Kennedy Ryan is a boss!!

I cannot begin to describe how good this story was! The attention to detail, the history and descriptions of places, the character development; everything was done to perfection.

Lennix is a strong woman, organizing protests for the causes dear to her heart and her people. She is an inspiration to all females. She is part Apache and we know in this world, she will always be viewed as an Indian and female; therefore she will be seen as a minority.

Maxim is powerful in his own way as well. Yes, he was born into privilege however he takes it and tries to use it to do better. He stands up for his own values and beliefs even when they ostracize him from his family.

However, these two have a connection that lasts forever. This story will send the reader through a journey of their passions, betrayal and the love they have for each other.

The ending has left me bursting for book 2!! I need it now!!

Reasons I enjoyed this book:
Great world building,Informative, Page-turner, Romantic, Unpredictable, Wonderful characters

4.5 - ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ✨

"As me how many times I've thought about you since that protest."
"Maybe as many times as I thought of you."

The Kingmaker is the first novel in the new adult contemporary romance series, All the King's Men, as it follows the journey of two people who find themselves back in each other's lives again and again. Lennix is a young women finding her way after experiencing the devastating loss of her mother right after her right of passage. Maxim is a young man chafing at the restraints his father seeks to impose on him to take up the legacy of working in the family business. When these two meet the first time, tension is high and they are bound together in ways they never quite forgot...yet as time passes there are things left unsaid, secrets kept, and careers keep them apart. They must decide if the feelings they had the first time are worth fighting for or if the past is too much...

This is a beautifully written love story that moves across nearly 15 years, from the time Lennix is seventeen when when she first meets Maxim, to her early 30s when she has hits her stride in a career. I enjoyed really getting to know Lennix of this time and see her grow and evolve with new experiences. I especially loved how started this journey, drawing on her experience as an Apache Indigenous women going through her rite of passage and discussions around land claims, water rights, and MMIW. We see a strong identity here rich in culture and I loved seeing it play a role in how she moved through life. She was an amazing character

Maxim plays into a traditional role, which I think complimented the dynamic nature of Lennix. A rich boy who wants to make a stand for himself and reject the life his father wants to force on him. I admire how much his views contrasted his father's and the ways in which he took on changing his course of life. He also was smooth, charming, and seeing him become drawn to Lennix was adorable.

This book does contain spice - I would say 2.5 spicy peppers out of 5 spicy peppers. We start to see spicy in around the 30% but there is a block of time where not much happens. Yet the romance is beautiful as it slowly moves. And...we do get some pretty spicy scenes after.

"And I want you, Lennix Moon. I want the girl who chases stars."

In terms of plot and world, we get a beautiful balance of watching two people fight their love while also being surrounded by real world conflicts and decisions. There are these incredibly beautiful moments between them when the world was blocked out that gripped me and watching them navigate afterwards was dynamic and engaging. I devoured this book over the course of three evenings. I will say at one point I was worried there wouldn't be much left to do but boy did this story prove me wrong. And the cliffhanger?!?! This is a story that has beautiful banter, Indigenous awareness, mortal peril, hidden identities, second chance romance and more. Reading this felt effortless and yet left its mark on me.

I now need book two ASAP because I need closure XD

Thank you Netgalley and Bloom Books for this ARC!

I was given an Arc copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

I tried to read this book for a month and a half and ended up DNF’ing it! I could never get into this book no matter how hard I tried! I have seen reviews where people absolutely loved it but it just wasn’t for me I guess!

I absolutely adored this book, this story has everything anyone could want: the plot, the romance, the angst. It had me gripped from start to finish. I can't wait to read the rest.

Woah! What a story! Lennix and Maxim are fire! Both determined and fierce, I couldn’t get enough of them.

Kennedy Ryan’s writing is powerful. It’s detailed and passionate and sensitive. You feel every moment, every encounter. This poignant, inspiring, and heartfelt story filled with hope will hold you captive. I couldn’t put it down! And that ending. Gah! I so need the next book!

“Power blurs everything and can rob you of perspective.”

Kennedy Ryan has been a hit or a miss for me in the paste, but unfortunately, THE KINGMAKER was a big, big miss. I must say that I feel disappointed with this book. Truthfully, I had high hopes for it, but the plot turned out to be rather cliched and failed to deliver on the romantic development between Lennix and Maxim. The storyline became predictable and even seemed ridiculous at some points.

Wow this enemies to lovers was packed full of emotional family drama. Kennedy Ryan has a way of making you root for both main characters. She can do no wrong!

This was my first Kennedy Ryan book and I am now officially obsessed! There’s romance books and then romance books that tell a real story and this book is a part of the latter!

