Painted Sins

Shadow Lake Stalkers #2

by Caitlyn Sky

I hunt monsters for a living, and one starts hunting me back.

The Velvet Viper is my stage to expire bad men, one standing ovation at a time, the burlesque glamor camouflage for my knives. I haven't even hit the final chorus of my act when a rival hijacks my target. Logically, I kiss him with my blade and stalk him for stealing my paycheck.

The problem? He rides a black Ducati, wears eyeliner, and has silver hair that villains are born with. Two kills in, I realize we’re hunting the same marks. He proposes to work together, but I don’t do alliances or trust a soul. But I'll play nice if it gets me out of the debt owning me.

Turns out stabbing a man is the fastest way to his heart. He tattoos the scar like a vow, sends me skull-shaped chocolates, and creates me a playlist titled Knife Play. I tell myself it’s just a game, that I can keep my heart locked up tighter than my weapons cabinet. But the deeper we fall into this dance, the more I learn that on this stage, love bleeds, and sin always steals the spotlight.

Painted Sins is a standalone dark romantic comedy with a Robin Hood / Beauty and the Beast spin, featuring an obsessive antihero, a sharp-mouthed heroine with a body count, and enough knife foreplay to warrant a disclaimer. Contains content warnings. Ends on a HEA. Each book features a different couple. Ideal for fans of Lights Out, Butcher and Blackbird , and Rook and Rebel .

466 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 23, 2026

Reviews

[Devon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not gonna lie, at first I was reading this and rolling my eyes. But then I reminded myself that it’s supposed to be a comedy and after that it was pure gold. Honestly, I laughed so much.
If you are a teacher, I don’t recommend reading this at work—unless you have a great poker face.
(I do not have a great poker face)
*I still read it at work

It was a nice, healthy mixture of plot and spice, and the spice was nice.

I love how the characters stayed true to themselves, and they were all likable and different. No one felt like they were switching up their personalities. Everyone was who they were, and our MCs were beautifully unhinged.

I also thoroughly enjoyed the nicknames. I’ve never read the word “daddy” so much. I’ll probably start using it now. 😂
Also, the amount of work and yearning this man puts in… I’m making my boyfriend work harder.
And pegging doesn’t sound so bad. 🤷🏻‍♀️

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this book as an ARC from the author. This dark romance features off the charts chemistry between the main characters, who are both assassins and slightly (quite) unhinged. I really like the world that these books are written in and enjoyed the storyline in this book (and felt it was less in your face with the booktok references than book one). If you like your heroine sharp with even sharper blades, and the hero being an antihero who will burn it all down for her, this book is right up your alley.

Thanks to the author and Berry Agency for this ARC.

[booksandkelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

100% yes on this one!!! This is book 2 of The Shadow Lake Stalkers series and loved this more than Painted Scars (book 1). Kate and Katar are made for each other! Kate is so badass she’s now one of my favourite FMC’s. They stalk each other!! If that hasn’t convinced you then tropes included might:
- forced proximity
- stalker romance
- motorcycles
- assassins

Thanks to The Berry Agency for sending me this arc to read and review

[Brittney Janson · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.75 ARC READ

I loved this one more than the first!! I think the relationship and banter between these two characters was much more my style! Again still want more of the found family dynamic but it was much better in this book! Such a fun read and i think i would love the final two characters in the next book so will be continuing when it comes out!

[Fae · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.25 stars
🌶️🌶️🌶️
This book was a mixed bag.
Things I liked:
- Katar (the MMC); he's a murderous golden retriever, my favourite kind, and he worships the ground Harper walks on. LOVE
- Vigilante x assassin trope is so good! Also, they stalk each other 🤌🏻
- She's even more bloodthirsty than he is.
- Harper saying 'the loser gets pegged' and Katar answering with 'let me throw the game right now'. 🫦
- Katar taking care of Harper when she's sick.

