From Wall Street Journal, USA Today Bestselling and RITA® Award-winning Author Kennedy Ryan, comes a captivating second chance romance like only she can deliver…..Book Riot Pick – Best Romances of 2020O Magazine – Best Romances of 2020All About Romance – Best Romance of 2020 (Reader Selection)The boy who always felt like mine is now the man I can’t have…Dig a little and you’ll find photos of … who always felt like mine is now the man I can’t have…
Dig a little and you’ll find photos of me in the bathtub with Ezra Stern.
Get your mind out of the gutter. We were six months old.
Pry and one of us might confess we saved our first kiss for each other. The most clumsy, wet, sloppy . . . spectacular thirty seconds of my adolescence.
Get into our business and you’ll see two families, closer than blood, torn apart in an instant.
Twenty years later, my “awkward duckling” best friend from childhood, the boy no one noticed, is a man no one can ignore.
Finer. Fiercer. Smarter.
Taken.
Tell me it’s wrong.
Tell me the boy who always felt like mine is now the man I can’t have.
When we find each other again, everything stands in our way–secrets, lies, promises.
But we didn’t come this far to give up now.
And I know just the move to make if I want to make him mine.
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4.5
Another great one from Kennedy Ryan. One thing I’m glad is that this is not a duet, so I don’t have to wait impatiently for the second book, like Lennix and Maxim’s story.
Another love story that took two decades to finally come to realisation. You know it’s going to be packed full of love, passion, feels, emotions, and everything that comes with it. This, in my opinion, is not as heavy as All the King’s Men duet in terms of the drama. But for someone like Kimba who’s main focus has always been on the trail, relationship and love has always been a hard and heavy one. But everything just comes naturally once they Kimba and Ezra. However, Ezra’s taken. He has a son and a baby mama. How will it unfold between them?
Definite must read this one!
Queen Move by Kennedy Ryan left me speechless and it is one of my favorite books of 2020.
Queen Move is a second chance romance that began from childhood. Family drama, distance, moving on with others, and going after your dreams is what has kept these two characters apart for over two decades. Life went on and people came into their lives. Life presents them with a second chance for the love that was meant to be after living the life that has made them the people that they are today.
I had a girl crush on Kimba Allen in The Kingmaker and reading Queen Move had me falling in love with her. Kimba works hard in a man’s world and she strives to help lead political candidates to win the position that they are meant to hold. I love that Kimba knows what she wants and is strong on her beliefs but her judgment gets shaken when her other half/soulmate/first kiss comes back into her life. Kimba may not have realized that Ezra was her one true love or her second chance at happiness if she wasn’t willing to break the walls that she had built around herself.
Ezra Stern carried the memories of his childhood friend for decades, he has lived his life and served his community well. Ezra may look deliciously perfect and be a man women would love to marry. His home situation is complicated and is one that the reader should discover on their own. I love Ezra, I love his heart, dedication to those he loves and I love his passion. Damn, this character deserves the happiness that comes with taking a chance for true love.
I am a BIG Kennedy Ryan fan and I recommend that you read this book and any other book that she has written. Long Shot is still one of my all-time favorite reads. Ryan’s words are perfectly written and felt in her stories. I have lost many tears getting lost in one of her books.
5 Must Read Stars!
***I received an ebook copy from the author at no cost***
I won’t lie, the first thing that drew me to this book was the cover. Then the blurb sealed the deal for me.
This story is so. freaking. good. We have Kimba and Ezra, who were best friends as children. When they reached their teenage years they realized they liked each other as more than friends, but then Ezra’s family moved away and Kimba didn’t see or hear from him again. Fast forward to Kimba’s father’s funeral, where she comes face-to-face with Ezra for the first time in years. The attraction is still there and the feelings still run deep. It was clear to me then that these two were destined, written in the stars so to speak.
I really admire Ryan’s writing and how she was able to create such an amazing female lead for this book. I admittedly haven’t read many of her stories, but Kimba is incredible. She’s strong, fierce, and she owns every aspect of who she is. She’s intelligent and successful and she owns her flaws and uses them as springboards to become an even better person. I love a good book boyfriend but fierce heroines are even better in my opinion.
This story is beautifully written. I loved the connection between Kimba and Ezra. They truly are soulmates, and it was beautiful to get to see their paths cross again and the journey that followed for them. I adore second-chance romance stories, and friends-to-lovers stories, so this was right up my alley. I’m withholding a lot of details because I don’t want to give the plot away to anyone, but this is well-written, the characters are original and well-developed, and the writing is vidid and puts the reader into the pages.
