I was locked in from start to finish!! Yes this is a romance which we love but it also was about family, culture/heritage, loss, hope and love. At this point anything Kennedy Ryan writes. I will be reading.

😱 I was NOT expecting a cliffhanger at the end! I’m still shocked.

All shock aside… wow. The NA cultured explored and described in this book was nothing short of beautiful. But so real. So raw. So pained. More than the romance I cared about the history. Although, the romance was pretty good too 🔥

I loved that the characters didn’t sacrifice their dreams and ambitions for each other, but on the other side of that the author showed how rewarding but also heartbreaking the choice could be.

I can’t wait to read another Kennedy Ryan Book!

This book had me on the edge of my seat from the very beginning of the story until the end. I absolutely love everything about this story. The characters are awesome and the word building and story weaving is top notch!!!

I love this author’s writing but unfortunately this was a miss for me. When I read, it’s all about the escape. I don’t care about social justice or real world issues. I want to dive into a book and forget about everything around me but I just couldn’t do it with The Kingmaker. The issues took over the romance, which was highly disappointing.

This is a slow burn romance between two unlikely lovers. The chemistry is palpable, even before she's of age. Then when they meet in Amsterdam, it's fireworks. I felt like most of the conflict was due to not communicating, even as this romance spans years. It made Lennix seem immature, but Maxim also becomes hugely entitled. The story just goes from one bang to another, with some fun politicking and conservation subplots in the middle.

How the real plot only starts 90% of the way into the book, I'll never understand. But I want to read the next one already, so... If it works, it works.

*Thank you to Bloom Books and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest review*

This is my second DNF for 2023.

Thank you Netgalley for a free copy for my honest opinion!

I’ve tried reaaaally hard to feel something positive about this book but I can’t. I feel severely uncomfortable that a graduate student was attracted to a 17 year old so much that he thought about her for 4 years after and then when he saw her again he just kept thinking how he was so glad she wasn’t 17 anymore so he could fuck her. Idk, maybe the rest of the book gets better but I’m over this and it makes me feel icky.

The storylines that both of them are tackling were interesting to me and I didn’t feel like any propaganda was happening. But seriously, they couldn’t meet when they were both older at the same event?

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced digital copy of this book!

I read the self-published version of this book a little over a year ago, so this was a reread for me. I enjoyed it the first time and this time as well. I like how this is a romance but it also touches on important topics like the systemic mistreatment of Native American women and climate change. Based on my limited knowledge, I think the Native American representation was respectful.

A big problem that I have with a lot of romance books is that they move pretty fast. Sometimes characters say they're on love with each other after one week of hanging out and I leave the book feeling like their romance is shaky and won't last. That is not at all a problem with this book. Lennix and Maxim first meet when Lennix is 17 and Maxim is 24, nothing happens between them and they meet again four years later in Amsterdam and spend a few days together. They acknowledge that they have a powerful connection, but that they can't be together and make no promises because they are not at a place in their lives where they can have a relationship.

Lennix finds out that Maxim lied to her by omission and didn't tell her that his dad is a powerful oil company man that is the one that ran a pipeline through her tribe's sacred land that was supposed to be protected by the government. She tells him he doesn't want to see him ever again and he promises that he is going to win her back.

The next time jump is 10 years later. Lennix and her friend Kimba have their own business where they help people get elected to office. They agree to help Maxim's brother get elected as president and through that, Lennix forgives Maxim and they decide to date again. Lennix embarks on her trip to Costa Rica with her good friend Wallace to vaccinate the locals, but then a group of terrorists intervenes and threatens their life. One of them is holding Lennix over a cliff when the book ends.

This book was pretty enjoyable overall.

I loved Lennix’s story, but why was that how it ended?!? The long lengths of time between Lennix and Maxim’s reunions seemed relatively implausible that they would immediately have that much chemistry every time they reunite.

Ryan writes spice very, very well. This is a well-plotted book about the things we do for love and the things we don’t for family. While the dialogue is trite in places and some tropey plot points are predictable, the story of a girl fighting for what’s right shines through. Wasn’t expecting the twist! Can’t wait for the next book.

I completely and utterly loved everything about this book. Strong female main character, kick ass feminist vibes, and steam. Oh the steam. Is it hot in here or just me? The chemistry between Nix and Maxim is out of this world. I want more.

Be warned it ends on an intense cliffhanger. I didn't expect to be so invested in the characters that I just sat there stunned. I am not ok. I need the next book now. Right now.

Thank you Kennedy Ryan, Netgally and Bloom Books for a copy of this book. This was my first book by Kennedy Ryan and I already can’t wait for the next one.

I really liked the pacing, the moment I started reading, I was hooked and needed to going so I could find out what happened next.

Maxim Cade is the son of an oil tycoon who is desperate to make his own way in the world. Lennix Hunter is a young Native American woman who is desperate to protect the sacred land of her people and their culture. When they meet at a pipeline protest they are instantly drawn to each other however it isn’t the right time for them, yet.