Things I didn't like:
- Nicknames being used at the most random moments, instead of only being used when talking to that person. At times I was so confused, because every character in this book has multiple nicknames.
- Harper's POV was a near constant stream of 'I am the darkness, I don't smile, I don't deserve love, bla bla bla. With quotes like: "The only mercy of starting this day is a cup of hot coffee. Black, like my heart. No sugar, because I don’t do sweet." Like, girl, we get it, you're edgy and full of trauma.
- The story/ plot was at times confusing. One moment they're talking about taking out a bad guy's eye, and the next they're in cahoots, plotting things together. They rescued teenagers, and then what?
- It also took me over a week to finish this, and that alone is an indication that I did not enjoy it that much.
- I also felt like I missed information from book 1
- OH! I almost forgot, but the amount of 'Dark romance booktok girly' references was TOO MUCH. I hate it when books get too meta. The author markets this book as 'for fans of Butcher and Blackbird' and 'Lights out' (all fine and dandy, it's the reason I accepted an ARC), but then it had a dog named Josh, a literal reference to Lachlan Kane, and almost every chapter a Booktok reference. At a certain point, it just makes you look like an obsessive 'booktok girly' who thought 'hey, I can write a book too, watch me'. I'm just glad the writing style was good enough to keep me reading. If that had been off too, I'd have DNF'ed.

Anyway, let's finish with a few amazing Katar moments, shall we?

“You can’t overachieve in the murder department if you’re dehydrated.”

Or

“You’ll burn water,” I mutter from beneath my arm. The man barely knew how to slice mushrooms or garlic at Benny’s. “I’m an excellent water chef,” he replies smoothly. “Rated top three in the country for waterboarding.”

Or this one, the only bookish reference I swooned with, because the man fucking dressed up for her book convention 🫦🤌🏻

He wears his coat open at the collar, revealing his ink. Demon horns sit atop the ebony crown on his silver hair.

[Jessie B · Rating 5 out of 5]

PAINTED SINS ARC review by @caitlynskyauthor

This was my first read by Caitlyn Sky, and my daze did I love every single second of it. Painted Sins is book 2 in The Shadow Lake Series but can be read as a standalone. I loved the booktok/bookstagram & morally grey vibes throughout. It was like you were in a dark romance book that felt so real. I adored the nicknames for everyone from Blood Rose to Cupcake to Daddy Dildo & Angel Cake. I laughed out loud, I giggled, I gasped, and I fell in love with every single character. Even the slightly spicy scenes did not break their assassin background character, and I am so here for it!!

Harper is a truly fierce FMC & a beautiful weapon - resilient, protective and devoted to her mentally challenged brother and her 2 besties, Kate & Charlie (a.k.a Cupcake / Unicorn & Angel Cake / Dragon) & doesn't let anyone break her or come close to her...that is until Katar comes into the picture after he steals her target at the club and she throws her blade at him. Lab tech by day / Burlesque dancer with poison dipped ostrich feathers by night.

Katar is the definition of morally grey book boyfriend...stalker, possessive, hard exterior, pure muscle, anti-hero, and biker who would burn the world for Harper (or make her soup when she's poorly).

Both Harper & Katar have had such a bad upbringing that they are so perfect for each other. She is his obsession & he warms her icy cold heart. They had amazing character chemistry with lots of dark humour. Opposites, yet totally unhinged soulmates. The banter is amazing, I loved the hunter / prey vibe. The tension between them is sizzling and made me giggle (a lot)

I loved the mentions and references to popular dark romance books! Adored the picnic in the park scene (saved those ideas for later)! Want some of the booktok merch! The blindfold scenes were another level, and I loved them. The pierced & possessive live show was hot! The amount of annotations I made is unhealthy 😉 Book 1 here I come.


🥀 stalker romance
🧁 dark romance
🏍 comedy
⚔️Black Cat FMC
🥀 Morally Grey FMC
🧁Golden Retriever characters
🏍 Rivals to Lovers
⚔️ Assassin's
🥀 Unhinged Obsessed MMC
🧁 orders / Mafia vibes

[Mandy Enchantedbookduo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rating
5💎
3 🌶️

Quick Summary
I loved that this book runs concurrently with Book 1, it adds so much depth. Harper is a truly fierce FMC: resilient, protective, and unwilling to let anyone break her. Katar is pure deadly anti-hero energy, ready to burn the world for Harper or make her soup. They’re perfectly matched, and the chase between them is packed with tension and sizzling chemistry. The hunter/prey dynamic made this a gripping, delicious tug-of-war I couldn’t put down. Caitlyn’s writing is sublime… once you start, escape is impossible, and I loved every moment.

