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Papillon

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A Wattpad Novel.

Francis Duval–a mysterious enigma who cared for nothing. A soul too smart for his own good in a world that moved entirely too slow. A boy with a dangerous past that stayed hidden for reasons unknown, tied to highest of the elite.

Harsh green eyes that could read everyone like an open book, the pages too easy for him to comprehend. The very definition of irresistible. Glitz and glimmer never did it for him-until it walked in, wrapped in pink.

Painfully brilliant.
Effortlessly cruel.
Startlingly apathetic.

Kings of New York – Book 1.

TW: Discusses themes of domestic and child abuse.

ebook

55 people want to read

About the author

Meg Kalani

3 books66 followers

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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
Profile Image for Romance Recs.
1,064 reviews192 followers
April 27, 2022
I am so blown away and impressed by how good Papillon is! Meg is my friend on bookstagram. I stoped reading Wattpad a while ago, but I needed to support her and was exciting to check out the book.

My expectations were more than exceeded as I experienced every emotion while reading this AMAZING novel! I smiled, I laughed, I cried and felt the pain of these well written characters. This is such a well put together story. A realistic portrayal of young people made this very relatable.

Both Isabella Ryder and Francis Duval are lovable and play this cute game of enemies when you know deep down they both feel that spark. They’ve known each other since childhood and alway avoided each other or argued. This is one of the best types of enemies to lovers. It was so cute!

Francis has been friend with Bella’s older brother Christian and their groups of 6 friends are right nit and close. Francis has stuffed financially as he and his sweet mother had to escape an abusive situation. Nothing about this situation is what you’d expect. It’s truly not a predictable read. You will be rooting for them so hard.

Bella and Francis are adorable. I freaking love these two. I also love the world that Meg created. We get two other couples and their stories are also to die for! I can’t wait to read Princess!

This is truly a great read!
Profile Image for San (slikestoread).
358 reviews
April 23, 2022
The best way to start a new series!! I can say so much (& I will, just let me get my review together)! a must read.
Profile Image for Love Within Books.
290 reviews55 followers
July 21, 2022
Where do I even begin?! If you're looking for a brand new world to dive into, a story that will grip your heart, and characters that will etch themselves into your soul, then you need to start Papillon on Wattpad now!!

Francis Duval crawled his way into my heart and I will never let him leave it. The perceptive French genius with a photographic memory and a mysterious past was immediately embraced by the Kings of New York and their sisters but one in particular has captured Francis' attention much to his dismay. Isabella Ryder- the enviable queen bee of Manhattan Prep- always has everyone's attention except for the one man she wants it from the most. Bellas is the sweetest bitch which sounds ironic but is truly the most perfect description. She carries herself with an air of the untouchable rich it-girl of New York but in reality she's fiercely kind, loyal, and supportive! Such a complex character with so many facets to her and only Francis Duval knows them all.

Meg is such a mature author because her stories feel so real and the characters draw you in so easily. I'm already so heavily invested in the rest of the characters and I can already tell that their stories will be just as emotional and beautiful as this first installment! This was the story where I let Meg into my heart before she proceeded to shatter it and then piece it back together in a way that it only ever beats for her words and her words only. Francis Duval and his butterfly were more than just a gateway into this decadent world, but a stepping stone into this found family. The bonds between everyone- siblings, friendships, bromances- are all crafted with such care and woven with such depth that you will immediately become attached to this series!

From seduction to sorrow, Papillon is a deeply emotional story. The way the story comes together is pure perfection, full of heartbreak, joy, loss and laughter. My review does not do this story justice but from the details, to the depth, to the damn sexy characters, Papillon will have you feeling all the butterflies so read this story immediately!!
Profile Image for kally.
282 reviews6 followers
April 23, 2022
“wear pink. every day. and if you can find it in your heart, wear a little black for me too once in a while. after all, they do go quite well together, don’t you think?”

