Sinners Retreat

Slaycation #1

by Lauren Biel, Angelina Rocca (Narrator), Shane East (Narrator)

All's fair in murder and mayhem

Ezra

Love isn't on my mind when I sign up for the yearly Sinners Retreat, but a chance meeting at the airport changes everything.

We click right away, and my bond with Kindra only deepens when we discover our mutual love for the most macabre hobbies. But then she brings up her brother's unsolved murder and her real reason for being here—to find his killer. That's when my past finally catches up with me, and I'm faced with an impossible choice.

Do I tell her the truth and risk losing her, or can I find a way to keep my real identity a secret forever?

Sinners Retreat is a dark romantic comedy with explosive chemistry, razor-sharp humor, and a love story that’s anything but safe.

Although this dark rom-com is "DIET" Lauren Biel, it still has adult themes. Full list of content warnings on my website. Please listen responsibly!

Genres: Dark Romance, Romance, Audiobook, Dark, Spicy, Serial Killer, Forced Proximity

9 pages, Audible Audio

Published March 5, 2025

About the author

Lauren’s stories are often emotionally raw, with lots of twists and turns. She describes her writing as “where light meets dark”, which represents how her witty humor compliments the darkness in every story. Instead of trying to mold her writing to fit in a box, she chooses to be unapologetically herself. While her focus is on Romance with dark elements, subgenre is no constraint for her. The common theme in every book is finding love when you least expect it. She enjoys putting her characters through tribulations, allowing their triumphs to be that much more poignant. Make sure you have your seatbelts secured. It’s always a bumpy ride.

When she’s not working, she’s writing. When she’s not writing, she’s spending time with her husband, her friends, or her pets. You might also find her on a horseback trail ride or sitting beside a waterfall in Upstate New York. She has a pretty normal life, yet her stories are anything but.

Reviews

[Leo]

I got this for review on booksirens.

Warning: Pineapple is harmed in this book and you might never be able to forget the scene 🍍 (but it was hilarious)
I've read two dark romances by Lauren Biel and really enjoyed them and the unhingedness of her characters. I'm not much of a romcom but a dark romcom by Lauren Biel was very intriguing.
I loved it, it was very funny and very unhinged in places and I really liked the characters. The I really liked the romance but also wearing about their "murder hobbies" and the darkness of that but darkly funny as well. The whole plot about a murder retreat made me very interested in reading the other books but the side characters did very much stand out in their own way. But the Pineapple scene will forever be burnt in my brain and I will always remeber that when looking at a pineapple. I hope the pineapple had as much fun and enjoyed is at their hmm... lover?

[Brittany Ferraro]

4.5⭐️ I’ve been slumping so damn hard this month, and I could honestly kiss this book on the mouth for pulling me out of it, hopefully for good🤞🏼. I listened to the whole thing in one day, and it was the literal epitome of a good time. The narrators absolutely smashed it. This audiobook was top-tier duet narration and a full cast.

This felt very Butcher and Blackbird coded. Both main characters are serial killers, but the twist is they only kill bad people. They’re sent to an island for something called Sinners Retreat, which is basically a getaway for serial killers to let loose and hunt. I know that sounds insane, but the plot was actually super fun and had this weirdly playful, lighthearted vibe. Just trust me on this one😅😂

It’s definitely an insta-love situation, and I didn’t even care because it worked. The story was fast-paced, the relationship was fast-paced, and I ate it the hell up.

Surprisingly, I really enjoyed the conflict in this one too (not something I usually say), and the resolution hit perfectly.

I will say, I probably am never going to look at a pineapple, the same though. LB ALWAYS HAS TO THROW IN THE MOST UNHINGED SHIT EVEN IN HER LIGHTHEARTED BOOKS😅😭😂 After the scene I was like hmmmm I hope he gets a book lmao

If you’re in the mood for a silly little serial-killer good time with a kickass audiobook, a quick-moving story that never feels rushed, and absolutely no brainpower required pick this one up. I freaking loved it. AND I AM SAVED FROM THE CLUTCHES OF MY SLUMP

[✨️ Jessica's Bookshelf ✨️]

This one has me hooked from page 1. If you enjoyed Lights Out, then this is the book for you. It has all the same vibes. This has all the funny sexy, serial killer in love vibes.

