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All the King's Men
Ryan Ortiz and Nathan Richardson are estranged lovers who shouldn't be apart. When Ryan decides to go direct to LA to fight for a second chance he is caught up in the biggest earthquake to hit the city since records began.
LA is destroyed, burning, people homeless, people dying, and fires are ignited high in the LA hills above Nathan's apartment. Nathan is trapped and Ryan is his only hope.
It is a race against time and the powerful all consuming destruction of nature for Ryan to find Nathan, trapped in the ruins of his home in the hills, and to get both of them to help before the fire consumes everything.
LA is destroyed, burning, people homeless, people dying, and fires are ignited high in the LA hills above Nathan's apartment. Nathan is trapped and Ryan is his only hope.
It is a race against time and the powerful all consuming destruction of nature for Ryan to find Nathan, trapped in the ruins of his home in the hills, and to get both of them to help before the fire consumes everything.
169 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 12, 2011
7 people are currently reading
264 people want to read
About the author
R.J. Scott
306 books2,707 followersRJ Scott writes heartwarming, passionate MM/gay romance stories where every man finds his happily ever after. When not writing, she enjoys reading books, watching movies, spending time with her family, following Formula 1 (Forza Ferrari!), and cheering on the Pittsburgh Penguins. Email her here: rj@rjscott.co.uk
Find RJ here: Amazon | BookBub | Facebook - Also, Never miss a release
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 38 reviews
March 11, 2011
I really liked the story and I loved Nathan and Jason. I did not like Ryan and even by the end i still just couldn't like him.
It was still a great story and worth reading, most people might even forgive Ryan but besides rescuing Nathan he really never did anything to be forgiven IMO
It was still a great story and worth reading, most people might even forgive Ryan but besides rescuing Nathan he really never did anything to be forgiven IMO
March 12, 2011
I read this merely two days after the devastating Earthquake/Tsunami disaster that hits Japan, on March 11, 2011. So, in a way, this story about survival hits me in full blown effect -- a reminder how fragile human lives are in amidst of Mother Nature's power. Just like the survivors in Japan, which I'm sure will also have stories to told, "All The King's Men" focuses on three lives: Nathan, his ex-Ryan, and his best friend, Jason, on a day where earthquake hits Los Angeles and destroys the city.
It is not a romance, in my point of view. It's a drama and a touch of humanity -- Ryan, who tries to win Nathan back, after a disastrous break up where Ryan cheats on Nathan by sleeping with Allison, due to a jealousy, arrives in L.A. and heads to Nathan's home when the earthquake happens. He is able to save Nathan and the two of them fight to escape the fire resulted from the earthquake. This captures their struggle, their saving a little girl, the emergency situation when Ryan's health collapse, and the reconciliation. There is also a secondary storyline about Allison, which adds another drama to the life of Ryan and Nathan.
There is no love-making scene here ... which definitely is a good decision to make. I feel if there is a sex scene during this kind of horrible hours, it will be pushing it a little bit too much. It's more important to read how the three men interact, the small tidbits about rescuing the kids, and testament of Ryan and Nathan to finally acknowledge their love after experiencing this disaster.
The epilogue is nice and the way Ms. Scott adds the "The Aftermath of 2011 Earthquake" portion in the end becomes an eerie reminder of how this might even happen in not so distant future.
It is not a romance, in my point of view. It's a drama and a touch of humanity -- Ryan, who tries to win Nathan back, after a disastrous break up where Ryan cheats on Nathan by sleeping with Allison, due to a jealousy, arrives in L.A. and heads to Nathan's home when the earthquake happens. He is able to save Nathan and the two of them fight to escape the fire resulted from the earthquake. This captures their struggle, their saving a little girl, the emergency situation when Ryan's health collapse, and the reconciliation. There is also a secondary storyline about Allison, which adds another drama to the life of Ryan and Nathan.
There is no love-making scene here ... which definitely is a good decision to make. I feel if there is a sex scene during this kind of horrible hours, it will be pushing it a little bit too much. It's more important to read how the three men interact, the small tidbits about rescuing the kids, and testament of Ryan and Nathan to finally acknowledge their love after experiencing this disaster.
The epilogue is nice and the way Ms. Scott adds the "The Aftermath of 2011 Earthquake" portion in the end becomes an eerie reminder of how this might even happen in not so distant future.
December 24, 2022
Tags: earthquake, LA, disaster romance, second chance romance, model and photographer
This was lighter on the romance, heavier on the survival. The earthquake disaster was intense and explicit. I’d have rated higher but it almost felt like there was too much going on. I lost track of what was happening a few times.
Likelihood of actual survival: pretty low, 2/10. Their injuries seemed way too severe to just be walking down the mountainside.
