(audiobook) I was extremely excited for a new book by the author, and I wasn’t disappointed. She builds a world I want to know more of, with a lot of steam but not just that.

I won’t lie, it’s very erotic, of the kinky kind too. Let’s just say that Caiden’s moniker isn’t just a reminder of his status as king of the dark fae. I loved though that he was able to adapt his taste for his girl. Even though Bryn isn’t afraid of Caiden’s proclivities. They sure are compatible.

But the love story was interesting too. Accidental marriage, then real feelings, then love spell, then… It isn’t a straight path. They have to go through many stages before they’re able to define their relationship. I loved that, despite all the talk about the bond, the fated mates situation, the spell, in the end, they get to choose whether they want to be together or not. And their answer isn’t obvious, I assure you. They work hard for their happily ever after, let me tell you.

The romance is at the center of the book, of course, but the author writes it in a urban fantasy setting, with paranormal creatures, magic, and violence. She imagines conflicts and rivalries, a mythology, ways for fae to live among humans. Not especially original, but it works well, and rivalries and past curses are actually big plot points.

In the midst of all that, you’ll spot many Beauty and the Beast references. I’m not sure it could be considered a retelling of the famous tale, but I felt it was well used–though a bit too on the nose.

As for the narration, it was quite good. Though the male narrator nailed Caiden’s cold demeanor, I think he wasn’t as good with deeper feelings. The female narrator, who was new to me, did a great job on her hand. Not bad at all.

Quickie

- Series: Deviant kings #1 (can be read as a standalone)
- Hashtags: #paranormal romance #billionaire romance #dark romance #fae #accidental marriage #fated mates #BDSM #erotica
- Triggers: BDSM, violence, death, injuries
- Main couple: Bryn Meara & Caiden Verran
- Hotness: 5/5
- Romance: 4/5
- + an interesting world building
- – besides the titillating factor, I didn’t see a reason for Caiden’s proclivities

4.5/ 5 Stars - 3/5 Spice - Book #1 of the Deviant Kings Series

Grade A spice, I loooved this fantasy world hidden within the human world (gave be a lot of Hades & Persephone Series by Scarlett St. Clair, but different because fae). As well, the spice was awesome - when a book is advertised as neon Gods + 50 Shades. the mystery behind Bryn and Caiden's 'fated mates' relationship was so fun, and even with an underlying miscommunication theme, I looved reading this book. At times I got a bit confused with the world building and characters, but overall I really enjoyed this book and super excited for book 2!

Brief Plot: After a wild "Vegas night," Bryn finds herself married to the 'King of Vegas' Caiden Verran. little does she know, she is married to the King of the Dark Fae, and can not leave her husband. As she learns more of his world, Caiden hunts down solutions to secrets on how they are mated when Bryn is a human. While this all occurs, both use their sexual chemistry to win over the other, and eventually, the facts of their mating are learned, and they have to choose how to move forward.

Thank you NetGalley and RB Media for an eARC copy of the audiobook of the Dark King, written by Gina L. Maxwell, and narrated by Avery Reid and Aiden Snow. This is my honest review!

4.5 stars I LOVED THIS WOW!!!! So hot & steamy. I'm not even the biggest fantasy romance person but when I saw it was about a woman who marries a fae king in vegas how could i say no?!? Gina wrote such a fun and past paced story with this first book in her new series and I ate it up!!!!!! THE AUDIO WAS INCRDIBLE!!! That male narrator?! AMAZING. This book was such a surprise for me and I would absolutely recommend it to any romance lover. I am invested in these characters and this world. I Bryn and Caiden were a delight to read about.

I really, really enjoyed listening to this audiobook! It was very well done and I loved the world building.

This is my first audiobook and i loved it. From the voice to the way everything was said, it was perfect. I blushed a few times during the spicy parts. The story itself was great. The burning connection between Caiden and Bryn is instant despite him being fae and her human. It gave me beauty and the beast vibes. I couldn't press pause on this story, i enjoyed listening to it.

This was my first book by this author and it won’t be my last! I really loved this book and am looking forward to going back and reading through Gina’s backlist.

This book gave me a lot of ACOTAR vibes but I’m here for it! Bryn and Caiden had amazing chemistry from the start and it only grew throughout the book. I loved both of their characters, as well as the side characters, especially Finn, Tier, and Fiona.

I loved Bryn’s sass and determination. Her banter with Caiden and some of the other characters had me laughing out loud several times.

I had a couple theories of what was happening throughout the book and was so excited when everything came together. I was not expecting that ending though!! I cannot wait to read the next book.

This was my first time listening to an audiobook with Avery Reid and Aiden Snow as the narrators and they were both fantastic. I enjoyed listening to them both and they did a great job of bringing the characters to life.

The Dark King is a steamy paranormal, forced proximity romance.

Bryn and Caiden have a blackout night in Vegas and wake up married with no memory of the event. Bryn doesn't know that they can't just annul the marriage, because it turns out he's fae and they're now tied together by more than just paper. Lots of flirting. Some BDSM. It's a fast-paced story that sets us up for future installments in the series.

