Jump to ratings and reviews
Rate this book
Rate this book
They say all is fair in love and war, but he never played fair…

They call him the king.
He’s not my king.
He’s my tormentor, my captor—my secret dark desire.

In the brutal Bratva world, to be a king means to wage endless war.
I’m about to be collateral damage.
I must hope my captor wins as the alternatives are horrific.
After all, to the victor goes the spoils.

This is book one in the Bratva Blood duet. This is a slow burn, Bratva romance, and both books are full length novels. There is also a free prequel that introduces the world.
The reading order is:
The Soldier: Bratva Blood Prequel
The King: Bratva Blood One
The War: Bratva Blood Two
Please note this is a dark romantic suspense and trigger warnings do apply.

304 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 25, 2020

1857 people are currently reading
1642 people want to read

About the author

S.R. Jones

84 books738 followers
Redeeming dark and dangerous heroes one book at a time.
Skye Jones is an award winning and USA Today Bestselling Author.
She writes dark mafia and contemporary romance as SR Jones, and angsty paranormal romance as Skye.

When not writing Skye can be found reading, dog herding, or watching gritty dramas on Netflix with her husband. She lives in the grey, windswept north of England, which fuels her taste for the dramatic and the gothic.

For a free read sign up for her reader club here: https://dl.bookfunnel.com/ca20ewxx71

Ratings & Reviews

What do you think?
Rate this book

Friends & Following

Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!

Community Reviews

5 stars
1,021 (48%)
4 stars
612 (29%)
3 stars
312 (14%)
2 stars
106 (5%)
1 star
55 (2%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 199 reviews
Profile Image for Dora Koutsoukou .
2,247 reviews718 followers
Read
August 21, 2024
Part 1

I liked neither characters. Cassie was a naive dumpsell and Konstantine was tiring.
The plot had a couple of interesting points, but it was not long before it started to turn into a soap opera.

Dnf @ 32%
Profile Image for Corinne [hiatus].
537 reviews110 followers
April 24, 2022
Konstantin is one moppey, undecided mobster. I was hoping for a plot driven book since the prequel was heavy on mafia but at least a third of this book was filled with unnecessary repetitions and Konstantin changing his mind over and over again about starting a relationship with Cassie.
There is "will they wont they" done right and then there's this. I just hate made up drama. She wants it, you want it, you're a big bad russian with no principles, don't start now for God's sake.
This is marketed as slow burn and it was slow... but where was the burn? I didn't feel the tension buildup. So when they finally got together I was just... yeah, what ever. Let's see some mafia action people!
There was no real characterization, no character growth and I didn't like either MC.
Cassie is sassy but really naive and does stupid shit. And Konstantin is annoying really.

The cliffhanger was ok, although a bit abrupt if I may say so myself.

Not sure it the second book will be any better. And by the way, I finished this last night and I can hardly remember any details. And it's not because of any partying on my side. Sheesh!

Safety: no cheating, 1 explicit scene
TWs: child neglected by parent with mental health issues
Profile Image for DeeReads.
2,284 reviews
July 6, 2020
"Revenge is best served cold" with a King with major trust issues!

The hero or antihero of sorts, Konstantin Silvanov is King and he's mean, brash and goes after what he needs... literally and figuratively and he wants Cassie (aka jailbait aka Sunshine) but his ex gold digging model and influencer by the name of Liza causes things to change rapidly for all involved in this dark story of lust, revenge and betrayal! Did I say that Konstantin was mean, brash and King, well double that!

"This is my worst nightmare come true. I have trust issues. Major trust issues. That will happen to you when your own father murders your wife. Cassie has already lied to me once, but that was nothing as compared to this."

"At me using the word sunshine, she focuses a little more on me, and I see a tiny glimmer of hope in her beautiful gaze. Things have gone too far for her. I knew, didn’t I, that if I uprooted her, she’d wilt, and now she is. She needs safety in all of this. She needs to know I won’t hurt her."

