Merciless

Park Avenue Kings #4

by Ella Frank, Brooke Blaine

Who are we? Nobody really knows. We’re the seven most powerful heirs to empires, ruling Manhattan from our thrones on Park Avenue. By day, we’re the elite, untouchable, and more connected than you could ever imagine. By night, we revel in the darkness of our secrets, pulling strings that make the city bow to our whims.

Ruthless.

Dangerous.

We’re the Park Avenue Kings.

He was sent to watch me. Now he can’t look away.

They sent the president’s son to babysit me.
How precious.

Shepherd “Shep” Winchester III thinks he’s here to keep me in line—keep me quiet, keep me still, keep me safe.

Good luck with that.

I’m Theodore “Theo” Rinaldi, the youngest Prince of Monaco, and the most merciless of the Park Avenue Kings. And I don’t do obedient. Not for my royal family. Not for the crown. And definitely not for the suit King sent to shadow me.

Shep is all discipline and duty.
I’m chaos in a custom suit.

We clash. We combust.
And then we cross a line we can’t uncross.

Now there’s a blackmailer on our trail, a target on my back, and the Kings think I’m the traitor. But if they want to come for me, they’ll have to get through him.

Because the soldier with the perfect posture and the unreadable eyes?
He’s not just protecting me anymore.

He’s falling for me.

And I’m going to ruin him for it.

Merciless (Park Avenue Kings #4) is the first book in a duet within the Park Avenue Kings series. Ruthless (Park Avenue Kings #5) will be the continuation.

Genres: M M Romance, Friends To Lovers, Romance, Forced Proximity, Royalty, Contemporary, Found Family

291 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 16, 2025

About the author

Ella Frank is the USA Today Bestselling Author of the Temptation series, including Try, Take, and Trust and is the co-author of the fan-favorite Preslocke series. Her Prime Time series has been praised as “highly entertaining!” and “sexy as hell!”

A life-long fan of the romance genre, Ella writes contemporary and erotic fiction. Some of her favorite authors include Tiffany Reisz, Kresley Cole, Riley Hart, J.R. Ward, Erika Wilde, Gena Showalter, and Carly Philips.​Ella is represented by:

Kimberly Brower
Brower Literary & Management
​kimberly@browerliterary.com

Reviews

[Dani · Rating 5 out of 5]

Easily my favourite Brella book since the Fallen Angel series - no one comes close to replacing Halo and Viper as my favourite of their couples, but Shep and Theo are firmly in second place.

I absolutely LOVED the tension between Theo and Shep! They're complete opposites but they spark off each other and their jealousy and possessiveness was exactly what I love to see. The way they share their vulnerabilities with each other was adorable and the way they just can't keep their hands off each other had me eagerly waiting to see what crazy antics Theo would pull next to get Shep closer.

This book ends on a huge cliffhanger and I'm both excited and frustrated that I have to wait to see what happens next 😂😂

Theo and Shep in the next book are just going to be unstoppable and savage, I can already feel it! Shep is going to be absolutely FERAL and I'm so ready for it. I cannot wait to see the outcome of who's behind the threat against Theo, and I can't wait to see them together in full view of the world because they're so good together.

*****
I received an ARC of this book from The Author Agency, and this is my honest review

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HRCYED2: Challenge Yourself

[haletostilinski · Rating 5 out of 5]

⭐️ 4.5 stars rounded up! ⭐️

All I can say is thank god I waited to read this until the second was coming out, because that cliffhanger was MEAN! I wouldn't have been able to survive the months waiting for the second installment of Theo and Shep's story.

What starts out as a spontaneous fuck before Theo's brother's wedding becomes so much more in this 4th installment of the Kings series, this time with two of Kings themselves.

Theo, for me, was dangerously close to Beniot from the last book for me. He's 37 years old and yet he acts quite immature a lot of the time. He never took anything seriously most of the time. That's my reason for .5 stars off, and this took a while to become fast and engaging for me. I liked their sexual chemistry at first, but the romantic side of things took awhile to heat up.

