The Kingmaker
Ratings12
Average rating3.5
15
Ratings12
Average rating3.5
From beloved, RITA-award-winning author Kennedy Ryan comes the first in her gripping All the King's Men duology. In a world of haves and have-nots, Maxim Cade's family and their oil empire have it all...and he wants nothing to do with it. At odds with his mogul father, he's determined to build his own empire, even if it means traveling far from home, painted as the black sheep. Lennix Hunter is the exception to every one of Maxim's rules. At a protest for the oil pipeline that threatens to mar her ancestral land forever, they meet in a flurry of stars and sparks, and that one moment changes everything. But Maxim's family is the one stealing from hers, and his father is the man she hates most. He has to lie in order to have her once, and despite the truth, he'll do anything to keep her. Even though Lennix tries to hate Maxim, too, their hearts are pointed in the same direction. The inexorable pull between them, across miles and years, will not be denied. And neither will Maxim.
Reviews with the most likes.
I feel hoodwinked by this plot. I'm probably going be in the minority of this duology.
The book started off great but quickly devolved. The angst was too much for me and the cliffhanger was what made me continue. This is a hard one because as you can see there was SO MUCH I highlighted and quoted from this book and overall it kept my interest. I just really am not a fan of angsty emotional romance novels so this may be on me.
Thank you to NetGalley and Bloom Books for providing me an eARC of this book in exchange for my honest review!
Before I let go by Kennedy Ryan was one of my favorite reads from 2022 and I couldn't be more excited for having the opportunity to review other book from her.
Unfortunately, I believe I'm not the right audience for this story and I didn't enjoy it as I was expecting.
This book follows the story of Lennix, an Apache descendent, passionate about giving voice to minorities and difficult causes and Maxim, a son of an oil baron, who is fully dedicated to environmental causes and energy transition.
The plot itself was very predictable and I found the love story quite flat. Although the MC have some interests in common, I couldn't see what was keeping them together besides lust and physical attraction.
It was interesting to learn a bit about the heritage and culture of apaches and I enjoyed the inclusion of serious issues such as colonization impacts.
The information provided regarding the climate crises and USA politics is basic, which per se is not a problem as this is a romance and not a non fiction book. However, I must confess this book left me increasingly worried about the climate. If the information provided is not common knowledge to everyone, we have indeed a long path ahead to protect the planet.
I recommend this book for contemporary romance readers who enjoy:
- insta love
- Alpha heroes
- Age gaps
- Dual POV
Although I did not particularly enjoy the story, I will probably read the next installment as this one ends on a cliffhanger.
Featured Series
5 primary books6 released booksAll the King's Men is a 6-book series with 5 primary works first released in 2009 with contributions by Kennedy Ryan, L.J. Shen, and 11 others.
