King of Pride is the sequel to King of Wrath aka my favourite book by Ana Huang.
About 'King of Pride'
Author: Ana Huang
Series: King of Sin #2
Publisher: Little Brown Book Group
Genre: Adult Contemporary Romance
Other works from the Author: Twisted Series
Page Number: 358 pages
Goodreads Rating: 4.04/5
My Rating: 3/5
The plot revolves around Kai and Isabella. Isabella works at the exclusive club Kai regularly visits and is an elite member of. In terms of the actual plot, nothing much happens. The story is about them getting into a relationship and navigating the non-fraternization policy of the club.
The main draw of this book would be the healthy communication between Kai and Isabella. It's genuinely impressive to see such a relationship in a dark romance series. Although the relationship portrayed in this story is not flawless, it exhibits fewer toxicity elements compared to the norm, making it a notable departure from the genre's conventions.
Kai as the male protagonist is better than average. He is not the brooding male character with a dark past for a change. He is just uptight with quirky habits. His character seems to be inspired by K-dramas male character. The author's execution of Kai's character throughout King of Pride is praiseworthy
Isabella is good as a female protagonist. She is shown to be talented, independent and smart. There was a moment in the book where I thought they will go towards the miscommunication trope about something big happening to Isabella. I thought she will hide the fact from Kai. But to my surprise, she instantly communicates the situation with Kai and had an open discussion. I loved to see that in the book.
The pacing of the story in King of Pride is well-maintained, rarely allowing it to drag. I enjoyed my time with it. However, I must admit that King of Wrath, another work by Ana Huang, remains my favourite. King of Pride didn't quite surpass it in my eyes, primarily due to the smut elements. The intimate scenes in this book lacked the spice and yearning that made King of Wrath so captivating.
“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.”
“when he took off his glasses and tossed them to the side before kissing me again,”
“Kai was the epitome of aristocratic sophistication, and he’d nailed the British stoicism that went with it.”
“She was everything I shouldn’t want, but it didn’t matter. I wanted her anyway. So much so, I couldn’t breathe.”
“I’m translating the book into Latin.” He flipped the page and scribbled another sentence without looking up or touching his drink. “Why?” “It’s relaxing.” I blinked, certain I’d heard him wrong. “You think translating a five-hundred-page novel into Latin by hand is relaxing?”
“Only so I can avoid you. Anyone who translates classics into Latin for fun terrifies me.”
“Do you think I’m boring, Isabella?” The question came out soft. Dark. Suggestive, like he was ruminating over all the ways he could prove me wrong. It trailed down my spine and left delicious little bursts of electricity in its wake.”
“trying to stay away from her was like asking the ocean to stop kissing the shore. Impossible.”
“You should’ve never let me take you, Isabella. Because now that I have, I won’t be able to let you go.”
“Interesting. I figured you’d be a Pomeranian girl.” “Because I’m adorable with great hair?” “No, because you’re small and yappy.” Kai’s smile graduated into a laugh when I swatted his arm.”
“I grew up thinking marriage would be an obligation like taxes or paying the bills. I never expected the way seeing my ring on her finger would knock the breath out of my lungs.”
“Isabella and I were different in so many ways, but our differences were what made us work.......“She was the yin to my yang, the day to my night. We were two halves of a whole, and with her, I was finally complete.”
Amazon Blurb
She's his opposite in every way...and the greatest temptation he's ever known.
Reserved, controlled, and proper to a fault, Kai Young has neither the time nor inclination for chaos—and Isabella, with her purple hair and inappropriate jokes, is chaos personified.
With a crucial CEO vote looming and a media empire at stake, the billionaire heir can’t afford the distraction she brings.
Isabella is everything he shouldn’t want, but with every look and every touch, he’s tempted to break all his rules…and claim her as his own.
Bold, impulsive, and full of life, Isabella Valencia has never met a party she doesn’t like or a man she couldn’t charm...except for Kai Young.
It shouldn’t matter. He’s not her type—the man translates classics into Latin for fun, and his membership at the exclusive club where she bartends means he’s strictly off limits.
But she can’t deny that, beneath his cool exterior, is a man who could make her melt with just a touch.
No matter how hard they try, they can’t resist giving into their forbidden desires.
Even if it costs them everything.
King of Pride is a steamy opposite attract, forbidden billionaire romance. It's book two in the Kings of Sin series but can be read as a standalone.Contains explicit content and profanity. Recommended for mature readers only.
Buy 'King of Pride'
[…] of Greed is better than King of Pride. I am liking the plot much better. But it doesn’t beat King of Wrath yet. I would still say that […]