This book took a few tries to get into - I didn't feel like it hooked me in from the start. However, once the story started moving, I was invested and I had fun reading! I didn't feel super attached to the characters, but I liked them enough to finish the book and will definitely continue the series.

The Ever King is a enemies to lovers, kidnapping the princess, fantasy, pirate fae, Romantasy. So well written with spice and world building.

When I say this book got me out of a slump it REALLY got me out of a slump. I haven’t felt compelled to stay up late and read in so long and I was doing this the whole time reading this, I couldn’t get enough! This was so much fun, I loved the world building, plot and the writing was really easy to get into. This book felt so unique to me too, I really loved how it was centered around pirates and magic. That’s another thing is the magic in this book was so cool. I absolutely loved it! Livia was a really admirable fmc, I loved her fire but she had so much heart too. She sees the good in everyone and I really liked how that tied into her relationship throughout the book with Erik. He was such a great mmc. Morally grey but feral for her?? Love that. I really liked seeing how his heart thawed towards Livia and how she brought out a softer side to him. Made them all the more real and gave them so much depth. I really also appreciated how they were actually enemies for a good portion of the book. Also my god the cliffhanger?? I’m so thankful I have the second book, I’m going to be starting it right away haha. Thank you so much to NetGalley and Penguin Random House to sending me an e-arc of this! I loved it and I am so excited to read the next one. Thank you so much for the opportunity to read and review these books!

WOW. Did I know I needed pirate fae?! No. Am I now ravenous for MORE pirate fae?! 1000000% yes. I had no clue what I was missing out on-- everyone needs to read this book! I am absolutely obsessed...it's the first time I've stayed up reading a first book in a fantasy series since Throne of Glass. A dark, delicious, steamy and yearning (so much yearning) book that just knocked me off my feet with character development, world building, magic system. I haven't been this enamored with a fantasy in years!

I’m pretty sure whoever is supposed to be yelling at me to force me to pay attention to my TBR and read the really good books isn’t yelling loud enough because even waiting a few days let alone how long I waited to read this one should actually be a crime. I’m devastated that I waited so long because I am IN love, wait over here while I make this my ENTIRE personality for the foreseeable future.

LJ Andrews hit it perfectly with the characters and the delicious tension between the love interests, everything about them has me fully eating out of her hand. I’m itching to get back into the story and I may never be the same again.

I liked this book, and I gave it around 4 stars out of 5. I enjoyed the way it really hooked me from the beginning, and I thought the characters were very likable. Even the vibes of the book were pretty cool, i’ve never read many pirate/fae romances and I found The Ever King did a great job at capturing that essence. There were only a few minor things that I didn’t like, and i’ll explain: some things at the end felt very rushed and it was difficult to follow along, I found myself rereading multiple pages just to stay on track. I’m not someone who really enjoys a lot of explicit or dark scenes in my books, and this book had quite a few of those, but I don’t think that’s the author’s fault. It was totally something that depends on the reader’s taste and i’m sure a lot of people really like it. The writing was also well done, except I noticed the author uses the phrase “and if he/she did _____, they didn’t show it” a lot, but that didn’t really bother me a lot. Overall, it was an interesting read with a nice ending. I look forward to reading the next book.

I really enjoyed the mix of Viking and fairylore in this story and how Andrews blends it so well with the pirate aspect of the Ever King. The romance was slow burn. But considering the dynamics between the two main characters that was necessary, I think. I also appreciated some of the twists as you learn more about the Ever Kingdom and its past rulers. The twist at the end was a big surprise for me! I look forward to reading the next book in this series. Thanks to NetGalley and Ace publishing for allowing me to read an eARC in exchange for this honest review.

I love Pirate books and this one really delivered on the swashbuckling fun. The characters were interesting and had great chemistry. I also liked the world and magic system. Can't wait to read the next one!

Loved this world and it's magic system. Secondary characters are fun and the twist was unexpected. Looking forward to book two!

