A mafia romance about love and loss by Rachel Van Dyken, the number one New York Times bestselling author of the Eagle Elite series.…When you awaken in the morning’s hushI am the swift uplifting rushOf quiet birds in circled flight.I am the soft stars that shine at night.Do not stand at my grave and cry;I am not there. I did not die.— Mary Elizabeth Fyre“I’m sorry for your loss.” I would rather … Fyre
“I’m sorry for your loss.” I would rather be tortured for an eternity than hear those damn words from one more person, as if Claire, my dead fiance, was a cell phone or car keys.
How about, I’m sorry your life is over.
I’m sorry you want to die too.
I’m sorry you see her in your dreams and wake up only to relive the nightmare.
I’m supposed to be the strongest of them all. Ash Abandonato, ruler, assassin, made man, brother, friend—instead, I hurt everyone I touch in hopes that they’ll feel even a sliver of the pain that bears down on my shoulders.
I didn’t lose.
It was taken from me.
And it’s all her fault, Annie Smith.
I daydream about her death.
And then I close my eyes, and I see her soft smile. I feel her touch, her kiss—it was a mistake what we did that night, but I can’t take it back, and now she’s under my father’s protection—my protection.
My worst enemy.
The woman I’m the most attracted to.
I can’t decide if I want to strangle her or kiss her, and now that she’s stuck in my life, my only goal is to make her feel the same loss I do and destroy her in the process.
I’ll trick her with my touch.
Seduce her with my kiss.
And in the end, when my enemy is at her most vulnerable—I’ll bring down an entire Empire and continue my reign as King.
Bow down, I’ll say as I bring the Five Families to their knees.
Blood in.
Never out.
Damned.
more
I have been trying for days to come up with a way to write this review without messing things for readers who have yet to read the book. Spoiling Asher Abandonato’s story would be a travesty, given that it’s one that needs to be experienced first-hand. This is also the point where I need to gently suggest the series be read in order. Yes, yes, I know about standalones and all that jazz, but this spin-off mafia romance series, like its parent series, Eagle Elite, is a saga. To give it the justice it deserves, I implore you to start with Royal Bully and work your way to Destructive King. I promise, it’ll be so worth your time.
What I’m about to say is probably not going to make sense, but I just need to put it out there: I had a feeling. Yep, I’m leaving it at that. I seriously loved the direction Rachel Van Dyken took Ash’s story. It was raw and gritty, and goodness, the guy truly lived up to the title she gave him as a destructive king. And Annie? Well, there was so much more to her than meets the eye. These two were a joint force to be reckoned with, and with everything they went through, they proved that there was nothing they could not withstand as long as they were together. Gasp and swoon. Five stars for Destructive King.
Rachel has yet again knocked my socks off with a book. Destructive King was everything I wanted it to be and more. I devoured it in one sitting and could not put it down! After reading the other books in the Mafia Royals series you have a strong sense of who Ash is and what we get in Destructive King is a very broken, lost man whose anger is driven by grief. After the moment between Ash and Annie at the end of Scandalous Prince I was dying to read their story and I could not be happier with how it turned out.
Annie was a fantastic heroine, unassuming but fierce under her meek demeanour. Once she gets that push to come into her own with some help from Chase, she flourishes and I loved reading the progression of her character. The chemistry between Ash and Annie was all consuming, the fire, the passion, the animosity but the undeniable raw connection between them runs throughout the whole novel.
Destructive King was full on angsty push and pull, a story of grief, love and loyalty. Rachel is masterful with how she writes the characters that form the Cosa Nostra, the sense of family is undeniable. Some of my favourite scenes are the family dinners and the interaction between all the cousins. The ease in which her writing flows is a pleasure to read and the individuality she has created for each character considering the number of secondary characters in the series is impressive. The chapters from Chase were the perfect sectional point of view to add another layer to Ash and Annie’s story, leading the reader to prepare for the twists and turns that come their way.
I really can’t say enough great things about this novel, I loved every word from start to finish. There wasn’t anything missing for me, it was the perfect heart breaking romance between two lost and desolately lonely souls, that need each other to venture back to the light again. Did it play out how I expected, no. Did it make my heart hurt, yes. Did I see the plot twists coming, heck no! I just find this Mafia world so immersive it holds an addictive quality I don’t come across often and I read a lot of books!. Destructive King deserves every one of my 5 stars “Until the Stars Fall”.
5++++++++ Stars
RVD writes mafia romance like no one else. Just when I thinks he can’t surprise me, break me or get any more created – she delivers another smashing story.
