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Blurb

Power. Passion. Betrayal.

Raised to rule, bred to lead and weaned on a diet of ruthless ambition.

In a world of haves and have nots, my family has it all, and I want nothing to do with it.

My path takes me far from home and paints me as the black sheep. At odds with my father, I’m determined to build my own empire. I have rules, but Lennix Hunter is the exception to every one of them. From the moment we meet, something sparks between us. But my family stole from hers and my father is the man she hates most. I lied to have her, and will do anything to keep her. Though she tries to hate me, too, the inexorable pull between us will not be denied.

And neither will I.

 

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Review

5 stars!

Whoa, this book just blew me away. I can’t believe this is my first book by Kennedy Ryan, and now I get what the fuss is all about. This beautifully written, intense, and intelligent story is more than just a romance, it’s character-driven and thought provoking with strong cultural and political tones. I learned a lot and I was absolutely captivated, and I loved it.

Lennix Hunter is a 17-year-old native American girl fighting for the rights of her people and their land when she is arrested for protesting. By her side at the time is 24-year-old Maxim Cade, son of an oil and gas tycoon, and a man determined to step out from under the influence of his father and follow his passion for environmentalism to create his own future. They know pretty much nothing about each other, but there is a connection there that neither of them can act on given their age difference. It’s years later when they run into each other again. Maxim is working towards changing the world and Lennix is newly graduated from College and about to set out on her own path. But for one week they have nothing but time, and they dive into an intense, all consuming and passionate affair that will change their lives.

God, these two are magic together. Intelligent, witty and honest, they don’t hold back on what they are feeling and when they are together, they are an absolute powerhouse full of passion and intensity. The chemistry between Maxim and Lennix is absolutely electric, and I (and they) revelled in everything that is between them.

I’m the kid so often trapped between worlds, split in two and finding my place. On the rare occasion you come across someone who just gets you, and you don’t have to figure out your place. Wherever you are is okay.
I think he could be a ‘wherever you are’ person.

But their lives are leading them in different directions, and they always knew that their time together would be brief. But they have started something that neither of them are prepared to let go, and as they go their separate ways, it’s with a sense of anticipation for when they will meet again.

“Do what you need to do. Change your world,” he says softly, his eyes connected to mine so intensely there’s no hope of looking away. “I have to go make my world, but when the time is right, I’ll be back for you.”

A devastating betrayal ruins everything, and it’s years before they get their second chance. And though Lennix is hurt and angry and wants nothing to do with Maxim, he is determined to get his girl back – however he can.

“The harder I have to work for something… the harder I take it.”

This is such a great story, written in dual POV, which I loved, because we really get to know these characters. They are both mature and intelligent, and I love that they are driven and independent and fully accepting of those characteristics in each other. I loved seeing them so motivated and working hard for their futures, and watching their lives change over the years.

And that second-chance-romance… damn. Full of all of the intensity that I was expecting from these two (even though I thought that Lennix held on to her anger for waaaaay too long), I loved watching Maxim fight hard for her, and I could feel the sparks and emotion between them.

“In what world could you possibly think I would belong to you?”
“In the one we make together.”

There are twists and turns throughout the story, but through it all these characters remain true to themselves, and I loved watching where their lives took them. Personally, it leans a little bit politically heavy for me, but I’m all about the romance when it comes to my books so that’s definitely just me. The different elements of the story are wound together really well, and Ryan’s writing is emotive, engaging and intelligent. You can tell she did her research, and she manages to inject a whole lot of heart into important cultural issues that (as an Australian) I really didn’t know that much about, and I’m intrigued where the story will go from here.

The book ends on a massive cliffhanger (one where we all know how it will work out, but it’s exciting nonetheless), and I’m diving straight into the next book now.

An amazing read, I loved it!

The audiobook is narrated by Jason Clarke and Jo Raylan, and they do an incredible job! They tell the story with so much passion and emotion, embodying Maxim and Lennix so perfectly. I highly recommend listening to this one!

5 stars

 

All the King’s Men Duet