Now a Top 30 Amazon Bestseller! “This story sets a new bar in the genre . . . Exquisitely written, meticulously researched, tender, yet oh-so steamy–this is the Mary Poppins of Contemporary Romances: practically perfect in every way.” — Natasha Is A Book JunkiePower. Passion. Betrayal. Raised to rule, bred to lead and weaned on a diet of ruthless ambition. In a world of haves and have nots, my … world of haves and have nots, my family has it all, and I want nothing to do with it.
My path takes me far from home and paints me as the black sheep. At odds with my father, I’m determined to build my own empire. I have rules, but Lennix Hunter is the exception to every one of them. From the moment we meet, something sparks between us. But my family stole from hers and my father is the man she hates most. I lied to have her, and will do anything to keep her. Though she tries to hate me, too, the inexorable pull between us will not be denied.
And neither will I.
THE KINGMAKER is the epic and powerful first installment in the All The King’s Men Duet by USA Today bestselling and RITA® Award winning author, Kennedy Ryan.
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Reading anything by Kennedy Ryan is a MasterClass in vivid, crisp writing, but this book especially vacuums you in and guides you by the reins of the heart. It’s vibrant images weaved in with colorful words and deep emotion. It’s the best kind of enemies to lovers because she doesn’t even know he’s the enemy. The angst, the yearning, the sex…the love between Maxim and Nix is epic. I’m in love with this book. And now that my heart is officially within this story’s grip, I’m on to the second half of this duet. Hello lovely Rebel King.
I’ve never been one to enjoy anything contemporary political, but this one snagged me from the very beginning and didn’t let me go until I was begging for the next book at the end.
I read each of the books in this duet, The Kingmaker and The Rebel King, when they were first released but it’s taken me the last 3 months to really process everything. I have to admit that I even grieved (just a little bit) the end of Maxim and Lennix’s story. I’ve read a lot of books over my 45+ years and the authors that truly stood out to me were the ones whose writings went beyond just the emotional connection between the two main characters and Kennedy Ryan’s writing not only does that but more. Within her stories, she builds a whole world, spanning decades, with wonderfully complex primary and secondary characters that take us on an action-packed journey of love, loss and humor on the way to their happily ever after and along the way even educates us about social and cultural issues…hence my 3-month post story hangover. If you’ve never read a Kennedy Ryan story, then this is the perfect introduction to her amazing work. WARNING: Once you’ve read a Kennedy Ryan book, you won’t be able to stop at just one. You’ve been warned. I for one am anxiously awaiting the next standalone book in the series, Queen Move.
What happens when the past comes back to haunt you?
Lennix has a past that will make her what she becomes. If loss and heartbreak are not enough, then betrayal is the only thing that could break you apart. When Lennix is at a protest for a pipeline, she never intended to meet the one man that could bring all her dreams crashing to a halt. Young for her age, but wise beyond her years, Lennix finds herself fighting for what her mother started but never had the chance to finish. Being a faithful and robust defender of the land, she struggles with her people to save what’s theirs. The only thing stopping the fight is money and influence that they do not have. When she meets Maxim, there is a pull between them that both can not deny, but age difference and circumstances prevent them from following the undeniable truth, they could be something more together. They go their separate ways, but life has a way of throwing you a curveball, and that where life becomes interesting.
Maxim is not his father’s son; he’s so much more and wants nothing to do with his father’s power and influence. When Maxim goes against his father’s wishes and joins in on a protest to save the land from his father’s interest, they both part ways. Maxim is determined to make his own life without his father’s power, money, and name. He sets out to discover things on his own and show his father he is more than him. Years later, meeting up with Lennix again in Amsterdam, sparks fly with a promise of only a week of passion, and then both will step away from each other. But life sometimes through here’s the curveball, they both want more from each other, and the only thing stopping them is Maxim and the truth he must admit before it tears them apart. As Maxim lets misunderstandings and truth go by, Lexnix finds herself not trusting him, and she forces herself to leave him behind.
Ten years later, Maxim is out to prove to Lennix that he’s the person she can trust. When a trip places Lennix in danger, will Maxim come to the aid of her to show he loves her and always will, and will Lennix let herself realize that Maxim never intended for him to hurt her? Find out in book two of this well-written book of the passions lost and found.
I am addicted to Maxim and Lennix! Fantastic characters with an iron will and incendiary chemistry.
Kimba and Owen are among my favorite supporting characters.
This series is everything. It literally takes things out of the headlines and makes a dramatic and addicting story.
The Kingmaker comes alive with these narrators and I could not stop listening!
I’m so very glad I waited to binge read with The Rebel King.
