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Kings of Sin #5
King of Envy
Goodreads Choice Award
Nominee for Readers' Favorite Romance (2025)He had everything he could’ve wanted…except her.
Dangerous. Powerful. Reclusive.
Vuk Markovic is notorious for shunning human interactions. The scarred billionaire rarely talks, and he has no interest in relationships outside his small but trusted circle.
His only exception? Her. The beauty to his beast, the object of his obsession.
He saw her first. He wanted her first. But now, she’s engaged to his oldest friend—and the closer the wedding looms, the more he’s torn between loyalty and desire.
She should be his…and he might just risk it all to have her.
***Beautiful. Successful. Glamorous.
To the world, supermodel Ayana Kidane leads the perfect life. Her career has skyrocketed, and she’s engaged to one of New York’s most eligible bachelors.
What people don't know is that the engagement is only a business arrangement. He gets his inheritance when they marry; she gets the money she needs to leave her abusive agency.
Pretending to be in love should be easy—until she finds herself increasingly drawn to her fiancé’s enigmatic best man.
Vuk thrills and terrifies her in equal measure. She knows she should stay away, but when her wedding is thrown into chaos, he’s the only person she finds comfort in…
Until his past catches up with them and threatens everything they love.
King of Envy is a steamy billionaire romance featuring a morally gray hero. It's book five in the Kings of Sin series but can be listened to as a standalone.
Dangerous. Powerful. Reclusive.
Vuk Markovic is notorious for shunning human interactions. The scarred billionaire rarely talks, and he has no interest in relationships outside his small but trusted circle.
His only exception? Her. The beauty to his beast, the object of his obsession.
He saw her first. He wanted her first. But now, she’s engaged to his oldest friend—and the closer the wedding looms, the more he’s torn between loyalty and desire.
She should be his…and he might just risk it all to have her.
***Beautiful. Successful. Glamorous.
To the world, supermodel Ayana Kidane leads the perfect life. Her career has skyrocketed, and she’s engaged to one of New York’s most eligible bachelors.
What people don't know is that the engagement is only a business arrangement. He gets his inheritance when they marry; she gets the money she needs to leave her abusive agency.
Pretending to be in love should be easy—until she finds herself increasingly drawn to her fiancé’s enigmatic best man.
Vuk thrills and terrifies her in equal measure. She knows she should stay away, but when her wedding is thrown into chaos, he’s the only person she finds comfort in…
Until his past catches up with them and threatens everything they love.
King of Envy is a steamy billionaire romance featuring a morally gray hero. It's book five in the Kings of Sin series but can be listened to as a standalone.
16 pages, Audible Audio
First published April 29, 2025
19234 people are currently reading
202116 people want to read
About the author
Ana Huang
42 books138k followersAna Huang is a #1 New York Times, #1 USA Today & #1 Sunday Times bestselling author of contemporary romance.
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UPCOMING RELEASE:
FULL LIST OF BOOKS:
GODS OF THE GAME SERIES
KINGS OF SIN SERIES
TWISTED SERIES
IF LOVE SERIES
STALK ANA ONLINE:
Newsletter signup ↠ https://anahuang.com/newsletter
Website ↠ www.anahuang.com
Instagram ↠ https://www.instagram.com/authoranahu...
TikTok ↠ https://www.tiktok.com/@authoranahuang
Reader group ↠ https://www.facebook.com/groups/anast...
UPCOMING RELEASE:
FULL LIST OF BOOKS:
GODS OF THE GAME SERIES
KINGS OF SIN SERIES
TWISTED SERIES
IF LOVE SERIES
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December 10, 2025 King of Envy is now LIVE!
After a year of waiting, King of Envy is finally LIVE and available to read worldwide! Vuk and Ayana are the definition of an obsessed, down bad couple, and I love them with all my heart. I hope you will too 💚
Happy reading!
💚 READ IN KU: https://geni.us/kingofenvy
💚 BARNES & NOBLE EXCLUSIVE: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/king...
💚 INDIGO EXCLUSIVE: https://www.indigo.ca/en-ca/king-of-e...
💚 TARGET EXCLUSIVE: https://www.target.com/p/king-of-envy...
NARRATOR REVEAL : I’m thrilled to announce that Jason Clarke and Nia Serge will be bringing Vuk and Ayana to life in the King of Envy audiobook!
They’re both enormously talented, and I’m counting down the days until their performance is live!
The audio will release on April 29 alongside the ebook and paperback, but you can preorder it on Audible now <3
💚 AUDIOBOOK: https://www.audible.com/pd/King-of-En...
BLURB:
He had everything he could’ve wanted…except her.
Dangerous. Powerful. Reclusive.
Vuk Markovic is notorious for shunning human interactions. The scarred billionaire rarely talks, and he has no interest in relationships outside his small but trusted circle.
His only exception? Her . The beauty to his beast, the object of his obsession.
He saw her first. He wanted her first. But now, she’s engaged to his oldest friend—and the closer the wedding looms, the more he’s torn between loyalty and desire.
She should be his…and he might just risk it all to have her.
***
Beautiful. Successful. Glamorous.
To the world, supermodel Ayana Kidane leads the perfect life. Her career has skyrocketed, and she’s engaged to one of New York’s most eligible bachelors.
What people don't know is that the engagement is only a business arrangement. He gets his inheritance when they marry; she gets the money she needs to leave her abusive agency.
Pretending to be in love should be easy—until she finds herself increasingly drawn to her fiancé’s enigmatic best man.
Vuk thrills and terrifies her in equal measure. She knows she should stay away, but when her wedding is thrown into chaos, he’s the only person who makes her feel safe…
Until his past catches up with them and threatens everything they love.
After a year of waiting, King of Envy is finally LIVE and available to read worldwide! Vuk and Ayana are the definition of an obsessed, down bad couple, and I love them with all my heart. I hope you will too 💚
Happy reading!
💚 READ IN KU: https://geni.us/kingofenvy
💚 BARNES & NOBLE EXCLUSIVE: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/king...
💚 INDIGO EXCLUSIVE: https://www.indigo.ca/en-ca/king-of-e...
💚 TARGET EXCLUSIVE: https://www.target.com/p/king-of-envy...
NARRATOR REVEAL : I’m thrilled to announce that Jason Clarke and Nia Serge will be bringing Vuk and Ayana to life in the King of Envy audiobook!
They’re both enormously talented, and I’m counting down the days until their performance is live!
The audio will release on April 29 alongside the ebook and paperback, but you can preorder it on Audible now <3
💚 AUDIOBOOK: https://www.audible.com/pd/King-of-En...
BLURB:
He had everything he could’ve wanted…except her.
Dangerous. Powerful. Reclusive.
Vuk Markovic is notorious for shunning human interactions. The scarred billionaire rarely talks, and he has no interest in relationships outside his small but trusted circle.
His only exception? Her . The beauty to his beast, the object of his obsession.
He saw her first. He wanted her first. But now, she’s engaged to his oldest friend—and the closer the wedding looms, the more he’s torn between loyalty and desire.
She should be his…and he might just risk it all to have her.
***
Beautiful. Successful. Glamorous.
To the world, supermodel Ayana Kidane leads the perfect life. Her career has skyrocketed, and she’s engaged to one of New York’s most eligible bachelors.
What people don't know is that the engagement is only a business arrangement. He gets his inheritance when they marry; she gets the money she needs to leave her abusive agency.
Pretending to be in love should be easy—until she finds herself increasingly drawn to her fiancé’s enigmatic best man.
Vuk thrills and terrifies her in equal measure. She knows she should stay away, but when her wedding is thrown into chaos, he’s the only person who makes her feel safe…
Until his past catches up with them and threatens everything they love.
April 29, 2025
vuk markovic brought back yearnism
June 13, 2025
OHHHHH THIS ATE SO HARD
VUK MARKOVIC >>>>>>
VUK MARKOVIC >>>>>>
July 15, 2025
I’d sell my soul, kneel in fire, and walk barefoot over broken glass just to hear Vuk Markovic call me his “good girl” 🫣🤌🏻
July 12, 2025
"She’s a light hidden in shadows, his darkest yearning,
Together they burn, caught in a forbidden longing.."
Ohk! Let me walk you through the fashion week of madness that is Envy & Sin—equal parts catwalk and catfight, with a backdrop of murder, model contracts, and men with issues that even Freud wouldn’t touch.
Ayana Kidane’s life looks perfect on the surface—supermodel, fiancée to a rich guy, and the world at her feet. But behind the glam, she’s stuck in a fake engagement with Jordan Ford to get out of a toxic agency sigh! But there’s more going on than anyone realizes. Enter Vuk, Jordan’s best friend and an absolute mystery. He’s a billionaire with a dark past and a dangerous obsession with Ayana. Their chemistry is undeniable, but everything is complicated by secrets, lies, and a dark, hidden world that Vuk is tangled up in. As the wedding day looms, a lot goes down—betrayals, danger, and a whole lot of chaos that shakes everything to its core. The price of love, vengeance, and survival collide, and Ayana and Vuk are forced to face their demons. In the end, they have to decide if love can thrive after all the mess they've been through.
