The Dark King is the perfect cross between Neon Gods and ACOTAR that you didn’t know you need in your life. With the smuttiness from Neon Gods, and honestly I think this is better, and the faes that everyone loved from ACOTAR and the first in the standalone Deviant Kings series is born.

Gina L. Maxwell hits the ball out of the park with all of the tropes she includes such as mates, CEO/billionaire, strangers to lovers to enemies to lovers (which may have to be one of my favorites), fae, vegas weddings, and so much more. Along with this being a Beauty and the Beast retelling and all the smut goodness that was happening, this being a five star read was a no brainer.

Maxwell’s writing was phenomenal throughout the standalone and I had little problems with everything that was going on and the whole novel flowed very nicely. Bryn was at times a little bratty but I think that has to do with mainly her trying to get Caiden to punish her, which were some of my favorite chapters of the novel. Caiden was a hilarious character that obviously had some issues with others not listening to him and had trouble trusting others, which lead to one of my favorite scenes at the end when he gets to make up for everything.

My only critiques was that of how many times how bratty Bryn was. I swear it must have been said about ten times and just felt really repetitive. That was my only big problem with the novel along with a minor problem I had with the age difference. He was said to be in his late hundred and sixties while she was probably late twenties. While this is much better than some age gaps in novel, cough ACOTAR cough, I still wasn’t a huge fan of it.

Seriously though, you need to go order your copy now. I am in love with this fantastic standalone novel and I can’t wait for the next in the series, especially after the ending chapter. This is probably my favorite read of July and I can’t wait for more people to read this so I can gush about it.

Thank you to Entangled Publishing and Netgalley for allowing me to read this fantastic novel.

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for gifting me this arc in exchange for an honest review

If someone took 50 Shades of Grey, mixed fae and humans together, and had it take place in Sin City, this would be the book it produced. The book felt very light on the fae side of things, most of the time I forgot it was even supposed to be a fae book. The dark mafia and sin city romance took the lead for me.

The spicy chapters were hot but the character growth was lacking and the story progession was a miss for me. The FMC didn't seem to have any self preservation skills and acted more like a brat than a defenseless human around a fae King.

*thank you netgalley and the publisher for gifting me this arc in exchange for an honest review :) *

If you are looking for a book that features a overprotective, possessive and controlling mmc and a fmc that constantly keeps the mmc on his toes, this is the book for you!

This book has the enemies to lovers trope which includes the “i pretend to hate you only because you have made me feel love for the first time” mini trope. Honestly, the resentment comes MAINLY from the MMC and it’s because he sort of hates himself for falling in love with our FMC because….well….I can’t tell you why (read the book to find out).

Good book!

3/5 stars
Posted on Goodreads 7/8

This book surprised me with its humor and charm! Based on the cover and synopsis, I didn’t expect to be so charmed by these cinnamon roll characters. Now don’t get me wrong, there are some dark and twisted moments (please look up CW!), but that’s such a common genre for me it almost doesn’t phase me - oops.

This is a great book for those who want more spicy scenes than a YA series but want a plot to go with said spicy scenes.

Fae courts and related conflicts seem to be popular and can feel redundant, but Gina Maxwell pieced together a story that is unique and fun!

"The woman who's more precious to you the the life-giving air you breathe,"

I'm in love, absolutely head over heels in love with this book and these characters.

This book genuinely shocked me in the absolute best way possible! Jumping into this I sort of knew what to expect but this even better then what I thought I'd be getting into. Caiden is this sort of badass, grumpy, alpha who I fell hard for right away (absolutely no shame falling for him) and then you have Bryn who is this more sunshine-y female character who you root for through the entirety of the book. This book has serious Beauty and the Beast undertones, mixed in with steamy spice that I cannot get enough of. While I wasn't sure how to feel about the fantastical element to this book, it really complimented the story as a whole and actually gave the characters the depth I look for when I read.

After reading this, I know I'll be picking up more of Gina's books!

This book took me back to my Crossfire series days (iykyk). Billionaire romance but make it fantasy. Did I see every plot twist coming? Yes. Did it feel like the story had been played out so similarly a hundred times before? Yes. Did i enjoy every second of it? Of course I did.

Down on her luck, small-town girl becomes the “luckiest person in Vegas” after receiving a free trip, free suite, free jewelry, and winds up accidentally married to the Dark Fae King, King of Vegas, and dom that every woman swoons after. The plot immediately thickens and she is in for much more than she bargained for.

Very solid, and entertaining read if you are into fae and/ot BDSM.

