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REVIEW: Immoral by Brooke Blaine & Ella Frank
Park Avenue Kings: Immoral by Brooke Blaine & Ella Frank
Who are we? Nobody really knows. Weâre the seven most powerful heirs to empires, ruling Manhattan from our thrones on Park Avenue. By day, weâre the elite, untouchable, and more connected than you could ever imagine. By night, we revel in the darkness of our secrets, pulling strings that make the city bow to our whims.
Ruthless.
Dangerous.
Weâre the Park Avenue Kings.
In this city of power and desire, where the line between love and obsession blurs, nothing is off-limitsâand we wouldnât have it any other way.
He was sent in to seduce a monster. He didnât expect to fall for the man beneath.
Benoit Olivier has always played the partâcharming, cunning, and impossible to pin down. As one of the Park Avenue Kings, heâs used to being the watcher, the flirt, the wild card. But when the Kings need eyes on a powerful new arms dealer with a dangerous reputation, Benoit steps out of the shadows and into the spotlightâas a performer in Dimitri Stavrosâs exclusive world.
Dimitri is lethal, calculating, and entirely unprepared for the distraction Benoit presents. Drawn to the dancerâs allure, he offers him a place at his side, unaware that every flirtation, every glance, is a calculated move in a game Benoit was sent to win.
But the deeper Benoit is pulled into Dimitriâs world of wealth, weapons, and whispered threats, the more dangerous the assignment becomes. Because Dimitri doesnât forgive betrayalâand if he discovers Benoitâs true purpose, it wonât just be hearts that shatter.
Now, with time running out and his feelings blurring the line between performance and reality, Benoit must make a choice: complete the mission⊠or protect the man he was never supposed to love.
Immoral can be read as a standalone novel in the Park Avenue Kings world, but for maximum enjoyment, read after Savage & Devilish.
Immoral is the third book of Park Avenue Kings, a fabulous, fabulous billionaire secret society series by acclaimed writer duo, Brooke Blaine & Ella Frank.
Our King, this week, is Benoit Olivier – billionaire, burlesque dancer, polyglot, diva, and spy. He’s tasked to gather information about the notorious arms dealer Dimitri Stavros. Benoit is very good at his job, and he pulled out all the stops to hook his mark. Through a burlesque dance, of course.
And what a dance it was! This part alone made the book for me.
Benoit was seduction personified with every sizzling move and smoldering eye contact. He knew he had a gorgeous body and knew how to use it to his advantage. The finale was a cheeky wink and the ultimate tease. If I were in the club, I would have been on my feet, clapping hard and clamouring for more!
So yep, Dimitri stood no chance.
Dimitri is powerful, dangerous, and broody, a weapons dealer in the body of a Greek god. Clearly enamoured by the sassy dancer, possessive and ready to spoil the diva, he was always wanting Benoit so much that his right-hand man had to keep reminding him of business at hand.
Dimitri was a swoony blend of confidence and vulnerability, a tragic prince who slayed the villain, and now the dark king of an underground kingdom. His more somber temperament is a foil to Benoit’s playful side; his burning desire for the spy is matched only by Benoit’s palpable attraction for the man. They fit so well, just watching them interact was a joy!
In the previous books, Savage and Devilish, I had wished the stories were more mission-focused. This time, the mission and romance blended so beautifully, it was pure magic!
Benoit had to endure such hardships as being whisked away to a fairytale castle in Prague, having fantastic smexy times in different rooms each night, dragging Drimtri to a picturesque Christmas market, and sneaking around a luxury train across Europe, not to mention a bout of exhibitionism at a train stop.
Benoit enjoyed himself so much, he had to remind himself he was not on vacation. His sheer delight at a job going well, with how fun it is to flirt with Dimitri, and despite himself, falling in love with his mon monstre, that sense of exhilaration jumped off the page and swept me away!
Immoral have all the perfect moves, from the delicious tease, the nuclear-hot chemistry, the enthralling romance, the riveting cat-and-mouse game, and the constant tension that kept everything tight, fast-paced, and thrilling. Overall, a captivating dance of seduction you never want to escape!
Dating:
5 Stars â absolutely perfectSoundtrack: Kiss Twice, Kiss Me Deadly
Artist: Alice Nine
Album: VandalizeP.S.
Park Avenue Kings can be read as standalones, but the Kings are worth meeting.
Savage is a shadowy king and the innocent journalist in a meet-disaster turned meet-stalker
Devilish is the dom king sweeping the sweet sub off his feet with books and constellations.
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REVIEW: Devilish by Ella Frank & Brooke Blaine
Devilish – Ella Frank & Brooke Blaine
In a world where everything is within his grasp, love is the only thing thatâs ever eluded him.
