So good! And that ending! My jaw was on the floor!

Bryn Meara received a free trip to the exclusive and ultra-luxe Nightfall hotel and casino in Vegas. It was supposed to be the perfect escape from her crumbling life. She wakes up the next morning married to the reclusive billionaire owner of the hotel and most of Vegas, Caiden Verran. Neither remember most of the night and he is definitely not happy to find himself in this position.

As the fae king of the Night Court, he knew marriage was around the corner for him. But the plan was to treat the marriage like a business arrangement and that is definitely not happening with Bryn. The attraction he feels convinces him that he's under some type of spell.

He's keeping her close until they can figure out what forces are at play.

Thank you so much to the author, Entangled and NetGalley for this ARC to review.

Thank you to TLC Book Tours and Entangled for the advanced reader copy. These opinions are my own.

Well, this puts a whole new spin on the drunk in Vegas wedding story. Bryn wins a weekend getaway to Las Vegas. But it's a much different world than she knows. Vegas is actually home to the Night Court, an exiled group of fae. And the billionaire brothers who own much of Vegas are fae royalty.

Caiden Verran is the fae king, and he is incredibly hot and totally gone for Bryn. This is a fun and steamy book with a bit of a dark twist.

I really enjoyed the spin on fae lore that this series takes. The fae didn't have wings because of their exile. Additionally, fae have to tell the truth but can get around that with some interesting vague wording and loopholes.

I really enjoyed the start of this series. But it felt this book ended a bit too quickly before transitioning to a set up for the next book. My hope is that we'll revisit Bryn and Caiden for a more complete finish as the series continues.

Rounded up to 4 stars

Okay, this was the spicy book that I needed, holy crap.

Bryn wins a trip to Las Vegas and her luck isn't done there. She then meets Caiden, and sparks freaking fly. They fly enough to get married in Vegas drunkenly, and now Bryn finds herself in the world of fae. A very dangerous world.

As soon as I started reading, I was sucked into the narrative. I loved having both POVs because Bryn was kept in the dark a little bit, and I needed more info. Bryn and Caiden worked very well together (when Caiden wasn't being an ass) and I loved seeing Bryn suck everyone into her world and charm them all.

The pacing was good, the fantasy/storyline was riveting, and the spice was life.

I'm really excited to read the next book!

I really wanted to love this because I love all things Fae, but I didn’t get sucked into the story like I had hoped 👎🏻

This book is was good, but not great. I would give it three stars. I love romance and fantasy but this just wasn’t for me.

I loved Caiden and Bryn's story. This is What Happens in Vegas meets Twilight, except bring in some Katee Robert-like spice. And I was completely here for all of it! The beginning was a little off... which was exactly the author's plan, using it to let us get to know what Caiden isn't, for instance. Their relationship begins on a sour note, given they don't remember getting married, but these two are perfect for each other. Bryn isn't afraid to speak her mind to scary Caiden, and not only is he a complete softie for her, but he respects her, too. And that mutual respect and the care they had for each other made their romance work for me. There are elements of kink here, so check warnings, but again--with on-page consent and the care shown here, everything about the more spicy scenes worked for me. I cannot wait to read the next in this series, and check in on Caiden and Bryn, especially to see how Bryn is blossoming!

Go in blind!!!
Amazing Hot as Hades on the edge of your seat read!

A prime example of why I fell in love with the PNR genre

We have one Snarky intelligent take no manure female lead who finds herself hitched to Mr king grumpy pants who happens to be the king of not only Vegas but of the dark Fae
So there are all kinds of reasons these two should not and cannot be married
Our gals okay with that just send her the papers
Only Mr. I'm in charge has other ideas
He is about to find out that not everyone bows to his whims

This had a bit of everything
Mystery
Some serious did not see that coming twists
An engaging page-flipping storyline
🌋 Volcanic level chemistry
A solid supporting cast - who I instantly loved -
a few I wanted to toss in with the fish but that could change
I dropped a star because I wanted more
I know first in the series, leave something for the next book -
But there were times I felt lost and that some background information was needed to make the scene complete

Definitely adding to my one-click authors
I read a copy via Kindle Unlimtied

thank you to the publisher for sending me the first book so i could ARC read the second! this was everything i needed. dark and spicy!! the tag line is fifty shades of grey meets neon gods and it was RIGHT. i finished it and went straight into the rebel king!

This was good! And super hot! Caiden is so gruff and serious while Bryn is open and friendly. I love that she stands up to him and calls him on his bs. He was rather jerky. But he grovels REALLY good!

I won't go into details so I don't spoil it, but there is a problem that is uncovered while Caiden and Bryn work out the whole should they be together, is what they're feeling real that leads us straight into the next book. The ending surprised me. Thankfully I have the next book so I can see where this is going.

I didn't completely love this one but I did keep reading it. The miscommunication trope was hard to get over but I did really like the characters.

This was an amazing book! I loved all of the characters. The plot was well setup, that you get sucked in. The romance was so sexy and hot.

<b> <I> Thank you so much to Net Galley, the author, and Entangled: Amara for providing me with a free copy of “The Dark King (Deviant Kings #1)” by Gina L. Maxwell in exchange for an honest review. All of the following opinions are formulated on my own. Any quotes in this review should be cross-referenced with the final copy for any possible edits. </I> </b>

<b> Overall rating: </b> 4 out of 5 stars

<b> My Review: </b> This had a nice mix of tropes and was fun for a quick read. Bryn Meara, who is struggling with her career take a free trip to the Nightfall hotel and casino in Las Vegas. She wakes up after a drunken ight is married to Caiden Verran, a secretive billionaire who owns the hotel,, is not the jackpot one would think. She discovers Caiden is essentially royality and she is now part of his games. I truly loved the interactions of the characters and the setting of this world. The banter is absolutely amazing and had me screaming in excitment.