But I found myself warming up to Theo by the end. He still has his quips and such, but he starts to take things more seriously with Shep and they get more serious. He might not show it a lot of the time, but getting his thoughts helped to start to endear him to me.

Also I really started to love how he brought out the lighter side in Shep. Shep is very serious, so they're almost complete opposites, but they ground each other and lift each other up in a way they don't do with others. Theo makes Shep laugh and come out of his shell, and Theo gets more serious with Shep than he has with anyone in his life. And he shares some secrets too, becoming vulnerable in a way I bet the recklessness and joking tone usually covers up.

I really loved these two by the end, especially as they have to go off grid to hide Theo and so they get a lot of alone time to themselves, and it gives them time to really get to know each other beyond being the friends they were before all these years as Kings.

I was really wondering if I was gonna by these two as being in love by the end of this, and it truly took awhile to start to feel real feelings between these two, but it kind of just snuck up on me by the end, and I believed in their love and relationship by the end, so I definitely had to round up instead of down because of that.

I also have NO idea who could be messing with them, with Theo, and who took Theo at the end, so I'm excited to dive into the next one and find that out. I tried to pick up on any clues but the book gave us basically nothing, so it's still a complete mystery to me.

I can't wait to find out and to find out what happened to Theo and to see Shep lose it and do anything and everything he can to find the. man he loves.

I also loved that this didn't have them say I love you by the end of this first installment, because it would have felt too soon. Even though I think they've just gotten to realizing it, they'd only been *more* for a few weeks, so confessing their love would have felt too soon. But when they do in the second book, I bet it'll feel completely earned and I can't wait for that.

Definitely diving into the second now, glad I waited for it to come out so I didn't have to sit on this cliffhanger for months.

Onto the next! 😘

My Ratings for the Park Avenue Kings Series:

✨ Savage: 5 stars (my review)
✨ Devilish: 4.25 stars (my review)
✨ Immoral: 4 stars (my review)
✨ Merciless: 4.5 stars
✨ Ruthless: 4.5 stars (my review)

[Cadiva · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an intriguing start to the duet which is going to feature our Prince of Monaco and the son of the former US President.

What begins as an explosion of frustration and lust, rapidly turns into something neither man expected and, as the tensions mount when someone looks to frame Theo as a traitor to the rest of the Park Avenue Kings, it's Shep who's sent to watch over him.

The forced proximity element of this book works perfectly as the catalyst for both men realising there's more to what's happening between them than just the incredible sex.

They're both catching feelings and Shep's frustration at what he sees as Theo failing to take the situation seriously soon turns into an overwhelming desire to keep him safe.

With the complication of someone in the Libertines being behind the attempt on Theo, the stakes are increased when King finds out that Shep, his ex, is now all in on a relationship with the royal spare.

And that's when the book ends, which I knew would happen. It was obvious when Brooke & Ella said this would be a duet, that we'd get a cliffhanger.

It's one that had me slightly scratching my head, given where what happens takes place, so I'm also wondering it will turn out to be a red herring and Theo's gone off feeling hurt thinking Shep's denied their relationship to King.

Either way, I'm looking forward to getting inside Shep's head and seeing the lengths he'll go to in order to protect the man he's falling for.

#ARC kindly received from the authors via The Author Agency, I am voluntarily leaving a review

[Julia (bookish.jka) · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Responsibilities be damned. It was too late now. I’d crossed a line, one I knew was going to be difficult to come back from. It wasn’t just that he was a fellow King. He was also the most unhinged. The most unpredictable. If I was going to break the rules, why couldn’t it have been with someone less volatile?"

Merciless is book 4 in the Park Avenue Kings series by powerhouse writing duo Brooke Blaine and Ella Frank and I absolutely LOVED it - my fave of the series so far!

It's set in the same world as the Park Avenue Princes series by the same authors, and whilst there's a definite link between the two worlds, pre-reading is not required (although I'd definitely recommend that series too!)

