King of Spades

Black Spades #1

by Steph Macca

I never expected to start my 18th birthday off with a bang. Literally.

This town was run by violent gangs and I lived a quiet life as the criminal prosecutor's daughter. But the day of my 18th birthday, everything changed. Suddenly I was on the radar of both gangs. I should be scared. I should be fearful.

But my desire for danger has taken over.

I could be walking into a trap. But Reed, Colton and Grayson, the infamous Spades Trio are dragging me into the darkness...

And down the rabbit's hole I go....





Please note this is a dark contemporary gang novel. It contains violence, adult themes and a minor reference to birth trauma. Readers should proceed with caution and take care if they have known triggers.


KING OF SPADES is a full length mature dark high school gang related adult romance with some enemies-to-lovers themes. This is a reverse harem novel, meaning the main female character has more than one love interest. KING OF SPADES is book one in the Black Spades Trilogy.

Genres: Dark, High School, Romance, Dark Romance, Why Choose, Enemies To Lovers, Contemporary

239 pages, Paperback

First published January 14, 2022

About the author

Bestselling Dark Romance Author
Author of Unhinged 🔪

Knock Knock, Little Killer

Reviews

[TP · Rating 1 out of 5]

I am struggling not even 20% into the book.
The world building is questionable, I don’t like school kids acting like grown up criminals, but still present a mindset of a teenager, makes no sense to me and is not alluring.

Admittedly, I don’t like reverse harem themes but that wasn’t even the issue here.

The lead female character just was too immature for me, and not due to her age. Simply because of irrational and incomprehensible reckless behaviour. I don’t like people and book characters creating their own drama due to their silly actions. Life is hard enough I don’t need to read about stupidity.

So, said female lead had two attempts on her life, the assassin of the last attempt even confirmed he was directly paid to kill her, but the next morning she awakes, without any injuries or bruises despite being assaulted and thrown around fighting in the woods, not a few hours earlier.
She had apparently some memory loss, because she decides this is all not a big deal.
Not a big deal that someone actively tried to harm and kill her and only due to some luck she was rescued by some fellow students. No big deal to witness the assailant being killed right in front of her.
No she decides this is all not a real threat to her.
What kind of sense does that make?
Even after her father tells her, he is threatened by the people he prosecutes, she downplays it.
And to creat more silly drama, she spontaneously decides to again ignore all rational thinking and that someone is out there trying to kill her and has no qualms and thinks it is a good idea to go to an illegal underground fight she just got a dubious invite for over her cell phone.
We have a female lead suddenly acting all bad ass and wanting to join the dark side, on the day she turned eighteen. Which made me wonder as a reader what she did all those 17 years prior acting like a good little lawyer kid? Because there was not given any catalyst that would have made her sudden change in personality believable. And the lame two reasons the author attempts to justify her behaviour with didn’t work either, because the question still lingered, why now?

I found it appalling how it is so very important what everyone is wearing and how beautiful and irresistible everyone is apparently looking. This is all the female lead is focused on when describing the different people she encounters.

This is simply stupidity, superficiality and a one dimensional mind set I don’t have time for.

[Mysti · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ugh. Sometimes it sucks falling in love with an author and then reading something I don't love. I feel so guilty for not loving it! But I'm always honest. Even though I didn't "love" this one, I did enjoy it and will finish it. Everyone in this fic is 18 and it's reverse harem. UPDATED to add series info.

Well, if this was fire, then burn me down, and I’ll become queen of the fucking ashes.

Blair Fortin (not a virgin, makes really stupid decisions) has a relatively boring, safe life. Since her dad is a criminal prosecutor and her mom deceased, Blair gets a lot of free time to drink, smoke, and party. Her side of town is ruled by the Black Spades while the other side of town is ruled by a rival gang, the Hunters. After a string of bad luck, she finds herself in the web of Reed Xanderson (son of the Black Spades leader), Grayson Parker (son of Black Spades 2nd-in-command), and Colton Cadman (grouchy as fuck).

Poor Blair is constantly getting attacked and things are always "fading to black" for her. The boys have to rescue her a LOT, though she does hold her own in a lot of the fights. Spending so much time with the sexy men, things turn physical with two of them. YUMMY. The third naughty boy is holding out.

