The Sin Eater

The Watch #2

by Onley James

Waylon Boone is no stranger to danger. As the headmaster of the Watch, an elite school hidden in the desert where the wealthy send their psychopathic children to become the perfect covert operatives, he's trained killers, spies, and manipulators. But none have ever tested his control quite like Payton Skinner—the most dangerous student to walk through the doors, and the one Boone thought he could tame.

Payton’s obsession with the older man is immediate and all-consuming. Boone may be his teacher, but Payton has his own lessons to impart—lessons in seduction, power, and the art of taming a heart long since closed off to the world. But when a twisted video scandal rocks the school, accusing a trusted handler of betrayal, Boone and Payton are thrust into a high-stakes game of lies and espionage. A hacker threatens to reveal dark secrets, both real and fabricated, and no one knows who to trust.

As the investigation deepens, so does the heat between them, and the closer they get to unraveling the mystery, the harder it is to deny their growing connection. In a place where deception is currency and control is everything, Boone and Payton will have to decide how far they’re willing to go for the truth—and for each other.

The Sin Eater is an action-packed, smoking hot, age gap romance with an HEA and no cliffhangers. It features an exhausted, burnt-out assassin turned reluctant headmaster of psychopaths and an infuriating, calculating, psychopathic student who have absolutely no business being together but find themselves unable to resist forbidden fruit. As always, you can expect gratuitous violence, very dark humor, more blood than a slaughterhouse, and enough steamy moments to power a ship. This is book two in The Watch series. Each book follows a different couple.

Genres: M M Romance, Romance, Dark Romance, Dark, Contemporary, LGBT, Forced Proximity

432 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 22, 2025

About the author

Onley James lives in North Carolina with her daughter, her daughter-in-law, son-in-law, and a menagerie of animals, both good and evil. James splits her time between writing m/m romance and mainlining dangerous levels of caffeine and attempting to maintain her ever-slipping sanity.

When not at her desk you can find her whining about how much writing she has to do while avoiding said writing by binge-watching unhealthy amounts of television and doom scrolling on social media. She loves true crime documentaries, anti-heroes, and writing kinky, snarky books about morally gray men who fall in love with other men.

Stay up to date: www.onleyjames.com/newsletter

Find me on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/Onley...

Want more: linktr.ee/OnleyJames

Reviews

[BookSafety Reviews · Rating 2 out of 5]

Book safety, content warnings, and tropes down below.

Big yikes. I’m afraid the shine of Onley’s psychopath MCs has finally worn off. This was unfortunately very disappointing, majorly because of how unimaginative and repetitive it felt. I’ve already read this story and these characters before, you know? There was nothing new and exciting to draw me in.

Most of the book is plagued by repetitive inner dialogue, and a big chunk of it was spent making sure I never want to read Drake and Remi’s book because of how badly Drake treats Remi. It genuinely felt like The Sin Eater was there to set up that book, which isn’t totally unusual in a series of interconnected books, but usually it happens later in the book, after you have a connection with the actual main characters. That wasn’t the case here, as the romance between Payton and Boone was underwhelming at best. There was also several mentions of bedroom dynamics and activities that just never happened, which was a tease and a letdown in equal measure.

Now, about the actual plot, I feel like the author really shot herself in the foot with this one. Mild ish spoiler warning: Not only was it kinda boring and predictable, I actively rooted for the ‘villain’ and ended up seeing the MCs and most of the side characters as the yucky guys doing a corrupt government’s dirty work. When you add the fact that they reveal they have no wish or intention to graduate/do the work they are at the school to learn? Now the whole concept of the series is ruined. No idea where she could possibly take it from here to salvage it.

The sex scenes were rough and the only reminder it’s a romance. Their first ‘full’ roll in the hay felt like they were performing for hidden cameras — throwing in all of the porn clichés. It didn’t feel personal or intimate, just scripted, ticking off activities from a list. The scenes felt a bit more genuine and personal later on.

I’m being very critical, but I love a lot of Onley’s books and it’s tough when you *know* they are capable of so much more than this. It felt rushed and devoid of personality.

“The boyfriend code,” he murmured right against his ear. Payton nodded. “Yeah. Like, I’m pretty sure it falls somewhere between cheating on me and watching an episode of our favorite show behind my back?” “That’s worse than cheating on you?” Boone asked, rocking them side to side as he clung to him. Why was that so nice? “Duh. Cheating could just be about sex,” he muttered into his chest, words muffled.

I’m aware some people do feel this way, but I really don’t (not to downplay the betrayal of watching a show solo), so it was kinda off-putting, especially really late in the book.

Also, no idea why this is marketed as dark romance. It’s not.