He's not Damen, Alesso, Marko, Ilya, Stamatis or even the his best friend, the brooding Andrius... King K's BOSSY and more ruthless and cold with little to no moral compass at times! The heroine, Cassie, K's sunshine is no doormat really but haphazardly she manages to stay in trouble throughout the course of reading this dark, gritty tale which ends is a cliffhanger! But he still wants Cassie even after the lies and betrayal of the one he look to as family???? I won't say who either! Read it to see for yourselves... because its a shocker!

"But it’s not that which has me so angry I could explode with the power of a fucking nuclear bomb. No, it’s the fact that Denis hit Cassie hard enough to give her what is going to be a very nasty bruise. He also pulled her hair, and he threatened to sodomize her, and Liza, that disgusting bitch, egged him on. I’m going to hunt them down and punish them with biblical vengeance."

"For the longest time now, I’ve wanted to become king of all I survey, for reasons I didn’t fully understand. People call me King K, or King Konstantin, but I wanted more. I wanted to be a genuine fucking force to be reckoned with. The king of not just Moscow, but London too. With this woman in my arms, I already feel like a king. She makes me feel like the most powerful man on earth."


Looking forward in reading "The War" and the ending of Bratva Blood series!

5 jaw dropping stars!
Profile Image for Nerdy Dirty & Flirty.
3,985 reviews361 followers
August 3, 2020
Jess ~ 4 ~ 4.5 stars

This book should really be read after the prequel. Without the prequel, you don't get the full picture of where Konstantin came from or understand how he and Cassie met.

Konstantin is about to take over another company, this time an IT one, and when he spies the photo of one of its employees, things are about to get a little bit more interesting. Then came the point in the book where I wanted things to go a bit differently and I was a bit disappointed, to be honest. I got over it of course and without my disappointment things would not have gone from zero to 100.

This book packed a punch. There is a war brewing and very bad people are causing a lot of trouble. Cassie finds herself caught in a position that she never expected nor wanted. She knows that she is undeniably attracted to Konstantin, but not being his normal type and not being at all a part of his world, she tries not to give it much weight. Until he continues to protect her, continues to make sure that she is okay, and continues to do these things that make her blood boil.

There is a lot of push and pull between these two. Konstantin does not know what to do with her. He has been so closed off to everyone that he can't figure out what he wants. What he does know is that a lot of blood is going to be shed before this is all over. This certainly leaves you, like I knew it would, dying for more. This war is looking like it going to be something unexpected. There are liars and manipulators plenty and I can't wait to see how it is going to plan out.
Profile Image for Maria11.
2,000 reviews44 followers
June 29, 2020
Not very King like.

I am torn on this. I can’t seem to really enjoy the characters. Cassie is so flighty and I can’t really get a handle on Kon. At first I could feel the chemistry but then all the crap that happened put a stop to it.

Kon puzzles me because if he is so sharp, so powerful, and so everything..why is all this happening to him? Really he says the bad guy is dumb, but how did this dumb bad guy hire a hacker that was actually a hacker? And how did he crash Kon’s oh so secure house? He makes Kon look like the dumb one and totally incompetent. Also if he is soooo smart why does he keep getting involved with these horrible women? Darn show some respect for yourself! Plus you can take a paternity test before you have the baby! If she was so rotten, you should have known she slept with someone else, you weren’t exclusive. Again making Kon look like a total incompetent Bratva boss...not very alpha at all.

I will read the next because I want to see what happens, not necessarily because I liked it.
Profile Image for Tai Nelson-Barnes.
2,833 reviews75 followers
July 9, 2020
27034655-SX540-png

When you start reading a book that throws you for a loop that is when you know that you have a 5-star read. I have read most of S.R.'s books and she seems to keep you on your toes which is always a good thing. The king is a new book from her and I have to say I couldn't put this book down.

