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Contracts & Deceptions #2

The Sinner's Bargain

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While trying to rid herself of one debt, Amara is forced into a new one with a man she thought she left behind. When she finds herself unable to shake him off at every turn, she begins to question if the person who once brought her safety is the one she should now be running from.

*Note: This is the second and last book of this series.*

229 pages, Unknown Binding

First published September 29, 2014

27 people are currently reading
1757 people want to read

About the author

Claire Contreras

48 books17.7k followers
Claire Contreras is a New York Times Best Selling Author. Her books range from romantic suspense to contemporary romance and are currently translated into over fifteen languages. When she's not writing, she's usually lost in a book or hanging out with her family.

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5 stars
299 (28%)
4 stars
376 (36%)
3 stars
252 (24%)
2 stars
85 (8%)
1 star
29 (2%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 132 reviews
Profile Image for Candace.
1,179 reviews5,012 followers
October 27, 2015
Concluding Amara's story, this book answers all the questions left unanswered in book 1. It had been awhile since I'd finished 'The Devil's Contract', so I had to refresh my memory some. 'The Sinner's Bargain' picks up where book 1 left off.

Although this book started off good, I quickly found it to be somewhat tedious and boring. I was mildly curious about what the outcome would be, so I pushed forward until I finished it. However, I never felt particularly connected to the characters or the story in this series. I can't really say why, or point to any specific quality that turned me off. I guess this just wasn't the series for me.

It wasn't bad, but wasn't something I would read again if I had it to do over. I never felt any type of emotional connection to Amara, but she seemed okay. Oh well, not my cup of tea.
Profile Image for 'Q' aka CoCo.
569 reviews61 followers
October 26, 2015
So many holes...

I had been looking forward to this sequel but ugh, this just didn't do the story justice. Everything was just so haphazardly thrown together and made little sense. From the first book, we knew Amara was supposed to draw out the bad guys by working as an escort but in this one so many twists and turns happen you can't keep up and NONE of them are logical.

Very frustrating all around.
Profile Image for Melissa Woods .
81 reviews5 followers
February 18, 2015
I NEED THIS BOOK! I would give all my organs and first born for it, now.
Profile Image for Cortney G.
44 reviews1 follower
Want to read
May 28, 2014
This book can not come soon enough
Profile Image for Grace.
2,314 reviews114 followers
October 2, 2014
4.5 stars, full review here => http://afterdarkbooklovers.com/2014/0...

After the first book, there were a lot of open questions:
Would Amara finally repair the debt owed to Phillip?
Who was threatening her safety?
Would she and Colin get another chance at love?

In this book, we get answers to those questions. Eventually. The mystery unravels with the center theme of trust. Who can Amara trust? When can Amara put her full trust in someone else? And sadly, there is broken trust.

Similar to The Devil’s Contract, the author leaves us in the dark for a good part of the book, which made me want to read faster. She gives the reader little bits of information, hints at who to trust and why. Only to throw doubt on that trust moments later.

If you had issues with Amara’s sexual exploration with people other than Colin before, this book will be easier to handle. But that doesn’t mean that Amara and Colin’s road back to each other is an easy one. There are threats to their relationship at every turn. But they fight those threats together.

Although Colin has a hare time getting over Amara’s activities with Méchant, he remains a presence and tries to maintain control over her. Not giving others much chance to do the same.

The connection between Amara and Colin is hard to ignore. The longing grows day by day to a point where they can’t control their urges.

“Move.”
He spanked her ass once, and then again when she stayed frozen in place.
“Yeah, like that. Ride me baby.”


Although I liked their intimate moments, I didn’t like how Colin used jealousy to drive Amara’s actions. And it pissed me off how he often seemed to put business partners before her – how he could even fathom doing business with her father after how he treated Amara, is beyond me.

“But my girl isn’t a puppet, Mara, she’s a motherfucking queen.”

As I mentioned, trust in this story is key. And when Amara finally gives Colin all of her trust, things change dramatically between them. That breadth I’d been holding thru a good part of the book, could slowly be released.

“Queens do what they have to do for the people they love.”

