Bourbon Kings
3 primary works
Book 1
The #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Black Dagger Brotherhood delivers the first novel in an enthralling new series set amid the shifting dynamics of a Southern family defined by wealth and privilege - and compromised by secrets, deceit, and scandal...
For generations, the Bradford family has worn the mantle of kings of the bourbon capital of the world. Their sustained wealth has afforded them prestige and privilege - as well as a hard-won division of class on their sprawling estate, Easterly. Upstairs, a dynasty that by all appearances plays by the rules of good fortune and good taste. Downstairs, the staff who work tirelessly to maintain the impeccable Bradford facade. And never the twain shall meet.
For Lizzie King, Easterly's head gardener, crossing that divide nearly ruined her life. Falling in love with Tulane, the prodigal son of the bourbon dynasty, was nothing that she intended or wanted - and their bitter breakup only served to prove her instincts were right. Now, after two years of staying away, Tulane is finally coming home again, and he is bringing the past with him. No one will be left unmarked: not Tulane's beautiful and ruthless wife; not his older brother, whose bitterness and bad blood know no bounds; and especially not the iron-fisted Bradford patriarch, a man with few morals, fewer scruples, and many, many terrible secrets. As family tensions - professional and intimately private - ignite, Easterly and all its inhabitants are thrown into the grips of an irrevocable transformation, and only the cunning will survive.
'Get ready for summer's most sinful indulgence. The drama never stops in this tale of family secrets, lost love found, rivalries, delightfully nasty villains, and deliciously appealing heroes. Put on your derby hat and join in the fun.' New York Times bestselling author Susan Wiggs
'Breathless fun! J. R. Ward moves her trademark dark and sexy from the world of warrior vampires to the halls of the Kentucky elite, where the family members claws are just as sharp and the consequences just as deadly. I couldn't stop turning the pages!' New York Times bestselling author Lisa Gardner
'The setting is 80's TV soap opera 'Dallas' meets 'Downton Abbey'... This is high drama, and it's mesmerizing.Fresh Fiction
'I want my "Bourbon" in bed! J. R. Ward delivers a sweeping saga where family roots run deep and passion sizzles hotter than a Kentucky summer. Potent and heady, one taste just isn't enough. New York Times bestselling authorGena Showalter
'The drama and dark secrets behind the Bradford family's empire propel this irresistible story of high-society scandal . . . a read that's rich, smooth, and satisfying as a glass of Kentucky bourbon.' New York Times bestselling authorSusan Elizabeth Phillips
'Soapy elements abound in this Dynasty-esque tale, from lavish wealth to feuds, dirty secrets, and forbidden love Ward is a master of pacing and world building, and readers will love that the cliff-hanger ending guarantees at least a second helping of the Bradfords.' Booklist (starred review)
Book 2
The Bradford family is the crème de la crème of high society in Charlemont, Kentucky—just like their exclusive brand of bourbon. But no one is above suspicion once the apparent suicide of the family patriarch begins to look like murder—especially the eldest Bradford son, Edward. The bad blood between his father and him is known far and wide. As the investigation intensifies, he keeps himself busy at the bottom of a bottle—and with two women who may or may not have his best interests at heart...
Then, on the very brink of the family’s demise, someone thought lost to them forever returns to the fold. Maxwell Bradford has come home. But is he a savior . . . or the worst of all the sinners?
Book 3
At first, the death of William Baldwine, the head of the Bradford family, was ruled a suicide. But then his eldest son and sworn enemy, Edward, came forward and confessed to what was, in fact, a murder. Now in police custody, Edward mourns not the disintegration of his family or his loss of freedom . . . but the woman he left behind. His love, Sutton Smythe, is the only person he has ever truly cared about, but as she is the CEO of the Bradford Bourbon Company’s biggest competitor, any relationship between them is impossible. And then there’s the reality of the jail time that Edward is facing.
Lane Baldwine was supposed to remain in his role of playboy, forever in his big brother Edward’s shadow. Instead he has become the new head of the family and the company. Convinced that Edward is covering for someone else, Lane and his true love, Lizzie King, go on the trail of a killer—only to discover a secret that is as devastating as it is game-changing.
As Lane rushes to discover the truth, and Sutton finds herself irresistibly drawn to Edward in spite of his circumstances, the lives of everyone at Easterly will never be the same again. For some, this is good; for others, it could be a tragedy beyond imagining. Only one thing is for certain: Love survives all things. Even murder.
Praise for J. R. Ward’s Bourbon Kings series
“A most sinful indulgence . . . The gorgeous Kentucky backdrop will sweep you away.”—Susan Wiggs
“Breathless fun!”—Lisa Gardner