This book had everything! Crime lords, traitors, riots, and don't forget witches. They all come together to make quite a fun read!

The hero is a selfish brat at the start, but his redemption arc is fabulous. At the start of the book, he loses everything (and is probably cursed). He has no money and no place to go. Lucky for him, the angry owner of the tavern he and his friends trashed the night before shows up demanding 10 pounds.

Our heroine, Vi, is a tavern owner. She takes care of her two younger brothers and is struggling to get by in a very rough part of town. She wants the money King owes her and she won't let him forget it. She does allow him to stay at the tavern and puts him to work.

These two go through so much and also grew so much throughout the book. I've never read a historical romance with the hero losing his title. So that had me interested immediately.

Oh, and there are witches. I'm guessing we'll be seeing more of them as the series continues, and I'm looking forward to it!

I really enjoyed this book! I had a few moments that had me on the edge of my seat, but there was also humor and spice, and did I mention the witches? (It bears repeating! )

I received and ARC of this book. All opinions are my own.

It weird me out a little I am not going to lie with the curse thing however it was a really good story that got me from the beginning to the end

I had a hard time connecting with the characters, but the storyline was intriguing enough to keep me reading. I have to admit that I've never read a historical romance quite like this one. I liked Violet as a heroine; she was very no-nonsense and protective over her two brothers, fighting everyday for their basic needs. Her momentary peace is disrupted by King and his mates who destroy her tavern and her only means to keep the street gangs away. King was the epitome of an unbothered rakehell when we first met him; he was extremely selfish and dare I say unlikable and he had a lot to make up for in order to redeem himself. Recommend to readers who are looking for a touch of magic in their historical romance🖤

Tropes: forced proximity, class difference, rakehell hero, down-on-her-luck heroine, no-strings attached, witch's curse, slow burn, steamy🔥

Very interesting! A happy ending, but not as I was expecting, and some intrigue. I read it on one day and was never annoyed at the characters

This is the first in the Misfortunes Favorites historical romance series. The premise has a supernatural twist as a curse hangs over the male protagonist King, and there’s also a bit of a cliffhanger for the next books.

I liked the heroine Violet…a tough, independent tavern owner raising her two stepbrothers in a dangerous part of London. King was a bit of a slow warm-up as he began as an unlikeable entitled aristocratic snob but evolved into a decent human being. My favorite thing, hands down, about this book were the sweet stepbrothers…they stole the show.

All-in-all a good, solid start for the series.

My thanks to the author, NetGalley and Dragonblade Publishing for providing the free early arc of The King and Vi for review. The opinions are strictly my own.

So many of the novels I read follow the Cinderella theme, that it was quite amusing to read the reverse in this romance as a young Marquess is brought down to his bare bones. King and his friends lose what they love most because of a stupid childish prank, but the one thing that stands them in good stead is their background and training. Although King does not have money, he has resilience and the ability to call on people who can give him help when it becomes necessary. Certainly, Vi's brothers taught him about survival in the slums and Vi demonstrated dignity and the value of earning one's keep. Apart from the fallout of the scandal surrounding his family, King discovers that Vi has her own difficulties and vows to keep her safe. His battle plan, whilst effective, did make me laugh out loud especially as the two young boys entered into the fray with gusto. King also discovers that spending so much time in close proximity to the tavern owner breaks down the stony walls of his heart, and as the attraction grows between them so does King's protectiveness towards the small family. The book is a standalone and comes to a delightful conclusion and I looking forward to reading the next in the series to find out how King's friends fare. I received a copy of this romance as a gift through Dragonblade Publishing and NetGalley and this is my honest and voluntary review.

The King and Vi by Shana Galen January 14, 2024

I always expect the unexpected when I read a book by Shana Galen and The King and Vi did not fail to meet my expectations! The beginning of the book was truly unlike any other beginning I had read and I will say that I did not like the teenage boy called King with his arrogant, entitled attitude towards his fellow students and the women whose home he steals from in the name of a prank. The scene is sets amid an eerie thunderstorm complete with lightning strikes that reveal the horror of the witch's countenance, her abject poverty and the words of her chilling curse. Shana really brought us straight into the heartlessness of their actions and reactions as they tried to relieve their boredom. I loved this unconventional beginning!
As privileged young men do, King forgets the curse and its supposed consequences until his life is totally upended by his father, The Duke, is brought low by his selfish deeds. King is forced out of his drunken stupor to face life 180 degrees from the one he enjoyed. I still didn't like King, but I feel he was written in a way that would allow a reader to recognize and appreciate the changes he makes as he tries to rebuild his life.
Violet Baker's life is almost destroyed by the antics of King and his friends, and she is determined to make him replace what was broken so she can continue to support her younger brother through her Seven Dials tavern. She is a capable intelligent young woman who strong in the face of seemly unsurmountable circumstances. Violet serves as a mirror to King as he compares the man, he is to the woman she is. Redemption begins as King finds himself caring about others in a way he never has before.
I loved this story, but what I really liked was the way Shana included Violet, Joshua and George in King's realizations. I don't remember reading a story where the family was so essential to the plot. Through it all, I began to respect and like the King who finally recognizes what is important in life.
The steam is fantastic! Tenderness is mixed tension and desire allowing Vi to experience more than she ever has with a man.
The King and Vi is the first in Shana Galen's new series Misfortunes Favorites, and it is a incredible beginning. I am really looking forward to the additional books in the series. Although this is a standalone, we end the book with the promise that more is to come!
I received an ARC from NetGalley and my voluntary opinion is based on my personal reading experience

Once upon a time, there was George Oxley (King), Marquess of Kingston, heir to the Duke of Avebury. For all of his thirteen years, King had craved the love and attention of his father. That, however, would never happen because his father was a self-centered, uncaring, disinterested, selfish man who never gave a thought to anything other than himself. His craving for his father’s attention led him to all sorts of exploits and his friends Henry and Rory were right there with him. That is how they came to the attention of an evil witch – and how they became cursed – and how they lost everything that mattered to them when the curse kicked in on their thirtieth birthdays. Or, did they really lose the important stuff?