📌Heart of the story-The Beauty and the Beast🤝
👠Ayana Kidane
- Model by day, emotional wreck by night. supermodel with a spine of steel and secrets stitched under every designer hem Ayana Kidane Breaks Hearts and Models High Fashion—Also, She Might Just Break You in the Process. She’s elegance dipped in survival, engaged to a man who doesn’t love her (nor any woman), and shackled to a modeling agency run by demons in couture. The only way out? A marriage contract inked in lies and desperation. Ayana? Oh, honey, she’s the whole package. A model who makes you wish you looked like that but you don’t, and never will, and someone who definitely knows her worth, even if it’s buried under an ocean of emotional baggage. Let’s be real, she’s had to deal with a life of being commodified—like, imagine your worth being measured in likes but not, y’know, love. Still, Ayana’s got sass for days. She’s just out here trying to find a safe space to be genuinely herself, without all the glitz and glam distracting from the trauma and chaos she’s really battling. And look, if you can’t handle her realness, you best pack it up and get in line. Because Ayana doesn’t have time for your mess.
♔ Vuk Markovic-The Dark Knight
Enter Vuk Markovic—Jordan’s best man, a reclusive billionaire with scars like battle medals and a past so red, even the devil might flinch. Vuk is obsession dressed in Armani, and Ayana? She's the storm he can't outrun.Vuk Markovic got Scars, Secrets, and the Fine Art of Making You Fall in Love While Looking Like He’ll Break Your Heart (and Maybe Your Bones)Mr Cod Breaker💀ྀིVuk is the kind of man who should come with a warning label: Warning: Approach With Caution. Might Love You to Death. He’s got the brooding, dangerous aura of someone who’s done some shady stuff. Not like he’s apologizing, though—oh no, he’s just living his best life while causing total chaos and pretending not to care.Vuk isn’t just some billionaire CEO—he’s the dark, brooding alpha who’s more comfortable in the shadows than in the spotlight. With scars from a past that refuses to let go, he’s built his empire on pain and betrayal. But then Ayana steps into his life, and suddenly, he’s got something worth fighting for. Is it obsession? Sure. But it’s also real—something he hasn’t known in forever. His world of violence and betrayal gets flipped upside down by Ayana, and now? He’s ready to burn it all down for her. He’s not perfect, but he’s hers, and that’s all that matters. Let’s just say, if he were a cocktail, he’d be straight-up whiskey—strong, fiery, and not afraid to put you on your ass if you’re not careful. He’s got a thing for Ayana, and now his life is a whole lot messier, but at least real. Love? Yeah, it’s his biggest weakness. Want a fairytale? Not happening. But, like, if you want the dark, twisted version? Buckle up, baby.
*One-liner of the day- “You want the good guy? Go find him. Me? I’m here, and I don’t do n
"I don’t hate you. But I wish I did."
“I told you what would happen if you went near Ayana again.”
“But I forgot to mention another thing. Don’t touch my fucking cat.”
➤Side Characters (aka The Vibe Shifters)
⟡~Jordan Ford
- The Sweetheart Who Wants Everything Without Wanting Anything—Except to Not Be in This Mess. Jordan Ford Struggles to Keep It Together—Between His Fiancé, His Identity Crisis, and His Way Too Complicated Life.Poor Jordan. This guy’s got the world’s biggest heart but zero idea how to manage it. He’s the classic “nice guy” A disaster wrapped in a designer suit.
⟡~Emmanuelle Beaumont
Power-hungry Bitch, manipulative queen pin of a fashion empire that’s a front for crime. Wants it all, and she’s ruthless about it.
⟡~Roman Davenport
Former assassin, expert manipulator. Always playing both sides and stirring the pot. No one trusts him, including himself.
⟡~Wentworth Holt
Creepy photographer who thinks he’s untouchable. Pisses off the wrong people and ends up learning the hard way.
⟡~Orla Ford
Jordan’s grandma, controlling, manipulative. Pulls all the strings in her family like a puppet master.
⟡~Sean
Vuk’s loyal bodyguard, ex-Special Ops. Cool-headed and reliable, with a knack for handling chaos.
⟡~Maya Singh
Our next Desi FMC! Ayana’s rich, sassy new BFF. Sharp, funny, and always ready to roast you or have your back.
⟡~Shadow (the cat-The Resilient Companion)
A survivor. Quiet, mysterious, but somehow always saving the day when needed.
𓂃🖊 Writing Style & Techniques Ana Brings to the Table (and maybe stabs you with): -Ana Huang writes like she’s peeling skin—layer by layer.
🖋️ Dual POV lets us crawl into Ayana's glittery chaos and Vuk's silent rage.
🖋️ Sensory-rich—you can smell the perfume, feel the tension, hear the secrets.
🖋️ Symbolism hits hard: scars = pain, fire = rebirth, a stray cat = survival.
જ⁀➴What Made Me Swoon!?
⤷The Attraction-A touch so fierce, it burns like flame,With every glance, they call each others name.
⤷He talks to no one but her. Not even Siri.
⤷Little Details: He remembers her fave food from a sleep mumble? That’s next-level attentive Stalker? Romantic? Both?.
⤷The cat reminding him of her? so he adopted one, Total softie vibes under that tough exterior.
⤷Chemistry: Their connection is messy but magnetic—challenging each other in the best way.He only speaks to her adbhjhshsi!!
⤷Protective Vibe: Vuk’s tough but protective side? Chef's kiss. He’s got her back, no questions asked.
⤷ This man got a WHOLE RAGE ROOM and let her use it to scream her trauma away. No, because that’s a love language. He’s giving “I’m toxic but I’ll still cradle you when you cry.” We love a multilayered menace 💅.
જ⁀➴What Fell Short:👎
⤷Villains were a bit… Saturday cartoon sometimes. I needed more menace, less mustache-twirling.
⤷Jordan’s arc started strong but fizzled. Could’ve been a powerful narrative on identity—but got sidelined.
⤷Some pacing dips. Everything felt too straightforward—where’s the jaw-dropping twist that ruins my emotional stability at 2 a.m.? Where’s the deep, gut-wrenching secret that changes everything? It gave mafia-lite when I wanted full-blown emotional war crimes.
⤷Roman deserved more meat. If you're gonna give us a morally grey assassin, don't half-bake him.
⤷Tbh, It started strong, but halfway through I was zoning out like I accidentally opened a terms & conditions PDF. Halfway through, it gave me vibes of someone telling a juicy story but skipping the juice.Is the smut and the second half written by a man a ghostwriter? Because it sure felt like it💀 Idk, Ana really messed up Jordon’s character. I hate when the author messed up with the characters just to elevate the main ones. that coma nonsense plz! I did NOT wanted them together like that, please. It was so rushed, it made no sense."
⤷Same damn loop every time— SA ➯ she goes crying to him ➯ he takes revenge ➯ secrets get revealed ➯ some clichéd drama ➯Same cartoon villain kidnaps her ➯They take revenge ➯ and then the Happy ending. Like, we get it, can we get something new?😭
🎧 Official Soundtrack: Envy (King of Envy) by Chris Grey🪩
📻 Mood Playlist Includes:
“You Right” — Doja Cat ft. The Weeknd
“Young and Beautiful” — Lana Del Rey
“Battle Scars” — Lupe Fiasco “Let the World Burn”—Chris Grey
💭Final Verdict 💭
Forbidden Love? Check. Slow burn? Check. Trauma, betrayal, obsession, and survival? Triple check.
Ayana & Vuk aren’t just a couple—they’re a whole storm . Ayana & Vuk are intense, complicated, and kind of iconic—but the emotional payoff didn’t hit hard enough for me. But… I won’t lie, this one didn’t hit quite as hard as King of Wrath. The tension was there, the drama was real, but the stakes felt a bit safe at times. Still, I appreciated how Ana wove in themes like ambition, cultural identity, and boundaries, especially from Ayana’s side. Also, the forbidden vibes? Immaculate. It reminds me of the saying, 'Faraway fields are greener,' which sounds appealing, A solid 2.5-3 stars.Wanna scream together in the rage room or shall I queue up the playlist again?
"Final thoughts? If you're into emotionally constipated men, forbidden longing, and slow-burn that makes your chest hurt a lil', go for it.If rage-room love languages, repressed CEOs, and obsessive tension are your thing — you might fall in love. Just don’t touch his cat.
★★★☆☆ — Listen. I WANTED to give this 4-5 stars. I had the Spotify playlist. I was prepped for chaos. I was READY.But the plot?? Babes… she kind of ghosted me. Good, but didn’t fully deliver the chaos-meets-love magic I wanted.🖤
--------------------------------────୨ৎ────--------
"I’ve got the scoop"... 📍RTC
"Snagged the ARC—Just what I needed to completely derail my day.!"
--
🔊Woah! So you're telling me this book is getting its own official soundtrack?!🔥🤸♀️
"Chris Grey x Ana Huang=“We’re cooked. It’s over. Goodbye.”!💥
"Best Man or Worst Idea?" -? Oh, it’s already screaming ‘I object.’
