| Title | : | The Sinful King (Naughty Royals, #1) |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | - |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Kindle Edition |
| Number of Pages | : | 320 |
| Publication | : | First published March 5, 2020 |
Every summer he arrived with his security detail and friends in tow and rented out a row of cottages near the water.
Cottages that belonged to my family.
Each of those summers, my parents sent me away – summer camp and later, boarding school. Anything to keep me away from the royals and their partying.
I hadn’t been home in years, but when I finally come back for the summer, I see that not much has changed. Like all the summers I’d been gone, Prince Elias is back, but this time with an incognito security detail and no friends.
This time, there is no partying, no noise, no crowds. No reason at all to even think he was there.
I’m given strict orders not to talk to him, not to even look in his direction, but he makes this an impossible task.
I may be doing everything in my power to stay away from him, but there is no one in the world who can say no to the future King of France.
The Sinful King (Naughty Royals, #1) Reviews
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4.25 stars
“You don’t have to be a king to change history.”
“No, I suppose not.” He smiled. “You can be a queen.”
The Sinful King is one of the best royal romances I've read recently! It was the perfect stand-alone romance and I devoured it.
Adeline and Prince Elias meet in an unconventional way. The prologue of this book threw me for a loop and I couldn't wait to find out more about these two. Fast forward years later and Adeline is getting away after a scandal when Prince Elias comes back into her life. There is a lot going on in Elias life as well. His father, the King, is sick and Elias is the heir. There is a lot of pressure on him and the only thing that makes him feel calm and alive is Addie.
This couple had so many obstacles to overcome. The fact that Elias is royalty and Addie is a commoner being the main one. I was so anxious to see how everything would turn out. They had such a profound connection and the most intense chemistry, I needed them to be together. I just wasn't sure how it would all work out.
This was an epic romance. It was beautifully written and I loved the characters and the prose. The Sinful King is an addictive read that's full of love, passion, angst, and steam. I loved this one and I hope Claire writes more from this world! I definitely want more of these royals.
“You don’t curtsy to me,” he said into my ear.
“Are you not my King?”
“Are you not my world?” -
***AVAILABLE NOW - FULL REVIEW***
5 Sin with Me CROWNS
The Sinful King was everything and nothing like what I expected it to be. It was regal with a dash of forbidden and sweet with moments of stolen seduction.
Prince Elias really wasn't really what I expected him to be. He was grumpy and gruff, but once readers learn of all that weighs on his shoulders and his impending future, it is clear why he is so abrasive at times. I couldn't imagine being in his shoes, and so his behaviors and actions make him a more sympathetic character. And I am not going to lie, this hero straight made me swoon. My heart fluttered during certain scenes. His romantic game is STRONG.
The heroine is someone who I enjoyed as well. The struggle she goes through as she balances what she wants and what she can have all while trying to protect her heart and live in the moment. We live for the moments of being swept away, of someone loving us above all, and I really connected with that aspect of her character. It is hard when your logical and emotional side battle, as the heart's desires generally win out. So, again, I found myself more understanding of her character and her choices.
I absolutely loved this story. It is PURE ROMANCE in every single way. It is what we hope for, a love that conquers all, that endures, and that makes us better people. I truly get swept away in their courtship, and the grand gesture is the stuff of HAPPILY EVER AFTERS.
The Sinful King is epic royal romance, every single little girl’s fantasy come true with the adult steam romance readers love. Don’t miss it.
Beta Read -
5 "I Want You Always" stars!
(ARC provided by author)
Prince Elias is the future king of France, and the most eligible bachelor in the world. He and his brother are known as notorious playboys, but Elias has been groomed and prepared to be king his entire life. He’s under a lot of pressure, and for him everything is about tradition, duty, responsibility, and appearances. He lives in Paris, but looks forward to his summers in Marbella. It’s the only time he can escape the tabloids and paparazzi, and relax. He loves being out of the spotlight, and is intrigued by a woman named Adeline. She’s stunning, and he likes how honest and real she is. They share a connection, but his life belongs to the monarchy.
Adeline Bouchard was born in Marbella but grew up in the states in Connecticut. She attended boarding school and then college, and now lives and works in London where she owns and runs her own event planning company. She arrived in Marbella for the summer to help her uncle with his bookstore. She hasn’t been back in five years, but is looking forward to some down time. Her family owns and rents out their villas on the beach, and every summer the royals arrive. This includes the charming, insanely gorgeous, intense Elias who is preparing to takeover the crown. When he begins to pursue her, she knows she should stay away from him, because they could never have a future together. He’s a man she can never have, but she still wants him. When things between them turn complicated will she be forced to let him go, or will she get her fairytale ending?
