It has been a few months since I read one of the Kings of the Castle series so today as I was scrolling through my kindle looking for a book, I came across King of South Shore by MarZe Scott. I had enjoyed the other books of the Kings of the Castle series, so was looking forward to starting King of South Shore. As you will remember in one of the previous books meeting Kaleb Valentine and briefly learning about his house being burned down. Kaleb Valentine is the King of South Shore and back in the brotherhood fold and Chicago for the first time in years. He left Chicago to save those he loved and distance himself from the gang Sovereign Kings as Kaleb when he was younger was one of the ones known as Baby Kings. Now he is back and wanting to help make his brotherhood go legit. Kaleb's job is buying real estate and making failing communities into thriving areas. Two of the storylines in Kaleb's story are his falling for Skylar who works at Reno's shelter and Kaleb trying to get the drop on Killa aka Jeremiah - the new leader of the Sovereign Kings and bring him down which is difficult when they have cops in their back pockets. I have to admit Kaleb's story wasn't one of my favorites as he also felt distanced from the other brothers and they were in the division over whether they are Kaleb's friend or not whereas some of the brothers are closer than others. It felt like Kaleb was on the outside of the inner circle and only there due to Vikkas and Reno.

King of South Shore by MarZe Scott is another great addition to the Kings of the Castle series. I definitely will recommend it to my followers.

I am gonna be honest with you guys, I am getting tired of all these kings, yup my fault I asked for them. anywho .I did enjoy seeing how Kaleb developed into his character, he did grow up. And the woman for him is Skyler she was made for him and did not back down, and that my friends I respect.

Kaleb, one of the returning Kings of the Castle, returns to Chicago after a mysterious fires causes issues in one of the buildings he owns. Trying to stay under the shadow is no easy feat, especially since people from his past want to do harm. While tiring to salvage his name, he meets Skyler, who helps his brother Reno run a shelter for women and has to make sure he doesn't make things worse in her life.

Although it's part of a series, the only book that you'll need to read beforehand is the Kings of the Castle book, which gives an introduction to the entire series. I enjoyed the banter between the characters in the book, as well as the flow of the story line. I'm definitely keeping up with this author and the rest of her work. She did a very good job with the story.

I received a copy of this book via the publisher and netgalley and am voluntarily leaving an honest review.

This book was incredibly short, and for a book with so few pages, I don't feel like enough happened. It says in the synopsis that Kaleb doesn't really have time for romance with his criminal career, and that is made apparent throughout the narrative. No where near enough romance! I struggled to want to keep picking this up, unfortunately!

ARC received for review

Well, at least this one had a little romance with Reno's assistant (book 2) but everything else was all over the place. I put it down and picked it up way too many times for only 159 pages.

I keep thinking the next book in this series will change it around and save it, but I don't think that's happening. I'm done with this series.

King of South Shore by bestselling author, MarZe Scott, is book six of the nine book Kings of the Castle series penned by various female authors. Book one, Kings of the Castle is an introduction to all of the Kings, with emphasis on Vikkas Germaine. Books two through nine are standalones with no cliffhangers and can be read in any order, though I’m reading them in sequence.

Nine former students of Khalil Germaine, now Kings of The Castle, are recruited by their mentor to root out and eliminate the corruption that has infiltrated The Castle, initially a humanitarian endeavor. They vow to protect The Castle and each other from future attacks, while searching for the person or persons responsible for the attempted assassination of their mentor, Khalil, and his son, Vikkas. Along the way they meet some extraordinary women. This is Kaleb Valentine’s story.

Kaleb Valentine is a commercial and residential real estate developer in the Metro Detroit area. His youthful reputation as a violent member of a Mexican gang has followed him into his successful adulthood. He’s accused of a heinous crime that has his fellow kings and the woman he loves doubting his character and credibility.

Skyler Pierson is the transition coordinator at the Second Chance at Life Women’s Shelter. She meets Kaleb when he becomes a frequent volunteer at the shelter, owned and operated by Reno DeLuca, Kaleb’s fellow king and longtime friend. Skyler knows that Kaleb volunteers so he can get closer to her but has too much going on in her life to be thinking about a romantic relationship. Just when she’s warming to Kaleb’s pursuit, she learns of his alleged crimes and is shocked and horrified that she almost gave her heart to the worst kind of criminal.

