There Is No Devil

Sinners #2

by Sophie Lark

Just because he couldn't kill her doesn't mean his enemy won't. Cole and Mara's relationship has grown to consume them both. Cole, sculptor and killer, finds himself adrift in a depth of feeling he's never known, while Mara, unafraid of his darkness, is blossoming into a successful artist, shaking off the trauma of her youth to finally chase success. For the first time in both their lives, they might actually be…happy. But the past has a long shadow. Alastor Shaw is the Beast of the Bay, a frenzy-killer who once hoped to share his hunting ground with Cole. They never chased the same prey…until the night they both laid eyes on Mara Eldritch. And now, when Shaw realizes the cold-hearted Cole has fallen in love with the girl they once targeted, he plans to destroy him, using Mara as his weapon and pawn. Cole will do anything to protect Mara, including making her strong enough to protect herself. And soon, he finds himself tempting her deeper and deeper into the depths of violence she never thought she'd commit. Shaw's hunt won't stop. Neither will Cole's love. When the time comes for Mara to act, will she be ready to do what needs to be done?

Genres: Dark Romance, Romance, Dark, Contemporary, Serial Killer, Smut, Thriller

272 pages, Paperback

First published December 1, 2021

About the author

Powerful Romance

Special Editions & Exclusive Stories:
https://sophielark.com/

Sophie lives in Southern California with her husband and three children. Her favorite authors are Emily Henry and Freida McFadden. She’s an Aquarius who loves fitness and looks forward to Halloween every year.

Reviews

[Ayman · Rating 5 out of 5]

RENT WAS DUE, THE ECONOMY WAS CRASHING, PEOPLE WERE STARVING, THE WORLD WAS ON FIRE AND SOPHIE LARK SAVED US ALL!!

this was so fucking chaotic but fun as hell. i feel like i’ve come alive after reading this dualogy and now i have the power of all the bts stans…hear me out…this book was exhilarating!!!

i think my favorite thing about this book and the dualogy as a whole is the fact that we get equal characterization. we know just enough about mara’s past and fears as we do cole’s and i admire that very much. Lark’s writing is refreshing and these characters are so flawlessly complex and deep. i love cole as much as i love mara and vice versa.

and let me pop off for a second with this…the smut…my fucking god that was equally crazy and fun as hell to read. my brain short circuited reading just reading those build up scenes.

the plot was equally interesting and had me on the edge of my seat. seeing mara become the baddest bitch ever and cole realizing the ‘sense of emptiness that plagued him wasn’t the reality of a human condition’ but because he felt empty without his other half aka mara…shit…i was in shambles 😭 this motherfucking killer can be so sweet omfg.

there was a void inside me before reading this and now after reading it’s been filled ✨✨✨💓🧎🏻‍♀️🥵

[chloé ✿ · Rating 2 out of 5]

me 🤝🏻 raccoons

we both enjoy trash

[Phuong ✯ · Rating 2 out of 5]

– 2.25 stars

In hinsight, socialbutterfly pr not giving me the ARC of There Is No Devil was an act of kindness and I want to thank them from the bottom of my heart, because now I don't have to feel bad about roasting this book <3

***

Okay sooo I've been sitting infront a blank page for a good half hour and came to the realization that I either have writer review block or don't care about this book enough to roast it and it's most definitely the latter. I don't care about Mara, I don't care about Cole and I especially don't care about Mister Alistor Shaw. There Are No Saints, while being very over the top weird, was at least hilarious, while There Is No Devil was a snoozefest from page one to page three hundred twenty-five. I can't believe this is the same series or characters ... they couldn't be more day and night. I feel like a clown looking at the book title, cause that was such a giveaway ... should have known better. This book really had no devils left, cause they all got a personality implant 🤡

Live footage of me reading There Is No Devil

😀 – page one: Back then I was a very optimistic person since There Are No Saints was fun and very entertaining

🙂 – page thirty-six: "I'd have to say that Mara is just ... gritty. She has an edge of roughness, wildness, neglect." Cole describing Mara like the homeless girl she was before she met him never fails to make me feel something

😐😴 – page ninty-seven: Mara describing her abusing childhood and how her stepdad Randall burned her fav teddy bear. I'd love to say that the scene deeply touched my soul, but I don't lie in my reviews

😐 – page one hundred thirty: Cole and Mara having rough sex and Mara catching Cole's sweat that was dripping down his hair with her tongue was such a monumental literature moment

😐😴 – page one hundred sixty-two: Mara and Cole having clay sex thinking they are some virtuoso Egyptians reforming their bodies with clay

😐 – page one hundred ninty-one: Cole wanting to feed Mara enough cheese so he can drown in her breast was another not highlight

😐 – page two hundred sixteen: "Eat my pussy, Daddy ... send me into outer space ..." 😐 ... 😐 i-nevermind

