Sweet Obsession by Katee Robert is the eighth book in the Dark Olympus series, a series of *very* interconnected standalones, each following a different romantic relationship in a modern retelling of Greek myth, set in a fictional version of Olympus. Sweet Obsession is about Poseidon and Icarus, and I’ve been feverishly anticipating its release since I first started seeing teasers on the author’s social media as they were writing it in 2023.
*spoilers below for book seven in the series, Dark Restraint*
At the end of Dark Restraint, Icarus is captured by Poseidon in a successful attempt to help his sister Ariadne escape the city. The barriers have fallen and everyone in Olympus is in danger, including The Thirteen, the oligarchs based on the Greek pantheon who rule the city. Poseidon wants answers about what Circe is planning to protect his people, and he’s determined to use his captive to find out her plans. Icarus, on the other hand, plans to seduce Poseidon to secure his own safety.
While Poseidon and Icarus try to pursue their own goals, it quickly spirals into something else entirely with an undeniable attraction between them that is impossible to ignore. As the situation in Olympus, and in the bedroom, escalates, they become more than traitorous captive and desperate captor. But their growing connection may not be enough to save them from this treacherous political game.
Despite all the teasers I saw, these two were thoroughly unexpected. I love it when characters surprise me. I’ll spare you the details so you can find out for yourself, but Poseidon was not at all what I had pictured and all the dreamier for it. Icarus had so much more depth, and their dynamic was a perfect twist on expectations.
Poseidon sees through Icarus and his flirtatious games in a way that no one else has before. It proves, in the way that enemies-to-lovers often does, that the best relationships are built on a profound understanding.
Sweet Obsession is a forbidden romance in more than one way. Icarus is considered an enemy to Olympus, and as his captor, the power dynamics are all screwy for Poseidon, but as Icarus says, that just makes it hotter.
The spice is kinky, passionate, and emotional all at once, a truly delectable combination. Poseidon experiences an awakening of desires he never knew he had at the hands of Icarus. As the title suggests, while this story is inherently kinky and filled with intrigue, it is also incredibly sweet, a dichotomy that I adore.
Each book in the Dark Olympus series seems to get heavier in terms of plot, and Sweet Obsession fits the pattern. There is a lot going on, and Olympian politics are an increasingly elaborate web. There is a great deal of nefarious plotting and intrigue, and Poseidon and Icarus are well and truly backed into a corner for much of this book, right along with the rest of Olympus.
Although the plot has become increasingly more involved, this book is undoubtedly character driven and is still an incredibly fast read. I read it in a matter of hours, only stopping to put the laundry in the dryer.
For a hot second, I genuinely thought these two weren’t going to get a happily ever after, or that we were going to have to wait until the end of the series for it, or some other such nonsense. I was ready to riot, but I should have trusted Katee Robert. They always come through.
I have been sold on this series since the beginning, but with every new book, I get more ravenous for the next. All I have to say now is: what in the name of all the fucking gods is Hermes up to?! I can’t believe I have to wait until 2026 to find out. I’ve been dying to know for actual years.
The next book in the series, Tender Cruelty, is out December 2nd, and I’ve already pre-ordered it.
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