Have I been living under a rock not knowing about Kennedy Ryan's work? Yes. But I do blame anyone who has read her stuff and not immediately screamed from the rafters for me to pick it up. Be right back, will be busy reading her backlist for the remainder of the year.

HOLY SMOKES! Kennedy Ryan put her whole chest into this duet! 🔥 It was unputdownable!

This duet follows Maxim and Lennix and their years’ long romance and journey! We first meet them when Maxim shows up in Arizona with his billionaire oil tycoon father to see one of their oil pipelines. When they get there they see Lennix and other indigenous peoples there protesting the fact that a pipeline is being built on their sacred land.

Maxim and Lennix end up meeting that day, but their age gap and that Lennix is 17, plus the fact that Maxim isn’t totally truthful about his identity means nothing really happens between them, but they have a connection neither of them can forget.

I don’t want to give spoilers, but the rest of book 1 follows their serendipitous reconnection, a major break in their relationship, a decade apart, and a strained reconnection. Book 1 also has a major cliffhanger so you will want book 2 right away!

Major political/Scandal vibes, angst, chemistry, steam, drama, romance…this duet has it all! It’s been a few weeks and I’m truly still thinking about these two! Perfection! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I’ve said this after finishing many of Kennedy’s books, but I swear this woman writes magic - and this duet in particular is some of my favorite magic that she’s written. Lennix and Maxim just have this amazing chemistry - it sparks from the very moment they meet and turns into this amazing inferno. I love the structure of this book, being able to see Lennix and Maxim at the different stages of their lives and how their paths manage to intersect so many times. It’s even further proof that these two are soulmates and are absolutely meant to be. And aside from the amazing chemistry between these characters, them as individuals are also just incredible to read about. I love that I always find myself learning about something when I read a book by Kennedy. She makes me stop and think so much while I’m reading, whether it’s about climate issues, or the disparities in marginalized communities, it’s all so thought provoking.

This A tremendous re-release from a wonderful series from Queen Kennedy! 👑 The cover for this addition is absolute fire and a wonderful addition to anyone’s shelf!

Kennedy's writing is like no other. She explores many themes in this series centering around the environment, love, politics, family and the fight of indigenous peoples for the land and rights. I the middle of this we have this amazing couple who should hate each other, but they can’t stop the inevitable. Kennedy Ryan doesn’t miss and this book is just more proof.

I wanted to love this book, but I fought the urge to DNF it approximately every five chapters. The Kingmaker takes two characters from not only polar opposite, but actively opposing, worlds and begs the question of how much love and connection can overcome. Lennix is fierce and bold, and Madix is a dreamer born into a world of greed so they were intriguing characters. However, my biggest issue with this book was the fact that these two seemed almost caricature-ish for the majority of the book. They were both politically conscious and active, which I liked, but the long-winded monologues about issues they were passionate about grew boring after the fifth or sixth rant, and this method of info-dumping through speech wasn’t appealing to me. If you can get past this, then it was in no ways a bad book, just irritating to me in ways which unfortunately I couldn’t read past.

I like how this author can tell a story but also include relevant social matters and a bit of history. And throw in a love story. Multifaceted. Thanks to the publisher for this copy for read and review

Lennix and Maxim's paths first cross when Lennix is a teenager. Years later, they cross paths again in Amsterdam and continue to have their paths cross from there. What Lennix hadn't realized when they met was that Maxim's family was responsible for her tribe losing their land and for her mother's disappearance. Despite it all, they are attracted to each other and try to be together. This book ends on a cliffhanger and is meant to be continued in the following book in the series. It's lovely to see a BIPOC protagonist, and it's an interesting perspective.

I tried twice, honestly fourth times to finish it. But sadly i couldn’t make it.
I couldn’t bare with the narration.
And it bored me. I didn’t find ineteresting part or even the character.

I really want to love this book, but sadly i can’t.

I felt like it took me a long time to get through this book. TOO LONG. Although their instant connection felt real, I feel like it was too focused on politics and Lennix and Maxim being very passionate about what they believe in.

The romance was dragged out and I wasn't a fan of the 10 year time jump. I love me a possessive man, but the fact that it took him 10 years to get there? Too long.