~Vuk Markovic: silent, brooding,reclusive billionaire and CEO of Valhalla.
~Ayana Kidane—the stunning supermodel engaged to his friend.
Vuk: She’s engaged to my best- friend!, I must respect that.
Also Vuk: “Take off your ring.”💀
"Sounds forbidden? Oh, I’m so in. 😏🔥"
This is about to be messy, forbidden, and full of “Who do you belong to?” energy. I need popcorn 🍿 and a playlist with nothing but SZA, and The Weekend. about to have angst, tension, jaw clenches, and enough jealousy to fuel a soap opera. 90% tension, 10% regret, and 100% bad decisions. LET’S F*CKING GOOO. 🚨🔥
June 12, 2025
It’s giving ✨stale bread✨
May 4, 2025
3.5 ⭐️ overall it was good, I LOVED Vuk and Ayana, but the story was a bit too predictable and cheesy at times, and the whole book was a bit too long
May 19, 2025
4.25!
“But with Ayana, there was no walking away. No negotiation. She was mine, and I would die before I lost her.”
Oh we're soooo back!! I loveeeee Ana's Twisted series so much because they were my very first romance series and I'm just way too attached to them. While I liked King of Wrath—the previous three have not been the best—and then The Striker came out and it wasn't working for me either, which led to me thinking that I just didn't vibe with her books anymore. But I'm so glad that I was wrong because I loved this one!! It was so well done and so well written. I genuinely believe that Ana writes her morally grey men in the best way possible because I'm in love with Vuk Markovic. Her writing was enjoyable, fast-paced, and addictive. The only reason I stopped reading this book was because of my university or because of the work that I had, but whenever I was free you best believe I had this book in my hand. I was so invested in everything that was happening. The ratio of plot to romance was very well balanced here!!
“Because she was his when she should be mine.”
Ayana, our model of the year, reminded me so much of Anok Yai, to the point where I legit started imagining her as Anaya. I love how she aced everything she did and she knew that she did it!! Her whole fake engagement thing had me very intrigued because it raised the tension between her and Vuk so much. Also, I loved the highlight of the troubles she had to face in the fashion industry, and I really liked her growth throughout the book—how she tackled it. And alsooo her scenes with her family were so cute and lmaoo I loved how Vuk did everything Anaya's mother asked him to do—man was lowkey scared. Vuk, I—well—I mean—yeah—IM SPEECHLESS—the way he had everyone in a chokehold. He barely said anything in the book and it was sooo insert emoji but lmao I loved how he just casually went and took Anaya's revenge, and what he did to Hank was so satisfying. But honestly, his character was well written. I just hoped that we dived a bit more into it.
“It was stupid, but I collected his words the way I collected perfumes and shoes. They glinted like precious stones in the sand, proof that he trusted me enough to communicate with me openly when he didn’t have to. He simply chose to.”
The romance was stunning. It was everything I was looking for—the fake engagement with Vuk's best friend made the tension blow off the charts. It was so intense, like Vuk himself is so intense, so you can only imagine. I loved how the story went and how it moved around because it was basically perfect. Anaya defending Vuk's scars and telling him he's beautiful was so cute. Also, the romance was so good because the cute scenes weren't overpowered by the spicy scenes, and there was a balance between them, which really complimented this story. And obviously, the spicy scenes as usual were written very well—like fan-worthy scenes. Also, the epilogue was sooo cute. Not Vuk the big grumpy mafia man going to social events because of Anaya—that was the highlight!!
"She’s a light hidden in shadows, his darkest yearning,
Together they burn, caught in a forbidden longing.."
The plot was obviously very romance-based. I like that there's this light string of plot related to the vault weaving through the entire series, and the cameos that this gave were also a plus point. But I really like how she added conflicts in this book and how they helped the romance build and flourish. I think in terms of that, this book really is really good. I can't wait for the next one.... like can we push The Defender’s release date and have King of Gluttony, pretty please?
___
Idk if I felt impressed or harassed by Vuk's silent stares 🫦
___
I'm so excited for this one!! besides the first one, none of the books have really intrigued me the way this did!! so high hopes
“But with Ayana, there was no walking away. No negotiation. She was mine, and I would die before I lost her.”
Oh we're soooo back!! I loveeeee Ana's Twisted series so much because they were my very first romance series and I'm just way too attached to them. While I liked King of Wrath—the previous three have not been the best—and then The Striker came out and it wasn't working for me either, which led to me thinking that I just didn't vibe with her books anymore. But I'm so glad that I was wrong because I loved this one!! It was so well done and so well written. I genuinely believe that Ana writes her morally grey men in the best way possible because I'm in love with Vuk Markovic. Her writing was enjoyable, fast-paced, and addictive. The only reason I stopped reading this book was because of my university or because of the work that I had, but whenever I was free you best believe I had this book in my hand. I was so invested in everything that was happening. The ratio of plot to romance was very well balanced here!!
“Because she was his when she should be mine.”
Ayana, our model of the year, reminded me so much of Anok Yai, to the point where I legit started imagining her as Anaya. I love how she aced everything she did and she knew that she did it!! Her whole fake engagement thing had me very intrigued because it raised the tension between her and Vuk so much. Also, I loved the highlight of the troubles she had to face in the fashion industry, and I really liked her growth throughout the book—how she tackled it. And alsooo her scenes with her family were so cute and lmaoo I loved how Vuk did everything Anaya's mother asked him to do—man was lowkey scared. Vuk, I—well—I mean—yeah—IM SPEECHLESS—the way he had everyone in a chokehold. He barely said anything in the book and it was sooo insert emoji but lmao I loved how he just casually went and took Anaya's revenge, and what he did to Hank was so satisfying. But honestly, his character was well written. I just hoped that we dived a bit more into it.
“It was stupid, but I collected his words the way I collected perfumes and shoes. They glinted like precious stones in the sand, proof that he trusted me enough to communicate with me openly when he didn’t have to. He simply chose to.”
The romance was stunning. It was everything I was looking for—the fake engagement with Vuk's best friend made the tension blow off the charts. It was so intense, like Vuk himself is so intense, so you can only imagine. I loved how the story went and how it moved around because it was basically perfect. Anaya defending Vuk's scars and telling him he's beautiful was so cute. Also, the romance was so good because the cute scenes weren't overpowered by the spicy scenes, and there was a balance between them, which really complimented this story. And obviously, the spicy scenes as usual were written very well—like fan-worthy scenes. Also, the epilogue was sooo cute. Not Vuk the big grumpy mafia man going to social events because of Anaya—that was the highlight!!
"She’s a light hidden in shadows, his darkest yearning,
Together they burn, caught in a forbidden longing.."
The plot was obviously very romance-based. I like that there's this light string of plot related to the vault weaving through the entire series, and the cameos that this gave were also a plus point. But I really like how she added conflicts in this book and how they helped the romance build and flourish. I think in terms of that, this book really is really good. I can't wait for the next one.... like can we push The Defender’s release date and have King of Gluttony, pretty please?
___
Idk if I felt impressed or harassed by Vuk's silent stares 🫦
___
I'm so excited for this one!! besides the first one, none of the books have really intrigued me the way this did!! so high hopes
May 18, 2025
king of envy? more like KING OF AGRESSIVE YEARNING
Want to read
December 14, 2024this better have all the jealousy scenes or i'll sue
June 2, 2025
4.00 ☆
slowly dancing in my kitchen with my sweet robe and cigar cause no man should be THIS obsessed and desperate the way Vuk was. he was so down bad for her it made my scalp tingle.
the tension?! the slow burn! the smut?! it was boiling hot on the pages! my hands were burning from holding the book. the wind took any piece of fabric that was on my body when i was reading that elevator scene... haha just kidding. i mean unless 😏…. ugh, goddamn it was so hot! their chemistry had me drawing pink hearts in my book type shi.
anaya, this ethereal goddess queen, was literally anok yai in literary form, and i will not be convinced otherwise. i really loved her bond with her family🥹 it was so beautiful! especially as someone with alot of siblings and relatives, it reminded me of my own. she is overall a well-rounded character.
and the plot itself outside the romance was actually so good and enticing compared to the previous books in the series. i was genuinely so invested!! i liked that it had more of suspense and action to it. it blended so well with the romance. my favorite scene was when shadow the cat attacked Wentworth during the interrogation scene 😂 💀 that was so unserious yet so funny
my only gripe is that it dragged a bit in some parts. my eyes were getting tired ngl. i feel like at least 100 pages need to vanish from this book that were honestly not that necessary, but the buildup was worth the wait.
i'm always so giddy with the cameos😭💜🩷💙 especially seeing Dante, vivian, Dominic , and Alessandra agian. idc for the others. i just love and miss them so much! they will always be number 1🧎♀️
King of Wrath - 5.0☆
King of Greed- 4.5☆
King of Pride- 2.0☆
King of Sloth - 3.0☆
King of Envy- 4.0☆
King of Gluttony NA
King of Lust NA
slowly dancing in my kitchen with my sweet robe and cigar cause no man should be THIS obsessed and desperate the way Vuk was. he was so down bad for her it made my scalp tingle.