On King's thirtieth birthday, he and his friends had a wild celebration and ended the evening in a brawl in The Silver Unicorn, a public house in Seven Dials. The following morning, he was awakened from his stupor by a loud knocking at the door of his bed chamber – and there were other noises in the background. He learns his father has been convicted of treason; King is likely to be stripped of everything as well because his father’s blood taints him; and his creditors are stripping his townhouse of everything that isn’t nailed down – and some stuff that is. He just walks out of the house and leaves them all to it – but – he is stopped by a petite, termagant of a woman who demands he pay her for the damage to her pub. He tells her he has nothing to pay with and somehow ends up going back to the pub with her. How did that happen?

Violet Baker is a pragmatic young woman who has had to learn to be tough to survive in Seven Dials, keep her young brothers safe, and manage her public house. When those drunken sots decided to have a brawl in her place, they didn’t care if they were ruining not only her livelihood but the safety of herself and her brothers. Well, she would just take the bill directly to the mighty Marquess. She couldn’t believe he could not pay the few pounds she demanded he owed her. Humpf, she’d just watch him until he could pay it.

Goodness, I loved Violet and King together. He, who had always craved love, and she, who was afraid of love, seemed an unlikely pair. The chemistry though, is strong and you can feel it radiating off the page. Then, there is Georgie (six) and Joshua (thirteen), they are Violet’s brothers are some of the loveliest characters you’ll ever read. Violet’s jaw drops as she sees how her brothers react to King – and he to them. WOW!

This was a delightful read filled with witches, curses, traitors, loss, loyalty, triumph over evil, and a well-deserved HEA. I didn’t expect to love it because – witches – and spoiled, self-centered, entitled, lazy, rich dude – but – I did love it. Now, I can hardly wait for the next book in the series. Will it be Harry or Rory? Who will have the second clue to counteracting the curse? After all the books are done, will they be so happy they don’t care about breaking the curse? Goodness, we’ll have to wait for the next books to find out.

3.5 stars

I was kind of on the fence with this story. I usually love Ms. Galen's stories, but this one just couldn't capture my interest long enough to stick with the story. I stopped reading at 35%. Ms. Galen is a talented writer and I did like Vi. She had spunk and courage and held her own in a man's world. I thought King was annoying at best and perhaps he did redeem himself in the end. I just wasn't invested enough to find out.

Shana Galen is a superb writer. I always enjoy her premises and this book was no exception. While the MMC was a bit aggravating during the initial chapters, I was hooked on the class difference. Plus Georgie was too cute. The banter was excellent!

The Kind and Vi is a little bit romance, a little bit redemption story, and a little bit magic. We get to jump right in with the events that led up to the curse placed on King and his friends. From there we know something terrible is going to befall King, but I wondered how exactly he would lose his fortune and title. There is also a quick answer to that question as those events unfold in the next chapter. I really enjoyed following King's story as he went from lazy, selfish aristocrat to part of a real family with Violet and her brothers. Violet is a great heroine - tough enough to stand for herself but not too proud to eventually learn to accept help from others. It's easy to understand why she pushes King away, especially when he expresses his feelings for her. She has had to survive so long pretty much on her own and it's not like aristocrats at that time were known for getting involved with those living in poverty. I really liked the character of Joshua - I'm kind of hoping we might get to see him in a future series. And really, without him who knows if King would have ever tried to convince Violet to trust that he wanted to be with her and her brothers for good. The supernatural element with the witch and her sister set this story apart from other historical romances. I can't wait to see what happens in books 2 and 3 of the series!

When King - whose moniker comes from his title, the Marquess of Kingston - was a child, he upset a witch who cursed him to lose everything at the age of thirty. Not that he believes in that sort of thing. But suddenly he is without money and without title. Violet Baker wants compensation from the man who ruined her property, but what she gets is a Marquess on the run... and her heart in peril.

Oh my gosh, yes. This was everything I wanted. I love Regency romances in which there are devastating consequences for poor behaviour and an ensuing arc of redemption. Even better, I love Regency romances in which a character of gentle breeding is thrust into a life that was previously beneath them. Just add excitement and danger and stir! Basically, The King and Vi ticked SO MANY of my boxes - including some I didn't know I had. I will be pouncing on every title in this series.

“You couldn’t hold it, so Ferryman is taking over,” Joshua added. “Some people say they’re glad.”
Should be renaissance

Only reason I'm giving 4 and not 5 Stars is because I think that we don't Get enough of a conclusion for the side characters who I don't think will be in the other books like Archie and Peggy.
I really enjoyed this book there was action , romance, and a little bit of magic which I'm assuming will continue through the other Books in the series. I really enjoyed Vi and King's banter and interactions. He was Charming and a little silly but also quickly worked to better himself , the boys, and Vi. Thank you NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

This is the first book in a new series about three privileged boys who anger a witch who promises to take all they hold dear when they turn thirty years old. When King’s whole world collapses and everything is lost to him, he makes amends by working in a tavern in Seven Dials. While there, he can’t help admiring the young female tavern owner, Vi, who is supporting her younger half-brothers as well. When danger threatens, King comes up with a solution. Can Vi trust King to stick around? I received an ARC from NetGalley and Dragonblade Publishing for my honest review.

This was such a wonderful love story. I enjoyed it very much. The storyline was spot on and was well executed. I recommend it.