The Last King kicks off Katee Robert's new series about a family involved in the oil industry in Houston, Texas.  The O’Malley’s series turned me into a big fan of hers, and I wasn’t sure what to expect from her latest release – but I’m happy to report that there is plenty of drama, backstabbing, and sexy good times to go around.

The Last King introduces us to Beckett King, the heir to his father’s oil empire, and Samara Mallick, who is working for his aunt and biggest competitor, Lydia King. Beckett’s father just died in a car wreck and it has left the balance of power in Houston feeling unsteady as Lydia is ready to make a play against her nephew’s company while he’s getting his bearings and mourning his father.

The complications are about more than business, however. Six months previously, Samara and Beckett burned up the sheets during a work trip overseas. Even though they can’t stand each other during work encounters, there’s plenty of sexual chemistry bubbling just below the surface. Seeing Beckett reeling from his father’s death, and brought low by his aunt’s inheriting his family home, is enough to make Samara realize that her initial impression of Beckett as a hot pain in the neck might have been wrong.

Though Robert is known for sexy books, I wasn’t sure where The Last King would fall on the steam-o-meter. If you’re a fan of her previous work, you’ll be happy to know that this new series promises to be just as sexy as all her other books. Samara and Beckett have chemistry in spades. From their first encounter in Norway, they cannot keep their hands off each other. Every bed, office chair, or shower is fair game for some hot sexing.

However, beyond that I was really pleased with how loving their relationship turns out to be. Beckett falls hard and fast for Samara and, unlike so many romance heroes, he doesn’t spend the entire book denying it. I liked how readily he embraces his feelings for her and that he wants them to have a relationship. It felt like he was on her side from the word go,  which, with everything else going on, he really needed to be.

That brings me to the only thing that dinged this book for me. I didn’t really go in expecting the storyline to be as heavy as it is on the family drama. Or rather, I expected family drama that didn’t turn into a crime saga. With the O’Malleys series, when someone pulled a gun or tried to murder someone, it fit because they’re mob families. The Kings are running oil corporations, and while there can definitely be backbiting and ruthlessness in their dealings, I would think it might cause some business conflicts if your board or investors or whoever were to find out about an attempted murder or some such nonsense. I’m not a reader of romantic suspense and this was edging in that direction by the end, so what kept this from being an A-grade book was probably my own lack of enjoyment of that genre. Other readers may not be bothered by that at all, but as the danger escalated I had a harder time engaging with that part of the plot. The resolution to those events feels lackluster given how deadly the manipulations at hand were. Obviously, there’s plenty of set up for future books, but I just wasn’t as satisfied as like to be with the non-romance subplot.

I will say, as a Texan, I was worried about how Houston and Beckett would be portrayed. Other than mentioning that it’s humid, Houston is treated as just another big city, which it really is, and I appreciated that. I did like that Samara is from an Indian family, as Houston has a large Southeast Asian population. I should state, though, that I’m not the right reviewer to evaluate the representation of her as a woman of Indian descent in the book and how well – or otherwise – that aspect of her character is handled.

The Last King looks to be another sultry, high stakes series from Robert with plenty of familial machinations to come. I haven’t heard how many books we’re to expect but I am looking forward to the next story, and I think fans of her mafia O’Malleys will not be disappointed. For new fans, this is the perfect time to jump into the series and get to know the Kings of Texas from the start.

Buy it at: Amazon/Barnes & Noble/iBooks/Kobo

Another awesome book from Katee Robert and a great start to a new series! I have to admit, I always hate when an author finishes a series. It’s so hard to say goodbye to the characters and the world they’ve created. And Katee did one heck of a job with her O’Malleys series. But this first glimpse of The Kings she’s given us has made me eager to get to know the rest of the clan. If they are anything like Beckett King...! Both main characters are interesting, and I appreciated how well rounded they were. You really got a chance to know the characters, what shaped them, what drove them. And Beckett definitely has hefted the bar high for the rest of his family. The guy was smart, driven, caring, tough and tender. Samara was one lucky woman. She was also pretty darn kick-ass herself: focused, determined and smart. Her relationship with her amma was touching, too. And best of all, both characters acted like adults. There were no games, no misunderstandings. They were mature and honest with one another. That isn’t to say there wasn’t drama and intrigue. The book offered up plenty of that, too, along with secondary characters I’m anxious to get to know better. And I can’t forget to mention the steamy interludes. The book starts off with a passionate encounter between Beckett and Samara, and just gets hotter and hotter. So while I’ll miss the O’Malleys, I’m happy to say that the Kings seem more than capable of giving us more heat, heart and suspense.

