The seventh installment of Dark Olympus brings us to Ariadne and the Minotaur’s story. We’ve seen glimpses of both characters along with Icarus in previous books but here we really get a view into Minos’ family and their background. With Ariadne finally betraying her father, the Minotaur has some decisions to make about their future and the role they will play in the downfall of Olympus. Without knowing who to trust, deals are made and broken but will Adriadne & the Minotaur get their happily ever after - in or outside of Olympus? Can’t wait to see how the cards fall in the following books.

I received an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review. Thank you so much, NetGalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca.

“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.”

That "previously in Olympus" through the MuseWatch headlines was GENIOUS! The smartest way to summarize everything that has happened so far and using an instrument from the series' own universe no less.

This is the seventh book in the Dark Olympus series. At this point, I'm not sure if it's still advised to read these books as standalones. The series can technically be read as standalone novels, as each book focuses on a different couple and their romance, with its own contained storyline. However, the books are interconnected, sharing the same world, characters, and overarching plot elements.

Similarly on how the other books played out, this one takes off right where the previous one ended. So we already knew Ariadne deflected Minos's household and sought refuge in the lower city. We now get to see the things that led to that outcome.

As part of Ariadne's protection agreement with the Olympians, she's to marry none other than Dionysius. The news is not well received by Minos, Ariadne's father, and even less by Asterion, the Minotaur, who is now sent to kill her. Not that he has any intention to follow that order, but Ariadne doesn't need to know that, right?

So... Ariadne. I was wanting for her to surprise me. But she is, I don't know, bland? Sure, she was kind and resilient, but I really didn't get the appeal. It didn't help that pretty much all of her story with Asterior takes place in the past. They undoubtedly have a real connection, but that was built before the events of this book. They've been friends for a long time, predating the book's time frame, so we don't get much development of that relationship. We already start with Asterion completely obsessed with Ariadne, and her smitten with him.

For his turn, Asterion - the Minotaur - surprised me a lot though. I wasn't expecting to like his character as much as I did. He's truly complex and his chapters were by far my favorites. And he's far smarter and strategic than people give him credit for. Based on how the book was marketed, I thought he would be more ruthless when he was actually pretty reasonable. Yet again, they're failing to properly communicate the real content (and tone!) of the books in this series.

This book reminded me a lot of Radiant Sin in terms of how it was set up. Both books were much more about moving the plot forward than about the couples themselves, it's almost like the main couple were a subplot of their own book. It doesn't bother me as much because I find the plot of Dark Olympus fascinating and I know I won't relate to every pairing in each book.

Dark Restraint also paves the path for the upcoming books most of all. And their story is so disconnected from the main plot that they literally left Olympus at the end. I mean, they talked about it the whole book, yes, but it still was very anticlimactic. All the books in this series have ended on a "happy for now" note, but it seems like this book took it to the extreme. The last chapter, in particular, was so rushed and the epilogue was literally about the next book.

Also, I never really understood how the barrier/wall worked and I thought that with it finally coming down we would have a better explanation about it. That didn't happen, unfortunately, and now I have more questions than before. I respect the author a lot, but it seems like they bit off more than they could chew with this specific plot.

As for the side characters in this book, I loved getting to know Dionysius better! He's so cunning! And I'm even more intrigued by Hera! I have a feeling I'm gonna devour Hera and Zeus's book. The Dimitriou sisters are my favorites, they're always great FMCs.

DARK RESTRAINT is another winner in this series, with a storyline that pushes the overall narrative forward while still providing plenty of sizzle and substance with Ariadne and The Minotaur. Really enjoy this overall series of books for its creative storytelling.

Thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca for the opportunity to read and review DARK RESTRAINT.

A solid addition to the Dark Olympus series. I really like the longterm relationship Ariadne and the Minotaur had before the book started, and their devotion to each other no matter what the other did. I skipped the book before so I was a little lost in the "Olympus" plot, but not so much that the story wasn't enjoyable. I've more been reading the books for the couples, not the overarching plot, so it was fine.

My only complaint is a spoiler, so beware.
Starting the book with Ariadne having an abortion without telling the Minotaur until after and him being completely accepting seemed out of character for him. He's pretty controlling in that romance. hero way, and him reacting by being totally fine that Ariadne did it without telling him...yes, he's a romance hero, but all his character building didn't point to that sort of response. I don't mind positive light abortion in romance, but this one felt off for the character.

