Tainted Saints

Dark Retellings #1

by Rosa Lee

What if everything you’ve ever needed, is everything you can never have?

In the opulent British Ambassador's residence, nestled near Washington DC, an unexpected encounter awaits that will rock everything I thought I knew and change the course of my life. At my new school I meet the enigmatic Tainted Saints—three mesmerising men who become the protectors I never knew I needed.

However, my sordid past unravels as the Ambassador, the man who sired me but will never earn the title of father, reveals his true depravity. With a shocking thirst for blood, he tests the limits of his monstrous nature.

Can I escape his clutches and find true freedom? Or will my life be forever tethered to him instead of the deserving men who have captured my heart?

"Tainted Saints" is a stand alone, compelling retelling, where our fearless heroine need not choose between her impassioned suitors. Discover a world where the boundaries of desire and possibility collide. Brace yourself for a dark romance, but please heed the warnings at the book's outset—this tale is not for the faint of heart.

Genres: Dark Romance, Why Choose, Romance, Dark, M M Romance, Smut, BDSM

350 pages, ebook

Published August 11, 2023

About the author

Rosa Lee lives in a sleepy Wiltshire village, surrounded by the beautiful English countryside and the sound of British Army tanks firing in the background (it’s worth the noise for the uniformed dads in the local supermarket and doing the school run!).

Rosa loves writing dark and delicious whychoose romance, and has so many ideas trying to burst out that she can often be found making a note of them as soon as one of her three womb monsters wakes her up. She believes in silver linings and fairytale endings...you know, where the villains claim the Princess for their own, tying her up and destroying the world for her.

If you’d like to know more, please check out Rosa’s socials or visit

www.rosaleeauthor.com

https://Linktr.ee/RosaLeeAuthor

Reviews

[BeautyAndTheBooks · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was just... Awful…
She cried five times before breakfast. Every day.
They only had sex.
I laughed out loud during the wedding scene where she was all “you don’t control me anymore”.
After years of trauma, that was her big moment?
Nooooo🤦🏼‍♀️🤦🏼‍♀️🤦🏼‍♀️
Was that supposed to be the climax of the story?
I cannot believe I spent my last day of summer break on this. I refuse to believe such a thing.

[sophia · Rating 1 out of 5]

normalize not writing whatever this is.

[avery · Rating 1 out of 5]

this book was so corny 😭😭

forest was so annoying because of his incessant nicknames/pet names like i understand if it’s every now and then, but every time he addressed aspen it was some sort of weird and off putting pet name. and i got sick and tired of aspen being described as “so small and so fragile and so petite.” say it once and we understand her description, you don’t have to repeat it every five pages. and something else that annoyed was that aspen would say an american term and then follow it up with “but we call it …. back home 🤓☝🏻” girl stfu 😭😭

the characters were all poorly written the plot was poorly written and this was an overall poorly written book and i’m a proud hater

(she also had public sex the second time she meets the boys 🤥🤥 there’s nothing wrong with having sex that early, but the way in which it was done seemed weird asl)

[Ines · Rating 5 out of 5]

This author seriously wet my appetite for this book with all the teasers and reels I’ve seen the last few days. Especially the jail scene got me way more excited than I probably should have been (I might need therapy), but I absolutely knew I needed to read this book. And even though I was already way more excited than usual before starting a book, it still managed to blow my mind.

Where to start with this… We’ve got one girl who, to the outside world, seems to have it all and three men from the wrong side of the tracks. And still, she’s not the lucky one out of these four characters, at least until the moment these three men decide she’s theirs. These men are H-O-T, true doms and absolute book-boyfriend-perfection. But most of all, they are the perfect thing to counter the absolute miserable situation Aspen lives in. This story was spicy, but also sad and heartbreaking at times and I love how this story evolves and how obvious it is, once again, that money can’t buy happiness.

I’ve read a lot of the books in this series of standalones so far, and this one is my new favorite. It has everything I expect, and hope for, in a contemporary RH standalone and it’s a book I can definitely recommend. It also introduced me to a new to me author (even though I was following her socials already, her books hadn’t left my tbr yet), and I’m dedicated to check out her other work now!

[Mia S. · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love Rosa Lee, I will forever love Rosa Lee but this one had me a little worried! Only gave a 5 because of the possible dog fighting ring. Apparently I do have a trigger and even the thought of Bolt getting hurt just kept me uneasy for most of the book. I don’t mind spoiling because he was never in actual danger & ending up protecting his family. Team Dog all the way! My genre is very very dark EXCEPT when comes to possibly injuring a dog, kill all the people you want, but touch a dog and done. Again dog was fine.

Aside from that very spicy and overall a good one!

