There is something about Ana Huang's books that I desperately want to love but I never quite get there.

The writing was good and the characters were decent but the plot line was just so basic that I was bored through most of this. From the very first chapter of this book you know exactly how it's going to play out. No surprises, no interesting twists and turns; just a very basic, straightforward and predictable plot line. I've said this before but I am a firm believer that you absolutely can have a 5 star romance with a pretty non-existent plot line but it has to be packed full of chemistry and small moments between the couple that show them falling for each other. This was pretty lacking in that department. Dante was constantly away on business trips and we time jumped a lot and to me it felt like one second they were moving in together unwillingly and the next second they were having a "is this real" conversation. I just felt like I missed all of the build up to their relationship. For me the highlight of the whole book was him grovelling at the end because we finally actually got to see them interacting romantically outside of the bedroom. Speaking of which, I found the smut in this kind of tame for Ana Huang but maybe that's just me?

I also (for whatever reason) was under the impression that this was a mafia romance? It's definitely not. It's just two high society rich people. I've never been a fan of high society anything so it's not super surprising that this really didn't pique my interest. The blurb gives the impression that Dante is this super dangerous guy (maybe why I thought this was mafia?) but we really didn't see any of that in here. I did like Vivian for the most part though.

Honestly, can't say I'm particularly interested in any future books in this series but this was okay.

This is my first Ana Huang and will not be my last! I devoured this book.

Dante and his possessiveness 🥵

I really enjoyed the development of both MCs throughout the book. The third act break up was typical but not drawn out like in so many books and I didn't mind it.

Definitely recommend checking this book out if you like:
- Arranged marriages
- Grumpy x sunshine
- Forced proximity

Thanks to NetGalley & Sourcebooks Bloom Books for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review

Arranged marriage
Forced proximity
Sunshine x grumpy.
The spice was amazing! I enjoyed it so much and highly recommend.

I was in the mood for a moody, broody and strong male lead. Really enjoyed the unexpected love story between these two very different main characters.

I loved this book. These characters were so sweet to read about. I hate the basic third act breakup but that is typical and the author wrote it with class. I loved the high society vibes to this. It gave insight into a life that most people don't see and seemed to be pretty accurate. I think the arranged marriage trope was done well and the dislike they showed towards each other was real. I wish that they would have been honest with each other from the start but I know that is not the point of this novel. I am looking forward to seeing book 2 and that dynamic start and hopefully these characters will be back.

This was my first Ana Huang read and I am hooked. Her storytelling, world building, and general ability to develop a character is out of this world. I cant wait for the next book in this series.

This read had so many good tropes (billionaire romance, arranged marriage, enemies to lovers, forced proximity) and the chemistry between the characters was spicy all the way through. I also really enjoyed the Asian representation in this book, as a child of immigrants I found myself relating to Vivian many times.

Thank you Netgalley and Bloom Books for the eARC.

Arrange marriage trope, you will always be famous.

Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for this ebook.

4.5 ⭐️

Read if you enjoy:
- Arranged Marriage
- Grumpy vs Sunshine
- Forced Proximity
- Dual POV
- NYC elite/ High Society
- “Strangers to roommates to adversaries to friends to lovers to exes…the list went on!”

This has become a favorite read by Ana Huang. I have fallen in love with Dante and Vivian and I’m so glad I got a little bit more with the extended epilogue release.

I loved these two characters and their development throughout the book. It took me a bit to get into the plot of the arranged marriage but once it started, I loved it. The banter between these two was so entertaining at times and loved how Vivian stood her ground. Dante’s groveling was so good to read. Loved the chemistry and tension between these two.

"You take the most ordinary or unexpected things and make them extraordinary. You see the silver lining in every situation and the good in everyone, even if they don't deserve it. And I'm selfish enough to hope you'll see how much I don't just want but need you. Today, tomorrow, and all the days that come after that."

Definitely recommend this one! Excited to jump into Kai’s story next (He was a favorite side character who liked to tease Dante and make him jealous)

Vivian Lau is thrown into an unwanted engagement with one of NYC's most eligible bachelors and she can’t quite figure out why handsome billionaire CEO, Dante Russo, would have agreed to an arranged marriage. Unbeknownst to her, Dante has been blackmailed into proposing and he will do anything in his power to destroy the evidence—and destroy the person responsible—before their wedding date.

