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A review by _onemorechapter_
King of Pride by Ana Huang
emotional
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
“It’s about love, and there’s nothing reasonable about love.”
💭𝘒𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘧 𝘗𝘳𝘪𝘥𝘦 - 𝘈 𝘣𝘰𝘰𝘬 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘩𝘢𝘴 𝘳𝘶𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘥 𝘮𝘺 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭-𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘦 𝘥𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘢𝘳𝘥𝘴.
Okay, but why does Ana Huang always deliver when it comes to sizzling tension and swoon-worthy romances?!
King of Pride gave me everything I wanted—grumpy/sunshine, forbidden romance, and just the right amount of angst to keep me hooked.
Let’s talk about Kai Young—a man so perfect, I need Ana Huang to issue a formal apology for making me believe men like him exist in the wild. He is the definition of aristocratic charm—sophisticated, refined, effortlessly elegant, controlled, lethal in the boardroom and the bedroom (probably), disciplined, poised, and basically allergic to fun. An Asian Brit with a sharp mind, he’s the kind of man who unwinds by translating books into Latin (because, apparently, that’s *relaxing* for him). He’s all poise and control… until jealousy hits, and suddenly, we’ve got a full-fledged territorial caveman on our hands. 🤭 And honestly? It’s *hot*.
He’s the future CEO of a multi-billion-dollar empire and carries himself like royalty and somehow still the softest green-flag cinnamon roll? Sir, I am in love.
Beyond the tailored suits and polished demeanor, Kai is incredibly thoughtful and deeply caring, but that softness? It’s reserved for Isa alone. Unlike Ana Huang’s usual morally grey MMCs, Kai prefers handling things with diplomacy—except when it comes to the bedroom, where *civility* is very much off the table. And let’s not even start on his British accent or the way he calls Isa *love* and *my love*—because, quite frankly, that’s the only thing holding me together at this point.
Someone, please check on my delusions because I need this man in my life.
And then there’s Isabella - a bartender with big dreams, zero patience for snobs, and an unshakable ability to get under Kai’s skin. The firecracker to Kai’s ice, the rule-breaker to his rule-follower tendencies. She came in like a hurricane, flipping his carefully curated world upside down, and I lived for it. Their chemistry? 🔥. The tension? Exquisite. Every stolen glance and lingering touch had me internally screaming. Watching Kai try (and fail) to resist her was like watching a slow-motion car crash—you know what’s coming, but you’re still holding your breath.
One thing Ana Huang always nails is character development. Kai starts off as the ultimate ice king, but watching Isabella slowly melt his walls? Chef’s kiss. Isabella, on the other hand, is a total firecracker—bold, ambitious, and unapologetically herself. She’s exactly the kind of heroine I love to root for.
The romance is a slow burn, but when it burns, IT BURNS. 🔥 The push and pull, the longing, the undeniable attraction—ugh, perfection. And the way Kai softens for Isabella? Somebody sedate me.
I absolutely love how Isa and Kai are complete opposites, yet they never once tried to change each other. They’re both unapologetically themselves—Isa, the vibrant, purple-streaked social butterfly, and Kai, the ever-composed, effortlessly confident enigma. And somehow, in the hidden corners of secret libraries and the exclusive walls of the Valhalla club, they found something real. Their chemistry? 'Electric.' Their tension? *Off the charts.*
Their banter had me grinning the entire time—especially Isa’s apparent *hobby* of casually discussing sex in public just to fluster Kai. And the way he never once made her feel embarrassed about it? Swoon. Beyond the teasing and stolen glances, what made their love story so special was how they pushed each other to grow. They stepped outside their comfort zones, but never at the expense of who they were.
What I adored most was their communication. No unnecessary miscommunication tropes, no pointless doubts—just two people choosing each other, despite everything and everyone against them. They both had their walls, built in different ways, but instead of breaking them down, they found the space *between* them—a place where they loved each other fiercely, flaws and all. It was messy, passionate, and utterly beautiful.
