WOW. Just wow. Grippingly intense and rivetingly psychological, this story consumed me! I’m both mesmerized and aghast- brilliant story telling from Sophie Lark! While I love so many of Lark’s stories, I can without a doubt say this is her most creatively inspired piece to date. There Are No Saints is one of the most interesting stories I’ve read in a while- a story of brilliant contrasts, one existentially bold and expertly told. Psychological thriller, dark suspense, gothic romance, angsty taboo? Everything and none of those- this story stands intrepidly on it’s own. And I can not stop thinking about it.

The premise alone is enough to both titillate and chill. Two rival serial killers that have combined their love of the hunt with their artistic expression, engaged in a captivating game of cat and mouse, a murderous one-upping feud. Both respected artists, both rich and powerful, one more base and primitive in his antics, the other more strategic and manipulative. And one is our "hero." And our young, starving artistic ingenue finds herself the center of their games- at first a survivor, then an unwitting participant, and then suddenly grappling with her own inexplicable desire for the dark and controlling mercurial artist whose dark edge is clearly more than an artistic persona. Intrigued? You should be. There’s nothing like this- because Sophie Lark is going to make you delirious attracted to a cold, ruthless serial killer. Oh yes, it’s like The Fall meets You, and I was transfixed from the first word to the last.

The story unfolds like a dangerous seduction- an alluringly slow burn paired with the menacing edge of psychological intensity. Like the blade of a beautiful but bloody knife- something both marvelous and fearsome. Truly, Sophie’s best writing to date- vividly told, atmospherically brilliant, creatively unique, and expertly paced. But the characterization, this is where the story shines. What sets apart a true psychological thriller is just that- the psychology. The nexus of the pathos and logos that make a human mind tick- and tick in a way that isn’t quite normal but still accessible, relatable. And that’s what makes Cole Blackwell such an effective hero. He exudes this Ted Bundy-esque detached charm- a charismatic sophistication paired with a compelling raw magnetism. Sophie so brilliantly constructs and deconstructs this character- gives him depth and nuance that seduces us, but challenges his own essence by inserting emotional chords that are unfamiliar to him. He’s unpracticed in some aspects of feeling- it unsettles but awakens him. Possessive or obsessive, terrifying or enigmatic, sexy or menacing? I don’t care- I’m here for it. And Sophie connects us to him as a character first intellectually, then entirely emotionally- a really brilliant way of evolving a character arc simply by the narrative duality to his point of view. You FEEL his evolution- as much as we also see it in his subtly evolving actions. And we are so wrapped in his mind- we can both recognize psychological “otherness,” and it makes him all the more endearing. Is swooning over a serial killer a thing?

And Mara is such an effective foil- she is a FORCE. Surprisingly so, given how unassuming she is- slight in stature, poor, unnoticeable and powerless, yet she becomes the lynchpin of this story, all because she refuses to let go of her incredibly unsatisfactory life- and then something beautiful happens, her life becomes extraordinary. Like her artistic media, Mara is a collage of pieces- a mosaic of interesting character traits and unexpected moments of character brilliance that made her equally as psychological fascinating as her serial killer beau. We only scratch the surface of her potential to live in the grey, but the glimmers we saw here make me incredibly excited to see just what she’s capable of. There’s a wildness to her that I can’t stop being curious about. And their chemistry is just FASCINATING. Inexplicable, consuming, taboo, toxic- yet beautiful. So much so you even forget about the world around them- because really that’s not what this is about. It’s about the collision of darkness, love, and power- and how they can all find peace in the soul.

“Evil men always want to justify what they do….they want to push you, and bend you, and break you until you snap. Until you do something you’d never thought you’d do. Until you can’t even recognize yourself.”

Be warned triggers abound. Did you not hear me say serial killer? Expect more than just the unsettling- expect the macabre in places. And Sophie dives into it with gleeful savagery. Normalizes it even- yet another brilliant stroke as we enter the mind of Cole. And it’s also filthy hot- kinky Sophie Lark is definitely my favorite.