King of South Shore is worthy of its inclusion in the noteworthy Kings of the Castle series. Scott presents well-developed, likable leading characters. The plot has more than enough suspense to grab and keep the reader’s attention while maintaining the continuity of the series.

This is another great addition to the series and I give it 5 out of 5 stars. I recommend it to anyone who enjoys multicultural romantic suspense or well-written contemporary romance. There is explicit sexual content that may be offensive to some readers.

My thanks to Independent Publishers Group and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advance copy of this book. However, the opinions expressed in this review are 100% mine and mine alone.

Wow! Just as I thought this series was taking a turn for the worst.. as I didn't really enjoy the last two.
But this sixth book in the King of the Castle series does not disappoint. It's thrilling, romantic and was a pleasure to read.
Kaleb Valentine is the King Of South Shore who fled Chicago along with his mother. Kaleb was apart of gang but not really apart of the gang he only joined to be close to a friend of his father who was a unsavory character who had ties to the original Kings Of The Castle.
Loved this one so much.!

Kaleb Valentine is the King Of South Shore who fled Chicago along with his mother. Kaleb was apart of gang but not really apart of the gang he only joined to be close to a friend of his father who was a unsavory character who had ties to the original Kings Of The Castle.

Kaleb is a millionaire who has property in hometown Chicago. He has been summon to Chicago by his mentor Khalil whom someone has tried to kill and Khalil has not only summoned Kaleb but 8 other men whom he mentored to. While Kaleb is in Chicago a policeman from his pass has called him about a arson at one of the building that he has purchased and 5 young girls were instead and 4 of the young girls died and Kaleb is determined to find out what happened and who is out to get him.

We met Skylar in Reno's in books "King of Chatman" she is Reno's fiesty assistant whom Kaleb has finally open his heart to after his ex Meme who was once his business partner has been found out to be doing some very not so nice things that effected his company.

Once again all of the Kings of the Castle have to ban together to help Kaleb the King Of South Shore which will get them closer to who attempted to kill Khalil their mentor and the mystery, deceit and danger surrounding the castle.

King of South Shore is the sixth book in the King of the Castle series and MarZe Scott does not disappoint. The story is a drama packed, riveting and romantic read that is sure to have readers glued to their seats! As with the other books in the series to date, each man focuses his personal goals on what’s prevalent to the collective, and family is always front and centre to all decisions. The Kings are definitely living up to my expectations and the women they choose as their queens are worthy of their love. Intense romance and great plots are what make all these books so enjoyable.

I did enjoy this one but I did find the story a little confusing at times which did detract from my enjoyment as I felt that I was trying to sort out who was who, and who was doing what when I should have just been able to pick up the story and get involved.

The characters were good and they worked well together and it was an enjoyable story and could easily have been a five star read had the plot line been a bit more organised and sorted out. It is 4 stars from me for this one.

I LOVE this series. Out of all the books I have been the most excited to read Kaleb's story. Every since I read about him in Reno's book I have been intrigued about his backstory and his love story that was hinted at with Skyler. This book was easy to read and the characters were easy to follow along with after reading the initial Kings book so long ago. I loved how we not only got to see how Kaleb became a king but his development over the years going from gangs to informant to developer. Skyler is just a strong woman character it was refreshing to see her go toe to toe with Kaleb at the shelter along with seeing her finally give in when he declared his love for her. This is book 6 out of 9 and I do not want this series to end.

Thank you netgalley, MarZe Scott and KeLacar Enterprises for allowing me to read this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

MarZe Scott’s King of South Shore is spot on! Kaleb Valentine was part of one of Chicago’s most notorious gangs as a pre-teen. At the age of fourteen, he shot a rival gang member to death. But after serving a short sentence, he went to live with family in Detroit and turned his life around. He became a top real estate developer. Two things happen that turn his world upside down. First, he gets invited to become a King of the Castle, which includes a request for him to develop a complex in his old Chicago neighborhood—but that will bring him face-to-face with the past he is striving to stay away from. On the other hand, this move will put him in the path of
Harper Pierson, a woman who captures his attention. But Harper’s mind is only focused on getting women out of a lifestyle that could lead to their deaths. Kaleb’s challenge to stay on the side of right and his fight to capture Harper’s heart make for a real page-turner.

