I love Katee Robert’s Dark Olympus series and I couldn’t wait to read the latest installment. The cover is gorgeous and I couldn’t put the book down because of the great writing style. I finished the book within a day. Overall, I really enjoyed the book, but it doesn’t quite live up to the previous two. There are some things that bothered me a bit. The plot was very interesting and I really liked the competition for Ares position. The erotic scenes worked very well with the plot without dominating it too much. Katee Robert is definitely the queen of smut. Nevertheless, she always made sure that the plot didn’t get lost.

Helen, Achilles and Patroclus are a very interesting team. Achilles and Patroclus have been dating for quite a while and the scenes between these two were really nice. Unfortunately, Achilles sometimes got on my nerves with his manner and his hypocrisy. In this situation, I really didn’t think it was okay how he behaved towards Patroclus. Both are attracted to Helen and I thought it was wonderful of her to be considerate of Patroclus feelings. Helen has an inner strength that you just have to admire and I thought it was so great that she didn’t let it get her down that she was used as pawn by her own brother.

The dynamics of the three developed at a good and understandable pace, so that I was able to understand the behavior of all three well. Actually, I liked the ending, but I would have liked a more clarifying conversantion between Helen, Achilles and Patroclus. Precisely because of Achilles behavior at the end of the tournament. Still, the ending promised an exciting sequel as we learned a few things that will mess up life in Dark Olympus.

Arc thanks to NetGalley: Katee Robert has done it again! I fell in love with this story from the get go! MMF romance with down and dirty fighting! This trio start out wanting one thing, and end up with something completely different than any of them expected!! Creepy ex’s, an assassin, and don’t even start with the family drama! Helen, Achilles, and Patroclus are steamy!!!

This is in my opinion the best book yet in the dark Olympus series 🤩 loved their dynamic and the banter. Top tier.
Liked that we are getting a glimpse of the bigger political storylines. Excited to see how the story continues.

First of all a big shoutout to Netgalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca for providing me with a E-Reader arc copy in exchange for my honest review!

I have a lot of mixed emotions with this novel and my rating may change the more I sit and think about it, but for now it will sit at a solid 3 stars.


things I like about it:

first of all I loved all the characters, I was instantly drawn to the main three characters and their personalities especially Helen, and I loved seeing the relationship between Achille's and Patroclus and how it grew even more as the story progressed. Helen was a badass female MC who went for her goals without hesitation and was ruthless in doing so, while also still managing to be vulnerable and that's the kind of depth I love to see. Secondly, we finally have a ménage that felt real and not fetishized! I can't begin to tell you how many novels I have DNF'd because you could clearly tell that the author did not do their research! It's about time that other relationships are being represented in mainstream media/literature and are done respectfully. and thirdly, the games! I love this trope, it was very The Hunger Games vibes and it was a pleasant change of pace from the previous two books.

Things I wasn't fond of:

the pace of the book felt odd, and it felt like the important scenes were rushed while the less important parts were slowed. It was also kind of insta-lovey which usually I am okay with (such as electric idol), but I didn't feel like there was much of an emotional connection happening before they realized there was something there. It was more like "we had sex now your mine" type thing and I wasn't feeling that aspect. While stated previously that I loved the competition plot, it was very much a subplot and by reading the description it felt like it would have had more substance. If I remember correctly, one chapter they were being vulnerable with each other and literally the next chapter they were at one of the trials and it was like "Whoa, where was the lead up." but my main issue was the ending, it felt super rushed and when I finished I was like "that's it?" I don't know If it was just left like that for the future books in the series or what but it felt emotionally lacking as compared to the other books, I don't know I was just hoping for more emotion I guess?

All in all, I enjoyed this retelling, and while it wasn't my favorite of the series I definitely like where it is heading and I can't wait to see and read everyone's reaction the this 4 chili pepper read.

