I just really enjoyed this book. It was just really easy to get lost in this book. I will definitely be reading more by this author.

** spoiler alert **

I was looking for something a little different to read. When I came across this book on Netgalley the cover and synopsis just got me.

I was expecting one thing and got another with this book.
I really wasn’t feeling how things were going from the very first page. The synopsis makes you think you're going to get an erotic story about a soon to be king out to sow his wild oats.
A king From Gwokon. From the Gwokondenese monarchy.

say what?!...lol

But in reality... The main character Izzy is out to find out who killed her stepmother. She signs herself up to be in the virgin auction. It's the only way she thought of to get money and she's hoping she gets bought by someone from Gwokon!
Because the person who killed her stepmother happens to be from Gwokon!

Ummm what! this wasn't mentioned in the synopsis!...lol

I’m thinking to myself. This... is not what I signed up for! The whole story is mostly about how Izzy is trying to find the killer of her stepmother. It overshadowed everything between Nassor & Izzy.

I wish this book was more erotic and less mystery. And just overall more about Nassor and Izzy trying to make a relationship work with how they met and how they could make it work with Nassor being the king and Izzy being an American.

The whole human trafficking and dead stepmother wasn’t for me. And I think the synopsis should be changed so people know what they are getting into. Yes, the book had it’s sexy moments. But not enough for me to fall in love with this story.

I received a copy of SOLD TO THE KING on NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. Thank you to the publisher and author.

Five stars and here’s why:

LOVED IT! Total book hangover! At first, I wasn’t sure how I was going to feel about a virginal girl being auctioned off to a rich guy story. But, this story was sooo much more than that. Sure, that is how Nassor and Izzy meet, but then there is a whole plot surrounding her investigating her mother’s death and then how they come together and fall in love. If you like hella hot guys with a sensitivity streak, and smart, savvy girls then this book is for you. Highly recommend.

If you love dark, erotic romances, this shorter book will be perfect for a cozy night in!

It has all the elements from a suspenseful mystery to the heated closed doors all starting with one auction and a life on the move. I never realized just how complex and motivated this one was going to be (it's not just your typical adult romance).

The romance was fire as expected from her previous novels which I didn't realize were also hers. She's definitely an author I'll be keeping an eye out for!

A 4 out of 5 star read and comes highly recommended!

Sold to the King was a super hot read that I really enjoyed a great deal. It's the story of Izzy Lima, a teacher who puts herself up in a virgin auction to raise money to find out who had her stepmother killed. And Nassor, soon to be king, was at the auction for a last hurrah before responsibility to his kingdom was put on his shoulders. Lawd, he totally was sucked in by Izzy right from the jump, and I'm so glad that he wasn't a total douche, which so many heroes can be with this trope. Nassor was caring, with a big heart for an heir to the throne, and he & Izzy sizzled together. If that wasn't enough, there's obviously suspense since she's determined to get to the truth, so f-bomb dropping twists followed up the hotness. See, Nassor takes Izzy back to the country where her murdered stepmother was found, and she's not about to reveal those secrets to him. And we all know that secrets DON'T MAKE FRIENDS. So, to find out how it all panned out, you'll have to hit that one click button! HIGHLY RECOMMEND!

The pleasure of finding a new author to me is always amazing and when you enjoy that first book from that author it's like a cherry on top of the cake. Carmen Falcone and 'Sold to the King' as a couple of things going on

A male that will soon take a heavy burden on his shoulders, decided to have THAT one last dip in decadent fun. Soon his life will not be his own.

A daughter on a mission to bring some peace to her thought and avenge the death of her stepmother. The writer takes us to a country off the beaten path, full of intrigue and secrets steeped deep in tradition almost a world unto itself. Some things the new crown holder wants and will change but he will have a slow go at it. He steps in shoes that some of his people don't want him in. The young beauty has spent her time and money in finding what happened to her stepmother, now just where she wants to be eager to devel into Gwokon and its old stuff rules mainly how women are treated.