This is my first Ana Huang book and the expectation was high since everyone seems to love anything she writes. I must say, I do understand the hype. This was dark, emotional, and sexy. And surprisingly relatable? I’m the daughter of immigrants so IYKYK. I liked the conflict and the characters—I thought they were well-rounded, there were things I liked about them and others I did not which is life. I’m excited to see where this series goes.

Read if you enjoy:
💍 Billionaire Romance
💍 Arranged Marriage
💍 Enemies-to-Lovers
💍 Forced Proximity
💍 Spice
💍 Dual POV

Thank you to Netgalley and publisher for this ARC!

This book was enjoyable. I read it quickly and the characters are engaging. Is it anything groundbreaking? No. It’s a standard romance but I did enjoy that she attempts to set familial boundaries and break norms.

I knew from the blurb that I was going to love this story and I was right. “King of Wrath” is a steamy, intriguing and chemistry filled enemies to lovers with an arranged marriage romance that I could not stop listening to once I started.

Money is power and power is everything amongst the NYC elite. So when Vivian’s father arranges her marriage to one of the most powerful billionaires, Dante Russo, she’s not surprised. But what she doesn’t know is her father has blackmailed Dante so their families can combine. But Dante is a Russo and they never take or do anything they don’t want to do.

Dante Russo is a jealous, possessive and protective guy and I’m all about it. He’s so serious and standoffish at first but Vivian slowly breaks down that wall and I love seeing a man get taken down to his knees by an equally strong woman. He pretends not to care because of how he was raised but he secretly does. I loved listening to Vivian stand up and hold her own with such a strong man like Dante. She’s smart, caring and finds herself while engaged to Dante, working through her differences she has with her parents. I loved all the underlying chemistry and tension that they had and when it finally ignited, it was sizzling.

I am a sucker for a great arranged marriage romance and when done well I will get so lost in the story that the real world around me disappears.

We met Dante briefly in Twisted Lies and I knew then that I needed to see more from him. In King of Wrath we find Dante Russo our "antihero" and Vivian Lau our heroine enter into an arranged marriage. Both of them clearly not wanting to be involved with one another but both of them being forced into it, Dante due to blackmail and Vivian due to a sense of obligation to her family.

Vivian moves into Dante's house and this is where the dynamic between the two of them really starts to ramp up. At the beginning these two run so cold they could have been strangers but as the story continues the relationship starts to get muddy. You could almost feel the temperature start to rise, the tension between these two heats up these pages and will have you almost squirming in anticipation.

What starts off as an obligation because so much more with these two. And as they get to know one another you start to have hope for these two. The reason I love romance reads is because they always illicit those heart pounding moments. This book had so many of those types of moments, whether it was the butterflies I felt as Dante and Vivian's feeling for one another started to become more then just an arrangement or those moments where things would start to fall off the rails a bit as their initial reasoning for being together would come back to the forefront.

Overall King of Wrath checks off all the boxes. It will have you feeling all sorts of emotions. If you are a fan of Arranged Marriages this one is top notch.

I also have to add in here that as a woman of East asian descent I absolutely love seeing more representation in romance books. So thank you Ana for that.

I absolutely can't wait for the next instalment in this series. In fact I'm salivating for it.

I love arranged marriage romances and this one was no different. I love Ana’s writing because it’s just so easy to get lost in. Watching the characters fighting their attraction to each other was so fun.

It's been a while since I indulged in this sort of high-power, high-stakes billionaire romance and so I wasn't really sure if this was something that would grab and keep my attention. But, oh my goodness, it did.

It took a little bit for me to settle into it, but by the third act I was obsessed. I tuned out the world, laser focused on Dante and Vivian's angsty, fiery love affair and - guh, it was so good!

The grump/sunshine trope is a favorite, and I felt like Ana Huang nailed the dynamic. Vivian's vivacious personality set against Dante's dour? *chef's kiss​* And there is nothing, nothing more satisfying to me in romance than a man brought to his knees by his feelings for a woman. I adored how Dante adored Vivian. And even better, I understood it - because Vivian was written as this strong, capable, independent woman with a heart of gold and a smart sense of humor. The two of them together plucked at every single one of my heartstrings and set my skin abuzz with swooniness. Also, the grovel? Mmmmm. Perfection.

