What do you think?
Rate this book
King of Revenge
Briar
I only wanted a job.
A fresh start. A clean slate after the divorce that wrecked me.
Becoming Lucien Moretti’s personal assistant sounded safe.
Respectable. Normal.
It isn’t.
Lucien is intense. Untouchable. Dangerous in ways I don’t understand.
And yet when someone comes after me, he’s the one I call.
Lucien
Briar Locke was supposed to be another employee.
Invisible. Forgettable. Off-limits.
But when my enemies make her a target, I can’t stay away.
I won’t.
I’ve spent years pulling my family’s business into legitimacy, but the shadows I’ve tried to escape are reaching for her now.
And I’ll do whatever it takes to keep her safe.
Even if it means burning everything I’ve built to the ground.
King of Revenge is book one in the Vows of Blood series—a steamy, high-stakes mafia romance where bloodlines run deep, rules are meant to be broken, and the most dangerous thing a man can do is fall in love.
I only wanted a job.
A fresh start. A clean slate after the divorce that wrecked me.
Becoming Lucien Moretti’s personal assistant sounded safe.
Respectable. Normal.
It isn’t.
Lucien is intense. Untouchable. Dangerous in ways I don’t understand.
And yet when someone comes after me, he’s the one I call.
Lucien
Briar Locke was supposed to be another employee.
Invisible. Forgettable. Off-limits.
But when my enemies make her a target, I can’t stay away.
I won’t.
I’ve spent years pulling my family’s business into legitimacy, but the shadows I’ve tried to escape are reaching for her now.
And I’ll do whatever it takes to keep her safe.
Even if it means burning everything I’ve built to the ground.
King of Revenge is book one in the Vows of Blood series—a steamy, high-stakes mafia romance where bloodlines run deep, rules are meant to be broken, and the most dangerous thing a man can do is fall in love.
254 pages, Kindle Edition
Published December 15, 2025
About the author
Willow York
5 books13 followersWillow York isn’t new to writing romance—but she’s done playing nice. Now it’s all about ruthless antiheroes, forbidden desires, and steamy mafia drama that will leave you breathless and begging for more.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 40 reviews
May 29, 2026
King of Revenge by Willow York is an okay, middle-of-the-road read that lands as a decent option for fans of contemporary romance, but it ultimately falls a bit short of its high-stakes title.
The primary issue with the novel lies in its pacing. The story starts with a promising premise, but the momentum quickly drags. Long stretches of the book feel slow-paced, with repetitive internal monologues that stall the progression of the relationship and the central conflict.
The primary issue with the novel lies in its pacing. The story starts with a promising premise, but the momentum quickly drags. Long stretches of the book feel slow-paced, with repetitive internal monologues that stall the progression of the relationship and the central conflict.
April 8, 2026
2.5 ✨
nice idea for a plot, but the execution lacked
redundant, with quite a few mistakes that I'm not sure how they passed the editing phase...
not sure if he's the king of anything, especially not of revenge...
there were a lot of things that did not make sense... like how his team couldn't find out, even after they double checked her background, what connection she had with the bad guy...
nice idea for a plot, but the execution lacked
redundant, with quite a few mistakes that I'm not sure how they passed the editing phase...
not sure if he's the king of anything, especially not of revenge...
there were a lot of things that did not make sense... like how his team couldn't find out, even after they double checked her background, what connection she had with the bad guy...
January 31, 2026
This book was not for me. How is Lucian the big bad mafia guy, to a certain extent, but then lets the woman he loves get beaten up not once, but twice. Her creepy ex manages to get the best of his security and kidnap his girl. This book was not worth the read, for me. The chemistry was lacking and not believable.
December 17, 2025
3.5 PA stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️.✨️
2.5🌶
Ideea plotului..atractivă. Insa e prea pe repede-inainte acțiunea!
2.5🌶
Ideea plotului..atractivă. Insa e prea pe repede-inainte acțiunea!
