The Sinner

L.O.R.D.S.The SinnerShantel Tessier

Aug 16

Written By Ally Talley

L.O.R.D.S. #2

By Shantel Tessier

~ Can be read as a standalone ~

TheStory

Ellington has lived through the absolute worst childhood (and maybe adulthood) and has been left feeling as though she is worthless and deserving of even less. Enter Easton Sinnet a.k.a. Sin. While the both of them have carried torches for each other since they were young, those feelings have been kept secret. Once the two finally connect, Sin will do anything to keep Elli.

TheReview

That’s it for the story because there is no possible way to describe the actual relationship other than “Sin wants her, so he takes her, and she lets him.”

This book was UNHINGED.

I’m a dark romance reader and I love a morally grey - even morally dark grey - hero. I love an anti-hero. I love a murderer.

What don’t I love?

Repeating a cycle of abuse. Complete devotion to a woman’s parts, but being completely ignorant to her well-being and state of mind.

Let me explain.

I fully understand what non-consent, consensual-non-consent, and dubious consent are. Even so, this book is a grey area for non-con, as well. I would give the non-consent or dubious consent description to parts of this book, but certainly not the majority. You know who says, “I know you want it just by looking at you” even though she’s saying no and full-on fighting it and crying? Not a loving partner.

On top of that nonsense, he called her literally all the names that her past abusers had called her. He did the exact things to her that they did.

It really felt like the author was trying to paint Sin as the antithesis of her abusers but ultimately, he was treating her the same way. It just felt like such a dichotomy for Sin and her abusers to be talking the same exact way to her.

No reasons or monologues were given to explain why she was okay being treated like a dirty piece of gum on Sin’s shoe when she hated that about all the men in her life before. I don’t even think the author had a reason, just wanted to write a smut book.

I don’t generally use the word “smut” because it cheapens the stories and literature we’re consuming as readers. I prefer spice or sex scenes. But this book was written for the sole purpose of delivering an overwhelming number of sex scenes containing whatever would give the most shock value to the reader.

I’m all for spice and kink and do what you want to do but this one just seemed like it was for the shock factor more than even anything enjoyable. I get that Elli has WILD kinks, but the storyline didn’t get proper time to evolve well because the entire book was all about how dirty and depraved they could get in the bedroom.

It also took away from what could have been a real connection between the characters. Eventually I started skimming those scenes just because of the sheer volume of them.

Instead of seeing the FMC come into her own, maybe get her revenge, and be treated better by the MMC, we got her just accepting the fact that people will treat her like dirt, continuing to be abused by her abusers (and others), and the MMC treating her like garbage!

Basically, the storyline was that Elli was horrifically abused her whole life. She felt worthless and unloveable. Sin treats her similarly to her abusers but because he loves her, it’s okay. He takes revenge on all her abusers. That’s about it. There wasn’t much depth or heart in it, as far as I’m concerned.

I thought maybe there would be some redemption when Elli officially has a complete mental breakdown. But no. Sin just pushes her further via their sex, but then afterwards she’s fine. So I guess it worked for her?

I get dark romance and being a dick but there needs to be some sort of reasoning as to why the FMC is okay with it or a deeper meaning behind why the MMC does what he does. But for Sin, he just wanted to use her body all the time and took it constantly (enter the quote about “not being able to say no if she can’t speak” as he gags her.). Whaaaaat. I could not for the life of me figure out why she loves him when he’s worse to her (at times) than her abusers were (tied up for two straight days doing nothing but “being used” (her words)? Mmm… no.

What she needs is a hug. I don’t think Sin hugged her once in the whole book unless he was carrying her after she drugged herself, got drugged, or after getting abused.

I will give the book kudos on its positive ending. He avenged her. He was willing to give up his life for her. And because I wanted to see that, I did want to keep on reading. And maybe Elli’s version of happiness is the way Sin treats her, so good for her. I wanted to see her happy. Afterall, Sin was willing to do anything necessary to make Elli happy, even if it meant loving her in the only way she could accept. That’s the only reason it isn’t one star - there were some good parts. It just didn’t hit home because I couldn’t connect with anything up to that point because there was no meaning or reason in the story.

Now, if you want a down and dirty book filled with an excessive amount of smut and a good but very minimal storyline (which I totally understand wanting that sometimes), you might like this one. But beware of the trigger warnings. I listed some of them below because I don’t think the TW page from the author gives nearly enough prep to the reader.

P.S. Someone said “I wanted a Ryat and got a Wish version of an anti-hero. And that is exactly how I felt about Sin.

ProminentTropes

Morally Grey MMC

“Touch her and die”

“Who did this to you?”

Childhood Best Friend

BDSM

Dom/sub

Secret Society

TriggerWarnings

Just some that I don’t feel were accurately stated on the book’s TW page

Rape (detailed, on page, and constant throughout the book)

Child abuse (explicitly detailed and on page often)

Mental and emotional abuse (detailed and on page)

Degradation and humiliation

Not really a trigger but expect an MMC "antihero" that is not kind, gentle, or sweet in any way. He is 100% rough, selfish, and completely willing to use the FMC however he wants, even if it breaks her.