😐😴 – page two hundred seventeen to three hundred twenty-four: a bit of action, but mostly filler with more tell than show

🥳 – page three hundred twenty-five: no context needed

I appreciate that Sophie Lark wanted to give us all the romance fluff the previous book was missing and something that I critisized in There Are No Saints that I didn't feel the romance, so I wanted to rate this book 3 stars, but everything else was so subpar that I couldn't. The humor? Cole's charisma? The savagery? All gone. Even Mara & Cole big showdown against Shaw was so anticlimactic and dull. The potential this duet could have had 😢

P.S. this duet reminded me why I lowkey hate duets

┍━━━━━━━━━━━━━┑
SINNERS DUET

#1 There Are No Saints – 3.5 stars
#2 There Is No Devil – 2.25 stars
┕━━━━━━━━━━━━━┙

[Mareeva · Rating 1 out of 5]

1 star

I just want to point out that me reading this was a result of coercion & physical force. Certain people need to take FULL responsibility for the deteriorating mental state I'm currently in.

I won't say any particular names. Don't wanna call anyone out or anything😇


I was going to post a lengthy review on why I didn't enjoy this book. But then I quickly came to a realisation that I am so damn tired of talking about it. So I'll do you one better and post screenshots of my live & true reactions with my assailants:)

(so I realise this review is probably a little lengthy💀 but it's a speck compared to my usual ranting)

HOW THE FIRST 80% OF THIS BOOK WENT



I really thought they will become a serial killing duo, Bonnie & Clyde reborn. But all they did the entire book was drink lattes, go shopping, drive cars, and have unsanitary/unsafe sex with Tik Tok songs in the background. When I say unsafe I mean Cole literally almost choked the bitch to death so she can finally realise she has daddy issues😍


HOW THE LAST 20% OF THE BOOK WENT

Damn...... what is that thing called when a book has purpose? You know, the one where things happen for a reason & keep your interest?
OOOOH right....a plot.
Yea that thing sorta happened.
Sorry, I literally forgot such a concept can exist after spending a whole day reading about NOTHING.

Some murder occured too, followed by even more dumbassery.


And that's when I knew I was done. You see, them fucking in the snow wasn't the problem, it was them fucking in the snow AFTER I already had to witness them doing it in every other cringy way possible. The snow was my last straw. I've never been happier to dnf a book at 90%.

I have no idea what happened during the writing process between books 1 and 2, but it must've been an experience. Instead of killing the heroine, like was promised in There Are No Saints, this book went a step further and decided to murder the three of us instead. Barely escaped with our lives.

Sorry, this wasn't even a review, it was just me being fed up. I need Tylenol.

[Larissa Cambusano · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 🌟 YALL— this was the ending we DESERVED. You know when you love the first book so much that the second one scares you because you feel like there’s nothing that could top it? WELL THIS PUT ALL THOSE FEARS AWAY. Getting to see more of Cole & Mara, dive deeper into their past and see all the different connections within their relationship was amazing. They’re not only steamy and twisted but they’re made for one another. We got to see the man who doesn’t love anyone fall for the woman that no one ever loved. This book had some of my favorite Cole & Mara scenes, but I need a round of applause for that magnificent ending. holy fuck. I miss them already.

“we’re wrapped together, twisted up. not one snake, but two, the black and the white. we are the same. and I like that we are.”

[Jessica · Rating 3 out of 5]

Where to start? I absolutely loved book one. I loved how Mara and Cole were toying with each other and how twisted that story was. So much went on and I was furiously reading to get to the end. With this one, Mara and Cole are already established and just have to tie up loose ends. And those loose ends aren't dealt with until the very end. The rest of this book is Mara and Cole together as they go through Mara's past trauma. While I appreciated understanding Mara and what she went through, this book lost the spark that book one had. It wasn't twisted anymore and Cole just seemed...normal? Well, as normal as a serial killer can be. Nothing was as shocking or as engaging as book one was and I didn't feel the need to rush through this book because I couldn't put it down. I forced myself to sit and just finally finish it because nothing screamed that I had to find out what happened next. I understand the purpose of this book was to delve into the characters and what made them who they are, but I wanted more from the plot.

[⚔Irunía⚔]

After supervising the queen rat Tanaz and TJ's buddy read, having the time of my life while they were roasting and tearing this book to pieces, I can 💯 relate to the meme;) coz the first word that came out of my mouth the second Anna suggested we buddy read Ms. Lark's book again was a meaningful, telltale "ewww" 💋

[➦Paulette & Her Sexy Alphas]

Where to begin with this one
I could tell you that this whole book was basically a way of watching mara Grow and watch her Break from her shell

It was heartbreaking hearing both sides of their life growing up each one of them having dark past…

With Cole, we are told the reasons why he became who he is, why he started killing
And Lord have mercy don’t even get me started on Mara’s back story…….. If only I could just reach my hand into this book , and wrap my hands around her mother’s throat …… Sorry
Mara’s whole life has been a struggle for independence.
Every person who was supposed to love her tried to control her instead. They tried to bend her and shape her to be what they wanted, so they could use her, so they could consume her like fuel.


