Cruel Seduction is the 5th in the Dark Olympus series. I felt like this was a big step with having four POV's and having a lot of manipulation and seduction. Roberts does not disappoint with this 5th installment and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I loved getting to see the rise of the new Aphrodite and her relationships build with the others. I am so excited for the next one!

The spicy 5th instalment in Katee Robert's Dark Olympus series - Cruel Seduction centres around Aphrodite, Hephaestus, Adonis and Pandora. Tropes included: modern retelling of greek mythology, marriage of convenience, strong female characters, revenge and enemies to lovers.

It has been a hot second, since I have read a Katee Robert book and my god, this book reminded me how much I enjoy her writing.

Thank you so much to NetGalley for sending me an ARC of Cruel Seduction to read!

I had been dying to get my hands on this book for so long and I'm so grateful that I was able to read this before publishing. I loved every part of this story and the character developments of Eris and Theseus were just perfect.

This is the fifth instalment in Katee Robert's Dark Olympus series and I can honestly say that this series just keeps getting better and better. I of course loved the elements of enemies to lovers and marriage of convince, to then seeing the relationships of Aphrodite, Hephaestus, Pandora and Adonis build over the course of the story developing over the chapters.

I could not put this book down and I wish it was longer so I didn't have to finish their story so soon, I need more asap. I can proudly say my jaw dropped multiple times while reading this and not going to lie I almost cried at one point but my god was this book amazing.

I would definitely recommend you get your hands on this book when it releases if you love greek mythology retellings, marriage of convenience, strong female characters, revenge and enemies to lovers because this book will tick those boxes.

3.75/5 stars!
This is not my favourite in the Dark Olympus series but that said - this series is holding up surprisingly well 5 books deep!
Katee Robert has hit new highs in terms of representation with this poly knot romance. The storyline of this book is one of her strongest so far too - I was completely hooked from the beginning and found it hard to put down. It just felt incredibly high stakes in a way that some other books in this series didn't manage to feel for me. The way the series is coming together feels so satisfying - and I really enjoyed that we got a peak at where the series might be going next (Zeus and Hera 👀 ).
Despite everything that I loved, there was a minor downside to this book that prevented it from being my favourite; the poly relationship felt underdeveloped. I wish we had more insights into the dynamic between all of the love interests but also a better look at where this relationship is going in the future. I understand that it might not have been possible without the book becoming overly long but the undercooked feeling just left me wanting a little more. Great smut though!

"Cruel Seduction" by Katee Robert is a scorching modern retelling that weaves the captivating story of Aphrodite and Hephaestus, intertwined with Pandora and Adonis. This tantalizing tale follows Aphrodite, a character unafraid to embrace manipulation to achieve her goals. When faced with a strategic marriage to Olympus's enemy, Hephaestus, she hatches a plan to keep him off-balance by seducing Pandora, the person he cares for deeply.

The book delves into a web of seduction, rivalry, and tangled emotions as Hephaestus decides to play Aphrodite at her own game. Adonis, an ex-lover of Aphrodite, becomes his weapon of choice. However, as lines blur and feelings ignite, the characters find themselves on a treacherous path where hearts are at stake.

Katee Robert's skillful storytelling and steamy interactions make "Cruel Seduction" a standout in the series. The dynamic between Aphrodite and Hephaestus, with their venomous exchanges that border on foreplay, adds depth and intensity to the narrative. The book seamlessly merges passion and tension with the backdrop of a city facing unrest, creating a thrilling ride that keeps readers engaged from start to finish.

With every installment, Katee Robert's series promises more excitement and depth, and "Cruel Seduction" delivers on that promise. If you're a fan of sizzling retellings filled with complex characters and a touch of mythology, this book is a must-read.

