There were definitely parts of this story that I enjoyed, but overall it wasn’t my favorite. As a MC, Lennix is interesting, strong-willed, and generally likable. The Cade family dynamics were so bizarre to me, I was 50/50 on Maxim the whole time but his actions and motives just never added up for me. The pacing of the book was also strange, so I don’t know what I was expecting at the end of the book but it definitely wasn’t the out of left field cliffhanger.

I will be passing on the rest of this series.

this was one of my first political romances but i had so much fun! it’s so much more than a romance and i was not expecting that depth! this was my first kennedy ryan book but definitely won’t be my last!

Did not finish, couldn’t get into it. I loved the native sides of things and I kind of enjoyed the characters. But the book didn’t pull me into the story. I found the writing style to be great but it had me constantly loosing my concentration because I just wasn’t entirely interested. I think this book was pretty good but it just wasn’t for me.

I went in completely blind with this one, but I loved it. Steamy, but with a great plot. I love Lennix. She knows what she wants, and she makes it happen. Maxim is delicious. He also knows what he wants and makes it happen, lol

The book does end on a cliffhanger, so make sure you have book two on hand so you don't have to wait to see what happens next!

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC

Thank you NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I didn’t know what to expect going into this book, all I can say is…damn. First of all, I didn’t know that Lennix and Maxim’s story goes beyond this book, it literally has TWO books. Not only does it have two books but also more than two parts, two decades have passed and their story is not even halfway through. Gives an entirely new meaning on “slow-burn.” And just so you think that they’re finally getting their happily every after, the book ends in a cliffhanger. How dare you, Kennedy Ryan! But I will say this, I love that Lennix is an Indigenous woman and the fact that one of the biggest topics is about missing and murdered Indigenous women because this happens too often than people realize. But the fact that it happens often, it doesn’t get recognized a lot by the public and most importantly, the government who promised that they will do better. My knowledge on American Indigenous history is next to nothing but I’d like to say that I’m educated enough on Canada’s Indigenous history and politics that I can say that I understand Lennix’ story. This was written with a lot of care and sensitivity that it makes her story so compelling.

The first book in the All The Kings Men duet and my first read from Kennedy Ryan, The Kingmaker opens with heroine Lennix Moon Hunter protesting against an oil pipe being built across ancient tribal lands which brings her into contact with environmentalist Maxim whose father is behind the oil company. In a story spanning years they meet at different stages of their lives but the timing is never right for them. I did appreciate that they were both strong characters and stood by their principals, not expecting the other to change but at times I felt that they were both a bit stereotypical, the obsessed Lennix, battling for the oppressed and Maxim battling against everything his father represented.

This was a epic saga but not really what I expected. I thought I was getting a romance and yes, there is that element but that takes second place to the overall story so ultimately I was left feeling more like I’d read a political thriller. I’m the first to admit I know very little about Native American history and what I do comes from TV and films which was obviously biased but after finishing this book I can’t help but feel I’ve been sat down and lectured. Saying that I really think this is one of those rare occasions where I might actually prefer The Kingmaker more as a TV series or film rather than as a book.

I loved this story of Maxim and Lennox. It had so much heart and emotion and I was hooked from the very beginning. This is also one with a big internal message and will make you think, so good! 4.5 stars

I struggled hard to get into this one. The characters seem decent and their backgrounds are intriguing. The setting and the plot all piqued my interest. However, I am gravely allergic to insta-love and this one is dripping with it. I tried to push through but eventually I had to call TOD on this one. The struggle wasn't worth it, sadly. My normal reading has me finishing 100+ pages a day, but it took me 4 days eeking out barely 30 pages a day to realize that this one wasn't for me.

A lot of people seem to love this one, so if you're not bothered by insta-love, plus a few fairly cringey lines, the plot and characters do seem to be rather interesting.

DNF at 25%

I received an advanced copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. My thoughts and opinions are my own.

Look, I don't want to be dramatic, but this book changed my life. When the Literary Devices bookclub read it in January of last year, I sent SO MANY panic texts to @ilashreads! She assured me everything would be ok, but that I should go ahead and buy book 2 in the series. So that’s what I’m telling you: preorder both. Stellar advice!

This series is perfect for fans of The West Wing movies who also believe in soul mates.

And I think it’s also a hook book to go into blind. Short synopsis: Lennix and Maxim come from two different worlds. One the son of an oil mogul and the other protesting a pipeline threatening her ancestral land. Their attraction is instant and their bond is unbreakable—no matter how far they run and how hard they try.

