Review and Blog Tour: The Estate (Kings of Capital 1) by Ivy Wild

Disclosure: I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from the author. All views expressed are only my honest opinion.

Published on: 15 December 2020
Type: standalone, HEA
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Author: Ivy Wild
Read: 09 December 2020
Shelved: 11 December 2020
Rating: 5/ 5 stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Get it here:
Amazon | Bookbub | Goodreads

Synopsis

Family. Honor. Commitment. Lies.

Carter:
Family. Honor. Commitment.
My entire life was built around these three words.
And my entire life turned out to be a lie.
But burying the pain is easier than dealing with it and that’s what I’d planned to do.
Until Lex Evans showed up.
She tore down the walls I’d thrown around my heart brick by brick.
She reduced me to rubble, so she could build me back up.

Lex:
I am the girl people abandon and I’ve accepted that.
I don’t say no because I don’t know how and people take advantage of it.
I hoped he’d be different. It seemed like he was.
Carter Ross swept into my life and I didn’t say no.
But this time, I didn’t want to.
His walls are up so high, but I can see the cracks.
And in all his darkness, he can’t stop the light from seeping through.
When he leaves, I’ll be the one to break.

The Estate is a complete stand-alone contemporary romance novel.

Review

Alexandra “Lex” Evanston is an up and coming successful lawyer. She is smart, resourceful, and caring. But due to unfortunate events, she had to turn her back to a rewarding career in law to become a property manager. She loves her Alpha Romeo, and even with all its issues, she still hangs on to it like there’s no tomorrow. It’s the only one in her life that hasn’t let her down yet.

Carter Ross is the CEO of R&R realty and owner of the Estate, located about three hours away from the city. It was his rest home and where he finds his refuge from the city’s bustle. After a messy divorce, he thought he could heal and get on with his life…not really. Somehow, with a past like Carter, expect them to come crawling back for more of him.

A chance meeting turned into something more when they realized that they would be (a) working together and (b) staying in the same location. As their “chemistry” from their first encounter seeps into their working relationship, each part of their past comes a-knocking to disrupt (and destroy) the peace they have at the Estate.

The book is from multiple character POVs that did not feel confusing. It is not my first encounter with the author. Based on her previous books, the writing of The Estate is different – more developed plotlines, mature characters, and thought-provoking ending. I was more engrossed in the book as I dug deeper into the lives of Lex and Carter. The character traits and personalities came out organically and made me “feel” for them.

Both main characters are “unhinged” because of their pasts. Their unique stories is a cautionary tale of being abused, deceived, and “beaten down.” It seems like past ex’s, greedy and dangerous relatives, colleagues, and families all wanted a piece of the couple – ripped apart to shreds and “put in their places.” It is a fascinating one, especially when Lex and Carter start fighting back and taking control.

“We’re all a little broken.”
— Lex, The Estate

Before being a lawyer, Lex did not have an easy life. Her family drama can be a prologue book from this one. She is from a different world as Carter and had to work her way up the food chain on her own. Being given a chance in a law firm by one of the partners was her big break. Unknowingly, that big break did her undoing from a fast track to success to having her world implode in more ways than she realized. In all fairness, she was doing her job, but her work collided with “powerful” people. “Forced” to change occupations, she decided to leave law for a more “quieter” job and way from the city. She is resilient, but the moment that “broke” her and bared it all for Carter. I shed more tears on her fears than I expected. If I thought Lex’s story was sad and crazy, Carter’s worst.

Carter is a kind and caring man. Too bad he got taken advantage of due to this trait. He had to put up “a front” to everyone around him to control his emotions and protect them. He has made too many “sacrifices” in the same of his family and the business. His position in the company became precarious one a lot of changes after his wedding, and he was way over his head with his personal and professional sides. The shift in controlling management made his life “interesting,” especially with his status as a husband and CEO all at the same time. After a huge betrayal, he made sure that he focused on work alone. With all that, he considers himself a broken man unworthy of anything, especially “love.”

When Lex and Carter realized that their paths were “meant-to-be” and that they have something in common, things started to move at a feverish pace. They have a big mystery in their midst that they know how are involved but not how deep and complex the conspiracy they stumbled upon. I remember trying to speed read through because things between Lex and Carter (sort of) got sorted out, and there are “bigger players” at play in the game of R&R realty. How will they survive the “secrets revealed” without sacrificing the other?

**FYI – Lex felt her past repeating when it all came crashing down. I felt it in the pit of my stomach, but I could not stop what was to happen like a runaway trainwreck.

The Estate: Special Edition Cover by @ohmyreads that you can only get directly from Ivy’s store.

Overall, the cast was stellar. The plotline is compelling from start to finish. It might be helpful to note that the book might be lengthy, but it was not difficult to get through. It was relatable and manageable. I enjoyed the trip down Lex and Carter’s respective flashbacks, and the “aftermath” got to me. There were so many hidden secrets, backdoor dealings that I understood by then the reasons for the length. Many quiet emotions went back and forth between Lex and Carter, balanced with the chaos unleashed further into the story. I appreciate these rational, deep-thoughts moments juxtaposed with the climatic HEA in the end. This book is the whole lifetime of Lex and Carter – past, present, and future rolled into one. I love it!

So, if there’s something the matter, I need you to tell me. If you leave, Lex, ” he sucked in a deep breath. “You’ll leave me in more pieces than you found me in.”
— Carter, The Estate

About the Author

Writer of all things untamed, romantic and free, Ivy Wild never planned on becoming a romance novelist. In fact, she hated romance as a kid and was quite proud of that fact. Basically, life is weird.
Married to her own alpha hero, she currently lives in various places of the world at various times thanks to his military career.
Her current side hustle is being a lawyer.