Cruel Seduction by Katee Robert is book 5 in the Dark Olympus series. This one is about Aphrodite and Hephaestus, and it's the perfect example of "keeping your enemies close" vibes. They both use seduction as a tool to get under eachothers skin, at least until those lines are blurred!

I enjoyed every single moment of this book. The plot was full of danger and mystery. The character development was so good! Aphrodite was cunning, brutal, and will to do anything to protect what she loves. She was the gem of this book. It's a real enemies to lovers, its poly, has marriage of convenience, morally grey characters, and the spice is unreal! I truly enjoy Katee Roberts' writing so much.

Book 2, Electric Idol, has been my favorite of the series, but this one is right up there with it

I would read absolutely ANYTHING Katee Robert writes. She can write a Greek smutty tale better than any I have ever read. This story about Aphrodite, Hephaestus, Adonis and Pandora was DELICIOUS. The character dynamics were immaculate. The tension palpable. The politics were brilliant, the story riveting. I cannot wait to see where this world goes next.

Thank you Netgalley for the amazing ARC.

Sadly this was my least favorite in the series so far. I didn’t care for this group of characters nor did I feel connected to any of the relationships. I did enjoy the enemies to lovers aspect and I wish it had been expanded upon more. The book was really too short to make any of the relationships believable and it all happened in a matter of days. I am intrigued by the Minos storyline though and I like where the overall plot is going, so I’m still looking forward to the rest of the series.

Thank you to Sourcebooks Casablanca for the ARC!

Another solid entry in the Dark Olympus series! The over arching plot continues to twist and turn and the spice level is just right. Can’t wait to see what the next book has in store!

"It's not the heroes who slay monsters . . ."

I dove into the world of Dark Olympus with three books already published and Radiant Sin's release date following soon after, so I was ecstatic when I saw Cruel Seduction available to request on NetGalley. I cannot wait for more─a teaser, an epilogue (I so wish this series had epilogues!), something to tide us over! 

The four POVs (Aphrodite & Hephaestus & Adonis & Pandora) are great, I just wish there were more pages─always─to really develop all the facets of the various relationships. Plus we're still totally clueless as to what is happening! Robert's is really building up the suspense. The emotions, the spice, the political intrigue, the drama, and mystery all make for a fantastic read. I love what this series is building and am so eager for book six!

If you have not delved into the world of Dark Olympus, catch up with Neon Gods (Book 1, Hades & Persephone)Electric Idol (Book 2, Eros & Psyche), Wicked Beauty (Book 3, Achilles & Patroclus & Helen), Radiant Sin (Book 4, Apollo & Cassandra).

I love this series so much.......and this book was another wonderful addition to it. Enemies to lovers, political plots, and oh so spicy!!! Can't wait to see where this series goes. Only negative is waiting for the next book to come out........

2.5 stars

I’ve read all the books in the Neon Gods series because I love the play on Greek mythology but this one missed the mark for me.

I absolutely love the steaminess of Katee Robert’s books but I feel like this book is solely trying to stand on the polyamory among four players in Olympus without giving us any plot or character development to make it a fully fleshed out book.

Sure, the idea of the four of them trying to make a “relationship” work is compelling but it wasn’t compelling enough to carry this story.

I felt like the same things were repeated over and over for the first half of the book without sufficient character development for me to really care about these characters.

I can be all in for instalove but it just didn’t work in this one. Basically these people meet and are all in from the start which just didn’t fit.

I actually really like the mystery of what is destroying the border and who might want to tear down Olympus but we didn’t get any answers in this book at all which was disappointing.

If anything, I really just want Zeus’ book but feel like this one didn’t add anything to the series.

Thank you to Netgalley for this advanced reader copy. All opinions are my own.

Well this series continues to have it's hold on me.

As we come to expect, Katee Robert does a great job with all the fun that is the Olympus mess. And of course we get her signature spice and inclusivity. My one note is that with the four POVS, it did feel like we didn't get enough of each character. But I'm not sure how you'd remedy that without the book becoming twice as long. Overall, it definitely worked. I think this was the most plot heavy of the series so far.

I am already itching for the next one!

Katee Robert books are like a guilty pleasure and this one is included. The characters end up on a poly knot which was a first for me, but was fun. Definitely spicy and as always, I love the twist on Greek Mythology! There’s never enough plot for me, but it’s okay. I’ll keep reading this series no matter how wild the pairings get and no matter how much plot is there. I'm hooked!

As I delved into Cruel Seduction by Katee Robert, I was unsure of what to expect. This enemies-to-lovers tale isn't just about clashing personalities; it's a story of passion and danger with a deadly twist. Aphrodite, determined and cunning, takes on the ultimate challenge—marrying her sworn enemy, the new Hephaestus. Her wicked plan involves seducing the person he cherishes the most, Pandora, a woman as sweet as she is beautiful. But in this seduction game, two can play, and Hephaestus retaliates by using Aphrodite's ex, the alluring Adonis. As lines blur and emotions entangle, they discover that their hearts may be at risk, and the consequences of their actions could affect their city and everyone they love.

