There Are No Saints is another hit by Sophie Lark that I really didn't want to put down. This is another book perfect for fans of dark romance, although I do suggest that you read the trigger warnings before starting just in case. I loved the mix of thriller and romance that just entices you into the plot with beautiful writing I was desperate to know what happens next. Although this is a very dark book and not for everyone I loved this and can't wait to read the sequel.

I went into this book blindly and man on man I am glad I did. Let me first say this is a dark romance and search up trigger warnings before you read it. I've enjoyed all of Sophie Lark's books and this one was no exception. I loved Mara and Cole! I couldn't put this darn book down and read it in one night!

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC!

A fun twist on the basic bad boy love story, where Mara finds herself at the center of attention of not only one, but two artistic serial killers. Can she survive their spotlight?

I’ve wanted to read this book for forever as BookTok promised me I wouldn’t regret it… and man were they right. Such an all-encompassing read, once I got to the 30% percent mark, I barely put it down again.

This book is not for the faint of heart, and there are some scenes that are disturbing, so be sure to read trigger warnings before reading. That being said, this book is a definite must read for dark romance lovers.

Big thanks to Netgalley, Sourcebooks Bloom Books and the author Sophie Lark for allowing me to read an E-Arc of this book.

There Are No Saints by Sophie Lark
Release Date with Sourcebooks: 10/3/23
Format: ebook/audio hybrid
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I go into almost every book blind and this was no different. I love Sophie so I request all her books I see on NetGalley. So I had NO idea what was waiting for me in book one of the Sinners duet! Whew this one was dark, friends!

…and I absolutely loved it. Serial killer artists but make it spicy as all hell? Yes please. Sign me up! This is a book premise that could not have been pulled off by many people, but Sophie Lark is a queen and it was so well done! Such a fresh take on dark romance and I could not put it down.

If you’re looking for a perfect mix of thriller vibes & well written smut, this book is for you! Just make sure to check the content warnings before diving in because it really does get dark throughout.

Can’t wait to read book two and see how Mara & Cole navigate their Shaw problem in book two of this duet!

The definition of a page turner, I could not peel my eyes away from reading. The two MCs are very well developed and I loved how Mara picks herself up and fights back.

Cole wasn’t a character I felt like I wanted to hang out with for a whole book. That said, it was easy to read and follow along. I stopped after chapter 1 (5%), but I feel like it will be a solid three stars for the target audience, and 4 stars for the right readers.

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks for the ARC.

There Are No Saints by Sophie Lark is a SUPER dark romance. Proceed with CAUTION, especially if you're new to the dark side of romance. Much darker than her mafia series, There Are No Saints is set in the art scene in San Francisco, where beautiful art disguises something much darker and more dangerous. Cole is a lauded sculptor, but he's also a killer, and he has an artistic and violent rivalry with Shaw, another artist and serial killer. Mara is a struggling artist who gets caught between the two men--and once she catches Cole's attention, her entire life is upturned.

Cole's obsession with Mara is intense and focused, and the uneven power dynamic between them makes this romance borderline toxic--but in the best way? People reading this know that it's fiction, and anyone who acted like Cole in real life would be a walking RED FLAG. But in a book? I'm shockingly okay with it.

This entire book is one big trigger warning. There is stalking, and dub-con, and he has no respect for her autonomy. He tattoos her without permission just because he's jealous. Also, there are detailed descriptions of torture and murder. The on-page intimacy scenes are also incredibly graphic and detailed. Definitely 18+ with this one.

This book ends on a cliffhanger, but thankfully both books are available on October 3rd from Bloom Books, so no one has to wait for the resolution. (They've both been previously published, I believe, independently.)

Kept me hooked from start to finish. The story is full of suspense, passion, and complex characters, making it a compelling page-turner. Lark's writing style is engaging, and she creates a vivid and gritty world that draws you in. While I thoroughly enjoyed the book, I found a few plot twists to be somewhat predictable, which is why I'm giving it four stars instead of five. Nonetheless, it's a solid read for anyone who enjoys romantic suspense novels with a touch of darkness and intrigue.

I dunno the writing was good but felt like it was missing something. And that scene when they tattoo each other clearly shows that the author made zero research into the topic and it just made me lose interest in the remaining of the book.


Thanks netgalley for the arc

I absolutely devoured this book.
Once I got over the initial shock that the main male character is a serial killer I actually started to enjoy it...a lot (I don't know what that says about me though...)
It is fast paced, and unlike other of Sophie's books, I felt like the relationship progressed naturally (well as natural as it can be considering Cole's obsessive nature and "unique" hobby).
Both Mara and Cole have been through trauma and have had a difficult past, but I really liked how they were written and actually got attached to them, enough to keep reading and wanting to see what happens in the second part.
It feels a little bit like the TV series Dexter, it keeps you on your toes and at the same you get the steamy romance and delicious obsession of Cole with Mara.

I have to be honest, I needed to take some time after reading this book before I reviewed it. I needed time to digest what I just read, and self-reflect.

This book was dark. It dealt with some very dark themes and had some very dark scenes within it. But what I cannot understand is how Sophie Lark was able to take the intensity and heaviness and importance from those moments but not let the reader get stuck in the darkness. There was no icky feelings or questioning of why I was reading this. It was meaningful and impactful in how it was written without feeling WRONG.

I read the darkest romance I've ever read, and yet I didn't feel it crawling on my skin. I felt INVESTED. I felt CONNECTED. I felt the growth WITH the characters. I didn't watch them grow, I felt them grow.

And the PACING. Immaculate. Not one moment of this book was I distracted. Not one moment was I thinking that a single page of the book was unnecessary. Not one moment did I feel overwhelmed with plot twists. It was paced to perfection.