2.5 ⭐️
Cruel Seduction is the fifth book in the Dark Olympus series by Kate Robert. I wouldn’t call them retellings but rather loosely inspired by Greek mythology. This fifth book follows an arranged marriage between Theseus and Eris or their new titles Hephaestus and Aphrodite. After a controversial rise to power and new member of the Thirteen, Theseus is following orders from his foster father Minos the new bad guy of Olympus after bringing his family back into the grind of intense politics. In the previous novel, Helen, Eris’s sister severely damaged Theseus’s knee during the trials and it was interesting seeing a main heroine with a new injury where he suffers from weakness and chronic pain. Previously a fighter it is difficult to adapt to his body post-injury.
Eris is ruthless and although she’s compliant in her responsibility as the new Aphrodite, she still enjoys herself and her sexuality. The wedding is quick and the hate sex is impeccable. If I’m honest, I struggled to like this book and felt the same with the fourth book. I feel Roberts has transitioned slightly to a politics heavy romance whereas the first three were romance heavy. As the books progress I become forgetful and lost by the name changes, various characters and the politics that took place before. I was reading previous reviews in an attempt to familiarise myself with the plot points that happened. After seeing that Katee intends to write ten books I panic internally as I imagine trying to keep up with all the information that will add to future plot lines.
I did enjoy the romance. Katee Robert is the queen of inclusive romance with high heat and enviable relationships. Although Theseus and Eris are married, the two begin a relationship with others. Adonis begins a relationship with Theseus and is the ex lover of Eris and she begins a relationship with Theseus’s childhood best friend Pandora. The polyamory is written well as always and the chemistry was evident through the book. I just wish I had enjoyed it more. I felt the jump from hate to love was very quick and Adonis and Pandora’s addition to the dynamic was brushed over and that was it. Once I understood the plot I was 95% done with the book! I will clearly continue with the series even if I’m completely lost with what’s happening. Katee Robert has a way of writing consumable books that leave you wanting more.

Thank you NetGalley and Source Books UK for giving me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I am a massive fan of Katee Robert and her writing - it is just so addictive. Again, this is an incredible new addition to the Dark Olympus series, with just as much spice and tension, but maybe slightly more seduction (because of course it is about Aphrodite).

Aphrodite is strong, confident, driven and incredibly sexy. To save Olympus from Minos, she marries the new Hephaestus, who the new God is under the control of. She plans to seduce the only person close to him to gain the upper hand - Pandora. Funnily enough, behind her back, Hephaestus is seducing her ex: Adonis. Not only this, the new married couple are also seducing each other, fighting for the upper hand.

I could literally not put this down. This book has so much fire within it and very fruity. I can’t wait for Robert’s future work.

Cruel Seduction is the fifth book in the Dark Olympus series and it offers more of the same delicious content we’ve come to expect from Katee Robert. It has the perfect blend of spice combined with really intriguing politics that keep you on the edge of your seat.

However in my personal opinion it is the weakest in the series so far. Due to the book containing a MMFF poly relationship we get four main characters and four different POVs. This means all the content is stretched quite thinly and there’s a lack of meaningful character development for at least two of those main characters. I also found that as soon as the book really started to get going, it ended which overall was quite unsatisfying.

I did take issue with one spice scene in particular which contained three of the main characters. It happened after a major event and I felt like it was very loose with consent. As such I didn’t gel with it and couldn’t enjoy it. The rest of the spice scenes I had no issues with, they were brilliant. It was just that one spice scene which was dubious to me.

If you are continuing the series you will likely enjoy Cruel Seduction however if you plan on reading it as a stand alone it may take some time to get into and you will also receive major spoilers for books three and four. So proceed with caution.

Even with my complaints I still enjoyed the book overall, especially the cute fluffy moments towards the end and I’m very much looking forward to the next book in the series.

This is the 5th book in the Dark Olympus series and after reading an interview with the author, I learnt I could read this without any prior knowledge of the series. I think this ultimately effected my enjoyment of the book. I understood what was going on but I wasn’t really invested in any of the characters - maybe Penelope at a push. In fact, the female characters were ok but the male characters really didn’t do it for me. The world is very superficial which is a taste issue for me personally, but I thought the smutty scenes were well written, which I imagine is what a lot of people read it for anyway. But if you decide to pick it up, I’d definitely recommend starting with the first in the series, “Neon Gods” because I imagine it will flow much better this way.

Many thanks to @NetGalley and @SourcebooksUK for sending me an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review! Cruel Seduction will be released Aug 8th. Review to follow on goodreads and bookstagram @libraryofpearl

4.25⭐️
Thank you, NetGalley & and Sourcebooks, for this ARC. Hephaestus and Aphrodite retelling, the new Hephaestus is an outsider and the biggest threat to the 13! Aphrodite marries him as a power play they both go into this political marriage with the mentality of keeping your enemies closer.

We also have Pandora, who is Hephaestus best friend and Adonis, who is Aphrodite ex lover who wanted her to run away with him.

Aphrodite has always done what is best for Olymus despite what it means for her, she comes across as someone who only cares for herself, Hephaestus comes across as a evil murderer (which technically he did murder the last Hephaestus) but we learn more about his relationship to Minos and why he's so loyal to him and also that there is more to Aphrodite.

We embark on a polyamorous relationship between the 4 of them, which starts for different reasons. We still have the treat out there for all the 13 now the assaination clause has been released and Minos is still out for as much power he can grab as well as other outside forces trying to unsettle Olymus.

Katee does such a great job at representation, and the spice as always is just so delicious. I love this series, and I haven't read a book yet that I didn't enjoy.