Beckett King is the heir to Texas’s number one oil company and member of the infamous and dysfunctional King family. His company’s top rival is run by his estranged aunt Lydia, and his nemesis at that company is Samara Mallick, his aunt’s number two. Beckett and Samara are in a constant war to outmaneuver each other when battling for contracts, as well fighting the sizzling attraction they feel for each other. When Beckett’s father dies suddenly, it leaves Beckett with no other family and majorly set adrift. Lydia clearly intends to take advantage of Beckett’s situation, and she plans to use Samara to attack Beckett’s weaknesses. Samara can’t throw away all the hard work she’s put in to get where she is, but neither can she fight the pull she feels for Beckett. As Beckett learns more about his dad’s death and his family secrets, both he and Samara have to decide what is worth fighting for.

Holy shit, did I love this book! I loved (just about) everything, starting with Samara and Beckett. Samara is amazingly good at her job, very competitive, and determined to succeed in whatever she does. She takes no shit from Beckett, and she makes no apologies for her ambition. Her banter with Beckett is so good! She’s not intentionally cruel, however, and clearly does not share her boss’s ruthlessness. I also appreciated that she doesn’t immediately roll over and give up her rivalry with Beckett just because he’s giving her awesome orgasms. She cares about her career, just as she understands Beckett cares about his. While she tries not to play dirty if she can help it, she didn’t get good at her job by being soft. Beckett has to earn softness from her, and I really enjoyed that.

And Beckett...ah Beckett is just the best. He certainly grows up in a life of privilege, but he isn’t the lazy rich playboy his aunt seems to think he is. He works hard, and while he doesn’t exactly have a passion for the oil industry he cares about his family’s legacy and, more importantly, the people who work for the company. There’s no whining about how he has to take over the company; he simply does what has to be done. Unlike some of his family, though, he has a strong sense of ethics. Best of all, he is so, so sweet and loving to those he cares about. His mom died when he was young, and after that his relationship with his dad fell apart. Since his dad was estranged from his sister and her children, Beckett basically grew up alone, and when his dad dies he feels the loss keenly despite their problematic relationship. He's basically just a little boy who's realized it's too late to ever get his dad's love, and it's heartbreaking. (The book doesn’t wallow too much in the angst, however.) As he gets to know Samara he wants so desperately for her to love him the way he comes to love her, and it was damn adorable.

This book is really sexy in a great way. It’s not at all erotica, but there are plenty of both hot and sweet sex scenes to keep you reading. There is tons of sexy consent talk as well, which is always my jam. I love they way the sexual attraction between Beckett and Samara draws them together despite all the very, very good reasons they should stay away. The sex doesn’t sustain the relationship for long, though. Pretty quickly they realize they genuinely LIKE the other person and are attracted to their personalities, not just their bodies. It was awesome.

One big theme in the book is power--who holds it and what they do with it. Beckett and Samara explore this a bit in the sex scenes, although I think more could have been done there. More compelling, I thought, was the power dynamics elsewhere. Samara is extremely aware that Beckett holds more power in their relationship than she does at the start. Her own father was a rich man who abandoned her mom before she was even born, so Samara is understandably hyper-sensitive that on the surface, her relationship with Beckett has a similar power imbalance. She knows Beckett can’t lose his job or his livelihood like she can, and for that reason she bears the brunt of the risk if they start a relationship. I loved that Beckett understands Samara’s hesitation once he knows her story, but I would have liked a discussion about the very tidy ending and what it means for Samara. Still, I enjoyed the “forbidden love” aspect and appreciated that they also acted like grown ups who were free to make their own choices.

