King of Beasts, Book 1

Beast Duet #1

by Diana A. Hicks

From award-winning author Diana A. Hicks comes a dark mafia romance full of angst and heart.

Rex Valentino is my enemy.

He has the power to wave a hand and make all my family problems go away.
In return, he only requires one thing...my complete surrender.

Caterina Alfera, an angel lost in a world of beasts.
I didn’t ask for her.
Destiny brought her to me.
And now I can’t let her leave.

She’s mine to keep.

If you like dark, steamy romance with a heavy dose of suspense and intense twists, then you’ll love Diana A. Hicks’s King of Beasts

Authors Note: King of Beasts is book one in The Society Series and can be read as a standalone. It contains explicit scenes and bondage.

Genres: Romance, BDSM, Dark, Dark Romance, Enemies To Lovers, Mafia Romance, Contemporary Romance

300 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 16, 2021

About the author

Diana A. Hicks is an award-winning author of contemporary romance that's sometimes dark, sometimes suspenseful, but always steamy. Her upcoming release, Empire of Ache & Ruin coming May 6, 2025!

When Diana is not writing, she enjoys hot yoga, kickboxing, traveling, and indulging in the simple joys of life like wine and chocolate. She lives in Atlanta and loves spending time with her two children and husband. Connect with Diana on social media to stay up to date on her latest releases.

Available now:
The Crime Society Series
Lost Raven (FREE)
King of Beasts, Book 1
Queen of Beasts, Book 2

Wolf's Lair (FREE)
Big Bad Wolf, Book 1
Big Bad Red, Book 2
Once Upon a Christmas (FREE)

Dark Beauty (FREE)
Wings of Ruin, Book 1
Wings of Silence, Book 2

Wicked Seduction, Book 1
Wicked Temptation, Book 2
Heartless Vow (FREE)

Steal My Heart Series
Entangle You
Unravel You
Ignite You
Release You

Cole Brothers Series
Unleash You
Defy You
Provoke You
Escape You
Escape My Love (FREE)

Cocky Hero Club
Irresistible Bastard


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Reviews

[Jessica Alcazar · Rating 4 out of 5]

Diana Hicks started this duet with a bang that continued to reverberate thru the entire storyline. That bang being a sensual sexy combustible chemistry between our leads. In other words, lust; pure unadulterated lust and that alone kept me glued page after page. We haven’t yet made it to the romance but holy bananas, you know it’s coming and when it does, something tells me it is going to be a force to be reckoned with.

So far, this duet is the perfect blend of mafia darkness and drama with a sexual drive you’d expect from a story like this. I’m enjoying the story thus far and can’t wait to see how Diana brings it full circle.

[Kelly_Reads_Books · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the first book I have read by Diana A. Hicks and it definitely won't be my last. Her writing is smooth, clear, and filled with innuendo and misunderstanding.
Rex is an Alpha male who takes what he wants without apology. And he has always wanted Caterina. And have her he will, on his terms and timeline.
Incredible story complete with drama, manipulation, and Kinbaku!

[Cécile Smits · Rating 3 out of 5]

Finding King of Beasts for only €0,99 on Apple Books was a treat i couldn’t resist.
Knowing Rex was into Kinbaku made it even better….
Having finished this first part of a duet,leaving me with a killer cliffhanger,i am now committed to read the second part,that’s for sure!

Caterina leads a normal life,has a normal job.
But ever since her mother died,her father has been lost,and loses himself in gambling.
Until he goes too far,and she has to find a way to pay the debt he has to the leader of the Society,Rex.
A man she hates as much as he seems to hate her and her family.
But not all is what it seems,as she finds out after she takes the deal he offers her….

Rex has been following Caterina for a long time.
She’s grown into the most beautiful woman he’s ever seen,and he wants her in his life.
Promises made in the past ensure him she will be his,but there are forces at work to keep them apart.
Forces that seem to want to destroy the Society….
Finding out who,and why,is his goal.
And keeping Caterina safe…

Now,if you’ll excuse me,i’m going to get some answers in the second part….

[Veronica Ticker · Rating 4 out of 5]

Though there are a few weak elements in this book, I must admit I was engrossed in Cat and Rex’s story.

The BDSM element could be disturbing to some, but I found those scenes well written and beautiful, as well as incredibly sexy and arousing. They also offered another side of the characters.

Because outside of those scenes, it’s basically your regular enemies to lovers story, with an old grudge, anger mixed with desire, tense conversations and miscommunication. It was difficult to see the love here, although there are some acts of tenderness. But lust was there, oh yeah.

I had trouble understanding the characters’ motives regarding the whole mafia war. Some of their actions and decisions contradicted others, like they were all a bunch of undecided kids, when they’re supposed to be mafia bosses.

I’ll still keep an eye out for book 2, because I really want this couple to come to terms with their feelings for each other, and I’m curious about how they’ll make it work.

