I can’t get enough of this series! From the deliciously kinky spice to the ongoing drama unfolding in Olympus it has me on the edge of my seat. This installment focuses on the relationship between Ariadne & the Minotaur. We get an arranged marriage, more betrayals and the major conflict coming to a head. The narrators do a bang on job, quite literally. 6 of the 7 out so far I’ve listened to the audio of and I’m sooo happy they’ve stuck with the same narrators. This is my favorite series of its genre, it’s dark without being traumatizing, it’s inclusive of body types and relationship styles, exploratory of multiple kinks as well as being tastefully descriptive of its spice & has put such a unique spin on the Greek gods.

Features lots of political intrigue involving many larger than life characters. That was the strongest feature of this book - moreso over the romance in my opinion. I mean, obviously the spice was there, but the story was much, much larger than the two leads trying to be together. Definitely engaging!!

I am just not a fan of where the series has went. I was really looking forward to this couple but it started out rocky and didn't get any better. I miss feeling like the romance was front and center. I don't feel like there was enough character growth to make me believe their love story.

I also don't care for the politics of Olympus anymore. I didn't mind it when it was the undercurrent, but now it just feels like it's beating me over the head. It's hard to want to move on from this series but I think I'm just not connecting anymore.

The narration performance was excellent as always and kept me reading when I might have given up. Very talented narrators.

I was so excited to receive the audiobook for Dark Restraint! I've enjoyed all of the books from this series, but as the series has gone on, I just have gotten kind of over it and haven't been all that interested. This story was different and I think I enjoyed it a lot more than some of the last few that have been released.

Dark Restraint is the seventh book in the Dark Olympus series, and it is about Ariadne and the Minotaur. When I first read the description of this one, I initially thought I wasn't going to enjoy it. The Minotaur has been portrayed as a terrible person in all of the other books, and I truly was not excited to read about him. But this book definitely changed my mind. Ariadne is forced to marry Dionysus after she has betrayed her father.

The thing about this one was that the romance was good, but the plot was great as well. It was very quick paced and interesting. The relationship between Ariadne and the Minotaur was unexpected but made sense. And it was sweet, to say the least. The Minotaur would do anything for Ariadne, and it SHOWED. I'm excited to continue this series and see where things go.

Read if you enjoy:
- great world and politics
- m/f dark romance
- childhood crush
- childhood friends to lovers
- "its always been you"
- dual pov

Thank you to NetGalley, Katee Robert and Dreamscape Media for the audioArc of Dark Restraint, available August 6th!

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with an ARC of this story.
SPOILERS TO FOLLOW

THE PLOT REALLY THICKENS HERE. There's always been an underlying plot of something happening to Olympus, someone from the outside coming to attack them AND IT'S HERE. IT'S HAPPENING!! I was so nervous this entire novel because Ariadne and Asterion were literally FIGHTING FOR THEIR LIVES TO BE TOGETHER. I'm almost sad that Dionysus didn't have more of a roll in this novel because he really did seem to care for Ariadne in is own way (even if it wasn't romantic). I didn't expect Asterion and Ariadne to leave but I guess it makes sense. I'm just now very worried for Icarus. I always loved reading the OG Icarus myth (even if it's really sad) and I used to imagine that when Icarus fell, Poseidon tried to protect them. I CAN'T WAIT TO SEE THEM IN THE ENXT BOOK TOGETHER. But what I'm more excited for is Zeus and Hera which I'm almost positive is book 9!!!

Finally! This series is back 👏🏻 on 👏🏻 track!!
I don’t know if the story of the Minotaur is my favorite of the series or any of the romances - BUT we finally learn more about Circes invasion and even MORE about Dionysus and Hermes.

I’m excited to see where the next goes and honestly, how this series ends up. I hope we stay as committed to the plot as we have been in this book and the last!

Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for the advanced ebook in exchange of my honest review.

Publication date set for Oct 6 2024

Admittedly, I missed two of the Dark Olympia books before this one so I was a little behind in the story outside of the romances between characters. That said, this book was less about the Ariadne/Minotaur romance than it was about the political intrigue building in the larger world. If you’re coming for the spice, maybe skip this one but stay for the story if you’re into it. For me, it’s all feeling a little more “mobster” than I like in my fantasy so this book turned away quite a bit from what brought me in initially. The “romance” was not for me either. Maybe I missed something in the previous book but I just didn’t buy it as a love story. It was a lust story and it wasn’t convincing.

Another great installment to the Dark Olympus series!!
This one was action packed and was non stop from page one, I couldn't stop listening.
I loved the relation between Ariadne and The Minotaur
Plus that ending!!! I can't wait to see what it going to happen next.

Love how the macro-plot is developing, not so sure how I feel about the couple.

Dark Restraint is well into the Dark Olympus series, this time following Ariadne and the Minotaur. He is very possessive of her and while they're drawn to each other, they are also both so deeply traumatized it doesn't seem like it's actually a healthy relationship. Attraction sure, but an HEA? Eh, I don't know about that. That said, I do appreciate how this handles the question of abortion with care and nuance. There are some major developments in the larger world that have me excited to see what happens in the next book. I suspect readers who like this kind of darker, more possesive dynamic in a romance will get on better with this book that I dd. The audio narration is with the same narrators as the rest of the series so if you like them, you'll like this too. I received an audio review copy via Netgalley, all opinions are my own.