the tension?! the slow burn! the smut?! it was boiling hot on the pages! my hands were burning from holding the book. the wind took any piece of fabric that was on my body when i was reading that elevator scene... haha just kidding. i mean unless 😏…. ugh, goddamn it was so hot! their chemistry had me drawing pink hearts in my book type shi.
anaya, this ethereal goddess queen, was literally anok yai in literary form, and i will not be convinced otherwise. i really loved her bond with her family🥹 it was so beautiful! especially as someone with alot of siblings and relatives, it reminded me of my own. she is overall a well-rounded character.
and the plot itself outside the romance was actually so good and enticing compared to the previous books in the series. i was genuinely so invested!! i liked that it had more of suspense and action to it. it blended so well with the romance. my favorite scene was when shadow the cat attacked Wentworth during the interrogation scene 😂 💀 that was so unserious yet so funny
my only gripe is that it dragged a bit in some parts. my eyes were getting tired ngl. i feel like at least 100 pages need to vanish from this book that were honestly not that necessary, but the buildup was worth the wait.
i'm always so giddy with the cameos😭💜🩷💙 especially seeing Dante, vivian, Dominic , and Alessandra agian. idc for the others. i just love and miss them so much! they will always be number 1🧎♀️
King of Wrath - 5.0☆
King of Greed- 4.5☆
King of Pride- 2.0☆
King of Sloth - 3.0☆
King of Envy- 4.0☆
King of Gluttony NA
King of Lust NA
April 22, 2025
I CANT EVEN HANDLE HOW GOOD THIS IS ARE YOU KIDDING ME!?
Ana Huang if you’re reading this, please know I bow down to you and your characters and your writing and your love stories.
Vuk & Ayana WERE EVERYTHING. I’m so in love with them, it’s not even funny. They have officially made it into my top 3 couples written by Ana Huang.
Ugh.
You guys are going to love this. And if you don’t, you need to reevaluate. LOL
Ana Huang if you’re reading this, please know I bow down to you and your characters and your writing and your love stories.
Vuk & Ayana WERE EVERYTHING. I’m so in love with them, it’s not even funny. They have officially made it into my top 3 couples written by Ana Huang.
Ugh.
You guys are going to love this. And if you don’t, you need to reevaluate. LOL
June 26, 2025
ੈ♡˳ rating: five of five stars
ੈ♡˳ summary: king of envy by ana huang is book five in the kings of sin series and follows vuk markovic, a guarded, hyper-private billionaire, and ayana kidane, a rising supermodel stuck in a glamorous but suffocating engagement. when their paths cross, what starts as flirtation quickly escalates into something much deeper—and much more dangerous. with secrets, reputations, and emotions on the line, vuk and ayana have to decide whether what they feel is worth the risk.
ੈ♡˳ thoughts: i was fully obsessed with this book from start to finish. vuk and ayana’s connection is magnetic—the kind of slow burn that simmers until it finally explodes in the best way. the chemistry?? off the charts. but it’s not just lust. this book dives deep into emotional tension, longing, and the fear of being truly seen.
ayana was everything i love in a heroine: smart, vulnerable, and deeply underestimated by the people around her. i loved watching her fight for herself in a world that constantly tried to define her. she deserved a love that saw her completely, and vuk gave her that—no matter how hard he tried to pretend otherwise.
and vuk… don’t even get me started. cold and emotionally unavailable? yes. but he chooses ayana over and over again in quiet, meaningful ways. i loved watching his walls come down slowly, piece by piece, because she was the one person who made him feel safe enough to be real.
ana huang knows how to write tension—whether it’s in a look, a sentence, or a near kiss. i found myself rereading scenes just to feel that spark again. and even with all the heat and angst, there’s a softness to this story that made it so special. it’s a book about choosing vulnerability, about rewriting the rules of love, and about healing even when you didn’t think you needed to.
i devoured this book. i’m still thinking about this book.
ੈ♡˳ tropes:
ꕥ forbidden love
ꕥ billionaire x model
ꕥ slow burn
ꕥ reclusive/morally gray hero
ꕥ "he falls first"
ꕥ forced proximity
ੈ♡˳ fave quotes:
➼ “because she was his when she should be mine.”
➼ “but with ayana, there was no walking away. no negotiation. she was mine, and i would die before i lost her.”
➼ “it was stupid, but i collected his words the way i collected perfumes and shoes. they glinted like precious stones in the sand, proof that he trusted me enough to communicate with me openly when he didn’t have to. he simply chose to.”
➼ “if you were my fiancée, i wouldn’t look at another woman. entertainment or not.”
➼ “people who were that riled up about each other either ended up killing each other or falling in love.”
-----
post read: vuk the man that u are. what a man what a man. full rtc. 💌
————
pre read: i love you ana huang and i already know this will be my book of the year.
wait i just realized this was bwwm 🤪🧍🏾♀️
ੈ♡˳ summary: king of envy by ana huang is book five in the kings of sin series and follows vuk markovic, a guarded, hyper-private billionaire, and ayana kidane, a rising supermodel stuck in a glamorous but suffocating engagement. when their paths cross, what starts as flirtation quickly escalates into something much deeper—and much more dangerous. with secrets, reputations, and emotions on the line, vuk and ayana have to decide whether what they feel is worth the risk.
ੈ♡˳ thoughts: i was fully obsessed with this book from start to finish. vuk and ayana’s connection is magnetic—the kind of slow burn that simmers until it finally explodes in the best way. the chemistry?? off the charts. but it’s not just lust. this book dives deep into emotional tension, longing, and the fear of being truly seen.
ayana was everything i love in a heroine: smart, vulnerable, and deeply underestimated by the people around her. i loved watching her fight for herself in a world that constantly tried to define her. she deserved a love that saw her completely, and vuk gave her that—no matter how hard he tried to pretend otherwise.
and vuk… don’t even get me started. cold and emotionally unavailable? yes. but he chooses ayana over and over again in quiet, meaningful ways. i loved watching his walls come down slowly, piece by piece, because she was the one person who made him feel safe enough to be real.
ana huang knows how to write tension—whether it’s in a look, a sentence, or a near kiss. i found myself rereading scenes just to feel that spark again. and even with all the heat and angst, there’s a softness to this story that made it so special. it’s a book about choosing vulnerability, about rewriting the rules of love, and about healing even when you didn’t think you needed to.
i devoured this book. i’m still thinking about this book.
ੈ♡˳ tropes:
ꕥ forbidden love
ꕥ billionaire x model
ꕥ slow burn
ꕥ reclusive/morally gray hero
ꕥ "he falls first"
ꕥ forced proximity
ੈ♡˳ fave quotes:
➼ “because she was his when she should be mine.”
➼ “but with ayana, there was no walking away. no negotiation. she was mine, and i would die before i lost her.”
➼ “it was stupid, but i collected his words the way i collected perfumes and shoes. they glinted like precious stones in the sand, proof that he trusted me enough to communicate with me openly when he didn’t have to. he simply chose to.”
➼ “if you were my fiancée, i wouldn’t look at another woman. entertainment or not.”
➼ “people who were that riled up about each other either ended up killing each other or falling in love.”
-----
post read: vuk the man that u are. what a man what a man. full rtc. 💌
————
pre read: i love you ana huang and i already know this will be my book of the year.
wait i just realized this was bwwm 🤪🧍🏾♀️
May 10, 2025
I’m so sorry but… what was THAT!? 😭 That was not what I expected… ughhh—
The first half had me hooked — I was obsessed — but then the second half came and just ruined it all 😭
⚠️ I’M SORRY TO THOSE WHO LOVED AND ENJOYED IT ⚠️
Umm… Twisted Lies 2.0!? 😭 sorry—
But seriously, I was so freaking excited for this one, and to end up feeling like this? 😔 Just... disappointed 😭
Yes, I know Ana’s writing style and plots can feel kinda similar sometimes, but still— I had high hopes.
By the time I hit the second half, I was skimming the ending. A big part of me wanted to DNF it right there, but I kept going because of all the positive reviews. I really thought, “Maybe it gets better?” But nope… I should’ve DNFed it 😭 (sorry again).
BUT YEA… ONE THING I WANNA SAY “I.FREAKIN.LOVE.AYANA.KIDANE.” 🙂↕️
I tried so hard to give this 3 stars, I really did… but I can’t 😭 The cons were just too much (imo), so yeah… 2 stars 😭 (SORRY AGAIN).
————————————
Pre-Read
I’m ready… LESSSGOOOO!!!💚💚
The first half had me hooked — I was obsessed — but then the second half came and just ruined it all 😭
⚠️ I’M SORRY TO THOSE WHO LOVED AND ENJOYED IT ⚠️
Umm… Twisted Lies 2.0!? 😭 sorry—
But seriously, I was so freaking excited for this one, and to end up feeling like this? 😔 Just... disappointed 😭
Yes, I know Ana’s writing style and plots can feel kinda similar sometimes, but still— I had high hopes.
By the time I hit the second half, I was skimming the ending. A big part of me wanted to DNF it right there, but I kept going because of all the positive reviews. I really thought, “Maybe it gets better?” But nope… I should’ve DNFed it 😭 (sorry again).