Cole is the most observant person I’ve ever met. He uses technology to enhance what he can see, what he can hear, until he’s god-like in his reach. She safe from the rest of the world when she is under his eye, under his protection. No one can hurt her, no one can touch her.
Except Cole himself.

Sounds like a great book doesn’t it the only problem was I could not connect with these two for the 1st 80% of this book because all they seemed to have done was shop and hang out together….. I can’t believe I’m saying there’s too much sex ( I know) and not enough blood and murder, I just need this serial killer not the sex starved characters …. I needed more blood on shaw as well

I know I might not have said this in a while but remember this is only my opinion…… I would never discourage any one from reading any book
📙

[Melanie (mells_view) · Rating 5 out of 5]

The man who never cared about anyone is fixated on the girl nobody gave a shit about. In some twisted way, we’re made for each other.

4.5*

Look. I could wax poetic about this book all day long, but all you really need to know is that this is the sweetest serial killer romance I have ever read, and oddly enough I’ve read enough for there to be a baseline. Cole and Mara are just… to die for in this story. I am obsessed with their dynamic and love them together. There is almost a campy vibe to their romance in this book, but it absolutely works and it gives a lightness to balance some of the heavy topics that are covered with each of these character’s back stories.

We get so many answers and there is so much pay off in this half of their story. Mara has blossomed like a flower into her new life. I love the strength that she has found throughout her life and that she’s getting the chance to actually show it in her art and not just in her survival.

Cole. Oh Cole. I’m not saying anything else, just Cole. 😂 do I really NEED to say anything else?

Anyway. Sophie once again killed it. Pun fully intended. There Is No Devil was emotional and relatable for so many reasons. Yes it’s a serial killer romance at it’s surface, but the underlying themes and messages are so powerful. The parallels between the fictional murders and healing in real life, it’s just. Sigh. So damn good Mrs. Lark if you’re seeing this. So. Damn. Good. My only complaint is that it’s over. I love Cole and Mara and wish their story could have gone on infinitely.

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AVAILABLE NOW!
*ARC

[TJ ☾ · Rating 2 out of 5]

[Llakshmi · Rating 2 out of 5]

Dammit, I was excited for this one

[Marianna Moore · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5⭐️ I absolutely LOVED part 1 of this duet and part 2 was most definitely entertaining but I did start to get really bored and lost interest at the 30% mark. I feel like this story definitely could have been shortened into one book and it would have been perfect!

This happens to me a lot when dark romance books are split up as a duet, there’s never really a strong enough plot to keep me engaged once the couple gets together and that unfortunately was the case here which is entirely a me problem 😭

I would still absolutely recommend the sinners duet to dark romance readers who have a soft spot for the the stalker MMCs who just so happen to be serial killers in their free time… oh and when the FMC is just as unhinged as him! It was entertaining, book two just lost me.

[♥︎ Heather ⚔ (New House-Hiatus) · Rating 4 out of 5]

❝ 𝑬𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒚𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒊𝒔 𝒄𝒉𝒆𝒔𝒔 𝒕𝒐 𝒉𝒊𝒎, 𝒆𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕 𝒎𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒔 𝒂𝒉𝒆𝒂𝒅. 𝑾𝒉𝒆𝒏 𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒐𝒑𝒑𝒐𝒏𝒆𝒏𝒕 𝒑𝒍𝒂𝒚𝒔 𝒃𝒚 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒓𝒖𝒍𝒆𝒔, 𝒉𝒆 𝒂𝒍𝒎𝒐𝒔𝒕 𝒏𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓 𝒍𝒐𝒔𝒆𝒔. 𝑰 𝒕𝒉𝒓𝒐𝒘 𝒂 𝒔𝒑𝒂𝒓𝒌 𝒐𝒇 𝒄𝒉𝒂𝒐𝒔 𝒊𝒏𝒕𝒐 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒈𝒂𝒎𝒆. 𝑾𝒆'𝒓𝒆 𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒆𝒏𝒅𝒈𝒂𝒎𝒆 𝒏𝒐𝒘. 𝑨𝒎 𝑰 𝒂 𝒗𝒂𝒍𝒖𝒂𝒃𝒍𝒆 𝒂𝒔𝒔𝒆𝒕- 𝒂 𝒒𝒖𝒆𝒆𝒏 𝒕𝒐 𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒌𝒊𝒏𝒈? 𝑶𝒓 𝒐𝒏𝒍𝒚 𝒂 𝒑𝒂𝒘𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝑪𝒐𝒍𝒆 𝒄𝒂𝒏'𝒕 𝒃𝒆𝒂𝒓 𝒕𝒐 𝒔𝒂𝒄𝒓𝒊𝒇𝒊𝒄𝒆? ❞

What a good ending to Cole and Mara's story! I just jumped into this book after finishing book 1 and in this book we really get a good look into the background of both characters and why they are flawed the way they are. I love them both so much, totally my type of characters. Broken, damaged yet strong and fierce.

