Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
Spice: 🌶🌶/3

Quote: “At the risk of stating the obvious, it didn’t work … your plan. Instead of making me believe you’re not the kind of man who could ever satisfy me, you made me realize you might be the only one who can.”

Summary: Bryn Meara insists that she’s just a normal, midwestern girl, visiting Vegas with a coupon in hand for a free stay at Nightfall- one of Vegas’ largest casinos. When Nightfall owner and fae king of the exiled Night Court Caiden Verran locks eyes with her in the lobby for a heated moment, little does Bryn know her entire world is about to be flipped upside down.

This book was exactly what I needed! I absolutely adored the plot and characters, Caiden is 100% a new book boyfriend of mine 😍 I was worried at first since their fae realm sounded a little too similar to Prythian, but I found the plot to be creative and such a fun and captivating read! And I LOVE the Vegas casino vibe, especially mixed with the magic and power of the fae!

I genuinely felt like this book was partially an introduction to kink which I wasn’t mad about 😂 Think Neon Gods (but honestly even better), Fifty Shades, red room, that sort of thing. All I’m gonna say is Caiden sure knows how to work a woman 😮‍💨 and the way he calls Bryn “Beauty” 😩 *swoons*

Overall, the first book in The Deviant Kings Series was well-written, captivating, and such a pleasant surprise. And the ending led perfectly into its sequel, The Rebel King, which I’ll be so excited for! I highly recommend if you’re interested in drunk-night mixups, forced marriage, ballroom scenes, guys falling first (and their POV), and of course, kink 😉 The Dark King comes out September 27th, this is one you won’t want to miss! 💛

4.5⭐️ 4🌶

“Do you want my cock, Beauty?” “Yes, my king.” “Then keep your eyes on me…and crawl to it.”

This was my first Gina L. Maxwell book and I want to go read everything else she has written. I loved it!

After unexpectedly losing her job it seems the universe is throwing some good luck Bryan’s way when she wins a free trip to Vegas including accommodations in the best hotel on the strip. Her first night there Bryn locks eyes with the hotel owner Caiden and sparks immediately start flying. They have an amazing night together but they next morning they are shocked to find they got married and neither of them remember it.
But Caiden isn’t just a billionaire hotel owner, he is the Fae King of the Night Court and Bryn is about to be plunged into fae politics.

The world building in this book was fantastic. It drew heavily on fae lore and tossed in a bit of Beauty and the Beast. I loved all the characters. Bryn was charming, kind, and adventurous. Caiden unsurprisingly was a control freak who needs to be dominant in the bedroom. But he had a soft side as well that just made me melt, when he wasn’t being so silly I wanted to slap some sense into him.

The spice in this book was so good. Their first night together, at least the one they could both remember was 🔥. This book contains BDSM, impact play, degradation, edging, forced orgasms, and a little blood play.

Thank you to NetGalley and Entagled Publishing for this ARC.

I was pleasantly surprised by this book! Caiden is a dominant alpha and Bryn is sassy. The perfect combination! Loved the steam in this book!

*I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

My guilty pleasure will always and forever be Paranormal Romance. Bonus points if it’s spicy. And this sparkling little number delivered on every front.

This fun escapism had that smoldering alpha male as the love interest, delectably possessive and overflowing sexual appeal. He thrived in scenes where he is dominant with Bryn. Sexy af

Bryn was an equally fun protagonist to follow, able to match and meld with Caiden’s chemistry. It sparkled on the page.

Delicious, delightful, exactly what I was in the mood for. Definitely recommend to any and all PNR fans, as well as someone who’s looking for some rough spice. Hands down, fun, over the top read.

Bryn Meara takes a trip to Vegas where she meets the sexy Caiden Verran. One night changes her entire life. This is a story filled with spice, magic, and mystery. It was an enjoyable and captivating read.

I haven’t read anything by Gina Maxwell, but the synopsis of The Dark King sounded intriguing enough for me to want to read it, I mean when you mention dark fantasy and Fae? I wanna read what this one is about! Overall, it doesn’t disappoint but it does leave you wanting more.

