Tamed: The Courtside King Duology, Book 1: Upending Tad Spin Off #2: Breck and Kai Paperback – September 1, 2022

I have been waiting for this book for so long and was thrilled to find out it had several crossover scenes from the Upending Tad series! It would have been worth it just to get to see more of those scenes and see them from a different POV but getting to learn more about Kat and Breck and see their story start was so wonderful too! My favorite part was the long, detailed, and very hot and intimate shibari scene, but there were lots of other favorite parts too. I thought the book ended in a good place regarding their relationship, and I am so excited about book two! I highly recommend!

If you’ve ever done something dumb – and done it repeatedly, “Tamed,” by Kora Knight might be for you. It features two guys who know they’re not suited, but can’t fight the pull of attraction. And I found myself rooting for their folly! What an odd position to bind me!Martial Arts and Shibari instructor extraordinaire, Kai, is so driven he owns his own studio, including its building (where he also lives) by the age of thirty. A minimalistic Zen philosophy has generated this success, but allowed no space for intimacy – not even with his rope models. So why does frat senior, “King” Breck (so named because he owns the basketball court as varsity point guard) tie him up in knots? Sure, Breck may be disciplined with his grades and sport, but he’s also an impulsive over-drinker, who sleeps with women indiscriminately. What’s more, Breck challenges Kai’s authority in class.Each time they get close, Breck and Kai swear they’ll be cool, until their competitive edge kicks in. The more encounters they have, the hotter their attraction flares. It’s a special threat for Breck, whose father never lets him forget his NBA goal, and the deportment required to land a contract. Kora Knight tells us, “Breck may be bi, but he wasn’t stupid. He had one chance at going pro, and very few athletes made it as it was. He couldn’t take unnecessary risks.”At moments, I wanted to pull a “Three Stooges,” smacking these guys noses and banging their hard heads together. Their persistent misunderstandings turn this new duology into a slow burn, though they could have been hot and heavy early on. I was surprised, because Kora Knight is the Queen of one-handed reads. So for her fans, yes, this is a spin-off of the Upending Tad series, but has a very different pace and can be read alone.So, then what makes “Tamed” seem so intimate? The intense focus Kora Knight has lent to sexual encounters in prior novels, she now puts on Kai and Breck’s misadventures, personal drives, and internal conflicts. I was fascinated to see how she turned their mild desire into compulsions. Like when Breck first thinks, “There’d be no getting friendly no matter how hot he found Grandmaster to be.” But then, “D*mn. His voice. Like warm, lush velvet. Breck could all but feel it sliding over his sensitive skin…Seductive, yet ominous. Both a dare and a threat. At once completely ramping Breck up while stressing him out.”And for Kai? “Breck was a temptation he didn’t need, their personalities like oil and water. Scratch that, like gasoline and fire.” Wow! The language, the comparisons Kora Knight uses…clear, simple, impressive…aimed at showing how people are always more complex and conflicted than we imagine.And, if you’re into bondage, the details are divine. How are various ropes experienced in different spots? How does someone feel as he slowly loses his mobility? What is the experience as he’s released? I can always count on Kora Knight to involve every sense, until I am immersed in her character’s experiences. She makes books more sensual than if I was watching the scenes unfold in a movie!But alas, beware! “Tamed” is a blasted cliffhanger. Just as things heat up, bam, we’re done. Kora Knight indicates she’s feverishly at work on the conclusion of this, The Courtside King Duology. Come on, come on. I’m bound in anticipation!

Captivating, fast moving and sexy as hell! The yum factor of this story is off the charts! Expert writing and character development grabs you and just doesn’t let go. A must read for those of you who need a peek in into just how good two people can be for each other and then have a hell of a time realizing it!

I was really looking forward to this book. I have read the Upending Tad series several times as well as the books about Max and Sean. I enjoyed those but this is just boring. Nothing happens in the book except Breck and his dude bros getting drunk. I cannot see how Kai would find anything compelling about Breck except for his looks. Hopefully the next book will show Breck growing up and being worth Kai's time. Kai is a great character and deserves a better romance.