❝ 𝓑𝓾𝓽 𝓽𝓸 𝓶𝓮, 𝓪𝓵𝓵 𝓽𝓱𝓸𝓼𝓮 𝓹𝓮𝓸𝓹𝓵𝓮 𝓼𝓮𝓮𝓶𝓮𝓭 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓼𝓪𝓶𝓮, 𝓪𝓷𝓭 𝓷𝓸𝓽 𝓵𝓲𝓴𝓮 𝓶𝔂𝓼𝓮𝓵𝓯.  𝓘 𝔀𝓪𝓼 𝓪 𝔀𝓸𝓵𝓯 𝓲𝓷 𝓪 𝔀𝓸𝓻𝓵𝓭 𝓽𝓱𝓪𝓽 𝓼𝓮𝓮𝓶𝓮𝓭 𝓬𝓸𝓶𝓹𝓻𝓲𝓼𝓮𝓭 𝓪𝓵𝓶𝓸𝓼𝓽 𝓮𝓷𝓽𝓲𝓻𝓮𝓵𝔂 𝓸𝓯 𝓭𝓮𝓮𝓻. ❞




❝ 𝓦𝓮 𝓪𝓵𝔀𝓪𝔂𝓼 𝓫𝓮𝓬𝓸𝓶𝓮 𝓵𝓲𝓴𝓮 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓹𝓮𝓸𝓹𝓵𝓮 𝓽𝓱𝓪𝓽 𝓼𝓾𝓻𝓻𝓸𝓾𝓷𝓭 𝓾𝓼. 𝓝𝓸 𝓱𝓾𝓶𝓪𝓷 𝓲𝓼 𝓪𝓷 𝓲𝓼𝓵𝓪𝓷𝓭. 𝓦𝓮'𝓻𝓮 𝓶𝓸𝓻𝓮 𝓵𝓲𝓴𝓮 𝓻𝓸𝓬𝓴𝓼 𝓲𝓷 𝓪 𝓽𝓾𝓶𝓫𝓵𝓮𝓻, 𝓴𝓷𝓸𝓬𝓴𝓲𝓷𝓰 𝓮𝓪𝓬𝓱 𝓸𝓽𝓱𝓮𝓻'𝓼 𝓻𝓸𝓾𝓰𝓱 𝓮𝓭𝓰𝓮𝓼, 𝓹𝓸𝓵𝓲𝓼𝓱𝓲𝓷𝓰 𝓪𝓷𝓭 𝓻𝓮𝓯𝓲𝓷𝓲𝓷𝓰 𝓸𝓷𝓮 𝓪𝓷𝓸𝓽𝓱𝓮𝓻 𝓪𝓼 𝔀𝓮 𝓹𝓪𝓼𝓼. ❞

❝ 𝓘 𝓳𝓾𝓼𝓽 𝓷𝓮𝓮𝓭 𝓸𝓷𝓮 𝓹𝓮𝓻𝓼𝓸𝓷 𝓽𝓸 𝓶𝓪𝓴𝓮 𝓶𝓮 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓬𝓮𝓷𝓽𝓮𝓻 𝓸𝓯 𝓽𝓱𝓮𝓲𝓻 𝓾𝓷𝓲𝓿𝓮𝓻𝓼𝓮. 𝓘 𝔀𝓪𝓷𝓽 𝓽𝓸 𝓫𝓮 𝓽𝔀𝓸 𝓼𝓽𝓪𝓻𝓼 𝓵𝓸𝓬𝓴𝓮𝓭 𝓲𝓷 𝓸𝓻𝓫𝓲𝓽, 𝓫𝓾𝓻𝓷𝓲𝓷𝓰 𝓫𝓻𝓲𝓰𝓱𝓽 𝓲𝓷 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓫𝓵𝓪𝓬𝓴𝓷𝓮𝓼𝓼 𝓸𝓯 𝓼𝓹𝓪𝓬𝓮. ❞ * . °•★|•°∵ ∵°•|☆•° .

[Lana ❇✾DG Romance❇✾ · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 STARS

The man who never cared about anyone is fixated on the girl nobody gave a shit about. In some twisted way, we’re made for each other.

Holy.
Fucking.
Hell.

Sophie Lark, you evil genius you. The shit that must have gone on in your mind as you were writing this duet. I don't even want to know. Ha! But damn if I don't want more.

Now look, this book is dark. Ok? Like super dark. It's fucked up in all the wrong ways...and all the right ones too.

