Monstrous Travels as Wicked as Sin

Sinful Crimes #2

by W.H. Lockwood

“If it hasn’t been too awful, I’d really like it if you’d keep doing crimes with me.”

Deeply in love, traversing the world on the holiday of a lifetime, that hard-earned happy ending is almost in sight for Percy Ashdown and Joe Bruno.

There’s just the small matter of Percy’s ex princess-with-benefits, who seems determined to get her hands on his magical sheath. And apparently she’s recently developed the ability to raise the dead.

Never fear. As always, Percy has a plan. A dangerous plan. And with hot priest Joe Bruno as his new partner in crime, Percy’s never felt more confident. For the first time, the two will work together, secret-free, to face ghosts, sequined hot shorts, and a villain far more powerful and malignant than anything they’ve met before.

But as Percy’s innate darkness clashes time and again with Joe’s unrelenting light, plans go spectacularly awry in a series of ridiculous, hilarious, and horrifying misadventures, leading them to wonder, are they really a match made in heaven? Or are they just too different to ever make things work?

Monstrous Travels as Wicked as Sin is the romantic, heart-stopping, adrenaline-fuelled orgy of steamy, bloody, outrageous excess that will leave you gasping for air, renewing that Valium prescription, and wondering how you’ll ever return to normal life again.

Genres: M M Romance, Fantasy, Romance, Urban Fantasy, Paranormal Romance, Paranormal, Queer

526 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 17, 2025

About the author

Author of the Endymion College series, W. H. Lockwood writes gothic romance, MM action-romance, historical fiction, dark academia and cosy horror.

Raised on a diet of teen horror books and Pepsi, only willing to leave her den to attend chess club at public school, W.H. Lockwood started writing at a young age and has kept this passion throughout her life.

Always a voracious reader, she obtained an undergraduate degree in literary studies from a gorgeous sandstone university, following that with a masters in publishing and editing, then a masters in astronomy, thus uniting her two great loves of the arts and science, leaving her utterly unqualified to cope with the real world.

These days, W.H. Lockwood can often be found aimlessly wandering the coffee shops and bookstores of the beautiful city she calls home.

Reviews

[Sazzy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I feel like I’ve been waiting for this book for years (which is impossible since book 1 was only released in October 😂) but these 2 extraordinary men have captured my heart, body and soul and I was desperate to keep reading about them. Therefore, I want to say a HUGE thank you to W H Lockwood for the ARC of this book. I genuinely may have internally exploded if I had to wait for release day (not me being dramatic at all 🙄)

I rushed through book 1 because it's the literal definition of 'just 1 more chapter, I need to know what happens' and although I don't regret it, I did pick up so much more on my re-read of it that I (reluctantly 😂) decided to take my time with book 2. And I am so glad that I did.

This will be a spoiler free review (with a few non-spoiler teasers at the end) so bear with me because this is stuffed full from page 1 and there's not a quiet moment in it.

It's absolute perfect carnage from the author (and Percy and Joe, obvs) and I cannot stress enough just how much this exceeded my expectations. Like, completely leap-frogged over them by about 6 miles 😂 These 2 are so delulu it's addictive to read but, be warned, it's a much darker read than the first but good god was it outstanding. It's true horror writing that just sucks you in and, thanks to the flawless imagery that just oozes from the writing, every gorey detail is there, in your head for you to see as clear as day.

Seriously though, the writing in this... Oh good god was it mind blowing. We already know Percy and Joe are obsessed with each other, they know they're obsessed with each other, but the dialogue they share in this is just exquisite. Honestly, it's just absolutely heavenly to read and the insight in to their feelings for each other is perfect. The last quarter of the book absolutely destroyed me, pieced me back together again then took a wrecking ball to my semi-recovered heart and smashed it to pieces but NOT necessarily for all the reasons you're thinking of 😁

I loved that we got to see more of Leo and Althea in this too, we even get a really good back story (which we don't usually get for side characters) and I loved that.

I'm gutted this is now over but so so happy I found these 2 in the first place.

Spoilers without spoiling it

🤤Corsets
🧛 Dracula
🎤 Eurovision
🖼️ Sinister art
😁Joe on c0ca!ne
🍻 A pub (obvs)
🪟 Window sex (😉)
🐑 Sheep
😱 Shrieking heads
👻 Ouija board
😺 A kitten
💦 Cum-play
⛪The most amazing sacrilegious act I have ever read 😍

[Mx. T *Chaotic Reader* · Rating 5 out of 5]

✨ARC REVIEW✨

This was everything I wanted from the second book and MORE.
Love me a good sacrilegious sex scene, and a some blood magic and necromancy. And what to say about possessions? And some female rage.

W. H. Lockwood throws us off the deep end right from the beginning, with drugs, sex and art theft (not rock and roll because we are civilised). From then on, dearest self-sacrifising Joe and endearingly chaotic Percy go from bad to worse news and horrific moments that will test them again and again.

Lockwood made me suffer, and I loved it. So thank you. This is the kind suffering I enjoy. Am I a masochist? Maybe. I won't accept kink shaming tho.

I loved how with every single shitty thing they go through, their unshakeable love shines time and time again. Their love and their horniness, because these two can't take their hands of each other. Or their mouths from each other's dicks.

I also appreciated how they solved the Final Crisis ™️. There's a lot to praise in the way female rage is handled, and in how redemption is portrayed. I don't want to give anything away, but it was totally unexpected and brilliantly done.

I enjoyed learning more about Leo, and getting both his and Althea's pov. Althea is ruthless, love her. And Leo is a sweet baby.