While Reading Thoughts
📓Love that this book runs concurrently to book 1
📓Harper is the definition of fierce FMC and she is not willing to take any prisoners. She has been dealt some bad cards but has fought her way through and is not going to let anyone hurt her or those she protects.
📓Katar is the ultimate bad guy killer vibe and then for Harper he would burn the world for her or make her soup.
📓Never have 2 people been more suited for each other. The chase between them was written so well and the chemistry was divine
📓This book was hunter vs prey all the way through and I could not put it down to see who would win this delicious tug of war
📓Caitlyn’s writing style is sublime and I am dragged into her books with no chance of escape. Love them.

Words that linger
🍷Normal is a fairy tale, and every fairy tale ends in blood. - Harper
🍷“I know exactly who you are. And I’ll bleed to protect you.” - Katarina
🍷I’m winning. Slowly. Violently. Lovingly. Current patient, future wifey. I’ll keep practicing the domestic crimes until I’m fluent. Just for her. - Katar
🍷“I don’t want to control you, Blood Rose,” I whisper, caressing her face. “I want to unleash you.” - Katar
🍷Having him in my space messes with my gravity and control. He melts the steel from which I’m forged. I don’t know whether to fear or crave it. - Harper

Tropes
🪶Black cat FMC
🪶Rivals to lovers
🪶Assassin’s
🪶Unhinged obsessed MMC
🪶Dark romantic comedy

[Malissa Antonios · Rating 5 out of 5]

Painted Sins by. Caitlyn Sky

🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟


🌹 If you are looking for a romantic comedy but also like your stories a little darker, I recommend this book 🖤

*They stalk each other
*Obsessive & Unhinged Golden Retriever MMC
*Strong/ Black Cat FMC
*Dark Romantic Comedy
*Mafia(ish)

This is book 2 in the Shadow Lake series but can be read as a stand-alone. I read it as a stand-alone and really enjoyed it.
Harper is a beautiful weapon, devoted to her mentally challenged brother, and her 2 best friends. She is a lab technician by day and a burlesque dancer at night. But behind her poison tipped, ostrich feather fan, she is an assassin. 💀
Katar is hard on the exterior, made of pure muscle and doesn't take any shit. Act now, ask questions later kinda guy, but when it comes to the girl who threw a dagger at him from across the room, he's just a big golden retriever.
Can they work together to take down and stop the corruption of the Order, whom ruined both thier lives?

I loved these two characters. They had great character chemistry, with fun, bold humor.I love the murdery - dark humor these too share together. They are opposites but so much alike at the same time. A fun, dark romance showing that everyone has a perfect person for them, reguardless of how unhinged they may be, and you can't fight it.

Somethings I can say without giving anything away that I liked were;
I really enjoyed the little nods to popular dark romance books. The picnic in the park was one of my favorite scenes. I would love a couple of those booktok shirts. Dancing to Britney Spears with Balty. Side kick Josh on recon missions. The blindfold scenes and the Pierced & Possessive live show. And like any good dark romance- spice and lots of it! There were lots of little things and details that made this a great read. Now I need to read Book 1.

**Thank you to the author for providing me with this ARC

[Emily Beer · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am absolutely obsessed with the chaotic, unhinged energy of this book. The mutual stalking dynamic is wild in the best way. It’s not just one person lurking in the shadows, it’s both of them circling each other, constantly shifting between hunter and hunted and that cat and mouse tension had me hooked from the start but really they were both the cat which made every interaction more intense because you never quite knew who would take control next.

I loved how bookstagram was woven into the story. It added such a fun, modern layer especially with all the bookish metaphors sprinkled throughout. It made everything feel more personal and playful even when things were spiralling into chaos.

Katar is completely unhinged in his day to day life but the contrast in how soft and attentive he is with Harper really got me. Especially when she’s sick and he shifts into this protective, gentle version of himself. It shouldn’t be attractive but it absolutely is. Harper doesn’t shrink beside him either. I loved that they’re both dominant personalities but in their intimate moments they’re willing to give and take control. It made their dynamic feel balanced in a way that really worked.
There’s also moments where Harper just starts casually goes on with her life while fully aware Katar is lurking nearby, watching her like some kind of guardian stalker and the fact she just accepts it as normal is completely unhinged but so entertaining to read.

The little details made it even better. The dog was ridiculously adorable and the nicknames suited each character perfectly and were so funny everytime some of the more ridiculous ones came up.

And that ending was so satisfying. It’s been a while since I’ve read a dark romance that fully commits to being this chaotic and intense and this one has completely pulled me back in. I need more of this energy immediately.

[i_want_ all_the_spoilers · Rating 5 out of 5]

For a fun looking review look here https://www.instagram.com/p/DWeLoCEjD...