I want all of you. Every single part of you. I want to know everything about you: all your history, and every thought that comes into your head. Every desire, no matter how dark or how perverse. Every fantasy, no matter how impossible it may seem. And most of all, Mara, I want to occupy your thoughts like you occupy mine. I want you obsessed with me, bound to me, dependent on me. I want you to live for me, not just with me.”

Is it possible to fall for a fictional sociopath serial killer? Welp, considering my first fictional crush like this was Dexter, it's safe to say yes, yes it is.

Cole is a sociopath and a serial killer, and while he may kill without feeling, he has a bit of a moral compass...however broken and gray it may be. As the story progresses, you get to glimpse more and more into this man's human side. And while he's the furthest thing from normal, you also begin to understand him. You get to see how he became who he is. And you also get the glimpse into the beginning of all of it, including his rivalry with Shaw.

Now one thing did make me nervous about reading the conclusion of this duet. That was the fact that Cole is a sociopath in every meaning of the word. How would you ever buy a man like this feeling anything, least of all love. But Sophie managed to pull it off. So much so, that I'm still reeling.

This was an action packed, fucked up ride of a story that I almost didn't want to end. And the conclusion? Morbidly satisfying. If you're looking for a seriously dark and fucked up read, look no further. This one will check ever box you didn't know you had.

ARC courtesy of author in exchange for an honest review

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[Warda · Rating 4 out of 5]

This gave me character growth, character development, character everything that I needed from book 1 and I loved it!
I feel like this could’ve easily been one book. I much rather read 500+ pages. Heck I could’ve read more of this. I just don’t know if romance duets are for me, but the story overall delivered.

I especially appreciated the discussion that we got on mental health and childhood trauma. So powerful!

I adore Sophie Lark.

[Manvi · Rating 2 out of 5]

She called him "Daddy" and you lost me there itself. Skimmed the rest and I did not like it, that's all.

[Jenn (The Book Refuge) · Rating 5 out of 5]

*Thank you to the author for an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.*

Holy guacamole, this book is on fire!

I do not even know where to start with this amazing creation. I know I said I would have to refrain from fully judging this duet until I read this second half. Now that I have, I feel confident in saying that is one of the best duets I have ever read. This is the perfect way to do it in my opinion. There was a full story that was told with TANS, and there is a full story with There is No Devil that builds off of the foundation between Cole and Mara from the first book and grows into something deep and epic in this second installment.

As with book 1, I could not put this book down. From the minute it dropped on my kindle, my eyes were glued to the page. Watching Cole and Mara go from dancing around each other to working in concert and growing together is a thing of beauty. But, its not all rainbows and orgasms. There is a very real threat from Shaw and its one that Mara doesn't want to acknowledge at the level it needs to be. Cole knows they are against the clock and getting Mara on board to do it "his way". Will take some convincing.

I don't want to spoil anything, so I won't say how he does that but I did love how we got her to that point. Also, we got to learn crucial parts of both of their pasts that led them to be the f*cked up wonders that they are. With lots of spicy and thrilling times in between. It all crescendos to a climax that had my heart racing and my blood pumping through every word to the finale.

Sophie Lark's writing truly shines in this duet and the way she is able to make me feel for this psycho serial killer and his artist lover is absolutely stunning. As I have said in my review of TANS, this is not a comfortable story. There is no higher calling that has them murdering people and yet I root for them the whole time. I couldn't put it down and I was left breathless and wanting more.

My love for Sophie is well known, so take this for what you will. But I cannot wait to see what she writes next because nothing she does is mediocre or done halfway. Every project gets all of her soul, every time.

5/5 Stars

[Paloma · Rating 5 out of 5]

The sinners duet were my first 5 star reads of this year! It was also my first serial killer romance…safe to say it has sparked an obsession! The character development was beautiful 🥺

[Jessica ❥Chatterbooks Book Blog❥ · Rating 4 out of 5]

There is No Devil is a satisfying conclusion to the Sinners Duet, and Cole and Mara are a couple I know I'll never forget. How could I?! From the way they met to how their story ends, nothing about them is basic.

I expected this installment to be action packed from beginning to end, and while we do get action and suspense later on, the author took some time to just hang out with Cole and Mara and show how they function as a couple. We witness their connection deepening more and more as the story progresses and learn more about their backstories as they share their pasts with one another.

There's nothing I love more than the making of a villain, so I appreciated the author including more of Cole's personal history in this one. It was interesting to see how Cole and Shaw first crossed paths and how their "rivalry" began and evolved over time.

As always, Sophie included Spotify & Apple Music links throughout the book. I enjoy the sort of cinematic effect it creates when you listen to the selections as you read. The particular songs she coupled with the action/fight scenes toward the end were my personal favorites.

Bottom line, this author never lets me down! I know if I choose to pick up one of her books, I'm going to have a good time. That was certainly the case here, and it has been with every other book of hers I've read.