For me, this book was darn close to perfect. The suspense plot was a little bit of a stretch at times, but not egregiously so. This book definitely focuses more on the relationship between Beckett and Samara as well as Beckett and his family, and it totally worked for me. This is the start of a new series, and the characters I presume will be the future heroes and heroines already piqued my interest. The Last King is my favorite book of 2018 so far, and if you like enemies-to-lovers with some light suspense thrown in, I think you’d like this book, too.

Grade: 5 out of 5

I love this cover! This is not an MC read but our main character does ride a Harley. In fact, Bennett's character was a good mix of motorcycle bad boy and rich corporate suit. They are my favorite types of Hero's.

Bennett just inherited his family company after his father dies in a car accident. There is not a lot of love lost between him and his father, but the accident sounds suspicious. When a series of events start happening soon after, Bennett knows he needs to investigate before he ends up like his father.

Samara is the right hand woman to Lydia King. She's hard working and loyal. She should not give into her attraction to Lydia's nephew, Bennett. He's the son of the enemy and competition to Lydia's company. When Lydia keeps throwing her in the path of Bennett to attain information, she knows she has to be careful or she will be collateral damage between the two powerful family members.

Bennett and Samara have been fighting their mutual attraction from the beginning. Bennett should be concentrating on the suspicious nature of his father's death and the recent change to his will. He should not be caring more about getting Samara to fall for him.

This is a great start to what looks like a new family drama series by Katee Robert. We got introduced to several side characters that will make for a great main character in future books. I'm looking forward to seeing where the author takes this. ARC provided by NetGalley.

THE LAST KING by Katee Robert is the First book in The Kings Series. This is the story of Beckett King and Samara Mallick.
Beckett just inherited his fathers Morningstar empire which has left him wealthy but he feels that something else is going on with his father's death.
Samara works for Kingdom Corp which Beckett's Aunt runs. There is no love lost between the Aunt and Beckett. This has caused Samara and Beckett to but heads when going toe to toe for the same contract. But when Beckett needs someone by his side that he can trust, he knows that Samara is that person.
This was a exciting enemies to lovers story. Ms. Robert is a author I know will bring me a great story...one of my 'go to' authors.

I’m a big fan of Katee Robert from her O’Malleys series, but I wasn’t sure what to expect from The Last King. Robert is kicking off a fresh series about a family involved in the oil industry in Houston, Texas and there is plenty of drama, backstabbing, and sexy good times to go around.

The Last King introduces us to Beckett King, the heir to his father’s oil empire and Samara Mallick, who is working for his aunt and biggest competition. Beckett’s father just died in a car wreck and it has left the balance of power in Houston feeling unsteady as Lydia King is ready to make a play against her nephew’s company while he’s getting his bearings and mourning his father.

The complications are about more than business, however. Six months prior, Samara and Beckett burned up the sheets during a work trip overseas. Even though they can’t stand each other during work encounters, there’s plenty of sexual chemistry going on just below the surface. Seeing Beckett reeling from his father’s death, and brought low by his aunt inheriting his family home, is enough to make Samara realize that her initial impression of Beckett as a hot pain in the neck might have been wrong.

Though Robert is known for sexy books, I wasn’t sure where The Last King would fall on the steam-o-meter. If you’re a fan of her previous works, you’ll be happy to know that this new series promises to be just as sexy as all her prior books. Samara and Beckett have chemistry in spades. From their first encounter in Norway, they cannot keep their hands off each other. Every bed, office chair, or shower is fair game for some hot sexing.

However, beyond that I was really pleased with how loving their relationship turns out to be. Beckett falls hard and fast for Samara and, unlike so many romance heroes, he doesn’t spend the entire book denying it. I liked how readily he embraced his feelings for her and that he wanted them to have a relationship. It felt like he was on her side from the word “go”. Which, with everything else going on, he really needed to be.