Lucien Vale is temptation incarnate. Devilishly charming, wickedly confident, and sinfully sexy, he rules Manhattanâs most elite clubs, indulging the cityâs darkest desires with a knowing smirk and a whisper of seduction. Heâs built an empire, played the game to perfection, and isnât afraid to get his hands dirty when it serves the greater good.
But love? Thatâs always been just out of reach.
Then he sees Kai Danielsâa man too raw, too vulnerable, and too damn captivating to ignoreâbeing used by someone who doesnât deserve him. And Lucien doesnât hesitate. He steps in, knowing full well that some things arenât meant to be owned.
But Kaiâs past isnât ready to let him go. His tormentor is powerful, relentless, and determined to make them both pay. As the stakes rise, Lucien is forced to become the man heâs kept buriedâthe one who doesnât just play the game but makes sure his enemies never play again.
Now, with danger closing in and their connection burning hotter than ever, Lucien and Kai must decide if theyâre willing to risk everything for a love that was never part of the plan.
* * * * * *
Devilish can be read as a standalone novel in the Park Avenue Kings world, but for maximum enjoyment, read after Savage.
Devilish is the second book of Park Avenue Kings, a billionaire secret society romance by bestselling author duo Ella Frank and Brooke Blaine.
Our King this week is Lucien Vale, owner of a multinational sex club empire and secretly longing for that perfect sub to complete his life. One night in his club, he spotted a young man, Kai, mishandled by a wannabe dom and swooped in to rescue him. Learning Kai had nowhere to go, he offered to let him stay in his penthouse, no strings attached.
I initially dismissed this book as a hurdle to overcome before Alesso and Father Vitale’s book. The way his character was presented in the first book, Savage, it would seem Lucien is an over-sexed lothario ready to debaucher any pretty young thing in his wake. It didn’t help that the authors dressed him in silk shirts with too many buttons open, which screams tacky and sleazy.
Boy, was I wrong!
Lucien turned out to be quite angelic. He likes taking care of people and is a natural provider. He instinctively knew how to put the skittish Kai at ease, catering to the younger man’s needs and protecting Kai, who’s a victim of human trafficking, from his abusive owner. And without asking for anything in return.
The first parts of the book were cute and fluffy. Lucien is surprisingly cultured and well-read, often regaling Kai with obscure trivia. His house rivals a museum crammed with precious art and artifacts. He whisked Kai to Monaco for protection and entertained him with stargazing. And you know what they say when a boy shows you the starsâŠ
So yeah, Lucien won me over. Green flags all the way!
Kai is sweet and playful, with a submissive side that fulfills the dom in Lucien. Homeless at 15 and a survivor at 23, Kai still has an innocent air about him. I loved how he embraced learning everything he could about the wider world. It’s fun listening to him banter with Lucien. Our boy can sass with the best of them.
The romance is slow-burn and achingly tender. It was a beautiful meeting of souls where the dom with a heart of gold found his perfect sub who loved and trusted him completely.
BDSM isn’t my jam, so my asexual ass found the detailed account of their BDSM scenes tedious and boring. One thing is certain: Lucien always treats Kai like the treasure he is.
My complaint is that we need more scenes featuring the Kings because most of their appearances are too brief. We are teased with each King’s quirks but honestly I think their brotherhood would be more memorable and dynamic if it’s not treated as a mere device to group a bunch of attractive but deadly billionaires together.
The secret society part drew me the most and just like Savage, I wish the books were more mission-focused rather than romance-focused. Seriously, a missed opportunity especially when you have a powerful and highly-specialized group such as the Kings.
Overall, Devilish is a charming portrait of an ideal dom/sub relationship. Equal parts sweet and spicy, sometimes fierce, sometimes gentle, always wholehearted.
Rating:
4 Stars â minor quibbles but I loved it to bitsSoundtrack: Constellations
Artist: Tokyo Shoegazer
Album: Moonworld PlaygroundP.S.
Park Avenue Kings books can be read as standalones but meeting each King is a pleasure.
Savage is about the Shadow King and his meet-mysterious with an intrepid journalist.
If you like my content, please consider using my Amazon affiliate links below to buy your copy of Devilish. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying Amazon purchases at no additional cost to you.
If you like my content, please consider supporting me on Ko-fi or PayPal. Your donations will help keep this website going. Thank you so much!
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REVIEW: Savage by Brooke Blaine & Ella Frank
Park Avenue Kings: Savage by Brooke Blaine & Ella Frank
Who are we? Nobody really knows. Weâre the seven most powerful heirs to empires, ruling Manhattan from our thrones on Park Avenue. By day, weâre the elite, untouchable, and more connected than you could ever imagine. By night, we revel in the darkness of our secrets, pulling strings that make the city bow to our whims.
Ruthless.
Dangerous.
Weâre the Park Avenue Kings.
