A Top 50 Amazon Bestseller.“Powerful, gripping, unflinchingly honest and sensuously gorgeous writing.” — Kristan Higgins, New York Times Bestselling AuthorRITA® Award-winning author Kennedy Ryan delivers the gripping conclusion to the All the King’s Men Duet.Ambition. Revenge. Love.Raised to resist. Bred to fight. Survival is in my blood and surrender is never an option.Though surrender is what … resist. Bred to fight. Survival is in my blood and surrender is never an option.
Though surrender is what Maxim Cade demanded of my body and heart, I had other plans. We were fast-burning fascination and combustible chemistry, but the man I trusted with everything was a trickster. A thief who stole my love. If what we had was a lie, why did it feel so real? The man I swore to hate will have it all, and wants me at his side. But power is a game, and we’re the pawns and players.
Facing insurmountable odds, will we win the world, or will we lose it all?
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REVIEW: 4 STARS
“Desire and need suffocate my good intentions.”
Disclaimer: I don’t really like when the real world invades my book world in drastic measures. So, I am shocked at how much I enjoyed seeing some political, some activism, some reality to the story, even though sometimes it felt like it was bordering on a certain tone I don’t necessarily want in my books. But I always want real and Kennedy Ryan gave me that – always gives me that.
I do not willingly trust any author with hot button issues in my romance books, let alone political ones. So, while this one was waaaay over my comfort zone lines for political romance stories, there is something to say about Kennedy Ryan’s ability to infuse her convictions with her romance so seamlessly in one story. She is meticulous in her research, and thoughtful in her narrative – all by giving us a story worth discussing, one worth feeling. One worth debating, and one worth processing internally. She gave me an in-depth look into a culture that I’m pretty sure I never would’ve crossed paths with. I commend her not only on her strength and drive for knowledge, but her voice and confidence in how she’s telling it. This can’t be an easy subject to broach with her readers. I can’t even begin to imagine, but she did it with a clear voice and certainty, and that I can appreciate.
I could go on and on about how amazing her writing is, and frankly, I do it with every review I write for her books. Because, for me, she is that amazing. It’s why she sits on my Favorites Lists for authors and books yearly. It’s no secret, and I’m proud to say I’ve read every one of her books and she has touched me or moved me with each one. So there is no discussion needed on how amazing her writing is. However, this is where I vary off the path I have always walked with her. This one book, this is where my tune changes a little bit. I’ll be frank, and I’ll be honest – I loved the first book. I mentioned in my review that it was a little preachy and repetitive for me, but that overall the love story was front and center. But this one toed a few lines that I am not sure I would have willingly crossed. Not because it was terrible. It’s just such a sticky subject, but one that should be and needs to be discussed – but of course, Kennedy Ryan used her platform wisely and brilliantly. Again, I’m not sure there are many, if any, authors I would allow to take me down a very political and slippery slope in my romance book world….but Ryan stands out in a very small crowd of authors I trust.
I found myself falling deeper in love with Maxim by the page. I love the gruff alpha males and the ones that will stop at nothing for their woman – that is who Maxim is to his core. Seeing his alpha side and subsequently his determination to NOT back down, but also giving Lennix some leeway, only to the point that he’s comfortable with, was an exercise in restraint for him, I’m sure. He is everything. He is perfection in literary book boyfriend material. No denying that – I’d be a liar if I tried to. I loved his moody and broody side, his protective side, his loving side and his willingness to do whatever was necessary for his woman, because he made no apologies claiming her as his. I freaking loved that he never bowed down to her anger, instead listening with his heart and mind. He took it and turned it around into a good thing and showed her he knew her worth, he heard her, he saw her, but never took away from her hard work. He was her biggest cheerleader. He knew how hard she worked and didn’t negate the amount of work she put in to get where she was.
“I don’t mind playing dirty when I care this much about something.”
Lennix was stubborn. I struggled with her choices in this one, far more than I anticipated. She’s so stubborn, but I had to recognize that as part of what makes her who she is, so on the other hand, it was amazing to see that strength. I can enjoy the stubborn side of a character and actually love reading that in a heroine. As someone who is very stubborn herself, I am full of opinions and fire when it comes to what I believe – so I easily recognized it in Lennix. BUT. That girl caused me some serious grief. She had tunnel vision at some points, and that pulled me away from the story a few times because the mental discussion I was having with myself was actually louder than the story I was reading. She, I feel, manipulated Maxim – without regards to his emotional needs – into something without him having the full story, in turn causing their biggest argument. One that I felt was completely lopsided and disrespectful of his wishes and wants. And yet, this is the part where I struggle the most because none of it was moot. She was stubborn for a reason. She pushed Maxim to do things because she knew the outcome would benefit more than just her. She was smart and calculated. But, damn! That girl seriously had me ranting a few times!!