This is the first part of Shep and Theo's story - yes, it finishes on a cliff-hanger - and it's made even better by the fact that these two are both Kings and both alpha males!

What To Expect:

🖤MM darkish romance
🖤Colleagues/friends to lovers
🖤2 x alpha males
🖤Forced proximity
🖤Monaco royalty x American royalty
🖤Steamy AF times
🖤Opposites attract
🖤Found family
🖤Cliff-hanger

I absolutely inhaled it and can't wait for the second part of Shep and Theo's story in Ruthless!

5 stars 🌟

[martina (the life of a chaotic reader) · Rating 3 out of 5]

it’s pretty much a whole lot of nothing with a cliffhanger on top?
but it wasn’t terrible so

[MJLovestoRead · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well...I'm not sure at this point who is more merciless: Theo or the crafty writing duo of Ella Frank and Brooke Blaine! These two give us the very unexpected yet wickedly alluring pairing btw the wild Theo and the stoic Shep. These Libertine brothers find themselves seeing each other in a whole new way as Shep is assigned as Theo's 'handler' when threats against the Prince become way too close for comfort. It's clearly a lust/hate kind of beginning as desire takes over at the most inopportune times and yet neither can scratch this incessant itch when the other is around. And then when things truly hit the proverbial fan and Theo's life is at risk, the gloves are taken off, and he and Shep make the most of their sanctioned escape, every minute together more decadent and glorious than the last.

This burgeoning partnership took me by surprise but with these talented wordsmiths at the helm, Theo and Shep somehow fit just right. Pun intended! I loved how they challenged each other almost hourly but when their professional facades are finally cast to the side, theirs was a true kind of connection, full of real emotion and vulnerability.

The smexy scenes are always a highlight when reading this duo's books and let's just say they didn't disappoint. In fact, the heat btw Theo and Shep is white hot and delicious. I devoured each scene happily and as usual, there is just enough passion without any one moment becoming too much.

We get well-timed glimpses of the other Libertine brothers, offering up just enough support and concern when necessary. We also get more wrt to Shep's relationship with King, both past and present, and something tells me their conversation late in the book isn't over.

And so now we wait as this book ends on a bit of a cliffy, that had me cursing these cunning authors quite a bit. I can only hope they don't make Theo and I wait too long for the answers we all desperately need. In the meantime, I'll be holding onto hope that Shep and Theo can find the love the others in this fab series have already found since they definitely their happy, too.

5 big stars!!

[Christina | readingthroughatlanta · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perfection. No Notes. Obsessed with these two. Read it in a day!

A continuation of this fun and hot series, Shep is sent to investigate and protect his fellow King, Theo, but lines blur when sparks fly between these two alphas!

This book was SO FUN! Full stop.

Love the blackmail supbplot; can we trust Theo? What's he hiding? Hm...
Fun that most of the book takes place outside of New York and around the world - it was a breath of fresh air. And not too many other King cameos but the ones that happen HIT HARD...I'm talking those last couple of pages, I was holding my breath from the tension!

Shep and Theo weren't fully on my radar based on previous books outside of their extravagant titles. But even with their huge titles, their personalities SHINE THROUGH. Theo is so cheeky and quick while Shep is more stoic but intriguing and nuanced and I loved being in his brain.
And them together!? They're so PASSIONATE - whether they're fighting or f**king, and everything in between, it is HOT. From literal start to finish, this one is hot and every spicy scene hits.

Truly a great read. I am SO excited for part 2. I need a HEA ASAP.

READ FOR
- Alpha Males
- European/American Royalty
- Billionaire Romance
- Friends to Lovers

I received a complimentary copy in exchange for my honest review.

[Zach · Rating 5 out of 5]

5/5 - Brella knocked it out of the park with these kings (pun intended 😘). Theo and Shep were such an amazing couple and their build up in the tropes were incredible. I knew it was going to end the way it did, but I’m so excited for their continuation in the next book, Ruthless. They are my favorite couple in the PAK series so far.

