Cruel Seduction follows Aphrodite, Hephaestus (formerly Theseus), Pandora, and Adonis. Aphrodite and Hephaestus are coerced into an arranged marriage due to politics and family ties. As they struggle to navigate the balance of power between them, the Olympians are being targeted in the city due to a newly revealed assassination clause. Pandora (Theseus' best friend) and Aphrodite have an unconventional first meeting, yet can’t seem to stay away from each other.  Aphrodite initially seeks to use Pandora against Hephaestus. Adonis reunites with his ex Aphrodite after a painful break-up. Hephaestus schemes with Adonis on how to handle Aphrodite. Will Aphrodite and Hephaestus negotiate a truce to survive the Olympian chaos together?   

Katee Robert does an incredible job of always including LGBTQ+ rep in their books and it makes me so happy!! There is so much queer joy here and they explore the dynamics of the open poly knot in a beautiful way. I loved the emphasis on how important communication is. The focus was always on supporting each other and learning who could best provide what was needed in a situation. Pandora has a great personality and I loved how she refused to do anything other than go after what (and who) she wants. Aphrodite and Hephaestus (Theseus) have so many steamy scenes that are lightning-charged with tension as they explore the power dynamic between them. Adonis provides an important balance for Hephaestus and Aphrodite; he has a very caring and calm personality.  

Katee Robert puts their characters through it and I loved the moments of genuine vulnerability the characters share (Particularly THE hurt/comfort moment with Aphrodite.) Hephaestus’ energy of “I’m the only one who gets to kill you” was both hilarious and heartwarming. I also enjoyed when he was internally trying to decide if he wants to get to know Adonis more and thinks: “I don’t even like him!” It’s the classic trope of a character wondering why they’ve got heartburn when falling in love and Katee Robert nails it. I really enjoyed the cameos of other characters from the Dark Olympus series and look forward to seeing what happens next in Olympus!

Readers who enjoy the arranged marriage trope (but only so they can make each other miserable and then begrudgingly fall for each other), open poly knot rep, fantastic LGBTQ+ rep, and hurt/comfort will love Cruel Seduction. I listened to the audiobook and the narrators did an excellent job with the character voices and making them distinct. I feel like Alex Moorcock is the new Steve West of audiobook narrators! Check out Cruel Seduction and the Dark Olympus series if you like scorching romance, mythology retellings with spice, and unputdownable reads!

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