Harper aka Murder Spice aka Blood Rose is a psychotic assassin, black cat type of woman
Katar - Tristan Tanner - aka Princeling assassin, golden retriever and dabbles in Booktok thirst traps. Also a psychopath.
In the defence of our main characters, they each had a very traumatic life, and had to tur to killing people as a mean to survive,

This book is a kaleidoscope of dark romance tropes, and I am here for it. It’s also a dark comedy.
Imagine this - Setting Shadow Lake - a Gotham City like town. Magie Q in the TV show Nikita meets Spike from Buffy the vampire slayer. They stalk each other, they don’t kill each other and in the end the inevitable happens, they team up and end up together. (they do try to not kill people any more, but do they manage?)

I didn’t necessarily like:

The first half there is a bit much of how damaged each character is. I got it from the first chapters. I don’t need to hear it every 2 chapters or so. A bit repetitive at times.

The over goth goth theme of FMC in particular. Feels performative. Which I get to some extent. It got a bit much at times. Not enough to annoy me, but enough to get under my skin a bit. 😀

#PaintedSins #CaitlynSky #DarkRomanceBooks #BookTok #DarkComedyBooks #AssassinsInLove #HeFallsFirst #BlackCatFMC #GoldenRetrieverPsychopath #RivalsToLovers #StalkerToLovers #ForcedProximity #FoundFamily (of killers) #TouchHerAndYouDie #WhoDidThisToYou #GothAesthetic


Tropes:
rivals to lovers
a$$assins
sta!ker romance (they stalk each other)
black cat & golden retriever
unhinged obsessive MMC

[Alana Bittersweet Chapters Aus · Rating 5 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
Painted Sins
@caitlynskyauthor

Shadow Lake Stalkers- Book 2

Releasing 23 April 2026

I love Caitlyn’s writing style and humour. I could read her work all day every day and this book was no exception. I binged book one and the second was no different. Would definitely recommend!!

The yearning, the showing up, the acts of service and reassurance are just everything. To sum up Katar “What matters to you matters to me.”

Harper: “You need to come with a warning label. Do not come near unless you want to lose fingers.”

She is fiery, she is independent, has trust issues, will do anything for the people she loves, struggles to let lean on others.

The Nicknames were nicknaming in this book:
Code Daddy
Cupcake
Princeling
Goddess of Ruin
Blood Rose 🥀

Words and Moments that Linger:
🩸 “You slash my tires, steal my kill and my heart in the same evening. I’d call that chemistry.”
🩸 “Oh, my God…” “Not him,” I snarl, squeezing her jaw. “Say my f ucking name, sweetheart.”
🩸 “You’re blind if you can’t see that I worship you, Blood Rose. I promise to be different than those who let you down. I won’t ever let you go through life alone again.”
🩸 The frozen crust in my chest shatters. I dig my nails into his shoulders, holding onto the only man who has ever looked at my scars and seen a masterpiece. If this is a version of a cage, I don’t want the goddamn key.

🩸IKEA 🌶️🌶️

Tropes:
🖤Rivals to Lovers
🖤Assassins
🖤Morally Grey Hero
🖤Touch her and ☠️
🖤Dark Romantic Comedy

#bittersweet_chapters_aus #paintedsins #aussieindieauthor #caitlynsky #booksofig

[Han. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ugh. One word. Poetry. This book is just full of gorgeous and swoon-worthy quotes, panty-melting nicknames and dangerously, dark romantic gestures that made my cold, black soul come alive! I think I may have highlighted half the book because there is soooo many moments and one-liners I want to have tattooed into my memories! Caitlyn, you did it again, girl. You got me alll hot and bothered and itching the read the next book! Katar and Harper's story about mutual healing, learning to trust and finding someone who will step into the darkness with you. Maan, this duo was a trippp! My god, they are a power couple! Katar. He is the stuff of nightmares (and dreams, of course) with his deadly, sunshine personality, chaotic quick wit and big heart when it comes to the people he cares about. Then there's my girl, Harper. What. A. Queeeeen! Dark, dangerous, a beautiful assassin in plain sight. God, she was awesome! Anywaaay, this book was fantastic. It had heavy mafia themes (although, it's more of an establishment of corruption over mafia), it had amazing humour (however, I don't think I laughed as much in this one compared to Painted Scars), I loved the way it overlaps most of the first book too, conversations that weren't acknowledged fully were in this one. I'm looking forward to finding out how Charlie and Grayson's story is going to fit into the chaos and mayhem. Thank you for trusting me to read and review

your book early.

