First of all, thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this wonderful ARC.
First of all, I have to say, I was skeptical on reading that this book is a combo of Neon Gods and Fifty Shades, so I was unprepared for this wonderful experience.
I admit, it was spectacular and I am wholly grateful, I had the opportunity to read this book.

Plot 9/10
Romance 10/10
Villain 8/10
Will I read more of this authors books : Gimme!!!!!

Bad news. Out of the blue Bryn no longer has a job. Good news! An email offering her a free trip to Vegas! All expenses paid! Time to destress before job hunting. Little did she know just how spicy her life will become and the dangers that lurk in the shadows.
Caiden is the Dark King of the Night Court. Even though he glamours himself as a human women are still falling at his feet. He doesn't do humans but Bryn catches his eye and he can't resist the temptation.
The next morning Caiden and Bryn are in for the shock of their life! They are married! Neither remembering what happened the night before.
Caiden has a tough exterior he portrays before his subjects but being with Bryn he has a heart.
Bryn is strong and full of sass. She isn't aware of the secret that lies within herself and the dangers that lie ahead.
A beautiful story you don't want to miss out on.
Thank you Netgalley and the author for a digital copy. Read and reviewed voluntarily and the opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.

Overall Rating: 3.6/5
Romance: 3.8/5
Spice: 3/5
Plot: 3.5/5
Story Flow and Pacing: 4/5
Key terms: Faes, faeries, werewolves, shifters, Vegas

This story has lovely fantasy elements, layered over a glamorous Las Vegas backdrop. I was disappointed, actually, that more of the story didn't have more of the Vegas feel.

The chemistry between Bryn and her love interest is written well. Some portions felt a little underwritten in terms of mental age versus portrayed age of the character. I would have placed the MC in more of the 17-19 year old age bracket.

The fantasy elements and mythos are written very well, and I enjoyed the world structure of the world that Gina Maxwell created.

I absolutely loved this book. I ended up devouring it in one sitting, and it was so worth it. I loved the relationship between Caiden and Bryn. She was such a brat to Caiden, so it made me like her so much more. Gina was also vanilla and used to taking control, so I was glad Caiden introduced the BDSM world to her. Gina L. Maxwell portrayed this kink in a way that felt safe and made Bryn felt taken care of. I feel like a lot of books with this aspect kind of glance over aftercare and safe practices, but not in The Dark King. Like others have stated it does remind me of 50 Shades of Grey with a fantasy mix, but it’s SO much better. The book was tastefully done, and really grabbed your attention. The ending was a wild twist too. I very much look forward to reading about Tiernan next.

Thank you to NetGalley, Entangled Publishing, LLC, and Gina L. Maxwell for an ARC!

I really enjoyed this book. It was a fun, sexy read. I’m very excited to see what the next book has in store for the dark fae.

Let's start with what I did like:

-The spicy scenes were 100% on point absolutely
-Conceptually loved the idea behind this book
-Our couple's first meeting


What I didn't love:
-the rest of this book beyond the spicy scenes and intial meeting was not great

This wasn't a DNF for me but it was certainly one I struggled thru, I like this author quite a bit so I may revisit this title to give it another shot!

Well, this was a nice surprise! Fifty Shades meets Fae, and it was awesome! New author for me so I wasn't sure what to expect, but this story seriously had me sucked in from the first page and didn't let me go until the last word. Lots of sass and humor with Bryn and Caiden, OMG, there are no words. Loved Tiernan and Finn, along with the very interesting storyline. Definitely will be reading the next installment when it comes out. Very much enjoyed this author!

I voluntarily reviewed an ARC copy of this book

It’s been a really long time since I’ve read an ‘erotica’ book where I thought the plot was just as good, if not better than the spicy elements. Maxwell has done a fantastic job at making the reader beg for more.

Without a doubt this is one of my favourite reads this year!

The fantasy elements mixed with the modern setting throughout the book added this incredible element of authenticity to the characters that made them feel so real. I loved the banter, the love, but also the dom/sub relationship that Bryn and Caiden shared. I think Maxwell has definitely done her research and given a tasteful, but also representative example of this part of the sex-positive community, without making this quality the entirety of the characters’ personalities.

I am very excited for the next direction in this series and I CANNOT wait for this book.

