The Bourbon Kings by J.R. Ward
The cover of the book speaks volumes. When we first received this book for review the cover made us feel all sorts of excited with thoughts of unabashed Southern charm and extravagance, sprawling estates, and of course The Derby. And this book definitely did NOT disappoint.
The Bourbon Kings is the latest series from the queen of great series, J.R. Ward. Last we heard about this series, it was optioned by NBC and hopefully it will be hitting the screen soon, but not before we get to read the rest of the series because it is everything that you wish it could be and possibly more.
A richer than rich Kentucky family has not only made a fortune in the Bourbon industry, but also made many enemies, both within their estate and outside of it. The Bradfords are the classiest of Kentucky’s elite, but beneath the façade are more secrets than their son Lane cares to admit to or face. When Lane comes back to the estate because of his mother’s illness he finds things were exactly how he left them, completely screwed up. After two years of bumming around in New York trying to escape his family ties, he had to finally face the dysfunctionality that he’s been trying to suppress for so long. Eventually he and his spoiled family must come to terms with hidden secrets, possible murders, and the fact that they are completely messed up despite all the fancy clothes, cars, and staff waiting on them hand and foot.
The saying money can’t buy you class doesn’t apply to these characters because to the world they are the epitome of class and manners, but what money can’t buy you is a functional family or love. From the spoiled sister Virginia, who uses her sexual appeal because of daddy issues, to the estranged brother Edward, whose tragic accident left him a shadow of who he once was, to Lane, a playboy who found love and lost it because of his reputation and that of his family; this book has exciting characters, weaved plots, and lots of steamy situations to keep you tied to a world of exuberance and excitement. With all the great aspects of this book there were certainly a few things that ruffled our feathers. For instance, the lack of talk about their other brother Max, the skirting around the truth with the ones that they loved—but I guess that ties into the part about maintaining appearances, nevertheless, it was frustrating, and the ending makes you salivate for more. I guess that last part if the perfect setup for the next installment of her book that was released today. We’re catching up, we promise.
We loved this book! The scenes were impeccably written with descriptions making you long for a Southern vacation, and J.R. Ward has created a series worthy of being deemed the perfect summer read, but only with a glass of Bourbon, neat.
