Arranged marriage. Billionaire romance. Forced proximity. Spice. Dual POV. What's not to love!

King of Wrath was a great start to a new series by Ana Huang. Out of loyalty to her family, Vivian Lau agrees to get married to Dante Russo, but what she doesn't know is that her father is secretly blackmailing Dante into marrying her to improve the family's status. The story follows the two main characters as they get to know one another and fall in love.

I loved Vivian and Dante, they were both amazing characters and I was so happy to see both of their growth throughout the book. Their romance was great, and the spicy scenes were great.

I would have given this book 5 stars, but unfortunately there was nothing about this book that was truly unique or made it stand out from the rest. It was a bit predictable, which is great if you're in the mood for that, but I myself would have liked some kind of twist to make this book worthy of 5 stars.

I can't wait to keep reading this series & see what happens to Kai and Isa.

I really wanted to enjoy this book as I’ve for the most part liked Ana’s Twisted series, but unfortunately this one was a bit of a struggle for me. I will start out by saying that it is pretty similar to her past books, so her big fans will probably still really enjoy this one, and that makes me so happy for them. However, that is part of my issue with this book. It feels generic.

I rated this one 3 stars, which is my “like” category. The book is fine. I didn’t dislike reading it or feel like I wasted time, but it is not something I would reread. I found this book really hard to get into. It took me 10 days to finish it because I could only read little bits at a time. I got bored with it pretty easily. Part of this was the characters. I didn’t feel a connection to either of them really. There were a few generic hot book guy lines but nothing about him really wowed me and, while I appreciated Vivian’s generational trauma and her backstory, I still wasn’t super drawn in by her. I felt similarly with Christian and Stella in Twisted Lies. I think after Josh and Jules book, I’ve been a bit underwhelmed by the next couples/books. Both Twisted Lies and King of Wrath have felt like rinse and repeat of her previous books and there was nothing really knew or intriguing about the characters and their stories to make me drawn to them.

I didn’t feel like we had much development of their actual relationship, and the timeline kept skipping weeks at a time, but somehow it still felt like the book dragged on for a while. I wish that there was more witty banter or tension with the forced proximity. It felt like they just happened to live together and avoid each other and then all of the sudden they were hot for each other. I didn’t feel a connection with them that led to this point so it felt a bit out of the blue for me.

I also just felt like nothing really happened in this book? Like I forgot until the end that the whole “drama” was her dad blackmailing him. It just kind of felt like a slow domestic book with a jumpy timeline and characters who were just okay to me. The spice was good though.

I will probably still continue her series in the hopes that I can feel the magic of Twisted Lies again, but I won’t be in a rush to read it and might wait until I can do it on audio. We got a little bit of a teaser with those characters in this book and they seemed to have a bit of chemistry so I’m slightly hopeful for it.

So overall, this book just wasn’t for me. I can see why other people love it, especially people who were fans of Twisted Lies as Christian and Dante felt like very similar characters. I’m hopeful that I will enjoy other books in this series as I’ve liked others of hers more, but this one just wasn’t a total win for me.

Thank you NetGalley for a copy of the ebook in exchange for an honest review.

Well, I loved that.

The arranged marriage, forced proximity, enemies to lovers to ex’s to lovers, family drama… I loved all of it.

I REALLY loved Vivian. I felt like she was a super a strong female lead. The way she stood up to Dante was top-notch. I was here for it.

The banter between her and Dante was perfect and the steeeeaaaaam was steeaaammmiiinnnnn’

All the stars for, Anna Huang!

It’s a testament to my never ending TBR that I finished the first book in Ana Huang‘s new series on the week that the second book releases 😂 One day we’ll all catch up right?

I absolutely LOVED, adored, cried for and lived for King of Wrath. Dante Russo is for sure a man that any woman would for sure give up anything for & I have never been more jealous of a female lead as I was when it came to Vivian. I mean.. she gets this amazingly fictional man that in no way exists in real life and it’s just not fair 😭😂

King of Wrath was an instant five star for me. The enemies to lovers, arranged marriage, grumpy/sunshine trope just had me feeling all the emotions all at once.

If you haven’t picked up this series yet then make sure you do it now! It’s a total must read. Thank you to Bloom Books for sending me a copy of this book!

