Lucifer Morningstar thought he was hunting a find the woman, plant the seed, jumpstart the apocalypse, and earn his way out of exile. Banished in mortal skin, he hides as the shadow-owner of The Revel, Las Vegas’s most decadent sin palace… until her.
Evie Grace is pink hair, combat boots, and eyeliner sharp enough to cut a lie in half. She came to Vegas to forget. The last thing she needs is the man in the black suit who watches her like he’s trying to remember.
He shouldn’t touch her. She shouldn’t want him. But their attraction ignites, reckless and consuming, and every kiss feels like a song Lucifer has sung a thousand times… and can’t remember now.
Angels are circling. Hell is whispering. Lilith is counting the minutes. And memories are surfacing, humming with a truth sharp enough to split the universe.
What if everything was a lie? What if Lucifer wasn’t cast out for ambition or vanity… but for loving her? He’ll burn Heaven to the ground before he lets it take her again.
The First Sin is a sin-drenched, myth-laced romantasy of forbidden heat and celestial war, where the greatest blasphemy isn’t pride.
Stephanie Pass hails from a tiny Texas town where she lives with her husband, three of her four feral children, and a Boxer dog who talks more than she does. She writes contemporary romance with some magical realism and sci-fi romance, but one day she will write that romantasy she’s dreaming about. She loves books about love, magic, and high fae. She had her own real live romance story come true when a chance encounter led her to meet her now husband. When she’s not writing romance stories, Stephanie is a mom blogger dancing to Taylor Swift at https://thetiptoefairy.com. But you can usually find her at the roller skating rink or dancing and singing in the front row of a pop-punk concert.
I signed up to receive an advanced copy of this book from Stephanie, as I love a good Lucifer story. I must say this FAR exceeded my expectations and left me wanting more! I'm thrilled for the story to continue in Book 2, The Second Coming. If you like a good a strong FMC - female main character - that is on a journey to become even stronger, you'll love this book. If you like a solid, ride-or-die best friend, you'll love Destiny! One of my favorite quotes from her "you've got me. I'll burn it all down with you if it turns out he's the wrong kind of monster." YEEEEESSSS GIRL Oh but wait she goes on "You also deserve pleasure. And softness. And someone who says your name like it's a prayer. Just... make sure you're giving your heart to someone who's willing to earn it. Not just claim it." PREACH! Wise, wise words! All that said, I fell hard for the love story, the plot, and the twists along the way. Great read for a book club, beach read, or getaway and escape from real life.
What a story! This story hooks you right away and does not let up! I felt invested in all of the characters from the beginning. Evie, Lucifer, Destiny, and Topher became some of my all time favorites. Can't wait for the story to continue! I was given an advanced copy for my honest review, and I loved it!
The First Sin is an intoxicating mix of slow-burn tension, irresistible chemistry, and just the right amount of heat. From the first scene, I was hooked by the raw emotional stakes and the simmering desire between the characters — every interaction crackled with intensity, making the story impossible to put down.
Stephanie Pass does a fantastic job of balancing passionate romance with compelling fantasy, creating a world that’s immersive, dangerous, and full of intrigue. The characters are layered and complex, with motivations and desires that make every twist, tease, and tender moment feel authentic and addictive.
The romance is hot, slow-burning, and utterly satisfying, with moments of tension that build to steamy, swoon-worthy payoffs. At the same time, the story maintains emotional depth and character growth, making the spice feel earned and meaningful.
Overall, The First Sin is a spicy, gripping fantasy romance that delivers both heart and heat. Definitely a four-star read that left me craving the next book in the series.
✨ Magical, intense, and undeniably steamy — a fantasy romance you won’t want to miss. ✨
Despite ending on a cliffhanger this book is astounding. This is the most interesting take I have ever read on God (The First Light) and Lucifer. Our FMC is a strong independent woman. With some wonderful snark.. no matter who or what you are. Her best friend Destiny is more than she appears and supplies the humor you don't even realize you wanted, the flow of this book makes you not want to put it down and will have you reading late into the night just so you can keep the story going. Character development is fantastic (for all characters involved). Some things truly have you thinking about God and not in a faith way, more about his personality and motives. Fear if I write more like I want to I would accidentally give something away. I would hate that, Mrs. Pass thank you. I am anxiously awaiting book 2. I pleasantly receive this book in ARC and I'm so happy to leave my thoughts on it.
The First Sin is book one of the Hell of a Time series, and also Stephanie Pass’s first step into romantasy after three romance novels. Consider the landing STUCK.
The world-building is SHARP, the demons are delicious, and the romance? Slow burn done exactly right. The tension between the leads had me reading way past any reasonable bedtime, and every payoff felt earned.
What really set this one apart for me was the VOICE. Pass has a wit to her writing that keeps even the heavier moments from feeling too dark. There’s genuine warmth underneath all the hellfire, and I was completely charmed by it.
If you have been reading Stephanie Pass in romance and wondering whether to follow her into romantasy, the answer is YES.
And if this is your first introduction to her, you have a backlist waiting for you.
Thank you to the author for the ARC, all opinions are my own.
Flirty, moody, and full of attitude. The First Sin skips the meet cute and dives straight into tension, heat, and forbidden chaos. Lucifer and Evie crackle on the page, with Vegas as the perfect backdrop for celestial drama. The mythology adds depth, the stakes stay high, and even when the pace slows a bit, the vibe never drops. A fun pick for romantasy readers who like their love stories dark, bold, and a little reckless.
shoutout to Stephanie for the advanced copy this is my honest review.
The First Sin is officially my favorite book by Stephanie Pass.
I absolutely loved this fresh, dark take on Lucifer’s story — it felt unique, intriguing, and impossible to put down. The world-building and character work pulled me in fast, and by the end I was already desperate for the next installment.
If this is just the beginning of the series, I cannot wait to see where Stephanie Pass takes us next. This one completely hooked me.
ARC review The premise of love being the reason behind Lucifers fall was very interesting. The relationship between Evie and Lucifer was nice. The worldbuilding was amazing. I look forword to reading more books in this world 😍