I do not want to give anything away since that is the whole point of reading a book but I will say I highly recommend reading Konstantin and Cassie’s story. It is unlike anything I have read in a while. I am excited to see where the next book will take us.
Profile Image for Space Cowgirl.
4,133 reviews144 followers
July 1, 2020
He's So Worthy🐺🍆⛲🔫💪👊!

Alpha Russian Bratva Male ADULT Romance and Adventure 🔪🔫💪👊
After the Prequel, "The King" moves on to London where Konstantin🐺🍆⛲🔫💪👊 is involved in mostly legitimate businesses.

Then his worthless father murders Konstantin's Russian lifelong friend and his wife of convenience. He finally has his own father👴 tortured and killed, after hating him since he abandoned his family when Konstantin was just a boy. There was no way he acted alone because of the security around his wife, so there must be accomplices.

Konstantin🐺🍆⛲🔫💪👊 finds out Popov👺, another Bratva gangster and his enemy, is the accomplice, and ultimately responsible for The death of his wife👰. Konstantin🐺🍆⛲🔫💪👊 sets out to ruin Popov👺, but he needs a hacker to get inside his finances.

He chooses Cassie💃💋, a young IT graduate he met and fell for💕 when she worked as a barista. She is now employed in IT at a company Konstantin🐺🍆⛲🔫💪👊 recently took over. She seems to be the only good thing in his life now, but he keeps her at arms length and guessing all the time. He doesn't tell her his feelings, maybe he doesn't really know them himself.

Cassie💃💋 is infatuated with the tall, strong, massive and mysterious Konstantin🐺🍆⛲🔫💪👊, but their budding relationship is hot 🔥 and cold. Konstantin🐺🍆⛲🔫💪👊 is a product of his awful father and upbringing as a very poor Russian peasant, detailed in the Prequel, and referred to in places in this book.

Konstantin🐺🍆⛲🔫💪👊 has an enormous sexual appetite but he is also cold and never allows himself to have feelings for anyone. He's a broken, dark, soul. But why is he so motivated to build up his empire, and ruthlessly crush his enemies?

ARC Provided by Booksprout 🌱
I also got this ebook with KU.

The book takes a long while to get into the real meat of the story, but the slow buildup is worth it. Cassie💃💋 can't figure out why he is 🔥hot for her one minute, then goes cold the next. It's breaking her heart💔, but she tries not to let on. Too many secrets come between them. Cliffhanger warning!
The published book needed professional proofreading. There are a fair number of wrong words and misspellings throughout.
668 reviews3 followers
July 21, 2020
It was annoying that a lot covered from the previous book was repeated. In terms of a romance novel, they don't actually have their first kiss until 80% through the book! The storyline itself was well written and it is action packed. Some segments a bit cliche and I found myself eye rolling and skim reading to get to the next part of the story. That being said I'll probably read the next instalment even though I'm pretty certain how this will pan out. Sometimes it's not about the destination it's the journey to get there.
Profile Image for Misty Schott.
4,225 reviews34 followers
June 28, 2020
Things are really starting to get complicated!!

There is a prequel to this duet called The Soldier, which gives you the background on how Konstantin and Cassie met. This should be read before starting this book.

Konstantin has tried to put Cassie out of his mind, but when he takes over the company she works for us finds she has skills he can use for a personal vendetta. When things go wrong he must take her to keep her safe, but things get complicated what with his pregnant ex-girlfriend living with him as well. Plus he's got so much going on with his personal vendetta that things are getting completely out of control and complicated. This is a very intriguing first book in this dark mafia romance duet and ends on a cliffhanger. I'm looking forward to book two in this duet which should be out towards the end of July 2020. Definitely recommend this duet as a must read for all dark mafia romance lovers out there!!
Profile Image for Aղցela W..
4,518 reviews319 followers
October 14, 2022
This was a pretty good read. This was book 1 in the "Bratva Blood" series. Cassie has a job that she thought she really wanted and enjoyed doing it until her fiancé who is the manager at the company decided that she was not enough for him and cheated on her and then broke up with her. While at a bar she hooks up with a hot sexy alpha male for a hot one night stand Konstantin is surprised to find her in his kitchen. Konstantin is a Bratva kingpin when the business gets a new owner named Konstantin Silvanov she never could have anticipated the way in which their lives would become entangled. Konstantin ask for her in a vendetta. This was a pretty good read from an author that I love reading. This book was well written with no errors in grammar or spelling. I am looking forward to reading the next book in this series.
3,053 reviews17 followers
June 25, 2020
Just Gets Better – Smokin’ Hot!!

