Thank you for the arc. Protege King was a quick and easy read with a few cute tropes as second chance love and childhood love. Not really my cup of tea, but people who enjoy this tropes would love it.

Thank you NetGalley and the Publisher for an advance copy of Protege King by Lisa Renee Jones in exchange of an honest review.
Protege King takes readers on an emotional rollercoaster, following the lives of Damion and Alana as they navigate the complexities of friendship, love, and self-discovery. From their childhood to adulthood, this compelling tale delves into the depths of their hearts and the challenges they face along the way. The story is centered around Alana, a girl who finds it difficult to act on her emotions and keeps her heart locked away, hesitant to embrace the love she feels for her best friend, Damion. This creates a constant tension between them, as Damion has promised not to cross the boundary of friendship, in fear of losing Alana. As the years go by, Alana experiences a few heart-wrenching moments that force her back into her self-imposed cage of emotions, making her journey of growth and emotional vulnerability all the more captivating. Lisa Renee Jones has masterfully crafted a tale that tugs at the heartstrings of romance readers. With each turn of the page, readers become deeply invested in the lives of Alana and Damion, rooting for their ultimate happiness. The author's skillful storytelling technique creates an engaging brand voice that effortlessly captures the attention of readers, allowing them to immerse themselves in the narrative. What sets Protege King apart from other romance novels is the authenticity of the characters and their relatable struggles

Fast paced story about 2 next door, best friends from the age of 4, who went their separate ways, unknown to Alana, because of machinations by their fathers. Everything that Damion has done was to protect her and he did that by going to Europe for 10 years. But now he is back to put an end to his father's schemes. He wants Alana by his side, but also wants to protect her by pushing her away. He is a very conflicted man and Alana has been kept in the dark about many matters. Great character development. However, if I had realized that this was just part 1, I don't know if I would have read it, because of course, now I need to read the next one.

I read an ARC provided by the publisher via NetGalley.com. This is may unbiased and voluntary review.

I enjoy reading your book. I like your way of writing and how you construct your characters... but I think you ended it too soon. To me, it feels incomplete. It doesn't feels like a clifhanger. I will read the next one because I just need to know how this really ends

I had the privilege of diving into Protege King by Lisa Renee Jones, and it's a rollercoaster of emotions, secrets, and the complexities of love and friendship. Alana and Damion's relationship dances on the fine line between friendship and something more, with loyalties and family bonds put to the test. Their story unfolds against a backdrop of familial intrigue and compelling drama. The narrative explores the transformative power of a chance meeting and the unexpected twists that life can throw your way. As Alana and Damion rekindle their connection, the story takes a thrilling turn, blending romance and suspense. With a dash of mystery and a compelling cast of characters, including Damion's enigmatic father, this novel keeps you eagerly turning the pages. I'm eagerly anticipating the next installment of Alana and Damion's story, as there's clearly much more to uncover. Thanks to NetGalley and Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op for providing me with an eARC of this captivating read.

I had the privilege of diving into Protege King by Lisa Renee Jones, and it's a rollercoaster of emotions, secrets, and the complexities of love and friendship. Alana and Damion's relationship dances on the fine line between friendship and something more, with loyalties and family bonds put to the test. Their story unfolds against a backdrop of familial intrigue and compelling drama.

The narrative explores the transformative power of a chance meeting and the unexpected twists that life can throw your way. As Alana and Damion rekindle their connection, the story takes a thrilling turn, blending romance and suspense. With a dash of mystery and a compelling cast of characters, including Damion's enigmatic father, this novel keeps you eagerly turning the pages. I'm eagerly anticipating the next installment of Alana and Damion's story, as there's clearly much more to uncover. Thanks to NetGalley and Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op for providing me with an eARC of this captivating read.

This was mainly out of curiosity and it was ok. The characters didn’t feel right, like their actions weren’t organic and felt forced. The plot was little bit interesting which helped kept my attention. It’s safe to say that this is not my type of book

I'd taken a break from this author for several years now actually. Was a nice return to her writing style, the break was good, because I did enjoy this one. Will be preordering for the store. Not sure if it's a spin off from one of the series I haven't read or not yet, but look forward to the second one too.

In "Protege King," Lisa Renee Jones masters the art of corporate espionage and sizzling romance. Weaving a tale of Damion and Alana, childhood lovers entangled in family secrets and corporate games, Jones serves a potent mix of angst, chemistry, and intrigue. Their love, though shadowed by mistrust and past wounds, is palpable. Damion's relentless pursuit of both power and passion, keeping secrets from Alana, makes for a tantalizing read. As the opening salvo in the Strictly Business series, this cliffhanger leaves readers yearning for the next installment. A must-read.

Thank you Netgalley for my ARC!! :)

Protege King was a quick and easy read with a few cute tropes as second chance love and childhood love. Damian and Alana's grew up together, and she swore he would be her husband. She loved him. Then life happened and they grew up. They got a second chance and found each other again however they are not good at communicating their feelings. This was a quick read and overall an okay book, I enjoyed the erotica parts. Then came the plot twists and then left a giant cliffhanger at the end which led towards my 3 start review.

