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Scions of the Underworld #3
The King's Bride
After her disastrous marriage to King Delton, Queen Xara has rebuilt her life as the most powerful crime lord in Inferno. Determined to carve her own path by taking back control of her country, she finds herself in a tough position when her cold husband returns. He's the enemy but he still makes her body burn with desire.
Powerful, ruthless, and cold, King Delton learned not to trust women early in life. The only woman he loved betrayed him and killed his parents. To exact revenge, Delton marries Princess Xara and cruelly exiles her, vowing never to fall in love. But thanks to a political issue, she’s back in his life, stirring up all the emotions that he’s tried so hard to suppress. And this time, the stakes are a lot higher.
As their silent showdown begins, Delton and Xara realize that an uncontrollable passion simmers beneath all the bitterness. A passion that threatens everything they’re fighting for. Delton is determined to hold onto his land, and Xara to her convictions, even if it means giving up on what they have. But to claim love—the ultimate victory—they must defeat the demons of the past and rise from the ashes.
The King’s Bride is a steamy second chance, enemies-to-lovers fantasy romance with a happy ending (HEA). It can be read as a standalone. Be prepared for lots of angst, slow-burn romance, and heartache.
Powerful, ruthless, and cold, King Delton learned not to trust women early in life. The only woman he loved betrayed him and killed his parents. To exact revenge, Delton marries Princess Xara and cruelly exiles her, vowing never to fall in love. But thanks to a political issue, she’s back in his life, stirring up all the emotions that he’s tried so hard to suppress. And this time, the stakes are a lot higher.
As their silent showdown begins, Delton and Xara realize that an uncontrollable passion simmers beneath all the bitterness. A passion that threatens everything they’re fighting for. Delton is determined to hold onto his land, and Xara to her convictions, even if it means giving up on what they have. But to claim love—the ultimate victory—they must defeat the demons of the past and rise from the ashes.
The King’s Bride is a steamy second chance, enemies-to-lovers fantasy romance with a happy ending (HEA). It can be read as a standalone. Be prepared for lots of angst, slow-burn romance, and heartache.
410 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 25, 2023
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May 27, 2023I DNFed this book after much consideration and for several reasons, but it essentially came down to its negative/belittling portrayal of women. (I will be including quoted examples in this review, so there may be some spoilers.)
Firstly, archaic views of women in the men's POVs:
1. When Delton says, “Don’t you think she will be suspicious if I return after so many years apart?” and Felix replies, “...the whole country expects you to produce an heir...surely she can’t object to performing her duty?”
I don’t think there’s much to explain about this; no matter which way you look at it it is still a sick way of describing women.
2. “Maybe Ifer makes [the masks] himself. Or herself. This looks like something a woman would embroider.”
Absolutely unnecessary comment and it’s hilarious to think Delton can only fathom the possibility of crime lord Ifer being a woman because, to him, embroidery is something only a woman would do.
Next, other stereotypes of women:
3. “Xara had been born with healing magic like all women in Escayton.”
It was revealed earlier that Delton’s magic destroys/kills while Xara’s heals, which was fine until you told me only women (and all women at that) have healing magic. This reinforces the caregiving, nurturing, homemaking image of women.
4. “She wanted a life with him. It was what she had been raised for, what she had longed for.”
Nothing wrong with wanting that life but saying it’s what you’d been raised for sounds so terribly indoctrinating. And I understand Xara’s troubled childhood as she described her life as “only existing in relation to others” but this is insane.
5. Delton thinking, “This was another thing Karina had never done — cry.”
He constantly compares Karina and Xara in his POV. I understand it’s to remind himself/show early signs of her betrayal (he mentioned Karina always agreed with him, unlike Xara who argues, as the former wanted to please him and earn his trust to betray) but it comes off as putting down a certain type of woman i.e. Karina for not being as softhearted and emotional as Xara, thus pitting women against each other.
Lastly, general tropes I’m not a fan of:
6. “Delton’s cruelty had ruined her for any other man.”
I dislike men shaping women’s lives. The experience really affected her and understandably so but I still hate to see this impact, not to mention this was in the context of virginity.
7. “She was going to be docile and silent to find out what his game was.”
To her credit Xara did not actually act docile nor silent but I still do not like this tactic.
There were also general writing inconsistencies like changing time of day multiple times in one scene (Chapter 7), but those were not unbearable and it was mainly all of the above that deterred me from continuing. I can accept some rude(?) bicker and banter especially with the enemies-to-lovers trope but these were really too much for me.
Firstly, archaic views of women in the men's POVs:
1. When Delton says, “Don’t you think she will be suspicious if I return after so many years apart?” and Felix replies, “...the whole country expects you to produce an heir...surely she can’t object to performing her duty?”
I don’t think there’s much to explain about this; no matter which way you look at it it is still a sick way of describing women.
2. “Maybe Ifer makes [the masks] himself. Or herself. This looks like something a woman would embroider.”
Absolutely unnecessary comment and it’s hilarious to think Delton can only fathom the possibility of crime lord Ifer being a woman because, to him, embroidery is something only a woman would do.
Next, other stereotypes of women:
3. “Xara had been born with healing magic like all women in Escayton.”
It was revealed earlier that Delton’s magic destroys/kills while Xara’s heals, which was fine until you told me only women (and all women at that) have healing magic. This reinforces the caregiving, nurturing, homemaking image of women.
4. “She wanted a life with him. It was what she had been raised for, what she had longed for.”
Nothing wrong with wanting that life but saying it’s what you’d been raised for sounds so terribly indoctrinating. And I understand Xara’s troubled childhood as she described her life as “only existing in relation to others” but this is insane.
5. Delton thinking, “This was another thing Karina had never done — cry.”
He constantly compares Karina and Xara in his POV. I understand it’s to remind himself/show early signs of her betrayal (he mentioned Karina always agreed with him, unlike Xara who argues, as the former wanted to please him and earn his trust to betray) but it comes off as putting down a certain type of woman i.e. Karina for not being as softhearted and emotional as Xara, thus pitting women against each other.
Lastly, general tropes I’m not a fan of:
6. “Delton’s cruelty had ruined her for any other man.”
I dislike men shaping women’s lives. The experience really affected her and understandably so but I still hate to see this impact, not to mention this was in the context of virginity.
7. “She was going to be docile and silent to find out what his game was.”
To her credit Xara did not actually act docile nor silent but I still do not like this tactic.
There were also general writing inconsistencies like changing time of day multiple times in one scene (Chapter 7), but those were not unbearable and it was mainly all of the above that deterred me from continuing. I can accept some rude(?) bicker and banter especially with the enemies-to-lovers trope but these were really too much for me.
May 18, 2023
4.5☆
thank you to the author for trusting me with an ARC of this book!
tropes:
💍 arranged marriage
⚔ enemies to lovers
😶 betrayal
👑 royalty
... need I say more? 🤭
I have to admit my hopes were high with this book because I really liked the story that it presented... and it did not disappoint!!
I really liked how the author worked with the plot and the reveal of secrets. I was afraid I wouldn't like the resolution of the conflict, but I did! I also loved seeing more of Darius and Michael
also... the spice 🔥🔥. I feel like lately I've been in a smut slump (yeah, I totally just made that up) where I was always bothered by the smut coming out of nowhere, but the one in this book was 10/10 in context and description 🤭
I feel like this book could be even better with an extra round of edits (which you may be lucky to get on the final version!), since some sentences were missing some words and it threw me off
PS.: you can read the book on its own without reading the other 2
PPS.: the second book is really good too, though 🤭
thank you to the author for trusting me with an ARC of this book!
tropes:
💍 arranged marriage
⚔ enemies to lovers
😶 betrayal
👑 royalty
... need I say more? 🤭
I have to admit my hopes were high with this book because I really liked the story that it presented... and it did not disappoint!!
I really liked how the author worked with the plot and the reveal of secrets. I was afraid I wouldn't like the resolution of the conflict, but I did! I also loved seeing more of Darius and Michael
also... the spice 🔥🔥. I feel like lately I've been in a smut slump (yeah, I totally just made that up) where I was always bothered by the smut coming out of nowhere, but the one in this book was 10/10 in context and description 🤭
I feel like this book could be even better with an extra round of edits (which you may be lucky to get on the final version!), since some sentences were missing some words and it threw me off
PS.: you can read the book on its own without reading the other 2
PPS.: the second book is really good too, though 🤭
May 25, 2023
Book three in the Scions of the Underworld series, The Kings Bride can be read as a standalone if you choose, but I would recommend just reading them in order because they are amazing. I loved the plot and thought it was unique, plus I loved the twists that were in the book. I thought Xara and Delton shared good chemistry, and those spicy scenes were one of a kind. If you like a good enemies to lovers, arranged marriage, second chance, and betrayal/revenge, then make sure you check this one out today.
