Another great book from Katee Robert I really loved reading through this book as I have all of them! Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for early access to this title.

this was sizzling, hot, and everything in between! i have been devouring katee robert books for a while now and i won’t be satiated any time soon. i love how katee has ventured into writing poly romance because there is a scarcity of them in mainstream publishing scene currently. if you want foursome open poly knot romance book(MMFF), this book is absolutely for you. we have sex, hate sex, revenge sex, and just kinky sex. i loved the hurt/comfort scenes and the dynamic of their entire relationship. they are not a conventional bunch and i love that it stays that way. characters are given room to grow themselves and shine in their own way. and before i forget, if you love a good near-death trope, you are in for a treat!

Some people have said in the past that you can read the Dark Olympus books out of order. That is not the case for Cruel Seduction as there are events in the previous books that will be spoiled if you read this one first.

This books is a bit of a commitment to read.
Not in the ‘oh great now I have a gym membership I have to pay for 12 months’ kind of commitment. But the ‘yay the story is far from over’ kind of way.

It is a four person POV, but luckily the well formed characters mean you will never be unsure who’s part you are reading.

For those of you just here for the spicy scenes, yes you have them in plenty of ways but nothing that I would consider overly kinky. These are interactions of passion and at times frustration (Theseus is the unwanted husband after all).

And all of them, bar one, centre on Eris (Aphrodite) and her relationship with either her past on-again-off-again lover Adonis, her new husband Hephaestus (Theseus) and his lifelong friend Pandora. At times the love interests could be considered a slow burn, especially on the enemies to lovers front but its still a spicy read.

This isn’t a simple story of how to navigate a tricky relationship dynamic. It’s deep dive into the underbelly politics of Olympus and its dangerous political backdrop.
Olympus is on the brink of a break down between ‘The Thirteen’ and it’s people -who after the events of the previous books- are not going to sit back and miss an opportunity to move up the ranks in this power playing world, even if the cost is blood on their hands. It feels like the hungry games amongst the general population is about to break out and cause havoc for all thanks to the handy work of Minos and his people.

The book is well written, great paced with unexpected turns that will give you with whiplash as the love interests run to and from each other. But it’s very clearly a book setting up the possibility of an all out war for the Thirteen.

If your a fan of the series you won’t be disappointed.
If your new to the series go back and read Neon Gods, enjoy the ride.

Cruel seduction
“ being heartbroken would require me to have a heart”
❤️‍🩹❤️‍🩹❤️‍🩹❤️‍🩹❤️‍🩹❤️‍🩹❤️‍🩹❤️‍🩹❤️‍🩹❤️‍🩹❤️‍🩹
I find myself in awe as this series continues to unravel in such delicious and intricate ways.
From neon gods to cruel seduction I have loved every single one of these books !

Cruel seduction explores themes that truly aren’t talked about enough in books whether spicey or other genres. Such as :
* Parental abuse
* Poly relationships
* Trauma responses
* Hereditary trauma
The natural progression of the way the four characters melded together was lovely to read.
As always with katee’s books there was ample plot with just enough spice that can make any expectant reader happy.

Before I started reading this I had a few questions for example how will the woman that takes the name Aphrodite sedate herself sexually as well as emotionally? Well, Katee answers that perfectly , in the words of Aphrodite “ I would never force you into a box” and that’s something that I feel should be looked at when it comes to relationships, we shouldn’t fit into a box for the sake of fitting !

Pandora, Adonis , Theseus and Aphrodite make the most perfectly messy poly knot and I could read about them constantly.
The story / plot I feel is keeping me on my toes and I really want to know who this she / benefactor is I have thoughts but I needs to know .
There was twists turns , toe curls and blushes whilst reading this and the ending of this book left me wanting more of their story and left in awe at katee’s writing

So my favourite in this series is actually electric idol followed VERY closely by radiant Sin but this book this book was so messily uniquely lovingly put together that it would be hard to top it although I know for a fact I’ll be saying the same thing when midnight ruin is out!

I will say that some of the thing Zeus said and the way he said them had my toes curling and making me want his book even more 🥵.
5⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I went into this after not reading the other 4 books in the Dark Olympus series. And whilst it didn't ruin it for me, it did mean it took me a little longer to get the hang of the world. Once I was up to speed, I absolutely devoured this. The characters were fantastic, and I loved how each of them intertwined just perfectly. Adonis was definitely my favourite! Highly recommend!

This was better than the previous book in the series for me. Nothing tops the first book but regardless, this was enjoyable.

I was more interested in the political drama than the romance however. The various relationships in this story felt disconnected from each other and never came to cohesion. I also felt it didn't develop as well as what it could have and should have but that could also be due to so many people being involved.

Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for giving me this eArc to review.

This series never disappoints. I love how the names are titles (Aphrodite, for example) and that it's loosely based off of mythology.

This is book five of ten and while each book focuses on a certain couple/throuple/moreple there is an arc running through all of the books that involves everyone.

I loved all of the characters in the previous books and in this book. I only wish there was a little more exploration between Aphrodite and Hephaestus but I did like them as well as Adonis and Pandora.

I found myself hooked very quickly with the plot and characters peaking my interest straight away and I cannot wait to read the rest of the series that follows.

This book is number 5 in the Dark Olympus series by Katee Robert.
So far I have enjoyed all the books in this series. I experienced the previous four books as audiobooks, this is the first in the series that I have read as an ebook. Nonetheless I enjoyed it just as much as the previous four books.
Each book in the series follows a different couple or relationship group - this book follows Aphrodite, Hephaestus, Pandora and Adonis.
What I like about this book and the entire series, is that although the main focus is on the romance and relationships, there is also a really interesting and engaging subplot with the power struggles between the different characters and the ruling of the city of Olympus.
One of the things that Katee Robert does extremely well is exploring different types of relationships. I think there is a real temptation when writing about contemporary relationships, to resort to established stereotypes that can sometimes be incorrect or harmful. Robert doesn't do this - she portrays all relationships positively and in such a way that readers can relate to the feelings and situations well.
Robert is also an EXPERT in writing spicy scenes in her books.
I really like this series and this latest book was just as excellent as the previous books. In my opinion, this series just keeps getting better and better.

Another great instalment to the Neon Gods world, it’s twisty and gritty and I loved how Hephaestus and Aphrodite got back at each other using Pandora and Adonis but then fell for them and then each other. Full of backstabbing and pining, my fave one so far but i cannot wait for the next one!

Cruel Seduction follows the arranged marriage of Aphrodite and Hephaestus, as they navigate the complicated Olympian political game. They hate each other at first and resent having to get married, as they are both interested in other people (Adonis and Pandora), but over time, their relationship shifts from enemies to lovers, and even evolves into a polyamorous relationship where they gradually introduce Adonis and Pandora into their relationship group. I really enjoyed the different dynamics between characters, particularly in the relationship, as it was interesting to see the interactions and watch them all grow closer over the course of the book. I have enjoyed all the other books in this series and was very pleased to have been approved for this ARC as I had been highly anticipating this new release and after reading the book, I can say that the anticipation definitely paid off as I was completely mind-blown by the character development and writing style, and I thought the romance was really well-written. I would definitely recommend this to anyone interested in the other books in the series, as this one was a great read and really lived up to the Dark Olympus name.