That brings me to the only thing that dinged this book for me. I didn’t really go in expecting the storyline to be as heavy on the family drama. Or rather, I expected family drama that didn’t turn into a crime saga. With the O’Malleys series, when someone pulled a gun or tried to murder someone, I thought it fit because they’re mob families. The Kings are running oil corporations that, while there can definitely be backbiting and ruthlessness, I would think it might cause some business conflicts if your board or investors or whoever find out about an attempted murder or some such nonsense. I’m not a reader of romantic suspense and this was edging in that direction by the end, so what kept this from being an “A” book was probably my own lack of enjoyment in that area. Other readers may not be bothered by that at all, but for me as the danger escalated I had a harder time engaging with that part of the plot. The resolution to those events felt lackluster given how deadly the manipulations at hand were. Obviously, there’s plenty of set up for the future books, but I just wasn’t as satisfied as I’d like to be with the non-romance subplot.

I will say, as a Texan, I was worried about how Houston and Beckett would be portrayed. Other than mentioning that it’s humid, Houston was treated as just another big city, which it really is, and I appreciated that. I did like that Samara was from an Indian family, as Houston has a large Southeast Asian population. I will state, though, that I’m not the right reviewer to evaluate the representation of her Indian representation in the book and how well or not well it was handled.

The King looks to be another sultry, high stakes, series from Robert with plenty of familial machinations to come. I haven’t heard how many books we’re to expect but I am looking forward to the next story, and I think fans of her mafia O’Malleys will not be disappointed. For new fans, this is the perfect time to jump into the series and get to know the Kings of Texas from the start.

Robert again gives us a really good story. I wanted to read this book for two reasons – I’ve really liked the previous books I’ve read from Katee and the cover pic of a man with a motorcycle. As a rider myself, I liked Beckett the more because he loved the bike he’d put a lot of work into.

Beckett and Samara are well developed characters and I became invested in their story quickly. I got a bit tired of Samara’s fight to prove she was tough and in charge. She hung on to that too long for my taste. Their mutual attraction was sexy and really sizzled.

The ordeal Beckett was going through was intense. The story was well paced and well laid out. There was so much mystery as Beckett tracks down the truth. Even though the culprit was exactly who I expected the path to the ultimate reveal was engrossing.

I’ve enjoyed my previous Robert reads more but still heartily recommend The Last King. I hope the enigmatic Frank is the subject of the next book.

reviewed by Jem

I’m sorry to say that this will be the last book by this author I will read or even attempt to read. I no longer like her writing style which is on me. Not knowing this was a dark romance novel which I DO NOT READ is on the publisher and publicity team.

Beckett and Samara are business rivals who run hot and cold with each other. Beckett and Samara work for rival companies. She works for his aunt's company and he works for his father's company. There is bad blood between Beckett's father and his aunt and the feud goes back years. He and his cousins don't know each other because of the family rift and Beckett is pretty much an orphan. He gets news of his father's passing and is really the Last King.

He and Samara have a dalliance that barely cools down their hunger for each other. He is left reeling after news of his father's death causes questions to arise. He realizes that he needs Samara and tries to reconcile his feelings with what his head thinks should happen. He begins to get an uneasy feeling about his aunt's culpability in all of this and knows that he needs proof.

Samara is all about her job. She laments all of the sacrifices her mother made for her as a single parent and uses that as her crutch. She was kind of standoffish and totally rigid at points. She blindly followed Lydia without question for years. She claimed to be a pawn in their game, but didn't see that she was a pawn prior to that. Her work ethic was commendable, but using her Beckett as a way to stay in Lydia's good graces was unsettling to me.

The story was intriguing and quite well told. There were many layers to it and I found myself wondering what was going to happen next. It was interesting to see Samara and Beckett both let go and trust each other. I liked how it wasn't just an overnight decision. I can't wait for Journey and Frank's book next.

I received an ARC from NetGalley for my honest review.

Katee Robert is easily an auto-read author for me. I was so excited to hear about The Kings series. I'm a sucker for all things complicated families and the Kings sounded like that kind of family. I can always count on this author to deliver achingly swoony romances and she certainly delivered that here with The Last King.