I really enjoyed this novel. The sex was red hot and believable, which is important in erotica. The characters all had good personalities and the plot moved at a good pace. The story was engaging and, like I said before, the sex scenes are wonderful. World building was a bit lacking, there was the typical faerie lore, but not a lot of backstory. Perhaps the next one will built upon this. Overall. though, this was a great erotic fantasy and I am definitely going to read the sequel.

I'm not exactly sure how this managed to be insta love and enemies to lovers and mated pair accidental marriage all at once but it did. The back and forth wasn't my fave.

The Dark King by Gina L. Maxwell is a seriously hot and sexy read! The story looks at the characters Caiden Verran and Bryn Meara. Bryn gets a free trip to Las Vegas with a lot of perks. During her time there she meets the enchantingly dark Caiden, a reclusive billionaire and King of Las Vegas and so much more. After a passionate night, the two find themselves married but not everything is as it seems, and Bryn is thrown into Caiden’s world of the dark fae and him being the fae king of the Night Court.

Bryn and Caiden find themselves embroiled in some deviousness with some serious twist and turns throughout the book. We also have Caden and Bryn’s relationship with its kinks and darkness. Caiden is definitely a dominant alpha and knows what he wants and he certainly finds the perfect partner in Bryn, who throughout the book finds herself in a new world, attracted to a fae and doesn’t lose sight of who she is. I especially liked the sarcasm that she throws at Caiden at times.

This book is definitely a lot of fun to read, especially if you like a little bit of paranormal with your romance. It has some great characters and pulls you into an intriguing world. Scenes are sexy between the characters and we are also introduced to a plethora of new characters (especially Caiden’s brothers), who you want to know more about. A great start to a new series!

ARC received for a fair, honest and sometimes long review. All opinions are my own. 😊

More of my reviews can be found on my blog: http://thehotmesslibrary.blogspot.com

From Lala’s Book Reviews

The Dark King is a captivating story that had me hooked from the beginning!

Bryn is a young woman who is between jobs and decides to take a trip to Vegas after receiving a promotional stay to one of the most luxurious hotels in the city. After a slight mix-up, she has been upgraded to a VIP suite all while catching the attention of Caiden , the owner of the hotel and a good bit of the city, things are finally starting to look up for her especially later that night when she decides to go out and Caiden makes another appearance.

Throughout the night at the casino and bar, Bryn and Caiden really hit it off and connects so much that they spend the night together and ends up getting married. The only promise is that the following morning, neither of them remembers anything after leaving the bar, and Caiden is acting more like the Dark King that he is known for instead of the caring man that Bryn saw the previous night.

After a near death experience own a private jet to go to a meeting, Caiden decides to bring Bryn back to his mansion. Bryn is taken as a “guest” by Caiden’s guards all while Caiden gives her the cold shoulder.

Caiden just so happens to be the King of the dark fae as well as one of the most powerful people in Vegas along with his younger brothers. The light and dark fae have fallen from grace and are forced to live on earth. There’s also a curse that is in the forefront of his mind where if the mated king is away from his mate, his health will decline rapidly to death, so his solution is to lock Bryn in his house until the can find someone to break the bond.

Caiden is every bit of the Dark King that he is known for being as he is cold and callous in addition to his dark ways in the bedroom, yet somehow being around Bryn causes some of that darkness to recede just a bit for her to enter his dark heart, but he knows the consequences of letting her get to close to him and his world can do.

As Bryn and Caiden dance between what is between them, Bryn starts to subtlety change and develop some Fae like qualities despite her being human.

When things start to brew between the ever growing tension between the light and dark fae, Caiden starts to question Bryn’s motives and finds it to be to much of a coincidence that she just magically showed up at his hotel, but secrets are also uncovered that could change everything and the world that Bryn knows.

The Dark King is a seductively dark romance that is sadly a quick and obsessive story as it could easily be finished in one sitting leaving you wanting more of Bryn and Caiden and the world of this series!

I enjoy this fantasy erotica for many reasons, the sex was on point and the backstory was not lean which I appreciated.

while the fantasy is straight from other faerie fantasies there isn't much world-building to do but the back stories of each character were needed and done well.
there were some surprises and twists which I appreciated.

I wouldn't compare this to fifty shades because this is good. the main characters had proper reactions and even with the fantasy aspects, the story seems believable.