I must admit, this book surprised me in the best way possible. The drama and angst, paired with suspense, kept me on the edge of my seat. The characters were well-developed, and the chemistry between Aphrodite and Hephaestus sizzled with intensity. The steamy romance added an extra layer of excitement to the story, making it an enthralling read.

The glimpses of future pairings, such as Eurydice and Charon, and Zeus and Hera, added to the anticipation of what's to come in this intriguing series. Cruel Seduction is a captivating and intense read that will leave you yearning for more from this compelling world of gods and passion.

Aphrodite, never one afraid to get her hands dirty, has married Olympus's enemy number one - the new Hephaestus. Hephaestus, seeking to secure his place as one of the Thirteen will do anything to keep his new wife in check, including seducing her ex (Adonis). Throw in Hephaestus's alluring best friend (Pandora) and you have a messy (but sexy) game of seduction.

One thing about Katee Robert is that you will always have a good time with her characters. She is definitely an auto-buy author for me. I really enjoyed the experience, plot, and of course, the spicy scenes they were FANTASTIC!

This story is told from the POV of 4 people, which made me initially nervous. My nerves were slightly justified in some aspects and unfounded in others. Due to this book capping around 380 pages, it felt like we did not get the full expression of these characters in the way I would like. For example, Aphrodite and Pandora’s budding relationship was such a sweet spot in this story yet we spend the least amount of time with them. I couldn’t tell if this was due to the characterization of Pandora or the need to give the turbulent state of Olympus more page time but it felt like the female connection in this polyamorous relationship took a bit of a secondary position to Aphrodite’s relationship to the men in this story.

This leads me to another slight gripe I have with how some of the relationships developed that I noticed to be a pattern in not only Katee’s books but also in many other romance + romantasy authors. There is a moment where Aphrodite is vulnerable after a traumatic event and I felt myself tensing up a bit because I knew what this was going to lead to– a sex scene. And while intimacy is a valid and common form of dealing with traumatic events, it never fully feels right in context to trauma as it's usually never framed as a shared moment of vulnerability. In this case, I feel like the scene actually imposes on the connection and blocked off an important line of intimacy for this relationship to feel solid. Finally, we get to the point where Aphrodite and Adonis have their talk about their relationship and Hephaestus’ solution is to essentially, “Fuck it out.” I was honestly pretty disappointed by this.

Additionally, one thing that wasn’t quite working for me was the development of Theseus as Hephaestus. I loved that we got to see how bad he actually is at holding this position but it was only something we saw for a brief moment only to be referenced once or twice afterwards. I also felt there was so much more to be explored with Theseus and Pandora’s friendship that would allow Pandora to be more of a participant in this story. Additionally, he didn’t come off as tough as he seemed to be and I think it was mostly due to him and Aphrodite spending a significant amount of page time questioning their attraction to one another rather than us getting to know him fully.


I know I have a lot of elements that I am not quite happy with but I am really excited about this new direction that Katee Robert is taking in this series. I hope that as the conflict of Olympus is developed there is a consideration of expanding the final page count of the books. At this point, the length of the book seems to be unintentionally cutting off the complexities of the story.

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

I was so excited to read the next book in the Dark Olympus series and devoured this one. While the plot wasn't my favorite, the spice was great. The plot seems to be building to something higher in other upcoming books though so I am excited to keep going. Worth the read.

Read This Book If…you love a good messy romance!

Please note: this was an ARC provided to me by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Genre: erotic romance
Series: Dark Olympus # 5
Spice Level: 4/5🌶, 3-4 explicit scenes
Setting: fictional city of Olympus
POV: multiple, 1st person, present tense
Tropes: arranged marriage, enemies to lovers, second chance romance, hate sex, injured/comfort, praise kink

What I Thought: This was definitely the most ambitious book in the Dark Olympus series so far! I love how every single one of Katee’s characters is queer and adding an open poly knot into the mix was really interesting. Because the plot was so fast-paced, I found myself wishing for a little more time with each of the characters and their individual relationships. I adore this series and can’t wait to see what (and who) is next!

Memorable Quote: “It’s not the heroes who slay monsters. They are too honorable.”

This has become one of my favorites in the Dark Olympus series! The build up from both Wicked Beauty and Radiant Sun play out really well here between Aphrodite and Hephaestus. I loved the political scheming taking place between Olympus and Minos and how it led to this marriage. Beyond the thrill of politics and unraveling of the Thirteen is the seduction, which oh my god is so hot. If there’s one thing you can expect from a Katee Robert book is to read the sexiest, most toe curling smut and this book delivers. I personally will be thinking about chapter 25 for the rest of my life, it was incredibly hot and sexy (honestly this whole book was).

Overall, I loved this book and highly recommend you read this one and the rest of the series if you haven’t already!

