King of Envy | Slow Burns & Bad Decisions: A Messy Billionaire Romance Review

⭐️⭐️⭐️ — “Tension? Off the charts. Morals? A little shaky.”

This book had vibes. Ayana Kidane is a literal goddess—graceful, glamorous, and deeply guarded thanks to a minefield of past trauma and fashion industry sleazebags. She’s fake-engaged to Jordan Ford, a man so bland he could be the human version of a waiting room playlist.

Enter: Vuk Markovic. Brooding billionaire, Jordan’s best friend, and a masterclass in emotionally constipated longing. He’s been secretly pining after Ayana for years—silently suffering every time she walks into a room like it’s a full-body experience. The tension? Immaculate. The glances? Lethal. The chemistry? Volcanic.

It’s the slowest of slow burns—deliciously painful, impossibly restrained, and filled with eye contact that says everything. Also, shoutout to Shadow the cat, who may or may not have more emotional intelligence than all the humans combined.

But here’s the thing: Ayana and Vuk do end up making out while she’s still engaged to Jordan. Yes, the engagement is fake, and yes, feelings are complicated—but that part didn’t sit right with me. No matter how emotionally messy things get, that moment crossed a line.

Still, if you love your romance with longing so intense it feels like a third character, this one delivers—just be ready to yell at the morally gray decisions along the way.