Empire of Lust
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- Create Date：2022-05-06 08:21:44
- Update Date：2025-09-07
- Status：finish
- Author：Rina Kent
- ISBN：B09TND4LRQ
- Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
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Summary
My Boss。 My hell。
When I slept with a faceless jock as a teen， I didn’t think I would become pregnant。
I also didn’t think I would lose that child。
Several years later， I find out that my daughter is alive and I’m given a second chance。
One problem， though。
The faceless jock isn’t so faceless anymore。
He has a name everyone fears; Kingsley Shaw。
A ruthless bastard。 A heartless devil。 And most importantly， my daughter’s father。
Oh， and he hates me as much as I hate him。
We’re out to destroy one another with all methods available。
Including a dangerous game of lust that might lead to our downfall。
Empire of Lust is a complete STANDALONE。 No book should be read prior to this。
When I slept with a faceless jock as a teen， I didn’t think I would become pregnant。
I also didn’t think I would lose that child。
Several years later， I find out that my daughter is alive and I’m given a second chance。
One problem， though。
The faceless jock isn’t so faceless anymore。
He has a name everyone fears; Kingsley Shaw。
A ruthless bastard。 A heartless devil。 And most importantly， my daughter’s father。
Oh， and he hates me as much as I hate him。
We’re out to destroy one another with all methods available。
Including a dangerous game of lust that might lead to our downfall。
Empire of Lust is a complete STANDALONE。 No book should be read prior to this。
Reviews
Witch's Biblioniche
，
*ASPEN IS A FREAKING GODDESS*I was so hyped for this， because Kingsley and Aspen had me since book 1 and omg did it exceed my expectations The banter 💯The steam 💯The plot 💯The characters 💯And an extra 💯 for king and aspenThis one's probably my favorite in this series now ♡ *ASPEN IS A FREAKING GODDESS*I was so hyped for this， because Kingsley and Aspen had me since book 1 and omg did it exceed my expectations The banter 💯The steam 💯The plot 💯The characters 💯And an extra 💯 for king and aspenThis one's probably my favorite in this series now ♡ 。。。more
Daria
，
I went into this not expecting much。 I've only read the first book in this series， and even though I enjoyed it， it was definitely more of a guilty pleasure read because the writing was really subpar。 Despite that， the characters stole the show， and I was very excited for King and Aspen's story， because we rarely get any boss ass FMCs and Aspen was really a breath of fresh air。 This book truly exceeded my expectations。 I didn't only love the characters， the story， and plot， but also the writing！ I went into this not expecting much。 I've only read the first book in this series， and even though I enjoyed it， it was definitely more of a guilty pleasure read because the writing was really subpar。 Despite that， the characters stole the show， and I was very excited for King and Aspen's story， because we rarely get any boss ass FMCs and Aspen was really a breath of fresh air。 This book truly exceeded my expectations。 I didn't only love the characters， the story， and plot， but also the writing！！ And I say that with true wonder because while I was looking forward to this book I went into it not expecting much， but it seems like Rina Kent has truly grown in her writing abilities since Gwen and Nate's story。 Anyway， this book was everything I could've ever asked for。 I enjoyed the hell out of it， and was head over heels for the dynamism of both King and Aspen。 They were made for each other。 I would so read a follow up novella of them spending time with their second baby because I felt so sad when I learned the opportunity to be involved in Gwen's life was stolen from Aspen。 。。。more
Cass （Bookaholics Reading Haven）
，
I have been looking forward to Kingsley and Aspen’s book since we first met them in Empire of Desire and the fact this is an enemies with benefits book， ticks all the boxes for me！ Rina， as always knocked this one out of the park and did not disappoint！ With the back and forth banter/arguments and off the charts chemistry between Kingsley and Aspen， you will be consumed and flipping the pages as quick as possible just to find out how their story ends。 I for one am sad that this is the end of the I have been looking forward to Kingsley and Aspen’s book since we first met them in Empire of Desire and the fact this is an enemies with benefits book， ticks all the boxes for me！ Rina， as always knocked this one out of the park and did not disappoint！ With the back and forth banter/arguments and off the charts chemistry between Kingsley and Aspen， you will be consumed and flipping the pages as quick as possible just to find out how their story ends。 I for one am sad that this is the end of the series， but hope we might be lucky to catch a glimpse of these characters in any of Rina’s future books。 5 Stars ⭐️ 。。。more
iffat （taylor's version）
，