4.5 stars! Miss Katee Robert!!!! How dare you make me swoon over the Minotaur 😭 This continuation of the series is absolutely incredible and I genuinely have no idea what’ll happen next! The stakes have been upped since again and now I have to wait even longer for the next book which I know will be amazing like the rest of this series!!!

Dark Restraints is advertised as a standalone dark romance and the 7th book in the Dark Olympus series. I didn’t read or listen to any of the prior books. There was a news brief at the beginning that I think is supposed to offer a recap of the prior books. Frankly, it was just an info dump for me. Did it ultimately add value or help with my understanding? Not sure honestly. I am quite rusty with Greek Mythology, so I Googled a character map for a bit of help.

This is like a mafia story overlayed with Greek Mythology characters. There is an overarching plot and politics which if you did not read the other books in the series, you don’t really know what’s going on.

And apparently the names of the Greek gods are like titles/status symbols in the Dark Olympic series. What I mean by this is… if Zeus dies, the successor is called Zeus. Another example, Cersei was the old Hera but now there is a new Hera. This is all rather confusing.

So let’s just focus on our main characters for this book. Ariadne shared her father, Minos’ secret with one of his enemies, Apollo. Her father will punish her for this betrayal. The Minotaur, or Asterion to Ariadne, is suddenly pursuing her. She gives in to her base desires and ends up pregnant. Scared, Ariadne runs to her father’s enemies, the Olympians for help. Hades helps her with an abortion, Hera and Aphrodite offers her protection by arranging her marriage to Dionysus.

Minotaur, Minos’ foster/fixer, finds out the woman he became a killer for has left him, got an abortion and is engaged to someone else. To make matters worst, Minos has ordered him to kill Ariadne.

Ariadne and Asterion are sort of friends to lovers. She has always turned to him but doesn’t realize that she loves him. Whereas, Asterion fell for her the moment she showed kindness towards him fifteen years ago when he was poor, starving and freezing. Because of Asterion’s image as the ruthless Minotaur, he is misunderstood by Ariadne. She eventually realizes he would never hurt her. It’s a sweet relationship really. The characters are in the boring side. Their story is a simple plot. The overarching series plot may still be developing in this book.

This book touches on many characters, but I found Hermes, Dionysus (the fiancé) and Icarus (Ariadne’s brother) to be most interesting. They are all perceived to be weak, outliers and partiers of sorts. But Asterion and Ariadne soon learn that looks can be deceiving. They all have a facade and all have a secret agenda.

Overall, this was an interesting read/listen. I may pick up Neon Gods (book 1) since it is in my TBR pile and is the most popular of the series. And maybe later books if it features Hermes, Dionysus or Icarus.

Zara Hampton-Brown and Alex Moorcock co-narrate this book. Zara does a great job with Ariadne but her Asterion voice is not the best but tolerable. I like Alex’s different male voices.

A big thank you to Katee Robert, Dreamscape Media, and NetGalley for providing a free audiobook ARC of this book in exchange for my unbiased honest review.

TROPES/ THEMES: unplanned/accidental pregnancy, abortion, dubcon, child abuse off page, Greek myth

Dark Restraint is the twisted tale of Ariadne and the Minotaur. The chemistry between Ariadne and the Minotaur was amazing.

Ariadne and the Minotaur honestly have a pretty sweet romance. The Minotaur is possessive and protective. Ariadne fiercely independent. they learn to trust each other and start to plot an escape from her father and Olympus. I loved the cameos of Hera, Dionysus, and Hermes. I can’t wait to see what happens next! I listened to the audiobook and thought Zara Hampton Brown did an excellent job and Alex Moorcock does a fair job.

Thank you to Katee Robert, Dreamscape Media, and Netgalley for a free ALC in exchange for an honest review.

I have reviewed the actual plot and characters of this book elsewhere, so this review will focus entirely on the audiobook and my enjoyment as a listener.
Zara Hampton-Brown, who voices the chapters from Ariadne’s point of view, does an excellent job with the material. When the character’s internal monologue demonstrates just how frightened Ariadne is for her safety in the middle of this city at war, Hampton-Brown speaks with a restrained tremble in her voice that captures the emotion of the writing just beautifully. She also did a great job with the rest of the characters, particularly Dionysus.
Alex Moorcock does a fair job with voicing the chapters from the Minotaur’s perspective, but I do think it was an extremely odd choice to cast someone with his particular accent to voice a character who is so plainly written in a brusque, American dialect. The Minotaur uses an almost absurd amount of profanity, usually as deeply unnecessary intensifiers, and every single time I heard Moorcock saying that something was “annoying as f—k,” I found myself cringing. It isn’t that he’s a bad narrator; it’s that he doesn’t mesh well with the voice of the character.

