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A review by em_thebookish_girl
Rise of the King by Bella Matthews
5.0
This is my first read by Bella Mathews, and it most certainly won't be the last! It's a page turner, a read where you can instantly get into from the very first page! I liked the flow of events as they unravelled. I wasn't aware that this was a spinoff series up until I started this book. And I need to read The Kings of Kroydon Hills series soon! Rise of the King is a mafia romance and book #1 in the Restless King series. Personally, it's not your typical mafia romance there are other elements/tropes featured in this book: friends to lovers and slow burn romance.
Yes, there's a bit of suspense and action but, it's a heartwarming feel good read. Navigated from the main characters' perspectives: Samuel (Sam) and Amelia's. There's a mystery surrounding Amelia's past, and as I turned each page, her backstory started to unravel. Amelia is a fantastic character! She is feisty, driven, funny, ballsy and a badass heroine! She might be a strong willed and independent character but, Amelia has certain fears. She doesn't easily let anyone in, keeping everyone at arm's length. Ahh... Sam captured my heart from the first couple of chapters! He's my new favorite book boyfriend!
Amelia and Sam have a great relationship dynamics and energy between them. I immensely enjoyed seeing their friendly, playful banter and relationship evolving throughout the book! They were constantly teasing each other, and despite having a reputation in the criminal world, Amelia wasn't afraid of Sam; she didn't hold herself back from speaking her mind. And Sam is fiercely protective; he is so gentle and caring of Amelia, and he's a great friend to have. Even though Amelia is attracted to Sam, she kept him in the "friend zone", she couldn't go down that road. But it's extremely difficult when your friend, a "mafia prince", is so handsome, flirty, caring and charismatic. And yes, he's definitely a swoon worthy character. Oh, and let's not forget that he also wants her; he staked his claim, Amelia is his. And Sam patiently waited for her to make her move. There's a dormant heated chemistry between them and Amelia fought so hard to give in. And she realized that her feelings for Sam ran much more deeper than she thought. Looking forward to reading Scarlett's book next year!
Amelia's life is complicated, to say the least. She was trained and prepared to think of all avenues in case things went south. And when Sam becomes aware that Amelia is hiding something, well, she needs to disappear. Sam is an "underboss" in "The Family" and when the time comes, he will take his father's place as the head/boss of The Family. Should Sam be curious about Amelia and should he be helping her no matter what? Yet he can't help himself not to, he promised Amelia that she's safe to live in his city; he will protect her. And because of this unconventional situation, a friendship was formed between Sam and Amelia. They became close, and she was able to be herself freely. But Sam wants so much more with Amelia.
**I received an ARC in exchange for my honest
Yes, there's a bit of suspense and action but, it's a heartwarming feel good read. Navigated from the main characters' perspectives: Samuel (Sam) and Amelia's. There's a mystery surrounding Amelia's past, and as I turned each page, her backstory started to unravel. Amelia is a fantastic character! She is feisty, driven, funny, ballsy and a badass heroine! She might be a strong willed and independent character but, Amelia has certain fears. She doesn't easily let anyone in, keeping everyone at arm's length. Ahh... Sam captured my heart from the first couple of chapters! He's my new favorite book boyfriend!
Amelia and Sam have a great relationship dynamics and energy between them. I immensely enjoyed seeing their friendly, playful banter and relationship evolving throughout the book! They were constantly teasing each other, and despite having a reputation in the criminal world, Amelia wasn't afraid of Sam; she didn't hold herself back from speaking her mind. And Sam is fiercely protective; he is so gentle and caring of Amelia, and he's a great friend to have. Even though Amelia is attracted to Sam, she kept him in the "friend zone", she couldn't go down that road. But it's extremely difficult when your friend, a "mafia prince", is so handsome, flirty, caring and charismatic. And yes, he's definitely a swoon worthy character. Oh, and let's not forget that he also wants her; he staked his claim, Amelia is his. And Sam patiently waited for her to make her move. There's a dormant heated chemistry between them and Amelia fought so hard to give in. And she realized that her feelings for Sam ran much more deeper than she thought. Looking forward to reading Scarlett's book next year!
Amelia's life is complicated, to say the least. She was trained and prepared to think of all avenues in case things went south. And when Sam becomes aware that Amelia is hiding something, well, she needs to disappear. Sam is an "underboss" in "The Family" and when the time comes, he will take his father's place as the head/boss of The Family. Should Sam be curious about Amelia and should he be helping her no matter what? Yet he can't help himself not to, he promised Amelia that she's safe to live in his city; he will protect her. And because of this unconventional situation, a friendship was formed between Sam and Amelia. They became close, and she was able to be herself freely. But Sam wants so much more with Amelia.
**I received an ARC in exchange for my honest