[Kelsey H]

DNF at 25%

I think this book tried too hard to be like Butcher & Blackbird, but I was just not enjoying it. I didn't really find it all that funny, and there were a few ick moments (surprisingly not murder-related) that I just couldn't get past.

I gave it a go, but it just fell short for me. And I had high hopes going into it :/

[Emms-hiatus(ish)]

I didn’t laugh. Not once. I didn’t even get a smile or smirk. This was the equivalent of constant poop and fart jokes that aren’t funny.

Nothing about this story feels believable. The banter didn’t banter, the side characters were annoying, and the pineapple scene is overhyped and all of it feels forced and unnatural.

[purlpur]

4⭐️
яка ж кайфуша. і чому так легко й весело читається про те, як відомі серійники з усієї країни відправляються на літній відпочинок, куди для них завозять відбірну «худобу» і влаштовують креативні розваги для вбивств 🌚

➛ випадковий канібалізм? є
➛ випадковий, а ой, навмисний трах ананаса? є 🍍
➛ дайвінг як підводна арена для вбивств? є
➛ кончелада? є 🍹
➛ побачення з ранковою прогулянкою на конях як метод прикінчити ще парочку людей? є

і це далеко не все екзотичне меню розваг для наглухо відбитих героїв. ну та-та, які страшні люди! але но-но, у них є принципи: вбивають вони, звісно ж, тільки кінчених виблядків цього світу.
насправді й головні, і другорядні персонажі тут такі колоритні (а деякі чіпляють навіть своєю дурістю), що тепер хочеться і про інших прочитати окремі історії 😎💃

а на фоні всього цього - мила, гаряча й наповнена кінками лл асоціальної буркотунки кіндри🔪 та британця в окулярах - езри🤤
подумаєш, він вбив її брата, а вона погодилася на цей ретрит тільки для того, щоб знайти й помститися цьому вбивці. пупупу.. ну, як то кажуть, для справжнього кохання немає перешкод 👩‍❤️‍💋‍👨

[Anna Ha]

Яка ж хороша книжка, цей ваш Sinners Retreat.. 😍 Не особливо знала, чого очікувати, але отримала величезну масу задоволення! ❤️‍🔥 Всі герої дуже класні - і, що круто, як головні, так і другорядні 🥰 Обожнюю, коли автори описують свою історію так чудово та влучно, що хочеться про кожного персонажа почитати свою окрему історію 🫶
Концепція сюжету дуже незвична - тут вам і літній вайб, і класний гумор, і прикольне спайсі, приправлене кишками, кровякою та вбивствами! 🔪🩸 Але огиди це аж ніяк не викликає - все так органічно і "нормально" в даних, описаних ситуаціях, що дуже навіть все в порядку 🤭😆
ЖГГ - Кіндра - асоціальна коварна апетитна плюс-сайз красунька, мрія ЧГГ, яка має власний компас справедливості щодо кари за злочини та гріхи ще гірших злочинців. Але головною вендетою для неї лишається серійний вбивця, який винен у смерті рідного брата..
ЧГГ - Езра - той самий серійний вбивця, британець, насправді милий і чарівний булочка 🫶❤️ Те, як розвивається його пристрасть та почуття до цієї дівчинки - це так прекрасно і чуттєво ❤️‍🔥😍
Ну а сам острів з усіма їх розвагами та конкурсами - це щось з чимось) це ж треба мати таку фантазію 🤭🤭🤭
Сцена з ананасом - найкраще і найсмішніше спайсі з прочитаного 🤣
А Жнець - о боже, це все було так смішно.. 😆 Любителям чорного, та і просто класичного гумору - дуже зайде 🤭🤣
Тепер з нетерпінням чекаю продовження про Беннета і Кет з їхньою лав-сторі від ненависті до коханців 😎🌝 Всі їхні перепалки дуже відкрито кагбе натякають...

