Queen Move

When I found out KR was writing this book I had so many theories going around in my head about how Kimbas story would play out. This NEVER crossed my mind. I don’t really know what I was expecting but this wasn’t it. I was thinking this was gonna be as politically charged as the Kings Men duet, I was thinking that we could possibly have a triangle of some sort, the one thing I did know was that we were getting a second chance so to speak. I honestly am blown away by what I got in place of what I thought I was getting.

Can I say firstly that Kennedy Ryan wrote the most relevant books in our day and age with The King duet and now with this book. I asked myself several times while reading all three books “how does she do it? How can she write something so freakin hot and romantic while making it so relevant and fresh?” Then I answer myself (I don’t do that a lot so don’t be alarmed) “It’s because when you get down to the bare bones,it’s about love and love doesn’t see a color, a religion or which side of the isle you’re on”! YEP! That’s exactly how it’s done and I would gladly read anything and everything I could from her!

Kimba, what a woman. I could have a crush on her myself Even as a little girl she was so headstrong. She was raised in a loving, southern home in Atlanta GA where you went to church on Sunday and stayed all day in too scratchy dresses and then you came home and had big meal with your family, where time was spent cleaning house, playing with siblings, listening to music and dancing with her mama and daddy. Her daddy was her everything, until Ezra Stern moves in across the street.

Ezra, as a boy you couldn’t help but feel sorry for him. No, not because he was a biracial Jew, but because he had no idea where his place was in this world. Ezra was raised in a home the complete opposite as Kimba. His father was a black self proclaimed atheist and his mother a white Jewish woman from New York. The family dynamics were completely different yet the amount of love they both got from their parents was equally as character building.

Ezra and Kimba meet when they are 9moths old in the bathtub. They were born on the same day and they were truly soulmates. This book takes us on an unexpected journey that moved my heart. They were the best of friends for 13 years of their lives and then things happen and they lost touch for two decades. The elemental bond between them was an invisible thread that kept them connected through space and time. The Epilogue made me have soooo many tears! It summed up what the book was about.

I absolutely ADORED all the “Southernisms” in this book! So many things that I say myself that you don’t hear many folks utter I loved the collard greens and fried chicken and bbq that makes us southernit was fun and refreshing to read about things that happen in my own family!

Kennedy Ryan wrote a book about racism, oppression, politics, a woman being betrayed by her body, women finding their place in what’s deemed “a mans world”, what it’s like to have a “messy love” and making big waves. She also wrote about what a diverse world we live in but how it can be done with peace and harmony beyond our differences. How we should come together because of what binds us…that thread that holds us together which is LOVE!

As a woman from the South myself, Mississippi, actually, I see racism everyday, what it’s like to be on one side of the isle while your friends are on the other, how religious beliefs cause problems within families and relationships. I have always prided myself in seeing more than what is on the outside or what church you attend or who you voted for. I always try to look at someone’s heart. The bottom line is we are different but we should all be treated the same, it shouldn’t matter how we wear our hair, if we are man or woman, if we are Catholic or Jewish! I believe that KR did a beautiful job in getting this across in the pages of this book.
This was about diversity and finding the common bond, it was about soulmates and love and blended families and sacrifices.

I urge everyone to read the Kings Men Duet as well as this book. They are truly some of the best books I’ve ever read. And if you’re looking for some steamy sexy times…you will find it here!! So much more than romance man….so much more!

Angst
Cheating not really READ THE BOOK!
Sexy Time
Epilogue
Plot

I was given the opportunity to read an early copy of this book.

Childhood best friends…. meet again!! After years apart Kimba and Ezra reconnect. Their feelings haven’t changed but life is so different for the both of them. How they get to happily ever after is another beautiful story by Kennedy Ryan.

Kimba is a strong woman. She’s got a powerful job in a man’s world and does it well. Ezra is this amazing man with a beautiful soul. And his heart has always been Kimba’s.
Their journey takes time, it isn’t rushed, they deal with real issues and at the end… my heart was whole.