After all the books in the series this has a close tie-up with Empire of Hate。let's talk about in excoriating detail cause that's what this book was about it filled up the sort of puzzle pieces we had for Kingsley and Aspen。 Like i found a few parts being a reach but nevertheless Rina didn't spend time talking about it， which is good thing。Aspen Leblanc We started of with her being the damsel in distress who had a sassy-ness to her， she was fearless as a kid（that just makes her the woman she is After all the books in the series this has a close tie-up with Empire of Hate。let's talk about in excoriating detail cause that's what this book was about it filled up the sort of puzzle pieces we had for Kingsley and Aspen。 Like i found a few parts being a reach but nevertheless Rina didn't spend time talking about it， which is good thing。Aspen Leblanc We started of with her being the damsel in distress who had a sassy-ness to her， she was fearless as a kid（that just makes her the woman she is today） i like the thing that she didn't have to use a yk typical sassy line to make herself look bad-ass she emitted that shit naturally。 she didn't cower will being cornered， she fought back to the top like a queen every time。 italic text: i will tell y'all that's some queen shit there no cap✨👑Kingsley Shaw。like before reading this book i really thought i would not like him he would be Daniel form the Empire of Hate because of how he reacted to his daughter and his friend getting married， but my man redeemed himself he really said y'all will see me but a better version of myself。 naturally there were time when i hated him 。。。 but nevertheless he seemed liked Anthony from Bridgeton season 2 but better< img src="https://encrypted-tbn0。gstatic。com/im。。。" / >also he was so fucking hawt throughout the time。 “Oh， God…”“Bit unfair that he gets the praise for something I’m doing，” he says， flicking his tongue on my nipple， then he bites down until I gasp。 “Now， say my name。” and not to mention creative and “You’re arrogant， too， but since you have a dick between your legs， it’s called charisma。 Yet when a woman has confidence in herself and her work， she’s labeled an egotistical bitch。 If we’re going to be fair， you should be called an egotistical dick。” 。。。more
Melanie （mells_view）
，
“You’re going to alert them to what we do in the dark， sweetheart。”Enemies with benefits， but make it extra hateful。 Aspen and Kingsley have always been at each other’s throats， even more so now that Aspen’s been revealed as Kingsley’s daughters mother。 Honestly， if you’re looking for a book where two people who were probably destined to be together spend a lot of time “hating” each other and hate “snuggling” each other， then you will love this book。 Sometimes the hatefulness got a little dark， “You’re going to alert them to what we do in the dark， sweetheart。”Enemies with benefits， but make it extra hateful。 Aspen and Kingsley have always been at each other’s throats， even more so now that Aspen’s been revealed as Kingsley’s daughters mother。 Honestly， if you’re looking for a book where two people who were probably destined to be together spend a lot of time “hating” each other and hate “snuggling” each other， then you will love this book。 Sometimes the hatefulness got a little dark， but honestly this was just the perfect book for anyone who enjoys enemies to lovers or enemies with benefits。 I loved reading Kingsley and Aspen figuring out what they were to each other and also things with their daughter。 This CAN be read standalone， but the entire series is great so I definitely recommend。 。。。more
Luisa Andrade
，
If you were dying a slowly death with anticipation， waiting for King and Aspen book， YOURE NOT GOING TO BE DISAPPOINTED！ King is feral， he’s sharp and magnificent， beautifully broken， and oh my God， the temperature of this book is another level！ Aspen is amazing， as we already knew before， she was oblivious that her daughter were alive so in this book we can see how desperate she is to bond with her！I don’t know what to say， this book Is her best work ever， and I know that I say with every singl If you were dying a slowly death with anticipation， waiting for King and Aspen book， YOURE NOT GOING TO BE DISAPPOINTED！ King is feral， he’s sharp and magnificent， beautifully broken， and oh my God， the temperature of this book is another level！ Aspen is amazing， as we already knew before， she was oblivious that her daughter were alive so in this book we can see how desperate she is to bond with her！I don’t know what to say， this book Is her best work ever， and I know that I say with every single book， but This one is the best for sure！！ 。。。more
Aundi Living That Book Life
，
I am at a loss for words。 I’ve been dying for Kingsley’s book since the moment we met him， and Rina did not disappoint。 The level of intensity and push and pull in this book is on a different plane。 King and Aspen have had this passion surrounding them from the beginning。 Every time they are in the room together you could feel the tension growing and expanding filling every crack and crevice until you can barely breathe with the power of it。 I’m honestly surprised my Kindle didn’t spontaneously I am at a loss for words。 I’ve been dying for Kingsley’s book since the moment we met him， and Rina did not disappoint。 The level of intensity and push and pull in this book is on a different plane。 King and Aspen have had this passion surrounding them from the beginning。 Every time they are in the room together you could feel the tension growing and expanding filling every crack and crevice until you can barely breathe with the power of it。 I’m honestly surprised my Kindle didn’t spontaneously combust with the amount of desire in these pages。 King is a brute there is no other way to describe him。 He’s an intense Alpha male to the extreme and he does not apologize for it。 But the way he is Gwen shows that he can be a tad softer for someone he loves， and that list is incredibly short。 The feelings he has for Aspen could be described as volatile to say the least。 But that anger and volatilely can turn in the blink of an eye to something much more intense much more unforgiving and that’s exactly what Rina gives。 