Recently got into audiobooks and these are perfect to listen to while doing housework. I didn't know anything about this book going in so I was a bit nervous but I really liked it and found myself doing more housework so that I could continue listening to the story.

Bryn Meara won a free trip to an exclusive hotel and casino in Vegas. After one night of martinis and lust, she wakes up to find herself married to Caiden Verran the reclusive billionaire who also happens to be the King of the Night Court. Wow. I loved it. There were twists and turns that I didn't see coming. The sex scenes were hot and the entire story kept me listening until it was over. I can't wait to check out more of Gina Maxwell's books.

5 stars.

I received this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. ARC provided by RB Media.

For Bryn Meara, a free trip to the exclusive and ultra-luxe Nightfall hotel and casino in Vegas should’ve been the perfect way to escape the debris of her crumbling career. But waking up from a martini-and-lust-fueled night to find herself married to Caiden Verran, the reclusive billionaire who owns the hotel and most of the city, is not the jackpot one would think. It seems her dark and sexy new husband is actual royalty and there's an entire world beneath the veil of Vegas. Whether light or shadow, the fae are a far cry from fairy tales, and now they have made Bryn a pawn in their dark games for power. And Caiden is the most dangerous of all. She should run. But every night of passion pulls Bryn deeper into his strange and sinister world, until she is no longer certain she wants to leave even if she could.

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, but it does not offer anything more. I just wanted more character development, more fantasy world-building, and a little bit more depth. This book was also driven by way too much miscommunication. Almost all the tension is created by Caiden not being honest with Bryn. The ending was quite rushed as well and Bryn and Caiden’s story didn’t feel fully concluded, as there were still a lot of unresolved issues. This story indeed has been done before but I liked Maxwell’s spin on it even if I think it could have gone a bit deeper. I think the book will appeal to people who enjoy erotic romance or dark fantasy or romance.

Talk about STEAM!

What a fun mix of Fae romance, billionaire powerhouse, and spicy accidental marriage!

Seriously though, this book has all the things. A broody alpha male who only likes our heroine? Check.

A dark morally grey Fae King? Check.

Enemies to Lovers complete with spice? Check.

In addition to all of the above, I also got serious Beauty and the Beast vibes, Caiden calls Bryn Beauty as a pet name and there are numerous parallels to that fairy tale vibe as well!

This one is a darker romance, it has been compared to 50 Shades in numerous reviews and I do feel that is accurate.

I loved the world building involving these FAE and their magic system and I can’t wait to see how more of this is explored in the forthcoming books.

Plus that ENDING is very promising for the next installment.

I recommend to fans of darker romance who love FAE and Billionaire Romances!

Thank you so much to the publisher and Netgalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

This was my first Gina Maxwell book so I didn't really know what to expect when I signed up to review this audiobook. All I saw was "fae" and "romance" and I was in. What a wild ride it was! Caiden, the "King" of Vegas ends up married to girl next door type Bryn in a drunken night as one is tend to do in Vegas. Only this situation is a bit different. Caiden is the literal Dark King of the Night Fae and Bryn is now his mate, which is seemingly impossible since she is human and due to a curse put on upon the mated fae if one dies so dies the other.

I really didn't think I would like this book as much as I did. I didn't know it featured BDSM and tho I still don't care for it in books, it didn't bother me too much. It goes without saying the sex in this book is off the charts, but there was actually really decent plot going on as well. I liked the depth in which the author goes into about the hierarchy of the fae and the backstory of Caiden's parents. And the side characters were interesting too, I'm looking forward to the second installment with Caiden's brother.

The audiobook featured a dual narration by Aiden Snow and Avery Reid. I felt Reid's voice fit Bryn's personality perfectly. She had great inflections and her tone was fine. I hadn't listened to Snow's narration before and was first caught off guard by his deep rumbly voice but once I got a few chapters in, I got used to it. Both narrators didn't over exaggerate or have long dramatic pauses. Overall a good audiobook to listen to with headphones on or alone lol

Thank you so much to Recorded Books Media for providing me with an audiobook ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review!

I was lucky enough to meet Gina at #apollycon22 this summer AND get a physical arc of The Dark King. And then I scored an audio book on @netgalley too!