⬇️ Blanket spoiler warning ⬇️

⚠️ Tropes & content tags ⚠️
Student/headmaster
Psychopath MC
Age gap
Androgynous MC
Silver fox
Size difference
Forbidden romance
Daddy kink
Overstimulation
Switch MCs
Face-riding
Morally gray

⚠️ Content warning ⚠️
Explicit sexual content
Sexual harassment
Alcohol consumption
Deepfake porn made of SC
SC drugged by other SC
Throat/face-fucking
Power imbalance
Spanking
Daddy kink
Mild degradation
Injured MC
Death of minor SC
Brief mention of statutory rape (MC’s parents — 16 and 24)
Brief mention of death of parent (past)
MC drugged
Gun violence
SC shot on page — critically injured
MC and SC held hostage
Graphic violence and murder

⚠️Book safety ⚠️
Cheating: No
Other person drama: No
Breakup: No
POV: 3rd person, dual
Genre: Contemporary romance
Pairing: M/M
Strict roles or versatile: Vers (maybe), but no switching
Main characters’ age: 24 and mid 40s
Series: Interconnected standalone
Kindle Unlimited: For a little while
Pages: 376
Happy ending: Yes






You can find most of my reviews on Instagram as well: https://www.instagram.com/booksafety?...

[Ditte · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF @ 68%

Idk if I'm just slumpy, if Onley James is no longer for me, or if this book is just meh.

Regardless, I got pretty bored, didn't really see any chemistry between the two mcs, and though we're often reminded the students are adults, it feels like they're all teenagers.

Kind of bummed because this one sounded good but I just couldn't get into it though I tried.

[Stacy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a bit of a slow start for me, but once I got past that I really enjoyed this!

Boone and Payton were so fun together. I think they balanced each other out and their banter was fabulous.

The issues going on at the school were interesting and I am very excited to see that story line continue in the next book.

[Paige · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5

It’s been a while since I’ve read the first book in the series so I forgot some on the events that happened but I do remember wanting to read Payton and Boones story because it was headmaster and student.

Both of these guys are down bad for each other. Payton just expresses it differently by breaking down Boones defenses while Boone silently obsesses over a student at his academy.
I liked both of the characters. I liked that once they were in they were all in. But I do think the plot over shadowed the romance aspect of the story. I would say this was like 70/30 plot to romance. Once Boone stopped fighting it the relationship moved quite quickly but I wanted more of them if I’m being honest. This whole book was the span of a week so I feel like we didn’t get much from the MCs.

While the plot was interesting I do feel like way too much detail was used when talking about the IT side of things. Computers and security and all that is not my forte so a good amount of stuff went over my head. I appreciate the research the author must of done but I do feel like it was way over explained. I wanted to skim but I felt like I would be missing something if I did. I could have done without all of that.

Also I felt like we got robbed of seeing Boone be the sin eater with his interrogation. That was so very anticlimactic and there wasn’t even an interrogation worthy of the name.

Very interested in the next book. I need Drake to be redeemed though because he’s such an asshole and he doesn’t deserve Remi!!

NO CHEATING
NO OP DRAMA
NO THIRD ACT BREAK UP
AGE GAP 24/40s
LIGHT DADDY KINK (no age play)
MURDER
HFN

[anna · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this book fine. The chemistry between the main characters was definitely there, but their relationship felt too insta-love for me. There wasn’t enough of that will-they/won’t-they tension. And I cringed every time Boone referred to Payton as “kid” or “boy”—Payton is 24, not 16.

The plot was confusing at times because it heavily referenced characters and events from the previous book, which I didn’t remember at all. Nothing was really summarized, so it was hard to follow what happened and why it mattered. And by the end, it felt like nothing was resolved, so the whole book—and Payton’s attendance—felt kind of pointless.

But anyway, I still loved the overall vibe with the psychopaths. I really enjoy Onley’s way of portraying them.

[Megan · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really liked the espionage/traitor story. There were so many times where I felt like the modern expressions were trying too hard. I had zero interest in the romance. I often forgot I was reading a romance until there would suddenly be two chapters of just sex, which dragged on. Boone was the least interesting part of this book. However, I like the intrigue of the subterfuge and liked Remi so would probably read the next book on KU.

[Bati · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really haven't had much luck with books lately. I struggled with this one for three weeks. I'll say it again... three weeks, people! And I'm not usually a reading snail ;) But here.... I didn't feel a connection with the characters. The plot was also kind of bland. I feel tired at the end.

Remi, Remi, is there any chance that your book will be better?

[Demian Grimm · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.25 ⭐

I was able to read this early via the author's Patreon.

