I loved this one! I got to read it as an audio book and it was really well done. They had a male and female narrator which I love. The characters were relatable and fun. The plot cleverly written and unique- it kept me guessing right till the end. It gave me White Collar or Oceans Eleven vibes. I loved how the author wrapped everything up at the end- it was really such a great audiobook- and best of all, it was romantic and clean!

The perfect surprise. And the audiobook was fantastic. It definitely added to the great story and kept me listening from start to finish.

Sometimes my methods are a complete failure but I really enjoy going into a book blind. And that is what I did with Rook to King. Boy am I glad I did. I absolutely love when a book takes me by complete surprise. This was not what I was expecting at all but in the best ways. This was a unique and fast paced story full of action and chemistry.

Bodie King has a bit of notoriety when it comes to the antiques world so when he walks through the doors of Gracen's antique shop she is less than thrilled at the encounter. Unfortunately, she is in less control of her life than she thinks and before she knows it, she and Bodie are forced together to find the one of a kind chess pieces in order to complete the set.

The more these two interact the more obvious it is that they have an undeniable chemistry. If only Bodie's past didn't keep reminding him that they come from completely different worlds.

This book is a fun adventure with a tiny bit of character growth but mostly just a lot of fun banter and adventure.

Thank you so much to netgalley for this audiobook ARC. It was absolutely delightful.

This is a sweet, closed door romcom that gives off a bit of Ocean's 11 vibes. Definitely a romantic adventure you won't want to miss.

This was a super fun adventure romance read! If you like rivals to lovers romance and heist movies like Ocean’s 11 or The Italian Job, then you’ll love Rook to King by Carina Taylor. This story is full of witty banter, international intrigue, and twists and turns. As the two main characters are a little on the morally gray side of things, there was a lot of deceit and miscommunication going on between them for most of the story, which makes sense but I’m also not a big fan of the miscommunication trope. Also, I did read this via audiobook, and while I didn’t love the male narrator, I think the female narrator did a great job. Overall, a very fun and clean read with no spice and only some mild language!

A big thank you to NetGalley and Victory Editing for sending me an audiobook arc of this book! All thoughts and opinions above are my own.

I was thrilled when I got this book! I have been hearing about it for months! And oh my Chess Heart! I loved it! I was enthralled from the beginning and laughed out loud so many times! I was surprised at the suspense and at the twists and turns! No spoilers here! But you will love it!

The narration: The narrators were delightful! I loved them both! I truly enjoyed the inflections and the way I really felt like they were talking to each other! It was awesome!

Thank you to Net Galley! All thoughts and opinions are my own!

Gracen is just a humble antiques authenticator living above the antique shop she works in. But she has come across a major score, a chess set rumored to hold the clues to a priceless fortune.

When Bodie King walks in her store, her hackles are raised. She has heard the rumors of the kind of man she is, a con man.

Bodie is used to being able to get what he wants, and through some persuasion, he gets Gracen on his side in search of the treasure.

As they search for the treasure, they uncover more secrets about each other, and are more drawn together. Is resistance to this attraction futile?
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What a run ride! The banter, the way they continue to try and best each other, the secrets, it all comes together to make the most absorbing story. One you will want to race through to find out the conclusion.

Before this book I would have dubbed myself a fan of morally gray characters, but I'm on board if it makes for a book this fun and immersive. I was traveling with them participating in the banter and feeling their chemistry.

If you like a rom com plus a little mystery and action, check this one out!
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This is a closed door, kisses only rom com. It is part of a series but can be read as a stand alone.

Thanks to Carina Taylor for the gifted audiobook. All opinions are my own.

Overall: 5
Narration: 4
Spice: 2
A fun romp with terrific banter and chemistry!

Gracen Winthrop is managing a small-town antiques store when a well know con man in the art and antiques world, Bodie King, comes in looking for a specific chess piece. Gracen is familiar with the piece, but doesn’t trust Bodie intentions, so kicks him out of the store. Bodie is persistent with Gracen and requests her help and expertise with identifying the remaining important chess pieces. This begins an action and banter filled quest with lots of twists and turns.

I love being surprised by and ARC that I know nothing about! As I build up my review reputation, I request almost all the audiobooks on NetGalley in the romance genre. This one was requested and approved so I went it with only the info from the blurb NG provides. I was smiling and laughing throughout this story and enjoyed every minute. The narrators were great (Wayne’s female voice is a bit off-putting, but otherwise he was perfect as Bodie). The characters were great and easy to root for even if their actions weren’t necessarily above board. As mentioned, the enemies to lovers banter between Gracen and Bodie was fabulous and you could feel the chemistry and connection between them. If you like your romance with a bit of mystery and action, I highly recommend this book. I will be seeking out more books by Carina Taylor!

Really enjoyed this book. Thank you for giving me the chance to listen to the audio version.