Real-life issues find their place in the story as well, which made it even more of an enjoyable read for me. It’s clear that this author spends a lot of time researching and preparing to write the stories, and that she takes great care in honoring the different topics she covers. Even though this story contains a trope that’s written about a lot, the plot is unique and the author’s voice is as well.
If you’re looking for something new to check out, then grab Queen Move and start reading today!
Five stars to this novel!
This book was more than I expected. I loved the king duet so I wasn’t sure if it could get any better but this book was everything.
Kimba is my favorite character she’s fun she’s flirty she’s a whole lotta awesome. She lives her life to the fullest she works hard and plays harder. Who knew the party girl who likes sex and no relationship could have a second chance romance.
Ezra Stern was Kimbas best friend he was the yin to her yang. They did everything together. They could even read each other’s minds. They were perfect born on the same day friends from baby’s.
One night everything changed their whole world was out upside down. They never saw each other again. Who knew 20 years later that sizzling connection could be stronger and hotter than ever?
This book was so well written I could not put it down I didn’t want to go to bed I needed to know what happened so long ago to end everything? I needed to know if they had a fighting chance.
This is one of the best books I’ve read this year it fulfilled all my expectations of Kimba. First love is really the strongest and best love there is. Kennedy Ryan is an amazing author she sucks you in from page one till the end and your left wanting more. I need more of Kimba and Ezra. The way she writes a story has you thinking about it forever after you put it down. I have not read all of her books but I would have to say this is my favorite so far. This page turning story had me on the edge of my seat the whole way through. This is a must read for everyone!!
If “big moves make big waves,” Kennedy Ryan’s Queen Move is a tsunami of every kind of love forging toward us. It’s familial, friendship, geographical, self-love, and soul mates all disrupting the current of romance in the best way possible.
I’m overwhelmed, flooded with emotions experiencing her wordsmith trickery, taking twenty-six letters and turning them into magical prose and all-consuming, heart-wrenching ballads.
How she manages to tell the stories of two people whose fates are so real, so intertwined with such ease and down-to-earth relatability is why she is the reigning queen of romance in real life. I don’t just read her books, I feel them on the deepest level like I know those people, not characters. I feel for them. I root for them. Laugh, cry, hurt with them. This book is in and of itself a queen move by Ryan. With Ezra and Kimba’s story, she has raised the bar for love stories, heart stories. Anything less than this achingly beautiful serenade is not enough.
After The KingsMen duet, I was super excited to hear about Kimba’s story. Kennedy had written stories and voices from strong women perspectives. Queen Move was bold with the rich families value… the heritage culture.. women’s strength.
I love the relationships between Kimba and Ezra. Childhood friends.. bestfriends.. first crush.. one love..
It wasnt rush… The story had flown like a river. The struggle was real…Whats best for Kimba? She knows what she want with Political world but her love feelings for Ezra.
5 Queen Stars
Review by Lisa
Late Night Support Group
Up All Night With Books Blog
Queen Move by Kennedy Ryan is just that a queen move in her writing. What I absolutely love about reading Kennedy Ryan’s stories is the depth of them and Queen Move does not fail. There is so much heritage in this story that I felt all the feels that Kimba was going through. The depth and connections made is like I have never read before.
This story is of Kimba and Ezra, who we meet Kimba in the All the King’s Men duet and is Lennox’s best friend and business partner. You don’t need to read All The Kings Men duet to read Queen Move but it will be much more enjoyable if you do.
Kimba is at a point in her life where she needs to make life-changing decisions that can’t be taken lightly. But when she crosses path with the boy she grew up and then disappears for 20 years, her world is tipped upside down and washed around. Kimba and Ezra are at pivotal points in their lives. Still trying to reach that point of fulfillment. And even though their connection is chart stopping, life has other plans for them.
Ryan takes us back and forth from the past to the present and they are remarkable. The connections and chemistry that she builds throughout this story just flies off the pages. The depth of her words and history of cultures and weaving them together has produced one of my absolute favorite stories by her.
What can I say about this story but, it’s brilliantly written.
