So freaking good. Best duology I’ve read in a long time and I’m so sad to leave the world of Lennix and Maxim. This was such an emotional rollercoaster from page one, packed with action. I just absolutely loved it.

I enjoyed this book a lot! There was intense chemistry between Maxim and Lennix. I've always enjoyed this author's work. And she didn't fail to deliver. Waiting on tenterhooks for the next book. I voluntarily read this book via Netgalley in exchange for my honest opinion.

**Spoilers**

A fitting conclusion to the All The King's Men duology, The Rebel King picks up right where The Kingmaker left off, with Nix being held hostage. As you can imagine, Maxim does not take the new well (to put it lightly). After her rescue, which is not as easily wrapped up as that phrase makes it sound, the effects of the trauma on both Maxim and Lennix are long-lasting and pervasive. They work on navigating these waters together - as well as two stubborn and alpha personalities can - while also trying to balance their workloads and relationship.

This book throws a lot at you in quick succession. There's political drama to follow, unexpected death, trauma and PTSD, family dynamics, gender and race dynamics, and power dynamics in relationships to unravel and balance. To her credit, I feel that Ms. Ryan did so in a meaningful way that kept her story moving while not short-changing her characters. And of course, she kept the spice. If reading about traumatic situations doesn't sit well with you though, this might be one to skip.

Thank you to Kennedy Ryan, Bloom Books, and NetGalley for access to an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

4.5
The Rebel King is the next novel in the kingmaker duet. It picks up right where The Kingmaker left off. It ended on a huge cliffhanger. Lennix is strong, smart, independent. I love when the MFC doesn't give up her life to fall in line with the MMC. Maxim and Lennix are a great match. Both successful, strong and unwavering in their convictions. Maxim continues to prove he will do anything for Lennix. Maxim and Lennix had undeniable chemistry. The novel is the perfect amount of romantic and political suspense. It was great seeing their romance grow and blossom. I loved the content of this novel. Lennix is indigenous and as in the first novel I loved that Kennedy Ryan didn't shy away from real life issues that affect indigenous people. The story was giving Scandal television show vibes with boss women working in and maneuvering the political arena. I'm excited to read Kimba's story. She is Lennix's equally badass best friend and business partner.

In my humble opinion, this is another excellent book by Kennedy Ryan. I loved it all. The plot, my goodness the plot took a turn in the middle that I was not ready for, I cried, I laughed, I felt every emotion under the sun. Which is typical at this point when I read a Kennedy Ryan book.

What I loved about this one:

Lennix getting more connected with her roots to heal from trauma. Her developing relationship with Maxim and how ambitious she was in her career.

Maxim just how he showed up, the vulnerability, how ambitious he was, but most importantly how intensely he loved Nix

The drama in this book is good, it felt like watching a good political scheming tv show.

"𝘼𝙣𝙙 𝙄'𝙫𝙚 𝙡𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙣𝙩, 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙮 𝙗𝙖𝙩𝙩𝙡𝙚 𝙞𝙨𝙣'𝙩 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙩𝙝 𝙛𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜."

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗥𝗲𝗯𝗲𝗹 𝗞𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗯𝘆 𝗞𝗲𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗱𝘆 𝗥𝘆𝗮𝗻
This book starts where The Kingmaker ends off, so be prepared to swing on that cliffhanger. Without giving too much away Lennix and Maxim's story continues in this book with a few surprises, plot twists and gasping moments.

Kennedy Ryan definitely knows how to leave you reeling and I definitely was. If you're looking for an action packed, spicy Contempory romance go no further than, the All The King's Men series.

5⭐
5🌶️

The Rebel King is the second book in Kennedy Ryan's All the King's Men duology, which follows the story of Lennix and Maxim. I fell in love with this couple in the first book, The Kingmaker, and when it ended on a heartstopping cliffhanger, I couldn't wait to get my hands on the second book.