Fire festivals, file cabinets, "this end up", messy mommies, bad boys for life, scooby-doo mysteries, and this ends on a cliffy after the gang discover a super-secret!

SEX: Really delicious. Some roaming hands moments at the beginning with full pounding power at 53%. It wasn't loaded down with sex, but at least 3 full fun times and they were GOOD. There's at least one piercing and I suspect the third player will be pierced too. SERIES: Dude. There is so much freaking sex in Book 2 and Book 3 that I started skimming the sex scenes. There's more sex than story. Oh - another thing I appreciated about Steph Macca is there are no annoying condoms. Thank goddess that she recognizes that this is fictional and they aren't required.

POV: Unfortunately, all three books are Blair's POV, and since I don't like her, it brought everything down for me.

BLAIR: I like that Blair is a little different, but she doesn't fit the image at the start. You think she's a semi-sheltered attorney's kid, doesn't have a lot of friends. Hell - her school uniform doesn't even fit her, yet she has $300 cash to just throw away? She's also 5'9" (wtf), smokes both cigs and weed, can handle her liquor, can fight, and she owns her sexual desires. The thing that super irritated me was that she always did dumb shit like walking into a dark place with a STRANGER when she knows someone is trying to kill her!!! Who does that?!

OVERKILL: What probably caused the most issues with me, besides Blair, was the repetition and overkill. Obsidian eyes was listed 14 times, and electric blue eyes was said 12 times. We get it already. They have nice eyes. Plus, every single one of Blair's outfits was described in detail. I get that it sets the scene, but I don't need that much information. The guys were always locking eyes with a "silent conversation playing out between them".

Personally - I LOVE LOVE LOVE Steph Macca's "Dance with My Demons" series, and I recommend that one. So freaking good.

UPDATED: I've finished the series and I def wasn't a fan.
BLAIR: Jesus, I did NOT like this girl. I've never seen someone get stabbed, blown up, and beaten as much as she is. And she's always recovered within a day! I would think she'd have some permanent damage by now! Plus, she always did stupid shit!! I wanted to strangle her. I can believe that an 18yo makes stupid decisions, but I can't make that same person also be the "queen" of the Spades. They don't mesh. Plus, she did go from regular high school student to Queen pretty damn quickly.

OVERKILL: The outfit and eye color descriptions did go down significantly, which I appreciated. Everything else was just too much. You can only have so many attacks, kidnappings, knife fights, explosions, etc. before it's just OVERKILL. It would have made more sense to cut a few sex scenes, and take it down to two books.
SIDE PIECES
John Fortin: Blair's dad.
Quinn: Blair's BFF.
Levi: Blair's other BFF.
Etta: Grayson's mom.
Spencer: Grayson's stepbrother.
William Damazo: Grayson's stepdad. Second in command of Black Spades.
Blagden Aalders: Part of the Black Spades.
Harmon Hunter: Leader of the Hunters.
Valentina: Hunter's wife.

[Coco.V]

🎁 FREE on Amazon today (2/13/2022)! 🎁

[Ines · Rating 5 out of 5]

Blair's 18th birthday could have gone better; she didn't really imagine arriving late at school and getting detention because her car exploded while she was fetching a coffee. When an unknown person tries to murder her a few days later, Blair is saved by Reed, Colton and Grayson and swept up in the world of violence and gangs.

I have to say: Steph Macca starts her author career with a bang, both literally and figuratively. This is a really well written debut with a decent plot and plenty of action, both outside and inside the bedroom. Blair is a young fmc, and her behavior fits with her age at times, but I enjoyed watching her come out of her shell and become more badass along the way. And then the men... If you like your men hot, possessive and slightly unhinged you will like these guys. This is a dark romance, with plenty of bloody scenes, so you might want to skip reading this if you have any triggers. But if you like dark contemporary RH romance, with dangerous but protective guys, I recommend reading this one. It doesn't end in a real cliffhanger, but it is clear there is more to come for Blair and her guys. I'm already looking forward to it!

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[hea booktubes · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not the worst dark romance I’ve ever read.

