King of Pride

I’ll put a disclaimer here that I am not a romance reader at all. I’ve never read any book by Ana Huang, nor the billionaire romance genre. Apparently it’s a popular genre? I keep seeing these books everywhere, so I wanted to see what they’re like.
And I like an uptight, serious person growing fond of a little chaos demon, whether it be family, friends or romance.

I rolled my eyes at them in the beginning. They can’t go a single paragraph without long mentions of each other and how it makes them “feel” things.
”The side of my body facing him tingled with awareness. I hated how he could do that—make me feel so much when I’d vowed not to feel anything again toward men like him. Rich, good-looking, and far too dangerous show more for my mental and emotional health.”
Siiiighh. They barely know each other at this point, and this felt like an overreaction after maybe 3 conversations?

I skipped all the sex scenes so I can’t comment on those, but the second part hinged on physical attraction a lot.
Isabella kissed multiple guys but Kai felt ‘different’. She almost walks into walls because apparently he looks sexy??? He can’t focus on work anymore despite being an inscrutable businessman.
I was no longer rolling my eyes, I was genuinely trying to understand how this was supposed to be serious.

Despite that, I liked their actual interactions.
They bicker over the piano, make playfully teasing jokes and Kai gives serious replies to things that aren’t meant seriously.
Isabella jokes about Kai translating books into Latin for fun like a stiff schoolmaster, but defends him in the end if someone else says he’s boring. Kai is pretty much into Isabella from the start, but genuinely supports her beginning career as an author.
Good for them.

Personally I’d liked some slower relationship development, but I guess this is a romance book? These don’t exist to make you wait 250 pages for a kiss.
I don’t think Kai and Isabella made me a fan of this genre, but I was happy for them at the end. show less

does anyone else think that kai young gives zayne from love and deepspace HEAR ME OUT

but anyways ABSOLUTELY GOBBLED THIS BOOK UP UGHHH

i loved it, absolutely and wholly 😌

the characters were 🤌 i LOOVEEE opposites attract

isabella was the most relatable FMC ever freaking made 🫶 the dino smut 😭😭 pure comedy

this would get a 5/5 ⭐️ IF IT HAD A MORE INTERESTING PLOT 😭💔 like okay it was interesting i just…expected more? it was too short imo, i think if it were the length of sloth, it would be perfect.

Current ratings of all the Kings of Sin Books:
Wrath: 4 ⭐️
Pride: 4 ⭐️
Greed: 4 ⭐️
Sloth: 5 ⭐️
Envy: 5 ⭐

This review may contain spoilers, so fair warning, upon reading the review.

Book Evaluation:
Plot: 🎞️🎞️🎞️🎞️🎞️
World Building:🌎🌎🌎🌎
Cover:📔📔📔📔📔
Hero: 🦸🏻🦸🏻🦸🏻🦸🏻🦸🏻
Heroine:🦸🏻‍♀️🦸🏻‍♀️🦸🏻‍♀️🦸🏻‍♀️
Intimacy Level: 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
Relationship Building: 💒💒💒💒
Heart & Feels:💞💞💞💞💞
Witty/Banter/Reaction of Laughter: 😂😂😂😂
Page Turner Level:📖📖📖📖📖
Narration:🎧🎧🎧🎧🎧
Ending:🧧🧧🧧🧧🧧
Overall View: ✨✨✨✨

First Impressions
King of Pride is the second book in the "Kings of Sin" series and this is where we get Kai's book. Ever since King of Wrath, I have been show more wanting this story because I fell so hard for Kai's character. He is such a fun one and love how he banters with Dante. But we also received some teasers between Kai and his girl in the first book so I was very curious to see how this one would be handled. This had some unique fun dynamics that we see between Kai and Isabella. This is much more of a forbidden theme and forbidden romance is my catnip. There is something about this trope that I am just immediately drawn to. And Ana Huang definitely delivered on this one here.

First Line
"So you didn't use the glow-in-the-dark condoms I gave you?"

The Main Protagonists
The Hero: Kai Young
Aspiring CEO, British, Formal personality and all about propriety

The Heroine: Isabella Valencia
Colorful and bright, aspiring to be a author and pianists and enjoys life to the fullest. But hides secrets of her true parentage.

Summary
Isabella and Kai have been playing around each other for over a year. They have been playing this flirting game with each other where Kai always enters when there is a embarrassing moment for Isabella. But there is a connection between them, a type of bond that neither Kai nor Isabella are ready to fully admit to. But after one meeting near a piano and a sizzling kiss, there is something more between them. Despite the forbidden and that everyone wants something different for Kai and Isabella, there is something real that is building between Kai and Isabella that they are willing to fight for no matter what it takes. But will they be able to find a way past the obstacles to discover a happy ending?

What I Loved
There was something so engaging and just pure fun about Kai and Isabella being together. This is a type of pairing that just works so well together. They are such a great example of why opposites attract just fit so well. I love how they balance each other. Kai needs to learn to let loose and enjoy life, and Isabella needs some structure in her life and they really bring balance to each other in such a perfect Yin Yang way. Seeing them work through their obstacles was so interesting. I really loved the forbidden theme that is within this one here. There are forces on both sides trying to force them apart. But seeing how they come together and just stand as a team when it really matters for their relationship is what strikes gold for the story.

