SHATTERED KING
Series: Lawless Kings #1
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Author: Sherilee Gray
Release Date: June 27, 2017
What if the man you love hated you more with every breath he took?
He’s out to get revenge for a crime he didn’t commit…
Hunter King just got out of prison. Incarcerated for three years though an innocent man, his rage against the people who put him there knows no bounds. First up on his list for vengeance: the woman who betrayed him years ago. The woman he loved fiercely, the one bright light in his otherwise hard, ruthless life. She has information he needs. And he’s going to kidnap her, hold her hostage, in order to get it. But one look into Lulu’s eyes unleashes the true beast within. Hunter’s never hated anyone this deeply, or wanted any woman this badly.
Lulu had no choice: Either help send Hunter to prison, or see him destroyed. She couldn’t do that to the man she loved. Couldn’t do it to the father of her child. But Hunter was locked away before he had a chance to learn about his son—and a hard layer of despair has formed around his heart that she’s desperate to crack. And if Hunter is to give himself and Lulu a second chance at love, he needs to find a way past his darkest demons.
I’d always known he’d come for me. It was only a matter of time, and I’d known there sure as hell wouldn’t be a happy reunion.
First of all, don’t let my rating fool you, because I enjoyed this book. Quite a bit. And while there were a few things that happened that ultimately brought my rating down, I’m hooked on this series and have discovered a new to me author that I’m eager for more books from.
I love an angsty second chance romance, and Shattered King was one hell of a start to what looks to be a sexy and exciting series. I was immediately sucked into the story and spent the first half of the book glued to the pages.
A man sentenced to three years in prison for a crime he didn’t come in.
The woman that he loved beyond reason that he believes is responsible.
And a vendetta that continues to boil his blood to make those responsible for what happened to him pay.
Now out of prison, Hunter is working with his brother but his goal hasn’t changed. First on his list, the woman that betrayed him. Short after, her stepfather. He needs answers and he’s not above kidnapping Lulu, and holding her prisoner until she tells him exactly why she lied to him. But not all is as it seems. Lulu is holding some devastating secrets. Secrets that can change everything, but risk everything, including their lives.
I was riveted for the first half of the story. The animosity between Lulu and Hunter was palpable. She never stopped loving him, and he wants to stop wanting her. The years apart and the secrets and lies did nothing to diminish the chemistry between them. Admittedly, as much as I loved Hunter’s intensity, I also disliked how easy Lulu gave into him. At the same time, her love for him has never gone away and while the man today may hate her, she’s still devastatingly in love with him, so I also got it. As much as I wanted to judge her for her weaknesses, I understood why she did what she did.
As for Hunter? The man hit every single one of my alpha buttons. The man was pure sex on a stick.
The second half is where the story began to fizzle a bit for me. While the sex was hot, it began to feel a bit more like filler. The story began to drag a bit and my interest began to wane. And while there is a lot that happens in the second half, I felt like most of it wasn’t really necessary to drive the plot forward.
The author did a great job introducing all of the secondary characters and setting up the next book. I’m already itching to get my grabby little hands on that spicy little number. I can tell you that I’m totally hooked on this series and can’t wait for more. This book may not have been a 5 star read for me, but it was a very solid 3.5 one. If angsty second chance romance is your catnip, I can’t recommend this one enough.