Quickie

- Series: King of beasts duet #1 (ends on a cliffhanger)
- Hashtags: #mafia romance #erotica #BDSM #enemies to lovers #fairytale retelling #virgin
- Triggers: the BDSM elements could be triggering, especially since there’s dubious consent
- Main couple: Caterina Alfera & Rex Valentino
- Hotness: 5/5
- Romance: 3/5
- + I love my alpha male showing his vulnerability
- – the suspense element doesn’t seem coherent…

[Rainelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

King of Beast. I read this story. I liked the mystery and the little suspense from Rex, that the writer gave her readers. I was intrigued by the build up of the outline to the story that the outline provided. Caterina and Rex obviously had a love hate relationship. The drama and the action was a little tame. I would like to read some of the action scenes from Caterina as she caused chaos in the club. Rex, I think could of read more of him being seductive with Caterina. The story was timid and the steam level was hot.

[Gladys · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book and I am eagerly awaiting book two. I did have some pesky annoyances with a couple things in this book but nothing major. There is a raw intensity to Rex and Caterina's tale. The tension, drama, emotion, heat, twists and suspense are thickly layered throughout the storyline and have you more than happy to be engulfed by the darkness that lurks there. This is my frank, freely posted review.

[Maria (Ri) · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars

This was a well crafted story. I liked the push and pull of the characters, especially Red. The steamy, if you could call them steam since there was no sex, were erotic and well done. They were tantalizing.

My issue with the story was more about the Society. It didn't enhance the story in my opinion. To me, the story was about the bond that these characters were developing. That's what I was wanting more of.

Still, a good book.

[Mari (Mystics & Metaphysics Book Blog) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was one hot and sexy story filled with some drama and darkness that balanced it out nicely. Rex and Cat have amazing chemistry and even though they may not have started out on good terms, you can't deny their connection. I could not put this down and now can't wait for the next.

[Coco.V]

🎁 FREE on Amazon today (5/19/2022)! 🎁

[Crystal · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am a sucker for mafia and arranged marriage stories, but I never really connected with this one. From pretty much chapter one, it seemed like there was history between the two main characters, a history that was important to their relationship, but unknown to us as readers. And that caused a confusion that I never got past, which I assume led to me not enjoying the story. Enough so, that even with the cliffhanger, I sadly have no interest in picking up book 2.

[DD11 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rope tying is his kink. Enemies to almost lovers....but back to enemies. Reading the next

[Michelle · Rating 1 out of 5]

What the actual F am I reading? Is this erotica? A mafia story? they grew up together but she hates him but he’s into rope kink.. he makes her sign a contract for six months because her father owes him $1 million and she signs it.. He says he wants her total submission … He tells her 100 times that someone is out to destroy the mafia and he’s trying to keep her safe, but she’s too stupid to understand that..Besides the fact that he ties her up for one hour a day with no sex involved, she does nothing he asks of her even though she signed the contract..She hates him, she wants him, she hates him, she wants him, she hates him, she wants him… and still no sex…A big fat DNF..

[Diana Hicks · Rating 5 out of 5]

King of Beasts is up for pre-order on Amazon.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08...

King of Beasts is a dark mafia romance that blends in elements of one of my favorite fairytales, Beauty and the Beast.

This book has been on my mind for over a year, and I'm so happy that I finally get to share it with you this coming March!!! You're going to love Rex and Caterina's intense love story.

[Sheila · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow

It is rare that a book can make me speechless. I’m shocked at the way everything turned out. Things were going so well and then, not so much. I can’t wait to find out what happens next.

[Donna reads Romance · Rating 5 out of 5]

Intriguing and Enticing!!!

Incredibly captivating characters with a gripping and passionate storyline. A love hate relationship that is a real page turner. Wonderfully written and riveting!!

[Dana · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tied up in this story 😉

This book has a great pace! I was never bored and loved the mafia danger elements as well as the relatively unique rope stuff. Can’t wait to read the next book!

[Kim BookJunkie ~ Editor & Proofreader · Rating 3 out of 5]

For a while, I was certain this was Fifty Shades of Grey 2.0. The only differences were that this version of Christian Grey is a mafia king who prefers to use Kinbaku ropes in his “rope room.” Oh, and the female main character definitely does not sign her NDA as willingly as Anastasia did… Caterina only agrees to trade her body in order to pay off her father‘s debt.

Luckily, I didn’t come across the FSOG similarities until 30% in because if I had, I never would have started in the first place. Fortunately, there is more to the plot then Rex‘s desire for Caterina to be his coma quote rope bottom”; the story does get more detailed, containing deception, revenge, families divided, etc.. Overall though, there wasn’t anything extraordinary or innovative that I hadn’t read before.

