Hello everyone!
Strangely enough, even though I normally prefer colder months (for personal reasons), I'm feeling buoyant about the upcoming warmer climate, despite the fact that my sister and I had a conversation just yesterday about the old Hades and Persephone myth, its connection to seasons, and how we only have two prevalent ones left.
Like I told her: apparently, Persephone wants to spend more time with her hubster. Fine by me!
Back to the topic at hand, you can probably see very well which book I'm going to be reviewing tonight. The cover should tell you everything and more.
I was excited about this series from the moment the author announced it, namely because I was first introduced to her books through the prequels documenting the life and love of the fathers who gifted us with offspring that can take over the mantle now.
I'm making very little sense unless you've read the books yourself, but not worry, all shall be revealed!
So sit back and enjoy this tale about another hot Kiwi guy in My Best Friend, the Billionaire.
I'll be listing all the books that are relevant to this story down below, as I've actually read and reviewed them all by this point. In fact, Three Wise Men remains one of my favourite series of all time in contemporary romance, and I gladly read it time and time again each Christmas season. That there was going to be a follow-up, chronicling the romantic escapades of the King Juniors, well, that was just the cherry on top of the cake!
Before I dive straight into the review proper, I would first like to give a huge shout-out to the lovely Serenity Woods, author of these books. I very generously received an ARC in exchange for an honest review, and even though it may be a little late in terms of publication, it's still here! And it means a lot to me that someone took time out of their undoubtedly hectic schedule just to contact a more-or-less annonymous blogger about a book.
As most of you know (or if you don't, you'll learn now), Ms Woods made the transition to Amazon exclusive recently, which means that unless you read with Kindle, her books are sort of gone for any other e-reader user. I kindly received an EPUB which is compatible with my Kobo, so now, without further ado, let's check out what Hal and Izzy are doing, shall we?
Hal King, because who else would be the leading man BUT a King? is a veterinarian and trained Animal Welfare Officer who works at Noah's Ark, a shelter/rehab centre for animals, most of them abandoned and abused. I may have gotten the second part of his job wrong, but let's just say he works for the SPCA, he hates seeing animals in pain, and he's a bit like the Dog Whisperer because dogs trust him.
Izzy is in the very same boat, with the same credentials, same job, same office. In fact, they went to school together AND now work together, and have known one another for more than half of their lives. While Hal was a King (with everything that name brings), Izzy had a slightly tougher time of it with an alcoholic mother (who is thankfully now okay and living with her second husband), but she's a fierce and independent lady, and coincidentally Hal's best friend.
The story starts properly with a very pissed-off Hal who comes to get Izzy so she can help him work a dog rescue of an animal locked in a crate at a farm. She can see he's angry, but he won't talk about it, and they're a little distracted by the dog's owner who is a) drunk and b ) pointing a shotgun at them.
As you do.
Managing to knock the guy out and get the dog, the two of them head back to the Ark where Hal finally confesses what's bothering him: he and Rosie, his girlfriend and another employee at the Ark, have broken up.
But that's not all.
Hal explains that he'd been feeling distant for a while and that the relationship had been on the rocks even before the break-up, with Rosie demanding Hal ask her to marry him, and Hal saying they should break up. The straw that broke the camel's back, however, is the fact that Rosie cheated on Hal with another Ark employee.
Uh-oh.
The massive twist in this is that, in Rosie's head, the one-night stand was meant to make Hal jealous and drive him back into her arms, though she achieved just the opposite.
Of course, Hal being Hal, who also has a reputation as a guy who's slept with tons of women (with consent, before anyone argues) and got bored with them rather fast, then goes on to confess something else: he's been in love with Izzy for a while. Probably for years, but her older brother kind of nipped the idea in the bud when they were in college, and again right before she took the job at the Ark.
Hal's had it with someone else telling him how to live his life, however, and lays all the cards on the table for Izzy.
Who gets angry with him for trying to ruin their friendship on some ridiculous thought, and marches off.
That goes rather well, huh?
The thing is, Izzy seems convinced Hal isn't serious about her, no matter what he says in that moment, although a lot of people around her point out that she could probably at least give him a little bit of an inch. You know, just so the poor guy isn't left out to dry entirely.
Hal's persuasive enough too and ends up getting her to agree to go on a date with him, a proper one, after apologising about how he handled his little revelation (yeah, Hal, telling a girl you broke up with your girlfriend and that you're in love with HER in the space of a few sentences is a little bit of a mess). So they do go on a date. And another date. And another date. Because, Kings. Also, Izzy loves Hal too, even if she isn't ready to admit it.