Another homerun for Katee Robert! This is a re-telling of the Trojan war in a sense. It's a fight to become one of the Thirteen. The title of Ares is up for grabs and many warriors are in it to win it. Along with the title comes the hand of Helen, sister to the new Zeus, Perseus. Helen is not one to sit around and wait to be rescued. She decides to enter the tournament herself for the title of Ares. But her feelings for Achilles and Patrocles are warring with her fight for freedom. Who will win the title of Ares and who can Achilles, Helen and Patrocles make their relationship work?

*Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this e-arc.*

4⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
5🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥

This is the three book in this series and it keeps getting better. I definitely enjoyed the steamy retelling of Helen of Troy, Achilles, and Patroclus. Also love the multiple POVs.

Helen join the competition not only to become Ares but to decide who she ends up marrying. It Achilles dream to be Ares and have Patroclus by his side when he joins the Thirteen, what they didn’t account for was Helen joining the competition. I really enjoyed how independent Helen was and how she kept proving herself even though everyone underestimated her. I love the forced proximity bring them all together. The ending was great and I can’t wait for the next one.

I would recommend if you like:
* MMF relationship
* Friends/Enemies to Lover
* Forced Proximity
* Spicy scenes 🥵🥵🔥🔥


*A special thanks to Sourcebooks Casablanca and NetGalley for an arc in exchange
for a honest review.

'Wonderfully & wickedly beautiful. Katee Robert takes things to the next level with three unique characters who are put through their paces, with only one emerging victorious. Unique and unputdownable till the very last page' - The British Bibliophile

First and foremost, if you've not read any of the other books in the Dark Olympus series, I highly recommend you do so. Wicked Beauty is a standalone within this series but to get the true, full-force effect of this world and its characters, Neon Gods (book one) and Electric Idol (book two), are two serious must read novels that you immediately must one-click.

We're back in the Dark Olympus world with not one, not two, but three powerful players. Sit up and get ready to meet Helen Kasios, Achilles Kallis & Patroclus Fotos. Three names can only mean one thing and with this read, three is most definitely NOT a crowd.

If you're already familiar with the Dark Olympus series, then you will have crossed paths with these three at some point be they front and centre, or floating around in the background. Pluck them out of the world they and we both know, deposit them in a new world due to one's pre-planned circumstances and boom, we've got ourselves a novel full of all the good stuff. The drama, the mystery, steam-off-the-chart moments. You name it, Wicked Beauty has it.

What it also has, is competition. Helen, Achilles & Patroclus although are all on the same side to some degree--which in Olympus, is a rare thing--are all jockeying for the same position with the same result. One winner. Achilles and Patroclus might have double the odds compared to Helen, but are they in their favour?. The prize that all three are competing for, however, is a far cry from something immaterial and/or unimportant, it is something that comes up once in a lifetime as once someone has it, it's theirs until it's not. How all three are to go about getting what they want, therein lies the challenge. Literally. The prize, though worth its weight in gold, won't leave any scrapping and vying for silver or bronze, its get the gold or go home. But who will be going home out of these three? There's only one way to find out.

Let the games, begin.

It's time for Helen to take back her life, her fate, and what she wants as hers. Zeus may have been the one to throw her fate into hands other than her own, but this competition is going to be her own way of taking it--and the reins--back in her control. Helen is the metaphorical middle finger not only to Zeus, the system in Olympus, but to anyone who dares doubt anyone who dares to go after what they want because of anything that is seen to set them at a disadvantage.

Alas, there are those who would rather not see Helen seek out what not one, but thirteen are all eying as their prize for them and them alone. There are only two people on the same side as Helen whom she can trust. Achilles Kallis & Patroclus Fotos. They also happen to be two people she cannot seem to keep her hands off. It's not within the rules of the game to look and not touch, but how long before it goes from touching, to feeling, to embedding within the heart. Only, in this game, there is no room for considering what the heart wants, but what the head leads them to. Helen's head is being drawn in their direction, but her heart is screaming to claim the prize her eyes are set on. Who will come out victorious, Helen's head or heart? And who will get both once the competition comes to a close? Only time will tell.