This is what happens when you step outside of the box- Sophie’s boldness pays off and then some. This is the kind of book that reminds me what I love reading- how words can be art, can challenge our hearts and minds. Brava. I can not wait to see how Sophie brings the story to close.
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Thank you NetGalley for the arc.
Mara is a talented artist, who is struggling to stand tall (as all artists struggle) and somehow finds herself within the manipulative hold of Cole, a respected artist who can be considered as her senior in career.
Mara has a strong character, not a leaf in his wind (okay, he is much like a storm than a wind) and he won’t shift into a serial killer (thank you Sophie Lark, I would be devastated if this story would turn into another You series).
I did enjoy the way they stepped into each others lives and the flow of SL’s writing that made me feel lost within the pages. I could read more if there were more, east, rich and enjoyable. Thank you!

*Thank you so much to bloom books for sending me this book*

I have no words yet plenty of words to describe this book. I gasped out loud at moments and truly wondered what I was reading. BUT I LOVED EVERY SECOND.

This is daaark so check TWs before reading this but personally it was a dark romance book done right. Loved the way it was written, loved the character developments and the tropes in it!!!! It had me hooked with the storyline and I’m now off to read the next one as it finished on a cliffhanger. 4 star read for me as at times it was slightly unrealistic but that’s just a personal opinion and you may vibe with that.

This duet has been allover my TikTok and Instagram feeds for months, so was worried about the hype going into reading. Will say the plot is definitely lives up to things. However, the spice did not. Not to say it was not an enjoyable read overall, because it certainly was. The storyline wound up sucking me in so much that I did not mind the spice was lacking for me personally, for others can see it not. Plus the cliffhanger ending made me wanting the next book immediately!

As dark romances go, this one is pretty much like the rest. It's ok, not great. Broody, angry mmc; sassy yet pitiful fmc.

This book is INSANE in the best way possible. I'm not always a fan of dark romance, but this book was so captivating I absolutely flew through it! So far, my favorite Sophie Lark book. I enjoyed the writing style and plot a lot more than Brutal Prince.
I definitely had to suspend my beliefs at some parts, but I didn't mind that like I usually do.
Hoping that in the sequel we dive even deeper into the characters. I can't wait to see how Sophie wraps up their story in the next book.
Thank you to NetGalley, Sourcebooks Bloom and the author for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.

This may be my new favourite series. I love a good serial killer romance and this is no exception. I really hope certain people get what they deserve. Sophie Lark is such a good writer, the plot is great and the characters feel real.

This was much more action packed than I was anticipating. My heart was pounding at points! This felt like a dark romance version of criminal minds but following the serial killer and a victim. I really enjoyed it. I can’t wait to see where the plot goes in the second book, but so far it’s super well thought out and more complex than a lot of romances! I think this is my first serial killer romance, but it definitely won’t be my last.

I was questioning my devotion to the characters at points (because that truly determines whether I enjoy a romance or not - whether I like the characters/relationship) BUT then they did things that absolutely had me giggling and kicking my feet. Like when they tattooed each other!!!

I tend to lean toward obsessive/possessive dark romances so this definitely did it for me. Also sociopaths and/or psychopaths as mmcs are my thing apparently

As with any dark romance, definitely check trigger warnings. This one gets dark

⤷‧₊˚4.25⭑
“𝐀𝐧𝐝 𝐈 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐳𝐞 . . . 𝐬𝐡𝐞’𝐬 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐈 𝐝𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐝 𝐨𝐟 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞. 𝐌𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐟𝐮𝐥. 𝐌𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐜. 𝐌𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐞𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞. 𝐌𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐟𝐮𝐜𝐤𝐞𝐝 𝐮𝐩.”

my red flag is how obsessed inam with serial killer romances. this was so freaking good the tension between the main characters was incredible, i couldn't put it down because i needed to know what was going to happen next. this was actually one of the first serial killer novels i read and the reason my obsession began.

