The Dark King was the first novel I’ve read from author Gina L. Maxwell, and I can say with absolute certainty that it will NOT be my last. This story was a wild and sexy ride filled with deception, hidden secrets, and a steamy love that transcends realms. Billed as Neon Gods meets Fifty Shades, this is a perfect read for all you Romantic Fantasy fans out there who aren’t afraid of a healthy amount of spice. I had a ton of fun with this book, and I can’t wait to get my hands on the next in the series.

In the midst of her life crumbling around her, Bryn receives an all-inclusive trip to Sin City, granted access to its most premiere, opulent hotel, which happens to have a wait-list that spans years. Upon arrival, she catches the eye of a strikingly handsome stranger, and an evening of debauchery ensues. Hey, what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas, right? Even if that means waking up the morning after not only married, but bound by magic.

At the heart of this tale lies Bryn, the quick-witted, fast-talking Midwesterner, and Caiden, the mysterious, possessive King of the Night Court – very much the alphaaa. Their dynamics begin with some delicious insta-lust, but quickly turn into a tumultuous whirlwind with deeper roots and an almost unbearable amount of miscommunication. C’mon, guys, just SPEAK to one another and most of that drama could’ve been avoided! Sheesh! Anyway, while their differences are steeped in a healthy dose volatility, their chemistry is sizzling, and when they come together in the shadows of night, it…is…incendiary.

Bryn and Caiden are joined by a fantastic cast of supporting characters, namely Caiden’s brothers Tiernan and Finn, their housekeeper Fiona, and the Woulfe brothers. Each with their own unique voices, each as finely tuned as the last. They’re definitely a bunch you’ll want to meet on your own without me spoiling much, so I’ll keep this short and sweet. I just want to say they perfectly enrich the story being told, and I can’t wait to get better acquainted with them in the next installment of the Deviant Kings series.

The Dark King is definitely has a character-driven narrative, but when the plot revelations reveal themselves, it’s explosive. While the story contains some serious subject matter, it’s filled with witty banter and plenty of laugh out loud moments as well. Maxwell creates a beautiful balance to keep readers engaged and those pages flying by at a rapid pace. If I had to describe the tone of this story with one word, it would be charming. Everything about this book is alluring, drawing you in further and further.

I thoroughly enjoyed my time with Bryn and Caiden. The story ties up nicely, but definitely opens another avenue to explore, which I fully intend on doing. If you’re looking for an enticing read filled with fae, magic, old grudges emerging and fated mates, then The Dark King may be the one for you. Loved it, can’t wait for more.

🩸 BOOK REVIEW 🩸

The Dark King - Gina L. Maxwell
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 💫

“For Bryn Meara, a free trip to the exclusive and ultra-luxe Nightfall hotel and casino in Vegas should’ve been the perfect way to escape the debris of her crumbling career. But waking up from a martini-and-lust-fueled night to find herself married to Caiden Verran, the reclusive billionaire who owns the hotel and most of the city, isn’t the jackpot one would think. It seems her dark and sexy new husband is actual royalty—the fae king of the Night Court—and there’s an entire world beneath the veil of Vegas.

Whether light or shadow, the fae are a far cry from fairy tales, and now they’ve made Bryn a pawn in their dark games for power. And Caiden is the most dangerous of all—an intoxicating cocktail of sin and raw, insatiable hunger. She should run. But every night of passion pulls Bryn deeper into his strange and sinister world, until she’s no longer certain she wants to leave…even if she could.”

CW: BDSM, dominance/sub, consensual asphyxiation.

This book was so good! Very much a 50 Shades meets Fae world. I loved the storyline. I felt like there wasn’t an over abundance of smut (but still a decent amount), the story really did hold it’s own….and what a great story it was! Basically it wasn’t just a BDSM p*rn…it was a great storyline and the characters just happened to enjoy that type of seggsual activity.

There is another book that is alluded to after this one, a miniature cliffhanger. I’m super excited to see that book as well!

Thank you @netgalley and @entangled_publishing for allowing me to read this book for an honest review!

