Official Review: The Formidable King

[Sarah_Khan]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "The Formidable King" by Alyssa J. Montgomery.]

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2 out of 4 stars

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The Formidable King by Alyssa J. Montgomery is a romance novel that follows King Gabriel, the king of a fictional kingdom called Santaliana and India Hamilton, the managing director of a charity foundation created by Gabriel’s late sister. 6 years ago, King Gabriel met a modern day Cinderella at a masquerade ball who left without saying goodbye. Distraught, Gabriel tries his best to find any information about her. Unfortunately, the mysterious girl is left a mystery until one day, years later, when she walks into his office for a meeting. As Gabriel and India work together to honor the memory of his sister and her friend, they slowly piece together the facts of that fateful night when they first met and undesirable parts of their pasts are unveiled. Will the undeniable chemistry between them be enough to keep them together even when all the truths are out?

First off, I should mention that although this novel is part of a series, the books do not all focus on the same characters. Each story focuses on just two characters who then appear as minor characters in the following book. Therefore, you do not need to have read the previous novel to understand this one. If you do read all the books in the series, you will get a special understanding of all the main and minor characters.

I enjoyed reading most of this novel. I felt that it was a light and quick read that has likable characters and well-written scenes. Initially, I was a bit afraid that I would end up hating the two main characters because at first they seemed pretentious, but I actually really liked both of them. Gabriel is a strong and responsible young man who has to take care of an entire kingdom, but as we get to know him, we realize that he also has his own share of anxieties. India Hamilton is a generous, sweet soul who can make it through any obstacle because underneath her sweetness is a tenacity that you won’t want to underestimate. The author did a great job of creating realistic characters. The reactions of the characters felt natural and the romance between them did not feel forced.

The only problem I had while reading this book is the predictability. I have read numerous romance novels, so the plot of this one did not stand out. I could predict almost everything that would happen. The saving grace was that I actually liked the characters because otherwise the predictability of the plot would have gotten tiresome. There are some explicit sex scenes in this novel (one of which is rather important to the plot line). I would not go as far as to call it erotica, but those who dislike these types of scenes should pass on reading this book.

Overall, this novel was well-written and professionally edited with only a few very minor mistakes. Although the plot was predictable, I enjoyed reading about the characters in The Formidable King by Alyssa J. Montgomery and I think it brought to light some important matters. Therefore, I decided to give this book 2 out of 4 stars. I would recommend this novel to anyone that enjoys reading romance and does not mind a few sex scenes. This series is unique in a way that every book focuses on a different set of characters, so after reading this one, you can go to the next one and get more details on two minor characters that appear in this novel.

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The Formidable King
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Like Sarah_Khan's review? Post a comment saying so!

[kandscreeley]

This story sounded interesting to me when I read the review, but I was afraid it would have explicit scenes in it. I'm glad I passed. I'm sorry it was so predictable. I wonder if any of the subsequent books in the series would be better? Thanks for the review.

[Sahani Nimandra]

Hmmm! I'm sorry I would stop my self by commenting "nice" but this did not compel me to read this book.
I'm sorry!

[Sasha Walker]

I like that even though there was a sex scene, it was relevant to the plot. Sadly the books in this genre tend to be a bit predictable. Glad to see you liked the characters at least. Thank you for your review!

[hrwheeler]

Thanks for the review, I'm not into sex scenes so I appreciate knowing that from the start. Glad you enjoyed the book.

[MarisaRose]

This one definitely doesn't seem for me; nothing irks me more than an incredibly predictable plot! I prefer to be left in anticipation or shocked by various outcomes. Thanks for the insight!

[Marissa Michael]

Glad to know you like the characters at least. I have to pass this book because I'm not fond of predictability. I prefer to be shocked and for a story to unfold in unexpected ways. I believe this food will find its' own readers who will enjoy it. Thank you for your review.

[amybo82]

Likable and relatable characters go a long way in getting me to like a book. However, with a predictable storytime, I grow easily bored. I enjoyed reading this review! While the book doesn't really match up with my tastes, I can think of several friends who may enjoy reading it.

[DEEPA PUJARI]

I am a sucker for romance so I think I am going to read this one. Thanks for the review.

[Miraphery]

Inasmuch as I like romance, I don't appreciate the predictable storyline. It's good you enjoyed it. Thanks for the review.

[Laura Lee]

Thanks for an honest review of the book. The predictability of the plotline doesn't bother me as I've read a lot of romance and, eventually, you end up reading every plotline multiple times! LOL I'm glad the characters are so enjoyable. I guess my only question is, is the writing itself well-done? Is the dialogue stilted or believable? With self-publishing, so many poorly written books are available now, it's hard to know which is actually well-written and which isn't.

[Damis Seres Rodriguez]

The general idea of this story seems to be slightly worn out, used and abused in several novels worldwide, and so it is really important for an author to find a way to make it stand out from the rest. It is a shame this one didn't seem to achieve that goal.Thanks for your review.

[Shuaibu gimba]

The story sounds great but the sex scene is a problem due to is not everybody that like that kind of a story

[booksandmagicshop]

A lot of romance is getting predictable, so I'm grateful for your honesty. I do like a modern-Cinderella plot-line though. You're enthusiasm about the characters sold me!

[Nzube Chizoba Okeke]

I'm a lover of romance so I wouldn't mind trying this one out though I was discouraged by the predictability aspect of this book.