In the latest installment of the Dark Olympus series, we follow Aphrodite and Hephaestus, who marry each other in a true act of convenience. Neither can stand the other, but to keep the number one enemy of Olympus from destroying everything, Aphrodite decides to marry Hephaestus. As the saying goes: keep your friends close and your enemies closer. What neither of them expects is just how much they are drawn to each other. As hate turns to something more and their wicked plans to make the other sweat by involving their respective loved ones in a dirty fight for power, emotions get blurred, lines get crossed, and what started as a marriage of convenience might just turn into the messiest yet best romance of their lives. Yet Olympus is still reeling from what happened and when push comes to shove, Aphrodite, Hephaestus, Pandora, and Adonis will have to decide whether to prioritise love or power.

Talk about a marriage of convenience, alright. Katee Robert did not take this trope lightly and instead paired the most (seemingly) incompatible people together who are basically just waiting to have the other shipped off to the afterlife—while also unable to ignore the growing attraction between them.

I was initially a bit hesitant with the setup for the polyamorous relationship (Hephaestus and Pandora, for example, have never been more than friends) but I shouldn’t have worried. As always, Robert offers up dynamic, complex bonds between all the characters involved and makes the open polyamorous knot feel like the perfect solution to everyone’s messy emotions. And talking about messy: I loved how every single character was a hot mess yet somehow met their perfect match in each other. Adonis, for example, was such a strong addition to the overall relationship dynamics, which I did not see coming. His growing attraction to Hephaestus and the way he’s trying to ignore it had my heart pounding. Not to mention the friendship between Pandora and Hephaestus that only got more intriguing once Aphrodite came into the mix. It was such a joy reading about everyone’s different perceptions of themselves and their growing bonds with each other.

On top of that, there’s a whole lot going on in Olympus that is driving the stakes higher and higher. If you thought the last book upped the ante, you ain’t seen nothing yet. Olympus is threatening to combust (or collapse) with the way political tensions are rising and as new players are gambling for power, older ones try to keep the peace—while also keeping their loved ones safe. One thing’s for sure, there’s a storm coming to Olympus and I for one can’t wait to see what happens when everything finally goes down.

Seductive, entrancing and downright cunning, Cruel Seduction is a must-read for fans of the marriage of convenience trope and who can’t get enough of the scheming world of Olympus.

Katee girl....respectfully.

I usually don't mind a book with no plot, especially from Katee because she's generally one of my faves as far as getting right to the spice but THIS??? I couldn't make it through. DNFd at 60%.

For ME, this one had too many characters and no plot. The characters also had no chemistry or real tension and there were so many POVs - my brain simply quit.

This is the first in the series I didn't like so I'll give the next one a shot, but this was simply a miss for me.

Thank you NetGalley and Sourcebooks for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Please note this review will also be updated with a link to additional review and discussion on August 14th with the podcast episode goes live for ACOFAE: A Podcast (A Court of Fandoms and Exploration) that I was able to review and discuss with podcast co-host. We have episodes for each of the Dark Olympus series books and are already excited for Midnight Ruin.

Book #5 of Dark Olympus is very much a “Oh – if it’s not the consequences of my own actions.” By the time you’ve gotten to this book, it’s definitely not a standalone, but you should have read the four previous books leading up to it. If you’ve read the books prior to this, a lot of what was going on made sense because it’s the natural course of action once it had been exposed (to a degree) of how to replace members of The Thirteen. Everyone has a hit out for them it feels like. Even if the citizens don’t know the fullest extent, what they do know they believe they’re doing the right thing.

As with all Katee books in Dark Olympus, this has a ton of spice, but it doesn’t take away from the story. Truthfully, you could take the spice out and it’s fine. Also with this series, Katee continues to make sure this world is inclusive and diverse.

That being said, Katee does a good job in the MuseWatch recap right before Cruel Seduction begins to remind the reader some of the key highlights to remember up to this point of what is happening in the world of the Dark Olympus series, so it doesn’t feel like you need to reread all the books to remember what is going on.

Another thing I really appreciated was the clarification of who everyone is. So many characters that we’ve been introduced to have their given names and then their new names when in a new role and the way it was laid out in this book, the clarification and how things were interchanged helped so much.