This story was shades of dark without actually venturing into dark territory. Perfect for readers like me, who are not dark romance readers, but may be craving something with a little bit of bite to it. The storyline was interesting, and it was perfectly paced. This was my first book by Ana Huang, but I was glued to the pages, enchanted with the love story, and compelled to know how everything played out - so I know it will not be my last. I loved it! ~ 4.5 Stars

I absolutely loved this book. I opened this book and anytime I put it down I couldn't stop thinking about it. I absolutely devoured this book in less than 24 hours. I cannot wait for the next book to come out and see what is in store for Kai

Thank you to Ana Huang, Bloom Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book!

I was skeptical going into this book, because I’m in the small group of Booktok who didn't like Twisted Love, but Ana Huang really exceeded my expectations with King of Wrath. I really liked both Vivian and Dante and felt that their characters were well-developed. The dialog was soooo much better than TL, and the banter was *chefs kiss*. I couldn’t give this five stars for two reasons 1) the spicy scenes were in-line with this author’s typical style but overall fell a little flat and 2) the wishy-washy approach to highlighting the racism in society, especially among the wealthy. Overall, I would definitely recommend this book for billionaire-romance readers who love a good grumpy x sunshine dynamic.

4 ⭐️ Two words: Dante Russo 🥵🔥


"We'd exchanged only a handful of words, yet I already knew two things with gut certainty. One, Dante was going to be my fiance. Two, we might kill each other before we ever made it to the altar."


WHAT TO EXPECT:
✨ new york city settings
✨ gossip girl society vibes
✨ billionaire CEO x jewelry heiress
✨ interracial romance
✨ blackmailed into an arranged marriage
✨ age-gap (28 and 36)
✨ hate to love
✨ denial of feelings
✨ jealousy
✨ slight miscommunication and secret-keeping
✨ one-bed trope
✨ slight ex-boyfriend drama
✨ "touch her and die"
✨ nicknames: mia cara and sweetheart
✨ 3/5 spice
✨ 3rd act breakup with the best groveling ever!
✨ HEA
✨ tw: mild violence, painful family relations


My Thoughts:

I truly enjoyed this story! It's set in the same world as Ana Huang's Twisted Series, and we even see some crossover with Christian and Stella (a delightful surprise since they were my favorite couple from the series). But now, I think Dante and Vivian are my new favorites!

Dante Russo is the perfect contemporary romance hero. He's ruthless, serious, protective, loyal, grumpy, and domineering. He thrives off control both professionally and personally - and never plans to marry. So when he's blackmailed into marrying the daughter of his newest enemy, he's pissed and wants absolutely nothing to do with her. However, even he can't resist the warmth, beauty, and charm of Vivian Lau. Their marriage is all business, but if there's anything he takes seriously, it's his investments. There's nothing quite as sexy as when the hero falls for the last person he's supposed to! I adored it whenever Dante called Vivian 'mia cara' and 'sweetheart'. And his intense jealousy was something to behold. But Dante also had a lot of depth and kindness behind his seemingly indifferent exterior, and it was lovely getting to know him better and seeing his sweet side.

Vivian Lau was a fantastic heroine who experienced tremendous growth. She's smart, generous, kind, sophisticated, and charming. But she shows different sides to different people. To her family, she's an obedient daughter willing to do whatever is asked of her as long as it helps her parents succeed. To Dante, she's bold, sassy, infuriating, and addicting. Vivian not only discovers love in this story, but she finds herself, and that journey was beautiful to follow.

Both Dante and Vivian were well-developed characters with unique and complicated histories with parents that really affected their current mannerisms and behavior. I enjoyed discovering these family dynamics and seeing how Dante learns to open himself to trusting someone while Vivian learns to set boundaries and do what's best for her.

Dante and Vivian's chemistry was electric! Due to the nature of their engagement, there's already so much tension. And the fact Dante wants to hate Vivian and fights his attraction to her made everything more intense. So when they finally confess their feelings and get together, it is explosive!

And let's not forget the spice! These sex scenes were HOT! Plain and simple. There are some steamy moments that take place in a library, limo, public garden, and Bali bungalow with one bed, that'll have you reaching for your nightstand.