Several aspects of the storyline didn’t make sense to me. For example, why did Rex feel that he had to save Caterina‘s brothers who despised him and had been doing a fine job of keeping themselves safe by staying off the grid for over two years? There were also inconsistencies, for example Caterina saying she was heading off to pack her things in one scene, yet a few minutes later saying she has nothing to pack since she didn’t have any of her belongings with her.

I also noticed a lot of repetitive terms and phrases. For example, instead of brows furrowing or knitting together as a result of them forming an expression, it was worded to read that characters intentionally furrowed, knitted and did all sorts of things with their brows (and did so 43 times). Similarly, although I appreciate Hicks using a word other than WALK, characters AMBLE 30 times. Characters also, “GHOSTED” 7 times, yet never clearly state what exactly is ghosted or does the ghosting… Do his lips ghost her lips or her skin? His fingers? The palm of his hand? I listened to this using a text to speech app, so I have no feedback on how well the proofread this.

[Books2lovenow · Rating 4 out of 5]

Engrossing First Book in a Duet

Triggers: Violence

King of Beasts is a really good novel. The only reason I gave it four stars instead of five is because it was a little difficult to figure out the relationships between characters at first. I felt a little like I'd jumped in the middle of a series. I'm not sure if there are other books about this world but I'd guess there are.

Past that King of Beasts does not play out in the normal dark romance way. With the addition of rope play Catrina and Rex develop trust quickly. Rex and Catrina's relationship has a ton of heat but very little action. I can only imagine they'll start fires in the next book. The rope scenes are just so sensual. They are written incredibly well.

As many duets do this ends on a cliffhanger.

[Ayla · Rating 2 out of 5]

1,5

La escritura de la novela ( o la traducción más bien ) no fue para mí. No me gustó nada como estaba escrito. La historia tampoco me mata. Hay partes en las que ( salvado las distancias ) me dio vibes a 50 Sombras de Grey con mafia de por medio, con eso lo digo todo. La verdad que en conjunto global muy muy meh… aun así consiguió engancharme lo suficiente como para termínalo.
¿Lo recomendaría? No. ¿Me lo termine? Sí. ¿Voy a leer el siguiente? Posiblemente sí.

[Rebecca]

Copy Edit Project

Loved the push and pull between the hero and heroine.

[Terri (N.J.)]

DNF

[Allie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This novel follows Caterina Alfera and Rex Valentino who were born into two mafia families. There’s discord in the mafia world and the families that make up the Society are no longer safe. If you’re into enemies to lovers, alpha male, mafia dons, rope kink and steam, then this is a great read for you.

[Karin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Looking forward to the next part of the duet! Rex and Caterina's push pull was great to read and even though he’s the last person she wanted to turn to he’s also the only one who can truly keep everything at bay even if the cost to them both maybe high

[Kim Whitehead · Rating 5 out of 5]

So I came across a new author that I decided to try. Well I’m glad I did! This was an exciting book! It had a great build up! Can’t wait to see what happens! An undeniable attraction! Hopefully she’ll finally give in! Awesome read!!

[The Book Palace · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF @60% (135p)

Not vibing with it.

[May‧₊˚ ࣪ ִֶָ☾ · Rating 2 out of 5]

I feel like the book could have been better, it wasn't exciting, and I would definitely have to think twice before continuing with the others. Other people might like it, but in my case it wasn't.

[crummypigeon · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ugh. Super annoying FMC started out with fire and venom personality, hating the MMC, who is a mafia don. Of course he forces her into a contract to absolve her father’s debts tho him, where he controls every aspect of her life, including her moving into his penthouse and forcing her to quit her job. And of course she’s a 25 year old virgin because she promised her dead mother she would hold out for mister right. A huge glaring plot liberty is that FMC’s dad will go to prison if he can’t pay his illegal gambling debt to the mafia don MMC. WTF? In what reality is that a possibility?

He reveals his kink of Shibari, which is super-duper boring BTW, and her contract requires her to be his submissive in this. Dude owns a sex club and his kink is Shibari. 🙄I mean, chicks are tied up with their legs pinned together. There is no way to spin that into a spicy read, which this is promoted as, BTW. There was ZERO POINT ZERO sex in this book. Two scenes of rubbing a clit to climax. That’s it. How is this rated as a steamy book?

MMC has his previous submissive write her letters and meet with her at the bar to explain how amazing MMC is and how lucky FMC is to be his sub. How it’s supposed to be an escape. An escape from what? Her perfectly contested life of working as an ad exec and having been happily freed from mafia life at birth?

FMC is annoyed with this girl for like 30 seconds and then just lets this chick give her a back rub in the middle of a casino and she flops to being interested in this Shibari crap. Like, the FFM is so opposed to all of this, shouldn’t she have been given at least a chapter of backbone and telling this chick to f*ck off with her pathetic bowing to the alter of MMC crap? At least she should have been super pissed off, aggravated and oppositional during the first kink session.