January 18, 2026
enjoyed
I enjoyed this book. The h/h were both very likable. The story moved along nicely. I didn’t realize the other books in the series weren’t available yet but I enjoyed the story enough that if I run across the 2nd when it comes out I’ll give it a try.
I enjoyed this book. The h/h were both very likable. The story moved along nicely. I didn’t realize the other books in the series weren’t available yet but I enjoyed the story enough that if I run across the 2nd when it comes out I’ll give it a try.
April 19, 2026
At the beginning of the story, I got invested pretty quickly. Briar starts her new job as the personal assistant to CEO Lucien Moretti. However, she isn’t freshly divorced, she’s been divorced for three years, and those years aren’t explored at all. Lucien comes from a criminal family but has built a legitimate business and distanced himself from his past. He feels an immediate attraction to Briar, but since she’s his employee, she’s off limits. He mentions that he should have gone on a date with Nina over the weekend but didn’t have the time. I found it pretty unnecessary to bring up a specific name when it never becomes relevant again afterward. Then an old family rival starts reappearing more frequently, and one thing leads to another until Briar realizes it’s her abusive, criminal ex husband, who is actually supposed to be in prison. Once Lucien learns about her past, everything moves very quickly without much depth. Lucien, who usually avoids relationships, suddenly lets her move in with him and puts her under his protection. A lot happens, and yet not that much that really feels “mafia related” in the way you might expect. It felt like the story tried to make use of that world, but the execution wasn’t convincing. At times, I honestly found it quite boring. There’s also a spicy scene where Briar mentions she has never seen a man come before and is fascinated by it, but she was married for four years, so that felt really odd. Similarly, the lack of communication and the sudden development of feelings didn’t feel believable, as there was little emotional depth or connection. Overall, those aspects just didn’t fully pull me in.
June 7, 2026
I will give Lucien and Briar's story a 3.5-4 star rating.
Lucien and his brothers have gone legit. He's the head of Moretti Global. A confirmed bachelor.
Briar is divorced from Matteo Romero and trying to lay low and start over. Her cousin Stacy gets her a PA job for Lucien.
Briar is trying her best to get her life in order. She's been divorced for 3 years and Matteo has been in prison for that long. She felt safe enough to come back to NY, to hide in plain sight. Lucien provides her with a job and she feels safe working with him. She knows his family has been legit for a long time. Lucien doesn't do relationships and definitely doesn't mix business with pleasure. There is no interoffice relationships and there never will be. But Briar stirs something in him he's never felt before--a protectiveness over her. Lucien hears Matteo is out of prison. When she calls him one night after one of Matteo's men comes to visit and he sees the state she's in he wants to jump over the line he's made for her. Lucien moves fast on getting her safe but can he keep her safe? Matteo is relentless in his pursuit of taking back what he sees as only his. Lucien wants her safe, happy and free.
Though I could see where the author wanted to go with this story I feel if it were longer some things could have been developed more. Lucian's feelings jumped quickly for someone who was a confirmed bachelor. Briar went back and forth from being so helpless and useless to being strong and in control, mostly helpless. Some of the editing needs to be reviewed since some sentences did not make sense as written it was distracting. All in all it was a good read.
Lucien and his brothers have gone legit. He's the head of Moretti Global. A confirmed bachelor.
Briar is divorced from Matteo Romero and trying to lay low and start over. Her cousin Stacy gets her a PA job for Lucien.
Briar is trying her best to get her life in order. She's been divorced for 3 years and Matteo has been in prison for that long. She felt safe enough to come back to NY, to hide in plain sight. Lucien provides her with a job and she feels safe working with him. She knows his family has been legit for a long time. Lucien doesn't do relationships and definitely doesn't mix business with pleasure. There is no interoffice relationships and there never will be. But Briar stirs something in him he's never felt before--a protectiveness over her. Lucien hears Matteo is out of prison. When she calls him one night after one of Matteo's men comes to visit and he sees the state she's in he wants to jump over the line he's made for her. Lucien moves fast on getting her safe but can he keep her safe? Matteo is relentless in his pursuit of taking back what he sees as only his. Lucien wants her safe, happy and free.