There were some smutty things that weren't my cup of tea, like when Dante has Vivian licking up her own c*m, but hey, to each their own. But overall, I did enjoy the smut.

This book has the most epic GROVELING I've ever seen!!!! The fact Dante actually works to win Vivian back was amazing! It takes some time but Dante never pressures her to forgive him. Instead, he's patient, determined, and persistent. And then he does the unthinkable: Dante mother-f*cking Russo gets on his hands and knees for Vivian. Ahhhh, this scene was *chef's kiss* and lives in my head rent-free.

I also really appreciate the believability of this romance. I think my biggest hangup with the Twisted Series was how most of the guys were straight-up unhinged and the girls were way too sweet to fall for that kind of crazy. But Dante is just a super possessive, intense guy and Vivian is sweet but has a backbone (around Dante at least). I found their dynamic to be realistic. Also, the story happens over the course of a few months, which made this slow burn all the better.

But sometimes, the time jumps were too big. We'd sometimes skip 2-3 months after a heated moment and it left me wondering what on earth happened during that time. Apparently nothing, but that wasn't really satisfying to me. I wanted more insight into their feelings during the months we skipped.

The complicated relationship between Vivian and her family, while infuriating, is something I really resonated with since I grew up in a similar (less intense) household. I absolutely hated Vivian's parents, specifically the dad. How he treated Vivian and the rest of his family like they were pawns in a game was sickening. It was also horrible how Vivian would try to speak up for herself, but her dad would shut her up by saying "I am your father. You do not speak to me this way" and then manipulate her by bringing up how everything he's done has been for her. That is such harmful behavior and puts so much pressure and guilt on a child. Their dynamic was infuriating yet very real. And in the end, it was wonderful watching Vivian learn to stand up for herself and realize that you can love your parents on your own terms. There's no need to allow toxic people to have any say or control over your life, parents included.

My main complaint with this story is the pacing. The middle section was pretty slow, and sometimes the writing was too wordy and repetitive whenever discussing Dante or Vivian's feelings. I recognize this was done to reiterate and develop their emotions, but it felt redundant at times. I ended up skimming some of the nondialogue.


Overall, King of Wrath was a wonderful book that I 100% recommend reading if you like billionaire romances with an arranged marriage and hate-to-love trope. I can't wait for the next book in the series!

this was amazing. Vivian Lau is a society heiress is set to marry Dante Russo, the most eligible bachelor and billionaire. Their slow burn killed me in the beginning, especially with how cold but attentive Dante was given the reasons for the marriage on his part. He never planned to marry, let alone an arranged marriage.

Vivian held her ground and knew her place. She was always a different version of herself to her parents, trying to get their approval on everything.

The chemistry between Vivian and Dante was absolute fire! They had a connection almost immediately, as well as attraction.

I’m also so glad we got to see some characters from Twisted Lies, it was so fun to realize we’d met Dante once before and to get an entirely new perspective of them. I can’t wait for the continuation of this series, it’s already started off incredibly.

“You can’t see the stars in New York,” Dante said. “So I brought the stars to you.” This quote was one of my favorites from the book.
King of Wrath is the first of many books in the Kings of Sin book series. This one focuses the love story of Dante and Viviane. If you loved her Twisted series you will love this one! We got a little taste of Dante’s character in Twisted series - this one is his chance to tell his story of him and Vivian Lau. So many tropes you love:
Billionaire/Heiress Romance, Enemies to Lovers, Jealousy Trope, Arrange Marriage trope. Not to mention two very strong willed main characters with so much hot chemistry. The story slowly melts from hate, to lust to love. Lots of tension, jealousy, and steamy scenes in this book. Dante and Vivian are forced into an arranged marriage. They absolutely despise each other. Vivian is the daughter of the man he wants to destroy so while they are engaged for a year he’s trying to do everything in his power to destroy Vivian father but also ends up falling in love with her along the way. Many thanks to SOURCEBOOKS Bloom Books and NetGalley for the digital review copy of this novel. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

This book was so amazing!! I can see why it has been so popular. Holy moly I am completely obsessed with this. I will be buying a paperback copy ASAP. I now have Ana Huang as an auto buy.
I just reviewed King of Wrath by Ana Huang. #NetGalley
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