Excellent story- action packed. Janice did a wonderful job telling this story. Very engaging. Love the Kings.

So as I had mentioned previously I have read these books out of order and I honestly felt that that was ok since they can be read as standalones however I always found that I enjoyed more when I read all in a series, it just gives you a little more awareness. So in this one we have Dwayne Harper who as the name says if the King of Lawndale, he has taken his place in the Castle of Dwayne and is the last of the Khali's boys. Dayne has made is his passion and goal to assist the boys who were as he once was and has decided to help and mentor them. in education. His school only hosts about 20-30 at a time so that he can give them more attention and help them discover what they want to do with their lives. However things as you know can't run smoothly and someone start spreading rumors trying to hurt his name and the school, when one of these rumors and hurtful slander goes after one of his student he will go no hold bar especially when they make his partner Tiffany one of their targets, and he has more than enough backup with his friends the other Kings.

King of Lawndale by bestselling author, Janice M. Allen, is the final book in the nine book Kings of the Castle series by various female authors. Book one, Kings of the Castle, is an introduction to all of the Kings, with emphasis on Vikkas Germaine’s story. Books two through nine are standalones with no cliffhangers and can be read in any order, though I read them in sequence. I do recommend reading book nine last, as it is the only novel that could provide spoilers for the others.

Nine former students of Khalil Germaine, now Kings of The Castle, are recruited by their mentor to root out and eliminate the corruption that has infiltrated The Castle, initially a humanitarian endeavor. They vow to protect The Castle and each other from future attacks, while searching for the person or persons responsible for the attempted assassination of their mentor, Khalil, and his son, Vikkas. Along the way they meet some extraordinary women. This is Dwayne Harper’s story.

Dwayne Harper is a college professor of World Studies and owner of a private college prep school, Excel Charter School. He’s been somewhat in the background throughout the series but finally comes into his own as King of Lawndale.

Tiffany Richards is Dwayne’s girlfriend and potential wife, but a mutual friend has made her interest in Dwayne known. Dwayne is faced with a difficult choice that’s only made harder by a secret that Tiffany holds close. Dwayne might have taken his time, but this King finally finds his Queen.

The Castle is more than just a magnificent building. It’s a new way of thinking and living. Success can be attained when like minds work together for a common righteous goal. The Castle now has a full complement of Kings, Queens, Princes and Knights who are using their new power, resources and connections to affect positive change. Dwayne’s new mantra: “I am surrounded by greatness.”

King of Lawndale is the final success in a successful series. Ms. Allen ties all the loose ends together into a nice bow that maintains the continuity and integrity of the series. The plot twists are epic. The ending is beyond epic. I loved the entire series and this final installment was worth the wait. The series started with a 5 out of 5 star read and ends the same way. I can’t recommend it any more highly to anyone who enjoys multicultural romantic suspense or well-written contemporary romance.

My thanks to Independent Publishers Group and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advance copy of this book. However, the opinions expressed in this review are 100% mine and mine alone.

What a great way to finish this series, even though I didnt want it to end. The Kings are strong, determined and extremely faithful to their mentor. They would do anything it takes to find out who tried to kill him and in this book they finally figure out who the mastermind was behind ordering his execution. Seeing them bring him down gave a very satisfying end to that part of the series. My absolute favorite part from the whole series were the Queens. The way they came together and fought in place of their Kings showed the true power of a female and what we will do to protect not only what is ours but those we care about. I really hope they decide to move forward with more stories in this series because all of the books were so good.

Thank you netgalley, and Janice M. Allen for allowing me to read this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I also and looking forward to reading Val's story and get more of their Uncle's funny humor.

King of Lawndale is the ninth and final edition to the Kings of the Castle series and Janice M. Allen certainly has done an amazing job of bringing this amazing series to its ultimate conclusion.
The drama, suspense, Betrayal and love all seemed so real I enjoyed Dwayne and Tiffany's Story.
King of Lawndale is an engaging, fast-paced adventure and a fitting end to the series.

Another great standalone story from the Kings of the Castle series. This story focuses on Dwayne (the educator) and his lady, Tiffany. This story was full of romance, action and the unveiling of secrets. This is a fitting end to the series and incorporates all the kings in solving the overall mystery.

This is a series that I have found myself enjoying more than I thought I would. It is a series about brotherhood coming together in times of need and that despite everything that is thrown their way to try and sabotage the good they are trying to achieve, deep down they try to keep their chins up and prove that being a good guy if you stick it out will always prosper and that karma is real and can bite you on the butt when you don't expect it. King of Lawndale features Dwayne Harper who was the last of Khali's boys to take up his place at the table of the Castle. Dwayne's field of choice and passion is Education and being a mentor to the boys just like Khali was to him. Dwayne has started a school which is the first of its kind where it only takes 20-30 kids at a time and all the attention is focused on finding the boys passions and working on that field. As Dwayne believes that parent help is another big part of the boys succeeding, he also offers parents the chance to have some schooling of their own. However, in the town of Chicago, there are some people who want to put a stop to Dwayne and are willing to make some bad rumors to slander his name. When one of them manages to blackmail one of his students it becomes personal, even more so when Dwayne's partner Tiffany becomes a target as they know her secret - one she has kept since she was fourteen years old. With the help of his friends - the other Kings and his family, can Dwayne prove to his students that the good guys always win out in the end? Find out in Book #9 of the Kings of the Castle Series.