Thanks Netgalley for the review copy!

I'm forever obsessed with the world Katee has created for Dark Olympus, and this book grabbed me by the throat and would NOT release me. The Minotaur and Ariadne are the epitome of gone for each other -- I love them so much, your honor.

The romance is dark and there's murder galore, and the intrigue is high as we ricochet into the final books of the Dark Olympus series. My heart was in my throat most of the time I read this book.

Love that this series continues to have more of a storyline as more books come out but the romance fell kind of flat for me 😕 like it was clear that feelings were there for the main characters but it felt super forced.
The spice was okay. Honestly nothing to write home about in comparison to the other books in this series.
Would I recommend it? Probably if you’ve already read the rest of the books and enjoyed them so far.
Regardless, thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca for sending me this ARC opportunity to read!

This is my second favorite book out of the entire series. Absolutely love Ariadne, and the Minotaurs story. He was such a dark unliked character. He really was portrayed so evil. To see this side was swoon worthy.

This Contemporary Romance is Book 7 in the Dark Olympus series. The romance in this book is more of a fighting of feelings, and denial. This book is spicy just like the previous books in this series. The scenes are descriptive, and frequent throughout the book. The book moves at a quick pace following Ariadne and the Minotaurs relationship bloom into more all the while they are wrapped up in the push and pull of the devastation unfolding in Olympia. They are being used in so many directions in a race for everyone to complete their agendas. Ariadne and The Minotaur have a very dark history, but a very heart warming history too. The backstory provided really builds the characters up. This book does wonderfully focusing heavily on the couple, as well as the plot. The plot unfolds much more in this book than it has in the previous books. It is enjoyable, and exciting to experience the plot play out side by side with the romantic spice.

Book 7 of the Dark Olympus series!

So I loved what this did for the SERIES, while not being super into what it was doing for the actual people this book was about. They started out pretty good actually, but got less interesting as the book went on. I am pretty excited for all of the pairings left in the series, so I think those will all be exciting. I am in awe of KR's writing speed!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC!

Dark Restraint is the 7th book in the Dark Olympus series and you really need to read the previous books to understand the backstabbing, politics, and drama. Ariadne is tired of being her father's pawn so she runs to the enemy and shares all she knows in exchange for safety. She also ran away from Asterion (Minataur) and he is not happy about it. Asterion was her father's lackey, but he loved Ariadne and was going to make sure they end up together after all the dust settles.

Honestly, I really did NOT like Asterion for a good portion of the book. He was mad that Ariadne didn't understand him and was baffled that she thinks he could actually kill her (despite saying he was there to kill her). He was so self centered while telling everyone he was doing everything for Ariadne. His love was frustrating. But, the bigger story in all this was the politics. Hera is mounting an insurrection, Circe is coming, and everyone is picking sides. I love the world building in this series and Dark Restraint adds to it nicely!

It took me a minute to warm up to this couple as they are quite extreme opposites and I didn't really fully grasp their backstop (emotionally) until about 25% in but once I did I really enjoyed their dynamic. I also really liked the over-arching plot development and there were some strong hints at what future books will be about. Can't wait!

I am rounding this up from 2,5 stars to 3, just because I enjoyed the political plot and I’ve always had a soft spot for mythological reimaginings. While this book certainly had its moments, I couldn't fully connect with Ariadne and the Minotaur as a couple. While the story offers glimpses of their long-running friendship, it doesn’t delve deep enough into their history to make their relationship truly compelling. Honestly, I found the scenes with Dionysus more charming and memorable.

Having read Dark Olympus #1 last year (and thoroughly enjoying it), I know the heights Katee Robert can reach. This installment wasn’t terrible by any means, but it didn’t quite live up to her best work either.

Thank you to Sourcebooks Casablanca for the advanced reader copy and to LibroFM and Dreamscape Media for the complimentary audiobook. These opinions are my own.

Dark Restraint is the seventh book in the Dark Olympus series. This one was even better than I expected. The Minotaur hasn't been my favorite character historically, but I loved him in this. Ariadne has become an increasingly complex character in the last few books, and this continued even more in this book. I wanted such good things for her.

