From the first part of the book, I was hooked! I’ve heard of L.J. Shen but haven’t read any of the books. This book definitely set a precedent, and now I want to read everyone of their books.

I haven't read an L.J. Shen book in a while so it was nice to read some of her writing again. I loved Bane, give me a bad boy with a soft side any day. Jesse was so freaking strong. I admire her so much.

This was definitely a little bit darker than I expected. I would definitely advise checking TWs. I loved the twist that definitely had me dropping my jaw.

When this comes out in physical form, I’m buying one and giving it to every friend. Bane and Jessie are THE couple.

What I loved about both Bane and Jesse was the fact that she saw past his reputation and track record and he saw past her tragedy. They were very similar in that they were both running away and hiding parts of themselves they weren't ready to face. But they were each other's respective catalyst to move out of the shadows. He was in fact the first person to see her, to want to fix her and heal her. He was her protector and the man that stood in front of her while she faced the world. He became the first deep breath she took after not living for a long time and her compass bringing her back to the land of the living.

Dark, intense, emotional, and quite the rollercoaster ride as two broken people somehow come together. Secrets within secrets, multiple agendas, and affluent privilege all weave together. Many surprises in store, and a satisfying conclusion.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I’ve loved everything I’ve read from L.J. and Bane was no exception.
Although this is book 4 in the Sinners of Saints series, it can be read as a stand alone.

Bane is the ideal bad boy book boyfriend 🥵
Jesse has been through unimaginable things and has since shut out the world ❤️‍🩹

During a business deal with Jesse’s step dad, Bane is told to befriend Jesse & get her back out in the world. There’s one rule. She’s forbidden to him romantically. Honestly he can have any woman he wants, so this should be easy 😏

There were so many shocking twists and turns in this book, I literally had no idea what direction it was heading at times.
There is so much growth and character development, you can’t help but feel attached to them individually and as a couple.

I have read about every book by LJ shen starting with the kissing thief. Her books are fast pace and tend to move a speed that is believable and wanting more. Love LJ Shane and will read anything she writes.

Title: Bane

Author: L.J. Shen

Rating: ★★★★

Hold onto your surfboards and prepare for a wild ride with Bane by L.J. Shen!

This book introduces us to Bane, a naked surfer, habitual pothead, and all-around bad boy. Known for extorting the rich and seducing their wives, he's the last person you'd expect to show up humbled at your doorstep. But that's exactly what happens, and he’s seeking friendship, services, and maybe something more from our heroine.

Enter Jesse Carter: hot as hell, cold as ice. She’s tough, elusive, and completely unaware of Bane’s existence until she becomes collateral in a shady deal with her oil tycoon stepdad. Bane sees her as a tough nut to crack, and he’s got just the teeth for it.

From the first page, Bane dives into dark and traumatic themes, so a trigger warning check is definitely recommended.

However, if you're up for the challenge, you'll find a story filled with some of the best romance tropes: age gap, forced proximity, friends to lovers, and forbidden romance. The twists and turns kept me hooked, and the chemistry between Bane and Jesse is off the charts!

This book isn’t for everyone, but for those who love a dark, twisty romance with intense characters and an unputdownable plot, Bane is a must-read. Get ready to fall, crash, and drown in Bane’s sweet, perfect lies!

Thank you to The Publisher SOURCEBOOKS Bloom Books | Bloom Books, the author L.J. Shen & Netgalley for an advanced reader copy (ARC) in exchange for my honest review.

5 stars for everything but four stars because jesse dislikes taylor aka my fave artist (yes, i'm a swiftie)
the writing of this is phenomenal. It's so rare to see romance with elegant writing.
Again, everything about this book is perfect except the mention of dislike of my queen

4.5 stars

I really didn’t know what to expect with this book- I had not read the previous ones in the series but I was pleasantly surprised. I loved the characters and finished the book in a day!