His unapologetic taking of Aspen is melt your kindle hot。 But the level of possession that he has for her is something that I can’t even begin describing it’s that penetrating and ardent。 That strong and unwavering。 That demonstrative and addictive。 King is exactly how I thought he’d be and so much more。 Aspen is brilliant。 She this stunningly strong and steadfastly independent woman， who rose from the ashes and gutters of her life to be something so much more。 She fought tooth and nail to get where she is。 Working ten times harder because she’s a woman in a man’s world but she never wavered。 She took their world by storm making no apologies for how she did it。 She is the perfect counterpart to King because she doesn’t bend， she doesn’t break。 She’s strong and her strength stands up against his。 Yes， they are like two mountains colliding but once they get there you couldn’t ask for anything hotter！Rina is and will always be a one-click author for me。 Her prose is flawless and addictive。 Gripping you by the throat and thrusting you into her stories without fail， without regret and I am here for it every time！ I’ve never read someone who writes such unapologetic alpha males and the woman who bring them to their knees better than she does。 King and Aspen were everything I’d hope they’d be and so much more！ I will definitely be rereading them time and time again because this kind of tension and passion is what romance is for。 。。。more
Lily
，
KingAspen own my heart
Natasha
，
2 "whore" 🌟first i need to say i'm so glad this series is over。Second i need to thank my girl flor ， we finally finished this series。 i wouldn't get through this trainwreck without you girl😭🤍Best parts of this book as rare they were : the somewhat lacklustre mother-daughter relationship between Gwen and Aspen。 Seeing how awkward Aspen was around Gwen was adorable， their bond was so sweet and precious。 I'd liked more scenes of them together tho。 I felt most of their relationship was told and not 2 "whore" 🌟first i need to say i'm so glad this series is over。Second i need to thank my girl flor ， we finally finished this series。 i wouldn't get through this trainwreck without you girl😭🤍Best parts of this book as rare they were : the somewhat lacklustre mother-daughter relationship between Gwen and Aspen。 Seeing how awkward Aspen was around Gwen was adorable， their bond was so sweet and precious。 I'd liked more scenes of them together tho。 I felt most of their relationship was told and not shown。The scene when Gwen caught Aspen and King， omg the awkwardness， i was cringing and laughing so bad。 “And I thought there were no secrets between us， Dad。” “Says the one who married my best friend while I was in a coma。 And the banter between Nate and King， they were pretty funny。 “Already taking sides， Gwen？” “You’re unreasonable， Dad。” “Not to mention a jerk，” Nate says with his usual blank expression。 At least the creepiness is gone。 “Nate，” she whisper-yells。 “Don’t call Dad a jerk。” still not over the fact how someone like Nate ended up with an immature child like Gwen， #neverforget。 And that was it。 I pretty much hated everything else especially the romance part between Aspen and King。 There wasn't any progression in their relationship， all they did was tear each other apart and fuck。 Rinse repeat。 In true Rina fashion there's zero development。 Given that Aspen had teen pregnancy， was abused and lied her whole life you'll think she'd have some kind of trauma but all of that was just glossed over and not explained enough。 like Aspen's excessive drinking was she a functional alcoholic or what？ Aspen as a character was pretty disappointing。 i really liked her in the previous books ， she was described as a badass bitch but in her own book she lost of all her personality when she became "submissive" and allowed King to treat her like "whore"。King was particularly annoying with his narcissistic tendencies， self absorption thinking he is some kind of god's gift to women。🙄 this man had such a high opinion of himself it was pretty laughable。 Also the guy was a freaking sex addict， i swear he had a permanent erection， everything that came out of his mouth had to do with how hard he's and fucking Aspen。umm the dirty talk。 i think that deserves special place in this review bc Rina， you keep outdoing yourself。 the word whore was mentioned more than 50 times。 The weird bdsm shit was so unnecessary。 poor Aspen with the bruises and hickeys all over her body， she could barely walk。 "Not any whore， no。 My whore， however？ Definitely。" “Your pussy knows it’s my whore， sweetheart。 It’s nearly swallowing my whole fist。” “Don’t…call me that。” “Call you what？” He does a long lick from the bottom to the top of my slit， stealing my breath in the process。 “W-hore。 I’m no one’s whore。” “No one’s but mine， because I’ll eat your pussy like you are one。” "I almost forgot how big， thick， and wide his cock is。 It should be anywhere but inside another human。" “You’re ridiculously huge，” I mutter。 “Couldn’t have a minuscule penis that fits your personality， huh？” Their whole relationship was based purely on sex and went from 0 to 100 in the first 4 chapters。 For how much they apparently hated and couldn't stand each other they changed their opinion so fast。 Even their banter was high school lvl， like Nate said: “For the record， if one of you kills the other， whether it’s first-degree or manslaughter， I won’t represent the other party。” He gives us a suspicious look and mutters， “You’re parents and are old enough to rise above bickering like children。 