He'd Never Wanted Anyone Enough To Chase Them... Until He Met Her.

I recently finished reading King of Sloth by Ana Huang. This is book #4 in the Kings of Sin series.

POSSIBLE SPOILER ALERT

  Rating: 4/5 stars

"Charming, easygoing, and rich beyond belief, Xavier Castillo has the world at his fingertips. 

He also has no interest in taking over his family's empire (much to his father's chagrin), but that hasn't stopped women from throwing themselves at him... unless the woman in question is his publicist. 

Nothing brings him more joy than riling her up, but when a tragedy forces them closer than ever, he must grapple with the uncertainty of his future―and the realization that the only person immune to his charms is the only one he truly wants. 

Cool, intelligent, and ambitious, Sloane Kensington is a high-powered publicist who's used to dealing with difficult clients. 

However, none infuriate―or tempt―her more than a certain billionaire heir, with his stupid dimples and laid-back attitude. 

She may be forced to work with him, but she'll never fall for him...no matter how fast he makes her heart beat or how thoughtful he is beneath his party persona. 

He's her client, and that's all he'll ever be. Right?"

This book is totally different from what she usually writes and I love how she is trying to write different characters and stories that are not only focused on romance but also on character's growth and development.

The plot revolves around two things — Xavier and his new business venture and their trial dating period. I loved Ana's writing in this one, and she added so many cameos from previous books and my heart was full of happiness and nostalgia. This book also has the best love declarations in the end and as much as they were unrealistic and dreamy, my romantic heart loved every second of it. I loved how raw and relatable the characters were, and I loved seeing them grow and come out of their comfort zone.

The independent, responsible, and intelligent Sloane is the girl everyone fears. She's cool and composed and never overreacts in any situation except when it comes to Xavier. He made her go bonkers with his tactics lol. She hides behind the facade of ice queen because that protects her from the potential hurt, and her fears were reasonable because her ex was an asshole and he and her family really gave her some major trust issues. They said she didn't feel emotions or didn't care but Sloane felt every hurt and emotion deeply, she was just incapable of showing it like others. She just needed someone who loved and accepted her who she was and Xavier did that for her. I loved how she didn't try to hold herself back when he asked her for a trip and how he challenged her and pushed her outside her comfort zone but also made sure she felt safe. She was also giving me Jules vibes with her comebacks.

Xavier is the epitome of a shameless flirt with effortless charm. But behind all that is just a man with raw in his vulnerability, who is scarred by his father's treatment. I get why he was so stubborn and inconsiderate all these years, and I am proud of him for finding his passion and working hard to make it a reality. He's thoughtful and caring and I love how he cared and paid attention to Sloane and noticed everything related to her. He's so observant and stubborn when it comes to her. I fell for him in the very first chapter despite him being a playboy, and I liked that he was not sexualizing her every other moment like men in books usually do. There was not a single time he was obsessing over other girls except Sloane, she made him crazy and delusional. He's so unhinged sometimes, always bribing people to get to Sloane as soon as possible but he's also the sweetest and craziest person ever. The dates and the outings he planned for Sloane, the nickname “LUNA” had me swooning so hard.

The romance was done so perfectly and it's not insta-lovey/lusty. It was more like getting to know each other, giving a chance to whatever attraction they had simmering between them for three years, slowly warming up to each other, it was about breaking barriers of protection they had constructed around their hearts and falling in love during all that process. It was simple, cute and beautiful. Xavier and Sloane have opposite personalities but they have the same fears and insecurities in some way. They both had been deprived of affection and love by their parents, but they loved each other with flaws and all. The way Xavier tried to drag Sloane out of her comfort zone and how she encouraged him at every step of his new business venture was so endearing.

The ice queen x sunshine trope was executed so well. I loved their trips and their witty banter, the sexual tension, the dates Xavier planned for Sloane were perfect and everything a girl deserves from a man, the efforts they made to understand each other and how they listened to each other's story were so beautiful.

Check out King of Sloth, and discover what happens when the sunshine boy melts the ice queen's heart.

Happy Reading :)