[Mandy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Okay, so I'm not very optimistic about this series. I wasn't after the first one, but, considering how much I've enjoyed Necessary Evils and Jericho's Boys, I thought I'd give this one another chance, try another book in this series. It...was not great. To me, the story dragged on, as did the sex scenes, just to make the book longer. Really, this book probably could've been shorter and I may have enjoyed it more. It felt like there was little to no character growth, both with Payton and Boone. Boone....oh my God, how in the hell did this guy become the headmaster? He's an assassin and an interrogator. Yeah, I can't really judge the assassin skills since they were never on display, but, the interrogation ones were and....yikes! Sin-Eater, huh? One of the best in the biz? I fear for this fictional version of our country if that's true. That interrogation session....how it ended....Boone should be ashamed! He completely lost control of it, and his "skills" weren't exactly ground-breaking. Also, this guy gave in to Payton really easily. Again, I'm concerned for this school with him in charge, especially with the ending, how....blasé he was after the hell that broke out under his watch. All he wanted was to get back to his boyfriend. Yeah, I think Thomas Mulvaney might want to look into his staff, maybe start questioning if he should keep on the ones that care so little about, you know, making psychopaths into killers doing the right thing, unless, of course, this is all a precursor to us finding out this idea was ridiculous and it's not going to work and the majority of these students are going to end up killed, with the ones with staff maybe finding a way to escape. Maybe they can head towards where Jericho's boys and the Mulvaney family is and join that insanity.

Also, please *PLEASE* tell me Remi is not ending up with Drake. All of that was just disgusting. I'm kind of hoping maybe Remi can get with West instead. They have stuff in common, West seems like a decent guy....well, for a former spy guy. Remi seems like an interesting character and I think he deserves so much better than Drake.

Also, editing errors! Lots of places where there should've been quotation marks were missing them, several other errors. Also, I don't know if it was intentional because she liked the word more or what, but, a succubus is a female demon. The male version is an incubus. Since she used he/his pronouns regarding Payton, not female or they/them, I figured maybe incubus should've been used.

Overall, I was not very interested in this. Like I said, it dragged on, it could've been shorter, and Boone was just not interesting and not very good at his job. I might *might* try to read the next one in this series when it comes out, but, I don't think I'd be disappointed if I missed out on it. I give this more of a 2.5, but I rounded up because, although his inner monologue (much like Boone's, actually) was rather repetitive, I enjoyed Payton. He's kind of a cutie, in a vicious, disturbing way.

[Natalie H · Rating 3 out of 5]

April 2025
Kindle edition

I don't trust Lucy and probably going to add Justice to the list for now just because of the name. I started reading this one before work and continued on throughout. I liked Boone, although someone needs to take the tums away from him, would've thought Payton would've done so. For Payton it seemed like it was a friendship watch over Remi whilst finally getting Boone.

I gave this one a break once they'd sealed the deal. Got a bit bored when the framing came up and they used the time to have sex. This one felt less Boone/Payton and more Remi and Drake's set up book. Nice to see Thomas again, and Archer remains a constant. But yeah given Pike got offed and Lucy lost only her eyebrows, she's sus. Best bit was the phone call with mama Boone.

[Krys (spicy.spine.breaker) · Rating 4 out of 5]

You’ll never hear me complain when the found family hits or when the Mulvaney’s are Mulvaney-ing, even if I find myself less entranced by the main couple. That being said, I really do like these two MMCs, Payton & Boone, as characters on their own.


3.5 ⭐️ for side character camaraderie & NE cameos. The main villain though had me scratching my head… but I don’t want to give anything away slide into my DMs to commiserate 😏

[Shannon · Rating 5 out of 5]

I. Love. Payton. 😍🤩 omg, The Sin Eater was amazing. It honestly is up there with Mad Man from NE for me. Payton is a crazy mix of Asa, Avi, and Felix, and I love it. And Boone is perfect, knowing just how to handle his "little monster." ❤️ Seriously, so good! I can't wait for the next book in this series!

[Cynthia M Brow · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Sin Eater is the second book in The Watch series. This series is best read in order. Please read the trigger warnings before starting. We are back at the Watch and we get to learn more about Boone the headmaster and Payton a student. I loved this whole book. The plot was interesting and the steam is off the charts. This series just keeps getting better and better. Onley James is one of my favorite authors and this book and series is one of the reasons I why. I couldn't put this book down once I started it. I can't wait for the next book in the series. I would definitely recommend this book and series or anything written by Onley.

