Dark Restraint gives us everything Kate Robert. An action packed, filthy hot romance. This world keeps hooking us and looking forward to the next installment!

I think this would have been more enjoyable if I read the rest of the series. I found myself a little lost and wasn't invested in the characters or the plot.

I love Katee Robert and the Dark Olympus series! The relationships! The surrounding drama! Truly one of my favorite series.

I love anything Katee Robert writes. She is one of the few auto-buy authors that I have.

This book follows Ariadne and the Minotaur. It wasn’t my favorite of the series, but I wasn’t disappointed with it.

Can’t wait for the next one!

Thank you so much for gifting me this title! I was so surprised and delighted!
I am a massive fan of Katee’s and of this series and this book was not a disappointment! I loved every second of it and I can’t wait for the next book in the series!
Thanks again!!

Katee Roberts is one of my top authors and I typically enjoy this series, but this installment fell flat for me. The pacing felt too slow and I wasn't a huge fan of the dynamics of the two MCs in this book, which was a disappointment because I was excited to read about their relationship after the last book's cliffhanger. The male MC was very dark and intense and the female MC felt underdeveloped. I found myself skimming through most of the plot and spice just so that I could get the highlights so I can continue onto the next book in the hopes that the plot picks up and I click better with the new MCs. I've enjoyed Dark Olympus up to this point though so I will be picking up the next book for the plot. I think this would be a good one for readers who enjoy dark fantasy, but otherwise I don't think this was a highlight of the series for me.

I loved the first few books in this series but this one didn't do it for me, It could be the characters or it just could have been the time that I read this but I'm hopeful that other books will be just as good as the first few.

Dark Restraint was an okay read for me. The characters were interesting, and the steamy scenes delivered, but the plot didn’t quite grab me as much as I’d hoped. It was enjoyable, but not as captivating as previous books in the series. A solid read for fans, but didn’t leave a lasting impact.

I’ve read quite a few of Katee Robert’s books, and while they’re all within the dark romance genre, Dark Restraint is their stereotypical booktok dark romance. Lots of possessiveness and “mine,” stalker tendencies, and touch her and you’ll die vibes. I feel it missed the mark because Katee is a consent queen and that just doesn’t mix well with stalker romances. Now, don’t get me wrong, one of the reasons I love Katee’s books is because of the explicit consent required. To then push the bounds of that felt strange. While this was my least favorite of the Dark Olympus series, I still gave it 4 stars because of the political scheming and the insight we got on characters we’ve only had peaks of before.

We finally get to see more of Hera, and oh boy is she plotting! I know we’re all dying for the Zeus and Hera book and this really made me more impatient. We’ve known she’s had a plan to take down Zeus, but to read how ruthless and precise she’s been in executing it was what made this book worth reading. The overarching plot is coming together in a way that’s making me excited for the rest of the series. We get more of Dionysus than we have before and get to see more of his personality and involvement in the political games.

I preferred the plot over the couple or the smut, but that was bound to happen in a 10 book series eventually. It’s made me more excited for the books to come!

Also, thank you NetGalley & Sourcebooks for the ARC!

Decent installment to one of my favorite series. I think the problem with my feelings toward this book are more about it highlighting characters that are not my favorite and less about the writing and storyline. I like the idea of Ariadne's story more than I like the character as she's written.

LOVE everything Katee writes!! This was not one of my favorites, I did not feel the spark at the beginning but eventually we got there. The plot is getting good, I cannot wait to see what's next

Who doesn't love a possessive, obsessive, and down-right menacing anti-hero ☝️ who treats his woman like the queen she most certainly is!?
Katee Robert is without a doubt my favorite erotica author for a reason. Her stories are smut with plot. They're compelling, immersive, addictive, and absolutely searing.

Dark Restraint gives us a peek behind enemy lines and the machinations of the benefactor. Ariadne, oppressed and secluded by Minos, betrays him to Olympus for a chance at freedom. Her defection forces her to leave behind the only friend she's ever had and secretly desires, The Minotaur.

Not only is The Minotaur enraged that she kept him in the dark, he's now been commanded to kill her. But how can he hurt the only woman who's ever shown him kindness, who sees the man beyond the monster?

**Minor spoilers ahead**

What I loved:

Asterion, AKA The Minotaur: He's big, he's scary, he's deadly. He terrifies with a single look. Why use words to threaten, when presence is sufficient? He does what needs to be done to survive. But Ariadne is everything. Beneath the frightening exterior is a man who loves deeply. If you're not Ariadne or someone she loves, beware.

Perspective: Ariadne and the Minotaur are pawns in the war between the 13 and the benefactor. They're taking control of their destiny. Much of the series focuses on the 13 and their petty politics. Dark Restraint shines a light on the lives of those used and abused by the power players in the war for Olympus.

World building: We're finally getting more information about the benefactor's plans! The war in Olympus is reaching its boiling point and behind-the-scenes plots are revealing themselves. It's plots on plots on plots.