[monica ✨ romantasyreader]

I should’ve dnfd

Best thing about this was the full cast duet narration 😇

[Kristy]

3.5 ⭐️ while I did enjoy this book overall, I think I was expecting more going into it after hearing so many great reviews. But hey that’s the best thing about reading, everyone doesn’t enjoy the same thing.

[Kseniia]

ох, це було прям дуже добре 🔥
я від душі сміялася від самого початку історії 😁
а персонаж у вигляді ананасу просто топ, навіть не думала, що мені настільки сподобається таке рішення авторки 🤣
а чого вартує та сама піна колада 😏

[Mysti]

UPDATED review with additional read dates.

I've concluded that there is definitely something wrong with Lauren Biel. That woman writes the craziest stuff!!! FYI, she is also NEVER invited to the cookout! Like, ever. Anyway..... LB delivers her most hilarious book yet. A woman who can write horror, love, and comedy is a dangerous creature! There were several times I had tears streaming down my face from laughing so hard.

He’s the main character in my fantasies, after all.

Kindra Amato (25-ish, serial killer) uses her day job as a reporter to track the identities of sexual predators, then uses her night job as The Heartbreak Killer to make them repent.

“No, no, no! Not the pineapple, Kindra. Not the fucking pineapple!”

She has the misfortune of attracting a stalker-ish fangirl, Cat, who wants to be just like her. When Cat learns that Kindra is trying to track down the person who killed her brother, she somehow manages to get them booked on a tropical vaca for fellow serials. The trip hits a little turbulence when she and Cat share a plane with an incredibly witty, sexy man...

“You make everything easy, especially loving you.”

Ezra Carter (36, private investigator, The Abattoir Adonis) and his brother Bennett are taking a little family vaca to blow off some steam. He never expected to meet his true love who just happens to share his favorite hobby!

If I were a man who believed in kismet, I would have seen this as a sign from the heavens. Fortunately, I believe the only luck we have is that which we make for ourselves, and I plan to make my own luck with her.

Everyone arrives at the island for the craziest retreat you will ever read.

I don’t expect God’s blessing, but Lucifer isn’t offering me a deal, either. And I would give him whatever he wants if I could have her. My soul and eternal damnation in exchange for a single lifetime of her love.

Bowling, fireworks, "if you like piña cum-ladas...", Sponge Bob SquarePants, scuba diving, "is this actually mayo?", asses in the air, bondage, Pineapples, drowning, Grim's dangling doodle, cattle calls, and a very happy HFN.

“For you, I’m free for the rest of my life.”

SEX: Our girl LB delivered us right into heaven at 16% with no condoms!!! Thank you Jebus! I loved that we got to some good parts quickly. Sadly, there was a long lag in the middle of the book, but we ended with another big one and it's delicious. No kink is off limits!

LOVE: Such an adorable love story! I love how much Ezra falls for her. The way they bond and the things they bond over - epic. I could literally feel the hearts in his eyes. I wouldn't change a single fucking thing about these two.

LAUGHS: Seriously, tears streaming down my face from laughing so hard.

SIDE PIECES: Good lord. The first time I read this, I got a little annoyed at Cat because she ALWAYS interrupts sexy times! She's so damn needy!! The only thing that kept me from really hating her is the combo of Cat and Bennett. They are fucking hilarious together. The other players provided a lot of comedic moments as well.

TRIGGERS: You need to know there's a LOT of killing in this fic, and none of it is clean or sanitary. You pretty much have to abandon all logic and gag reflexes on the first page. I've decided not to list the specific triggers because they will definitely give away some of the best parts. Just know that absolutely NOTHING is off the table.

AUDIO: Get the freaking audiobook! It's freaking PERFECT!!! Plus, it has a full cast. Shane East is his perfectly sexy self as Ezra and Angelina Rocca is amazing as Kindra. The rest of the cast couldn't possibly be more perfect. Alexis Paige for Cat, Sean Masters as Bennett (JFC he's sexy), and finally Gregory Salinas as Maverick. When I tell you this audio is worth every penny, I mean IT'S WORTH EVERY PENNY. Perfectly cast and perfectly acted. FYI, I did read the book the first time around and definitely recommend the audio.