This book has me so frustrated for Dewayne. And secretly wishing this as a non-fiction book and that I could send my kids to his school. This book takes us through the Story of Dewayne and his desire to honor the founder of the Castle that helped him in his youth. It shows us how a child’s love of want to know his upbringing can cause him to go against his teachings in hopes of false promises being followed through on, only to realize the truth in a heartbreaking way. But but that those who truly love you will put all that aside and continue to help you. It shows us the youth do listen to us and will work hard to show you what their capable of. And that they are capable of amazing things. And it shows that you are capable and worthy of love again, even if you’ve sworn the opposite.

Read this book, it’s so worth it!

Though this is a stand-alone, I highly recommend starting with Kings of the Castle and reading each Kings story in order. I read them all out order. They are so expertly crafted and flow so well between each of the books, it’s hard to tell each is crafted by a different author. Very well done!

KING OF LAWNDALE by Janice M. Allen is the ninth and final instalment in the multi-authored/ multi-cultural KINGS OF THE CASTLE romantic suspense series focusing on nine ‘brothers’ from the streets of Chicago (Vikkas, Reno, Shaz, Jai, Daron, Kaleb, Grant, Dro and Dwayne) mentored and taught by the mysterious Khalil Germaine at the exclusive Macro International Magnet School in Chicago. This is Dwayne Harper, and Tiffany Mason’s story line. KING OF LAWNDALE can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty but I recommend reading KINGS OF THE CASTLE (Book one) for backstory and history. There is a slight cross-over with the author’s THERE IS NO RIGHT WAY TO DO A WRONG THING where the reader is first introduced to Uncle Bubba and Dwayne. You do not have to have read the aforementioned story in order to understand or follow the current time line.

Told from several third person perspectives including Tiffany and Dwayne KING OF LAWNDALE follows several converging paths including the building relationship between Tiffany and Dwayne, as well as the ongoing struggle with the attempts to destroy and discredit Dwayne Harper, and his Excel Charter School on Chicago’s Westside. Dwayne Harper has always been about the education of the under privileged, and starting his own charter schools gave Dwayne a chance to pay back to the community but Alderman Eduardo Sanchez sees competition and trouble from Dwayne Harper, and does everything in his power to take down Dwayne Harper including going after the woman with whom Dwayne is in love. Enter Tiffany Mason, whose own three year battle with her soon to be ex, is draining the life out of our story line heroine. What ensues is the building romance and relationship between Tiffany and Dwayne, as Dwayne and the Kings of the Castle forge closer to the people h*ll bent on taking it all.


There is a large ensemble cast of secondary and supporting characters including all of the previous story line couples, Khalil Germaine and his large extended family; Alderman Eduardo Sanchez, and several of his goons; as well as a number of boys who attend Dwayne’s Excel Charter School.

KING OF LAWNDALE is the culmination of nine story lines, each focusing on one of the ‘Kings’ of Chicago, Kings who work tirelessly to bring positivity, and abundance to the out of control, gang infested neighborhoods of Chicago’s crime riddled streets and homes. As each King wages battle in his own district, the men are pulled together in an effort to ferret out the people responsible for trying to kill their mentor and friend Khalil Germaine. The premise is engaging, entertaining and exciting; the romance is clean and sweet; the characters are numerous, energetic and colorful.

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King of Lawndale is the ninth and final edition to the Kings of the Castle series and Janice M. Allen certainly has done an amazing job of bringing this amazing series to its ultimate conclusion. Drama, suspense, betrayal and love all play major roles in this final book and only swerve to cement the depth of loyalty that thrives within the Kings brotherhood. Righting wrongs is always front and centre in each of these riveting stories, and finding love along the way is unexpected, but definitely welcomed and cherished by these men who have often seen the very worst life has to offer.

There are revelations during this last instalment, and interesting and entertaining insights into the how each of these exceptional men work together against the evil of this world, while protecting the innocent and the women they call their Queens, who also play an integral role in each and every story. King of Lawndale is a fitting end to the series, with its fast-paced, intriguing and exhilarating plot. Thank you to all the authors who have contributed their unique style to make this an exciting and addictive read.

Janice Allen’s debut novel, No Right Way to do a Wrong Thing, was wonderful. But this installment into the Kings of the Castle is nothing short of amazing. Well-written, engaging, and the beauty of how Dwayne handles the trouble students, his equally interesting love life, his nemesis and his Castle responsibilities is refreshing. He represents the kind of man that most women desire. Weaving the other Kings in was so cleverly done, and bringing the series to a close with a bang and not a fizzle, shows that Janice Allen is at the top of her craft. The entire series, with the individual King books, being standalone, was expertly done.

King of Lawndale is the final book in the Kings of the Castle series and what a ride it was. Dwayne is the educator in this fine group of Kings, whose mission is to prepare his scholars adequately for the future and make life better for the people in and around his community. When attempts are made to destroy all he has built by destroying his reputation,, he's forced to defend what he holds dear.

Aside from righting wrongs against him and cementing Dwayne's romantic connection, King of Lawndale reveals the mastermind behind the assassination attempt on Khalil Germaine. As with all the books in the series, it was interesting and entertaining to see the brothers working together against the bad guys while showcasing their impressive range of skills. Their queens also played integral roles in this novel.

King of Lawndale is an engaging, fast-paced adventure and a fitting end to the series.

Wow! The drama, suspense, Betrayal and love all seemed so real I enjoyed Dwayne and Tiffany's Story. Dwayne had the fight of his life on his hands from the Castle his School and his love life he did I great job juggling it all. Tiffany Ex Husband was definitely a looney. Janice M. Allen you did your thing on taking this series home. It was 🔥🔥🔥