Kennedy Ryans’s writing is amazing and powerful and real!

From the uniquely talented author of Hoops series, comes yet another remarkable story that makes you feel deep and think hard! The profoundly evocative story has left me speechless!!
From spellbinding narration to the depth of sentiments, this eye-opening tale of microaggressions and discriminationary practices that POC or bi-racial people, like myself, have to face on a daily basis, who have to struggle twice as hard to prove themselves of being deserving, is hard hitting to say the least.. If we still have to talk /write about it in this day and age, then we have made zero progress in last few decades. This endeavor has been ably undertaken by our wonderful authors of diverse ethnicities recently.
“Simply being myself is an act of resistance.”
In present world of indie Booklandia, Kennedy is definitely a Queen to be reckoned with. Writer of prolific & purposeful prose, she spotlights the social stigma and struggles POC in general, and women in particular, face everyday.
“Neither of my parents really know what it’s like to live here as me. To look around and see no one who looks like you. To live with the stares and questions about “what I am.” To feel like a puzzle, pieces hidden and scattered, and always trying to find and fit all my parts together. To see myself not as half this or bi-that, but whole.”
Her character sketching is vividly colorful with rainbow of emotions, placing a lot of value In the people she creates, she makes them humane and human. Her own personal warmth seeps into every story she writes and the result is a turbulent love saga beginning at the onset of childhood.
Kimba Allen and Ezra Stern’s ill-fated love starts with tin can tab.
The nice Jewish boy with African Violet eyes is a shy introvert of a boy. Live wire Kimba soon turns him into a Kimba-vert
I admired Kimba, aspired to have her clearheadedness and quiet strength. A natural born leader and problem solver, she’s mesmerizing to watch grow up and blossom into a beautiful butterfly with wings of steel
It gathers intensity and fervour as it progresses. I got to be there when they became neighbours, professed and Playacted at age 6, promised a Pact when they parted…..waited endlessly for two decades till they dealt with their lives, always feeling hollow and missing a piece of their souls. I cheered when the reacquainted and begged fate to give them a break.
I was RIGHT THERE through it all!! Kennedy adds a special flavour of Forbidden that gives it a kick, an extra spice of angst
“There’s something delicious about the tension of the forbidden, how you dance around its edges, like caressing a trip wire.”
Kennedy never let’s one slide or give them a get out of jail free pass. Nope, they don’t collect 250$ when the pass Go…they pay for every small smile, every bit of happiness with their tears and pain. They have to snatch their HEA from the clingy hands of cruel fate…and that’s what it makes it all worthwhile
The horrible mess this LOVE is, it should be totally worth it to clean up, no matter how long it takes!!
I could wax poetic for however long it takes to convince you guys to grab this book when it releases.
Kennedy has definitely pulled a Queen Move with this one!!
Such active and diligent writing deserves ALL the accolades, ALL the stars in the universe.
All the stars for Hazak, Hazak,Venithazek

A Pact For A Lifetime
Kennedy Ryan brings us a strong heroine and a love for the ages. A childhood friends to lovers romance with all the drama and a whole heap of soul searing love that will keep you captivated until the very last page.

We met Kimba in All The King’s Men Duet and I could not wait for her story. She is a self-assured, strong independent woman that makes no apologies for her fierce pursuit of her dreams. I absolutely envied her drive and dedication. Her dreams did not come without sacrifice, however she wanted it all and was not going to settle for less.

Ezra was her best friend. They literally knew each other since they were in diapers. Best friends bonded through life experience, mutual respect and a love that would transcend time and distance. He was a good, hard working man. A great father, dedicated to both his work and his son.
They fell in love as kids and at thirteen their friendship became more. However, life took an unexpected turn and Ezra’s family packs up and leaves abruptly and she never sees him again. Heart-wrenching, yet what was torn apart was meant to be together.