I had been vying for Ash’s story since the start of this series. He is an alpha asshole but has to be to protect his family.
Annie was there when Ash lost Claire. She was there when he needed to get lost in his grief. And then she was gone only to return slightly different, yet still the same.
Rachel wove a story that is not only intense and packed with so much emotion, but the twists and turns along with powerful action scenes just put her mafia stories on another level. My heart was pounding the entire time I read this book and for so many different reasons.
I won’t go into details because there’s too much to easily give away even the smallest of spoilers. But I will tell you this: It is impassioned and fierce.
This is not a sweet romance. RVD takes your heart, annihilates it, lights in on fire, and then slowly pieces the jagged edges back together in the most healing way possible. Your soul will forever be twisted after reading Destructive King. And you will love RVD (and Ash) for it.
Wow. I am surprised I have words for this book. It was raw, angry, and passionate. Full of grief, hope, and spurts of happiness. It was more than what I expected, in the most amazing way. You may have seen Annie as meek and mild, but this book will change your mind. I loved every bit of this rollercoaster. It caused my heart and mind to whiplash to the point where you’ll than Mrs. Van Dyken for her brilliance.
It’s no secret I’ve been a fan of Rachel Van Dyken for quite some time. She literally tops my list of 1-click authors right under Nora Roberts! When you are an avid reader, every once in a while, you are lucky enough to find someone who writes what resonates with you, and as I’ve said before, I hit the jackpot when I stumbled upon my first RVD book about six years ago. I’ve pretty much devoured everything she’s ever written since then.
NICUnurse’s Rating: Destructive King is the third book in her Mafia Royals series. Each one is written as a stand-alone title. But let me just say this here…her mafia books are my addiction. If you want a massive binge read, start with the Eagle Elite series and move right into the Mafia Royals series. You do NOT have to read all of the EE series to enjoy Destructive King. There are just enough backstory tidbits in the book that won’t leave you wondering what happened prior to this book or who all of the other characters are. In some ways, I think the story would be even more powerful if you’ve never read any of the other books in either series. Fair warning: don’t start this book until you have plenty of time to read because you will not want to put it down!
If I had to pick just one theme to sum up Destructive King, it’s grief. That journey is so intensely personal that we all react differently to it. It’s agonizing, but coming out on the other side can be so very beautiful. Destructive King is a gritty, emotional, heartwrenching depiction of that journey for our wounded hero, Ash, and our utterly broken heroine, Annie. However, in true RVD style, there are some major plot twists to Ash and Annie’s journey that will have your jaw dropping, eyes bugging out, possibly cursing, and maybe even wanting to throw the book/iPad/Kindle/Nook across the room (but unless it’s a book, please don’t do that!). Also, in true RVD style (and why I love her mafia books so much) are those humorous moments scattered throughout the heavy moments. A little bit of comic relief, if you will, to allow us to take a deep breath, gather our emotions, and power on. And powering on through the heavy is so worth it.
There is a reason why RVD’s mafia books are my addiction, and Destructive King is yet another excellent example of why. From the moment you begin reading, they pull you in, keep you guessing, and never really let you go…not even when they are over. Needless to say, Rachel Van Dyken has another winner in this story.
I give Destructive King by Rachel Van Dyken 5 out of 5 stars!
How can a writer make their reader laugh while reading a scene about people routinely stabbing or shooting each other during dinner? To the point that all weapons must be confiscated, like cell phones, at the door? Rachel van Dyken does just that in this novel. The next generation is shaping up to be even more ruthless than their parents were. Twists and turns, gasps and reaching for the glass of whisky. Trust me, you’ll need it.
I enjoyed the chapters where we got a look into Chase’s mind. He’s always been a character that I loved reading his POV, and with the twists and turns it helped ground the storyline.
Ash has had a rollercoaster of a few years, wearing the crown isn’t always what it is cracked up to be. Alice has a hidden past that no one knows about, only that she is under their protection and seems to have a future as a librarian. No one would have ever shipped these two together.
“She’d always been gorgeous. Bu so damn pure that it was impossible not to hate her. We always hated what we couldn’t have. And she had peace. I was a son of war. The tow would never…could never meet.”
So, when does the next one come out? Already planning my day off!
Annie is absolutely AMAZING. Ash is a complex and interesting character. This was a good story, which led to some reveals that were not surprising (the story led to them from the start). One was heartbreaking while the other just reinforced how I felt about another character from previous books.
I loved this book! The ending was a complete surprise! Ash is my new book boyfriend, but I say that every time I finish a book. Top notch!