The Kingmaker as well as it’s sequel, All the King’s Men, will rerelease this summer with a stunning new cover! Congrats to Kennedy Ryan whose treasure of a book will find a whole new group of fans!

And thanks to the author & NetGalley for the arc.

Real and raw! I love how this author digs and does the research to support what she is writing about.
Timing truly means something to the two main characters but it also didn’t stand in their way. There’s secrets and passion that will have you turning each page. Can’t wait to read book two

A whirlwind romance, betrayal and years of pining for love lost. A strong female protagonist, reminiscent of Olivia Pope (Scandal) makes a name for herself in D.C, as a power house for political elections. Over the past 10 years, she given all to her career trying to forget the man who stole her heart. It's only after her lover's brother enlists her services to help his run for president do there paths cross again.

My struggle, 10 years, they've both taken lovers, never had any contact and BOOM the lust is back. I adored he went out to prove himself so she'd be proud of his success but it was a bit unbelievable. The cliffhanger, literally, has me wondering about book 2.

Thank you Bloom Books for the complimentary copy.

Thank you to NetGalley, Kennedy Ryan & Sourcebooks Bloom Books for an arc of The Kingmaker in exchange for an honest review. This review is wholly my own & may not be reproduced.

This book was originally published in October 2019 and is book #1 in the King’s Men series.

This was an epic love story that follows Maxim & Lennix for over a decade. I’m used to stories following characters for a few weeks or months, but not decades. You have to be an exceptionally talented author to write a book spanning such a long time frame and write it well. Kennedy Ryan did just that.

The passion & fire between Maxim & Lennix is what dreams are made of. Maxim comes from a ruthless & wealthy family running an empire, but he is the black sheep and wants nothing to do with it. Lennix’s family was ruined by Maxim’s family so isn’t quite so honest about who he is for fear of losing her & he CANNOT live without her.

This isn’t just your normal romance. Yes, there was plenty of romance, but it wasn’t just the cheap thrill type of romance. It was so incredible powerful & diverse & relevant.

I feel honored to have been absorbed into this novel and get to see Maxim & Lennix’s love story play out over the year – through all the good & bad. But it doesn’t end here. Prepare for a cliffhanger to end all cliffhangers and have The Rebel King and Queen Move ready to pick up immediately after finishing this one!

HIGHLY recommend!

5/5 Stars

Thank you to Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Going into this book I was a little apprehensive as I am really not a fan of the kind of oppressed/oppressor romance that seemed to be advertised. I will say it was and wasn't as bad as I was expecting. The first half was very fast paced and fun to read. The sexual tension was very good, and I genuinely enjoyed the set up of the atmosphere and politics. From there, the ball definitely felt dropped. I felt lukewarm about the ten year time jump. If done right, time jumps can be one of my favorite plot twists r=to read. Unfortunately this one threw me off, and the pacing became a bit disjointed after.
My second biggest criticism is the main character. I can handle unlikable characters but what I really can't stand is annoying ones. She felt very overly immature and childish which made me difficult to route for both people in the relationship. I've enjoyed Kennedy Ryan books before so I'm hoping this was just a one time disappointment.

This was fine for the first 95%. I was pretty interested in the story and characters. BUT, then there was a forced dramatic cliffhanger ending that came out of left field. The plot had ended. Everything was wrapped up. At this point, I have had my fill of the two main characters at this point so will not be picking up book two.

The own voices element of this was fantastic. I learned a lot of the Native American experience from a personal and political standpoint. I wish that more had been done with the missing women aspect. The author brings it up briefly several times but never takes it further though maybe that will be a theme in the next book.

I also liked that Maxim and his father were two sides of the energy coin. It made for an interesting narrative and it made their estrangement feel believable.

3,75/5 ⭐ Great story for the fans of Ana Huang’s King of Wrath.

This story contains strong characters and focuses heavily on the instant love romantic relation between the main characters (and some spicy scenes of course). I would have liked to see a bit more of story development and character depth as well, but that’s just my personal opinion. Both main characters are really unique in their own way with various heartfelt moments. The various jumps in time that are made do serve their purpose for the story, but still feel somewhat forced. Otherwise, the story is a smooth read. The cliff-hanger at the end definitely made me gasping for more.

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC.

