Series Review: Kings of Sin by Ana Huang

Series Review: Is this series worth your time? Does it get better as the novels progress? Or does it get worse? Find out below:

Kings of Sin Series

Synopsis for King of Wrath (from Goodreads):

She’s the wife he never wanted…and the weakness he never saw coming.

Ruthless. Meticulous. Arrogant.

Dante Russo thrives on control, both personally and professionally.

The billionaire CEO never planned to marry—
until the threat of blackmail forces him into an engagement with a woman he barely knows.

Vivian Lau, jewelry heiress and daughter of his newest enemy.

It doesn’t matter how beautiful or charming she is. He’ll do everything in his power to destroy the evidence and their betrothal.

There’s only one problem: now that he has her…he can’t bring himself to let her go.

***
Elegant. Ambitious. Well-mannered.

Vivian Lau is the perfect daughter and her family’s ticket into the highest echelons of high society.

Marrying a blue-blooded Russo means opening doors that would otherwise remain closed to her new-money family.

While the rude, elusive Dante isn’t her idea of a dream partner, she agrees to their arranged marriage out of duty.

Craving his touch was never part of the plan.

Neither was the worst thing she could possibly do: fall in love with her future husband.

SERIESous’ Top Picks: Must Read Author
Series: Kings of Sin

Crosses over with Twisted Lies (Twisted #4)

Author: Ana Huang
# of Books: 7 (Full Reading Order Here)
Book Order: Connected
Complete?: No
Genre: Adult, Contemporary, Romance, Dark
Heat Rating: Toasty
Point of View: First Person, Alternating
Publication Date: October 20, 2022 – ongoing
Source & Format: Author–eARC

**This post was originally published as a Fresh Friday review of the first book of the series. It has now been updated to include the newest publications in the series.**

Why I Picked it Up / My Expectations:

I had been looking forward to Vivian and Dante’s story since the Twisted Series. I love a good fake marriage trope! And while you definitely don’t need to read that series to dive into this one, fans will be excited to see how the plot here weaves together with the plot in.

What I Liked:

–Slow Burn Romance–

Vivian and Dante are a perfect match in every way–though they definitely don’t see it! Their slow burn romance had plenty of sparks along the way and I easily fell in love with their story. I love when couples slowly break down their walls and get to know (and subsequently fall for) each other.

–Vivian–

While the billionaire arranged marriage trope is one that is tried and true, I found Vivian to be a refreshing heroine for this story. Her cultural influences when it comes to her relationship with her parents is a dynamic that you don’t often see in romance novels. I also liked that she could put Dante in his place with a quick witty retort.

What I Didn’t Like:

–The Underutilization of the Valhalla Club–

I am slightly disappointed that the Valhalla Club wasn’t a bigger aspect to the plot. When I first read about this series, it seemed like the club would be the centralizing factor of this series. While we definitely met some future series leads in this one, I would have liked to have seen it utilized a little more as this is the series opener.

My Expectations for the Rest of the Series:

We got little inklings of what is to come and I can’t wait! Especially when Ana has said that some future couples aren’t exactly what they seem!

–May 9, 2023– Book #2: King of Pride

For a forbidden romance, this was pretty mellow. I just craved more drama and high stakes. Everything just seemed status quo and slide into place almost too easily. That allowed for some great moments of communication between Kai and Isabella so I can’t be too mad. I never want drama just for the sake of it but in this case, I just needed something to take it to the next level and challenge these characters a little more.

–November 15, 2023– Book #3: King of Greed

This romance had a vibe unlike anything I’ve read before. It was a different spin on a second chance romance: can you save a broken marriage? Most of the time, in the romances I read at least, the marriage hasn’t happened when the fissure comes so it was a refreshing situation to watch these characters navigate and grow from.

Another challenge with this setup is that these characters have already established a love story, one the reader hasn’t been privy to before. But we get enough flashbacks to the start of their relationship interspersed with current events to make you see how perfect they are for each other.

My Rating: 4/5

This isn’t your everyday “billionaire contemporary romance” novel. No one weaves tropes together like Ana Huang and I love the diversity she brings to her characters.

Read if You Like: slow burn romances, character driven stories
Avoid if You: dislike romance