Yasssss! What a way to end 2020!! I read Destructive King in one sitting! You guys will not want to put it down. Rachel captivated me with her twisted mafia queen brain!! I love this mafia world & all the characters she has created<3 Even when she makes yell WTF?! Lol
Ash is such a bada$$. Once he puts his ghosts to bed;) He knows how to handle himself & the other families and their deceit. He is a born protector and it shows in his actions. It takes him a while to realize his feelings for Annie but his actions always show his heart.
‘We made zero sense. I’d thought. And now I realized. We were the only thing that did make sense in this cruel world. Fallen King and his Orphan Queen.’—I love this! In a messed up world soulmates will always find their way to each other...even in the mafia:)
#rvdelitereviewteam
When diving into the world of hot Mafia men and there woman theres one thing you can bank on when it comes to Rachel Van Dyken’s stories is that you will love,hate,laugh, and cry while you read her stories. So make sure you have a glass of your favorite adult beverage, a box of tissues, and a case around your reading device so that it doesn’t get ruined when the throwing starts!
We learn more about Annie’s past in this book and instantly the mother in me wanted to shield her from the pain and heartache. It also takes a strong woman to go through what she went through as well as what Ash put her through. You can’t help but route for Annie to finally have her happy ending.
Ash is still greaving the loss of Claire and is headed down a dark path and no matter how hard his family and friends try to bring him back it only seems to make things worse. Annie trys to reach Ash and help him heal and show him the love he desperately needs. But can Ash put all the anger, pain, and resentment aside to heal and start his life over?
There is nothing like getting lost in Rachel’s mafia world it is truly riveting!! If I could give Destructive King more than 5 stars I would. It was heart wrenching and heart warming all in one! Ash and Annie both grieving the loss of the loved one and friend Claire, even though dealing with her own grief Annie tries to help Ash. I absolutely love Ash and Annie and seeing the rest of the Mafia Family I have come to love. I loved Ash nickname for his dad chase 🙂 There was so much tension throughout, but yet the next minute I was literally laughing out loud. It was truly gripping I could not put it down. It has been a while a book has captured me so hard and left me feeling SO much! And Oh my gosh this had an ending I never saw coming. You definitely want to read Destructive King! You won’t be sorry you did! But be warned you will be left with a major book hangover! Blood In, No Out!
With each new story, Rachel Van Dyken is taking mafia romance to new and unparalleled level of perfection. Destructive King destroyed my heart and rebuilt with lethal brilliance. Angsty. Soul shattering. Heart stopping. Jaw dropping. Sensational. And going stright into my top 2021 list!
Ash Abandonato is broken. Ruined. He lost his love and now he is on the path of demolishing himself and his family. But he is the king and his mafia family needs him. Annie Smith is the girl he hates with intensity of a thousand suns but also the girl who has a terrifying claim on him. Annie has given everything to the person she loves even when that person only tortured her. This is their messy and epic love story.
First of all, the plot and storyline and the character arcs. MINDBLOWING PERFECTION. Just completely blinding beauty. Insane intricacies. Flawless execution. It was definitely a difficult task to give Ash his HEA with someone deserving while all of us were dying over his lost love.
Second, lets talk about the feelings. Yes feelings. In every page, the author squeezed my heart, slashed my heart, broke it into pieces and I just wanted all the torture to go on and on. I begged for it. At the same time the story delivered the dark, violent, volatile and ruthless feels of mafia romance in spades.
Third, the characters. I have no words. Just no words. Ash is such a terrifying and fascinating contradiction of soft and hard. On one side, he is the smiling devil. The smirking monster with blood lust, maniacal coldness and dominant extraordinaire. On the other side, he is the man who loves most fiercely, protects most loyally and feels most deeply. Annie was the light to his darkness. She has own demons, own battles, own scars and own pain. But this sassy and fierce and strong girl has the power to embrace Ash. To calm his storm and to claim his darkness. It was explosive. Messed up. And perfect. So perfect.
Keep all your expectations and preconceptions about mafia romance outside while entering the world of Destructive King by Rachel Van Dyken. She is going to smash all your ideas and crush whatever you think you know. Be ready to be Dykenised.
I reviewed an early copy voluntarily
How does she do it again??? Every time I pick up a book in the Elite world I end up blown away and feel like it is the best book Rachel Van Dyken has ever written. Well folks, it happened again!!!
I could not put this book down. Emotions will run high during this read.