June 9, 2023
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4.5
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️ 4
The Kings Bride is a Enemy to lovers (I mean a proper enemy to lovers 🫣), Arranged marriage, dual POV, third person (don’t even let this put you off), second chance romance, revenge, betrayal, and everything inbetween.
I found the character development is well written and the author goes into detail at the beginning of the book explaining the past and reasoning behind what they are doing and feeling. I find this vital in connecting you with the characters and their actions as well as giving key details for the storyline. this book is part of the ‘Scions of the Underworld’ series and is book 3. However this can be read as a standalone. It is a M/F romance.
The Kings Bride is a fantasy romance that includes a gooood amount of spice once it gets going. This book is a sure slow burn but trust me… it will not disappoint. The book is set in a few kingdoms including Cadia which is a city in the kingdom of Escayton as well as the kingdom of Inferno itself and the city of Skera. This book follows 2 individuals. Delton who is the King of Inferno and Xara who is the princess of Escayton. This books is Third person and Dual POV. I personally struggle to read third person books but found this book rather enjoyable with how it is written. So please do not get out off by this. This is a fantasy book which has Angels, Demons and Humans co-existing.
As mentioned above. I really enjoyed this book and found it a real page turner once it got going. This books contains a lot of betrayal, revenge and the enemy to lovers trope is REALL in this book. Towards the end it had me completely hooked and I found it rather suspenseful. I loved that it had Demons and Angels working alongside with Humans. I found the message of this book being that revenge and hate is all consuming and stops you from seeing the world around you. That you should explore and cherish people and focusing on the past will hurt you more then it will hurt them. Sometimes it is better to face your past land move on before it becomes you.
"Some battles end in chaos, general."
When Darius lifted an eyebrow, he explained. "Revenge, for instance. There is rarely any peace after revenge."
"Revenge isn't victory, Your Majesty. It is defeat. Only one who has failed to win against his past desires for revenge," Darius said. "It takes more courage to forgive than seek vengeance. For the one we seek revenge against is often an old version of ourselves that was powerless."
To summaries, I really enjoyed this book and the development of the relationship between Xara and Delton. I would recommend to people to read but be aware it is a slow burn for a so reason and once it gets going you will be hooked. If you like the tropes mentioned above, look no further.
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️ 4
The Kings Bride is a Enemy to lovers (I mean a proper enemy to lovers 🫣), Arranged marriage, dual POV, third person (don’t even let this put you off), second chance romance, revenge, betrayal, and everything inbetween.
I found the character development is well written and the author goes into detail at the beginning of the book explaining the past and reasoning behind what they are doing and feeling. I find this vital in connecting you with the characters and their actions as well as giving key details for the storyline. this book is part of the ‘Scions of the Underworld’ series and is book 3. However this can be read as a standalone. It is a M/F romance.
The Kings Bride is a fantasy romance that includes a gooood amount of spice once it gets going. This book is a sure slow burn but trust me… it will not disappoint. The book is set in a few kingdoms including Cadia which is a city in the kingdom of Escayton as well as the kingdom of Inferno itself and the city of Skera. This book follows 2 individuals. Delton who is the King of Inferno and Xara who is the princess of Escayton. This books is Third person and Dual POV. I personally struggle to read third person books but found this book rather enjoyable with how it is written. So please do not get out off by this. This is a fantasy book which has Angels, Demons and Humans co-existing.
As mentioned above. I really enjoyed this book and found it a real page turner once it got going. This books contains a lot of betrayal, revenge and the enemy to lovers trope is REALL in this book. Towards the end it had me completely hooked and I found it rather suspenseful. I loved that it had Demons and Angels working alongside with Humans. I found the message of this book being that revenge and hate is all consuming and stops you from seeing the world around you. That you should explore and cherish people and focusing on the past will hurt you more then it will hurt them. Sometimes it is better to face your past land move on before it becomes you.
"Some battles end in chaos, general."
When Darius lifted an eyebrow, he explained. "Revenge, for instance. There is rarely any peace after revenge."
"Revenge isn't victory, Your Majesty. It is defeat. Only one who has failed to win against his past desires for revenge," Darius said. "It takes more courage to forgive than seek vengeance. For the one we seek revenge against is often an old version of ourselves that was powerless."
To summaries, I really enjoyed this book and the development of the relationship between Xara and Delton. I would recommend to people to read but be aware it is a slow burn for a so reason and once it gets going you will be hooked. If you like the tropes mentioned above, look no further.
May 11, 2023
ARC REVIEW
This book can be read as the 3rd in the Scions of the underworld series or it can be read as a stand alone, this was a big plus to me because I always see books that I really want to read and end up being like the 3rd or 4th in a series that cannot be read by itself. While i’m not sure if reading the first or second book in this series would have a difference in the story like I think it might help with understanding the roles and the world that has been created. The beginning of The Kings Bride starts off slow, I had a harder time getting through the prologue because there was so much information to digust that I almost couldn’t process it all. But it was all very important to the rest of the book. Delton is this very traumatized revenge seeking king who married his enemies only daughter, Xara, out of spite and then sends her to live in xile. It isn’t until threats of someone (Ifer) coming to take over some of the king’s territory and overthrow him essentially do the main characters reunite. We soon realize that Xara is the dangerous radical who is trying to take over due to the awful way that Delton treated her after they first got married. After they spent a lot of time together they can’t deny the attraction they both have and succumb to it. Delton goes from this villian to “I will hurt anyone who touches her” and wants to restart their marriage and treat her right. But we learned in the prologue that the only other woman that Delton loved betrayed him and killed both of his parents and then tried to kill him. And at this point, I thought surely Xara wouldn’t continue to try to over throw Delton knowing what happened to him BUT she still continues with her plans to take over. And then the worst happens, Delton realizes he is in love with Xara and plans on telling her which also happens to be the same night they planned to capture Ifer. Once he realizes shes not going to answer her door, he opens it up and walks inside where he finds her trunk and essentially finds the mask and outfit she wears as Ifer. The last 20% really wasn’t my favorite, Delton caved in so fast and I really wanted more groveling or something else to happen. He expresses his love for her and she doesn’t reciprocate it and claims she doesn’t want to be married to him anymore and wants her land back. As expected Delton folds, he does everything she wants to make her happy. Of course the characters get their HEA because Xara realizes she can have both of her worlds and that she does love him. Personally i did not think it was a super slow burn, it was mainly enemies to lovers and marriage of convenience. I really enjoyed how the plot was laid out, there was a couple scenes of fluff that I was just like okay…… but the spice was WOW. I blushed so hard reading every scene, the king definitely has a dirty mouth. If you really like fantasy books you’ll like this one.
This book can be read as the 3rd in the Scions of the underworld series or it can be read as a stand alone, this was a big plus to me because I always see books that I really want to read and end up being like the 3rd or 4th in a series that cannot be read by itself. While i’m not sure if reading the first or second book in this series would have a difference in the story like I think it might help with understanding the roles and the world that has been created. The beginning of The Kings Bride starts off slow, I had a harder time getting through the prologue because there was so much information to digust that I almost couldn’t process it all. But it was all very important to the rest of the book. Delton is this very traumatized revenge seeking king who married his enemies only daughter, Xara, out of spite and then sends her to live in xile. It isn’t until threats of someone (Ifer) coming to take over some of the king’s territory and overthrow him essentially do the main characters reunite. We soon realize that Xara is the dangerous radical who is trying to take over due to the awful way that Delton treated her after they first got married. After they spent a lot of time together they can’t deny the attraction they both have and succumb to it. Delton goes from this villian to “I will hurt anyone who touches her” and wants to restart their marriage and treat her right. But we learned in the prologue that the only other woman that Delton loved betrayed him and killed both of his parents and then tried to kill him. And at this point, I thought surely Xara wouldn’t continue to try to over throw Delton knowing what happened to him BUT she still continues with her plans to take over. And then the worst happens, Delton realizes he is in love with Xara and plans on telling her which also happens to be the same night they planned to capture Ifer. Once he realizes shes not going to answer her door, he opens it up and walks inside where he finds her trunk and essentially finds the mask and outfit she wears as Ifer. The last 20% really wasn’t my favorite, Delton caved in so fast and I really wanted more groveling or something else to happen. He expresses his love for her and she doesn’t reciprocate it and claims she doesn’t want to be married to him anymore and wants her land back. As expected Delton folds, he does everything she wants to make her happy. Of course the characters get their HEA because Xara realizes she can have both of her worlds and that she does love him. Personally i did not think it was a super slow burn, it was mainly enemies to lovers and marriage of convenience. I really enjoyed how the plot was laid out, there was a couple scenes of fluff that I was just like okay…… but the spice was WOW. I blushed so hard reading every scene, the king definitely has a dirty mouth. If you really like fantasy books you’ll like this one.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 12, 2023
After being in a reading slump, this book is what I needed.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5/5
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️/5
Delton and Xara had such a good chemistry, I was literally melting for them if that makes sense.