-I wanted Elias way more than I should.
-"I only feel free when I'm with you."
The Sinful King by Claire Contreras is a romantic royals standalone story full of chemistry, angst, love, and dreamy delicious princes. I loved this book, and fell hard for Elias! I need more in this world, and would love a story for prince Aramis too!
***NOW AVAILABLE***
https://amzn.to/3axddJe -
4 STARS
You don’t curtsy to me,” he said into my ear.
“Are you not my King?”
“Are you not my world?”
If you're looking for an utterly romantic and swoony royal romance chock full of heart and brimming with passion, look no further. The Sinful King was all of those things. I greedily devoured it in one sitting. It was just one of those sweet, steamy and feel-good type of romances that's easy on the angst but with plenty of feels.Say it, Addie.”
“Say what?” I was already finding it hard to breathe and we hadn’t even started doing anything.
“You want to get f*cked by your king.
Adeline and Prince Elias's story is full of surprises and passion. It's basically a fairytale for the modern day woman, and I couldn't get enough of it.
Adeline has always lived on the skirts of the royal family. Her father is in the King's cabinet but has always been vocal in his views on the monarchy and what they stand for. In one night for herself, Adeline meets a handsome stranger and shares a passionate night with him. Only to find out when she leaves that she just shared the night with the future king of France. Years later, she's back, on the tail end of a personal scandal. The last thing she needs is more spotlight. She's looking to get her party planning business more successful and stay out of the camera's flashes. But that's difficult to do when the prince of France has his eyes set on you.
Gosh this book was dreamy. I loved the two of them together. I loved Adeline's sweet naivety and Eli's quiet intensity. I loved their chemistry and the way they just set the pages on fire. This was just one of those wonderfully satisfying standalones that leaves you with a smile on your face.
ARC courtesy of author in exchange for an honest review
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„Love is a game. You need to play to your heart’s advantage.”
This book is a dream come true for all lovers of modern royalty! I can't resist love stories about princes and commoners and Claire Contreras brought to life one of my childhood fantasies. The Sinful King is an enchanting story of epic love and it utterly and completely swept me off my feet. With the perfect amount of tension, sweet moments, angst and sinfully hot scenes Claire made me unable to stop reading this book even for a second!
Even though this story has all the elements of a classic fairytale with the prince making the common girl fall in love with him, it's perfectly realistic with imperfect and fascinating characters.
I absolutely adored Adeline, she’s an amazing heroine. She gives as much as she gets, not caring about the status of the person that treats her poorly. She knows her worth and doesn’t settle for anything less. She’s smart, level-headed, kind, humble and instantly loveable. Elias is honorable, romantic, and so incredibly sexy! Everything from his words to his actions proves that he’s a real good man, although sometimes his mood got the better of him. But even when he does something the reader isn’t happy with, it’s easy to understand his choices. He knows what his obligations are and he tries to fulfil the expectations of the nation.
The relationship between Adeline and Elias is developed perfectly, spanning over the time and resulting in an authenticity between them that instantly feels more than simple lust. I could feel their undeniable chemistry, the longing, their passion and even sorrow. Their intense romance made my heart flutter and I needed them to be together just as much as they needed it themselves.
Apart from them, I really enjoyed all the secondary characters. I loved the cheeky prince Aramis, young Princess Pilar and even the Queen. I adored Adeline’s relationship with her friends, Etienne and Joslyn. I just loved the dynamic between Elias and his friend/bodyguard/secretary Pierre. All of these characters are well developed and I’d love to read their stories.
The Sinful King is a sexy, heart-pounding romance. This unputdownable and unforgettable tale is amazingly written and although it’s a modern fairytale, it’s authentic and packed with amazing twists that will leave you breathless. In addition to the epic love story, good drama and flawless prose, Claire gives us wonderful characters that prove that all's fair in love and war. This book is addictive, passionate, and absolutely fantastic!
*ARC provided in exchange for an honest review. -
Please make sure your seat backs are upright and your tray tables are....ok I know it’s cheesy, but seriously! The Sinful King will have you ready to hop a plane to Marbella and the hotspots of France looking for your own future King.
Claire shows her range of masterful emotions, tension and frankly all the genres in this standalone! A surprising follow up release after Half Truths, and I couldn’t have been more ready for it!
It’s light, ethereal in descriptions, but with an exceptional amount of steam and heat! And a plot that will have you wondering what the final choice will be and if you’re going to walk away broken-hearted!
No spoilers here, you’re just going to have to read it!! Elias and Adeline await!
