Reviews with content warning for Grief - The Rebel King

The dramatic, emotional, and thrilling conclusion of Lennix & Maxim's tumultuous love affair concludes! I think I read this one in a matter of days. I was so engrossed in this story and wanted to see them get their HEA! What I wasn't expecting was

Spoiler

for political darling Owen Cade to be ASSASSINATED after we had barely just gotten Lennix home and safe!!! I was with Max though--no body means they're not dead. I've watched/read too much to know that if there's no body, "Abe" wasn't dead and he was going to be a ghost that came back to haunt them. I just didn't think it was be at such vengeance!

And while it was kind of expected, seeing Maxim actually agree to run (essentially) in Owen's stead was such a big step! I loved that he didn't compromise his ethics, his positions, or Owen's either. He did kind of run on Owen's coattails, but in his own way and with respect for his brother's memory and legacy. It was also really inspiring to see an independent candidate sweep the system! The fallout with Lennix on the campaign trail was a bit of an ugly sobering moment and I was so worried for her and Kimba's reputations, but I knew it would all right itself in the end.

I appreciated the inclusion of culturally significant rituals, like grounding and smudging, and reliving her ceremony. As a non-Native person, I love learning about those kind of culturally significant practices that might otherwise be closed to me, in an appropriate and respectful context.

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agnesbebon's review

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3.75

3.75

The things I loved about this book, I really loved. The things I disliked about this book, I strongly disliked.

Kennedy Ryan write romances beautifully. Nobody is doing it like her. However, I did find my attention drifting sometimes more than others. One of the things I strongly disliked was the ending. I wanted more. There was also definitely A Lot going on in this, but I found it engaging, entertaining, and well written.

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dogbuttsandbooks's review

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challenging dark mysterious sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

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vicktorea's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful informative fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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risseandshine's review against another edition

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adventurous hopeful inspiring reflective slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

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emfass's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring sad fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.25

This picks up immediately at the cliffhanger that left us hanging at the end of The Kingmaker. I think that maybe I just am not a huge fan of romantic suspense. Small spoilers here: I don't like characters' lives being in danger, I don't like solving things with guns, I don't like characters being under threat of violence as a source of conflict throughout the book. I'm learning it's just NOT my thing. I also didn't think the motivation/characterization of the bad guy was especially compelling, which made it feel like it was a plot line solely to raise stakes and make our main characters squirm, instead of adding to the story.

Spoiler

And the turn of events halfway through the book that changes the course of the story didn't sit well with me, either.

It wasn't what I wanted for Lennix and Maxim: I loved the first book, and this one felt really different in tone and scope.

While I appreciated many of the political, awareness-raising things this book had to say, there were multiple moments where the way it was included felt preachy/hit you over the head with it, and it irritated me and took me out of the story. NOT to say these things shouldn't be included in a story, but it was the way they were included: there were so many of them that didn't really have to do with the scene or the moment, and felt dropped in as an educational soundbite .

I did grow to love the way this couple dealt with obstacles. They fought and reconciled like mature adults, they came up against difficult things but always supported one another and found their way through together. They love each other so damn much and Ryan made that anchor rock-solid throughout their story. Lennix and Maxim were so clear in their characterization and I grew really attached to them. Kennedy Ryan is an incredible writer, especially around the emotional lives of her two main characters.

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