“You don’t hold back someone like Lennix because the beauty is in how she flies.”
The neatest thing I saw, though, was that she challenged Maxim and that in and of itself is what made her who she was – for him. I felt like her instinct was to fight first, and then acquiesce for the benefit of her and Maxim after the fact. Her stubbornness pushed her into scenarios and difficult situations unnecessarily instead of thinking it through and not acting on a ‘man is evil’ platform. Can I understand why she fights so hard? Yes – 1000% yes. Unarguably, yes. Can I get behind her beliefs and why she fights so hard? Again, yes. BUT, I still didn’t agree with the majority of how she handled Maxim and HIS needs, wants, and desires. He did EVERYTHING for her. Every single thing. The one time we saw him lose his cool, I was right there with him. Her selfish foresight and wants overshadowed his and she didn’t give him the chance to make the decision himself, so I truly feel like she manipulated him without thinking of the impact her decision would have had on him. But again, I can see why that captivated him and pulled him in. That challenge is enticing – especially in a world where one never passes up a challenge. I could invariably see why he loved her so hard and was willing to give up everything just for her. Like I said, Kennedy Ryan has given me much to think about and process. I can’t complain when I’m forced look at both sides, because while I have an opinion, I always love learning another side to someone’s truth. But I’m tellin’ ya….R-A-N-T-I-N-G.
“The need to be inside her is so elemental, I can’t distinguish it from the need to breathe or blink.”
Put aside everything else, though, and their love was scorching hot. They were made for each other and they were tireless in their pursuit of a level of intimacy you can’t throw together in mere words. I feel like Ryan chooses the right feelings to emote through her words, and it just comes across as effortless. I always felt her characters’ love oozing off the pages, and I am thankful for that. The emotional impact Lennix and Maxim felt with all the trauma they encountered was placated and supplicated in the most intimate of ways. They gave what they needed, and they gave it without reserve….but they also took what they needed without hesitation. I couldn’t get enough of that intensity that simmered between them. Because, to be honest, when a strong partner is able to be vulnerable with the one that completes them, that shows how rich that love between them really is. In this case, we had two very dominant characters falling into each other in the most gracious of ways.
“I grip her by the hips and pull her so close, my body is a hard question. Hers is a soft response. A ‘yes’ wrapped in velvet, lined with satin.”
Kennedy Ryan is an exceptional storyteller and her mind has tunnels I’d love to explore one day. There is nothing that I won’t trust her to write for me. Because, honestly, I know I can read anything she throws at me and learn something while falling madly in love with her characters. This one was more political than any of her others, but I wouldn’t trust just anyone else. She possesses a masterful skill in delivering a story of this magnitude, with this much depth and this much heart I rarely read from others. But only her would I blindly trust to give me what she does – time and time again, because she makes me think and she makes me process. Ryan shook me with a truth more powerful than I am able to articulate with this book – and I am confident enough to say that. The love these two shared spanned opinions, time, space, and disagreements. It ultimately showed Maxim’s willingness to sacrifice for her, because he loved her. Nothing would ever stand before his love for Lennix – and that’s how love should be.
“Traditions are the memories of those before us, breathed to life when we carry them on.”
~BEE
Incredible writing and captivating storyline.
THE REBEL KING, Book 2, is live! Get your binge on!!
Amazing conclusion to this riveting duet from the amazing Kennedy Ryan!
If you’re looking for a story that will stay with you long after you’ve put the book down, then look no further, this is the perfect duet to dive into. You’re in for a thought provoking, emotional and sensual ride.
THIS DUET IS COMPLETE! This epic journey spans 2 decades, 4 continents, and features a new breed of alpha male and the woman who proves to be his match. Grab this bad boy by Kennedy Ryan now! xoxo
“A dazzling, thought-provoking, layered romance that will keep you on the edge of your seat. A round of applause for one of the best books of 2019.” — L.J. Shen, USA Today bestselling author
ABOUT THE DUET:
Ambition. Passion. Betrayal.
Alpha Male + Alpha Female
Passion spanning 4 continents & nearly 20 years
2 fighter-dreamers determined to change the world!
Enemies-to-Lovers + Second Chance Romance
Love Kennedy’s books! The All the King’s Men Duet is COMPLETE!
FREE in KU!
The second book is here! This concludes the All the King’s Men duet. I love a second chance and love a good enemies to lovers. This is both! Love Kennedy’s writing.
To those who waited to read these books, bless your hearts.
What a ride you guys!! I freaking loved these two books immensely! I just want to hug Kennedy Ryan right now. The Rebel King was everything you could ask for. It was a wonderful conclusion to an already epic duet!
Book 2 picks up right where book 1 ends. Kennedy ties up the events which later on in the story leads us through a wringer of emotions I thought the first book had me on the edge of my seat but the second book gave me just as much anxiety. It was intense and gripping! Beautiful with such wonderful characters.
