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The Kings of Kearny by Navessa Allen | Book Review

Feb. 24, 2024

This surprising and exhilarating book features a main character surrounded by war heroes, a resilient female protagonist, and a captivating male biker, creating an engrossing narrative that left the reader eager for more. Despite being new to the author, the rich world-building and depth of character made the story feel substantial and enticing, sparking interest in exploring additional works in this captivating universe. The authentic portrayal of characters, mature handling of conflicts, and inclusion of explicit consent during intimate scenes added depth and freshness to the romance genre, making the book a delightful and unexpected gem.

The Kings of Kearny by Navessa Allen | Book Reviewfour-half-stars
The Kings of Kearny by Navessa Allen
Genres: MC Romance

Jakob Larson is going to be the death of me.

That’s what I think every time he strides into my bar.

The Kings of Kearny run this small Texas town, and Jakob is their chief enforcer.

The Viking, they call him. He’s a criminal. As dangerous as he is sexy. The kind of man who makes my inner cavewoman sit up and take notice.

Him big. Make strong babies. Bring home mammoth for dinner.

I’m ready to indulge her desires, but just for one night. Unfortunately, Jakob has other plans.

Someone in town is breaking one of the cardinal rules set by the leader of The Kings. And Jakob thinks they’re using my grandmother’s nursing home as a front for their illicit activities.

Now I’m neck-deep in trouble with him, and every time I think I’ve figured out what’s really going on, Jakob reveals another piece of the puzzle.

I need to figure out how far I’m willing to go to protect this town. How far I’m willing to go with Jakob.

Because if I fall for him, there’s no going back. No hope for a peaceful ending.

But Jakob is the kind of man who makes me think that peaceful is overrated, and that descending into darkness with him could lead to something even better than a Happily Ever After.

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This book took me by surprise, and I couldn’t contain my excitement. Featuring a main character surrounded by war heroes, a wounded yet fierce female protagonist, and a strikingly sexy male biker, the story had me hooked. The depth of character and world-building, despite being new to this author’s work, made me feel like there was a rich narrative beneath the surface, leaving me craving more books in this captivating world.

The hidden depth of Jakob, a former soldier now operating outside the law, intrigued me. His internal struggles and undeniable sex appeal added complexity to the story, as he worked to maintain order in his town. The dynamic with Krista, a fellow veteran working at a bar, built up with palpable tension, leading to an explosive and seductive connection that left me yearning for more.

What stood out most was the authenticity of both characters; they felt real, complete with flaws and attributes that made them relatable. The mature handling of their interactions, without allowing issues to fester, was a refreshing change from typical romance tropes. Even instances of miscommunication were swiftly resolved, building trust between the characters.

The inclusion of explicit consent in the book, especially during heated moments, where Jakob consistently reminded Krista of her control and the ability to revoke permission, added a layer of depth that resonated with me. Overall, this unexpected gem has left me eager to explore more books by this talented author.


Meet the Author


four-half-stars

About Navessa Allen

Navessa Allen lives in northern New England on a 200-year-old farm with her husband, their cats, and an assortment of farm animals.

Website | Goodreads

Category: Review Tags: NetGalley

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Sherry says

    August 1, 2024 at 11:51 am

    I’ve never read this author but the book looks great.

    Reply
  2. heather says

    August 3, 2024 at 6:29 pm

    I got excited reading about this one sounds so good and one that I would soooooooooo love read while on vacation.

    Reply
  3. Elizabeth says

    August 16, 2024 at 9:40 pm

    I’ve avoided a lot of MC romance because I see the line between alpha and jerk being blurred too often, so YAY for consent!!

    Reply
  4. Suzie B says

    August 18, 2024 at 12:00 pm

    Im sold just by the cover lol I have read a little MC romance and it’s hit and miss for me

    Reply
  5. Adriane says

    August 29, 2024 at 8:02 pm

    Not a big fan of the biker genre

    Reply
  6. Barbara Montag says

    August 30, 2024 at 9:44 am

    I enjoyed reading this well done excerpt!
    Thank you for sharing it.

    Reply
  7. Dreaa Drake says

    September 1, 2024 at 10:27 pm

    This sounds like a book I’d love to read!

    Reply

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NOW LIVE! Hate To Love Him by Teagan Kade is avail NOW LIVE! Hate To Love Him by Teagan Kade is available now + read for FREE in Kindle Unlimited!
 
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I spent years rebuilding myself after he destroyed me.
He doesn't even remember my name.
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Unfortunately, the boy who made my high school years a living hell has grown into one of the most powerful men in New York.
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Very close.
There's only one problem.
The man I'm getting to know isn't the boy I remember. He's smarter. Lonelier. More complicated than he has any right to be.
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But falling for him? That was never part of the plan.
Because what happens when the man you're determined to destroy starts feeling like the one you were always meant to find?
 