This was lighter on the romance, heavier on the survival. The earthquake disaster was intense and explicit. I’d have rated higher but it almost felt like there was too much going on. I lost track of what was happening a few times.
Likelihood of actual survival: pretty low, 2/10. Their injuries seemed way too severe to just be walking down the mountainside.
May 31, 2013
I don't know how RJ Scott can bat out excellent stories on a consistent basis but she does. Her latest book puts the reader right in the middle of a devastating earthquake centered in Los Angeles. Nathan and Ryan's progression from ex lovers to lovers again as they fought their way to safety was action packed and touching. The side story of Ryan's pregnant ex girlfriend put an interesting twist on the men's relationship. Complex characters, a great plot and plenty of action made this a real page turner.
March 27, 2011
I was not sure what to expect when I started reading this. This was stark and moving. Watching these two men move through such disaster, trying to stay ahead of the dangers, protecting the ones that they love and those in their care bent my heart. I loved that I got to see it through to the very end, how the choices that they made reverberated, even if in small ways, across time.
March 19, 2012
Where do I even begin on this book? All the King's Men by R.J. Scott in one word, Amazing. This story had me spell bound from the first paragraph to the last period. Giving this short story a 5 star doesn’t do it justice. It’s like Gone With the Wind of the west coast. If you had to pick one short to read this year this would be it.
April 10, 2014
This was a great change of pace story about survival and secon chances, both in love and life. Very intense moments during a horrific natural disaster, and the aftermath.
This must be a different version because I've read many reviews about cheating, but there was nothing at all about cheating on this version.
This must be a different version because I've read many reviews about cheating, but there was nothing at all about cheating on this version.
March 24, 2012
Review written for JoyfullyJay blog on 3/24/2012
Rating: 4 stars
Review of All the King's Men by R. J. Scott
When Nathan Richardson and his boyfriend, Ryan Ortiz, broke up over Ryan's cheating, Nathan headed for LA to pursue his acting career. But all those miles between them didn't stop their love or need for each other. Months later, Ryan is heading for Los Angeles, determined to reunite with Nathan, beg his forgiveness, and hope that love will bring him home. But Nature throws the biggest obstacle of all in their path, when the doomsday earthquake hits southern California. Now LA is destroyed, Nathan is trapped under the rubble and Ryan is his only hope.
I liked the characters of Nathan and Ryan although they did not seem to have the usual amount of layers to them that I have come to expect of R. J. Scott. Ryan's insecurity that led to his infidelity never felt particularly real, in fact of the two main characters, he is the least fleshed out. Nathan on the other hand, with his impetuous flight to California, and then his regret over ending his relationship, seems credibly young in outlook and emotions. It is RJ Scott's vivid descriptions of the destruction of Los Angeles, the fires, the carnage that make this book come to life. The shear desperation that comes from the inability to get to a road, use a cell phone, and even finding a method of transportation when all is collapsing around you rises up from each and every page as Ryan struggles with the new harsh reality of the earthquake and its aftershocks. The author skillfully pulls you along with Ryan up the hills above LA, now burning with wildfires. All the angst and heartbreaking moments that occur during that climb will stay with you and remind you of similar scenes on the screen during any natural disaster. Nathan, trapped under the rubble of his building, alone with his fears and pain, brings the plight of the disaster victim home, the reader empathizing with him in the dark wondering if anyone will come.
In many ways this story is also a cautionary tale of how easily the infrastructure we all depend upon can crumble. While it is clear that RJ Scott has done her research, it is a credit to her that it never feels that way, from the National Guard to the makeshift mobile medical tents, all beautifully rendered in every detail. The true main character here is not Ryan or Nathan, it is the earthquake and the destructive power of Nature. It will leave the greatest impact upon the reader.
If you are wondering why this book did not get a higher rating with all I have said about it above, it comes down to two things, one minor and one huge. The prologue and the epilogue to be exact. The Prologue is short and gives us information that most of us already know, that California is prone to earthquakes and that the biggest is yet to come. This is all general knowledge, but ok, just a minor quibble. But oh, that Epilogue. That's simply not needed, and to be it bluntly kind of cheesy. And not in a good way cheesy. I mean cheesy in the way they tacked on endings to the disaster films of the 70's and 80's way. As the last credits rolled, pictures popped up of the survivors along with a couple of lines of text, telling us what happened to them. You know what I mean, something like " Little Sally, cute child, lived to become a famous Astronaut/Brain Surgeon, likable Granny lived to a ripe old age of 100. Peter Everyman died in a car accident a year after fill in the blank happened." I believe the SyFy channel is still carrying on this proud tradition in its over the top "cheesy in a good way" movies. That I applaud while this appalled. I would not have minded if it stated that Ryan and Nathan moved where ever but it gave too much information about them and everyone else, more than I needed or wanted to know. But the worst was to come. That would be the ridiculous future of Los Angeles laid out here. It looked at though it was a outline for a book she meant to write but then threw it in a part of the epilogue. It had nothing to do with Nathan and Ryan, more like History of LA, part Deau. In fact, that almost brought the rating down to a 3 I disliked it that much. But if you discard the prologue, ditch the epilogue, then you have a great tale. So yes, read this, but like an Oreo cookie, start with the Middle, then the prologue if you have too and give the end away. Really, you don't need it! Trust me.