Inclusivity: Ariadne is a plus-size, intelligent, strong, and vulnerable woman of color who loves herself regardless of what the world tries to force her to be. There are also non-binary assassins, polyamorous relationships, and plenty more.

What I would've liked:

More of Dionysus: He captivated my heart when I was first introduced to him, and I was hoping he'd play a bigger role in this book. As it stands, he's a minor supporting character that somewhat moves the plot along. If, like me, you were hoping for more of Dionysus, this isn't the book. Crossing my fingers that he plays a bigger part in Shattered Gods.

TL;DR

The plot is plotting.
The smut is smutting.
Katee Robert never disappoints!

I've been obsessed with the Dark Olympus series since book one and it keeps getting better.
If you're new to the dark romance scene, this series is a wonderful place to start.

**This book has TW, please read through them before jumping in!**

Book details:
- Main characters: Ariadne Vitalis (FMC) & Asterion, AKA The Minotaur (MMC)
- Style: First-person, dual POV
- Star rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐.5
- Spice rating: 🌶🌶🌶
- Genre: Dark romance
- Formats: eBook (NetGalley ARC) & audiobook (Audible)

Tropes:
- Strong FMC
- Forbidden love
- He falls first
- Touch her and die
- Morally grey (closer to black) MMC
- Marriage of convenience
- Virginity (minor)
- Stalking (minor)
- Greek mythology (Ariadne, Minotaur, Icarus, Minos)

Trigger warnings (incomplete):
- Abortion (off-page, historical)
- Non con. drugging (unrelated to SA)
- Dub con.
- Child abuse (off-page, historical)

ABSOLUTELY LOVED THIS BOOK! KATEEE ROBERT IS BECOMING A FAVORITE AUTHOR! Love her writing style, and spicy scenes! Keep writing Katee!!!

Katee Robert’s Dark Restraint is another captivating addition to the Dark Olympus series! While it’s not my absolute favorite of the series, it still delivers the compelling writing and intrigue that I’ve come to expect. Robert’s ability to build tension and create a vivid, immersive world is on full display here, adding layers to the already complex dynamics of Olympus.

This installment felt like a bridge, setting the stage for what’s to come while still holding its own. It’s not as action-packed or emotionally intense as others in the series, but it does a fantastic job of deepening the world and heightening the anticipation for the next book.

If you’ve been enjoying the Dark Olympus series, this one is definitely worth picking up—it’s a solid addition that will leave you eager for more

This series is one of my favorites, but I have to admit this book ran away with my heart immediately!! The tension and politics continue to grow volatile but the way this book set up the last chapters in addition to delivering one piping hot, pining, disastrous romance was masterful. The ultimate “they will watch the world burn for their love” book, this is hands down one of my favorites in the Dark Olympus series!!

Katee Robert can do no wrong in my humble opinion. While it wasn't my favorite of the series, it had her signature heat and a compelling story. This is one of my favorite series, full stop.

I started out loving this series, but this book was not it for me.
The plot is starting to take a backseat and become convoluted... that said, Katee Robert never fails on the smut, and this story was heavy on the spice. I'm not sure I'll continue this series, but overall am a fan of the earlier Dark Olympus books!

Another scorching entry in the Dark Olympus series by Katee Robert, this one focused on Ariadne and the Minotaur.
"Touch her and die" vibes, and the Minotaur is hot, obsessed, possessive, and did I mention hot?
When she needs to leave her father's home after betraying him, Ariadne agrees to a marriage of convenience to Dionysus in exchange for her safety. Her father orders the Minotaur to eliminate her, but doesn't know that the Minotaur is in love with Ariadne, so he instead tries to find ways to keep her safe - and force her to see they should be together.
Both Ariadne and the Minotaur seem like pawns in the overall Olympus war, and as with all the other books in this series, there's lots of scheming and plotting and double-crossing. Oh - and spicy scenes. So many spicy scenes...
Great advancement of the series, and I thank Sourcebooks, the author, and Netgalley for allowing me the opportunity to read it.

Dark Restraint by Katee Robert is the seventh book in the Dark Olympus series. I'd recommend readers start with the first book in the series since there are overarching plotlines that develop over the books and make character dynamics easier to understand.

I'm a huge fan of Robert's writing, and I was instantly hooked on this series when I read Neon Gods. While many of the books have characters who exist in a morally gray area, Dark Restraint felt more in the dark romance subgenre than the books that came before it since it's a stalker romance. While I enjoy this series, this one felt a little too in the dark romance subgenre for my personal tastes so I found I didn't enjoy it as much as the others. However, I do think readers who are excited by that will find a lot to love here in the dynamic between Ariadne and the Minotaur, who she is never fully certain if she can trust or not.

im a huge fan of the olympus tales and the series has been good for me so far, unfortunately this one didnt grab me as much. its okay..jujst didnt pull me in