However, this author doesn’t give you much time to relax. There are some sad and shocking twists, which toyed with my emotions. Thanks Claire! As trust is broken, it has tragic consequences. And to avoid spoilers, that’s all I’ll say.

If you were mad with the cliffhanger at the end of book 1, you’ll be happy to know that this book gives you a HEA that provides resolution and happiness.

“More than the stars.”

This series has all the elements I love: an original plot, suspense, thigh-clenchingly hot scenes, and a passionate love story. The mystery is a slowly unraveling one that will keep you guessing until the end.

*An ARC was provided by the author for an honest review.
Profile Image for Yamna.
360 reviews121 followers
October 14, 2015
Yea...I officially hate the author.
God, I still don't get why authors think it's their right to start writing about some religion without getting proper information about it.
First, let me ask, what the FUCK is a "hijab for a man"?? For your information, it's called a skull cap, not a "hijab for a man".
What an ignorant thing to say.
And, let me ask you something: since when are there "sultans" living in castles in Iran? Have you ever been to Iran? Do you even know any Muslim personally? Or an Iranian?
Also, how come all of the characters just happen to reach Iran with no issues whatsoever? And how the hell did Colin just get to the "castle" in Iran without ever being aware of how things there work? And he just happened to find a taxi driver who could speak English?
You can easily see the author has never even talked to an Iranian, doesn't know a thing about them, doesn't even know what Muslims even do and just decided to add them to her novel just because it would make her book cooler.
And it was obvious she just had a hunch Iran would have castles and sultans since she never bothered to describe anything other than the insides of the castle. There was no description of Iran itself. And why the hell were there women in sarris in the castle?? A sarri is a common dress in India, not Iran! Where the hell has this author been searching for her info.?? Dumbass.com??

And what was up with Amara acting awfully jealous of Colin's fiance? I mean, hello, you were the one to tell him to move on! Then why would you do it??

God, there are so many things in this novel that made me wanna kill myself....or pour acid over my brain.
Contreras needs to learn that writing a novel isn't enough. You have to make it believable too.
Profile Image for Sarah Haigney.
73 reviews17 followers
October 14, 2014
Unfortunately I didn't really get this book. To be fair it was very confusing and it just didn't add up. Why did Colin have a fiancé in the 1st place if she was never gonna be dragged into the story. How come Colin got information on Courtney so easily when she worked for Samuel and Philip, clearly they could of gotten that info well before Colin did. How did Amara get the documents from the sultan without him knowing and how did the sultan get them if she was the only one who could access them because the accounts were in her name, and why did the sultan have them on him anyway. Clearly they would incriminate him and in that situation wouldn't it make more sence for him to destroy the evidence seeing as though a lot of people wanted them. Also Samuel and Philip didn't really need to pimp Amara out considering that's not what they needed her for. I don't really see why she had to become an escort in the 1st place. And lastly why didn't Amara's dad just tell her he wanted what was in that safe instead of being the man who was trying to kill her. I hope I'm not the only one who sees all the wholes in this story and to be fair it's very rare for me to write a bad review but this book annoyed me from start to finish considering that I loved the 1st one I guess I expected to be blown away with this but unfortunately this book really disappointed me especially when it originally had such potential
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Tiffany.
724 reviews49 followers
March 17, 2015
The Good
Colin is the perfect man. He started out rocky in this book. He was having a very hard time understand Amara's decisions. But it was totally justified because she was keeping secrets & lying to him. But then things progressed. He was there for her time and again. The strength she needed. And his motives were pure. I never once questioned his loyalties. He was the only one I never questioned.

Anna's love for her daughter. Beautiful.

Answers. We got some....finally!


The Bad
I wanted to slap Phillip, Amara & Samuel. All of them were equally frustrating!


The Psychotic
Amara's dad. Glad he is dead. Mean-but TRUTH!

The sultan. Look in the dictionary under crazy. See his picture there!

Courtney. She had me fooled. And everyone but Sam apparently. No love lost there when the Sultan chopped off her hands. Perfect example of just because you can do something, doesn't mean you should!

Parting thoughts.