Blatantly hot and scorching between the sheets, Wicked Beauty takes the reader on an adventure right alongside the trials of the characters within the pages. Katee Robert shakes up the norm with Helen, Achilles and Patroclus, making cheeks blush and delicious shivers zing up and down your spine whenever the three are left alone in a room together, among many things.

If you're looking for a book that will not only make you scream to others that its a 'must read', but will also make a top read of your year, Wicked Beauty is the book to hit up both lists and more. Action-packed, unputdownable, unforgettable, the ride you will be taken on will have you devouring the pages while screaming for more of these three and the world they were born into. Wicked Beauty is a book that everyone simply and absolutely must pick up this year!

It's time to go back to Olympus, are you ready?

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley and am voluntarily posting a review. All opinions are my own.
Katee Robert does it again…and Wicked Beauty may just be the best yet of the Dark Olympus books. Well, it’s definitely the boldest and the sexiest. She follows through on her promise to deviate more and more from the often-tragic and misogynistic Greek myths with this mashup of the tales of Achilles and Patroclus with the infamously beautiful Helen, with the Minotaur and the Labyrinth sprinkled in for good measure.
Helen is such a fun, feisty heroine. All of the Robert/Olympus heroines have strong personalities, but she’s in a league of her own. She has a dark backstory acknowledging some of her mythological origins (Paris is a grade-A douche), but that only makes her more of a heroine for me. I love her boldness in challenging the expectations her brother Perseus (now the new Zeus) has for her by entering the competition to claim the title of Ares, which also happens to include her hand in marriage as a prize. It feels very much like an adult Merida “I’ll be jousting for my own hand!” move, and I’m here for it. And she’s incredibly competent in the competition, even as she’s faced with complex feelings for one of the challengers.
Achilles has never been one of my favorite Greek characters, because I felt like he’s been built up a lot, and I never really got the appeal, beyond him being a great warrior. But I love the way Robert acknowledges his ego issues, both as a warrior, and more importantly, as a lover. More than once, he grapples with the complex feelings he has about Helen, who he initially thought was a bit of a snob. He also questions how he feels about seeing Patroclus, with whom he’s been in an open relationship for a while, with Helen, reckoning simultaneously with the jealousy he feels the knowledge that he’s hypocritical for feeling those feelings.
I love Patroclus, and while it could have been easy for him to have been an afterthought or be sidelined, as his personality isn’t as dominant as the other two, he remains a constant throughout. His relationship with Achilles is threatened both by Achilles’ complex growing attraction to Helen, as well as the past that Patroclus and Helen share as old friends and the spark that lingers as a result. It makes for a compelling romantic arc, and one that had me happy to see them all work things out and end up together.
And speaking about some of the dynamics in general, it’s a testament to Robert’s writing that she makes some things I typically loathe with a passion (“hate” or “angry” sex) or would view as red flags from other writers (acknowledged neglect of contraceptive use) and puts me at ease. Her care and self-awareness when it comes to balancing kinks and potentially sensitive content is much appreciated.
I love this book, and I’ve loved this series so far. I enthusiastically recommend you pick this up, especially if you’re into mythology retellings and/or erotic romance.

Read this if you like: Retellings, VERY spicy 🔥, multiple POV, polyamory

This is a scorchingly hot modern retelling of Helen of Troy, Achilles, and Patroclus. Whatttt.

In Olympus, you either have the power to rule or you are ruled. Achilles Kallis was born with nothing, but as a child he vowed he would claw his way into the poisonous city's inner circle. Now that a coveted role pf Ares has opened to anyone with the strength to claim it. He and his partner, Patroclus Fotos, plan to compete and double their odds of winning.

