✨ARC Review✨

Sooo, when I requested this, I didn’t know it was a next gen series of a previous series I hadn’t read. It took me a hot minute to get through the prologue because it was chock full of characters from that previous series. Once that was done though, I sailed through basically in one sitting.

The characters are engaging, the story compelling, the location epic.

We have the new adult children of mafia families attending a college of sorts to learn how to be great mafia members. This first book concentrates on three “heirs”: Anna, Leo, and Dean/Dmitry.

Anna and Leo are besties and cousins (?). Listen, Sophie tries to explain how they aren’t blood-related cousins, but I can’t wrap my head around it. I even had my coworker read the explanation and we’re both still of the mind that these two are actually cousins. If you can explain it to me like I’m a toddler, feel free. Obviously, we’re in Romancelandia and it didn’t bother me even if they are related.

Kingmakers, the school for mafia elite, is amazing. I’d love to take some of these classes. Poison detecting? There are four divisions within the school: Heirs, Enforcers, Accountants, and Spies. Y’all, I love spy stuff so much, I cannot wait to get to the spy character’s book.

Ok, back to the romance part: This is a slow burn, but these cousins(!) do eventually ignite. But only after a dastardly villain tries to keep them apart by nefarious means. And I’m also crazy excited to read his story too.

I enjoyed the hell out of this book. And definitely plan to read the rest of this series and probably the one about their parents.

I received this eARC via #netgalley and @read_bloom. All thoughts are mine alone.

#romancebooks #romance #newadultromance #contemporaryromance #kingmakers #sophielark

For fans of:
- Cora Reilley
- Sophie Lark

We revisit the world of Sophie Lark's "Brutal Birthright" Series as we follow the children of the series' protagonists through their own macabre adventures. "Kingmakers: Year One" focuses on Leo and Anna, close family friends and longtime best friends, as they embark on their first year at Kingmakers - an elite university where the world's most cutthroat gangs send their children to train. Under the pressure of their environment and with new adversaries, Anna and Leo discover what it means to grow up and how easy it is to lose yourself (or the ones you love) along the way,

This book includes:
- training at an elite university
- complex family dynamics
- generational traumas
- childhood friends to lovers/best friends to lovers
- love triangle
- intense rivalries that span decades
- 3 POVS

The concept of a university dedicated to classes on how to run a gang is silly. Yet, the silliness does nothing to take away from the enjoyment of this mafia romance. You can picture it as adult Harry Potter with guns and angst. This book is a fun, casual read that can be finished in a few days. I really enjoyed Anna's character, She was capable and determined without falling into "strong FMC" tropes that are often overdone. All fans of NA mafia romance will enjoy this one,

I received this eBook as an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to NetGalley, Bloom Books, and Sophie Lark for the opportunity to review this book. This review is also available on my Goodreads; check it out https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/62314863-gigi

Love the updated covers! Mafia college setting was so much fun, my favorite part about this story. It's definitely dark. Love the juicy drama. I love seeing a continuation with the children of previous characters I loved so much. As always, her writing is just so bingeable. Super excited for the rest of the series.

This was a fantastic story. It's my official first mafia romance and I Loved it. Sophie Lark can write! I can't wait until Year Two comes out. This book follows the children of mafia families. They go to a special college. There they learn how to run mafia empires. It took a little bit to get into the story, but once I did, it took off. I couldn't put it down. Definitely recommend this one.

After reading the Brutal Birthright series, was very excited to get the next gen's stories, especially as the mafia families have blended. There are still old feuds that are unresolved and obviously with paving the way for the new generation new feuds and turmoil are bound to arise. With the babies (well some of them) being all grown up it's time for them to go off to college and not just any college, but one strictly for the world's mafia families. This out to be interesting, to say the least. Classes are history of the mafia, math is how to launder money, science is bomb making, PE is marksmanship, combat, and more...you know real-world skills for the criminal elite. Not only is learning about the school Kingmakers wild and interesting, but our fist story we follow Anna, Leo, and Dean with not only unsettled familial grudge between Leo and Dean, but a blossoming love triangle. Will the childhood friends and forced proximity cousins (not actually related) Leo and Anna finally cross the line and become more than friends or will Anna fall for the mysterious and equally dark Dean? Choices must be made year one at Kingmakers and those choices and alliance will probably set things into motion for the rest of their time there.

