This is a must-read book I don't want to give any spoilers, but you won't regret getting this book, you won't put it down till you're done reading the whole this.

Bane is the kind of hero you should hate—arrogant, selfish, and unapologetically ambitious—but somehow, you just can’t. And that’s what makes this book so addictive. But the real star? Jesse. Her quiet strength, resilience, and heartbreaking past made her the perfect counterpart to knock Bane off his pedestal.

L.J. Shen weaves an engrossing story full of twists, tension, and undeniable chemistry. It’s a page-turner in every sense, and I couldn’t get enough of the push-and-pull between these two. If you love intense, gritty romances with unforgettable characters, Bane is a must-read!

I did not finish this book. I tried many times. The writing style and verbiage just wasn’t for me. All DNF’s I consider 1 star

I wasn’t aware this was part of a series and I feel that should’ve been made clear.
I also have issues with this author and therefore I decline to review.

Bane by L.J. Shen is an intense and emotional story about redemption, love, and healing. The book follows Bane, a reckless bad boy, and Jesse, a woman trying to move past her trauma. What starts as a deal between them slowly turns into something real, forcing both characters to confront their demons. Shen does a great job creating flawed, complex characters and exploring deep themes of growth and resilience. Some of the plot twists are pretty heavy, but the chemistry between Bane and Jesse keeps the story gripping. Overall, it’s a dark, addictive read with a lot of heart.

If there is one book worth reading by this author, it would be this one. It is the only one with real substance, that doesn't sugarcoat things and treats real issues.
It is a Snow White retelling with a raw and angty topic, deprecating humor and amazing characters. It's not a full 5-star read though due to the "too perfect" ending. But we get great characterization and development arcs and hard topics (rape, abuse, bullying).

This is a contemporary romance novel that blends passion, emotional depth, and complex characters. It's part of Shen's Sinners of Saint series, and this book focuses on the character Bane, a dark and brooding man who harbors a troubled past.

The main theme revolves around love, healing, and redemption. Bane is a character who is initially difficult to warm up to, with a reputation for being cold and ruthless. However, the novel dives into his backstory and layers of vulnerability that make him more relatable and human. His connection with the female protagonist, who has her own emotional baggage, brings a balance of tension and chemistry to the story. Appeals to fans of contemporary romance, especially those who enjoy characters with dark pasts.

Thank you Netgalley and SourceBooks Bloom Books for the ARC.

"The princess saves herself in this fairytale.”

First of all, to read this kind of books where the Male protagonist is kind of asshole you have accept that there will be misogyny in one way or another. Accept it or don't read it at all.

I enjoyed Bane by L.J. Shen more than I anticipated I would do. Bane was a smart, funny guy and his inner monologues were fun to read. There were moments I just shook my head and chuckled and then there were moments when I laughed out loud coz boy, was he fun to be around. To be honest, I didn't find him hot but yeah I wouldn't mind being his friend.

Overall this was a good book, a few things annoyed as most of these books do. The repetition, the highlighting of some stuff like it gave more weight to the emotional torture or old Jesse, new Jesse just irritated me. But it was fine. I definitely liked reading it and finished it in one night when I crossed about 50-60 % of the book.

Thank you sourcebooks bloom books and Netgalley for the ARC in exchange of an honest review.

Some quotes I liked

“Maybe love was about breaking so the person you cared for would feel a little more whole.”

"You didn’t just walk into my life…You stormed into it. You left me no choice but to heal. Now I want everything.”

"Love is like ivy. It wraps around you, chokes every part of you quietly. It is not patient, or kind, or gentle. It is needy, cunning, and suffocating.”

"Don’t fall in love. Fall off a bridge. It hurts less.”

" Falling in love is when you lose yourself slowly, piece by piece. Infatuation is when you lose yourself all at once. Love is like ivy. It wraps around you, chokes every part of you quietly. It is not patient, or kind, or gentle. It is needy, cunning, and suffocating.”

I wish I had known this was book four out of five in a series - this should be advertised in the listing in my opinion, even if they are interconnected standalones. Tried a little to hard to be edgy for my taste, and needed several trigger warnings.

So this book is part of the Sinners of Saint series, but you can totally read it as a standalone. It's actually the 4th book and a spin off.

Picture this: Jesse Carter thinks she knows all about Roman "Bane" Protsenko - you know, the hot surfer dude who's usually either naked or high, making his cash by charming rich women and basically blackmailing their husbands. So imagine her shock when this guy shows up at her door, acting all humble and wanting to be friends (plus maybe more). Plot twist, right?