No one expected infamous beauty Helen Kasios to be part of the prize, not even Helen. Zeus may have decided Helen is his to give to away, but she has her own plans. She enters into the competition as a middle finger to the meddling Thirteen rulers, effectively vying for her own hand in marriage. She realizes can't trust anyone except Achilles and Patroclus. But she's also falling in love with them.

I did NOT expect this to be three people. Katee's writing is insane. The characters are well thought out. The pacing is always perfect. There is a TON of spice while still having a storyline that sucks you in. This one was quite different from the first two but still amazing. Highly recommend this book! Go pick this up June 7th!

Thank you netgalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca for allowing me to have this amazing ARC.

This was one of my most anticipated reads for this year, I've had it pre-ordered since it was announced. It comes out June 7th!

Blurb:
The title of Ares has become available, to win the title the competitors must go through 3 trials the last one standing wins. Helen and Achilles will not allow anyone to stand in their way to win the title. But who will be the last one standing?

Review
If you've loved the Dark Olympus series this far you're going to love this one as well. It's completely different than book 1 and 2. The trials to win the title Ares are super intense, I honestly didn't have a clue who would win the title until it happened. There's so much action going on it's unreal. This honestly might be my favorite one so far in the series, I was absorbed right off the bat. And of course the spice was amazing! I never thought I'd be into a throuple but of course Katee made me love it😂

5/5⭐️
5/5🌶

Full disclosure: I didn't like the first book in the series and I didn't read the second, so I'm not sure what persuaded me to request it--I do love a good Achilles retelling, but at this point, can these be considered retellings? They're inspired by Greek myths, sure, but there's definitely no source material being drawn on here. It's just mythological smut--which is fine! As long as we call it what it is and don't claim it to be a retelling.

Wicked Beauty is the third in the "dark" Olympus series. My biggest gripe with the first book was that the series wasn't "Dark" at all--if I'm generous, I could call book 1 morally gray, but even that doesn't feel really accurate. By comparison, WB is definitely a darker look into this world, but one that I ... just couldn't bring myself to care about. And maybe that's my issue -- I'm just not a fan of Katee Robert's writing style. I've read her Disney villains series. I've read Neon Gods. I just don't vibe with her style at all. If someone wants to sell me something dark, they better be selling me a character that does morally gray or bad things, *does not* feel guilt about it, and has no plans to stop or improve themselves as a person, yet still have that one person in life they'd do anything for. That's what dark romance is to me, and what I've been served so far in Robert's books is just 'misunderstood' romance, which...if that's your cup of tea, that's fine, but it's not for me.

As for the romance -- I can get behind an MMF triangle. I've seen a lot of people complain that Achilles and Patroclus are being broken up by Helen, or that Helen shouldn't have been the focus character because she's not really integral to their Greek legend, but none of that really bothered me -- as I said, this doesn't read as a retelling for me, so there's not really a reason to compare them. Even so, this book just wasn't for me.

Low 3/5.

I am in love with this book! I love Katee's take on Helen and Achilles. The plot was easy to follow even from multiple POV's. The pacing was on point and the spice was just right! Obsessed with this book!!

I was excited for another trip into KR’s Dark Olympus series after really enjoying the first two installments, and while the author’s readability / binge-ability was still there, this book fell a bit flat as a whole as a stand alone and compared to the others in the series for me.

pros:
- levels / recurrences of consent. consent is sexy, y’all
- really appreciated how Helen would feel her insecurities creeping in, sit with that, then call them out — that they don’t define her or are no longer who she is
- Perseus being proud of Helen was sweet, even if he can be a jerk

cons:
- with the FMC being changed from the original myths, as well as much of the setting, this was much less a retelling than the others so far. Perhaps not a con on its own for some, but the level of original story here was not super successful or strong for me.
- the main characters were unproductively in their own heads A LOT
- Helen and Patroclus’s “history” was brought up so often and it was literally knowing each other in 3rd grade? You can’t form opinions on someone from so long ago, and all of that felt flimsy.
- the trials for the title of Ares became distracting / took over the story from the romance, whiiich is why we’re here, yes? 😅

Overall not terrible, but on the duller side, less steamy, and not necessarily required reading for the series IMO (they are all stand alone in nature, though the characters overlap/intertwine) — and I will keep reading this series since I enjoyed the other two so much.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a digital ARC of this book!