This book has 4 POVs from our poly relationship (Aphrodite, Hephaestus, Adonis and Pandora.) The multiple POVs isn’t confusing and doesn’t take away from anything either. It will be curious to see how this will move the plot along in the series because right now, it does feel like “well of course these things would have happened” in regards to the politics and the outcome of the public knowing.

The drama continues! Cruel Seduction felt different than the previous books in the series I’ve read, and I think that largely has to do with her choice of moving to the four POV (Aphrodite, Hephaestus, Adonis, Pandora). It’s been a while since I’ve read about polyamorous relationships and it was definitely spicy / smutty and the scenes were a lot of fun!

That all being said, for some reason I couldn’t get into Cruel Seduction the same way as the previous books. Maybe cause they all seemed kind of mean / unlikeable compared to other characters in the series haha. Sometimes I felt a little too sad / bummed for the characters and didn’t really know which love interests to route for… I guess all of them?!?!

3.5 stars rounded up. Thanks to NetGalley, Katee Robert, and Sourcebook Casablanca for the arc to read and review, all thoughts and opinions are mine.

Katee Robert's Dark Olympus series just keeps getting hotter. Cruel Seduction is the story of Aphrodite and Hephaestus--united in matrimony for political reasons, each of them determined to see their side emerge victorious. Olympus is in danger. Unrest and assassination attempts abound in the aftermath of the former Hephaestus's murder. Minos is taking advantage of this instability to further his own agenda, which is the downfall of Olympus and the 13 ruling Olympians.

Aphrodite and Hephaestus loathe each other, but their chemistry is explosive. Add in Adonis, Aphrodite's ex, and Pandora, Hephaestus's best friend, and you have a foursome for the ages.

As the Dark Olympus series has expanded, Robert has done a great job of building out the world. The politics, the relationships, the intrigue, and the drama is incredible. Helen, Achilles, and Patroclus had cameos in this one, and I loved exploring the dynamics between Aphrodite/Hephaestus, Hephaestus/Adonis, Hephaestus/Adonis/Aphrodite, and Aphrodite/Pandora. It really was a "why choose?" kind of situation. The ending left me in the good kind of shock, and now I can't wait to see where she takes the characters next.

Thank you to Sourcebooks Casablanca and Netgalley for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Romance does not get better than Katee Robert. Every book in the Dark Olympus series is phenomenal and I always have a great time reading them. I have already suggested this series to many who have loved it, and I will continue to do so. Katee Robert is one of the best romance authors I've had the pleasure of reading.

Thank you so much to Netgalley and Sourcebooks for an advanced ecopy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Oh where to begin with this. The 5th installment in the 'Dark Olympus' Series by Katee Robert brings so many of your favorite KR staples back. This is a queer friendly, sex positive, nonjudgmental look at poly relationships and I can definitively say- I've never read anything quite like it. I was worried going in that I would not care for the new Hephaestus as the last time you saw him on page HE WAS DOING A MURDER. So I had some strong concerns about him being a principle in this story when I didn't really want to hear about him at all and boy was I so delightfully incorrect about that. His character growth was a delight to read and turned him into a character I really enjoyed and no spoilers but I cannot wait to see what the up coming books have in store for Hephaestus' roll. The other characters were also a delight for the time that you saw them.

Unfortunately that is the extent of what I can say Robert really did perfectly. The characters while being enjoyable were not as fully flushed out. I think Robert's publishing schedule is to blame but the last few in these series have seemed less and less complete. You get a taste of something fun/hot/interesting but you never get to fully dive in. When I finished this book I thought my ARC lost a few pages since you only ever really get closure from 2 of the 4 mains and even then the resolution leaves so many unanswered questions. You have the characters lamenting the same feelings/thoughts over and over again and it wastes precious page time. it's supposed to be 'an open poly knot' but you don't even see 1/2 of the pairings interact or have any sort of closure. It was honestly pretty frustrating. I would rather have a thoroughly flushed out plot than have 3 books a year.

Also for this book having 4 principles and having this mediocre level of spice is *wild*. I know no book owes you spice or whatever but the spice does set these books apart, and yet there was only a solid 2.5 chili's in this bad boy.