How much can he help? how much is he willing to risk for the feelings that are between them. Will she keep fighting for a ghost? or will both of them fight for a new way of life? grab Sold to the King and find out. Enjoy

Isabela is determined to find who murdered her stepmother. To get the money she needs, she's auctioning herself. Will she succeed? When Nassor Abadu sees Izzy, he wants her. He gets his wish. Now the stage is set! The soon to be crowned King brings her with him to his country, Gwokon. These two are an amazing couple. What starts out as a fling, turns into so much more. They have something special. I was impressed that Nassor actively helped her investigate her stepmother's death. Even though he realized this could have a negative impact on his reign. I liked that Izzy was a strong woman. She was willing to take chances to find the truth. Carmen Falcone has written a passionate romance with a touch of mystery and murder. I liked Kesia, Nassor's mother. She wasn't mean spirited. She made an effort to get to know Izzy. I liked that touch of humanity. Sold To The King was a special story.
I received a copy of this book which I voluntarily read and reviewed. My comments are my honest opinion.

Izzy is desperate to find out who is responsible for the death of her stepmother. The only way she can find to pay for the investigations abroad is to participate in a Virgin Auction. She is instantly attracted to Nassor the hot guy who was the highest bidder, its good luck he is from Gwokon, the country where her stepmother went missing. They travel there together and Izzy finds it difficult to hide the real reason she is with him. Another seriously hot and steamy story from Carmen Falcone. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this story. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I was very excited to read about a girl who was selling her virginity to get revenge on the country where her step mother was murdered. But what I found was a vulgar story that I just couldn't finish. This book was so disappointing with the sex that is involved in the story. It didn't feel real and basically it felt like just a smut book where the story itself didn't matter at all. This is the kind of story that degrades both men and women.

This is a “kind of” instant love story. Izzy wants to find out who killed her stepmother. She needs money to go to Gwokon, a country in Africa. That is the last place her stepmother went to meet a man she contacted online. So Izzy decides to sell her virginity in a safe, controlled auction house. Nassor, the soon-to-be Gwokon king, is indulging in this virgin auction before he has to focus all his time as being king. He wins Izzy and to her surprise, he takes her to Gwokon for one month. This will help her gather information about her stepmother. Izzy and Nassor are automatically drawn to each other. They are extremely sexy together. They fall hard and fast. But will Nassor break his country’s marriage traditions? Will Izzy trust Nassor enough to stay? This is a quick read that is very, very hot. And the mystery of Izzy’s stepmother is solved.

Since I read Auctioned to the Billionaire Greek (The Highest Bidder #1) I was granted the arc for Sold to the King (The Highest Bidder #2). And although I like Carmen's hot and steamy scenes, the story behind this one was a bit unrealistic.
Nassor is a future king, who wants to enjoy some good time before ascending the throne. So he goes to the Virgin Auction and buys himself Isabel for a month.
Izzy needs money to go to Gwokan, the country where her stepmother was found dead. Supposedly by an overdose, but Izzy knows for sure that she has been murdered. She is determined to find the killer and bring him to justice.
The whole revenge part was a bit over the top for me, but the rest of the story flowed quite nicely. In all, three out of five stars from me and a special thank you to Netgalley for providing the arc.

With his time limited, Nassor decides that he is going to live these next few weeks up. Go wild and crazy. One of the wild and crazy things is to attend the virgin auction, where he sees Izzy. Nassor knows at first sight he must have her... even if its for a limited time.

Izzy is selling her virginity; she has a good reason, revenge. She lucks out when it's Nassor, the soon to be king of the country she is needing to go to. Seems like everything is lining up. Only issue, she is attracted to Nassor, something that she was hoping wouldn't happen. With attraction comes feelings and soon it seems like the time with Nassor is not time enough.

I actually enjoy the selling the virginity trope. The whole, nervousness and then getting lucky when it's not the ugly fat guy but the hot one that wins you. I didn't care for the revenge plot, as that wasn't in the blurb I was a bit surprised by it. This does have drama and some nice naughty bits. I give this 3.5 stars.

Sold to the King is by Carmen Falcone in the Highest Bidder Series.
Izzy is determined to find out what happen to her stepmother after she killed meeting a man in Africa. Izzy find the only way get the money she needs is to sell her Virgin self in the Virgin Auction. Izzy not only get the money need she found out after the auction the future king Nassor who is the one who bid and won her.

