Reviewed by Valerie

TITLE:  Frat Wars: King of Thieves

SERIES:  Frat Wars #1

AUTHOR:  Saxon James

PUBLISHER:  May Books

LENGTH:  273 pages

RELEASE DATE:  November 8, 2021

BLURB:

We’re basically Romeo and Juliet. But dudes. And without all the dying.

Chad

Being VP of Sigma Beta Psi is wild. I get all the benefits of being in charge with hardly any of the responsibility.
Parties, pranks, and frat politics—college life has never been sweeter.
Until I meet Bailey Prince.
He has the face of a goddamn angel. I don’t know where he came from or why I’m so obsessed.
But I do know he’s a Kappa.
And our houses have a rivalry that’s written into legend.

Bailey

At Rho Kappa Tau, I’m a legacy.
It’s a lot of pressure, but I’ve always been responsible, never had that rebellious need to rock the boat, and I like it that way.
But after a party at Sigma—the jock frat—I meet Chad Doomsen, and for the first time in my life I want to step outside my square.
Our houses have always had a rivalry, but some of the guys seem to hate Chad specifically, and I don’t know why.
He’s surprisingly sweet and kind. At least to me.
I need to stay away. A relationship with Chad would be betraying the very legacy that brought me here.
But I can’t help myself. And it seems, neither can he.

REVIEW:

I’m falling for him, and it doesn’t scare me. I’m falling for him, and I want to be. Not only that, I want to fall faster, harder. No safety net. And when Bailey pulls back and his gorgeous blue eyes meet mine, I get my wish. I’m in free fall.”

I love, love, love Frat Wars: King of Thieves. Chad and Bailey are the epitome of sweet, and this book is just so much fun. Saxon James has a gift in writing new adult characters, and these are two of my favorites. They have strong romantic and sexual chemistry, and their “we didn’t mean to fall in love” dynamic gave me loads of feels. 

When Chad and Bailey meet, neither realizes they’re members of fraternities that are bitter rivals. It would be the ultimate betrayal for them to hook up, let alone date. But good luck convincing their libidos – and later their hearts – of that fact.  

Chad appears to be a stereotypical frat boy in Sigma Beta Psi until you get to know him deeper and see her has fierce loyalty and a sensitive, romantic side. He’s in his senior year, on a football scholarship at West Haven University. He has an easy confidence, an oversized ego, and oodles of kindness. He’s well-loved by his brothers, and loyal to them in return. And, he’s the king of pranks.  

The unfortunate recipient of the majority of those pranks is the Rho Kappa Tau house at the other end of the block. Unlike the jocks in Sigma – many of whom work part time jobs to afford their dues – the Kappas come from rich families who make their wealth in business and high finance. They’re opposites in every way. This is Bailey’s frat; he transferred to West Haven for his senior year, and despite his affluent background, he’s rather down to earth. He isn’t yet comfortable with his brothers, though, and never will be if he gets involved with Chad, the number one enemy of the Kappas because he’s usually the prank ringleader. The mostly good-natured pranks and shenanigans are amusing to read about.  

Chad and Bailey experience the out of control lust and the foreign feelings of first time love that make new adult romances special. Ms. James is a master of capitalizing on the newness of those emotions. She makes Chad and Bailey vulnerable and willing to set aside outside influences so they can explore their feelings genuinely. I’m grateful Ms. James didn’t resort to miscommunication or an inability of her men to speak to each other. I’m so tired of books with the back and forth between characters who are too afraid to express their feelings. This is the first relationship for either of them, and it’s beautiful. 

Speaking of exploring … Chad is bisexual but hasn’t devoted much time to sex with men. Bailey leads the way, showing him how good being with another man can be. And it’s good! Their sexy times are smoking hot but also playful. It’s a good combination in keeping with their age and personalities. Their first hookup gets derailed before it even gets started and it makes Chad even hungrier – dare I say obsessed – with Bailey, but not in a stalkerish way. It’s adorable. Chad and Bailey have fun getting to know each other and I appreciate that the story shows them spending time together outside the bedroom. Their flirting and banter is, um, fun. (I really tried to find an apt synonym for your reading pleasure, but nothing fits the bill quite as well as fun.) 

The interaction with the side characters – mainly Chad’s frat brothers Robbie, Brandon, and Zeke – helps flesh out the plot more fully and I enjoyed the tight bond between the men. There’s a villain or two to ramp up the action. There’s a twist that brings the main conflict to a head differently than I expected and it made the book all the more interesting. 

These guys are truly endearing. Chad is unexpected in his sweetness and devotion to Bailey and it made me swoon. All around, this book is a winner. I won’t use the three-letter f-word again, just know you’ll have a good time reading Frat Wars: King of Thieves.  

RATING: 

BUY LINKS: 

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