Cover: I liked the cover with the flames and helicopter but wonder at the pictures of the naked guys. Did they lose their clothes in the fire? Because as both protagonists were so badly injured for the entire book, sex was the last thing on their minds. *Head desk*. Half a great cover.
Rating: 4 stars
Review of All the King's Men by R. J. Scott
When Nathan Richardson and his boyfriend, Ryan Ortiz, broke up over Ryan's cheating, Nathan headed for LA to pursue his acting career. But all those miles between them didn't stop their love or need for each other. Months later, Ryan is heading for Los Angeles, determined to reunite with Nathan, beg his forgiveness, and hope that love will bring him home. But Nature throws the biggest obstacle of all in their path, when the doomsday earthquake hits southern California. Now LA is destroyed, Nathan is trapped under the rubble and Ryan is his only hope.
I liked the characters of Nathan and Ryan although they did not seem to have the usual amount of layers to them that I have come to expect of R. J. Scott. Ryan's insecurity that led to his infidelity never felt particularly real, in fact of the two main characters, he is the least fleshed out. Nathan on the other hand, with his impetuous flight to California, and then his regret over ending his relationship, seems credibly young in outlook and emotions. It is RJ Scott's vivid descriptions of the destruction of Los Angeles, the fires, the carnage that make this book come to life. The shear desperation that comes from the inability to get to a road, use a cell phone, and even finding a method of transportation when all is collapsing around you rises up from each and every page as Ryan struggles with the new harsh reality of the earthquake and its aftershocks. The author skillfully pulls you along with Ryan up the hills above LA, now burning with wildfires. All the angst and heartbreaking moments that occur during that climb will stay with you and remind you of similar scenes on the screen during any natural disaster. Nathan, trapped under the rubble of his building, alone with his fears and pain, brings the plight of the disaster victim home, the reader empathizing with him in the dark wondering if anyone will come.
In many ways this story is also a cautionary tale of how easily the infrastructure we all depend upon can crumble. While it is clear that RJ Scott has done her research, it is a credit to her that it never feels that way, from the National Guard to the makeshift mobile medical tents, all beautifully rendered in every detail. The true main character here is not Ryan or Nathan, it is the earthquake and the destructive power of Nature. It will leave the greatest impact upon the reader.
If you are wondering why this book did not get a higher rating with all I have said about it above, it comes down to two things, one minor and one huge. The prologue and the epilogue to be exact. The Prologue is short and gives us information that most of us already know, that California is prone to earthquakes and that the biggest is yet to come. This is all general knowledge, but ok, just a minor quibble. But oh, that Epilogue. That's simply not needed, and to be it bluntly kind of cheesy. And not in a good way cheesy. I mean cheesy in the way they tacked on endings to the disaster films of the 70's and 80's way. As the last credits rolled, pictures popped up of the survivors along with a couple of lines of text, telling us what happened to them. You know what I mean, something like " Little Sally, cute child, lived to become a famous Astronaut/Brain Surgeon, likable Granny lived to a ripe old age of 100. Peter Everyman died in a car accident a year after fill in the blank happened." I believe the SyFy channel is still carrying on this proud tradition in its over the top "cheesy in a good way" movies. That I applaud while this appalled. I would not have minded if it stated that Ryan and Nathan moved where ever but it gave too much information about them and everyone else, more than I needed or wanted to know. But the worst was to come. That would be the ridiculous future of Los Angeles laid out here. It looked at though it was a outline for a book she meant to write but then threw it in a part of the epilogue. It had nothing to do with Nathan and Ryan, more like History of LA, part Deau. In fact, that almost brought the rating down to a 3 I disliked it that much. But if you discard the prologue, ditch the epilogue, then you have a great tale. So yes, read this, but like an Oreo cookie, start with the Middle, then the prologue if you have too and give the end away. Really, you don't need it! Trust me.