[Jana Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

Days since I’ve cursed out a book for leaving me emotionally unstable: zero. Yes, Merciless is part one of a duet and does leave off on a cliffhanger. And yes, recovery time from said cliffhanger may vary. BUT! It’s totally worth the read and I can imagine that it will totally be worth the wait.

This read starts off relatively quickly and full of heat. We’re introduced to our chaos Prince Theo through the eyes of Shep, whose stoically serious persona serves as his wonderful foil. Shep’s eyes are always on Theo, begrudgingly so until they are lovingly so.

This pairing grew on me in ways I can’t explain. It was like I was an uninvolved bystander until, all of a sudden, I was their biggest fan, cheering on their hesitant love. If you’re like me and have yet to delve into the Park Avenue Kings universe, you may feel a bit flustered, thrown into the world suddenly. But I caught on pretty fast, and have added the preceding books to my tbr.

A few things to expect from Merciless:
- an assassination plot against our MC
- fast spice / slow burn
- a bratty prince
- a versatile dynamic
- an emotional cliffhanger

Thank you to the author and to The Author Agency for the opportunity to read and review this ARC!

[Kim Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

Talk about explosive chemistry and strong willed characters, whew 🥵

Theo is the Prince of Monaco and part of the Park Avenue Kings. Sheperd is send to protect him, because someone tries to harm Theo in very creative ways. But since Theo is the way he is, and I mean really, really sassy and a little bit crazy, it's not an easy task, let me tell you 🤭

There is lots of spice happening between these two, and it's starts early on ❤️‍🔥

Like I said, this is part of a duet, so we can expect more of these two alphas, and I need it asap 🫠

[Eliana Suáres · Rating 5 out of 5]

*ARC* Empezado: 1/10 | Terminado: 3/10

lo que fue esto diosss, posta amé a theo y shep. necesito la próxima droga YA !!

[Zaza · Rating 4 out of 5]

Alors là, s'il y a bien un pairing que je n'ai pas du tout vu venir, c'est celui-là !
Theo et Shep, c'est vraiment le jour et la nuit : le mec extraverti qui attire tous les regards Vs le mec qui se tient dans l'ombre, aussi rigide et droit que ses costumes sur mesure toujours impeccablement ajustés.

Ella et Brooke nous offrent donc un jeu de contrastes absolument délicieux, avec cette dynamique de push and pull dont elles ont le secret. C'est tellement électrisant de les voir s'affronter à coup de piques et de joutes verbales, de voir la pression et la tension monter encore et encore, jusqu'à l'explosion ! C'est hautement érotique, et elles maîtrisent vraiment ça à merveille ! J'ai adoré lire tous ces passages, c'est vraiment un truc que j'adore chez ce duo d'autrices et ça m'avait un peu manqué dans leurs précédents titres.

Côté intrigue, on a un Theo au coeur de ce qui semble être un complot, et ses proches semblent même sur le point de se retourner contre lui et l'accabler, au vu des preuves dont ils disposent. On a donc une course contre la montre pour prouver son innocence, et faire profil bas quand on est rien de moins que l'un des princes de la famille royale de Monaco n'est pas ce qu'il y a de plus facile ...

Il y a un bonne équilibre entre action, suspense et (débuts) de romance, c'est une lecture très addictive, qui se termine évidemment par un cliff de la mort, puisque c'est une duologie et qu'on sait très bien que Brooke et Ella adorent terminer un premier tome de cette façon.

J'ai vraiment eu l'impression de renouer avec tout ce que j'aime chez ces autrices si chères à mon coeur, et même si j'ai eu envie de tarter King, j'ai vraiment kiffé ma lecture ! Et maintenant je n'attends qu'une chose ... que les autrices nous balancent le 1er chapitre du tome suivant sur leur Patreon au vu de cette fin !

[Mirjam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Merciless, is a scorching and thrilling addition to the Park Avenue Kings Saga. From the first page, you'll be pulled into a heady mix of danger, passion, and internal conflict that pulses through every scene.