I recommend this to anyone and everyone.

I definitely recommend this fic.

[Darlene I read WAY to many books]

3.5 ⭐️

And island for killers to relax and play for sport!! A dream for them, lol.
Kindra is a unaliver who's on the hunt for her brothers killer, which she only has little clues of. She also has a "friend" Cat who wants to help and become a unaliver to. They have a plan, but not all plans go accordingly.

Ezra is going to this island with his brother they go every year, and he already has a kill lined up. But he meets Kindra, and things take a turn between them. One night turns into more. Lots of push/pull vibes between them. Ezra has a dirty mouth, and boy, I wanted to fan myself. I really did enjoy the group killings. Accept for poor Cat, she never got a chance.. I wonder if she'll kill someone?!

We have secerts being kept, betraying lots of spice!! My heart broke for Mav when we heard his story.

I think the 2nd book is the brother and the best friend. Hopefully, this "hate" gets over fast. They fight so much. And cross fingers Cat gets her first kill.


No ow/om drama, no cheating, secondary characters, drama, sexy times, no virgins

Recommend-yes
Cover-⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Heat level-🌶🌶🌶

Slowburnish
Push/pull
36H/idk how old h is I'm say 20s
Hidden identities
Things done to human hearts but not in a “Don’t Stop” kind of way
“Ghost Peen”
Masturbation
Choking
Tiny bdsm/Bondage
Macabre retreat activities
Gorey hobbies
Chainsaw, hammer, or drill?
A romantic disembodied hand
Cum-food
Food fucking (by side chara)
Sensual drowning
No condom
Cannibalism non-con
Off page CSA
Hea
Epilogue

[Chelsie Lucas]

This book wanted to be butcher and blackbird so bad but came up so short.
The two serial killers and MMC being all in and FmC being black cat and the bff being a bit crazy.
Silly killing sprees and unwanted cannibalism —- but instead of it working it fell so. So short.
It’s all semen jokes and unlikable characters.
A shit brother instead of a found family feeling.
An ongoing secret that was so. So boring to listen to and was not a shock at all.
The plot was so thin it was see through. And the spice was not spicy at all.
The only thing that kept me going was my curiosity to see how it was wrapped up and I was so disappointed.
So anti climactic and even the epilogue was poo

Just skip this and read Brynn Weaver like you need to- she does killers and humor in a fun way— and if you just want a killer and no humor — she has books for that too.

The writing was not BAD in this book. Let me make that clear — it was just boring.

[C * Not Another Reader * C]

4.5 ✨️✨️✨️✨️

This was definitely a little bit different than what Lauren usually writes. Sure, there were some quirky and shocking things, but they blended in nicely into the story.

I liked both main characters. And also the supporting ones. Can't wait for the next one in the series.

Even though a rom-com, it does deal with a bunch of serious triggers, since it's centered around serial killers, you could imagine what those could be 🫣.

I felt like the end was rushed. So much buildup for the secret, and bam, it was fixed quite easily, in my opinion. I needed him to work more for the fact that he lied to her 😀.

But I did like their HEA. I needed an extended epilogue. I suppose we will see this couple in the next book, hence the lack of a proper epilogue, after a few years or something 🥹😌..

[⦻ reo mikage ⦻]

I really wanted to like this but I think dark romcoms maybe just aren’t for me. Well-written, I love Biel’s style, the characters and story in this one just fell super flat for me. Plus a lot of the comedy was “bathroom humor,” which I just don’t find funny. All the characters just came off as very unlikeable to me too, so I didn’t particularly care what happened to any of them (DNFed at 30ish%). I love serial killer romances but I think I prefer them just dark, the romCOM aspect of dark romances is too cringey for me, which is a personal issue and absolutely no hate or shade to the author whatsoever!
If you like insta-lust, hidden identities, and plus-sized FMCs, this might be the book for you. If you love cats though, I’d avoid it (no animal harm, just lots of cat-slander).