This is everything I could want from a fantasy romance about a MMC that sails the seas. A ruthless king with a tragic backstory and his obsession with a girl he met as a child. I DEVOURED this book.

With war and strife between sea Fae and land Fae, bitter enemies are drawn to each other and have the potential to bring about a new era of peace between their peoples if they can convince their people and each other.

I wasn't sure how to feel about a pirate fantasy going in, but I loved it and am hooked! It ended up being more of a Fae fantasy series, and some of the Fae happened to be sea farers. It definitely had some gruesome pirate vibes, but I loved the sea Fae magic wielding. I hadn't yet read a book that explored this niche.

This was a great, action-packed, enemies-to-lovers story with a very morally grey MMC. Lot's of tension and chemistry between the characters and we're left with a killer cliff-hanger that sets up the rest of the series, I can't wait to read the rest!

WOW. What a fun read. I absolutely love the world in this book. This was my first book with a pirate/Viking theme, and it did not disappoint. The love that the MMC, Erik, and FMC, Livia, have for each other is perfect. It is so nice to see a FMC that is just as obsessed as the MMC. We always hear "Touch her and d!e" but never "Touch him and d!e." It was very welcome, and we all know that Erik needed someone to show him what it was to be loved. The side characters are also a perfect fit for the book. Seriously, whether it was those close to the Ever King or the loyal Earth fae. The found family from both sides is top tier.

While reading The Ever Seas I had loved the House of Bones. Once you read it, you will know why. The bonus content solidified that. I had tears in my eyes the entire time. I love them.

Rating: 4.75⭐️ | Spice: 3🌶️ | Audio: 5🎙️
What to Expect:
Enemies to Lovers
Assassination
Abduction
Fated Mates
Childhood Friends

Thank you so much @acebookpub for the gifted hardback

Review Title & Vibes:
Love it love it love it. Serpent (Erik) and Songbird (Livia) enemies but tied by fate from childhood. They are fae from different realms. Serpent’s power is Bloodsinger - he can either poison or heal when his blood touches the blood of another. Songbird is a healer of earth - she amplifies but also reads the history of soil.
The Ever Kingdom had been conditioned towards brutality - banished to a single side of the chasm at the end of the last war with the earth fae. Every 10 turns the kings mantel can be taken/won. As children - the mantle was distorted by accident when songbird fled the dungeons.
Serpent’s body was tortured for years by his father - then enemy earth fae (not songbird’s family) they brought him back to his father and serpent spent the years trying to gain his father’s favor.
-serpent secretly saved her uncle as a life debt paid for the captain of the earth fae guard saved him as a boy.

- the perfect morally gray hero - brutal murder/exexutioner
- She’s a virgin who’s heart has secretly belonged to serpent since childhood
- Arick makes her the first ever queen
- Can heal the land of blight (an accidental by-product of sea fae attempting to overthrow Serpent) his half brother Larsson is behind the plot to overtake the thrown and stole Songbird to heal the land and gain the crown.
- Her friends are Mira (earth fae), cousins Jonas (jovial) and Sander (the bookish one) - the one who leeched onto Gavyn to make it through the chasm, Skadi Tidecaller is Gavyn’s sister, Tait is Erik’s blood sworn cousin, Erik killed Tait’s father secretly during the war to free Tait from his brutality
- The spice was spicing. Talk about a slow burn. They of course keep getting interrupted. Once turned into an assassination attempt.

Audio Notes:
I’m in love. The male narrator was perfectly growly - throwing all the morally gray vibes. I loved Livia’s narration - depth and uncertainty. It’s a MUST LISTEN!

Recommended to...  
Romantasy babes secretly (or not so secretly) obsessed with pirates.

Narrated by @akalucyrivers #willthorne
Produced by @podiumentertainment

Great for lovers for romatic fantasy. A world of unraveling intrigue the last few chapters that I wished we explored throughout the entirety of the story. String start and ending.