Can't wait to see how the rest of this series unfolds, there are other characters I am dying to know more about and definitely some things plot wise happening in the background and I am suspicious of.

Kingmakers: Year One is another captivating read from Sophie Lark, set in the same universe as her Brutal Birthright series. This mafia romance follows the next generation, offering a perfect blend of drama, intrigue, and romance. I especially enjoyed seeing familiar faces from the past books while diving into Leo and Anna’s story.

Leo's determination and immediate devotion to Anna were a standout for me—I love when the male lead falls first and fast. Anna was smart and had a distinctive style, though her goal at the mafia school didn’t quite align with her leadership qualities. Even so, I loved their slow-burn romance, and despite friends-to-lovers not being my usual favorite trope, it worked really well here.

The concept of the mafia school felt a bit difficult to fully embrace at first, but the strong character development and relationship dynamics made it worthwhile. I'm excited to continue the series, hoping the setting will grow on me.

I received an ebook through NetGalley, and this review reflects my honest opinion.

Sophie Lark is one of my favorite authors. The tension in this book didn't hit quite as hard as some of her other books, but it was still a great read and I still recommend for any Sophie Lark fans!

Réédition de cette série par Bloom Books et je voulais lui redonner une seconde chance étant donné que je l’avais commencé mais jamais terminé.

Dans ce livre, nous allons suivre Leo qui va intégrer l’école prestigieuse Kingmakers pour devenir l’héritier de sa famille accompagnée de sa cousine et amie depuis l’enfance, Anna… Mais en intégrant cette école, il va aussi falloir affronter le passé tumultueux de ses parents et peut-être affronter ses sentiments envers Anna…

J’avais déjà tenté de commencer cette saga mais comme je le disais, je ne l’ai jamais terminé (et que je n’en garde aucun souvenir)... Et bien, là, j’ai abandonné ce premier tome car j’ai tout simplement détesté les personnages ^^ Je les ai trouvés insupportables et d’une gaminerie que je voulais plus les frapper qu’autre chose… L’intrigue a un potentiel de dingue mais je n’ai pas réussi à rentrer dedans. Le style de Sophie Lark est assez particulier et je commence à me dire que cette autrice n’est pas vraiment faite pour moi

En bref, un abandon

3. 5 stars rounded up

I have read quite a few Sophie Lark books, great writing with exceptional characters and plot. Kingmakers: year one is no exception. It is a mafia romance following the children from the Brutal Birthright series, which I loved getting a glimpse of these past characters that I absolutely loved. The plot was great, dramatic and complex. I really liked reading from both main characters Leo and Anna. Leo once he made up his mind it was not going to change, and he really wanted Anna. I love when the MMC falls first and hard. Anna had a unique style and was so smart, but the goal she was working for at the school did not seem to fit her personality, she was not coming across as a leader and taking charge. I still really liked her character, her and Leo’s romance and development was at a great pace, good tension and usually friends to lovers are not my favorite trope but theirs worked for me. My biggest issues with this book was the setting and this whole mafia school, I just had a hard time getting into the story for a while. I still want to continue the series because I really love the characters and hope the school will grow on me.
I received an ebook, via Netgalley. This review is my own honest opinion.

Kingmakers: Year One tells the stories of the children from the Brutal Birthright series. I admit that I was hoping for something similar to the TV series Deadly Class and this book didn't let me down. Anna and Leo have grown up in the world of the criminal underground and what better place to up their skill to help their families than by attending Kingmakers. Also attending is Leo's cousin whom he has never met due to a major rift between his mother and Dean's father.

The story keeps up a good pace and the story kept me interested the whole time. The angst between Anna and Leo especially when Dean inserts himself into the situation was so good. I enjoyed getting the back stories on the other kids from other parts of the world and how all the families tie in and deal with each other.

I'm very interested to see how the rest of the students fare in the upcoming books for the series..

I hate leaving a negative review, but this was... absolutely not the book for me. I DNFed about 25% of the way through and skimmed some other parts.