When Bryn Meara gets an invitation for a free trip to Nightfall hotel and casino in Vegas she can't believe her luck. Add to that the upgrade to the penthouse after her room is double booked, the beautiful necklace on loan, and a chance encounter with the reclusive billionaire that owns the club and most of the city. But after too many drinks lead to more, she wakes up as Mrs. Caedon Verran. Her luck has turned sour as she learns that her husband is actually the dark king of the fae, they never should have mated at all since she's human, and she'll be held as a prisoner until the marriage is annulled.
Caedon never meant to marry at all, much less to a human. Why does he feel this irresistible pull to Bryn? If she stays they're both in danger, but while he should be pushing her away, he can't help his longing to stay in her light. But when they learn the truth, it could destroy the whole kingdom.
I like how sassy Bryn is with Caedon, their banter had me laughing out loud sometimes. Her sunny personality was the perfect compliment to his serious dark side. Sometimes I just wanted to shake him though when he kept pushing her away "for her own good". Overall an entertaining read but not much character development or depth to the story. The twist at the end though might have me coming back for the rest of the series.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

The Dark King is my first Gina L. Maxwell novel, and I enjoyed it much more than I was expecting to. The characters were fun, the story was zippy, and there was a ton of spice. The writing style made this an easy read and I am happy to give it 4/5 stars.

I voluntarily read an advanced copy of The Dark King by Gina L. Maxwell. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you to Netgalley and Entangled Publishing, LLC, for providing an ARC to review.

Is it weird if I say I feel blessed to have been able to read this book? Because, MAN. There are some books that are to get through because of language, but this book seemed so effortless. The writing is phenomenal, the plot is original and the spice is top tier.

I am truly so excited to read the next one and see where Tiernan and Fiona’s relationship winds up!

The Dark King by Gina L. Maxwell is the first book in her new Deviant Kings series. This was my first fantasy book and I enjoyed reading it. We have Caiden, a Fae king, who is hot, charming, arrogant, and so freaking sexy. Bryn is strong, determined and I just loved her. She was no pushover. When these two meet the sparks fly, but they are both shocked the next morning to find themselves married. Now she is learning about Faes and is in the middle of their world and his. I loved their back and forth and their sexy tines were hot. I loved diving into this world and cannot wait to see what comes next!

Happy reading!

4 out of 5 stars!

When the heroine received a free trip to the Nightfall hotel in Las Vegas, she arrived to get a glimpse of the hero as he strode through the lobby towards the elevator. Then their second meeting ended up with them ending up being married to each other. The revelation doesn't end there as the heroine learns that the hero is fae and the king of the exiled Night Court. The couple must learn the truth behind the danger that appears for both of them as well as making a decision to remain as a couple or separate...with dire consequences.

This is the first book in the Deviant Kings series featuring strong characters and a rich world full of otherworldly beings. There is a heroine who has a past that she doesn't know of and a hero who is reluctant to embroil the heroine into his dark world. The attraction between them is palpable and is shown through their interactions and BDSM sex scenes. I enjoyed reading this fresh take to the fae world and how the fated mate trope is depicted within the story. I liked the heroine's maternal side of the family and the hero's brothers. There were also some other memorable secondary characters that enriched the story like the people surrounding the hero. The book could have added some more details in certain parts of the story, but it didn't detract from my reading enjoyment. This is my first Gina L. Maxwell book, and it won't be the last one because I'm enjoying the series and look forward to the next one!

**Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the review copy. All opinions and thoughts in the review are my own.**

Happy Publication Day !!

First of all, thank you sooooo much Entangled Publishing for this incredible promotion book box. I’ve been dying to read this ever since I first heard of it and wow did it ever exceed my expectations!

I LOVED this book! It was such a fun and sexy story! It reminded me of a mash up of ACOMAF/Neon Gods, but definitely not as spicy as Neon Gods, I would rate it 3 out of 5 🌶 on the spice spectrum - which I found perfect.

Bryn, our female MC, goes to Vegas for a well needed trip for herself and ends up meeting Caiden, the King of the Night Court. They get drunk together and end up getting married which leads to some drastic challenges that they both have to face.

The whole story was exciting, I was always wanting to find out what’s next! This book really had it all, a fantastic storyline , amazing characters, perfect amount of world building, good amount of spice but not overpowering where it takes away from the story itself. Great twists! Everything played out so well, I loved the ending! See ?! Truly has it all!

I’m just so glad I got to read this and already can’t wait for the next one ‘The Rebel King’ where we get one of Caiden’s brothers - Tiernan’s story ! 😍

This is the first book in which is sure to be an in grossing series. It’s set in Las Vegas and we meet Caiden who is the fae king of the night court. It’s really intriguing to see the fae and how they are hiding in plain sight in Las Vegas. We meet Bryn who thinks that she is in Las Vegas for a fun night and ends up married to Caiden. She then finds out about the fae and that she is married to their king. There is dark fey versus a light fae storyline which only adds to the enjoyment of the story. It’s a slightly dark world with an intense hero and a fascinating heroine. The way that they fall in love keeps you on your toes throughout the entire book. I cannot wait until the next book in the series comes out.

