The King of Hearts

by Alex Grayson

“You’re mine, vicious. Breathe it. Live it. Sear it into your fucking soul.”

Being mine isn’t a choice. It’s an irrefutable fact. Not born of fate, or destiny, or some cosmic bullshit. There is no divine intervention that makes it so. It just simply is.

I don't like it when other men touch what's mine. It makes me see red.

Those people who have the audacity to touch my vicious little Savina? I erase them and carve out their hearts. I send those souvenirs to her as a warning to prove just how fucking serious I am when it comes to her.

My vicious isn't fazed by my gruesome gifts. She has secrets. Ones that would put her and her whole family in prison.

One of those secrets is called The Raven Group. A team of killers who… well, you'll see.

The point is, I know all her secrets. The depraved ones. The dirty ones. The bloody ones.

And I'll use them all to bend her to my will.

Because I'm the king of fucking hearts, and I'll snatch hers from her chest as well.

This is a dark romance that contains disturbing material. It is highly advised to check the author's website for a list of warnings.

Genres: Abuse

539 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 26, 2025

Reviews

[Wendy Marie (myrisingphoenixera.reads) · Rating 5 out of 5]

5⭐️
4🌶️
🔥Masked man
🔥Forced marriage
🔥Forced proximity
🔥Forced pregnancy
🔥Somnophilia
🔥Primal play
🔥Organized crime
🔥Psychotic stalker
🔥Age gap
🔥Small town
🔥“Daddy” kink
🔥Dual First Person POV
🚩Triggering Content

Alright buckle up, this is very dark, please take the content and trigger warnings seriously. The mmc has a dark and traumatic past that is interwoven into the story, written as memories from when he was a child. They were difficult to read due to the content. This is a dark stalker romance. All it took one was one look and our mmc knew Savina would be his. He has been stalking and putting the pieces in place to make her his for two years. She first learns she has a stalker when he leaves her gift one night, the heart of a man who dared to touch her earlier that day. We are kept in the dark about his identity until he reveals himself and blackmails her into marrying him. Our mmc knows all there is to know about Savina, all her darkest secrets and desires. Their chemistry burns up the pages and will have your questioning your sanity and morals. The mmc is unhinged and single minded un his pursuit of his vicious angel. Our mmc is not the only one who has been watching Savina and he can’t figure out who it is. There are twists and surprises that I didn’t see coming. After everything they went through, they found their happy ending together and the mmc found himself with a family he never knew he wanted.

🚩Be sure to read the author’s note and content warnings before reading

Thank you to Alex Grayson and The Author Agency for the ARC

📚All thoughts and opinions are my own📚
🐦‍🔥Follow me on socials @myrisingphoenixera.reads 🐦‍🔥

A Few Favorite Quotes:
“I want everything. Every single f*€cking inch of you. Everything about you belongs to me. Every first, middle, and last experience you have will be mine to give you.” What. The. F*€k.”

“I want obsession and possession and jealousy to the point of madness and irrational thought.”

“I hate the man with every fiber of my being. But I want him with an unequaled passion.

“I love you more than my ownership of you. I love you more than my possessiveness.”

[Buffy ❤️‍🔥💀 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Okay so I pushed through this book but it was hard I’m ngl
PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE… CHECK TRIGGER WARNINGS
This isn’t just a dark romance… this book is pitch black.. there was a few times where I thought I wasn’t going to be able to finish it based on my own triggers but I really wanted to finish this based on the positive reviews for it. Overall this WASNT a bad book- the reasoning behind my 3 ⭐️ rating is because it wasn’t for me because of those specific triggers

[Mandy (Bestie Book Reviews) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dark Romance Lovers this one is for you (just make sure to check those trigger warnings). This has all the best dark romance tropes masked stalker, forced marriage, vigilante, birth control tampering, forced pregnancy, primal play, breeding kink, daddy kink, and the list goes on. I went into this completely blind and I think you should too! If you must know something know that not everything is as it seems, stalkers are going to stalk, and there is disturbing material. This world is not for the faint of heart!

[Akku · Rating 4 out of 5]

✦ 𝐑𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 - 4.5✨

✦ 𝐑𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞 𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐞 - 26 June 2025

✦ 𝐓𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐬 -
• dark romance
• possessive anti-hero
• secrets & deception
• morally grey mmc
• criminal underworld
• obsession / twisted love
• psychological manipulation
• forced proximity

✦ 𝐌𝐲 𝐓𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬 -
Thank you so much the author agency and author for the free ARC! It was such a treat to dive into this world.
This book was literal madness and I loved every second of it. The King is not typical hero. He’s terrifying, obsessive, manipulative… and yet I couldn’t look away. The way he claims Savina, protects her with such brutal devotion—ugh, goosebumps. Every page is laced with danger, secrets, and a twisted kind of passion that completely pulls you in.
Savina aka “Vicious” is no damsel either. She's fierce, hiding a deadly truth that just adds fuel to the already burning fire between them. Their chemistry? Explosive. Their connection? Unhinged but addictive.
Alex Grayson delivers a story that’s dark, disturbing, and absolutely irresistible. If you're into love stories that walk the edge of sanity, welcome to your next obsession.

