This is the first serial killer romance I've read and I was surprised at how gripping I found it. The characters are dark and complex. I would say it's fast pace and there was nothing cringey that took me out of the story as sometimes happens in romance. If you like dramatic and dark, you'd like this!

Thank you for this arc!!!

To be honest I’m all for dark romances that have killers. The writing style and the character development for me was kinda of lacking. This is my first Sophie Lark book.

I really really wanted to love and enjoy this book but I could not connect.
If you love dark romances and rival killers competing against each other this is you vibe.

Cole Blackwell is a famous artist who hates Alastor Shaw. They are rivals in the art world but both are predators in the real world. While Cole is controlled and precise, Alastor lets his emotions control him and make him sloppy. Both lay eyes on Mara, Shaw has decided it is the perfect way to break Cole but Mara isn’t as easily broken. She’s a challenge and she makes Cole feel something that he did not even know was possible.

This book does contain some darker themes so check out your trigger warnings before you decide to read it. This was an easy read and I was able to read it in less than 24 hours. While I enjoyed it, it wasn’t amazing or something that had me jumping to the next novel. There is definitely stalker vibes and touch her and I will kill you. I think the hardest thing for me was falling for Cole. I love me some morally grey, psychopathic, bad book boyfriend but he just didn’t do it for me. I would say this book is pretty middle range. I don’t hate it but I’m also not in love with it.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
There Are No Saints was something. It was depraved. It was creepy. It was romantic. It was something. The plot kept me hooked from the start. Two serial killers in competition. I love some taboo stalker sort of romance.

Be cautious, this is a DARK romance. It involves some dark themes including kidnapping, body mutilation, stalking…but if that fits your fancy then read this!

The twists and turns were unexpected. I loved the artistry, as always, that Sophie includes in her book. A great read to kick off the spooky season.

“𝘏𝘦 𝘥𝘪𝘴𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘺𝘰𝘶. 𝘗𝘶𝘵 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘴 𝘰𝘯 𝘺𝘰𝘶. 𝘐’𝘥 𝘬𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘩𝘪𝘮 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘮𝘶𝘤𝘩 𝘭𝘦𝘴𝘴.”

Bookstagram sure has expanded my taste in books 😝 I hadn’t even heard of serial killer romance until recently but this was fantastic and I’ll definitely be reading more! I own the illustrated version of this which I thought was a fun extra. The cover on this version is better too in my opinion (not that I’m opposed to people on covers but I like the simplicity of this one). I don’t really want to say too much about this book because of spoilers but I will say I enjoyed when she was showing him new food combinations because he let his guard down a bit which is kind of a big deal. It did end in a bit of a cliffhanger but I loved it and I will definitely be reading the next one to see how this duet ends!

There Are No Saints by Sophie Lark was a surprise. I expected a fun ride and to enjoy it. I don't know that I expected it to hit on such a deeply personal level. It is a dark, serial killer romance so I encourage everyone to check the trigger warnings before diving in.

I saved soo many quotes. But the thing that really resounded with me is how Sophie handles facing fears and walking out stronger. I am terrified of needles, BUT I have a tattoo on my back. I always get questions about how I was able to do it. I passionately LOVE art. Every time I think about it, it makes me smile and hold my head a little higher. I faced that fear that day and did it for something I wanted just for me. I fell so hard for these characters, which was not something I thought I would say, given the genre.

How Sophie Lark can turn a story about serial killers in an art community into something that has me babbling to my husband about "The good serial killer" is nothing short of magical. Well done. Pass me the next series please! If you love dark romance, thrillers, questioning your own sanity and an empowered female main character this one is for you!

I’m kind of conflicted on my rating for this one. On the on hand, we have a 0 to 100 romance between a poor artist and a rich artist/serial killer. On the other hand, we have a rival artist/serial killer causing problems. This is like “YOU”, but he doesn’t kill her in the end.