The ending ended on a huge cliffhanger and I don't think I loved this book enough to continue with the series. It was meh.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This was my first Kennedy Ryan book, and it did not disappoint!

This story was beautiful and had all the intense, angsty emotions. Our two characters, Lennix ("Nix") and Maxim, meet one fateful day that ends with both of them in jail. Four years later, they reunite in Amsterdam. There were many aspects of the book I enjoyed, particularly the character development and the chemistry between the main couple. The spice, the twists, and the angst all culminated in an epic relationship between the two.

I really appreciate all the research that went into the American Indian culture; this is evident from the social commentary. Sometimes it took away from the romance aspect of the novel, but it was intriguing enough that I didn't mind it. Nix is such a wonderful character; as a reader, you can see her strength when she helps her people. Kennedy's writing style is smooth, and the plot is unique; it keeps the reader riveted until the end.

This book ended in a cliffhanger, and I am eager to start book 2 soon. I can't wait!

Thank you to NetGallery, Bloom and Kennedy Ryan for the ARC.

I like stories that build up or have some dialogue to get an essence of who the main character is.

I loved that the author chose to write about an American Indian however I just didn't vibe with the story and couldn't get past the first few chapters.

Loved it. I have started to realise that Kennedy Ryan doesn't miss with her books. She's an amazing writer and storyteller. Her books will always get you in the feels. This one was soo good. I did not expect to like it as much as I did.

Kennedy Ryan did not disappoint with this beautiful, descriptive and well written narrative of the beginning foundation to Lennix and Maxim’s love story. The way she detailed each character’s backstory to create the winding pathways that crossed and sometimes overlapped leading them to each other over a wide timeline of their life was so neatly illustrated and well formed without being redundant. I rooted for both characters in different ways as I read each chapter and the ending had me in a complete vice grip! I’m immediately ready to jump into the sequel to see how the rest of this story unfolds. Thank you Bloom Books for the advance copy.

I've read a few Kennedy Ryan books and unfortunately this would rank dead last. I don't know what it is but this book took so much effort to focus on and it felt incredibly rushed yet slow at the same time. Also it ended with the most unsatisfying ending ever?... Like was it even a cliff hanger??? I'm just so confused. I don't think I'll end up picking up the next book, but if you like confusing stories with little to no background knowledge or sustenance then I would say go ahead and pick this up.

Thank you to NetGalley and SourceBooks for an advanced copy.

ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.

This whole story was so sweet and I really enjoyed all the Native American aspects of the book! There was just the right amount of spice to not feel super graphic and show the connection between the two main characters. The humor was the perfect tool for breaking up the seriousness of the story and had my laughing out loud at moments! I would definitely recommend to anyone who likes forbidden romance!

Kennedy Ryan has done it AGAIN! She has just a beautiful way with words and I was not surprised that I absolutely loved this book. I was immediately hooked by the first chapter! I loved her words so much and seeing what she did with Lennix and Maxim was perfection on the page. It was an angsty romance, it was empowering, it was suspenseful, it was so many things that I was never expecting and I loved how much Kennedy surprised me with this book. I couldn’t get enough of The Kingmaker.
Thank you NetGalley for providing me with this arc! Forever a fan of Ms Ryan!

I believe this was my first Kennedy Ryan novels - I really enjoyed it. The Kingmaker, Lennix and Maxim are the main characters. She's trying to save her Native American ancestors' land. He's the son of the CEO of the company trying to destroy that land, but she doesn't know that! They never expect to see each other again after meeting in jail, after a protest, but years later, they reunite. And, well, the rest is history.

If you have read any of Kennedy Ryan's previous books, just know that this one is going to be completely different. The Kingmaker is an emotional story spanning 10 years. It goes into depth regarding Native American heritage and their traditions, it's clear that a lot of research went into properly developing this story. Lennix was such a strong character. And while I sometimes had my issues with Maxim, I did like him 0ver all. I do wish that we got to see more of what happened in between the time jumps, but I also understand the need for them to not make the book drag on. This one ends on a major cliffhanger so definitely be ready to dive into book 2!

I did not finish this one, it was not for me, I couldn't relate to the characters, and just did not care for the story.