[Audiobook Review] The Dark King by Gina L. Maxwell

Publisher's synopsis: I thought a weekend away would be the perfect escape. Until I woke up married and trapped...by the king of the Dark Fae.

For Bryn Meara, a free trip to the exclusive and ultra-luxe Nightfall hotel and casino in Vegas should’ve been the perfect way to escape the debris of her crumbling career. But waking up from a martini-and-lust-fueled night to find herself married to Caiden Verran, the reclusive billionaire who owns the hotel and most of the city, isn’t the jackpot one would think. It seems her dark and sexy new husband is actual royalty—the fae king of the Night Court—and there’s an entire world beneath the veil of Vegas.

Whether light or shadow, the fae are a far cry from fairy tales, and now they’ve made Bryn a pawn in their dark games for power. And Caiden is the most dangerous of all—an intoxicating cocktail of sin and raw, insatiable hunger. She should run. But every night of passion pulls Bryn deeper into his strange and sinister world, until she’s no longer certain she wants to leave…even if she could.

My thoughts: Wow, The Dark King blew me away. This was the first time I've read any Gina L. Maxwell, and I feel like I've been missing out on some steamy romance. Bryn and Caiden were electrifying on the page, and I was instantly drawn into Bryn's story as she got a lot more than she ever expected on her spontaneous trip to Vegas. 

The story was definitely enthralling, dark, and sexy. Early reviews compared it to Katee Robert and E.L. James, and I can see those comparisons reflected throughout Bryn and Caiden's tumultuous relationship. I also really liked Maxwell's lore building when it came to the fae. Maxwell included just enough detail on how several fae courts ended up in our world, without providing too much history and bogging down the plot with information readers didn't really need. I thought this book was a great introduction to the Deviant Kings series while also keeping the focus on our main characters and their specific journey. 

As the typical leading man in a dark romance, Caiden is mysterious and too stubborn for his own good. He was a good foil for Bryn, who spent the first part of the book believing it was pure luck getting her to where she needed to be. They both ended up being the strength the other one needed, and I would definitely read more about their lives together should Maxwell ever choose to pursue that path. 

I thought the audiobook was really well done. I loved the fact that it was dual narrators; both Avery Reid and Aiden Snow brought so much life and personality to Bryn and Caiden. I have to admit, I wasn't sure I was going to like Avery's voice during Bryn's first chapter, but by Bryn's second chapter I had grown accustomed to Avery's voice and really started to like the emotion that came through. Aiden's voice was deep and measured, and was exactly what the character of Caiden needed. Overall, the production was good and the audiobook ended up being a joy to listen to on my commutes. 

A huge thank you to RB Media for providing an ALC of this title for review! 

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Release date: 9/27/22
Format: ALC
ALC provided via: NetGalley