Review: Cruel Seduction by Katee Robert

Hephaestus and Aphrodite go head to head for better or worse.

---

@shereadsbooks.sometimes

Dates Read: 02/08/25 to 24/08/25

Star rating: ⭐⭐⭐

Word to describe: Messy

Genre: Romantic Fiction

Aphrodite and Hephaestus are an unlikely match. Strong-willed, scornful lovers to each other, and dead set on making this marriage perfect from the outside and a bitter hate-fuck session on the inside. The addition of the new Hephaestus' best friend Pandora and Aphrodite's former lover Adonis makes things a little difficult for the duo pretending to not be in love. To trigger hateful responses Aphrodite seduces Pandora to irritate her new-found husband, Adonis seduces Hephaestus to make an impact on Aphrodite, Hephaestus seduces Aphrodite because they're married and he can, and Pandora gets to sit watching the scenes unfold. Talk about a love square!

And just to make it all the more messy - the truth about the rule that killing one of the Thirteen to take their place has now been announced throughout Olympus and people are pissed. So not only are Aphrodite and Hephaestus bitterly married to each other, they're also hated by Olympus and being victims to several murder attempts. Yikes.

The marriage of convenience trope is one of my all time favourites for a messy romance book. Especially when it's a trope wrote by an author who is already so well-versed in messy relationships (literally any other book in this series). Readers saw the marriage of convenience trope in Neon Gods, and now we see it again in Cruel Seduction but this time teamed with the lesser built on trope polyamory.

There was some stunning character development and vulnerability that was developed between Aphrodite and Hephaestus in a way that allowed the characters to mirror each other. The murder attempts revealed softer sides of the charcters and allowed them to become closer through mutual bonding. Shitty childhood, plus being pushed into a life they don't want, plus attempted murder would do that to a duo. Which, if you like marriage of convenience is step one to them falling in love forever. I think out of every aspect of the book the ability to write characters that are strong-willed and able to be vulnerable is a talent. It's hard to nail the fine line between believable and for-the-plot bonding.

I found that the polyamory relationship wasn't fleshed out as well as Katee Robert's previous entanglement with multiples like in the Helen/Achilles/Patroclus trio. It was a little too complicated for my liking and I would've loved to see the relationships intertwine more beyond the home-like breakfast making scenes. But - I suppose I just wanted Adonis and Hephaestus to share Aphrodite! I did like that there was an exploration of platonic male/female friendships that weren't built of political gain and was instead built on a genuine love of companionship. Hephaestus and Pandora were extremely wholesome.

I enjoyed this one! Whilst it wasn't one of the better books in the series, and seemingly lacking in the side plot of Olympus falling in comparison to the other books in the series, it did neatly tie of some major characters in the books and act as a trigger to the next steps in the book series. I love how as the Dark Olympus series progresses Katee Robert's world building expands into a giant universe of intertwined relationships, complicated politics, and maybe the hottest characters of the universe. I'm still continuing my journey so wish me luck!