Pull it together。” amen Nate， amen！ if they only listened。😪Everything about the past was so vague！！ I still didn't understand how Aspen's aunt and uncle found Kingsley when Aspen herself didn't know who she had sex with。 It says they had sex and spend their whole night with their masks on。 So how the hell they knew that King is the father？ Did i miss something？ What was the chance of Aspen also becoming a lawyer ending up working for her baby daddy？ When your whole storyline is based on fate and left barely explained。🙄I had so many questions about her father i feel like that side plot was half assed， just thrown in for the sake of drama。 even the ending was rushed and underwhelming。P。S i need to get this out of the way。 WHAT IS THIS AWFUL COVER。😤 seriously she missed the mark with every。single。cover。so。far。King is in his 40ties。 This guy looks like a person approaching the age of puberty。 。。。more
Lorena Garcia -- Brittany's Book Blog
，
I have to say that Empire of Lust surely had me all tongue waggling out with how lust infused this book had me。 Kingsley and Aspen had this perfectly-imperfectly love/hate relationship that I just absolutely LOVED！ This enemies to lovers book certainly took the crown for me because Kingsley was not only hating on Aspen but he was also this possessive， obsessive， downright psycho-maniac for Aspen and while he denied that he had feelings for her， he wouldn't leave her sight for anything。The bond t I have to say that Empire of Lust surely had me all tongue waggling out with how lust infused this book had me。 Kingsley and Aspen had this perfectly-imperfectly love/hate relationship that I just absolutely LOVED！ This enemies to lovers book certainly took the crown for me because Kingsley was not only hating on Aspen but he was also this possessive， obsessive， downright psycho-maniac for Aspen and while he denied that he had feelings for her， he wouldn't leave her sight for anything。The bond that Aspen and Gwen had was beautiful and I think that's what really hooked Kingsley and he couldn't deny that it warmed his heart to see his daughter （his angel） bond with her mother the way she did。But just the way Aspen and Kingsley spoke to each other had me hooked， I couldn't get enough of these two。 I loved them from the get-go。 Their chemistry was undeniable and their sex was insatiable。 This man had me tingling from head to toe。 I loved his possessiveness and I loved Aspen's feistiness， she definitely had it in her， but Kingsley was also her weakness because she would submit to him， it was impossible for her not to。Total 5 Star read**Received an ARC in exchange for an honest review** 。。。more
Karen
，
1st reading : 5th May 2022Rating : 4 out of 5- 3td book in the month of May 2022- 118th book in 2022 reading challengeFinally a book by Rina Kent that is worth giving a 4 stars rating。This is the last book in Empire Series and you can read it as a standalone without reading the other series before。 It'll be more enjoyable if you know all the characters within the universe because every character's connected。 This book is about Kingsley Shaw and Aspen Leblanc。 They're Gwyneth Shaw's parents。 It's 1st reading : 5th May 2022Rating : 4 out of 5- 3td book in the month of May 2022- 118th book in 2022 reading challengeFinally a book by Rina Kent that is worth giving a 4 stars rating。This is the last book in Empire Series and you can read it as a standalone without reading the other series before。 It'll be more enjoyable if you know all the characters within the universe because every character's connected。 This book is about Kingsley Shaw and Aspen Leblanc。 They're Gwyneth Shaw's parents。 It's an enemies-to-lovers with mafia group touch in it。 We also meet again with Asher and Jonathan！ I like this book just fine and the last 5 chapters are so good！ I love the ending and can't wait for their child！ This is my favorite book in Empire Quartet。 I love this universe so much。 I'm also happy that this series finally ends。 The next is the Legacy of Gods， it'll feature the second gen of Royal Elite Series and Mafia family spinoff！ The first book will be out in July 14， God of Malice。 I hope it's about Eli and Ava！ 。。。more
leah
，
Rating : 4。5/5 🌟Tropes: enemies to lovers， enemies with benefits， boss x employee， second chance romance。Urrrghh this book！ Rina Kent can literally do no wrong in my eyes。 No one。 And I mean NO ONE does the alphahole pregnancy trope like she does。 And this book was no different。 I'm in love with Kingsley Aspen。 This man is the blueprint for ENEMIES to lovers。 Idk how the hate in the beginning of this came off as so fucking hot to me but woah。 *chefs kiss*Despite being such a steamy read， their l Rating : 4。5/5 🌟Tropes: enemies to lovers， enemies with benefits， boss x employee， second chance romance。Urrrghh this book！ Rina Kent can literally do no wrong in my eyes。 No one。 And I mean NO ONE does the alphahole pregnancy trope like she does。 And this book was no different。 I'm in love with Kingsley Aspen。 This man is the blueprint for ENEMIES to lovers。 Idk how the hate in the beginning of this came off as so fucking hot to me but woah。 *chefs kiss*Despite being such a steamy read， their love story was just as good。 I'm a big baby and definitely cried for things that normal people wouldn't have cried for。 But I absolutely adore these characters and loved their book so so much。 I loved loved loved seeing the other couples come back in this book pls 😭 。。。more
Nikki Malan （hot books and sassy girls）
，