And PS. I’m now dubbing Claire the queen of prologues! She’ll leave you gasping every time! -
Modern trends become intertwined with tradition to deliver a contemporary narrative different from what we’re accustomed to in this genre. With current flairs and somewhat distinct qualities, Claire Contreras delivered a modern royal romance lighthearted in nature. However, with little to no emotion it became difficult to love or connect with both characters, as well as have a fondness for The Sinful King.“You don’t curtsy to me,” he said into my ear.
“Are you not my King?”
“Are you not my world?”
King Elias is an allurement no one’s able to resist. But given the title and the way he’s described, I thought we’d have a more open manwhore hero with some asshole tendencies. Rather than be seen as devilish or wicked, King Elias is more soft, mellow and romantic, the absolute opposite of what we assume this hero to be. Adeline Bouchard has created a success for herself, but it’s unfortunate she’s kind of timid and naive instead of someone with tenacious grit.“You have me now.”
“I want you always.”
Adeline and Elias' first encounter felt stunted and rushed and awkward. It wasn't allowed to flourish or create intense chemistry. Even when they reconnected five years later, Adeline and Elias' romance didn't contain that flicker and twinkle of earnestness and enthusiasm. Serious disillusionment! However, what irritated me most is its unbelievable, almost instant-love nature and the way the scenario unfolded.
I've come to love Claire Contreras' romances—Half-Truths is my absolute favourite!—so I feel disheartened to rate this lower than expected. It's cute and sweet and contains some saccharine moments to make this an enjoyable read, but the overall romance isn't a thrilling or awfully exciting standout.
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Who doesn't love a steamy and sexy Royal Romance..... This was such a sweet ride, one that I couldn't put down till the end. So beautifully written, I encourage all of you to pick this one up. Definitely one of those epic romances❤️
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4 'My unattainable' Stars!
I literally devoured this novel in just a few hours! I was so excited for this release since there was quite a lot of hype around it and because I surely have enjoyed Claire's work before this. The Sinful King is a magnetic, sweet and sexy royal romance you don't want to miss! I loved Adeline and Elias, their forbidden relationship and how it developed. Elias is so mysterious and so swoony, I just loved the way he was with Addie.
I do wish the story was a bit longer but it was definitely enough to charm me with these new characters and I cannot wait to read more of them. I want more royals from Claire Contreras, for sure! -
In the prologue we see how 18 year old Adeline meets a mysterious stranger at a summer party in her hometown of Marbella, Spain.
Insta attraction ... which leads to her losing her virginity to him.
Him being - as she finds out in the papers the next morning - the future King of France!
Whoopsie. ☺
Fast forward five years and Adeline is back in town after a tiny little scandal chased her out of London.
And the Prince is back too ... but he might be announcing his engagement any day now!
LET THE FUN TIMES BEGIN .... ☺
What will happen to Adeline & Elias?
Will there be a HEA?
READ THE BOOK TO FIND OUT!
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Adorable!
I love to read one of those fairy tale / far from reality kinds of stories every once in a while.
Who didn't want to be a princess as a little girl - or boy? ☺
The Prince of France. LOL.
It was definitely a cute romance.
The cover is super hot and I love the colors!
And our Prince is very yummy too! And so sweet and grumpy and adorable!
Addie is great too!
And the friends and siblings too!
It was a really adorable little fairy tale with lots of funny and sexy moments. And some serious royal moments.
The whole Spain-France thing was a bit weird. It didn't make sense. Why didn't the royal family summer in the South of France instead of Marbella??? And you can't drive to Versailles from Marbella in two hours. Or from Paris to the beach in Spain in two hours.
Maybe Claire should've stayed in France with her story. The Spain part didn't make any sense and it didn't have a thing to do with the story!
BUT - I really liked the book. When you overlook a few little details you'll get a great little fairy tale!
And I will definitely be back to read the royal siblings' stories!
THE SINFUL KING was an adorable french royal fairy tale love story! ☺ Run to your nearest amazon for your own ELIAS - this one is MINE!!!
💜
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1.5 stars
Disappointed.....
I don’t know if this counts as read because I skimmed through most of the book. I couldn’t get into it from the start.
I couldn’t connect to the characters in the first 15 chapters and the storyline was boring so that’s when I started to skim over most of the book.
The romance wasn’t that interesting either.
Overall I would describe this book as BORING...