I always find it hard to review series books because I don't want to accidentally spoil anything for someone who hasn't already read The Kingmaker. What I will say though is that while I felt the first book focused a lot on Lennix and allowed her to shine, The Rebel King really deep dives into Maxim's journey and allows him to come into his own & figure out exactly what he wants out of life. I already adored Lennix from the first book, and while I liked Maxim in that one, I absolutely loved him in this book.

The story itself is a wild ride, picking up right where the first book left off. The story is filled with action, suspense, drama, and tragedy, and is an emotional roller coaster for both the characters and for the reader. I loved how resilient and determined both Maxim and Lennix continued to be in this book and what really kept me turning those pages was that through it all, no matter how bad any situation got, there's one thing I knew count on and that was Maxim and Lennix always finding their way back to one another. Kennedy Ryan is one of the best at writing those kinds of relationships. I loved it in the first book I ever read from her, Before I Let Go, and I loved it here as well.

Highly recommend this duology for anyone who believes that love can conquer all!

I really wish this had only been a standalone. The tension and love between Nix and Maxim was still incredible but i felt the plot slowed to standstill post the recovery from the cliffhanger in the first book. I love Kennedy Ryan so much, this one was just a miss for me.

While I loved book 1, I struggled a bit more with this one. I am not sure if a sequel was completely necessary if I'm being honest. It does eventually pick up around the halfway mark, but overall, it felt like a lot of filler. A few major things happen but it was not enough to keep my interest the entire time and I found myself putting this down and picking it back up between other books. 3.5/5

Thank you Kennedy Ryan, Netgally and Sourcebooks Bloom Books for a copy of this arc. Rerelease date 27th June.

I enjoyed the first book in this duology that finished on a cliffhanger and I couldn’t wait to get my hands on this one however the cliffhanger was resolved at maybe the first 15% of the book and then I was just bored. If book 1 was a little longer, the sequel wouldn’t have been needed. I found Maxim harder to like in this one, the possessive alpha became a condescending, controlling jerk for a fair portion of the book. I did enjoy Lennix still but she also creates unnecessary drama to keep her and Maxim apart for longer.

I have loved everything else I have read by Kennedy Ryan and look forward to what she writes next but this one was a miss for me.

Such a great book! A page turner for sure with some twists you don't see coming.. A very entertaining book.. Loved the conclusion of this duet series.

The Rebel King is the second book of the All the King’s Men duology. You definitely need to read The Kingmaker first. I think this second book was my favorite just based on the sheer amount of emotions this book made me feel. This book starts off with the cliffhanger from the first book and just takes off running. Without giving too many things away, you will need a box of tissues to get through this one. I know I did. Such an amazing story of love, power, and friendship.
Thank you to Netgalley and Bloom Books for the opportunity to read this in exchange for my honest opinion.

i want to say, i love the way Kennedy Ryan writes romance. it feels more real than fluffy. and she did that yet again in this book. i was never bored. didn’t want to put the book down.

Another powerhouse by Kennedy Ryan. I love how her books always hit me emotionally, but each in different ways. This was a hard one to review without giving spoilers. But since the last book ended in a cliffhanger, I was all in on this one and it was a non-stop ride of romantic suspense until the end. Seeing how Nix and Maxim navigate their relationship, and their careers in the political landscape they find themselves in was compelling. There were many moments in this book that I highlighted and really wished that this characters and conversations were happening in real life in the current climate.

I can't wait to read Queen Move next!

I had such a hard time with this book. On the one hand, it is so much heavier than the first book in the series. The topics are harder, they hurt my heart more. But on the other hand, I freaking love Lennix so much. And the story. And yes, Cade too. There is heartbreak here, pain and anguish, but there is also love and joy. Truly magnificent, even if it hurts more. Maybe because it hurt more? It was nice to see growth in some of the secondary characters as well. Overall, brilliant.