you want the best of the best of frenemies with benefits? well bless your eyes with this book and you won’t regret it.
you want to enter a universe that you simply want to be a part of? enter this iconic one. i swear you won’t want to exit.
you want to fall for two protagonists and 4 plus 1 side characters? the hales, the ryders and the duvals are daring you to come get acquainted with them.
but above all do you want to dive into an epic love story between two people that would do anything for each other and you really cant identify who loves each other more?
Papillon by Meg K.
dear god i did not want to reach the epilogue of this book. i had the honor of reading this book because the beautiful but slightly sadistic human being sent it to me before it was published on wattpad, of course i reread it to remind myself why i love it so much (as if i had forgotten).
Isabella Ryder, the iconic pink queen that shakes nations when she tosses her blond hair off her shoulder and Francis Duval, the man that knows everything (yes he knows your darkest secrets too, he probably has a file on you) imprint themselves on your mind and soul and you just can’t forget about their personalities, their banter, their explosive chemistry and their iconic wholesome moments.
the writing makes you dive into the characters minds and really sense their emotions throughout your body. the aura of the scenes is so charged that you can taste it and paint it in your mind. everything about this book made me fall and fall and fall in love with them as a couple, them as individuals and of course the people that they are surrounded by.
thank you meg for reminding me why it’s better living in books.

Profile Image for angie.
210 reviews75 followers
April 23, 2022
“𝙄𝙛 𝙄 𝙘𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙 𝙨𝙪𝙘𝙠 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙮 𝙗𝙞𝙩 𝙤𝙛 𝙥𝙖𝙞𝙣 𝙛𝙧𝙤𝙢 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙚𝙣𝙙𝙪𝙧𝙚 𝙞𝙩 𝙢𝙮𝙨𝙚𝙡𝙛, 𝙄 𝙬𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙 𝙙𝙤 𝙞𝙩 𝙞𝙣 𝙖 𝙝𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙩𝙗𝙚𝙖𝙩, 𝙥𝙖𝙥𝙞𝙡𝙡𝙤𝙣.”

Two words can be used to describe this story: utter perfection. that’s it, thank you.

okay in all seriousness, just wow. I’m so unbelievably proud of my girl Meg for writing such beautiful, complex, heartbreaking, hilarious and steamy stories. her mind astounds me. I’m so lucky to be friends with such a talented human being.

“𝙔𝙤𝙪'𝙧𝙚 𝙢𝙞𝙣𝙚," 𝙄 𝙧𝙖𝙨𝙥𝙚𝙙 𝙖𝙜𝙖𝙞𝙣𝙨𝙩 𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙡𝙞𝙥𝙨. "𝙈𝙖𝙙𝙚 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙢𝙚, 𝘽𝙚𝙡𝙡𝙖 𝙍𝙮𝙙𝙚𝙧. 𝙀𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙮 𝙗𝙞𝙩 𝙤𝙛 𝙮𝙤𝙪."

Now, onto my beautiful babies — Francis and Bella. Oh my god, absolutely no words can describe my love for them. Francis was so broken, yet strong and beautiful. A literal king who wrapped me up in French words and threw me in a meat grinder. (maybe that’s a little too much? oops.) this man is the sweetest, softest, cutest ever. I need a Francis Laurent Duval in my life to take care of me and whisper French in my ear. 🖤

And don’t even get me started on my main girl, Bella Marie freaking Ryder. a goddess, a queen, a beautiful masterpiece created to make me smile. This girl is so amazing. Her strength and personality were just everything to me. So perfect and a literal role model. I look up to her so much. She’s so forward and determined to get exactly what she wants. So brave and smart and gorgeous in all her pinkness 💗

This was such a majestic love story. Francis and Bella had the cutest banter and their relationship build up was *chefs kiss* a total must read if you love a possessive hero, enemies to lovers, brother’s best friend, swoon-worthy characters and literally the most perfect side characters. (Damon Hale shameless plug bc he’s my man.) then go read this, now.


