Thank you to NetGalley, Katee Robert, and Sourcebooks for the ARC of Dark Restraint in exchange for an honest review!

This is book follows the relationship between Ariadne and the Minotaur. King Minos has always been ruthless for manipulating and exploiting his children for his own gain, especially when it comes to exerting power to bring down Olympus. After betraying her father, Ariadne strikes a deal to marry Dionysus in exchange for safety even though her heart has always belonged to the Minotaur. There is passion, however, there is also fear in a relationship that has been fraught with pain. The Minotaur also is torn: murder Ariadne to follow King Minos's orders or betrayal for the woman he loves as Olympus is on the brink of war.

I have been a fan of this series and loved the first couple of books as Katee did deep dives into character and relationship building. This book clock in at book 7 in the series and I did not nearly enjoy it as much as their earlier books. I've always appreciated the trigger warnings up front so that the reader is well prepared for the topics covered in the book and the diversification of characters and relationships, consent, and body image. While those continue to be present in this book, I found the relationship, characters, and plot underdeveloped. There are characters going through some heavy things and I was hoping that there would be more for why the characters act the way they do. Perhaps more of that will be in a future book if those characters are the focal point. I was just left wanting more and not necessarily in a good way.

Thank you sourcebooks Casablanca and NetGalley for the ARC! I got so close to finishing this on time but then life got in the way

I knew I wasn’t going to like Ariadne and the Minotaur, and I was right. I didn’t find their relationship fun or believable in the way the other books were! The plot did make up for a lot of it though. It felt like a preparation for the battle ahead, and I’m intrigued at all the little plots going on behind the scenes. I still hold firm that Circe and Hermes are lovers and will be the last book, but we shall see!!

Very excited for Poseidon and Icarus though!!!

I wasn't expecting to like this book so much, can't say I was a big fan of the MCs in the previous books, but I was positively surprised. Ariadne and the Minotaur have a different relationship from the others in the series, an not quite friends to lovers haha, and he's so smitten with her, it was adorable coming from an actual killer.
And the subplot had me biting my nails. Like, for real. I can't wait to see the direction this will take in the few last books!

This series is hit or miss for me. Some of the main characters and pairings I love and some not so much. I keep coming back over and over again because I’m enjoying the ongoing series plot arc and really need to find out what happens. I’m also determined to get to Hera and Zeus’s book.

This is Ariadne and the Minotaur’s story and it’s really a tale of obsession and dark love. Ariadne is a brilliant, bright woman stuck in a family of men who are fixated with growing their power and bringing down Olympus. In the last book she defected to the lower city and enlisted the help of Hades and Hera. In exchange for protection and their help with ending her pregnancy, she agrees to give up all of her father’s secret plans on bringing down the barrier around Olympus and the identity of his conspirators. She agrees to a marriage of convenience with Dionysus, but she knows Asterion, the Minotaur, will come for her sooner or later.

This book felt darker than the previous installments, which is saying something. Asterion is very much an anti-hero, and his only redemption is his love for Ariadne. Despite Ariadne leaving home, giving up her father’s secrets, and making a deal with the Olympians, Asterion only wants her and is willing to play the long game–making side deals with multiple people– in order to keep her safe. It takes her quite a while to realize that he’s not the puppet of her father that she thinks he is.

While the relationship between them was just okay for me, I am fascinated by the political and personal relationships between the entire cast of characters. I find myself on the edge of my seat when reading these books, trying to figure out how it will all end. In this installment the wall finally comes down and readers learn that Hera and Hermes seem to be playing a different game than everyone else. I’m not quite sure what is going on, and where the chips will fall when everything finally plays out. The next book is sure to be exciting as it will feature Poseidon and Icarus. I have no idea how they will fit in with all the political intrigue, but you can bet I am going to find out.