Give me more and more!!!The Rebel King starts off at that harrowing cliffhanger at the end of The Kingmaker. But what follows is Maxim and Lennix's powerful journey where they face the lowest of lows but also the highest of highs together. Their banter, fiery fights and heart stopping love for one another was astounding, making them truly one of the best couples I have ever read. I die for them and am so overcome with love for this story and the kismet connection they shared. Kennedy in her infinite wisdom has given us not only a novel but an important lesson in history and humanity. Her kind demeanor reflects in her stories like brilliant sunshine. Her ability to connect with her readers spills her trademark compassion and graciousness as major characteristics in the fictional people she creates. They are humane, strong, staunch believers and tireless fighters. Holding on to their beliefs and convictions, Maxim and Olivia share a once-in-a-lifetime kind of connection that happens when planets and the moon align together on rare occasions. Their path to eternity is littered with political dangers and social potholes, coupled that with family hostility, it makes it a super angsty read and couple of scenes had me bawling like a baby In particular, the scene when Maxim goes to Millie's house, just broke my heart into million pieces. Earth shattering grief, foundation shaking passion and an overload of sentiments had me engrossed, reading this book NON-STOP. I feel as if i may have put life on hold to get through this one and I am so happy I did!

This second book in the All the King's Men series didn't deliver anything different than the first book.

It's more politics, more bickering, a decent twist. But for me, the real problem came with the character of Maxim. In Book One he wasn't interested in politics to the degree his family was, and yet in Book Two he makes a major political decision? Make it make sense. Kennedy Ryan states she wants to amplify indigenous voices in romance but I'm not sure this book achieved that.

I know this book was written way before Kennedy Ryan's latest, Before I Let Go, but in my opinion she would do well to tap into the emotional side of storytelling and leave the alpha drama behind. She's an incredibly honest writer when she focuses on real relationships.

Thank you, NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

What a sequel. I couldn’t put it down! It’s so deliciously dramatic and Kennedy Ryan just doesn’t put a foot wrong in the whole narrative - actual perfection. So much angst, passion and tension in one book, it just kept getting better. And the two epilogues? Too good. I could read about Lennix and Maxim forever. I was excited when I saw there was technically a third book based on Kimba, but I kind of hope there will eventually be another one following Grim?!

What to expect:

-very spicy
-forbidden romance/secret romance
-violence and drama
-Scandal (TV show) vibes

𝚁𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚗𝚐: 4.5⭐️
𝙶𝚎𝚗𝚛𝚎: Contemporary romance📚

𝙼𝚢 𝚃𝚑𝚘𝚞𝚐𝚑𝚝𝚜:
Kennedy Ryan can do no wrong! I loved this one. It was emotional and filled with passion. Maxim and Lennix truly are a power couple.

𝚁𝚎𝚊𝚍 𝚒𝚏 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚕𝚒𝚔𝚎:
Maxim and Lennix
Beautiful writing
Strong and powerful messages
Great banter
Romance with a side of suspense
Addicting reads
Second chance romance
Strong heroines
Unique storylines
Steamy reads
Daul POV

𝚃𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚐𝚜 𝙸 𝚕𝚒𝚔𝚎𝚍:
So swoon worthy and sweet
The cliffhanger from book 1 was resolved quickly
How mature their relationship was
Lennix standing up to Maxim’s dad
The boat ride!!

𝚃𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚐𝚜 𝙸 𝚍𝚒𝚍𝚗’𝚝 𝚌𝚊𝚛𝚎 𝚏𝚘𝚛:
Lennix got on my nerves at one point
Kennedy Ryan made me cry!

𝙵𝚊𝚟𝚘𝚛𝚒𝚝𝚎 𝚀𝚞𝚘𝚝𝚎𝚜:
★ “She’s my survival kit. The girl who chases stars has war in her eyes, and she’ll need it. “The toughest fight of our lives is ahead. The fight to heal.
★ “We weren’t unlikely, Nix,” I say, no levity in the words. “We were inevitable.”
★ “You signed up for me,” I say, wanting to shout, but keeping my voice low. “And I signed up for you, whatever that means, wherever that takes us.”

4.5 ⭐️s

“We were inevitable”

After the cliffhanger ending of the last book I needed to know what would happen to Lennix and Maxim as soon as possible and boy did it not disappoint!

So much happened in this book and i’m still reeling from it all. The journey these two go on I really cannot get enough.