Spoilers … we start off with the rival artists/serial killers having a show down at an art show. Here Cole describes Mara as filthy and raggedy. Which leads to Shaw (bad serial killer) kidnapping a girl (Mara) as a perverted “gift” for Cole (good serial killer). But when Cole sees Mara literally left for dead in front of him…he does what any gentleman would do and steps over her and goes about his life. That is, until she miraculously survives. Now Cole is obsessed, to the point that he’s not only INHALING her dirty underwear, but that he’s also using it as a c*m rag, which he then almost loses her mind when she puts them on unbeknownst to her what’s been done to them. From there, he’s hooked. Now he wants to help her out and mentor her. And Shaw has no idea she’s even still alive, even though they run in the same circles and you’d think he’d be curious where the girl he left for dead ran off to. Anyways, fast forward to this mentorship becoming a “romance.” They’re attracted to each other, but Cole is a d*ck and hurts Mara’s feelings. So Mara does what any badass, take no shit from no man, woman would do and she f*cks same other dude in her studio, where she knows Cole is watching the security camera (later he confirms he rewatched this 100 times…. Honestly where does he find the time?!). This interaction makes him want to get revenge. But ultimately, Shaw discovers that Mara is still alive, and tries to frame Cole for a murder, and now they both need to kill Mara. However, when Mara offers herself up as a sacrificial lamb to Cole, he realizes he’d much rather use the homemade vibrator he made for her on her, rather than kill her - YAY happy ending?! Not exactly. Shaw has some more tricks up his sleeve, and now Cole and Mara are roommates … to be continued in book 2!

Now, that’s not to say I didn’t enjoy this. I liked Mara’s character. Like I said, she takes no shit from Cole and even makes him feel regret for the first time in his life. She is a struggling artist, but is hustling and grinding, trying to make a name for herself. I appreciate her character, and how unique she is.
I mean, and for Cole. Who doesn’t love a possessive and protective MMC who will literally kill anyone who touches her (“He disrespected you. Put his hands on you. I’d kill him for less.”). I don’t love that in their sex scene he kind of manipulates her into sharing her past, and it gives non con to an extent. Yes she let him tie her down, but when she pushes back on certain things, he just carries right along.

I’m mostly excited to see what happens in book 2, because I’m curious how everything with Shaw plays out!

Sophie Lark's "There Are No Saints" is a masterfully crafted journey into the darkest corners of the human psyche, an enthralling read that's both thrilling and thought-provoking.

The novel's greatest strength lies in its complex characters, each with their own moral ambiguity, especially the MMC. Lark delves deep into their psyches, peeling back layers of darkness, deep traumas and surprising care and sweetness, making them both compelling and deeply flawed. The character development is exceptional, leaving you questioning who to root for and who to condemn.

The plot is a relentless rollercoaster of suspense, intrigue, and unexpected twists. Lark weaves a web of deceit and power that keeps you on the edge of your seat, craving the next revelation. The pacing is near perfect, maintaining a relentless momentum that never lets you rest.

Lark's writing style is evocative and immersive, capturing the gritty atmosphere of the story's world. The dialogue crackles with tension and wit, revealing the characters' multifaceted motivations and desires.

However, the story's darkness may not be for everyone, as it delves into themes of manipulation, violence, and moral ambiguity. Some readers may find it challenging to confront the depths of depravity explored within the narrative.

In summary, "There Are No Saints" is a riveting exploration of human darkness and the blurred lines between right and wrong, all within the safe bounds of romance.

I’ve read most of Sophie Lark’s series and this one is definitely my favorite! Artist by day, serial killer by night might be one of my new favorite premises. If you like a morally grey (honestly, straight up black - there’s no grey area about him) MMC, this is the book for you. It took a few chapters for me to get into it, but once I did there was no going back. The spice was my favorite from all of her books, the characters are so different than a lot of other dark romance books, and you can’t help but flying through the story.

I don't know if this is good or wrong or what. But I do know that I can't put it down. It's a serial killer romance. How is that even a thing? But watching him shift his focus from his competition to solely on her is completely addicting. I think even more so because he doesn't understand why his focus is shifting or what it means. Both are morally grey. Both have their own issues and demons and both need each other endlessly. I can't imagine why this works, but I need to know what happens next for these two. Bring on the binge.