I will for sure be tuning in for the second book

When Bryn got a free trip to Vegas after losing her job, to one of the most exclusive hotels there is, she thought her luck might be starting to turn in her favor. That is until she meets the hotel owner Caiden, and her world is turned upside down. While he is both incredibly handsome and rich, he also happens to be the Night Court king of the Fae. When an unexpectedly drunken night leads to them getting married in Vegas, things start to get a bit complicated.

I only dabble in erotica romance, but this book is an example of why I should read more! It definitely hooks you from the very beginning and gives you everything you would want between the two romantic leads. Bryn and Caiden are both interesting on their own (though Bryn can be a bit bratty at times) but together the sparks continuously fly.

I read Neon Gods a while back and definitely got those vibes here, mixed in with a bit of ACOTAR and Beauty and the Beast as well. The spice is obviously immaculate and really takes the entirety of BDSM into account instead of just the spicy bits. Definitely would recommend it to anyone looking for a fast-paced spicy romance!

Thank you to the author, the publisher, and Netgalley for providing me with an eARC.

The Dark King is all about a one-night stand that goes terribly wrong and not in the way you assume!

When Bryn gets a lucky free vacation in the mail, she grabs fate by the hand and jumps on the next flight to Vegas but once there the world she knew turns upside down in this chess-like game of who is going to come out on top.
Caidan and Bryn struggle in their new forced relationship and it was really interesting to watch the roller coaster fate put them on. While this book was spicy, I was hoping for a bit more especially with it being a BDSM relationship but that is simply a personal preference on my part.
The character growth was amazing in this story and that ending was something I did not expect!
I can't wait to read the next one to find out what happens next!

On a surface level, this story does everything is sets out to do.

It has its moments of witty banter, an enemies-to-lovers plot that uses a lot of adored romance tropes, and a couple of steamy scenes. So some entertainment, for sure.

That being said, it doesn't really offer anything more. For many readers, I'm sure what's here is enough. But for me, personally, I just wanted more character development, more fantasy world-building, and a little bit more depth and tension overall.

So a pretty easy-breezy kind of story, but I just would have liked a little more complexity.

This book was so good! I read this in less than 24 hours after receiving it because I could just not put it down. The spices scenes start early in the book - which we love. The conflict between the love interests seems believable and nothing is too cheesy. Fans of Neon God's and Den of Vipers will really enjoy this!

Thank you to Entangled Publishing and Netgalley for an e-ARC of this book to read and review. This is easily a new favorite and I'm so glad it's going to be a series because I definitely need more. I love these characters and I love the urban fantasy world that Maxwell created. It's such a nice contrast to see the fae and other beings in a place like Vegas that almost seems mythical in its own regard. This was a sexy and romantic take on fantasy as well and I loved it so much. The spice delivered and fit so well with the intrigue and mysteriousness of the main characters. I couldn't stop reading and I loved seeing the relationships and friendships grow throughout the story. I was so fascinated by the curse and where it would lead and I loved how it was connected to Bryn and Caiden. In addition to those two, the side characters were well done and fleshed out too, which I liked a lot. I was fully captivated and definitely shocked by the twists and the ending. Seriously cannot wait to devour book two!

Fae, blood curse, magic, night court, day court, kink, beast vibes, fate, mates, touch her and die, romance and the damn sexiest grumpy and sunshine pair ever!
These are just a few of the reasons to read this absolutely fantastic book, couldn't put it down and didn't even want to try .
Was 100% worth the loss of sleep.
READ THIS BOOK!

One woman's exclusive and free trip to Vegas's most sought out place to stay, Nightfall hotel and casino, turns into a whirl wind when Bryn Meara becomes the stereotypical partier and ends up married to the owner of the hotel less than 12 hours after meeting him. Turns out, he has a secret of his own and she's now thrown into the work of the Fae and has unexpectedly married their king.

Wow, I flew through this book. It's such a page turner and had me hooked until the last page. This is the first I've read by Gina L. Maxwell and I will definitely be excitedly awaiting the release of the remaining Deviant Kings books (best part being that they are stand-alone). Thank you netgalley, Ms. Maxwell, and Entangled Teen for sending me an ARC!

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

If you love:
✔️Witty banter
✔️Sharp tongued lead characters
✔️Fantasy
✔️Paranormal Romance
✔️Kinks of all kinds
✔️Fast pacing
✔️Multiple POV's
Then this is probably a book for you.

Trigger Warnings: BDSM, dub-con, mention of kidnapping, murder of a loved one, mention of torture (off-page)