The Bourbon Kings

June 22, 2015
Paranormal romance author Ward (the Black Dagger Brotherhood series) turns to contemporary romance with this melodramatic series opener. Lizzie King is a head gardener at Easterly, a massive Kentucky estate. The Bradfords, the Bourbon Kings of the title, own both Easterly and the most prestigious bourbon distillery in the state. Romance between Lizzie and Lane Bradford is socially unthinkable, no matter how much they desire it, especially since Lane is unhappily married already. Also, Lane’s abusive father seems to be attempting chicanery with the family finances. Ward’s novel doesn’t lack excitement—concealed scandals, unconcealed scandals, murder, kidnapping, incest, racism, the theft of millions of dollars, domestic violence, mistaken identity, and a thinly disguised Kentucky Derby all come in and out of the plot as necessary—and the book flows smoothly from crisis to crisis, but all the ruckus fails to conceal the gaping hole where likable or interesting characters should be. In the end, this soap opera fails to be more than the sum of its parts. Agent: Steve Axelrod, Axelrod Literary Agency.

Starred review from July 1, 2015
Ward, best known for her long-running Black Dagger Brotherhood paranormal romance series, modernizes the glitz-and-glamour family saga in this winning series starter. A medical emergency brings prodigal son Lane Bradford home to Easterly, his family's palatial Kentucky estate, at the start of Derby season. His sudden appearance shakes things up for the familyhis gold-digging wife is thrilled to see him (and ready to con him), his troubled sister hopes he can save her, and his father hopes Lane doesn't figure out that the family's storied bourbon empire is on the brink of financial ruin. Meanwhile, the heat between Lane and his ex-lover, Lizzie, Easterly's head gardener, has never cooled. Soapy elements abound in this Dynastyesque tale, from lavish wealth to feuds, dirty secrets, and forbidden love. Lane is a typical Ward sexy alpha male, but he is likable, and his sincere desire to do right by the people he loves is appealing. Ward is a master of pacing and world building, and readers will love that the cliff-hanger ending guarantees at least a second helping of the Bradfords. For fans of Barbara Taylor Bradford, Adriana Trigiani, and Penny Vincenzi.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2015, American Library Association.)