The dark king
The Dark King feels like a Beauty & the Beast retelling. Bryn is lured to Las Vegas, Nevada, by the promise of a free vacation where she meets Caiden. Caiden is not only Dark Fae, but he is also the King of The Dark Court.

After a night of drinks, Caiden awakens married to a human, Bryn. He finds himself sharing a bond that only seemed possible with another fae. He’ll hold Bryn captive until he can figure out how to undo the bond. The writing is smooth! Very easy to read. This book combines A Court of Thorns and Roses, 365 Days and Fifty Shades of Grey.

Caiden is a hot fae king into bdsm. He’s like a combination of Mr. Grey meets Rhysand. ❤️‍🔥

50 shades of grey but make it magical fantasy and add a plot about dark kingdom espionage.

I will be honest and say I am not usually into fantasy or dark spicy romance but decided to give this title a chance after reading the description on NG. I was pleasantly surprised at how I enjoyed both the fantasy and romance aspects and I flew through it in a matter of days. I still might not be able to tell you exactly what a fae is, though, as a newbie. This is a good intro into fantasy romance, though, for anyone. I also enjoyed the dual POVs and narrators.

3.5/5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley, RB Media and Gina for an advance listener’s copy of this title In exchange for an honest review!

I want to thank the publishers and NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to this book as an audiobook arc.

This is a 4/5 star book for me.
Spice was maybe a 3.75/5

The plot is this book was surprising good. I knew that this book was going to be smutty so I wasn’t expecting a great story. However, I really enjoyed the story.

In this story we follow Bryn who wins a free trip to the most popular casino and hotel. When she gets there she feels like the luckiest person alive She meets the owner of the hotel and most of Vegas and quickly falls for him.

What she doesn’t know is he is a fae and there’s a lot more to him then what meets the eye.

Other then that I feel like this book would be most enjoyable to read without knowing anything else.

This book has some trigger warnings.

Death of a parent (off page, talked about)
Kink and BDSM
Hostages

Overall I think this book is a great introduction into spicer books. It had smutty parts with some kink but bother super crazy.

This book would be perfect for readers who love to read dark erotic fantasy.
I enjoy listening to this audiobook, told in dual POV with two different narrator who voiced the two main characters. They delivered this story really well.

The plot is simple and interesting. It's well written with a good pacing as well.
Although, I wish the world building was more explored-especially about the Fae world in the beginning.

The characters are pretty well developed, especially the side characters who liven up the story with their sassy comments and bantering.
As for the main character, it took a while for me to warm up to them because sometimes I get annoyed with them throughout the story.

This is definitely one of the spiciest books I've read this year. There's a couple BDSM scenes here and to be honest I found there's one scene that I feels a bit too much.

The ending is a bit rushed but I'm still satisfied with it. The shocking twist at the end gives a glimpse of what the second book is gonna be about.

Overall, listening to this audiobook is a unique experience - the narrators did a great job!
It needs a bit more development in certain areas but still an enjoyable read.
I'm looking forward to read the next book in this series.

Actual rating: 3.5⭐

🌶 𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐓 𝐋𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐋 - 5/5
⚠️ 𝐓𝐖: Violence, mention of torture (off page), detailed sex scenes, swearing

I received an advanced review copy for free from Netgalley and RB Media, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

This was a very fun book. Fae? Billionare romance? Spice? Fake or more like accidental marriage? Checks off all the boxes! I really enjoyed the plot in the beginning with the characters meeting and having a fun night in Vegas. The book dragged a bit when it entered the middle of the story. I wish I could have connected with the main character Bryn more, but I unfortunately never found her interesting. The last part of the book was fantastic, fun plot, fun twists with the characters and better spice! Both narrators were also amazing. A very promising series that leaves you wanting to immediately read the second book.

Thank you to NetGalley and RB Media, Recorded Books for an audiobook version in exchange for an honest review.

Wow, The Dark King blew me away. This was the first time I've read any Gina L. Maxwell, and I feel like I've been missing out on some steamy romance. Bryn and Caiden were electrifying on the page, and I was instantly drawn into Bryn's story as she got a lot more than she ever expected on her spontaneous trip to Vegas.

The story was definitely enthralling, dark, and sexy. Early reviews compared it to Katee Robert and E.L. James, and I can see those comparisons reflected throughout Bryn and Caiden's tumultuous relationship. I also really liked Maxwell's lore building when it came to the fae. Maxwell included just enough detail on how several fae courts ended up in our world, without providing too much history and bogging down the plot with information readers didn't really need. I thought this book was a great introduction to the Deviant Kings series while also keeping the focus on our main characters and their specific journey.

As the typical leading man in a dark romance, Caiden is mysterious and too stubborn for his own good. He was a good foil for Bryn, who spent the first part of the book believing it was pure luck getting her to where she needed to be. They both ended up being the strength the other one needed, and I would definitely read more about their lives together should Maxwell ever choose to pursue that path.

