Book Review: 'King of Wrath' by Ana Huang (billionaire romance booktok made me read it!)
I went into ‘King of Wrath’ with high hopes; it’s one of those books that seems to come with an automatic stamp of approval in the romance world, especially if you've dipped your toe into the feverish waters of the billionaire trope booktok frenzy. Unfortunately, this one didn’t quite land for me the way I’d hoped.
Here’s the summary:
“She's the wife he never wanted . . . and the weakness he never saw coming.
Ruthless. Meticulous. Arrogant. Dante Russo thrives on control, both personally and professionally.
The billionaire CEO never planned to marry - until the threat of blackmail forces him into an engagement with a woman he barely knows: Vivian Lau, jewellery heiress and daughter of his newest enemy.
It doesn't matter how beautiful or charming she is. He'll do everything in his power to destroy the evidence and their betrothal.
There's only one problem: now that he has her . . . he can't bring himself to let her go.
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Elegant. Ambitious. Well-mannered. Vivian Lau is the perfect daughter and her family's ticket into the highest echelons of high society.
Marrying a blue-blooded Russo means opening doors that would otherwise remain closed to her new-money family.
While the rude, elusive Dante isn't her idea of a dream partner, she agrees to their arranged marriage out of duty.
Craving his touch was never part of the plan.
Neither was the worst thing she could possibly do: fall in love with her future husband.”
There’s prestige around this series, and I can see the appeal in theory: the arranged marriage setup, the luxe backdrop, the grumpy-sunshine potential. But for me, the chemistry between Dante and Vivian felt a little undercooked. Dante in particular was too easily won over, it dulled the tension and made the payoff feel more lukewarm than smouldering. I love a good enemies-to-lovers or forced proximity slow burn, but here, the transition felt too smooth, too soon. I wanted more sparks, more grit, more assholery.
And on the billionaire front, yes, I dip into that trope semi-regularly. Part of the fun is the escapism, the whole “what would it feel like to be that girl in that penthouse with that dress.” But here, the wealth felt a little… excessive? Maybe it was the attitude surrounding it. Or maybe it’s the moment we’re living in (cost of living crisis, anyone?), but something about the way money was used in the story felt more egregious than aspirational.
That said, it’s not a total miss. I still enjoyed the read; it’s well-paced, Vivian has her moments, and I am very intrigued by Kai. I believe his story is up next, and that alone might be enough to pull me back in. Because sometimes a side character steals the show, and sometimes three stars is just the gateway to a four. Right? Please someone tell me I'm right. My happy reading future all rests on Kai's shoulders…
Written by Sarah
