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Beast Duet #1-2
King of Beasts Duet
Both books in the King of Beasts Duet included in one bundle.
King of Beasts, Book One
"People lie when they're afraid. I never lie.”
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.
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.
King of Beasts, Book Two
Caterina Alfera
My Enemy
My Obsession
My Queen
I have left it all on the line for Caterina Alfera. She holds the keys to everything I have ever wanted.
But would she do the unthinkable for me—the right thing?
Authors Note: King of Beasts Duet is a standalone romance, featuring Rex and Caterina, and is part of the Crime Society World. It contains explicit scenes and bondage. Reader discretion is advised.
King of Beasts, Book One
"People lie when they're afraid. I never lie.”
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.
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.
King of Beasts, Book Two
Caterina Alfera
My Enemy
My Obsession
My Queen
I have left it all on the line for Caterina Alfera. She holds the keys to everything I have ever wanted.
But would she do the unthinkable for me—the right thing?
Authors Note: King of Beasts Duet is a standalone romance, featuring Rex and Caterina, and is part of the Crime Society World. It contains explicit scenes and bondage. Reader discretion is advised.
449 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 21, 2022
111 people are currently reading
873 people want to read
About the author
Diana A. Hicks
164 books789 followersDiana 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
Follow her on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@dianahicksauthor
Follow her on Amazon: amazon.com/author/dianahicksauthor
Follow her on BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/diana...
Follow her blog: https://dianahicksbooks.com/
Like her Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/DianaHicksAu...
Join her reader group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/Diana...
Follow her on Twitter: @diana_hicks
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
Follow her on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@dianahicksauthor
Follow her on Amazon: amazon.com/author/dianahicksauthor
Follow her on BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/diana...
Follow her blog: https://dianahicksbooks.com/
Like her Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/DianaHicksAu...
Join her reader group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/Diana...
Follow her on Twitter: @diana_hicks
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
March 21, 2022
I'm so excited to finally bring you the King of Beasts duet in a single bundle with a special edition cover. Available in Kindle Unlimited, paperback, and Barnes & Noble Hardback with dust cover.
May 17, 2025
I approached this author at RARE last year having spotted a pretty cover, and when she started talking about her dark mafia romance Beauty and the Beast retelling, I was sold immediately! It's taken me a while to actually get to read it, but I'm very glad I stopped to talk to her!
I haven't read many mafia romances, and they're not the top of my 'go-to' list, but I really enjoyed this one as a 'proper' introduction to the genre. There's a good number of twists and turns to keep you engaged and it really draws you into the world of The Society, but it's not overwhelming or overly complex. Likewise, all of the mafia characters are well drawn, with their moral ambiguities being a real hook - I couldn't help but like them, while at the same time feeling really conflicted about it!
Rex, our Don Dom, is my favourite character. Everything about him just works incredibly well and the balance between his all-business, dangerous mafia boss side and his soft centre when he lets his guard down is gorgeous. I found his motivations and thought processes easy to follow for the majority of the book, and I also really enjoyed the fact that, while he's into rope play, he sees it as a separate 'thing' to his sexual gratification (for the most part 😉). It's the first time I've read a book where this is the case, and it's really effective! I will admit that I'm still not entirely sure I've got my head around it, but I think I just need to let those images marinate some more... 😁
On the other hand, as much as I could understand Catarina's reluctance to become involved and her protective instincts, her continual back and forth between being attracted to Rex and hating his guts did give me emotional whiplash throughout. I could never quite get a fix on what she actually wanted, who she trusted or didn't trust, or predict what her next move would be. I mean, obviously I know the genre and was easily able to guess the ultimate outcome (otherwise it wouldn't be a romance book!), but she just... didn't quite make sense to me.
Despite that though, I was still invested enough have my usual strong reaction to the moments of perceived betrayal. You know, those parts of a story where the enemies have become lovers, but still haven't fully accepted they can trust each other? One sees the other do something that looks like a betrayal and reacts accordingly, causing pining and emotional pain on both sides until they actually get round to talking it out? I have a total love/hate relationship with that trope - it gets me every. Single. Time and I have to stop reading before I mentally throttle the characters. But it works so well in this book precisely because I couldn't get a read on Catarina; it felt like my anxiety might actually be justified for once!
It wasn't the smoothest read; the pacing is a little bit all over the place and there were a couple of occasions where I felt like perhaps something had been cut in an edit, but a reference to it remained later on, so there were times where I just had to 'go with it'. But it was definitely an easy read, and the story itself was a great take on the source material. It was easy to visualise and, if you just let it wash over you, you'll have a great time!
I haven't read many mafia romances, and they're not the top of my 'go-to' list, but I really enjoyed this one as a 'proper' introduction to the genre. There's a good number of twists and turns to keep you engaged and it really draws you into the world of The Society, but it's not overwhelming or overly complex. Likewise, all of the mafia characters are well drawn, with their moral ambiguities being a real hook - I couldn't help but like them, while at the same time feeling really conflicted about it!
Rex, our Don Dom, is my favourite character. Everything about him just works incredibly well and the balance between his all-business, dangerous mafia boss side and his soft centre when he lets his guard down is gorgeous. I found his motivations and thought processes easy to follow for the majority of the book, and I also really enjoyed the fact that, while he's into rope play, he sees it as a separate 'thing' to his sexual gratification (for the most part 😉). It's the first time I've read a book where this is the case, and it's really effective! I will admit that I'm still not entirely sure I've got my head around it, but I think I just need to let those images marinate some more... 😁
On the other hand, as much as I could understand Catarina's reluctance to become involved and her protective instincts, her continual back and forth between being attracted to Rex and hating his guts did give me emotional whiplash throughout. I could never quite get a fix on what she actually wanted, who she trusted or didn't trust, or predict what her next move would be. I mean, obviously I know the genre and was easily able to guess the ultimate outcome (otherwise it wouldn't be a romance book!), but she just... didn't quite make sense to me.