3.75 stars--KING OF SOUTH SHORE by MarZe Scott is the sixth instalment in the multi-authored / multi- cultural KINGS OF THE CASTLE romantic suspense series focusing on nine ‘brothers’ from the streets of Chicago (Vikkas, Reno, Shaz, Jai, Daron, Kaleb, Grant, Dro and Dwayne) mentored and taught by the mysterious Khalil Germaine at the exclusive Macro International Magnet School in Chicago. This is King of South Shore real estate developer Kaleb Valentine, and women’s shelter worker Skyler Pierson. KING OF SOUTH SHORE can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty but I recommend reading KINGS OF THE CASTLE (Book one) for backstory. Skyler Pierson was first introduced to the reader in the King of Chatham, book two.


Told from dual third person perspectives (Kaleb and Skyler) KING OF SOUTH SHORE follows Kaleb Valentine, a former gang banger who turned evidence years before, as he endeavours to reinvigorate and revitalize the South Side of Chicago but all does not according to plan when the former gang known as the Sovereign Kings, attempts to recruit the one time member, in an effort to take over the territory Kaleb is trying to uplift. When a fire at one of Kaleb’s properties results in the death of five young women, Kaleb becomes the number one suspect in the eyes of the law. Kaleb’s reputation as a former gang banger precedes his return to Chicago and his re-introduction to the Kings of the Castle, a reputation that pits Kaleb against the ‘brothers’ who are struggling to trust our story line hero. Meanwhile Kaleb has fallen for Skyler Pierson, the woman who works side by side with Reno DeLuca, but a woman who will be come collateral damage when Kaleb asks Skyler to help with a young runaway who is refusing to talk. What ensues is the building relationship between Skyler and Kaleb, and the potential fall-out as the Sovereign Kings are determined to take control of Chicago’s South Side.


Kaleb Valentine fell in love with Skyler Pierson from their first introduction but Kaleb found himself pulled back into the world of the South Side gangs, a world of which he was hoping to take down. Skyler Pierson is fiercely protective of the clients at the local women’s shelter and thusly struggles with the unscheduled appearances of Kaleb Valentine. As Kaleb begins a slow seduction of the woman with whom he will fall in love, Skyler will be targeted when threats against Kaleb become personal and dark. The $ex scenes are intimate and limited, but I had to roll my eyes at the cringe-worthy ‘sexy talk’.


Most of the Kings of the Castle play secondary and supporting roles. We are introduced to Skyler’s extended family, including her daughter’s and feisty mother; Sovereign Kings leader Jeremiah ‘Killa’, and Zephyr and Aisha from the author’s previous release Gemini Rising.


KING OF SOUTH SHORE is an intriguing and entertaining story with a colorful and energetic cast of characters.


Copy supplied by Netgalley


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Excellent addition to the series. Each author provides a unique perspective in providing characters that continue the series, but in a way that adds even more to the saga.

King of South Shore, Book 5 of a standalone series about a group of handsome, intelligent, and powerful men who protect the women they love and each other all while trying to find out who made an attempt on their mentor’s life. Kaleb, an award-winning commercial developer, has a bit of an edge, mostly due to being in Witness Protection from his teen years after doing what it takes to save his mother from harm. When five bodies turned up in the charred remnants of a newly purchased proper, the past comes back with a vengeance and so does the people who have impacted his life—two of which were directly related to his father’s murder.

Skylar is a survivor who now works at Reno Deluca’s (King of Chatham) shelter for women escaping tragic circumstances. Her ex is pulling out all the stops to make her life completely miserable, then her situation is made worse when someone targets her as a way to bring Kaleb in line with their requirements. The two are an unlikely pairing, but the story is skillfully done in a way that makes it engaging and a page-turner.

--USA TODAY Bestselling Author, Naleighna Kai