Reign of a King: A Dark Billionaire Romance (Kingdom Duet)

Only Rina Kent can take a character you hated for books upon books and make you root fro them when they finally get their own story. Oh man, Jonathan King there are no words. This book has all the things you love and can expect from Rina Kent--steamy and twisty turns that keep you on your toes. Cannot wait for the conclusion in book 2.

Rina has once AGAIN blown my mind! I am going to be one hundred percent honest here, I was hesitant to read this one. I LOVE an anti hero but I wasn't quite sure how he was going to redeem himself. I should have trusted Ms Kent because redeem himself he did! Rina delivered a sexy, page turning, addictive story that will keep you coming back for more.

I absolutely loved the dynamic between Aurora and Jonathan, especially the banter. I literally lived for the moments when she pushed him, those moments were pure gold. The chemistry between those two literally scorched my kindle. It was intense and so powerful that it exploded off the page. To say that I cannot wait for the epic finale of this duet is an understatement. I need it now!

This author did it again with an another tantalizing tale that garnered my attention from the first page. True to this author’s other works, Reign of a King is a dark read that is complete with an alpha anti-hero, a strong heroine with an intriguing backstory, heat, and some suspense. There are underlying mysteries perfectly woven into the storyline with some jaw dropping twists and turns, thus making this book an entertaining and thrilling read.

Jonathan is the definition of an anti-hero and everything that you could hope for as he is a cold, calculating, and ruthless business man. He exudes power and maintains a commanding presence which is why it was so enjoyable to witness how Aurora affected him. While Jonathan checked marked all of my boxes, I had a bit of trouble connecting with or understanding him. Perhaps because there were only a few chapters from his POV? Nonetheless, I still really liked his character. While I liked Jonathan, I loved Aurora. She is a heroine that is both spirited and stubborn, but also possesses a hint of vulnerability about her. The author graciously gives us glimpses into her past and it is clear how much that has shaped her. Her backstory is positively intriguing and I cannot wait to see what else the author reveals in the next book.

There are several kindle melting moments interspersed throughout the novel which left me frantically fanning myself. Yet, I wasn’t feeling their romantic connection in the beginning. For a chunk of the book, I found myself more intrigued by the various mysteries rather than the actual relationship between them. However, as things further progressed, I became more invested in them as they each evolved individually, but also as a couple.

As outlined in the blurb, this book contains some taboo themes and I recommend keeping an open mind as you won’t regret it. First, it is an age gap romance of an older man-younger woman. Seventeen years may seem like a huge age difference, but Aurora is no simpering, young & naive girl but rather a mature and independent woman in her late 20s to Jonathan’s mid-40s. So yes, a huge gap, but it wasn’t skeevy and it worked well in this story. I thought that I would have a little more difficulty wrapping my mind around Aurora being the half sister to Jonathan’s deceased wife, however, the author did an excellent job in tackling this topic.

I know that many of the reviews for this book will talk about Jonathan being Daddy King and how much they have been anticipating his story. If you are familiar with this author’s Royal Elite series, then you will recognize Jonathan as Aiden’s father and Levi’s uncle and you will not be disappointed in Jonathan’s’ Reign of a King. Now I recognize that not everyone is a big fan of the high school bully romance trope so if you haven’t read the Royal Elite series, no worries as I truly believe this duet can be read as a standalone. But, it is a DUET which means Reign of a King does end in a cliffhanger and fortunately book 2 will be out soon! I voluntarily read an early version of this book. All thoughts are my own.