We get a beautiful ending, which was such a balm to my masochistic soul. After all, flip fucking in the house of god is what divinity is made of.

I'd love to get MORE of these too. And of Althea and Leo. And Giordano and 🤭.

[Bree | breesoleilreads · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m not understanding how this book was even more wild, action packed and entertaining than the first book but here we are and the facts are just facts. Literally from the first chapter you’re on a ride, from art heists, to screaming skulls, to boinking in a window in front of a church bc of jealousy of God, to ghost possessions in a creepy haunted mansion. WH Lockwood truly covered it all and then some.


Percy Ashdown still remains one of my favorites characters I’ve read to date, this sweet but diabolical murder muffin just checks all my boxes for what a bratty, unhinged, lavish, green flag boyfriend, nay, fiancé should be! Dangerous & possessive but caring, complimentary and obsessed with the love of his life is something I severely swooned over! I just love his character so much and he should never ever change.


And Joe, my sweet, psychotically jealous, mostly innocent lil bby deserves all the hugs and spoiling 🥹 Capable and tough asf meets naive and (mostly) innocent is a character I will also gobble up. Bc like I wanna protect him but actually he would end up being the one who protects me? Extreme levels of swoon activated 🤯 I adored him in this book even more than the last.


My bbys truly went through so much in this book and I actually love the reversal of Joe proving his love to Percy bc I feel like it was the other way around in the last book and I wanted to see more appreciation and acceptance of Percy from Joe and I got all that and then some 😍

[T.J. Rose · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's the end of an era, and my poor heart is BROKEN 😭😭😭


I've followed Percy and Joe to episode after episode, country after country, unhinged scene after unhinged scene, and now I'm to believe it's just... OVER??? Like THAT??? 


Alas, all good things must come to an end. 

I expected zombies.

I expected blood (okay, not quite like that, though 👀👀).

I expected the explosive high stakes and the to the death battles. 

I did NOT expect the ultimate chapters to be so goddamn emotional 💔💔💔

As usual, WHs prose was on another level, her writing so delicious I devoured it up. The whole gang returns (plus a surprise I was NOT expecting) to deliver another roller coaster of a ride through Europe, including but not limited to: 


✨talking skulls 

✨insanely hot sex scenes to the point I had to douse myself in ice cubes 

✨possession after possession after possession 

✨LEO AND ALTHEA 🫶

✨some more insanely hot sex scenes, to the point I booked a ticket to Antarctica 

✨action scenes worthy of a James Bond movie 

✨one of the most sweetest fucking romances I've ever read 😭😭😭


Oh and do yourself a favour and read the bonus scene available to WH's newsletter subscribers. COMEDY GOLD.


I'll just be over here refreshing my internet until WH announces her next book. 

[Gina Roma · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you thought the first book in the Sinful Crimes Duology was unbeatable, get ready to be proven wrong because W.H. Lockwood has done it again. Monstruos Travels as Wicked as Sin is an absolute masterpiece, a wild emotional rollercoaster that will have you hooked from start to finish.

This book has everything: thrilling adventures packed with twists and turns, a paranormal edge that makes it stand out, Lol moments that will leave your stomach hurting, and edge-of-your-seat tension that keeps your heart racing. And the spicy scenes (Chef Kiss 🤌🏻🥵)

Percy (SO Percy 😂) and lovely Joe are absolutely unforgettable. They’re charismatic and their chemistry practically leaps off the page. Each chapter takes you on a whirlwind of emotions, you’ll laugh, you’ll cry, and at times, you’ll feel like your heart’s been ripped out.

If you haven’t picked up this duology yet, you are seriously missing out. The Sinful Crimes Duology is the full package, adventure, romance, mystery, laughter, heartbreak, and just the right touch of the paranormal to make it truly unique.

I discovered W.H Lockwood through the first book, and it’s crystal clear, this author is someone to keep a close eye on. Her writing is absolutely dazzling, her stories original, and her characters unforgettable. ❤️

This second book is the perfect conclusion to a duology that has officially earned its place on my favorites list. If you’re looking for intense emotions, humor, passion, and paranormal magic, this book is 100% for you.

✨I received an ARC of this book, and this is my sincere and honest review. Thank you, W.H. Lockwood, for the opportunity to read and enjoy this duology.✨




ESP:
Sí pensaba que el primer libro de la Sinful Crimes Duology era insuperable, prepárate para que este segundo libro te deje sin palabras, porque W.H Lockwood lo ha vuelto a hacer. Monstruos Travels as Wicked as Sin es una auténtica genialidad, una montaña rusa de emociones que no te dejará soltarlo ni un segundo.

Este libro lo tiene todo, aventuras cargadas de giros inesperados, toques paranormales que le dan un aire único, escenas tan hilarantes que te dolerá la tripa de tanto reír, y momentos de pura tensión que te tendrán al borde del asiento. El Spicy es simplemente de chef kiss.

Percy y Joe son increíbles, carismáticos, y con una química que arrasa. Cada capítulo te lleva por un carrusel de emociones; hay escenas que te romperán el corazón y otras que te harán llorar de la risa o la intensidad.

Si todavía no has leído esta duología, no sabes lo que te estás perdiendo. Sinful Crimes Duology es una experiencia completa de aventuras, romance, misterio, risas, lágrimas y ese toque paranormal que la hace única.

Descubrí a W.H. Lockwood con el primer libro y desde entonces tengo claro que esta autora es alguien a quien seguirle la pista de cerca. Su escritura es deslumbrante, sus historias originales y sus personajes simplemente inolvidables.