3.75 rounded up. Absolutely LOVED LOVED LOVED everything about Cole and his POV here (LIKE DAMN, WHAT A FIRST IMPRESSION WITH THEIR "MEET CUTE"). Unfortunately Mara frustrated me at different times, and I was up and down with her through the whole book. There were definitely parts where I liked and sympathized with her and her POV, but there were also other times where I was like REALLY??? 😫

Some of it is very harsh and nitpicky on my end, which I feel bad about, but I absolutely hated what she ended up doing in the third act. 😂 Major 3rd act spoilers: you're telling me that after she clearly had a bad time with the police not listening to her the first time she COMPLETELY IGNORES what Cole says and TELLS THE POLICE HER THEORY WITH NO LAWYER OR EVIDENCE???? Also very minor nitpick but later half minor spoilers: how was she still not buying new clothes and not doing her laundry when she literally lives on $200 monthly rent in 202X in San Francisco and especially after selling her painting??? WHAT DO YOU MEAN SHE RAN OUT OF UNDIES AND WAS DOWN TO HER LAST SHIRT??? 😭 I GET YOU'RE NOT USED TO MONEY BUT ALSO YOU STILL HAVE A JOB AND LESS EXPENSES? I MEAN, PLEASE AT LEAST GET UNDIES ajjdvjejahsjdj

Overall, I didn't vibe with the writing style outside of Cole's POV (ABSOLUTE COMPLETE AND LITERAL PERFECTION BTW) as much as I was hoping to by the end of it, but this did have a very strong start and I still gobbled it all up in a day which is a win!! Honestly, I vibed a bit more with the Cole and Alastor rivalry here and obviously Cole's obsession and stalking of Mara, but I did have fun with their interactions still (particularly the jealousy scene, which is rare on my part), and feel like I'll like it more in book two as well.

I've never read a book where both main characters are so unpredictable and generally unhinged. There Are No Saints is chaotic, dark, spicy, and full of twists and turns. Cole Blackwell is used to getting what he wants exactly how he wants it. Until he meets Mara Eldritch who refused to let anyone or anything keep her down or control her. Definitely check trigger warnings before giving this one a go. Abduction and assault. Dark Romance, Serial Killer, Stalker, Forced Proximity

This one is coming in right around 4.5 stars for me. Apparently, I'm into serial killer romance? That's a thing now 🤣

I honestly wasn't sure how I'd feel about this, but I was hooked from chapter one. The two main characters (Cole and Mara) have an ever changing dynamic that keeps you guessing. You just never know what either of them is going to do. I kept guessing and guessing and it was almost always wrong.

P.S. The spice is real good towards them the end, but it adds little bits in before that that keep you running towards that finish line!

This is also a fairly quick read, it's only a little over 200 pages and it read fast because the pages turn themselves. I literally couldn't put it down and the pages flew by.

It does end on a cliffhanger that will push you into the next book. But, totally worth it.

There is a typo on page 65.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for this e-ARC of the new publication of it! I enjoyed it!!

"Predator and prey, hunter and hunted … it’s not always obvious which one is which."

I know I shouldn't, but I really liked this. It was dark and twisted in all the best ways. Mara and Cole are a match made in Hell and I loved their every interaction.

“She’s more twisted than I ever dared dream."

The painting scene (you know which one) was absolutely iconic. Mara is a legend. Cole may think Mara is his puppet to control but really Mara holds all the strings. They were both incredibly complex characters and I was quickly sucked down the rabbit hole of their story.

"I am better. Because whatever I do, I’m in control."

Something I adore about Sophie's book is the incorporation of music! It makes reading as close to a 3D experience as you can get and I am here for it. Also her song choices: perfection!

Okay, I honestly HATE to do this... but this one didn't work for me. I wanted to like it!! I loved Cole- kinda???? But I just couldn't get behind most of the book or even understand the characters at all and some of the scenes were TOO DARK for me. So I have learned dark romance may not be my thing as much as I thought it was. I know a lot of people love this, but it just did not work for me and made me feel icky :(

Thank you NetGalley, Bloom Books, and Sophia Lark for this arc!

I really liked the concept of this book. Rival artists and rival serial killers. I found the characters to be interesting to read too. Looking forward to the next one!

“𝐈 𝐝𝐨𝐧’𝐭 𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐫𝐮𝐧 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐂𝐨𝐥𝐞. 𝐈 𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐰𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐞 𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐦𝐞, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐈 𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐡 𝐮𝐩 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐨𝐮𝐜𝐡 𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐟𝐚𝐜𝐞. 𝐈 𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐩𝐮𝐥𝐥 𝐨𝐟𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐚𝐬𝐤𝐬, 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐛𝐲 𝐨𝐧𝐞, 𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐥 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐧’𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐲 𝐥𝐞𝐟𝐭. 𝐀𝐧𝐝 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫’𝐬 𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐡…𝐈 𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐞𝐞 𝐢𝐭.”

