Member Reviews
The Fearless King is a good fit for readers looking for a fast-paced contemporary romance with a focus on trust, loyalty, and overcoming past traumas.
I absolutely loved the first book in this series and was looking forward to reading Journey King's story and let me tell you Ms. Robert didn't disappont with her and Frank's stroy.
Journey finds herself in the position of having to fight for her company and she goes to Frank to help put her plan in motion which includes them pretending to be in a relationship. Which to the outside world looks real. What the people in their circle don't see is the bulding chemistry that has them both on edge because neither of them have experienced attraction like this before. The only problem is, is that Frank is entering a world that he knows is dangerous and things don't always happen on the up and up... putting it mildly.
I loved how this story built as I kept reading. The pacing was perfect and kept me on the edge of my seat. Both Journey and Frank have many sides to them and as their relationship becomes more real each day, they need to decide if they're both willing to risk it all to have a love neither of them were looking for.
The minute I started this book, I knew I was going to read it in one sitting because I HAD to find out where Ms. Robert was taking us. And the lost sleep was totally worth it!
My first time reading Katee Robert and I enjoyed it. The Fearless King puts two multifaceted characters together with intrigue and a lot of drama. Frank and Journey's romance was well paced and believable. My main critiques of this story is that Journey often came across as more of a damsel in distress and Frank an alpha male character, falling to two tropes in romance I'm not overly fond of. Additionally, while I knew this was part of a series going in, I wish I had read the previous book. The Fearless King does stand on its own fine, but I found myself wanting to know the world and characters Robert created better than I did jumping into book two.
So da** good…
If I loved Samara and Beck then I am obsessed with Journey and Frank! Broody, stoic Frank was the best of friends to Beck in The Last King. Learning more about him, who he is and why he is, surprisingly brought a lot of emotion to the table, something he is famous for not doing. Journey, of course, with her vicious demons and a public persona she wore so well, was a tower of strength. In spite of how she viewed herself as she dealt with new blows to her hard fought life. Together, she and Frank created a flawed (not broken) partnership with all the feels I could have hoped for….
While the faces they showed the world may have been fake, the feelings bombs and physical chemistry they navigated in private were all too real. Neither knew quite what to make of it, other than the other’s safety and emotions quickly became the most important things. Heated scenes, deadly threats and devastating truths made this a stomach-fluttering, relentless march to the truth. The villains in this series kept on upping their game and the devastation they left behind was heartbreaking…
These characters have quickly come to be well-loved and their stories, some of the best I've read. I hope there are more come because the series story arc is far from over…. And I need more Kings!
The Fearless King by Katee Robert. I was lucky enough to snag this one from NetGalley a while ago. Unfortunately, I started reading it a dozen times. Only when I forced myself to read thirty minutes straight did I start to feel involved in the story. I didn’t love it, though. There was entirely too much introspection. Ugh! Brooding, brooding, brooding. The dialogue was also very strange. It felt like there were sentences missing. The characters kept making inferences that didn’t make sense and just caused trouble. I also didn’t find the story line believable. People can be cruel, yes, but this went way beyond that. I still consider Robert one of my go-to writers. This book just fell short.
It was fine.
I expected more and this fell a little flat for me, which is highly unusual for Robert. I enjoyed each character individually but together they needed more time to develop. This is a couple that would've been served better in a third or fourth book in a series. (Kind of like Dmitri and Keira from Bastard)
Passion, drama, intense emotion, a good dose of push and pull... I enjoyed this one quite a bit. It was steamy, well written, very readable. A Solid read.
Upon the return of her father, millionaire Journey King scrambles to keep him at bay. In an attempt to control her father, Journey goes to Frank Evans and entices him to become a fake boyfriend. However, neither one of them expected to fall in love.
Verdict: This is the second installation of the Kings series by Katee Robert. Okay, so let me be frank, I did not read the first book in the series when I started this one….and I was somewhat stuck. Right from the get go it was obvious there was a ton of back history I was missing out on. I had to stop reading this book, and go to the previous installment and read that one first. Then I started to read “The Fearless King” again. Overall it was really well done and I loved the interracial relationship aspect. Most main stream romance novels only have strictly white couples even through society does not reflect the same.
Journey King manages her family's business. They are just getting back to normal after the problems with her mother when her father shows up and is threatening to remove her from the company. Normally strong and independent Journey struggles because of what her father did to her in the past. She turns to the last person expected to help her since he was instrumental in helping remove her mother from the company. Frank knows better than to get involved, but has always been intrigued by Journey and agrees to help her. They have to pretend to be dating in order to get him close to her family. After being successful in stopping her father they know it is not over and their lives are in danger. A suspenseful story of two broken people who work together and help each other heal. I look forward to the next King sibling's story.