I always have zero trouble falling for Katee Robert's heroes. Beckett was no different. He had a quiet intensity to him that I found very intriguing. I just wanted to peel all the layers of mystery surrounding his character. He was thrust into this position of high responsibility after his father's suspicious passing, but the guy was confident and pretty brilliant at his job. Beckett was a man who went after what he wanted and didn't bow down to others, a quality he most certainly needed to face his manipulative aunt. The only person he couldn't seem to woo was Samara. Samara was a fantastic heroine herself. She was very goal-oriented, confident and could absolutely crush you with her heels. I loved how ambitious and affirmative Samara was. Samara was also an Indian America and I appreciated the diversity. That being said, I do wish Samara's Indian representation had been a stronger element here than just mention of "samosa" and "biryani". There were also some Hindi words here that were not used properly. I'm hoping that this has changed in the final copy.

The romance between Beckett and Samara was really one of the highlights of The Last King. Their chemistry together was smoking and as always, the steamy scenes were out of the world. I love how Katee Robert's sexy-times scenes aren't just about the physical aspects of sex. She always manages to intertwine the emotional connection between the couple. Beckett and Samara had a "rivals to lovers" romance, a trope that I don't think we see enough of in romance, and it was done really well here. The tension between the two because of their positions was A+. I also could not get enough of the side characters here. I thought Beckett's whole family was just fascinating. I was especially intrigued by his aunt, Lydia King, who made for a pretty freaking awesome villain. Also, I'm already here for Journey, Beckett's cousin, and Frank, Beckett's best friend's, book. They are next so I don't have much of wait, thankfully!

The Last King was a great start to The Kings series. If you like your romances steamy with some hate-to-love dynamics, scandalous family feuds and headstrong characters, this is a book for you.

I'm almost halfway thru this book, and find myself trying to sneak moments to read it at work! Love her writing and this is another winner!

Families are fun, right? Especially dysfunctional ones? Well, the King family is dysfunctional with a capital D! Beckett King is the young heir to the family fortune, and from all outward appearances, he is going to step into the shoes his father left behind. But appearances can be deceiving.
Samara Mallick was raised in near poverty, and has vowed to never let a man waver her from her career path. But she can’t fight the pull from Beckett, and their chemistry both between the sheets and inside a boardroom is explosive! A few times, I had to pause and fan myself, the chemistry was that real!
From the beginning, I found Beckett intriguing and complex. On the surface, he exudes confidence and power, but internally, he craves love and support. He grieves for his lost family, but keeps that very close to the vest. When he lets Samara in, I may have swooned just a bit. I love when an author can make a character interesting and complex. Nobody is 100% good and nobody is 100% bad. Authors need to find the right balance between good and bad, while making the character loveable and believable.
I love when the main characters can show their vulnerable side to each other, but also show how strong they can be for each other. Over and over again, Beckett proves himself to Samara, and Samara is able to be the rock Beckett needs. They were both so strong, and yet both vulnerable! I loved it!
There is a lot of drama going on in the book, but I found myself hooked to my Kindle the entire time. Family drama at its best. I love when characters can surprise me, and many secondary characters, who I believe we will be seeing in future books, surprised me in good ways. (Sorry for being vague, I don’t want to spoil anything!)
Overall, this is a good book, and I am really invested in seeing where future books in this series will go!

Exciting and sexy start to a new series! Beckett's father dies under suspicious circumstances and the terms of the will leave a lot of questions, especially regarding what's been left to his estranged Aunt Lydia. Often competing for the same contracts, Lydia's employee Samara and Beckett have been at odds for years, though recently not so keen at denying their attraction. Smoking hot love scenes, suspenseful moments and a 'who done it' atmosphere pervade the story as it becomes clear someone wants Beckett completely out of the picture. While Beckett may be the last of the Kings under his father's line of succession, Lydia has four children and there are some good hints as to what is to come in the series. The plot is neatly wrapped up here and the HEA is well deserved for Beckett and Samara. Looking forward to reading more of the series!

This review will be posted at sale sites during release week. It's been posted at Goodreads.