Kennedy Ryan know how to grab the readers attention from page one and keep you turning pages. Her words weave realistic stories that are so easy to connect with.
Its been a while since I’ve read a Kennedy Ryan book. I will stay the story went in a different direction then I thought it was going to go, but thats good not being able to predict everything. For me there is just something that dragged at a couple points in this first installment, because I looked a few times seeing how many minutes were left. While this book was only ok for me, I’m not sure if I’ll be reading the final installment.
The narrators performance were good!
This review is a hard one for me, while I loved the story in general I wish it had more of Lennix and Maxim romantic story. We learned a lot about their lives especially professional and what drove them to go down those paths. And I truly loved the cultural side of Lennix’s story and all the research that went into that part. I was just a little confused by Maxim so called undying love for her yet he waited 10 years to come back into her life? Yet while he waited he slept around with lots of women? Then gets upset that she was with 1 guy that ended up to be her bestfriend. Now don’t get me wrong the writing was top notch it just didn’t have much of a romantic overall feeling to the story for me. It was more her life and his life and occasionally them together. We are left with a cliffhanger and I will definitely be picking up The Rebel King to see where their storyline takes them.
4.5
Let me gather my thoughts on this beautiful heartbreaking story. Lennix and Maxim story is a story told over time, but as you think they are coming to a happy ending, life gives them another curve.
“Not this one. There’s power in choosing your own path, and I’ve waited until I found someone I was sure I wanted to be with my first time. This is what I want, Doc. I’ve never felt more in control”
I love that Lennix (Nix) empowers you are a reader to know you are in charge of your path and what you or who want in your soul. Maxim sees this too and is empowered by his first meeting of Nix. This couple bring so many layers of love and heartache. Will be one of my top reads starting this year.
“in what world could you possibly think I would belong to you?”-Lennix
“in the one we make together”- Maxim
Here is more of my review on my YouTube channel~https://youtu.be/8KisSncKEtA
Activism, while admirable and essential in the real world, isn’t something I would think to base a fictional romance around. In fact, I wasn’t sure The Kingmaker would appeal to me, but knowing what a versatile storyteller Kennedy Ryan is, I was excited to see what she had up her sleeves. What she produced dazzled me.
Maxim is instantly drawn to Lennix’s fearlessness and commanding presence.
They meet several times over the course of a decade and a half, but the timing is never right for them to be together. First, because Maxim is seven years older than Lennix, who is 17 when they meet, and later due to lies, grudges, and ambition.
Lennix and Maxim are both intense activists. Lennix is determined to fight for the rights of all marginalized people, but particularly Native Americans. Maxim is passionate about climate research and building an empire that revolutionizes ways to protect the environment.
I will say that the speeches about conservationism and the plights of Native Americans are highly educational but become redundant at times. However, there are so many additional aspects of the story to enjoy, not the least of which is the sheer magnetism between Maxim and Lennix. These are two highly intelligent, influential, and passionate people. Their chemistry in and out of the bedroom set my Kindle on fire. Maxim’s family feud adds another excellent dimension to the plot.
As expected, Kennedy Ryan’s use of figurative language enriches each page. Her words are a feast for the reader. This absorbing story left me eager for more. The book ends – as all good books that are the first in a duet should – on one heck of a cliffhanger. I’m diving right into book two, The Rebel King.
My 1st book by Kennedy Ryan & one hell of book! This book was Recommendation……Thank you so much Lve,…..
Lennix & Maxim.
Their first encounter together was very brief, but yet at the same time it left impression on both of them
Several years later they encountered each other again in Amsterdam, With agreement just to have this one beautiful week together, but there time together will be cut shorts
That one week left a lasting impression on both of them even though there were a few bumps in the road along the way
They both had goals unwilling to subside for anyone. There are certain things that they both had to do before either one of could even considered settle down. neither one can afford distractions Too many goals to complete, too many mountains to climb … Time slipped by ….days, weeks, months & then years
By pure Miracle 10 years later they find their self’s in the same town, unwilling to let anything chance coming between them again they can no longer deny their desires for each other the question is …. Is it too late for them now?
Will they ever get to make up for lost time?
The ending was totally & although it was sort of a cliffy, still it gave me goosebumps cuz of how promising of what it could be. I just hope & pray that the next book is as good as this one. And It makes me want to instantly grab the 2nd book which I’ll definitely be reading soon!
*Hope you enjoy this read & also always keep in mind this is just my opinion+ Also I wouldn’t never discourage anyone from reading this book.
