by KENNEDY RYAN
Ambition. Revenge. Love.
Raised to 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?
"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
Raised to rule, bred to lead and weaned on a diet of ruthless ambition. In a 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 would 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.
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 would 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.
I'm a wife, a mom, a writer, an advocate for families living with autism. That's me in a nutshell. Crack the nut, and you'll find a Southern girl gone Southern California who loves pizza and Diet Coke, and wishes she got to watch a lot more television. You can usually catch me up too late, on social media too much, or FINALLY putting a dent in my ever-growing To Be Read list!
~CONNECT WITH KENNEDY~
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Oh boy... I'm dying to read this duet. Like I need to drop everything I have from the library and read these books. Great review!
ReplyDeleteI really hope you do jump in. <3
DeleteThank you for such a detailed review!
ReplyDeleteWow! As always I am in awe with your review Bee! Love Iit!!
ReplyDeleteI can't wait to read this duet.