I love a good second chance romance, and Queen Move is good. I enjoyed that we meet Ezra and Kimba as children, and we get to see their special friendship grow into love. Over the course of their relationship they face and overcome many challenges. Their relationship showed that sometimes the best things are worth waiting for. One of the great things about Kennedy Ryan’s books is that she has strong woman that stand up for important issues. This story pulled me in from the prologue, and I didn’t want to put it down. I highly recommend Queen Move.
I love Kennedy Ryan’s strong and powerful women. Ryan’s gift in storytelling knows no bounds and Queen Move is perfection in every sense of the word. From the beautiful friendship that started as babies, to navigating the awkward teenage years, to reconnecting years down the road realizing that what once was has never changed. That soulmate friendship and love. This story will pull at your heartstrings, wanting this heroine who always puts others happiness first to get her happy. The love and connection they share emotional and all-consuming. No lie… I cried. It’s beautiful, it’s a must-read, and it’s something you’ll never forget.
When a new Ryan release is announced, I sit at the edge of my seat waiting to get my hands on her book and she has never let me down. I am in awe!
Firstly, let me tell you one thing, Queen Move by Kennedy Ryan is the sort of novel you just can’t stop talking about and want everyone you know to read… EVERYONE.
I gobbled it down… KR has an incredible intellectual nimbleness. Thanks to her attention to details and knowledge of the topics tackled, KR challenges us constantly and poses the question that lies within today’s society.
The ups and downs in the lives of Ezra and Kimba had me gripped from start to finish.
I was a mess at the prologue, I am not joking. That opening scene was so close to home and I knew that KR had set the tone for this story. When you read a KR book , it is not all about the romance but also about the roots and the heritage of the characters.
The story of Ezra and Kimba holds important messages about the lives and struggles they experienced right from their childhood but they are not shoehorned in for effect. I will not spoil it for you, but when I read the words Oreo and zebra, my heart broke into pieces.
Kimba is a heroine you can’t help rooting for. She is a fierce, driven and intelligent heroine and she showed her strength from a very young age, the way she protected her friend Ezra was everything… no wonder they got married at the age of 6!
I was completely swept up by their amazing story. I fell in love with the way the author completely told the tale and I willingly lost myself in all that was unfolding before my eyes. I devoured it all. I felt it all.
Every. Last. Word.
The story is so perfectly balanced, it’s angsty, beautiful, ugly, honest and completely raw. There is no sugar coating the pure emotion and the chemistry is off the scale. The first kiss was just pure perfection and again, I got emotional because the characters were so relatable. Whatever you feel from what you read, you will feel for a long time after the last page, completely and wholeheartedly. You want to know why?
EASY ANSWER, the best part of this book was the skillful way the author elicited emotion from the reader. I felt EVERYTHING alongside the main characters but also their parents and Aiko. All the pain and the heartache and the hurt.
The brilliance of KR’s writing is enhanced by the fact that her prose is extraordinarily efficient. Not a word is wasted. I was in agony at times reading it, wanting the two main characters to wake up and get it together. And then you realise this is the way normal people fumble through life. Making decisions that seem right but are not always the best ones… and how great it is to feel that involved with the story’s main characters.
When they both said goodbye that summer, I knew it and what kept me going was that KR sold me a fairy tale and I wanted to believe that they were going to get their HEA, I had to, even though the prologue threw a curve ball in the story. It is all about the PACT.
I loved the exact timing of the chapters too (e.g. Two years before Present etc)
I have not said much about the plot because I do not want spoil it.
If I had to summarise it , I would say “ The author has given us a spellbinding twenty-first-century love story, Unforgettable . . . as engrossing as it is moving”.
Reviewed for A Wanton Book Lover Blog
Queen Move was AMAZING! First of all-Kimba. Kimba was a kick-ass, take charge woman who was fierce, independent, and unafraid to go after what she wants, especially in the political world where men tend to dominate. She was everything! Kennedy did an amazing job bringing this character to life while at the same time making her likable and not a total bitch. And then there is Ezra. He was smart, caring, and sensitive. A man willing to step-up and take care of things when they needed to be taken care of and not resenting things in the process. I loved the the part of the book when the reader gets to see Kimba and Ezra growing-up together and what made their connection and friendship so strong. Even though Ezra wasn’t so sure about himself and lacked self-confidence as a little boy, you always knew where he stood with Kimba and he would go to the ends of the earth to protect her. Queen Move is everything-I cried, I laughed, I feel in love with Kimba and Ezra.Kennedy Ryan
Kennedy’s words are pure magic, they wrap around you like a warm blanket covering you in the complexity and prose that is singularly her, making you fall in love with every word she writes. Queen Move is beyond anything I could have expected, she blew the writing world apart with this beautifully written masterpiece.