Books in All The King’s Men duet should be read in order:
Book 1: The Kingmaker
Book 2: The Rebel King
Happy Reading & Enjoy ——–Paulette Alphas Review
This book was amazing! I’m so stunned right now! It had me hooked from page one and this will be a book I remember for a very long time. This book has all the feels! You literally feel it all. Kennedy Ryan has got it going on. Her writing is so phenomenal I’ll NEED to read more of her books when I’m done with this duet. She’s simply perfection. The way Maxim and Lennix’s story began was so passionate I could t help but cry. First chapter and I felt like I wish I was there in that moment in support. I wanted to be there. I want to see that land. I’ve always been so interested in Native American culture and their history and this book got to me on such a deeper level. I can’t wait for book 2. I can tell it’s going to be epic.
This was one of the most interesting books that I read in 2019. Unfortunately, the storyline really fell apart in book two leaving me disappointed and frustrated.
The heroine, Lennix, is a member of the Apache tribe. We first meet her when she is protesting a proposed pipeline through tribal lands. Lennix is a second generation environmental advocate, following in the footsteps of her mother. The author did an excellent job of researching Apache traditions and culture.
Maxim Cade is the heir to Cade Energy, the company poised to develop the pipeline through Indian Country. But he doesn’t want anything to do with his father or his family company. He’s more interested in moving away from fossil fuels and creating sustainable energy so the environment can be saved. He meets Lennix when he joins the protest and is arrested alongside her.
The story of Lennix and Maxim spans more than 15 years in the book. Their characters are so wonderfully complex. There is an amazing amount of rich detail in this book between Lennix’s Apache heritage and Maxim’s quest to develop sustainable energy. The book ends on a major cliffhanger.
There are no words strong enough for my love of Lennix and Maxim.
My first Kennedy Ryan book has made me an instant fan. The way she’s combined words, politics, history, and romance have blown my mind.
“If a kiss has a color, this one is the muted shades of the sky overhead, a ménage à trois of midnight and indigo and moonshine silver.”
Those moments, once in a lifetime, when you look at someone and know they could be your person, your everyone, the only one forever, can Maxim and Nix find their HEA or will all the forces working between them collide to keep them apart forever?
One of the best books I’ve read this year, absolutely astounding!
I did not expect to find another 10 star this year, but Kennedy Ryan did it for me! Wow! Elizabeth @ Carolina Chic’s Read
Kennedy Ryan nailed this story… it’s full of passion, want, compassion, and perfection.
Lennix goes al long way to find her happiness, but what did it for me the most was how thorough the background of a strong Apache woman that Kennedy portrays in Lennix. We don’t get just this woman’s struggle but the struggle of her people.
Maximum gets her, he understands her struggle. He wants a different life that the one he was raised in. He wants the world to be better. This makes him the perfect man for Lennix. On a deep level they get each other and want the same things.
Their road is a long angsty ride and this cliffhanger has left my jaw wide open! Wow! 10 amazing shocking stars!
The King Maker series is incredibly smart, brilliantly written, and will keep you turning pages and wanting more well after the last word.
What a refreshing and original storyline for a romance novel. Loved it!
This is my first book by Kennedy Ryan, and it certainly will not be my last!
This book blew me away. With its detail and flawless descriptions, to its passionate portrayal of culture and important causes, to the undeniable chemistry between Maxim and Lennix. This book took me by storm and blew away all expectations. I’ll admit, I was nervous when the political aspects came into play, but I was pleasantly surprised and intrigued. The important political topics are not only crucial with valuable cultural background, but it weaves a strong passion throughout the book.
Lennix and Maxim’s chemistry is so potent, it’s like a living breaking entity coming off the page. As if you can feel everything they are feeling, immersing thoughts, feelings, lived experiences into our bodies and minds.
This book was absolutely fantastic and I cannot wait for Maxim and Lennix’s conclusion!
*be aware of an ending that will leave you gripping the edge of your seat and desperately wanting book 2*
“If a kiss has a color, this one is the muted shades of the sky overhead, a ménage à trois of midnight and indigo and moonshine silver. If a kiss has a sound, this one is the concert of our breaths and sighs and moans. If a kiss has a taste, it tastes like this. Hunger flavored with yearning and spiced with desperation. With bites and growls and tender licks and soothing whimpers. Perfectly served portions of sweet and scorching.”
The words. The beautiful words. The soul capturing words. My gosh, Kennedy Ryan slays me with her lyrical words. She captivates me every single sentence and every single chapter. Word pouring with love. Words that illuminate. Words that burn. Words that interlock your heart every time. I pretty much read half of her books and she always delivers poetry. With my 3 years as a reviewer and a blogger, I am always shaken up by her beautiful writing, brilliant characters and unique stories with depth. I am absolutely enraptured. I am utterly moved. Kennedy woves her magic pen and writes The Kingmaker with so much soul and power that echoes deeply. The Kingmaker totally unravelled me.