Cover: I liked the cover with the flames and helicopter but wonder at the pictures of the naked guys. Did they lose their clothes in the fire? Because as both protagonists were so badly injured for the entire book, sex was the last thing on their minds. *Head desk*. Half a great cover.
June 2, 2013
4 1/2 Hearts
Review written for MM Good Book Reviews
Review of 2nd Edition 2013
Ryan and Nathan parted ways two months ago when Nathan’s ambitions took him to LA, now Ryan has decided to fight for their relationship not wanting to lose the man he loves. Traveling to LA to try for a second chance, he walks into destruction when an earthquake hits and he becomes Nathan’s only chance of survival. It’s a race against time to rescue Nathan and to flee the hills of LA as after tremors hit and a fire races after them, the life and death race puts their feelings into perspective and now they just have to survive to share their love.
R.J. Scott takes a natural occurrence and turns it into the stuff of nightmares, she takes our fears and brings them to life while twining a love story with terror and determination to survive. Ryan was insecure and jealous in his relationship with Nathan, so when Nathan decided to follow his dream of acting Ryan let him go thinking it was the start of the end. Nathan wanted Ryan to fight for their relationship even though he knew that Ryan wouldn’t fight for them, he still loves Ryan but their only hope of ever being together is if Ryan tries. Ryan has missed Nathan and wants to make a go of it, but just before he reaches Nathan the earthquake strikes.
This is an incredibly descriptive story, not just in the stark and horrifying settings but of the emotional trauma and feelings that the characters have. We are dragged through the entire book with the sense of hopeless loss with just a glimmer of light to shine our way; the knowledge that Ryan and Nathan will become stronger for their experience at the hands of Mother Nature. Ryan and Nathan are just a couple who have lost their way, letting stupid insignificant things come between them until one of them makes the first step towards reconciliation. They have to work together, they have to have determination and they have to make sacrifices.
Focusing on any one thing in this story is hard to do because to focus on one aspect would diminish the effects of the other, Ryan and Nathan’s relationship might be important and they are trying to sort it out, but they have love and Mother Nature shows them that petty differences are just that, petty. The earthquake angle is shocking and devastating and R.J. Scott drops us into the centre of a hell hole with her horrifying descriptions and terrifying feelings, damn she does it so well that you could imagine she has experienced it first-hand, that’s how terrifyingly realistic the settings come across.
I will recommend this to those who love realistic settings and emotions, love and drama, death and hope, danger and rescues and finally a relationship being forged in the fires of hell.
Review written for MM Good Book Reviews
Review of 2nd Edition 2013
Ryan and Nathan parted ways two months ago when Nathan’s ambitions took him to LA, now Ryan has decided to fight for their relationship not wanting to lose the man he loves. Traveling to LA to try for a second chance, he walks into destruction when an earthquake hits and he becomes Nathan’s only chance of survival. It’s a race against time to rescue Nathan and to flee the hills of LA as after tremors hit and a fire races after them, the life and death race puts their feelings into perspective and now they just have to survive to share their love.
R.J. Scott takes a natural occurrence and turns it into the stuff of nightmares, she takes our fears and brings them to life while twining a love story with terror and determination to survive. Ryan was insecure and jealous in his relationship with Nathan, so when Nathan decided to follow his dream of acting Ryan let him go thinking it was the start of the end. Nathan wanted Ryan to fight for their relationship even though he knew that Ryan wouldn’t fight for them, he still loves Ryan but their only hope of ever being together is if Ryan tries. Ryan has missed Nathan and wants to make a go of it, but just before he reaches Nathan the earthquake strikes.
This is an incredibly descriptive story, not just in the stark and horrifying settings but of the emotional trauma and feelings that the characters have. We are dragged through the entire book with the sense of hopeless loss with just a glimmer of light to shine our way; the knowledge that Ryan and Nathan will become stronger for their experience at the hands of Mother Nature. Ryan and Nathan are just a couple who have lost their way, letting stupid insignificant things come between them until one of them makes the first step towards reconciliation. They have to work together, they have to have determination and they have to make sacrifices.
Focusing on any one thing in this story is hard to do because to focus on one aspect would diminish the effects of the other, Ryan and Nathan’s relationship might be important and they are trying to sort it out, but they have love and Mother Nature shows them that petty differences are just that, petty. The earthquake angle is shocking and devastating and R.J. Scott drops us into the centre of a hell hole with her horrifying descriptions and terrifying feelings, damn she does it so well that you could imagine she has experienced it first-hand, that’s how terrifyingly realistic the settings come across.
I will recommend this to those who love realistic settings and emotions, love and drama, death and hope, danger and rescues and finally a relationship being forged in the fires of hell.