[Ryn Emilee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Painted Sins came in swinging with banter, spice, and a sprinkle of murder, and honestly? It understood the assignment for us book girlies.

Harper’s character growth was chef’s kiss. Watching her walls slowly crumble felt real in a way that lowkey called me out. I found myself relating to her more than I probably should admit… which is always a dangerous little game.

The constant book references and OTT nicknames? Look… they did flirt with cringe territory a bit. But just when I was about to side-eye it, boom, we’re hit with some delicious spice that pulls you right back in like nothing happened.

On a deeper note, the mental health and disability representation deserves its flowers 🌸 Caitlyn handled these themes with care and respect, and it added an emotional weight that made certain moments hit harder than expected.

Now… my brain? Overstimulated. There was a lot of description happening. Like a sensory overload clearance sale. It pulled me out of the story at times because everything was just so… loud on the page.

I also feel like we could’ve had more plot if some of the internal dialogue was dialled back a notch. The characters’ egos were massive. Funny at first, absolutely. But it became a bit of a repeating song on loop.

That said, critiques aside, this was still a fun read. Not my favourite, but definitely an entertaining rom-com ride where the tropes are troping and the chaos is chaos-ing.

Would I read the next one? I’d give it a whirl!!

[Jess Lawrence · Rating 5 out of 5]

**HONEST ARC REVIEW**

First off, I will never look at curry the same way again.

Wheewwww.
I flew through parts of this book, then slowed down to savor others. It was THAT good in my opinion.

This book was equal parts banter, darkness and spice. The two main characters had so much chemistry drenched in trauma and dark humor.
"You slash my tires, steal my kill and my heart in the same evening. I'd call that chemistry." I feel like that quote explains their relationship so well.

Between the witty, snarky comebacks, the thousands of nicknames for all characters, and the intertwining storyline with the other books - this book gets a full FIVE stars from me. It has such a good flow in the storyline with unique elements with enough spice and trauma to fully encompass the dark rom com genre. The book is overall written very well - there were a few minor grammar and typo errors but not enough to really distract from the story.

Katar AKA dark princeling, you are everything that a woman like Harper needs in her life and more. Just the quote "I don't want to control you, Blood Rose. I want to unleash you." had me in a literal chokehold it was so perfect.

I will be thinking of this book for a while and cannot wait to read the other two books in the series. This was my first time reading any of Caitlin Sky's work and I will be adding her to my list of favorites asap.

[Bianca · Rating 4 out of 5]

Painted Sins by Caitlyn Sky is a dark romance novel that pulls influence from the greats. For example, the humor from Lights Out(and a dog named for the mmc), and the assassins from, well, almost all of them.

Katar and Harper are both our traumatized gothlings, both making for wonderful main characters. Harper is a little harder to latch onto, but she has a lot of trauma and a harder shell to crack, and Katar spends several hundred pages cracking her. She grew up unsafe, spent her young adult years training into an assassin, and has little softness left in her. She's very alone, apart from her shallow relationships with her brother(who has a traumatic brain injury), her two best friends, and her dad. She's always ready to be taken out by her bosses or a rival. Weakness means death.

Katar is something else. A man after my heart from the moment he landed on the page. He is wild, chaos from page to page, ready to scalp anyone who comes near the object of his obsession. He grew up differently, but has similar shame. The same brokenness. Once he lays eyes on Harper, he knows he will never recover, and I don't want him to. He has August and Grayson by his side, and the group they make up wants more than anything to take down the Order of the Gods that run their city.

The two come together, slowly buy surely, and team up to take down the Order that holds everyone down. It is essentially a mafia, and it will take a lot to do damage to them. The biggest focus in the story, besides romance and stalking, is Harper learning to trust and overcome her pain. I share a lot of the feelings expressed on the page, and it was nice to see them healed.

I fell asleep twice while reading and was furious both times because I WAS NOT ready to stop reading! Caitlyn did an awesome job writing her story and it had a ton of fun reading it. The first book in the series, Painted Scars is also out and available. I haven't read it yet but I absolutely should have, and will be going back to.

[Jess Pierce · Rating 4 out of 5]

What happens when the assassin becomes the prey?