What made the book even better was that it contained all the tropes I love:
-rivals
-enemies to lovers
-betrayal
-revenge
-second chance
-lots of groveling
Please the spicy parts were so damn good (imagine TWO CHAPTERS full of spice…phew) 😮💨 I loved their dialogues and how they kept arguing which made everything even hotter (I might‘ve blushed at some point).
I hated Delton at the beginning but his character development changed my mind. I loved how Xara got independent. I loved how she didn’t give up because of love but rather fought for what she wanted. I also loved how she didn’t forgive Delton right away but made him grovel for nearly the entire book😂
The plot was good but it didn‘t make me much excited about it, however this can be different for everyone. I liked all the hiding and sneaking out etc. but there was just something missing.
I was a little scared of how the book would end but I loved it. Also I‘m in love with Delton😭😍
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5/5
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️/5
Delton and Xara had such a good chemistry, I was literally melting for them if that makes sense.
What made the book even better was that it contained all the tropes I love:
-rivals
-enemies to lovers
-betrayal
-revenge
-second chance
-lots of groveling
Please the spicy parts were so damn good (imagine TWO CHAPTERS full of spice…phew) 😮💨 I loved their dialogues and how they kept arguing which made everything even hotter (I might‘ve blushed at some point).
I hated Delton at the beginning but his character development changed my mind. I loved how Xara got independent. I loved how she didn’t give up because of love but rather fought for what she wanted. I also loved how she didn’t forgive Delton right away but made him grovel for nearly the entire book😂
The plot was good but it didn‘t make me much excited about it, however this can be different for everyone. I liked all the hiding and sneaking out etc. but there was just something missing.
I was a little scared of how the book would end but I loved it. Also I‘m in love with Delton😭😍
May 19, 2023
“Your wish is my command, my queen”
This is book 3 of the series. This is book 3 of a series but can be read has a standalone. This could have gone several ways and I was so nervous. But I love the direction the author took and I could not stop reading. I loved the chemistry, the spicy open door romance. I really thought everything
was well done .
I loved both characters and thought they were perfectly suited. The tenderness and love that happened was the best part for me. I just could not get enough. I loved the writing and world building. This author is going to be put on my favorite authors list.
I highly recommend it.
Thanks to P. S. Scott for this ARC, it was grand.
This is book 3 of the series. This is book 3 of a series but can be read has a standalone. This could have gone several ways and I was so nervous. But I love the direction the author took and I could not stop reading. I loved the chemistry, the spicy open door romance. I really thought everything
was well done .
I loved both characters and thought they were perfectly suited. The tenderness and love that happened was the best part for me. I just could not get enough. I loved the writing and world building. This author is going to be put on my favorite authors list.
I highly recommend it.
Thanks to P. S. Scott for this ARC, it was grand.
May 25, 2023
HONEST ARC SPOILER FREE REVIEW
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.4/5
🌶.8/5
Tropes:
♡ Revenge marriage/arranged marriage/marriage of convenience
♡ Second-chance
♡ Strong, bada$$ FMC
♡ He falls HARD!!!!
♡ MMC grovelling
♡ FMC revenge on MMC (after he married her for revenge)
♡ Hate-to-love
♡ Demon King - Healer/witch Queen
♡ Slow/mid burn
First of all, thank you to P.S Scott for reaching out to me and asking me to read this!!! ❤️❤️
I LOVED IT!!! I could not put it down the moment I picked it up!! 😭😍
This was historical romance fantasy with the perfect balance of exciting plot and hot spice and THE TENSION between the MCs was 😍🥵🤤🫠😭💔🥳❤️
The plot starts off with the marriage of Demon King, Delton, marries Xara to get revenge on her father after he sent his by-blow daughter to unal!ve Delton's family...BUT POOR XARA DIDN'T KNOW AT THAT POINT!!! 😭😭
But he exiles her on their wedding night and THEY DON'T SEE EACH OTHER FOR 100 YEARS 🫣🫣
But anyway, in that time there's an enemy of Delton's raising people up against him...TURNS OUT THAT ENEMY IS HIS OWN WIFE!!! 😜😜
She wants revenge and boy does this girl work to get it!! Xara was soo damn cool and yet she was still vulnerable and tender and I was soooo happy when she refused to give into Delton immediately even though she wanted him!! 🥳😍
And I loved how realistic Xara's internal struggle to forgive him was too!!
And Delton!! Damn his character growth was STUNNING!! 😍 The way he went from cold 🍆head to gooey puppy who regretted what he'd done and wanted so badly to make it up to her 😭
And his reaction to finding out his wife was the enemy he was looking for really showed that!!
All the side characters were brilliant too and the spice had me feeling HOT after the slow burn build up!!
There were a few historical inaccuracies/inconsistencies with the spicy scenes but that's just me...
Otherwise definitely recommend this!!!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.4/5
🌶.8/5
Tropes:
♡ Revenge marriage/arranged marriage/marriage of convenience
♡ Second-chance
♡ Strong, bada$$ FMC
♡ He falls HARD!!!!
♡ MMC grovelling
♡ FMC revenge on MMC (after he married her for revenge)
♡ Hate-to-love
♡ Demon King - Healer/witch Queen
♡ Slow/mid burn
First of all, thank you to P.S Scott for reaching out to me and asking me to read this!!! ❤️❤️
I LOVED IT!!! I could not put it down the moment I picked it up!! 😭😍
This was historical romance fantasy with the perfect balance of exciting plot and hot spice and THE TENSION between the MCs was 😍🥵🤤🫠😭💔🥳❤️
The plot starts off with the marriage of Demon King, Delton, marries Xara to get revenge on her father after he sent his by-blow daughter to unal!ve Delton's family...BUT POOR XARA DIDN'T KNOW AT THAT POINT!!! 😭😭
But he exiles her on their wedding night and THEY DON'T SEE EACH OTHER FOR 100 YEARS 🫣🫣
But anyway, in that time there's an enemy of Delton's raising people up against him...TURNS OUT THAT ENEMY IS HIS OWN WIFE!!! 😜😜
She wants revenge and boy does this girl work to get it!! Xara was soo damn cool and yet she was still vulnerable and tender and I was soooo happy when she refused to give into Delton immediately even though she wanted him!! 🥳😍
And I loved how realistic Xara's internal struggle to forgive him was too!!
And Delton!! Damn his character growth was STUNNING!! 😍 The way he went from cold 🍆head to gooey puppy who regretted what he'd done and wanted so badly to make it up to her 😭
And his reaction to finding out his wife was the enemy he was looking for really showed that!!
All the side characters were brilliant too and the spice had me feeling HOT after the slow burn build up!!
There were a few historical inaccuracies/inconsistencies with the spicy scenes but that's just me...
Otherwise definitely recommend this!!!
dnf
May 23, 2023No review of this arc.
DNF at 43% of the way in. I like an arranged marriage trope, but I'm over asshole guys using women for revenge purposes because the woman's family member(s) did them wrong. It's petty and immature and I don't want these in my reading experiences anymore.
I'm beginning to think that brooding is just a synonym for asshole.
DNF at 43% of the way in. I like an arranged marriage trope, but I'm over asshole guys using women for revenge purposes because the woman's family member(s) did them wrong. It's petty and immature and I don't want these in my reading experiences anymore.
I'm beginning to think that brooding is just a synonym for asshole.
May 30, 2023
“If you plan to woo me, I suggest using flowers and poetry, not spies.” “I don’t need to woo you, Xara. You’re already mine.”
I enjoyed reading this story but I felt like the pacing was very slow and the conflict was unnecessarily dragged till the very end. Both Xara & Delton were at fault and while I wanted them to end up together, I did not really care about the characters as the book neared it's end. At times, I was invested and at times I was bored tbh.
I enjoyed reading this story but I felt like the pacing was very slow and the conflict was unnecessarily dragged till the very end. Both Xara & Delton were at fault and while I wanted them to end up together, I did not really care about the characters as the book neared it's end. At times, I was invested and at times I was bored tbh.
July 5, 2023
I DNFed it. My feminist side won't allow me to read any further. FMC gave in easily(I hate weak females who accept degradation)
May 20, 2023
I was super intrigued by the description of this book and was so excited when the author approached me to read an ARC! You know I can’t pass up an enemies-to-lovers fantasy novel!
The King’s Bride tells the story of Delton and Xara, the King of Inferno and the Princess of Escayton. Delton arranges a marriage between the two in order to exact revenge on Xara’s father for killing his parents - He plans to take both his land and his daughter then exile her and never have to see her again. He rejects her on their wedding night and they separate for 99 years. During those years, Xara comes into her own and creates an alter-ego called Ifer, a crime lord working in the background to take back Escayton from Delton. When Delton comes back into her life, sparks fly, but he doesn’t know that the wife he’s finally falling for is also his biggest enemy.
This book is an enemies to lovers romance in the truest sense of the term! I really enjoyed that aspect of the story. I also liked the background of royalty and politics. It gave an extra layer to the story that made their love even more complicated. All the hatred and revenge really made for some good tension! I also enjoyed the fantasy aspects of this book. It wasn’t a huge part of the story, but I liked the elements the author included. I think that after they finally got together, a lot of the intrigue of the story left for me. It seemed like so much led up to the reveal of Ifer’s identity, so I expected a more explosive final few chapters. I thought the ending was sweet, but there was a bit of a fizzle out for me.
Though this book is definitely good as a standalone novel as advertised, I wish I’d read the other two first! The author did a great job summarizing the important plot points from the other books, but I couldn’t help but think I was missing some background information that would have made the experience even better for me… specifically information about how their magic works and about the world itself. I felt like I was missing some character and world building that would have made me feel more connected to the characters and the story itself.
I enjoyed this book! If you like enemies to lovers, arranged marriage, and betrayal/ revenge stories, this one might be for you!
The King’s Bride is available on May 25th! Thank you to P.S. Scott for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
The King’s Bride tells the story of Delton and Xara, the King of Inferno and the Princess of Escayton. Delton arranges a marriage between the two in order to exact revenge on Xara’s father for killing his parents - He plans to take both his land and his daughter then exile her and never have to see her again. He rejects her on their wedding night and they separate for 99 years. During those years, Xara comes into her own and creates an alter-ego called Ifer, a crime lord working in the background to take back Escayton from Delton. When Delton comes back into her life, sparks fly, but he doesn’t know that the wife he’s finally falling for is also his biggest enemy.
This book is an enemies to lovers romance in the truest sense of the term! I really enjoyed that aspect of the story. I also liked the background of royalty and politics. It gave an extra layer to the story that made their love even more complicated. All the hatred and revenge really made for some good tension! I also enjoyed the fantasy aspects of this book. It wasn’t a huge part of the story, but I liked the elements the author included. I think that after they finally got together, a lot of the intrigue of the story left for me. It seemed like so much led up to the reveal of Ifer’s identity, so I expected a more explosive final few chapters. I thought the ending was sweet, but there was a bit of a fizzle out for me.
Though this book is definitely good as a standalone novel as advertised, I wish I’d read the other two first! The author did a great job summarizing the important plot points from the other books, but I couldn’t help but think I was missing some background information that would have made the experience even better for me… specifically information about how their magic works and about the world itself. I felt like I was missing some character and world building that would have made me feel more connected to the characters and the story itself.
I enjoyed this book! If you like enemies to lovers, arranged marriage, and betrayal/ revenge stories, this one might be for you!
The King’s Bride is available on May 25th! Thank you to P.S. Scott for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
May 11, 2023
If you are looking for a true enemies-to-lovers book with demons, royals and a little rebellion look no further. This main male character falls first and must grovel to have a second chance. This is a forced marriage book as well.
This book is about Delton and Xara and their failed marriage. Delton had some trauma from Xara’s family that resulted in Delton exacting his revenge through Xara but forcing a marriage, taking her family’s land, and then sending her into exile the day of their wedding. He says he will never love, touch or ever be in a marriage other than convenience with her. This crushes Xara as she’s only ever wanted to be a good wife and in love and be loved. 99 years later, Xara is no longer the weak, innocent girl. Now she is Ifer the largest, baddest crime lord of the land and Delton’s biggest enemy. Delton finds out that Xara is in contact with her cousin and her cousin is supposed to be in contact with Ifer as Delton doesn’t know Ifer is his wife. He moves in with Xara and she must change plans on how to stay Ifer without being caught. Xara and Delton slowly start learning more about each other and realize that they aren’t that different. It has betrayal, revenge, heart break and a happy ever after that I wasn’t sure would happen.
I really loved the ending of this book. I thought it was so sweet that I felt it in my soul. I was so happy for Xara and Delton being able to work through their combined trauma, and fight for each other and their own wants/aspirations as well. I am glad that P.S. Scott let Xara stay an independent queen besides the fact that she got her man.
One thing I didn’t like was that some of the descriptions were a bit cringy. These usually happened during the spicy scenes, and it just threw off the whole vibe.
This gets 4 out of 5 stars. It would have gotten 5 stars, but it had some editing issues that I had already address with the author as I read this as an ARC. I think that this was a really good book and was an actual enemies-to-lovers. Most of that trope start off as enemies but by about halfway through they are just in love and the angst is gone. This book kept the enemy’s angst throughout the whole book until the last few chapters and epilogue.
This book is about Delton and Xara and their failed marriage. Delton had some trauma from Xara’s family that resulted in Delton exacting his revenge through Xara but forcing a marriage, taking her family’s land, and then sending her into exile the day of their wedding. He says he will never love, touch or ever be in a marriage other than convenience with her. This crushes Xara as she’s only ever wanted to be a good wife and in love and be loved. 99 years later, Xara is no longer the weak, innocent girl. Now she is Ifer the largest, baddest crime lord of the land and Delton’s biggest enemy. Delton finds out that Xara is in contact with her cousin and her cousin is supposed to be in contact with Ifer as Delton doesn’t know Ifer is his wife. He moves in with Xara and she must change plans on how to stay Ifer without being caught. Xara and Delton slowly start learning more about each other and realize that they aren’t that different. It has betrayal, revenge, heart break and a happy ever after that I wasn’t sure would happen.
I really loved the ending of this book. I thought it was so sweet that I felt it in my soul. I was so happy for Xara and Delton being able to work through their combined trauma, and fight for each other and their own wants/aspirations as well. I am glad that P.S. Scott let Xara stay an independent queen besides the fact that she got her man.
One thing I didn’t like was that some of the descriptions were a bit cringy. These usually happened during the spicy scenes, and it just threw off the whole vibe.
This gets 4 out of 5 stars. It would have gotten 5 stars, but it had some editing issues that I had already address with the author as I read this as an ARC. I think that this was a really good book and was an actual enemies-to-lovers. Most of that trope start off as enemies but by about halfway through they are just in love and the angst is gone. This book kept the enemy’s angst throughout the whole book until the last few chapters and epilogue.
May 29, 2023
The enemies to lovers but actual enemies story of “I’ve been raised and have come to kill you” has already come to pass as of the prologue. This is not that story. No, instead it is the tale of a marriage arranged for revenge. One that was never meant to mean anything beyond causing pain and suffering to the one who brought so much loss, heartbreak, and deception to the MMC.
💚arranged marriage
💚second chance romance
💚secret identities
💚betrayal
💚kingdom rebellion
💚revenge
💚chess match between husband and wife
💚Touch her, you ☠️
💚dual POV
While this read did struggle a bit at times with pacing, I found the overall world and storyline to be fascinating. I actually wanted to know more about the magics and the demons and angels. The concepts were all there but never fully explored. Like the immortal nature of the characters and the fact that Denton is a demon. Yet it’s never completely explained how Xara could be human and yet still appear young after nearly a century has passed. I was often left with more questions than answers about the world itself.
It may have taken a while to fully settle into but watching the secretive female crime lord and her distant arranged husband reuniting after their marriage 99 years prior and undergoing that forced proximity to acknowledge real desires goodness was definitely intriguing.