I've left a review on Goodreads

When I came across this audiobook on NetGalley, I immediately applied even though I didn’t know much about it. I’d just seen it all over bookstagram for the last several months, and knew it was an adventure romance written by Carina Taylor (I’ve read two of her books before and enjoyed them). But it wasn’t until I started listening to it that I realized it’s the second book of a series and I had read the first one and liked it! A wonderful surprise. The first book, World’s Worst Boyfriend, is a fun read and I feel like reading it first would give a fuller picture of who Bodie is and his backstory, but Rook To King can also be read as a standalone too.

From the very beginning of this book, I told my daughter it was giving me serious White Collar/Neal Caffrey vibes (a recent favorite we watched together). So if you loved Neal Caffrey & White Collar, Rook To King is probably going to hit the mark for you. This book had a bit of everything: white collar crime, adventure, overseas travel, a modern day treasure hunt, the wittiest of banter, and of course, swoony romance. It kept me guessing until the very end, and when the book ended, I just wanted to start it over again. Bodie and Gracen’s verbal sparring was so entertaining! Fingers crossed Carina will write a third in the series! Also, I enjoyed the narrators - they really brought the book to life. And I loved that there were dual narrators ❤️

Intimacy: Sizzling kisses only
Language: A handful of milder swear words (no f-words) and mild innuendo
Content Considerations: Morally grayish characters

Thank you to NetGalley and Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op for the audio copy of this book. These are my honest opinions.

Thank you Victory Editing Netgalley co-op for my #gifted audio

This story was a pleasant surprise!

Gracen, an Antique Art Authenticator and Brodie, a Con-man/Art Broker end up working together to hunt for pieces to a lost Chess game that holds the secrets to a map of a hidden treasure.

It’s a game of cat and mouse with funny family dynamics, attempted murder, a trip abroad, and great banter!

What you’ll find:
Dual POV
Rivals to lovers
Treasure hunting
Lots of surprises!
Strategy!
A sword
“Tuesday kisses”
Morally gray MMC
Forced proximity
Chess games!
A meddling grandmother who wants grand-babies!

If you’re looking for a light-hearted Rom-Com with treasure hunting and mystery - this one is perfect!

Romance content: Just kisses!

I really liked the audio readers, especially the male reader.

This book has been on my tbr for quite some time so it was a pleasant surprise when I received this advanced listener copy.
A genius back and forth between an elusive con man and the woman who holds the key to his next score.
It’s clever and unexpecting as the story weaves from a small antiques shop to world travel and adventure.
The story and writing itself is no doubt a 5-star:
Chose to give 4 stars based on the audio. Personal preference, I don’t like when narrators throw their voice to represent multiple characters. It is difficult to do while maintaining the integrity of the story and characters. That being said, I still enjoyed the dual POV of this story and look forward to reading more from Carina in the future.

I LOVED this book - it was pure fun! Thank you to Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op for the chance to review Rook to King: A romantic adventure by Carina Taylor. I didn't know that this was the second book in the series, and I immediately found the first!!

Bodie is an art thief and con man - a total charmer. He is looking for a priceless chess set of the Bennetto family. Gracen Winthrop is a super talented art assessor who also has a desire to acquire that chess set. The closed-door romance between the two was so swoony - and I love that he falls first: "I don't know why you're trying to hide that you're capable or hide who you really are, but I see you." I absolutely adored this cat and mouse tail.

This book was expertly narrated by Kim Churchill and Wayne Mitchell - they brough so much energy and passion to their read. So good!

Thank you Victory Editing and Netgalley for the Advance Reader Copy. I listened to the audiobook of this novel and found the main male character to be super awkward for this chapters. This novel felt like it was trying to incorporate too many story lines into a short story. I never really connected with the characters in the one.

This is an adventure novel if ever there was one. We’ve got international travel, antiques, a treasure hunt, white collar crime, sting operations, and twists— all staying very light-hearted and fun. We also have swoony, fade-to-black romance, with a reluctant hero, and family secrets. If you grew up watching Antiques Roadshow, know anything at all about chess (or not), and have ever dreamt of a taking off to Italy— this audiobook is for you. I think it took me two days to listen because I was so into the story! The narrators are fun and keep the story moving. It’s kinda wonky when the male narrator vocalizes the female voice, but honestly, that’s always tricky. I enjoyed the listen and can’t wait to read more of her titles.

Thank you to NetGalley and Carina Taylor for an ALC of this audiobook.

Took to King is a romcom mixed with action and crime. It is the perfect cocktail for a great read (or listen).

This story has two POVs, some great reveals, and definite chemistry between the characters. It is fun and lively and creates a propulsive, enjoyable read. I enjoyed the dynamics the main characters had with supporting characters, and the component of the game of chess woven into the story.

I listened to the audiobook version of this story, which has two narrators who do a great job. I listened at 2x speed (my normal audiobook listening speed is 1.75-2x speed).

Thank you NetGalley and Victory Editing NetGalley Co-Op for this audiobook listen.