Life-changing stories written by the bestest girl ever.
Profile Image for yuvika.
96 reviews67 followers
August 9, 2022
they've my whole heart😭❤
Profile Image for Mich.
128 reviews
April 24, 2022
A beautiful and heartbreaking way to start Kings of new york series 🤭 The Ryders ares everything!
Profile Image for shreena.
218 reviews
September 18, 2024
so this is immediately one of my favorite books of all time. i can always tell from the beginning if im really gonna like a book and this one oh my goodness i could not put down the whole time. i also love how in this book it hints at like the two other couples basically the whole time and i am so freaking excited to read their books cause the angst and the wanting was actually making me crazy like i just wanna know what happened with robyn and christian and why damon like refuses to touch ariadne. and let’s not get started on the lomls FRANCIS AND ISABELLA!!!!💗💗💗💗💗 they are the cutest couple hands down. anybody gets to argue this and we WILL throw hands. also just the writing in general if this book is incredible like all of the words just flow so fluidly. and the thing that got me sobbing in this book is the lil letter that francis gave bella before he went to francis. i was actually crying so hard cause t was like the sweetest thing i’ve ever read. this is probably one of the best found family/friend groups i’ve ever read. also we can forget to talk about my favorite mama ever adelaide. she did not deserve to die like i loved her and the ending broke my heart. i wish that she died happily and cause of monster demon from hell sperm donor over there. he can go kill himself. but yea this book gave me all the emotion especially butterflies… wink wink😏😏 ya know cause papillon lol
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for lawgirlreads.
13 reviews
October 9, 2022
There’s no start or finish date of this series for me, quite literally. This has been a home for me, I return back to these 6 on bad days, on happy days, on silent-spending day wrapped like a burrito days! I’ve never loved any series more than this and I never will. Christian, Robyn, Damon, Ariadne, Bella & Francis; will rule my heart always.🫶🏻
Profile Image for Ariana 💗.
106 reviews4 followers
July 12, 2022
Can I just say absolutely phenomenal!! ✨✨✨I rarely write reviews and haven’t read a book on Wattpad in years but I am so beyond happy that I stumbled upon this book. The story was so beautifully written that I literally had to take a break due to how much I cried. I really do hope that this is published soon because I would love to have a physical copy!!! I would love to read more about Francis & Bella’s relationship and am looking forward to seeing them in the other two books in the series.
Profile Image for Mariana.
272 reviews21 followers
May 3, 2022
To say I’m obsessed with this world is an understatement. I love every single detail and I think about them a little too often. Our main character Bella, where to I start with this queen. She is such a girl boss, she is a girl who loves pink, heels etc. but isn’t a spoiled brat. Bella is still a bad ass and even better she is such a girl supporter! She doesn’t look down on people because she has everything that money can buy.
Let’s not forget our dude Francis, talking about a KING. I loved him, he didn’t shy away from Bella’s big personality, instead he embraced her for it. He wasn’t afraid to tell people off for her, he didn’t bow down to her brother or anyone. He knows that he was hers and that she was his.
The way that these characters fall in love is just epic. Bella has money (a lot of it) & Francis has less. But like I said Bella doesn’t give a shit about that. When Bella want’s something she gets.

Both of them are strong people but when they are together and they show there soft side.. I die. It’s was so refreshing to see them go from basically not liking each other to loving each other. The small moments they scared where just to die for. Bella & Francis really gave there all to each other because they are each other’s end goal. That doesn’t mean it was always easy for them more like the opposite it became really hard for them. But the author did such a good job with making there love feel so real.

If you love the founded family trope this book is definitely something for you! I know I talked a lot about the romance aspect of this book but the family part is just chefs kiss.

I don’t read a lot of wattpad stories, not because they aren’t good but because the authors sometimes just don’t finish it. But this book let me tell you, the chapters came out exactly on time the author said they would!

If you want to see Bella come alive check out this instagram edit i made for her!
https://www.instagram.com/p/Ca5DSZjrAsF/


description



Profile Image for Eileen Reads.
242 reviews31 followers
April 23, 2022
𝐏𝐚𝐩𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐧 𝐛𝐲 𝐌𝐞𝐠 𝐊♡

✰✰✰✰✰ sᴛᴀʀs

"𝐵𝑒𝑐𝑎𝑢𝑠𝑒 𝑦𝑜𝑢'𝑟𝑒 𝑚𝑖𝑛𝑒, 𝑗𝑢𝑠𝑡 𝑎𝑠 𝑚𝑢𝑐ℎ 𝑎𝑠 𝐼'𝑚 𝑦𝑜𝑢𝑟𝑠."

I could talk about this book FOREVER but I won't cause I don't wanna get emotional but ohmy. These characters honestly made their way into my heart so fast. Their story is just so beautiful. They're so meant to be. 🦋🖤

Francis Duval is a mysterious guy with a dark past. He's so put together, smart and loyal to a fault. Kinda scary too because this man knows literally everything. He's the kind of person you trust to have your back. And he's French. I mean- just him being French did it for me.

