I received this as an ARC, but this is my honest opinion. A fast paced, enjoyable romance novel. The sex scenes were very spicy and the plot intriguing. Once I got into it, I liked the fantasy aspect. The main female protagonist is from Wisconsin, and it was very stereotypical. Luckily, it didn't linger on it too much. It is the first in a new series and I look forward to the next ones to learn more about the world.

4⭐️/2🌶: I am a sucker for a Beauty and the Beast retelling, and The Dark King did not disappoint. I was quickly invested in these characters and their stories. When this book was described as a cross between Neon Gods and Fifty Shades, I’d say that proved to be pretty accurate. I’ll be looking forward to the next book…

I-wow just wow
Just read the book is all I have to say….
Like dark romance? Dark fantasy?
Read the book!
I requested this arc because the tagline said neon god meets fifty shades but I was pleasantly surprised that it’s also a fantasy novel. About 20% through the book it just got to a point where I couldn’t put the book down and I finished it one sitting. If you like dark fantasy romance books you’ll definitely like this one.

This was such an amazing book! I highly enjoyed reading this. Lots of banter between the two, fast paced, kinks of all sorts, bdsm, and overall just some real good love! Caiden our dear dark king is a fricking dream boat sitting at 6'5 giving all sorts of fantasies. Bryn is a wonderful and fiesty gal! Well we all know the saying "when in Vegas" and as so these two somehow ended up married after a night spent together with no memory of it! As time goes on their bond and love grows I love how its more modern and had jokes from our culture via movies, and an old Disney movie. Everyones relationships were great but the sex was even greater! There was a nice little plot twist at the end I did not actually expect but enjoyed.
I could not put this book down to save my soul if I wanted to. Don't let this have fae in it deter you from it cause you will absolutely fall in love with this book, come on dont you want to add another hunk book boyfriend to your list?!
I highly suggest this book to anyone. And I am so excited for book 2!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. This was a book I flew through, loving every second of it. The spice level is 5/5 … Caiden and Bryn's story is one you need to read if you like books with fae. I don’t want to give any spoilers so I’ll just say it again, read this book you won’t regret it.

The teaser calls this book a cross between Neon Gods and 50 Shades of Gray, and I think that’s a fair assessment. At least, the Neon Gods feel is definitely there. There are also some delightful Beauty and the Beast references.

A series of serendipitous events leads Bryn Meara to a swanky Vegas casino where, while standing in line for check-in, she makes eye contact with Caiden Verran. Caiden is the owner of the hotel, the king of the city, and it turns out he’s also the king of the Dark Fae. Bryn and Caiden have a night and wake up married, which activates an old curse that means they must stay in physical proximity to one another for-ev-er. There is faerie magic and there are twists and turns and fun settings while Byrn and Caiden try to figure out what’s magic and what’s real.

This plays with power dynamics at a big level—Caiden is a bazillionaire and king of the Dark Fae—Bryn’s just a gal from Wisconsin. They engage in some BDSM with Caiden in the dominant role. But Bryn isn’t painted as a submissive/powerless woman outside of the bedroom. She’s smart, resourceful, can point out unhealthy relationship dynamics, and very much does not believe that being kidnapped and held hostage is in any way romantic or sexy. She calls Caiden out on his behavior, continually attempts to forge her own path forward, befriends people, and makes the best of her life. I’m glad to see this dynamic.

Given how much Caiden keeps from her, it's necessary.

Overall a decent read.

The Dark King was unputdownable, with 50 Shades of Grey and A Court of Thorns and Roses vibes. It is quite possibly one of the steamiest books that I have ever read. My only criticism is that I wanted more, it could’ve been longer to include more world-building.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this arc ebook in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

BookTok is going to EAT. THIS. UP. Everyone is going to want to be Bryn and Caiden is going to be the new favorite book boyfriend.

The Dark King features straight-forward writing, no flowery or lyrical prose here, and lots of foreshadowing 👀👀. I liked the breadcrumb trail that the author left. There is spice, but also a pretty decent, albeit guessable, plot.