The story was interesting enough where it kept my attention and also makes for a fast paced read. I was drawn in by the initial plot but stayed for the dynamic and banter between the two main characters, Bryn and Caiden. As much as I loved the banter between the two, I found his brothers to be a great addition (and brought much humor) to the story as well.

The one aspect that I wish there was more of was detail. Detail in the world building (a Fae world in Vegas? possibilities could be endless! and I wanted more of it) and detail in the characters. There is character development but I felt like it could have expanded a bit more (unless of course that will be divulged in the next book).

The spice was well written and justified. I do like when an author writes spice where it’s needed and not to just throw in a scene. On that note and for those that were wondering, I found it to be 3/5 stars. It wasn’t as dark as I thought it would be, but that could be a personal preference as well.

I wasn’t overly fond of the ending (which is where it starts to pick up again.. of course! ;) so I’m interested to see where book two leads.

Thanks again to NetGalley for providing me a copy of the eARC! :)

I absolutely adored this book!!! While I may not usually go for dark romance books, this one really surprised me. The tension between the characters was done beautifully and their individual depictions made them very relatable characters. The plot flow of the story was a little slow at first, but eventually picked up after a few chapters into the book. I cannot wait to read more from this author!

Oh damn, I loved every last second of this book. Not only was the spice perfect but the story line was perfection. I really enjoyed every single character and their connections to one another. I loved the world building and that this was set in Vegas. The fact that the ending was a cliff hanger was great and I cant wait for the next book!!

Thank you for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

The description of this book was perfect mix of 50 shade with hot faeries.mobsters. Ms Maxwell has a gift of creating a world that is like our but with a touch of magic i really enjoy the book and I am reading it again to make sure i did not miss anything cant wait for the next book in the series. The mystery of what happen after the bar to the couple waking up the next morning married. I love the sex the violence and the mystery. Ms Maxwell has a great gift of making you care about the Caiden his brothers and Bryn. Will be buying for the my library.

This book was such a pleasant surprise! I went in completely blind and I was not mad about it. Absolutely loved this spicy dark romance with the added fantasy - two of my absolute favourite genres.

Caiden and Bryn’s relationship was hot and steamy from the get go which I enjoyed along with the duel POVs which I think is a must!
Who doesn’t love a billionaire, grumpy dom MMC with a fun sub FMC?! Not to mention the forced proximity trope which is one of my absolute favourites.

This book is definitely one to get you out of a reading slump! Thoroughly enjoyed and will not be the last I read from this author!!

One of the top reads of mine this year. I loved loved it.

The tropes
Dark
Erotica
Forced proximity
Surprise marriage
BDSM
Include fae/faeries

It was an addicting mix of sexy and romantic.
With twists and turns.
The author did an amazing job with this one. Since this was an ARC, it is a spoiler free review.
I received this book via NetGally.

What happens in Vegas should stay in Vegas? This is always said the day after about the poor decisions made the night prior as you try to convince yourself moving forward. But what happens if you wake up in the bed of a Fae king ?!? soul bound to him by magic as his mate?!?😳 I don't think there is a divorce that will separate the soul. Eek, we may not be in Kansas anymore, Todo.

Caiden and Bryn's story is passionate and explosive. The chemistry, dang near sets the pages on fire🔥 . These two felt like, through time and space, they were needn't for each other. It was only now that they had finally met again.

"I feel as though I started loving you the moment I took my first breath, and I'll love you more each night until I take my last. You are forever my king, in this life and the next."❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥

Charming and surprisingly caring, the Fae King is a dichotomy of light and dark. He had the brooding exterior and dark nebulous of an aura, but to those closest to him he is kind and humorous, panty-melting hot and swoon-worthy.

His new mate is tough and good through some major character growth. The love she has for her mate is equal if not more than his.

"Make me yours. Claim me as only my king can."🥰

A story full of drama and passion, it's more than the main characters. A lineup of side characters help to enrich and enliven this story. Sometimes they can detract from a story, but in this case felt they only added to the overall plot. I had hoped for more world-building around why the dark fae were banished. There was some, but would have like more because what was there was so much more interesting than the human world we know.

