Reviews tagging 'Death'

The Kingmaker by Kennedy Ryan

9 reviews

kimberlyyyreads's review against another edition

emotional hopeful tense medium-paced

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

3.5

I love that Kennedy Ryan wrote a Native American FMC, although she’s not native herself you can tell she fully wanted to encapsulate Lennix character while being completely respectful. 

I think me taking my geology class at the time I read this was perfect because I literally understood all of Maxims field of work. 

Kennedy Ryan managed to gag me with a couple of things in this book. I expected for this to be a lowkey cute billionaire romance but tell me why there’s near death experiences and angst??? 

 I was completely caught off guard with that ending 😭

Like I was at worked and gasped while shelving some books.

Important note to take is that I read this via audio and it was FIREEEEE. Jo Raylan and Jason Clarke take this TOO DAMN SERIOUSLY. I’m in awe of their narration. Truly a great audiobook. 

But if you’re asking me about the book itself I would say I’m unsure, I liked some of the content but I would myself kinda not liking the weird time gaps and how he met her at first when she was 17, they obviously didn’t do anything but Maxim still finds her attractive at that age and that to be was 🫠

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death, Racism, Sexual content, Death of parent, and Colonisation

Minor: Police brutality and Kidnapping

ashleycmms's review against another edition

adventurous emotional hopeful tense medium-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny, Racism, Sexual content, and Violence

Moderate: Death, Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, Grief, Death of parent, and Colonisation

Minor: Gun violence, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

savvyrosereads's review against another edition

emotional funny tense medium-paced

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

3.0

Rating: 3/5 stars

I read the All the King’s Men duology as a buddy read with some close friends in December, and the buddy read commentary was EXCELLENT. Unfortunately, it was also much better than the books for me.

Lennix and Maxim come from very different worlds, but a chance encounter puts them on a collision course that spans decades.

I didn’t like the time jumps and the initial age gap was super creepy, but I did appreciate the Native American representation. The ending was bonkers, and not in a good way.

If you don’t mind heavy political overtones (and can ignore factual errors) and want something with tons of drama, you may enjoy these more. I know I do have friends who love them!

CW: Violence; kidnapping; trauma; grief

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Racism, Kidnapping, and Death of parent

Moderate: Grief and Injury/Injury detail

michelle_my_belle's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Gun violence, Sexual content, Police brutality, Kidnapping, Grief, Alcohol, Colonisation, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Bullying and Cursing

Minor: Trafficking, Stalking, and Murder

escapismforlife's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

4.75

This is my first Kennedy Ryan book. And I finshed this in a day.

Partly because:
1.  The native, relational, and family dynamic issues in this book are exceptional.  

2. I adored and related to both leads  guarded  behavior in this  intentional, meaningful story. And now understand the appeal of second  chance romance. 

3. It  also had to due with the  fact I got accepted for earc of The Rebel King in this duology from SOURCEBOOKS Bloom on Netgalley. 

 I'm so happy  I did because  I'm  going  right on with this series this weekend. With its ending but also through setup for  the plot in Lennix's and Maxim's relationship it's hard not to. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Racism, Sexual content, Violence, Police brutality, Death of parent, Abandonment, and Colonisation

Moderate: Forced institutionalization

Minor: Adult/minor relationship

teeclecticreads's review against another edition

adventurous emotional funny informative reflective 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? Yes

5.0

The amount of research that went into this novel is first off so commendable. Lennix is probably my favourite FMC ever written. She was strong-willed, knew her worth, cared about her people, but she also could love and knew when she was ready. Maxim is such a hunk. Sometimes he got borderline too possessive for me, but I love the effort he put into showing Lennix how much he cared for her. There were many many moments where I found myself laughing too. BUT THAT CLIFFHANGER THOUGH!!! Come
on Kennedy 😭

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death and Grief

manoncrochan's review against another edition

emotional inspiring reflective sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Racism, Sexual content, Kidnapping, Grief, and Murder

Moderate: Rape, Sexual assault, Trafficking, and Stalking

churrosmom's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

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

2.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Gore, Gun violence, Racism, Torture, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Alcohol and Colonisation

agnesbebon's review against another edition

fast-paced

3.0

This would’ve been 4 stars if they didn’t meet when she was 17 and he was a masters student. I cannot give higher than a 3 to a book with “she doesn’t look seventeen” in it. I also had similar issues with The Kingmaker that I had with Grip. 

I’m not sure if Lennix was supposed to be acespec/demi, but if so I didn’t love how that was talked about.

I liked the timeline of the book (minus the whole meeting when shes 17 thing), how it goes forward four and then ten years ahead. I like Lennix way more than I Like Maxium - I hate a man that plays devils advocate. The jobs and interests of the characters were just as interesting as the romance. Kennedy Ryan is also a great writer. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Genocide, Gun violence, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual violence, Violence, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, and Murder

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship

Minor: Stalking