Kai and Isabella have such a heartwarming connection, especially when music comes into play. I really enjoyed the way that they rely on each other in certain scenarios and love their mutual friends standing by them when its pivotal for them to succeed. We definitely are seeing pieces fall into place for future books that are really coming together in this one here. And I also loved how rich this author's writing feels. She is so delectable to read and even though this one wasn't quite as good as King of Wrath, it was quite entertaining and delivered such a solid story for me. And I can't wait for book 3!!!

What I Struggled With
There could have been more relationship building aspects done on this one here, and there were some aspects in the story that just fell a bit flat for me at times.

Narration
If you can get the audiobook, than I highly recommend this one here. Its superb in every way! Ana Huang always does such a great job with the narrations.

Overall View
King of Pride is a stimulating romance that will delivers spice and sweetness in such a delightful mix to endear the reader!

Favorite Quote(s)
"You should've never let me take you, Isabella. Because now that I have, I won't be able to let you go."

I never really lived beofre you...And I don't want you to imagine living after you."

Book Details (also in my shelves)
Sub Genre: Contemporary Romance
Character Types: Billionaire, Alpha Male, Writer, Pianist
Themes: Delicious Kisses, Hot Smexy Times, Laughs, Music
Tropes: Opposites Attract, Forbidden Love

Book Perspective
Duet

Relationship Conflict vs Plot Conflict

Song This Book Inspires
You Put a Spell on Me by Austin Giorgio

Recommendation For Reading Order
Yes I recommend reading in order if you can

Steam/Spice Explanations

Steamin' up the room -the sexual content is more explicit in the language and tone, heavier amount of sexual scenes.

Narrators:
David Lee Huynh, Emery Erickson show less

4

Okay, folks, buckle up because this audiobook by Ana Huang is an absolute treat! Kai, the charming billionaire, and Isabella, the sassy and carefree beauty, make the perfect pair. Narrators David Lee Huynh and Emery Erickson brought these characters to life with incredible performances. The story had a few minor hiccups, and their chemistry was a bit flat, but it was a fun listen. I can't wait for the next installment in the series!

Found it mad cute! I liked that both kai and Isabella had their own issues to deal with, which was never forgotten throughout the story. And their chemistry was insanely hot! The description of Kai had me swooning, like we all deserve Kai Young treatment. Intelligent, cute and the British accent, perfection!

review - https://booksteacupreviews.com/2023/12/21/king-of-pride-by-ana-huang-forbidden-r...

King of Pride is amazing second installment of the Kings of Sin series that follows the story of Kai and Isabella. This started after a year of the previous book. We see stolen eyes between Isabella and Kai in King of Wrath but they keep their distance until they no longer can resist the many encounters because of Isabella’s job at Vallalah and their mutual friends.

I think I love King of Pride as much as King of Wrath or maybe more because of the trope and layers of family drama, insecurity and vulnerability of characters, forbidden romance, office politics, and defamation. And Kai and Isabella are like Vanilla Chocolate combo that making the show more story a delicious Swizzilla.

I loved Kai Young, the billionaire heir and to-be-CEO of his family’s media empire. Now that his mother is stepping off the throne and CEO vote looming earlier than he expected, he cannot afford distraction or rather attention. He is the epitome of control, follows the rule book of life, and is proud of never losing anything in life but after meeting Isabella he is tempted to break all rules.

It was amazing to see this uptight heir loosen up around Isabella. His definition of fun was so geek, he translated classic novels into Latin for fun! It was hilarious to see his reaction when he stumbled upon Isabella’s condom jokes.

What I loved most about him was how caring and observant he was. Even though she was the opposite of what he wanted in his female acquaintances, he never tried to change her. He could see past her strong bold exterior. He believed in her strength and abilities and encouraged her to pursue her dream and overcome her doubts. He stole my heart when he stood up to his mother and also listened and understood what Isabella had to say when he found her secret and her past.

Isabella was fun, sassy, and charming. She reminds me of Jules in Twisted Hate. There is so many similarities between these characters of the author. This book was entertaining because of Isabella. But it pained me to see her insecurities.

She dreamed of being an erotic thriller author but she was nursing writer’s block for more than a year and there was pressure from family to finish her book in four months. She couldn’t afford the distraction that came in the name of Kai and connection with him might cost her her job at Vallalah.

She isn’t a simple character. Even though she seems free-spirited and cheerful on the outside, a lot is going on inside her. She is lonely and insecure because of self-doubt and the pressure of achieving her dream and her demoralizing older brother, Gabriel, wasn’t helping her cause. But I liked her with all her flaws and it was amazing to see her getting over her insecurities and doubts.

I never guessed in the first book she had such a big family and who they were. I enjoyed reading about them and I hope there is another series for the Valencia brothers in the future.

The chemistry between Kai and Isabella was hot and sizzling. There was tension that came with forbidden and secret romance and yet there were so many lovely moments. My favorites were the Christmas gift exchange, their island retreat, the dart game in the artists’ club, and the proposal in the end. All those condom joke scenes were super hilarious and the most epic one was when Kia and Dante came to Isabella’s house when they were testing the dildo.

The climax was tense. I predicted the media attack and Isabella’s secret but not how CEO votes turned out. It was amazing how they both handled the shitstorm like adults but the impact it had on them shattered my heart, especially for what Isabella did after she visited with her family. It was realistic and yet I cried seeing them both so broken. I loved what Kai did for Isabella and how that broke her writer’s block. Loved Isabella’s introspection and how they got back together in the end.

Overall, King of Pride is flawlessly gripping, entertaining, and steamy billionaire romance with the best forbidden romance tropes. show less