I cannot say enough amazing things about this book!! First - this book got me back into reading after a long time away. Second - Erik Bloodsinger... HELLO!!! aaah! The bonus material is perfection! When I found out bonus chapters were going to be released with the rerelease of the book I couldnt jump for joy more than I did. LJ Andrews truly never disappoints, and I hope everyone has the chance to read this book and the series.
Thank you to the team who gave me the opportunity to receive an ARC. thank you thank you!

Okay, The Ever King was everything. Dark fae royalty, deadly bargains, and slow-burn enemies-to-lovers? I devoured it.
L.J. Andrews knows how to write tension, both romantic and political, and this world is dripping with danger and beauty. The Ever King himself? Arrogant, ruthless, and somehow still made me swoon. And the heroine doesn’t back down for a second. Their banter? Chef’s kiss.
If you're into brooding fae kings, morally gray vibes, and a story that feels like it’s always two steps from destruction pick this up ASAP.

3 ⭐️ Fun story blending magic and sea faring fae! I don’t think I’ve ever read a book with pirates so that made it interesting to me. A bit cookie cutter at times, a night court fae, talk of mates, a jealous woman “out to get” the FMC, but overall an entertaining read, purely for the vibes.

"The Ever King" is my first book by L.J. Andrews, and she might just be my new favorite author! This story was everything I hoped for and more. The more I think about it, the more I can't stop obsessing over it. The world pulls you in, but the romance steals the show!

For years, Erik has been consumed with avenging his father’s death and reclaiming his realm. When he kidnaps the daughter of his father’s killer, he plans to use her as a pawn in his revenge. But Livia is so much more than he expected—not only does she shatter the chains of the Ever, but she also captures the heart of her enemy.

This dark fantasy with pirates, sirens, and fae had me hooked, but the romance made me swoon. It's an absolute must-read!

I don’t have the words to articulate just how much I love this book. Pirates, kidnapping, tension, banter, hidden history, magic, spice and major found family that make you fall in love with each of them. I read this so fast I didn’t realized I was done until I was done and in need of book two ASAP!

LJ Andrews, I'll read anything you write. This was an addictive romantasy filled with enemies to lovers and cool pirate ships. I am frothing at the mouth for book 2.

i read the indie version of this book, and loved it SO MUCH!! i love lj andrews w my whole body!!! she is amazing at writing fantastc romantasy books

I have loved LJ Andrews for years, her work has always made me forget that I'm reading. I remember when I first picked up her Broken Kingdoms series, I didn't sleep that first night and would immediately start the next book after finishing the previous one.

Although I loved the Broken Kingdoms, the Ever Seas has my heart and soul. Erik Bloodsinger makes Rhys and Xaden seem like insignificant worms in comparison, that man is swoon worthy. The Ever King has everything you could want in a book - adventure, pirates, a morally grey MMC, a strong B.A. FMC, all the best tropes. All wrapped up in a tale you can't put down, a book you will absolutely be up until 3 in the morning with 0 regrets. This book and series is a must read for all romantasy lovers.

This is the first book in The Ever Seas series. It follows the story of Erik & Livia.

If you like:
💎Romantasy (maybe Dark Romance for some)
💎Enemies-To-Lovers
💎Action & Adventure
💎Touch Her and Die
💎Spice
💎Morally Gray MMC

You should definitely give this one a try!

The way he says “love” 🫠 IYKYK

One of my many favorites quotes:

“Hate me, curse me, I cared little, so long as I was the first thought of her day and the last of her night.”

The Ever King by LJ Andrews, is a fun, fast paced read filled with pirates, vikings and fae magic. The story immediately drew me in with a MMC and FMC from opposing warring territories that had a complicated intertwined past. When the entrance between their worlds is finally reopened things get interesting.

I loved the adventure, mystery and morally gray pirate captain, but unfortunately the romantic tension and storyline lacked the depth I was hoping for. Despite that I still enjoyed it and would give it a solid 3.5 stars.

Just like the first time I read this book I loved it. This book pulls you in instantly. I actually forgot how much I loved these two characters. Like I knew this was one of my top reads (one of my favorite authors too), but when you read so many books you forget how amazing some characters are. Like these two oof! The chemistry between them is just insane. Like that tension, and burn. I love it! Of course there is spice, but it builds up to it. So, its not just randomly thrown in! This one is a darker romantasy, so checking the TWs would be advised. Im actually glad that this story is going to be in more hands now! I cant wait to see more people fall in love with the story, and characters the way I did.