[Valerie ❈M/M Romance Junkie❈]

I give up for now. I’ve been attempting to read this book since April. In that time, I’ve only made it 8%. Those of you who know me, know I typically read multiple books in a couple days. Two months and only 8%? It’s time to stick a fork in it. Maybe my expectations are too high, but this series has not worked for me. I know I shouldn’t expect this to be another Necessary Evil, but this is the same author. I expected to be wowed. So far? I’m not. Maybe it just my mood.

[Georgie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I want to start by saying 1. Buckle in for a long review 2. Don't crucify me for what I say, pls, and 3. I think this is the second Onley James book I've read. The first one was Maniac, and I finished it right before reading this book. The Sin Eater came up on my Kindle app maybe a month or two ago, and I've been excited to read it since.

I loved Boone and Payton's chemistry and dynamic. They worked well together and had hot, steamy sex. Their dirty talk was good, and when they were together and interacting, it really was just great.

So, if you're wondering why I gave it 3 stars, well, it's mainly for one reason. At times, it felt like Remi and Drake (but mostly Remi) were the main "show" instead of Payton and Boone.

Why do I say this, you ask? Well, listen, IDK if I'm being crazy or dramatic, but there would be sections of the book just about Remi and Drake or their drama. The paragraphs dedicated to descriptors or facts about Remi and Drake would then make me more interested in them. For example, reading about what Remi was like before Drake came into his life, or Remi being cold to Drake for reasons unbeknownst to the reader, that leaves even Drake confused, makes me want to stop reading this book, and read Drake and Remi's story.

Drake and Remi will also have sections where it feels like everyone else is the third wheel. No joke, sometimes they had their little moments so often that when it'd shift back to Payton or Boone or Payton and Boone, I'd be like "wait, no, go back! I want to see what's going on with Drake and Remi!" Which is CRAZY because like I said, I loved Payton and Boone.

If it helps put it into perspective, Boone and Payton are mentioned over a thousand times in this book. Normal and as it should be, since this is their book. Dove was mentioned 69 times, Park 134 times, Gift 200 times, Drake 295 times, and Remi... Remi was mentioned 563 times. That's A LOT! I get that the scandal happened to him, but still.

Anyway, like I mentioned, this is only my second James book, and so IDK if Drake and Remi have their own book in another series or what, but at one point I left this book to go search for their book. Also, it was about 52% in when it was, yet again, briefly focused on Remi. I get it, Payton and Boone are helping solve who the hacker is. But I feel like because of how it was written, they felt almost like side characters in their own book. If there wasn't so much of an emphasis on Drake and Remi, then I think I'd feel differently, but we're just told so much about them. We're even told that Drake is jealous of another character's interaction with Remi. I wanna hear more about Boone or Payton's jealousy, not Drake's!

By this point, the two main characters, I think, had only hooked up once (maybe more, I can't remember), and it felt like there was no real progression between them. I don't feel like Payton and Boone talked talked until about 60% in. They had a little conversation where I was like, okay, more of this, please! Don't get me wrong, of course they talked beforehand, but this talk was deeper.

Also, I feel like Drake and Remi might just be the big build up couple to this series because even when I was on Onley James' website reading the first chapter sample for the first book in the series which is about Park and Gift (I didn't read it first because this book was on KU and I had already bought Maniac) Drake and Remi are STILL stealing the show in my eyes in the sample. I think what it is is I'm just so damn curious about the two of them bc of how much they're mentioned and it doesn't help that it's non stop. They got mentioned so much that even my review mentions them more than Payton and Boone!

Sooooo... with all that being said, I lowkey got a little bored with the main character's which is CRAZY because when they're together, I was absolutely living for it. Daddy kink? Check. Age difference? Check. Headmaster and student dynamic? Check. Some of the tropes I love, and their chemistry was just off the charts. And don't get me wrong, this book was still obviously about Payton and Boone, but the Drake and Remi mentions were so plentiful that sometimes I couldn't get back into the Payton and Boone show because the Drake and Remi show would air just before it and would end on a cliffhanger that kept me wanting more until their next interaction.

Also, I want to reiterate my point. I don't necessarily mind that the scandal happened to someone other than the main two characters because the whole adventure of Boone and Payton solving it could've been cool. But, it was just that we got hit with so much information about Drake and Remi that, TO ME, it would take away from the main duo.

After the 65% mark, I low-key skimmed the rest of the book, so tomorrow when I get up, I'll try and re-read it with fresh eyes.

Sorry if this was long or incoherent

[Dana · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have mixed feelings about this book…

I loved Payton! He’s such a sassy, fun, clever character. And Boone was so funny too! I enjoyed their banter and their games. I also enjoyed all the side characters and the further development we got there. I’m so curious about Remi who seems so nerdy and innocent, but hints are making it seem like there’s a lot more underneath the surface.