Profile Image for Star Girl.
1,159 reviews19 followers
October 2, 2014
This was so stupid! This was not a well thought out story. It was full of holes all over the place insulting the reader's intelligence. One minute they have to be at this function because they have to meet someone important, the next minute they're leaving the function or distracted with something else and forget all about this so-called "important person". It was also apparent that the author did no research for this which made it full of flaws. This was a waste of a second book. So disappointed!
Profile Image for Miep.
214 reviews
October 24, 2014
Strong 4 Stars

This book was exactly what I needed- something different but still a healthy mix of romance. The Sinner's Bargain kept me intrigued while making me swoon at the same time. This book is a modern day soap opera. It's full of mind boggling drama to keep the reader interested that unfolds very nicely throughout the book.

All of your questions from book one are answered in this book.

I think it's a great book to read when you're in a book funk and need something different to switch things up.
Profile Image for Sandra.
360 reviews
October 4, 2014
I'm not sure why I read this considering I rated the first part the same. I guess I was hopeful this last book would answer questions I had in the first and honestly I really wanted to like it. I've enjoyed other books by this author and wanted to give this a chance. Unfortunately the storyline didn't work for me. I pushed myself to finish just to get all the answers. With that said I would still read more books by Claire.
Profile Image for Tahsin.
1,237 reviews96 followers
October 7, 2014
4.5 stars

I jumped on this book as soon as I finished the first one. If I had to wait, I would have gone crazy, that's for sure. Claire Contreras has this amazing ability to write the most beautiful and fucked up stories that I've read. Ever. I love love love Colin - and Amara - though not all the time, but it's all due to her circumstances that she did what she did. And HOLY MOTHER OF ASSHOLES, I FUCKING LOVE COLIN! HOLY SHIT, WHAT A PERFECTLY WRITTEN ASSHOLE!!!
Profile Image for Big Joe  Rossi.
1,776 reviews50 followers
October 16, 2014
3.5 stars.

Based on book one and the beginning of book two I was ready for an amazing conclusion, to me it fell flat. All this build up, and flat.
don't get me wrong, the book was still very good it just missed to hit those marks.

So many characters that held intrigue and the ending just ended.

Still a good read. I'll recommend to friends.
Profile Image for Berry ♡ Nice.
583 reviews85 followers
August 21, 2017
Mind-bending, Mind-blowing, Breathtaking!

This was an intense and magnificent ride! I was at the edge of my seat throughout while trying to guess what's going to happen and thinking of what did happen. It's so so good that while I loved some characters it got to a point where I didn't know who could be trusted so I doubted everyone.

There are also some very sexy steamy *turn the a.c up please* kind of scenes

Colin is perfection! I love him.

I'm beyond happy that I've read this duet. A couple friends said I needed to read... I was missing out.
Profile Image for We like it big book blog.
969 reviews44 followers
October 5, 2014
Melanie’s 3.5 Star Review:

I know that the popular saying goes, “hell hath no fury like a woman scorned,” but in Claire Contreras follow-up book, The Sinner’s Bargain, we find that Colin Wolfe is THE man scorned and I can say that the fury behind his eyes were set ablaze. With that fire burning in his eyes and the cold as ice revenge cursing through his veins, Colin becomes a whole different man. What remains the same is my love lust over his character.

The Sinner’s Bargain begins right where The Devil’s Contract ended and for those who have read the first book, you all know what a cliffhanger that was! With Colin now part of the mix, Amara finds herself unable to trust anyone around her, making her life even more dreadful with her mother’s ill health.

There were so many moving parts, all moving at different directions and at different speeds that I once again found myself lost in translation. I didn’t know who was who and what was what during so many scenes and couldn’t decipher whether a character was introduced to further complicate the situation or if those character truly had a purpose to the overall story line. All of this really threw me off balance and I was unable to fully invest much of my emotions because most of the time i was trying to figure out what was happening, deterring me from being able to feel much towards the story line.

What I can tell you really worked incredibly well for me was the romance that remained sizzling between Amara and Colin amidst the turmoil and the lack of trust that we first see these two undergo. What can’t be denied is their love for one another and I felt the angst as they both battled to stay stoic with one another; fighting both the love and the lust that they could only find with one another. There were so MANY scorching moments between Amara and Colin! Claire does a wonderful job show casing their chemistry. I was out of breath reading scene by scene– each of them involving a heated exchange in the every surface of every room that they could find. WHOA mama!! The situations that Amara has to face in this book to gain her the freedom she so greatly thirsts for are not easy. Lots of threatening and gruesome moments arise which would ultimately change her forever.

