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olivialandryxo 's review for:
Sweet Obsession
by Katee Robert
emotional
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Katee really wrote modern day, Greek mythology-inspired Halstarion fanfic and got it published, and I love them so much for that. It might be the most iconic thing they’ve ever done.
To put it simply, this was an absolute delight to read. Icarus and Poseidon were entertaining from the start, and their relationship progression was adorable. Katee gets extra points for taking the ending in multiple directions I didn’t expect, and giving these two what might well be the most wholesome ending in the series so far. I love to see it.
That being said, I didn’t have the same intense attachment to or investment in Icarus and Poseidon that I have in other relationships in this series or recent five star reads. And when I consider how this book plays into the series’ overarching plot, the answer is that… it really doesn’t. After how the last book ended, I expected more tension in this one. More drama, more action, just more all around. I expected this to be a wild ride. And it wasn’t. It doesn’t even feel like anything happened to set the stage for the next book. For all that I enjoyed it, I don’t know what purpose it served. Icarus could’vesailed away with Ariadne and Asterion, found another lover elsewhere , and the only real difference would’ve been Poseidon keeping a background role instead of taking center stage. The show would’ve gone on.
But it’s fine. It’s more of an observation than a true complaint. We got a cute, gay interlude before everything inevitably falls apart in the final two books, and I had fun. That’s enough for me. (Though this has only cemented my MIGHTY NEED for an epilogue novella collection of everyone getting their happy endings. I need to seeIcarus and Poseidon Proteus meeting Ariadne and Asterion at Carnaval . Among other things.)
(And speaking of—I’m so curious and so incredibly confused about the next book. I don’t see how Zeus and Hera could end up together, properly together, in any plausible way. I don’t ship them in the slightest. I don’t even like Zeus. If Katee pulls it off, it might well be the best enemies to lovers arc of our generation. I look very forward to finding out.)
Representation:
To put it simply, this was an absolute delight to read. Icarus and Poseidon were entertaining from the start, and their relationship progression was adorable. Katee gets extra points for taking the ending in multiple directions I didn’t expect, and giving these two what might well be the most wholesome ending in the series so far. I love to see it.
That being said, I didn’t have the same intense attachment to or investment in Icarus and Poseidon that I have in other relationships in this series or recent five star reads. And when I consider how this book plays into the series’ overarching plot, the answer is that… it really doesn’t. After how the last book ended, I expected more tension in this one. More drama, more action, just more all around. I expected this to be a wild ride. And it wasn’t. It doesn’t even feel like anything happened to set the stage for the next book. For all that I enjoyed it, I don’t know what purpose it served. Icarus could’ve
But it’s fine. It’s more of an observation than a true complaint. We got a cute, gay interlude before everything inevitably falls apart in the final two books, and I had fun. That’s enough for me. (Though this has only cemented my MIGHTY NEED for an epilogue novella collection of everyone getting their happy endings. I need to see
(And speaking of—I’m so curious and so incredibly confused about the next book. I don’t see how Zeus and Hera could end up together, properly together, in any plausible way. I don’t ship them in the slightest. I don’t even like Zeus. If Katee pulls it off, it might well be the best enemies to lovers arc of our generation. I look very forward to finding out.)
Representation:
- bi/pansexual protagonist of color
- fat bi/pansexual protagonist
- achillean (M/M) romance
- diverse side characters (includes bisexual, pansexual and sapphic rep; nonbinary rep, use of neutral and neo pronouns; other Black and queer characters throughout)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse
Minor: Torture, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail
Multiple explicit sex scenes. They seem consensual to me, but the author’s warnings say “elements of dubious consent (due to captor/captive power dynamics)”, so take that as you will. Mentions of how one protagonist was abused by his father, that father’s recent (but off-page) death and the protagonist’s grief. One brief torture scene early on, and at least one panic attack. There’s a second scene that comes to mind that may or may not count. Both are brief.