“𝐒𝐡𝐞’𝐬 𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐜. 𝐈 𝐭𝐨𝐮𝐜𝐡 𝐡𝐞𝐫, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐮𝐫𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐫𝐮𝐧𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐦𝐞. 𝐒𝐡𝐞 𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬 𝐦𝐞 𝐮𝐩, 𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐬 𝐦𝐞 𝐨𝐧, 𝐟𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐬 𝐦𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐠𝐲.”

i know Cole is a big red flag but i can't otherwise , i’m so in love with him.
the way he was obsessed with her before he even knew Mara..😮‍💨

“𝐒𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐮𝐜𝐤𝐞𝐝 𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐩𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐬𝐡𝐞 𝐡𝐮𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐭 𝐨𝐧 𝐦𝐲 𝐰𝐚𝐥𝐥. 𝐈’𝐦 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐜𝐤 𝐚𝐧𝐞𝐰 𝐛𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐚𝐛𝐬𝐨𝐥𝐮𝐭𝐞 𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐠𝐢𝐫𝐥. 𝐈 𝐚𝐝𝐦𝐢𝐫𝐞 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐚𝐮𝐝𝐚𝐜𝐢𝐭𝐲. 𝐖𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐞 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐈’𝐥𝐥 𝐩𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐬𝐡 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐢𝐭.”

this scene had absolutely no reason to be so good..

This dark romance had me in a chokehold! I couldn't put it down. Every time I thought "okay I'll go to sleep after this chapter" I ended up reading more and more.

The characters were well written and their chemistry/tension was through the roof! The stakes are high in this book, it is intense, twisted and at times morally-grey.

The book contained both a musical score and images to go along with several scenes. I loved this and the added immersion it created.

It is definitely a book that you need to read the trigger warnings for as the book discusses mental health, abuse and stalking. Along with most other things you would expect from a dark romance.

I NEED the next instalment, I can't wait to read it. This might be one of those books that I loved so much that I'll go and buy a physical copy of it.

Well, that was… interesting. I enjoyed some of this and didn’t enjoy it. I enjoyed the writing more in this book than I did in “Brutal Prince”, so that’s a point (🥳). However, I just didn’t feel a TON of tension between our two… love(?)/obsession… interests. But, will I be reading book two? Absolutely. Thanks to Netgalley for an ARC copy!

Wow! What a ride! I was expecting to read a dark romance story when I picked this book up, but boy did the story surpass my expectations. Sophie Lark has a beautiful voice when it comes to creating characters that grip you by the heart and a plot that will keep you on the edge of your seat. The chemistry was completely off the charts between the main characters and, at times, passed over the morally gray line, I was okay with that though! Kept me on my toes! If you like a very dark romance read with high stakes, then I highly recommend this book.

Vibes: serial killers, cat and mouse, enjoythesilence.mp3, the glorious pretentiousness of the contemporary art world.

Cole Blackwell and Alastor Shaw are rivals in the high-end art scene. They are also rival serial killers. When Mara Eldritch falls into their mutual line of sight, she's attacked by Shaw--and unexpectedly mentored by Cole.

This book... befuddled and bemused me. I'm not sure how I feel about everything. Like, it's camp, and I do love camp, but--there are a couple of specific areas that crossed a certain line for me. Not the murdering, I don't super care about the morality issues in this novel (though I should acknowledge that there are valid arguments made against serial killer romance novels, and while I'm not sure I agree with them 100%, points have been raised). But the dips into the silly.

Quick Takes:

--In terms of writing quality, for much of this book I found it stronger than Brutal Prince. Brutal Prince was a book in which the 21st century mobsters talked like they were closer to West Side Story. In this one, everyone seems... suitably over the top for the subject matter, but not, for the most part, a caricature. I mean, Cole got pretty close at times, but this is a man who butchered an art critic who dogged him, filed his bones down, dipped them in gold, and used them for a sculpture.

I would also add that, as someone not-unfamiliar with the contemporary art scene, I think setting this book in the art world helped its tone immensely. Because honestly? If anyone is going to believably be ridiculously pretentious and incredibly serious about the most ludicrous shit, it's an artist. Shaw and Cole's rivalry gives HARD "Dynasty" vibes, the champagne is SUPER burnt, and it works because these are men who make art that honestly sounds not great and sell it to other men with bad taste for $750K a pop. I believe it.

--One thing that similarly sells the tone of this book is fact that Mara is completely fucking insane. The name "Mara Eldritch" really clues you into this from the jump, and I do love it. And please understand, when I say she's insane, that's a compliment. I really expected a girl who'd be kind of horrified by her serial killer stalker, but Mara's like "I wanna fuck it", with the kind of enthusiasm with which a horny teenage boy approaches any vaguely cylindrical object. Mara's inability to demonstrate basic survival skills beyond worrying about money (and still renting a studio space for $200 a month, which contextually was a steal but if Mara shouldn't spend $12 on dinner, should she really be adding $200 to the monthly bill...?) was kind of charming to me.

Like, by all means this girl should be dead. But for one, like a cockroach, she refuses. For two, I got the impression that Cole was just so fucking confused by how not correctly she handled everything that he just couldn't really kill her. And I'll admit, "local pretentious serial killer is so gobsmacked by woman repeatedly running headfirst into wall that he must have her" is a fun dynamic.

--Like I said, Alastor and Cole are basically Alexis and Dominique, and I support that. I honestly could've used more of Shaw dipping into Cole's path and both of them agreeing that virgins are hella boring.

--Now... where this crossed from camp into ludicrousness for me, to a point where I had to go "okay, some restraint could've been and needed to be shown"... was with tattooing. I know this sounds ridiculous, seeing as these are Art Murderers. But there is a scene in which two people who are very much not experienced with tattooing execute ELABORATE freehand tattoos on each other (and I know they were elaborate, because the book has illustrations--more on that in a minute) and I just. Couldn't. You know, it may be because it's so minor compared to the overall camp of the main plot. It didn't need to happen. I bought into the bone sculpture, but the flawless freehand tattoos done by people who aren't tattoo artists just couldn't pass for me.

I'm not like, mad, but it was so distracting. Freehand tattoos aren't something experienced artists do lightly. It's so easy to fuck up a tattoo. So, seeing as these two characters are nutjobs, I just kind of pictured them walking through the world with the most ridiculous tattoos for the rest of the book, and I couldn't deal.

--As with Brutal Prince, this book is illustrated. I'd say they look a bit better in this copy than the Brutal Prince illustrations did. I'm not mad, I'm good with an illustration.

I'm not as big a fan of the playlist accompanying the novel (complete with a QR code), along with the songs and artists peppered throughout the text. Sophie Lark explains in the note that she's very into music when writing. Respect that. However, I feel that not only supplying a soundtrack for your book but telling readers when to appreciate the songs is... distracting, for one thing. But for another, it takes the reader out of the story and tells them how to feel and when. Your writing should do that. Overall, I think Sophie's writing is capable of doing that. I don't like this method of telling me what to think of a scene or moment.

--On to the content warnings. Yes, Cole and Shaw (Alastor) are serial killers. No, Cole is not a vigilante killer. He just goes "I wanna" and kills people. There is graphic murder on the page. Shaw targets women. Cole does not seem against killing women, but does not have a taste for it as of yet. Mara is attacked by Alastor earlier in the novel; aside from general violence, I would call what happens to her most definitely a sexual assault. She and Cole later have sex in the novel, and during the encounter she tells him "no wait stop" before he moves on to a new experience, and he does not stop. This is not discussed after. The tone of the book is generally dark, though I personally found it more "Evanescence" than "Dexter".

The Sex:

It was fine. It actually take a lot of time for Cole and Mara to start hooking up--and I found multiple scenes in which she teases him and he watches hotter, to be honest, than their sex scene.

It's not because there wasn't interesting stuff going on there. It's because there is an intensely ridiculous anal sex scene. I don't expect anal to be portrayed with perfect accuracy in romance novels. You only have so much time. But this scene was just... beyond. Again, I couldn't deal.

So--if you're curious and not bothered by the subject matter, I'd say give it a shot... provided you have a high tolerance for silliness. Which I do! I didn't have a bad time with this one, I just...... again, was confused. It does end on a bit of a cliffhanger and is part of a duology, so keep that in mind. I'm on to the next book, because I do in fact need to know what happens, so that's a win for Sophie.

Thanks to Bloom Books and Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

📚🌶️THERE ARE NO SAINTS 📚🌶️ Is the first full length book in the 'Sinners' duet by author Sophie Lark. Spoken in 'Dual perspectives.' Cole Blackwell & Mara Eldritch. At this point I am a Sophie Lark Stan and love her books and this one is no different and again the artwork that’s add in all her books I can’t get enough of.
Cole is a cold artist that’s also a serial killer and his obsession with mara before they even properly met, was so hot, I’m sorry not sorry. A lot of people didn’t like that but I on the other hand enjoyed it and thought it added a different element to the book. He didn’t even know her nor “liked” her, but did things that he shouldn’t have for her. He’s very bold and doesn’t care what other people think besides Mara. He’s manipulative and knows how to get what he wants, but does it in the best way.
Then you have Mara who is a starving artist who is just a girl boss. I loved her and I love the combination of Mara and Cole they just work together and really seem to understand each other. I can’t wait to read the next book in the duet!🖤

Thank you Netgalley and SOURCEBOOK and Sophie Lark for this copy in return for an honest review.

I’m now into serial killer romances… thank you, Sophie Lark! I loved the plot, the characters, and the amazing writing. Mara and Cole’s chemistry from the start was amazing. I can’t wait to read the next one!

Thank you NetGalley and Sourcebooks Bloom Books for the arc of this book.

I read this book in January of 2023, and loved it! I love the author and their writing style. I am so glad to see them growing from and indie author to being published with Bloom Books. Congratulations Sophie Lark! 🖤🤍

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC, the opinions that follow are my own.

I can honestly say, no other stalker/serial killer book compares to this series in my eyes! Cole and Mara are such great characters!
This flavor of dark romance must be done just right and as usual Sophie DELIVERS! As with most of her books, I felt held in place by the story and it demanded that I remain awake until the wee hours of the night to finish!

Loved it and will be picking up the sequel!

This story is truly unlike any book I've read before. This book had me in a chokehold the entire time I read it and I enjoyed every single second of it. WOW.

This was my very first Sophie Lark book and I'm officially a fan. If she can test my morals this much with only one book and make me so obsessed with these characters, imagine what else she can do lol. The characters were so insanely unique and I've never read a dynamic like theirs. I was sucked into this world from the very first page and what felt like a few minutes of reading translated into finishing the entire book.

This story is dark and twisted and completely addicting in all of the best ways. I've read some slightly dark romance before, but this was one of my first true dark romances, and because of Sophie Lark, I can confidently say I'm hooked; especially on her stories.

*Thank you Netgalley and Bloom Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.*

I love Sophie Lark! I’ll read anything she writes. This was a unique one… interesting concept and I love the white/black cover version. I need to read part 2 of this duet !!

This story is truly unlike any book I've read before. This book had me in a chokehold the entire time I read it and I enjoyed every single second of it. WOW.

This was my very first Sophie Lark book and I'm officially a fan. If she can test my morals this much with only one book and make me so obsessed with these characters, imagine what else she can do lol. The characters were so insanely unique and I've never read a dynamic like theirs. I was sucked into this world from the very first page and what felt like a few minutes of reading translated into finishing the entire book.

This story is dark and twisted and completely addicting in all of the best ways. I've read some slightly dark romance before, but this was one of my first true dark romances, and because of Sophie Lark, I can confidently say I'm hooked; especially on her stories.

*Thank you Netgalley and Bloom Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.*