I liked the dynamic between Payton and Boone, with the caretaking switching between them. Payton’s call with Mama Boone was super sweet too! Also the relationship between Gift and Payton is so sweet - I wish we got more cuddle time!

Spoilers ahead for what I didn’t like/have mixed feelings on.

I wish this book would have focused the plot on issues relating to Payton and Boone though. They both have such unique skill sets and it would’ve been so fun to see them work together, like an earlier interrogation scene with just Payton and Boone or more on Payton’s murder skills since apparently he’s a total protege. The plot felt too focused on Remi, almost more like a set up for his book than a book for Payton/Boone. However, I’m still enjoying this mystery and it has me excited for the next book.

I didn’t like the ending, but I’m reserving the right to change my mind based on the next book since it ended with a cliffhanger, which is kind of a first for Onley’s series. Having the interrogation in front of the whole school was interesting, but ending it with Remi killing Suri right as she was about to expose the whole plot and there was so uproar? No students going crazy or staff reacting - just Drake carrying Remi off and Payton and Boone having a romantic moment in front of the whole school after witnessing a murder… and they didn’t even get all the information they needed from her?? FAIL. But, if this is a set up book for Remi and he had ulterior motives for wanting her dead then I guess it works, but it goes back to my previous point about this not really being a book about Payton and Boone then. As I said, mixed feelings.

And finally, what’s the point of the program/this series? The Watch was built by Thomas and Molly (supposed hero characters in previous series) and yet this book dismantles it as a government operation that will use these kids for evil (drone striking hospitals, taking out innocent lives). And none of the main characters want to continue with its purpose. I get that being an assassin for a country means not really have a moral compass, but why base a whole series on this premise if you’re not going to suspend reality that much and tear the whole premise apart. Because apparently if the students don’t continue with the program then they’re eliminated. Payton may be able to convince Thomas to take him on for his moral family killing business, but that won’t work for the rest of our main characters right? It just disillusioned me a bit to the premise of the series.

I read an ARC version from being a Patreon member, and there were some typos/continuity errors (particularly when characters are undressing) but those may be fixed in the actual book so I’m not reviewing harshly on those.

[Lilibet Bombshell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Caution: Contents Under Pressure.

That’s what The Watch is. A whole bunch of psychopaths, their neurodivergent handlers, and their amped-up instructors all forced into intense forced proximity with one another. Some can go with the flow. Waylon Boone and Payton Skinner? Well, neither one was made to stay put. Not without a little incentive anyway.

The Sin Eater pretty much picks up right where The Bone Collector left off, and you will have to read that book to even understand this book at all. In an attempt to get things back on track and engage the students in something interesting, a timely lesson in disinformation and propaganda is taught. While useful, it doesn’t seem too consequential until the next morning when a deep fake video of one of Payton’s fellow Watch members is shown school-wide, starting a cascade of events that not only take up this book but will lead into the next one.

The plot’s interesting, but in reality it doesn’t affect Payton too badly until later in the book. Mostly it serves as a vehicle not only for Boone and Payton to work closely and spend more time together, but also for Boone to examine what exactly his job is at The Watch and what his priorities in life are and for Payton to think about where he came from, who he is now, who’s in his life, and what he can’t do without should something horrible happen. Payton has a lot of secrets he’s holding onto, and while Boone knows all of them, no one else does.

If you think the spice in this book is hot, then you wouldn’t be wrong. The Watch books so far seem to be kinkier and spicier than Jericho’s Boys. I’d venture to say the spice in The Watch is kinkier than the spice in Necessary Evils but there isn’t more spice, if that makes sense. It’s just that the spice that’s happening is more…deviant. I love that. I love the forbidden aspect of the relationship dynamics in these books. The daddy kink in this book combined with a little professor/student roleplay? I mean, say less. A generous sprinkle of pain play? Oh yes. As always, Onley shows us a good time and we come back begging for more. 5⭐️

What to Expect

Age Gap (10+ years)
Graduate school of hormonal psychopaths
Forbidden romance
Headmaster/student roleplay
Daddy kink
Androgynous Payton kink
Extremism/terrorism discussion
Disinformation/propaganda discussion
Deep fakes/AI discussion
Forced proximity
The call is coming from inside the house


I was provided a copy of this title by the author. All thoughts, opinions, views, and ideas expressed herein are mine and mine alone. Thank you.