[Yermani · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was okay. It was entertaining yes. However I felt like I was reading one of those wattpad book that needed more developing. This story had so much potential.

[alyona]

DNF @ pg 25

I… I have no words

[Krissreads · Rating 3 out of 5]

First book for 2024…a bust 🥴😫

This book was 60% smut, 20% story and the last 20% was filled with spelling mistakes and bad grammar🙄

I like the story despite the whole plot falling face first and the lack of character development between the three men. The characters overall were good enough and actually worked really well together but they did have their moments. Blaine and Lan were probably my favourite as they were the more broody and roughest out of the 3 of them. Forest was more of a 5 stage clinger and his little nick names screamed ICKK. Aspen on the other hand, was decent but was always crying or walking on wobbly legs making my eyes roll.

One thing that irritates me beyond belief with this author is that she has a fetish for the UGLIEST shoes because she is always describing them in a way that they sound incredible when THEY. ARE. JUST. UGLY! Along with her godawful personal fashion style which is always from somewhere between 1920 -1990 and insists on describing every single FMC in her books the same way, it just ruins everything about the character. I also don’t understand why the FMC always has to be “British” but based in America.. like you can’t think of anything else?

Despite this being yet another poorly written book, thank fuck she stopped trying to be funny with the ridiculous made up nick names… her older books like “Captured” made me want to stab my own eyeball.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

[Shawna Jalbert · Rating 4 out of 5]

♤Dark Mafia Romance
♤Lady and the Tramp Retelling
♤RH/Why Choose
♤MMMF
♤⚔️Crossing
♤Pierced 🍆
♤Possessive/Obssessive MMCs
♤Spice 🌶🌶🌶🌶🌶

Another good read by Rosa Lee for me! I love that it was a Lady and the Tramp Retelling but with more than just one man 😉. We have a FMC that has suffered abuse from her parents and just wants to find love and she does instantly with her 3 Saints. I don't know what it is about the "Your mine or the You're Ours" trope but swoooon. There is so much more I can say but why should I when you can read it and enjoy it like I did? Make sure to check TW before readng please!

[Vee · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF at 10%. I don’t think it’s a bit of me. I’m not loving the nicknames so far and I think they made her far too cliche British. With the tea commentary, manners and ‘stiff upper lip’. No one’s actually that stereotypical here, it’s kinda hard to read.

[JL Roberts · Rating 4 out of 5]

Besides Aspen Stuttering throughout the whole book, I'm having a hard time finding anything to hate about this book. I liked all of the Tainted Saints and aside from Aspens constant stuttering, I liked Aspen's character. Plenty of spice and a decent story line. I love it when the bad guys get theirs in the end.

[Page Turn Palace · Rating 1 out of 5]

The book "The Tainted Saint" is a disappointing and disturbing read that fails to deliver on its promise of a dark and spicy romance. The author tries to create a vivid and dark world, but the result is a mess of clichés, inconsistencies, and ethical issues. The heroine, Aspen 17, is a naive and helpless victim who is abused and manipulated by her father and the Saint brothers who claim to love her. The scenes of intimacy are not erotic, but rather violent and degrading, especially the one where Aspen is forced to have sex with one of the brothers in an alley. The characters are not believable or likable, and their motivations are unclear and contradictory. The plot is thin and predictable, and the writing is mediocre and full of errors.

The book does not deserve the praise it has received from some readers, who seem to be blinded by the superficial appeal of the cover and the blurb. The book is not a dark and alluring romance, but a cheap and offensive imitation. The book is a waste of time and money, and a disservice to the genre. The book deserves a low rating of 1/5 stars, and a warning to potential adult readers to stay away from it. The only spice the book offers is a bitter and sour taste that lingers in the mouth, and a regret that one ever picked it up.

[Taees_Cozy_Corner · Rating 2 out of 5]

The book was okay. I like the spice but honestly it was taking too long to get anywhere and there did not seem to be any plot.

[KayBeReading · Rating 4 out of 5]

Honey a Rosa Lee book never misses. I don’t even know where to start. First off this whole thing starts because little miss Aspen is a clepto and her sticky fingers land her behind bars. During lock up she meets Blaine and then later Forest and Landon. These three men are immediately enamored by Aspen and vice versa. These four form a deep bond fast. Each guys provides Aspen with something different but a the same time their goal is to cherish and protect her. Boy does she need protection because her father is psycho. Forest is definitely my favorite( maybe it’s a southern thing lol). It was really just how he called Landon daddy and Blaine big daddy, it made me giggle every time. The spice in this one was on fire. I was definitely fanning myself. As I was getting to the end it definitely reminded me of Tarnished Embers( Rosa did write that too lol) on how the FMC always wins in the end and gets her revenge. I loved it! These four definitely got their HEA!

