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A review by nose_in_a_book
Radiant Sin by Katee Robert
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
🌶️🌶️
Now we’re getting into it. The last book broadened past the central couple but still spent most of the page on them. This one moved us firmly into the world of Olympus and focused on politics more than romance. Robert had a hard line to walk here between a satisfying self-contained whodunit and an opening gambit in a broader mystery. I think for the most part, she did pretty well. This isn’t pushing boundaries in the sub-genre of “mysterious circumstances taking place at a week long getaway to a mansion” but it has a steady pace and little filler. For writing outside her genre, she did really well.
I think the couple dynamics she chose also complement the plot. The fact that they’ve both been pining over each other for years means less time has to be spent establishing how they get together and the boss dynamic explains why they haven’t yet. Apollo did get a little much sometimes with his preachiness but I can forgive it here.
I will say this book is the final nail in the coffin that Robert sucks at endings. Apollo barely says a couple of sentences between thinking he’ll never see her again and them getting together for the HEA. It’s jarring. Compared to Electric Love and even Neon Gods, both Wicked Beauty and this one feel like they end mid-sentence. It’s such a shame but I wish her team would encourage a more proportional third act.
Now we’re getting into it. The last book broadened past the central couple but still spent most of the page on them. This one moved us firmly into the world of Olympus and focused on politics more than romance. Robert had a hard line to walk here between a satisfying self-contained whodunit and an opening gambit in a broader mystery. I think for the most part, she did pretty well. This isn’t pushing boundaries in the sub-genre of “mysterious circumstances taking place at a week long getaway to a mansion” but it has a steady pace and little filler. For writing outside her genre, she did really well.
I think the couple dynamics she chose also complement the plot. The fact that they’ve both been pining over each other for years means less time has to be spent establishing how they get together and the boss dynamic explains why they haven’t yet. Apollo did get a little much sometimes with his preachiness but I can forgive it here.
I will say this book is the final nail in the coffin that Robert sucks at endings. Apollo barely says a couple of sentences between thinking he’ll never see her again and them getting together for the HEA. It’s jarring. Compared to Electric Love and even Neon Gods, both Wicked Beauty and this one feel like they end mid-sentence. It’s such a shame but I wish her team would encourage a more proportional third act.