In this city of power and desire, where the line between love and obsession blurs, nothing is off-limitsâand we wouldnât have it any other way.
***
Heâs the shadow they send to make problems disappear.
Lachlan Stone thrives in the shadows, ruling his world of secrets and power with savage precision. As the most lethal of the Park Avenue Kings, he canât afford the luxury of attachments. But when a mission takes an unexpected turn, he finds himself saving Cooper Pattersonâa determined journalist who stumbles into a dangerous world far bigger than he ever imagined.
Cooper is everything Lachlan should avoid: relentless, curious, and far too tempting for his own good. Worse, his profession threatens to unravel everything Lachlan and his fellow Kings have built. Yet the pull between them is impossible to ignore, even as it sparks a firestorm of desire and danger.
With enemies closing in and the line between truth and lies growing thinner by the second, Lachlan must choose: protect his secrets, or risk it all for the man who sees the humanity in his darkness.
Savage is the first book of Park Avenue Kings by bestselling authors Brooke Blaine and Ella Frank. This is the spin-off of Park Avenue Princes, featuring 30-something billionaire MCs.
The Princes didn’t really pique my interest, but the Kings certainly did, especially the part of the blurb that spoke of a shadowy antihero. I was immediately intrigued by hints that this was something more than a billionaire meet-cute.
The Kings turned out to be a brotherhood, a very secretive, badass one at that. We are introduced to each King and their imposing leader Tyrone Kingston, star of Notorious Park Avenue Prince. Each King had his specialty, and their personalities stood out.
I’m super excited for Alessio’s story since he’s paired with a priest, and as early as now, there’s some hardcore pining going on.
I’ll keep details of the brotherhood to a minimum and let you have fun finding out if you’re new to the Park Avenue royalties. This is certainly the best part and for this alone, I’m sticking with the series.
Today’s King is Lachlan Stone, owner of a security firm. Kings’ business brought him to a dark alley just in time to rescue journalist Cooper Patterson from bad guys. Lachlan was wearing a mask since he was on Kings’ business.
Intrigued by the clearly fish-out-of-water Cooper, he started stalking the journalist and learned Cooper was investigating the same bad guys the Kings were after. Lachlan was also strongly drawn to the other man, so much so that he stalked him both with the mask and as himself.
Our naive boy, Coop, had no idea that the mysterious masked man and the gorgeous man he met at the coffee shop were one and the same. He’s thirsting after both.
The book model of Lachlan is spot on. He even got the ring and the bracelets. Another reason why I picked up the book. Lachlan is your typical dominant alpha male, and sadly, his character didn’t veer much from that. His masked alter ego reminded me of Batman dressed like an all-black Rorschach, and this is my favorite version of Lachlan.
Cooper is a recent New York transplant from the Mid-West. He might be naive but he’s determined to get to the bottom of things and give his friend, who was a victim of the bad guys, justice. Like Lachlan, his characterization lacked depth but he’s got that cute, innocent vibe going so he’s alright.
It is easy to see that the book was written by veteran romance writers. The vibe was intense, the sexual tension off the charts, the pacing was tight, and the writing flowed smoothly. But as much as Lachlan and Cooper were burning up the pages, their romance wasn’t really memorable.
The story focused too much on romance and sex. While the sex scenes blended seamlessly with the plot and the romantic development was believable, they detracted from the more important, more exciting parts, which were either glossed over or rushed. It’s a missed opportunity to showcase the Kings’ badassery.
Overall, I felt Savage should have been written as a romantic suspense with greater emphasis on the suspenseful, action-packed scenes and Kings’ business. However, YMMV because many readers like it the way it is.
Still, there are a lot of potential in this series so on to the next King.
Rating:
3 Stars â not exactly setting my world on fire but I liked itSoundtrack: Masquerade
Artist: Robosoul feat. Cid Fox
Album: Masquerade
If you like my content, please consider using my Amazon affiliate links below to buy your copy of Savage. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying Amazon purchases at no additional cost to you.
If you like my content, please consider supporting me on Ko-fi or PayPal. Your donations will help keep this website going. Thank you so much!
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RELEASE BLITZ: Forever Rebel by Garrett Leigh (Giveaway)
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COVER REVEAL: Forever Rebel by Garrett Leigh (Giveaway)
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BLOG TOUR: Dangerous Attraction by Oliver Takely (Excerpt & Giveaway)
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RELEASE BLITZ: Divine Heart by Garrett Leigh (Giveaway)
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COVER & EXCERPT REVEAL: Divine Heart by Garrett Leigh (Excerpt & Giveaway)
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RELEASE BLITZ: Eternally Blessed by Garrett Leigh (Giveaway)
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DUAL COVER & EXCERPT REVEAL: Eternally Blessed by Garrett Leigh (Excerpt & Giveaway)