When reading a romance book, especially one that takes place amongst the wealthy elite, I don’t usually expect much of a plot or story. This book truly tells a story. I love that the main character Lennix is indigenous and how we get to see her rise from activist to professional consultant to the political elite. We cry with her over her mother’s disappearance and cheer her on as she never backs down. She’s a true force to be reckoned with and a new favorite character of mine. As for Maxim, I didn’t expect to love him as much as I did. Sure, he grew up wealthy, but he’s left his dad’s oil company behind for adventures around the world studying the climate and green energy. He’s a genuinely good guy and I love how he respects the hell out of Lennix and her work. He may push her from time to time, but he knows when not to cross a boundary. I don’t usually get invested in billionaire romance love interests since they feel so shallow, but Maxim is the exception and I loved his story almost as much as Lennix’s.

Having two characters paving their own way in the world really made the story so much better as it’s a lot more realistic. I loved the pining and tension between the two and how they chased their own dreams still without giving up on them to be with each other. I’m a sucker for a good POV story and this was no exception as I love to see a character’s true intentions with others. The writing was fantastic and I truly enjoyed this book and plan to be picking up more books in the series soon.

Overall, I really loved this book and can’t wait to see how the story continues. It’s rare to find a romance book that not only is engrossing, but also has excellent main characters and a main storyline that can hold its own. It felt perfectly balanced and the representation of various marginalized groups throughout the story made it stand out for me.

I enjoyed this a lot. The characters were very interesting and had so much depth. I need to read the next book asap. The cliffhanger, icky, was intense and I need to know what happens. Lennix was such a strong character;
I liked that it was told in 3 parts over different years. The characters were all so unique and I loved how they grew and changed.

*Thank you netgalley and SOURCEBOOKS Bloom Books for providing me a copy in exchange for an honest review.

I love the mix of romance and advocacy in this book.
The story between the two characters was so powerful and heartfelt that I felt every word straight down to my core.
Just honestly, one of the most powerful books I've ever read.

This is definitely the case of a book just not being for me. This was my first Kennedy Ryan and I do think I'll revisit some of her other books, but not this duology. The writing was good and the Indigenous rep was much more that I expected and I was glad to see the note in the beginning about the research she did and the people she spoke to.

I just could not get over Maxim's possessiveness and alpha-hole attitude. There were times I was actively rooting against the couple and hoping that Lennix would put him in his place because he was SO controlling and possessive. It honestly almost read like a mafia book which is just not my cup of tea. Lennix and Maxim also spent very little time together on page and I never believed in their relationship outside of their sexual chemistry. Despite the cliffhanger, I have 0 interest in reading the second book in the duology.

Thank you to Netgalley and Sourcebooks Bloom Books for the eARC in exchange for a review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I was given an advanced copy of this book to read, with the expectation of an unbiased review, which I am giving voluntarily now.

Wow. As a Native American, this book was written with such care. The practices written with such respect. The complicated relationship between a white man and an indigenous woman bared to the bone. The light shone on indigenous women that have gone missing with no help from authorities. These things need to be brought into the light and Kennedy Ryan did it so loud and with so much care.

The book itself was phenomenal. I have always been a fan on her writing and this book is no exception. She never forgets the side characters either. They have their own strong personalities. They grow with the book, just like the MCs do. The spice is obviously also excellent, but there is more to this book than just that. The story itself is what should be listened to. Not just the indigenous story, but also the story about renewable energy.

This one hit it out of the park and I can’t wait to read the next one.

I am loving the rerelease just as much as I enjoyed the original title. Kennedy Ryan doesn’t miss. It’s guaranteed anything she puts out I’m reading it without hesitation.

It's Kennedy Ryan. What more can you say that hasn't already been said at some point? She is a talented writer with a knack for dragging her characters through the mud to get to the better side of life. They always get the happy ending. They just have to work for it.

Kennedy Ryan is an exceptional writer. She can write a beautiful romance, while also weaving in some heavy real-world issues. Early Tessa Bailey did some of that and I am a sucker for it.

I dont want to give too much of it away but this was a love at first sight, age difference, cultural difference, lets try to forget each other for ten years, story. Lennix is Apache. Maxim is the son of the largest oil and gas tycoon around. I appreciated reading so much about the Apache culture and having a very strong and proud Indigenous FMC.

Their relationship was on fire and when she ended things and was reluctant to try again with him, you understood why. The magic of Kennedy Ryan is that just when you think she is going to prolong this separating for a little too long, she gets the characters back on track. It's beauty!

Watch out for a cliffhanger.

Thank you #NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with e-ARC in exchange for my honest reviews.

Kennedy is what we call an auto buy author. She writes with such vivid detail and does not hold back on the love scenes.