But there's still Rosie to deal with.
Leon, Hal's cousin, asks Hal if there are going to be problems because of the breakup, and in good faith Hal says no, considering, you know, they're both adults. But Rosie kind of loses the plot when he isn't keen on going back to her, and verbally lashes out at Izzy before she's chucked out of the Ark itself; Leon's kind of had it at that point.
Luckily, this deters neither Izzy nor Hal from testing these relationship waters, because there's lots of other stuff that's in the way.
Like Izzy's scars.
See when she was little, her mom was careless for one short moment, and little Izzy pulled a pot of boiling water all over her front, which left her with scars - and her V-card, because as soon as the clothes come off, guys go EWWWWWWWWWWWWWW and run off.
Morons.
It takes Hal a long time to convince her that her scars don't bother him - he's her best friend, she's not defined by the scars, and he loves her! What do scars have to do with that?
Their sex life is definitely sizzling afterwards (and before, I mean, come on, all the family and friends in the main room watching a netball game and Hal and Izzy are in a bathroom, alone in the dark? BOW CHICA WOW WOW), but of course that's not going to be the only thorny bush they encounter.
As this is a continuation series, we catch up with the rest of the Kings while we're at it (though I don't think I caught Ryan anywhere ... I might have to double check). We learn that Summer is married with two kids, and that she married Zach, and CAN I GET A FIST PUMP FOR THAT??? They were briefly mentioned in a post-Three Wise Men novella, which I'm also linking down below, and GOSH but I'm so happy for her!!! She deserves the world and more.
We also get another glimpse at Noah, who is Matt King's adopted son and the guy behind Noah's Ark (duh), and his story broke my heart, because he was married ... and his wife was pregnant with their first child ... and both she and the child died, ten or so years ago ... and he's now a recluse.
NOAH DESERVES A HAPPY ENDING!
I won't lie, I sobbed reading that. He had such a bright future ahead of him in A Secret Parcel, and then to learn about the cards life dealt him ...
Ahem.
Noah offers Hal a job of opening a second Ark in a different location, but he'd have to move, obviously, and he wants Izzy to go with him if he goes, though she's reluctant. At this point, she's still unconvinced that his love will last, which is starting to wear at Hal as well, all things considered; he's doing his best to be what she needs, but she's keeping him at arm's length because she believes he'll change his mind.
Reader note: gurl, the guy was literally talking marriage and babies with you. Guys usually run away from that faster than cooties. SNAP HIM UP!
Anyway, it's not like that's the only thing, either; with Hal telling Rosie that she'll have to find a new place since he won't pay rent for their house anymore, she loses the plot a little more, even going so far as to watching Hal and Izzy have sex outside (ew, Rosie), and sending Izzy threatening and vulgar messages all the time, email and phone. This all culminates in Izzy turning Hal down when he asks her to marry him, resulting in a confrontation in which Hal pretty much tells her that he expected her to think better of him, that he's been her best friend most of their lives, and that he's disappointed because he's doing EVERYTHING and she still thinks this is all some sort of game when it's not.
Even her roommates, this including Albie, another King and cousin, tell her that she needs to get a bit of a grip - and they also finally discover those Rosie messages, which Izzy somehow didn't think to mention to anyone, which kind of makes the fiasco worse now, doesn't it?
Anyway, Hal goes to deal with Rosie - realizing that all she ever really wanted was the money - and then goes back to Noah to tell him he won't take the job with the new Ark, that he wants to stay right where he is, expand the work they're doing, marry Izzy and invite her on the board as one of the directors, and see where life leads them both.
Izzy accepts, because, how could she not? She loves him, too!
And with that, we leave them - because unlike with the other series, this book doesn't get an epilogue. We'll be jumping right in to Leon's story, and then to Albie's in book three.
But you don't need an epilogue when the follow-up is bound to be awesome!
I can't wait. Because there can never be enough King men in the world, and imagining a silver-haired charming Brock is just as fun as thinking about a more Einstein-looking Charlie who probably still doesn't understand social cues, or a rogue Matt that will never change. Hal was a chip right off the old block, and I loved the animal aspects of the story, because I'm a massive fan of animal cruelty departments and the humane societies they work with, so this was a bull's eye. I'm really eager to see just what Leon and his PA get themselves into - or Albie and the new roommate! Because, come on, she told him it's none of his business if she strips in her free time.
That alone is a good reason to read on.
xx
*image not mine
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