I have never read a book by this author, but after reading this story G. Maxwell will be on my TBR list.

** Thank you to NetGalley and the author for the opportunity to review this advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion **

Thank you to NetGalley and Entangled Publishing for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I was so excited to read this after reading the synopsis.

-A brooding billionaire
-Instant attraction
-Fae(!)
-Grumpy/sunshine
-Kinks

All these ingredients make for a must read in my eyes.

Caiden is the King of Vegas. And Fae King of the Night Court. He locks eyes with Wisconsinite Bryn in his hotel lobby and it's game over. In theory. They have a great night, where the usual reclusive Caiden finds himself enamored with Bryn. And then we get the morning after with two wedding rings and zero memories.

As a Fae King who is cursed, being married isn't a great turn of events for Caiden...and we get a glimpse of the broodier side of him.

Caiden and Bryn embark on solving the mystery of their union...and a journey into Caiden's BDSM world. To be honest, I wasn't the biggest fan of their first encounter with the kinks...I would hope a Dom wouldn't try to scare someone off with his kinks without telling someone, so Caiden earned a strike from me.

There's a great cast of side characters and I desperately want more of Fiona.

I really enjoyed reading this...it took a lot of willpower for me to put it down so I could sleep. And I'll be here for the second installment!

#NetGalley #TheDarkKing

4⭐️

Now this everything I wanted ACOTAR to be!

It’s no secret that I’ve never been an ACOTAR girly, so maybe take that comparison with a grain of salt if you’re a hardcore fan, but my, oh, my do I love this book in more ways a could ever love a YA fantasy. Cause let me tell you, this is definitely not YA. And we love to see it.

The Dark King tells the story of Caiden Varren, the King of the Dark Fae and owner of half of Las Vegas, which happens to be the secret capital for the Night Fae. When regular Bryn Meara gets offered a free weekend stay in Nightfall, the most luxurious hotel in the Las Vegas Strip after a horrible week at work, she jumps at the chance. What she doesn’t understand is how, by Sunday, she wakes up to a stranger in her bed and a ring in her finger matching the one in the hand of non-other than Mr. Varren himself.

This book has the hall of fame of tropes:

- Billionaire, grumpy, dom MMC
- Fun, book-loving, sub FMC
- BDSM.
- Dual POV.
- Forced proximity.

Now, the only thing that didn’t work for me *spoiler* is how adamant Caiden was to introduce Bryn to the BDSM scene in the most unsafe fashion. It grated my nerves in every way, and although I understand what he was going for, it felt disrespectful even to himself – just so wrong. Also, him using a scene to question her about everything he was afraid she was lying about was, again, such a disrespectful thing to do. How do you expect your sub to trust you if you take advantage of her when she’s willingly being vulnerable and putting herself in your hands? *spoiler* Not that Bryn took shit laying down, but still. Asshole, power-tripping dom behavior.

Apart from that, the scenes were really fun, though I have to admit I’m not the biggest fan of degradation and it was a big part of their scenes. Still, there are some of my favorites I’ve read in a long while – Brat Sub x Grumpy Dom are always my favs!

The world building in the book is so good, and although I feel like we’ll get to know more about it in future books, I already love it. It feels complex, but not overly complicated just for the sake of making it big. And that ending too… I can’t wait for The Rebel King!

One of my favorite reads of the year!

4/5⭐️
*Thank you so much Net Galley and Entangled Publishing

Bryn May seem like just a pretty midwestern girl but with a little bit of luck, be it a dragon or a horseshoe, she is thrown into a world of splendor, lust and anger. I read this book in one VERY long sitting because I couldn’t put it down. I was worried when I read it was a mix of something and 50 Shades, as I think that series, while entertaining, is just smut for smut. This story, while spicy for sure still has a great storyline to follow. The spice just enhances it and draws you into the characters. I can’t wait for book two where some of the characters are about to have a significant change of pace it seems! 🤪

Totally obsessed! As soon as I started reading The Dark King, I was hooked. My attention was held by the twists thrown in throughout the entire book. In addition to being easy to follow, Gina Maxwell's writing is very well done. The continuation of this series and book 2 are already on my wish list. The book is recommended for anyone who enjoys a dark fantasy romance with lots of smut and a controlling/possessive male lead and a bratty lovable female lead.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with this arc in exchange for an honest review.