[laura]

to everyone saying this is similar to butcher and blackbird, why would you lie like that? he keeps calling her ‘pet’ every two damn phrases and it’s giving me the ick so i’m gonna DNF ❤️ this book isn’t worth the time, don’t let anyone fool you.

[mena ౨ৎ]

no. just no.

[Katie Beasley]

I wanted to enjoy this one more than I did. It felt like it was trying a little bit too hard, and though the characters made me laugh I just had a hard time engaging and connecting with them and the storyline to be honest. This was definitely trying to be Lights Out with the darker subjects and the amount of steam, but it did not feel as natural to me. I did listen to this one and had a hard time with the female narrator which may have been why I had a harder time with Kendra. She just was a little bit annoying for me. I get that she had walls up because of what happened with her brother, but she was trying too hard to push people away. I did like how outlandish the murder island was. The way that all of the activities were setup around killing the scum of the Earth was hilarious to me. The way that both of these characters could have a normal conversation while trying to have someone attacked by a shark was shocking and hilarious. I liked Ezra. I am loving when the guy falls first and hard, and though they did have a connection I had a hard time seeing how FAST these two fell. We are talking a one night stand turned into maybe 5 days. I liked how Ezra was not intimidated by how strong Kendra was but how in fact he relished it. Loved that about her. I liked the side characters- the tension between Bennett and Cat was electric! I felt like they added the humor- looking at you Bennett’s pineapple scene.

Kendra has found herself invited to the exclusive murder island this year, and she has one mission and one mission only. To find her brother’s killer. The reason for her now being the killer she is is because of that person. Kendra finds the depraved and makes justice happen to them. Before they get to the island though she has a glorious night with an English stranger. One who pushes her limits and makes her wonder if their connection was more than just in the bedroom. But she has to focus. So color her shocked when Ezra (her one night stand) is also at Murder Island. In fact he is a regular of Murder Island. Now she is distracted by how this stranger makes her feel and how she can be so open with someone she just met. She feels like she has known him for so long even though it hasn’t been long at all. The more she hangs out with him though she more she realizes she is losing focus on her goal. It seems like Ezra might know who he is since he has been in this world longer. More clues turn up about who he could be but then her past comes to bite her. And all was not as it seems as she learns the true reason her brother was killer and who was responsible. Kendra has to ask herself what to believe and figure out if she is able to move past this for the man of her literal dreams.

Ezra is on the way to his favorite time of year- Murder Island. It’s where a bunch of killers are on an island for a week of vacation, murder and mayhem. Before they get to the island though, he meets Kendra. And they share a magical night together. She lets him use some of his kinks on her and feels more connected to her than he has with other loves. Too bad they will probably never see each other again. But then she ends up being on the island with him. What is her killer name? Could she the killer he wants to meet so badly? The one he has always admired from a far. But the more he talks with Kendra the more he realizes how much their pasts intertwine. The more he has to question whether what he feels for her is worth pursuing because when she finds out about his past she may not be able to forgive him. But he is too far gone now and has to hope beyond all hope that they will be able to try something after the island.

This was overall a good but not great read in my opinion. Heavier on the spice than the plot and character development. Tried a little too hard with some things in my opinion. Though I liked Cat and Bennett, I am still on the fence about if I will be reading their book or not.

[Krysta ꕤ]

need something short and unserious, heard this has similar vibes to butcher & blackbird 👀

[The Sewist's Bookshelf]

⭐ 4.5
🌶️ 2.5
🥵 Spicy chapters: 7, 9, 18, 32-33
📚 Tropes/Themes: serial killers in love, secret identity, protective MMC, vacation fling, one night stand to relationship
👀 Dual POV 1st person
💔 Triggers: realistically, just all the triggers. This is a serial killer rom-com so they touch on a lot of things. There's lots of graphic descriptions of gore and violence, as well as mentions of different types of sexual and violent crimes against children and adults. And cannibalism.