Fans of serial killer romance and Sophie Lark, you can't go wrong with this one!

[claudia (purged my account) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cole couldn't kill Mara, something inside of him had changed. Yet that doesn't mean Shaw won't, he's relentless and ready to have his way. Mara is now living in Cole's house, she's always with him and under his control. The more Cole pushes her the more she pushes back not willing to back down. Mara peels away more and more of Cole's secrets one by one. Now Cole's tempting Mara to do more things she'd never do. Shaw won't stop hurting her, when the time comes to act will Mara be ready?

All my reviews have the possibility of spoilers, be warned!

This book was more on the wholesome side and I loved it. The romance and passion definitely felt a lot stronger between Cole and Mara it was so lovely to see. We could see that the feelings they had were so genuine.

"What's wrong?" Cole says, zeroing in on my private thoughts with his usual eerie precision.
"I don't fit in here," I mutter. "This changing room is bigger than my apartment."
"You don't live in that apartment anymore," Cole says, and then, because I'm staring at the carpet, he grabs my face and forces me to look into his eyes. "You deserve to be here as much as anyone. More than anyone. You're talented, Mara, really fucking talented. You're already a star. Everyone else doesn't know it yet, but I do. You're going to make art that makes people think and cry and burn with envy."

The drama definitely decreased in this book it wasn't as suspenseful as the first yet it was still satisfying. The silence in this scene was so loud the characters needed this wake-up call. Mara had to realise what she was up against with Shaw he was a real threat. If he got to her once he was going to do it worse the next time around.

"This is what it will feel like if you wait for Shaw to finish the job. This is what it will feel like when he's on top of you. This is what it will feel like to die as a victim."
"Stop it! Stop fucking around!" The words are a rasp, a whisper. It doesn't matter if he hears them or not: Cole isn't fucking around. He's never been more serious. He chokes me harder. Fucks me harder. Holds me there while he beats the lesson into me.
"This is your way, isn't it? Hoping for mercy? Never fighting back? Trying to do the right thing? You want to be a good person good people die every day, Mara, goodness never saved them." I'm clawing at his arms, desperate and dying. Black moths carry me away... He's looking down into my face, as cruel as Shaw as he taunts me "Do you want to be a victim, or do you want to be a fighter? I thought you were a fighter, Mara?"

I was so glad Mara reached her full potential to be a fighter. She's blossomed into this new life where she takes what she wants and she does anything to survive. From the first book, you want the world for her because she was at the bottom and had the capability to be at the top!

I'm happy that Mara chose Cole's side when he wanted to get revenge for her trauma with her stepdad. I wanted to see more of the back stories and it was done beautifully. I admire that we also got to see fears because not everyone can be strong every second. Cole was brilliant with handling Randall I expected nothing less than his unhinged self.

I wanted Randall dead. Now he is. He made me suffer. And he suffered in return. Cole plucks the flash drive out of the laptop and holds it out to me once more. "You put your life in my hands once, the night you came to my studio. Now I'll bet mine. Here's the tape. You won't turn it in. You know this was right." He pushes the flash drive into my hands, forcing me to close my fingers around it. I could leave the house, and carry this directly to Officer Hawks. But just as I knew Cole wouldn't hurt me, he knew exactly what I was going to do. I walk into the kitchen and drop the drive down the garbage disposal.

I was so damn happy Mara was the one to end it all. I was waiting and waiting to see her final unhinged moment and we got it. Even though it wasn't as suspenseful as I wanted it I still loved it. It was a great ending to the duology and I am not ready to say goodbye.

Our eyes meet. Everything that needs to be said passes between us. I'm holding the knife, sharp as a fang, dark on its point like venom. Shaw is the spider, but I'm the snake. I never saw a spider kill a snake. Sprinting forward, I raise the knife. I slash it across Shaw's throat in one perfect swinging arc.

I can’t wait to get my hands on more of Sophie’s books! I really hope that she continues doing the pictures, it’s such a lovely touch to see how she envisions the characters to look like.

Check out the rest of the reviews for this duology!

There Are No Saints

[Sophie Lark]

I was so pleased how many women identified with Mara’s character - with her sensory issues and history of trauma. It sounds crazy to call this an “inspirational story of murder”, but at the end of part two, I hope you will indeed feel inspired by Mara’s journey.

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[D.L. Howe · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

The difference between Cole and Shaw is that Shaw kills for the need to kill like most traditional serial killers. While Cole gets rid of people he doesn’t want around.

Watching a hot guy throw on a pottery wheel is like my kryptonite. I’m especially appreciate that little homage to the classic scene from the movie Ghost.

I think it’s interesting that when Mara questioned her role in Cole’s strategy I immediately would consider her the king and Cole the queen. Because if you know chess, you know the queen protects the king.