Read if you like…
•enemies to lovers
•political scheming
•modern Greek mythology
•polyamorous relationship
•multiple pov
•🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

Cruel Seduction is the 5th entry on Robert's Dark Olympus series and was just as spicy and fun as the rest of the series. However I think it was my least favorite. The novel was not bad but it felt unfinished. Obviously there's drama and danger afoot in the upper city and Robert is setting up her next book in the series but for me the relationships in this book don't feel even slightly resolved.

Cruel Seduction picks up directly after Radiant Sin with Theseus taking on the title of Hephaestus after murdering the old one. To quell panic and shore up an alliance with Theseus and foster father minors Aphrodite (Eris) is married to Theseus. The two clearly despise each other but underneath all that hate is passion. Complicating matters is Theseus's best friend Pandora and Eris's ex Adonis. Eris is attracted to Pandora and what starts as a mission to uncover Theseus's weaknesses blossoms into actual feelings between the two. Similarly Adonis and Theseus are also drawn together. Eris and Theseus also get to know each other and discover similar difficult childhoods ruled by domineering, abusive fathers. Eventually all four of them come together to form a poly relationship which is incredibly sweet but then the book just ends. I felt like the relationship was still developing and I wanted to know more.

I did really enjoy this book and and the conflict between the Olympians and Minos. It also seems like another major character will be introduced soon but no spoilers.

I highly recommend and I will be checking NetGalley for the next book ASAP

I was provided a free copy of this book through NetGalley.

Tropes: Marriage of Convenience, Second Chance, MMFF/Polyamorous Relationship, Revenge, Hurt/Comfort, Enemies to Lovers, Grumpy x Sunshine, Forced Proximity

TW: Attempted Murder, Murder, Violence, Blood, Child Abuse (Historical, Non-Graphic), Attempted Sexual Assault (Historical, Off-Page)

Thank you to NetGalley and SourceBooks for providing me with an E-ARC in exchange for my honest opinion!

This is the fifth book in this series. You can read this book as a standalone, but I recommend you read the series in order so you can understand the back story and drama more. In this book, we are following two couples: Aphrodite and Hephaestus | Adonis and Pandora.

Katee Robert is the QUEEN of representation and diversity. I have read a lot of Katee Robert books, and I feel like with this book, she outdone herself. This book is filled with drama and spice, but it was written so well. The enemies to lovers in this book was *chefs kiss*, absolutely one of my favorite things in this book. The open poly knot relationship was written perfectly. I thought I was going to be confused but I wasn't. When Hephaestus kept saying "my wife", I WAS SCREAMING. The revenge sex was HOT, I was literally sweating when reading. I felt the chemistry between everyone. I'm in love with this series, and I'm in love with Katee Robert. If you haven't read this series, stop what you're doing and read it now, you won't regret it! Now to wait until Midnight Ruin releases....I'm already counting down the days 🤣

Another great, steamy retelling of greek gods! This time with Aphrodite and Hephaestus. Can't wait for more stories to come in this series.

I love messy poly relationships between broken characters and Katee Robert wonderfully provides it in the fifth installment of the Dark Olympus series.

Hephaestus carried this book for me—his relationships with Adonis and Aphrodite were the perfect mix of sexy and tender and it was great to have a non-Olympian POV character for the first time. His struggles to find his identity within Olympus really helped him feel more fully realized and made the world-building stronger (something I was stoked to see again from "Radiant Sin").

On the other hand, Pandora was so underdeveloped by comparison which was a disappointment since she seemed like such an excellent character! It felt like a missed opportunity not to give her any real character growth or obstacles to overcome like the other POVs. While I did think the stakes felt higher in this book, there was still some overly repetitive emphasis on how dangerous Olympus is rather than highlighting it in a way where the audience actually feels the danger.

Overall, "Cruel Seduction" has solidified as my new favorite in this series and I can't wait to see what's in store for Eurydice, Orpheus, and Charon in book six!

Thanks to Sourcebooks Casablanca and NetGalley for the digital ARC!

I couldn't put this book down.
I just love it when the main characters are stubborn, morally grey but deep down they're so much more and oh boy...was this true for Eris and Theseus. (not Adonis and Pandora though, they are both cinnamon rolls)
I loved the multiple povs.
And the spice? Katee did it again...there was a particular scene that left me blushing and clutching my pearls. 😅
I can't wait for the next book in the series.

I'd like to thank Netgalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca for the arc of this book!

4.5/5 rounded up.

I don't even know how to write a professional review on this because all my thoughts are very *ahem* unprofessional. It was sexy, it was sweet, it was tense. This book focused a lot more on the plot and the politics of the world rather than just the smut. And while I love me some Katie Robert smut, I'm also enjoying learning more about the inside workings of the world and seeing more into the characters lives!

This was a great addition to the series, and honestly I don't see myself getting tired of this series any time soon. I will read Katee's grocery list if it included some spicy Olympians.