Another sexy book by Katee Robert. This series just keeps up the same erotic tone with re-telling the stories of the Greek gods. I love how all these stories are about different gods, but they are an on-going larger story. I can't wait to read the next book!

📖 𝘿𝙖𝙧𝙠 𝙍𝙚𝙨𝙩𝙧𝙖𝙞𝙣𝙩 is book 7️⃣ of the Dark Olympus series. And it’s out now!

I received this audiobook from @dreamscape_media and @netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

4 ⭐️ 4🌶️

I love the unique premise of this Greek Mythology retelling. And I love that each book is unique in its own right, yet progressively continues the main plot of Katee’s version on Olympus.

This time around Ariadne is on the run from the Minotaur after disastrous events from the previous book. They are an epic love waiting to happen, and this one did not disappoint.

I can’t wait for you to all experience this couple’s utter heartbreak, and beautiful mending as they find their way back together 🙌

Read if you love:

🏛️ Greek Mythology retellings
🏛️ Forbidden Romance
🏛️ Boss’s Daughter x Father’s Assassin
🏛️ He hates everyone but her
🏛️ Betrayal / Navigating dual sides of society drama
🏛️ Opposites Attract
🌶️ Spicy goodness

Dare I say - I enjoyed the plot and the politics in this book more than the romance?

Usually I turn to this series when I feel like indulging in a “guilty pleasure” book; they are addictive, hot, fun, and perfect for a little dose of escapism.

The thing that bummed me out about this one is that I just didn’t buy into the romance. Ariadne has been in the last couple books since Minos and his family came to Olympus; however, I feel like I still don’t really *know* her. As for Asterion, aka the Minotaur… I’m really just not into the whole trope that is like, “I’ve been obsessed with this woman since I first laid eyes on her” and “she’s mine, she will be mine, she doesn’t realize it yet, but she’s mine!” 😬 just not big into obsessive/possessive MMC, especially when the FMC is totally oblivious to his feelings. However, I do feel that those who enjoy dark romance more than I do might eat this up!

Also the scene toward the beginning that has dubcon, I didn’t love. The biting felt gross to me and the “say no”… not a fan. Especially because Katee is usually the consent queen, with conversations being had before intimacy and safe words when needed. There is better smut later in the book, but I just never really understood their connection on a deeper level.

Side characters that I loved and I can’t wait for more from? Hera, Hermes, and Dionysus. I also am very curious to learn more about Icarus and Poseidon (enemies, captor/captive?!), that will be so interesting! I’m excited about the plot moving forward, a lot happened in this book. But I do miss the Lower City, I wonder how all my faves are doing in lockdown.

Though I have my ups and downs with these books, the series overall is fun so I will keep reading!

Thank you to Netgalley for this ALC in exchange for my honest review!

I absolutely love how the characters were portrayed in this story. I expected the minotaur to be a much darker character. Dark Restraint makes sure you know he's a darker character, but by not going into the darker depths of his soul, the reader is able to see him as Ariadne seems him, possessive (or very protective), and swoon worthy. I loved this story.

For the audio:
The narrators were fantastic, but I pictured the minotaur with a deeper voice. The type of deep, bold voice that grabs your cold soul like the first sip of coffee on a stormy winter morning. Again, the male narrator was great at what he does, his voice just wasn't what I imagined.

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

Format: Audiobook
Performance: 4.5★
Story: 3★
Overall: 3.75★

I was looking forward to this book and was so excited about it. Unfortunately, the story felt flat. Ariadne and the Minotaur lacked chemistry, and the Minotaur's possessiveness and obsessiveness felt forced. He was branded as possessive just to give him a "personality," but it was a tough sell. The main plot of the series and the other side characters overshadowed the couple and their story.

The narrator of the audiobook, however, was amazing at depicting the characters. Overall, I think it's worth reading if you are following the whole series.

This book was a delight to read! I love Katee Robert's writing, and this series is just so fantastic, and this is the book where the big moves are made on page, moves that are setting up for the endgame for the series, which was such a blast to listen to!

Ariadne and the Minotaur where characters that we've had a few books to get to know a bit about them, a their story has mainly happened in Radiant Sin and Midnight Ruin, the later of which saw her dealing with the pregnancy and making her deal with Olympus's rulers. So we've had set up for this story, which made it fantastic to dive straight into this story!