Lennix is an amazing female lead and her chemistry with Maxim Cade was explosive. I loved how both characters knew what they wanted to achieve out of life and were ambitious enough to go for it. Their goals were so different but equally as important and neither asked the other to settle or compromise. This book finished on a massive cliffhanger and I need to know what happens next!

This book broke my heart several time. This is the second book I’ve read by Kennedy Ryan and in both she’s done an amazing job tackling hard topics and making you fall in love with the characters and their story. This book left on a literal cliffhanger. I immediately went and downloaded an audio copy of the next book.

I think this book is great for those who like:
age gap romances
billionaire tropes
a little spice

I really like the indigenous representation here, and the research put into it. And while I love almost all the topics presented in this book, MMIW, circular economy, environment, politics, it felt like a lot in one book. I also generally really like insta-romance, but I almost enjoyed this book more when the characters were apart.

I will read more of Kennedy Ryan, just not sure if it will be this series.

I would like to that the Author, netgalley, and the publisher for the eArc of this rerelease in exchange for my honest review

Amazing! Flew right threw this. Didn’t expect to love it. I love this author. I hope she releases books like these in the future.

Thank you to Netgalley and Kennedy Ryan for allowing me to read a re-release arc of The Kingmaker I had a blast reading this contemporary romance!

If you are looking for a contemporary romance that has :
- real-world commentary on climate change, rich Native American history, and the oil industry
- political campaigns
- strangers to lovers
- enemies to lovers
then this story is absolutely for you!

This romance follows Lennix and Maxim who form an instant connection after seeing each other at a protest to stop an oil line from going through a sacred Native American land now owned by the government. Little does Lennix know that Maxim's father orchestrates the entire oil industry behind this offense to her people. After meeting again several years later they have a whirlwind romance that seems to have no future but will they be able to work through all their issues and come out on top?

I had such a fun following these two characters through half of their life as they discovered their career paths and what they truly wanted to contribute to this and all the information I learned along the way. This is not a fluffy romance by any means and it definitely takes sitting down and paying attention to retain all the knowledge involved but it was such a great experience non the less.

I will 100% be picking up the next book in this series not only for the gorgeous new covers ;) but to see more from Kennedy Ryan, thank you again for this opportunity !!

I thought the characters have the chemistry. I just didn’t really like the age gap. It made me feel a little ick while reading. I finished the book and I started to get behind it, but the bad taste of that age gap really did it for me.

Big thank you NetGalley and to the publisher for the chance to review this book pre-release. This was my first book by Ms. Ryan, and I absolutely loved it. The characters were well thought-out, and the worldbuilding was easy to digest, so you could get right into the story. Loved the pacing, and will keep my eye out for the rest of her novels! A more formal review will be available on my IG/TikTok and Goodreads.

I have loved Kennedy Ryan from way back in the day, and it just makes me feel like a proud mama to see how her writing has developed and the popularity she has gained. Her writing is simply stunning, and most times just so thought-provoking and emotional. I am always able to feel a connection with her characters and find them to be relatable and believable. This book is no different. The Kingmaker is such a powerful love story, but there is so much more to it than that. Kennedy blows her readers away with her attention to detail and incredible storytelling. This book is not to be missed.

Let’s start with the first major issue. This is an age gap romance which I never really care about except that this one starts with the main female character, Lennox, being 17 and the main male character, Maxim, being mid 20s. The age gap never really made sense and was borderline creepy. They go without talking for about 4 years or so and then randomly meet again. Then go without talking for months then meet up, so on and so forth. Each of the characters on their own were great. I loved their backgrounds and who they became as adults but their relationship never seemed to have any depth to it. I did really start enjoying this book near then end and the ending definitely left me wanting more. Overall this book is a little hard to rate. I can see the next book being really good and like I said, the ending was great. The first half of the book though dropped this rating a bit. Overall 3 ⭐️.

Thank you to SOURCEBOOKS Bloom Books and the author for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I liked this book, the romance and characters were enjoyable and I like how the book was sectioned into the 3 different sections/time jumps. I enjoyed the chemistry between the two main characters & how passionate and determined both were to reach their goals, especially Lennix.

It was obvious the author took great care in writing about Native American culture and did her best to represent the characters and the culture well. (I personally don’t know enough/am not the person to say for certain how accurate the representation was or if it was done appropriately , but she shares in the author note where and who helped her be able to write about these things and the research she did when including the pieces of culture)

I thought that overall it was an enjoyable book, and I liked where Lennix’s ambitions took her, I thought it was fun and different than things I’ve read before but I did feel like this portion was a bit on the rushed side. I wish we saw more active groveling and discussion, there was some more but I was hoping for a little more.

Also the ending??? Cruel. Cliffhangers will always be the death of me.