“ , — .”—
I’m been dying for Kimba’s story ever since first meeting her in the All The Kings Men Duet. Kennedy always writes her heroines with this ferocity that makes you want to be more. They are strength personified and they always leave me with a sense that we can do and be anything we want! Kimba is without a doubt Queen, Kennedy wrote her with such realism that you feel as if you know her and you want to be apart of her life. She is so smart and determined nothing can stand in her way. But what I loved the most was when you saw her soft side, the parts that she kept hidden away so that she wouldn’t get hurt. It was those moments when I fell irrevocably in love with this character and everything she represents.
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Ezra is legit PERFECTION. This man with his violet eyes and wicked tongue will have you forgetting your own name. He is without a doubt a flawless match for Kimba. From the time they are children until the meet again, they have always been with each other even if it was just in memory. And it’s that connection that begs to break free when they come face to face again. The passion and intensity between them are palpable, every time they’re together you can feel it. It fills every room they are in growing and burning just waiting to burst free and incinerate everything in their path with the strength of it. I’m honestly surprised by Kindle didn’t burst into flames.
, ’ .
This story has you remembering the innocence of firsts, of childhood promises made with reckless abandon and the belief that things will always be this way. I loved watching Kimba and Ezra grow up together and the journey they took to become the people they are today. Kennedy made me believe in soulmates, everyone wants that soul deep all consuming once in a lifetime kind of love. The kind that makes your heart race and your soul ache. The kind that gives you not just butterfly’s but whole tidal waves that turn you inside out. That’s what Kimba and Ezra have, that kind of connection that makes you feel as if you were made just to love this person. Their story brought tears to my eyes and a deep ache to my soul, these two are absolute perfection and I am obsessed with their love!
. – , ..
Kennedy is always meticulous with her research and brings forth important issues that are relevant today and that wholeheartedly need to be addressed. I love that every time you get swept away into one of her stories it opens your eyes to prevalent matters in the world. Kennedy’s stories will hit you on a visceral level, you can’t help but have a physical reaction while reading. Her words are so poetic and intricate that you easily get lost to her words, so much so that you won’t want to come back. Kimba and Ezra are FLAWLESS, everything about them is real and natural, consuming the pages and leaving a permanent mark on your soul. Their journey wasn’t easy but it was them, and it was worth every second.
Voluntarily Reviewed an Advanced Complimentary Copy.
In typical form, Kennedy Ryan does it again! She has a way of telling a story while at the same time addressing relevant topics. At first, I was worried that Kimba’s story would lack the transition from The Rebel King, but Queen Move was so much more.
Queen Move, is a beautiful love story that like many of Ms. Ryan’s other stories a glimpse of what it feels like to have that all so elusive soulmate. I just wish we had more time to experience Ezra and Kimba’s love story.
Kennedy Ryan’s colorful writing allows readers to lose themselves in the pages. I am an avid listener/reader, but I couldn’t wait for the Audible version. However, you can best believe I will purchase the audio and read/listen to this book again.
Ms. Ryan, I await the bonus epilogues and your next book! You are definitely an author to follow. You have a lifetime fan in me
Kennedy Ryan never disappoints; she is one of those authors you can feel the emotions with every word written. After meeting Kimba in The King Maker I was hoping we would get her story.
Kimba and Ezra were best friends from the time they were born until their teenage years. These two have a strong bond that’s unbreakable no matter how long it’s been since they’ve seen each other. Queen move is one of those books I will go back and read again. This book gives you all the feels with steam. I loved this book and highly recommend it!
Amazing emotional journey of two people who were just meant to be. Second chance for friends-to-lovers that have had to dealt with racial boundaries the society has set. If you’ve read All the King’s Men duet, then you’ve already met Kimba. I fell in love with her then! She is a total bad-ass powerful business woman who doesn’t shy away from putting people in their spot, especially men. She is a fighter in all aspects of her live. One of the best female characters out there, I’m not kidding. Ezra is a smart tough guy who you can count on to do the right thing. He was so sweet and kind and understanding! They grew up together, fell in love together until they were separated. Queen Move offers few flashbacks so that we understand the background of their relationship, but it’s mainly set in present. The story is pretty fast-paced, it’s full of great scenes and I especially enjoyed the dialogues. There’s a lots of romance, friendship and bit of a mystery. I was getting anxious towards the end because I only did not know how it would end. Kennedy is a genius!