I would recommend this book to those who love a thrilling love story with a heavy weight of suspense and of course, those who love a hot alpha male who will drive you wild.
Profile Image for Amber.
164 reviews13 followers
October 22, 2014
4 MORE THAN THE STARS STARS ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I just absolutely love Claire Contreras!
Her writing, her style, her creativity, her panache!!!


After finishing The Devil's Contract I was left astounded and needing more. There were so many unanswered questions. And that ending! Wow. I had to know what Colin was thinking and what he was going to do.

From the very first sentence I couldn't put this book down. Things kept getting more heated, more intense, more puzzling.

Amara matured through this book and appeared less weak and meek. She finally demanded to know all that she was involved in and took charge of more aspects of her life.

Colin. Oh Colin. Where do I begin?
HE WAS PURE UNADULTERATED PERFECTION!!
The love of his life was taken. And he stopped at nothing to free her of her contract. To make her his again.
His intensity.
His drive.
His love.

He was a man in love on a mission.

The pace of this book ebbed and flowed. At times the story moved quickly and all at once many things were happening. Some very unpredictable scenarios occurred and had me glued to the pages. This is one story with a lot going on. But there were times of great emotional turmoil and love. Times of strength and saddens.
This book had it all!
Profile Image for Simply Love Book Reviews.
7,046 reviews870 followers
October 28, 2014
Leigh‘s review posted on Guilty Pleasures Book Reviews

3.75 STARS

This follow up novel to The Devil’s Contract was just as fast paced and sexy as the first, and as it focused on Amara’s relationship with Colin, I think I enjoyed it even more.
Colin is powerful, demanding, and so in love with Amara that it is both touching and sad how hurt he is by her betrayal. Amara is the dutiful daughter, doing what she needs to save her family at all costs, and I truly felt for this woman that had to watch the man she always loved with another woman. I rooted for their relationship, felt the explosiveness of their interactions, and wanted these two people that sacrificed so much to end up together.
My fondness for these characters aside, I did have some real issues with this book. The details of the plot had me so confused at times that I had to keep stopping and re-reading to make sure I understood what was going on. Finally I had to just accept that I was obviously missing some of the finer points of the plot and read it at a high level and focus on Colin and Amara’s relationship rather than the mechanics of what was going on around them. I still got the gist of the story, and was satisfied in the end that I had read an enjoyable book.
This was not a stand alone novel, so if you have not read The Devil’s Contract that needs to be read first. But all things considered, The Sinner’s Bargain was full of intrigue, never knowing who was the good guy, and an engrossing read. This two part series should not be missed.
Profile Image for Lizzy.
62 reviews4 followers
September 30, 2014
Not sure where to begin with this review.. I was one of the lucky ones that was honored to received and advance ARC from Claire.❤️
I will begin by saying I love COLLIN❤️
Loved how he loved Amara❤️
Loved how he fought for her and didn't give up..
Even Though I personally felt at one point she didn't deserve Collins love at one point. (I cried when she left)..and he wrote to her the following>

"I love you more than the stars. More than the motherfucking stars. Even though I wish the opposite. What I hate most of all is that I have to work at it to hate you, because my love for you is infinite. It’s unconditional. It’s everything."
This second book, "The sinners Bargain had me in pins and needles, especially after the way the first one ended..

I wasn't sure what to expect. I was scared with all the twist and turns had a couple of WTF moments.. But At the end, the very end I was HAPPY extremely happy.

"Amara knew love couldn’t be measured, but she was sure that if it was, his love for her would rocket out of the metric system."

You never disappoint C❤️ you scored a freakin home run with this one..
If I loved COLLIN in the first book, in this second one I love LOVE love him EVEN more..