The Dark King is delicious, sexy, and demanding. The spice is right up there with Nikki St. Crowe. Check the triggers as always. I highly recommend this for fans of The Bargainer, Vicious Boys or forced proximity that burns HOT. 🔥

Thanks to Netgalley and RB Media for the AudioARC of this!

It was fun enough, with LOTS of steam, but not much in the way of substance and plot. I’m still interested in the next one, and the very end that hints at the activities in the next book was one of my favorite parts. I saw it compared to Neon Gods, but I didn’t enjoy it the same way.

Holy Hotness! A dark paranormal romance with a bit of pleasure and pain wrapped around a murder plot. There is literally something for everyone in this book and the narrators do an outstanding job of bringing every bit of joy and pain to life! If you like hot, steamy exercise in the bedroom then this book graphically details that, and you won't be disappointed. If you like things a bit cleaner cut, keep on moving as this isn't the book for you. I've never been into rough exercise, but apparently the voyeur in me gets excited listening to it in this book! Never fear, everything is consensual so no worries on that front, but it does have a cliffhanger so I'm already looking forward to the next book!! The Fae factor is also quite intriguing then toss in a murder plot and you've got a complete brain buffet! Pardon me while I go get something cold to drink and then go find my mate to see if he's ready to play!

Caiden owns sin city and rules over the night court dark fae. Bryn is looking to relax and when she gets a free trip to Vegas she takes it without hesitation. The two are pulled together and their two worlds collide.

Fae, Vegas and a modern setting all instantly hook the reader from the very beginning. If you’re an ACOTAR fan and looking for something a little darker this is the book for you.

Caiden is a brooding monarch who turns suave and mysterious when he meets an unlikely woman, Bryn.

Bryn is the FMC who is unapologetically herself even when faced with the Dark King and his court.

I really enjoyed entering this world and seeing a modern twist to the fae. This story goes between Caiden and
Bryn’s perspectives so you get to experience both sides of the story. The story was very easy to listen to and the narrators were perfect for the characters. I wasn’t quite ready for the story to end but I am looking forward to future books in the series.

Thanks NetGalley and RB Media for the advance audiobook copy. This audiobook was received in exchange for an honest review.

This book was amazingly good! Dark and Light Fae, royalty, good sex and Vegas? Sign me up! Caiden is the King of the Dark Fae and refuses to be bonded with anyone. What happens when he wakes up married to Bryn? I loved the push and pull of their relationship. I loved Caiden’s brothers and friends! I cannot wait for the next book in the series!

I loved the story so much I couldn’t put it down, finishing it in one day. Absolutely delightful story and audiobook.

I loved watching the progression of their relationship, but I thought the story fell flat at the end. I also understand why it ended the way it did… But would’ve liked to have seen it done differently.

If this reads, extremely vague, that’s because I don’t want to give any spoilers, but also want to give some impression on how I felt about the story/ending so you know what to expect. I also wanted to explain why I gave at four stars and not five.

Will definitely read book two!!

As for the narrators of the audiobook, they were fantastic! This was the first audiobook I’ve listened to with a male narrator that I loved. He will be the voice I hear in my head when I read any male character from now on. Audio narration alone is a 5/5 for me!

Thank you so much NetGalley for the advanced copy. All thoughts and opinions are completely my own

3.5⭐️
Bryn is down on her luck having just lost her job but the universe is throwing her some good vibes because she receives a promotional letter for a few free nights stay at a luxurious hotel in Vegas. During her stay she meets Caiden, who basically owns the city and has a hidden Fae King of the Night Court identity. When their eyes meet, where will the night take them?

Strong start. This was fast paced & sexy. Caiden gives off heavy dominating vibes. Bryn is strong willed but willing to relinquish control in all the sexy ways. I enjoyed some of the political intrigue and a little twist that came. I also loved the aspect of banished Fae into our realm and the Fae King over seeing Las Vegas. This was more like ACOTAR meets Fifty Shades…which I was on board with.

If you like ACOTAR, Fifty Shades, with a Vegas backdrop, you may like this.