Painted Sins is the second book in the Shadow Lake Stalkers series and is even more entertaining than the first.

Harper and Katar were both characters that immediately grabbed my interest in the first book with their dark, dangerous, and mysterious personalities that kept me wondering what they were up to behind the scenes.

I’m not sure I was ready for what I found….

Harper and Katar pulled me in from their first meeting and didn’t let go. Both characters revel in their darkness but deep down need someone that accepts every dark part they carry. Both of their back stories are heartbreaking and seeing the trauma left behind will have your heart ready for their flawed journey to justice and redemption.

I love the wit, banter, and snarkiness that jumps off the page, searing you with their combined heat. The pining and longing for each other is palpable along with the denial the someone could and would crave and accept the darkness.

Their story occurs concurrently with Painted Scars; so, you’ll be happy to know all your favorites from the first book are here with some additional details that make this story even better.

Come back to Shadow Lake and join the ladies from the Morally Grey Book Club and the men from Spartacus as they work together to paint the Romans sins into the open.

[Catie Cheeseman · Rating 3 out of 5]

"You can't overachieve in the murder department if you're dehydrated"
Painted Sins (the second instalment in Shadow Lakes Stalker series) delivered banter, spice and murder, and just like the first book, it is so relatable for us book girlies. I loved Harper's character growth, and seeing her walls slowly coming down throughout the book, I felt myself relating to her throughout the book a lot more than I should probably admit.
The constant book references and 0et names for each other did dip into cringe territory a little but it was balanced out with some delicious spice. On a more serious note, I really appreciated the mental health and disability representation throughout this book, Caitlyn has handled these sensitive themes with a lot of respect and care which made the story hit a little harder emotionally at times . I also really liked getting the first book retold through a different POV, it provided the reader with additional context. That said, feel like more plot could of been fit in if some of the dialect between the main characters was dialled back a little.
Slight critiques aside, this one is a fun read.

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 (Get it together GR)

Painted Sins nails the trifecta: dark romance, a touch of thriller, and addictive banter. It’s more layered than a typical dark romance, which may surprise some readers.

It leans fully into dark rom-com energy—suspense, sharp humor, and morally gray chaos—setting the tone with dangerous men, messy loyalties, and blurred truth. Harper (Murder Spice/Blood Rose) is a ruthless, black-cat assassin; Katar (Tristan Tanner, the Princeling) is her chaotic, obsessive counterpart. Both are products of trauma, shaped by survival through violence.

Set in the Gotham-like Shadow Lake, it’s a stalker-to-allies arc with dark comedy at its core. As they clash and team up to take down a mafia-like order, the story explores obsession, trust, and where desire starts to mirror danger.

The pacing hooks you, the banter shines, and the humor cuts the tension perfectly. Caitlyn Sky’s writing is bold, chaotic, and unafraid to push limits—delivering an edgy, unhinged ride that’s equal parts gripping, emotional, and fun.

Thank you to Caitlyn Sky for entrusting me with this amazing ARC! 💜🔪🖤

[Stephanie Tewes · Rating 4 out of 5]

Spice, banter, hate, stalking, obsession, and murder… yes please, sign me up!

Shout out to Caitlyn for asking me to read an ARC of Painted Sins and trusting me with her hard work! I had so much fun reading this and I’m now looking forward to going backwards in the series to Painted Scars.

Harper and Katar are traumatized little dark gremlins. Harper is the embodiment of walls- hard to connect with, guarded, and honestly a bit prickly, but I get the feeling that’s exactly how we’re meant to feel about her. She carries a lot of trauma, has a shell that’s difficult to crack, gives zero F’s about most people… but you can tell there’s a lot underneath that exterior once someone actually gets through.

MMC Katar spends several hundred pages trying to crack that shell, and once he finally does, the moment is delicious. He is unhinged in the best way. Tattooing a stab wound? Come on. This man is wild and absolutely ready to unalive anyone who comes near the object of his newest obsession… Harper.

One drawback for me was the amount of description happening. At times it felt like a bit of overload, and it occasionally pulled me out of the story. I found myself having to go back and reread certain sections just to understand what was happening outside of all the extra detail.

With that said, if you’re looking for an entertaining dark rom-com full of chaos, look no further-Caitlyn has you covered! Congratulations on the new release!!