Now if you're a CLAIRE like me..fan and have read her books you'll come to the conclusion that she's in love with the moon
Profile Image for Gerda.
775 reviews
February 2, 2015
I had been looking forward to this sequel as I enjoyed the first book. But I really did not get this book, it seemed haphazardly thrown together and made little sense.
I found it quite confusing and the storyline did not add up.
Profile Image for Blanca.
454 reviews2 followers
April 21, 2015
This book is the continuance and conclusion to Amara's story. I had read the first book a long while ago and had to reread it in order to understand what was going to take place in this second and final book. This book just like the first was exceptional I couldn't put it down. It answered all of the questions and mystery left unanswered in the first book. I definitely wasn't expecting so much turmoil to take place before Amara could get any answers, but I enjoyed every moment of her story and of course Mr. Colin Wolfe who owned my heart from the start. It was difficult to accept that their story was coming to an end I wanted to prolong their love and passion for a little while longer. Amara went through so much heartbreak from her mothers death to finding out the betrayal once again from her father and grandfather. She is truly orphaned but never alone Colin will never let her feel that way he has truly shown Amara that he is willing to do anything and everything for her. I loved their ending please tell me there will be babies in the future Claire maybe another book?
Profile Image for Amanda Croley.
804 reviews46 followers
April 10, 2016
This review can also be found at: http://thepaperbackaddict.blogspot.com/


Meh... I just didn't like it. The Sinner's Bargain was illogical, and a jumbled mess of ideas, none of which made much sense. I have read almost all of Contreras' books, and have given them all 4 or 5 stars, except this one. Books in the general sense do not have to be possible to be good. I read books about vampires, and werewolves, that somehow work. They do have to be logical though. For instance, if I am a criminal mastermind, making the daughter of a debtor work for my brothel to repay a debt, I'm pretty sure I wouldn't just let her walk away with my enemy. (Sometimes enemy?) That's another issue, do Sam & Philip work together, or are they competitors. Do they even like each other? I got the feeling the author wanted to keep the reader guessing about who could be trusted. She did a fantastic job there, because even after finishing the book I still have no idea.
Profile Image for Kristin  Reads.
682 reviews13 followers
October 14, 2014
What a fabulous ending...it was worth every single month I waited for this sequel.. Claire is such a talented writer. Her writing is stunning she is one of my favorite authors..The way the story flows and she characters are hands down phenomenal..

This book was a complete thrill ride...I trusted NO one thru majority off this book. I love when the suspense is so great you flip page to page just to uncover what the heck is happening.

This book had a hot and sexy love story. Amara and Collin are HOT! Their chemistry was pouring out of the pages....gosh I love this couple so much...

I don't think this review will do this book justices, cause it just that good! Can't wait till whatever Claire publishes next;)
Profile Image for Robin Brister.
271 reviews7 followers
September 24, 2014
I received an ARC of The Sinner's Bargain because Claire Contreras is just awesome. Obviously, if you read The Devil's Contract, this is a must read. If you have not read The Devil's Contract, get busy reading.
This book is full of angst and kept me wanting more; I just had to know what was going to happen next. It is full of twists and turns that kept me on edge. I love nothing more in a book that contains both suspense and romance, and The Sinner's Bargain did not disappoint.
Profile Image for Crysti Perry.
292 reviews45 followers
September 25, 2014
Wow! I don't know how the hell she does it, but Claire can come up with the most creative plots. There are so many emotions in this book, some of which are so real, I could feel them leaping off the pages into my heart. My HEART..oh my word, it was beating frantically in my chest at points.

Have your one-click finger ready the minute this releases. You don't want to miss it.
Profile Image for Christy.
331 reviews46 followers
December 27, 2014
Let me just say that Claire is a genius!!! Her writing style is so detailed and intricate and she knows how to write a mystery!! It's unreal the plot twists she can come up with. This book blew me away! I was on the edge of my seat through the entire thing and even broke out in a sweat a few times. Highly recommend!
Profile Image for Daniela Aliş.
14 reviews1 follower
November 10, 2014
I' m counting the days until I can read it! I really am looking forward to see what hapens next!
Profile Image for Iris.
343 reviews64 followers
January 23, 2016
Dear Colin, Amara and everybody-else,
I want to slap all of you. You all bored me to death with your drama and plot holes.
With love,
A disappointed reader.
97 reviews
October 4, 2014
I can't believe its over.
Loved every word.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 132 reviews

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