💬 Hahahaha this book is hilarious 😂 I've always kind of wanted to read a Lauren Biel book, but knowing that she's more of a horror romance writer kind of kept me away. However when I saw that she had this out, which is more of a dark rom-com, I decided to go for it. And I'm glad I did, because I could not stop laughing.

There's just so many hilarious one-liners in here, and I loved the little relationships between the characters: Ezra and his brother Bennett always bickering, or the way Kindra is so annoyed by Cat but keeps her around. And then the way Cat and Bennett obviously "hate" each other 😂

And obviously Ezra and Kindra 🥹 the way he's so protective of her just had me swooning. That boy fell so hard for her.

Probably the only thing that stuck out that I didn't totally enjoy was the references to her being "curvy". I appreciate the plus size (well, I guess she's probably mid size) representation but it always annoys me when they keep talking about it. It's really only happened maybe 4 or 5 times in the book but I think it's a pet peeve of mine so I was probably hypersensitive to it.

I also felt like the wrap up/acceptance to the drama/ climax was a little fast. It's hard to explain it without giving the ending away and I don't know where else I could have gone to be honest but something about it just felt like it came out of the blue.

Finally, I'd like to ask for a moment of silence for that poor pineapple 😩

[Zizi]

This book was pretty funny and entertaining. As I continued reading, it started to feel too similar to "Butcher and Blackbird" by Brynne Weaver.

[Tay_is_reading_again]

This was not for me. I LOVE a dark rom com but I didn’t connect with the humor on this one. The humor is very fart and poop joke focused rather than witty or inner monologue. Additionally, there was a ton of gore just to add some shock value. There were also too many other ick moments for me….

(SPOILERS)

A side character fucking a pineapple?! The MMC cumming pina colada mix and serving “pina cumlada?!” And the cannibalism that kept coming up but for no good reason?

I was hoping for a smuttier butcher and blackbird but this was a miss for me.

Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

[Tisa Matthews]

This book gives major Butcher and Blackbird vibes… dare I say, I loved it even more 👀

[Anastasia Terendii (livie's version)]

просто ні. я очікувала якусь кумедну, слешерсько-романтичну (кайнда?) історію про острів убивць, а отримала ну настільки тупо написаний текст з якимись недолугими і неспішними жартами, що захотілось кинути вже після перших сторінок. змусила себе прочитати десь половину - краще, на жаль, не стало.

[Angelina]

Sinner’s Retreat is basically a rom-com… but make it stabby. 🤭 Think serial killers on vacation, dark jokes flying, and somehow a super sweet cinnamon-roll love interest who also might be a murderer. It’s gory, spicy, and absolutely ridiculous—in the best way. Not for the faint of heart, but if you like your romance with knives and giggles, you’ll eat this up.

[Melany]

This truly had an interesting premise. I loved how unique it was and the interesting twist. I was so curious to see how it'd play out. I enjoyed this one, but it wasn't anything super exciting or hold my attention enough to keep moving forward with the series

[Yevheniia Briulo]

I'm a huge fan of dark humor, blood and guts, and serial killers. It was just incredible, and some parts were so ridiculous I actually snorted laughing.

[Melissa]

Read (listen) 2/21/25
Happy audio drop day! Loved it just as much the second time around!

Read 10/5-10/6/24
4.5/5 ⭐️
2.5/5 🌶️

I think this book solidified my favorite niche subgenre! I’m a big dark rom-com fan. I loved B&B and Lights Out. This book is right up there with them. It will definitely be added to my rotation of books I reread.

Serial Killers ✔️
Plus size FMC ✔️
Hot British MMC ✔️
Goofy side characters ✔️
Banter ✔️
Spicy Spice ✔️

[Lia Reads]

I really wanted to love this book but I found myself never reaching for it. In all honestly the premise was great, but the fact that the MMC had this big secret throughout the entirety of the book was exhausting. The story just dragged for way too long and I was annoyed by the lack of plot in the middle.

[Karla K]

DNF 20% - the jokes in the dialogue made my brain want to melt, I’m positive one of the earlier lines went a little something like “the veins in her arm were like the great London fire….. completely destroyed”

The trenches!