I love the way that Rachel van Dyken is able to create such a detailed world within each single book but still bring elements you loved from the prior stories in. The characters you will forever have etched in your heart.
Blood in, no out.
““…you don’t want the gentleman…” “You want the sinner.””
Good Lord Rachel….you continue to amaze me with your words. While you are ripping our hearts out you are giving us everything we hoped for and more…always more!
Secrets. Rage. Cruelty. Void. Lies. Forgiveness. Persecutor. Protector. Monster. Bully. Mine. Love. War. Battle. Dinner. Saint.
“All that was left of me. Were the pieces nobody wanted. And the ones I desperately needed someone to put back together because I no longer knew how to do it on my own.”
How do you compete and be seen against a ghost? How do you keep someone from following the ghost to their resting place? How do you bring them back to life when they are just existing and roaming like the living dead? How do you trust that they see YOU if you actually accomplish your wishes?
“Death is not the greatest loss in life. The greatest loss is what dies inside us, while we live.”
Hero and Villain
Emotionally battered but showered with love, this mafia romance is EVERYTHING! My favorite assassin gets his second chance at soul searing love. Tear out your heart, stomp on it, put it back together and repeat. His love isn’t pretty but it will consume you.
“Blood in, no out.” Once you are a part of the family, there is no escape. You’re either all in or you’re dead. And once your’re family, they will protect you with their lives.
Ash is still mourning the loss of Claire. When he lost her, he lost everything. He’s angry and detached from everyone. He’s just existing until Annie. She brings out the worst in him. He blames her for losing Claire and he’s determined to make her feel his pain.
Annie was brought into their fold. She’s now under their protection. She’s just trying to make a life for herself and survive Ash. He is not going to make it easy. She’s now his target and he will show no mercy.
The author will stoke the flames and the chemistry sizzles. Our possessive alpha will not disappoint. They ignite when they are together. The attraction is fierce but the mutual hate is just as strong. Their feelings are complicated and the secrets they keep will tear them apart. The twists abound and nothing is as it seems. Get ready for the chaos because whenever the mafia families are together things are gonna get crazy!
OMG!! This book will gut you, put you back together, gut you some more and make you scream WTF!
But when you get a warning like this…
“grab some whiskey; it’s gonna get worse before it gets better…”
you know you’re in for one hell of a ride!
Buckle up, Sisters!
I don’t even have any words.
Ash and Annie will make you cry.
There is a back and forth with them, but there is a good reason.
And finally….Ash is back!
Annie is such a sweet girl, but she isn’t weak like most think. She is strong. We do get more on where she came from and who she really is.
“The only difference between the dark and the light is one small switch. The things in the dark still exist in the light, Annie. You just can’t see them-but believe me, they’re there.”
Blood in, no out!
Each book in this series by Rachel van Dyken get’s better and better. Rachel is a seriously talented writer who knows how to keep you on the edge of your seat as well as keep you reading her stories without any pause.
After the events in Scandalous Prince I couldn’t wait to see more of Ash and Annie. Ash is such a complex character and throughout all the books we see so many different sides of him that your heart aches for him during this book. His grief is so strong. You can feel his pain in every chapter. He lost the love of his life and his unborn child only to see her best friend day in day out who you feel is responsible for their death. His story is so tragic. So for me it wasn’t a surprise to see him go from happy to angry and grieving.
Annie is a great heroine. She is shy and unassuming but deep down she’s fierce and she understands how Ash’s world works. She’s his perfect match, even if he doesn’t see it. In the beginning I had so many mixed feelings about her. I thought she was a weak girl and definitely not perfect for Ash who’ll be the Boss of the mafia one day, but she proved me wrong throughout this book. She’s stronger than she looks, thanks to her past and Chase.
I always enjoy the family gatherings in these books. It is fun to see all the cousins interact with eachother aswell as the OG characters. The bond and loyalty in this family is a strong one. They would give their life for eachother.
Ash and Annies story is full of passion, angst and a push and pull you haven’t yet experienced in this series. Obviously there are also some twists and turns that you didn’t see coming but I honestly had a feeling that one of them was going to happen.
5
“Until the stars fall.”
The mafia Queen Rachel Van Dyken is back bringing us all of the laughs, heartbreak and plot twists!
Destructive King is book 4 in her Mafia Royals series, the next generation for all of you who have read her Eagle Elite series.
“Love is war. Get ready to battle.”
This is Asher and Annie’s book. After reading Royal Bully and the books that followed I knew that Ash was going to break me. He was grieving, lost and so broken. He didn’t know how to go on until Annie came into his life and he had someone who would finally fight back, stand up to him and fight for them both.