Jesse's dealing with her own stuff and has sworn off guys completely - like, she's not even playing around anymore. But Bane? He's definitely not your typical guy, and she's starting to fall for his smooth talk. The catch? He's actually working an angle with her stepdad, who's this big shot oil tycoon, and Jesse's just supposed to be part of his master plan to climb the power ladder.

Bane thinks he's got this in the bag - Jesse might be playing hard to get, but he's sure he can handle her. Except surprise! Our girl Jesse's got some fight in her too, and once she gets under his skin, Bane starts questioning everything, including whether he can actually go through with his plan.

The cool thing about this book is how both characters are total wildcards - they keep you guessing. Bane especially turns out to be way more layered than you'd expect. Plus, it's a modern take on fairy tales where the princess isn't waiting around for any prince - Jesse's fighting her own battles and coming out on top.

It's a pretty perfect way to wrap up the Sinners series, even though it's kind of sad to say goodbye. But hey, there's more coming with the All Saints High series about the next generation, so that's something to look forward to!

What makes it really stand out is how it flips the script on typical romance novels. Jesse's the one doing the heavy lifting in her own story, dealing with her issues and growing stronger. It's like L.J. Shen took everything great about her earlier books and levelled up!

I thought this was very good and I will have to add this to the shop shelves. Thank you for the chance for us to review.

We all are in agreement that men like Bane are assholes, yes? We do not want them in real life, as they are a work of fiction, yes?
Good. Glad we got that settled.

That being said, they make for great dark romance main characters and add just the right amount of bad boy to the series. LJ Shen is a master at writing a dickwad of a male character that you can't help but root for just a little bit, and a female main character that is destined to give him hell.

If the ending on this would have been fleshed out a little more, it would be a perfect 5-star read. The spice and character development were really great!

So I didn't realize this was part of a series, although a standalone essentially, so I might need to explore the previous books later.

"snow white waited for the prince. you'll be the one saving yourself in this story."

to put it bluntly, this took me by surprise and was phenomenal. It felt different to me. more raw, real, entirely emotional in a deeper sense. The characters went through so much and really developed their relationship from friends and more.

BANE Sins of Saint Book 4 by L.J. Shen
The Sinners of Saint is such an excellent series and this installment is no exception to this world. Bane is so good! It is absolutely one of the best of L.J. Shen’s career. This is the story of Bane and Jesse. He is the bad boy prostitute for his rich cliental, a dealer, a surfer who loves to surf in the buff. Jesse is beautiful, broken, with a lot of traumas in her past. He gets the task from her step dad of bringng her out of her shell without getting too close to her.
Their story is heart wrenching, emotional, angst filled, addictive, intense, passionate, and one that is impossible to put down. This is 5 stars.

This wasn't bad at all, but I don't think it was for me. I found it to be a little boring and predictable, but I'm sure there are others out there who will love it.

Thank you so much to the team at Bloom and NetGalley for the final installment in the Sinners of Saint series! I have enjoyed every book in this series and really love finally being able to read all the books that are connected to the All Saints High series. This is the fourth book in a series. The first being Vicious then Ruckus and Scandalous being third. You can also read the Defy novella at the end of Vicious. I think I loved Bane the most out of all in this series because he wasn’t as mean as the other MMCs. The FMC in this book was more fearless than the others in the series as well. LJ Shen did a great job in concluding this series!

Dual POV, Spicy, Mental Health Rep, Family Dynamics, Bad Boy x Rich Girl

I was a little hesitant given the way Jesse's father hires Bane to get Jesse out of her 'shell' after her sexual assault but this book was so damn good and the way LJ Shen handled her recover was so refreshing. This wasn't a case of Bane coming to the rescue and instantly 'fixing' everything the way her father wanted. The romance between Bane and Jesse builds slowly and is messy, real, and authentic with witty banter that will have you laughing out loud.

L.J. Shen’s books will always have a special place in my heart. When it comes to writing books, she can do no wrong.
This book was filled with lots of love and tragedy and it was written in such a beautiful way.

When tragedy takes away your will to live, there are a few things that will give it back. And that's where Bane comes in, lighting up light after light in a dark tunnel for a business deal. Jesse begins to feel again, but what will happen when the truth comes out? A story of tragedy, family drama, and, in the end, a love that conquers all. It was an interesting read, although I didn't find the actions of the two h/h very likable, or by my standards.
I volunteered to review an ARC of this book for Netgalley