Tyrant by R.K. Lilley | Book Review • Ana's Attic Book Blog

Tyrant by RK Lilley

Standalone spinoff from The Wild Side Series. Male POV Rom-com.

RK Lilley has always been one of my favorite authors. She wrote a lot between 2012 and 2016, then returned with one book in 2019. Since it’s been a while since I’ve read her and my tastes have changed a lot, I was worried I wouldn’t feel the same. I needn’t have worried! I ABSOLUTELY LOVED TYRANT by R.K. Lilley. It’s one of my favorite books of the year—but don’t expect a typical RK Lilley book, this one is completely different than anything she has written and I think it’s my favorite! I want to mention here that I am now reading an ARC of Teacher’s Pet, her next release, and it is very different from this one (and it’s by far her spiciest book, and that’s saying a lot).

“She was half my size soaking wet, but she’d just wiped the floor with my ego.”

Tyrant is light, sexy FUN! You wouldn’t know it from the name or title, but it’s told all from the male POV and it’s filled with adorable banter. Turner, the hero of this novel, originally appeared in the Wild Side Series, but I haven’t read any of that in seven or eight years and didn’t remember him at all. It didn’t matter, Tyrant stood perfectly fine on its own.

Turner is a very successful author who can’t keep an assistant. Why? He keeps fucking them. This time he is determined to find one he is not interested in sexually. In walks Devereux. She is tiny when he likes long-legged model types. She is plain with no makeup and wears baggy clothes that hide everything, and she is an innocent church-goer who is a bit too young for him. Perfect.

Turner is a pig. He thinks 100% with his dick. He has a sex room where he frequently has more than one woman entertain him. But he’s still so damn likable! Devereux “Ro” is the first person to stand up to him and her feistiness turns him on more than any model ever did.

“What? I’m an affectionate guy.”
“Affectionate like a horny puppy.”
“A horny puppy? Really? That the best you can come up with?”
Her soft, pouty mouth was twisted thoughtfully. “Ridiculous, perverted, narcissist,” she tried.
“Hey!” That one hit close enough to home to actually sting a bit. “I’m not ridiculous.”
She was walking away. “I’m too busy for this, you gorgeous asshole,” she muttered under her breath.
“That one was practically a compliment!”

This was a slow burn. He flirted, they joked, they fought, they bantered. But she was saving herself for true love and marriage and wouldn’t really give him the time of day.

“Reprobate.”
“Virgin.”
“Ho.”
“Marry me.”
“You don’t believe in love, remember?”
“What’s that got to do with marriage?”
“Jackass.”
“Prude.”
“Hedonist.”
“Killjoy.”

The non-sex was still so freaking hot! His want for her was so overwhelming, and I actually liked not having her point of view. It made his obsession even more fun.

“She ran her thumb slowly over my bottom lip, once, twice. My eyelids drifted shut, but I forced them open to watch the way she was looking at me.
It was insane, with the amount of hedonistic delights I’d buried myself in over the years, but I’d swear it was the most sensual thing I’d ever experienced.
I was trembling. I’d never wanted anyone like this. Her thumb on my lips was more intense than full on penetration with another woman. It was bedlam.”

Turner is honestly one of my favorite heroes ever. While I don’t like to compare or bring up other author’s books, in this case I need to. He makes me feel like Mal from Play by Kylie Scott. They are just so playful together!

“Tease.”
“Horndog.”
“Ballbuster.”
“Wanton.”
“Can I just see a nipple?” That got her eyes off the computer.
“Just one?” she asked with heavy amusement.
“I’ll take anything.”

Likes:

Amazing banter
Male POV only
I smiled the whole time.
An adorable dog.
It was so hot! The teasing and non-sex were as hot as the sex!
He was so obsessed with her and I loved his reaction to his obsession.
Cameos for The Wild Side Series and some of her other series.

Dislikes:

There were a few monologues that were written a little weirdly and I had to re-read them a few times.
I wish I did a reread of the Wild Side Series because I just didn’t remember enough when the characters showed up in this book. I don’t think you would notice this if you are new to RK. But for me, I recognized the characters and wished I remembered more about them.

The Down & Dirty:

I was not really in the headspace for a hot book with an alpha male, but it was RK Lilley, and it had been too long since she released. Tyrant looks like the typical bossy alpha romance, but all is not as it seems! It turned out to be a sexy rom-com with some of the hottest and most playful banter I’ve read. I love a male POV book, and RK Lilley did a great job with Tyrant, making it only my fourth 5-star read this year. But be warned: If you are looking for the hot, bossy alpha you are used to from RK, this may not be for you. If you like banter and a guy who falls first and obsesses, you will love Tyrant like I did.