Cassie and Konstantin come from different worlds. They have the love of Russian literature and dogs in common. You will be well served to read The Soldier first – great backstory.

Regardless this is a must-read!! Exciting storylines of tension in the Bratva, the relationship between these two, and additional relationships. You get under the skin of each character and drawn right into the action. I eagerly await the conclusion of this incredible tale!!

**I am voluntarily leaving my honest review of this book**
Profile Image for 🦉Maggie Whitworth.
3,254 reviews113 followers
February 1, 2022
❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
💋💋

Brilliant Bratva series, that has you tense and emotional in equal measure.
Great characters, the chemistry is off the charts.
The storyline is perfect and an ongoing one to.
Profile Image for Jo-Ann Forrest.
2,934 reviews23 followers
June 24, 2020
Konstatin and Cassie's story is captivating, enthralling, suspensfull, nail biting fabulous! Konstantin is now on top of his game and he meets Cassie again. The girl who makes him yearn for more, but she is trouble and now will be working for him. This is the start of a cat and mouse game between each other, that will keep you up at night questionning the why? Suspense, drama, betrayal, deceit, violence is what life throws at them and leave you haning on the greatest cliffhanger you may have read this year! It is a tale as old as time but with a dark, violent twist. A must read!!

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Profile Image for Lucia Marano.
172 reviews4 followers
January 7, 2021
Disappointing and Blahtva not Bratva

Pedantic and irritating plot. “He likes her, he likes her not” First off, K has got no reason that I could see, to be such a “damaged” man. He didn’t even have a romantic attachment to his childhood friend, who he decided to marry out of loyalty. I get how she died was awful and tragic but he’s so heartless to so many others and in so many ways that the means doesn’t justify the end.

He tricks an innocent Cassie, who he affectionately calls his ”Sunshine” into an illegal activity that puts her very life in danger and then blames her unfairly for messing up and debates on killing her? 🤢Honestly, no redeeming qualities even for a sexy sociopath who we hoped could transform at one point. And so it becomes a very slow read with the characters lacking in chemistry because they clearly don’t trust each other and they are always afraid of their feelings.

I liked the prequel and thought there was some potential. This would have been great as a series if the characters and plot had some more intriguing and sexy scenes and to see separate character development in different stories as a box set but as a trilogy its definitely without.
Profile Image for Amelia.
794 reviews19 followers
June 27, 2020
While many of the books that I read are more in-the-moment stories, as their details do not linger in my mind, THE KING is a rare exception. Upon finishing, I kept recalling various scenes, thinking about how these compelling situations played out plus the way in which certain characters reacted. Cassie and Konstantin, the main couple, may be nothing alike, but they have been attracted to each other since their first meeting, and the desirability has only intensified with every encounter. SR Jones drew me into this Bratva Blood story from the first chapter, and my interest never waned because of constantly engrossing developments.

Cassie Evans has always wanted her life to be more exciting than when she was an employee at a coffee shop or her current job working for a tech company. When the business gets a new owner named Konstantin Silvanov, she never could have anticipated the way in which their lives would become entangled. The two did already know one another from his visits to the coffee shop, and she has had many fantasies about the tempting Russian since they first talked. But Konstantin has a hidden life as a Bratva crime boss, and he now needs Cassie to assist him with a very personal and risky vendetta.

