The Rivaled Crown

The Veiled Kingdom Series, Book 3

De: Holly Renee

Narrado por: Aaron Shedlock, Aubrey Vincent

I swore I would never return to this palace. Never kneel before my father again.

But I have been dragged back into his gilded cage, trapped beneath his rule, and bound to a fate I had tried to escape.

My body is his to break, my magic his to wield. And no matter how many nights I dream of Dacre storming these halls, of his hands, pulling me from the darkness—dreams are nothing against the greed of a king.

Even if my mate comes for me, even if I am freed from my father's grip, I'm not sure there will be anything left of me to save.

The kingdom is dying. The land withers beneath the weight of stolen magic, and my father's reign will not end without bloodshed.

But I have lived in the dark for too long.

And I was not made to wither, I was made to burn.

Narrated in duet style.

©2025 Holly Renee Publishing (P)2025 Podium Audio

Oh Daddy Dacre

Really a 3.5/5.
I enjoyed the series as a whole, but this one wasn't my favorite. One thing that never changed was Daddy Dacre's filthy mouth!

It did its job for me to conclude the series and I will def recommend it!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 (4.5 stars) | 🌶️🌶️ (2 spice)

I’m not crying, you’re crying — because this series is officially over and I don’t know what to do with myself. 😭 The Rivaled Crown was a stunning finale to a magical, sexy, and emotionally loaded ride through a world that’s become a second home.

This last installment gave us exactly what our hearts wanted — more Dacre and Verena. Their bond? Literal fate. Their chemistry? Off the charts. Their connection to the land? Spiritual and soul-deep. I loved that this book honed in on their mating bond and the deeper ties that had long been written for them — by their bloodlines, their past, and the badass mothers who clearly knew what was up. 👑🌿

Dacre continues to be my absolute favorite golden-eyed, German Shepherd man. Like… if protective, broody, sexy mate energy had a face, it would be his. And Verena? Goddess-tier. She’s fierce, powerful, and her unwavering love for Dacre had me rooting for their HEA from page one. This woman could burn kingdoms and I’d still be like, “Yeah, seems fair.”

Now, yes — some parts of the book did feel a bit overly descriptive. And I swear if I read one more variation of the same phrase, I was about to start a tally chart. But in the grand scheme of things? Minor speed bumps in an otherwise epic emotional rollercoaster.

I’m going to miss these characters, this world, this elemental magic, this delicious fated mates trope… all of it. Holly Renee, thank you for the ride — I’m already booking a one-way trip back to this series for a reread.

Little Traitor

I would still betray an entire kingdom for Daddy Dacre.

This book ruined me in the best way. Holly Renee did not hold back in The Rivaled Crown — she gave us war, betrayal, heartbreak, and a love so intense it felt like magic (and sometimes literally was).

Watching Verena — our girl, our fighter, our traitor princess — be dragged back to the palace and trapped under her father’s control? Gut-wrenching. Watching Dacre wrestle between rebellion and the girl who’s owned him from day one? Torture. Beautiful, slow-burn, soul-destroying torture. And I ate it up.

This final book had everything: secrets, power plays, battles that had me holding my breath, and a love story that burned through every betrayal thrown at it. The chemistry between Verena and Dacre?? Off the charts. He’s unhinged. She’s unstoppable. And together? Chaos.

I don’t care how it started — I am and will always be Dacre’s little traitor.

If you’re into high-stakes fantasy romance with morally gray rebellion leaders, powerful heroines who refuse to stay broken, and endings that hurt so good, this one’s for you.

It's fine

The performance was great. I loved the voice characters. I did remember why I put down the first two after I picked up the third. The storyline is good but I definitely skipped a lot of the inner dialog. So many repeated phrases as well. Over all not a literary masterpiece but it was good enough for me to finish

The storyline, mixed with the characters voices

Even though just a duo read, they did an amazing job with the storyline. Would 10/10 read again