Theodore Rinaldi, the youngest Prince of Monaco and the “most merciless” of the Park Avenue Kings, is a force to be reckoned with: royal, commanding, chaotic, and exquisitely flawed.
Opposite him stands Shepherd “Shep” Winchester III, disciplined, duty bound, but unprepared for the raw intensity that Theo brings into his life.
Their dynamic is electric; equal parts combustible clash and smoldering tension.

When push comes to shove, when loyalties are tested, when power structures shift, Merciless doesn’t shy away from showing how messy love can be.







The stakes are high: betrayal, blackmail, loyalties in question, families with clashing values. All of it set against the opulence (and shadow) of Manhattan’s elite, this world is vivid, dangerous, and intoxicating. The portrayal of power, both the inherited kind, and the power of love and vulnerability, is masterfully done.
Theo’s struggle with obedience vs. his own fierce independence, and Shep’s challenge of protecting someone whose very existence is a threat to everything he’s been groomed to defend, are emotionally resonant.







What I loved most is how Merciless balances its dark edges with moments of tenderness. The authors don’t waste the tension or the pleasure: the romance is deeply felt, resentments and regrets get their due, but there is heat, intimacy, and real character growth. And when the cliffhanger hits? Wow.
It leaves you reeling, invested in Theo and Shep, desperate to see how they’ll survive the fallout, and already counting the days until Ruthless.




Part of the Park Avenue Kings, and is best enjoyed when read in order:






ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.

[whit ❦ · Rating 3 out of 5]

“I want to be with Theo tonight. Not the Prince of Monaco, not my ‘brother’ from Libertine. I want to be with the man who drives me crazy and yet still somehow manages to make me laugh.” He brushed his lips over the top of mine and then added, “I want to be with you, Theo.”

➻ my rating: ✩✩✩.5

Did I enjoy this installment in the series better than the rest? Most definitely. Did I have major gripes that could have been easily avoided? Most definitely.

The gripes are as followed, and keep in mind that all of these things affect the other:

Pacing

Relationship Development

Tyrone Kingston

This book roughly takes place over the course of two months. And in those two months EF & BB want me, the reader, to believe that it was enough time for Theo and Shep’s feelings to go from lust forward to love centered. Yeah, no.

There’s also the added deterrent that their friendship is supposed to be one that’s been going on for years yet they don’t read like friends. They read like coworkers forced into a situation (which they were and that dynamic worked). I think if EF & BB would have kept the foundation of “even though we’ve been members of this group for years and belong in the same circles we’ve never really known one another”, instead of playing up a friendship arc that doesn’t carry through this book or the others.

It also hurt the development of their relationship from lust-centered hookups to real romantic feelings, because I don't see what they actually like about each other that wasn't just dropped into the last 20% to make up for dropping the ball in the first 80%.

Then we have King who should have been a bigger player than he was in this book. He should have been the dark storm cloud hanging over the relationship and while we got a few of those moments in the beginning and the end, it should have been a throughline throughout the entire first installment of their duology. He would have been the added obstacle that would have helped the character development feel more natural.

It sounds like I’ve been bitching about the book this entire review (I have been) but I actually really like this book and I’m interested in reading Ruthless.

P.S. For this book to be named Merciless, we weren't really shown a merciless king in Theo. So hopefully, the ball isn't dropped in showing Shep as Ruthless.

[LauraSt · Rating 5 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨ (4.5 stars)

This is Merciless, the start of a duet in the Park Avenue Kings series, and it follows Theo Rinaldi, chaotic Prince of Monaco energy in a custom suit, and Shep Winchester, the president’s son turned serious, disciplined protector who gets sent to watch him.

What starts as lust and mutual irritation turns into forced proximity, obsession, and catching feelings neither of them is prepared for. Theo is reckless, impulsive, and constantly pushing buttons. Shep is controlled, duty driven, and trying very hard not to fall for the man he’s supposed to keep in line. Spoiler: he fails.