Though I could see where the author wanted to go with this story I feel if it were longer some things could have been developed more. Lucian's feelings jumped quickly for someone who was a confirmed bachelor. Briar went back and forth from being so helpless and useless to being strong and in control, mostly helpless. Some of the editing needs to be reviewed since some sentences did not make sense as written it was distracting. All in all it was a good read.
June 17, 2026
Quick easy read but not that compelling
Overall, the story was fine. I was able to read it fairly quickly as it’s short but the storyline didn’t do much for me.
First off, there wasn’t really any fire, yearning, or passion. It feels like romantically they moved quickly despite the fact that he was a confirmed bachelor and she hadn’t been with anyone since her abusive ex who she divorced. Despite this being the case, they fell into bed - and then fell into love - very fast.
Second, she was quite wishy-washy. One moment she would be strong and in control, and the next she would want to be saved. I’m not saying a character can’t be both, but the switches were abrupt and there wasn’t much character development.
Finally, the whole storyline was rather predictable. There wasn’t really any surprise or compelling points that made you want to continue forward. If it weren’t for the fact that it was short and I’m trying to reach a book goal, I probably wouldn’t have finished it.
I’m giving it three stars because it was just OK.
Overall, the story was fine. I was able to read it fairly quickly as it’s short but the storyline didn’t do much for me.
First off, there wasn’t really any fire, yearning, or passion. It feels like romantically they moved quickly despite the fact that he was a confirmed bachelor and she hadn’t been with anyone since her abusive ex who she divorced. Despite this being the case, they fell into bed - and then fell into love - very fast.
Second, she was quite wishy-washy. One moment she would be strong and in control, and the next she would want to be saved. I’m not saying a character can’t be both, but the switches were abrupt and there wasn’t much character development.
Finally, the whole storyline was rather predictable. There wasn’t really any surprise or compelling points that made you want to continue forward. If it weren’t for the fact that it was short and I’m trying to reach a book goal, I probably wouldn’t have finished it.
I’m giving it three stars because it was just OK.
December 29, 2025
This was my first time reading a book by Willow York, and overall it was an okay reading experience.
The writing itself flowed well and was easy to follow, making the story very readable. The main characters, Briar and Lucien, were decent enough, and while they did have some chemistry, they felt a bit flat to me. I kept waiting for that extra spark—something to really pull me in emotionally—but it never quite arrived, and the story as a whole felt like it was missing that element.
Lucien has four brothers, which I thought was a great setup, but there was very little interaction with them. I would have loved to see more page time and development there, as it could have added depth and richness to the story.
That said, King of Revenge is still a readable book and will likely appeal to other readers, especially those who enjoy the genre and are looking for a straightforward, smoothly written story.
Thank you for the ARC.
The writing itself flowed well and was easy to follow, making the story very readable. The main characters, Briar and Lucien, were decent enough, and while they did have some chemistry, they felt a bit flat to me. I kept waiting for that extra spark—something to really pull me in emotionally—but it never quite arrived, and the story as a whole felt like it was missing that element.
Lucien has four brothers, which I thought was a great setup, but there was very little interaction with them. I would have loved to see more page time and development there, as it could have added depth and richness to the story.
That said, King of Revenge is still a readable book and will likely appeal to other readers, especially those who enjoy the genre and are looking for a straightforward, smoothly written story.
Thank you for the ARC.
March 24, 2026
I might've been willing to give this 2 stars if it wasn't for Briar. Lucien was likeable enough - loyal, protective and willing to do what needed to be done. Briar? a naive FMC in a Mafia like book only works if she's young and been in a bubble her whole life. Not so much one who was married and abused by her ex. One bad decision after another, even after constant assaults, and she still wanted Lucien to only do the legal thing? Definitely didn't accept him or love him truly for who he is, and he deserves better.