You always know who is going to end up with each other but it is the journey of how they get there that makes these types of books a lot of fun. Never go ny the title of a book to know what the genrs is as I thought it would be a fantasy but it wasn't at all.
Vivian's father blackmails Dante into marrying Vivian. Dante does not want to be married. He is a billionaire and used to calling the shots. Now he needs to find a way out of ths engagement and take down Vivian's father.
I did not like Vivian's parents at all and Dante's parents were strange.
Dante didn't plan on falling in love nor did Vivian.
Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks for the book to review.

This was my first Ana Huang book and I can see why her books have gotten so popular. They are definitely tropey and have a formula they follow like typical romances and if your newer to the romance genre they would get you hooked. I did enjoy the overall plot of this book and setting but the pacing was kind of off for me as well as the characters felt pretty two dimensional. This story has been done before in many books and didn't really standout much for me. There were cute yet corny clique moments and the progression of the relationship felt forced in some places. I also didn't have much of a connection to the characters and found myself bored at certain spots. All that to say this was cute for what it was just nothing super unique. I will be trying book two since I did really enjoy the two side characters that book centers around. 3/5 stars

After reading the Twisted series, I was super stoked to jump into this book. It DID NOT disappoint. It was a quick read for me and I savored every word of it. The character building was amazing and the spice was even better! Any cons to this book? A few of the scenes/ verbiage was similar to her past books, but it doesn't change that the book was still great.

I recently read King of Wrath, a billionaire romance novel that completely swept me off my feet. It had everything I could ask for in a book - super spicy romance, an arranged marriage, forced proximity, and a possessive alpha male that had me invested from the very first page.

I was thoroughly captivated by the development of the relationship between Dante and Viv. Their chemistry was truly electric, and I found their witty banter, palpable tension, and heart-wrenching angst to be highly enjoyable. Despite the numerous obstacles the two characters faced, it was gratifying to see them eventually find forgiveness and trust in each other. I was particularly moved by how Dante was willing to beg for forgiveness - it was a swoon-worthy moment.

The plot was well-crafted and kept me flying through the pages. The writing was excellent, and the characters were so well-developed that I felt I knew them personally. It was truly satisfying to witness Viv's transformation from a blindly obedient daughter to a strong and independent woman who was not afraid to stand up for herself.

I recommend this novel to anyone looking for a hot, spicy romance read. The arranged marriage and possessive alpha male tropes were used to perfection, creating an entertaining and emotionally satisfying story. I am looking forward to reading more by this author.

Thanks to Ana Huang, Bloom Books & Netgalley for an advanced reader copy!

Okay, this book was crack. It’s my first by Ana Huang (whose other books I’ve seen ALL over TikTok, btw) and I can’t wait to read the rest. There was the perfect amount of spice mixed with the perfect amount of slow burn. It helps that I’m a total sucker for enemies to lovers as well.

I absolutely loved Vivian. She was charming and funny. I loved watching Dante’s frozen heart melt. They had amazing chemistry in their banter (and bedroom ha) and I fell in love with both of them.

The whole book was just so good and I couldn’t wait to pick up my kindle and read it each night. Miss Huang, you’ve gained a big fan after this one.

Beautifully written forced marriage billionaire romance.
It’s rare for me to read a book and really FEEL the character’s pain and happiness but I felt it in this one!
My first read from this author but now definitely seeking out her books!

Thank you to NetGalley and Source Books for the advance copy for review.

I really enjoy this author so I expected to love this book and it did NOT disappoint! I loved the enemies to lovers aspect of this book, and how he used 'Mia cara' as a term of endearment to initially get under her skin, but then as the dynamic shifted, it turned into a real tear of endearment. There were plenty of SPICY scenes in this book, which Ana does so well, and I loved that she made Dante speak Italian periodically throughout, which... SWOON!

I love a good dark romance and this one definitely made me love the genre even more. First of all an arranged marriage that no one wants to be in? Perfection!

Vivane is amazing. She's rich, smart, and truly a baddie! I really enjoyed reading her POV. It was refreshing and relatable. She's strong, resilient and so compassionate it's admirable. And Dante... I mean holy gods. He wreaks havoc on the mind I swear.

I thought that overall the story was good, and I think for any dark romance lovers out there this is good book.

This was my first Anna Huang book and I can honestly say I now understand the hype surrounding all of her books! I ripped through this book because I just couldn’t wait to know what happened with Dante and Vivian.