Este segundo libro es un cierre perfecto para una duología que me ha dejado marcando la página en mi lista de favoritas. Si buscas emociones fuertes, risas, pasión y magia paranormal, este libro es para ti.

[Tiffany · Rating 5 out of 5]

Joe: "Are you all right? Are you evil or anything?"
Percy: "No More than usual, I don't think..."

My heart has been ripped out, rolled in the dirt, pierced with a sword, burned at the stake and lovingly put back in my body with a kiss and hug and then the whole ordeal repeated over and over!
Oh Percy and Joe, my favorite villain slashing pair of misadventurists! Action-packed, heartwarming, and of course, Percy-ful!

[Letizia Lorini · Rating 5 out of 5]

You know it’s a five star when WH Lockwood writes it 😌

[Diva Prestia · Rating 3 out of 5]

someone openly giving their consent to being possessed right after doing a séance in a haunted mansion that was housing a blood-filled carved pentagram for a satanic ritual is the only time i’ll ever victim blame

while i had fun with this and think this author is a much better writer than i was originally anticipating, i do have a handful of critiques (spoilers to follow, if you give a fuck about that):

- the plot with the haunted painting was over much more quickly than i was expecting - that’s kind of sad because the lore for the painting was actually really cool. it almost even felt like ‘k we gotta get this painting storyline over with so we can get to the cleo stuff’, and accordingly it feels like it was just thrown in there cause it had to be. the way the heist to steal the painting and the ensuing fight were written felt so weird and confusing in comparison to the first book. plus it had nothing to do with the rest of the story
- but actually, while we’re on the subject of that painting, the ending did involve it, and it was super weird. why the hell did percy have the painting? why did he write that note to joe saying he was already dead and to not come into the basement where the painting was? was it just so joe wouldn’t find out he lied about burning it? what was he planning to do with it? he became the painting’s master, but who did he intend to kill with it? the whole point of the ending was that the two of them had become domestic and lowkey and were not doing supernatural bullshit anymore and were happy that way. percy having the painting felt so fucking random and confusing and unnecessary and actually made the story feel unfinished. it undermined the impact of that ending. i don’t understand why that needed to be included, especially considering the fact that it took place on the last page of a completed duology and therefore cannot be expanded on
- it felt like there were random problems for no reason ? this is very minimal but i have to mention it: the letter to anna and that whole jealousy argument that was resolved in literally two seconds with an ‘i’m sorry’ ‘me too’ 😃 like it was such a big deal and then that’s all it took to fix it? (but it did lead to the percy being jealous of fucking god (💀) scene, which i found both very ridiculous and sexy, so at least there’s that)
- these books really expected you to have read w.h.’s other series beforehand, the one about anna and evelyn, cause there were references to things from that series that are so casual it’s as if this book assumes you already have the context. these weren’t huge things, not at all, but i still noticed it. cause like, who the hell is aubrey??
- and speaking of aubrey, percy’s letter to her could have been a much better framing device; it could’ve been used to convey information or emotional insight of the character to the reader, which is what i was expecting it to be when i encountered it. but it was literally just percy sending aubrey a soup recipe without any real purpose to the letter besides that. that just made it feel like a waste of time
- what was the point of the satanic ritual in the basement?? was it simply just to feed molly's familiar that was trapped down there? it was never confirmed and that kind of bothers me cause it was such a huge thing, basically the catalyst for percy and joe getting themselves involved at all
- there were odd choices with the familiar possessing joe storyline - like, if the familiar is telekinetic, why wouldn’t it have used its telekinesis to break the chains and cut the tape that was binding it to the chair? it said it wanted to be untied, so why wouldn’t it untie itself? also, why didn’t the familiar just tell percy it wanted to reunite with molly so percy could make it happen? percy was BEGGING it to tell him what it wanted, but it just said nothing. even when percy said he knew molly’s location and could’ve gotten them together!! (he was bluffing but the familiar didn’t know that). and it was poisoning percy to make joe, who was still aware of his surroundings, suffer, but why?? the familiar didn’t know the two of them, and it even said it liked joe, so why would it bother causing them all that pain when all it wanted was to see its master, molly?? AND along these lines, why didn’t it possess percy when he gave it his consent so it could scour percy’s memories and find out where molly was??? that decision making just doesn’t really make sense for its goal
- similarly, there were odd choices with the molly graveyard fight scene - she could’ve just killed them all whenever she wanted, cause they saw her kill strangers in the street and PERCY HIMSELF just with her mind, so why didn’t she? her whole plan was to end human civilization so she could rebuild the world her way and get revenge on those in the church who wronged her when she was originally alive, so why didn’t she just do that if she could kill everyone with her mind and revive anyone she wanted to be her slave? like, why did she need the sheath/spear to enact this plan if she could already control life on her own without them?? again, that decision making doesn’t really make sense for her goal
- why the fuck didn’t i see any of leo and althea’s relationship?? you give me chapters about them being all cute and awkward and get me invested in their romance, and then i just don’t get to see them get together?? they get together off-page?? in the DISTANT FUTURE??
- on that topic, i didn’t like that the ‘where are they now’ chapter that described the endings for all the side characters wasn’t the epilogue. it was two chapters before the epilogue, and that just feels so weird and wrong. i don’t mind it being before the final chapter surrounding percy and joe, but there being an extra epilogue after that, the one that consisted of that weird scene revealing percy still had the haunted painting, was just a really odd choice that made the ending worse for me, as i said earlier
- there were some incidences of somewhat convenient timing - percy saving joe from being burned at the stake right in the nick of time, the gang showing up with the sheath right when molly got the spear out

all this being said, i do have one compliment:

- percy restraining and talking to a possessed joe while not being able to torture him, that whole part, and the part where joe recounts the whole story of his child abuse trauma that led to him murdering his parents and exiling himself from italy out of shame were really engaging and very well done in my opinion. the emotional impact definitely came through and those parts were very gripping

so yeah, this may have been a bit of a mess, but it was a very entertaining mess. and that’s the absolute best kind 😎

[Library_of_a_Trashpanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was incredibly excited for the second book in the series, duology? But NOTHING prepared me for the master piece Lockwood has given us.