Ariadne cares, even though it means dealing with conflicting loyalties, to her family, and to these people who are being kind to her, even though they don't have to be. The Minotaur only cares about her, and it was such an interesting dynamic, especially when he's ordered by her dad to kill her and she thinks that he'll actually go through with it.

These two have a history deeper then the length of the series, they grew up together, which is a relationship that we hadn't seen before, how long they've known each other and been a significant part of each others lives.

I want to talk about the big moves, but I don't want to spoil things, but there are multiple players who want different things, though some things could be achieved with different parties working together on certain initiatives. I can't wait to see what's going to come of all of this!

There's only 3 more books left in this series, and all of them have been set up, from book 2 all the way to this one, in one way or another. Poseidon and Icarus sounds like a lot of fun and so cute and adorable, and Hera and Zeus (aka Callisto and Perseus) is going to interesting given the animosity that she has for him, and the plotting that she's doing. And ending with Hermes, which is apparently going to be a threesome, and I think at this point it's confirmed that one of other two is going to be the one former Hera. Which yeah, that's going to a wild ride!

Loved reading this book and I'm so excited for the next!

Thank you to @katee_robert @dreamscape_media & @sourcebookscasa for the #gifted #ARC & #audiobook of #DarkRestraint.

For those keeping count, this is #Book 7 in the #DarkOlympus Series by the fabulous #KateeRobert. Just a recap:

1. Neon Gods (Hades & Persephone)
2. Electric Idol (Eros & Psyche)
3. Wicked Beauty (Achilles & Patroclus & Helen)
4. Radiant Sin (Apollo & Cassandra)
5. Cruel Seduction (Aphrodite & Hephaestus & Adonis & Pandora)
6. Midnight Ruin (Eurydice & Orpheus & Charon)
7. Dark Restraint (Ariadne & Minotaur)

This story focuses on the #romance between #Ariadne & the #Minotaur. However, #Dionysus also has a larger role in this one.

As Minos’s daughter, Ariadne is not in the good graces of #Olympus, thus, she is forced to agree to a marriage (in name only) to Dionysus to obtain mercy & protection. Though, the only man she wants or dreams about is the Minotaur. Likewise, he only wants her. Minos promised Ariadne as the Minotaur’s reward for being the brute force doing all of the dirty & bloody work of Minos’s plan. And the Minotaur intends to have her. Despite all the awful things he’s done, Ariadne WANTS him to take possession of her & is tired of denying it.

Going in, I thought the romance duo was going to be a weird one, but it worked. The Minotaur is a ruthless assassin & has no mercy or feelings for literally anyone except Ariadne. She is his one & only soft spot & he cherishes her. #BeautyandtheBeast

As always, this one was #spicy, but I felt like it was turned down a notch or two.

I can’t believe we only have 3 books left! The world building & overall threat on Olympus progressed. There were some major political plays & revelations in this one. I know Katee has to have one hell of a finale in store for us & I can’t wait!

#2024 #August #NewRelease #MustRead #TBR #Bookstagram #Read #Reading #Review #Fiction #Adult #Fantasy #Mythology #Retellings #Romantasy #Erotica

Another hit from Katee Robert! I was hesitant to read this one because I thought it was going to be a love triangle, but I was delighted to be wrong.
I love the twisted world of Dark Olympus. I loved that the main characters already have an established connection. Their love is forbidden and the stakes are high.
The dual narration was spot on—it always is with this series.
Highly recommend!

This audio book was great and when it started, I was in utter shock! It went from 30 to 100 real quick!
So if I'm being honest the blurb is a little misleading about the story you'll be delving into. First off unfortunately for my fellow MFM fans, this is strictly a MF read. While Ariadne does become engaged to someone else it's only because she's running from loving someone she believes will never love her back. In fact much of the book occurs because Ariadne runs away from her problems and this time it just so happens her dire circumstances play perfectly into those of the scheming Olympians. If you've read other books in this series than you should know better than to trust anything out of a God or Goddess's mouth but when you're in a bind like Ariadne it's easier to work with the enemy of your enemy. The sexual chemistry between Ariadne and her Minotaur Asterion is off the charts. Honestly even with all her running away Ariadne is putty in Asterion's hands and they can barely keep their hands off each other. There is a lot of drama given his role as her father's right hand man but nothing will keep him from his woman. May take him a while to prove his love but they have eternity and he is one determined guy. The history between these two is adorable and I love that they have known each other for so long as it makes their coming together that much sweeter and looooong overdue. The writing is easy to get sucked in to and the end will leave you wanting more.