Years later they cross paths and now it is their time to grab their future together. Their connection is other-worldly, their love never waned. The pull between them cannot be denied, but just when happily ever after is within their reach, the past and the present tears them apart. Kimba and Ezra have their own challenges to work through, so their love will be tested.

I am a big fan of childhood friends to lovers romance. This one stole my heart, tore it up and ravaged it a bit. I can always count on this author to bring me on an emotional journey with a poignant story, wonderful characters and relevant social issues. This heroine was beautiful, successful, strong and a total bada$$. She went after whatever she wanted, took a step back when she knew it was the right thing to do, sacrificed for the greater good and was an amazing woman. Kennedy never fails to give us heroines that can stand on their own, but also a man that gives her what she needs and will stand by her side and cheer her on. A story so beautifully written, with words that are stamped on my heart. Loved it!

Queen Move is a book that had me glued to the pages, had me in knots and gave me all the feels.
Set in the same world like the Kingsmaker Duet, Queen Move can easily be read as a stand-alone. For best reading experience, and yes – there are cross-overs, I recommend to read the books in order.
QM is an intense read, deals with sensitive subjects and let me fall in insta-love with the characters.
Kimba is a strong heroine, but her time’s running out, tik tok. Sorry not sorry, no spoilers here.
Ezra is a good man, he knows Kimba since childhood, they were friends and neighbors, the shy boy and the girl in her teenage awkwardness.
Now, many years later both are build a life for themselves, but it takes one meet and everything comes back for them, only he’s in a relationship and she, sorry still no spoilers.
No other book by Kennedy Ryan had me in knots like Queen Move. I started reading and was hooked from chapter one. I loved to connect with Kimba and Ezra, til maybe 80% in then came my what???? shriek moment and I couldn’t believe what I was reading, still no spoilers.
So here’s the recap, I loved the storyline and the writing is exquisity, like always with a Kennedy Ryan book – Grip will be my favorite read for ever and ever – , Queen Move gave me all the feels and at one point I wanted to throw my kindle and wail and not in a good way, so Kimba and Ezra get 4,25 stars.

Kennedy Ryan is one of that author I would gladly say yes to every single one of her books without reading any blurb. When she announced a new second chance romance, I just jump and say yes!
And to learn later on it’s Kimba’s story, it’s just sweeten the pie

If you’ve read The King Maker duet, you’ve meet Kimba as Lennix’s best friend and partner.

Kimba is smart, independent, fearless, sexy, strong. Simply, she’s a Queen.
But in Queen Move, I see a different side of her.

As a daughter. A sister. A lover. A woman really with her vulnerability yet still strong in a woman’s way.

Queen Kimba is a Queen in her own right and I fall madly in love with her

For Ezra… The boy he was makes my heart clenched. The way Kennedy write him, his struggle on finding him self, his pain and fear, his young yet so big of soul… The way Kennedy write just makes me feel so much and I was just start reading this book!

Their childhood friendship were sweet in their innocent.
Their second chance are…ohmy I hard to put this in words for the feel between them, the pull Kennedy describe is so strong. You can feel the vibration through the words!
A simple look. A touch. A caress. A breath. I have never feel that kind of sexy in a book, it leave me with goosebumps !

Their love story is magic.
It’s not simple.
It’s not easy.
But the way they overcome the hardships, are simply empowering

“His eyes are shockingly vivid – so deep a blue they’re almost the color of African violets against skin like bronze bathed in sunlight. No, a man like him you’d never forget.”

Where do I even begin?! It’s no secret that Kennedy is one of my all time favs! Her writing is simply everything. She writes these gorgeous stories that leave you breathless. Her words always hit me hard and leave me reeling for more. Kennedy’s words always impact me and make me think about problems in our word, that I never think about in the way she writes them.

“He glances up from the board, his eyes tracing my face in that deliberate way of his. “The queen is the most powerful piece.”

Kennedy has a deep understanding on how to combine real world problems in a fictional story, with the hottest characters. I went into Queen Move, so excited to have more words from one of my favorite authors and gah, let me say…this story is set to Kill. You. With. Feels.