When I tell you I was so frustrated with myself for not realizing this book was the first in a duology until I finished it...and then I immediately went and bought the second book. The beginning of the book was very poignant and sweet, but from that point it was a little slow, in my opinion. Thankfully, the back-half of the middle to the end were fast paced, and drew me in...I need to know what happens next!

I think that Lennix took the whole "Maxim lied to me" thing a bit too far; but I also think that Maxim should have put on his big boy pants, owned where he came from, and then made it abundantly clear that he is not cut from the same cloth. The logical side of me thinks that Maxim is borderline stalker-esque in regards to Lennix, but the romantic side of me is all over it, and thinks it is amazing.

All I can say is that this is my first Kennedy Ryan book, but I can guarantee you it won't be my last. So good!

Thank you to NetGalley and Bloom Books for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest review.

Book Review
The Kingmaker by Kennedy Ryan

Tropes
Love at first sight
Second chance romance
Politics
Haves vs Have nots
Race/Ethnicity
Feminism
Climate change
Difficult family relationships

⚠️Triggers
MMIW

MC’s
Lennix Moon Hunter aka Lenny, Nix, Kingmaker
Maxim Cade aka Kingsman, Doc Quixote

Thoughts
✏️So…. I am not a huge fan of books with a heavy political trope… just not a fan of elections, and red tape and descriptions of the electoral process… just sayin’
✏️Steam factor 🍆🍆🍆 woooo-eeeee
(Be aware- Ryan is very descriptive in her intimate scenes, the door is kicked down)
✏️ I loved the strong, capable, competent female representation (Lennix, Mena)
✏️ I love that Lennix’ mom and dad had a non traditional relationship- they didnt need to be a “couple” to be good parents
✏️ The huge timeline jumps - meh
✏️ The cliffhanger ending- really? It was expected/predictable but was it needed? 🤔 Still deciding …. But lets be honest I will most definitely be reading the next book in this series

Thank you to @sourcebooks for my digital ARC in return for an honest review. Opinions expressed are my own.

Thank you NetGalley and Sourcebooks Bloom Books for granting me access to this book in exchange for an honest review.

What a unique and powerful read!! I was completely engrossed from start to finish. Is it a love story? Yes, but it is so much more! It's about family, heritage/culture, diversity, loss, hope and love. I loved the passion and dedication of the main characters. The author does an amazing job honoring the Native-American people and the social injustices they endured. This book does end on a HUGE cliffhanger so be prepared for it! Now I am anxious to read the rest of the story in "The Rebel King". I highly recommend this book! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I can’t put into pretty words how incredible this book was. So I’ll keep it short and sweet and let you experience this stunning story for yourself. I initially rated this 4 stars but after letting my thoughts simmer for a few days, I bumped it up to a 5 because I’m STILL thinking about this read and it’s effect on me.

Kennedy Ryan once again proved why she’s the best in the game. Her dedication to researching the details, speaking honestly and writing the ugly truth is what makes her stories so compelling. The amount of education that was woven seamlessly into this story proved how far we still have to go as a society to educate ourselves about marginalized cultures and injustices. This book made me stop and think. Made me look within myself. Made me realize how much more I could do as a person of privilege in today’s world. The Kingmaker is so much more than a romance story!!!!!

The prologue of this book dug its hooks into my heart and reeled me in. The remainder of the story proved to be thought provoking, gritty, sexy, heartbreaking and so much more. Lennix and Maxim are unlike any other book couple I’ve ever read.

This book ends in a major cliffhanger, so be prepared for a heavy dose of book hangover!!!

“On rare occasions, you come across someone who just gets you, and you don't have to figure out you place. Wherever you are is okay.
I think he could be a "wherever you are" person.”

kennedy!!! i’m gonna need the sequel on my shelf ASAP please! i can’t believe the cliffhanger i just read.

wow.

if you want a slow burn then this is the book you should pick up!

so so good! i’ve heard nothing but good things about kennedy ryan’s work and this book just solidified everything the booktokers say.

starting off strong with her authors note on the first page of this book. you can tell she genuinely cared about telling this story the way it deserved to be told. she took the steps needed and as a reader i really appreciated that.

this book was so different from anything else i’ve read before and i really enjoyed it!

you have two people from completely different worlds with so much in common. i loved lennix and maxim’s dynamic. they worked so well together and the problems that came up weren’t unnecessary. they made sense. i love that.

overall this book was amazing and i have to add it to my staff pick sticker list as well as my book-boyfriend list

Thank you to netgalley and Sourcebooks Bloom Books for an e-arc of this book!