This Fantasy Romance is book 1 in the Ever Seas series. This book is a separate duet within the Ever Seas series with the book The Ever Queen. The romance in this book is enemies to lovers. The book does have lots of spicy tension, and some open door spice. Livia has suffered from nightmares her entire life, and now they’ve came true. Erik Bloodsinger the king of The Ever Kingdom has come to get his revenge. By taking Livia, Erik will have her father right where he wants him. Memories of Livias kindness from when they were children linger, and he has a pull to her he can’t explain. She just might be what he needs to heal his kingdom, and his heart. This is an amazing romantasy that I can’t put down once I start

This book is set in the broken kingdom world. I wouldn’t suggest reading it until you’ve read the broken kingdom series. It gives away a ton of spoilers if you haven’t read the others.


The love story between these two was set up in book 9. I knew from the teasers she gave us it would be epic. Oh and it was. The MCs are written with such depth. I found myself giggling at this book as often as I was swooning. The way she can build the love story and still let plots unfold blows me away.

This book was AMAZING!! It definitely made my list of Top 10 reads of the year. This was my first read by LJ Andrews and holy cow, if The Broken Kingdoms Series is written anything like this book was… I will IMMEDIATELY be reading it. I was pulled in immediately from the very first page and I just ate this book up.

Livia and Erik are easily one of my favorite fantasy couples. The slow burn romance between them was wrought with tension throughout the entire book and it just left me wanting more and more, in the best possible way. They’re both pretty complex characters and they’re extremely well written! Their personalities play off each other so well, and it makes for such a captivating read!

The world building was unique and I absolutely loved it! The plot unfolded throughout the book so well and kept me engaged and interested, and once again staying up way too late to finish🖤 I love LJ’s writing style and just thought the way that all the twists, turns, and secrets were written was done so so well and that it kept me engaged and wanting to know what happens next!!

This was such an amazing read and it really has everything a Romantasy lover wants in a book!!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Book one in what will always be one of my favorite series! I adore Erik and Livia and this book has absolutely everything you want in a fantasy book! The enemies to lovers! The ending that leaves you on a cliffhanger desperate for book two! Every bit of this book is perfection! And that new bonus content? Love it!!!!!

4.5⭐️

The fantasy slump has been cured! I had never found a pirate fantasy I enjoyed until this one! I absolutely loved the characters and found family dynamics at play between the support cast. I love when every character in a story serves a purpose and doesn’t just feel thrown in to fill space. Livia is a fantastic FMC to me because she’s the perfect combination of both soft and strong. I lived for her sassy comebacks with Erik and adored her soft moments of friendship with Celine and Sewell.

Erik is fabulous MMC! Extremely morally grey but his backstory makes this entirely based and who doesn’t love a man obsessed and borderline psychotic for you 😍 The romance development between the leads felt beautifully drawn out through a slow burn tension and I was definitely teeheeing for quite a few parts.

The world itself was really intriguing and overall fairly easy to follow! Very Pirates of the Caribbean coded and a nice sprinkling of a unique magic system contributed by the author. I think some details get a little muddled towards the end as a lot of pieces suddenly start moving so I recommend taking your time from the 80% mark until the end.

My eensieeee grievance with this book is the basis of the relationship between the leads. The first chapter captures a very brief shared moment during their childhood that plays a significant role later on, and I wish this had been fleshed out a bit more to make a bigger wave of impact. Especially with how often it was referenced, it would have been helpful had this scene been described through multiple flashback sequences or even just a longer intro chapter.

Dr. Smut’s Checklist Book Review: The Ever King Re-Release
1. Trigger Warnings: 1/1 point
I said Trigger warnings and LJ Andrews said “say less”. And dear reader, she understood the assignment...
He literally makes her a necklace out of her enemies. Full point for trigger warnings.
2. Characters: 1/1 point
Absolute perfection. We’ve got a morally gray, emotionally wrecked pirate King, who’s dangerous, damaged, and entirely unhinged—aka exactly my type. And our FMC? She’s pure sunshine with a spine of steel, trying to save her people from him. It’s giving ‘I can fix him’ energy with a side of spice, power struggles, and crowns. I ate it up.
But let’s be real—the best thing about this re-release? The bonus chapters. Getting Sewell’s backstory gave me so much more emotional damage in the best way possible and I loved every second of it.
Full point for characters.
3. Plot: 1/1 point
The story? So good. Pirate fae, cursed lands, and a world that’s absolutely stunning in the most deadly, magical way possible. I was hooked.
And that plot twist at the end? I thought I had it figured out. I was feeling smug… and then BAM—plot twist I never saw coming. Consider me humbled and obsessed.
Full point for plot.
4. Smut: .5/1 point
The tension? The “I want him but I shouldn’t”? Chef’s kiss. It was there, it was simmering, it had me feral. And the spicy scenes we did get? So good... but not nearly enough of them.
I was starving for more. That’s why it’s getting a 0.5 out of 1 for spice.
5. Fun-to-read: 0.75/1 point:
I loved every minute of this book—the sass, the banter, the plot, the gorgeous, dangerous world… it was all so good.
The only thing that could’ve made it more fun? More spice. I was living for the tension, but I needed just a little more heat to push it over the edge.
So for me, it’s a 0.75 out of 1 on the fun-to-read scale.