We start off right in the action. Percy is up to his shenanigans and Sweet Joe is along for the ride, making everything harder than it needs to be. The story grabs you by the collar, shoved you in a seat and takes you on a wild ride. But damn is it a good one.

We get some exciting paranormal adventures, ghosts, zombies, the likes. We get Leo and Althea! I was so glad to see them again. And of course, we’re finishing what we started in the first book.

Joe and Percy’s love, I want a love like that. We really get to see just how far they would go for each other and how true their bond is. If there is ever a thing as soulmates, it’s them, no hesitation.

The spice is just as good as the first book. But let me tell you there is a church scene that left me feeling unholy just for reading. It was beyond hot. Maybe one of the hottest I’ve read in a while. Along with the ‘I’m your God’ scene. Lockwood tried to kill me with the heat this book is packing.

This is absolutely a must read and takes a top spot for the year. I really hope the series continues, I need more of these men in my life

[Or¡]

i'm so excited !!!!! i can't wait until it's January so I can read it.

[Julia Toth · Rating 5 out of 5]

That was a wild and sometimes over the top adventure! Things just kept happening, there was not much respite for the characters or for us readers.

We left Joe and Percy during their travels at the end of the last book, but we knew they had to deal with Cleo sometime. At the start of book 2 they are in Brugges, ready to attend a masquerade party and steal a painting. From the start it's go go go. From Brugges they go to Scotland, London and they end up in Paris at the end. So many paranormal and weird things happen to them and with them, but they stay the same old Percy and Joe, with their banter, Joe's possessiveness and their love for each other. We got to see Althea, Giordano and Leo from book 1 as well. Through everything happening to Joe and Percy they still found time to declare their love for each other and both had the opportunity to show how far they would go to save each other. Percy is very hot and cold towards people a lot of times, but through it all we saw the way he always tried to take care of everyone and provide for everyone that he loves. Joe tried to soften his edges, because not everyone sees the good Percy does, and I felt like Percy was often misunderstood because of the way he acted.

I cackled and laughed so many times! Sometimes because things were so over the top and sometimes because the banter was so funny. I loved all the back and forths between the characters, and the banter was awesome. I really loved that in the end we got little HEAs for the other characters too, and we saw how everyone lived their lives after everything went down.

Yes, it's a longer book, but it's fast paced and you just want to see what happens next to Joe and Percy.
Definitely a fun ride and I would recommend it if you want to read about a priest and his fiancé get up to all sorts of paranormal shenanigans.

[Catarina Águas · Rating 5 out of 5]

ARC review

I loved the first one and I loves this one too.
Percy and Joe are the definition of love. They would die and kill for each other, literally, they would damn the world if it meant the other would live. This devotion and obsession is everything.
This conclusion was fantastic and I hope to see them in more books in the future, I am gonna miss them

[April · Rating 5 out of 5]

Percy and Joe... ARE BACK and, they're about embark on their craziest adventure yet!

First up - AMAZING cover! The boys looks fantastic and this is an actual scene from the book!

I didn't think it would be possible to love these characters even more than I did but here I am - heart full... yes, I know so cliché!

Percy is our lovable, extremely morally grey character and yet, I'd love him as a best friend.

Joe is our loveable, risk-adverse (usually!) character and I loved seeing the 'other side' of him.

You easily see why these 2 are together and the amount of character development with Joe is utterly amazing. He is totally different to the Joe we met in Book 1. I feel Percy has mellowed a bit but he's still very much... err Percy.

The story is brilliant as the pair try to help a friend and steal yet another painting and there are so many one liners in here and statements by the gorgeous Percy that has me either snorting or laughing like crazy.

I started to highlight all my favourite quotes half way through so I need to reread and highlight the first half - so, so many favourite quotes!

There is A LOT of spice in this one (as there was previously) so if you are closed door reader then I reckon you can easily jump over these bits and still enjoy the story.

The formating in the book is absolutely fantastic with illustrations, random drawings and utterly hilarious titles, it makes for a truly unique ride!

I honestly can't sing the praises for this one highly enough... although, given how this ends... I feel there may still be trouble brewing for the pair 😆 🤣.

[downtown · Rating 5 out of 5]

“I thought this was our thing now? Partners in crime.”
“Handsome,” said Percy, bemused by the combination of worry, disappointment, hopefulness, and downright irrefusable expectancy in Joe’s gorgeous features, “to be partners in crime, you occasionally have to do crime.”

The perfect conclusion to one wild and wicked tale. This was perfectly dark, perfectly chaotic, and some seriously sacrilegious steam. I laughed, I cried, and I got creeped out by one very claustrophobic scene!