Knowing a dangerous incident might occur when least expected is one of the aspects related to mafia stories that I really like, and SR Jones does not disappoint. My heart pounded while my mind raced with possible outcomes, and each detail is definitely realistic. What is also true-to-life is the numerous moments where Cassie and Konstantin display such heartfelt emotions, either by how they act toward one another or what they are thinking but often not saying aloud. These two have lived such complicated lives, as neither had ordinary childhoods. As adults, both are working toward specific goals, and their relationship just adds additional challenges for them to prevail over. As THE KING progresses, I learned much about Konstantin plus Cassie, and the revelations were repeatedly surprising. I will long remember this story for what took place, and I am certainly eager to discover what will happen in the final book of the series.
Profile Image for Ana Rita.
1,772 reviews41 followers
June 26, 2020
Oh my lord... You can't imagine how I was feeling when this book entered my tablet.
I was left feeling anxious and super curious for what was about to come and... Oh boy.
SR Jones has given me the most intense Mafia books from history and I can't stop thinking king about them.
I can't stop wanting more. I need more.
Her writing is raw, wold, dark and super intense. Just see for yourself.
The King is her latest release and it's book 1 from the Bratva Blood duet.
This new book explores the lives of Konstantin and Cassie.
Konstantin had a terrible childhood that made him the man he is today.
He's dangerous and vicious when he needs to be.
He doesn't take shi*** from no-one and you better not cross him.
One look at Cassie and he knew he wanted her.
Cassie had a terrible childhood after her father left. Her mom got depressed and she spent some time in foster care until hard grandparents took care of her.
Studying wasn't in the cards for her so she needed to get a job. She got her diploma and work she went.
Now she has her dream job but her ex ruined it for her.
And advise, to know more about these two, read the free prequel The Soldier. This book will explain these characters' backgrounds better.
Trust me on this.
And it's over...
And I'm mad...
So freaking mad...
Why? Why? Why?
Superb plot, very well written, super dark, super engaging and super intense.
It was a bumpy journey, that's for sure.
I knew that this book would be like this, due to the prequel but I wasn't expecting all of this.
The hate, the pull, the love, the betrayal... So many emotions that I almost couldn't handle them all at once.
Once I started to read this book, I simply couldn't put it down.
This is the perfect story to leave you breathless and on your toes.
The push, the pull was getting on my nerves. But in a good way, of course.
I saw myself reading good at 3am. I was so into the story that I didn't saw that it was ending...
And now... Now I'm waiting and I need more.
More...
Seriously SR Jones? Why? Why?
I need the second book... ASAP 
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book.
8,755 reviews63 followers
June 26, 2020
The King is book one in a new Bratva series by S.R Jones (there is also a prequel to his story which i highly recommend to called the Soldier) This is Konstantin and Cassie's story. Cassie now working somewhere her IT skills are put to use instead of being a barista at the local coffee shop finds a Familiar face as her new boss -Konstatin. The guy shes secretly dreamed of since he came into the coffee shop all those months ago and Konstantins got his eyes on her as he did before. But Konstantin's got others ideas not only does he want her in his bed he needs her skills to find out more on they guy who helped his father kill his childhood friend and mutually beneficial wife. But life has a way of making things a lot harder for Konstatin, will he be able to keep Cassie safe after putting her in a line of danger? well written with lust, humor, action and Bratva hotness! cant wait for more