July 9, 2011
This could have been a great Irwin Allen-type disaster book, but I found one of the main characters to be annoying and self-centered throughout much of the novel, that I cannot give it higher than 2.5 stars. When a reader doesn't have a likability factor for a MC, there are problems.
Also, there were editing issues in the novel, not the author's fault, but need to be addressed by the publisher.
Also, there were editing issues in the novel, not the author's fault, but need to be addressed by the publisher.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 14, 2011
Action packed to the fawking max! Booyah baby this book is mint!
March 21, 2011
Loved it. Had tears in my eyes at the end. RJ does a brilliant job of bringing out emotions and the harsh realities of a disaster.
June 1, 2013
Forgot how much i enjoyed this book first time round as second time round was just as good.
July 12, 2011
While reading this book I really felt like watching a disaster movie. The horror and destruction during and after the earthquake were described in a vivid, down-to-life way. Fates of individuals were smartly instrumentalized to show the impact of the catastrophe on the lives of people, both those living in the disaster area as well as their relatives and friends abroad. Families ripped apart, loved ones missing, the insanity of triage not only inflicted on trained professionals, but also on normal people: on their way down the hill, Ryan and Nathan manage to save someone’s life, but they have to leave someone else behind to die in order to save themselves. Theirs and many other people’s examples illustrate the silent heroism which such a monumental event brings forth in even the most ordinary person.
I found this part of the story heartbreakingly intense and gripping; some of the scenes had me actually choking back a tear or two. I rooted for Ryan and Nathan on their slow and painful struggle toward safety, which mirrored their equally painful struggle to mend their broken relationship. If the book had ended here, you’d hear me praise it to the skies now.
Unfortunately, the plot then took a sharp turn and changed into something that, even though still closely related to the earthquake theme, felt like an entirely different novel. Suddenly Allison, Ryan’s ex-girlfriend, and Allison’s baby take center stage.
Even though she was in Phoenix, far away from the disaster area, shock and concern about Ryan’s and Nathan’s fate threatened to bring on a miscarriage for Allison. Aside from that, Ryan’s and Nathan’s families, who were apparently close to each other, also took a major role in the further development of the story. What had started as a literally earth-shaking experience for two men who wanted nothing more than to survive in order to reclaim happiness together, suddenly became a family drama, complete with meddling relatives, mutual blame and crippling feelings of guilt, reconciliation and a larger-than-life acquiescent father-by-proxy, crowned by a lengthy epilogue which spanned the next sixty or so years and tied up the threads of life for most of the acting persons.
I can see how other readers might adore this book just for that particular subplot and ending, but it simply didn’t work for me. I beg to keep in mind that this is only me – and most probably a matter of my personal taste – but after all the intensity and heartbreak of before, the subplot-cum-diapers felt like a cold shower to me. Others might very well feel differently.
Read the full review here: http://www.reviewsbyjessewave.com/201...
I found this part of the story heartbreakingly intense and gripping; some of the scenes had me actually choking back a tear or two. I rooted for Ryan and Nathan on their slow and painful struggle toward safety, which mirrored their equally painful struggle to mend their broken relationship. If the book had ended here, you’d hear me praise it to the skies now.
Unfortunately, the plot then took a sharp turn and changed into something that, even though still closely related to the earthquake theme, felt like an entirely different novel. Suddenly Allison, Ryan’s ex-girlfriend, and Allison’s baby take center stage.
Even though she was in Phoenix, far away from the disaster area, shock and concern about Ryan’s and Nathan’s fate threatened to bring on a miscarriage for Allison. Aside from that, Ryan’s and Nathan’s families, who were apparently close to each other, also took a major role in the further development of the story. What had started as a literally earth-shaking experience for two men who wanted nothing more than to survive in order to reclaim happiness together, suddenly became a family drama, complete with meddling relatives, mutual blame and crippling feelings of guilt, reconciliation and a larger-than-life acquiescent father-by-proxy, crowned by a lengthy epilogue which spanned the next sixty or so years and tied up the threads of life for most of the acting persons.
I can see how other readers might adore this book just for that particular subplot and ending, but it simply didn’t work for me. I beg to keep in mind that this is only me – and most probably a matter of my personal taste – but after all the intensity and heartbreak of before, the subplot-cum-diapers felt like a cold shower to me. Others might very well feel differently.
Read the full review here: http://www.reviewsbyjessewave.com/201...
March 28, 2011
What an interesting setting, I am not sure I understand Ryan or his motivations anymore at the end of the story than I did at the beginning, why seeing a guy sitting on his boyfriend's couch was enough to launch him into orbit and into the arms of another is still unclear although we do get that he regrets it. And just a note to any of my friends, even though I like you, I will not be pulling a Jason and going into a national disaster area looking for you, maybe that makes me a bad friend but sorry. Great epilogue.