Five stars!
It is official…Kennedy Ryan can do no wrong. The way she combines cultures and customs with life and love is unparalleled. I was consumed with Queen Move from the opening scene.
Kimba and Ezra’s journey may have started when they met as babies but it took a lifetime. I loved watching them grow. From childhood best friends. To the sweet innocence of experiencing ‘feelings’ for the first time. To reconnecting as adults.
Legacy. Prestige. Heritage. Tradition. Secrets. Doing whats right, not whats easy. Those are the driving forces behind everything both Ezra and Kimba do. Even at the detriment of their own happiness. Time and circumstance never seemed to be on their side and the longing made my chest ache.
I can’t adequately put into words how deeply Kennedy Ryan moved me with this book. Queen Move was unique and thought-provoking. There was angst and want. Secrets and challenges. And a timeless love that wouldn’t be denied. The road Kimba and Ezra take to finding love with one another, while messy was beautifully charted. And that ending was pure perfection.
Queen Move is quintessential Kennedy Ryan — a second chance romance that seamlessly combines important social issues with a scorching love story and an emotional plot.
Although this book is a standalone, readers of the All the King’s Men Duet will remember Kimba as Lennix’s best friend and business partner in their political consulting firm. I thought Kimba was a force to be reckoned with before, but this book just reinforces how fierce she is. She oozes self-confidence that is hard earned through sacrifice and a desire to prove herself. Her advocacy for marginalized people is admirable.
Ezra is a smart and compassionate man who has struggled to find his place in a world that is less than accepting of his biracial Jewish heritage. He has known Kimba since childhood and theirs is a complicated relationship. These characters have messy lives and conflicting emotions, and I was invested every step of the way.
Queen Move boasts an amalgam of cultures and I love how it embraces those differences. The story also proves that romances featuring older (late 30s) adults can be sexy. Kimba and Ezra bring a maturity to their relationship that simply is not as evident with couples in their early 20s. They click on a spiritual and intellectual level, but their physical connection is anything but tame. To say they are passionate would be an understatement!
*I received an early copy of this book to voluntarily read.*
I’ve wanted Kimba’s story since All the King’s Men Duet, and I’m ever so glad that Kennedy Ryan gave it to us with all her usual brilliance. It’s started out with Kimba & Ezra being babies together as their mom’s were best friends, so they grew up together, until Ezra’s family left, and it was a couple decades before she saw him again. I really had a hard emotional time with Ezra, because I thought he dropped the ball when it came to her, especially since he believed she was the one who got away. I found myself calling him names of the colorful metaphor variety more than once, and even when I got to a place that he grew on me, BAM! He set me off again, which still has me all kinds of emotional, not mention all my petty has come out. I seriously LOVED how Ms. Ryan gave us so many issues that women go through, with her talent at penning realistic situations that cease to be a story, but comes off like real life. So, now y’all are up, hit those one click buttons immediately, as you won’t go wrong with Queen Move. HIGHLY HIGHLY HIGHLY RECOMMEND TO ALL!
Kennedy Ryan’s words. My goodness!! I can’t get enough of her beautiful words.
Queen Move is everything I’d hoped it be. A childhood friends to lovers, second chance romance shrouded in secrets drama, and powerful stances, this is hands down one of my favorite reads of the year. I completely devoured this book!!
Kimba was already one of my favorite heroines even before reading Queen Move. Her strength and her sheer brilliance made it easy to root for even if some of her choices made me think. I love that we got to see a vulnerable side to her. Vulnerable but not weak. Kennedy Ryan doesn’t do weak heroines.
As I mentioned I already knew I would love Kimba but Ezra… oh yes!! I am gaga for him. Swoony, kind, strong and responsible, he is exactly the hero Kimba deserved. I especially loved the relationship he had with his son. Gah melt my heart why don’t you.
I have to say, the way this author takes on social issues – whether it be race, culture, gender or other important issues – with such sensitivity and dedication is awe inspiring and appreciated.
If you’re looking for an outstanding second chance, friends to lovers journey with a strong heroine and a swoony single dad, you need Queen Move in your life!! Kennedy Ryan never disappoints
Single Dad
Childhood Besties
Reunion romance
Second chance
Yes!!! to all of those things as only Kennedy Ryan can craft it.