“It’s kind of messed up, you know. Being jealous of God.” Percy uncrossed his long legs and wrapped them around Joe’s thigh, pulling him in a little closer. “Can you blame me?” His heated words whispered over Joe’s ear. “He’s the only other man you’ll get on your knees for.”

I don't really know how to put Percy into words, but he is chaotic and also has the biggest soft spot and loyalty to a select few. Or as Joe puts it: "Pleasure where he could take it, appalling hideousness and death, then pleasure again and twice as frenzied."
And Joe, what a naive sweetheart that isn't at all naive anymore. Percy might need to rein in his wicked side.

Lockwood wrote a very exciting and entertaining tale. I have a hard time explaining how her humor hits on so many levels. These books set the bar for horror mixed with romance and I'm here for it. I have been with Percy and Joe since the beginning and I am just so happy for how this turned out. Also, I am going to miss the shit out of this couple.

“If they take me to Hell, I’ll murder the Devil to get to you. If they send us to purgatory, I’ll find you. I’ll burn the gates of Heaven to the ground and make God my slave if I have to. I will follow you to the end of existence and back again, and I won’t ever stop."

Thank you WH Lockwood for allowing me the privilege to be a part of this ARC team! I'll read anything you write.

“Nice murder, darling.”

[S.S. Genesee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Percy and Joe are the meaning of true love. These two, man.... These two and their devotion, their fates that are so intricately entwined, souls that are absolutely meant to be together... I adored it all!!

The action was so cool too, it was non-stop BAM, BAM, BAM suspense and crazy shenanigans!! This book is a long one but oh, is it so worth it. I am so glad these men have each other and they're so perfect. From haunted paintings, spiritual possessions, evil 400-year-old entities, zombies and skeleton warriors, this book is jam-packed with so much good stuff! And the spice too? Exquisite 🤌💕

Loved every page of this book!! 💖✨

[audiobook_chaos · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great Finale

Brilliant , more shenanigans with Percy and Joe. This book comes with extra zombies and a vengeful ancient witch who is determined to get payback and end the world whilst she's at it . With Leo and Althea along for the ride Percy and Joe have to find a way to save the world without getting themselves killed in the process. The sarcasm and stupidity was even better than book one and yes people that place starting with t and ending with tt is a real place in Scotland.

[Book.Dragon.Page1 · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was such a great sequel and I'm sad Joe and Percy's story ends here. At least..we know it maybe wouldn't end.. But we don't get to follow them around anymore!
They are so sweetly unhinged together! And I love that we get to know them even more in this book and we get to see things from other character's pov's! And thankfully there is enough action and funny banter.
And I just love the ending..

[emma · Rating 4 out of 5]

W.H. Lockwood are you ready to fight bc I’m throwing HANDS over that epilogue 🤺🤺🤺

[Tyi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rating
4.5/5

[Cara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Moustrous Travels as Wicked as Sin is the second book of the Sinful Crimes series.
It follows the adventures of Joe and Percy, rescuing a plot from the previous book, developing several characters that already appeared in the first book.


I read it in two days, TWO. I laughed, I cried, I fell in love with the characters again. But, but it is darker than the previous one.

Leo and Althea are wonderful.

I already imagined a sequel with three secondary characters, an MMM book, but it remains only for my imagination.

An apotheosic end of the bilogy. I can only applaud and wait to see what the author surprises us with.

·I received a copy of this and this is my voluntary and honest opinion·

[KJ · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

If you loved book one, book two is somehow even better. Everything I loved in the first book is here and multiplied: Percy and Joe's incredibly witty, cerebral, and irreverent banter; an uptempo pacing that careens from one chaotic conflict to the next; a plot that feels as though an innocuous snowball hit the slope and grew as it rolled ever more quickly into a giant avalanche filled with humour, shock, awe, and hysteria (in both senses of the term). Lockwood pulls no punches in this book and I could hardly process starting the book laughing out loud multiple times, to avidly reading in utter astonishment only a few chapters later. And to top it all off, the prose itself is exquisite and delectable, that melt in your mouth deliciousness that makes this book a true joy of an experience to read.

Knowing what I know now about this book, would I still read it if I went back in time?
Absolutely!


See below for the four criteria I use to decide whether and when to read a book



CHARACTERS: Where do I even begin? Percy and Joe are so wonderfully flawed. Not only do we see them attempting to hitch over relationship hiccups, but they're placed in positions throughout the story that would have them separated forever depending on the heartrending choices they must make in order to save the other. We're gifted once again with third person omniscient, so we don't have to miss a single glorious moment in their thoughts and actions when they are present. I utterly adore their hearts. They both have a wild compassion and chaos to them that truly drives everything they do. Joe's humanity seems more obvious at first, but Percy's empathy becomes just as prevalent throughout the novel. The interplay between their hearts and their actions stemming, at the core, from love, creates two truly fascinating characters to read. We are also gifted more screen-time from Leo and Althea as well, and a few of the scenes with the ensemble cast are some the best! It's truly impossible not to cheer for them, laugh at them, laugh with them, and breathe in so many easy sighs because their temperaments and worldviews are so refreshing! You won't be bored, not with such complex and dynamic characters.



PLOT: SO. MUCH. HAPPENS. This plot is tumultuous and anarchic in the absolute best way. A sacred irreverence permeates the whole story, from our usual art-theft to other supernatural hijinks and utter mayhem that occurs throughout. While I personally did not get triggered, do read the CWs from the author if you are in any way someone who has common triggers, because this story does not skimp. Nothing about this plot is skin deep. Even the banter between Percy and Joe is distinctly cerebral. The religious themes of faith and the sacred collide with the sacrilege of murder and sin in the juiciest of ways. From page one this is a wild ride of a plot that will not let you go until the very last word of the epilogue.