There’s a handful of characters that deserved vengeance but there’s one that stuck out the most for me. And it wasn’t the most obvious but I kinda hoped that it was the endgame.

Ms Lark did a masterful job building up to that climax. Everything came together like puzzle pieces but that doesn’t mean it was easy. No, I was on the edge of my seat for that entire two chapters.

Our fair writer also gave me the vengeance I wanted in the final chapter. Unfortunately, unlike with the Big Bang, that one was a bit anticlimactic. But it didn’t take away from everything else.

Overall an amazing duet and I’m stoked that I finally read this author. I am now definitely a fan.

[becca ୨୧ · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars ✰


“i’ll admit, it’s not just to protect you. i have to be around you. i’m addicted to you. you fuel me, you light me up inside. just knowing you’re in the house enlivens me. i can’t go back to the way i was before. im afraid of it.”

🧎‍♀️🧎‍♀️🧎‍♀️🧎‍♀️🧎‍♀️🧎‍♀️

[Vanessa Booked Up · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 STARS!

"I want to occupy your thoughts like you occupy mine. I want you obsessed with me, bound to me, dependent on me. I want you to live for me, not just with me."

MAGNIFICENT!! I was really nervous going into this one. Book 1 of this duet, There Are No Saints is easily one of my top reads of 2021 so my expectations were HIGH. However, after just a few chapters in, I easily realized I had zero cause for concern. This follow up was just as brilliant as the first.

There is No Devil picks up right where the previous book left off. Mara is living with Cole and they are planning on how to deal with Shaw. While Cole is convinced that murder is the only answer, Mara is struggling with her morals.

Probably my favorite element of this book was getting to see Cole and Mara's relationship evolve while opening up to each other about their respective pasts. We learn MUCH more about Mara's terrible mother and the extent of her negligence while also learning about Cole's first kills.

I have to say, if you are a fan of the You series or the show, by Caroline Kepnes, this is DEFINITELY a duet to check out. I am hugely obsessed with psychological thrillers of any kind. Once upon a time, I was studying to become a nurse...it didn't work out, but I remember taking Abnormal Psych and not being able to get enough of it. I studied every single psychological disorder and just wanted more, more, more...

So for that part of my brain, this book was crack...crack I tell you!!

The quality of writing is so smart, crisp, and thought-provoking.

It begs the question: Is it morally wrong to murder or is it morally wrong to allow a murder to happen because no action was taken?

And don't get me wrong on a couple of important points here...

1) Cole is still a psychopath...to what extent is up to you and definitely debatable. I personally do not believe that he is a serial killer because he kills with motive, which serial killers do not. (i.e. Shaw)

2) While this duet has MANY psychological thriller elements, it is still a dark romance with lots and lots of steam...

"Don't stop. I need more..."
"You fucking lunatic, I'll kill you," Cole snarls. "You don't know what I have in me..."
"Show me. You promised to show me."

This is an unforgettable duet written by an author who pulled no punches and was not afraid to go there. And this story really would not have been as great as it was if she'd written it any other way. I'm really sad to see Cole and Mara's story come to an end. I would love a part 2.5 epilogue...hint hint, Sophie!! :)



This duet is definitely a top recommendation from me.

"I know you can't be broken. I'm still testing to see if you can be tamed..."

I received an e-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. The images displayed here are not my own.

[nikita · Rating 3 out of 5]

this book is all about mara realising she’s as unhinged as cole and i think that’s growth. i knew she wasn’t goody two shoes since the beginning.

one thing that made me crackle is cole saying we need to kill shaw we need to wipe him off till 80% of the book and me throwing hands and yelling at him to do it already.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

***AVAILABLE NOW ***

4.5 STARS

Sophie Lark delivered another standout suspense romance with There Is No Devil! Steamy, suspenseful and completely captivating!

Cole Blackwell, the man with no emotions or feelings, the man who kills with no remorse, is so much more in this book. He opens up and shares himself with Mara, allowing for a true emotional connection with them. They become some much more than fascination or obsession. If at all possible, I fell more in love with this dark soul.

Mara evolves into the perfect partner for Cole. She understands and learns from him in so many ways, but she also changes him and teaches him about love and companionship. I love that she truly became an equal to Cole by the end of the novel, while also understanding what drives him.

The chemistry between these two didn’t let up. I swear to you, these two connected on a soul and spiritual level, and that only serves to escalate the physical chemistry.

The plot was really great! So much of it is spent on them as a couple with hints of Shaw and impending threats. I do wish the threat aspect would have been a bit longer or woven into the story more, BUT when it was there it was gripping. I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough. And when it was Cole and Mara, I wanted to slow down and bask in their connection and love.
The ending. The ending was so beyond perfect. I loved every moment of it.

Sophie Lark delivered a stunning conclusion to this duet. It had a gripping and truly unique plot and an unusual but purely sensual love. It was absolutely worth every moment of waiting for the duets conclusion.

