Tender Cruelty

Robert deftly expands the lore of her bestselling Dark Olympus series while keeping the romance sizzling in this exciting ninth installment (after Sweet Obsession). For the first time, the barrier that protects the dystopian city of Olympus from the outside world has fallen, and, following a successful coup staged by Zeus, there’s chaos among the ruling council of 13 so-called gods. Ruthless power grabs have become the norm—but for Zeus and Hera, the most high-stakes power plays happen at home. Hera has been plotting to kill Zeus since before they married, but as they’re forced to work together, sexual chemistry sparks. Hera’s scheming is further complicated when she realizes she’s pregnant. Robert cheekily dedicates this installment to “every single person who cursed me for Zeus and Hera being book nine instead of book three,” and devoted readers will find it was well worth the wait. Robert brings her A game to their red-hot enemies-to-lovers romance before leaving things off on a tantalizing cliffhanger. This series shows no signs of slowing down. (Dec.)