I really loved the dynamic between them. Opposites in every way, but they spark constantly. The tension is good. The jealousy is good. The possessiveness hits. Watching Shep slowly go from annoyed babysitter to fully feral protector was everything. Theo pushing boundaries just to get a reaction out of him? Delicious.

That said, this is a slow build emotionally. I wasn’t fully sold on them right away, but by the end, I believed in their connection and their feelings. It crept up on me instead of hitting all at once, which honestly worked better than I expected.

Theo grew on me a lot. He starts off reckless and unserious, but getting into his head helped so much. You can see how the humor and chaos are armor. And I loved how Theo brings out a softer, lighter side in Shep, while Shep grounds Theo in a way no one else ever has.

The plot itself is more setup than payoff, which makes sense since this is a duet. There’s a mystery, political tension, and a looming threat, but it’s clearly laying groundwork for book two. The cliffhanger is mean, but expected.

I also really liked that they didn’t rush the “I love yous.” It would’ve felt way too soon. Letting this one end with tension, trust building, and unresolved feelings made it feel earned.

Overall, this was a really solid start. Strong chemistry, great character dynamics, and enough emotional investment that I immediately wanted to keep going.

Rounding up to 4.5 stars because by the end, I was fully in and absolutely diving into book two next. OMG the audio is not out yet!

Onto the next. 💋

[Sammy! · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ella and Brooke have smashed it out of the park once again! This series has been amazing so far and I can’t see that changing anytime soon.

Theo and Shep are just pure fireworks together. I really enjoyed how exasperated they are with each other from the offset, but how Theo being bratty pushes Shep to his limit and then things explode in such a passionate display of vehement feelings.

What follows is some delicious scenes between them as that volatile tension and sizzling chemistry erupts. The fact that this often happens in public just adds to the forbidden nature of their relationship. That restroom scene was particularly hot!

I absolutely adored how opposite these two are in many ways but how they seem to balance each other out: Shep’s calm and controlled, but sometimes far too serious, and Theo’s an untamed spirit who gets bored easily – but I have to admit that I did enjoy that about our Prince, especially as it gets him in trouble regularly, but he still manages to do it with such unapologetic charm.

I really enjoyed their back and forth picking at each other which turns into familiar banter. And don’t get me started on their jealousy, you know I do adore a possessive MMC, especially growly Shep.

Theo brings out a lighter side of Shep – when he’s not winding him up or needling him about a certain other Libertine member – and I relished seeing those uninhibited moments between them so much!

The waterfall scene is one of my favourites. I felt far too much joy about the fact that our big tough Theo is squeamish about wildlife creatures while Shep seems pretty unaffected, and the Prince’s indignant reaction only added to my amusement.

And that cliffhanger! I am already on tenterhooks waiting for the second book. I can’t wait to see how a vengeful Shep and our merciless Theo handle this situation.

[Joyfully Jay · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Joyfully Jay review.

4 stars

Merciless is part of the Park Avenue Kings series with Shep and Theo’s story. I prefer to read this series in order, as both men have been introduced already, along with the framework for the organization they belong to. When a video surfaces that Theo swears is fake, the stakes become higher, as someone is trying to blackmail the organization and get to Theo. This is where Shep steps in. While Theo has his own royal bodyguard, King tasks Shep with following Theo and watching his every move to keep him safe. I have to just go along with some of the things in this series, as Shep is not a bodyguard and the entire explanation of the Libertine organization is entirely too lax for me.

Everyone is super wealthy here and the men have access to incredible luxury, including a luxurious remote jungle hideout. It was fun watching Shep and Theo work out their feelings and chemistry and find their way to each other. It’s a heated book, where the characters take a look around at what they can become together. The dual point of view also allows insight on both men that works well for the story. The book ends on a cliffhanger that will continue in the next installment and I am all in on seeing Shep and Theo again.

Read Michelle's review in its entirety here.

[Lila‘s 1000Lifes · Rating 4 out of 5]

Merciless is the fourth book in the Park Avenue Kings series by Ella Frank and Brooke Blaine and also book one of a duet. You want to read about two powerful and rich alpha-holes falling in love? This book is for you!