[H · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story, plot was good. I had issues with the FMC whiny at times and weak, but then suddenly fierce and can fight? Wished it gave more at the end about their future together. They got her a car? (Eyeroll)

[Michele · Rating 2 out of 5]

Blair is living a lie and doesn't know it. Gang leaders, Reed, Colton, and Greyson are trying to help her. I couldn't get over the fact that Blair not only accepts the violence, not even reacting to dead bodies or murder, but she actively participates in it. This series won't be for me. This is a problem with reviews, I guess, they are very subjective. The story wasn't for me, but the writing was good. Maybe it's a love it or hate it kind of book.

[🦉Maggie Whitworth · Rating 5 out of 5]

❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
🥵
💋💋
😈

Full of action, dark romance, RH .
Lots of characters that will grow on you throughout this series.
Definitely one you don’t want to miss.

[Allyson Mckenzie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A roller coaster ride of passion maturely written to evoke an emotional response. Cannot wait for what comes next!

Well rounded characters with thoughtful development that supported the narrative.

Definitely recommended to anyone in need of a laugh and some escapism after a late night sweet treat...

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[emily ♡ · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was a little worse than “meh” for me.
Listen, I LOVE cheesy & unrealistic shit. Like… LOVE. But something about this just didn’t work for me ://

It was a little TOO much wattpad, “I wake up in the morning & stare into my amber eyes whilst fixing my auburn hair” 🥲

This was a debut novel for this author (i read that she wrote this book in a week 👀) & the writing just seemed a little juvenile to me 😬

Again, I am NOT the person to critic cheesy writing usually, so for me to even notice it… is kind of an issue to me 🤷🏻‍♀️
The chapters were also BEYOND short, like 3 pages sometimes?? I like short chapters as much as the next girl but we can’t even get the chapter started before it’s over 😭

The plot was actually good though! I did figure out the plot twist literally in chapter seven (like actually i wrote it down and everything) but it was still a LOT of fun!!!

The relationships between the boys (Reed, Colton, & Grayson) were underdeveloped but I think that was just a first book issue & i’m sure they’ll evolve more.

(Also why does literally EVERY reverse harem book have a reed, colton, or grayson 🙄🙄 Let’s google some different names ladies)

Unfortunately me & this book didn’t click, but that doesn’t mean you won’t like it so if enjoy gang related stories, corny FMC’s, & EXTREMELY short chapters, give this a shot!
xox

[Jen Pritchard · Rating 5 out of 5]

A coming of age book where the heroine becomes a very bad girl who goes after everything and everyone she wants - and you can't help but love her.

This is a fast-paced romp through a world of gangs, cage fights, extortion, fast cars, and wild sex with lashings of female sexual empowerment.

I couldn't put this book down. The author has a great ability to enable the reader to suspend all sense of reality and immerse themselves in the character's world of constant surprises as she questions everything except her journey to become the queen she knows she must.

[Molly · Rating 4 out of 5]

I decided to give this a try after reading and loving A Day of Ruin, and overall, this did not disappoint! I really enjoyed it. It was fun, fast-paced, easy to read, flowed well, and had plenty of action/suspense to keep things interesting.

I really liked the plot/story, writing, pacing, action/suspense, and MCs. There were several action/suspense parts that included some of my favorite tropes/themes, like the MMCs coming to the rescue (more than once), MMCs finding FMC hurt/in need of help, FMC being attacked and kicking ass and fleeing, car chase, car ambush, kidnapping and rescue. Those parts made the book and were exactly what I was wanting and hoping for in a gang-life RH!

Also, I really liked the FMC. FMCs can make or break a RH, and Blair was likable, relatable, funny, and the perfect balance of strong and “weak.” She was tough, badass, and not afraid to throw down and get her hands dirty, but she was also vulnerable, hurt, emotional (I hate that word but idk what else to use🤔), and needed the MMCs’ assistance. She sometimes annoyed me (a little) and made dumb decisions, but they were mostly understandable given her age, the situation, and what she had been through and added to her “realness.” I loved her personality, confidence, self-awareness, sense of humor, and perseverance. Sometimes, especially in RHs (at least with my experience), FMCs can come across as trying too hard and being too “badass” and too “perfect,” and where their only or main personality trait is thinking about and having sex and lusting after guys. I mean there was some of that here but nothing too OTT. And most of it was her making fun of herself but also embracing it, which was a fun balance. Plus she had other personality traits and thoughts other than wanting males lol.