Lastly, and I think this might be just a me complaint but the set up of the entire series needs an adjustment. If there are only 4 main characters than why are Theseus, Eris, Aphrodite, Hephaestus, Adonis, and Pandora ALL also main characters. Maybe this is the minority opinion but it gets confusing. Also I had an eCopy as well as the audio and guess what Eris sounds just like when spoken aloud? You guessed it: 'Ares.' so that wasn't confusing at all.

Overall I'm still going to be a Katee stan and I actually see her for a signing next week but my girl needs to rest those creative juices.

If you're here reading the reviews of the 5th book in this series, you've probably already read the other 4, and you know exactly what your getting. These reviews won't sway you, so just read the book and enjoy yourself. If you're looking for someone to tell you it's good and you'll like it, then I just did.

That being said, character development was choppy with this one. One of the main characters was a bit rougher than I like and I was wondering if this was going to be the tone of the whole book. Thankfully I didn't have to wait long for that to change, since that rough character was crude in manner one day then a loving caregiver the next. Normally this wouldn't be an issue but there was little about the characters that was drawing me into the story. For a book with "seduction" in the title I would have expected a slower development of the romance between the four, and not the insta-love that we were given.

Having four POVs meant we didn't get enough depth with any individual character, but it works. Meta-plot moves painstakingly slow, but we're not reading this series for plot. Still, engaging and entertaining read.

Could be read as a stand-alone, but a much better experience if read as part of the series.

this series is one of my favorites of all time. each book gets better and better although I do love the first one the most. there's something about a villain that just gets me every time.

I read this book as part of the podcast that I co-host A Court of Fandoms and Exploration. My co-host and I have read and reviewed all books in the Dark Olympus series and most in the Wicked Villains series.

This book was lovely. Though the relationship was presented in a way that was not reflected in the story, the criticisms that I have had of past works is not here. The pacing was not choppy in this book which was wonderful as it is distracting in the other books in the Dark Olympus series. I very much enjoyed the characters and the politics. The politics are truly front and center here and the sex takes a back seat which is perfect for 5 books in. I am truly invested in how all of this will shake out and I cannot wait to read Midnight Ruin.

I did struggle a bit with Pandora and the dynamic that has been established but I'm sure that is my own hangup. The art and presentation of this relationship made it seem like a 4 way and it is not. So a little misrepresentative but that all fades once the story begins.

This book is definitely a consequences book. The fallout of past actions takes place here and destabilization is key. I adore Katee Robert and cannot wait for the continuation of this series.

Cruel Seduction is the fifth book in the Dark Olympus series. I felt that it could be enjoyed as a standalone, but you'd have a better reading experience reading the books in order of publication.

Tropes in this book: Marriage of Convenience, Second Chance Romance, Revenge

The relationship between the four main characters of this book: MMFF open poly knot (polyamory) - it's refreshing to me because it's my first time reading about it in this book. Of course, it was steamy too. It's a bit too hot to handle at times, but the amount of smut was not excessive.

There were so many dynamic relationships in this book. The marriage between Aphrodite and Hephaestus, despite being a marriage of convenience, it's clear that there's a charging sexual tension between them. They just couldn't get their hands off each other whenever they're together. It's also nice to see how both of them soften towards each other as the book progressed. Adonis was still in love with Aphrodite while exploring his attraction towards Hephaestus. And Pandora's chemistry with Aphrodite was off the chart.

The stakes in this book get higher as the political tensions in Olympus heighten.

Also, it's so nice to see Eurydice with Charon in this book. I believed that this would serve as a set up to the next book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

If you haven’t read anything in the Dark Olympus series yet from Katee Robert.. then you need to go back and start before reading this book.

This story revolves around Aphrodite & an interesting group of others. There’s murder. There’s mayhem. And truthfully.. this book isn’t much different than the others. Most of the books in this series are pretty repetitive and involve so many characters. BUT. I’m still sucked into every single one.
I do have a hard time keeping up with all the characters names due to their names can change based on certain events. But you tend to pick up on it anyway.

While there are some spicy scenes in this book, I actually found it a bit lacking compared to previous books in the series.
At the end you’re still kind of left wondering where the story is going and what’s going to happen. Which to me means I’ll still be picking up the next one.
This is the vaguest review I’ve ever written but I don’t want to spoil anything so we’re keeping it that way.