I have two minor gripes. The first is a plot hole question: if humans are aware that Caiden owns several businesses in Vegas and they are able to recognize him when they see him, how do the Fae explain the lack of aging? A glamor? I mean, I know this is a story about kinky Fae, but if I’m suspending my belief for that, then I need to believe everything else in the book and I need an explanation on that.

My second gripe is that Bryn describes herself as hippy and having a bubble butt (in a bad way, which doesn’t really makes sense to me) but later, Caiden describes her as having “slight curves.” Is she curvy or is she thin? I don’t like the inconsistency in her description because it makes it hard to picture her and get into the reading.

Thank you to NetGalley and Entangled: Amara for the opportunity to read and review The Dark King by Gina L. Maxwell. This book will be adored by BookTok, especially fans of Neon Gods and ACOTAR. I can’t wait to see where Maxwell takes the next book, hopefully featuring a certain redhead! The Dark King is a 4/5 for me.

I received via netgalley for an honest opinion. I really liked the book. It was an enjoyable, fun read. The characters were believable and I liked the tension between the love interests. The sex scenes were well written and the plot moved along well. Overall, a very well written book.

Okay. I finally read the entire thing, and found it was heavy on the melodrama and light on everything that would compel me to read more.

This is Twilight/50 Shades fan fiction done with a high amount of cringe. I wasn’t able to find much here - there’s no world building, no real backstory, And the bond? No communication, no sharing. I didn’t see evidence of this bond, other than Caiden referencing his dick fairly often in regards to this ever-so important bond, uh huh. I kept reading this and hating myself a little bit more with each passing day (this one took me a while to get through because I found it oddly boring even though it held my attention). Nothing compelling here, just highly dramatic filler.

While I’m sure Bryn and Caiden’s story will appeal to many; it just didn’t work for me.

I will also add that as a reader, I am so bored of trying to read an erotic romance novel because it seems like every woman is written to hold a desire to be submissive. Not every female reader is interested in being submissive 😒🤬




eARC kindly provided by Entangled: Amara and NetGalley. Opinions shared are my own.

ARC provided by NetGalley for an honest opinion. Smut factor: 8/10 Romance 7/10 Fae and human love can be rewarding for temporary situations. Fae and fae love can be deadly. Finding out you are an actual fae.... dangerous. This book has all of the makings of a hot night with your book.

This book is FIRE. The overall story line is unique and captivating. And the steam… 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 I highly recommend picking this one up when it releases 9/27/2022.

Holy. ROULETTE.
Thoroughly enjoyed this story! Its been a while since I’ve read Fae romance, but this one did not disappoint.
I couldn’t put it down because I needed to know what was going to happen next. The plot was interesting, at times predictable. However, when it felt like the story was heading one way, it ended up going another way. So it does keep the reader captivated.
There was a point in the book where I thought this might be a duet. Thats how packed this story is. I felt like I could (& would) have read more from Bryn & Caiden, but I’m glad it was all done in one book. Action, spice, some groveling. What more can you ask for.
That last chapter? Now thats a plot twist!
Sign me up!! Glad we’ll be seeing more Verran in the future.
Hopefully🤞🏼

The characters are funny, and I loved the relationship within the book. Also, the spice was great for the most part. However, the worldbuilding was weak and while I realize this isn’t a book genre that is read for great worldbuilding, I think that is what separates this from being a good book and a great book.

Gina L, Maxwell just rocks my world with this book. The story has everything I like -hot sexy scenes, lots of humor, the chemistry between Caiden and Bryn, There was lots of drama, and thrilling mystery. The other characters are great and I can’t wait to read their stories as well. This is not my favorite genre but I enjoyed it from the beginning to the end.
Thank you Gina and publisher for this opportunity

4,5 stars

Thank you to netgalley and entangled publishing for an e-arc!

So to be honest this book makes me conflicted. I both liked and disliked this book. I kept reading because I couldn’t stop but I liked it less and less the more I read.

Blurb:
Bryn has a weekend trip in Vegas but after a night of drinking, she finds herself married and mated to the king of fae.