BUT YEA… ONE THING I WANNA SAY “I.FREAKIN.LOVE.AYANA.KIDANE.” 🙂↕️
I tried so hard to give this 3 stars, I really did… but I can’t 😭 The cons were just too much (imo), so yeah… 2 stars 😭 (SORRY AGAIN).
————————————
Pre-Read
I’m ready… LESSSGOOOO!!!💚💚
May 4, 2025
3.5 stars
I went into this with very low expectations. After King of Wrath, the rest of the books in this series didn’t really live up to it, and I was honestly ready to call it quits. But this book? Surprisingly fun! It’s not perfect, but it’s easily one of the most entertaining in the series. Definitely didn’t expect to enjoy it this much.
Vuk is THE man—probably my favourite mmc in this series. There’s something about the quiet, brooding, silent type that just works for me every time(because men are better when they don’t speak). His whole vibe, dangerous, powerful, and reclusive adds so much to his allure. And also the “I won’t kiss you unless you take off your ring” thing? HOT. Those intense moments of refusal were a huge part of what made me fall for him. He might not be the most classically handsome, but his presence? Absolutely magnetic. And the way he yearns for Ayana? It’s next level. The "less is more" approach really works here. He’s the kind of guy who doesn’t need to say much to have you hooked.
As for Ayana, I was already excited about her being a successful model, but she turned out to be so much more. She’s strong, independent, and doesn’t take shit, but she’s also vulnerable and deeply caring. She’s got real substance, and I loved how she knew what she wanted and wasn’t afraid to go after it, even if it meant risking everything.
The chemistry between Ayana and Vuk is everything. The way Vuk was practically consumed with envy to be in Jordan’s place, all while longing for Ayana, was everythinggg. It was so fun watching the plot thrive on their tension, as Vuk’s obsession with Ayana grows while he’s torn between loyalty to his friend and his desire for her.
Now, this is where it kind of lost me. The last 20% of the book was kind of predictable, and while I don’t exactly mind that in these types of books, it really started to drag. I was honestly so bored towards the end. I don’t think this book needed to be 500 pages long—a tighter ending would’ve made a big difference.
But overall, Ana Huang’s books aren’t about reinventing the wheel—they’re just fun, dramatic, and have a plot that keeps you hooked, even if the characters aren’t exactly groundbreaking. It’s not amazing, but it’s a solid, enjoyable read.
“Because she was his when she should be mine.”
I went into this with very low expectations. After King of Wrath, the rest of the books in this series didn’t really live up to it, and I was honestly ready to call it quits. But this book? Surprisingly fun! It’s not perfect, but it’s easily one of the most entertaining in the series. Definitely didn’t expect to enjoy it this much.
Vuk is THE man—probably my favourite mmc in this series. There’s something about the quiet, brooding, silent type that just works for me every time
As for Ayana, I was already excited about her being a successful model, but she turned out to be so much more. She’s strong, independent, and doesn’t take shit, but she’s also vulnerable and deeply caring. She’s got real substance, and I loved how she knew what she wanted and wasn’t afraid to go after it, even if it meant risking everything.
The chemistry between Ayana and Vuk is everything. The way Vuk was practically consumed with envy to be in Jordan’s place, all while longing for Ayana, was everythinggg. It was so fun watching the plot thrive on their tension, as Vuk’s obsession with Ayana grows while he’s torn between loyalty to his friend and his desire for her.
Now, this is where it kind of lost me. The last 20% of the book was kind of predictable, and while I don’t exactly mind that in these types of books, it really started to drag. I was honestly so bored towards the end. I don’t think this book needed to be 500 pages long—a tighter ending would’ve made a big difference.
But overall, Ana Huang’s books aren’t about reinventing the wheel—they’re just fun, dramatic, and have a plot that keeps you hooked, even if the characters aren’t exactly groundbreaking. It’s not amazing, but it’s a solid, enjoyable read.
December 9, 2025
❝ because they were getting married. because i saw her first. because she was his when she should be mine. ❞
there's just something about men who are cold, rich, and emotionally unavailable that has me spasming. ana huang has handed me another delicious morally gray, emotionally repressed man in a tailored suit that could absolutely ruin my life, and i, the predictable gremlin that i am, can only accept vuk markovic and all his beautiful, scarred glory.
₊˚꒰ 𖧷 ꒱ ⊹ i. plot. ₊˚⊹ ꒱
so we meet ayana kidane, an internationally famous supermodel who has the face of a goddess, the patience of a saint, and the kind of trauma only creepy agents and emotionally sterile relationships can provide. she's currently engaged to jordan ford, a human beige flag, in a fake engagement.
enter: vuk markovic.
vuk is jordan's best friend. he's also a billionaire, and surprise, vuk has been pining after ayana in complete, emotionally constipated silence. they've barely spoken, they’re never alone, and yet every time she walks into a room, this man sheds three years off his life.
cue the slowest of slow burns! they fall for each other in the quietest, messiest, and most sexually tense way possible. think loaded silences, hotel room tension, and entire conversations being held through eye contact and pure internal screaming.
also, there's a cat named shadow who literally swoops in and saves the day.
₊˚꒰ 𖧷 ꒱ ⊹ ii. characters. ₊˚⊹ ꒱
ayana kidane is everything, and caught in a fake engagement that is the equivalent of being in a hostage situation. she's torn between her loyalty to her entirely platonic fiancé jordan, and the fact that her heart and soul does a little backflip every time vuk enters a room. ayana doesn’t just exist to be desired. she’s layered, thoughtful, and unwilling to settle for anything less than what she deserves. her journey is less about choosing between two men and more about realizing she deserves real, messy, inconvenient love.
vuk markovic is the ceo of brooding and silence. the man communicates in glances, jaw clenches, and the occasional one-sentence growl that somehow still makes you swoon. he's violently in love with ayana (but shhhh, we don't talk about feelings here) and loyal to a fault (unless the fault is being in love with your best friend’s fiancée, then oops). vuk is so emotionally repressed, but underneath all that brooding and murderous tendencies? there's a heart. a surprisingly soft, squishy heart wrapped in ten layers of tailored suits, childhood trauma, and sheer willpower.
₊˚꒰ 𖧷 ꒱ ⊹ iii. conclusion. ₊˚⊹ ꒱
king of envy is what happens when two people fall wildly in love and then decide to make it everyone’s problem. it's broody. it’s angsty. it’s emotionally repressed in a way that feels weirdly satisfying. and sure, sometimes the silence went on a little too long, and i kept screaming "JUST TALK" into the abyss, but in the end, it was worth the slow burn, the aching stares, and every moment of "i want you but i shouldn’t."
four stars, one frayed nerve, and several silent emotional breakdowns later: i'm utterly obsessed with vuk markovic.
— 4 stars. ⋆˚☆˖°.ᐟ
.° ༘🎧ྀི⋆ favourite quotes 🖇₊˚ෆ
“but with ayana, there was no walking away. no negotiation. she was mine, and i would die before i lost her.”
“it was stupid, but it collected his words the way i collected perfumes and shoes. they glinted like precious stones in the sand, proof that he trusted me enough to communicate with me openly when he didn’t have to. he simply chose to.”
“vanilla, for warmth and comfort. which is what you mean to me.”
“but the majority of her allure for me didn’t rest on her physical looks. it was the way she moved, with a natural grace that couldn’t be taught; it was the way she laughed, so whole-heartedly and joyously that it could chase away the darkest shadows. and it was the way she glowed, like there was a fire inside her that was just waiting to be unleashed.”
⌗ started: 04.28.25 ⌝
⌞ finished: 05.09.25 ✦
₊˚꒰ 𖧷 ꒱ ⊹ pre-review:
⤿ i need a vuk markovic in my life to obsess over my breathing patterns.
₊˚⊹ ᰔ pre-read:
⤿ reading this better has me shaking, sobbing, feral, and all my brain cells evaporating.
Want to read
May 25, 2025I know it's gonna hurt, cuz we did it first 😩
Nicholas Russo – the sweetest oblivion:
He only watched me with a narrowed gaze while breathing my air like it was his to take.
“Take it off,” he gritted.
He didn’t speak of my clothes. He looked at my face, but he might as well have stared at my left hand. Now I understood it wasn’t the nails on his neck that had bothered him—it was the ring.
Vuk Markovic
“Take off your ring.” Vuk’s harsh command was a shot of whiskey straight to my veins.”
sorrryyyyyyy had to 😭
Nicholas Russo – the sweetest oblivion:
He only watched me with a narrowed gaze while breathing my air like it was his to take.
“Take it off,” he gritted.
He didn’t speak of my clothes. He looked at my face, but he might as well have stared at my left hand. Now I understood it wasn’t the nails on his neck that had bothered him—it was the ring.
