I went over to GoodReads to check out one of those reviews which complained about the treatment of women in the Iron Druid series, and as a woman (and as one who got her degree from a feminist college) I have to say that I didn't read the same book that that reviewer did, and that I think she was projecting a lot of issues of her own onto that book. I don't see any of the books as being sexist in the least.
The books are written from a male point of view, and Atticus isn't written as an asexual being. He's two thousand years old and has been married several times throughout his life. He likes, can appreciate, and is attracted to women. I don't see that as a character flaw or as being sexist.
First of all, when is any female character in a popular novel written as homely and plain? They all have some sort of attractive feature(s). In fantasy novels, goddesses are usually gorgeous, have some sort of glamour to them that makes them attractive, and aren't loathe to use it. Guys are attracted to superficial beauty at first, so it is a tool to be used.
The witches in the book are smart and cunning. Atticus happens to be attracted to one of them, but she also scares him. They have the power to hurt him and his own if he isn't on his guard at all times around them.
Goddesses, by the nature of their long lives and pantheon in-fighting are normally portrayed as divas, seemingly irrational, bored and petty. If a goddess of the Celtic pantheon wants to have sex with one of her worshipers (which as a Druid, Atticus is one) is he supposed to say no? To term that male rape when Atticus is attracted to her in the first place, as one reviewer did, is really stretching things beyond credibility. That reviewer also completely ignored how the various goddesses played on Atticus' attraction to them and used him as a pawn in their political infighting without his knowledge.
I see all of the women in the books as being strong characters in their own right. Any reviewers that are labeling these books as sexist really, IMO, need to broaden their scope and read authors who truly fall into that category (John Ringo's Kildar series anyone?).
Each reader has to make up their own mind of course, but frankly the reviews and comments that label the series as sexist just really brought to mind how when I first started taking the "Women in Literature" courses as a college freshman, I was full of righteous indignation at the portrayal of women and saw sexism at every turn. But you know, sometimes a cigar is just a cigar.