I recommend this completely to those who have read heavier romance books with darker themes. I don't think I would tell someone who has only read light romance to go straight to this book. But if you've already dipped your toe in the morally-grey men pool of romance and enjoyed it.... absolutely I recommend this.

I will be thinking about this book for a very long time. Well, at least until I read the second book (which will be very very soon...).


HUGE thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Bloom Books for providing an arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

4.5

Dark contemporary romance with all the thrills--very similar vibes to YOU.

There Are No Saints follows the romance of a victim and a serial killer. If you like alpha males becoming whipped for independent women and the Cinderella trope, look no further. Recommended for NA readers who like suspense, thrill, tension, spicy scenes, and slow burn romance.

This is definitely a DARK romance so check trigger warnings, y'all.
That being said, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. If you like your books with a little bit of smut, stalker, serial killer, obsessive MC vibes then you will definitely enjoy this one. I need to immediately start the second book in this duology because I need to know what happens. And yeah, definitely no saints here :)

Um, this may just be the most wild dark fantasy I have ever read... do yourself the favorite and LISTEN TO THE TRIGGER WARNINGS before you pick this book up.
They include but are not limited to: Stalking, abduction, sexual assault, murder, self harm, and explicit sexual content.

I cannot even tell you how many times I found that my jaw was on the FLOOR. The audacity of these characters along with the plot twists had me literally speechless at times.

Please carve out a few hours of your time to read this because even though you may not want to read this at any point, you aren't going to be able to put it down or stop thinking about it until you've finished it.

Cole is a walking red flag and Mara is colour blind (and apparently so am I bc I love that man).

There are no saints is a sexy thriller that deals with dark themes - you have been warned - there is no ‘morally gray’ about him, Cole Blackwell is fucked in the head. Stalking, murder, breaking and entering, there are no limits to his madness… except Mara of course. She makes him feel things he never thought possible. It’s toxic and controlling and maybe I shouldn’t love it as much as I do but ✨fictional men✨ get a free pass.

There Are No Saints by S. Lark is the first book in the Sinners Duet. Be aware that this is a dark read that deals with sensitive subjects. Consider you warned.
Cole Blackwell, a moody artist, brilliant in his field of art is not friends with Shaw. Both are competitors, not only in the artsy way, they have the same passion that drives them. Nough said.
Mara is a coming artist, lives with eight rommates, needs studio place asap - works three jobs to make ends meet; you get the picture. And both men have their eyes set on her.
It wasn't easy to get into the story, the characters are stubborn to a t, they don't give an inch. It goes their way or not at all. A complicated, complex story that concludes in the next book.

Rounded up from 3.5
Cole and Shaw are rival artists. But they are rivals in more ways than one, especially when it comes to Mara. Shaw wants to use her, and Cole won't let him.
This dark, serial killer romance is the first book in the Sinners Duet. I'm baffled. I think I will need to read the sequel to know how I really feel about this. That personalized vibrator scene? Sign me up! As for the rest, it was just as dark, twisted and disturbed as you'd expect a Sophie Lark romance to be.
"Secrets are lonely. -Only people who want company are lonely. -Only people who are scared of other people want to be alone. - Which of us is scared right now? -Both of us, I think. -Yet we're both here."
I received an advance review copy of this book for free and I'm leaving this review voluntarily.

This is a devastating case of a reread making me like a book less. I don’t think I realized how much was missing from the story until now. I feel like it could’ve been 50-100 pages longer? I don’t think enough was shown between Cole not caring for Mara and becoming crazy obsessed with her for it to feel realistic and natural??? It felt more insta love this time around which doesn’t match his whole cold, serial killer vibe. Lark's writing is still great in how it hooks you in, but I do think the story is missing some interactions and character building in the middle. I didn’t really buy the love story or serial killer vibe this second time around. It also wasn’t nearly as crazy I thought it was. Maybe I’ve just read crazier stories since. but I felt like the stakes were low, Cole could have acted like more of a threat/menace, and there was a lot of tension and build up that could have been added.

I still enjoyed Lark's writing style and her characters. I also prefer this series over her mafia ones and I think it highlights her ability to create unique storylines and interesting characters. I just felt like there were some things lacking plot and development wise. giving it 3.5 stars and I still heavily recommend for everyone to read it because it really is an enteratining and fun read!

A big thank you to Sourcebooks Bloom for the chance to review this!

<i> I received an arc via Netgalley, and am leaving an honest review about the book. I’m thankful to the publisher and the author for giving me this wonderful opportunity!</i>

Oh to be Cole Blackwell’s little prodigy 🤧 God, the way I love this book to DEATH. I’d been a bit hesitant to start it originally because sometimes books like this don’t hit the way you want them to (after Zade Meadows, no stalker/psychopath romances feel the same 😩), but Sophie Lark surprised me. The Sinners duet surprised me.

I don’t really like capitalized words or sentences to symbolize yelling, it’s not my preferred style of writing, but the book was written so beautifully and was so enthralling that I basically didn’t even notice that style. I love the way we first get introduced to Cole, and then the way he so coldly steps over Mara before his descent to obsession with her begins. God, I love obsessive men.

Everything about this book was perfection, and damn if I don’t sing its praises every time.

A fantastic duet from Sophie Lark.

There Are No Saints follows Cole, a famous and successful artist, his rival Shaw, another famous artist, and Mara, an up and coming artist. All the while, there's a serial killer on the lose famous for attacking young woman around Mara's age.

After a brutal attack on Mara, the lives of Mara, Cole, and Shaw get intertwined.

The love story, if you can call it that, is between Mara and Cole.

It was a great read. The sequel is EVEN better. A big fan of this duet.

This gives "You" vibes.