The family feud between Beckett's father and aunt has made his life difficult. Now that his father has died the fight intensifies instead of cools down. His aunt is coming after his company and is using her second in command Samara. Samara and Beckett have had a friendly rivalry with an attraction that she has been fighting. Samara does not want to be any one's pawn and when she realizes that her mentor (Beckett's aunt) may be using her as one, she has to decide just where her loyalty lies. Plenty of back-stabbing, family intrigue and romance. Nice start to a new series.

This is my fifth book by Katee Robert, and my favorite by far. I'm really glad that I got in on this series from book one, because she has sufficiently teased the next book enough to make me eager to continue on. The plot was set up with some real meat to it, enough to warrant a long overarching storyline in the following installments. Ms. Robert has proven at this point that she can write in any genre. Whether it's mafia, a non-romance thriller, or straight contemporary, she always creates living, breathing, three-dimensional characters that effortlessly hook us.

If you like the enemies to lovers trope, this is the book for you. Samara and Beckett are adversaries in the oil industry they both work in, and there's certainly no love lost between them. Beckett King is the head of his family's dynasty, Morningstar Enterprises. Samara works for Kingdom corp, and reports directly to Beckett's estranged aunt, Lydia King.

From chapter one, when these two were in the same room together, sparks would fly with a vengeance. More often than not, Beckett was the victor in their bidding wars, and that caused considerable aggression and resentment from Samara. She's a fiercely competitive woman, and not especially fond of losing. I didn't really see any animosity coming from Beckett, he just looked at her as someone that he not only shouldn't, but couldn't associate with. Her loyalty to his viper of an aunt told him that getting mixed up with her could prove to be a grievous mistake. That didn't stop his attraction from blazing out of control and tempting him to cross lines that shouldn't be crossed.

Samara is equally attracted, but her will to become a success and further her career is a force to be reckoned with. Her ambition and drive was probably her best and worst feature all at the same time. While I thought it admirable that she wanted to honor her mother's sacrifices and avoid repeating her mistakes...she took things way too far. In fact, this was the one aspect of the story that didn't fully work for me, and it affected my final rating.

Let me start out by saying that I completely understood where she was coming from to put her career first, and her inability to trust Beckett. She had daddy issues a mile wide, and self-esteem issues because of her poor upbringing. Her goal to reach the highest rung in the corporate ladder meant safety and security-so putting her faith in a rich and powerful man like her father would be foolhardy. However, she stubbornly clung to this mindset, even when logically the truth should have slapped her in the face.

Beckett King was a wonderful hero. I never once questioned his motives or actions in the grand scheme of things. He may have played a little dirty at one point, but his conscience hit him hard when the situation forced his hand. This is a guy who genuinely cares for those around him, most especially the well being of the employees in his company. After just losing his father, loneliness hits him hard, and he yearns for someone he can trust and depend on. She may not have been that for him in the beginning, but he was determined to find a crack in Samara's armor and get through her defenses. Samara's attempts to keep him at arms length is no match for his dogged persistence.

As Beckett insinuated himself into her heart, danger escalated as they worked to uncover the truth behind his father's death and the mysterious change to his will. There was never really any doubt as to who masterminded things, but there was a question of who would be hurt in the crossfire when weapons were drawn.

I absolutely loved Beckett from beginning to end, but Samara was an acquired taste. She started out with a lot of sharp edges, but eventually softened and achieved the character growth that she needed.
If you're looking for a new series to follow, this could be a good bet for you. I'm excited to continue on with Journey and Frank's book, The Fearless King, which is due to be released next February. Frank is one of those mysterious and powerful characters that you want to know more about. It promises to be an exciting addition to the series.

***5 ‘Long Live the Kings’ Stars***

I loved The O’Malley’s and was quite sad that there would be no more books coming from the dysfunctional yet fascinating world and family, and then The King’s series was announced and the sadness started to dissipate and I made it a point to keep an eye out for The Last King and I was not disappointed! It was a fun, smexy, intense and kind of crazy read that was filled with characters I really want to know more about (like Frank...js) and kept me turning the pages to see not only what would happen next in Beckett and Samara’s dance, but also what crazy thing the baddie would do next.