File Under: 5 Star Review/Age-Gap Romance/Book Series/Contemporary Romance/Forbidden Romance/Gay Romance/Kink Friendly/Kindle Unlimited/LGBTQ Romance/MM Romance/Spice Level 3/Vigilantes/Workplace Romance

[David Wickham · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily
First, read the freaking trigger warnings for this book! This is not for everyone. It is dark. There are deaths. There are kinky spicy scenes between the headmaster, Waylon Boone, and one of the students, Payton Skinner. Payton is well over the legal age so there’s nothing like THAT going on. The question of power dynamics is raised. The student in question made it his goal to snag the headmaster from day one so even though they’re not equals per se, they become almost equals by the end of the book.
This is the second in the author’s The Watch series about a school run by the government to train psychopaths to be government agents. They’re trained in how to manipulate public opinion and bring down enemy governments. Each psychopath is assigned a handler who will ideally work with them once they leave the school.
These aren’t your run of the mill psychopaths. Most, if not all, are highly educated and extremely well off. One secondary character went to Princeton. Payton is the adopted son of one of the richest men in America.
Payton is emboldened to go after Boone because of the events in the first book. His handler, Gift, was able to get together with one of the teachers and a life-long friend of his mother, Park, in the first book. Payton has been flirting with Boone since day one, but he really goes after Boone in this book. We get a happy ending, so it’s not a spoiler to say Payton and Boone do get together.
The major subplot, other than Payton and Boone’s relationship, is someone has hacked into the school’s computer system and put out a video showing one of the handlers in some compromising positions. Remi, the handler to psychopath Drake, was shown selling a package of documents to someone. He was also shown participating in group spicy times while apparently drugged. People go absolutely insane over the video. The students accuse Remi of selling out the school and passing secret documents. They also turn on one of the handlers, Navy. The video makes it look like she set up Remi.
This is where I stop. No spoilers for the book. It’s a well-written book, as all the author’s books are. My only complaint is that the book is very techy. It deals with AI, computer network systems, and other things that are way beyond my understanding. I had to look up some terms while reading the book. The author states that she did a lot of research to make the tech parts as “correct” as she could. Not sure of the right word-don’t get old and forgetful kids. I’m still giving this four stars even if I didn’t understand half of what they were talking about. I do recommend it because the author is one of my favorites and can do no wrong.

[Shane · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have been waiting for this book for so long and now that I got to read it, I'm very disappointed. Was this a book for Payton and Boone or was it Remi's book? The story started out fine but then it went left from middle to end. The plot holes and repetitiveness had me so annoyed by the end, I was speechless. This book was even delayed for a month and this is how it turned out.

At the end of the book, I still have no idea who Payton and Boone are as people, instead the story was completely taken over by Remi and people who are trying to recruit Remi for reasons that were supposed come off as mysterious but honestly had me rolling my eyes because seriously, what does this have to do with the main characters? Absolutely nothing by the way, they basically secondary to the main story, which remains an actual mystery.

And speaking of MCs, all we got for them was some lack luster sex scenes, spontaneous love realization and bits and pieces of their lives outside the watch thrown in along with Payton repeatedly saying that the 'Internet removed the scales from his eyes', bro I'm laughing in anger right now.

I got this book because of Payton and the way he was characterized in the first book The Bone Collector, it was delayed almost a year and after all that waiting, I received a book with barely any MC feature, it felt rushed and lacking at same time with characters screaming 'the government is lying to us' every chance they get.

This book could have been great. It felt like I waited for nothing. Author turned the book into a T-admin conspiracy. I mean, she's always had little conspiracies in her books, but it's never been like this, to point of sacrificing the actual story and throwing the MCs on the back burner.

The ending was the worst. Where were the skills of the sin-eater? What did he do exactly? He asked maybe 4 or 5 questions before Payton asked the rest and the antagonist answered basically nothing, she also kept saying 'the government is lying to us' and 'the Internet has removed the scales from her eyes'. And what's with Remi? His character went from 0 to WTH really fast, and not in a good way.

Man, this book was not it

[ShelfLife · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hallelujah! Turns out, book 3 of Jericho’s Boys was just a hiccup in Onley’s typically 4- and 5-star reads. I flipping hated that book, and was so nervous and even reluctant to start this one, because I was worried that her mojo had run out. Thankfully, that’s not the case. This book gets us back to what we love about this world she’s created: psychos falling in love, a great romantic dynamic between MCs, drama between supporting MCs to keep us wanting more, and a good mystery plot with loads of whodunit and red herrings. I also appreciate all the research that went into making this as realistic and believable as possible.

The steam and spice doesn’t reach as high as in some of the other books by Onley, but each scene was long, detailed, and emotional. I felt like the balance of smut to story was good. I also liked that this wasn’t really a “daddy-kink” book. I like those, too, but didn’t really see Boone and Payton in that dynamic. Payton calls Boone “daddy,” but it’s more of a nickname, and it’s cute. He also calls him “Booney” sometimes, and I loved that.