I wasn’t sure what to think about Annie in previous books but I’m so happy she was Asher’s heroine. She was the perfect amount of ballsy to stand up to the assassin while also being the perfect amount of soft to heal his shattered heart.
“She’d seen me as a hero. And I’d been nothing but the villain.”
As always I loved all of the side characters and the parents from Eagle Elite. Family dinners with them all are my favourite chapters to read. I mean who doesn’t pull a gun at the dinner table?
As always Rachel bought all of the bombs, twists and turns galore that you never see coming and have you gasping out loud.
If you’ve never read a mafia book by Rachel Van Dyken then please stop everything you are doing and go and read one. Whether it’s the Eagle Elite series or The Mafia Royals. You won’t be disappointed
Destructive King will break you, change you and make you fall in love with this couple because the chase is on. Ash and Annie have such an intensity and anger but it masks their pain and loss. They will surprise you because they have this magnetic chemistry that will
make you swoon! You need to read this book for the chapel, the necklace, the couch, Tank, the pearls, and the banter alone. I will never look at a pool or fruit snacks the same way again. This story has raw pain, but it also has so much beauty that will consume you. The twists, turns and secrets will blow your mind!!! Ash can find me and keep me any day!
Tracey, Life Reads With Friends
Blood in- not out. I’ve never felt that more strongly than with Destructive King. I barely made it past the prologue’s heading quote before I was already in tears. I’ve always loved RVD’s mafia books, but this story is the king of them all. All of the elements I love about an RVD story are here- the angsty, dark intensity we adore, but there’s a profound and deep humanity to this story that sets it apart, that makes Destructive King a story that pierces the heart more deeply than the ways Rachel has made us bleed before.
Those who’ve been ravenously following these characters have seen Ash before- his volatility, his cruelty, his destructive nature. He’s perhaps the character I’ve been most anxious to crack open- and RVDl does more than crack him open here. She destroys him, and in turn destroys us. A future king who has been destroyed- by his own anger, his grief, his guilt. Quite simply, Ash is devastating. RVD lets us sit in his misery, suffer alongside him, and hurt from his pain. And we hurt because someone else is suffering alongside him, the target for his anger- innocent Annie. Sweet orphaned Annie who moves him in ways he doesn’t understand or see- until potentially irreparable damage is done. We watch Ash not only self-destruct, but we watch him destroy Annie, too. And it is gutting.
RVD’s love stories are always angsty and messy- but this one is particularly turbulent. Grief does things to people. There is so much emotional trauma in their story- both past and present- and RVD really makes them suffer in their emotional stasis, in their toxic feelings. She makes them EARN it. But they know what they say about things that are hard fought- it makes it all the more worthy in the in. The reward is SO sweet here- because it is so hard earned. Because these two characters have to grow and change SO much- they not only have to confront their complicated history and feelings for each other or their own baggage. They have to confront the hardest enemy of all- their own flaws.
Ash is everything we wanted him to be and more. He’s a dark devil, but we also find his vulnerability here, even if that vulnerability is his own cruelty and his regret. We get so deep into his heart that we actually understand how Annie can love someone who treats her so viley- because we can’t help but hurt for him. His transformation from the broken heir into the rightful king is perhaps RVD’s greatest character arc to date. His story is visceral, emotive, explosive, and transformatively profound.
But his journey doesn’t outshine Annie’s- I love her contrast to our edgier mafia ladies. She’s soft and light- but that does not mean she’s weak. She feels- DEEPLY- and she’s emotional. And she bleeds out from the wounds Ash routinely inflicts. But she finds growth in her pain- exuding a quiet resilience and tender fortitude. She finds a way to exist in this world she was thrust into while still remaining who she is. She’s the most selfless and compassionate character in the series- its beating heart, so it is no wonder she beats new life into the destructive king.
Our story is chock full of the characters we love- and for a story that is so heavy and melancholy in places, we are treated to a surprising amount of humor- often in the form of Junior or Maksim. And, as usual, our narrative is equal parts emotional angst and mafia suspense. RVD has a uniquely immersive type of story telling- where you as the reader are just on the cusp of knowing- always wondering just what we missed, knowing we’re just outside of the truth. Destructive King is a pretty spectacular example of this- and when those revelations come, oh man, my heart might have stopped. Turbulent and complicated until the very last.
These stories are captivating, complex, intense, and unpredictable- the perfect combination to keep the pages turning. By far my favorite RVD book to date- I’m not sure how she’s going to top this!