EMOTIONAL INTENSITY: There is no good/bad here. Sometimes I just want a low-investment entertainment read whereas other times a high-stakes 'I need a therapist to recover' is what I need.

4/5:high. Immersive, bombastic, violent, stormy, and overflowing with love and one of the steamiest scenes I've read, this story isn't for the faint of heart, but Lockwood also protects our hearts all the way through the novel.



CATHARTIC FULFILLMENT: Is the emotional journey worth it? Do I finish this book feeling that I've crested the wave of the climactic moment and everything has been settled, leaving me settled and fulfilled?

100%. And this is a rare score from me, but true. Somehow the climactic events ended up turbulent and wild in perfect proportion with the rest of the plot. Even I didn't expect the twist that occurred. W.H. Lockwood is one of the few authors I know who can shock me into gasping out loud, bursting into laughter on the next page, only to go right back to being utterly astonished in the span of a sentence. I cannot give this tale enough kudos.

[Gee Rothvoss · Rating 5 out of 5]

Every bit as dark, devilishly funny and unbearably sexy as its predecessor, "Monstrous Travels as Wicked as Sin" completes the Sinful Crimes duet by W.H. Lockwood as Percy Ashdown and Joe Bruno face the supernatural with all the odds stacked against them and only love, lust, and a dark grey moral compass to see them through.

Although I hadn't read the Endymion College series prior to the Sinful Crimes duet, it didn't make my reading experience any less enjoyable. Percy, Joe, Althea, Leo, Giacomo and the rest of the gang made me laugh ot loud, clutch the front of my blouse with a gasp, and stay up for much longer than doctors would advise so I could find out what happened next. This book is a direct continuation of "Sinful Crimes For The Artistically Inclined" that follows these two utterly unhinged and feral men around Europe as they drink expensive wine (Percy's idea), hit the poshiest restaurants (Percy's idea), treat themselves to ostentatious suites (Percy's idea), and search for a way to get the supernatural horrors sorted out without resorting to murder straight away (Joe's idea, much to Percy's chagrin).

This duology is a wild ride, and I advise you to fasten your seatbelt as you dive into it because it's an unhinged adventure that gives you no time to catch your breath before jumping straight onto the next thrilling stunt. Something I have been starved for in books is the level of deranged devotion that Percy and Joe have for each other, which is an absolute treat. Don't pick these books up if you aren't a fan of corrupted morals, lust-driven recklessness and blasphemous gay sex :) But if those sound like things you can deal with, or even stuff that's right up your alley (no kink shaming everyone!), then these books are going to change your life.

Both main characters were off the rails, if in slightly different ways. On the one hand we've got Percy Ashdown, who is the epitome of hedonism, opulence and charismatic sex appeal. Everything he does and says is the right amount of unhinged, with sprinkles of infatuation-driven madness on top, and I honestly enjoy this kind of character so bloody MUCH. He's the kind of man who would burn down Versailles if he deemed it ugly enough (I personally do) while fighting Satan himself to keep the Alhambra Palace intact because it's beautiful. Roll his sleeves up to his elbows and light himself a cigarette as he picks at the crust of dry blood his enemies du jour have covered him in as he stabbed them one after the other. Dress up like Brendan Fraser in "The Mummy" every day just because he knows it looks sinful on him. Are you catching my drift yet?

Meanwhile we've got Joe Bruno, a wavy-haired Italian priest whose dedication to being in denial is every bit as admirable as his immediate obsession with Percy's wicked smile. Throughout this second book his corruption arc is gloriously fulfilled, and I really loved that he remained the less trigger-happy of the two while also yeeting his moral code through the window. Something I loved to see was the way Joe progressively lost any reservations he'd previously had about Percy's way of life and embarced the crazy, because honestly? It suits them both. Fervient faith remains untouched inside him, only now he's all about the murderous art historian with a smart mouth and pretty eyes rather than God.

The plot was absolutely bonkers, which is something that I deeply appreciate in my guilty pleasure books and had no complaints about whatsoever. The characters jump from one place to the next one like it's an afterthought, and I was feral about the way the author wove the different parts of the plot seamlessly. It helped a lot that Lockwood's writing style is a prodigy of horror-meets-humour, because it made this book an absolutely WILD ride. I highlighted so many sections that I wonder whether it wouldn't have been easier to just highlight the entire book :)

All in all this was a very sinful, very delightful duology that came to a quite satisfying end, and I really am itching for whatever Lockwood might have in store for us!

[Demian Grimm · Rating 4 out of 5]

Monstrous Travels as Wicked as Sin is a wild and chaotic sequel that continues the intense, paranormal adventures of Joe and Percy from the Sinful Crimes for the Artistically Inclined book.

Joe and Percy’s romance is still a rollercoaster ride. It’s unhinged, messy, and totally captivating. I really liked that you can really feel their connection, and can easily see them as true soulmates.
Although their communication did improve a little from book one, they still have terrible communication, which can be frustrating. But at the same time, it gives credibility to their personalities and their dynamic. It also makes them feel real, although deeply flawed.

I have to say, the book does have a darker and more intense tone compared to the first one, but the author manages to keep things from getting too heavy. The story is full of action and I would say it’s a good mix of adventure, suspense, humour, and emotion. All that makes it an enjoyable read, even if the pacing feels uneven in parts.

