The Sinner Book Review
“None of us are perfect. We’re all loaded with flaws, but when you find the person you want to be with, you ask yourself if you can tolerate those flaws.”
Brady Spade
Synopsis
The first time I saw her, I wanted her.
The second time I saw her, I knew she had to be mine.
Beautiful blonde hair. Cornflower blue eyes. Body to die for.
All things I knew I couldn’t live without.
But after one night, she ghosted me, leaving me desperate for another taste.
I was usually the one to walk out the door before the morning light came.
This time, it was her, but not without becoming my obsession in the process.
Lily was a mystery.
She had a past shrouded in secrets she was unwilling to divulge.
She was running from something, and I was determined to find out what it was.
And once I did, I’d do anything to protect her.
They called me the sinner for a reason.
Because I wouldn’t hesitate to burn down the world or cross any line to save her.
A scorching hot, he falls first, touch her and die, billionaire romance.
REVIEW
Okay, so The Sinner, the third book in Marni Mann’s Spade Hotel series, had a lot of potential, but (DON’T HATE ME) for me, it didn’t fully deliver. The setup was intriguing, but the insta-love (really, lust) lacked depth, making it hard to connect with the romance. I also kept waiting for the FMC to show some personality, but she never really did? And the MMC—despite his wealth and power—never quite lived up to the intensity his character seemed to promise (which was frustrating to no end, for both him and me!).
The conflict surrounding the ex-boyfriend felt underexplored, and the reasoning behind certain choices didn’t entirely make sense. While the book delivers plenty of spice, some of the dialogue leaned into cheesy territory, especially in the epilogue/bonus content, which felt like it should have been part of the actual ending, instead of “extra.” Speaking of which, the conclusion itself, which we’d been working toward for what felt like so long, felt anticlimactic.
That said, if you’re here purely for the steam, you might have a good time with this one! I just wanted a little more depth to go with all the heat.
Thank you so, so much to Amara, an imprint of Entangled Publishing, for the gifted copy!
Original publication date was 27 June 2024; new paperback special edition publication date is 1 April 2025.
Author Profile
USA Today best-selling author Marni Mann knew she was going to be a writer since middle school. While other girls her age were daydreaming about teenage pop stars, Marni was fantasizing about penning her first novel. She crafts unique stories that weave together her love of darkness, mystery, passion, and human emotions. A New Englander at heart, she now lives with her husband in Sarasota, Florida. When she’s not nose deep in her laptop, she’s scouring for chocolate, sipping wine, traveling, boating, or devouring fabulous books.