“It’s a compulsion. It’s a high. After all these years, she’s here. And I can’t get my fill. All these people – I wish they’d disappear and I could have her to myself.”

Ezra and Kimba are two characters that will take your breath away. I know they did mine. They grew up together, the best of friends. They were inseparable and even shared their first kiss with each other. But when they get torn apart suddenly their lives are turned upside down. But now twenty years later, they bump into each other and neither of them can forget the other.

“She’s my air and her heartbeat a talking drum, telling our story through the walls of our chests.”

How much they look alike but also different. Ezra isn’t the scrawny little boy that she once knew and Kimba is definitely killing it in her line of work. But they say you new forget your first love and these two are fire. Though so much time has pasts, secrets have been kept, and more lives are at stake than just their own. But can these two figure out how to be friends again or possibly more and keep the promise that they kept when they were six?

“There’s nothing like the touch of someone who wants you as much as you want them.”

You guys…i can’t express enough how gorgeous this read is. Kimba and Ezra are totally going down as two of my all time favorite characters and I already can’t wait to do a re-read. Queen Move is a moving, awe-inspiring, thought provoking book and you must read.

When you read a Kennedy Ryan book be prepared to work for it.
Be prepared to learn and be schooled on different issues and ethnicities.
Be prepared to have a woman that is an independent queen and knows her worth.
Be prepared to have a man that knows his place and will sweep you right off your MFing feet.
Be prepared for a writer that takes risks and succeeds.
When you read Kennedy Ryan, YOU will feel it all and the journey will be worth it in the end.

Queen Move is a real and messy romance that I absolutely loved and devoured. Part One really focuses on the history of our two main characters, Kimba and Ezra. These two characters came from different backgrounds, but they were as much a part of each other as a limb. They grew up next door from each other and their lives were so intertwined by their parents and simply by their ages. They were the best of friends that always supported one another through everything during the awkward childhood years. They had a love for one another that no one could ever explain. So when 20 years pass since they last see each other and they are in seemingly different places in their lives, it’s no surprise their childhood connection is still there, strong as ever.

It feels like we were this one thing that was severed in half, and our parts want to be rejoined.

I want to go on and on and tell you about everything in the story. The journey Kimba takes from getting out from under her family’s name to being one of the most powerful women in politics. To making hard choices for her as a woman and for her family. She is what you want to write about when you want to write a strong and powerful, yet beautiful woman that isn’t perfect. I want to tell you about Ezra and his quiet dominance he had even as a child. How that changed and prepared him for the man he became. These two are people of their word. They don’t make rash decisions and they don’t just throw themselves into battle without a plan. But plans and rules are made to be broken. And someone surely will get hurt.

“Love is not a tidy thing, Kimba. It can’t ever be perfect because none of us are. Someone at some point will make a mess. The test of that love is how you clean it up.”

This story is raw perfection. It’s well told and the pacing is just right. We get the history of Ezra and Kimba and we see them as they are now and how they are dealing with what life has thrown at them. Is it always pretty? No. Are the choices always black and white? No. But their chemistry scorches the pages. Even when they aren’t in the same room, you could feel their thoughts and emotions jump off the page. Their inner monologue really affected me. It buried itself deep in my head and really grasped on. I think I would’ve been able to feel their connection even if they hadn’t even spoken one word to one another. That’s how palatable their thoughts were. They are beautiful, raw and inspiring and I absolutely Loved their journey, even during the messes and the tears.

With Queen Move you not only get a well written romance book with strong characters, but you’ll get a book that will enlighten and inspire you. The strength and determination of the characters are at the forefront and I couldn’t have asked for more. Even the supporting characters were perfectly placed and a good transition into the storyline. Family, love, complications….it’s all there and it all makes for a book that will definitely stick with you. Go experience it for yourself. You won’t be disappointed.

“We are made of choices and losses and triumphs and, yes, some happenstance. Ezra and I were made for this moment, made for each other exactly as we are now.”