Soooo, I didn’t love this. Granted, I didn’t hate it. But it elicited exactly zero feels from me or endeared itself to me in any way. Now, the writing is fine. It’s easy to read. The editing seems clean. So, this is largely a personal taste sort of ‘meh.’ I can acknowledge that it’s a finely written book, while also saying it wasn’t one to light me on fire.

I did actually like the characters. I especially liked that Bryn stands up for herself consistently. And the world seems interesting. My issues were that I just never truly felt Caiden and Bryn’s love. It’s instant and then we’re more told about it than shown it. I didn’t think that the BDSM aspects were well integrated into the plot. So, it always seemed to stand out to me as artificial. And it doesn’t live up to it’s own hype.

Caiden is supposed to be sooo dark and dangerous. He goes on and on about how she could never handle his kinks. Heck, the book is called The Dark King. But it’s actually quite sweet, the kink is on the mild side, and the book isn’t even that spicy, comparatively. So, I felt like it built up a promise it didn’t keep.

All in all, it’s a meh for me. I didn’t hate it. But I probably won’t remember it next week.

3.75 stars

Thank you to NetGalley for offering me a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

The Dark King is a fantasy billionaire romance that follows the POV of Bryn, a PR rep who just needs a break after losing her job. She gets a promotional offer to go to a very upscale hotel in Las Vegas, deciding on a whim to take it. There, she meets our love interest and second POV Caiden, billionaire of the Vegas strip and also a king of fae. They are drawn to each other immediately and the night after they meet, they both wake up to find out they're married. The book is part mystery, part fae romance, part BDSM.

As my first BDSM book, Maxwell certainly delivered on the spice. Caiden and Bryn always keep safety and consent as top priority. Those seeking this out specifically: there's plenty of scenes, peppered regularly throughout the book.

I think the combination of billionaire and fae king makes Caiden a very powerful and sometimes arrogant person, those flaws being recognized throughout the book. It does fall into the typical 3rd act miscommunication trope, but is resolved pretty quickly, with the remorse and apologies being (a little too) perfect for what a person would want to hear.

The side characters have personality, but are not as prevalent as they would be in a non-romance book. This isn't a bad thing, since the POVs are only from Bryn and Caiden, so it makes sense that we follow only their priorities. The antagonist was very predictable and not at all dangerous feeling. This is a standalone, but with the announcement at the end, I'll be interested to read the second book in this series.

Overall, I enjoyed reading this book. It's great escapism for a girl from the midwest who would totally be okay with being swept off her feet by a handsome rich king.

"I rather be sorry for taking a thousand risks than be safe for never taking any"

I could not put this down, I didn't adult for 24hours!

Dark Fae
Smut
Marriage-with-benefits
Bratty FMC

With a captivating world and politics.

If your looking for a book to get you out of a reading slump, look no further, I highly recommend you pick this up.

Special thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for a free, electronic ARC of this novel received in exchange for an honest review

My first Gina L. Maxwell book and it was great! Especially if you love reading books that include:
• Witty Banter
• Forced Proximity
• A Dark Fae King
• Enemies to Lovers
• A fabulous female lead
• Fun side characters
• A ton more….
Bryn is a fun charismatic character who knows how to charm a room. When she goes to Vegas for a free trip, she meets the overly sexy Caiden. Something that is supposed to be just a fun night out turns into so much more and they literally can’t be too far away from each other. Caiden meets his match as Bryn is not afraid to tell it like it is. The story was fast paced, dark and exciting. The very last chapter was not how I thought this was going to end either. Thank you #NetGalley for giving me the ARC!