Also, yay for the MMCs being super caring and protective from the start🙌🏻🙌🏻🙌🏻! Love that! I was worried this would have bullying within the harem but am so glad it didn’t!🥳

Some things that bothered me and prevented me from giving 5 stars, even though I really enjoyed this as a whole and could not put it down:
-The lack of safe-sex practices and/or conversations. There’s no mention of a condom, STIs, birth control, etc. anywhere ever. This is a pet peeve of mine in books, even though yes, I know, it’s fiction. But it just rubs me the wrong way when MCs don’t even discuss things. Only takes a few sentences or questions.🤦‍♀️ I felt the same about Day of Ruin.
-The action/suspense toward the end and the “reveal.” I wish this had been executed better and more drawn out. It felt very rushed and the way the information was abruptly (and easily) presented felt inauthentic. (It was like in movies where the villain easily admits to things for the sake of exposition and explaining things to the viewer, and you’re like really?) The dialogue could have been stronger imo. I wasn’t too shocked about the reveal. I knew something was iffy, but idk if I buy her “dad” pretending for 18 years, and she had no idea? Playing the dotting dad for 18 years, just to get access to an inheritance (if I’m understanding correctly?). That’s a little unbelievable to me. The way that scene went down just felt too rushed and cheap and left me a little confused, dissatisfied, and took me out of the story. I was hoping for a stronger last few chapters.
-“Obsidian eyes.” 👀 uhhhh we get it, Colton’s eyes are obsidian. This phrase was used too much.😬 Like so much. It says 14 times, but I’m convinced it was at least twice that. Grayson and Reed’s emerald and blue eyes were also mentioned a lot, but they didn’t bug me as much as Colton’s lol. What is it with eye colors/vibes always being so often repeated in books?🤔 I don’t get it. I guess trying to set the scene and express emotion, since the eyes are the windows to the soul?
-Ughhh and why did Quinn have to die? She was the only other female character and Blair’s only friend. Her death felt like it was added just for shock value and to have a character die. Idk. Maybe it will make sense in the next book? She was only in a few scenes, so it didn’t hurt or shock that much, but still… I didn’t like it.

Overall, this was an enjoyable, fun, and fast-paced RH, gang-life read. I’m definitely invested in the story and characters and can’t wait to see what happens next! Hopefully there’s plenty more action/suspense!😁

[Felicia Campbell · Rating 4 out of 5]

King of spades- ( Black Spades Trilogy book 1)
Steph Macca
17/01/2022
260pgs
🌟🌟🌟🌟
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

Fave Quote: "Why the fuck is there a Lemon."  🤣

This is the first book in the  Black Spades Trilogy a dark high school
reverse harem romance and omg does Speth Maaca know how to write a good book I'm not usually into high school romance  but this one had me so intrigued, its an engrossing read that had me completely in a chokehold  the entire time, I could not put this book down I read it within two days it's very faced paced also.  So Blair the main FMC is the daughter of a prosecutor named  john &  he is investigating these shady ASF gang members but something goes wrong & John disappears. This  town is divided by two gangs one side is the Black Spades & the other being The Hunters, The night Blair turns 18 she is attacked by a man  in the woods  but then suddenly the trio of the black spades Reed, Grayson and Carlton our main MMC's become very  interested in our girl Blair &  happens to save her life. Blair then becomes in awe & grows closer to both Grayson and Reed the  electricity & spice between both men is hot asf However, Carlton is mean & a complete dick to her, But man I know that man is a freak!! 🥵 The gang warfare of blood, torture and murder was extremely well written, the plot is good,  however I wish their was more of a  pov from the guys side of things but I'm guessing we might get that in the next book hopefully, I just  love how the  storyline  is slowly unfolding, Blair is also finding more confidence in herself which i love for her. This book leaves on a  cliffhanger, I cannot wait to dive into the next book.. I highly recommend this read!! ♥️

⚠️ Warnings-
Body horror, Confinement, Death

Trope's-
-Dark Romance
-High School
-Strong FMC
- Protective alpha males
-Reverse Harmen
- Enemies to lovers
- Lies & Serects
-Intense
-Murder
-Gang/Mafia
-Drama
-Touch her & die

[ForTheLoveOfBooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oooo That ending though🔥🔥🔥🔥 (Spoilers)

I really enjoyed this storyline. There were a few oddly worded sentences and words used in a weird way but for the most part I couldn’t put it down. I found myself forgoing everything else to finish this book.