[Theresa Murray · Rating 4 out of 5]

Painted Sins is basically pure banter and chaos wrapped up in a dark romantic comedy shell. The entire book lives off the energy between the two main characters. Everything about them feels slightly unhinged in a way that makes their scenes together the most entertaining part. The romance isn’t soft or delicate, it’s all tension, obsession, and constant verbal sparring. The FMC’s sarcasm and refusal to back down paired with the MMC’s crazy, possessive energy creates this constant push-and-pull that keeps every interaction interesting.

I absolutely loved the nicknames and the way they constantly jab at each other. It adds to that feeling of them being stuck in this weird, chaotic orbit where neither of them can fully gain control of the situation or each other. The banter feels like the backbone of the story, and honestly, I enjoyed those moments more than anything else. That said, I did sometimes want it to lean even further into that energy. It flirts with being completely unhinged all the time, but occasionally pulls back when I just wanted more of that nonstop chaos and verbal sparring between them.

[Abbie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I recieved this book as an ARC and am leaving an honest review. I was lucky enough to recieve book 1 as an ARC also and was so exited to see what happens in Murder Spices book! I just love her vibe!

Harper is a hired assassin. Shes been trained from a young age. But it’s not a choice. She was forced into this world. If she was a colour, she would be black. She’s deadly, fierce, hilarious, a great friend to Kate and Charlie and she doesn’t trust a soul.

Katar is the male version of Harper. All he knows is murder. And how to frustrate officer daddy (August). He gives off both morally black and golden retriever vibes. I absolutely loved his character. He is obsessed with Harper and works so hard to show her that she is worthy and that he truely wants her.

I love the chemistry between these two, the banter and back and forwards. That he fights for her even when she clearly doesn’t know how to be loved. Also, who doesn’t love a little murder? The spicy scenes were on point too. Cannot wait for book 3!!

[Sara Michaud · Rating 4 out of 5]

The author reached out to me and asked me if I would read her book! And I must say- I was NOT disappointed! I had such a great time with this bookstore.

You have your FMC who is so protective of not just her family, but her friends. She’s completely shut off to the idea of a relationship, especially when it’s a bad boy on a Ducati who legitimately stole her kill as she was walking up to get the job done. Oh, did I forget to mention, she’s an assassin. 😮‍💨

Your MMC, he’s literally a golden retriever, but only for her. He knows right from wrong, and he’s going to make sure the bad guys do not win. But at the same time, he’s going to make sure he wins his girls heart. He’s so obsessed with her. And their chemistry? Absolutely perfect.

This book had me giggling and kicking my feet. It had me in my feelings and emotions. It had all of the amazing and fun elements we love in a good dark romcom.

As always, check your trigger warnings before reading, but do yourself a favor and check out this book, and the series!

[Mikeelley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just finished Painted Sins and yeah… this book is pure chaos 😂

(ARC reader — thank you to the author 💜)

At the start I was kinda like ?? but once I got into the vibe of it being a dark comedy, I was hooked. It’s messy, funny, spicy, and honestly just such an easy binge.

Harper is chaotic in that “don’t touch me but also don’t leave me” way, and I loved watching her slowly open up. And Tristan… walking red flag but also??? obsessed. The banter and tension between them carried the whole book for me.

I really liked that the characters stayed true to themselves the whole time — no random personality switches, just two unhinged people figuring things out in their own way.

Some of the nicknames/dialogue were a bit much at times, but it kinda fits the chaotic vibe so I didn’t mind too much.

If you like dark romance that doesn’t take itself too seriously, with banter, spice, and a bit of insanity — you’ll eat this up.

Overall: chaotic, spicy, a little unhinged… and I flew through it.

[BlazesBookNook · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5🌟
3🌶
4 💀 Depravity

I loved the rise from the ashes story of Harper and Katar. They were brought up in a world that was meant to destroy them, but instead they came out as Assassins. There story leads from 1 cage to another but they made the most of floating through life until one fateful day their paths intertwined.

This is when the blood started to really run. I loved how theu were willing to destroy anything and everyone that stood in the way of protecting the other or reaching their goals.