Isabella Ryder is the Queen Bee. The popular girl that everyone wants or wants to be. The most sophisticated and badass gal. She puts up a tough exterior but in reality she's the most caring, kindest and sweetest girl ever.

Francis and Bella's relationship it's explosive. Inevitable. An incredible enemies to lovers or my favorite, enemies with benefits. One of the things I love most is found family and this book represents it so well. You'll want to meet all these characters and wish you had what they have. That being friendships or relationships.

I'm not biased when I say you need to read this book. The writing is outstanding, the angst is *chef kiss* even though I wanted to die with how sad it was at some point but anyway. The spice in this book? ohmygosh the spice!!!! it's PHENOMENAL. Okay I'll stop now. 🤣

This book is by one of my best friends and I'm so incredibly proud of her. So beyond grateful to be in this journey with you, Megs.

ғɪʀsᴛ ᴅʀᴀғᴛ ᴘʀᴏᴠɪᴅᴇᴅ ʙʏ ᴀᴜᴛʜᴏʀ ɪɴ ᴇxᴄʜᴀɴɢᴇ ᴏғ- okay okay I'm kidding. it's kinda true tho. 🤭🤣
Profile Image for Lια ☽.
258 reviews6 followers
April 23, 2022
𝐏𝐀𝐏𝐈𝐋𝐋𝐎𝐍 ♡ 𝐌𝐞𝐠 𝐊.

𝐓𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐬: brother's best friend, high school romance, enemies with benefits.

This freaking book you guys! I went into Papillon completely blind and I was seriously surprised with how much I love this story and these characters. They now live in my mind rent free and I just want to know everything I can about them.

The broken (french 😮‍💨) boy and my favorite queen bee. She likes pink, he likes black. She comes from money, he has nothing. She is bold and forward, he is smart and mysterious. They are complete opposites but their connection oh boy, it's fascinating!!! Francis is my baby, I just want to hug him and keep him in my pocket. He is so sweet, protective and loyal. I will seriously fight anyone for him. Now Bella, she is the classiest badass around. She has the biggest heart and I just love her and her personality so much.

Their love story was perfection to me, they have so much chemistry and the banter was gold. Even though I cried a lot because Meg is a meanie, this book made me feel so good and happy. I swooned, laughed and fell in love with this group of friends. They stole my heart! When I read the characters are so important, they can make or break a story, so when I truly fall in love with one or more it really makes my experience so much better. And Meg understood the assignment because she gave me six characters that I don't know how to live without, they are so different but the love they have for each other is so beautiful. Now I will be dying over here till I get to read everyone's story.
Profile Image for Demi Marie.
60 reviews7 followers
April 25, 2022
“I came into this world knowing I was different.”

This story y’all!
I don’t even know if I can put into words how amazing this book was.
You will just have to read it and trust me when I say it’s everything you want in a romance.
Such a beautiful tale full of angst, family, friends, love, passion, and pain.
This book will give you all the feels and leave you feeling it in your bones.

This is book one of The Kings Of New York and follows the story of Bella Ryder and Francis Duval.

I absolutely love the way Francis and Bella’s relationship blooms.
The push and pull is so so good and their banter is hilarious 😂

Francis is so complex and deep.
He has a dark and mysterious past which just pulls you into him.
You need to know more and why he does the things he does.

“He was an enigma. Nothing about him was easy”

But Bella stole the show for me.
Her character is just so beautiful.
She is definitely not what she seems and has the biggest heart.
She shines oh so bright.

“You shine so bright there is no darkness around you, Bella.”

“Bella shimmered in the daylight, bright and gold. But in the moonlight, she was ethereal. She was unreal. She didn't look like she belonged around mere mortals—people like me. She might not like black, but the night loved her.”

This book was also written by one of my favorite people.
Megs, You are so amazing girl. This story and world you have created is absolutely beautiful and never doubt you are truly an Author.

Definitely a must read!
You will not be disappointed.
I promise you 🙌🏻❤️❤️
Profile Image for Rika.
210 reviews2 followers
April 8, 2023
I have nothing to say just pick the damn book because you will NOT regret it.
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews

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