this series. The action is only picking up with the political drama. Neither Icarus nor Poseidon were what I expected, yet their sexual relationship was such an interesting twist on their roles in this book. I won't say much to not spoil it but so much happens in such a short time frame and has me just banging at my cage begging for the next installment and desperate for this series to never end.

I have absolutely been loving this ongoing series by Katee Robert. I was so excited for this installment of the Dark Olympus series to come out, but admittedly felt a bit let down by this one. I found myself skipping ahead in parts just to "get to the point" of plot progression for the overall storyline of the series. I will definitely be continuing with the next installments, but this was my least favorite of the series thus far.

The Dark Olympus series was one of my favorites in the beginning, but I feel like each new book becomes my least favorite of the series. After book three, it all goes downhill.
I honestly went in not caring about either character. I've been curious about the mysterious Poseidon since the first few books, but his character did not live up to expectations. And Icarus was kind of icky to me. I haven't liked him since I was predispositioned not to in book 4 (I mean, he attacked a good character for no reason), and hearing his story didn't really change my perception of him.
I enjoy MM books, but I don't feel this was top tier Katee smut. Achilles and Patroclus did it better. (All the puns intended.)
At this point, I'm only in it for Hera and Zeus's book. Their cameos in this book, along with Hades, were the highlights. Also, the anger that rose in me at seeing Hermes was new and slightly unexpected.

As I stated in my review of Dark Restraint, Circe's motives for all of this is becoming... dumber? She wants Olympus to fall as retribution against a man who is dead? Who was killed in book 1? Before this all started? Against characters who weren't even in power when she was in town? At least 8 of the 13 were very young and/or not even in charge when everything went down with her, but she's ready to come in and kill them all anyway? By all accounts, the current people in charge are loved by everyone, but sure, let's wipe them all out to get some petty revenge against a dead person. We find out that Circe and Zeus were together for all of a week, but apparently it lead to this level of nonsensical violence all because Circe believes Olympus should have stopped Zeus before she was "killed". She went after my baby Hades, and that really is irredeemable. I feel like the overall plot is going off the rails in a bad way, but I'm intrigued enough to stick it out for Hera's book.

This book was a 1.5 for me, but it gets half a star for Hera, Zeus, and Hades each. So 3/5 stars.

I am BEYOND excited to read Hera and Zeus's book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks for my ARC of this title!

I enjoyed this more than the Ariadne and Minotaur book. It has the perfect amount of spice and politics.

The ending felt kinda rushed, however I did enjoy reading about Poseidon and Icarus' relationship and their own personal traumas and issues. But because we got to know how Poseidon and Icarus were feeling and thinking and we spent the majority of the book with that, the ending was not was climactic and just felt a bit rushed.

I think this couple though might be one of my favorites in the series. I just really enjoyed reading about their dynamic, where seemingly Poseidon would be the dom because he is big and Icarus is small. Which, he might be outside of the bedroom but Poseidon is definitely not the dom inside the bedroom. I love reading about a big man being submissive.

This was a really deliciously dark MM romance. This book is a modern day twist on mythology which was a first for me. I loved the relationship dynamics between Poseidon and Icarus. It also had a great spice and plot ratio!

This was my first book by Katee Robert and it will not be my last!

As always, Katee Robert has continued to build such a wonderful world in olympus (figuratively and not so much).

I loved that this one was MM and I hope Katee does more in the future.

My only comment is that some of these books tend to be heavy on the filler, which is 100% okay but just not for me.

ARC Review: Sweet Obsession by Katee Robert
Pub Date: April 1, 2025

I have really enjoyed this series! Books 1-3 are my favorite but after those, I think this one is my new favorite! I really enjoyed the relationship between Icarus and Poseidon and I found the plot in this book much easier to follow than in the other recent books in the series. And of course this book got me SUPER excited for Zeus and Hera's book! Can't believe we only have 2 books left in this series but I'm ready!

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

I cannot thank Sourcebooks Casablanca and Katee Robert enough for an ARC of Sweet Obsession. This romantic take on Icarus and Poseidon has been on my list for so long and I cannot wait to see what happens next in the Dark Olympus series!

What I liked: Robert really went a different direction with this book that I appreciated. In such a long series, keeping each book fresh can be a struggle. This book is where the plot really started to develop more and we are starting to see where the series is going. . There was a strong chemistry between our two leads, and I really enjoyed the ending where it comes full circle.

To keep in mind: The beginning of this book was a little slow and I wanted a bit more of an emotional connection between our two leads. The romance was very speedy after first meeting, so maybe having a little bit more of a slower burn would have helped with this.

Rating: 3.5⭐️ I enjoyed this book and will definitely be continuing the series. I thought this was a new take on the series and provided something interesting into it.