REVIEWED BY CINDY
TITLE: A King Undone 
SERIES: Noble Pleasures, Book 1
AUTHOR: Cooper Davis
PUBLISHER: Samhain Publishing
LENGTH: 254 Pages
Blurb:
Sometimes you have to risk everything, to follow your heart…
In a world where gentlemen openly court and marry fellow noblemen, the threat of scandal still lurks behind every velvet drape for kings and princes. Such has been the fate for King Arend Tollemach, forced to sacrifice his heart on the altar of regal duty.
Now that his wife is dead and his royal obligations are at an end, he’s ready to take an unthinkable risk. King Arend seeks a concubine from Temple Sapphor, a secretive, gated world where he will finally shed his virginity—as least as it pertains to making love to a man.
Julian never thought he’d spend ten years on the temple shelf, passed over again and again. Just when he despairs of ever finding placement in a nobleman’s bed, Arend walks into the temple. A lonely eyed, beautiful king who could easily steal his heart.
Arend discovers he has no problem opening his bed to the exquisite concubine. The problem lies in finding the key to his long-shuttered heart.
Warning: Contains a beautiful, virgin king desperate to bed another man, a concubine who fantasizes about being claimed and revered by a strong monarch, and a sea of scandal set against a sensual, palatial backdrop.
Review:
I picked up this book on a whim, intrigued by the “high kingdom” feel of it and the interesting premise in the blurb. I’m so glad I took the chance.
The first thing that happened was that my heart broke for King Arend. He spent his whole life fulfilling his duty to his father and his country with his every chance for any kind of happiness crush beneath the boots of fate. When his royally appointed wife passes away, he thinks that maybe it’s time for him to have something he truly wants. That takes him to the Temple in search of a man…
The second thing that happened is that I fell in love with Julian. He’s sweet, smart and lovely. He’s been hoping to be picked by someone who would care for him for a long time after being betrayed by someone who should have protected him. He is a good, kind and decent man who deserves to finally find his own happiness.
The author created an interesting, if sometimes brutal world for their characters to live in. It’s a world full of contrasts that sometimes make your mind spin. Men can marry men, it’s just how it is in this world…except of course, royalty, who have a duty to do whatever is best for the kingdom.
These two men find a connection from the moment they meet that’s somehow sweet and sexy all at once. The banter back and forth between them had me smiling from the beginning, but there’s sadness…and hope…and fear that keeps both men unsure with each other.
I loved watching them grow closer together, almost against Arend’s will, although it does come to light over and over that maybe he’s just not sure what exactly it is that he wants from Julian.
The side characters in this story are interesting. Alistair in particular is someone who grew on me. I wasn’t sure of his loyalties at first but came to understand how “fatherly” his feelings toward the King were.
Mallon is another interesting character and I’m not sure where he will be landing in future stories in this series but I almost ended up feeling sorry for him.
The king’s cousin and his wife are a bit of comic relief in a very angsty atmosphere but their love for Arend and their wish to help him better his life are very clear.
I don’t usually take on a series. I hate waiting for the next part of the tale and I’m very, very, impatient when it comes to something I love.
The story is rich in details that help form the world around our “heros” and I can’t say enough about how intriguing I found the whole thing.
I will be hoping and praying that the sequel will arrive quickly because I’m dying to see how Arend and Julian’s story develops.
I can’t find anything to complain about in this story, other than I hate a cliff-hanger, but that’s my fault as I know that’s the chance I take when I decide to start a series.
Rating: 
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