April 17, 2026
I like this book. I enjoyed reading the attraction was that was coming from both characters. Both not wanting the attraction and fighting it. Briar and Lucien are both holding on to secrets. With Briar’s past making life difficult for both of them. Lucien fights himself in not wanting to become the monster that was buried deep within him. Briar being the woman she is and wanting to protect the man she had fallen for. The characters are in this book make it a perfect balance with a very cunning villain, who knows how to throw roadblocks at Briar and Lucien.
April 24, 2026
Dark, fast, and dripping with mafia chaos.
Dark mafia chaos with instant tension and a possessive boss who doesn’t do subtle.
Briar gets pulled straight into Lucien Moretti’s world of revenge, control, and obsession. The chemistry is intense, the pacing is fast, and the emotions don’t get much time to breathe.
If you like your reads messy, possessive, and a little unhinged, this delivers exactly that. If you prefer slow burn or deep character development, it might feel rushed.
Addictive and messy if you like dark, high-drama romance—but definitely more vibes than depth.
Dark mafia chaos with instant tension and a possessive boss who doesn’t do subtle.
Briar gets pulled straight into Lucien Moretti’s world of revenge, control, and obsession. The chemistry is intense, the pacing is fast, and the emotions don’t get much time to breathe.
If you like your reads messy, possessive, and a little unhinged, this delivers exactly that. If you prefer slow burn or deep character development, it might feel rushed.
Addictive and messy if you like dark, high-drama romance—but definitely more vibes than depth.
May 2, 2026
King of Revenge delivers a gripping start to the Vows of Blood series, blending mafia intrigue with intense, slow-burning romance. Briar and Lucien are compelling opposites, she is searching for stability after personal upheaval, while he is a man shaped by power, control, and buried darkness. Their dynamic is charged with tension, especially as danger forces them into each other’s orbit. The story balances emotional vulnerability with high stakes, making it difficult to put down. A strong opening for readers who enjoy dark, protective alpha heroes and romance wrapped in danger and secrecy.
February 17, 2026
Lucien
I loved Lucien’s character. I loved that he put his family on the straight path but has no problem going back to his old ways to protect the one he loves. Brair was a different story. I didn’t care for her that much. The way she wouldn’t accept his old ways even for her protection. She didn’t appreciate the sacrifices he made to protect her. She didn’t appreciate his monster coming out to keep her safe. So she’s not really accepting all of him., the good and bad.
I loved Lucien’s character. I loved that he put his family on the straight path but has no problem going back to his old ways to protect the one he loves. Brair was a different story. I didn’t care for her that much. The way she wouldn’t accept his old ways even for her protection. She didn’t appreciate the sacrifices he made to protect her. She didn’t appreciate his monster coming out to keep her safe. So she’s not really accepting all of him., the good and bad.
March 31, 2026
Intense
This author knows how to build a storyline. This story had me feeling the characters anxiety and hopelessness occurring in her life. The lines that had to be crossed to protect the ones you love and the violence people use thinking they can keep you in line. Domestic violence is touched upon here but where there is darkness there is light. You will love this story like I did. Enjoy!
This author knows how to build a storyline. This story had me feeling the characters anxiety and hopelessness occurring in her life. The lines that had to be crossed to protect the ones you love and the violence people use thinking they can keep you in line. Domestic violence is touched upon here but where there is darkness there is light. You will love this story like I did. Enjoy!
April 12, 2026
A must read series
Briar wants to get back to normal. after her divorce from her ex husband she can now live without looking over her shoulder. her cousin gets her a job interview at the Moretti company. Lucien offers her the job as his Pa. but Lucien can't stop thinking about her but this won't be an easy relationship. the past comes back to haunt Briar I loved it can't wait to read book two .
Briar wants to get back to normal. after her divorce from her ex husband she can now live without looking over her shoulder. her cousin gets her a job interview at the Moretti company. Lucien offers her the job as his Pa. but Lucien can't stop thinking about her but this won't be an easy relationship. the past comes back to haunt Briar I loved it can't wait to read book two .
