This review may contain spoilers, so fair warning, upon reading the review. Also my tags may have spoilers in them so be forewarned before checking out full review.

Book Evaluation:
Plot: 🎞️🎞️🎞️🎞️🎞️
World Building:🌎🌎🌎🌎
Cover:📔📔📔📔📔
Hero: 🦸🏻🦸🏻🦸🏻🦸🏻
Heroine:🦸🏻‍♀️🦸🏻‍♀️🦸🏻‍♀️🦸🏻‍♀️
Intimacy Level: 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
Relationship Building: 💒💒💒💒
Heart & Feels:💞💞💞💞
Witty/Banter/Reaction of Laughter: 😂😂😂
Page Turner Level:📖📖📖📖📖
Ending:🧧🧧🧧🧧🧧
Overall View: ✨✨✨✨

“You’re my heaven, and I’m your hell,” I whisper, making sure she understands her current situation.

First Impressions
The Sinner is the second book in the "LORDS" series by Shantel Tessier. I am not sure what I was expecting with this one, but this book was NOT it at all. And honestly I didn't even read the blurb, I kinda wanted to go into this one blind but man this book pushed so many of my limits and I read a ton of dark romance. But Shantel Tessier really knows how to push my buttons especially with this series and its definitely more sex scene focused than I am used to. I would definitely say she writes dark erotic romance. But it has some tough issues being tackled so please make sure to check the trigger warnings before reading this book.


When I burn the world down, and they ask me why, I’ll tell them the devil asked me to do it. And I wanted to make him proud.


First Line
A Lord takes his oath seriously.

The Main Protagonists
The Hero:Easton Bradley "Sin"
The Heroine: Ellington "Elli" Asher

Summary
Sin went through all the test to become a lord but what really surprised him the most was the final test and it brought him to Elli's door. He knew that she would be his and he would do whatever it took to take her from the hell she is in, even if it meant not delivering right away. He would need to play a masterful game because being in the Lords is not what everything seems. Elli's life went to hell the moment her father died and had been groomed since she was 13 to be a sex toy for those in the Lords. She has a very bleak future, and barely survives by the drugs that she takes. But when she is found by Sin, she will be pushed to her boundaries, but find a deep love she never expected to find.

I want toxic. I want madness. I want someone who makes me question my sanity. And I know I won’t be happy until the masked man decides to make me his forever. I’m perfectly fine spending the rest of my life not knowing who he is as long as he continues to come see me.

What I Loved
This book was insane! lol This book really pushed my buttons but in some cases it was a good thing. There was such complexity to the story and I adored how the plot was built. It definitely was so well crafted. I also love this author's writing style, it just is so engaging and has an addictive quality to it that makes you never want to put it down. The first half was rough, you really have to get through the first 50% and it won't be easy. But if you can get beyond that, then the actual romance will really flourish and you will want to get your pom pom's and cheer this couple into their HEA. They have a very rough road, and Sin has to be crafty and I loved how well this author played out his plan there. There is a strong sense of it being a forbidden love, we also get a introduction to "carnage" and I am very fascinated by it and curious to see where the author is going with that one. Cause I know we will see more of it in future books. The heroine's journey really tackled some tough issues of addiction and sexual abuse so very well. It might be too much for readers, but I think for some it will really resonate on a deep level. The last 25% of the book was my favorite aspect of the story. This is where we really see our couple come together and truly shine and the surprises in the end totally lifted my heart with this book. It truly made all the battles worth it in the end, especially for our heroine.

But always remember, Elli, that I love you. And no man on this earth will ever come close to feeling what I feel for you. And if he thinks he does, I’ll rip his fucking heart out.”

What I Struggled With
There was WAY too much sex scenes in this one. Or maybe I had forgotten how much of it this author writes. lol The sexual abuse that Elli goes through is really hard to see. Normally I am fine with it, but the way this author wrote it, it was just so hard to see for it, especially in what we see the hero do with the heroine sometimes. But also how we see others treat her was so difficult. Then we have the addiction aspects. This will not be for everyone, and its rough to see what has happened to he throughout all of this. I almost wanted to DNF because it was just so much trauma that happens to the heroine with not much hope or light to balance it out. I know its dark romance, but this is SUPER dark romance and you really need to have the right mindset for it and I am not sure I had the best mindset because the first half just made me so depressed.