The only redeeming thing I could mention about this book is the cover and the actual synopsis. -
Claire Contreras isn't just a beautiful face and person, she has written my perfect prince. So thank you girl. **High fives and twirls** Prince Elias is smooth, gorgeous, in charge, and absolutely delectable in every way. He knows what he wants, puts forward the effort and patiently waits until the moment is his to seize....SWOOOOOON. This story had me from the first mysterious night until the last...all while building it up with a sexual tension that could be felt oozing right off my damn kindle. Seriously, how do you do it girl? Written words that you feel in your soul, it's a gift and I feel blessed to be able to bask in it. The push and pull, can they, will he moments had me clutching at my heart and kindle over and over. Heart beats quickened, pulse points showed themselves and these two found their way through the maze of public living into a life they could hopefully share. Did I mention the sexy times were OFF THE CHIZZARTS? Felt that oozing outta my kindle too. As always Ms. Contreras created another world that I not only want to live in, but want to go back to. Thank you!! xo
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This was quite boring. Her sleeping with him the first time she meets him and giving up her virginity threw me. I guess I find that a little too much. Shouldn’t you at least see who your giving it up to. Lmao
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***4 "I want you... Always!!!" stars***
“What good was savoring something exquisite if you had no shot at keeping it?”
Everyone knows by now that i'm a sucker of royal romances and this book was such a lovely and pleasant surprise!!!
I loved Elias and Adeline very much and their story was beautiful and in a way, romantic, even though there were obstacles that were standing between them...
Also, I'm looking forward for Aramis and Pilar's turns!!!! And i might have a good idea which their significants ones will be. Or maybe not!!!!
"Love is a game. You need to play to your heart’s advantage."
Adeline's family was owning some luxurous villas in Marbella... Villas that the royal princes were using on their vacations very often... Unfortunately, her parents never allowed her to be close enough to ever meet one of them...
So, one night, when she was eighteen, she accompanied her best friend on one of their parties and there she met a mysterious but gorgeous man and she spent a night with him....
And then, she left for good to start living her adult life, even though she realized very late that the man was one of them, the crown prince, the future king of France...
"What I would give for things to be different."
Five years had pass since that night and Adeline is returning back to Marbella...
The circumstances are weird the least and she is being forced to meet prince Elias over and over again...
He is cold and detached to her and she is assuming that he has no idea that she was the girl that night...
But the prince is acting strange and he is always around and even though she is drawn toward him, she doesn't need his attention...
She can't have any kind of relation with him, but unfortunately, they both can not seem to stay away from each other...
"I’ve had one date with him and I already felt myself unravelling. I couldn’t afford to be unravelled. I was in no state to fall in love with a prince, let alone one who would be king."
Yes, there is something between Adeline and Elias.... Something that is getting stronger with every encounter they are having...
But Elias is about to become the king and Adeline is just a commoner...
They don't have only their families standing between them, but a whole nation...
And not only that but the future king needs a princess for a wife...
He just have to follow the traditions...
So, what will happen after all with these two when their relationship is doomed from the beginning???
“His smile was small and pained just before he turned around and walked away.”
"I'm in love with you. The is no after you."...
"You love me... A commoner."
"There's nothing common about you, Adeline."
I really loved this story...
I laughed, i became antsy as hell, but i enjoyed the ride very much...
I liked how the things were developing between Elias and Adeline... even though it hurt sometimes...
But also, i liked how the things ended up after all!!! It was really a clever solution...
I loved Adeline and Elias so much and they deserved to be together...
Also i liked that after some point we got also Elias's POV. It was necessary for his voice to be heard as well...
"The more time I spent around Adeline, the more I found myself wanting to twist things and do the wrong thing because in my head and heart she was the right one to do the wrong thing for."
Well, if you're fan of royal romances, this is a book that you don't want to miss!!!
It was really that good!!!
I totally recommend it!!!! Go for it!!!
“You don’t have to be a king to change history.”
“No, I suppose not.” He smiled. “You can be a queen.”
*I was provided an Arc in the exchange of an honest review*** -
3.5 ⭐️’s
“I only feel free when I’m with you.”
“I only feel anything when I’m with you.”
“You don’t curtsy to me,” he said into my ear.
“Are you not my King?”
“Are you not my world?”
“You showed me that I was more than my title. That I was more than what anyone said I was. You looked at me and you saw me.”
Characters
Prince Elias (28, future King of France):
The following words/phrases were used to describe Prince Elias: handsome, soon-to-be-King, arrogant, most eligible bachelor, notorious playboy, jerk, good looking, dreamy, gorgeous, charming, charismatic, powerful, kind
Three things about Elias:
- His father's health is declining and he is next in line to the throne
- He is labeled as a playboy, but that’s not really the case
- He has a good relationship with his family
Some quotes about Elias:
“some people felt the monarchy was antiquated. Those people thought Prince Elias should not acquire The Crown once his father passed away.”
