King of Hearts by L.H. Cosway
Series: Hearts, #3
Contemporary Romance
July 16, 2015
Self Published

Reviewed by Tori

Favorite Quote: “I fear if I made you my queen, I could no longer be a king.”

I used to rule the world.

There might be wolves on Wall Street, but there were crocodiles in Canary Wharf. Some of us craved money. Some of us craved power.

I liked money, and power had its advantages, but what I really wanted was to excel, to surpass the men who came before me. I never cared much for love and romance until I met Alexis.

I could feel it the very moment she walked into the interview, with her outspoken charm and vivacious personality. She cast all the others in shadow, made me laugh when life held no humour. Our friendship should have remained professional, but it wasn’t long before the lines started to blur.

You know what they say about the best laid plans of mice and men? Well, I never foresaw where my plans would lead, and only in my darkest hour did I finally see the light…

You can have all the money and prestige in the world and still be the poorest man alive. And love, well, I hate to use a tired old cliché, but love can be the thing that truly sets you free. (Goodreads)

We first met Oliver King in book two-Hearts of Fire. An angry homeless alcoholic who for reasons unknown, was hiding in his sister’s circus. King of Hearts tells his story in two parts-the before and the after. Well written with a smooth steady pacing that pulls forth all the emotions as we watch how this incredible man fell from grace and the one woman whose never ending love and compassion was able to lift him back up. Almost two stories in one-the first half being a friends to lovers romance and the second half a second chance romance-this is a story of love, loss, forgiveness, and hope as Cosway once again brings readers a beautiful thought provoking romance that speaks to our hearts through humor, angst, and a touch of magic.

The Before: Oliver King was on top of the world six years ago. A financial genius; he worked for one of the top investment banks in London’s West Canary district. He meets Alexis Clark and she turns his world turns upside down. A former East End bartender, Alexis is setting out to make something of herself which leads her to Oliver’s firm when she applies to be his administrative assistant. Full of life with very little filter, Alexis charms Oliver from their first meeting.

“You seem to know a great deal about this bank, Miss Clark, but tell me, if you were to implement one change to improve how we run things, what would it be?”

“Well, for start, I’d call the cops on the dealer working the news stand outside. I’m guessing high employees don’t make for very productive ones.”

They both try and and fail to keep their attraction on the back burner. Boss and employee hook ups never seem to work out and Alexis feels Oliver is too smart and dapper for a working class girl like her. Alexis goes far in trying to keep her attraction a secret from Oliver which makes for some very funny scenes.

However, they can no more stay away from one another then the earth can stop rotating around the sun. As their relationship progresses, Cosway does a wonderful job of building their friendship and allowing it to become more romantically inclined at a natural pace. Alexis grounds Oliver; giving him a shoulder on which to rest while he in turn builds her self confidence. Intense chemistry, taut sexual tension, and engaging dialogue only serves to build the anticipation.

“I could lose the run of myself inside a woman like you, Alexis.”

The main conflict builds up gradually, blending well with the romance and adding the perfect bite of discontent to the mix. When Oliver and Alexis’s world does come crashing down, your heart skips a beat in sympathy and horror.

The After: Time stands still for no one and Oliver soon learns this when he sees Alexis again. His fall from grace was brutal and it takes awhile for Oliver to climb out of his cage of despair, guilt, and recrimination. A little help from some curious busybodies helps Alexis find her king and it’s her love and compassion that helps to bring him back to the light.

“Shame. Pain. Loss. Fear. More shame. So much fucking shame I could barely breathe with it.”

Emotions run the gauntlet as we learn exactly what has happened to Oliver and Alexis in their time apart. Cosway slowly peels the lid back on Oliver’s and Alexis’s problems and begins to systematically address them using some well known and loved secondary characters. Oliver’s journey home isn’t easy but he learns to let go of his fear and guilt over what happened in the past, accepting he has paid the price and can move on. Alexis discovers she is stronger than she ever thought and no matter what happens now, she was always loved.

“I never stopped loving you, not even in my darkest hour”.

The ending is a bit fantastical in that Cosway skips over some crucial aspects of Oliver’s recovery and conveniently takes care of the main issue that started all this off scene. Regardless, the ending is a heartfelt look into their future (from Oliver’s POV) and assures readers that Oliver and Alexis have finally found their happily ever after. We are also given a peek into the next book which looks to feature Alexis’s best friend (a cop) and her possible love interest who just happens to be a criminal.

RATING: B

Prior L.H. Cosway Reviews

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