The mystery plot was intriguing and pulled me in from the beginning. I had a hunch who the baddie was early on (and was right), but that didn’t take away from my enjoyment of seeing things play out. I was so distraught for Remi, and I cannot wait to get his and Drake’s story next. I assume things aren’t exactly how they seem with them, but right now, Drake has some major groveling to do!

If you are hesitant to continue reading Onley’s books like I was, because of how awful Jericho’s Boys 3 was, I can happily report that this book is what you’d expect from Onley, and I hope and pray that continues to be true for Jericho’s Boys 4 and The Watch 3.

[Iulia · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don't know what's happening, but this author's work just doesn't hit for me anymore. I'm not sure if they just keep writing the same book but with different main characters or if it's just a "me" thing.

At least I managed to finish this, unlike Barbarian...

This one felt more like a prequel for Remi and Drake's book honestly. Boone and Payton just weren't interesting to me. Payton kept calling Boone "Daddy" which imo is a VERY cringe nickname, they had sex, they fell for eo without any actual development in their relationship, just insta-love (which didn't bother me in Necessary Evil but it got old real fast) and that's pretty much it. It felt like these two were side characters in their own story, I was literally yawning. Don't even get me started on the cringe Tiktok gen Z language...

Speaking of Remi and Drake...I don't really understand why I should root for them? Drake acts like an asshole 90% of the time and then he's semi-nice once and I'm supposed to like him all of a sudden? Remi, bless his heart, is a sweetheart and probably the most developed character in this series but he deserves so much better than how he's treated by almost every character here with the exception of Gift.

Another complaint would be the lack of my favourite characters, Dove and Morgan. I wonder if Onley James would try to write a GL but we'll see, ig.

Basically the only thing salvaging this and making me give it 3* was the plot with the espionage/hackers which was intriguing, but a bit hard to follow if you have no interest in computers.

[Sara · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book way more than I thought I would have and that’s saying something since I have been waiting for Payton and Boone’s book since we first saw/got to know them a little in Archer’s book.


Spoilers:

Now, what I liked. The chemistry between Boone and Payton was perfect. I liked getting to see Payton’s personality and know his thoughts. I liked getting to see more of the Pod, though I still wish we had more than we did. The smut was great but I’m not surprised since Onley never fails in this aspect.

What I didn’t like:

-The book while long in some ways and drawn out, also felt kind of rushed in other aspects.

-Not getting to see any kind of reaction/fallout of Payton’s dad finding out about Boone since his dad has built up in this way I thought for sure we’d have some sort of interaction/reaction to the news be get that confrontation.

-This book’s main conflict not having to do with Payton made it less enjoyable for me. I felt the same with Felix’s book in the necessary evils serious since unlike the majority of the others, the conflict and bad guys pertained to the main characters which wasn’t the case in this book because while Payton was involved, it wasn’t about him.

-Also pertaining to Payton, painting him in this helpless light for the majority of the book while continuously reminding us how lethal he is really frustrated me. Then, during the main event he was just once again essentially rendered useless.

[Shyandmoodreader · Rating 5 out of 5]

I cannot get enough of this world Onley James has built 😈

Seriously, every time a new book is put out, it tops the last one and becomes my new favourite 🤣. I adored Boone & Payton's relationship. Slight daddy kink with a bratty psychopath who is also a switch? Yes, yes and yes 🔥🥵. I am here for every minute, every word of this!

It was interesting getting more insight into Payton this story, and seeing a softer, more vulnerable side of Boone. Honestly, they are just two bonafide alpha baddies as characters and I love them so much 😍. The tension and spice between these two was superb, and I loved how every time was so different between these two, it kept things very intriguing 😏.

The mystery was also great and kept you glued in, if the spice and deliciousness alone wasn't enough 🤣. I loved seeing little glimpses of Gift & Park again, AND learning more about Remi. I will be impatiently patiently waiting for his story because I loved him from the go 🥹🥰. Honestly, you can never go wrong with a book by Onley, particularly in this universe with the Mulvaney's 💜💜💯.

[Sharee Robbins · Rating 5 out of 5]

📖
⭐️ 5

As always, Onley James is a comfort read for me and I love all of her books. However in this series, I loved this one so much more than the first book. And I loved the first book!

I loved Payton so much. While there may be a perceived power imbalance with Boone being the headmaster, I felt it was clear the power went the other way. With Payton being a murderer & psychopath, he tended to control the scene more than Boone. They switched so beautifully.

The suspense part of the story in this one was sooo good!! The description of the first email video that came out was so well done, my heart rate kicked up a bit. It was creepy and kept me wondering who was next and what would be shown. Even though I kinda guessed on the bad guy pretty fast, I kept second guessing myself until the reveal.

