Protégé King by Lisa Renee Jones

Lisa Renee Jones returns with a brand new series featuring a second-chance romance between two childhood best friends turned enemies to lovers—Protégé King is her latest release. Alana and Damion's will they, won't they relationship is the main theme of the book and remains a point of contention between the two from childhood to adulthood. Throughout the years, the tension, longing, and angst between them kept building until it finally exploded and everything fell apart. There were so many obstacles in their path—the complicated relationship between Damion and Alana's parents, Damion himself because he kept Alana in the dark to protect her, and finally Alana because she buried her feelings for Damion and made assumptions about his character. From their unresolved feelings for each other to the miscommunication between them, Alana and Damion's relationship was messy, dramatic, frustrating, sexy, and intense. I was captivated by their story and the consequences of their union.

"I want her. I've always wanted her. And I will never fail her again. I will never let her get hurt again."

In the end, I did enjoy Alana and Damion's story despite my frustrations with them and the unresolved feelings that they still had with each other even after so many years. The book does end with a cliffhanger that will entice readers to pick up the sequel, Scorned Queen because Damion is finally making a move against his father after he left behind his only weakness in the world all those years ago. I appreciated the way the story was told from present day to the past and back to the present because it painted a complete picture of Damion and Alana's relationship and what happened between them. There is bad blood between Damion and his father because of what he did to Alana and her parents. Fans of Lisa Renee Jones will not want to miss out on this story because it features the same incredible writing, characterization, and intrigue that the author is always known for in her previous books.

*This ARC was generously provided by the author and publisher for an honest review*

Rating: ★★★★☆