What starts off as a chance meeting quickly turns into a unique relationship between these two unlikely characters. Brody King is a known art dealer who works in the black market, and Graeson is an art dealer, trying to preserve and protect artifacts. When these two are forced together through an unlikely set of circumstances the two are off on a whirlwind adventure, despite their very different personalities and lifestyles. This book has lots of twist and turns and unexpected surprises that leave the reader guessing how on earth this unlikely duo will ever find their happily ever after. Kudos to the author for a creative and unique romance, unlike any other I’ve ever read. There’s lots of sass and funny moments throughout the story as well which made this an entertaining and enjoyable story from start to finish. Many thanks to the net galley for an advanced audiobook copy of this story. All thoughts are my own.

Read if you enjoy:
♟️morally gray hero
♟️nerdy, intelligent leading lady
♟️travels and adventures
♟️forced proximity
♟️lots of humor
♟️closed door jokes + innuendo

The two audiobook narrators did a great job bringing these two main characters to life. The audiobook kept me engaged and entertained from start to finish. If you’re an audiobook fan, I definitely recommend checking this out on audio. 🎧

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange of an honest review

Grayson is a antique expert with a dislike for liars, deceivers and frau, most of all Bodie King. So when he one day waltzes into the shop she works in asking for a rare chesspiece, she refuses to give it to him. Little does she know that Bodie actually owns the shop and that this is the start of a epic hunt for chesspieces that's said to lead to a great treasure.

This was a really fun romance with a heist-like intrigue and mystery. The chemistry between Grayson and Bodie was sizzeling. Their constant bickering was so fun and their cute scenes were adorable. I enjoyed both of their POVs, but favored Grayson a bit more. She was stubborn, clever and strong. Despise her dislike of deception she was quite clever herself. I loved the scenes with her family, especially her grandmother's nagging about a boyfriend and grandchildren. Hilarious.

I though all the characters were well-rounded and though I guess some of the plot it didn't spoil my enjoyment of the book. I've since learned that this is the second book in a series, but it can totally be read as a stand alone. If you're looking for a quick and fun read I'd recommend picking up Rook to King.

Bodie King has been labelled a conman but refers to himself as a broker. Charming someone into helping him has never been a problem until Gracen Winthrop. The Bennetto chess set is rumored to lead to a priceless fortune. He needs an authenticator to help him buy the missing pieces but she's proving a little hard to convince.

Their first meeting was hilarious. I loved how Gracen frustrated Bodie just for the fun of it. She held her cards close to her chest where he was concerned. It took some kidnapping to finally get her to his side, and from then she didn't much convincing to join him on his treasure hunt. Not even Bodie's homicidal grudge-holding ex-employee.

I loved the high stakes hunt for all the missing pieces. Their chemistry and banter made for a welcome respite whenever things got intense on the suspense. And the plot twists! Didn't see them coming honestly 😂 I'd try to guess but be horribly wrong 😂

I don't read much adventure romance but I just had to request this one on audio. It was exciting and there was never a mundane moment.

Thank you to Netgalley and Publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Check and Mate!

Clearly the author was channeling the comedy and energy of a Peter O'Toole/Audrey Hepburn classic when she penned this novel. Dual narration was excellent and the story unfolds in layers that gradually bring you to realize that all is not as it seems. Delightful tale wonderfully told.

This was a cute sorta cat-n-mouse romance novel with treasure hunting. I even learned a lil more about chess while reading this one.

I really enjoyed Gracen and Bodie’s banter. I liked how Gracen was a strong female lead and that while Bodie felt the need to protect her, he also know she was strong all on her own…which she proves throughout the book.

I liked that the grandparents were included in the story as well.

Bodie staying “on course” and going after what he wants in this book from start to finish was a delight.

🎧Audiobook Review🎧

I don’t do rereads because my “I will never get to read all the books I want to before I die” anxiety is at a crucial level. Butttttt when an all time favorite release on audio I make the exception for a guaranteed enjoyable listen.

When Rook to King released last year it was an immediate hit in my book. I fell in love with Bodie and Gracen and the whole premise of the book. This type of story is my favorite when it comes to contemporary romance. I love the adventure, the mystery and the crazy good romance.

The audio was very good with a male and female narration for the dual povs.

I love this book and I would love to see more wild adventures with Bodie and Gracen!

Things to love:
♟️Bodie ~ “Reformed” Con Man, suave, smooth, with killer style and instincts.
👑Gracen ~ Antiquities Authenticator, smart, sassy, has stealth moves and an affinity for fluffy slippers.
♟️An elusive chess set with a treasure map
👑Enemies to partners to 🔥
♟️Hilarious dysfunctional family
👑Excellent banter/tension
♟️Dual POV
🫠With swoon off the Richter scale!

If you like movies such as The Thomas Crown Affair, Entrapment, and Knives Out, shows like Blood & Treasure, and books like Later on We’ll Conspire then you will absolutely love this one.

Many thanks to #netgalley and #victoryeditingnetgalleycoop for the audio copy, all opinions are my own.

#carinataylor #rooktoking #audiobooks #romcom #fivestar #enemiestolovers

Review live on Goodreads and Instagram posted 6/17/24