May 4, 2026
King of Revenge is an exciting story. In King of Revenge, Briar goes to work for Lucien as his PA. Lucien will do whatever is needed to protect his family, friends and staff. It's an easy, action filled story to read straight through. The characters are well thought out and real. Looking forward to reading more of Willow's books.
I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.
January 26, 2026
Didn’t Like
The book started out ok, Briar was not a heroine I liked, she wanted to start over, her cousin Stacy covers up her divorce during background checks, but then nothing is made of it when Lucien discovers who her ex is. I could go on, but no, I didn’t really care for the main characters.
The book started out ok, Briar was not a heroine I liked, she wanted to start over, her cousin Stacy covers up her divorce during background checks, but then nothing is made of it when Lucien discovers who her ex is. I could go on, but no, I didn’t really care for the main characters.
May 4, 2026
DNF 60% in, this wasn’t for me. The plot was weak - Briars’ big bad mafia ex has just been released from prison and wants her back, but he agreed to divorce her years ago - this makes no sense. Lucien is the weakest mafia member ever, she gets beaten up twice by her ex whilst under his protection. There was no spice or chemistry.
May 7, 2026
So good, such a great story and am a fan of Willow York's. The suspense and the sexy are very well balanced. Great character and relationship building throughout the story. He's as complicated as she is, but they are perfectly complementary to each other's personality. Definitely recommend this book
January 18, 2026
Good story
Lucian hires Brair to work for him not knowing she is his enemies ex they fall for each other. Lucian use to be in the mafia but changed his life after his dad died. Brairs ex will not leave them alone he wants her back. Good story.
Lucian hires Brair to work for him not knowing she is his enemies ex they fall for each other. Lucian use to be in the mafia but changed his life after his dad died. Brairs ex will not leave them alone he wants her back. Good story.
February 11, 2026
3.5 ⭐️
Was this the most ground breaking mafia book I’ve ever read? No. Was it quick, fun, and stereotypical? Yes and I absolutely loved it! I can’t wait for the rest of the series involving the other brothers!
Was this the most ground breaking mafia book I’ve ever read? No. Was it quick, fun, and stereotypical? Yes and I absolutely loved it! I can’t wait for the rest of the series involving the other brothers!
February 21, 2026
Mafia adjacent love/lust at first sight. stalking ex!
It’s difficult to cram all into one book, but Ms. York does a bang up job!! And there is that too! I do mean banging! Enjoy💥💥💥💥💥
It’s difficult to cram all into one book, but Ms. York does a bang up job!! And there is that too! I do mean banging! Enjoy💥💥💥💥💥
March 22, 2026
I really enjoyed King of Revenge- it’s exactly the kind of dark mafia romance I was in the mood for. Lucien is super intense and possessive (in that fictional way that just works), and the chemistry pulled me in right away. Definitely worth it if you love obsessive antiheroes.
May 25, 2026
Lucien is an amazing dark and broody man
He drew me in with his magnetic character
I loved the building romance between him and Briar
This was my first read for this author and it was great !
He drew me in with his magnetic character
I loved the building romance between him and Briar
This was my first read for this author and it was great !
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 15, 2025
Just boring
January 8, 2026
Wow what a fantastic story
What a phenomenal story. Loved it so much. Love Lucien and Briar so much. This was a great story. You should read it now
What a phenomenal story. Loved it so much. Love Lucien and Briar so much. This was a great story. You should read it now
January 13, 2026
good book
This was a good book that I enjoyed from new to me author. I will definitely read more by this author!
This was a good book that I enjoyed from new to me author. I will definitely read more by this author!
January 16, 2026
good book
Good story with great characters and a bad guy everybody hates. I liked Briar a lot and Lucerne had a dark sexy vibe going with mystery involved.
Good story with great characters and a bad guy everybody hates. I liked Briar a lot and Lucerne had a dark sexy vibe going with mystery involved.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 40 reviews