I received this book via the author Penny Reid. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of this review.
Drama King by Penny Reid Series: Three Kings #2
Published by Cipher-Naught on 2022-12-13
Length: 294 pages
Reviewing eARC from the author Penny Reid
Rating:
Reading Challenges: 2022 Finishing the Series Reading Challenge, 2022 New Release Challenge
Stuck with her off-limits, taciturn, hunky movie star client during a sudden snowstorm on Christmas Eve, an extremely capable and highly professional bodyguard must keep him alive and warm without letting the tension building between them get too hot.
Bathsheba (Beth) Ryan can’t thank her best friend enough for helping her land the job of her dreams. After being relegated to second-string security for politicians in DC, being hired as an undercover personal security specialist by a giant Hollywood studio is exactly the kind of action she's always wanted.
Until she meets her first assignment.
Cyrus Malcom can’t thank his agent enough for arranging a blind date with seemingly the woman of his dreams. After spending the past several years playing all the parts and climbing all the ladders, the lonely mega movie star finds himself actually enjoying a night on the town for the first time in ages when he meets the gorgeous, funny, and genuine Ryaine O’Rourke.
Until she shows up at his studio meeting the next day with a completely different name.
A world-wide press tour and too many late-night parties later, Beth simply needs to get through a short, one-day visit during the Christmas holiday, and then she’ll be free of Cyrus Malcom’s confusing hot looks and cold shoulders for good.
But just as they leave the airport, it starts to snow . . .
‘Drama King’ is the second book in the Three Kings Series, is a full-length, contemporary romantic comedy, and can be read as a complete standalone.
Oh how I loved this book! Drama King by Penny Reid is the second book in a planned trilogy about the reigning kings of high school, where they are now, and if they can find their happily ever after. In this installment, we get Cyrus’s story and meet Bathsheba (Beth) Ryan, a no-nonsense personal security guard to the rich and famous. The banter is spot on, and Reid adds her signature touch blending real life situations into the story bringing her characters to life.
The story kicks off from Beth’s perspective as she stands in for her best friend and former client on a blind date. However things turn sour when (1) the antihistamines she’s been prescribed interact with the one glass of wine she’s drunk waiting on her late date and (2) when her date arrives and it is none other than the boy she had a crush on back home who is now a rising star in Hollywood. As if acting like a drunk fool in front of Cyrus isn’t bad enough, he believes she’s her famous friend. But that isn’t the worst of it. When Beth shows up to her new job the next morning, she’s introduced to none other than Cyrus Malcom, the man she is supposed to protect. Hilarity ensues.
I adored Beth. She breaks all stereotypes. She’s a petite thing living her life to the fullest as a personal security guard in Hollywood. It isn’t as glamorous as it sounds, but she thrives on it. Cyrus is a challenge for her, but one she can handle if she compartmentalizes her feelings. Beth feels like she is starting the job off on the wrong foot and is 100% prepared to resign even though it is the last thing she wants to do. This job is her big break, but how can she protect someone who doesn’t trust her?
Cyrus is amazing! I loved the brief snippets we got of him in Homecoming King, so I was really excited to see that this was his story. He is the consummate party boy, rarely wants to be alone, and spends the majority of his nights at a party or club. After his best friend found love and settled down, Cyrus realizes he wants the same. The problem is he’s having a hard time finding a woman who also wants that. He thought he’d found it with Beth when he thought she was her friend. Despite the disastrous date, he likes Beth, respects her, and because of that tries to avoid her at all costs, mainly because he thinks she doesn’t reciprocate.
I love how Reid sets up these two characters. They are very different, yet also have many things in common. Cyrus and Beth never develop much of a friendship, instead pining over one another from a distance. Yet the constant threat of danger builds a mutual respect. Beth loves him from a distance, and when Cyrus is ready to close that distance, she bolts. Communication is key, and these two are lacking. I love the tension between them, and the dual POV really helps add to the story and their relationship.
Overall, I loved Drama King. I devoured it, there’s no other way to describe it. Beth and Cyrus are easily one of my favorite romance couples. Highly recommend for romance fans and fans of Olivia Dade’s All the Feels.
About Penny Reid
Penny Reid is the New York Times, Wall Street Journal and USA Today Best Selling Author of the Winston Brothers, Knitting in the City, Rugby, and Hypothesis series. She used to spend her days writing federal grant proposals as a biomedical researcher, but now she just writes books. She’s also a full time mom to three diminutive adults, wife, daughter, knitter, crocheter, sewer, general crafter, and thought ninja.
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