Empire of Lust by Rina KentAspen's life had never been easy， but one night she let her guard down to be with a faceless boy who intrigued and equally scared her。 A night of passion left her pregnant， destitute， and broken。 King was captivated by the girl he met， but she disappeared as quickly as she had arrived。 Determined to make a name for himself， he became a ruthless lawyer whose reputation perceived him。 He opened up his own firm along with his best friend， Nate。 Aspen became a brilliant la Empire of Lust by Rina KentAspen's life had never been easy， but one night she let her guard down to be with a faceless boy who intrigued and equally scared her。 A night of passion left her pregnant， destitute， and broken。 King was captivated by the girl he met， but she disappeared as quickly as she had arrived。 Determined to make a name for himself， he became a ruthless lawyer whose reputation perceived him。 He opened up his own firm along with his best friend， Nate。 Aspen became a brilliant lawyer and worked for Nate， but King could not stand her， and even more so， when he found out she was the mother of his child。 tShe wanted a chance with her daughter， and King was determined to crush that dream， even though his daughter was all grown up and had married his best friend， which he still had not gotten over。 Gwen， their daughter wanted to give her mother a chance which caused sparks to fly。 King and Aspen’s hate was sexually charged and you could feel the flames ready to ignite at any given time。 t But had King been wrong about Aspen all along？ Or was it just a case of wanting to ruin her and make her pay for the sins he thought she had committed？ Once again Ms。 Kent has given us a fantastic story of two strong-willed characters who ignited the pages with fire and passion。 King was at times degrading towards Aspen， but she stood tall even when the wind had been knocked from her sails。 What this poor woman had endured in life was heart-breaking but the connection she formed with the faceless boy comes out when her life was in danger。 King tried to fight his reaction， but even his heart softened when he realized not all was what he thought。 The story had plenty of rising climax。 Secondary characters intrigued us and I hope we get Callie's story one day。 Overall， I really enjoyed this story。 It took me a while to warm up to King， but Ms。 Kent has a knack for making you fall in love with the unlovable。 Every book I read of Ms。 Kent’s， I think， can’t get better， but it does。 If you have to choose one， you can’t， so I highly recommend that you read the whole series and fall in love with each of her characters 。。。more
Nafisa
，
The last book in the series and it's undoubtedly the best！！ Kingaspen served the way they should one my favourite couple of RK and the chemistry 🥵🔥 The last book in the series and it's undoubtedly the best！！ Kingaspen served the way they should one my favourite couple of RK and the chemistry 🥵🔥 。。。more
nanna
，
Empire of Lust was， without a doubt， one of the best enemies with benefits I've read this year。 Rina Kent was totally dedicated to this book and gave us an extremely competent work。 I loved the story， although some points annoyed me a little， but not to the point that I hated those parts。Aspen is a strong character， but at the same time very venerable emotionally。 Rina managed to convey this duality of the character very well， her thoughts， her feelings were very well explored throughout the ent Empire of Lust was， without a doubt， one of the best enemies with benefits I've read this year。 Rina Kent was totally dedicated to this book and gave us an extremely competent work。 I loved the story， although some points annoyed me a little， but not to the point that I hated those parts。Aspen is a strong character， but at the same time very venerable emotionally。 Rina managed to convey this duality of the character very well， her thoughts， her feelings were very well explored throughout the entire book。 And I must say， that the construction of the character was one of the highlights of the book as a whole。 And her relationship with Gwen was beautiful， I liked the way they got closer。 When Gwen called Aspen Mom， I got all emotional。As for Kingsley， I liked him a lot too。 I liked him before and in Empire of Lust， I grew to love him。 He was a very well developed character too， his thoughts on everything and everyone were well explored。 And if before I thought his relationship with his daughter， Gwen， was beautiful， in Empire of Lust I found it even more so。 The only thing that bothered me a little was a point in the book that made Gwen behave horribly with King， and when they hit it off I ended up crying too。 Gwen irritated me at times when she wanted everything to be about her。 She pissed me off， but not to the point of making me hate her。Aspen and King's dynamic， as a couple， was perfect。 They are a couple with a lot of chemistry and， wow， I loved every little scene between them。 But， I missed more domestic scenes between them。 Especially when the feelings between them start to build up and they start to realize that there's a lot more than just lust between them。 But other than that， the couple's story is wonderful and their relationship even more so。 。。。more
aria
，