Personally, fell flat for me. The first half of the book was really intriguing and hot. By the last half, I felt a little bored. There was a lot of miscommunication/no communication for the sake of keeping the FMC ‘safe’ but also b/c the MMC felt the FMC didn’t actually want to be with him which, got repetitive. While there is nothing wrong with that, it just didn’t vibe with me. I was also a little confused with how it ended like it did. I thought some bits were unnecessary but I also give it the benefit of a doubt assuming the author is setting up for the next book.

The narrators I thought were fantastic.

Will I read the next book? If I come across it and the mood strikes, likely.

Thank you to NetGalley & RB Media for the audiobook ARC.

I read this book on my kindle first, and I struggled through it a bit. I thought maybe in audio it would be better if I could feel the characters come alive. It was actually better. . I still think the world building was weak, and the heat and connection between the hero and heroine wasn’t really there. I just didn’t feel them fall in love. I think the hero and heroine’s growth journey was just enough to say there was one. I just didn’t feel like the character’s backstory connected them to the present. It was like all of the sudden the heroine found out who she was. I think she should have been getting more clues all along. I thought the audiobook narrators did a good job. Huge thanks to Entangled Publishing and Netgalley for allowing me to read and review this book!

4.75 ⭐️

I truly loved this! I’m not a huge fantasy reader but a good romantasy is something i enjoy! The Dark King follows Caiden a Fae King and his unexpected, accidental wife Bryn. I felt this book was pretty fast paced, the first 2/3 chapters were slow for me, but i loved that everything about the Fae world wasn’t thrown at you at the beginning. This book was more character based which made world building be intertwined with character development. I loved the banter and interaction between Caiden and Bryn. She is a witty, confident, taking no BS women who goes to Vegas to let off some steam after loosing her job and finds herself unexpectedly married to the Fae King and thrown into a world that she didn’t even know she was born to be a part of!

This story gives BDSM, Found Family, Dual POV and Forced Proximity. The spice was very well done in my opinion, and didn’t feel forced or out of place.

The only reasons this book didn’t give 5 stars for me was I wanted more of Bryn’s development with her knew normal and dealing with all of this revelation of being a Fae and how her world is now changed. I am SO excited for the next book.

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to provide a honest review for an audio ARC!

This story was definitely a combination of a few things from my perspective. I'm hit and miss with Fae things these days, but I think it was well done and I enjoyed some of the explanations the author gave. The part of me that loves fantasy really hopes more of that part comes to life later on in the series. But in that regard, some of this story felt a little bit like the ACOTAR series by Maas. Which, if that's the case, I'm sure that crowd of readers will love this. It's like if Feyre and Rhys had more BDSM in their life and were in Las Vegas haha. So in some regards it made me feel like the author was also trying to write a better Fifty Shades book, too.

Some of it made me roll my eyes, but I did like both characters. I was along for the ride and it never bored me. Also both narrators, Avery Reid and Aiden Snow, did very well in the audiobook.

Bryn and Caiden are very likeable, relatable characters who are brought to life by the two talented narrators. Although they narrate different chapters from each character’s point of view, I was impressed at how well they handled both male and female voices. The result is a seamlessly flowing narration, allowing the listener to fully immerse themselves in the story. The romance is steamy, but there are a lot of interesting plot points to balance this out. I loved the snappy dialogue and the mystery surrounding Bryn’s ancestry who really kept me engaged. This story and it’s narration, really exceeded my expectations!

Rating: 3.75

The Dark King was an entertaining and spicy dark fantasy romance book with a modern twist. While, there were a lot of elements I enjoyed, unfortunately the pacing of the story was quite slow.

I listened to the audio version and the dual narrators were incredible, especially the male narrator. The narration definitely made the story more exciting.

It is dual POVs of the main characters, Bryn Meara and Caiden Verran. There were also some great tropes like: an accidental marriage, forced proximity and grumpy-sunshine. I would suggest checking the trigger and content warnings before reading though.

I did really enjoy the first half of this book as I loved the premise, the modern setting with the fantasy element and all the pop culture references. However, the second half somewhat lost me as the pacing of the story slowed down significantly and nothing really happened plot-wise until the end. While, there were also some predictable twists and moments it was still quite interesting and the world building was pretty great to be honest.