First, the title of this book is misleading or at least the cover art, Frank Evans is not a King. But getting his story next in the installment was definitely fine with me. He's got his empire to take care of and dealing with the Kings is not his top priority. Yet when Journey comes to offer him a proposition, no would be the prudent answer, but we all know he's not best at ignoring Journey.
With Elliot Bancroft back in town the King family is at battle stations. But Journey is done being the weak link, when the business is threatened she's taking a stand and asking for help. We certainly couldn't predict the outcome when Journey and Frank join forces. Are they strong enough to deal with the danger that's lurking?
This! Was! Very! Good! Very well done, emotional high stakes contemporary and it’s always nice to see corporate scheming that isn’t Billionaires With Oodles of Wooing Time. I appreciated how the potential prejudices of an interracial relationship in Deep South high class society were handled without becoming the main conflict, though I have to say MASSIVE TW on this one for childhood abuse.
I was however very much here for Ladies saving the day, yes please, always.
Received in exchange for a honest review.
I have to say Journey’s dad and grandmother make her mom look sweet and to be a pussycat. Wow. What her dad was doing to get what he wanted was just wretched. To think anyone would do that to your children is just all kinds of wrong. But than again the past with him wasn’t a cake walk either for them.
Journey is a strong, stubborn woman who is pushed to the brink in this book. She turns to Frank as a last resort. The attraction between them was beyond sizzling and it didn’t help the situation. Nor did the fact that Frank knew her better than she knew herself. He didn’t give up on her and he respected her. He also stood by her side even when that was against his nature and he wanted to protect and fix things for her. He had to learn to be her support system and help when asked. That was hard for him. Journey had to learn to let Frank in and trust him. That he wasn’t the enemy but an ally and a good one to have. She had to learn to let go and open up to him as well. They both learned to let each other in and allow their emotions to come out. The danger Journey and her brothers and sisters were in was really felt through her emotions and the writing.
Frank was a strong stubborn man who really shows us what determination can get you. He is a fixer and when Journey needs help he wants to fix instead of letting her find her way. They both need to fix themselves before they can be together. I love how Frank challenges Journey and pushes her to be herself and let others in. Pushes her to learn it is okay to ask for help and that not everything comes at a price. He was a good partner for her because they challenged one another,respected each other but also understood each other.
As the danger becomes more palpable and we see her dad raise the stakes, we see Journey begin to strengthen her character and her desire to protect those she loves and that includes Frank. Their romance was rocky and explosive and the ending was truly amazing. I love how they come together and fix each other by giving one another the strength of support and understanding. And seeing them protect and help one another in the end was great.
A story filled with danger, love, family and loyalty. Where two characters find a way to let each other in and grow together as they face danger head on and fight with all they got.
Journey and Frank’s story had me intrigued from the first book. Frank is this mysterious character and Journey has this ice queen persona but he can easily see the truth behind the facade she maintains. Coming to Frank for help was the best thing she could have ever done for herself because he is exactly the protector she needs in her life. At the same time he gives her the boost of confidence she needs to face her demons while encouraging him to face his own.
First thought on finishing The Fearless King... ”that was fucking brilliant!!!”
I'm loving The Kings series and Katee Robert keeps hitting it out the park with these reads!
I've been looking forward to Journey's story since she was introduced to us in The Last Thing and Ms Robert did not disappoint!
Journey King present to the world as a ballsy, strong, tough talking woman but under that hard shell she's broken, a little busted and quite fragile and it take Frank Evans literally no time at all to spot this about her.
Frank has fought with everything he has to get to where he is in life and the last thing he has time for is a relationship of any kind, regardless of how attracted to Journey he might be!
When the pair embark on their fake relationship neither of them could imagine how things would turn out or just how much Journey would depend on Frank to keep her sanity and battle her father on his return to Houston - Mr Evans is a most unexpected knight in (not so) shining armour!!
Gripping and complex, TFK continued the story arc that began in book one of the series and it had me hooked from chapter one. Katee Robert has a wonderful writing style and is a definite auto-buy for me.
This is a solid 5* read that I'd most definitely recommend.
Secrets, deception, intrigue, passion and love – THE FEARLESS KING has it all!
THE FEARLESS KING is a must read if you enjoy a romance with multi-faceted characters, who are constantly revealing layers of themselves throughout their story, if you enjoy seeing an alpha male fall for a slightly damaged yet strong female and if you love stories with strong secondary characters.
THE FEARLESS KING is marketed as a standalone, but I feel it would be enjoyed more if you read book 1, THE LAST KING first.
4 stars
The Fearless King by Katee Robert is a well written, well paced, emotional read and I really enjoyed it.
Watching Frank and Journey's relationship unfold had me turning the pages late into the night. I loved their chemistry and their passion.
The Fearless King is a great addition to The Kings series and I highly recommend it.