Honestly I will always read anything that Katee Robert puts out, and this did not disappoint. A great series, great read as always - looking forward to more!

Firstly I cannot put into words how addictive the Dark Olympus series is and how invested I am in all the characters. Each new instalment just gets better and better and Katee Robert's writing is so easy to consume and enjoy.

As always Katee Robert writes great complex relationships and this book was no exception. To describe these characters as messy would be an understatement to say the least. The spice was great, the plot was interesting and set up the next instalment's foundations nicely. My only criticism without spoiling anything was I felt the ending was a bit sudden, I wanted more.

This book contains great spice, tropes including enemies to lovers, forced marriage, second chance romance and many more as well as a well developed and portrayed polyamorous relationship.

I would always recommend reading these books in order of publication although they are standalone due to the plot developments and because the titles and names can be confusing if you are not following correctly!

5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Another steamy, intriguing and engaging read from Katee Robert. This series is a definite guilty pleasure - but a great one at that

A scorchingly hot modern retelling of Aphrodite and Hephaestus as well as Pandora and Adonis.

This is a sizzlingly hot HEA that is so steamy it’s practically boiling over.
Set in the fierce political world of Olympus, we find our characters fighting for power in this two faced arena.

Brilliant and well balanced characters, who you may start the story not liking very much, but, find you become quite invested as their storyline unfolds.
You can’t help but fall in love with these enchanting characters.
Fantastic plot and story development throughout.
Hot, seamy and wanton, wicked and intimately sexual.

Once this got it momentum it rarely slowed until the end.

I absolutely loved this story and hope the author will write more of these characters.

I was unaware that this was part of a series by Katee Robert, although it can be read as a stand-alone I fully intend to read the accompanying books.

I just reviewed Cruel Seduction by Katee Robert. #CruelSeduction #NetGalley

I absolutely adore the Olympus series and was incredibly excited to read the fifth installment!

One thing Katee does beautifully is her representation of people from all backgrounds and identities. This LGBTQAI+ relationships in this book are incredible and I loved seeing their dynamics. I am so intrigued to see where this series is going and what Olympus is facing next.

✨ Greek dark romance retelling
✨ Enemies to lovers/Arranged Marriage
✨ Polyamorous relationship/LGBTQAI+
✨ Multiple POV

💕 The power play dynamics
💕 Unexpected love story
💕 Mystery surrounding Minos
💕 The found family

This is the book I was most excited about in The Dark Olympus Series (one of my favorites) and, unfortunately, I have nothing nice to say about it.

One of the things I love about Katee Robert is that her books portray relationships with consent, communication, and healthy boundaries, and there was none of that here. This was a frustratingly unhealthy depiction of a polyamorous relationship and I was incredibly uncomfortable with how the characters regularly admitted to manipulating each others’ emotions into sex.

I also have major issues with the lack of plot and characterization in this book. The characters all blended together and none of them got enough page time because the book wasn’t long enough to handle four complex main characters. Toward the end of the book, I regularly had to check which POV I was reading because it was so unclear. There was very little chemistry between the characters and I genuinely found it hard to finish the book.

Katee Robert is, and will always be, one of my favorite authors but this didn’t feel like a Katee Robert book. Mostly, I’m just disappointed and frustrated with the depiction of a polyamorous relationship and I would recommend all of Katee Robert’s other polyam books (which are wonderful) over this one. I will absolutely continue the series and I’m sure I’ll love Midnight Ruin as much as I’ve loved the rest of the series.

Steamy, intriguing and unpredictable.
I continue to like this series and can’t wait for the next installment!

This isn’t my favourite dark Olympus book unfortunately. I know there’s a bigger storyline running along the back of the books, but it felt like there was more placed on that than the relationship in this one. The ending was a bit unsatisfactory for me, as it felt like it ended quite abruptly. I’m hoping that it’s a case of this book is just a filler book before the bigger storyline reaches its peak, I’ll be disappointed if the next book follows the same idea as this.

I am a huge fan of Katee Robert and the Dark Olympus series and this is a great instalment. The story follows the new Hephaestus (formerly known as Theseus) as he takes over the role following his assassination of the previous tilte holder. Aphrodite has decided to marry him in order to secure some sort of control over the situation but there is a huge divide in the city as Minos and his famil have arrived and basically tipped the playing field on it's head. As always the background story mildly follows Greek myths however don't try and use this as textbook guide to the ins and outs of those stories! This turns into a polyamory story with the two initial main characters both surrendering their titles in order to stay in a relationsip and realise what is truly important to them personally away from the political scheming of the city. Great spice, distinct characters, love the little follow on details for the characters from previous books in the series as they appear. Just another great part and long may they continue!!