I Adored Beckett! Adored. Yes, he’s grown up with a silver spoon and can be quite the shark when it comes to how he handles things when it comes to his company, but there is also this streak of...I hate to use the word, but goodness that is an inherent part of who he is. He definitely has his Alpha AF moments and, as I’ve said, can play dirty, but he’s a good man down to his very soul.

Samara. I loved her, I did, but she frustrated the hell out of me She’s determined, hard working and gives as good as she gets ~ if not more when the situation calls for and I absolutely loved all of that. But she needed to stop having conversations with herself in her head. Seriously, she was driving me batshit crazy with it. I understood why she felt the way she did, I did, but girlfriend needed to have a come to Jesus talk with herself a lot sooner than she did because I was ready to reach out and Gibbs smack her. I am thankful I didn’t have to, but it was close.

Beckett and Samara’s enemies(ish) to lovers journey was a fun one. The chemistry between them was intense, but what made it even more was the simple fact that despite everything they actually respected the hell out of each other. They’d never admit it, at least in the beginning, but it was there. Their bantering was sharp, but fun and the smexy was all kinds of panty melting goodness. Their road is a bumpy one and the push/pull is real, but in the end they end up exactly where they were supposed to be.
So, as you can tell, I’m totally excited about this series ~ and really, really happy that Frank’s book is up next (even if the is significant ~ it’s up next) ~ but that isn’t to say the rest of the King’s didn’t intrigue me, because they did, but it’s Frank. *BSEG* As for the storyline and the baddie ~ cray, cray but fun and when everything came together it all made sense to me. I loved the 3rd person dual POV’s with a smattering of other POV’s added in, which only helped to give the world more depth ~ at least as far as I am concerned. In the end, this was a great start to a new series and I can’t wait to see what the next book brings!

Katee Robert is an automatic one-click author for me. Her stories are always sexy, intense and filled to the tee with emotions and drama. I loved The Last King. Beckett and Samara were so hot and their banter was engaging and sexy. I also loved the underlying suspenseful theme and the turbulent family drama. This novel was fantastic!!

Faced with the untimely death of his father and now at the helm of his father's fortune and company, Beckett King decides he needs someone to trust on his side. Enter Samara Mallick - she is his competition and kryptonite and the only woman who sets his world on fire!! But Samara had trust issues and an extreme aversion to the wealthy and powerful after her own painful experiences. For this reason Beckett King represented everything she hated in life. But her body was not on the same wavelength as her mind. The results: pure and utter FIREWORKS!!

Gahh I loved this story. I thought it was fantastic and compelling and I was hooked from the get go. I loved all of the characters and loved that despite being at odds professionally, personally Samara and Beckett were the perfect people for one another. They both saw through each other's hard exteriors and knew their inner vulnerabilities and insecurities.

All in all this was fantastic and I can not wait for Frank and Journey's book. OMG it is going to be spectacular!! I would like to thank Netgalley and Forever Romance for an advanced copy of this book for an honest review. Bravo!! 4.5 stars!! ~Ratula

4.5 STARS


You know that feeling, when you open a book by an author you've never read before and the first couple of sentences give you that security that the writing style is exactly down your alley. This is what happenend when I started The Last King by Katee Robert. She has an effortless flow in her writing that makes it a pleasure to read.

Beckett King is heir to the Morningstar empire. His father just passed away and something about the way he died just doesn't sit right with him. The future of the empire he inherited is now in his hands, a job he has been preparing for all his life. The company competing with Morningstar Enterprise for supremacy is Kingdom Corp, run by his aunt and while Beckett might be connected by blood to her blood doesn't make a family.

Samara Mallick works for Kingdom Corp and short of being top management she has come a long way being. She frequently comes head to head with Morningstar's prince when both compete for bids but that rivalry only enhances their explosive sexual chemistry. And after getting a taste of the delicious man she never can quite forget him.

All her competition and desire was mirrored back at her in that kiss, his tongue sliding against hers as they both fought for dominance. Each move had a corresponding response as if they were dancing— or fighting.