There Are No Saints is book 1 of the Sinners Duet and follows famous sculptor/serial killer Cole Blackwell and struggling artist Mara Eldritch. I’m a huge Sophie Lark fan after beginning her Brutal Birthright Series earlier this year and have had this duet on my tbr for awhile now. There Are No Saints really excelled at immersing the reader in the San Francisco art scene, which I loved, and the cat and mouse dynamic between Cole and Mara. I also really enjoyed the rivalry between Cole and Shaw. I found this to be pretty light for a dark romance and wished it had some more spice to it, but am definitely looking forward to the conclusion of Cole and Mara’s story. 4⭐️

𝕎𝕙𝕒𝕥 𝕋𝕠 𝔼𝕩𝕡𝕖𝕔𝕥:
💋Dark stalker romance
🔪Serial killer MMC
💋Enemies to lovers
🔪Mentor/mentee
💋Rival serial killers
🔪”You” vibes
💋Dual POV
🔪Great for spooky season

“𝐀𝐧𝐝 𝐈 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐳𝐞…𝐬𝐡𝐞’𝐬 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐈 𝐝𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐝 𝐨𝐟 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞. 𝐌𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐟𝐮𝐥. 𝐌𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐜. 𝐌𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐞𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞. 𝐌𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐟𝐮𝐜𝐤𝐞𝐝 𝐮𝐩.”

“𝐎𝐡 𝐦𝐲 𝐠𝐨𝐝…” 𝐈 𝐦𝐨𝐚𝐧. “𝐃𝐨𝐧’𝐭 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐩...“ “𝐓𝐞𝐥𝐥 𝐦𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮’𝐫𝐞 𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐞...“ 𝐡𝐞 𝐡𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐬. “𝐓𝐞𝐥𝐥 𝐦𝐞 𝐈 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐝𝐨 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐈 𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐲𝐨𝐮…”

“𝐈𝐟 𝐂𝐨𝐥𝐞’𝐬 𝐬𝐨 𝐛𝐚𝐝, 𝐰𝐡𝐲 𝐝𝐨𝐞𝐬 𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐞𝐞𝐥 𝐬𝐨 𝐠𝐨𝐨𝐝?”

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

This book was fantastic! It is unhinged in the best way! I will be thinking about this book for a long time! I didn’t know I needed serial killer romance in my life, but I can’t wait to dive into the next book! Perfect for dark romance fans, and those who liked Haunting Adeline .

i absolutely loved this book. the plot was amazing, the romance/spice was addicting, and Cole Blackwell has a way with words.

i loved both characters so much and personally connected to Mara when it came to her family life which definitely brought up a tear. i loved seeing Cole’s character development and seeing how Mara has brought out some good from him (even though he does harm people haha).

i was able to slowly see her become manipulated but also see him kind of get tied up as well. it just seemed like they were playing a game of who could fall first and he definitely did. Cole’s backstory was very interesting for me as well and i honestly want to know more.

overall, i really enjoyed this story and i can not wait to read the next one. this was such an easy read so i know i’ll read the next one just as fast. i do admit i will be sad finishing their story but these are honestly one of my top romance reads of the year!

I previously read the Sinners Duet last winter while they were independently published and while they were dark and intense, I devoured them in a few days.
After the hype of the Mindf*ck series by author S.T Abby reached me, I was desperate to find something similar and Sophie Lark's duology was the perfect read.
After the Brutal Birthright series was traditionally published, it was announced that these two would be as well. So, getting the opportunity to review a book I’d already read was refreshing!
There are no Saints follows Mara Eldritch, a struggling woman working three jobs to keep her afloat while she tries to pursue her dream job of becoming a successful artist. Cole Blackwell is a highly successful sculptor who holds a dark secret, one Mara finds herself tangled in.
This is definitely the type of book you go into blind, but please make sure you check the triggers as it is definitely dark and gory at points.
Sophie Lark once again drew the reader in and sent them on a journey of violence, darkness and unexpected romance.
I would definitely read these books but make sure you have There is no Devil, the second book, on hand ready as it’s not a standalone. It is the perfect time of year to devour these books.
Thank you for the eARC!