King of Pride

Isabella is the female love interest and point-of-view protagonist of the novel. She is a bartender at the Valhalla Club, “an exclusive members-only society for the world’s rich and powerful” (2), but she is only in it for the paycheck until she can finish the erotic thriller she’s writing and become a published author. Unfortunately, Isabella suffers from a lack of confidence in herself and a Debilitating Pressure to Succeed in order to live up to her family’s expectations. This causes her writers’ block and avoidance in other areas of her life such as relationships. Isabella’s character growth stems from letting go of her fear of failure, putting a stop to negative self-talk, and devoting herself to finding the sense of purpose she craves by whatever means necessary. 

From the moment she meets Kai, Isabella asserts that they are not each other’s type. Fitting in with the theme of Legacy and Family Expectations, she knows that he dates “the kind of woman who s[i]t on charity boards, summer[] in the Hamptons, and match[] their pearls to their Chanel suits” (9). While she finds nothing wrong with this, Isabella’s purple-dyed hair, mischievous smile, and tattoos make her the exact opposite of the woman whom Kai’s family recommends he date. In addition to her physical attributes, Isabella also boasts a bold and impulsive personality which is “everything [Kai] typically avoid[s] in an acquaintance” (14). This idea is affirmed by the introduction of Clarissa into the narrative, who embodies the “ideal” woman for Kai, according to his mother and sister. Side by side, Clarissa and Isabella are polar opposites. Isabella is compared to a “siren calling to a sailor” (14)—beautiful yet destructive. Kai’s perception of her character alludes to the danger she poses to his carefully tailored lifestyle. This isn’t a bad thing overall, as it pulls him out of his comfort zone and teaches him valuable lessons that change his outlook on life and himself. Despite Clarissa’s introduction as a foil and potential antagonist, she ends up acting as a vehicle for the reconciliation of Kai and Isabella and being a benevolent force.

Vivian is the best friend of Isabella and the heiress of Lau Jewels, her family company, and a luxury event planner living in New York. Like Isabella, she’s struggled with Legacy and Family Expectations throughout her life. She formerly struggled with obedience to her family, specifically her father, who would threaten to disown her if she ever did anything to disappoint him. Since her arranged marriage with Dante Russo and the disagreements she had with her family throughout King of Wrath, Vivian has gained a stronger connection with her mother even if her relationship with her father has become strained. Vivian plays a minor role in the novel, but it does portray her successful, lasting marriage to Dante. 

Alessandra is a newer friend of Isabella’s who hires her as an assistant after Isabella is fired from the Valhalla Club and therefore keeps her from despairing over her lost job. Isabella helps Alessandra set up an online business for her flower-pressing hobby. Even before getting to know her well, Isabella notes that Alessandra “[i]s possibly the prettiest person [she’s] ever met, but an air of melancholy temper[s] her beauty” (236). Through long days and late nights working at the penthouse that Alessandra shares with her husband, Dominic Davenport, Isabella discovers a distance between the couple. Dominic is always overworking and rarely ever comes home to his wife at a reasonable time because of it, causing a strain in their marriage. Her friendship with Alessandra also furthers the plot, as operating in her social circle means that she runs into Kai outside of the Valhalla Club.

Sloane is another great friend to Isabella and Vivian. She runs a boutique public relations firm with a roster of high-powered clients and consistently overworks herself. Throughout the novel, Sloane looks either annoyed or frazzled, as she is dealing with her newest client—Xavier Castillo—who will become the love interest of King of Sloth. Sloane is not a fan of romantic comedies, which she views as “overrated and unrealistic” because they set “people up for failure with false hopes of happily ever afters and cheesy grand gestures when the average man can’t even remember their partner’s birthday” (45). Fitting with this opinion, Sloane specializes in “scathing evaluations,” and her “capacity for preempting strangers’ hurt feelings hover[s] somewhere in the negative thirties” (49). Sloane is straightforward and blunt. She is not “the warm and fuzzy type” yet is protective of her friends (53). Despite her general inability to bring warmth and comfort, she is excellent at crisis management and always prepared to help her friends.