While Samara comes across prickly, often times downright bitchy, give her a chance. There is a huge learning curve and growth coming her way and while she struggles with all the knowledge she gains; when Samara and Beckett become close she starts trusting the man she's falling in love with fast.

She has never had it easy - her father was a weak man and left her mother when she was pregnant with Samara. She doesn't want to repeat her mother's past so more than a little tumble in the sheets doesn't even cross her mind. It would be disastrous to hope for more when there is such an imbalance of power between them. I understood where Samara was coming from although her tenacity sometimes made me grind my teeth. And this is what Katee Robert did right and where many authors fail: She showed me Samara's change from a snappy, distant character to a lovely, devoted young woman. In the end I loved Samara so much.

God, her heart ached for him. He’d lost so much, and he just kept moving forward, barely missing a step.

Daddy issues is what Samara and Beckett have in common. After his mother passed away Beckett never saw eye to eye with his old man but now he realizes that he completely alone for the first time in his life. My heart broke a little for him. He is cocky, strong-willed, responsible with a fiercely protective streak. He takes Samara's worries and her career seriously and always acts in her best interest. Beckett is a charismatic, endearing and wonderful male character I couldn't help but fall in love with along with Samara. I loved his heart.

“I don’t give a fuck what the world throws at us. I’m keeping you, Samara.”

I love when authors educate their readers in an entertaining manner and Katee Robert won my ever-lasting devotion with this little dialogue between Samara and Beckett.

“What I wanted most in the world when I was in kindergarten was to be a trainer at SeaWorld.”
“Orcas or dolphins?”
He loved that she asked it with a straight face. Beckett answered just as seriously. “Orcas, of course. My mother took me there one weekend and I was convinced that the trainers were magic. It seemed like the most amazing thing in the world for them to work with such massive, majestic creatures.” He made a face. “That was before I grew up enough to realize what a tragedy it is to keep those animals in captivity.”
Samara pressed her lips together. “You donate to PETA, don’t you?”
“I can’t abide by some of their policies.” When she just stared, he huffed out a breath. “I donate to a small group of scientists that are funding research to prove how harmful captivity is for orcas.”

Those who know me, know that this is an issue close to my heart and I really loved that the author touched on the subject of harmful effects of orcas in captivity.

The story has suspense elements which I enjoyed a great deal. Although you know from the start who the villain is you never get bored. I wanted to see it all play out in the end and let me tell you, Beckett is also a little badass. There are secondary characters in this book I'm pretty sure we'll get stories about and I'm very much looking forward to them all. Next up is Frank, who is an enigmatic real estate mogul with a secret side career that has me intrigued. I loved Frank's and Beck's bromance in The Last King! From what I've seen of Journey, Beck's cousin, will give Frank a run for his money. Too bad I'll have to wait until 2019 to get these two in my hands!

This book was SO good! I guess I was kind of taken aback by just how much I liked it? I mean I usually don’t go for the rival business partners turned steamy lovers but for some reason this book made me love it? The story is about two rivals in the workplace Samara- who has been working under Beckett’s aunt for ten years now and is constantly butting heads with Beckett- the millionaire businessman whose father recently passed away suddenly and who can’t seem to shake his attraction for one of his aunts employees.
Ahh I just can’t get over how much I loved this! The romance was perfect pacing if you ask me, it wasn’t too fast or too slow and I felt like the plot line wasn’t what I was expecting at all which is what made this story all the more interesting (and nearly impossible to put down)!
Plus the sex scenes were steamy!! But they were also incredibly romantic and the way Samara and Beckett take care of one another while trying to deny their feelings.... OMG I just could not get enough! Once I picked up this book I literally could not put it down! Whether they were jet setting off to exotic places, staring down in the office, or having a steamy make out sesh this book is not one to miss and I highly recommend to anyone looking for an engaging read with a strong romance and lots of plot twists!!

The Last King was a mix of many things, a bit of suspense, betrayal, treachery, sexy times and a whole lot of dysfunction. I loved watching the main characters Beckett and Samara navigate their way through it while falling for each other. I also loved the secondary characters and can't wait to read their stories.

All in all I found this book enjoyable and I definitely recommend it.