“Eli is not a vengeful man. He doesn’t believe in an eye for an eye.”
“He was the kind of man that was exactly everyone’s type. Tall, broad shoulders, dark hair that he seemed to just let do its own thing, and its own thing was a perpetual state of sex hair.”
“I grew up with the world at my fingertips but no freedom to make my own choices. Everything from what I wore to who I became friends with was meticulously planned out for me.”
Adeline (aka Addie) (23, Event Planner):
The following words/phrases were used to describe Adeline, pretty, interesting, kind, strong spirit, fiery, limitless, commoner
Three things about Adeline:
- She's trying to keep a low profile thanks to a sex tape that has surfaced of her and her former boyfriend
- her father is opposed to all things in the monarchy and the way the royal family is running things. He's notorious for speaking out about the injustices of the Crown
- She’s sad/mad about the lack of support and approval from her father “This man was supposed to love me unconditionally and one slip up from me had him pretending he didn’t even have a daughter.”
Some quotes about Adeline:
“filming a sex tape was plain dumb.”
“I was having fun with my boyfriend! I didn’t realize the entire world would have access to it.”
“When I was passionate about something, I couldn’t stop talking about it.”
“At the end of the day, I just want to be valued and loved.”
“I’d never wished for much. I’d always been the kind of person who went along with whatever life threw at her.”
My Thoughts:
The following are my thoughts about this book:
- I appreciated Addie's little rant in the beginning. I thought it set the tone to show she wasn't going to take any crap from the prince.
- I liked the H/h conversations. Sometimes it was fun banter, other times it was honest and intimate.
- Ouch....mom was a bit harsh here - “In their court, you’re nothing but a jester, someone for them to befriend and then discard. Don’t forget that.”
- Addie was pretty truthful, not afraid to say what she was feeling. I liked that about her. She didn't hold stuff in and keep secrets.
- I was starting to get irritated about the single female POV, but then at Chapter 25 I finally got Elias' POV. I was happy his thoughts were finally included, but would have preferred it happened much sooner.
- They were both trying so hard, but both struggling to fight their love and my heart broke a little for them. “The more time I spent around Adeline, the more I found myself wanting to twist things and do the wrong thing because in my head and heart she was the right one to do the wrong thing for.”
- Swooning ❤️😍 “I know it’s a lot to ask and there will be a lot for you to give up if you decide you’re in it for the long run, so think of this as . . . me courting you.” 😍❣
- There wasn’t a ton of angst, which may make it feel boring to some. I’m more of a low-angst type of person, so I appreciated the lack of unnecessary drama.
- The story is set in modern times with a royal family in France. So it felt a bit disconnected and I feel it would have been better to have this set in a fictitious country. It was was distracting because I kept thinking...but France doesn’t have a king 🤔🤔
- Because so much of the story was told from Adeline’s POV, I didn’t feel like I really knew Elias. 🙁
Overall:
- POV: kind of dual POV (but mostly from h POV). As mentioned above, The H POV is not introduced until chapter 25. 🤨
- Tropes: Royal/commoner, Massive riches/average wealth, forbidden love,
- H likable? Yes
- h likable? Yes
- h virgin? Yes (In Prologue)
- First time they kiss: Prologue and then “for real” at 37%
- First time they sleep together: Prologue and then “for real” at 47%
- steamy? It had its moments
- OW/OM drama? Not really
- H/h cheat? No
- Did I skip pages? No
- Big secrets? There was a secret, but the Prince knew so it wasn’t really a secret.
- Did I cry? No
- Did I laugh? Not really
- Cliffhanger? no
- Epilogue? 8 months later
- Recommend? maybe
Quotes
“You’re missing out on all the events you dreamed of putting together because you’re scared of a little gossip.”
“It’s not a little gossip when everyone’s seen your vagina, Etienne.”
“I raised my beer to that explanation instead and hoped he understood I meant it as a big fuck you.”
“In the olden days, I would’ve been physically hanged. Nowadays we have death by tabloid rumors.”
“I don’t need my father’s approval.”
“That’s the biggest lie we tell ourselves.” Uncle Antonio laughed. “And then we all end up in therapy.”
“Riding in a chariot wasn’t all it was worked up to be.
We had to stop three times due to rambunctious crowds on our way from Versailles to the Basilica of Saint-Denis and all three times the horses took a massive dump that left the chariot smelling like shit. It was shit I was sure the crowds would have loved to pick up and throw at me.”