Vuk Markovic
“Take off your ring.” Vuk’s harsh command was a shot of whiskey straight to my veins.”
sorrryyyyyyy had to 😭
May 15, 2025
miss ana did it again
May 4, 2025
men will do anything but go to therapy
1.5 ⭐️
ana tried but failed (again) but we’re hopeful for maya and sebastian’s book (🤞 )
let’s talk about it (mild spoilers ahead)
by anything i meant stuff like: edgelord-like torture, pseudovillain monologues, set up a rage room in his basement, box, kill people, join a gang, dismantle said gang, blackmail, go to the gym at 3am, pull a walter white plot
Ayana
she didn’t really have much going on for herself. all we know is she is a model, signed a kpop contract (bad), likes to crochet, is in a marriage of convenience scheme, and collects perfumes. unfortunately she got lost in her own story. for some (very convenient for the plot) reason is fluent in ASL. why we don’t know. (correction: we know. It's because her aunt that is never mentioned outside of Ayana learning the ASL for her, which one could assume would play a bigger role in her life given how fluent Ayana is. And that would be at least C1/C2 level, and I don't think it is just something a person can do without extenstive learning)
as the story progresses, ayana gets dumber and dumber unfortunately. once she learned what vuk was up to (killing people and stuff) she did insane mental gymnastics to justify his actions. maybe it sounded like deep pinterest motivation quotes on paper but if one was to think about it for more than two seconds, it was more like ramblings of emotionally immature teenager writing her first wattpad story. I would also like to know how ayana and her fiancé become friends because i don’t buy into it.
Vuk
same goes for him. quiet/non-verbal, hates people, is alcohol industry CEO, has a geriatric hobby, is obsessed with ayana. i honestly don’t know why he’s the envy king when all he does for most of the book is throw anger fits. it was scary and I was genuinely afraid of him. why anyone interacted with him, i have no idea. no self preservation in these people. he makes Alex Volkov seem like a normal guy!
Romance is barely there. he saw her once on tv and fell in love with her authenticity. very generic in my opinion. would rather have a chapter or two of flashbacks why so specifically. instead we’re just being told. i dont buy into why ayana fell in love with him, either. she thought he hated her and then defended him in front of a bunch of no names who were being mean about his scars. it doesn’t really screams romance to me, i’d call it basic human decency… there were some good moments and lines but they felt flat because the base of their relationship was… not solid. we’re being told rather than showed (which is a reoccurring theme in this book).
spicy chapters were not bad but she wrote better scenes in the past. also, they weren’t best-timed.
GANG/MAFIA PLOT
although ana stated that’s the darkest one so far, and it was, but come on. it completely dominated the book. and it wasn’t even good action bits. remember when i said there is a lot of telling and not showing? about 85% of the book is about the Brotherhood, Ayana enters this plotline maybe in the last 10% of the book. and the plot line is basically vuk’s people investigating off page and debriefing him or him telling his people to investigate this and that. BORING.
the villain speech was hilariously bad and so a bunch of others, like the wedding (iykyk)
generally speaking, the whole book felt manufactured and trope-y. in the first third chapters we get one bed trope! bad! very bad! instead of sailing smoothly through pages, I could see the book layout in ana’s head: in this chapter vuk gets told this happen; in this chapter ayana tells him to come over; in this chapter i want her but cant have her trope male anguish, in this chapter i have to introduce the fmc from the next book and make them instant best friends, and so on.
PSA
(to all inspiring authors and Ana Huang herself)
the blood has metallic taste because of hemoglobin which is made of IRON, not COPPER. get your facts checked or at least get editors who are good at their job. and it’s extra embarrassing when vuk has chemistry engineering diploma and Ayana wanted to pursue chemistry in collage too. (it was also wasted opportunity, after all the perfume bottle is on the cover, it would make sense if she quitted modelling and got her degree and stuff.)
also the phrase “he ruined me for other men” is disgusting!!! what do you mean by that? did you mean maybe “he ruined other men for me”???? because these are completely different things
aro ace rep - if i had a nickel for every time a fmc is in a fake relationship with an aro ace person to appease their family, i’d have two nickels, which isn’t a lot, but it’s weird it happened twice
i liked dante, vivian, xavier and sloane cameos
the smut was fine too although like i said earlier ana used to write better spice scenes in the past
thank you for reading this review 🥺❤️
see you again when the defender comes out
1.5 ⭐️
ana tried but failed (again) but we’re hopeful for maya and sebastian’s book (🤞 )
let’s talk about it (mild spoilers ahead)
by anything i meant stuff like: edgelord-like torture, pseudovillain monologues, set up a rage room in his basement, box, kill people, join a gang, dismantle said gang, blackmail, go to the gym at 3am, pull a walter white plot
Ayana
she didn’t really have much going on for herself. all we know is she is a model, signed a kpop contract (bad), likes to crochet, is in a marriage of convenience scheme, and collects perfumes. unfortunately she got lost in her own story. for some (very convenient for the plot) reason is fluent in ASL. why we don’t know. (correction: we know. It's because her aunt that is never mentioned outside of Ayana learning the ASL for her, which one could assume would play a bigger role in her life given how fluent Ayana is. And that would be at least C1/C2 level, and I don't think it is just something a person can do without extenstive learning)
as the story progresses, ayana gets dumber and dumber unfortunately. once she learned what vuk was up to (killing people and stuff) she did insane mental gymnastics to justify his actions. maybe it sounded like deep pinterest motivation quotes on paper but if one was to think about it for more than two seconds, it was more like ramblings of emotionally immature teenager writing her first wattpad story. I would also like to know how ayana and her fiancé become friends because i don’t buy into it.
Vuk
same goes for him. quiet/non-verbal, hates people, is alcohol industry CEO, has a geriatric hobby, is obsessed with ayana. i honestly don’t know why he’s the envy king when all he does for most of the book is throw anger fits. it was scary and I was genuinely afraid of him. why anyone interacted with him, i have no idea. no self preservation in these people. he makes Alex Volkov seem like a normal guy!
Romance is barely there. he saw her once on tv and fell in love with her authenticity. very generic in my opinion. would rather have a chapter or two of flashbacks why so specifically. instead we’re just being told. i dont buy into why ayana fell in love with him, either. she thought he hated her and then defended him in front of a bunch of no names who were being mean about his scars. it doesn’t really screams romance to me, i’d call it basic human decency… there were some good moments and lines but they felt flat because the base of their relationship was… not solid. we’re being told rather than showed (which is a reoccurring theme in this book).
spicy chapters were not bad but she wrote better scenes in the past. also, they weren’t best-timed.
GANG/MAFIA PLOT
although ana stated that’s the darkest one so far, and it was, but come on. it completely dominated the book. and it wasn’t even good action bits. remember when i said there is a lot of telling and not showing? about 85% of the book is about the Brotherhood, Ayana enters this plotline maybe in the last 10% of the book. and the plot line is basically vuk’s people investigating off page and debriefing him or him telling his people to investigate this and that. BORING.
the villain speech was hilariously bad and so a bunch of others, like the wedding (iykyk)
generally speaking, the whole book felt manufactured and trope-y. in the first third chapters we get one bed trope! bad! very bad! instead of sailing smoothly through pages, I could see the book layout in ana’s head: in this chapter vuk gets told this happen; in this chapter ayana tells him to come over; in this chapter i want her but cant have her trope male anguish, in this chapter i have to introduce the fmc from the next book and make them instant best friends, and so on.
PSA
(to all inspiring authors and Ana Huang herself)
the blood has metallic taste because of hemoglobin which is made of IRON, not COPPER. get your facts checked or at least get editors who are good at their job. and it’s extra embarrassing when vuk has chemistry engineering diploma and Ayana wanted to pursue chemistry in collage too. (it was also wasted opportunity, after all the perfume bottle is on the cover, it would make sense if she quitted modelling and got her degree and stuff.)
also the phrase “he ruined me for other men” is disgusting!!! what do you mean by that? did you mean maybe “he ruined other men for me”???? because these are completely different things
aro ace rep - if i had a nickel for every time a fmc is in a fake relationship with an aro ace person to appease their family, i’d have two nickels, which isn’t a lot, but it’s weird it happened twice
i liked dante, vivian, xavier and sloane cameos
the smut was fine too although like i said earlier ana used to write better spice scenes in the past
thank you for reading this review 🥺❤️
see you again when the defender comes out
May 3, 2025
⋆ ✩ ⋆ he saw her first. he wanted her first. ⋆ ✩ ⋆
Okay listen… it started off SO strong. I was all in—dark vibes? brooding, scarred, silent billionaire? YES. Ayana being a boss baddie? YES. Marriage of convenience? Give it to me. Vuk and his soft obsessions? Inject it. The first 80% had me hooked like a fish. I was mentally screaming “GET TOGETHER ALREADY” the whole time and having a blast watching them orbit around each other with ✨insane tension✨.
But then…
The last 20%?? Yeah, no. It lost me. It felt like someone copy-pasted the Twisted Lies ending, gave it a quick Wattpad makeover, and threw it into this book. Everything got super predictable, cheesy, and lowkey dragged out. I'm all for a long slow burn, but 500+ pages?? This romance could’ve wrapped up 100 pages earlier and hit harder. There’s a difference between slow burn and please end this now before I start skipping paragraphs.