So if you’re looking for a series that doesn’t take itself too seriously but has a bunch of interesting characters, for sure pick up the Dark Olympus series.
& Thanks to NetGalley for the early book!

This book is on par with the other books in the Dark Olympus series: great writing, great characters, plenty of things going on. My issues with this book are mostly personal: I'm not a fan of most of the tropes/themes used in this particular volume. I really don't enjoy enemies-to-lovers, revenge stories, or politics, and this had all of those things in spades.

My only actual problem with this novel is that there was so much going on, that it felt like some things were getting left by the wayside and added in later when needed. There were four people in the relationship(s), and those people were basically on two sides of a major issue happening in the city. The novel was about average length for a romance, but with so much going on, it felt like there needed to be more. Pandora, especially, felt very vague to me. She's part of the relationship(s), and she's really important to two of the main characters, but I don't really feel like I could see how she fit into the story. She felt a bit like a filler character, which is weird for the importance she had to some of the characters and their relationship(s).

I do like seeing how the world and the issues in it are advancing, and I can't wait for the next installment in the series.

There's something about Katee Robert's books that are just so compulsively readable to me — I know once I pick one up I won't be able to put it down until I've gotten to the very end, and this one was no exception. I really admire her knack for being willing to dive into the absolute messiest of dynamics and somehow evolve it into a situation that works for everyone involved. Although I would've liked to see a little more of how this particular relationship changed things for certain characters (Theseus and Pandora, especially, given their long history), this one really makes some interesting moves in shaking up the greater politics around them and the tenuous nature of the Thirteen's authority in society, and I really enjoyed those worldbuilding elements being spooled out in the background. Plus, honestly, I'm always going to be a sucker for the "my husband/wife can't decide if they want to kill me or do me" part of an arranged marriage trope.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Katee has really hit her stride with story telling in this series. The book immediately follows the events from Radiant Sin and we see Aphrodite and Hephaestus come head to head, showing us not all is fair in love and war. I enjoyed getting to know Aphrodite, Hephaestus, Adonis and Pandora - understanding their dynamic and how they all fit together. The political intrigue remains high and many changes are on the horizon - looking forward to seeing where Katee takes this series.

I like that we've seen more action in the last few Dark Olympus books! (And no, I don't mean THAT kind of action...though there's plenty of that, too.)

I'm a sucker for a marriage of convenience plot, so I really enjoyed this one. This series still has me in a chokehold.

If you like this series more for the queer rep and different relationship dynamics then this is a nice instalment to the Dark Olympus series. It also notably has a bit more action than previous books I've read in the series. I didn't much care for the audio because it just didn't click with me. I'm looking forward to more but I honestly will probably forget this by next month.

When we visit Dark Olympus, we have two expectations: really hot sex scenes and a few light references to Greek mythology. This book? We get some weird combination of six figures of Greek mythology (Theseus-Hephaestus-Eris-Aphrodite-Adonis-Pandora) over four characters in the book, a lot of discrete sex scenes, and a ton of "politics." Look, we understand the Aphrodite/Hephaestus pairing, but how do the others get thrown into a relationship? Also, we just don't care about politics in New Olympus or whatever it's supposed to be. We know the original myths and they're way more interesting than whatever we got here.

Basically this one was a letdown :'( ...Here's hoping that MMF Orpheus/Charon/Eurydice can pull this train back on track in a few months.

This objective review is based on a complimentary copy of the novel.

I'm finding the Dark Olympus series increasingly confusing. Who do we hate? Who can we trust? I don't know!
I loved the polyamory rep and the way the 4 interacted, with the friendship and romances being different for each pair. Obviously, it's Katee Robert so we know the sex scenes were 10/10 and honestly I wish there had been more. This one was very politics heavy and I feel like with all the different couples and the different ways we could have put people together, I would have rather had a bunch of sex and domestic scenes with them all.
All that being said, I'm obviously going to read the next book when it comes out.

Bring on the mess! I love a good messy story with all the tropes and a great plot. The spice Katee brings is top notch! 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️ this can be read as a stand alone, but I highly recommend that you read the first 4 books in the Dark Olympus series before you read this. All in all a great read. Can’t wait for the next book!