[The_Book_Brat · Rating 4 out of 5]

*why choose
*contemporary
*multi-pov
*fairtytale re-telling (Lady & the Tramp)
*dark themes
*traumatised FMC
*insta-love
*rags vs riches
*established harem (3) MM
*fast burn 🔥
*standalone
Aspen is our FMC, a very nervy quiet girl who as the daughter of a British ambassador lives a life of luxury…yet who truly knows what goes on behind closed doors?!!
Our MMCs are brothers by bond and have worked hard for what little they have but nothing can some between them including the new girl from the other side of the tracks 😬 we have Blaine (my favourite!) the silent softie; Forest the bubbly crazy; and Lan the difficult leader 🙈
Reluctant as certain members of the trio are the vexing to realise there’s more to Aspen and that she may be the key to getting out of the mafias thumb! But as they get to truly know her they realise there’s far more going on and she definitely needs them and boy do they fall for our girl and help her through 🥰🥰
The only things is her kleptomania is quite a significant part of the plot at the start and then it kinda disappears throughout the story.
Still a great standalone I would read again.

[Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can’t stop thinking about this book and these Tainted Saints!

[Sarah Cupitt · Rating 4 out of 5]

I saw so many teasers for this book, and it did not disappoint. It gets 4/5 because the MC was a bloody 17-year-old, and the plot had some gaps, BUT I'M NOT COMPLAINING. (Don't come for me, I'm sorry). Landon reminded me of Davinci Code by Dan Brown, and the Spotify playlist for this standalone was epic.

Favourite quotes:
- What if everything you’ve ever needed, is everything you can never have?
- I never knew what was worse, knowing what was wrong with me after extensive Google searches as an early teen, or not being able to get the right medical help because heaven forbid we have any mental health issues or craziness in the family.
- Time loses all meaning when you’re in the dark.
- Her eyes open, and I’m drowning in a sea of green glass
- I deserve someone who won’t even look at another woman because they can’t take their eyes off me. I deserve someone who wants to spend every moment with me, wrapped in my arms. I deserve someone who wants to spend hours buried inside me, who can’t get enough of me, who rushes home from work just to throw me up against the wall and fuck me hard and fast because he's so consumed by me he can’t control himself.
- I can see the concern in her eyes, the worry that we don’t want her because she’s not enough, because she’s been rejected by the people who should love her.

Fav smut moments:
- (Killer dedication haha) To all those good girls who like to get on their knees for Daddy… Look at you, you’re doing such a good job.
- "Please, Forest." I don’t care why Forest was there, or how I managed to bump into him just when I needed him. I couldn’t give a shit if anyone is around, in fact, the idea of being seen has lightning tingling up my spine. All I know is that right now, I need him more than I need to breathe.
- “That’s it, sugar. Be a good girl and come all over Daddy’s fingers.” Oh. Shit.
- “You’re so wet for me already, I bet my cock would just slide inside you and you’d take it like my good little slut, wouldn’t you?” Fuck. Me.

[Bailey Lassiter · Rating 2 out of 5]

The stars are for the smut. Otherwise I would have given this book even less. Maybe I’m not the target audience? It was very much giving wattpad. This author has good ideas but is in desperate need of an editor. The writing was so cringey and a lot of it made no sense. She is shy and has social anxiety but every time she’s in a crowd of strangers she starts ‘accidently’ singing out loud or making out with one of her three boyfriends while the other two grope her in front of everyone. I was embarrassed for her 😭 An FMC crying as much as Aspen does should be illegal lol The plot was lost more the once, the timeline was off, and the reactions of the spoiled boyfriend and abusive dad just did not line up. Her dad giving her a chance to be alone with Landon? Her KILLING her dad after two minutes of seeing him captured. Huh?? I think if the reader was not well versed in why choose or mafia they would have liked this book more, but I’m hopeful that as this author grows she will invest in a good editor and push herself to take in the notes that a lot of people are leaving!

[Catherine · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have been so excited for this book after all the teasers I have seen. It was just as good as I thought it would be. Protective morally grey men, sweet pet names, spice, revenge, and more. I will read anything this author writes.

The FMC Aspen looks like she has the perfect life. She is the daughter of the British Ambassador, and she needs to have the perfect image for her parents at all times. If she is not everything her father wants her to be, she will be corrected.

The Tainted Saints Landon, Blaine, and Forest have been asked to watch Aspen for a couple different reasons. They never expected to get so close to her. The more they learn about her and her life, the more they want to keep her. They are all from completely different worlds and backgrounds. A relationship between them shouldn't work, but they are all drawn towards each other anyways.