The book also gives us more insight into Leo and Althea. We even get parts of the story from their perspectives. It was interesting to see Joe and Percy from their perspective, and I loved it.
I am also very glad to note that there’s much less focus on Anna and Evelyn this time around. As I mentioned in my review of the first book, using them for unnecessary relationship drama was unnecessary, so this was very, very welcome.

It’s also worth mentioning the horror and gore elements of the book, as they may not suit everyone. However, these elements definitely raise the stakes and add to the tension of the story. The ride this book takes you on is thrilling and emotionally charged.
There is also a slight cliffhanger at the end (that irritated the hell out of me) that leaves room for more of Joe and Percy’s story to unfold. I really hope the author uses this to continue Joe and Percy’s story, and not leave us in the dark. (Can you tell I’m not a fan of cliffhangers, especially in a seemingly finished duology? 🙄)

All in all, this book is unique, entertaining, and even a bit maddening at times, but that’s all part of its charm and what makes it such a fun ride.

I received a copy of this book from the author, and this is my unbiased review.

[Oceans · Rating 5 out of 5]

Folx... I'm darn near speechless after this one. Please refer to my review of part one of this duet (Sinful Crimes For The Artistically Inclined) to read my opinions there. TL;dr I loved it. It was like savoring a fine steak dinner. Sophisticated, sexy, and humorous. This was much of the same, but somehow with even more heart. 


The relationships between the MCs and even the side characters continue to deepen and grow more complex. The heists are high stakes. Percy remains a slick mercenary willing to destroy the universe for his love. And Joe...oh, Joe. 💔💔 How wonderful his character development was. His moves were true to his character, yet somehow very unexpected throughout. I felt like I was watching a friend really grow into himself. And that's true for both characters. Percy did most of his growing in book one while Joe took the entirety of book two to fully develop. And what a fantastic process it was to watch. 


We also got lots of time with our favorite side characters, Althea, Leo, and a particularly beautiful (and scorned) Italian ex. All of this is woven in without feeling like the story shifted too far away from our main couple. Wonderfully done!


Now, I did say this story had more heart than the first. I'm not a crier when it comes to books. I can count on one hand how many times I've cried actual tears while reading a book. This one got me boohoo sobbing real tears THREE SEPARATE TIMES! At one point I was reading next to my sleeping kiddo and I had to stop because I was crying hard enough to wake them up. The love. The devotion. The heartbreaking finality of saying goodbye when it's not your time. Percy's speech at Montmartre. Ughhhhhh! 


But the ending was so worth it. A little atypical in some aspects, but truly a very lovely HEA. Just read this book. You MUST read part one, but after you've done that, immediately jump into this one. It's even better. 


As always, blessings and honor upon WH Lockwood for letting me have a review copy of this book even though my life continued to be a sh*t show and this review is later than I hoped it would be. 


I hope you all give it a try!

[The_neurospicy_bookworm · Rating 5 out of 5]

I did not think it could get much better than book 1, but oh my gosh the author has proved me wrong. This book is just phenomenal.

After reading the first book, you are already in love with the MCs, which makes this book transcend the limitations of the last book, it is just perfection. There were so many tears in this book, tears from laughing, happy tears, ugly tears, back to happy tears, back to crying laughing etc. It is such an emotional rollercoaster and you feel like you are right there with them on their journey. There are so many plot twists and misdirections that are just pure genius.
The first chapter is light and airy with a warming familiar glow. It is like having a friend or loved one take your hand and guide you somewhere safe.
Some of the chapter titles had me in absolutely stitches and they were amazing. There is also a very passive aggressive chapter that is just so perfectly Percy it will have you creased.
The descriptions and imagery created by the author is just top tier and they illicit just the reaction they want. The author allows the side characters from book 1 more of a chance to develop their characters and it makes you fall in love with them even more. And learning their backstories will make you tear up but also make you that much happier when basking in their highs, but also means their lows will hit that much harder. As for the MCs, they are just quintessentially Percy and Joe, whether it is Percy getting himself in trouble or Joe facing a moral quandry, these two are so chaotic but at the same time so perfect for each other. For those that love spice, this book gets spicy but it also doesn't detract from anything, it adds more to the relationship of the two MCs and it is just so beautiful.
The ending ends on a cliffhanger but it is also wrapped up so perfectly. However, I am actually heartbroken that this series is just a duology but I am hoping it is not the end of Percy and Joe's story

[Dulce Funez · Rating 5 out of 5]

ARC REVIEW
Since I was little, I thought Dracula and Van Helsing would have made a great couple because, in my opinion, it would have been better for them to attack each other with kisses rather than… well, you know…

In the first book, we’re left wondering what’s going to happen next and how they’re going to solve the mess they’ve gotten themselves into. One might think Percy and Joe will figure it out, and yes, exactly, it’s Percy & Joe. This means they’ll have to get into even more trouble to solve their first problem. But oh no, it won’t be easy—where would the fun be in that? So, in this book, when you think, “Oh, they’re close to solving the problem,” nope, because apparently, these two are dealing with something much bigger than they thought.

But not everything was chaos; there were too many sweet moments. I mean, yes, expect action, gore, but also moments where you’ll be crying because this pair shows their love in such a natural, genuine way, and no one is going to change my mind—these two are soulmates. There’s no other word to describe them.

I’d describe this second book as full of moments of Percy being Percy, a lot of love… God, these two are eternally adorable. Percy and his newfound fascination with church structures, Joe and Percy being parents to Al and Leo, a lot of plot twists, a cute little white kitten, the truth behind Joe Bruno, and a revenge that’s been brewing for many, many… maybe many, many years.