[Shelley · Rating 5 out of 5]

WOW what just happened

As other reviews have said please read the trigger warnings and take them serious as this is a very dark read. You will not even know who "Him" is till half way through the story which keeps you guessing until that time. Each scene is so descriptive of what's going on you feel like you are there. This is a must for anyone that loves dark reads.

[Josie Martinez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Heed the trigger warning before you read!

My first Alex Grayson book! Totally a mind bending read. Not for the weak at heart. Ryker and Savina are a perfect couple. I am still trying to understand what I read. Brilliant work!
Chemistry is there. Heed the trigger warning is all I have to say.

[Katie Gullo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Truly a pitch dark read. Highly encourage the trigger list is read before hand. It is extensive.

The plot was surprisingly addicting; It went places I wasn’t expecting. Some parts were hard to read but I think were done well so they added to the story and characters.

[Diana Dunlap-lewis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely an Amazing Read. Great story line, well deserved revenge, twists I never seen coming with a perfect ending. I highly recommend.
Check your Trigger Warnings.

[Kaitlyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’m going to be so real: I genuinely considered DNF-ing this book by the 15% mark. This is the darkest book I have ever read and I don’t think I’ll go this dark again for a while.

I only pushed through because other people that have read it said the story line and plot twists were worth sticking around for - and honestly they were good, but not “reading on page SA/r@p3 and child SA” good.

I skimmed large portions of this book - mainly the above mentioned scenes and then skimmed some of the smut scenes too as they were too brutal for me to actually enjoy reading them. There was nowhere near enough aftercare or even affection to make me feel like this was okay (FMC liked it so who am I to judge I guess?)


A few of the “twists” I’d already figured out, but there were definitely some that I didn’t see coming! Some story lines had so much potential and then fell flat, or weren’t delved into enough. One big reveal was brushed over (I felt like a third wheel with my jaw on the floor while the characters just shrugged), and some major things that were stated once were never brought up again (like ??? Excuse me, back up and explainnnnn).
The MMC and FMC relationship also gave me “Stockholm syndrome” more than fierce love when the FMC finally said she loved him. It just wasn’t convincing.

All of this to say, read the trigger warnings and take them SERIOUSLY. If you like a dark (like darrrkkkk, nearly black) romance, this may just be up your alley, but I’ll never recommend this book unless someone explicitly asks me about it 😂

[Caylee T. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well holy moly! I don’t know what I was expecting but man this book blew it out of the water.

This was deliciously dark and twisted and my god…definitely had me checking my own sanity lol

Savina’s story was dark and had so many twists and turns, there were a few times when I thought I knew but then I was wrong.

I definitely felt for both Savina & Ryker. They each had their own horrible pasts that had left them scarred for their futures.

I mean the crap that Ryker went through….holy crap! Talk about sick & twisted. It did make him who he is now & that translated into his obsession with Savina…sooo.

And speaking of the relationship between Savina & Ryker….man oh man. What started out as a bit of stalking turned to midnight visits & then some. Their whole relationship started off…different but he appealed to her darker side.

Reading them together was so dang hot! Had me fanning myself. But I loved their banter & back and forth.

This definitely had the twists & turns that had me second guessing what I thought was happening. And when it was all revealed, yeah it left me speechless.

This was such a good book. It was dark yet still good. I really enjoyed it!

Amazing job!

[Jessica crandell · Rating 5 out of 5]

“My heart may still be in my chest, but you own and possess it. You are the Master and king of my heart, Ryker West.”

I initially picked this book up for a dark romance readathon for Apollycon and oh my god, what I did not expect was to find my new favorite dark romance author!

Our MMC Ryker is absolutely without question so wonderfully unhinged, you name it he did it! This had all of my favorite dark romance tropes, touched and die (literally) ✅, stalker ✅, forced marriage ✅, and I could go on for days! And honestly the only person that could all of his crazy was 100% Savina! (And honestly that’s on being a dark romance book baddie, lived that for her.)

What I think I liked most though was how much I didn’t see coming, I feel it’s so rare that you find books where you don’t see major plot points from a mile away. This book kept me engaged and constantly trying to piece together who the main antagonist would be and why they were stalking Savina and why.

Over this book was amazing and I highly recommend for all my dark romance girlies! Can’t wait for the next one!