I was happy to find that even though Blair had submissive characteristics she was also very strong willed and that never changed. She took no crap from nobody. Especially when it came to Colton.

It was a nice change to see that even though Colton is outwardly brutal, it was the flirtatious Grayson that was truly the scary one when it came to brutality.

I like how that even though I made some assumptions and they turned out to be right there was no way to truly know I was right until the informations was revealed.

I was completely shocked when Quinn is killed. I figured she was going to get tangled up on things but I never thought it would go as far as her dying. Although I didn’t really feel any real attachment towards her. And clearly since Blair kind glossed over after the day of the event Blair wasn’t all that devastated herself. Which was odd being as she claimed her to be her best friend.

I will say that there is plenty of steam to be had in this book and I cannot wait to read book #2.

[Bookish Spy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Was this just as addictive as Steph's other books? Yes
Was it cheesy and cringe af? Also, yes

Some of this writing I honestly just pretended didn't exist. I was fully hooked by the story, but when the FMC and her best friend keep going on about fire and flames and being burned every single time they talk... I just can't

“You know I love you. And I know, I know, you feel caged. But don’t play with fire. You will get burned, babe.”

“Blair lives in a lawful good world, but she is chaotically good. She’s a bird trapped in a cage. Except the cage is on fire, and she’s desperate to break free.”

“And I stand by that. But only because I don’t want you to get burnt. If you… know how to avoid the flames, well, I guess you never get burnt, do you?”

Like this is just three separate occasions and all lines from the FMCs best friend. I just want to implode... this is so unnatural and cringe-worthy it hurts

I'm still somehow obsessed with the story and will be immediately reading the next one, but I can't explain why that is. It just is, lol

➛ 𝟐.𝟓 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐬

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

!!! SPOILERS !!!

Another great read from Steph Macca! I’ll admit, it took me a little while to get into it, but after a certain point, I was completely hooked.
Blair is an interesting character and while I understand that some of her decisions were necessary for the plot, I couldn’t help but wish she’d made a few different choices (like maybe just hanging out with her friend at the house instead!). Still, I’m really hoping to see her grow into more of a badass as the series continues. I do enjoy the good old “guy saves/protects the girl” moments, but there’s something even more satisfying about a strong female lead who can fight her own battles and escape - like the industrial part.
Quinn was a standout for me, I really liked her and she was a good friend to Blair, I was really sad by her ending…
Grayson is easily my favorite. I absolutely loved both sides of his character: the sweet side and the dark side.
I can’t wait to see how things develop between Colton and Blair in the next book. Hope it’s a slow burn, those are great.
The spice scenes were great too 😉

[✨✨ Claire✨✨ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved this book!

A great gang related storyline/romance/twist.

Blair turns 18 and suddenly everything changes and she has no clue why. All her life it was her and her dad, lawyer John, in a city run by two gangs - one side is the Black Spades, and the other is The Hunters. Naturally he warns her off both.
But on her 18th birthday suddenly the trio, Reed, Grayson and Carlton are very interested in her.

And they're not the only ones.
Her car explodes. Someone tries to kidnap her. She's ran off the road while with the Spades... And her dad goes missing.

However, Blair is getting closer to both Grayson and Reed and the electricity between both pairs bounces off the pages. However, Carlton is frosty and constantly off with her.

The cliffhanger is a great one and I love the way the story is unfolding! Blair is slowly finding more confidence in herself and it seems to be a long time coming.....

[Emmi (bookish_redpanda) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Format: 📱 eBook 📱

What an amazing start to Blair's story! Honestly, I was hooked from the very first page -- when you lead in with your car getting blown up on your 18th birthday, you know shit is gonna go down, and I was gladly there for the ride.

Blair is an FMC not to be messed with, and I loved reading her grow over the course of the book, despite everything that was thrown her way.