The tension between the two was undeniable though. Just wish there had been more explained for the story. But that could just be a me thing with missing information potentially given in the previous books. This is the third story in the series of interconnected standalones and the first one I started with. While information on the characters from the book before (Darius and Michael) was explained well enough so as to not feel like you needed to read in order, maybe the world background built into the first two books is what’s needed to fully understand the world and beings within these pages.
Thank you so much to the author for an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 (3.5 stars)
💚arranged marriage
💚second chance romance
💚secret identities
💚betrayal
💚kingdom rebellion
💚revenge
💚chess match between husband and wife
💚Touch her, you ☠️
💚dual POV
While this read did struggle a bit at times with pacing, I found the overall world and storyline to be fascinating. I actually wanted to know more about the magics and the demons and angels. The concepts were all there but never fully explored. Like the immortal nature of the characters and the fact that Denton is a demon. Yet it’s never completely explained how Xara could be human and yet still appear young after nearly a century has passed. I was often left with more questions than answers about the world itself.
It may have taken a while to fully settle into but watching the secretive female crime lord and her distant arranged husband reuniting after their marriage 99 years prior and undergoing that forced proximity to acknowledge real desires goodness was definitely intriguing.
The tension between the two was undeniable though. Just wish there had been more explained for the story. But that could just be a me thing with missing information potentially given in the previous books. This is the third story in the series of interconnected standalones and the first one I started with. While information on the characters from the book before (Darius and Michael) was explained well enough so as to not feel like you needed to read in order, maybe the world background built into the first two books is what’s needed to fully understand the world and beings within these pages.
Thank you so much to the author for an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 (3.5 stars)
May 18, 2023
Tuesday, 9 May 2023
7:07 PM
Good world building. This is my first book by this author, so I like that we got a little back story of Dalton and Xara. Dalton seems to be not making too many friends with his coldness and his thirst for revenge. Xara is unhappy with what happened and is angry and now just wants her land back.
Xara is a good, genuine person, and everyone gravitates toward her. Since her exile, she'd become a strong, independent woman who fights for what she believes in and wants to do what's right. The more time she starts spending with Dalton, the more she finds out, and she starts to thaw around him. She's conflicted, and I like that we see her inner turmoil with how things are unfolding.
Dalton never hated his wife. And you can almost see his armour shatter the more Xara pushes him. He confesses his weakness. You can see the way Dalton is written that he's afraid of letting anyone in again. He was hurt so badly, and he took all that pain and anger out on Xara, and he is truly sorry for that.
All he wanted to do now was anything to make Xara happy. We got to see him change and mellow. He wasn't as angry and bitter the more he was around Xara, and she never backed down. She stood steadfast in her beliefs and wasn't risking anything to lose her momentum. They learned how to be better together. They understood each other more. Dalton spent time trying to understand Xara's point of view, and it worked out.
I like how we got to see both sides of their situation. It was never one side or the other for me, and I felt that despite what happened, the Kings guards were still looking out for them both. This was a story that shows you that it's OK to have your own beliefs and you don't have to give everything up for those beliefs, that it is possible to help others to see. Never stop fighting for what you believe.
It was a pleasure to read this book, and I enjoyed this world very much!
7:07 PM
Good world building. This is my first book by this author, so I like that we got a little back story of Dalton and Xara. Dalton seems to be not making too many friends with his coldness and his thirst for revenge. Xara is unhappy with what happened and is angry and now just wants her land back.
Xara is a good, genuine person, and everyone gravitates toward her. Since her exile, she'd become a strong, independent woman who fights for what she believes in and wants to do what's right. The more time she starts spending with Dalton, the more she finds out, and she starts to thaw around him. She's conflicted, and I like that we see her inner turmoil with how things are unfolding.
Dalton never hated his wife. And you can almost see his armour shatter the more Xara pushes him. He confesses his weakness. You can see the way Dalton is written that he's afraid of letting anyone in again. He was hurt so badly, and he took all that pain and anger out on Xara, and he is truly sorry for that.
All he wanted to do now was anything to make Xara happy. We got to see him change and mellow. He wasn't as angry and bitter the more he was around Xara, and she never backed down. She stood steadfast in her beliefs and wasn't risking anything to lose her momentum. They learned how to be better together. They understood each other more. Dalton spent time trying to understand Xara's point of view, and it worked out.
I like how we got to see both sides of their situation. It was never one side or the other for me, and I felt that despite what happened, the Kings guards were still looking out for them both. This was a story that shows you that it's OK to have your own beliefs and you don't have to give everything up for those beliefs, that it is possible to help others to see. Never stop fighting for what you believe.
It was a pleasure to read this book, and I enjoyed this world very much!
May 18, 2023
arc review
tropes;
- marriage of convenience
- second chance
- enemies to lovers
- demon king x princess
- betrayal and revenge
- strong fmc
the book started off a bit slow for me at the start and it took me a while to get used to the writing style but once i got into the book i did start to enjoy it.
i loved xara. she was such a strong fmc and seeing her strength and the way she grew from the girl that delton first married to how she became ifer and a queen was amazing. she had the purest heart and never lost sight of her goals and would do anything to achieve her dreams and this was one of the things i admired about her character.
i did hate delton at the start since he was a bit of an asshole, especially to xara, and i didn’t like how he always brought up his ex gf in almost everything. but reading about his past and how he was betrayed by everyone he thought was closest to him-did make me feel bad for him. his character development and seeing him fall for xara and overcome his past mistakes and make things right was amazing to read about. personally i feel he could’ve grovelled a little more for exiling xara but he was sweet when he wanted to be, especially by doing everything he could at the end to make sure that xara was happy-even if it meant that he had to live without her.
the ending was so sweet too, seeing xara finally get everything that she had worked so hard for was amazing and her finally getting the happy ever after that she’d always dreamed of was sweet.
overall i liked this book, there were parts of the book that i did really like and i love xara and delton <3
3.5-4 stars
thank you to the author for the arc
tropes;
- marriage of convenience
- second chance
- enemies to lovers
- demon king x princess
- betrayal and revenge
- strong fmc
the book started off a bit slow for me at the start and it took me a while to get used to the writing style but once i got into the book i did start to enjoy it.
i loved xara. she was such a strong fmc and seeing her strength and the way she grew from the girl that delton first married to how she became ifer and a queen was amazing. she had the purest heart and never lost sight of her goals and would do anything to achieve her dreams and this was one of the things i admired about her character.
i did hate delton at the start since he was a bit of an asshole, especially to xara, and i didn’t like how he always brought up his ex gf in almost everything. but reading about his past and how he was betrayed by everyone he thought was closest to him-did make me feel bad for him. his character development and seeing him fall for xara and overcome his past mistakes and make things right was amazing to read about. personally i feel he could’ve grovelled a little more for exiling xara but he was sweet when he wanted to be, especially by doing everything he could at the end to make sure that xara was happy-even if it meant that he had to live without her.
the ending was so sweet too, seeing xara finally get everything that she had worked so hard for was amazing and her finally getting the happy ever after that she’d always dreamed of was sweet.
overall i liked this book, there were parts of the book that i did really like and i love xara and delton <3
3.5-4 stars
thank you to the author for the arc
May 19, 2023
ARC Review: I really enjoyed this one! At a slow burn pace, it moves just fast enough to be enticing but not so fast as to be unbelievable. Delton does a horrible wrong to Xara, and she has dedicated her entire married life to revenge against him, so it takes a lot of building and making amends for the relationship to be believable. Delton falls first, and hard, and I appreciate how long it took for Xara to even consider his advances. On the topic of their romance, I think this book is great for a royal second chance romance. The ending isn't this cutesy surrender on Xara's part, and Delton does have to make changes in order for them to have a chance but I really appreciated that because so often, especially in royal settings, it's always the women who suffer the most. The spice was great too!! It's on the vanilla side, but still satisfying when it hits. My biggest complaint regards Xara and her role as a crime lord/revolutionary, because it just wasn't believable enough. I don't want to spoil anything, but it does feel as though her alter-ego is underdeveloped and she makes a few choices that I simply can't believe a successful, supposedly ruthless crime lord would ever make. I also wish we got to see more of both Delton and Xara's magic, because the very brief glances we did get were really interesting and it could've been a cool dichotomy to explore. That isn't a huge issue though, because the focus is on the romance and in that regard, this book certainly delivers. I definitely recommend The King's Bride if you're looking for something second chance, arranged marriage, royals being messy bitches, and chess games with tension thick enough to choke on!