The only thing that didn’t sit right with me was the last-minute breakup. Ana threw in a completely unnecessary separation just to add some final-act drama, and honestly? It felt forced. I get that it was probably meant to push the story forward, but the execution didn’t quite land. It lacked the emotional depth needed to make it feel organic, and instead, it came across as a plot device rather than a natural conflict. I just wish their journey had reached its peak without resorting to a breakup that didn’t feel entirely *earned.*
The pacing? Chef’s kiss. Fast, fun, and so damn addictive that I devoured this book in 1.5 days flat. It had me in a chokehold, refusing to let go, and honestly? I didn’t want it to. Ana Huang has truly mastered the art of delivering a romance that’s equal parts angsty, sexy, and swoon-worthy.
Overall, this was an addictive, steamy, and heartfelt read. I can't wait for Dominic and Alessandra's book!
Tropes : Opposite Attracts 🔥
Forbidden love
Billionaire Hero with glasses 🤓
Bartender Heroine with a secret
𝐏.𝐒 Kai Young, if you’re real, please meet me at the nearest luxury hotel bar. I’ll be waiting.
𝐏.𝐏.𝐒 If anyone needs me, I’ll be adding “Owns a multi-billion-dollar company and is secretly a romantic” to my list of non-negotiables.
🔸𝑴𝒚 𝑹𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
🔸𝑮𝒆𝒏𝒓𝒆: Contemporary Romance
🔸𝑺𝒑𝒊𝒄𝒚: 🌶️🌶️🌶️
🔸𝑺𝒆𝒓𝒊𝒆𝒔: Kings Of Sins (Book 2)
🔸𝑹𝒆𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒅𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏:Absolutely!!
🔸 𝑭𝒂𝒗𝒐𝒓𝒊𝒕𝒆 𝑸𝒖𝒐𝒕𝒆𝒔:
“For all the girls who think smart is sexy. (And who know the quiet ones are the freakiest).”
“I never really lived before you … And I don’t want to imagine living after you.” I dropped my forehead to hers, my chest aching with need and want and a thousand other emotions only she could make me feel. “Stay with me, love. Please.”
“How does he look at me?”
“Like he never wants to look away.”
“And she looked so damn beautiful it made my heart stop for a second, just long enough to confirm she owned every beat.”
“I’d never fallen in love before her. Once I did, I did it the way I did everything else. Completely. Totally. Irrevocably.”
“You have five minutes, sweetheart, or you’ll find out firsthand that I’m not always the gentleman you think I am.”
“I remember everything when it comes to you.”
“In that moment, I wanted to hunt down every person who’d ever made her feel like she was a failure, a disappointment, or anything less than fucking perfect.”
“trying to stay away from her was like asking the ocean to stop kissing the shore. Impossible.”
“I love you, Isabella Valencia.” Simple and raw, stripped of all pretense except for the naked truth that had been staring me in the face all this time. “Every single part of you, from your laugh to your humor to the way you can’t stop talking about condoms.” One of those laughs I loved so much slipped out, thick with emotion. A smile flashed across my face before I sobered again. “You think you’re broken, but I wish you could see yourself the way I see you. Smart. Strong. Beautiful. Imperfect by your own standards but so wonderfully perfect for me.”
“Come on. Live a little, Young. I promise it won’t kill you.” “No, but you might,” he muttered.”
“She was everything I shouldn’t want, but it didn’t matter.
I wanted her anyway. So much so, I couldn’t breathe.”
“We’ve been through some dark times, but you were always the brightest part of my life.”
“She’d touched down in my life like a tornado, gotten my drink wrong during her first shift at Valhalla, and hadn’t left my thoughts since.”
“That there’s no going back after this.” His admission was a warm breath on my skin. “You should’ve never let me take you, Isabella. Because now that I have, I won’t be able to let you go.”
“Isabella.” I forced a swallow down my throat. “Yes?” “Shut up and let me kiss you.”
“Here’s the thing about humans. We’ll almost always throw aside common sense in favor of instant gratification.”
“I’m never going to stop being me, Kai, and I don’t want you to stop being you. So how can we be together when we belong to separate worlds?”