This was, perhaps my least favourite couple thus far. I really didn’t jive with the Minotaur’s possessiveness. However, the storyline has really picked up with the last few books and I’m genuinely looking forward to the next one FOR THE PLOT!! Also pls pls I need a book on Hermes, I’m obsessed with her

⭐⭐⭐
🌶️🌶️🌶️

ARC Review: Pub Date August 6, 2024

𝑰’𝒎 𝒅𝒆𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒎𝒊𝒏𝒆𝒅 𝒕𝒐 𝒔𝒉𝒐𝒘 𝑨𝒓𝒊𝒂𝒅𝒏𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝑰’𝒎 𝒈𝒐𝒐𝒅 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒎𝒐𝒓𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒏 𝒇𝒖𝒄𝒌𝒊𝒏𝒈. 𝑻𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝑰’𝒍𝒍 𝒕𝒂𝒌𝒆 𝒄𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒐𝒇 𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝒃𝒆𝒕𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒏 𝒂𝒏𝒚𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒆𝒍𝒔𝒆 𝒊𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒇𝒖𝒄𝒌𝒆𝒅-𝒖𝒑 𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒍𝒅. 𝑨𝒏𝒅 𝒊𝒇 𝒂𝒏𝒚𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒅𝒂𝒓𝒆𝒔 𝒕𝒐 𝒕𝒉𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒕𝒆𝒏 𝒉𝒆𝒓? 𝑾𝒆𝒍𝒍, 𝒌𝒊𝒍𝒍𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒊𝒔 𝒘𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝑰 𝒅𝒐. 𝑾𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝑰’𝒎 𝒈𝒐𝒐𝒅 𝒂𝒕.
𝑰𝒕 𝒘𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅 𝒃𝒆 𝒂 𝒑𝒓𝒊𝒗𝒊𝒍𝒆𝒈𝒆 𝒕𝒐 𝒌𝒊𝒍𝒍 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒉𝒆𝒓.

We're back in Olympus and things are very tense. Everyone is fighting. Everyone is plotting. Everyone is keeping secrets. It's stressful.

I wasn't sure about this book when I found out who the main characters were. In the last few books, I haven't been a big fan of the Minotaur so I just wasn't all that hyped for a book about him. But I ended up loving him. He's possessive and morally gray, and he would burn the world for Ariadne.

Ariadne is a sweet character. She's been pretty sheltered and she goes through it in this book, but she really steps up and perseveres. I ended up liking her more than expected as well.

The spice was spicing, though I did think there was a lot less of it than in some of the previous books. Still the quality of spice you expect from Katee, just with less frequency especially in the the second half.

The overarching plot of the series has been one of my favorite parts since Wicked Beauty, but in this one it felt a bit like filler. A very middle-book vibe. A few things happen that move the plot forward but overall it fell a little flat for me.

Next up in this series is Icarus and Poseidon, and the set up for them at the end was very interesting. I'm curious about this one and I do think that the series plot is going to pop off in a big way in the next book so I'm looking forward to that.

𝑰 𝒅𝒐𝒏’𝒕 𝒃𝒆𝒍𝒊𝒆𝒗𝒆 𝒊𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒈𝒐𝒅𝒔, 𝒏𝒐, 𝒃𝒖𝒕 𝑰 𝒃𝒆𝒍𝒊𝒆𝒗𝒆 𝒊𝒏 𝑨𝒓𝒊𝒂𝒅𝒏𝒆. 𝑯𝒆𝒓 𝒃𝒐𝒅𝒚 𝒊𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒂𝒍𝒕𝒂𝒓 𝑰 𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒔𝒉𝒊𝒑 𝒂𝒕, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆 𝒊𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒐𝒏𝒍𝒚 𝒔𝒖𝒔𝒕𝒆𝒏𝒂𝒏𝒄𝒆 𝑰 𝒏𝒆𝒆𝒅.

Read July 31-August 2, 2024

Dark Restraint by Katee Robert was sadly not my favorite book in the series that I have loved since book one. Ariadne and the Minotaur's story didn't pull me in like the others. I noticed that the spicy bits were lacking but I did enjoy the plot and seeing what other characters were up to. This series has been great until now but I don't think I'll quit reading the series so hopefully, the next one will redeem where this book failed.