My favourite books are always the ones with two badass main characters who both give as good as they get and Theo and Shep definitely fall into this category. Both are rich and powerful, both are used to getting what they want. Shep‘s mission is to keep Theo safe. To do that, he thinks he needs to be in control. Theo is chaos personified, and he wants nothing more than to see Shep unravel. The chemistry between them? Highly explosive and scorching hot!

This story is mainly character and relationship-driven. The plot, in which someone is after the kings or more specifically Theo, takes a bit of a back seat and will without a doubt play a bigger part in book two of this duet. Which I can‘t wait to get my grabby hands on!

As already mentioned, a fair warning: this is book one in a duet, and it ends with a cliffhanger! Somehow, I, dummy that I am, missed that fact, and the cliffy hit me right in the face and let me tell you it was a strong blow… Really? I want to watch it all burn!

Thank you to Ella Frank, Brooke Blaine and @the.author.agency for providing me with an ARC. All opinions are my own.

[Macie ✨ · Rating 4 out of 5]

✨𝓶𝓮𝓻𝓬𝓲𝓵𝓮𝓼𝓼 𝓫𝔂 𝓮𝓵𝓵𝓪 𝓯𝓻𝓪𝓷𝓴 & 𝓫𝓻𝓸𝓸𝓴𝓮 𝓫𝓵𝓪𝓲𝓷𝓮✨

4⭐️
3🌶️

This was a very good book, I had a great time reading this one! Theo and Shep were so freaking delicious.

It was a book charged with tension, spice, and heat. The plot line where someone's out to get Theo was so intriguing & I was eating up every word! I didn't read the first three books (and that's my fault because I signed up for this arc based off the tropes), so I was just a little confused at times about the concept of the Libertines & their secret society type of thing, I would have wished it was explained just a little bit more with this being a stand alone that's apart of this interconnected series. That was really my only issue with the book and honestly it wasn't even an issue to be honest because I was absolutely and highly invested in Theo & Shep's love story.

And that cliffhanger?! CRIMINAL. It had me gasping and on the edge of my seat, I will def be diving back into the next book that continues their story. Because I need to know what happens next and how their love story finishes out!! I loved them soooo much! 😍🫶🏻💚✨

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#mmromance #arcreads #arcreader #hatetolove #alphamaleromance #bookishvibes #bookishgirlie

[Swoony and Spicy · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 Stars 🌟
3.5 Spice 🌶️

Tropes and Tags:
- 1st Person, Dual POV
- Med Angst
- Friends to Lovers
- Alpha Males
- Billionaires
- Royalty
- Forbidden Romance (secret relationship)
- Forced Proximity

Holy hotness!! There isn't a second of dallying at the beginning of this book, you're straight into it immediately and it works so well!

Shep and Theo are very intense characters and there is basically an explosion of passion and intensity every time they're together. They have such good chemistry and I was getting so unbelievably sappy for them once they realised there was more
going on than just lust. They also have absolutely top notch banter, literally giggling and kicking my feet watching them playfully bicker!☺️

I'm kind of going crazy at the fact this is only part 1 of their duology in this series, because I need to know what happens after that ending!!
I can be patient I promise!! But also, I want it right now!😫🙏🏽

[Ashtyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

*arc review*
5/⭐️
3/🌶️

Didn’t ever think I would be a simp for Shepherd Winchester the Third? He just seemed like a real stick up the butt. But here I am. Falling hard for this protective slightly broken man.

Theo, the wild card of the group?? He’s a joy to read about. He’s just so opposite from Shep, and I think they both go together so well. The back and forth was just so fun. Cause the flirting turned into possession and protectiveness.

I was so involved in this story I read more than half in one sitting. The story telling and character building was so consuming- the what’s gunna happen next? Had my turning every page quicker- just trying to see what happens next and where the guys were headed next. Also the flip in shep when they were finally safe?? God that man can make anyone melt.