[Chubby Romance Reader · Rating 4 out of 5]

Whoooooo was this a spicy, smexy standalone! Tainted Saints was a very enjoyable read that I read whenever I had the time to. It was heavy on the spicy scenes, but it had a good plot to go with it that I really liked! The storyline flowed very well and was fast paced.This was my first read by Rosa Lee, and it certainly won't be my last!

[Jess · Rating 5 out of 5]

Aspen is a beautiful 18 year old whose father is the British Ambassador. Her family is more wealthy than some can even dream of. She lives in a mansion on the rich side of town, she is musically gifted and often attends extravagant events with her parents. Her life looks perfect on the outside, but the abuse she deals with behind closed doors is anything but perfect.
Blain, Forest and Landon also known as the Tainted Saints, leaders of the local gang have been tasked with keeping tabs on Aspen. Sticking to the shadows and watching her from afar. Until they are forced face to face with her. They are all immediately attracted to her, but it will never work because the Ambassador isn’t going to let her date one, much less three guys that are from the wrong side of town and run a gang. As the guys spend more time with Aspen though, they know they can’t let her go and when they find out how the Ambassador has been punishing her they vow to take him down.

This was my first Rosa Lee book and I really enjoyed it. I am a sucker for why choose with MM plus throw in 2 pierced 🍆and a daddy kink and I am here for it. Aside from the spice, which was definitely spicing, I enjoyed how protective the guys were over Aspen. They would literally do anything for her and that was sweet to see and after all that Aspen had been through it was nice seeing her being treated the way she deserved.

The narration was great! This was my second time listening to Evelyn Rose and I was blown away by her range and accents. She brought each character to life with their own uniqueness and her accents were flawless. I have been a fan of Gregory Salinas for awhile now, so I knew he was going to do a great job bringing the guys to life and he did. The guys all have very different personalities and he portrayed that perfectly.

[Stephenie Miller · Rating 3 out of 5]

While I loved the story and do recommend it to people, I only give this 3 stars because I felt:
1. The playlist didn't go at all with the book. Maybe a paragraph or two, but that's about it. I was really hoping it would be better, but i was disappointed.
2. There was one part where the author didn't keep tike properly. She was supposed to do something on Sunday, and the Saints were gonna go somewhere the next Sunday, and instead, they were not even a day apart. Also, once it was mentioned, it had been weeks since they had seen Aspen, and then it said it was a week. So very strange.
3. They were all very repetitive with the nicknames. If they weren't used so frequently or changed a little, it would have been better, in my opinion.
And finally,
4. I notice quite a few spelling errors. Especially with the word pound. It would say "Poundto" "Poundwasn't" ect. The word pound was capitalized when it shouldn't have been as well. Kinda annoying, but still managed.

Even with all of this, the book was still pretty good. The story and plot were pretty decent. While it lacked some, it was still a good read.

[Kimberly Wisniewski · Rating 5 out of 5]

Spice level is off the charts in this story. Aspen the daughter of a British ambassador meets and falls for three guys from the wrong side of the track. I loved the use of the Kings English for Aspen and then some Spanish terms of service endearment for Blaine. Forest and Lan are definitely something else. The first 💥 scene between Aspen and Lan holy hell I needed a fan.

[Slaughterhouse Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

good

I enjoyed this book. I wish the drawing out of mr ambassador was a bit more but I also love super dark ish….good read loved that it was lady and Tramp retelling since you don’t see that retelling a lot. I alos surprisingly loved the UK spelling/grammar.

Kudos to Rosa this was my first book by her and won’t be the last

[Millie V · Rating 2 out of 5]

The FMC barely has two brain cells to rub together to form a logical thought. Tropes? All the neo-classics popularized by TikTok, the author really tried to jam pack those bad boys in there (even misplaced and entirely unnecessarily). Did I repeatedly say “I hate this book”, “hate this for me”, or “I hate that I’m reading this” aloud throughout? Yes. Did I finish it nonetheless? Yes. Mama ain’t raise no quitter.

[Shelby McCrossan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Omg

If you want spice, you definitely need to read this book! I want tainted saints of my own.
It had me physically blushing throughout, what those men can do is not short of a dream 🤪

[Brenna Padilla · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book so much, the perfect read to get out of a reading slump. I was giggling and kicking my legs - majority of the read! Also can’t hate a happy ending. However, the ending took me by surprise. ❤️

[Jayden Beck · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very steamy, the beginning starts at a good pace, the ending comes all too soon and then the book ends abruptly! Great book just wish the ending could have been drawn out a little longer.

[Brittany (Brit.tea.reads) · Rating 4 out of 5]

RTC

[Stacey · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF, struggled to even get to 20%.