Nnnnot my favorite of this series, in all honesty. I think I was drawn more to the isolated romantic plot between Ariadne and the Minotaur and all the dark romance vibes therein. It did feel like the larger elements pertaining to the upcoming war were the more important piece of the overall book, but they were also the parts I started skimming over. I’m definitely curious about where the bigger story is headed, but I just wasn’t as gripped by this one as I have been some of the previous books.

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

I wasn't necessarily dying to read Ariadne and the Minotaur's story, but I did enjoy it. Definitely not my favorite in the series, but it was still good.

Ariadne just wasn't a character I felt any particular way about. I know she has been through a lot, but idk I just didn't feel super invested in her story.

I feel for Ariadne and everything she has gone through, and same with the Minotaur but more - he really has been through some rough times. I liked the possessive touch her and die vibes, and I also liked the 'I don't want to be with you but I need to be with you' vibe Ariadne kept throwing.

Ultimately, we get to see an interesting side of the Minotaur not normally shown in retellings, and I liked that. I just wasn't particularly invested in them as a couple, it felt like an intermission to get to the next segment. Their spice was spicy, the scenes of Ariadne in the shops getting cute clothes were delightful, and the way the Minotaur knew things about her?? So sweet.

I am interested to see if they are going to be present in the story in the future, or if this is it for them. I will say I am STOKED for the next one about Icarus and Poseidon... Like so stoked.

Overall, good addition to the Dark Olympus series and I can't wait for what is next!

The Dark Olympus series continues to be a wild ride of love, lust, and complex politics. Ariadne and Asterion/the Minotaur's story is definitely one of forbidden romance (like a lot of the Dark Olympus stories, lol) and trying to outwit the political factions that surround them. I think Ariadne and Asterion may have one of the actual happily ever afters despite everything they had to go through to get there since they actually got away.
One of the things that I really enjoy about the Dark Olympus series is the side characters that are always circling around the characters whose turn at romance it is. In this case, Hermes really caught my attention because we got to learn more about her and I cannot wait until we get to Hermes and [redacted] and [redacted]'s story that Katee keeps teasing us about.

Absolutely loved the next installment in this series!! Katee is a supreme author with the best ability to connect readers to the characters and once again did it again!! I loved the themes in this book and the continuation in the series. This is one of my favorite series and I am so glad I got to review this book. Thank you NetGalley for the early review copy!!

Not sure what I expected, but it felt rather disappointing. I have not read her other books, but I imagine that they are written in a similar fashion. Story line was not particularly engaging for me as a reader. It felt very flat. I found the sex scenes to be on the pornographic side... I would not call it a romance. The language in the first few chapters was enough to shut me down to the book. F*** and S*** used way to commonly.
Every book has its reader, but this is not my book.

Was not my favorite of the series. Loved the Minotaur. Ariadne was just not a likeable FMC like the other characters, found her very bland until the very end with her father when she finally take action! But I’m excited to get a glimpse into Poseidon!! Also Hera!?! Like gurl what are you doing……can’t wait for her book either.

Like many others, I felt like this book moved the series forward in an important way, but Ariadne and the Minotaur just didn't quite click for me. Personally, I think it's because I like stories where we get to watch the couple get to know each other - in this book their history comes well before the first page. Definitely the darkest book in the series so far and, as always, I *need* to know so much more about Hermes. Thanks to the publisher for an ARC of this title!

I have loved the Dark Olympus series since the beginning, and we're now at the part where I think we're really starting to get more revelations about what's really going on behind the scenes in Olympus! It's so exciting!

I felt like Ariadne and the Minotaur's story was crucial for moving the plot of this series along. We get so much more detail about the political machinations of Olympus, The Thirteen and Minos. There are also some big reveals about loyalties for several established characters. We also see how loyalties can shift, and how one person's motivations may not be so clearly black and white as another person's. A lot of people are making their own plots and plans, and some of them align and some don't, and that's sure to play out in interesting (and violent) ways.

While I have fallen in love with many characters in this series, I didn't feel as attached to Ariadne and Asterion as a couple. We've been told they've basically been drawn to each other since they were teens, and their relationship is the culmination of long seemingly-unrequited feelings. I have no trouble believing they've been longing for each other. I'm not entirely sure why, but I just didn't feel drawn to either of them or their stake in this fight. It was satisfying to see how they team up for their own good, and not the good of others.