Firstly, I will maintain that romances should not be more than 350 pages. 400 TOPS, unless there's a LOT of magic and world building involved. Second, why is there a third POV in this book with Dean, who was not one of the two main love interests (Leo and Anna)?? Dean also consistently does nasty things and has no remorse over them. And no, that's not hot. And neither is him skirting - or rather, fully going over - the lines of consent in fingering a very drunk Anna. Also, both Anna and Leo are virgins, but there is no meaningful talk of safe sex, birth control, consent, etc? The romance also fell flat, with little chemistry and really slow and strange pacing.

I got really frustrated with this book, and the consent issues were an immediate turn-off for me. Again, this was not for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bloom Books for an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Kingmakers: Year One-A Dark Academia Mafia Romance by Sophie Lark is an entrancing mix of dark academia, forbidden love, and mafia politics. Kingmakers Academy is highly prestigious; it houses the best of the best in the mafia circles as they come to learn the ropes. The novel narrates a story of Anna and Leo maneuvering around this intriguing world of power, betrayal, and unstoppable attraction.

A World of Intrigue and Danger

Oh, my goodness, Lark has come up with such an intriguing world, as glamorous as it gets raw. Kingmakers Academy is one of those places where one could barely tell if it is education or manipulation. An interesting lot, all with their motives and secrets. She did just great-a great balance between romance and the harsh world of mafia politics, creating a story that's as thrilling as it gets heartwarming.

Forbidden Love and Betrayal

The first and foremost romance within the novel is that between Anna and Leo. Their affair is taboo, powerful, passionate, corresponding to shared pasts and the respect they feel for each other. Besides, that is the tension that builds up - a further loyalty that is owed to their respective families, and the awakening of feelings towards one another that makes the story even more complicated.
A Thrilling Plot

This plot will be full of twists and turns to keep the readers in suspense. Besides that, there is also a disappearance of their fellow student and the trailing dangers involving power clashes across mafia groups.

Conclusion:

Kingmakers: Year One is truly a read that fans of dark academia, forbidden love, or any of those stories in which the stakes can literally get no higher, should not miss. Sophie Lark has created a magnificent world with her book, full of interesting characters and an entertaining plot. If you like reading about romance with a touch of danger, this would certainly be the book for you.

This was my first Sophie Lark read and I wasn't sure what to expect, but I was pleasantly surprised! I love her writing style, and while the romance here was a bit touch and go for me at times, overall it was a great read! Childhood friends to lovers with a possible love triangle - if that is your jam then you need to read this book! I have the others on my Need to Read list.

*4.5

I love a good friends to lovers book. Leo and Anna are really cute and were both being stupid in not admitting their feelings. Their families reaction to them being together was fun. However, the whole Dean plot pissed me off and I do not like that man.

While this wasn't my personal fave of Sophie Lark's, I do recognize that we will have some readers who would enjoy this. Childhood friends to lovers with a possible love triangle.

I’ve always wanted to read a Sophie Lark book and I was not sure what to expect from this one. While I love romance I feel like this one kind of drag on for me and I started to lose interest the longer it took.

4 5 stars I started this series reading book 3. (Yes, I know you're not supposed to do that, but it's fine) So to circle back was...interesting. This is a tale told in 3 POVs; Anna, her best friend Leo and Dean. Leo left his full ride to join Anna at Kingmakers and Dean..he's got grudges. This was totally worth the read, especially knowing how book 3 and 4 pan out, it's a wild ride and it gets a little dark in spots. Leo and Anna were so beautiful together when it finally happened. I won't leave it so long to dive into The Rebel.

Childhood friends to lovers! And that's all you need to know.
It's a mafia academy where the children of mafia dons from around the world attend college and train to be killer heirs. But the romance centers on Anna and Leo who are both fierce and talented and are faced with new challenges outside of their sheltered upbringing. It was fun, sexy, and thrilling and I recommend it as a contemporary parallel to Rebecca Yarros' Fourth Wing (which btw released after this one technically!)

Wanted to love this one but it has some triggers and a type of pairing I just wasn't into and it was a struggle to continue. I liked the writing style and the large universe, but this just wasn't my cup of tea.

3/5 stars! This story was just too dang long. I liked elements of Leo and Anna's story, but was confused why there was a 3rd pov. When the pacing was strong, I was pulled in and really enjoyed it. It just needed about 80 pages cut in edits.

I received a free copy of this book via NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving a review