The romantic development between Bryn and Caiden was pretty good. They had some great tension and chemistry; the spice was really kinky and hot as well. However, there was a lot of miscommunication between them, that did get quite frustrating.

The ending was quite rushed as well and Bryn and Caiden’s story didn’t feel fully concluded, as there were still a lot of unresolved issues. The next book however, follows Caiden’s brother, which I was not expecting. So this book does leave off on a slight cliffhanger.

Overall, still just an enjoyable audiobook and great for fans of ACOTAR and Neon Gods.

Thank you to NetGalley and RB Media for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

4.5 ⭐️

📚 An easy-to-read, fun, sexy, page-turning book perfect for all romantasy lovers who enjoy something spicy.

🧑🏻 Caiden is the dark king who's always in control, he is feared but respected, rough but kind. He's also the broody king who falls to pieces in the presence of one unlikely female, Bryn.

👩🏼 Bryn is a strong, intelligent and independent character. She's a ray of sunshine in Caiden's life. Oh, and Bryn is also a book lover!?

❤️ Caiden and Bryn's chemistry is 🥵! No matter how much Caiden tried to push Bryn away and resist what he was feeling, they always ended up in each other's arms!

👥 I loved the side characters! Tiernan, Finn, Fiona, Seamus, Connor and so on were such a wonderful group of people! I also loved Bryn's friendship with Fiona, it was so pure and fun!

📖 Overall, I did really enjoyed this book and would recommend it to anyone looking for a spicy fae romance with grumpy/sunshine vibes, forced proximity and found family.

3.5 rounded up to 4.

The Dark King was overall a fun and spicy romance but had a few elements that were a little bit hit or miss for me.

The good:
I loved the Fae elements. I really liked the world, the portrayal of the courts and the characters. Having the fae in Los Vegas was a fun twist to the accidentally married to the rich guy trope. The pacing was good. Bryn and Caidan were fun and played well off of each other. The side characters were wonderful.

The meh:
I wish there had been more of the Fae world. As one of the elements that made the story a bit more unique, I wish it had been a little more fleshed out. There was definitely enough to keep me interested, but I still wanted more.

I was not a huge fan of the BDSM elements. I get how it fits with the characters, but I feel like that is something that takes a lot of trust, and for a good part of the book, it felt like that trust was not there (for good reasons). There was a lot of miscommunication and lack of communication that seemed at odds with their interactions. I feel like a lot of the problems could have been solved by shutting up and actually listening to each other. And yet at other times, I also felt like the main characters were not really bothered by things that should have been a bigger deal in my opinion. I didn't hate them as a couple by any means, but there were some things that felt just a bit off.

Overall:
Overall, I did enjoy this book. The development of Bryn and Caidan's relationship was interesting to watch, even if it was flawed for me. As I said, I also enjoyed the side characters and the world, so I am really looking forward to the next book in this series. I think now that many of the elements of the world are already introduced, book 2 has a great setup to build on the good things that I enjoyed. The narration of the audio book was well done as well. The voices fit the characters and they were great at getting the right pacing and tone. I loved that it was dual narrators. I always feel like that adds something to books like this and makes it easier to immerse yourself in what is happening.

Many thanks for the advanced audio book in exchange for an honest review. I will be keeping an eye out for more in this series and from this author.

A forbidden love that will win against all odds. This is a darker fae story with an intense attraction, BDSM, and an arrogant fae king who wants to dominate.

There is a blood curse against all fae kings that comes when they bond with their mates. To prevent this from happening, they never allow themselves to bond. Unfortunately for Caiden, there were manipulations involved the made this impossible.

Bryn is a human female down on her luck in life when she wins a free trip to Vegas. With nothing more to lose, she decides to have a little fun before trying to piece her life back together. Only Bryn finds herself in a predicament that she may or may not want to get out of.

I enjoyed this version of a fae love story. It was unique, had an intense Alpha who did come off a bit too arrogant at first. The forbidden aspect of the story kept things interesting. I'm not the biggest fan of BDSM but this has it pretty light, so I didn't really mind it as part of the story.

I listened to the audiobook version and really liked both narrators. I easily got lost in the story. Overall, this was a good listen!