I thought the cliffhanger was a very good one, and the setup for Icarus and Poseidon's story is very tantalizing. I'm looking forward to seeing how that one plays out and plays into the grander scheme of what's to come.

**Book Review: *Dark Restraint***

*Dark Restraint* is a well-written romance novel that takes a more subtle approach, focusing on emotional depth rather than explicit scenes. The story unfolds at a slower pace, allowing for rich character development, though it may feel less immediately gripping compared to the author’s previous, faster-paced works. Despite this, it remains a satisfying read for those who appreciate a more introspective take on romance.

Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinions.

No. Just a no from me. I think sometimes that ARCS need to come with trigger warnings. Which is funny coming from me because I haven’t found one single thing that bothers me but apparently abortion does. Or maybe how it’s just so thrown about like it’s not a big deal. Again this is 100% personally my opinion.

I don’t know if the character ends up dealing with it emotionally later but I didn’t make it that far before I had to DNF.

Also I felt like the entire storyline that I read was just a mismatch of things happening and thrown together that it was so confusing. And I didn’t relate to the main characters at all I felt like they were just sort of thrown together as well and the chemistry was very forced.

I absolutely loved the first parts of this series but this one may have stopped me from reading any more.

3.25/5

Not my favorite of the dark Olympus series. The overarching plot FINALLY gets some movement. I enjoyed seeing the different political sides and cameos of the other Olympians. The romance, however, felt lacking compared to the other books in the series. It would’ve been beneficial to see more of Ariadne and the Minotaur’s history and building of their relationship. They came together very quickly so there wasn’t as much desire/angst being built up.

Overall, it was a quick enjoyable read and I’ll be looking forward to the next one!

Thank you NetGalley for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

Just when you think things in Olympus couldn’t get more dire, Ariadne finds herself a pawn of the thirteen as they wait to see what plot her father, Minos, is crafting up. Ariadne doesn’t want to feel bad about fleeing but part of her knows it was wrong to leave The Minatour, Asterion, as if he doesn’t mean everything to him. When Asterion discovers Ariadne is gone, he decides to make it his mission to hunt her down but matters get complicated when Minos orders him to kill Ariadne for her betrayal. Will Asterion be able to kill the person he’s wanted for most of his life?

Holy smokes Katee Robert!! This series just keeps ramping up. The levels of political scheming happening in this book is wild. You never fully know who to trust or what their intentions are. This book was probably the darkest in the series. I’m normally not a big “you’re mine and I’ll hunt you down” girl but baby Asterion had me reconsidering my position on that. I’m glad that these two got to have a book together even if at first I wasn’t wild about the pairing. Together they’re so caring and thoughtful about the other. I can’t wait to see what happens next in this series.

Katee Robert has done it again! I absolutely loved the book and was waiting for another plus size female lead since Electric Idol and Radiant Sin. I do want to acknowledge that I appreciate how much she explains her trigger warnings and gives a in-depth idea of what they are. Not all authors do that and I think it turns readers away from the actual story because they are shocked by the triggers. Now to the actual story....
Do I read Katee Robert for the spicy scenes? Absolutely yes! But she also has in-depth storylines that are just as interesting especially with a series this long. You have to read the previous books to understand the impact of what Ariadne is going through. I appreciate we start this story with action and not a overview of what has been happening in the last eight books. I also wasn't sure how I would feel about the Minotaur since he's been very one dimensional till now. I should have known Roberts would make him a cinnamon roll very fast while being scary to everyone else. This is her typical story where the guy falls first and decides that there is no one else for him. I know that may get repetitive for some but I have read so many of her books it always seems to be a given.
Overall I think the book was really well written and it continues into the next story that she will be publishing later. I will say this does talk about darker topics then she usually discusses but I think people will appreciate it. I also love that we are seeing an expansion slowly into other worlds and everything is connecting. You can really tell Robert has mapped out the stories and really have passion for this project.