The title and reading the book description did not prepare me for this book. I thought it would be a romance of opposites attract and instead it was a patched up plot that heavily involves politics, climate change, and capitalism. The connection between Lennix and Maxim seemed forced at times and immature at others. Grown adults relying on jealousy to attract each other was not doing it for me. I didn’t care for creepy stalker Maxim or the volatile Lennox. I still am not sure if the title The Kingmaker is a good one as they briefly mention it as a nickname that felt confusing to me.
The plot is hard to follow at times because it focuses on their bonding (for a week), then on Maxim’s Antarctic Adventure, then it’s mentioned that he also has to go to the Amazon but there is barely a reference to his time there. There is a lie by omission which leads to a gap of ten years where Lennix goes from being a grassroots protestor fighting to save lands that they are building pipelines on to Louboutin shoes and debating on a news show. It seems like the author had a hard time focusing on one concept so they just threw all of the concepts into the story. And then had the audacity to end it on a cliffhanger. Is it a romance? An action-packed adventure on climate change? A potential presidential candidate political campaign story? A story about indigenous women going missing and the lack of action about it? The answer is e. All of the above.
Thanks to NetGalley for the Digital Advanced Reader Copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. At the time of this review, the book is set to be released on 05/23/2023.
JoJo's Modern Life 