Ariadne and the Minotaur (Asterion) have a passionate encounter, leading Ariadne to seek refuge with Hades and Eurydice after their meeting. Despite being engaged to Dionysus, Asterion promises to find her. The trio, accompanied by Ariadne's brother Icarus, becomes embroiled in war and politics as they try to escape the city. The epilogue, featuring Icarus and Poseidon, left me eagerly awaiting the next book. The story's worldbuilding, political intrigue, and new mythology captured my attention, overshadowing the romantic aspect. Hera's significant role in Olympus's political landscape was enthralling, portraying a strong female leader.
Zara Hampton-Brown and Alex Moorcock expertly craft a suspenseful and captivating narrative.

I’m a huge fan of Katee Robert’s books and have been super excited to continue the stories in this series. This is the 7th installment in her Dark Olympus series.

And I have to say best parts of this book are getting all of the plot development and the scenes with the secondary characters! Unfortunately the main couple of this book does not really shine like the other characters do.

Writing:
The pace is a little slow at first and then speeds up about 35% in. Roberts is always consistent with writing style so this feels like diving back into the series and not much time has passed.

Storyline:
The storyline in this installment really ramps up the plot for the series. So much is building up toward all out war and we really see more of the pieces coming together. This book also really sets up the couples for the next three books!

Main Characters:
Sadly the Minotaur and Ariadne are the weakest couple in the series (in terms of writing). There’s the whole stalker/arbitrary killer romance (especially at the beginning) that really didn’t appeal to me. And the Minotaur never really grows to become an MMC that I care much about. And Ariadne always feels like a victim.

Secondary Characters:
Wow the secondary characters SHINE in this book! I am so obsessed with Hera and loved every conspiratorial scene with her manipulating and pulling strings. I also loved Dionysus and just wanted to give him a big hug. Plus we see Hermes more backstage than in her mysterious role and it’s good to flesh her out bit by bit.

Romance:
As mentioned before, I didn’t really enjoy this pairing. The stalker romance does not appeal to me and I didn’t really root for either character’s HEA. Definitely spicy but I just wasn’t really invested.

Narration:
Great audio narrators make all the difference in audiobooks! And the narration quality of Dark Restraint is excellent! It’s so easy for audio narration of spice to sound awkward but Zara Hampton Brown and Alex Moorcock do such a great job.

All in all a fun book and I’m eagerly awaiting the next one!

There was not a single moment in this book I didn't enjoy. All the twists and turns had me wondering who to trust, which, made for an exciting read. The spice was so good! Katee Robert knows how to write spice that keeps your interest and sends the imagination soaring. Chef's Kiss!

My favorite parts....minor spoilers ahead

He read her books to understand her and her fantasies better. Taking her over the edge with what he learned and, my-oh-my, how correct he was in translating her needs. 🥰 Sign me up for some of that please!

All the acts of love in this story from the meet cute revelation, secret dinner, betrayals, and proving love can conquer all had me falling for these characters and cheering for them.

I absolutely cannot wait for the next release and to be back into this world and to see what comes of Olympus.

This is my first Katee Robert book and I loved it! The narrators did a great job at bringing the book to life. I actually enjoyed the plot quite a bit but not so much the spice. The scenes felt a little awkward. 😬

It was heavy on the politics but the romance definitely didn’t take a back seat either! Ariadne and Minotaur were basically childhood friends turned lovers trying to run away together but also take down her father. They both secretly had a crush on each other and didn’t know it.

There’s betrayal, friendship, and spice. It was great and a pretty quick listen!

Thanks dreamscape and netgalley for the audiobook!

I received an ALC, and this is my honest review.

The narrators delivered a fantastic telling. I was fully invested from the get go!

I have been following this series since Neon Gods and always am so impressed with Katee’s ability to deliver a satisfying romance story while also telling an over arching story that encompasses all the books.

By the end of this one I adored our MCs and their story. I am also in desperate need of the next book to see what’s going to happen in Olympus!

Really recommend reading in order but could be read independently.

Oh my goodness this book!!!

I have been so excited to read Ariadne and the Minotaurs book for ages!! It delivered everything it needed to!!👏🏼👏🏼

First of all, the book starts with a BANG. Literally. 🤭 I was pleasantly surprised. I’d forgotten how the previous book had ended so I was a little shocked by the events until it all came back to me.

I seriously can not express enough how much I love this series. The story between Ariadne and the Minotaur was great. Their chemistry was amazing. I love a friends to lovers storyline and they gave me exactly that!!

The narrators!!! Amazing. I truly could not have loved the narration any more.

I’m so invested in the on going events in Olympus and can’t wait to find out what happens next. 🙈🙃

Once again the latest installment of the Dark Olympus series is full of steamy scenes that leaves nothing to your imagination. Dark Restraint follows Ariadne Vitalis as she betrays her father when she fleed the city to go into the underworld. She is now back in Olympus and working for the 13. Her father Minos, has now hired the only person that loves her to kill her for her betrayal. Minotaur is the only one for Ariadne and now is working with Herra and Minos to try to save her before the barrier is broken.