“Adeline, who made me question things because she questioned me without judging my responses. She pushed me in a way nobody else dared.”
“Maybe your normal is everyone else’s unattainable.”
“You’re my unattainable.”
“I love you. I’m in love with you. There is no after you.”
“At the end of my reign—because all of them must come to an end—I will still believe that keeping you has been the greatest achievement I will have accomplished.” He took a breath.” -
![moonlight ☾ [semi-hiatus]](https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/users/1645500038i/37448930._UX200_CR0,0,200,200_.jpg)
✰ 3.5 stars ✰
I really enjoyed this, especially the first half, but I was kinda hoping for a little more grovelling from Elias (H) in the second half cause there were times when it felt like he would let Adeline (h) go a little too easily (despite him saying he's into her or whatever and, yes, I'm aware him being royalty means people would expect him to marry someone similar to his status, but still. I wanted to see him just make a little more effort). I did love both of them though! And their push and pull in the beginning had me hooked. <3
I'm also hoping we'll get books from the side characters. They were fun and interesting, especially Aramis (Elias' brother) and Pierre. (: -
I found The Sinful King to be incredibly infuriating because it just made no sense. Claire Contreras may have cautioned her readers to suspend their disbelief for this new world but there were just some things where I could not, and would not, entertain. Sure, I could pretend that France still had an autocratic monarchy, but I could not begin to understand how the foundation of this novel is a love story, when it was anything but romantic. Elias and Adeline had zero chemistry or individual charm/personality, so having to believe that he would risk his throne for her was insulting to my intelligence.
After one fateful night leads to 18-year-old Adeline Bouchard losing her virginity to an anonymous man at a masquerade, she quietly slips away with the intention of leaving it as a fond memory … only to discover that that the man behind the mask was the future King of France. Fast forward five years later, Adeline is back at her family’s summer residence in Marbella, running away from her leaked sex tape scandal in London. Upon learning that the Crown Prince is also hiding away in the same town, she is mortified to discover that he shows no recognition of their time together. But when Prince Elias continues to find opportunities to seek her out, she can’t help but wonder that maybe, she did leave a lasting impression after all.
I was disappointed that the novel opened with Elias and Adeline having sex, without much, if any, buildup (I personally prefer slow burns with witty banter and drawn-out sexual tension), but I was even more frustrated with how vanilla the actual act was. Even in the present where there was more time and space devoted to developing their relationship, their dialogue was stilted and they had no chemistry. Their “cute” moments together felt forced, such as with their first date feeling more like a formal interview than anything. Furthermore, the beginnings of their courtship, which is supposed to be the best part of a romance, consisted of Elias acting like such an ass to her. He asked her to come to his party to serve drinks – despite her not having or giving any indication of bartending experience – instead of simply asking her to attend as a guest. The lack of respect that he displayed in that moment was astounding and he was supposed to be this charismatic, suave archetype!
The most infuriating part of the romance, however, was that neither of the protagonists had any personality. It made absolutely no sense that Elias would pine for her long after they had already slept together when, in my opinion, there was nothing to pine for. I wouldn’t even be able to provide three adjectives to describe Adeline, outside of her apparent beauty, and the novel was written predominantly in her perspective! If the reason why he fell in love with her was because she challenged him, as it was often suggested, it wasn’t presented in a convincing manner. From what I read, Adeline pretty much readily submitted to his requests, even if she made a futile, half-hearted attempt to reject them initially (i.e., when he asked her to attend his party or go on a date with him). The same could be said for Elias – outside of his royal title and physique, there was nothing special about him that could explain why Adeline was wiling to give up everything for.
Moreover, the final conflict, where Adeline overhead Elias telling his ex-fiancée’s father that he was only dating a commoner because she boosted his image, felt contrived and completely unnecessary (it was introduced so late in the novel, almost like a last-ditch effort to create some kind of conflict). It could have been easily avoided had she just talked to him. Its resolution (aka the scene where she got fairly sloppy drunk and he grovelled to her) was cringey, especially since it took place in a public setting, in front of a live audience, where their every move was supposed to be scrutinized as public figures. On that note, it also drove me crazy that everything went so smoothly for them when they publicly revealed their relationship. There was no negative press, even though there was plenty to discuss (i.e., Adeline’s sex tape scandal). Just because the video was taken down, didn’t mean that there wouldn’t have been copies floating around, or at least the media/London society bringing up her controversial past. Navigating that would have made for a more compelling conflict.