ARC REVIEW

***There was one aspect between Mara and Cole that popped out between them which felt a bit off for me, but that could have been because I didn’t feel like is threaded enough into her or his characterization or them as a couple. It felt a bit thrown in vs. a true evolution of them as a couple as it came about late in the story and didn’t continue as the story progressed.

[Madison · Rating 5 out of 5]

A MASTERPIECE TO FULFIL EVERY DEEP AND DARK DESIRE. Truly. Lark upped her game in the finale to her Sinner’s duet. After finishing the first book, I was hoping—no—craving, that we would see Mara unleash her darker side…and she does. This book was so satisfying and answered any lingering questions from book 1. We learn a lot about Cole’s backstory—especially his history with Shaw. But we also see him humanise over the course of the story, even more so than the glimpses we got in book 1.

Cole and Mara have an electric connection and their romance is one of pure, twisted pleasure. I love how Lark wrote them, the way they balanced and complimented one another.

One thing I adore is how Cole is constantly trying to hype Mara, to support her, to make her the best. Not once does he belittle her or doubt her, he reveres her. Even when she doubts herself, he turns her around and tells her she can burn the world so long as she is brave enough to light the match. We love a serial killer who supports the hell out of his lady.

Mara is phenomenal. She has always been a snake (IYKYK), but she has always been trodden on, always been berated, always been made to feel like less. Even when she achieves success, those who should congratulate her continue to put her down. She rises during this novel. She gleams like the star she truly is and realises that in order to shine, she has to burn.

Now, the book isn’t out for another week so I don’t want to give anything away…but I will share a quote from the very start of the book: “when the devil chuckles, the world tilts a little on its axis, and somewhere, someone makes a fatal mistake.”

I cannot wait for what Lark does next.

P.S. there is a shaving scene that was utterly delightful.

P.S.S. There is a scene where Mara talks about the difference between people who have and haven’t worked as servers, and as someone who worked as one for 5 years, it couldn’t have been more relatable. I really appreciated it.

[mira · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.75⭐️

“She’s out of her fucking mind, and so am I.
Our madness aligns in all the right ways.”

update: update changed the rating from 3.75 to 2.75 because i didn't really care about this book and i just felt bad giving this a lower rating since i love sophie lark's books but this wasn't good so decided not to sugarcoat it. i also feel like i was lowkey peer pressured into rating this higher since EVERYONE is talking about how good it is on booktok/bookstagram. its very EH and nothing happens.

i love cole and mara so much. they def made my 2021 better (in book 1). i don't have any feelings for this book anymore (after thinking about it) especially compared to there are no saints. i feel like i wanted cole to murder more people. i know i know i'm crazy but i wanted them to be just as crazy. this book highly focused on their romance (or basically making this as spicy as possible) that nothing made sense in the plot.

with all honesty, i'm not even disappointed because i didn't have any high expectations. i knew this wouldn't live to any of my expectations thats why i didn't even think about this book before it came out. i'm just going to pretend that i didn't read this book because i actually love mara and cole and i don't understand why they needed to change characters.

in books like these i don't like when the characters turn out to be "good" or whatever. i needed 0 character development. once a serial killer always a serial killer. this book needed blood, murder, fucked up scenes. not whatever fluff this was. shaw also died so peacefully?

i read this yesterday and i already forgot EVERYTHING (expect the shower scene because well everyone is talking about it)

[Sammie Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had such a great time reading this duet this weekend! It takes my morbid fascination with serial killers and pairs it with my love for romance books and made something special out of it. The book continues where book one left off. Mara mows into Seacliff, Cole’s amazing Oceanside mansion, and they solidify their working and personal relationships. They don’t dance around each other much before they fall completely in love. Cole is obsessed with Mara and wants to be wherever she is, always. He wants to possess her, to excite her, for him to be stamped in every crevice of her mind, like she is for him. There is something completely attractive about this quality in a book character…the man who hates everyone but her, and would burn the earth for her. Or in this case, kill some people.

They decide that Shaw cannot live any longer. His very existence threatens the one thing on earth that Cole cannot and will not live without; Mara. She’s shown him a life that he could never have imagined. For the first time, Cole isn’t merely existing, he’s living and loving and loving life in a way that fills him with the very thing he’s lived without; feelings. And so, Shaw must die. He’s escalating dangerously, and since the police won’t listen, it’s up to Cole and Mara to balance the scales of justice. In more ways than one. All the while Mara grows in her art and in her artist community in a way that was lovely to witness. Mara learns that she is so much more than her trauma, and that was the most rewarding thing for me. Great conclusion!!!

[richa ⋆.˚★ · Rating 1 out of 5]

I was okay with all the unnecessary simp shit but at least stay in your character folks. Happy for Mara to get a good ending but not at that cost. Hate that out of all my speculations 4 is what turned out true.