And the ending... I don’t know who finished the book—if I finished it or if it finished me. All I can say is that if you like the paranormal, zombies, secrets, and the history of religion, if you’ve seen Supernatural and like Dean, or if you enjoy the good cop/bad cop dynamic, you’ll love this book. You’ll fall in love with the characters and the story, and you’ll want to know more and more about them, as well as what the next step is.

[Kelsbookreads · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh boy... I finally (finally) finished Sinful Crimes Duology, with Monstrous Travels as Wicked as Sin... or maybe it finished me. I'm still not sure.

This book was beyond incredible, I don't even know where to start except that Lockwood is pure magic, her words are sharp, witty and almost lyrical and her characters... oh God, there is not enough room in a post for me to express how much I adore Percy and Joe.

This book takes you on a journey, not only within the pages as the boys jet to Scotland, Paris and London fighting an evil that is terrifying and consuming, but emotionally too. I laughed out loud too many times, I gasped, I battled fear for their lives and I actually cried and cheered from the sidelines as these boys created havoc, mayhem and utter unhinged love declarations to the other in the most obscene places.

Percy and Joe are still on the holiday of their dreams, and we start off as they prepare to steal a possessed painting that if left alone with it, will kill you. The bickering alone is top tier, the substance abuse not unexpected, the bloody fight and Joe's unrelenting morality (nobody thinks about a henchmans family {except Joe}) is pure genius.

But neither were expecting a malevolent entity to take something from them, and suddenly the boys are fighting for their lives - and each other. With guest appearances from the first book and skeletons coming out of the literal fridge and graves - this is a hell of a story.

Take my word for it, you just have to read it to understand how amazing Lockwood really is.

If you love:

- the supernatural
- action adventure
- morally grey MMC's
- MM
- touch him and die (times 2)
- end game romance
- fast burn
- gore, violence and death
- reanimated corpses
- the 2nd most beautiful church in Paris
- banter tenfold

Then this should be on your list...I mean it - this Duology is a must (can you tell I'm a big fan??)

[Jen Fish · Rating 5 out of 5]

Monstrous Travels was hilarious from start to finish. While definitely darker than Sinful Crimes, it was still filled with the dark humor and quick wit that we’ve come to love from Joe & Percy. (Plus, there were clear nods to our heroes knowing they were in a book lol)

We pick up right where Sinful ended, trying to find a way to end Cleo’s zombies. Except Percy makes a small detour to a party of a Belgian billionaire first to earn money for the adventure. He makes an absolute mess, as we expect, and pulls off the heist, as we expect, leaving with the commission and a little something extra for himself, as we expect.

Because Percy never learns. And we honestly don’t want him to.

Again and again the author made me laugh through zombies, possession, gorey deaths, and brutal fight scenes. Probably because they’re written like

“Giordano rolled, taking Tareq with him, until he was on top. He locked his fine thighs over Tareq’s and reached for the sheath, straining. Tareq’s fist closed around his shirt, and he tried to pull him down, but Giordano had already braced against such an attack and all it did was rip the shirt clean open, exposing his sweaty, muscular chest…

… Tareq only wrenched him closer, until their two naked chests were pressed together, Tareq attempting to force Giordano onto his back while Giordano struggled against his grip.”

… 🤤🤤🤤 amiright?

Before it’s all said and done, we get Joe’s origin story and see Percy’s true capacity for love. And for tomfoolery. Because he wouldn’t be Percy Ashdown if he didn’t do something to make you roll your eyes.

[Yvonne · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was really looking forward to continue my adventures with Percy and Joe. The book starts with Percy on one of his illegal adventures and as you found out in Sinful Crimes nothing ever goes to plan and I knew I was in for a wild read. Then it was onto business to finish what they started in book 1
I enjoyed that Leo and Althea had more to play this time around and hearing more of Leo's backstory, you realise he is not just a voice on the end of the phone that Percy barked orders to and Althea who showed that hell has no fury like a woman scorned
This book had everything to make me forget the real world, full of action, with zombies, witches to name a few, kept me wanting more and Percy and Joe still so much in love. Their passion was on fire and you know that they will never not stop wanting each other.
I love the dark humour running through this story and I could not stop myself laughing and *chef kiss* to the chapter headings. There were some unexpecting scenes and I can honestly say I have not read a more sultry fight scene.
Whilst this is the conclusion I know I will never tire of Percy and Joe. With hints that are coming next for this author I am so excited to read them.

[Kaela · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you know me, you know that Sinful Crimes for the Artistically Inclined was one of my favorite books of last year. Percy and Joe with their banter and unhingedness truly won my heart, mind and soul like I think of this book weekly. So I was incredibly nervous about if this final book was going to meet my expectations and everyone, it absolutely did.

Yes, we still have the banter and silliness and unhingedness we got in the first book, but this book is so much heavier. The stakes and consequences are so much higher but Percy and Joe and their love is even deeper than before. Their love for each other, friends I can’t even describe how magical it is to read. It’s healing for me I think.

And I need to give a huge shoutout to chapter 58 because I think that chapter is so beautiful and really really healed something in me and is now one of my favorite chapters I’ve ever read. That chapter deserves seven million and six stars if I’m honest.

Overall, I will miss this story and these boys with my whole heart and based on that ending, I’m BEGGING for them to be in this author’s next series like PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE 🥺🥺

Thank you again to the author for allowing me to have an arc and indulging me when I was blowing up your dms 🫶🏻