I thought the audiobook was really well done. I loved the fact that it was dual narrators; both Avery Reid and Aiden Snow brought so much life and personality to Bryn and Caiden. I have to admit, I wasn't sure I was going to like Avery's voice during Bryn's first chapter, but by Bryn's second chapter I had grown accustomed to Avery's voice and really started to like the emotion that came through. Aiden's voice was deep and measured, and was exactly what the character of Caiden needed. Overall, the production was good and the audiobook ended up being a joy to listen to on my commutes.

LOVED IT! Dark brooding Fae prince, check, Fae prince that likes to dominate, check. Good storyline to go with the hot sexy time scenes, check! My two favorite paranormal genres are vampires and fae. So I have become slightly picky over the years when I read them but this one just did it for me.

Bryn finds herself fired from her job but thinks her luck might be turning around when she receives a free invitation to stay at luxe hotel and casino, Nightfall. She thinks her luck might be turning around when she gets the attraction of Caiden Verran, the super hot owner of Nightfall. After one to many martinis, Bryn finds herself naked with a ring on THAT finger and married to Caiden. Neither one can remember exactly what happened and soon pieces of the puzzle fall into place and Bryn's world gets turning upside down.
Such a good book, I devoured it in less than 24hours. The narrators where great. I cant wait to continue this series with The Rebel Prince.

pheeewwwww listening to this audiobook in public is hilarious. Just minding my business, listening to some 🌶 scenes through my earbuds in the airport. Nbd. The storyline….it wasn’t for me. I love fantasy, love the fae romance sub-genre- but something about this just didn’t grab me. Contemporary fae in Vegas. Totally personal opinion, but Vegas is a place I have never enjoyed so it’s hard for me to consume media that takes place here without feeling cringy. I get that’s a specific issue, but definitely tainted my opinion. 2.5 ⭐️
The dual narration for the audiobook was great- their voices worked well for the characters. 4 ⭐️
Thank you NetGalley & the publisher for this audiobook arc in exchange for my unbiased opinion!

I think I wanted more world building of the Fae's background. We were only delivered on a surface level and it was somewhat glossed over. I also wanted more introduction to Caiden and Bryn vs a "hangover" night neither person can remember. I just didn't want the typical "waking up married in vegas." As also things started to move along, why didn't Caiden show Bryn to his mother sooner?! Bryn at times got on my nerves. I wanted a bigger plot/climax. I think readers who are afraid of stepping into Fantasy romance will enjoy this. I think the ending was interesting and I plan to continue.

Narrators Avery Reid and Aiden Snow did a great job. Their POV's were pretty split 50/50.

I received this audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this unbiased review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

4.5 stars

I really enjoyed this book, it was a lot of fun! I would say it’s heavier on the romance rather than the fantasy, so don’t let the fae aspects scare you off. I got the audiobook of this story, and I am so glad that’s how I read it! Which I would normally not say, as I am a very visual learner and I don’t focus that well on audio. But this one…people…do the audiobook!! It’s dual POV, so there is a female and a male narrator. This was my first time hearing a male narrator doing romance, and let me tell you, it works 😉
Something these narrators did better than any other that I’ve heard is when they have to voice the other character (i.e. the female narrator is doing the male character’s voice). They must have really worked on it because it didn’t sound really cheesy and fake, like a lot of times it sounds when a woman is doing a man’s voice and vice versa, but they also got the cadence and rhythm and mannerisms right also.
Oh, and when he was voicing her part during the sex scenes…….🤤😮‍💨🙌🏻🔥🔥

Thank you to NetGalley & RB Media for this advanced reader copy. All opinions are my own.

The Dark King by Gina Maxwell
Deviant Kings #1. Paranormal romance with erotica elements.
What happens in Vegas….
Bryn decides a few days in Las Vegas are the key to her future. Meeting the Dark Fae King is interesting but what has her stuck and held on his estate is the surprising fact that they apparently got married after a night of drinking. That they can’t keep their hands off each other complicates the whole destiny thing.

Scorching hot and powerful. Bryn wants a lover to take control and Caiden is more than prepared to master every response. Too bad a human and fae can’t really be fated mates.

🎧 i alternated between a paperback copy and an audiobook. The narration was a supreme performance by Aiden Snow and Avery Reid. Each had their own chapters and POV and had me hanging on every word. Aiden was a bit gravelly and did a fantastic job with different character voice variances. From the female POV, Avery portrayed emotions and stress clearly. The overall performance was a bit slow for me so I found the best speed was 1.5 which is just a bit faster than my preferred normal.

I received a paperback copy from the author and an audiobook copy from NetGalley and Recorded Books.

This is a dark fantasy read perfect for those who love Katee Robert or spooky season....or just dark fantasy in general...lol! The book was fantastic, and the audio book was narrated perfectly.

I loved this story! Maxwell definitely knew how she wanted this relationship to unfold. The sexual chemistry and banter between Caiden and Bryn was hot, spicy, and oh so enjoyable. There were some bits that grated as they were repeated over and over throughout the book, but as a passing annoyance they could not impact my need to finish and uncover the threat and brimming love between our main characters. The supporting cast also helped to counter and enhance the relationships and world. I will definitely be returning to this series.