4- 4.5 stars

This is Kimba’s book, Who we’ve already met in her best friend and business partner Lennix’s books (All the King’s Men Duet) but Queen Move can be read as a standalone.

Kimba ‘Tru’ Allen, is a campaign manager and political adviser, that got their current president elected.

Ezra Stern founded and runs a private school for middle-to-low income/at risk students.

Kimba and Erza were best friends, got ‘married’ when they were six years old. They had been together since they were babies, had a great bond and knew each other like the back of your own hand. I mean they even share the same birthday. They were adorable as children and then teenagers. They were sweet and in the blushes of their first crush/love. Everything changes of course when their parents have a fight and suddenly Erza and his families gone. Now, its years later and Ezra and Kimba are back in each other’s orbit and their connection to each other is strong as ever along with their heightened attraction to each other.

“I’d discovered this beautiful butterfly when she was a caterpillar and she had been completely mine. Now the whole world marveled at the spread of her wings, basked in her vibrant color. Now everyone knew how fantastic she was and she’d never be just mine again.” ~Ezra Stern

Not gonna lie I was a bit worried about the blurb and because of it Ezra/Kimba but it was all good. He’s a good man, sweet, really loved Kimba with all his heart and was a great father to his son. Kimba is well Kimba, intelligent, badass, strong, beautiful, a touch vulnerable currently with whats going on. Easily understandable why any man would fall in love with her.

“You set me on fire inside, Ezra Stern.” ~Kimba Allen

I loved them together, there was just something so special about their relationship and connection. They click on every level, the addition of their explosive chemistry and unable to resist each otherness they exhibited, I was sold on them instantly.

I do know if soul mates are real, Kimba is mine. I believe that if people are “created”, we were made together. ~Ezra Stern, internal monologue.

Dear and rare and precious and mine. ~Kimba Allen, internal monologue.

This book is just very easy to get lost into, the intensity, how the writing and the story flows is captivating. It’s also sweet, romantic and funny along with some dramaaa and messiness.

Quibbles: Me when things were going a little too well, I knew something was gonna happen even then when it did, it felt like such kick to my heart. Honestly the Aiko thing to me felt unnecessary, the conflict could have easily been the even more of escalation of the family issues or the fact that Kimba had a campaign coming etc. The whole Aiko business felt cruel to me for Kimba. I guess its more of a reflection of because I really liked Kimba so it felt particularly hurtful, which made my enjoyment of the book go slightly down. It’s still a wonderful book! People who love angst/drama though would probably really love the twist.

Kennedy Ryan does a great job touching on different tough/very real-life subjects throughout the book, very different but all have a very big impact on individual’s life. Along with the addition of different cultures, religions and customs. It’s a very good representation of the world we live in and made it even more fantastic.

Overall, another great book by Kennedy Ryan with a second chance romance with childhood best friends trope done well and the signature beautiful writing, intriguing characters, angst and twists. Looking forward to MORE!!!

I felt this book, and the love story within it’s pages, down to my soul. This was such a beautiful, uniquely written story about childhood best friends/first loves, that find each other later in life. The feelings that were brought on by this story were so deep, I don’t want to move on from it yet.

This author is brilliant. How she gets me to fall in love with every new character she creates is beyond comprehension. Ezra and Kimba are two of the strongest characters I’ve read this year. To say I have a girl crush on Kimba and am enfatuated and in lust with Ezra is an understatement.

This is exactly the love story I wanted, needed, for Kimba. Everlasting love. Soulmates. Fated mates. Pure perfection. Their chemistry is to-die-for. It’s sizzling, thigh-clenching, making-me-give-my-husband-googly-eyes perfection.

Oh, but this story is so perfectly delivered. There are ups and downs, punches that you’ll be dodging left and right. Twists that you won’t see coming, and butterflies that will creep into your stomach out of nowhere. Why do I love this author? Because she delivers real, raw, grown-up love. It’s sexy beyond measure and brings so many feels that I’m still feeling is impact on my heart.