I received this ARC… I honestly might have shed a small tear when it dropped. Like many, I have been anxiously awaiting Breck and Kai’s turn in the limelight. The tension, the tease, the control, and the seamless timelines made every minute worth the wait. The writing is tight and I loved the push and pull of their dynamic. (Kai-take that tightly wound control and UNRAVEL him). I’m already looking forward to the 2nd book.

I was thrilled when I saw we were finally getting Breck and Kai's story! I was a huge fan of the Upending Tad series and The Dungeon Black duology where  Breck and Kai were mentioned throughout, ​so while this could be a standalone, I recommend reading the books it spins off of first.I enjoyed this first part of Breck and Kai. We get a lot of refreshers from the previous books, which was nice since it's been awhile since I've read them. It took a bit for this to hit its stride for me though because Breck took a lot for me to warm up to. He was a little too arrogant and obnoxious at first, but Kai is there to help tame him. The 2nd half of the book really took off for me as Breck started letting him in more and we get a more solid sense of where things will be going and I'm All In for that!  So while this one felt like a long introduction,  it absolutely left me wanting for book 2, which I know will be an epic conclusion.

I have been an avid fan of this entire series/spin off series from day one, Kai and Breck brought me all the feels just like tad, Scott, max and Sean all did. Well written, steamy, perfect amount of angst and one hundred percent sexy. I cannot wait for the next installment of this duology. I've been looking forward to their story it seems like forever.

This entire world has been my guilty pleasure when I want to indulge in a comforting (and hot as heck) re-read, so I was thrilled when I heard Breck and Kai's story was out. Loved the way these two interacted, and can't wait to read what happens next.Thoroughly recommended series.

Now familiar with this series from Korea Knight, ‘Tamed’ Book 1 in Courtside King Duology, leaves off on a bit of a cliffhanger with Kai having just cooked a delicious seafood meal for Breck, “Ready for Dessert”?Kai is a super character, so into his Zen Garden, meditation and his own well-being, as well as that of others. Breck is a bomb waiting to explode from all the pressure he is put under by his father. Not even his coaches on his basketball team grind on him so hard.Between his Frat house friends and his College friends, he spends a lot of time partying, drinking and hooking up with girls who follow the athletes, 1 night only. It’s becomes a contest with Ned one of his college friends. I’m thinking that Ned is trying to hide something, just like Breck.I’m on tenterhooks for Book 2 because I know it is going to break me, and this particular trope (overbearing parents) is going to cause a lot of angst and tears.Everything I’ve read in this whole Series ‘Upending Tad’ and its follow ups, has been excellent. I’ll be adding more of Korea Knight’s catalogue of work to my TBR list.Highly recommend starting with ‘Upending Tad’ as all the characters get a mention there right at the start.

I have been waiting so long for Ms. Knight to bring Breck and Kai to life, and she did it in spades.Tamed, bk 1 gives plenty of background into Kai and Breck, which isn't known in the UpEnding Tad series. Breck is the King of the court - The basketball court, and boy, does he know it. he basks in the glow of constant praise and adoration of his fans. This would come across as too cocky if Breck wasn't shown with his best friends as a much more down-to-earth guy.Kai, as cool and collected as Breck is fire and energy. The Tae Kwon Do expert is intrigued by Breck's can do no wrong attitude, yet his surprising talent.Unfortunately, the two men don't see eye to eye, but that doesn't stop the attraction they have for each other building. It does allow for plenty of frustration between the two men that just builds and builds.The book is a slow burn of will they/won't they, which without Ms. Knight's amazing storytelling skills could possibly turn into the hurry up and get on with it.Ending on a subtle cliffhanger, I'm hoping I won't have to wait too long for book 2

This book has been long awaited, the story of Kai and Breck.Just a warning, it is a very slow start, as the author sets the scene. Honestly it took me ages to get to the point where the story picked up, I put the book down numerous times.Once I got to that point the book was very hard to put down. It was great to finally read about Breck & Kai, loved the drop-ins from Kora’s other books.Can’t wait to see how this story unfolds in the next book.

I've been waiting years for this book and it didn't disappoint. The chemistry between Breck and Kai is amazing. The building of the anticipation in each scene between the two of them is outstanding. I was so hurt when book 1 ended. I can't wait for book 2.