November 15, 2012
I was pleasantly surprised at how intense of a read this was. I didn't have a clue what this booki was about prior to starting it and I was shocked that the story of Ryan and Nathan reuniting after a painful breakup happens in the middle of a devastating earthquake in L.A. There were times when I cried and times when I cheered. Others had me on the edge of my seat with anxiety over whether or not they'd make it out alive. I felt like I was living the earthquake's aftermath. I was glad when I made it to the end in once piece.
February 20, 2013
**2.5 stars**
This book wasn't a bad, just a bit all over the place. The disaster part was decently done but I'm not sure I got why Ryan 'pushed' Nathan away. I thought he was just a cheating bastard. I didn't get all these issues he supposedly had. I was also a bit surprised this was a clean M/M! I know they were injured for a good chunk of the book but I expected at least something sexy to happen at the end.
I deducted half a star just because of that crazy epilogue. It just seemed as if the author is dying for something bad to happen in the world.
This book wasn't a bad, just a bit all over the place. The disaster part was decently done but I'm not sure I got why Ryan 'pushed' Nathan away. I thought he was just a cheating bastard. I didn't get all these issues he supposedly had. I was also a bit surprised this was a clean M/M! I know they were injured for a good chunk of the book but I expected at least something sexy to happen at the end.
I deducted half a star just because of that crazy epilogue. It just seemed as if the author is dying for something bad to happen in the world.
September 2, 2012
3.5 stars - This is definitely quite different to the other books I've read by RJ. I enjoyed it, even if it wasn't my favourite of her stories. The only major issue I had with this was the epilogue. I usually like epilogues, but I felt that this one extended over too much time and put a bit of a damper on an otherwise relatively happy ending for Nathan and Ryan (or as happy as they could be in the aftermath of all that drama and chaos).
April 7, 2011
More of a 3.5 rounded up. I am not really sure I got to know Ryan, I felt like the love story needed to be explored more. It was like getting in on the middle of a movie where you could follow everything but still feel like you are missing something. The Epilogue was good though in tying up loose ends. And the story of the quake I think totally stole the show...
October 7, 2012
I loved the story. It was rather heartbreaking at points and suspensefull and I rather not think of what I would do in such a situation but I love how it all came togehter in the end. We have seen how they found their way back to each other and then we saw in a couple of glimpses how happy they were.
The epitaf was were I lost it, though. So simple yet so beautiful
The epitaf was were I lost it, though. So simple yet so beautiful
May 27, 2015
Just wanted to point out, there are two different editions to this book, and they are significantly different.
March 21, 2011
WOW! What a story! It's got everything going on with it. Well written. Excellent read.
May 31, 2013
Great story! I could not put it down because I had to know what happened next. Disaster. Suspense. Drama. LOVE! It had it all. As a side note, I don't think I'll be moving to CA anytime soon. :)
April 7, 2011
50% time of the book i cried like an idiot but i enjoyed it so very much.
July 10, 2018
Reading the second edition.
I did enjoy it! RJ Scott’s writing pulled me in and had me gripped in the story so much it just flew by!
We don’t get much about Ryan and Nathan before disaster strikes. Then it is all about survival. I was certainly feeling the anguish and the ‘what now’ feelings and the horror at the immediate deaths around them, the magnitude of the catastrophe, the decisions to be made, how even safety isn’t always safe.
I don’t know how accurate moving with their injuries would be but adrenaline does make lots possible. The kids without families are tragic. And long term aftermath.
I did have some questions unanswered but definitely a 3.75/4* read for me!
I did enjoy it! RJ Scott’s writing pulled me in and had me gripped in the story so much it just flew by!
We don’t get much about Ryan and Nathan before disaster strikes. Then it is all about survival. I was certainly feeling the anguish and the ‘what now’ feelings and the horror at the immediate deaths around them, the magnitude of the catastrophe, the decisions to be made, how even safety isn’t always safe.
I don’t know how accurate moving with their injuries would be but adrenaline does make lots possible. The kids without families are tragic. And long term aftermath.
I did have some questions unanswered but definitely a 3.75/4* read for me!
July 10, 2024
Have the Kleenex by your side and ready!
This book I couldn't put down. I had to finish it. I can compare the writing to Anne Rice. The images in my mind were so real. You could feel the pain and agony that is going on between these people. I admit, I cried. This will be reread at a later time. From reading some of the reviews, I guess, there wasn't enough sex for some readers.