The Dark King is a sexy paranormal romance set in Sin City that'll have your toes curling and your heart melting just a little. Bryn is a Midwestern girl between jobs, looking to get lost in a fun Vacation in Vegas when she meets Caiden Verran and her whole world gets turned upside after a night neither of them can remember and matching rings on their fingers when they wake up.

The Dark King reminds me of a mashup of Fifty shades, Neon Gods and ACOTAR and I totally loved it. It was a book I could not put down, I stayed up late until the night and woke up early the next morning just so I could finish this one.

I love romance with a good plot and this was exactly that. the romance was the focal point, but I still felt like their was also a plot going on right alongside the romance. We had court politics, Fae wars, found family, with a side of Kink and a red room and I am all for it.

Caiden is definitely a new book boyfriend for me. his dark, brooding and dangerous around the edges but true caring for those he loved was amazing. Bryn is headstrong and not afraid to take what she wants, she grated me sometimes as her choices were not always well thought out but I loved her and Caiden's relationship.

I definitely recommend this one for those that love Fae, BDSM, paranormal romance, court politics, and urban settings. I definitely think the Dark Olympus series is a good comparison to this. I also need the next one ASAP as that ending got me so excited!

Please do check your TW on this book as there are a couple of big ones.

thank you to Netgalley and Entangled for allowing me to read this amazing book early!

Read an ARC.

Fantastic fae fare! While I never read 50 Shades and have yet to personally indulge, The Dark King seems to handle the BDSM portions with accuracy and respect.

That said, I loved the careful details that pop up later. The fae aspects of this book are compelling and the rules of the bond are consistently written.

Knocked a whole star off because the violent war portions seemed like an afterthought and not at all in harmony with the first 3/4 of the book. Secondary characters seem to have a single personality trait and too many C names to really keep track.

Thank you NetGalley and Entangled Publishing, LLC for this ARC in exchange for my fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.

Rating: 5/5 Stars
Publishing: September 27, 2022
Series: Deviant Kings #1
Pages: 352

I rarely dabble in erotica romance, but I couldn’t resist wanting to read this book when I read its description. “The Dark King” is a first time read by Gina L. Maxwell, new author to this reader. A book that was scrumptiously and wonderfully good to read.

Bryn Meara, unemployed and far from Wisconsin, goes on a relaxing trip to Las Vegas after losing her job. Invited to stay for free at the most influential hotel on the strip, she locks eyes with Caiden Verran, owner of the hotel and king of his underworld, the Dark Fae. A night of drinking, dancing and unmemorable sex, they wake up in her suite married … activating an old curse that have them staying in close proximity to one another. Not knowing why or what has happened, they try to figure out how they have ended up in this predicament.

Caiden and Bryn are total opposites… she is preternatural and hard to read to his dark, handsome, controlling and radiating wealth and sex. He is dominant between the sheets, and she is his willing submissive. At the beginning of this story, my impression was reading this book as purely BDSM, however the plot twist incorporates erotica with a bit of mystery. The other characters in the story complement the H/h. There is plenty of chemistry, tenderness between the two, and plenty of sensual scenes. What made this book romantically good for me was the author incorporating seduction, paranormal, and mystery/suspense…and not leaving this as solely erotica.

Thank you, Ms. Maxwell, for piquing my interest and looking forward to the next in this series if it is written along the same lines. Highly recommend as you won’t regret reading.

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

This reminded me of ACOTAR mixed in with Neon Gods. Despite that overlap, I still felt this was super unique and different. I mean, the dark fae rule over Vegas and the romance is a perfect mix of the grumpy/sunshine trope paired with some intense attraction! What's not to love? The romance was to die for and I was on the edge of my seat the whole time.

My only issue with this was the plot and worldbuilding was somewhat lack luster and I wish the characters had a little more development, both on their own, and in their relationship. With that said, I still ate this up and loved every minute of it!

Can't wait to read The Rebel King!

Captivating, steamy and magical, The Dark King is a truly fantastic read

I have been waiting for a new book from Gina for a long time, and she did not disappoint!
With great, multidimensional characters and a spellbinding plot full of intricacies, twists and fairy dust, this book had me hooked from the very first page. Filled with sass, steam and humor perfectly balanced by angst, mistrust and secrets, Gina manages to weave a bewitching tale of love, luck and fate and I truly can't wait for the next book.

