Fearless King, the fourth book in Maya Hughes’s Kings of Rittenhouse series, was one I was very much looking forward to reading. Hughes’s previous works have shown me her ability and willingness to write characters that are beautifully flawed and who possess a past that has left them scarred but not broken. Needless to say, I was anxious to see how she continued this theme with a new King couple.

This book centers around the strained relationship between Ford Atherton, the quietest member of the Kings, and Olivia “Liv” Frost, the younger sister of Colm aka Ford’s best friend. As the tagalong little sister surrounded by gorgeous, charismatic hockey players, it’s no surprise that Liv spent most of her childhood crushing on the quietly enigmatic Ford. The only problem is, he’ll never see her as anything more than a little sister and an extension of Colm, whose overprotective tendencies and inability to acknowledge her adult status is more than a little frustrating. But that hasn’t stopped her from looking at Ford with hearts in her eyes nor, apparently, has is stopped Ford from beginning to see her in a different light.

Declan and Mak’s wedding was more than just the joyous union of soulmates – it was also the beginning of the messy, complicated relationship between Ford and Liv. No matter how hard he tries, Ford just can’t shake the feeling that Liv is so much more than a little sister. In fact, she’s not his sister at all – she’s a certified grownup and too beautiful to handle. But after a huge misunderstanding leads to heartbreak before they can even really get started, it seems unlikely that Ford will ever get to be with Liv. Throw in a domineering (and slightly hypocritical) older brother and the unrequited love Grant (Ford’s younger brother) has for Liv, and they’re in one heck of a pickle. But when the stars – if not the timing – align, Ford and Liv are powerless to stop their feelings from growing.

I loved Ford and Liv’s story. It was a relationship that happened against all odds. After all, what’s more taboo than lusting after your best friend’s sister? It felt like Liv and Ford faced more obstacles for the sake of their relationship than the rest of the Kings. That’s not to say that the other couples of the Kings of Rittenhouse didn’t face their respective firing squads, but in Fearless King, Colm’s status as Liv’s older and way too pushy brother, Colm’s lack of trust in Ford, Grant’s longtime crush on Liv, Colm's expectations of Liv, and Liv and Ford’s age difference all worked against them. That’s a lot of landmines to step carefully around.

Fearless King was angsty without being too angsty and it felt like the angst, for the most part, was warranted. As always, the majority of Liv and Ford’s problems could have been resolved with open communication – between them and Colm, between Liv and Grant, and between Liv and Ford themselves. But Hughes managed to make this more of an unfortunate byproduct of ‘love is blind’ syndrome rather than an annoying point of contention. I was more exasperated with Grant and Colm – especially Colm.

I was glad that after everything blew up (it always does in these types of situations), Grant and Liv got to have a frank conversation about their feelings. Although Grant had been crushing on her since the tender age of nine, it didn’t mean Liv owed him the same feelings. (view spoiler)

I spent the majority of the scenes Colm was involved in wanting to pull my hair out. He’s just so stubborn, not to mention hypocritical and ridiculous about Liv and medical school. He gets to live his dream but Liv can’t? As much as I’m not a fan of relationships breaking up siblings, in this case, Colm is to blame for his own heartache.

Despite all the road bumps, it was gratifying to see Liv and Ford get their shot at love. Fearless King was emotionally charged, well written, and an overall lovely read. ( )