The Kingmaker is the soul crippling first book in the All the King’s Men Duet. A riveting tale full emotion. An entrancing story that hold words that scorch and mesmerize. An inviting story that speaks to the soul. The Kingmaker is not a simple romance. The Kingmaker is a story of heritage mixed with a touching romance. The Kingmaker is a game changing powerhouse with an addictive story riddled with amazing characters and sensual scenes. Wow, The Kingmaker tore out my heart. My soul is bleeding. My heart is engulfed by a smashing romance. Wow. Kennedy Ryan, you always amaze me. Whether you are writing about an African American rapper fighting for the injustice of people of colour or a Native American Indian woman fighting for her people’s rights, you mix in your romance with societal issues that make me think. Unique. Intriguing. Unforgettable. The Kingmaker is a gripping romance with a story of power, betrayal, all consuming passion and seduction, setting bars soaring high. UTTERLY BREATHTAKING. UTTERLY SPEECHLESS.
Let me tell you, when you read a Kennedy Ryan, expect diverse characters. Expect characters with voices so loud, they penetrate. Maxim Cade and Lennix absolutely speak powerful voices to me. Flawless and Effortless. Maxim and Lennix hit my heart hard and deeply. Every thought and every feeling they conveyed stole my soul. Wow, Kennedy you created characters that left a mark on me. Lennix Moon is a fighter. I admire her tenacity, passion and representation for her culture. She opened my eyes to Native American Indian culture and made me understand. Thank you Kennedy for continuing to bring awareness to cultures. It is impeccable. Maxim Cade is a true alpha nero. Ambitious. Protective. Possessive. Swoony. A man born in wealth, he fights for things he believes and sets out to prove himself and people.
Okay, I am trying to keep my review short but I got so much to say. LOL. The Kingmaker made me want to shout to the world about it. It is a worthy romance. A book that will change you like all her books do. And I need book 2. I am dying.
ARC provided by author in exchange for an honest review.
Strength and endurance a love that lasts
Wow this book was emotional and raw and intense I was hooked from start to finish . And that ending damn this warrants a binge read of book two!!
Lennix is of Native American decent on her mother’s side and was immersed and learnt their cultural ways as she was growing up. Her mother was a crusader who fought for their rights and ultimately ended up disappearing doing it . Lennix is so much like their mother and has the heart and passion and drive to stand up for her people and her beliefs .
Maxim ,( oh maxim ) come from a powerful family where ruthless tactics are not uncommon . He’s a lot like his father but different in all the right ways , and his determination to prove himself on his own leads him to be estranged from His father as well as on his own journey of fighting for and saving the world in his own way .
Maxim and lennix have a strong connection from the moment they meet , their fates are tied together and this is evident from the beginning, yet their destinies also heartbreakingly keep them apart .
This is book one of a duet and I’m so glad book 2 has now been released so I can go straight to it !
The Kingmaker is the first book in the All The King’s Men series by the incredibly talented Kennedy Ryan. One of my favorite things about Kennedy as a writer is she makes you think. She shows you things you didn’t know and urges you to think outside the box. Listen to her characters. Attempt to change the world right along side them.
This is an epic romance full of surprises, fate, mystery, sexiness, longing, loss, family, friendships and love. Maxim meets Lennix when she’s seventeen. She’s trying to protect her people’s land, he’s trying to protect her. Then meet again four years later. They are older, wiser and now have time to pursue each other. But it’s only for a short time. They learn about each other. What they want out of life. Their hopes and dreams. Both determined to not have distractions on the way to their goals. Their chemistry is so strong, they can barely be apart. But life happens. His lie steals another ten years from them. But this time Maxim isn’t going to give up. He came back for her and he always gets what he wants. Lennix worked very hard to get where she is. She’s made a name for herself and her life is exactly what she’s always wanted. And then Maxim is back and he wants another chance. She tries to forget how much he meant to her. How she felt when she was with him. He’s smart, sexy, funny and now he’s going to do whatever he can to win her back. Will she give him another chance or keep denying herself and him. Will Maxim finally get the only thing he really wants? I loved this story! I was hooked from the first page and couldn’t stop reading. I was desperate to see what was going to happen! My heart actually hurt for Maxim and Lennix. A deep ache only Kennedy can invoke. And I know she’s going to put it back together again. This is a duet and ends in a cliffhanger and I’m dying for the next book. Thank God we don’t have to wait too long!