*This book does contain very triggering and sensitive topics, please check your trigger warnings!*

[Mel DG · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is super dark and triggery. I won’t say who the mmc is because that’s part of the whole reveal. But I’m glad I kindled this because I could look his mentions up and see what hints I missed. I didn’t.
Just about everyone in this story has been abused or assaulted. And there are flashback scenes of mmc actual abuse. Pretty fucked up.
Then there’s Savina. I don’t understand why so many men have assaulty thoughts about her. Like. So many! I always think of the quote “does she have beer flavoured nipples” (10 Things, RIP Heath).
There are a few twists I didn’t initially see, but then everything got a lot more connected.
Ending was mostly good. Don’t understand why Liliana left, besides that’s probably the next book in the series (which I won’t read - just too much trauma driving the story).
The beginning was freaking spicey. Yeah, this was spicey if you ignore the flashbacks which were 🤮

[Andrea · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book definitely took me through a lot of emotions that I can’t even comprehend. The plot line was solid, the characters believable and the story was insane! If you like your mmc very dark twisted and possessive then this book is for you. Let me tell ya, it starts off crazy from chapter 1! Lots of spice 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️. Please make sure to thoroughly read all trigger warnings as this book is not for the faint of heart. Though this book is not my typical go to genre l, it was very well written and totally believable so 4 stars to this author.

[Kelby · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don't usually write reviews, I just give stars and move on to the next book. BUT while this was well written, this book needs to have triggers checked. There is graphic child SA and incest on page. As well as a child born between half siblings. (none of these is between the MCs, though the CSA is from the MMCs past). He also becomes obsessed with her prior to her 18th birthday, but didn't start stalking her or having her until AFTER her birthday (she is 19 in this book)

I love my men dark, and Ryker definitely checks off the boxes. However, had I known how graphic the SA was or the incest, I would have passed

Updated rating to what I would have rated it if I went in knowing all this. I found the trigger list and it does state these things

[Lindsey Trobridge · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you enjoy extreme dark romance packed with suspense, power dynamics and twisted devotion. The King of Hearts delivers a powerful read and pushes all boundaries. Be prepared for its intense content and trigger-heavy scenes. This story follows a dangerous alpha male and woman with a very dark violent past. IT was so good it has be questioning my own sanity.

[Kara Horton · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the longest list of trigger warnings I've ever seen. I have no triggers, but I skipped ALOT of pages, it was just…a lot, especially the flashbacks to childhood . These Broken characters are UNHINGED. Vigilante obsession? I liked the beginning and the end, but it really slowed down for me in the middle. Looking forward to checking out the others in the authors catalog though.

[Chandler Perry · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pitch Black Adventure

*Please check trigger warnings.* Exciting, unhinged, toxic relationship in this one. Ryker’s obsession with Savina is no joke and he’ll do ANYTHING to have her regardless of what she says. I had a great time.

[Katie Murphy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very dark- be cautious with the triggers for this one!

[Jamie Lentz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Now this is how dark is done. Warning: ALL THE TRIGGERS!

[Cat · Rating 5 out of 5]

Immediately clocked who it was after they brought home the injured girl and her daughter but it was so funny the way he revealed himself 🤣

[RomanceReader1 · Rating 5 out of 5]

🚨𝐍𝐎𝐓 𝐅𝐎𝐑 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐅𝐀𝐈𝐍𝐓 𝐎𝐅 𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐑𝐓🚨

𝐼'𝑚 𝑛𝑜𝑡 𝑠𝑢𝑟𝑒 ℎ𝑜𝑤 𝐼 𝑓𝑒𝑒𝑙 𝑎𝑏𝑜𝑢𝑡 '𝑯𝑰𝑴'!! 𝐶𝑎𝑛'𝑡 𝑠𝑎𝑦 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝐼 ℎ𝑎+𝑒 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑐ℎ𝑎𝑟𝑎𝑐𝑡𝑒𝑟 𝑏𝑢𝑡 𝑛𝑜𝑟 𝑑𝑜 𝐼 𝑙𝑜𝑣𝑒 ℎ𝑖𝑚!!!

𝐼 𝑙𝑜𝑣𝑒𝑑 𝑺𝒂𝒗𝒊𝒏𝒂𝒔' 𝑐ℎ𝑎𝑟𝑎𝑐𝑡𝑒𝑟! 𝐿𝑜𝑣𝑒𝑑 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑤ℎ𝑜𝑙𝑒 Rɪᴠᴇʀs 𝑓𝑎𝑚𝑖𝑙𝑦 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑐𝑎𝑛'𝑡 𝑤𝑎𝑖𝑡 𝑡𝑜 𝑠𝑒𝑒 𝑚𝑜𝑟𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑚.

𝐴𝑛𝑑 𝐼 𝑔𝑜𝑡 𝑡𝑜 𝑠𝑒𝑒 𝐄𝐦𝐨 𝑎𝑔𝑎𝑖𝑛!!!!