3。5 starsI didn’t expect to enjoy this book as much as I did， as the empire series has been alright so far， not rlly amazing but not awful either。 I enjoyed king and aspens dynamic， but towards the middle I felt the book got repetitive and dragged a bit。 I also wasn’t rlly convinced that king actually liked her other than just being possessive until the end。 Also I wish we got more scenes of the entire interaction they had when they were young。 It was also kinda weird how they both obsessed so m 3。5 starsI didn’t expect to enjoy this book as much as I did， as the empire series has been alright so far， not rlly amazing but not awful either。 I enjoyed king and aspens dynamic， but towards the middle I felt the book got repetitive and dragged a bit。 I also wasn’t rlly convinced that king actually liked her other than just being possessive until the end。 Also I wish we got more scenes of the entire interaction they had when they were young。 It was also kinda weird how they both obsessed so much over the time Gwyn was conceived but weren’t suspicious of each other。 Like， did king not notice that aspen had red hair and liked neitzche and spoke similarly to his “femme fetale”。 And how didn’t aspen get sus of her uncle lying to her about her baby when they were so awful。 Idk I just want convinced that they wouldn’t have been able to recognize each other。 As for King， his personality was just a recycled RK MC， which I don’t mind， but it gets boring。 I found him very similar to Aiden。 And now I need a spin-off for Caroline and Matteo and for whoever Nicolo is with。 RK needs to stop making me want more characters stories from her。Also I loved Nate and gwyn in this story 🥰🥰🥰 。。。more
mariama
，
3。75 ⭐️Thank you to @valentinepr for sending me this arc！Empire of Lust is a complete standalone that can be read as part of an interconnected series （which I recommend）。 Going into this book， I was already aware of their tension from other books but it was amplified when I got to read it from their pov。 This was probably the first Rina kent book I’ve read where I truly liked and enjoyed the relationship dynamic as well as the timeline and progression of their relationship。 I loved the banter an 3。75 ⭐️Thank you to @valentinepr for sending me this arc！Empire of Lust is a complete standalone that can be read as part of an interconnected series （which I recommend）。 Going into this book， I was already aware of their tension from other books but it was amplified when I got to read it from their pov。 This was probably the first Rina kent book I’ve read where I truly liked and enjoyed the relationship dynamic as well as the timeline and progression of their relationship。 I loved the banter and push-pull。 There were times where I felt like the characters were getting a little bit too juvenile in terms of their character arc ans just their actions which kind of contradicted them is the beginning。 But I had fun reading this book。 。。。more
Cassie
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4。5 Gritty Stars！What an end to an extraordinary series。 After reading the first 3 books I was anxious for Kingsley & Aspen's story。 Given the evident hate they had for each other in prior books I knew this one was going to be one heck of a ride。 We get the continued battle between the two， add the off-the-chain chemistry， the banter， the mutual love for Gwen， throw in a few plot twists and slowly you see these two becoming more human and less the cold hearted。 The Author has a way of giving you 4。5 Gritty Stars！What an end to an extraordinary series。 After reading the first 3 books I was anxious for Kingsley & Aspen's story。 Given the evident hate they had for each other in prior books I knew this one was going to be one heck of a ride。 We get the continued battle between the two， add the off-the-chain chemistry， the banter， the mutual love for Gwen， throw in a few plot twists and slowly you see these two becoming more human and less the cold hearted。 The Author has a way of giving you something new and different in each of her books but keeping consistent with her previous characters。 This book was hard to put down and well worth the read。 。。。more
Rae-Rae79
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This was an epic conclusion to the Empire Series！！ Rina Kent has always been great but this exceeded anything I was even thinking regarding this book。 Kingsley and Aspen are definitely my favorited characters of this whole series！ These two- the lust， the banter the sizzling chemistry just consume the whole book to where you do not want to put it down！
Kalista
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3。75⭐， 3🌶️I actually enjoyed this book！Kingsley and Aspen were different in terms of their feelings towards one another and then finding out that they share a daughter！ It was kinda obvious in EOD， like Rina don't give them the same hair color and expect everyone to be surprised。I felt so bad for Aspen because of everything she's been through， I mean imagine mourning your baby's death for twenty years and finding out she's alive and your enemy happens to be her father！ Kingsley was sort of a man 3。75⭐， 3🌶️I actually enjoyed this book！Kingsley and Aspen were different in terms of their feelings towards one another and then finding out that they share a daughter！ It was kinda obvious in EOD， like Rina don't give them the same hair color and expect everyone to be surprised。I felt so bad for Aspen because of everything she's been through， I mean imagine mourning your baby's death for twenty years and finding out she's alive and your enemy happens to be her father！ Kingsley was sort of a man child but tolerable。 And Gwen annoyed me so much！ The spoiled princess 🙄The intense attraction and chemistry between Kingsley and Aspen was there since the first book and I was waiting for the fireworks and damn did we see it in this book 🌝🔥 。。。more
castaliathornreads