5 stars and a cufflink

I have always enjoyed Ms. Maxwell's books and when given the opportunity do review one I jumped at the chance. She did not disappoint for sure! I don't read alot of supernatural books because it is hard to find realistic one's and not constantly keep going really give me a break. But this story I was sucked in and not once did I question things. We have Bryn a everyday midwestern girl on a free trip to relax and enjoy a break to regroup after losing her job, and then Caiden a king in the underground world. Two totally different people who connect and hit it off at his hotel. After one too many martinis they wake up in bed together not remembering anything but are now married they have to put the pieces together of what happened and why.
Caiden prides himself on self control and discipline so for this to happen he needs to know who manipulated the situation. During this a lot of twists and turns and truths come out about things people have kept hidden.
I loved how Bryn was strong enough to take life by the horns and not be afraid of trying new things and the way she put up with Caiden. The way he treated her was wanting me to hit him upside the head alot., but I know he had his reasons.
I am so glad I got a chance to read this book., look forward to this next book in series. Honest review for ARC

GET THIS BOOK NOW! Simply breathtaking and gorgeous. I had such a hard time putting this book down. You will be hooked from the first page. The book I never knew I needed. Thank you Gina Maxwell and NetGalley for this arc. Can’t wait for book 2 and I can’t wait to read more from this author.

I loved everything about this book! We gets a little sin city action including waking up married in Vegas and we get a fae king falling for a normal girl. Did I mention the blood curse?

If you’re looking for something like ACOTAR mixed in with a little fifty shades than this is your book.

I found it a light read which is contrary to most fae fantasy stories. I think it was lighter because it was set in Vegas and no world building was really needed.

The BDSM scenes flowed well with the book and not forced. I only wish we had more story and more details of secondary characters.

The plot twist towards the end (for the mc) felt a little rushed as a reveal. I would like the ending to be longer and feelings to be dissected. Then that cliffhanger left me feeling like I definitely need more secondary character background. Maybe we’ll get them for book 2?!?!

I received an ARC from netgalley for review.

‘The Dark King’ is an interesting amalgamation of paranormal and contemporary romance. I enjoyed the way it takes tropes like “waking up married in Vegas” to a whole other level. And I am interested to see what else author Gina L. Maxwell has in store for this universe.

After a night neither can quite remember, Bryn Meara and Caiden Verran find themselves married and, unfortunately for Caiden, mated. Which means that there is no simple solution to annul the marriage. Because Caiden is the fae king of the Night Court, and having a mate makes him more susceptible to attacks. As pressure mounts, can these two figure out a way to dissolve their union? Or will they discover that neither of them wants to?

I like the fast-pacing of the book, and the fact that the narrative never gets bogged down with too much world building explication. Maxwell does a great job of grounding her mythology into the existing human world, and develops it enough for it to be intriguing, but it never bogs down the story. The chemistry between Bryn and Caiden is satisfyingly steamy, and the action is entertaining.

I would definitely be interested Caiden’s brother’s stories, and can’t wait to see what Maxwell comes up with next.

Thank you to Entangled Publishing and NetGalley for generously providing an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I really, really enjoyed reading this book! It hooked me from the very beginning and it kept me hooked the whole time!

Thank you to Gina L. Maxwell, Entangled Publishing, and NetGalley for providing me with an eARC of this book for an honest review.

Holy $h*t! Where do I even start? This was my first Gina L. Maxwell book, and it will not be my last. This book was spicy and fantastical in all the right ways. I knew from the cover that this was going to be gold. If you like ACOTAR or Throne of Glass, but want a little more sizzle and spice, get this book NOW.

5 stars - Knocked it out of the park.

The Dark King is a quick paced steamy Fae romance. I loved the premise and I need to find my own Dark King. Forced proximity, BDSM, fated mates, found family are found in this book. I can’t wait to read more of the dark Fae brothers!! 5 stars!!

Thank you, Entangled Publishing, and Netgalley for this ARC!

I really enjoyed this book! The concept was unique and the characters had great banter and chemistry. It legitimately sucked me in from the first page and I read this in a day. The pace was quick and I think that the worldbuilding was enough to keep me entertained without the plot being bogged down with too many details. This is my first book by Gina Maxwell and I look forward to reading more from her now, especially the sequel when it is released!

This book was not my normal genre, but wow did I thoroughly enjoy it from cover to cover.
Bryn wins a weekend at a gorgeous Las Vegas hotel, and her weekend there changes her world for ever. Her "chance" meeting with Caiden seems too good to be true. They end up spending the night together , but wake up with married and no memory of the events that led them there. What transpires from there is a great story of power, love, forgiveness, and discovery. I was captivated from the start. Recommend to anyone looking to read something a little different, with some nice spice to it.
I received an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.