Also... THIRD ACT BREAKUP? STOPPPPP. I'm so serious. It wasn't even angsty—just unnecessary and formulaic. Like let them be obsessed and in love in peace!!!
BUT!! Before I sound like a total hater—
Vuk??? He's THAT man. Obsessed, protective, grumpy, silent, possessive with a soft spot just for her?? I was EATING IT UP.
The whole “take off your ring” line?? That moment?? DEAD.
And that laser tag scene… AYE. Ana, what are you feeding this man??
Ayana too??? Loved her. Strong, confident, intelligent, but also real. She wasn’t naive or pushy, she was aware, smart, and she stood up for herself and for him. I’m SO tired of weak female leads so she was a breathe of fresh air. She was everything.
Favorite things:
🖤 Marriage of convenience
💍 Best friend’s fiancée
🖤 Morally gray, obsessed MMC
💍 Supermodel FMC
🖤 Touch her and die" vibes
💍 Protective, silent hunk of a man
🖤 Hidden scars, inside & out
💍 One bed + slowww burn tension
🖤 A dangerous past creeping in
💍 Third Act Breakup
Spice? Low. Honestly, I expected more from Vuk the way he was LOOKING at her like she hung the damn moon. But when the spice did finally hit? Yeah… it was scorching.
Plot? Good bones, weak delivery near the end.
Final thoughts??
Loved the vibes, the dynamic, the characters. But the pacing and ending? Meh.
Still, I had fun and I’ll keep reading this series because the drama, the billionaires, the sin?? YESSSSSS.
King of Gluttony??? COME. TO. ME.
And if Roman doesn’t get a book I will riot.
3.5 stars
It had me, then it lost me—but I still had fun.
UMMM okay possessive king!!!
━━━━━━━━━━━⊱♡⊰━━━━━━━━━━
I knew it—Vuk's book will be next, but with Ayana?!?! If Vuk is in book 5, 'King of Envy,' then the other two left are Sebastian Laurent and Killian Katrakis. They will be the MMCs of the next two books. I knew Sebastian's book would be there—his name mentioned a lot in Dom and Ale's book. And Killian will be the other MMC, because the list of eight contacts Kai gave Xavier all had MCs like Vuk, Alex, Dom, Jules, Christian, Sebastian, Killian, and Farah. If every other person is an MC, then it means Killian will also be an MC. And I have zero idea who the FMCs will be. I can't wait until next year for 'King of Envy.' 😭😭
Okay listen… it started off SO strong. I was all in—dark vibes? brooding, scarred, silent billionaire? YES. Ayana being a boss baddie? YES. Marriage of convenience? Give it to me. Vuk and his soft obsessions? Inject it. The first 80% had me hooked like a fish. I was mentally screaming “GET TOGETHER ALREADY” the whole time and having a blast watching them orbit around each other with ✨insane tension✨.
But then…
The last 20%?? Yeah, no. It lost me. It felt like someone copy-pasted the Twisted Lies ending, gave it a quick Wattpad makeover, and threw it into this book. Everything got super predictable, cheesy, and lowkey dragged out. I'm all for a long slow burn, but 500+ pages?? This romance could’ve wrapped up 100 pages earlier and hit harder. There’s a difference between slow burn and please end this now before I start skipping paragraphs.
Also... THIRD ACT BREAKUP? STOPPPPP. I'm so serious. It wasn't even angsty—just unnecessary and formulaic. Like let them be obsessed and in love in peace!!!
BUT!! Before I sound like a total hater—
Vuk??? He's THAT man. Obsessed, protective, grumpy, silent, possessive with a soft spot just for her?? I was EATING IT UP.
The whole “take off your ring” line?? That moment?? DEAD.
And that laser tag scene… AYE. Ana, what are you feeding this man??
Ayana too??? Loved her. Strong, confident, intelligent, but also real. She wasn’t naive or pushy, she was aware, smart, and she stood up for herself and for him. I’m SO tired of weak female leads so she was a breathe of fresh air. She was everything.
Favorite things:
🖤 Marriage of convenience
💍 Best friend’s fiancée
🖤 Morally gray, obsessed MMC
💍 Supermodel FMC
🖤 Touch her and die" vibes
💍 Protective, silent hunk of a man
🖤 Hidden scars, inside & out
💍 One bed + slowww burn tension
🖤 A dangerous past creeping in
💍 Third Act Breakup
Spice? Low. Honestly, I expected more from Vuk the way he was LOOKING at her like she hung the damn moon. But when the spice did finally hit? Yeah… it was scorching.
Plot? Good bones, weak delivery near the end.
Final thoughts??
Loved the vibes, the dynamic, the characters. But the pacing and ending? Meh.
Still, I had fun and I’ll keep reading this series because the drama, the billionaires, the sin?? YESSSSSS.
King of Gluttony??? COME. TO. ME.
And if Roman doesn’t get a book I will riot.
3.5 stars
It had me, then it lost me—but I still had fun.
"Because she was his when she should be mine."
UMMM okay possessive king!!!
━━━━━━━━━━━⊱♡⊰━━━━━━━━━━
I knew it—Vuk's book will be next, but with Ayana?!?! If Vuk is in book 5, 'King of Envy,' then the other two left are Sebastian Laurent and Killian Katrakis. They will be the MMCs of the next two books. I knew Sebastian's book would be there—his name mentioned a lot in Dom and Ale's book. And Killian will be the other MMC, because the list of eight contacts Kai gave Xavier all had MCs like Vuk, Alex, Dom, Jules, Christian, Sebastian, Killian, and Farah. If every other person is an MC, then it means Killian will also be an MC. And I have zero idea who the FMCs will be. I can't wait until next year for 'King of Envy.' 😭😭
Want to read
May 1, 2024Vuk Markovic the chairman of Valhalla and the most powerful man in the city 🤭 gonna be with Ayana a famouse supermodel with luminous dark skin and high cheekbones who is engaged to Vuk's college friend? This will be messy 👀
April 29, 2025
they are HEREEEEE
ayana and vuk sound like my next maladive obsession
ayana and vuk sound like my next maladive obsession
May 7, 2025
➳ i don't know who i want more ☆
OK MISS ANA. she did the damn thing with this!!! i knew, i just knew this was going to be better than her recent books and i was right. vee and i could not stop giggling. ATE DOWN. i am so glad we gave this a chance. we both cannot wait for king of gluttony.
spectacular, give me 14 of them right now. she is everything. all i pictured while reading this is my queen anok yai. if there is a tv show, you know who you need to cast. i am so glad i went back to ana and her writing. i have been reading too many doormat FMC's lately, so i am happy that ayana is NOTHING like that. she really stole the book for me. she was smart, witty, good at her job, strong, vulnerable, and HOT. thank you.
SMASH and then SMASH again. me and vee are in love with too many of the same men. seeing that she is my best-friend... sharing is caring fr. MMC's who don't speak >>> is the way to go. he is insane, and i am infact also insane because i need him so bad. easily the best man in this series. he is probably my top 3 favorite ana man overall. when i WANT down bad, pathetic, obsessive, RESPECTFUL yet FILTHY men... christian allister, dante maroni, and vuk markovic come to the front and take your rightful spot.
thank you for coming to my ted talk. vee and i are very happy today. we can't wait to read king of gluttony. we are finally getting an indian FMC. let's hope she is better than jade alva…
I LOVE YOU, BESTIE!!!
✄┈┈┈┈┈┈
ꕤ pre-read ꕤ
buddy read with my favorite bff, vee! 💚
“because they were getting married. because i saw her first. because she was his when she should be mine.”
OK MISS ANA. she did the damn thing with this!!! i knew, i just knew this was going to be better than her recent books and i was right. vee and i could not stop giggling. ATE DOWN. i am so glad we gave this a chance. we both cannot wait for king of gluttony.
⌞ayana⌝
spectacular, give me 14 of them right now. she is everything. all i pictured while reading this is my queen anok yai. if there is a tv show, you know who you need to cast. i am so glad i went back to ana and her writing. i have been reading too many doormat FMC's lately, so i am happy that ayana is NOTHING like that. she really stole the book for me. she was smart, witty, good at her job, strong, vulnerable, and HOT. thank you.
⌞vuk⌝
SMASH and then SMASH again. me and vee are in love with too many of the same men. seeing that she is my best-friend... sharing is caring fr. MMC's who don't speak >>> is the way to go. he is insane, and i am infact also insane because i need him so bad. easily the best man in this series. he is probably my top 3 favorite ana man overall. when i WANT down bad, pathetic, obsessive, RESPECTFUL yet FILTHY men... christian allister, dante maroni, and vuk markovic come to the front and take your rightful spot.
thank you for coming to my ted talk. vee and i are very happy today. we can't wait to read king of gluttony. we are finally getting an indian FMC. let's hope she is better than jade alva…
I LOVE YOU, BESTIE!!!
✄┈┈┈┈┈┈
ꕤ pre-read ꕤ
buddy read with my favorite bff, vee! 💚
May 25, 2025
I read this book before bed and then literally had a dream about Vuk Markovic. I feel like that’s all you need to know 😮💨
November 13, 2025
haven't been the biggest fan of this series but this one was pretty fun! a little too long for my personal taste but i really really loved the longing/yearning from the hero. a man who covets... yum.