The relationship between Payton & Boone was classic Onley James but individual to them. The spice was spicing and the love was building! Loved every second of this and can’t wait for the audiobook. I’ll be listening and re-listening.

[S.K. · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Sin Eater and the Little Monster – man, these two were fun!! I adored the fact that Boone was absolutely head over heels and fighting it, whilst all of his staff members were basically laying bets on when he would give in!

Payton was fascinating – I loved the insight into his brain and how committed he was to Boone. He decided that Boone was the man for him and did everything to make sure it happened. I loved the vulnerability that Boone and Payton showed each other; Boone’s protectiveness made me sigh in longing, and the sex scenes between the two of them were wild!

I loved the underlying plot arc and am fascinated by what is happening at the school – not least because of all of the intrigue going on whilst trying to corral a group of psychopaths just sounds insane! An excellent addition to The Watch series and I can’t wait for more!

I received an ARC through the author’s Patreon.

[Asparagoose · Rating 2 out of 5]

I feel like the entire purpose of this book was to set up Drake and Remi's book. And it didn't even do a very good job of it. There was no connection to either of the main characters, who felt more like side characters in their own book. There was no chemistry between Boone or Payton. When Boone went from complete zero to professing love within three days? So completely unrealistic that it ruined the entire book, not that there was much to salvage at that point, but still. The entire book took place in less than a week, so there was no time for real character or relationship development that was in any way believable.
I haven't liked either book in this series, and her last book in Jericho's boys wasn't any good either. I'm worried James was a one series wonder with Necessary Evils. But that series was so good that I keep trying these hoping they'll get better. I already know I'll read the next book, but at this point I have zero hope for it, unfortunately.

[Judy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love all of Onley James books. This series is a spin-off of her amazing “Necessary Evils” series. New psychopaths are back along with the men that love them. We are now at the academy to teach baby psychopaths how to be “responsible” assassins. Of course nothing goes smoothly in an environment like that. This is the second book. Matching a student, Payton, with the headmaster (former assassin) Boone. There is an underlying mystery that carry overs from the first book and looks like it will be ongoing in the next book as well. Payton & Boone are hot as fire together. If you have read any of Ms. James books in the past you know the connection between the psychopath and the man he loves (imprints on) is hot as heck and world burning. I highly recommend this book and series. Enjoy!

[Manic killer · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was very much plot focused and I actually didn’t mind it. Giving the tags, I was expecting a fun student/headmaster forbidden romance and while that was present I also kinda like that it wasn’t the entire focus of the book. Like the book had more substance than just focusing on the trope tags and calling it a day.

There was a storyline, there was plot, a full fledged plot, there were interesting side characters and events that had me anxious and all. I am very very curious about Remi and Drake “Spoiler” I have a feeling Remi has been infected and they don’t know it.

All that aside, I thought the focus of the book would be on Peyton as psycho and him being in his element, you know killing and all that stuff. However, I loved the direction Onley took with this. 🥰🥰 Love this. It gives you that authentic reading experience.

[LittleMissReadsALot21 · Rating 5 out of 5]

✨MINI REVIEW✨

MY RATING: 🔉🔉🔉🔉🔉
I loved every bananas moment of this book. Payton and Boone together were 🔥🔥🔥. However, the friend group stole the show. It’s fun seeing psychopaths have “friends” or “pets” lol. I thought I knew who had done did it but I was wrong. Or was I? If you’re looking for a spicy romance with unhinged characters, a bossy bottom, and an exasperated Daddy, then read this.

✨My Rating System✨
🔉🔉🔉🔉 🔉- Hit all the vibes
🔉🔉🔉🔉 - Hit some good vibes
🔉🔉🔉 - I vibed
🔉🔉 - The vibes were meh
🔉 - Barely found a vibe
DNF - Zero vibes

My rating system does not equate to the quality of the books, therefore, you’re still on your own. It’s legit just about how I vibed with the book at the time.

[Theresa Derwin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Boone's Little Monster

Student and flirty psychopath Payton has been teasing Boone, headmaster of The Watch academy since the beginning.
Now, things come to a head with a locked room style mystery in the school where people are being attacked and someone is releasing videos of students that might or might not be deep fakes.
Boone has tried to resist Payton but he's determined and eventually Boone can't help but be ensnared.
We get to see lots of the watch characters, particularly Remi, Drake, Park, Gift, Mac and Archer who are always great fun.
There's violence, danger, chemistry, sweet moments, scooby doo type investigating and an extension of the overall story arc.
This is as much fun as all of the other Onley James' books.
I loved it.