Hate To Love Him is a scorching-hot, dual-POV contemporary romance featuring simmering tension and an enemies-to-lovers story where revenge burns hot, but passion burns hotter. Guaranteed HEA, no cliffhangers, and ALL the steam.
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#Add to your Goodreads TBR Now:

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Are you ready for Worth the Fight? A retired assassin turned underground fighter puts it all on the line when an innocent woman is offered as the prize in a deadly fight.

Retired assassin hero

Underground fighter

Age gap

Protector hero

Found family

She needs me to fight for her.

Cole

I'm no hero. I'm a former mercenary and retired assassin. I'm rough, I live in the darkness, and keep the demons at bay by fighting in the underground Las Vegas fight rings.

Then I see her.

She's offered up as a prize. She's young, pretty, and far too innocent.

She's everything I'm not.

I'll fight for her, then I'll set her free.

And I'll keep my hands to myself...no matter how much I want to touch her.

Lili

I shouldn't have been surprised when my deadbeat dad sells me to a ruthless businessman to pay his debt. Now, I'm the prize for a deadly illegal fight and I'm terrified.

Until I hear the fighter known as the Wolf will fight.

I know Cole Black is quiet, intense, and dangerous, but something tells me I can trust the scarred fighter.

But when he gets me free of the ring, that's when my real troubles begin.

That businessman...he won't let me go.

Now, I'm being hunted and the only person who can keep me safe is Cole.

But I soon learn he has his own secrets, his own burning need for revenge, and I might end up caught in the crossfire.

#comingsoon #annahackett #agegapromance @theauthor.agency
Sometimes the people carrying the deepest scars ar Sometimes the people carrying the deepest scars are the ones who deserve the happiest endings. 💕

𝐘𝐨𝐮'𝐯𝐞 𝐆𝐨𝐭 𝐇𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐌𝐚𝐢𝐥 is so much more than a romance. It's a story about healing, second chances, found family, and learning to see yourself through someone else's eyes.

And trust me—Lavender and Aunt Pip will absolutely steal your heart (and probably make you laugh out loud). ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐📚

𝐁𝐥𝐮𝐫𝐛:
I should’ve worn underwear that day. 

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But I didn’t wear underwear. And I had a wardrobe malfunction on a livestream. 
 
So now I’m the proud owner of the internet’s most famous… you know. 
 
The good news? I’ve been invited to hide from my sudden infamy at a closed winery with other women who’ve suffered their own five minutes of shame. 
 
The bad news? The winery has a live-in handyman. 
 
A competent, compassionate, patient, sexy, single dad handyman. 
 
Whom I met when I punched him in the face. 
 
Accidentally, of course. But I still get why he’s happy keeping his distance from me. 
 
But when we find out the winery that’s saving my life is in danger of foreclosure, he and I become accidental partners. 
 
No big deal, working with a guy that I’m falling harder for each day. 
 
I’m already the internet’s favorite punching bag. Why not add an unrequited crush to my life? 
 
But what if it’s not unrequited after all? 
 
From USA Today and Amazon #1 Bestselling Author Pippa Grant comes a funny, heartwarming, swoony romance perfect for readers who love protective book boyfriends, found sisterhoods, slow burns, epically awkward meet-cutes, and love conquering all. 
 
Content note: This book contains toxic family and references to bullying, suicide, abuse, and the off-page cancer death of the hero’s first wife several years before the story begins. 

𝐓𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐠𝐞𝐫 𝐖𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬: Emotional abuse, Anxiety / Panic attacks, Depression, Suicide #pippagrant #youvegothatemail #goneviral
𝑰 𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆 𝒘𝒉𝒆𝒏 𝒂 𝒑𝒓𝒆𝒒𝒖𝒆𝒍 𝒂𝒄𝒕𝒖𝒂𝒍𝒍𝒚 𝒎𝒂𝒌𝒆𝒔 𝒎𝒆 𝒆𝒙𝒄𝒊𝒕𝒆𝒅 𝒇𝒐 𝑰 𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆 𝒘𝒉𝒆𝒏 𝒂 𝒑𝒓𝒆𝒒𝒖𝒆𝒍 𝒂𝒄𝒕𝒖𝒂𝒍𝒍𝒚 𝒎𝒂𝒌𝒆𝒔 𝒎𝒆 𝒆𝒙𝒄𝒊𝒕𝒆𝒅 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒘𝒉𝒂𝒕'𝒔 𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒏𝒆𝒙𝒕. 𝑻𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒂𝒃𝒔𝒐𝒍𝒖𝒕𝒆𝒍𝒚 𝒅𝒊𝒅.❤️

𝐇𝐞'𝐬 𝐚 𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐢𝐫𝐞 𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐟𝐮𝐧, 𝐟𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐚𝐯𝐨𝐢𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐟𝐮𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞. 𝐒𝐡𝐞'𝐬 𝐚𝐧 𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠, 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐭, 𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐫-𝐟𝐨𝐜𝐮𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐰𝐨𝐦𝐚𝐧. 𝐓𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐰 𝐢𝐧 𝐚 𝐦𝐚𝐬𝐪𝐮𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐝𝐞 𝐛𝐚𝐥𝐥, 𝐚 𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐚𝐦𝐲, 𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐚 𝐯𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐢𝐧. 𝐈𝐭'𝐬 𝐚 𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐩𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐞𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐬.