I loved how protective they were of each other and there were some awesome dark and depraved 1 liners


Some of my favourites were:
Katar
"How did you pop your murder cherry?"
"I like my women with a bite in their kiss, and a body count"

Harper
"You named the destination triggers Blasty Mcblast Pants?"
"The quite before the crescendo. We'll make them hear every note of their funeral march"

[Daphney · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a dark rom-com book!! I was given the opportunity to read this book and let me tell you!! This will not disappoint!! Caitlyn!! You my girl!! I never laughed so much reading a dark romance!! This was so good!! 💯The quotes in this book, chef’s kiss 💋 this is book 2 of the shadow lake stalkers series! Now!! Harper the FMC, holy macaroni!! That is one bad ass chick!! I LOVE HER 😍😮‍💨 and Katar, the MMC, sheesh.. so dangerous and sweet at the same time!! SWOON WORTHY! 😍🤤 the banter had me kicking my feet!! lol! Their lives are not pretty!! Both of them are Assassins!! Rivals!! And they’re stalking each other!! Match made in chaos heaven!!! 🙌🏽🙌🏽😂😂 and true beauty and the beast hardcore version! 🥵😮‍💨🪭❤️‍🔥 the plot was plotting!! The spice was definitely spicing!!! 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️😏😮‍💨🥵 hands down!! Best book I read so far!! 🙌🏽💯 I can’t wait for the next book in the series!! Bring it!! I need it!! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

[Kallie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I want to start off by saying this game me Lights Out/Butcher and Blackbird in the sense of the dark themes with comedy. The characters stayed true to their personalities, which I appreciated. Kartar spent a good portion of the book attempting to get Harper to open up because Harper believed weakness is death. They were two broken people who found healing in each other. The spice was top tier as well.

With that being said, the pet names were almost a little too much. There were a few times I was confused about who was which pet name and I have never read "code daddy" or "murder spice" so many times in my life. The spice attempted to balance it out but the pet names were a little much for me personally. They seemed more like code names. With that being said, someone else may love that more than I did. I love the cover and the writing was good, just the names got to me a bit. Very interesting book.

[Melanie Atkinson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book has just shot to the top of my favourites list. I love a dark romcom and this delivers in a very way: these characters exist in a violent world where tragic things happen, but the character dynamics, inner monologues, and teasing, witty, flirty banter inject fun and humour… and don’t even get me started on the spice! Oh it is hot!

I adore Harper and Katar, two damaged people whose broken pieces just seem to fit better together. Their chemistry is electric and I am absolutely melting under the onslaught of Katar knocking down every wall she’s built to protect herself, with his unwavering, obsessive devotion and over-the-top protective instincts.

If you’re looking for comparisons, this gives me the same feel as books like X Marks The Stalker, Lights Out, and (mostly down to Katar’s delightfully deranged personality), Kill To Love.

[Lydia rose · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 ⭐️
So incredibly grateful to have been given the arc of painted sins. I went in to this book after reading the first book painted scares with a to be cringe is to be free mind set. And I think this is key because once I got in to the book I actually genuinely enjoyed majority of it.

Harper the fmc was an amazing strong independent character with an amazing sense of humour and Tristan the mmc just matched her perfectly, they both had amazing back story really making them characters i felt attached to. and I think that really made the book as good as it was. The plot in some spots was a little slow but all the action scenes made up for it and got me hooked right back in.

However I do have to say the word “daddy” has lost all meaning the amount of times it was used but honestly other than that it was a really enjoyable read

[Ashley Ogle · Rating 4 out of 5]

First let me say I received this as an arc from the author.
I enjoyed Harper (Murder Spice) and Katar’s story much better than the first couple.
4 ⭐️ 3 🌶️
The plot was very thorough which I enjoyed, I would have liked a bit more backstory on Katar. I love a good cinnamon roll, spicy 🌶️ man and he fulfilled that role perfectly!
The spice, while not very descriptive was very well executed into the story.
The banter kept me begging for more and the way that they could converse without words was amazing! The fact that Katar showed up for Harper even when she was not even interested in what he was offering made me fall for him even more. In the end Harper learned what true love and dedication meant. I would definitely recommend this to someone looking for similar books to Lights Out.

[Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is book 2 in The Shadow Lake Series

Meet Harper a lab technician by day and a burlesque dancing assassin at night. I really enjoyed her sassiness and character growth with all the trauma she has been though.

Katar is our psychopath golden retriever. This man draws you in with his chaos and dirty mind. As the story moves along he proposes to Harper they should work together to take out targets.

The banter between the two of them made this a page turner. The way they could communicate with no words is so good.

If your looking for a assassin dark romance with romcom banter then this is the book for you.

🖤Assassins
🖤Dark Romcom
🖤Rivals to Lovers
🖤Stalking Each Other
🖤Blackcat X Golden Retriever