I came away from this book with the conclusion that Anna Huang can write a possessive, jealous, beautiful man that will have you not able to pull your eyes away from the page. And that’s that. Dante was the best kind of bad and I really enjoyed the chapters that were from his perspective. He will fight for his family, even if it means destroying yours. *Swoon* And I’m sorry but calling Vivian “mi cara” throughout the whole book had me wanting someone to speak Italian to me always.

Vivian was an incredible female main character to follow alongside. Her growth throughout the book (both of their growth really) made me have so much respect for her. She went from people pleasing to standing firm for what she believes in and I couldn’t help but cheer her on. Her relationship with Dante was so fun to watch grow and evolve throughout the book. You can’t help but fall in love with the two of them.

Overall, you should read this book because it blew my socks off. And I will be eagerly scouting for when King of Pride comes out because I need to know what Anna does with this series!

⚠️TW: violence, emotional abuse, toxic relationship, gun violence, injury/injury detail

Thank you Netgalley for the advanced copy in exchange for a review.
I was so excited to be approved for this read, I dove right in and could not put it down! I absolutely loved this book and can’t wait to read more by this author!

This was my first book by Ana Huang and I cannot wait to read all of the others. The banter and electric moments between Dante and Vivian were so fabulous. I’m also a sucker for any man that gets possessive and needs to claim what is his, so Dante was a dream. This book definitely started off slow and I wasn’t sure I was super into it, but by the end I was so hooked and I can’t want to read more from this series.
Thank you to Netgalley and Bloom Books for the opportunity to read this in exchange for my honest opinion.

Want another cookie-cutter billionaire romance? Here you go.

If you read Twisted Love, this is the exact same character personalities in a slightly different situation. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed it for a time. But what I find about Ana Huang’s books is that the first one has the most average characters while the side characters (and later books in the series) are far more interesting. With that said, I am looking forward to her next book with more unique characters and circumstances involved.

3/5 stars
ARC provided by Netgalley

"A part of me would always find my way to her. She was my North Star, the brightest jewel in sky."

I loved this book, its billionaire love story of old, and new cash. Both from various levels of the upper class. An Asian young lady and an Italian young man forced to marry. Their relationship is not an ordinary relationship, it is a grumpy and a sunshine coming together. They did not have the choice to enter this marriage to save the reputation of their family. This arrangement will most likely backfire or will not work. Dante and Vivian have their differences, but their connections to their parents are similar.

I cannot wait to read the next book!

Thank you netgalley for the eArc for my honest review.
This is my first Ana Huang Romance and it will not be my last.

Tropes:
Forced Proximity
Arranged Marriage
Billionaires
Grumpy/Sunshine ish

Dante and Vivian had instant chemistry and i could not put this book down once i started. If looking for a steamy romance that has witty banter this one is perfect.

4/5 stars

This book was so good I was completely hooked from the first page couldn't put it down I absolutely loved it. I can't wait to read the next book I've read numerous things from this author and none of it disappoints

King of Wrath was absolutely incredible! I loved the animosity, emotion, drama, and passion. All the intricate details and layers completely pulled me in. From the beginning, I was caught up in Vivian and Dante’s world and loved watching their walls come down as they opened up and became vulnerable. It consumed me. I had so many feelings and emotions and was rooting for them the entire time.

Dante was an intense, complicated alpha jerk in the beginning and I loved learning his inner workings and motivations. Even though he seemed so ruthless, he fascinated me and I loved him immediately. Vivian was a strong, independent woman and I liked her instantly but I felt for her because of the familial obligations that held her back. The position her family was putting her in made for seriously great drama. The moments when Dante and Vivian clashed were awesome. I love how she gave as good as she got and stood up to Dante. Their back and forth was intense with off-the-charts chemistry and I couldn’t get enough of the building sexual tension. When everything finally exploded it was pretty epic. There were so many excellent scenes between these two, and I was captivated the entire time. I cheered for them, hurt for them, and cried for them.

I loved their friends and how unique they were. I love what's been set up for Isabella and Kai, I really liked their subtle interactions and I’m excited for more in the next book, King of Pride. Even the details about the people in the upper echelon of society, Dante’s staff, and brother had me invested. The drama with her parents was something else, providing a lot of angst, and it just about killed me. When Vivian gets her moments though, it was beyond fantastic.

This is my first time reading this author and I honestly feel blown away. The writing was incredible and the descriptions made me feel like I was a part of their world. Everything together made for an elaborate, well-executed story. This was a truly addicting read. New fan right here!