Thank you to @netgalley and @sourcecasa for this e-ARC of Wicked Beauty by Katee Roberts.

I’ve actually not read the other books in the Dark Olympus trilogy but this book has definitely made me want to read the others!

If you’re a fan of the Greek mythology genre and like a spicy read this is definitely for you! Wow the spice in this was on another level and I absolutely loved the relationship that Helen, Achilles and Patroclus had in this book!

The perfect quick steamy read with characters I was very much invested in and a plot that although not the most gripping of plots, carried the spicy scenes very well!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

I had really high hopes for this one. I love that Helen was finally going to get her own story, and I enjoy Patroclus and Achilles very much. So all three of them together? That was a no-brainer.

The first book in the series was just okay for me. The second I did not finish. The third I was hoping was going to be better than the two. Unfortunately it was more like its predecessor and didn't really capture my interest. I know this series is hugely popular and I'm confident I have friends who I can recommend this to. It just wasn't for me, but again, that's the beauty of reading-- there's always something for someone!

Wicked Beauty by Katee Robert is the 3rd book in the Dark Olympus series. It's a retelling of Achilles, Patroclus and Helen of Troy. A new position in the Thirteen is open and in order to fill it the potential candidates have to compete in arena style trials. What Helen soon finds out is that Zeus is including her as part of the prize. Now Helen must prove that she is not a prize to be played with but a fierce competitor!

I fell in love with Helen right away, she is a really strong fmc who takes her fate into her own hands. Achilles and Patroclus are top notch and were protrayed so perfectly. Achilles with his confident attitude and overprotective personality. Patroclus is observant and sensitive to those he truly cares for. Together they make for a perfect throuple. Helen is one lucky gal! Wicked Beauty is such a great book and Katee Robert sure knows how to entertain. She gives us action, MMF romance, hate sex, enemies to lovers and forced proximity.

This is either going to be people's favorite book or least favorite book of the series. Unfortunately I fell into the latter. There is definitely more of a plot, but because of that, I think the romance suffers a little. I wanted more from the poly relationship, and some of their conflict felt too young, and almost YA in its angst. Still love these books, but Hades and Persephone will remain my favorite

This is either going to be people's favorite book or least favorite book of the series. Unfortunately I fell into the latter. There is definitely more of a plot, but because of that, I think the romance suffers a little. I wanted more from the poly relationship, and some of their conflict felt too young, and almost YA in its angst. Still love these books, but Hades and Persephone will remain my favorite

I had read all three books in this series, and have thoroughly enjoyed each one. Romance was a little bit too insta-love for my taste, but the steamy scenes definitely delivered. Loved the competition plot line, which felt very Triwizard Tournament for adults in the best way. A compelling and enjoyable read!

I hadn't read the first two books in this series, but after finishing this in one sitting I suppose I'll have to!

This novel follows Helen, Achilles and Patroclus as they compete over who will become the new Ares. I did feel like I was missing a bit of world building, though I'm not sure if that was due to not having read the other books or simply because the author hasn't provided that many details (such as how the city actually works and if there's magic involved).

This was an absolute ride from beginning to end - I can't remember the last time I finished a book in a matter of hours and still desperately wanted to know more. While the romance aspect definitely felt a little bit quick to reach its peak, it wasn't quick enough to put me off the book entirely. I loved the touches of Greek mythology inserted into (what seems to be?) a contemporary version of Olympus.

Would definitely recommend this to people looking for a bit of spice mixed in with a thoroughly intriguing premise for a world. 4 stars, only because I wish I understood aspects of the world building a little more.