This story is full of action, twists and turns, and an underlying mystery that has you turning the pages, wanting to read more and find out just what was going to happen next.

The MMC's - Reed, Greyson and Colton - I loved that they all fell for Blair at their own pace, and I loved how Macca managed to make three men part of the same gang, with the same purpose, so unique. The banter between them and Blair is top notch, as is the spice when it hits.

That cliffhanger? I was so glad I had the next book in the series ready to go, because that was a doozy.

[Brandi Augustine · Rating 5 out of 5]

So good

King of Spades is an amazing book. I was hooked right from the start. Blair is the daughter of a prosecutor and goes to school where gang members go and they pretty much own the place.

On Blair's 18th birthday her life seems to take a crazy turn and doesn't seem to turn back. Her car pretty much explodes in her driveway and thinks it's because it is older and from oil leak. She goes to school where she has odd encounters with the Kings of Spade. Spade being a gang. They are Reed the leader, and Colton who seems terrifying and a fighter, and Grayson the flirt.

As Blair is getting threats and finding herself with people trying to hurt her, she finds the guys come to her rescue all the time. She ends up spending time with them and the Attraction for them build even though one acts like he hates her.

So many twists and turns and some didn't see coming. Definitely a great book and can't wait to read next.

[Gina_M_N]

I found this Authors book, in late September "Unhinged" and it was really good then bought the series, and didn't regret it till the last book, but thought, that could have been just one of those things that just don't work out the way you planed, so I started to read, another of her series, The lies we keep, and well I only read the second book cause of the cliffhanger at the end of book 1, and am honestly good with not continuing that series, but read a novela that I really liked and thought fuck it, lets read, the King of spades series. I just couldn't keep reading, I can't stand a stupid person that continuously does stupid shit, for no logical reason, but to make the MMC's get mad and screw her silly, don't get me wrong I like spice but there is a time and place for it. I am not gonna rate it cause well I read it when I already knew I would probably not like the writing. But will not be reading a y more books by this author.

[Jess McDaniel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I LOVE gang romances! They're usually pretty crime filled and gritty and King of Spades is no different. I've had this one sitting on my kindle for a week or so, and I could not put it down today!

Blair is the daughter of a prosecutor and being that the town is divided by two gangs, it makes sense that she would be targeted because of her father. I love Blair! She may be at war with herself at times, but she has Reed, Grayson and sometimes Colton to help her. She may be stepping into her role as queen, but she still gets scared, and it shows how real people can be in these situations.

This book may be full of gang action, but it's also 🥵🥵🥵 holy moly! Colton is just.. *sigh* he's a jerk, but I can't wait for him to come around because it's going to be 🔥🔥🔥

I'm excited to see where this series is going to go! Jumping into book two now!

[Katrina · Rating 4 out of 5]

🌟🌟🌟🌟

I wasn’t sure how I would feel about this series. I typically don’t like gang series, but this had gotten good reviews, so I decided to give it a try.

I’m so glad I did! Blair (the main female character) has a been brought up as the “perfect” and innocent daughter of a prosecutor. On her 18th birthday, she starts to attract the attention of the Spades, one of two gangs in her area. She quickly finds out that her life has been a lie, and has become the prey to the Hunters (the other gang in her area). The Spades (Reed, Grayson, and the reluctant Colton) have started to protect her. The danger becomes more real as her relationship with Reid and Colton grows.

While this book doesn’t end on a cliffhanger, you know that there is a continuation to the story, and luckily, there is no wait, as this is a completed series!

[Miruru Shouting · Rating 3 out of 5]

MFMM (RH with no MM), high school, enemies to lovers, gangs

Blair is pretty naive and innocent and sometimes does stupid things, as only a typical young 18 year old high school FMC would do. Reed, Grayson, and Colton try to keep her safe, but she's headstrong and does what she wants anyway. Blair has a few badass standup moments but they seemed a bit out-of-character to her innocent normal know-nothing character, so that was a bit jarring.

Didn't see that plot twist near the end coming, but the end result for her best friend, Quinn, was already seen from miles away since Blair didn't want to stay away.

Lots of hot sexy times with Grayson, and then Reed. Colton is still cold and puts up a hateful exterior so far, but he seemed to start thawing near the end.

