Radiant Sin

There's nowhere more dangerous than Olympus...and no one more captivating than its golden god: Apollo. Keeper of secrets, master of his shining realm...and the only man I am powerless to deny.
As a disgraced member of a fallen house, Cassandra Gataki has seen firsthand what comes from trusting the venomous Thirteen. But when the maddeningly gorgeous and kind Apollo asks her to go undercover as his plus-one at a week-long party hosted by a dangerous new power player…Cassandra reluctantly agrees to have his back.
On one condition: when it's all over, and Apollo has the ammunition he needs to protect Olympus, she and her sister will be allowed to leave. For good.
Apollo may be the city's official spymaster, but it's his ability to inspire others that keeps him at the top. Despite what the rest of Olympus says, there's no one he trusts more than Cassandra. Yet even as their fake relationship takes a wicked turn for the scaldingly hot, a very real danger surfaces… threatening not only Cassandra and Apollo, but the very heart of Olympus itself.

Radiant Sin is the fourth novel in Katee Robert’s Dark Olympus series, and each book could technically be read as a standalone, but take it from a reader who’s reading the series; they’re better read in order. This time, Katee gives us a darker modern retelling of Apollo and Cassandra.

I’m enjoying the Dark Olympus series, but finding some of the books are a hit or miss with me, depending on the plot or characters. It all depends, and in the case of Radiant Sin, I really didn’t like Cassandra and felt the ending was rushed. I’ll go into detail more later in my review but here’s what I enjoyed. 

I liked Apollo and how he was different from the other Thirteen I’ve read so far in the series. He’s a cinnamon roll, and he cares for Cassandra, who’s been his employee for a while now. It’s obvious even when he asks Cassandra to be in a fake relationship with him that he cares for her and has for a while, but Cassandra is clueless. He’s one of the Thirteen who stood up for Cassandra when she was being smeared due to what her parents did, and I loved how he was willing to give her up in order for her to be happy, even though it would be hard on him to let go of her. 

Katee delivered some of my favorite tropes into this book, which includes a Boss and his employee agreeing to a Fake Dating situation, which also is forbidden because everyone thinks that Apollo shouldn’t be with Cassandra due to her reputation. He doesn’t care, though, which is why I loved his character so much. 

I liked the idea of a murder mystery story where the MCs are trying to figure out what is going on and why some of the Thirteen were together for this party. Here is when I had issues with the storyline, and it’s mainly due to a plot hole that didn’t make sense. Why would some of the Thirteen go to this party without security, especially when Apollo suspected something was going to happen at the party? I just didn’t get it, and then something happens, and not everyone is on high alert like Apollo and Cassandra are. 

Katee is one author who writes spicy scenes that are unique and not repetitive (like I’ve been reading lately in romance books). The spicy scenes also fit, if that makes sense, and weren’t taking away from the plot. I love a spicy book, but I need a storyline with it, too. 

My main issue with the book has all to do with the heroine, Cassandra. I understand her reputation was ruined due to what her parents did, and she wanted out of Olympus, but she never talked to her sister about her feelings. She also was willing to leave Apollo after he was there for her and I didn’t connect with her. Communication is the key, and I actually hope Cassandra’s sister gets a story because she’s more of an interesting character than her sister, even if she shows up briefly in this book. 

Another issue I had was the ending, how rushed it felt, and how I was able to predict the big twist. But other than that, this was a good installment for the series. I just wish I would have liked it more. It gets 3.5 stars from me, and I’m looking forward to continuing reading the series. 

Story Rating: ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️.5

Steam/Spice: 🌶🌶.5

Would I recommend this book/series? Yes. I recommend this book/series if you enjoy reading Darker Modern Greek Mythology Retellings with some spice.

Genre/SubGenre(s): Romance | Dark Romance | Fantasy Romance

Trope(s)/Element(s): Mythology – Retelling – Apollo & Cassandra | Fake Dating | Boss/Employee | Workplace Romance Forbidden Romance

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About Katee Robert

New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author Katee Robert learned to tell her stories at her grandpa’s knee. Her 2015 title, The Marriage Contract, was a RITA finalist, and RT Book Reviews named it 'a compulsively readable book with just the right amount of suspense and tension." When not writing sexy contemporary and romantic suspense, she spends her time playing imaginary games with her children, driving her husband batty with what-if questions, and planning for the inevitable zombie apocalypse.

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FranJessca

Owner/Reviewer at A Book Lovin' Mama's Blog

I guess I should type a bio here. I'm FranJessca, or Fran for short. I'm the owner/reviewer behind A Book Lovin' Mama's Blog. I've been reading and reviewing books on my blog since leaving the Navy in 2011, and I will keep doing it as long as possible. My favorite genres will always be Romance & Fantasy, and I read every subgenre underneath those two genres. (Sorry, not a fan of nonfiction, so don't try to convince me to read it.)
My obsession with reading started over 30+ years ago when I went to my first Scholastic Book Fair and found R.L. Stine's Fear Street series. Later, I came across Anne Rice's novels at my public library when I was fourteen when my obsession with vampires started. I was the girl who preferred to be a vampire over a princess any day. My husband says I would leave him a heartbeat for a vampire that looked like Spike or Angel (from Buffy the Vampire Slayer) or Damon Salvatore from The Vampire Diaries. (It's true, though, and he's accepted it.)

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