But instead, this supposed super strong-willed FMC, who hates MMC falls in love with MMC and inst-loves on him after, and I’m not even exaggerating, one hour (timed with a stupid hourglass) of into-level rope tying. FMC forgets all her hatred and does a 180 into being his submissive and lusting after her life-long enemy. Again: 🙄
I finished the book begrudgingly. I can’t stand that the FMC just rolled over and lost her entire personality after 1/4 of a chapter. I so completely lost respect for her as a character that I couldn’t find any interest in following through with her story. And this is a duet! I can’t bring myself to read the second book. Bleh.

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Caterina Alfera is the princess, she’s the daughter of the once sitting “King” of the Society, but he stepped down when he met and married Caterina’s mother. The only problem is that you can never really leave the mafia and while Caterina and her mother believed that her father was no longer in the mafia or in the Society, he and his sons were still in that world. Caterina will do anything for her father, and he knows it, so when he finds himself in a situation, he makes a deal with the devil and puts her in the crosshairs.

Rex Valentino is the sitting “King” of the Society, he took over after his father was gunned down. He made a promise to his father that he would bring the family back together and protect everyone. However, he needs the once sitting King, Michael Alfera to help him bring the family together and since he has always wanted Caterina, he will use Michael’s situation to get her into his house. He will use the fact that someone is out to destroy and kill off all of the members of the Society, which should have been a secret, to get her to agree to his terms.

I really enjoyed this book and I look forward to the conclusion of the duet. Rex is very Alpha and manipulative, but he’s also very sexy and powerful. He made a promise to his father and wants to make sure that he can go through with it, but there are a lot of factors against him and the Society. He will have to fight hard to get what he wants, but at least Caterina has discovered that she doesn’t hate Rex. These two families have had some bad blood in the past, but they’ve also had a closeness like a family at one time too, and even if Michael does not sit on the board of the Society any longer, he is still part of it and a target is on his back as well as his three grown children’s. I give this story a 5-star review and I look forward to the conclusion of the duet. Caterina has to come to her senses and realize that her and Rex are meant to be This is a book full of danger, strong characters, manipulative men, and some sexy Kinbaku scenes. These two have such a strong reaction to each other and they will be so intense when they finally figure out their issues and find a relationship. They just need to get everyone else out of their way so that they can be alone and figure it out on their own, and COMMUNICATE.

[Little monster · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my first book by Diana A. Hicks and it's so good I'll definitely be reading more!!!!

Yes this is a mafia lead story but it has a slight twist in the story in regards to the BDSM art form of Shibari/Kinbaku, the rope play scenes are fantastic and some of the best I've read ( as I do practice this myself with being a bunny I know a thing or two ) and the author definitely did her research for this!

This is a typical beauty and the beast type story retold. The story follows mafia kingpin Rex Valentino who has taken over the society and become the king. While everything is falling apart inside the society with all the other mafia families not wanting to be a part of it he knows he needs someone by his side to get them to stay!! The person in question he needs is Caterina she's the daughter of a former society member and she hates Rex with all her being!!! Her dad should have been the king but left to be with her mom leaving it all behind but since her death he gambled away all his money at the crucible which is a club/casino which Rex owns and he owes Rex a lot of money, Cat's brother's have gone AWOL she has had to look after her dad all by herself!!!

After Cat is put in this predicament that her father is in she has no choice but to help him pay his debt so she goes to Rex to help pay him but he has other ideas he gets her to sign a contract that states for her to be with him for 6 months and become his rope bunny she agrees to this knowing she needs to get her family back together and pay off her dad's debt.

This is a fast paced story which kept going and didn't let up. I loved loved loved all the rope scenes in this as I said before I know a thing or two about this kind of BDSM so for me it definitely brought a smile to my face. I hated Rex in the beginning but beileve me you will end up loving him in the end and Cat is a strong woman even though she may seem weak she certainly isn't!!!! I honestly cannot wait for book two as this left on a bit of a cliffhanger, I couldn't fault this book at all.

[Abstract ♥ Books · Rating 4 out of 5]

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Star Rating : 4/5 Stars

POV : Dual

Cliffhanger : No

Pace of the story : Moderate

Angst Rating : 5/10

Heat Rating : 5/10

Plot Summary :
All Rex wants is Caterina surrender. He is willing to do anything for that. He is going to break her and she is going to want him to.

Only Caterina does not agree. She is determined to resist him even though she feels herself weakening. His demands are too much and she knows that it will be her end by the time he is done with her.

Overall Opinion :
This duet started with a bang and I am loving it. There were parts of it which felt rushed and a bit felt flat. I was intrigued by the storyline so I continued this series.

The ending was good and I liked the characters. Rex and Caterina have this amazing chemistry that I digged. I would definitely recommend this one to all the dark Romance lovers out there for a one time read.


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