I will try to avoid spoilers for earlier books of the series. So I will mostly say that this book hit just the right emotional tone. It moved the overall story arc forward so well. The characters were excellent, as was their chemistry.

The was performed by the narrators for the series, Zara Hampton-Brown and Alex Moorcock. I have come to associate them with these books and love their narration, especially his.

I strongly recommend reading this series in order. Indeed, you'll even need to pay attention carefully at the start of this book to catch how the world and leadership has changed since the last book ended.

CW: dubcon and see Katee Robert's warnings at the start of the book

4.25 stars

Received a free eARC through NetGalley in exchange for a review.

Really enjoyed the "headlines" at the beginning of the book to remind me what's happened throughout the series up until this point - very helpful!
Enjoyed the romance, but the plot had firmer grip on me. Things are finally coming to a head and I can't wait to see what happens next!

As always Katee Robert DELIVERS. It adds to the complexity of the series while making me fall in love with a character that was painted in an ill light when we first met him. The Minotaur is HOTTTTTT

RANT TIME! I love Dark Olympus. I love Katee Robert. So what the hell happened here? My biggest issue is the relationship and characters. Firstly, WHO ASKED for a book about The Minotaur?? Certainly not me! He was always a bully, and now we are meant to root for him, with no character growth. The beginning of this book is so odd. The Minotaur is so possessive, and not in a cute way. It’s just creepy. He and Ariadne had no depth to them, and their relationship was boring at best and extremely creepy at worst. The ending of the book was much better, and the setup for the next book is great. I am anticipating Poseidon and Icarus’ story even more than I already was! The best part of this book were Hera and Hermes. I love those scheming little bastards, and I need their books NOW! Overall, this felt like a filler book with a filler couple, up until the ending

A great step forward in this series! I didn't connect with the couple well, unfortunately, but I was excited about how the overarching political plot was thrust forward. We're really in the home stretch!

This book narrated by Zara Hampton-Brown and Alex Moorcock, delivers a scorching retelling of Ariadne and the Minotaur set in a politically charged Olympus. Ariadne is forced into a sham marriage, while Asterion, the Minotaur, is determined to claim her as his own despite their dark, tumultuous past. Zara's narration perfectly captures Ariadne's internal conflict and vulnerability, while Alex masterfully voices Asterion's brooding intensity. The story is a mix of passion, intrigue, and the struggle for power, all woven into a steamy, gripping narrative. This audiobook is a must for fans of dark romance and Greek mythology retellings, offering a captivating escape into a world where love and danger are intertwined.

First off a HUGE freaking shoutout to Sourcebooks Casablanca for granting my wish of getting an ARC of Dark Restraint - y'all literally made my entire month by doing that!!

ANYWAYS - I loved this book! I won't lie - I was nervous I wouldn't enjoy it as much as the others because I think the Minotaur is probably one of my least favorite characters from this whole group but I was pleasantly surprised by how much I rooted for him throughout the story. Ariadne truly has been through IT throughout her life and that girl just.. she not only NEEDS life to cut her a break, she DESERVES it (probably more than a lot of the other characters might). The overall plot throughout this series starts to pick up quite a bit in this book as well, although I'm not sure I actually got anymore answers on why who is doing what lol. The spice was *chefs kiss* as per usual with Katee Robert's books and I always appreciate it's not the same ol spice in every book. Lastly, I want to be best friends with Dionysus... I just feel like we'd get along great LOL

I know I said it earlier but again, huge thanks to Sourcebooks Casablanca and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion!!

The overall consensus appears to be that this is the first book in the Dark Olympus series where the plot exceeds the couple, and I have to agree. Robert is clearly the queen of smut, but I wasn't invested in the couple. To be honest, there's also so many spicy scenes you can write before the actions start to get repetitive, and we're approaching that limit, especially if you have read any of Robert's other series. I also feel as if we continue to get couplings to extend the series, when all we really want is Hermes and Hera to find their HEAs.

I absolutely love how the characters were portrayed in this story. I expected the minotaur to be a much darker character, and while he was dark, the story between him and Ariadne shows him as a possessive, swoon worthy male. I definitely recommend this book if you've been following the Dark Olympus series. Even if you haven't, it's still a greaT read