King's Ransom: A Sexy Billionaire Romance

Jackie Ashenden

Apr 2019 · Kings of Sydney Book 3 · Sold by Harlequin

About this ebook

The third book in the red-hot Kings of Sydney trilogy sees Ajax King kidnapping a rising crime lord’s daughter, Imogen White. His bargaining chip is her innocence, but when all Imogen wants is to feel the raw masculinity of the eldest King, Ajax is tempted to free her from her gilded cage for good…

Decades of being the eldest son of the biggest crime lord in Sydney doesn’t leave a man without scars, and mine run deep. Now I’ll do almost anything to destroy Sydney’s criminal underworld—even kidnap my enemy’s delectable daughter. Imogen White is pristine. Perfect. And if her father won’t leave Sydney for good, then I’ll take the one thing he prizes above all—and make her mine!

Only Imogen isn’t quite the innocent I thought. She wants to be freed from her gilded prison, and damn if she isn’t looking for a little carnal education in return. She’s primal incarnate. Just like me.

But I’m no knight in shining armour. I live cold and hard. I want nothing. I need nothing. The ends always justify the means…and no one—not even a sweet little spitfire like Imogen—will thaw the ice around my cold heart. No one.

Sexy. Passionate. Bold. Discover Harlequin Dare, a new line of fun, edgy and sexually explicit romances for the fearless female.

Ratings and reviews

3.75 stars--KING’S RANSOM is the third instalment in Jackie Ashenden’s contemporary, adult KINGS OF SYDNEY erotic, Harlequin DARE romance series focusing on the King siblings. This is eldest brother and billionaire businessman Ajax King, and heiress Imogen White’s story line. KING’S RANSOM can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous instalment is revealed where necessary. SOME BACKGROUND: Months earlier, the King brothers took over their father’s real-estate business, a business with ties to the local mob. With their father now in jail for money laundering and fraud, Xander, Leon and Ajax King struggle to clean up a reputation inherited based upon sins of the past. Told from dual first person perspectives (Ajax and Imogen) KING’S RANSOM follows Ajax King as he executes his plan to take down and destroy William White, one of the last holdouts in the criminal underground world of Sydney, Australia, a world of which his father once controlled. At a local charity event Ajax sets his sights on pampered princess Imogen White, a virginal young woman, believed to be the apple of her father’s eye. What ensues is the kidnapping and ‘imprisonment ‘of Imogen White, and the building romance and relationship between our leading couple. Imogen White is pleased beyond comprehension that Ajax White is her would-be abductor. Having tried desperately to run from the life her father has imposed, Imogen finds herself looking forward to time spent with Ajax in the hopes of perhaps, something more. To be used as a pawn for her father’s business deals, our heroine is hoping that Ajax King claims her as his own, leaving her father without her once-valued commodity. Ajax King had no idea that Imogen White would be pleased with her current situation. Desperate to use Imogen against her father, Ajax struggles between head and heart where it concerns our story line heroine. The relationship between Imogen and Ajax is one of immediate attraction but Imogen is now Ajax’s prisoner, a prisoner who finds herself falling for the man in charge. The Sex scenes are intimate, passionate and erotic, without the use of over the top, sexually graphic language and text. The secondary and supporting characters are limited as the story line focuses on the relationship between our leading couple, and Ajax’s need to destroy William White. We are reintroduced to Ajax’s brothers Leon and Xander; as well as the introduction of Imogen’s father William White. KING’S RANSOM is a story of family, betrayal, vengeance and love. The premise is engaging and captivating; the romance is impassioned and seductive; the characters are colorful and energetic-Imogen is a feisty young woman willing to risk everything for her freedom and more.

Loved this third book in the Kings of Sydney series which happens to be Ajax's story. Ajax is the oldest King brother and he feels a responsibility to get the family business clean and rid Sydney of it's criminal syndicate. He and his brothers have been working hard to get their businesses legit now his focus is shifting. How Ajax plans on getting rid of the local crime boss may be questionable but he sees no other way. He plans on hitting the boss in the only place it will hurt - his daughter. Kidnapping the crime bosses daughter should be easy but Ajax soon learns nothing about Imogene is easy! Their story is fun and definitely sexy. Don't miss it, I highly recommend.

Out to destroy Sydney’s criminal underworld, Ajax King will do anything including his enemy’s daughter. Imogene White has been for just that kind of sexy invite and she’s determined to earn a deliciously carnal education from the sexy bad boy. Readers couldn’t help but be curious about the sexy billionaire Ajax King as his brothers found their happily ever afters and now their curiosity can finally be satisfied but they are in no way prepared for just how sinfully delicious and scorching hot his story is. This hero and heroine is strong, bold and easily captivate readers from the very beginning and the whole tainted bad boy and virginal woman ensures that readers get to inexperience a sweet and powerful romance that is full of sizzling chemistry that shatters Ajax’s plan to smithereens. Warning – the intimate scenes in this story is hot, intense and downright delicious when the heroine of this story sets her mind up to get what she wants. The plot is steady to fast paced and full of thrilling suspense as Ajax’s plan falls apart and he begins to fall for his sexy captive with some surprising twists and monumental decisions to be made this story keeps the pages turning as readers hold their breath with anticipation of just how this King will proceed to destroy his enemy and keep his growing relationship with Imogene intact. While the conclusion is a bit anti-climactic it is also an interesting twists and quite inspiring of the heroine so readers can’t help but be pleased as well as pleasured by this entertaining romance.

About the author

Jackie writes dark, emotional stories with alpha heroes who've just got the world to their liking only to have it blown wide apart by their kick-ass heroines.She lives in Auckland, New Zealand, with her husband the inimitable Dr Jax and two kids. When she's not torturing alpha males, she can be found drinking chocolate martinis, reading anything she can lay her hands on, wasting time on social media, or forced to mountain biking with her husband.