We all pay a price, sin. Some more than others. What it ends up costing us depends on how bad we want it.

Overall View
The Sinner is a captivating, intense filled story that delves into some tough issues. Its a story that will push your boundaries in way you aren't ready for but will also deliver such complexity, depth and true heart in the end to take your breath away!!!

Book Details (also in my shelves)
Sub Genre: Dark Romance, Erotic Romance
Character Types: Abused, Alpha Male, Anti Hero
Themes: BDSM, Hot Smexy Times, Have Known Each Other 4 Ever
Tropes: Best Friend Sibling, Forbidden Love

Book Perspective
Duo POV

Relationship Conflict vs Plot Conflict
Both

If you like these authors, I recommend This Book
Amo Jones
Harley Laroux
Rina Kent

Song This Book Inspires
Gasoline by Halsey

Recommendation For Reading Order
Yes

Steam/Spice Explanations

Blazing fire to the building-The prime focus is the sex scenes, scorching hot, and could burn one. Less focus on the emotional intimacy to the relationship.

3.5/5⭐️ • 5/5🌶️

This book was wild and not completely in a good way. To be completely honest I have no idea how the FMC survived this book. This book was dark, like dark, dark. I honestly had the same level of investment as the first book but I am a little more excited for the third book. I think there has been a better build up for his character so I am intrigued to see what will happen in that one. But this one just went from chaos to chaos set on fire. Like some concepts of human decency weren’t evident in this book. And yeah, I know it’s a dark romance and I’ve read some hardcore stuff, but this one took some parts of that too far to be honest in my opinion of the book.

You know that sound”hooo I fudge uppp… hooo Noo I fudge upp” Me passing through all the trigger warnings thinking.. “it can be that bad, the first one was fine” Gulp…. Well now I know witch trigger warnings trigger me the most.

most concerning book ive read yet

Idk what to say about this book. It was a train wreck I couldn’t look away from. Definitely crossed multiple lines that I can simply not support. That being said I did finish it. Really need to touch grass tho after this one.

Was this a good book? Maybe? I don’t really know. Honestly I felt like I read 4 books in one with the amount of plot that happened here both on and off of the pages.

I enjoyed it… but at times I just got tired of the treatment the fmc was experiencing. I understand why it was happening, it’s the whole point of the story but I just hated the whiplash it gave me all the time. I just felt sorry for Ellington the entire book except for the last few chapters.

The spice was definitely hot with sin. The only parts I enjoyed. Ha.

I was expecting better after reading The Ritual.

If anyone wants to form an emotional support group for people who’ve finished this book lmk.

okay WOOWWWWW this book was amazing!

only problem was some slight plot holes that didn’t get cleared up and please god tell me why everyone’s eyes are “ice-blue” ??

Holy shit, this was a rollercoaster that I'd wish I could experience again for the first time. I'm absolutely in love with this series

I honestly don’t know how I finished this book, but I am so glad I did. What an emotional roller coaster. Take the trigger warning serious, this is probably the darkest book I have read in my life.

I finished it but with a lot of effort. VERY dark. The only reason I kept reading was because I was curious on what was going to happen. I will be honest, I go back to this book sometimes but It’s way to much happening at once and I was confused through most of the book.

I wanted to DNF this so bad but I reluctantly finished, mostly so I could tell my friend whether or not I thought she would be able to read it without being triggered by her past trauma and slightly because I was genuinely hoping it would get better. There was barely any plot, no character development, no depth to anyone, especially the FMC, and I felt like it was super repetitive in the sense that there was no story but there needed to be a certain word count minimum so she just said the same things over and over.

On a personal note… to anyone with trauma or triggers… I have read some dark dark dark romance and have not ever felt so uncomfortable that I had to skip some pages, but I did in this. The trauma the fmc went through is VERY detailed and it is in just about every chapter. If there’s even a chance that subjects like grooming or drug use or details of r@pe scenes (yes, plural) will bother you, do not read.

All in all - The ritual was way better than this. Super disappointed and definitely wouldn’t recommend.

Literally the darkest, most f*cked up book I have EVER read.