Rounded up from 4.5
Bane is a pothead surfer, a con, a liar, a thief and a fraud. He's extorting the rich and screwing their wives as a gigolo. One day, a very lucrative deal falls on his lap: he has to befriend Jesse, who has become an ermit since she was raped and treatead like a social pariah in order to get the funding he needs. Jesse is not so easily approachable. But he loves he a good challenge.
This dark, new adult romance is book 4 in the Sinners of Saint series, but it can totally be read as a standalone. It's what I did, and now I ordered the three first books in the series... yes, it was that good! Check your triggers before going into this one. The banter between the two characters was perfect. I loved how blunt and confident Bane was. And I loved how Jesse's spirit was shining despite how broken she was. The ending was perfect.
I received an advance review copy of this book for free and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I really did not like this book. I would have DNF'd it after first 20% but I wanted to be able to give accurate review. Reading reviews on goodreads makes me feel like I'm taking crazy pills. I love some good smut but I found Bane's character so crude. Between saying pu**y every other word and some of his misogynistic comments, I was not a fan. I also thought the child rape scene was more graphic then necessary. I don't think I would ever read another book by this author again.

A decent darker romance series with a great escape from the reality of the world. I love this as a palate cleanser

I might be biased but I love all MEN LJ Shen writes😅
I love Bane’s book because of the emotional piece🥺
I truly enjoyed the character development Bane and J sse had and my heart truly hurt when I read everything Jesse had to go through. I loved how they had a connection even before they knew each other.

I found Bane to be a sensible yet protective man and I really enjoyed it! I loved how he gave Jesse space while not leaving her vulnerable. Overall great read. Thanks Netgalley for the ARC!

I am a huge LJ Shen fan so I may be biast. This has been on my list to read for a while so I was excited to be approved for an ARC. As always her characters are well developed and the storyline is emotional not just pure smut. I love the angst and the slow burn. Jesse and Bane easily slid into a top spot for my favorite book couple.

BANE, was the perfect conclusion to an already amazing series! The story had so many twists and turns that I was on the edge of my seat the entire time. There were so many secrets revealed that I was left breathless. There were deceit and heartbreak, and a slow burn. Although it was bittersweet to see the generation of Sinners come to an end, I was blown away by the crazy ride this book took me on.

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

Bane is a heartbreaking, gut wrenching, crazy emotional ride. I love the way Shen writes her characters. You can’t help but fall inlove with them. I really need to read more from this author asap! This was so fantastic.

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

Bane is an emotional roller coaster and Shen has perfected the mix of action, drama, and romance. This book made me laugh and cry. As a reader my heart went out to Jesse. I wanted to help her. I wanted to punish those who hurt her and I literally cried for her. And I admired her. Bane tries to unravel the secrets surrounding Jesse and finds himself falling in love with her against his better judgment. Jesse is a wonderfully strong heroine and I adored Bane. He was a strong yet caring man and his love for Jesse and his ability to look past the horrors that were committed on her was so uplifting and heartwarming that I couldn't stop the overwhelming emotions it caused in me. All in all, I found the book to be an entertaining and heartbreaking read. Jesse and Bane are adorable together with their romance being a nice combination of endearing and steamy.

Thank you so much to Netgalley, L.J. Shen, and Bloom books for the chance to read this in exchange for my honest opinion!

Jesse + Bane

-friends to lovers
-betrayal
-angsty
-traumatic past

this story was HEAVVYYY!! jesse was such a tough girl & had been through so much & i was so happy bane just was there to love her!!

“𝙔𝙤𝙪 𝙙𝙤𝙣’𝙩 𝙣𝙚𝙚𝙙 𝙖 𝙥𝙧𝙞𝙣𝙘𝙚, 𝙥𝙧𝙞𝙣𝙘𝙚𝙨𝙨. 𝙔𝙤𝙪 𝙣𝙚𝙚𝙙 𝙖 𝙨𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙙.” 😭😭

3.5 ⭐️

I read Vicious back in 2017 and I did not realize the series continued so when I got the ARC to read Bane (due to the cover rerelease), I was interested to see how this story would pan out. I was going in blind because I do not really remember the first book. And in my opinion, you do not need to read the previous books to understand this one.

I only gave it 3.5 stars because I liked the book, and it kept me intrigued but nothing really stood out for me to rate it better. My favorite part was actually the first half. I liked when Bane was trying to get Jesse out of her shell, and it was the slow burn of will they or wont they. I preferred the scenes of them together doing different activities and seeing Jesse become stronger mentally every day! Although I feel like I needed a good breakdown scene to really pull on my emotions. Everything else was just kind of background noise and extra. Like I don't think we needed the storyline with her stepfather - although that was easily predictable. I personally I think the 3 boys in the other storyline should have worse punishments- especially since this was supposed to be a mafiaesque book. Overall, it was a decent book with interesting main characters who improved by the end of the book and a solid plot, but I probably would not read it again.