4.5 stars. I can see why this book is so hyped-- it has everything a romantasy lover looks for. Enemies to lovers? Check. Fated mates? Check. Morally grey hero with serious touch her and die vibes that you can't help but love? Check check. Add in a pretty cool fantasy world with unique powers, a fun cast of characters, pirates, and tons of steam and you've got romantasy gold. I've said this in a ton of my other reviews this year, but romantasy is super hot right now, and everyone is writing it. But Andrews has been writing romantasy for a while, and it shows. While some of the tropes used could have felt de rigueur for the genre, Andrews made them feel fresh. And even though I kind of had an idea what was going to happen, there were still some really great twists and surprises. All in all, this is a super enjoyable addition to the genre. I mean, what's not to love about a super hot, morally grey pirate? And Livia totally held her own as a heroine as well. I'm super excited to be able to continue the series (especially given the ending). A big thank you to Berkeley Romance (Berkley Partner), Andrews, and netgalley for the complimentary copy.

Started the ARC and ended up finishing with the hard copy, but I’m a big fan of the worldbuilding in this one. “What if fae but pirates” puts a fresh twist on what could have become a tired trope, and even though the ruthless pirate king ends up being a secret softie, I always love a romance where the FMC ultimately loves a man with a more bloodthirsty side. I’ve already got the sequel downloaded, so it won’t be long before I dive in (no pun intended).

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this edition from the publisher via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

The part about the captors being held hostage was fantastic, but the enemies to lovers was awful. Our  MMC was delicious, and I adored him. Although I liked her, the FMC wasn't too interesting.  For those who enjoy romance with a dash of imagination, this is for you. The relationship between our two main characters was the main focus. And they definitely delivered on chemistry, banter, and suspense! However, I prefer my fantasy romance novels to be less romantic.

This is one of my first ventures into the world of the morally grey MMCs and I was engrossed by the arch of this character! I actually found the FMC and MMC intriguing and loved following their story. The world building was simple enough to follow but I do love me a fantasy world that has a good map for reference. I found it to well paced and though it was dark and the characters questionable, I think the LJ Andrews did a good job or creating enough depth that gave me an understanding of the why behind them. I appreciated the mystery throughout and was hooked from page to page about halfway through when all I wanted was to figure it out. The descriptions of the world were vivid and clear to me and loved the mix of Viking and Pirate culture with Fae magic. What a combo!

4.5⭐️ rounded up! Easily one of the best pirate romantasies I’ve read! I went into this a little nervous that it would be too dark for me based on some of the chatter I’ve heard about it, but it really wasn’t!

Livia is instantly likeable, kind, devoted to her family, she’s the perfect daughter of the king. But as talk of marriage starts to circulate, she feels her time to experience passion and adventure running out. She finds both when captured by Erik Bloodsinger, and the tension between these rival heirs raised to hate each other is sooo good!

Morally grey and a villain to many, Erik was raised to be a ruthless leader of a people who expect nothing less. When it comes time to enact his revenge and he retrieves Livia, his ability to embrace his darkest side falters. He’s soft for her in a way he isn’t for anyone else, and isn’t prepared for. One of my favourite more unexpected things about this book, was Erik’s response to Livia’s anxiety. There are a few moments where Livia starts to have what seems to be an anxiety attack, and Erik jumps in to help calm her. Swoon🥰

With fascinating magic, sweeping romance, and mystery surrounding the history of both families, I was enthralled with this one the entire time! I can’t wait to start The Ever Queen!

**Thank you to Ace Books and NetGalley for providing me a copy to read and review. All opinions are my own.**

The Ever King
BK-R
2🌶️
POV: 1st Person, Dual POV

Thank you To Net Galley and Berkeley Publishing Group for this ARC!

Looking for pirates, magic and touch her and die? Then grab this one now!!

This was such a fun ride! The pirate theme was throughout the whole book. It was not just a dash! I loved how we moved through this world! Erik is definitely one you need to keep your eyes on! Yummy!

I can’t wait to go into book 2!

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Spicy Chapters: 25, 37, 38, 44, 47