Other things that bothered me (in no particular order):
- Adeline having more chemistry with Pierre – Elias’ security guard turned personal secretary – than with the actual lead;
- Elias having a distinct American voice – the phrasing of his sentences and diction were so similar to Adeline, despite being brought up in different countries and schooling systems – which felt so jarring for someone of his prestige;
- Adeline being given the opportunity to plan the future King’s engagement party and wedding despite her scandal (wouldn’t the Royal family want to avoid as many scandals as possible/do background checks not exist??).
Claire’s writing style played a major role in why I felt so strongly about the above. Her prose had a distant, detached quality to it, and I struggled to connect with the characters or fully visualize the settings that she was trying to create. Oftentimes, the logistics of her scenes were confounding. For example, when Elias and Pierre swapped clothing and places at his masquerade engagement party (so that Elias could spend the night with Adeline), I sent more time questioning how it made sense than appreciating the moment. Adeline believed that it was Pierre even when Elias spoke to her – wouldn’t she have recognized his voice/stature and wouldn’t his family/other guests have (eventually) noticed that it wasn’t, in fact, him? Claire also made some stylistic choices that left me scratching my head, such as introducing Elias’ POV in the halfway mark (maybe if his perspective was included from the beginning, it would have been more understandable as to why he fell in love with her). Even the nugget where Claire suggested that the following instalment would most likely be Aramis and Joselyn’s story was not intriguing enough to compel me to read it. Those two also had no chemistry in the scenes that they were featured in.
For all my grievances, I will say that the epilogue was lovely. I loved that Elias bowed to her at their wedding ceremony, with the whole world watching, and his final quote:“Love live the Queen. May she always be by my side, not one step behind”.
While The Sinful King may have ended on a high(er) note, it was not enough to redeem the otherwise aforementioned deplorables that it was riddled with. -
Ugh I didn’t like it at all I tried but it wasn’t for me !
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There have been quite a few books published in the last two years with a royal theme to them, I guess the Harry / Meghan love story has inspired lots of writers. A prince marrying a commoner is a plot we all know well, the story of Cinderella is a classic example and it never gets old.
Adeline grew up spending her summers in Marbella at the villas her family owns. They are exquisite and exclusive, making them popular for people with wealth to enjoy private holidays. The royal family from France have been enjoying them for years, in particular the two young princes. They love throwing lavish parties for people in their social circle and on occasion Adeline attends them.
When Adeline is enjoying her summer break in Marbella just before she leaves for college she ends up at one of these parties and meets a gorgeous guy who makes her heart race and butterflies take flight in her stomach. She spends one unforgettable night with him, having no idea who he is. It is not until she leaves that she discovers it was Prince Elias.
Elias has delicious memories of the one night he spent with Adeline Bouchard but it will be years later that their paths cross again. The King is dying and Elias is the heir apparent. This is something he has been groomed for all of his life and as part of his succession it is imperative that he finds a suitable wife to rule alongside him. Marrying for love is not important, appearance is everything.
Elias is spending his last summer in Marbella before he is immersed in a life of duty. He never expected to see the girl he has never forgotten. A girl who had no idea who he was that night they were together, who just wanted to be with him, not a prince. A girl with no expectations of anything other than what he had to offer that one night.
Adeline is in Marbella to escape the media attention after something private was published online, bringing shame to her family - in particular her father who is a part of the King’s cabinet. She plans to avoid Prince Elias during her stay, he won’t even recognise or remember her surely? She thought wrong. When she sees him again she is completely blown away by how devastatingly handsome he is.
Elias is drawn to Adeline and wants to know her, spend time with her. He can’t seem to help himself. Adeline feels overwhelmed around this charming and charismatic man. Resisting him takes all of her willpower and now that his engagement to another woman has been announced she plans to steer clear of temptation.
‘I’ve had one date with him and I already felt myself unravelling. I couldn’t afford to be unravelled. I was in no state to fall in love with a prince, let alone one who would be king.’
This was my Sunday indulgent read. I loved the connection between Elias and Addie. He was tied to a life of duty when all he wanted was to be free to choose who he wanted. I enjoyed getting lost in this fairy tale. -
AHHHH!! The Sinful King was a story with allllll the swoons and feels. Adeline and Prince Elias gave me all the butterflies and feelings of first love. This was such a romantic story that I could not get enough of!
I found this story ro be cute and adorable. It was a much needed change from what the alphahole I usually read. Elias was adorably grumpy yet sweet. Adeline was a breath of fresh air and together they were a perfect match. I loved their fiery chemistry and could not stop reading! 4 stars! ~Ratula -
Books about royalty are my guilty pleasure. When she’s a commoner and meets a prince and falls in love AHHH 8 year old Caitlin dreamed of that
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Cute read. Enjoyed it
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She was warned to stay away from the cottages when the king and his posse where there. But one night Adeline decides to visit one of the many parties that are thrown there and that night changes everything for her.