This book I couldn't put down. I had to finish it. I can compare the writing to Anne Rice. The images in my mind were so real. You could feel the pain and agony that is going on between these people. I admit, I cried. This will be reread at a later time. From reading some of the reviews, I guess, there wasn't enough sex for some readers.
October 15, 2018
Sad journey through a natural disaster.
March 26, 2022
Reviewer's Side Note: Having never read All the King's Men before I don't know how this re-edited and rewritten version differs from the original.
Ryan Ortiz wants a second chance with his ex so he hops on a plane bound for LA. Nathan Richardson's acting career is beginning to bring him happiness and he's moving forward from his ex even if he hasn't really moved on. An Act of God in the form of the biggest earthquake to hit the west coast has occurred but will Fate let Ryan not only save his lover but reunite them in the aftermath?
How in the world have I not read this work of art by one of my favorite author's before now? Growing up in Wisconsin where tornadoes and blizzards could occur just months apart, I never really enjoyed disaster films and certainly did not enjoy reading Act of God/Mother Nature Strikes Back scenarios but as I got older(hey, I'm only 43 so lets say "matured" it sounds younger) I found disaster films to be enjoyable. However, I never really found any books within that genre/trope that didn't classify as sci-fi that piqued my interest. Until now! It's no secret that RJ Scott is one of my favorite authors and that she is also one of only a handful that fall into my "automatic 1-click list" so when I discovered All the King's Men it was a no-brainer that it would grace my Kindle.
I know that Ryan may not be everyone's cup of tea because of the way things ended with Nathan prior to where the book begins but his actions, or lack thereof, did not bother me at all. As in life, sometimes in fiction one has to lose something or someone to realize how much it or they were needed. Which is where Ryan finds himself as he travels westward to reunite with Nathan. I loved his desire to get to Nate especially once he learns about the earthquake. His determination to reach Nate is inspiring and once he reaches him, he stops at nothing to get him to safety.
Okay, I'm going to stop there as far as the plot goes because I don't want to give anymore away. I will just say that in a story such as All the King's Men, there isn't always an overabundance of secondary characters so those that the main characters come across have a lot riding on them that can really test the author's talent for character development and storytelling. Well, RJ Scott has proven once again how amazing she is with these aspects of drama and even though its not a situation that happens every day its certainly something that could happen which only heightens the fear and got my adrenaline pumping with every page. To be completely honest, it made me even more thankful that I live in a region that only faces the destructive forces of tornadoes and blizzards(something I never thought I'd say so thank you, RJ 😉) because earthquakes are not a common occurrence here in Wisconsin. King's Men may not make my yearly re-read list but I will definitely be re-visiting Ryan and Nate more than once.
Ryan Ortiz wants a second chance with his ex so he hops on a plane bound for LA. Nathan Richardson's acting career is beginning to bring him happiness and he's moving forward from his ex even if he hasn't really moved on. An Act of God in the form of the biggest earthquake to hit the west coast has occurred but will Fate let Ryan not only save his lover but reunite them in the aftermath?
How in the world have I not read this work of art by one of my favorite author's before now? Growing up in Wisconsin where tornadoes and blizzards could occur just months apart, I never really enjoyed disaster films and certainly did not enjoy reading Act of God/Mother Nature Strikes Back scenarios but as I got older(hey, I'm only 43 so lets say "matured" it sounds younger) I found disaster films to be enjoyable. However, I never really found any books within that genre/trope that didn't classify as sci-fi that piqued my interest. Until now! It's no secret that RJ Scott is one of my favorite authors and that she is also one of only a handful that fall into my "automatic 1-click list" so when I discovered All the King's Men it was a no-brainer that it would grace my Kindle.
I know that Ryan may not be everyone's cup of tea because of the way things ended with Nathan prior to where the book begins but his actions, or lack thereof, did not bother me at all. As in life, sometimes in fiction one has to lose something or someone to realize how much it or they were needed. Which is where Ryan finds himself as he travels westward to reunite with Nathan. I loved his desire to get to Nate especially once he learns about the earthquake. His determination to reach Nate is inspiring and once he reaches him, he stops at nothing to get him to safety.
Okay, I'm going to stop there as far as the plot goes because I don't want to give anymore away. I will just say that in a story such as All the King's Men, there isn't always an overabundance of secondary characters so those that the main characters come across have a lot riding on them that can really test the author's talent for character development and storytelling. Well, RJ Scott has proven once again how amazing she is with these aspects of drama and even though its not a situation that happens every day its certainly something that could happen which only heightens the fear and got my adrenaline pumping with every page. To be completely honest, it made me even more thankful that I live in a region that only faces the destructive forces of tornadoes and blizzards(something I never thought I'd say so thank you, RJ 😉) because earthquakes are not a common occurrence here in Wisconsin. King's Men may not make my yearly re-read list but I will definitely be re-visiting Ryan and Nate more than once.