I messaged Kennedy Ryan on Instagram after reading “the moment” and told her that she took this book to a whole other level. In my heart, I already knew the path the hero would take after this pivotal point. I was told by Kennedy that I could claim Grim as mine. I know in my heart that he’s getting a book, so I want it known that he belongs to me!! You hear that? He belongs to me, know this before you read!
Announcement over (steps off soap box)!
Kennedy writes from the heart as she takes some strong political issues and sheds a respectable light on them which will surely have you thinking long after you have finished reading.
Enemies to lovers and second chance is my EVERYTHING!! This duet is simply the epitome of why I love romance. What are you doing reading reviews??? GO READ IT! You’re going to love it!
The Rebel King concludes Kennedy Ryan’s ALL THE KING’S MEN duet. A steamy second chance, enemies-to-lovers romance meets SCANDAL – it’s an epic journey featuring a new breed of alpha male and the woman who proves to be his match!
Alpha Male + Alpha Female
Passion spanning 4 continents & nearly 20 years
2 fighter-dreamers determined to change the world!
Enemies-to-Lovers + Second Chance Romance
The Rebel King concludes Kennedy Ryan’s ALL THE KING’S MEN duet. A steamy second chance, enemies-to-lovers romance meets SCANDAL, it’s an epic journey spanning 2 decades, 4 continents, featuring a new breed of alpha male and the woman who proves to be his match.
I don’t often use words like “epic” when it comes to books, but it strikes me as apropos for this duet. What are you waiting for?
This is Kennedy Ryan in her element. It is everything I’ve been looking for in a duet, a one in a lifetime experience, not to be missed!
Book 2 in Kennedy Ryan’s All the King’s Men duet is live which means the duet is COMPLETE and ready for you to binge-read! Pick up The Rebel King, an enemies-to-lovers romance, on Amazon or FREE in KU now.
“She endures.”
Endure. Withstand. Encounter. Sustain. All words of equal meaning. All words that inevitably reveal strength. And all words Kennedy Ryan made sure bled through each and every word written in a book that encompasses belief, healing, and irrevocable love such as The Rebel King.
I am in awe. The Rebel King will leave you gasping in desperation of endless words and pages and anything that would make the heart of this book beat and thrive and NEVER end. The eternal layers and depth upon which Kennedy wrote these characters and storyline are BEYOND what can only be known as exhilaration! Characters like Maxim and Lennix are the type of characters that make you believe anything is possible; that everything is achievable when you chase your dreams.
This story has so many mountainous highs and vast lows. You express every ounce of every feeling imaginable reading The Rebel King. Plot twists like you wouldn’t imagine and elation you could only hope for.
It’s hard to articulate when a book is simply put, this d*** good. The Rebel King expresses skies the fucking limit. And once you reach THAT limit, shoot higher. Because you can.
BOTH characters endure. Very much so. And only from a Kennedy Ryan original, such as The Kingmaker and The Rebel King, can remind you that you too can endure. Not just the good and great, but the bad and devastating.
I have been waiting at the edge of my seat to see the conclusion of Maxim and Lennix’s story since the end of the previous book and I was not disappointed. The final book of the duet, The Rebel King by Kennedy Ryan, was full of intrigue and steamy chemistry and completely consumed me. I read it on sitting as I could not put the book down.
The connection between Maxim and Lennix was strong and undeniable. Though so much has happened and changed over the course of time, including Maxim and Lennix, their love and the passion they shared was strong. Their journey was not easy at all, but you will be riveted from the first page to the very last. I was absolutely captivated by The Rebel Kind (and the previous book) by Kennedy Ryan. The characters shared an all-encompassing kind of love that you felt through every page. Even with all the twists and surprises. This is a must-read for sure!
Read and reviewed for Reviews From the Heart.
Happy reading!
“The girl who chases stars has war in her eyes, and she’ll need it. The toughest fight of our lives is ahead. The fight to heal.”
With my heart stuck in my throat, I’m struggling to find words to express to you how epic this story is. It took me through years and across miles, past to present, pain to passion and back again, and left a footprint on my heart.
I am in awe of the strong woman who fought so hard to make a difference. She refused to be silenced and gained the respect she deserved by proving herself over and over. After coming so far and accomplishing so much, her heart has put her at risk of losing everything. Will she fight one war only to lose another?
“It’s the wrestle—the conflict of being in love with someone on a path you aren’t sure you can take.”
By the time I made it through this duet, I felt like I had fought a war myself as I worried and waited and wondered how they would overcome the mountainous obstacles in their path. “Pain always carves out two paths. We all have pain. The difference is where it takes you.” Well, the author took me there and it was an unforgettable experience that I highly recommend.