Ana Huang’s King of Greed delivers a fiery fusion of emotional estrangement, opulent power plays, and second-chance vulnerability wrapped in the lush packaging of contemporary dark romance. As the third standalone in the Kings of Sin series—following King of Wrath (2022) and King of Pride (2023)—this installment feels like the emotional crescendo of the series so far, offering not just steam, but soul.
The Setup: Love Lost, Legacy Gained
Dominic Davenport, the titular “King of Greed,” is a self-made billionaire from a troubled past who has clawed his way to the summit of Wall Street. Married to Alessandra—a warm, intelligent woman who once believed in his dreams—Dominic’s ambition ultimately comes at a steep price: his marriage.
After years of neglect and broken promises, Alessandra walks away. What follows is not a breakup, but a reckoning. And what sets King of Greed apart from standard billionaire romances is that Alessandra doesn’t just leave—she reclaims her identity, purpose, and dignity. The book becomes an exploration of love beyond infatuation, of marriage not as fantasy, but as a fragile construct that must be rebuilt from the ground up.
Plot Summary: From Empire to Embrace
The narrative moves across high-powered boardrooms, glittering galas, tropical hideaways, and intimate rooftop weddings, painting a portrait of two souls navigating the ruins of their first love. After the separation, Alessandra establishes her flower shop—Floria Designs—and rediscovers joy in creating beauty for herself, not as someone’s adornment.
Dominic, however, is shaken. His transformation isn’t abrupt—it is painful, protracted, and deeply human. From failed bank buyouts to near-death experiences with his estranged brother Roman, Dominic’s internal war becomes as important as any external conquest.
The couple’s reconnection unfolds in Brazil, where chance encounters and carefully orchestrated interventions lead to tentative conversations, then confessions, and finally, healing. When they eventually remarry, the scene is less a grand finale and more a poetic reset.
The Core Themes: Power, Redemption, and the Cost of Success
At the heart of King of Greed lies a timeless question: What is the price of ambition, and is love worth more?
Huang explores:
- Ambition vs. Connection: Dominic’s insatiable drive for success blinds him to emotional intimacy. His journey illustrates the bankruptcy of material wealth without shared joy.
- Second Chances: This is no fairy-tale rekindling. The book makes clear that apologies aren’t redemption. Change is.
- Emotional Labor: Alessandra’s character embodies the often invisible emotional work women perform to sustain relationships, making her eventual refusal to continue playing that role both liberating and vital.
- Family and Trauma: From Dominic’s haunted past in the foster system to Roman’s chilling presence, familial scars shape much of the novel’s tension.
Character Analysis: Dominic and Alessandra
Dominic Davenport: The King with Cracks
Dominic is everything a dark romance lead should be—magnetic, brooding, brilliant—but it’s his emotional evolution that earns him a place among Huang’s most layered heroes. His love is never in question; it’s his ability to express and prioritize it that’s broken. Huang doesn’t let him off easily. He signs divorce papers, watches his empire tremble, and only then begins to listen. His transformation feels earned, not cosmetic.
Alessandra Davenport: The Heart that Refused to Break
Alessandra is a triumph. Intelligent, creative, and quietly resilient, she isn’t reduced to a woman wronged. Instead, she emerges as a woman reborn. Her decision to walk away isn’t framed as an act of anger but of self-preservation.
Her ability to recognize this—and act on it—anchors the emotional stakes of the novel.
Writing Style and Craft: Signature Huang, Sharpened
Ana Huang’s prose in King of Greed is evocative without becoming florid. She balances emotional intimacy with high-stakes tension, often within the same chapter. The dual POV structure allows readers to live within both Dominic’s haunted mind and Alessandra’s aching heart.
What sets Huang apart is her control over emotional pacing. She builds up scenes—especially confrontations—with tension so palpable that even quiet dialogue feels like a storm.
The sensual scenes are steamy but never gratuitous. In fact, the emotional aftermath of intimacy often delivers more impact than the act itself—a mark of true maturity in romantic storytelling.
Highlights and Memorable Elements
- Dominic’s Bank Takeover Plot: A masterclass in intertwining financial thriller with romance
- Roman’s Subplot: Adds a delicious noir-like tension that could easily set up future spin-offs
- Alessandra’s Floral Business Arc: Grounding and empowering
- Re-wedding Scene: Poignant and emotionally satisfying
Series Context: Kings of Sin and Beyond
King of Greed is book three in Ana Huang’s Kings of Sin series, which includes:
- King of Wrath (2022) – Dante and Vivian’s enemies-to-lovers arranged marriage drama
- King of Pride (2023) – Kai and Isabella’s low-key emotional battle of love and ego
- King of Greed (2023) – Dominic and Alessandra’s marriage-in-crisis redemption arc
- King of Sloth (2024) – Xavier and Sloane’s slow-burn firestorm
- King of Envy (2025)
- King of Gluttony (2026)
- King of Lust (TBA)
Each book works as a standalone, but when read in order, the emotional resonance deepens as characters interweave across timelines and events.
Also worth exploring are Huang’s Twisted series and If Love series for fans of interconnected worlds, broody billionaires, and soft but strong heroines.
What Could Have Been Better
Though King of Greed excels in character work and emotional arcs, it stumbles slightly in its reliance on certain familiar romance tropes:
- Predictable beats: The “divorced but not over you” trope is effective, but the rhythm feels familiar by mid-book.
- Roman’s subplot: Fascinating but undercooked. A deeper dive into the shadowy organization and his motivations would have enriched the stakes.
- Pacing during middle chapters: The Brazil sequence, while scenic, could have benefited from a tighter narrative drive.
Still, none of these detract significantly from the emotional impact of the story. They simply mark opportunities for expansion, perhaps in future installments.
Similar Titles for Fans
Readers who loved King of Greed may also enjoy:
- The Takeover by T.L. Swan – A corporate romance with emotional healing at its heart
- The Words by A. Jade – Second-chance romance set against fame and loss
- It Ends with Us by Colleen Hoover – For those drawn to emotional depth and female empowerment
- The Stopover by T.L. Swan – For another brooding, business-obsessed alpha
Wrapping It Up: Final Thoughts
King of Greed isn’t just about a man who loses his wife. It’s about a man who nearly loses himself, and the woman who realizes she doesn’t need to be broken to be worthy of love.
Ana Huang continues to evolve as a writer, and this book proves her ability to tackle not just chemistry and conflict, but commitment. For those who believe romance is as much about rediscovery as it is about desire, this novel delivers in spades.
Not perfect—but powerful, poignant, and undeniably addictive.