“By building one of our own,” I said simply.”
💭𝘒𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘧 𝘗𝘳𝘪𝘥𝘦 - 𝘈 𝘣𝘰𝘰𝘬 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘩𝘢𝘴 𝘳𝘶𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘥 𝘮𝘺 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭-𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘦 𝘥𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘢𝘳𝘥𝘴.
Okay, but why does Ana Huang always deliver when it comes to sizzling tension and swoon-worthy romances?!
King of Pride gave me everything I wanted—grumpy/sunshine, forbidden romance, and just the right amount of angst to keep me hooked.
Let’s talk about Kai Young—a man so perfect, I need Ana Huang to issue a formal apology for making me believe men like him exist in the wild. He is the definition of aristocratic charm—sophisticated, refined, effortlessly elegant, controlled, lethal in the boardroom and the bedroom (probably), disciplined, poised, and basically allergic to fun. An Asian Brit with a sharp mind, he’s the kind of man who unwinds by translating books into Latin (because, apparently, that’s *relaxing* for him). He’s all poise and control… until jealousy hits, and suddenly, we’ve got a full-fledged territorial caveman on our hands. 🤭 And honestly? It’s *hot*.
He’s the future CEO of a multi-billion-dollar empire and carries himself like royalty and somehow still the softest green-flag cinnamon roll? Sir, I am in love.
Beyond the tailored suits and polished demeanor, Kai is incredibly thoughtful and deeply caring, but that softness? It’s reserved for Isa alone. Unlike Ana Huang’s usual morally grey MMCs, Kai prefers handling things with diplomacy—except when it comes to the bedroom, where *civility* is very much off the table. And let’s not even start on his British accent or the way he calls Isa *love* and *my love*—because, quite frankly, that’s the only thing holding me together at this point.
Someone, please check on my delusions because I need this man in my life.
And then there’s Isabella - a bartender with big dreams, zero patience for snobs, and an unshakable ability to get under Kai’s skin. The firecracker to Kai’s ice, the rule-breaker to his rule-follower tendencies. She came in like a hurricane, flipping his carefully curated world upside down, and I lived for it. Their chemistry? 🔥. The tension? Exquisite. Every stolen glance and lingering touch had me internally screaming. Watching Kai try (and fail) to resist her was like watching a slow-motion car crash—you know what’s coming, but you’re still holding your breath.
One thing Ana Huang always nails is character development. Kai starts off as the ultimate ice king, but watching Isabella slowly melt his walls? Chef’s kiss. Isabella, on the other hand, is a total firecracker—bold, ambitious, and unapologetically herself. She’s exactly the kind of heroine I love to root for.
The romance is a slow burn, but when it burns, IT BURNS. 🔥 The push and pull, the longing, the undeniable attraction—ugh, perfection. And the way Kai softens for Isabella? Somebody sedate me.
I absolutely love how Isa and Kai are complete opposites, yet they never once tried to change each other. They’re both unapologetically themselves—Isa, the vibrant, purple-streaked social butterfly, and Kai, the ever-composed, effortlessly confident enigma. And somehow, in the hidden corners of secret libraries and the exclusive walls of the Valhalla club, they found something real. Their chemistry? 'Electric.' Their tension? *Off the charts.*
Their banter had me grinning the entire time—especially Isa’s apparent *hobby* of casually discussing sex in public just to fluster Kai. And the way he never once made her feel embarrassed about it? Swoon. Beyond the teasing and stolen glances, what made their love story so special was how they pushed each other to grow. They stepped outside their comfort zones, but never at the expense of who they were.
What I adored most was their communication. No unnecessary miscommunication tropes, no pointless doubts—just two people choosing each other, despite everything and everyone against them. They both had their walls, built in different ways, but instead of breaking them down, they found the space *between* them—a place where they loved each other fiercely, flaws and all. It was messy, passionate, and utterly beautiful.