Overall, that’s a total of 4.25 stars and I’m going to rate it 2 chili peppers for spice because the spice was descriptive but there was not very much of it.

This book re-releases on August 5 and I recommend it for all romantasy fans who want a little spice! If you’ve already read it, the bonus chapters are totally worth the re-read!

4 stars

This was such a fun read! I loved the vibes as a pirates of the caribbean gal that loves fae romantasy. I really loved the dynamic between the characters. The fantasy plot was second to the romance plot, so I’m glad I was really in the mood for that sort of romantasy. My only negative is I wish the romance development was a bit slower! That ending definitely got me though I was NOT expecting that. It immediately made me want to dive into book 2!

4.5⭐️

I WOULD WALK THE PLANK FOR ERIK BLOODSINGER 🫡

“𝙄 𝙖𝙢 𝙞𝙣 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙙𝙨, 𝙄 𝙖𝙢 𝙖𝙩 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙢𝙖𝙣𝙙, 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙝𝙖𝙫𝙚 𝙢𝙖𝙙𝙚 𝙢𝙚 𝙡𝙤𝙫𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙬𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙗𝙚 𝙢𝙮 𝙙𝙚𝙨𝙩𝙧𝙪𝙘𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙗𝙚𝙘𝙖𝙪𝙨𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝙞𝙩.”

I was in a terrible reading slump and this book brought me out!! Honestly mad I waited so long to read it.

The world building for me was perfection, simple and easy to follow.

ERIK ERIK ERIK 🙂‍↔️ Complex, broody, morally grey and EVERYTHING TO ME. I loved him. (See first line) The window paints??? UGHHH 😭 What a sweetie. I cannot.

I loved Livia too, and I can’t wait to see what goes down in The Ever Queen!! Such a rude cliffhanger 😭

“𝙔𝙤𝙪, 𝙀𝙧𝙞𝙠 𝘽𝙡𝙤𝙤𝙙𝙨𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙚𝙧, 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙠𝙞𝙣𝙙 𝙤𝙛 𝙙𝙖𝙧𝙠𝙣𝙚𝙨𝙨 𝙄 𝙬𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙 𝙛𝙤𝙡𝙡𝙤𝙬 𝙖𝙘𝙧𝙤𝙨𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙠𝙞𝙚𝙨 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙨𝙚𝙖𝙨.”

𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐭:
🏴‍☠️ Enemies to lovers
🐍 Captive x captor
🏴‍☠️ Pirates, fae, sirens, vikings
🐍 Touch him/her & die
🏴‍☠️ Found family

Thank you NetGalley and Berkley for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

This was actually a reread of mine. I wanted to see if there was a difference between the original version and this one. And i rated it five stars before and im rating it five stars now. I enjoyed every single second of this read ! There is just something about the “villain” getting the girl. The banter, the spice, the found family. I highly recommend this book !!

I’m such a sucker for enemies to lovers, fantasy worlds, and that delicious slow-burn tension and The Ever King delivers all of it. Like, every last drop.

I fell in love with LJ Andrews through Broken Souls and Bones and man I am kicking myself for not reading her any sooner.

This book had it all, the tension, the banter, the side characters you can’t help falling in love with, and well my favorite pirate Erik (cue in swoon alert)

He’s obsessed, possessive, probably a little unhinged… and I ate it UP. The Serpent and his Songbird have officially taken over my heart and dragged it to the Ever, and honestly? I’m not even mad about it.

I’m ready to dive into book two now!!! Lj Andrews what have you done to me!!

You got it — here’s the version without any em dashes:

⸻

The Ever King by L.J. Andrews pulled me in with its dark, moody vibe and that intense captor captive dynamic. The world feels rich and a little dangerous, and the Ever King himself? Cold, powerful, and somehow still magnetic. I loved the tension between him and the heroine. She’s fierce in her own way and doesn’t make it easy for him, which kept things interesting.

The pacing was a little slow for me in parts, and the enemies to lovers angle didn’t fully land, but I still found myself wanting to know what would happen next. The emotional moments hit, and there’s a weight to the characters that makes it worth sticking with. If you like dark romance with a heavy dose of power plays and slow-burning tension, this one is worth checking out.