Sexy, steamy romance with a twist. It's been described as Neon God's meets Fifty Shades and that is absolutely fitting! The characters are fantastic. It's the first in a series and has excellent world building while giving you enough of a glimpse of the other characters to make you ready for their books. All while creating a love story between our two main characters that has you invested. I was hooked and can't wait for more!

I loved everything about The Dark King! It was totally entertaining and exciting to read with fantastic characters, a fascinating world, and super-hot sexy times. It had a great vibe right from the start and I was all in!

I loved Caiden and Brynn. From the very first moment their eyes met, I could feel the passion sizzling between them. I adored the waking-up married scenario and the situation they found themselves in. I loved learning everything about them and the pull they had to one another. Bryn was awesome, I loved her zest for life and putting herself out there. Caiden was wonderful. He had a hard exterior and I loved seeing the man behind the mask as his walls came down and he and Bryn grew closer together. I loved them learning about one another, Bryn learning more about herself, and unraveling the mystery of how exactly they ended up married.

This was an excellent story with fun scenes, a nice amount of humor, and a lot of steam. Some of the sexy times are total fire with light BDSM elements mixed in, creating off-the-charts hotness. There’s a good amount of drama, emotion, and a lot of love as well. There was an exceptional cast of characters involved and thought they really added to the story. I love Fiona and Caiden's brothers Tiernan and Finnian. There's a brilliant hook at the end that gets you excited for what's to come in the next book. I cannot wait!

The Dark King is the first book in the Deviant Kings series and I liked how the world was introduced and learning about the fae. It was laid out nicely but not bogged down with too many details. I got exactly what I needed so I could jump right in and enjoy the story. There was a great pace and incredible build with exciting hints as everything came to light and the story unfolded. There was never a time I wanted to put this down. Loved it!

The Dark King is book 1 in the Deviant Kings, and it was a really enjoyable book from this new to me author. Bryn is a young woman whose life isn't going according to plan, so when she receives a free trip to an exclusive hotel she decides to go. When she arrives, she sees for the first time the very rich and handsome Caiden who owns the hotel, sparks immediately fly and the next morning she wakes up married. Caiden is so much more than just a regular man, so when he finds himself married and bonded to the beautiful Bryn, he suspects she was sent to harm him. I really enjoyed this book; it was so reminiscent of PNR books that I was obsessed with for many years. Now while it's pretty obvious Bryn is much more than just a plain human; I did love the twist on what she is. Overall, if you're a PNR fan I would definitely recommend this one. I'm looking forward to book 2.

Yet another hades and persephone retellings, those are my favourite kind of retellings!!!!

Blurb:
For Bryn Meara, a free trip to the exclusive and ultra-luxe Nightfall hotel and casino in Vegas should’ve been the perfect way to escape the debris of her crumbling career. But waking up from a martini-and-lust-fueled night to find herself married to Caiden Verran, the reclusive billionaire who owns the hotel and most of the city, isn’t the jackpot one would think. It seems her dark and sexy new husband is actual royalty—the fae king of the Night Court—and there’s an entire world beneath the veil of Vegas.

Whether light or shadow, the fae are a far cry from fairy tales, and now they’ve made Bryn a pawn in their dark games for power. And Caiden is the most dangerous of all—an intoxicating cocktail of sin and raw, insatiable hunger. She should run. But every night of passion pulls Bryn deeper into his strange and sinister world, until she’s no longer certain she wants to leave…even if she could.

I really enjoyed that book. There were a lot of points I really liked about that book. The banter for one, was extremely satisfying. The enemies-to-lovers plot is always a major plus in a book. However what I really liked was the sex scenes and the kinks that were explored.

Minus point in my opinion would be the world building, I would have liked to know more about it.

I think it was quite an easy to read story and a good book to binge.

A big thank you to Netgalley and entangled publishing for sending me an arc of this books.

4.5
The Dark King is the 1st book in the Deviant Kings series and is an erotic paranormal romance with a forbidden-love aspect and some fantasy elements included in the story. This is Caiden and Bryn's story and these two had undeniable chemistry coupled with flirty, sexy banter that I loved.
Their story was insanely hott and included erotic kink and BDSM elements, but it was also funny and highly entertaining. The main characters were both strong and captivating and they will have you intrigued. The secondary characters were likable and added so much to the story. I loved the scenes with Caiden brothers.
The plot was fast paced with action, suspense and angst and gives us forced proximity, grump/sunshine and a surprise ending. It was an easy to read, fun spicy tale and I would definitely recommend it to romance lovers.