<b> If you liked the following, you will probably like this book: </b>
<i> - A Touch of Darkness by Scarlett St. Clair </i>

<b> Will I finish the series? </b> Yes!

<b> Tropes/Elements: </b>
- Urban Paranormal Setting
- Playful Banter
- Dark Fae King
- Forced Marriage
- Found Family
- Enemies to Lovers

The Dark King: An unputdownable, spicy dark fantasy romance - even when it's cringe and info-dumpy.

I can see right off the bat why The Dark King took off in popularity - it has all the tropes and vibes of the most popular BookTok and Bookstagram books, like ACOTAR, romcoms, and Beauty and the Beast. There's a hefty dose of grumpy-sunshine along with miscommunication, arranged/accidental marriage, and fated mates. And as a contemporary dark fae romance, there are both funny and cheesy references to real-world popular culture, including an unironic 50 Shades diss.

The Dark King is definitely a character-forward story and the journeys of the main characters/love interests Caiden and Bryn are where the book shines. However, the world-building at times was very info-dumpy, leaving much more to be desired when it came to fleshing out the mixed worlds of the humans and the fae.

Not surprisingly, I'm now fascinated with the lives of Caiden's brothers and other characters in this world, so I'm excited to pick up The Rebel King next (out July 25, 2023).

*Thank you to Entangled Publishing for ARCs of The Dark King and The Rebel King!*

OK - I devoured this. Didn't want to put the book down at all.
The story is so good, the plot well thought out and I am all here for the fated mate trope and curses trope. I love that combination! Maxwell has created such an addictive world, with characters you can't help but love and root for. Yes, the MMC is dark and into BDSM and being dom, but it's written very well.
Excited to continue this series!

The Dark King is a thrilling book about Bryn Meara, who wins a free trip to the luxurious Nightfall hotel and casino in Vegas. However, her night of fun turns into a nightmare when she wakes up married to the reclusive billionaire Caiden Verran, who turns out to be the fae king of the Night Court. Bryn is thrown into the dark and dangerous world of the fae and becomes a pawn in their power games. The chemistry between Bryn and Caiden is intense, and despite the danger, Bryn is drawn deeper into his world.

When I first picked up The Dark King, I didn't expect to love it as much as I did. The story is a perfect mix of romance, suspense, and fantasy. I was hooked from the start and found myself gasping at the plot twists and giggling at the FMC's antics. I appreciated how strong and courageous Bryn was, and how she didn't fall into the typical FMC mold. She was refreshing and relatable, and I enjoyed seeing her character develop throughout the book.

The pacing of the book was excellent, and I didn't find myself wanting to skip through any parts. The plot kept me on the edge of my seat, and I enjoyed the unique setting of the Nightfall hotel and casino in Vegas. The chemistry between Bryn and Caiden was electric, and their relationship was well-developed.

The Dark King is a brilliant book that I couldn't put down. The writing is exquisite, and the characters are well-crafted. I loved everything about this book and would highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys romance and fantasy. I'm eagerly looking forward to the next book in the series!

After receiving an offer that is too good to be true, Bryn Meara finds herself alone in Vegas for the weekend. Her luck seems to continue when she catches the eye of the gorgeous and mysterious, Caiden Verran. The billionaire and his brothers are considered the kings of Vegas, but unbeknownst to Bryn, they also happen to be actual royalty. After a drunken night together, the two wake up to find that, not only have they gotten married, but they are also mated which has triggered a curse that Caiden has spent decades trying to avoid.

The Dark King does a great job of mashing together billionaire romance with urban fantasy--I don’t think I’ve ever read a combo of the two quite like this and I can report that I very much enjoyed it! The characters were all fantastic—including the many side characters—and this had just enough fantasy and mystery to make it interesting. I will say that the fantasy elements were pretty mild and felt secondary to other aspects of the story. For me, that didn’t deter me from liking it, but if you go in expecting high levels of fantasy you may be disappointed.

If you’re in the mood for something a little darker and a little sexier, I highly recommend this one! 4.5⭐️

Read if you enjoy:
🥃 Billionaire Romance
🥃 Urban Fantasy
🥃 Fated mates
🥃 Forbidden love
🥃 Forced proximity
🥃 Dual POV
🥃 BDSM

8$ for a kindle version was a bit steep so I bought the paperback. I really thought this was supposed to be about a dark Fae king. Hence DARK. Literally it was all bubbles and sunshine not a dark story like I had hoped. Very little of the book really entertained a Fae story telling. It had more of a soft BDSM storyline that merged with a curse. Story was ok here and there but for all the hype it didn’t really hold my attention. It did enough to check all the boxes on that blurb but that was basically it. I felt the connection between Bryn and Caiden to be tepid even with the BDSM. I’m hoping part two is better.

This book was hard for me to rate. The beginning started out very strong and I was so invested in the story. Then I started to lose interest about 35% through. It picked back up for a little while, and then I lost interest again around the 60% mark.

I'm sure a lot of people will really love this book, I just don't think it was for me. I really wanted more of the plot instead of it being rushed at the end. There were good parts of this book that I really enjoyed though and I'd say if you're thinking about reading, give this book a go!

Big thank you NetGalley and to the publisher for the chance to review this book in addition to the sequel. A more formal review will be available on my IG/TikTok and Goodreads.

I was not able to get into this book. AT. ALL. I immediately disliked Caiden and just couldn't get past it. I may try to re-read at some point and try again, but honestly I don't see how.