The #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Black Dagger Brotherhood delivers the first novel in an enthralling new series set amid the shifting dynamics of a Southern family defined by wealth and privilege—and compromised by secrets, deceit, and scandal…. For generations, the Bradford family has worn the mantle of kings of the bourbon capital of the world. Their sustained wealth has … sustained wealth has afforded them prestige and privilege—as well as a hard-won division of class on their sprawling estate, Easterly. Upstairs, a dynasty that by all appearances plays by the rules of good fortune and good taste. Downstairs, the staff who work tirelessly to maintain the impeccable Bradford facade. And never the twain shall meet.
For Lizzie King, Easterly’s head gardener, crossing that divide nearly ruined her life. Falling in love with Tulane, the prodigal son of the bourbon dynasty, was nothing that she intended or wanted—and their bitter breakup only served to prove her instincts were right. Now, after two years of staying away, Tulane is finally coming home again, and he is bringing the past with him. No one will be left unmarked: not Tulane’s beautiful and ruthless wife; not his older brother, whose bitterness and bad blood know no bounds; and especially not the ironfisted Bradford patriarch, a man with few morals, fewer scruples, and many, many terrible secrets.
As family tensions—professional and intimately private—ignite, Easterly and all its inhabitants are thrown into the grips of an irrevocable transformation, and only the cunning will survive.
From the Hardcover edition.
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I could not put this book down. I wanted to see what happened with all the characters. They seemed so true. Descriptions were amazing – I felt like I was there. It does stand alone but there is a book 2 in the series, that I can’t wait to read.
J.R. Ward is my absolute favorite written when it comes to the Black Dagger Brotherhood series all of the elements are in this series.
With that being said, I did not find the same to be true of the Bourbon King. It’s not terrible, but it lacks the magic that makes a series standout from the rest.
I struggled through to the end, but I won’t be reading the rest in the series.
Bourbon Kings was very informative and enjoyable. Learned a lot about the bourbon business. Enjoyed how it and the horse business was tied together.
I *LOVE* the Black Dagger Brotherhood series. I figured this book would have J.R. Ward dialogue, etc. However, apart the far too often used “—annnnnd” it was nothing like the other books I’ve read. Also, this thing crawled along. It was predictable and boring and just took forever to get to the end. I found myself skimming to the action, of which there really wasn’t all that much. Maybe the second one will pick up a bit. She’s such a good writer, this was truly a surprise.
J R Ward is the absolute best author ever! I have read all of her books and her talent is amazing no matter what genre she chooses to wander in. Hard to put down her books once you start!
Loved this story and well written!
At first, I wasn’t sure I was enjoying the storyline. I kept on reading and the story got more interesting and there was some intrigue that had me going hmmm. I ended up really liking the book so if you start the book and are not sure, keep going, it gets much better and then you’re looking for the next book in the series.
Good book. Well written.
I am a huge fan of J.R. Ward’s series, “The Black Dagger Brotherhood”. Those book are very dark because they deal with vampires and violence. So “The Bourbon Kings” is about real people living in the world of making bourbon. There is a darkness to this story as well, and it was an adjustment, but wow, there are lots of surprises, tons of drama, and the romantic couple gets a HEA. I highly recommend it.
Love JR Ward but this book took me awhile to get into the story. Once I did I enjoyed it. However I really dislike books that end with no tesolutions to any of the plot lines.
Great characters drive this story about the importance of family. Heartbreaking courage and love.
Excellent book, but then J.R. Ward never disappoints!!
The Bourbon Kings reads like a scandalous soap opera. The Bradford family controls the bourbon industry in the South and have many dark, dirty secrets. The story follows the four siblings Edward, Max, Lane, and Gin as they try to piece together what there father is planning for the family and there bourbon business. There is plenty of drama, suspense, violence, sex, lies, scandal, tragedy, and southern charm.