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Rina ended this series with the best book we could have asked for。 If our anti hero is King then Aspen is definitely his Queen。 These two screams power couple。 This was one of the best enemies to lovers book I’ve read in a very long time。 Everything was perfect from their hilarious banter to their intense chemistry。 And like every Rina book it also had a very strong plot which kept me completely invested in the story。ASPEN IS A QUEEN 。 Whoever says otherwise needs to get their brain checked。 Fro Rina ended this series with the best book we could have asked for。 If our anti hero is King then Aspen is definitely his Queen。 These two screams power couple。 This was one of the best enemies to lovers book I’ve read in a very long time。 Everything was perfect from their hilarious banter to their intense chemistry。 And like every Rina book it also had a very strong plot which kept me completely invested in the story。ASPEN IS A QUEEN 。 Whoever says otherwise needs to get their brain checked。 From the prologue I was in awe of her。 I mean she has been through A LOT AND SHE NEVER ONCE COWERED。 MAD RESPECT FOR HER 。 Time for everyone to bow down to QueenKING grew on me。 I have loved his character since Gwen’s book。 I loved how he didn’t sugarcoat things or tried to hide his true self 。 He was unapologetically himself and I loved that about him。In Aspen’s word King was a brute。 But he was her brute and I loved how she was a perfect match for him。 THESE TWO WERE MADE FOR EACH OTHER。Peeps if you love Rina’s books or enemies to lovers then you should definitely not miss out on this 。。。more
it。sgottabethebooks
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Rina Kent blows me away each and every time I read a new book by her。 Kingsley and Aspen’s book is soooo good！！ The things that comes out of King’s mouth… wow！ I enjoyed every minute of this book and loved everything about it。
Heather The Hatters
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Holy enemies to lovers！！！ Rina I have read most of your books and have loved every single one that I have read。 I want to tell you I was really apprehensive about this book。 I was not sure I was going ot be able to look past my own personal feelings。 You did a magnificent job with these two characters。 You did them both justice and I adore the fact that they never lost who they are。 King a huge dick and Aspen a hardass who refuses to stay down when others take pleasure in knocking her down。 I wa Holy enemies to lovers！！！ Rina I have read most of your books and have loved every single one that I have read。 I want to tell you I was really apprehensive about this book。 I was not sure I was going ot be able to look past my own personal feelings。 You did a magnificent job with these two characters。 You did them both justice and I adore the fact that they never lost who they are。 King a huge dick and Aspen a hardass who refuses to stay down when others take pleasure in knocking her down。 I wasn't sure how I was going to feel about Kingsley & Aspen。 I was not sure if I was going to be able to look past his jackassness， and I wasn't sure I would forgive her。 Let me tell you I DID！ I loved these two so much！ They are both perfectly broken and fit fit perfectly together。 Their histories are tragic， but their love story is beautiful。 Thank you for sharing your talent with us， and I can not wait to see what else you have in store for us。 。。。more
Ana Valadas
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this book made me give Rina Kent another chance
Kim
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i actually really enjoyed this book！ i was looking forward to it， and for a lot of rina kent’s books i like them， but this one was so much better！i liked both the MCs， Aspen and Kingsley were both great and i could definitely see how well they fit with each other！ i liked the premise of the story as well， and i didn’t mind the pacing。i’d probably consider this my favourite rina kent book currently！ 😊
Jessica
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I was so on the fence about if I even wanted to read this book because while I enjoyed Aspen a bit in the other books， Kingsley was just too much for me。 I really didn’t like him， which honestly was probably the point， who knows。 Having said all of that this is absolutely my favorite in the series！ I honestly think you at least need to read Empire of Desire before this one if you read any of the previous books since that one delves more into why Aspen hasn’t been a part of Kingsley or Gwen’s lif I was so on the fence about if I even wanted to read this book because while I enjoyed Aspen a bit in the other books， Kingsley was just too much for me。 I really didn’t like him， which honestly was probably the point， who knows。 Having said all of that this is absolutely my favorite in the series！ I honestly think you at least need to read Empire of Desire before this one if you read any of the previous books since that one delves more into why Aspen hasn’t been a part of Kingsley or Gwen’s life。 However， you do you， it’s explained enough in this that you don’t really have to but again you really， really should。Getting to be in both their heads was a wild ride because one has an ego that knows no bounds and the other too proud and stubborn to admit when she’s over her head。 The bantering between them is top tier and while most times I wanted Aspen to win， there were a few where I was rooting for King。Aspen did not have a pleasant childhood and there were not really any silver linings in her life save for her friendship with Caroline。 