The Kingmaker by Kennedy Ryan
All the Kings Men Book 1
(Re)release date: May 23, 2023
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

After being absolutely blown away by Before I Let Go earlier this year, I knew I immediately needed to request The Kingmaker when I saw it pop up on NetGalley! I didn’t realize this was a re-release with @read_bloom but I’m still glad I snagged it!

There is so much angst & longing in this book which I absolutely love and Maxim & Lennix’s story has three different time jumps. I loved the structure of this book and seeing both characters grow. You can also tell Ryan did a lot of research into Lennix’s culture. My only complaint would be that I felt the romance was a little rushed in the earlier timelines. I would have loved to get to know their characters a bit deeper in the past!

No surprise but the spice was excellent 🥵 Kennedy Ryan knows how to write some steam!!!

Be warned - this one ends on a cliffhanger and I cannot wait for the next book! Thank you to @netgalley @sourcebooks and @read_bloom for the advanced reader copy!

The is my first Kennedy Ryan book and I am very impressed. Her book mixes plot, character development, and romance seamlessly. I could not put this book down. 4.5 stars

Lennix is an incredible and strong woman. I loved reading the Apache representation and I could tell the author both respected and researched the culture. Maxim is a charismatic counterpart for Lennix. I loved his confidence, determination, and heart. Their connection was obvious from their first encounter. Their reconnection in Amsterdam was perfection and my favourite part of this book. Maxim saying “I want the girl who chases stars” is one of the sweetest things I've ever read in a book. They both want to change the world in different ways and I really hope we get to see them do this together in book 2.

Finally, this book highlighted very important issues, such as Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and environmental issues around the world. You could tell the author spent time researching so she could be respectful and accurate in their representation. My heart broke for Lennix and her mother in the story, but my heart hurts even more knowing this is not just fiction for Indigenous people.

The cliffhanger at the end of the book was intense. I don’t know how I am going to make it until June for part 2.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

I was looking forward to this one, I have heard great things about Kennedy Ryan and how her books are really great, but this was not it for me. A lot of this comes down to a couple of issues of the FMC's being not empowered and also the age gap.

I think that there was an attempt to make the FMC empowered and in some ways she was. She was extremely intelligent, passionate, and driven. When it came to her professional life she's a powerhouse - not only successful but doing it for the good of marginalized communities within a system that has not helped them, I really did like this aspect of Lennix. But, I didn't like that outside of her relationship with the MMC she seemed to be lacking and because he wasn't there she didn't get any kind of sexual fulfillment in any way, whereas the MMC was off having great sex with lots of women... I think that this could have been done differently, I don't think that we needed her to be having such a terrible time in that regard for her to be missing what she had with the MMC.

The other, and biggest, issue I had with their relationship was the age gap. As the story progressed it didn't matter so much but the fact that when they meet she is 17 and he is 24, it gave me that feeling of the older guy who tells you that you're "so mature for your age and not like other girls your age" that I think a lot of women have experienced. He backed off when he realized she was so much younger, but her age was literally the only thing and him not wanting to get in trouble for statutory charges. Again, their meeting again when she is 21 and he's 28 felt like there was a large imbalance there between the two of them, but less of what it was previously, this time it felt more like he just was more settled into his life which I think worked relatively well within what was being done to their relationship. They also WILL NOT STOP mentioning how he was so into her when she was 17 but at least now she's of age and this can finally happen. If there hadn't been such a leaning on that point I think I could have moved past it, but it keeps coming up throughout the book and it really gave me the ick. It was also the discussion of her virginity, I could see how the author was trying to use it as an empowering way of the FMC making the decision to wait, but the way the two of them talked about it was very much not sexy.

I thought the book did have an interesting discussion about loving someone who has a background that is at odds with your own, but I wish that had been expressed a little better, with his moving away from his own father that tension seemed to be overblown by the FMC. I think I wanted this book to be a lot more than it was and it fell flat for me. With the huge cliffhanger at the end I might read the next one, but I am not clamoring for it, so we'll see. I might try another book from Kennedy Ryan as I've heard such amazing things, but I didn't feel like this delivered what I was promised.

I received a copy of The Kingmaker from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

THE KINGMAKER is my first Kennedy Ryan I’ve finished and I’m now so excited to read more of her backlist. It’s the first of an opposites attract duology following a couple who initially meet at a pipeline protest — the catch being that our Hero is the son of the man building a pipeline on the Heroine’s tribe’s sacred land… and the Heroine has no idea! Which… yikes!

I entered the reading experience skeptical but got so caught up in the drama and chemistry between Maxim and Lennix. I’ll definitely be picking up the second book ASAP cause that ending??? 😩 ugh!!