May 1, 2025
⁀ ⊹ ₊ Because they were getting married. Because I saw her first. Because she was his when she should be mine.
omg y'all. it happened!! after a drought of disappointing reads that left me drier than the sahara, i finally found a book that actually delivered. ana huang's king of envy? let's just say my expectations were exceeded by approximately one million percent. we stan a queen who knows how to write yearning.
this book crawled out of my heart, y'all. my ovaries haven't stopped vibrating since i finished the last page. my bestie, manas and i went absolutely feral reading this. this is the kind of book that makes you question your life choices, because you're suddenly realizing that this level of romantic tension and character development is actually real. we were starving, emotionally depleted, and this book fed us. like, really fed us. and then gave us seconds. and then dessert.
⁀ ⊹ ₊ I’d survived decades without her, but now that I had her in my life, I couldn’t imagine living in her absence.
𖣠 vuk markovic
⤿ the brooding, scarred, anaconda-dicked king of my heart
first of all, vuk. VUK. this man. this MAN. someone please sedate me because i'm still recovering from the sheer force of his presence. he's the epitome of less is more. he's the quiet, brooding type─the type who can shut the fuck up and let his actions speak louder than words. and those actions? hot, hot, hot. he's like, the ultimate mysterious bad boy but with a tormented soul and a level of obsession that's both terrifying and incredibly swoon-worthy. manas and i were constantly comparing him to azriel from acotar (don't come at me), because of that whole brooding, scarred, mysterious vibe. this man is pathetic in the best possible way. completely, utterly, hopelessly obsessed with the fmc. he's rich, intimidating, morally grey, and ridiculously hot. did i mention the anaconda-sized dick? (okay, i didn't actually see it, but the vibes were very much present.) he’s mastered the art of yearning, people. he’s surpassed even dante russo (no shade, dante i still love you but step back tf). this is what yearning looks like people. this is the peak of yearning. give this man a throne – i'm convinced he's royalty in disguise.
⁀ ⊹ ₊ “Kada te konačno budem poljubio, nećeš više nositi njegov prsten na ruci.”
𖣠 ayana kidane
⤿ the queen who doesn't need saving (but deserves all the treats)
ayana, our fmc, is everything i want to be and more. seriously, i love her. she’s not a doormat. she's strong, independent, and fiercely protective of the people she loves. i loved how she didn't just stand up for herself but also fiercely defended vuk─a queen move, if i ever saw one. she deserves a hug, a kiss, and a never-ending supply of her favorite desserts. i would personally host a dessert party just for her.
⁀ ⊹ ₊ She was a wreck, but she was still so gorgeous she took my breath away.
the tension between vuk and ayana was chef's kiss. let's just say manas and i were screaming internally and externally throughout the entire book. the sexual tension was palpable, like a thin sheet of paper about to burst into flames. and when it did burst, all i can say is─we went absolutely feral. their chemistry is chef's kiss. it’s explosive, it’s consuming, it leaves you breathless. they are soulmates. they’re destined to be together. in every universe. the balance between their personalities was just perfect. their internal monologues were everything we ever wanted. and vuk's obsession with ayana? every time we read his inner thoughts, we both simultaneously squealed and giggled.
⁀ ⊹ ₊ “Take off your ring.”
this is the one. 4.25 stars, a million-and-one recommendations, and my eternal gratitude to ana huang for creating something so utterly captivating. go read it. now. and then come back and tell me how much you loved it. because we need to talk about vuk. again. and again. and again…
── ୭ ˚. pre read review
the wait is over, omggg!! can't believe i'm finally meeting my pookie vuk 🤭. buddy reading with my fav girl manas 💚
May 9, 2025
obsessed with the first half but the second half made me want to rip my hair out.
September 2, 2025
2023 sometime- if there is ONE thing I love, it's a jealous guy
THIS BETTER ABSOLUTLEY SERVE AND EAT IT ALL UP
just like Christian Harper ate-
i need a day job
update// STOP IT THIS IS GONNA GET SO MESSY AND I AM SO HERE FOR IT
02/09/2025- I FINALLY READ IT AND IT DID NOT DISAPPOINT
Vuk was honestly everything I could’ve hoped for and he was deadass perfect for this book and Ayana was so adorably unique that she’s hard to hate.
The only thing I didn’t like was how predictable the third act breakup was and how quick Ayana’s mindset suddenly just happened to change and her epiphany. That being said I eat it up every time so who am I to complain 😭😭
However I’ve never been more excited for a Kings Of Sin book than I am for king of gluttony ohmygod sebastian and maya are QUICKLY gonna become my favourites
THIS BETTER ABSOLUTLEY SERVE AND EAT IT ALL UP
just like Christian Harper ate-
i need a day job
update// STOP IT THIS IS GONNA GET SO MESSY AND I AM SO HERE FOR IT
02/09/2025- I FINALLY READ IT AND IT DID NOT DISAPPOINT
Vuk was honestly everything I could’ve hoped for and he was deadass perfect for this book and Ayana was so adorably unique that she’s hard to hate.
The only thing I didn’t like was how predictable the third act breakup was and how quick Ayana’s mindset suddenly just happened to change and her epiphany. That being said I eat it up every time so who am I to complain 😭😭
However I’ve never been more excited for a Kings Of Sin book than I am for king of gluttony ohmygod sebastian and maya are QUICKLY gonna become my favourites
May 28, 2025
₊⊹⁀➴ 4 stars
this book helped me get thru finals week. honestly king of envy is kinda like a more sophisticated version of twisted lies and no complaints here since twisted lies was my fave in the twisted series. overall who doesn’t like reading about two hot rich sexy lovers?
this book helped me get thru finals week. honestly king of envy is kinda like a more sophisticated version of twisted lies and no complaints here since twisted lies was my fave in the twisted series. overall who doesn’t like reading about two hot rich sexy lovers?
May 5, 2025
2 ˖⁺‧✮
this story was disappointing, especially after the last 2-3 books in the “Kings of Sin” series. the overall writing style was bad and rushed, story definitely lacked feelings and chemistry and characters felt over saturated.
i want to start with Vuk, because i’ve never felt this much of nothing toward an Ana’s character. he was portrayed as morally grey character, who didn’t talk to anyone expert Ayana. but in real life he was the most stupid, boring and uninteresting character ever. don’t get me wrong, i’m obsessed with grumpy x sunshine , or grey, introverted guys in books but this level of “grumpiness” is so unreal. it wasn’t even like Vuk seemed closed or something, he was rude and for no reason mean to kind people. i understand the trauma and everything he went through effecting his mental health, but wtf he offered a psychologist to Ayana but not himself? at the beginning there is no explanation to why was he rude to Ayana or her friends or whoever those girls were. there has to be a distinction between mean and closed/grumpy characters.
story itself was weird. it doesn’t matter if Ayana and J guy were together or not, Vuk was interested in Ayana and they were together when he didn’t know the “arranged/fake” part. imagine if the main characters were J and Ayana, everyone would’ve hated Vuk🤷♀️ makes no sense to me
i really like Ana’s books and there are definitely a couple of her stories that i truly like, even when the main character is horrible ex “Twisted Lies”. but the last couple of books felt uninteresting and i have no interest in reading the next “Kings of Sin” books🙆♀️
no hate toward the author because i truly like her, but this was really disappointing.
*also did i skip something or how does vuk wins every bingo game? i know there is story behind the game but this moment i probably skipped at 2 am🧍♀️
this story was disappointing, especially after the last 2-3 books in the “Kings of Sin” series. the overall writing style was bad and rushed, story definitely lacked feelings and chemistry and characters felt over saturated.
i want to start with Vuk, because i’ve never felt this much of nothing toward an Ana’s character. he was portrayed as morally grey character, who didn’t talk to anyone expert Ayana. but in real life he was the most stupid, boring and uninteresting character ever. don’t get me wrong, i’m obsessed with grumpy x sunshine , or grey, introverted guys in books but this level of “grumpiness” is so unreal. it wasn’t even like Vuk seemed closed or something, he was rude and for no reason mean to kind people. i understand the trauma and everything he went through effecting his mental health, but wtf he offered a psychologist to Ayana but not himself? at the beginning there is no explanation to why was he rude to Ayana or her friends or whoever those girls were. there has to be a distinction between mean and closed/grumpy characters.
story itself was weird. it doesn’t matter if Ayana and J guy were together or not, Vuk was interested in Ayana and they were together when he didn’t know the “arranged/fake” part. imagine if the main characters were J and Ayana, everyone would’ve hated Vuk🤷♀️ makes no sense to me
i really like Ana’s books and there are definitely a couple of her stories that i truly like, even when the main character is horrible ex “Twisted Lies”. but the last couple of books felt uninteresting and i have no interest in reading the next “Kings of Sin” books🙆♀️
no hate toward the author because i truly like her, but this was really disappointing.
*also did i skip something or how does vuk wins every bingo game? i know there is story behind the game but this moment i probably skipped at 2 am🧍♀️
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