𝐆𝐞𝐧𝐫𝐞: Contemporary Romance + Billionaire Romance
𝐑𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞𝐬: June 25, 2026
𝐒𝐩𝐢𝐜𝐞 / 𝐒𝐭𝐞𝐚𝐦: Open Door - 2 open door scenes
𝐓𝐲𝐩𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐄𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠: HEA
𝐓𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐠𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐨𝐫 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐖𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬: None
𝐈𝐧 𝐚 𝐒𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬: Standalone, no cliffhanger.

𝐁𝐫𝐨𝐨𝐤𝐞
It all starts when the power goes out, leaving me trapped in a dark elevator with a stranger.
Closed spaces don't work for me. Panic takes over.
The sexy stranger comes to my rescue. His deep voice, yummy British accent, warm shoulder to lean on, and flask of expensive whiskey is just what I need.
Embarrassment aside, what happened shouldn't matter. I'll never see him again. That's good because I'm no longer the adventurous risk-taker I was in college. Now, I'm a rule-following professional—at least that's what I tell myself.

𝐒𝐭𝐮𝐚𝐫𝐭
Her wavy, auburn hair, sparkling emerald eyes, and perfect curves mesmerize me.
When she panics, my instinct is to protect her. That is until she snuggles against me and sparks fly, making me want much, much more.
I regret not getting her mobile number. It shouldn't bother me. I'm not looking for a relationship. And she doesn't seem like the type for a fling.
To my surprise, she turns up unexpectedly. I'm relieved and thrilled. But she pushes me away.
What's up with that?

Link to Order is in Book Buzz in Bio

#MaskedSecrets #LiteraryMedia
❤️𝐔𝐧𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐮𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐆𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐬 𝐛𝐲 𝐍𝐢𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐞 𝐑𝐨𝐬𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐋𝐈𝐕𝐄 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐚𝐯 ❤️𝐔𝐧𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐮𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐆𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐬 𝐛𝐲 𝐍𝐢𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐞 𝐑𝐨𝐬𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐋𝐈𝐕𝐄 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐚𝐯𝐚𝐢𝐥𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐢𝐧 #𝐊𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐥𝐞𝐔𝐧𝐥𝐢𝐦𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐝!

Her fortune wasn't supposed to be her fate.

Emelia
Drunkenly folding my way into a future with the hottest goalie in the league wasn't how I intended to spend Saturday night, but here we are.

Clearly, my besties should not be in charge of Girl's Night activities.

One cootie catcher later, and Royce Elliot is determined to make this wild prediction a reality.

I'm absolutely not interested. Until I am.

He's supposed to be my client, not the man I can't resist.

But with every touch and every kiss, this feels less like a game…
and more like forever.

Royce
I know hockey, not how to win over a stubborn, fiercely independent publicist.

But the second I meet Emelia Jónsson, I stop caring about shutouts.
I care about her.

She says her fortune teller doesn't mean anything—that it's just a childish game.
I say fate handed me an opening, and I'm not going to miss my shot.

I didn't expect her to ignite the way she does for me.
And I never imagined I’d fall this hard, this fast.

She swears this can't happen.
She's wrong.

I'm not backing down until she admits the truth.
This was never just a game.
It was always destiny.

𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐘𝐨𝐮'𝐥𝐥 𝐋𝐨𝐯𝐞 
✔️ Rom-Com
✔️ Band of Besties
✔️ Hockey Romance
✔️ Age Gap
✔️ Instalove
✔️ Opposites Attract

❤️ 𝐆𝐞𝐭 𝐢𝐭 𝐇𝐞𝐫𝐞→ https://mybook.to/UnfortunateGames
#instaloveinfluencers
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ This one was SO much fun. 🔥 🏍️ MC rom ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This one was SO much fun. 🔥

🏍️ MC romance
🔧 Badass mechanic heroine
❤️ Hero falls first
🚗 Fast cars
👊 Found family

Riley broke down outside the Redline Kings' garage and immediately put Gauge in his place. I loved her from that moment on.

Gauge knew she was carrying secrets, but he never pushed harder than she could handle. Once he decided she belonged with him, that was it.

The garage crew, the returning characters, the action, and the romance reminded me why this is one of my favorite MC series.

#BookReview #Bookstagram #BookBlogger #RomanceBooks #MCRomance #MotorcycleClubRomance #AlphaHero #FoundFamily #StrongHeroine #FastCars #InstaLove #RomanticSuspense #RedlineKings #RomanceReader #BooksBooksBooks #MustReadRomance #TBR #StoriedConversation

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