I started to get a new sense of who King is as a person and I didn’t really like him that much in this story,

I went in knowing this story would end in a cliffhanger, but was j still yelling at my kindle? Yes. Yes I was. Cause the emotions were real for everyone involved.

[Pat]

Merciless (Park Avenue Kings, #4)
by Brooke Blaine & Ella Frank.

Wow—explosive chemistry and strong-willed characters!

Theo, the Prince of Monaco and a member of the Park Avenue Kings, is clearly someone people want out of the picture. Enter Shepherd, who’s been assigned to protect him after a series of very creative attempts on Theo’s life.

But protecting Theo is no easy task. He’s outrageously sassy, a little unhinged, and completely unapologetic about it—which makes Shepherd’s job both challenging and entertaining.

The tension and spice between these two are off the charts, and it starts early. Their dynamic is intense, addictive, and impossible to look away from.

Since this is part of a duet, there’s plenty more to come—and I’m absolutely here for it. An amazing book that keeps you on your toes from start to finish!

[Vanessa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh My God!!!

Another great book from Ella and Brooke.
I had to set my phone down and have a scream into my pillow because what the heck???

I’m literally so freaking obsessed with Theo and Shep. I’m so happy that we are getting two books for these two men ❤️❤️
They make being completely different from one another work so freaking well and their chemistry together is *chef’s kiss*,

I was hooked from just reading the blurb, but once I was on chapter 1, I was sat and read this book in one sitting.

The freaking cliffhanger!!!! I’m not so patiently waiting for their next book to come out.

[Maggie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’M SCREAMING!!!! as excited as i’ve been for theo & shep, their book being a duet has me STRESSED. i need to know what happens with their story now!!!!

in all seriousness, i loved shep & theo so much! this is officially my favorite kings book! their chemistry was HOT and they had the best back & forth. them both being kings makes their story more fun because the conflict/threat is more personal and internal, and not an outside force. knowing everything’s going to come to head in the next book has me on the edge of my seat!!! it’s gonna be SO good

thank you the author agency for the arc!!

[Izzie D. · Rating 1 out of 5]

Dnf @ 40%
What a waste of my time... Theo is just an annoying brat. Every time he opened his mouth I found myself rolling my eyes and hoping he'd shut up already. I couldn't even enjoy the intimate scenes, there's nothing sexy or attractive about this kind of person. Or at least, it's not what I'm into.

[Mari · Rating 5 out of 5]

These two authors together can do no wrong. Every time Ella Frank and Brooke Blaine team up, it’s pure magic and Merciless is no exception.

This story has everything I love in an MM romance: alpha males, forbidden tension, friends-to-lovers heat, and the kind of angsty push-and-pull that keeps you glued to the page.

Theo and Shep are complete opposites think royal chaos meets disciplined protector and their chemistry is explosive from the moment they meet.

I loved every second of it. Another absolute win from this duo.

[Alexis · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fun and exciting read, with lots of spice and a cliffhanger! Billionaire romances are kind of eh for me lately but I liked Theo a lot, and I liked Shep - loved Shep standing his ground with King, kind of wished Theo would have seen it though! Curious for the next book as it will be a continuation of this story!

also, pls when do we get alessio's book im begging.

[Latty|The Creative · Rating 5 out of 5]

The couple I never knew I needed!!!!!!

OMG, Shep and Theo are just so beautifully chaotic, and I enjoyed every single one of their interactions because you'd think they were friendemies-to-lovers, hehe.

King peeved me, like, how DARE you, sir? I never liked him in his book, and this one certifies that I probably never will, especially knowing what I know now about how he treated our man. His loss, but don't come in and try stirring like you got a right!!!!!

Ugh, anywho, this has now bumped to my favorite of the series and I'm sooo looking forward to RUTHLESS!

[Yaro · Rating 2 out of 5]

SO BORING

[Al_turnsthepage · Rating 1 out of 5]

dnf @ 67%

I just don't care.

crap plot

boring relationship
🤷