I kind of struggled through this one. It was just okay. I felt like the world building could have been better. I didn’t really feel the heat and connection between the hero and heroine. I also couldn’t really identify the hero/heroine’s character journey of growth. It was there somewhat. I just felt overall that this book could have been stronger. Huge thanks to Entangled Publishing and Netgalley for allowing me to read and review this book!

I really enjoyed this book. Gina Maxwell has an amazing pen and I’m a huge fan of her stories.
For Bryn Meara, a free trip to the exclusive and ultra-luxe Nightfall hotel and casino in Vegas should’ve been the perfect way to escape the debris of her crumbling career. But waking up from a martini-and-lust-fueled night to find herself married to Caiden Verran, the reclusive billionaire who owns the hotel and most of the city, isn’t the jackpot one would think. It seems her dark and sexy new husband is actual royalty—the fae king of the Night Court—and there’s an entire world beneath the veil of Vegas.
Whether light or shadow, the fae are a far cry from fairy tales, and now they’ve made Bryn a pawn in their dark games for power. And Caiden is the most dangerous of all—an intoxicating cocktail of sin and raw, insatiable hunger. She should run. But every night of passion pulls Bryn deeper into his strange and sinister world, until she’s no longer certain she wants to leave…even if she could.
I don’t usually read fantasy books but I couldn’t stop reading this one. These are great, deep characters. Strong ones. I enjoyed Caiden a lot. He’s an alpha with really dark tastes, but he finds in Bryn his true mate in every sense of the word. She is a proud and intelligent young woman and it was great to see her development during the story.
The chemistry between them is off the chart, but there’s also an emotional bond too. A really powerful one. And the sex! SIGH. Sooo good! I need his brother’s stories now!!
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

There really wasn't anything about this story that I didn't love! There was action, drama, and romance. It was paranormal and mafia, with a drunken/arranged marriage thrown in. What's not to love?! The writing was great and kept me engaged from page one. I wish it was longer, just so we can have more of these two, but I'm hoping that we'll get to see them later in the series since it looks like the brothers will be getting their own books. I can't wait!

This book was amazing! My first book by this author and I will be following her. The story was intense, exciting and you just didn't know what was happening next. I couldn't put it down. This book has made my best book list of 2022. I can't wait for the next one in the series.

It’s been a hot minute since I’ve read a book by this author…as in probably a couple of years or so. While her books I’ve previously read weren’t 5-star reads for me, they were enjoyable enough to read more. So when I had the opportunity to read her newest release, I was pretty excited. It’s a paranormal romance with BDSM elements, enemies-to-lovers, forced proximity, and probably a couple of others I’m forgetting. BDSM and erotica are not my favorites, but there was more than enough plot, character, and world development that it didn’t feel as if I was reading a paranormal twist on 50 Shades. The story doesn’t necessarily end in a cliffhanger per se, but there’s a portion of the plot that will continue into the next book.

If I had to narrow my opinion down to one point, what stood out to me most was the growth in Ms. Maxwell’s writing since I last read one of her books. I saw so much more emphasis on world-building and character and plot development than in some of her previous works. It’s exciting to see her stretching her wings a bit, which makes me even more excited to see where she takes this series.

Anyone who likes dark romance, hot and mesmerizing fae and lot of spice should definitely read Gina’s new book. „The Dark King“ is a perfect mix of those things. Gina L. Maxwell has a wonderful writing style that has me in a chokehold. I just flew through the pages and i couldn’t put the book down. I finished the book in a few hours. The cover is perfect and fits the plot well. Gina knows how to inspire her readers and the erotic scenes were damn hot and I had to fan myself a few times.

The characters were wonderfully developed. They had depth and you could understand the respective actions and behavior very well. Bryn fell straight into my heart and I admired her a lot for how she handled her situation. She is brave and despite everything, she is not intimidated by Caiden. Caiden was a character that hits like a bomb. I fell in love with him straight away. The chemistry between Caiden and Bryn was there from the first page and there’s a lot of sparks between these two.

The dark king was an extremely good book and anyone who likes fae and dark romance should definitely not miss this book. And after this ending, i’m really looking forward to the next part of the series. I highly recommend this book.