The story is hot and steamy. In between the hot and steamy of the story you have romance that grows between Izzy and Nassor. I love that Carmen Falcone has more to the stories. I really like how this story had mystery to it. I like that you got learn about the main characters.

This was a book I had a hard time putting down. Five star!

This is a piece of erotic fiction that was enjoyable. Since this book had a plot where the reader could feel invested in the characters, I enjoyed this. Sometimes erotic novels don't have much of a plot and that is frustrating. I highly recommend this one!

I have read Carmen Falcone many times and never get tired of it!

Always well written sexy stories for adults... There is sex, but there is also a real story, a real connection between the characters. I can feel the emotions.

Hot scenes, mystery... the idea of the book was interesting, different, but even though I'm never disappointed in Carmen's books I must admit that "Sold to the King" isn't my favorite one. I wouldn't read it a second time.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC of this book. This is my honest review. All opinions are my own.

This was a great book that I did not want to put down. The story line and plot were both great.
It held my interest by having an equal amount of mystery and romance.


** I received a copy of this book from Net Galley in exchange for a honest review**

This was a very sexy book. I like Falcone's writing, her characters were well thought out and developed naturally. The issue, for me, lies in the world building. I didn't find the background plot/conflict very interesting or believable. I also find the "royalty from a fake African country" trope to be problematic and it was not handled with much finesse here. That said, the growing love between the two characters drew me in and I will check out Falcone's backlist. I think she definitely has something going for her writing, this just wasn't it for me.

I read the first book in this series (both total standalone) [book:Auctioned to the Greek Billionaire|46651875] and that was a pretty good book, so that was what I was expecting. Yes, I enjoyed this story, but I knocked down a star because there needed to be some editing done to this book.

This story is a good story, no real struggle with any intense problems, and the characters get along great. Yes, there is a mystery with why Izzy originally goes to the auction and why she needs to go to a certain country. But the struggle is not between the main characters.

If you are looking for an easy read and a sweet romance this is a read for you.

A steamy smoking hot romance book. I wasn't sure what to expect from this author but wow. Very intense scenes.

I've never read a book by Carmen Falcone, but the cover caught my eye on NetGalley and the blurb sounded unique. A virgin auction? Cool. A mystery to solve? Let's do it. I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review. And, honestly, for me, this book was seriously problematic.

There's something about having the king of an African country throw over centuries of tradition for a white American girl he's known for less than a month, and who he purchased for sex. Just think about those optics for a second. He's turning his back on being with any of the black women in his country because of what? Their connection? Aside from lust, what did we really see between them that lets the reader know they were going to be together - and happy - forever. She literally starts packing a bag the first time they have a fight.

Add in that her white American step-mother/(by the end) mother was falsely lured to this same African country to be a sex slave, and we have another problem. She almost avoided that fate, because her pimp fell in love with her and tried to keep him for himself, except then she was kidnapped anyway by the men who hired her pimp. The implication in the book is that she was raped and abused for two weeks, then killed by her kidnappers - the original people who hired her pimp in the first place. Think about what that says about race and power. Then consider the history of slavery between Americans and Africans. Not good. So not good.

Also, it bugged me that Guban, Candice, and Kesia only had one name, while the white employee, John Williams, has two. Why is that?

To me, this book is a stellar example of the the hyper-sexualization of African men and glorifying the appeal and idealization of a white, virginal, American heroine. For a book published in 2020, this gets a big no thank you from me.

Even when I tried reading it WITHOUT thinking about the racial issues, it still has icky bedroom issues. Why is he ALWAYS shoving three fingers inside her straight away? Even if she's ready, she hasn't had that much experience, so it's going to hurt. Then there's the deflowering scene itself. He's paid 1.5 million dollars for her virginity, but then he takes it in the woods and they aren't even naked. They might not have minded, but for me it was anti-climactic.

Overall, I was very disappointed in this book, this author, and (honestly) the publisher who sent this mess out there into the world. As the one star rating indicates, I did not like it.