May 16, 2023
5/5 ⭐
"You won without even trying. Your courage, your
generosity, your kindness… you could have anyone’s heart. But I am a selfsh bastard. I want you to choose me, with or without a ring. Because I’ve already chosen you. There’s nobody else for me.”
This book is amazing. It is the second book by the author that I have read and I see a great improvement. In the writing, plot and character development.
It all begins when demon king Delton, wounded by his past, proposes to human princess Xara in order to avenge her father. He leaves her and after 99 years he returns because his land is threatened but his wife is no longer the innocent girl he left behind but a strong woman and his biggest enemy.
A second-chance fantasy romance, filled with dark themes and magic are some of the many you will encounter in the book.
I liked the dual POV and the slow burn didn't bother me - it was necessary for the heroes to unfold, recognize their weaknesses and make a fresh start.
Their chemistry was explosive and I loved how he went from ruthless to sweet and protective.
The last chapters were stressful and kept me anxious for the ending but the author rewarded us much better than I expected.
It is one of the best English books I have read in this period and it will stay in my mind for a long time. I highly recommend it.
"Love is a risk. It is never going to be
easy to take that leap of faith. Only
you can answer if it’s a risk worth
taking.”
Thank you P.S . Scott for the ARC copy!
"You won without even trying. Your courage, your
generosity, your kindness… you could have anyone’s heart. But I am a selfsh bastard. I want you to choose me, with or without a ring. Because I’ve already chosen you. There’s nobody else for me.”
This book is amazing. It is the second book by the author that I have read and I see a great improvement. In the writing, plot and character development.
It all begins when demon king Delton, wounded by his past, proposes to human princess Xara in order to avenge her father. He leaves her and after 99 years he returns because his land is threatened but his wife is no longer the innocent girl he left behind but a strong woman and his biggest enemy.
A second-chance fantasy romance, filled with dark themes and magic are some of the many you will encounter in the book.
I liked the dual POV and the slow burn didn't bother me - it was necessary for the heroes to unfold, recognize their weaknesses and make a fresh start.
Their chemistry was explosive and I loved how he went from ruthless to sweet and protective.
The last chapters were stressful and kept me anxious for the ending but the author rewarded us much better than I expected.
It is one of the best English books I have read in this period and it will stay in my mind for a long time. I highly recommend it.
"Love is a risk. It is never going to be
easy to take that leap of faith. Only
you can answer if it’s a risk worth
taking.”
Thank you P.S . Scott for the ARC copy!
May 22, 2023
𝐀𝐑𝐂 𝐑𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐊𝐢𝐧𝐠’𝐬 𝐁𝐫𝐢𝐝𝐞
𝚂𝚌𝚒𝚘𝚗𝚜 𝚘𝚏 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚄𝚗𝚍𝚎𝚛𝚠𝚘𝚛𝚕𝚍 𝙱𝚘𝚘𝚔 𝟹
This is the first book I’ve read from this author. Maybe I should’ve read the 2 first books in the series first to have more knowledge about the world-building but you can definitely read it as a stand-alone.
This book is a fantasy-enemies to lovers' second-chance romance -marriage of convenience.
Xara and Delton have been married for 99 years. Xara is a human princess while Delton is a demon King. Seeking revenge, Delton exiled Xara the night of their wedding and comes back after almost a century. Little does Delton know that the young woman he married is no longer 😈
I loved Xara's development character and how strong she became with time. I have to say, I hated Delton at first and how he coped with his past, but thinking about it, who wouldn’t 🤷🏻♀️ he has some serious trauma.
This book is full of hidden identity, power, and loyalty.
I love when a character recognises their mistakes and crawls to be forgiven, and that’s exactly what happened with Delton. I really appreciated the fact that the FMC didn’t fall for his apologies easily and made him work for it. But Xara is not the little innocent that you’d think she is. Can’t say more without spoiling, sorry not sorry 😂 And after the half of the book, I really appreciated Delton and the complexity of his character.
The slow burn in this book was worth the wait.
I was in a fantasy reading slump and I’m really glad I had the opportunity to read this book as an ARC. Now, I’ll just have to read the rest of the series 🙈
𝚂𝚌𝚒𝚘𝚗𝚜 𝚘𝚏 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚄𝚗𝚍𝚎𝚛𝚠𝚘𝚛𝚕𝚍 𝙱𝚘𝚘𝚔 𝟹
This is the first book I’ve read from this author. Maybe I should’ve read the 2 first books in the series first to have more knowledge about the world-building but you can definitely read it as a stand-alone.
This book is a fantasy-enemies to lovers' second-chance romance -marriage of convenience.
Xara and Delton have been married for 99 years. Xara is a human princess while Delton is a demon King. Seeking revenge, Delton exiled Xara the night of their wedding and comes back after almost a century. Little does Delton know that the young woman he married is no longer 😈
I loved Xara's development character and how strong she became with time. I have to say, I hated Delton at first and how he coped with his past, but thinking about it, who wouldn’t 🤷🏻♀️ he has some serious trauma.
This book is full of hidden identity, power, and loyalty.
I love when a character recognises their mistakes and crawls to be forgiven, and that’s exactly what happened with Delton. I really appreciated the fact that the FMC didn’t fall for his apologies easily and made him work for it. But Xara is not the little innocent that you’d think she is. Can’t say more without spoiling, sorry not sorry 😂 And after the half of the book, I really appreciated Delton and the complexity of his character.
The slow burn in this book was worth the wait.
I was in a fantasy reading slump and I’m really glad I had the opportunity to read this book as an ARC. Now, I’ll just have to read the rest of the series 🙈
May 2, 2025
From the very first page, the author’s mastery of language is on full display—rich, evocative, and immersive. The writing flows with an elegance that never feels overdone, striking a perfect balance between lyrical beauty and sharp clarity. Every word seems chosen with care, pulling readers deep into a world that is as vividly imagined.
The plot is an intricate web of court intrigue, betrayal, longing, and ambition. It never loses momentum, constantly shifting just when you think you’ve grasped its direction. Twists and turns are not used merely for shock value, but emerge organically from the characters’ decisions and desires, making the story both unpredictable and deeply satisfying.
At the heart of it all lies the dynamic between the King and the formidable female lead—a relationship brimming with tension, attraction, and unrelenting willpower. The push and pull between them is masterfully drawn. Their connection sparks with wit, challenge, and undeniable chemistry, each encounter crackling with the promise of both alliance and confrontation.
What truly sets this story apart, however, is the female lead herself. She is no mere counterpart to the King—she is his equal in every way. Intelligent, strategic, and unafraid to wield her influence, she doesn’t just match his power—she often outmaneuvers him.
In all, this novel is intelligently written, intricately plotted, and driven by characters who command your attention….and the steamy scenes, of my…chef’s kiss! 🤌🏼 Hope the author continues to deliver such masterpiece!
The plot is an intricate web of court intrigue, betrayal, longing, and ambition. It never loses momentum, constantly shifting just when you think you’ve grasped its direction. Twists and turns are not used merely for shock value, but emerge organically from the characters’ decisions and desires, making the story both unpredictable and deeply satisfying.
At the heart of it all lies the dynamic between the King and the formidable female lead—a relationship brimming with tension, attraction, and unrelenting willpower. The push and pull between them is masterfully drawn. Their connection sparks with wit, challenge, and undeniable chemistry, each encounter crackling with the promise of both alliance and confrontation.
What truly sets this story apart, however, is the female lead herself. She is no mere counterpart to the King—she is his equal in every way. Intelligent, strategic, and unafraid to wield her influence, she doesn’t just match his power—she often outmaneuvers him.
In all, this novel is intelligently written, intricately plotted, and driven by characters who command your attention….and the steamy scenes, of my…chef’s kiss! 🤌🏼 Hope the author continues to deliver such masterpiece!
May 24, 2023
💚🖤 The King’s Bride ARC Review 🖤💚
Thank you so much to PS Scott for the opportunity to read and review this book!!
The King’s Bride is a fantasy romance and book 3 in the Scions of the Underworld series. Delton is King of the Underworld & 99 years ago, he entered into a political marriage with Xara. Not wanting a wife, once the marriage papers were signed, he sent her away to live in exile. Now, he suspects that she’s been keeping secrets and working with traitors - so he decides it’s time to visit his wife again
This is the first book in this series that I’ve read and it was fun! Even though it’s book 3, it reads as a standalone. I do feel like I would have understood more references, lore and side characters if I’d read the others first, but I didn’t feel like it necessarily took away from this story. I enjoyed the world and the magic system - it was interesting! I also enjoyed the rivals to lovers dynamics between Delton and Xara as their story evolved.