So many secrets, and so much more to find out.

[Gizelle Falcon · Rating 5 out of 5]

love a good twist

I love when I don’t see a plot twist coming. I’m absolutely guilty of guessing/ expecting certain things to occur as I read a book so when an author can surprise me I’m instantly sold on their content. This book is one of them.

She grew up believing she would one day be a lawyer like her dad and that meant she had to be a law abiding citizen. That would be fine if she didn’t feel the pull to the dark side. She lives in a city where two rival gangs run everything. She’s tried her hardest to stay away from that life, when her 18th birthday sets off a series of events that changes everything. Can she still be the girl she always thought she would or should she embrace the darkness that seems determined to consume her.

I loved this book and can’t wait to read the next two!

[MrsKristin · Rating 2 out of 5]

King of Spades falls so flat for me that it doesn’t interest me enough to continue the series. It’s got a good base but the characters and relationships need more. The FMC is the daughter of the prosecutor so she acts perfect all the time but she supposedly has a darkness in her that she tries to hide. When her father goes missing, all she does is rely on the trio of guys from the spades gang that she goes to school with even though she doesn’t really know them all that well.

The Spades Trio was told to watch for a girl that turns 18 and starts having crazy life threatening accidents. This would be the girl from their so-called prophecy that would need protecting. Blair’s car blows up and next thing we know, 2 of the guys are in a relationship with her.

[Teresa Juckett (Love Dark Reads) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this book. I was sucked in from the start and literally couldn't put it down. Imagine waking up on your 18th birthday and your life as you know it is about to change, and not necessarily for the better, but then when Grayson, Reed and Colton the 3 hot af spade brother's come to your aide what's a girl to do...you disregard their warning and get yourself into more trouble. I swear Blair is something else, but she's someone you'd want as a friend as she's loyal to a T, and it looks like trouble keeps finding her and she doesn't know why, and it looks like the spade brother's have their hands full with her.

This is the first book in this series and there were so many questions that need answers, so hopefully we get some in the next book.

[Anne L · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was kind of stupid. The main characters are in high school, but of course, they easily have a glass of whisky whenever they enter the "business room". The three guys live together in a mansion, and the parents randomly show up. Blair's father, who is a prosecutor, disappears for three weeks, but she is more occupied with illegal fights and having sex. The police or colleagues are nowhere to be seen when this big shot prosecutor disappears for weeks. Blair's house burns to the ground, but the town obviously doesn't have a fire department. I mean, ok, this is fiction, but still.

I got really sick of the descriptions of eyes, hair and outfits. I bought the lot and will finish the books, but this author has written much better stuff since.

[Ramirez L.M. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Can’t Wait To See More From This New Author

Really great debut from an new RH author. Steph Macca is definitely talented, I really enjoyed her prose. Her style has this nice flow to it that’s easy to read and something often missing in this genre. And her plot twists are great.

What’s lacking for me is the character development and pacing. I am not sure what I actually learned about any of the main characters personalities that differentiates them from the major dark romance tropes - bad guys and a good girl with a bad side.

All that to say I will definitely be reading more from this author and I suspect they will only be getting better

[AHCuteArt · Rating 3 out of 5]

DNF (did not finish). What made the book unfinishable in your opinion?
I really dislike the main heroine. She was like one of those characters that's too stupid to live. She constantly got herself into life threatening situations. And what really kills me from continuing this book is that her love interest that we're protecting her she lashes out at. Supposedly a rival gang is trying to kill her because she's the lovechild between the two gangs. Which doesn't make sense. Why would two rival gangs care if she's the love child between them? I really tried to get through this book but the main character was just too annoying for me to continue. I didn't finish it at 72%.

[crystal 𑁍 · Rating 3 out of 5]

not entirely sure

okay I liked this to an extent. The story does absolutely grab you and thrust you into Blair's woes. Somehow she manages to gain the protection of these three gorgeous men. ( I have a favorite let's see if it stays him) And I'm reading the next book Just so I can have scenes of them together now I love rh But sometimes 1 of them just sticks out over the others Btw I completely tried to forget the entire time that they were still in high school.... (all 18 but still glad it wasn’t a main point..) When the drama happened things did start to get good So let's see what else happens... tbc