Aspen has always come across as an HBIC even though she’s not in charge at the firm， and I love that about her。 There is nothing better than a woman who knows how to hold her own and takes zero shit from anyone， even her boss。 She works and drinks way too much。 The drinking is just how she copes with her past trauma and working is how she ensures that she doesn’t return to the life she worked so hard to escape。 We had a few chapters in King’s head in EoD but they didn’t do his character any favors， which should be clear since I said I wasn’t a fan of his。 His mind in wonderland of violence， love for Gwen， love/hate for Gwen’s husband Nate， an absolute hate for his step-mother Susan， and an obsession with Aspen that he’d rather not have。 He definitely spends a fair amount of time trying to deny his feelings for her。 I don’t want to spoil their backstory which we get to see through flashback chapters from a 14 year old Aspen's pov。 You really need the flashback chapters too because they pull everything together。 I would have enjoyed a flashback chapter for King though， because while he mentions it and even gives details of how he felt， I just think being in 17 year old Kings head would have helped。Rina does not disappoint on spice！ Aspen is a woman after my own heart because try as she might （and she does try to deny it） she absolutely loves being dominated by King and has a praise/degradation kink。 I also like that King loves her fight and spirit; he may win most times in the bedroom， but she still makes him work for it。 。。。more
Angie
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⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️。5“Sometimes， he looks at me as if I’m the conquest he intends to wreck into irreparable pieces。 And maybe I look at him like the challenge he’ll never win。”After 20 years of mourning her daughter， Aspen LeBlanc discovers that she was lied to and her little girl is alive， although not so little anymore。 And the man she had an unforgettable one night stand which resulted in her pregnancy and has been raising their daughter on his own， is none other than her rival and enemy—Kingsley Shaw。“ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️。5“Sometimes， he looks at me as if I’m the conquest he intends to wreck into irreparable pieces。 And maybe I look at him like the challenge he’ll never win。”After 20 years of mourning her daughter， Aspen LeBlanc discovers that she was lied to and her little girl is alive， although not so little anymore。 And the man she had an unforgettable one night stand which resulted in her pregnancy and has been raising their daughter on his own， is none other than her rival and enemy—Kingsley Shaw。“That woman is tilting my world off its axis and I’m relishing in every second of the act。”The relationship between Aspen and King was volatile to say the least。 The way these two bickered had me grinning ear to ear。 I loved every moment of their bantering， the way their relationship slowly shifts from pure hatred， to Lust， to a hunger for each that they just couldn’t satiate。 Obsessed。“Kingsley: At least drink water and tell me you’re all right。”King was a literal dream （or maybe a nightmare？ but in a good way！） he was a 10/10 DILF。 the way this man lived and breathed for his little angel， his miracle， his Gwen—gave me life。 He was so overprotective and their relationship and bond was next level。 I just wanted more daddy-daughter scenes because they’re goals。 Also， jealous Kingsley is adorable。 Count on him to continuously want to bash Nate’s head in for stealing his little girl！“We’re not really on speaking terms， Gwen。” “How can you ever not be on speaking terms with me， Daddy？ Aren’t I your little angel？” I can hear the spoiled princess tone in her voice。 She really is Daddy’s little girl。Gwen was also a star in this book！ Her character growth has been amazing since the start of the series and being able to see the shift in her relationship with Aspen was everything。 The little moments between them made my heart melt and the way Aspen was so eager to get to know the daughter she was robbed of for twenty years was so fulfilling。The plot of the story was very good as well。 There was an element of suspense throughout the book where we’re simply holding our breathe waiting for the other shoe to drop。Tropes:-office romance-second chance-enemies with benefits-single dad-mafia romanceIt’s bittersweet that this series has come to an end but I’m over the moon excited for what’s to come。 God of Malice cannot get here soon enough！！ Thank you so much to Rina for the ARC 🫶🏻 。。。more
Savannah
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Good shit。 You should read it if you like enemies with benefits p， good suit and banter。
Booknook Reviews
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As a rule， I am not a fan of the enemies to lovers trope。 This is usually because the enemies portion， for me， is too strong。 Too negative。But because Rina Kent wrote this， I gave it a try and I loved it。 Which， is no surprise， really。 Rina Kent is an author I will always one-click as her writing is engaging， sexy and has with a plot that keeps me on my toes。
Ssybahz
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their chemistry>>>>>>>
Reference
google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=Empire of Lust
hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=Empire of Lust&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft
The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,Empire of Lust&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0