Overall this was a 3 star read for me. I feel like I probably would have enjoyed it more had I read the rest of the series, because some parts were lost to me - but I enjoyed reading about this world and will add the rest of the series to my TBR! This book was a smidge of a slow burn but did have a few spicy moments, so overall two flames for spice
If you like books with rivals to lovers, broody kings, arranged marriages, magic, politics and secrets, then definitely check this one out!!
Thank you so much to PS Scott for the opportunity to read and review this book!!
The King’s Bride is a fantasy romance and book 3 in the Scions of the Underworld series. Delton is King of the Underworld & 99 years ago, he entered into a political marriage with Xara. Not wanting a wife, once the marriage papers were signed, he sent her away to live in exile. Now, he suspects that she’s been keeping secrets and working with traitors - so he decides it’s time to visit his wife again
This is the first book in this series that I’ve read and it was fun! Even though it’s book 3, it reads as a standalone. I do feel like I would have understood more references, lore and side characters if I’d read the others first, but I didn’t feel like it necessarily took away from this story. I enjoyed the world and the magic system - it was interesting! I also enjoyed the rivals to lovers dynamics between Delton and Xara as their story evolved.
Overall this was a 3 star read for me. I feel like I probably would have enjoyed it more had I read the rest of the series, because some parts were lost to me - but I enjoyed reading about this world and will add the rest of the series to my TBR! This book was a smidge of a slow burn but did have a few spicy moments, so overall two flames for spice
If you like books with rivals to lovers, broody kings, arranged marriages, magic, politics and secrets, then definitely check this one out!!
May 31, 2023
3.5 ⭐️
The Kings Bride is the 3rd book in the series. It is advertised that it can be a standalone though. The beginning of the book does open up the story if you haven’t read the previous books. I do wonder if I read the previous books, I may understand or appreciate things in this books
This was a slow burn but when it finally got there, oh did it burn. 🔥
The story follow Delton and Xara. Delton lost trust in women, when the only person he loved killed his parents. Now he wants to get revenge. He arranges a marriage to the daughter of the man responsible for his parents death and then exiles her.
Xara wanted to please her new husband, but instead he exiled her. Now she is extracting her own revenge. When their paths cross due to a political issue, the passion between them makes it hard for them to hate each-other. Lines begin to blur and secrets are revealed that could jeopardize their futures.
I don’t normally read Fantasy or kings and queens tropes, but I did enjoy this! The plot was good and I liked the twists that were included throughout. Xara and Deltons chemistry was on point. I enjoyed the back and forth.
Something that bothered me about that book was the point of views. It was dual POV, but I felt like it was a mix of first person and 3rd person, which at times confused me. It didn’t take away from the story line though.
Thank you P.S Scott for allowing me to read the ARC and give my honest opinion.
The Kings Bride is the 3rd book in the series. It is advertised that it can be a standalone though. The beginning of the book does open up the story if you haven’t read the previous books. I do wonder if I read the previous books, I may understand or appreciate things in this books
This was a slow burn but when it finally got there, oh did it burn. 🔥
The story follow Delton and Xara. Delton lost trust in women, when the only person he loved killed his parents. Now he wants to get revenge. He arranges a marriage to the daughter of the man responsible for his parents death and then exiles her.
Xara wanted to please her new husband, but instead he exiled her. Now she is extracting her own revenge. When their paths cross due to a political issue, the passion between them makes it hard for them to hate each-other. Lines begin to blur and secrets are revealed that could jeopardize their futures.
I don’t normally read Fantasy or kings and queens tropes, but I did enjoy this! The plot was good and I liked the twists that were included throughout. Xara and Deltons chemistry was on point. I enjoyed the back and forth.
Something that bothered me about that book was the point of views. It was dual POV, but I felt like it was a mix of first person and 3rd person, which at times confused me. It didn’t take away from the story line though.
Thank you P.S Scott for allowing me to read the ARC and give my honest opinion.
May 24, 2023
⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ .75/5 (rounded up for goodreads rating)
🌶 🌶 🌶 .5/5
This book is part of a series but can be read as a standalone.
I loved the concept of this book. Xara's struggle to overcome her past traumas while regaining her power in a potentially powerless situation was a brilliant character arc. I loved how she found her was to exact her revenge and undermine those who wronged her.
Delton, who had significant trauma that definitely shaped his focus and bred his anger, was an interesting dichotomy. He was so completely adverse to love while craving it so deeply he couldn't recognize it. I enjoyed the overall opposing magic and forces between Xara and Delton while they ultimately were very similar at their core.
My biggest struggles were in how quickly it seemed that Xara forgave and accepted Delton. For all of her strength and what she had been through I felt that she very quickly put aside her anger and hurt for him. I will say that the ending wasn't what I was expecting and really did redeem this plot issue for the most part. I really enjoyed where the author ended up taking both characters.
Having now read this book I'd like to go back and read her previous books in the series to get more insight into some of the other characters. This was a fun read with a good level of fantasy romance.
🌶 🌶 🌶 .5/5
This book is part of a series but can be read as a standalone.
I loved the concept of this book. Xara's struggle to overcome her past traumas while regaining her power in a potentially powerless situation was a brilliant character arc. I loved how she found her was to exact her revenge and undermine those who wronged her.
Delton, who had significant trauma that definitely shaped his focus and bred his anger, was an interesting dichotomy. He was so completely adverse to love while craving it so deeply he couldn't recognize it. I enjoyed the overall opposing magic and forces between Xara and Delton while they ultimately were very similar at their core.
My biggest struggles were in how quickly it seemed that Xara forgave and accepted Delton. For all of her strength and what she had been through I felt that she very quickly put aside her anger and hurt for him. I will say that the ending wasn't what I was expecting and really did redeem this plot issue for the most part. I really enjoyed where the author ended up taking both characters.
Having now read this book I'd like to go back and read her previous books in the series to get more insight into some of the other characters. This was a fun read with a good level of fantasy romance.
June 8, 2023
4.5 stars. Xara was already one of my favorite characters who has appeared in this series so I was excited to get her story. She had a difficult childhood with her father being crap and her mother being dead. So she idealized marriage and romance in her mind. So when the royal marriage was arranged she was undoubtedly looking at it through rose colored glasses. Delton also went through some tragedies in his youth, although his parents were loving and brought him up well, having to watch them be slaughtered in front of him really scarred in a way none of us can really understand. Their union wasn’t exactly set up for success in the beginning. Xara needed time to realize her own power and grow from the naive over emotional girl who tried to kill herself after being rejected. Delton needed time to work through his anger and vengefulness enough to be able to see things more clearly, to truly appreciate the gift he was given in Xara. They are truly two halves, his light is shrouded in darkness and her light shines bright enough to hide her darkness. Separately they are very powerful beings in their own right, but together they make each other even better. I’m always excited to see where the underworld will take me next and P. S. hasn’t disappointed. The journey with Xara, Delton, and Ifer was so satisfying.
May 17, 2023
Thank you so much P.S. Scott for sending me this ARC!
The King’s Bride is a Fantasy Romance book with a second chance enemies to lovers romance and an arranged marriage between a demon king and a human princess that I loved! It’s the third book in the Scions of the Underworld series, but can be read as a standalone (I haven’t read the two previous books and still enjoyed this one a lot).
After marrying Xara to get revenge on her father, Delton exiled his new wife and spent almost a century away from her. But now, Delton needs to find the biggest criminal in his kingdom and he thinks Xara might be able to help him… But what he doesn’t know is that the wife he thought useless is actually the criminal he is trying to catch and with their pasts and presents colliding, Delton and Xara will realize they might have been wrong about each other and will have to decide if they want to take a chance to have more than a loveless marriage.
I simply adore our main characters, both Xara and Delton were extremely well written and it was easy to relate to them and understand their decisions. Xara was a really great FMC, she became so strong and badass after the wedding and I loved reading about her double life, it was really interesting. Delton, our MMC, was also amazing and I loved reading about all the ways he was trying to win Xara when he finally realized his mistakes, there was also the case of “he falls first” in this book which is one of my favorite tropes!
After everything that happened in their pasts, Xara and Delton take a while to truly give themselves a second chance and I loved reading about their slow burn romance, they have so many great scenes together and it’s so worth the wait to see their relationship grow, I loved them as a couple.
The King’s Bride is a really great Fantasy Romance, I loved the characters, the plot and the romance and hope we will get to see more of Xara and Delton in the author’s next books because I can’t get enough of them!
