Welcome to the City, London’s most prestigious square mile, where finance reigns and Oliver King is a rising prince.
I used to rule the world.
There might be wolves on Wall Street, but there were crocodiles in Canary Wharf. Some of us craved money. Some of us craved power.
I liked money, and power had its advantages, but what I really wanted was to excel, to surpass the men who came before me. I never cared much for love and romance until I met Alexis.
I could feel it the very moment she walked into the interview, with her outspoken charm and vivacious personality. She cast all the others in shadow, made me laugh when life held no humour. Our friendship should have remained professional, but it wasn’t long before the lines started to blur.
You know what they say about the best laid plans of mice and men? Well, I never foresaw where my plans would lead, and only in my darkest hour did I finally see the light…
You can have all the money and prestige in the world and still be the poorest man alive. And love, well, I hate to use a tired old cliché, but love can be the thing that truly sets you free.
My Review
I get insanely excited by a few authors. Cosway is one of
those authors. When I hear that she is releasing a new book…….BEST NEWS EVER!
I have been waiting for King’s story ever since he was introduced
in Hearts of Fire. From the glimpses we were given of him, I just knew he had
one hell of a story. I could not wait to see how Cosway could make a drunk
asshole into someone I could root for. Really, how could anyone love that guy?
You know someone did, but what in the world could have happened to him….to his
love to turn him a way and hide in the circus?
While I LOVE all of her books….this one was not my favorite.
Not because of the writing….that is amazing as always. And not because of the
characters themselves. I adored Alexis and King. What bothered me was a plot
issue. The WHY he ran to the circus. It honestly did not make that much sense
to me. A man like him. A man with his power and influence. To run off….it just
didn’t seem plausible to me. Especially because of the connection he had with
Alexis. Their chemistry was tangible. It was electrifying. I would’ve hoped
that King would have done anything to keep that. So, the fact that he ran……just
did not seem to jibe with the kind of man he was. One other thing that bothered
me was a location issue. I recently
moved to Italy….so when at one point in the story when they had a business trip
to Rome I was so excited!! But then…..Alexis walked to the beach. The beach! In
Rome? I was like….what? I didn’t know Rome was that close to the beach. So I
mapped it and the closest beach was at least a 30min drive from Rome. Then I
went back and re-read that part in the book. It says they are staying outside
the city…so maybe she could walk there? Either way….it threw me off a bit.
Seriously though….there are SO MANY awesome things about
this book! Alexis and her humor. LOVED IT! King (before he went off the rails)
SEXY AS HELL! I mentioned their chemistry. All these things made it a great
story. Something I haven’t gone over yet
is the AFTER. After King runs away. Where does that leave Alexis? Because there
is another half of the book. What happens to Alexis and how does she move past
him? Or can she? If you’ve read Hearts of Fire (please say you have!) you know
there are some forces at play that try to reconnect King with Alexis. Alexis
and King are reunited….but it’s not exactly hearts and flowers for them. The
question is…..did their love survive? Can King come to terms with the mistakes of his
past and heal.
Addicted
What he said made me curious, so I went on, “What do you do to deal with the stress?”
He gave me a wan smile, and there was something in his expression that struck me as sad somehow. Rubbing at his chin, he answered, “Hmmm, when I’m stressed out…a nice glass of top shelf whiskey usually does the trick.”
“That makes sense,” I said and walked around his desk before taking a seat in front of him. “You know, I always thought it was poor people who did drugs, to escape the bleakness of their realities. Now I’m thinking maybe the practice is most common at the top and the bottom of the ladder. Perhaps the best place to be is somewhere in the middle.”
“Not necessarily. I’m at the top. Do I look high to you?”
The deadpan way in which he said it made me laugh. I leaned forward and teased, “I’m not sure. Let me have a look at your pupils.” Surprising me, King rose from his seat, walked around his desk and came to kneel in front of me. Before I knew it his face was mere inches from mine.
“Go ahead,” he said, voice low.
Whoa, Oliver King’s face right up close…I wasn’t sure what to do with that. I guess he didn’t realise the effect he had on this very non-gay lady, because he seemed entirely unselfconscious. His eyes were beautiful, his lashes long and golden, his skin smooth with a hint of stubble around his jaw, and his lips were just…I had no words. Sculpted and masculine was probably the only way I could think to describe them.
I realised I was staring at those lips a little too closely when my eyes flicked back to his. A moment ago he was smiling, but now that smile was transforming into a thoughtful frown.
I cleared my throat. “Your pupils look fine.”
King exhaled a small breath and I watched as his attention went from my eyes to my cheeks, nose, chin, and then finally to my lips. He looked like he was about to say something when suddenly Gillian’s voice filled the room.
“Mr King, Jenson Gellar is on the phone. Shall I put him through?”
L.H. Cosway has a BA in English Literature and Greek and Roman Civilisation, and an MA in Postcolonial Literature. She lives in Dublin city. Her inspiration to write comes from music. Her favourite things in life include writing stories, vintage clothing, dark cabaret music, food, musical comedy, and of course, books.
♥ READ THE BOOKS ♥
Six of Hearts
Hearts of Fire
King of Hearts
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