*Thank you to the publisher via Netgalley for the ARC.*
Frank is a sexy mofo and I love him so much-
I definitely enjoyed this one more than the first book. It was easier to get into, and I basically fell in love with Journey and Frank from the start. I love how protective Journey and Frank of each other, and the sexy times? A+++.
Also, Journey and her siblings reminded me of the O'Malleys and now I'm nostalgic. Might just reread the books now.
The Last King by Katee Robert was one of my favorite books of 2018, so I was beyond excited to get a hold of The Fearless King. I wasn’t disappointed!
Frank Evans appeared in book 1 as Beckett’s best friend. He’s a real estate mogul and general financial powerhouse in Houston, and he has an extensive network of information gathering and general badass employees across the city. In other words, he gets things done. Journey King is Beckett’s estranged cousin, and after Beckett drove her mother out of town in the last book, the energy company the family runs has been scrambling to adjust. Journey and Frank clearly have some unacknowledged attraction, but they try to stay far away from each other. When Journey’s father shows back up and puts their control of the company in jeopardy (and terrorizes Journey in the process), she turns to Frank for help.
This series is not too melodramatic or cheesy to be tolerated, but it does include piles of drama for a rich Texas family. For me, it strikes the right balance between soap opera and romantic suspense. You do have to suspend a bit of disbelief, however. You have to believe that these families could really be so cold and calculating, and you have to believe that there won’t be any serious legal or social consequences for anyone at the end of the book. I was down with it; you may not be.
Journey’s father is a straight up garbage human being. Trigger warning: Journey and her siblings were physically abused by their father as children. There are no graphic descriptions given; in fact, no one says much beyond acknowledging the abuse (and mentioning it was not sexual). The book is not abuse porn! In some ways, though, the lack of description makes it a bit harder to understand Journey’s terror. She is clearly terrified of her father and has suffered severely because of the abuse for her entire life. Her father’s mere presence sends her into an emotional and physical tailspin, which is what leads her to seek help from Frank. We just have to trust that something very, very messed up happened in Journey’s childhood.
My favorite part of the book is Journey’s growth. She starts the book constantly calling herself “the weakest link.” She believes she is broken and incapable of standing up to her father as a result of his emotional abuse. He conditioned her to believe she was weak. As the book goes on, however, Journey starts to believe in herself again. She realizes she has a role to play in protecting her family and Frank, and that gives her a sense of purpose and courage. I just loved seeing her transformation! I also love that while Frank’s support is a comfort and helps her see herself through new eyes, he is not the one who “fixes” her.
I also appreciated that this book acknowledges that Frank, an African American, faces racism, and that that racism has shaped his choices and his personality. His father went to prison unfairly because of a justice system biased against him, and Frank is always aware that no matter how much money he makes, he will always be looked down on by racist Houston socialites. Kudos to Katee Robert for not glossing over Frank’s skin color and for acknowledging that racism exists, even in Romancelandia.
While I’m not quite as in love with this book as I was with book 1, I am 100% here for the King family and this series.
Grade: 4 out of 5
The heart of the story of The Fearless King is a lifting up of the two protagonists as better people in themselves, because they’re together as a couple. Love, the rare equalizer of all humans, paradoxically allows the individual to shine uniquely.
Robert beautifully sidesteps the common romance genre trope of the other person being “the one,” which is built upon a scaffolding of illusion and unattainable ideals. By acknowledging the flaws in each other, both the protagonists enter the relationship by choice and with clarity. Thus their connection is at once grounding and elevating. These two in all their humanity are much more appealing with their personalities revealed, warts and all. In fact, Robert’s story lies in these imperfections and how the two come to accept and appreciate them and feel compassion for each other..
A connection between two strong, prickly people is always fraught with hidden undercurrents, but Robert has her protagonists navigate its shoals with delicacy and finesse. They do not allow their budding relationship to be shadowed by the constant menacing presence of Elliott and the mystery behind his actions. Love blooms where it is planted, and Robert does a marvelous job of showing exactly how.
https://frolic.media/the-heart-of-a-story-the-fearless-king/
Although I have not yet read the first book in this series, I didn't really feel like I was missing anything or that anything was left out. Robert has a way of giving enough back story that you know what's happened previously, without it becoming an info dump.
What I liked about this book was Journey's transformation and Frank's unwavering support. Sensitive subjects were handled with respect and sensitivity. (Kudos to Robert for writing a POC character and their experiences without getting preachy.)
What I didn't like was some of the clothing choices. It's a little thing, but when a person is traumatised or about to confess a long held secret I would expect them to wear layers as protection/comfort, as had happened earlier in the book.
I also wasn't a fan of how Anderson was spoken about like an all-powerful protector, but then he seemed to flail helplessly when danger appeared.
Overall, Robert has delivered another incredible read. She knows how to weave an interesting tale, liberally sprinkled with steamy hot scenes. I can hardly wait for the next in the series, and I'm eager to grab a copy of Beckett's story!