The King’s Bride is a Fantasy Romance book with a second chance enemies to lovers romance and an arranged marriage between a demon king and a human princess that I loved! It’s the third book in the Scions of the Underworld series, but can be read as a standalone (I haven’t read the two previous books and still enjoyed this one a lot).
After marrying Xara to get revenge on her father, Delton exiled his new wife and spent almost a century away from her. But now, Delton needs to find the biggest criminal in his kingdom and he thinks Xara might be able to help him… But what he doesn’t know is that the wife he thought useless is actually the criminal he is trying to catch and with their pasts and presents colliding, Delton and Xara will realize they might have been wrong about each other and will have to decide if they want to take a chance to have more than a loveless marriage.
I simply adore our main characters, both Xara and Delton were extremely well written and it was easy to relate to them and understand their decisions. Xara was a really great FMC, she became so strong and badass after the wedding and I loved reading about her double life, it was really interesting. Delton, our MMC, was also amazing and I loved reading about all the ways he was trying to win Xara when he finally realized his mistakes, there was also the case of “he falls first” in this book which is one of my favorite tropes!
After everything that happened in their pasts, Xara and Delton take a while to truly give themselves a second chance and I loved reading about their slow burn romance, they have so many great scenes together and it’s so worth the wait to see their relationship grow, I loved them as a couple.
The King’s Bride is a really great Fantasy Romance, I loved the characters, the plot and the romance and hope we will get to see more of Xara and Delton in the author’s next books because I can’t get enough of them!
May 25, 2023
My heart 🥹🥺 the emotional roller coaster this book had me on was just amazing! Delton was a shell of the man he once was when he married Xara and she paid a price for crimes that weren’t hers. Now that time has passed and there is unrest in the kingdom, Delton returns to the wife he sent away and capture the man who is going against him. However a lot of time has passed and things change, Xara is not the woman she was when they met and now that Delton is nearer, it’s brings along a lot of problems for her. In their increased proximity to each other and trying to find out each others secrets, feelings are developed and lines are blurred. With lines blurring, secrets are becoming harder to conceal. Can their budding relationship and love survive their secrets and betrayal? I was on edge the closer we got secrets being revealed and my heart dropped to floor. Seeing their relationship grow made my heart so happy. Which in turn made it shatter when secrets were revealed and harsh words were exchanged. 10/10 would and will likely read again. LOVED IT 🖤
May 28, 2023
The King's Bride
Scions of the Underworld #3
Fantasy
P.S. Scott
⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
While this is the third book in the series, it can be read as a standalone.
The start was quite slow and there were some info dumps here and there, which I'm not keen on.
I liked the plot twists and the slow reveal of secrets. I was kept curious the whole way throughout the book as I was trying to predict what was going to happen.
Xara was an interesting character. She was developed well and I liked how she grew as a person. The chemistry between Xara and Delton was good. I liked their growing attraction to each other, although certain aspects of it moved a little too fast for me.
I would've liked more details about the magic and how the magic system works but I assume that was covered in the previous books.
If you like spice, a marriage of convenience, second chance romances and secrets, then this may be the book for you.
*Thank you to P.S. Scott for providing this ARC. This is my own opinion and an honest review, which I am leaving voluntarily*
Scions of the Underworld #3
Fantasy
P.S. Scott
⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
While this is the third book in the series, it can be read as a standalone.
The start was quite slow and there were some info dumps here and there, which I'm not keen on.
I liked the plot twists and the slow reveal of secrets. I was kept curious the whole way throughout the book as I was trying to predict what was going to happen.
Xara was an interesting character. She was developed well and I liked how she grew as a person. The chemistry between Xara and Delton was good. I liked their growing attraction to each other, although certain aspects of it moved a little too fast for me.
I would've liked more details about the magic and how the magic system works but I assume that was covered in the previous books.
If you like spice, a marriage of convenience, second chance romances and secrets, then this may be the book for you.
*Thank you to P.S. Scott for providing this ARC. This is my own opinion and an honest review, which I am leaving voluntarily*
May 18, 2023
Okay, this will be my favourite book and a favourite couple of 2023.
This is my first book by this author so I am excited to read the first two books of this series.
I hated Delton in the first half of the book. But after his reasons and after his character development I loved him so much. He was so in love with Xara that I wanted someone to love me like him. I also liked his monologues.
And about Xara, I first hated how she easily folded to him in some chapters. But if I was in her place I would have also folded if he was so in love with me. I wanted her to come out saying she was Ifer to everyone. But then she will be killed or exiled.
And the plot was good but I knew it will go in which way from the beginning. But I thought Delton will know Xara is Ifer when they are fighting each other on the battlefield. I wanted to see them fighting against each other.
It was so spicy🌶 I would not read it in a public place.
I am so in love with Delton, Xara and this book.
This is my first book by this author so I am excited to read the first two books of this series.
I hated Delton in the first half of the book. But after his reasons and after his character development I loved him so much. He was so in love with Xara that I wanted someone to love me like him. I also liked his monologues.
And about Xara, I first hated how she easily folded to him in some chapters. But if I was in her place I would have also folded if he was so in love with me. I wanted her to come out saying she was Ifer to everyone. But then she will be killed or exiled.
And the plot was good but I knew it will go in which way from the beginning. But I thought Delton will know Xara is Ifer when they are fighting each other on the battlefield. I wanted to see them fighting against each other.
It was so spicy🌶 I would not read it in a public place.
I am so in love with Delton, Xara and this book.
May 25, 2023
The King’s Bride by P.S Scott is a steamy second chance, enemies-to-lovers fantasy romance with a happy ending (HEA). It can be read as a standalone. Be prepared for lots of angst, slow-burn romance, and heartache. Also there’s some things in this book that could be upsetting so, ⚠️⚠️check your trigger warnings!!⚠️⚠️ This is the first book I’ve read by this author and I absolutely loved it! I read this book in one sitting and I can’t begin to tell you how good this was! It was fantastic!!!
The world and plot was described in such a way that it was so easy to picture what you were reading. The story was full of action and suspense; I couldn’t get enough. I loved reading how Xara and Delton came together, how they grew together. The growth of these characters were top tier! Gosh, the intrigue in this book was also top level. I cannot recommend this book enough! Amazing!!!
Final review:
5 out of 5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The characters
5 out of 5 crowns 👑👑👑👑👑
The world and plot was described in such a way that it was so easy to picture what you were reading. The story was full of action and suspense; I couldn’t get enough. I loved reading how Xara and Delton came together, how they grew together. The growth of these characters were top tier! Gosh, the intrigue in this book was also top level. I cannot recommend this book enough! Amazing!!!
Final review:
5 out of 5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The characters
5 out of 5 crowns 👑👑👑👑👑
May 27, 2023
What’s a book you were pleasantly surprised by? Me? The Kings Bride by P.S. Scott.
Being book 3 in this series makes no difference as they are all standalones that interconnect through characters.
Tropes featured:
❤️Enemies to lovers
❤️Hidden Identities
❤️Wild Goose Chase
❤️Second Chance Romance
❤️Slow burn with spicy payoff
The book really starts off with a bang and from there it’s as if you’re watching a car crash happen in slow motion yet you can’t look away - BUT IN THE BEST WAY POSSIBLE!!! You inevitably know what is coming but can’t inform the characters as you read. The characters themselves were really well thought out and written fabulously. My heart hurt for both of them equally but was warmed as old scars were treated and healed. I love that Delton while fierce and overbearing didn’t drown Xara’s character out and she stood firmly on her own two feet when she needed to.
Spiciness: 4/5 🌶️ once you get there - The way Delton dirty talks 🥵
Being book 3 in this series makes no difference as they are all standalones that interconnect through characters.
Tropes featured:
❤️Enemies to lovers
❤️Hidden Identities
❤️Wild Goose Chase
❤️Second Chance Romance
❤️Slow burn with spicy payoff
The book really starts off with a bang and from there it’s as if you’re watching a car crash happen in slow motion yet you can’t look away - BUT IN THE BEST WAY POSSIBLE!!! You inevitably know what is coming but can’t inform the characters as you read. The characters themselves were really well thought out and written fabulously. My heart hurt for both of them equally but was warmed as old scars were treated and healed. I love that Delton while fierce and overbearing didn’t drown Xara’s character out and she stood firmly on her own two feet when she needed to.
Spiciness: 4/5 🌶️ once you get there - The way Delton dirty talks 🥵
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