August 14, 2013
Please leave comments on Josie's 5 sweet pea, Recommended Book review athttp://mrsconditreadsbooks.com/index....
All the Kings Men by RJ Scott is a rewritten 2nd edition release. The 1st edition was the first book I ever read by RJ so it holds a special place in my heart.
When I first bought the book I knew nothing about RJ Scott's writing, and hardly anything about MM Romance in general, it was the earthquake that caught my eye; I'm a bit of a disaster movie addict.
Nathan Richardson, model turned actor, lives in a rented apartment in the hills outside LA. Nathan is still very much in love with his ex-boyfriend, photographer Ryan Ortiz. Ryan it appears has finally realized just how much he still loves Nathan and is on his way to LA to be with him when LA is struck by a massive earthquake, just after Ryan's plane touches down. Nathan is trapped in the rubble of his apartment up in the hills as fires break out all around him, his only chance is Ryan. Can Ryan get to him in time, and can they both escape the fires and the aftershocks and get to safety?
The story is gripping; it’s the stuff of nightmares and every disaster movie you've ever seen. The fires, the tremors, the desolation, people trapped in buildings, in cars, RJ pulls no punches, and the reader is filled with a sense of foreboding and hopelessness for much of the story. Nathan and Ryan struggle to get to safety and what they see on the way molds them into the people they will forever be. Their emotions are pulled in every direction, and the reader, following along, ends up not knowing whether to cheer or cry. The life and death struggle to get to safety puts all their previous arguments and petty squabbles, into perspective.
I can't do justice to the sense of awe you feel when reading All The Kings Men. Nathan and Ryan are just two small insignificant people when compared to the disaster that has overcome LA, the descriptions of the devastation are horrifying, and you really get a sense of the immense disaster unfolding throughout the story. I don’t want to go too much into the plot, I can't so much happens, but there is an epilogue at the end that wraps everything up nicely.
This book introduced me to the world of RJ Scott and I've never looked back, if you are a fan and haven't read it yet then I really think you should, and if you're not a fan yet, well give it a go.
All the Kings Men by RJ Scott is a rewritten 2nd edition release. The 1st edition was the first book I ever read by RJ so it holds a special place in my heart.
When I first bought the book I knew nothing about RJ Scott's writing, and hardly anything about MM Romance in general, it was the earthquake that caught my eye; I'm a bit of a disaster movie addict.
Nathan Richardson, model turned actor, lives in a rented apartment in the hills outside LA. Nathan is still very much in love with his ex-boyfriend, photographer Ryan Ortiz. Ryan it appears has finally realized just how much he still loves Nathan and is on his way to LA to be with him when LA is struck by a massive earthquake, just after Ryan's plane touches down. Nathan is trapped in the rubble of his apartment up in the hills as fires break out all around him, his only chance is Ryan. Can Ryan get to him in time, and can they both escape the fires and the aftershocks and get to safety?
The story is gripping; it’s the stuff of nightmares and every disaster movie you've ever seen. The fires, the tremors, the desolation, people trapped in buildings, in cars, RJ pulls no punches, and the reader is filled with a sense of foreboding and hopelessness for much of the story. Nathan and Ryan struggle to get to safety and what they see on the way molds them into the people they will forever be. Their emotions are pulled in every direction, and the reader, following along, ends up not knowing whether to cheer or cry. The life and death struggle to get to safety puts all their previous arguments and petty squabbles, into perspective.
I can't do justice to the sense of awe you feel when reading All The Kings Men. Nathan and Ryan are just two small insignificant people when compared to the disaster that has overcome LA, the descriptions of the devastation are horrifying, and you really get a sense of the immense disaster unfolding throughout the story. I don’t want to go too much into the plot, I can't so much happens, but there is an epilogue at the end that wraps everything up nicely.
This book introduced me to the world of RJ Scott and I've never looked back, if you are a fan and haven't read it yet then I really think you should, and if you're not a fan yet, well give it a go.
April 20, 2011
Short little story I read in a few hours when I couldn't sleep.
The structure of the story was nice. I liked the feeling of urgency and insecurity about everything throughout the story. It was short and sweet.
The only thing I want to complain about, is the epilogue. Did we really need it? It seemed like the author had a shorter story, needed more words and figured "hey, let's do what movies do!" and added an epilogue. Sure it was sweet and probably made some readers weep, but I didn't feel it.
Funny thing is, there wasn't sex in this book, but I realized that only after I'd read all of it. That probably means the story didn't need the usually "mandatory" sex scenes.
A good, fast read if you want something a bit different.
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