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Profile Image for reader_dreamer_4life.
930 reviews30 followers
June 27, 2020
Completely captivating, seductively suspenseful, and soul consuming. SR Jones’s storytelling keeps you on the edge of your seat from the first page up until the very last word. This enthralling, nail biting, and breath stealing story is riddled with suspense, intrigue, drama, betrayal, deceit and violence. Cassie and Konstantin share an undeniable connection. While Konstantin sees Cassie as his ‘sunshine’, providing him light in his darkened world he fights his desire for her. While the push and pull, love and hate between these two is frustrating it is like a slow burn fore play that will become explosive when these two finally give into their desires. The gut-wrenching cliffhanger stole my breath and left me desperately wanting the next book. For Konstantin and Cassie ‘The War’ is coming and I want to be front and centre for this outcome.
1,921 reviews
June 27, 2020
Everyone knows Konstantin and Cassie are in love with each other except Konstantin and Cassie. Poor Cassie she can’t win for losing and Konstantin picks her up every time she falls even though neither one of them knows that is what is happening. This book has a little of everything betrayal, loyalty, intrigue, sadness and laughter and love. Konstantin May be one of the most ruthless Bratva Kingpins, but for Cassie he is as soft as marshmallow and the sexual tension is off the charts. This is a fast paced action packed romance that grabs you from the start and desperate for more at the end can’t wait for the final book.
910 reviews6 followers
June 28, 2020
If I thought the prequel, The Soldier, had me hooked, it has nothing on this book. The King is such a great read. I love Konstantin and Cassie's relationship and chemistry. They seem to have somethings in common, like love of Russian literature, but in other ways they seem so different. They even each other's flaws out nicely. I really cannot wait to find out what happens with Konstantin and Cassie next. The flow of this story really has me hooked completely.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Profile Image for Debra  (Dragon Nanny) Phiri.
1,611 reviews19 followers
July 5, 2020
Konstantine is so much more then he even believes! Cassie so afraid to be her true self. Together they really are perfect for each other!

Their story so far is action packed, slow but hot burn and when their story temp ended here at the end waiting for the conclusion I was bummed!

We have a lot of intrigue in it as well as a soul wrenching darkness from both their past and how it comes out in their present.

So happy to be reading this series!
Profile Image for Stella Bookgal.
37 reviews
March 22, 2025
The king has spoken

I didn't think I was going to enjoy this book but wanted to know what the hype was about and let me tell you I didn't mind being 100 percent wrong!!
I loved Kosadian and Sunshine's relationship and it's got the old dark mafia romance vibes I've missed in recent books!
Profile Image for Catlou.
1,407 reviews14 followers
June 24, 2020
It’s fascinating to watch Konstantin and Cassie’s relationship develop. It’s a bit like long, drawn out foreplay where you know the climax is going to blow your mind. This is what I call a grabber. It grabs your attention from the very start, grabs at your heartstrings at times throughout, and grabs your interest until the not quite finish. The end of this story is definitely not the end of their story, but it is quite a volatile place to leave us; with Cassie questioning everything she thought she knew and us questioning how in the world Konstantin’s going to pull this one off. I can’t wait to find out because “The War” is coming, and it’s going to be a bloody good one.
Profile Image for Mari (Mystics & Metaphysics Book Blog).
7,751 reviews169 followers
July 6, 2020
After reading the Prequel, I was excited to read this and it did not disappoint. Konstantin and Cassie are everything! I have been gravitating towards the dark lately and this had that in spades along with tension, suspense, passion, and so much more.
Profile Image for Kathleen Bradbury (Bulfon).
16.4k reviews215 followers
July 7, 2020
Just the absolute best story. It had me captivated from the beginning with the hot steamy scenes. I really enjoyed reading this book and I would recommend it! Everything I like to read about and more. Such a great story I will read again and again. A keeper!!
2,088 reviews31 followers
June 25, 2020
Great way to kick off this series. Loving Konstatin and Cassie together. Konstatin first saw her when he stepped foot into the coffee shop where she works and hasn’t looked back. Cassie is crushing on him, and always notices him when he’s there, they’ve locked eyes, but there’s more there, a connection, a spark, something more than she ever realizes. I was sucked in from the start with the prequel and not so involved and I can’t wait for what’s next.
64 reviews
June 27, 2020
What a read

Great book lovely story you can get wrapped up in , with fantastic characters we met in the solider (short backstory) , well worth the read , can’t wait to read the war next month x
Displaying 1 - 30 of 199 reviews

Can't find what you're looking for?

Get help and learn more about the design.