Elias never wanted to be King but was groomed for this from a young age. Even if he wanted to change his future he knows his priority is to his country and the people. Until Adeline, no one has ever seen the real him and that was something he never expected. Adeline has been through the ringer and wanted to be invisible for a while but then Elias happened and the same chemistry they had that one night was there. She's always remembered that one special night but she knew she couldn't live on that night forever.
Elias and Adeline dance around each other and the chemistry just kept growing to the point that I felt there was going to be a BOOM that would knock them off their feet. I fell in love with Elias (after a bit) and with Adeline and they beautiful love story. This was a breathtaking beautiful love story. Thank you Author Claire Contreras and can't wait for your next beautiful gem. Kara~5 Stars -
3 1/2 "Long live the King!" Stars!
This was definitely entertaining. I stayed interested throughout. Eliason and Adeline were both very likable. There was something missing for me though. Not sure what. Maybe more explaining or a few more details about certain events. Overall though, a sweet and happy royal read. Happy reading! -
bbbboooooorrrrriiiinnnnnggggggg!
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Ms. Contreras drew a wicked picture of a France that still had a king. I really liked the way "The Sinful King" played with how this country might look today if the monarchie still existed. I loved the plot in total and her writing was as good as I expected it to be from previous books I read. Some of the dialogues I read in this story are sure to make their way into lists with favorite book quotes – of that I am sure.... as they were pretty swoon-worthy.
And honestly, this is also why I do not fully understand my own reaction to the book. At first sight it really had everything I love – yet I was not able to really go with the flow … I tried very hard to love the characters and to feel with them but I could not bring myself to more than a LIKE no matter how hard I tried. …
Why? Well, I thought hard about that and the only thing I can think of is the beginning of the book. The book starts of in a way that I can not connect to. I could not understand the way the female lead (re)acted – I naturally understand the allure of mystery and attraction at first sight but I couldn't follow these specific characters on their journey. And when the story really picked up a few years later after that opening chapter I struggled with one of the most basic facts that would not leave my mind – and when such a detail is burned in my brain I simply can not rid myself of it and it follows me questioning far to much of a plot. - With as little as possible spoiler I would describe my "problem" with … "As a future King of France you should be able to get any information that you really want at any given time" and I will leave it at that .
But these to issues are probably really only my personal problem and others will not mind them at all. As I said the plot itself is pretty good and interesting read that will keep the readers hooked.
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The bri ish gonna be mad abt this one ✌😴
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Really enjoyed The Sinful King from Claire Contreras - Prince Elias and Adelines story was a fairly quick read, but it was sweet and perfect for lovers of all things “Royal”
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5+ ‘Crème de la Crème’
‘The Sinful King’ has all the pop and flare that I have come to love from Claire Contreras. I was swept away and taken on a whirlwind fairytale of an adventure from the prologue to the epilogue.
They meet in the most remarkable first and foremost of a meet up...an unexpected rendezvous. Everything went right in the magic of one night. Two bodies lost in passion and pleasure with the perception of nothing more. So they thought,
Years later Adeline comes face to face with the darkest shade of green eyes she never forgot or hope to meet again. Especially when she’s trying to forget the current events that have rocked her entire world. With her galloping heart aware of the man who set high standards for any man that came after. She must not fail to remember she was there only as a favor to her uncle and not to be the beck and call to the Prince of France. Except there was no escaping Prince Elias, because he was every bit of the man she hope would one day whisk her away.
Every moment of this remarkable journey Eli & Addie embarked had my heart racing to higher marks. This book is a book of first, and I’m happy it was my first book of the year that left an impression, for the rest to come. It will be impossible for another to top the king. Eli is everything you hope to find in a leader, or in his case a ruler. He quickly became the ruler of my heart on how well he handled every obstacle thrown at him, especially the one he gave his highest priority. The people of his country were of great importance going forward as the King of France. As important was the woman at his side, the jewel in the crown who will lead him to reign.
As for Addie, she might have not come from royalty, but she sure knew how to bring a king to his knees. She certainly ranks high along with the handful of women in fiction that I have read and admired.
The book is a standalone. I do hope Claire plans to cont. the series with the secondary characters that helped mold ‘The Sinful King’ the 5+ star read it is.
“Vive la reine!” For making my heart feel so large, that it might explode. It is everything I expected and more, much more. And Claire, just as your kids say, I also think you’re the best. Thank you for the ARC.