Despite that though, I was still invested enough have my usual strong reaction to the moments of perceived betrayal. You know, those parts of a story where the enemies have become lovers, but still haven't fully accepted they can trust each other? One sees the other do something that looks like a betrayal and reacts accordingly, causing pining and emotional pain on both sides until they actually get round to talking it out? I have a total love/hate relationship with that trope - it gets me every. Single. Time and I have to stop reading before I mentally throttle the characters. But it works so well in this book precisely because I couldn't get a read on Catarina; it felt like my anxiety might actually be justified for once!
It wasn't the smoothest read; the pacing is a little bit all over the place and there were a couple of occasions where I felt like perhaps something had been cut in an edit, but a reference to it remained later on, so there were times where I just had to 'go with it'. But it was definitely an easy read, and the story itself was a great take on the source material. It was easy to visualise and, if you just let it wash over you, you'll have a great time!
May 16, 2022
Glossed Gaps
The Society, an enclave that managed criminal activity all over the country.
Rex Valentino, ruthless Mafia kingpin, owner The Crucible, a place that catered to your darkest desires.
Caterina Alfera, sister to Massimo and Enzo, whose father was a devout customer of The Crucible and heavily indebted.
Enemies since birth, parents who vied and battled it out for the seat at the head of The Society, and therefore the power to control it. With targets on The Society members and whole families being wiped away, they join forces.
The joining is both figurative and literal. The literal is based off Rex contracting Cat to be with him and allow him to tie her up; the practice of Kinbaku and Shibari.
I felt like the first part (Book One of the King of Beasts) was missing something. I felt like there were large gaps missed and a lot of back story completely glossed over. While I like Rex's character more than Caterina, he wasn't as fleshed out as hers. She read like an emotional teenager and had more POV chapters overall.
I feel like the read itself didn't meet up with what the storyline was.
The Society, an enclave that managed criminal activity all over the country.
Rex Valentino, ruthless Mafia kingpin, owner The Crucible, a place that catered to your darkest desires.
Caterina Alfera, sister to Massimo and Enzo, whose father was a devout customer of The Crucible and heavily indebted.
Enemies since birth, parents who vied and battled it out for the seat at the head of The Society, and therefore the power to control it. With targets on The Society members and whole families being wiped away, they join forces.
The joining is both figurative and literal. The literal is based off Rex contracting Cat to be with him and allow him to tie her up; the practice of Kinbaku and Shibari.
I felt like the first part (Book One of the King of Beasts) was missing something. I felt like there were large gaps missed and a lot of back story completely glossed over. While I like Rex's character more than Caterina, he wasn't as fleshed out as hers. She read like an emotional teenager and had more POV chapters overall.
I feel like the read itself didn't meet up with what the storyline was.
March 2, 2024
4.5⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️& 2 🌶️🌶️. This was a good mafia romance which had family drama and plot twists. The storyline was enough to keep you guessing. Rex was your typical mafia king, his way or no way and violent as all hell but caring only for her. *sigh*. Catarina our FMC is a mafia princess but she wasn’t raised in the life and was very naïve at the start of the book. But she quickly develops and becomes pretty bad-ass. The Shibari rope play added an interesting aspect to the spice and it was insightful to learn more about the practice from this book. The side characters were also interesting and I believe we will be seeing them more in the subsequent books of this series. Overall I liked the plot twists and betrayals, and give 4.5 stars.
May 5, 2022
The plot, the characters, and this fantasy world is a great read. The author is talented in world building and wonderfully written characters. Parts of the book is steamy and twisted. Not my usual kind of read, but I’ll go out of my comfort zone now and then. This is a fascinating read.
July 29, 2023
Loved king of beasts duet
Recommend that you read these two books. Good mafia duet. I loved the characters,even the ones who dipped in and out. Good twists, good hunks, even better sex scenes.
Recommend that you read these two books. Good mafia duet. I loved the characters,even the ones who dipped in and out. Good twists, good hunks, even better sex scenes.
July 30, 2022
Amazing read!
November 13, 2022
so good
This duet was so very good. Ms. Hicks is a new Author to me and did not disappoint. I loved the steam and alpha male in this series. Great for mafia romance readers.
This duet was so very good. Ms. Hicks is a new Author to me and did not disappoint. I loved the steam and alpha male in this series. Great for mafia romance readers.
Read
November 30, 2022dnf
when I picked it up didn't realize this was about bondage, my bad. not my thing
when I picked it up didn't realize this was about bondage, my bad. not my thing
December 18, 2022
Dangerously erotic
Diana A.Hicks, oh my, what an amazing author. I could not put this down until the end. So much intense danger and so much erotic pleasure. A must read.
Diana A.Hicks, oh my, what an amazing author. I could not put this down until the end. So much intense danger and so much erotic pleasure. A must read.
December 16, 2023
Wow ok . I was really surprised how this went. It was a really good for a enemy to lovers romance.
July 24, 2024
First I read the short story "Lost Raven" then both |King of Beasts" books. Really enjoyed the characters, the emotion, the slow burn to steamy sex, and the romance.
September 6, 2024
Sin emoción o chispa.
Want to read
June 5, 2024🎁 FREE on Amazon today (12/15/2022)! 🎁
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews