Thanks to Netgalley and Bloom Books for giving me an e-arc of the rerelease in exchange for an honest review.

This was really good and very fast to read. I am ready to start the second one as soon as possible to see what happens.

Wow I loved this so much! Serial killers fascinate me so it was super fun to get in to the mind of one. I really loved the dynamic between these two, to see the obsession bloom in to something even sweeter. And the suspense! I can't wait to jump in to the next book and see what happens next.

This is tough to rate. I really enjoyed Lark's Brutal Prince series so I couldn't help but compare. This one is a lot slower- I'd say the character development was all or nothing and the relationships between characters weren't as well flushed out. Honestly until the last few chapters I wasn't even sure about reading book 2 BUT after the way we left things I will continue.

Disclaimer: I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Publication date: October 3, 2023

There are no Saints is the first book of a dark romance duology by Sophie Lark. I have read several by this author and love her work so I was excited to get a hold of this one. I will say, the writing is just as good as her other books but I wasn’t a fan of the storyline.

Mara Eldritch is a down on her luck artist in San Francisco. Working three jobs to make ends meet with the hopes of being discovered. She knows she’s not much having grown up in a rough home but she is doing her best to make something of herself.

Cole Blackwell is a well known artist in the same circles Mara runs in. Cole’s art is worth hundreds of thousands though and he’s well on his way to becoming more. Cole has a dark and dangerous personality though and has a taste for murder.

When Mara is kidnapped and her wrists slashed, her abductor leaves her for Cole. Cole walks away and leaves her for dead but Mara survives. Cole becomes obsessed with Mara and is desperate to make her his.

I love dark romance but the serial killer vibe was not really for me. I likely won’t read the second book as this was only a 3 star read for me but will continue to read and recommend her other series!

#NetGalley #therearenosaints #sophielark

My Rating: ❤️❤️❤️.75

Disclaimer: I received a review copy for free and am leaving this review voluntarily. Thanks to the author and Netgalley.

General Thoughts: I have heard really good things about this author, so I jumped at the chance to read something by her. I went into this one without knowing anything about the plot or characters. I expected it to be dark, and that was about all I knew going in.

Sophie is a great writer. She created compelling characters and wrote this very well. Getting into the heads of Cole and Alastor couldn't have been easy.

What I'm discovering is that while I like morally grey main characters a lot, I have a hard time when the romantic main character murders people for pretty light reasons/ seemingly without reason. Like I'm okay with morally greyness and murder, but they better have a good reason or at least one I can justify.

This next comment isn't geared toward this book specifically, and I won't give any spoilers away so will keep this surface level. I'm also realizing I have a particularly hard time rooting for main characters who murder or assault women without feeling and seemingly without reason. Or seem to treat it as banal.

So while neither of those are triggers for me, when either of those elements are present, I'm realizing I have a hard time with the book. That made this a harder book for me to like personally. I don't mean to shame anybody who likes those elements or books featuring these themes. It's just hard for me to like.

Having said that, this book is well done, well written, and intriguing. I thought Mara was an interesting character. I know many Mara's. I'm sure the conclusion of this duet will be incredible, and I'm curious to see what happens next. Great author, great book. Also included some elements that were hard for me.

Steam Meter: ❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥 Steamy and k1nky.

Romantic Tropes
-stalker romance
-steamy
-morally grey MMC (and that may be an understatement)
-artists
-obsessive MMC
-duology

You can read more of my reviews at mylastromance.com. You can also find me on Insta @mylastromancenovel.

absolutely LOVED this! sophie has such fantastic story telling & i was quite literally so obsessed with Mara and Cole! this duet is perfect for fall!

Be aware that this book is DARK, but I totally loved it. This is my first Sophie Lark and will not be my last. Messed up, dark, twisted, serial killer with a mix of crime and dark romance. I can't wait to see what happens in the next book!
4 stars!

There Are No Saints by Sophie Lark was my first encounter with a morally black MMC, and now a new door has been opened for me!

There is nothing grey about Cole Blackwell. He's gorgeous, rich, and completely unhinged. He wears a human's skin and can parrot human emotion, but he's dead inside.

Until he's gifted Mara trussed up like a prize, left for him by a rival serial killer. Mara makes him do things he normally wouldn't do, feel things he normally wouldn't feel, to the point that Cole is convinced he must kill her in order to return to the monster he was rather than the monster he's becoming.

There are several parts of There Are No Saints that are unsettling, but that's kind of the point. The author even notes that writing this was therapeutic, and you can see where certain events could be used to heal wounds in a most magnificent way. It's the romance, though, that's most unsettling. Mara may not be a serial killer, but she carries her own scars and burdens. Her darkness calls to Cole's darkness and it makes them perfect for each other, even considering how they first truly met.

The underlying message seems to be: it doesn't matter what you've done in your past because there is hope for your future. And because of that, I fell in love with this book and its characters. Even Shaw, the rival serial killer, was a favorite because he was the opposite side of Cole's coin. To quote Cole: "I filet people with precision. This guy does what I do <i>badly</i>." Shaw and his beastly ways are a necessary foil to Cole's calm, cool demeanor. It makes the anticipation for their inevitable showdown to be that much sweeter.

If you're looking for a book where the villain ends up being heroic, move along. But if you don't mind the villain getting the girl at the end, There Are No Saints is the book for you!

Thank you, Bloom Books and NetGalley, for the opportunity to read this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

“It’s okay for bad things to feel good. You can take pleasure from whatever you want.”

Any red flags in a book are an immediate no for me, but I was colorblind for this one🤭

Mara is a struggling artist. Cole is a very wealthy artist. Cole and his rival, Alastor recreationally kill people. Alastor notices that Cole’s attention is piqued by Mara at a party and leaves her tied up with her wrists cut for Cole to find. Cole and Mara then set out in an extremely unethical mentor-mentee relationship while Alastor continues to kill women.

I’ve read a lot of dark romances but what the fuck. First and foremost I take issue with the spelling of Alastor. Secondly you can’t make a serial killer romance hot if it’s not fantasy. I was also expecting Mara’s mom to show up at some point for dramatic effect? Idk all of this was so confusing and nothing was explained

There Are No Saints by Sophie Lark is the First book in the Sinners Duet. This starts the story of Mara Eldridch who is a struggling artist who works three jobs to survive and maintain until she can break into the art world. Cole Blackwood is a very rich artist who is used to being the best at least in his mind. But he has a rival artist Alastor Shaw. They both try to out do the other in the art world but also as deadly serial killers. Sadly, Mara catches their eye and becomes a pawn in their deadly game.
Page turning dark read that I can't wait for the next installment.

This book was alright, I enjoyed the characters and the story, overall 3.5 stars it was good but not really my cup of tea. Thank you NetGalley for the arc

Sophie Lark has struck again with a dark romance that sucked me right in. If you think you know what to expect reading Lark, think again, because the twists that take place here should surprise everyone. As usual her characters are well built and the story progresses in a realistic manor- well as realistic as one can expect from a dark romance. If you like dark romance this probably for you, but just in case, check your trigger warnings!

3,75 ⭐

This book was everything I expected.
I loved both characters, I felt like they had a great development.

This was my first Lark's book and I wasn't disappointed. It had angst, mystery, friendship (if we can call it that) and banter.

I loved the setting and how dark this book felt, beside the main character being a s*rial k*iller, the atmosphere was just on point.

This is another great Sophie Lark book! I was so excited to get this book. I was absolutely hooked from the first page. I can't wait for the next book!

Thanks to NetGalley I received an advanced electronic copy of the book to read and provide a review.

I generally love Sophie Lark books but I don’t think this one was for me. A much as I tried, I couldn’t get on board with Mara and Cole.

*Thank you netgalley for an arc of this book

This is definitely a dark romance book, heavy on the ‘dark’ because Cole definitely deserves jail time, no doubt about it, but I still found him and Mara’s relationship toxic but intriguing?

Had to take multiple breaks in between reading because my mind couldn’t comprehend some of the pocket things that happened

I first heard about this through the authors instagram, and was intrigued from the snippets she posted. This duology certain held up to it hype and expectations for me. It was not the normal kind of story I would read with what kind of people the characters are, but I really enjoyed this duology. It had me on the edge of my seat, and had me not know what to expect around every twist and turn.

Sophie Lark really knows how to write in a way that snares the reader, and won't let us go. Thank you NetGalley for an arc of this book.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of “There Are No Saints” by Sophie Lark

This was my first time reading a book by Sophie Lark. I don’t think I’m going to stop either!!! There Are No Saints was something amazing.
It has that creepy dark romantic vibe. I loved it! I was hooked from the start. I love a stalker type of romance. If you enjoyed YOU the show you will really like this book! Please remember this is a Dark Romance!

3.5 stars

Serial killer steamy romance??? Who knew this was a thing?

There are no Saints is the first book in the Sinners Duet duology. There are two serial killer successful artists that have entered the world of Mara, an aspiring artist. Both men are obsessed with Mara, for different reasons.

The steamy romance part doesn't exist for me in this book. There is the requisite sex in the story, but it is not sexy or appealing to me in any way. There was no real build up or sexual tension, and just felt cold and stark. The plot took a turn about 60% through, leading me to believe that things will become more traditionally romantic in the next book.

The serial killer story line, however, appealed to me more. I'm now invested in the story, and I would like to see how this plays out. This novel can't be compared to suspense thrillers, the characters are unrealistic and one dimensional, and don't forget the "steamy romance" part of the story.
But for popcorn fiction, this was a quick and easy read.

Thank you to Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this novel.