The Good
The blurb of the books makes it sound like a lot but at first when reading it, it’s not that bad. So I liked it. I liked that there was fae and she was kidnapped and forced to stay in his house while they sort out the mess of getting married. I also enjoyed the writing for the most part as well.

The not so good
I didn’t like the spice. I don’t mind bdsm and the dom sub type spice. But at times I found the spice to kinda put a sour taste in my mouth. I didn’t like the extreme submissive thing that Bryn did during any spice. There was also a kinda lack of world building. Like it kinda explains it but I felt like there were parts that could have had more. I also HATED the references to things like twilight and games of thrones. I feel like when a book any them, it really dates the book.

Overall
I liked it but I also didn’t. I wouldn’t recommend it.

Caiden Verran is quite the ultimate character who will capture your attention right at the beginning. Prepare for some dark moments and no shortage of kink. Brilliantly written and captivating, this story is hard to put down. I read an advance copy via Net Galley and voluntarily chose to review it. This book makes 50 Shades seem tame. What happens when Caiden and Bryn wake up married? I don't usually like PNR but this book might make me change my mind.

I have never heard a book, but Gina L. Maxwell, but that is going to change after reading "The Dark King." I devoured this book in one afternoon. I enjoyed the story and characters. This book had a little bit of everything in it. I loved to see the relationship between Caiden and Bryn evolve throughout the story. To say I'm excited to read "The Rebel King" is an understatement.

I have read everyone of Gina's books and this one was another hit! I couldn't put it down and it keep me hooked from the beginning. I would definitely recommend it to anyone who likes a spicy romance.

I bow down to Gina L. Maxwell and the Dark Fae King. Holy shit this book blew my mind in all the best ways. I ​can't believe this was my introduction to reading a paranormal romance that centered around fae, but I'm so glad that it was my first. Gina L. Maxwell had me begging for more of the sexy and dominating Caiden Verran.

In the Dark King, we meet Bryn Meara and Caiden Verran. Bryn is a sassy and confident woman who is headed to Vegas. She received a letter in the mail to stay at the sleek and seductive Nightfall hotel. It's an exclusive hotel and super hard to book a reservation so she can't say no to this offer. She just lost her job and is single so she is ready to live it up in Vegas. Her life is turned upside down when she meets the sexy owner, Caiden.

Caiden is sexy as hell and you can tell he likes to be in charge. He is also the fae King of the Night Court, aka Dark King. He became king and takes responsibility seriously never letting a human or female get in the way. When he lays eyes on Bryn he feels a connection. This has never happened and it's more than unnerving.

After meeting at the casino, Caiden and Bryn can't fight their attraction so they don't shy away from flirting and spending the night together. The kicker is when they wake up it turns out they are married. And it seems like they share a bond that only fae and fae can share.

As the pair spend more time at his manor, Midnight Manor, they are at odds with each other and themselves. Caiden is closed off which makes Bryn want to tear his walls down. And of the other side, Bryn's devious and rebellious nature makes him furious and turned on at the same time. Of course, this makes the sexual tension that much more apparent. Maybe if they give in their urge will simmer down. That doesn't work and it ignites their passion. Caiden is dominating in the bedroom and Bryn loves to submit to him. They are just starting to find their groove when an elder hits him with a plot twist. Bryn is more preternatural than everyone assumed and it wasn't just fate that helped them meet.

The story is full of ups and downs, sensual scenes, and tender moments between the two. Throw in a bit of suspense and action and you have yourself a compelling book that you won't be able to put down. And when I say the sex scenes are amazing I mean it. They will leave you feeling hot and bothered. ;)

I give The Dark King all the Fae King stars. It's a seductive and irresistible paranormal romance. I was totally engrossed in this fae world. This was my first time reading Gina L. Maxwell and it for sure won't be the last. I am thrilled that there will be another book in this series. If you have never read about fae characters and are nervous to pick up a copy of this book (this was totally me before reading The Dark King), fear not because the author will pique your interest like never before. I promise that you won't regret reading this book.