Lisa Renee Jones is the queen of corporate espionage and high stakes relationships. She makes office steam really spicy. She always delivers manipulative fathers and though the MMCs are a touch morally gray, they fight to succeed against their corrupt fathers and get the love of their lives. Each time she tackles this type of story, LRJ adds wonderful plot twists to make each book series unique. And with the combination of enemies to lovers and second chance romances, the steam in these stories is always piping hot. I can never get enough of these books and keep gladly coming back for more.

Damion and Alana fell in love as children after playing together thick as thieves. Despite years, hurt, and distance their feelings never really diminished, but Damion has hurt Alana time and again. Both their families have secrets that both tie them together and keep them apart. As time passed, both Damion and Alana fought to become extremely successful in their businesses. But ten years later, Damion has decided to make his move and Alana is the key to everything.

I really loved the dynamic between Alana and Damion. There is so much chemistry, but it’s wrapped in mistrust and anger over the past. They keep coming together in the bedroom, and that tinge of hurt makes things even steamier. Damion is ruthless in his pursuit to take his father down and also claim the future with the woman he always knew was his, but he keeps so much from Alana. I can’t wait to see where this story ends and hope the release of Scorned Queen is sooner rather than later.

As always Lisa has written a masterpiece confining suspense eroticism and hot sense. Looking forward for the next book to follow up on the story of Alana and Damion.

This is the first ARC I have ever received and for that I will always be forever greatful ! Thank you so much for giving me the opportunity to read this book.

Protege King follows our main character Alana Blue. The story follows her friendship with her childhood friend Damion West that turns into pain, heartbreak, and so much more. Alana and Damion go through phases where they run into each other again and then part ways, and throughout that we get to learn of their past, their bond, and their dynamic.

I thought this book was a nice read. I really liked Damion West. I am not used to reading about cocky womanizers very often so this was a nice change of pace for me. This book did start off a little slow in my opinion, but it began picking up once the flashbacks started. I felt like my head was spinning a few times from the back and forth emotions between Damion and Alana, but nonetheless it was quite the story to read.

This book being the first ARC I have ever received was a big step for me. This book will always hold a dear spot in my heart and I’m glad this one got to be my first.

Who I would recommend this book to:
- I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a fairly quick read. This is definitely a book that you ca n breeze through, and it will satisfy your romance cravings. There is some adult content (very well written might I add) so keep that in mind when deciding to pick up this book.

Tropes
- Childhood friends
- Second chance
- Enemies to lovers (sort of)
- Boy next door

Alana and Damion grew up next door to each other. Have they been destined to be together or are they a recipe for destruction? They are like magnets, when they are put together they snap together with an uncontrollable force, but they flip and stay forced apart. Damion is the protege of the King of Wall Street; Alana has a hot and trendy reality Real Estate show. Secrets, hurt, and trust issues constantly arise. This is a sexy, sexy book. We can’t wait for the sequel!

This was a very quick read and amazing story for me but sadly its gonna be a while before anymore in the series comes out which is a big bummer but will be looking forward to more in this series for sure.

I’m never a huge fan of cliff hangers (and admittedly, I didn’t read the description well enough to realize this was a duet). That said, I really enjoyed the set up to this story. Damion and Alana were well written and Damion, especially, felt nuanced and nicely characterized, not as an anti- hero but someone who does some shady things but has a good heart with good intentions overall. I really hope the final book in the series follows a thread of them vs the bad guys” because i think I would enjoy it more after this set up but regardless, I’m looking forward to completing this journey with these characters.

This was so short!! I loved every minute of it, a rollercoaster journey of emotions as it explores the friends-to-enemies-to-lovers trope. The book delves into the complexities of a relationship that transitions from friendship to animosity and eventually blossoms into a passionate romance. This familiar trope provides a reliable foundation for the story, capturing the tension, conflict, and intense emotions that come with such a transformation.
Damion & Alana always belonged together and their connection every time they met again was undeniable.

I cant wait to read more!

I have only read one other series by Lisa Renee Jones and it had me on the edge of my seat, so of course I had to try this one! I’m sad that I’ve found this so soon before any more in the series is released because now I need to know what happens! It was a quick read, which I liked and didn’t like. I only didn’t like it because I would have liked more, but then again there’s more in the series so that makes sense she wouldn’t over load one book.

Damion and Alana seem like the ultimate power couple and I loved his possessiveness over his life long friend. Lisa did such a great job of keeping you hooked on what was going to happen next and I did NOT expect that ending.

I will be keeping my eyes glued to her pages in anticipation for the next!

Dami0n and Alana have a history and she doesn't want to forgive him. Lots of chemistry between the two and an intriguing storyline. A good book and an Apt title.

Damion and Alana's story is intense and super angsty and I really enjoyed it. I've never read anything by Lisa Renee Jones before, but I have to say that I really enjoyed this one and will most definitely be adding more of her books to my TBR!!