You can never go wrong with a Katee Robert’s book I’ve been obsessed with this series from the start and the audios are just chefs kiss

I am obsessed with this series and can’t get enough! I love how each book features new characters that we still get to see in other books. I devoured this book and am already looking forward to the next one. I love this world and the politics. So good!

Katee Robert is such a weird review for me to write. This was so NOT anything I was into, I gave up around the halfway point. I HATE the minotaur. I wanted to grow to like him, but I couldn't. I don't find the angerly possessive thing hot. I don't find him murdering people to show her he can get to her if he wants hot. I know dark romance works for some people and I'm so glad Katee Robert writes often enough that I'm not terribly disappointed when a book of hers isn't for me. Because I know there will be another one for me to try soon enough!

I absolutely loved this book. I can’t get enough of the way that Katee Robert writes and how she is able to formulate an entirely new story from a classic mythology myth. I never knew that I needed Ariadne and The Minotaur but now I am in love! Also the narration was fantastic.

if i'm being completely honest, the politics & general plot development were better than the romance, which was the main focus of the book... didn't love the story or relationship between ariadne & the minotaur, so the book didn't really do much for me.

Katee has me in a grip hold with this series! We get so much from these books about the series overarching plot point for Olympus, but its just never enough! ESPECIALLY with the cliffy we are left with for this book! OMG having to wait til APRIL for Sweet Obsession is gonna be TOUGH!

This book gets spicy FAST! Which is good because we get information about Ariadne that wasn’t given in earlier books when she was interacting with other characters (yes, his is vague but like is her secret a spoiler? maybe? but also if you’re reading this and haven’t read the previous 6 books? hello! LOL) Ari and the Minotaur are spicy, which was totally expected, but they also were just adorable too. I love that the books all come with character art so getting to better visualize them adds to the storyline (for me at least!)

Im not sure what else there is to say other than I freaking adore this series and just hope that others do too! Whether you read it or listen to it, you are IN FOR A WILD RIDE!

Final Rating: 4⭐️, 3.5🌶️

Thank you NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for an ALC of Dark Restraint in exchange for my honest review!

I absolutely love the Dark Olympus series but this one was a little underwhelming. I had really hoped for more romance, but their chemistry was all written off as previous off-the-page lore. It's hard to jump into spicy scenes without knowing the chemistry between the characters. Also the spicy scenes were far less than in previous books which was also a little underwhelming. I think this book was a hard one to write reguardless since it is about 2 characters who have never been fan favorites and they are working to take down aspects of Olympus that have really grown on loyal readers. This felt like a real work horse of a book and I just didn't feel the spark here that made me love earlier books in the series.

If you are looking for a spicy way to take in your Greek mythology, the Dark Olympic series is the way to go! Dark Restraint is number 7 in the series and tells the story of Ariadne and The Minotaur.

This book a blend of politics, plot and spicy times. And truthfully I didn’t feel fully invested in the couple. If you are following along with series, this book does move the plot along with some major things occurring late in the book but overall it just felt like an alright, quick listen.

Dark restraint is out today! Thank you @dreamscape_media for the advanced listen!

Wonderful continuation of an epic saga.

I loved this retelling it gives a great push to the overall plot all while giving us a single love story. So unique too as it gives the best forbidden vibes.
These two angsty and lusty characters know how to make a girl sweat while listening.

Narrators are great!

I honestly loved this. Dark Restraint is a modern retelling of Ariadne and the Minotaur which is the seventh book in the Dark Olympus series. I loved the forbidden romance between Ariadne and the Minotaur. The book has dual POV, great plot, paced and flowed wonderfully, I was captivated every moment. The spice was passionate, definitely spicing. I truly enjoy Katee Robert's writing and her ability to tell spellbinding stories. I listened to the audiobook narrated by Zara Hampton-Brown and Alex Moorcock, they did such a fantastic job telling Ariadne and the Minotaur's story. This is one of the best audiobooks I have read recently. Five stars for the story and for the narrators.


Book releases 8/6/2024

FANTASTIC!

my favorite trope in action was just a delight. The morality chain element here the plot reveals the progress of the whole story.

Absolutely obsessed with this series.

The audiobook narration was amazing. I really sunk into the story quickly and devoured it because of how much I enjoyed the narration.