source: kindle unlimited
rating:★★★★★
from goodreads:
He had everything he could’ve wanted…except her.
Dangerous. Powerful. Reclusive.
Vuk Markovic is notorious for shunning human interactions. The scarred billionaire rarely talks, and he has no interest in relationships outside his small but trusted circle.
His only exception? Her . The beauty to his beast, the object of his obsession.
He saw her first. He wanted her first. But now, she’s engaged to his oldest friend—and the closer the wedding looms, the more he’s torn between loyalty and desire.
She should be his…and he might just risk it all to have her.
Beautiful. Successful. Glamorous.
To the world, supermodel Ayana Kidane leads the perfect life. Her career has skyrocketed, and she’s engaged to one of New York’s most eligible bachelors.
What people don't know is that the engagement is only a business arrangement. He gets his inheritance when they marry; she gets the money she needs to leave her abusive agency.
Pretending to be in love should be easy—until she finds herself increasingly drawn to her fiancé’s enigmatic best man.
Vuk thrills and terrifies her in equal measure. She knows she should stay away, but when her wedding is thrown into chaos, he’s the only person she finds comfort in…
Until his past catches up with them and threatens everything they love.
my review:
going into this book already knowing a little bit about the characters made it even more exciting. ayana kidane is that girl, a badass supermodel who’s made some rocky decisions, and with the help of her bfff/fiancé, she should be able to get out of the rockiness… or not. wedding plans are in full swing for jordan and ayana, but of course there are obstacles and one of the biggest? vuk markovic. the scary, silent, badass giant.
ayana goes through so much in this book, and it really shows where she came from and who she grows into. her character development was so well done. and of course we get cameos… and OF COURSE one of them is roman. all of the characters were written so well and added so many layers to the story.
i was genuinely sad when this book ended because 1. i loved ayana and vuk so much, 2. the suspense in this book was insane, probably the best plot out of all the king of sin books so far, and 3. ana huang just doesn’t miss.
that plot twist during the suspenseful part?? i NEVER would have guessed it. and that nasty pig of a manager and photographer ayana had to deal with, got exactly what they deserved because the way they treated her was disgusting.
and BEAUMONT?? as a person AND a company?? so incredibly deserving of the downfall that unraveled.
the love story itself was so good. a “he falls first” will always be my favorite, and this man didn’t just fall, he was already deep in it before the deep end even existed. i do wish we got more of a jordan/vuk confrontation, but with how close they were, it makes sense why we didn’t.
overall, i was genuinely sad when this ended because it was just such a well-rounded book. the romance, the story, the banter, the secret love… i was hooked the entire time. but honestly, when am i not with ana huang’s books? i can’t wait for king of gluttony. keep them coming, ana.
favorite quotes:
"because no one has ever protected you since you moved to new york. not without wanting something in return."