The only thing that didn’t sit right with me was the last-minute breakup. Ana threw in a completely unnecessary separation just to add some final-act drama, and honestly? It felt forced. I get that it was probably meant to push the story forward, but the execution didn’t quite land. It lacked the emotional depth needed to make it feel organic, and instead, it came across as a plot device rather than a natural conflict. I just wish their journey had reached its peak without resorting to a breakup that didn’t feel entirely *earned.*
The pacing? Chef’s kiss. Fast, fun, and so damn addictive that I devoured this book in 1.5 days flat. It had me in a chokehold, refusing to let go, and honestly? I didn’t want it to. Ana Huang has truly mastered the art of delivering a romance that’s equal parts angsty, sexy, and swoon-worthy.
Overall, this was an addictive, steamy, and heartfelt read. I can't wait for Dominic and Alessandra's book!
Tropes : Opposite Attracts 🔥
Forbidden love
Billionaire Hero with glasses 🤓
Bartender Heroine with a secret
𝐏.𝐒 Kai Young, if you’re real, please meet me at the nearest luxury hotel bar. I’ll be waiting.
𝐏.𝐏.𝐒 If anyone needs me, I’ll be adding “Owns a multi-billion-dollar company and is secretly a romantic” to my list of non-negotiables.
🔸𝑴𝒚 𝑹𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
🔸𝑮𝒆𝒏𝒓𝒆: Contemporary Romance
🔸𝑺𝒑𝒊𝒄𝒚: 🌶️🌶️🌶️
🔸𝑺𝒆𝒓𝒊𝒆𝒔: Kings Of Sins (Book 2)
🔸𝑹𝒆𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒅𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏:Absolutely!!
🔸 𝑭𝒂𝒗𝒐𝒓𝒊𝒕𝒆 𝑸𝒖𝒐𝒕𝒆𝒔:
“For all the girls who think smart is sexy. (And who know the quiet ones are the freakiest).”
“I never really lived before you … And I don’t want to imagine living after you.” I dropped my forehead to hers, my chest aching with need and want and a thousand other emotions only she could make me feel. “Stay with me, love. Please.”
“How does he look at me?”
“Like he never wants to look away.”
“And she looked so damn beautiful it made my heart stop for a second, just long enough to confirm she owned every beat.”
“I’d never fallen in love before her. Once I did, I did it the way I did everything else. Completely. Totally. Irrevocably.”
“You have five minutes, sweetheart, or you’ll find out firsthand that I’m not always the gentleman you think I am.”
“I remember everything when it comes to you.”
“In that moment, I wanted to hunt down every person who’d ever made her feel like she was a failure, a disappointment, or anything less than fucking perfect.”
“trying to stay away from her was like asking the ocean to stop kissing the shore. Impossible.”
“I love you, Isabella Valencia.” Simple and raw, stripped of all pretense except for the naked truth that had been staring me in the face all this time. “Every single part of you, from your laugh to your humor to the way you can’t stop talking about condoms.” One of those laughs I loved so much slipped out, thick with emotion. A smile flashed across my face before I sobered again. “You think you’re broken, but I wish you could see yourself the way I see you. Smart. Strong. Beautiful. Imperfect by your own standards but so wonderfully perfect for me.”
“Come on. Live a little, Young. I promise it won’t kill you.” “No, but you might,” he muttered.”
“She was everything I shouldn’t want, but it didn’t matter.
I wanted her anyway. So much so, I couldn’t breathe.”
“We’ve been through some dark times, but you were always the brightest part of my life.”
“She’d touched down in my life like a tornado, gotten my drink wrong during her first shift at Valhalla, and hadn’t left my thoughts since.”
“That there’s no going back after this.” His admission was a warm breath on my skin. “You should’ve never let me take you, Isabella. Because now that I have, I won’t be able to let you go.”
“Isabella.” I forced a swallow down my throat. “Yes?” “Shut up and let me kiss you.”
“Here’s the thing about humans. We’ll almost always throw aside common sense in favor of instant gratification.”
“I’m never going to stop being me, Kai, and I don’t want you to stop being you. So how can we be together when we belong to separate worlds?”
“By building one of our own,” I said simply.”